Functional characterization of a geraniol synthase-encoding gene from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Camptotheca acuminata</Emphasis> and its application in production of geraniol in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis>

Geraniol synthase (GES) catalyzes the conversion of geranyl diphosphate (GPP) into geraniol, an acyclic monoterpene alcohol that has been widely used in many industries. Here we report the functional characterization of CaGES from Camptotheca acuminata, a camptothecin-producing plant, and its application in production of geraniol in Escherichia coli. The full-length cDNA of CaGES was obtained from overlap extension PCR amplification. The intact and N-terminus-truncated CaGESs were overexpressed in E. coli and purified to homogeneity. Recombinant CaGES showed the conversion activity from GPP to geraniol. To produce geraniol in E. coli using tCaGES, the biosynthetic precursor GPP should be supplied and transferred to the catalytic pocket of tCaGES. Thus, ispA(S80F), a mutant of farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) synthase, was prepared to produce GPP via the head-to-tail condensation of isoprenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP). A slight increase of geraniol production was observed in the fermentation broth of the recombinant E. coli harboring tCaGES and ispA(S80F). To enhance the supply of IPP and DMAPP, the encoding genes involved in the whole mevalonic acid biosynthetic pathway were introduced to the E. coli harboring tCaGES and the ispA(S80F) and a significant increase of geraniol yield was observed. The geraniol production was enhanced to 5.85 ± 0.46 mg L^?1 when another copy of ispA(S80F) was introduced to the above recombinant strain. The following optimization of medium composition, fermentation time, and addition of metal ions led to the geraniol production of 48.5 ± 0.9 mg L^?1. The present study will be helpful to uncover the biosynthetic enigma of camptothecin and tCaGES will be an alternative to selectively produce geraniol in E. coli with other metabolic engineering approaches.     

Lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with melanoma of the lower extremity

Lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymph node biopsy is a new technique used in the surgical treatment of patients with malignant melanoma. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of this approach for patients with melanoma of the lower extremity. Between May of 1994 and June of 1997 at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, 85 consecutive patients with clinical stage I and II melanoma of the lower extremity underwent lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymph node biopsy. These nodes were identified in all 85 patients by intraoperative lymphatic mapping with both radiolymphoscintigraphy and a vital blue dye injection. Eleven patients (12.9 percent) had histologically positive sentinel lymph nodes, and 10 patients underwent inguinal complete lymph node dissections. All 10 patients had no further histologically positive lymph nodes confirmed by subsequent complete dissection. Among 74 patients with histologically negative sentinel lymph nodes, only 2 patients (2.7 percent) developed inguinal nodal metastases during a mean follow-up period of 21.8 months (range, 13.5 to 58.3 months). The sensitivity of lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymph node biopsy in this series was 100 percent and the specificity was 97.3 percent. Therefore, we conclude that the use of lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymph node biopsy can accurately stage patients with melanoma of the lower extremity and provide a rational surgical approach for these patients.     

樟树(Cinnamomum camphora)幼苗细根形态对氮磷添加和幼苗密度的响应

全球氮沉降对森林生态系统结构和功能的影响已成为现代生态学研究热点之一,我国华南地区氮沉降的增长引起了土壤酸化和磷限制加剧等一系列生态问题。密度制约着植物个体对环境资源的吸收利用,是自然界中十分重要的选择压力之一。因此研究樟树(Cinnamomum camphora)幼苗的细根形态对氮磷添加和密度的响应,有利于了解亚热带树木根系对氮沉降和磷添加与林分密度的响应过程和机制,并为全球变化背景下樟树林生态系统的管理提供依据。本研究以1年生樟树幼苗为试验材料,选择氯化铵(NH_4Cl)作为氮肥以模拟大气氮沉降,并且以二水合磷酸二氢钠(NaH_2PO_4·2H_2O)模拟磷添加,氮磷处理设置4个水平,即对照、施N、施P和施N+P;种植密度设置10、20、40和80株/m~2 4个水平。测定各处理樟树幼苗细根的根长、表面积、体积和根尖数,分析氮磷添加、密度和两者交互作用对樟树幼苗细根的影响。研究结果表明,与对照处理相比,N、P和N+P处理促进了幼苗细根长度、表面积、体积以及根尖数的增加。低密度条件下的N添加对幼苗根系形态的促进效果强于P添加。N+P处理对10、20、40株/m~2幼苗根系形态的促进效果最佳,而各处理对80株/m~2幼苗根系形态的促进效果均无显著性差异。随着种植密度的增大,幼苗细根长度、表面积、体积和根尖数均减少。樟树幼苗的细根长度、表面积、体积和根尖数在各密度间和不同氮磷添加处理间均有显著性差异,密度和氮磷处理间的交互作用对根系形态各指标均无显著影响。     

粉美人蕉花部维管束的解剖学研究

为探讨粉美人蕉(Canna glauca‘Erebus’)缺失雄蕊的去向和唇瓣的属性,对粉美人蕉花部维管束系统进行了解剖学观察分析。结果表明,粉美人蕉花梗横切面呈椭圆形,中心区的维管束聚集成6束大的维管束,形成心皮背束和隔膜束。在子房区顶部,3个隔膜束各分成3束,外方分支分别进入相应的花瓣,成为花瓣的中束。近轴面隔膜束内方的2束分支进入功能雄蕊。远轴面右侧的隔膜束内方2分支进入唇瓣,发育为唇瓣的部分维管束。远轴面左侧隔膜束内方分支进入内轮退化雄蕊。在花瓣形成时,近轴面左侧心皮背束分成2束,外侧分支进入近轴面外轮退化雄蕊,内侧分支进入功能雄蕊。近轴面右侧心皮背束外方分支进入侧生退化雄蕊。远轴面心皮背束分为2束,1束进入远轴面外轮退化雄蕊并迅速消失,另1束进入唇瓣,继续发育。从维管束来源角度证明了粉美人蕉退化雄蕊的同源异形现象。     

甘蓝型油菜BnFLA基因的克隆及表达分析

利用同源克隆法从甘蓝型油菜中获得了1个类成束阿拉伯半乳聚糖蛋白基因(FLA),命名为BnFLA。BnFLA基因开放阅读框长为1 200bp,编码399个氨基酸,分子量为42 885.9Da,等电点为6.37。预测的BnFLA蛋白包含N-端信号肽、2个AGP-like结构域、2个fasciclin-like结构域和C-端GPI-anchor序列。系统进化分析表明BnFLA氨基酸序列与BrFLA17和AtFLA2进化关系较近,一致性分别为98%和87%。qRT-PCR分析表明,BnFLA基因在油菜各组织均有表达,并以下胚轴中表达量最高,其次为子叶,茎秆中表达最少;BnFLA基因的表达受到GA3、BR、IAA、ABA和NaCl的诱导,但受6-BA、蔗糖、低温和PEG抑制。研究认为,油菜中BnFLA基因可能参与激素信号转导途径和非生物胁迫应答。     

Lead soaps formation and biodiversity in a XVIII Century wax seal coloured with minium

A multidisciplinary approach was carried out in order to study the biodeterioration and the associated microbiome of a XVIII Century wax seal coloured with minium. A small wax seal fragment was observed by scanning electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive spectroscopy in non-destructive mode. The same object was analysed by Raman and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The identification of the microbiota growing on the seal was performed with both a culture-dependent strategy, combined with hydrolytic assays, and high-throughput sequencing using the MinION platform. The whole bacterial 16S rRNA gene and the fungal markers ITS and 28S rRNA were targeted. It was observed that the carnauba wax coloured with lead tetroxide (minium) was covered by a biofilm consisting of a network of filaments and other structures of microbial origin. The culture-dependent and culture-independent investigations showed the presence of a complex microbiota composed mainly by fungal members, which demonstrated interesting properties related to lipids and lead processing. The formation of lead soaps and secondary biogenic minerals was also described.     

Bibliometric analysis of Journal of Plant Ecology during 2017–2021

Issue Section: Editorial Journal of Plant Ecology (JPE) was founded in 2008. It is sponsored by the Botanical Society of China and the Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and published by Oxford University Press, UK. JPE publishes diverse types of articles that fall into the broad scope of plant ecology, including plant ecophysiology, population ecology, community ecology, ecosystem ecology, landscape ecology, conservation ecology, evolutionary ecology, theoretical ecology and global change ecology.     

过氧化氢酶抑制剂氨基三唑减轻急性酒精性肝损伤

本文旨在通过观察过氧化氢酶(catalase,CAT)抑制剂氨基三唑(aminotriazole,ATZ)对酒精诱导的急性肝损伤的影响,初步探讨CAT在酒精性肝损伤中的可能作用。以雄性Sprague Dawley(SD)大鼠为实验对象,采用酒精腹腔注射诱导急性肝损伤,在造模前30 min腹腔注射不同剂量ATZ(100~400 mg/kg)或相同体积溶剂(对照)。造模24 h后,检测大鼠血浆天冬氨酸转氨酶(aspartate transaminase,AST)、丙氨酸转氨酶(alanine transaminase,ALT)及乳酸脱氢酶(lactate dehydrogenase,LDH)水平,用HE染色法观察肝组织病理改变程度,用试剂盒检测肝组织内CAT活性、过氧化氢(hydrogen peroxide,H2O2)水平及丙二醛(malondialdehyde,MDA)含量,ELISA法检测血浆中肿瘤坏死因子α(tumor necrosis factor-α,TNF-α)及白介素-6(interleukin-6,IL-6)水平。结果显示,ATZ处理可剂量依赖性降低酒精暴露大鼠血浆中ALT、AST及LDH水平,并减轻酒精诱导的肝组织病理损伤;ATZ可抑制酒精暴露大鼠肝组织内CAT活性、降低H2O2水平及MDA含量;ATZ也可下调酒精暴露大鼠血浆中TNF-α和IL-6水平。以上结果表明,ATZ可减轻酒精诱导的大鼠急性肝损伤,提示CAT可能在酒精性肝损伤中发挥了重要的致病作用。