A new bacteria-free strategy induced by MaGal2 facilitates pinewood nematode escape immune response from its vector beetle

Symbiotic microbes play a crucial role in regulating parasite–host interactions; however, the role of bacterial associates in parasite–host interactions requires elucidation. In this study, we showed that, instead of introducing numerous symbiotic bacteria, dispersal of 4th-stage juvenile (J_IV) pinewood nematodes (PWNs), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, only introduced few bacteria to its vector beetle, Monochamus alternatus (Ma). J_IV showed weak binding ability to five dominant bacteria species isolated from the beetles’ pupal chamber. This was especially the case for binding to the opportunistic pathogenic species Serratia marcescens; the nematodes’ bacteria binding ability at this critical stage when it infiltrates Ma for dispersal was much weaker compared with Caenorhabditis elegans, Diplogasteroides asiaticus, and propagative-stage PWN. The associated bacterium S. marcescens, which was isolated from the beetles’ pupal chambers, was unfavorable to Ma, because it caused a higher mortality rate upon injection into tracheae. In addition, S. marcescens in the tracheae caused more immune effector disorders compared with PWN alone. Ma_Galectin2 (MaGal2), a pattern-recognition receptor, was up-regulated following PWN loading. Recombinant MaGal2 protein formed aggregates with five dominant associated bacteria in vitro. Moreover, MaGal2 knockdown beetles had up-regulated prophenoloxidase gene expression, increased phenoloxidase activity, and decreased PWN loading. Our study revealed a previously unknown strategy for immune evasion of this plant pathogen inside its vector, and provides novel insights into the role of bacteria in parasite–host interactions.     

四合木种群的生态适应性

通过四合木异地播种生长量比较、以及四合木对土壤的适应性和对水热综合因子的适应性分析,得到如下结果：（1）四合木生长量高低的顺序为乌海区的东胜土（12．12g）〉乌海区的乌海土（10．62g）〉东胜区的乌海土（3．10g）〉东胜区的东胜土（2．59g）。同一地区不同土壤间四合木生长量之间没有差异（P≥0．05）,不同地区相同土壤间的生长量之间却有十分显著的差异,说明了土壤条件对四合木的生存影响是次要的,气候条件是保证四合木生存的最重要的条件。（2）四合木分布区与异地保护区之间9种土壤微量元素具有差异,但由于四合木植株中的微量元素含量均高于土壤中的有效量,说明四合木对微量元素具有富集作用,土壤微量元素含量不是四合木成活与生长的限制因子。（3）四合木分布区与异地保护区之间各月平均温度差异显著;全年气温日较差以及温暖指数、寒冷指数、湿润指数和水热综合因子指数差异显著;生长季地表地温昼夜温差具有特殊性,这可能是异地保护不易成功的限制因子之一。     

培养和非培养法分析冷藏鸡肉胴体中的细菌多样性

运用纯培养和非培养法对冷藏鸡肉胴体上细菌多样性进行了对比研究。采用培养法从鸡肉胴体中初步分离到45株细菌菌株,16S rDNA-ARDRA分析得到9株代表性细菌,其16S rDNA序列系统发育分析表明,这些菌株隶属于Bacillus sp.、Shigella sp.、Pseudomonas sp.、Citrobacter sp.、Klebsiella sp.和Escherichia sp.6个属。16S rDNA-ARDRA联合PAGE和16S rDNA全序列分析的非培养法结果表明,冷藏鸡肉中细菌主要属于Acinetobacter sp.、Bacillus sp.、Acidovorax sp.、Brochothrix thermosphacta、Lactococcus garvieae和Leuconostoc lactis等16个属。非培养法揭示的细菌多样性比培养法丰富,但二者结合使用能让肉品中微生物多样性得到更全面的展示。     

mTORC1-independent translation control in mammalian cells by methionine adenosyltransferase 2A and S-adenosylmethionine

Methionine adenosyltransferase (MAT) catalyzes the synthesis of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM). As the sole methyl-donor for methylation of DNA, RNA, and proteins, SAM levels affect gene expression by changing methylation patterns. Expression of MAT2A, the catalytic subunit of isozyme MAT2, is positively correlated with proliferation of cancer cells; however, how MAT2A promotes cell proliferation is largely unknown. Given that the protein synthesis is induced in proliferating cells and that RNA and protein components of translation machinery are methylated, we tested here whether MAT2 and SAM are coupled with protein synthesis. By measuring ongoing protein translation via puromycin labeling, we revealed that MAT2A depletion or chemical inhibition reduced protein synthesis in HeLa and Hepa1 cells. Furthermore, overexpression of MAT2A enhanced protein synthesis, indicating that SAM is limiting under normal culture conditions. In addition, MAT2 inhibition did not accompany reduction in mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 activity but nevertheless reduced polysome formation. Polysome-bound RNA sequencing revealed that MAT2 inhibition decreased translation efficiency of some fraction of mRNAs. MAT2A was also found to interact with the proteins involved in rRNA processing and ribosome biogenesis; depletion or inhibition of MAT2 reduced 18S rRNA processing. Finally, quantitative mass spectrometry revealed that some translation factors were dynamically methylated in response to the activity of MAT2A. These observations suggest that cells possess an mTOR-independent regulatory mechanism that tunes translation in response to the levels of SAM. Such a system may acclimate cells for survival when SAM synthesis is reduced, whereas it may support proliferation when SAM is sufficient.     

草原沙漠化过程中植物的耐胁迫类型研究

以内蒙古锡林郭勒盟多伦县草原沙漠化过程中不同梯度共有种群为研究对象 ,探讨植物的受损机理 ,综合 2 0 0 1～ 2 0 0 3年的研究结果表明 :随着沙漠化的进展 ,共有种群的 1叶片含水量及叶绿素 a、b和总叶绿素含量均呈降低趋势。叶片含水量高低顺序为扁蓿豆 (Melilotoides ruthenica) >冷蒿 (Artemisia frigida) >羊草 (L eymus chinensis) >糙隐子草 (Cleistogenessquarrosa) ,反映了共有种群水分状况的不同。2质膜相对透性、游离脯氨酸含量均呈上升趋势 ,其中羊草、糙隐子草和冷蒿变化表现出先升后降再升的规律。3MDA含量变化均表现出先升后降再升的规律 ,不同植物不同阶段 MDA积累程度 (积累率大小顺序为沙漠化初期 :冷蒿 2 9.5 9% >羊草 18.14 % >扁蓿豆 13.6 8% >糙隐子草 3.77% ;沙漠化后期 :糙隐子草 80 .11% >冷蒿 77.2 9% >羊草 39.31% >扁蓿豆 8.5 6 % )的不同反映了不同阶段细胞受伤害程度的差异。4 SOD、CAT活性变化总体上均呈上升趋势 ,其中羊草 CAT活性呈降低趋势 ;酶活性均梯度间差异显著 (P<0 .0 0 1)。 5内源激素 ABA含量的变化因不同种群抗逆性强弱而异。糙隐子草、冷蒿和扁蓿豆 ABA增幅小 ,而羊草 ABA增幅大。综合各种生理特征及其对沙漠化环境的响应 ,对共有种群分类 :羊草为敏感型     

Effects of size,neighbors, and site condition on tree growth in a subtropical evergreen and deciduous broad‐leaved mixed forest,China

Successful growth of a tree is the result of combined effects of biotic and abiotic factors. It is important to understand how biotic and abiotic factors affect changes in forest structure and dynamics under environmental fluctuations. In this study, we explored the effects of initial size [diameter at breast height (DBH)], neighborhood competition, and site condition on tree growth, based on a 3‐year monitoring of tree growth rate in a permanent plot (120 × 80 m) of montane Fagus engleriana–Cyclobalanopsis multiervis mixed forest on Mt. Shennongjia, China. We measured DBH increments every 6 months from October 2011 to October 2014 by field‐made dendrometers and calculated the mean annual growth rate over the 3 years for each individual tree. We also measured and calculated twelve soil properties and five topographic variables for 384 grids of 5 × 5 m. We defined two distance‐dependent neighborhood competition indices with and without considerations of phylogenetic relatedness between trees and tested for significant differences in growth rates among functional groups. On average, trees in this mixed montane forest grew 0.07 cm year^?1 in DBH. Deciduous, canopy, and early‐successional species grew faster than evergreen, small‐statured, and late‐successional species, respectively. Growth rates increased with initial DBH, but were not significantly related to neighborhood competition and site condition for overall trees. Phylogenetic relatedness between trees did not influence the neighborhood competition. Different factors were found to influence tree growth rates of different functional groups: Initial DBH was the dominant factor for all tree groups; neighborhood competition within 5 m radius decreased growth rates of evergreen trees; and site condition tended to be more related to growth rates of fast‐growing trees (deciduous, canopy, pioneer, and early‐successional species) than the slow‐growing trees (evergreen, understory, and late‐successional species).     

β-Galactosidase production by the psychrotolerant yeast Guehomyces pullulans 17-1 isolated from sea sediment in Antarctica and lactose hydrolysis

A psychrotolerant yeast Guehomyces pullulans 17-1 was isolated from sea sediment in Antarctica. It was found that it could yield both extracellular and cell-bound β-galactosidase. After optimization of the medium and cultivation conditions, it was found that the yeast strain produced over 17.2 U mL⁻¹ of β-galactosidase activity within 120 h at the flask level while the yeast strain produced over 25.3 U mL⁻¹ of β-galactosidase activity within 144 h during the 2-L fermentation. This is the highest β-galactosidase activity produced by the wild type yeast strains reported so far. However, the optimal pH and temperature for the crude β-galactosidase were 4.0 and 50 °C, respectively. Lactose could be converted into glucose and galactose and a large amount of reducing sugar could be released from milk under catalysis of the yeast culture.     

南宁地区唐氏综合征患者的细胞遗传学研究

为了探讨中国南宁地区唐氏综合征患者染色体核型分布及其特点, 对广西壮族自治区妇幼保健院1994年以来的500例疑似唐氏综合征(Down syndrome, DS)患者进行外周血染色体核型分析, 130例确诊为DS患者。其中, 单纯型21-三体为86.15%(112/130); 易位型为8.46%(11/130); 嵌合型为5.39%(7/130)。在单纯型21-三体中性别比为女∶男=1∶1.8; 93.08% 的唐氏综合征患儿由年轻母亲(<35岁)所生, 另有6.92% 由高龄产妇所生。结果表明, 南宁地区86% 以上唐氏综合征患者的染色体核型是单纯型21-三体, 男性唐氏综合征患儿明显高于女性患儿。     

中药渣蚓粪对玉米生长及土壤肥力特性的影响

采用盆栽试验,研究了中药渣蚓粪对玉米生长及土壤肥力的影响.结果表明: 随着蚓粪施用量的增加,玉米的株高、茎粗、叶面积、叶绿素含量均显著增加;生长60 d收获时,多数蚓粪处理的土壤容重显著降低;蚓粪处理的土壤pH显著高于对照和相应的化肥处理.蚓粪处理的土壤全氮、有机质含量也明显高于化肥处理,且随蚓粪施用量的增加,效果越趋显著.中药渣蚓粪可作为一种高效有机肥,其合理施用有助于改善土壤物理结构,缓解土壤的酸化进程,提高土壤有机质和氮素含量,有效促进作物生长.