Coupling of agonist-induced AMPA receptor internalization with receptor recycling

Excitatory post-synaptic currents in the CNS are primarily mediated by alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-isoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) receptors in response to glutamate. Internalization of cell-surface receptors has been shown to be one mechanism by which to control receptor function. To test for agonist control of AMPA receptor plasma membrane expression we used biochemical assays to study AMPA receptor internalization and insertion processes. In heterologous cells, we observed a slow constitutive internalization and a rapid agonist-induced internalization of AMPA receptors. To our surprise, however, agonist treatment had no effect on the steady-state levels of AMPA receptors on the cell surface. To examine whether this could be explained by an agonist-induced increase in the insertion rate of AMPA receptors into the plasma membrane we developed an assay to independently measure receptor insertion. Remarkably, agonist treatment of cells also dramatically increased AMPA receptor plasma membrane insertion rates. In addition, using an assay to measure recycling of internalized pools we found that internalized receptors are rapidly recycled to the cell surface. These results suggest that agonist-induced receptor internalization is coupled to increases in receptor recycling. This increase in receptor flux through intracellular pools may allow for rapid changes in receptor surface expression by independent regulatory control of internalization and insertion.     

Potential problems with removing scales before surgical transmitter implantation

Thirty one mirror carp Cyprinus carpio were implanted with telemetry transmitters. Several large scales were removed from the incision area of two mirror carp before implantation of transmitters. When the fish were recaptured after 4 months, the mirror carp from which scales were removed showed severe tissue necrosis at the incision site whereas intact fish did not.     

A 38‐year study of relations between weather and vegetation dynamics in road verges near Bibury, Gloucestershire

1 The Bibury long‐term data set contains information on annual fluctuations in the abundance of over 100 grasses and forbs in roadside verge vegetation over the period from 1958 to the present. Monitoring has been carried out every July by the same individual. The data set represents a unique long‐term record of the dynamics of a complete plant community.
2 Records for the most abundant taxa (including bare ground and litter) were used to determine the effect of climate variability on the year‐to‐year performance of the selected species. Residuals about the long‐term mean log biomass of each species (de‐trended where the species showed a significant increase or decrease in abundance over time) were correlated against indices of interannual climate variability. Plant and weather records were compared over 3‐month seasonal periods (March–May, June–August, September–November, December–February) or 6‐month seasonal periods (March–August, September–February), with time lags of 0, 1 and 2 years.
3 Principal components analysis (PCA) was used to formulate annual weather indices, using either conventional weather variables (temperature, rainfall and sunshine) or the Lamb catalogue of daily weather types.
4 Between 5% and 70% more correlations were observed than might be expected to occur by chance, depending on the season and the PCA index, indicating markedly non‐random plant–weather relationships. Total vegetation production was positively correlated with minimum spring temperature. The distribution of correlations was generally evenly distributed across the three lag periods.
5 In general, those species favoured by environmental stress or disturbance were promoted following warm dry springs and summers, whereas those favoured by more productive conditions were promoted following a wet growing season.     

Aluminum-induced secretion of both citrate and malate in rye

Aluminum (Al)-resistant mechanisms responsible for Al-induced secretion of organic acids are poorly understood. In this study, we characterized the Al-induced secretion of both citrate and malate from rye (Secale cereale L. cv. King). Secretion of organic acids increased with increasing concentration (10, 30 and 50 M) and duration of Al treatments. Neither phosphorous (P) deficiency up to 15 days nor addition of 50M lanthanum, 50 M lead, 10 M cadmium, or 200 M manganese caused secretion of organic acids, suggesting that this secretion was a specific response to Al stress. Aluminum activated citrate synthase, the main enzyme for the synthesis of citrate, but its activation occurred only in the root tip. The elongation of roots of an Al-sensitive cultivar of wheat (Tritium aestivum L. cv. Scout 66) was not inhibited by 50 M Al in the presence of externally applied 50 M citrate or 400 M malate. The secretion of citrate and malate from intact rye roots exposed to 50 M Al corresponded to 31.3 ± 1.7 M and 11.5 ± 2.5 M, respectively, in the rhizosphere based on an assumption of a 2 mm thick unstirred layer around root tips. This result indicated that Al-resistance in rye was achieved by the Al-induced synthesis of citrate in root apices followed by Al-induced specific secretion of citrate from root tips.     

铝胁迫下黑麦和小麦根尖分泌有机酸的研究

通过建立的活体根培养及微量根尖分泌物收集系统,对铝胁迫下黑麦和小麦根尖分泌的有机酸进行研究。结果表明:50、100、200、300μmol·L-1 AlCl3处理后黑麦根尖分泌柠檬酸和苹果酸,而铝仅诱导小麦根尖分泌苹果酸。铝处理3h后,根尖分泌的苹果酸显著增加,并在9h内维持较高的分泌速率。铝诱导黑麦根尖分泌柠檬酸有明显的迟缓期,Al(300μmol·L-1)处理后的最初3h,根尖分泌的柠檬酸并不显著增加。在铝溶液中添加的阴离子通道抑制剂A-9-C(20、60、100μmol·L-1)显著抑制根尖分泌有机酸。然而,将黑麦根尖浸泡于含异三聚体G蛋白激活剂霍乱毒素(50ng·mL-1)后,根尖分泌的有机酸显著增加。说明建立的微量根尖分泌物收集系统适合于铝诱导根尖分泌有机酸的研究,小麦和黑麦根尖在铝胁迫下以不同模式通过阴离子通道分泌有机酸,而异三聚体G蛋白可能介导根尖分泌有机酸。     

贵州特有植物美丽红山茶水分胁迫的生理响应

采用水分抗逆性指标主成分分析法,选择4年实生苗,测定和评价了连续30 d水涝和干旱胁迫的生理响应.结果表明：(1)水涝处理的叶片生长旺盛,光泽度和观赏性无明显变化,叶片相对含水量、MDA含量、SOD活性、POD活性、CAT活性的变化差异在5％以内,土壤含水量增加3．47％,细胞膜透性减少1．59％,短期水涝对美丽红山茶伤害不明显;(2)随着干旱时间延长,新叶卷缩、老叶脱落,土壤含水量、叶片相对含水量随时间呈负相关缓慢减少,细胞膜透性呈正相关缓慢增长,但复水10 d 后可恢复正常生长,无明显生理变化响应;(3)SOD活性和MDA含量分别增加了0．66％和5．31％,POD活性随干旱时间上下波动而增加6．47％, CAT活性随干旱时间延长而增加,20 d增加33．33％达最大值20．8 U??g-1??min-1.在抗性生理中,维持膜稳定性的叶片含水量、POD和CAT的变化对抗旱能力大小起主要作用.     

A Comparison of Aluminum Resistance among Polygonum Species Originating on Strongly Acidic and Neutral Soils

Two kinds of Polygonum species (Polygonum aviculare L. and Polygonum lapathifolium L.) grown in tea garden soils at pH around 3.5 and one Polygonum bungeanum Turcz grown in neutral soils were collected to investigate the mechanisms involved in their high Al resistance. Hydroponic experiments showed that the root elongation was only inhibited by 15% in P. aviculare and 35% in P. lapathifolium after exposure to 50 μM Al for 24 h. Their Al resistance was respectively higher than and similar to that in an Al resistant buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) cultivar. In contrast, P. bungeanum was much more Al sensitive since the root elongation was inhibited by 80% under the same condition. The difference in Al resistance among Polygonum species was confirmed in a 10-d intermittent Al treatment experiment, the root biomass of the first two species were unaltered and decreased by 50% in the latter species. However, high Al accumulation was not found in the leaves, indicating these species were not Al accumulators. Oxalate efflux was detected in root exudates of both Al resistant species, efflux initiated within 30 min treatment of 50 μM Al. No organic acid anions were detected in the root exudates of the Al sensitive species. The anion channel inhibitor phenylglyoxal (PG) inhibited the oxalate efflux greatly. Inhibition of root elongation was greater in the presence of PG, confirming that oxalate efflux was associated with the Al resistance. However, since the efflux rate was much lower than their related species buckwheat, other mechanisms must be involved in Al resistance and these need to be studied further.     

南方4种草本植物对铝胁迫生理响应的研究

 不同的植物对铝胁迫的生理响应不同, 因而对铝毒的耐性也不相同。设置5种铝浓度,进行砂培法处理,研究了4种我国南方红壤广泛分布的草本植物——牵牛(Pharbitis nil)、望江南(Cassia occidentlis)、光头稗(Echinochloa colonum)和合萌(Aeschynomene indica)的种子萌发、光合色素、脯氨酸含量、丙二醛(MDA)含量、可溶性糖(SS)含量、质膜透性(MP)、过氧化氢酶 (CAT) 活性以及过氧化物酶 (POD)活性的变化。结果表明铝对4种植物的生理特性都有明显的影响。4种植物的种子在10 000 mg·L－1 Al3+处理条件下都不能萌发。2 000 mg·L－1 Al3+处理都不利于4种植物的生长,与对照相比,2 000 mg·L－1 Al3+处理时4种草本植物叶绿素和叶绿素总含量显著降低(p<0.05);MDA含量和MP显著增加(p<0.05);脯氨酸含量极显著增加(p<0.01);POD和CAT活性极显著降低(p<0.01)。中低铝(80和400 mg·L－1)处理时,牵牛和合萌与对照相比,MP和MDA含量降低,POD和CAT活性升高;望江南的反应与牵牛和合萌的反应相反;光头稗在80 mg·L－1 Al3+处理时,与牵牛和合萌的变化一致,在400 mg·L－1 Al3+处理时,则相反。植物在中低铝处理条件下,通过维持较高的POD和CAT活性和脯氨酸、叶绿素含量,较低的MP和MDA含量来增加其对铝的耐性。     

Protective plant immune responses are elicited by bacterial outer membrane vesicles

1. Download : Download high-res image (166KB)
2. Download : Download full-size image

     

茉莉酸在植物抗逆性中的研究进展

茉莉酸(jasmonic acid, JA)是一种植物内源合成的脂类激素,在植物响应胁迫的调控中发挥着重要作用。本文概括了JA的生物合成与代谢途径及其调控机制;总结了JA信号的传导通路;系统归纳了JA在植物响应生物和非生物胁迫应答中的作用机制和调控网络,重点关注了最新的研究进展。此外,本文梳理了JA与其他植物激素在植物抗逆性调节过程中的信号交流。最后讨论了JA信号通路介导的植物抗逆性研究中亟待解决的问题,并展望了新的分子生物学技术在调控JA信号通路增强作物抗性中的应用前景,以期为植物的抗逆性研究和改良提供参考。     

The distribution of some heathland plant species along a microtopographic gradient at Dinnet,Scotland, and their dehydration resistances

Along a microtopographic gradient in a heathland, five types of plant distribution were recognized: (i) Pyrola type, restricted to the crest of the rise; (ii) Vaccinium type, mainly on the steeper slopes and thin soil; (iii) Arctostaphylos type, ranging widely from the top to the bottom of the slope; (iv) Erica tetralix type, in the waterlogged wet places; and (v) Calluna type, showing the most extensive occurrence across the ranges of all the foregoing types. A clear separation of habitat was found between Erica cinerea and Erica tetralix. The stomatal transpiration of Calluna was the most active among five species studied. However, the cuticular transpiration rate is rather low. These facts all have a bearing on the widely dominant occurrence of Calluna in heathland. Vaccinium vitis-idaea and Arctostaphylos uva-ursi showed the lowest transpiration rates in the present study. Their cuticular transpiration rates are also low. These facts may be in accord with their inability to overcome Calluna under conditions of adequate water supply. However, they may become dominant in some sites, such as the terrace of thin soil. The buds of Erica tetralix are very susceptible to drought, because their lethal water deficit is very small. It may be a main cause of the restriction of this species to very wet places.