Expression of NLRP3 Inflammasomes in Neurogenic Niche Contributes to the Effect of Spatial Learning in Physiological Conditions but Not in Alzheimer’s Type Neurodegeneration

A common feature of neurodegenerative disorders, in particular Alzheimer's disease (AD), is a chronic neuroinflammation associated with aberrant neuroplasticity. Development of neuroinflammation affects efficacy of stem and progenitor cells proliferation, differentiation, migration, and integration of newborn cells into neural circuitry. However, precise mechanisms of neurogenesis alterations in neuroinflammation are not clear yet. It is well established that expression of NLRP3 inflammasomes in glial cells marks neuroinflammatory events, but less is known about contribution of NLRP3 to deregulation of neurogenesis within neurogenic niches and whether neural stem cells (NSCs), neural progenitor cells (NPCs) or immature neuroblasts may express inflammasomes in (patho)physiological conditions. Thus, we studied alterations of neurogenesis in rats with the AD model (intra-hippocampal injection of Aβ1-42). We found that in Aβ-affected brain, number of CD133+ cells was elevated after spatial training in the Morris water maze. The number of PSA-NCAM+ neuroblasts diminished by Aβ injection was completely restored by subsequent spatial learning. Spatial training leads to elevated expression of NLRP3 inflammasomes in the SGZ (subgranular zones): CD133+ and PSA-NCAM+ cells started to express NLRP3 in sham-operated, but not AD rats. Taken together, our data suggest that expression of NLRP3 inflammasomes in CD133+ and PSA-NCAM+ cells may contribute to stimulation of adult neurogenesis in physiological conditions, whereas Alzheimer’s type neurodegeneration abolishes stimuli-induced overexpression of NLRP3 within the SGZ neurogenic niche.

     

Bioconversion of Phenolic Monomers of Lignin and Lignin-Containing Substrates by the Basidiomycete <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lentinus tigrinus</Emphasis>

The bioconversion of phenolic monomers of lignin (veratrol, vanillin, and vanillyl alcohol), hydrolyzed lignin, and sodium lignosulfonate (a product of the chemical modification of native lignin) by the basidiomycete Lentinus tigrinus was studied. It was found that the growth of the fungi on lignin monomer compounds is suppressed. A noticeable growth of the fungal biomass was observed only on the technical substrate sodium lignosulfonate. A comprehensive physicochemical study of the products of microbial transformation of sodium lignosulfonate was performed. It was established that the main direction of lignin bioconversion is oxidative condensation to form humic substances. In this case, depolymerization of the phenolic skeleton of lignin to monomeric phenol derivatives did not occur. The aromatic carbon atoms of the phenolic skeleton, unlike the carbon atoms of polysaccharides, were not involved in the fungal biomass growth. The observed growth of the fungus on the technical substrate sodium lignosulfonate can be explained by the presence of admixtures of oligomeric polysaccharides hemicellulose and cellulose, which can be used by the fungus as a carbon source.     

棘跳虫属一新种(弹尾目:棘跳科)

1980—1982年,我们连续在广东自然保护区鼎湖山考察跳虫,采到大量标本,种类也很丰富。我们使用漂浮法,仅一个上午就采到近千头棘跳虫科棘跳虫标本,经鉴定是一新种。该种生活于落叶层的土壤和腐烂叶片之间。取食腐烂叶片,可能对肥沃土壤有一定意义。故对其形态作较详细的描述并作扫描电镜观察。模式标本保存于广东省昆虫研究所。     

陆地棉枯萎病抗性基因的等位性测定及连锁分析

1995-1996年,对我国育成的有代表性的5个抗病品种进行抗枯萎病基因的等位性测定。结果表明:在所选用的5个抗病品种中至少存在两个不同的抗病基因(暂定名为Fwl和Fw2)。连锁分析显示:Fwl与T586的8个标志性状间、Fw2与T582、T586的13个标志性状间无连锁关系。 Abstract:Allelism in vestigation of genes resistante to Fusarium wilt in cotton suggested that there were 2 genes(assigned symbols Fw1 and Fw2)in 5 cultivars used.No linkage was found between Fw1 and the marker genes in T586 and between Fw2 and those marker genes in T582 and T586.     

Triterpenoids and Flavonoids from the Leaves of Astragalus membranaceus and Their Inhibitory Effects on Nitric Oxide Production

Four new cycloartane triterpenes, named huangqiyegenins V and VI and huangqiyenins K and L ( 1 – 4 , resp.), together with nine known triterpenoids, 5 – 13 , and eight flavonoids, 14 – 21 , were isolated from a 70%‐EtOH extract of Astragalus membranaceus leaves. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by detailed spectroscopic analyses, and the compounds were identified as (9β,11α,16β,20R,24S)‐11,16,25‐trihydroxy‐20,24‐epoxy‐9,19‐cyclolanostane‐3,6‐dione ( 1 ), (9β,16β,24S)‐16,24,25‐trihydroxy‐9,19‐cyclolanostane‐3,6‐dione ( 2 ), (3β,6α,9β,16β,20R,24R)‐16,25‐dihydroxy‐3‐(β‐D ‐xylopyranosyloxy)‐20,24‐epoxy‐9,19‐cyclolanostan‐6‐yl acetate ( 3 ), and (3β,6α,9β,16β,24E)‐26‐(β‐D ‐glucopyranosyloxy)‐16‐hydroxy‐3‐(β‐D ‐xylopyranosyloxy)‐9,19‐cyclolanost‐24‐en‐6‐yl acetate ( 4 ). All isolated compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory activities against LPS‐induced NO production in RAW264.7 macrophage cells. Compounds 1 – 3, 14, 15 , and 18 exhibited strong inhibition on LPS‐induced NO release by macrophages with IC₅₀ values of 14.4–27.1 μM .     

荫蔽处理对不同耐荫性大豆GmPIF4s编码基因表达的影响

光敏色素互作因子(PIFs)是光信号响应的关键负调控因子,其中PIF4作为该家族核心成员在响应外界光温变化,整合多种激素合成和信号转导中起着关键性作用。为了明确大豆GmPIF4s ［phytochrome interaction factor 4s of Glycine max (L.) Merr.］ 的功能和编码基因对荫蔽诱导的表达响应,该研究以耐荫性大豆‘南豆25’(ND25)和不耐荫性大豆‘荣县冬豆’(RD)为材料,通过生物信息学和分子生物学等方法,比较分析了豆科植物PIF4s的生物信息学特点,并采用qRT PCR方法分析大豆不同组织(根、茎、叶、茎尖分生组织)、全光照和12 h/12 h光周期下不同荫蔽时间诱导叶片GmPIF4s及其不同耐荫性大豆材料间GmPIF4s的表达特征,为培育高产、耐荫的大豆品种提供理论依据。 结果表明：(1)在豆科植物中鉴定到53个同源PIF4s,其中大豆包含7个同源GmPIF4s,长度介于296~562氨基酸之间,分子量范围为41 491.9~62 228.39 Da,所有GmPIF4s均包含有bHLH结构域,无跨膜结构,为亲水性蛋白且定位于细胞核中;蛋白二级及三级结构预测显示,GmPIF4a、GmPIF4b与拟南芥AtPIF4结构最为相似。(2)qRT PCR分析表明,GmPIF4s基因表达具有组织特异性;在耐荫性大豆品种ND25中,GmPIF4a、GmPIF4b、GmPIF4d相对表达量在根、叶、茎和茎尖分生组织中表达最高,除GmPIF4a、GmPIF4e、GmPIF4f外,其余GmPIF4s在地上部各组织中表达量均相对较高;不耐荫性大豆品种RD中, GmPIF4a、GmPIF4b、GmPIF4c、GmPIF4d在叶中相对表量较高,除GmPIF4f和GmPIF4g外,其余GmPIF4s在地上部各组织中表达量均相对较高。(3)全光照下荫蔽处理时间延长,大豆GmPIF4a、GmPIF4b、GmPIF4c、GmPIF4d基因均受荫蔽的强烈诱导,表达量显著上调;12 h/12 h光周期条件下无论是正常光还是荫蔽条件下,随着处理时间的延长,白天GmPIF4s表达量呈现下调趋势,夜晚却呈现上调表达趋势,推测GmPIF4s受昼夜节律调控。(4)荫蔽条件下GmPIF4s在不同耐荫性大豆的表达显示,随着荫蔽时间的延长,耐荫性大豆品种ND25与不耐荫性大豆品种RD的GmPIF4a、GmPIF4b、GmPIF4c、GmPIF4d均上调表达,但在不耐荫性大豆品种RD中表达量相对更高,并于荫蔽处理8 h后两材料的GmPIF4s表达差异达到极显著水平。     

Slight vapor deficit accelerates graft union healing of tomato plug seedling

The application of grafting in tomato production has substantially improved tomato quality and yields. It has been demonstrated that humidity plays an important role in the graft healing of seedlings. This study focuses on the optimum relative humidity (RH) conditions for scion and rootstock healing of grafted tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) seedlings. Two tomato cultivars, ‘Super Sunload’ and ‘Super Dotaerang’, grafted onto ‘B-Blocking’ rootstock were subjected to one of three RH regimens: 70–80, 80–90, or 90–100%. The results showed that the scions of both cultivars showed apparent wilting under the 70–80 and 80–90% RH treatments. On this basis, the 90–100% RH treatment was subdivided into 95–96, 97–98, and 99–100% RH treatments, which were then applied. Among these subdivided RH treatments, the fresh weights of the scions and rootstocks significantly increased in response to the treatments of 97–98 and 99–100% RH, and the graft union connection of both cultivars was also enhanced after two days of healing. Furthermore, lower levels of endogenous H₂O₂ and less activity of antioxidant enzymes were observed in both cultivars in response to treatment with 95–96 or 97–98% RH, which indicated that less oxidative stress occurred. Overall, it is suggested that 97–98% is the optimal RH level for the graft healing of tomato seedlings.