A barley stripe mosaic virus-based guide RNA delivery system for targeted mutagenesis in wheat and maize

Plant RNA virus-based guide RNA (gRNA) delivery has substantial advantages compared to that of the conventional constitutive promoter-driven expression due to the rapid and robust amplification of gRNAs during virus replication and movement. To date, virus-induced genome editing tools have not been developed for wheat and maize. In this study, we engineered a barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV)-based gRNA delivery system for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/Cas9-mediated targeted mutagenesis in wheat and maize. BSMV-based delivery of single gRNAs for targeted mutagenesis was first validated in Nicotiana benthamiana. To extend this work, we transformed wheat and maize with the Cas9 nuclease gene and selected the wheat TaGASR7 and maize ZmTMS5 genes as targets to assess the feasibility and efficiency of BSMV-mediated mutagenesis. Positive targeted mutagenesis of the TaGASR7 and ZmTMS5 genes was achieved for wheat and maize with efficiencies of up to 78% and 48%. Our results provide a useful tool for fast and efficient delivery of gRNAs into economically important crops.     

山东东营和烟台潮间带海草床食物网结构特征

为了探明海草床内主要生物类群间的营养关系以及食物网结构, 作者于2018年8月分别在东营黄河口潮间带和烟台西海岸潮间带海草床采集大型底栖生物样品, 采用δ ¹³C和δ ¹⁵N稳定同位素方法, 对生物样品的碳、氮同位素组成进行了测定和分析。结果表明: 东营海草床内生物的δ ¹³C、δ ¹⁵N值范围分别为-21.99‰至-12.13‰和5.23‰-11.05‰, 烟台海草床内生物的δ ¹³C、δ ¹⁵N值范围分别为-18.11‰至-14.06‰和6.60‰-10.22‰。东营海草床主要生物的营养级范围为2.00-3.85, 烟台海草床主要生物的营养级范围为2.00-3.15。根据δ ¹⁵N值计算所得的营养级图分析可知两区域海草床内初级消费者主要为滤食性双壳类和多毛类, 次级消费者为植食性或杂食性甲壳类,肉食性鱼类和腹足类。与近海海域大型底栖生物食物网相比, 海草床内底栖生物的营养级均值普遍较低。     

樟子松针叶化学成分研究

该研究以采自黑龙江省齐齐哈尔市的樟子松(Pinus sylvestris)针叶为对象,采用溶剂提取法对樟子松针叶中的化学成分进行提取,应用硅胶柱色谱、制备薄层色谱和高效液相色谱等现代色谱技术对提取浸膏中的化学成分进行分离和纯化,运用质谱,核磁(1H-NMR和13C-NMR)等波谱技术,鉴定了化合物结构,并对提取浸膏的抑菌活性进行了测试。结果表明:从樟子松针叶提取物中分离得到15个化合物,分别鉴定为松叶酸(1)、松叶酸甲酯(2)、18α-acetoxylabd-8(17)-en-15-oic acid (3)、4-eplimbricataloic acid (4)、15-乙基-18-松叶酸甲酯(5)、15-acetoxy-labda-8(17),13E-dien-18-al (6)、7β-羟基脱氢枞酸(7)、7α-羟基脱氢枞酸(8)、endo-peroxide (9)、α-杜松醇(10)、β-谷甾醇(11)、邻苯二甲酸二丁酯(12)、7R,11R-phytol (13)、正二十四烷醇(14)、N-octacosan7β-ol (15)。其中,化合物9,13,14和15为首次从该属植物中分离得到。抑菌活性结果表明,正己烷萃取浸膏在浓度为5~100 mg·mL~(-1)时对大肠杆菌和枯草芽孢菌的抑菌率分别为53%~71%和56%~70%,在浓度为50 mg·mL~(-1)和100 mg·mL~(-1)时对金黄色葡萄球菌的抑菌率分别为51%和69%。该研究课题进一步明确了樟子松针叶中的化学成分,为其活性测试及应用研究提供依据。     

毕赤酵母中tRNAPro CCG基因的表达及其作用效果

转运核糖核酸 (tRNA) 是蛋白质合成过程中重要参与成分之一,为了探索稀有密码子对应的tRNA (稀少tRNA) 丰度改变对外源基因表达量的影响,文中构建了毕赤酵母稀少tRNA基因与外源基因共表达体系。首先在GFP基因中添加由4个连续脯氨酸稀有密码子CCG组成的阻遏区,结果显示该GFP基因的表达量明显降低。然后将带有阻遏区的GFP基因和tRNAPro CCG基因顺次连接于pPIC9K载体上,在毕赤酵母GS115中共表达,结果使GFP表达量提高了4.9%;另将带有阻遏区的GFP基因和tRNAPro CCG基因分别连接于pPIC9K和pFLDα载体,在毕赤酵母GS115中共表达,GFP表达量最高提高了12.5%;应用同样方式将tRNAPro CCG基因与NFATc3T-GFP融合基因共表达,其表达量提高了21.3%。可见,tRNAPro CCG在毕赤酵母GS115中确为稀少tRNA,通过共表达tRNAPro CCG基因可显著提高带有连续该密码子的外源基因表达量,并且,文中构建的共表达体系将同样适用于其他稀少tRNA基因的筛选和验证。     

更新世中期中国古人类演化区域连续性与多样性的化石证据

以往,在东亚大陆发现的更新世中期人类化石被分别归入直立人和古老型智人。这种分类的主要依据是化石形态特征以及年代。魏敦瑞对周口店第一地点人类化石研究描述的一些头骨、下颌骨和牙齿特征通常被作为判定直立人的标准。根据这些化石的年代分布,一般将30万年前的中更新世晚期作为划分直立人与古老型智人的大致年代界限。近20年来,在非洲、欧洲和东亚新发现了一些更新世中期人类化石,目前古人类学界对中国更新世中期人类化石特征及演化有了与以往不同的认识。最近对大荔、许家窑、盘县大洞、许昌、华龙洞等人类化石的研究显示,近30万年以来东亚大陆人类演化呈现复杂的多样性,将这一时期人类全部归入古老型智人难以准确反映更新世中期中国古人类演化模式及规律。本文结合近年中国更新世中期人类演化研究进展,选择部分具有演化及分类价值的形态特征,分析这些特征在更新世中期中国古人类化石的表现特点。在此基础上,对更新世中期中国古人类演化模式做了尝试性探讨。本研究发现,周口店、和县、沂源、南京等中更新世早期人类化石呈现有较多的区域性特征,形态特征表现相对稳定;而大荔、金牛山、许家窑、许昌、华龙洞、马坝、盘县大洞等中更新世晚期人类在化石形态特征表现复杂多样,变异范围大。此外,在这一时期人类化石上发现较多与生存活动、健康、环境适应有关的证据。根据这些发现,作者认为中国中更新世早期组人类演化以形态连续性为主;进入中更新世晚期,中国古人类演化区域性特征减弱,演化模式以多样性为主。一系列新的化石发现和研究证据提示中更新世晚期东亚大陆可能生存有不同的古人类成员。根据目前掌握的化石形态和年代证据,大约30万年前是中国更新世中期演化变化关键时间节点。     

培土栽培对麻竹笋品质的影响机理研究

为了评价不同栽培模式对麻竹笋品质影响,提高竹林经济效益,采用培土栽培和不培土栽培两种方式,通过研究麻竹笋外观形态、营养物质、呈味物质及氨基酸含量,分析了不同培土栽培对麻竹笋品质的影响。结果表明:(1)培土栽培的麻竹笋个体重量、基茎、长度及可食率较不培土栽培竹笋分别显著提高了28.09%、12.76%、19.61%、23.53%,箨壁厚度显著降低了46.43%。(2)培土栽培的麻竹笋灰分、蛋白质、脂肪及淀粉含量较不培土栽培竹笋分别显著下降了10.08%、12.77%、26.09%、48.84%,而还原糖、可溶性糖、水分及维生素C含量均不同程度增加。(3)培土栽培的麻竹笋单宁、草酸、纤维素、木质素含量较不培土栽培竹笋分别下降26.32%、20.26%、39.12%、25.47%。(4)培土栽培的麻竹笋氨基酸总量较不培土栽培竹笋显著增加了26.08%,其中的苦味、芳香类和鲜味氨基酸含量占比均下降,但甜味氨基酸占比则显著上升。研究发现,培土栽培可以改善麻竹笋外观形态,同时增加竹笋甜味、减少粗糙度和酸涩味,从而使竹笋品质得到明显提升。     

Optical coherence tomography to detect acute esophageal radiation‐induced damage in mice: A validation study

Radiation therapy for patients with non‐small‐cell lung cancer is hampered by acute radiation‐induced toxicity in the esophagus. This study aims to validate that optical coherence tomography (OCT), a minimally invasive imaging technique with high resolution (~10 μm), is able to visualize and monitor acute radiation‐induced esophageal damage (ARIED) in mice. We compare our findings with histopathology as the gold standard. Irradiated mice receive a single dose of 40 Gy at proximal and distal spots of the esophagus of 10.0 mm in diameter. We scan mice using OCT at two, three, and seven days post‐irradiation. In OCT analysis, we define ARIED as a presence of distorted esophageal layering, change in backscattering signal properties, or change in the esophageal wall thickness. The average esophageal wall thickness is 0.53 mm larger on OCT when ARIED is present based on histopathology. The overall sensitivity and specificity of OCT to detect ARIED compared to histopathology are 94% and 47%, respectively. However, the overall sensitivity of OCT to assess ARIED is 100% seven days post‐irradiation. We validate the capability of OCT to detect ARIED induced by high doses in mice. Nevertheless, clinical studies are required to assess the potential role of OCT to visualize ARIED in humans.      

Detection of dental plaque and its potential pathogenicity using quantitative light‐induced fluorescence

Quantitative light‐induced fluorescence (QLF) technology can detect some dental plaque as red fluorescence. This in vivo study aimed to identify the microbial characteristics of red fluorescent (RF) dental plaque using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and evaluate the correlations between RF plaque and the clinical symptoms of dental diseases. Paired supragingival plaque samples collected from each 10 subjects and consisted of RF and non‐RF dental plaques as observed by QLF technology using a 405 nm blue light source for excitation. The characteristics of the bacterial communities in the RF and non‐RF plaque samples were compared by sequencing analysis. An increase in microbial diversity was observed in RF plaque compared with the non‐RF plaque. There were significant differences in the community compositions between the 2 types of dental plaque. Periodontopathic bacteria were significantly more abundant in the RF plaque than non‐RF plaque. The fluorescence intensity of RF plaque was significantly related to the proportion of the periodontopathic bacterial community and the presence of gingival inflammation. In conclusion, the plaque red fluorescence is associated with changes in the microbial composition and enrichment of periodontopathic pathogens, which suggests that RF plaque detected by QLF technology could be used as a risk indicator for gingival inflammation.      

Zonal classification of microclimates and their relationship with landscape design parameters in an urban park

Landscape and Ecological Engineering - Microclimates in urban areas arise through the interaction between prevailing weather conditions and landscape design parameters. A well-arranged landscape...