Pantoea beijingensis sp. nov., isolated from the fruiting body of Pleurotus eryngii

Four Gram-negative-staining, facultatively anaerobic bacterial isolates were obtained from a fruiting body of the edible mushroom Pleurotus eryngii showing symptoms of soft rot disease in Beijing, China. Partial 16S rRNA gene sequencing, together with partial rpoB sequencing, placed these isolates in the genus Pantoea. Multilocus sequence analysis based on the partial sequences of gyrB, rpoB, infB and atpD revealed Pantoea dispersa and Pantoea gaviniae as their closest phylogenetic relatives and indicated that these isolates constituted a possible novel species. DNA–DNA hybridization studies confirmed the classification of the new isolates as a novel species and phenotypic tests allowed for differentiation from the closest phylogenetic neighbours. The name Pantoea beijingensis sp. nov. [type strain LMG 27579^T = KCTC 32406^T = JZB2120001^T (deposited at Institute of Plant and Environment Protection, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences)] is proposed.     

Fragmentation of a highly purified monoclonal antibody attributed to residual CHO cell protease activity

Monoclonal antibody (mAb) fragmentation can be a widespread problem across the biotechnology industry and there is a current need to better understand the underlying principles. Here, we report an example of a high-purity human IgG1 mAb prepared from CHO cells exhibiting fragmentation that can be attributed to residual proteolytic enzyme activity. The concomitant occurrence of proteolytic and non-proteolytic peptide bond cleavage is shown and the respective fragmentation patterns characterized using high-resolution LC-MS. Fragmentation rates are monitored by SE-HPLC and SDS-PAGE over the pH range 4-6 and characterized in the presence and absence of pepstatin A, an inhibitor of acidic proteases. After 20 days at 40°C, pH 4, ～60% decrease in BIIB-mAb monomer peak occurred attributed to residual proteolytic activity. At pH 5, this value was ～13%. These results have implications for formulation design studies and the interpretation of accelerated stability data. A simple method to screen for acidic protease activity using the proteolytic enzyme inhibitor pepstatin A is described.     

桂西南喀斯特季节性雨林叶凋落量的时空动态

森林凋落物是森林生态系统极其重要的组成部分, 关系着森林生态系统的物质循环和养分平衡。然而, 有关异质性自然森林生态系统中生物与非生物因子对凋落物凋落量的影响机制还存在较大争议。本文以广西弄岗15 ha森林动态监测样地中设置的90个凋落物收集器所收集的凋落叶为研究对象, 选取2013‒2018年连续6年的凋落叶数据探讨了森林叶凋落量的时空动态, 旨在深入了解该地区森林生态系统的物质循环过程及凋落量的影响因子。结果显示: 2013‒2018年的年均叶凋落量为4,099.44 kg/ha, 标准误为232.34, 变异系数为0.15, 这表明不同年际间叶凋落量存在明显差异; 不同年际间叶凋落量的节律性变化为双峰型、三峰型或多峰型, 说明不同年份的叶凋落量存在明显的节律性差异, 但总体而言高峰期主要出现在每年的春季(3‒4月)和秋季(8‒10月); 生态因子对叶凋落量年际动态存在显著影响, 其累计解释率为69.3%, 其中海拔对叶凋落量的影响最强, 解释率为46.5%; 而生物因子如胸径变异系数、单位面积胸高断面积之和和物种丰富度则对叶凋落量的影响较弱。多年的连续监测表明, 喀斯特季节性雨林不同年际间叶片的凋落量和节律性存在显著差异, 而非生物因子, 如海拔是形成叶凋落量空间变异的主要因素。     

Sensitive chemical sensor array based on nanozymes for discrimination of metal ions and teas

Tea, originating from China, is an important part of Chinese traditional culture. There are different qualities of and producing areas for tea on the market, therefore it is necessary to discriminate between teas in a fast and accurate way. In this study, a chemical sensor array based on nanozymes was developed to discriminate between different metal ions and teas. The indicators for the sensor array are three kinds of nanozymes mimicking laccase (Cu‐ATP, Cu‐ADP, Cu‐AMP). The as‐developed sensor array successfully discriminated 12 metal ions and the detection limit was as low as 0.01 μM. The as‐developed sensor array was also able to discriminate tea samples. Different kinds of tea samples appeared in different areas in the canonical score plot with different response patterns. Furthermore, in a blind experiment, we successfully discriminated 12 samples with a 100% accuracy. This sensor array integrates chemistry and food science together, realizing the simultaneous detection of several kinds of teas using a sensitive method. The as‐developed sensor array would have an application in the tea market and provide a fast and easy method to discriminate between teas.     

Increased number and activation of peripheral basophils in adult‐onset minimal change disease

Nowadays, the pathogenesis of minimal change disease (MCD) is still not well‐known, and the current understanding on MCD is mainly based on data derived from children, and very few adults. Here, we comprehensively analysed the correlation between the changes of peripheral basophils and the incidence rate and relapse of adult‐onset MCD. The results showed that in patients at the onset of MCD, the ratio and activation of basophils were all higher than those of healthy controls (all P < .05). In vitro test results showed that basophils from healthy controls can be activated by the serum taken from patients with MCD. Among 62 patients at the onset of MCD, with complete remission after treatment and 1 year of follow‐up, the relative and absolute basophil counts before treatment were higher in the long‐term remission group (n = 33) than that of the relapse group (n = 29). The basophil counts were significantly higher in the infrequent relapse group (n = 13) than that of the frequent relapse group (n = 16; P < .05). These findings suggested that basophil may play a pathogenic role in adult‐onset MCD, and the increased number and activation of peripheral basophils could predict recurrence in adult MCD.