Quantification and persistence of recombinant DNA of Roundup Ready corn and soybean in rotation

The presence of the recombinant cp4 epsps gene from Roundup Ready (RR) corn and RR soybean was quantified using real-time PCR in soil samples from a field experiment growing RR and conventional corn and soybean in rotation. RR corn and RR soybean cp4 epsps persisted in soil for up to 1 year after seeding. The concentration of recombinant DNA in soil peaked in July and August in RR corn and RR soybean plots, respectively. A small fraction of soil samples from plots seeded with conventional crops contained recombinant DNA, suggesting transgene dispersal by means of natural process or agricultural practices. This research will aid in the understanding of the persistence of recombinant DNA in agricultural cropping systems.     

家蚕（Bombyxmori）全基因组框架图

我们在此报告了家蚕（Bombyxmori）的基因组序列框架图,它覆盖了所有已知家蚕基因的90．9％。我们估计的基因数是18510,超过黑腹果蝇报道的13379个基因。我们将家蚕基因组与果蝇、蚊子、蜘蛛和蝴蝶等进行了比较分析,揭示了它们在基因组成上同时具有相似性和差异性。     

Functional interaction and partial homology between human immunodeficiency virus and neuroleukin

Dementia is common in patients with AIDS, but the mechanism by which the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) causes the neurological impairment is unknown. In this study the possibility that an antigen of HIV-1 suppresses neuronal responses to neurotrophic factors was examined. Both HIV-1 and a related retrovirus, simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), inhibited the growth of sensory neurons from chick dorsal root ganglia in medium containing neuroleukin (NLK) but not in medium containing nerve growth factor. An unrelated type D retrovirus, simian acquired immunodeficiency syndrome virus, did not affect the growth of neurons in the presence of either neurotrophic factor. The inhibition by HIV-1 of neuron growth in the presence of NLK was found to be due to the gp120 envelope glycoprotein. Regions of sequence homology between gp120 and NLK may account for this inhibitory property of gp120 and functional interactions between gp120 and NLK may be important in the pathogenesis of the AIDS dementia complex.     

Discovery and directed evolution of a glyphosate tolerance gene

The herbicide glyphosate is effectively detoxified by N-acetylation. We screened a collection of microbial isolates and discovered enzymes exhibiting glyphosate N-acetyltransferase (GAT) activity. Kinetic properties of the discovered enzymes were insufficient to confer glyphosate tolerance to transgenic organisms. Eleven iterations of DNA shuffling improved enzyme efficiency by nearly four orders of magnitude from 0.87 mM-1 min-1 to 8320 mM-1 min-1. From the fifth iteration and beyond, GAT enzymes conferred increasing glyphosate tolerance to Escherichia coli, Arabidopsis, tobacco, and maize. Glyphosate acetylation provides an alternative strategy for supporting glyphosate use on crops.     

河南省平舆县农业环境污染现状及防治对策

分析河南省平舆县农业环境污染的主导因素:土壤受废水、农药、化肥、地膜、畜禽粪便对环境污染现状,探讨防治对策.     

Preparation and properties of antibacterial Poly(vinyl alcohol) nanofibers by nanoparticles

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/Ag-zeolite nanofiber webs were prepared with different concentrations of Ag-zeolite nanoparticles by the electrospinning technique. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Instron, and antibacterial activities analysis were utilized to characterize the morphology and properties of the PVA/Ag-zeolite nanofiber webs. The study results showed that the polymer concentration, applied voltages and tip-to-collector distances were the main factors influencing the morphology of the electrospun nanofiber webs. The introduction of Ag-zeolite nanoparticles improved the mechanical properties and thermal stability of the PVA nanofiber webs. TEM data demonstrated that the Ag-zeolite nanoparticles were well distributed within the nanofiber. FTIR revealed a possible interaction between the PVA matrix and the Ag-zeolite nanoparticles. These fibers showed an antibacterial efficacy of 99.8 % and over against Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae at Ag-zeolite concentrations of 1 % and over, because of the presence of the silver nanoparticles in the zeolite.     

Soil nitrogen mineralization not affected by grass species traits

Species N use traits was evaluated as a mechanism whereby Bromus inermis (Bromus), an established invasive, might alter soil N supply in a Northern mixed-grass prairie. We compared soils under stands of Bromus with those from three representative native grasses of different litter C/N: Andropogon gerardii (Andropogon), Nassella viridula (Nassella) and Pascopyrum smithii (Pascopyrum); in ascending order of litter quality. Net mineralization (per g soil N) measured in year-long laboratory incubations showed no differences in comparisons of Bromus with two of the three native grasses: Andropogon and Nassella. Higher mineralization in Pascopyrum stands relative to Bromus was consistent with its higher litter quality. However, an unusually high occurrence of an N-fixing legume in Pascopyrum stands, potentially favoring high mineralization rates, confounded any conclusions regarding the effects of plant N use on N mineralization. Instead of an initial flush of net mineralization, as would be expected in laboratory incubation, we observed an initial lag phase. This lag in net N mineralization coincided with high microbial activity (respiration) that suggests strong N limitation of the microbial biomass. Further support for the importance of immobilization initially came from modeling mineralization dynamics, which was explained better when we accounted for microbial growth in our model. The absence of strong differences in net mineralization beneath these grasses suggests that differences in plant N use alone were unlikely to influence soil N mineralization through substrate quality, particularly under strong N control of the microbial biomass.     

Resistance monitoring of Heliothis virescens to pyramided cotton varieties with a hydrateable, artificial cotton leaf bioassay

Proof of concept was demonstrated for a practical, off-the-shelf bioassay to monitor for tobacco budworm resistance to pyramided Bt cotton using plant filtrates. The bioassay was based on a previously described feeding disruption test using hydrateable artificial diet containing a blue indicator dye, a diagnostic dose of insecticide and novel assay architecture. Using neonate larvae from a Bt-susceptible, laboratory reared tobacco budworm strain, a diagnostic dose for Bollgard II and WideStrike cotton was obtained that limited neonate blue fecal production to 0-2 pellets in 24 h (Bt-resistant larvae produced >2 fecal pellets). The bioassay was tested with three different field populations of tobacco budworm collected from tobacco in central North Carolina (USA) and shown to accurately diagnose susceptibility to Bt. The diagnostic doses were also successfully evaluated with two Bt-resistant, laboratory reared tobacco budworm strains. Shelf life studies showed the assay could be stored for at least 6 months at room temperature (longer storage times were not studied). The application of the bioassay as an easy to use monitoring tool is discussed.     

Epicatechin and catechin in cocoa inhibit amyloid beta protein induced apoptosis

To elucidate additional health benefits of cocoa phytochemicals on the neurotoxicity induced by amyloid beta protein (Abeta), PC12 cells were treated with toxic peptide (Abeta(25)(-)(35)) and the effects of epicatechin, catechin, and cocoa were studied using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) reduction, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, and trypan blue exclusion methods. Significant increase in neuronal cell death was observed on PC12 cells treated with Abeta(25)(-)(35) (25 microM), while epicatechin and catechin and their mixture prevented the Abeta-induced neuronal cell death. Abeta treatment also led to the increased membrane instability of PC12 cells. The membrane protective effects of the phenolics determined by LDH release and trypan blue exclusion assays demonstrated that epicatechin, catechin, and their mixture protect cellular membrane from Abeta-induced cytotoxicity. In these three different cell viability assays, the mixture of epicatechin and catechin showed the highest protective effect and synergistic activity. The present results showed that the major flavonoids of cocoa, epicatechin and catechin, protect PC12 cells from Abeta-induced neurotoxicity, and suggest that cocoa may have anti-neurodegenerative effect in addition to other known chemopreventive effects.