Quantitative Analysis of Intercellularly-Transported Photoassimilates in Chara corallina

Using a thin-layer chromatographic technique, we have identifiedthe photoassimilates that are transported intercellularly frombranchlets to internodes in Chara corallina. An internode-branchletcomplex having a primary apex was used in these experiments.After feeding 1 mol m³ NaH¹⁴CO₃ to a branchlet for 10 min, the¹⁴C-labelled photoassimilates (¹⁴C-photoassimilates) found inthe sol endoplasm of the branchlet were composed of sucrose,amino acids, malate, and sugarphosphates. The composition ofthe ¹⁴C-photoassimilates transported from the source branchletto the sink internode in 10 min was the same as that in thesol endoplasm of the source branchlet. From the proportion ofeach ¹⁴C-photoassimilate in both the source branchlet and thesink internode, it was deduced that the main photoassimilatesinvolved in the intercellular transport were sucrose and aminoacids. We found previously that polar transport of photoassimilatesoccurs from a branchlet to an internode with an apex. Determinationof the amount of sucrose, amino acids, glucose-6-phosphate,and malate in both branchlet and internode with or without anapex revealed that there were gradients in the concentrationsof sucrose, serine, and glutamic acid between the sol endoplasmof the two cells. The levels were higher in the branchlet andlower in the internode and the gradients decreased when theapex was detached. Therefore, it is concluded that sucrose andthese amino acids are the compounds involved in the polar intercellulartransport. Key words: Chara corallina, intercellular transport, photoassimilates, ¹⁴C     

田间小麦叶片光合效率日变化与光合“午睡”的关系

小麦灌浆初期叶片(旗叶)晴天中午光合速率下降(“午睡”)伴随了气孔导度、胞间CO_2浓度下降,而气孔限制值中午升高,进一步证实气孑L中午关闭是光合“午睡”的一个重要原因。叶片光合效率的中午下降并非都伴随着光合“午睡”现象。当两者同时发生时,胞间CO_2浓度降低,而光合速率与气孔导度、胞间CO_2浓度之间的相关性高于光合速率与光合效率之间的相关性。这些事实表明。即使光合效率中午下降是光合“午睡”的部分原因,但较之气孔中午关闭只是一个次要原因。     

中国食线虫真菌的种类

对我国24个省市,涉及40余种植物的300多个土样的调查,分离出食线虫真菌近千个分离物,共鉴定出食线虫真菌29属57种,包括捕食线虫真菌4属25种,其中Arthrobotrys arthrobotryoides, A. brochopaga, A. cladodes var. macroides, A. microspora,A. musiformis, A. straminicola, Monacrosporium ellipsosporinm, M. thaumasium, M. pravicollis,Stylopage grandis, Dactylella ramiformis, Monacrosporium qiuanum, Monacrosporium sinense等10种为国内新记录。内寄生真菌4属4个种、其中Catenaria angullulae, Harposporiumarcuatum, Nematoctonus leiosporus为国内新记录。定殖于大豆孢囊线虫真菌22属25种,其中Catenaria auxiliaris, Cylindrocarpon heteronema, C. willkommii, Fusariella bizzozeriana,Nematophthora sp., Phoma eupyrena, Phoma leveilei,Pithomyces sp,Trichocladium opacum.Verticillium chlamydosporium等10属种为国内新记录,其中Nematophthora, Fusariella,Trichocladium三属为国内新记录属,Rhizoctonia sp., Stachybotrys elegans, F.bizzozeriana,C.heteronema, C.willkommii等为首次发现定殖于大豆孢囊线虫孢囊上。对所鉴定的真菌进行了描述和讨论并制作了检索表。     

飞虱科三新种记述

在我国云南、广东两省采集的同翅目、飞虱科Delphacidae标本中,经鉴定发现分隶于三个属的三个新种,现描述如下。 新种模式标本存放在南京农业大学植保系。 1.元江扁角飞虱 Perkinsiella yuanjiangensis 新种(图1—7) 头顶黄褐色,基宽为中长的1.3倍;额褐色,其间夹杂数对淡色小圆斑,中长为中部最宽处宽的1.6倍;颊黄褐,中域具“人”字形暗褐纹,端角两边沿脊亦具暗褐条纹;触角第一节背面和腹面近端缘及第二节基部黑褐,其余部分暗褐色;前、中胸背板中部污黄,侧区在     

Diagnosis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Clostridium difficile</Emphasis> infection using an UPLC–MS based metabolomics method

Introduction

The fecal metabolome of Clostridium difficile (CD) infection is far from being understood, particularly its non-volatile organic compounds. The drawbacks of current tests used to diagnose CD infection hinder their application.

Objective

The aims of this study were to find new characteristic fecal metabolites of CD infection and develop a metabolomics model for the diagnosis of CD infection.

Methods

Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS) was used to characterize the fecal metabolome of CD positive and negative diarrhea and healthy control stool samples.

Results

Diarrhea and healthy control samples showed distinct clusters in the principal components analysis score plot, and CD positive group and CD negative group demonstrated clearer separation in a partial least squares discriminate analysis model. The relative abundance of sphingosine, chenodeoxycholic acid, phenylalanine, lysophosphatidylcholine (C16:0), and propylene glycol stearate was higher, and the relative abundance of fatty amide, glycochenodeoxycholic acid, tyrosine, linoleyl carnitine, and sphingomyelin was lower in CD positive diarrhea groups, than in the CD negative group. A linear discriminant analysis model based on capsiamide, dihydrosphingosine, and glycochenodeoxycholic acid was further constructed to identify CD infection in diarrhea. The leave-one-out cross-validation accuracy and area under receiver operating characteristic curve for the training set/external validation set were 90.00/78.57%, and 0.900/0.7917 respectively.

Conclusions

Compared with other hospital-onset diarrhea, CD diarrhea has distinct fecal metabolome characteristics. Our UPLC–MS metabolomics model might be useful tool for diagnosing CD diarrhea.

     

微生物发酵法生产环磷酸腺苷研究进展

环磷酸腺苷(3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate,cAMP)是普遍存在于生物机体内并起着十分重要作用的生理活性物质,称为第二信使。cAMP于1957年被首次发现报道,随后因为它在生命活动中的特殊地位和作用而被大量研究,外源性cAMP早在上世纪70年代就已开发成人类临床药物,在动物生产领域也有极大的潜在应用价值。目前已知临床用cAMP原料药全部由化学法合成。而微生物发酵法生产菌种则以节杆菌、枯草芽孢杆菌和酵母为代表;运用代谢调控机理和技术,用节杆菌发酵生产cAMP的产量据报道已达≥7.23 g/L,用枯草芽孢杆菌也已达到6~7g/L,而酵母作为典型的模式生物,虽然cAMP-PKA信号转导途径基础研究历史悠久,但发酵生产cAMP则近几年才有报道。目前,除了进一步改造菌株、优化发酵技术提高产量和解决分离提纯问题外,充分发挥微生物发酵法的潜力和优势、弥补化学法合成的不足,是赢得其产业化契机的关键。     

Before it disappeared: ethnobotanical study of fleagrass (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Adenosma buchneroides</Emphasis>), a traditional aromatic plant used by the Akha people

Background

Fleagrass, Adenosma buchneroides, is an aromatic perennial herb that occupies an important position in the life of the Akha people. They regard it as a tribal symbol and a gift of love. Fleagrass also has many medicinal uses, and there is considerable potential for its development as an insect repellent. Traditionally, Akha people plant it in swidden fields, but there are few swidden fields in China now. Therefore, the first question this study aims to answer is as follows: how is fleagrass planted and utilized now? At present, fleagrass is only reported to be used by Akha people in Mengla. We also try to understand the following questions: Is fleagrass used in nearby area? If so, how is fleagrass used in nearby area? Furthermore, why is fleagrass used in that way?

Methods

From August 2016 to July 2018, field surveys were conducted six times. The ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological uses of A. buchneroides in 13 Akha villages were investigated by means of semi-structured interviews. We assessed the responses of a total of 64 interviewees (32 men and 32 women; mean age, 58.6) from the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China, and from Phongsaly Province, Laos. To explain the bases for the ethnobotanical uses of fleagrass, we used Google Scholar, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure to review the bioactivities of the chemical constituents of A. buchneroides.

Results

With the vanishing of swidden agriculture and the development of modern products, fleagrass cultivation is disappearing in China. However, most Akha people in Xishuangbanna still remember and yearn for its traditional uses, and Akha people in a nearby area (northern Laos) continue to plant and utilize it. We documented ten uses of A. buchneroides within five discrete categories. The whole plant of fleagrass has a distinct strong aroma, of which Akha villagers are particularly fond. Akha villagers mostly use this aromatic property as a decoration, perfume, and insect repellent. A. buchneroides is also used as a condiment and for medicinal and ritual purposes, including its use as a cure for insect bites, headaches, influenza, and diarrhoea, and as a part of pray ritual for a bumper harvest. From our literature review, we identified many major chemical compounds contained in the essential oil of A. buchneroides, including thymol, carvacrol, 3-carene, and p-cymene, which have insecticidal or insect-repellent, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Conclusion

Fleagrass is an aromatic plant that is widely used by Aka people. Its chemical composition also has a variety of biological activities. With the vanishing of swidden agriculture and the development of modern products, fleagrass utilization in China is disappearing and its cultural importance is reduced. However, its economic and medicinal value is assignable.

     

Computational investigation of small RNAs in the establishment of root nodules and arbuscular mycorrhiza in leguminous plants

Many small RNAs have been confirmed to play important roles in the development of root nodules and arbuscular mycorrhiza. In this study, we carried out the identification of certain small RNAs in leguminous plants(Medicago truncatula, soybean, peanut and common bean), such as miRNAs, tRFs and srRNAs, as well as the computational investigation of their regulations. Thirty miRNAs were predicted to be involved in establishing root nodules and mycorrhiza, and 12 of them were novel in common bean and peanut. The generation of tRFs in M. truncatula was not associated with tRNA gene frequencies and codon usage. Six tRFs exhibited different expressions in mycorrhiza and root nodules. Moreover, srRNA~(5.8S) in M. truncatula was generated from the regions with relatively low conservation at the rRNA 3′ terminal. The protein-protein interactions between the proteins encoded by the target genes of miRNAs, tRFs and srRNAs were computed. The regulation of these three types of sRNAs in the symbiosis between leguminous plants and microorganisms is not a single regulation of certain signaling or metabolic pathways but a global regulation for the plants to own growth or specific events in symbiosis.