芽孢杆菌植酸酶phy(ycD)基因在大肠杆菌中的异源表达与纯化

为研究中性植酸酶的性质,将芽孢杆菌来源植酸酶基因phy(ycD)构建到大肠杆菌表达载体pET-28a(+)上,进行诱导表达,利用Ni-NAT和Superdex-75纯化后,对重组植酸酶r-phy(ycD)的性质进行分析.结果显示,该酶是Ca2+依赖性酶,Ca2+最适浓度为1 mmol/L,酶比活为4.7 U/mg,酶促反应的最适pH为6.5,在中性条件下稳定,最适反应温度为45℃,K m值和V max值分别为0.213 mmol/L和5.55 U/mg.Zn2+、Ni2+、Ba2+和Ag2+对酶促反应均有显著抑制作用.本研究表明,Ca2+对该类酶的活性和热稳定性起着关键性作用,因此在表达和纯化过程中需要在培养基和纯化所需的各类缓冲液中添加Ca2+.     

粉纹夜蛾颗粒体病毒全长增效基因在大肠杆菌中的表达

利用PCR技术扩增了粉纹夜蛾(Trichoplusia ni)颗粒体病毒增效基因全长片段,扩增产物用EcoRⅠ/HindⅢ双酶消化,经0.7%低熔点琼脂糖凝胶电泳纯化后插入pRSET-B中,得重组表达质粒pRSET/enhancin;但重组子生长异常,在IPTG诱导下未能明显表达目标蛋白.用PstⅠ/HindⅢ双酶消化pRSET/enhancin,电泳回收2.7kb片段后插入pQE-30中,得重组表达载体pQE/enhancin;在IPTG诱导下于35℃成功表达出分子量(Mr)约为108×103的融合蛋白并命名为P108.初步纯化的P108显示了极显著的增效活性,对棉铃虫核型多角体病毒感染棉铃虫3龄幼虫的7d致死率提高34.03%,LT50缩短1.4d;对苏云金杆菌杀棉铃虫3龄幼虫的72h致死率提高65.96%.图4表2参14     

嗜热子囊菌光孢变种β-葡萄糖苷酶的基因克隆、表达及酶学性质分析

从嗜热子囊菌光孢变种(Thermoascus aurantiacus var.levisporus)RNA中通过RT-PCR克隆出β-葡萄糖苷酶基因bgl Ⅰ的全长序列,cDNA序列为2 672 bp.Genbank登录号为EU269025,将该片段插入巴斯德毕赤酵母Pichia pastoris分泌型表达载体pPIC9K中,获得重组质粒pPIC9K/bgl,经线性化后用电穿孔法导入毕赤酵母GS115中,在醇氧化酶AOXI基因启动子作用下,获得高效表达β-葡萄糖苷酶的毕赤酵母工程菌株.经DEAE-Sepharose Fast Flow阴离子层析纯化了该重组表达蛋白.SDS-PAGER测得该重组蛋白相对分子质量(M)约为120×103.经甲醇诱导,培养基中β-葡萄糖苷酶的活力可达1.2 U/mg,小规模发酵量达0.45 mg/mL.该酶的最适反应温度为60℃,最适反应pH为5.0.于70℃保温30 min仍保持80%的酶活力,具有较高的热稳定性,在pH 3.0～9.0的条件下酸碱耐受性强.图6表1参22     

重组钝顶节旋藻藻蓝蛋白基因在聚球藻中的表达

藻蓝蛋白(Phycocyanin)具有抗氧化、消炎、抗癌、增强免疫等生理活性和荧光特性.本研究从钝顶节旋藻(Arthrospira platensis)中克隆藻蓝蛋白基因,构建重组藻蓝蛋白并在聚球藻7942(Synechococcus sp.PCC 7942)中表达.利用PCR技术克隆钝顶节旋藻藻蓝蛋白α亚基(cpc A)与β亚基(cpc B)基因,在cpc A的5’端及3’端加入编码6×His标签基因,克隆Hiscpc A基因,并构建同源重组表达载体p U BCA3D-1.通过自然转化法将p UBCA3D-1转入聚球藻中,经筛选鉴定获得了转基因藻株.PCR验证结果表明,目的基因整合到聚球藻基因组中的概率为86.6%.转基因聚球藻在无抗生素筛选条件下连续培养2个月,仍能稳定表达重组Cpc A.以上结果表明,重组钝顶节旋藻藻蓝蛋白在聚球藻中稳定表达;研究结果为节旋藻cpc A基因改造、重组Cpc A进一步分离纯化以及重组藻蓝蛋白的生产奠定了基础.     

碱性果胶酯裂解酶工程菌的构建

从本研究室筛选的BacillussubtilisWSHB04-02菌株中扩增出编码碱性果胶酯裂解酶的结构基因PL,将其插入大肠杆菌分泌表达载体pET22b( )多克隆位点,得到重组载体pET22b( )PL.序列分析表明,所获PL基因与已报道的B.subtilisSO113的PL基因的同源性为98%.重组载体在大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)中得到表达.SDS-PAGE分析显示,表达产物的分子量(Mr)均为43×103,同核酸序列测定所推导的值相符.该工程菌经IPTG诱导后,胞内酶活为8U/mL.研究发现,碱性果胶酯裂解酶不仅在胞内有酶活,胞外也有酶活,说明所构建的表达体系可使该酶向胞外分泌.图3表1参6     

重组人核糖核酸酶抑制因子基因的siRNA表达载体构建及B16细胞中基因沉默的鉴定

人核糖核酸酶抑制因子(Human ribonuclease inhibitor, hRI)是细胞质中的一种酸性糖蛋白,可以与血管生长因子(Angiogenin, Ang)紧密结合从而抑制血管形成.利用全基因组合成法合成针对人核糖核酸酶抑制因子基因(hri)的发夹shRNA序列,亚克隆到siRNA表达载体pKD;重组载体经酶切鉴定后,用脂质体法与报告基因绿色荧光蛋白重组融合的人核糖核酸酶抑制因子的逆转录病毒载体pLNCX-EGFP-C1-hri共转染到小鼠黑色素瘤细胞B16中,在荧光显微镜下检测干扰效果.用Image-Pro plus 4.5软件对绿色荧光照片半定量分析干扰效率.结果表明,荧光显微镜显示B16中表达的绿色荧光被干扰,荧光强度半定量分析干扰效率可达80%以上.成功重组构建了针对hri的siRNA表达载体.图5参9     

硫化叶菌病毒dUTPase基因的表达及酶学活性分析

对硫化叶菌病毒(Sulfolobus virus)STSV2脱氧尿苷焦磷酸酶(dUTPase)基因进行克隆表达,并分析其酶学特征.根据STSV2的dUTPase基因序列设计特异性引物,以病毒STSV2 DNA为模板进行PCR扩增,将产物克隆至原核表达载体pET32a(+)中,然后,将其转化至Escherichia coli BL21(DE3)进行dUTPase的IPTG诱导表达及纯化,通过SDS-PAGE检测其大小,并测定其酶学活性.结果表明,诱导表达的重组dUTPase蛋白分子量(Mr)约为38×103(含pET32a(+)自带的助溶标签),重组dUTPase在Mg2+存在的情况下能特异性催化dUTP生成dUMP和PPi,其反应最适温度为60℃,在pH值3-8之间有较高的活性,其在提高PCR扩增效率和特异性方面具有一定的作用.本研究通过克隆表达获得了硫化叶菌病毒(Sulfolobus virus)STSV2脱氧尿苷焦磷酸酶,其在基因扩增领域有一定的应用价值.图5表1参18     

大肠杆菌植酸酶的原核表达及酶学性质

将大肠杆菌植酸酶appA摹因重组于表达载体pET32a中,导人大肠杆菌Origami(DE3)构建工程菌Origami(DE3)-pET32aappA.对表达的appA重组植酸酶经Ni柱亲和纯化、SDS-PAGE分析表明,纯化后条带单一,酶的纯度较高.对其酶学性质的研究表明,该酶反应的比活力为3.36×106 U/mg;最适pH为4.5;最适温度为60℃ ;在80℃和85℃的耐干热能力超过耐湿热能力;在37℃下,Mg2+、Ca2+、Mn2+对酶活性有促进作用,CO2+、Cu2+、K+对酶活性有不同程度的抑制作用,而Fe3+和Zn2+对酶活性有强烈的抑制作用;此外,该酶还具有非常好的抗胃蛋白酶水解的能力和部分抗胰蛋白酶水解的能力.图8表1参21     

朱砂叶螨乙酰胆碱酯酶的原核表达及其活性分析

乙酰胆碱酯酶(ACh E)在神经信号传导过程中起重要作用,是氨基甲酸酯类和有机磷类农药的主要作用靶标.对朱砂叶螨ACh E进行体外表达和纯化,并分析其活性.将朱砂叶螨ace基因序列插入到原核高效表达载体p ET-30a中,构建表达载体p ET-30a/ace,转入表达菌株Escherichia coli BL21(DE3)中,IPTG诱导高效表达;镍柱纯化目的蛋白,经SDS-PAGE和Western Blot鉴定目的蛋白;以纯化的螨ACh E为抗原制备抗螨ACh E特异性抗体;改良的Ellman法测定螨ACh E活性.结果获得了相对分子质量(Mr)约为68×103的较高纯度的螨ACh E蛋白,检测大部分为可溶性表达,酶活检测具有乙酰胆碱酯酶活性,并制备了107效价的抗螨ACh E特异性抗体.采用重组ACh E(IC50=5.4 mmol/L)检测毒扁豆碱抑制活性比螨粗酶液(IC50=58.7 mmol/L)灵敏度提高11倍.本研究构建了螨ACh E体外高效表达载体并获得了具有较好活性的重组螨ACh E,可为抗ACh E杀螨剂的体外高通量筛选和以ACh E为靶标的农药残留检测奠定基础.     

果胶寡糖生产菌的构建与筛选

生物酶解法是新兴益生元果胶寡糖(Pectin oligosaccharides,POS)生产的主要途径.通过构建黑曲霉来源的多聚半乳糖醛酸酶(Polygalacturonase,PGA)基因pga A表达载体p PIC9K-PGA,电转毕赤酵母GS115,筛选能够表达用于制备POS重组果胶酶的工程菌.利用SDS-PAGE检测诱导表达上清,TLC分析其水解产物成分,筛选得到一株特定降解果胶生成寡糖的酵母工程菌GS-12.该重组多聚半乳糖醛酸酶(Recombinant polygalacturonase,re PGA)相对分子量(Mr)为86×10~3,发酵液酶活水平24.8 U/m L;GS-12经30次传代后目的基因pga A仍能稳定遗传,水解产物成分未发生改变;酶促反应得出该酶最适温度50℃,最适p H 5.5,50℃保温5 h相对酶活保持50%以上.综上,所构建酵母工程菌GS-12遗传稳定性高,耐热性提升,作用果胶可得大分子量多糖产物,对POS的工业规模化生产具有重要价值.     

Rapid,recurring, structured survey versus bioblitz for generating biodiversity data and analysis with a multispecies abundance model

A bioblitz inexpensively and quickly generates biodiversity data, but bioblitzes are often conducted with haphazard, unreplicated sampling. Results tend to be taxonomically, geographically, or temporally biased, lack metadata, and consist of lists of observed taxa that do not enable further analyses or correction for imperfect detection. A rapid, recurring, structured survey (RRSS) uses a structured sampling design and temporal and spatial replication to survey randomly selected sites on a conservation property. We participated in a loosely structured bioblitz and a subsequent RRSS at Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve in Springville (St. Clair County), Alabama (USA) to compare observed richness derived from the 2 survey approaches. The RRSS data structure enabled us to fit models that accounted for imperfect detection to estimate abundances, occupancy probabilities, and habitat associations. The loosely structured bioblitz data could not be used in such models. We present a new integrated multispecies abundance model that we applied to avian RRSS data. Our model extension enables estimation for the community, employs data augmentation to estimate the number of undetected species, and incorporates covariates. The RRSS generated a more comprehensive and less biased list of observed taxonomic richness than the loosely structured bioblitz (e.g., 73 vs. 45 bird species and 104 vs. 63 insect families from the RRSS vs. loosely structured bioblitz, respectively). Models fit to the RRSS data identified seasonal patterns in avian community composition and allowed for estimation of habitat–occupancy relationships for insect taxa. The RRSS protocol has potential for broad transferability as a standardized, quick, and inexpensive way to inventory biodiversity and estimate ecological parameters while providing an outreach opportunity.     

Compliance with and ecosystem function of biodiversity offsets in North American and European freshwaters

Land-use change via human development is a major driver of biodiversity loss. To reduce these impacts, billions of dollars are spent on biodiversity offsets. However, studies evaluating offset project effectiveness that examine components such as the overall compliance and function of projects remain rare. We reviewed 577 offsetting projects in freshwater ecosystems that included the metrics project size, type of aquatic system (e.g., wetland and creek), offsetting measure (e.g., enhancement, restoration, and creation), and an assessment of the projects’ compliance and functional success. Project information was obtained from scientific and government databases and gray literature. Despite considerable investment in offsetting projects, crucial problems persisted. Although compliance and function were related to each other, a high level of compliance did not guarantee a high degree of function. However, large projects relative to area had better function than small projects. Function improved when projects targeted productivity or specific ecosystem features and when multiple complementary management targets were in place. Restorative measures were more likely to achieve targets than creating entirely new ecosystems. Altogether the relationships we found highlight specific ecological processes that may help improve offsetting outcomes.     

A palaeo-hydrogeological model for arsenic contamination in southern and south-east Asia

An argument is presented in which areas of natural arsenic contamination of modern groundwaters throughout Asia have a common origin. Arsenic originally accumulated in oceanic ferro-manganoan sediments of the eastern Palaeo-Tethys. This was further concentrated through oceanic crustal extinction in what later became the south-east Chinese accreted mineralised terrain. Proto-Himalayan uplift of this area created the palaeo-drainage systems of the Ganges – Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy, Mekong, and Red Rivers, with consequent headwater erosion of arsenic-rich sediments. Their downstream deposition as immature and easily redistributed Neogene sandstones, silts, and iron-rich clays has created secondary and tertiary reservoirs of adsorbed and authigenic arsenic, from which the current arsenic-rich groundwaters have evolved. Considering river basins within the above palaeo-hydrogeological framework provides a basis for assessing the risk of arsenic in groundwater basins of south and south-eastern Asia.     

Cost‐effective conservation of an endangered frog under uncertainty

How should managers choose among conservation options when resources are scarce and there is uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of actions? Well‐developed tools exist for prioritizing areas for one‐time and binary actions (e.g., protect vs. not protect), but methods for prioritizing incremental or ongoing actions (such as habitat creation and maintenance) remain uncommon. We devised an approach that combines metapopulation viability and cost‐effectiveness analyses to select among alternative conservation actions while accounting for uncertainty. In our study, cost‐effectiveness is the ratio between the benefit of an action and its economic cost, where benefit is the change in metapopulation viability. We applied the approach to the case of the endangered growling grass frog (Litoria raniformis), which is threatened by urban development. We extended a Bayesian model to predict metapopulation viability under 9 urbanization and management scenarios and incorporated the full probability distribution of possible outcomes for each scenario into the cost‐effectiveness analysis. This allowed us to discern between cost‐effective alternatives that were robust to uncertainty and those with a relatively high risk of failure. We found a relatively high risk of extinction following urbanization if the only action was reservation of core habitat; habitat creation actions performed better than enhancement actions; and cost‐effectiveness ranking changed depending on the consideration of uncertainty. Our results suggest that creation and maintenance of wetlands dedicated to L. raniformis is the only cost‐effective action likely to result in a sufficiently low risk of extinction. To our knowledge we are the first study to use Bayesian metapopulation viability analysis to explicitly incorporate parametric and demographic uncertainty into a cost‐effective evaluation of conservation actions. The approach offers guidance to decision makers aiming to achieve cost‐effective conservation under uncertainty.     

Threats to intact tropical peatlands and opportunities for their conservation

Large, intact areas of tropical peatland are highly threatened at a global scale by the expansion of commercial agriculture and other forms of economic development. Conserving peatlands on a landscape scale, with their hydrology intact, is of international conservation importance to preserve their distinctive biodiversity and ecosystem services and maintain their resilience to future environmental change. We explored threats to and opportunities for conserving remaining intact tropical peatlands; thus, we excluded peatlands of Indonesia and Malaysia, where extensive deforestation, drainage, and conversion to plantations means conservation in this region can protect only small fragments of the original ecosystem. We focused on a case study, the Pastaza‐Marañón Foreland Basin (PMFB) in Peru, which is among the largest known intact tropical peatland landscapes in the world and is representative of peatland vulnerability. Maintenance of the hydrological conditions critical for carbon storage and ecosystem function of peatlands is, in the PMFB, primarily threatened by expansion of commercial agriculture linked to new transport infrastructure that is facilitating access to remote areas. There remain opportunities in the PMFB and elsewhere to develop alternative, more sustainable land‐use practices. Although some of the peatlands in the PMFB fall within existing legally protected areas, this protection does not include the most carbon‐dense (domed pole forest) areas. New carbon‐based conservation instruments (e.g., REDD+, Green Climate Fund), developing markets for sustainable peatland products, transferring land title to local communities, and expanding protected areas offer pathways to increased protection for intact tropical peatlands in Amazonia and elsewhere, such as those in New Guinea and Central Africa which remain, for the moment, broadly beyond the frontier of commercial development.     

Parasitic wasps orient to green leaf volatiles

Summary Undamaged plants emit low levels of green leaf volatiles (GLVs), while caterpillar-damaged and artificially damaged plants emit relatively higher levels of certain GLVs. Female braconid parasitoids,Microplitis croceipes, oriented to both damaged plants and to individual GLVs in no-choice tests in a wind tunnel, but seldom oriented to undamaged plants. Female ichneumonid parasitoids,Netelia heroica, also oriented to individual GLVs in a wind tunnel. Males of both wasp species failed to orient to the GLVs. These data show that leaf-feeding caterpillars can cause the release of GLVs, and that parasitic wasps can respond to these odors by flying upwind (chemoanemotactic response), which brings the wasps to their caterpillar hosts. This supports the hypothesis that plants communicate with members of the third trophic level,i.e., plants under herbivore attack emit chemical signals that guide natural enemies of herbivores to sites of plant damage. In this interaction, the GLVs serve as tritrophic plant-to-parasitoid synomones. That parasitoids from two different wasp families oriented to GLVs suggests that the response may be widespread among the Hymenoptera.Mention of a commercial or proprietary product does not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture     

Human Influence and Classical Biogeographic Predictors of Rare Species Occurrence

Biogeographic theory predicts that rare species occur more often in larger, less‐isolated habitat patches and suggests that patch size and connectivity are positive predictors of patch quality for conservation. However, in areas substantially modified by humans, rare species may be relegated to the most isolated patches. We used data from plant surveys of 81 meadow patches in the Georgia Basin of Canada and the United States to show that presence of threatened and endangered plants was positively predicted for patches that were isolated on small islands surrounded by ocean and for patches that were isolated by surrounding forest. Neither patch size nor connectivity were positive predictors of rare species occurrence. Thus, in our study area, human influence, presumably due to disturbance or introduction of competitive non‐native species, appears to have overwhelmed classical predictors of rare species distribution, such that greater patch isolation appeared to favor presence of rare species. We suggest conservation planners consider the potential advantages of protecting geographically isolated patches in human‐modified landscapes because such patches may represent the only habitats in which rare species are likely to persist. Influencia Humana y Predictores Biogeográficos Clásicos de la Ocurrencia de Especies Raras     

Seasonal dynamics of macro-algae in the South Lake of Tunis

The macro-algae communities observed in the south lake of Tunis are characterized by the predominance of nitrophilous algae which are in the order of biomass importance:Ulva, Cladophora andEnteromorpha. We have noted seasonal changes of alga distribution. The wind appears to be one of the most important factors influencing this distribution. The total biomass reaches a maximum in the spring. Rapid decomposition of the biomass leads to a severe ecological imbalance, resulting in crises of anoxia and fish death. A restoration project has already started. It aims at removal of contaminated muds and the introduction of a new circulation system. The main objectives of this work were to collect information on the distribution and biomass of the phytobenthic communities as a first step in the constitution of a database for further comparison.     

Patterns and biases of climate change threats in the IUCN Red List

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assessments rely on published data and expert inputs, and biases can be introduced where underlying definitions and concepts are ambiguous. Consideration of climate change threat is no exception, and recently numerous approaches to assessing the threat of climate change to species have been developed. We explored IUCN Red List assessments of amphibians and birds to determine whether species listed as threatened by climate change display distinct patterns in terms of habitat occupied and additional nonclimatic threats faced. We compared IUCN Red List data with a published data set of species’ biological and ecological traits believed to infer high vulnerability to climate change and determined whether distributions of climate change‐threatened species on the IUCN Red List concur with those of climate change‐threatened species identified with the trait‐based approach and whether species possessing these traits are more likely to have climate change listed as a threat on the IUCN Red List. Species in some ecosystems (e.g., grassland, shrubland) and subject to particular threats (e.g., invasive species) were more likely to have climate change as a listed threat. Geographical patterns of climate change‐threatened amphibians and birds on the IUCN Red List were incongruent with patterns of global species richness and patterns identified using trait‐based approaches. Certain traits were linked to increases or decreases in the likelihood of a species being threatened by climate change. Broad temperature tolerance of a species was consistently related to an increased likelihood of climate change threat, indicating counterintuitive relationships in IUCN assessments. To improve the robustness of species assessments of the vulnerability or extinction risk associated with climate change, we suggest IUCN adopt a more cohesive approach whereby specific traits highlighted by our results are considered in Red List assessments. To achieve this and to strengthen the climate change‐vulnerability assessments approach, it is necessary to identify and implement logical avenues for further research into traits that make species vulnerable to climate change (including population‐level threats).