Retinal damage induced by commercial light emitting diodes (LEDs)

Spectra of “white LEDs” are characterized by an intense emission in the blue region of the visible spectrum, absent in daylight spectra. This blue component and the high intensity of emission are the main sources of concern about the health risks of LEDs with respect to their toxicity to the eye and the retina. The aim of our study was to elucidate the role of blue light from LEDs in retinal damage. Commercially available white LEDs and four different blue LEDs (507, 473, 467, and 449 nm) were used for exposure experiments on Wistar rats. Immunohistochemical stain, transmission electron microscopy, and Western blot were used to exam the retinas. We evaluated LED-induced retinal cell damage by studying oxidative stress, stress response pathways, and the identification of cell death pathways. LED light caused a state of suffering of the retina with oxidative damage and retinal injury. We observed a loss of photoreceptors and the activation of caspase-independent apoptosis, necroptosis, and necrosis. A wavelength dependence of the effects was observed. Phototoxicity of LEDs on the retina is characterized by a strong damage of photoreceptors and by the induction of necrosis.     

The SOS response increases bacterial fitness,but not evolvability,under a sublethal dose of antibiotic

Exposure to antibiotics induces the expression of mutagenic bacterial stress–response pathways, but the evolutionary benefits of these responses remain unclear. One possibility is that stress–response pathways provide a short-term advantage by protecting bacteria against the toxic effects of antibiotics. Second, it is possible that stress-induced mutagenesis provides a long-term advantage by accelerating the evolution of resistance. Here, we directly measure the contribution of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa SOS pathway to bacterial fitness and evolvability in the presence of sublethal doses of ciprofloxacin. Using short-term competition experiments, we demonstrate that the SOS pathway increases competitive fitness in the presence of ciprofloxacin. Continued exposure to ciprofloxacin results in the rapid evolution of increased fitness and antibiotic resistance, but we find no evidence that SOS-induced mutagenesis accelerates the rate of adaptation to ciprofloxacin during a 200 generation selection experiment. Intriguingly, we find that the expression of the SOS pathway decreases during adaptation to ciprofloxacin, and this helps to explain why this pathway does not increase long-term evolvability. Furthermore, we argue that the SOS pathway fails to accelerate adaptation to ciprofloxacin because the modest increase in the mutation rate associated with SOS mutagenesis is offset by a decrease in the effective strength of selection for increased resistance at a population level. Our findings suggest that the primary evolutionary benefit of the SOS response is to increase bacterial competitive ability, and that stress-induced mutagenesis is an unwanted side effect, and not a selected attribute, of this pathway.     

林隙干扰和升温对小兴安岭红松和臭冷杉径向生长的影响

通过建立小兴安岭阔叶红松(Pinus koraiensis)林内林隙与非林隙红松、臭冷杉(Abies nephrolepis)轮宽年表,分析林隙干扰(微环境差异)和1980年后显著升温对树木径向生长的影响。结果表明:升温减缓了非林隙红松生长,却加快了林隙红松生长;升温后,非林隙红松受温度影响减弱,而林隙红松则增强,林隙和非林隙红松径向生长与帕默尔干旱指数(Palmer drought severity index,PDSI)均由负相关变为正相关;林隙干扰导致臭冷杉径向生长减缓,升温导致林隙与非林隙臭冷杉年生长量均下降了约50%,非林隙木对温度的负响应要高于林隙木;升温后,5—10月温度对非林隙木抑制作用明显,非生长季(1—5月)降水对非林隙臭冷杉的抑制作用加强,而对林隙臭冷杉则由抑制变为促进;PDSI与非林隙臭冷杉由升温前的负相关变为升温后的正相关,而林隙臭冷杉则负相关更显著;林隙干扰减少耐荫喜湿树木径向生长,而对阳性树种影响不大或略有增加;林隙木比非林隙木更易受外界环境变化的影响,林隙干扰可使喜湿耐荫树种提前适应暖干环境,以提高了对升温适应性;升温导致林隙木与非林隙木年轮气候响应差异变大。     

大豆GmDnaJ1蛋白对几种重金属胁迫的响应研究

通过对大豆铝胁迫下的转录组测序分析,发现一个差异表达的基因,其编码一个具有101个氨基酸残基的Dna J-like分子伴侣蛋白-Gm Dna J1(Glycine max Dna J1),等电点为8.97;序列分析表明该蛋白具有典型的高度保守的J domain功能域,是一种类型III的J蛋白;通过对其序列的同源性及进化关系分析,推测该蛋白可能响应重金属胁迫。为进一步探究Gm Dna J1是否能够对重金属胁迫产生应答反应,试验分别以0或100μmol·L-1Cu2+、Pb2+和Cd2+溶液胁迫处理的不同时间(0、12、24、48和72 h)大豆根尖RNA为材料,通过实时定量PCR研究了该蛋白基因的表达特征。结果表明:与对照相比,Gm Dna J1受Cu、Pb和Cd等重金属的诱导而强烈表达,呈现先升高后降低的趋势,其中Pb、Cd处理24 h后表达水平达到峰值,而Cu处理48 h后达到峰值;此外,Gm Dna J1对Cu、Pb和Cd胁迫的响应程度也不同,表明该基因对这三种重金属的响应模式存在差异。根据以上研究结果,推测大豆Gm Dna J1蛋白不仅响应铝毒胁迫,而且可能在响应重金属胁迫方面具有重要的作用,参与了大豆对重金属毒害的抵抗。该结果为深入研究Gm Dna J1在重金属胁迫响应中的功能及其分子机制提供了一定的依据。     

Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-activating Polypeptide (PACAP) Targets Down Syndrome Candidate Region 1 (DSCR1/RCAN1) to control Neuronal Differentiation

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP) is a neurotrophic peptide involved in a wide range of nervous functions, including development, differentiation, and survival, and various aspects of learning and memory. Here we report that PACAP induces the expression of regulator of calcineurin 1 (RCAN1, also known as DSCR1), which is abnormally expressed in the brains of Down syndrome patients. Increased RCAN1 expression is accompanied by activation of the PKA-cAMP response element-binding protein pathways. EMSA and ChIP analyses demonstrate the presence of a functional cAMP response element in the RCAN1 promoter. Moreover, we show that PACAP-dependent neuronal differentiation is significantly disturbed by improper RCAN1 expression. Our data provide the first evidence of RCAN1, a Down syndrome-related gene, as a novel target for control of the neurotrophic function of PACAP.