禽内源性逆转录病毒

本文对有关禽内源性逆转录病毒(Avain Endogenous Restroviruses,AERs)的多样性、结构、表达和可能的进化方式等最新研究结果进行了总结和分析,同时还讨论了内源性逆转录病毒在个体发育和病理学方面所起的作用。     

温带草原区气候变化及其对植被影响的研究进展

为了深入研究温带草原区气候变化及其对自然-社会-经济系统的影响、系统响应及适应,回顾了温带草原区气候主要要素（如温度、降雨）与旱灾的变化及未来区域气候趋势预测等方面的研究进展,重点总结了气候变化对温带草原植被影响的最新研究成果。研究发现,温带草原区呈现总体气温明显升高,降水区域差异显著,干旱年份增多、旱灾增加的变化趋势。受此影响,植物物候、生理特征、生产力、覆盖度等发生明显的变化。最后指出,在气候变化核心要素预测、研究的时空尺度等方面还不完善,今后应重视开展大尺度气候变化的时空格局,微地形下气候变化的时空异质性等方面研究,同时加强气候变化对草原植被的影响与生态系统响应以及气候变化适应等方面的研究。     

The S3- ion is stable in geological fluids at elevated temperatures and pressures

The chemical speciation of sulfur in geological fluids is a controlling factor in a number of processes on Earth. The two major chemical forms of sulfur in crustal fluids over a wide range of temperature and pressure are believed to be sulfate and sulfide; however, we use in situ Raman spectroscopy to show that the dominant stable form of sulfur in aqueous solution above 250°C and 0.5 gigapascal is the trisulfur ion S(3)(-). The large stability range of S(3)(-) enables efficient transport and concentration of sulfur and gold by geological fluids in deep metamorphic and subduction-zone settings. Furthermore, the formation of S(3)(-) requires a revision of sulfur isotope-fractionation models between sulfides and sulfates in natural fluids.     

Effects of water status and soil fertility on the C-isotope signature in Pinus radiata

The efficiency with which trees use water is a major determinant of growth under water-limited conditions. We investigated whether increased access to water and nutrients alters water-use efficiency in Pinus radiata D. Don. Intrinsic transpiration efficiency, defined here as the ratio of CO(2) assimilated and water transpired at a given vapor pressure deficit, is determined by the difference between ambient atmospheric CO(2) concentration (c(a)) and leaf intercellular CO(2) concentration (c(i)). The mean value of c(i)/c(a) can be inferred from an analysis of carbon isotope discrimination (Delta) in wood samples. A total of 117 trees, growing at sites with widely varying soil and climatic conditions in Australia and New Zealand, were cored and distinct annual rings were analyzed for their carbon isotope ratio, and correlated with rainfall during the July-June growing season in the year in which the wood was grown. Where possible, carbon isotope ratios were compared for different years within the same trees. The c(i)/c(a) ratio decreased with decreasing water availability, suggesting that intrinsic transpiration efficiency increased with decreasing water availability. An increase in growing season rainfall of 900 mm resulted in an increase in Delta of about 2.0 per thousand, corresponding to a decrease in intrinsic transpiration efficiency of approximately 24%. A stronger relationship was obtained when carbon isotope discrimination was expressed as a function of the ratio of rainfall to potential transpiration. Carbon isotope discrimination was also negatively correlated with mean annual vapor pressure deficit at different sites. In contrast, nutrient availability had no significant effect on carbon isotope discrimination.     

Organization of iron-sulfur clusters in respiratory complex I

Complex I of respiratory chains plays a central role in bioenergetics and is implicated in many human neurodegenerative diseases. An understanding of its mechanism requires a knowledge of the organization of redox centers. The arrangement of iron-sulfur clusters in the hydrophilic domain of complex I from Thermus thermophilus has been determined with the use of x-ray crystallography. One binuclear and six tetranuclear clusters are arranged, maximally 14 angstroms apart, in an 84-angstrom-long electron transfer chain. The binuclear cluster N1a and the tetranuclear cluster N7 are not in this pathway. Cluster N1a may play a role in the prevention of oxidative damage. The structure provides a framework for the interpretation of the large amounts of data accumulated on complex I.     

A physical map of the 1-gigabase bread wheat chromosome 3B

As the staple food for 35% of the world's population, wheat is one of the most important crop species. To date, sequence-based tools to accelerate wheat improvement are lacking. As part of the international effort to sequence the 17-billion-base-pair hexaploid bread wheat genome (2n = 6x = 42 chromosomes), we constructed a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC)-based integrated physical map of the largest chromosome, 3B, that alone is 995 megabases. A chromosome-specific BAC library was used to assemble 82% of the chromosome into 1036 contigs that were anchored with 1443 molecular markers, providing a major resource for genetic and genomic studies. This physical map establishes a template for the remaining wheat chromosomes and demonstrates the feasibility of constructing physical maps in large, complex, polyploid genomes with a chromosome-based approach.     

A role for interaction of the RNA polymerase flap domain with the sigma subunit in promoter recognition

In bacteria, promoter recognition depends on the RNA polymerase sigma subunit, which combines with the catalytically proficient RNA polymerase core to form the holoenzyme. The major class of bacterial promoters is defined by two conserved elements (the -10 and -35 elements, which are 10 and 35 nucleotides upstream of the initiation point, respectively) that are contacted by sigma in the holoenzyme. We show that recognition of promoters of this class depends on the "flexible flap" domain of the RNA polymerase beta subunit. The flap interacts with conserved region 4 of sigma and triggers a conformational change that moves region 4 into the correct position for interaction with the -35 element. Because the flexible flap is evolutionarily conserved, this domain may facilitate promoter recognition by specificity factors in eukaryotes as well.     

生防因子螺旋毛壳ND35的细胞壁降解酶与重寄生作用

1　IntroductionSomespeciesofthesaprophyticascomycetegeneraChaetomiumKunzeexFr .arepotentialantagonistsofseveralplantpathogenicfungi ,forexampleRhizoctoniasolaniandPythiumultimumwhichcauseseedlingdamping -offandVenturiainaequaliswhichcausestheapplescabChae…