TRBP and eIF6 homologue in Marsupenaeus japonicus play crucial roles in antiviral response

Plants and invertebrates can suppress viral infection through RNA silencing, mediated by RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). Trans-activation response RNA-binding protein (TRBP), consisting of three double-stranded RNA-binding domains, is a component of the RISC. In our previous paper, a TRBP homologue in Fenneropenaeus chinensis (Fc-TRBP) was reported to directly bind to eukaryotic initiation factor 6 (Fc-eIF6). In this study, we further characterized the function of TRBP and the involvement of TRBP and eIF6 in antiviral RNA interference (RNAi) pathway of shrimp. The double-stranded RNA binding domains (dsRBDs) B and C of the TRBP from Marsupenaeus japonicus (Mj-TRBP) were found to mediate the interaction of TRBP and eIF6. Gel-shift assays revealed that the N-terminal of Mj-TRBP dsRBD strongly binds to double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) and that the homodimer of the TRBP mediated by the C-terminal dsRBD increases the affinity to dsRNA. RNAi against either Mj-TRBP or Mj-eIF6 impairs the dsRNA-induced sequence-specific RNAi pathway and facilitates the proliferation of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV). These results further proved the important roles of TRBP and eIF6 in the antiviral response of shrimp.     

低能氩离子注入对甜瓜种子发芽及幼苗某些生理生化指标的影响

以能量25 keV、不同剂量Ar 离子注入甜瓜种子,其发芽率均有所降低,且可不同程度提高O2-·产生速率和H2O2含量,同时过氧化物酶(POD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)和超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性增加,膜脂过氧化产物丙二醛(MDA)含量下降;剂量过大时,CAT、SOD活性下降,MDA含量上升.     

垫刃科线虫中国新纪录种的记述(侧尾腺纲,垫刃目)

报道了垫刃科线虫1新纪录：居农野外垫刃线虫Aglenchus agricola,样本采自中国北方番茄Lycopersicon esculentum根际土壤。     

壳聚糖对镉胁迫下玉米幼苗叶片AsA-GSH循环的调控效应

以玉米（Zea mays L.）品种‘郑单958’为实验材料,分析外施壳聚糖对镉胁迫下玉米幼苗生物量、叶片镉含量、叶片超氧阴离子（O₂^·-）产生速率和过氧化氢（H₂O₂）的含量,以及抗坏血酸-谷胱甘肽（AsA-GSH）循环中抗氧化酶的活性及抗氧化物含量的影响。结果显示,随着镉胁迫时间的延长,玉米幼苗发生氧化胁迫,叶片抗氧化酶（APX、GR、DHAR、MDHAR）活性和抗氧化物（AsA、GSH）的含量降低,镉积累过量会抑制玉米幼苗的生长。施加壳聚糖可以降低镉胁迫下玉米幼苗叶片O₂^·-的产生速率和H₂O₂含量,提高上述抗氧化酶活性和抗氧化物的含量,促进AsA和GSH的再生,维持细胞的氧化还原状态,促进玉米幼苗的生长。研究结果表明壳聚糖处理后玉米幼苗保持了较高的AsA-GSH循环运作效率,提高了抗氧化能力,可有效缓解镉胁迫对玉米幼苗生长的抑制。     

Observed quasi-steady kinetics of yeast cell growth and ethanol formation under very high gravity fermentation condition

Using a generalSaccharomyces cerevisiae as a model strain, continuous ethanol fermentation was carried out in a stirred tank bioreactor with a working volume of 1,500 mL. Three different gravity media containing glucose of 120, 200 and 280 g/L, respectively, supplemented with 5 g/L yeast extract and 3 g/L peptone, were fed into the fermentor at different dilution rates. Although complete steady states developed for low gravity medium containing 120 g/L glucose, quasi-steady states and oscillations of the fermented parameters, including residual glucose, ethanol and biomass were observed when high gravity medium containing 200 g/L glucose and very high gravity medium containing 280 g/L glucose were fed at the designated dilution rate of 0.027 h⁻¹. The observed quasi-steady states that incorporated these steady states, quasi-steady states and oscillations were proposed as these oscillations were of relatively short periods of time and their averages fluctuated up and down almost symmetrically. The continuous kinetic models that combined both the substrate and product inhibitions were developed and correlated for these observed quasi-steady states.     

缺铁水稻根转录本微点阵分析

水稻不仅是非常重要的粮食作物 ,也是用于研究的模式植物之一 .由于水稻基因组测序的完成 ,用功能基因组学的现代方法来研究缺铁相关基因的表达调控是最高效的方法之一。在前期工作的基础上 ,精心设计了缺铁和EDTA鳌合二价铁诱导5天的水稻根实验 ,并进行了转录水平的微点阵 (microarray)分析。但只获得了第 5天的结果。在 10 5 31个水稻cDNA芯片图谱中 ,缺铁和加铁比较发现了 4 5 1个差异点。对缺铁诱导的 4 5 1个差异cDNA逐一地进行NCBI (美国国家生物技术信息中心 )的BLAST(局部定位排列搜索工具 )数据库检索、分析和归类。发现其中缺铁与加铁 ( -Fe/Fe -EDTAratio)之间的相对表达水平(REL)在 2 - 9.175之间的缺铁诱导上调基因为 2 0 3个 ,缺铁诱导的下调基因为 2 4 8个。对每一类上调基因都逐一地进行了NCBI-PubMed的文献检索。利用国际网络数据库进行了功能鉴定。     

南川木波罗幼苗构件生物量和叶片特征随年龄增长的变化

为深入了解南川木波罗构件种群生物量、比叶面积及叶干物质含量随苗龄叶龄的变化规律,以南川木波罗幼苗(1~5年生)为研究对象,分析其根、茎、叶等构件种群的生物量、SLA、LDMC差异及动态变化。结果表明:(1)单株生物量随着苗龄增加而增加,且差异达显著性水平;(2)各构件生物量增加的幅度不尽相同,其中枝条生物量增长幅度最大,5年生幼苗与2年生幼苗相比达477.23倍,其余构件生物量为主干叶根;(3)枝条和主干的生物量比率总体上呈上升趋势,所占根比率变动较小而叶逐渐下降。表明植物体对各构件生物量投资的不均衡性,主要偏向于枝和主干;(4)SLA随着苗龄的增加呈先上升后降低的趋势,且当年生叶大于1年生叶;幼苗叶片干物质含量(LDMC)随苗龄增加而增加,且1年生叶均高于当年生叶。     

Cloning, structural organization and chromosomal mapping of rat costimulatory molecule 4-1BBL

4-1BBL （TNFSF9） is a member of the tumor necrosis factor （TNF） ligand superfamily, which is expressed on some activated antigen presenting cells and B cells. We isolated a rat cDNA clone encoding the rat homologue of the human 4-1BBL （GenBank accession No. AY259541）. The deduced rat 4-1BBL protein, consisting of 308 amino acids with a molecular weight of 33,469 Da, was a typical type II transmembrane glycoprotein, the same as human and murine 4-1BBL. “SDAA” in the cytoplasmic domain of rat 4-1BBL was deduced to act as the phosphorylation site for casein kinase I （“SXXS” motif）, which is present in the cytoplasmic domains of human and murine 4-1BBL, and all other TNF ligand family members known to utilize reverse signaling. The two introns of 4-1BBL were also cloned （GenBank accession No. AY332409）. Rat 4-1BBL is much more homologous with murine 4-1BBL than with human 4-1BBL, in both nucleotide and amino acid sequences. Rat 4-1BBL was expressed in all tested tissues： brain, lung, colon, liver, thymus, testicle, kidney, adrenal, stomach, spleen and heart. The chromosomal location of rat 4-1BBL was first identified by bioinformatics, then by fluorescence in situ hybridization at 9q11 （GenBank accession UniGene No. Rn.46783）. Rat, murine and human 4-1BBL genes are evolved from a common gene. The identification and characterization of the rat counterpart of human 4-1BBL will facilitate studies of the biological function of this molecule.     

Glutathione homeostasis and Cd tolerance in the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arabidopsis</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">sultr1;1</Emphasis>-<Emphasis Type="Italic">sultr1;2</Emphasis> double mutant with limiting sulfate supply

Key message

Cadmium sensitivity in sultr1;1 - sultr1;2 double mutant with limiting sulfate supply is attributed to the decreased glutathione content that affected oxidative defense but not phytochelatins’ synthesis.

Abstract

In plants, glutathione (GSH) homeostasis plays pivotal role in cadmium (Cd) detoxification. GSH is synthesized by sulfur (S) assimilation pathway. Many studies have tried to investigate the role of GSH homeostasis on Cd tolerance using mutants; however, most of them have focused on the last few steps of S assimilation. Until now, mutant evidence that explored the relationship between GSH homeostasis on Cd tolerance and S absorption is rare. To further reveal the role of GSH homeostasis on Cd stress, the wild-type and a sultr1;1-sultr1;2 double mutant which had a defect in two distinct high-affinity sulfate transporters were used in this study. Growth parameters, biochemical or zymological indexes and S assimilation-related genes’ expression were compared between the mutant and wild-type Arabidopsis plants. It was found that the mutations of SULTR1;1 and SULTR1;2 did not affect Cd accumulation. Compared to the wild-type, the double mutant was more sensitive to Cd under limited sulfate supply and suffered from stronger oxidative damage. More importantly, under the same condition, lower capacity of S assimilation resulted in decreased GSH content in mutant. Faced to the limited GSH accumulation, mutant seedlings consumed a large majority of GSH in pool for the synthesis of phytochelatins rather than participating in the antioxidative defense. Therefore, homeostasis of GSH, imbalance between antioxidative defense and severe oxidative damage led to hypersensitivity of double mutant to Cd under limited sulfate supply.