An ancient enzyme finds a new home: Prevalence and neofunctionalization of trypsin in marine phytoplankton

Trypsin is an ancient protease best known as a digestive enzyme in animals, and traditionally believed to be absent in plants and protists. However, our recent studies have revealed its wide presence and important roles in marine phytoplankton. Here, to gain a better understanding on the importance of trypsin in phytoplankton, we further surveyed the distribution, diversity, evolution and potential ecological roles of trypsin in global ocean phytoplankton. Our analysis indicated that trypsin is widely distributed both taxonomically and geographically in marine phytoplankton. Furthermore, by systematic comparative analyses we found that algal trypsin could be classified into two subfamilies (trypsin I and trypsin II) and exhibited highly duplicated and diversified during evolution. We also observed markedly different domain sequences and organizations between and within the subfamilies, suggesting potential neofunctionalization. Diatoms contain both subfamilies of trypsin, with higher numbers of genes and more environment-responsive expression of trypsin than other lineages. The duplication and subsequent neofunctionalization of the trypsin family may be important in diatoms for adapting to dynamical environmental conditions, contributing to diatoms' dominance in the coastal oceans. This work advances our knowledge on the distribution and neofunctionalization of this ancient enzyme and creates a new window of research on phytoplankton biology.     

Chromosomal localization of uroplakin genes of cattle and mice

The asymmetric unit membrane (AUM) of the apical surface of mammalian urinary bladder epithelium contains several major integral membrane proteins, including uroplakins IA and IB (both 27 kDa), II (15 kDa), and III (47 kDa). These proteins are synthesized only in terminally differentiated bladder epithelial cells. They are encoded by separate genes and, except for uroplakins IA and IB, appear to be unrelated in their amino acid sequences. The genes encoding these uroplakins were mapped to chromosomes of cattle through their segregation in a panel of bovine x rodent somatic cell hybrids. Genes for uroplakins IA, IB, and II were mapped to bovine (BTA) Chromosomes (Chrs) 18 (UPK1A), 1 (UPK1B), and 15 (UPK2), respectively. Two bovine genomic DNA sequences reactive with a uroplakin III cDNA probe were identified and mapped to BTA 6 (UPK3A) and 5 (UPK3B). We have also mapped genes for uroplakins 1A and II in mice, to the proximal regions of mouse Chr 7 (Upk1a) and 9 (Upk2), respectively, by analyzing the inheritance of restriction fragment length variants in recombinant inbred mouse strains. These assignments are consistent with linkage relationships known to be conserved between cattle and mice. The mouse genes for uroplakins IB and III were not mapped because the mouse genomic DNA fragments reactive with each probe were invariant among the inbred strains tested. Although the stoichiometry of AUM proteins is nearly constant, the fact that the uroplakin genes are unlinked indicates that their expression must be independently regulated. Our results also suggest likely positions for two human uroplakin genes and should facilitate further analysis of their possible involvement in disease.     

Sub-Cellular Distribution of Zinc in Different Vegetative Organs and Their Contribution to Grains Zinc Accumulation in Rice Under Different Nitrogen and Zinc Supply

Journal of Plant Growth Regulation - Zinc is an important micronutrient for the growth and development of human body and plants. Proper use of nitrogen fertilizer and foliar application of Zn have...     

Terpenoids and Their Possible Role in Defense Against a Fungal Pathogen Alternaria tenuissima in Chrysanthemum morifolium Cultivars

Journal of Plant Growth Regulation - Terpenoids are a class of structurally diverse natural products involved in various plant biological processes. Their primary function is believed to provide...     

PDGF-AA activates AKT and ERK signaling for testicular interstitial Leydig cell growth via primary cilia

Testes control the development of male reproductive system. The testicular interstitial Leydig cells (Leydig cells) synthesize testosterone for promoting spermatogenesis and secondary sexual characteristics. Type A platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-AA) is one of the most important growth factors in regulating Leydig cell growth and function. Knockout of PDGF-AA or its congenital receptor PDGFR-α leads to poor testicular development caused by reducing Leydig cell numbers, supporting PDGF-AA/PDGFR-α signaling regulates Leydig cell development. Primary cilium is a cellular antenna that functions as an integrative platform to transduce extracellular signaling for proper development and differentiation. Several receptors including PDGFR-α are observed on primary cilia for initiating signaling cascades in distinct cell types. Here we showed that PDGF-AA/PDGFR-α signaling promoted Leydig cells growth, migration, and invasion via primary cilia. Upon PDGF-AA treatment, AKT and ERK signaling were activated to regulate these cellular events. Interestingly, active AKT and ERK were detected around the base of primary cilia. Depletion of ciliary genes (IFT88 and CEP164) alleviated PDGF-AA-activated AKT and ERK, thus reducing Leydig cell growth, migration, and invasion. Thus, our study not only reveals the function of PDGF-AA/PDGFR-α signaling in maintaining testicular physiology but also uncovers the role of primary cilium and downstream signaling in regulating Leydig cell development.     

池塘饲养鱼类优化结构及其增产原理：Ⅰ.池塘越冬鱼种的生物学特性

1986—1989年的鱼种池塘越冬对比饲养与室内验证试验结果表明:长江以南草鱼种在冬季大部分时间仍能开口摄食。若不是密集越冬,并在晴天加强培育,越冬期间鱼种的平均生长率可达10—14％,鱼体丰满系数、血液中红细胞数、血红蛋白、血浆总蛋白含量,肌肉、肝脏中大部分营养成分较越冬前均无明显变化(p>0.05);补充投饵的半密集越冬组,鱼种体重、丰满系数能维持在越冬前水平(p>0.05),但血液、肌肉、肝脏中部分营养指标仍明显下降(p≤0.05);而饥饿条件下密集越冬组,鱼种消瘦9—14％,腹内肠系膜脂肪消耗殆尽,丰满系数、肝脏、肌肉中蛋白质、脂肪含量均明显下降(p≤0.05),且出现贫血状态。试验证明了越冬鱼种放养密度及饲养管理的不同,将影响鱼种质量的优劣和次年的成鱼养殖产量。为我国长江中下游大部,淮河、黄河中下游部分地区改革鱼种越冬制度,采取稀放精养的必要性和提高越冬鱼种质量与产量的可行性提供了理论根据。     

儿童最大有氧活动能力的发展特征

本文报告了我国４６３名１０－１９岁儿童青少年的最大有氧活动能力的发展特征。在青春早期,男女童的最大吸氧量绝对值均随年龄增长而增加,男童由１．７５升／分增至３．１０升／分,女童由１．４４升／分增至２．０７升／分,女童增长较少;以后女童即稳定于这一水平,男童仍略有增长。按身高及按最大心率计标的相对值与其有相似的特征。按体重和瘦体重计算的相对值,在男女童都未见随年龄增长的规律。男童ＶＯ２ｍａｘ绝对值及各     

钙对臭氧伤害小麦的防护作用

春小麦分别用0、1‰、3‰、5‰浓度的CaCl_2溶液浸种及培养,9天后,用0.3—0.7ppm浓度的臭氧(O_3)对幼苗熏气0、4、8、12h,观测到来经Ca~(2+)处理材料的叶片,其外渗液紫外吸收值和电导率随O_3处理时间延长都有不同程度的升高,而叶内可溶性糖和叶绿素含量都明显降低,经过3‰Ca~(2+)处理O_3熏气4—12h的材料,其外渗液紫外吸值、电导率、外渗糖、蒸腾强度都低于对照,其叶内可溶性糖及叶绿素含量均高于对照,证收明在一定O_3浓度范围内,3‰CaCl_2对O_3侵害小麦有明显的防护作用。     

两种珙桐叶片结构的观察

珙桐(Davidia involucrata Baill.)与它的变种光叶珙桐[Davidia involucrata Baill.var.vilmoriniana(Dode)Wanger.]叶下表皮(即远轴面)差异较大,前者叶下表皮密被淡黄色或淡白色丝状单细胞粗毛,后者叶下表皮无毛或仅叶脉处被稀疏单细胞短毛或丝状粗毛。两者结构基本相似,表皮均由一层细胞构成,气孔仅分布在下表皮,无一定排列方向,为无规则型。叶肉具明显栅栏组织和海绵组织,是典型两面叶。叶脉的机械组织为腔隙厚角组织,维管组织韧皮部位于远轴面,木质部位于近轴面,两者间具形成层。     

脯氨酸在小麦愈伤组织培养中的作用初探

本文初步研究了脯氨酸在小麦愈伤组织培养中的作用。结果初步表明,小麦愈伤组织能主动吸收培养基中的脯氨酸,并在组织内累积、转化;并且,脯氨酸能刺激小麦愈伤组织苯丙氨酸氨解酶活性,促进苯丙烷类代谢,在愈伤组织中形成导管系统,有利于长期继代培养。