Retraction of invasive Spartina alterniflora and its effect on the habitat loss of endangered migratory bird species and their decline in YNNR using remote sensing technology

Wetland environment and habitat loss increase the rate of biodiversity decline and affect our ecosystems. Yancheng National Nature Reserve (YNNR) is a protected area dedicated to endangered migratory bird species to overwinter. However, it currently has a record low influx of migrating birds and might therefore be losing its founding purpose. We used remote sensing technology to assess and quantify the impacts and effects of invasive halophytes Spartina alterniflora in the habitat loss and shrinkage of endangered bird wintering habitat from 2003 to 2018. We also attempted to ascertain the causes and triggers of avian population decline and its relationship with habitat loss, as these phenomena threaten and endanger species both locally and globally. Our study shows how YNNR has lost about 80% of migratory bird habitat to invasive S. alterniflora and Phragmites australis, a native halophyte plant in the reserve. Furthermore, shoreline erosion triggered the retraction of S. alterniflora and its backward growth toward Suaeda Salsa, the preferred foraging habitat for migratory birds in the zone, which is a possible cause of their decline.     

丙酮丁醇梭菌(Clostridium acetobutylicum)原生质体融合育种研究

为了提高丙酮丁醇梭菌(Clostridium acetobutylicum)的丁醇耐受能力和培养基总糖产丁醇的转化率,通过原生质体融合的方法,研究了溶菌酶浓度及其作用时间、再生培养基种类、55℃条件下菌体致死时间、不同PEG分子量以及作用时间、Ca^2+和Mg^2+不同的添加量对丙酮丁醇梭菌原生质体制备、融合、再生的影响,得到了一套比较系统的丙酮丁醇梭菌的原生质体融合条件,同时通过气相色谱检测了融合菌的产溶剂能力并计算总糖转化率。结果显示,最终得到的215I菌株的总糖转化率比原始菌株提高了34.7%,产丁醇能力比原始菌株提高了32.2%,并且发现1株融合菌能产生新物质。原生质体融合方法在丙酸丁醇梭菌育种方面有广泛的应用潜力,通过融合得到的菌株为丁醇生产奠定了基础。     

Valproate-Induced Epigenetic Upregulation of Hypothalamic Fto Expression Potentially Linked with Weight Gain

Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology - Valproate (VPA), a widely-used antiepileptic drug, is a selective inhibitor of histone deacetylase (HDAC) that play important roles in epigenetic regulation....     

The C‐degron pathway eliminates mislocalized proteins and products of deubiquitinating enzymes

Protein termini are determinants of protein stability. Proteins bearing degradation signals, or degrons, at their amino‐ or carboxyl‐termini are eliminated by the N‐ or C‐degron pathways, respectively. We aimed to elucidate the function of C‐degron pathways and to unveil how normal proteomes are exempt from C‐degron pathway‐mediated destruction. Our data reveal that C‐degron pathways remove mislocalized cellular proteins and cleavage products of deubiquitinating enzymes. Furthermore, the C‐degron and N‐degron pathways cooperate in protein removal. Proteome analysis revealed a shortfall in normal proteins targeted by C‐degron pathways, but not of defective proteins, suggesting proteolysis‐based immunity as a constraint for protein evolution/selection. Our work highlights the importance of protein termini for protein quality surveillance, and the relationship between the functional proteome and protein degradation pathways.     

SRC-3 Deficiency Exacerbates Neurological Deficits in a Mouse Model of Intracerebral Hemorrhage: Role of Oxidative Stress

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) causes long term neurological abnormality or death. Oxidative stress is closely involved in ICH mediated brain damage. Steroid receptor cofactor 3 (SRC-3), a p160 family member, is widely expressed in the brain and regulates transactivation of Nrf2, a key component of antioxidant response. Our study aims to test if SRC-3 is implicated in ICH mediated brain injury. We first examined levels of SRC-3 and oxidative stress in the brain of mice following ICH and analyzed their correlation. Then ICH was induced in wild type (WT) and SRC-3 knock out mice and how SRC-3 deletion affected ICH induced brain damage, oxidative stress and behavioral outcome was assessed. We found that SRC-3 mRNA and protein expression levels were reduced gradually after ICH induction in WT mice along with an increase in oxidative stress levels. Correlation analysis revealed that SRC-3 mRNA levels negatively correlated with oxidative stress. Deletion of SRC-3 further increased ICH induced brain edema, neurological deficit score and oxidative stress and exacerbated ICH induced behavioral abnormality including motor dysfunction and cognitive impairment. Our findings suggest that SRC-3 is involved in ICH induced brain injury, probably through modulation of oxidative stress.

     

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Exerts a Protective Role in MPTP-Induced Parkinson’s Disease via the TLR4/PI3K/AKT/NF-κB Pathway Stimulated by α-Synuclein

Neurochemical Research - Gut microbiota is closely related to the Parkinson’s disease (PD) pathogenesis. Additionally, aggregation of α-synuclein (α-syn) is central to PD...     

甜菜夜蛾半胱天冬酶基因的克隆及对细胞凋亡 诱导剂和病原微生物感染的表达响应

【目的】本研究旨在明确甜菜夜蛾Spodoptera exigua半胱天冬酶(caspase)在细胞凋亡诱导剂诱导和病原微生物胁迫下的表达模式,为丰富鳞翅目昆虫细胞凋亡机制研究奠定基础。【方法】利用RT-PCR技术从甜菜夜蛾3龄幼虫体内扩增两个半胱天冬酶基因(SeCasp-3和SeCasp-4)编码区的全长;利用qPCR技术分别检测两个半胱天冬酶基因在细胞凋亡诱导剂过氧化氢(hydrogen peroxide, H₂O₂)(100 μmol/L)、放线菌素D(actinomycin D, ActD)(10 μg/mL)和地塞米松(dexamethasone, DEX)(50 μg/mL)诱导后甜菜夜蛾脂肪体细胞中及病原菌苏云金芽孢杆菌Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (Btk)(10⁸个细菌/mL)、大肠杆菌TG1菌株Escherichia coli TG1 (E. coli TG1)(10⁸个细菌/mL)、烟芽夜蛾囊泡病毒3h株(Heliothis virescens ascovirus 3h, HvAV-3h)(1.16×10¹¹个基因组拷贝/mL)和苜蓿银纹夜蛾核型多角体病毒(Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus, AcMNPV)(5 000 OBs/μL)感染后甜菜夜蛾3龄幼虫体内的表达模式。【结果】SeCasp-3(GenBank登录号: MW183334)的编码区长942 bp,共编码313个氨基酸;SeCasp-4(GenBank登录号: MW183335)的编码区长843 bp,共编码280个氨基酸。SeCasp-3和SeCasp-4的假定蛋白序列与家蚕Bombyx mori Dronc的氨基酸序列一致性分别为45.54％和58.46％,且SeCasp-3和SeCasp-4之间具有较高的同源性。SeCasp-3和SeCasp-4在不同化学物质诱导下的甜菜夜蛾脂肪体细胞中的表达模式存在明显差异,在100 μmol/L H₂O₂和10 μg/mL ActD处理后24和48 h,脂肪体细胞中SeCasp-3和SeCasp-4的相对表达量均显著升高;50 μg/mL DEX处理后24和48 h,SeCasp-3的相对表达量未见显著变化,但SeCasp-4的相对表达量升高了数千倍。在不同病原微生物感染后的甜菜夜蛾3龄幼虫体内,SeCasp-3和SeCasp-4的表达模式基本相同。一般线性模型的分析结果表明,Btk和E. coli TG1的感染不造成SeCasp-3和SeCasp-4相对表达量的显著变化,而HvAV-3h和AcMNPV的感染则显著抑制了这两个基因的表达。【结论】本研究鉴定了两个甜菜夜蛾半胱天冬酶基因,并分析了其对细胞凋亡诱导剂和病原微生物感染的表达响应,为进一步探究半胱天冬酶功能和昆虫细胞凋亡过程提供了重要的理论基础。     

替米沙坦在糖尿病防治中的应用

替米沙坦是经典的抗血压病药物。近年来人们发现替米沙坦除可以抑制血管紧张素Ⅱ-1型受体外,还可以部分激活过氧化物酶体增殖物激活受体γ。得益于其双靶点的作用机制,替米沙坦可以通过改善糖脂代谢紊乱和缓解糖尿病带来的并发症而使糖尿病或糖尿病高危病人获益。本文就替米沙坦在糖尿病预防和治疗中的作用及相关的机制研究作一阐述。     

河南鄣邓遗址浮选碳化植物遗存分析

先商文化一直是学术界探索的重点,商代文明的诸多特征在先商文化时期已萌芽或得到加强。然而,对这一时期的经济与生业模式,相关研究尚有欠缺。本文对河南安阳鄣邓遗址先商文化时期的大植物遗存进行了分析,结果表明,粟是该时期先民最重要的作物,黍其次;小麦、大豆已被利用,但只是处于辅助地位。这些是先商文化时期农业的最直接证据,与文献记载及考古研究得出的先商农业发展状况基本一致。发轫于河北中部地区的商族最初的生计方式为渔猎畜牧,在南下的过程中逐渐学习并采纳了中原地区的生计方式,这对商族的发展壮大起到了积极的推动作用。