链霉菌磷酸泛酰巯基乙胺基转移酶对载体蛋白的底物选择性的研究进展

磷酸泛酰巯基乙胺基转移酶(PPTase)催化脂肪酸合酶(FAS)、聚酮合酶(PKS)和非核糖体肽合成酶(NRPS)中载体蛋白从脱辅基形态转化为全辅基形态,对脂肪酸、PKS产物和NRPS产物的生物合成起着不可或缺的作用。本文介绍并总结了链霉菌PPTase对载体蛋白底物选择性的最新研究进展:Ⅲ型PPTase特异性催化同一个多肽链中ACP的辅基化;Ⅱ型PPTase倾向于催化Ⅰ型PKS中ACP和NRPS中PCP的辅基化;Ⅰ型PPTase倾向于催化Ⅱ型PKS中ACP和Ⅱ型FAS中ACP的辅基化;编码基因位于基因簇内的Ⅰ型/Ⅱ型PPTase倾向于催化编码基因位于同基因簇内的PKS/NRPS中ACP/PCP的辅基化;这些研究结果为阐明并改造链霉菌辅基化网络以提高特定次级代谢产物的产量提供了参考和借鉴。     

粤、闽、贵烟草青枯病菌分离株及其致病力

【目的】从粤、闽、贵3地烟草青枯病株中分离青枯病菌,测定其致病力并探讨判断致病力的方法。【方法】采用氯化三苯基四氮唑(简称TTC)培养基和蛋白质电泳相结合对青枯病菌致病力进行测定,并分析菌株生化型。【结果】已分离出烟草青枯病菌59株,依据致病力进行划分,无致病力菌株5株,有致病力菌株54株。不同致病力菌株蛋白电泳特定条带存在差异。粤、闽、贵3地烟草青枯病菌有致病力菌株均占主导地位,广东有致病力菌株比例略大,福建次之,贵州最小。按生化型划分,59株青枯病菌中1株属于生化型Ⅳ外,其他58株属于生化型Ⅲ或其亚型生化型Ⅲ-1。【结论】烟草青枯病菌致病力存在差异,SDS-PAGE蛋白指纹中的特定条带可作为判定青枯病菌有无致病力的依据。     

Single-cell transcriptomic atlas of primate cardiopulmonary aging

Aging is a major risk factor for many diseases,especially in highly prevalent cardiopulmonary comorbidities and infectious diseases including Coronavirus Diseas...     

气候变化对滇西北碧塔海流域景观演变的影响

气候变化是景观演变的重要驱动力,高海拔地带生态系统对气候变化的响应较为敏感和迅速。选择地处青藏高原东南缘,受人为干扰相对较小的碧塔海流域为研究对象,利用1958—2011年气象资料以及1955、1974、1981、1994、2005和2011年6个年代的景观类型面积,采用气候倾向率估计、Mann-Kendall突变检验方法和Pearson相关系数等统计方法,研究了香格里拉县气候变化背景下碧塔海流域景观演变特征。结果表明:(1)1958—2011年来,滇西北香格里拉县多年平均气温为5.9℃,多年平均活动积温为2146.1℃,多年平均年极端高温为24.3℃,多年平均年极端低温为-18.6℃,多年平均降水量为631.7mm。气温、活动积温和年极端低温呈显著上升趋势,近54年来气温平均上升了1.94℃,升温速率远高于云南和全国水平。年极端高温和降水量呈增加趋势,但增加不明显。滇西北高原碧塔海流域背景气候呈现显著的变暖趋势。(2)1955—2011年来,碧塔海流域自然景观演变规律为草甸和灌草丛向有林地演变,气温、活动积温和年极端低温升高趋势与有林地景观面积的增加趋势大体一致,与草甸和灌草丛变化趋势相反。(3)气温、活动积温和年极端低温与碧塔海流域草甸、灌草丛和有林地的景观面积变化具有显著的相关性,是流域景观演变的主导气候要素,在草甸和灌草丛演变成有林地的过程中发挥着重要作用。极端高温和降水量对流域景观演变的作用相对较弱。     

橘小实蝇成虫肠道可培养细菌群落结构分析

【目的】研究橘小实蝇(Bactrocera dorsalis) 3个种群(实验室正常喂养种群、实验室无菌糖水喂养种群和野生种群)成虫肠道可培养细菌的群落结构组成。【方法】利用16S rRNA基因的聚合酶链式反应-变性梯度凝胶电泳(PCR-DGGE)分析技术,结合菌落形态观察和生理生化特征鉴定细菌种类。【结果】从橘小实蝇3个种群成虫肠道600株可培养细菌得到53种不同细菌遗传型,分属于肠杆菌科(Enterobacteriaceae)、肠球菌科(Enterococcaceae)和芽孢杆菌科(Bacillaceae)等3个科。其中肠杆菌科是肠道可培养细菌最优势的细菌种类。同样以序列相似性大于97%的菌株归为相同的细菌种类为标准,找到了橘小实蝇3个种群可培养细菌的共有菌种,结合菌落形态观察和生理生化特征鉴定,确定共有菌种为肠杆菌属5株,克雷伯氏菌属2株,柠檬酸杆菌属1株,泛菌属1株,肠球菌属2株,以及芽孢杆菌属4株。【结论】通过研究橘小实蝇成虫肠道可培养细菌群落结构组成,可为探讨肠道菌群对寄主的生理功能和生态学意义奠定基础,最终为利用微生物防治此类害虫提供新思路。     

TEB/POLQ plays dual roles in protecting Arabidopsis from NO-induced DNA damage

Nitric oxide (NO) is a key player in numerous physiological processes. Excessive NO induces DNA damage, but how plants respond to this damage remains unclear. We screened and identified an Arabidopsis NO hypersensitive mutant and found it to be allelic to TEBICHI/POLQ, encoding DNA polymerase θ. The teb mutant plants were preferentially sensitive to NO- and its derivative peroxynitrite-induced DNA damage and subsequent double-strand breaks (DSBs). Inactivation of TEB caused the accumulation of spontaneous DSBs largely attributed to endogenous NO and was synergistic to DSB repair pathway mutations with respect to growth. These effects were manifested in the presence of NO-inducing agents and relieved by NO scavengers. NO induced G2/M cell cycle arrest in the teb mutant, indicative of stalled replication forks. Genetic analyses indicate that Polθ is required for translesion DNA synthesis across NO-induced lesions, but not oxidation-induced lesions. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that Polθ bypasses NO-induced base adducts in an error-free manner and generates mutations characteristic of Polθ-mediated end joining. Our experimental data collectively suggests that Polθ plays dual roles in protecting plants from NO-induced DNA damage. Since Polθ is conserved in higher eukaryotes, mammalian Polθ may also be required for balancing NO physiological signaling and genotoxicity.     

Selective pericentromeric heterochromatin dismantling caused by TP53 activation during senescence

Cellular senescence triggers various types of heterochromatin remodeling that contribute to aging. However, the age-related mechanisms that lead to these epigenetic alterations remain elusive. Here, we asked how two key aging hallmarks, telomere shortening and constitutive heterochromatin loss, are mechanistically connected during senescence. We show that, at the onset of senescence, pericentromeric heterochromatin is specifically dismantled consisting of chromatin decondensation, accumulation of DNA breakages, illegitimate recombination and loss of DNA. This process is caused by telomere shortening or genotoxic stress by a sequence of events starting from TP53-dependent downregulation of the telomere protective protein TRF2. The resulting loss of TRF2 at pericentromeres triggers DNA breaks activating ATM, which in turn leads to heterochromatin decondensation by releasing KAP1 and Lamin B1, recombination and satellite DNA excision found in the cytosol associated with cGAS. This TP53–TRF2 axis activates the interferon response and the formation of chromosome rearrangements when the cells escape the senescent growth arrest. Overall, these results reveal the role of TP53 as pericentromeric disassembler and define the basic principles of how a TP53-dependent senescence inducer hierarchically leads to selective pericentromeric dismantling through the downregulation of TRF2.     

Friend or Foe? Implication of the autophagy-lysosome pathway in SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19

There is increasing amount of evidence indicating the close interplays between the replication cycle of SARS-CoV-2 and the autophagy-lysosome pathway in the host cells. While autophagy machinery is known to either assist or inhibit the viral replication process, the reciprocal effects of the SARS-CoV-2 on the autophagy-lysosome pathway have also been increasingly appreciated. More importantly, despite the disappointing results from the clinical trials of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in treatment of COVID-19, there is still ongoing effort in discovering new therapeutics targeting the autophagy-lysosome pathway. In this review, we provide an update-to-date summary of the interplays between the autophagy-lysosome pathway in the host cells and the pathogen SARS-CoV-2 at the molecular level, to highlight the prognostic value of autophagy markers in COVID-19 patients and to discuss the potential of developing novel therapeutic strategies for COVID-19 by targeting the autophagy-lysosome pathway. Thus, understanding the nature of such interactions between SARS-CoV-2 and the autophagy-lysosome pathway in the host cells is expected to provide novel strategies in battling against this global pandemic.     

金合欢根瘤菌的几种酶活特性

金合欢根瘤菌Rhizobium sp.(Acacia farnesiana)的氧化酶、过氧化氢酶、脲酶、青霉素酶和β-半乳糖苷酶均呈阳性。经过酶活性定量测定表明金合欢根瘤菌有葡萄糖酸-6-磷酸脱氢酶(6PGD)和β-半乳糖苷酶的酶活性,而慢生型大豆根瘤菌未测到上述两种酶活性。根据聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳酯酶图谱,6株金合欢根瘤菌可分成两群:酋株AF1、AF2和AF3的酯酶图谱中有A带,AF4、AF5和AF6的酯酶图谱中没有A带。