Stimulation of Na,K-ATPase by low potassium requires reactive oxygen species

The signaling pathway that transduces the stimulatory effect of low K⁺ on the biosynthesis of Na,K-ATPase remains largely unknown. The present study was undertaken to examine whether reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediated the effect of low K⁺ in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells. Low K⁺ increased ROS activity in a time- and dose-dependent manner, and this effect was abrogated by catalase and N-acetylcysteine (NAC). To determine the role of ROS in low-K⁺-induced gene expression, the cells were first stably transfected with expression constructs in which the reporter gene chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) was under the control of the avian Na,K-ATPase -subunit 1.9 kb and 900-bp 5'-flanking regions that have a negative regulatory element. Low K⁺ increased the CAT expression in both constructs. Catalase or NAC inhibited the effect of low K⁺. To determine whether the increased CAT activity was mediated through releasing the repressive effect or a direct stimulation of the promoter, the cells were transfected with a CAT expression construct directed by a 96-bp promoter fragment that has no negative regulatory element. Low K⁺ also augmented the CAT activity expressed by this construct. More importantly, both catalase and NAC abolished the effect of low K⁺. Moreover, catalase and NAC also inhibited low-K⁺-induced increases in the Na,K-ATPase ₁- and ₁-subunit protein abundance and ouabain binding sites. The antioxidants had no significant effect on the basal levels of CAT activity, protein abundance, or ouabain binding sites. In conclusion, low K⁺ enhances the Na,K-ATPase gene expression by a direct stimulation of the promoter activity, and ROS mediate this stimulation and also low-K⁺-induced increases in the Na,K-ATPase protein contents and cell surface molecules. Madin-Darby canine kidney cells; N-acetylcysteine; catalase     

Highly efficient conversion of lactate to pyruvate using whole cells of Acinetobacter sp

On an industrial scale, the production of pyruvate at a high concentration from the cheaper lactate substrate is a valuable process. To produce pyruvate from lactate by whole cells, various lactate-utilizing microorganisms were isolated from soil samples. Among them, strain WLIS, identified as Acinetobacter sp., was screened as a pyruvate producer. For the pyruvate preparation from lactate, the preparative conditions were optimized with whole cells of the strain. The cells cultivated in the medium containing 100 mM of l-lactate showed the highest biotransformation efficiency from lactate to pyruvate. The optimized dry-cell concentration, pH, and temperature of reaction were 6 g/L, pH 7.0-7.5, and 30 degrees C, respectively. The influences of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and aeration on a biotransformation reaction were carried out under the test conditions. Under the optimized reaction conditions, l-lactate at concentrations of 200 and 500 mM were almost totally stoichiometrically converted into pyruvate in 8 and 12 h, respectively. About 60% of 800 mM of l-lactate was transformed into pyruvate in 24 h. This reduced conversion rate is probably due to the high substrate inhibition in biotransformation.     

Extinction risk of Chinese angiosperms varies between woody and herbaceous species

Aim

Understanding how species' traits and environmental contexts relate to extinction risk is a critical priority for ecology and conservation biology. This study aims to identify and explore factors related to extinction risk between herbaceous and woody angiosperms to facilitate more effective conservation and management strategies and understand the interactions between environmental threats and species' traits.

Location

China.

Taxon

Angiosperms.

Methods

We obtained a large dataset including five traits, six extrinsic variables, and 796,118 occurrence records for 14,888 Chinese angiosperms. We assessed the phylogenetic signal and used phylogenetic generalized least squares regressions to explore relationships between extinction risk, plant traits, and extrinsic variables in woody and herbaceous angiosperms. We also used phylogenetic path analysis to evaluate causal relationships among traits, climate variables, and extinction risk of different growth forms.

Results

The phylogenetic signal of extinction risk differed among woody and herbaceous species. Angiosperm extinction risk was mainly affected by growth form, altitude, mean annual temperature, normalized difference vegetation index, and precipitation change from 1901 to 2020. Woody species' extinction risk was strongly affected by height and precipitation, whereas extinction risk for herbaceous species was mainly affected by mean annual temperature rather than plant traits.

Main conclusions

Woody species were more likely to have higher extinction risks than herbaceous species under climate change and extinction threat levels varied with both plant traits and extrinsic variables. The relationships we uncovered may help identify and protect threatened plant species and the ecosystems that rely on them.     

Data-driven estimation of nitric oxide emissions from global soils based on dominant vegetation covers

Soils are a major source of global nitric oxide (NO) emissions. However, estimates of soil NO emissions have large uncertainties due to limited observations and multifactorial impacts. Here, we mapped global soil NO emissions, integrating 1356 in-situ NO observations from globally distributed sites with high-resolution climate, soil, and management practice data. We then calculated global and national total NO budgets and revealed the contributions of cropland, grassland, and forest to global soil NO emissions at the national level. The results showed that soil NO emissions were explained mainly by N input, water input and soil pH. Total above-soil NO emissions of the three vegetation cover types were 9.4 Tg N year⁻¹ in 2014, including 5.9 Tg N year⁻¹ (1.04, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.09–1.99 kg N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹) emitted from forest, 1.7 Tg N year⁻¹ (0.68, 95% CI: 0.10–1.26 kg N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹) from grassland, and 1.8 Tg N year⁻¹ (0.98, 95% CI: 0.42–1.53 kg N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹) from cropland. Soil NO emissions in approximately 57% of 213 countries surveyed were dominated by forests. Our results provide updated inventories of global and national soil NO emissions based on robust data-driven models. These estimates are critical to guiding the mitigation of soil NO emissions and can be used in combination with biogeochemical models.     

NKG2D discriminates diverse ligands through selectively mechano‐regulated ligand conformational changes

Stimulatory immune receptor NKG2D binds diverse ligands to elicit differential anti‐tumor and anti‐virus immune responses. Two conflicting degeneracy recognition models based on static crystal structures and in‐solution binding affinities have been considered for almost two decades. Whether and how NKG2D recognizes and discriminates diverse ligands still remain unclear. Using live‐cell‐based single‐molecule biomechanical assay, we characterized the in situ binding kinetics of NKG2D interacting with different ligands in the absence or presence of mechanical force. We found that mechanical force application selectively prolonged NKG2D interaction lifetimes with the ligands MICA and MICB, but not with ULBPs, and that force‐strengthened binding is much more pronounced for MICA than for other ligands. We also integrated steered molecular dynamics simulations and mutagenesis to reveal force‐induced rotational conformational changes of MICA, involving formation of additional hydrogen bonds on its binding interface with NKG2D, impeding MICA dissociation under force. We further provided a kinetic triggering model to reveal that force‐dependent affinity determines NKG2D ligand discrimination and its downstream NK cell activation. Together, our results demonstrate that NKG2D has a discrimination power to recognize different ligands, which depends on selective mechanical force‐induced ligand conformational changes.     

消融右肺动脉神经节丛对肾上腺素能刺激和胆碱 能刺激诱发房颤的影响

目的:探讨右肺动脉神经节丛(RPVGP)消融对胆碱能及儿茶酚胺诱发房颤的影响。方法:20只犬麻醉开胸后,暴露RPVGP,分别在消融RPVGP前后,经股静脉静滴乙酰胆碱(ACh)及儿茶酚胺。测量房颤诱发率及两类递质诱发房颤的阈浓度。结果:RPVGP消融前,静滴Ach和异丙基肾上腺素(IPA)及肾上腺素(EPI)(1～100μmol/l)均可诱发AF,诱发率100%。Ach、IPA和EPI的诱发阈浓度分别为2.6±0.3μmol/l,3.3±0.2μmol/l,5.6±0.2μmol/l。RPVGP消融后,Ach及儿茶酚胺的AF诱发率分别降至10%及35%,且三种递质的诱发阈浓度分别提高至2.6±0.3μmol/l、22.5±2.4μmol/l和26.±2.6μmol/(lP<0.05)。结论:消融RPVGP使乙酰胆碱和儿茶酚胺诱发房颤的阈浓度增高,并降低此二类介质的房颤诱发率。     

氮磷钾配施对填充型烤烟烟碱含量的影响

以东北填充型烤烟品种"龙江911"为试验材料,通过正交回归田间试验,建立了氮、磷、钾肥与烤烟上部叶片烟碱含量的回归效应模型,并对各因子和交互作用进行了分析,模拟计算得出以降低上部叶片烟碱含量为目标的优化施肥方案.对模型解析表明,随施氮量增加,上部叶片烟碱含量呈先上升后下降趋势;随施磷量增加,烟碱含量呈上升趋势;随施钾量增加,烟碱含量呈急剧下降趋势.双因素效应大小依次为:氮钾＞磷钾＞氮磷,在一定范围内,氮磷、磷钾与烟碱含量表现为负相关,存在拮抗作用;而氮钾则相反,存在促进作用.对氮、磷、钾肥与烤烟上部叶片烟碱含量模型的综合分析得出:在植烟土壤为河淤土的生产区,烟田的基础施肥量建议为:氮肥33.5～47.8kg·hm-2,磷肥40.2～63.6 kg·hm-2,钾肥78.0～119.6kg·hm-2.     

海洋真菌Penicillium oxalicum SCSGAF 0023的次生代谢产物及其抗污损和酶抑制活性研究

利用pTLC、硅胶、Sephadex LH-20及半制备HPLC等柱色谱手段,从海洋真菌Penicillium oxalicum SCS-GAF 0023的次生代谢产物中分离得到16个化合物,波谱学数据分析鉴定为n-butyl isobutyl terephthalate(1),dibutyl terephthalate(2),1,3,7-trihydroxy-6-methylanthraquinone(3),1,6,7-trihydroxy-3-methoxy-anthraquinone(4),isorhodoptilometrin(5),citreorosein(6),emodin(7),methyl-3,8-dihydroxy-6-methyl-9-oxo-9H-xanthene-1-carboxylate(8),pinselin(9),secalonic acid D(10),quinolactacin C1(11),quinolactacin C2(12),quinolactacin A1(13),quinolactacin A2(14),quinolactacin B1(15),3-methyl-1H-indole-2-carboxylic acid(16)。其中,化合物1为新天然产物,化合物5和7表现出强的抗草苔虫幼虫附着活性,EC50值分别为3.8和6.0μg/mL;化合物10和15分别对PTPIB和cathepsin B显示中等的酶抑制活性,IC50值分别为24.0和16.0μM。     

Models and Algorithms for Hub and Spoke Locations for Emergency Service Facilities in Response to Serious Emergency Incidents

This article examines the location-allocation of emergency service facilities as a research subject. The research presents the setup of the single allocation set covering location-allocation models for emergency service facilities under strong time constraints, in view of the shortage of hub & spoke network bypass. The article also presents an extension to the single allocation set covering location-allocation model (SASCP) and the SASCP model with bypass constraints (γ-SASCP) for emergency service facilities under large-scale emergency requirements. For the two models, an improved genetic algorithm was designed and the two models were respectively solved, with the effectiveness of the algorithm verified by a specific example. The impacts of change of parameters such as time discount rate, maximum time constraints, and bypass ratio on the model's results are compared and analyzed, based on solved results by the specific example.