寄生桦黑毛三节叶蜂的姬蜂科一中国新纪录种——日本恩姬蜂(膜翅目,姬蜂科)

报道在湖北省神农架发现的、寄生桦黑毛三节叶蜂Argesp.中国1新纪录种:日本恩姬蜂Endasys parviventris nipponicus(Uchida,1930)。     

五指山小型猪下颌骨的测量及分析

目的通过对五指山小型猪(WZSP)下颌骨23个主要变量进行测量分析,以确定该小型猪下颌骨主要遗传变量的数值范围。方法临床解剖取出下颌骨,用水煮沸后剔除肌肉和骨膜,然后用10%甲醛浸泡24h,再用万能角度尺、游标卡尺、卷尺对25例五指山小型猪(8～14月龄,17例雄性,8例雌性)的23个主要变量进行测量。并对测量结果进行统计学分析。结果在测得的雄性和雌性五指山猪下颌骨的23项变量中有4项差异有显著性,2项差异有极显著性,其他差异无显著性;下颌骨各变量之间存在一定的相关性,雄性下颌骨变量x7、x16、x22与其他17项变量相关有显著性或相关有极显著性,雌性下颌骨变量x21与其他11项变量相关有显著性或相关有极显著性。雄性五指山猪下颌骨测量变量显著、极显著相关性所占比例达到52.97%,雌性达到17.00%。与琉球野猪的下颌骨相比,雄性五指山小型猪的x15、x16、x21等变量差异无显著性,雌性的x15、x16、x21、x22等变量差异无显著性,而x2差异有显著性,琉球野猪的下颌骨显得更为狭长。与人及恒河猴(Macacamulatta)、猕猴等动物相比,五指山小型猪下颌骨的多项变量要高。结论测得五指山小型猪育成猪的下颌骨23项变量,可为五指山小型猪遗传、牙科等方面研究提供下颌骨形态学特征的资料。     

BLT2 Is upregulated in allergen-stimulated mast cells and mediates the synthesis of Th2 cytokines

Mast cells are effector cells that mediate the allergic response through Ag stimulation of IgE bound to FcεRI. In allergic reactions, cross-linking of the surface receptors for IgE on mast cells results in the synthesis of Th2 cytokines such as IL-4 and IL-13, which are critical for the initiation and progression of the allergic response. Despite the important roles of these cytokines, the signaling mechanism by which Ag stimulation mediates the production of IL-4 and IL-13 in mast cells is not clearly understood. In the present study, we found that Ag-stimulated bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs) highly upregulated the expression of BLT2, a leukotriene B(4) receptor, and that blockade of BLT2 with the specific antagonist LY255283 or small interfering RNA knockdown completely abolished the production of Th2 cytokines. Furthermore, BMMCs overexpressing BLT2 showed significantly enhanced production of Th2 cytokines compared with wild-type BMMCs. Additionally, we found that the generation of Nox1-derived reactive oxygen species occurs downstream of BLT2, thus mediating the synthesis of Th2 cytokines. Taken together, our results suggest that the BLT2-Nox1-reactive oxygen species cascade is a previously unsuspected mediatory signaling mechanism to Th2 cytokine production in Ag-stimulated BMMCs, thus contributing to allergic response.     

Death receptors 4 and 5 activate Nox1 NADPH oxidase through riboflavin kinase to induce reactive oxygen species-mediated apoptotic cell death

Stimulation of the proapoptotic tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) receptors, death receptors 4 (DR4) and 5 (DR5), conventionally induces caspase-dependent apoptosis in tumor cells. Here we report that stimulation of DR4 and/or DR5 by the agonistic protein KD548-Fc, an Fc-fused DR4/DR5 dual-specific Kringle domain variant, activates plasma membrane-associated Nox1 NADPH oxidase to generate superoxide anion and subsequently accumulates intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to sustained c-Jun N-terminal kinase activation and eventual apoptotic cell death in human HeLa and Jurkat tumor cells. KD548-Fc treatment induces the formation of a DR4/DR5 signaling complex containing riboflavin kinase (RFK), Nox1, the Nox1 subunits (Rac1, Noxo1, and Noxa1), TNF receptor-associated death domain (TRADD), and TNF receptor-associated factor 2 (TRAF2). Depletion of RFK, but not the Nox1 subunits, TRADD and TRAF2, failed to recruit Nox1 and Rac1 to DR4 and DR5, demonstrating that RFK plays an essential role in linking DR4/DR5 with Nox1. Knockdown studies also reveal that RFK, TRADD, and TRAF2 play critical, intermediate, and negligible roles, respectively, in the KD548-Fc-mediated ROS accumulation and downstream signaling. Binding assays using recombinantly expressed proteins suggest that DR4/DR5 directly interact with cytosolic RFK through RFK-binding regions within the intracellular death domains, and TRADD stabilizes the DR4/DR5-RFK complex. Our results suggest that DR4 and DR5 have a capability to activate Nox1 by recruiting RFK, resulting in ROS-mediated apoptotic cell death in tumor cells.     

Revision of the Euthalia phemius complex (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) based on morphology and molecular analyses

Adults of the Euthalia phemius complex, which is composed of three South‐East Asian nymphalid species, Euthalia phemius, Euthalia ipona, and Euthalia euphemia, were genetically analysed by examining mitochondrial and nuclear genes. The E. phemius complex was also examined morphologically, with particular emphasis on wing markings and male genitalia. No significant differences amongst the three species in the complex were detected with respect to either genetic distance or genital morphology. We therefore conclude that the three currently recognized Euthalia species belong to a single species. Accordingly, E. ipona is synonymized with E. phemius. Euthalia euphemia is treated as a subspecies of E. phemius. Type specimens of all taxa and a synonymic list for the E. phemius complex are also given. In addition, we briefly discuss the evolution and biogeography of the species complex. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 164 , 304–327.     

Environmentally induced post‐spin property changes in spider silks: influences of web type,spidroin composition and ecology

Many spiders use silk to construct webs that must function for days at a time, whereas many other species renew their webs daily. The mechanical properties of spider silk can change after spinning under environmental stress, which could influence web function. We hypothesize that spiders spinning longer‐lasting webs produce silks composed of proteins that are more resistant to environmental stresses. The major ampullate (MA) silks of orb web spiders are principally composed of a combination of two proteins (spidroins) called MaSp1 and MaSp2. We expected spider MA silks dominated by MaSp1 to have the greatest resistance to post‐spin property change because they have high concentrations of stable crystalline β‐sheets. Some orb web spiders that spin three‐dimensional orb webs, such as Cyrtophora, have MA silks that are predominantly composed of MaSp1. Hence, we expected that the construction of three‐dimensional orb webs might also coincide with MA silk resistance to post‐spin property change. Alternatively, the degree of post‐spin mechanical property changes in different spider silks may be explained by factors within the spider's ecosystem, such as exposure to solar radiation. We exposed the MA silks of ten spider species from five genera (Nephila, Cyclosa, Leucauge, Cyrtophora, and Argiope) to ecologically high temperatures and low humidity for 4 weeks, and compared the mechanical properties of these silks with unexposed silks. Using species pairs enabled us to assess the influence of web dimensionality and MaSp composition both with and without phylogenetic influences being accounted for. We found neither the MaSp composition nor the three‐dimensionality of the orb web to be associated with the degree of post‐spin mechanical property changes in MA silk. The MA silks in Leucauge spp. are dominated by MaSp2, which we found to have the least resistance to post‐spin property change. The MA silk in Argiope spp. is also dominated by MaSp2, but has high resistance to post‐spin property change. The ancestry of Argiope is unresolved, but it is largely a tropical genus inhabiting hot, open regions that present similar stressors to silk as those of our experiment. Ecological factors thus appear to influence the vulnerability of orb web spider MA silks to post‐spin property change. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 106 , 580–588.     

The activity of phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C is required for vegetative growth and cell wall regeneration in Coprinopsis cinerea

Three isotypes of phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C designated CcPLC1, CcPLC2, and CcPLC3 were identified in Coprinopsis cinerea, through a search of the genome sequence database. The functional role of the PI-PLCs were studied by using U73122, which specifically inhibits the activity of PI-PLC. The specificity of the inhibitor effect was confirmed by using an inactive structural analog U73433. The inhibition of PI-PLCs activity resulted in severely retarded germination of basidiospores and oidia, reduced hyphal growth, knobbly hyphal tips with many irregular side branches, and aberrant (branch-like structure) clamp cells. Furthermore, U73122 definitely inhibited cell wall formation. Here we report that PI-PLCs play important roles in various aspects of C. cinerea biology.     

春兰内生真菌的分离及其抑菌活性的初步研究

采用平板分离法从皖西大别山野生兰花的根、茎、叶中分离内生真菌32株,用琼脂块法对获取的菌株进行抑菌活性筛选,其中有4种兰花内生真菌对供试菌株有抑菌作用,占总分离菌株的12.50%,对抑菌活性较强的一株内生真菌进行形态学鉴定,结果表明它属于无孢类群。