Cell source,differentiation, functional stimulation,and potential application of human thermogenic adipocytes in vitro

Recent investigations have showed that the functional thermogenic adipocytes are present in both infants and adult humans. Accumulating evidence suggests that the coexistence of classical and inducible brown (brite) adipocytes in humans at adulthood and these adipocytes function to generate heat from energy resulting in reducing body fat and improving glucose metabolism. Human thermogenic adipocytes can be differentiated in vitro from stem cells, cell lines, or adipose stromal vascular fraction. Pre-activated human brite adipocytes in vitro can maintain their thermogenic function in normal or obese immunodeficient mice; therefore, they improve glucose homeostasis and reduce fat mass in obese animals. These key findings have opened a new door to use in vitro thermogenic adipocytes as a cell therapy to prevent obesity and related disorders. Thus, this paper intends to highlight our knowledge in aspects of in vitro human brite/brown adipocytes for the further studies.     

西双版纳野象谷景区亚洲象取食作用对五种植物的影响

摘要：本研究在西双版纳利用样线调查法调查亚洲象的取食作用对野象谷景区常见分布的5种植物即酸苔树、象鼻藤、粗糠柴、翅果麻和黄牛木的影响,调查中记录样线上每一目标植株的基径、高度、影响类型、影响程度等信息。结果表明：1）植物受影响的数量与其植株总数之间的相关性不大（Pearson correlation, r=0.608, P=0.277）;2）亚洲象对5种植物的偏爱程度不一样,酸苔树、象鼻藤、粗糠柴和翅果麻都是大象喜爱的食物,尤其是象鼻藤（偏爱指数=1.4855）,而黄牛木不受大象喜爱（偏爱指数=0.5855）;3）亚洲象对5种植物有不同的影响方式和影响程度,酸苔树以主干折断和枝叶损失为主,受大象的取食影响最严重,象鼻藤虽然是大象最喜爱的食物,但受到的取食影响最小,粗糠柴以枝叶损失和主干折断为主,翅果麻以枝叶损失为主,同时也是唯一被亚洲象剥皮的植物,黄牛木以枝叶损失为主,被推倒的情况最普遍。树干基部直径为3-8cm的植株最受大象偏爱。亚洲象对植物的选择性以及植株自身的特性是导致上述差异的主要原因。建议后续开展长期的调查以了解亚洲象对这些植物种群数量及群落结构的影响,同时应采取有效保护措施以避免象群在当地过于集中的现象。     

江西青岚湖圆顶珠蚌的种群结构与繁殖特征研究

2008年7月至2009年7月研究了江西青岚湖圆顶珠蚌(Unio douglasiae)的种群结构与繁殖特征。从其种群结构的周年变动情况来看,该种群趋于稳定状态,壳长40-65mm的个体占大多数。在采集的标本中,最大个体壳长为83.6mm,最小个体壳长为20.3mm。圆顶珠蚌自然种群性比为1:1.20,性成熟最小雌体壳长为27.6mm,体重为2.62g;最小雄体壳长为27.9mm,体重为2.21g;5至6月间繁殖盛期,检测到最小妊娠个体壳长为29.8mm,体重为2.98g,推断一周年的圆顶珠蚌可能达到性成熟。根据圆顶珠蚌生殖细胞的发育规律和滤泡的变化特点,性腺发育分为生长期和成熟期、排放期、恢复期;属多次产卵类型。育儿囊属外鳃型,胚胎在胶质索中发育,钩介幼虫成熟后,胶质索消失成黏液状,成熟钩介幼虫附在新形成的黏液丝上排出体外。妊娠母蚌在受到刺激后,易发生流产,提前排出胶质索。繁殖期为2至7月,4、5、6月为繁殖高峰期,妊娠率分别为80.43%、84.21%和78.05%。平均繁殖力为(183.72±6.43)千粒/个,最大繁殖力为344.64千粒/个,壳长为54.5mm;最小繁殖力为49.95千粒/个,壳长为29.8mm。繁殖力与壳长和体重显著相关。这些结果不仅可以丰富淡水蚌的生物学内容,也能为淡水蚌保护和湖泊与河流的规范管理提供理论依据。       

Diversity of endophytic bacteria within nodules of the Sphaerophysa salsula in different regions of Loess Plateau in China

A total of 115 endophytic bacteria were isolated from root nodules of the wild legume Sphaerophysa salsula grown in two ecological regions of Loess Plateau in China. The genetic diversity and phylogeny of the strains were revealed by restriction fragment length polymorphism and sequencing of 16S rRNA gene and enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-PCR. Their symbiotic capacity was checked by nodulation tests and analysis of nifH gene sequence. This is the first systematic study on endophytic bacteria associated with S. salsula root nodules. Fifty of the strains found were symbiotic bacteria belonging to eight putative species in the genera Mesorhizobium, Rhizobium and Sinorhizobium, harboring similar nifH genes; Mesorhizobium gobiense was the main group and 65 strains were nonsymbiotic bacteria related to 17 species in the genera Paracoccus, Sphingomonas, Inquilinus, Pseudomonas, Serratia, Mycobacterium, Nocardia, Streptomyces, Paenibacillus, Brevibacillus, Staphylococcus, Lysinibacillus and Bacillus, which were universally coexistent with symbiotic bacteria in the nodules. Differing from other similar studies, the present study is the first time that symbiotic and nonsymbiotic bacteria have been simultaneously isolated from the same root nodules, offering the possibility to accurately reveal the correlation between these two kinds of bacteria. These results provide valuable information about the interactions among the symbiotic bacteria, nonsymbiotic bacteria and their habitats.     

Identification of a stable quantitative trait locus for percentage grains with white chalkiness in rice (Oryza sativa)

High chalkiness is a major problem in many rice-producing areas of the world, especially in hybrid rice (Oryza sativa L.) in China. We previously showed a major quantitative trait locus for the percentage of grains with white chalkiness (QTLqPGWC-8) in the interval G1149-R727 on chromosome 8 using a chromosome segment substitution line (CSSL). Here, we selected the line-CSSL50 harboring the QTLqPGWC-8 allele from the CSSLs derived from a cross between Asominori (as a recurrent parent) and IR24 (as a donor parent), which had higher percentage chalkiness, markedly different from that of Asominori. There were also significant differences in starch granules, appearance of amylose content (AAC) and milling qualities between Asominori and CSSL50, but not in grain size or thousand grain weight (TGW). The BC(4) F(2) and BC(4) F(3) populations from a cross between CSSL50 and Asominori were used for fine mapping of qPGWC-8. We narrowed down the location of this QTL to a 142 kb region between Indel markers 8G-7 and 8G-9. QTLqPGWC-8 accounted for 50.9% of the difference in PGWC between the parents. The markers tightly linked to qPGWC-8 should facilitate cloning of the gene underlying this QTL and will be of value for marker-assisted selection in breeding rice varieties with better grain quality.