Effects of three methionine sources in diets on temporal B0AT1 and ASCT2 mRNA expression in different intestinal segments of cobia,Rachycentron canadum

A 4‐week feeding trial was conducted using five groups of hybrid grouper (61.15 ± 0.15 g) to explore the potential effects of three methionine (Met) sources. Five isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets were formulated that included a fishmeal (FM) diet; nonsupplemented (NS) diet; or NS diets with the addition of the L‐methionine (L‐Met), DL‐methionine (DL‐Met), or coated Met (Co‐Met) to obtain the same Met level as the FM diet. Fish were randomly distributed into sea cages (30 fish per cage). Weight gain and specific growth rate in the DL‐Met group and FM group were significantly higher than those in all other groups (p < .05). In the proximal and distal intestines, of the 20 gene and time combinations (10 per gene), there were 14 combinations (70%) in which there were no significant differences in gene expression levels between the FM and DL‐Met groups (p > .05). The main reason for the same growth effect between the DL‐Met and FM groups may be attributed to the synchronized absorption at most time points after feeding, which had similar expression patterns of B⁰AT1 and ASCT2 of the proximal and distal intestines between two groups.     

牦牛源正呼肠孤病毒2型的检测和分离鉴定

旨在调查川西北牦牛哺乳动物正呼肠孤病毒（MRV）的感染情况并分离病毒。采用RT-PCR方法，对采自川西北15个牧场的72份牦牛腹泻粪便样本和其中5个牧场的15份腹泻牦牛血清样本进行MRV检测，阳性样本进一步用分型PCR确定其血清型。结果显示，粪便样本中MRV检出率为20.83%（15/72），血清2型的比例为60%（9/15）；血清样本中MRV检出率为40%（6/15），血清2型的比例为83.33%（5/6）；未检测到其他血清型。成功地从腹泻粪便中分离到1株MRV血清2型毒株（TCID₅₀为4×10^-8.56·mL^-1），并获得长度为23 587 bp的分离株全基因组，该分离株与中国猪源毒株的遗传关系最近；与GenBank中所有的MRV S1基因相比，该分离株有4个独特的氨基酸突变。本研究从牦牛中检测到MRV，并分离到1株牛源MRV血清2型毒株，为进一步研究MRV血清2型生物学特性奠定了基础。     

武汉市桔梗科一物种新记录——卵叶异檐花

报道了武汉市外来入侵植物新记录一种,为桔梗科Campanulaceae异檐花属Triodanis卵叶异檐花Triodanis perfoliata subsp.biflora(Ruiz et Pavon)Lammers。卵叶异檐花原产于美洲,在武汉地区是首次发现,凭证标本保存于长江文明馆(武汉自然博物馆)。     

Exogenous application of allelopathic water extracts helps improving tolerance against terminal heat and drought stresses in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L. Em. Thell.)

The allelopathic water extracts (AWEs) may help improve the tolerance of crop plants against abiotic stresses owing to the presence of the secondary metabolites (i.e., allelochemicals). We conducted four independent experiments to evaluate the influence of exogenous application of AWEs (applied through seed priming or foliage spray) in improving the terminal heat and drought tolerance in bread wheat. In all the experiments, two wheat cultivars, viz. Mairaj‐2008 (drought and heat tolerant) and Faisalabad‐2008 (drought and heat sensitive), were raised in pots. Both wheat cultivars were raised under ambient conditions in the wire house till leaf boot stage (booting) by maintaining the pots at 75% water‐holding capacity (WHC). Then, managed drought and heat stresses were imposed by maintaining the pots at 35% WHC, or shifting the pots inside the glass canopies (at 75% WHC), at booting, anthesis and the grain filling stages. Drought stress reduced the grain yield of wheat by 39%–49%. Foliar application of AWEs improved the grain yield of wheat by 26%–31%, while seed priming with AWEs improved the grain yield by 18%–26%, respectively, than drought stress. Terminal heat stress reduced the grain yield of wheat by 38%. Seed priming with AWEs improved the grain yield by 21%–27%; while foliar application of AWEs improved the grain yield by 25%–29% than the heat stress treatment. In conclusion, the exogenous application of AWEs improved the stay green, accumulation of proline, soluble phenolics and glycine betaine, which helped to stabilize the biological membranes and improved the tolerance against terminal drought and heat stresses.     

Identification and quantification of anthocyanins in different coloured cultivars of ornamental kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala DC)

Anthocyanins are responsible for the colour of many fruits, vegetables, flowers, and coloured-leaved trees. Ornamental kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala DC) is widely cultivated for its colourful inner leaves. To investigate the relationship between the degree of colouration and anthocyanin distribution, content, and composition in ornamental kale, the authors studied the pigment characteristics of five cultivars with different coloured leaves (white, pink, red, purple, and purple-black). Microscopy observation, spectrophotometer, and high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) analysis of fresh inner leaves revealed that pink, red, and purple colourations were associated with high levels of anthocyanin, while purple-black was the result of the combination of anthocyanins and chlorophyll. In the coloured cultivars, anthocyanins were abundant mainly in the first and second cell layers below the epidermis in both the hypocotyls and inner leaves. No anthocyanin was found in the white-leaved phenotype cultivar. Anthocyanin content increased as leaf colour deepened from pink, red, to purple cultivars, which had little chlorophyll and carotenoid. The authors identified eight anthocyanins in the four coloured cultivars, including one non-acylated, four monoacylated, and three diacylated cyanidin glycosides. Cyanidin-3-(sinapoyl)(feruloyl)-diglucoside-5-glucoside was the most abundant anthocyanin in the four coloured cultivars followed by cyanidin-3-(sinapoyl)-diglucoside-5-glucoside. The analysis of anthocyanin accumulation characterisation provides important information on evaluating colouration patterns in coloured plants, and will be helpful for breeding desired leaf colours in ornamental kale.     

白屈菜CmFAD2基因的克隆及植物转化载体构建

通过对白屈菜低温应答过程的转录组分析发现膜脂不饱和化相关基因的表达在一定过程中发生变化,脂肪酸去饱和酶基因FAD2在随温度的变化趋势为正"V"型,且表达量变化显著。利用NCBI等在线软件对序列进行相关生物学信息分析,并对白屈菜FAD家族成员FAD2基因的完整开放阅读框(ORF)进行克隆,并命名为CmFAD2。选用克隆载体pMD-19-T,转化大肠杆菌DH5α,测序验证序列正确性及完整性。将目的基因与植物表达载体pRI-201-AN连接构建重组DNA pRI-201-AN-Cm FAD2,电击法转化农杆菌LBA4404,利用菌液PCR法验证成功。该基因可作为药用植物抗寒品种创制的候选基因。     

Protective efficacy of an H5/H7 trivalent inactivated vaccine produced from Re-11, Re-12, and H7-Re2 strains against challenge with different H5 and H7 viruses in chickens

We developed an H5/H7 trivalent inactivated vaccine by using Re-11, Re-12, and H7-Re2 vaccine seed viruses, which were generated by reverse genetics and derived their HA genes from A/duck/Guizhou/S4184/2017(H5 N6)(DK/GZ/S4184/17)(a clade 2.3.4.4 d virus), A/chicken/Liaoning/SD007/2017(H5 N1)(CK/LN/SD007/17)(a clade 2.3.2.1 d virus), and A/chicken/Guangxi/SD098/2017(H7 N9)(CK/GX/SD098/17), respectively. The protective efficacy of this novel vaccine and that of the recently used H5/H7 bivalent inactivated vaccine against different H5 and H7 N9 viruses was evaluated in chickens. We found that the H5/H7 bivalent vaccine provided solid protection against the H7 N9 virus CK/GX/SD098/17, but only 50–60% protection against different H5 viruses. In contrast, the novel H5/H7 trivalent vaccine provided complete protection against the H5 and H7 viruses tested. Our study underscores the importance of timely updating of vaccines for avian influenza control.     

Zerumbone attenuates MPP+-induced cytotoxicity in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells by inhibition of oxidative stress

AIM: To investigate the role of zerumbone (ZER) in 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP⁺)-induced cytotoxicity of human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. METHODS: Human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells were cultured in vitro and the protective effect of ZER against MPP⁺-induced cytotoxicity was measured by CCK-8 assay. Flow cytometry was used to determine the apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS). The expression of Parkinson disease protein 7 (PARK7) was knocked-down by using PARK7-specific short hairpin RNA (shRNA). The protein levels of PARK7, nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) were determined by Western blot. RESULTS: MMP⁺ remarkably reduced the cell viability in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner. The SH-SY5Y cell injury model was established by treatment with MPP⁺ at 600 μmol/L for 24 h. ZER up-regulated the protein levels of PARK7 and Nrf2 (P<0.05), alleviated apoptosis (P<0.05), and reduced ROS production (P<0.05) in the SH-SY5Y cell injury model. Meanwhile, N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) had the similar functions. Moreover, significant reductions in the protein levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 (P<0.05), and obvious increases in apoptosis (P<0.05) and ROS level (P<0.05) were demonstrated in PARK7-knockdown cells. CONCLUSION: ZER protects SH-SY5Y cells against MPP⁺-induced cytotoxi-city, which may be related to activation of PARK7/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, and subsequent attenuation of oxidative stress and apoptosis.     

大花君子兰叶绿体基因组及其特征

采用Illumina MiSeq测序平台对大花君子兰（Clivia miniata）叶片总DNA进行测序，通过组装获得了其叶绿体基因组（cpDNA）全长序列（158 114 bp）。对其cpDNA注释得到135个基因，包含87个蛋白编码基因、40个tRNA基因和8个rRNA基因。采用生物信息学方法对获得的cpDNA进行简单序列重复（SSR）分析和密码子偏好性分析。结果显示：①大花君子兰cpDNA中共有61个SSR位点，其中单核苷酸、二核苷酸、三核苷酸、四核苷酸、五核苷酸和六核苷酸重复数分别为38、9、2、8、3和1个，多数SSR分布在基因间隔区；②大花君子兰cpDNA密码子偏爱以A或U（T）结尾，亮氨酸使用频率最高，半胱氨酸使用频率最低。基于24种植物的cpDNA全长和23种植物的叶绿体ycf2基因序列进行系统发育分析，结果显示大花君子兰与石蒜科植物在同一分支，显示最近的亲缘关系，支持大花君子兰属于石蒜科。基于叶绿体ycf2的系统发育分析结果与基于cpDNA全长的系统发育分析研究结果大部分相同，支持ycf2基因可以代替cpDNA全长用于植物系统发育分析。