Resistance of wheat genotypes to boron toxicity is expressed at the cellular level

The effects of toxic boron (B) concentrations on the growth of wheat genotypes at organ level and cellular level were investigated using excised root culture techniques. At the organ level, wheat genotypes differed for root elongation and lateral root development in response to toxic B concentrations. Genotypes classified as resistant from field studies had longer root axes and more lateral roots than sensitive or moderately sensitive genotypes, but there was no difference in axis elongation between sensitive and moderately sensitive genotypes. At the cellular level, callus production of root explants among genotypes still different at toxic B concentrations: resistant genotypes could produce more callus than sensitive or moderately sensitive genotypes. These results suggest that differences among genotypes in resistance to toxic B concentrations may be related to cell membrane permeability to B since they were also expressed in undifferentiated callus cells. The distinct and consistent differences among genotypes in response to B toxicity both at the organ level and at the cellular level could serve as a basis for selection in a breeding program. The methods were precise and efficient.     

Crystal structure of periplasmic catecholate-siderophore binding protein VctP from Vibrio cholerae at 1.7 Å resolution

VctP, one of the two essential siderophore-binding PBPs from the pathogen Vibrio cholerae, plays an important role in the transport of enterobactin and vibriobactin, which have quite different configurations of iron coordination, from the periplasm to the inner membrane. The current study reports the crystal structure of VctP from V. cholerae N16961 at 1.7 Å resolution. A structural comparison of VctP with its homologues and the results of molecular docking indicate that enterobactin and vibriobactin share the same binding pocket. Significantly, a basic triad consisting of Arg137, Arg226 and Arg270 is used to balance the three negative charges of ferric-enterobactin, while a basic dyad consisting of Arg137 and Arg270 is used to balance the two negative charges of ferric-vibriobactin.     

Genome-wide association analysis of incident coronary heart disease (CHD) in African Americans: a short report

African Americans have the highest rate of mortality due to coronary heart disease (CHD). Although multiple loci have been identified influencing CHD risk in European-Americans using a genome-wide association (GWAS) approach, no GWAS of incident CHD has been reported for African Americans. We performed a GWAS for incident CHD events collected during 19 years of follow-up in 2,905 African Americans from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. We identified a genome-wide significant SNP (rs1859023, MAF = 31%) located at 7q21 near the PFTK1 gene (HR = 0.57, 95% CI 0.46 to 0.69, p = 1.86×10(-08)), which replicated in an independent sample of over 8,000 African American women from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) (HR = 0.81, 95% CI 0.70 to 0.93, p = 0.005). PFTK1 encodes a serine/threonine-protein kinase, PFTAIRE-1, that acts as a cyclin-dependent kinase regulating cell cycle progression and cell proliferation. This is the first finding of incident CHD locus identified by GWAS in African Americans.     

Effects of the antimicrobial peptide cecropin AD on performance and intestinal health in weaned piglets challenged with Escherichia coli

This study was conducted to determine the effects of the antimicrobial peptide cecropin on performance and intestinal health in piglets. Newly weaned barrows were randomly assigned to one of three treatments (n=8), including a corn-soybean basal diet or similar diets supplemented with antibiotics (100 mg/kg kitasamycin plus 800 mg/kg colistin sulfate) or 400 mg/kg cecropin AD. On day 13, all piglets were orally challenged with 10(9)CFU/mL of Escherichia coli K88. On day 19, all piglets were euthanized and sampled. Before challenge, piglets fed antibiotics had greater weight gain, feed efficiency, nitrogen and energy retention than the control (P<0.05). E. coli challenge decreased weight gain, feed intake and feed efficiency for the control piglets (P<0.05) but not for the antibiotic or cecropin AD treated piglets. The incidence of diarrhea post-challenge in the antibiotic and cecropin AD treatments decreased compared with the control piglets. The total viable counts of cecal E. coli were lower while the Lactobacilli counts were higher in the antibiotic and cecropin AD treatments compared with the control (P<0.05). Cecropin AD treatment decreased total aerobes while increasing total anaerobes in the ileum (P<0.05). A higher villus height to crypt depth ratio in the jejunum and ileum as well as a deeper crypt depth in the jejunum and higher villus height in the ileum were observed in piglets fed antibiotics or cecropin AD compared with control piglets (P<0.05). Piglets fed the control diet had lower levels of secretory IgA in their jejunum and lower serum IgA, IgG, interleukin-1β and interleukin-6 compared with the other treatments (P<0.05). Overall, these data suggest that cecropin AD enhances pig performance through increasing immune status and nitrogen and energy retention as well as reducing intestinal pathogens in weaned piglets.     

基于改进遥感生态指数的宁夏沿黄平原区生态环境质量评价

区域生态环境质量评价是国民经济建设与可持续性发展规划的基础，是生态学研究的主要方向之一。以土地利用/覆盖数据和Landsat OLI数据为基础，分别在ArcGIS和GEE平台上进行景观多样性指数（Landscape Diversity Index，LDI）与归一化植被指数（Normalized Difference Vegetation Index，NDVI）、湿度（Wet Index，WI）、归一化裸土和建筑指数（Normalized Difference Building-Soil Index，NDBSI）、遥感生态指数（Remote Sensing Based Ecological Index，RSEI）和改进遥感生态指数（Modified Remote Sensing Ecological Index，MRSEI）的计算。在LDI最佳尺度约束下分析表明，宁夏沿黄平原区景观多样性指数具有显著尺度依赖特征（P<0.001），阈值出现在3000 m×3000 m。主成分分析（Principal Component Analysis，PCA）解释了研究区改进遥感生态指数主要受到NDVI和LDI影响，其中NDVI是PC1（特征值贡献率68.98%）的决定因子，特征向量为0.8901；LDI为次要决定因子，特征向量为-0.4146，该分量在MRSEI计算中分值较高。LDI是PC2（特征值贡献率28.76%）的决定因子，特征向量为0.9100；NDVI为次要决定因子，特征向量为0.4056，该分量在MRSEI计算中分值较低。从MRSEI在应用中可信性来看，其在分析中采用LDI替代LST有效地避免了RSEI分析中NDBSI和LST之间存在的生态学意义重复表达和多因子向量投影中的高度聚集。研究区空间异质性主要以"差"和"较差"级别分布在不同土地利用/覆盖类型交错区且以环绕研究区为主要特点。在"差"到"好"梯度上，斑块密度为减少趋势由8.3个/km²减少到5.9个/km²，而平均斑块面积呈增加趋势由0.120 km²增加到0.169 km²。综合来看宁夏沿黄平原区生态环境质量总体MRSEI值为0.0117刚好超过"较好"水平下限。     

Natural monomeric form of fetal bovine serum acetylcholinesterase lacks the C-terminal tetramerization domain

Acetylcholinesterase isolated from fetal bovine serum (FBS AChE) was previously characterized as a globular tetrameric form. Analysis of purified preparations of FBS AChE by gel permeation chromatography revealed the presence of a stable, catalytically active, monomeric form of this enzyme. The two forms could be distinguished from each other based on their molecular weight, hydrodynamic properties, kinetic properties, thermal stability, and the type of glycans they carry. No differences between the two forms were observed for the binding of classical inhibitors such as edrophonium and propidium or inhibitors that are current or potential drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease such as (-) huperzine A and E2020; tacrine inhibited the monomeric form 2-3-fold more potently than the tetrameric form. Sequencing of peptides obtained from an in-gel tryptic digest of the monomer and tetramer by tandem mass spectrometry indicated that the tetramer consists of 583 amino acid residues corresponding to the mature form of the enzyme, whereas the monomer consists of 543-547 amino acid residues. The subunit molecular weight of the protein component of the monomer (major species) was determined to be 59 414 Da and that of the tetramer as 64 239 Da. The N-terminal of the monomer and the tetramer was Glu, suggesting that the monomer is not a result of truncation at the N-terminal. The only differences detected were at the C-terminus. The tetramer yielded the expected C-terminus, CSDL, whereas the C-terminus of the monomer yielded a mixture of peptides, of which LLSATDTLD was the most abundant. These results suggest that monomeric FBS AChE is trimmed at the C-terminus, and the results are consistent with the involvement of C-terminal amino acids in the assembly of monomers into tetramers.     

Mannosylerythritol lipid increases levels of galactoceramide in and neurite outgrowth from PC12 pheochromocytoma cells

We report here that a microbial extracellular glycolipid,mannosylerythritol lipid (MEL), induces the outgrowth ofneurites from and enhances the activity of acetylcholinesterase(AChE) in PC12 pheochromocytoma cells. Furthermore, treatment ofPC12 cells with MEL increased levels of galactosylceramide(Gal1-1Cer; GalCer). Exposure of PC12 cells to exogenous GalCer caused the dose-dependent outgrowth ofneurites. By contrast, treatment of PC12 cells with nerve growthfactor (NGF) did not increase the level of GalCer in the cells. The neurite-related morphological changes induced by GalCerdifferend from those induced by NGF, indicating differencesbetween the signal transduction pathways triggered by NGF and by GalCer.Both authors contributed equally to this work.     

病毒性脑炎病例中埃可病毒11型病毒的基因特征分析

分析埃可病毒11型(Echovirus 11,ECHO 11)福建龙岩分离株的分子生物学特征。收集龙岩市第一医院2011年1~12月临床诊断为病毒性脑炎或中枢神经系统感染的住院病例脑脊液标本进行病毒分离鉴定,从7株经血清中和鉴定的ECHO 11分离株中,选取4株测定VP1完整编码区序列,与GenBank上已发表的ECHO 11型病毒VP1区进行同源性比较及遗传进化分析。4株ECHO 11分离株VPl区序列长度为600个核苷酸,编码200个氨基酸;4株之间的核苷酸同源性为100%,氨基酸同源性为99%~100%;与1953年Gregory原型株之间的核苷酸同源性为75%~76%,氨基酸同源性为90%;与2007年荷兰株(GU393773)之间核苷酸的同源性为94%~95%,氨基酸同源性为98%~99%,同源性最高;与国内2010年山东株之间核苷酸的同源性为74%,氨基酸同源性为88%~89%。系统进化树分析显示,4株龙岩分离株同属D5型,其与D5型病毒株(GU393713)之间核苷酸的同源性为93%,氨基酸同源性为99%。国内分离株之间相对较低的相似性提示国内ECHO 11病毒可能存在不同的传播链。