Phytoplankton decline in the eastern North Pacific transition zone associated with atmospheric blocking

Global climate change can significantly influence oceanic phytoplankton dynamics, and thus biogeochemical cycles and marine food webs. However, associative explanations based on the correlation between chlorophyll‐a concentration (Chl‐a) and climatic indices is inadequate to describe the mechanism of the connection between climate change, large‐scale atmospheric dynamics, and phytoplankton variability. Here, by analyzing multiple satellite observations of Chl‐a and atmospheric conditions from National Center for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research reanalysis datasets, we show that high‐latitude atmospheric blocking events over Alaska are the primary drivers of the recent decline of Chl‐a in the eastern North Pacific transition zone. These blocking events were associated with the persistence of large‐scale atmosphere pressure fields that decreased westerly winds and southward Ekman transport over the subarctic ocean gyre. Reduced southward Ekman transport leads to reductions in nutrient availability to phytoplankton in the transition zone. The findings describe a previously unidentified climatic factor that contributed to the recent decline of phytoplankton in this region and propose a mechanism of the top‐down teleconnection between the high‐latitude atmospheric circulation anomalies and the subtropical oceanic primary productivity. The results also highlight the importance of understanding teleconnection among atmosphere–ocean interactions as a means to anticipate future climate change impacts on oceanic primary production.     

Chloroplast clustering around the nucleus is a general response to pathogen perception in Nicotiana benthamiana

It is increasingly clear that chloroplasts play a central role in plant stress responses. Upon activation of immune responses, chloroplasts are the source of multiple defensive signals, including reactive oxygen species (ROS). Intriguingly, it has been described that chloroplasts establish physical contact with the nucleus, through clustering around it and extending stromules, following activation of effector-triggered immunity (ETI). However, how prevalent this phenomenon is in plant–pathogen interactions, how its induction occurs, and what the underlying biological significance is are important questions that remain unanswered. Here, we describe that the chloroplast perinuclear clustering seems to be a general plant response upon perception of an invasion threat. Indeed, activation of pattern-triggered immunity, ETI, transient expression of the Rep protein from geminiviruses, or infection with viruses or bacteria all are capable of triggering this response in Nicotiana benthamiana. Interestingly, this response seems non-cell-autonomous, and exogenous treatment with H₂O₂ is sufficient to elicit this relocalization of chloroplasts, which appears to require accumulation of ROS. Taken together, our results indicate that chloroplasts cluster around the nucleus during plant–pathogen interactions, suggesting a fundamental role of this positioning in plant defence, and identify ROS as sufficient and possibly required for the onset of this response.     

长期模拟增雨对荒漠植物形态特征及空间分布格局的影响

研究降雨变化对荒漠优势植物形态特征、空间点格局及空间关联性的影响有助于预测荒漠生态系统对全球气候变化的响应.以乌兰布和沙漠典型荒漠植物唐古特白刺和油蒿为研究对象,进行了连续10年的模拟增雨试验,运用Programita软件,采用Ripley K函数和Monte Carlo随机模拟方法,对长期模拟增雨条件下两种植物形态特征、空间格局及空间关联性进行研究.结果表明: 不同增雨处理下唐古特白刺和油蒿植株的数量、高度、平均冠幅和基径均存在显著差异,增雨处理的唐古特白刺和油蒿植株数量、高度、平均冠幅和基径均显著大于对照,并随着增雨量的增大而增大.当增雨量小于72 mm时,白刺枝条具有明显的聚集分布趋势;当增雨量大于72 mm后,随着增雨量的增大,白刺枝条表现出聚集强度明显降低的趋势.油蒿植株随着增雨量的增加空间分布格局表现为随机分布-聚集分布-随机分布.就空间关联性而言,对照处理下唐古特白刺枝条与油蒿之间表现为负关联,随着增雨量的增加两者呈现无关联或正关联,当增雨量达到144 mm时,空间关联由负关联向正关联转变.未来降雨增加条件下,土壤水分明显改善,两种荒漠植物对水分的竞争减弱,更有利于白刺和油蒿的共存生长.     

合成支架在代谢工程中的研究进展

代谢工程作为通过引入外源合成途径或改造优化代谢网络,进行高附加值的天然代谢产物生物合成的技术,已经得到广泛应用。但随着目标合成产物的结构日渐复杂,构建多基因的从头合成途径造成宿主生物代谢失衡与中间产物对宿主细胞产生毒害作用等一系列问题发生的可能性也随之增加。为解决这些问题合成支架策略应运而生,合成支架将途径酶共定位以提高局部酶和代谢物的浓度,来增强代谢通量并限制中间产物与宿主细胞环境间的相互作用,成为生物催化和合成生物学研究的热点之一。尽管由核酸、蛋白质构成的合成支架策略已经应用于多种代谢物的异源合成,并取得了不同程度的成功,但合成支架的精确组装仍然是一项艰巨的任务。文中详细介绍了合成支架技术的研究现状,详细阐述了合成支架技术的原理和实例,并初步探讨了其应用前景。     

紧密连接蛋白claudins应用于肿瘤治疗的进展

Claudins蛋白家族是组成紧密连接(Tight junctions,TJs)必不可少的骨架蛋白,在维持上皮和内皮细胞中的细胞极性、细胞间的粘附固定、细胞旁路的离子运输等发挥重要作用。近年来大量的研究结果证明,claudins在许多人类恶性肿瘤中异常表达。因此,claudins也被作为癌症治疗的潜在靶标。文中就claudin蛋白家族在肿瘤中的表达情况及其相关药物的研究进展进行阐述。     

中国产桫椤类配子体在不同基质胁迫下的形态畸变多样性研究

为了明确土壤污染对中国产桫椤科植物的生殖影响,以探讨中国桫椤类乃至其他濒危蕨类濒危的内在原因。该研究以中国产9种桫椤植物为材料,采用各植物原产地地表土壤培养孢子至配子体成熟,全程比较观察配子体畸变类型,统计畸变率;并分别取3个属的代表种笔筒树、大叶黑桫椤和中华桫椤的孢子,以MS培养基为对照,分别用5mg·kg^-1Pb^2+和1mg·kg^-1Cd^2+单因素胁迫培养配子体,比较观察各组的配子体形态畸变类型,统计畸变率。结果表明:(1)中国产桫椤类9种植物配子体培养过程中共出现17种形态畸变类型,其中4种为分化畸变,7种为假根畸变,4种为细胞畸变,2种为性器畸变。(2)不同培养基——对照组(MS培养基)、原产地土壤、Cd^2+胁迫、Pb^2+胁迫对中国产桫椤科9种植物配子体的平均畸变比例分别是2.28%、12.61%、31.58%和33.58%。(3)9种桫椤的配子体畸变类型及其畸变率均与培养基的胁迫程度呈正相关关系,其配子体发育都受到了产地土壤污染的严重伤害。(4)3种桫椤属植物配子体对土壤环境胁迫的耐受力强弱为黑桫椤属>白桫椤属>桫椤属。(5)桫椤科配子体的形态畸变多样性与胁迫条件之间具有稳定的对应关系。     

濒危连香树种群性比和雌雄株功能性状的差异

雌雄异株植物种群性比偏倚和性别间功能性状的差异可能对种群维持产生不利影响,目前的研究很少关注雌雄异株濒危植物的性别差异.本文调查了四川小寨子沟国家级自然保护区内天然连香树种群性比并比较其雌雄株之间的形态、光合能力、水分和养分利用效率差异.结果发现,连香树种群性比显著偏雌(F/M=1.97;x^2 =4.46,P=0.035),雌株的胸径、冠幅、最大光合速率、表观量子效率、最大羧化效率、比叶面积、叶氮含量及水分、氮和磷利用效率分别比雄株高44.50%、27.94%、20.11%、50%、21.14%、14.32%、14.86%、158.7%、19.74%和28.03%,而其气孔导度、胞间CO2浓度、蒸腾速率和光补偿点分别低20.83%、24.61%、56.11%和44.44%,表明该地连香树种群存在性别偏倚且性别间已呈现出性别二态性,这可能是其濒危的重要原因,建议在探讨其濒危机制中应该考虑性别的因素.