小哺乳动物化石牙齿釉质碳、氧同位素测试方法简介及应用前景

探讨古环境和古气候变化与哺乳动物演化之间的关系是目前古生物学研究领域中的一个热点,而哺乳动物化石牙齿釉质的碳、氧同位素分析是恢复古环境和古气候的一个重要手段。以往的哺乳动物化石牙齿釉质稳定同位素分析多集中在大哺乳动物化石,这主要是受到技术手段的限制,所需的样品量较大所决定的。但最近几年随着激光和离子显微探针技术的应用,对小哺乳动物化石(如啮齿类和兔形类)的牙齿釉质碳、氧同位素的分析和应用日趋成熟和广泛。除了传统的化学处理方法之外,对小哺乳动物化石牙齿釉质碳、氧同位素的分析还有以下三种方法:1)激光剥蚀气相色谱/同位素比值质谱分析;2)直接激光氟化技术;3)离子显微探针技术(SHRIMPII)。这些技术需要的样品量少,对标本的破损小,准确度和精密度高,所以在小哺乳动物化石和一些珍贵标本(如古人类化石)的稳定同位素分析中起到了重要作用。相对于大哺乳动物化石,小哺乳动物化石数量多、演化速度快,更能反映多个层位长时间序列的古环境和气候变化;而且小哺乳动物通常没有长距离迁徙的行为,栖息地局限,所以更能准确反映化石埋藏地点的古环境和气候状况。     

植物Rab蛋白的研究进展

Rab蛋白是小G蛋白超级家族中的成员之一。通过Rab蛋白氨基酸序列的系统进化分析表明,植物Rab家族又可分为8个亚家族,分别为RabA、RabB、RabC、RabD、RabE、RabF、RabG和RabH。Rab蛋白一般位于胞内特异膜系统的胞质面,它们是小泡运输的关键调节因子。Rab蛋白有非常保守的结构域,同时又具有功能多样性,它们在细胞分化、顶端优势、花粉管发育、根瘤形成以及生物和非生物胁迫反应中均起着非常重要的作用。该文对近年来国内外有关植物Rab蛋白的结构特点及其多样性功能的研究进展进行综述。     

干旱高温复合胁迫下sHSPs基因在不同耐旱性玉米中的表达差异及其对ABA和H2O2的响应

以4个玉米(Zea mays L.)品种——‘郑单958’(耐干旱)、‘浚单20’(耐高温)、‘隆玉602’(耐干旱高温复合胁迫)和‘驻玉309’(对3种胁迫均敏感)为实验材料,分别采用脱落酸(ABA)及其抑制剂氟定酮(F)、H2O2及其清除剂碘化钾(I)和丙酮酸钠(P)预处理,探讨干旱高温复合胁迫下小热休克蛋白(sHSPs)在不同耐旱性玉米品种中的表达以及ABA和H2O2对其表达的影响。结果显示:(1)高温、干旱高温复合胁迫诱导的sHSP16.9、sHSP17.2、sHSP17.4、sHSP17.5、sHSP22和sHSP26等6个sHSPs基因表达增加量明显高于干旱和对照。(2)在6个sHSPs中,sHSP17.2基因仅在‘郑单958’中表达;sHSP16.9、sHSP17.4和sHSP26基因在‘隆玉602’中表达增加量最高,在‘驻玉309’中表达增量最低;sHSP17.5和sHSP22基因在‘郑单958’中表达增加量最高,在‘驻玉309’中最低。(3)ABA、F、I和P预处理后,对干旱高温复合胁迫诱导的6个sHSPs基因表达增加量仅有略微影响,但显著影响了sHSP26的蛋白表达。研究表明,sHSPs在不同耐旱性玉米品种中的表达存在显著差异,ABA和H2O2仅稍微提高了sHSPs基因表达,但显著提高了sHSP26蛋白表达,这些结果为进一步研究植物在多胁迫条件下耐逆机理奠定了基础。     

Nematicidal activity of Lysobacter capsici YS1215 and the role of gelatinolytic proteins against root-knot nematodes

Lysobacter capsici YS1215 is a soil-borne strain that could inhibit the growth of phytopathogenic fungi, including Phytophthora capsici, Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium oxysporum, as well as root-knot nematodes. The effect of different concentrations of bacterial culture filtrate (BCF) of L. capsici YS1215 on the mortality of second-stage juveniles (J2) of Meloidogyne incognita was studied using 24-well plates. The J2 mortality increased with increasing concentrations of BCF. YS1215 also produces gelatinases in the culture filtrate. To study its role in nematicidal activities, the partial purification and the characterisation of gelatinolytic proteins were done from the culture medium of the YS1215. The partially purified proteins showed three clear bands with molecular weights estimated using zymography to be 255.7, 232.1 and 146.4 kDa. The optimal pH and temperature for the proteins were 8.0 and 40°C, respectively. The activity of the proteins was inhibited by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, FeCl₃ and 1,10-phenanthroline, whereas it was activated by MnCl₂. The proteins may belong to the group of metalloproteases. Moreover, the proteins could hydrolyse skimmed milk, collagen, gelatin and bovine serum albumin (BSA) as substrates, but not casein. The proteins could induce 75% J2 mortality in five days and degrade the J2 bodies. The present study demonstrates the role of the gelatinolytic proteins in the nematicidal potential of L. capsici YS1215.     

Total soluble protein profiles of Beauveria bassiana and their relationship with virulence against Helicoverpa armigera

Intracellular total soluble proteins of Beauveria bassiana are believed to play an important role in virulence against insect hosts. Thirty B. bassiana isolates collected from different geographical regions and host ranges were characterised by total soluble proteins present in cells, using the SDS–PAGE technique to differentiate the isolates based on virulence and host insect origin. In vitro analysis of total soluble protein profiles of 30 isolates was studied to understand the relationship of isolates with their host of origin and virulence against Helicoverpa armigera. There was a positive relationship between virulence and host origin. All the non-virulent isolates are grouped together. Similarly, highly virulent isolates against H. armigera were grouped together. The relationship between total soluble proteins and pathogenicity was positively correlated. Thirty isolates shared only 22% similarity in their protein profiles.     

Studies on the Pungent Principle of Capsicum

The chemical constitutions of the pungent principle of Capsicum were investigated. These principles are assumed to consist of capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin, nordihydrocapsaicin, homodihydrocapsaicin and two or more analogues of these materials. Thin-layer chromatography and open tubular gas chromatography showed that the natural pungent mixture contains no cis-isomer of capsaicin. The chemical structure of nordihydrocapsaicin was determined as N-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl)-7-methyloctanamide by gas chromatography, infrared spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. In addition, homodihydrocapsaicin was identified as N-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl)-9-methyl-decanamide. These identities were also proven by comparison with synthetic samples.     

Application of Nitrate Reductase for the Determination of Nitrate in Meat and Fishery Products

A rapid and specific method is described for the determination of nitrate in meat and fishery products.

Nitrate separated from foods by extraction with 1/50Ν sodium hydroxide and ultrafiltration was readily reduced to nitrite by the use of respiratory nitrate reductase (NR) from Escherichia coli K-12. The nitrite so obtained can be determined by the specific diazotation-coupling reaction method.

The use of an enzymatic reaction resulted in quantitative reduction of nitrate, and the method was relatively free of interferences. Recoveries of 10 and 100 ppm of nitrate from 5 samples of meat and fishery products ranged from 92.8 to 97.8% for 10 ppm and 97.8 to 99.4% for 100 ppm with a detection limit of 0.5 ppm.     

Taxonomic Characteristics of a Thermophilic Acidophilic Strain of Bacillus Producing Thermophilic Acidophilic Amylase and Thermostable Xylanase

Taxonomic characteristics of a strain of thermophilic acidophilic bacillus, Bacillus sp. 11-1S, which had the ability to produce thermophilic acidophilic amylase and thermostable xylanase were examined. Cells of the organism were aerobic, heterotrophic, Gram-positive, spore-forming rods. It grew at temperatures between 45 and 70°C (optimum 65°C) in media of pHs ranging from 2.0 to 5.0 (optimum 3.5 ~ 4.0). Physiological and biochemical characteristics were identical with those of Bacillus acidocaldarius, and % GC of DNA (59%) was close to that of the latter (61 ~ 62%). From these results it was concluded that the organism belongs to B. acidocaldarius Darland and Brock.