4种木本植物在潜流人工湿地环境下的适应性与去污效果

为解决冬季植物问题,将4种木本植物引入潜流人工湿地环境,进行植物适应性和去污效果研究,结果表明:(1)4种木本植物在潜流人工湿地环境下的净光合速率日变化规律为夹竹桃、栀子、女贞变化规律是"双峰"型,木槿则是"单峰"型;叶片气孔导度日变化规律为木槿是"单峰"型,其他3个品种没有明显规律;植物胞间CO2浓度的日变化规律与净光合速率日变化规律相反对应关系;蒸腾速率日变化规律为4种植物都呈现"单峰"型规律,且高峰出现在11:00—13:00之间。(2)除女贞外较低外,其余3种植物叶绿素含量较高但差异不大;丙二醛含量较高的是木槿与栀子,女真最低;氮磷积累量最高是夹竹桃,最低的是木槿;基质脲酶活性夹竹桃、木槿高于栀子、女贞,基质磷酸酶活性在4种植物中比较接近。(3)4种木本植物引入湿地后长出了白色的水生根系,且数量多于陆地土壤栽培条件的土培根系;在内部结构上也有较大差异,土培根系的组织非常致密,水生根系则有发达的通气组织。(4)试验期间系统TN平均去除率为40.2%,TP平均去除率为80.8%。COD Cr的平均去除率较低为15.4%,NH+4-N的平均去除率为61.8%,各月份间的差异随着季节温度的变化基本一致。     

湖南云山野生木质藤本植物资源及多样性研究

为深入研究湘西南野生藤本植物资源现状及其多样性特征,对湖南云山野生木质藤本植物资源生态特征进行了系统研究。结果表明:(1)湖南云山共有野生木质藤本植物39科101属308种,分别占该区种子植物科、属和种的19.21%、9.32%和20.29%,其中裸子植物1科1属1种,被子植物38科100属307种,蕨类植物缺乏。(2)在生活型上,该区以高位芽藤本植物为主导,占总种数的93.51%,地下芽、地面芽和地上芽藤本植物较少,分别占总种数的4.87%、0.97%和0.65%。(3)在攀援方式上,缠绕藤本具有优势,占总种数的42.86%,搭靠类、卷曲类和吸固类较少,分别占总种数的34.01%、13.62%和9.42%。(4)该区地理成分复杂多样,属级和种级地理成分各有11个分布型,均以热带成分为主,温带成分占有较大比例,说明该区热带成分向温带渗透和过渡的性质。研究认为,湖南云山野生木质藤本植物的生态功能效应明显,用途广泛,具有重要的药用、经济和社会价值,综合效益明显,开发利用潜力巨大。     

湖北铜绿山古铜矿遗址区木本植物对重金属富集能力的分析

对湖北铜绿山古铜矿遗址区的木本植物种类组成及生长概况进行了调查,并采用原子吸收光谱法测定了木本植物地上部和地下部及其根际土壤中重金属含量;在此基础上,分析了各树种对Cu、Cd和Pb的富集作用,并对木本植物的生态修复意义进行了初步评价。结果表明:在该古铜矿遗址区共有木本植物13科14属14种,其中乔木13种、灌木1种;木本植物的树龄4~25 a、株高3.7~22.6 m、胸径5.3~29.0 cm,长势均较好。木本植物根际土壤中Cu、Cd、Pb、Cr、Mn和Zn的平均含量分别为3 166.73、3.66、137.06、31.32、1 774.43和208.32 mg·kg-1,其中,土壤中Cu、Cd和Pb的含量达到重度污染等级。各树种地上部和地下部的Cu、Cd和Pb的含量差异明显,且均为Cu含量最高、Cd含量最低;各树种的地上部和地下部对Cu、Cd和Pb的富集系数及综合富集系数也均有明显差异,但对Cd的富集系数均最大。法国冬青〔Viburnum odoratissimum var.awabuki(K.Koch)Zabel ex Rumpl.〕、梧桐〔Firmiana platanifolia(Linn.f.)Marsili〕、桂花〔Osmanthus fragrans(Thunb.)Lour.〕和刺槐(Robinia pseudoacacia Linn.)地上部的综合富集系数较高,苦楝(Melia azedarach Linn.)、女贞(Ligustrum lucidum Ait.)、法国冬青和樟树〔Cinnamomum camphora(Linn.)Presl〕地下部的综合富集系数较高;总体上看,法国冬青、苦楝、女贞、梧桐和桂花对Cu、Cd和Pb的平均综合富集系数均大于1,具有较高的重金属富集能力。根据研究结果,建议在Pb污染区域可选择栽植二球悬铃木〔Platanus×acerifolia(Ait.)Willd.〕和构树〔Broussonetia papyrifera(Linn.)L’Hert.ex Vent.〕等树种,在Cd污染区域可选择栽植法国冬青、梧桐、刺槐和苦楝等树种,而在Cu-Cd-Pb复合污染区域应栽植法国冬青、苦楝、女贞、梧桐、桂花和刺槐等树种。     

高产紫杉醇内生真菌J11的鉴定

从南方红豆杉(Taxus chinensis var.mairei)的幼茎中分离出一株产紫杉醇内生真菌J11.菌株J11的发酵提取物经高分辨质谱分析,证实J11菌株可产紫杉醇.提取该菌株的基因组DNA,扩增核糖体internal transcribed spacer(ITS)和28S核糖体large subunit rRNA gene(LSU)序列,经测序获得该菌的ITS序列和LSU序列.序列比对和检索结果表明,J11菌株为葡萄座腔菌(Botryosphaeria ssp.)属中的一个新菌株.形态学鉴定符合葡萄座腔菌属特征,高效液相色谱分析表明,J11菌株的紫杉醇含量约为615.1μg/L.本研究首次证实葡萄座腔菌J11是一株高产紫杉醇野生型菌株,具有潜在的应用前景.     

Haldane's rule revisited: do hybrid females have a shorter lifespan? Survival of hybrids in a recent contact zone between two large gull species

Haldane's rule predicts that particularly high fitness reduction should affect the heterogametic sex of interspecific hybrids. Despite the fact that hybridization is widespread in birds, survival of hybrid individuals is rarely addressed in studies of avian hybrid zones, possibly because of methodological constraints. Here, having applied capture–mark–recapture models to an extensive, 19‐year‐long data set on individually marked birds, we estimate annual survival rates of hybrid individuals in the hybrid zone between herring (Larus argentatus) and Caspian (Larus cachinnans) gulls. In both parental species, males have a slightly higher survival rate than females (model‐weighted mean ± SE: herring gull males 0.88 ± 0.01, females 0.87 ± 0.01, Caspian gull males 0.88 ± 0.01, females 0.87 ± 0.01). Hybrid males do not survive for a shorter time than nonhybrid ones (0.88 ± 0.01), whereas hybrid females have the lowest survival rate among all groups of individuals (0.83 ± 0.03). This translates to a shorter adult (reproductive) lifespan (on average by 1.7–1.8 years, i.e. ca 25%) compared with nonhybrid females. We conclude that, in line with Haldane's rule, the lower survival rate of female hybrids may contribute to selection against hybrids in this hybrid zone.     

Structure–activity relationships of the antimicrobial peptide gramicidin S and its analogs: Aqueous solubility,self-association,conformation, antimicrobial activity and interaction with model lipid membranes

GS10 [cyclo-(VKLdYPVKLdYP)] is a synthetic analog of the naturally occurring antimicrobial peptide gramicidin (GS) in which the two positively charged ornithine (Orn) residues are replaced by two positively charged lysine (Lys) residues and the two less polar aromatic phenylalanine (Phe) residues are replaced by the more polar tyrosine (Tyr) residues. In this study, we examine the effects of these seemingly conservative modifications to the parent GS molecule on the physical properties of the peptide, and on its interactions with lipid bilayer model and biological membranes, by a variety of biophysical techniques. We show that although GS10 retains the largely β-sheet conformation characteristic of GS, it is less structured in both water and membrane-mimetic solvents. GS10 is also more water soluble and less hydrophobic than GS, as predicted, and also exhibits a reduced tendency for self-association in aqueous solution. Surprisingly, GS10 associates more strongly with zwitterionic and anionic phospholipid bilayer model membranes than does GS, despite its greater water solubility, and the presence of anionic phospholipids and cholesterol (Chol) modestly reduces the association of both GS10 and GS to these model membranes. The strong partitioning of both peptides into lipid bilayers is driven by a large favorable entropy change opposed by a much smaller unfavorable enthalpy change. However, GS10 is also less potent than GS at inducing inverted cubic phases in phospholipid bilayer model membranes and at inhibiting the growth of the cell wall-less bacterium Acholeplasma laidlawii B. These results are discussed in terms of the comparative antibiotic and hemolytic activities of these peptides.     

Trichoplaxin — A new membrane-active antimicrobial peptide from placozoan cDNA

A method based on the use of signal peptide sequences from antimicrobial peptide (AMP) precursors was used to mine a placozoa expressed sequence tag database and identified a potential antimicrobial peptide from Trichoplax adhaerens. This peptide, with predicted sequence FFGRLKSVWSAVKHGWKAAKSR is the first AMP from a placozoan species, and was named trichoplaxin. It was chemically synthesized and its structural properties, biological activities and membrane selectivity were investigated. It adopts an α-helical structure in contact with membrane-like environments and is active against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial species (including MRSA), as well as yeasts from the Candida genus. The cytotoxic activity, as assessed by the haemolytic activity against rat erythrocytes, U937 cell permeabilization to propidium iodide and MCF7 cell mitochondrial activity, is significantly lower than the antimicrobial activity. In tests with membrane models, trichoplaxin shows high affinity for anionic prokaryote-like membranes with good fit in kinetic studies. Conversely, there is a low affinity for neutral eukaryote-like membranes and absence of a dose dependent response. With high selectivity for bacterial cells and no homologous sequence in the UniProt, trichoplaxin is a new potential lead compound for development of broad-spectrum antibacterial drugs.     

Membrane interactions and biological activity of antimicrobial peptides from Australian scorpion

UyCT peptides are antimicrobial peptides isolated from the venom of the Australian scorpion. The activity of the UyCT peptides against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria and red blood cells was determined. The membrane interactions of these peptides were evaluated by dye release (DR) of the fluorophore calcein from liposomes and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC); and their secondary structure was determined by circular dichroism (CD). Three different lipid systems were used to mimic red blood cells, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus membranes. UyCT peptides exhibited broad spectrum antimicrobial activity with low MIC for S. aureus and multi-drug resistant Gram negative strains. Peptide combinations showed some synergy enhancing their potency but not hemolytic activity. The UyCT peptides adopted a helical structure in lipid environments and DR results confirmed that the mechanism of action is by disrupting the membrane. ITC data indicated that UyCT peptides preferred prokaryotic rather than eukaryotic membranes. The overall results suggest that UyCT peptides could be pharmaceutical leads for the treatment of Gram negative multiresistant bacterial infections, especially against Acinetobacter baumanni, and candidates for peptidomimetics to enhance their potency and minimize hemolysis. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Interfacially Active Peptides and Proteins. Guest Editors: William C. Wimley and Kalina Hristova.     

Combined treatment of rituximab,idarubicin, dexamethasone,cytarabine, methotrexate with radiotherapy for primary central nervous system lymphoma

The overall response rates and long‐term survival of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) are still significantly inferior to the results achieved in similar subtypes of extranodal non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma. It is clearly necessary to investigate new therapeutic methods on PCNSL. We encountered three patients histologically documented PCNSL as diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL). They were treated with R‐IDARAM which comprised rituximab, idarubicin, dexamethasone, cytarabine and methotrexate. Patient 1 received stereotactic brachytherapy (SBT) prior to chemotherapy performed with iodine‐125 seeds (cumulative therapeutic dose 50 Gy). After six cycles of R‐IDARAM at 3‐weekly intervals, radiotherapy was applied at a dosage of 2000–4000 cGy in conventional schedule (180 or 200 cGy/day) to whole brain or spinal cord in all patients. Complete remission (CR) was achieved after first two cycles of R‐IDARAM in all patients. All three patients remained in CR at the time of this report with a median duration of follow‐up of 23 months (ranging from 13 to 41 months). Three patients have been alive for 41, 13, 16 months respectively until now. The patient with the longest survival time was the one given SBT prior to chemotherapy. This study suggests that R‐IDARAM combining with radiotherapy maybe a high effective regimen in PCNSL patients especially those with primary central nervous system DLBCL. A comprehensive treatment combining internal radiotherapy by SBT, modified R‐IDARAM and followed reduced external radiotherapy may be a new treatment concept for PCNSL with higher efficiency and lower toxicity.