Polymerisation of gluten proteins in developing wheat grain as affected by desiccation

The breadmaking quality of wheat is affected by the composition of gluten proteins and the polymerisation of subunits that are synthesised and accumulated in developing wheat grain. The biological mechanisms and time course of these events during grain development are documented, but not widely confirmed. Therefore, the aim of this study was to monitor the accumulation of gluten protein subunits and the size distribution of protein aggregates during grain development. The effect of desiccation on the polymerisation of gluten proteins and the functional properties of gluten were also studied. The results showed that the size of glutenin polymers remained consistently low until yellow ripeness (YR), while it increased during grain desiccation after YR. Hence, this polymerisation process was presumed to be initiated by desiccation. A similar polymerisation event was also observed when premature grains were dried artificially. The composition of gluten proteins, the ratios of glutenin to gliadin and high molecular weight-glutenin subunits to low molecular weight-glutenin subunits, in premature grain after artificial desiccation showed close association with the size of glutenin polymers in artificially dried grain. Functional properties of gluten in these samples were also associated with polymer size after artificial desiccation.     

Disulphide structure of high-molecular-weight (HMW-) gliadins as affected by terminators

This study aimed at elucidating SS-bonds of HMW-gliadins (HGL) from wheat with the focus on terminators of glutenin polymerisation. HGL from wheat flour extracts non-treated or treated with the S-alkylation reagent N-ethylmaleinimide (NEMI) were compared. HGL from wheat flour Akteur were isolated, hydrolysed with thermolysin and the resulting peptides pre-separated by gel permeation chromatography and analysed by liquid chromatography/mass-spectrometry using alternating electron transfer dissociation/collision-induced dissociation. Altogether, 22 and 28 SS-peptides from samples without and with NEMI treatment, respectively, were identified. Twenty-six peptides included standard SS-bonds of α- and γ-gliadins, high-molecular-weight and low-molecular-weight glutenin subunits. Eleven SS-bonds were identified for the first time. Fifteen peptides unique to HGL contained cysteine residues from gliadins with an odd number of cysteines (ω5-, α- and γ-gliadins). Thus, gliadins with an odd number of cysteines, glutathione and cysteine had acted as terminators of glutenin polymerisation. Decisive differences between samples without and with NEMI treatment were not obvious showing that the termination of polymerisation was already completed in the flour. The two HGL samples, however, were different in the majority of ten peptides that included disulphide-linked low-molecular-weight (LMW) thiols such as glutathione and cysteine with the former being enriched in the non-treated HGL-sample.     

A rapid extensigraph protocol for measuring dough viscoelasticity and mixing requirement

The extensigraph is particularly useful in characterizing dough viscoelastic properties; however, testing throughput for standard method is low due to the prerequisite for farinograph water absorption, long dough resting and milling to prepare large amounts of flour. Therefore, a rapid extensigraph method was developed that reduced sample size (165 g wheat) for milling and more than tripled throughput. Wheat is milled in Quadrumat Junior mill with a modified sieving system. The resulting flour (100 g) was mixed with a pin mixer at constant water absorption to allow the evaluation of wheat genotypes at the absorption level they are expected to perform. Dough was subsequently stretched by an extensigraph after 15 min of floor time and 30 min resting. Strong correlations for extensigram R_max (r > 0.93), extensibility (r > 0.64) and area (r > 0.88) were found for the proposed method compared to the standard method. Mixing parameters (time and energy) obtained during dough preparation provided further information about dough strength and mixing requirement. By significantly reducing sample size requirement and increasing testing throughput, this rapid extensigraph method can be widely adopted in milling and baking industry and meets the need for a fast evaluation of dough strength in breeding trials.     

Three‐dimensional visualization of green fluorescence protein‐labelled Edwardsiella tarda in whole Medaka larvae

The invasive fish pathogen Edwardsiella tarda is common in aquatic environments and causes the environmentally and economically destructive emphysematous putrefactive disease called edwardsiellosis. In order to understand the organism's infection pathway, medaka larvae (Oryzias latipes) were immersion‐infected with E. tarda labelled with green fluorescence protein (GFP) and then visualized in three dimensions under confocal laser microscopy and light‐sheet fluorescence microscopy. Confocal microscopy revealed GFP‐labelled E. tarda in the mouth, head, gill bridges, gill cover, skin, membrane fin, gastrointestinal tract and air bladder, and in the caudal vein, somite veins, caudal artery and caudal capillaries. Light‐sheet microscopy additionally showed GFP‐labelled E. tarda in the pharyngeal cavity, muscle of the pectoral fin and cardiac atrium and ventricle. These findings suggest that during its infection of fish, E. tarda initially adheres to, and invades, the epithelial cells of the skin, gills and gastrointestinal tract (through the pharyngeal cavity); E. tarda then enters the blood vessels to access organs, including the air bladder and heart.     

三种因素对海水生物流化床启动期间营养盐去除及amoA基因表达的影响

在实验室规模下,以旋转式生物流化床(CB-FSB)为研究对象,研究了初始总氨氮(TAN)、水温及滤料膨胀率3种条件下,海水生物流化床生物过滤功能启动期间TAN和亚硝酸盐氮(NO-2-N)去除及amoA基因数量的变化。结果显示:生物流化床生物过滤功能启动所需时间随着水温的升高而缩短,在水温为15℃、20℃和25℃时,启动所需时间分别为27 d、25 d和23 d;初始TAN质量浓度的升高也会缩短生物流化床生物过滤功能启动所需要的时间,在初始TAN质量浓度为1 mg/L、2 mg/L、4 mg/L时,启动所需时间分别为24 d、22 d和21 d;在膨胀率为100%和150%时,启动所需时间无明显差别,分别为21 d和20 d,明显好于膨胀率为50%时启动所需时间27 d;amoA基因的数量变化与TAN去除率的变化有一定的相关性,并随着初始TAN浓度的升高而增多,在4 mg/L时数量最多,达到2.76×10~7copies/g。     

Preparation and characterization of gluten-free sheeted doughs and noodles with zein and rice flour containing different amylose contents

This study aimed to explore the feasibility of zein as a gluten alternative in preparing sheeted doughs with rice flours containing different amylose contents (12, 19, and 26%) that were successfully slit into noodle strands. Rice-zein mixtures with lower amylose contents exhibited lower pasting parameters and the high amylose paste samples possessed more elastic properties. Higher water absorption was observed in the low amylose rice-zein mixture whereas the use of zein were effective in increasing the stability of rice dough regardless of amylose content. In case of thermal conductivity, the noodle doughs prepared with high amylose rice-zein mixture had low thermal conductivity, probably implying a long cooking time. The structure of the rice-zein noodles had a tendency to become firmer with increasing levels of amylose by showing greater breaking stress and resistance to extension that could be correlated to reduced cooking loss.     

脲酶抑制剂与硝化抑制剂对稻田土壤氮素转化的影响

【目的】本研究旨在阐明脲酶抑制剂(urease inhibitor,UI)和硝化抑制剂(nitrification inhibitor,NI)对稻田土壤氮素转化的影响,探讨抑制剂提高稻谷产量以及氮肥利用率的机理。【方法】本试验设在我国南方红壤稻田,共5个处理:1)不施氮肥(CK);2)尿素(U);3)尿素+脲酶抑制剂(U+UI);4)尿素+硝化抑制剂(U+NI);5)尿素+脲酶抑制剂+硝化抑制剂(U+UI+NI);脲酶抑制剂采用N-丁基硫代磷酰三胺(NBPT),硝化抑制剂采用3,4-二甲基吡唑磷酸盐(DMPP)。在水稻分蘖期和孕穗期测定土壤脲酶活性、硝酸还原酶活性、土壤铵态氮含量、硝态氮含量以及微生物碳、氮的含量,分析NBPT与DMPP对水稻两个主要生育期土壤氮素供应的影响,比较各处理的产量以及氮肥利用率,通过逐步回归分析研究以上各指标对产量的影响,探明脲酶抑制剂NBPT与硝化抑制剂DMPP在稻田的增效机理。【结果】1)与单施尿素相比,添加NBPT以及NBPT与DMPP配施均显著提高稻谷产量与地上部氮素回收率,两个处理分别增产6.56%与8.24%,氮素回收率提高幅度为19.4%与23.7%。2)与单施尿素相比,添加NBPT以及NBPT与DMPP配施,显著降低水稻分蘖期的土壤脲酶活性和铵态氮含量,显著提高孕穗期的铵态氮含量,而对此时期的脲酶活性无显著影响,所有处理对两个时期的硝态氮含量、硝酸还原酶活性、微生物量碳、氮含量均无显著影响;因此,NBPT对于抑制脲酶活性以及提高铵态氮含量的作用主要在孕穗期之前,而单施DMPP没有显著效应。3)从各项土壤指标与水稻产量相关性的逐步回归分析结果来看,水稻分蘖期与孕穗期稻田土壤中铵态氮含量对水稻产量影响显著,而且孕穗期的影响大于分蘖期,其余指标则对产量无显著影响。【结论】脲酶抑制剂NBPT以及NBPT与硝化抑制剂DMPP配施显著提高孕穗期土壤中的铵态氮含量,显著提高稻谷产量以及地上部氮素回收率,证明了生产上氮肥后移的重要意义。     

乳山近海渔业资源种类组成及变化

根据2013—2015年乳山近海拖网渔船的渔捞日志,分析了乳山近海的单位捕捞努力量渔获量、渔获种类组成及生物多样性等特征。结果表明:(1)乳山近海渔获物共有36种,隶属于19目28科33属。其中鱼类有26种,虾蟹类4种,头足类4种,水母类1种,贝类1种。(2)2013—2015年全年优势种差异明显。其中,蓝点马鲛3年均为优势种,鳀鱼是2014年和2015年优势种,网纹狮子鱼为2013年和2015年的优势种。(3)乳山近海渔获物主要集中在休渔期前后的4—5月、9—11月,渔业生产存在明显的春汛和秋汛。2013—2015年乳山近海单位捕捞努力量渔获量逐年增加,但与历史单位捕捞努力量渔获量相比还是存在明显下降;多样性指数和均匀度指数变化趋势一致,多样性指数和丰富度指数较高值出现在秋季;春汛和秋汛期间,渔业资源种属组成及群落结构相似性较高。     

缺失原始数据的单因素方差分析方法研究

对缺失原始数据的数据资料进行了方差分析。从方差分析的基本原理入手,对基本统计数据进行反向推理,得到处理间和误差项的各项离差平方和、自由度以及均方,从而可以实现缺失原始数据下的方差分析,并编写了SAS程序予以实现整个计算和方差分析过程。     

Cannibalism facilitates gigantism in a nine‐spined stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) population

Cannibalism is a taxonomically widespread phenomenon that can fundamentally affect the structure and stability of aquatic communities, including the emergence of a bimodal size distribution (“dwarfs” and “giants”) in fish populations. Emergence of giants could also be driven or facilitated by parasites that divert host resources from reproduction to growth. We studied the trophic ecology of giant nine‐spined sticklebacks (Pungitius pungitius) in a Finnish pond to evaluate the hypotheses that gigantism in this population would be facilitated by cannibalism and/or parasitic infections by Schistocephalus pungitii cestode. Stomach content analyses revealed an initial ontogenetic dietary shift from small to large benthic invertebrates, followed by cannibalism on 10–20‐mm‐long conspecifics by giant individuals. However, stable nitrogen isotopes (δ¹⁵N) indicated a concave relationship between fish size and trophic position, with relatively low trophic position estimates suggesting only facultative cannibalism among giants. The unexpectedly high trophic position of the intermediate‐sized fish may reflect substantial, but temporary, predation on eggs or young‐of‐the‐year conspecifics, but may also partly result from starvation caused by S. pungitii infection. However, it seems implausible that parasitic infections (i.e. castration) would explain gigantism among nine‐spined sticklebacks because all >100‐mm giants were unparasitised. Hence, the present results suggest that an ontogenetic niche shift from an invertebrate diet to intercohort cannibalism may facilitate the occurrence of gigantism in nine‐spined sticklebacks.