A Bacillus subtilis sensor kinase involved in triggering biofilm formation on the roots of tomato plants

The soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis is widely used in agriculture as a biocontrol agent able to protect plants from a variety of pathogens. Protection is thought to involve the formation of bacterial communities - biofilms - on the roots of the plants. Here we used confocal microscopy to visualize biofilms on the surface of the roots of tomato seedlings and demonstrated that biofilm formation requires genes governing the production of the extracellular matrix that holds cells together. We further show that biofilm formation was dependent on the sensor histidine kinase KinD and in particular on an extracellular CACHE domain implicated in small molecule sensing. Finally, we report that exudates of tomato roots strongly stimulated biofilm formation ex planta and that an abundant small molecule in the exudates, (L) -malic acid, was able to stimulate biofilm formation at high concentrations in a manner that depended on the KinD CACHE domain. We propose that small signalling molecules released by the roots of tomato plants are directly or indirectly recognized by KinD, triggering biofilm formation.     

格网尺度下典型旅游城市生态服务价值估算和时空分异特征——以三亚为例

以典型旅游城市三亚市为案例地,利用2006-2018年4期Landsat遥感影像数据,借助ENVI、ArcGIS平台定量识别土地利用演变特征,在1km×1km格网尺度下估算旅游地生态系统服务价值,并结合空间探索性数据分析揭示生态系统服务价值时空分异特征及其与旅游地发展的时空耦合关系。结果表明：（1）2006-2018年间,三亚市生态系统服务价值总量呈逐年下降趋势,由6.73×10⁹元降至5.76×10⁹元,累计减少9.78×10⁸元;（2）空间格局上,三亚市呈"南低北高"空间分异格局,2006-2018年增值区域连片分布于崖州区、天涯区、吉阳区南部区域,且呈逐年减少趋势,减值区域集聚于天涯区东北部、海棠区;（3）空间集聚上,生态系统服务价值截面各年份均呈显著空间正相关且相关性先降后增。高高集聚区位于天涯区北部区域,低低集聚区分布于沿海、海湾地区;（4）旅游发展与生态系统服务价值时空演化特征关联性较强。三亚市天涯区北部林地生态环境良好,生态系统服务价值略有下降但绝对数值稳定,是生态系统服务价值主要来源;旅游发展较为迅速的三亚湾、崖州湾以及海棠湾,相对增值区域较多,但绝对生态系统服务价值损失显著,严重滞后于其他区域。     

Minor salivary gland mesenchymal stromal cells derived from patients with Sjӧgren's syndrome deploy intact immune plasticity

Background aimsMesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) provide minor salivary glands (MSGs) with support and niche cells for epithelial glandular tissue. Little is known about resident MSG-derived MSCs (MSG-MSCs) in primary Sj?gren's syndrome (PSS). The authors’ objective is to define the immunobiology of endogenous PSS MSG-MSCs.MethodsUsing culture-adapted MSG-MSCs isolated from consenting PSS subjects (n = 13), the authors performed in vitro interrogation of PSS MSG-MSC immunobiology and global gene expression compared with controls. To this end, the authors performed phenotypic and immune functional analysis of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and intercellular adhesion marker 1 (ICAM-1) before and after interferon γ (IFNγ) licensing as well as the effect of MSG-MSCs on T-cell proliferation. Considering the female predominance of PSS, the authors also addressed the influence of 17-β-estradiol on estrogen receptor α-positive-related MSC function.ResultsThe authors found that MSG-MSCs deployed normal immune regulatory functionality after IFNγ stimulation, as demonstrated by increased protein-level expression of IDO, PD-L1 and ICAM-1. The authors also found that MSG-MSCs suppressed T-cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner independent of 17-β-estradiol exposure. Gene ontology and pathway analysis highlighted extracellular matrix deposition as a possible difference between PSS and control MSG-MSCs. MSG-MSCs demonstrated increased α-smooth muscle actin expression in PSS, indicating a partial myofibroblast-like adaptation.ConclusionsThese findings establish similar immune regulatory function of MSG-MSCs in both PSS and control patients, precluding intrinsic MSC immune regulatory defects in PSS. PSS MSG-MSCs show a partial imprinted myofibroblast-like phenotype that may arise in the setting of chronic inflammation, providing a plausible etiology for PSS-related glandular fibrosis.     

毛乌素沙地油蒿叶性状对光能利用效率动态的影响

目前对于荒漠灌木光能利用效率（LUE）的季节变异及其调控因素,尤其是其生物调控因素的认识非常有限,导致了荒漠生态系统生产力模型的不确定性。拟验证假设：长期干旱环境下,典型荒漠灌木油蒿光能利用效率日均值（LUE_day）的动态变化与叶片性状的季节性调整有关。试验采用Li-6400便携式光合仪定期测量了油蒿生长季叶片LUE_day的季节动态及相关叶性状指标,探究叶性状对LUE_day的影响。结果表明：LUE_day的季节波动范围为0.003-0.017 mol/mol,整体变异系数（CV）为38.75%。完全展叶期LUE_day均值相比生长季平均值降低17.37%,相比展叶期和落叶期时降低30%;8个叶性状的季节变异幅度差异较大,其中总叶绿素含量（Chl）、类胡萝卜素含量（Car）和叶氮含量（LNC）均表现出较大的季节变异性（CV ≥ 20%）,叶碳含量（LCC）和叶片相对含水量（LRWC）的变异程度最低（CV<7%）。LRWC与所有叶片化学性状（Chl、Chl a/b、Car、LNC和LCC）均存在显著相关,表明其变化与叶片的养分吸收、光合色素合成以及碳同化的运输过程密切相关;油蒿LUE_day的相对变化与LRWC、Chl a/b和LNC显著正相关,而LRWC和LNC的季节动态受空气温度（T_a）和土壤含水量（VWC）的共同调节,Chl a/b的季节波动主要由浅层土壤含水量（10 cm VWC）控制。以上研究结果强调,在未来预计极端的气候事件（如极端干旱和持续热浪事件）发生更频繁的旱地场景中,时间尺度植物叶性状对于土壤干旱和高温的适应性调整应当被充分考虑到旱地生态系统的通量建模方案中。该结果将为构建叶片尺度的光合生理模型与厘清LUE的生物调控机制提供理论依据。     

The C-Domain of the NAC Transcription Factor ANAC019 Is Necessary for pH-Tuned DNA Binding through a Histidine Switch in the N-Domain

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Concentric photothermal coagulation with basket‐integrated optical device for treatment of tracheal stenosis

A basket‐integrated optical device is developed to consistently treat tubular tissue by centering an optical diffuser in the lumen. Four nitinol arms in conjunction with the optical diffusing applicator are deployed to induce homogeneous circumferential light emission and concentric photothermal coagulation on tracheal tissue. A 1470‐nm laser light is employed for the tissue testing at various irradiation conditions and evaluated in terms of thermal gradient and temperature evolution. Preliminary experiments on liver tissue demonstrate the concentric development of the radial thermal coagulation in the tissue (eccentric ratio = ~5.5%). The interstitial tissue temperature increases with the total amount of energy delivery (around 65°C). Ex vivo trachea testing yields up to 16.5% tissue shrinkage due to dehydration as well as uniform ablation of the cilia and goblet cells in a mucosa layer under 7‐W irradiation for 10 s. The proposed optical device may be a feasible therapeutic method to entail the circumferential coagulation in the tubular tissues in a reliable manner.      

聚乙二醇二缩水甘油醚交联氨基载体LX-1000EA固定化脂肪酶 *

聚乙二醇二缩水甘油醚(PEGDGE)作为双功能环氧试剂,在实验中被用于交联氨基载体LX-1000EA共价固定化海洋脂肪酶,经过处理后的载体共价固定化脂肪酶具有良好的效果。实验经过单因素初筛和正交试验,得到最佳的交联及固定化条件为0.75%交联剂浓度、交联温度35℃、交联时间3h、载体量1.25g、pH9.0、固定化温度55℃、固定化时间1h。对LX-1000EA-PEGDGE固定化酶与游离酶、戊二醛(GA)交联LX-1000HA-GA的固定化酶进行酶学性质的比较,发现LX-1000EA- PEGDGE固定化酶较游离酶最适反应温度未改变,与LX-1000HA-GA相同的是最适反应pH都由7.0提高为8.0。在最适条件中所测LX-1000EA-PEGDGE酶活达到78.84U/g,固定化改变了游离酶的酸碱耐受性,热稳定性和操作稳定性较游离酶和LX-1000HA-GA固定化酶均有提高。LX-1000EA-PEGDGE的热稳定表现优异,在60℃孵育3h后保留90%酶活;使用5次后仍能残余50%酶活;保存30天酶活仍保留60%。首次使用新型双环氧交联剂PEGDGE交联有机氨基载体共价结合固定化脂肪酶,为更有效的固定化方法提供了技术支持,同时也发现交联剂对固定化酶的性质存在较大影响。     

PVY侵染后烟草营养成分的变化及其对介体烟蚜生长发育的影响

【目的】明确马铃薯Y病毒(potato virus Y, PVY)侵染后诱导的烟草营养成分的变化及其对烟蚜Myzus persicae生命特性的影响,旨在进一步解析PVY-烟草-烟蚜三者间的互作机制。【方法】通过蒽酮比色法和氨基酸自动分析仪测定了PVY不同侵染时期烟株体内的可溶性糖和游离氨基酸含量的变化;测定和比较了感病与健康烟草植株上烟蚜种群生长发育、成虫寿命、繁殖力和有翅蚜产生量的差异性。【结果】PVY侵染前、中、后期(分别为侵染后5, 12和20 d)的烟草叶片中游离氨基酸的总量均显著高于健康烟草叶片。相较于健康烟草叶片,在PVY侵染前期的烟草叶片中,谷氨酸、脯氨酸、天冬氨酸、色氨酸、缬氨酸、赖氨酸和组氨酸的含量显著增加;PVY侵染中期,感病叶片中丝氨酸含量显著下降,谷氨酸、天冬氨酸、色氨酸、缬氨酸、亮氨酸、苯丙氨酸、精氨酸和组氨酸含量显著提高;PVY侵染后期,感病叶片中甘氨酸含量显著下降,谷氨酸、脯氨酸、天冬氨酸、苏氨酸、缬氨酸、亮氨酸、丙氨酸、苯丙氨酸、组氨酸、酪氨酸和精氨酸含量显著提高。在PVY侵染的前期和中期,感病叶片中的可溶性糖含量显著高于健康烟叶,而在侵染后期感病叶片...     

鱼类生殖细胞移植的研究进展

生殖细胞移植在生物学、畜牧学及兴起的鱼类生物工程上都有很多用途。目前,采用基于基因组的育种方法已选育出多种带有所需遗传性状的鱼类新品系;但由于缺乏鱼卵与胚胎的低温保存技术,尚未找到长期保存其种质资源的方法。就鱼类生殖细胞移植的最新研究进展进行综述,同时针对鱼类生殖细胞移植及其低温保存技术研究中存在的问题进行讨论,并提出了鱼类生殖细胞移植的应用前景,以期能积极推动鱼类生物工程的研究,加速鱼类生殖细胞移植在产业中的应用。