铜绿假单胞菌多重耐药基因的筛选及鉴定

[目的]研究铜绿假单胞菌中与耐药性相关的基因.[方法]筛选转座突变体文库中对多种抗菌药物敏感的突变体,通过随机PCR、核苷酸测序及序列比对确定突变体中转座子的插入位点及其破坏的基因.[结果]筛选得到2株对多种抗菌药物敏感的突变体,其中被破坏的基因分别为功能未知的新基因PA2580和PA2800.[结论]PA2580和PA2800可能分别通过参与细胞氧化还原作用和细胞壁合成进而与铜绿假单胞菌耐药性相关.     

Side-chain contributions to membrane protein structure and stability

The molecular forces that stabilize membrane protein structure are poorly understood. To investigate these forces we introduced alanine substitutions at 24 positions in the B helix of bacteriorhodopsin and examined their effects on structure and stability. Although most of the results can be rationalized in terms of the folded structure, there are a number of surprises. (1) We find a remarkably high frequency of stabilizing mutations (17%), indicating that membrane proteins are not highly optimized for stability. (2) Helix B is kinked, with the kink centered around Pro50. The P50A mutation has no effect on stability, however, and a crystal structure reveals that the helix remains bent, indicating that tertiary contacts dominate in the distortion of this helix. (3) We find that the protein is stabilized by about 1kcal/mol for every 38A(2) of surface area buried, which is quite similar to soluble proteins in spite of their dramatically different environments. (4) We find little energetic difference, on average, in the burial of apolar surface or polar surface area, implying that van der Waals packing is the dominant force that drives membrane protein folding.     

铁代谢与铁调素hepcidin

铁是机体必需的营养元素。然而,铁过载则导致细胞的损伤。由于生物体缺少排泄铁的机制,因而,肠铁吸收的调控便成为维持机体铁稳态的关键。新近研究发现hepcidin对机体铁稳态的调节起着至关重要的作用,被人们称为铁调节激素。Hepcidin主要在肝细胞中合成,之后分泌至血液将体内铁需要的信号传至小肠,调控肠铁的吸收。这一过程主要通过调节小肠铁转运相关蛋白的表达而实现。任何影响hepcidin表达的因素都可能破坏体内的铁平衡,造成铁代谢相关疾病。     

我国单季稻种植区的气候适宜性

从国家层次和年尺度阐明影响我国单季稻种植区分布的主导气候因子, 揭示我国单季稻种植区的潜在分布及其气候适宜性,可为我国优化单季稻生产布局、改进种植制度和引种提供科学依据.本文从国家层次和年尺度选取影响我国单季稻分布的潜在气候因子, 利用其地理分布信息,结合最大熵模型和ArcGIS的空间分析功能, 阐明影响我国单季稻分布的主导气候因子并构建我国单季稻分布与气候的关系模型. 结果表明: 影响我国单季稻潜在种植区分布的主导气候因子是年降水量、湿润指数和稳定通过18 ℃日数, 它们对单季稻分布的累积贡献率达到了潜在气候因子的94.5%; 基于主导气候因子和单季稻种植点分布的地理信息, 结合最大熵模型构建的我国单季稻种植区分布与气候的关系模型能够很好地模拟我国单季稻种植区的潜在分布. 根据待预测区单季稻的存在概率, 明确了我国单季稻种植区潜在分布的气候低、中、高适宜区和气候不适宜区, 并分析了各气候适宜区的气候特征.     

模拟氮沉降对温带典型森林土壤有效氮形态和含量的影响*

通过室内模拟氮沉降试验,研究了氮沉降对温带典型森林土壤有效氮的影响.结果表明:试验期间,与对照相比,经过氮沉降处理的土壤铵态氮、硝态氮和有效氮均呈增长的趋势,增加的程度取决于森林类型、土层、氮处理类型和氮处理的持续时间.氮沉降对不同林型土壤有效氮形态和含量的影响不同,氮沉降对混交林的影响弱于阔叶林,强于针叶人工纯林;土壤A层对氮沉降的敏感程度大于土壤B层;铵态氮形态沉降对土壤铵态氮含量的影响比对土壤硝态氮含量的影响大,而硝态氮形态沉降对土壤硝态氮含量的影响比对土壤铵态氮含量的影响大,混合形态的氮沉降对二者均有促进作用,且增加幅度更高;氮沉降对土壤有效氮的影响存在累加效应.     

Macrophage Depletion Impairs Corneal Wound Healing after Autologous Transplantation in Mice

Purpose

Macrophages have been shown to play a critical role in the wound healing process. In the present study, the role of macrophages in wound healing after autologous corneal transplantation was investigated by depleting local infiltrated macrophages.

Methods

Autologous corneal transplantation model was used to induce wound repair in Balb/c mice. Macrophages were depleted by sub-conjunctival injections of clodronate-containing liposomes (Cl₂MDP-LIP). The presence of CD11b⁺ F4/80⁺ macrophages, α-smooth muscle actin⁺ (α-SMA⁺) myofibroblasts, CD31⁺ vascular endothelial cells and NG₂ ⁺ pericytes was examined by immunohistochemical and corneal whole-mount staining 14 days after penetrating keratoplasty. Peritoneal macrophages were isolated from Balb/c mice and transfused into conjunctiva to examine the recovery role of macrophages depletion on wound healing after autologous corneal transplantation.

Results

Sub-conjunctival Cl₂MDP-LIP injection significantly depleted the corneal resident phagocytes and infiltrated macrophages into corneal stroma. Compared with the mice injected with PBS-liposome, the Cl₂MDP-LIP-injected mice showed few inflammatory cells, irregularly distributed extracellular matrix, ingrowth of corneal epithelium into stroma, and even the detachment of donor cornea from recipient. Moreover, the number of macrophages, myofibroblasts, endothelial cells and pericytes was also decreased in the junction area between the donor and recipient cornea in macrophage-depleted mice. Peritoneal macrophages transfusion recovered the defect of corneal wound healing caused by macrophages depletion.

Conclusions

Macrophage depletion significantly impairs wound healing after autologous corneal transplantation through at least partially impacting on angiogenesis and wound closure.     

Discovering Candidate Chromosomal Regions Linked to Kernel Size-Related Traits via QTL Mapping and Bulked Sample Analysis in Maize

Kernel size-related traits, including kernel length, kernel width, and kernel thickness, are critical components in determining yield and kernel quality in maize (Zea mays L.). Dissecting the phenotypic characteristics of these traits, and discovering the candidate chromosomal regions for these traits, are of potential importance for maize yield and quality improvement. In this study, a total of 139 F2:3 family lines derived from EHel and B73, a distinct line with extremely low ear height (EHel), was used for phenotyping and QTL mapping of three kernel size-related traits, including 10-kernel length (KL), 10-kernel width (KWid), and 10-kernel thickness (KT). The results showed that only one QTL for KWid, i.e., qKWid9 on Chr9, with a phenotypic variation explained (PVE) of 13.4% was detected between SNPs of AX-86298371 and AX-86298372, while no QTLs were detected for KL and KT across all 10 chromosomes. Four bulked groups of family lines, i.e., Groups I to IV, were constructed with F2:3 family lines according to the phenotypic comparisons of KWid between EHel and B73. Among these four groups, Group I possessed a significantly lower KWid than EHel (P = 0.0455), Group II was similar to EHel (P = 0.34), while both Group III and Group IV were statistically higher than EHel (P < 0.05). Besides, except Group IV exhibited a similar KWid to B73 (P = 0.11), KWid of Groups I to III were statistically lower than B73 (P < 0.00). By comparing the bulked genotypes of the four groups to EHel and B73, a stable chromosomal region on Chr9 between SNPs of AX-86298372 to AX-86263154, entirely covered by qKWid9, was identified to link KWid with the positive allele of increasing phenotypic effect to KWid from B73, similar to that of qKWid9. A large amount of enzyme activity and macromolecule binding-related genes were annotated within this chromosomal region, suggesting qKWid9 as a potential QTL for KWid in maize.     

Treatment of H2S using a horizontal biotrickling filter based on biological activated carbon: reactor setup and performance evaluation

Biological treatment is an emerging and prevalent technology for treating off-gases from wastewater treatment plants. The most commonly reported odorous compound in off-gases is hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), which has a very low odor threshold. A self-designed, bench-scale, cross-flow horizontal biotrickling filter (HBF) operated with bacteria immobilized activated carbon (termed biological activated carbon—BAC), was applied for the treatment of H₂S. A mixed culture of sulfide-oxidizing bacteria dominated by Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans acclimated from activated sludge was used as bacterial seed and the biofilm was developed by culturing the bacteria in the presence of carbon pellets in mineral medium. HBF performance was evaluated systematically over 120 days, depending on a series of changing factors including inlet H₂S concentration, gas retention time (GRT), pH of recirculation solution, upset and recovery, sulfate accumulation, pressure drop, gas-liquid ratio, and shock loading. The biotrickling filter system can operate at high efficiency from the first day of operation. At a volumetric loading of 900 m³ m^–3 h^–1 (at 92 ppmv H₂S inlet concentration), the BAC exhibited maximum elimination capacity (113 g H₂S/m^–3 h^–1) and a removal efficiency of 96% was observed. If the inlet concentration was kept at around 20 ppmv, high H₂S removal (over 98%) was achieved at a GRT of 4 s, a value comparable with those currently reported for biotrickling filters. The bacterial population in the acidic biofilter demonstrated capacity for removal of H₂S over a broad pH range (pH 1–7). A preliminary investigation into the different effects of bacterial biodegradation and carbon adsorption on system performance was also conducted. This study shows the HBF to be a feasible and economic alternative to physical and chemical treatments for the removal of H₂S.