Evolutionary history of a widespread tree species Acer mono in East Asia

East Asia has the most diverse temperate flora in the world primarily due to the lack of Pleistocene glaciation and the geographic heterogeneity. Although increasing phylogeography studies in this region provided more proofs in this issue, discrepancies and uncertainty still exist, especially in northern temperate deciduous broad‐leaved and coniferous mixed forest region (II). And a widespread plant species could reduce the complexity to infer the relationship between diversity and physiographical pattern. Hence, we studied the evolution history of a widespread temperate tree, Acer mono, populations in region II and the influence of physiographic patterns on intraspecific genetic diversity. Analyses of chloroplast sequences and nuclear microsatellites indicated high levels of genetic diversity. The diversity distribution was spatially heterogeneous and a latitudinal cline existed in both markers. The spatial distribution pattern between genetic diversity within A. mono and the diversity at species level was generally consistent. Western subtropical evergreen broad‐leaved forest subregion (IVb) had a unique ancient chloroplast clade (CP3) and a nuclear gene pool (GP5) with dominance indicating the critical role of this area in species diversification. Genetic data and ecological niche model results both suggested that populations in region II disappeared during the last glacial maximum (LGM) and recovered from south of Changbai Mt. and the Korean Peninsula. Two distribution centers were likely during the LGM, one in the north edge of warm temperate deciduous broad‐leaved forest region (III) and another in the south edge of region III. This was reflected by the genetic pattern with two spatially independent genetic groups. This study highlights the key role of region III in sustaining genetic diversity in the northern range and connecting diversity between southern and northern range. We elucidated the diversity relationship between vegetation regions which could facilitate the understanding of biodiversity origin and maintenance in East Asia.     

Nrf2 prevents diabetic cardiomyopathy via antioxidant effect and normalization of glucose and lipid metabolism in the heart

Metabolic disorders and oxidative stress are the main causes of diabetic cardiomyopathy. Activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) exerts a powerful antioxidant effect and prevents the progression of diabetic cardiomyopathy. However, the mechanism of its cardiac protection and direct action on cardiomyocytes are not well understood. Here, we investigated in a cardiomyocyte-restricted Nrf2 transgenic mice (Nrf2-TG) the direct effect of Nrf2 on cardiomyocytes in DCM and its mechanism. In this study, cardiomyocyte-restricted Nrf2 transgenic mice (Nrf2-TG) were used to directly observe whether cardiomyocyte-specific overexpression of Nrf2 can prevent diabetic cardiomyopathy and correct glucose and lipid metabolism disorders in the heart. Compared to wild-type mice, Nrf2-TG mice showed resistance to diabetic cardiomyopathy in a streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetes mouse model. This was primarily manifested as improved echocardiography results as well as reduced myocardial fibrosis, cardiac inflammation, and oxidative stress. These results showed that Nrf2 can directly act on cardiomyocytes to exert a cardioprotective role. Mechanistically, the cardioprotective effects of Nrf2 depend on its antioxidation activity, partially through improving glucose and lipid metabolism by directly targeting lipid metabolic pathway of AMPK/Sirt1/PGC-1α activation via upstream genes of sestrin2 and LKB1, and indirectly enabling AKT/GSK-3β/HK-Ⅱ activity via AMPK mediated p70S6K inhibition.     

Community species diversity mediates the trade‐off between aboveground and belowground biomass for grasses and forbs in degraded alpine meadow,Tibetan Plateau

Although many empirical experiments have shown that increasing degradation results in lower aboveground biomass (AGB), our knowledge of the magnitude of belowground biomass (BGB) for individual plants is a prerequisite for accurately revealing the biomass trade‐off in degraded grasslands. Here, by linking the AGB and BGB of individual plants, species in the community, and soil properties, we explored the biomass partitioning patterns in different plant functional groups (grasses of Stipa capillacea and forbs of Anaphalis xylorhiza). Our results indicated that 81% and 60% of the biomass trade‐off variations could be explained by environmental factors affecting grasses and forbs, respectively. The change in community species diversity dominated the biomass trade‐off via either direct or indirect effects on soil properties and biomass. However, the community species diversity imparted divergent effects on the biomass trade‐off for grasses (scored at −0.72) and forbs (scored at 0.59). Our findings suggest that plant communities have evolved two contrasting strategies of biomass allocation patterns in degraded grasslands. These are the “conservative” strategy in grasses, in which plants with larger BGB trade‐off depends on gigantic roots for soil resources, and the “opportunistic” strategy in forbs, in which plants can adapt to degraded lands using high variation and optimal biomass allocation.     

家蚕30 kD特异性变应原的分析、纯化与质谱鉴定

以Coca's提取液分别提取到不同时期家蚕Bombyx mori的粗浸液,利用SDS-PAGE和Western blotting鉴定其特异性变应原,然后用DEAE-52离子交换层析及切胶纯化出30 kD的特异性变应原,再经MALDI-TOF在线联机分析,所得质谱数据进入网站搜索分析。结果显示：1～5龄家蚕均有20条左右蛋白带,其中 5龄家蚕有23条蛋白带,主带有11条（82、79、60、51、46、38、32、30、28、24和18 kD）。选用家蚕过敏患者阳性血清进行免疫印迹,1～4龄家蚕均显示出82和79 kD的特异性变应原;但只有5龄家蚕的30 kD蛋白为特异性变应原,通过离子交换层析和经切胶纯化出30 kD蛋白,再经MALDI-TOF-MS鉴定该蛋白为外膜蛋白。提示家蚕不同时期抗原成分有所变化,5龄家蚕新出现的30 kD蛋白为特异性变应原。     

着丝粒结构与功能研究的新进展

着丝粒是真核生物染色体的显著特征。在细胞有丝分裂和减数分裂中, 着丝粒作为保证染色体正常分裂并分离到子细胞的结构和功能元件, 参与了同源染色体配对、姐妹染色单体黏合、分离及分裂后期启动的调控等。本文对近年来着丝粒结构和功能研究的新进展进行了概述。     

青藏高原草地生态系统服务功能的季节动态变化

根据生态系统服务功能理论,利用RS和GIS技术,以生长季为时间单元,对青藏高原研究区草地生态系统服务功能的动态过程进行有效分析和评价.结果表明:提供生物量功能呈现上升—下降—上升的过程,在5月和9月分别出现两个高峰值,其中5月为最高峰值.影响该功能的主要因子为光合有效辐射值、水分状况和地下生物量的季节变化;碳蓄积和氧释放功能呈现上升—下降—上升的弱“N”型趋势;土壤养分保持功能也呈弱“N”型趋势,并在5月份出现最高值;草地保持土壤水分的功能在生长季内呈较强的阶段性变化,这主要与草地植物生长的季节性耗水变化规律有关.     

Cardiac Wnt5a and Wnt11 promote fibrosis by the crosstalk of FZD5 and EGFR signaling under pressure overload

Progressive cardiac fibrosis accelerates the development of heart failure. Here, we aimed to explore serum Wnt5a and Wnt11 levels in hypertension patients, the roles of Wnt5a and Wnt11 in cardiac fibrosis and potential mechanisms under pressure overload. The pressure overload mouse model was built by transverse aortic constriction (TAC). Cardiac fibrosis was analyzed by Masson’s staining. Serum Wnt5a or Wnt11 was elevated and associated with diastolic dysfunction in hypertension patients. TAC enhanced the expression and secretion of Wnt5a or Wnt11 from cardiomyocytes (CMs), cardiac fibroblasts (CFs), and cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (CMECs). Knockdown of Wnt5a and Wnt11 greatly improved cardiac fibrosis and function at 4 weeks after TAC. In vitro, shWnt5a or shWnt11 lentivirus transfection inhibited pro-fibrotic effects in CFs under mechanical stretch (MS). Similarly, conditional medium from stretched-CMs transfected with shWnt5a or shWnt11 lentivirus significantly suppressed the pro-fibrotic effects induced by conditional medium from stretched-CMs. These data suggested that CMs- or CFs-derived Wnt5a or Wnt11 showed a pro-fibrotic effect under pressure overload. In vitro, exogenous Wnt5a or Wnt11 activated ERK and p38 (fibrotic-related signaling) pathway, promoted the phosphorylation of EGFR, and increased the expression of Frizzled 5 (FZD5) in CFs. Inhibition or knockdown of EGFR greatly attenuated the increased FZD5, p-p38, and p-ERK levels, and the pro-fibrotic effect induced by Wnt5a or Wnt11 in CFs. Si-FZD5 transfection suppressed the increased p-EGFR level, and the fibrotic-related effects in CFs treated with Wnt5a or Wnt11. In conclusion, pressure overload enhances the secretion of Wnt5a or Wnt11 from CMs and CFs which promotes cardiac fibrosis by activation the crosstalk of FZD5 and EGFR. Thus, Wnt5a or Wnt11 may be a novel therapeutic target for the prevention of cardiac fibrosis under pressure overload.Subject terms: Heart failure, Translational research     

东北黑土有机磷的矿化过程研究

用室内恒温控湿培养法和埋袋法研究了不同时间序列下黑土有机磷的矿化过程.结果表明,无论是实验室培养法还是埋袋法,有机磷含量和矿化速率都逐渐下降,累积矿化率逐渐上升.培养法中,两个处理的矿化速率均在1个月时最大,分别为31.67和38.75 mg·kg^-1·month^-1,6个月时累积矿化率和矿化速率分别为7.9%,13.26 mg·kg^-1·month^-1;9.24%,17.99 mg·kg^-1·month^-1.埋袋法中,5个有机物料处理的矿化速率均在1年时最大,分别为55.67、55.65、49.60、19.71和22.52 mg·kg^-1·month^-1,3年时玉米根和小麦根处理的累积矿化率和矿化速率较高(二者3年的累积矿化率约50%,矿化速率约35 mg·kg^-1·month^-1),而大豆根和草根的处理则较低.同时,两种研究方法均表明,有机磷初始含量影响其矿化率和矿化速率,有机磷初始含量愈高,其矿化率和矿化速率就愈高.     

UPA, a universal protein array system for quantitative detection of protein–protein, protein–DNA, protein–RNA and protein–ligand interactions

Protein–protein interactions have been widely used to study gene expression pathways and may be considered as a new approach to drug discovery. Here I report the development of a universal protein array (UPA) system that provides a sensitive, quantitative, multi-purpose, effective and easy technology to determine not only specific protein–protein interactions, but also specific interactions of proteins with DNA, RNA, ligands and other small chemicals. (i) Since purified proteins are used, the results can be easily interpreted. (ii) UPA can be used multiple times for different targets, making it economically affordable for most laboratories, hospitals and biotechnology companies. (iii) Unlike DNA chips or DNA microarrays, no additional instrumentation is required. (iv) Since the UPA uses active proteins (without denaturation and renaturation), it is more sensitive compared with most existing methods. (v) Because the UPA can analyze hundreds (even thousands on a protein microarray) of proteins in a single experiment, it is a very effective method to screen proteins as drug targets in cancer and other human diseases.     

二十碳五烯酸的菌种选育及发酵条件

利用含亚麻子油的斜面培养基连续传代和逐渐降低培养温度,诱导筛选的方法,从大量丝状真菌中选育到一株产二十碳五烯酸（all－cis－5、8、11、14、17－eicosopnthenoicacid）较高的被孢霉菌（Motierellasp．）SM481。研究得到最适培养基及最适培养条件。在最适培养及产二十碳五烯酸条件下,细胞干重和二十碳五烯酸产量分别为28．8g／L和0.127g／L。