Legionella effectors that promote nonlytic release from protozoa

Legionella pneumophila, the bacterial agent of legionnaires' disease, replicates intracellularly within a specialized vacuole of mammalian and protozoan host cells. Little is known about the specialized vacuole except that the Icm/Dot type IV secretion system is essential for its formation and maintenance. The Legionella genome database contains two open reading frames encoding polypeptides (LepA and LepB) with predicted coiled-coil regions and weak homology to SNAREs; these are delivered to host cells by an Icm/Dot-dependent mechanism. Analysis of mutant strains suggests that the Lep proteins may enable the Legionella to commandeer a protozoan exocytic pathway for dissemination of the pathogen.     

影响禾缢管蚜翅型分化的因子初探

运用回归分析探讨了小麦植株体内氨基酸、蔗糖、水分、温度、光照和禾缢管蚜种群数量等因子对禾缢管蚜翅型分化的单个影响和综合作用.结果表明,禾缢管蚜翅型分化的敏感虫龄为3龄若蚜;单个因子对麦蚜翅型分化的作用可以线性回归方程y＝a+bx表达,多个因子的联合作用用多元回归方程y＝a+b1x1+b2x2+…+bmxm拟合能基本反映各因子对禾缢管蚜翅型分化的影响.结果表明6个因子的共同作用以麦株体内水分和该蚜自身过高密度(拥挤密度)占主导地位.但分析的因子数不同,各因子的影响效应不同,由此说明影响禾缢管蚜翅型分化的因子是复杂的,不能就某个或某几个因子就说明这些因子是主要因子.     

不同土壤类型对优质小麦品质及产量的影响

为了研究不同土壤类型对优质小麦品质和产量的影响,以10个不同基因型优质小麦品种（系）在5种不同土壤类型区的11个地点进行试验.结果表明,蛋白质含量表现为河潮土〉棕壤〉潮土〉砂姜黑土〉褐土,湿面筋含量和沉淀值表现为河潮土〉棕壤〉砂姜黑土〉潮土〉褐土,但变异系数相对较小,分别为5.80%,5.96%,12.06%;容重、硬度、面团形成时间、断裂时间、公差指数和评价值表现为砂姜黑土最优,褐土、棕壤次之,河潮土最差,容重、硬度变异系数较小为1.27%,6.38%,粉质参数变异较大,变异系数分别为10.08%,14.62%,16.90%,13.30%.产量表现为砂姜黑土〉潮土〉褐土〉棕壤〉河潮土,在不同土壤类型间产量和穗数变异较大,粒数和千粒重相对稳定.不同土壤类型对优质小麦品质性状、产量和产量因素有较大影响,但各性状在不同土壤类型间的变异不同.     

基于航空遥感的大比例尺景观格局分析--以大麻镇为例

在利用现时高分辨率航片获取大比例尺、翔实的土地利用现状图的基础上,结合研究区的特点进行了景观分类,选择和计算了景观多样性指数和景观优势度、分离度、破碎度指数及斑块分形维数等景观格局指数,对浙江省桐乡市大麻镇进行了小尺度、大比例尺(1∶2000)景观格局分析。结果表明,景观多样性指数与最大多样性指数有很大的差异;研究区内的各景观类型所占比例差异较大,优势度数值高,耕地成为起支配作用的优势景观,如果将耕地、园地、林地和其他农用地当成一种景观类型,则研究区内整体景观生态特征明显由农业景观所支配;其他农用地景观类型的景观破碎度最高,受人为干扰和破坏最为严重,因近年来土地整理的实施,耕地景观以面积大而且形状较规则的斑块广泛分布于研究区中;居民点及独立工矿景观的斑块几何形状趋近于简单且规则,但受人为干扰程度大。     

小麦稀土元素的吸收动态研究

通过盆栽试验，测定小麦各器官对稀土元素的自然吸收量，了解各生育期稀土元素分布规律，为研究其生物机理提供基础数据。     

文蛤对四种单胞藻的表观消化状况及同化率

水温22℃下,显微观察了文蛤对塔玛亚历山大藻及海水小球藻,等鞭金藻和青岛大扁藻的表观消化状况,以灰化法测定了文蛤对四种单胞藻的同化率。结果表明,低浓度时文蛤对四种藻类的表观消化状况优于高浓度组;文蛤对海水小球藻、等鞭金藻和青岛大扁藻的同化率随着藻类浓度的升高而降低,其同化率变化范围分别为87.9%~67.4%、83.4%~58.7%和67.5%~37.9%。当塔玛亚历山大藻浓度低于5.0×103cell/mL时,文蛤不会产生假粪,该藻能够被文蛤摄食。藻浓度在1.0×103cell/mL到3.0×103cell/mL时,文蛤对该藻的同化率从81.8%降至52.3%,4.0×103cell/mL组的同化率升高至67.6%,藻浓度升高至5.0×103cell/mL时同化率又降至52.4%,塔玛亚历山大藻3.0×103cell/mL浓度组是一个分界点,同化率最低,大于这一浓度时,同化率又呈上升趋势。     

丹顶鹤早期生长发育规律的初步研究

对 6只幼鹤 (初生及 1～ 1 3周 )的体重、体尺和 9只成鹤的体尺进行测定 ,将幼鹤体重、体尺测定结果拟合生长曲线方程 ,并与成鹤的体尺指标进行比较。结果表明 :幼鹤早期生长发育阶段可划分为 3个时期 :第 1时期 (0～ 2周龄 )是快速生长期 ,第 2时期 (3～ 7周龄 )是急速生长期 ,第 3时期 (8～ 1 3周龄 )是缓慢生长期。Logistic生长曲线方程能很好地拟合丹顶鹤早期的生长发育 ,拟合精度 (R2 )均大于 0 .9955。幼鹤 1 3周龄时各项体尺指标均达到成鹤的 86%以上 ,并呈现出体长较体宽发育快的特点     

不同海拔环境中藏鸡生长曲线及杂种优势分析

为研究藏鸡生长规律及生长性能杂种优势,测定了藏鸡、矮小隐性白肉鸡(低地肉鸡品种)及其杂交F1代在低海拔和高海拔环境中体重和胫长的生长数据,运用Richards模型拟合其生长规律。结果表明Richards比较适宜拟合鸡在高、低海拔环境中体重和胫长的生长模式,R2>0.99。高海拔环境会降低鸡的生长速度、拐点值、生长极限和最大日增长,延长拐点时间。藏鸡在低海拔极限体重、拐点体重和最大日增重分别为1008.3、477.9和11.69 g,在高海拔分别为525.0、229.5和5.12 g;分别降低了47.9%、52.0%和56.8%,但影响程度均低于低海拔品种矮小隐性白肉鸡,表现出高海拔适应性,其杂交F1代的体重生长参数有明显的杂种优势,尤其在高海拔环境中,极限体重、拐点体重和最大日增重杂种优势率分别达59.5%、56.8%和52.3%,是藏鸡杂交利用的良好组合。     

Effect of ROCK1 and ROCK2 silencing by shRNA on hypoxia-induced apoptosis of rat cardiomyocytes

AIM: To investigate the effects of Rho-associated coiled-coil protein kinase-1 (ROCK1) and ROCK2 on apoptosis induced by hypoxia in rat cardiomyocytes. METHODS: Rat cardiomyocytes were cultured primarily and identified using an antibody targeting α-actin of striated muscle. ROCK1-shRNA and ROCK2-shRNA were transiently transfected into the cells by liposome. After 48 h, these cells were subject to hypoxia for 6 h. The cells were divided into 5 groups: blank control group, hypoxia group, hypoxia+negative control shRNA group, hypoxia+ROCK1-shRNA group and hypoxia+ROCK2-shRNA group. The beating frequency and rhythm of the cardiomyocytes were assessed by microscopy. The activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the cell culture supernatants was detected by automatic biochemical analyzer. The cell survival rate was analyzed by the method of MTT. The cell apoptotic rate was assessed by flow cytometry. Western blotting was used to determine the expression of ROCK1, ROCK2, caspase-3 and p-PI3K. RESULTS: The primary culture of the cardiomyocytes was successful. Western blotting results showed that the transfection of ROCK1-shRNA or ROCK2-shRNA decreased the expression of ROCK1 or ROCK2 in the cardiomyocytes. Hypoxia slowed down the beat frequency of the cardiomyocytes, also made the rhythm disorder. Hypoxia increased the release of LDH and decreased the cell survival rate. Flow cytometry results showed that hypoxia increased the cell apoptotic rate. Hypoxia increased the expression of caspase-3 and decreased the expression of p-PI3K. Transfection of ROCK1-shRNA and ROCK2-shRNA into the cardiomyocytes reduced all the effects of hypoxia mentioned above. CONCLUSION: Down-regulation of ROCK1 and ROCK2 expression suppresses the apoptosis of rat cardiomyocytes induced by hypoxia. The mechanism is associated with the inhibition of caspase-3 activation and the up-regulation of p-PI3K expression.     

Comparison of metabolic profiling of cyanidin-3-O-galactoside and extracts from blueberry in aged mice

The metabonomics changes of plasma and brain tissue after dietary supplementation with blueberry extracts (BBE) and cyanidin-3-O-galactoside from blueberry (BBM) in aged mice were investigated by (1)H NMR technique. The mice received intragastric administration of BBE (200 mg/kg/day), BBM (50 mg/kg/day), and saline water (0.9%) for 6 weeks, respectively, in the BBE, BBM, and control groups. At the end of the experiment, plasma and brain samples were collected for NMR analysis. The results demonstrated that the level of choline in plasma from BBE and BBM groups were obviously elevated relative to the control group, whereas the levels of lactate and phosphocholine in plasma were remarkably reduced. Compared with those in the control group, the levels of choline and GABA in the brain from the BBE group were obviously increased, whereas glutamate and phosphocholine in the BBE group were significantly decreased. The level of taurine in the brain from the BBM group was particularly higher than that in the control group. These results indicated supplementation with BBE or BBM might induce similar changes of endogenous plasma and brain metabolic profiles in aged mice.