A protein–protein interaction map reveals that the Coxiella burnetii effector CirB inhibits host proteasome activity

Coxiella burnetii is the etiological agent of the zoonotic disease Q fever, which is featured by its ability to replicate in acid vacuoles resembling the lysosomal network. One key virulence determinant of C. burnetii is the Dot/Icm system that transfers more than 150 effector proteins into host cells. These effectors function to construct the lysosome-like compartment permissive for bacterial replication, but the functions of most of these effectors remain elusive. In this study, we used an affinity tag purification mass spectrometry (AP-MS) approach to generate a C. burnetii-human protein-protein interaction (PPI) map involving 53 C. burnetii effectors and 3480 host proteins. This PPI map revealed that the C. burnetii effector CBU0425 (designated CirB) interacts with most subunits of the 20S core proteasome. We found that ectopically expressed CirB inhibits hydrolytic activity of the proteasome. In addition, overexpression of CirB in C. burnetii caused dramatic inhibition of proteasome activity in host cells, while knocking down CirB expression alleviated such inhibitory effects. Moreover, we showed that a region of CirB that spans residues 91–120 binds to the proteasome subunit PSMB5 (beta 5). Finally, PSMB5 knockdown promotes C. burnetii virulence, highlighting the importance of proteasome activity modulation during the course of C. burnetii infection.     

三江源牧户参与草地生态保护的意愿

牧民对环境保护的响应是生态保护战略有效实施的关键,主体参与意愿直接影响生态保护项目实施的成效和可持续性,是区域生态经济可持续发展的前提。通过对三江源地区约283户藏族牧民通过翻译进行结构式访谈,采用Logistic模型从主体角度探讨了牧户愿意参与生态保护行为响应的主要影响因素。结果表明:(1)三江源区域约87%的牧户认为生态保护对牧户有好处,但受各种内外部因素的影响只有近70%的牧户是在政府主导下基于有限理性而被动的参与生态保护行为响应。(2)三江源牧户参与生态保护行为响应的意愿主要受当地政府的保护力度及牧户对生态保护外部性的认知水平、生计水平、外界接触程度、工作机会的正影响,并受牧户的年龄、离中心城镇的距离和区域气候恶劣情况等因素的负影响,系数依次为:2.22、3.98、1.93、2.26、1.48、-1.63、-2.43、-0.92。(3)牧户的生计水平、退化感知和外部性认知是影响三江源牧户参与生态保护意愿的关键因素,牧户参与生态保护意愿的概率不仅仅是牧户出于自身利益和未知风险考虑下被动的响应,更是当地政府的环境知识宣传和保护投入影响下个体的抉择结果。(4)创造更多的就业机会和解决牧户的单一化生计问题,构建完善地生态补偿机制让牧户分享生态保护的外部性效益,并激励牧户主动参与生态保护行为响应,才能最终实现区域生态保护、牧户幸福和生态经济可持续发展的多赢局面。     

Reconstruction of Surface Porous PEEK Decorated with Strontium-doped Calcium Phosphate Coatings for Enhancing Osteogenic Activity

The aim of this study was to reconstruct surface porous structure with hundreds of micrometers and then bio-mineralize Sr-doped Calcium Phosphate(Sr-doped CaP)o...     

基于景观生态学“源-汇”理论的市域尺度生态功能分区——以内蒙古通辽市为例

市域尺度的生态功能分区对于市域生态资源的有效保护和合理利用起着不可替代的指导作用。现阶段较为被动而静态的功能分区研究忽视了市域生态资源在城镇化发展中的剧烈变化。而景观生态学的"源-汇"概念和相关手段,将区域生态功能空间格局与不断变化的生态过程之间建立了联系,在生态功能分区科学理性的研究实践中运用前景广阔。运用景观生态学"源-汇"理论,以内蒙古通辽市为例,通过对于研究区域中"源"景观的划分,设定不同景观要素的阻力值,构建基于"源"动态特征的最小累计阻力模型,计算得出阻力面。并进一步通过寻找阻力面突变点来确定分区阈值,最终确定通辽市域尺度生态功能的5大分区,最后提出有针对性的分区管控措施与指引。研究将市域生态要素在城市化下的动态演变与生态安全格局进行有机关联并制定科学的分区策略,为市域生态空间的优化及管理提供了理论依据。     

环境因素对薇甘菊开花结实影响初探

2001—2002年度在广东东莞市选取不同的自然小生境,研究土壤肥力、土壤水分和生境郁闭度对薇甘菊(Mikania micrantha H．B．K)开花结实的影响,结果表明：土壤肥力较高,花数较多,花期较长,结实率较高,种子千粒重较大;但土壤肥力过高,虽然种子千粒重大,花期长,但花数少,结实率低。在开阔的生境中,薇甘菊花数多,花期长;在林荫处花期短,花数少,但种子千粒重反而有所升高;植株在郁闭度为10％-20％的生境中结实率最高,高于20％或低于10％结实率均有所降低,过强或过弱的光照均不利于结实。土壤湿度虽然对种子千粒重无明显影响,但对薇甘菊花数、花期和结实率的影响显著,土壤湿度大,花数多,结实率高,花期长。在自然生境中,三种因素的影响既相对独立又相互制约。     

广西北仑河口红树植物种群结构与动态特征

以广西北仑河口国家级自然保护区4种红树植物秋茄(Kandelia obovata)、桐花树(Aegiceras corniculatum)、白骨壤(Avicennia marina)和木榄(Bruguiera gymnorrhiza)为研究对象,在野外样地调查的基础上,采用高度级和大小级结构、静态生命表、存活曲线、时间序列分析和7种聚集强度指数等方法对4种红树植物的种群结构和动态进行了分析和预测,旨在阐明红树植物种群与群落的结构特征和动态变化规律以及潜在的驱动机制,为广西红树林生态系统的保护与恢复提供基础资料和科学依据。研究结果表明:木榄和秋茄种群更新良好,桐花树更新受到一定阻力,种群相对稳定,白骨壤种群更新不良,呈现明显的衰退趋势;4种红树植物种群不同龄级的存活量差别较大,存活量和生命期望一般随龄级的增加逐渐减少;白骨壤种群的存活曲线属于DeeveyⅠ型,其种群个体均能达到其平均生理寿命,木榄和秋茄种群属DeeveyⅡ型,各龄级个体具有相对一致的死亡率,而桐花树种群介于DeeveyⅠ型和DeeveyⅡ型之间,其幼龄期死亡率偏高,中龄期后死亡率逐渐接近;时间序列分析同样表明,白骨壤未来种群数量将明显降低,种群逐步衰退,桐花树未来种群数量将表现为稳中有降,而木榄和秋茄未来种群数量将趋于增加。4种红树植物不同龄级种群多呈现聚集分布,聚集强度往往随种群龄级的增加而趋于降低。上述结果表明,北仑河口4种红树植物的种群动态与群落所处演替阶段息息相关,先锋植物白骨壤种群处于较快衰退阶段,演替前中期的桐花树种群稳中有降,而演替中后期的秋茄和木榄种群出现不同程度的增长,反映出本次调查的红树林群落正处于演替的中期阶段,白骨壤和白骨壤+桐花树群丛将逐步演替为以木榄为优势种的群丛。此外,红树植物的种群动态受到自身繁殖特性、生境条件、种内和种间竞争、虫害等多种因素的调控。     

2009年第五届“现代生态学讲座”国际会议综述

"现代生态学讲座"系列会议是由国内外华人生态学家联合发起、为加强现代生态学的新理论、新观点、新方法和热点问题的交流与合作的国际会议.总结了2009年6月27～29日在兰州大学举行的第五届现代生态学讲座国际会议的全部二十五场报告,围绕"宏观生态学和可持续发展科学"的会议主题,分别从森林生态学、草地生态学、全球变化生态学、根际和土壤生态学、分子和行为生态学以及农业生态学等角度进行了分类总结.全部报告可归纳为"生态系统服务功能的物质基础"和"生态系统服务的生态学机制"两个大的基础理论问题,而解决问题的途径必须在人类-自然耦合生态系统的大框架下进行探索.对该会议的进一步改善提出了一些建议.     

Lysophosphatidic Acid Acyltransferase from Coconut Endosperm Mediates the Insertion of Laurate at the sn-2 Position of Triacylglycerols in Lauric Rapeseed Oil and Can Increase Total Laurate Levels

Expression of a California bay laurel (Umbellularia californica) 12:0-acyl-carrier protein thioesterase, bay thioesterase (BTE), in developing seeds of oilseed rape (Brassica napus) led to the production of oils containing up to 50% laurate. In these BTE oils, laurate is found almost exclusively at the sn-1 and sn-3 positions of the triacylglycerols (T.A. Voelker, T.R. Hayes, A.C. Cranmer, H.M. Davies [1996] Plant J 9: 229–241). Coexpression of a coconut (Cocos nucifera) 12:0-coenzyme A-preferring lysophosphatitic acid acyltransferase (D.S. Knutzon, K.D. Lardizabal, J.S. Nelsen, J.L. Bleibaum, H.M. Davies, J.G. Metz [1995] Plant Physiol 109: 999–1006) in BTE oilseed rape seeds facilitates efficient laurate deposition at the sn-2 position, resulting in the acccumulation of trilaurin. The introduction of the coconut protein into BTE oilseed rape lines with laurate above 50 mol % further increases total laurate levels.     

Effects of size,neighbors, and site condition on tree growth in a subtropical evergreen and deciduous broad‐leaved mixed forest,China

Successful growth of a tree is the result of combined effects of biotic and abiotic factors. It is important to understand how biotic and abiotic factors affect changes in forest structure and dynamics under environmental fluctuations. In this study, we explored the effects of initial size [diameter at breast height (DBH)], neighborhood competition, and site condition on tree growth, based on a 3‐year monitoring of tree growth rate in a permanent plot (120 × 80 m) of montane Fagus engleriana–Cyclobalanopsis multiervis mixed forest on Mt. Shennongjia, China. We measured DBH increments every 6 months from October 2011 to October 2014 by field‐made dendrometers and calculated the mean annual growth rate over the 3 years for each individual tree. We also measured and calculated twelve soil properties and five topographic variables for 384 grids of 5 × 5 m. We defined two distance‐dependent neighborhood competition indices with and without considerations of phylogenetic relatedness between trees and tested for significant differences in growth rates among functional groups. On average, trees in this mixed montane forest grew 0.07 cm year^?1 in DBH. Deciduous, canopy, and early‐successional species grew faster than evergreen, small‐statured, and late‐successional species, respectively. Growth rates increased with initial DBH, but were not significantly related to neighborhood competition and site condition for overall trees. Phylogenetic relatedness between trees did not influence the neighborhood competition. Different factors were found to influence tree growth rates of different functional groups: Initial DBH was the dominant factor for all tree groups; neighborhood competition within 5 m radius decreased growth rates of evergreen trees; and site condition tended to be more related to growth rates of fast‐growing trees (deciduous, canopy, pioneer, and early‐successional species) than the slow‐growing trees (evergreen, understory, and late‐successional species).     

蓖麻和线虫的两种不同结构脂肪酸去饱和酶的原核表达

目的:通过在原核表达系统中表达蓖麻的可溶性脂肪酸去饱和酶基因和线虫的fat-1脂肪酸去饱和酶基因,为脂肪酸去饱和酶序列结构与功能的研究奠定基础。方法:将蓖麻RCD△9脂肪酸去饱和酶和线虫fat-1脂肪酸去饱和酶基因亚克隆到大肠杆菌BL21表达载体pET32a+中,获得重组表达载体pET32a+-R9,pET32a+- F1,并通过SDS-PAGE和Western Blotting鉴定蛋白的表达情况。结果:经PCR和测序鉴定,证实两个重组质粒含有目的基因片段;SDS-PAGE和Western Blotting证实两种蛋白在大肠杆菌中获得表达,但表达量具有明显的不同;Anthepro软件对蛋白跨膜结构的分析,验证蓖麻△9脂肪酸去饱和酶和线虫fat-1脂肪酸去饱和酶在结构上的不同。结论:蓖麻的RCD脂肪酸去饱和酶和线虫的fat-1脂肪酸去饱和酶都得到了表达,但线虫fat-1脂肪酸去饱和酶表达量偏低;这可能与fat-1脂肪酸去饱和酶是一类跨膜蛋白的性质直接相关。因此,对于线虫fat-1脂肪酸去饱和酶的基于蛋白纯化的结构分析有待进一步的研究。