平茬措施对天然沙冬青生理特性的影响

沙冬青(Ammopiptanthus mongolicus(Maxim.)Cheng f.)是我国二级珍稀濒危植物,由于自然条件的不断恶化使这一古老残遗物种种群受到威胁。本文以西鄂尔多斯国家级自然保护区内生长的天然沙冬青为材料,对平茬后经过3年恢复生长的萌蘖灌丛和未平茬的沙冬青灌丛的地上部生物量、叶片相对含水量(RWC)、叶水势(WPB)、净光合速率(Pn)、蒸腾速率(Tr)、水分利用效率(WUE)、气孔导度(Gs)和胞间CO2浓度(Ci)等指标进行了测定,并对平茬处理的各项生理指标变化进行了研究。结果显示:平茬后的沙冬青萌蘖灌丛经过3年的生长能恢复到平茬前的生物量;平茬与未平茬(对照)沙冬青叶片相对含水量差异不显著(P0.05),但平茬后的沙冬青叶水势日间(7∶00-19∶00)均显著高于对照(P0.05);平茬与未平茬沙冬青日间净光合速率、蒸腾速率均出现两个高峰值,且均有"午休"现象,平茬后的沙冬青萌蘖丛Pn日均值比对照升高了15.73%、Tr日均值比对照升高了15.57%、WUE日均值比对照升高了13.92%(P0.05);Gs日均值比对照也有所上升,且与Pn、Tr的变化趋势基本一致,但Ci的变化趋势与Gs、Pn和Tr相反。说明平茬处理对增加地上部生物量、提高其生理指标均有明显作用,能提高沙冬青潜在的生产力。     

性诱剂和黄板对设施蔬菜烟粉虱诱集效果的比较

【背景】烟粉虱是设施茄果类蔬菜上的重要害虫。【方法】在温室辣椒和黄瓜田中,研究3种方式(悬挂性诱剂、黄板和性诱剂+黄板)对烟粉虱的诱集作用。【结果】性诱剂和黄板对烟粉虱均有较好的诱杀效果,在黄瓜田悬挂性诱剂和黄板4 h后,性诱剂、黄板、性诱剂+黄板上分别诱集到烟粉虱成虫13.80、7.40和31.20头;随着悬挂时间的延长,诱虫量逐渐增多,悬挂24 h后,3种方式的诱集量分别达到32.20、31.80和52.80头。在48 h以内,性诱剂诱虫量明显多于黄板,但48 h后黄板上的诱集量明显多于性诱剂。对黄瓜上残留成虫的性比调查发现,诱集处理24 h后,悬挂性诱剂和性诱剂+黄板的黄瓜上烟粉虱性比分别为4.05∶1和3.31∶1,而悬挂黄板的黄瓜上烟粉虱性比接近1∶1。不论是性诱剂还是黄板,1 d中以10:00~14:00之间对烟粉虱的诱集量最大。性诱剂不同悬挂高度对烟粉虱的诱集效果不同,在辣椒田,性诱剂白板的下端与辣椒顶部冠层叶相平时对烟粉虱的诱集量显著多于白板下端高出辣椒顶部冠层叶上部10 cm与50 cm的处理。诱集处理4 d后,性诱剂、黄板和性诱剂+黄板对蔬菜烟粉虱的校正防效分别为68.18%、60.42%和77.40%。【结论与意义】性诱剂对烟粉虱雄虫有强烈的专性诱集作用,黄板和性诱剂联用对烟粉虱的诱集具有明显的增效作用。     

Experimental Pathogenicity of a Clinical Isolate of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trichosporon dermatis</Emphasis> in a Murine Model

The pathogenicity of Trichosporon dermatis isolated from skin lesions of a patient has been examined in mice. Balb/c mice were treated with two intraperitoneal injections of 100 mg/kg cyclophosphamide on days 4 and 1 and one subcutaneous injection of 10 mg/kg dexamethasone on day 1 pre-inoculation, and then challenged with 0.2 ml T. dermatis inoculum (1 × 10⁸ CFU/ml) by topical application on an abrasive wound in the dermabrasive group and by hypodermic injection in the subcutaneous group. In the intravenous group, 0.2 ml of high (1 × 10⁸ CFU/ml) or low (1 × 10⁷ CFU/ml) inoculum was injected into the tail vein. Histopathology and inverse fungal culture were performed on the skin lesion and viscera, and renal fungal burden was also determined. Inoculated sites developed localized infections after dermabrasive and subcutaneous challenge in all mice, but the maximum area of skin lesions, and number of positive cultures from the lesions, were higher for immunocompromised mice. In the intravenous group, all immunocompetent animals survived during the four-week period, whereas 100 and 70% of immunocompromised animals died by 3 and 5 days in the high and low-inoculum groups, respectively. The incidence of disseminated infection and the renal fungal burden of immunocompromised mice were higher than those of immunocompetent mice. Our results demonstrate that subcutaneous and intravenous injection of T. dermatis can successfully establish cutaneous and systemic infection models in immunocompromised mice, with the kidney and lung being most susceptible.     

毛缺沟姬蜂雌性内生殖器官的结构及其发育

报道了毛缺沟姬蜂Lissonota setosa(Geoffroy)成虫雌性内生殖器官的结构及其发育的系统观察结果.雌性成虫内生殖器官包括一对卵巢、两条侧输卵管、一条中输卵管、一个受精囊和一个附腺.成虫期卵巢生长速度随日龄是先加快后变慢.成虫期内其它生殖器官一般随日龄的增长而增大,达到一定程度后基本保持稳定.     

Nitric oxide and ATP-sensitive potassium channels mediate lipopolysaccharide-induced depression of central respiratory-like activity in brain slices

Infection may result in early abnormalities in respiratory movement, and the mechanism may involve central and peripheral factors. Peripheral mechanisms include lung injury and alterations in electrolytes and body temperature, but the central mechanisms remain unclear. In the present study, brainstem slices harvested from rats were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide at different doses. Central respiratory activities as demonstrated by electrophysiological activity of the hypoglossal rootlets were examined and the mechanisms were investigated by inhibiting nitric oxide synthase and ATP-sensitive potassium channels. As a result, 0.5 μg/ml lipopolysaccharide mainly caused inhibitory responses in both the frequency and the output intensity, while 5 μg/ml lipopolysaccharide caused an early frequency increase followed by delayed decreases in both the frequency and the output intensity. At both concentrations the inhibitory responses were fully reversed by inhibition of nitric oxide synthase with Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (20 μM), and by inhibition of ATP- sensitive potassium channels with glybenclamide (100 μM). These results show that direct lipopolysaccharide challenge altered central respiratory activity in dose- and time- related manners. Nitric oxide synthase and ATP-sensitive potassium channels may be involved in the respiratory changes.     

Probing the structural requirements of A-type Aurora kinase inhibitors using 3D-QSAR and molecular docking analysis

Aurora-A, the most widely studied isoform of Aurora kinase overexpressed aberrantly in a wide variety of tumors, has been implicated in early mitotic entry, degradation of natural tumor suppressor p53 and centrosome maturation and separation; hence, potent inhibitors of Aurora-A may be therapeutically useful drugs in the treatment of various forms of cancer. Here, we report an in silico study on a group of 220 reported Aurora-A inhibitors with six different substructures. Three-dimensional quantitative structure–activity relationship (3D-QSAR) studies were carried out using comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA) techniques on this series of molecules. The resultant optimum 3D-QSAR models exhibited an r _cv² value of 0.404-0.582 and their predictive ability was validated using an independent test set, ending in r _pred² 0.512-0.985. In addition, docking studies were employed to explore these protein–inhibitor interactions at the molecular level. The results of 3D-QSAR and docking analyses validated each other, and the key structural requirements affecting Aurora-A inhibitory activities, and the influential amino acids involved were identified. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on 3D-QSAR modeling of Aurora-A inhibitors, and the results can be used to accurately predict the binding affinity of related analogues and also facilitate the rational design of novel inhibitors with more potent biological activities.     

Clara cell 10-kDa protein gene transfection inhibits NF-κB activity in airway epithelial cells

Background

Clara cell 10-kDa protein (CC10) is a multifunctional protein with anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. Induction of CC10 expression by gene transfection may possess potential therapeutic effect. Nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) plays a key role in the inflammatory processes of airway diseases.

Method/Results

To investigate potential therapeutic effect of CC10 gene transfection in controlling airway inflammation and the underlying intracellular mechanisms, in this study, we constructed CC10 plasmid and transfected it into bronchial epithelial cell line BEAS-2B cells and CC10 knockout mice. In BEAS-2B cells, CC10''s effect on interleukin (IL)-1β induced IL-8 expression was explored by means of RT-PCR and ELISA and its effect on NF-κB classical signaling pathway was studied by luciferase reporter, western blot, and immunoprecipitation assay. The effect of endogenous CC10 on IL-1β evoked IL-8 expression was studied by means of nasal explant culture. In mice, CC10''s effect on IL-1β induced IL-8 and nuclear p65 expression was examined by immunohistochemistry. First, we found that the CC10 gene transfer could inhibit IL-1β induced IL-8 expression in BEAS-2B cells. Furthermore, we found that CC10 repressed IL-1β induced NF-κB activation by inhibiting the phosphorylation of IκB-α but not IκB kinase-α/β in BEAS-2B cells. Nevertheless, we did not observe a direct interaction between CC10 and p65 subunit in BEAS-2B cells. In nasal explant culture, we found that IL-1β induced IL-8 expression was inversely correlated with CC10 levels in human sinonasal mucosa. In vivo study revealed that CC10 gene transfer could attenuate the increase of IL-8 and nuclear p65 staining in nasal epithelial cells in CC10 knockout mice evoked by IL-1β administration.

Conclusion

These results indicate that CC10 gene transfer may inhibit airway inflammation through suppressing the activation of NF-κB, which may provide us a new consideration in the therapy of airway inflammation.     

马铃薯抗晚疫病基因Rpi-blb2的LRR区域多态性及分子进化分析

马铃薯抗晚疫病基因Rpi-blb2是来源于马铃薯野生种Solanum bulbocastanum中的一个具有广谱抗性的NBS-LRR类抗病基因。文章用PCR的方法从20个高抗晚疫病的马铃薯栽培种和20个高感晚疫病的马铃薯栽培种以及7个马铃薯野生种中克隆了Rpi-blb2基因的LRR区段。采用生物信息学方法对这些序列的相似性、多态性位点、核酸多样性指数等参数进行了分析,发现Rpi-blb2的LRR区域在核酸水平上变异程度很高,而且存在多处热点突变位点;通过对该区域的Ka/Ks值进行估算,发现Rpi-blb2的LRR区域总体上受到纯化选择,功能保守,但是LRR区域的不同部位所受到的选择压力却不尽相同。同时,从核酸水平来看,Rpi-blb2基因的LRR区域在马铃薯栽培种和马铃薯野生种之间没有发现明显的分化。