Regulation of the transient receptor potential channel TRPM2 by the Ca2+ sensor calmodulin

TRPM2, a member of the transient receptor potential (TRP) superfamily, is a Ca(2+)-permeable channel activated by oxidative stress or tumor necrosis factoralpha involved in susceptibility to cell death. TRPM2 activation is dependent on the level of intracellular Ca(2+). We explored whether calmodulin (CaM) is the Ca(2+) sensor for TRPM2. HEK 293T cells were transfected with TRPM2 and wild type CaM or mutant CaM (CaM(MUT)) with substitutions of all four EF hands. Treatment of cells expressing TRPM2 with H(2)O(2) or tumor necrosis factor alpha resulted in a significant increase in intracellular calcium ([Ca(2+)](i)). This was not affected by coexpression of CaM, suggesting that endogenous CaM levels are sufficient for maximal response. Cotransfection of CaM(MUT) with TRPM2 dramatically inhibited the increase in [Ca(2+)](i), demonstrating the requirement for CaM in TRPM2 activation. Immunoprecipitation confirmed direct interaction of CaM and CaM(MUT) with TRPM2, and the Ca(2+) dependence of this association. CaM bound strongly to the TRPM2 N terminus (amino acids 1-730), but weakly to the C terminus (amino acids 1060-1503). CaM binding to an IQ-like motif (amino acids 406-416) in the TRPM2 N terminus was demonstrated utilizing gel shift, immunoprecipitation, biotinylated CaM overlay, and pull-down assays. A substitution mutant of the IQ-like motif of TRPM2 (TRPM2-IQ(MUT1)) reduced but did not eliminate CaM binding to TRPM2, suggesting the presence of at least one other CaM binding site. The functional importance of the TRPM2 IQ-like motif was demonstrated by treatment of TRPM2-IQ(MUT1)-expressing cells with H(2)O(2). The increase in [Ca(2+)](i) observed with wild type TRPM2 was absent and cell viability was preserved. These data demonstrate the requirement for CaM in TRPM2 activation. They suggest that Ca(2+) entering through TRPM2 enhances interaction of CaM with TRPM2 at the IQ-like motif in the N terminus, providing crucial positive feedback for channel activation.     

Re-Examining of Moffitt’s Theory of Delinquency through Agent Based Modeling

Moffitt’s theory of delinquency suggests that at-risk youths can be divided into two groups, the adolescence- limited group and the life-course-persistent group, predetermined at a young age, and social interactions between these two groups become important during the adolescent years. We built an agent-based model based on the microscopic interactions Moffitt described: (i) a maturity gap that dictates (ii) the cost and reward of antisocial behavior, and (iii) agents imitating the antisocial behaviors of others more successful than themselves, to find indeed the two groups emerging in our simulations. Moreover, through an intervention simulation where we moved selected agents from one social network to another, we also found that the social network plays an important role in shaping the life course outcome.     

Collinearity-based marker mining for the fine mapping of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pm6</Emphasis>, a powdery mildew resistance gene in wheat

The genome sequences of rice (Oryza sativa L.) and Brachypodium distachyon and the comprehensive Triticeae EST (Expressed Sequence Tag) resources provide invaluable information for comparative genomics analysis. The powdery mildew resistance gene, Pm6, which was introgressed into common wheat from Triticum timopheevii, was previously mapped to the wheat chromosome bin of 2BL [fraction length (FL) 0.50–1.00] with limited DNA markers. In this study, we saturated the Pm6 locus in wheat using the collinearity-based markers by extensively exploiting these genomic resources. All wheat ESTs located in the bin 2BL FL 0.50–1.00 and their corresponding orthologous genes on rice chromosome 4 were firstly used to develop STS (Sequence Tagged Site) markers. Those identified markers that flanked the Pm6 locus were then used to identify the collinear regions in the genomes of rice and Brachypodium. Triticeae ESTs with orthologous genes in these collinear regions were further used to develop new conserved markers for the fine mapping of Pm6. Using two F₂ populations derived from crosses of IGVI-465 × Prins and IGVI-466 × Prins, we mapped a total of 29 markers to the Pm6 locus. Among them, 14 markers were co-segregated with Pm6 in the IGVI-466/Prins population. Comparative genome analysis showed that the collinear region of the 29 linked markers covers a ~5.6-Mb region in chromosome 5L of Brachypodium and a ~6.0-Mb region in chromosome 4L of rice. The marker order is conserved between rice and Brachypodium, but re-arrangements are present in wheat. Comparative mapping in the two populations showed that two conserved markers (CINAU123 and CINAU127) flanked the Pm6 locus, and an LRR-receptor-like protein kinase cluster was identified in the collinear regions of Brachypodium and rice. This putative resistance gene cluster provides a potential target site for further fine mapping and cloning of Pm6. Moreover, the newly developed conserved markers closely linked to Pm6 can be used for the marker-assisted selection (MAS) of Pm6 in wheat breeding programs.     

Renewable bio ionic liquids‐water mixtures‐mediated selective removal of lignin from rice straw: Visualization of changes in composition and cell wall structure

Pretreatment of rice straw by using renewable cholinium amino acids ionic liquids ([Ch][AA] ILs)‐water mixtures and the subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis of the residues were conducted in the present work. Of the eight mixtures composed of ILs and water, most were found to be effective for rice straw pretreatment. After pretreatment with 50% ILs‐water mixtures, the enzymatic digestion of the lignocellulosic biomass was enhanced significantly, thus leading to satisfactory sugar yields of >80% for glucose and approximately 50% for xylose. To better understand the ILs pretreatment mechanism, confocal laser scanning microscopy combined with immunolabeling and transmission electron microscopy were used to visualize changes in the contents and distribution of two major components—lignin and xylan. The results coupled with changes in chemical structures (infrared spectra) of the substrates indicated occurrence of extensive delignification, especially in cell corner and compound middle lumen of cell walls, which made polysaccharides more accessible to enzymes. This pretreatment process is promising for large‐scale application because of the high sugar yields, easy handling, being environmentally benign and highly tolerant to moisture, and significantly reduced cost and energy consumption. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013; 110: 1895–1902. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

喀斯特关键带植被时空变化及其驱动因素

中国南方喀斯特地区广泛面临着生态问题,植被的保护与恢复倍受关注,对这一区域植被覆盖的进行监测和预测是非常必要的。以MODIS-NDVI为数据源,分析2000—2016年间,研究区不同地质背景,多种土地覆被类型的NDVI时空变化特征及驱动因素。结果表明:(1)从2000—2016年间,研究区植被覆盖整体呈增长趋势;其中喀斯特区域增长情况略优于非喀斯特区域。植被覆盖在空间上呈现东高西低;其中林地的NDVI值最高,耕地次之,依次草地,居民用地,水域,未利用地最低;在林地和耕地中,非喀斯特区域的NDVI值比喀斯特高,其余的土地覆被类型中都比喀斯特区域低。(2)研究区植被覆盖改善的地区占60.19%,退化地区占17.06%;草地,耕地区改善明显,退化主要在水域和建设用地; Hurst指数显示在研究区持续性改善的NDVI大于持续性退化;相比非喀斯特区域,喀斯特区域改善及持续性改善情况更佳。(3)整体而言,海拔对NDVI的空间分布影响力最大,温度次之,依次为降雨,夜间灯光指数;相比而言,非喀斯特区域NDVI空间分布更易受地形因子影响;喀斯特区域NDVI空间分布更易受气候差异及人类活动影响。(4)研究区分别有49%,45%,61%的NDVI与气温,降雨,日照的相关系数通过a=0.05的显著性检验;相比非喀斯特而言,喀斯特区域植被生长更易受气候变化的影响。     

基于生态效率理论和TOPSIS法的工业园区循环经济发展评价

工业园区层面的生态效率评价是生态效率研究领域有待深入探索的课题。TOPSIS方法则可能是适用于生态效率评价的一种方法,它以空间统计学为基础,借助于多目标决策问题的理想解和负理想解来进行排序,能够客观地比较和评价不同样本点综合指标的优劣。本文根据生态效率和循环经济理论,结合《综合类生态工业园区标准（试行）》,建立工业园区循环经济评价指标体系,运用TOPSIS方法对苏州高新区、苏州工业园区生态工业园和无锡新区生态工业示范园区的生态效率进行综合评价,结果表明：三者的生态效率综合排名由高到低依次为：无锡新区生态工业示范园区> 苏州工业园区生态工业园> 苏州高新区,且3园区在经济发展、资源能源利用率、物质循环利用、环境污染控制等子系统有所优劣。并针对各园区的各自存在的不足提出了相应的改进和发展建议。