Silence of Synaptotagmin VII inhibits release of dense core vesicles in PC12 cells

Synaptotagmin VII (Syt VII), which has a higher Ca²⁺ affinity and slower disassembly kinetics with lipid than Syt I and Syt IX, was regarded as being uninvolved in synaptic vesicle (SV) exocytosis but instead possibly as a calcium sensor for the slower kinetic phase of dense core vesicles (DCVs) release. By using high temporal resolution capacitance and amperometry measurements, it was demonstrated that the knockdown of endogenous Syt VII attenuated the fusion of DCV with the plasma membrane, reduced the amplitude of the exocytotic burst of the Ca²⁺-triggered DCV release without affecting the slope of the sustained component, and blocked the fusion pore expansion. This suggests that Syt VII is the Ca²⁺ sensor of DCV fusion machinery and is an essential factor for the establishment and maintenance of the pool size of releasable DCVs in PC12 cells.     

河北省小麦白粉病发生气象等级动态预警

根据河北省4县2001—2010年小麦白粉病病情和逐日气象资料,采用因子膨化、秩相关分析、通径分析、Bayes准则、模糊数学(Fuzzy)和广义回归神经网络(GRNN)等方法,筛选影响小麦白粉病发生的关键期和关键因子,建立了小麦白粉病发生气象等级指标模型、基于Bayes准则的Fuzzy模型和基于Fuzzy模型的GRNN模型。结果表明:影响河北4县小麦白粉病发生气象等级的关键因子是前三候至当候的平均温度、前三候至当候的降水量、前三候至当候的降雨系数和前一候的小麦白粉病实际发生等级;3种预警模型具有层层递进的关系,预报准确率基于Fuzzy模型的GRNN模型基于Bayes准则的Fuzzy模型指标模型,并均超过了85%,可以用于对候尺度小麦白粉病发生等级进行中短期预报。     

Enrichment planting does not improve tree restoration when compared with natural regeneration in a former pine plantation in Kibale National Park,Uganda

Given the high rates of deforestation and subsequent land abandonment, there are increasing calls to reforest degraded lands; however, many areas are in a state of arrested succession. Plantations can break arrested succession and the sale of timber can pay for restoration efforts. However, if the harvest damages native regeneration, it may be necessary to intervene with enrichment planting. Unfortunately, it is not clear when intervention is necessary. Here, we document the rate of biomass accumulation of planted seedlings relative to natural regeneration in a harvested plantation in Kibale National Park, Uganda. We established two 2‐ha plots and in one, we planted 100 seedlings of each of four native species, and we monitored all tree regeneration in this area and the control plot. After 4 years, naturally regenerating trees were much taller, larger and more common than the planted seedlings. Species richness and two nonparametric estimators of richness were comparable between the plots. The cumulative biomass of planted seedlings accounted for 0.04% of the total above‐ground tree biomass. The use of plantations facilitated the growth of indigenous trees, and enrichment planting subsequent to harvesting was not necessary to obtain a rich tree community with a large number of new recruits.     

Increasing the efficiency of reed plantations on stressed lake and river shores by using special clones of Phragmites australis

In an investigation aimed at comparing the variationin growth and expansion of different reed clones, 10reed clones were planted in spring of 1995 on sixexperimental fields on the River Dahme and the RiverHavel in Berlin. Their sites of origin differed innutrient supply, substrate quality and shoreexposition. The main aim of this large-scaleexperiment was to search for reed clones that would beable to colonize lake shores rapidly and to expandinto deeper water. Two years after planting thedeveloping reed stands differed significantly inmorphology and stand structure, both among clones andamong sites. This indicates that the development ofreed stands depended on the environment as well as onthe genotype. The differences in development impliedthat some of the clones would be more suited thanothers for restoration purposes, so that successfulrestoration of a degraded river or lake shores mightdepend on the selection of the best suited clones.The nitrogen contents in the aboveground biomass oftwo clones differing in nitrogen dynamics at theiroriginal sites (described as `assimilation' and`translocation' types in the literature) did notdiffer in this experiment, even though the two clonesdid differ in some morphological traits. These resultsmight be influenced by the fact that stands were stilldeveloping and that possibly clones had reached adifferent degree of maturity. Nevertheless, theysuggest that nitrogen content depends more on siteconditions, with only little genetically determineddifference, and that morphological variation isdetermined by factors other than variation in nitrogenuptake.     

Protein trafficking inside Toxoplasma gondii

The accurate targeting of proteins to their final destination is an essential process in all living cells. Apicomplexans are obligate intracellular protozoan parasites that possess a compartmental organization similar to that of free-living eukaryotes but can be viewed as professional secretory cells. Establishment of parasitism involves the sequential secretion from highly specialized secretory organelles, including micronemes, rhoptries and dense granules. Additionally, apicomplexans harbor a tubular mitochondrion, a nonphotosynthetic plastid organelle termed the apicoplast, acidocalcisomes and an elaborated inner membrane complex composed of flattened membrane cisternae that are derived from the secretory pathway. Given the multitude of destinations both inside and outside the parasite, the endoplasmic reticulum/Golgi of the apicomplexans constitutes one of the most busy roads intersections in eukaryotic traffic.     

冬季沙冬青细胞质中一种高电子密度结构的电镜观察

用透射电子显微镜观察了冬季沙冬青的叶肉细胞。观察表明,其细胞质中有一种电子密度很高的结构,分布广,主要位于有一定解体现象并含有较多嗜锇小球叶绿体附近,有的甚至与叶绿体被膜贴在一起,很少存在于发育良好的叶绿体附近和液泡中。其大小不同,通常为椭圆形,有时也近似圆形。表面没有包围膜,泡状结构少,常有突起。这种结构的电子密度很高,染色较均匀,冬季大量出现可能与提高植物的抗寒性有关.     

Dendrochronological analyses and climatic signals of Alchornea triplinervia in subtropical forest of southern Brazil

The predominance of secondary forest‐species in Brazilian subtropical forests highlights the importance of understanding the ecology of these taxa, and dendrochronology provides valuable information about the growth and climate response of tree species. The wide distribution of Alchornea triplinervia (Spreng.) Mull. Arg. (Euphorbiaceae), and the presence of growth rings in its wood, leds to its selection for this study. Samples were collected from 34 trees growing in rainy dense forest fragments in the cities of Blumenau and Brusque, in southern Brazil, and subjected to standard dendrochronological techniques. The local chronology spanned from 1889 to 2013 and the age of the trees ranged from 32 to 125 years. The mean age was 73 years and annual increment was 1.13 mm year^?1; the diameter and age showed a weak correlation. The results suggest that A. triplinervia growth responded negatively to hot summers and increased rainfall in the previous spring and winter. The high perdiodicity trend characteristic of ENSO activity was reflected in wavelet power spectra of A. triplinervia chronology, affecting positively its growth after strong ENSO events (1970–2009). Negative influences occurred before 1970 during normal ENSO events. Also, there is evidence of the existence of a connection between Pacific and Atlantic sea surface temperatures influencing on tree growth.     

3S技术在南宁市荔枝优化布局中的应用

根据荔枝生长发育对生态气候条件的要求,分析确定了荔枝适宜性生态气候区划指标。采用统计学方法建立了区划指标的空间分析模型,利用1∶250000南宁市地形数据,按500m×500m细网格,对区划指标进行了小网格推算,根据离散点的空间插值技术原理,对其残差部分进行了空间插值,将插值结果与推算结果进行叠加,实现了区划指标空间分布的细化。结合ETM卫星资料提取的土地利用信息,采用3S技术,进行荔枝优化布局的生态气候区划。该区划按种植荔枝的气候适宜性及土地利用现状,将南宁市划分为荔枝的最适宜、适宜、次适宜和不适宜种植区,绘制了荔枝优化布局的三维立体区划图,并分区进行评述。研究结果可为南宁市农业结构调整及荔枝优化布局提供科学依据。     

Root biomass distribution of triploid Populus tomentosa under wide- and narrow-row spacing planting schemes and its responses to soil nutrients

三倍体毛白杨(triploid Populus tomentosa)是我国华北地区主要纸浆林品种, 在该地区多采用宽窄行模式栽植。为基于根系结构特征制定该模式下毛白杨人工林高效水肥管理策略和明确影响其根系空间分布的主要因子, 在5年生林分中于8株样树周围挖取2106个土柱, 研究该栽植模式下毛白杨根系生物量的空间分布特征, 并分析了细根垂直分布对土壤有机质、速效磷和碱解氮等的响应。结果表明, 一维垂向上, 宽行内细根根重密度(FRBD)在0-30 cm土层中随深度增加而递减, 但在30 cm以下土层呈均匀分布(p = 0.079); 窄行内FRBD呈“双峰”分布, 即在0-20 cm (22%)和70-110 cm (31%)土层均有较多细根分布; 10-150 cm各土层中, 窄行FRBD较宽行高17%-148%。宽、窄行内, 随深度增加, 粗根根重密度(CRBD)均呈先增后减变化, 而细根粗根比(F/C)无显著变化(p > 0.05), 窄行平均F/C较宽行高60%。一维径向上, 宽、窄行内FRBD均呈近均匀分布, 而CRBD和F/C均随距离增加分别显著递减和增大。二维尺度上, FRBD在窄行内分布相对均匀, 但在宽行内主要集中在表土层且随距离增加细根浅层化程度增强; CRBD在树干两侧呈“不对称”分布; 垂向0-20 cm、径向160-300 cm范围是宽行内平均FRBD和F/C较高区域, 分别为宽行相应指标总平均的2.8和1.1倍。FRBD在0-30 cm土层中随土壤有机质、速效磷和碱解氮含量的增加而逐渐增大, 但在30 cm以下土层中无明显变化趋势。研究结果表明, 宽、窄行间毛白杨根系分布的差异性主要体现在细根一维垂直分布和细根、粗根二维分布上。土壤有机质、速效磷和碱解氮是0-30 cm土层中毛白杨细根垂直分布的重要影响因子, 但对下层土壤中根系分布无影响。对宽窄行栽植的毛白杨林分灌溉时, 灌溉水应供给到窄行区域; 施肥时, 缓释肥和速效肥应分别浅施在宽行中央附近和窄行内。