Periplaneta americana peptide decreases apoptosis of pig-ovary granulosa cells induced by H2O2 through FoxO1

Oxidative stress can induce apoptosis of granulosa cells and lead to follicular atresia, thereby reducing the number of pigs giving birth. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of Periplaneta americana peptide (PAP) on the apoptosis of the granulosa cells of pig ovaries (PGCs) induced by hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) via FoxO1. PGCs were treated with H₂O₂ to establish a cell apoptosis model. Cell viability was measured using the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, and cell apoptosis was detected using flow cytometry. The malondialdehyde (MDA) level and nitric oxide (NO) content were detected to reflect the oxidative stress. Western blotting, qRT-PCR and overexpression were undertaken to determine the expression of FoxO1 and caspase-3, and immunofluorescence was used to detect FoxO1 in the nucleus and cytoplasm. PGCs were treated with 100 μM H₂O₂ for 6 hr, which resulted in oxidative damage and apoptosis and an apoptosis rate for PGCs of 32.95%. Next, PGCs were treated with 400 μg/ml PAP for 24 hr to repair the apoptosis induced by H₂O₂. PAP improved cell viability in H₂O₂-stimulated PGCs, the increased MDA level and NO content caused by H₂O₂ stimulation were reversed and the apoptotic rate of PGCs was reduced. The qRT-PCR and Western blotting results indicated that PAP decreased the H₂O₂-induced apoptosis and the expression of FoxO1 and caspase-3 in PGCs. The effect of PAP was the same following FoxO1 overexpression. FoxO1 was expressed in the nucleus when stimulated by H₂O₂ or overexpression; however, it migrated to the cytoplasm following PAP treatment. PAP decreased the apoptosis of PGCs induced by H₂O₂ by regulating FoxO1 expression and nuclear translocation.     

短花针茅荒漠草原斑块尺度物种多样性及其共存格局

阐明斑块尺度上物种共存格局，对于深入认识荒漠草原破碎化草地生物多样性的维持机理具有重要意义。按斑块的土壤生境退化程度，选取短花针茅荒漠草原3类典型群落斑块为研究对象，对比分析不同斑块的物种构成、多样性及物种间的共存关系格局。结果表明：① 斑块A属单优种短花针茅（Stipa breviflora）群落；斑块B为短花针茅+草木樨状黄耆（Astragalus melilotoides）群落；斑块C为苦豆子（Sophora alopecuroides）+老瓜头（Cynanchum komarovii）+猪毛蒿（Artemisia scoparia）群落。② 群落结构中斑块A和斑块B多样性相近，均高于无短花针茅生长的斑块C。③ 基于零模型的分析结果显示，物种共存格局的复杂性和强度为：斑块A>斑块B>斑块C，且下降趋势明显，斑块A存在的16组显著物种对中有4组为显著竞争关系，而斑块C中的物种对减少到7组，且仅存在猪毛蒿与苦豆子组显著竞争物种对。结论：表明未沙化的土壤生境斑块是荒漠草原破碎化草地生物多样性维持的一个重要前提，土壤生境的退化显著降低了斑块内部群落组织的复杂性和物种间相互作用的强度，不利于群落的自我维持。     

Effect of melatonin on visceral fat deposition,lipid metabolism and hepatic lipo-metabolic gene expression in male rats

Melatonin (MT) influences lipid metabolism in animals; however, the mechanistic effect of melatonin on liver fat and abdominal adipose deposition requires further clarity. In order to study the effects of melatonin on lipid metabolism, and hepatic fat and abdominal adipose deposition in animals, twenty Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats of 6 weeks of age with similar bodyweight were randomly divided into two groups: control (CTL) and MT-treated (10 mg/kg/day). During a 60-day experiment, food intake and bodyweight were measured daily and weekly respectively. At the end of treatment, blood samples were collected to collect plasma to quantify hormones and metabolic indicators of lipid metabolism. In addition, organ and abdominal adipose depots including liver, and omental, perirenal, and epididymal fat were weighed. Liver tissue was sampled for sectioning, long-chain fatty acid (LCFA) quantification, and gene chip and Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) analyses. The results showed that liver weight and index (ratio of liver weight to body weight) in MT group reduced by 20.69% and 9.63% respectively; omentum weight and index reduced by 59.88% and 54.93% respectively, and epididymal fat weight reduced by 45.34% (p = 0.049), relative to CTL. Plasma lipid indices, triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and total cholesterol (TC) with MT treatment decreased significantly compared with the control. Fat and 8 LCFA content in liver in MT group also decreased. Gene chip and qPCR demonstrated that there were 289 genes up-regulated and 293 genes down-regulated by MT. Further analysis found that the mRNA expression of lipolysis-related genes increased, while the mRNA expression of lipogenesis-related enzymes decreased (p < 0.05) with MT. This study concluded that melatonin greatly affected fat deposition, and hepatic LCFA supply and the expression of genes associated with lipogenesis and lipolysis.     

3株氟磺胺草醚降解真菌的分离与鉴定

为了解决大豆田除草剂氟磺胺草醚长期使用造成的残留问题,本研究利用富集培养法进行菌株筛选,利用高效液相色谱法测定其降解能力,通过形态和16S rDNA序列分析对其进行种属鉴定。结果表明,本研究从长期施用氟磺胺草醚的土壤中分离纯化出3株能以氟磺胺草醚为唯一碳源生长的真菌菌株FF1、FF2和FF3。它们在7天内对初始浓度600 mg/L氟磺胺草醚的降解率分别为21.03%、15.74%和11.88%,这3个菌株分别鉴定为Aspergillus jensenii（詹森曲霉）、Penicillium dipodomyicola（双足青霉）和Rhizopus oryzae（稻根霉菌）。这3个种属的获得为氟磺胺草醚污染土壤生物修复提供了新的菌种资源。     

1959-2017年安徽省夏季降水的时空变化及其影响因素研究

【目的】探究安徽省区域水热动态变化趋势,对区域水旱灾害发生的夏季降水时空分布变化特点、分配特征及变化规律进行分析。【方法】利用1959―2017年安徽省16个气象站逐月降水资料,采用气候倾向率法、滑动平均法、Mann-Kendall突变检验法并基于克里金插值法,对安徽省1959-2017年夏季降水的时空分布特征及影响因素进行分析。【结果】研究区年均夏季降水540.1 mm,占年均降水总量45.9%,夏季降水量变幅为275.7~1 137.0 mm;1959-2017研究区年均降水量和夏季降水量总体上都呈增加趋势,其中夏季降水量变化率为23.01 mm/10 a,略高于年均降水变化速率(21.31mm/10a);夏季降水作为年降水极值的重要构成,在1975年存在显著突变点,20世纪70年代末到20世纪90年代中期突变情况复杂多变,存在多个突变年份,突变年份与厄尔尼诺年具有较强关系。安徽省夏季降水与年降水在空间分布上都呈现出南多北少的同步趋势;年降水量呈现237.0~753.2 mm的降水梯度,夏季降水出现426.4~1 045 mm的降水梯度。【结论】安徽省夏季降水变化特点表现为集中性和突变性共存的特点,降水呈现增多趋势是全球气候变暖背景下复杂的水热响应关系以及以厄尔尼诺现象为代表的异常气候事件共同作用的结果;安徽省区域气候过渡性和复杂下垫面地形条件造成了区域降水显著分异。     

Identification and verification of quantitative trait loci for eating and cooking quality of rice (Oryza sativa)

This study was conducted to identify new quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that have stable effects for eating and cooking quality (ECQ) of rice. Three recombinant inbred line populations of indica rice were each planted in two years. Three traits for ECQ, amylose content (AC), gel consistency (GC) and alkali spreading value (ASV), were measured for QTL analysis. A total of 13 QTLs were detected, including four for AC, six for ASV and three for GC. Two QTLs, qGC4 in the interval RM16252–RM335 on the short arm of chromosome 4 and qGC6.2 in the Alk region, were validated in a population derived from a residual heterozygote that was homozygous at the major locus Wx. In the absence of segregation at the Wx locus, qGC4 and qGC6.2 had additive effects of 2.46 and 8.18 mm, respectively, offering a potential for improving GC property of rice varieties. Comparison between qGC4 and previous results suggests that qGC4 is likely a new QTL for GC, providing a candidate for gene cloning and functional characterization.