怀牛膝细胞悬浮培养条件的优化

为进一步优化怀牛膝(Achyranthes bidentata)细胞悬浮培养条件,对接种量、继代周期、pH、光照及Cu2+等多种影响因子的作用效果进行了研究,以提高怀牛膝细胞生长量及牛膝多糖含量。结果显示,接种量50 g·L^–1、继代周期14天,pH5–6和光照培养可以使细胞保持良好的生长状态及多糖合成能力;添加50μmol·L^–1 Cu^2+,细胞的干重最大,可达44.63 g·L^–1,多糖含量也最高,为4.02 mg·g^–1。     

Assessment of the national schistosomiasis control program in a typical region along the Yangtze River,China

Schistosomiasis remains a major public health problem in eastern China, particularly along the Yangtze River Basin. The latest national schistosomiasis control program (NSCP) was implemented in 2005 with the main goal of reducing the rate of infection to less than 5% by 2008 and 1% by 2015. To assess the progress, we applied a Bayesian spatio-temporal model to describe dynamics of schistosomiasis in Guichi, Anhui Province, China, using annual parasitological and environmental data collected within 41 sample villages for the period 2005–2011. Predictive maps of schistosomiasis showed that the disease prevalence remains constant and low. Results of uncertainty analysis, in the form of probability contour maps (PCMs), indicated that the first goal of “infection rate less than 5% by 2008” was fully achieved in the study area. More longitudinal data for schistosomiasis are needed for the assessment of the second goal of “infection rate less than 1% by 2015”. Compared with the traditional way of mapping uncertainty (e.g., variance or mean-square error), our PCMs provide more realistic information for schistosomiasis control.     

基于参数优化的人工灌丛生态系统碳水通量模拟

荒漠草原是陆地生态系统中最为脆弱且受人类干扰较为严重的生态类型之一,精准模拟其碳水通量及对人为干扰的响应,不仅能够揭示其复杂的生态学过程,而且还可为人为生态修复和保护提供决策依据。生态模型能够有效地模拟陆地生态系统的碳水循环过程,但模型众多的参数及其取值的合理性限制了其普遍应用,故探索参数优化是提升生态模型应用的有效途径。利用PEST参数优化方法和涡度相关观测数据对Biome-BGC模型的生理生态参数进行优化,在评估参数优化效果的基础上模拟了1986-2018年宁夏盐池荒漠草原区人工灌丛生态系统的总初级生产力（Gross primary productivity,GPP）和蒸散（Evapotranspiration,ET）。结果表明：（1）参数优化可以改善Biome-BGC模型对荒漠草原区人工灌丛生态系统GPP和ET的模拟效果,参数优化后模拟的GPP和ET均更接近于观测值,其中月尺度的模拟效果更佳;（2）基于PEST的Biome-BGC模型参数优化方法具有较强的普适性,优化后的参数可推广应用于荒漠草原区人工灌丛生态系统长时间序列的GPP和ET模拟;（3）宁夏盐池荒漠草原区人工灌丛生态系统的GPP在1986-2018年呈缓慢上升趋势,增幅为1.47 g C m^-2 a^-1,但ET的年际变化率较大,且无显著变化趋势。     

Conformational restrictions in the active site of unliganded human caspase-3

Caspases are cysteine proteases that play a critical role in the initiation and regulation of apoptosis. These enzymes act in a cascade to promote cell death through proteolytic cleavage of intracellular proteins. Since activation of apoptosis is implicated in human diseases such as cancer and neurodegenerative disorders, caspases are targets for drugs designed to modulate their action. Active caspases are heterodimeric enzymes with two symmetrically arranged active sites at opposite ends of the molecule. A number of crystal structures of caspases with peptides or proteins bound at the active sites have defined the mechanism of action of these enzymes, but molecular information about the active sites before substrate engagement has been lacking. As part of a study of peptidyl inhibitors of caspase-3, we crystallized a complex where the inhibitor did not bind in the active site. Here we present the crystal structure of the unoccupied substrate-binding site of caspase-3. No large conformational differences were apparent when this site was compared with that in enzyme-inhibitor complexes. Instead, the 1.9 A structure reveals critical side chain movements in a hydrophobic pocket in the active site. Notably, the side chain of tyrosine204 is rotated by approximately 90 degrees so that the phenol group occupies the S2 subsite in the active site. Thus, binding of substrate or inhibitors is impeded unless rotation of this side chain opens the area. The positions of these side chains may have important implications for the directed design of inhibitors of caspase-3 or caspase-7.     

气候变化对东北主要地带性植被类型分布的影响

准确地划分地带性主要植被类型分布的适宜区域,可为区域植被恢复与重建、生物多样性保护等工作提供有益的理论参考。在检验1961—2013年东北地区气候变化突变点的基础上,基于东北地区主要植被类型热量指标,研究气候变化对该区域主要植被类型适宜分布区域的影响,并利用2000年和2013年土地类型覆盖数据(MCD12Q1),对推算的适宜分布区域进行验证,结果表明:大兴安岭气温突变点为1982年,其它地区为1988年,东北地区各生态地理区年降水量没有明显的突变点。气温突变点后适宜在东北地区生长的主要植被种类没有变化,但各植被类型的分布区域均有所改变,其中高山冻原、亚高山矮曲林、寒温带针叶林和温带针阔叶混交林适宜分布区域面积减小,暖温带落叶阔叶林和温带草原面积增大。气温突变点前后各植被类型适宜分布区的地理中心均发生了不同程度的移动,其中移动距离最大的是南部地区的亚高山矮曲林,向东北方向移动了135.44km。与主要植被类型实际分布相对比,证明气候变化对研究区植被类型分布可能已经产生了影响。     

Protein sequence comparison based on K-string dictionary

The current K-string-based protein sequence comparisons require large amounts of computer memory because the dimension of the protein vector representation grows exponentially with K. In this paper, we propose a novel concept, the “K-string dictionary”, to solve this high-dimensional problem. It allows us to use a much lower dimensional K-string-based frequency or probability vector to represent a protein, and thus significantly reduce the computer memory requirements for their implementation. Furthermore, based on this new concept, we use Singular Value Decomposition to analyze real protein datasets, and the improved protein vector representation allows us to obtain accurate gene trees.     

Trade‐offs in soil carbon protection mechanisms under aerobic and anaerobic conditions

Oxygen (O₂) limitation is generally understood to suppress oil carbon (C) decomposition and is a key mechanism impacting terrestrial C stocks under global change. Yet, O₂ limitation may differentially impact kinetic or thermodynamic versus physicochemical C protection mechanisms, challenging our understanding of how soil C may respond to climate‐mediated changes in O₂ dynamics. Although O₂ limitation may suppress decomposition of new litter C inputs, release of physicochemically protected C due to iron (Fe) reduction could potentially sustain soil C losses. To test this trade‐off, we incubated two disparate upland soils that experience periodic O₂ limitation—a tropical rainforest Oxisol and a temperate cropland Mollisol—with added litter under either aerobic (control) or anaerobic conditions for 1 year. Anoxia suppressed total C loss by 27% in the Oxisol and by 41% in the Mollisol relative to the control, mainly due to the decrease in litter‐C decomposition. However, anoxia sustained or even increased decomposition of native soil‐C (11.0% vs. 12.4% in the control for the Oxisol and 12.5% vs. 5.3% in the control for the Mollisol, in terms of initial soil C mass), and it stimulated losses of metal‐ or mineral‐associated C. Solid‐state ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy demonstrated that anaerobic conditions decreased protein‐derived C but increased lignin‐ and carbohydrate‐C relative to the control. Our results indicate a trade‐off between physicochemical and kinetic/thermodynamic C protection mechanisms under anaerobic conditions, whereby decreased decomposition of litter C was compensated by more extensive loss of mineral‐associated soil C in both soils. This challenges the common assumption that anoxia inherently protects soil C and illustrates the vulnerability of mineral‐associated C under anaerobic events characteristic of a warmer and wetter future climate.     

Development of EST-derived CAPS and AFLP markers linked to a gene for resistance to ryegrass blast (Pyricularia sp.) in Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.)

Ryegrass blast, also called gray leaf spot, is caused by the fungus Pyricularia sp. It is one of the most serious diseases of Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) in Japan. We analyzed segregation of resistance in an F₁ population from a cross between a resistant and a susceptible cultivar. The disease severity distribution in the F₁ population suggested that resistance was controlled by a major gene (LmPi1). Analysis of amplified fragment length polymorphisms with bulked segregant analysis identified several markers tightly linked to LmPi1. To identify other markers linked to LmPi1, we used expressed sequence tag-cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (EST-CAPS) markers mapped in a reference population of Italian ryegrass. Of the 30 EST-CAPS markers screened, one marker, p56, flanking the LmPi1 locus was found. The restriction pattern of p56 amplification showed a unique fragment corresponding to the resistant allele at the LmPi1 locus. A linkage map constructed from the reference population showed that the LmPi1 locus was located in linkage group 5 of Italian ryegrass. Genotype results obtained from resistant and susceptible cultivars indicate that the p56 marker is useful for introduction of the LmPi1 gene into susceptible germplasm in order to develop ryegrass cultivars with enhanced resistance to ryegrass blast.     

Three-dimensional hydrogel culture conditions promote the differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells into hepatocytes

Background aims

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) are becoming increasingly popular in research endeavors due to their potential for clinical application; however, such application is challenging due to limitations such as inferior function and low induction efficiency. In this study, we aimed to establish a three-dimensional (3D) culture condition to mimic the environment in which hepatogenesis occurs in vivo to enhance the differentiation of hiPSCs for large-scale culture and high throughput BAL application.