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.     

格氏栲天然林林窗植物物种多样性与系统发育多样性

林窗环境异质性导致群落物种多样性与系统发育多样性(phylogenetic diversity, PD)存在差异, 研究不同大小的林窗中群落的物种多样性与系统发育多样性有助于揭示林下生物多样性的形成及维持机制。本文以格氏栲(Castanopsis kawakamii)天然林为研究对象, 通过Pearson相关性分析与广义线性模型探讨了林窗内物种多样性与系统发育多样性间的相互关系及其环境影响因素。结果表明: (1)大林窗(面积 > 200 m²)植物种类及多度均高于中林窗(50 m² ≤ 面积 < 100 m²)、小林窗(30 m² ≤ 面积 < 50 m²)和非林窗(面积 = 100 m²)。大林窗群落系统发育结构趋于发散, 中、小林窗和非林窗群落系统发育结构受到生境过滤和竞争排斥综合作用。(2)群落系统发育多样性指数与物种丰富度(species richness, SR)、Margalef丰富度指数和Shannon-Wiener指数均呈显著正相关, 这与林窗内稀有种种类组成多于优势种有关。(3)林窗面积对物种多样性存在显著正效应; 土壤全氮含量对系统发育多样性和系统发育结构存在显著正效应。林窗形成提高了格氏栲天然林群落物种多样性和系统发育多样性, 林窗面积与土壤全氮共同驱动了格氏栲天然林林窗物种多样性和系统发育多样性的变化。     

不同抗性泡核桃对褐斑病病原菌侵染的生理生化响应北大核心CSCD

以抗病和感病泡核桃无性系为实验材料,人工接种褐斑病病原菌后测定不同时期叶片中保护酶活性、总酚、类黄酮、叶绿素含量等相关生理生化指标,探讨不同抗性泡核桃响应褐斑病病原菌侵染的生理生化差异。结果表明:(1)接种病原菌后,感病无性系64叶片带菌率随着侵染时间的增加而升高,且显著高于抗病无性系199(P<0.05)。(2)抗病无性系199和感病无性系64叶片的SOD、POD、CAT、APX和PPO活性随着侵染时间均呈现先升高后降低的变化趋势,其中SOD、POD和APX活性均在16 d时达到最大值;与较感病无性系相比,接种后抗病无性系的POD和APX活性较强;在接种前期(1~16 d),感病无性系PPO活性高于抗病无性系,后期(16~34 d)CAT活性也较抗病无性系高。(3)抗病无性系叶片叶绿素含量始终高于感病无性系;抗病无性系MDA含量在接种后无明显变化,而感病无性系先增加后降低,其细胞膜脂过氧化较重。(4)两个无性系叶片可溶性蛋白和可溶性糖含量变化较平缓,且差异不显著,在接种后期(34 d)有升高的趋势;接种5 d以后,感病无性系叶片类黄酮和总酚含量始终显著高于抗病无性系。研究发现,泡核桃抗病无性系叶片带菌率较低,较难受到侵染,并且通过提高POD和APX活性以及积累较多叶绿素、可溶性蛋白和可溶性糖来应对病原菌侵染引起的氧化胁迫,抑制病原菌的繁殖,从而提高其抗病能力。     

Infection and pathogenesis of the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 in Rhesus macaque

Highlights
1. Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 can effectively infect the Rhesus macaque.
2. The Delta variant grows faster than the early strain isolated from Wuhan in late 2019.
3. The shedding pattern, viral load and disease severity of Delta variant are similar with the early strain isolated from Wuhan in late 2019.
4. This study supports the attributed rapid disease spread of the Delta variant.     

MicroRNA-22 Impairs Anti-Tumor Ability of Dendritic Cells by Targeting p38

Dendritic cells (DCs) play a critical role in triggering anti-tumor immune responses. Their intracellular p38 signaling is of great importance in controlling DC activity. In this study, we identified microRNA-22 (miR-22) as a microRNA inhibiting p38 protein expression by directly binding to the 3’ untranslated region (3’UTR) of its mRNA. The p38 down-regulation further interfered with the synthesis of DC-derived IL-6 and the differentiation of DC-driven Th17 cells. Moreover, overexpression of miR-22 in DCs impaired their tumor-suppressing ability while miR-22 inhibitor could reverse this phenomenon and improve the curative effect of DC-based immunotherapy. Thus, our results highlight a suppressive role for miR-22 in the process of DC-invoked anti-tumor immunity and that blocking this microRNA provides a new strategy for generating potent DC vaccines for patients with cancer.     

人热休克蛋白90AB1基因克隆、原核表达、中试发酵及纯化

通过克隆人热休克蛋白90AB1基因(Hsp90AB1),构建其原核表达载体pET28a(+ )-hHsp90AB1,表达纯化获得目的蛋白,为hHsp90靶向药物筛选奠定基础.提取宫颈癌HeLa细胞总RNA,并经RT-PCR获得hHsp90AB1-cDNA.以hH-sp90AB1-cDNA为模板进行PCR体外扩增,胶回收纯化hHsp90ABl.将hHsp90AB1及pET-28a(+)质粒经Nde I和Sal I双酶切、胶回收纯化酶切片段后,体外连接酶切片段,使其定向重组,再将重组DNA转化DH5α,经复苏后,在含卡那霉素的LB固体养基上筛选出阳性克隆.挑取LB固体培养基上的单菌落经酶切及测序鉴定,证实为阳性克隆,即pET28a-hHsp90AB1体外重组成功,命名为pET28a(+ )-hHsp90AB1.重组质粒转化Rosetta( DE3)菌株,IPTG诱导表达,并对表达条件优化,以及通过SDSA-PAGE和Western blotting分析均表明Hsp90AB1蛋白得到了正确的表达,且表达产物以可溶性形式存在,优化条件下蛋白表达量约占菌体总蛋白13％.接种到18 L发酵罐中试发酵,表达产物经Ni-NTA凝胶素和层析,蛋白纯度达到98％.     

Salt-induced ANG II suppression impairs the response of cerebral artery smooth muscle cells to prostacyclin

Recent studies have demonstrated that cerebral arteries from rats fed a high-salt (HS) diet exhibit impaired vasodilation and altered electrophysiological response to reduction in PO2. The present study examined whether an increase in salt intake alters the response of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) to prostacyclin, a crucial mediator of hypoxic dilation in cerebral arteries. VSMC were isolated from cerebral arteries of male Sprague-Dawley rats maintained on an HS (4% NaCl) or a low-salt diet (0.4% NaCl) for 3 days. The stable prostacyclin analog iloprost (10 ng/ml) inhibited serotonin (0.1-10 microM)-induced contractions and the increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in VSMC isolated from arteries of animals fed the low-salt diet. In contrast, iloprost had no effect on serotonin-induced contractions and increases in [Ca2+]i in VSMC isolated from arteries of rats fed the HS diet. Preventing the fall in ANG in rats fed the HS diet by infusion of a low dose of ANG II (5 ng.kg(-1).min(-1) i.v.) restored the inhibitory effect of iloprost on serotonin-induced contractions and increases in [Ca2+]i in VSMC from animals fed the HS diet. These effects were reversed by AT1 receptor blockade with losartan. These results indicate that ANG II suppression secondary to elevated dietary salt intake impairs vascular relaxation and Ca2+ regulation by prostacyclin.     

Role of superoxide and angiotensin II suppression in salt-induced changes in endothelial Ca2+ signaling and NO production in rat aorta

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were maintained on a low-salt (LS) diet (0.4% NaCl) or changed to a high-salt (HS) diet (4% NaCl) for 3 days. Increases in intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) in response to methacholine (10 microM) and histamine (10 microM) were significantly attenuated in aortic endothelial cells from rats fed a HS diet, whereas thapsigargin (10 microM)-induced increases in [Ca2+]i were unaffected. Methacholine-induced nitric oxide (NO) production was eliminated in endothelial cells of aortas from rats fed a HS diet. Low-dose ANG II infusion (5 ng x kg(-1) x min(-1) iv) for 3 days prevented impaired [Ca2+]i signaling response to methacholine and histamine and restored methacholine-induced NO production in aortas from rats on a HS diet. Adding Tempol (500 microM) to the tissue bath to scavenge superoxide anions increased NO release and caused N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester-sensitive vascular relaxation in aortas from rats fed a HS diet but had no effect on methacholine-induced Ca2+ responses. Chronic treatment with Tempol (1 mM) in the drinking water restored NO release, augmented vessel relaxation, and increased methacholine-induced Ca2+ responses significantly in aortas from rats on a HS diet but not in aortas from rats on a LS diet. These findings suggest that 1) agonist-induced Ca2+ responses and NO levels are reduced in aortas of rats on a HS diet; 2) increased vascular superoxide levels contribute to NO destruction, and, eventually, to impaired Ca2+ signaling in the vascular endothelial cells; and 3) reduced circulating ANG II levels during elevated dietary salt lead to elevated superoxide levels, impaired endothelial Ca2+ signaling, and reduced NO production in the endothelium.