Production of xylanase from a newly isolated <Emphasis Type="Italic">Penicillium</Emphasis> sp. ZH-30

A new strain of Penicillium sp. ZH-30 that produces xylanase was isolated from soil. According to the morphology and comparison of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA gene sequence, the strain Penicillium sp. ZH-30 was identified as a strain of Penicillium oxalicum. When xylan or wheat bran was used as substrate at 30°C for 3 days under submerged cultivation, xylanase production was 5.3 and 13.3 U ml⁻¹, respectively. The temperature and pH for optimum activity were 50°C and 5.0–6.0, respectively.     

An invasive aster (Ageratina adenophora) invades and dominates forest understories in China: altered soil microbial communities facilitate the invader and inhibit natives

Exotic plant invasion may alter underground microbial communities, and invasion-induced changes of soil biota may also affect the interaction between invasive plants and resident native species. Increasing evidence suggests that feedback of soil biota to invasive and native plants leads to successful exotic plant invasion. To examine this possible underlying invasion mechanism, soil microbial communities were studied where Ageratina adenophora was invading a native forest community. The plant–soil biota feedback experiments were designed to assess the effect of invasion-induced changes of soil biota on plant growth, and interactions between A. adenophora and three native plant species. Soil analysis showed that nitrate nitrogen (NO₃⁻-N), ammonium nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N), and available P and K content were significantly higher in a heavily invaded site than in a newly invaded site. The structure of the soil microbial community was clearly different in all four sites. Ageratina adenophora invasion strongly increased the abundance of soil VAM (vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi) and the fungi/bacteria ratio. A greenhouse experiment indicated that the soil biota in the heavily invaded site had a greater inhibitory effect on native plant species than on A. adenophora and that soil biota in the native plant site inhibited the growth of native plant species, but not of A. adenophora. Soil biota in all four sites increased A. adenophora relative dominance compared with each of the three native plant species and soil biota in the heavily invaded site had greater beneficial effects on A. adenophora relative dominance index (20% higher on average) than soil biota in the non-invaded site. Our results suggest that A. adenophora is more positively affected by the soil community associated with native communities than are resident natives, and once the invader becomes established it further alters the soil community in a way that favors itself and inhibits natives, helping to promote the invasion. Soil biota alteration after A. adenophora establishment may be an important part of its invasion process to facilitate itself and inhibit native plants.     

香豆素的^1H—NMR检测及其在阿魏亚族化学分类中的应用

利用１ＨＮＭＲ法检测中国阿魏亚族（ＦｅｒｕｌｉｎｅａｅＤｒｕｄｅ）８属２７种３变种根部乙醚提取物的香豆素成分类型,其中主要为线型二氢呋喃型香豆素（Ⅰ）和角型二氢吡喃型香豆素（Ⅳ）,线型二氢吡喃型香豆素（Ⅲ）和角型二氢呋喃型香豆素（Ⅱ）较少。据此,将８属分成４类：（１）阿魏属（ＦｅｒｕｌａＬ．）、球根阿魏属（ＳｃｈｕｍａｎｎｉａＫｕｎｔｚｅ）、簇花芹属（ＳｏｒａｎｔｈｕｓＬｅｄｅｂ．）和伊犁芹属（ＴａｌａｓｉａＫｏｒｏｖ．）未测出（不含）香豆素;（２）弓翅芹属（ＡｒｃｕａｔｏｐｔｅｒｕｓＳｈｅｈｅｔＳｈａｎ）和川明参属（ＣｈｕａｎｍｉｎｓｈｅｎＳｈｅｈｅｔＳｈａｎ）含Ⅰ类;（３）胀果芹属（ＰｈｌｏｊｏｄｉｃａｒｐｕｓＴｕｒｃｚ．ｅｘＢｅｓ．）含Ⅳ类;（４）前胡属（ＰｅｕｃｅｄａｎｕｍＬ．）含Ⅰ类和Ⅳ类。上述结果支持将球根阿魏、簇花芹和伊犁芹３个属并入阿魏属,另３个寡种属与前胡属关系最密切。所分析的前胡属１７种２变种可分成５组,其中不含香豆素的剌尖前胡和含Ⅲ类香豆素的紫花前胡及其变种最特殊,支持将它们分出前胡属的处理。     

利用SSR标记分析云南、西藏和新疆小麦的遗传多样性

用185对SSR引物对52份中国西部特有小麦的遗传多样性进行了研究分析。在31份云南小麦材料中,共检测到488个等位变异,每一个SSR引物可检测到1至9个等位变异,平均为2.64个;平均PIC值为0.2764。在15份西藏小麦材料中,共检测到472个等位变异,每个引物可扩增出1到8个等位变异,平均为2.55个;平均PIC值为0.3082。在6份新疆小麦材料中,共检测到308个等位变异,每一个SSR引物可检测1到5个等位变异,平均为1.66个;平均PIC值为0.1944。185对SSR引物在云南、西藏和新疆小麦的21条染色体、7个部分同源群和3个染色体组上检测到的等位位点的多态性存在明显差异。云南、西藏和新疆小麦均以3B染色体较高,而1D染色体最低;在7个部分同源群中,均以第三部分同源群最高,第六部分同源群最低;在A、B和D染色体组上,均以B染色体组最高,D染色体组最低,A染色体组居中。利用185对SSR引物计算了云南、西藏和新疆小麦群体内及其群体间的遗传距离(GD)和平均遗传距离,结果显示,西藏小麦和云南小麦群体内的平均遗传距离要高于新疆小麦,而云南小麦和西藏小麦间的平均遗传距离低于两者与新疆小麦的平均遗传距离。聚类分析结果也表明,云南小麦和西藏小麦的亲缘关系较近,但两者与新疆小麦的亲缘关系相对较远。     

Germ-line DNA copy number variation frequencies in a large North American population

Genomic copy number variation (CNV) is a recently identified form of global genetic variation in the human genome. The Affymetrix GeneChip 100 and 500 K SNP genotyping platforms were used to perform a large-scale population-based study of CNV frequency. We constructed a genomic map of 578 CNV regions, covering approximately 220 Mb (7.3%) of the human genome, identifying 183 previously unknown intervals. Copy number changes were observed to occur infrequently (<1%) in the majority (>93%) of these genomic regions, but encompass hundreds of genes and disease loci. This North American population-based map will be a useful resource for future genetic studies. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Litterfall Production Along Successional and Altitudinal Gradients of Subtropical Monsoon Evergreen Broadleaved Forests in Guangdong, China

Evaluation of litterfall production is important for understanding nutrient cycling, forest growth, successional pathways, and interactions with environmental variables in forest ecosystems. Litterfall was intensively studied during the period of 1982–2001 in two subtropical monsoon vegetation gradients in the Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve, Guangdong Province, China. The two gradients include: (1) a successional gradient composed of pine forest (PF), mixed pine and broadleaved forest (MF) and monsoon evergreen broadleaved forest (BF), and (2) an altitudinal gradient composed of Baiyunci ravine rain forest (BRF), Qingyunci ravine rain forest (QRF), BF and mountainous evergreen broadleaved forest (MMF). Mean annual litterfall production was 356, 861 and 849 g m⁻² for PF, MF and BF of the successional gradient, and 1016, 1061, 849 and 489 g m⁻² for BRF, QRF, BF and MMF of the altitudinal gradient, respectively. As expected, mean annual litterfall of the pioneer forest PF was the lowest, but rapidly increased over the observation period while those in other forests were relatively stable, confirming that forest litterfall production is closely related to successional stages and growth patterns. Leaf proportions of total litterfall in PF, MF, BF, BRF, QRF and MMF were 76.4%, 68.4%, 56.8%, 55.7%, 57.6% and 69.2%, respectively, which were consistent with the results from studies in other evergreen broadleaved forests. Our analysis on litterfall monthly distributions indicated that litterfall production was much higher during the period of April to September compared to other months for all studied forest types. Although there were significant impacts of some climate variables (maximum and effective temperatures) on litterfall production in some of the studied forests, the mechanisms of how climate factors (temperature and rainfall) interactively affect litterfall await further study.     

General Information

A novel cDNA clone encoding a COR413-like gene was isolated by suppression subtraction hybridization and cDNA library screening from sea-island cotton (Gossypium barbadense). This gene (designated as GbCOR413, Accession number: AY761065) has a total length of 893 bp with an open reading frame of 600 bp, encoding a predicated polypeptide of 200 amino acids with a molecular weight of 22.74 kDa and a predicated pI of 9.2. Bioinformatics analyses revealed that this gene belonged to a novel stress-regulated multi-spanning transmembrane protein family without signal peptide. By means of semi-quantities RT-PCR analysis, the expression of GbCOR413 under short-term cold treatment at 4°C, water submergence and abscic acid treatment was investigated. Our studies suggested that the cloned gene was a new member of COR gene family which was slowly responsive to cold stress in cotton. Jin Wang and Kai-Jing Zuo are co-first authors of this paper.     

树突棘素在大鼠小脑中的表达和年龄变化

目的 观察树突棘素在大鼠小脑中的表达及年龄相关性变化。方法 应用免疫组织化学和Western blot方法,显示树突棘素在不同年龄组的大鼠小脑中的表达,并用图像分析系统对阳性免疫反应结果进行定量分析。结果 在中年组大鼠小脑中,树突棘素呈高表达,而在老年组和青年组大鼠小脑组织中表达水平相对较低。在小脑树突棘素的表达以分子层为主,其次表达在颗粒层细胞周围,少量树突棘素在大鼠小脑的蒲肯野细胞也有表达。结论 树突棘素的表达随着年龄的改变而变化;这种变化可能与不同年龄段大鼠小脑组织中突触的可塑性变化有关。     

大麻素抑制大鼠三叉神经节神经元ATP激活电流

本文在培养的大鼠三叉神经节(trigeminal ganglion,TG)神经元上采用全细胞膜片钳技术,探讨大麻素对大鼠TG神经元ATP激活电流(ATP-activated currents,IATP)的影响.结果显示(1)胞外给予ATP,大部分受检细胞(67/75,89.33%)可记录到一个内向电流,且具有剂量依赖性.该电流可被P2X嘌呤受体特异性拮抗剂PPADS所阻断.(2)预加WIN55212-2[大麻素受体1(cannabinoid receptor 1,CB1受体)激动剂]可对IATP产生抑制作用,此作用呈剂量依赖性,并可被CB1受体特异性拮抗剂AM281阻断.预加不同浓度的WIN55212-2(1x10-13、1x10-12、1x10-11、1x10-10、1x10-9和1x10-8mol/L)对IATP(1x10-4mol/L ATP)的抑制作用分别为(8.14±3.14)%、(20.11±2.72)%、(46.62±3.51)%、(72.16±5.64)%、(80.21±2.80)%和(80.59±3.55)%.(3)预加WIN55212-2后IATP的浓度-反应曲线明显下移;最大反应浓度时的IATP幅值减小了(58.02±4.21)%,而阈值基本不变;预加WIN55212.2前后曲线的EC50值非常接近(1.15x10-4mol/L vs 1.27x10-4 mol/L).(4)预加forskolin[腺苷酸环化酶(adenylyl cyclase,AC)激动剂]或8-Br-cAMP可以逆转WIN55212-2对IATP的抑制作用.以上结果表明,大麻素可能作用于CB1受体,通过抑制AC-cAMP-PKA途径发挥对IATP的抑制作用.     

Loss of viability during freeze–thaw of intact and adherent human embryonic stem cells with conventional slow-cooling protocols is predominantly due to␣apoptosis rather than cellular necrosis

Summary A major challenge in the widespread application of human embryonic stem (hES) cells in clinical therapy and basic scientific research is the development of efficient cryopreservation protocols. Conventional slow-cooling protocols utilizing standard cryoprotectant concentrations i.e. 10% (v/v) DMSO, yield extremely low survival rates of <5% as reported by previous studies. This study characterized cell death within frozen–thawed hES colonies that were cryopreserved under standard conditions. Surprisingly, our results showed that immediately after post-thaw washing, the overwhelming majority of hES cells were viable (≈98%), as assessed by the trypan blue exclusion test. However, when the freshly-thawed hES colonies were incubated within a 37 °C incubator, there was observed to be a gradual reduction in cell viability over time. The kinetics of cell death was drastically slowed-down by keeping the freshly-thawed hES colonies at 4 °C, with >90% of cells remaining viable after 90 min of incubation at 4 °C. This effect was reversible upon re-exposing the cells to physiological temperature. The vast majority of low temperature-exposed hES colonies gradually underwent cell death upon incubation for a further 90 min at 37 °C. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick-end-labeling (TUNEL) assay confirmed apoptosis-induced nuclear DNA fragmentation in frozen–thawed hES cells after incubation at 37 °C for 90 min. Expression of active caspase-3 enzyme, which is another prominent marker of apoptosis, was confirmed by immunocytochemical staining, while transmission electron microscopy showed typical ultrastructural features of apoptosis such as chromatin condensation and margination to the nuclear membrane. Hence, our results demonstrated that apoptosis instead of cellular necrosis, is the major mechanism of the loss of viability of cryopreserved hES cells during freeze–thawing with conventional slow-cooling protocols.