Meiofaunal responses to nutrient additions in a Mediterranean stream

1. The effects of a moderate addition of nutrients (twofold N and threefold P) were examined during a 2‐year period to determine the response to nutrient addition in a meiofaunal community inhabiting sandy patches in a Mediterranean stream. 2. The pattern of meiofaunal assemblages exhibits a high degree of intra‐ and interannual variability. This pattern alternates between periods of hydrological stability and disturbances, such as floods and droughts, which is a characteristic of Mediterranean systems. 3. A before–after–control–impact (BACI) design was used to determine the outcome of the addition by comparing an upstream non‐enriched reach with an enriched downstream reach. Analysis of the study data by means of a nonparametric permutational procedure (permanova ) showed that fertilisation had a significant effect. Density and biomass values increased in the most abundant meiofaunal groups, including microcrustaceans, oligochaetes and chironomids. Microcrustaceans were the dominant group in the permanent meiofauna. 4. We also examined differences in microcrustacean secondary production in both reaches. Ostracods and cyclopoid copepods increased their secondary production in the impacted reach as a result of the nutrient addition. 5. Our study demonstrated that moderate nutrient enrichment can affect the biomass and production of stream meiofauna, but it is still unclear whether this effect was because of autotrophic or heterotrophic pathways.     

Draft Genome Sequence of Paenibacillus sp. Strain OSY-SE,a Bacterium Producing the Novel Broad-Spectrum Lipopeptide Antibiotic Paenibacterin

A strain of Paenibacillus sp., OSY-SE, was isolated from soil and found to produce a novel lipopeptide antibiotic. The antibiotic, paenibacterin, is active against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial pathogens. Paenibacterin is biosynthesized by a nonribosomal peptide synthetase pathway. Here we report the draft genome sequence of Paenibacillus sp. OSY-SE.     

Growth Kinetics of Microbacterium lacticum and Nitrate-Dependent Degradation of Ethylbenzene under Anaerobic Conditions

A pure strain of Microbacterium lacticum DJ-1 capable of anaer-obic biodegradation of ethylbenzene was isolated from soil contaminated with gasoline. Growth of the strain and biodegradation of ethylbenzene in batch cultures led to stoichiometric reduction of nitrate. M. lacticum DJ-1 could degrade 100 mg L^?1 of ethylbenzene completely, with a maximum degradation rate of 15.02 ± 1.14 mg L^?1 day^?1. Increasing the initial concentration of ethy-lbenzene resulted in decreased degradative ability. The cell-specific growth rates on ethylbenzene conformed to the Haldane–Andrew model in the substrate level range of 10–150 mg L^?1. Kinetic parameters were determined by nonlinear regression on specific growth rates and various initial substrate concentrat-ions, and the values of the maximum specific growth rate, half saturation constant, and inhibition constant were 0.71 day^?1, 34.3 mg L^?1, and 183.5 mg L^?1, respectively. This is the first report of ethylbenzene biodegradation by a bacterium of Microbacterium lacticum under nitrate-reducing conditions.     

Linking membrane dynamics and trafficking to autophagy and the unfolded protein response

Cellular stressors typically induce two protective counter‐responses—autophagy and the unfolded protein response (UPR). It is conceivable that these two endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane‐based processes would intersect/interact somehow with the constitutive housekeeping process of exocytic membrane traffic from the ER. How exactly might this occur? Recent evidence indicates that a conserved Rab protein, Rab1/Ypt1p, has functional roles in UPR and autophagy. This molecular switch and its associated effectors may therefore serve to link up a network of cellular responses to stress through changes in membrane dynamics and protein turnover. The notion provides further explanations as to why elevation of Rab1/Ypt1p levels could counter the cytotoxicity of α‐synuclein, and a similar mode of protection may well be at work against other stresses. J. Cell. Physiol. 228: 1638–1640, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

冰核细菌在我国北方玉米上的消长动态规律

研究证明,菠萝欧文氏菌(Erwinia ananas)为我国北方玉米上优势冰核细菌种类,占总体INA细菌95 %以上。采用定量定性和定期取样分离方法,首次研究INA细菌在玉米上的消长动态规律。结果表明:玉米不同生长发育阶段是影响INA细菌在玉米上数量分布和消长动态变化的重要因素,以抽雄至成熟期间分布INA细菌数量最多,高达10 7～10 8CFU/ g,比拔节至抽雄期高出2～3个数量级,比苗期至拔节期高出4～5个数量级;同时还指出,玉米不同播期,对INA细菌数量分布影响显著,差异很大,其中INA细菌分布数量消长变化,以正常播种(1.9×10 7CFU / g) >中期播种(7.9×10 5CFU/ g) >晚期播种(5 .0×10 4 CFU/ g) ;研究指出,处于抽雄至成熟期间的玉米上分布的INA细菌数量最多,因此期间(8月上旬至9月下旬) ,气温逐渐降低,昼夜温差大,田间结露多,加上玉米处于成熟阶段,抗INA细菌能力弱,这些因素有利于低温(5～2 0℃范围内生长)型INA细菌生长繁殖,故使INA细菌分布数量最多     

细胞衰老与肿瘤发生及药物治疗

肿瘤细胞往往具有衰老障碍而表现出无限增殖的能力。细胞衰老障碍与肿瘤化疗和多药耐药关系密切,恢复肿瘤细胞衰老通路是肿瘤治疗和逆转多药耐药的一个很有前途的研究方向。     

稀有鮈鲫眼的形态发生研究

详细观察和描述了稀有鮈鲫眼发育的形态变化,并分别对视网膜发育早期神经层、色素上皮层的厚度及眼发育后期视网膜的总厚度进行了测量。结果表明:稀有鲫眼的发生始于神经胚时期形成的眼原基,与两栖、哺乳类动物不同,其眼原基是由间脑向左右伸出的对称外突实体;在尾芽期眼原基向腹侧弯曲、侧向伸长,随后开始内陷,在尾泡期形成视杯。眼原基外层与外胚层紧贴的部分将发育为视杯的内层、神经视网膜,而眼原基其余部分将分化为视杯的外层、视网膜色素层。在尾泡期之后,视网膜色素层停止有丝分裂开始形成色素颗粒,此时视网膜神经层开始分化。视网膜这两层结构在发育早期分化的有序进行可能与早期胚胎头部内空间以及附近的间充质细胞有关。从神经胚期到尾泡期,视网膜色素层厚度由42.3±0.8μm减小到4.8±0.4μm,视网膜神经层厚度从37.1±0.2μm增加到43.7±0.6μm,而从尾鳍期到孵出期视网膜总厚度从42.7±1.2μm逐渐增加到98.3±2.1μm。与所有脊椎动物一样,稀有鲫眼的视网膜分化也是按照由内向外的顺序进行,晶状体、角膜及其他结构在孵出时已基本发育完全。