Effects of temperature on UV-B-induced DNA damage and photorepair in Arabidopsis thaliana

DNA damage in the form of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers(CPDs) and (6-4) photopreducts(6-4PPs) induced by UV-B radiation in Arabidopsis thaliana at different temperatures was investigated using ELISA with specific monoclonal antibodies. CPDs and 6-4PPs increased during 3 h UV-B exposure, but further exposure led to decreases. Contrary to the commonly accepted view that DNA damage induced by UV-B radiation is temperature-independent because of its photochemical nature, we found UV-B-induction of CPDs and 6-4PPs in Arabidopsis to be slower at a low than at a high temperature. Photorepair of CPDs at 24℃ was much faster than that at 0℃ and 12℃,with 50% CPDs removal during 1 h exposure to white light. Photorepair of 6-4PPs at 12℃ was very slow as compared with that at 24℃,and almost no removal of 6-4PPs was detected after 4 h exposure to white light at 0℃. There was evidence to suggest that temperaturedependent DNA damage and photorepair could have important ecological implications.     

Does the preferential microbial colonisation of ferromagnesian minerals affect mineral weathering in soil?

Fungal activity is thought to play a direct and effective role in the breakdown and dissolution of primary minerals and in the synthesis of clay minerals in soil environments, with important consequences for plant growth and ecosystem functioning. We have studied primary mineral weathering in volcanic soils developed on trachydacite in southern Tuscany using a combination of qualitative and quantitative mineralogical and microbiological techniques. Specifically, we characterized the weathering and microbiological colonization of the magnetically separated ferromagnesian minerals (biotite and orthopyroxene) and non-ferromagnesian constituents (K-feldspar and volcanic glass) of the coarse sand fraction (250-1,000 microm). Our results show that in the basal horizons of the soils, the ferromagnesian minerals are much more intensively colonized by microorganisms than K-feldspar and glass, but that the composition of the microbial communities living on the two mineral fractions is similar. Moreover, X-ray diffraction, optical and scanning electron microscope observations show that although the ferromagnesian minerals are preferentially associated with an embryonic form of the clay mineral halloysite, they are still relatively fresh. We interpret our results as indicating that in this instance microbial activity, and particularly fungal activity, has not been an effective agent of mineral weathering, that the association with clay minerals is indirect, and that fungal weathering of primary minerals may not be as important a source of plant nutrients as previously claimed.     

一株处理含对苯二甲酸废水的工程菌的构建

采用染色体ＤＮＡ转化原生质球的方法，构建一株处理含ＰＴＡ废水的工程菌ＬＥＹ３。ＬＥＹ３能同时降解６种化合物：ＰＴＡ，萘，苯甲酸，十六烷，乙二醇，甲醇。用ＬＥＹ３对含ＰＴＡ生产废水作降解试验，ＣＯＤ的去除率在６６％￣９１％之间。     

重金属铅,镉,锌对小麦DNA构象的影响

采用紫外吸收谱法，研究了不同浓度铅，镉，锌对小麦ＤＮＡ构象的影响。结果显示重金属铅，镉，锌均可影响小麦ＤＮＡ构象，使其紫外吸收峰值发生变化。其中，铅离子对小麦ＤＮＡ构象影响最大，５０μｇ／ｍｌ＾ｐｂ＾２＋处理使小麦出现明显减色反应，１０００μｇ／ｍｌｐｂ＾２＋处理使其沉淀析出；镉离子对小麦ＤＮＡ构象影响不大，可使其产生轻微减色反应，低浓度锌离子使小麦ＤＮＡ发生增色反应，而高浓度使小麦ＤＮＡ发生减色     

应用RAPD方法分析厌氧氨氧化污泥驯化过程中的微生物遗传性质

采用随机扩增多态性DNA(RAPD)方法研究了厌氧氨氧化污泥驯化过程中微生物遗传多样性的变化,并对接种物不同的3个反应器中的微生物作了聚类分析.在污泥驯化培养过程中,3个反应器内的微生物发生了较明显的遗传变异,以缺氧污泥接种的反应器中微生物在驯化过程中的Nei基因多样性指数和Shannon信息指数均较高,遗传变异较大.硝化污泥中存在与厌氧氨氧化细菌亲缘关系较近的菌种,更适宜作为接种物驯化培养厌氧氨氧化细菌.以好氧污泥作为种泥启动反应器,通过培养硝化污泥再转入厌氧氨氧化驯化,这种驯化途径优于以缺氧污泥和厌氧污泥启动反应器的途径.     

Atlantic sturgeons (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Acipenser sturio</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acipenser oxyrinchus</Emphasis>): American females successful in Europe

Recent molecular data on the maternally inherited mitochondrial (mt) DNA have challenged the traditional view that the now extinct Baltic sturgeon population belonged to the European sturgeon Acipenser sturio. Instead, there is evidence that American sea sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus historically immigrated into the Baltic Sea. In this study, we test the hypothesis that A. oxyrinchus introgressed into, rather than replaced, the A. sturio population in the Baltic. We established four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the nuclear MHC II antigen gene with a species-specific SNP pattern. Using an ancient DNA approach and two independent lines of molecular evidence (sequencing of allele-specific clones, SNaPshot), we detected both A. sturio and A. oxyrinchus alleles in the available museum material of the now extinct Baltic sturgeon population. The hybrid nature of the Baltic population was further confirmed by very high levels of heterozygosity. It had been previously postulated that the immigration of the cold-adapted A. oxyrinchus into the Baltic occurred during the Medieval Little Ice Age, when temperature likely dropped below the degree inducing spawning in A. sturio. Under this scenario, our new findings suggest that the genetic mosaic pattern in the Baltic sturgeon population (oxyrinchus mtDNA, sturio and oxyrinchus MHC alleles) is possibly caused by sex-biased introgression where spawning was largely restricted to immigrating American females, while fertilization was predominantly achieved by abundant local European males. The hybrid nature of the former Baltic sturgeon population should be taken into account in the current reintroduction measures. Electronic supplementary material  Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at and is accessible for authorized users.