Essential role of the PSI–LHCII supercomplex in photosystem acclimation to light and/or heat conditions by state transitions

Light and temperature affect state transitions through changes in the plastoquinone (PQ) redox state in photosynthetic organisms. We demonstrated that light and/or heat treatment induced preferential photosystem (PS) I excitation by binding light-harvesting complex II (LHCII) proteins. The photosystem of wheat was in state 1 after dark overnight treatment, wherein PQ was oxidized and most of LHCII was not bound to PSI. At the onset of the light treatment [25 °C in the light (100 µmol photons m^?2 s^?1)], two major LHCIIs, Lhcb1 and Lhcb2 were phosphorylated, and the PSI–LHCII supercomplex formed within 5 min, which coincided with an increase in the PQ oxidation rate. Heat treatment at 40 °C of light-adapted wheat led to further LHCII protein phosphorylation of, resultant cyclic electron flow promotion, which was accompanied by ultrafast excitation of PSI and structural changes of thylakoid membranes, thereby protecting PSII from heat damage. These results suggest that LHCIIs are required for the functionality of wheat plant PSI, as it keeps PQ oxidized by regulating photochemical electron flow, thereby helping acclimation to environmental changes.     

Toxicity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus sphaericus</Emphasis> LP1-G Against Susceptible and Resistant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Culex quinquefasciatus</Emphasis> and the Cloning of the Mosquitocidal Toxin Gene

Bacillus sphaericus LP1-G, belonging to flagellar serotype H3, has been found to have moderate toxicity against two resistant Culex quinquefasciatus colonies (RLCq1 and RLCq2) and the susceptible contrast (SLCq). With an aim of screening mosquitocidal acting factor, a partial genome library was prepared from a partial HindIII digest of the total DNA from Bacillus sphaericus LP1-G. Two thousand twenty Escherichia coli clones were screened for toxicity against susceptible SLCq, and a toxic clone, designated E-UL68, was chosen for further study. The recombinant E-UL68 performed toxicity against both susceptible and two resistant colonies, having the same level of toxicity as that of wide-type strain LP1-G. Sequence analysis revealed that the inserted fragment was composed of 3876 nucleotides and contained a complete gene, whose sequence was identical to that of the mtx gene from B. sphaericus SSII-1. Because the binary toxin produced during sporulation of strain LP1-G has no activity against the target mosquitoes, this indicates that the Mtx toxin or other active factors might perhaps be responsible for the toxicity of LP1-G against different colonies of mosquito larvae.Received: 7 October 2002 / Accepted: 4 November 2002     

Design of a CRISPR-Cas system to increase resistance of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus subtilis</Emphasis> to bacteriophage SPP1

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) together with CRISPR-associated (cas) genes form an adaptive prokaryotic immune system which provides acquired resistance against viruses and plasmids. Bacillus subtilis presently is the best-characterized laboratory model for Gram-positive bacteria and also widely used for industrial production of enzymes, vitamins and antibiotics. In this study, we show that type II-A CRISPR-Cas system from Streptococcus thermophilus can be transferred into B. subtilis and provides heterologous protection against phage infection. We engineered a heterologous host by cloning S. thermophilus Cas9 and a spacer targeting bacteriophage SPP1 into the chromosome of B. subtilis, which does not harbor its own CRISPR-Cas systems. We found that the heterologous CRISPR-Cas system is functionally active in B. subtilis and provides resistance against bacteriophage SPP1 infection. The high efficiency of the acquired immunity against phage could be useful in generation of biotechnologically important B. subtilis strains with engineered chromosomes.     

Elicitation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Streptomyces coelicolor</Emphasis> with dead cells of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus subtilis</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Staphylococcus aureus</Emphasis> in a bioreactor increases production of undecylprodigiosin

Since microorganisms normally co-exist with other species in nature, they have developed complex metabolic and physiological responses as a result of such interspecies interactions. We utilized some of these interactions by introducing heat-killed cells of Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus to Streptomyces coelicolor cultures and, as a result, stimulated undecylprodigiosin production. Undecylprodigiosin is not only an antibiotic; it has also been attributed with antitumor activities, but, in a defined medium, pure cultures of S. coelicolor produced only low concentrations. Elicitation with B. subtilis increased the maximum undecylprodigiosin concentration by threefold and S. aureus by fivefold compared with the pure culture of S. coelicolor. Growth and glucose consumption of elicited S. coelicolor, however, remained similar to those observed in the pure culture. Furthermore, another positive outcome of the elicitation with both B. subtilis and S. aureus was the earlier onset of undecylprodigiosin production by 24 h compared with the pure culture of S. coelicolor. This is the first time that such a phenomenon has been seen in 2L bioreactors. Our work supports the use of biotic elicitation in order to enhance the production of secondary metabolites for industrial-scale applications.     

Heterologous expression of a <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ammopiptanthus mongolicus</Emphasis> late embryogenesis abundant protein gene (<Emphasis Type="Italic">AmLEA</Emphasis>) enhances <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> viability under cold and heat stress

A late embryogenesis abundant protein gene, AmLEA from Ammopiptanthus mongolicus, was introduced into Escherichia coli using the IMPACT™-TWIN system to analyze the possible function of AmLEA under heat and cold stresses. A fusion protein about 38 kD was expressed in E.coli cells harboring pTWIN-LEA after the induction of IPTG by SDS–PAGE analysis and the accumulation of the fusion protein peaked 3 h after IPTG addition when cultured at 37°C. Compared with control cells, the E. coli cells expressing AmLEA fusion protein showed improved chilling and heat resistence, illuminating the protein may play a protective role in cells under stress conditions. These results suggested the natively unstructured protein, similar to other members of LEA proteins, has high capacity for binding water and potential protective function against dehydration or action similar to the cold shock chaperones.     

Concepts and analysis of mass extinction with the late Ordovician event as an example

Twelve groups of fossils, including graptolites, brachiopods, nautiloids, trilobites, corals, crinoids, bryozoans, conodonts, ostracods, gastropods, chitinozoans, and acritarchs expired in different but substantial magnitude and global extent during the late Caradoc to latest Ashgill. It indicates a multiple‐episodic mass extinction containing the possible Prologue (late Caradoc), Climax episode (Rawtheyan) and Epilogue (late Hirnantian). The main causes of this mass extinction are recognized as a global sea‐level lowering in the climax and remarkable rapid rise at the final, and global cooling. The Chinese data, especially from the South China Paleoplate, are evaluated first. They are significant for explaining this global bioevent.     

人工林赤腹松鼠危害程度与生境因子的关系研究

2009年3～6月,采用样方法对四川省洪雅县人工林赤腹松鼠危害相关的生境因子进行了调查。共设置了240个样方。样方调查中记录了2个反应危害等级的变量(危害株数和乔木总数)和11个生境变量(森林类型、海拔、坡向、坡度、坡位、距最近道路距离、距最近水源距离、乔木均高、乔木平均胸围、灌木盖度和草本盖度)。通过广义线性模型研究这些因子与人工林赤腹松鼠危害程度的关系。结果显示,赤腹松鼠危害程度与森林类型、坡度、坡向、乔木平均胸围呈显著性相关,与其他因子无显著相关性,在柳杉-杉木林中的危害高于纯柳杉林,在阴坡的危害低于其他坡向,危害程度随坡度和乔木平均胸围的增加而增加。     

Distinguishing Family from Friends

Kinship and friendship are key human relationships. Increasingly, data suggest that people are not less altruistic toward friends than close kin. Some accounts suggest that psychologically we do not distinguish between them; countering this is evidence that kinship provides a unique explanatory factor. Using the Implicit Association Test, we examined how people implicitly think about close friends versus close kin in three contexts. In Experiment 1, we examined generic attitudinal dispositions toward friends and family. In Experiment 2, attitude similarity as a marker of family and friends was examined, and in Experiments 3 and 4, strength of in-group membership for family and friends was examined. Findings show that differences exist in implicit cognitive associations toward family and friends. There is some evidence that people hold more positive general dispositions toward friends, associate attitude similarity more with friends, consider family as more representative of the in-group than friends, but see friends as more in-group than distant kin.     

Regulation of Glycogen Content in Astrocytes via Cav-1/PTEN/AKT/GSK-3β Pathway by Three Anti-bipolar Drugs

Here we present the data indicating that chronic treatment with three antibipolar drugs, lithium, carbamazepine and valproic acid regulates Cav-1/PTEN/PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β signalling pathway and glycogen content in primary cultured astrocytes. All three drugs down-regulate gene expression of Caveoline 1 (Cav-1), decrease membrane content of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), increase activity of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase (PI3K) and serine-threonine kinase (AKT), and elevate glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β) phosphorylation thus suppressing its activity. As expected, treatment with any of these three drugs increases glycogen content in astrocytes. Our findings indicate that regulation of glycogen content via Cav-1/PTEN/AKT/GSK-3β pathway by the three anti-bipoar drugs may be responsible for therapeutic effects of these drugs, and Cav-1 is an important signal element that may contribute to pathogenesis of various CNS diseases and regulation of its gene expression may be one of the underlying mechanisms of drug action for antibipolar drugs and antidepressants currently in clinical use.     

Metabonomics study of the acute graft rejection in rat renal transplantation using reversed-phase liquid chromatography and hydrophilic interaction chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry

Acute graft rejection is one of the most common and serious post complications in renal transplantation, noninvasive diagnosis of acute graft rejection is essential for reducing risk of surgery and timely treatment. In this study, a non-targeted metabonomics approach based on ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MS) is used to investigate the effect of acute graft rejection in rat renal transplantation on metabolism. To collect more metabolite information both hydrophilic interaction chromatography and reversed-phase liquid chromatography were used. Using the partial least squares-discriminant analysis, we found that the change of metabonome in a sham-operated group and a non-graft rejection group had a similar trend, while that of the acute graft rejection group was clearly different. Several discriminating metabolites of the acute graft rejection were identified, including creatinine, phosphatidyl-cholines, lyso-phosphatidylcholines, carnitine C16:0, free fatty acids and indoxyl sulfate etc. These discriminating metabolites suggested that acute graft rejection in renal transplantation can lead to the accumulation of creatinine in the body, and also the abnormal metabolism of phospholipids. These findings are useful to understand the mechanisms of the rejection, it also means that a UPLC-MS metabonomic approach is a suitable tool to investigate the metabolic abnormality in the acute graft rejection in renal transplantation.