Fatty Acids Associated with the Cell Wall in Film Strains of Saccharomyces

Fatty acid contents were estimated in the cell wall of Saccharomyces. The fatty acids responsible for cell wall hydrophobicity were classified by ease of extraction to ‘readily extractable’ and ‘bound’ acids. The readily extractable fatty acids were easily extracted with pentane and chloroform-methanol. The fatty acids extracted with chloroform-methanol were quite effective for cell wall hydrophobicity, but the fatty acids extracted with pentane were not. The bound fatty acids comprised in the phospholipids phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine, which were rigidly associated with the cell wall. These phospholipids were not extractable until they were released from the cell wall by pronase. Chloroform-methanol extraction caused a reduction in cell wall phospholipid content, particularly after treatment with pronase. The fatty acid content of the resultant cell wall was lowered to below 7% of initial content. Phospholipids contained more saturated fatty acid than readily extractable lipids. Phospholipids greatly contributed to cell wall hydrophobicity of various film strains of Saccharomyces.     

Changes of α-Glycerophosphate Dehydrogenase Activity in Fatty Liver of Rats by Amino Acid Imbalance

An aminopeptidase was purified from an aqueous extract of mullet roe in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol by fractionation with ammonium sulfate and column chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and Sephadex G-200. The molecular weight of the enzyme was 184,000 by gel filtration, and the enzyme appeared to consist of two homogenous subunits. The optimal pH and optimal temperature for activity were 7.4 and 45°C, respectively. Puromycin, p-chloromercuribenzoic acid, and o-phenanthroline inhibited the enzyme n on-competitively (their Ki = 1.34 μm, 0.113mm and 0.145 mm, respectively), while 2-mercaptoethylamine was competitive (Ki = 0.056 mm). The enzyme was also inhibited by l-amino acids, in particular glutamic acid. The enzyme could hydrolyze a variety of α-aminoacyl β-naphthylamides and was most active on l-alanyl-β-naphthylamide. Judging from these properties, the mullet roe aminopeptidase resembles soluble alanyl amino-peptidase [EC 3.4.11.14].     

Purification and Characterization of DNA Polymerase Obtained from the Membrane Fraction of E. coli

Purification studies were conducted on DNA polymerase bound to the membrane fraction of E. coli HF 4704. Purified enzyme (Fraction V) required Mg²⁺ and showed an optimun pH of 7.2. Various kinds of salt indicated a stimulative effect at concentrations lower than 0.1 m. Fraction V was unstable at an acidic condition (pH 5.0) but was rather stable at an alkaline condition (pH 9.0). The enzyme activity was lost by incubation at 45°C for 30min but was stabilized by the addition of DNA. The enzyme contained exonuclease activity but no endonuclease activity. The enzyme produced only light density DNA of various sizes. The function of this enzyme as considered to fill single stranded region of the double stranded primer DNA.     

Production of a chloramphenicol-resistant mutant of Lysinibacillus sphaericus by solid state fermentation

A highly active mosquitocidal mutant of Lysinibacillus sphaericus Ahmed 2362, namely, UCR-146, was efficiently produced on cottonseed meal (CSM) medium, using sand as a carrier under solid state fermentation (SSF). The optimum CSM concentration for the highest sporulation and toxin formation was 12%. The maximum toxicity of the tested organism against second instar larvae of Culex pipiens was obtained at 25% moisture content, initial pH 6–7, 1% sodium acetate, 18.9×10⁶ CFU/g inoculum and 6 days incubation period at 30°C. Pilot scale production of UCR-146 under the optimum SSF conditions was assessed in aluminium trays. Spore count, mortality of larvae and LC₅₀ of the final product were 5.5×10¹⁰ CFU/g, 72% at 1 part per million (PPM) and 0.54 PPM, respectively. These results were comparable with those obtained from bench-scale production (in flasks). The cost of 1 kg of this bio-larvicide was estimated at US $0.34.     

布鲁氏菌ery操纵子突变株生物学特性分析

布鲁氏菌ery操纵子参与赤藓醇代谢. 赤藓醇能够促进布鲁氏菌的生长.为进一步研究布鲁氏菌引发宿主流产的分子机制,采用基因重组技术构建布鲁氏菌ery操纵子启动子缺失株（△ery）,通过体内外实验探讨布鲁氏菌ery操纵子的生物学功能. 研究结果显示,获得了布鲁氏菌ery操纵子缺失株;布鲁氏菌ery操纵子缺失株侵染胚 胎滋养层细胞脱落较亲本株明显下降;巨噬细胞CFU计数缺失株作用组和亲本株作用组差异显著（P<0.05）.试管凝集和虎红平板实验结果显示均出现凝集现象;检测血清中细胞因子IL-10和TNF-α的表达水平,△ery诱导机体产生的IL-10和TNF-α明显低于亲本株（P<0.05）.小鼠脾脏细菌CFU计数结果显示,△ery较亲本株毒力明显下降.本研究表明,布鲁氏菌ery操纵子启动子缺失株毒力较亲本株明显下降,为进 一步揭示布鲁氏菌引起流产的致病机制提供了一定的理论依据.     

Concurrent activation of OsAMT1;2 and OsGOGAT1 in rice leads to enhanced nitrogen use efficiency under nitrogen limitation

Nitrogen (N) is a major factor for plant development and productivity. However, the application of nitrogenous fertilizers generates environmental and economic problems. To cope with the increasing global food demand, the development of rice varieties with high nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is indispensable for reducing environmental issues and achieving sustainable agriculture. Here, we report that the concomitant activation of the rice (Oryza sativa) Ammonium transporter 1;2 (OsAMT1;2) and Glutamate synthetase 1 (OsGOGAT1) genes leads to increased tolerance to nitrogen limitation and to better ammonium uptake and N remobilization at the whole plant level. We show that the double activation of OsAMT1;2 and OsGOGAT1 increases plant performance in agriculture, providing better N grain filling without yield penalty under paddy field conditions, as well as better grain yield and N content when plants are grown under N llimitations in field conditions. Combining OsAMT1;2 and OsGOGAT1 activation provides a good breeding strategy for improving plant growth, nitrogen use efficiency and grain productivity, especially under nitrogen limitation, through the enhancement of both nitrogen uptake and assimilation.     

玉米黄绿叶突变体表型鉴定及基因初步定位

叶色突变体是研究光合作用及叶绿体发育的重要材料。开展玉米叶色突变体的相关研究,对光形态建成、光合作用、基因功能注释、蛋白质功能及抗逆性机制的阐述具有重要的理论意义。本研究以黄绿叶突变体ygl-F17138为材料,与玉米自交系B73进行杂交,构建F2分离群体,进行遗传效应分析和基因初步定位。遗传分析表明,该突变性状由单个隐性核基因控制,且能稳定遗传。利用BSR-seq结合连锁分析的方法将该基因初步定位在第3条染色体上一个约9.2 Mb的区间内(chr.3:173087201~182203992),查询该区间内已知基因功能注释,未发现类似前人报道的调控黄绿叶性状基因,说明YGL-F17138基因可能是一个控制玉米黄绿叶发育未被挖掘的候选基因。     

Efficient generation of zebrafish maternal-zygotic mutants through transplantation of ectopically induced and Cas9/gRNA targeted primordial germ cells

The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats(CRISPR)/Cas9 technology has been widely utilized for knocking out genes involved in various biological processes in zebrafish. Despite this technology is efficient for generating different mutations, one of the main drawbacks is low survival rate during embryogenesis when knocking out some embryonic lethal genes. To overcome this problem, we developed a novel strategy using a combination of CRISPR/Cas9 mediated gene knockout with primordial germ cell(PGC) transplantation(PGCT) to facilitate and speed up the process of zebrafish mutant generation, particularly for embryonic lethal genes. Firstly, we optimized the procedure for CRISPR/Cas9 targeted PGCT by increasing the efficiencies of genome mutation in PGCs and induction of PGC fates in donor embryos for PGCT. Secondly, the optimized CRISPR/Cas9 targeted PGCT was utilized for generation of maternal-zygotic(MZ) mutants of tcf7l1a(gene essential for head development), pou5f3(gene essential for zygotic genome activation) and chd(gene essential for dorsal development) at F_1 generation with relatively high efficiency. Finally, we revealed some novel phenotypes in MZ mutants of tcf7l1 a and chd, as MZtcf7l1 a showed elevated neural crest development while MZchd had much severer ventralization than its zygotic counterparts. Therefore, this study presents an efficient and powerful method for generating MZ mutants of embryonic lethal genes in zebrafish. It is also feasible to speed up the genome editing in commercial fishes by utilizing a similar approach by surrogate production of CRISPR/Cas9 targeted germ cells.     

拟南芥黏连蛋白RAD21对增强UV-B辐射后细胞分裂的响应

UV-B辐射对植物的影响体现在多个水平, 其会引起植物DNA损伤, 造成有丝分裂异常, 最终影响植物的生长发育及生理生化过程。RAD21.3是黏连蛋白复合物的一个亚基, 参与有丝分裂中染色体的分离。该研究以哥伦比亚生态型拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana)和atrad21.3突变体为材料, 设置对照(CK)及UV-B处理组, 对野生型(WT)、atrad21.3及过表达株系的根长、株高、抽薹时间和生理生化指标进行统计分析。利用碱性品红染色观察拟南芥根尖的有丝分裂现象, 并统计畸变率。SPSS分析结果表明, UV-B处理后, WT UV-B和atrad21.3 CK的抽薹时间、株高及各项生理生化指标与WT CK相比无显著差异, 但atrad21.3 UV-B与之相比差异显著。通过烟草(Nicotiana benthamiana)的瞬时表达和亚细胞定位观察, 发现RAD21.3集中在细胞核; 进一步观察分裂期细胞发现落后染色体、染色体桥和游离染色体等异常现象。统计结果表明, 与WT CK相比, WT UV-B和atrad21.3 CK的畸变率较高, 但atrad21.3 UV-B的畸变率更高, 表明RAD21.3可能响应UV-B辐射诱导的异常有丝分裂。     

Root-to-shoot signalling when soil moisture is heterogeneous: increasing the proportion of root biomass in drying soil inhibits leaf growth and increases leaf abscisic acid concentration

To determine whether root-to-shoot signalling of soil moisture heterogeneity depended on root distribution, wild-type (WT) and abscisic acid (ABA)-deficient (Az34) barley (Hordeum vulgare) plants were grown in split pots into which different numbers of seminal roots were inserted. After establishment, all plants received the same irrigation volumes, with one pot watered (w) and the other allowed to dry the soil (d), imposing three treatments (1 d: 3 w, 2 d: 2 w, 3 d: 1 w) that differed in the number of seminal roots exposed to drying soil. Root distribution did not affect leaf water relations and had no sustained effect on plant evapotranspiration (ET). In both genotypes, leaf elongation was less and leaf ABA concentrations were higher in plants with more roots in drying soil, with leaf ABA concentrations and water potentials 30% and 0.2 MPa higher, respectively, in WT plants. Whole-pot soil drying increased xylem ABA concentrations, but maximum values obtained when leaf growth had virtually ceased (100 nm in Az34, 330 nm in WT) had minimal effects (<40% leaf growth inhibition) when xylem supplied to detached shoots. Although ABA may not regulate leaf growth in vivo, genetic variation in foliar ABA concentration in the field may indicate different root distributions between upper (drier) and lower (wetter) soil layers.