Phorbol 12,13-Dibutyrate Increases Tyrosine Hydroxylase Activity in the Superior Cervical Ganglion of the Rat

Phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu) increased the production of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) in the superior cervical ganglion of the rat. This effect occurred without a detectable lag and persisted for at least 90 min of incubation. The action of PDBu was half-maximal at a concentration of approximately 0.1 microM; at high concentrations, PDBu produced about a twofold increase in DOPA accumulation. PDBu increased DOPA production in decentralized ganglia and in ganglia incubated in a Ca2+-free medium. The action of PDBu was additive with the actions of dimethylphenylpiperazinium, muscarine, and 8-Br-cyclic AMP, all of which also increase DOPA accumulation, and was not inhibited by the cholinergic antagonists hexamethonium (3 mM) and atropine (6 microM). Finally, PDBu did not increase the content of cyclic AMP in the ganglion. Thus, the action of PDBu does not appear to be mediated by the release of neurotransmitters from preganglionic nerve terminals, by the stimulation of cholinergic receptors in the ganglion, or by an increase in ganglionic cyclic AMP. PDBu also increased the incorporation of 32Pi into tyrosine hydroxylase. PDBu activates protein kinase C, which in turn may phosphorylate tyrosine hydroxylase and increase the rate of DOPA synthesis in the ganglion.     

Quantitative profiling of Arabidopsis polar glycerolipids in response to phosphorus starvation. Roles of phospholipases D zeta1 and D zeta2 in phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis and digalactosyldiacylglycerol accumulation in phosphorus-starved plants

Phosphorus is an essential macronutrient that often limits plant growth and development. Under phosphorus-limited conditions, plants undergo substantial alterations in membrane lipid composition to cope with phosphorus deficiency. To characterize the changes in lipid species and to identify enzymes involved in plant response to phosphorus starvation, 140 molecular species of polar glycerolipids were quantitatively profiled in rosettes and roots of wild-type Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and phospholipase D knockout mutants pld zeta1, pld zeta2, and pld zeta1 pld zeta2. In response to phosphorus starvation, the concentration of phospholipids was decreased and that of galactolipids was increased. Phospholipid lost in phosphorus-starved Arabidopsis rosettes was replaced by an equal amount of galactolipid. The concentration of phospholipid lost in roots was much greater than in rosettes. Disruption of both PLD zeta1 and PLD zeta2 function resulted in a smaller decrease in phosphatidylcholine and a smaller increase in digalactosyldiacylglycerol in phosphorus-starved roots. The results suggest that hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine by PLD zetas during phosphorus starvation contributes to the supply of inorganic phosphorus for cell metabolism and diacylglycerol moieties for galactolipid synthesis.     

Different effects of phospholipase Dζ2 and non‐specific phospholipase C4 on lipid remodeling and root hair growth in Arabidopsis response to phosphate deficiency

Phosphate (Pi) deficiency in soils is a major limiting factor for plant growth. In response to Pi deprivation, one prominent metabolic adaptation in plants is the decrease in membrane phospholipids that consume approximately one‐third cellular Pi. The level of two phospholipid‐hydrolyzing enzymes, phospholipase Dζ2 (PLDζ2) and non‐specific phospholipase C4 (NPC4), is highly induced in Pi‐deprived Arabidopsis. To determine the role of PLDζ2 and NPC4 in plant growth under Pi limitation, Arabidopsis plants deficient in both PLDζ2 and NPC4 (npc4pldζ2) were generated and characterized. Lipid remodeling in leaves and roots was analyzed at three different durations of Pi deficiency. NPC4 affected lipid changes mainly in roots at an early stage of Pi deprivation, whereas PLDζ2 exhibited a more overt effect on lipid remodeling in leaves at a later stage of Pi deprivation. Pi deficiency‐induced galactolipid increase and phospholipid decrease were impeded in pldζ2 and npc4pldζ2 plants. In addition, seedlings of npc4pldζ2 had the same root hair density as pldζ2 but shorter root hair length than pldζ2 in response to Pi deficiency. The loss of NPC4 decreased root hair length but had no effect on root hair density. These data suggest that PLDζ2 and NPC4 mediate the Pi deprivation‐induced lipid remodeling in a tissue‐ and time‐specific manner. PLDζ2 and NPC4 have distinctively different roles in root hair growth and development in response to Pi deprivation; PLDζ2 negatively modulates root hair density and length, whereas NPC4 promotes root hair elongation.     

西南喀斯特石漠化生态系统土壤有机碳分布特征及其影响因素

喀斯特石漠化已成为制约我国西南地区社会经济可持续发展最严重的生态地质环境问题,其恢复重建已成为我国社会经济建设中一项重要内容。土壤有机碳作为土壤质量评价的重要指标,可以综合反映土地生产力、环境健康功能,另一方面土壤有机碳也间接影响了陆地生物碳库,是陆地生态系统碳平衡的主要因子,它的转化和积累变化直接影响全球碳循环动态,已成为生态科学领域研究的热点之一。系统的总结了西南喀斯特石漠化地区不同土地覆被/土地利用、不同等级石漠化环境土壤有机碳的空间和季节分布特征。结合前人研究成果,进一步分析了影响喀斯特石漠化地区土壤有机碳分布的自然(气候、地形与土壤性质、植被等)和人为(土地覆被/土地利用变化、农业管理措施等)各因素,并提出增加喀斯特石漠化地区土壤有机碳含量的对策。研究结果为喀斯特石漠化退化生态系统恢复重建、石漠化地区土壤综合利用、增加碳截存应对全球碳循环减源增汇等提供了重要的科学参考。     

基于淫羊藿属(Epimedium L.)核型似近系数的聚类分析及其系统演化意义

为揭示淫羊藿属(Epimedium L.)植物染色体组遗传与进化,阐明该属植物系统亲缘关系和现代地理分布格局形成。该文对淫羊藿属植物51个分类群(43种、1亚种、6变种和1个栽培品种)和2种温哥华属(Vancouveria Morren et Decne.)植物的根尖进行了有丝分裂中期染色体核型分析,并运用核型似近系数聚类分析方法对这53个分类群植物的核型进行了聚类研究。结果表明:所有种类的染色体数均为12,二倍体(2n=2x=12),第1对同源染色体均为随体染色体,核型均为Stebbins的2A或1A型。可见,淫羊藿属植物染色体组在遗传进化中确实较为保守,种间核型非常相似。核型似近系数聚类分析为淫羊藿属植物系统进化研究提供了一些明显的线索。分析结果完全支持该属属下两个亚属(Subgen.Rhizophyllum和Subgen.Epimedium)的划分。亚属Epimedium的核型似近系数聚类结果显示,该类群物种间的系统亲缘关系与地理分布密切相关。核型似近系数分析结果还发现,来自东亚地区的淫羊藿属植物染色体组具有明显的变异,显示了更高的遗传多样性。基于上述研究结果,推断了淫羊藿属植物现代地理分布格局的形成过程。该研究结果可为淫羊藿属植物的资源利用、系统分类和遗传演化等领域的研究提供参考。     

Lipid changes after leaf wounding in Arabidopsis thaliana: expanded lipidomic data form the basis for lipid co‐occurrence analysis

A direct‐infusion electrospray ionization triple–quadrupole mass spectrometry method with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) was employed to measure 264 lipid analytes extracted from leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana subjected to mechanical wounding. The method provided precise measurements with an average coefficient of variation of 6.1%. Lipid classes analyzed comprised galactolipids and phospholipids (including monoacyl molecular species, molecular species with oxidized acyl chains, phosphatidic acids (PAs)), tri‐ and tetra‐galactosyldiacylglycerols (TrGDGs and TeGDGs), head‐group‐acylated galactolipids, and head‐group‐acylated phosphatidylglycerol (acPG), sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerols (SQDGs), sphingolipids, di‐ and tri‐acylglycerols (DAGs and TAGs), and sterol derivatives. Of the 264 lipid analytes, 254 changed significantly in response to wounding. In general, levels of structural lipids decreased, whereas monoacyl molecular species, galactolipids and phosphatidylglycerols (PGs) with oxidized fatty acyl chains, PAs, TrGDGs, TeGDGs, TAGs, head‐group‐acylated galactolipids, acPG, and some sterol derivatives increased, many transiently. The observed changes are consistent with activation of lipid oxidizing, hydrolyzing, glycosylating, and acylating activities in the wounding response. Correlation analysis of the levels of lipid analytes across individual control and treated plants was used to construct a lipid dendrogram and to define clusters and sub‐clusters of lipid analytes, each composed of a group of lipids which occurred in a coordinated manner. Current knowledge of metabolism supports the notion that observed sub‐clusters comprise lipids generated by a common enzyme and/or metabolically downstream of a common enzyme. This work demonstrates that co‐occurrence analysis, based on correlation of lipid levels among plants, is a powerful approach to defining lipids generated in vivo by a common enzymatic pathway.     

中国南方喀斯特石漠化演替过程中土壤理化性质的响应

以中国西南典型喀斯特石漠化生态系统土壤为研究对象,运用野外定点取样和实验室分析检测方法,研究不同等级石漠化环境土壤理化性质特征;运用空间代替时间方法,探讨石漠化演替过程中土壤理化性质的响应及其机制,旨在为中国西南喀斯特森林生态保护和石漠化生态系统恢复重建提供理论支撑。结果表明:1)不同等级石漠化环境土壤理化性质存在显著差异,土壤容重、毛管孔隙度、总孔隙度、田间含水量、毛管含水量、pH值、有机质、水解氮、有效磷和全钾均在不同等级石漠化环境间具有显著差异。但这些指标并不是随着石漠化程度增加而一直退化,而是一个先退化后改善的趋势;2)土壤有机质、氮素、毛管持水量、容重和孔隙度与土壤其它绝大多数理化因子具有明显的相关性,是土壤理化性质的关键因子,在改善土壤理化性质和促进养分循环方面起着关键作用;3)主成分分析也表明,土壤有机质、氮素、钾素、容重、持水状况、孔隙度等是基于土壤理化性质评价石漠化程度的关键指标。作者提出了强度石漠化环境裸岩对土壤养分的聚集效应学说和喀斯特石漠化演替过程中土壤理化性质的响应及其机制。研究结果对中国西南喀斯特森林生态保护和石漠化生态系统恢复重建具有重要的理论意义和实践指导价值。     

植物细胞培养生产黄酮类化合物研究进展

黄酮类化合物是中药的一种主要有效成分,本文综述了利用植物细胞培养方法合成黄酮类化合物的研究状况和各种环境条件对植物细胞生长和黄酮类化合物合成的影响。