Effects of herbivore stress by Aphis medicaginis Koch on the Malondialdehyde contents and the activities of protective enzymes in different alfalfa varieties

The study focused on the dynamics of Malondialdehyde (MDA) contents and the activities of protective enzymes in the leaves of alfalfa varieties with various resistances to Aphis medicaginis Koch. The results showed that susceptible varieties always had higher MDA contents than resistant varieties, and the MDA contents tended to rise in both susceptible and resistant varieties in period of the varieties were pierced and sucked by aphids. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activities in susceptible varieties were lower than those in resistant varieties, and in both susceptible and resistant varieties the SOD and POD activities tended to rise at first and then decline, and the PAL activities rose to their peaks and then tended to remain stable. In the susceptible and resistant varieties the catalase (CAT) activities appeared to rise and decline alternatively; the PPO activities in resistant varieties were lower than those in susceptible varieties in early growth, but higher than those in susceptible varieties in later growth. It follows that infested by aphids, susceptible and resistant varieties had the MDA contents, variations of SOD, POD, PAL and PPO activities were closely correlated with their aphid resistances, hence these indexes could be used as physiological indexes for testing aphid resistance of alfalfa, whereas the relations of their CAT activities to their resistances needed to be further studied.     

玉米早期根系构型及其生理特性对土壤水分的响应

为了探明玉米早期根系结构及其对土壤水分的生理响应,揭示玉米幼苗的抗旱机理,以蠡玉18为材料,采用盆栽试验,设置轻度胁迫(LS)、中度胁迫(MS)、重度胁迫(SS)和正常供水(CK)4个水分处理,系统研究从播种开始持续水分处理对夏玉米苗期根系形态结构及活力、保护酶系统及生理调节物质的影响。结果表明:随着水分胁迫程度的加剧,玉米根长、根表面积、根体积和根干重等各形态指标较CK下降幅度逐渐增大,不同水分胁迫使夏玉米苗期根系结构存在差异。轻度和中度胁迫显著增加了细根(0.05—0.25 mm)根长和根表面积比例,重度水分胁迫显著降低粗根(0.50 mm)根长与根表面积比例。玉米苗期根冠比、根系活力和丙二醛(MDA)含量随水分胁迫程度的增强而上升,随着胁迫时间的延长,根冠比逐渐降低。根系可溶性蛋白含量随土壤水分含量的下降而下降,MS、SS处理较CK显著降低(P0.05)。夏玉米根系中SOD对水分胁迫较CAT、POD更敏感,轻度水分胁迫下主要依赖CAT、中度水分胁迫下主要依赖POD、重度水分胁迫下主要依赖SOD来降低氧化伤害;且重度胁迫下,随着胁迫时间的延长保护酶活性下降。苗期玉米通过增加根冠比、增强根系活力和不同保护酶活性及降低可溶性蛋白等渗透调节物质来协同减少水分胁迫的危害。     

Hypoxia induces beta-amyloid in association with death of RGC-5 cells in culture

Beta-amyloid (Aβ) derived from amyloid precursor protein (APP) has been associated with retinal degeneration in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and glaucoma. This study examined whether hypoxia exposure induces Aβ accumulation in RGC-5 cells. While levels of APP mRNA and protein significantly increased in the cells, elevated abundance of Aβ was also observed in cells and culture medium between 12 or 24 and 48 h after 5% O₂ hypoxia treatment. Additionally, there is a close relationship between induction of APP and Aβ and intracellular accumulation of ROS along with loss of mitochondrial membrane potential followed by the death of RGC-5 cells in culture under hypoxia. These results suggest a possible involvement of APP and Aβ in the death of RGCs challenged by hypoxia.     

稻米垩白形成的气象生态基础研究

在全国13个点、19个品种多播期试验基础上,对稻米垩自形成的气象生态基础进行了分析。结果表明,水稻齐穗后15天的日均温是影响稻米垩白大小的主要气象因子。经对稻米垩白与齐穗后15天内均温关系的动态分析可知,稻米垩白随该时段温度提高而增大的拐点温度约为29℃(品种间略有差异),接近或超过该点温度,稻米垩白会突发性地增加。     

Effects of Wheat Straw Incorporation on the Availability of Soil Nutrients and Enzyme Activities in Semiarid Areas

Soil infertility is the main barrier to dryland agricultural production in China. To provide a basis for the establishment of a soil amelioration technical system for rainfed fields in the semiarid area of northwest China, we conducted a four—year (2007–2011) field experiment to determine the effects of wheat straw incorporation on the arid soil nutrient levels of cropland cultivated with winter wheat after different straw incorporation levels. Three wheat straw incorporation levels were tested (H: 9000 kg hm^-2, M: 6000 kg hm^-2, and L: 3000 kg hm^-2) and no straw incorporation was used as the control (CK). The levels of soil nutrients, soil organic carbon (SOC), soil labile organic carbon (LOC), and enzyme activities were analyzed each year after the wheat harvest. After straw incorporation for four years, the results showed that variable straw amounts had different effects on the soil fertility indices, where treatment H had the greatest effect. Compared with CK, the average soil available N, available P, available K, SOC, and LOC levels were higher in the 0–40 cm soil layers after straw incorporation treatments, i.e., 9.1–30.5%, 9.8–69.5%, 10.3–27.3%, 0.7–23.4%, and 44.4–49.4% higher, respectively. On average, the urease, phosphatase, and invertase levels in the 0–40 cm soil layers were 24.4–31.3%, 9.9–36.4%, and 42.9–65.3% higher, respectively. Higher yields coupled with higher nutrient contents were achieved with H, M and L compared with CK, where these treatments increased the crop yields by 26.75%, 21.51%, and 7.15%, respectively.     

Terpenoid mosquito repellents: A combined DFT and QSAR study

Interactions between low-toxicity terpenoid mosquito repellents and lactic acid are studied at the HF and B3LYP level. The subsequent QSAR study shows that not only the structure of repellents but also the repellent–lactic acid complexes may play an important role. It suggests that further study on interactions between repellents and characteristic compounds from human host may be required in order to understand the repelling mechanism.     

VEGF在人胎卵巢发育过程中的表达研究

目的研究血管内皮生长因子（VEGF）在人胚胎卵巢组织发生过程中的表达特征,探讨其在卵巢发生中的作用。方法采用HE染色和SP免疫组织化法学法检测VEGF在不同胎龄卵巢组织中的表达变化。结果VEGF在胎儿卵巢初级卵母细胞、卵泡细胞、部分基质细胞呈阳性表达,在卵母细胞的染色程度均强于卵泡细胞和基质细胞,基质小血管内皮也有阳性表达。其在卵母细胞中以胎24w阳性细胞多且表达量强,此后呈逐渐下降趋势。结论胎儿卵巢存在局部调节因子,VEGF表达于人胎卵巢中,以自分泌或旁分泌方式参与卵母细胞生长,在卵巢发生、发育过程中起着一定的作用。     

Genotyping and Antifungal Drug Susceptibility of Trichosporon asahii Isolated from Chinese Patients

As a major pathogenic agent of trichosporonosis, Trichosporon asahii can cause life-threatening infection in immunocompromised patients. In this study, we analyzed the genotypes of the intergenic spacer (IGS) 1 region of the rRNA gene and the antifungal drug susceptibility of eight T. asahii isolates obtained from Chinese patients. Five genotypes were identified from the eight isolates, including three novel genotypes, three genotype 1, and two genotype 4. The eight T. asahii isolates were resistant to amphotericin B, 5-flucytosine, and terbinafine, but were highly sensitive to fluconazole (FLC), itraconazole (ITC), and voriconazole (VRC). The mean minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of FLC and VRC were significantly lower than those reported in most other countries, while that of ITC was slightly higher. Our results suggest that genotypes of the T. asahii isolated from China are different from those of other countries, and azole drugs appeared to be more effective on the Chinese isolates. These results provide new insights into the epidemiology and antifungal treatment for T. asahii.     

QSAR study of mosquito repellents from terpenoid with a six-member-ring

A new class of low-toxicity mosquito repellents is synthesized from - and β-pinene in terpenoid compounds and preliminary biological tests show promising mosquito repellency. Statistical modeling is built using Codessa in order to reveal the quantitative relationship between the structure and the biological activity and to provide the guidance for further synthetic work.