Ultrastructure of the micropyle and its relationship to pollen tube growth and synergid degeneration in sunflower

Summary Ultrastructural studies made on the micropyle of sunflower before and after pollination resulted in the following observations. (1) The micropyle is closed instead of a hole or canal. The inner epidermis of the integument on both sides of the micropyle is in close contact at the apex of the ovule. The boundary between the two sides consists of two layers of epidermal cuticle. (2) The micropyle contains a transmitting tissue. The micropyle is composed of an intercellular matrix produced by the epidermal cells of the integument. (3) The micropyle is asymmetrical, and is much wider on the side proximal to the funicle. On the funicle side the cells adjacent to the micropyle are similar to those of the transmitting tissue: they have large amounts of intercellular matrix and contain abundant dictyosomes, rough ER, and starch grains, and provide an appropriate environment for growth of the pollen tubes. The cells distal to the funicle are rich in rough ER and lipid bodies; they lack large intercellular spaces. (4) The micropyle is variable in the axial direction, i.e., it is much larger and more asymmetric at the level distal to the embryo sac than at a level close to the embryo sac. After pollination, one to four pollen tubes are seen in a micropyle. During their passage through the micropyle, most pollen tubes are restricted to the side proximal to the funicle. There is a greater tendency (81%) for the degenerate synergid to be located toward the funicle, i.e., at the same side as the pollen tube pathway. The data indicate a close relationship between micropyle organization, orientation of pollen tube growth, and synergid degeneration.     

Color regulation in the archaebacterial phototaxis receptor phoborhodopsin (sensory rhodopsin II)

Phoborhodopsin, a repellent phototaxis receptor in Halobacterium halobium, exhibits vibrational fine structure, a feature that has not been identified for any other rhodopsin pigment at physiological temperatures. This conclusion follows form analysis of the absorption properties of the pigment in H. halobium membranes containing native retinal and an array of retinal analogues. The absorption spectrum of the native pigment has a maximum at 487 nm with a pronounced shoulder at 460 nm; however, the bandwidth is that expected for a single retinylidene species. Gaussian band-shape simulation with a spacing corresponding to the vibrational frequencies of polyene stretching modes reproduces the structured absorption spectra of native pigment as well as of analogue phoborhodopsin. Absorption shifts produced by a series of dihydroretinal and other retinal analogues strongly indicate that the dominant factor regulating the color of the pigment is planarization of the retinal ring with respect to the polyene chain.     

Mechanism of adenylate kinase. Structural and functional demonstration of arginine-138 as a key catalytic residue that cannot be replaced by lysine

Replacement of the arginine-138 of adenylate kinase (AK) by lysine or methionine resulted in a decrease in kcat by a factor of 10(4), increases in Km by a factor of 10-20, and relatively little changes in dissociation constants. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies were then undertaken to obtain structural information for quantitative interpretation of the kinetic data. Since the lysine mutant (R138K) represents a conservative mutation with surprisingly large effects on kinetics, structural studies were focused on the wild type (WT) and R138K. The results and conclusions are summarized as follows: (i) The aromatic spin systems of WT and R138K were assigned from total correlated spectroscopy (TOCSY). Comparison of the chemical shifts of aromatic protons, one-dimensional spectra, TOCSY, and nuclear Overhauser enhanced spectroscopy (NOESY) indicated that the conformation of R138K was almost unperturbed relative to that of WT. Thus Arg-138 is not important for the tertiary structure. (ii) Proton NMR titrations with AMP and MgATP suggested that substrate binding affinities and substrate-induced conformational changes are nearly identical between WT and R138K. Thus arginine-138 should not be involved in stabilizing the first substrate in the binary complex. (iii) Notable differences were observed between the proton NMR spectra of the WT and R138K complexes with the reaction mixture, which agrees with the perturbation in the Km values of R138K. The differences were analyzed in detail by using a "static reaction mixture'--p1, p5-bis(5'-adenosyl)pentaphosphate (MgAP5A). The aromatic spin systems of WT + MgAP5A and R138K + MgAP5A were partially assigned from various two-dimensional spectra.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

江苏省县域森林生态安全评价及空间计量分析

通过考察生态区位因素对森林生态安全的影响,建立评价指标体系,研究其空间相关性的内在效应机制,从而实现森林生态安全的评价与监测。以江苏省80个区县为研究对象,基于2000—2015年面板数据,运用熵权法、专家法及模糊物元法计算森林生态安全指数,然后结合气象类指标及地形类指标计算生态区位系数,再用该系数修正森林ESI,同时结合Arc GIS技术、空间相关性分析、SLM与SEM模型得出如下结论:(1)人口密度、单位面积能源消耗量、退耕还林面积占比等指标权重最大;(2)生态区位系数高值区主要分布在江苏南部少数地区,低值区主要分布在江苏东北部;(3)苏南地区森林生态安全状况整体好于苏北及中东部地区;(4) 2000—2015年,江苏省67.5%的区县森林ESI呈现出较明显下降趋势,反映出江苏省森林生态安全发展状况不容乐观;(5)江苏省县域森林ESI整体空间相关性显著(P≤0.01),但2000—2015年空间聚集程度有所下降,且Low-Low聚类显著性更强;(6)森林ESI在江苏省县域间为扩散效应与回流效应并存。     

乳粉中嗜热菌污染研究进展

嗜热菌是乳粉中的常见污染菌,是影响乳粉品质的一个重要因素。本文综述乳粉中嗜热菌的种类、污染源对乳品工业的危害及其控制手段的研究进展,为国内相关领域研究提供参考。     

粤北南岭大宝山矿流域山水林田湖草修复阻力与优先级分析

遵循“防源、控流、治汇”理念,以粤北南岭大宝山矿区作为风险源,以所在流域为研究区,分析研究区主要阻力因素,采用最小累积阻力模型建立区域生态阻力面;利用Jenks自然断点法,分析生态修复优先级,提出分区治理重点和对策。研究结果表明：研究区综合阻力系数处于9-32之间,各评价指标的阻力面空间分布格局相似,其阻力值呈现出东南部大,西北部小的空间格局;长期的矿业开采污染了流域生态环境,且距离矿区越近的区域生态修复的优先性越高。将研究区分为4个优先级区,各区修复优先性依次为Ⅰ区 > Ⅱ区 > Ⅲ区 > Ⅳ区。Ⅰ区重点在于治水,提高pH、降低重金属有效态含量和增加地表植被覆盖度。Ⅱ区重点在于河流治理与治土,确保污染减排,增强拦泥库的废水调节。Ⅲ区、Ⅳ区核心在治土,逐步改善土壤条件。研究结果为修复项目在时空尺度上落地和科学治理提供科学依据。     

Mitogenomes provide new insights of evolutionary history of Boreheptagyiini and Diamesini (Diptera: Chironomidae: Diamesinae)

Mitogenomes have been widely used for phylogenetic reconstruction of various Dipteran groups, but specifically for chironomid, they have not been carried out to resolve the relationships. Diamesinae (Diptera: Chironomidae) are important bioindicators for freshwater ecosystem monitoring, but its evolutionary history remains uncertain for lack of information. Here, coupled with one previously published and 30 new mitogenomes of Diamesinae, we carried out comparative mitogenomic analysis and phylogenetic analysis. Mitogenomes of Diamesinae were conserved in structure, and all genes arranged in the same order as the ancestral insect mitogenome. All protein‐coding genes in Diamesinae were under stronger purifying selection than those of other nonbiting midge species, which may exhibit signs of adaptation to life at cold living conditions. Phylogenetic analyses strongly supported the monophyly of Diamesinae, with Boreheptagyiini deeply nested within Diamesini. In addition, phylogenetic relationship of selected six genera was resolved, except Sympotthastia remained unstable. Our study revealed that the mitogenomes of Diamesinae are highly conserved, and they are practically useful for phylogenetic inference.     

SARS-CoV-2 envelope protein causes acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)-like pathological damages and constitutes an antiviral target

Cytokine storm and multi-organ failure are the main causes of SARS-CoV-2-related death. However, the origin of excessive damages caused by SARS-CoV-2 remains largely unknown. Here we show that the SARS-CoV-2 envelope (2-E) protein alone is able to cause acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)-like damages in vitro and in vivo. 2-E proteins were found to form a type of pH-sensitive cation channels in bilayer lipid membranes. As observed in SARS-CoV-2-infected cells, heterologous expression of 2-E channels induced rapid cell death in various susceptible cell types and robust secretion of cytokines and chemokines in macrophages. Intravenous administration of purified 2-E protein into mice caused ARDS-like pathological damages in lung and spleen. A dominant negative mutation lowering 2-E channel activity attenuated cell death and SARS-CoV-2 production. Newly identified channel inhibitors exhibited potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity and excellent cell protective activity in vitro and these activities were positively correlated with inhibition of 2-E channel. Importantly, prophylactic and therapeutic administration of the channel inhibitor effectively reduced both the viral load and secretion of inflammation cytokines in lungs of SARS-CoV-2-infected transgenic mice expressing human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE-2). Our study supports that 2-E is a promising drug target against SARS-CoV-2.Subject terms: Cell death, Molecular biology