Dancing on the platform: Lability of floral organs of Beilschmiedia appendiculata (Lauraceae)

Floral characters are important for the systematics of the Lauraceae. However, structure and development of the flowers remain poorly known in the family. In this study, we observed the variation and early development of flowers of Beilschmiedia appendiculata, which belongs to the Cryptocarya clade of the family. The results indicate that the shoot apical meristems (SAMs) of the floral buds are enlarged and become a platform for the programmed initiation of the floral organs; floral organs develop basically in an acropetal pattern; phyllotaxis is whorled, initiation of floral primordia within a whorl is asynchronous; floral merosity is extremely variable, for example, dimerous, trimerous, tetramerous, dimerous plus trimerous, and trimerous plus tetramerous. In addition, this species has lost the innermost staminal whorl and glands are not closely associated with stamens of the third staminal whorl, which is unusual in the family Lauraceae. Our new observations broaden our knowledge of the variation of floral structure in Beilschmiedia and pose a fundamental question regarding the ecology underlying the lability of floral organs in B. appendiculata.     

Chemokine receptor CCR5 functionally couples to inhibitory G proteins and undergoes desensitization

Chemokine receptor CCR5 is not only essential for chemotaxis of leukocytes but also has been shown to be a key coreceptor for HIV-1 infection. In the present study, hemagglutinin epitope-tagged human CCR5 receptor was stably expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells or transiently expressed in NG108–15 cells to investigate CCR5-mediated signaling events. The surface expression of CCR5 was confirmed by flow cytometry analysis. The CCR5 agonist RANTES stimulated [³⁵S]GTPγS binding to the cell membranes and induced inhibition on adenylyl cyclase activity in cells expressing CCR5. The effects of RANTES were CCR5 dependent and could be blocked by pertussis toxin. Furthermore, overexpression of Giα2 strongly increased both RANTES-dependent G-protein activation and inhibition on adenylyl cyclase in cells cotransfected with CCR5. These data demonstrated directly that activation of CCR5 stimulated membrane-associated inhibitory G proteins and indicated that CCR5 could functionally couple to G-protein subtype Giα2. The abilities of CCR5 to activate G protein and to inhibit cellular cAMP accumulation were significantly diminished after a brief prechallenge with RANTES, showing rapid desensitization of the receptor-mediated responsiveness. Prolonged exposure of the cells to RANTES caused significant reduction of surface CCR5 as measured by flow cytometry, indicative of agonist-dependent receptor internalization. Our data thus demonstrated that CCR5 functionally couples to membrane-associated inhibitory G proteins and undergoes agonist-dependent desensitization and internalization. J. Cell. Biochem. 71:36–45, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

六种同域分布雌雄异株榕树挥发物多样性与系统发育一致性

植物花挥发物是维持昆虫-植物传粉互作的重要化学信号,其组成的多样性对于理解传粉昆虫与植物相互作用的形成、维持和进化具有重要意义。榕树与其传粉榕小蜂是一种专性的互惠共生关系,榕树为榕小蜂提供繁殖场所,榕小蜂为榕树传粉。而榕果雌花期（接收期）释放的特异性挥发物是维持双方相互作用的关键媒介。本研究以西双版纳地区同域分布的6种雌雄异株榕树为研究对象,用固相微萃取和气相色谱质谱联用仪对雌花期榕果的挥发物组成进行了分析。共发现77种化合物,包含脂肪酸类衍生物6种、单萜类化合物16种、倍半萜类衍生物50种和芳香族化合物5种,不同化合物对挥发物距离差异性的贡献率依次是：对甲基苯甲醚（4-methylanisole,2.15）、β-罗勒烯（β-Ocimene,0.84）和喜沙木烯（Prezizaene,0.73）。不同物种间挥发物组成有显著的差异,且挥发物的差异与榕树系统发育距离具有正相关性,但同一物种不同性别间的挥发物组成上没有显著的差异。本研究中发现雌雄异株榕树挥发物组成具有多样性高、种内性别间相似、种间差异大,系统发育一致性的特点,上述特点在榕树物种分化以及维持雌雄异株榕树繁殖的化学通讯机制中可能发挥着关键作用。     

Lnc-PFAR facilitates autophagy and exacerbates pancreatic fibrosis by reducing pre-miR-141 maturation in chronic pancreatitis

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is described as progressive inflammatory fibrosis of pancreas, accompanied with irreversible impaired endocrine and exocrine insufficiency. Pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) are widely distributed in the stroma of the pancreas and PSCs activation has been shown as one of the leading causes for pancreatic fibrosis. Our previous study has revealed that autophagy is dramatically activated in CP tissues, which facilitates PSCs activation and pancreatic fibrosis. Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) have been recognized as crucial regulators for fibrosis-related diseases. LncRNAs interact with RNA binding protein or construct competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) hypothesis which elicited the fibrotic processes. Until now, the effects of lncRNAs on PSCs activation and pancreatic fibrosis have not been clearly explored. In this study, a novel lncRNA named Lnc-PFAR was found highly expressed in mouse and human CP tissues. Our data revealed that Lnc-PFAR facilitates PSCs activation and pancreatic fibrosis via RB1CC1-induced autophagy. Lnc-PFAR reduces miR-141 expression by suppressing pre-miR-141 maturation, which eventually upregulates the RB1CC1 and fibrosis-related indicators expression. Meanwhile, Lnc-PFAR enhanced PSCs activation and pancreatic fibrosis through trigging autophagy. Our study interrogates a novel lncRNA-induced mechanism in promoting the development of pancreatic fibrosis, and Lnc-PFAR is suggested to be a prospective therapeutic target in clinical scenarios.Subject terms: RNAi, Diagnostic markers, Chronic pancreatitis     

6种重金属对赤子爱胜蚓的急性毒性效应与风险评价

【背景】近年来,土壤重金属污染问题日益凸显,对生态环境、食品安全和人体健康构成了严重威胁,其急性毒性尚未明确。【方法】采用滤纸接触法和人工土壤法测定了铜(Cu2+)、锌(Zn2+)、镍(Ni+)、镉(Cd2+)、铅(Pb2+)和锰(Mn2+)等6种重金属对赤子爱胜蚓的急性毒性效应,并参照欧盟指令91/414/EEC标准评价了其环境风险。【结果】滤纸接触法48h测定结果表明,6种重金属对蚯蚓的LC50为3.17(2.53～3.81)～90.42(69.45～140.47)μg.cm-2,其毒性次序为Cu2+>Zn2+>Ni+>Cd2+>Pb2+>Mn2+。人工土壤法14d测定结果表明,6种重金属对蚯蚓的LC50为1347(1236～1453)～6936(6144～8930)mg.kg-1,其毒性次序为Cu2+>Cd2+>Ni+>Zn2+>Mn2+>Pb2+。风险评价结果显示,Cu2+、Zn2+、Ni+、Cd2+、Pb2+和Mn2+等6种重金属的暴露比(toxicity/exposureratio,TER)分别为3.37、4.46、8.68、1428、13.87和5.85。【结论与意义】6种重金属对土壤动物蚯蚓均具有潜在的毒性效应。Cu2+、Zn2+、Ni+、Mn2+等4种重金属对赤子爱胜蚓存在急性毒性风险,而Cd2+和Pb2+对赤子爱胜蚓的急性毒性风险水平是可接受的。该评价结果可为我国制定基于风险的土壤环境质量标准提供依据。     

基于解释结构模型的煤电一体化开发生态环境累积效应识别

为了对煤电一体化开发的生态环境累积效应进行识别与分析,从煤电一体化开发的主要开采建设活动、土壤环境、水资源、大气环境、生物、景观、生态7方面共筛选出29个生态环境因子,综合文献调查、专家调查问卷与访谈等方法,分析了各生态环境因子之间的相互作用关系.运用解释结构模型(ISM)分析了各因子间的关联关系与层次结构,揭示了不同开发建设活动产生累积效应的途径.结合具体的评价与管理需求,提出了煤电一体化开发生态环境累积效应研究与评估整体框架.研究结果可以为煤电一体化开发的规划与管理提供一定的理论基础与技术手段.     

Polymorphism of rs3737597 in DISC1 Gene on Chromosome 1q42.2 in sALS Patients: a Chinese Han Population Case-Control Study

Although lots of genes have been revealed to relate to sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (sALS), its genetic mechanisms still need to be further explored. We aimed to search the novel genetic factors of sALS and assess their contribution. We constructed an integrative dataset based on the 3227 subsignificant genes (P value?<?0.01) from two sALS-related genome-wide association studies (GWAS) (the US and Irish studies). A significant replication between both studies was confirmed by the gene set enrichment analysis in the integral level (P value?<?10^?4). Using the pathway overrepresentation analysis, we revealed the 34 shared Gene Ontology (GO) biological processes from the two independent studies (P value?<?0.01). Among these pathways, the nervous system developmental pathway (NSD function, GO:0007399) was further supported by the previously reported genes related to sALS (P value?=?3.28e?12). Importantly, four of 17 NSD-function-related target genes (disrupted-in-schizophrenia-1 (DISC1), CNTN4, NRXN3, and ERBB4) presented a considerable association with sALS in both studies. To further verify the association between the NSD function target genes and sALS, we preformed a two-stage case–control study based on 500 sALS patients and 500 controls of Chinese Han populations from mainland. A polymorphism of rs3737597 in DISC1 gene involved in the nervous system developmental pathway was closely associated with sALS. The nervous system developmental pathway is a potential pathogenesis of sALS, among them, the polymorphism of rs3737597 in DISC1 might play some roles.     

食物源距离对中华姬鼠贮藏策略的影响

在围栏条件下, 检验食物源距离对中华姬鼠贮藏策略的影响,并检验根据快速隔离假说和最优贮藏空间分布模型做出的两个预测：（1）3个释放点无论距离远近,种子均先被大量分散贮藏在各个释放点周围;（2）随着释放点远离巢穴,种子被集中贮藏的比例下降。结果发现: 分散贮藏是中华姬鼠的主要贮藏方式,3个释放点种子被分散贮藏的数量无显著差异,这个结果支持预测（1）;3个种子释放点（1m,5m,13m）被集中贮藏的比例分别为(1m: 6.25%; 5m: 1.88%; 13m: 1.25%),说明被集中贮藏的种子数量随种子释放点与巢穴距离的增大而逐渐减少,这个结果支持预测（2）。本研究表明中华姬鼠应对捕食风险升高的策略是降低取食量和贮藏量。     

培养条件对三七愈伤组织生长和皂苷积累的影响

以MS为基础培养基,改变激素配比、氮源和光照等因素,以分光光度法和HPLC法分析三七愈伤组织培养过程中皂苷含量的变化。结果表明:培养条件对三七愈伤组织中皂苷积累有一定影响,激素配比对愈伤组织中皂苷含量的影响最大,在0.5 mg·L-12,4-D+1.0 mg·L-16-BA组合下,培养物中总皂苷含量最多,达到4.72%±0.29%;在总氮量为60 mmol·L-1条件下,45 mmol·L-1KNO3+7.5 mmol·L-1NH4NO3(NO3-/NH4+=7∶1)时,愈伤组织皂苷含量最多,达到4.71%±0.17%;分别在1 000 lx和500 lx光强下每天光照12 h的愈伤组织,皂苷含量均低于黑暗培养的愈伤组织,三者皂苷含量分别为1.94%±0.31%、2.38%±0.12%和3.57%±0.27%,光照引起愈伤组织表面变绿及细胞分化,可能是抑制愈伤组织中皂苷合成与积累的主要原因;HPLC检测发现,三七愈伤组织和根中均含有Rg1、Re、Rb1及Rd四种皂苷,但栽培三七根含有R1皂苷,而三七愈伤组织中未检测到R1,其原因需要进一步研究。该研究结果为未来愈伤组织培养成为部分代替人工栽培生产三七天然产物的潜在途径提供了研究基础。