Impaired pulmonary artery contractile responses in a rat model of microgravity: role of nitric oxide.

Vascular contractile hyporesponsiveness is an important mechanism underlying orthostatic intolerance after microgravity. Baroreceptor reflexes can modulate both pulmonary resistance and capacitance function and thus cardiac output. We hypothesized, therefore, that pulmonary vasoreactivity is impaired in the hindlimb-unweighted (HLU) rat model of microgravity. Pulmonary artery (PA) contractile responses to phenylephrine (PE) and U-46619 (U4) were significantly decreased in the PAs from HLU vs. control (C) animals. N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (10(-5) M) enhanced the contractile responses in the PA rings from both C and HLU animals and completely abolished the differential responses to PE and U4 in HLU vs. C animals. Vasorelaxant responses to ACh were significantly enhanced in PA rings from HLU rats compared with C. Moreover, vasorelaxant responses to sodium nitroprusside were also significantly enhanced. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and soluble guanlyl cyclase expression were significantly enhanced in PA and lung tissue from HLU rats. In marked contrast, the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase was unchanged in lung tissue. These data support the hypothesis that vascular contractile responsiveness is attenuated in PAs from HLU rats and that this hyporesponsiveness is due at least in part to increased nitric oxide synthase activity resulting from enhanced eNOS expression. These findings may have important implications for blood volume distribution and attenuated stroke volume responses to orthostatic stress after microgravity exposure.     

盐穗木功能未知蛋白 (HcUKPP)的亚细胞定位

藜科的极端盐生植物盐穗木（Halostachys caspica）的高盐胁迫抑制差减文库中有39%的功能未知蛋白（proteins with obscure features, POFs）,利用亚细胞定位分析可以初步判断其可能的功能.将盐穗木的1个POF-cDNA序列HcUKPP的编码区构建至pCAMBIA1301-GFP植物表达载体上,冻融法将重组质粒pCAMBIA1301-HcUKPP-GFP转化农杆菌EH105A,利用花序浸染法将基因导入拟南芥,经潮霉素筛选获得T1代阳性幼苗.通过激光扫描共聚焦显微镜观察转基因拟南芥植株的根部细胞. 结果显示,表达GFP蛋白的对照转基因植株中,绿色荧光在细胞核、细胞膜以及细胞质中均能检测到,而表达HcUKPP-GFP融合蛋白的转基因植株中,绿色荧光只在细胞质膜上表达,说明HcUKPP蛋白为细胞质膜相关蛋白.本研究为深入探讨盐穗木未知蛋白的功能奠定了基础.     

Carbazole and arylamine functionalized iridium complexes for efficient electro-phosphorescent light-emitting diodes

We report the synthesis and characterization of four cyclometalated iridium complexes based on carbazole and arylamine modified 2-phenylpyridine. The carbazole and arylamine groups are linked to 2-phenyl pyridine backbone to enhance the energy harvesting and transfer from host to guest materials. The electrochemical and photophysical properties of the complexes are studied and electroluminescent devices are fabricated. The results show that the complexes with ligands containing carbazole moieties have desirable phosphorescent properties. The device with complex 3 doped PVK (poly (vinylcarbazole)) as emission layer achieves maximum luminous efficiency of 6.56 cd A⁻¹ and maximum brightness of 14448 cd m⁻².     

沉默交配型信息调节因子2同源蛋白Sirt1

沉默交配型信息调节因子2同源蛋白1(silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog 1,Sirt1)是哺乳动物中与酵母沉默信息调节蛋白2(silencing information regulator 2,Sir2)高度同源的蛋白质,它是一种依赖NAD+的III类组蛋白去乙酰化酶(HDAC III),在细胞分化、衰老、凋亡、DNA损伤修复、能量及内分泌代谢调节中起重要作用,同时在基因沉默、表观遗传学修饰、转录调控及信号转导调节中发挥重要的生物学功能。本文对其近年的研究进展做一概述。     

Paleocene benthonic foraminiferal biostratigraphy,paleobiogeography and paleoecology of Atlantic—Tethyan regions: Midway-type fauna

The stratigraphic, geographic and bathymetric distribution of some Paleocene benthonic foraminiferal assemblages have been studied in the Tethyan and circum-Atlantic regions within the framework of planktonic foraminiferal zones. Although some species appear to be restricted to either the Tethyan-European area or to the western Atlantic, the majority of species are amphi-Atlantic and Tethyan in distribution. The cosmopolitan distribution is attributed to more equitable climatic conditions (lower polar—equatorial thermal gradient) and warmer, more uniform thermal structure of the oceans and different paleogeographic and paleo-oceanographic conditions.Two main distinct depth-controlled benthonic foraminiferal assemblages (exclusive of the shallow-warm water Tethyan carbonate assemblage) have been recognized in the Paleocene. The continental shelf fauna, termed here the “Midway-type fauna” (MF) is characterized by species of Cibicidoides alleni (Plummer) = propria Brotzen, howelli (Toulmin), succedens (Brotzen), Anomalinoides [acuta (Plummer), midwayensis (Plummer)], Gavelinella [danica (Brotzen), neelyi (Jennings)], and Osangularia plummerae Brotzen, as well as various lagenids (nodosariids, lenticulinids, vaginulinids), polymorphinids and textulariids. A lower continental slope and abyssal plain fauna, termed here the “Velasco-type fauna” (VF), is characterized by, amongst others, Gavalinella [beccariiformis (White), rubiginosa (Cushman), velascoensis (Cushman)], Nuttallides truempy (Nuttall), Nuttallinella florealis (Cushman), velascoensisZ (Cushman)], (Cushman), Aragonia velascoensis (Cushman), nodosariids (N. velascoensis Cushman, Dentalina limbata d'Orbigny), various agglutinated forms [Gaudryina pyramidata Cushman, Tritaxia aspera (Cushman), Dorothia ex. gr. oxycona trinitatensis (Cushman and Renz)], and various gyroidinids and buliminids. Pleuriostomellids and stilostomellids are quantitatively rare and unimportant until the Middle—Late Eocene.This paper discusses the biostratigraphy and biogeography of the “Midway-type fauna”.     

有害疣孢霉Hypomyces perniciosus遗传转化体系的建立及其突变体库的构建

有害疣孢霉Hypomyces perniciosus是引起双孢蘑菇Agaricus bisporus湿泡病的病原真菌,目前其致病分子机理尚不清楚,而高效稳定的遗传转化体系和突变体库构建是挖掘和研究病原菌致病基因的基础和有效手段。因此,本实验以高致病力的有害疣孢霉菌株WH001为研究对象,采用冻融法将双元载体pBHt1转入农杆菌AGL-1中,建立并优化根癌农杆菌介导的遗传转化体系,并利用其构建T-DNA插入突变体库。结果表明有害疣孢霉菌株WH001的潮霉素（Hygromycin,Hyg）耐受浓度为250ng/L,当农杆菌侵染液浓度OD₆₀₀=1,侵染时间为30min,乙酰丁香酮（Acetosyringone,AS）浓度为1.5mg/mL,共培养时间为3d时,转化体系效率最高。然后利用该优化体系构建有害疣孢霉的突变体库,通过PCR检测和形态学鉴定获得若干表型发生改变、稳定遗传的T-DNA插入突变体,与原菌种WH001相比,突变体在菌丝形态、生长速率、色素分泌和致病力等方面发生改变。本研究为进一步挖掘有害疣孢霉未知基因功能、解析生物学性状、探讨致病分子机制奠定基础。     

Trends in single trait dispersion between early-mid successional stages: the importance of species pool extension and habitat scale

Aims Are there trends of increasing/decreasing dispersion of single, categorical traits related to early/late-successional species between stages of community development? If yes, are these trends dependent on species pool extension and habitat scale? Is there a consistent reduction in single trait convergence or divergence in any seral stage when scaling down from ecological to local species pool?Methods Presence of all vascular species rooted within plots of 5 × 5 m was recorded in assemblages of exposed mining spoils (EMS) and heathlands (HTL), which form a chronosequence on two abandoned ore tailing heaps located close to each other in the south-eastern Carpathians (Romania). Fifteen nominal, trait attributes of plant species co-occurring in the two seral assemblages were collected from available databases and subsequently classified as either successionally 'pioneer' or 'mature'. The strength of single trait convergence or divergence was estimated by comparison with null plant assemblages at patch type (meta-community) level by reference to the ecological or local species pool, and at community level.Important findings At patch type level, all pioneer and mature trait attributes (apart from short life span), with significant variation between the two seral stages, increased and, respectively, decreased in dispersion irrespective of species pool extension. However, these trends were more conspicuous when using the ecological species pool, very likely due to relaxation in abiotic filtering and dispersal limitation. At community level, no consistent trends were observed between EMS and HTL assemblages, probably because most trait attributes were sorted by microenvironmental filters displaying high variation, like topography or habitat patch geometry. In both seral stages, there was a general weakening of trait convergence or divergence at patch type level when scaling down from the ecological to the local species pool, which was due to niche space contraction. At community level, there was a trend of rise in dispersion of pioneer attributes along the observed chronosequence, presumably imputable to increasing competition for light and underground water, but an opposite trend of dispersion drop in mature attributes was not so evident. Based on these findings, we proposed two rules of thumb concerning the expected changes in dispersion of trait attributes at patch level along successions and between levels of species pool extension. In conclusion, trends in the successional dynamics of pioneer and mature trait dispersion are clearly detectable at meta-community level, especially by reference to the ecological species pool. Habitat scale and species pool extension are key factors to consider and report when estimating the magnitude of single trait dispersion.