长期模拟增雨对荒漠植物形态特征及空间分布格局的影响

研究降雨变化对荒漠优势植物形态特征、空间点格局及空间关联性的影响有助于预测荒漠生态系统对全球气候变化的响应.以乌兰布和沙漠典型荒漠植物唐古特白刺和油蒿为研究对象,进行了连续10年的模拟增雨试验,运用Programita软件,采用Ripley K函数和Monte Carlo随机模拟方法,对长期模拟增雨条件下两种植物形态特征、空间格局及空间关联性进行研究.结果表明: 不同增雨处理下唐古特白刺和油蒿植株的数量、高度、平均冠幅和基径均存在显著差异,增雨处理的唐古特白刺和油蒿植株数量、高度、平均冠幅和基径均显著大于对照,并随着增雨量的增大而增大.当增雨量小于72 mm时,白刺枝条具有明显的聚集分布趋势;当增雨量大于72 mm后,随着增雨量的增大,白刺枝条表现出聚集强度明显降低的趋势.油蒿植株随着增雨量的增加空间分布格局表现为随机分布-聚集分布-随机分布.就空间关联性而言,对照处理下唐古特白刺枝条与油蒿之间表现为负关联,随着增雨量的增加两者呈现无关联或正关联,当增雨量达到144 mm时,空间关联由负关联向正关联转变.未来降雨增加条件下,土壤水分明显改善,两种荒漠植物对水分的竞争减弱,更有利于白刺和油蒿的共存生长.     

高粱耐盐性评价方法研究及耐盐碱资源的筛选

用5.500 g/L盐水溶液对3～5叶期高粱幼苗进行处理,用幼苗相对成活率对568份高粱种质进行分级,结果显示:5%的种质具有3级以上的耐盐性。此法可以用来进行大量种质的苗期耐盐筛选。根据植株在不同含盐量的盐碱地上生长的性状差异,对成株期的高粱进行耐盐鉴定,利用处理间性状的差异及各性状与穗重和秆重的相关性构建一个耐盐指数来评价材料对盐碱的耐性,从而对18个高粱品种和品系进行了分级,以适合于盐碱地推广品种的筛选。     

Mechanism of neoagarotetraose protects against intense exercise-induced liver injury based on molecular ecological network analysis

Here we have explored the effect of neoagarotetraose (NAT) on liver injury caused by intense exercise. Our results showed that NAT treatment obviously decreased liver weight (p < 0.01), improved the liver morphological structure, decreased ALT level (p < 0.05) and endotoxin (LPS) (p < 0.01). In addition, NAT could regulate bile acid profiles in feces and serum of mice, which indicated the potential of liver function, suggesting that NAT was effective to relieve intense exercise-induced liver injury. NAT could regulate the expression of colon genes. NAT tended to alter the microbial composition of mice under intense exercise. We uncovered the network interactions between liver traits and microbial communities in NAT treatment mice. Interestingly, our data indicated that intense exercise-induced liver injury may be related to Clostridiales. In summary, these results demonstrated that NAT relieved liver injury induced by intense exercise may be related to gut microbiota.     

乳酸菌素片联合标准四联疗法对社区消化性溃疡患者胃电图及肠道菌群的影响

目的探讨乳酸菌素片结合标准四联疗法对社区消化性溃疡(PU)患者胃电图及肠道菌群的影响,为该类患者的治疗提供参考。方法选取2018年1月至2020年3月社区PU患者128例,随机分为对照组和试验组,各64例。对照组患者给予标准四联疗法,试验组在对照组基础上给予乳酸菌素片,两组患者均治疗14 d。观察两组患者H.pylori根除率、治疗效果、再生黏膜组织学成熟度、不良反应及治疗前后胃电图(胃肠电节律紊乱、平均频率)、胃肠激素[胃蛋白原Ⅰ(PGⅠ)、生长抑素(SS)、生长激素释放多肽(Ghrelin)]、肠道菌群(革兰阳性球菌、革兰阴性球菌、革兰阳性杆菌)水平,并于治疗后3个月随访PU复发率。结果试验组患者治疗总有效率(95.31%)、H.pylori根除率(87.50%)及再生黏膜组织学成熟度均高于对照组(均P0.05)。胃电图检测显示,治疗后试验组患者餐前、餐后平均频率及胃肠电节律紊乱均低于对照组(均P0.05)。治疗后试验组患者血清SS水平高于对照组,PGⅠ、Ghrelin水平低于对照组(均P0.05)。治疗后试验组患者肠道革兰阴性球菌数量高于对照组,革兰阳性杆菌数量低于对照组(均P0.05)。两组患者不良反应发生率及PU复发率比较差异无统计学意义(均P0.05)。结论乳酸菌素片结合标准四联疗法治疗社区PU患者的疗效确切,可有效调控患者胃肠激素,提高H.pylori根除率,安全性较高。     

Advanced glycation end product recognition by the receptor for AGEs

Nonenzymatic protein glycation results in the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) that are implicated in the pathology of diabetes, chronic inflammation, Alzheimer's disease, and cancer. AGEs mediate their effects primarily through a receptor-dependent pathway in which AGEs bind to a specific cell surface associated receptor, the Receptor for AGEs (RAGE). N(?)-carboxy-methyl-lysine (CML) and N(?)-carboxy-ethyl-lysine (CEL), constitute two of the major AGE structures found in tissue and blood plasma, and are physiological ligands of RAGE. The solution structure of a CEL-containing peptide-RAGE V domain complex reveals that the carboxyethyl moiety fits inside a positively charged cavity of the V domain. Peptide backbone atoms make specific contacts with the V domain. The geometry of the bound CEL peptide is compatible with many CML (CEL)-modified sites found in plasma proteins. The structure explains how such patterned ligands as CML (CEL)-proteins bind to RAGE and contribute to RAGE signaling.     

Alteration in gene expression profile and biological behavior in human lung cancer cell line NL9980 by nm23-H1 gene silencing

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women. Tumor metastasis is an essential aspect of lung cancer progression. nm23-H1 is a metastasis suppressor gene. The molecular mechanism by which nm23-H1 suppresses the metastasis is still unclear. Here, we compared the gene expression profile of human large cell lung cancer cell line NL9980 by nm23-H1 gene silencing with that of negative control cells to comprehensively investigate nm23-H1-mediated changes in gene expression of NL9980 cells. Microarray assay revealed that expression of 733-known genes (1.9%, 733/38,500) were altered in response to nm23-H1 gene silencing, including 466 upregulated genes and 267 downregulated. real-time PCR assay of the expression changes indicated that 81.82% (45/55) of verified genes were consistent with that observed in microarray assay. The upregulated genes included MMP-1, -2, SNAI2, CXCL1, 2, 3, PAI-2, while the downregulated genes included cystatin B, TIMP-2, E-cadherin, centrin-2, all of which have been associated with tumor metastasis. Furthermore, we confirmed by Western blot that the expression of MMP-1 and -2 were significantly increased while that of cystatin B was dramatically decreased in NL9980-nm23-H1 silencing cells. The NL9980-nm23-H1 silencing cells exhibited significantly more S phase growth and invasive ability. Thus, silencing of nm23-H1 gene caused metastasis-related gene expression changes in lung cancer cells. The knockdown of nm23-H1 expression may change the lung cancer cells to a more invasive phenotype through alteration in the expression of a set of genes.     

Cysteine mutants of human apolipoprotein A-I: a study of secondary structural and functional properties

Apolipoprotein A-I(Milano) (A-I(M)) (R173C), a natural mutant of human apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I), and five other cysteine variants of apoA-I at residues 52 (S52C), 74 (N74C), 107 (K107C), 129 (G129C), and 195 (K195C) were generated. Cysteine residues were incorporated in each of the various helices at the same helical wheel position as for the substitution in A-I(M). The secondary structural properties of the monomeric mutants, their abilities to bind lipid and to promote cholesterol efflux from THP-1 macrophages, and the possibility of antiperoxidation were investigated. Results showed that the alpha helical contents of all of the cysteine mutants were similar to that of wild-type apoA-I (wtapoA-I). The cysteine variant of A-I(M) at residue 173 [A-I(M)(R173C)] exhibited weakened structural stability, whereas A-I(G129C) a more stable structure than wtapoA-I. A-I(G129C) and A-I(K195C) exhibited significantly impaired capabilities to bind lipid compared with wtapoA-I. A-I(K107C) possessed a higher capacity to promote cholesterol efflux from macrophages than wtapoA-I, and A-I(M)(R173C) and A-I(K195C) exhibited an impaired efflux capability. Neither A-I(M)(R173C) nor any other cysteine mutant could resist oxidation against lipoxygenase. In summary, in spite of the similar mutant position on the helix, these variants exhibited different structural features or biological activities, suggesting the potential influence of the local environment of mutations on the whole polypeptide chain.     

Mean time to resolution of gene duplication

The mean time to resolution of gene duplication (T_r) is studied in this paper under the double null recessive (DNR) and haplo-insufficient (HI) models within the same analytical and simulation framework. We show that when population size is not too small (more precisely Nμ > 0.1), T_r for unlinked duplication is usually larger than that for linked and T_r for unlinked duplication under the HI model might be greatly prolonged, which were consistent with previous observations. Furthermore, by analytical approach we here indicate the primary underlying mechanism is that the frequency of the original (or wild-type) chromosomal haplotype of the linked duplication decreases nearly exponential to zero with time while that of the unlinked decreases quickly to an quasi-equilibrium; and this phenomenon is particularly profound under the HI model, because the quasi-equilibrium frequency of the original chromosomal haplotype (x₀) under the HI model is higher than that under the DNR model. These results suggest that recombination and HI model might jointly contribute to the marked prolongation of T_r even in a modest population. The prolonged T_r and higher quasi-equilibrium frequency of the original allele at both duplicated loci might have offered more opportunities for the emergence of novel genes.     

Proteomics in China: Ready for prime time

Proteomics is a newborn science focusing on the comprehensive systematic analysis of all proteins in molecule machineries,organelles,cells,tissues,organs or intact organisms.It has been becoming one of the focuses in life sciences and cutting-edge techniques in biotechnologies in the 21st century.During the last decade,proteomics in China has developed much faster than other developing fields in the life sciences.This review article briefly retrospects the origin and development of proteomics in China,and p...     

百合花粉管中的胞吞/胞吐作用观察分析

应用细胞膜染料FM 4-64结合Zeiss 5 live快速扫描型共聚焦显微镜观察了百合花粉管中的吞排作用.结果显示,培养基中加入FM4-64后,染料迅速进入到花粉管中,并在花粉管顶端形成一个锥形的区域;锥形区域表现出周期性变化,并且与花粉管脉冲生长呈负相关,即锥形区形成期花粉管生长缓慢,而锥形区消退期花粉管生长迅速;在锥形区域的消退期,花粉管顶端,尤其是最顶端快速向前延伸,而在锥形区域的形成期,花粉管最顶端的延伸速度显著下降,但亚顶端区域仍基本维持原有的生长速度.研究发现,花粉管的最顶端既是内吞作用也是胞吐作用的主要场所,但胞吞作用仅局限于花粉管的最顶端,而胞吐作用发生在包括亚顶端在内的整个花粉管顶端;胞吞和胞吐作用在花粉管最顶端交替发生,可能是花粉管脉冲生长的一个非常重要的原因.