Protective Role of miR-34c in Hypoxia by Activating Autophagy through BCL2 Repression

Hypoxia leads to significant cellular stress that has diverse pathological consequences such as cardiovascular diseases and cancers. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are one of regulators of the adaptive pathway in hypoxia. We identified a hypoxia-induced miRNA, miR-34c, that was significantly upregulated in hypoxic human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and in murine blood vessels on day 3 of hindlimb ischemia (HLI). miR-34c directly inhibited BCL2 expression, acting as a toggle switch between apoptosis and autophagy in vitro and in vivo. BCL2 repression by miR-34c activated autophagy, which was evaluated by the expression of LC3-II. Overexpression of miR-34c inhibited apoptosis in HUVEC as well as in a murine model of HLI, and increased cell viability in HUVEC. Importantly, the number of viable cells in the blood vessels following HLI was increased by miR-34c overexpression. Collectively, our findings show that miR-34c plays a protective role in hypoxia, suggesting a novel therapeutic target for hypoxic and ischemic diseases in the blood vessels.     

Age‐related memory vulnerability to interfering stimuli is caused by gradual loss of MAPK‐dependent protection in Drosophila

Age‐related memory impairment (AMI) is a common phenomenon across species. Vulnerability to interfering stimuli has been proposed to be an important cause of AMI. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this vulnerability‐related AMI remain unknown. Here we show that learning‐activated MAPK signals are gradually lost with age, leading to vulnerability‐related AMI in Drosophila. Young flies (2‐ or 3‐day‐old) exhibited a significant increase in phosphorylated MAPK levels within 15 min after learning, whereas aged flies (25‐day‐old) did not. Compared to 3‐day‐old flies, significant 1 h memory impairments were observed in 15‐, 20‐, and 30‐day‐old flies, but not in 10‐day‐old flies. However, with post‐learning interfering stimuli such as cooling or electric stimuli, 10‐day‐old flies had worse memory performance at 1 h than 3‐day‐old flies, showing a premature AMI phenomenon. Increasing learning‐activated MAPK signals through acute transgene expression in mushroom body (MB) neurons restored physiological trace of 1 h memory in a pair of MB output neurons in aged flies. Decreasing such signals in young flies mimicked the impairment of 1 h memory trace in aged flies. Restoring learning‐activated MAPK signals in MB neurons in aged flies significantly suppressed AMI even with interfering stimuli. Thus, our data suggest that age‐related loss of learning‐activated neuronal MAPK signals causes memory vulnerability to interfering stimuli, thereby leading to AMI.     

葛藤覆被下干热河谷冲沟沟岸土壤水热变化特征

干热河谷冲沟沟岸裸露、陡立、土壤水热变化剧烈,导致植被恢复极端困难。通过野外调查和定位监测,在葛藤覆被沟岸,根据藤本生物量设置4个处理(T1:309.70g/m~2鲜藤覆被地块,T2、T3、T4:594.34、1103.43、1693.27g/m~2枯藤覆被地块),并选取裸露地块作为对照CK,研究了葛藤不同覆被状况对沟岸土壤水分和温度在单次降雨过程变化的影响。结果表明:相比裸露沟岸而言,1)鲜藤覆被沟岸土壤含水率仅为8.68%,较裸露沟岸还降低了4.47%;枯藤覆被沟岸土壤含水率则相对增加,T2—T4土壤含水率分别为14.91%、16.75%、19.44%,较裸露沟岸增加了1.76%、3.6%、6.29%。2)鲜藤覆被可明显增加土壤水分活跃层深度、变化幅度和变异程度,枯藤覆被下土壤水分活跃层深度、变化幅度和变异程度则相对减小。3)随鲜、枯藤覆被量增加,水分补给过程中土壤含水率的增加量增大,同时水分衰减过程中土壤含水率的散失量减小;增加枯藤覆被量后,沟岸表层土壤含水率变化率的波形逐渐平缓、波动依次减小、波长稳步增大。4)随鲜、枯藤覆被量的增加,沟岸表层土壤温度波动逐渐减小。研究成果对干热河谷冲沟沟岸生境改良与植被恢复具有重要的指导意义。     

北京地区典型落叶阔叶乔木叶片含氮量和δ15N值对大气氮沉降的响应

为探究植物对大气氮沉降的响应和对这部分氮素的来源指示作用,本研究通过对北京地区198个采样点,典型落叶阔叶乔木杨属(Populus)和柳属(Salix)植物叶片进行采样,测定其叶片样品含氮量和δ~(15)N值。结果表明:北京地区杨属植物叶片含氮量为16.5—38.6g/kg,平均(24.0±4.0)g/kg;柳属植物叶片含氮量为17.2—36.2g/kg,平均(25.9±4.1)g/kg。研究区域范围内杨属、柳属植物叶片的含氮量均呈现出西北低、东南高的对角线型分布,与该区域大气氮沉降的空间变异相吻合。由于研究区域范围内气候因子无明显的变异,植物叶片的含氮量变化反应了大气氮沉降对植物元素化学计量特征的影响和植物对大气氮沉降的响应。北京地区杨属植物叶片δ~(15)N值为-3.95‰—8.10‰,平均(1.15±2.48)‰;柳属植物叶片δ~(15)N值为-3.04‰—9.73‰,平均(2.31±2.60)‰。杨属和柳属植物叶片的δ~(15)N值均呈现出西北高、中部高、东南低的空间分布,与叶片含氮量空间分布趋势相反。中部城区较高的δ~(15)N值反应了交通污染对大气含氮化合物增加的影响;西北部较高的δ~(15)N值反应了该区域受人为活动排放源的影响较少,自然的氮循环是其较高δ~(15)N值的主要原因;东南部较低的δ~(15)N值则有可能是由农业活动和交通共同作用的结果。     

海南岛尖峰岭热带山地雨林区26年的气候变化特征——光、水和风因子

采用海南尖峰岭森林生态系统国家野外科学观测研究站天池气象站1980～2005年的地面常规气象观测资料,分析了光、水和风等气候因子的变化趋势,结果发现:26年来,尖峰岭热带山地雨林区年日照时数、年降水量、年蒸发量、年平均相对湿度、年平均水汽压和年平均风速的多年平均值分别为1467.4h、2449.0mm、1248.8mm、88.67%、20.77hPa、1.2m/s.年降水量、平均相对湿度、平均水汽压均呈上升趋势,其中平均水汽压升高趋势明显,每10a增加0.38hPa;日照时数、年蒸发量和年平均风速呈下降趋势,其中平均风速下降明显,每10a减小0.27m/s;月降水量和月蒸发量年代际变化规律不一,但10月份的降水量和9月份的蒸发量下降趋势明显.气候增暖作用分析表明,在全球气候变化背景下,尖峰岭山地雨林区气候增暖作用显著.     

印楝素和藜芦碱对昆虫病原线虫存活及感染力的影响

测定了两种植物源杀虫剂印楝素、藜芦碱和对照杀虫剂高效氯氟氰菊酯在不同使用量下处理Heterorhabditis indica LN2,H.indica 212-2,Steinernema carpocapsae All和S.pakistanense 94-1等4个昆虫病原线虫品系2 d、1 w、2 w、3 w和4 w后对线虫存活和感染力的影响。3种杀虫剂对H.indica LN2和S.pakistanense 94-1存活的影响最小,藜芦碱和高效氯氟氰菊酯对H.indica 212-2存活的影响小于对S.carpocapsae All存活的影响,印楝素则对S.carpocapsae All存活的影响小于对H.indica 212-2存活的影响。藜芦碱和高效氯氟氰菊酯处理后线虫死亡率低于10%,对存活线虫对大蜡螟的感染力没有显著影响。印楝素在高使用量(8.10 g/ha)下对线虫的致死作用明显,且处理时间在3 w以上时显著提高线虫的死亡率,但是在田间推荐使用量(4.05 g/ha)及稀释使用量下对线虫的存活及感染力没有显著影响。结果表明,印楝素和藜芦碱以及对照药剂均可与4个品系的线虫共同施用于田间用于农业害虫的综合防控。