Na2CO3胁迫下甜菜幼苗根际土壤环境因子的变化及其相关性

以两个甜菜品种‘KWS0143’(耐盐碱性强)和‘Beta464’(耐盐碱性较弱)为对象,设置4个Na₂CO₃浓度处理[占土壤质量的0%(CK)、0.4%、0.8%和1.2%],采用盆栽方法研究甜菜幼苗时期植株干质量、根际土壤酶活性和微生物数量的变化.结果表明: 与对照相比,0.4%处理的植株干质量明显增加,而0.8%和1.2%处理显著受到抑制,且处理间差异显著. 不同处理下甜菜幼苗根际土壤脲酶、过氧化氢酶和碱性磷酸酶活性表现出相似的变化规律,0.4%处理酶活性较对照有所增加但不显著;0.8%和1.2%处理则显著降低了酶活性,同时‘KWS0143’的土壤酶活性均高于‘Beta464’.与对照相比,0.4%处理土壤微生物群落没有显著变化;0.8%和1.2%处理的根际土壤细菌、真菌和放线菌数量显著减少,且‘KWS0143’的根际微生物数量高于‘Beta464’.两品种植株干质量、土壤酶和土壤微生物之间呈显著正相关;通径分析表明,‘KWS0143’植株干质量决定系数表现为:放线菌>细菌>过氧化氢酶>脲酶>真菌>碱性磷酸酶,‘Beta464’表现为:放线菌>过氧化氢酶>脲酶>真菌>碱性磷酸酶>细菌.     

Double hexamer disruption and biochemical activities of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum MCM

Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum MCM (mtMCM) is a helicase required for DNA replication. Previous electron microscopy studies have shown mtMCM in several oligomeric forms. However, biochemical studies suggest that mtMCM is a dodecamer, likely a double hexamer (dHex). The crystal structure of the N-terminal fragment of mtMCM reveals a stable dHex architecture. To further confirm that the dHex is not an artifact of crystal packing of two hexamers, we investigated the relevance of the dHex by disrupting the hexamer-hexamer interactions seen in the crystal structure via site-directed mutagenesis and examining various biochemical activities of the mutants in vitro. Using a combination of biochemical and structural assays, we demonstrated that changing arginine to alanine at amino acid position 161 or the insertion of a six-aminoacid peptide at the hexamer-hexamer interface disrupted dHex formation and produced stable single hexamers (sHex). Furthermore, we showed that the sHex mutants retained wild-type level of ATPase and DNA binding activities but had decreased helicase activity when compared with the wild type dHex protein. These biochemical properties of mtMCM are reminiscent of those of SV40 large T antigen, suggesting that the dHex form of mtMCM may be the active helicase for DNA unwinding during the bidirectional DNA replication.     

Cytochrome P450 3A1 Mediates 2,2′,4,4′-Tetrabromodiphenyl Ether-Induced Reduction of Spermatogenesis in Adult Rats

Background

2,2′,4,4′-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE47) is the dominant PBDE congener in humans, wildlife, and the environment. It has been reported to be metabolized by cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes. Still, the effects of BDE47 on spermatogenesis failure are attracting an increasing amount of attention. However, it is unclear whether CYP-mediated metabolism contributes to BDE47-induced reproductive toxicity.

Methodology and Principal Findings

The role of cytochrome P450 3A1 (CYP3A1) in the formation of oxidative metabolites of BDE47 and its induced spermatogenesis failure was investigated in SD rats. BDE47 significantly increased the expression and activity of CYP3A1 in rat liver, and 3-OH-BDE47, the major oxidative metabolite of BDE47, dose-dependently increased in rat liver, serum, and testis, which was aggravated by dexamethasone (DEX), an inducer of CYP3A1. Additionally, testicular 3-OH-BDE47 and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in seminiferous tubules increased especially when BDE47 was administered in combination with DEX, which was confirmed in GC-1 and GC-2 cells that 3-OH-BDE47 induced more ROS production and cell apoptosis via the upregulation of FAS/FASL, p-p53 and caspase 3. As a result, daily sperm production dose-dependently decreased, consistent with histological observations in giant cells and vacuolar spaces and increase in TUNEL-positive apoptotic germ cells.

Conclusion

CYP3A1-mediated metabolic activation of BDE47 and the active metabolite 3-OH-BDE47 and consequent ROS played an important role in reduction of spermatogenesis by germ cell apoptosis. Our study helps provide new insights into the mechanism of reproductive toxicity of environmental chemicals.     

淫羊藿总黄酮通过TGF-β1/Smad3信号通路改善自然衰老大鼠肾脏组织纤维化

为探讨淫羊藿总黄酮(TFE)对自然衰老大鼠肾脏纤维化的影响及其可能的作用机制,将18月龄SD大鼠随机分为自然衰老组、淫羊藿总黄酮低(10 mg/kg)、高(40 mg/kg)剂量组,另取2月龄SD大鼠作为青年对照组,给药4个月。通过HE染色和Masson染色观察肾脏组织形态及胶原纤维含量,生化酶法检测肾脏组织SOD活力和MDA含量,免疫组化法检测αSMA的蛋白表达水平,实时定量PCR和Western blot技术检测TGF-β1和Smad3的mRNA及蛋白表达水平。结果显示,TFE(低、高剂量)可改善衰老SD大鼠肾脏组织形态,减少胶原纤维,提升肾脏组织SOD活力(P<0.05),降低MDA含量(P<0.05),并降低肾脏组织中αSMA蛋白表达(P<0.05),同时显著下调TGF-β1及Smad3的mRNA和蛋白表达(P<0.05)。淫羊藿总黄酮可改善自然衰老大鼠肾脏纤维化,其机制可能与其抑制TGFβ1/Smad3信号通路传导有关。     

Variations analysis of NLGN3 and NLGN4X gene in Chinese autism patients

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder clinically characterized by impairment of social interaction, deficits in verbal communication, as well as stereotypic and repetitive behaviors. Several studies have implicated that abnormal synaptogenesis was involved in the incidence of autism. Neuroligins are postsynaptic cell adhesion molecules and interacted with neurexins to regulate the fine balance between excitation and inhibition of synapses. Recently, mutation analysis, cellular and mice models hinted neuroligin mutations probably affected synapse maturation and function. In this study, four missense variations [p.G426S (NLGN3), p.G84R (NLGN4X), p.Q162 K (NLGN4X) and p.A283T (NLGN4X)] in four different unrelated patients have been identified by PCR and direct sequencing. These four missense variations were absent in the 453 controls and have not been reported in 1000 Genomes Project. Bioinformatic analysis of the four missense variations revealed that p.G84R and p.A283T were “Probably Damaging”. The variations may cause abnormal synaptic homeostasis and therefore trigger the patients more predisposed to autism. By case–control analysis, we identified the common SNPs (rs3747333 and rs3747334) in the NLGN4X gene significantly associated with risk for autism [p = 5.09E-005; OR 4.685 (95 % CI 2.073–10.592)]. Our data provided a further evidence for the involvement of NLGN3 and NLGN4X gene in the pathogenesis of autism in Chinese population.     

抑癌基因DLC-1的研究进展

DLC-1(肝癌缺失基因1)是近年来被发现的一种重要的抑癌基因,目前研究发现其在多种肿瘤的发生、发展过程中产生了重要的作用。随着基因技术及分子生物技术的飞速发展,关于DLC-1基因以及与之相关的上、下游靶基因,DLC-1基因的甲基化修饰及其相互作用的信号传导通路的研究将更深入、更彻底、更清楚。通过构建肿瘤动物实验模型,我们可以对人类各种肿瘤进行去甲基化药物治疗,分析实验结果,综合评估治疗指征,为临床上对肿瘤的治疗提供理论基础及实践指导。相信在不久的将来,针对DLC-1基因在肿瘤分子生物学研究有望成为多种肿瘤诊断、治疗的突破。     

Integrated Syntenic and Phylogenomic Analyses Reveal an Ancient Genome Duplication in Monocots

Unraveling widespread polyploidy events throughout plant evolution is a necessity for inferring the impacts of whole-genome duplication (WGD) on speciation, functional innovations, and to guide identification of true orthologs in divergent taxa. Here, we employed an integrated syntenic and phylogenomic analyses to reveal an ancient WGD that shaped the genomes of all commelinid monocots, including grasses, bromeliads, bananas (Musa acuminata), ginger, palms, and other plants of fundamental, agricultural, and/or horticultural interest. First, comprehensive phylogenomic analyses revealed 1421 putative gene families that retained ancient duplication shared by Musa (Zingiberales) and grass (Poales) genomes, indicating an ancient WGD in monocots. Intergenomic synteny blocks of Musa and Oryza were investigated, and 30 blocks were shown to be duplicated before Musa-Oryza divergence an estimated 120 to 150 million years ago. Synteny comparisons of four monocot (rice [Oryza sativa], sorghum [Sorghum bicolor], banana, and oil palm [Elaeis guineensis]) and two eudicot (grape [Vitis vinifera] and sacred lotus [Nelumbo nucifera]) genomes also support this additional WGD in monocots, herein called Tau (τ). Integrating synteny and phylogenomic comparisons achieves better resolution of ancient polyploidy events than either approach individually, a principle that is exemplified in the disambiguation of a WGD series of rho (ρ)-sigma (σ)-tau (τ) in the grass lineages that echoes the alpha (α)-beta (β)-gamma (γ) series previously revealed in the Arabidopsis thaliana lineage.