Survival of the Fittest: Positive Selection of CD4+ T Cells Expressing a Membrane-Bound Fusion Inhibitor Following HIV-1 Infection

Although a variety of genetic strategies have been developed to inhibit HIV replication, few direct comparisons of the efficacy of these inhibitors have been carried out. Moreover, most studies have not examined whether genetic inhibitors are able to induce a survival advantage that results in an expansion of genetically-modified cells following HIV infection. We evaluated the efficacy of three leading genetic strategies to inhibit HIV replication: 1) an HIV-1 tat/rev-specific small hairpin (sh) RNA; 2) an RNA antisense gene specific for the HIV-1 envelope; and 3) a viral entry inhibitor, maC46. In stably transduced cell lines selected such that >95% of cells expressed the genetic inhibitor, the RNA antisense envelope and viral entry inhibitor maC46 provided the strongest inhibition of HIV-1 replication. However, when mixed populations of transduced and untransduced cells were challenged with HIV-1, the maC46 fusion inhibitor resulted in highly efficient positive selection of transduced cells, an effect that was evident even in mixed populations containing as few as 1% maC46-expressing cells. The selective advantage of the maC46 fusion inhibitor was also observed in HIV-1-infected cultures of primary T lymphocytes as well as in HIV-1-infected humanized mice. These results demonstrate robust inhibition of HIV replication with the fusion inhibitor maC46 and the antisense Env inhibitor, and importantly, a survival advantage of cells expressing the maC46 fusion inhibitor both in vitro and in vivo. Evaluation of the ability of genetic inhibitors of HIV-1 replication to confer a survival advantage on genetically-modified cells provides unique information not provided by standard techniques that may be important in the in vivo efficacy of these genes.     

Crystal structure of EHEC intimin: insights into the complementarity between EPEC and EHEC

Enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) O157:H7 is a primary food-borne bacterial pathogen capable of causing life-threatening human infections which poses a serious challenge to public health worldwide. Intimin, the bacterial outer-membrane protein, plays a key role in the initiating process of EHEC infection. This activity is dependent upon translocation of the intimin receptor (Tir), the intimin binding partner of the bacteria-encoded host cell surface protein. Intimin has attracted considerable attention due to its potential function as an antibacterial drug target. Here, we report the crystal structure of the Tir-binding domain of intimin (Int188) from E. coli O157:H7 at 2.8 Å resolution, together with a mutant (IntN916Y) at 2.6 Å. We also built the structural model of EHEC intimin-Tir complex and analyzed the key binding residues. It suggested that the binding pattern of intimin and Tir between EHEC and Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) adopt a similar mode and they can complement with each other. Detailed structural comparison indicates that there are four major points of structural variations between EHEC and EPEC intimins: one in Domain I (Ig-like domain), the other three located in Domain II (C-type lectin-like domain). These variations result in different binding affinities. These findings provide structural insight into the binding pattern of intimin to Tir and the molecular mechanism of EHEC O157: H7.     

Aggregated spatial distributions of species in a subtropical karst forest,southwestern China

Aims Spatial distribution patterns of species reflect not only the ecological processes but also the habitat features that are related to species distribution. In karst topography, species distribution patterns provide more specific information about their environments. The objectives of this study are as follows: (i) to analyse and explain the spatial distribution patterns of conspecific trees in an old-growth subtropical karst forest; (ii) to investigate pattern changes at different spatial scales; (iii) to test the spatial pattern similarity (or dissimilarity) between trees at different abundances, diameter at breast height classes, canopy layers and different functional groups (shade tolerance and seed dispersal mode); (iv) to examine whether habitat heterogeneity has an important effect on the species spatial distribution.Methods The spatial distributions of woody species with ≥20 individuals in a 1-ha subtropical karst forest plot at Maolan in southwestern China were quantified using the relative neighbourhood density Ω based on the average density of conspecific species in a circular neighbourhood around each species.Important findings Aggregated distribution is the dominant pattern in the karst forest, but the ratio of aggregated species in total species number decreases with an increase in spatial scale. Less abundant species are more aggregated than most abundant species. Aggregation is weaker in larger diameter classes, which is consistent with the prediction of self-thinning. Seed dispersal mode influences spatial patterns, with species dispersed by animals being less aggregated than those dispersed by wind and gravity. Other species functional traits (e.g. shade tolerance) also influence the species spatial distributions. Moreover, differences among species habitat associations, e.g. with rocky outcrops, play a significant role in species spatial distributions. These results indicate that habitat heterogeneity, seed dispersal limitation and self-thinning primarily contribute to the species spatial distributions in this subtropical karst forest.     

转cry1Ab/vip3H+epsps基因粳稻对非靶标害虫稻叶蝉田间种群的影响

转基因作物可能带来的风险之一是对非靶标生物尤其是非靶标植食者产生潜在的影响。本研究采用吸虫器取样法, 通过在浙江长兴2地点3年的试验评价了新型抗虫/耐除草剂转cry1Ab/vip3H+epsps基因粳稻（G6H1）及其亲本对照（秀水110, XS110）对稻叶蝉田间种群动态的影响。结果表明： 叶蝉类主要有黑尾叶蝉Nephotettix cincticeps (Uhler)、 二点叶蝉Cicadula fascifrons (Stål)和电光叶蝉Deltocephalus dorsalis Motschulsky组成, 其中黑尾叶蝉是优势种。虽然3种叶蝉的种群密度随着地点和年份的不同有所不同, 但是转基因水稻对3种叶蝉种群密度的年度变化均没有显著性影响。少数年份, 黑尾叶蝉成虫、 若虫及其两者总密度的时间动态在转基因水稻和对照田之间存在差异, 大多数年份, 趋势一致且无显著差异 （P>0.05）。另外, 二点叶蝉和电光叶蝉种群的时间动态在转基因水稻和对照田之间也相似。综合评价认为, 本供试转基因水稻品系G6H1对稻田稻叶蝉种群无明显的负面影响。     

荒漠区地表凋落物分解对季节性降水增加的响应

为探讨季节性降水增加对荒漠生态系统凋落物分解的影响, 在古尔班通古特沙漠南缘, 选择粗柄独尾草(Eremurus inderiensis)叶、尖喙牻牛儿苗(Erodium oxyrrhynchum)叶、尖喙牻牛儿苗茎、沙漠绢蒿(Seriphidium santolinum)茎4种凋落物样品, 在2009-2011年研究了模拟季节降水增加(冬春增雪、夏季增水)和自然降水处理下凋落物的分解。持续2年的分解实验表明: (1)各组分凋落物的质量损失过程可以用负指数衰减方程较好地拟合(R²> 0.90); 经过637天的分解, 各组分凋落物质量残留率在自然降水、冬春增雪、夏季增水处理下均无显著性差异(p > 0.05)。粗柄独尾草叶、尖喙牻牛儿苗叶、尖喙牻牛儿苗茎、沙漠绢蒿茎在自然降水处理下的质量残留率分别为40.59%、35.50%、36.00%和63.96%; (2)各组分凋落物的质量残留率与N残留率显著正相关, 凋落物N的损失快于其质量损失, 且初始N含量与分解速率显著正相关(r = 0.60, p = 0.038), C/N解释了71%的地面凋落物分解速率。研究表明, 季节性的短暂降水增加对荒漠区地表凋落物分解没有显著影响, 凋落物初始化学组成是预测荒漠区地表凋落物分解的重要因素。     

麻阳河自然保护区黑叶猴夏季的夜宿行为

因昼行性灵长类动物一天中相当一部分时间在其夜宿地度过,其夜宿行为在一定程度上影响着它们的活动方式与行为特点(Anderson,1998).对夜宿行为的观察可收集白天无法收集到的灵长类社会活动和社会关系的信息,如夜宿地分布(sleeping site)、睡眠时间(time)、睡眠抱团组成(huddling)等(Takahashhi,1997;Ogawa etal.,2007;黎大勇,2010),灵长类夜宿行为的研究对于分析了解其白昼活动方式与行为适应特点具有重要的启迪作用(Anderson,1998).     

甘肃徐家城旧石器遗址石制品拼合研究

徐家城遗址是甘肃省新发现的含丰富旧石器文化遗物的遗址,主要埋藏于水洛河二级阶地上覆的马兰黄土中,年代在距今4.3~2.3万年间。徐家城遗址的拼合分析显示,4B、4C层剥片与石器加工行为是石制品空间分布形成的主要原因,但可能存在遗址使用时古人类对石制品位置改变的行为;4A层石制品零散分布可能反映了此时遗址处于古人类活动的边缘地带。遗址剥片方法以硬锤锤击法为主,石核剥片序列主要以转向为主,古人类对石料进行单层或多层开发;同时部分石器破碎后古人类可能对其进行再利用。平面分布显示发掘区内可能存在两个相对集中的剥片区域,并且古人类在同一区域剥片和加工石器。然因遗址石制品原料性质、发掘面积等局限性,拼合分析的优势并未在此项研究中尽现。今后此类研究应结合其他研究方法,综合多方面信息解释遗址形成过程、石器技术及遗址空间利用方式。     

Oral microbiomes: more and more importance in oral cavity and whole body

Microbes appear in every corner of human life, and microbes affect every aspect of human life. The human oral cavity contains a number of different habitats. Synergy and interaction of variable oral microorganisms help human body against invasion of undesirable stimulation outside. However, imbalance of microbial flora contributes to oral diseases and systemic diseases. Oral microbiomes play an important role in the human microbial community and human health. The use of recently developed molecular methods has greatly expanded our knowledge of the composition and function of the oral microbiome in health and disease. Studies in oral microbiomes and their interactions with microbiomes in variable body sites and variable health condition are critical in our cognition of our body and how to make effect on human health improvement.     

Ecological risk and contamination history of heavy metals in the Andong tidal flat,Hangzhou Bay,China

In this study, we collected two sediment cores (C1 and C2) from the Andong tidal flat, Hangzhou Bay, and studied the temporal variations of heavy metals in the cores. Vertical distributions of heavy metals were almost unchanged in both the cores before 2000. After 2000, however, the heavy metal concentrations increased dramatically, suggesting that the sediments have been affected by enhanced human pollution in the recent decade. In the core C1, the sediments were severely polluted by Pb, moderately to considerably polluted by Cr and Zn, and low to moderately polluted by other heavy metals. The core C2 was relatively unpolluted before 2000 and low to moderately polluted after 2000. Multi-statistical analyses indicated that the core C1 was additionally contaminated by local human activities such as wastewater discharge and the Hangzhou Bay Bridge. The heavy metals in the core C2, however, were largely contributed by the Yangtze River and controlled by sedimentation process. The calculated sedimentary flux (4–8 g m^?2 a^?1) of heavy metals generally increased with time. It was closely related to the wastewater discharge in adjacent areas. This study reconstructed the local heavy metal pollution history and provides important information for environmental protection and policy making.