国产6种铁线莲的染色体研究

本文报道了我国产铁线莲属Clematis L.6个种的染色体研究结果。其中2种(灌木铁线莲和粗柄铁线莲)的染色体数目及核型为首次报道,1种(女萎)为国内首次报道。6种均为二倍体(2n=2x=16),基数为8(x=8)。本属基数为8的二倍体核型公式概括如下: 2n=2x=16=10m+2st+(4或2或0)st[(2或0)SAT]+(0或2或4)t[(2或4)SAT]核型特征是:中型(4—10.5μm);1—5号为m染色体,6号为st染色体,7—8号染色体变异于st和t之间;具1或2对随体(SAT)染色体。该属染色体的演化处于两种水平:数目变化(包括多倍化和非整倍体变化)和结构变异。后者是本属物种形成的主要方面。3种具异形同源染色体,这种杂合性可能是缺失所致。     

Current challenges in distinguishing climatic and anthropogenic contributions to alpine grassland variation on the Tibetan Plateau

Quantifying the impact of climate change and human activities on grassland dynamics is an essential step for developing sustainable grassland ecosystem management strategies. However, the direction and magnitude of climate change and human activities in driving alpine grassland dynamic over the Tibetan Plateau remain under debates. Here, we systematically reviewed the relevant studies on the methods, main conclusions, and causes for the inconsistency in distinguishing the respective contribution of climatic and anthropogenic forces to alpine grassland dynamic. Both manipulative experiments and traditional statistical analysis show that climate warming increase biomass in alpine meadows and decrease in alpine steppes, while both alpine steppes and meadows benefit from an increase in precipitation or soil moisture. Overgrazing is a major factor for the degradation of alpine grassland in local areas with high level of human activity intensity. However, across the entire Tibetan Plateau and its subregions, four views characterize the remaining controversies: alpine grassland changes are primarily due to (1) climatic force, (2) nonclimatic force, (3) combination of anthropogenic and climatic force, or (4) alternation of anthropogenic and climatic force. Furthermore, these views also show spatial inconsistencies. Differences on the source and quality of remote sensing products, the structure and parameter of models, and overlooking the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of human activity intensity contribute to current disagreements. In this review, we highlight the necessity for taking the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of human activity intensity into account in the models of attribution assessment, and the importance for accurate validation of climatic and anthropogenic contribution to alpine grassland variation at multiple scales for future studies.     

The effect of quorum-sensing blockers on the formation of marine microbial communities and larval attachment

We studied the effect of the quorum-sensing (QS) blockers 5-hydroxy-3[(1R)-1-hydroxypropyl]-4-methylfuran-2(5H)-one (FUR1), (5R)-3,4-dihydroxy-5-[(1S)-1,2-dihydroxyethyl]furan-2(5H)-one (FUR2) and triclosan (TRI) on the formation of bacterial biofilms, and the effect of these biofilms on the larval attachment of the polychaete Hydroides elegans and the bryozoan Bugula neritina. 14-day-old subtidal biofilms were harvested from artificial substrata and were allowed to develop in the laboratory with and without QS blockers. QS blockers inhibited the production of violacein by the QS reporter strain Chromobacterium violaceum CV026 and did not affect the metabolic activity of bacteria in multispecies biofilms. At a concentration of 10(-3) M all three tested compounds inhibited the establishment of microbial communities, but at one of 10(-4) M only FUR2 inhibited establishment. The tested QS blockers caused changes in bacterial density and bacterial community structure, as revealed by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism and FISH. The groups most affected by QS blockers were Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria and the Cytophagales. Larvae of H. elegans and B. neritina avoided settling on biofilms that had developed in the presence of QS blockers. Our results suggest that QS blockers directly control the formation of multi-species biofilms, and indirectly - by means of biofilm properties - affect larval attachment on these modified biofilms.     

Synthesis of thiazolone-based sulfonamides as inhibitors of HCV NS5B polymerase

Several thiazolone-based sulfonamides were prepared, utilizing various hetero-aryl sulfonyl chlorides and different aldehydes, as inhibitors of NS5B polymerase, to target HCV. The best compound showed 0.6 microM [corrected] of IC50 inhibitory activity.     

Synthesis and evaluation of unsaturated caprolactams as interleukin-1beta converting enzyme (ICE) inhibitors

Peptidomimetic compounds possessing a caprolactam ring constraint were prepared and evaluated as interleukin-1beta converting enzyme (ICE) inhibitors. The caprolactam ring was used to constrain the P3 region of our inhibitors. This strategy proved to be effective for the synthesis of ICE inhibitors, maintaining key hydrogen bond interactions with the enzyme and invoking a preferred conformation for binding. Several compounds exhibited IC(50) values less than 10nM in a caspase-1 enzyme assay and less than 100nM in a THP-1 whole cell assay measuring IL-1beta production. Two compounds, 13c and 13j, were found to have good oral bioavailability (>50%) in rats when administered as prodrugs.     

Adaptation of cucurbit species to changes in substrate temperature: Root growth,antioxidants, and peroxidation

To investigate their response to changes in substrate temperatures, the roots from six species of cucurbit plants were exposed to 14°C, 24°C, or 34°C, while their aerial portions were maintained at natural ambient temperatures (23°C to 33°C). These species could be classified into three groups based on their stress response: Group A,Cucurbita ficifolia and C.maxima, heatsensitive but cold-tolerant; Group B,Cucumis sativus and C.melo, heat- and cold-sensitive; and Group C,Luffa cylindrica andBenincasa hispida, heat-tolerant but cold-sensitive. The highest growth rates and lowest contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) for plants in Groups A, B, and C were achieved at temperatures of 14°C, 24°C, and 24°C to 34°C, respectively. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was lowest in the roots exposed to optimal growth temperatures while activities of catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and guaiacol peroxidase (G-POD) operated coordinately in a complicated manner to prevent the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the root cells. Moreover, all plants, regardless of species, responded to unfavorable temperatures by increasing their synthesis of ascorbate and glutathione as well as by reducing the redox ratio of those two important antioxidants.     

生态工程实施对羌塘和三江源国家级自然保护区植被净初级生产力的影响

为了有效评估生态工程建设对青藏高原典型国家级自然保护区的影响, 基于表征生态系统功能状况的植被净初级生产力变化系列数据, 采用样区对比法系统分析了羌塘和三江源两个国家级自然保护区建立及2004/2005年实施的新生态工程的效果。研究表明: (1) 1982-2009年间, 在10组对比样区中有9组保护区内样区的草地净初级生产力呈波动上升的趋势; (2) 2004年后新生态工程的实施效果良好, 有8组对比样区生态状况转好; (3)在所有高寒草地类型中, 新生态工程对高寒草甸类型样区的保护效果最为显著。