退耕还湿后土壤细菌群落结构和生物量变化过程

土壤细菌对湿地生态系统功能和健康维持起着重要作用。以菜子湖原始湿地、不同退耕年限湿地(3a、7a、11a和21a)和仍耕作油菜地土壤为研究对象,应用聚合酶链式反应-变性梯度凝胶电泳(PCR-DGGE)、高通量测序和磷脂脂肪酸(PLFAs)方法分析土壤细菌群落组成和生物量,探讨它们在退耕还湿后的变化过程及其影响因素。结果表明,退耕还湿后土壤变形菌门(α-变形菌纲、β-变形菌纲和δ-变形菌纲)、酸杆菌门(酸杆菌纲和全噬菌纲)、Nitrospinae(Nitrospinia纲)和硝化螺旋菌门(硝化螺旋菌纲)相对丰度先增高后降低;这些参与氮循环的土壤细菌对退耕后湿地生态恢复过程中土壤氮素提升起着重要作用。与农业生产活动密切关联的厚壁菌门(芽孢杆菌纲和梭菌纲)和放线菌门(放线菌纲)相对丰度逐渐降低。湿地土壤细菌多样性在退耕初期(3—7a)上升达到最大,退耕中后期逐渐降低。表层土壤各类群细菌生物量逐渐升高,亚表层土壤各类群细菌生物量则先降后升再降。水分条件和容重是与研究区土壤细菌群落结构和多样性密切相关的土壤因子,而全氮是与土壤细菌生物量密切相关的土壤因子。研究从生态过程视角解析了土壤细菌群落较详...     

基于高通量测序技术的不同年代公园绿地土壤细菌多样性

【背景】细菌多样性对绿地土壤生态功能有重要作用,但不同年代公园绿地土壤的细菌多样性尚未见相关报道。【目的】研究北京市不同年代公园绿地土壤细菌多样性和群落结构特征。【方法】利用IlluminaMiSeq测序技术,分别对北京市代表性古典公园和现代公园绿地土壤细菌群落多样性进行分析。【结果】北京市公园绿地土壤细菌群落共划分为45个已知的菌门,其中变形菌门、酸杆菌门、绿弯菌门和放线菌门为优势细菌群。土壤细菌群落α多样性分析结果表明,古典公园和现代公园的土壤细菌多样性存在差异,表现为古典公园的丰富度和多样性都高于现代公园。此外,土壤细菌群落相似性分析和主坐标分析都表明古典公园和现代公园的土壤细菌群落结构存在显著差异。冗余分析表明,对土壤微生物群落结构产生显著影响的环境因子分别为土壤含水量、有机质和全氮,其它土壤环境因子无统计学意义。首次引入公园年代作为影响因子进行冗余分析的研究结果表明,公园年代为影响公园细菌群落多样性的重要因子。【结论】不同年代公园绿地土壤细菌群落结构和物种多样性具有显著差异,随着公园年代的增加,土壤肥力和微生物多样性增加,绿地生态系统更稳定,可通过制定不同的绿地管理措施改变公园绿地土壤环境,进而优化土壤细菌群落结构,促进土壤碳氮养分循环,提高土壤肥力。     

Effects of fine root decomposition on bacterial community structure of four dominated tree species in Mount Taishan,China

为了理解细菌群落结构和多样性对森林生态系统细根凋落物分解的影响, 该研究以泰山4种主要优势造林树种刺槐(Robinia pseudoacacia)、麻栎(Quercus acutissima)、油松(Pinus tabulaeformis)和赤松(Pinus densiflora)为研究对象, 采用凋落物分解袋法及Illumina Miseq测序平台对细菌16S rDNA V4-V5区扩增产物进行双端测序, 分析了4种树种细根分解对细菌群落结构及多样性的影响。结果表明: (1) 4种植物细根分解速率差异显著, 阔叶树种分解速率显著高于针叶树种, 表现为刺槐>麻栎>油松>赤松。(2) 4个树种细菌序列操作分类单元(OTU)、观测到的物种数、Ace指数和系统发育多样性之间差异显著, 且阔叶树种刺槐和麻栎显著低于针叶树种赤松和油松。4种细根分解的细菌群落结构存在极显著差异。细根初始碳(C)含量、木质素:氮(N)和C:N对细菌群落结构的影响较大。(3)细菌群落相对丰度在5%以上的优势类群是变形菌门、放线菌门、拟杆菌门、酸杆菌门, 且变形菌门、酸杆菌门在4个树种之间差异显著, 特别是阔叶树种变形菌门显著高于针叶树种。在纲水平上, α-变形菌纲、β-变形菌纲、γ-变形菌纲、不明放线菌纲、鞘脂杆菌纲为主要的优势纲, 其中α-变形菌纲、不明放线菌纲在4个树种之间差异显著。(4) Pearson相关性分析表明, 细菌优势门和纲相对丰度受到凋落物初始化学性质的影响, 特别是变形菌门和α-变形菌纲; 变形菌门和α-变形菌纲相对丰度与细根分解速率显著正相关。冗余分析结果也显示, 细根初始N、磷(P)含量和木质素含量对细菌群落结构的影响较大。研究结果有助于理解细菌群落结构和多样性对森林生态系统细根凋落物分解的影响。     

十字花科作物根肿病对根际土壤微生物群落的影响

为探究根肿病对十字花科作物根际土壤微生物多样性的影响,以罹病大白菜和健康株根际土壤为研究对象,采用高通量测序技术对2组样本的细菌16S rDNA和真菌ITS基因进行序列测定,分析了样本间的微生物群落结构和组成差异,同时测定根际土壤理化性质,探讨根肿病、土壤微生物群落、土壤环境因子三者的相关性。研究表明:1)患病植株根际土壤pH和总磷、总钾、碱解氮、速效钾含量显著低于正常植株根际土,而交换性钙含量明显增加。2)根肿病的发生降低了根际土壤中细菌种群的丰富度和多样性程度,但对根际土壤中的真菌α-多样性无明显影响。3)变形菌门、拟杆菌门、放线菌门等是所测土壤样本的主要优势细菌种群,其中患病植株根际土壤中拟杆菌门丰度显著高于健康植株根际土壤,放线菌门丰度则显著降低(P<0.05)。优势细菌纲为γ-变形菌纲、拟杆菌纲、α-变形菌纲、放线菌纲、酸杆菌纲等,2组土壤样本间多种优势细菌纲相对丰度差异显著。4)根际土壤优势真菌类群为子囊菌门、被孢霉门、担子菌门和壶菌门,其相对丰度在患病和健康株根际土壤样本中均有明显差异。主要真菌纲为散囊菌纲、被孢霉纲、锤舌菌纲等,并且土壤样本间的多种优势真菌纲相对丰...     

泰山4种优势造林树种细根分解对细菌群落结构的影响

为了理解细菌群落结构和多样性对森林生态系统细根凋落物分解的影响, 该研究以泰山4种主要优势造林树种刺槐(Robinia pseudoacacia)、麻栎(Quercus acutissima)、油松(Pinus tabulaeformis)和赤松(Pinus densiflora)为研究对象, 采用凋落物分解袋法及Illumina Miseq测序平台对细菌16S rDNA V4-V5区扩增产物进行双端测序, 分析了4种树种细根分解对细菌群落结构及多样性的影响。结果表明: (1) 4种植物细根分解速率差异显著, 阔叶树种分解速率显著高于针叶树种, 表现为刺槐>麻栎>油松>赤松。(2) 4个树种细菌序列操作分类单元(OTU)、观测到的物种数、Ace指数和系统发育多样性之间差异显著, 且阔叶树种刺槐和麻栎显著低于针叶树种赤松和油松。4种细根分解的细菌群落结构存在极显著差异。细根初始碳(C)含量、木质素:氮(N)和C:N对细菌群落结构的影响较大。(3)细菌群落相对丰度在5%以上的优势类群是变形菌门、放线菌门、拟杆菌门、酸杆菌门, 且变形菌门、酸杆菌门在4个树种之间差异显著, 特别是阔叶树种变形菌门显著高于针叶树种。在纲水平上, α-变形菌纲、β-变形菌纲、γ-变形菌纲、不明放线菌纲、鞘脂杆菌纲为主要的优势纲, 其中α-变形菌纲、不明放线菌纲在4个树种之间差异显著。(4) Pearson相关性分析表明, 细菌优势门和纲相对丰度受到凋落物初始化学性质的影响, 特别是变形菌门和α-变形菌纲; 变形菌门和α-变形菌纲相对丰度与细根分解速率显著正相关。冗余分析结果也显示, 细根初始N、磷(P)含量和木质素含量对细菌群落结构的影响较大。研究结果有助于理解细菌群落结构和多样性对森林生态系统细根凋落物分解的影响。     

基于高通量测序的黄河三角洲4种人工林土壤细菌结构及多样性研究

为研究黄河三角洲不同人工林土壤细菌群落特征,应用高通量测序技术,比较分析了刺槐、榆树、白蜡、臭椿4种人工林土壤细菌结构及多样性,并结合土壤理化性质进行相关性分析。结果表明:人工林土壤中共有31门细菌;4种人工林土壤中酸杆菌门、变形菌门、放线菌门细菌以及刺槐、臭椿人工林土壤中硝化螺旋菌门细菌是土壤中的优势群落。不同人工林土壤中酸杆菌门、变形菌门、硝化螺旋菌门、芽单胞菌门、拟杆菌门、广古菌门、泉古菌门、蓝藻菌门细菌丰度差异显著。刺槐人工林土壤细菌多样性最高;白蜡人工林土壤细菌多样性最低。土壤pH、含水量、有机质含量与酸杆菌门细菌丰度呈显著负相关关系,土壤pH与变形菌门、硝化螺旋菌门、芽单胞菌门细菌丰度呈极显著正相关关系;土壤pH、有效磷含量与人工林细菌多样性呈显著正相关关系。以上研究结果表明,黄河三角洲不同人工林土壤细菌群落存在一定差异,土壤pH、含水量、有机质、有效磷含量是影响土壤细菌结构和多样性的主要土壤因素。     

模拟增温对青海湖鸟岛土壤微生物的影响

【背景】土壤微生物对其生存的微环境变化极为敏感,鸟岛作为湖滨湿地,对气候变化具有敏感性,但目前关于青海湖鸟岛的土壤微生物鲜有研究。【目的】探究气候变暖后青海湖鸟岛土壤微生物群落特征的变化。【方法】利用开顶箱模拟增温,通过高通量测序方法了解温度升高后土壤细菌及真菌的群落结构以及多样性的变化情况。【结果】温度的升高并未改变青海湖鸟岛土壤微生物的优势菌群,细菌优势菌群为变形菌门和酸杆菌门;真菌优势菌门为子囊菌门,优势菌纲为座囊菌纲。但增温改变了土壤微生物的群落结构,显著升高了拟杆菌门、蓝细菌门、Patescibacteria及球囊菌纲的相对丰度,显著降低了锤舌菌纲的相对丰度。土壤微生物群落的多样性指数也发生了变化,温度上升后微生物的ACE指数及Chao1指数均降低,细菌的Simpson指数及真菌的Shannon指数降低。【结论】青海湖鸟岛土壤微生物对温度升高的响应明显,增温改变了土壤细菌拟杆菌门、蓝细菌门、Patescibacteria的相对丰度及真菌的球囊菌纲、锤舌菌纲的相对丰度,降低了土壤微生物的多样性。     

甘肃小陇山油松与柴胡栽培土壤细菌群落特征

土壤细菌能够有效促进土壤中物质循环和能量流动,其群落组成、数量及多样性能够反映土壤质量状况。研究不同植被对土壤细菌群落结构和多样性的影响,有助于深入了解土壤健康状况,对实现植被管理和土地可持续利用具有重要意义。以甘肃小陇山移栽至耕地(耕地前期种植柴胡)后生长4年的人工油松苗(Pinus tabulaeformis Carr)土地和长期种植柴胡(Bupleurum chinense)土地的表层土壤(0—30 cm)为对象,采用Illumina Miseq高通量测序技术对2种人工植被下土壤细菌群落进行测定,分析了土壤细菌的Alpha多样性、群落组成和丰富度,并研究土壤化学性质对细菌群落结构的影响。结果表明:1)两种不同植被的土壤细菌群落丰度和多样性无明显差异,但油松地土壤细菌群落均匀度明显小于柴胡地土壤。2)所测土壤样品中共检测到细菌的37个门,84个纲,168个目;其中,主要的优势菌门为变形菌门(Proteobacteria),酸杆菌门(Acidobacteria),绿弯菌门(Chloroflexi),浮霉菌门(Planctomycetes),放线菌门(Actinobacteria),且油松地土壤中的变形菌门(Proteobacteria)的丰富度显著低于柴胡地土壤(P 0. 05),绿弯菌门(Chloroflexi)丰富度却显著高于柴胡地(P 0. 05);主要的优势菌纲为酸杆菌纲(Acidobacteria),β-变形菌纲(Betaproteobacteria),放线菌纲(Actinobacteria),变形菌纲(Alphaproteobacteria)和芽单胞菌纲(Gemmatimonadetes),但各优势菌纲的丰度在两个植被土壤之间差异不显著(P0.05)。3)变形菌门(Proteobacteria)丰富度与土壤的碱解氮含量呈显著负相关(P0.05),酸杆菌门(Acidobacteria)丰富度与全氮含量显著负相关(P0.01);通过RDA分析发现,碱解氮和全氮是影响细菌群落结构的最主要因子。可见,油松和柴胡植被土壤细菌群落结构及多样性差异不大,但油松地土壤细菌群落的物种分配较柴胡地集中,且优势细菌门中的变形菌门和绿弯菌门在两者之间的差异显著,同时,碱解氮和全氮含量是影响2种植被土壤细菌群落的主要因子。这些结论为了解小陇山不同植被土壤微生物群落组成及多样性提供理论,也为当地进行人工油松苗的种植、经营及土壤管理提供参考。     

东太平洋多金属结核区两个站位深海沉积物细菌多样性北大核心CSCD

【目的】为了解东太平洋中国多金属结核勘探合同区西区2个站位(WBC1305和WBC1316A)深海沉积物细菌群多样性。【方法】直接提取环境样品总基因组,通过PCR和TA克隆策略构建了2个站位6个层次16S r RNA基因文库,对2个站位沉积物表层泥样中细菌多样性和群落结构特征进行分析,并通过构建系统发育树,进行系统发育学分析。【结果】2个站位6个文库共获得有效克隆533个,其中472个克隆包括α-变形菌纲、β-变形菌纲、γ-变形菌纲、δ-变形菌纲、浮霉菌门、酸杆菌门、硝化螺旋菌门、放线菌门、绿弯菌门、厚壁菌门、拟杆菌门、迷踪菌门、芽单胞菌门、Hydrogenedentes、Chlorobi和Nitrospinae16个细菌类群,而另外61个克隆为不可分类细菌类群。【结论】结果表明γ-变形菌纲和厚壁菌门分别是WBC1305和WBC1316A站位的优势种群;WBC1316A站位细菌群落结构更加丰富和复杂。     

16S rDNA克隆文库法探索转基因香石竹对土壤细菌群落的影响

【目的】通过研究转基因香石竹对土壤细菌群落的影响,为转基因香石竹的环境安全性评价提供依据。【方法】通过构建16S rDNA克隆文库,分析种植转基因和非转基因香石竹的土壤中细菌的群落结构组成。【结果】转基因和非转基因香石竹土壤中,共有的菌群有变形菌门(Proteobacteria)、浮霉菌门(Planctomycetes)、酸杆菌门(Acidobacteria),其中α-变形菌门、β-变形菌门、浮霉菌门为优势菌群;而在放线菌门(Actinobacteria)、疣微菌门(Verrucomicrobia)及未培养菌(Uncultured bacterium clone)等菌群存在部分差异。【结论】通过16S rDNA克隆文库方法揭示了转基因香石竹的土壤中细菌多样性十分丰富,其栽培对土壤细菌群落结构影响有限。     

Degradation and conversion of somatostatin in normal and diabetic rats in vivo and in vitro

Plasma somatostatin-like immunoreactivity in the portal and jugular veins of streptozotocin diabetic rats was compared with that in normal control rats. In the diabetic group, somatostatin levels in the portal (p less than 0.05) and jugular (p less than 0.01) veins were both elevated compared with those in the control group. Moreover, the degree of elevation was greater in the jugular vein than in the portal vein. To further investigate the role of the liver in the clearance of somatostatin-28 in vivo, 2 micrograms of somatostatin-28 was administered as a bolus into the external jugular vein of intact and functionally hepatectomized rats. The mean half-time of somatostatin-28 was significantly longer in intact diabetic rats than in controls (p less than 0.05). The functional hepatectomy did not cause a significant difference in the half-time in diabetic rats but made it longer in control rats. These results suggest that the longer half-time of somatostatin-28 in diabetic rats in vivo is due to its slower hepatic clearance. The hepatic clearance of somatostatin-28 and somatostatin-14 was further studied in vitro using a recirculating liver perfusion method. The hepatic clearance of 1.2 nM of either somatostatin-28 or somatostatin-14 was significantly lower in diabetic rats than in controls (p less than 0.01). This indicates that elevated plasma somatostatin levels in diabetic rats are caused at least in part by decreased hepatic clearance of somatostatin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Production of arsine and methylarsines in soil and in culture

Arsenate, arsenite, monomethylarsonate, and dimethylarsinate were added to different soils, and evolution of gaseous arsenical products was determined over 3 weeks. Arsine was produced in all three soils from all substrates, whereas methylarsine and dimethylarsine were produced only from methylarsonate and dimethylarsinate, respectively. At least three times more arsine than dimethylarsine was produced in soil incubated with dimethylarsinate. Resting cell suspensions of Pseudomonas and Alcaligenes produced arsine as the sole product when incubated anaerobically in the presence of arsenate or arsenite. In all instances, no trimethylarsine was observed, nor could any evidence be shown for the methylation of any arsenical substrate in soil or in culture. It was concluded that reduction to arsine, not methylation to trimethylarsine, was the primary mechanism for gaseous loss of arsenicals from soil.     

Growth and mitogenic effects of arylphorin in vivo and in vitro

In insects, developmental responses are organ- and tissue-specific. In previous studies of insect midgut cells in primary tissue cultures, growth-promoting and differentiation factors were identified from the growth media, hemolymph, and fat body. Recently, it was determined that the mitogenic effect of a Manduca sexta fat body extract on midgut stem cells of Heliothis virescens was due to the presence of monomeric alpha-arylphorin. Here we report that in primary midgut cell cultures, this same arylphorin stimulates stem cell proliferation in the lepidopterans M. sexta and Spodoptera littoralis, and in the beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata. Studies using S. littoralis cells confirm that the mitogenic effect is due to free alpha-arylphorin subunits. In addition, feeding artificial diets containing arylphorin increased the growth rates of several insect species. When tested against continuous cell lines, including some with midgut and fat body origins, arylphorin had no effect; however, a cell line derived from Lymantria dispar fat body grew more rapidly in medium containing a chymotryptic digest of arylphorin.     

Antiplatelet and antithrombotic activities of purpurogallin in vitro and in vivo

Enzymatic oxidation of pyrogallol was efficiently transformed to an oxidative product, purpurogallin (PPG). Here, the anticoagulant activities of PPG were examined by monitoring activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), prothrombin time (PT), and the activities of thrombin and activated factor X (FXa). And, the effects of PPG on expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) and tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) were evaluated in tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α activated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Treatment with PPG resulted in prolonged aPTT and PT and inhibition of the activities of thrombin and FXa, as well as inhibited production of thrombin and FXa in HUVECs. In addition, PPG inhibited thrombin-catalyzed fibrin polymerization and platelet aggregation. PPG also elicited anticoagulant effects in mice. In addition, treatment with PPG resulted in significant reduction of the PAI-1 to t-PA ratio. Collectively, PPG possesses antithrombotic activities and offers a basis for development of a novel anticoagulant. [BMB Reports 2014; 47(7): 376-381]     

Growth and reproduction of Arabidopsis thaliana in relation to storage of starch and nitrate in the wild-type and in starch-deficient and nitrate-uptake-deficient mutants

We have investigated the interactions between resource assimilation and storage in rosette leaves, and their impact on the growth and reproduction of the annual species Arabidopsis thaliana. The resource balance was experimentally perturbed by changing (i) the external nutrition, by varying the nitrogen supply; (ii) the assimilation and reallocation of resources from rosette leaves to reproductive organs, by cutting or covering rosette leaves at the time of early flower bud formation, and (iii) the internal carbon and nitrogen balance of the plants, by using isogenic mutants either lacking starch formation (PGM mutant) or with reduced nitrate uptake (NU mutant). When plants were grown on high nitrogen, they had higher concentrations of carbohydrates and nitrate in their leaves during the rosette phase than during flowering. However, these storage pools did not significantly contribute to the bulk flow of resources to seeds. The pool size of stored resources in rosette leaves at the onset of seed filling was very low compared to the total amount of carbon and nitrogen needed for seed formation. Instead, the rosette leaves had an important function in the continued assimilation of resources during seed ripening, as shown by the low seed yield of plants whose leaves were covered or cut off. When a key resource became limiting, such as nitrogen in the NU mutants and in plants grown on a low nitrogen supply, stored resources in the rosette leaves (e.g. nitrogen) were remobilized, and made a larger contribution to seed biomass. A change in nutrition resulted in a complete reversal of the plant response: plants shifted from high to low nutrition exhibited a seed yield similar to that of plants grown continuously on a low nitrogen supply, and vice versa. This demonstrates that resource assimilation during the reproductive phase determines seed production. The PGM mutant had a reduced growth rate and a smaller biomass during the rosette phase as a result of changes in respiration caused by a high turnover of soluble sugars ( Caspar et al. 1986 ; W. Schulze et al. 1991 ). During flowering, however, the vegetative growth rate in the PGM mutant increased, and exceeded that of the wild-type. By the end of the flowering stage, the biomass of the PGM mutant did not differ from that of the wild-type. However, in contrast to the wild-type, the PGM mutant maintained a high vegetative growth rate during seed formation, but had a low rate of seed production. These differences in allocation in the PGM mutant result in a significantly lower seed yield in the starchless mutants. This indicates that starch formation is not only an important factor during growth in the rosette phase, but is also important for whole plant allocation during seed formation. The NU mutant resembled the wild-type grown on a low nitrogen supply, except that it unexpectedly showed symptoms of carbohydrate shortage as well as nitrogen deficiency. In all genotypes and treatments, there was a striking correlation between the concentrations of nitrate and organic nitrogen and shoot growth on the one hand, and sucrose concentration and root growth on the other. In addition, nitrate reductase activity (NRA) was correlated with the total carbohydrate concentration: low carbohydrate levels in starchless mutants led to low NRA even at high nitrate supply. Thus the concentrations of stored carbohydrates and nitrate are directly or indirectly involved in regulating allocation.     

Development and comparison of in vivo and in vitro models for endometritis in cows and mares

In order to investigate pathogenic mechanisms of acute endometritis in cows and mares, we established an in vivo model in both species. Based on the results of an in vitro transmigration system, human recombinant interleukin-8 (rhIL-8; 1.25 microg per mare and 5 microg per cow in 50 ml phosphate-buffered saline) was used to attract polymorphonuclear neutrophil granulocytes (PMNs) into the uteri. Peak numbers of uterine neutrophils were attracted after 6h, in both cows and mares. On average, mares responded more sensitively than cows, with 15 times higher numbers of rhIL-8-attracted uterine neutrophils (72+/-8 x 10(7)cells). In contrast to in vitro studies, in vivo migrated neutrophils (uterine neutrophils) of both species displayed a significantly reduced MHC class I expression. Expression of the CD11a molecule was significantly enhanced on equine uterine neutrophils but downregulated on bovine cells. Compared with untreated autologous peripheral neutrophils, both uterine and in vitro migrated neutrophils showed no alteration of phagocytic capacity. The ability to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) was significantly upregulated in bovine and equine uterine neutrophils. This was also observed after in vitro migration of equine neutrophils, whereas ROS generation by bovine neutrophils was significantly depressed. In summary, the concept of inducing endometritis directly by local application of human interleukin-8 has been reliably successful in cows and mares. The model permits the analysis of PMN migration into the uterus under defined and controlled conditions. The observed differences between cows and mares with respect to phenotypical and functional characteristics of in vivo attracted uterine cells point to species-related features of neutrophil migration. In vitro transmigrated bovine and equine cells partially differ in phenotype and function from uterine neutrophils. Therefore, the in vitro transmigration assay cannot completely represent the in vivo endometritis model described here.     

Interactions of cadmium and selenium in rat plasma in vivo and in vitro

⁷⁵Se and ¹⁰⁹Cd tracers were used to study the binding of Se and Cd to plasma proteins at various SeO₃^2? doses and times up to 24 h after the simultaneous subcutaneous administration of SeO₃^2? and CdCl₂ to adult male rats. The simultaneous injection of CdCl₂ and SeO₃^2? markedly increased both Se and Cd plasma levels over that in control animals. Gel permeation chromatography of plasma indicated that at all times up to 24 h Cd and Se were bound in an atomic ratio of approx. 1 : 1 in 330 000 and 130 000 dalton fractions. From 4 to 24 h, Cd and Se appeared in the 420 000 dalton fraction, also with an atomic ratio of approx. 1 : 1. The 330 000 dalton molecules appeared to have a maximal binding capacity for the Cd-Se complex at a concentration of approx. 30 μmol/ml of plasma, while the 130 000 and 420 000 dalton molecules show a higher binding capacity. Studies in vitro revealed that SeO₃^2? does not interact directly with Cd and plasma proteins. It is metabolized by erythrocytes to a form that interacts in an atomic ratio of 1 : 1 with Cd to form a protein-bound complex of 130 000 daltons.