金属硫蛋白和植物螯合肽在植物重金属耐性中的作用

植物螯合肽和金属硫蛋白广泛存在于植物界中,它们对植物耐重金属特别重要,能够与重金属形成复合物,以缓解重金属对植物的危害。本文就这两种金属螯合蛋白的结构、生物合成和基因调控,以及在植物体内缓解重金属毒害的作用方面作了简要介绍。     

有机酸在植物对重金属耐性和解毒机制中的作用

植物对重金属的耐受和解毒机制可分为外部排斥和内部耐受两大类。该文综述了有机酸作为一类金属配位体, 在植物对重金属的这两大类机制中的重要作用。在重金属的外部排斥过程中, 植物根系分泌有机酸, 与金属离子形成稳定的金属配位体复合物, 改变重金属的移动性和生物可利用性, 阻止金属离子进入植物体内或避免其在根部敏感位点累积。此外, 有机酸还可与进入植物体内的金属离子螯合, 使其转化为无毒或毒性较小的结合形态, 缓解重金属的毒害效应, 实现植物对重金属的内部耐受。     

铅胁迫下植物抗性机制的研究进展

综述了近10多年来国内外研究重金属铅对植物的伤害机理,以及植物对铅的耐性机制的研究进展.首先从细胞分裂、细胞膜透性、光合作用和抗氧化酶系统等生理生化方面讨论了铅对植物的伤害机理,其次分析了铅离子跨膜运输、根系分泌物、金属配位体、铅离子区域化分布与植物抗性的关系.     

镉超积累植物及植物镉积累特性转基因改良研究进展

植物提取修复技术是一项既经济又环保的土壤镉(Cd)污染修复技术,该技术的关键是筛选Cd超积累植物或利用基因工程手段改良植物以提高其Cd积累能力。人们已发现遏兰菜等7种Cd超积累植物及美人蕉等潜在的Cd超积累植物。还发现了许多与Cd耐受和积累能力有关的基因:(1)编码与Cd积累、耐受有关酶的基因,如细菌中的ACC(1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid),植物中的PCS(Phytochelatin Synthase)基因;(2)编码金属结合蛋白的基因:MT(Metallothionein)、转运蛋白(P-type ATPase、ABC型转运器)基因;(3)其它相关基因:Hvhsp17、PvSR2(Phaseolus vulgaris stress-related gene number 2)等。并将其中的一些基因转入到其它生物中,提高了其对Cd的耐受性和积累量,为实现Cd污染土壤修复的目标奠定基础。     

根分泌作用与植物对金属毒害的抗性

在金属污染进入体内之前将其有效性和毒性降低是植物的主要抗金属机制之一,根系是金属等土壤污染物进入植物的门户,它能分泌有机酸、氨基酸,糖、生长物质等根分泌物与根际环境,根分泌物在植物吸收金属的过程中影响很大,它们可以通过改变根球环境的ＰＨ、Ｅｈ等物理、化学性质而影响根系对金属的吸收;通过螯合、络合,沉淀等作用将金属污染物滞留于根外;通过改变根际微生的组织,活性和分泌作用而改变根际环境中金属的数量和活     

植物内生细菌在植物修复重金属污染土壤中的应用

土壤重金属污染是威胁人群健康和经济可持续发展的重要环境问题。植物修复具有经济、环保等特点,已成为治理重金属污染土壤的重要技术。如何提高植物对重金属的抗性、促进植物生长是影响植物修复效率的关键之一。内生菌群-植物共生关系在此方面具有独特优势。其中,植物内生细菌可改善植物营养、降低植物病菌感染、影响酶活性,以及分泌激素、含铁载体和有机配位体等,进而提高超积累植物对重金属的吸收作用。本文综述了近年来国内外关于抗重金属植物内生细菌筛选与应用的研究进展,分析了内生细菌促进植物生长、增强植物对重金属抗性、促进重金属向茎叶转移的机理,阐述了植物内生细菌在重金属污染土壤修复中的应用前景与研究重点。     

镍污染土壤植物采矿技术关键过程及其研究进展

植物采矿是利用超积累植物高量吸收土壤中的重金属,并从中提取、冶炼金属产品,在修复污染土壤的同时实现金属的资源化。全世界广泛分布着自然风化的镍污染土壤,植物采矿因其重要的环境、生态及资源价值,被作为一种环境友好且具备经济效益的土壤修复技术,在此类地区具有广阔的应用前景。该植物采矿技术关键过程主要包括超积累植物镍高选择性根际环境响应、植物镍高效吸收转运以及生物质中镍高附加值资源化等过程。近30年,污染土壤中镍的植物采矿已经在美国、阿尔巴尼亚、马来西亚等多个国家进行了野外实践,取得了良好效果。然而,相关技术在我国的研究与应用仍然处于起步阶段。文中通过综述植物采矿技术的关键过程的研究进展,发现其中的瓶颈,为接下来植物采矿的科学研究和技术在全世界推广提供理论基础和技术指导。     

植物体内的木质素

木质素是植物体内重要的大分子物质,它是一类在化学结构上密切相关、高分子量的多聚体。主要论述了木质素单体的类型,它们在植物体内的合成过程,单体间的聚合机制及其在植物体内的分布和作用。     

植物金属硫蛋白研究进展(二)植物MT基因的表达特征及其功能

阐述了植物金属硫蛋白基因表达的组织特异性、金属离子、激素、化学试剂等对植物金属硫蛋白基因表达的影响及植物金属硫蛋白的功能。     

植物金属硫蛋白研究进展(一)——植物MT的分类、特征及其基因结构

综述近年来有关植物金属硫蛋白及其基因的研究,介绍植物金属硫蛋白的结构特征,分类,各类型的特征及其基因结构。     

Role for dopamine in malonate-induced damage in vivo in striatum and in vitro in mesencephalic cultures

Defects in mitochondrial energy metabolism have been implicated in the pathology of several neurodegenerative disorders. In addition, the reactive metabolites generated from the metabolism and oxidation of the neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) are thought to contribute to the damage to neurons of the basal ganglia. We have previously demonstrated that infusions of the metabolic inhibitor malonate into the striata of mice or rats produce degeneration of DA nerve terminals. In the present studies, we demonstrate that an intrastriatal infusion of malonate induces a substantial increase in DA efflux in awake, behaving mice as measured by in vivo microdialysis. Furthermore, pretreatment of mice with tetrabenazine (TBZ) or the TBZ analogue Ro 4-1284 (Ro-4), compounds that reversibly inhibit the vesicular storage of DA, attenuates the malonate-induced DA efflux as well as the damage to DA nerve terminals. Consistent with these findings, the damage to both DA and GABA neurons in mesencephalic cultures by malonate exposure was attenuated by pretreatment with TBZ or Ro-4. Treatment with these compounds did not affect the formation of free radicals or the inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation resulting from malonate exposure alone. Our data suggest that DA plays an important role in the neurotoxicity produced by malonate. These findings provide direct evidence that inhibition of succinate dehydrogenase causes an increase in extracellular DA levels and indicate that bioenergetic defects may contribute to the pathogenesis of chronic neurodegenerative diseases through a mechanism involving DA.     

Scurvy in capybaras bred in captivity in Argentine

In order to determine if the absence of vitamin C in the diet of capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) causes scurvy, a group of seven young individuals were fed food pellets without ascorbic acid, while another group of eight individuals received the same food with 1 g of ascorbic acid per animal per day. Animals in the first group developed signs of scurvy-like gingivitis, breaking of the incisors and death of one animal. Clinical signs appeared between 25 and 104 days from the beginning of the trial in all individuals. Growth rates of individuals deprived of vitamin C was considerably less than those observed in the control group. Deficiency of ascorbic acid had a severe effect on reproduction of another population of captive capybaras. We found that the decrease in ascorbic acid content in the diet affected pregnancy, especially during the first stages. The results obtained suggest that it is necessary to supply a suitable quantity of vitamin C in the diet of this species in captivity.     

Changes in lactate dehydrogenase activity in chicken tissues in hyperthyreosis in ontogenesis

The lactate dehydrogenase activity in reactions of lactate oxidation and synthesis was studied in subfractions of the chicken brain, heart and liver at the embryonal, early postembryonal and adult stages of development after thyroxine administration. It has been shown that during embryogenesis thyroxine predominantly enhanced the rate of lactate oxidation in the mitochondrial tissues. A marked increase in the lactate synthesis was found in cytoplasm of the adult chicken tissues. Specificity of enzyme activity alterations was detected in the chicken brain during ontogenesis after thyroxine administration.     

SSTR5 ablation in islet results in alterations in glucose homeostasis in mice

Somatostatin (SST) peptide is a potent inhibitor of insulin secretion and its effect is mediated via somatostatin receptor 5 (SSTR5) in the endocrine pancreas. To investigate the consequences of gene ablation of SSTR5 in the mouse pancreas, we have generated a mouse model in which the SSTR5 gene was specifically knocked down in the pancreatic beta cells (betaSSTR5Kd) using the Cre-lox system. Immunohistochemistry analysis showed that SSTR5 gene expression was absent in beta cells at three months of age. At the time of gene ablation, betaSSTR5Kd mice demonstrated glucose intolerance with lack of insulin response and significantly reduced serum insulin levels. Insulin tolerance test demonstrated a significant increase of insulin clearance in vivo at the same age. In vitro studies demonstrated an absence of response to SST-28 stimulation in the betaSSTR5Kd mouse islet, which was associated with a significantly reduced SST expression level in betaSSTR5Kd mice pancreata. In addition, betaSSTR5Kd mice had significantly reduced serum glucose levels and increased serum insulin levels at 12 months of age. Glucose tolerance test at an older age also indicated a persistently higher insulin level in betaSSTR5Kd mice. Further studies of betaSSTR5Kd mice had revealed elevated serum C-peptide levels at both 3 and 12 months of age, suggesting that these mice are capable of producing and releasing insulin to the periphery. These results support the hypothesis that SSTR5 plays a pivotal role in the regulation of insulin secretion in the mouse pancreas.