Effects of UV-B,water deficit and their combination on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bryum argenteum</Emphasis> plants

The changes in climate can result in several environmental stress factors. Among these, ultraviolet- B (UV-B) and water-deficit have serious detrimental effects on plants at the physiological, morphological, and biochemical levels. Biological soil crusts (BSCs), formed by an association between soil particles and photosynthetic algae, cyanobacteria, lichens, and mosses in varying proportions, are a key functional feature of arid and semi-arid areas. In this study, Bryum argenteum, isolated from BSCs found in the Tengger Desert, China, was subjected to UV-B and water-deficit, singly and in combination, in a greenhouse for 10 days. The treatments consisted of four UV-B levels (2.75, 3.08, 3.25, and 3.41 W/m²) and two water application levels (well-watered and water-deficit). UV-B treatment and water-deficit singly caused a significant decrease in chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence parameters, carotenoid (Car), total flavonoid contents, and a significant increase in MDA content. The combined application of UV-B and water-deficit produced significantly higher Chl fluorescence parameters, Chl, Car and total flavonoid contents, but reduced MDA content. These results suggest that water-deficit alleviates the negative effects on B. argenteum caused by enhanced UV-B radiation. Our results provide novel insights into understanding the relationships between BSCs and environmental factors, and supply a theoretical foundation for BSC assessment and protection in arid and semi-arid regions.     

微卫星DNA及其在鱼类中的应用

生物的遗传可变性和多态性是生物自组织管理中的重要一环,也正是这一环使得生物得以适应变化的环境,为了更有效的管理和利用生物资源,就必须在遗传多态的水平上对生物种群进行认识和分析。这种分析需要有遗传标记,即需要生物体的某些性状和物质,它们能够稳定的遗传且方式简单,可用以反映生物个体或群体的特征。尽管现在已经有一些分子水平的遗传标记方法可以采用,但是对于一些濒危物种的研究和保护而言,仍需要多态信息含量更大的分子标记体系。       

眼镜蛇神经毒素的急性毒性实验研究

目的　研究眼镜蛇神经毒素 （ Ｃｏｂｒａ ｎｅｕｒｏｔｏｘｉｎ, Ｎ Ｔ） 的急性毒性和蓄积毒性。方法　测 Ｎ Ｔ 对小鼠的 Ｌ Ｄ５０ ; 对大鼠、狗的１ 次性最小中毒剂量和最大安全剂量; 计算 Ｎ Ｔ 在小鼠、狗体内的２４ｈ 蓄积率。结果　 Ｎ Ｔ 经静注、肌注、腹腔、皮下 ４ 种途径给药对小鼠的 Ｌ Ｄ５０ 分别是 （１９５±９５） μｇ／ｋｇ、（１５６±８５） μｇ／ｋｇ、（１５１±１９） μｇ／ｋｇ、（１８４±８５） μｇ／ｋｇ, 对小鼠的最小致死剂量为９７５μｇ／ｋｇ。 Ｎ Ｔ 对大鼠、狗的１ 次性中毒剂量分别为５４μｇ／ｋｇ 和３４μｇ／ｋｇ。对小鼠、大鼠和狗的安全剂量分别为８１５μｇ／ｋｇ、４２μｇ／ｋｇ和３０μｇ／ｋｇ, 分别约为人临床用剂量 （７０μｇ／５０ｋｇ·ｄ－ １ ） 的５８２、３０ 和２１ 倍。 Ｎ Ｔ 在小鼠、狗体内的２４ｈ蓄积率分别为 ５７％ 和３０％ 以上。结论　 Ｎ Ｔ 在使动物中毒的剂量下有广泛的安全范围; Ｎ Ｔ 在动物体内存在弱蓄积毒性。     

夏蜡梅营养器官总鞣质含量的比较

对中国特有植物夏蜡梅营养器官的总鞣质含量进行测定,并分析了与环境因子之间的相关性。结果表明:(1)夏蜡梅各营养器官均含有总鞣质,但以叶片的含量最高,根次之,一年生枝、二年生枝、茎等器官的含量很低。(2)夏蜡梅叶片的含量阳坡植株显著高于阴坡,根的含量则反之。(3)夏蜡梅7个样地叶片的总鞣质含量在1.1066%～2.0060%之间,平均为1.6906%,其中临安5个样地含量较低,大雷山2个样地较高,差异显著。(4)通径分析显示,夏蜡梅叶片总鞣质含量的主要影响因子为土壤氮含量和C/N比。     

A new strategy to apply Bacillus subtilis MA139 for the production of solid-state fermentation feed

Aim:  The study investigated the potential of using Bacillus subtilis MA139 in combination with Lactobacillus fermentum and Saccharomyces cerevisae to produce solid-state fermentation feed.
Methods and Results:  In a pure fermentation, B. subtilis MA139 was able to grow and synthesize antimicrobial substances at temperatures from 25 to 37°C and at a pH from 5·0 to 9·0. Subsequently, B. subtilis MA139, Lact. fermentum and S. cerevisae were used as starter strains co-inoculated in unsterilized substrate (feed-grade soybean meal and wheat bran). Following 10 days of fermentation in a newly developed plastic bag equipped with a one-way valve, lactic acid bacteria and Bacillus became the predominant strains while S. cerevisae cells decreased slightly. Enterobacteriaceae ( Escherichia coli K88 and Salmonella typhimurium ) were not detected.
Conclusions:  Use of B. subtilis MA139 as a starter strain co-inoculated with S. cerevisae and Lact. fermentum successfully controlled the growth of enterobacteriaceae.
Significance and Impact of the Study:  This study provided a facile and low-cost way to produce solid-state fermentation feed.     

Use of RhD fusion protein expressed on K562 cell surface in the study of molecular basis for D antigenic epitopes

The human D antigens, one of the most clinically important blood groups, are presented by RhD protein with a putative 12 transmembrane topology. To understand the molecular basis for the complex antigenic profile of RhD protein, we expressed a series of RhD fusion proteins using different portions of Duffy protein as a tag in erythroleukemic K562 cells. Because the reactivity of monoclonal anti-RhD antibody, LOR15C9, depends mainly on the sequence coded by exon 7 of RhD, we altered DNA sequence corresponding to the amino acid residues 323-331(A) and 350-354(B) in the exon 7. The mutation in region B resulted in a severe reduction in LOR15C9 binding by flow cytometry analysis, suggesting that region B may play an important role in constituting antigen epitopes recognized by LOR15C9. On the other hand, a slight decrease in the antibody binding was observed for the region A mutant, suggesting that the intracellularly located region A may elicit a long distance effect on the formation of exofacial antigen epitopes. In addition, using various monoclonal antibodies against RhD, we compared the antigenic profile of expressed RhD fusion protein with that of endogenous RhD in K562 cells as well as in erythrocytes.     

The noncellulosomal family 48 cellobiohydrolase from Clostridium phytofermentans ISDg: heterologous expression, characterization, and processivity

Family 48 glycoside hydrolases (cellobiohydrolases) are among the most important cellulase components for crystalline cellulose hydrolysis mediated by cellulolytic bacteria. Open reading frame (Cphy_3368) of Clostridium phytofermentans ISDg encodes a putative family 48 glycoside hydrolase (CpCel48) with a family 3 cellulose-binding module. CpCel48 was successfully expressed as two soluble intracellular forms with or without a C-terminal His-tag in Escherichia coli and as a secretory active form in Bacillus subtilis. It was found that calcium ion enhanced activity and thermostability of the enzyme. CpCel48 had high activities of 15.1 U μmol⁻¹ on Avicel and 35.9 U μmol⁻¹ on regenerated amorphous cellulose (RAC) with cellobiose as a main product and cellotriose and cellotetraose as by-products. By contrast, it had very weak activities on soluble cellulose derivatives (e.g., carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)) and did not significantly decrease the viscosity of the CMC solution. Cellotetraose was the smallest oligosaccharide substrate for CpCel48. Since processivity is a key characteristic for cellobiohydrolases, the new initial false/right attack model was developed for estimation of processivity by considering the enzyme's substrate specificity, the crystalline structure of homologous Cel48 enzymes, and the configuration of cellulose chains. The processivities of CpCel48 on Avicel and RAC were estimated to be ∼3.5 and 6.0, respectively. Heterologous expression of secretory active cellobiohydrolase in B. subtilis is an important step for developing recombinant cellulolytic B. subtilis strains for low-cost production of advanced biofuels from cellulosic materials in a single step.     

Proteome characterization of cassava (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Manihot esculenta</Emphasis> Crantz) somatic embryos,plantlets and tuberous roots

Background  

Proteomics is increasingly becoming an important tool for the study of many different aspects of plant functions, such as investigating the molecular processes underlying in plant physiology, development, differentiation and their interaction with the environments. To investigate the cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) proteome, we extracted proteins from somatic embryos, plantlets and tuberous roots of cultivar SC8 and separated them by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE).