Beta 3: a new member of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor gene family is expressed in brain

Screening of a rat brain cDNA library with a radiolabeled probe made from an alpha 3 cDNA (Boulter, J., Evans, K., Goldman, D., Martin, G., Treco, D., Heinemanns, S., and Patrick, J. (1986) Nature 319, 368-374) resulted in the isolation of a clone whose sequence encodes a protein, beta 3, which is homologous (40-55% amino acid sequence identity) to previously described neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits. The encoded protein has structural features found in other nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunits. Two cysteine residues that correspond to cysteins 128 and 142 of the Torpedo nAChR alpha subunit are present in beta 3. Absent from beta 3 are 2 adjacent cysteine residues that correspond to cysteines 192 and 193 of the Torpedo subunit. In situ hybridization histochemistry, performed using probes derived from beta 3 cDNAs, demonstrated that the beta 3 gene is expressed in the brain. Thus, beta 3 is the fifth member of the nAChR gene family that is expressed in the brain. The pattern of beta 3 gene expression partially overlaps with that of the neuronal nAChR subunit genes alpha 3, alpha 4, or beta 2. These results lead us to propose that the beta 3 gene encodes a neuronal nAChR subunit.     

江西老虎脑省级自然保护区鸟类资源调查

2017年11—12月、2018年7—8月、2018年11—12月,在江西老虎脑省级自然保护区开展鸟类资源调查,调查发现该保护区有鸟类17目53科240种。其中,非雀形目16目22科94种,雀形目31科146种。本区鸟类中有留鸟115种,冬候鸟57种,夏候鸟42种,旅鸟26种;古北界87种,广布种22种,东洋界131种。其中,国家重点保护鸟类31种,列入中国红色名录濒危等级(EN)物种有1种,黄胸鹀Emberiza aureola;易危等级(VU)物种有2种,白颈长尾雉Syrmaticus ellioti、白眉山鹧鸪Arborophila gingica;近危等级(NT)物种有19种。中国特有种4种,灰胸竹鸡Bambusicola thoracica、白颈长尾雉、白眉山鹧鸪、黄腹山雀Parus venustulus。多样性分析结果显示,该区鸟类群落Shannon-Wiener指数、Pielou指数分别为4.135、0.778,通过与周围包括武夷山、井冈山、齐云山、九连山4个保护区比较,显示研究区域物种种数较高。     

Book Notices

Book reviewed in this article:
THEORY AND PRACTICE OF BIOLOGICAL CONTROL. Edited by C. B. Huffaker and (the late) P. S. Messenger
THE LIFE OF BEETLES. By Glyn Evans     

Two New Species of Austrophlebioides Campbell and Suter (Ephemeroptera: Leptophlebiidae) from Australia, with Notes on the Genus

Two new species of Austrophlebioides Campbell and Suter, A. marchanti sp.nov. from Victoria, and A. booloumbi sp.nov. from southeastern Queensland, are described, necessitating a slight modification to the generic definition. A. decipiens (Harker) comb.n. is transferred to Austrophlebioides from Deleatidium.     

刈割与水位调节集成技术控制互花米草(Spartina alterniflora)

治理和控制外来物种互花米草（Spartina alterniflora）对维护崇明东滩自然保护区生物多样性具有重要的意义和必要性。研究在上海崇明东滩鸟类国家级自然保护区建立的受损滩涂湿地生态修复示范样地中开展“刈割与水位调节集成技术”治理互花米草的物理控制实验,以期寻求有效治理互花米草的控制技术。示范研究结果表明,单一的水位调节方法虽然可以降低互花米草群落的密度和叶面积指数（LAI）,但至水淹处理100d后,处理样区内互花米草的生长和生物量已与对照区无显著差异。单一的水位调节方法不能达到有效快速控制互花米草的效果。通过在互花米草生长关键期（7月的扬花期）刈割＋水位调节集成技术处理后,互花米草地上部分无再新生现象,至当年10月份（生长季末期）,样区内互花米草的地上部分和地下部分已完全死亡并开始腐烂,达到了有效控制互花米草的效果。因此,应用刈割＋水位调节集成技术治理互花米草,必须选择关键季节刈割互花米草地上部分,同时配合一定水位的持续淹水（约3个月）,才能有效发挥其迅速有效治理互花米草的效果。扬花期刈割＋水位调节集成技术可为沿海地区大范围防治互花米草扩散提供有效途径。     

黑龙江大沾河湿地自然保护区鸟类群落结构调查及其多样性分析

采用样线法与网捕法对黑龙江大沾河自然保护区的鸟类资源进行调查,并计算其物种多样性、均匀性及不同生境群落间的相似性.结果表明:大沾河自然保护区共有鸟类16目39科203种,其中雀形目鸟类16科92种,非雀形目鸟类111种,种类较多的科有鹟科、雀科、鸭科、鹬科等.保护区分布的鸟类中,古北种占绝对优势(65.52%),广布种次之(30.54%),东洋界物种极少(3.94%).4种群落类型中,多样性指数排序:湿地>林地>农田>居民点;均匀性指数排序:湿地>林地>农田>居民点;相似性排序:居民点-农田(S=0.25),湿地-林地(S=0.23),农田-湿地(S=0.14)和居民点-林地(S=0.07).     

江西省2种兰科植物分布新记录

报道江西兰科植物分布新记录2种——北插天天麻Gastrodia peichatieniana S. S. Ying和单葶草石斛Dendrobium porphyrochilum Lindley。凭证标本保存于九连山自然保护区植物标本室。     

Arg-129 plays a specific role in the confirmation of antithrombin and in the enhancement of factor Xa inhibition by the pentasaccharode sequence of heparin

Small amounts of a variant antithrombin (AT) bearing an Arg-129 to Gln mutation were purified from plasma by means of affinity chromatography on insolubilized herapin at very low ionic strength. As a control, two variant antithrombins, one bearing on Pro-41 to Leu mutation and the other an Arg-47 to His mutation, were purified in the same way. The biochemical characterization of the variants and the kinetic study of thrombin and activated factor X (F Xa) inhibition in the presence of heparin and heparin derivatives suggest that Arg-129 plays a specific role in AT conformation and F Xa inhibition enhancement. Indeed, the purified variant adopted the locked conformation described ,for AT submitted to mild denaturing conditions (Carrell, R.W., Evans, D.Li and Stein, P.E. (1991) Nature 353, 576–578) and resembling the latent form of plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) (Mottonen J., Strand, A., Symersky, J., Sweet, R.M., Danley, D.E., Geohegan, K.F., Gerard, R.D. and Goldsmith, E.J. (1992) Nature 355, 270–273). Moreover, the mutant AT was partially reactivated by heparin for thrombin inhibition, but did not respond to the specific pentasaccharide domain of heparin for F Xa inhibition.     

BOOK REVIEWS

Pimm, S. L. 1991. The Balance of Nature: Ecological Issues in the Conservation of Species and Communities.     

贵州雷公山蚋属二新种记述(双翅目:蚋科)

记述采自贵州雷公山的蚋属二新种,即细板蚋Ｓ．（Ｓ．）ｔｅｎｕａｔｕｍ ｓｐ．ｎｏｖ．,多枝蚋Ｓ．（Ｓ．）ｒａｍｕｌｏｓｕｍ,ｓｐ。ｎｏｖ。并对其分类地位进行讨论。     

The Effects of Chemical Animalizing and Vegetalizing Agents and of Cell Dissociation on the Synthesis of 5S RNA and Transfer RNA in Cleaving Sea Urchin Embryos

The effect of altering normal cell associations and interactions on the synthesis of 5S RNA and transfer RNA (tRNA) was studied in cleaving embryos of the sea urchin, Arbacia punctulata. Cell interactions were altered: (1) by culturing cleaving embryos in the animalizing agent, Evans Blue, and in the vegetalizing agent, Li⁺ as LiCl and (2) by culturing dissociated cells. Control and experimental embryos each were labeled from 3 h to 6 h post fertilization with [8-³H]-guanosine. Sixteen-cell embryos, whose GTP precursor pools had been preloaded, were dissociated, labeled and cultured under conditions which prevent reaggregation. Quantitative measurements of rates of accumulation of newly synthesized 5S RNA and tRNA showed that these rates are similar in cleaving sea urchin embryos and in corresponding embryos cultured in the presence of Evans Blue and of Li⁺. In addition, cells dissociated from cleavage embryos and maintained under conditions which prevent reaggregation retained the ability to synthesize 5S RNA and tRNA. These results suggest that normal cell associations and interactions are not necessary for the synthesis of 5S RNA and tRNA to occur in cleaving sea urchin embryos.     

Heat treatment and viability assessment by Evans blue in cultured Symbiodinium kawagutii cells

Evans blue was used to determine viability in Symbiodinium kawagutii cultures but heat treatments at up to 80°C for 1 h were required for detecting blue-stained dead cells. About 3 h at this temperature was necessary to obtain ~50% blue-stained dead cells, and more than 6 h for 100%. In comparison, Trypan blue showed unusual elevated numbers of viable cells at times when more than 50% cells were dead by Evans blue parameters. Respiration decreased to 17 and 13.2% after 1 and 2 h at 80°C, respectively, and a marginal but still statistically significant 7.5% was scored after 3 h. Thus, cultured S. kawagutii cells were more resistant to heat-induced death than expected, and Evans blue was reliable for assessment of their viability.     

4. SEA BIRDS OBSERVED ON AN EAST COAST VOYAGE

Skead, D. M. 1974. Habitats and feeding preferences of birds on the S.A. Lombard Nature Reserve, Transvaal. Ostrich 45:15-21.

The topography, climate and habitats of the S.A. Lombard Nature Reserve are described. The status of the 183 species recorded while the author was resident on the reserve, July 1964 to June 1967, was arranged into the various habitat types. It was found that 25% were residents while 65% of the residents occurred in the “Indifferent” category. Birds with a mixed diet predominated, 48,9%, while insect-eaters rated second, 35,8%.     

上海崇明东滩互花米草种子产量及其萌发对温度的响应

外来物种互花米草通过快速的无性和有性繁殖,已在崇明东滩形成了大面积的单优势种群。研究了崇明东滩互花米草入侵区种子产量及温度对其萌发的影响。结果表明,互花米草在潮间带的中潮间带种子产量最高,为44523粒/m²,高潮间带次之,为31150粒/m²,低潮间带最低,为17250粒/m²。各潮间带的种子在10 30℃范围内均能萌发,而且随着温度的升高,萌发率和萌发速度总体呈现先增大后减小的趋势。互花米草种子在25℃恒温与20/30℃变温处理下的萌发率最高和萌发速度最快,而且互花米草种子在变温环境下的萌发率高于恒温处理。研究表明,崇明东滩中潮间带互花米草的种子产量和活性最高,是提供有性扩散种源的主要区域,适合种子萌发温度的4-5月是互花米草进行有性扩散的主要季节。研究结果对了解互花米草有性繁殖扩散的时空格局和入侵生态学过程,以及有效控制和管理入侵物种互花米草提供了科学依据。     

Characterization of the regulatory thioredoxin site of phosphoribulokinase

Phosphoribulokinase is light-regulated via thioredoxin by reversible oxidation/reduction of sulfhydryl/disulfide groups. To identify the cysteinyl residues that are involved in regulation, the S-carboxymethyl labeling patterns of the fully reduced (active) and oxidized (inactive) forms of the enzyme were compared. Tryptic digests of the reduced, [14C]carboxymethylated enzyme contained four labeled peptides, all of which were purified and sequenced by Edman degradation. If the enzyme was oxidized by 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) prior to carboxymethylation and tryptic digestion, only two labeled peptides were observed, thereby revealing the identity of the regulatory cysteines as Cys-16 and Cys-55. The former was previously implicated as part of the nucleotide-binding domain of the active site (Porter, M.A., and Hartman, F.C. (1986) Biochemistry 25, 7314-7318), a conclusion reinforced by the present observation that the sequence around the Cys-16 is similar to a consensus sequence of ATP-binding sites from a number of proteins of diverse phylogenetic origin (Higgins, C.F., Hiles, I.D., Salmond, G.P.C., Gill, D.R., Downie, J.A., Evans, I.J., Holland, I.B., Gray, L., Buckel, S.D., Bell, A.W., and Hermondson, M. (1986) Nature 323, 448-450). The regulatory disulfide of phosphoribulokinase was found to be intrasubunit based on the stoichiometry of the oxidation and the failure to resolve oxidized and reduced enzyme by gel filtration under dissociation conditions.     

The calcium binding protein S100A9 is essential for pancreatic leukocyte infiltration and induces disruption of cell-cell contacts

Leukocyte infiltration is an early and critical event in the development of acute pancreatitis. However, the mechanism of leukocyte transmigration into the pancreas and the function of leukocytes in initiating acute pancreatitis are still poorly understood. Here, we studied the role of S100A9 (MRP14), a calcium binding protein specifically released by polymorph nuclear leukocytes (PMN), in the course of acute experimental pancreatitis. Acute pancreatitis was induced by repeated supramaximal caerulein injections in S100A9 deficient or S100A9 wild-type mice. We then determined S100A9 expression, trypsinogen activation peptide (TAP) levels, serum amylase and lipase activities, and tissue myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity. Cell-cell contact dissociation was analyzed in vitro with biovolume measurements of isolated acini after incubation with purified S100A8/A9 heterodimers, and in vivo as measurement of Evans Blue extravasation after intravenous application of S100A8/A9. Pancreatitis induced increased levels of S100A9 in the pancreas. However, infiltration of leukocytes and MPO activity in the lungs and pancreas during acute pancreatitis was decreased in S100A9-deficient mice and associated with significantly lower serum amylase and lipase activities as well as reduced intrapancreatic TAP-levels. Incubation of isolated pancreatic acini with purified S100A8/A9-heterodimers resulted in a rapid dissociation of acinar cell-cell contacts which was highly calcium-dependent. Consistent with these findings, in vivo application of S100A8/A9 in mice was in itself sufficient to induce pancreatic cell-cell contract dissociation as indicated by Evans Blue extravasation. These data show that the degree of intrapancreatic trypsinogen activation is influenced by the extent of leukocyte infiltration into the pancreas which, in turn, depends on the presence of S100A9 that is secreted from PMN. S100A9 directly affects leukocyte tissue invasion and mediates cell contact dissociation via its calcium binding properties.     

贵州蚋属一新种 (双翅目：蚋科)

 记述采自贵州雷公山的蚋属一新种, 显著蚋Simulium (Simulium) prominentum, 新种 。根据其蛹和幼虫的特征显著而命名, 对其幼期形态进行描述并与其近缘种作分类讨论。     

Reviews

The Nature of Parasitism. By W. P. R ogers .
Diseases of Sorghum, Sudan Grass and Broom Corn. By S. A. J. T arr .