Formation of soil organic carbon pool is regulated by the structure of dissolved organic matter and microbial carbon pump efficacy: A decadal study comparing different carbon management strategies

To achieve long-term increases in soil organic carbon (SOC) storage, it is essential to understand the effects of carbon management strategies on SOC formation pathways, particularly through changes in microbial necromass carbon (MNC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Using a 14-year field study, we demonstrate that both biochar and maize straw lifted the SOC ceiling, but through different pathways. Biochar, while raising SOC and DOC content, decreased substrate degradability by increasing carbon aromaticity. This resulted in suppressed microbial abundance and enzyme activity, which lowered soil respiration, weakened in vivo turnover and ex vivo modification for MNC production (i.e., low microbial carbon pump “efficacy”), and led to lower efficiency in decomposing MNC, ultimately resulting in the net accumulation of SOC and MNC. In contrast, straw incorporation increased the content and decreased the aromaticity of SOC and DOC. The enhanced SOC degradability and soil nutrient content, such as total nitrogen and total phosphorous, stimulated the microbial population and activity, thereby boosting soil respiration and enhancing microbial carbon pump “efficacy” for MNC production. The total C added to biochar and straw plots were estimated as 27.3–54.5 and 41.4 Mg C ha⁻¹, respectively. Our results demonstrated that biochar was more efficient in lifting the SOC stock via exogenous stable carbon input and MNC stabilization, although the latter showed low “efficacy”. Meanwhile, straw incorporation significantly promoted net MNC accumulation but also stimulated SOC mineralization, resulting in a smaller increase in SOC content (by 50%) compared to biochar (by 53%–102%). The results address the decadal-scale effects of biochar and straw application on the formation of the stable organic carbon pool in soil, and understanding the causal mechanisms can allow field practices to maximize SOC content.     

Signature region within the 16S rDNA sequences of Aeromonas popoffii

To identify a group of eight Aeromonas strains of our collection showing ribotyping patterns similar to those described for the species Aeromonas popoffii, 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis was performed. Results were in agreement with the DNA binding values, and allowed the identification of a 'signature region' differentiating the A. popoffii strains from all other members of the genus Aeromonas.     

Entamoeba histolytica: lipid rafts are involved in adhesion of trophozoites to host extracellular matrix components

Adhesion is an important virulence function for Entamoeba histolytica, the causative agent of amoebic dysentery. Lipid rafts, cholesterol-rich domains, function in compartmentalization of cellular processes. In E. histolytica, rafts participate in parasite-host cell interactions; however, their role in parasite-host extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions has not been explored. Disruption of rafts with a cholesterol extracting agent, methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MβCD), resulted in inhibition of adhesion to collagen, and to a lesser extent, to fibronectin. Replenishment of cholesterol in MβCD-treated cells, using a lipoprotein-cholesterol concentrate, restored adhesion to collagen. Confocal microscopy revealed enrichment of rafts at parasite-ECM interfaces. A raft-resident adhesin, the galactose/N-acetylgalactosamine-inhibitable lectin, mediates interaction to host cells by binding to galactose or N-acetylgalactosamine moieties on host glycoproteins. In this study, galactose inhibited adhesion to collagen, but not to fibronectin. Together these data suggest that rafts participate in E. histolytica-ECM interactions and that raft-associated Gal/GalNAc lectin may serve as a collagen receptor.     

广东金山温泉沉积物中原核与真核微生物多样性初步分析

[目的]本研究旨在采用不同的PCR引物对广东省恩平市金山温泉的高温水底沉积物微生物多样性进行初步的分析.[方法]采用改进的玻璃珠法抽提温泉沉积物中环境基因组DNA,通过对用4对引物分别扩增得到的原核微生物16S rRNA基因和真核微生物ITS序列的分析,将所得到的数据与国际基因数据库GenBank进行相似性比较并构建系统发育树.[结果]研究发现原核类群G的 14个优势克隆中7个都属于蛭弧菌属(Bdellovibrio).与它们最相似的序列是从海洋中分离到的两个菌株 Bacteriovorax sp. NE1 (EF092445)和Bdellovibrio sp. JS5 (AF084859),相似性分别为96%和99%.原核类群X的4个序列主要属于蓝细菌类群,其中JS-X2与在美国黄石公园温泉发现的Uncultured Cyanobacterium (L35331)有95%的相似性,并且与已经全基因组测序的嗜热蓝细菌聚球藻Thermosynechococcus elongatus BP-1 (47118315)有89%的相似性.真核类群Z有三个类群,分别是Penicillium sp.,Lodderomyces sp.和Gloeotinia sp..其中大部分序列与青霉属相似性在88%～ 90%之间.[结论]所得到的结果显示金山温泉中的微生物多样性十分丰富.     

一株嗜酸硫氧化菌的分离

从江西德兴分离得到一株嗜酸硫氧化杆菌DX-2,采用双层固体培养基进行分离纯化,对分离菌株进行了形态、生理生化特性研究及16SrRNA序列分析.该菌株为革兰氏阴性细菌,短杆状,菌体大小（0.4～0.5）μm×（1～2）μm,化能自养,可利用硫磺和硫代硫酸盐为能源生长,不能利用亚铁进行生长.以16SrRNA序列同源性为基础构建了相关种属在内的系统发育树,结果表明,DX-2与喜温硫杆菌（Acidithiobacillus caldus）处于同一进化树分支中,相似性达99%以上.考察了不同重金属离子对DX-2的生长的影响.     

Steroid structural requirements for interaction of ostreolysin, a lipid-raft binding cytolysin, with lipid monolayers and bilayers

Ostreolysin, a cytolytic protein from the edible oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus), recognizes and binds specifically to membrane domains enriched in cholesterol and sphingomyelin (or saturated phosphatidylcholine). These events, leading to permeabilization of the membrane, suggest that a cholesterol-rich liquid-ordered membrane phase, which is characteristic of lipid rafts, could be its possible binding site. In this work, we present effects of ostreolysin on membranes containing various steroids. Binding and membrane permeabilizing activity of ostreolysin was studied using lipid mono- and bilayers composed of sphingomyelin combined, in a 1/1 molar ratio, with natural and synthetic steroids (cholesterol, ergosterol, β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, lanosterol, 7-dehydrocholesterol, cholesteryl acetate, and 5-cholesten-3-one). Binding to membranes and lytic activity of the protein are both shown to be dependent on the intact sterol 3β-OH group, and are decreased by introducing additional double bonds and methylation of the steroid skeleton or C17-isooctyl chain. The activity of ostreolysin mainly correlates with the ability of the steroids to promote formation of liquid-ordered membrane domains, and is the highest with cholesterol-containing membranes. Furthermore, increasing the cholesterol concentration enhanced ostreolysin binding in a highly cooperative manner, suggesting that the membrane lateral distribution and accessibility of the sterols are crucial for the activity of this new member of cholesterol-dependent cytolysins.     

Behavior and social structure of the sperm whales of Dominica,West Indies

There is substantial geographic variation in the behavior and social structure of sperm whales worldwide. The population in the Eastern Caribbean is thought to be isolated from other areas in the North Atlantic. We describe the behavior and social structure of the sperm whales identified off Dominica during an eight year study (2005–2012; 92% of photographic identifications) with supplementary data collected from seven other organizations dating as far back as 1981. A total of 419 individuals were identified. Resighting rates (42% of individuals between years) and encounter rates with sperm whale groups (mean = 80.4% of days at sea) among this population were both comparatively high. Group sizes were small (7–9 individuals) and were comprised of just one social unit (mean = 6.76 individuals, SD = 2.80). We described 17 units which have been reidentified off Dominica across 2–27 yr. Mature males are seen regularly off Dominica, but residency in the area lasts only a few days to a few weeks. Males were reidentified across years spanning up to a decade. Management of this population within the multinational Wider Caribbean Region will require governments to work towards international agreements governing sperm whales as a cross‐border species of concern.     

Structure of translation initiation factor 1 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis and inferred binding to the 30S ribosomal subunit

The crystal structure of the free form of IF1 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been determined at 1.47 Å resolution. The structure adopts the expected OB fold and matches the high structural conservation among IF1 orthologues. In order to further explore the function of Mtb-IF1, we built a model of its interaction with the 30S ribosomal subunit based on the crystal structure of the complex from Thermus thermophilus. The model suggests that several functionally important side chain residues undergo large movements while the rest of the protein in complex shows only very limited conformational change as compared to its form in solution.