NdhO,a Subunit of NADPH Dehydrogenase,Destabilizes Medium Size Complex of the Enzyme in Synechocystis sp. Strain PCC 6803

Two mutants that grew faster than the wild-type (WT) strain under high light conditions were isolated from Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 transformed with a transposon-bearing library. Both mutants had a tag in ssl1690 encoding NdhO. Deletion of ndhO increased the activity of NADPH dehydrogenase (NDH-1)-dependent cyclic electron transport around photosystem I (NDH-CET), while overexpression decreased the activity. Although deletion and overexpression of ndhO did not have significant effects on the amount of other subunits such as NdhH, NdhI, NdhK, and NdhM in the cells, the amount of these subunits in the medium size NDH-1 (NDH-1M) complex was higher in the ndhO-deletion mutant and much lower in the overexpression strain than in the WT. NdhO strongly interacts with NdhI and NdhK but not with other subunits. NdhI interacts with NdhK and the interaction was blocked by NdhO. The blocking may destabilize the NDH-1M complex and repress the NDH-CET activity. When cells were transferred from growth light to high light, the amounts of NdhI and NdhK increased without significant change in the amount of NdhO, thus decreasing the relative amount of NdhO. This might have decreased the blocking, thereby stabilizing the NDH-1M complex and increasing the NDH-CET activity under high light conditions.     

Expression patterns and association analysis of the porcine DHX58 gene

RIG-1 signalling is responsible for the detection of cytoplasmic viral RNA molecules. DEXH (Asp-Glu-X-His) box polypeptide 58 (encoded by DHX58) is a negative regulator of the RIG-1 signalling pathway. In human, the DHX58 gene can be upregulated and can inhibit the RIG-1 signalling pathway during viral infection. In this study, porcine DHX58 gene expression patterns were studied. According to our results, the porcine DHX58 gene was upregulated not only by the stimulation of Poly I:C but also by the stimulation of 1ipopolysaccharides (LPS). One polymorphism (g.4919G>C), detected in the ninth intron, was significantly associated with some blood parameters including the red cell distribution width of 1-day-old pigs and white blood cell counts, lymphocyte absolute counts, and platelet distribution width of 17-day-old pigs (P < 0.05). Moreover, the individuals with the genotype GG have a significantly higher mean white blood cell count than individuals with genotype CC or GC (P < 0.05). Our study indicates that DHX58 is an important gene that is associated with the immune response in swine.     

Historical shrub–grass transitions in the northern Chihuahuan Desert: modeling the effects of shifting rainfall seasonality and event size over a landscape gradient

We use a spatially explicit landscape model to investigate the potential role of rainfall on shrub–grass transitions in the Jornada Basin of southern New Mexico during the past century. In long‐term simulations (1915–1998) along a 2700 m transect running from a dry lake bed to the foothills of a small mountain, we test two hypotheses: (i) that wetter winters and drier summers may have facilitated shrub encroachment in grasslands, and (ii) that increases in large precipitation events may have increased soil water recharge at deeper layers, thus favoring shrub establishment and growth. Our model simulations generally support the hypothesis that wetter winters and drier summers may have played a key role, but we are unable to reproduce the major shifts from grass‐ to shrub‐domination that occurred in this landscape during the early part of the 1900s; furthermore, the positive shrub response to wetter winters and drier summers was only realized subsequent to the drought of 1951–1956, which was a relatively short ‘window of opportunity’ for increased shrub establishment and growth. Our simulations also generally support the hypothesis that an increase in the number of large precipitation events may also have favored shrub establishment and growth, although these results are equivocal, depending upon what constitutes a ‘large’ event and the timing of such events. We found complex interactions among (i) the amount/seasonality of rainfall, (ii) its redistribution in the landscape via run‐on and runoff, (iii) the depth of the soil water recharge, and (iv) subsequent water availability for the growth and reproduction of shrubs vs. herbaceous plants at various landscape positions. Our results suggest that only a mechanistic understanding of these interactions, plus the role of domestic cattle grazing, will enable us to elucidate fully the relative importance of biotic vs. abiotic factors in vegetation dynamics in this semiarid landscape.     

突触后细胞骨架与乙酰胆碱受体簇

乙酰胆碱受体(AChR)簇的形成在神经肌接头的生长过程中是非常关键的一步。突触后细胞骨架参与AChR簇的形成。     

中国的红树林

我国红树林主要分布在热带及亚热带沿海盐滩和河川出口的冲积盐性土上,包括24个科,47种,属于东方群系。从广西钦州湾开始经北海港,沿雷州半岛的海安分为两支,一支往南经海南岛的儋县新英港,向东经琼山县的东寨港和文昌县的清澜港,沿着东海岸至崖县的三亚港,又折向北到达东方县的八所港;另一支向东北经湛江的赤坎,阳江的海陵岛,台山的上下川岛,中山的三灶岛,新会的崖门,再沿海岸往北至福建的福鼎和台湾的新竹港。根据我国红树林的主要构成种类、外貌、生境,大致可分为3大群系和10个群落。(1) 矮灌木群系——这个群系多见于纬度稍高的海滩前缘,包括海榄雌群落和桐花树群落。这些群落在演替上处于前期阶段。(2) 高大稠密灌木群系——这个群系由于气温、年降雨量的差异和土壤性质的不同,组成这个群系的种类也有不同,不过都是以红树族的种类为建群种,它包括4个群落:红树群落、红海兰群落和角果木群落,这些群落在演替上属于中期阶段。(3) 乔木群系——这个群系主要分布在海南岛东北和东部海岸,所在地一般地势较高,前缘地带每日潮涨仍有海水浸淹。后缘地带只有每月大潮时才有海水到达,土壤比较固结,它包括木榄群落、海莲和尖瓣海莲群落、海桑群落及半红树林水椰群落。这些群落在演替上是处于后期阶段。组成我国红树林的种类大多数都具有较高的经济价值,如角果木是优质单宁的原料,有些种类经过发酵处理成为高营养的饲料和肥料。此外,沿海浮游生物的产量有红树林比无红树林的地带高达7倍,因此加强对红树林的经营和保护应采取积极态度和有效措施。     

Induction by Electric Currents of Ethylene Biosynthesis in Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) Fruit

The effects of an electric current on ethylene biosynthesis were investigated in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) fruit that were producing almost no ethylene. Direct currents at 0.5 to 3.0 milliamperes induced much ethylene synthesis, with a rapid continuous increase in the rate, which reached a peak within 5 to 6 hours and then decreased. The rate of production was greater with a stronger current. Ethylene production was not observed after the use of a sine-wave alternating current (60 hertz) at 3 milliamperes, the magnitude at which a direct current had the greatest effect. The activity of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) synthase and ethylene forming enzyme (EFE) increased before the rise in ethylene production. ACC synthase and EFE were activated sixfold and fourfold, respectively, by 2 hours. The concentration of ACC increased linearly up to 6 hours and then decreased. Ethylene induction by an electric current was suppressed almost completely by the infiltration of the cucumbers with 5 millimolar aminooxyacetic acid, an inhibitor of ACC synthase, and was also suppressed 70% by 5 millimolar salicylic acid, an inhibitor of EFE. The results indicate that the ethylene induced by the direct current was synthesized via the ACC-ethylene pathway as a result of electrical stress, a new kind of stress to be identified.