鼎湖山南亚热带常绿阔叶林植物功能性状变异与不同垂直层次个体生长的关联

建立植物功能性状与群落动态之间的关联是功能生态学的核心问题之一。本文基于鼎湖山1.44 ha塔吊样地的两次调查数据, 通过采集样地内所有4,142株个体的6种植物功能性状, 对比分析了个体水平植物功能性状和物种水平功能性状均值对不同垂直层次(灌木层、亚冠层和林冠层)个体生长的影响差异。首先, 分析了不同垂直层次下各植物功能性状的变化趋势; 其次, 计算了不同垂直层次下各植物功能性状的种内和种间变异水平; 最后, 运用结构方程模型探讨了植物功能性状、光竞争以及地下竞争对不同垂直层次树木生长的影响。结果表明: (1)不同垂直层次下的植物功能性状表现出明显的分异, 由灌木层至林冠层, 叶面积、比叶面积和能量供求关系指数显著降低, 而叶片厚度和叶片干物质含量显著升高; (2)不同垂直层次下植物功能性状的种间变异均大于种内变异, 且林冠层的种内功能性状变异均大于灌木层和亚冠层; (3)基于个体水平植物功能性状的结构方程模型较物种水平功能性状均值对生长具有更高的解释程度, 且个体水平植物功能性状的引入更有利于提高对灌木层个体生长的预测能力; (4)光竞争和地下竞争主要通过影响功能性状间接影响植物生长。由灌木层至林冠层, 同种间的相互作用逐渐减弱, 异种间的相互作用逐渐增强。综上, 将个体水平植物功能性状纳入分析有助于更好地理解群落的结构和动态。     

Spatial distributions of tree species in a subtropical forest of China

The spatial dispersion of individuals in a species is an important pattern that is controlled by many mechanisms. In this study we analyzed spatial distributions of tree species in a large-scale (20 ha) stem-mapping plot in a species-rich subtropical forest of China. O-ring statistic was used to measure spatial patterns of species with abundance >10. Ω_0–10, the mean conspecific density within 10 m of a tree, was used as a measure of the intensity of aggregation of a species. Our results showed: (1) aggregated distribution was the dominant pattern in the plot. The percentage of aggregated species decreased with increased spatial scale. (2) The percentages of significantly aggregated species decreased from abundant to intermediate and to rare species. Rare species was more strongly aggregated than common species. Aggregation was weaker in larger diameter classes. (3) Seed traits determined the spatial patterns of trees. Seed dispersal mode can influence spatial patterns of species, with species dispersed by both modes being less clumped than species dispersed by animal or wind, respectively. Considering these results, we concluded that seed dispersal limitation, self-thinning and habitat heterogeneity primarily contributed to spatial patterns and species coexistence in the forest.     

Improving aquaporin Z expression in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> by fusion partners and subsequent condition optimization

Aquaporin Z (AqpZ), a typical orthodox aquaporin with six transmembrane domains, was expressed as a fusion protein with TrxA in E. coli in our previous work. In the present study, three fusion partners (DsbA, GST and MBP) were employed to improve the expression level of this channel protein in E. coli. The result showed that, compared with the expression level of TrxA-AqpZ, five- to 40-fold increase in the productivity of AqpZ with fusion proteins was achieved by employing these different fusion partners, and MBP was the most efficient fusion partner to increase the expression level. By using E. coli C43 (DE3)/pMAL-AqpZ, the effects of different expression conditions were investigated systematically to improve the expression level of MBP-AqpZ in E. coli. The high productivity of MBP-AqpZ (200 mg/l) was achieved under optimized conditions. The present work provides a novel approach to improve the expression level of membrane proteins in E. coli.     

High-level expression of soluble subunit b of F1F0 ATP synthase in Escherichia coli cell-free system

The overexpression of subunit b of F₁F₀ adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthase from Escherichia coli is so toxic that it even prevents the transformation of plasmids encoding this protein into E. coli BL21 (DE3). In the present work, E. coli cell-free system was chosen as an alternative to express this highly toxic membrane protein. This protein was either produced as precipitates followed by detergent resolubilization or expressed as a soluble form with detergent addition. Among several types of tested detergents, Brij 58 could effectively solubilize approximately 85% of the target membrane protein within a wide range of concentration (48 to 178 times critical micelle concentration [CMC]) with little effect on the expression level. With the presence of Brij 58 at the final concentration of 96 times CMC in the E. coli cell-free system, 789 μg/mL of soluble subunit b was achieved after 4 h biosynthesis, which is the highest level for the expression of membrane proteins in a batch-mode cell-free expression system. The present work provides a rapid and efficient procedure of expressing one membrane protein with high cytotoxicity in the cell-free system and will be helpful to further exploration of reconstituting F₁F₀ ATP synthase into liposome or polymer vesicle to design a nanoelectromechanical system device.     

滇池金线鲃形态度量学分析(Cypriniformes:Cyprinidae)

运用多变量形态度量学和框架结构形态学的方法,测量了采自滇池流域6个不同地点的149尾滇池金线鲃（Sinocyclocheilus grahami）的标本。应用多变量形态度量学分析,选择了20个框架结构性状和19个常规性状,进行主成成分分析。主成成分分析结果的散布图显示,6个不同地点的标本聚在一起没有分开,表明滇池金线鲃的各居群之间在可数性状和可量性状上均未表现出明显的差异,说明滇池金线鲃在形态上还未发生明显的种下分化。     

Synergistic effect of indomethacin and NGX6 on proliferation and invasion by human colorectal cancer cells through modulation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

This study was designed to investigate whether indomethacin and NGX6 synergistically inhibit the growth and invasiveness of human colon cancer cells (HT-29 and SW620) and to elucidate the molecular mechanism of their action. Cell proliferation was assessed by MTT assay. Cell apoptosis was assessed by acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining (AO–EB) and annexin-V-FITC/PI assay. Invasive behaviors of colorectal cancer cells were examined by cell adhesion, migration, and invasion assays. Gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) was assessed by the scrape-loading/dye transfer technique. The subcellular localization and expression of β-catenin protein was examined by immunofluorescence staining and western blot analysis, respectively. Indomethacin and NGX6 had a synergistic effect on inhibiting proliferation and invasiveness of colon cancer HT-29 and SW620 cells, restoring GJIC of HT-29 and SW620, and suppressing translocation of β-catenin from the nucleus and cytoplasm to the plasma membrane. However, they did not have synergistic effects on enhancing apoptosis and suppressing extracellular matrix adhesion of HT-29 and SW620 cells. Indomethacin and NGX6 inhibit the proliferation and invasiveness of HT-29 and SW620 colon cancer cells by attenuating the WNT/ß-catenin signaling pathway.     

The sixth mass coextinction: are most endangered species parasites and mutualists?

The effects of species declines and extinction on biotic interactions remain poorly understood. The loss of a species is expected to result in the loss of other species that depend on it (coextinction), leading to cascading effects across trophic levels. Such effects are likely to be most severe in mutualistic and parasitic interactions. Indeed, models suggest that coextinction may be the most common form of biodiversity loss. Paradoxically, few historical or contemporary coextinction events have actually been recorded. We review the current knowledge of coextinction by: (i) considering plausible explanations for the discrepancy between predicted and observed coextinction rates; (ii) exploring the potential consequences of coextinctions; (iii) discussing the interactions and synergies between coextinction and other drivers of species loss, particularly climate change; and (iv) suggesting the way forward for understanding the phenomenon of coextinction, which may well be the most insidious threat to global biodiversity.     

Pyrethroid-degrading Sphingobium sp. JZ-2 and the purification and characterization of a novel pyrethroid hydrolase

A pyrethroid-degrading bacterium strain JZ-2 was isolated from activated sludge treating pyrethroid-manufacturing wastewater. Based on the morphological, physiological and biochemical characterization, and phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence, the strain was identified as Sphingobium sp. Strain JZ-2 was capable of degrading fenpropathrin, cypermethrin, permethrin, cyhalothrin, deltamethrin, fenvalerate and bifenthrin. This strain degraded fenpropathrin by hydrolysis of the carboxylester linkage to yield 3-phenoxybenzaldehyde and 2,2,3,3-tetramethylcyclopropanecarboxylic acid. 3-Phenoxybenzaldehyde, 3-phenoxybenzoate, protocatechuate and catechol are the intermediates of fenpropathrin degradation. Protocatechuate and catechol were further oxidized by ortho-cleavage pathway. A novel pyrethroid hydrolase from cell-free extract was purified 108.5-fold to apparent homogeneity with a 10.2% overall recovery. It was a monomer with a molecular mass of 31 ± 1 kDa, a pI of 4.85. The optimal pH and temperature were 7.5 and 40 °C, respectively. No cofactors or coenzymes were required for the pyrethroid-hydrolysis activity. The enzyme was strongly inhibited by many irons (Ag⁺, Cu²⁺, Hg²⁺ and Zn²⁺), SDS, p-chloromercuribenzoic acid, phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride and malathion.