长江口九段沙湿地大型底栖动物群落结构的季节变化规律

2004年11月至2005年10月,调查了长江口九段沙湿地大型底栖动物群落特征的季节变化及其土壤因子影响,共调查到大型底栖动物30种,主要由甲壳动物、环节动物、软体动物及昆虫幼体组成,光滑狭口螺(Stenothyra glabra)、堇拟沼螺(Assiminea violacea)、焦河蓝蛤 (Potamocorbula ustulata)、中国绿螂 (Glaucomya chinensis)和谭氏泥蟹(Ilyrplax deschampsi)为优势种,且生物密度四季变化明显.春季大型底栖动物生物密度和生物量处于最高水平,多样性指数最高.夏季密度和生物量最低,物种多样性也较低,分布较不均匀.秋、冬季生物种类数与生物量差异不显著,生物密度冬季较秋季高.春、夏、秋季底栖动物种类数、密度和生物量均未与土壤因子达到显著相关水平.冬季土壤湿度与有机质含量与底栖动物密度显著相关.     

The management effectiveness of protected areas in Kenya

Merely designating new and/or expanding existing protected areas (PAs) does not guarantee the protection of critical ecosystems and species. The management of PAs must be effective to sustain meaningful conservational outcomes. We inferred the management effectiveness of PAs in Kenya based on the representation of ranges and distribution of multiple diversity dimensions of terrestrial mammals and their association with governance and designation types. We hypothesized that different governance types underlie variable management efficacies, such that stricter-managed PAs have better habitats that attract more wildlife, translating to higher species diversity compared to less strictly-managed PAs, especially for focal species groups (large carnivores, large herbivores, and endangered species). The results showed nearly all terrestrial mammals in Kenya represented in at least one PA. However, the relative proportion of represented ranges were low, and analysis of spatial conservation prioritization showed significant expansion beyond current PAs needed to achieve a one third coverage of focal species’ ranges in a best-solution reserve system. Differences in PA governance and designation types were not systematically associated with diversity variances, and while there were more unique species in state-managed PAs than in privately-managed ones, averaged diversity coefficients were comparable between categories. Diversity variances explained by PA size and status year were low in a combined species pool but increased in focal species groups. These findings suggest that success in terrestrial mammal conservation in PAs in Kenya require clearly and formally streamlined definition, performance feedback, and collaboration terms between state-managed and privately-managed PAs.

     

Signals of seminal vesicle autoantigen suppresses bovine serum albumin-induced capacitation in mouse sperm

Capacitation is the prerequisite process for sperm to gain the ability for successful fertilization. Unregulated capacitation will cause sperm to undergo a spontaneous acrosome reaction and then fail to fertilize an egg. Seminal plasma is thought to have the ability to suppress sperm capacitation. However, the mechanisms by which seminal proteins suppress capacitation have not been well understood. Recently, we demonstrated that a major seminal vesicle secretory protein, seminal vesicle autoantigen (SVA), is able to suppress bovine serum albumin (BSA)-induced mouse sperm capacitation. To further identify the mechanism of SVA action, we determine the molecular events associated with SVA suppression of BSA's activity. In this communication, we demonstrate that SVA suppresses the BSA-induced increase of intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i), intracellular pH (pH(i)), the cAMP level, PKA activity, protein tyrosine phosphorylation, and capacitation in mouse sperm. Besides, we also found that the suppression ability of SVA against BSA-induced protein tyrosine phosphorylation and capacitation could be reversed by dbcAMP (a cAMP agonist).     

鱼类染色体组操作的研究 Ⅱ.静水压处理和静水压与冷休克结合处理诱导水晶彩鲫四倍体

采用静水压处理和静水压与冷休克结合处理两种方法进行了抑制第一次卵裂诱导水晶彩鲫四倍体的研究。水晶彩鯽受精卵在受精后(发育水温14—15℃)50、54、55和60min时的静水压(650kg/cm~2)处理(3min)组中都出现了四倍化胚胎,而在受精后48和48min以前的相同处理组中都没有观察到四倍化胚胎。在受精后(发育水温16-18℃)48、50、52、55、56和60min时的静水压与冷休克结合处理组中,也都出现了四倍化胚胎,且四倍化率比仅用静水压处理高,但存活率更低。在经过处理而发育形成的胚胎中,既有四倍体、次四倍体和4n/2n嵌合体,也有二倍体和次二倍体,并在一些次二倍体和次四倍体中期相中还观察到休克处理致使染色体断裂的痕迹——染色体片段。在抑制卵裂诱发加倍的效应期内,可能存在瞬间对休克耐受性较强的时期,而在此前后,对休克更为敏感。在少数处理组中,已筛选出了数尾四倍体鱼。文中还对鱼类四倍体的诱导技术、抑制卵裂诱发染色体组加倍的效应期以及四倍化胚胎的存活率和生命力等有关问题进行了分析和讨论。     

生物和非生物逆境胁迫下的植物系统信号

复杂多变的自然环境使植物进化出许多适应策略, 其中由局部胁迫引起的系统响应广泛存在, 精细调节植物的生长发育和环境适应能力。植物系统响应的诱导因素首先引起植物从局部到全株范围的信号转导, 这类信号称为系统信号。当受到外界刺激时, 植物首先在受刺激细胞内触发化学信号分子的变化, 如茉莉酸和水杨酸甲酯等在浓度和信号强度方面发生变化; 进而, 伴随着一系列复杂的信号转换, 多种信号组分共同完成系统响应的激活。植物激素、小分子肽和RNA等被认为是缓慢系统信号通路中的关键组分, 而目前也有大量研究阐释了由活性氧、钙信号和电信号相互偶联组成的快速系统信号通路。植物系统信号对其生存和繁衍至关重要, 其精确的转导机制仍值得深入研究。该文综述了植物响应环境的系统信号转导研究进展, 对关键的系统信号组分及其转导机制进行了总结, 同时对植物系统信号传递的研究方向进行了展望。     

A matter of life and death: Molecular,physiological, and environmental regulation of seed longevity

Both seed germination and early seedling establishment are important biological processes in a plant's lifecycle. Seed longevity is a key trait in agriculture, which directly influences seed germination and ultimately determines crop productivity and hence food security. Numerous studies have demonstrated that seed deterioration is regulated by complex interactions between diverse endogenous genetically controlled factors and exogenous environmental cues, including temperature, relative humidity, and oxygen partial pressure during seed storage. The endogenous factors, including the chlorophyll concentration, the structure of the seed coat, the balance of phytohormones, the concentration of reactive oxygen species, the integrity of nucleic acids and proteins and their associated repair systems, are also involved in the control of seed longevity. A precise understanding of the regulatory mechanisms underlying seed longevity is becoming a hot topic in plant molecular biology. In this review, we describe recent research into the regulation of seed longevity and the interactions between the various environmental and genetic factors. Based on this, the current state-of-play regarding seed longevity regulatory networks will be presented, particularly with respect to agricultural seed storage, and the research challenges to be faced in the future will be discussed.     

生物法合成肠炎沙门菌糖蛋白北大核心CSCD

肠炎沙门菌(Salmonella enteritidis)是一种重要的人兽共患病原菌,在对该菌感染的预防与控制上一直存在困难,而糖蛋白疫苗的出现为其预防提供了新的思路。对于糖蛋白的合成,一般采用传统的化学交联方法,该法制备流程烦琐、生产成本高。因此,探索经济且稳定的生物合成方法非常必要。为了实现生物法合成肠炎沙门菌糖蛋白,本研究利用CRISPR/Cas9方法构建肠炎沙门菌waa L基因缺失株SEΔwaa L,使用银染的方法检测细菌外膜脂多糖(lipopolysaccharide,LPS)的合成情况。使用环形PCR方法构建了表达寡糖转移酶PglL、重组铜绿假单胞菌的外毒素(recombinant Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A,r EPA)和霍乱毒素B亚单位(cholera toxin B subunit,CTB)的表达质粒,并分别在rEPA的N端和CTB的C端加入了PilE;糖基化位点序列。将重组质粒转化到SE ΔwaaL中,诱导表达后通过Western blotting方法对糖蛋白的合成进行验证,并通过镍柱(Ni-NTA)对糖蛋白进行纯化。结果表明,waaL基因的缺失阻断了肠炎沙门菌LPS正常合成,在该缺失株中rEPA和CTB蛋白均可成功表达。此外,在表达寡糖转移酶PglL的情况下,rEPA和CTB发生了明显的糖基化,其糖基化部分为肠炎沙门菌O抗原多糖。本研究结果证明肠炎沙门菌缺失waaL基因后,在寡糖转移酶PglL的作用下可以将自身O抗原多糖链共价连接到载体蛋白rEPA和CTB上,形成糖蛋白,为生物法合成肠炎沙门菌糖蛋白的研究奠定了基础。