Uptake and genotoxicity of micromolar concentrations of cobalt chloride in mammalian cells

Literature data concerning the genotoxicity of cobalt salts have been conflicting. To establish appropriate incubation conditions, we conducted a series of uptake studies, before genotoxicity was determined by DNA strand break induction in HeLa cells and mutagenicity in V79 Chinese hamster cells. Co(II) is taken up by HeLa cells in a concentration‐dependent manner and is accumulated inside the cell. The uptake is preceded by a fast association step to the outer membrane, with no saturation up to 24 h. DNA strand breaks as determined by nucleoid sedimentation are induced at concentrations as low as 50μMCoCl₂. The induction is time‐dependent, showing the highest number of breaks after 4h incubation with no further increase up to 24h. CoCl₂ is mutagenic at the HPRT‐locus, enhancing the spontaneous mutation frequency 4.2‐fold at 100μ?. Besides direct interactions with DNA, the mutagenicity of CoCl₂ could also be due to a decrease in the Fidelity of DNA polymerisation.     

不同磷初始浓度对紫萍生长及磷吸收效率的影响

采用室内模拟培养试验方法,研究不同磷初始浓度对紫萍生长及磷吸收效率的影响。结果表明,水体初始ρ（磷）为3.0 mg.L-1时,紫萍相对生长率最高,生长繁殖速度最快。当初始ρ（磷）为0.3～3.0 mg.L-1时,紫萍对水体中磷的去除率在70%以上。紫萍累积吸磷量和磷吸收能力均随磷初始浓度的升高而增加,但当初始ρ（磷）为45.0 mg.L-1时,紫萍累积吸磷量和单位鲜质量紫萍吸磷量均明显下降。当初始ρ（磷）≤1.5 mg.L-1时,紫萍体内酸性磷酸酶活性升高,但随着低磷胁迫时间的延长,低磷条件和高磷条件间酸性磷酸酶活性差异减小。     

云南高原常见湖滨湿地植物群落对生活污水氮的净化研究

湿地植物具有净化水质的特殊功能,研究不同湿地植物群落对生活污水净化效果及机理,对退化湿地的恢复与人工湿地的构建具有重要的理论和现实意义。选取小黑三棱＋杉叶藻＋荇菜（Com.Sparganium simplex＋Hippuris vulgaris＋Nymphoidespeltatum）、水葱＋睡菜＋荇菜（Com.Scirpus validus＋Menyanthes trifoliate＋Nymphoides peltatum）、菰＋荸荠＋荇菜（Com.Zizaniacaduciflora＋Heleocharis yunnanensis＋Nymphoides peltatum）和香蒲＋睡菜＋眼子菜（Com.Typha przewalskii＋Menyanthestrifoliate＋Potamogeton distinctus）等4种云南高原常见湖滨湿地植物群落作为实验材料进行水质净化模拟研究。结果表明：供试植物都能较好的适应生活污水环境,各植物全株氮质量分数在12.37～19.55 mg.g-1之间,各群落植物氮累积量为229～269 mg.m-2,对生活污水脱氮贡献率为10.11%～11.21%;各群落对生活污水TN的去除率都在75%以上,均显著高于无植物对照组（P〈0.05）,其中水葱＋睡菜＋荇菜（Scirpus validus＋Menyanthes trifoliate＋Nymphoides peltatum）群落对生活污水TN去除效果显著优于其他3种群落（P〈0.05）,去除率高达（93.79±1.27）%;试验期间,各群落污水N03--N与TN浓度之间显著负相关（r=–0.597,P〈0.05）,能很好的揭示氮的去除过程;各群落植物净增生物量与群落TN累积量显著正相关（r=0.953,P〈0.05）,表明收割植物可充分发挥湿地植物的脱氮潜力;植物群落能有效增强和促进湿地系统对污水中氮的净化能力,各植物群落对污水TN去除贡献率在29.24%～43.57%之间,群落内植物生长特性及其种间关系是各植物群落水质净化效果存在显著差异的主要原因。     

Volatile organic compounds of Acacia longifolia and their effects on germination and early growth of species from invaded habitats

Acacia longifolia, a highly invasive species that invades coastal ecosystems in Mediterranean areas, produces significant impacts at different scales. Abundant foliage and thick canopies create a dense atmosphere that led us to hypothesise that the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) could play a role in the reduction of biodiversity observed in invaded areas. Therefore, we suggested that VOCs emitted by A. longifolia could exert inhibitory effects on physiological and biochemical parameters of native species. Using glass chamber bioassays, we evaluated the effect of aerial contact between VOCs from different plant parts of A. longifolia material and some native species. Volatile chemical composition was further analysed using GC-MS. Our results indicated that VOCs produced a notably reduction of seed germination. Furthermore, volatiles from leaves and flowers significantly decreased root length, shoot length and biomass for all species. Proline and malondialdehyde content did not significantly increase after contact with VOCs. Finally, chemical profile of VOCs from flowers, leaves and litter was significantly different, both qualitatively and quantitatively. As far as we know, our results constitute the first evidence of phytotoxicity induced by VOCs from A. longifolia, suggesting that flowers and leaves could influence its surrounding environment through VOCs release.     

Arbuscular mycorrhiza confers lead tolerance and uptake in Miscanthus sacchariflorus

The effects of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) association on the growth, survival capabilities, nutrients and lead (Pb) uptake of Miscanthus sacchariflorus under different Pb concentrations were studied in the form of pot cultures. The treatments comprised inoculation or non-inoculation of the AMF, Gigaspora margarita, and the addition of three Pb concentrations to the soil (0, 100 and 1000?mg?kg^?1). The addition of Pb significantly decreased mycorrhizal colonisation. The inoculation of AMF with Pb increased chlorophyll content, Fv/Fm, total dry mass, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), total nitrogen, and total phosphorus, whereas H₂O₂ level, indole-3-acetic acid oxidase (IAAO) activity, and peroxidase (POD) activity were low compared to those in the non-inoculated treatments. Moreover, the application of AMF together with Pb doses induces concentrations of Pb in the plant, where the higher dose of Pb (1000?mg?kg^?1) induces a lower content of Pb in the aerial part of the plant but a higher content in the root. G. margarita enhanced the tolerance of M. sacchariflorus against Pb toxicity, and facilitated the accumulation of Pb in the plant roots, whereas translocation to the shoots was inhibited at the highest dose Pb (1000?mg?kg^?1). However, in contaminated soil, the Pb removal capability of M. sacchariflorus with AMF was remarkable.     

Population structure and community characteristics of Acer catalpifolium Rehd北大核心CSCD

Acer catalpifolium Rehd., a critically endangered tree species with an extremely limited range of distribution, is one of the 120 plant species with extremely small populations, as approved by the state forestry administration of the People's Republic of China and requires urgent rescue action. In order to comprehensively understand the population status and the future developmental trend of A. catalpifolium, the plant communities were investigated from 5 sites, including Caishenmiao (CSM), Banruosi (BRS), Zhangshancun (ZSC), Fuhusi (FHS), and Baoguosi (BGS). The population structure of A. catalpifolium as well as the species composition and community characteristics of its habitat were investigated. The results showed that A. catalpifolium is mainly distributed in the evergreen broad-leaved and deciduous broad-leaved mixed forests, in different community layers, namely, the tree layer, shrub layer, and herb layer, and is accompanied by 52, 74, and 52 plant species, respectively. Analyses of the distribution of population abundance revealed that BRS had the largest distribution of A. catalpifolium, accounting for 26.04% of the total population, followed by FHS, ZSC, BGS, and CSM, in that order. Analyses of the community characteristics revealed that the species diversity indices in FHS, BRS, BGS, and CSM were greater than that in ZSC. Analyses of the population age structure of A. catalpifolium revealed the gap in the distribution of the levels of seedlings and young trees. There were serious obstacles to the regeneration of the natural population. We concluded that the obstacle to the regeneration of the population of A. catalpifolium might be caused by the high competitive pressure from the dominant species and the micro-environment in the forest. Understanding the community characteristics and the population structure of A. catalpifolium could provide a theoretical foundation for its reintroduction and recovery. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

The interaction of heat shock proteins and some components of plant viruses北大核心CSCD

Considerable research has indicated that heat shock proteins (Hsp), as molecular chaperones, carry out many biological activities of plant viruses by folding, transporting, translocating, assembling, or degrading client proteins. It is fundamental to develop resistant plant varieties and novel anti-viral agents by determining the interaction mechanisms between plant viruses and hosts. In this study, we first reviewed the classification, gene and protein structure, and biological significances. We then analyzed the assembling mechanism of Hsp70 or Hsp90, plant host cofactors, and RNA-dependent RNA polymerases in a viral replicase complex, and the mechanism of interaction and subcellular localization between Hsp70 and some plant virus components. We highlighted the mechanism of interaction and movement between Hsp70 and some plant virus components and the effect of Hsp expression of plant hosts or viruses. The results indicated where the mechanism occurred, the participating factors, energy supply, and material conversion between Hsps and the plant virus components for the course of the intracellular movement, local movement between cells, and long-distance movement, and showed the Hsp type specificity and the law of dynamic Hsp expression in plant hosts infected by viruses. The studies mainly focused on the two Hsp factors and the plant viral components, indicating limited coordination mechanisms among many nucleic acids, proteins, and polysaccharides in macromolecular protein complexes (MRC). Future research should analyze the translocation mechanism between client proteins and Hsps, the coordination mechanism between Hsps and MRC components, and the relation between MRC and the plant tissue structure. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

An extraction-assay system: Evaluation on flavonols in plant resistance to Pb and Cd by supercritical extraction-gas chromatography

In this research, supercritical carbon dioxide extraction (SFE) showed better extraction effect when compared with Solid- liquid extraction (SLE), Soxhlet extraction (SE) and Ultrasonic extraction (UE), not only in the rate but also the time. The comparison among these three extraction modifiers, including acetone, ethanol and methanol demonstrated that ethanol was preferred to SFE due to its high extraction effect and low toxicology. In addition, parameter of SFE, influence of temperature and pressure were investigated, and the best extraction effect was achieved at the optima conditions, temperature of 40°C and the pressure of 35 MPa. Thus, SFE is a highly effective method for flavonols extraction, requiring minimum energy and producing non-toxic byproduct. SFE-GC system is applied for the evaluation on flavonols that plays a key role in plant resistance to heavy metal, with its content and synthetase gene expression significantly increasing in plant when threatened by heavy metal. Besides, results indicated that flavonols can improve plant resistance to oxidative stress by quenching the redundant ROS in matrix.

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应用呼吸-滴定测量监测硝化动态过程

将pH值在线监测与药品自动投加系统与已开发的混合呼吸测量仪集成,组成自动呼吸-滴定测量仪,同时测定废水生物处理过程氧气利用速率(OUR)和质子变化速率(HVR).对活性污泥硝化过程定时测定NH4+-N浓度,比较其与基于HVR或OUR预测的NH4+-N浓度间的一致程度,评估自动滴定测量装置测试硝化过程动态的性能.结果表明,在初始NH4+-N浓度分别为20,25mg/L的间歇试验中,实测值数组与基于OUR的预测值数组间的相关系数分别为0.9967和0.9972,与基于HVR的预测值数组间的相关系数分别为0.9991和0.9992,表明OUR和HVR均能及时准确地反映硝化过程的动态特性.     

Different proxies for the reactivity of aquatic sediments towards oxygen: A model assessment

Information on benthic carbon mineralization rates is often derived from the analysis of oxygen microprofiles in sediments. To enable a direct comparison of different sediment environments, it is often desirable to characterize sediments by a single proxy that expresses their “reactivity” towards oxygen. For this, there are three commonly used proxies: the oxygen penetration depth (OPD), the oxygen flux at the sediment-water interface (DOU), and the maximum volumetric oxygen consumption rate (R_max). The OPD can be directly determined from the oxygen depth profile, while the DOU is usually obtained by a linear fit to the oxygen gradient either in diffusive boundary layer. The oxygen consumption rate R_max requires the fitting of a reactive-transport model to the data profile. This article shows that the OPD alone is a suboptimal proxy, because it shows a strong dependence on the half-saturation constant K_s, and secondly, because it is sensitive to the particular re-oxidation conditions right above the oxic-anoxic interface. Similarly, the volumetric oxygen consumption rate R_max is rather strongly dependent on the kinetic model formulation employed. To show this we fitted three different (Bouldin, Blackman and Monod) kinetics to the same oxygen data profiles. When fitting these models, the R_max values obtained differed by 20% for exactly the same oxygen profile. Accordingly, if one reports R_max values, it is crucial to specify the kinetic model alongside. Overall, DOU emerges as sediment reactivity proxy which is the least model dependent.