NMR structure of the bank vole prion protein at 20 degrees C contains a structured loop of residues 165-171

The recent introduction of bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) as an additional laboratory animal for research on prion diseases revealed an important difference when compared to the mouse and the Syrian hamster, since bank voles show a high susceptibility to infection by brain homogenates from a wide range of diseased species such as sheep, goats, and humans. In this context, we determined the NMR structure of the C-terminal globular domain of the recombinant bank vole prion protein (bvPrP) [bvPrP(121-231)] at 20 °C. bvPrP(121-231) has the same overall architecture as other mammalian PrPs, with three α-helices and an antiparallel β-sheet, but it differs from PrP of the mouse and most other mammalian species in that the loop connecting the second β-strand and helix α2 is precisely defined at 20 °C. This is similar to the previously described structures of elk PrP and the designed mouse PrP (mPrP) variant mPrP[S170N,N174T](121-231), whereas Syrian hamster PrP displays a structure that is in-between these limiting cases. Studies with the newly designed variant mPrP[S170N](121-231), which contains the same loop sequence as bvPrP, now also showed that the single-amino-acid substitution S170N in mPrP is sufficient for obtaining a well-defined loop, thus providing the rationale for this local structural feature in bvPrP.     

东北样带上的克隆植物及其重要性与环境的关系

1997年野外调查资料,对中国东北样带克隆植物沿样带的分布,克隆植物在群落中的重要性以及其与环境因子之间的关系进行了研究,结果表明;克隆植物相对种数（C/Pt)和克隆植物相对重要值（IV）随样带上环境梯度变化呈增加的趋势,群落中克隆植物相对种数与土壤全氮含量负相关,与海拔高度正相关,与年平均温度和年降水相关不显著;克隆植物相对重要值与土壤全氮含量负相关,与海拔高度正相关,与年平均温度和年降水相关不显著,研究还发现,群落中克隆植物种数与非克隆植物种数随样带上海拔高度、年平均温度、年降水梯度变化相关性较差,而克隆植物种数与土壤全氮含量负相关不显著,非克隆植物物种数与土壤全氮含量正相关不显著,根茎型、分蘖型及鳞茎球茎型克隆植物在土壤湿度较差的生境中出现频率较高,而匍匐茎型、根茎鳞茎及根茎球茎型克隆植物在土壤湿度较好的生境中出现频率较高。     

Leaf trait variation captures climate differences but differs with species irrespective of functional group

Aims To clarify whether variation in leaf traits with climate differs with scale, i.e. across species and within a species, and to detect whether plant functional group affects species-specific response.Methods Leaf dry matter content (LDMC), specific leaf area (SLA), mass- and area-based leaf N (N mass, N area) and leaf P concentrations (P mass, P area) and leaf chlorophyll concentration (SPAD) were measured for 92 woody plant species in two botanical gardens in China. The two gardens share plant species in common but differ in climate. Leaf trait variation between the two gardens was examined via mean comparison at three scales: all species together, species grouped into plant functional groups and within a species. A meta-analysis was performed to summarize the species-specific responses.Important findings At the scale of all species together, LDMC, SLA, P mass and N mass were significantly lower in the dry-cold habitat than in the wet-warm one, whereas N area and SPAD showed an inverse pattern, indicating a significant environmental effect. The meta-analysis showed that the above-mentioned patterns persisted for SLA, N area and SPAD but not for the other variables at the species-specific scale, indicating that intraspecific variation affects the overall pattern of LDMC, P mass and N mass and P area. In terms of species-specific response, positive, negative or nonsignificant patterns were observed among the 92 species. Contrary to our prediction, species-specific responses within a functional group were not statistically more similar than those among functional groups. Our results indicated that leaf trait variation captured climatic difference yet species-specific responses were quite diverse irrespective of plant functional group, providing new insights for interpreting trait variability with climate.     

应用多元 PCR 技术对我国红火蚁社会型的鉴定

红火蚁 Solenopsis invicta Buren 蚁群存在着单后型和多后型。不同型的红火蚁在行为及生态上存在着较大的差异,因此社会型的鉴别是一个地区制定正确的红火蚁监控技术的关键步骤。本文利用多元 PCR 技术首次对采自我国 4 省 16 个县(市、区)的 120 个红火蚁蚁群的社会型进行了鉴别。结果表明：我国的红火蚁多后型与单后型共存,但以多后型为主。多后型与单后型的比约为 4∶1 (97∶23),但会因地区的不同而异： 如广东多后型与单后型的比例最低,约为 3∶1 (66∶20),而广西的多后型与单后型的比为 7∶1 (21∶3)。最后,根据我国红火蚁的发生危害情况对这些结果进行了讨论。     

Characteristics of Cd accumulation and distribution in two sweet potato cultivars

In this study, we compared the chemical forms and subcellular distribution of Cd in high-Cd (X16) and low-Cd (N88) sweet potato cultivars through hydroponic experiments and examined the Cd distribution in their roots by histochemical staining. The results showed that inorganic and pectate/protein-integrated Cd predominated in the leaves, and Cd concentrations were significantly higher in X16 than in N88. However, in the roots, Cd was mostly integrated with pectate and protein, and Cd concentration was higher in N88 than in X16. It was mainly stored through vacuolar sequestration and cell wall binding. In the leaves and stems, Cd concentrations in all subcellular fractions were higher in X16 than in N88; the opposite was observed in the roots. In X16, Cd was mostly accumulated in the root stele, and its Cd translocation factor was higher than that of N88. Overall, the subcellular fractions of X16 roots retained less Cd than N88 roots, and more Cd entered the root stele of X16 and subsequently moved to the shoots. The higher amounts of inorganic, water-soluble, and pectate/protein-integrated Cd with high mobility in the shoots of X16 than in N88 might facilitate Cd remobilization to other tissues, but this needs to be further studied.     

Climatic impact,future biomass production,and local adaptation of four switchgrass cultivars

Previous studies have shown that switchgrass has a wide range of genetic variation and that productivity is linked to local adaptation to the location of origin for many cultivars. In this meta‐analysis, we compiled and analyzed 900 observations associated with 41 field trials for four switchgrass cultivars (two lowlands, Alamo and Kanlow, and two uplands, Cave‐In‐Rock and Shelter). This extensive dataset and machine learning were used to identify the most influential variables impacting switchgrass productivity, to search for evidence of local adaptation to each cultivar's location of origin, and to predict change in productivity under future climate for each cultivar. In general, variables associated with climate and management are more important predictors of productivity relative to soil variables. Three climatic variables, annual mean temperature, annual precipitation, and precipitation in the wettest month, are identified as key environmental variables for productivity of all cultivars. Productivity under future climate (2041–2060) is predicted to stay stable for all cultivars relative to the prediction under current climate (1986–2005) across all trial locations and over a 20‐year simulation period. However, the productivity of each cultivar varies from location to location and from year to year, although productivity varies more between locations than between years. Additionally, we observe shifts in the most productive cultivar at the local field scale depending on the combination of management practice and climates. The shape of the relationship between productivity and the annual mean temperature relative to the cultivar's location of origin is a bell‐shaped curve for Kanlow, Cave‐in‐Rock, and Shelter, indicative of local adaptation. Identifying influential environmental variables and their relationships to productivity with respect to cultivar's location of origin help predicting productivity on the local field scale, and will help with the biofuel production planning through the selection of suitable cultivars for different locations under climate changes.     

New insights into the binding mode of pyridine-3-carboxamide inhibitors of E. coli DNA gyrase

Previously we have reported on a series of pyridine-3-carboxamide inhibitors of DNA gyrase and DNA topoisomerase IV that were designed using a computational de novo design approach and which showed promising antibacterial properties. Herein we describe the synthesis of additional examples from this series aimed specifically at DNA gyrase, along with crystal structures confirming the predicted mode of binding and in vitro ADME data which describe the drug-likeness of these compounds.