TaRPP13-3, a CC-NBS-LRR-like gene located on chr 7D,promotes disease resistance to wheat powdery mildew in Brock

Disease resistance (R) gene, RPP13, plays an important role in the resistance of plants to pathogen infections; its function in resistance of wheat to powdery mildew remains unknown. In this study, a RNA-Seq technique was used to monitor expression of genes in susceptible wheat ‘Jing411’ and resistant near-isogenic line ‘BJ-1’ in response to powdery mildew infection. Overall, 413 differential expression genes were observed and identified as involved in disease resistance. RPP13 homologous gene on wheat chromosome 7D was preliminarily identified using the wheat 660K SNP chip. RPP13 was highly expressed in ‘BJ-1’ and encodes 1,027 amino acids, including CC, NB and LRR domain, termed TaRPP13-3. After inoculation with powdery mildew, expression of TaRPP13-3 in resistant wheat changed with time, but average expression was higher when compared to susceptible variety, thus indicating that TaRPP13-3 is involved in resistance to powdery mildew. Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) was used to inhibit expression of TaRPP13-3 in resistant parent ‘Brock’. Results indicated that silencing of TaRPP13-3 led to decreased disease resistance in ‘Brock’. Overall results of this study indicate that TaRPP13-3 gene is involved in the defence response of wheat to powdery mildew and plays a positive role in wheat powdery mildew interactions.     

Apelin-13对LPS诱导人脐静脉内皮细胞屏障损伤的干预作用*

目的: 探讨Apelin-13对LPS诱导人脐静脉内皮细胞(HUVECs)屏障损伤的影响。方法: 将体外培养的HUVECs分为4组:正常对照组、LPS组、Apelin-13+LPS组、Apelin-13组。用5 μg/ml LPS作用细胞24 h, 复制屏障功能受损模型。1 μmol/L Apelin-13提前30 min给予,再给予LPS作用24 h,确定Apelin-13的影响。通过CCK8法检测Apelin-13对细胞活力的影响;Western blot检测血管内皮细胞钙粘蛋白(VE-cadherin)、纤维状肌动蛋白(F-actin)表达变化;免疫荧光检测VE-cadherin、F-actin的表达变化及核转录因子Kappa B(NF-κB p65)入核情况。结果: 与正常对照组相比,单独给予Apelin-13对细胞活力无明显影响。与正常对照组相比,LPS组细胞活力明显下降(P＜0.01),VE-cadherin蛋白表达下降(P＜0.01)、F-actin蛋白表达升高(P＜0.05),NF-κB p65入核明显增加。与LPS组相比,Apelin-13明显增加细胞活力(P＜0.01),VE-cadherin蛋白表达增加(P＜0.05)、F-actin蛋白表达下降(P＜0.01),蛋白NF-κB p65入核下降明显。结论: Apelin-13可减轻LPS诱导的人脐静脉内皮细胞损伤及屏障受损,其机制可能与抑制炎症相关。     

沙漠腹地天然绿洲胡杨和柽柳叶片δ13C值对不同地下水埋深的响应

干旱区植物的水分利用效率对植物的分布及水分利用状况具有重要意义。基于不同地下水埋深条件下沙漠腹地绿洲优势种胡杨和柽柳叶片δ¹³C值,分析了胡杨和柽柳的水分利用效率对不同地下水埋深的响应。结果表明: 随着地下水埋深由2.1 m增加到4.3 m,柽柳叶片的δ¹³C值先略有增加后处于较为稳定状态,柽柳采取较为稳定的水分利用效率适应干旱环境;胡杨叶片的δ¹³C值呈现先略有减小后增加的趋势,胡杨通过提高水分利用效率的策略适应干旱胁迫。同一地下水埋深条件下柽柳叶片的δ¹³C值高于胡杨叶片,表明柽柳的水分利用效率高于胡杨。     

Trophic level and basal resource use of soil animals are hardly affected by local plant associations in abandoned arable land

Plants provide resources and shape the habitat of soil organisms thereby affecting the composition and functioning of soil communities. Effects of plants on soil communities are largely taxon‐dependent, but how different functional groups of herbaceous plants affect trophic niches of individual animal species in soil needs further investigation. Here, we studied the use of basal resources and trophic levels of dominating soil meso‐ and macrofauna using stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen in arable fallow systems 3 and 14–16 years after abandonment. Animals were sampled from the rhizosphere of three plant species of different functional groups: a legume (Medicaco sativa), a nonlegume herb (Taraxacum officinale), and a grass (Bromus sterilis). We found virtually no consistent effects of plant identity on stable isotope composition of soil animals and on thirteen isotopic metrics that reflect general food‐web structure. However, in old fallows, the carbon isotope composition of some predatory macrofauna taxa had shifted closer to that of co‐occurring plants, which was particularly evident for Lasius, an aphid‐associated ant genus. Trophic levels and trophic‐chain lengths in food webs were similar across plant species and fallow ages. Overall, the results suggest that variations in local plant diversity of grassland communities may little affect the basal resources and the trophic level of prey consumed by individual species of meso‐ and macrofauna belowground. By contrast, successional changes in grassland communities are associated with shifts in the trophic niches of certain species, reflecting establishment of trophic interactions with time, which shapes the functioning and stability of soil food webs.     

LncRNA UCA1 elevates the resistance of human leukemia cells to daunorubicin by the PI3K/AKT pathway via sponging miR-613

Acute leukemia is a hematological malignant tumor. Long non-coding RNA urothelial cancer-associated 1 (UCA1) is involved in the chemo-resistance of diverse cancers, but it is unclear whether UCA1 is associated with the sensitivity of acute leukemia cells to daunorubicin (DNR). DNR (100 nM) was selected for functional analysis. The viability, cell cycle progression, apoptosis, and invasion of treated acute leukemia cells (HL-60 and U-937) were evaluated by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, flow cytometry assay, or transwell assay. Protein levels were detected with Western blot analysis. Expression patterns of UCA1 and miR-613 were assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The relationship between UCA1 and microRNA-613 (miR-613) was verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay. We observed that UCA1 expression was elevated in HL-60 and U-937cells. DNR constrained viability, cell cycle progression, invasion, and facilitated apoptosis of HL-60 and U-937 cells in a dose-dependent manner, but these impacts mediated by DNR were reverted after UCA1 overexpression. MiR-613 was down-regulated in HL-60 and U-937 cells, and UCA1 was verified as a miR-613 sponge. MiR-613 inhibitor reversed DNR treatment-mediated effects on viability, cell cycle progression, apoptosis, and invasion of HL-60 and U-937 cells, but these impacts mediated by miR-613 inhibitor were counteracted after UCA1 inhibition. Notably, the inactivation of the PI3K/AKT pathway caused by DNR treatment was reversed after miR-613 inhibitor introduction, but this influence mediated by miR-613 inhibitor was offset after UCA1 knockdown. In conclusion, UCA1 up-regulation facilitated the resistance of acute leukemia cells to DNR via the PI3K/AKT pathway by sponging miR-613.     

Variation in trophic resources in female South American sea lions at a small geographic scale

Difference among colonies in the population structure of otariids can be driven by philopatry and/or by specializations in the foraging ecology of females. In northern Patagonia, the South American sea lion (SASL) shows some degree of spatial genetic structure among colonies from north and south zones. This study aims to explore the isotopic niche of SASL females in the last period of the pregnancy from different colonies of northern Patagonia and to consider whether the fine scale genetic spatial structuring is potentially related to variation in trophic resources. Stable isotope analysis was performed on 101 skin samples of newborn pups in 10 colonies, as a proxy for the feeding ecology of their mothers. Differences among colonies in the metrics studied revealed the plasticity of the species and support individual trophic specialization of SASL females at a small geographic scale. Also, significant differences were found in all isotopic metrics between the north and south zones. Several hypotheses were proposed to explain the differences in SASL females' isotope values (e.g., use of different foraging areas or prey, isotopic baseline variation). Nonetheless, further research is needed to better understand the relation between fine scale genetic structuring and the foraging ecology of SASL females.     

亚热带典型森林地上和地下凋落物输入对土壤新老有机碳动态平衡的影响

凋落物是森林土壤有机碳(SOC)形成、稳定和周转的重要影响因子。目前针对亚热带不同类型森林地上和地下凋落物对新SOC累积和老SOC输出动态平衡的影响仍不清楚。本研究以中亚热带常绿阔叶天然林、马尾松人工林和杉木人工林为对象,基于C3/C4植物-土壤置换试验,利用稳定同位素¹³C示踪方法开展3年野外定位试验,分析了森林地上、地下凋落物输入对SOC周转的影响。结果表明: 森林类型、凋落物处理和时间均能显著影响SOC含量、土壤δ¹³C值、新SOC和老SOC含量,且存在显著的森林类型×凋落物处理交互效应。地上和地下凋落物输入均能显著提高SOC含量和净增量,与杉木人工林相比,天然林SOC对凋落物输入的响应更敏感。凋落物输入显著降低了土壤δ¹³C值,且天然林、马尾松人工林土壤δ¹³C显著低于杉木人工林。在马尾松人工林,地下凋落物处理的新SOC含量显著高于地上凋落物;在天然林和马尾松人工林,地下凋落物输入处理的老SOC含量显著低于地上凋落物处理。此外,地上凋落物归还量和地下根生物量与SOC含量和净增量呈显著正相关,而地下根凋落物量和C/N与新SOC含量呈显著正相关。森林地下凋落物比地上凋落物输入对SOC周转的影响更重要,且不同森林凋落物输入对SOC的影响存在差异性。本研究可为揭示亚热带典型森林土壤有机碳库的形成和可持续管理提供依据。     

敲低去泛素化酶USP13抑制K562细胞的增殖*

目的:研究去泛素化酶USP13对人慢性髓系白血病细胞系K562增殖和凋亡的影响,并进行初步的机制探究。方法:构建pLKO.1-shUSP13-GFP慢病毒干涉载体,慢病毒包装后感染并建立稳定敲低USP13的K562细胞株。免疫印迹检测K562细胞中USP13蛋白的敲低效率。流式细胞术分析敲低USP13对K562细胞增殖和凋亡的影响。免疫共沉淀和蛋白质泛素化实验探究USP13调控K562细胞的分子机制。结果:成功构建pLKO.1-shUSP13-GFP慢病毒干涉载体,同时利用慢病毒体系获得稳定敲低USP13的K562细胞株。流式细胞术结果显示,敲低USP13促进K562细胞凋亡、抑制细胞增殖。分子机制研究发现,敲低USP13通过增强c-Myc泛素化进而导致其蛋白质水平降低。结论:初步揭示了USP13调控K562细胞增殖和凋亡的分子机制,为治疗慢性髓系白血病提供了潜在的靶点。