Thoughts of a travelling ecologist 8. On the brink

<正>My young student,Alessandro Lo Cacciato confessed shock when witnessing the death of a sick roe deer at the knife of a passing-by hunter by a Danish roadside."Why such cruelty?" -he asked.-"I understand that this animal is destined to die but can it not be done by causing less pain? "Israeli friend and colleague,Yael Lubin,with     

Degeneration of foundation cushion species induced by ecological constraints can cause massive changes in alpine plant communities

Foundational cushion plants can re-organize community structures and sustain a prominent proportion of alpine biodiversity, but they are sensitive to climate change. The loss of cushion species can have broad consequences for associated biota. The potential plant community changes with the population dynamics of cushion plants remain, however, unclear. Using eight plant communities along a climatic and community successional gradient, we assessed cushion population dynamics, the underlying ecolo...     

Chemical composition and vasodilatation induced by Cuphea carthagenensis preparations

The aerial parts of Cuphea carthagenensis (Jacq.) J.F. Macbride (Lythraceae) are traditionally employed in Brazil to treat cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to compare preparations of C. carthagenensis aerial parts (aqueous and ethanol extracts, together with derived fractions) with regard to their total phenolic contents and in vitro vasodilating activity. The main flavonoids found in the extracts were isolated and identified as quercetin derivatives. The extracts and fractions showed similar HPLC profiles with the presence of quercetin-5-O-β-glucopyranoside, quercetin-3-O-α-arabinofuranoside and quercetin-3-sulfate in all of them, but marked differences in the contents of flavonoids, proanthocyanidins, tannis and total phenolics. Excepting the aqueous extract, all assayed preparations elicited vasodilatation on pre-contracted rat aortic rings in the range of pIC(50) 4.53±0.03 to 4.98±0.06. Polynomial regression analysis demonstrated the relationship between vasodilating activity and the contents of flavonoids (r(2)=0.5190), proanthocyanidins (r(2)=0.8016), tannins (r(2)=0.8041) and total phenolics (r(2)=0.6226), suggesting the participation of these compounds in the pharmacological effect and their potential use as chemical markers for the species.     

枯草芽孢杆菌J-15抗大丽轮枝菌次生代谢产物对棉田土壤真菌多样性的影响

【背景】目前利用拮抗菌进行作物病害防治的研究较多,但拮抗菌次生代谢产物如何影响棉花根际土壤微生物群落相关的研究较少。【目的】探讨枯草芽孢杆菌J-15抗大丽轮枝菌次生代谢产物对棉田土壤真菌多样性的影响,为利用枯草芽孢杆菌J-15及其次生代谢产物防治棉花黄萎病的土壤微生物生态安全进行评估。【方法】以新疆北部玛纳斯地区棉田为土壤采样点,随机选取10个点进行采样后混合,经枯草芽孢杆菌J-15抗大丽轮枝菌次生代谢产物处理一定时间后,提取土样总DNA,利用Illumina HiSeq高通量技术,对样品中真菌ITS1-ITS2区进行高通量测序,分析J-15抗大丽轮枝菌次生代谢产物处理对土样真菌多样性的影响。【结果】在97%相似度水平下,处理10、30d后,样品中真菌的OTU数量、Chao1和ACE丰度指数均分别高于相同时间放置的未处理的对照组,而Simpson指数低于其对照组。从群落组成分析来看,与对照组相比,受J-15次生代谢产物处理的土壤样品,子囊菌门(Ascomycota)的盘菌属(Tricharina)和被孢霉门(Mortierellomycota)的被孢霉属(Mortierella)等优势真菌相对丰度提高,而丰度高于1%的2类病原真菌轮枝孢属(Verticillium)、镰孢霉属(Fusarmm)的丰度显著降低。【结论】J-15抗大丽轮枝菌次生代谢产物对棉田土壤真菌群落及丰度有显著影响,但不改变影响农业生产的土壤真菌群落的结构。     

土壤假单胞菌593使用Pcs途径合成磷酯酰胆碱

【目的】原核生物有两条代谢途径N-甲基化途径(Pmt途径)和磷脂酰胆碱合酶途径(Pcs途径)合成磷脂酰胆碱(PC)。本文对土壤细菌Pseudomonas sp.593的磷脂酰胆碱合成进行了研究,试图弄清楚假单胞菌的磷脂酰胆碱的合成途径。【方法】通过氨基酸序列比较,获得已报道的磷脂酰胆碱合酶(Pcs)的氨基酸保守序列,并设计简并引物,从Pseudomonas sp.593总DNA中PCR扩增出磷脂酰胆碱合酶基因(pcs)的片段,然后用扩增的DNA片段作探针,对Pseudomonas sp.593基因组DNA亚克隆文库进行菌落原位杂交,获得pcs全基因序列;利用同源重组原理进行活体突变,获得Pseudomonas sp.593 pcs-突变体;采用薄层层析(TLC)法分析细菌总磷脂,检测PC含量以及pcs基因活性。【结果】TLC分析显示Pseudomonas sp.593细菌仅在添加外源胆碱的M9或LB培养基中生长时才合成PC;从Pseudomonas sp.593细菌中克隆出894 bp的DNA序列,编码的蛋白具有磷脂酰胆碱合酶活性;活体缺失pcs基因后,Pseudomonas sp.593 pcs-突变体在添加或不添加胆碱的条件下都不能合成PC。【结论】Pcs途径是土壤Pseudomonas sp.593乃至其它假单胞菌合成磷脂酰胆碱的唯一途径。     

鸡胚成纤维细胞cDNA表达文库的构建

鸡胚成纤维细胞(CEF)是研究鸡传染性法氏囊病病毒(IBDV)的主要细胞材料,而构建CEF的cDNA表达文库是筛选IBDV在CEF中的细胞受体,研究细胞嗜性的基础平台。采用Gateway技术构建CEF的表达文库,避免使用限制性内切酶切割cDNA,能够解决常规方法构建cDNA文库的技术缺陷。该技术将CEF的mRNA分离纯化后,以5′端生物素标记的Oligo(dT)primer为引物反转录后连接Adapter,层析柱纯化,通过BP重组反应构建cDNA入门文库,其平均滴度为1.1×106cfu/mL,文库总容量为1.2×107cfu,平均插入片段为2243bp,重组率为100%。通过LR重组反应将入门文库转换为表达文库,经测定平均滴度为5×105cfu/mL,文库总容量为5.5×106cfu,平均插入片段为2411bp,重组率为100%。结果表明,所构建的文库具有较高的重组率和较大的库容量,可作为较高质量的文库来研究IBDV的相关基因,为研究病毒受体和病毒入侵途径,进一步了解IBDV的致病机理奠定了基础。     

传染性法氏囊病病毒非结构蛋白VP5的原核表达及多克隆抗体的制备

利用PCR技术,从传染性法氏囊病病毒（IBDV）Gx,Gt毒株中分别扩增出VP5基因,将其克隆到表达载体pET30a、pET28a中。经PCR、酶切和序列分析鉴定获得重组质粒命名为pET28a-GtVP5、pET30a-GxVP5。将pET30a-GxVP5、pET28a-GtVP5分别转化宿主菌BL21(DE3),在IPTG诱导下均成功表达约24 kDa的Gx-VP5及23kDa的Gt-VP5融合蛋白,并都以包涵体形式存在。将Gx-VP5纯化后的蛋白免疫8周龄BALB/c雌鼠,ELISA分析表明制备的抗血清效价在1:25600以上,Western blot分析VP5表达产物能与抗6×His mAb及抗IBDV多克隆抗血清发生反应,具有良好的免疫反应特异性。     

小牛血清对鸡传染性法氏囊病病毒增殖的抑制机制

本试验研究了小牛血清(CS)对法氏囊炎病毒(IBDV)蚀斑形成的抑制机制。CS与鸡胚细胞(CEF)作用后,CS中的抑制因子能被细胞吸收。这说明血清中的抑制因子可附着在CEF上。细胞预先用CS处理,则吸附病毒的能力明显降低。还发现,若把CS加入琼脂培养液中,则能抑制IBDV的蚀斑形成。这说明CS能抑制病毒对其周围细胞的感染。CS对IBDV蚀斑形成的抑制机制,不是由于抑制因子直接中和了病毒,而是因为抑制因子附着在细胞表面,占据了细胞的病毒受体,从而阻止了病毒附着于细咆,以致抑制了病毒蚀斑的形成。     

Identification of a DNA methylome signature of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and potential epigenetic biomarkers

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is believed to arise from esophageal mucosa through accumulation of both genetic and epigenetic changes. DNA methylation is a critical epigenetic mechanism involved in key cellular processes and its deregulation has been linked to many human cancers, including ESCC. The aim of this study is to examine the global deregulation of methylation states in ESCC and identify potential early biomarkers. With this purpose, we performed a bead array analysis of more than 800 cancer-related genes in ten ESCC samples, ten matched surrounding tissues and four esophageal mucosa from healthy individuals. Pyrosequencing was used for validation of DNA methylation changes in up to 106 cases and 27 controls. A total of 37 CpG sites were found to be differentially methylated between tumors and surrounding tissues. These CpG sites were significantly enriched in genes related to several pathways including IL-10 anti-inflammatory signaling pathway and cell communication pathway. In addition, by comparing with healthy esophageal mucosa, we identified TFF1 gene as a potential early marker of ESCC. This is the first study to address methylation changes in ESCC in a large set of genes. Methylome analysis is shown as a sensitive and powerful tool to identify molecular players in ESCC. These data should prove to be the reference for future studies identifying potential biomarkers and molecular targets in ESCC.