Fusion of Self-Assembling Amphipathic Oligopeptides with Cyclodextrin Glycosyltransferase Improves 2-O-d-Glucopyranosyl-l-Ascorbic Acid Synthesis with Soluble Starch as the Glycosyl Donor

In this study, we fused six self-assembling amphipathic peptides (SAPs) with cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (CGTase) from Paenibacillus macerans to catalyze 2-O-d-glucopyranosyl-l-ascorbic acid (AA-2G) production with cheap substrates, including maltose, maltodextrin, and soluble starch as glycosyl donors. The results showed that two fusion enzymes, SAP5-CGTase and SAP6-CGTase, increased AA-2G yields to 2.33- and 3.36-fold that of wild-type CGTase when soluble starch was used as a substrate. The cyclization activities of these enzymes decreased, while disproportionation activities increased. Enzymatic characterization of the two fusion enzymes was performed, and kinetics analysis of AA-2G synthesis confirmed the enhanced soluble starch specificity of SAP5-CGTase and SAP6-CGTase compared to that in the wild-type CGTase. As revealed by structure modeling of the fusion and wild-type CGTases, enhanced substrate-binding capacity may result from the increased number of hydrogen bonds present after fusion. This study demonstrates an effective protein fusion approach to improving the substrate specificity of CGTase for AA-2G synthesis. Fusion enzymes, especially SAP6-CGTase, are promising starting points for further development through protein engineering.     

Comparison between Gd-DTPA and several bisamide derivatives as potential MRI contrast agents

Four neutral gadolinium complexes of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA)-bisamide derivatives have been synthesized and characterized. Their potential application as tissue-specific and low-osmolarity MRI contrast agents has been evaluated by in vitro and in vivo experiments. Their measured relaxivities in D(2)O, bovine serum albumin and human serum transferrin solutions showed favorable relaxation ability. In vivo studies have proven that Gd(DTPA-BDMA), Gd(DTPA-BIN), and Gd(cyclic-DTPA-1,2-pn) could be promising liver-specific MRI contrast agents and Gd(DTPA-BDMA), and Gd(cyclic-DTPA-1,2-pn) have favorable renal excretion capability. Among them, Gd(cyclic-DTPA-1,2-pn) is a more powerful hepatic contrast agent and Gd(DTPA-BIN) provides the stable imaging contrast for several hours. They also show a lower toxicity.     

干旱对中亚草地总初级生产力时滞和累积效应的影响评估

随着全球气候变化加剧,干旱对草原生态系统碳循环的影响更加复杂。作为全球陆地生态系统碳通量的最大组成部分,总初级生产力(GPP)对整个陆地碳循环具有深远影响,因此,探讨干旱对草地GPP的影响,对于理解区域碳循环机制,维护草地生态系统稳定发展具有重要意义。以中亚为研究区,基于NIRv-GPP和SPEI base v.2.7数据集,利用Theil-Sen Median斜率估计结合Mann-Kendall显著性检验、M-K突变检验和相关分析方法,探究1982-2018年干旱对草地GPP的时滞和累积效应。结果表明:(1)中亚地区草地GPP年平均值随时间变化整体上呈下降趋势,标准化降水蒸散指数(SPEI)年平均值呈降低趋势;(2)干旱对中亚绝大多数草地(95.6%)产生了时滞效应,滞后时间尺度集中在2-3个月;随着干旱状况的加重,滞后时间变长,滞后效应对草地GPP影响减弱;(3)中亚绝大多数草地(95.8%)对干旱存在累积响应,累积时间尺度以4、5、10月为主;随着干旱状况的加重,累积时间变短,累积效应对草地GPP影响增强;(4)通过对比研究时滞效应和累积效应发现:中亚超过四分之三(76.84%)的草地区域,干旱对草地GPP的时滞效应大于累积效应。研究结果可为理解气候变化背景下中亚生态环境动态变化特征及区域碳循环机制提供参考。     

1963-2012年新疆棉花需水量时空分布特征

研究基于新疆地区54个国家基本气象站1963-2012年的逐日气象资料,采用联合国粮食与农业组织FAO推荐的Penman-Monteith公式及作物系数法,计算了近50年来新疆棉花全育期和各生长阶段需水量。并利用线性趋势估计、MK检验、空间插值法对农作物全育期及各生长阶段需水量年际变化趋势和空间分布特征进行分析。结果表明：1）1963-2012年,新疆54个气象站棉花全育期平均需水量为759 mm,各站变化范围为555-1205 mm,差异明显。其空间分布整体呈现西北向东南递增、南疆大于北疆、东部大于西部的趋势。2）1963-2012年,在棉花的生长初期与发育期,全疆需水量空间分布总体由北向南增大并呈带状。在棉花的生长中期与生长末期,需水量空间分布表现为由西向东增大的格局。3）近50年棉花不同生长阶段需水量总体呈现下降趋势,并且除了生长中期下降趋势较显著外其他都不太明显。其中,生长中期下降速率最大为6.1 mm/10a,发育期及生长末期下降速率次之分别为2 mm/10a和1.3 mm/10a,生长初期下降速率最小,需水量以0.6 mm/10a的速率递减。4）新疆1963-2012年棉花全育期需水量总体呈下降趋势,递减速率平均约为5.3 mm/10a,并在1981年开始发生突变。5）全育期年需水量下降倾向率总体呈现与全育期平均需水量相同的空间分布特征,总体呈现北疆小于南疆、东部大于西部、由西北向东南递增的空间分布特征。     

气候变化情景下大沙鼠潜在地理分布

大沙鼠（Rhombomys opimus）是中亚地区典型的荒漠啮齿动物，其采食和掘洞行为造成了荒漠林和荒漠草原退化加剧，生态环境恶化。基于大沙鼠分布数据、气候、土壤和地形因子数据，采用MaxEnt模型预测大沙鼠在当前气候和温室气体低、中、高3种浓度排放情景下2050年和2070年的潜在适生区，分析亚洲大陆未来气候条件下大沙鼠适生面积和分布格局的变化趋势，探讨影响大沙鼠分布的主要环境因子。结果表明：模型AUC（Area Under Curve）值达到0.9以上，预测的准确性达到"极好"。经刀切法分析（Jackknife）表明，影响大沙鼠在适生区分布最主要的环境变量为温度季节性变化的标准差、土壤基本饱和度、最干季度降水量、最暖季度降水量和土壤可交换钠盐。Rcp2.6、Rcp4.5和Rcp8.5三种气候场景下2050年高适生区面积较当前分别增长15.78%、15.10%和13.44%；Rcp2.6、Rcp4.5和Rcp8.5三种气候场景下2070年高适生区面积较当前增长8.32%、13.18%和18.18%。中国大沙鼠适生区范围内，新疆所分布的大沙鼠适生区分布范围变化较大，3种情景模式下大沙鼠的适生区位置向新疆北部扩张；甘肃适生区位置向西北部扩张；内蒙西北部和阿拉善地区大沙鼠的适生区位置向四周扩张。研究揭示了未来气候下大沙鼠高适生区范围和空间变化，并得到影响其分布的主要环境变量，对其防控具有重要意义。     

Functional expression of trypsin from Streptomyces griseus by Pichia pastoris

In the present study, the genes encoding trypsinogen and active trypsin from Streptomyces griseus were both cloned and expressed in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris with the α-factor secretion signal under the control of the alcohol oxidase promoter. The mature trypsin was successfully accumulated extracellularly in soluble form with a maximum amidase activity of 6.6?U?ml^?1 (batch cultivation with flask cultivation) or 14.4?U?ml^?1 (fed-batch cultivation with a 3-l fermentor). In contrast, the recombinant trypsinogen formed inclusion bodies and no activity was detected. Replacement of the trypsin propeptide Ala-Pro-Asn-Pro confirmed that its physiological function was as a repressor of activity. More importantly, our results proved that the propeptide inhibited the activity of trypsinogen after its successful folding.     

Host adaptation of a gregarious parasitoid <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sclerodermus harmandi</Emphasis> in artificial rearing

Adaptations of a parasitoid, Sclerodermus harmandi (Buysson 1903) (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) to a target host, Monochamus alternatus Hope (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), were investigated in laboratory colonies. We quantified the physiological and behavioral flexibility of the parasitoid reared on M. alternatus compared to the parasitoid reared on a common host, Saperda populnea (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Adult performance (fecundity and pre-oviposition period) and offspring physiological responses (mortality and sex ratio) of S. harmandi reared on M. alternatus improved over multiple generations. S. harmandi females of the 12th generation on the target host showed better performance, i.e., shorter time for searching and handling, higher oviposition preference, and, subsequently, lower offspring mortality and proportion of male emergence on the host than those from the base stock. Our work demonstrated that these traits in S. harmandi were influenced by the integration of cultured generations and host quality, which implies that the potential effectiveness of S. harmandi as a biological control agent can be further improved.