Proteomic analysis of the similarities and differences of soil drought and polyethylene glycol stress responses in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Plant Molecular Biology - Our results reveal both soil drought and PEG can enhance malate, glutathione and ascorbate metabolism, and proline biosynthesis, whereas soil drought induced these...     

秦岭南坡锐齿栎次生林空间结构特征分析

该研究采用坐标定位方法对秦岭南坡不同坡向锐齿栎次生林样地内胸径DBH≥5cm的乔木进行调查,记录树种名称、坐标、胸径、高度、冠幅、生长状况等因子,运用角尺度、大小比数和混交度3个指数分析不同坡向锐齿栎次生林的空间结构,探寻不同坡向锐齿栎林空间结构的形成和差异。结果显示:(1)调查样地内物种多样性丰富,锐齿栎重要值最大,长势良好,占据主要生态空间。(2)两种坡向中,角尺度取值为0.5的个体数均过半,表明随机分布是锐齿栎次生林的主要分布方式。(3)优势木、亚优势木、中庸木、劣态木和绝对劣态木所占比重均为20%左右,表明林木大小差异不明显,在空间结构单元中,林木较稳定,阳坡优势木个体数高于阴坡。(4)两种坡向中,混交度取值大于0.5林木个体分别为84%和73%,表明多数林木个体处于中度、强度和极强度混交状态。研究表明,秦岭南坡锐齿栎次生林聚集度不高、混交良好、分化程度较高,锐齿栎种群优势度明显,林分整体暂时处于相对稳定状态。     

Polo-like kinase 3 is Golgi localized and involved in regulating Golgi fragmentation during the cell cycle

The Golgi apparatus undergoes extensive fragmentation during mitosis in animal cells. Protein kinases play a critical role during fragmentation of the Golgi apparatus. We reported here that Polo-like kinase 3 (Plk3) may be an important mediator during Golgi breakdown. Specifically, Plk3 was concentrated at the Golgi apparatus in HeLa and A549 cells during interphase. At the onset of mitosis, Plk3 signals disintegrated and redistributed in a manner similar to those of Golgi stacks. Nocodazole activated Plk3 kinase activity, correlating with redistribution of Plk3 signals and Golgi fragmentation. In addition, treatment with brefeldin A (BFA), a Golgi-specific poison, also resulted in disappearance of concentrated Plk3 signals. Plk3 interacted with giantin, a Golgi-specific protein. Expression of Plk3, but not the kinase-defective Plk3 (Plk3(K52R)), resulted in significant Golgi breakdown. Given its role in cell cycle progression, Plk3 may be a protein kinase involved in regulation of Golgi fragmentation during the cell cycle.     

秦岭林区锐齿栎次生林种群空间分布格局

以秦岭林区阳坡、阴坡2个典型地段上的锐齿栎次生林为研究对象,运用点格局分析方法 O-ring函数分析了不同坡向、不同发育阶段种群空间分布格局及不同坡向锐齿栎种群的种内与种间空间关联性,探讨锐齿栎空间格局形成和种群维持机制。结果表明:阴坡锐齿栎种群聚集程度高于阳坡;两种坡向种群各发育阶段空间分布格局相似,从幼树到大树均呈现出聚集到随机甚至均匀分布的规律;不同坡向种群各发育阶段间关联性不同,阳坡各发育阶段间呈一定的正相关,而阴坡呈一定的负相关;阳坡中,山杨与锐齿栎种群分布呈一定正相关,灯台树、鹅耳枥与其呈一定负相关,在阴坡,山杨、漆树与锐齿栎呈一定正相关,灯台树、青榨槭、鹅耳枥与其呈一定负相关。结果表明:目前,阳坡锐齿栎种群结构较好,种内、种间竞争不激烈,而阴坡种群不仅受种间竞争的影响,同样受到种内竞争的制约,最终导致其林分结构较差,更新不良,从长远上看,适当疏伐可以增加林内透光性,有益于促进种群的更新与稳定。     

秦岭火地塘林区油松林土壤碳循环研究

采用土壤碳循环分室模型,对秦岭火地塘林区油松林土壤碳各分室的碳贮量和通量进行了研究.结果表明,研究区油松林土壤有机碳贮量为146.071 t·hm^-2,其中矿质土壤层130.366 t·hm^-2、凋落物层12.626 t·hm^-2,土壤有机碳储存量低于我国森林土壤碳贮量平均值,高于处在我国最低水平的暖性针叶林和热带林,与本区锐齿栎林相比也明显偏低.林地植物年凋落进入土壤的碳量为5939 t·hm^-2,其中地上枯枝落叶占56.9%、地下死细根占43.1%; 凋落物层分解后每年以腐殖酸形式输入矿质土壤中的碳量为2.034 t·hm^-2.油松林土壤(含植物根系)年呼吸释放碳量14.012 t·hm^-2,其中凋落物层、矿质土壤层、死根系和活根系分别占林地总呼吸量的15.7%、14.5%、11.7%和58.1%.     

Structural basis for the unique biological function of small GTPase RHEB

The small GTPase Rheb displays unique biological and biochemical properties different from other small GTPases and functions as an important mediator between the tumor suppressor proteins TSC1 and TSC2 and the mammalian target of rapamycin to stimulate cell growth. We report here the three-dimensional structures of human Rheb in complexes with GDP, GTP, and GppNHp (5'-(beta,gamma-imide)triphosphate), which reveal novel structural features of Rheb and provide a molecular basis for its distinct properties. During GTP/GDP cycling, switch I of Rheb undergoes conformational change while switch II maintains a stable, unusually extended conformation, which is substantially different from the alpha-helical conformation seen in other small GTPases. The unique switch II conformation results in a displacement of Gln64 (equivalent to the catalytic Gln61 of Ras), making it incapable of participating in GTP hydrolysis and thus accounting for the low intrinsic GTPase activity of Rheb. This rearrangement also creates space to accommodate the side chain of Arg15, avoiding its steric hindrance with the catalytic residue and explaining its noninvolvement in GTP hydrolysis. Unlike Ras, the phosphate moiety of GTP in Rheb is shielded by the conserved Tyr35 of switch I, leading to the closure of the GTP-binding site, which appears to prohibit the insertion of a potential arginine finger from its GTPase-activating protein. Taking the genetic, biochemical, biological, and structural data together, we propose that Rheb forms a new group of the Ras/Rap subfamily and uses a novel GTP hydrolysis mechanism that utilizes Asn1643 of the tuberous sclerosis complex 2 GTPase-activating protein domain instead of Gln64 of Rheb as the catalytic residue.     

Determination of microbial diversity in Daqu, a fermentation starter culture of Maotai liquor, using nested PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis

This study endeavored to investigate the diversity of microbes present during the shaping, ripening and drying of Daqu, a fermentation starter culture and substrata complex of Maotai alcoholic spirit. A nested PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis technique was utilized with different combinations of primers. The results showed the presence of bacteria, yeasts and molds. The microflora, which originate from wheat, were readily detectable during every stage of the fermentation process. However, the microbial structure had clear differences in the shaping, ripening and drying processes. In the shaping stage, there was a high level of diversity of the LAB (lactic acid bacteria) and fungi in the shaped samples. In the ripening stage, however, a reduction of diversity of fungi with a high level of diversity of the Bacilli was observed in the ripened samples. In the drying stage, the diversity of Bacilli and fungi, especially acid-producing bacteria, reduced dramatically. Interestingly, uncultured Lactococcus sp., Microbacterium testaceum, Cochliobolus sp., and Thermoascus crustaceus were the first to be detected in the fermentation starters used in liquor production. This study revealed the microbial diversity and distributions during the shaping, ripening and drying of Daqu-making, facilitating evaluation of the hygienic conditions and aiding in the design of specific starter and/or adjunct cultures.     

秦岭南坡红桦林土壤有机碳密度影响因素

以秦岭南坡红桦林为研究对象,利用标准地调查法获得林分、地形、土壤相关数据,分析红桦林土壤有机碳密度(SOCD)分异特征及其与林分因子和地形因子间的关系。结果表明:秦岭南坡红桦林土壤有机碳密度总体均值为(69.02±12.90)t/hm2,原始红桦林土壤有机碳密度均值为(76.21±10.83)t/hm2,次生红桦林为(65.24±12.32)t/hm2,原始红桦林土壤有机碳密度比次生红桦林高16.81%,t-检验结果显示两者存在显著差异;在不同林区间,红桦林土壤有机碳密度亦存在显著差异(P0.05)。从地形因子看,红桦林土壤有机碳密度在不同坡位和坡向间未表现出显著差异,而海拔和坡度对红桦林土壤有机碳密度有较为显著的影响。土壤有机碳密度与海拔、林龄、乔木生物量和草本生物量呈显著正相关,与坡度和林分密度呈显著负相关;主成分分析表明:特征值大于1的四个主成分对土壤有机碳密度的方差累积贡献率为85.62%,海拔、坡度、林分密度和郁闭度是影响秦岭南坡红桦林土壤有机碳密度的主要因子;通过逐步回归分析得到利用海拔、坡度、林龄、林分密度、乔木生物量和草本生物量估算红桦林土壤有机碳密度的模型:SOCD=0.015E-0.332G-0.026FD+0.304SA+0.105BA+21.673BH+36.358。