Root Foraging Increases Performance of the Clonal Plant Potentilla reptans in Heterogeneous Nutrient Environments

Background

Plastic root-foraging responses have been widely recognized as an important strategy for plants to explore heterogeneously distributed resources. However, the benefits and costs of root foraging have received little attention.

Methodology/Principal Findings

In a greenhouse experiment, we grew pairs of connected ramets of 22 genotypes of the stoloniferous plant Potentilla reptans in paired pots, between which the contrast in nutrient availability was set as null, medium and high, but with the total nutrient amount kept the same. We calculated root-foraging intensity of each individual ramet pair as the difference in root mass between paired ramets divided by the total root mass. For each genotype, we then calculated root-foraging ability as the slope of the regression of root-foraging intensity against patch contrast. For all genotypes, root-foraging intensity increased with patch contrast and the total biomass and number of offspring ramets were lowest at high patch contrast. Among genotypes, root-foraging intensity was positively related to production of offspring ramets and biomass in the high patch-contrast treatment, which indicates an evolutionary benefit of root foraging in heterogeneous environments. However, we found no significant evidence that the ability of plastic foraging imposes costs under homogeneous conditions (i.e. when foraging is not needed).

Conclusions/Significance

Our results show that plants of P. reptans adjust their root-foraging intensity according to patch contrast. Moreover, the results show that the root foraging has an evolutionary advantage in heterogeneous environments, while costs of having the ability of plastic root foraging were absent or very small.     

具核梭杆菌脂多糖诱导THP-1细胞M2极化及对低浓度白介素6产生的作用

[背景] 在结直肠肿瘤等多种肿瘤中普遍存在的具核梭杆菌（Fusobacterium nucleatum）与结直肠肿瘤发生、预后不良、复发及化疗耐药等密切相关。其引发炎症、对肿瘤微环境中巨噬细胞等免疫细胞作用与机制尚待阐明。[目的] 对比分析F.nucleatum脂多糖（Lipopolysaccharide,LPS）与嗜黏蛋白阿克曼氏菌（Akkermansia muciniphila）、大肠杆菌（Escherichia coli）的LPS诱导单核细胞极化、炎性细胞因子表达等活性差异,探讨F.nucleatum在诱发慢性炎症、致癌等过程中的作用与机制。[方法] 分别用A.muciniphila、E.coli、F.nucleatum LPS或联合干扰素γ（Interferon-γ,IFN-γ）处理后,观察THP-1、THP-1 M0细胞的细胞形态变化,然后检测M0（CD11B）、M1（CD40、CD86）和M2（CD163、CD206）巨噬细胞标志基因、TLR3、TLR4、IL-6、IL-10等基因转录水平,以及IL-6、IL-10、C反应蛋白（C Reactive Protein,CRP）翻译水平的表达变化。[结果] 聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳（Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis,PAGE）分析显示,A.muciniphila、E.coli、F.nucleatum这3种细菌的LPS条带位置、数量存在明显差异。F.nucleatum LPS在具有较强诱导THP-1细胞贴壁的同时,对经佛波肉豆蔻醋酸（Phorbol Myristate Acetate,PMA）处理贴壁的THP-1细胞,无论是单独或是联合IFN-γ处理,诱导形成伪足数、伪足长度及形成梭形细胞比例（M1型巨噬细胞）等均低于A.muciniphila和E.coli LPS。进一步转录水平检测巨噬细胞标志基因表达发现,M1标志基因中,CD40分别上调5 011.0%（P<0.001）、6 048.9%（P<0.001）和1 011.6%（P=0.009 4）,CD86分别上调637.3%（P<0.001）、657.9%（P<0.001）和194.1%（P>0.05）;M2标志基因中,CD163分别下调39.5%（P=0.001 1）、53.7%（P<0.001）和5.9%（P>0.05）,CD206下调18.6%（P>0.05）、88.4%（P=0.005 5）和24.8%（P>0.05）。TLR、白介素家族基因转录水平分析发现,TLR3分别下调32.3%（P=0.044 7）、311.5%（P=0.001 9）、9.6%（P>0.05）;IL-6分别上调17 763.2%（P<0.001）、35 458.2%（P<0.001）、1 123.6%（P>0.05）;IL-10分别上调729.3%（P<0.001）、1 223.3%（P<0.001）、124.4%（P>0.05）。翻译水平上,A.muciniphila、E.coli、F.nucleatum LPS单独或联合IFN-γ处理时,THP-1细胞产生IL-6分别为0.16、6.17、0 pg/mL与410.03、1 334.40、46.20 pg/mL。[结论] F.nucleatum LPS不仅具有较强招募单核细胞并诱导其向M2极化的作用,同时,具有诱导巨噬细胞分泌低浓度IL-6的特性,说明其在引发慢性炎症及肿瘤免疫应答、逃逸等过程中发挥重要作用。综合上述信息,对致癌、免疫激活及肿瘤治疗相关细菌LPS的结构、活性、分子机制等研究将有助于明确革兰氏阴性细菌在慢性炎症、肿瘤发生、免疫调控等中的作用,以期为相关疾病预防与治疗提供新的策略与靶点。     

Prognostic Role of Pre-Treatment Serum AFP-L3% in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background

Serum lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive fraction of α-fetoprotein (AFP-L3%) has been widely used for HCC diagnosis and follow-up surveillance as tumor serologic marker. However, the prognostic value of high pre-treatment serum AFP-L3% in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains controversial. We therefore conduct a meta-analysis to assess the relationship between high pre-treatment serum AFP-L3% and clinical outcome of HCC.

Methods

Eligible studies were identified through systematic literature searches. A meta-analysis of fifteen studies (4,465 patients) was carried out to evaluate the association between high pre-treatment serum AFP-L3% and overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in HCC patients. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses were also conducted in this meta-analysis.

Results

Our analysis results showed that high pre-treatment serum AFP-L3% implied poor OS (HR: 1.65, 95%CI: 1.45–1.89 p<0.00001) and DFS (HR: 1.80, 95% CI: 1.49–2.17 p<0.00001) of HCC. Subgroup analysis revealed that there was association between pre-treatment serum AFP-L3% and endpoint (OS and DFS) in low AFP concentration HCC patients (HR: 1.96, 95% CI: 1.24–3.10, p = 0.004; HR: 2.53, 95% CI: 1.09–5.89, p = 0.03, respectively).

Conclusion

The current evidence suggests that high pre-treatment serum AFP-L3% levels indicated a poor prognosis for patients with HCC and AFP-L3% may have significant prognostic value in HCC patients with low AFP concentration.     

Effects of plant intraspecific variation on the prediction of C3/C4 vegetation ratio from carbon isotope composition of topsoil organic matter across grasslands

植物种内变异对草地表层有机质碳同位素组成预测C₃/C₄植被比的影响植物群落中C₃和C₄植物的比例和组成对诸多生态系统过程具有重要影响。解析C₃和C₄植物碳同位素的环境驱动过程与调控因子,对于从土壤碳同位素的角度来预测C₃/C₄植被比和组成具有重要意义。本研究旨在评估草原植物碳同位素特征的种内变异将如何影响C₃和C₄植物的碳同位素组成以及C₃/C₄植被比的预测。沿中国北方草原的自然干旱梯度选择26个植物群落,通过分析植物和土壤的碳同位素组成,采用混合模型来预测C₄植物对土壤有机碳的相对贡献。本研究对比分析了如下3种情境：(1)考虑C₃和C₄植物碳同位素的种内和种间效应;(2)仅考虑碳同位素的种间变异;(3)忽略碳同位素的种内和种间变异。研究结果表明,植物碳同位素组成沿中国北方草原自然干旱梯度的变化具有物种特异性。C₃和C₄植物的碳同位素组成与干旱指数之间呈显著负相关关系,但C₃植物比C₄植物对环境的干旱变化更为敏感。植物碳同位素特征的种内变异在驱动C₃植物功能群碳同位素沿干旱梯度的分布格局中发挥着重要作用。如果忽略植物碳同位素特征的种内变异将会显著高估C₄植物的相对贡献。本研究结果表明,草原植物碳同位素特征的种内变异对于准确预测C₃/C₄植被组成具有重要意义。     

Carbon transfer from the submerged macrophyte Hydrilla verticillata to zooplankton: a 13C-labeled mesocosm study

Hydrobiologia - Submerged macrophytes cannot be utilized directly by zooplankton. However, vegetation can serve as an organic carbon resource for heterotrophic bacteria, which are themselves...     

CD34与CD31显示78例非小细胞肺癌微血管密度的对比研究及意义

目的探讨血管内皮标记物CD34与CD31在显示非小细胞肺癌(NSCLC)微血管密度(MVD)中的差异,以及MVD与淋巴结转移的关系.方法采用微波免疫组化染色方法(LSAB)检测CD34与CD31在 78例NSCLS中的阳性表达.结果两种血管内皮标记物CD34与CD31显示的MVD分别是65.8±14.3条和63.5±17.9条,范围分别是18～112条和16～102条,二者差异无显著性(P>0.05);CD34与CD31微血管内皮标记物显示NSCLC的MVD,在转移组分别是69.5±15.7和65.3±14.5,在无转移组分别是44.3±14.3和40.5±12.6,转移组与无转移组间均有非常显著的差异性(P<0.01),而两种微血管内皮标记物之间显示的MVD无显著差异(P>0.05).结论 CD34、CD31相关抗原均能清晰地选择性地显示血管内皮细胞,CD34比CD31因子相关抗原更敏感,能突出显示较小的、不成熟的微血管或单一的内皮细胞;MVD与转移密切相关,可作为预测NSCLC病人预后的指标.     

标准型CD44基因蛋白在78例非小细胞肺癌中表达的定量研究

目的　探讨标准型CD44 (CD44s)基因表达与非小细胞肺癌 (NSCLC)的组织学类型、分化程度以及转移等之间的关系。方法　应用微波 -LSAB免疫组化染色及图像分析 ,测定了 78例NSCLC中CD44s阳性产物的光密度值(IOD)与组织学类型、分化程度和淋巴结转移间的关系。结果　 78例NSCLC的CD44s阳性细胞IOD值 (12 9.8± 12 .2 )与 10例癌旁组织IOD值 (91.3± 11.5 )之间差异非常显著 (P <0 .0 1) ;有淋巴结转移组 (10 9.8± 13.2 )与无淋巴结转移组 (136 .5± 14.8)间差异非常显著 (p <0 .0 1)。组织学类型、不同分化程度之间差异无显著性 (P >0 .0 5 )。结论　CD44s强阳性的病人转移率低、预后良好 ,CD44s可作为预测NSCLC病人预后的指标。     

Plasticity in bud demography of a rhizomatous clonal plantLeymus chinensis L. in response to soil water status

We surveyed the bud demography ofLeymus chinensis L plants along a soil-moisture gradient that was caused by a flood in 1998 on the Song-nen Plain in northeastern China. The number of vegetative buds per ramet was influenced by soil water content, with regression curves being quadratic and the opening of the parabola pointing downward. In addition, the optimum regression models for the numbers of rhizomatous buds and tiller buds relative to soil water resulted in a quadratic parabola and exponential curve, respectively. Vegetative buds flourished between August and October, with plants producing more of those buds on flooded plots than on control sites. The number of rhizomatous buds per ramet was much higher than for tiller buds throughout most of the growing season, and production of the former was more apt to be affected by soil water status. This observed superiority of rhizomatous bud production was thought to be a consequence of the whole-plant adjustment that was stimulated by an abnormally high moisture content. It could also be interpreted as a strategy for “escape” from disadvantageous overly wet conditions. Moreover, the position-based preference for bud emergence along the ramets could be an underlying mechanism for selective ramet placement.     

Genome amplification of single sperm using multiple displacement amplification

Sperm typing is an effective way to study recombination rate on a fine scale in regions of interest. There are two strategies for the amplification of single meiotic recombinants: repulsion-phase allele-specific PCR and whole genome amplification (WGA). The former can selectively amplify single recombinant molecules from a batch of sperm but is not scalable for high-throughput operation. Currently, primer extension pre-amplification is the only method used in WGA of single sperm, whereas it has limited capacity to produce high-coverage products enough for the analysis of local recombination rate in multiple large regions. Here, we applied for the first time a recently developed WGA method, multiple displacement amplification (MDA), to amplify single sperm DNA, and demonstrated its great potential for producing high-yield and high-coverage products. In a 50 μl reaction, 76 or 93% of loci can be amplified at least 2500- or 250-fold, respectively, from single sperm DNA, and second-round MDA can further offer >200-fold amplification. The MDA products are usable for a variety of genetic applications, including sequencing and microsatellite marker and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis. The use of MDA in single sperm amplification may open a new era for studies on local recombination rates.