河漫滩湿地生态阈值——以二卡自然保护区为例

以典型河漫滩湿地 —— 二卡自然保护区为研究区域,进行生态阈值研究。根据湿地补给河流 —— 海拉尔河的月均流量频率分布特征,选取58.72 m³/s(P=74.6%)、119.26 m³/s(P=44.4%)、190.35 m³/s(P=23.8%)分别代表河流的低、中、高径流期,分析各径流期湿地分布特征。结果表明,低、中径流期内草本沼泽及盐化沼泽所占比例较高,而高径流期则以季节性河流湿地及湖泊湿地为主。低径流期内,作为湿地中心区的湖泊湿地景观破碎度出现一个较明显的跃变,由中径流期的0.57增加到1.37。此时的湿地状态可近似的作为区域的生态阈值,即维持湿地面积占全区域面积的43.03%。而中、高径流期湿地面积比例可近似作为保护区湿地面积的适宜值和理想值,分别为53.66%和69.53%。其研究结果为二卡自然保护区的管理及保护提供支持,并为河漫滩湿地研究提供思路。     

锰胁迫对杠板归细胞超微结构的影响

锰是植物生长必需的微量元素,然而锰含量过高将影响酶活性、造成植物毒害,不同植物的锰耐性差异很大。杠板归(Polygonum perfoliatum L.)是一种生长在锰尾矿废弃地的耐性植物。通过温室培养,应用透射电子显微镜-能谱联用仪研究不同锰处理条件下(5,1000,10 000μmol/L)杠板归根、茎和叶细胞超微结构的变化和锰在叶细胞内可能的存在形式,结果表明:(1)生长介质锰含量为5μmol/L时,杠板归细胞超微结构未见异常;即使锰处理浓度为1000μmol/L时,杠板归根、茎和叶细胞结构依然完整,细胞器清晰可见,未见明显损伤;(2)当锰处理浓度为10000μmol/L时,杠板归细胞器未见缺失现象,但根细胞内线粒体数量减少,茎细胞叶绿体开始受损,叶细胞叶绿体膜结构出现破损,基粒片层结构减少,嗜锇颗粒数量明显减少;(3)与对照相比,1000μmol/L或10000μmol/L锰处理30 d,植物细胞内出现黑色团聚物。10000μmol/L锰处理条件下,杠板归叶细胞内和细胞间隙出现类似针状物质,这可能是杠板归体内锰积累和分布的形态之一。研究成果有助于阐明植物的锰耐性机制,为锰耐性植物筛选和废弃锰尾矿库生态重建提供科学参考。     

天山云杉森林土壤有机碳沿海拔的分布规律及其影响因素

对森林土壤有机碳库含量的估测及其影响因素的研究一直是学术界关注的热点。在水热梯度上可能会存在森林土壤有机碳的分布规律,但多数在混交林内开展的工作因无法区分群落类型变化的影响而无法准确反映出森林土壤有机碳在水热梯度上的变化规律。天山云杉森林为纯林类型,在天山山脉巨大山体上呈带状分布(平均海拔下限1750 m至平均海拔上限2760m),存在水热梯度,能够排除混交林中群落类型变化对土壤有机碳的影响。因此,在天山云杉森林带按海拔梯度设置系列样地并采样,用重铬酸钾-氧化外加热法测定土壤有机碳含量并研究土壤有机碳密度沿海拔的分布规律,分析水热配比关系与植物群落(生物量)对该规律的影响。结果表明:①1 m深度的标准土壤剖面上,各海拔梯度的土壤有机碳密度随着剖面深度的增加呈减少的趋势;②各海拔梯度的有机碳主要集中在土壤表面0—40 cm范围内,所占的比例约占全剖面的60%—70%,具有明显的表聚现象;③在天山北坡中段云杉森林带的海拔下限到海拔上限标准剖面总土壤有机碳密度出现不显著的先下降后上升再下降的双峰变化,峰值出现在海拔1800—2000 m与海拔2400—2600 m,海拔2600—2800 m的有机碳密度最小;④云杉纯林在不同海拔的平均胸径呈先减少后增加再减少的趋势,与土壤总有机碳密度变化规律较吻合;⑤天山云杉森林土壤有机碳密度沿海拔的变化是水热梯度变化及受其影响的森林长势二者共同作用的结果。     

濒危植物长柄双花木开花物候与生殖特性

研究了长柄双花木开花过程中花部表型的变化。连续4a对其野生种群、1a对人工种群的开花物候进行了观察,并运用相对开花强度和同步性等开花物候指数分析了开花物候对其生殖的影响。结果如下：长柄双花木开花时间为9月上、中旬至11月中、下旬;单花花期一般为6～7d,单花依其形态和散粉特征可以分为4个时期：散粉前期、散粉初期、散粉盛期和凋谢期。个体开花持续时间49～55d,种群花期历时63～71d。种群内不同年度间开花物候指数没有显著差异,而种群间则存在显著差异,野生种群开花进程为渐进式单峰曲线。人工种群则为“钟”形曲线,二者均属于“集中开花模式”。长柄双花木具有2个相对开花强度的分异趋势,这种分异趋势具有进化意义。开花物候指数与生殖间的相关分析表明,始花时间与开花数量、座果率及花期长度之间均具显著负相关关系,而开花数量与花期长度之间则呈显著正相关,但均为线性相关。长柄双花木开花物候在种群间的差异和种群内年度间的相似性说明,其开花时间可能是由与其相关的复杂的微生境特征和(或)由其遗传因子决定的,同时也反映了种群间的遗传分异和种群内个体间的遗传一致性。作为一种濒危物种,长柄双花木在这种环境的选择压力之下,形成了“大量、集中开放的花”的开花模式,吸引到更多的传粉者的访问,从而达到生殖成功。     

荧光假单胞菌抗噬菌体菌株的选育

本实验从荧光假单胞菌（Ｐｓｅｕｄｏｍｏｎａｓｆｌｕｏｒｅｓｃｅｎｓ）ＡＳ—３菌株的不正常发酵液中分离到一种噬菌体,将其命名为ＰＦＡＳ。ＡＳ—３菌株能利用葡萄糖发酵产生Ｄ－异维生素Ｃ的前体物质２－酮基－Ｄ－葡萄糖酸。电镜观察表明ＰＦＡＳ噬菌体呈蝌蚪形,具有直径为６６ｎｍ的六角形头部及长１１７ｎｍ的尾部。通过紫外线诱变及自然选育两种途径,配合简便有效的初筛方法,经多次分离、纯化、复筛最终在摇并发酵试验中获得６株产量稳定地高于对照敏感菌的抗噬菌体菌株,可望用于生产。     

Friend or Foe? Implication of the autophagy-lysosome pathway in SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19

There is increasing amount of evidence indicating the close interplays between the replication cycle of SARS-CoV-2 and the autophagy-lysosome pathway in the host cells. While autophagy machinery is known to either assist or inhibit the viral replication process, the reciprocal effects of the SARS-CoV-2 on the autophagy-lysosome pathway have also been increasingly appreciated. More importantly, despite the disappointing results from the clinical trials of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in treatment of COVID-19, there is still ongoing effort in discovering new therapeutics targeting the autophagy-lysosome pathway. In this review, we provide an update-to-date summary of the interplays between the autophagy-lysosome pathway in the host cells and the pathogen SARS-CoV-2 at the molecular level, to highlight the prognostic value of autophagy markers in COVID-19 patients and to discuss the potential of developing novel therapeutic strategies for COVID-19 by targeting the autophagy-lysosome pathway. Thus, understanding the nature of such interactions between SARS-CoV-2 and the autophagy-lysosome pathway in the host cells is expected to provide novel strategies in battling against this global pandemic.     

Nicotinamide riboside and caffeine partially restore diminished NAD availability but not altered energy metabolism in Alzheimer's disease

The redox co‐factor nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) declines with age, and NAD deficits are specifically associated with dysfunctional energy metabolism in late‐onset Alzheimer''s disease (LOAD). Nicotinamide riboside (NR), a dietary NAD precursor, has been suggested to ameliorate the aging process or neurodegeneration. We assessed whether NR with or without caffeine, which increases nicotinamide mononucleotide transferase subtype 2 (NMNAT2), an essential enzyme in NAD production, modulates bioenergetic functions in LOAD. In LOAD patients—and young or old control individuals—derived dermal fibroblasts as well as in induced pluripotent stem cell‐differentiated neural progenitors and astrocytes, NR and caffeine cell type‐specifically increased the NAD pool, transiently enhanced mitochondrial respiration or glycolysis and altered the expression of genes in the NAD synthesis or consumption pathways. However, continued treatment led to reversed bioenergetic effects. Importantly, NR and caffeine did not alter the characteristics of a previously documented inherent LOAD‐associated bioenergetic phenotype. Thus, although NR and caffeine can partially restore diminished NAD availability, increasing NAD alone may not be sufficient to boost or restore energy metabolism in brain aging or alter aberrant energy management in LOAD. Nicotinamide riboside might still be of value in combination with other agents in preventive or therapeutic intervention strategies to address the aging process or age‐associated dementia.     

SARS-CoV-2 envelope protein causes acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)-like pathological damages and constitutes an antiviral target

Cytokine storm and multi-organ failure are the main causes of SARS-CoV-2-related death. However, the origin of excessive damages caused by SARS-CoV-2 remains largely unknown. Here we show that the SARS-CoV-2 envelope (2-E) protein alone is able to cause acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)-like damages in vitro and in vivo. 2-E proteins were found to form a type of pH-sensitive cation channels in bilayer lipid membranes. As observed in SARS-CoV-2-infected cells, heterologous expression of 2-E channels induced rapid cell death in various susceptible cell types and robust secretion of cytokines and chemokines in macrophages. Intravenous administration of purified 2-E protein into mice caused ARDS-like pathological damages in lung and spleen. A dominant negative mutation lowering 2-E channel activity attenuated cell death and SARS-CoV-2 production. Newly identified channel inhibitors exhibited potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity and excellent cell protective activity in vitro and these activities were positively correlated with inhibition of 2-E channel. Importantly, prophylactic and therapeutic administration of the channel inhibitor effectively reduced both the viral load and secretion of inflammation cytokines in lungs of SARS-CoV-2-infected transgenic mice expressing human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE-2). Our study supports that 2-E is a promising drug target against SARS-CoV-2.Subject terms: Cell death, Molecular biology     

耐有机溶剂极端微生物的耐受机制及应用

耐有机溶剂微生物是一类新颖的极端微生物,直到20世纪80年代才被系统地研究.它们通过各种耐受机制,有效抵御或降低有机溶剂对其细胞产生的毒害作用.因此,在全细胞催化、环境污染治理等领域,耐有机溶剂极端微生物具有广阔的工业应用前景.此外,深入透彻地了解耐有机溶剂极端微生物的各种耐受机制,有助于利用基因工程技术改造和优化现有耐有机溶剂极端微生物的各种性能,进一步拓展其工业应用领域.本文将从囊泡外排、改变细胞膜磷脂结构和组成等4个方面概述近年来耐有机溶剂极端微生物的耐受机制研究新进展,并介绍它们在全细胞催化等领域的应用.