钙蛋白酶介导模拟失重大鼠心肌肌钙蛋白抑制亚基的降解

本文旨在观察尾部悬吊模拟失重大鼠心肌钙蛋白酶(calpain)与钙蛋白酶抑素(calpastatin)表达的变化,以探讨心肌肌钙蛋白抑制亚基(cardiac troponin I,cTnI)降解的可能机制。采用尾部悬吊模拟失重大鼠模型,Western blotting技术观测心肌calpain-1、calpain-2与calpastatin的表达;PD150606抑制calpain活性,分析cTnI降解程度的变化。结果显示:与同步对照组相比,悬吊2周与4周组大鼠心肌calpastatin表达呈显著性降低(P0.05),calpain-1表达未改变,calpain-2表达略有降低;但是,心肌calpain-1/calpastatin及calpain-2/calpastatin的比值在悬吊2周与4周组明显增高(P0.05,P0.01)。悬吊4周组cTnI降解显著高于对照组(P0.01);然而,用calpain非特异性抑制剂PD150606处理后,对照组及悬吊组cTnI的降解均被显著抑制(P0.01)。这些结果提示模拟失重大鼠心肌calpain活性增高可能增加cTnI的降解。     

miRNAs生物合成过程的调控

miRNAs是一类短的(20-23nt)非编码的单链RNA分子,在转录后水平上通过抑制靶基因的表达而影响生物体的生长、发育以及癌症发生。miRNAs的成熟需要一系列大型蛋白复合体参与的协同加工,目前对miRNAs生物合成过程调控的研究还处于初始阶段。本文主要综述了影响miRNAs的生物合成过程及活性的因素以及相关调控机制。癌症的发生通常伴随着异常的miRNAs表达谱,miRNAs生物合成调控机制的深入研究必将为癌症的基因治疗技术以及新型疗法的开发提供重要的理论基础和指导意义。     

等位基因杂合子现象及其在系统发育学分析中的研究概述

系统发育研究已是澄清所有进化历史问题的必由之路。选择合适的分子标记以及最大限度地挖掘和利用其所包含的系统发育信息是构建可靠的系统发育树的关键。等位基因杂合子(Intra-individual allele heterozygotes, IIAHs)是核基因内含子作为系统发育研究中的分子标记时常常出现的现象。如何挖掘并利用其中所包含的系统发育信息成为近年来系统发育学的研究热点。文章从此现象的产生、杂合子的分离以及现有的研究方法3个方面详尽概述, 阐述了IIAHs及其在系统发育分析中的最新研究进展。     

我国落叶松林生物量碳计量参数的初步研究

通过整理归纳落叶松(Larix)天然林和人工林的生物量文献数据,研究探讨了有关生物量碳计量参数,结果表明:1) 落叶松生物量转化与扩展因子(Biomass conversion and expansion factor, BCEF)的平均值为0.683 4 Mg·m^-3 (n=113, SD=0.355 1),其中天然林为0.555 1 Mg·m^-3 (n=56, SD=0.058 2),明显小于人工林的0.809 5 Mg·m^-3 (n=57, SD=0.465 0)(p<0.05);生物量扩展因子(Biomass expansion factor,BEF)的平均值为1.349 3 (n=134, SD=0.384 4),其中天然林为1.176 3 (n=63, SD=0.039 9),也明显小于人工林的1.502 9 (n=71, SD=0.478 0)(p<0.05)。天然林与人工林的BCEF和BEF随林龄(Stand age, A)、平均胸径(Diameter at breast height, DBH)和林分密度(Stand density, D)的增加呈现相反的变化趋势。天然林的BCEF和BEF随A和DBH的增加而增加,随D的增加而呈降低趋势。人工林随A和DBH的增加呈指数降低并趋于稳定值,随D的增加而呈增加趋势。2) 根茎比(Root∶shoot ratio,R)的平均值为0.245 6 (n=156, SD=0.092 6),其中天然林为0.237 6 (n=64, SD=0.061 8)),人工林为0.251 1 (n=92, SD=0.109 0),二者无明显差异(p<0.05)。天然林的R随A和DBH的增加分别呈明显的指数和幂函数增加,而随D的增加呈幂函数下降,而人工林的R与A、DBH和D没有显著相关性(p<0.05)。3) 群落生物量扩展因子(Community biomass expansion factor,CBEF)的平均值为1.079 2 (n=49, SD=0.100 5),其中天然林为1.103 9 (n=29, SD=0.114 9),明显大于人工林的1.043 4 (n=20, SD=0.061 4) (p<0.05)。由于天然林和人工林的某些碳计量参数(如BCEF、BEF、CBEF)间存在明显差异,在进行落叶松林生物量碳计量时需分别天然林和人工林计算,在使用有关参数时还需考虑A、DBH和D等因素,有利于降低计量中的不确定性。但是人工林的有些参数(如人工林BCEF和BEF与D的关系、天然林和人工林的CBEF等)尚需进一步研究。     

六盘山叠叠沟小流域典型坡面土壤水分的植被承载力

确定土壤水分的植被承载力是我国北方半干旱地区合理调控土壤水分和植被生长关系、科学恢复林草植被的核心问题。我国北方半干旱地区的土壤水分主要来自大气降水, 作为土壤水分限制型生态系统的坡面植被, 植物种类和植被密度等结构特征与降水量紧密相关。根据六盘山石质山区的特点, 基于水量平衡原理, 建立了阴坡华北落叶松(Larix principis-rupprechti)和阳坡草地的土壤水分植被承载力数学模型, 即由4~10月的生长季降雨量(P)计算得到可承载的叶面积指数(Leaf area index, LAI)公式: LAI_tree= exp((0.773 1×P-186.12)/146.46)和LAI_grass= exp((0.511 2×P-345.93)/227.89), 并提出了考虑坡面水分再分配影响的不同坡位的土壤水分植被承载力计算方法。阴坡华北落叶松的植被承载力(用LAI表示)从坡顶的1.45升高到坡中的4.83, 然后稳定在3.0~3.3。对于阳坡草地, 土壤水分可承载的LAI从坡顶的0.37上升到坡中的0.46, 然后在0.41~0.47之间变动, LAI的计算值与实测值较为接近, 计算结果比较合理。     

七叶树花粉活力和柱头可授性变化的研究

采用花粉离体萌发法研究不同蔗糖浓度、硼酸浓度和不同温度对七叶树花粉萌发的影响及花粉活力测定,用联苯胺-过氧化氢法测定柱头可授性.结果表明:七叶树花粉萌发的最佳培养基是12％蔗糖+30 mg/L硼酸,花粉萌发的最适温度为25℃.雄花在开花当天花粉活力最高达75.69％,并在开花当天的上午10:00时,花粉活力最强,10:00～16:00花粉活力保持较高活力,是最佳授粉时段.两性花的柱头可授期持续时间较长,为8～9 d,开花3d达到最强,开花1～4 d柱头可授性保持较高水平,为授粉的最佳时间段.因此,从七叶树的花部特征、花粉活力与柱头可授性及花粉萌发的条件看,在长期的自然选择下七叶树在花部结构和开花生理上都是相配合的,以保障生殖成功.     

Tetanic contractions impair sarcomeric Z-disk of atrophic soleus muscle via calpain pathway

The aim of this study was to determine whether or not over-activation of calpains during running exercise or tetanic contractions was a major factor to induce sarcomere lesions in atrophic soleus muscle. Relationship between the degrees of desmin degradation and sarcomere lesions was also elucidated. We observed ultrastructural changes in soleus muscle fibers after 4-week unloading with or without running exercise. Calpain activity and desmin degradation were measured in atrophic soleus muscles before or after repeated tetani in vitro. Calpain-1 activity was progressively increased and desmin degradation was correspondingly elevated in 1-, 2-, and 4-week of unloaded soleus muscles. Calpain-1 activity and desmin degradation had an additional increase in unloaded soleus muscles after repeated tetani in vitro. PD150606, an inhibitor of calpains, reduced calpain activity and desmin degradation during tetanic contractions in unloaded soleus muscles. The 4-week unloading decreased the width of myofibrils and Z-disk in soleus fibers. After running exercise in unloaded group, Z-disks of adjacent myofibrils were not well in register but instead were longitudinally displaced. Calpain inhibition compromised exercise-induced misalignment of the Z-disks in atrophic soleus muscle. These results suggest that tetanic contractions induce an over-activation of calpains which lead to higher degrees of desmin degradation in unloaded soleus muscle. Desmin degradation may loose connections between adjacent myofibrils, whereas running exercise results in sarcomere injury in unloaded soleus muscle.     

Nuclear translocation of calpain-2 regulates propensity toward apoptosis in cardiomyocytes of tail-suspended rats

The compensatory increase in catecholamine release does not reverse orthostatic intolerance after returning from a long-term spaceflight, but it is unclear whether high dose of catecholamine induces cardiac damage. The tail-suspended rat model was used to simulate the effects of weightlessness on the heart. Apoptotic rates in the left ventricular myocardium did not increase in 4-week of tail-suspended rats compared with the synchronous control. On the contrary, isoproterenol (intraperitoneal injection) and 1-day recovery from the 4-week tail-suspension increased apoptotic rates in the myocardium. Propranolol and PD150606 inhibited cardiomyocyte apoptosis in the recovery group. PD150606 and calpain-2 knockdown also blocked isoproterenol-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis in tail-suspended rats. The activity and nuclear translocation of calpain-2 increased, but the expression of calpain-1, calpain-2, and calpastatin was unchanged in the myocardium of tail-suspended rats. The Ser-16-phosphorylated phospholamban of the nuclear envelope was higher in tail-suspended rats than in the control rats under isoproterenol stimulation. Isoproterenol treatment also induced a large intranuclear Ca(2+) transient of cardiomyocytes in tail-suspended rats. These results suggest that high-dose isoproterenol phosphorylates phospholamban of the nuclear envelope and increases intranuclear Ca(2+) transient. Larger intranuclear Ca(2+) further activates nuclear calpain-2 and hence induces cardiomyocyte apoptosis.