Butanol Extract of Acanthopanax senticosus (Rupr. et Maxim.) Harms Alleviates Atherosclerosis in Apolipoprotein E-Deficient Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet

This study investigated the effect of butanol extract of AS (ASBUE) on atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE^−/−) mice. The mice were administered ASBUE (390 or 130 mg/kg/day) or rosuvastatin (RSV) via oral gavage for eight weeks. In ApoE^−/− mice, ASBUE suppressed the abnormal body weight gain and improved serum and liver biochemical indicators. ASBUE remarkably reduced the aortic plaque area, improved liver pathological conditions, and lipid metabolism abnormalities, and altered the intestinal microbiota structure in ApoE^−/− mice. In the vascular tissue of ASBUE-treated mice, P-IKKβ, P-NFκB, and P-IκBα levels tended to decrease, while IκB-α increased in high fat-diet-fed atherosclerotic mice. These findings demonstrated the anti-atherosclerotic potential of ASBUE, which is mediated by the interaction between the gut microbiota and lipid metabolism and regulated via the Nuclear Factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathway. This work paves the groundwork for subsequent studies to develop innovative drugs to treat atherosclerosis.     

四川55种鱼生活史型的研究

四川５５种鱼生活史型的研究刁晓明,罗一兵李波（西南农业大学水产系,重庆６３０７１６）（重庆大学计算机系,６３００００）ＬｉｆｅＨｉｓｔｏｒｙＰａｔｔｅｒｎｓｏｆ５５ＦｉｓｈＳｐｅｃｉｅｓｉｎＳｉｃｈｕａｎ￥ＤｉａｏＸｉａｏｍｉｎｇ;ＬｕｏＹｉｂｉｎｇ...     

Characterization and genetic mapping of a short, highly repeated, interspersed DNA sequence from rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Summary A short, highly repeated, interspersed DNA sequence from rice was characterized using a combination of techniques and genetically mapped to rice chromosomes by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. A consensus sequence (GGC)_n, where n varies from 13–16, for the repeated sequence family was deduced from sequence analysis. Southern blot analysis, restriction mapping of repeat element-containing genomic clones, and DNA sequence analysis indicated that the repeated sequence is interspersed in the rice genome, and is heterogeneous and divergent. About 200000 copies are present in the rice genome. Single copy sequences flanking the repeat element were used as RFLP markers to map individual repeat elements. Eleven such repeat elements were mapped to seven different chromosomes. The strategy for characterization of highly dispersed repeated DNA and its uses in genetic mapping, DNA fingerprinting, and evolutionary studies are discussed.     

Complementing amino acid substitutions within loop 6 of the alpha/beta-barrel active site influence the CO2/O2 specificity of chloroplast ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase

Photosynthesis-deficient mutant 45-3B of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii contains a chloroplast mutation that causes valine-331 to be replaced by alanine within the large subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase. This amino acid substitution occurs in loop 6 of the alpha/beta-barrel active site, three residues distant from catalytic lysine-334. The mutation reduces the specific activity of the enzyme and also reduces its CO2/O2 specificity factor by 42%, but the amount of holoenzyme is unaffected. In a previous study, an intragenic-suppressor mutation, named S40-9D, was selected that causes threonine-342 to be replaced by isoleucine, thereby increasing the CO2/O2 specificity of the mutant enzyme by 36%. To determine which other residues might be able to complement the original mutation, nine additional genetically independent revertants have now been analyzed. Another intragenic suppressor, represented by mutation S61-2J, causes glycine-344 to be replaced by serine. This change increases the CO2/O2 specificity of the mutant enzyme by 25%. Of the revertants recovered and analyzed, the mutant enzyme was improved only due to true reversion or by intragenic suppression mediated by substitutions at residues 342 or 344. Changes in the physical properties of the two pairs of complementing substitutions indicate that steric effects within loop 6 are responsible for the observed changes in the CO2/O2 specificity of the enzyme.     

春季小降雨事件对科尔沁沙地尖头叶藜萌发的影响

通过人工模拟降雨试验研究了科尔沁沙地优势草本植物尖头叶藜萌发和幼苗建成对春季小降雨事件(2、4、8 mm和自然降雨)的响应。结果表明:不同降雨处理对尖头叶藜的萌发和幼苗建成有显著影响(P0.05)。8mm降水量是促使尖头叶藜萌发的最小降雨阈量。不同降雨量处理下尖头叶藜萌发数量大小顺序为:8mm处理对照4 mm处理2mm处理;而高度和冠幅依次是2 mm处理(2.23 cm和7.15 cm2.)对照(2.03 cm和6.21 cm2)4mm处理(1.86 cm和5.01 cm2)8mm处理(1.48cm和4.72 cm2);降雨量为8mm的地上生物量最多(45.26 g/m2),对照为35.49g/m2、4mm处理为26.54g/m2、2mm处理为15.26g/m2。尖头叶藜幼苗的水分利用效率与每次降水量呈显著地正相关关系,随着每次降雨量的增大地上生物量逐渐增大。本试验中各处理的总降雨量一致,但地上生物量不同且差异显著。每次降雨量×降雨次数的分布状况影响了尖头叶藜幼苗的地上生物量。科尔沁沙地尖头叶藜萌发及其幼苗建成在密度、形态和水分利用效率和地上生产力上对不同模式的小降雨做出了积极的响应。     

麦-稻两熟集约生产土壤养分平衡与调控研究

以兴化市钓鱼乡为例,研究了麦－稻两熟集约生产的土壤有机质、养分的动态平衡以及调控途径。结果表明,在不同的管理模式下,高产农田有机物归还量比一般产量条件下高１４．２２％￣１８．６９％,氮、磷盈余量、钾亏缺量分别为３８０．０￣４３２ｋｇ／ｈｍ＾２、１９．１５￣３２．７８ｋｇ／ｈｍ＾２、９９．１￣１７４．０ｋｇ／ｈｍ＾２,与一般产量条件下比较,氮、磷盈余量提高,而钾的亏缺量相近,提出了改善高产农田土壤肥     

陕北风沙区不同植被覆盖下的土壤养分特征

选取了陕北定边县板凳滩风沙区四种典型植被覆盖下的风沙土壤,对其基本养分含量进行了测定。分析不同类型植被覆盖下的土壤养分含量特征、土壤养分含量层次特征以及土壤各层次养分含量之间的相关性,为风沙区土壤生态恢复重建及侵蚀土壤质量的恢复保育提供了科学依据。结果表明:(1)不同植被覆盖下的土壤对有机质、全氮、速效氮、速效磷的保持能力均为:小蒿草>羊草>沙蒿>苦豆子>无植被;对全磷的保持能力,各植被覆盖条件下差异不显著,但小蒿草覆盖下含量最高,羊草最低,且低于无植被;从土壤对全钾的保持能力来看,羊草覆盖下的全钾含量最高,小蒿草最低。(2)不同植被覆盖下的土壤养分含量层次变化除全磷和全钾变化微弱外,土壤有机质、全氮、速效氮、速效磷、速效钾含量均随着土层深度的增加而逐渐下降,且降低速度基本呈现出小蒿草>羊草>沙蒿>苦豆子>无植被。(3)不同植被覆盖下的土壤各层次养分含量之间的相关性以羊草最为密切,大体呈显著中度及以上正相关;沙蒿和苦豆子覆盖下的相关性稍弱,基本呈中度正相关;而小蒿草覆盖下的相关系数正负均有,相关性较为复杂。     

温度对美洲斑潜蝇及南美斑潜蝇种群增长的影响

在恒温条件下观察了美洲斑潜蝇和南美斑潜蝇实验种群的发育、存活及繁殖情况,拟合了两种斑潜蝇发育速率与温度之间的关系模型,求出了各发育阶段的发育起点温度及有效积温,组建了不同温度下两种斑潜蝇实验种群的生殖力表,计算了主要的生命表参数.结果表明,温度对两种斑潜蝇的发育、存活、繁殖均有显著的影响,且两种斑潜蝇对温度的适应特性有着明显差异.美洲斑潜蝇适应的温度范围较广,相对较高的温度有利于种群的发育、生存及繁殖;而南美斑潜蝇适应的温度范围相对较窄,且适温范围明显偏低,高温不利于种群的增长;在各自的适温条件下,两种斑潜蝇都有很强的种群增殖能力.     

科尔沁固定沙地植被特征对降雨变化的响应

选择科尔沁固定沙地利用一种野外增减雨试验装置研究了沙地植被生长特征对降雨增减变化的响应。结果表明:(1)在6月,降雨增减变化对植物群落高度有显著影响(P0.05)。减雨60%和30%时,植物群落平均高度比对照分别降低8.8%和2.3%,增雨60%和30%时,则分别增加6.8%和1.4%;相比增雨60%,增雨30%更能促进群落盖度的增大;降雨量变化影响群落植株密度。(2)1a的降雨增减变化对沙地植被的多样性和均匀度均没有显著影响,但减雨可显著增加7月物种的丰富度(P0.05)。(3)随着降雨量的增加,地上生物量逐渐增大,在增雨30%时达到最大值;而地下生物量会随着降雨量增加而显著增大,同时,减雨60%也使地下生物量增加。此外,降雨量的增加和减少都会使地下与地上生物量的比值增加。(4)固定沙地地下生物量主要分布在0—20 cm之间,占总地下生物量的52.7%;降雨量的增加显著增加20—40 cm土壤中根系的分布,当降雨量减少60%时,20—40 cm土壤中根系的分布也略有增加,增雨60%和减雨60%对地下生物量在40—60 cm土层的分布具有明显的促进作用。