Synthesis of daidzein 7-O-beta-D-glucuronide-4'-O-sulfate

The first synthesis of daidzein 7-O-beta-D-glucuronide-4'-O-sulfate, a mixed conjugate of an important dietary phytoestrogen is described.     

Foliar δ<Superscript>13</Superscript>C values of nine dominant species in the Loess Plateau of China

The foliar stable carbon isotope compositions (δ¹³C) of nine dominant species in seven sites, Yangling, Yongshou, Tongchuan, Fuxian, Ansai, Mizhi, and Shenmu, standing from the south to the north in the Loess Plateau of China were studied. The results showed that foliar δ¹³C values ranged from −22.61 to −30.73 ‰ with an average of −27.23 ‰ in 141 C₃ plant samples collected from the Loess Plateau. Foliar δ¹³C values varied significantly (p<0.001) among the nine C₃ species, which were Pinus tabulaeformis Carr., Robinia pseudoacacia L., Zizyphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosus Hu., Rubus parvifolius L., Hippophae rhamnoides L., Caragana korshinskii Kom., Lespedeza davurica (Laxm.) Schindl., Artemisia sacrorum Ledeb. var. incana Mattf., and Agropyron cristatum Gaertn. Comparatively, R. pseudoacacia, H. rhamnoides, and C. korshinskii had much higher δ¹³C values than the other six species, while A. sacrorum had the lowest δ¹³C value. There was no significant difference in foliar δ¹³C value among five species, P. tabulaeformis, Z. jujuba, R. parvifolius, L. davurica, and A. cristatum. Considering the life forms categorized from nine C₃ species, trees and shrubs had significantly higher δ¹³C values than herbs (p<0.001). The deciduous tree R. pseudoacacia had much higher δ¹³C value than the evergreen tree P. tabulaeformis (p<0.01). Among the four shrubs, foliar δ¹³C values in H. rhamnoides and C. korshinskii were markedly higher (p<0.01) than those in Z. jujuba and R. parvifolius. Among the three herbs, L. davurica and A. cristatum had significantly higher δ¹³C values than A. sacrorum (p<0.01). Leguminous species such as R. pseudoacacia, C. korshinskii, and L. davurica as well as a non-leguminous species with nitrogen-fixation capacity, H. rhamnoides, had higher δ¹³C values than other non-leguminous species with same life-form. The mean δ¹³C value increased by about 7 % from Yangling in the south to Shenmu in the north as climatic drought increased, and foliar δ¹³C values differed much (p<0.001) among the seven sites. For nine species in the Loess Plateau, foliar δ¹³C values were significantly and negatively (p<0.001) correlated with the mean annual precipitation, moreover, an increase of 100 mm in annual precipitation would result in a decrease of 1.2 ‰ in δ¹³C value.     

河西走廊植物群落特征及其与气候的关系初探

对河西走廊荒漠植物的群落类型、盖度、密度、重要值、地上生物量等进行了调查,收集整理各区域的气候资料,对它们的关系进行了初步研究。结果显示:(1)物种种类组成、总密度与海拔、经度呈正相关,与纬度呈负相关,在走廊的东南→西北方向上呈递减趋势。(2)在活动积温(>10℃)>3 200℃的荒漠地区,灌木(包括半灌木)在群落中占有绝对优势,其重要值可达到100;当活动积温在3 000℃左右时,群落往往是一些过渡类型,或以草本为优势种、以半灌木或灌木为伴生种,或以半灌木为优势种、以多年生草本为伴生种。(3)在年降水量110 mm以上的荒漠地区,植物群落生活型主要为半灌木或多年生草本;在年降水量110 mm以下的地区,生活型主要为小灌木或一年生草本;在年降水量小于50 mm的极端干旱地区,只有在雨季时有一年生草本生长。表明荒漠生态系统植被稀疏,生物量小,对气候因子,特别是降水变化敏感,对其保育显得尤为重要。     

Influence of environmental factors on reductive bioprecipitation of uranium by sulfate reducing bacteria

Microbial reduction of soluble uranyl [U (VI)] to insoluble uraninite by sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) is a promising remediation strategy for uranium-contaminated groundwater. Effects of environmental factors, including pH and coexisting ions, on U (VI) bioreduction processes (UBP) remain unknown. Anaerobic batch experiments were performed to evaluate impact on UBP. Kinetic investigations with varied pH demonstrated that U (VI) was reduced mostly within 48 h. The bioprecipitation yields depended strongly on pH, increasing from 12.9% to 99.4% at pH 2.0 and 6.0, respectively. Sulfate concentration 4000 mg l⁻¹ did not affect UBP; however, sulfate concentration 5000 mg l⁻¹ significantly slowed UBP. Biogenic H₂S produced during sulfate reduction was not directly involved in UBP. At 20 mg l⁻¹ Zn or 10 mg l⁻¹ Cu, no UBP inhibition was observed and uraninite was detected in metal sulfide precipitate. However, 25 mg l⁻¹ Zn or 15 mg l⁻¹ Cu stopped UBP completely. Cu toxicity mechanism probably differed from Zn. The ability to reduce U (VI) was lost permanently with exposure to 15 mg l⁻¹ Cu, but not for Zn 25 mg l⁻¹. No uraninite could be detected before nitrate removal, suggesting nitrate strongly inhibited UBP, which may possibly be related to denitrification intermediates controlling the solution redox potential.     

Electron donors for biological sulfate reduction

Biological sulfate reduction is widely used for treating sulfate-containing wastewaters from industries such as mining, tannery, pulp and paper, and textiles. In biological reduction, sulfate is converted to hydrogen sulfide as the end product. The process is, therefore, ideally suited for treating metal-containing wastewater from which heavy metals are simultaneously removed through the formation of metal sulfides. Metal sulfide precipitates are more stable than metal hydroxides that are sensitive to pH change. Theoretically, conversion of 1 mol of sulfate requires 0.67 mol of chemical oxygen demand or electron donors. Sulfate rich wastewaters are usually deficient in electron donors and require external addition of electron donors in order to achieve complete sulfate reduction. This paper reviews various electron donors employed in biological sulfate reduction. Widely used electron donors include hydrogen, methanol, ethanol, acetate, lactate, propionate, butyrate, sugar, and molasses. The selection criteria for suitable electron donors are discussed.     

梭梭(Haloxylon ammodendron)生理与个体用水策略对降水改变的响应

随着全球变化的加剧,降水改变正导致荒漠生态系统中植物用水策略的适应性变化;对降水变化响应的种间差异性影响着荒漠植物群落组成。研究将生理生态与个体形态尺度相结合,调查中亚荒漠关键种梭梭Haloxylon ammodendron对降水变化导致的自然生境中水分条件改变的响应与适应。实验于2005年生长期开展,在古尔班通古特沙漠南缘原始盐生旱生荒漠中设置3个降水梯度（自然、双倍和无降水）;观测并比较不同降水条件下光合作用、蒸腾作用、叶水势、水分利用效率、地上生物量累积和根系分布的变化。结果表明,梭梭主要利用降水形成的浅层土壤水维持生存;有效的形态调节和较强的气孔控制是其维持光合能力以及适应降水变化的主要机制;降水增多对其产生正效应,预示着梭梭可能在未来种间竞争和群落演替中占有优势。     

Leaf developmental stage affects sulfate depletion and specific sulfate transporter expression during sulfur deprivation in Brassica napus L

BRASSICA NAPUS was grown under hydroponic conditions and responses to the removal of the external supply of sulfur (S) were analysed in roots and in leaves of different developmental age. The concentrations of sulfate and nitrate were greatest in the older leaves and least in younger leaves, whilst phosphate was greatest in roots and youngest leaves and least in old leaves. S-deprivation resulted in decreases in tissue sulfate concentrations at variable rates in the order: roots and young leaves > middle-aged leaves > oldest leaves. Phosphate concentrations were unaffected and nitrate concentrations were only depleted in the oldest leaves. Expression of representative members of the sulfate transporter gene family was assessed by Northern blotting in the respective tissues. Group 1 transporters (high affinity type) were induced in response to S-deprivation in all tissues except old leaves, where no expression was detected, and to the greatest extent in roots. Groups 2 and 5 (a BRASSICA Group 5 sulfate transporter is reported here, accession number: AJ311389) transporters showed either no or only a small induction by S-deprivation. Group 4 transporters (localised in the tonoplast membrane and thought to be involved in vacuolar sulfate efflux) were induced by S-deprivation with a complex pattern: 4;1 was expressed in root and mature leaves, was strongly induced by sulfur-deprivation in roots, and was also induced in the middle-aged leaves alone; 4;2 was only expressed under S-deprivation in parallel with the observed pattern of tissue sulfate concentrations. Expression patterns indicated that both differences in intracellular sulfate pools and localised aspects of the signal transduction pathway link tissue sulfate-status and sulfur-nutrition regulated gene expression.     

Production of methanethiol and volatile sulfur compounds by the archaeon “Ferroplasma acidarmanus”

Acidophiles are typically isolated from sulfate-rich ecological niches yet the role of sulfur metabolism in their growth and survival is poorly defined. Studies of heterotrophically grown “Ferroplasma acidarmanus” showed that its growth requires a minimum of 100 mM of a sulfate-containing salt. Headspace gas analyses by GC/MS determined that the volatile sulfur compound emitted by active “F. acidarmanus” cultures is methanethiol. In “F. acidarmanus” cultures grown either heterotrophically or chemolithotrophically, methanethiol was produced constitutively. Radiotracer studies with ³⁵S-labeled methionine, cysteine, and sulfate showed that all three were used in methanethiol production. Additionally, ³H-labeled methionine was incorporated into methanethiol and was probably used as a methyl-group donor. Methanethiol production in whole cell lysates supplied with SO₃²⁻ indicated that NADPH-dependant sulfite reductase and methyltransferase activities were present. Cell lysates also contained enzymatic activity for methionine-γ-lyase that cleaved the side chain of either methionine to form methanethiol or cysteine to produce H₂S. Since methanethiol was detected from the degradation of cysteine, it is likely that sulfide was methylated by a thiol methyltransferase. Collectively, these data demonstrate that “F. acidarmanus” produces methanethiol through the metabolism of methionine, cysteine, or sulfate. This is the first report of a methanethiol-producing acidophile, thus identifying a new contributor to the global sulfur cycle.     

Diversity of Saxicolous Lichens along an Aridity Gradient in Central México

Lichens are symbiotic organisms that comprise a fungus and a photosynthetic partner wich are recognized as a good indicator of climate change. However, our understanding of how aridity affects the diversity of saxicolous lichens in drylands is still limited. To evaluate the relationship between saxicolous lichen diversity and aridity in a central México dryland, a geographical transect was established of 100 km to build an aridity gradient in the semiarid zone of the State of Querétaro, Mexico, comprising ten sampling sites with a 10 km separation. Species richness, abundance and diversity of soil lichen species were recorded using two sampling methods: the quadrat-intercept and the line-intercept method, to compare their performance in assessing soil lichen diversity in drylands. The number of species and Shannon diversity of saxicolous lichens were higher at intermediate values of the aridity index (AI = 0.10–0.34). Quadrat intercept and point intercept methods gave quite similar results, which means that the selected method does not influence the results in a significant way. This study confirms the role of saxicolous lichens as climate change indicators and reveals the importance of the sampling method selection in the evaluation of different parameters of soil lichen diversity in drylands.     

近60年秦岭山地旱涝变化规律

随着极端气候变化,山地灾害频发。基于秦岭山地32个气象站点的实测数据,以标准化降水蒸散指数(SPEI)为旱涝量化指标,研究了过去60年秦岭山地旱涝时空变化特征、频率、周期等变化规律,结果表明：(1)1960—2019年,秦岭山地年SPEI指数以0.124/10a的速度下降,其中,90.23%的面积呈显著下降趋势,1.96%的面积呈显著上升趋势,并在1990年发生干旱突变;秦岭北坡的干旱化趋势大于南坡,且高海拔地区干旱化更为明显。(2)突变前秦岭山地湿润比例平均值为36.94%,突变后下降为18.19%;干旱比例由突变前的17.64%急剧上升到突变后的38.19%;突变前30年秦岭山地极端干旱事件、严重干旱事件极少发生,发生频率几乎为0;突变后30年严重干旱和极端干旱事件发生频率增加,秦岭南北坡极端湿润和严重湿润事件近乎销声匿迹。(3)整体上,太阳黑子与秦岭山地旱涝变化以显著负相关关系为主;ENSO事件对秦岭山地的旱涝变化影响较大,在La Nina年易发生洪涝事件,在El Ni1o年易发生干旱事件;在不同时域范围内,海表温度距平(SSTA)对秦岭山地旱涝变化的影响不同：1990年以前,S...