Gut microbiome in gastrointestinal cancer: a friend or foe?

The impact of the gut microbiome on host health is becoming increasingly recognized. To date, there is growing evidence that the complex characteristics of the microbial community play key roles as potential biomarkers and predictors of responses in cancer therapy. Many studies have shown that altered commensal bacteria lead to cancer susceptibility and progression in diverse pathways. In this review, we critically assess the data for gut microbiota related to gastrointestinal cancer, including esophageal, gastric, pancreatic, colorectal cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma. Importantly, the underlying mechanisms of gut microbiota involved in cancer occurrence, prevention and treatment are elucidated. The purpose of this review is to provide novel insights for applying this understanding to the development of new therapeutic strategies in gastrointestinal cancer by targeting the microbial community.     

Distinct basolateral amygdala excitatory inputs mediate the somatosensory and aversive-affective components of pain

Pain is a multidimensional perception that includes unpleasant somatosensory and affective experiences; however, the underlying neural circuits that mediate different components of pain remain elusive. Although hyperactivity of basolateral amygdala glutamatergic (BLA^Glu) neurons is required for the somatosensory and emotional processing of pain, the precise excitatory inputs to BLA^Glu neurons and their roles in mediating different aspects of pain are unclear. Here, we identified two discrete glutamatergic neuronal circuits in male mice: a projection from the insular cortex glutamatergic (IC^Glu) to BLA^Glu neurons, which modulates both the somatosensory and affective components of pain, and a projection from the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus (MD^Glu) to BLA^Glu neurons, which modulates only the aversive-affective component of pain. Using whole-cell recording and fiber photometry, we found that neurons within the IC→BLA and MD→BLA pathways were activated in mice upon inflammatory pain induced by injection of complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) into their paws. Optical inhibition of the IC^Glu→BLA pathway increased the nociceptive threshold and induced behavioral place preference in CFA mice. In contrast, optical inhibition of the MD^Glu→BLA pathway did not affect the nociceptive threshold but still induced place preference in CFA mice. In normal mice, optical activation of the IC^Glu→BLA pathway decreased the nociceptive threshold and induced place aversion, while optical activation of the MD^Glu→BLA pathway only evoked aversion. Taken together, our results demonstrate that discrete IC^Glu→BLA and MD^Glu→BLA pathways are involved in modulating different components of pain, provide insights into its circuit basis, and better our understanding of pain perception.     

不同生态型摩西球囊霉菌株对棉花耐盐性的影响

在盆栽条件下研究了4个NaCl水平下(0、1、2和3g／kg)接种丛枝菌根真菌Glomus mosseae的2个菌株M1和M2对棉花耐盐性的影响。M1自非盐渍土壤分离,M2自盐渍土壤分离。结果表明,不同盐水平下2个菌株对棉花根系的侵染率为20％～40％,M2的侵染率高于M1;这两个菌株对棉花在盐胁迫环境下的生长状况都有一定的促进,其中Ml的促进作用明显大于M2的,并且在NaCl水平为2和3g／kg时,两菌株对棉花生长的效应之间的差异达到极显著水平。进一步的分析表明两菌株对植株吸收矿质元素的作用方面存在一定差异。接种M1的植株含磷量在4个盐水平下均显著高于对照,而接种M2处理的植株含磷量只是在0和1g／kg NaCl时显著高于对照。在2和3g／kg NaCl时略低于对照,并显著低于接种M1处理的。在4个NaCl水平下,接种M1的植株钠和氯含量与对照没有显著差异;接种M2的植株氯含量在1～3g／kg 3个NaCl水平下、钠含量在2和3g／kg 2个NaCl水平下不仅显著高于对照,同时也显著高于接种M1的植株氯和钠含量。这些差异是M1和M2两菌株对提高棉花耐盐性作用大小不同的主要原因。上述结果说明不同生态型AM真菌菌株对植物的耐盐性的影响力不同,这与真菌自身的生物学特性有关。     

植物光信号途径重要新调控因子TZP的研究进展

TZP(TANDEM ZINC-FINGER/PLUS3)是近年来鉴定到的一个光信号转导途径新组分,在光介导的植物生长发育过程中发挥重要调控作用。TZP不仅负调控蓝光信号途径,参与光敏色素B(phyB)介导的开花调控过程,还参与调控phyA在体内的蛋白质磷酸化。对TZP生化活性和作用机制的深入研究,不仅有助于进一步完善光信号调控网络,也可为设计和培育具有耐密理想株型及高光效作物新品种提供理论依据。该文系统总结了TZP在植物光信号途径中发挥的重要调控作用,并提出未来TZP功能研究的重要问题。     

增加降水对荒漠短命植物当年牧草生长及群落结构的影响

通过模拟降水增加试验研究了古尔班通古特荒漠常见短命植物盖度、密度及产量对水分输入量增加的响应.结果表明:尖喙牻牛儿苗、弯果胡卢巴、角果藜、琉苞菊、条叶庭芥及囊果苔草6种牧草生物量总和占总生物量的60%以上,是荒漠草原的优势牧草植物;供水量增加显著促进了角果藜、尖喙牻牛儿苗、弯果胡卢巴、条叶庭芥和琉苞菊5种牧草植物的个体生长;在自然降水的基础上,增加40mm和80mm供水使这5种植物生物产量比对照增加86%～230%.供水增加后,6种重要牧草对整个群落的生物贡献比例发生很大变化,只有角果藜和尖喙牻牛儿苗的贡献比例规律性增加,分别比对照增加了58%和11%,表明2种植物对供水增加的环境变化适应能力强;供水量增加促进了弯果胡芦巴、尖喙牻牛儿苗和角果藜3种植物N、P和K养分的吸收量;与此同时,供水量增加也显著提高了荒漠短命植物的密度和盖度.在降水增加的背景下,古尔班通古特沙漠南缘荒漠短命植物群落结构发生改变,植被盖度和群落净初级生产力提高,这对于防风固沙、稳定沙面,增加荒漠草原载畜能力有着积极的意义.     

湘江流域农田土壤微生物群体降解666的能力及其调节

湘江沿岸11个县土壤中能以666为唯一碳源的菌数平均36.2万个/克干土。种稻土壤淹水84天平均降解所加20微克/克干土666的98.4％,4个异构体也降解很快。灭菌土即便淹水84天,所加666也几乎不减少。种稻土壤不淹水84天只平均降解所加20微克/克干土666的43.5％,β-666只平均降解14.1％。但当种稻季节,此残留666又会迅速降解,表明本区种稻土壤对666的“自净”能力强。 不淹水土壤含水率对徽生物降解666有明显影响。使降解率从60％陡降的临界含水率为20％。这是因为含水量影响了微生物呼吸活性所致。 淹水土壤溶解氧对微生物降解666有明显影响。对于湘江流域种稻土壤来说,以淹水条件下含微量O_2,对降解666最为有利。该水分条件可通过农田管水措施来达到。     

海南岛尖峰岭蓟马的种类组成及其生态分布

海南岛尖峰岭热带林自然保护区保存完好,森林植被类型齐全,生物资源极为丰富。蓟马(Thrips)在不同的植被类型中,有着不同的区系组成、生态分布和优势种群。热带半落叶季雨林中蓟马的特点是种类少,种群密度高,分布广;热带山地雨林中的蓟马则种类多,种群密度低并出现热带雨林的特有种,热带常绿季雨林中蓟马的特点介于上述的两者之间;山顶苔藓矮林中蓟马种类少,种群密度低。目前已鉴定的56种蓟马,具有东洋区昆虫的特点。     

库布齐东段不同植被恢复阶段荒漠生态系统碳氮储量及分配格局

为科学评价植被恢复促进沙漠化逆转对碳氮储量的影响,以流动沙地、半固定沙地、油蒿固定沙地、柠条固定沙地、沙柳固定沙地5个阶段荒漠生态系统为研究对象,采用时空替代法分析植被恢复过程中荒漠生态系统碳氮储量及分配格局。结果表明:不同恢复阶段碳氮储量均表现为:流动沙地(3320.97 kg C/hm~2、346.69 kg N/hm~2)半固定沙地(4371.46 kg C/hm~2、435.95 kg N/hm~2)油蒿固定沙地(6096.50 kg C/hm~2、513.76 kg N/hm~2)柠条固定沙地(9556.80 kg C/hm~2、926.31 kg N/hm~2)沙柳固定沙地(19488.54 kg C/hm~2、982.11 kg N/hm~2)。植被层碳氮储量均呈现随植被恢复逐渐增加的趋势,除流动沙地外,其他阶段碳氮储量均以灌木层为主,占比分别为66.65%—91.41%和52.94%—93.39%,草本和凋落物占比较小。灌木各器官生物量及碳储量分配均为:茎根叶,氮储量分配无明显规律,草本各器官生物量及碳氮储量分配均为地上部分高于地下部分。土壤层是荒漠生态系统碳氮储量的主体,碳储量占比为68.64%—99.62%,氮储量占比为89.26%—99.89%,同样呈现随植被恢复逐渐增加的趋势。碳氮储量随土层加深逐渐降低,具有明显的表层富集特征,且随植被恢复过程富集性显著加强。这说明人工建植促进植被演替实现沙漠化逆转可以显著增强荒漠生态系统的碳氮固存能力。     

Toxoplasma infection in male mice alters dopamine-sensitive behaviors and host gene expression patterns associated with neuropsychiatric disease

During chronic infection, the single celled parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, can migrate to the brain where it has been associated with altered dopamine function and the capacity to modulate host behavior, increasing risk of neurocognitive disorders. Here we explore alterations in dopamine-related behavior in a new mouse model based on stimulant (cocaine)-induced hyperactivity. In combination with cocaine, infection resulted in heightened sensorimotor deficits and impairment in prepulse inhibition response, which are commonly disrupted in neuropsychiatric conditions. To identify molecular pathways in the brain affected by chronic T. gondii infection, we investigated patterns of gene expression. As expected, infection was associated with an enrichment of genes associated with general immune response pathways, that otherwise limits statistical power to identify more informative pathways. To overcome this limitation and focus on pathways of neurological relevance, we developed a novel context enrichment approach that relies on a customized ontology. Applying this approach, we identified genes that exhibited unexpected patterns of expression arising from the combination of cocaine exposure and infection. These include sets of genes which exhibited dampened response to cocaine in infected mice, suggesting a possible mechanism for some observed behaviors and a neuroprotective effect that may be advantageous to parasite persistence. This model offers a powerful new approach to dissect the molecular pathways by which T. gondii infection contributes to neurocognitive disorders.