NaCl胁迫下星星草幼苗MDA含量与膜透性及叶绿素荧光参数之间的关系

星星草幼苗在不同浓度NaCl胁迫处理7d后,测定了叶绿素荧光参数、MDA含量和叶片电解质外渗率。结果表明,在低浓度NaCl(小于1·2%)胁迫下,星星草幼苗叶绿体MDA含量随胁迫强度的增强而降低,而在高浓度NaCl(1·2%~2·4%)胁迫下则相反。在低浓度NaCl(小于1·2%)胁迫下,Fv/Fm(PSⅡ原初光能转化效率)、Fv/Fo(表PSⅡ潜在活性)、Fv′/Fm′(类囊体能化时PSⅡ固有效率)和qP(荧光光化学淬灭效率)随着胁迫强度的增强而增高,而在高浓度NaCl(1·2%~2·4%)胁迫下则随着胁迫强度的增强而降低;而qNP(荧光非光化学淬灭效率)和HDR(热耗散速率)却随着胁迫强度的增强而增高。ΦPSⅡ(PSⅡ实际光化学效率)在低浓度NaCl(小于0·4%)胁迫下随着胁迫强度增强而升高,在0·4%~1·6%之间迅速下降,大于1·6%时,ΦPSⅡ又迅速升高。Fv/Fm、Fv/Fo、Fv′/Fm′和qP均随着MDA含量的增高而降低,而EL(叶片电解质外渗率)、qNP和HDR在MDA含量较低的范围(0·9753~1·1901μmol·g-1FW)内均减小,在MDA含量较高的范围(1·3080~1·8518μmol·g-1FW)内,均迅速增大。ΦPSⅡ在MDA含量较低范围(0·9753~1·0953μmol·g-1FW)内时上升,但变化不大,随着MDA含量的增高(在1·1172~1·1901μmol·g-1FW)范围内迅速降低,但当MDA含量进一步增高时(在1·3080~1·8518μmol·g-1FW)范围内又迅速升高。这些结果表明,星星草幼苗的荧光参数具体的变化规律与盐胁迫强度和幼苗细胞膜的受损伤程度密切相关,即低浓度NaCl胁迫(小于1·2%)下,星星草幼苗由于活性氧的增加而发生膜脂过氧化可能主要通过体内较高活性的保护酶系统来清除,而高浓度NaCl胁迫(大于1·2%)下,星星草幼苗可能具有与其它植物不同的保护机制,即可能主要通过增加qNP(荧光非光化学淬灭效率)、HDR(热耗散速率)耗散过剩的光能和提高ΦPSⅡ增强假循环式光合磷酸化过程,消耗掉多余的能量,以保护光合器官免受过剩光能的损伤,从而减轻膜脂过氧化作用。     

Experimental evolution in fluctuating environments: tolerance measurements at constant temperatures incorrectly predict the ability to tolerate fluctuating temperatures

The ability to predict the consequences of fluctuating environments on species distribution and extinction often relies on determining the tolerances of species or genotypes in different constant environments (i.e. determining tolerance curves). However, very little is known about the suitability of measurements made in constant environments to predict the level of adaptation to rapidly fluctuating environments. To explore this question, we used bacterial clones adapted to constant or fluctuating temperatures and found that measurements across a range of constant temperatures did not indicate any adaptation to fluctuating temperatures. However, adaptation to fluctuating temperatures was only apparent if growth was measured during thermal fluctuation. Thus, tolerance curves based on measurements in constant environments can be misleading in predicting the ability to tolerate fast environmental fluctuations. Such complications could lead to false estimates of the genetic merits of genotypes and extinction risks of species due to climate change‐induced thermal fluctuations.     

Expression Profile and Function Analysis of Long Non-coding RNAs in the Infection of Coxsackievirus B3

The roles of lnc RNAs in the infection of enteroviruses have been barely demonstrated. In this study, we used coxsackievirus B3(CVB3), a typical enterovirus, as a model to investigate the expression profiles and functional roles of lnc RNAs in enterovirus infection. We profiled lnc RNAs and m RNA expression in CVB3-infected He La cells by lnc RNA-m RNA integrated microarrays. As a result, 700 differentially expressed lnc RNAs(431 up-regulated and 269 down-regulated) and665 differentially expressed m RNAs(299 up-regulated and 366 down-regulated) were identified in CVB3 infection. Then we performed lnc RNA-m RNA integrated pathway analysis to identify potential functional impacts of the differentially expressed m RNAs, in which lnc RNA-m RNA correlation network was built. According to lnc RNA-m RNA correlation, we found that XLOC-001188, an lnc RNA down-regulated in CVB3 infection, was negatively correlated with NFAT5 m RNA,an anti-CVB3 gene reported previously. This interaction was supported by q PCR detection following si RNA-mediated knockdown of XLOC-001188, which showed an increase of NFAT5 m RNA and a reduction of CVB3 genomic RNA. In addition, we observed that four most significantly altered lnc RNAs, SNHG11, RP11-145 F16.2, RP11-1023 L17.1 and RP11-1021 N1.2 share several common correlated genes critical for CVB3 infection, such as BRE and IRF2 BP1. In all, our studies reveal the alteration of lnc RNA expression in CVB3 infection and its potential influence on CVB3 replication,providing useful information for future studies of enterovirus infection.     

Interaction sites between the Slo1 pore and the NH2 terminus of the beta2 subunit, probed with a three-residue sensor

Calcium- and voltage-gated (BK) K(+) channels encoded by Slo1 play an essential role in nervous systems. Although it shares many common features with voltage-dependent K(V) channels, the BK channel exhibits differences in gating and inactivation. Using a mutant in which FWI replaces three residues (FIW) in the NH(2) terminus of wild-type beta2-subunits, in conjunction with alanine-scanning mutagenesis of the Slo1 S6 segment, we identify that the NH(2) terminus of beta2-subunits interacts with the residues near the cytosolic superficial mouth of BK channels during inactivation. The cytosolic blockers did not share the sites with NH(2) terminus of beta2-subunits. A novel blocking-inactivating scheme was proposed to account for the observed non-competition inactivation. Our results also suggest that the residue Ile-323 plays a dual role in interacting with the NH(2) terminus of beta2-subunits and modulating the gating of BK channels.     

Development of microsatellite markers and construction of genetic map in rice blast pathogen Magnaporthe grisea

Magnaporthe grisea is the most destructive fungal pathogen of rice and a model organism for studying plant-pathogen interaction. Molecular markers and genetic maps are useful tools for genetic studies. In this study, based on the released genome sequence data of M. grisea, we investigated 446 simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci and developed 313 SSR markers, which showed polymorphisms among nine isolates from rice (including a laboratory strain 2539). The number of alleles of each marker ranged 2-9 with an average of 3.3. The polymorphic information content (PIC) of each marker ranged 0.20-0.89 with an average of 0.53. Using a population derived from a cross between isolates Guy11 and 2539, we constructed a genetic map of M. grisea consisting of 176 SSR markers. The map covers a total length of 1247 cM, equivalent to a physical length of about 35.0 Mb or 93% of the genome, with an average distance of 7.1cM between adjacent markers. A web-based database of the SSR markers and the genetic map was established (http://ibi.zju.edu.cn/pgl/MGM/index.html).     

Characterization of the last subunit of the Arabidopsis COP9 signalosome: implications for the overall structure and origin of the complex

The COP9 signalosome (CSN) is an evolutionarily conserved protein complex that resembles the lid subcomplex of proteasomes. Through its ability to regulate specific proteasome-mediated protein degradation events, CSN controls multiple aspects of development. Here, we report the cloning and characterization of AtCSN2, the last uncharacterized CSN subunit from Arabidopsis. We show that the AtCSN2 gene corresponds to the previously identified FUS12 locus and that AtCSN2 copurifies with CSN, confirming that AtCSN2 is an integral component of CSN. AtCSN2 is not only able to interact with the SCF(TIR1) subunit AtCUL1, which is partially responsible for the regulatory interaction between CSN and SCF(TIR1), but also interacts with AtCUL3, suggesting that CSN is able to regulate the activity of other cullin-based E3 ligases through conserved interactions. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the duplication and subsequent divergence events that led to the genes that encode CSN and lid subunits occurred before the divergence of unicellular and multicellular eukaryotic organisms and that the CSN subunits were more conserved than the lid subunits during evolution. Comparative analyses of the subunit interaction of CSN revealed a set of conserved subunit contacts and resulted in a model of CSN subunit topology, some aspects of which were substantiated by in vivo cross-link tests.