Design and visualization of second‐generation cyanoisoindole‐based fluorescent strigolactone analogs

Strigolactones (SLs) are a family of terpenoid allelochemicals that were recognized as plant hormones only a decade ago. They influence a myriad of both above‐ and below‐ground developmental processes, and are an important survival strategy for plants in nutrient‐deprived soils. A rapidly emerging approach to gain knowledge on hormone signaling is the use of traceable analogs. A unique class of labeled SL analogs was constructed, in which the original tricyclic lactone moiety of natural SLs is replaced by a fluorescent cyanoisoindole ring system. Biological evaluation as parasitic seed germination stimulant and hypocotyl elongation repressor proved the potency of the cyanoisoindole strigolactone analogs (CISAs) to be comparable to the commonly accepted standard GR24. Additionally, via a SMXL6 protein degradation assay, we provided molecular evidence that the compounds elicit SL‐like responses through the natural signaling cascade. All CISAs were shown to exhibit fluorescent properties, and the high quantum yield and Stokes shift of the pyrroloindole derivative CISA‐7 also enabled in vivo visualization in plants. In contrast to the previously reported fluorescent analogs, CISA‐7 displays a large similarity in shape and structure with natural SLs, which renders the analog a promising tracer to investigate the spatiotemporal distribution of SLs in plants and fungi.     

Substrate selection by the proteasome through initiation regions

Proteins in the cell have to be eliminated once their function is no longer desired or they become damaged. Most regulated protein degradation is achieved by a large enzymatic complex called the proteasome. Many proteasome substrates are targeted for degradation by the covalent attachment of ubiquitin molecules. Ubiquitinated proteins can be bound by the proteasome, but for proteolysis to occur the proteasome needs to find a disordered tail somewhere in the target at which it initiates degradation. The initiation step contributes to the specificity of proteasomal degradation. Here, we review how the proteasome selects initiation sites within its substrates and discuss how the initiation step affects physiological processes.     

Roles of the ClpX IGF loops in ClpP association,dissociation, and protein degradation

IGF‐motif loops project from the hexameric ring of ClpX and are required for docking with the self‐compartmentalized ClpP peptidase, which consists of heptameric rings stacked back‐to‐back. Here, we show that ATP or ATPγS support assembly by changing the conformation of the ClpX ring, bringing the IGF loops closer to each other and allowing efficient multivalent contacts with docking clefts on ClpP. In single‐chain ClpX pseudohexamers, deletion of one or two IGF loops modestly slows association with ClpP but strongly accelerates dissociation of ClpXP complexes. We probe how changes in the sequence and length of the IGF loops affect ClpX–ClpP interactions and show that deletion of one or two IGF loops slows ATP‐dependent proteolysis by ClpXP. We also find that ClpXP degradation is less processive when two IGF loops are deleted.     

药品与个人护理品生物降解研究进展

药品与个人护理品(Pharmaceuticals and personal care products, PPCPs)包括各种处方药和非处方药(如各类抗生素、人工合成麝香、止痛药、降压药、避孕药、催眠药和减肥药等)与个人护理用品(如化妆品、香料、遮光剂、发胶、染发剂和杀菌剂等)。作为一类新兴环境微污染物,PPCPs因具有潜在的环境毒理学效应和人体健康风险逐渐受到人们的广泛关注。有关PPCPs的生物降解研究已展开了大量的工作并取得了较大进展。文中总结概括了目前国内外PPCPs生物降解方法、功能菌种类、PPCPs的生物降解特性及产物组成与降解途径等,分析了PPCPs微生物降解机理,并对PPCPs生物降解的研究方向进行了展望。     

细菌降解邻苯二甲酸酯的研究进展

邻苯二甲酸酯(Phthalates esters, PAEs)是一类混合在塑料中以增强其可塑性和多功能性的有机化合物。同时,PAEs也是一种典型环境内分泌干扰物,长期生产和使用塑料制品已对环境和生物体乃至人类身体健康造成危害。研究发现微生物降解已成为削减环境中PAEs的主要途径。文中对近年来国内外在PAEs的结构及分类、毒理学效应、在环境中的污染状况、细菌降解的菌株多样性、降解途径及分子机制等方面的相关研究进行了总结与回顾,以期对解决PAEs的污染问题提供参考。     

喀斯特槽谷区生态退化与修复专题导读

在国家重点研发计划项目——"喀斯特槽谷区土地石漠化过程及综合治理技术研发与示范(2016YFC0502300)"的支持下,经过项目组全体成员三年的共同努力,在喀斯特槽谷区生态退化与修复方面取得了一些重要进展。主要有:(1)2000—2015年槽谷区土壤侵蚀总量逐年减少,年平均侵蚀模数逐年降低,槽谷区植被覆盖明显提高;(2)拉巴豆地埂篱根土复合体不仅能有效提高喀斯特土壤的粒径大小和增强土体的抗剪/冲性能,并且能够利用大气N_2合成植物生长所需的氮肥,从而提高土壤肥力,可望实现石漠化治理中生态效应和经济效应的双赢;(3)喀斯特槽谷区隧道建设改变了地下水流场并降低了地下水位,进而降低了土壤微生物丰度和多样性,而增加了适应干旱的微生物种群,并导致土壤质量的降低;隧道建设加速了坡面产流和土壤流失,加剧了土地石漠化,从而导致生态退化;(4)随着槽谷区退化生态系统的恢复,生态系统的生态服务功能得到提升。     

雄安新区白洋淀生态属性辨析及生态修复保护研究

湿地是自然界生物多样性最丰富的生态系统之一,与社会发展和人类福祉息息相关。近年来,由于全球气候变化和人类活动的过度干扰,湿地正面临着面积萎缩、功能减弱、多样性降低等诸多问题,湿地退化已经成为制约区域可持续性发展的重大阻碍。伴随着生态文明建设逐渐成为中国特色社会主义建设的重要支柱,湿地生态修复工作得到前所未有的制度保障。深入剖析湿地属性,结合政策保障,有针对性的提出湿地保护与修复的治理措施,对区域的生态环境建设和可持续性发展具有重要意义。选择国家级新区-雄安新区的水命脉-白洋淀湿地为研究对象,在深入剖析其生态属性和已存在的生态问题的基础上,结合生态修复的原则、方法和步骤,提出生态修复与保护的可行性策略。研究结果表明,白洋淀本质是典型的湖泊湿地,同时兼具沼泽湿地特征,由于人类活动的剧烈干扰,白洋淀有向沼泽湿地逆向演替的变化趋势。湿地内存在面积萎缩、水资源量短缺、水环境污染问题突出及生物多样性减少等生态问题。本研究建议:为顺利建设雄安新区,首先,白洋淀湿地在算清"水账"、"污账"和"生态账"的前提下,进一步加强流域水资源调配,科学确定白洋淀湿地最佳水位,恢复淀区水量;其次,通过使用清洁生产技术和限制高排污企业建设等措施,加强污染防治,恢复湿地水质;最后,依据生态承载力理论,划分白洋淀流域的生态功能红线、环境质量红线和资源利用红线等国家生态保护红线体系,为尽快恢复湿地结构与功能提供制度保障。     

小黑麦对石油污染盐碱土壤细菌群落与石油烃降解的影响

为了研究小黑麦对石油污染盐碱土壤中的细菌群落与石油烃降解率的影响,采用高通量测序技术,设置0 g/kg,1 g/kg和5 g/kg三个石油浓度,以未种植小黑麦的土壤作为对照,对6组不同处理的盐碱土壤样品的细菌群落结构及其多样性进行测定,并分析土壤中的石油烃降解率。结果表明:在土壤石油浓度为1 g/kg和5 g/kg时,小黑麦根际土壤中的石油烃降解率相较对照组分别提高了36.67%和33.20%。从6个土壤样品中分别获得21398—27899条测序序列。在石油污染土壤中,小黑麦根际土壤的细菌群落多样性和丰度均大于对照组的土壤。同时,在"门","纲","属"的分类水平上,小黑麦根际土壤细菌群落中的一些根际细菌的相对丰度增加了,主要包括变形菌门(Proteobacteria)、酸杆菌门(Acidobacteria)、γ-变形菌纲(Gammaproteobacteria)、烷烃降解菌科-未命名菌属(Alcanivoracaceae_norank)、黄单胞菌属(Xanthomonas)、亚硝化单胞菌-不可培养菌属(Nitrosomonadaceae_unculture)等。有一些相对丰度增加的根际细菌是以石油及石油分解物为碳源的微生物。本研究证明种植小黑麦改变了石油污染盐碱土壤根际土壤细菌群落结构组成和多样性,促进了降解石油微生物群落的构建,显著提高了盐碱土壤石油污染的降解效果。研究结果为石油污染盐碱土壤的植物修复奠定了理论基础。     

Proteasomal and lysosomal clearance of faulty secretory proteins: ER-associated degradation (ERAD) and ER-to-lysosome-associated degradation (ERLAD) pathways

About 40% of the eukaryotic cell’s proteins are inserted co- or post-translationally in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), where they attain the native structure under the assistance of resident molecular chaperones and folding enzymes. Subsequently, these proteins are secreted from cells or are transported to their sites of function at the plasma membrane or in organelles of the secretory and endocytic compartments. Polypeptides that are not delivered within the ER (mis-localized proteins, MLPs) are rapidly destroyed by cytosolic proteasomes, with intervention of the membrane protease ZMPSTE24 if they remained trapped in the SEC61 translocation machinery. Proteins that enter the ER, but fail to attain the native structure are rapidly degraded to prevent toxic accumulation of aberrant gene products. The ER does not contain degradative devices and the majority of misfolded proteins generated in this biosynthetic compartment are dislocated across the membrane for degradation by cytosolic 26S proteasomes by mechanisms and pathways collectively defined as ER-associated degradation (ERAD). Proteins that do not engage ERAD factors, that enter aggregates or polymers, are too large, display chimico/physical features that prevent dislocation across the ER membrane (ERAD-resistant misfolded proteins) are delivered to endo-lysosome for clearance, by mechanisms and pathways collectively defined as ER-to-lysosomes-associated degradation (ERLAD). Emerging evidences lead us to propose ERLAD as an umbrella term that includes the autophagic and non-autophagic pathways activated and engaged by ERAD-resistant misfolded proteins generated in the ER for delivery to degradative endo-lysosomes.     

The RNase PARN Controls the Levels of Specific miRNAs that Contribute to p53 Regulation

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