Mapping of functional domains in F plasmid partition proteins reveals a bipartite SopB-recognition domain in SopA

Active partition of the F plasmid to dividing daughter cells is assured by interactions between proteins SopA and SopB, and a centromere, sopC. A close homologue of the sop operon is present in the linear prophage N15 and, together with sopC-like sequences, it ensures stability of this replicon. We have exploited this sequence similarity to construct hybrid sop operons with the aim of locating specific interaction determinants within the SopA and SopB proteins that are needed for partition function and for autoregulation of sopAB expression. Centromere binding was found to be specified entirely by a central 25 residue region of SopB strongly predicted to form a helix-turn-helix structure. SopB protein also carries a species-specific SopA-interaction determinant within its N-terminal 45 amino acids, and, as shown by Escherichia coli two-hybrid analysis, a dimerization domain within its C-terminal 75 (F) or 97 (N15) residues. Promoter-operator binding specificity was located within an N-terminal 66 residue region of SopA, which is predicted to contain a helix-turn-helix motif. Two other regions of SopA protein, one next to the ATPase Walker A-box, the other C-terminal, specify interaction with SopB. Yeast two-hybrid analysis indicated that these regions contact SopB directly. Evidence for the involvement of the SopA N terminus in autoinhibition of SopA function was obtained, revealing a possible new aspect of the role of SopB in SopA activation.     

铁皮石斛腋芽的快速繁殖

目的利用组织培养技术建立铁皮石斛的高效快繁体系,克隆繁殖种苗,为野生居群的恢复提供材料。方法以铁皮石斛腋芽为外植体,研究不同浓度和配比的基本培养基、激素以及天然提取物对腋芽萌发生长,丛生芽的诱导增殖以及壮苗生根的影响,比较不同培养阶段的增殖倍数,筛选各时期的最适培养基。并对试管苗的形态学特征进行了调查。结果1/2MS+NAA 0.2 mg/L+BA 1 mg/L适合腋芽的成活生长。BA与香蕉汁组合有利于丛生芽的诱导增殖,其最适比例为1/2MS+NAA 0.5 mg/L+BA 2.0 mg/L+香蕉汁100 g/L,增殖倍数最大可达14.0,平均增殖倍数为6.4。培养基中添加100 g/L香蕉汁或200 g/L马铃薯汁均有利于壮苗生根。结论铁皮石斛通过腋芽形成丛生芽途径建立高效的快繁技术体系获得优质种苗是可行的。     

种植条件下海滨盐土理化性状与生物学特征

以苏北海滨盐土种植实验区7个不同特征的地块为对象,研究了海滨盐土基本理化性状及其生物学特征的季节变化,以及其与植物种植和植被条件的关系.结果表明:海滨盐土的土壤性状随种莓年限和植被状况的不同有较大的变异性,种植耐盐植物地块平均土壤电导率(0.95 dS·m-1)低于自然植被地块(2.77 dS·m-1),但部分地块电导率水平较种植前有所升高;土壤肥力普遍较低,水解性氮含量平均低于50 mg·kg-1,有效磷含量(除施肥地块)平均低于3 mg·kg-1,有机质含量低于1%,种植耐盐植物地块因施肥而有所改善.土壤电导率和养分水平是影响盐土植被生长与分布的主要因素,前者尤为关键;土壤氮磷含量与微生物数量密切相关.不同植被和干扰状况下土壤性状的季节变化差异明显,植被盖度高、人为干扰少的土壤环境相对稳定,反之则波动剧烈.     

Cu污染土壤中溪荪和花菖蒲的生长状况及对Cu的积累及转运能力

采用土壤栽培方法,研究了在Cu添加量为0(CK)、200、400、600、800和1 000μg·g-1的土壤中溪荪(Iris sanguinea Donn es Horn.)和花菖蒲(I.ensata Thunb.var.hortensis Makino et Nemoto)叶和根的数量、长度及生物量(干质量)6个生长指标的变化趋势,并对叶和根中的Cu含量和积累量、全株的Cu积累量、Cu的富集系数及转运系数进行了比较分析.结果表明:随土壤中Cu添加量的提高,溪荪的根数逐渐降低且显著低于对照;而溪荪的其余5个生长指标和花菖蒲的6个生长指标均总体呈现出在Cu添加量较低的条件下逐渐增加并显著高于对照、在Cu添加量较高的条件下逐渐减小且显著小于对照的变化趋势;其中在Cu添加量1 000μg·g-1的土壤中2种植物的生长均受到显著抑制(P＜0.05);而添加400和600μg·g-1Cu则分别对2种植物的生长有一定的促进作用.随土壤中Cu添加量的增加,溪荪和花菖蒲叶及根中的Cu含量均逐渐提高;溪荪对Cu的富集系数和转运系数以及花菖蒲对Cu的富集系数均显著小于对照,而花菖蒲对Cu的转运系数则呈现在Cu添加量较低的条件下高于对照、Cu添加量较高的条件下低于对照并逐渐减小的趋势;在添加了Cu的土壤中,溪荪叶、根和全株对Cu的积累量均低于花菖蒲,但均显著高于对照,且2种植物根的Cu含量及积累量均大于叶片,表明溪荪和花菖蒲均具有一定的Cu积累能力,且主要积累在根中,花菖蒲对Cu的积累能力优于溪荪.综合分析结果显示:溪荪和花菖蒲不是Cu超积累植物,但对Cu胁迫均具有一定的耐性,且花菖蒲的耐性略强于溪荪;溪荪和花菖蒲分别适宜栽植于Cu含量400和600μg·g-1以下的土壤中,可用于轻度和中度Cu污染土壤的植物修复和环境美化.     

‘Random coil’ 1H chemical shifts obtained as a function of temperature and trifluoroethanol concentration for the peptide series GGXGG

Summary Proton chemical shifts of a series of disordered linear peptides (H-Gly-Gly-X-Gly-Gly-OH, with X being one of the 20 naturally occurring amino acids) have been obtained using 1D and 2D ¹H NMR at pH 5.0 as a function of temperature and solvent composition. The use of 2D methods has allowed some ambiguities in side-chain assignments in previous studies to be resolved. An additional benefit of the temperature data is that they can be used to obtain ‘random coil’ amide proton chemical shifts at any temperature between 278 and 318 K by interpolation. Changes of chemical shift as a function of trifluoroethanol concentration have also been determined at a variety of temperatures for a subset of peptides. Significant changes are found in backbone and side-chain amide proton chemical shifts in these ‘random coil’ peptides with increasing amounts of trifluoroethanol, suggesting that caution is required when interpreting chemical shift changes as a measure of helix formation in peptides in the presence of this solvent. Comparison of the proton chemical shifts obtained here for H-Gly-Gly-X-Gly-Gly-OH with those for H-Gly-Gly-X-Ala-OH [Bundi, A. and Wüthrich, K. (1979) Biopolymers, 18, 285–297] and for Ac-Gly-Gly-X-Ala-Gly-Gly-NH₂ [Wishart, D.S., Bigam, C.G., Holm, A., Hodges, R.S. and Sykes, B.D. (1995) J. Biomol. NMR, 5, 67–81] generally shows good agreement for CH protons, but reveals significant variability for NH protons. Amide proton chemical shifts appear to be highly sensitive to local sequence variations and probably also to solution conditions. Caution must therefore be exercised in any structural interpretation based on amide proton chemical shifts.     

贵州省野生苦苣苔科物种多样性与地理分布（附录）

该研究在建立贵州省野生苦苣苔科植物名录和地理分布数据库的基础上,对其物种多样性及地理分布格局进行研究。通过文献资料结合实地调查,从物种组成、特有性、水平分布、垂直分布和相似性等方面进行分析,并采用筛除算法确定贵州苦苣苔科植物分布的热点地区。结果表明:(1)贵州省苦苣苔科植物共计2族8亚族28属153种(含种下等级),分布在75个县级行政区,有128/45个中国/贵州特有种,垂直分布以900~1300 m海拔段最为丰富。(2)通过计算省级相似性系数,发现贵州与广西的相似程度最高,最后筛选得到10个热点县,共代表了75%的苦苣苔科植物。(3)贵州省为典型的喀斯特高原山地,苦苣苔科植物种类丰富,尤其是广义马铃苣苔属、广义报春苣苔属、广义石山苣苔属和蛛毛苣苔属等,有着较高的物种多样性和区域特有性。该研究可以为贵州省苦苣苔科植物资源保护和持续利用提供理论参考。     

赣南地区森林地表死可燃物载量与环境因子的关系

森林可燃物载量分布格局是植被与地形等环境因子之间相互作用的结果。本研究通过野外实测赣南地区主要7种森林类型地表死可燃物载量数据,依据时滞可燃物分类标准,构建了地表可燃物载量与地形、植被等环境因子间的结构方程模型,并分析了各因子的影响路径及其直接、间接和总效应。结果表明: 7种不同森林类型中,1、10和100 h时滞可燃物载量均是针阔混交林内最高,毛竹林内最低。对1 h时滞载量影响最大的变量依次为:坡度(影响系数为0.40)＞树冠高度(0.07)＞树种(-0.03)＞郁闭度(0.01);对10 h时滞载量影响最大的变量依次为:胸径(0.15)＞树种(-0.09)＞坡向(-0.08)＞郁闭度(-0.06);对100 h时滞载量影响最大的变量依次为:坡向(0.25)＞胸径(0.19)＞郁闭度(-0.08)＞树种(0.02);对可燃物总载量影响最大的变量依次为:坡度(0.22)＞树种(-0.04)、郁闭度(-0.04)＞树冠高度(-0.01)。     

Methylerythritol phosphate pathway to isoprenoids: Kinetic modeling and in silico enzyme inhibitions in Plasmodium falciparum

The methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway of Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) has become an attractive target for anti-malarial drug discovery. This study describes a kinetic model of this pathway, its use in validating 1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR) as drug target from the systemic perspective, and additional target identification, using metabolic control analysis and in silico inhibition studies. In addition to DXR, 1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase (DXS) can be targeted because it is the first enzyme of the pathway and has the highest flux control coefficient followed by that of DXR. In silico inhibition of both enzymes caused large decrement in the pathway flux. An added advantage of targeting DXS is its influence on vitamin B1 and B6 biosynthesis. Two more potential targets, 2-C-methyl-d-erythritol 2,4-cyclodiphosphate synthase and 1-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-(E)-butenyl 4-diphosphate synthase, were also identified. Their inhibition caused large accumulation of their substrates causing instability of the system.     

金钱松群落优势种群种间联结及群落稳定性研究

种间联结反映了植物群落中的种间关系和群落稳定程度,对群落恢复和目标物种的保护具有重要意义.为了解金钱松群落的种间关系及群落稳定性,采用方差比率法(VR)、x2检验、联结系数(AC)、共同出现百分率(PC)、Pearson相关系数、Spearman秩相关系数以及M.Godron稳定性测定等数量分析方法,对浙江长兴金钱松群...