Inorganic and Organic Nitrogen Acquisition by a Fern Dicranopteris dichotoma in a Subtropical Forest in South China

The fern Dicranopteris dichotoma is an important pioneer species of the understory in Masson pine (Pinus massoniana) forests growing on acidic soils in the subtropical and tropical China. To improve our understanding of the role of D. dichotoma in nitrogen (N) uptake of these forests, a short-term ¹⁵N experiment was conducted at mountain ridge (MR, with low N level) and mountain foot (MF, with high N level). We injected ¹⁵N tracers as ¹⁵NH₄, ¹⁵NO₃ or ¹⁵N-glycine into the soil surrounding each plant at both MR and MF sites. Three hours after tracer injection, the fern D. dichotoma took up ¹⁵NH₄ ⁺ significantly faster at MF than at MR, but it showed significantly slower uptake of ¹⁵NO₃ ⁻ at MF than at MR. Consequently, ¹⁵NO₃ ⁻ made greater contribution to the total N uptake (50% to the total N uptake) at MR than at MF, but ¹⁵N-glycine only contributed around 11% at both sites. Twenty-four hours after tracer injection, D. dichotoma preferred ¹⁵NH₄ ⁺ (63%) at MR, whereas it preferred ¹⁵NO₃ ⁻ (47%) at MF. We concluded that the D. dichotoma responds distinctly in its uptake pattern for three available N species over temporal and spatial scales, but mainly relies on inorganic N species in the subtropical forest. This suggests that the fern employs different strategies to acquire available N which depends on N levels and time.     

Covalently linking the Escherichia coli global anaerobic regulator FNR in tandem allows it to function as an oxygen stable dimer

Glutathione (GSH) serves as an important anti-oxidant in the brain by scavenging harmful reactive oxygen species that are generated during different molecular processes. The GSH level in the brain provides indirect information on oxidative stress of the brain. We report in vivo detection of GSH non-invasively from various brain regions (frontal cortex, parietal cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum) in bilateral hemispheres of healthy male and female subjects and from bi-lateral frontal cortices in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). All AD patients who participated in this study were on medication with cholinesterase inhibitors. Healthy young male (age 26.4±3.0) and healthy young female (age 23.6±2.1) subjects have higher amount of GSH in the parietal cortical region and a specific GSH distribution pattern (parietal cortex>frontal cortex>hippocampus ~ cerebellum) has been found. Overall mean GSH content is higher in healthy young female compared to healthy young male subjects and GSH is distributed differently in two hemispheres among male and female subjects. In both young female and male subjects, statistically significant (p=0.02 for young female and p=0.001 for young male) difference in mean GSH content is found when compared between left frontal cortex (LFC) and right frontal cortex (RFC). In healthy young female subjects, we report statistically significant positive correlation of GSH content between RFC and LFC (r=0.641, p=0.004) as well as right parietal cortex (RPC) and left parietal cortex (LPC) (r=0.797, p=0.000) regions. In healthy young male subjects, statistically significant positive correlation of GSH content was observed between LFC and LPC (r=0.481, p=0.032) regions. This statistical analysis implicates that in case of a high GSH content in LPC of a young male, his LFC region would also contain high GSH and vice versa. The difference in mean of GSH content between healthy young female control and female AD patients in RFC region (p=0.003) and difference in mean of GSH content between healthy young male control and male AD patients (p=0.05) in LFC region is found to be statistically significant. It is the first scientific report correlating alteration (in selective brain regions) of GSH level with clinical status of male and female subjects using non-invasive imaging technique.     

退耕区域发展碳汇产业的生态经济学思考

碳汇产业,即利用植物吸收二氧化碳的潜力及规律,在人工适度干预下获得清洁空气、满足人们生产和生活对生态环境需求的产业,为原有相对均衡或稳定的农业产业-资源系统的优化升级提供突破口和新的增长点.退耕区域生态系统服务中,固碳释氧功能的经济显化、碳汇潜力的迅速提高,以及国内外碳汇交易与碳汇市场的兴起等,为碳汇产业的发展奠定了理论和现实基础.随着碳汇产业的发展,生产经营者必然以提高碳汇产出为核心,形成对碳源的控制及对碳贮量增加路径的开发,重新布局农业产业-资源结构,因而为退耕区域可持续发展带来新的活力;同时,也隐含了下一步需要研发的重点,即碳汇产业融入后的农业产业-资源的配置结构及良性耦合机制.     

两类植物型沙丘上植物群落的异同及其对沙丘形态的响应

为探究相同环境条件下发育的两类植物型沙丘上植物群落的异同点,以及相异点与沙丘形态的关系,对毛乌素沙地南缘盐碱地上相间分布的抛物线形沙丘和白刺灌丛沙丘分别进行形态学、植物群落学及土壤理化性质的调查分析。结果显示:抛物线形沙丘的水平尺度虽为白刺灌丛沙丘的12-23倍,但两类沙丘上物种数相当,其植物分属12科31属39种和12科30属33种,均以菊科、藜科、禾本科、豆科植物为主(占70%以上),其中共有植物17种,群落相似度0.66;两类沙丘上的群落建群种不同,优势种的重叠度较低,抛物线形沙丘的不同部位共统计到7个植物群丛,可分为沙生植物群落和喜湿耐盐碱群落,白刺灌丛沙丘上均以白刺为建群种,油蒿、冰草、雾冰藜、沙蓬、狗尾草为主要优势种;沙丘形态造成其不同部位风沙活动及土壤水分、PH值和全盐含量的差异是两类沙丘上植物群落相异的重要影响因素。     

Phosphorylation of Pkp1 by RIPK4 regulates epidermal differentiation and skin tumorigenesis

Tissue homeostasis of skin is sustained by epidermal progenitor cells localized within the basal layer of the skin epithelium. Post‐translational modification of the proteome, such as protein phosphorylation, plays a fundamental role in the regulation of stemness and differentiation of somatic stem cells. However, it remains unclear how phosphoproteomic changes occur and contribute to epidermal differentiation. In this study, we survey the epidermal cell differentiation in a systematic manner by combining quantitative phosphoproteomics with mammalian kinome cDNA library screen. This approach identified a key signaling event, phosphorylation of a desmosome component, PKP1 (plakophilin‐1) by RIPK4 (receptor‐interacting serine–threonine kinase 4) during epidermal differentiation. With genome‐editing and mouse genetics approach, we show that loss of function of either Pkp1 or Ripk4 impairs skin differentiation and enhances epidermal carcinogenesis in vivo. Phosphorylation of PKP1's N‐terminal domain by RIPK4 is essential for their role in epidermal differentiation. Taken together, our study presents a global view of phosphoproteomic changes that occur during epidermal differentiation, and identifies RIPK‐PKP1 signaling as novel axis involved in skin stratification and tumorigenesis.     

冀南地区汉族人群皮纹分析

本文研究了冀南地区健康汉族医学生1020例(男性510人, 女性510人)的皮纹, 探讨了冀南地区正常汉族群体皮纹特点。结果发现: 冀南地区群体指纹频率顺序: 尺箕纹>斗形纹>弓形纹>桡箕纹; 十指指纹类型分布有显著差异; 两性斗形纹分布有显著差异; 两手弓形纹分布有差异但不显著; 指纹纹型分布有极高对称性; 同名指指纹组合频率排序为L/L>W/W>L/W>A/L>A/A>A/W; 五指的FRC有显著差别、两性的TFRC有差异, 但不显著; 两性T/I、III、IV的真实花样出现率有差异。因此, 本文认为指纹分布具有同型组合极高亲和性、异型组合不相容性; 皮纹发育形成主要受遗传因素控制, 也受性别影响; 冀南地区人群可能与山东省、辽宁省同属中国汉族北方群同一亚群。