Gut microbiome helps honeybee (Apis mellifera) resist the stress of toxic nectar plant (Bidens pilosa) exposure: Evidence for survival and immunity

Honeybee (Apis mellifera) ingestion of toxic nectar plants can threaten their health and survival. However, little is known about how to help honeybees mitigate the effects of toxic nectar plant poisoning. We exposed honeybees to different concentrations of Bidens pilosa flower extracts and found that B. pilosa exposure significantly reduced honeybee survival in a dose-dependent manner. By measuring changes in detoxification and antioxidant enzymes and the gut microbiome, we found that superoxide dismutase, glutathione-S-transferase and carboxylesterase activities were significantly activated with increasing concentrations of B. pilosa and that different concentrations of B. pilosa exposure changed the structure of the honeybee gut microbiome, causing a significant reduction in the abundance of Bartonella (p < 0.001) and an increase in Lactobacillus. Importantly, by using Germ-Free bees, we found that colonization by the gut microbes Bartonella apis and Apilactobacillus kunkeei (original classification as Lactobacillus kunkeei) significantly increased the resistance of honeybees to B. pilosa and significantly upregulated bee-associated immune genes. These results suggest that honeybee detoxification systems possess a level of resistance to the toxic nectar plant B. pilosa and that the gut microbes B. apis and A. kunkeei may augment resistance to B. pilosa stress by improving host immunity.     

Temporal dynamics of soil bacterial network regulate soil resistomes

Soil bacteria are diverse and form complicated ecological networks through various microbial interactions, which play important roles in soil multi-functionality. However, the seasonal effects on the bacterial network, especially the relationship between bacterial network topological features and soil resistomes remains underexplored, which impedes our ability to unveil the mechanisms of the temporal-dynamics of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Here, a field investigation was conducted across four seasons at the watershed scale. We observed significant seasonal variation in bacterial networks, with lower complexity and stability in autumn, and a wider bacterial community niche in summer. Similar to bacterial communities, the co-occurrence networks among ARGs also shift with seasonal change, particularly with respect to the topological features of the node degree, which on average was higher in summer than in the other seasons. Furthermore, the nodes with higher betweenness, stress, degree, and closeness centrality in the bacterial network showed strong relationships with the 10 major classes of ARGs. These findings highlighted the changes in the topological properties of bacterial networks that could further alter antibiotic resistance in soil. Together, our results reveal the temporal dynamics of bacterial ecological networks at the watershed scale, and provide new insights into antibiotic resistance management under environmental changes.     

High-temperature stress in crops: male sterility,yield loss and potential remedy approaches

Global food security is one of the utmost essential challenges in the 21st century in providing enough food for the growing population while coping with the already stressed environment. High temperature (HT) is one of the main factors affecting plant growth, development and reproduction and causes male sterility in plants. In male reproductive tissues, metabolic changes induced by HT involve carbohydrates, lipids, hormones, epigenetics and reactive oxygen species, leading to male sterility and ultimately reducing yield. Understanding the mechanism and genes involved in these pathways during the HT stress response will provide a new path to improve crops by using molecular breeding and biotechnological approaches. Moreover, this review provides insight into male sterility and integrates this with suggested strategies to enhance crop tolerance under HT stress conditions at the reproductive stage.     

Eu3+-activated red phosphor Ca3YAl3B4O15 with low thermal quenching behaviour

This paper reports a sequence of a Ca₃YAl₃B₄O₁₅:xEu³⁺ red phosphor prepared using a high-temperature solid-state reaction. At the excitation of 396 nm, the samples emitted intense red emission centred at ~623 nm, which could be attributed to the ⁵D₀→⁷F₂ transition of the Eu³⁺ ion. The results showed that the optimum Eu³⁺ doping concentration of Ca₃YAl₃B₄O₁₅:Eu³⁺ phosphor was x = 80 mol%, and the concentration quenching mechanism of Ca₃YAl₃B₄O₁₅:Eu³⁺ red phosphor belonged to the exchange coupling between Eu³⁺ ions. The Commission Internationale de l'éclairage (CIE) coordinates and colour purity of Ca₃Y_0.2Al₃B₄O₁₅:0.8Eu³⁺ were calculated as (0.6375, 0.3476) and 95.5%, respectively. Moreover, the red emission of the obtained phosphor Ca₃YAl₃B₄O₁₅:0.8Eu³⁺ exhibited a low thermal quenching behaviour with an intensity retention rate of 92.85% at 150°C. The above results manifest that the Eu³⁺-activated Ca₃YAl₃B₄O₁₅ phosphor is predicted to be a promising red luminescent component for white light-emitting diodes.     

NO2胁迫下三角梅叶片形态解剖结构和最优光响应模型研究

植物的形态结构和光合作用能够反映植物对城市空气污染的响应特性。探究城市道路机动车尾气中的典型污染物NO₂气体,对植物叶片的生理光合响应特性。以二年生三角梅（Bougainvillea spectabilis）幼苗为对象,利用智能化人工熏气室模拟熏气（NO₂体积分数分别为0 μL/L （自然空气）、4 μL/L,8 μL/L,记作CK、T1、T2）,观察NO₂胁迫后三角梅的叶片形态、微观结构和光合特征。结果表明：（1）通过叶片形态观察发现,与CK相比,低浓度T1组叶片变化不明显,随着NO₂气体胁迫浓度的增加,高浓度T2组叶片逐渐出现失水、叶表面有明显的水渍状或烧灼状黄色斑点。（2）通过叶片微观结构解剖发现,高浓度NO₂胁迫后气孔皱缩程度增加,气孔开度减小;叶绿体结构变形,尤其是类囊体结构疏松,膨胀等变化。（3）叶片光合特性分析发现,T1和T2组的NO₂胁迫导致光饱和点（LSP）和最大净光合速率（P_nmax）下降、光补偿点（LCP）增加,表观量子效率（AQE）和暗呼吸速率（Rd）在4种光响应模型中变化规律存在一定的差异性。（4）4种光响应模型中,CK组决定系数（R²）越高,均方根误差（RMSE）越低,精度最高,尤以叶子飘等机理模型为最优,拟合效果最好,其次是直角双曲线模型。研究结果表明三角梅可通过自身的形态变化、调整光合特征参数,较好地适应不同浓度的NO₂,尤其是高浓度急性胁迫下,该研究结果有助于促进不同道路绿地三角梅的推广应用,对探究三角梅的景观效益和生态效益,揭示其对环境异质性的适应机制具有重要意义。     

生物可降解塑料单体二元羧酸的生物合成研究进展北大核心CSCD

塑料是最重要的聚合物材料之一,需求量巨大,但存在处理困难、污染大等缺点。环境友好型的生物可降解塑料有望成为目前塑料的替代品,以满足社会各界对于塑料制品日益增长的需求。二元羧酸是生物可降解塑料中重要的单体之一,可降解性强,应用广泛,并且可以通过全生物法合成。因此,本文重点选取了几种比较有代表性的二元羧酸,总结它们的生物合成途径以及其代谢改造手段,以期为中长链等复杂二元羧酸的生物法合成提供借鉴。     

大鼠肾髓质活体微循环及观察方法

采用肾乳头暴露方法活体观察Sprague-Dawley大鼠肾髓质微循环。结果发现:正常成年大鼠肾乳头可暴露1.1±0.5mm; 乳头表面直血管数29.8±6.3;升、降支比例3.4:1。升支平均直径13.68±6.13μm,降支10.8±2.57μm。肾乳头连续暴露观察10h,其微循环未发生明显病理性改变。说明这一方法可以用于肾髓质微循环活体研究。     

Antibacterial Activity and Mechanisms of Ethanol Extracts from <i>Scutellaria baicalensis</i> Georgi and <i>Magnolia officinalis</i> against <i>Phytophthora nicotianae</i>

Phytophthora nicotianae causes substantial economic losses in most countries where tobacco is produced. At present, the control of P. nicotianae mainly depends on chemical methods, with considerable environmental and health issues. We investigated the effects of ethanol extracts from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (SBG) and Magnolia officinalis (MO). On mycelial growth, sporangium formation, and zoospore release of P. nicotianae. Both extracts inhibited the growth of P. nicotianae, with mycelial growth inhibition rates of 88.92% and 93.92%, respectively, at 40 mg/mL, and EC50 values of 5.39 and 5.74 mg/mL, respectively. The underlying mechanisms were the inhibition of sporangium formation, the reduction of zoospore number, and the destruction of the mycelium structure. At an SBG extract concentration of 16.17 mg/mL, the inhibition rates for sporangia and zoospores were 98.66% and 99.39%, respectively. At an MO extract concentration of 2.87 mg/mL, the production of sporangia and zoospores was completely inhibited. The hyphae treated with the two plant extracts showed different degrees of deformation and damage. Hyphae treated with SBG extract showed adhesion and local swelling, whereas treatment with MO extract resulted in broken hyphae. Mixture of the extracts resulted in a good synergistic effect.