花椒(Zanthoxylum bungeamun)种植对喀斯特山区土壤水稳性团聚体分布及有机碳周转的影响

以贵州西南部喀斯特山区35年生和14年生花椒林为研究对象,并以未退耕旱地为对照,研究表层土壤(0~20 cm)水稳性团聚体分布及有机碳矿化特征,探讨土壤有机碳周转对不同花椒种植年限的响应。结果表明:随团聚体粒径的降低,两种年龄花椒林土壤水稳性团聚体含量呈现先增加后减少的倒"V"形分布,土壤水稳性团聚体分布主要出现在5~2、2~1和1~0.5 mm 3个粒级中;与旱地相比,花椒种植明显增加了全土和团聚体中有机碳和活性有机碳含量,并以14年生花椒林较高,而35年生花椒林存在较明显的衰减;随花椒种植年限的增加,土壤有机碳矿化累积量呈递减趋势,但土壤有机碳周转半衰期以14年生花椒林较长,显著高于旱地和35年生花椒林,表明14年生花椒林土壤有机碳更易累积,表现出较好的土壤碳固存能力;喀斯特山区种植花椒后,土壤有机碳存在"汇-源"的转换过程,因此花椒种植应注重长期维护管理,防止土壤质量的衰退。     

圈养条件下犬蝠对陌生食物首次取食行为的研究

动物在觅食过程中,尝试取食陌生食物会给其带来潜在的风险或是利益。许多动物在首次遇到陌生食物时,不会立即对其进行取食,甚至感到恐惧而避开,这是动物应对陌生食物和环境的一种恐新行为(neophobia)。2010年10—12月,对广东省四会市圈养条件下的犬蝠Cynopterus sphinx取食行为进行研究。结果发现,在实验中犬蝠首次面对陌生食物(苹果)刺激时表现出2种不同的行为,14只实验个体中,6只在首次面对陌生食物时直接对其进行取食,定义其为探索者(explorer);而另外8只对陌生食物表现出了恐新行为,定义其为恐新者(coward)。在人为施加的环境压力下,恐新者经过反复试探,首次成功取食陌生食物后才接纳陌生食物。雌雄个体间(Mann-Whitney U test:雌性31.3 min±8.5 min,n=6,雄性122.8 min±16.2 min,n=5,U=721.0,P<0.001)及亚成体与成体间(Mann-Whitney U test:亚成体20.9 min±10.9 min,n=3,成体72.9 min±9.7 min,n=11,U=901.0,P<0.001)在首次取食行为上的差异均有统计学意义,雌性和亚成体个体更易于接受陌生食物。本文研究结果表明,犬蝠对陌生食物首次取食的这2种行为差异各自有其生态学意义,探索者的行为利于拓宽取食食物源,以应对野外多变的环境;而恐新者的行为可防止摄入过多有毒或营养过剩的食物。雌性倾向于探索陌生食物,可能与其在种群中的繁殖地位有关;亚成体积极探索陌生食物的行为则体现出其取食经验上的缺乏,同时也利于将陌生食物引入种群食谱中。行为的多样性利于种群繁衍,本文探讨了2种取食策略各自的利弊关系。     

淡水超微型浮游植物多样性及其研究方法

超微藻广泛分布于海洋和淡水生态系统中,在水生生态系统尤其是微食物环中起着重要作用。自20世纪70年代被发现以来,有关超微藻的研究大多集中在海洋,直到近年来淡水超微藻才受到广泛关注。目前淡水生境中发现的超微藻主要包括真核超微藻和原核聚球藻,而在海洋生境中分布广泛的原绿球藻在淡水环境中则很少被发现。超微真核藻多样性极其复杂,几乎在所有的门类都有发现;而目前在中国湖泊中发现的聚球藻主要以富含藻蓝素的聚球藻为主。影响超微藻生长的因子主要包括营养盐、温度、光照及生物因子(如捕食)等,自然水体的超微藻可能同时受多个以上环境因子的共同影响。由于超微藻细胞微小,形态特征不明显,而且大部分物种不能被分离纯培养,因此传统研究方法受到限制,直至近些年来,荧光显微技术、流式细胞术及分子生物学技术的发展,才使我们有机会对超微藻多样性和生态学有了进一步的认识。本文对淡水超微藻多样性的研究进展进行了综述,介绍了淡水超微藻的主要类群及其环境影响因子,重点阐述了当前超微藻的研究方法。     

Improving Phenotypic Prediction by Combining Genetic and Epigenetic Associations

We tested whether DNA-methylation profiles account for inter-individual variation in body mass index (BMI) and height and whether they predict these phenotypes over and above genetic factors. Genetic predictors were derived from published summary results from the largest genome-wide association studies on BMI (n ∼ 350,000) and height (n ∼ 250,000) to date. We derived methylation predictors by estimating probe-trait effects in discovery samples and tested them in external samples. Methylation profiles associated with BMI in older individuals from the Lothian Birth Cohorts (LBCs, n = 1,366) explained 4.9% of the variation in BMI in Dutch adults from the LifeLines DEEP study (n = 750) but did not account for any BMI variation in adolescents from the Brisbane Systems Genetic Study (BSGS, n = 403). Methylation profiles based on the Dutch sample explained 4.9% and 3.6% of the variation in BMI in the LBCs and BSGS, respectively. Methylation profiles predicted BMI independently of genetic profiles in an additive manner: 7%, 8%, and 14% of variance of BMI in the LBCs were explained by the methylation predictor, the genetic predictor, and a model containing both, respectively. The corresponding percentages for LifeLines DEEP were 5%, 9%, and 13%, respectively, suggesting that the methylation profiles represent environmental effects. The differential effects of the BMI methylation profiles by age support previous observations of age modulation of genetic contributions. In contrast, methylation profiles accounted for almost no variation in height, consistent with a mainly genetic contribution to inter-individual variation. The BMI results suggest that combining genetic and epigenetic information might have greater utility for complex-trait prediction.     

A Dynamic Model of Chemoattractant-Induced Cell Migration

Cell migration refers to a directional cell movement in response to chemoattractant stimulation. In this work, we developed a cell-migration model by mimicking in vivo migration using optically manipulated chemoattractant-loaded microsources. The model facilitates a quantitative characterization of the relationship among the protrusion force, cell motility, and chemoattractant gradient for the first time (to our knowledge). We verified the correctness of the model using migrating leukemia cancer Jurkat cells. The results show that one can achieve the ideal migrating capacity by choosing the appropriate chemoattractant gradient and concentration at the leading edge of the cell.     

GTP Binding and Oncogenic Mutations May Attenuate Hypervariable Region (HVR)-Catalytic Domain Interactions in Small GTPase K-Ras4B,Exposing the Effector Binding Site

K-Ras4B, a frequently mutated oncogene in cancer, plays an essential role in cell growth, differentiation, and survival. Its C-terminal membrane-associated hypervariable region (HVR) is required for full biological activity. In the active GTP-bound state, the HVR interacts with acidic plasma membrane (PM) headgroups, whereas the farnesyl anchors in the membrane; in the inactive GDP-bound state, the HVR may interact with both the PM and the catalytic domain at the effector binding region, obstructing signaling and nucleotide exchange. Here, using molecular dynamics simulations and NMR, we aim to figure out the effects of nucleotides (GTP and GDP) and frequent (G12C, G12D, G12V, G13D, and Q61H) and infrequent (E37K and R164Q) oncogenic mutations on full-length K-Ras4B. The mutations are away from or directly at the HVR switch I/effector binding site. Our results suggest that full-length wild-type GDP-bound K-Ras4B (K-Ras4B^WT-GDP) is in an intrinsically autoinhibited state via tight HVR-catalytic domain interactions. The looser association in K-Ras4B^WT-GTP may release the HVR. Some of the oncogenic mutations weaken the HVR-catalytic domain association in the K-Ras4B-GDP/-GTP bound states, which may facilitate the HVR disassociation in a nucleotide-independent manner, thereby up-regulating oncogenic Ras signaling. Thus, our results suggest that mutations can exert their effects in more than one way, abolishing GTP hydrolysis and facilitating effector binding.