A broadly conserved fungal alcohol oxidase (AOX) facilitates fungal invasion of plants

Alcohol oxidases (AOXs) are ecologically important enzymes that facilitate a number of plant–fungal interactions. Within Ascomycota they are primarily associated with methylotrophy, as a peroxisomal AOX catalysing the conversion of methanol to formaldehyde in methylotrophic yeast. In this study we demonstrate that AOX orthologues are phylogenetically conserved proteins that are common in the genomes of nonmethylotrophic, plant‐associating fungi. Additionally, AOX orthologues are highly expressed during infection in a range of diverse pathosystems. To study the role of AOX in plant colonization, AOX knockout mutants were generated in the broad host range pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Disease assays in soybean showed that these mutants had a significant virulence defect as evidenced by markedly reduced stem lesions and mortality rates. Chemical genomics suggested that SsAOX may function as an aromatic AOX, and growth assays demonstrated that ΔSsAOX is incapable of properly utilizing plant extract as a nutrient source. Profiling of known aromatic alcohols pointed towards the monolignol coniferyl alcohol (CA) as a possible substrate for SsAOX. As CA and other monolignols are ubiquitous among land plants, the presence of highly conserved AOX orthologues throughout Ascomycota implies that this is a broadly conserved protein used by ascomycete fungi during plant colonization.     

Vegetation: A source of air fungal bio-contaminant

Airborne fungal counts and types were examined in three selected regions in Egypt. Two of the sampling sites are rural areas, one cultivated with chamomile and the second with vegetable. The third site is located in an urban area. A sedimentation method was used to isolate airborne fungal spores. Airborne fungal spore counts averaged 71\pm 19, 64\pm 14 and 175\pm 79 cfu/p/h in the urban, vegetable and chamomile growing areas, respectively. A total of 1486 fungal colonies belonging to 32 genera were identified. Alternaria (7.5–59.9%), Aspergillus (11.2–38.9%), Penicillium (9.5–15%) and Cladosporium (7.78–17.5%) were the predominant fungal genera found in all sampling sites. Alternaria (42–59.9%) and Aspergillus (38.9%) were the common fungal genera in the cultivated and urban areas, respectively. Vegetation is considered the main source of Alternaria, whereas Aspergillus, Penicillium and Cladosporium are related to local microenvironments and urbanization. Acremonium, Aureobasidium, Botrytis, Beauveria, Chlamydomyces, Chalara, Curvularia, Fusarium, Geotrichum, Trichothecium, Oidiodendron, Scopulariopsis, Spicaria, Stachybotrys chartarum, Torula and Thamnidium, were only detected in low percentages (0.11–1.8%) in the cultivated areas. Vegetation adds different fungal types into the air and their numbers vary according to vegetation type and weather conditions. Airborne fungal counts increased with temperature and decreased with rainfall and relative humidity. Airborne fungal spores have many implications in the spread of human and plant diseases. The presence of fungal spores in air, in spite of their counts, may raise arguments about their role in health complaints in a particular region, „i.e., the fungal concentration may be low but the predominant aeroallergen may be dangerous”.     

根际真菌对黄瓜土传病害的抑制作用

为了了解根际真菌对黄瓜土传病害的影响,通过平板对峙试验和温室人工接种盆栽试验,对分离自根际土的16株真菌开展了对土传病原真菌的拮抗作用和黄瓜土传病害的抑制作用研究.结果表明: 有4株真菌对一种或多种供试病原真菌表现有拮抗作用,其中经鉴定为土曲霉的菌株JCL143对黄瓜枯萎病菌、立枯病菌和菌核病菌3种供试病原真菌均有较强的拮抗作用.在温室盆栽试验中,接种菌株JCL143对黄瓜3种病害的相对防效均在74%以上;而在不灭菌育苗基质的盆栽试验中,接种菌株JCL143对立枯病和菌核病的防效均在85%以上.在用自然土进行的温室盆栽试验中,接种菌株JCL143对伸蔓期黄瓜枯萎病的相对防效平均达84.1%.菌株JCL143的发酵液对3种供试病原真菌菌落生长都有不同程度的抑制作用,对菌核病菌的菌落生长抑菌率达63.3%.发酵液的抑菌活性随处理温度的升高而下降,对碱性pH值比酸性pH值敏感,而对蛋白酶处理不敏感.说明土曲霉是土壤中抑制植物土传病害的重要因素,菌株JCL143的抑病效果稳定,具有潜在的生防应用价值.     

A computer program for the calculation of sedimentation coefficients and molecular weights of nucleic acids

A procedure is described for the purification of nuclei and identification of chromatin proteins in transformed epithelial cell lines from mammalian bladder and salivary gland. Nuclear purification was performed by homogenization, in hypotonic buffer containing polyamines to stabilize the nuclear structure, followed by 0.1–0.2% Triton X-100 washing and centrifugation through 2.2 m sucrose. Chromatin was liberated from nuclei by freeze-thawing in hypotonic buffer and the chromatin proteins were extracted with 7 m urea/3 m NaCl. The chromatin proteins were identified using NEPHGE two-dimensional electrophoresis and fluorographic autoradiography. This procedure enabled detection of histones and a range of basic nonhistone chromatin proteins, following cell culture in the presence of low levels of l-(4,5-³H)leucine.     

A prestaining method for the quantitative assay of proteins on polyacrylamide gels

Dyes have been synthesised¹, which make it possible to prestain proteins prior to electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gels. After discussing the criteria which have to be fulfilled by the dyes, their method of application is described. The method has been tested on a number of selected acidic and basic proteins and also on peptide obtained by the digestion of bovine serum albumin with cyanogen bromide. Excellent reproducibility, stoichiometry and a sensitivity of 0.2 μg with some proteins has been obtained.     

菌根真菌的生理生态功能

菌根真菌是土壤中重要生物成员之一,不仅具有丰富的遗传多样性和物种多样性,其功能也是丰富多样,主要体现在：1）影响陆生植物起源、进化、演化与分布;2）促进植物的生长发育;3）提高植物的抗逆性;4）修复污染与退化土壤、改善土壤质量与健康状况;5）促进农林牧业的生产;6）保持生态平衡、稳定生态系统及其可持续生产力.随着技术发展和研究的深入,菌根真菌新功能将会不断被发现.     

A day of systems and synthetic biology for non‐experts

From understanding ageing to the creation of artificial membrane‐bounded ‘organisms’, systems biology and synthetic biology are seen as the latest revolutions in the life sciences. They certainly represent a major change of gear, but paradigm shifts? This is open to debate, to say the least. For scientists they open up exciting ways of studying living systems, of formulating the ‘laws of life’, and the relationship between the origin of life, evolution and artificial biological systems. However, the ethical and societal considerations are probably indistinguishable from those of human genetics and genetically modified organisms. There are some tangible developments just around the corner for society, and as ever, our ability to understand the consequences of, and manage, our own progress lags far behind our technological abilities. Furthermore our educational systems are doing a bad job of preparing the next generation of scientists and non‐scientists.     

濒危植物毛柄小勾儿茶种子休眠与萌发生理的初步研究

毛柄小勾儿茶（Berchemiella wilsonii （Schneid．）Nakai var．pubipetiolata H．Qian）为中国特有种,国家三级保护植物。TTC染色法测得毛柄小勾儿茶种子的生活力较低,仅为32％,空粒和无生活力的种子分别为28％和40％,说明毛柄小勾儿茶发育完全的种子较少。种子吸水速度试验证明毛柄小勾儿茶种皮透水性较差,不利于种子萌发时对水分的吸收,发芽抑制物的生物鉴定结果表明,毛柄小勾儿茶种子的不同部位都存在发芽抑制物,且种胚中的含量最高,不利于种子的萌发,使毛柄小勾儿茶种子处于休眠状态之中。几种不同浓度GA。溶液浸种24h的预处理可以不同程度地提高毛柄小勾儿茶种子的发芽率和发芽指数,其中300mg／L GA3的效果最显著,并且300mg／L GA3的预处理可以在萌发初期（萌发前3天）显著地提高毛柄小勾儿茶种子中过氧化物酶、过氧化氢酶和脱氢酶的活性。毛柄小勾儿茶种子生活力低,且处于休眠状态,再加上与种子发芽力有关的几种酶的活性较低,致使毛柄小勾儿茶种子的发芽率较低,同时这些也是从种子萌发生理方面导致毛柄小勾儿茶濒危的重要原因。     

Scanning molecular sieve chromatography of interacting protein systems. II. Determination of large zone transport parameters by the difference profile method at low solute concentration

The experimental determination of difference profiles for the study of large zone transport processes by scanning molecular sieve chromatography is described. Using the difference profile method, the progesterone-induced purple glycoprotein of the porcine uterus was found to exist as monomeric units in high ionic environment, with a partition coefficient of 0.269, partition cross-section of 0.488, partition radius of 25 A and a molecular weight of 33500 g mole . The technique was further applied in examining the association-dissociation properties of oxyhemoglobin. In a high tonic environment, the partition coefficient was found to be 0.365 for dimer and the partition cross-section, 0.419; for the tetramer in low ionic strength solution, the partition coefficient was 0.275 and the partition cross-section 0.377, with a dissociation constant of 1.03 x 10(-6) mole/1. This new technique should prove applicable in (1) readily locating the centroid positions of transport boundary profiles at the lowest practicable protein concentration limits, (2) demonstrating the characteristic boundary shape and concentration-dependent centroid position for an interacting solute, (3) determining the axial dispersion coefficient characteristic of solute turbulence within the gel matrix, and (4) distinguishing the boundary between low and high ionic strength solvent phases in the gel column.     

Immunoregulation in experimental schistosomiasis: III. Role of macrophages in soluble egg antigen-induced chronic spleen cell augmentation of baseline lymphocyte reactivity

Spleen cells from mice infected for 20 weeks with Schistosoma mansoni, exposed in vitro to soluble schistosomal egg antigens (SEA), treated with mitomycin C (Mc), and cocultured with syngeneic responder spleen cells increased the baseline proliferation of the otherwise unstimulated responder cells in cocultures. The role of macrophages in this “spontaneous” thymidine incorporation was studied directly by removal of macrophages on Sephadex G-10 columns. Removal of esterase-positive, Sephadex G-10-adherent cells (macrophages) greatly reduced the amount of SEA-induced, chronically infected spleen cell-mediated stimulation observed in cocultures. It also reduced an elevated background of spontaneous DNA synthesis seen with control cultures of spleen cells from infected animals. Depletion of T lymphocytes from chronic spleen cell populations by treatment with anti-Thy 1.2 serum and complement prior to exposure to SEA partially abrogated the augmentation effect. Comparison of these results with mitogen (concanavalin A)induced spleen cell-mediated stimulation (which is elevated, rather than reduced, by macrophage removal) and with known alterations in splenic T- and B-lymphocyte ratios in chronic murine Schistosomiasis suggests that antigen-stimulated, chronically infected splenic macrophage-de-pendent baseline augmentation may depend on specific T-lymphocyte-derived lymphokine induction. These results may reflect a general mechanism whereby animals harboring a persistent, chronic infection can respond quickly to a second or challenge infection or a flareup of the primary infection.     

钛合金表面沉积AlTiN涂层的生物摩擦磨损特性研究

采用高度离子化脉冲工艺(H.I.P)在医用钛合金Ti6Al4V表面制备AlTiN涂层;在摩擦磨损试验机上测试了涂层在37℃的模拟人体生理血清液润滑条件下的摩擦磨损性能,并与之和未经涂层的Ti6Al4V合金作比较.结果表明,相同条件下,经沉积AlTiN涂层的试样磨损量仅为基材的1.2%,摩擦系数仅0.007,表现出良好的抗磨损特性;并用SEM、EDS、XRD等,对涂层的生物摩擦磨损性能进行了分析.     

我国中药材植物保护研究70年——基于文献计量分析

建国70年来,我国在中药材植物保护研究领域取得了长足进展.笔者利用中国知网(CNKI)数据库,以国家中药材产业技术体系确定的28个“十三五”重点中药材品种为基础,检索了1949—2019年中药材植物保护研究的有关文献;并对检索文献进行分析,总结建国70年来中药材植物保护研究的发展历程和研究进展;同时对中药材植物保护研究存在的问题进行梳理并提出相应的解决思路.以期为中药材植物保护事业未来发展提供参考.     

Studies on the chemical reactivity of copper bleomycin

The copper(II) complex of the clinically used antitumor agent bleomycin (Blm) has cytotoxic as well as antitumor properties. To understand the relationship of the bleomycin ligand, copper bleomycin, and other possible metal complexes of this agent, kinetic studies of the formation of Cu(II)Blm, ligand substitution reactions of CuBlm with ethylenediaminetetraaletic acid, and the redox reaction of CuBlm with thiols have been completed and interpreted along with previous studies of the thermodynamic stability of Cu2+ with bleomycin. Cu(II)Bm is found to be kinetically and thermodynamically stable in ligand substitution processes and is only slowly reduced and dissociated by sulfhydryl reagents. The rate constant of reduction of the complex by 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) at pH 7.4 and 25 degrees C is 9.5 X 10(-3) M-1 sec-1, explaining the inhibition of Fe2+-dependent strand scission of DNA by Cu2+ in the presence of 2-ME. CuBlm forms in preference to Fe(II)Blm and cannot be reduced and dissociated rapidly enough by thiols to liberate Blm and form the reactive iron complex. In agreement with the observed chemical stability of CuBlm, it is also shown that the complex is stable in human plasma and in the presence of Ehrlich cells suspended in ascites fluid. Interestingly, little CuBlm enters these cells to carry out cytotoxic reactions. Finally, it is shown that both Cu2+ and Zn2+, at equivalent concentrations to Fe2+, effectively inhibit the strand scission of DNA by Fe(II)Blm plus oxygen. However, at substoichiometric amounts of Cu2+, the ferroxidase activity of Blm enables the drug to remain effective in the strand-scission reaction, despite the lowered Cu-free Blm/Fe2+ ratio. These results are discussed in light of the proposed mechanism of action of bleomycin.     

The main sceneries of Chagas disease transmission. The vectors,blood and oral transmissions - A comprehensive review

This review deals with transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi by the most important domestic vectors, blood transfusion and oral intake. Among the vectors, Triatoma infestans, Panstrongylus megistus, Rhodnius prolixus, Triatoma dimidiata, Triatoma brasiliensis, Triatoma pseudomaculata, Triatoma sordida, Triatoma maculata, Panstrongylus geniculatus, Rhodnius ecuadoriensis and Rhodnius pallescens can be highlighted. Transmission of Chagas infection, which has been brought under control in some countries in South and Central America, remains a great challenge, particularly considering that many endemic countries do not have control over blood donors. Even more concerning is the case of non-endemic countries that receive thousands of migrants from endemic areas that carry Chagas disease, such as the United States of America, in North America, Spain, in Europe, Japan, in Asia, and Australia, in Oceania. In the Brazilian Amazon Region, since Shaw et al. (1969) described the first acute cases of the disease caused by oral transmission, hundreds of acute cases of the disease due to oral transmission have been described in that region, which is today considered to be endemic for oral transmission. Several other outbreaks of acute Chagas disease by oral transmission have been described in different states of Brazil and in other South American countries.