Classification of doubly wound nucleotide binding topologies using automated loop searches

A classification is presented of doubly wound α/β nucleotide binding topologies, whose binding sites are located in the cleft formed by a topological switch point. In particular, the switch point loop nearest the N-terminus is used to identify specific structural classes of binding protein. This yields seven structurally distinct loop conformations, which are subsequently used as motifs for scanning the Protein Data Bank. The searches, which are effective at identifying functional relationships within a large database of structures, reveal a remarkable and previously unnoticed similarity between the coenzyme binding sites of flavodoxin and tryptophan synthetase, even though there is no sequence or topological similarity between them.     

Botanical diversity in British mires

Although mires are sometimes regarded as a single, specific and even esoteric habitat-type, in their full range of development-calcareous fens to acidic bogs, lowland swamps to upland flushes, woodlands, sedgelands and mosslands-they occupy a wide range of environmental conditions and sustain a rich botanical resource. Here an outline is given of the types of mires that are widespread in Britain and their botanical resource. It is discussed with reference to some of the environmental variables and management conditions that have been shown to influence the species composition and diversity of their vegetation. Some implications that this has for the classification of mires are outlined.     

国家公园类型划分与空间识别——以云南省为例

国家公园是我国推进生态文明建设的重大制度创新,如何科学地对国家公园进行类型划分及空间识别,是国家公园布局和建设中的基础性工作,既有必要性也有紧迫性。本研究以中国国情为基础,参考国际经验,将国家公园划分为荒野导向型、生态优先型、游憩导向型与遗产导向型,构建了一个比较完整的国家公园分类体系。并以自然和人文多样化程度较高的云南为案例,以“双评价”为基础建立了一套指标体系和区划规则,利用人工神经网络建立土地利用演化学习算法,利用融入自适应惯性机制的元胞自动机展开时空模拟,对云南全域进行高分辨率不同类型国家公园的空间辨识,并通过收缩-膨胀原理对识别区域进行比较、修正和优化,进而提出未来云南国家公园布局的综合方案。结果表明: 云南省国家公园主要集中在三江地区与横断山区、滇西以及西南部地区,这3类地区可作为未来国家公园区划与分类保护的重点。本研究所建立的国家公园类型划分和空间识别的一般性可推广的研究范式和工作流程可作为全国应用的参考。     

山水林田湖草沙一体化保护和修复工程与景观生态学

我国山水林田湖草沙生命共同体及其保护和修复工程的理论研究和实践正逐渐开展,需要系统的学科理论支撑,景观生态学作为地理学和生态学的交叉科学,能够以其宏观空间理论和技术体系满足这一需求。本文将景观生态学作为山水林田湖草沙一体化保护和修复工程的支撑学科,首先,明确了山水林田湖草沙生命共同体是镶嵌的异质景观、具有景观的所有特征并遵循景观生态学原理;其次,阐述了景观生态建设理论如何应用于山水林田湖草沙一体化保护和修复工程的规划和评价;最后,总结景观生态建设研究的新趋势,提出待解决的理论和实践问题,并论述山水林田湖草沙一体化保护和修复工程如何为解决这些问题提供广阔的研究空间。景观生态学和山水林田湖草沙一体化保护和修复工程实践相结合,将为实现我国乃至全球生态、经济、社会可持续发展提供极为有效的途径。     

沙地云杉苗期生长与干物质生产关系的研究

本文用不同_的模型定量地研究了沙地云杉苗期的生长规律、季节动态及不同生长时期干物质在各器官之间的分配规律。1)1年生幼苗一直保持较高的生长速度,根生长尤为迅速。5年生幼苗在接近生长上限时,增长越来越慢。2)根、茎、叶干物质的生产符合理查德模型;根、茎、叶干重与全株干重之百分比表现出不同的变化趋势,反映了于物质在各器官中的分配规律。3)不同年度各器官的干重变化反映了由于自疏造成的叶的脱落和部分枝的脱落情况。4)各模型的相关系数几乎都达到了极显著的水平。     

金银花花形基因的发掘及生物信息学分析

金银花作为我国重要的中药材,具有消炎、抗菌、抗病毒、抗氧化、防癌等多种功效。随着金银花市场供需矛盾日益加剧,通过分子标记辅助选择育种方法来培育高产优质品种势在必行。通过NCBI的Blast工具扫描金银花蛋白组数据发掘花形候选基因,并执行候选基因的亲缘关系分析、结构域分析、表达模式分析、理化性质分析、蛋白质结构预测等一系列生物信息学分析。依据拟南芥调控花形的ABE类基因,通过NCBI-Blast工具扫描金银花氨基酸序列,筛选出包含MADS结构域的8个调控花形的金银花候选基因。经LjaFGD表达模式分析发现,金银花的花中GWHGAAZE016592和GWHGAAZE014905表达量显著高于其他部位,可能正向调控金银花花形。GWHGAAZE014905是一个包含MADS结构域的调控花器官发育的B类基因;GWHGAAZE016592是AP3同源基因。生物信息学分析发现,GWHGAAZE016592和GWHGAAZE014905均是稳定的亲水蛋白,属于非分泌蛋白,包括Motif1、Motif3、Motif4、Motif2、Motif6和Motif5,蛋白质三级结构模板为6byy.2.A和4ox0.2.C。GWHGAAZE014905被定位到细胞核上,而GWHGAAZE016592被定位到叶绿体上,且包含1个位于151~173 bp的跨膜螺旋区域,属于膜蛋白。研究结果为分子标记辅助选择方式培育道地高产优质金银花品种提供了基因资源和分子标记。     

Induction and axial patterning of the neural plate: Planar and vertical signals

In this review I summarize recent findings on the contributions of different cell groups to the formation of the basic plan of the nervous system of vertebrate embryos. Midline cells of the mesoderm—the organizer, notochord, and prechordal plate—and midline cells of the neural ectoderm—the notoplate and floor plate—appear to have a fundamental role in the induction and patterning of the neural plate. Vertical signals acting across tissue layers and planar signals acting through the neural epithelium have distinct roles and cooperate in induction and pattern formation. Whereas the prechordal plate and notochord have distinct vertical signaling properties, the initial anteroposterior (A-P) pattern of the neural plate may be induced by planar signals originating from the organizer region. Planar signals from the notoplate may also contribute to the mediolateral (M-L) patterning of the neural plate. These and other findings suggest a general view of neural induction and axial patterning. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Membrane inlet—ion mobility spectrometry with automatic spectra evaluation as online monitoring tool for the process control of microalgae cultivation

The cultivation of algae either in open raceway ponds or in closed bioreactors could allow the renewable production of biomass for food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, or chemical industries. Optimal cultivation conditions are however required to ensure that the production of these compounds is both efficient and economical. Therefore, high-frequency analytical measurements are required to allow timely process control and to detect possible disturbances during algae growth. Such analytical methods are only available to a limited extent. Therefore, we introduced a method for monitoring algae release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the headspace above a bioreactor in real time. This method is based on ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) in combination with a membrane inlet (MI). The unique feature of IMS is that complete spectra are detected in real time instead of sum signals. These spectral patterns produced in the ion mobility spectrum were evaluated automatically via principal component analysis (PCA). The detected peak patterns are characteristic for the respective algae culture; allow the assignment of the individual growth phases and reflect the influence of experimental parameters. These results allow for the first time a continuous monitoring of the algae cultivation and thus an early detection of possible disturbances in the biotechnological process.