鸮形目8种鸟类线粒体DNA多态性研究

采用14种限制性内切酶,对鸮形目8种鸟类(Tyto alba、T.capensis、Otus bakkamoena、O.scops、Asio otus、A.flammeus、Strix aluco、Glaucidium cuculoides)线粒体DNA进行限制性片段长度多态分析, 结果表明:不同种间存在基因组长度多态性,短耳鸮为23.35 kb,长耳鸮为19.78 kb,斑头鸺鹠为18.62 kb,红角鸮为17.65 kb.鸮形目种间具有较高的遗传变异,其中仓鸮和草鸮的平均遗传距离为1.0%,长耳鸮和短耳鸮平均为10.8%,红角鸮和领角鸮平均为13.1%,灰林鸮和斑头鸺鹠为12.3%,其中红角鸮与斑头鸺鹠的平均遗传距离最大为17.5%.鸮形目鸟类线粒体DNA的进化速率为每百万年变化2.0%～2.2%,提示鸮形目两个科间在距今2 800～3 000万年前分歧开来,同时,鸱鸮科各种间的分歧时间在距今2 000～2 500万年前,即处于中新世中期.     

The hypocotyl chloroplast plays a role in phototropic bending of Arabidopsis seedlings: developmental and genetic evidence

Chloroplasts of guard cells and coleoptiles have been implicated in the sensory transduction of blue light. The present study was aimed at establishing whether the chloroplast of the hypocotyl from Arabidopsis, another blue light-responding organ, has similar characteristics to that of sensory-transducing guard cell and coleoptile chloroplasts. Results showed that the phototropic curvature and arch length induced by blue light in Arabidopsis seedlings matched the distribution of mature chloroplasts in the bending hypocotyl. The bending arch consistently included the region of the hypocotyl containing mature chloroplasts, and never extended beyond that region. Manipulation of the extent of greening of dark-grown hypocotyls by varying red light pretreatments elicited blue light-stimulated curvatures and arch lengths that depended on the duration of the red light pretreatment and on the distribution of mature chloroplasts in the hypocotyl. Albino psd2 mutants of Arabidopsis, which lack mature chloroplasts, are devoid of phototropic sensitivity under conditions in which wild-type seedlings show large curvatures. The star mutant of Arabidopsis has a delayed greening and a delayed phototropic response as compared with wild type. Measurements of photosynthetic oxygen evolution and carbon fixation, dark respiration, and light-dependent zeaxanthin formation in the hypocotyl showed features similar to those of guard cells and coleoptiles, and distinctly different from those of mesophyll tissue. These results indicate that the hypocotyl chloroplast has characteristics similar to those associated with guard cell and coleoptile chloroplasts, and that phototropic bending of Arabidopsis hypocotyls appears to require mature chloroplasts.     

IKBKE protein activates Akt independent of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/PDK1/mTORC2 and the pleckstrin homology domain to sustain malignant transformation

Serine/threonine kinase Akt regulates key cellular processes such as cell growth, proliferation, and survival. Activation of Akt by mitogenic factor depends on phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K). Here, we report that IKBKE (also known as IKKε and IKKi) activates Akt through a PI3K-independent pathway. IKBKE directly phosphorylates Akt-Thr308 and Ser473 independent of the pleckstrin homology (PH) domain. IKBKE activation of Akt was not affected by inhibition of PI3K, knockdown of PDK1 or mTORC2 complex. Further, this activation could be inhibited by Akt inhibitors MK-2206 and GSK690693 but not the compounds (perifosine and triciribine) targeting the PH domain of Akt. Expression of IKBKE largely correlates with activation of Akt in breast cancer. Moreover, inhibition of Akt suppresses IKBKE oncogenic transformation. These findings indicate that IKBKE is an Akt-Thr308 and -Ser473 kinase and directly activates Akt independent of PI3K, PDK1, and mTORC2 as well as PH domain. Our data also suggest that Akt inhibitors targeting the PH domain have no effect on the tumors in which hyperactive Akt resulted from elevated IKBKE.     

Transformation of Saussurea involucrata by Agrobacterium rhizogenes: Hairy root induction and syringin production

Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated genetic transformation of Saussurea involucrata was investigated. Four bacterial strains, A4, LBA 9402, R1000 and R1601 and three explant types, leaf blade, petiole and root, were examined. Over 100 hairy root lines were successfully established with strains R1601, R1000 and LBA9402, but none with A4. The highest transformation efficiency of 67% was achieved by using strain R1601 with root explants. One hairy root line isolated from this combination, HR1601-1, produced up to 43.5 ± 1.13 mg syringin g⁻¹ dw, which is about 50-fold higher than that in the wild type plants.Two other lines, HR1000-1 and HRLBA9402-1, isolated from R1000- and LBA9402-transformed roots, respectively, also displayed high capacity of syringin production, being 32.5 ± 3.08 and 39.7 ± 1.37 mg syringin g⁻¹ dw. These three lines were characterized in detail. Polymerase chain reaction analyses confirmed these root lines were of A. rhizogenes origin.     

Preliminary results on nematicidal activity from culture filtrates of Basidiomycetes against the pine wood nematode,Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Aphelenchoididae)

One hundred and eighty one fungal species that were isolated from the fresh fruiting bodies collected in the Mountains of Pu Er County of Yunnan Province, China were tested on the pine wood nematode,Bursaphelenchus xylophilus in vitro. Each fungal species was grown in Czapek broth and potato dextrose broth (PDB). Fifteen filtrates fromAmauroderma austrosinense, Amauroderma macer, Filoboletus sp.,Laccaria tortilis, Lactarius gerardii, Lentinula edodes, Oudemansiella longipes, Oudemansiella mucida, Peziza sp.,Pleurotus sp.,Sinotermitomyces carnosus (two strains),Strobilomyces floccopus, Termitomyces albuminosus, Tylopilus striatulus grown on PDB were found to be pathogenic to the tested nematodes. Eleven filtrates fromAmanita junguillea, Amanita sp.,Daedalea sepiaria, Fistulina hepatica, Omphalotus olearius, Oudemansiella mucida, Peziza sp.,Pleurotus pulmatus, Ramaria sp.,Tricholoma conglobatum, Tylopilus striatulus grown on Czapek broth were also pathogenic to the nematodes. When screening for nematicidal potential of fungi, it is important to study the growth medium conditions necessary to obtain the optimal nematicidal effect as fungal filtrates growing on different liquid media showed a very inconsistent toxicity towards nematodes.     

小兴安岭凉水典型阔叶红松林动态监测样地:物种组成与群落结构

阔叶红松(Pinus koraiensis)林是我国东北东部山区的地带性顶极植被,按其群落特征和物种组成可分为南部红松林、典型红松林和北部红松林。依照BCI(Barro Colorado Island)50ha样地的技术规范,作者于2005年在典型红松林分布的黑龙江凉水国家级自然保护区建立了一块9ha的固定监测样地,并于2010年对样地内胸径≥1cm的木本植物进行了全面调查。结果表明,样地内的木本植物共有48种,独立个体数为21,355株(包括分枝数为34,021棵),隶属于20科34属。绝大部分种类属于长白山区系小兴安岭亚系,同时混生有一些亚热带成分。样地内所有个体的径级分布呈倒"J"型,群落自我更新良好。林冠层、亚冠层和中间层的径级分布均呈倒"J"型,林下层呈"L"型。主要树种大青杨(Populus ussuriensis)、红松、枫桦(Betula costata)、水曲柳(Fraxinus mandshurica)、红皮云杉(Piceakoraiensis)等的径级结构可分为近似于"正态"型、倒"J"型和"L"型3种类型。主要树种在样地的空间分布大多呈聚集分布,但大部分物种随着径级的增加聚集程度变小。树种分布与地形紧密关联,不同物种在不同径级表现出对生境有不同的偏好;红松和紫椴(Tilia amurensis)各径级的分布均与地形显著相关(P<0.05),而冷杉(Abies nephro-lepis)、花楷槭(Acer ukurunduense)、裂叶榆(Ulmus laciniata)、色木槭(Acer mono)的径级I(DBH<10cm)、II(10cm≤DBH<30cm)和枫桦、青楷槭(Acer tegmentosum)的径级I的分布与地形显著相关(P<0.05),且随着径级的增加,地形因子对其分布的影响显著减小。     

Enhanced nitrite build-up in proportion to increasing alklinity/NH4+ ratio of influent in biofilm reactor

When the alkalinity/NH₄ ⁺ratio increased from 4.1 to 9.4, the ammonium removal rate increased from 45 to 90 mg NO_x-N l^–1 h^–1. An increase in alkalinity/NH₄ ⁺ratio was a major reason for higher pH and free ammonia (FA) concentration in the reactor. The high concentration of FA showed a selective inhibition for Nitrobacter, which caused enhanced nitrite build-up in a biofilm reactor.     

Murine coronavirus requires lipid rafts for virus entry and cell-cell fusion but not for virus release

Thorp and Gallagher first reported that depletion of cholesterol inhibited virus entry and cell-cell fusion of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV), suggesting the importance of lipid rafts in MHV replication (E. B. Thorp and T. M. Gallagher, J. Virol. 78:2682-2692, 2004). However, the MHV receptor is not present in lipid rafts, and anchoring of the MHV receptor to lipid rafts did not enhance MHV infection; thus, the mechanism of lipid rafts involvement is not clear. In this study, we defined the mechanism and extent of lipid raft involvement in MHV replication. We showed that cholesterol depletion by methyl beta-cyclodextrin or filipin did not affect virus binding but reduced virus entry. Furthermore, MHV spike protein bound to nonraftraft membrane at 4 degrees C but shifted to lipid rafts at 37 degrees C, indicating a redistribution of membrane following virus binding. Thus, the lipid raft involvement in MHV entry occurs at a step following virus binding. We also found that the viral spike protein in the plasma membrane of the infected cells was associated with lipid rafts, whereas that in the Golgi membrane, where MHV matures, was not. Moreover, the buoyant density of the virion was not changed when MHV was produced from the cholesterol-depleted cells, suggesting that MHV does not incorporate lipid rafts into the virion. These results indicate that MHV release does not involve lipid rafts. However, MHV spike protein has an inherent ability to associate with lipid rafts. Correspondingly, cell-cell fusion induced by MHV was retarded by cholesterol depletion, consistent with the association of the spike protein with lipid rafts in the plasma membrane. These findings suggest that MHV entry requires specific interactions between the spike protein and lipid rafts, probably during the virus internalization step.