肠道微生态与肥胖

人的肠道是一个丰富的微生态系统,含有100万亿多的微生物,种类多达500-1000个,这些微生物的基因总数是人体基因组所含基因总数的100倍。肠道微生物丛的组成种类和数量与宿主的肥胖有关,无菌小鼠含有的脂肪量比正常饲养小鼠低42％,如果将微生物丛植入到无菌小鼠体内后,导致脂肪总量增加57％。提示肠道微生物丛可以明显的促进小鼠对热能的摄人,促使脂肪的沉积,触动全身性炎症反应。因此,对肥胖的治疗可以采用益生菌和益生元来调节肠道微生物丛的状态以期获得治疗效果。本研究述及肠道微生丛对宿主肥胖及其代谢机制的研究进展。     

溶藻细菌的生态学作用及其生物量检测方法

有害藻类水华已成为当今世界水体普遍存在的环境问题,溶藻细菌作为水华和赤潮防治的可能生物,引起了众多科研人员的关注。介绍了溶藻细菌的研究概况,重点对溶藻细菌的生态学作用及其生物量的检测方法进行了综述。     

人工释放赤眼蜂对棉铃虫的防治作用及相关生态效应

1998～2000年在河北省南皮县棉区转Bt基因棉田及常规棉田中设置4种不同的组合处理,通过释放螟黄赤眼蜂控制棉铃虫的方法,减少化学农药的使用,达到提升和增强自然生物控制力的生态效应;并以不采取任何防治措施的常规棉田为常规棉对照田。研究表明：（1）转基因棉和常规棉棉田中自然寄生率随棉铃虫世代的增加而逐渐升高,2、3和4代棉铃虫卵被寄生率范围分别为13.3%～14.3%、26.7%～28.2%和60.8%～61.4%。（2）棉铃虫2代期,在常规棉综防田释放赤眼蜂2次,其寄生率为46.4%, 比未释放赤眼蜂的转基因棉棉田和常规棉对照田提高33.1%和32.1%; 3代期,转基因棉棉田释放赤眼蜂1次,其寄生率与常规棉综防田释放4次的效果相当,分别为73.7%和68.1%;但与转基因棉不放蜂田、常规棉化防田及对照田相比,分别提高45.5%、61. 8%和47.0%;4代期,无论放蜂与否,各处理棉田中的寄生率除化防田外（52.1%）均在60%以上。（3）常规棉化防田棉铃虫2代和3代期,分别使用农药2和3次,其自然寄生率分别为5.5%和11.9%,与对照田相比,分别降低8.8%和14.8%;与常规棉综防田相比,分别降低40.9%和56.2%;释放赤眼蜂的效果与施药时间有关,放蜂后1天内施药,寄生率仅为12.5%,施药后2天放蜂,寄生率达45.6%。（4）转基因棉棉田棉铃虫累计数和百株蕾铃被害数比常规棉综防田分别减少74.8%和73.8%,捕食性天敌增加63.0%;放蜂Bt棉田比不放蜂Bt棉田棉铃虫累计数、百株蕾铃被害数分别减少61.8%和33.3%;常规棉综防田棉铃虫累计数、百株蕾铃被害数、农药使用量比化防棉田分别减少29.7%、43.4%和60.0%,捕食性天敌数量增加63.0%。（5）转基因棉田和综防棉田的益害比（捕食性天敌/植食性害虫）分别为0.47∶1和0.30∶1, 而化防棉田为0.24∶1。上述结果表明释放赤眼蜂可弥补抗虫棉后期抗性减弱的不足,增加田间自然天敌的数量,提高对棉田害虫的自然控害功能。     

内蒙古羊草草原植物种能量含量及其在群落中的作用

根据11a的野外实验对内蒙古羊草草原群落42种植物的能量含量（含灰分）及其在群落中的相对生物量进行了研究。不同植物种地上部分的能量含量在（13156±1141）J／g和（18141±527）J／g之间变动,所有物种的平均能量含量为（16899±840）J／g,种间变异系数4．9％。小叶锦鸡儿具有最高的能量含量。禾草的平均能量含量高于杂草。根据生活型和生长型,草本物种被进一步分组,能量含量从高到低的排列顺序为：高禾草（17717±92）J／g〉豆科植物（17228±433）J／g〉矮禾草（17250±218）J／g〉其余杂草（16784±529）J／g〉半灌木（16719±69）J／g〉1、2年生植物（15911±1759）J／g。42种植物的能量含量和它们在群落中的相对生物量存在显著正相关关系。根据它们在群落中的构成比例进行分组,以物种在群落中的相对生物量为权重,各组能量含量依次为：优势种（17740J／g）〉伴生种（17244J／g。）〉偶见种（16653J／g）。高能量含量的植物更具竞争力,在群落中通常占据优势地位,而低能量含量的植物竞争力通常较弱,构成草原群落的伴生种或偶见种。     

Metagenomics analysis of the fecal microbiota in Ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) and Green pheasants (Phasianus versicolor) using next generation sequencing

Pheasant reintroduction and conservation efforts have been in place in Pakistan since the 1980 s, yet there is still a scarcity of data on pheasant microbiome and zoonosis. Instead of growing vast numbers of bacteria in the laboratory, to investigate the fecal microbiome, pheasants (green and ring neck pheasant) were analyzed using 16S rRNA metagenomics and using IonS5TMXL sequencing from two flocks more than 10 birds. Operational taxonomic unit (OTU) cluster analysis and phylogenetic tree analysis was performed using Mothur software against the SSUrRNA database of SILVA and the MUSCLE (Version 3.8.31) software. Results of the analysis showed that firmicutes were the most abundant phylum among the top ten phyla, in both pheasant species, followed by other phyla such as actinobacteria and proteobacteria in ring necked pheasant and bacteroidetes in green necked pheasant. Bacillus was the most relatively abundant genus in both pheasants followed by Oceanobacillus and Teribacillus for ring necked pheasant and Lactobacillus for green necked pheasant. Because of their well-known beneficial characteristics, these genus warrants special attention. Bird droppings comprise germs from the urinary system, gut, and reproductive sites, making it difficult to research each anatomical site at the same time. We conclude that metagenomic analysis and classification provides baseline information of the pheasant fecal microbiome that plays a role in disease and health.     

滨海人工湿地越冬鸟类混合群结构及角色

2013年12月至2014年2月冬季,采用样点法对广西防城港市防城区江山乡新基村虾塘的越冬鸟类混合群行为进行观察研究。鸟类混合群在深水虾塘与浅水虾塘生境持续的平均时间分别为(51.6±33.6)min/群与(31.9±13.3)min/群。平均水深15 cm的深水虾塘与平均水深5 cm的浅水虾塘中均分布有11种鸟类,深水虾塘的主要水鸟为体型中等的鹤鹬(Tringa erythropus)、青脚鹬(T.nebularia)、泽鹬(T.stagnatilis),浅水虾塘的主要水鸟是小型个体的金眶鸻(Charadrius dubius)、青脚滨鹬(Calidris temminckii)。深水虾塘鸟类混合群的平均物种数及个体数分别为(5.48±1.60)种/群和(18.75±11.67)只/群,浅水虾塘鸟类混合群则分别为(3.93±1.14)种/群和(11.65±5.12)只/群。深水虾塘的核心种鹤鹬以及跟随种青脚鹬、泽鹬在浅水虾塘属于加入种;而浅水虾塘的核心种金眶鸻以及跟随种青脚滨鹬在深水虾塘却属于加入种。研究结果表明,不同类型生境的鸟类混合群结构及其核心种和跟随种均存在明显差异。     

3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase of Haloferax volcanii: role of histidine 398 and attenuation of activity by introduction of negative charge at position 404.

Mutant 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductases of the halophilic archaeon Haloferax volcanii were constructed to test the proposed mechanism that phosphorylation downregulates the activity of higher eukarya HMG-CoA reductases via charge-charge interaction with the active site histidine. To first verify the sequence-based inference that His 398 is the catalytic histidine of the H. volcanii enzyme, enzyme H398Q was constructed, purified, and assayed for catalysis of three reactions: [1] reductive deacylation of HMG-CoA, [2] reduction of mevaldehyde, and [3] oxidative acylation of mevaldehyde. Enzyme H398Q had low activity for catalysis of reaction [1] or [3], but readily catalyzed mevaldehyde reduction. By analogy to hamster HMG-CoA reductase, we conclude that His 398 is the active site histidine. Mutant forms of the 403-residue H. volcanii enzyme were constructed to model phosphorylation and infer whether attenuated activity involved interaction with His 398. Chimeric H. volcanii-hamster enzymes constructed in an effort to create an active, phosphorylatable chimeric enzyme were inactive or not phosphorylated. We therefore added Asp at position 404 to mimic the introduction of negative charge that would accompany phosphorylation. Enzyme 404D/H398Q was inactive for reaction [1] or [3], but catalyzed reaction [2] at 35% the wild-type rate. These observations are consistent with the model that attenuation of catalytic activity results from an ionic interaction between the imidazolium cation of His 398 and the carboxylate anion of Asp 404.     

The Role for Glutamic Acid at Position 196 in Human Hypoxanthine Phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) as Investigated Using Site-Directed Mutagenesis

The crystal structure of human HPRT reveals the involvement of E196 side chain at the A-B dimer interface. Interference by valine substitution at this position (E196V), as identified in patients with Lesch-Nyhan disease, nearly abolishes enzymatic activity. Kinetic analysis of the active mutants (E196A, E196D, E196Q, and E196R) suggests that interaction between K68 and E196 side chains contributes to stabilization of cis-configuration during the catalytic cycle. The study also provides further insight into the role of A-B dimer interactions relating to K68 in the regulation of cis-trans isomerization that potentially governs the rate-limiting steps in the HPRT reaction.     

微生物组与动物疫病防控

微生物组研究的发展推动了人类不断探索人体微生物群与疾病之间的相关性。然而,微生物组学在动物疫病防控中的研究尚处于起步阶段。本文对动物疫病防控领域中微生物组研究所发挥的6个作用进行了阐述：揭示疾病与菌群的相关性,鉴定新发病原体,确立有益于维持机体健康生长的菌群,筛选疾病防控的新药物和新制剂,开发新疫苗或改进疫苗的使用效果,提出更简单有效的防控措施。