Genes versus environment: geography and phylogenetic relationships shape the chemical profiles of stingless bees on a global scale

Chemical compounds are highly important in the ecology of animals. In social insects, compounds on the body surface represent a particularly interesting trait, because they comprise different compound classes that are involved in different functions, such as communication, recognition and protection, all of which can be differentially affected by evolutionary processes. Here, we investigate the widely unknown and possibly antagonistic influence of phylogenetic and environmental factors on the composition of the cuticular chemistry of tropical stingless bees. We chose stingless bees because some species are unique in expressing not only self-produced compounds, but also compounds that are taken up from the environment. By relating the cuticular chemistry of 40 bee species from all over the world to their molecular phylogeny and geographical occurrence, we found that distribution patterns of different groups of compounds were differentially affected by genetic relatedness and biogeography. The ability to acquire environmental compounds was, for example, highly correlated with the bees'' phylogeny and predominated in evolutionarily derived species. Owing to the presence of environmentally derived compounds, those species further expressed a higher chemical and thus functional diversity. In Old World species, chemical similarity of both environmentally derived and self-produced compounds was particularly high among sympatric species, even when they were less related to each other than to allopatric species, revealing a strong environmental effect even on largely genetically determined compounds. Thus, our findings do not only reveal an unexpectedly strong influence of the environment on the cuticular chemistry of stingless bees, but also demonstrate that even within one morphological trait (an insect''s cuticular profile), different components (compound classes) can be differentially affected by different drivers (relatedness and biogeography), depending on the functional context.     

猴头菌多糖不同脱色方法的研究

为选择最适于猴头菌多糖的脱色方法,本论文先比较了活性炭吸附法、化学脱色法、大孔树脂法等三种常用的脱色方法对猴头菌多糖的脱色效果及脱色前后免疫活性的变化,发现大孔树脂法更适合于猴头菌多糖的脱色,接着对十种不同类型的大孔树脂进行了筛选,通过脱色前后脱色率、多糖保留率及体外免疫活性的比较,最后发现大孔弱碱性阴离子树脂D315最适合用于猴头菌粗多糖的脱色.     

Characterization and immobilization on nickel-chelated Sepharose of a glutamate decarboxylase A from Lactobacillus brevis BH2 and its application for production of GABA

A gene encoding glutamate decarboxylase A (GadA) from Lactobacillus brevis BH2 was expressed in a His-tagged form in Escherichia coli cells, and recombinant protein exists as a homodimer consisting of identical subunits of 53?kDa. GadA was absolutely dependent on the ammonium sulfate concentration for catalytic activity and secondary structure formation. GadA was immobilized on the metal affinity resin with an immobilization yield of 95.8%. The pH optima of the immobilized enzyme were identical with those of the free enzyme. However, the optimum temperature for immobilized enzyme was 5?°C higher than that for the free enzyme. The immobilized GadA retained its relative activity of 41% after 30 reuses of reaction within 30?days and exhibited a half-life of 19 cycles within 19?days. A packed-bed bioreactor with immobilized GadA showed a maximum yield of 97.8% GABA from 50?mM l-glutamate in a flow-through system under conditions of pH 4.0 and 55?°C.     

Diurnal patterns in Scots pine stem oleoresin pressure in a boreal forest

Coniferous tree stems contain large amounts of oleoresin under positive pressure in the resin ducts. Studies in North‐American pines indicated that the stem oleoresin exudation pressure (OEP) correlates negatively with transpiration rate and soil water content. However, it is not known how the OEP changes affect the emissions of volatile vapours from the trees. We measured the OEP, xylem diameter changes indicating changes in xylem water potential and monoterpene emissions under field conditions in mature Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees in southern Finland. Contrary to earlier reports, the diurnal OEP changes were positively correlated with temperature and transpiration rate. OEP was lowest at the top part of the stem, where water potentials were also more negative, and often closely linked to ambient temperature and stem monoterpene emissions. However, occasionally OEP was affected by sudden changes in vapour pressure deficit (VPD), indicating the importance of xylem water potential on OEP as well. We conclude that the oleoresin storage pools in tree stems are in a dynamic relationship with ambient temperature and xylem water potential, and that the canopy monoterpene emission rates may therefore be also regulated by whole tree processes and not only by the conditions prevailing in the upper canopy.     

大孔树脂固定化磷脂酶D

磷脂酶D(PhospholipaseD,EC3.1.4.4,PLD)是催化磷酸酯键水解和碱基交换反应的一类酶的总称.利用PLD的转碱基作用是目前催化合成磷脂酰丝氨酸(PS)的最佳途径.本实验以5种大孔树脂为载体固定化磷脂酶D(PLD)进行了研究.以酶回收率为主要指标,选择了最佳载体和优化了固定化条件.结果表明:非极性阳离子交换树脂H103是最佳固定化载体;其最优固定化条件:加酶液量1.2 mL,固定时间80 min,pH 6.0柠檬酸-柠檬酸钠的缓冲液浓度为10 mmol/L.最佳固定化条件下,固定化之后的PLD比游离PLD酶活提高了三倍.     

Identification and Quantitative Determination of Resin Acids from Corsican Pinus pinaster Aiton Oleoresin Using 13C‐NMR Spectroscopy

Twenty‐three resin samples have been obtained by tapping from individual Pinus pinaster adult trees grown in Corsica and submitted to acido‐basic partition. Identification and quantitative determination of resin acids has been carried out using ¹³C‐NMR spectroscopy following a method developed by our group. The main components were dehydroabietic acid (up to 37.6 %), levopimaric acid (up to 35.5 %) and abietic acid (up to 24.7 %). A lignan, pinoresinol, has been identified in some samples. Within the 23 compositions, submitted to k‐means analysis and Principal Component Analysis, two clusters have been perfectly differentiated, whose compositions were dominated by dehydroabietic acid (Group I, M=23.5 %, SD=6.3) and levopimaric acid (Group II, M=21.2 %; SD=6.2), respectively. Both compositions have been observed in the three locations of harvest.     

添加剂对大孔吸附树脂固定化脂肪酶的影响

利用大孔吸附树脂DA-201为载体对海洋脂肪酶固定化,并探寻添加剂对固定化过程的影响。分别以NH_4Cl、甘露糖和甘氨酸为添加剂,采用单因素和正交实验相结合的方法优化条件。结果显示,以NH_4Cl为添加剂的最优条件:柠檬酸-柠檬酸钠缓冲液pH 6. 0,固定化温度30℃,载体投放量0. 5g,NH_4Cl浓度25mmol/L,固定化时间3. 0h,酶活力达到115. 27U/g;比不含有添加剂的固定化酶固定化效率提高47. 42%。以甘露糖为添加剂最优条件:磷酸二氢钾-氢氧化钠缓冲液pH7. 0,固定化温度35℃,载体投放量0. 5g,甘露糖浓度10mmol/L,固定化时间4. 5h;酶活力达到122. 75U/g,比不含有添加剂的固定化酶固定化效率提高6. 50%。以甘氨酸为添加剂的最优条件:磷酸二氢钾-氢氧化钠缓冲液pH7. 0,固定化温度20℃,载体投放量0. 5g,甘氨酸浓度为25mmol/L,固定化时间7. 5h;酶活力达到141. 69U/g,比不含有添加剂的固定化酶固定化效率提高26. 12%。采用不同添加剂对大孔吸附树脂DA-201的吸附固定化过程有较大影响,可以极大地提高吸附效率;同时发现缓冲液类型、pH、温度、添加剂浓度和固定化时间等对DA-201树脂吸附脂肪酶有很大影响,对后续吸附固定化工业酶研究有较好的参考价值。     

Anatomical defences against bark beetles relate to degree of historical exposure between species and are allocated independently of chemical defences within trees

Conifers possess chemical and anatomical defences against tree‐killing bark beetles that feed in their phloem. Resins accumulating at attack sites can delay and entomb beetles while toxins reach lethal levels. Trees with high concentrations of metabolites active against bark beetle‐microbial complexes, and more extensive resin ducts, achieve greater survival. It is unknown if and how conifers integrate chemical and anatomical components of defence or how these capabilities vary with historical exposure. We compared linkages between phloem chemistry and tree ring anatomy of two mountain pine beetle hosts. Lodgepole pine, a mid‐elevation species, has had extensive, continual contact with this herbivore, whereas high‐elevation whitebark pines have historically had intermittent exposure that is increasing with warming climate. Lodgepole pine had more and larger resin ducts. In both species, anatomical defences were positively related to tree growth and nutrients. Within‐tree constitutive and induced concentrations of compounds bioactive against bark beetles and symbionts were largely unrelated to resin duct abundance and size. Fewer anatomical defences in the semi‐naïve compared with the continually exposed host concurs with directional differences in chemical defences. Partially uncoupling chemical and morphological antiherbivore traits may enable trees to confront beetles with more diverse defence permutations that interact to resist attack.     

柴达木沙漠链霉菌S10T阿糖腺苷的大孔树脂分离工艺优化与结构鉴定

为了获得具有药用价值的活性天然产物,采用4种大孔吸附树脂对柴达木沙漠链霉菌(Streptomyces qaidemensis)S10^T发酵液进行静态吸附和解吸实验,优化分离工艺。结果显示,AB-8型树脂具有良好的吸附和解吸性能,该树脂对柴达木沙漠链霉菌S10^T发酵液中的活性天然产物吸附工艺为发酵液pH值9,吸附时间4 h,洗脱液70%甲醇溶液。经正向硅胶、反相硅胶和葡聚糖凝胶Sephadex LH-20分离得到了一个化合物,¹H-NMR和¹³C-NMR结合高分辨质谱(LC-HR-MS)鉴定该化合物为阿糖腺苷(vidarabine),是一种具有抗病毒活性的核苷类抗生素,并简单探究了其在柴达木沙漠链霉菌中的生物合成过程。