紫细菌光合机构及光合作用基因的表达调控

紫细菌是研究细菌光合作用的重要生物。介绍了紫细菌光合机构捕光色素蛋白复合体Ⅰ(light-harvesting I)、捕光色素蛋白复合体Ⅱ(light-harvesting II)和光化学反应中心(reaction center)的结构, 并探讨了其光合作用基因的转录调控机制, 重点阐述了PpsR/AppA系统对紫细菌光合作用基因的转录调控。     

紫色土外源锌、镉形态的生物有效性

通过对7种形态Zn,Cd与有效态Zn,Cd(DTPA提取）的相关分析及各形态Zn,Cd与植株Zn,Cd含量的通径分析,评价各形态Zn,Cd的生物有效性及对植株的相对贡献和途径。结果表明,交换态Zn,Cd与有效态Zn,Cd呈极显著正相关（r=0.954,0.953),交换态Zn,Cd与植株Zn,Cd含量的通径系数为1．267、1．168,交换态Zn,Cd有效性高,具有最大的生物活性,对植株Zn,Cd含量的贡献最大。其它形态如碳酸盐结合态锌、氧化锰结合态Zn、Cd通过交换态作用于植株的通径链系数（间接通径系数）分别为0．856、0．592、0．723,上述形态对植株Zn,Cd含量也有影响,具有一定的生物相对有效性,但通过交换态间接作用。交换态不仅自身具有最大的生物有效性,而且还作为其它形态Zn,Cd生物有效性的中介,为紫色土其它Zn,Cd库流向植株的主要通道。     

Characterization of the endoevaporitic microbial communities in a hypersaline gypsum crust by fatty acid analysis

We have used fatty acid analyses to study the community structure of a layered endoevaporitic microbial community within a gypsum crust that covers the bottom of a saltern evaporation pond in Eilat, Israel. This community, living at a salinity of 218–238 g l⁻¹ total dissolved salts, consists of an upper brown layer dominated by unicellular cyanobacteria, a green layer with filamentous cyanobacteria, a red-purple layer with both Chromatium and Ectothiorhodospira/Halorhodospira type of purple sulfur bacteria, and a black layer in which dissimilatory sulfate reduction occurs. An olive-green layer is sometimes present below the red-purple layer. Analysis by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry of the fatty acid methyl esters prepared from the different fractions showed characteristic patterns in each layer, and these could be related to fatty acid composition data from the literature and to fatty acid analyses of representative halophilic microorganisms isolated from the site. The nature of the fatty acids in the green layer suggests that the cyanobacteria present there use the oxygen-independent pathway for production of unsaturated fatty acids, a pathway only occasionally encountered in filamentous cyanobacteria. The facultative anaerobic nature of the cyanobacteria in the green layer was confirmed by their ability to perform anoxygenic photosynthesis with sulfide as electron donor. Specific signature fatty acids identified for each layer corresponded well with the microscopic and functional analysis of the biota present. Guest Editor: John M. Melack Saline Waters and their Biota     

Phase transitions of the purple membrane and the brown holo-membrane X-ray diffraction,circular dichroism spectrum and absorption spectrum studies

The phase transition of the purple membrane observed by differential scanning calorimetry (Jackson, M.B. and Sturtevant, J.M. (1978) Biochemistry 17, 911–915) has been investigated by X-ray diffraction, circular dichroism and absorption spectrum, in comparison with the phase transition in the brown holo-membrane. The two-dimensional crystal of bacteriorhodopsin transformed into two-dimensional liquid around 74–78°C in the purple membrane and around 50–60°C in the brown holo-membrane. The X-ray diffraction patterns obtained at 78°C for the purple membrane and at 60°C for the brown holo-membrane exhibit several broad peaks. Analysis of the pattern suggests that bacteriorhodopsin molecules aggregate in trimers even above the phase transition temperature. The negative circular dichroism band in the visible region is still present at 80°C in the purple membrane and at 60°C in the brown holo-membrane, but becomes negligibly small at 70°C in the brown holo-membrane. The 560 nm absorption peak due to bacteriorhodopsin changes its position and height drastically around 80°C in the brown holo-membrane as in the purple membrane. X-ray diffraction studies have been made on membranes of total lipids extracted from the purple membrane. No indication of the phase transition has been found between ?81°C and 77°C.     

同源四倍体紫菜薹的诱导鉴定及其营养品质比较

该研究以二倍体紫菜薹为材料,采用浓度为0.1%、0.2%和0.3%的秋水仙素溶液,在二倍体紫菜薹生长至子叶期时对植株茎尖生长点进行4次点滴处理,鉴定筛选同源四倍体紫菜薹并进行二倍体和四倍体紫菜薹的营养品质比较。结果表明:(1)使用浓度为0.2%秋水仙素溶液点滴4次对紫菜薹的处理效果最好,四倍体紫菜薹的诱导率为6.62%。(2)在形态学上,四倍体植株的叶片、花簇、花器官、角果和种子与二倍体相比都在巨大性上呈现出明显差异;在解剖学上,四倍体植株在气孔密度减小的同时气孔变大,其花粉表现出矩形、梯形以及其他一些不规则的形状;在细胞学上,四倍体和二倍体植株的染色体数目分别为40条和20条;流式细胞仪鉴定结果显示,四倍体植株的DNA分子荧光强度(2 092 385.03)约为二倍体植株(956 725.15)的2倍。(3)植株营养品质方面,四倍体紫菜薹的游离氨基酸、叶绿素总浓度分别比二倍体植株显著增加了228.58%、110.02%,但四倍体紫菜薹的硝态氮、可溶性蛋白、维生素C、可溶性糖、纤维素总含量分别比二倍体植株显著减少了48.99%、43.20%、45.81%、44.50%、59.97%。(4)与二倍体植株相比,四倍体紫菜薹的单株质量、十叶厚、叶宽、叶柄宽都有不同程度的增加,叶片开展度有一定程度的降低。研究发现,秋水仙素诱导产生四倍体紫菜薹的最适浓度为0.2%;四倍体紫菜薹表现出明显的高产性,但多数营养品质极显著低于二倍体紫菜薹。     

步行友好的绿道评价研究——以南京环紫金山绿道为例

绿道步行友好性评价丰富了绿道的研究内容,评价结果可为绿道的规划建设提供科学依据。以南京环紫金山绿道为例,在梳理步行友好的绿道概念的基础上,通过层次分析法评价了各段绿道的步行友好程度。结果表明：环紫金山绿道整体步行友好程度虽然较高,但各区段之间差异较大。另外,在绿道建设质量较高的前提下,步行爱好者更关注绿道的可达性、线路的安全性、清晰的标识系统、舒适宜人的服务设施以及绿道沿线高质量的视觉景观等几方面,而对绿道本身功能性要素并不是太在意。因此,规划建设城市休闲绿道时,在满足步行功能的前提下,应将行人的步行感受放在首位,而不是过度注重绿道本身的形式美。     

Acclimation of the photosynthetic response of Chromatium vinosum to light-limiting conditions

The photosynthetic response of the purple sulfur bacterium Chromatium vinosum DSM 185 to different degrees of illumination was analyzed. The microorganism was grown in continuous culture, and samples were taken from the effluent of the culture and incubated at different irradiances to determine the specific rate of sulfur oxidation as a measure of the photosynthetic activity of the organism. The activities obtained were plotted as a function of the specific rate of light uptake, and for each set of data a photosynthesis equation was fitted, which allowed the estimation of P_max (photosynthetic capacity), q_k (the threshold irradiance for light limitation), and m (maintenance coefficient). The results indicated that cells grown under light limitation are able to achieve higher photosynthetic activities than cells grown under light saturation. The photosynthetic capacity (P_max) remained constant under all the conditions of illumination tested, while the maintenance expenses (m) were higher under light limitation. The parameter q_k, on the contrary, decreased considerably at limiting irradiances. Received: 16 January 1998 / Accepted: 7 September 1998     

Engineered biosynthesis of bacteriochlorophyll gF in Rhodobacter sphaeroides

Engineering photosynthetic bacteria to utilize a heterologous reaction center that contains a different (bacterio) chlorophyll could improve solar energy conversion efficiency by allowing cells to absorb a broader range of the solar spectrum. One promising candidate is the homodimeric type I reaction center from Heliobacterium modesticaldum. It is the simplest known reaction center and uses bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) g, which absorbs in the near-infrared region of the spectrum. Like the more common BChls a and b, BChl g is a true bacteriochlorin. It carries characteristic C3-vinyl and C8-ethylidene groups, the latter shared with BChl b. The purple phototrophic bacterium Rhodobacter (Rba.) sphaeroides was chosen as the platform into which the engineered production of BChl g_F, where F is farnesyl, was attempted. Using a strain of Rba. sphaeroides that produces BChl b_P, where P is phytyl, rather than the native BChl a_P, we deleted bchF, a gene that encodes an enzyme responsible for the hydration of the C3-vinyl group of a precursor of BChls. This led to the production of BChl g_P. Next, the crtE gene was deleted, thereby producing BChl g carrying a THF (tetrahydrofarnesol) moiety. Additionally, the bchG^Rs gene from Rba. sphaeroides was replaced with bchG^Hm from Hba. modesticaldum. To prevent reduction of the tail, bchP was deleted, which yielded BChl g_F. The construction of a strain producing BChl g_F validates the biosynthetic pathway established for its synthesis and satisfies a precondition for assembling the simplest reaction center in a heterologous organism, namely the biosynthesis of its native pigment, BChl g_F.     

In situ study of the autecology of the closely related, co-occurring sandy beach amphipods Bathyporeia pilosa and Bathyporeia sarsi

Population dynamics and zonation of the amphipods Bathyporeia pilosa and B. sarsi, co-occurring on some beaches, were studied through monthly sampling of eight cross-shore transects along the Belgian coast (October 2003–October 2004). Their biomass and production were assessed for the first time. Abundance and biomass of B. pilosa were ten times higher along western ultra-dissipative transects than along slightly more reflective, eastern transects. For B. sarsi (less prominent), differences between the two westernmost transects (2–5× higher) and all others were observed, whereas P/B ratio was comparable for all. B. pilosa could reach two times higher abundance and biomass and higher levels of production (max B. sarsi = 7,580 g m⁻² y⁻¹; max B. pilosa = 16,040 g m⁻² y⁻¹), while the species was nearly absent from the eastern transects. Continuous reproduction and recruitment with three relative peaks of the latter (February, July, October) were observed. Fecundity showed parallel temporal variation for both species, peaking in February and September–October. Interestingly, the July relative “recruitment” peak could not be explained by relative abundance of gravid females or fecundity, but was probably caused by adult mortality. Both species displayed comparable gonad production (B. pilosa: P _g  = 0.73 mg/ind year; B. sarsi: P _g  = 0.71 mg/ind year), but B. pilosa produced fewer yet larger embryos. Peak abundances were found at 436 ± 25 SD cm (B. pilosa) and 357 ± 40 SD cm (B. sarsi) above MLLWS, corresponding to a 40–62 m cross-shore distance between the peaks of both species. The occupied cross-shore range was larger for B. sarsi than for B. pilosa (35–54 m), for females than for males (15–23 m), and for adults than for juveniles of B. pilosa (5–8 m). Both species displayed many comparable life history features. Differences in abundance and biomass may be related to beach morphodynamics and zonation.