HAL1 mediate salt adaptation in Arabidopsis thaliana

INTRODUCTIONSalinity is a major environmental stress that isa substantial constraint to crop production both fordry land and irrigated agriculture. The detrimental impact of this stress is perpetuated and exacerbated by management practices used to facilitatehigh-output crop production. To overcome theselimitations and improve production efficiency in theface of a burgeoning world population, more salt tolerant crops must be developed. In contrast with traditional breeding, the direct ill…     

河西走廊酒泉地区盐碱土未培养放线菌多样性

采用免培养技术对河西走廊酒泉地区的原生盐碱土、次生盐碱土和农田土中的放线菌群落结构及其多样性进行分析.结果表明: 河西走廊酒泉地区原生盐碱土克隆文库分归于19个OTUs,分属于微球菌亚目、丙酸杆菌亚目、棒状杆菌亚目、弗兰克氏菌亚目、假诺卡氏菌亚目和放线菌目未知类群;次生盐碱土克隆文库分归于14个OTUs,分属于微球菌亚目、丙酸杆菌亚目和放线菌目未知类群;农田土克隆文库分归于7个OTUs,分属于微球菌亚目和棒状杆菌亚目;微球菌亚目是3种不同类型土壤中的共有种群,是原生盐碱土和农田土中的优势种群.多样性指数和稀释性曲线分析结果显示,3种不同类型土壤中放线菌种群丰富度为原生盐碱土>次生盐碱土>农田土;原生盐碱土、次生盐碱土的稀释性曲线均未趋于平稳,说明盐碱土中放线菌多样性比实际更加丰富.     

THE EXTRAORDINARY TRILOBITE FENESTRASPIS (DALMANITIDAE, SYNPHORIINAE) FROM THE LOWER DEVONIAN OF BOLIVIA

Abstract:  The hitherto poorly known, monotypic trilobite genus Fenestraspis from the Lower Devonian of Bolivia is revised and its original assignment to the Synphoriinae supported. The thoracic morphology of the genus remains very poorly known. Fenestraspis is morphologically unusual because of the development of extensive fenestrae in the pleural region of the pygidium and apparently of the thorax; the presence of upwardly directed spines on the cephalon, thorax and pygidium; and the exceptionally large and highly elevated eyes with the palpebral rim projecting outwards above the visual surface. The function of the fenestrae remains uncertain. If they formed openings in the body of the trilobite in life they may have allowed circulation of oxygenated water to the limb exites so that respiration could have been maintained while the trilobite was enrolled. If they were covered with a flexible membrane, they may have been secondary respiratory structures or had a sensory function. The Synphoriinae is regarded as a subfamily of the Dalmanitidae rather than as an independent family of the Dalmanitoidea as proposed by some authors. The type species of the poorly known monotypic genus Dalmanitoides from the Lower Devonian of Argentina is illustrated photographically for the first time and compared with Fenestraspis .     

Structure, function, and motility of vacuoles in filamentous fungi

Current information on the structure and function of motile tubular vacuoles in Pisolithus tinctorius and other fungi is reviewed. The use of fluorochromes to label the vacuole lumen is evaluated and observations on the structure and motility of vacuoles in P. tinctorius are differentiated from possible artifacts. The styryl dyes FM4-64 and MDY-64, used in yeast to demonstrate endocytosis, show little or no labeling of internal membranes in undamaged P. tinctorius cells. This agrees with our data showing that other probes for endocytosis such as Lucifer yellow CH are not taken up by hyphal tip cells. Overall, the observations do not support endocytosis in hyphal tips. It has been suggested that tubular vacuole systems carry out longitudinal transport, and evidence in favor of this hypothesis is evaluated. New data are presented to show that many of the large vacuoles in subapical cells are attached to the plasma membrane and are relatively immobile, while video sequences show movement of fluorochrome in pulses along a series of several large vacuoles, all interconnected via tubules. Tubular vacuoles from thick sections of hyphae processed under anhydrous conditions are shown by X-ray microanalysis to contain relatively high levels of P and K, as seen previously in the larger vacuoles. These results provide further evidence for a role of the tubular vacuoles in longitudinal transport of P. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.     

The effects of Anabaena spiroides (Cyanophyceae) exopolysaccharide on copper toxicity to Simocephalus serrulatus (Cladocera, Daphnidae)

1. This work investigated the consumption of a microalgal (Anabaena spiroides) exopolysaccharide by the cladoceran Simocephalus serrulatus (Cladocera, Daphnidae) and its effect on copper toxicity. 2. Total organic carbon concentration was used to quantify the microalgal exopolysaccharide. Both copper‐complexed exopolysaccharides and copper‐free exopolysaccharides were taken up by S. serrulatus. 3. A reduction of free copper ions was obtained in the presence of A. spiroides exopolysaccharide. Copper toxicity (EC₅₀) and zooplankton concentrations were inversely correlated to exopolysaccharide concentration in experimental media. 4. An increase of free copper ions in experimental media was obtained after exopolysaccharide consumption, suggesting that S. serrulatus excreted copper to the surrounding environment.     

浙江天童国家森林公园常绿阔叶林主要组成种的种群结构及更新类型

 以浙江天童国家森林公园常绿阔叶林为对象,应用永久样方法和每木调查法调查了群落种类组成和结构,并对主要组成种的种群结构进行了分析。依据胸径级频率分布的形状,将各树种的种群结构归纳为5种类型,并结合生物学、生态学特征,分别讨论了其更新类型,同时对调查群落所处的演替阶段进行了诊断。结果表明：1）群落为6种共优势群落,出现木本植物69种。2）种群结构为单峰型的马尾松（Pinus massoniana）、枫香（Liquidambar formosana）和檫木（Sassafras tzumu）等为阳性高大乔木,无正常更新能力,更新类型是先锋群落优势种或是顶极性先锋种;间歇型的木荷（Schima superba）、黑山山矾（Symplocos heishanensis）和红楠（Machilus thunbergii）等为具有耐荫性的常绿阔叶树种,更新具有波动性和机会性,是演替系列或顶极群落优势种;逆-J字型的米槠（Castanopsis carlesii）、栲树（Castanopsis fargesii）和长叶石栎（Lithocarpus harlandii）等为强耐荫性的常绿阔叶树种,通过幼苗库和根萌生枝进行更新,是顶极群落的优势种;浙江新木姜子（Neolitsea aurata var. chekiangensis）、厚皮香（Ternstroemia gymnanthera）等为L字型;连蕊茶（Camellia fraternna）、老鼠矢（Symplocos stellaris）等为单柱型,此二型是群落亚乔木层和灌木层的主要组成种。3）调查群落已进入演替的顶极阶段,但仍处于其前期,将进一步向以米槠、栲树为主要优势种的方向发展。     

Insulin sensitivity and inhibition by forskolin, dipyridamole and pentobarbital of glucose transport in three L6 muscle cell lines

L6 skeletal muscle myoblasts stably overexpressing glucose transporter GLUT1 or GLUT4 with exofa- cial myc-epitope tags were characterized for their response to insulin. In clonally selected cultures, 2-deoxyglucose uptake into L6-GLUT1myc myoblasts and myotubes was linear within the time of study. In L6-GLUT1myc and L6-GLUT4myc myoblasts, 100 nmol/L insulin treatment increased the GLUT1 content of the plasma membrane by 1.58±0.01 fold and the GLUT4 content 1.96±0.11 fold, as well as the 2-deoxyglucose uptake 1.53±0.09 and 1.86±0.17 fold respectively, all by a wortmannin-inhibitable manner. The phosphorylation of Akt in these two cell lines was increased by insulin. L6-GLUT1myc myoblasts showed a dose-dependent stimulation of glucose uptake by insulin, with unaltered sensitiv- ity and maximal responsiveness compared with wild type cells. By contrast, the improved insulin re- sponsiveness and sensitivity of glucose uptake were observed in L6-GLUT4myc myoblasts. Earlier studies indicated that forskolin might affect insulin-stimulated GLUT4 translocation. A 65% decrease of insulin-stimulated 2-deoxyglucose uptake in GLUT4myc cells was not due to an effect on GLUT4 mobi- lization to the plasma membrane, but instead on direct inhibition of GLUT4. Forskolin and dipyridamole are more potent inhibitors of GLUT4 than GLUT1. Alternatively, pentobarbital inhibits GLUT1 more than GLUT4. The use of these inhibitors confirmed that the overexpressed GLUT1 or GLUT4 are the major functional glucose transporters in unstimulated and insulin-stimulated L6 myoblasts. Therefore, L6-GLUT1myc and L6-GLUT4myc cells provide a platform to screen compounds that may have differ- ential effects on GLUT isoform activity or may influence GLUT isoform mobilization to the cell surface of muscle cells.     

A phylogenetic approach to the identification of phosphoglucomutase genes

The expanding molecular database provides unparalleled opportunities for characterizing genes and for studying groups of related genes. We use sequences drawn from the database to construct an evolutionary framework for examining the important glycolytic enzyme phosphoglucomutase (PGM). Phosphoglucomutase plays a pivotal role in the synthesis and utilization of glycogen and is present in all organisms. In humans, there are three well-described isozymes, PGMI, PGM2, and PGM3. PGM1 was cloned 5 years ago; however, repeated attempts using both immunological approaches and molecular probes designed from PGM1 have failed to isolate either PGM2 or PGM3. Using a phylogenetic strategy, we first identified 47 highly divergent prokaryotic and eukaryotic PGM-like sequences from the database. Although overall amino acid identity often fell below 20%, the relative order, position, and sequence of three structural motifs, the active site and the magnesium-- and sugar-binding sites, were conserved in all 47 sequences. The phylogenetic history of these sequences was complex and marked by duplications and translocations; two instances of transkingdom horizontal gene transfer were identified. Nonetheless, the sequences fell within six well-defined evolutionary lineages, three of which contained only prokaryotes. Of the two prokaryotic/eukaryotic lineages, one contained bacterial, yeast, slimemold, invertebrate, and vertebrate homologs to human PGM1 and the second contained likely homologs to human PGM2. Indeed, an amino acid sequence, derived from a partial human cDNA, that fell within the second cross-kingdom lineage bears several characteristics expected for PGM2. A third lineage may contain homologs to human PGM3. On a general level, our phylogenetic-based approach shows promise for the further utilization of the extensive molecular database.      

Release of Membrane-Bound Trails by Trypanosoma cruzi Amastigotes onto Modified Surfaces and Mammalian Cells

ABSTRACT. Upon incubation at 37° C onto glass coverslips coated with Concanavalin A, poly-L-lysine, or a monoclonal antibody (1D9) directed to the parasite major surface glycoprotein Ssp-4, extracellular Trypanosoma cruzi amastigotes release trails of material barely visible by light microscopy. This release is not associated with parasite movements. Immunolabeling studies confirmed that the material is derived from the parasite's membrane since thin section through samples labeled with 1D9 revealed that the trails are membrane-bound structures. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the ∼0.1-μm thick trails of material emerging from the amastigotes can be uniform or beaded, indicating a tendency to vesiculation. The trails are preferentially released from the flagellar pocket region and/or at the opposite posterior end of the parasite body, and seem to be devoid of microtubules. The release is time and temperature-dependent and fixed parasites do not form trails. All attempts to inhibit trail release using drugs (antimycin A, sodium azide, cytochalasin D, nocodazole, genistein, staurosporine, EGTA) failed. The observation of trails associated with intracellular parasites and amastigotes invading Vero cells suggests that this is probably a physiological process.