Maternally derived Cu tolerance in larval fathead minnows: how long does it persist?

Fathead minnow Pimephales promelas larvae were produced by either copper (Cu)-exposed or naïve females and then subjected to a 96 h survival test using Cu concentrations of 400 and 800 μg l⁻¹. Three survival challenges were conducted: the first survival test featured 0 day-old larvae while the second and third featured 8 and 15 day-old larvae, respectively. The results of this study show that maternally derived Cu tolerance was relatively short-lived as it persisted for <8 days.     

人类新基因ACBP5cDNA的克隆及其同源物在小鼠/鸡胚发育过程中的表达

利用电子克隆的方法寻找具有重要结构域的人类新基因ACBP5 ,根据得到的序列信息用RT PCR的方法获得全长基因 .通过生物信息学方法预测其结构 ,采用整体原位杂交和组织RT PCR的实验方法 ,在小鼠和鸡胚胎实验模型中研究该基因在发育过程中的表达情况 ,并对其功能进行初步的预测 ,获得一个含有乙酰辅酶A结合蛋白 (acyl CoAbindingprotein ,ACBP)结构域的人类新基因ACBP5 .ACBP5基因的cDNA长度为 10 83bp ,生物信息学方法预测其定位在人第 1号染色体上 ,包含 7个外显子 ,6个内含子 ,包含一个 35 4bp的完整阅读框架 ,编码一个 118个氨基酸残基的蛋白 .在以小鼠胚胎和鸡胚为模型的整体原位杂交中 ,以ACBP5基因全长编码区为探针的结果均显示该基因在胚胎头部特异表达 ,并且主要集中在中脑与间脑之间的峡部 .成体小鼠的组织RT PCR的结果显示 ,ACBP5的同源基因在各组织中均有表达 .这提示ACBP5基因在不同物种中的表达可能比较保守 ,并与头部发育有密切关系 ,同时也对维持细胞的正常功能起到重要的作用 .     

一个新的人类乙酰转移酶基因hNATL的克隆与表达谱研究

从小鼠cDNA序列入手,依据同源分析的电子克隆方法得到一个包含N末端乙酰转移酶结构域的人类新基因hNATL(Human NAT Like)。hNATL的cDNA长1803bp,编码区621bp,Genbank 登陆号AY632082。hNATL编码的蛋白长206个氨基酸残基,包含有N乙酰转移酶结构域。hNATL 基因定位于人染色体17q25．2区,包括6个外显子和5个内含子。基因表达汇编分析结果显示, hNATL在人脑和生殖腺中高表达。Northern杂交显示,在成年小鼠中hNATL在心脏,脾脏和卵巢中出现表达。整体原位杂交的结果显示,hNATL特异表达于E7．5和E8．5的小鼠胚胎脑部和HH10期鸡胚胎的头部。上述结果提示,hNATL对胚胎期脑的发育和成体中重要器官行使正常功能发挥十分重要的作用。     

Spatial variation in sapwood area to leaf area ratio and specific leaf area within a crown of silver birch

Spatial variation in sapwood area to leaf area ratio (Huber value, HV) and specific leaf area (SLA) was examined in branches of closed-canopy trees of silver birch (Betula pendula Roth). HV increased basipetally within a crown and decreased with increasing branch order, but exhibited no significant radial trend along a primary branch. HV was primarily determined by branch position in a crown and branch diameter at the sampling point, being independent of the size of the tree and branch. Greater HV in the lower-crown branches is considered a means to mitigate differences in hydraulic transport capacity between the branches located in different canopy layers. Beside branch position and sampling location on a branch, SLA depended significantly on several other variables characterising tree and branch size. SLA increased basipetally within a crown and along a primary branch, but exhibited no significant trend with branch orders. Because height caused leaf area (A_L) to diminish more rapidly than leaf dry weight, A_L primarily determined the vertical variation in SLA.     

Effects of light intensity and duration on leaf hydraulic conductance and distribution of resistance in shoots of silver birch (Betula pendula)

Variation in leaf hydraulic conductance (K(L)) and distribution of resistance in response to light intensity and duration were examined in shoots of silver birch (Betula pendula Roth). K(L) was determined on detached shoots using the evaporative flux method (transpiration was measured with a porometer and water potential drop with a pressure chamber). Although K(L) depended on light duration per se, its dynamics was largely determined by leaf temperature (T(L)). Both upper-crown leaves and branches developed in well-illuminated environment exhibited higher hydraulic efficiency compared with the lower crown, accounting for vertical trends of apparent soil-to-leaf hydraulic conductance in canopy of silver birch revealed in our previous studies. K(L) varied significantly with light intensity, the highest values for both shade and sun foliage were recorded at photosynthetic photon flux density of 330 micromol m(-2) s(-1). Light responses of K(L) were associated evidently with an irradiance-mediated effect on extravascular tissues involving regulation of cell membrane aquaporins. Effects of irradiance on K(L) resulted in changes of Psi(L), bringing about considerable alteration in partitioning of the resistance between leaves and branch (leafless shoot stem): the contribution of leaves to the shoot total resistance decreased from 94% at -1.0 MPa to 75% at -0.2 MPa. Treatment with HgCl2 decreased hydraulic conductance of both leaves and branches, implying that condition of bordered pit membranes or shoot living tissues may be involved in responses of xylem conductance to Hg2+.     

不同盐分处理对狼尾草和大油芒发芽与幼苗生长的影响

为了解盐渍化生境中r对策者发芽与幼苗期的盐分适应特征,本研究选用狼尾草(Pennisetum alopecuroides)和大油芒(Spodipogon sibiricus),按照NaCl∶Na2SO4∶NaHCO3为1∶1∶3(mol)配制复盐溶液,分6个处理(0、0.1%、0.2%、0.4%、0.8%和1.6%),分别进行种子发芽和幼苗生长单因素实验,比较了两种植物的发芽能力、胚生长和幼苗生长状况以及生理生化指标。结果表明:种子萌发阶段,随盐分浓度增大,狼尾草和大油芒发芽率、发芽指数和发芽势等均显著下降,低浓度(≤0.4%)时狼尾草的发芽能力小于大油芒,高浓度(≥0.8%)时则相反;狼尾草和大油芒胚芽长、胚根长及胚鲜重均显著下降,但大油芒胚生长受抑制的程度高于狼尾草;幼苗阶段,盐分显著抑制狼尾草和大油芒的幼苗生长,但大油芒受抑制的程度低于狼尾草,且狼尾草体内生理活性钙和丙二醛含量高于大油芒;可见,两种植物的耐盐能力在种子萌发阶段狼尾草强于大油芒,而幼苗阶段狼尾草又弱于大油芒,这体现了r对策者风险分摊的对策。     

花生品种耐盐性指标筛选与综合评价

采用盆栽试验,设置不同盐胁迫浓度,通过萌发至幼苗期的出苗速度、植株形态和生物量等指标对200个花生品种(系)进行耐盐性评价.结果表明: 随盐胁迫浓度的增加,花生出苗时间延长,对植株形态建成抑制加重,物质积累减少.鉴定花生品种耐盐性强弱的适宜盐胁迫浓度为0.30%~0.45%.采用隶属函数值法将10个指标归结为平均隶属函数值,根据不同胁迫浓度下各指标与平均隶属函数值之间的相关性大小,植株鲜质量、地上部鲜质量、地下部鲜质量、地下部干质量、株高和主茎高均较大,可作为首选指标,植株干质量、地上部干质量、主根长和出苗速率均较小,可作为辅助指标综合判断品种的耐盐能力.200个品种(系)在不同盐胁迫浓度下均可分成高度耐盐型、耐盐型、盐敏感型和高度盐敏感型4组.随盐胁迫强度加大,耐盐品种数量下降,而盐敏感品种数量上升.部分品种在低、中、高盐胁迫强度下表现出统一性(均耐盐或均敏感);部分品种存在差异性,即低胁迫强度下表现耐盐性而在高胁迫强度下表现盐敏感性.     

Quantitative insights into actin rearrangements and bacterial target site selection from Salmonella Typhimurium infection of micropatterned cells

Reorganization of the host cell actin cytoskeleton is crucial during pathogen invasion. We established micropatterned cells as a standardized infection model for cell invasion to quantitatively study actin rearrangements triggered by Salmonella Typhimurium (S. Tm). Micropatterns of extracellular matrix proteins force cells to adopt a reproducible shape avoiding strong cell‐to‐cell variations, a major limitation in classical cell culture conditions. S. Tm induced F‐actin‐rich ruffles and invaded micropatterned cells similar to unconstrained cells. Yet, standardized conditions allowed fast and unbiased comparison of cellular changes triggered by the SipA and SopE bacterial effector proteins. Intensity measurements in defined regions revealed that the content of pre‐existing F‐actin remained unchanged during infection, suggesting that newly polymerized F‐actin in bacteria‐triggered ruffles originates from the G‐actin pool. Analysing bacterial target sites, we found that bacteria did not show any preferences for the local actin cytoskeleton specificities. Rather, invasion was constrained to a specific ‘cell height’, due to flagella‐mediated near‐surface swimming. We found that invasion sites were similar to bacterial binding sites, indicating that S. Tm can induce a permissive invasion site wherever it binds. As micropatterned cells can be infected by many different pathogens they represent a valuable new tool for quantitative analysis of host–pathogen interactions.