梨形四膜虫在环境毒理学研究中的应用

总结了以四膜虫为生物模型的环境毒理学研究,对各种环境化学毒物胁迫下四膜虫群体生长动力学,形态结构,行为特征以及生理生化特性变化等进行了综述。     

生态毒理学的定义及方法学探讨

生态毒理学是一门综合科学,本文试就生态毒理学作了定义;探讨了农药的生态毒理学评价,水质的生态毒理学评价,野生生物的生态毒理学研究,人体致癌基准,多重毒性及熵等。并对今后在生态毒理学研究中的一些问题进行了阐述。     

斑马鱼在生态毒理学研究及环境监测中的应用

斑马鱼作为一种新型的模式动物,由于其易于饲养、体外受精、产卵量大、胚胎透明及体外发育等优点,已经广泛应用于生物研究的多个领域。近年来,斑马鱼及其胚胎也已经广泛应用于生态毒理学研究及环境监测领域;并且随着转基因斑马鱼技术的建立,斑马鱼及其胚胎将更好地应用于生态毒理学研究和环境监测。     

轮虫生态毒理学测试指标的敏感性研究进展

随着工业化的发展,人类活动对环境造成了严重污染.轮虫是常用于污染物毒性检测的模式生物之一.针对不同类型的污染物,轮虫各生态毒理学指标的敏感性不尽相同.因此,本文归纳了现有的轮虫生态毒理学测试指标,综述了各生态毒理学检测指标对不同污染物的敏感性:轮虫的生命表统计学参数和生理生化指标对重金属污染通常更敏感;在检测持久性有机...     

水环境中工程纳米颗粒物的生态毒理学机理及理想模式生物的筛选

随着纳米技术产业的高速发展,大量工程纳米颗粒物(Engineering nano-particles,ENPs)被排放到自然水环境中,因此对其进行生态毒性及环境风险的研究尤为迫切。综述了ENPs在水环境中的毒理学机理及理想模式生物筛选的研究进展。目前的研究表明ENPs的毒性作用机制主要包括两方面:一是影响细胞信号通路,二是氧化应激造成基因表达的变化。此外,光催化活性、细胞表面附着、溶解特性、表面特征、赋存形态、溶剂效应及与其他环境污染物的协同作用也是可能的毒性作用机理。模式生物的筛选与确定在纳米生态毒理学研究中极为重要。鱼类作为水环境中普遍存在的脊椎动物,群落庞大,其具有行为端点敏感性高、且在生物毒性实验中存在明显的量效关系等特征,被认为是研究ENPs生态毒理学最适合的水生模式生物。研究表明针对在ENPs影响下的未成年鱼类的行为特征研究比传统的胚胎发育及致死率研究更为有效。无脊椎动物和浮游植物同样在各种水环境中普遍存在,对环境污染物极为敏感,且对有害物质具有显著的富集放大效应,因此作为模式生物也具有一定的优势。     

RNA‑seq技术在水生生物生态毒理学中的应用进展

水域是地球环境的重要组成部分,也是最易受污染的生态系统之一。水生态系统中不同营养级别的水生生物可通过摄食、接触等多种途径摄入水体中的污染物。因此,监测水域污染物对水生生物和生态系统的影响,解析污染物对不同水生生物的毒性机制,筛选敏感、有效的生物标志物对生态毒理学研究和环境风险评价具有重要意义。RNA测序（RNA sequencing,RNA?seq）技术因所需样品量少,且不需参考序列,可在整体水平上鉴定基因差异表达,成为水生生物生态毒理学研究的最佳方法之一。基于此,介绍了RNA?seq技术的基本流程与数据分析过程,对该技术在不同生态位的水生生物（如鱼类、两栖类、贝类、甲壳类等）生态毒理学中的应用展开综述,并对RNA?seq技术面临的不足、挑战及发展趋势进行探讨,以期为该技术在水生生物生态毒理学研究中的应用,尤其是水生态环境中污染物胁迫水生生物机制的阐明及污染水域生态环境恢复提供参考。     

环状RNA及其在生态毒理学研究中的应用进展

环状RNA（circular RNAs,circRNAs）是一类共价闭合环状非编码RNA,具有进化上保守、结构上稳定、组织特异性表达等特点。CircRNAs可作为miRNAs海绵影响其对基因的调控,还可与RNA结合蛋白（RNA binding proteins,RBPs）相互作用,也有研究表明某些circRNAs还具有被翻译成蛋白质的潜能。CircRNAs已被证实对某些疾病具有特异性、稳定性和调节功能,如癌症、糖尿病、心血管疾病、神经退行性疾病等,其可作为潜在的诊断、预后生物标志物和治疗靶点。最近,有研究发现circRNAs参与了环境化学污染物诱导的毒性效应发生及发展的过程。目前,生态毒理学研究中评价环境化学污染物和毒效应之间关系的毒性终点通常会受遗传多态性和表观遗传学影响,考虑到经环境化学污染物暴露后生物体内circRNAs差异性表达的现象,或许在生态毒理学研究中circRNAs也有作为生物标志物的可能性。基于此,对circRNAs的生物合成与降解、生物学功能、分析方法及其目前在生态毒理学研究中的应用展开综述,并对其作为分子生物标志物在环境污染物暴露早期诊断和生态风险评价中的应用进行了展望,以期为生态毒理学研究和环境风险评价提供参考。     

基于双壳贝类指示的海洋微塑料污染监测与毒理学研究进展

微塑料(尺寸5 mm的塑料)是海洋环境中一种新型污染物,可被海洋生物误食并对其产生毒性效应。随着海洋微塑料污染化学与生态毒理学研究的深入,利用指示生物开展海洋微塑料污染监测及毒理学研究逐渐成为热点。海洋双壳贝类可通过滤食方式摄食环境中的微塑料,是海洋微塑料污染监测与毒理学研究理想的指示物种。本文综述了海洋双壳贝类体内微塑料的分析方法、不同海域双壳贝类体内微塑料的累积分布以及受控实验条件下微塑料对双壳贝类的生态毒理效应3个方面的研究进展。未来研究方向将主要包括:建立以双壳贝类为指示的海洋微塑料污染生物监测标准方法以及研究环境浓度微塑料对海洋双壳贝类的亚慢性毒性效应等。     

多溴二苯醚动物毒理学研究进展及其生态毒理学展望

多溴二苯醚(PBDEs)作为阻燃剂,已被广泛应用于工业产品和家庭用品中.近年来,在土壤、沉积物、大气和生物体中普遍检测出PBDEs.PBDEs对哺乳动物、鸟类和鱼类都存在不同程度的毒害作用,其分布的广泛性、难降解性和对人体健康的不确定性已引起人们的普遍关注.基于国外动物毒理学研究成果,综合论述了PBDEs在生物体内的累积和排泄及其对动物肝酶活性、甲状腺、生殖和发育、神经系统和免疫系统等的影响及其潜在的人体健康危害,并分析了目前PBDEs毒理学研究中的问题,展望了未来PBDEs生态毒理学的研究方向.     

生态毒理学研究工作内容和方向的探讨

本文对现有的一些生态毒理学著作中不同作者对本学科研究内容的理解作了介绍。作者认为：本学科将个体以上的研究工作作为主要的发展方向是对的,但个体及个体以下水平的工作应该是生态毒理学的基础,两者相结合才能组成一个完整的生态毒理学体系。我国目前还需要大力发展个体水平的研究工作,建立一批示范性的生态毒理学实验室,及大力开展与本学科有关的环境标准、操作规范方面的研究及制订工作。     

Hydrolysis of 2-arachidonoylglycerol in Tetrahymena thermophila. Identification and partial characterization of a Monoacylglycerol Lipase-like enzyme

Tetrahymena thermophila is a model organism for molecular and cellular biology. Previous studies from our group showed that Tetrahymena contains major components of the endocannabinoid system, such as various endocannabinoids and FAAH. In mammalian cells the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol is inactivated mainly by MAGL. In this study we showed that 2-arachidonoylglycerol and 2-oleoylglycerol are hydrolyzed by the combined actions of MAGL and FAAH. MAGL-like activity was examined in the presence of FAAH specific inhibitors, URB597 or AM374 and showed optimum pH of 8-9, apparent K(M) of 14.1μM and V(max) of 5.8nmol/min×mg. The enzyme was present in membrane bound and cytosolic isoforms; molecular mass was determined at ～45 and ～40kDa. MAGL and FAAH could also inactivate endogenous signaling lipids, which might play an important role in Tetrahymena as suggested in mammals. Tetrahymena could be used as a model system for testing drugs targeting enzymes of the endocannabinoid system.     

Tetrahymena micronuclear genome mapping. a high-resolution meiotic map of chromosome 1l

The ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila is a useful model organism that combines diverse experimental advantages with powerful capabilities for genetic manipulation. The genetics of Tetrahymena are especially rich among eukaryotic cells, because it possesses two distinct but related nuclear genomes within one cytoplasm, contained separately in the micronucleus (MIC) and the macronucleus (MAC). In an effort to advance fulfillment of Tetrahymena's potential as a genetic system, we are mapping both genomes and investigating the correspondence between them. With the latter goal especially in mind, we report here a high-resolution meiotic linkage map of the left arm of chromosome 1, one of Tetrahymena's five chromosomes. The map consists of 40 markers, with an average spacing of 2.3 cM in the Haldane function and a total length of 88.6 cM. This study represents the first mapping of any large region of the Tetrahymena genome that has been done at this level of detail. Results of a parallel mapping effort in the macronucleus, and the correspondence between the two genomes, can be found in this issue as a companion to this article.     

Identification of differentially expressed genes in Tetrahymena thermophila in response to dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) by suppression subtractive hybridization

The insecticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) is persistent in the environment, and continues to cause health problems. Tetrahymena has potential as a model organism for assaying low levels of DDT and for analysing the mechanisms of its toxicity. We constructed the suppression subtractive hybridization library of T. thermophila exposed to DDT, and screened out 90 Expressed Sequence Tags whose expressions were significantly up- or downregulated with DDT treatment. From this, a series of important genes related to the DDT metabolism and detoxification were discovered, such as P450 gene, glutathione S-transferase gene and sterol carrier protein 2 gene. Furthermore, their expressions under different concentrations of DDT treatment were detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR. The results show that Tetrahymena is a relevant and useful model organism for detecting DDT in the environment and for discovering biomarkers that can be used to develop specific bio-reporters at the molecular and genomic levels.     

My favourite cell: Tetrahymena: A model for growth,cell cycle and nutritional studies,with biotechnological potential

Tetrahymena has been used as a model cell system in many studies of morphogenesis, conjugation, gene mapping, cell division and growth kinetics. In this article, we consider some advances which have resulted from the successful development of a chemically defined medium (CDM), and how subsequent work has extended the contribution that this organism has made to our understanding of different aspects of growth, nutrition, cell cycle control, cytokinesis and intercellular signalling. Finally, we discuss the considerable potential that has arisen for the biotechnological exploitation of this big and rapidly growing eukaryotic cell.     

A comparison of the polycation receptors of Paramecium tetraurelia and Tetrahymena thermophila

Chemorepellents are compounds that cause ciliated protozoans to reorient their swimming direction. A number of chemorepellents have been studied in the ciliated protozoans, Paramecium and Tetrahymena. Chemorepellents, such as polycations, cause the organism to exhibit "avoidance behavior," a swimming behavior characterized by jerky movements and other deviations from normal forward swimming, which result from ciliary reversal. One well-characterized chemorepellent pathway in Tetrahymena is that of the proposed polycation receptor that is activated by lysozyme and pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP). In this study, we compare the response of Paramecium to the chemorepellents lysozyme, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), and PACAP to the previously studied polycation response in Tetrahymena. Our results indicate that lysozyme, VIP, and PACAP are all chemorepellents in Paramecium, just as they are in Tetrahymena. However, the signaling pathways involved appear to be different. While previous pharmacological characterization indicates that G-proteins are involved in polycation signaling in Tetrahymena, we present evidence that similar reception in Paramecium involves activation of a tyrosine kinase pathway in order for lysozyme avoidance to occur. Polycation responses of both organisms are inhibited by neomycin sulfate. While PACAP is the most effective of the three chemorepellents in Tetrahymena, lysozyme is the most effective chemorepellent in Paramecium.     

Experimental identification and analysis of macronuclear non-coding RNAs from the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila

The ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila is an important eukaryotic model organism that has been used in pioneering studies of general phenomena, such as ribozymes, telomeres, chromatin structure and genome reorganization. Recent work has shown that Tetrahymena has many classes of small RNA molecules expressed during vegetative growth or sexual reorganization. In order to get an overview of medium-sized (40-500 nt) RNAs expressed from the Tetrahymena genome, we created a size-fractionated cDNA library from macronuclear RNA and analyzed 80 RNAs, most of which were previously unknown. The most abundant class was small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs), many of which are formed by an unusual maturation pathway. The modifications guided by the snoRNAs were analyzed bioinformatically and experimentally and many Tetrahymena-specific modifications were found, including several in an essential, but not conserved domain of ribosomal RNA. Of particular interest, we detected two methylations in the 5'-end of U6 small nuclear RNA (snRNA) that has an unusual structure in Tetrahymena. Further, we found a candidate for the first U8 outside metazoans, and an unusual U14 candidate. In addition, a number of candidates for new non-coding RNAs were characterized by expression analysis at different growth conditions.     

Genetics of Cycloheximide Resistance in Tetrahymena

Cycloheximide resistance in Tetrahymena is inducible by mutagenesis. Two mutations, isolated independently from genetically different strains, were analyzed. The two mutations, Chx-1 and Chx-2, were found to be alleles at the same locus. A specific analysis is presented which may serve as a model for strategies employing an independent manipulation of the micro-and macronuclei of this organism for genetic studies.