FAR gene enables the brown planthopper to walk and jump on water in paddy field

Many insects can live on water and survive being caught in the rain. Current research has shown that insect cuticular hydrocarbons(CHC) confer desiccation resistance to maintain water balance. In this study, we identified a fatty acyl-CoA reductase gene(NlFAR) of the rice brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens that is essential for the production of CHCs, and found that NlFAR is essential for N. lugens to walk and jump on water when moving from one rice plant to another in paddy fields. NlFAR was mainly expressed in the integument at the beginning of each molt. Cuticular surface analysis by scanning electron microscopy and characterization of CHC extracts indicated that N. lugens with knockdown of NlFAR using RNA inference(RNAi)had a neater epicuticle layer and a significant decrease in CHC contents. Knockdown of NlFAR did not influence the desiccation resistance of N. lugens, but the ds NlFAR-treated insects were easily adhered and moistened by water droplets or their own secreted honeydew and unable to walk or jump on water. These results suggested that NlFAR is a crucial enzyme for CHC biosynthesis and cuticle waterproofing, but not for water retention of N. lugens, which may provide a potential strategy for pest management.     

基于国际专利数据的真菌黑色素创新发展趋势分析

【背景】黑色素具有抗肿瘤、抗辐射等多种生物活性,在生产和生活中具有巨大的应用潜力,通过真菌生产是获取黑色素的一条重要途径,它与动植物相比具有更短的生产周期和更高的产量,并且易于实现商业应用。【目的】揭示真菌黑色素的生产及应用发展情况和创新趋势,为致力于真菌黑色素产业的科研人员和企业提供参考。【方法】基于Inco Pat科技创新情报平台,通过对全球真菌黑色素相关专利进行检索统计,从专利涉及的菌株、专利技术构成、申请人专利价值等多维度对真菌黑色素相关专利进行深入分析。【结果】真菌黑色素在生产制备领域申请专利数量最多(50.56%),作为化工染料和化妆品原料应用的专利申请数量最少(13.48%),涉及的真菌菌属主要有层孔菌属、短梗霉属、木耳属、纤孔菌属、粒毛盘菌属、灵芝属和曲霉属。目前真菌黑色素专利技术申请的热点领域主要在C12 (微生物发酵、培养基、突变或遗传工程)类和A61 (医学)类,并且在未来一段时间内,C12和A61将继续作为热点技术申请领域。中国申请的真菌黑色素专利数量最多,但拥有的高价值专利比例较低,较国外仍具有一定差距。【结论】我国科研人员需要加强在医药和化工领域核心专利技术的创新应用与海外布局,增强与企业的合作研发和技术转移,以抢占真菌黑色素在这些领域的应用市场,并推动真菌黑色素相关专利向高质量发展。     

光强、温度、总氮浓度对黑藻生长的影响

为寻求沉水植物生长的主效环境因子,探求富营养化水体沉水植物的衰亡机理并选择治理富营养化的先锋植物,实验选择长江中下游常见沉水植物种黑藻(Hydrilla verticillata),利用正交试验设计,通过室内静态模拟实验研究三种主要环境因子光照强度、温度、总氮浓度及其互作对黑藻断枝生长的影响。结果表明:光照强度和温度为影响黑藻生长的主效环境因子,并且光强与温度的交互作用对黑藻生长有较为显著的影响,具体表现为黑藻的生长指标(株高、生物量、分枝数)、光合指标(叶绿素a+b浓度、叶绿素a/b、叶绿体总色素含量)和生理活性指标(根活力、可溶性糖含量、MDA含量)的变化均与这两个环境因子及其互作呈显著相关;总氮浓度的变化对黑藻生长影响不大,在2-8 mg/L的总氮浓度下,黑藻均可以正常生长。根据本实验黑藻生长指标、光合色素含量以及生理活性在不同环境因子组合的变化结果可知,黑藻在5320-12000 lx光照强度、20°C-30°C、4-8 mg/L水体总氮浓度的条件下生长良好,故推测黑藻可作为春夏季富营养化水体中恢复和重建沉水植被的先锋工具种。       

Interactions among Fe2+, S2-, and Zn2+ tolerance, root anatomy, and radial oxygen loss in mangrove plants

Root anatomy, radial oxygen loss (ROL), and tolerances to ferrous (Fe(2+)), sulphide (S(2-)), and zinc (Zn(2+)) ions were investigated in seedlings of eight species of mangrove, including three pioneer species, three rhizophoraceous and two landward semi-mangrove species. The results showed an interesting co-tolerance to Fe(2+), S(2-), and Zn(2+). The three rhizophoraceous species (Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Kandelia obovata and Rhizophora stylosa), which possessed the thickest lignified exodermis and the 'tightest barrier' in ROL spatial pattern, consistently exhibited the highest tolerance to Fe(2+), S(2-), and Zn(2+). B. gymnorrhiza could directly reduce ROL by increasing lignification within the exodermis. Such an induced barrier to ROL is a probable defence response to prevent further invasion and spread of toxins within plants. The data also indicated that, in B. gymnorrhiza, Fe(2+) or S(2-), or both, induced a lignified exodermis that delayed the entry of Zn(2+) into the roots and thereby contributed to a higher tolerance to Zn(2+). This study provides new evidence of exclusive strategies of mangrove seedling roots in dealing with contaminations. The information is also important in the selection and cultivation of tolerant species for the bioremediation of contaminated waters or soils.     

NLS-RARα蛋白相互作用蛋白的筛选与验证

急性早幼粒细胞白血病(APL)具有特征性染色体易位,产生的PML-RARα融合基因在其发生发展中有重要作用．PML-RARα融合蛋白在细胞内被中性粒细胞弹性蛋白酶(neutrophil elastase,NE)切割为PML突变蛋白(核定位信号NLS缺失)和RARα突变体 (NLS-RARα,包含有PML的核定位信号),这两段蛋白质在APL的发生中可能具有重要作用．为进一步研究NLS-RARα的生物学功能,运用酵母双杂交技术在白血病cDNA文库中筛选与其作用的蛋白质．首先PCR技术扩增NLS-RARα编码序列,克隆至诱饵载体pGBKT7,测序鉴定后将其转化酵母AH109．免疫印迹检测到诱饵蛋白表达后,将含有诱饵载体的AH109与含有白血病cDNA文库的酵母Y187交配,在含有X-α-gal的营养缺陷性培养基上选择和筛选二倍体酵母．经回转实验和测序分析验证得到8个与NLS-RARα相互作用的蛋白质．为进一步验证这些相互作用,克隆其中的JTV-1蛋白,利用间接免疫荧光,GST pull-down和免疫共沉淀技术成功验证了它与NLS-RARα的相互作用．为进一步探讨APL的发生机制提供了新的线索．     

基于CRISPR/Cas系统的核酸生物传感器

近年来,CRISPR/Cas系统已经成为转录调控和基因组编辑的重要工具。除了在基因编辑领域的贡献,CRISPR/Cas系统独特的靶核酸顺式切割和非特异性单链核酸反式切割能力,在开发核酸检测的新型生物传感器方面展现出巨大潜力。构建基于CRISPR/Cas系统高灵敏度生物传感器的关键通常依赖其与不同信号扩增策略,诸如核酸扩增技术或特定信号转导方法的结合。基于此,本文旨在通过介绍不同类型的CRISPR/Cas系统,全面概述基于该系统的核酸检测生物传感器的研究进展,并重点对结合核酸扩增技术（PCR、LAMP、RCA、RPA和EXPAR）、灵敏的信号转导方法（电化学和表面增强拉曼光谱）和特殊结构设计生物传感的三大类型信号放大策略的CRISPR/Cas生物传感器进行总结和评论。最后,本文对目前的挑战以及未来的前景进行展望。     

广西地方稻种资源核心种质构建和遗传多样性分析

以丁颖分类体系分组原则与组内逐层聚类取样方法,对8609份广西地方栽培稻资源表型数据信息进行分析,通过对表型保留比例等评价指标的多重比较确定核心种质总体取样比例,构建出占总体样本5%(414份)的广西地方栽培稻资源初级核心种质。初级核心种质能代表总体遗传变异的89%。用34对SSR分子标记对初级核心种质进行遗传多样性分析,结果表明:广西地方栽培稻资源有较高的遗传多样性(等位基因数A为4.91,Nei’s多样性指数为0.574)。就Nei’s遗传多样性指数而言,粳稻高于籼稻,晚稻高于早稻,水稻高于陆稻,糯稻高于粘稻;来自桂中的稻种资源具有最高的遗传多样性。研究最终利用SSR数据,把414份初级核心种质压缩50%后形成209份核心种质,核心种质基因保留比例达到98%以上,有效代表了广西地方栽培稻资源多样性水平。     

Diversity and potential biogeochemical impacts of viruses in bulk and rhizosphere soils

Viruses can affect microbial dynamics, metabolism and biogeochemical cycles in aquatic ecosystems. However, viral diversity and functions in agricultural soils are poorly known, especially in the rhizosphere. We used virome analysis of eight rhizosphere and bulk soils to study viral diversity and potential biogeochemical impacts in an agro-ecosystem. The order Caudovirales was the predominant viral type in agricultural soils, with Siphoviridae being the most abundant family. Phylogenetic analysis of the terminase large subunit of Caudovirales identified high viral diversity and three novel groups. Viral community composition differed significantly between bulk and rhizosphere soils. Soil pH was the main environmental driver of the viral community structure. Remarkably, abundant auxiliary carbohydrate-active enzyme (CAZyme) genes were detected in viromes, including glycoside hydrolases, carbohydrate esterases and carbohydrate-binding modules. These results demonstrate that virus-encoded putative auxiliary metabolic genes or metabolic genes that may change bacterial metabolism and indirectly contribute to biogeochemical cycling, especially carbon cycling, in agricultural soil.