低磷胁迫对玉米叶片色素和形态的影响

通过大田试验,以4个基因型玉米为材料,研究了低磷胁迫下玉米叶片色素和形态变化及其内部生理机制.结果表明,低磷条件下,玉米叶片叶绿素/类胡萝卜素、叶绿素/紫色素和叶绿素/红色素均减少,其中基因型"7922"和"掖107"的叶绿素/类胡萝卜素、叶绿素/紫色素和叶绿素,红色素减少幅度较大,为高磷条件下的0.4～0.8倍,且减少幅度高于"178"和"*082".低磷条件下,苯丙氨酸解氨酶(PAL)活性和总黄酮含量均增加,其中基因型"7922"和"掖107"为高磷条件下的1.5～2.0倍,增加幅度高于基因型"178"和"*082"."7922"和"掖107"的叶宽和鲜重在两个供磷水平下差异显著,"掖107"的叶片主叶脉直径和总叶片数差异显著.低磷土壤条件下玉米叶宽和主叶脉直径变小,鲜重和总叶片数减少.不同基因型玉米叶片色素和形态变化差异显著.初步推测,"7922"和"掖107"不耐低磷, "178"和"*082"较耐低磷.     

麦瘟病研究进展与展望

由Magnaporthe oryzae引起的麦瘟病是一种毁灭性小麦真菌病害,过去仅在南美流行,可造成10%~100%减产。2016年该病害首次在亚洲出现,给世界小麦生产带来重大潜在威胁。本文对麦瘟病病原生物学与病害流行学、小麦抗性材料筛选、麦瘟病的抗病性机制和综合治理等进行评述,并介绍了该领域国际合作研究的成功经验,以期为国内开展类似工作提供借鉴。尽管我国尚无麦瘟病报道,但南方部分地区为潜在适生区,异常气候可能会导致其在大范围流行,因此需高度警惕。建议与国际麦瘟病协作网合作,尽快开展麦瘟病相关研究,建立对此病害的监测预警和防治关键技术储备体系,以保障我国小麦生产安全。     

Constitutive nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activities in big-head carp (Aristichthys nobilis)

Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) is an enzyme that catalyzes the formation of nitric oxide (NO), an important biological messenger from L-arginine. There are considerable evidence showing the expression of NOS in mammalian tissues. Information on distribution of NOS activities in various organs and tissues of fish is rare. Non-functional NOS activities were documented in fish semi-quantitatively either by an indirect nicotine-adenine-dinucleotide-phosphate diaphorase (NADPH-d) activity histochemical staining method or by an immunohistochemical method using a cross-reacting antibody to brain NOS. Report on the functional levels of NOS activities in fish is lacking. This report represent the first attempt to document the functional NOS levels in various fish organs and tissues. Constitutive NOS (cNOS) activities in various organs of big-head carp (Aristichthys nobilis) was measured by a chemiluminescence method with a detection limit as low as 10 mol of NO produced. It was found that constitutive NOS activity was highest in the brain, followed by the intestine, stomach, retina, olfactory lobe, swim bladder, skeletal muscle, heart, kidney, ovary and liver. NOS activity could not be detected in the gill filaments. Omission of NADPH in the reaction mixture caused a 57–100% decrease in cNOS activities. However, omission of arginine in the mixture only caused a 56–87% drop in cNOS activities. When compared with cNOS activities documented from other species, a similar pattern of cNOS activities in the various organs and tissues of big-head carp could be seen.     

Emission of coherent THz radiation from superconductors

Compact solid-state sources of terahertz (THz) radiation are being sought for sensing, imaging, and spectroscopy applications across the physical and biological sciences. We demonstrate that coherent continuous-wave THz radiation of sizable power can be extracted from intrinsic Josephson junctions in the layered high-temperature superconductor Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8. In analogy to a laser cavity, the excitation of an electromagnetic cavity resonance inside the sample generates a macroscopic coherent state in which a large number of junctions are synchronized to oscillate in phase. The emission power is found to increase as the square of the number of junctions reaching values of 0.5 microwatt at frequencies up to 0.85 THz, and persists up to approximately 50 kelvin. These results should stimulate the development of superconducting compact sources of THz radiation.     

Organic superconductors--new benchmarks

Recent advances in the design and synthesis of organic synthetic metals have yielded materials that have the highest superconducting transition temperatures (T(c) approximately 13 kelvin) reported for these systems. These materials have crystal structures consisting of alternating layers of organic donor molecules and inorganic anions. Organic superconductors have various electronic and magnetic properties and crystal structures that are similar to those of the inorganic copper oxide superconductors (which have high T(c) values); these similarities include highly anisotropic conductivities, critical fields, and short coherence lengths. The largest number of organic superconductors, including those with the highest T(c) values, are charge-transfer salts derived from the electron donor molecule BEDT-TTF or ET [bis(ethylenedithio)-tetrathiafulvalene]. The synthesis and crystal structures of these salts are discussed; their electrical, magnetic, and band electronic structure properties and their many similarities to the copper oxide superconductors are treated as well.     

Inhibition of Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory responses by Sargassum hemiphyllum sulfated polysaccharide extract in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells

Sargassum hemiphyllum , a kind of brown seaweed generally found along coastlines in East Asia, has long served as a traditional Chinese medicine. S. hemiphyllum has shown an anti-inflammatory effect; however, its mechanism has not been elucidated clearly. This study explored S. hemiphyllum for its biomedical effects. S. hemiphyllum sulfated polysaccharide extract (SHSP) was first prepared; the mouse macrophage cell line (RAW 264.7) activated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was used as a model system. The secretion profiles of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and NO, were found significantly to be reduced in 1-5 mg/mL dose ranges of SHSP treatments. RT-PCR analysis suggested SHSP inhibits the LPS-induced mRNA expressions of IL-β, iNOS, and COX-2 in a dose-dependent manner. At protein levels, Western blot analysis demonstrated a similar result for NF-κB (p65) in cytosol/nuclear. Taken together, the anti-inflammatory properties of SHSP may be attributed to the down-regulation of NF-κB in nucleus.     

Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in dogs from Colombia, South America and genetic characterization of T. gondii isolates

The prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in 309 unwanted dogs from Bogotá, Colombia, South America was determined. Antibodies to T. gondii were assayed by the modified agglutination test (MAT) and found in 52 (16.8%) of 309 dogs with titers of 1:20 in 20, 1:40 in six, 1:80 in 17, 1:160 in three, 1:320 in three, 1:1280 or higher in three. Some organs obtained after necropsy of dogs (hearts, tongues and brains, either separately or pooled) were used in bioassays carried out in mice (37 samples, of which 20 were assayed with separate organs and 17 were assayed with pooled organs), cats (pooled organs from six) and pooled organs of two dogs both in mice and cat. Mice receiving dog tissues were examined for T. gondii infection. Feces of cats that received dog tissues were examined for oocyst shedding. In total, T. gondii was isolated from tissues of 20 dogs (16 by bioassays in mice, 3 by bioassay in cats and 1 by bioassay in mice and cat). All infected mice from 7 of 17 isolates bioassayed in this host died of toxoplasmosis during primary infection. Only 10 of the 20 dogs whose tissues were bioassayed separately induced infections in mice. Interestingly, dog organs varied in their capacity to induce T. gondii infection in mice, hearts and tongues producing more positive results than the brain. The 20 T. gondii isolates obtained from seropositive dogs were PCR-RFLP genotyped using polymorphisms at 10 nuclear markers including SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L358, PK1, a new SAG2 and an apicoplast marker Apico. Ten genotypes were revealed. These genotypes are different from the three predominant Types I, II and III lineages that are widely spread in North America and Europe. A new allele denoted u-3 at PK1 locus was identified in three isolates. This result supports previous findings that T. gondii population is highly diverse in Colombia.     

青稞遗传多样性及其农艺性状与SSR标记的关联分析

利用92个SSR标记对108份青稞亲本材料进行多态性扫描,分析其遗传多样性,旨在寻找与农艺性状相关联的分子标记,为青稞杂交组合的配制及分子标记辅助育种提供依据。挑选48个多态性标记进行群体遗传结构分析,在此基础上采用Tassel 2.1 GLM (general linear model)和MLM (mixed linear model)方法进行标记与农艺性状的关联分析。共检测出156个等位变异,每个位点2~6个等位变异。供试群体的Shannon指数为0.6727~1.1368,材料间遗传相似系数为0.2250~1.0000,平均0.7585。通过群体遗传结构分析将供试材料划分成4个亚群。以GLM分析,发现12个与株高、穗长、穗粒数和分蘖数相关联的标记,对表型变异的解释率分别为11.5%~17.6%、19.4%~45.4%、15.4%~22.1%和29.2%;以MLM分析,发现8个与株高、分蘖数和小穗数相关的标记,各标记对表型变异的解释率分别为31.7%~49.8%、28.1%~37.2%、22.7%~32.7%。关联标记分布在基因组全部6个连锁群上。     

Tilapia Piscidin 4 (TP4) Stimulates Cell Proliferation and Wound Closure in MRSA-Infected Wounds in Mice

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are endogenous antibiotics that directly affect microorganisms, and also have a variety of receptor-mediated functions. One such AMP, Tilapia piscidin 4 (TP4), was isolated from Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus); TP4 has antibacterial effects and regulates the innate immune system. The aim of the present study was to characterize the role of TP4 in the regulation of wound closure in mice and proliferation of a keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT) and fibroblast cell line (Hs-68). In vitro, TP4 stimulated cell proliferation and activated collagen I, collagen III, and keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) gene expression in Hs-68 cells, which induces keratin production by HaCaT cells. This effect was detectable at TP4 concentrations of 6.25 µg/mL in both cell lines. In vivo, TP4 was found to be highly effective at combating peritonitis and wound infection caused by MRSA in mouse models, without inducing adverse behavioral effects or liver or kidney toxicity. Taken together, our results indicate that TP4 enhances the survival rate of mice infected with the bacterial pathogen MRSA through both antimicrobial and wound closure activities mediated by epidermal growth factor (EGF), transforming growth factor (TGF), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The peptide is likely involved in antibacterial processes and regulation of tissue homeostasis in infected wounds in mice. Overall, these results suggest that TP4 may be suitable for development as a novel topical agent for wound dressing.     

A three-dimensional biomechanical model for numerical simulation of dynamic pressure functional performances of graduated compression stocking (GCS)

The beneficial effects of graduated compression stockings (GCS) in prophylaxis and treatment of venous disorders of human lower extremity have been recognized. However, their pressure functional performances are variable and unstable in practical applications, and the exact mechanisms of action remain controversial. Direct surface pressure measurements and indirect material properties testing are not enough for fully understanding the interaction between stocking and leg. A three-dimensional (3D) biomechanical mathematical model for numerically simulating the interaction between leg and GCS in dynamic wear was developed based on the actual geometry of the female leg obtained from 3D reconstruction of MR images and the real size and mechanical properties of the compression stocking prototype. The biomechanical solid leg model consists of bones and soft tissues, and an orthotropic shell model is built for the stocking hose. The dynamic putting-on process is simulated by defining the contact of finite relative sliding between the two objects. The surface pressure magnitude and distribution along the different height levels of the leg and stress profiles of stockings were simulated. As well, their dynamic alterations with time processing were quantitatively analyzed. Through validation, the simulated results showed a reasonable agreement with the experimental measurements, and the simulated pressure gradient distribution from the ankle to the thigh (100:67:30) accorded with the advised criterion by the European committee for standardization. The developed model can be used to predict and visualize the dynamic pressure and stress performances exerted by compression stocking in wear, and to optimize the material mechanical properties in stocking design, thus, helping us understand mechanisms of compression action and improving medical functions of GCS.