土著入侵种黄帚橐吾的替代防控展望

黄帚橐吾是青藏高原高寒草场中分布最广、危害极大的优势毒草,严重影响了该地区群落结构和草地畜牧业的发展。在介绍土著入侵种和替代防控概念及相关研究进展的基础上,针对黄帚橐吾目前缺乏高效经济生态防控措施的现状,结合国内外对入侵植物进行替代防控的经验与原则,提出了对黄帚橐吾进行替代防控的生态防控设想和黄帚橐吾替代植物选用的基本原则,初步划定了防控黄帚橐吾的替代植物范围。通过引种或者驯化乡土草种,在青藏高原培育禾本科、豆科植物或者建植禾豆混播人工草地,使其具备替代防控黄帚橐吾的潜力。     

Selective small molecule stat3 inhibitor reduces breast cancer tumor-initiating cells and improves recurrence free survival in a human-xenograft model

Metastasis and disease relapse are hypothesized to result from tumor initiating cells (TICs). Previously, we have defined a CD44+/CD24-/low mammosphere-forming tumorigenic 493-gene signature in breast cancer. Stat3 was identified as a critical node in self-renewal based on an ongoing lentiviral shRNA screen being conducted in two breast cancer cell lines SUM159 and BT549. In corroborating work, targeting the SH2 domain of Stat3 with a novel small molecule decreased the percentage of cells expressing TIC markers (CD44+/CD24-/low and ALDH+) and mammosphere formation in p-Stat3 overexpressing human breast cancer xenografts in SCID-beige mice. Importantly, we observed a four-fold improvement in the 30-day recurrence-free survival relative to docetaxel alone with the addition of the Stat3 inhibitor in the chemoresistant tumor model. Thus, these findings provide a strong impetus for the development of selective Stat3 inhibitors in order to improve survival in patients with p-Stat3 overexpressing tumors.     

大花栀子植物挥发物成分测定及其日变化分析

为探究大花栀子植物挥发物成分组成及其一天内早、中、晚的差异,采用热脱附气质联用技术对其进行香气成分的分析。结果表明:全天从其花朵中共鉴定出62种成分,主要为萜烯类、酯类、醇类物质,且不同时间其成分差异显著,如早、中、晚3个时间段,β-蒎烯相对含量分别为1.93%、1.69%、8.81%,顺式-β-罗勒烯分别为28.22%、4.35%、16.47%。3-蒈烯(3.45%)、异丁子香酚(0.21%)等只在早上检出;月桂烯(0.38%)、伞花烃(2.46%)等只在晚上检出;芳樟醇、金合欢烯等在早上和午间两个时间段相对含量较高,而在晚上却未检测出。从植物VOCs角度结合其日变化动态,为大花栀子园林配置及其综合开发利用提供理论依据。     

黄瓜贴接苗砧木子叶淀粉代谢的动态变化特征

该研究以黄瓜品种‘中农18号’、南瓜砧木品种‘京欣砧5号’为试验材料,以南瓜自根苗(P)和去除1片子叶及生长点的南瓜苗( /P)为对照,采用单子叶贴接法进行黄瓜/南瓜异体嫁接(C/P)和南瓜/南瓜自体嫁接(P/P),测定嫁接后砧木子叶形态指标和淀粉代谢的动态变化,分析嫁接后去除砧木子叶对嫁接苗生长发育的影响,以揭示砧木子叶淀粉代谢在黄瓜嫁接苗生长中的作用,为黄瓜嫁接苗的壮苗培育提供理论依据。结果显示：(1)贴接后,C/P、P/P和 /P砧木子叶鲜质量和面积显著增大,且增加量依次递减,表现为 /P > C/P > P/P > P。(2)贴接后,C/P和P/P砧木子叶中淀粉含量在嫁接后0~3 d时降低,之后迅速升高,至嫁接后13 d再次逐渐降低,且C/P砧木子叶淀粉含量及其淀粉分支酶(SBE)和水解酶(β AL)活性均显著高于P/P。(3)在嫁接后0~10 d 去除砧木子叶可显著抑制C/P嫁接苗接穗和根系生长,减弱根系活力,同时降低根系可溶性糖含量及其CWIN、HXK基因表达水平,并以嫁接后0 d 去除砧木子叶的抑制效果最显著。研究表明,黄瓜C/P单子叶贴接苗中,砧木子叶作为贮存器官,在幼苗生长早期以淀粉形式储存光合产物,之后淀粉水解成单糖为嫁接苗接穗和根系快速生长提供物质和能量。     

Urban bird trends in a rapidly growing tropical city

Long-term studies of urban birds are relatively scarce, especially in Africa. We analysed trends in species richness and bird species occurrence over a 32-year period in Kampala, Uganda, in order to assess changes in the bird community in a period that has shown rapid expansion of the city's human population. Given that species may respond to urbanisation according to their diet, we also analysed bird community trends of species groups defined according to predominant diet. There was an overall decline in species richness that was largely driven by declines in insectivores and granivores. General declines were evident also when the trends in the most common individual species in these two groups were considered. The occurrence of the commonest predator and scavenger species tended to increase over the period considered. Insectivorous species are likely to be especially affected by increasing urbanisation due to air pollution. Predators and scavengers are likely to have benefitted from the inability of municipal waste management to keep pace with growth in the human population, hence providing more potential food resources. Both insectivores and predators/scavengers are therefore good candidates for the development of urban indicators.     

中国近海细鳞鯻线粒体控制区的遗传多样性

通过线粒体控制区序列的分析,研究采自中国南海及东海5个群体102尾细鳞鯻的遗传多样性。发现在962 bp序列中有205个变异位点,其中135个为简约信息位点,共定义102个单倍型。中国近海细鳞鯻总体呈现出较高的遗传多样性特征(Hd=1.000,Pi=0.022),其中博鳌最高(Hd=1.000,Pi=0.028),平潭最低(Hd=1.000,Pi=0.014)。不同地理群体间无明显分化,基因交流频繁(Fst=-0.014—0.041,P0.05);中性检验均为显著负值,推测在16.9万年—5.06万年前,即中-晚更新世出现种群扩张。系统邻接树和单倍型网络图均出现3个显著分化的谱系(谱系间Fst=0.508—0.698,P0.001;净遗传距离Da=0.024—0.031),且各谱系中均有不同地理来源的群体。3个谱系间分歧时间大约在1.07百万年—0.24百万年前,推测可能是更新世冰期边缘海的出现导致群体隔离而产生分化。谱系A(Lineage A)包含85.3%的个体,其总体遗传多样性较高(Hd=1.000,Pi=0.012),其中平潭最高(Hd=1.000,Pi=0.014),合浦最低(Hd=1.000,Pi=0.010);群体间Fst在-0.021—0.068之间,P0.005;AMOVA分析显示只有1.97%的变异来自于种群间,表明群体间也无明显分化;中性检验均为显著负值,推测在25.4万年—7.6万年前出现种群扩张。中国近海细鳞鯻主要受到中-晚更新世海侵和海退的影响而出现种群扩张使得谱系间发生二次接触,最终形成具有显著谱系结构但无地理分化的情况。     

AMPK promotes survival and adipogenesis of ischemia-challenged ADSCs in an autophagy-dependent manner

Some studies have shown that transplanted fat tissues usually cannot survive for long if adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are removed from the tissues in advance. It is more meaningful to explore the mechanism mediating survival and differentiation of ADSCs in the transplanted microenvironment. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has been shown to be one of the energy receptors that regulate many aspects of cellular metabolism. AMPK activation has been implicated in models of adult ischemic injury, but the mechanism and the regulating effects of AMPK on survival and adipogenesis of transplanted ADSCs are still little known. In this study, we simulated the transplanted microenvironment using oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) to test the survival and adipogenesis of ADSCs. We found that OGD treatment triggered significant apoptosis and promoted autophagy. Simultaneously, OGD hindered the differentiation of ADSCs into mature adipocytes. After inhibiting AMPK, the OGD-induced apoptosis rate increased but autophagy was inhibited. The adipogenesis level also decreased. To show that the effects of AMPK on apoptosis and adipogenesis were autophagy-dependent, we pre-inhibited or pre-promoted autophagy with siATG7 or rapamycin while blocking AMPK. We found that inhibiting or improving autophagy exacerbated or alleviated the role of AMPK prohibition in apoptosis and adipogenesis. Furthermore, we showed that AMPK inhibition significantly lowered ULK1 activity but promoted mTOR activity, so that to inhibit autophagy. Our study shows that AMPK plays a protective role in maintaining survival and adipogenesis of OGD-challenged ADSCs partly by positively regulating autophagy. AMPK positively regulates autophagy by inhibiting mTOR but promoting ULK1 activity in OGD condition.     

The Ste20 group kinases as regulators of MAP kinase cascades

Ste20p (sterile 20 protein) is a putative yeast mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase kinase (MAP4K) involved in the mating pathway. Its homologs in mammals, Drosophila, Caenorhabditis elegans and other organisms make up a large emerging group of protein kinases including 28 members in human. The Ste20 group kinases are further divided into the p21-activated kinase (PAK) and germinal center kinase (GCK) families. They are characterized by the presence of a conserved kinase domain and a noncatalytic region of great structural diversity that enables the kinases to interact with various signaling molecules and regulatory proteins of the cytoskeleton. This review describes the phylogenetic relationships of the Ste20 group kinases based on discussions with many researchers in this field. With the newly established phylogenetic relationships, crucial arguments can be advanced regarding the functions of these kinases as upstream activators of the MAPK pathways and possible activity as MAP4Ks. Their involvement in apoptosis, morphogenesis and cytoskeletal rearrangements is also discussed.     

Increased Placental Growth Factor in Cerebrospinal Fluid of Patients with Epilepsy

Recent studies suggest that angiogenesis and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are involved in the pathophysiology of epilepsy. However, relatively little data are available linking placenta growth factor (PIGF) with epilepsy. In this study, we assessed concentrations of PIGF in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 60 epileptic patients and 24 non-seizure subjects using sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Epileptic patients in general had higher concentration of CSF-PIGF than controls (7.95 ± 0.88 ng/l vs. 5.87 ± 0.79 ng/l, P < 0.01). CSF-PIGF level in secondary epileptic patients (8.59 ± 1.26 ng/l) was higher than that in idiopathic epileptic patients (7.62 ± 0.20 ng/l) (P < 0.05). In idiopathic epilepsy, CSF-PIGF level in patients with high seizure frequency was higher than those in patients with low seizure frequency and seizure-free in recent 3 years (7.78 ± 0.23 ng/l vs. 7.49 ± 0.09 ng/l and 7.59 ± 0.10 ng/l, P < 0.05). Concentration of CSF-PIGF in patients with a disease duration of > 5 years was higher than those in patients with durations of 1-5 years and <1 year (7.72 ± 0.20 ng/l vs. 7.52 ± 0.09 ng/l and 7.41 ± 0.07 ng/l, P < 0.05). These results indicate that preexisting brain damage, seizure frequency and disease duration are important factors contributing to elevated PIGF.