Effects of elevated atmospheric O3 concentrations on early and late leaf growth and elemental contents of Acer truncatum Bung under mild drought

To investigate the possible interactive effects of elevated atmospheric ozone (O₃) concentrations and periodic drought stress on physiology of Shantung maple (Acer truncatum Bung), an experiment was conducted from the growth season of 2012 to 2013 with open-top chambers (OTCs) in Changping district, a suburb of Beijing, China. Four treatments were administered with three replications in twelve OTCs which were NN (well watered + ambient air), NO (well watered + add 100 nl l^? 1 O₃ above ambient air), DN (drought stress + ambient air) and DO (drought stress + add 100 nl l^? 1 O₃ above ambient air). Leaf area (LA), leaf mass per area (LMA), individual leaf weight (ILW), carbon(C), nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) contents in early and late leaves were measured at the end of the second year. The results showed: (1) Both elevated O₃ concentration and drought treatments significantly reduced early leaf LMA, LA, ILW, leaf N and S contents, with a reduction of 28.7, 45.7, 61.3, 39.6, 16.1% by O₃ stress and 12.5, 46.8, 53.5, 15.45 and 22% by drought stress, respectively, while only LMA of late leaf was reduced 12.1% by O₃ treatments and LA and ILW were significantly reduced 23.3% and 30% by drought treatments. (2) Significant interactions of elevated atmospheric O₃ concentration and mild drought were detected on LMA, LA, ILW, N and C contents in early leaves and LMA in late leaves. Except for LA, the decreases under interactive treatments were all less than independent O₃ effects. In conclusion, late leaf had less responses to elevated O₃ and drought stresses than early leaves which need to be considered separately. The interactive effects suggested drought had antagonistic effects with O₃ on growth indicators except for LA, indicating drought could mitigate the adverse efforts from O₃ effects.     

猪繁殖与呼吸综合征病毒ORF5基因在昆虫细胞中的高效融合表达

对杆状病毒BactoBac表达系统的转座质粒pFastbac1进行改造,即在其多角体蛋白启动子下游插入谷胱苷肽S转移酶（glutathioneStransferase, GST）基因,构建GST融合表达转座质粒pFGST。通过转座和转染Sf9细胞,证实该系统能高水平表达GST。采用PCR方法从pMTgp51质粒中扩增截去N端信号肽序列的猪繁殖与呼吸综合征病毒（PRRSV）YA株ORF5基因,并将截短的ORF5基因片段克隆到pFGST中,使之与GST融合,构建的重组转座质粒pFGST53转染DH10Bac,提取大分子Bacmid DNA,转染Sf9细胞,获得能表达融合蛋白的高滴度重组病毒rvGST53。rvGST53感染Sf9细胞,SDSPAGE和Western印迹分析表明：与GST融合的ORF5基因在Sf9细胞中获得高效表达,表达产物分子量为45kD,能与抗PRRSV E蛋白单克隆抗体发生特异性反应。将表达产物免疫小白鼠,经间接免疫荧光检测,免疫血清能使PRRSV YA株感染的MARC145细胞呈较强的荧光着色,证实表达的融合蛋白具有良好的免疫原性。     

Percutaneous comprehensive cryoablation for metastatic esophageal cancer after failure of radical surgery

Esophageal cancer is common in China. There is a lack of treatment strategies for metastatic esophageal cancer (MEC) after radical surgery on the primary tumor. Cryoablation is an attractive option because tumor necrosis can be safely induced in a minimally invasive manner. This study assessed its therapeutic effect in MEC after failure of radical surgery. One hundred and forty patients met the inclusion criteria from May, 2003 to March, 2011. Comprehensive cryotherapy of multiple metastases was performed on 105 patients; 35 received chemotherapy. No severe complications occurred during or after cryoablation. Overall survival (OS) was assessed according to therapeutic protocol, pathologic type, treatment timing and number of procedures. The OS of patients who received comprehensive cryoablation (44 ± 20 months) was significantly longer than that of those who underwent chemotherapy (23 ± 24 months; P = 0.0006). In the cryotherapy group, the OS for squamous cell carcinoma (45 ± 19 months) was longer than that for adenocarcinoma (33 ± 18 months; P = 0.0435); the OS for timely cryoablation (46 ± 19 months) was longer than that for delayed cryoablation (33 ± 20 months; P = 0.0193); the OS for multiple cryoablation (50 ± 17 months) was longer than that for single cryoablation (37 ± 20 months; P = 0.0172); and the OS for cryo-immunotherapy (56 ± 17 months) was longer than that for cryoablation alone (39 ± 19 months; P = 0.0011). Thus, comprehensive cryotherapy may have advantages over chemotherapy in the treatment of MEC and, in patients with squamous cell carcinoma, supplementary immunotherapy and timely and multiple cryoablation may be associated with a better prognosis.     

The developmental regulator PatD modulates assembly of the cell-division protein FtsZ in the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120

FtsZ is a tubulin-like GTPase that polymerizes to initiate the process of cell division in bacteria. Heterocysts are terminally differentiated cells of filamentous cyanobacteria that have lost the capacity for cell division and in which the ftsZ gene is downregulated. However, mechanisms of FtsZ regulation during heterocyst differentiation have been scarcely investigated. The patD gene is NtcA dependent and involved in the optimization of heterocyst frequency in Anabaena sp. PCC 7120. Here, we report that the inactivation of patD caused the formation of multiple FtsZ-rings in vegetative cells, cell enlargement, and the retention of peptidoglycan synthesis activity in heterocysts, whereas its ectopic expression resulted in aberrant FtsZ polymerization and cell division. PatD interacted with FtsZ, increased FtsZ precipitation in sedimentation assays, and promoted the formation of thick straight FtsZ bundles that differ from the toroidal aggregates formed by FtsZ alone. These results suggest that in the differentiating heterocysts, PatD interferes with the assembly of FtsZ. We propose that in Anabaena FtsZ is a bifunctional protein involved in both vegetative cell division and regulation of heterocyst differentiation. In the differentiating cells PatD-FtsZ interactions appear to set an FtsZ activity that is insufficient for cell division but optimal to foster differentiation.     

Epidemiological and clinical features in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 outside of Wuhan,China: Special focus in asymptomatic patients

ObjectivesIn December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged in Wuhan City and rapidly spread across the world. The clinical characteristics of affected patients in different regions and populations may differ. Thus, this study aimed to identify the characteristics of the disease to provide an insight about the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.MethodsData on the demographic characteristics and clinical findings of the patients admitted at the First Hospital of Changsha from January 1, 2020 to February 10, 2020 were assessed.ResultsIn this study, there were 8 (3.8%) asymptomatic, 21 (10.0%) mild upper respiratory tract infection (URTI), and 180 (86.1%) pneumonia cases. In total, 47 (22.5%) patients resided in Wuhan, and 45 (21.5%) had recently traveled to Wuhan before disease onset. Moreover, 19 (9.1%) had contact with people from Wuhan, and 69 (33.0%) were family cluster cases. The median incubation period was approximately 6.3 (range: 1.0–20.0) days. Fever and cough were the most common initial symptoms: 99 (49.3%) patients presented with fever, without cough; 59 (29.4%) with cough, without fever; and 33 (16.4%) with both fever and cough.ConclusionThe symptoms of patients with COVID-19 were relatively mild outside Wuhan, and family cluster was a remarkable epidemic characteristic. Special attention should be paid to asymptomatic patients.     

A Thermostable Glucoamylase from Bispora sp. MEY-1 with Stability over a Broad pH Range and Significant Starch Hydrolysis Capacity

Background

Glucoamylase is an exo-type enzyme that converts starch completely into glucose from the non-reducing ends. To meet the industrial requirements for starch processing, a glucoamylase with excellent thermostability, raw-starch degradation ability and high glucose yield is much needed. In the present study we selected the excellent Carbohydrate-Activity Enzyme (CAZyme) producer, Bispora sp. MEY-1, as the microbial source for glucoamylase gene exploitation.

Methodology/Principal Findings

A glucoamylase gene (gla15) was cloned from Bispora sp. MEY-1 and successfully expressed in Pichia pastoris with a high yield of 34.1 U/ml. Deduced GLA15 exhibits the highest identity of 64.2% to the glucoamylase from Talaromyces (Rasamsonia) emersonii. Purified recombinant GLA15 was thermophilic and showed the maximum activity at 70°C. The enzyme was stable over a broad pH range (2.2–11.0) and at high temperature up to 70°C. It hydrolyzed the breakages of both α-1,4- and α-1,6-glycosidic linkages in amylopectin, soluble starch, amylose, and maltooligosaccharides, and had capacity to degrade raw starch. TLC and H¹-NMR analysis showed that GLA15 is a typical glucoamylase of GH family 15 that releases glucose units from the non-reducing ends of α-glucans. The combination of Bacillus licheniformis amylase and GLA15 hydrolyzed 96.14% of gelatinized maize starch after 6 h incubation, which was about 9% higher than that of the combination with a commercial glucoamylase from Aspergillus niger.

Conclusion/Significance

GLA15 has a broad pH stability range, high-temperature thermostability, high starch hydrolysis capacity and high expression yield. In comparison with the commercial glucoamylase from A. niger, GLA15 represents a better candidate for application in the food industry including production of glucose, glucose syrups, and high-fructose corn syrups.     

人尾加压素Ⅱ对大鼠脑微循环的影响

目的:探讨尾加压素Ⅱ(UII)对于大鼠软脑膜微循环的影响.方法:健康成年SD大鼠随机分为对照组、生理盐水(NS)、UII(10-7mol/L)、去甲肾上腺素(NA,10-6mol/L)、UII(10-7mol/L) NA(10-6mol/L)等五组,采用活体微循环观测技术观察大鼠软脑膜微血管内径、血流速度等微循环参数,采用激光多普勒血流量仪测定软脑膜血流量的变化.结果:正常对照组软脑膜细动脉和细静脉血管内径分别为(35.4±3.6)μm和(40.6±8.5)μm,UII组于滴加UII(10-7mol/L)后即刻细动脉和细静脉出现收缩,1 min时细动脉和细静脉收缩达到高峰,血管内径分别为(25.6±3.4)μm和(23.4±3.3)μm (与正常对照组比较,P均<0.05);细动、静脉内血流速度无明显变化(与正常对照组比较P均>0.05);软脑膜血流量于滴加UII(10-7mol/L)后1 min开始升高,5 min达到高峰(3.5±0.4 )PU 值,正常对照组(2.3±0.6)PU值(P<0.05).结论:UII可以使大鼠软脑膜微血管收缩,血流量增加.