真鲷去毒相关基因cDNA序列的克隆与肝脏组成型表达分析

赤潮发生时产生的一些海洋生物毒素对人类和海洋动物的安全形成潜在的威胁甚至导致死亡.为从分子水平探讨鱼类中海洋藻毒素的去毒分子机理,采用RT-PCR法克隆了真鲷(Pagrus major)肝脏芳香烃受体核转位蛋白(ARNT)和I时相异生素代谢酶细胞色素P4501A(CYP1A)基因cDNA核心序列,同时,应用半定量RT-PCR方法,以β-肌动蛋白作为外参照,在其指数期增长的范围内研究了芳香烃受体(AHR)、ARNT、CYP1A、II时相异生素代谢酶alpha型谷胱甘肽S-转移酶(GSTA1、GSTA2)、rho型谷胱甘肽S-转移酶(GSTR)、热休克蛋白70(HSP70)基因组成型表达水平.结果发现,真鲷ARNT、CYP1A基因cDNA核心序列片段分别长438bp和908bp,分别编码146和302个氨基酸.序列同源性分析发现,真鲷与门齿鲷(Stenotomus chrysops)、石首鱼(Micropogon undulatus)ARNT基因氨基酸序列同源性高达97.2%、95.2%,与斑马鱼(Brachydanio rerio)、人、大鼠、小鼠ARNT同源性较低(77.2%～79.3%).真鲷与门齿鲷、金头鲷(Sparus auratus)、欧洲川鲽(Rhombus maximus)、欧洲海鲈(Dicentrachus labrax)CYP1A基因氨基酸序列同源性较高,为84.8%～94.0%,与斑马鱼、人、小鼠CYP1A同源性较低,为59.6%～77.8%.真鲷肝脏AHR、ARNT、CYP1A、GSTA1、GSTA2、GSTR和HSP70基因组成型表达水平分别为(25.32±6.56)%、(26.22±4.24)%、(146.5±16.06)%、(55.42±3.75)%、(48.82±10.89)%、(79.47±3.13)%、(107.42±14.34)%.     

石油污染土壤中高效石油烃降解菌Y-16的筛选及其降解性能

通过富集和驯化培养从石油污染的土样中筛选出一株高效石油烃降解菌Y-16,其对胜利原油7 d降解率达到51.98%。在好氧条件下,对Y-16菌株的最优降解条件进行了探索,结果表明,在pH值8.0,温度30℃,接种量10%,摇床转数160 r/m in和3 000~7 000 mg/L的底物浓度下,Y-16菌株的最高降解率可达到60.34%。通过Y-16菌株对石油烃降解规律的探索,发现Y-16菌株对石油烃的降解符合一级反应动力学模型。     

地下水浅埋区某加油站特征污染物空间分布

加油站渗漏污染地下水已经是一个世界性的问题。由于浅埋区加油站储罐与地下水密切接触,更加剧储罐的腐蚀。为揭示加油站渗漏的典型污染物石油烃（TPH）、苯系物（BTEX）、萘和甲基叔丁基醚（MTBE）在该水文地质条件下的迁移变化,在浅埋区某加油站开展了平、枯、丰水期的地下水监测工作。在水平分布上,TPH、BTEX、萘基本相似,均在加油岛附近形成高浓度区,而MTBE则更易随地下水流动而迁移,呈现出不同的污染晕。在垂直分布上,地下水的水位变动是污染物浓度分布的主要影响因素。     

采油废水厌氧处理系统的微生物群落特征

为了深入认识石油烃的厌氧降解过程,利用分子生物学技术分析了大庆油田采油废水处理系统厌氧池和进水中的微生物群落特征。基于DGGE和克隆文库的分析结果均表明,厌氧生物膜中存在的古菌源自于采油废水。厌氧生物膜和采油废水中的古菌主要是产甲烷菌,包括嗜甲基的Methanomethylovorans thermophila和利用氢和甲酸的Methanolinea tarda。值得注意的是,氢营养型的M.tarda在厌氧生物膜中得到了富集。进水和厌氧生物膜中的细菌群落结构明显不同。进水中的主要细菌类群为Epsilonproteobacteria,而生物膜中的主要类群为Nitrospira和Deltaproteobacteria。在厌氧生物膜中发现许多与产甲烷古菌(尤其是氢营养型产甲烷菌)协同降解石油烃类物质的细菌相关克隆:其中一个克隆与Syntrophus具有较高的同源性,该类菌是产甲烷菌介导的厌氧烃降解微生物区系中的关键细菌;许多Deltaproteobacteria克隆属于group TA类群,该类群细菌主要参与芳香族化合物产甲烷菌介导的厌氧降解过程。这些结果表明,在大庆油田采油废水厌氧处理系统中已经建立起由产甲烷菌所介导的厌氧石油烃降解的微生物区系。     

Environmental Assessment of Aromatic Hydrocarbons-Contaminated Sediments of the Mexican Salina Cruz Bay

Concentrations of total aromatic hydrocarbons and extractable organic matter in the water column and sediment were determined in samples collected in the course of the last 20 years from the Salina Cruz Harbor, México, to assess the degree of organic contamination. In sediments, organic compounds accumulate in shallow areas mostly associated with extractable organic matter and fine fractions. Calculated geocumulation index and enrichment factors suggest that contamination could be derived from anthropogenic activities attributed to harbor and ship scrapping activities, as well as transboundary source. Concentration of total aromatic hydrocarbons (as chrysene equivalents) ranged from 0.01 to 534 μg l⁻¹ in water, and from 0.10 to 2,160 μg g⁻¹ in sediments. Total aromatic concentration of 5 μg g⁻¹ is proposed as background concentration.     

PCDD/Fs-induced oxidative damage and antioxidant system responses in tobacco cell suspension cultures

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) are ubiquitous contaminants and can be considerably accumulated by natural plants. In order to elucidate the biochemical and physiological responses of plant to PCDD/Fs, tobacco Bright Yellow-2 (BY-2) cells were selected as model plant and treated with time- and concentration-dependent PCDD/Fs. The toxic effect and oxidative stress caused by PCDD/Fs were evident, which could be indicted by the reduction in fresh mass, the increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and the damage of tobacco cell ultrastructure. PCDD/Fs tolerance was correlated with changes in antioxidant system and hormones of tobacco cells. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) exhibited peak enzyme activities at the PCDD/Fs concentration of 1000 ng WHO₉₈-TEQ g⁻¹ fresh weight. Glutathione reductase (GR) enzyme activity increased monotonically at high level PCDD/Fs, but the activity of catalase (CAT) was only slightly affected at all treatment. Meanwhile, the exposure to PCDD/Fs resulted in the changes of hormones content. With the increase of exposure concentration of PCDD/Fs, the levels of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and abscisic acid (ABA) increased, whereas the concentration of jasmonates (JAs) decreased. The above results suggest that tobacco cells had the ability to cope with the oxidative stress induced by low concentration of PCDD/Fs through increasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes and alternating plant hormones levels. However, oxidative stress and toxicity would burst out when plant cells were exposed to the high levels of PCDD/Fs.     

Assays of PCB congeners and organochlorine insecticides with the transgenic Arabidopsis and tobacco plants carrying recombinant guinea pig AhR and GUS reporter genes

Certain congeners of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine insecticides are ligands of aryl hydrocarbon receptors (AhRs) in animals. A recombinant guinea pig (g) AhR, XgDV, was constructed by fusing the ligand-binding domain of gAhR, the DNA-binding domain of LexA, and the transactivating domain of VP16. Then, the expression unit of β-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene regulated by XgDV was introduced into Arabidopsis and tobacco plants. When the transgenic Arabidopsis XgDV plants were cultured on Murashige–Skoog (MS) medium containing PCB congeners, the GUS activity in the plants increased toxic equivalent (TEQ)-dependently. The GUS activity in the transgenic Arabidopsis XgDV plants cultured on MS medium containing the organochlorine insecticide dieldrin was also induced. On the other hand, in the case of DDT, the GUS activity induced by 3-methylcholanthere in the plants decreased. The transgenic Arabidopsis XgDV plants detected 1000 ng g^?1 PCB126 in 1 g of soils. Thus the XgDV plants seemed to be useful for convenient assays of PCB congeners and organochlorine insecticides, without any extraction and purification steps.     

Bioremediation of benzene-, MTBE- and ammonia-contaminated groundwater with pilot-scale constructed wetlands

In this pilot-scale constructed wetland (CW) study for treating groundwater contaminated with benzene, MTBE, and ammonia-N, the performance of two types of CWs (a wetland with gravel matrix and a plant root mat) was investigated. Hypothesized stimulative effects of filter material additives (charcoal, iron(III)) on pollutant removal were also tested. Increased contaminant loss was found during summer; the best treatment performance was achieved by the plant root mat. Concentration decrease in the planted gravel filter/plant root mat, respectively, amounted to 81/99% for benzene, 17/82% for MTBE, and 54/41% for ammonia-N at calculated inflow loads of 525/603 mg/m²/d, 97/112 mg/m²/d, and 1167/1342 mg/m²/d for benzene, MTBE, and ammonia-N. Filter additives did not improve contaminant depletion, although sorption processes were observed and elevated iron(II) formation indicated iron reduction. Bacterial and stable isotope analysis provided evidence for microbial benzene degradation in the CW, emphasizing the promising potential of this treatment technique.     

The constitutively active Ah receptor (CA-AhR) mouse as a model for dioxin exposure - effects in reproductive organs

The dioxin/aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) mediates most toxic effects of dioxins. In utero/lactational exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) impairs fetal/neonatal development and the developing male reproductive tract are among the most sensitive tissues. TCDD causes antiestrogenic responses in rodent mammary gland and uterus and in human breast cancer cell lines in the presence of estrogen. Also, more recently an estrogen-like effect of TCDD/AhR has been suggested in the absence of estrogen. A transgenic mouse expressing a constitutively active AhR (CA-AhR) was developed as a model mimicking a situation of constant exposure to AhR agonists. Male and female reproductive tissues of CA-AhR mice were characterized for some of the effects commonly seen after dioxin exposure. Sexually mature CA-AhR female mice showed decreased uterus weight, while an uterotrophic assay in immature CA-AhR mice resulted in increased uterus weight. In immature mice, both TCDD-exposure and CA-AhR increased the expression of the estrogen receptor target gene Cathepsin D. When co-treated with 17β-estradiol no increase in Cathepsin D levels occurred in either TCDD-exposed or CA-AhR mice. In sexually mature male CA-AhR mice the weights of testis and ventral prostate were decreased and the epididymal sperm reserve was reduced. The results of the present study are in accordance with previous studies on dioxin-exposed rodents in that an activated AhR (here CA-AhR) leads to antiestrogenic effects in the presence of estrogen, but to estrogenic effects in the absence of estrogen. These results suggest the CA-AhR mouse model as a useful tool for studies of continuous low activity of the AhR from early development, resembling the human exposure situation.     

Determination of dioxin concentrations in fish and seafood samples using a highly sensitive reporter cell line, DR-EcoScreen cells

There is a strong need for the development of relatively rapid and low-cost bioassays for the determination of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs) in environmental and food samples. In this study, we applied a reporter gene assay using DR-EcoScreen cells (DR-cell assay), which is highly sensitive to dioxins, to the determination of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs in fish and seafood samples. The PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs were extracted from homogenated samples (10 g) of 30 fish and shellfish, purified by clean-up procedure using a multilayered silica gel column and an alumina column, and applied to DR-cell assay. Interestingly, the bioanalytical equivalent (BEQ) values obtained from the DR-cell assay [<0.1 ∼ 5.4 pg BEQ g⁻¹ wet weight (ww)] were closely correlated with the toxicity equivalent (TEQ) values from conventional high-resolution gas chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC-HRMS) analysis (r² = 0.912), and the slope of regression line was 0.913. Therefore, we multiplied the BEQ values from the DR-cell assay by a conversion coefficient (1.095, the reciprocal of 0.913) to approximate the TEQ values from the HRGC-HRMS analysis. Furthermore, we used this DR-cell assay to perform a prescreening test of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs in 16 fish and seafood samples purchased from a supermarket, revealing that a sample from the fatty flesh of a bluefin tuna exceeded 8 pg TEQ g⁻¹ ww (the European Union-tolerance limit). Taken together, these results suggest that the DR-cell assay might be applicable as a rapid and low-cost prescreening method to determine dioxin levels in fish and seafood samples.