Three New Polyacetylene Glycosides from the Roots of Heracleum dissectum and Their Triglyceride Accumulating Activities in 3T3‐L1 Cells

Continually phytochemical study of the roots of Heracleum dissectum had led to the isolation of three previously undescribed polyacetylene glycosides ( 1 – 3 ), together with seven known compounds, including one polyacetylene ( 8 ) and six coumarins ( 4 – 7 and 9 – 10 ) using diverse chromatographic methods. The structures of these three new compounds were characterized and identified as deca‐4,6‐diyn‐1‐yl β‐d ‐glucopyranosyl‐(1→6)‐β‐d ‐glucopyranosyl‐(1→2)‐β‐d ‐glucopyranoside ( 1 ), (8Z)‐dec‐8‐ene‐4,6‐diyn‐1‐yl β‐d ‐glucopyranosyl‐(1→6)‐β‐d ‐glucopyranosyl‐(1→2)‐β‐d ‐glucopyranoside ( 2 ), and (8E)‐dec‐8‐ene‐4,6‐diyn‐1‐yl β‐d ‐glucopyranosyl‐(1→6)‐β‐d ‐glucopyranosyl‐(1→2)‐β‐d ‐glucopyranoside ( 3 ) based on their physicochemical properties and extensive analyses of various spectroscopic data. Their triglycerides accumulating activities were assayed and the results showed that the three new polyacetylene glycosides ( 1 – 3 ) exhibited triglyceride accumulating activities in 3T3‐L1 adipocytes.     

Relative sea‐level change regulates organic carbon accumulation in coastal habitats

Because coastal habitats store large amounts of organic carbon (C_org), the conservation and restoration of these habitats are considered to be important measures for mitigating global climate change. Although future sea‐level rise is predicted to change the characteristics of these habitats, its impact on their rate of C_org sequestration is highly uncertain. Here we used historical depositional records to show that relative sea‐level (RSL) changes regulated C_org accumulation rates in boreal contiguous seagrass–saltmarsh habitats. Age–depth modeling and geological and biogeochemical approaches indicated that C_org accumulation rates varied as a function of changes in depositional environments and habitat relocations. In particular, C_org accumulation rates were enhanced in subtidal seagrass meadows during times of RSL rise, which were caused by postseismic land subsidence and climate change. Our findings identify historical analogs for the future impact of RSL rise driven by global climate change on rates of C_org sequestration in coastal habitats.     

Rats Generate Vibrissal Sensory Evidence until Boundary Crossing Triggers a Decision

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Carbon accumulation and vertical accretion in a restored versus historic salt marsh in southern Puget Sound,Washington, United States

Few comparisons exist between vertical accretion (VA) and carbon accumulation rates (CARs) in restored versus historic (i.e. reference) marshes. Here, we compare these processes in a formerly diked, sparsely vegetated, restored salt marsh (Six Gill Slough, SG), whose surface is subsided relative to the tidal frame, to an adjacent, relatively pristine, historic salt marsh (Animal Slough, AS). Six sediment cores were collected at both AS and SG approximately 6 years after restoration. Cores were analyzed for bulk density (BD), % loss of ignition, % organic carbon, and ²¹⁰Pb. We found that sharp changes in BD in surface layers of SG cores were highly reliable markers for the onset of restoration. The mean VA since restoration at SG (0.79 [SD = 0.29] cm/year) was approximately twice that of AS (0.41 [SD = 0.16] cm/year). In comparison, the VA at AS over 50 years was 0.30 (SD = 0.09) cm/year. VA consisted almost entirely of inorganic sediment at SG whereas at AS it was approximately 55%. Mean CARs at SG were somewhat greater than at AS, but the difference was not significant due to high variability (SG: 81–210 g C m^?2 year^?1; AS: 115–168 g C m^?2 year^?1). The mean CAR at AS over the past 50 years was 118 (SD = 23) g C m^?2 year^?1. This study demonstrates that a sparsely vegetated, restored salt marsh can quickly begin to accumulate carbon and that historic and restored marshes can have similar CARs despite highly divergent formation processes.     

贵州赤水桫椤国家级自然保护区鸟兽多样性红外相机初步监测

红外相机监测是了解野生动物多样性和威胁因素的重要手段。本研究采用网格法和分层抽样调查法, 在贵州赤水桫椤国家级自然保护区内选取20个监测位点布设红外相机, 对区内鸟兽物种多样性进行监测。2015年8月至2017年8月, 红外相机累计工作6,370个工作日, 共拍摄45,953张照片, 独立有效照片1,936张。准确鉴定出兽类4目8科19种, 鸟类4目11科28种, 其中, 国家II级重点保护野生动物7种。相对丰富度指数(RAI)排前五位的兽类依次是毛冠鹿(Elaphodus cephalophus)、鼬獾(Melogale moschata)、藏酋猴(Macaca thibetana)、小麂(Muntiacus reevesi)和野猪(Sus scrofa); 鸟类依次是紫啸鸫(Myophonus caeruleus)、红腹角雉(Tragopan temminckii)、灰胸竹鸡(Bambusicola thoracicus)、黑喉噪鹛(Garrulax chinensis)和棕颈钩嘴鹛(Pomatorhinus ruficollis)。物种积累曲线结果表明, 兽类稀疏化曲线在300天后趋于稳定, 表明监测取样已较充分, 而鸟类监测物种数随时间积累依旧保持增长趋势。     

Development of a novel tocopheryl ester for suppression of lipid accumulation without cytotoxicity by optimization of dicarboxylic ester moiety

Tocopheryl succinate (Tsuc) is a succinic acid ester of the well-known antioxidant α-tocopherol (T). Tsuc exhibits various biological activities, including tumor growth suppression via activation of cell signaling and prevention of lipid accumulation in mouse adipocyte 3T3-L1 cells. The latter findings suggest that Tsuc may be a drug candidate for the treatment of obesity. However, Tsuc was found to induce apoptosis of normal cells (in addition to cancer cells), demonstrating the need to reduce the cytotoxicity of Tsuc without losing the suppression effect on lipid accumulation. Based on our previous findings, we focused on the ester structure of Tsuc for controlling cytotoxicity. Herein, we examined the cytotoxicity and lipid accumulation suppression effect of various T ester derivatives. We found that the terminal carboxylic group is necessary for suppression of lipid accumulation. We synthesized tocopheryl glutarate (Tglu) and tocopheryl adipate (Tadi) by elongation of carbon atoms 1 and 2 of the dicarboxylic moiety, respectively. Tglu and Tadi did not show any cytotoxicity, and both esters suppressed lipid accumulation, although their suppression activities were weaker than that of Tsuc. Tadi showed a more potent lipid accumulation inhibitory effect than Tglu. Although Tadi inhibited lipogenesis and promoted lipolysis, lipolysis was induced at lower concentrations than inhibition of lipogenesis, suggesting that Tadi mainly affects lipolysis. Taken together, we succeeded in the reduction of cytotoxicity, without loss of the suppression effect on lipid accumulation, by elongation of the dicarboxylic moiety of Tsuc. Tadi may be a promising candidate as an anti-obesity drug.     

Valproate induces apoptosis by inducing accumulation of neutral lipids which was prevented by disruption of the SIR2 gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

We investigated the participation of HDACs in VPA induced apoptosis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. VPA (20 mM) induced apoptosis in several HDAC mutants, including PRD3 and HDA1-disrupted cells and SIR2 over expressing cells, as well as in wild-type cells but not SIR2-disrupted cells. Intracellular reactive oxygen species and neutral lipid content increased markedly in all kinds of HDAC mutant cells tested except for SIR2-disrupted cells. Thus, these results suggest that 20 mM VPA induces neutral lipid accumulation and apoptosis-like features in S. cerevisiae, and that VPA-induced apoptosis was evaded by deletion of SIR2.     

Satellite RNA-mediated reduction of cucumber mosaic virus genomic RNAs accumulation in Nicotiana tabacum

Satellite RNAs(satRNAs)are molecular parasites that interfere with the pathogenesis of thehelper viruses.In this study,the relative accumulation of cucumber mosaic virus(CMV)-Fny genomicRNAs with or without satRNAs were quantitatively analyzed by real-time RT-PCR.The results showed thatsatRs apparently attenuated the symptoms of CMV-Fny on Nicotiana tabacum by depressing the accumu-lation of CMV-Fny genomic RNAs,tested as open reading frames.The accumulation of CMV-Fny 1a,2a,2b,3a,and CP genes was much higher than that of CMV-Fny with satRs added(CMV-Fsat),at differentinoculation times.CMV-FnyΔ2b,in which the complete 2b gene and 41 amino acids at the C-terminal of the2a gene were deleted,caused only a slight mosaic effect on N.tabacum seedlings,similar to that of CMV-Fsat,but the addition of satRs to CMV-FnyΔ2b showed further decrease in the accumulation of CMV-FnyΔ2b genomic RNAs.Our results indicated that the attenuation of CMV,by adding satRs or deleting the2b gene,was due to the low accumulation of CMV genomic RNAs,and that satRNA-mediated reduction ofCMV genomic RNAs accumulation in N.tabacum was possibly related to the 2b gene.     

Cellular-automata models of solid-liquid interfaces

A series of cellular-automata (CA) models have been created, simulating relationships between water (or aqueous solutions) and solid surfaces of differing hydropathic (i.e., hydrophilic or hydrophobic) nature. Both equilibrium- and dynamic-flow models were examined, employing simple breaking and joining rules to simulate the hydropathic interactions. The CA simulations show that water accumulates near hydrophilic surfaces and avoids hydrophobic surfaces, forming concave-up and concave-down meniscuses, resp., under equilibrium conditions. In the dynamic-flow simulations, the flow rate of water was found to increase past a wall surface as the surface became less hydrophilic, reaching a maximum rate when the solid surface was of intermediate hydropathic state, and then declining with further increase in the hydrophobicity of the surface. Solution simulations show that non-polar solutes tend to achieve higher concentrations near hydrophobic-wall surfaces, whereas other hydrophobic/hydrophilic combinations of solutes and surfaces do not show such accumulations. Physical interpretations of the results are presented, as are some possible biological consequences.