Caragana korshinskii seedlings maintain positive photosynthesis during short-term,severe drought stress

Seedling performance may determine plant distribution, especially in water-limited environments. Plants of Caragana korshinskii commonly grow in arid and semiarid areas in northwestern China, and endure water shortage in various ways, but little is known about their performance when water shortage occurs at early growth stages. The water relations, photosynthetic activity, chlorophyll (Chl) content and proline accumulation were determined in 1-year-old seedlings growing in a 1:1 mixture of Loess soil and Perlite and subjected to (1) a water deficit for 20 days and (2) kept adequately watered throughout. The water deficit induced low (−6.1 MPa) predawn leaf water potentials (LWP), but did not induce any leaf abscission. Stomatal conductance (g _s), leaf transpiration rate (E), and net photosynthetic rate (P _N) decreased immediately following the imposition of the water deficit, while the maximal photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (PSII) (F_v/F_m) and the effective quantum yield of PSII (Φ_PSII) decreased 15 days later. An early and rapid decrease in g _s, reduced E, increased Chl (a+b) loss, increased the apparent rate of photochemical transport of electrons through PSII (ETR)/P _N, as well as a gradual increase in non-photochemical quenching of fluorescence (NPQ) and proline may have contributed to preventing Φ_PSII from photodamage. C. korshinskii seedlings used a stress-tolerance strategy, with leaf maintenance providing a clear selective advantage, considering the occasional rainfall events during the growing season.     

Nitidine chloride inhibited the expression of S phase kinase-associated protein 2 in ovarian cancer cells

Nitidine chloride (NC) has been reported to exert its anti-tumor activity in various types of human cancers. However, the molecular mechanism of NC-mediated tumor suppressive function is largely unclear. In the current study, we used several approaches such as MTT, FACS, RT-PCR, Western blotting analysis, invasion assay, transfection, to explore the molecular basis of NC-triggered anti-cancer activity. We found that NC inhibited cell growth, induced cell apoptosis, caused cell cycle arrest in ovarian cancer cells. Emerging evidence has demonstrated that Skp2 plays an important oncogenic role in ovarian cancer. Therefore, we also explored whether NC exerts its biologic function via downregulation of Skp2 in ovarian cancer cells. We observed that NC significantly inhibited the expression of Skp2 in ovarian cancer cells. Notably, overexpression of Skp2 abrogated the anti-cancer activity induced by NC in ovarian cancer cells. Consistently, downregulation of Skp2 expression enhanced the sensitivity of ovarian cancer cells to NC treatment. Thus, inactivation of Skp2 by NC could be a novel strategy for the treatment of human ovarian cancer.     

Spironolactone Attenuates Bleomycin-Induced Pulmonary Injury Partially via Modulating Mononuclear Phagocyte Phenotype Switching in Circulating and Alveolar Compartments

Background

Recent experimental studies provide evidence indicating that manipulation of the mononuclear phagocyte phenotype could be a feasible approach to alter the severity and persistence of pulmonary injury and fibrosis. Mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) has been reported as a target to regulate macrophage polarization. The present work was designed to investigate the therapeutic potential of MR antagonism in bleomycin-induced acute lung injury and fibrosis.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We first demonstrated the expression of MR in magnetic bead-purified Ly6G-/CD11b+ circulating monocytes and in alveolar macrophages harvested in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from C57BL/6 mice. Then, a pharmacological intervention study using spironolactone (20mg/kg/day by oral gavage) revealed that MR antagonism led to decreased inflammatory cell infiltration, cytokine production (downregulated monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, transforming growth factor β1, and interleukin-1β at mRNA and protein levels) and collagen deposition (decreased lung total hydroxyproline content and collagen positive area by Masson’ trichrome staining) in bleomycin treated (2.5mg/kg, via oropharyngeal instillation) male C57BL/6 mice. Moreover, serial flow cytometry analysis in blood, BALF and enzymatically digested lung tissue, revealed that spironolactone could partially inhibit bleomycin-induced circulating Ly6C^hi monocyte expansion, and reduce alternative activation (F4/80+CD11c+CD206+) of mononuclear phagocyte in alveoli, whereas the phenotype of interstitial macrophage (F4/80+CD11c-) remained unaffected by spironolactone during investigation.

Conclusions/Significance

The present work provides the experimental evidence that spironolactone could attenuate bleomycin-induced acute pulmonary injury and fibrosis, partially via inhibition of MR-mediated circulating monocyte and alveolar macrophage phenotype switching.     

Nature of Enhanced Severity of Anthurium Root Rot by Diuron Treatment for Weed Control

Diuron treatment for weed control greatly increased anthurium root rot caused by Pythium splendens, P. spinosum, P. vexans and Calonectria crotalariac. Diuron in agar medium was inhibitory to the growth of mycelium, formation and germination of sporangia of P. splendens. Sporangia of P. splendens produced in diuron-amended medium did not differ in pathogenecity to anthurium roots from those produced in diuron-free medium. When diuron was applied to kill weeds in the planting medium, the population of P. splendens in it was not decreased during the test. Diuron was inhibitory to a number of micro-organisms in the platiting medium. Exudation of anthursum roots was not increased by diuron treatment. Increase in severity of anthurium root rot by diuron treatment was similar whether the experiments were performed in the presence or absence of planting medium, suggesting that the enhancing effect of diuron on root rot is mainly due to an increase in susceptibility of the host plants.     

Shift in competitive ability mediated by soil biota in an invasive plant

Understanding the shifts in competitive ability and its driving forces is key to predict the future of plant invasion. Changes in the competition environment and soil biota are two selective forces that impose remarkable influences on competitive ability. By far, evidence of the interactive effects of competition environment and soil biota on competitive ability of invasive species is rare. Here, we investigated their interactive effects using an invasive perennial vine, Mikania micrantha. The competitive performance of seven M. micrantha populations varying in their conspecific and heterospecific abundance were monitored in a greenhouse experiment, by manipulating soil biota (live and sterilized) and competition conditions (competition‐free, intraspecific, and interspecific competition). Our results showed that with increasing conspecific abundance and decreasing heterospecific abundance, (1) M. micrantha increased intraspecific competition tolerance and intra‐ vs. interspecific competitive ability but decreased interspecific competition tolerance; (2) M. micrantha increased tolerance of the negative soil biota effect; and (3) interspecific competition tolerance of M. micrantha was increasingly suppressed by the presence of soil biota, but intraspecific competition tolerance was less affected. These results highlight the importance of the soil biota effect on the evolution of competitive ability during the invasion process. To better control M. micrantha invasion, our results imply that introduction of competition‐tolerant native plants that align with conservation priorities may be effective where M. micrantha populations are long‐established and inferior in inter‐ vs. intraspecific competitive ability, whereas eradication may be effective where populations are newly invaded and fast‐growing.     

人心肌肌球蛋白轻链1的克隆,表达纯化和单抗制备

报道了中国人心肌肌球蛋白轻链１ｃＤＮＡ的核苷酸序列,并由此推算的氨基酸序列。与国外发表的人心肌肌球蛋白轻链的氨基酸序列比较,发现有两处差异,即在２４位,由谷氨酸变为丙氨酸,则从９８位起至１０１位有４个氨基酸序列的连续差异,即由天冬酰胺－精氨酸－丝氨酸－赖氨酸变为赖氨酸－脯氨酸－精氨酸－谷氨酰妥,推测可能是由于人种差异而引起的。利用该ｃＤＮＡ在大肠杆菌内的表达产物,已获得一株高效的抗中国人心肌肌球蛋     

Effects of Different Sources and Levels of Copper on Growth Performance,Nutrient Digestibility,and Elemental Balance in Young Female Mink (Mustela vison)

An experiment was conducted in a 3?×?3?+?1 factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design to evaluate the effects of different sources of copper on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and elemental balance in young female mink on a corn–fishmeal-based diet. Animals in the control group were fed a basal diet (containing 8.05 mg Cu/kg DM; control), which mainly consisted of corn, fish meal, meat bone meal, and soybean oil, with no copper supplementation. Minks in other nine treatments were fed basal diets supplemented with Cu from reagent-grade copper sulfate, tribasic copper chloride (TBCC) and copper methionate. Cu concentrations of experiment diets were 10, 25, and 40 mg/kg copper. A metabolism trial of 4 days was conducted during the last week of experimental feeding. Final body weight and average daily gain increased (linear and quadratic, P?<?0.05) as Cu increased in the diet; maximal growth was seen in the Cu25 group. Cu supplementation slightly improved the feed conversion rate (P?=?0.095). Apparent fat digestibility was increased by copper level (P?=?0.020). Retention nitrogen was increased by copper level (linear, P?=?0.003). Copper source had a significant effect on copper retention with Cu-Met and copper sulfate treatments retention more than TBCC treatments (P?<?0.05). Our results indicate that mink can efficiently utilize added dietary fat and that Cu plays an important role in the digestion of dietary fat in mink, and mink can efficiently utilize Cu-Met and CuSO₄.     

Novel Reassortant Highly Pathogenic H5N2 Avian Influenza Viruses in Poultry in China

There has been multiple evidence that domestic poultry may act as a vessel for the generation of novel influenza A viruses. In this study, we have analyzed the evolution and pathogenicity of 4 H5N2 avian influenza viruses isolated from apparently healthy poultry from H5N1 virus endemic areas in China. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that two of these viruses, A/duck/Eastern China/1111/2011 (DK/EC/1111/11) and A/goose/Eastern China/1112/2011 (GS/EC/1112/11) were derived from reassortment events in which clade 2.3.4 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 viruses acquired novel neuraminidase and nonstructural protein genes. Another two isolates, A/chicken/Hebei/1102/2010 (CK/HB/1102/10) and A/duck/Hebei/0908/2009 (DK/HB/0908/09), possess hemagglutinin (HA) gene belong to clade 7 H5 viruses and other genes from endemic H9N2 viruses, or from viruses of various subtypes of the natural gene pool. All of these H5N2 isolates bear characteristic sequences of HPAI virus at the cleavage site of HA, and animal experiments indicated that all of these viruses but DK/HB/0908/09 is highly pathogenic to chickens. In particular, DK/EC/1111/11 and GS/EC/1112/11 are also highly pathogenic to ducks and moderately pathogenic to mice. All of these 4 viruses were able to replicate in domestic ducks and mice without prior adaptation. The emergence of these novel H5N2 viruses adds more evidence for the active evolution of H5 viruses in Asia. The maintenance of the highly pathogenic phenotype of some of these viruses even after reassortment with a new NA subtypes, their ability to replicate and transmit in domestic poultry, and the pathogenicity in the mammalian mouse model, highlight the potential threat posed by these viruses to both veterinary and public health.