Cytological and morphology characteristics of natural microsporogenesis within Camellia oleifera

Camellia oleifera is believed to exhibit a complex intraspecific polyploidy phenomenon. Abnormal microsporogenesis can promote the formation of unreduced gametes in plants and lead to sexual polyploidy, so it is hypothesized that improper meiosis probably results in the formation of natural polyploidy in Camellia oleifera. In this study, based on the cytological observation of meiosis in pollen mother cells (PMCs), we found natural 2n pollen for the first time in Camellia oleifera, which may lead to the formation of natural polyploids by sexual polyploidization. Additionally, abnormal cytological behaviour during meiosis, including univalent chromosomes, extraequatorial chromosomes, early segregation, laggard chromosomes, chromosome stickiness, asynchronous meiosis and deviant cytokinesis (monad, dyads, triads), was observed, which could be the cause of 2n pollen formation. Moreover, we confirmed a relationship among the length–width ratio of flower buds, stylet length and microsporogenesis. This result suggested that we can immediately determine the microsporogenesis stages by phenotypic characteristics, which may be applicable to breeding advanced germplasm in Camellia oleifera.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-021-01002-5.     

鸡粪有机肥对设施菜地土壤重金属和微生物群落结构的影响

通过田间试验,研究在设施菜地上施用不同剂量的鸡粪有机肥对土壤-植物系统中重金属的累积、重金属有效性和土壤微生物群落结构的影响,进一步探讨土壤微生物群落结构与土壤重金属之间的相关关系。结果表明,与对照相比,施用有机肥可提高小白菜地上部生物量,其中施肥量为60 t/hm²时值最大,增幅为59.92%;小白菜地上部Cd、Cr、Cu、Zn和As含量均大幅增加,但Pb含量无明显变化。土壤重金属Cd、Cr、Cu、Zn和As的全量均随鸡粪有机肥施加量的增加而增大,最高增幅分别为21.30%、21.58%、17.40%、19.40%和17.43%,出现明显的累积现象;施用有机肥均增加了土壤Cd、Cr、Cu、Zn和As的有效态含量,而Pb的全量和有效态含量无显著变化;除重金属Pb外,不同重金属元素全量与有效态含量均显著正相关,其中元素Zn的全量与有效态含量相关性最强。磷脂脂肪酸（PLFA）分析结果表明,土壤中含量较高的PLFA为16：0、18：1ω7c、10Me16：0和18：1ω9c,土壤微生物总PLFA和各类群PLFA含量均呈现M0.5 > M1 > CK > M2 > M4;相关性分析结果表明,土壤Cu、As全量和Cd、Cr、Cu、As有效态含量与微生物总PLFA和各类群PLFA含量均呈现显著负相关关系,其中有效态Cr和Cu含量对微生物群落结构的影响最为显著。     

mTORC1 activity is supported by spatial association with focal adhesions

The mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) integrates mitogenic and stress signals to control growth and metabolism. Activation of mTORC1 by amino acids and growth factors involves recruitment of the complex to the lysosomal membrane and is further supported by lysosome distribution to the cell periphery. Here, we show that translocation of lysosomes toward the cell periphery brings mTORC1 into proximity with focal adhesions (FAs). We demonstrate that FAs constitute discrete plasma membrane hubs mediating growth factor signaling and amino acid input into the cell. FAs, as well as the translocation of lysosome-bound mTORC1 to their vicinity, contribute to both peripheral and intracellular mTORC1 activity. Conversely, lysosomal distribution to the cell periphery is dispensable for the activation of mTORC1 constitutively targeted to FAs. This study advances our understanding of spatial mTORC1 regulation by demonstrating that the localization of mTORC1 to FAs is both necessary and sufficient for its activation by growth-promoting stimuli.     

Sterol and oxysterol synthases near the ciliary base activate the Hedgehog pathway

Vertebrate Hedgehog signals are transduced through the primary cilium, a specialized lipid microdomain that is required for Smoothened activation. Cilia-associated sterol and oxysterol lipids bind to Smoothened to activate the Hedgehog pathway, but how ciliary lipids are regulated is incompletely understood. Here we identified DHCR7, an enzyme that produces cholesterol, activates the Hedgehog pathway, and localizes near the ciliary base. We found that Hedgehog stimulation negatively regulates DHCR7 activity and removes DHCR7 from the ciliary microenvironment, suggesting that DHCR7 primes cilia for Hedgehog pathway activation. In contrast, we found that Hedgehog stimulation positively regulates the oxysterol synthase CYP7A1, which accumulates near the ciliary base and produces oxysterols that promote Hedgehog signaling in response to pathway activation. Our results reveal that enzymes involved in lipid biosynthesis in the ciliary microenvironment promote Hedgehog signaling, shedding light on how ciliary lipids are established and regulated to transduce Hedgehog signals.     

水痘-带状疱疹病毒ORF43蛋白的单克隆抗体制备及初步研究

水痘-带状疱疹病毒(Varicella-zoster virus,VZV)是引起水痘和带状疱疹这两种临床表现不同病症的共同致病原,其基因组中ORF43是VZV在宿主细胞中复制的必需基因,但目前尚无针对VZV ORF43编码蛋白性质与功能的研究报道.本研究目的 是制备抗VZV ORF43单克隆抗体,以初步研究该蛋白在细胞内的表达与分布情况.本研究构建了VZV ORF43蛋白的原核表达质粒并在大肠杆菌中进行了该蛋白的表达,纯化蛋白免疫小鼠后,使用杂交瘤技术及克隆化筛选,获得一株特异性强、反应性好的抗VZV ORF43单克隆抗体2D3.本研究使用该抗体鉴定出VZV ORF43蛋白在质粒转染细胞与病毒感染细胞中表达的分子量大小均约为70kD,但分别呈现出细胞质和细胞核的不同亚细胞定位.以上工作为后续进一步探究该蛋白在VZV感染与致病过程中的作用奠定了基础.     

模拟干旱胁迫处理下北柴胡种苗MYC2基因的调控研究

该研究以北柴胡一年生种苗为材料,使用质量分数为10%、20%的PEG6000营养液进行模拟干旱胁迫实验,检测北柴胡根内源信号物质OPR、JA含量,转录因子BcMYC2和柴胡皂苷生物合成途径中4个关键酶基因HMGR、IPPI、FPS、β AS表达量,以及柴胡皂苷a、d含量,探究模拟干旱胁迫下茉莉酸信号通路调控BcMYC2进而影响柴胡皂苷生物合成的机制。结果表明：(1) PEG6000模拟干旱胁迫处理北柴胡种苗后,20% PEG6000处理组根内OPR含量在2 h时出现峰值,10% PEG6000处理组的根内OPR含量在6 h时出现峰值;两个胁迫组内源JA含量均在2 h时出现峰值。(2)两个胁迫处理组北柴胡根内BcMYC2相对表达量均在2 h处出现峰值,之后的2~4 h时间段内大幅度下降,且20% PEG6000处理组的BcMYC2相对表达量高于10% PEG6000处理组;其余4个柴胡皂苷生物合成途径关键酶基因HMGR、IPPI、FPS、β AS的相对表达量均在4 h时出现峰值,晚于BcMYC2相对表达量出现峰值的时间。(3)经模拟干旱胁迫处理后,北柴胡根内的柴胡皂苷含量在36 d内逐渐上升;在处理36 d时,20% PEG6000处理组的柴胡皂苷含量略高于10% PEG6000处理组,且两处理组均显著高于对照组。研究发现,经PEG6000模拟干旱处理后,北柴胡根内信号物质OPR及JA含量提高,促进BcMYC2的表达,进而提高柴胡皂苷生物合成途径中的关键酶基因的表达,最终显著提高了根内柴胡皂苷的含量。     

Sustainability of SARS-CoV-2 Induced Humoral Immune Responses in COVID-19 Patients from Hospitalization to Convalescence Over Six Months

Virologica Sinica - Understanding the persistence of antibody in convalescent COVID-19 patients may help to answer the current major concerns such as the risk of reinfection, the protection period...     

The Efficacy of a Live Attenuated TW I-Type Infectious Bronchitis Virus Vaccine Candidate

Virologica Sinica - Infectious bronchitis (IB) is a highly contagious avian disease caused by infection with infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), which seriously affects the development of the global...