Elevational patterns of carbon,nitrogen and phosphorus in understory bryophytes on the eastern slope of Gongga Mountain,China

Aims The nutrient uptake, requirement and releasing rates of bryophytes are very different from those of tracheophytes. However, it is difficult to make a quantitative evaluation of bryophytes’ roles in nutrient cycling and their specific eco-physiological adaptations due to lack of knowledge of their concentrations and stoichiometric ratios of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). To fill this gap, the present study aims to investigate: (i) what are the elevational trends of C, N and P concentrations and stoichiometric ratios of bryophytes? (ii) whether C, N and P concentrations and stoichiometric ratios of bryophytes differ between different bryophyte types (in terms of the growth form and living substrate)? and (iii) how do the exponent scalings of N and P of bryophytes change along the elevational gradient?     

Climate warming alters subsoil but not topsoil carbon dynamics in alpine grassland

Subsoil contains more than half of soil organic carbon (SOC) globally and is conventionally assumed to be relatively unresponsive to warming compared to the topsoil. Here, we show substantial changes in carbon allocation and dynamics of the subsoil but not topsoil in the Qinghai‐Tibetan alpine grasslands over 5 years of warming. Specifically, warming enhanced the accumulation of newly synthesized (¹⁴C‐enriched) carbon in the subsoil slow‐cycling pool (silt‐clay fraction) but promoted the decomposition of plant‐derived lignin in the fast‐cycling pool (macroaggregates). These changes mirrored an accumulation of lipids and sugars at the expense of lignin in the warmed bulk subsoil, likely associated with shortened soil freezing period and a deepening root system. As warming is accompanied by deepening roots in a wide range of ecosystems, root‐driven accrual of slow‐cycling pool may represent an important and overlooked mechanism for a potential long‐term carbon sink at depth. Moreover, given the contrasting sensitivity of SOC dynamics at varied depths, warming studies focusing only on surface soils may vastly misrepresent shifts in ecosystem carbon storage under climate change.     

Chemical synthesis and functional characterization of a new class of ceramide analogues as anti-cancer agents

Deregulation of ceramide metabolism is a hallmark of human cancer. Ceramide analogues thereby represent a new class of anti-cancer agents. We aimed at developing effective and low toxic ceramide analogues and synthesized a new class of ceramide analogues starting from l-threonine. Several analogues exhibit potent cytotoxicity against human cancer cells in vitro with IC₅₀ as low as 4.8?μM. These ceramide analogues decreased xIAP and Bcl-xL level and exhibited significant sensitization activity to overcome human cancer cell resistance to TRAIL, a cancer-selective agent that are being tested in human clinical trials. Furthermore, we determined that these ceramide analogues effectively suppress human cancer xenograft growth in vivo with no significant toxicity at the efficacious dose. Therefore, we have developed a simple and effective method to synthesize functional ceramide analogues using l-threonine as starting material and these analogues have the great potential to be further developed as anti-cancer agents in human cancer therapy.     

Characterization and comparative analysis of toxin–antitoxin systems in Acetobacter pasteurianus

Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology - Bacterial toxin–antitoxin (TA) systems play important roles in diverse cellular regulatory processes. Here, we characterize three...     

MicroRNA-21与平滑肌蛋白22α在哈萨克族食管癌组织中的表达及其临床病理学意义

目的探讨microRNA21与SM22a基因在哈萨克族食管癌发生发展中的作用及临床意义。方法免疫组织化学法检测162例石蜡包埋食管鳞状细胞癌组织及RT-PCR方法检测47例哈萨克族食管癌标本中microRNA21、SM22a表达水平,分析这些基因与临床病理特征的关系。结果SM22a在162例食管鳞癌组织中的阳性表达率(87.0%)显著高于食管正常黏膜组织(36.0%);在47例哈萨克族食管癌组织中,SM22a表达水平较远端无癌组织增高。与远端无癌组织相比,microRNA21在哈萨克族食管癌组织中表达水平增高。MicroRNA21高表达与分化程度、淋巴结转移、临床分期相关,SM22a高表达与临床分期相关、淋巴结转移相关;microRNA21与SM22a的表达呈正相关。结论MicroRNA21、SM22a协同高表达共同参与哈萨克族食管癌的侵袭发展过程。     

治疗脊髓损伤之建立星形胶质细胞模型的研究进展

脊髓损伤(spinal cord injury,SCI)是一种极为复杂的破坏性疾病,一旦脊髓损伤发生,治疗棘手,对患者家庭、国家带来巨大的经济、社会负担。近年来,通过建立大鼠脊髓损伤细胞相关模型,对于脊髓损伤的病因病机治疗等方面有了进一步的认识,而星形胶质细胞模型的建立对脊髓损伤治疗有深远意义。研究发现,星形胶质细胞作为靶细胞通过血-脑脊液屏障直接或间接对脊髓损伤有双向调控作用。本文通过对近年来星形胶质细胞模型培养制备方案等研究进行总结,以期为建立一个客观化、定量化、可模拟化的星形胶质细胞模型提供指导对脊髓损伤的治疗提供新的思路。     

Parabacteroides distasonis Alleviates Obesity and Metabolic Dysfunctions via Production of Succinate and Secondary Bile Acids

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Integrative taxonomy recognized a new cryptic species within Stipa grandis from Loess Plateau of China

Stipa shanxiensis, a cryptic species within Stipa grandis that originated from central and western China, is described based on morphological, genomic, and ecological data from field and common garden experiments. Stipa shanxiensis morphologically resembles S. grandis, although phylogenetically it is closely related to the less morphologically similar Stipa baicalensis and Stipa krylovii. Of the eight significant morphological differences between S. shanxiensis and S. grandis, the two, cauline ligules longer than 2 cm with a filiform apex, and hairs shorter than 0.2 mm on the adaxial surface of the cauline uppermost leaves can be used to distinguish the species. Results from a common garden experiment verified that the two diagnostic characteristics were relatively stable and less morphologically plastic in response to environmental variation. Furthermore, a significant ecological divergence was found between S. shanxiensis and S. grandis, such that the former preferred warmer and more humid climates, and their predicted distribution was generally separated. Taken together, our results highlight that the integrative taxonomic approach was valuable for recognizing a new cryptic species in Stipa. In particular, we find that common garden experiments involving the effects of growth stage and characteristic position helped to morphologically diagnose cryptic species. These findings may also facilitate our understandings of ecological adaption and phenotypic plasticity in response to environmental change.