Ocean acidification and warming will lower coral reef resilience

Ocean warming and acidification from increasing levels of atmospheric CO₂ represent major global threats to coral reefs, and are in many regions exacerbated by local‐scale disturbances such as overfishing and nutrient enrichment. Our understanding of global threats and local‐scale disturbances on reefs is growing, but their relative contribution to reef resilience and vulnerability in the future is unclear. Here, we analyse quantitatively how different combinations of CO₂ and fishing pressure on herbivores will affect the ecological resilience of a simplified benthic reef community, as defined by its capacity to maintain and recover to coral‐dominated states. We use a dynamic community model integrated with the growth and mortality responses for branching corals (Acropora) and fleshy macroalgae (Lobophora). We operationalize the resilience framework by parameterizing the response function for coral growth (calcification) by ocean acidification and warming, coral bleaching and mortality by warming, macroalgal mortality by herbivore grazing and macroalgal growth via nutrient loading. The model was run for changes in sea surface temperature and water chemistry predicted by the rise in atmospheric CO₂ projected from the IPCC's fossil‐fuel intensive A1FI scenario during this century. Results demonstrated that severe acidification and warming alone can lower reef resilience (via impairment of coral growth and increased coral mortality) even under high grazing intensity and low nutrients. Further, the threshold at which herbivore overfishing (reduced grazing) leads to a coral–algal phase shift was lowered by acidification and warming. These analyses support two important conclusions: Firstly, reefs already subjected to herbivore overfishing and nutrification are likely to be more vulnerable to increasing CO₂. Secondly, under CO₂ regimes above 450–500 ppm, management of local‐scale disturbances will become critical to keeping reefs within an Acropora‐rich domain.     

Longitudinal Water Movement in the Primary Root of Zea mays

The rates of transfer of tritiated water (THO) along lengthsof excised primary roots of Zea mays have been measured undera variety of conditions. The following values of ‘apparentdiffusion coefficients’ for THO in the root tissue havebeen evaluated: 1.5±0.1x10^-5 cm² sec^-1 in roots boiledfor 3 min before use,0.5±0.03x10^-5 cm² sec^-1 in rootspoisoned with 10^-2 M NaF,0.9±0.07x10^-5 cm² sec^-1 in rootspoisoned with 10^-2 M NaN₃,and 2.1±0.2x10^-5 cm² sec^-1in normal roots. The bathing medium in all cases was 1.0 mMKCl/0.1 mM CaCl₂ with the addition of the inhibitors where appropriate.Thefourfold increase in the rate of THO transfer in normal rootscompared with poisoned ones is attributed to the existence ofa long-distance convective flow in the first case, which isterminated by the addition of inhibitors. Since experimentsshow that this convective flow must occur both acropetally andbasipetally with equal velocity, it is thought to occur in thephloem.By assuming the ‘streaming transcellular strands’model for phloem transport, the rate of movement required togive the observed transfer has been computed as approximately4.5x10^-2 cm sec^-1 (160 cm h^-1).The earlier report of the existenceof a highly impermeable barrier surrounding the xylem vesselshas been further substantiated by the experiments reported here.     

橡胶树果糖-1，6-双磷酸酯酶基因的克隆及表达特性分析

果糖．1,6-双磷酸酯酶（FBPase）是糖异生途径中的关键酶,在糖代谢中起重要作用。本研究首次从橡胶树中克隆并获得胞质型HbFBPase基因,其全长cDNA序列1541bp,包含一个1017bp的开放阅读框,编码一个由338个氨基酸残基组成的蛋白质。氨基酸同源性分析发现,该蛋白含有保守的FBPase活性位点、腺嘌呤核糖核苷酸（AMP）结合位点及金属离子结合位点。生物信息学分析显示,HbFBPase蛋白无导肽酶切位点,不具有跨膜结构域,且为亲水蛋白,推测该蛋白可能在细胞质中发挥作用。实时荧光定量PCR分析表明,HbFBPase基因在叶中高表达,胶乳及种子次之。进一步分析HbFBPase基因在非光合库组织胶乳（产胶细胞的细胞质）中的表达模式,结果显示该基因表达受割胶、伤害处理调控,推测其在橡胶树胶乳糖代谢中发挥重要的调控作用,参与了橡胶烃的生物合成调控。此外,HbFBPase基因表达受多种植物激素如乙烯（ET）、脱落酸（ABA）、茉莉酸（JA）、植物生长素（2,4．D）、水杨酸（sA）及赤霉素（GA）的调控。本研究初步揭示HbFBPase是橡胶树胶乳糖异生作用的关键酶,是胶乳糖酵解及橡胶合成的负调控因子,为探讨胶乳糖异生与橡胶烃合成之间的关系提供理论基础,有助于进一步了解胶乳糖代谢的调控机理。     

Hydrogen sulphide may be a novel downstream signal molecule in nitric oxide‐induced heat tolerance of maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings

Nitric oxide (NO) is a second messenger with multifunction that is involved in plant growth, development and the acquisition of stress tolerance. In recent years, hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) has been found to have similar functions, but crosstalk between NO and H₂S in the acquisition of heat tolerance is not clear. In this study, pretreatment with the NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) improved the survival percentage of maize seedlings and alleviated an increase in electrolyte leakage and a decrease in tissue vitality as well as accumulation of malondialdehyde, indicating that pretreatment with SNP improved the heat tolerance of maize seedlings. In addition, pretreatment with SNP enhanced the activity of L‐cystine desulfhydrase, which, in turn, induced accumulation of endogenous H₂S, while application of H₂S donors, NaHS and GYY4137, increased endogenous H₂S content, followed by mitigating increase in electrolyte leakage and enhanced survival percentage of seedlings under heat stress. Interestingly, SNP‐induced heat tolerance was enhanced by application of NaHS and GYY4137, but was eliminated by inhibitors of H₂S synthesis DL‐propargylglycine, aminooxyacetic acid, potassium pyruvate and hydroxylamine, and the H₂S scavenger hypotaurine. All of the above‐mentioned results suggest that SNP pretreatment could improve heat tolerance, and H₂S may be a downstream signal molecule in NO‐induced heat tolerance of maize seedlings.     

土壤水分和氮素有效性对刺槐幼苗叶片活性氧产生和清除的影响

采用施加氮肥和人工控水的方法,以一年生刺槐幼苗为材料进行盆栽实验,探讨提高土壤氮素含量对不同土壤水分条件下刺槐幼苗叶片中活性氧产生和清除的影响。结果表明:(1)相同氮素水平下,降低土壤水分含量引起刺槐生物量和叶片光合色素含量降低,而过氧化氢(H2O2)含量升高;抗氧化酶系统中的超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)和过氧化物酶(POD)活性和过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性不同程度降低;抗氧化剂中抗坏血酸(ASA)含量和还原型谷胱甘肽(GSH)含量均有所提高;MDA含量逐渐升高,而同期细胞膜相对电导率显著升高。(2)相同水分条件下,提高土壤氮素水平显著提高了刺槐幼苗叶片光合色素含量,同时也一定程度提高了总生物量,显著降低了H2O2含量;SOD、POD和CAT活性不同程度升高;ASA含量和GSH含量则表现出不同程度下降;相对电导率显著降低同时MDA含量一定程度降低。因此,增加土壤氮素有效性可显著提高刺槐幼苗叶片光合色素含量,显著抑制活性氧的产生,一定程度提高总生物量和抗氧化酶活性,降低膜脂过氧化程度,从而有利于缓解干旱引起的伤害。     

光动力疗法在腹部恶性肿瘤的应用

近年来光动力治疗已经应用在腹部的恶性肿瘤的治疗上,并且取得了满意的疗效.对于部分腹部恶性肿瘤,相应的研究在实验室里也有报道.通过对光动力治疗的原理、机制、光敏剂,以及腹部恶性肿瘤光动力治疗相关的文献进行了综述,总结了光动力治疗应用在腹部恶性肿瘤的优势和相关问题.     

NaCl胁迫对2个杨树品系扦插苗生长及体内离子含量和运输的影响

以杨树(Populus spp.)品系“南杨1号”(Nanyang No.1)和“南杨2号”(Nanyang No.2)为实验材料,研究了不同浓度(0、75和150 mmol·L-1)NaCl胁迫条件下2个杨树品系扦插苗生长及不同器官中离子(N、P、K+、Na+、Ca2+、Mg2+和Cl-)含量与运输的差异.结果表明:随NaCl浓度的提高,2个杨树品系的单株干质量以及“南杨1号”的根冠比均逐渐降低,但“南杨2号”的根冠比呈现先增大后减小的趋势;除P和Mg2+含量外,2个品系根、新生枝条和叶片中营养元素的含量均逐渐降低,Na+和Cl-含量以及Na+/K+和Na+/Ca2+比值均逐渐增加,但Na+和Cl-含量以及Na+/K+和Na+/Ca2+比值的增幅在根中均最高、在叶片中均最小.在150 mmol·L-1NaCl胁迫条件下,2个品系的单株干质量和根冠比以及根、新生枝条和叶片中N、P、K+、Ca2+和Mg2+含量均最低,Na+和Cl-含量以及Na+/K+和Na+/Ca2+比值均最高,且与对照有显著差异.在NaCl胁迫条件下,2个品系从根到新生枝条、从新生枝条到叶片的离子运输相对选择性比率RSK+,Na+和RSCa2+,Na+基本上均小于对照,其中,从根到新生枝条的RSx+,Na+和RSCa2+,Na+均大于从新生枝条到叶片.总体上看,在NaCl胁迫条件下“南杨2号”的单株干质量和根冠比、各器官的N和P含量、不同器官间的RSK+Na+和RSCa2+,Na+均高于“南杨1号”,“南杨2号”各器官的Na+和Cl-含量以及Na+/K+和Na+/Ca2+比值的增幅均低于“南杨1号”.综合分析结果表明:NaCl胁迫对2个杨树品系扦插苗的生长及体内离子的分布及运输均有一定的影响,但总体上看,“南杨2号”对NaCl胁迫的耐性优于“南杨1号”.