Contents of Volume 53

Plant Molecular Biology -     

The Stress Hormone Corticosterone Increases Synaptic ��-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic Acid (AMPA) Receptors via Serum- and Glucocorticoid-inducible Kinase (SGK) Regulation of the GDI-Rab4 Complex

Corticosterone, the major stress hormone, plays an important role in regulating neuronal functions of the limbic system, although the cellular targets and molecular mechanisms of corticosteroid signaling are largely unknown. Here we show that a short treatment of corticosterone significantly increases α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR)-mediated synaptic transmission and AMPAR membrane trafficking in pyramidal neurons of prefrontal cortex, a key region involved in cognition and emotion. This enhancing effect of corticosterone is through a mechanism dependent on Rab4, the small GTPase-controlling receptor recycling between early endosome and plasma membrane. Guanosine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor (GDI), which regulates the cycle of Rab proteins between membrane and cytosol, forms an increased complex with Rab4 after corticosterone treatment. Corticosterone also triggers an increased GDI phosphorylation at Ser-213 by the serum- and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase (SGK). Moreover, AMPAR synaptic currents and surface expression and their regulation by corticosterone are altered by mutating Ser-213 on GDI. These results suggest that corticosterone, via SGK phosphorylation of GDI at Ser-213, increases the formation of GDI-Rab4 complex, facilitating the functional cycle of Rab4 and Rab4-mediated recycling of AMPARs to the synaptic membrane. It provides a potential mechanism underlying the role of corticosteroid stress hormone in up-regulating excitatory synaptic efficacy in cortical neurons.     

The impact of special issues

With support from many authors from many different scientific fields,Zoological Research(ZR)successfully released eight special issues from 2011 to 2014 on various topics,including Animal Ecology and Resources,Animal Genetic Diversity,Development and Evolution,Fish Diversity and Primates and Animal Models of Human Diseases.These special issues strongly align with our aims and scope,which have been     

温度对亚东璃眼蜱发育的影响

亚东璃眼蜱的卵、饱食的幼虫和若虫分放在四个等级的温度、相对湿度90%和黑暗的条件下,观察温度对各期发育的影响.在20°、25°、30°和35℃条件下,卵期发育的平均日数分别为71.87±0.05、31.55±0.03、21.02±0.03和16.47±0.03天;幼虫蜕化期分别为25.02±0.05、13.01±0.03、8.75±0.02和6.40±0.02天;若虫蜕化期分别为47.32±0.22、24.2±0.13、14.36±0.08和10.78±0.06天.在各种温度条件下若虫蜕化为成虫的时间,雄虫比雌虫长.卵期发育的积温为321.77日度,而幼虫和若虫蜕化期分别为129.97和212.39日度.卵期发育的温度低阈为15.07℃,而幼虫和若虫蜕化期分别为14.88和15.58℃.     

糙叶败酱挥发油镇静作用的研究

本文观察了败酱科植物糙叶败酱(Patrinia scabra Bunge)根和根茎中制得的挥发油的镇静作用,井与黄花败酱挥发油做了比较。结果表明,此油灌胃给予数组小鼠,剂量0.45ml/kg,显示如下的作用:[1]能显著延长由于腹腔注射戊巴比妥钠(50mg/kg)引起的小鼠睡眠时间,但其作用强度弱于黄花败酱挥发油。(2)一次灌胃给予小鼠大剂量10.46g/kg的糙叶败酱挥发油,连续观察10天,动物外观正常,无一死亡,体重增加与对照组相似。     

白细胞介素对大鼠海马培养神经元膜电特性的影响

用细胞内微电极记录方法研究了重组人白细胞介素－１β（ｒｈＩＬ－１β）和重组人白细胞介素－２（ｒｈｉＬ－２）对分散培养的新生大鼠海马神经元膜电性质的影响。采用压力脉冲微量给药技术将白介素施加于所记录的细胞表面。结果发现：１００Ｕ／ｍｌ浓度的ｒｈＩＬ－１β使受作用的海马神经元超极化４．２０±１．８６ｍＶ;１００Ｕ／ｍｌ浓度的ｒｈＩＬ－２使５０％受作用的海马神经元去极化１１．１２±３．７１ｍＶ,并伴有强烈的自发放电反应,而１０００Ｕ／ｍｌ浓度的ｒｈＩＬ－２使１００％受作用的神经元超极化３．２５±０．６３ｍＶ,这些神经元的膜阻抗均无明显变化。本实验结果提示ｒｈＩＬ－１β和ｒｈＩＬ－２可显著影响体外培养海马神经元的膜兴奋性。     

质体醌重组的D1／D2／Cytb559复合物的荧光衰减动力学和光破坏作用

光系统Ⅱ反应中心Ｄ１／Ｄ２／Ｃｙｔｂ５５９ 在分离纯化过程中失去了电子受体ＱＡ 和ＱＢ,人工合成的质体醌可以与Ｄ１／Ｄ２／Ｃｙｔｂ５５９ 复合物发生重组。癸基质体醌（ＤＰＱ）与Ｄ１／Ｄ２／Ｃｙｔｂ５９９ 复合物的重组导致该复合物的荧光强度下降及发射光谱蓝移,同时两个与光化学活性相关的长寿命（２４ ｎｓ和７３ ｎｓ）荧光衰减组分占整个荧光的百分数下降,这些结果表明ＤＰＱ作为Ｐｈｅｏ－ 的电子受体,限制了Ｐ６８０＋ ·Ｐｈｅｏ－ 的电荷重组。ＤＰＱ 的加入对Ｄ１／Ｄ２／Ｃｙｔｂ５５９复合物中Ｃｈｌａ 分子的光破坏敏感性影响不大,但β－胡萝卜素在加入ＤＰＱ 之后可以被光照破坏,这个过程可能与β－胡萝卜素的生理功能相关。     

大别山北坡落叶阔叶林种间相关的研究

应用联结系数AC,点相关系数PCC,x~2检验和pearson相关系数r公式测定了大别山北坡落叶阔叶林的种间关系,依据种间联结程度将乔木层划分出3个生态种组,即栓皮栎──枫香种组,化香──短柄抱种组和锐齿栎──灯台树种组。     

脉叶罗汉松化学成分的研究

从脉叶罗汉松(Podocarpus neriifolius D.Don)的枝叶中分离到11种化合物,根据光谱数据和物理常数测定,分别鉴定为正三十四烷醇(1)、β-谷甾醇硬脂酸酯(2)、β-谷甾醇(3)、金松双黄酮(sciadopitysin,3)、罗汉松双黄酮 B(podocarpusflavone B,12)、罗波斯塔黄酮-7″-甲醚(robustaflavone-7″-methyl ether,13)罗汉松双黄酮 A(podocarpusflaveone A,14)、罗波斯塔黄酮(robustaflavone,15)、对羟基苯甲酸(p-hydroxyl-benzoic acid,16)、2″-O-鼠李糖扫帚黄甙(2″-O-rhamnosylscoparin,23)和2″-O-鼠李糖牡荆黄甙(2″-O-rhamnosylvitexin,24)。其中,化合物23和24为首次从罗汉松科分得的化合物,化合物8、13和15首次从该植物分离到。