TEB/POLQ plays dual roles in protecting Arabidopsis from NO-induced DNA damage

Nitric oxide (NO) is a key player in numerous physiological processes. Excessive NO induces DNA damage, but how plants respond to this damage remains unclear. We screened and identified an Arabidopsis NO hypersensitive mutant and found it to be allelic to TEBICHI/POLQ, encoding DNA polymerase θ. The teb mutant plants were preferentially sensitive to NO- and its derivative peroxynitrite-induced DNA damage and subsequent double-strand breaks (DSBs). Inactivation of TEB caused the accumulation of spontaneous DSBs largely attributed to endogenous NO and was synergistic to DSB repair pathway mutations with respect to growth. These effects were manifested in the presence of NO-inducing agents and relieved by NO scavengers. NO induced G2/M cell cycle arrest in the teb mutant, indicative of stalled replication forks. Genetic analyses indicate that Polθ is required for translesion DNA synthesis across NO-induced lesions, but not oxidation-induced lesions. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that Polθ bypasses NO-induced base adducts in an error-free manner and generates mutations characteristic of Polθ-mediated end joining. Our experimental data collectively suggests that Polθ plays dual roles in protecting plants from NO-induced DNA damage. Since Polθ is conserved in higher eukaryotes, mammalian Polθ may also be required for balancing NO physiological signaling and genotoxicity.     

不同施肥与灌水量对槟榔土壤氨挥发的影响

利用通气法田间原位试验,研究了不同施肥模式、灌溉量对槟榔土壤氨挥发速率和挥发量的影响。结果表明：槟榔恢复期和出花期追肥灌水后,不同施肥处理均在第3天出现氨挥发速率峰值（0.50-3.42 kg.hm-2.d-1）,而后迅速下降并进入低挥发阶段。出花期氨挥发速率峰值（1.50-4.42 kg.hm-2.d-1）比恢复期氨挥发速率峰值明显高。灌水量小(300 m3. hm-2)的氨挥发率和总量比灌水量大(600 m3. hm-2)的明显减小。在同一氮水平下,有机质含量较低的氨挥发率较高。在同一有机质含量条件,氨挥发率随着N肥含量增加而升高。与单施N肥处理相比,有机肥与N肥配施可明显减少氨挥发速率和总量,可减少氮损失。     

大兴安岭天然沼泽湿地生态系统碳储量

采用碳/氮分析仪测定法与标准木解析法,研究大兴安岭5种典型天然沼泽湿地(草丛沼泽、灌丛沼泽、毛赤杨沼泽、白桦沼泽和落叶松沼泽)的生态系统碳储量(植被和土壤)、净初级生产力、植被年净固碳量及其沿沼泽至森林方向过渡带水分环境梯度的分布格局,揭示其空间变异规律性,并定量评价寒温带5种典型天然沼泽湿地的碳储量与固碳能力及其长期碳汇作用。结果表明:①5种天然沼泽湿地的植被碳储量分布在(0.48±0.08)—(8.33±0.66)kgC/m2之间,沿过渡带环境梯度呈递增趋势;②土壤碳储量分布在(19.21±6.17)—(38.28±4.86)kgC/m2之间,沿过渡带环境梯度却呈递减趋势;③生态系统碳储量分布在(27.54±7.16)—(38.76±4.58)kgC/m2之间,沿过渡带环境梯度基本呈恒定分布规律性,且以湿地土壤碳储量占优势地位(69.8%—98.8%);④植被净初级生产力分布在(0.68±0.10)—(1.08±0.12)kg.m-.2a-1之间,毛赤杨沼泽最高,草丛沼泽、灌丛沼泽、白桦沼泽居中,落叶松沼泽最低,且总体上低于温带森林湿地而高于寒温带天然落叶松林;⑤植被年净固碳量分布在(0.32±0.09)—(0.51±0.06)kgC.m-.2a-1,毛赤杨沼泽最高(高于全球植被平均年净固碳量)、灌丛沼泽和白桦沼泽居中(达到或接近全球平均值)、草丛沼泽和落叶松沼泽最低(略低于全球平均值),故这5种沼泽湿地均属于碳汇功能相对较强的湿地植被类型。     

Direct adenylation from 5′-OH-terminated oligonucleotides by a fusion enzyme containing Pfu RNA ligase and T4 polynucleotide kinase

5′-Adenylated oligonucleotides (AppOligos) are widely used for single-stranded DNA/RNA ligation in next-generation sequencing (NGS) applications such as microRNA (miRNA) profiling. The ligation between an AppOligo adapter and target molecules (such as miRNA) no longer requires ATP, thereby minimizing potential self-ligations and simplifying library preparation procedures. AppOligos can be produced by chemical synthesis or enzymatic modification. However, adenylation via chemical synthesis is inefficient and expensive, while enzymatic modification requires pre-phosphorylated substrate and additional purification. Here we cloned and characterized the Pfu RNA ligase encoded by the PF0353 gene in the hyperthermophilic archaea Pyrococcus furiosus. We further engineered fusion enzymes containing both Pfu RNA ligase and T4 polynucleotide kinase. One fusion enzyme, 8H-AP, was thermostable and can directly catalyze 5′-OH-terminated DNA substrates to adenylated products. The newly discovered Pfu RNA ligase and the engineered fusion enzyme may be useful tools for applications using AppOligos.     

Distinct basolateral amygdala excitatory inputs mediate the somatosensory and aversive-affective components of pain

Pain is a multidimensional perception that includes unpleasant somatosensory and affective experiences; however, the underlying neural circuits that mediate different components of pain remain elusive. Although hyperactivity of basolateral amygdala glutamatergic (BLA^Glu) neurons is required for the somatosensory and emotional processing of pain, the precise excitatory inputs to BLA^Glu neurons and their roles in mediating different aspects of pain are unclear. Here, we identified two discrete glutamatergic neuronal circuits in male mice: a projection from the insular cortex glutamatergic (IC^Glu) to BLA^Glu neurons, which modulates both the somatosensory and affective components of pain, and a projection from the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus (MD^Glu) to BLA^Glu neurons, which modulates only the aversive-affective component of pain. Using whole-cell recording and fiber photometry, we found that neurons within the IC→BLA and MD→BLA pathways were activated in mice upon inflammatory pain induced by injection of complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) into their paws. Optical inhibition of the IC^Glu→BLA pathway increased the nociceptive threshold and induced behavioral place preference in CFA mice. In contrast, optical inhibition of the MD^Glu→BLA pathway did not affect the nociceptive threshold but still induced place preference in CFA mice. In normal mice, optical activation of the IC^Glu→BLA pathway decreased the nociceptive threshold and induced place aversion, while optical activation of the MD^Glu→BLA pathway only evoked aversion. Taken together, our results demonstrate that discrete IC^Glu→BLA and MD^Glu→BLA pathways are involved in modulating different components of pain, provide insights into its circuit basis, and better our understanding of pain perception.     

毛茛科和芍药科叶绿体基因组密码子特征和系统发育比较

为研究和比较毛茛科和芍药科叶绿体基因组密码子使用模式和系统进化关系,以完成测序的毛茛科33种植物、芍药科7种植物叶绿体基因组为材料,采用分析软件CodonW在线软件CUSP和R软件对叶绿体基因进行密码子特征分析。用MAFFT软件,MEGA软件进行系统发育分析。研究结果表明芍药科植物叶绿体基因组和毛茛科植物（耧斗菜属除外）叶绿体基因组高频密码子一致性高,具有29个高频密码子,基本偏向与于A/U结尾,但最优密码子存在差异。毛茛科和芍药科叶绿体基因组密码子偏好性的形成因素主要受自然选择的影响,且芍药科叶绿体基因组密码子偏好性受自然选择的影响大于毛茛科。基于叶绿体基因组全序列和基于叶绿体基因组CDS序列的系统进化关系表明,芍药科基于叶绿体基因组全序列和基于叶绿体基因组CDS序列的系统进化关系虽然部分不同,但都可以被划分为芍药组和牡丹组。毛茛科基于叶绿体基因组的系统进化关系不符合中国植物志分类关系,但支持把毛茛科划分为4亚科14族。系统进化分析结果也支持芍药科独立于毛茛科和毛茛目,被划分到虎耳草目,同时证明了叶绿体基因组作为超级DNA条形码的可行性。     

基于遥感降尺度估算中国森林生物量的空间分布

森林生物量是陆地生态系统重要的碳库,其大小与空间分布特征直接影响森林的碳汇潜力。基于空间降尺度技术,以中国第六次国家森林资源清查资料为基础,同时结合1∶100万植被分布图及同期的基于MODIS反演的NPP空间分布,定量估算了1 km分辨率下我国森林生物量的空间分布。结果表明:(1)降尺度技术能有效结合遥感数据的空间特征与地面详查资料的统计特征,从而较好地解决当前生物量估算的区域尺度转化问题;(2)我国森林生物量存在明显的空间分布规律,与水热条件的空间分布格局基本一致,表现为西部较低东部较高,大型山脉分布处较高;(3)我国森林生物量总量11.0 Pg,平均生物量74.8 Mg/hm2,其中高值区主要集中在东北大小兴安岭和长白山地区、新疆山区、西南横断山脉地区以及东南武夷山地区。     

瘦蛋白与皮肤创伤愈合

自1994年瘦蛋白（leptin）被发现以来,其生理作用得到广泛的研究。近年的研究表明,在高等动物的皮肤创伤愈合过程中,胶原与血管的生成、肉芽组织与上皮的再生以及组织的重建等因子,对皮肤的创伤愈合发挥着至关重要的作用,了解瘦蛋白与上述因子之间的相互关系与作用机制,有助于指导治疗,改善预后。