Zn、Cd及其复合对小麦幼苗吸收Ca、Fe、Mn的影响

研究了溶液培养条件下Cd、Zn及其复合对小麦幼苗吸收Ca、Fe、Mn的影响.结果表明,小麦幼苗对Zn、Cd的吸收随溶液中Cd²⁺、Zn²⁺浓度的升高而增加,Cd、Zn同时存在时与其单独作用时幼苗对它们的吸收不同,Zn影响幼苗对Cd的吸收,Cd对Zn的吸收起抑制作用.Ca、Mn的吸收随溶液中Cd²⁺、Zn²⁺浓度升高而呈下降趋势,在Cd单独处理组和Zn单独处理组中Fe的吸收随Cd²⁺、Zn²⁺浓度升高而增加,但在Zn+Cd处理组中,Fe的吸收则呈下降趋势,其效应方式还与作物具体部位有关.     

棉铃虫核型多角体病毒sod基因在大肠杆菌中的表达

用PCR方法从棉铃虫(Helicoverpa armigera)单粒包埋型核型多角体病毒(HaSNPV) C1株基因组中扩增sod基因编码区,克隆到pGEM—T—easy vector,测定了核苷酸序列。将基因编码区克隆到原核表达载体pETblue2,构建了含表达质粒pETblue2／HaSNPV SOD,转化大肠杆菌DE3 (BL21)进行IPTG诱导表达。SDS—PAGE分析表明SOD的表达量约为细胞总蛋白的37％。邻苯三酚法测定表达蛋白活性,结果表明每毫克菌体可溶性总蛋白中表达产物校正酶活力单位为694U／mg。     

桑黄Zn(II)2Cys6锌簇蛋白转录因子及其在不同碳氮源条件下的表达

Zn(II)2Cys6锌簇蛋白转录因子（C6 zinc）在真菌次生代谢产物合成中发挥重要作用。本研究首先利用本地BLAST,从桑黄Sanghuangporus sanghuang全基因组中获得Zn(II)2Cys6锌簇蛋白转录因子编码基因,并利用生物信息学手段分析编码蛋白保守结构域、一级结构及二级结构,构建蛋白系统发育树,最后利用半定量PCR对它们在不同碳源和氮源培养条件下的表达情况进行检测。结果显示:从桑黄基因组中分析获得的11个Zn(II)2Cys6锌簇蛋白均具有Cy6型锌指基序,属于GAL4型锌簇蛋白转录因子;它们均为不稳定亲水性蛋白,具磷酸化修饰位点,糖基化修饰位点较少或没有,定位于细胞核中;其二级结构主要以无规卷曲和α螺旋为主;系统发育树分析结果显示,桑黄Zn(II)2Cys6锌簇蛋白分为2个大分支,其中Ⅰ类分支转录因子的保守结构域分布于蛋白N-端,Ⅱ类分支转录因子的保守结构域则分布于蛋白C-端;11个桑黄Zn(II)2Cys6锌簇蛋白转录因子在不同培养基培养的菌丝体中呈现差异化表达,其中,肌醇培养基和乳糖培养基能够有效促进大部分锌簇蛋白转录因子的表达;另外,基因簇分析显示桑黄锌簇蛋白SHCZ4可能是NRPS-PKS杂合基因簇体系的途经特异性转录因子。该结果将为桑黄次生代谢产物合成调控相关转录因子的研究以及潜在次生代谢相关基因簇的挖掘提供参考依据。     

Serum copper,zinc levels,and copper

Serum copper and zinc levels were determined in 20 healthy women and in 100 women with gynecological tumors. Malignant and benign tumor cases were separated according to their postoperative, histopathological examinations. The stages of malignant and benign tumors were also established histologically. Seventy benign and 30 malignant genital tumors (carcinoma of cervix in situ, cervix, ovary endometrium, and vulva) of the patients were differentiated histopathologically. The serum Cu/Zn ratios of patients were increased significantly from the control group (0.32±0.35) to the benign group (1.22±0.63) and from the benign group to the malignant group (2.24±1.03). Nine of 30 malignant cases were determined as false negative (30%) and 15 of 70 benign cases were determined as false positive (14.2%) according to the serum Cu/Zn ratios of patients. Serum copper levels of 30 malignant and 10 benign tumor cases showed linear correlation with serum ceruloplasmin values.     

Surface‐Modified Porous Carbon Nitride Composites as Highly Efficient Electrocatalyst for Zn‐Air Batteries

Porous carbon nitride (PCN) composites are fabricated using a top‐down strategy, followed by additions of graphene and CoS_x nanoparticles. This subsequently enhances conductivity and catalytic activity of PCN (abbreviated as CoS_x@PCN/rGO) and is achieved by one‐step sulfuration of PCN/graphene oxides (GO) composite materials. As a result, the as‐prepared CoS_x@PCN/rGO catalysts display excellent activity and stability toward both oxygen evolution and reduction reactions, surpassing electrocatalytic performance shown by state‐of‐the‐art Pt, RuO₂ and other carbon nitrides. Remarkably, the CoS_x@PCN/rGO bifunctional activity allows for applications in zinc‐air batteries, which show better rechargeability than Pt/C. The enhanced catalytic performance of CoS_x@PCN/rGO can primarily be attributed to the highly porous morphology and sufficiently exposed active sites that are favorable for electrocatalytic reactions.     

Nanoporous CaCO3 Coatings Enabled Uniform Zn Stripping/Plating for Long‐Life Zinc Rechargeable Aqueous Batteries

Zn‐based batteries are safe, low cost, and environmentally friendly, as well as delivering the highest energy density of all aqueous battery systems. However, the application of Zn‐based batteries is being seriously hindered by the uneven electrostripping/electroplating of Zn on the anodes, which always leads to enlarged polarization (capacity fading) or even cell shorting (low cycling stability). How a porous nano‐CaCO₃ coating can guide uniform and position‐selected Zn stripping/plating on the nano‐CaCO₃‐layer/Zn foil interfaces is reported here. This Zn‐deposition‐guiding ability is mainly ascribed to the porous nature of the nano‐CaCO₃‐layer, since similar functionality (even though relatively inferior) is also found in Zn foils coated with porous acetylene black or nano‐SiO₂ layers. Furthermore, the potential application of this strategy is demonstrated in Zn|ZnSO₄+MnSO₄|CNT/MnO₂ rechargeable aqueous batteries. Compared with the ones with bare Zn anodes, the battery with a nano‐CaCO₃‐coated Zn anode delivers a 42.7% higher discharge capacity (177 vs 124 mAh g^?1 at 1 A g^?1) after 1000 cycles.     

Sodium Ion Stabilized Vanadium Oxide Nanowire Cathode for High‐Performance Zinc‐Ion Batteries

Aqueous Zn‐ion batteries (ZIBs) have received incremental attention because of their cost‐effectiveness and the materials abundance. They are a promising choice for large‐scale energy storage applications. However, developing suitable cathode materials for ZIBs remains a great challenge. In this work, pioneering work on the designing and construction of aqueous Zn//Na_0.33V₂O₅ batteries is reported. The Na_0.33V₂O₅ (NVO) electrode delivers a high capacity of 367.1 mA h g^?1 at 0.1 A g^?1, and exhibits long‐term cyclic stability with a capacity retention over 93% for 1000 cycles. The improvement of electrical conductivity, resulting from the intercalation of sodium ions between the [V₄O₁₂]_n layers, is demonstrated by single nanowire device. Furthermore, the reversible intercalation reaction mechanism is confirmed by X‐ray diffraction, Raman, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy analysis. The outstanding performance can be attributed to the stable layered structure and high conductivity of NVO. This work also indicates that layered structural materials show great potential as the cathode of ZIBs, and the indigenous ions can act as pillars to stabilize the layered structure, thereby ensuring an enhanced cycling stability.     

Zinc deficiency tolerance in maize is associated with the up‐regulation of Zn transporter genes and antioxidant activities

• Zinc (Zn) is an essential micronutrient for the growth and development of plants. However, Zn deficiency is a common abiotic stress causing yield loss in crop plants. This study elucidates the mechanisms of Zn deficiency tolerance in maize through physiological and molecular techniques.
• Maize lines tolerant (PAC) and sensitive (DAC) to Zn deficiency were examined physiologically and by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). Proteins, H₂O₂, SOD, POD, membrane permeability and gene expression (using real‐time PCR) of roots and shoots of both maize lines were assessed.
• Zn deficiency had no significant effect on root parameters compared with control plants in PAC and DAC but showed a substantial reduction in shoot parameters in DAC. AAS showed a significant decrease in Zn concentrations in both roots and shoots of DAC but not PAC under Zn deficiency, implying that Zn deficiency tolerance mechanisms exist in PAC. Consistently, total protein and membrane permeability were significantly reduced in DAC but not PAC in both roots and shoots under Zn deficiency in comparison with Zn‐sufficient plants. Real‐time PCR showed that expression of ZmZIP1, ZmZIP4 and ZmIRT1 transporter genes significantly increased in roots of PAC, but not in DAC due to Zn deficiency compared with controls. The H₂O₂ concentration dramatically increased in roots of DAC but not PAC. Moreover, tolerant PAC showed a significant increase in POD and SOD activity due to Zn deficiency, suggesting that POD‐ and SOD‐mediated antioxidant defence might provide tolerance, at least in part, under Zn deficiency in PAC.
• This study provides an essential background for improving Zn biofortification of maize.

     

Phylogenetic spread of sequence data affects fitness of SOD1 consensus enzymes: Insights from sequence statistics and structural analyses

Non‐natural protein sequences with native‐like structures and functions can be constructed successfully using consensus design. This design strategy is relatively well understood in repeat proteins with simple binding function, however detailed studies are lacking in globular enzymes. The SOD1 family is a good model for such studies due to the availability of large amount of sequence and structure data motivated by involvement of human SOD1 in the fatal motor neuron disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We constructed two consensus SOD1 enzymes from multiple sequence alignments from all organisms and eukaryotic organisms. A significant difference in their catalytic activities shows that the phylogenetic spread of the sequences used affects the fitness of the construct obtained. A mutation in an electrostatic loop and overall design incompatibilities between bacterial and eukaryotic sequences were implicated in this disparity. Based on this analysis, a bioinformatics approach was used to classify mutations thought to cause familial ALS providing a unique high level view of the physical basis of disease‐causing aggregation of human SOD1.