Isolation of Paenibacillus sp. and Assessment of its Potential for Enhancing Mineral Weathering

One mineral-solubilizing bacterial strain designated KT was isolated from a soil in Henan Province, China. The full-length 16S rRNA gene sequence showed 95.2 to 96.7% similarity to the bacteria of the genus Paenibacillus, indicating that the strain KT belonged to the genus Paenibacillus. The potential of this strain to release potassium from silicate minerals was investigated using a potassium-bearing rock as the sole source of potassium to support its growth. After inoculation for 7 days, the concentrations of water-soluble Al, Ca and Fe released from the potassium-bearing rock in active bacterial culture were higher than those from the control with autoclaved inoculum, but the concentration of water-soluble K in active bacterial culture was similar to that in the control. The concentrations of HNO₃-extractable Al, Ca, Fe and K from the bacterial culture were also higher than those in the control. These results showed strain KT was able to release potassium from potassium-bearing rock. These results have important implications for extraction of potassium from rocks to support plant growth.     

Microbial Diversity and Community Structure on Corroding Concretes

The objective of this study was to analyze bacterial diversity in two different concrete samples to understand the dominant types of bacteria that may contribute to concrete corrosion. Two concrete samples, HN-1 from the sunny side and HN-2 from dark and damp side, were collected from Zijin Mountain in Nanjing and genomic DNA was extracted. The partial bacterial 16S rRNA gene fragment was PCR amplified and two clone libraries were constructed. Amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA) was performed by digestion of the 16S rRNA gene and each unique restriction fragment polymorphism pattern was designated as an operational taxonomic unit (OTU). Phylogenetic trees of bacterial 16S rDNA nucleotide sequences were constructed. Sample HN-1 and HN-2 contained 21 OTUs and 26 OTUs, respectively. Proteobacteria and Planctomycetes were the predominant bacteria in both samples, and they are distributed among Herbaspirillum, Archangium, Phyllobacteriaceae and Planctomycetaceae. Cyanobacteria and Rubrobacter sp. are dominant in HN-1; while Acidobacteriaceae, Adhaeribacter sp. and Nitrospira sp. are predominant in HN-2. This distribution pattern was consistent with local environmental conditions of these two samples. The inferred physiological characteristics of these bacteria, based on relatedness of the DNA clone sequences to cultivated species, revealed different mechanisms of concrete corrosion depending on the local environmental conditions.     

TRPC6 channel‐mediated neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells and hippocampal neurons involves activation of RAS/MEK/ERK,PI3K,and CAMKIV signaling

The non‐selective cationic transient receptor canonical 6 (TRPC6) channels are involved in synaptic plasticity changes ranging from dendritic growth, spine morphology changes and increase in excitatory synapses. We previously showed that the TRPC6 activator hyperforin, the active antidepressant component of St. John's wort, induces neuritic outgrowth and spine morphology changes in PC12 cells and hippocampal CA1 neurons. However, the signaling cascade that transmits the hyperforin‐induced transient rise in intracellular calcium into neuritic outgrowth is not yet fully understood. Several signaling pathways are involved in calcium transient‐mediated changes in synaptic plasticity, ranging from calmodulin‐mediated Ras‐induced signaling cascades comprising the mitogen‐activated protein kinase, PI3K signal transduction pathways as well as Ca²⁺/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II (CAMKII) and CAMKIV. We show that several mechanisms are involved in TRPC6‐mediated synaptic plasticity changes in PC12 cells and primary hippocampal neurons. Influx of calcium via TRPC6 channels activates different pathways including Ras/mitogen‐activated protein kinase/extracellular signal‐regulated kinases, phosphatidylinositide 3‐kinase/protein kinase B, and CAMKIV in both cell types, leading to cAMP‐response element binding protein phosphorylation. These findings are interesting not only in terms of the downstream targets of TRPC6 channels but also because of their potential to facilitate further understanding of St. John's wort extract‐mediated antidepressant activity.

     

木聚糖酶EvXyn11TS耐热性与其N端二硫键的相关性分析

[目的]以糖苷水解酶11家族耐热木聚糖酶EvXyn11TS为研究对象,定点突变其编码基因Syxyn11,揭示EvXyn11TS耐热性与其N端二硫键的相关性.[方法]对不同来源的、与EvXyn11TS一级结构相似度较高的若干11家族木聚糖酶进行多序列同源比对,发现只有耐热的EvXyn11TS在其N端存在一个二硫键(Cys5-Cys32);运用分子动力学模拟预测该N端二硫键存在与否对木聚糖酶热稳定性的影响.以人工合成的Syxyn11为母本,采用PCR技术将其编码Cys5的密码子TGT突变为编码Thr5的ACT,构建去除了N端二硫键的突变酶(EvXyn11M)的编码基因Syxyn11M;分别将Syxyn11和Syxyn11M在毕赤酵母GS115中进行表达,并分析表达产物EvXyn 11 TS和EvXyn11M的温度和pH特性.[结果]酶学性质研究结果表明:EvXyn11M的最适温度Topt由突变前的85℃降至70℃;EvXyn11TS在90℃的半衰期t1/290为32 min,而EvXyn11M在70℃的半衰期t1/270仅为8.0 min.[结论]运用分子动力学模拟预测了N端二硫键对EvXyn11TS耐热性的重要作用,并通过定点突变验证之,为其它与耐热EvXyn11TS一级结构相似的、11家族常温高比活性木聚糖酶的耐热性改造提供了新的技术策略.     

Multispecies coexistence of trees in tropical forests: spatial signals of topographic niche differentiation increase with environmental heterogeneity

Neutral and niche theories give contrasting explanations for the maintenance of tropical tree species diversity. Both have some empirical support, but methods to disentangle their effects have not yet been developed. We applied a statistical measure of spatial structure to data from 14 large tropical forest plots to test a prediction of niche theory that is incompatible with neutral theory: that species in heterogeneous environments should separate out in space according to their niche preferences. We chose plots across a range of topographic heterogeneity, and tested whether pairwise spatial associations among species were more variable in more heterogeneous sites. We found strong support for this prediction, based on a strong positive relationship between variance in the spatial structure of species pairs and topographic heterogeneity across sites. We interpret this pattern as evidence of pervasive niche differentiation, which increases in importance with increasing environmental heterogeneity.     

1-MCP和CO2对‘南果梨’冷藏后货架期能量代谢特性的影响

分别对‘南果梨’果实采用0.75μL/L 1-甲基环丙烯(1-MCP)在20℃熏蒸20h后装入保鲜袋(0.02mm)、用2%CO2充气果实包装袋(0.04mm)、以保鲜袋果实为对照,各处理组果实均置于(0±1)℃贮藏5个月后移至室温下(18℃±3℃),测定各处理果实在货架期间的褐变度以及果实线粒体蛋白含量、MDA含量、ATP含量,以明确1-MCP和CO2对南果梨冷藏后果实货架期的能量代谢特性。结果显示:(1)1-MCP和CO2处理可不同程度延缓南果梨冷藏后货架期果实果心褐变指数和褐变度,且1-MCP处理效果更好,但CO2处理在货架后期反而使果实褐变度较对照提高。(2)1-MCP和CO2处理可有效抑制果实MDA含量增加,延缓细胞膜透性的升高,保持细胞完整性。(3)1-MCP处理有利于提高货架前期果实中线粒体蛋白质含量,能够在货架后期保持较高的ATP含量和能荷水平,而CO2处理在货架前期果实内含有较高水平的ATP,促进了果实内的能荷水平。研究发现,1-MCP和CO2处理均可以通过影响南果梨果实的能量代谢特性从而影响果实的成熟衰老进程,且1-MCP处理可以抑制货架前期的ATP含量和能量供应,有利于保持细胞膜完整性,抑制果心褐变的发生,延缓果实成熟衰老进程;而2%CO2处理与对照相比对果实能量代谢特性的影响不大。