Chemokine triggered integrin activation and actin remodeling events guiding lymphocyte migration across vascular barriers

Chemokine signals activate leukocyte integrins and actin remodeling machineries critical for leukocyte adhesion and motility across vascular barriers. The arrest of leukocytes at target blood vessel sites depends on rapid conformational activation of their α4 and β2 integrins by the binding of endothelial-displayed chemokines to leukocyte Gi-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). A universal regulator of this event is the integrin-actin adaptor, talin1. Chemokine-stimulated GPCRs can transmit within fractions of seconds signals via multiple Rho GTPases, which locally raise plasma membrane levels of the talin activating phosphatidyl inositol, PtdIns(4,5)P2 (PIP2). Additional pools of GPCR stimulated Rac-1 and Rap-1 GTPases together with GPCR stimulated PLC and PI3K family members regulate the turnover of focal contacts of leukocyte integrins, induce the collapse of leukocyte microvilli, and promote polarized leukocyte crawling in search of exit cues. Concomitantly, other leukocyte GTPases trigger invasive protrusions into and between endothelial cells in search of basolateral chemokine exit cues. We will review here major findings and open questions related to these sequential guiding activities of endothelial presented chemokines, focusing mainly on lymphocyte-endothelial interactions as a paradigm for other leukocytes.     

农地整理中路沟渠生态化设计研究进展

农地整理是人类对农田生态系统的强烈干扰.传统农地整理中路沟渠设计的主要技术经济指标是方便生产通行和调配水资源以及提高水的利用率,尚缺少系统化、生态化考量,已经影响了农田物种扩散,导致生物栖息地环境的退化,并对农田生态系统的生物竞争机制、缓冲和补偿能力、抵御虫害能力产生了显著的负效应.本文系统总结了路沟渠生态化的功能,着重介绍了近年来生态化路沟渠的形式与结构设计、路沟渠生态工法参数的试验以及路沟渠生态材料选择的技术和方法.未来的相关研究应根据各级道路、灌排沟渠的不同功能要求和规格,按照田间不同生物的习性和栖息要求,精确设计能够满足大多数生物需求的农田路沟渠形态、结构和控制性尺寸,切实解决农地整理带来的上述问题.     

三门湾海域冬夏季口足目和十足目虾类的种类组成、时空分布及多样性分析

根据2007年12月和2008年6月三门湾海域的2个航次的渔业资源调查资料,研究三门湾海域口足目与十足目中虾类在冬季和夏季的密度、优势种及多样性的时空分布,并结合该调查海区的地形地貌和水文等因素对虾类的分布进行分析.结果表明,三门湾海域虾类以广温、广盐种为主,其夏季种类数高于冬季,且夏季虾类质量和尾数密度均值亦高于冬季...     

喀斯特常绿落叶阔叶混交林植被的空间异质性

基于广西环江木论国家级自然保护区喀斯特典型峰丛洼地常绿落叶阔叶混交林2 hm2动态监测样地,选择4个多样性和5个群落结构属性变量,运用地统计学和分形几何学理论方法,分析植被的空间异质性、分形特征和分布格局,以探讨其维持机制。结果表明:(1)样地树木种类和除平均高度外的4个结构属性变量均值适中,变异系数较高(48.37%～71.01%),植物多样性丰富且稳定性强,Shannon指数、Simpson指数和均匀度指数变异系数仅在5.49%～22.64%之间。(2)除均匀度的Moran’s I系数接近0且无规律外,其他8个属性变量均有不同程度的空间自相关性,分别用球状、指数和高斯模型拟合的决定系数(R2)高达0.900～0.982,C/(C0+C)值和分维数D值分别在0.582～0.827和1.738～1.871之间,具有中等以上的空间依赖性。(3)密度、平均冠幅和高度的自相关范围和变程小于其他指标,其分布和形成过程决定了整个森林植被的空间格局。(4)森林植被的Kriging等值线图充分表征了人为干扰、地形、土壤质量的综合差异。(5)自相关、半方差模型的变程和Kriging等值线图综合分析表明,喀斯特峰丛洼地常绿落叶阔叶混交林空间异质性研究的采样间隔10 m左右较适宜,但采样范围应大于10hm2,这对确定该区域动态监测样地的面积具有一定的指导意义。     

The TβR-I pre-helix extension is structurally ordered in the unbound form and its flanking prolines are essential for binding

Transforming growth factor β isoforms (TGF-β) are among the most recently evolved members of a signaling superfamily with more than 30 members. TGF-β play vital roles in regulating cellular growth and differentiation, and they signal through a highly restricted subset of receptors known as TGF-β type I receptor (TβR-I) and TGF-β type II receptor (TβR-II). TGF-β's specificity for TβR-I has been proposed to arise from its pre-helix extension, a five-residue loop that binds in the cleft between TGF-β and TβR-II. The structure and backbone dynamics of the unbound form of the TβR-I extracellular domain were determined using NMR to investigate the extension's role in binding. This showed that the unbound form is highly similar to the bound form in terms of both the β-strand framework that defines the three-finger toxin fold and the extension and its characteristic cis-Ile54-Pro55 peptide bond. The NMR data further showed that the extension and two flanking 3₁₀ helices are rigid on the nanosecond-to-picosecond timescale. The functional significance of several residues within the extension was investigated by binding studies and reporter gene assays in cultured epithelial cells. These demonstrated that the pre-helix extension is essential for binding, with Pro55 and Pro59 each playing a major role. These findings suggest that the pre-helix extension and its flanking prolines evolved to endow the TGF-β signaling complex with its unique specificity, departing from the ancestral promiscuity of the bone morphogenetic protein subfamily, where the binding interface of the type I receptor is highly flexible.     

Photoinhibition and Photoprotection in Ginkgo biloba leaves: Influence of Temperature,CO2 and O2

In midday ginkgo ( Ginkgo biloba L. ) leaves have to bear photon flux density over 1 400 μmol·m-2·s-l in combination with high temperatures around 35℃ at natural habitat. They show typical midday depression of stomatal conductance and of CO2 assimilation rate. The zeaxanthin changes with light intensity during the day. The influence of the combination of strong light and temperature on photoinhibition was also examined in the laboratory. A low CO2 internal conductance (31 mmol· m- 2·s- 1 ) was found in ginkgo leaves, which had been exposed to excessive light at temperature between 15 ℃ and 35 ℃ with reduced CO2 (80 μL·L-l) or oxygen (2%) for 2 h, causing a low CO2 concentration at the carboxylation site and a high proportion of photorespimtion. The ratio of electron transport to CO2 fixation was rather high in ginkgo ( 16 e- /CO2 at 25 ℃ ) as compared with other plants. It increased with temperature also in 2% 02 which could not be explained solely as due to change of photorespimtion. The reduction of oxygen in 340 or 80 μL·L- 1 CO2 had no effect on the extent of photoinhibition at all temperatures, which indicated that eleetron flow caused by photorespiration in excess light was negligible in protective effect in ginkgo leaves. However, a decreased CO2 coneentration increased photoinhibition, especially at high temperature. It is concluded that the dissipation of excessive excitation energy in the PS II antennae through the xanthophyll cycle may be the major protective mechanism to preventing from the deteriorated effects of strong light in ginkgo leaves.     

人类神经Tau蛋白结构与功能研究进展

Ｔａｕ属微管结合蛋白,对神经细胞的生长发育,物质运输及信息传导起着重要作用。该分子不具有明显的二级结构,其生物学功能的调节功能主要是通过磷酸化和去磷酸化来实现。目前的研究表明,早老性痴呆等疾病与Ｔａｕ分子高级结构的异常改变和功能丧失有关。     

Isolation and characterization of microsatellite DNA loci from Russell's snapper (Lutjanus russellii)

A total of 37 microsatellite loci from the Russell's snapper, Lutjanus russellii, were successfully isolated and characterized. Thirty‐four loci were polymorphic in L. russellii samples. Twenty of the 37 markers did not differ significantly from Hardy–Weinberg expected genotype proportions. Significant linkage disequilibrium was detected in one pairwise comparison. The numbers of alleles and observed heterozygosities in polymorphic loci ranged from two to 16 and from 0.41 to 0.95, respectively. These markers will be useful for studying the population genetic structure of this species.     

Microhabitat Characteristics of Preble's Meadow Jumping Mouse High-Use Areas

ABSTRACT Riparian wetlands are complex ecosystems containing species diversity that may easily be affected by anthropogenic disturbances. Preble's meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius preblei) is a federally threatened subspecies dependent upon riparian wetlands along the Front Range of Colorado and southeastern Wyoming, USA. Although habitat improvements for Preble's meadow jumping mouse are designed at multiple spatial scales, most knowledge about its habitat requirements has been described at a landscape scale. Our objective was to improve our understanding of Preble's meadow jumping mouse microhabitat characteristics within high-use areas (hotspots), which are essential for the development of effective management and conservation strategies. We evaluated Preble's meadow jumping mouse habitat by describing areas of high use and no use as determined from monitoring radiocollared individuals. A comparison of microhabitat characteristics from random samples of high-use and no-use areas indicated that mice use areas closer to the center of the creek bed and positively associated with shrub, grass, and woody debris cover. Distance to center of the creek bed, and percent of shrub and grass cover also had the greatest relative importance of habitat variables modeled when describing high-use areas. High-use areas contained 3 times more grass cover than forb cover, and overall had a greater proportion of wetland shrub and grass cover. However, proportion of cover type (shrub or grass) did not vary greatly between high-use and no-use areas. Our results suggest that management and conservation efforts should continue to focus on establishment of native wetland vegetation near streams and creeks. For example, vegetation should include shrubs such as willow (Salix spp.), narrowleaf cottonwood (Populus angustifolia), alder (Alnus incana), grasses such as fescue (Fescue spp.), sedges (Carex spp.), and rush (Juncus spp).     

副溶血弧菌EMA-PCR检测技术的建立

PCR技术被广泛应用于副溶血弧菌的检测中, 但传统的PCR技术无法区分样品中的死细菌与活细菌, 往往使检测结果出现较高的假阳性。因此, 将叠氮溴乙锭(Ethidium monoazide bromide, EMA)与PCR技术结合, 建立一种快速、准确的副溶血弧菌检测方法。以dnaJ基因为检测副溶血弧菌的靶基因, 分别用副溶血弧菌的纯培养细胞及其基因组DNA作模板进行PCR检测, 灵敏度分别为2.5×104 CFU/mL和6×102 fg/μL。在检测样品前处理过程中加入EMA, 当EMA的浓度小于5 mg/L时, EMA对活菌靶基因的扩增没有明显的抑制; 而终浓度为2 mg/L的EMA, 能有效抑制1×108 CFU/mL副溶血弧菌死菌的扩增。活菌和死菌混合体系的PCR结果表明, EMA-PCR能有效降低副溶血弧菌检测过程中的假阳性。