力学环境对软骨基质代谢的影响

正常关节软骨所受压力是由动态压力与静态压力交替完成。压力引起软骨一系列生理变化包括细胞及细胞外基质成分变形、组织内液体流动、水流电位和生理生化变化。这些变化直接调控细胞外基质代谢。体外构建有良好功能的组织工程化软骨是目前软骨病变、缺损理想的修复方法。研究力学环境对软骨基质代谢的影响,对构建组织工程化软骨有深远意义。     

科尔沁沙地湖泊消涨对气候变化的响应

湖泊是受气候变化影响显著的地理单元之一,不同地区湖泊消涨与气候变化关系的分析是理解陆地水文过程对未来气候变化响应的关键之一。对干旱、半干旱地区而言,湖泊消涨对气候变化的响应是干旱区生态保护和未来可持续发展的重要指征。气候变化对湖泊的影响研究在不同的区域已有较多的研究,但是针对湖泊群且基于湖泊大小分级和不同降水强度的对应研究还很鲜见。有鉴于此,作者在RS和GIS技术支持下,采用湖泊大小和降水强度分级的方法,分析了科尔沁沙地湖泊群消涨与气候变化的关系。在1971-2010年间,年均气温波动升高和降水量波动减少是该区域的主要气候变化特点。从5年移动平均分析来看,1990年是气温变化的转折点,1991-2010年的平均气温7.36（?0.55）℃,高于全球同期平均增温0.52℃。在1975-2009年间,科尔沁沙地湖泊面积和数量的变化趋势呈抛物线型减少,在1995年湖泊面积与数量最高。进入21世纪,湖泊面积萎缩、数量减少呈明显的加快趋势。到2009年,面积>0.05km2湖泊数量仅为81个,不足高峰期（1995年）的11%;湖泊总面积为4375.0hm2,不到1995年的26%。本研究表明,湖泊消涨主要受到年降水量波动影响,与年内降水分布格局无关,气温变化的影响不显著。     

桔小实蝇对敌百虫抗性稳定性及再增长趋势

通过室内试验,研究了用LC₅₀及LC₉₀两种浓度敌百虫汰选14代建立的不同程度高抗性水平的桔小实蝇Bactrocera dorsalis抗性品系TrR₅₀和TrR₉₀在停止使用药剂后的抗性衰退规律,以及抗性衰退到原有水平的1/3时再用药汰选的抗性再增长规律。结果表明：两抗性品系对敌百虫抗性均不稳定,但抗性衰退速率不同,TrR₉₀完全隔离药剂4代后,抗性已衰退至原有水平的1/3,而TrR₅₀完全隔离药剂7代后,抗性才衰退至原有水平的1/3,但随后两品系抗性衰退均减缓,到19代后抗性均还处于低水平抗性阶段,无法衰退至敏感水平。通过对其抗性衰退趋势进行方程拟合,结果表明两品系抗性衰退均符合S型曲线模型。抗性再增长试验结果表明：桔小实蝇两抗性品系对敌百虫抗性再增长趋势不同,TrR₅₀继续使用药剂汰选,经过6代选育,抗性迅速上升,接近原有的抗性水平,随后保持平稳增长; 而TrR₉₀继续使用药剂汰选,经过9代选育,抗性才迅速上升,经过12代选育,抗性才接近原有的抗性水平。通过对两品系抗性再增长趋势进行方程拟合,结果表明两品系抗性再增长趋势不同,TrR₅₀品系抗性再增长趋势符合逻辑斯蒂模型,而TrR₉₀品系则符合二次曲线模型。     

SDE-GC-MS法分析三种虫生真菌菌丝中挥发性成分

采用同时蒸馏萃取-气相色谱质谱联用（SDE-GC-MS）的方法分析了蝉拟青霉、拟细羽束梗孢、根足被毛孢菌丝的挥发性成分,从中分别鉴定出44、28和19种化合物,它们主要为萜类化合物、芳香族化合物、醇类、烷烃类、酯类和醛类。成分比较发现,3种虫生真菌挥发性物质中有3种主要共有成分,分别为丁羟基甲苯、1-辛烯-3-醇、苯乙醛。除共有成分外,它们各自都有大量特有成分,其中蝉拟青霉主要有5-甲基-2-呋喃-乙酸酯、反式-2,4-癸二烯醛、长叶烯等;拟细羽束梗孢主要有5-羟基-2-癸烯酸-δ-内酯、2,4-二甲基-恶唑、苯酚、β-榄香烯等;根足被毛孢主要有3,4,5-三甲基-苯甲醛、1,3-二甲基-3,4,5,6-四氢化-2(1H)嘧啶、顺式-2-羟基-1-（羟甲基）-9-十八碳一烯酸乙酯。     

Protein kinase C delta null mice exhibit structural alterations in articular surface,intra-articular and subchondral compartments

IntroductionStructural alterations in intra-articular and subchondral compartments are hallmarks of osteoarthritis, a degenerative disease that causes pain and disability in the aging population. Protein kinase C delta (PKC-δ) plays versatile functions in cell growth and differentiation, but its role in the articular cartilage and subchondral bone is not known.MethodsHistological analysis including alcian blue, safranin O staining and fluorochrome labeling were used to reveal structural alterations at the articular cartilage surface and bone–cartilage interface in PKC-δ knockout (KO) mice. The morphology and organization of chondrocytes were studied using confocal microscopy. Glycosaminoglycan content was studied by micromass culture of chondrocytes of PKC-δ KO mice.ResultsWe uncovered atypical structural demarcation between articular cartilage and subchondral bone of PKC-δ KO mice. Histology analyses revealed a thickening of the articular cartilage and calcified bone–cartilage interface, and decreased safranin O staining accompanied by an increase in the number of hypertrophic chondrocytes in the articular cartilage of PKC-δ KO mice. Interestingly, loss of demarcation between articular cartilage and bone was concomitant with irregular chondrocyte morphology and arrangement. Consistently, in vivo calcein labeling assay showed an increased intensity of calcein labeling in the interface of the growth plate and metaphysis in PKC-δ KO mice. Furthermore, in vitro culture of chondrocyte micromass showed a decreased alcian blue staining of chondrocyte micromass in the PKC-δ KO mice, indicative of a reduced level of glycosaminoglycan production.ConclusionsOur data imply a role for PKC-δ in the osteochondral plasticity of the interface between articular cartilage and the osteochondral junction.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13075-015-0720-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Relationships between biological soil crusts,bacterial diversity and abundance,and ecosystem functioning: Insights from a semi‐arid Mediterranean environment

Questions: To what degree do biological soil crusts (BSCs), which are regulators of the soil surface boundary, influence associated microbial communities? Are these associations important to ecosystem functioning in a Mediterranean semi‐arid environment? Location: Gypsum outcrops near Belmonte del Tajo, Central Spain. Methods: We sampled a total of 45 (50 cm × 50 cm) plots, where we estimated the cover of every lichen and BSC‐forming lichen species. We also collected soil samples to estimate bacterial species richness and abundance, and to assess different surrogates of ecosystem functioning. We used path analysis to evaluate the relationships between the richness/abundance of above‐ and below‐ground species and ecosystem functioning. Results: We found that the greatest direct effect upon the ecosystem function matrix was that of the biological soil crust (BSC) richness matrix. A few bacterial species were sensitive to the lichen community, with a disproportionate effect of Collema crispum and Toninia sedifolia compared to their low abundance and frequency. The lichens Fulgensia subbracteata and Toninia spp. also had negative effects on bacteria, while Diploschistes diacapsis consistently affected sensitive bacteria, sometimes positively. Despite these results, very few of the BSC effects on ecosystem function could be ascribed to changes within the bacterial community. Conclusion: Our results suggest the primary importance of the richness of BSC‐forming lichens as drivers of small‐scale changes in ecosystem functioning. This study provides valuable insights on semi‐arid ecosystems where plant cover is spatially discontinuous and ecosystem function in plant interspaces is regulated largely by BSCs.     

Functional comparison of metallothioneins MTT1 and MTT2 from Tetrahymena thermophila

Metallothioneins MTT1 and MTT2 from Tetrahymena thermophila have been characterized. The MTT1 contains mainly characteristic Cys-Cys-Cys and Cys-Cys clusters, but MTT2 contains mainly Cys-X-Cys cluster. Cd₁₆-MTT1 mainly consists of α-helix and β-turns, in contrast, Cd₁₁-MTT2 mainly consists of random coils. Reaction of Cd₁₆-MTT1 and Cd₁₁-MTT2 with nitric oxide leads to intramolecular disulfide bond formation, respectively. Binding stabilities of Cd²⁺, Hg²⁺ and Zn²⁺ to MTT1 are stronger than those to MTT2. Cu²⁺ can not replace Cd²⁺ from Cd₁₆-MTT1 complex, but can replace Cd²⁺ from Cd₁₁-MTT2 complex. The analysis of qRT-PCR revealed MTT2 mRNA levels were 31-fold higher than those of MTT1 under basal conditions. These results further suggest MTT1 possibly play a role in the detoxification of heavy metal ions, and MTT2 may be involved in the homeostasis of copper ions.     

Signs of stabilisation and stable coexistence

Many empirical studies motivated by an interest in stable coexistence have quantified negative density dependence, negative frequency dependence, or negative plant–soil feedback, but the links between these empirical results and ecological theory are not straightforward. Here, we relate these analyses to theoretical conditions for stabilisation and stable coexistence in classical competition models. By stabilisation, we mean an excess of intraspecific competition relative to interspecific competition that inherently slows or even prevents competitive exclusion. We show that most, though not all, tests demonstrating negative density dependence, negative frequency dependence, and negative plant–soil feedback constitute sufficient conditions for stabilisation of two‐species interactions if applied to data for per capita population growth rates of pairs of species, but none are necessary or sufficient conditions for stable coexistence of two species. Potential inferences are even more limited when communities involve more than two species, and when performance is measured at a single life stage or vital rate. We then discuss two approaches that enable stronger tests for stable coexistence‐invasibility experiments and model parameterisation. The model parameterisation approach can be applied to typical density‐dependence, frequency‐dependence, and plant–soil feedback data sets, and generally enables better links with mechanisms and greater insights, as demonstrated by recent studies.