Reduction of AUF1-mediated follistatin mRNA decay during glucose starvation protects cells from apoptosis

Follistatin (FST) performs several vital functions in the cells, including protection from apoptosis during stress. The expression of FST is up-regulated in response to glucose deprivation by an unknown mechanism. We herein showed that the induction of FST by glucose deprivation was due to an increase in the half-life of its mRNA. We further identified an AU-rich element (ARE) in the 3′UTR of FST mRNA that mediated its decay. The expression of FST was elevated after knocking down AUF1 and reduced when AUF1 was further expressed. In vitro binding assays and RNA pull-down assays revealed that AUF1 interacted with FST mRNA directly via its ARE. During glucose deprivation, a majority of AUF1 shuttled from cytoplasm to nucleus, resulting in dissociation of AUF1 from FST mRNA and thus stabilization of FST mRNA. Finally, knockdown of AUF1 decreased whereas overexpression of AUF1 increased glucose deprivation-induced apoptosis. The apoptosis promoting effect of AUF1 was eliminated in FST expressing cells. Collectively, this study provided evidence that AUF1 is a negative regulator of FST expression and participates in the regulation of cell survival under glucose deprivation.     

臭氧胁迫下硅对大豆抗氧化系统、生物量及产量的影响

在全球变化情景下,臭氧污染对作物产量将造成严重影响,臭氧将成为未来农业重要胁迫因素。研究缓解臭氧胁迫技术措施有利于保障粮食安全,其中硅元素添加可能是有效途径之一。利用开顶式同化箱(open top chambers,OTCs)装置,设置两个O3浓度(大气O3浓度<40μg/kg和高O3浓度约为80μg/kg)、两个硅浓度(0和100μg/g),研究不同O3浓度下硅对开花后大豆(Glycine max)株高、叶面积、叶绿素含量、抗氧化系统及产量的影响。结果表明:在无臭氧胁迫下,施硅可显著提高大豆根生物量、总生物量和单株籽粒重(14%、5%和20%)(P<0.05)。在O3胁迫下,施硅能使大豆维持较高的叶面积,显著提高大豆叶片叶绿素含量及SOD、POD、CAT活性,显著降低MDA含量,提高大豆根生物量、地上部生物量、总生物量、根冠比和单株籽粒重(29%,18%,19%,9%和17%)(P<0.05)。研究可为缓解O3对大豆危害提供合理可行的栽培管理措施与理论依据。     

不同方式处理牛粪对大豆生长和品质的影响

大型养殖场粪便堆积造成严重的环境污染,对这类废弃物开展资源化利用研究具有重要生态学和经济学意义。以不施肥料处理(CK)为对照,研究了生态养殖场牛粪经腐熟(DD)和蚯蚓处理(RD)后对大豆生长与品质的影响。研究表明:生态养殖场牛粪经过两种处理后,在一定施用量范围(DD≤30 t/hm2,RD≤45 t/hm2)内,可显著增加大豆株高、分株数、干物质积累,促进植株生长,增加单株荚数、籽粒数、籽粒重,提高大豆产量(P<0.01)。施入腐熟牛粪30 t/hm2株高和单株结荚数比CK分别增加24.2 cm、63%;经蚯蚓处理后,可以提高牛粪施用量的上限,施入蚯蚓处理过的牛粪45 t/hm2时产量最高、单株结荚数最多,比CK分别增加72%和75%(P<0.01);施入蚯蚓处理过的牛粪15 t/hm2时,粗蛋白含量、蛋脂总量最高,比CK分别增加7%和6%(P<0.01)。本研究可为大型养殖场牛粪资源化利用提供科学依据。     

生境梯度影响下的天然红松种群空间格局与种内关联

为理清生境梯度下天然红松种群空间分布规律,以黑龙江省凉水国家级自然保护区内自坡底至坡顶的四种生境(生境Ⅰ,谷地平坡潮湿生境;生境Ⅱ,坡下缓坡潮湿生境;生境Ⅲ,坡上斜坡半湿润生境;生境Ⅳ,坡顶陡坡半干旱生境)类型中建群种红松种群为研究对象。分析不同林层(主林层、亚林层、演替层、更新层)红松种群的数量特征,并基于O-ring函数,在重复采样条件下评价了红松种群空间分布格局。结果表明:(1)下坡位生境(生境Ⅰ、Ⅱ)红松更新层种群数量显著大于上坡位(生境Ⅲ、Ⅳ)(P<0.05),演替层中差异不显著;自坡底至坡顶的生境梯度上,主林层和亚林层中红松株数比例增加,红松种群年龄结构结构由倒J型向J型转变。(2)下坡位原始红松林更新层和演替层中红松种群聚集规模与聚集强度均高于上坡位,坡顶(生境Ⅳ)原始红松林更新层中红松种群聚集规模与聚集强度高于坡上(生境Ⅲ)。(3)四类生境的原始红松林中主林层与更新层中红松种群总体表现为空间独立,在个别尺度上表现出微弱的空间正关联或负关联;在0—5 m尺度上,下坡位红松林原始林内演替层与主林层红松种群表现为空间负关联,而上坡位生境林分对应林层间空间关系则为空间正关...     

水分胁迫对银中杨耗水特征与水分利用的影响

在不同供水条件下,采用LI-6400光合作用系统(LI-COR,1995,USA)和电子天平等仪器,对银中杨苗木气体交换、蒸腾耗水量和水分利用效率及其有关环境因子进行了测定。结果表明,在研究的诸环境因子中,土壤含水量是制约苗木蒸腾耗水的主导因子;苗木的蒸腾耗水量随土壤干旱胁迫的加重而减少,并且当土壤含水量低于田间持水量的50%时,气象因子对苗木蒸腾耗水的影响不再明显;土壤含水量为田间持水量的70%时,银中杨苗木的净光合速率和蒸腾速率下降不显著,而水分利用效率有所提高,为2.579μmol.mmol-1,在土壤含水量大于田间持水量的70%的水分条件下,银中杨苗木可以正常生长。     

马尾松(Pinus massoniana)人工林林窗对土壤不同形态活性有机碳的影响

研究了四川盆地低山丘陵区马尾松人工林不同大小林窗对表层土壤活性有机碳(水溶性有机碳、微生物量碳、易氧化碳)含量、分配比例及碳库管理指数的影响。结果表明:(1)林窗下土壤微生物量碳含量与分配比例较林下土壤有所升高,而水溶性有机碳与易氧化碳含量及水溶性有机碳分配比例有所降低。(2)林窗大小显著影响林窗中心土壤活性有机碳含量与分配比例。随林窗面积增大,水溶性有机碳、微生物量碳与易氧化碳含量呈现较为一致的升高趋势;水溶性有机碳和微生物量碳分配比例也升高,易氧化碳分配比例先下降后升高,稳定态碳先升高后降低;总体表现为较大林窗(900—1225m2)微生物活性强,活性有机碳含量高,且有机碳库稳定性较好。(3)土壤碳库管理指数随林窗面积增大无显著变化,但与各形态活性有机碳含量及总有机碳含量显著相关,说明土壤碳库管理指数能够相对全面地反映林窗大小对土壤碳库的影响。     

Improve the Performance of the All‐Small‐Molecule Nonfullerene Organic Solar Cells through Enhancing the Crystallinity of Acceptors

Significant development has been achieved in nonfullerene organic solar cells. However, most of the high‐efficiency nonfullerene systems are composed of polymer donors and fused‐ring acceptors, and only a few small molecule donors can work well. Herein, a new A–D–A small molecule donor named NDTSR with naphtho[1,2‐b:5,6‐b′]dithiophene (NDT) as building blocks is synthesized. Two energy levels well‐matched fused‐ring acceptors ITIC and IDIC are chosen to construct all‐small‐molecule solar cells with NDTSR, respectively. When mixed with IDIC, a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 8.05% is achieved, which is the highest efficiency for NDT‐based small molecule donor. However, the NDTSR:ITIC system only exhibits a low PCE of 1.77%. The big difference in the performance of these two systems should be attributed to the different morphology and phase separation resulting from the crystallinity and aggregation ability of the acceptors. The results demonstrate that NDT‐based small molecule is a promising candidate donor for all‐small‐molecule systems, while the crystallinity of fused‐ring acceptors is a critical factor for optimizing the phase separation in the active layer.     

BAPTA‐AM dramatically improves maturation and development of bovine oocytes from grade‐3 cumulus‐oocyte complexes

Intracellular free calcium ([Ca²⁺]_i) is essential for oocyte maturation and early embryonic development. Here, we investigated the role of [Ca²⁺]_i in oocytes from cumulus‐oocyte complexes (COCs) with respect to maturation and early embryonic development, using the calcium‐buffering agent BAPTA‐AM (1,2‐bis[2‐aminophenoxy]ethane‐N,N,N′,N′‐tetraacetic acid tetrakis [acetoxymethyl ester]). COCs were graded based on compactness of the cumulus mass and appearance of the cytoplasm, with Grade 1 indicating higher quality and developmental potential than Grade 3. Results showed that: (i) [Ca²⁺]_i in metaphase‐II (MII) oocytes from Grade‐3 COCs was significantly higher than those from Grade‐1 COCs, and was significantly reduced by BAPTA‐AM; (ii) nuclear maturation of oocytes from Grade‐3 COCs treated with BAPTA‐AM was enhanced compared to untreated COCs; (iii) protein abundance of Cyclin B and oocyte‐specific Histone 1 (H1FOO) was improved in MII oocytes from Grade‐3 COCs treated with BAPTA‐AM; (iv) Ca²⁺ transients were triggered in each group upon fertilization, and the amplitude of [Ca²⁺]_i oscillations increased in the Grade‐3 group upon treatment with BAPTA‐AM, with the magnitude approaching that of the Grade‐1 group; and (v) cleavage rates and blastocyst‐formation rates were improved in the Grade‐3 group treated with BAPTA‐AM compared to untreated controls following in vitro fertilization and parthenogenetic activation. Therefore, BAPTA‐AM dramatically improved oocyte maturation, oocyte quality, and embryonic development of oocytes from Grade‐3 COCs.