烟气脱硫石膏对滨海农耕土壤磷素形态组成的影响

为探明不同烟气脱硫石膏施用量对滨海农耕土壤中的全磷、有效磷、无机磷组分等的影响,通过田间试验的方式,分别在试验区土壤中施加0t/hm~2、15t/hm~2、30t/hm~2、45t/hm~2烟气脱硫石膏。研究结果表明:与对照组相比,各处理组的土壤全磷含量无显著差异,而土壤中的有效磷和渗滤液中的可溶性磷含量则随着烟气脱硫石膏施入量的增加而降低;施入烟气脱硫石膏后农耕土壤中无机磷含量显著增加,其中又以磷酸钙盐含量的增加为主,磷酸钙盐中的Ca2-P、Ca_8-P和Ca_10-P含量分别增加了30.8%—68.9%、35.2%—66.3%和7.3%—17.8%。烟气脱硫石膏的施用促进了植物的生长发育,有效磷的降低和无机磷组分中磷酸钙盐的增加并未影响到植物对磷素的吸收。因此,烟气脱硫石膏能有效地固定滨海农耕土壤中的溶解态磷,控制土壤过量磷素向水体迁移,降低附近水体富营养化发生的机率,保障区域水体生态系统环境安全。     

臭氧浓度升高对坪用高羊茅生长、亚细胞结构及活性氧代谢的影响

通过开顶箱(OTCs)模拟,以环境臭氧(O₃)浓度约40 nmol·mol^-1为对照,研究大气O₃浓度升高(80和160 nmol·mol^-1O₃)对冷季型草坪草高羊茅生长、亚细胞结构及其活性氧代谢的影响.结果表明: 14 d的80 nmol·mol^-1O₃熏蒸使高羊茅株高和叶宽降低,总生物量降低43.7%,老叶变黄,而160 nmol·mol^-1O₃处理高羊茅叶出现大量枯死褐斑,叶尖坏死,新叶卷曲,总生物量降低46.2%,叶肉细胞膜卷曲,叶绿体和线粒体受损严重.与对照相比,80和160 nmol·mol^-1O₃熏蒸下高羊茅叶片超氧阴离子(O₂^-·)产生速率、过氧化氢(H₂O₂)和丙二醛(MDA)含量显著增加,抗氧化酶活性显著升高,但叶片总酚含量和抗氧化能力随O₃浓度升高而先升高后降低.在明显O₃伤害症状出现之前,O₃已对高羊茅的生长和抗氧化代谢产生不利影响;高羊茅抗氧化系统虽对O₃浓度的升高存在一定的适应性反应,但其不能抵御过高浓度的长期胁迫和伤害.     

亚热带几种典型稻田与旱作土壤中外源输入秸秆的分解与转化差异

选取亚热带四种典型母质(花岗岩风化物、第四纪红色粘土、板页岩风化物、近代河流沉积物)发育的稻田土壤,以毗邻的旱作土壤为对比,通过室内模拟培养试验研究45%田间持水量(WHC)条件下稻田和旱作土壤中外源输入秸秆矿化和转化的特征与差异。结果表明:在180 d的培养期内,所选4种稻田土壤中外源输入秸秆的累积矿化率(18%—21%)均显著低于对应的旱作土壤(21%—28%),外源秸秆的输入对土壤原有有机碳矿化的激发效应也是以稻田土壤(5%—30%)明显低于对应的旱作土壤(17%—65%)。外源秸秆在土壤中的分解产物主要向颗粒有机碳(POC)和铁铝结合态有机碳(Fe/Al-OC)分配,分配比例分别为9%—21%和12%—24%,其次为腐殖质碳(HMC)(11%—15%),而向微生物生物量碳(MBC)和溶解性有机碳(DOC)分配的比例极小,分别仅为2%—7%和0.1%-0.7%。与旱作土壤相比,稻田土壤中外源秸秆的分解产物向POC、Fe/Al-OC和MBC分配的比例较高,分别为15%—21%、17%—24%和6%—7%,而旱作土壤为9%—17%、13%—18%和2%—4%。此外,外源秸秆分解产物向2000—250μm水稳性粗团聚体分配的比例也以稻田土壤(10%—13%)高于旱作土壤(6%—7%),其它粒径中稻田与对应的旱作土壤之间并无显著差异。本研究结果说明,稻田土壤中外源输入秸秆的矿化率低于旱作土壤的现象在不同母质类型的土壤中可能普遍存在,这可能与稻田土壤中外源秸秆分解产物受水稳性团聚体的物理保护、与氧化铁铝的化学键合以及向有机碳稳定组分的分配作用较强有关,从而贡献于稻田土壤较高的有机碳积累。     

Effect of cocaine and morphine on neutral endopeptidase activity of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells cultured with lectins

We have tested the effect of alkaloids (cocaine, morphine) and enkephalins on neutral endopeptidase of peripheral blood mononuclear cells activated by lectins. When treated with concanavalin A and cocaine, peripheral blood mononuclear cells showed an enhanced activity (+110 per cent) of the membrane neutral endopeptidase, which was not related to the expression of the common acute lymphoblastic leukemia antigen at the cell surface, although both molecules have the identical amino acid sequence. Phytohemagglutinin-P, morphine and synthetic enkephalins did not induce the activity of neutral endopeptidase nor the expression of common acute lymphoblastic leukemia antigen. Our findings suggested that the drugs of abuse, cocaine and morphine, affected specific membrane constituents without altering proliferation, subcellular localization of membrane enzymes or the surface immune phenotype of peripheral blood mononuclear cells.     

Comparative analysis of subcellular fractionation methods for revealing α-actinin 1 and α-actinin 4 in A431 cells

α-Actinin 1 and α-actinin 4 are actin-binding proteins with shared structural functions that are responsible for the regulation of several processes in the cell. Based on previous data on the different distribution of these proteins in the nucleus and cytoplasm, we have studied in detail the presence of α-actinin 1 and α-actinin 4 in subcellular fractions in the A431 cells spread on fibronectin. The detection of α-actinins in some particular fractions has been shown to depend on the method of lysis, as well as whether the preliminary low-temperature freezing of cells was used. The application of various fractionation methods has allowed us to conclude that α-actinin 4 is present in all cytoplasmic and nuclear subfractions, whereas, in addition to in the cytoplasm, α-actinin 1 can also be revealed in the nuclear envelope fraction.     

Membrane Binding and Homodimerization of Atg16 Via Two Distinct Protein Regions is Essential for Autophagy in Yeast

Macroautophagy is a bulk degradation mechanism in eukaryotic cells. Efficiency of an essential step of this process in yeast, Atg8 lipidation, relies on the presence of Atg16, a subunit of the Atg12–Atg5-Atg16 complex acting as the E3-like enzyme in the ubiquitination-like reaction. A current view on the functional structure of Atg16 in the yeast S. cerevisiae comes from the two crystal structures that reveal the Atg5-interacting α-helix linked via a flexible linker to another α-helix of Atg16, which then assembles into a homodimer. This view does not explain the results of previous in vitro studies revealing Atg16-dependent deformations of membranes and liposome-binding of the Atg12–Atg5 conjugate upon addition of Atg16. Here we show that Atg16 acts as both a homodimerizing and peripheral membrane-binding polypeptide. These two characteristics are imposed by the two distinct regions that are disordered in the nascent protein. Atg16 binds to membranes in vivo via the amphipathic α-helix (amino acid residues 113–131) that has a coiled-coil-like propensity and a strong hydrophobic face for insertion into the membrane. The other protein region (residues 64–99) possesses a coiled-coil propensity, but not amphipathicity, and is dispensable for membrane anchoring of Atg16. This region acts as a Leu-zipper essential for formation of the Atg16 homodimer. Mutagenic disruption in either of these two distinct domains renders Atg16 proteins that, in contrast to wild type, completely fail to rescue the autophagy-defective phenotype of atg16Δ cells. Together, the results of this study yield a model for the molecular mechanism of Atg16 function in macroautophagy.     

Subcellular Distribution of Two Spin Trapping Agents in Rat Heart: Possible Explanation for Their Different Protective Effects Against Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity

Previous investigations, performed on isolated rat atria, showed that the lipophylic spin-trapping agent N-tert-butyl-alpha-phenylnitrone (PBN) is able to prevent the acute cardiotoxic effects produced by doxorubicin (DXR), whereas the hydrophylic compound 5,5-dimethyl-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO) is inactive. The present study was designed to ascertain whether differences in the pharmacological effects of the two spin traps are related to their different subcellular distribution. Langendorff rat hearts were perfused for 60 minutes with [^I4C]-DXR and either PBN or DMPO. The subcellular mapping of the three compounds was performed by measuring DXR by liquid scintillation counting, PBN by GC/MS, and DMPO by HPLC in the following isolated fractions: nuclei, mitochondria, sarcoplasmic reticulum, sarcolemma, cytosol. DMPO was shown to accumulate in the cytosolic compartment; both PBM and DXR are taken up by nuclei and mitochondria, while only trace amounts of DXR were detected in the sarcoplasmic reticulum. These results suggest that mitochondrial (and not sarcoplasmic) enzymes are mainly involved in DXR-induced free radical production, which is thought to cause the acute cardiotoxic effects of DXR. An involvement of DXR-induced free radical generation in the nuclear compartment seems unlikely in the short-term “in vitro” effects observed with the experimental model adopted for these studies, although it may play a role in the delayed pathology.     

Deanol Affects Choline Metabolism in Peripheral Tissues of Mice

Abstract: The enzymatic hydrolysis of UDP-galactose in rat and calf brain was studied. The hydrolysis occurs in two steps: The first is the conversion of UDP-galactose to galactose-1-phosphate catalyzed by nucleotide pyrophosphatase (EC 3.6.1.9), and the second is the conversion of the latter to free galactose by alkaline phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.1). The overall conversion has a pH optimum of 9.0, but there is considerable activity at pH 7.4, which is the optimum for UDP-galactose:ceramide galactosyltransferase in the synthesis of cerebrosides. Preparations from cytosol from calf brain cerebellum or stem that were enriched in UDP-galactose hydrolytic activity inhibit cerebroside synthesis under conditions optimal for the synthesis. Microsome-rich and nuclear debris fractions contain the highest apparent specific activity among the subcellular fractions studied. Hydrolysis of UDP-galactose occurs in all areas of brain, brainstem having the highest activity. The apparent specific activity in jimpy mouse brain homogenate is nearly twice as high as in the control brain homogenate.     

A simple cell disrupter designed for small cells with relatively large nuclei

A simple cell disrupter that is particularly suitable for breaking small cells with relatively large nuclei is described. Cells are disrupted by the shearing forces set up as they are pushed by a positive N2 pressure through a 0.8- to 1.5-micrometer stainless-steel filter. The total procedure takes only a few minutes, it is highly reproducible, and the yield is good. The cell homogenate obtained is a good starting source for the isolation of plasma membranes, intracellular organelles, and nuclei.