Soil Properties,Nutrient Dynamics,and Soil Enzyme Activities Associated with Garlic Stalk Decomposition under Various Conditions

The garlic stalk is a byproduct of garlic production and normally abandoned or burned, both of which cause environmental pollution. It is therefore appropriate to determine the conditions of efficient decomposition, and equally appropriate to determine the impact of this decomposition on soil properties. In this study, the soil properties, enzyme activities and nutrient dynamics associated with the decomposition of garlic stalk at different temperatures, concentrations and durations were investigated. Stalk decomposition significantly increased the values of soil pH and electrical conductivity. In addition, total nitrogen and organic carbon concentration were significantly increased by decomposing stalks at 40°C, with a 5∶100 ratio and for 10 or 60 days. The highest activities of sucrase, urease and alkaline phosphatase in soil were detected when stalk decomposition was performed at the lowest temperature (10°C), highest concentration (5∶100), and shortest duration (10 or 20 days). The evidence presented here suggests that garlic stalk decomposition improves the quality of soil by altering the value of soil pH and electrical conductivity and by changing nutrient dynamics and soil enzyme activity, compared to the soil decomposition without garlic stalks.     

LncRNA Bmp1 promotes the healing of intestinal mucosal lesions via the miR-128-3p/PHF6/PI3K/AKT pathway

Intestinal mucosal injuries are directly or indirectly related to many common acute and chronic diseases. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are expressed in many diseases, including intestinal mucosal injury. However, the relationship between lncRNAs and intestinal mucosal injury has not been determined. Here, we investigated the functions and mechanisms of action of lncRNA Bmp1 on damaged intestinal mucosa. We found that Bmp1 was increased in damaged intestinal mucosal tissue and Bmp1 overexpression was able to alleviate intestinal mucosal injury. Bmp1 overexpression was found to influence cell proliferation, colony formation, and migration in IEC-6 or HIEC-6 cells. Moreover, miR-128-3p was downregulated after Bmp1 overexpression, and upregulation of miR-128-3p reversed the effects of Bmp1 overexpression in IEC-6 cells. Phf6 was observed to be a target of miR-128-3p. Furthermore, PHF6 overexpression affected IEC-6 cells by activating PI3K/AKT signaling which was mediated by the miR-128-3p/PHF6 axis. In conclusion, Bmp1 was found to promote the expression of PHF6 through the sponge miR-128-3p, activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway to promote cell migration and proliferation.Subject terms: Cell growth, Cell migration     

ATPase-defective derivatives of Escherichia coli DnaK that behave differently with respect to ATP-induced conformational change and peptide release.

We have characterized the effects of the T199S, T199A, and K70A mutations on the biochemical activity and in vivo functioning of Escherichia coli DnaK. Threonine-199 is the site of autophosphorylation of DnaK, and the lysine residue of bovine Hsc70 corresponding to K70 of DnaK has been shown to be essential for the hydrolysis of ATP. The dnaK alleles T199A and K70A are completely unable, and the T199S allele is only partially able, to complement the defects of a DeltadnaK mutant. The ATPase activities of the DnaK T199A and DnaK K70A proteins are nearly abolished, while the ATPase activity of the DnaK T199S protein has a steady-state rate similar to that of wild-type DnaK. The DnaK T199S protein also retains approximately 13% of the autophosphorylation activity of wild-type DnaK, while the autophosphorylation activities of the T199A and K70A derivatives are completely abolished. All four DnaK proteins bind a model peptide substrate, and the wild-type, T199A, and T199S DnaK proteins release the peptide with similar kinetics upon the addition of ATP. The DnaK K70A protein, in contrast, does not release the peptide upon the addition of ATP. ATP induces a conformational change in the wild-type, T199A, and T199S DnaK proteins but not in the DnaK K70A protein. The T199A and K70A mutations both disrupt the ATPase activity of DnaK but have profoundly different effects on the ATP-induced conformational change and peptide release activities of DnaK, implying that the two mutations affect different steps in the functional cycle of DnaK. The DnaK T199S protein represents a new class of DnaK mutant, one which has near-normal levels of ATPase activity and undergoes an ATP-induced conformational change that results in the release of peptide but which is not able to fully complement loss of DnaK function in the cell.     

MALE PEACH APHID ATTRACTION IN THE FIELD BY SEX PHEROMONES1)

Abstract Field trials by sex pheromone of aphid to trap peach aphids Myzus persicae have been carried out in 1995 and in 1996. Suitable time and the effect of ratio of two components nepetalactone and nepetalactol to apply the lure have been observed.     

An interspecific somatic hybrid between Actinidia chinensis and Actinidia kolomikta and its chilling tolerance

Protoplasts isolated from cotyledon-derived callus of Actinidia chinensisPlanch. var. chinensis (2N=2x=58) were fused with mesophyll protoplasts of Actiniadia kolomikta(Maxim. et Rupr.) Maxim (2N=2x=58) using a PEG method. Plantlets were regenerated from the fusion product clone 11. RAPD analyses, chromosome numbers of root tip cells and fluorescence peak position of leaf nuclei confirmed that clone 11 was an interspecific somatic hybrid (2N=4x=116) between A. chinensis and A. kolomikta. The chilling tolerance of the somatic hybrid was tested with in vitro leaves at low temperatures. Based on data of leaf thickness, electroconductivity, proline levels, malondialdehyde content and activity of superoxide dismutase, dendrogram cluster analysis suggested that the interspecific somatic hybrid was similar to A. kolomikta, and might have a higher capacity of cold resistance than A. chinensis.