A Bacillus subtilis sensor kinase involved in triggering biofilm formation on the roots of tomato plants

The soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis is widely used in agriculture as a biocontrol agent able to protect plants from a variety of pathogens. Protection is thought to involve the formation of bacterial communities - biofilms - on the roots of the plants. Here we used confocal microscopy to visualize biofilms on the surface of the roots of tomato seedlings and demonstrated that biofilm formation requires genes governing the production of the extracellular matrix that holds cells together. We further show that biofilm formation was dependent on the sensor histidine kinase KinD and in particular on an extracellular CACHE domain implicated in small molecule sensing. Finally, we report that exudates of tomato roots strongly stimulated biofilm formation ex planta and that an abundant small molecule in the exudates, (L) -malic acid, was able to stimulate biofilm formation at high concentrations in a manner that depended on the KinD CACHE domain. We propose that small signalling molecules released by the roots of tomato plants are directly or indirectly recognized by KinD, triggering biofilm formation.     

基于Illumina HiSeq测序技术研究吡虫啉对意大利蜜蜂雄蜂的影响

[目的]雄蜂对蜂群繁衍有着非常重要的作用.本研究旨在探究吡虫啉对意大利蜜蜂Apis mellifera Ligustica雄蜂生长发育和基因表达产生的影响.[方法]以意大利蜜蜂雄蜂为研究对象,分别以0.00001、0.0001和0.001 μg/μL浓度的吡虫啉对雄蜂幼虫进行连续饲喂处理.每天观察并记录幼虫的发育形态及死亡率,在雄蜂幼虫后期(移虫后6d)测量幼虫体重.利用Illumina HiSeq测序技术对经吡虫啉处理的雄蜂进行转录组测序,进而对差异表达基因进行深入分析.[结果]取食吡虫啉后的雄蜂幼虫,体重低于正常雄蜂,当浓度高于0.0001μg/μL时差异显著;雄蜂幼虫取食吡虫啉后出现死亡现象,且死亡率随吡虫啉浓度的升高而增大;差异表达基因分析结果上调与下调基因数量分别为390个和130个.GO富集分析结果上调基因共分布于55个GO条目,富集基因数量最多的是细胞进程、细胞、细胞组件、细胞膜、细胞膜组件、结合,下调基因共分布于48个GO条目,富集基因数量最多的是细胞进程、细胞、细胞组件.富集在有关生殖功能的差异表达基因中,上调基因数量为21个,下调基因数量为5个.KEGG代谢通路富集分析结果上调基因富集在159个通路上,其中富集基因数最多的是蛋白质消化吸收和神经活性配体-受体相互作用通路.下调基因富集在71个通路上,其中富集基因数最多的是溶酶体、胰液分泌、神经活性配体-受体相互作用通路.[结论]吡虫啉能抑制意大利蜜蜂雄蜂的生长发育,甚至造成幼虫死亡,同时,可以影响雄蜂的神经系统、代谢系统和生殖系统等.本研究结果为蜜蜂资源保护提供理论依据.     

Seasonal Distribution and Diversity of Ground Arthropods in Microhabitats Following a Shrub Plantation Age Sequence in Desertified Steppe

In desertified regions, shrub-dominated patches are important microhabitats for ground arthropod assemblages. As shrub age increases, soil, vegetation and microbiological properties can change remarkably and spontaneously across seasons. However, relatively few studies have analyzed how ground arthropods respond to the microhabitats created by shrubs of different plantation ages across seasons. Using 6, 15, 24 and 36 year-old plantations of re-vegetated shrubs (Caragana koushinskii) in the desert steppe of northwestern China as a model system, we sampled ground arthropod communities using a pitfall trapping method in the microhabitats under shrubs and in the open areas between shrubs, during the spring, summer and autumn. The total ground arthropod assemblage was dominated by Carabidae, Melolonthidae, Curculionidae, Tenebrionidae and Formicidae that were affected by plantation age, seasonal changes, or the interaction between these factors, with the later two groups also influenced by microhabitat. Overall, a facilitative effect was observed, with more arthropods and a greater diversity found under shrubs as compared to open areas, but this was markedly affected by seasonal changes. There was a high degree of similarity in arthropod assemblages and diversity between microhabitats in summer and autumn. Shrub plantation age significantly influenced the distribution of the most abundant groups, and also the diversity indices of the ground arthropods. However, there was not an overall positive relationship between shrub age and arthropod abundance, richness or diversity index. The influence of plantation age on arthropod communities was also affected by seasonal changes. From spring through summer to autumn, community indices of ground arthropods tended to decline, and a high degree of similarity in these indices (with fluctuation) was observed among different ages of shrub plantation in autumn. Altogether the recovery of arthropod communities was markedly affected by seasonal variability, and they demonstrated distinctive communal fingerprints in different microhabitats for each plantation age stage.     

山楂粉蝶NPV的形态发生及其宿主细胞器的超微病理变化

应用电子显微技术,对山楂粉蝶核型多角体病毒感染三龄幼虫后,该病毒在体内的形态发生过程及其宿主细胞病理超微结构的变化等进行了观察与分析。结果表明：病毒感染７２～１６８ｈ后,山楂粉蝶幼虫中肠上皮细胞内出现病毒发生基质、核衣壳、套膜、丝状纤维或称前多角体蛋白。病毒粒子、病毒束,以及病毒束嵌入多角体蛋白,装配成完全的病毒多角体。在相应的中肠上皮细胞内,细胞器如线粒体、粗面内质网、核糖体、溶酶体等均发生显著的病理变化。同时还应指出的是内质网呈指纹图谱型,板层体与示髓样小体等膜状结构的病理变化比较特殊。     

龟鳖类寄生血簇虫六新种

血簇虫(Haemogregarina Danilewsky,1885)属真球虫目(Eucoccidia)血簇虫科(Haemogregarinidae),这一属的寄生虫,其寄主以爬行动物为主,两栖动物和鱼类也有寄生。至今已记载有300余种。龟鳖类的血簇虫研究,国内尚无报道。作者在1984年3月—1985年3月,对我国龟鳖类寄生的血簇虫进行了调查研究,共解剖检查了中华     

Susceptibility of avian hosts to experimental Gymnophalloides seoi infection

To determine whether avian species are susceptible to infection with Gymnophalloides seoi (a human-infecting intestinal trematode), we exposed 7 species of birds with metacercariae obtained from oysters. The birds were necropsied at days 2, 4, and 6 postinfection (PI). The highest worm recovery at day 6 PI was obtained from the Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus; mean = 56.0%), followed by the Mongolian plover (C. mongolus; 49.3%), and the grey plover (Pluvialis squatarola; 32.3%). In contrast, no mature worms were recovered from the great knot (Calidris tenuirostris), dunlin (C. alpina), black-tailed gull (Larus crassirostris), and mallard (Anas platyrhynchos). Among the plovers, the worms attained the greatest size at day 6 PI (254.1 x 190.4 microm) in the Kentish plover, with a significantly higher number of eggs in the uterus. The 3 species of plovers are highly susceptible to experimental G. seoi infection, suggesting that they could play a role as definitive hosts for these worms in nature.     

Human mesenchymal stem cell-conditioned medium improves cardiac function following myocardial infarction

Recent studies suggest that the therapeutic effects of stem cell transplantation following myocardial infarction (MI) are mediated by paracrine factors. One of the main goals in the treatment of ischemic heart disease is to stimulate vascular repair mechanisms. Here, we sought to explore the therapeutic angiogenic potential of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) secretions. Human MSC secretions were collected as conditioned medium (MSC-CM) using a clinically compliant protocol. Based on proteomic and pathway analysis of MSC-CM, an in vitro assay of HUVEC spheroids was performed identifying the angiogenic properties of MSC-CM. Subsequently, pigs were subjected to surgical left circumflex coronary artery ligation and randomized to intravenous MSC-CM treatment or non-CM (NCM) treatment for 7 days. Three weeks after MI, myocardial capillary density was higher in pigs treated with MSC-CM (645 ± 114 vs 981 ± 55 capillaries/mm(2); P = 0.021), which was accompanied by reduced myocardial infarct size and preserved systolic and diastolic performance. Intravenous MSC-CM treatment after myocardial infarction increases capillary density and preserves cardiac function, probably by increasing myocardial perfusion.     

Computational investigation of the enzymatic mechanisms of phosphothreonine lyase

SpvC, a virulence effector injected through type III secretion system by some Salmonella serovars, belongs to the newly discovered enzyme family, phosphothreonine lyase. Previous experimental studies have demonstrated that SpvC irreversibly inactivates mitogen-activated protein kinases by removing the phosphate group from phosphothreonine-containing substrate through a β-elimination mechanism, and results in a β-methyldehydroalanine product. Interestingly, further biochemical investigations also indicated a secondary reaction occurring other than elimination, where a covalently bound complex is formed. Here, we employed molecular dynamics simulations and quantum mechanics calculations to gain insights on the microscopic details of such novel reaction mechanisms. Our theoretical results are consistent with the experimental observations, in which the critical stages of SpvC catalyzed reaction are revealed and the roles of several important binding site residues are reconciled. The deprotonation and precise position of the catalytic base K136 are facilitated by the formation of the fully desolvated active site upon substrate binding. The abstraction of the alpha hydrogen by K136 and the elimination of the phosphate group occur nearly simultaneously, promoted by the proton donation from the catalytic acid H106, and thus strongly supports an E2-like mechanism. K104, which is not directly involved in the enzymatic reaction, stabilizes the transition state and facilitates the reaction to occur. Remarkably, the subsequent deprotonation of K136 happens to be a natural sequel of the primary elimination reaction, restores its nucleophile capacity to attack the double bond containing elimination product, and leads to a covalently bound complex via a Michael-addition mechanism. The reaction mechanism used by phosphothreonine lyases might serve as a method of programmed regulation to fine tune their enzymatic activity.     

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Rhodobacter Sphaeroides

The use of microorganisms in the synthesis of nanoparticles emerges as an eco-friendly and exciting approach. In this study, silver nanoparticles were successfully synthesized from AgNO₃ by reduction of aqueous Ag⁺ ions with the cell filtrate of Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Nanoparticles were characterized by means of UV–vis absorption spectroscopy, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Crystalline nature of the nanoparticles in the fcc structure are confirmed by the peaks in the XRD pattern corresponding to (111), (200), (220) and (311) planes, bright circular spots in the selected are a electron diffraction (SAED) and clear lattice fringes in the high-resolution TEM image. Also, the size of silver nanoparticles was controlled by the specific activity of nitrate reductase in the cell filtrate.     

Genetic analysis and characterization of a new maize association mapping panel for quantitative trait loci dissection

Association mapping based on the linkage disequilibrium provides a promising tool to identify genes responsible for quantitative variations underlying complex traits. Presented here is a maize association mapping panel consisting of 155 inbred lines with mainly temperate germplasm, which was phenotyped for 34 traits and genotyped using 82 SSRs and 1,536 SNPs. Abundant phenotypic and genetic diversities were observed within the panel based on the phenotypic and genotypic analysis. A model-based analysis using 82 SSRs assigned all inbred lines to two groups with eight subgroups. The relative kinship matrix was calculated using 884 SNPs with minor allele frequency ≥20% indicating that no or weak relationships were identified for most individual pairs. Three traits (total tocopherol content in maize kernel, plant height and kernel length) and 1,414 SNPs with missing data <20% were used to evaluate the performance of four models for association mapping analysis. For all traits, the model controlling relative kinship (K) performed better than the model controlling population structure (Q), and similarly to the model controlling both population structure and relative kinship (Q + K) in this panel. Our results suggest this maize panel can be used for association mapping analysis targeting multiple agronomic and quality traits with optimal association model.