Atg3 promotes Atg8 lipidation via altering lipid diffusion and rearrangement

Atg3‐catalyzed transferring of Atg8 to phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) in the phagophore membrane is essential for autophagy. Previous studies have demonstrated that this process requires Atg3 to interact with the phagophore membrane via its N‐terminal amphipathic helix. In this study, by using combined biochemical and biophysical approaches, our data showed that in addition to binding to the membranes, Atg3 attenuates lipid diffusion and enriches lipid molecules with smaller headgroup. Our data suggest that Atg3 promotes Atg8 lipidation via altering lipid diffusion and rearrangement.     

Could the recycled yarns substitute for the virgin cotton yarns: a comparative LCA

Purpose

Cotton yarns spun from natural fibers are widely used in the apparel industry. Most of waste cotton goods are now disposed by incineration or landfill, which brings resource and environmental challenges to the society. Using the waste cotton to spin yarns is an alternative way to forward a more sustainable future. In this research, two scenarios for the environmental impacts of yarns spun from corresponding fibers are investigated, including recycled cotton fibers and virgin cotton fibers.

Methods

The life cycle assessment (LCA) has been conducted according to the collected data from on-site investigation of typical production factories. The life cycle for the recycled cotton yarn production is divided into five stages, i.e., raw material acquisition, transportation, breaking, mixing, and spinning. The life cycle of virgin cotton yarn production is been divided into four stages, i.e., raw material acquisition, transportation, mixing, and spinning. The functional unit is 1000 kg produced yarns which are used for weaving into the fabrics. Notable impacts on climate change, fossil depletion, water depletion, and human toxicity were observed.

Results

The life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) results show that environmental impacts of recycled cotton yarns are far less than those of virgin cotton yarns, except for climate change and water depletion. The reason is that the land occupation and irrigation water have great impact on environmental impacts of cotton cultivation. In spinning, the electricity is the key factor whose environmental impacts account for the most in the virgin cotton yarn scenario, while the electricity and water consumptions are the key factors for the recycled cotton yarn scenario in the life cycle of yarn production. The sensitivity analysis indicates that improving energy efficiency can significantly reduce environmental burdens for both the two scenarios. The uncertainty distribution of water depletion, human toxicity, fossil depletion, and climate change of the two scenarios were determined with a 90% confidence interval.

Conclusions

The LCIA results reveal recycled cotton yarn is a viable alternative to relieve resource and environmental pressure. About 0.5 ha of agricultural land can be saved, 6600 kg CO₂ eq can be reduced, and 2783 m³ irrigation water can be saved by using 1000 kg of the recycled cotton yarns. It can be concluded that the recycled cotton fibers can be served as a substitute for virgin cotton fibers to reduce agricultural land and avoid environmental impacts generated from the cotton planting.

     

Genetic basis of kernel nutritional traits during maize domestication and improvement

The nutritional traits of maize kernels are important for human and animal nutrition, and these traits have undergone selection to meet the diverse nutritional needs of humans. However, our knowledge of the genetic basis of selecting for kernel nutritional traits is limited. Here, we identified both single and epistatic quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that contributed to the differences of oil and carotenoid traits between maize and teosinte. Over half of teosinte alleles of single QTLs increased the values of the detected oil and carotenoid traits. Based on the pleiotropism or linkage information of the identified single QTLs, we constructed a trait–locus network to help clarify the genetic basis of correlations among oil and carotenoid traits. Furthermore, the selection features and evolutionary trajectories of the genes or loci underlying variations in oil and carotenoid traits revealed that these nutritional traits produced diverse selection events during maize domestication and improvement. To illustrate more, a mutator distance–relative transposable element (TE) in intron 1 of DXS2, which encoded a rate‐limiting enzyme in the methylerythritol phosphate pathway, was identified to increase carotenoid biosynthesis by enhancing DXS2 expression. This TE occurs in the grass teosinte, and has been found to have undergone selection during maize domestication and improvement, and is almost fixed in yellow maize. Our findings not only provide important insights into evolutionary changes in nutritional traits, but also highlight the feasibility of reintroducing back into commercial agricultural germplasm those nutritionally important genes hidden in wild relatives.     

达格列净对2型糖尿病大鼠肾脏葡萄糖转运蛋白2及葡萄糖转运蛋白4基因表达的影响*

目的:探讨达格列净对2型糖尿病大鼠肾脏葡萄糖转运蛋白2(GLUT2)和葡萄糖转运蛋白4(GLUT4)基因表达的影响。方法:使用高脂饲料和一次性注射40 mg/kg链脲佐菌素(STZ)建立2型糖尿病大鼠模型,造模大鼠以空腹血糖(FBG)含量≥16.7 mmol/L时视为造模成功。造模成功后随机分为模型组(B组,生理盐水)、达格列净低剂量组(C组,0.75 mg/kg)、达格列净中剂量组(D组,1.5 mg/kg)、达格列净高剂量组(E组,3.0 mg/kg),每组6只;另选取6只健康的SD大鼠作为正常对照组(A组,生理盐水)。各组均为灌胃给药,每天1次,连续7周。灌胃给药7周后测定大鼠的体重以及血清FBG、糖化血红蛋白(HbA1c)、血尿素氮(BUN)、血肌酐(Scr)的变化;采用酶联免疫吸附测定血清及肾组织丙二醛(MDA)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)和谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GSH-Px);采用HE观察肾脏病理学变化;采用Western blot检测肾脏组织中GLUT2、GLUT4蛋白表达;RT-qPCR检测肾脏组织中GLUT2、GLUT4 mRNA相对表达量。结果: 与A组比较,各组大鼠的体重及SOD、GSH-PX水平明显降低(P＜ 0.05),FBG、HbA1c、BUN、Scr、MDA水平明显升高(P＜0.05),肾脏病理损伤严重,肾组织GLUT2、GLUT4 mRNA相对表达量和蛋白表达均明显降低(P均＜0.05)。与B组比较,C组、D组和E组大鼠的体重、SOD、GSH-PX水平和肾组织GLUT2、GLUT4 mRNA相对表达量明显升高(P＜0.05),FBG、HbA1c、BUN、Scr、MDA水平明显降低(P＜ 0.05);D组和E组肾脏病理损伤明显减轻,肾组织GLUT2、GLUT4蛋白表达均明显升高(P均＜0.05)。结论:达格列净可缓解2型糖尿病模型大鼠的病情,并上调肾脏GLUT2及GLUT4基因的表达。     

大鼠脑缺血/再灌注过程中血流量和脑组织含水量的变化趋势*

目的:研究大鼠脑缺血/再灌注过程中血流量及与脑组织水含量变化的趋势。方法:选取5只成年SD雄性大鼠(n=5),参照改良Zea-Longa线栓法制备大鼠大脑中动脉缺血/再灌注模型,2 h后拔出线栓。利用PeriCam PSI血流灌注成像系统实时监测大鼠在缺血前及缺血5 min、30 min、1 h、2 h、再灌注5 min、30 min、1 h、2 h、4 h、6 h及24 h的血流灌注量,记录在ROI(感兴趣区)测量的数值。再选取15只成年SD雄性大鼠,分为Control组、缺血2 h、再灌注30 min、4 h及24 h组(n=3)。正常组不做任何处理,实验组按上述线栓法制备MCAO模型。取新鲜脑组织用干湿重法测定其左、右半球的水含量。结果:栓塞时缺血侧血流量逐渐下降,缺血2 h下降最低(P＜0.05);再灌注早期血流量恢复较大(P＜0.05),30 min时显著下降(P＜0.05),4 h明显上升(P＜0.05),24 h再次上升(P＜0.05)但低于缺血前血流量(P＞0.05)。脑组织水含量测量,缺血2 h组和再灌注30 min组与正常组无明显差异(P＞0.05);再灌4 h组和再灌24 h组明显增高(P＜0.05),且再灌24 h组明显高于再灌4 h组(P＜0.05)。结论:大鼠脑缺血/再灌注过程中血流量和脑组织中水含量的变化存在一定的规律,且脑组织中水含量与再灌注过程中血流量的变化有一定关系。     

黄土区土质与土石质塿土堆积体水力侵蚀过程差异

利用室内模拟降雨试验,研究了不同雨强及坡度条件下黄土区土质(不含砾石)与土石质(砾石质量分数30%)塿土堆积体的水动力学特征、侵蚀特征及侵蚀动力机制的差异。结果表明: 砾石存在改变了堆积体坡面的水动力学特性,与土质坡面相比,土石质坡面的流速、弗汝德数、单位径流功率和过水断面单位能分别减少1.7%～49.7%、6.7%～60.6%、2.0%～44.6%和1.0%～26.7%;曼宁糙率系数、径流剪切力分别增加6.2%～169.4%、5.7%～79.3%。2.0、2.5 mm·min^-1雨强下,土石质坡面侵蚀速率较土质坡面降低26.2%～89.9%,砾石的减沙效益显著。2种堆积体的侵蚀速率与水动力学参数间均可用线性函数拟合,与土质坡面相比,土石质坡面的可蚀性参数均降低,降幅为56.1%～73.3%;而临界水动力学参数中径流剪切力增加11.1%,径流功率、单位径流功率和过水断面单位能分别减少25.4%、64.0%和5.0%。砾石的存在一定程度上控制了工程堆积体坡面降雨侵蚀过程。     

中国森林生态系统土壤呼吸温度敏感性空间变异特征及影响因素

土壤呼吸的温度敏感性(Q₁₀)是陆地碳循环与气候系统间相互作用的关键参数。尽管已有大量关于不同类型森林Q₁₀季节和年际变化规律的研究, 但是对Q₁₀在区域尺度的空间变异特征及其影响因素仍认识不足, 已有结果缺乏一致结论。该研究通过整合已发表论文, 构建了中国森林生态系统年尺度Q₁₀数据集, 共包含399条记录、5种森林类型(落叶阔叶林(DBF)、落叶针叶林(DNF)、常绿阔叶林(EBF)、常绿针叶林(ENF)、混交林(MF))。分析了不同森林类型Q₁₀的空间变异特征及其与地理、气候和土壤因素的关系。结果显示, 1) Q₁₀介于1.09到6.24之间, 平均值(±标准误差)为2.37 (± 0.04), 且在不同森林类型之间无显著差异; 2)当考虑所有森林类型时, Q₁₀随纬度、海拔、土壤有机碳含量(SOC)和土壤全氮含量(TN)的增加而增大, 随经度、年平均气温(MAT)、平均年降水量(MAP)的增加而减小。气候(MAT、MAP)和土壤(SOC、TN)因素间存在相互作用, 共同解释了33%的Q₁₀空间变异, 其中MAT和SOC是Q₁₀空间变异的主要驱动因素; 3)不同类型森林Q₁₀对气候和土壤因素的响应存在差异。在DNF中Q₁₀随MAP的增加而减小, 而其他类型森林中Q₁₀与MAP无显著相关性; 在EBF、DBF、ENF中Q₁₀随TN的增加而增大, 但Q₁₀对TN的敏感性在EBF中最高, 在ENF中最低。这些结果表明, 尽管Q₁₀有一定的集中分布趋势, 但仍有较大范围的空间变异, 在进行碳收支估算时应注意尺度问题。Q₁₀的主要驱动因素和Q₁₀对环境因素的响应随森林类型而变化, 在气候变化情景下, 不同森林类型间Q₁₀可能发生分异。因此, 未来的碳循环-气候模型还应考虑不同类型森林碳循环关键参数对气候变化的响应差异。     

钙结合蛋白S100A16对胰岛素抵抗的作用研究

目的探究钙结合蛋白S100A16在胰岛素抵抗中的作用。方法用S100A16抗体进行免疫沉淀,然后用蛋白质谱分析寻找与S100A16相互作用的蛋白。实验1转染Vector质粒的HepG2细胞作为对照,用转染shRNA质粒、S100A16过表达质粒干预作为处理组。实验2以慢性胰岛素刺激细胞构建胰岛素抵抗模型,采用转染shRNA质粒的细胞作为对照,用未转染和转染Vector质粒干预作为处理组。实验3以不做任何处理的细胞作为对照,在胰岛素抵抗模型中用吡格列酮干预作为处理组。Western blot检测相关蛋白的表达水平。组间比较采用成组t检验。结果与转染Vector质粒比较,转染S100A16过表达质粒中胎球蛋白A表达(1.39±0.54比2.85±0.25)水平上调(P<0.05);与转染Vector质粒比较,转染shRNA质粒胎球蛋白A蛋白表达(0.36±0.03比0.20±0.03)水平降低(P<0.01)。在胰岛素抵抗条件下,与转染shRNA质粒的细胞比较,未转染和转染Vector质粒的IRS-2蛋白表达(0.11±0.04比1.65±0.48)水平上调(P<0.01);与不做任何处理的细胞比较,用吡格列酮处理的细胞IRS-2表达(0.26±0.11比0.52±0.05)水平上升(P<0.01)。结论S100A16在HepG2细胞中通过胎球蛋白A促进胰岛素抵抗。     

以青砖茶为原料的果茶饮料制备

以青砖茶、新鲜苹果汁、西瓜汁和菠萝汁为主要原料进行果茶饮料的研制,采用单因素试验及正交分析试验对果茶饮料的配方进行工艺优化,以感官评价和吸光值为评定指标,确定果茶饮料的最佳配方。结果表明,体积比分别为8∶2的茶汤与苹果汁的混合汁、5∶5的茶汤与西瓜汁的混合汁和3∶7的茶汤与菠萝汁的混合汁混匀调配出的茶饮料的口感最佳,色泽清透,且香气较佳。本研究为黑茶果茶饮料的研 制提供了理论依据。