The Impact of Winter Heating on Air Pollution in China

Fossil-fuel combustion related winter heating has become a major air quality and public health concern in northern China recently. We analyzed the impact of winter heating on aerosol loadings over China using the MODIS-Aqua Collection 6 aerosol product from 2004–2012. Absolute humidity (AH) and planetary boundary layer height (PBL) -adjusted aerosol optical depth (AOD^*) was constructed to reflect ground-level PM_2.5 concentrations. GIS analysis, standard statistical tests, and statistical modeling indicate that winter heating is an important factor causing increased PM_2.5 levels in more than three-quarters of central and eastern China. The heating season AOD^* was more than five times higher as the non-heating season AOD^*, and the increase in AOD^* in the heating areas was greater than in the non-heating areas. Finally, central heating tend to contribute less to air pollution relative to other means of household heating.     

Bifidobacterium breve M-16V alters the gut microbiota to alleviate OVA-induced food allergy through IL-33/ST2 signal pathway

There has been a marked increase in life-threatening food allergy (FA). One hypothesis is that changes in bacterial communities may be key to FA. To better understand how gut microbiota regulates FA in humans, we established a mouse model with FA induced by ovalbumin. We found that the mice with FA had abnormal bacterial composition, accompanied by increased immunoglobulin G, immunoglobulin E, and interleukin-4/interferon-γ, and there existed a certain coherence between them. Interestingly, Bifidobacterium breve M-16V may alter the gut microbiota to alleviate the allergy symptoms by IL-33/ST2 signaling. Our results indicate that gut microbiota is essential for regulating FA to dietary antigens and demonstrate that intervention in bacterial community regulation may be therapeutically related to FA.     

Contemporary Chinese TV Serials: Configuring Collective Memory of Socialist Nostalgia via the Cultural Revolution

Using China's Cultural Revolution as a representative historical event, this article examines how the collective memory and popular history revolving around it are manufactured and interpreted in televisual media narratives. The collective memory of the Cultural Revolution, as I will show, is constructed and not preserved, and the collective framework of memory, as the predominant thoughts and the governing ideological rhetoric of society, configures people's memories of past events. A textual analysis of the TV drama, The Place Where Dreams Start [Meng kaishi de difang, 1998], a typical revolutionary nostalgia text, will expose the process of collective memory concerning the Cultural Revolution for what it is—cultural amnesia that is misleading and regressive.     

Development of a sequence-tagged site for the centromere of chromosome 10: its use in cytogenetic and physical mapping

We sequenced the alphoid centromere probe p10RP8 (D10Z1), aligned it to three published consensus sequences, and developed a sequence-tagged site (STS), sJRH-2, based upon oligonucleotide primers having two 3 mismatches with these consensus sequences. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification using genomic DNA from a somatic cell hybrid panel representing all human chromosomes demonstrated amplification from only those cell lines containing chromosome 10. Fluorescence in situ hybridization of the amplified product demonstrated intense and specific hybridization of the PCR product to 10p11.1-q11.1. A human genomic yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) library was screened using the sJRH-2 PCR assay, and five clones were identified. Sequence analysis of one chimeric clone (consisting of DNA segments derived from chromosomes 5p and 10cen) confirmed specificity of the STS for the centromere of chromosome 10. sJRH-2 provides a convenient cytogenetic marker for chromosome 10, which will also be useful for physical mapping of the pericentromeric region of chromosome 10, a region that harbors the gene(s) for three forms of multiple endocrine neoplasia (types 2A, 2B, and familial medullary thyroid carcinoma). The GenBank accession number for the p10RP8 sequence is X63622.     

‘云香’水仙NtWRKYY1基因的分离与功能分析

为明确WRKY转录因子在‘云香’水仙中的功能,该研究以‘云香’水仙为材料,克隆了WRKY基因,命名为NtWRKYY1(GenBank登录号为KX056495)。序列分析显示,NtWRKYY1基因开放阅读框(ORF)长度为510bp,编码169个氨基酸。多序列比对和系统进化树分析显示,NtWRKYY1编码蛋白含1个WRKY结构域和C2H2锌指结构(Cx4Cx23HxH),与AtWRKY57聚在一起,属于第Ⅱc类WRKY转录因子。组织表达和时空表达分析显示,NtWRKYY1基因在花中表达量高于根和叶,且在花瓣及副冠中的表达量随开花过程(花蕾期、始花期、盛花期、衰败期)呈上升趋势。植物激素和非生物胁迫分析显示,NtWRKYY1基因受脱落酸(ABA)、高温、干旱和盐诱导,受茉莉酸甲酯(JA)抑制,表明NtWRKYY1基因可能在‘云香’水仙花朵的衰老过程中起正调节作用,同时参与‘云香’水仙ABA、JA等激素信号转导及高温、干旱、盐碱等非生物胁迫过程的调控。利用In-Fusion克隆技术成功构建过表达载体pMDC140-NtWRKYY1,并采用农杆菌介导叶盘法转化烟草。RT-PCR和GUS染色结果显示,目的基因已成功导入烟草基因组中。     

Aminooxy pluronics: synthesis and preparation of glycosaminoglycan adducts

Novel biomaterials have been prepared in which glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are chemically modified to create amphiphilic multiblock copolymers that are able to adhere to hydrophobic surfaces and can self-assemble into cross-linker-free hydrogels. First, the triblock poly(ethylene oxide)-polypropylene oxide copolymers (Pluronics) were converted into the previously unknown aminooxy (AO) derivatives. Both mono-AO and bis-AO Pluronics (AOPs) were synthesized and fully characterized in order to prepare tetrablock and pentablock copolymers, respectively. Second, the AOPs were coupled to the uronic acid carboxylates of heparin (HP) and hyaluronic acid (HA) using carbodiimide chemistry in order to give the previously undescribed amidooxy GAG derivatives. The coupling chemistry was confirmed using a newly prepared fluorescent AO reagent. Third, AOP-heparin and AOP-fluorescently labeled heparin were shown to adsorb efficiently to polystyrene surfaces, as determined by IL-8 based ELISA and fluorescence measurements, respectively. Fourth, AOP-linked fluorescently labeled HA was shown to adsorb efficiently to plastic surfaces. Finally, three different AOPs were evaluated for self-assembling hydrogel formation by AOP-HA pentablock polymers. In short, AOP-GAG adducts are semisynthetic amphiphilic biomacromolecules that offer a range of valuable practical opportunities for surface modification, preparation of cross-linker-free hydrogels, and formation of self-assembling mimics of the extracellular matrix.     

Crystal structure of the sensor domain of BaeS from Serratia marcescens FS14

The sensor histidine kinases of two‐component signal‐transduction systems (TCSs) are essential for bacteria to adapt to variable environmental conditions. The two‐component regulatory system BaeS/R increases multidrug and metal resistance in Salmonella and Escherichia coli. In this study, we report the X‐ray structure of the periplasmic sensor domain of BaeS from Serratia marcescens FS14. The BaeS sensor domain (34–160) adopts a mixed α/β‐fold containing a central four‐stranded antiparallel β‐sheet flanked by a long N‐terminal α‐helix and additional loops and a short C‐terminal α‐helix on each side. Structural comparisons revealed that it belongs to the PDC family with a remarkable difference in the orientation of the helix α2. In the BaeS sensor domain, this helix is situated perpendicular to the long helix α1 and holds helix α1 in the middle with the beta sheet, whereas in other PDC domains, helix α2 is parallel to helix α1. Because the helices α1 and α2 is involved in the dimeric interface, this difference implies that BaeS uses a different dimeric interface compared with other PDC domains. Proteins 2017; 85:1784–1790. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Functional modulation of an aquaporin to intensify photosynthesis and abrogate bacterial virulence in rice

Plant aquaporins are a recently noted biological resource with a great potential to improve crop growth and defense traits. Here, we report the functional modulation of the rice (Oryza sativa) aquaporin OsPIP1;3 to enhance rice photosynthesis and grain production and to control bacterial blight and leaf streak, the most devastating worldwide bacterial diseases in the crop. We characterize OsPIP1;3 as a physiologically relevant CO₂-transporting facilitator, which supports 30% of rice photosynthesis on average. This role is nullified by interaction of OsPIP1;3 with the bacterial protein Hpa1, an essential component of the Type III translocon that supports translocation of the bacterial Type III effectors PthXo1 and TALi into rice cells to induce leaf blight and streak, respectively. Hpa1 binding shifts OsPIP1;3 from CO₂ transport to effector translocation, aggravates bacterial virulence, and blocks rice photosynthesis. On the contrary, the external application of isolated Hpa1 to rice plants effectively prevents OsPIP1;3 from interaction with Hpa1 secreted by the bacteria that are infecting the plants. Blockage of the OsPIP1;3–Hpa1 interaction reverts OsPIP1;3 from effector translocation to CO₂ transport, abrogates bacterial virulence, and meanwhile induces defense responses in rice. These beneficial effects can combine to enhance photosynthesis by 29–30%, reduce bacterial disease by 58–75%, and increase grain yield by 11–34% in different rice varieties investigated in small-scale field trials conducted during the past years. Our results suggest that crop productivity and immunity can be coordinated by modulating the physiological and pathological functions of a single aquaporin to break the growth–defense tradeoff barrier.     

‘云香’水仙NtWRKYY2基因的克隆及功能分析

以‘云香’水仙为材料,采用PCR技术分离中国水仙WRKY转录因子家族成员NtWRKYY2(GenBank登录号为KX056496),其开放阅读框(ORF)长度为867bp,编码289个氨基酸。氨基酸序列比对及系统进化树分析显示,NtWRKYY2编码蛋白含1个WRKY结构域和C2H2锌指结构(Csx4Cx23HxH),属于第Ⅱd类WRKY转录因子。实时荧光定量PCR(qRT-PCR)分析显示,NtWRKYY2在‘云香’水仙应对盐胁迫中显著上调表达。利用InFusion克隆技术成功构建过表达载体pMDC140-NtWRKYY2,并采用农杆菌介导叶盘法转化烟草,获得11株卡那霉素抗性植株,转化子进一步PCR检测结果显示,其中有8株目的基因已成功导入烟草基因组中,转化率为72%。盐胁迫处理和叶绿素荧光参数分析显示,盐胁迫处理后NtWRKYY2过表达的转基因烟草萎蔫和黄化程度小于野生型植株,Fv/Fm值下降幅度小于野生型植株。研究表明,NtWRKYY2过表达的转基因烟草具有抵抗盐胁迫的能力。该研究为水仙抗盐转基因育种提供备选目的基因。