The Glycerol‐3‐Phosphate Acyltransferase TbGAT is Dispensable for Viability and the Synthesis of Glycerolipids in Trypanosoma brucei

Glycerolipids are the main constituents of biological membranes in Trypanosoma brucei, which causes sleeping sickness in humans. Importantly, they occur as a structural component of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol lipid anchor of the abundant cell surface glycoproteins procyclin in procyclic forms and variant surface glycoprotein in bloodstream form, that play crucial roles for the development of the parasite in the insect vector and the mammalian host, respectively. The present work reports the characterization of the glycerol‐3‐phosphate acyltransferase TbGAT that initiates the biosynthesis of ester glycerolipids. TbGAT restored glycerol‐3‐phosphate acyltransferase activity when expressed in a Leishmania major deletion strain lacking this activity and exhibited preference for medium length, unsaturated fatty acyl‐CoAs. TbGAT localized to the endoplasmic reticulum membrane with its N‐terminal domain facing the cytosol. Despite that a TbGAT null mutant in T. brucei procyclic forms lacked glycerol‐3‐phosphate acyltransferase activity, it remained viable and exhibited similar growth rate as the wild type. TbGAT was dispensable for the biosynthesis of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylserine, and GPI‐anchored protein procyclin. However, the null mutant exhibited a slight decrease in phosphatidylethanolamine biosynthesis that was compensated with a modest increase in production of ether phosphatidylcholine. Our data suggest that an alternative initial acyltransferase takes over TbGAT's function in its absence.     

Establishment of a novel testicular cell line from sterlet Acipenser ruthenus and evaluation of its applications

In this study, a cell line, designated as Acipenser ruthenus testis (ART), was successfully established from testis tissues of the sterlet Acipenser ruthenus and characterized by studying and comparing the expression of specific genes between the cell line and the parent gonad tissues. The results suggested that the developed ART cell line was composed of a mixture of germ cells and somatic cells. Ploidy analysis indicated that the cell line exhibited a high degree of genetic stability and that the cells remained in a good proliferating state after being subcultured to passage 80.     

High-level phenotypic variations in populations of Armeniaca sibirica in Nei Mongol,China北大核心CSCD

Aims: Our objectives were to determine the variations in phenotypic traits of Armeniaca sibirica populations and their spatial patterns. Methods: We used nested variation, coefficient of variation, multi-comparison, correlation analysis and principal component analysis to analyze the 23 phenotypic traits for 130 individuals in 13 populations of A. sibirica. Important findings: The results showed that there were significant differences in phenotypic variations among and within populations. The variation was greater among populations (47.15%) than within population (16.43%). The mean phenotypic differentiation coefficient was 73.03% among populations, indicating the variance among populations being the main source of the phenotypic variation. The average variation coefficient of 23 traits ranged from 7.01% to 27.23%, with an average of 14.28%. The variation coefficient of nutlet was highest (15.67%), and the variation coefficient of fruit was smallest (12.11%). The phenotypic diversity is highest in Wanjiagou Tumotezuoqi and smallest in Horqin, Right Front Banner Chaersen. Longitude, mean annual precipitation and sunshine duration were significantly correlated with major traits of phenotypic. The 13 populations could be divided into four groups according to the principal component analysis. Leaf traits of Wula Mountain and nutlet traits of Archorchin Banner were significantly correlated with ecological and geographic factors.     

Effects of experimental warming on plant reproductive phenology in Xizang alpine meadow北大核心CSCD

Aims: Climate warming strongly influences reproductive phenology of plants in alpine and arctic ecosystems. Here we focus on phenological shifts caused by warming in a typical alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. Our objective was to explore phenological responses of alpine plant species to experimental warming. Methods: Passive warming was achieved using open-top chambers (OTCs). The treatments included control (C), and four levels of warming (T1, T2, T3, T4). We selected Kobresia pygmaea, Potentilla saundersiana, Potentilla cuneata, Stipa purpurea, Festuca coelestis and Youngia simulatrix as the focal species. Plant phenology was scored every 3-5 days in the growing season. The reproductive phenology phases of each species were estimated through fitting the phenological scores to the Richards function. Important findings: Under soil water stress caused by warming, most plants in the alpine meadow advanced or delayed their reproductive events. As a result, warming significantly delayed phenological development of K. pygmaea. Warming significantly advanced reproductive phenology of P. saundersiana, S. purpurea and F. coelestis, but not of P. cuneata and Y. simulatrix. In addition, warming significantly shortened the average flowering duration of alpine plant species. The potentially warmer and drier growing seasons under climate change may shift the reproductive phenology of the alpine systems in similar pattern.     

Leaf nutrient dynamics and nutrient resorption: a comparison between larch plantations and adjacent secondary forests in Northeast China

Aims Conversion of secondary forests to pure larch plantations is a common management practice driven by the increasing demand for timber production in Northeast China, resulting in a reduction in soil nutrient availability after a certain number of years following conversion. Nutrient resorption prior to leaf senescence was related to soil fertility, an important nutrient conservation strategy for plants, being especially significant in nutrient-poor habitats. However, the seasonal dynamics of leaf nutrients and nutrient resorption in response to secondary forest conversion to larch plantations is not well understood.Methods A comparative experiment between larch plantations (Larix spp.) and adjacent secondary forests (dominant tree species including Quercus mongolica, Acer mono, Juglans mandshurica and Fraxinus rhynchophylla) was conducted. We examined the variations in leaf nutrient (macronutrients: N, P, K, Ca and Mg; micronutrients: Cu and Zn) concentrations of these tree species during the growing season from May to October in 2013. Nutrient resorption efficiency and proficiency were compared between Larix spp. and the broadleaved species in the secondary forests.Important findings Results show that the seasonal variation of nutrient concentrations in leaves generally exhibited two trends, one was a downward trend for N, P, K, Cu and Zn, and another was an upward trend for Ca and Mg. The variations in foliar nutrient concentrations were mainly controlled by the developmental stage of leaves rather than by tree species. Resorption of the observed seven elements varied among the five tree species during leaf senescence. Nutrient resorption efficiency varied 6–75% of N, P, K, Mg, Cu and Zn, while Ca was not retranslocated in the senescing leaves of all species, and Mg was not retranslocated in Larix spp. Generally, Larix spp. tended to be more efficient and proficient (higher than 6–30% and 2–271% of nutrient resorption efficiency and resorption proficiency, respectively) in resorbing nutrients than the broadleaved species in the secondary forests, indicating that larch plantations had higher leaf nutrient resorption and thus nutrient use efficiency. Compared with Larix spp., more nutrients would remain in the leaf litter of the secondary forests, indicating an advantage of secondary forests in sustaining soil fertility. In contrast, the larch plantation would reuse internal nutrients rather than lose nutrients with litter fall and thus produce a positive feedback to soil nutrient availability. In summary, our results suggest that conversion from secondary forests to pure larch plantations would alter nutrient cycling through a plant-mediated pathway.     

霍乱肠毒素B亚单位在转基因番茄中表达的研究

将霍乱肠毒素B亚单位（CT－B）基因及内质网引导序列（SEKDEL）克隆到质粒pRTL2和pBI121中,分别构建植物双元表达载体pBI-CTB和pBI-CTBK,CT-B基因由Ca35S启动子控制表达。采用叶盘法经根癌农杆菌介导转化番茄（金丰1号,Jinfeng1)各表达载体得到一批转基因植株。经PCR和Southern blot分析表明CT－B基因整合到了番茄基因组中;ELISA和Western blot分析表明pBI-CTB和pBI-CTBK的转基因植株能够有效表达CT－B多肽,分别占番茄叶片可溶性蛋白的0.055%和0.084%。     

缺血预处理对缺血再灌注后兔脊髓磷酸腺苷代谢的影响

目的：研究缺血参处理对缺血再灌注后兔脊髓磷酸腺苷代谢的影响。方法：往置入腹主动脉的Swan-Ganz导管气囊内注气造成兔腰髓缺血模型。将实验兔分为假手术组、缺血组和预处理组。应用反相高效液相色谱方法（reverse phase HPLC),对缺血再灌注后不同时间点腰髓组织中磷酸腺苷（ATP、ADP、AMP）的含量进行检测。结果：和假手术组相比,缺血组兔再灌后各时间点腰髓组织ATP含量有明显下降（P＜0．01）。与缺血组相应时间点相比,预处理组兔再灌注后腰髓组织ATP含量明显提高（P＜0．01）。结论：缺血预处理显著提高缺血再灌注后兔脊髓组织ATP含量,这可能是缺血预处理对脊髓缺血再灌注损伤产生保护作用的机制之一。