Relevance of intracellular partitioning of metals in prey to differential metal bioaccumulation among populations of mummichogs (Fundulus heteroclitus)

Intracellular partitioning of trace metals is critical to metal tolerance in aquatic organisms and may also influence metal trophic transfer in ecosystems. In this study, we tested the relevance of metal (Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) intracellular partitioning in prey as an indicator of metal trophic availability to benthic forage fish, mummichogs (Fundulus heteroclitus), in chronically metal-polluted salt marshes in New York, USA. Two common prey of mummichogs in the study area, Palaemonetes pugio and Nereis acuminata, generally stored increasingly higher proportions of non-essential metals (particularly Pb) in insoluble (less trophically available) cellular components, as the whole body burdens increased. In contrast, intracellular partitioning of essential metals (Cu and Zn) in invertebrate prey varied relatively little among sites. Differential Cd and Pb intracellular partitioning patterns within P. pugio among sites were significantly associated with Cd and Pb whole body burdens in mummichogs, respectively (i.e., prey-driven bioreduction of metals), while bioaccumulation of Cu and Zn in mummichogs was similar among populations. The findings in this study suggest that metal intracellular partitioning within prey may be partially responsible for metal trophic availability to a predator in metal-polluted habitats, while there was also evidence that some predator-dependent processes may offset differential trophic availabilities from prey.     

三疣梭子蟹(Portunus trituberculatus)胞内氯离子通道蛋白基因克隆及其表达分析

本研究克隆了三疣梭子蟹(Portunus trituberculatus)胞内氯离子通道蛋白基因,命名为Pt CLIC。该基因c DNA全长2000bp,5’和3’非编码区(UTR)长分别为76bp和1162bp,开放阅读框长762bp,推测编码253个氨基酸,预测分子量为29.2k Da,理论等电点为5.93。生物信息学分析表明,Pt CLIC基因中未发现跨膜结构域,属于不稳定蛋白;同源性分析表明,Pt CLIC基因编码的氨基酸序列与蚤状溞(Daphnia pulex)CLIC基因的同源性高达83%;系统进化分析表明,三疣梭子蟹与拟穴青蟹首先聚为一支;实时荧光定量RT-PCR分析表明,Pt CLIC基因在选取的所有组织中均有表达,在肝胰腺中的相对表达量最高,且显著高于其它组织(P0.05)。低盐度胁迫显著改变了Pt CLIC基因在三疣梭子蟹鳃和肝胰腺中的表达模式,整体呈先上调后下调的趋势,并发现该基因在低盐耐受和低盐敏感家系中的表达规律差异显著。研究结果表明Pt CLIC基因在三疣梭子蟹渗透压调节中发挥重要作用,可辅助三疣梭子蟹耐低盐品系的选育。     

ASPECTS OF IRON NUTRITION IN MACROALGAE ULVA PERTUSA (CHLOROPHYTA) UNDER IRON STRESS

ＩＮＴＲＯＤＵＣＴＩＯＮＩｒｏｎｉｓａｎｉｍｐｏｒｔａｎｔｎｕｔｒｉｔｉｏｎａｌｅｌｅｍｅｎｔｉｎａｌｇａｅｊｕｓｔａｓｉｔｉｓｉｎｈｉｇｈｐｌａｎｔｍｅｔａｂｏｌｉｃｐａｔｈｗａｙｓ.Ｐｈｏｔｏｓｙｎｔｈｅｓｉｓｉｓｄｅｐｅｎｄｅｎｔｏｎｔｈｉｓｅｌｅｍｅｎｔｂｅｃａｕｓｅｃｈｌｏｒｏｐｈｙｌｌｓｙｎｔｈｅｓｉｓｒｅｑｕｉｒｅｓｉｒｏｎｎｕｔｒｉｔｉｏｎ .Ｉｒｏｎｉｓａｌｓｏｅｓｓｅｎｔｉａｌｆｏｒｃｙｔｏｃｈｒｏｍｅｓ,ｆｅｒｒｅｄｏｘｉｎ ,ａｎｄＦｅ ｓｐｒｏｔｅｉｎ .Ｉｔｓｂｉｏｃｈｅｍｉ…     

ASPECTS OF IRON NUTRITION IN MACROALGAE ULVA PERTUSA （CHLOROPHYTA） UNDER IRON STRESS

Fe, Chlorophyll (Chl) and total nitrogen (TN) content in tissues were measured in Fe-deficient cultures ofUlva. pertusa over a period of 60 days. Photosynthetic carbon fixation rates were studied at the start of and 30 days after Fe-deficiency culture, when the effects of Fe-deficiency on the ultrastructure were also analyzed. The iron content in tissue decreased exponentially during Fe-deficiency (from 726.7 to 31.6 μg/gdw) and simultaneously Chl and TN content declined to 4.35% and 59.9% of their original levels respectively. Maximum carbon fixation rate (50–250 μmol/m² s) under Fe-deficiency decreased significantly compared with the control (p<0.01) and was 13.6 to 0.365 μg C/cm² h. Photosynthesis in Fe-deficient cells became light-saturated at lower irradiance than that in control. Ultrastructural observations of Fe-deficient cells showed reductions in chloroplast number, some degeneration of lamellar organization, an increase in vacuolar area, a decrease in mitochondrial matrix density, and variation in accumulation body number and morphology. During Fe-deficiency, the algae growth rate continued to decline and after 6 weeks of iron deficiency, no further growth was detectable. These suggested that the lower growth rate ofUlva. pertusa under Fe-deficiency could be due mainly to nitrogen utilization and inhibition of photosynthesis. This project No. 39725023 supported by NSFC for Talented Youths and the Project under the Major State Basic Research of China (Grant No. G1999012011).     

Effects of nitrogen nutritional stress on the morphological and yield parameters of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

This investigation was carried out to better understand the effects of nitrogen stress on the growth and yield of tomato(Solanum lycopersicon L.). Seeds of S. lycopersicon(Ife No. 1 variety) were collected from the Osun–State Ministry of Agriculture, Oshogbo, Nigeria and planted in analyzed top soil. The plants were grown for a period of five weeks within which they were supplied with water and kept under optimum environmental conditions that enhanced normal growth. After this period, the plants were subjected to different levels of nitrogen stress which include: plants supplied with distilled water only(n), plants supplied with complete nutrient solution(N), plants supplied with nutrient solution in which nitrogen concentration sources was increased by a factor of 5(N5), and plants supplied with nutrient solution in which nitrogen concentration sources was increased by a factor of 10(N10). Analysis of Variance(ANOVA) results shows that there is no significant effect of stress on the growth and morphological parameters of tomato plants. However, there was a significant effect of nitrogen stress on the yield parameters. Nitrogen stress also caused an increase in the number and size of fruits produced in plants subjected with high nitrogen concentration.     

Toxicity and Accumulation of Selenite in Four Microalgae

The toxicity and bioaccumulation of selenite in four microalgae, Spirulina platensis,Dunaliella salina, DunalieUa bardawill and Phaeodactylum tricornutum cultured in the presence of selenite were investigated. Lower concentrations of selenite were generally nontoxic and frequently stimulated algal growth, while higher concentrations of selenite inhibited algal growth. Selenite was more toxic to D. salina and D. bardawill than to S. platensis and P. tricornutum. All algae cultured in selenite were able to incorporate Se to different degrees, which depended on algal species. The distributions of selenite among intracellular macromolecular compounds were different among algal species : most of the selenite was associated with proteins in S. platensis, D. salina and D. bardawill, while most of the selenite was associated with lipids in P. tricornutum, which reflected the physiological differences among the algae. These observations suggest that algae are able to accumulate selenite and bind it with intracell~ar macromolecular compounds when exposed to high concentration of selenite. This may represent a form of storage or detoxification of selenite by the algae.     

多巴胺对凡纳滨对虾血细胞免疫作用效应途径的研究

本文通过血细胞体外培养,研究了多巴胺(DA)及多巴胺受体(DARs)拮抗剂对凡纳滨对虾血细胞信号转导通路和免疫防御效应的影响。结果表明:DA及DARs拮抗剂对凡纳滨对虾血细胞内信号通路因子(AC、PLC、cAMP、DAG、PKA、PKC)和免疫防御效应(酚氧化酶原活力、酚氧化酶活力、吞噬率及抗菌活力)影响显著(P <0.05)。在DA作用下血细胞第二信使合成酶(AC、PLC)、第二信使(cAMP、DAG)及蛋白激酶(PKA、PKC)含量显著升高;与DA处理组相比,DARs 1型拮抗剂对血细胞信号通路因子具有显著抑制作用,且表现出剂量效应,而DARs 2型拮抗剂引起AC、cAMP和PKA信号通路因子明显升高,PLC、DAG和PKC信号通路因子无显著变化。DA作用后血细胞酚氧化酶原活力、吞噬率及抗菌活力均显著降低,而胞吐酚氧化酶活力显著升高;与DA处理组相比,DARs 1型拮抗剂对血细胞上述免疫防御效应具有显著抑制作用,且呈剂量效应,而DARs 2型拮抗剂血细胞吞噬活力显著降低,而其他免疫防御效应无显著变化。混合DARs拮抗剂均与1型拮抗剂作用类似。综合上述研究结果得出,DA主要通过凡纳滨对虾膜上1型DAR激活AC-cAMP-PKA和PLC-DAG-PKC信号通路调控血细胞吞噬活力、proPO系统和免疫活性因子的胞吐,2型DARs抑制AC-cAMP-PKA信号通路,辅助调控吞噬作用。     

不同形态磷源对具槽帕拉藻(Paralia sulcata)生长和磷酸酶活性的影响

分别采用磷酸二氢钾(KH2PO4)、β-甘油磷酸钠(Sodium-β-glycerophosphate,β-G-P)、葡萄糖-6-磷酸(Glucose-6-phosphate,G-6-P)、卵磷脂(Lecithin,LEC)和三磷酸腺苷二钠(Adenosine disodium triphosphate,ATP)作为f/2培养基的磷源,探讨了不同形态磷源对具槽帕拉藻(Paralia sulcata)生长及磷酸酶活性的影响。结果发现,具槽帕拉藻能够有效利用上述五种磷源,且溶解有机磷(Dissolved organic phosphorus,DOP)比KH2PO4更有利于具槽帕拉藻的生长;对碱性磷酸酶(Alkaline phosphatase,AP)活性分析发现,大分子DOP(LEC)可能需要通过磷酸酶的水解作用才能被吸收利用。在胞外磷充足的情况下,具槽帕拉藻能够在胞内储存磷源,而在磷限制时则可利用胞内储存的磷源来维持藻细胞的生长。     

极大螺旋藻胞内多糖IPSⅡA逆转化疗模型小鼠免疫功能的研究

研究了极大螺旋藻（Spirulina maxima）胞内多糖IPSⅡA对化疗模型小鼠免疫功能的影响。通过注射环磷酰胺构建化疗小鼠模型，再分别注射不同剂量（0．5、1、2μg/g）的IPSⅡA，14d后进行外周血白细胞计数、免疫器官称质量并且应用炭粒廓清法和溶血素测定法测定单核细胞吞噬功能和B淋巴细胞的体液免疫功能。结果发现IPSⅡA能显著改善环磷酰胺所致白细胞减少、胸脾指数降低，还能使单核细胞吞噬功能、B淋巴细胞的体液免疫功能得以恢复和提高，并且存在剂量累积效应。可见IPSⅡA能显著逆转化疗模型小鼠的免疫功能，具有成为癌症化疗辅助药物的潜能。     

螺旋藻胞外和胞内核酸酶活性研究

通过分析比较 2个螺旋藻物种 7个品系胞外和胞内核酸酶活性 ,确定了抑制胞外和胞内核酸酶活性的方法。用液体培养基清洗两次可消除胞外核酸酶活性 ,添加 EDTA(2 m mol L-1)可显著地抑制胞内核酸酶活性。高温 (6 5℃ )处理也能显著抑制胞内核酸酶活性