单面针的生物碱研究

自芸香科(Rutaceae)花椒属植物单面针(Zanthoxylum nitidum var. fastuosum How ex Huang)的根皮中分得五种已知生物碱:乙氧基白屈菜红碱(ethoxychelerythrine)(Ⅰ);氯化光花椒碱(nitidine chloride)(Ⅱ);去甲基白屈菜红碱(des-N-methychelerythrine)(Ⅲ);α—别隐品碱(α-allocryptopine)(Ⅳ);鹅掌揪宁(liriodenine)(Ⅴ).     

水分胁迫诱导玉米叶片质外体产生H2O2机理

通过组织化学染色、电镜观察、酶活性分析对水分胁迫诱导玉米叶片质外体产生H2O2进行了研究。结果表明:水分胁迫能够诱导玉米叶片内源ABA的积累,ABA参与了水分胁迫诱导的玉米叶片H2O2的产生,质膜NADPH氧化酶、细胞壁过氧化物酶(POD)以及质外体多胺氧化酶(PAO)是水分胁迫诱导玉米细胞在质外体产生H2O2的来源,其中质膜NADPH氧化酶是主要来源;内源ABA的积累参与了水分胁迫激活的质膜NADPH氧化酶、细胞壁POD和质外体PAO活性的提高。研究认为,水分胁迫诱导玉米细胞在质外体产生H2O2可能是由于水分胁迫下内源ABA的积累通过激活质膜NADPH氧化酶、细胞壁POD以及质外体PAO的活性而实现的。     

Plasma N-glycome composition associates with chronic low back pain

Background

Low back pain (LBP) is the symptom of a group of syndromes with heterogeneous underlying mechanisms and molecular pathologies, making treatment selection and patient prognosis very challenging. Moreover, symptoms and prognosis of LBP are influenced by age, gender, occupation, habits, and psychological factors. LBP may be characterized by an underlying inflammatory process. Previous studies indicated a connection between inflammatory response and total plasma N-glycosylation. We wanted to identify potential changes in total plasma N-glycosylation pattern connected with chronic low back pain (CLBP), which could give an insight into the pathogenic mechanisms of the disease.

Cloning,expression and cellular localization of the Doublesex gene in the water flea, Daphnia carinata, during different developmental stages

In this study, one of Doublesex genes from the common freshwater cladoceran Daphnia carinata, designated DapcaDsx1, was cloned using primers based on homologous sequences and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). qPCR was employed to quantify differences in DapcaDsx1 expression between the different sexual phases, with expression levels being higher in sexual females. The role of DapcaDsx1 in the reproductive transformation was further investigated in parthenogenetic-phase females and sexual-phase females using whole-mount in situ hybridization. This cellular localization study showed specific expression of DapcaDsx1 in the thoracic segments, second antenna and part of the ventral carapace. Higher expression levels were exhibited in sexual females compared to parthenogenetic females. This suggests that the DapcaDsx1 gene plays significant roles in switching modes of reproduction and during sexual differentiation.     

复合诱变黑曲霉选育β-葡萄糖苷酶高产菌株

对黑曲霉原生质体进行紫外、ＬｉＣｌ复合诱变,观察诱变后原生质体再生菌落,发现了抱子颜色变异较大的菌株,且其变化与酶产量相关。经发酵筛选,获得卜葡萄糖昔酶活较高菌株,其酶活由出发菌株的１０ｕ／ｍｌ提高到１４．７ｕ／ｍｌ。再对高产突变株进行氮离子注入,酶活又提高２０％（达１７ｕ／ｍｌ）。     

Effect of pH change on the performance and microbial community of enhanced biological phosphate removal process

An acetate-rich wastewater, containing 170 mg/L of total organic carbon (TOC), 13 mg/L of N, and 15 mg/L of P, was treated using the enhanced biological phosphate removal (EBPR) process operated in a sequencing batch reactor. A slight change of pH of the mixed liquor from 7.0 to 6.5 led to a complete loss of phosphate-removing capability and a drastic change of microbial populations. The process steadily removed 94% of TOC and 99.9% of P from the wastewater at pH 7.0, but only 93% TOC and 17% of P 14 days after the pH was lowered to pH 6.5. The sludge contained 8.8% P at pH 7.0, but only 1.9% at pH 6.5. Based on 16S rDNA analysis, 64.8% of the clones obtained from the sludge at pH 7.0 were absent in the pH 6.5 sludge. The missing microbes, some of which were likely responsible for the phosphate removal at pH 7.0, included beta-Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteriodetes/Chlorobi group, plus photosynthetic bacteria and Defluvicoccus of the alpha-Proteobacteria. Among them, the last two groups, which represented 9.3% and 10.1% of the EBPR sludge at pH 7.0, have rarely been reported in an EBPR system.     

The role of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore in heart disease

Like Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, mitochondria possess two distinct persona. Under normal physiological conditions they synthesise ATP to meet the energy needs of the beating heart. Here calcium acts as a signal to balance the rate of ATP production with ATP demand. However, when the heart is overloaded with calcium, especially when this is accompanied by oxidative stress, mitochondria embrace their darker side, and induce necrotic cell death of the myocytes. This happens acutely in reperfusion injury and chronically in congestive heart failure. Here calcium overload, adenine nucleotide depletion and oxidative stress combine forces to induce the opening of a non-specific pore in the mitochondrial membrane, known as the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP). The molecular nature of the mPTP remains controversial but current evidence implicates a matrix protein, cyclophilin-D (CyP-D) and two inner membrane proteins, the adenine nucleotide translocase (ANT) and the phosphate carrier (PiC). Inhibition of mPTP opening can be achieved with inhibitors of each component, but targeting CyP-D with cyclosporin A (CsA) and its non-immunosuppressive analogues is the best described. In animal models, inhibition of mPTP opening by either CsA or genetic ablation of CyP-D provides strong protection from both reperfusion injury and congestive heart failure. This confirms the mPTP as a promising drug target in human cardiovascular disease. Indeed, the first clinical trials have shown CsA treatment improves recovery after treatment of a coronary thrombosis with angioplasty.     

Hemocyanin gene family evolution in spiders (Araneae), with implications for phylogenetic relationships and divergence times in the infraorder Mygalomorphae

Hemocyanins are multimeric copper-containing hemolymph proteins involved in oxygen binding and transport in all major arthropod lineages. Most arachnids have seven primary subunits (encoded by paralogous genes a–g), which combine to form a 24-mer (4 × 6) quaternary structure. Within some spider lineages, however, hemocyanin evolution has been a dynamic process with extensive paralog duplication and loss. We have obtained hemocyanin gene sequences from numerous representatives of the spider infraorders Mygalomorphae and Araneomorphae in order to infer the evolution of the hemocyanin gene family and estimate spider relationships using these conserved loci. Our hemocyanin gene tree is largely consistent with the previous hypotheses of paralog relationships based on immunological studies, but reveals some discrepancies in which paralog types have been lost or duplicated in specific spider lineages. Analyses of concatenated hemocyanin sequences resolved deep nodes in the spider phylogeny and recovered a number of clades that are supported by other molecular studies, particularly for mygalomorph taxa. The concatenated data set is also used to estimate dates of higher-level spider divergences and suggests that the diversification of extant mygalomorphs preceded that of extant araneomorphs. Spiders are diverse in behavior and respiratory morphology, and our results are beneficial for comparative analyses of spider respiration. Lastly, the conserved hemocyanin sequences allow for the inference of spider relationships and ancient divergence dates.     

Enhanced biological phosphorus removal in a sequencing batch reactor using propionate as the sole carbon source

An enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) system was developed in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) using propionate as the sole carbon source. The microbial community was followed using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) techniques and Candidatus 'Accumulibacter phosphatis' were quantified from the start up of the reactor until steady state. A series of SBR cycle studies was performed when 55% of the SBR biomass was Accumulibacter, a confirmed polyphosphate accumulating organism (PAO) and when Candidatus 'Competibacter phosphatis', a confirmed glycogen-accumulating organism (GAO), was essentially undetectable. These experiments evaluated two different carbon sources (propionate and acetate), and in every case, two different P-release rates were detected. The highest rate took place while there was volatile fatty acid (VFA) in the mixed liquor, and after the VFA was depleted a second P-release rate was observed. This second rate was very similar to the one detected in experiments performed without added VFA.A kinetic and stoichiometric model developed as a modification of Activated Sludge Model 2 (ASM2) including glycogen economy, was fitted to the experimental profiles. The validation and calibration of this model was carried out with the cycle study experiments performed using both VFAs. The effect of pH from 6.5 to 8.0 on anaerobic P-release and VFA-uptake and aerobic P-uptake was also studied using propionate. The optimal overall working pH was around 7.5. This is the first study of the microbial community involved in EBPR developed with propionate as a sole carbon source along with detailed process performance investigations of the propionate-utilizing PAOs.     

Correlation of leaf senescence and gene expression/activities of chlorophyll degradation enzymes in harvested Chinese flowering cabbage (Brassica rapa var. parachinensis)

Chinese flowering cabbage is one of the main leafy vegetables produced in China. They have a rapid leaf yellowing due to chlorophyll degradation after harvest that limits their marketing. In the present study, leaf senescence of the cabbages was manipulated by ethylene and 6-benzyl aminopurine (6-BA) treatment to investigate the correlation of leaf senescence and chlorophyll degradation related to gene expression/activities in the darkness. The patterns of several senescence associated markers, including a typical marker, the expression of senescence-associated gene SAG₁₂, demonstrated that ethylene accelerated leaf senescence of the cabbages, while 6-BA retarded this progress. Similar to the trends of BrSAG₁₂ gene expression, strong activation in the expression of three chlorophyll degradation related genes, pheophytinase (BrPPH), pheophorbide a oxygenase (BrPAO) and red chlorophyll catabolite reductase (BrRCCR), was detected in ethylene treated and control leaves during the incubation, while no evident increase was recorded in 6-BA treated leaves. The overall dynamics of Mg-dechelatase activities in all treatments displayed increasing trends during the senescence process, and a delayed increase in the activities was observed for 6-BA treated leaves. However, chlorophyllase activity as well as the expression of BrChlase1 and BrChlase2 decreased with the incubation in all treatments. Taken together, the expression of BrPPH, BrPAO and BrRCCR, and the activity of Mg-dechelatase was closely associated with the chlorophyll degradation during the leaf senescence process in harvested Chinese flowering cabbages under dark conditions.