The Drosophila caspase Ice is important for many apoptotic cell deaths and for spermatid individualization, a nonapoptotic process

Caspase family proteases play important roles in the regulation of apoptotic cell death. Initiator caspases are activated in response to death stimuli, and they transduce and amplify these signals by cleaving and thereby activating effector caspases. In Drosophila, the initiator caspase Nc (previously Dronc) cleaves and activates two short-prodomain caspases, Dcp-1 and Ice (previously Drice), suggesting these as candidate effectors of Nc killing activity. dcp-1-null mutants are healthy and possess few defects in normally occurring cell death. To explore roles for Ice in cell death, we generated and characterized an Ice null mutant. Animals lacking Ice show a number of defects in cell death, including those that occur during embryonic development, as well as during formation of adult eyes, arista and wings. Ice mutants exhibit subtle defects in the destruction of larval tissues, and do not prevent destruction of salivary glands during metamorphosis. Cells from Ice animals are also markedly resistant to several stresses, including X-irradiation and inhibition of protein synthesis. Mutations in Ice also suppress cell death that is induced by expression of Rpr, Wrinkled (previously Hid) and Grim. These observations demonstrate that Ice plays an important non-redundant role as a cell death effector. Finally, we demonstrate that Ice participates in, but is not absolutely required for, the non-apoptotic process of spermatid differentiation.     

武汉桂子山地区冬季鸟类群落结构及多样性研究

2005年11月～2006年3月,对武汉桂子山地区冬季鸟类群落进行了调查,共记录鸟类44种,隶属10目22科。有国家Ⅱ级保护鸟类2种,湖北省重点保护鸟类16种;留鸟32种,冬候鸟11种,旅鸟1种,留鸟构成了冬季鸟类的主体;该地区冬季鸟类密度为4．30只／hm^2,物种多样性指数为2．6477,均匀性指数为0．6997。居民点、乔灌林、绿地和水域生境中,乔灌林鸟类多样性最高,数量最多。     

东莞大屏嶂森林公园的现状植被及林分改造对策

采用改进的线路调查方法对东莞大屏障森林公园植被进行调查。结果表明大屏障森林公园植物种类多样,植物资源丰富。公园的现状植被可以划分为5个类型,8个亚型。森林可分为次生常绿阔叶林、人工马占相思林Acacia mangium、油茶林Camellia oleifera等3个亚型。此外,还有荒草坡、农田植被以及其他类型的植被。据此探讨了对大屏障森林公园植被的改造对策,为森林公园的建设提供依据。     

TaqMan-MGB探针检测文森巴尔通体博格霍夫亚种实时荧光定量PCR方法的建立及应用

【目的】应用TaqMan-MGB探针技术,建立具有种水平特异性、高敏感性的荧光定量PCR方法,用于快速检测文森巴尔通体博格霍夫亚种。【方法】在序列特异性扩增区标记(Sequence characterized amplifiedregion,SCAR)技术基础上,依据文森巴尔通体博格霍夫亚种一段特有的基因序列设计探针和引物,分别优化扩增反应的退火温度、探针和引物的反应浓度;分析此方法的特异性、敏感性及重复性;绘制标准曲线,评估PCR反应的扩增效率和稳定性。【结果】本研究设计的TaqMan-MGB探针具有种水平特异性;最低检出限为每个PCR反应11个拷贝;组内和组间的变异系数CV值分别为0.12%-0.70%和0.14%-0.55%,在允许范围内;标准曲线线性关系良好(R2=1),扩增效率高(E=104.7%)。【结论】本研究建立的基于TaqMan-MGB探针技术的荧光定量PCR方法能够在种水平特异性、高灵敏度检出文森巴尔通体博格霍夫亚种,为这种巴尔通体所引起的一系列疾病的早期快速诊断、监测和流行病学调查等研究提供有效手段。     

Ultrathin Co3O4 Layers with Large Contact Area on Carbon Fibers as High‐Performance Electrode for Flexible Zinc–Air Battery Integrated with Flexible Display

A facile and binder‐free method is developed for the in situ and horizontal growth of ultrathin mesoporous Co₃O₄ layers on the surface of carbon fibers in the carbon cloth (ultrathin Co₃O₄/CC) as high‐performance air electrode for the flexible Zn–air battery. In particular, the ultrathin Co₃O₄ layers have a maximum contact area on the conductive support, facilitating the rapid electron transport and preventing the aggregation of ultrathin layers. The ultrathin feature of Co₃O₄ layers is characterized by the transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectra, and X‐ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy. Benefiting from the high utilization degree of active materials and rapid charge transport, the mass activity for oxygen reduction and evolution reactions of the ultrathin Co₃O₄/CC electrode is more than 10 times higher than that of the carbon cloth loaded with commercial Co₃O₄ nanoparticles. Compared to the commercial Co₃O₄/CC electrode, the flexible Zn–air battery using ultrathin Co₃O₄/CC electrode exhibits excellent rechargeable performance and high mechanical stability. Furthermore, the flexible Zn–air battery is integrated with a flexible display unit. The whole integrated device can operate without obvious performance degradation under serious deformation and even during the cutting process, which makes it highly promising for wearable and roll‐up optoelectronics.     

酸性矿山废水污染的水稻田土壤中重金属的微生物学效应

采样调查了广东大宝山地区受酸性采矿废水长期污染的亚热带水稻田的土壤理化性质 ,重金属 Cu、Pb、Zn、Cd的全量及其 DTPA浸提量 ,以及微生物生物量及其呼吸活性等指标。利用主成分和逐步回归分析了影响土壤重金属的有效性及其微生物学效应的因素。结果表明 :土壤高含硫 ,强酸性 ,有机碳、全氮较低 ,4种金属的全量普遍超标。DTPA可提取态金属含量较高 ,不仅与其全量呈显著正相关 ,而且与土壤酸度和粘粒含量正相关 ,和 Mn含量负相关。过量的金属显著降低了土壤微生物生物量 C、N、微生物商、生物量 N/全 N比 ,并抑制了微生物呼吸强度和对有机碳的矿化率 ,导致了土壤 C/N比的升高。同时 ,金属对微生物群落及生理代谢指标 ,如微生物生物量 C/N比和代谢商的影响不显著。 DTPA可提取态金属 ,特别是 DTPA- Cu是导致微生物生物量和活性指标变化的主要因素。以有机碳 (或全氮 )为基数的复合微生物指标降低了土壤性质差异造成的干扰 ,较单一指标更能准确指示微生物对金属胁迫的反应。土壤硫没有对金属有效性和微生物指标产生明显影响 ,但其氧化过程可能引起酸化和金属离子的释放     

草丁膦对转bar基因水稻GS酶活性和光合功能的影响

喷施草丁膦后,对草丁膦无抗性水稻Cypress(未转bar基因)叶片的谷氨酰胺合成酶(GS)活性先受到抑制,随后叶片内NH 4积累上升,叶绿素含量、PSⅡ原初光化学效率(Fv/Fm)、光能转化效率(ΦPSⅡ)和叶片叶绿素荧光的光化学猝灭系数(qp)下降,光合速率显著降低;最后引起植株死亡.另一方面,Cypress PB-6(转bar基因抗草丁膦水稻)的GS酶活性在喷施草丁膦后虽然先被抑制,但随后能恢复至正常水平,接着NH 4积累下降,草丁膦对叶绿素含量、荧光参数Fv/Fm、ΦPSⅡ、qp的影响被解除,光合速率恢复到正常水平,整个植株生长正常.