New ways and new hopes for IGR development

Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs) represent advanced, bio-rational insecticides. This Special Issue reflects progress in IGR development that has been enabled by insight into the molecular principles of biosynthetic or hormone signaling pathways. The unifying principle is aiming at processes and molecular targets that are unique to arthropods and ideally to narrower insect taxa representing pests or disease vectors. While some strategies of obtaining the desired compounds for chemical intervention rely on rational, structure-based design or computational power, others exploit technologies allowing automated, high-throughput screening of large chemical libraries. All avenues leading to selective and environmentally safe pest control are valid as we face the imminent threat of the declining world insect population.     

烟酰胺腺嘌呤二核苷酸(NAD)合成途径和水稻叶片早衰

叶片是植物进行光合作用的主要场所,其衰老由内源遗传发育信号和外界环境胁迫所启动,是一个非常复杂有序的调控过程。烟酰胺腺嘌呤二核苷酸(nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide,NAD)是脱氢酶的辅酶,在糖酵解、糖异生、三羧酸循环以及呼吸链等代谢中发挥着不可替代的作用。最新研究表明,水稻NAD生物合成参与调控沉默信息调控因子Sirtuins的生物活性、组蛋白H3K9去乙酰化、植物激素茉莉酸(JA)和叶片衰老。本文综述了有关水稻叶片衰老的细胞生理特征、Sirtuins酶活、NAD生物合成以及水稻早衰的OsSRT1-NAD调控途径和OsSRT1-Me OH-JA调控途径,以期阐明水稻叶片衰老的分子机理及其调控途径,为高产育种提供相应的理论参考。     

几种经济红藻中茉莉酸合成途径的关键物质

为研究几种经济红藻中茉莉酸合成途径的关键物质,实验采用液相色谱—质谱联用技术(LC-MS)对茉莉酸生物合成途径相关物质建立检测方法,并对龙须菜、坛紫菜受到机械损伤时各物质的变化情况进行检测。以100%甲醇提取茉莉酸(JA)、茉莉酸甲酯(MeJA)、12-氧-植物二烯酸(12-OPDA)和13-氢过氧化亚麻酸(13-HpOTE),利用XBridge TM C18色谱柱,以甲醇/水为流动相分离4种物质。优化条件下4种物质得到良好分离,加标回收率为81.23%～90.25%,检测限为0.04～0.56 ng/mL,灵敏度高。坛紫菜、龙须菜和真江蓠3种红藻中,坛紫菜中未检测到JA和13-HpOTE,4种物质均在另外2种藻中检测到。龙须菜受机械损伤胁迫后,4种物质在短时间内得到积累,其中13-HpOTE响应迅速。研究表明,红藻中可能存在类似于植物的茉莉酸合成途径,并参与对损伤的胁迫响应。     

油料作物油脂合成调控研究进展

植物油脂不仅是人类可食用油的主要来源,也是人类生产生活中重要的可再生原料。本文概述了植物油脂的生物合成途径,从母体效应、QTL、GWAS等多个方面总结了油料作物油脂合成的遗传学研究进展,同时探讨了已知的油脂合成调控相关基因的功能。本文综述了该领域的研究现状,为深入了解油料作物油脂合成调控网络提供了参考,也为油料作物的分子改良和遗传育种提供了理论基础。     

Asterosaponins: Structures,Taxonomic Distribution,Biogenesis and Biological Activities

Asterosaponins are a class of steroid oligoglycosides isolated from starfish with characteristic structures and diverse biological activities. In this review, we have attempted to combine the most important data concerning asterosaponins and give a list of these secondary metabolites with their structural peculiarities. The purpose of this review is to provide a brief but as complete as possible principal information about their chemical structures, taxonomic distribution in the marine environment, distribution in different geographical areas and depths, some properties, biological activities, and functions. Some other rare steroid metabolites from starfish, closely related in structures and probably biogenesis to asterosaponins, are also discussed.     

独脚金内酯的生物合成及其调控

为了解独脚金内酯生物合成最新研究进展，本研究以“独脚金内酯”为关键词，检索了2000—2020年NCBI数据库发表的相关文献资料，综述了近20年来独脚金内酯的生物合成通路和相关基因的功能研究进展，并对独脚金内酯在非生物胁迫作用中的功能以及与其他激素的相互作用进行概括。结果表明:1)独脚金内酯生物合成的通路是保存的，并可能与其他通路有交互作用；2)独脚金内酯的功能是多样的，在植物生长和发育的多个阶段发挥作用；3)独脚金内酯生物合成相关基因不仅是生物合成的关键基因，还可以与其他激素互作参与调控作用。在独脚金内酯生物合成及其调控作用的研究取得了重要突破的基础上，今后着重的研究方向可能是在产量形成机制、形态建成以及激素的调控作用机理等方面的研究。     

The genetic organization of the capsular polysaccharide biosynthesis region of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 14

The genetic organization of the gene involved in the capsular polysaccharide (CPS) biosynthesis of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 14 has been determined. The DNA region for the CPS biosynthesis of serotype 14 (cps14) comprised 9 open reading frames, designated as cps14AB₁B₂B₃CDEFG genes, encoding Cps14A to Cps14G protein, respectively. Cps14A was similar to CpsA of A. pleuropneumoniae serotypes 1, 4 and 12; the Cps14B₁ and Cps14B₂ were similar to CpsB of A. pleuropneumoniae serotypes 1, 4 and 12, suggesting that CPS structure of A. pleuropneumoniae serotype 14 would belong to Group I including A. pleuropneumoniae serotypes 1, 4, 12 and 15. Surprisingly, the overall nucleotide sequence, deduced amino acid sequence, and the genetic organization of the cps14 were nearly identical to those of Actinobacillus suis. This study will provide the molecular basic knowledge for development of diagnostics and vaccine of A. pleuropneumoniae serotype 14.     

褪黑素的生物合成及对繁殖性能的影响

褪黑素是一种广泛存在于动物体内的激素,不仅能够调节动物昼夜节律,还能够从多方面影响动物的繁殖性能,对于季节性繁殖动物,褪黑素根据日照时长的变化表现出抑制或促进繁殖性能的作用。对于幼年动物,褪黑素表现出抑制发情的作用,体成熟后则表现促进发情的作用。褪黑素主要通过下丘脑-垂体-性腺轴调控动物繁殖活动,除此之外,褪黑素还能够直接作用于生殖系统甚至早期胚胎,通过提高组织及细胞抗炎及抗氧化功能来改善动物繁殖性能。目前,褪黑素能够用于治疗精神疾病及炎症、促进畜禽繁殖和调节昼夜节律,是相关研究领域的热门话题。本文详细描述了褪黑素的生物合成以及分泌调控,并结合褪黑素的生理功能,阐述了对动物繁殖性能以及辅助生殖的影响。     

Screening of extracts of Japanese woods for melanin biosynthesis inhibition

The effects of 120 methanol extracts prepared from bark and heartwood of 69 types of Japanese wood on the melanin production of B16 melanoma cells were examined. The melanin content of B16 melanoma cells was determined spectrophotometrically at 405nm. The extracts were also examined for their effects on cell viability. We found that the methanol extracts of Fagus crenata (buna, wood, 100μg/ml), Sapium sebiferum (Nankinhaze, wood, bark, 10μg/ml), and Zelkova serrata (keyaki, wood, 10μg/ml) greatly inhibited the melanin production of B16 melanoma cells without significant cytotoxicity. However, these extracts did not inhibit tyrosinase activity at the concentration of 100μg/ml. These findings indicate that the depigmenting mechanism of these extracts involves the suppression of some pigmenting signals in stimulating melanogenesis rather than the inhibition of tyrosinase activity. Part of this study was presented at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Fukuoka, Japan, March 2003