基于NDVI监测5.12震后岷江河谷映秀汶川段滑坡体植被恢复

汶川5.12地震造成岷江流域生态环境严重受损,评估地震后自然植被恢复过程,对生态环境恢复和重建有着重要的意义。本研究以5.12地震前后（2007、2008及2011年）空间分辨率为30 m×30 m的TM遥感影像的NDVI指标为数据源,监测了岷江上游干旱河谷（映秀—汶川段）植被在地震前后的动态变化,并结合地形因子,分析了植被受损及地震3年后植被恢复的空间分布特征。结果表明：（1）地震造成的研究区滑坡体面积约5 413.95 hm²,占总面积的34.74%;（2）滑坡体发育总体上与海拔呈负相关,与坡度呈正相关,与坡向无显着相关;（3）地震3年后,受损植被的平均恢复率达66.71%,其中中等及良好恢复的面积为3 942.54 hm²,占滑坡总面积的72.82%。研究结果也显示植被恢复与坡度、海拔有很高的一致性,及植被恢复的复杂性。     

广聚萤叶甲对广东佛冈豚草的控制作用

广聚萤叶甲Ophraella communa是恶性入侵杂草豚草Ambrosia artemisiifolia的一种重要专一性天敌。为了评价其对广东省豚草的野外控制效果,2009和2010年分别在佛冈进行释放,试验调查了释放后的种群动态及其对豚草的控制效果。结果表明:广聚萤叶甲在广东省佛冈县可成功建立自然种群。广聚萤叶甲释放后,其虫口密度不断增加,豚草植株的死亡率也不断上升,2009年豚草死亡率低于20%,2010年叶甲对豚草的控制作用较好,豚草死亡率可达到95%以上,而大量豚草死亡后,广聚萤叶甲的虫口密度又急剧下降。广聚萤叶甲种群扩张与气象因子有密切关系,温度偏低是5～6月广聚萤叶甲的种群数量难以扩增的主要因素,大雨频繁和光照偏少也一定程度上限制了其种群增长,7～8月是广聚萤叶甲种群激增的关键时期,此时其种群数量急剧增加。     

华南双季稻区早稻收割和晚稻移栽对褐飞虱种群动态的影响

为了阐明华南双季稻区早稻收割和晚稻移栽对褐飞虱种群动态的影响,2011年在韶关市采用田间调查与卵巢解剖的方法研究了双季早稻、双季晚稻、田埂杂草上褐飞虱的种群动态及虫源性质。结果表明:早稻收割后,早稻上大量的褐飞虱1～2龄若虫被淘汰,3龄以上若虫及成虫不断转移扩散致使附近晚稻秧田和杂草上褐飞虱虫量突增;晚稻移栽之后,杂草及晚稻秧田的褐飞虱又向新插秧的晚稻进行转移,但成为有效虫源的虫量较少,因此,早稻收割和晚稻移栽对褐飞虱种群动态造成了极为不利的影响,晚稻秧田和田埂杂草可作为褐飞虱转移过程中的流动栖息场所,在褐飞虱虫量转移中起着一定的作用。     

Competing G protein‐coupled receptor kinases balance G protein and β‐arrestin signaling

Seven‐transmembrane receptors (7TMRs) are involved in nearly all aspects of chemical communications and represent major drug targets. 7TMRs transmit their signals not only via heterotrimeric G proteins but also through β‐arrestins, whose recruitment to the activated receptor is regulated by G protein‐coupled receptor kinases (GRKs). In this paper, we combined experimental approaches with computational modeling to decipher the molecular mechanisms as well as the hidden dynamics governing extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) activation by the angiotensin II type 1A receptor (AT_1AR) in human embryonic kidney (HEK)293 cells. We built an abstracted ordinary differential equations (ODE)‐based model that captured the available knowledge and experimental data. We inferred the unknown parameters by simultaneously fitting experimental data generated in both control and perturbed conditions. We demonstrate that, in addition to its well‐established function in the desensitization of G‐protein activation, GRK2 exerts a strong negative effect on β‐arrestin‐dependent signaling through its competition with GRK5 and 6 for receptor phosphorylation. Importantly, we experimentally confirmed the validity of this novel GRK2‐dependent mechanism in both primary vascular smooth muscle cells naturally expressing the AT_1AR, and HEK293 cells expressing other 7TMRs.     

Examining the dynamic energy landscape of an antiporter upon inhibitor binding

Previously, we applied single-molecule force spectroscopy to detect and locate interactions within the functional Na⁺/H⁺ antiporter NhaA from Escherichia coli. It was observed that the binding of the inhibitor 2-aminoperimidine established interactions different from those introduced by the binding of the native ligand. To understand the inhibitory mechanism of the inhibitor, we applied single-molecule dynamic force spectroscopy to reconstruct the energy landscape of NhaA. Dynamic force spectroscopy revealed that the energy landscape of the antiporter remained mainly unchanged except for the energy barrier of the functionally important transmembrane α-helix IX. Inhibitor binding set this domain into a newly formed deep and narrow energy minimum that kinetically stabilized α-helix IX and reduced its conformational entropy. The entropy reduction of α-helix IX is thought to inhibit its functionally important structural flexibility, while the deeper energy barrier shifted the population of active antiporters towards inhibited antiporters.     

Beta-lactoglobulin assembles into amyloid through sequential aggregated intermediates

We have investigated the aggregation and amyloid fibril formation of bovine β-lactoglobulin variant A, with a focus on the early stages of aggregation. We used noncovalent labeling with thioflavin T and 1-anilino-8-naphthalenesulfonate to follow the conformational changes occurring in β-lactoglobulin during aggregation using time resolved luminescence. 1-Anilino-8-naphthalenesulfonate monitored the involvement of the hydrophobic core/calyx of β-lactoglobulin in the aggregation process. Thioflavin T luminescence monitored the formation of amyloid. The luminescence lifetime distributions of both probes showed changes that could be attributed to conformational changes occurring during and following aggregation. To correlate the luminescence measurements with the degree of aggregation and the morphology of the aggregates, we also measured dynamic light scattering and atomic force microscopy images. We evaluated the relative stability of the intermediates with an assay that is sensitive to aggregation reversibility. Our results suggest that initial aggregation during the first 5 days occurred with partial disruption of the characteristic calyx in β-lactoglobulin. As the globular aggregates grew from days 5 to 16, the calyx was completely disrupted and the globular aggregates became more stable. After this second phase of aggregation, conversion into a fibrillar form occurred, marking the growth phase, and still more changes in the luminescence signals were observed. Based on these observations, we propose a three-step process by which monomer is converted first into weakly associated aggregates, which rearrange into stable aggregates, which eventually convert into protofibrils that elongate in the growth phase.     

Selective Cu2+ binding, redox silencing, and cytoprotective effects of the small heat shock proteins alphaA- and alphaB-crystallin

Oxidative stress and Cu²⁺ have been implicated in several neurodegenerative diseases and in cataract. Oxidative stress, as well as Cu²⁺, is also known to induce the expression of the small heat shock proteins α-crystallins. However, the role of α-crystallins in oxidative stress and in Cu²⁺-mediated processes is not clearly understood. We demonstrate using fluorescence and isothermal titration calorimetry that α-crystallins (αA- and αB-crystallin and its phosphorylation mimic, 3DαB-crystallin) bind Cu²⁺ with close to picomolar range affinity. The presence of other tested divalent cations such as Zn²⁺, Mg²⁺, and Ca²⁺ does not affect Cu²⁺ binding, indicating selectivity of the Cu²⁺-binding site(s) in α-crystallins. Cu²⁺ binding induces structural changes and increase in the hydrodynamic radii of α-crystallins. Cu²⁺ binding increases the stability of α-crystallins towards guanidinium chloride-induced unfolding. Chaperone activity of αA-crystallin increases significantly upon Cu²⁺ binding. α-Crystallins rescue amyloid beta peptide, Aβ_1-40, from Cu²⁺-induced aggregation in vitro. α-Crystallins inhibit Cu²⁺-induced oxidation of ascorbate and, hence, prevent the generation of reactive oxygen species. Interestingly, α-synuclein, a Cu²⁺-binding protein, does not inhibit this oxidation process significantly. We find that the Cu²⁺-sequestering (or redox-silencing) property of α-crystallins confers cytoprotection. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to reveal high affinity (close to picomolar) for Cu²⁺ binding and redox silencing of Cu²⁺ by any heat shock protein. Thus, our study ascribes a novel functional role to α-crystallins in Cu²⁺ homeostasis and helps in understanding their protective role in neurodegenerative diseases and cataract.     

Structure of the nucleocapsid-binding domain from the mumps virus polymerase; an example of protein folding induced by crystallization

The human pathogen mumps virus, like all paramyxoviruses, encodes a polymerase responsible for virally directed RNA synthesis. The template for the polymerase is the nucleocapsid, a filamentous protein-RNA complex harboring the viral genome. Interaction of the polymerase and the nucleocapsid is mediated by a small domain tethered to the end of the phosphoprotein (P), one of the polymerase subunits. We report the X-ray crystal structure of this region of mumps virus P (the nucleocapsid-binding domain, or NBD, amino acids 343-391). The mumps P NBD forms a compact bundle of three α-helices within the crystal, a fold apparently conserved across the Paramyxovirinae. In solution, however, the domain exists in the molten globule state. This is demonstrated through application of differential scanning calorimetry, circular dichroism spectroscopy, NMR spectroscopy, and dynamic light scattering. While the mumps P NBD is compact and has persistent secondary structure, it lacks a well-defined tertiary structure under normal solution conditions. It can, however, be induced to fold by addition of a stabilizing methylamine cosolute. The domain provides a rare example of a molten globule that can be crystallized. The structure that is stabilized in the crystal represents the fully folded state of the domain, which must be transiently realized during binding to the viral nucleocapsid. While the intermolecular forces that govern the polymerase-nucleocapsid interaction appear to be different in measles, mumps, and Sendai viruses, for each of these viruses, polymerase translocation involves the coupled binding and folding of protein domains. In all cases, we suggest that this will result in a weak-affinity protein complex with a short lifetime, which allows the polymerase to take rapid steps forward.     

Variable oligomerization modes in coronavirus non-structural protein 9

Non-structural protein 9 (Nsp9) of coronaviruses is believed to bind single-stranded RNA in the viral replication complex. The crystal structure of Nsp9 of human coronavirus (HCoV) 229E reveals a novel disulfide-linked homodimer, which is very different from the previously reported Nsp9 dimer of SARS coronavirus. In contrast, the structure of the Cys69Ala mutant of HCoV-229E Nsp9 shows the same dimer organization as the SARS-CoV protein. In the crystal, the wild-type HCoV-229E protein forms a trimer of dimers, whereas the mutant and SARS-CoV Nsp9 are organized in rod-like polymers. Chemical cross-linking suggests similar modes of aggregation in solution. In zone-interference gel electrophoresis assays and surface plasmon resonance experiments, the HCoV-229E wild-type protein is found to bind oligonucleotides with relatively high affinity, whereas binding by the Cys69Ala and Cys69Ser mutants is observed only for the longest oligonucleotides. The corresponding mutations in SARS-CoV Nsp9 do not hamper nucleic acid binding. From the crystal structures, a model for single-stranded RNA binding by Nsp9 is deduced. We propose that both forms of the Nsp9 dimer are biologically relevant; the occurrence of the disulfide-bonded form may be correlated with oxidative stress induced in the host cell by the viral infection.     

Is peak postprandial oxygen consumption positively related to growth rate and resting oxygen consumption in a sedentary catfish Silurus meridionalis?

The resting oxygen consumption     , postprandial and post-exercise peak oxygen consumption     of 137 juvenile southern catfish Silurus meridionalis , weighing 18·5 ± 0·8 g (mean ± s . d .), were measured at 25° C to determine whether     is positively related to postprandial and post-exercise     in sedentary S. meridionalis . In addition, postprandial metabolic response [ i.e. the specific dynamic action (SDA)] after a satiating meal and the growth performance as a consequence of a 3 week feeding-growth trail were measured in 40 S. meridionalis , weighing 14·3 ± 0·2 g, at 25° C to determine whether postprandial     is positively related to growth rate. Postprandial     was positively correlated with     , while post-exercise     was not. Both postprandial     and post-exercise     were positively correlated with factorial and absolute scope. There was no significant correlation between the growth rate and postprandial     in S. meridionalis . It suggested that as a sit-and-wait forager with low     , low post-exercise     and high postprandial     , the expenditure of energy for maintenance in S. meridionalis may be more closely related to digestive processes than locomotor activities.