α‐ketoglutarate delays age‐related fertility decline in mammals

The fecundity reduction with aging is referred as the reproductive aging which comes earlier than that of chronological aging. Since humans have postponed their childbearing age, to prolong the reproductive age becomes urgent agenda for reproductive biologists. In the current study, we examined the potential associations of α‐ketoglutarate (α‐KG) and reproductive aging in mammals including mice, swine, and humans. There is a clear tendency of reduced α‐KG level with aging in the follicle fluids of human. To explore the mechanisms, mice were selected as the convenient animal model. It is observed that a long term of α‐KG administration preserves the ovarian function, the quality and quantity of oocytes as well as the telomere maintaining system in mice. α‐KG suppresses ATP synthase and alterations of the energy metabolism trigger the nutritional sensors to down‐regulate mTOR pathway. These events not only benefit the general aging process but also maintain ovarian function and delay the reproductive decline. Considering the safety of the α‐KG as a naturally occurring molecule in energy metabolism, its utility in reproduction of large mammals including humans deserves further investigation.     

Genomic insights into selection for heterozygous alleles and woody traits in Populus tomentosa

Heterozygous alleles are widespread in outcrossing and clonally propagated woody plants. The variation in heterozygosity that underlies population adaptive evolution and phenotypic variation, however, remains largely unknown. Here, we describe a de novo chromosome-level genome assembly of Populus tomentosa, an economic and ecologically important native tree in northern China. By resequencing 302 natural accessions, we determined that the South subpopulation (Pop_S) encompasses the ancestral strains of P. tomentosa, while the Northwest subpopulation (Pop_NW) and Northeast subpopulation (Pop_NE) experienced different selection pressures during population evolution, resulting in significant population differentiation and a decrease in the extent of heterozygosity. Analysis of heterozygous selective sweep regions (HSSR) suggested that selection for lower heterozygosity contributed to the local adaptation of P. tomentosa by dwindling gene expression and genetic load in the Pop_NW and Pop_NE subpopulations. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) revealed that 88 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within 63 genes are associated with nine wood composition traits. Among them, the selection for the homozygous AA allele in PtoARF8 is associated with reductions in cellulose and hemicellulose contents by attenuating PtoARF8 expression, and the increase in lignin content is attributable to the selection for decreases in exon heterozygosity in PtoLOX3 during adaptive evolution of natural populations. This study provides novel insights into allelic variations in heterozygosity associated with adaptive evolution of P. tomentosa in response to the local environment and identifies a series of key genes for wood component traits, thereby facilitating genomic-based breeding of important traits in perennial woody plants.     

PBL教学法在发酵工程课程教学中的应用

根据发酵工程的课程特点,在课程教学中探索使用PBL教学方法。经过几年的教学实践,逐步形成了“一个问题串联一次课,一个作业串联整个课程”的PBL教学模式。结果显示,通过采用该模式,激发了学生的学习兴趣,提高了学生的自主学习能力、工程应用能力和创新意识,取得了良好的教学效果。     

A Human Active Lower Limb Model for Chinese Pedestrian Safety Evaluation

A subsystem impactor test for pedestrian lower limb injury evaluation has been brought in China New Car Assessment Protocol(CNCAP).Concerning large anthropometr...     

耐低温荧光假单胞菌筛选体系建立及其植物促生作用评价

【目的】以前期研究小麦生境分离细菌为菌株库,从中筛选耐低温菌株,评价其植物促生效果。【方法】通过4°C低温培养筛选耐低温菌株。以产吲哚乙酸、1-氨基环丙烷羧酸(ACC)脱氨酶、嗜铁素以及无机、有机磷溶解能力为评价指标,测定15°C和28°C环境中耐低温菌株的植物促生作用潜力,利用赋分评估系统选定潜力菌株进行温室和田间试验验证其植物促生作用。【结果】筛选到34株耐低温菌株,从中选定的8株植物促生潜力细菌温室试验促生效果和评估分值之间的相关性在0.62以上,菌株1b YB22和3b JN2在28°C环境中对黄瓜的促生效果均在28%以上,二者在15°C环境中对青菜种子根长的促生效果分别为116.76%和46.82%,菌株1b YB22在15°C环境中对青菜的促生效果为25.11%。菌株1b YB22在田间应用对小麦生长同样具有促生作用,增产效果达0.58%。【结论】研究建立的筛选体系从小麦生境分离菌株中获得了耐低温荧光假单胞菌株1b YB22和3b JN2,两株细菌在15°C和28°C均具有植物促生作用,同时可以在田间促进小麦生长。     

TEB/POLQ plays dual roles in protecting Arabidopsis from NO-induced DNA damage

Nitric oxide (NO) is a key player in numerous physiological processes. Excessive NO induces DNA damage, but how plants respond to this damage remains unclear. We screened and identified an Arabidopsis NO hypersensitive mutant and found it to be allelic to TEBICHI/POLQ, encoding DNA polymerase θ. The teb mutant plants were preferentially sensitive to NO- and its derivative peroxynitrite-induced DNA damage and subsequent double-strand breaks (DSBs). Inactivation of TEB caused the accumulation of spontaneous DSBs largely attributed to endogenous NO and was synergistic to DSB repair pathway mutations with respect to growth. These effects were manifested in the presence of NO-inducing agents and relieved by NO scavengers. NO induced G2/M cell cycle arrest in the teb mutant, indicative of stalled replication forks. Genetic analyses indicate that Polθ is required for translesion DNA synthesis across NO-induced lesions, but not oxidation-induced lesions. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that Polθ bypasses NO-induced base adducts in an error-free manner and generates mutations characteristic of Polθ-mediated end joining. Our experimental data collectively suggests that Polθ plays dual roles in protecting plants from NO-induced DNA damage. Since Polθ is conserved in higher eukaryotes, mammalian Polθ may also be required for balancing NO physiological signaling and genotoxicity.