淀粉合酶的酶学与分子生物学研究进展

淀粉合酶作为淀粉合成的关键酶之一,一直是淀粉研究的重要内容。这些研究多集中在对其同工型的研究,淀粉合酶的两类主要同工型分别为淀粉粒结合的淀粉合酶和可溶性淀粉合酶,这两类同工型的作用极为复杂。本文介绍了淀粉合酶同工型的酶学和分子生物学近年来的研究进展,同时也讨论了这些同工型的分类、相互关系及其在淀粉合成过程中的生理功能等内容。     

Breeding success of Spotted Flycatchers Muscicapa striata in southern England – is woodland a good habitat for this species?

The UK population of the Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata has declined markedly in the last 30 years but there have been few recent studies of the species. This study examined the relationship between nest success and the predominant habitat type around Spotted Flycatcher nests in two contrasting areas of England. A breeding population in eastern England, a region where numbers of Spotted Flycatchers are known to have decreased dramatically in recent decades, was compared with another in southwest England, where numbers have remained stable or even increased. Whilst there was no difference in breeding success between the two study areas, there were significant differences between habitats, with garden nests more successful than those in farmland or woodland, at both egg and chick stages. Estimates of productivity per nesting attempt were also lower in farmland and woodland, with nests in gardens fledging twice as many chicks as those in either woodland or farmland. The proximate cause of lower success in farmland and woodland was higher nest predation rates during both egg and chick stages. In terms of nesting success, farmland and woodland appear to be similar in quality for this species, but both appear to be suboptimal habitats when compared with gardens, providing evidence of a problem on the breeding grounds for this species, in at least these two habitats.     

雌激素的心脏保护作用——与β1-肾上腺素受体的相互作用及其信号通路

雌激素是女性体内主要的类固醇性激素.对于心肌缺血性伤害,切除卵巢的成年雌性大鼠在β-肾上腺素受体激动时,比正常雌性大鼠呈现更严重的心肌损伤;而去卵巢后的雌激素替补组大鼠对β-肾上腺素受体激动时心肌缺血性伤害的反应则又回复到正常雌性大鼠水平,这为雌激素对抗缺血性伤害的心脏保护作用提供了证据.雌激素的这种保护作用是通过下调β1-肾上腺素受体的表达来实现的.也有研究证明,雌激素能抑制蛋白激酶A(protein kinase A,PKA)的表达和活性,PKA是Gs蛋白/腺苷酸环化酶(adenylyl cyclase,AC)/cAMP/PKA通路的第二信使,而该通路最终影响心肌的收缩功能.有初步证据表明雌激素还能抑制β1-肾上腺素受体通路下游的另一种第二信使钙调蛋白激酶Ⅱ-δc(Ca2+/calmodulin kinase Ⅱ-δc,CaMKⅡ-δc)的活性,而CaMKⅡ-δc参与PKA非依赖性的细胞凋亡.即时给予生理浓度雌激素可不通过雌激素受体而直接抑制心肌β1-肾上腺素受体并减弱Ca2+内流.此外,脑研究也显示雌激素能抑制负责调节动脉血压脑区的β广肾上腺素受体活性.因此,雌激素和β1-肾上腺素受体之间的相互作用及其信号通路十分复杂.雌激素不仅主导性别决定,在机体其它功能例如心脏保护方面也具有重要作用.     

Microbial soil respiration and its dependency on carbon inputs, soil temperature and moisture

This experiment was designed to study three determinant factors in decomposition patterns of soil organic matter (SOM): temperature, water and carbon (C) inputs. The study combined field measurements with soil lab incubations and ends with a modelling framework based on the results obtained. Soil respiration was periodically measured at an oak savanna woodland and a ponderosa pine plantation. Intact soils cores were collected at both ecosystems, including soils with most labile C burnt off, soils with some labile C gone and soils with fresh inputs of labile C. Two treatments, dry‐field condition and field capacity, were applied to an incubation that lasted 111 days. Short‐term temperature changes were applied to the soils periodically to quantify temperature responses. This was done to prevent confounding results associated with different pools of C that would result by exposing treatments chronically to different temperature regimes. This paper discusses the role of the above‐defined environmental factors on the variability of soil C dynamics. At the seasonal scale, temperature and water were, respectively, the main limiting factors controlling soil CO₂ efflux for the ponderosa pine and the oak savanna ecosystems. Spatial and seasonal variations in plant activity (root respiration and exudates production) exerted a strong influence over the seasonal and spatial variation of soil metabolic activity. Mean residence times of bulk SOM were significantly lower at the Nitrogen (N)‐rich deciduous savanna than at the N‐limited evergreen dominated pine ecosystem. At shorter time scales (daily), SOM decomposition was controlled primarily by temperature during wet periods and by the combined effect of water and temperature during dry periods. Secondary control was provided by the presence/absence of plant derived C inputs (exudation). Further analyses of SOM decomposition suggest that factors such as changes in the decomposer community, stress‐induced changes in the metabolic activity of decomposers or SOM stabilization patterns remain unresolved, but should also be considered in future SOM decomposition studies. Observations and confounding factors associated with SOM decomposition patterns and its temperature sensitivity are summarized in the modeling framework.     

四点刺蛾的研究

四点刺蛾在以前昆虫书中,称为绿剌蛾,因其末龄幼虫,尾部有四个黑点,便於认识,所以我们就叫它做四点刺蛾。这种剌蛾,经监定後,认为是Parasasinica Moore,属於鳞翅目中的刺蛾科。     

福州市中华按蚊及致乏库蚊一年生态观察研究

中华按蚊是我国疟疾和马来丝虫的传播媒介,其分布地区甚广,国内学者对此蚊研究较多。较早的有姚永政(1934)和李赋京(1934)及其同工者分别于南京与杭州对中华按蚊助生活习性特别是产卵与季节消长间题的报告。其次有胡梅基(1936)等于上海和林樑城等(1936—1937)于南京对该蚊活动时间与食血习性的研究。此后吴亮如