Atg3 promotes Atg8 lipidation via altering lipid diffusion and rearrangement

Atg3‐catalyzed transferring of Atg8 to phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) in the phagophore membrane is essential for autophagy. Previous studies have demonstrated that this process requires Atg3 to interact with the phagophore membrane via its N‐terminal amphipathic helix. In this study, by using combined biochemical and biophysical approaches, our data showed that in addition to binding to the membranes, Atg3 attenuates lipid diffusion and enriches lipid molecules with smaller headgroup. Our data suggest that Atg3 promotes Atg8 lipidation via altering lipid diffusion and rearrangement.     

Uncovering the evolutionary origin of blue anthocyanins in cereal grains

Functional divergence after gene duplication plays a central role in plant evolution. Among cereals, only Hordeum vulgare (barley), Triticum aestivum (wheat) and Secale cereale (rye) accumulate delphinidin‐derived (blue) anthocyanins in the aleurone layer of grains, whereas Oryza sativa (rice), Zea mays (maize) and Sorghum bicolor (sorghum) do not. The underlying genetic basis for this natural occurrence remains elusive. Here, we mapped the barley Blx1 locus involved in blue aleurone to an approximately 1.13 Mb genetic interval on chromosome 4HL, thus identifying a trigenic cluster named MbHF35 (containing HvMYB4H, HvMYC4H and HvF35H). Sequence and expression data supported the role of these genes in conferring blue‐coloured (blue aleurone) grains. Synteny analyses across monocot species showed that MbHF35 has only evolved within distinct Triticeae lineages, as a result of dispersed gene duplication. Phylogeny analyses revealed a shared evolution pattern for MbHF35 in Triticeae, suggesting that these genes have co‐evolved together. We also identified a Pooideae‐specific flavonoid 3′,5′‐hydroxylase (F3′5′H) lineage, termed here Mo_F35H2, which has a higher amino acid similarity with eudicot F3′5′Hs, demonstrating a scenario of convergent evolution. Indeed, selection tests identified 13 amino acid residues in Mo_F35H2 that underwent positive selection, possibly driven by protein thermostablility selection. Furthermore, through the interrogation of barley germplasm there is evidence that HvMYB4H and HvMYC4H have undergone human selection. Collectively, our study favours blue aleurone as a recently evolved trait resulting from environmental adaptation. Our findings provide an evolutionary explanation for the absence of blue anthocyanins in other cereals and highlight the importance of gene functional divergence for plant diversity and environmental adaptation.     

使用动态分子开关调控大肠杆菌生产莽草酸

莽草酸是大肠杆菌合成芳香族氨基酸的中间代谢物,也是抗流感药物"达菲"的重要合成前体。合成莽草酸需要截断莽草酸途径,导致芳香族氨基酸无法合成,因此面临细胞生长受到抑制的问题。使用动态调控策略通过将细胞生长和莽草酸的合成相互分离,可以提高菌株的生产性能。通过使用生长偶联型启动子和降解决定子(Degrons),组建动态分子开关。利用该动态分子开关实现细胞生长与莽草酸合成分离,在5L发酵罐中经过72h发酵得到了14.33g/L的莽草酸。结果表明,这种动态分子开关可以通过调控靶蛋白丰度来改变碳流量平衡,使菌株获得更优秀的生产性能。     

生物炭配施氮肥对典型黄河故道区土壤理化性质和冬小麦产量的影响

探讨典型黄河故道区生物炭配施氮肥对耕层土壤理化性质和作物产量的影响,阐明生物炭配施氮肥后土壤碳氮含量和理化性质的变化规律,可为合理培肥土壤、提升耕地质量、提高冬小麦产量提供科学依据。本研究以黄河故道典型区域潮土和中性生物炭为供试材料,连续两年进行田间定位试验,开展不同生物炭用量(0、15、30 t·hm^-2)配施氮肥(N 270、330 kg·hm^-2)对土壤理化性质的影响研究。结果表明: 生物炭施入2年后,土壤广义土壤结构指数(GSSI)增大、土壤三相结构距离指数(STPSD)减小,显著改善了土壤三相比,其中在30 t·hm^-2施炭量条件下土壤三相比最接近理想状态;土壤紧实度和容重降低,土壤总孔隙度和毛管孔隙度增加,田间持水量和透水透气性增大,土壤板结状况得到缓解;>0.25 mm粒径团聚体显著增加(增幅70.6%～94.4%),团聚体平均重量直径(MWD)增大(增幅24.0%～48.0%),土壤团聚体结构得到改善。施加生物炭可显著增加土壤有机碳含量(增幅15.8%～67.0%),并可调节土壤C/N,降低氮素释放强度,提高氮肥利用率,显著增加土壤肥力,但未提高土壤pH值,其中10～20 cm土层土壤pH值呈显著下降趋势。在相同施氮条件下,施用生物炭比不施用处理的冬小麦产量2年平均增加9.6%～25.6%,增产效果显著;在相同生物炭施用量下,高氮处理比常规氮处理的冬小麦平均增产2.5%～4.4%,但差异不显著。综上,生物炭配施氮肥能够改善土壤微生态环境,提高土壤肥力,增加作物产量。从改善土壤理化性质、作物增产效果和投入成本等方面综合考虑,推荐在黄河故道区耕作层施入生物炭30 t·hm^-2并配施氮肥330 kg·hm^-2较为适宜。     

Genomic and phenomic analysis of island ant community assembly

Island biodiversity has long fascinated biologists as it typically presents tractable systems for unpicking the eco‐evolutionary processes driving community assembly. In general, two recurring themes are of central theoretical interest. First, immigration, diversification, and extinction typically depend on island geographical properties (e.g., area, isolation, and age). Second, predictable ecological and evolutionary trajectories readily occur after colonization, such as the evolution of adaptive trait syndromes, trends toward specialization, adaptive radiation, and eventual ecological decline. Hypotheses such as the taxon cycle draw on several of these themes to posit particular constraints on colonization and subsequent eco‐evolutionary dynamics. However, it has been challenging to examine these integrated dynamics with traditional methods. Here, we combine phylogenomics, population genomics and phenomics, to unravel community assembly dynamics among Pheidole (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) ants in the isolated Fijian archipelago. We uphold basic island biogeographic predictions that isolated islands accumulate diversity primarily through in situ evolution rather than dispersal, and population genomic support for taxon cycle predictions that endemic species have decreased dispersal ability and demography relative to regionally widespread taxa. However, rather than trending toward island syndromes, ecomorphological diversification in Fiji was intense, filling much of the genus‐level global morphospace. Furthermore, while most endemic species exhibit demographic decline and reduced dispersal, we show that the archipelago is not an evolutionary dead‐end. Rather, several endemic species show signatures of population and range expansion, including a successful colonization to the Cook islands. These results shed light on the processes shaping island biotas and refine our understanding of island biogeographic theory.     

黄土高寒区坡面土壤水分的时间稳定性

为揭示黄土高寒区人工林土壤水分的时空变化特征,基于2018年植被生长期一处典型人工植被恢复坡面0-200cm剖面土壤含水率连续动态数据,运用经典统计和时间稳定性分析,研究不同深度土壤含水率的时空变异性和时间稳定性。结果表明：在测定时段内,剖面各土层深度土壤含水率无显著差别,在空间上均表现为中等变异性,呈现随土层深度的增加而增大的趋势,在时间上表层表现为中等变异性,其余各层均表现为弱变异性,深层土壤水分的时间变异性小于浅层;随着测定时间变化,试验地0-200cm土壤含水率Spearman秩相关系数均达到0.8以上,且呈极显著相关,表现出一定的时间稳定性特征;土壤含水率的时间稳定性随土层深度的增加而增强,具有深度依赖性;基于相对差分分析可以选择代表性测点监测区域平均土壤含水率（决定系数R²为0.7138-0.8605）,以期为合理布设土壤水分监测点提供理论依据,对于植被恢复与生态重建模式的选择具有指导意义。     

黄土高寒区典型植被类型土壤入渗特征及其影响因素

为了研究黄土高寒区典型植被在不同坡位下土壤入渗性能差异及其影响因素,采用恒定水头法测定了不同植被类型的土壤入渗过程,并分析了土壤孔隙状况、机械组成、水稳性团聚体等与渗透速率的相关性。结果表明:(1)初渗速率和稳渗速率均表现为青海云杉祁连圆柏华北落叶松荒草地,且差异性显著;同一植被类型的土壤入渗速率沿坡面向下逐渐增大,但差异性不显著;(2)对不同植被类型的土壤入渗过程模拟发现Horton模型拟合效果最好,决定系数均在0.8以上,通用经验模型拟合精度较差,决定系数在0.614—0.982之间;(3)土壤入渗性能与孔隙状况、水稳性团聚体质量分数、有机质含量均有极显著相关性;0.25 mm团聚体质量分数是影响稳渗速率的主要决策因素;总孔隙度是影响初渗速率的最主要的决策因素,而毛管孔隙度是主要的限制因子。为高寒地区土壤入渗模拟以及植被配置等提供了科学依据。     

内蒙古自治区干旱脆弱性评价

干旱带来的环境影响及经济损失,阻碍了地区的可持续发展。开展干旱脆弱性评价是合理制定区域规划与管理措施的前提条件。然而,国内目前鲜有以省或自治区为研究区域,以市级行政区域为尺度的自然-社会-经济耦合的干旱脆弱性研究。根据IPCC提出的干旱脆弱性评价模型,选取19个指标,在3个维度上（暴露度、敏感度和适应能力）对内蒙古自治区的12个盟市开展了干旱脆弱性评价。采用熵值法确定各指标权重,并用综合指数法和系统分类法计算干旱脆弱性指数并进行分类。研究结果表明,内蒙古自治区的干旱脆弱性呈现由东向西递减的趋势,与干旱脆弱性相关性最强的三个指标分别是第一产业GDP比例、人均可支配收入和第一产业从业人员比例。导致盟市干旱脆弱性的主要贡献因素为人口与人力因素和生态与水资源因素。减缓内蒙古自治区干旱脆弱性可以从加强草原保护建设和管理,合理规划盟市建设,减少人口的集中分布,调整产业结构,提供更多的非农牧就业岗位,加强职业技能培训,完善金融服务和医疗服务等方面入手,从而促进干旱区自然生态和社会经济的可持续发展。