联合固氮菌Enterobactergergoviae57—7泌铵突变株的分离和特性

经 Tn5转座子诱变从野生型菌株 ( Enterobacter gergoviae 5 7- 7)筛选到抗甲胺 ( 0 .3mol/L )的泌铵突变株 MG61 ,该突变株在固氮生长时能分泌铵 2 .0 mmol/L。由于泌铵 MG61的生长比野生型菌株慢 ,在培养基中含铵 ( 5 mmol/L或 30 mmol/L)条件下 ,MG61的生长速率与对照相同 ,而远比野生型菌株慢 ,表明 MG 61不能很好地利用铵。在含 2 0 mmol/L铵的培养基中 MG 61仍表达 86%的固氮活性 ,而野生型菌株完全丧失了固氮活性。在谷氨酸存在下 MG61的生长速率及固氮酶活性都比对照高。在硝酸盐存在下 MG61的生长速率与对照相同 ,但泌铵量达 7.8mmol/L。     

Effect of middle cerebral artery occlusion on the passage of pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide across the blood-brain barrier in the rat

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) has been shown to be a potent neuroprotective agent in global and focal ischemia. We demonstrated that PACAP could cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) by a saturable transport system, and a systemic administration of PACAP reduced the infarct induced by unilateral middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Therefore, we studied whether this transport system is affected by MCAO in the rat. The entry of PACAP38 into the brain was compared in five groups: control, 4, 6, 24, and 48 h after MCAO. [(125)I]PACAP38 was injected intravenously and serum and various brain regions were collected 3 min later. The rate of entry into the brain of PACAP38 was also determined. We showed that PACAP entered the rat brain via a rapid transport system when the BBB is intact. After transient (2 h) unilateral MCAO, all regions of the brain, showed a selective increase in the passage of PACAP38 across the BBB after 4 h after the occlusion, which was not related to any generalized change in the permeability of the BBB, as measured with albumin. A significant decrease in the amount of PACAP38 entering the brain was observed in the 6- and 24-h groups, but it returned to the baseline level in the 48-h group. These results suggest that focal cerebral ischemia can selectively modify the passage of PACAP38 across the BBB, in both damaged and undamaged sides of the brain, and that these changes in influx are not solely due to the disruption of BBB. These findings imply the necessity of adjusting the dose of intravenously administered PACAP38 in order to maximize its therapeutic effect on the brain damage resulting from focal ischemia     

Evaluation of the capacity of three halophytes to desalinize their rhizosphere as grown on saline soils under nonleaching conditions

In the sabkha of Soliman (N‐E Tunisia), soil samples of the upper 20 cm were taken during the driest period of the year (July–August) from inside and outside tufts of two perennial halophytes: Arthrocnemum indicum (Willd.) Moq. and Suaeda fruticosa Forssk., both from family Chenopodiaceae. Samples were analysed for electrical conductivity of the saturation paste extract (ECe) and soluble sodium (Na⁺) content. Then, tufts were divided into three size categories and their shoot biomass production and Na⁺ content were determined. Our results showed a considerable contribution of shoot Na⁺ accumulation to rhizosphere desalination. The capacity of the two native halophytes A. indicum. and S. fruticosa to desalinize saline soils was compared with that of an introduced halophyte, Sesuvium portulacastrum L. (Aizoaceae). Seedlings were grown under greenhouse conditions in pots containing 8 kg of saline soil each. Pots were irrigated with tap water during 170 days without leaching. Our results confirmed the contribution of shoot Na⁺ accumulation to soil desalination. They showed also that among the three studied species, Sesuvium portulacastrum L. seems to be the most convenient to be used for this purpose in arid and semi‐arid regions where precipitation is too low to leach salts from rhizosphere.     

Forests do not limit bumble bee foraging movements in a montane meadow complex

1. Understanding the roles of habitat fragmentation and resource availability in shaping animal movement are integral for promoting species persistence and conservation. For insects such as bumble bees, their movement patterns affect the survival and reproductive potential of their colonies, as well as the pollen flow of plant species. However, the understanding of their mobility or the impact of putative barriers in natural environments is limited due to the technical difficulties of studying wild populations. 2. Genetic mark–recapture was used to estimate the foraging distance, resource use, and site connectivity of two bumble bee species in a montane meadow complex composed of open meadows within a matrix of forest. 3. There was no evidence that forests or changes in landcover function as barriers to the fine-scale movement for either species. Substantially greater colony-specific foraging distances were found for Bombus vosnesenskii (maximum: 1867 m) compared to Bombus bifarius (maximum: 362 m). Despite this difference in absolute range, both species were detected across putative forest barriers at frequencies expected by uninhibited movement. Siblings separated by greater distances were more likely to be foraging on different floral species, potentially suggesting a resource-based motivation for movement. 4. These results suggest that bumble bee foraging patterns are influenced by species-specific differences in movement capacity, with little influence of matrix composition between resource patches. They also support the perspective that habitat conservation for bumble bees should prioritise providing abundant and diverse patches of resources within species-specific movement radii with less emphasis on matrix composition.     

Free l-amino acids and d-aspartate content in the nervous system of Cephalopoda. A comparative study

We have determined the content of free l-amino acids and d-aspartate in the nervous tissue of three representative cephalopods: Sepia officinalis, Octopus vulgaris, and Loligo vulgaris, and the optic lobes of adult and embryo Sepia officinalis. Taurine is the most abundant amino acid in the cephalopod nervous tissue. Its content amounts to more than 50% of the total free amino acids. The other most concentrated amino acids are Glu, Ala, Asp, and GABA. High concentrations of d-aspartate were found in the nervous tissue of all cephalopods examined (7–12 μmol/g wet tissue) which represents 50–80% of the total aspartate (d + l), depending on the animal. Among the various regions of the brain of Octopus vulgaris, d-aspartate was found to be evenly distributed in the various regions of the brain. In nerve tissue of Sepia officinalis, there is no significant difference in the pattern of free l-amino acids, in particular of the d-aspartate concentration, between adults and embryos, except for GABA, Gly, His and Thr. This suggests that d-aspartate in nerve tissue of the Cephalopoda is of endogenous origin and not a product of accumulation from exogenous sources. From a comparative study of the content of d-aspartate in the nervous tissue of different animals, we found that protostomia contain a significantly higher amount than deuterostomia. Thus, d-aspartate could be a criterion to distinguish the protostomia phyla from the deuterostomia phyla.     

A brief note on the effects of novel enrichment on an unwanted behaviour of captive bonobos

Animals in captivity may show undesirable behaviour when they are not sufficiently challenged, making it essential for their well-being to provide daily enrichment to zoo animals. Primates need a regular replacement with novel enrichment objects to prevent them from getting bored and look for challenging situations which might be even more undesirable. A socially housed group of bonobos showed behavioural problems such as stealing and rough handling and playing with a newborn infant in the group. To study whether providing novel environmental enrichment has an effect on this phenomenon we performed an experiment where we observed the change in behaviour in the presence of familiar and novel enrichment devices. When provided with novel enrichments, the general activity of the group increased. Simultaneously, these novel behavioural challenges significantly decreased the frequency of taking the newborn infant from its mother. Our results confirm previous findings that continuous application of new enrichments is necessary for providing sensory stimulation to primates as it promotes their well-being and indirectly might influence breeding success as well.     

How to Turn a Genetic Circuit into a Synthetic Tunable Oscillator,or a Bistable Switch

Systems and Synthetic Biology use computational models of biological pathways in order to study in silico the behaviour of biological pathways. Mathematical models allow to verify biological hypotheses and to predict new possible dynamical behaviours. Here we use the tools of non-linear analysis to understand how to change the dynamics of the genes composing a novel synthetic network recently constructed in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae for In-vivo Reverse-engineering and Modelling Assessment (IRMA). Guided by previous theoretical results that make the dynamics of a biological network depend on its topological properties, through the use of simulation and continuation techniques, we found that the network can be easily turned into a robust and tunable synthetic oscillator or a bistable switch. Our results provide guidelines to properly re-engineering in vivo the network in order to tune its dynamics.     

Excitatory neurotransmitters in the tentacle flexor muscles responsible for space positioning of the snail olfactory organ

Recently, three novel flexor muscles (M1, M2 and M3) in the posterior tentacles of the snail have been described, which are responsible for the patterned movements of the tentacles of the snail, Helix pomatia. In this study, we have demonstrated that the muscles received a complex innervation pattern via the peritentacular and olfactory nerves originating from different clusters of motoneurons of the cerebral ganglia. The innervating axons displayed a number of varicosities and established neuromuscular contacts of different ultrastructural forms. Contractions evoked by nerve stimulation could be mimicked by external acetylcholine (ACh) and glutamate (Glu), suggesting that ACh and Glu are excitatory transmitters at the neuromuscular contacts. Choline acetyltransferase and vesicular glutamate transporter immunolabeled axons innervating flexor muscles were demonstrated by immunohistochemistry and in Western blot experiments. Nerve- and transmitter-evoked contractions were similarly attenuated by cholinergic and glutamatergic antagonists supporting the dual excitatory innervation. Dopamine (DA, 10^?5 M) oppositely modulated thin (M1/M2) and thick (M3) muscle responses evoked by stimulation of the olfactory nerve, decreasing the contractions of the M1/M2 and increasing those of M3. In both cases, the modulation site was presynaptic. Serotonin (5-HT) at high concentration (10^?5 M) increased the amplitude of both the nerve- and the ACh-evoked contractions in all muscles. The relaxation rate was facilitated suggesting pre- and postsynaptic site of action. Our data provided evidence for a DAergic and 5-HTergic modulation of cholinergic nerves innervating flexor muscles of the tentacles as well as the muscles itself. These effects of DA and 5-HT may contribute to the regulation of sophisticated movements of tentacle muscles lacking inhibitory innervation.     

The Antiepileptic Drug Levetiracetam Suppresses Non-Convulsive Seizure Activity and Reduces Ischemic Brain Damage in Rats Subjected to Permanent Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion

The antiepileptic drug Levetiracetam (Lev) has neuroprotective properties in experimental stroke, cerebral hemorrhage and neurotrauma. In these conditions, non-convulsive seizures (NCSs) propagate from the core of the focal lesion into perilesional tissue, enlarging the damaged area and promoting epileptogenesis. Here, we explore whether Lev neuroprotective effect is accompanied by changes in NCS generation or propagation. In particular, we performed continuous EEG recordings before and after the permanent occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (pMCAO) in rats that received Lev (100 mg/kg) or its vehicle immediately before surgery. Both in Lev-treated and in control rats, EEG activity was suppressed after pMCAO. In control but not in Lev-treated rats, EEG activity reappeared approximately 30-45 min after pMCAO. It initially consisted in single spikes and, then, evolved into spike-and-wave and polyspike-and-wave discharges. In Lev-treated rats, only rare spike events were observed and the EEG power was significantly smaller than in controls. Approximately 24 hours after pMCAO, EEG activity increased in Lev-treated rats because of the appearance of polyspike events whose power was, however, significantly smaller than in controls. In rats sacrificed 24 hours after pMCAO, the ischemic lesion was approximately 50% smaller in Lev-treated than in control rats. A similar neuroprotection was observed in rats sacrificed 72 hours after pMCAO. In conclusion, in rats subjected to pMCAO, a single Lev injection suppresses NCS occurrence for at least 24 hours. This electrophysiological effect could explain the long lasting reduction of ischemic brain damage caused by this drug.