Monoterpene variation mediated attack preference evolution of the bark beetle Dendroctonus valens

Several studies suggest that some bark beetle like to attack large trees. The invasive red turpentine beetle (RTB), Dendroctonus valens LeConte, one of the most destructive forest pests in China, is known to exhibit this behavior. Our previous study demonstrated that RTBs preferred to attack large-diameter trees (diameter at breast height, DBH ≥30 cm) over small-diameter trees (DBH ≤10 cm) in the field. In the current study, we studied the attacking behavior and the underlying mechanisms in the laboratory. Behavioral assays showed that RTBs preferred the bark of large-DBH trees and had a higher attack rate on the bolts of these trees. Y-tube assays showed that RTBs preferred the volatiles released by large-DBH trees to those released by small-DBH trees. Subsequent analysis revealed that both large- and small-DBH trees had the same composition of monoterpenes, but the concentration of each component differed; thus it appeared that the concentrations acted as cues for RTBs to locate the right-sized host which was confirmed by further behavioral assays. Moreover, large-DBH pine trees provided more spacious habitat and contained more nutrients, such as nitrogen, than did small-DBH pine trees, which benefited RTBs' fecundity and larval development. RTBs seem to have evolved mechanisms to locate those large hosts that will allow them to maximize their fitness. Monoterpene variation mediated attack preference implies the potential for the management of RTB.     

Angiotensin IV enhances phosphorylation of 4EBP1 by multiple signaling events in lung endothelial cells

Angiotensin IV (Ang IV)-stimulated cell proliferation is regulated through activation of multiple signaling modules in lung endothelial cells (EC). Because eukaryotic intitiation factor 4E (eIF4E) binding protein 1 (4EBP1) plays a critical role in the RNA translation and the regulation of cell growth, we examined whether Ang IV modulates expression and/or phosphorylation of eIF4E and 4EBP1 as well as the role of multiple signaling events associated with 4EBP1 phosphorylation in EC. Ang IV stimulation increased phosphorylation but not expression of eIF4E and 4EBP1 proteins. Ang IV stimulation selectively phosphorylated Thr46 > Thr70 > Ser65 but not Thr37 residues in 4EBP1. Pretreatment of cells with PD-98059 and rapamycin, inhibitors of mitogen-activated protein kinase (ERK1/2) and mammalian target for rapamycin (mTOR), respectively, partially blocked Ang IV-mediated phosphorylation of 4EBP1. In contrast, overexpression of p70 ribosomal S6 kinase (p70S6K) and protein kinase B (Akt) enhanced phosphorylation of 4EBP1 and eIF4E binding affinity to the cap region of mRNA. These results support critical roles of multiple signaling and phosphorylation of 4EBP1 by Ang IV in translation process and protein synthesis.     

Effects of Salinity on Metabolic Profiles, Gene Expressions, and Antioxidant Enzymes in Halophyte Suaeda salsa

Halophyte Suaeda salsa is native to the saline soil in the Yellow River Delta. Soil salinity can reduce plant productivity and therefore is the most important factor for the degradation of wetlands in the Yellow River Delta. In this work we characterized the salinity-induced effects in S. salsa in terms of metabolic profiling, antioxidant enzyme activities, and gene expression quantification. Our results showed that salinity inhibited plant growth of S. salsa and upregulated gene expression levels of myo-inositol-1-phosphate synthase (INPS), choline monooxygenase (CMO), betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase (BADH), and catalase (CAT), and elevated the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), CAT, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). The significant metabolic responses included the depleted amino acids malate, fumarate, choline, phosphocholine, and elevated betaine and allantoin in the aboveground part of S. salsa seedlings as well as depleted glucose and fructose and elevated proline, citrate, and sucrose in root tissues. Based on these significant biological markers, salinity treatments induced clear osmotic stress (for example, INPS, CMO, BADH, betaine, proline) and oxidative stress (for example, SOD, POD, CAT, GPx activities), disturbed protein biosynthesis/degradation (amino acids and total protein) and energy metabolism (for example, glucose, sucrose, citrate) in S. salsa.     

Enhanced production of α-cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase in Escherichia coli by systematic codon usage optimization

Enhancing the production of α-cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (α-CGTase) is a key aim in α-CGTase industries. Here, the mature α-cgt gene from Paenibacillus macerans JFB05-01 was redesigned with systematic codon optimization to preferentially match codon frequencies of Escherichia coli without altering the amino acid sequence. Following synthesis, codon-optimized α-cgt (coα-cgt) and wild-type α-cgt (wtα-cgt) genes were cloned into pET-20b(+) and expressed in E.?coli BL21(DE3). The total protein yield of the synthetic gene was greater than wtα-cgt expression (1,710?mg?L^?1) by 2,520?mg?L^?1, with the extracellular enzyme activity being improved to 55.3?U?mL^?1 in flask fermentation. ΔG values at -3 to +50 of the pelB site of both genes were ?19.10?kcal?mol^?1. Functionally, coα-CGTase was equally as effective as wtα-CGTase in forming α-cyclodextrin (α-CD). These findings suggest that preferred codon usage is advantageous for translational efficiency to increase protein expression. Finally, batch fermentation was applied, and the extracellular coα-CGTase enzyme activity was 326?% that of wtα-CGTase. The results suggest that codon optimization is a reasonable strategy to improve the yield of α-CGTase for industrial application.     

Red同源重组敲除nagE和manX对大肠杆菌发酵生产氨基葡萄糖的影响?

氨基葡萄糖(GlcN)又称氨基葡糖或葡糖胺,是葡萄糖的一个羟基被氨基取代后的化合物,在医药和保健领域具有广泛应用。在前期研究中,我们构建了一株可高效合成GlcN和其乙酰化衍生物N-乙酰氨基葡萄糖(GlcNAc)的重组大肠肝菌Escherichia coli-glms-gna1(在下游提取过程中用弱酸进行脱乙酰化即可将GlcNAc转化为GlcN)。但研究发现,发酵过程中GlcN和GlcNAc能被转运至胞内作为碳源利用,导致胞外产量显著减少。为阻断胞外GlcN和GlcNAc向胞内的转运,利用Red同源重组技术将E.coli-glms-gna1的乙酰氨基葡萄糖磷酸转运子编码基因nagE和甘露糖磷酸转运子编码基因manX敲除,获得nagE基因敲除的工程菌E.coli-glms-gna1-nagE和nagE/manX基因双敲除的工程菌E.coli-glms-gna1-nagE-manX,并在7 L发酵罐上利用构建的工程菌进行GlcN和GlcNAc的发酵生产。实验结果表明:培养对照菌株E.coli-glms-gna1至12 h时GlcN产量达到最大值4.06 g/L,GlcNAc产量达到最大值41.46 g/L;而培养单基因敲除菌株E.coli-glms-gna1-nagE至12 h时GlcN产量达到最大值4.38 g/L(是对照菌株的1.08倍),GlcNAc产量达到最大值71.80 g/L(是对照菌株的1.7倍);培养双基因敲除菌株E.coli-glms-gna1-nagE-manX至10 h时GlcN产量达到最大值4.82 g/L(是对照菌株的1.2倍),GlcNAc产量达到最大值118.78 g/L(是对照菌株的2.86倍)。这表明nagE和manX基因的敲除可显著降低GlcN和GlcNAc向胞内的转运,进而提高其在胞外的积累。研究结果对最终实现GlcN的工业化生产具有一定的指导意义。     

Changes in Expression of Manganese Superoxide Dismutase,Copper and Zinc Superoxide Dismutase and Catalase in Brachionus calyciflorus during the Aging Process

Rotifers are useful model organisms for aging research, owing to their small body size (0.1–1 mm), short lifespan (6–14 days) and the relative easy in which aging and senescence phenotypes can be measured. Recent studies have shown that antioxidants can extend the lifespan of rotifers. In this paper, we analyzed changes in the mRNA expression level of genes encoding the antioxidants manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), copper and zinc SOD (CuZnSOD) and catalase (CAT) during rotifer aging to clarify the function of these enzymes in this process. We also investigated the effects of common life-prolonging methods [dietary restriction (DR) and resveratrol] on the mRNA expression level of these genes. The results showed that the mRNA expression level of MnSOD decreased with aging, whereas that of CuZnSOD increased. The mRNA expression of CAT did not change significantly. This suggests that the ability to eliminate reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the mitochondria reduces with aging, thus aggravating the damaging effect of ROS on the mitochondria. DR significantly increased the mRNA expression level of MnSOD, CuZnSOD and CAT, which might explain why DR is able to extend rotifer lifespan. Although resveratrol also increased the mRNA expression level of MnSOD, it had significant inhibitory effects on the mRNA expression of CuZnSOD and CAT. In short, mRNA expression levels of CAT, MnSOD and CuZnSOD are likely to reflect the ability of mitochondria to eliminate ROS and delay the aging process.     

大剂量国产胸腺肽联合干扰素治疗慢性乙肝疗效及其机理初探

本文研究大剂量胸腺肽联合干扰素对慢性乙肝患者的治疗作用,发现胸腺肽联合干扰素治疗三个月后,患者的ＡＬＴ复常率、ＨＢｅＡｇ转阴率、ＨＢＶＤＮＡ阴转率和ＨＢＶＤＮＡ有效下降率分别为７６０％、４４０％、５６０％和９６０％。Ｔ淋巴细胞亚群分析结果表明,联合治疗后,患者外周血ＣＤ４＋淋巴细胞亚群上调,ＣＤ８＋亚群下调,二者比值趋于正常,说明国产胸腺肽联合干扰素治疗慢性乙肝的治疗机理与免疫调节作用有关。     

The first baleen whale marine protected area proposed for Bryde's whales in the Beibu Gulf,China

The establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs) for cetaceans is an important strategy to mitigate human disturbance and protect biodiversity. Despite abundant cetacean species, there are only a few MPAs dedicated to cetacean conservation in China, all of which are for inshore dolphins. Bryde's whales, the only nearshore baleen whale population in mainland China, are conflicting with intensive human activities, yet an effective conservation strategy is lacking. This study used species distribution models to analyze distribution patterns and suitable habitats of Bryde's whales in the Beibu Gulf and proposes the first baleen whale MPA in China. Our results showed Bryde's whales have a seasonal distribution pattern in the Beibu Gulf, and that the waters around Weizhou Island and the southeastern coast of Vietnam were their core habitats. The seasonal nighttime light data indicated a negative relationship between the number of ship lights and Bryde's whale sightings and suggest that Bryde's whales might be threatened by fisheries. We proposed an MPA based on the results, suggesting that the waters within 20 km around Weizhou Island should be declared a protected area. Furthermore, we recommend that anthropogenic activities in the waters around Weizhou Island are better managed to reduce negative impacts on marine life.     

Autophagy-related protein ATG5 regulates histone H2B mono-ubiquitylation by translational control of RNF20

<正>Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved lysosome-mediated catabolic process(Klionsky,2007).Autophagy is believed to be essential for cell survival,especially when cells were exposed to stresses,such as nutrient starvation.The activation of autophagy under starvation allows cells to survive by providing essential crudes for cell construction via degrading intracellular substrates