Cross-scale drivers of plant trait distributions in a fragmented forest landscape

During community assembly, plant functional traits are under selective pressure from processes operating at multiple spatial scales. However, in fragmented landscapes, there is little understanding of the relative importance of local-, patch- and landscape-scale processes in shaping trait distributions. Here, we investigate cross-scale influences of landscape change on traits that dictate plant life history strategies in re-assembling plant communities in a fragmented landscape in eastern China. Using forest dynamics plots (FDPs) on 29 land-bridge islands in which all woody plants have been georeferenced and identified to species, we characterized and derived two composite measures of trait variation, representing variation across the leaf economics spectrum and plant size. We then tested for trait shifts in response to local-, patch- and landscape-scale factors, and their potential cross-scale interactions. We found substantial community-wide trait changes along local-scale gradients (i.e. forest edge to interior): more acquisitive leaf economic traits and larger sized species occurred at edges, with a significant increase in trait means and trait range. Moreover, there were significant cross-scale interaction effects of patch and landscape variables on local-scale edge effects. Altered spatial arrangement of habitat in the surrounding landscape (i.e. declining habitat amount and increasing patch density), as well as decreasing area at the patch level, exacerbated edge effects on traits distributions. We suggest that synergistic interactions of landscape- and patch-scale processes, such as dispersal limitation, on local-scale environmental filtering at edges, together shape the spatial distributions of plant life history strategies in fragmented plant communities.     

An anti-inflammatory isoflavone from soybean inoculated with a marine fungus Aspergillus terreus C23-3

ABSTRACT

A new isoflavone derivative compound 1 (psoralenone) was isolated from soybean inoculated with a marine fungus Aspergillus terreus C23-3, together with seven known compounds including isoflavones 2–6, butyrolactone I (7) and blumenol A (8). Their structures were elucidated by MS, NMR, and ECD. Psoralenone displayed moderate in vitro anti-inflammatory activity in the LPS-induced RAW264.7 cell model. Compound 2 (genistein) showed moderate acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity whereas compounds 2, 5 (biochanin A), 6 (psoralenol), and 7 exhibited potent larvicidal activity against brine shrimp. Compounds 3 (daidzein), 4 (4?-hydroxy-6,7-dimethoxyisoflavone), and 5–7 showed broad-spectrum anti-microbial activity, and compound 7 also showed moderate 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity.     

Requirements for human embryonic stem cells

‘Requirements for Human Embryonic Stem Cells’ is the first set of guidelines on human embryonic stem cells in China, jointly drafted and agreed upon by experts from the Chinese Society for Stem Cell Research. This standard specifies the technical requirements, test methods, test regulations, instructions for use, labelling requirements, packaging requirements, storage requirements and transportation requirements for human embryonic stem cells, which is applicable to the quality control for human embryonic stem cells. It was originally released by the China Society for Cell Biology on 26 February 2019 and was further revised on 30 April 2020. We hope that publication of these guidelines will promote institutional establishment, acceptance and execution of proper protocols, and accelerate the international standardization of human embryonic stem cells for applications.     

Flexible chromosome painting based on multiplex PCR of oligonucleotides and its application for comparative chromosome analyses in Cucumis

Chromosome painting is a powerful technique for chromosome and genome studies. We developed a flexible chromosome painting technique based on multiplex PCR of a synthetic oligonucleotide (oligo) library in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L., 2n = 14). Each oligo in the library was associated with a universal as well as nested specific primers for amplification, which allow the generation of different probes from the same oligo library. We were also able to generate double‐stranded labelled oligos, which produced much stronger signals than single‐stranded labelled oligos, by amplification using fluorophore‐conjugated primer pairs. Oligos covering cucumber chromosome 1 (Chr1) and chromosome 4 (Chr4) consisting of eight segments were synthesized in one library. Different oligo probes generated from the library painted the corresponding chromosomes/segments unambiguously, especially on pachytene chromosomes. This technique was then applied to study the homoeologous relationships among cucumber, C. hystrix and C. melo chromosomes based on cross‐species chromosome painting using Chr4 probes. We demonstrated that the probe was feasible to detect interspecies chromosome homoeologous relationships and chromosomal rearrangement events. Based on its advantages and great convenience, we anticipate that this flexible oligo‐painting technique has great potential for the studies of the structure, organization, and evolution of chromosomes in any species with a sequenced genome.     

水体中亚硝酸盐积累的生物过程及影响因素研究进展

亚硝酸盐是氮循环过程的中间产物,其积累超过一定量则会抑制微生物的生长与代谢,也会给人与水生生物带来健康风险。而在高氮污水生物脱氮工艺中,持续维持亚硝酸盐的积累能实现短程硝化过程,降低生物脱氮的能耗进而降低运营成本。本文综述了在水环境中亚硝酸盐积累的生物过程与积累原因,并对影响亚硝酸盐积累的因素进行了总结,旨在为提高污水处理过程中氮的去除效率,降低运营成本,减少排放污水及自然水体中亚硝态氮含量提供参考。     

樟树叶片挥发性有机物释放季节动态和日动态变化规律

采用动态顶空采集法和热脱附-气质联用技术,对不同季节和一天内不同时间点樟树叶片释放的挥发性有机物(VOCs)成分含量及其变化规律进行了分析。结果表明:全年樟树叶片释放的VOCs共计78种,其中萜烯类(19种)和烷烃类(18种)化合物种类较多; 32种樟树叶片释放的挥发性成分相对含量在不同季节存在显著差异(P0.05); 3月份释放的VOCs种类最为丰富,萜烯类化合物相对含量最高(43.49%),主要为1-石竹烯、D-柠檬烯和α-蒎烯,其他月份释放的VOCs则以烷烃类和醇类为主;春季,樟树叶片在绝大多数时间点释放VOCs以萜烯类化合物为主,且早上8:00释放的萜烯类化合物相对含量最大。综上结果认为,樟树是营造保健型生态园林的理想树种,其叶片释放的VOCs中富含多种对人体健康有益的萜烯类化合物,春季的早晨是进行森林康养活动的最佳时间。     

结直肠息肉切除术患者肠道微生态失调分析及其与癌变进展的相关性

目的分析结直肠息肉切除术患者肠道微生态失调情况及其与癌变进展的相关性。方法前瞻性选择2015年7月至2016年7月在我院行结直肠息肉切除术的89例患者为研究对象,评价所有研究对象手术前后肠道菌群计数、肠道菌群失调情况,采用单因素和多因素Logistic回归分析结直肠息肉切除术患者癌变的影响因素。结果结直肠息肉患者术后大肠埃希菌计数(10.85±0.50)、粪肠球菌计数(10.12±0.55)显著高于术前(8.34±0.41,7.76±0.37)(均P0.01),结直肠息肉患者术后双歧杆菌计数(2.56±0.68)、乳杆菌计数(2.83±0.71)显著低于术前(5.20±1.06,5.93±0.88)(均P0.01)。结直肠息肉患者术后Ⅰ度菌群失调比例(23.60%)显著低于术前(55.06%)(P0.05),结直肠息肉患者术后Ⅱ、Ⅲ度菌群失调比例(50.56%,25.84%)显著高于术前(34.83%,10.11%)(均P0.05)。随访3年显示89例结直肠息肉切除术患者癌变率为33.71%,性别、病理类型不同的结直肠息肉切除术患者癌变率差异无统计学意义(均P0.05),年龄、遗传史、息肉直径、肠道菌群失调程度不同的结直肠息肉切除术患者癌变率差异具有统计学意义(均P0.05)。年龄、遗传史、肠道菌群失调程度是结直肠息肉切除术患者癌变的影响因素(均P0.05)。结论结直肠息肉切除术患者存在明显肠道微生态失调情况,肠道微生态失调是结直肠息肉切除术患者癌变的危险因素,这对临床防治结直肠息肉切除术患者癌变有重要指导意义。     

Examining differences in phylogenetic composition enhances understanding of the phylogenetic structure of the shrub community in the northeastern Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau

Periodic climatic oscillations and species dispersal during the postglacial period are two important causes of plant assemblage and distribution on the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau (QTP). To improve our understanding of the bio‐geological histories of shrub communities on the QTP, we tested two hypotheses. First, the intensity of climatic oscillations played a filtering role during community structuring. Second, species dispersal during the postglacial period contributed to the recovery of species and phylogenetic diversity and the emergence of phylogenetic overdispersion. To test these hypotheses, we investigated and compared the shrub communities in the alpine and desert habitats of the northeastern QTP. Notably, we observed higher levels of species and phylogenetic diversity in the alpine habitat than in the desert habitat, leading to phylogenetic overdispersion in the alpine shrub communities versus phylogenetic clustering in the desert shrub communities. This phylogenetic overdispersion increased with greater climate anomalies. These results suggest that (a) although climate anomalies strongly affect shrub communities, these phenomena do not act as a filter for shrub community structuring, and (b) species dispersal increases phylogenetic diversity and overdispersion in a community. Moreover, our investigation of the phylogenetic community composition revealed a larger number of plant clades in the alpine shrub communities than in the desert shrub communities, which provided insights into plant clade‐level differences in the phylogenetic structures of alpine and desert shrub communities in the northeastern QTP.     

Interplay between formation of photosynthetic complexes and expression of genes for iron–sulfur cluster assembly in Rhodobacter sphaeroides?

Photosynthesis Research - Formation of photosynthetic complexes leads to a higher demand for Fe–S clusters. We hypothesized that in the facultative phototrophic alpha-proteobacterium...     

Homeotic transformation from stamen to petal in Lilium is associated with MADS-box genes and hormone signal transduction

Plant Growth Regulation - As one of the most popular bulbous plant with high ornamental value, Lilium spp. has been used as cut flower or green plants in urban landscapes and home gardening. We...