全球变化背景下生态学热点问题研究——第二届"国际青年生态学者论坛"

为促进中国青年生态学者与海外生态学者的交流与合作,第二届"国际青年生态学者论坛"于2011年8月1—4日在南京大学举行。来自海内外近400名学生和青年学者,围绕"全球变化背景下生态学热点问题"主题,分别从植物群落学、植物生理生态学、地下生态学、水生态系统、生物入侵、生物多样性、区域生态安全等7个方面进行了交流与讨论,本届论坛报告反映了在全球变化背景下,我国生态学在研究领域、内容、尺度、方法上的发展现状与进展。以会议收集的95篇摘要为基础,重点综述了27场青年学者论坛报告内容,并对会议的进一步完善提出了几点建议。     

岷江干旱河谷小马鞍羊蹄甲根围丛枝菌根真菌群落的研究

丛枝菌根真菌（arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi,AMF）在促进植物生长及土壤改良等方面的积极作用使其在退化生态系统的植被重建过程中发挥着关键作用。本研究采用建立克隆文库及测序的分子方法对四川省岷江干旱河谷乡土优势灌木小马鞍羊蹄甲Bauhinia faberi var. microphylla根围AMF的群落组成进行了探讨,以期为该地区乡土植被的保存与恢复提供理论依据。本研究中共检测到53个AMF类群（OTUs）,通过系统发育分析,将其划分为球囊菌门Glomeromycota的7科10属。Glomus、Diversispora与Funneliformis 3个属为小马鞍羊蹄甲根围土壤中的优势属,其中Glomus具有最高多度,其序列数及OTUs数均占总数的50%以上;Rhizophagus与Archaeospora为稀有属,其余各属为常见属。本研究表明,自然条件下研究区优势灌木小马鞍羊蹄甲根围具有相对丰富的AMF类群,同时也反映了AMF在干旱河谷区可能发挥着重要的生态功能。     

小蓬草精油对两种蚊虫的毒杀活性和成分分析

【目的】明确小蓬草Conyza canadensis ( L.) Cronq.精油的杀虫潜力及其活性成分。【方法】通过浸虫法和密闭熏蒸法测试了小蓬草精油对白纹伊蚊Aedes albopictus和致倦库蚊Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus幼虫及成蚊的毒杀活性, 并利用气相色谱 质谱联用仪（GC-MS）对精油的挥发性成分进行了定性分析。【结果】 小蓬草精油对白纹伊蚊1-4龄期幼虫及蛹的24 h LC50值分别为25.01, 45.88, 56.94, 64.60和346.23 μg/mL; 对致倦库蚊幼虫1-4龄期幼虫及蛹的24 h LC₅₀值分别为9.16, 8.65, 32.12, 43.68和197.83 μg/mL。在剂量分别为48, 64, 80, 96, 112和128 μg/cm3时, 小蓬草精油对白纹伊蚊成蚊的KT₅₀值分别为28.81, 22.31, 20.38, 17.05, 13.92和9.74 min; 对致倦库蚊的KT50值分别为34.90, 32.97, 23.97, 19.60, 15.20和10.34 min。 24 h熏蒸对白纹伊蚊和致倦库蚊成蚊的LC50值分别是75.46和99.19 μg/cm³。小蓬草精油的GC MS定性分析共分离鉴定出31种化合物, 其中单萜类物质6种, 倍半萜烯类物质17种, 含氧萜烯类6种。【结论】结果表明小蓬草精油对这两种蚊虫的毒杀活性较高, 具有深开发潜力。     

Ginsenoside Re reduces insulin resistance through inhibition of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase and nuclear factor-kappaB

Ginsenoside Re (Re), a compound derived from Panax ginseng, shows an antidiabetic effect. However, the molecular basis of its action remains unknown. We investigated insulin signaling and the antiinflammatory effect by Re in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and in high-fat diet (HFD) rats to dissect its anti-hyperglycemic mechanism. Glucose uptake was measured in 3T3-L1 cells and glucose infusion rate determined by clamp in HFD rats. The insulin signaling cascade, including insulin receptor (IR) beta-subunit, IR substrate-1, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, Akt and Akt substrate of 160 kDa, and glucose transporter-4 translocation are examined. Furthermore, c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK), MAPK, and nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB signaling cascades were also assessed. The results show Re increases glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 cells and glucose infusion rate in HFD rats. The activation of insulin signaling by Re is initiated at IR substrate-1 and further passes on through phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and downstream signaling cascades. Moreover, Re demonstrates an impressive suppression of JNK and NF-kappaB activation and inhibitor of NF-kappaBalpha degradation. In conclusion, Re reduces insulin resistance in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and HFD rats through inhibition of JNK and NF-kappaB activation.     

Invasion of Cryptococcus neoformans into human brain microvascular endothelial cells requires protein kinase C-alpha activation

Pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans has a predilection for the central nervous system causing devastating meningoencephalitis. Traversal of C. neoformans across the blood–brain barrier (BBB) is a crucial step in the pathogenesis of C. neoformans . Our previous studies have shown that the CPS1 gene is required for C. neoformans adherence to the surface protein CD44 of human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC), which constitute the BBB. In this report, we demonstrated that C. neoformans invasion of HBMEC was blocked in the presence of G109203X, a protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor, and by overexpression of a dominant-negative form of PKCα in HBMEC. During C. neoformans infection, phosphorylation of PKCα was induced and the PKC enzymatic activity was detected in the HBMEC membrane fraction. Our results suggested that the PKCα isoform might play a crucial role during C. neoformans invasion. Immunofluorescence microscopic images showed that induced phospho-PKCα colocalized with β-actin on the membrane of HBMEC. In addition, cytochalasin D (an F-filament-disrupting agent) inhibited fungus invasion into HBMEC in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, blockage of PKCα function attenuated actin filament activity during C. neoformans invasion. These results suggest a significant role of PKCα and downstream actin filament activity during the fungal invasion into HBMEC.     

Quantitative analysis of endangered Acanthopanax senticosus communities in Dongling Mountain of Beijing

Based on the survey of community plots, a quantitative analysis of endangered Acanthopanax senti-cosus communities in Dongling Mountain was performed with two way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN), detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). The communities of A. senticosus were classified into 9 types by TWINSPAN and the results were validated by DCA. On the DCA graph, the first axis reflected the gradient of altitude and the second axis reflected the aspect and slope. Most of A. senticosus were distributed in the thick forests at a high altitude with little light. With the exception of being a dominant species of shrub layers in a few communities, A. senticosus has a relatively scarce distribution. In accordance with DCA, the results of CCA also show the trend that the distribution of A. senticosus communities varied along with the gradient change of environmental factors. Altitude and light are the main factors affecting A. senticosus growth.     

羟基化修饰对大鼠胶原热稳定性的影响研究

采用差示扫描量热仪(DSC)研究羟脯氨酸(Hyp)含量对胶原热稳定性的影响。以不同周龄BN大鼠皮肤为原料制备了胶原,分析制备胶原中Hyp的含量;采用DSC测定不同Hyp含量胶原的临界变性温度及焓变;采用圆二色光谱(CD)检测提取胶原的二级结构。结果表明,提取胶原在41.3℃发生三螺旋解聚,CD光谱分析结果表明,当样品经临界变性温度处理后,部分三螺旋结构转化为无规则线圈结构。胶原变性过程中所需热量与羟脯氨酸含量呈正相关,实验建立了胶原热变性过程中焓变与Hyp含量的关系。该研究表明胶原中脯氨酸羟基化修饰是影响胶原热稳定性的关键因素。     

免疫毒素Luffin B-Ng76对人黑色素瘤细胞的体外抑制作用

用ＢｌｕｅＳｅｐｈａｒｏｓｅＣＬ－６Ｂ凝胶亲和层析法从丝瓜籽中分离纯化了单链致核糖体失活蛋白（ｒｉｂｏｓｏｍｅｉｎａｃ－ｔｉｖａｔｉｎｇｐｒｏｔｅｉｎ,ＲＩＰ）——ｌｕｆｉｎＢ。并将ｌｕｆｉｎＢ与抗人黑色素瘤细胞单抗Ｎｇ７６制成了免疫毒素,命名为ｌｕｆｉｎＢ－Ｎｇ７６,它对体外培养的黑色素瘤细胞Ｍ２１有很强的抑制作用,ＩＣ５０为２．５×１０－１１ｍｏｌ／Ｌ,毒性比游离的ｌｕｆｉｎＢ提高４０００倍,而它对非靶的ＨｅＬａ细胞的毒性较Ｍ２１细胞低１２００倍。结果提示ｌｕｆｉｎＢ用于制备免疫毒素具有良好的应用前景。     

Tet1 and Tet2 regulate 5-hydroxymethylcytosine production and cell lineage specification in mouse embryonic stem cells

TET family enzymes convert 5-methylcytosine (5mC) to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) in DNA. Here, we show that Tet1 and Tet2 are Oct4-regulated enzymes that together sustain 5hmC in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and are induced concomitantly with 5hmC during reprogramming of fibroblasts to induced pluripotent stem cells. ESCs depleted of Tet1 by RNAi show diminished expression of the Nodal antagonist Lefty1 and display hyperactive Nodal signaling and skewed differentiation into the endoderm-mesoderm lineage in embryoid bodies in?vitro. In Fgf4- and heparin-supplemented culture conditions, Tet1-depleted ESCs activate the trophoblast stem cell lineage determinant Elf5 and can colonize the placenta in midgestation embryo chimeras. Consistent with these findings, Tet1-depleted ESCs?form aggressive hemorrhagic teratomas with increased endoderm, reduced neuroectoderm, and ectopic appearance of trophoblastic giant cells. Thus, 5hmC is an epigenetic modification associated with the pluripotent state, and Tet1 functions to regulate the lineage differentiation potential of ESCs.