Effect of exogenous spermidine on polyamine metabolism in water hyacinth leaves under mercury stress

The influence of exogenous spermidine (Spd) on arginine decarboxylase (ADC), ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), polyamine oxidase (PAO) activities and polyamines (PAs), proline contents in water hyacinth leaves under Mercury (Hg) stress was investigated after 6 days treatment. The results showed that free putrescine (Put) content increased, the contents of free spermidine (Spd) and spermine (Spm) and the (Spd + Spm)/Put ratio in water hyacinth leaves decreased significantly with the increase of the Hg concentrations. Hg stress also disturbed the activities of ADC, ODC and PAO and caused changes on proline content. Compared to the Hg-treatment only, exogenous Spd (0.1 mM) significantly reduced the accumulation of free Put, increased the contents of free Spd and Spm and the ratio of (Spd + Spm)/Put in water hyacinth leaves. Furthermore, exogenous Spd enhanced the activities of ADC, ODC and PAO and significantly increased proline content. The PS-conjugated PAs and PIS-bound PAs changed in the same trend as free PAs. These results suggest that exogenous Spd can alleviate the metabolic disturbance of polyamines caused by Hg in water hyacinth leaves.     

Characterization of Bacterial Community Structure in a Drinking Water Distribution System during an Occurrence of Red Water

The role of bacteria in the occasional emergence of red water, which has been documented worldwide, has yet to be determined. To better understand the mechanisms that drive occurrences of red water, the bacterial community composition and the relative abundance of several functional bacterial groups in a water distribution system of Beijing during a large-scale red water event were determined using several molecular methods. Individual clone libraries of the 16S rRNA gene were constructed for three red water samples and one sample of normal water. Beta-, Alpha-, and Gammaproteobacteria comprised the major bacterial communities in both red water and normal water samples, in agreement with previous reports. A high percentage of red water clones (25.2 to 57.1%) were affiliated with or closely related to a diverse array of iron-oxidizing bacteria, including the neutrophilic microaerobic genera Gallionella and Sideroxydans, the acidophilic species Acidothiobacillus ferrooxidans, and the anaerobic denitrifying Thermomonas bacteria. The genus Gallionella comprised 18.7 to 28.6% of all clones in the three red water libraries. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that the 16S rRNA gene copy concentration of Gallionella spp. was between (4.1 ± 0.9) × 10⁷ (mean ± standard deviation) and (1.6 ± 0.3) × 10⁸ per liter in red water, accounting for 13.1% ± 2.9% to 17.2% ± 3.6% of the total Bacteria spp. in these samples. By comparison, the percentages of Gallionella spp. in the normal water samples were 0.1% or lower (below the limit of detection), suggesting an important role of Gallionella spp. in the formation of red water.On occasion, extensive precipitation of iron oxides in drinking water distribution systems manifests as red water at the tap and results in serious deterioration of water quality, with undesirable esthetic and health effects (18, 40, 46). The abundance of ferrous iron in source water or the acceleration of corrosion of iron pipelines after the loosening of chemical and microbial films from the interior surfaces of distribution systems might be the sources of iron oxides in red water. Switching of water sources has been observed to be associated with red water due to disruption of the delicate chemical equilibrium in water supply systems (18). High concentrations of anions, particularly sulfate ions, have been recognized as a causative agent of red water in many cases, reflected in high values on indices such as the Larson-Skold index (18, 29). Other physicochemical factors, such as insufficient disinfection residue, extended hydraulic retention time, low levels of dissolved oxygen, high temperature, low alkalinity, and high chloride concentration, have also been implicated in the emergence of red water (18, 46).In addition to physicochemical factors, microorganisms may also participate in the unique phenomenon of red water. Drinking water distribution systems are a unique niche for microorganisms, despite oligotrophic conditions and the presence of free or combined chlorine (3, 18). Phylogenetically diverse bacterial groups can inhabit the bulk water or biofilms attached to pipes. Culture-based and independent analyses have revealed that members of the class Proteobacteria, including the Alpha-, Beta-, and Gammaproteobacteria, are typically the most abundant bacterial group in water distribution systems, followed by bacterial phyla such as Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes (13, 38). Bacteria inhabiting distribution systems mainly fill functions of diverse carbon source utilization and nitrification, as well as microbial corrosion (3). Meanwhile, during periods of red water, abundant ferrous iron in the bulk water creates favorable conditions for the growth of bacteria in the distribution systems, as this iron scavenges residual chlorine and serves as an energy source for iron-oxidizing bacteria. Some neutrophilic iron oxidizers, such as Gallionella spp. and Leptothrix ochracea, which have occasionally been observed in association with red water events because of their distinct morphology, can promote the precipitation of iron oxides by converting ferrous iron to ferric iron (9, 46). As very little energy can be generated during the oxidation of ferrous to ferric iron, a large quantity of iron needs to be oxidized to support the growth of lithotrophic iron oxidizers. It has been calculated that the ratio of iron to the weight of bacterial cell material could be up to approximately 450 to 500, assuming that the oxidation of ferrous iron provides the sole energy for the synthesis of cell material (9). Emerson et al. have found that the oxidation rate of ferrous iron could be up to 600 to 960 nmol per h per cm³ of mat material that contained up to 10⁹ bacterial cells, most of which were iron oxidizers like Gallionella spp. and Leptothrix ochracea, and the oxidation rate of ferrous iron by iron oxidizers could be as high as four times that of dissolved oxygen (15). These neutrophilic iron oxidizers have been even utilized to remove iron from groundwater by passage of preaerated water through sand filters during drinking water treatment (24, 36). Thus, iron-oxidizing species might play an important role in red water events. With the exception of specific neutrophilic iron oxidizers (e.g., Gallionella spp. and Leptothrix ochracea), the whole microbial community composition in red water and the presence of potentially functional groups, including neutrophilic iron-oxidizing bacteria in red water, is poorly defined, possibly because the appearance of this unique phenomenon in real distribution systems is so irregular. To better understand the mechanisms that drive the emergence of red water, the bacterial community composition and the relative abundance of several functional bacterial groups in a water distribution system of Beijing during a large-scale red water event were determined using several molecular methods. The results of this comprehensive investigation of the biological component of red water will provide valuable information for those managing red water events in water distribution systems.     

Cold treatment enhances lead resistance in Arabidopsis

As sessile organisms, plants usually experience several stresses simultaneously. It was shown that stress cross-tolerance may be induced by different stressors, including biotic factors as well as heavy metal, hypoxia, ultraviolet-B radiation, heat, high salt, drought, and cold stresses. However, it is unclear whether there is a cross-tolerance toward cold and lead (Pb) stresses in Arabidopsis. In this study, we showed that cold pretreatment enhanced Pb(II) resistance in Arabidopsis, as indicated by lower reduction of root length, fresh weight, and chlorophyll content in the cold-treated plants than the control ones. In the cold-treated seedlings, lower Pb contents were detected in roots and shoots in comparison to the control. This was associated, at least in part, with the activation of the expression of AtPDR12 gene, a pump excluding Pb(II) and/or Pb(II)-containing toxic compounds from the cytoplasm to the exterior of the cell. This finding was further supported by genetic evidence showing that cold treatment was unable to enhance resistance of atpdr12 mutant to Pb(II) stress but could enhance Pb(II) resistance of the wild type. In addition, we also found that cold-induced enhanced Pb(II) resistance was glutathione-independent. Taken together, all these results suggest that cold treatment enhanced Pb(II) resistance in Arabidopsis, at least in part, by activating the expression of AtPDR12 gene.     

Cadmium stress in wheat seedlings: growth,cadmium accumulation and photosynthesis

Seedlings of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars Jing 411, Jinmai 30 and Yangmai 10 were exposed to 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 or 50 μM of CdCl₂ in a solution culture experiment. The effects of cadmium (Cd) stress on wheat growth, leaf photon energy conversion, gas exchange, and Cd accumulation in wheat seedlings were investigated. Gas exchange was monitored at 3, 9, 24 days after treatment (DAT). Growth parameters, chlorophyll content, leaf chlorophyll fluorescence, and Cd concentration in shoot and root were measured at 24 DAT. Seedling growth, gas exchange, chlorophyll content, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were generally depressed by Cd stress, especially under the high Cd concentrations. Cd concentration and accumulation in both shoots and roots increased with increasing external Cd concentrations. Relationships between corrected parameters of growth, photosynthesis and fluorescence and corrected Cd concentrations in shoots and roots could be explained by the regression model Y = K/(1 + exp(a + bX)). Jing 411 was found to be Cd tolerant considering parameters of chlorophyll content, photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence in which less Cd translocation was from roots into shoots. The high Cd concentrations were in shoots and roots in Yangmai 10 which has been found to be a relative Cd tolerant cultivar in terms of most growth parameters.     

Mesenchymal stem cells derived from human umbilical cord ameliorate ischemia/reperfusion-induced acute renal failure in rats

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are candidates for cell therapy of kidney diseases. However, the application of MSC derived from human umbilical cord (UC-MSC) in treating acute renal failure (ARF) has not been reported. UC-MSCs, 10⁶, were transplantated via the left carotid artery into ARF rats which was established by clamping bilateral pedicles for 60 min and reperfusing. Serum creatinine and urea nitrogen decreased 4.8 times and 3.6 times as well as caspase-3 and IL-1β decreased 5.8 times and 9 times compared to control groups, respectively. The percent of proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-positive cells (53% ± 7.5%) was higher than that in the control groups (17% ± 4.5%). In addition, the transplanted UC-MSCs could reside in local injury sites, leading to the relief of hyperemia and inflammation, but no obvious transdifferentiation into renal-like cells. The results lay the foundation for further study on the potential application of UC-MSC in human disease.     

Synthesis, characterization, solid-state photo-luminescence and anti-tumor activity of zinc(II) 4′-phenyl-terpyridine compounds

Reactions between 4′-phenyl-terpyridine (L) and several Zn(II) salts (sulfate, nitrate, chloride or acetate) led to the formation of the complexes [Zn₂(μ-O₂SO₂)₂L₂(CH₃OH)₂] (1), [Zn(NO₃)L(H₂O)]NO₃ (2), [Zn(Cl)₂L] (3) and [Zn(CH₃COO)₂L] (4) which were characterized by IR, ¹H NMR and fluorescence spectroscopies, elemental analysis and single crystal X-ray diffraction. In the dinuclear molecule of 1 the Zn atom is hexacoordinated, with a N₃O₃ coordination environment and forms an octagonal ZnOSOZnOSO metallacycle. In the remaining structures, the metal atom is envisaged as possessing highly distorted N₃X₂ (X = O or Cl) square pyramid coordination geometries. The structure of 3 presents two different packing patterns which lead to distinct π-π stackings. In both structures 2 and 4, strong intermolecular hydrogen bonds were identified. The complexes exhibit promising in vitro tumor-inhibiting activities, which are higher than that of cisplatin, against the following human tumor cell lines: promyelocyticfina leukaemia (HL-60), hepatocellular carcinoma (Bel-7402), gastric carcinoma (BGC-823) and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (KB).     

CpG island hypermethylation of multiple tumor suppressor genes associated with loss of their protein expression during rat lung carcinogenesis induced by 3-methylcholanthrene and diethylnitrosamine

The epigenetic mechanisms underlying the tumorigenesis caused by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and nitrosamine compounds such as 3-methylcholanthrene (MCA) and diethylnitrosamine (DEN) are currently unknown. We reported previously that dynamic changes in DNA methylation occurred during MCA/DEN-induced rat lung carcinogenesis. Here, we used the same animal model to further study the evolution of methylation alterations in tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) DAPK1, FHIT, RASSF1A, and SOCS-3. We found that none of these genes were methylated in either normal or hyperplasia tissue. However, as the severity of the cancer progressed through squamous metaplasia and dysplasia to carcinoma in situ (CIS) and infiltrating carcinoma, so methylation became more prevalent. Particularly dramatic increases in the level of methylation, the average number of methylated genes, and the incidence of concurrent methylation in three genes were observed in CIS and infiltrating carcinoma. Similar but less profound changes were seen in squamous metaplasia and dysplasia. Furthermore, methylation status was closely correlated to loss of protein expression for these genes, with protein levels markedly declining along the continuum of carcinogenesis. These results suggest that progressive CpG island hypermethylation leading to inactivation of TSGs might be a vital molecular mechanism in the pathogenesis of MCA/DEN-induced multistep rat lung carcinogenesis.     

川滇四区森林土壤纯培养放线菌多样性及生物活性

【目的】为了从放线菌发现新的药物先导化合物,研究了川滇4个地区的放线菌多样性及其生物活性。【方法】采集250份土样,用4种培养基分离放线菌;从中选择98株代表菌进行了初步分类鉴定;采用琼脂扩散法,检测了169株放线菌对4种细菌和7种真菌的抑菌活性;利用特异性引物扩增法,测定了它们产生的聚酮合酶(PKSI、PKSⅡ)基因、非核糖体多肽合成酶(NRPS)基因和多烯类化合物合成酶(CYP)基因。【结果】黄荆老林的放线菌有13个属,峨眉山、青城山仅5个属,九寨沟9个属,西双版纳达20个属;不同地区的放线菌具有抗菌活性的菌株平均约占10%;有27%-36%的菌株产生PKSI、II、NRPS、CPY化合物合成基因。【结论】在采集样品的地区中,人类干扰越少,放线菌的多样性越高。分离放线菌时,使用"极端"条件,虽然分离到的放线菌数量可能不多,但获得未知菌的比例较大。添加抑制剂可减少革兰氏阴性细菌和真菌,有利于分离放线菌。     

Differences in metabolite profile between blood plasma and serum

In metabolomic research, blood plasma and serum have been considered to possess similar compositions and properties. Their perceived equivalence has resulted in researchers choosing arbitrarily between serum and plasma for analysis. Here, routine serum and plasma were prepared and their low-molecular-weight compounds were determined using gas chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Principal components analysis was applied to process the acquired data, and marked differences in metabolite profiles were observed between serum and plasma. Of the 72 identified compounds, 36 (50%) discriminate serum from plasma, with 29 and 7 metabolites showing a significantly higher abundance (t test, P < 0.05) in serum and plasma, respectively. Incubation of blood had distinct effects on the analyte peak areas, with the effects being more pronounced for plasma than for serum and more pronounced for a shorter incubation than for a longer incubation. These results highlight the importance in choosing serum or plasma as the analytical sample and in stipulating the incubation time. Because incubation affected the analyte peak areas less in serum than in plasma, we recommend serum as the sample of choice in metabolomic studies.