Migratory orientation of sedge warblers (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus) in relation to eating and exploratory behaviour

Orientation tests performed with Emlen funnels show much variation. This scatter in responses can be partially explained by considering the birds’ personalities.We studied a Passerine migrant, the Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus), on autumn passage at Kalimok Biological Station, Bulgaria. Birds caught in the morning were kept in cages with known and regularly controlled amounts of food. In the evening they were tested for orientation, the next morning they were observed for 3 min in an unfamiliar cage, then released.Birds that ate on the first day oriented in the expected, southward direction, non-eating birds were scattered.Eating behaviour was related to the exploration pattern on the next day. Eating birds moved and flew less, hopped, looked around and explored the cage more, and were quicker in eating a food item if present.Lean birds ate and explored more but also oriented better, contrary to expectations where fat reserves indicate readiness for migration. A hypothesis is discussed where fat, migration and personality may be linked.Personality aspects may influence the individuals’ ability to cope with an experimental situation and influence the outcome of the tests, therefore its analysis can help in predicting the birds’ performance in apparently unrelated experiments.     

高原兔肝脏火器伤后GSH、SOD和MDA变化特点及意义

目的:探讨在高原环境下兔肝脏火器伤后全血谷胱甘肽(GSH)含量、血清超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活力和丙二醛(MDA)含量的动态变化规律。方法:144只新西兰大白兔随机分为平原肝脏火器伤组(A组)、初入高原肝脏火器伤组(B组)、适应高原肝脏火器伤组(C组),各组又细分为伤后0.5、2、6、12、24、48、72h和正常对照组,每组6只。在不同海拔环境下成功建立肝脏火器伤模型后,分别于各时间点采集血液标本,检测全血GSH含量、血清SOD活力和MDA含量。结果:①兔肝脏火器伤后与正常组比较,伤后GSH含量、SOD活力早期略有升高,以后逐渐下降,到达低谷后逐渐恢复。而MDA在伤后持续升高,12h达峰值(P<0.01),继而进行性下降,72h仍高于正常。②初入高原组与平原组比较,GSH含量、SOD活力早期升高及以后到达低谷和MDA到达峰值水平(P<0.01),初入高原组更显著。③适应高原组与平原组比较,GSH含量、SOD活力降低幅度(P<0.05)和MDA升高程度,适应高原组更显著。结论:肝脏火器伤破坏了体内氧化与抗氧化之间的平衡,尤其在高原缺氧环境下更为明显,提示氧自由基可能参与肝脏火器伤后机体的病理生理过程。     

Endoplasmic Reticulum-associated Inactivation of the Hormone Jasmonoyl-l-Isoleucine by Multiple Members of the Cytochrome P450 94 Family in Arabidopsis

The plant hormone jasmonate (JA) controls diverse aspects of plant immunity, growth, and development. The amplitude and duration of JA responses are controlled in large part by the intracellular level of jasmonoyl-l-isoleucine (JA-Ile). In contrast to detailed knowledge of the JA-Ile biosynthetic pathway, little is known about enzymes involved in JA-Ile metabolism and turnover. Cytochromes P450 (CYP) 94B3 and 94C1 were recently shown to sequentially oxidize JA-Ile to hydroxy (12OH-JA-Ile) and dicarboxy (12COOH-JA-Ile) derivatives. Here, we report that a third member (CYP94B1) of the CYP94 family also participates in oxidative turnover of JA-Ile in Arabidopsis. In vitro studies showed that recombinant CYP94B1 converts JA-Ile to 12OH-JA-Ile and lesser amounts of 12COOH-JA-Ile. Consistent with this finding, metabolic and physiological characterization of CYP94B1 loss-of-function and overexpressing plants demonstrated that CYP94B1 and CYP94B3 coordinately govern the majority (>95%) of 12-hydroxylation of JA-Ile in wounded leaves. Analysis of CYP94-promoter-GUS reporter lines indicated that CYP94B1 and CYP94B3 serve unique and overlapping spatio-temporal roles in JA-Ile homeostasis. Subcellular localization studies showed that CYP94s involved in conversion of JA-Ile to 12COOH-JA-Ile reside on endoplasmic reticulum (ER). In vitro studies further showed that 12COOH-JA-Ile, unlike JA-Ile, fails to promote assembly of COI1-JAZ co-receptor complexes. The double loss-of-function mutant of CYP94B3 and ILL6, a JA-Ile amidohydrolase, displayed a JA profile consistent with the collaborative action of the oxidative and the hydrolytic pathways in JA-Ile turnover. Collectively, our results provide an integrated view of how multiple ER-localized CYP94 and JA amidohydrolase enzymes attenuate JA signaling during stress responses.     

Induction of a Stress Protein in Developing Cell Cultures of the Rat Cerebellum

Abstract: We examined the ability of developing cere-bellar cell cultures to synthesize a 71,000 MW stress protein (SP71) in response to heat shock and Cd²⁺ treatment. The induction of SP71 synthesis appeared to be dependent on both the age of the culture and the stressor used. Heat shock induced SP71 synthesis in freshly prepared cells and in cell cultures at each age examined, whereas Cd²⁺ was effective only in cultures at 7 days of age and older. These findings are discussed with reference to the development of various cell types in these cultures.     

High‐fat diet‐induced dysbiosis mediates MCP‐1/CCR2 axis‐dependent M2 macrophage polarization and promotes intestinal adenoma‐adenocarcinoma sequence

High‐fat diet (HFD) is a well‐known risk factor for gut microbiota dysbiosis and colorectal cancer (CRC). However, evidence relating HFD, gut microbiota and carcinogenesis is limited. Our study aimed to demonstrate that HFD‐induced gut dysbiosis promoted intestinal adenoma‐adenocarcinoma sequence. In clinical study, we found that HFD increased the incidence of advanced colorectal neoplasia (AN). The expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP‐1), CC chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2) and CD163 in CRC patients with HFD was significantly higher than that in CRC patients with normal diet. When it comes to the Apc^min/+ mice, HFD consumption could induce gut dysbiosis and promote intestinal carcinogenesis, accompanying with activation of MCP‐1/CCR2 axis that recruited and polarized M2 tumour‐associated macrophages. Interestingly, transfer of faecal microbiota from HFD‐fed mice to another batch of Apc^min/+ mice in the absence of HFD could also enhance carcinogenesis without significant body weight gain and induced MCP‐1/CCR2 axis activation. HFD‐induced dysbiosis could also be transmitted. Meanwhile, antibiotics cocktail treatment was sufficient to inhibit HFD‐induced carcinogenesis, indicating the vital role of dysbiosis in cancer development. Conclusively, these data indicated that HFD‐induced dysbiosis accelerated intestinal adenoma‐adenocarcinoma sequence through activation of MCP‐1/CCR2 axis, which would provide new insight into better understanding of the mechanisms and prevention for HFD‐related CRC.     

逆境相关植物锌指蛋白的研究进展

锌是植物必需的营养元素,锌指蛋白因其具有指状结构特征且能结合Zn2 而得名,植物锌指蛋白包含特有的QALGGH保守结构,可能涉及调控植物特有的生物学功能。人们已经从拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana)、矮牵牛(Petunia hybrida Vilm)、水稻(Oryza sativa)、大豆(Glycine max)、棉花(Gossypium hirsutum)等植物中克隆了许多编码锌指蛋白的基因,并对其结构及功能进行了研究。利用转基因技术,将一些与逆境胁迫相关的锌指蛋白基因在目标植物中过量表达后,能对植物起到增强抗逆性的作用,说明锌指蛋白在增强植物逆境抗性方面有着广阔的应用前景。     

Blood pressure and hypertension in an American colony (Puerto Rico) and on the USA mainland compared, 1886–1930

We compare blood pressure and hypertension between adult men on the USA mainland and in Puerto Rico born during 1886-1930 to test hypotheses about the link between cardiovascular health and large socioeconomic and political changes in society: (a) 8853 men surveyed in Puerto Rico in 1965 and (b) 1449 non-Hispanic White men surveyed on the mainland during 1971-1975. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure and hypertension were regressed separately on demographic and socioeconomic variables and cardiovascular risk factors. Mainland men not taking anti-hypertensive medication showed statistically significant improvements in systolic blood pressure and hypertension at the beginning of the century and men in Puerto Rico showed improvements in diastolic blood pressure but only during the last two quinquenniums. An average man born on the mainland during the last birth quinquennium (1926-1930) had 7.4-8.7 mmHg lower systolic blood pressure and was 61% less likely to have systolic hypertension than one born before 1901. On average Puerto Rican men born during 1921-1925 had approximately 1.7 mmHg lower diastolic blood pressure than men born before 1901. Analyses of secular trends in cardiovascular health complements analyses of secular trends in anthropometric indicators and together provide a fuller view of the changing health status of a population.     

番茄多胁迫诱导型LeMTshsp启动子的分子克隆及其功能分析

根据Southern杂交结果,选取KpnⅠ与EcoRⅠ双酶切番茄中蔬4号基因组DNA,3kb左右的酶切片段连入pBSⅡKS( )载体,构建成含有线粒体小分子热激蛋白基因(LeMTshsp)上游2kb左右调控区的质粒文库。通过巢式PCR方法从构建的质粒文库中克隆出LeMTshsp基因上游1915bp的调控区(GenBank登录号为AB239774)。该序列含有TATA box及CAAT box等启动子基本元件,还具有6组典型的HSE元件及多个AT-rich区,另外还有许多逆境反应元件如ABRE,C-repeat—DRE,AP-1。凝胶阻滞结果表明,纯化的HsfA2蛋白与LeMTshsp启动子的HSE元件在体外具有结合活性,且与近端5组HSE的结合活性比与远端HSE的结合活性强。构建该启动子与GUS基因的融合载体,利用农杆菌介导的叶圆盘法转化番茄,GUS组织化学染色结果表明LeMTshsp启动子对热激、低温、外源ABA及重金属胁迫都有应答。