How environment geometry affects grid cell symmetry and what we can learn from it

The mammalian hippocampal formation provides neuronal representations of environmental location but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. The majority of cells in medial entorhinal cortex and parasubiculum show spatially periodic firing patterns. Grid cells exhibit hexagonal symmetry and form an important subset of this more general class. Occasional changes between hexagonal and non-hexagonal firing patterns imply a common underlying mechanism. Importantly, the symmetrical properties are strongly affected by the geometry of the environment. Here, we introduce a field–boundary interaction model where we demonstrate that the grid cell pattern can be formed from competing place-like and boundary inputs. We show that the modelling results can accurately capture our current experimental observations.     

Detection and characterisation of radicals in biological materials using EPR methodology

Background

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy (also known as electron spin resonance, ESR, spectroscopy) is widely considered to be the “gold standard” for the detection and characterisation of radicals in biological systems.

Scope of review

The article reviews the major positive and negative aspects of EPR spectroscopy and discusses how this technique and associated methodologies can be used to maximise useful information, and minimise artefacts, when used in biological studies. Consideration is given to the direct detection of radicals (at both ambient and low temperature), the use of spin trapping and spin scavenging (e.g. reaction with hydroxylamines), the detection of nitric oxide and the detection and quantification of some transition metal ions (particularly iron and copper) and their environment.

Major conclusions

When used with care this technique can provide a wealth of valuable information on the presence of radicals and some transition metal ions in biological systems. It can provide definitive information on the identity of the species present and also information on their concentration, structure, mobility and interactions. It is however a technique that has major limitations and the user needs to understand the various pitfalls and shortcoming of the method to avoid making errors.

General significance

EPR remains the most definitive method of identifying radicals in complex systems and is also a valuable method of examining radical kinetics, concentrations and structure. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Current methods to study reactive oxygen species — pros and cons and biophysics of membrane proteins. Guest Editor: Christine Winterbourn.     

食物诱导长爪沙鼠集群贮食的野外实验设计及其在社群研究中的应用

长爪沙鼠为典型的群居性鼠类。在自然条件下该鼠的集群贮食活动随时可为人工投放的种子食物所导引。本文依据组群个体合作贮食的习性,并结合剪趾和染毛双重标记的重捕跟踪方法设计了着重观测社群结构、群内个体序位、领域边界及相关社群行为的野外实验。据2(X)2年5月对4个相邻洞群的观测结果分析表明,应用此法便于在复杂的社群环境中直接确认组群成员及其属性,亦便于分辨同一组群或不同组群成员之间发生的行为事件及相关过程,且能在重复实验中得以验证。为在野外条件下定量研究长爪沙鼠社群行为提供了一种便捷可靠的观测方法。     

真盐生植物盐地碱蓬根系边缘细胞在耐盐中的作用初探

以黄河三角洲潮间带盐地碱蓬种子生成的幼苗为材料,研究了NaCl胁迫对盐地碱蓬生长与根系边缘细胞的影响。盐地碱蓬的第一个边缘细胞几乎与根尖同步产生,当根长达到13mm时,边缘细胞数目达到最大值。NaCl胁迫抑制边缘细胞的活性,但低浓度的NaCl处理增加边缘细胞的数目。低浓度NaCl处理时果胶甲基酯酶（PME）的活性比对照有明显增加,超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）活性随着NaCl浓度的增加呈现先上升后下降的趋势,低浓度NaCl可以增加盐地碱蓬根内过氧化氢酶（CAT）的活性,NaCl处理时间和处理浓度都对过氧化物酶（POD）活性的影响不明显。这些结果表明,盐地碱蓬至少部分通过增加调控活性氧（ROS）水平增加PME活性及根系边缘细胞数目来抵抗NaCl胁迫。     

Decreased Expression of Transporters Reduces Folate Uptake across Renal Absorptive Surfaces in Experimental Alcoholism

In this study, we examined the mechanistic insights of folate reabsorption during alcoholism, considering enhanced renal excretion as one of the major contributing factors to alcohol-induced folate deficiency. Male Wistar rats were fed 1g/kg body weight/day ethanol (20% solution) orally for 3 months. The results on characterization of the folate transport system in renal basolateral membrane (BLM) suggested it to be a carrier-mediated, acidic pH-dependent and saturable one. Chronic ethanol feeding decreased the uptake mainly by increasing the K _m and decreasing the V _max of the transport process at the BLM surface. At the molecular level, reduced folate transport activity in renal tissue during chronic ethanol ingestion was attributable to decreased expression of reduced folate carrier (RFC) and folate binding protein (FBP). Antibodies against RFC protein revealed a parallel change in RFC expression in both brush border and BLM surfaces during chronic alcoholism. Such findings highlight the role of downregulation of RFC and FBP expression and provide mechanistic insight into the observed reduced folate transport efficiency at renal absorptive surfaces in alcoholism, which may result in low blood folate levels commonly observed in alcoholics.     

A novel transmembrane MSP-containing protein that plays a role in right ventricle development

We have identified and characterized a gene, Mospd3 on mouse chromosome 5 using gene trapping in ES cells. MOSPD3 is part of a family of proteins, including MOSPD1, which is defined by the presence of a major sperm protein (MSP) domain and two transmembrane domains. Interestingly Mospd3 is mammalian specific and highly conserved between mouse and man. Insertion of the gene trap vector at the Mospd3 locus is mutagenic and breeding to homozygosity results in a characteristic right ventricle defect and neonatal lethality in 50% of mice. The phenotypic defect is dependent on the genetic background, indicating the presence of genetic modifier loci. We speculate that the further characterization of Mospd3 will shed light on the complex genetic interactions involved in cardiac development and disease.     

四种常见杂草根系及根边缘细胞对铝胁迫的响应

以2种禾本科杂草(升马唐、稗草)和2种菊科杂草(旱莲草、野茼蒿)为实验材料,通过砂培法研究不同科属杂草根部对铝胁迫的响应.结果表明:4种杂草根边缘细胞活性均随着铝胁迫浓度和时间呈显著下降的趋势,但禾本科杂草根系边缘细胞的活性高于菊科杂草,且活性的降低幅度较小;4种杂草根相对伸长率均随铝浓度和处理时间的增加呈递减趋势,但铝对旱莲草和野茼蒿根生长的抑制程度要明显高于升马唐和稗草;根系的铝含量、游离脯氨酸含量、MDA 含量和质膜透性均随铝处理浓度和处理时间的增加而增大,且在高铝浓度(1000 mg · L~(-1))时达到最大值,但升马唐和稗草根系的铝含量、游离脯氨酸含量、MDA含量和质膜透性均显著低于旱莲草和野茼蒿,且随着铝浓度的增加,禾本科杂草根系的游离脯氨酸含量及MDA含量的变化没有达到显著水平(P＞0.05).由此说明,铝毒对杂草造成的伤害随着浓度增加和时间延长而加重;升马唐和稗草的根系通过较高的根边缘细胞活性和根相对伸长率及较低的铝含量、游离脯氨酸含量、MDA含量和质膜透性来增加其对铝的耐性;2种禾本科杂草(升马唐、稗草)的耐铝性高于2种菊科杂草(旱莲草、野茼蒿).     

Root border cells take up and release glucose-C

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Border cells are released from the root tips of many plant species, and can remain viable in the rhizosphere for 1 week. Whether border cells are capable of controlled glucose exchange with their environment was investigated. METHODS: Border cells were removed from Zea mays L. root tips, and immersed in (14)C-labelled D-glucose. In one experiment, the hexose transport inhibitor, phlorizin, was used to investigate active glucose uptake from a range of glucose concentrations. In another experiment, glucose efflux from border cells was monitored over time. KEY RESULTS: Glucose uptake by the border cells increased with increasing glucose concentration from 0.2 to 20 mm. At 0.2 mm glucose, uptake was mainly active, as evidenced by the approx. 60 % inhibition with phlorizin. At 2 and 20 mm glucose, however, uptake was mainly via diffusion, as phlorizin inhibition was negligible. Glucose efflux increased with time for live border cells in both 2 and 20 mm glucose. There was no clear efflux/time pattern for heat-killed border cells. CONCLUSIONS: Border cells actively take up glucose, and also release it. Under our experimental conditions, glucose uptake and efflux were of similar order of magnitude. In the rhizosphere net glucose exchange will almost certainly depend on local soil conditions.     

不同畦长灌溉对小麦耗水特性及产量的影响

在2009-2010和2010-2011年小麦生长季,设置10、20、40、60、80和100 m 6个畦田长度,研究不同畦长对小麦耗水特性及产量的影响.结果表明： ≤80 m畦长处理下,随畦长的增加,灌水量逐渐增加,灌水量占总耗水量的比例增加,土壤贮水消耗量减少,小麦拔节至开花期的耗水量和生长季总耗水量均减少,开花期0～200 cm各土层土壤含水量增加,土壤供水能力提高,籽粒产量和水分利用效率逐渐提高.与80 m畦长处理相比,<80 m畦长处理的灌水量少,上层土壤含水量低,促使小麦吸收更多的深层贮水,总耗水量增加,不利于节水;而100 m畦长处理的灌水量、土壤贮水消耗量和总耗水量均增加,由于一次性灌水量过多且灌溉水分布不均匀,导致小麦千粒重降低,籽粒产量和水分利用效率显著下降,也不利于节水高产.