Differential effects of manganese ions on Blastocladiella emersonii adenylate cyclase.

Adenylate cyclase (ATP pyrophosphate-lyase (cyclizing), EC 4.6.1.1) activity in Blastocladiella emersonii is associated with particulate subcellar fractions. Solubilization after treatment with detergent suggests its localization in a membrane fraction of the zoospore homogenate. The enzyme specifically requires Mn2+ for activity and is not stimulated by NaF. The kinetic characteristics of substrate utilization by B. emersonii adenylate cyclase were investigated with various concentrations of ATP and Mn2+, and in the presence of inhibitors. Plots of enzyme activity versus the actual concentration of the MnATP2- complex give sigmoid curves. An excess of Mn2+ activates the enzyme at low concentrations of substrate and leads to a modification of the enzyme kinetics. The nucleotides 5'-AMP and GTP were shown to be competitive inhibitors of the enzyme. In addition, kinetic data, obtained under conditions in which an inhibitor (ATP) is added in constant proportion to the variable substrate (MnATP2-) concentration, produced reciprocal plots that were linear and intersecting to the right of the ordinate, and secondary replots that were hyperbolic. These kinetic patterns support a model in which: MnATP2- is the substrate; free Mn2+ is an activator at low substrate concentrations, but an inhibitor at high substrate concentrations; and free ATP is not an efficient inhibiyor (Ki greater than 1.10(-4) M).     

油菜FBA基因克隆、表达分析及其与抗旱性的关系

为了解果糖-1,6-二磷酸醛缩酶(fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase,FBA)在油菜抗旱中的作用,揭示油菜干旱胁迫下FBA基因表达量、光合指标、产量等之间的关系,为油菜等作物抗旱性鉴定和抗旱性改良提供依据。以抗旱性强的甘蓝型油菜94005为材料,在初花期进行干旱胁迫处理,以正常浇水作为对照;测定叶片光合参数和FBA酶活性,通过实时荧光定量PCR(RT-qPCR)分析FBA基因的表达量;采用RACE方法对FBA基因进行全长克隆,并对测序结果进行生物信息学分析;复水后生长至成熟期测定产量,分析产量、光合指标、FBA基因表达量等之间的关系。结果表明,随着干旱的加剧,油菜叶片的净光合速率(Pn)、气孔导度(Gs)、蒸腾速率(Tr)、产量均下降,FBA活性和FBA基因的表达量上升。在轻度、中度和重度干旱胁迫下,油菜叶片胞间CO_2浓度(Ci)显著下降,水分利用率(WUE)上升;极度胁迫下,Ci上升,WUE下降;油菜产量、净光合速率与FBA活性和FBA表达量呈显著负相关。FBA基因全长序列1440bp,ORF(开放阅读框)位于60—1172区域,编码370个氨基酸;蛋白分子量为38.51 KDa,等电点6.92;同源性对比显示,甘蓝型油菜FBA基因与拟南芥FBA基因的一致性在87%以上。二级结构预测结果表明FBA蛋白由α-螺旋、无规则卷曲、延伸链以及β-转角组成,4种二级结构元件所占比例分别为43.85%、31.28%、17.60%、7.26%。因此,干旱胁迫下油菜的净光合速率下降、产量降低,随着胁迫的加剧,降低幅度增大。FBA基因与干旱胁迫密切相关,干旱胁迫下,FBA基因主要通过抑制光合、降低蒸腾、促进糖酵解和有氧呼吸等途径来提高植物对干旱胁迫的适应性。     

基于同步辐射显微CT研究冻融循环对黑土团聚体结构特征的影响

在我国东北地区,土壤不同程度的受到季节性冻融的影响。冻融作用会改变土壤微观结构,团聚体作为土壤结构的基本单元,其结构特征的改变反映了冻融作用对土壤微观结构的影响。同步辐射显微CT可以无损获取高分辨率、强对比度的内部结构图像,是研究土壤团聚体三维微结构的有效手段。采集了室内冻融循环试验下不同冻融循环次数的土壤团聚体样品,应用同步辐射显微CT扫描获取了3.25μm分辨率的团聚体内部结构图像,然后应用CT图像处理方法和Image J软件观察并定量分析了团聚体微结构特征。结果表明:随着冻融循环次数的增加,土壤孔隙度不断增大,瘦长型孔隙度占比与100μm的非毛管孔隙度不断增大;当冻融循环次数达到7次以上,团聚体孔隙连通度随冻融循环次数的增加而变大。冻融循环对黑土团聚体孔隙度、孔隙形状、孔隙分级、连通性等结构特征影响显著。该研究为春季解冻期土壤侵蚀机理的研究及水土流失的防治提供理论依据。     

粤、闽、贵烟草青枯病菌分离株及其致病力

【目的】从粤、闽、贵3地烟草青枯病株中分离青枯病菌,测定其致病力并探讨判断致病力的方法。【方法】采用氯化三苯基四氮唑(简称TTC)培养基和蛋白质电泳相结合对青枯病菌致病力进行测定,并分析菌株生化型。【结果】已分离出烟草青枯病菌59株,依据致病力进行划分,无致病力菌株5株,有致病力菌株54株。不同致病力菌株蛋白电泳特定条带存在差异。粤、闽、贵3地烟草青枯病菌有致病力菌株均占主导地位,广东有致病力菌株比例略大,福建次之,贵州最小。按生化型划分,59株青枯病菌中1株属于生化型Ⅳ外,其他58株属于生化型Ⅲ或其亚型生化型Ⅲ-1。【结论】烟草青枯病菌致病力存在差异,SDS-PAGE蛋白指纹中的特定条带可作为判定青枯病菌有无致病力的依据。     

微生物介导的金纳米颗粒合成

金纳米颗粒凭借其独特的光学和电化学特性,广泛应用于信息存储、化学传感、医学成像、药物传输以及生物标记等领域。近年来,生物法合成金纳米颗粒因其环境友好、绿色低毒等特点引起研究者的广泛关注。研究表明,多种微生物包括细菌、放线菌、真菌和病毒等均具有合成金纳米颗粒的能力。本文综述了微生物介导合成金纳米颗粒的特性、机制及应用,并对未来发展趋势进行了展望。     

滇西北退化高寒草甸植物群落结构对刈割的响应

为探究滇西北不同退化级别高寒草甸植物群落结构对外界干扰的响应敏感性,以香格里拉市的典型高寒草甸为研究对象,于2018-2020年在三个退化梯度上（严重退化,S1;中度退化,S2;轻度退化,S3）开展控制刈割实验,进而分析草甸植物物种丰富度、群落组成相似性、群落复杂度和关键种的变化规律。结果表明：（1）刈割后,S1的物种丰富度显著增加（P<0.05）,S2和S3的物种丰富度未发生显著变化（P>0.05）;（2）相较于S2和S3,S1梯度的植物群落组成变化最大;（3） S1、S2和S3的植物群落复杂度在刈割后均呈先下降后增加的趋势,但S1的植物群落复杂度变化幅度高于S2和S3;（4）刈割导致各退化草甸植物群落的关键种发生了变化,2018、2019和2020年S1梯度的关键种在豆科（Leguminsae）和蔷薇科（Rosaceae）之间变化,S2梯度的关键种在禾本科（Gramineae）和菊科（Compositae）之间变化,S3梯度的关键种在蔷薇科（Rosaceae）、菊科（Compositae）和禾本科（Gramineae）之间转变。研究表明,滇西北高寒草甸植物物种丰富度、群落组成和群落复杂度对外界干扰响应的敏感性可能随退化加剧而上升,但群落关键种的响应过程较复杂。     

Engineering defensin α‐helix to produce high‐affinity SARS‐CoV‐2 spike protein binding ligands

The binding of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) spike protein to the angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor expressed on the host cells is a critical initial step for viral infection. This interaction is blocked through competitive inhibition by soluble ACE2 protein. Therefore, developing high‐affinity and cost‐effective ACE2 mimetic ligands that disrupt this protein–protein interaction is a promising strategy for viral diagnostics and therapy. We employed human and plant defensins, a class of small (2–5 kDa) and highly stable proteins containing solvent‐exposed alpha‐helix, conformationally constrained by two disulfide bonds. Therefore, we engineered the amino acid residues on the constrained alpha‐helix of defensins to mimic the critical residues on the ACE2 helix 1 that interact with the SARS‐CoV‐2 spike protein. The engineered proteins (h‐deface2, p‐deface2, and p‐deface2‐MUT) were soluble and purified to homogeneity with a high yield from a bacterial expression system. The proteins demonstrated exceptional thermostability (Tm 70.7°C), high‐affinity binding to the spike protein with apparent K _d values of 54.4 ± 11.3, 33.5 ± 8.2, and 14.4 ± 3.5 nM for h‐deface2, p‐deface2, and p‐deface2‐MUT, respectively, and were used in a diagnostic assay that detected SARS‐CoV‐2 neutralizing antibodies. This work addresses the challenge of developing helical ACE2 mimetics by demonstrating that defensins provide promising scaffolds to engineer alpha‐helices in a constrained form for designing of high‐affinity ligands.