Cloning and molecular characterization of cationic amino acid transporter y+LAT1 in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus)

The solute carrier family 7A, member 7 gene encodes the light chain- y⁺L amino acid transporter-1 (y⁺LAT1) of the heterodimeric carrier responsible for cationic amino acid (CAA) transport across the basolateral membranes of epithelial cells in intestine and kidney. Rising attention has been given to y⁺LAT1 involved in CAA metabolic pathways and growth control. The molecular characterization and function analysis of y⁺LAT1 in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) is currently unknown. In the present study, full-length cDNA (2,688 bp), which encodes y⁺LAT1 and contains a 5′-untranslated region (319 bp), an open reading frame (1,506 bp) and a 3′-untranslated region (863 bp), has been cloned from grass carp. Amino acid sequence of grass carp y⁺LAT1 contains 11 transmembrane domains and shows 95 %, 80 % and 75 % sequence similarity to zebra fish, amphibian and mammalian y⁺LAT1, respectively. The tissue distribution and expression regulation by fasting of y⁺LAT1 mRNA were analyzed using real-time PCR. Our results showed that y⁺LAT1 mRNA was highly expressed in midgut, foregut and spleen while weakly expressed in hindgut, kidney, gill, brain, heart, liver and muscle. Nutritional status significantly influenced y⁺LAT1 mRNA expression in fish tissues, such as down-regulation of y⁺LAT1 mRNA expression after fasting (14 days).     

Seasonal and spatial variations of the food web structure in a shallow eutrophic lake assessed by stable isotope analysis

Stable isotope analysis was used to investigate seasonal and spatial variations of the food web structure in a large eutrophic lake ecosystem (Lake Taihu, China). Basal food sources, invertebrates and fish were sampled in two lake regions with different environmental conditions and spatial variations in the isotopic composition of lake food webs were found. Overall, more depleted δ¹³C and enriched δ¹⁵N isotope values of organic matter sources and consumers were found in the phytoplankton-dominated lake region than in the macrophyte-dominated region. Wide seasonal variations in the isotopic ratios were also observed in the lake biota, with a general trend towards enriched δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values in summer and depleted values in winter. This pattern could be explained by a combination of environmental (e.g., irradiance and nutrient inputs) and biotic (e.g., availability of food sources and plasticity in prey item choice) features. Results of isotope mass balance suggest that macrophytes provide some trophic support in the macrophyte-dominated area, but in both lake regions it is more likely that aquatic food webs are phytoplankton based rather than macrophyte based under eutrophic conditions.     

湿地挺水植物凋落物分解研究概述

挺水植物凋落物的分解会对湿地水质产生一定程度的影响。文中从挺水植物凋落物分解的研究方法、凋落物分解速率和元素释放以及分解与水体营养化水平的相互关系等几个方面,分析了挺水植物凋落物的分解特征。指出除了传统的分解袋法之外,一些新的技术和方法如近红外反射光谱（NIRS）法、同位素13C和15N示踪法也应用到植物凋落物的分解研究中;不同挺水植物凋落物的分解速率是不相同的,分解速率的不同致使凋落物元素释放的不同,且在分解过程中受到挺水植物凋落物特性和外界环境的影响。还分析了挺水植物凋落物独特的分解方式——立枯分解,指出挺水植物凋落物的分解可能会对水体造成二次污染,且不同植物的影响也是不同的。为了更好地保护环境,进一步提高水体质量,提出对挺水植物凋落物采取的相应措施,包括在植物生长末期清除部分植物凋落物,减少对水体的影响。还展望了今后在该领域研究的重点。     

Organics Wastewater Degradation by a Mesoporous Chromium-Functionalized γ-Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> with H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript> Assistance

In this study, a mesoporous chromium-functionalized γ-Al₂O₃ (Cr/γ-Al₂O₃) catalyst was prepared by an impregnation method, and the catalytic activity was evaluated by the degradation of organics wastewater. The prepared catalyst was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption-desorption experiments, and scanning electron microscopy. The characterization results confirmed that the pores in the Cr/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst distributed broadly in the mesoporous region, and the active chromium species were highly dispersed on the catalyst surface. The catalytic activity tests showed that the Cr/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst exhibited a superior performance for the degradation of organics wastewater with H₂O₂ assistance. And the methylene blue (MB) disappeared within 20 min and the COD removal reached 76.5% within 40 min for the MB-simulated wastewater; for the phenol-simulated wastewater, the phenol removal was above 95% and the corresponding COD removal reached 71% within 40 min. Such an excellent catalytic performance demonstrates that the Cr/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst has a potential application in the degradation of complex organics wastewater simultaneously.     

Effects of biochar on Cd and Pb mobility and microbial community composition in a calcareous soil planted with tobacco

An experiment was conducted with tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) grown in a Cd- and Pb-contaminated calcareous soil amended with 0.0, 1.0, 2.5, and 5.0% (w/w) tobacco stalk biochar (BC). The BC amendment significantly increased organic matter, total C, N, P, and K contents of soil, and the C/N ratio. Bioavailable metal concentrations (DTPA extraction) decreased by increasing BC application rate. The 5.0% BC amendment significantly decreased the DTPA-extractable Cd and Pb by 10.4 and 13.6%, respectively. Correspondingly, the bioaccumulation and translocation factors of Cd and Pb also decreased by increasing the BC addition rates and this indicated that BC inhibited the uptake and transfer of both Cd and Pb by tobacco plants. Moreover, high-throughput sequencing revealed that BC increased Chao1 richness, Shannon’s diversity and Simpson’s diversity of bacterial communities of soil. The relative abundance and genera composition of Adhaeribacter, Rhodoplanes, Pseudoxanthomonas, and Candidatus Xiphinematobacter increased under BC treatments, while those of Kaistobacter, Lacibacter, and Pirellula decreased. Overall, BC increased soil nutrients (C, N, P, and K contents), enhanced bacterial diversity indexes and richness, and changed the bacterial community composition, which may all have contributed to reduce the mobility and bioavailability of both Cd and Pb in a calcareous soil.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-Coumaric can alter the composition of cucumber rhizosphere microbial communities and induce negative plant-microbial interactions

Phenolics from root exudates or decaying residues are usually referred as autotoxins of several plant species. However, how phenolics affect soil microbial communities and their functional significances are poorly understood. Rhizosphere bacterial and fungal communities from cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) seedlings treated with p-coumaric acid, an autotoxin of cucumber, were analyzed by high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene and internal transcribed spacer amplicons. Then, feedback effects of the rhizosphere biota on cucumber seedlings were evaluated by inoculating non-sterilized and sterilized rhizosphere soils to sterilized background soils. p-Coumaric acid decreased the bacterial diversity of rhizosphere but increased fungal diversity and altered the compositions of both the bacterial and fungal communities. p-Coumaric acid increased the relative abundances of microbial taxa with phenol-degrading capability (such as Chaetomium, Humicola, and Mortierella spp.) and microbial taxa which contained plant pathogens (such as Fusarium spp.). However, p-coumaric acid inhibited the relative abundances of Lysobacter, Haliangium, and Gymnoascus spp., whose species can have pathogen-antagonistic and/or plant-growth-promoting effects. The positive effect of cucumber rhizosphere microbiota on cucumber seedling growth was reduced by p-coumaric acid. Overall, our results showed that, besides its direct phytotoxicity, p-coumaric acid can inhibit cucumber seedling growth through generating negative plant-soil microbial interactions.     

玉米赤霉烯酮的表面等离子体共振芯片无标记快速测定

玉米赤霉烯酮(Zearalenone,ZEN)是农产品中一种常见的真菌毒素,严重危害食品安全。现有ZEN检测方法存在操作复杂、仪器贵重、样品通常需要标记等问题。基于自行设计的便携式表面等离子体共振(Surface plasmon resonance,SPR)生物传感器,制备了用于ZEN检测的生物芯片,提出直接检测法和抑制检测法。实验结果表明,直接检测法适用于ZEN抗体筛选与免疫动力学基础研究;抑制检测法的检测限小于2 ng/m L,完成一个样品检测仅需6 min,可用于痕量ZEN毒素小分子的快速检测。基于表面等离子体共振的ZEN检测方法简单,无需标记,仪器便携,成本低,可用于现场快速检测。     

稻田生态系统氧化亚氮(N_2O)排放微生物调控机制研究进展及展望

氧化亚氮(N_2O)是第三大温室气体,对全球气候变化具有显著影响。稻田是重要的N_2O排放源,追踪稻田N_2O产生及排放关键过程的微生物调控机制,可以为农田土壤氮素循环研究以及稻田N_2O减排提供有价值的信息。微生物调控的硝化作用和反硝化作用是稻田N_2O排放的主要来源。基于此,我们在过去十年的研究中,依托中国科学院桃源农业生态试验站,以水稻田淹水-落干和施肥为关键过程,从水稻根际、土层深度、反应底物浓度等方面探明了土壤硝化反硝化过程和N_2O排放特征及其微生物调控机制;提出了开发稻田土壤微生物资源,提高土壤N_2O消纳能力的可能策略;构建了可以有效降低稻田氮素损失和N_2O排放的基于化肥一次性深施的减氮控磷施肥技术,并在实际农业生产中进行了示范推广。本文对上述研究取得的成果,以及国内外相关研究结果进行了全面综述。结合分子生物技术在土壤科学研究中的应用,今后的研究工作将会从以下几个方面开展:1)解析土壤微生物与土壤生产力和生态环境之间的关系;2)在基因组和转录组水平构建农田土壤碳氮循环功能微生物分析平台;3)解析土壤微生物分布与生态功能之间的关联机制;4)根系—土壤—微生物之间的协同机制以及植物—内生菌—土壤微生物之间相互影响的分子机制;5)加强对实用技术的研发,把基础研究成果转化为生产力,服务农业生产和生态文明建设。     

玉米秸秆不同还田方式对黑钙土物理性质和产量的影响

为提高东北玉米集约化生产区秸秆资源利用和培肥土壤,采用大区对比试验,设置常规栽培(对照)、秸秆覆盖还田、秸秆粉碎旋耕还田和秸秆翻埋还田,采用常规方法探索半干旱地区玉米秸秆对土壤物理性质及产量的影响。结果表明:常规栽培方式(对照)土壤容重最大,为1.38g·cm~(-3),其次为覆盖还田、翻埋还田和旋耕还田,与对照相比分别降低了3.00%、8.06%和7.46%。0~20cm土层,吐丝期翻埋还田处理土壤含水量分别比常规栽培、覆盖还田、旋耕还田高12.20%、7.35%和16.30%;成熟期翻埋还田土壤含水量分别比常规栽培、覆盖还田和旋耕还田高18.52%、17.64%和22.63%。20~40cm土层,吐丝期翻埋还田土壤含水量分别比常规栽培、覆盖还田和旋耕还田高14.90%、13.73%和15.82%;成熟期翻埋还田土壤含水量分别比常规栽培、覆盖还田和旋耕还田高14.98%、14.66%和17.82%。覆盖还田处理的行粒数最大,其它还田方式略低。不同方式秸秆还田各处理间玉米产量存在一定差异,其年平均产量最高为秸秆翻埋还田,较对照提高9.6%。     

Seed dormancy and soil seedbank of the invasive weed Chenopodium hybridum in north‐western China

Seed dormancy and persistence in the soil seedbank play a key role in timing of germination and seedling emergence of weeds; thus, knowledge of these traits is required for effective weed management. We investigated seed dormancy and seed persistence on/in soil of Chenopodium hybridum, an annual invasive weed in north‐western China. Fresh seeds are physiologically dormant. Sulphuric acid scarification, mechanical scarification and cold stratification significantly increased germination percentages, whereas dry storage and treatments with plant growth regulators or nitrate had no effect. Dormancy was alleviated by piercing the seed coat but not the pericarp. Pre‐treatment of seeds collected in 2012 and 2013 with sulphuric acid for 30 min increased germination from 0% to 66% and 62% respectively. Effect of cold stratification on seed germination varied with soil moisture content (MC) and duration of treatment; seeds stratified in soil with 12% MC for 2 months germinated to 39%. Burial duration, burial depth and their interaction had significant effects on seed dormancy and seed viability. Dormancy in fresh seeds was released from October to February, and seeds re‐entered dormancy in April. Seed viability decreased with time for seeds on the soil surface and for those buried at a depth of 5 cm, and 39% and 10%, respectively, were viable after 22 months. Thus, C. hybridum can form at least a short‐lived persistent soil seedbank.