干旱胁迫对桢楠幼树渗透调节与活性氧代谢的影响及施氮的缓解效应

以二年生桢楠(Phoebe zhennan)幼树为研究对象, 采用盆栽控水的方法, 探讨了桢楠幼树在干旱胁迫下渗透调节和活性氧代谢的变化, 以及施氮对桢楠幼树应对干旱胁迫能力的影响。试验先将土壤含水量调整到4个梯度(田间持水量的80% (80% FC)、50% FC、30% FC和15% FC), 1周后测定受胁迫植株的相关生理指标, 之后进行3个水平的施氮处理(对照N0, 中氮MN, 高氮HN, 各施氮量分4次(即干旱梯度形成后第7、14、21和28天)分别施入)。在施氮结束后30天(即开始施肥处理后51天)再次测定各项生理指标。结果表明: 1)干旱处理7天后, 桢楠叶片中游离脯氨酸(Pro)和可溶性糖(SS)含量均随胁迫强度增大而显著增加, 重度干旱(15% FC)下的Pro含量增加尤为明显, 可溶性蛋白(SP)含量则呈先增加后降低的趋势。施氮后, 各种土壤水分状态下的Pro含量进一步增加。水分充足和轻度干旱MN水平下, SS含量也增加, 而在中度和重度干旱下的SS含量显著降低, HN水平各干旱状态下SS含量变化均不显著。施氮结束后30天时, 80% FC和50% FC下的SP含量表现为施氮组低于对照组, 而30% FC和15% FC下则相反。2)施氮前随着干旱胁迫的增强, 桢楠幼树叶片中过氧化氢(H₂O₂)含量、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性、过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性显著上升, 而过氧化物酶(POD)活性呈先上升后下降的趋势。施氮后, H₂O₂含量总体上表现为减少趋势, 且MN水平下降幅度最大, HN水平反而不利于降低H₂O₂的含量。3种酶活性的变化则因干旱程度和施氮水平的不同而呈现出不同的变化趋势。3)施氮前随着干旱胁迫的增强, 叶片丙二醛(MDA)含量呈显著上升趋势, 相对电导率(REC)先显著下降后显著上升; 施氮后, 除重度干旱胁迫外, 其他各干旱处理植株的MDA含量都表现为在MN水平下有所下降, 而在HN水平下有所回升, 但在重度干旱时, 无论是MN或HN处理, MDA含量均呈上升趋势, 表明在重度干旱胁迫下, 难以通过施氮的方式缓解干旱胁迫产生的伤害。4)双因素方差分析显示, 施氮与干旱胁迫间具有极显著的交互效应。以上结果表明: 施一定量的氮肥有利于缓解桢楠幼树受到的干旱胁迫, 以年施氮量计, 施中氮(N元素质量为1.35 g·株 ^-1)对除重度干旱外的干旱胁迫具有一定的缓解作用, 但施高氮(N元素质量为2.70 g·株 ^-1)时反而会对植株造成不利影响。     

短期盐胁迫下盐穗木的转录组分析

盐穗木（Halostachys caspica）是荒漠盐碱地广泛分布的盐生植物,具有极强的耐盐性。为揭示盐胁迫下盐穗木基因组层面的基因表达变化特性,通过对300和500mmol·L^-1 NaCl胁迫3h的盐穗木同化枝进行了转录组测序。有效序列组装共得到153298条平均长度为643bp的unigenes,进行GO和KEGG功能聚类,分别获得47个GO功能小类和118个KEGG通路。差异表达基因分析显示,短期低盐（300mmol·L^-1）响应基因有4432个,高盐（500mmol·L^-1）响应基因有2580个,两个胁迫的共差异基因有1245个,主要富集在细胞过程、代谢过程和响应刺激等类别中。从短期盐胁迫下盐穗木转录组筛选出渗透调节和活性氧清除的相关基因,大多为上调基因。说明盐穗木能够通过促进渗透调节和增强活性氧清除提高短期的盐胁迫适应能力。     

Local resource competition and local resource enhancement shape primate birth sex ratios

Sex ratio theory provides a powerful source of testable predictions about sex allocation strategies. Although studies of invertebrates generally support predictions derived from the sex ratio theory, evidence for adaptive sex ratio biasing in vertebrates remains contentious. This may be due to the fact that most studies of vertebrates have focused on facultative adjustment in relation to maternal condition, rather than processes that might produce uniform sex biases across individuals. Here, we examine the effects of local resource enhancement (LRE) and local resource competition (LRC) on birth sex ratios (BSRs). We also examine the effects of sex differences in the costs of rearing male and female offspring on BSRs. We present data from 102 primate species and show that BSRs are skewed in favour of the dispersing sex in species that do not breed cooperatively, as predicted by the LRC model. In accordance with the LRE model, BSRs are generally skewed in favour of the more beneficial sex in cooperatively breeding primate species. There is no evidence that BSRs reflect the extent of sexual size dimorphism, an indirect measure of the costs of rearing male and female offspring. These analyses suggest that adaptive processes may play an important role in the evolution of BSRs in vertebrates.     

Physiological and morphological response to water deficit in seedlings of five provenances of Pinus canariensis: potential to detect variation in drought-tolerance

To assess the potential of short-term screenings for drought resistance at the seedling stage to detect ecotypic variation and predict field performance, we studied the responses to water deficit of seedlings of Pinus canariensis from five geographic origins under controlled conditions and compared these responses with the performance of provenances in a multi-site field trial. Leaf water potential, the osmotic component, leaf chlorophyll fluorescence and growth and biomass partitioning were measured as seedlings were subjected for 11 days to two levels of osmotic potential generated by polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000), −1 MPa (slowly imposed water deficit; S) and −1.5 MPa (fast imposed water deficit; F), and a control treatment (no PEG added to the nutrient solution; C). Leaf water potential declined to final mean values of −1.2, −2.7 and −4.7 MPa in the C, S and F treatments, respectively. The ratio of variable to maximum chlorophyll fluorescence declined to final mean values of 0.77, 0.66 and 0.40 in the C, S and F treatments, respectively, with no differences amongst provenances. All provenances showed an active osmotic adjustment (OA) in response to water deficit which varied depending on the drying rate. A slow imposition of water deficit favoured solute accumulation. Pooling all treatments, the index of OA ranged from 0.28 to 0.40, but rose considerably when only C and S treatments were considered (0.56 to 0.70). There was a positive and significant correlation between the overall index of OA (all treatments pooled) and the drought period in the site of origin, suggesting ecotypic variation in OA as a result of drought duration. Seedlings allocated more dry matter to roots than shoots when subjected to moderate and slowly imposed water deficit; only one provenance showed no increase in the root to shoot ratio at the end of the treatment period compared with control seedlings. Responses to controlled water deficits were only qualitatively related to performance (survival and growth) of provenances in several field sites, indicating the involvement of complex mechanisms to cope with drought under natural conditions. However, the provenance with the highest overall index of OA outgrew and outsurvived the other provenances in the most arid site, and the only provenance not modifying the root to shoot ratio in response to water deficit survived the least in all field sites. Acclimation of root to shoot ratio and net solute accumulation to water deficit could hence favour drought-tolerance beyond the seedling stage and be used as preliminary predictors of field performance.     

基于透视图像亮度自动控制三种调整方法的研讨

目的研讨透视图像亮度自动控制应用的三种剂量率调整方法。方法自动调整毫安值、自动调整仟伏值、自动调整毫安和仟伏值。结果有助于保持最佳透视图像成像质量,提高临床诊断效率。结论采用自动仟伏调整和自动毫安、仟伏调整不失为行之有效的方法     

Phenotypic plasticity of a cooperative behaviour in bacteria

There is strong evidence that natural selection can favour phenotypic plasticity as a mechanism to maximize fitness in animals. Here, we aim to investigate phenotypic plasticity of a cooperative trait in bacteria – the production of an iron‐scavenging molecule (pyoverdin) by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Pyoverdin production is metabolically costly to the individual cell, but provides a benefit to the local group and can potentially be exploited by nonpyoverdin‐producing cheats. Here, we subject bacteria to changes in the social environment in media with different iron availabilities and test whether cells can adjust pyoverdin production in response to these changes. We found that pyoverdin production per cell significantly decreased at higher cell densities and increased in the presence of cheats. This phenotypic plasticity significantly influenced the costs and benefits of cooperation. Specifically, the investment of resources into pyoverdin production was reduced in iron‐rich environments and at high cell densities, but increased under iron limitation, and when pyoverdin was exploited by cheats. Our study demonstrates that phenotypic plasticity in a cooperative trait as a response to changes in the environment occurs in even the simplest of organisms, a bacterium.     

酸碱调控污泥厌氧发酵实现乙酸累积及微生物种群变化

摘要：【目的】通过对污泥厌氧发酵pH调控,研究挥发性脂肪酸的累积、产酸微生物种群变化及产氢产乙酸菌群对乙酸产生的贡献。【方法】测定不同pH条件下污泥厌氧发酵过程中挥发性脂肪酸的累积;分别应用末端限制性片段长度多态性（T-RFLP）和荧光原位杂交技术（FISH）分析产酸系统中微生物种群结构的变化及产氢产乙酸菌的数量。【结果】 pH为10.0时,有机酸和乙酸的产率在发酵结束时分别达到652.6 mg COD/g-VS和322.4 mg COD/g-VS,显著高于其它pH条件。T-RFLP结果表明,pH值为12     

Modeling metabolic adjustment in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mycobacterium tuberculosis</Emphasis> upon treatment with isoniazid

Complex biological systems exhibit a property of robustness at all levels of organization. Through different mechanisms, the system tries to sustain stress such as due to starvation or drug exposure. To explore whether reconfiguration of the metabolic networks is used as a means to achieve robustness, we have studied possible metabolic adjustments in Mtb upon exposure to isoniazid (INH), a front-line clinical drug. The redundancy in the genome of M. tuberculosis (Mtb) makes it an attractive system to explore if alternate routes of metabolism exist in the bacterium. While the mechanism of action of INH is well studied, its effect on the overall metabolism is not well characterized. Using flux balance analysis, inhibiting the fluxes flowing through the reactions catalyzed by Rv1484, the target of INH, significantly changes the overall flux profiles. At the pathway level, activation or inactivation of certain pathways distant from the target pathway, are seen. Metabolites such as NADPH are shown to reduce drastically, while fatty acids tend to accumulate. The overall biomass also decreases with increasing inhibition levels. Inhibition studies, pathway level clustering and comparison of the flux profiles with the gene expression data indicate the activation of folate metabolism, ubiquinone metabolism, and metabolism of certain amino acids. This analysis provides insights useful for target identification and designing strategies for combination therapy. Insights gained about the role of individual components of a system and their interactions will also provide a basis for reconstruction of whole systems through synthetic biology approaches.     

The design and function of birds' nests

All birds construct nests in which to lay eggs and/or raise offspring. Traditionally, it was thought that natural selection and the requirement to minimize the risk of predation determined the design of completed nests. However, it is becoming increasingly apparent that sexual selection also influences nest design. This is an important development as while species such as bowerbirds build structures that are extended phenotypic signals whose sole purpose is to attract a mate, nests contain eggs and/or offspring, thereby suggesting a direct trade‐off between the conflicting requirements of natural and sexual selection. Nest design also varies adaptively in order to both minimize the detrimental effects of parasites and to create a suitable microclimate for parents and developing offspring in relation to predictable variation in environmental conditions. Our understanding of the design and function of birds' nests has increased considerably in recent years, and the evidence suggests that nests have four nonmutually exclusive functions. Consequently, we conclude that the design of birds' nests is far more sophisticated than previously realized and that nests are multifunctional structures that have important fitness consequences for the builder/s.