梨形四膜虫的一种长期保种方法

随着梨形四膜虫细胞在生物学、医药学和环境科学研究方面的广泛应用,梨形四膜虫细胞株在实验室内的长期继代保种问题,就显出更为重要。     

四膜虫功能基因组数据库增量更新2016:生活史和减数分裂转录组及磷酸化蛋白组资源建设

原生动物嗜热四膜虫是一种优良单细胞真核模式生物,以其作为研究对象在基础生物学领域的研究已经取得了一系列突破性的成果。2006年,其大核基因组测序完成并发表,标志着四膜虫的研究进入了功能基因组时代。2013年基于基因芯片、基因网络和转录组数据,我们构建了四膜虫功能基因组数据库,其目前已成为模式生物嗜热四膜虫研究的两个重要数据库之一。在过去几年里,随着对四膜虫功能基因组学研究的深入,相关组学数据也实现了一定积累,对这些数据的整合也非常迫切。基于此,我们对四膜虫功能基因组数据库进行了增量更新。更新内容主要包括三个方面:(1)四膜虫生活史不同时期转录组数据;(2)四膜虫接合生殖减数分裂过程转录组数据;(3)磷酸化蛋白组数据。此次增量更新进一步提升和完善了四膜虫功能基因组数据库的内容和功能,对以四膜虫为对象的相关研究工作具有重要作用。     

原生动物四膜虫“小材”有“大用”

在概述了原生动物四膜虫的基本知识和回顾了四膜虫在分子生物学领域的重要贡献的基础上,介绍了利用该单细胞真核模式生物所开展的四膜虫功能基因组学、毒理基因组学、进化基因组学和表观基因组学等方面的研究工作,并展望了四膜虫作为普通生物学实验进入中学和大学课堂的应用前景。     

四膜虫S1株——上海四膜虫,新种

四膜虫S1是一株自接型四膜虫,根据形态特征应属梨形四膜虫复合种。本种除克隆内接合外,和其它十二种四膜虫均不接合。本种的异柠檬酸脱氢酶,四唑氧化酶,谷氨酸脱氢酶和乙酸酯酶的同功酶谱和其它十二种四膜虫相比,差异明显。此外,金亦石等(1987)所提供的S1和其它十种四膜虫的rDNA分子的四种限制性内切酶图谱也说明,S1株与除T.australis以外的其它九种的酶切图谱是显著不同的。据此,作者认为本种应是梨形四膜虫复合种中一新种,并定名为上海四膜虫。     

一个自配型梨形四膜虫的接合及其细胞学过程

自从Elliott和Nanney(1952)描述了四膜虫(Tetrahymena sp.)的接合过程以后,国外对于四膜虫的接合型(mating types)特性以及接合的细胞学过程做了很多研究。Nanney(1953),Elliott和Hayes(1953)分别研究了自配型(selfers)和接合型梨形四膜虫(T.pyriformis)的接合过程。Elliott和Nanney都曾指出,自配型四膜虫的两接合体(Conjuga-nts)在完成核交换后不能分开,即使人力强使分开,二接合体也将解体而不能存活。Elliott(1973)认为,自配型四膜虫接合产生的后代不能存活这一特性,是四膜虫种群排除不稳定的自配型的一种途径。     

四膜虫种间骨架蛋白组分的比较研究

以上海四膜虫S1和嗜热四膜虫BF株和BT株为材料,结合显微观察,采用生化抽提、SDS-PAGE电泳、扫描及数据统计,分析与测定了三个不同株四膜虫对数生长期皮层骨架蛋白组分与含量,结果显示嗜热四膜虫的BF与BT株差异较小,两者与上海四膜虫S1株差异则较大,S1株细胞中有92KD、72KD、66KD、32KD、27KD,而BF和BT株细胞中没有,估计这些蛋白的不同与种间亲缘关系及株系、培养条件等有着密不可分的联系.       

四膜虫：毒理学与生态毒理学研究中的优良模式生物

四膜虫 (Tetrahymena)是毒理学与生态毒理学研究的良好模式生物之一。本文回顾了近年来以四膜虫为实验生物开展的毒理学与生态毒理学研究进展 ,并针对目前产生严重环境压力的持久性有毒化学污染物 ,提出了以四膜虫为模式生物开展相应的生态毒理学研究的前景以及可行的方法。     

四膜虫基因表达数据库: 四膜虫全基因组基因表达芯片和协同表达分析的数据资源

嗜热四膜虫是一种优良的真核模式生物, 对其功能基因组学的分析将为研究细胞和分子生物学的基础性重大问题提供新的机遇. 四膜虫基因表达数据库(TGED)是原生动物纤毛虫中第一个基因表达数据库, 整个数据库包括了四膜虫3个重要的生理和发育阶段20个时间点的全基因组基因表达数据, 提供了友好的网页界面(http://tged.ihb.ac.cn)供用户获取这些数据. 通过基因的标识号或描述信息, 用户可以获取基因表达谱信息和协同表达基因. 此外, TGED同时提供了制备四膜虫基因表达芯片的样品制备方法. 欢迎研究者上传和分享其所有的基因芯片数据, 以期为四膜虫或纤毛虫研究提供重要的功能基因组学资源.     

诱导嗜热四膜虫(Tetrahymena thermophila)细胞凋亡样变化的研究

本文以单细胞真核生物嗜热四膜虫(Te-trahymena thermophila)作为实验材料以抗肿瘤药物高三尖杉脂碱(Homoharringtonine,HHT)、糖皮质激素类药物地塞米松(9α-Fluo-ro-16α-methylprednisolone,Dex)和抗生素类药物放线菌素D(Actinomycin D)诱导嗜热四膜虫凋亡并研究其细胞凋亡过程的生物化学特性。结果表明抗肿瘤药物及抗生素类药物均不能明显地诱导嗜热四膜虫细胞凋亡。但糖皮质激素类药物在含一定量的Ca~(2 )、Mg~(2 )离子时能诱导嗜热四膜虫发生凋亡。作者认为诱导嗜热四膜虫凋亡过程可能与糖皮质激素类药物诱导鼠胸腺细胞凋亡的机制是类似的,嗜热四膜虫与胸腺细胞的凋亡过程可能同样被Ca~(2 )、Mg~(2 )离子依赖性的核酸内切酶的活化机制所控制着。     

绿色荧光蛋白表达载体pXS75－GFP的构建及在嗜热四膜虫中的应用

为获得能够用于构建嗜热四膜虫蛋白定位的载体,该研究将GFP基因与镉（Cd2＋）诱导的四膜虫金属硫蛋白基因（MTTl）启动子序列和终止子序列融合,获得表达载体pXS75-GFP。通过同源重组和抗性筛选,pXS75-GFP载体携带的目的基因整合入四膜虫MTTl位点,在cd2＋诱导下实现GFP融合蛋白的可控表达。将α－tubulin基因ATUl克隆JN－pXS75－GFP中,重组质粒pXS75－GFP－ATUl通过基因枪转化入四膜虫细胞,在巴龙霉素筛选下获得稳定的α-tubulin－GFP过表达细胞株。激光共聚焦显微镜观察α－tubulin．GFP的定位,结果显示,α－tubulin—GFP融合蛋白在四膜虫细胞中表达并分布于皮层上,表明pXS75．GFP载体可用于嗜热四膜虫功能蛋白的定位分析。     

辽宁省高等植物多样性编目

为给辽宁植物多样性保护提供本底数据, 更准确地评价植物濒危及保护等级, 以及更好地给农学、林学、生态学、系统学等研究提供可靠的基础性数据, 本文首次将几代人在辽宁境内发现的高等植物进行汇总、编目, 包括苔藓植物和维管束植物。苔藓植物根据正式发表的文献和中国科学院沈阳应用生态研究所东北生物标本馆(IFP)馆藏采自辽宁省全域的苔藓植物标本编制。维管束植物主要根据5个方面的信息整理: 作者多年野外调查的一手资料、文献、同行交流、公众提供信息、标本等。编目内容包括辽宁省高等植物总名录、辽宁省栽培植物名录、辽宁省外来植物名录、辽宁省仅有栽培植物的科属目录、辽宁省仅有外来植物的科属目录; 编目中涉及的物种均有科属地位、中文名、拉丁名、生境、产地(县级), 总名录中附有每个物种的信息凭证, 包括标本信息、文献信息或照片依据。本编目共计收录植物254科1,176属3,241种73亚种447变种119变型。其中, 苔藓植物为辽宁地区首次披露名录信息, 计83科205属491种4亚种7变种(含藓类52科156属373种1亚种5变种, 苔类29科46属114种3亚种2变种, 角苔类2科3属4种)。维管束植物虽非首次披露名录信息, 但与以往发布的维管束植物名录相比, 本次收录的种类数最多, 计171科971属2,750种69亚种440变种119变型(含石松类植物2科3属13种, 蕨类植物17科39属83种2亚种7变种, 裸子植物5科19属47种1亚种13变种2变型, 被子植物147科910属2,607种66亚种420变种117变型)。经统计, 辽宁省所有苔藓植物均为本土野生植物。维管束植物中, 野生植物计149科741属2,077种62亚种378变种93变型(含石松类植物2科3属13种, 蕨类植物17科39属83种2亚种7变种, 裸子植物4科8属12种6变种1变型, 被子植物145科133属1,969种60亚种365变种92变型), 栽培植物计104科390属673种7亚种62变种26变型(含裸子植物5科17属35种1亚种7变种1变型, 被子植物99科373属638种6亚种55变种25变型); 本土植物计158科796属2,235种65亚种421变种116变型(含石松类植物2科3属13种, 蕨类植物17科39属83种2亚种7变种, 裸子植物5科14属29种12变种2变型, 被子植物134科740属2,110种63亚种402变种114变型), 外来植物计88科316属515种4亚种19变种3变型(含裸子植物3科10属18种1亚种1变种, 被子植物85科306属497种3亚种18变种3变型)。本编目仅是辽宁省高等植物的阶段性汇总, 尚需要根据野外工作的拓展和研究工作的深入不断完善。     

中国昆虫染色体研究现状与展望

简要叙述了中国昆虫染色体研究的现状,包括研究涉及的昆虫类群、核型分析结果、研究方法和手段、染色体有丝分裂、减数分裂、染色体形态变异、结构变异和数量变异等。我国学者对昆虫染色体研究从20世纪30年代开始,迄今已对蜉蝣目、蜚蠊目、直翅目、半翅目、同翅目、鞘翅目、鳞翅目、双翅目、蚤目和膜翅目等10目481种昆虫的核型进行了研究,主要集中在蝗虫、蝽类、蚜虫、蚕类、果蝇、摇蚊及实蝇等。在染色体行为方面的研究主要有：蚕类和果蝇等有丝分裂;蜚蠊类、蝗类、蝽类和蚕类的减数分裂及性别决定机制;部分昆虫的联会复合体分析。染色体结构变异的研究主要集中在果蝇和蚊类昆虫的唾腺染色体;果蝇的B染色体;蚕类和蚊类昆虫染色体的缺失、易位和倒位等变异;蚕蛾类的数量变异。研究结果多应用于昆虫系统分类和进化的探讨,揭示昆虫遗传与变异规律。通过与国外研究成果对比,提出昆虫染色体研究的必要性,并对我国未来昆虫染色体研究进行了展望。     

Sugars in crop plants

We review current knowledge of the most abundant sugars, sucrose, maltose, glucose and fructose, in the world's major crop plants. The sucrose‐accumulating crops, sugar beet and sugar cane, are included, but the main focus of the review is potato and the major cereal crops. The production of sucrose in photosynthesis and the inter‐relationships of sucrose, glucose, fructose and other metabolites in primary carbon metabolism are described, as well as the synthesis of starch, fructan and cell wall polysaccharides and the breakdown of starch to produce maltose. The importance of sugars as hormone‐like signalling molecules is discussed, including the role of another sugar, trehalose, and the trehalose biosynthetic pathway. The Maillard reaction, which occurs between reducing sugars and amino acids during thermal processing, is described because of its importance for colour and flavour in cooked foods. This reaction also leads to the formation of potentially harmful compounds, such as acrylamide, and is attracting increasing attention as food producers and regulators seek to reduce the levels of acrylamide in cooked food. Genetic and environmental factors affecting sugar concentrations are described.     

略论棕榈科与新分出的省藤科的系统分类、演化、区系地理及主要的经济用途

棕榈科原省藤亚科因其子房壁及外果皮被倒生、螺旋状排列的鳞片所覆盖,而区别于其他亚科,因而独立分出成一新科--省藤科。作者讨论了棕榈科的祖先种可能在石炭纪时,自原始裸子植物开以顿目在分化、衍生出苏铁目祖先种的进化干上,于白垩纪时分化出的一个分支。在棕榈科的祖先种出现不久后,在其进化的分支上,于白垩纪后期又分化出一旁支,成为棕榈科的姊妹科--省藤科的祖先种。从两祖先种分别再分化、衍生出现今分布地球上该二科的属与种。两科、尤其前者是被子植物、尤其是单子叶植物中最原始的类群之一。作者还提出棕榈科象牙椰亚科与贝叶棕亚科是该科最原始或较原始的两类群;槟榔亚科和腊材榈亚科是较进化的两类群;而水椰亚科祖先种可能源于象牙椰亚科的祖先种,但又演化为该科最进化与特化的类群。省藤科省藤亚科略比鳞果榈亚科原始。作者讨论了两科为泛热带分布的科,指出两科的"现代分布区"在南北两半球热带地区,少数种还延伸分布到两半球暖亚热带、甚至达中亚热带地区,分布区边缘最北达日本中部、中国长江流域及黄河下游的南部,美国加利佛尼亚州与佛罗里达州和地中海北部;最南达智利中部和新西兰南部;而"现代分布中心"在热带与暖亚热带的亚洲,中、南美洲,大洋洲及非洲的东、南、西部;但分布区的"密集中心"则在热带亚洲、热带中及南美洲、南太平洋群岛及非洲东南部。作者还介绍了近50年我国南方引种驯化成功的两科植物近400种(见^*图谱),其中少数为耐寒的种类,有的种已引种到长江流域或更北的地区。引种的大部分种都有其重要的经济用途,包括:1. 食用,如淀粉和树液可制"西米"或制糖,酿酒、醋或作饮料;果或种子榨油,供食用或工业用;某些种的嫩芽作蔬菜,甚至种子代咖啡饮用;2. 药用,有消炎、止血、活血、驱虫、抗癌等用;3. 建筑、工艺与日用品,包括不少种的树干供建普通房子、桥梁、小船;少数种可提制工业用蜡;许多种的纤维制高级缆绳和编织品;还制工艺品与日用品等;4. 代表热带景观的园林工程、绿化及美化环境的观赏树和人行道树及建造园林景观生态类型的树种等。     

State and management of wetlands in Bangladesh

Wetlands are a vital link between land and water in Bangladesh. A majority of the people of Bangladesh are critically dependent on wetlands. In this paper, the values of wetlands, causes and effects of wetlands degradation, as well as the present wetlands management approach, are analyzed and recommendations for wetlands management are suggested based on participatory rural appraisal (PRA), field visit, personal experience, and existing literature and information. Wetlands play a crucial role in maintaining the ecological balance of ecosystems, but wetlands habitat of Bangladesh is under constant threat due to increase of population, intensive agriculture, overfishing, siltation, pollution, ill-planned infrastructures, lack of institutional coordination, lack of awareness, etc. As a result biodiversity is reducing, many species of flora and fauna are threatened, wetlands-based ecosystem is degenerating, and the living conditions of local people are deteriorating as livelihoods, socioeconomic institutions, and cultural values are affected. Wetlands management is not addressed separately in water management activities of Bangladesh. In order to balance human needs and wetlands conservation, a mainly community-based wetlands management approach has been taken in Bangladesh, but this is not enough to prevent the degradation of wetlands. Therefore, Bangladesh now needs a comprehensive strategy combining political, economic, social, and technological approaches to stop further degradation of wetlands. Therefore, wetlands management should be incorporated into a system of integrated land and water use and, indeed, into the socioeconomic system of the country. Policies, strategies, and management plans for sustainable use and conservation of wetlands of Bangladesh must be based on solid knowledge and understanding of their ecological and socioeconomic functions and processes.     

The role of the microbiome in the neurobiology of social behaviour

Microbes colonise all multicellular life, and the gut microbiome has been shown to influence a range of host physiological and behavioural phenotypes. One of the most intriguing and least understood of these influences lies in the domain of the microbiome's interactions with host social behaviour, with new evidence revealing that the gut microbiome makes important contributions to animal sociality. However, little is known about the biological processes through which the microbiome might influence host social behaviour. Here, we synthesise evidence of the gut microbiome's interactions with various aspects of host sociality, including sociability, social cognition, social stress, and autism. We discuss evidence of microbial associations with the most likely physiological mediators of animal social interaction. These include the structure and function of regions of the ‘social' brain (the amygdala, the prefrontal cortex, and the hippocampus) and the regulation of ‘social’ signalling molecules (glucocorticoids including corticosterone and cortisol, sex hormones including testosterone, oestrogens, and progestogens, neuropeptide hormones such as oxytocin and arginine vasopressin, and monoamine neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine). We also discuss microbiome‐associated host genetic and epigenetic processes relevant to social behaviour. We then review research on microbial interactions with olfaction in insects and mammals, which contribute to social signalling and communication. Following these discussions, we examine evidence of microbial associations with emotion and social behaviour in humans, focussing on psychobiotic studies, microbe–depression correlations, early human development, autism, and issues of statistical power, replication, and causality. We analyse how the putative physiological mediators of the microbiome–sociality connection may be investigated, and discuss issues relating to the interpretation of results. We also suggest that other candidate molecules should be studied, insofar as they exert effects on social behaviour and are known to interact with the microbiome. Finally, we consider different models of the sequence of microbial effects on host physiological development, and how these may contribute to host social behaviour.     

How Romanowsky stains work and why they remain valuable — including a proposed universal Romanowsky staining mechanism and a rational troubleshooting scheme

Abstract

An introduction to the nomenclature and concept of “Romanowsky stains” is followed by a brief account of the dyes involved and especially the crucial role of azure B and of the impurity of most commercial dye lots. Technical features of standardized and traditional Romanowsky stains are outlined, e.g., number and ratio of the acidic and basic dyes used, solvent effects, staining times, and fixation effects. The peculiar advantages of Romanowsky staining are noted, namely, the polychromasia achieved in a technically simple manner with the potential for stain intensification of “the color purple.” Accounts are provided of a variety of physicochemically relevant topics, namely, acidic and basic dyeing, peculiarities of acidic and basic dye mixtures, consequences of differential staining rates of different cell and tissue components and of different dyes, the chemical significance of “the color purple,” the substrate selectivity for purple color formation and its intensification in situ due to a template effect, effects of resin embedding and prior fixation. Based on these physicochemical phenomena, mechanisms for the various Romanowsky staining applications are outlined including for blood, marrow and cytological smears; G-bands of chromosomes; microorganisms and other single-cell entities; and paraffin and resin tissue sections. The common factors involved in these specific mechanisms are pulled together to generate a “universal” generic mechanism for these stains. Certain generic problems of Romanowsky stains are discussed including the instability of solutions of acidic dye–basic dye mixtures, the inherent heterogeneity of polychrome methylene blue, and the resulting problems of standardization. Finally, a rational trouble-shooting scheme is appended.     

减氮配施有机物料对玉米-白菜轮作系统作物产量、光合特性和产品品质的影响

减氮配施有机物料是实现农作物减肥不减产甚至增产的重要措施之一。为了探究减氮配施有机物料对贵州黄壤区玉米-白菜轮作系统作物产量、光合特性和农产品品质的影响,本研究采用盆栽试验,以玉米和白菜作为供试作物,研究了不施肥(CK)、常规化肥(CF)、减氮(20%)配施生物炭(RF+B)、减氮配施菜籽饼(RF+O)、减氮配施生物炭和菜籽饼(RF+BO)处理,对玉米苗期、拔节期、抽穗期、成熟期和白菜苗期、生长期、收获期植株叶片光合特性、生物性状、产量和品质的影响。结果表明: 与CF处理相比,RF+BO处理显著增加了玉米和白菜产量,增幅分别为9.7%和39.2%,RF+O处理对玉米和白菜产量的影响不显著,RF+B处理玉米增产不明显。RF+BO处理改善了玉米和白菜的生物性状,显著提升了玉米百粒重和白菜的株高、最大叶长、总生物量;延长了玉米和白菜持绿期及高光合持续时间,其中,玉米苗期、拔节期、抽穗期和成熟期叶片SPAD值分别增加42.7%、11.0%、12.8%和30.2%,白菜苗期、生长期和收获期叶片SPAD值分别增加13.5%、9.2%和12.5%;玉米苗期、抽穗期和成熟期的净光合速率(P_n)分别增加11.1%、10.9%和119.8%,白菜生长期和收获期的P_n分别提高12.7%和14.6%;玉米抽穗期和收获期的气孔导度(g_s)分别增加58.3%和41.7%,白菜苗期、生长期和收获期的g_s分别增加10%、64.7%和19.2%;玉米苗期、拔节期、抽穗期和成熟期的蒸腾速率(T_r)分别增加55.0%、10.6%、14.0%和143.9%,白菜生长期的T_r增加26.1%。同时,玉米和白菜的营养品质明显改善,玉米籽粒还原糖、淀粉和粗蛋白含量分别提高16.2%、3.5%和20.3%,白菜Vc、氨基酸和还原糖含量分别提高26.3%、21.0%和27.8%。这说明本试验条件下,减氮20%配施生物炭和菜籽饼组合对贵州黄壤玉米-白菜轮作系统的作物生长、产量提升、持绿期和高光合持续时间的延长、农产品品质改良均有积极效应,总体上在所有处理中提升效果最佳。减氮下单一配施有机物料对作物产量、光合和品质的整体影响不明显。     

Effects of Handling or Immobilization on Plasma Levels of 3,4-Dihydroxyphenylalanine, Catecholamines, and Metabolites in Rats

In conscious animals, handling and immobilization increase plasma levels of the catecholamines norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (EPI). This study examined plasma concentrations of endogenous compounds related to catecholamine synthesis and metabolism during and after exposure to these stressors in conscious rats. Plasma levels of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA), NE, EPI, and dopamine (DA), the deaminated catechol metabolites 3,4-dihydroxyphenylglycol (DHPG), and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), and their O-methylated derivatives methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) and homovanillic acid (HVA) were measured using liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection at 1, 3, 5, 20, 60, and 120 min of immobilization. By 1 min of immobilization, plasma NE and EPI levels had already reached peak values, and plasma levels of DOPA, DHPG, DOPAC, and MHPG were increased significantly from baseline, whereas plasma DA and HVA levels were unchanged. During the remainder of the immobilization period, the increased levels of DOPA, NE, and EPI were maintained, whereas levels of the metabolites progressively increased. In animals immobilized briefly (5 min), elevated concentrations of the metabolites persisted after release from the restraint, whereas DOPA and catecholamine levels returned to baseline. Gentle handling for 1 min also significantly increased plasma levels of DOPA, NE, EPI, and the NE metabolites DHPG and MHPG, without increasing levels of DA or HVA. The results show that in conscious rats, immobilization or even gentle handling rapidly increases plasma levels of catecholamines, the catecholamine precursor DOPA, and metabolites of NE and DA, indicating rapid increases in the synthesis, release, reuptake, and metabolism of catecholamines.