Expression of alkane monooxygenase (alkB) genes by plant-associated bacteria in the rhizosphere and endosphere of Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L.) grown in diesel contaminated soil

For phytoremediation of organic contaminants, plants have to host an efficiently degrading microflora. To assess the role of endophytes in alkane degradation, Italian ryegrass was grown in sterile soil with 0, 1 or 2% diesel and inoculated either with an alkane degrading bacterial strain originally derived from the rhizosphere of Italian ryegrass or with an endophyte. We studied plant colonization of these strains as well as the abundance and expression of alkane monooxygenase (alkB) genes in the rhizosphere, shoot and root interior. Results showed that the endophyte strain better colonized the plant, particularly the plant interior, and also showed higher expression of alkB genes suggesting a more efficient degradation of the pollutant. Furthermore, plants inoculated with the endophyte were better able to grow in the presence of diesel. The rhizosphere strain colonized primarily the rhizosphere and showed low alkB gene expression in the plant interior.     

基于模糊神经网络的机动车驾驶教练员职业适宜性研究

提出应用模糊神经网络系统,建构教练员职业适宜性的3个要素(即心理素质、驾驶技能和知识的表达阐述能力)的学习样本,分析"三要素"的8项特征参数指标——场依存性、速度估计能力、交通安全意识、简单反应、选择反应、跟踪能力、行车注意力、表达阐述能力等,使用K-均值法对实验样本进行初始分类,形成标准学习样本,使用该样本对所构建系统进行训练和调试。利用经调试训练后的系统,依据所测教练员的心理、心理参数对其职业适宜性进行评价。试验表明:建立的教练员职业适宜性仿真模型能取得很好的评价效果。     

Detection of early effects of a single herbicide (diuron) and a mix of herbicides and pharmaceuticals (diuron, isoproturon, ibuprofen) on immunological parameters of Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) spat

In the context of massive summer mortality events of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas, the aim of this study was to investigate the early effects on genes, enzymes and haemocyte parameters implicated in immune defence mechanisms in C. gigas oysters exposed to a potentially hostile environment, i.e. to an herbicide alone or within a mixture. Following 2 h of exposure to the herbicide diuron at 1 μg L⁻¹, the repression of different genes implicated in immune defence mechanisms in the haemocytes and the inhibition of enzyme activities, such as laccase-type phenoloxidase (PO) in the plasma, were observed. The inhibition of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the plasma was also observed after 6 and 24 h of exposure. In the mixture with the herbicides diuron and isoproturon, and the pharmaceutical ibuprofen, catecholase-type PO activity in the plasma and the percentage of phagocytosis in the haemocytes were reduced after 6 h of exposure. Our results showed that early effects on molecular, biochemical and cellular parameters can be detected in the presence of diuron alone or within a mixture, giving an insight of its potential effect in situations that can be found in natural environments, i.e. relatively high concentrations for short periods of time.     

Zebrafish embryos/larvae for rapid determination of effects on hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) and hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis: mRNA expression

To identify and prioritize chemicals that may affect thyroid and adrenal/interregnal endocrine system and to reduce cost and animal use by conventional toxicity assay, an in vivo screening assay was developed using zebrafish embryos/larvae based on measurement of expression of genes that were suggested to play important roles in hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) and hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis. Model chemicals that could modulate HPT and HPI axis in adult fish were selected in assay validation, including anti-thyroid agent 6-Propyl-2-thiouracil (PTU) and cytochrome P450 11B (Cyp11b) enzyme inhibitor metyrapone (MET). Zebrafish embryos were exposed to different concentrations of model chemical from 4 h post-fertilization (hpf) to 5 d post-fertilization (dpf). Exposure to PTU increased mRNA expression of sodium iodide symporter (nis) and thyroglobulin (tg) involved in HPT axis, and MET treatment up-regulated all the mRNA expression tested involved in HPI axis by a compensatory mechanism. These results suggested that HPT and HPI axis were active upon chemical exposure at least at 5 dpf zebrafish. Furthermore, we studied the effects of PTU or MET on the cross-talk between HPT and HPI axis. The results demonstrated that PTU and MET could affect cross-talk responses in zebrafish embryos/larvae.     

Exposure to radiation from global system for mobile communications at 1,800 MHz significantly changes gene expression in rat hippocampus and cortex

We have earlier shown that radio frequency electromagnetic fields can cause significant leakage of albumin through the blood–brain barrier of exposed rats as compared to non-exposed rats, and also significant neuronal damage in rat brains several weeks after a 2 h exposure to a mobile phone, at 915 MHz with a global system for mobile communications (GSM) frequency modulation, at whole-body specific absorption rate values (SAR) of 200, 20, 2, and 0.2 mW/kg. We have now studied whether 6 h of exposure to the radiation from a GSM mobile test phone at 1,800 MHz (at a whole-body SAR-value of 13 mW/kg, corresponding to a brain SAR-value of 30 mW/kg) has an effect upon the gene expression pattern in rat brain cortex and hippocampus—areas where we have observed albumin leakage from capillaries into neurons and neuronal damage. Microarray analysis of 31,099 rat genes, including splicing variants, was performed in cortex and hippocampus of 8 Fischer 344 rats, 4 animals exposed to global system for mobile communications electromagnetic fields for 6 h in an anechoic chamber, one rat at a time, and 4 controls kept as long in the same anechoic chamber without exposure, also in this case one rat at a time. Gene ontology analysis (using the gene ontology categories biological processes, molecular functions, and cell components) of the differentially expressed genes of the exposed animals versus the control group revealed the following highly significant altered gene categories in both cortex and hippocampus: extracellular region, signal transducer activity, intrinsic to membrane, and integral to membrane. The fact that most of these categories are connected with membrane functions may have a relation to our earlier observation of albumin transport through brain capillaries.     

甲基营养型酵母表达载体系统研究进展

酵母作为生产真核异源蛋白的宿主菌 ,具备了易于分子遗传操作 ,原核微生物的生长性质及真核蛋白的翻译后加工修饰等特点 .其中Ｓａｃｃｈａｒｏｍｙｃｅｓｃｅｒｅｖｉｓｉａｅ (酿酒酵母 )是第一个作为异源蛋白基因表达系统并加以应用的酵母 .人们认为Ｓ .ｃｅｒｅｖｉｓｉａｅ并非表达外源基因的最理想的酵母宿主菌 .在一群优于Ｓ .ｃｅｒｅｖｉｓｉａｅ的表达菌中 ,甲基营养型酵母Ｐｉｃｈｉａｐａｓｔｏｒｉｓ研究得最多 ,最具应用潜力 .在 2 0世纪 70年代期间 ,Ｐ .ｐａｓｔｏｒｉｓ是单细胞蛋白 (Ｓｉｎｇｌｅ ｃｅｌｌｐｒｏｔｅｉｎ…     

A screening assay for thyroid hormone signaling disruption based on thyroid hormone-response gene expression analysis in the frog Pelophylax nigromaculatus

Amphibian metamorphosis provides a wonderful model to study the thyroid hormone (TH) signaling disrupting activity of environmental chemicals, with Xenopus laevis as the most commonly used species. This study aimed to establish a rapid and sensitive screening assay based on TH-response gene expression analysis using Pelophylax nigromaculatus, a native frog species distributed widely in East Asia, especially in China. To achieve this, five candidate TH-response genes that were sensitive to T3 induction were chosen as molecular markers, and T3 induction was determined as 0.2 nmol/L T3 exposure for 48 hr. The developed assay can detect the agonistic activity of T3 with a lowest observed effective concentration of 0.001 nmol/L and EC50 at around 0.118–1.229 nmol/L, exhibiting comparable or higher sensitivity than previously reported assays. We further validated the efficiency of the developed assay by detecting the TH signaling disrupting activity of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), a known TH signaling disruptor. In accordance with previous reports, we found a weak TH agonistic activity for TBBPA in the absence of T3, whereas a TH antagonistic activity was found for TBBPA at higher concentrations in the presence of T3, showing that the P. nigromaculatus assay is effective for detecting TH signaling disrupting activity. Importantly, we observed non-monotonic dose-dependent disrupting activity of TBBPA in the presence of T3, which is difficult to detect with in vitro reporter gene assays. Overall, the developed P. nigromaculatus assay can be used to screen TH signaling disrupting activity of environmental chemicals with high sensitivity.     

能见度与PM2.5浓度关系及其分布特征

利用相对湿度、能见度和PM_(2.5)质量浓度观测数据,针对不同相对湿度下,建立了消光系数与PM_(2.5)质量浓度之间线性关系,并分析了相关关系的全国分布特征.结果表明,我国中东部大部分地区在一定相对湿度区间内均可建立线性相关关系,而且相关性较好,相对湿度40%～90%区间内的平均相关系数高于0. 75,其中北京相关系数高达0. 9.北京、长三角和四川等地的PM_(2.5)单位质量消光效率在同等相对湿度下明显大于其他地区.不同地区湿度对能见度影响程度不同,北京等地在相对湿度大于90%时相对湿度对能见度作用大于PM_(2.5),而广州在相对湿度大于80%时相对湿度的作用明显增强.利用能见度反算北京地区PM_(2.5)浓度可知,1980～1996年,PM_(2.5)浓度年际变化不大,受采暖方式影响冬季PM_(2.5)浓度显著较高; 1997～2009年呈现缓慢下降趋势; 2010～2012年呈现上升趋势. 1980年以来,全国的PM_(2.5)浓度整体呈上升的趋势,尤其是华北地区,PM_(2.5)浓度始终高于全国其他地区.     

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin promotes migration ability of primary cultured rat astrocytes via aryl hydrocarbon receptor

Emerging evidence showed that 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) could induce expression of certain reactivation-associated genes in astrocytes, however, the consequent cellular effects and molecular mechanisms are still unclear. During the process of astrocyte reactivation, migration is a critical cellular event. In the present study, we employed wound-healing assay and Transwell® motility assay to explore the effects of TCDD on cell migration in primary cultured rat cortical astrocytes. We found that upon TCDD treatments at relative low concentrations (10^? 10 and/or 10^? 9?mol/L), the ability of primary astrocytes to migrate horizontally and vertically was promoted. In line with this cellular effect, the mRNA expression of two pro-migratory genes, including cell division cycle 42 (CDC42) and matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) was induced by TCDD treatment. Dioxin exerts its toxic effects mainly through aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) pathway. So the role of AhR pathway in the pro-migratory effects of TCDD was examined using an AhR antagonist, CH223191. We found that application of CH223191 significantly reversed the pro-migratory effects of TCDD. Interestingly, the basal ability of horizontal migration as well as basal levels of CDC42 and MMP2 expression were dramatically reduced suggesting a possible physiological role of AhR in maintaining the endogenous migration ability of the primary astrocytes. These findings support the notion that dioxin promotes astrocyte reactivation at molecular and cellular levels.     

转cry1Ab基因水稻中毒蛋白的表达、分泌及其在土壤中的残留

研究了转cry1Ab基因水稻(克螟稻)中Cry1Ab毒蛋白的表达、根系分泌及其在土壤中的残留规律.结果表明,分蘖始期至成熟期,克螟稻地上部和根部中的Cry1Ab毒蛋白的表达量(FW)分别为3.23～8.22 μg/g和0.68～0.89 μg/g.生育期间克螟稻根系分泌的Cry1Ab毒蛋白含量仅为1.66～48.02 ng/(株·d).试验证实,克螟稻根际土中的Cry1Ab毒蛋白残留含量低于检测限(<0.5ng/g 干燥土).生物测定还表明,克螟稻根际土及其提取液对棉铃虫初孵幼虫和3龄幼虫不产生致死性效应.相对于Cry1Ab毒蛋白的根系分泌转移,克螟稻秸秆还田对土壤环境的影响应引起重视.