北方农牧交错带温性盐碱化草地土壤呼吸对不同形态氮添加和刈割的响应

农牧交错带草地生态系统兼受农业和牧业的影响, 属于脆弱生态系统, 尤其是养分贫瘠的盐碱化草地, 其生态系统结构和功能对外界干扰的响应更加强烈。位于晋西北地区的农牧交错带盐碱化草地, 地理位置独特, 区别于天然牧区草地生态系统。由于毗邻农田, 农业氮肥的过量使用促进了活性氮气体排放, 同时使得农牧交错带草地土壤碳氮循环发生改变。刈割是北方农牧交错草地生态系统的主要管理方式, 为了深入探究氮添加和刈割管理方式对农牧交错带草地碳循环的影响, 进一步厘清该区域草地生态系统的碳动态问题, 该研究设置了一个不同形态氮添加和刈割的裂区实验, 测定土壤呼吸对不同形态氮肥添加和刈割的响应, 为进一步科学管理该区域草地提供可靠的依据。实验样地位于山西省右玉县境内的“山西农业大学农牧交错带草地生态系统野外观测研究站”, 于2017年设置不同形态氮添加和刈割处理, 实验处理包括对照(不刈割和刈割)、尿素添加、缓释尿素添加、刈割+尿素添加、刈割+缓释尿素添加, 每种处理6个重复, 共36个小区。在不同处理条件下测定土壤呼吸速率、土壤温度、土壤水分、土壤微生物生物量、土壤无机氮含量、植物地上和地下生物量, 并计算土壤累积碳排放量及CO₂通量。研究结果表明: (1)短期(2017-2018年)尿素和缓释尿素的添加显著提高了该地区土壤呼吸速率和土壤累积碳排放量。与添加缓释尿素相比, 添加尿素处理下的土壤呼吸速率和累积碳排放量更高; (2)刈割显著降低土壤呼吸速率和累积碳排放量; (3)短期氮添加和刈割的交互作用对土壤呼吸速率没有显著影响。因此, 短期氮添加促进了北方农牧交错带盐碱化草地土壤碳释放, 刈割抑制土壤呼吸, 降低了累积碳排放量, 这可能是由于刈割移除地上植物, 减少了凋落物的输入, 底物减少导致土壤微生物活性降低。但是随着处理时间的延长, 氮添加和刈割对该农牧交错带盐碱化草地土壤碳动态的影响还有待进一步探究和发现。     

Spectrofluorimetric determination of certain biologically active phenothiazines in commercial dosage forms and human plasma

A validated simple and sensitive spectrofluorimetric method was developed for the determination of chlorpromazine hydrochloride, promethazine hydrochloride, trifluperazine hydrochloride, thioridazine hydrochloride, perazine maleate and oxomemazine. The method was based on condensation of malonic acid/acetic anhydride (MAA) under the catalytic effect of the tertiary amine moiety of the studied phenothiazines to provide a deep yellow to brown colour with green florescence. Relative fluorescence intensity of the products was measured at λ_exc 398 nm and λ_em 432 nm. Different variables affecting the reaction were studied and optimized. The method was successfully applied for the determination of the studied drugs in commercial dosage forms. The lower detection limits allowed the application of this method for the determination of the compounds in plasma as an example of a biological fluid. In addition, the method was considered specific for the determination of tertiary amines in the presence of primary and secondary amines; as a result, it was deemed suitable for the determination of the cited drugs in the presence of their degradation products resulting from N‐dealkylation or oxidation of the corresponding sulphoxides or sulphones. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The accumulation of misfolded proteins in the mitochondrial matrix is sensed by PINK1 to induce PARK2/Parkin-mediated mitophagy of polarized mitochondria

Defective mitochondria exert deleterious effects on host cells. To manage this risk, mitochondria display several lines of quality control mechanisms: mitochondria-specific chaperones and proteases protect against misfolded proteins at the molecular level, and fission/fusion and mitophagy segregate and eliminate damage at the organelle level. An increase in unfolded proteins in mitochondria activates a mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPR^mt) to increase chaperone production, while the mitochondrial kinase PINK1 and the E3 ubiquitin ligase PARK2/Parkin, whose mutations cause familial Parkinson disease, remove depolarized mitochondria through mitophagy. It is unclear, however, if there is a connection between those different levels of quality control (QC). Here, we show that the expression of unfolded proteins in the matrix causes the accumulation of PINK1 on energetically healthy mitochondria, resulting in mitochondrial translocation of PARK2, mitophagy and subsequent reduction of unfolded protein load. Also, PINK1 accumulation is greatly enhanced by the knockdown of the LONP1 protease. We suggest that the accumulation of unfolded proteins in mitochondria is a physiological trigger of mitophagy.     

The plant-unique cis-element that mediates signaling from multiple endoplasmic reticulum stress sensors

The accumulation of unfolded proteins in the ER lumen induces intracellular signaling mediated by the ER stress sensor protein IRE1. Our recent study identified a new common cis-element of ER stress-responsive genes (such as rice BiP paralogs and WRKY45) that were regulated via an IRE1-dependent pathway. ER stress-responsive cis-elements had been expected to be conserved between plants and mammals. However, contrary to expectations, sequences of the plant cis-element, pUPRE-II, were not identical to those of its mammalian counterpart. Additionally, pUPRE-II also interacted with another ER stress sensor protein and mediated multiple signaling pathways. Here, we provide a summary of the results that suggest the complicated mechanism underlying the regulation of ER stress-responsive gene expression in plants.     

The role of autophagy in plasma cell ontogenesis

We have identified in plasma cells a novel ATG5-dependent selective negative control on the secretory pathway, which restricts antibody production, sustaining energy metabolism. Revealing new immune functions, autophagy is required in vivo for antibody responses and to maintain the memory plasma cell compartment.     

西藏及其东南地区被子植物与其不同生活型的果实类型分析

统计了分布在西藏自治区的被子植物及各生活型果实的类型及比例,并与藏东南地区做了比较。结果如下,西藏自治区果实以蒴果为主(占37.74%),其次为瘦果、坚果、浆果等;干果的比例远远大于肉果;不同生活型的果实类型谱差异较大,乔木中核果的比例最高,藤本中浆果比例最高,灌木中瘦果比例最高,草本中蒴果占优势;4个生活型中,肉果的比例乔木为最高,其次为藤本、灌木、草本。藏东南地区植物的果实类型也以蒴果为主,其次为瘦果、浆果、核果等;藏东南乔木中核果比例最高,藤本中浆果比例最高,灌木和草本植物以蒴果占优势;乔木肉果的比例最高,其次为藤本、灌木、草本。藏东南肉果比例大于全藏区,而干果比例则相反。果实类型的这些性状特征与各自的环境相适应,是植物长期适应自然环境的进化结果,该研究对于理解植物果实对生态环境的长期适应进化具有一定的意义。     

Disorder and order in unfolded and disordered peptides and proteins: A view derived from tripeptide conformational analysis. II. Tripeptides with short side chains populating asx and β‐type like turn conformations

In the preceding paper, we found that ensembles of tripeptides with long or bulky chains can include up to 20% of various turns. Here, we determine the structural and thermodynamic characteristics of GxG peptides with short polar and/or ionizable central residues (D, N, C), whose conformational distributions exhibit higher than average percentage (>20%) of turn conformations. To probe the side‐chain conformations of these peptides, we determined the ³J(H^α,H^β) coupling constants and derived the population of three rotamers with χ₁‐angles of ?60°, 180° and 60°, which were correlated with residue propensities by DFT‐calculations. For protonated GDG, the rotamer distribution provides additional evidence for asx‐turns. A comparison of vibrational spectra and NMR coupling constants of protonated GDG, ionized GDG, and the protonated aspartic acid dipeptide revealed that side chain protonation increases the pPII content at the expense of turn populations. The charged terminal groups, however, have negligible influence on the conformational properties of the central residue. Like protonated GDG, cationic GCG samples asx‐turns to a significant extent. The temperature dependence of the UVCD spectra and ³J(H^NH^α) constants suggest that the turn populations of GDG and GNG are practically temperature‐independent, indicating enthalpic and entropic stabilization. The temperature‐independent J‐coupling and UVCD spectra of GNG require a three‐state model. Our results indicate that short side chains with hydrogen bonding capability in GxG segments of proteins may serve as hinge regions for establishing compact structures of unfolded proteins and peptides. Proteins 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Physiological mechanism of hypertolerance of cadmium in Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue: Chemical forms and tissue distribution

Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) are hypertolerant grasses to soil cadmium contamination. Little information is available on their tolerance mechanism. A sand culture and a hydroponic culture experiment were designed to investigate the Cd chemical form changes and its translocation in different tissues. The results showed that Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue can tolerate 50–200 mg kg⁻¹ of soil Cd stresses and accumulate as high as 4275 and 2559 mg Cd kg⁻¹ DW, respectively, in their shoots without the loss of shoot biomass. Their Cd hypertolerance was correlated with an increase of the undissolved Cd phosphates in the leaves in both grass species, as determined by sequential solvent extraction procedures. The superior Cd tolerance of tall fescue to Kentucky bluegrass was associated with less Cd translocation into the stele of roots and less Cd transported to leaves. The pectate- and protein-integrated Cd forms may be involved in the symplastic translocation of Cd from cortex into stele, and this may lead the higher Cd concentrations in the stele of roots and then above ground leaves via long-distance transport in Kentucky bluegrass.