大连市银杏叶斑病病原菌鉴定

银杏(Ginkgo biloba L.)是常见的城市园林观赏绿化树种,并具有极高的材用、食用和药用价值.近年来,大连市银杏树发生了一种不明病因且较为严重的叶斑病,查明病因、为病害防治提供理论依据迫在眉睫.从病害发生严重区域采集叶斑病病叶样本,采用感病叶片单斑分离法,对分离菌株进行致病性测定、形态学鉴定及分子生物学鉴定等,对大连市银杏树发生的叶斑病进行了病原菌鉴定.结果表明,大连银杏叶斑病致病菌有2种,分别为链格孢属细极链格孢(Alternaria tenuissima)和链格孢(Alternaria alternata).迄今为止,细极链格孢(Alternaria tenuissima)侵染银杏导致其发生叶斑病鲜有报道.     

Structures of complement component C3 provide insights into the function and evolution of immunity

The mammalian complement system is a phylogenetically ancient cascade system that has a major role in innate and adaptive immunity. Activation of component C3 (1,641 residues) is central to the three complement pathways and results in inflammation and elimination of self and non-self targets. Here we present crystal structures of native C3 and its final major proteolytic fragment C3c. The structures reveal thirteen domains, nine of which were unpredicted, and suggest that the proteins of the alpha2-macroglobulin family evolved from a core of eight homologous domains. A double mechanism prevents hydrolysis of the thioester group, essential for covalent attachment of activated C3 to target surfaces. Marked conformational changes in the alpha-chain, including movement of a critical interaction site through a ring formed by the domains of the beta-chain, indicate an unprecedented, conformation-dependent mechanism of activation, regulation and biological function of C3.     

Prostaglandin-like substances inPropionibacterium acnes. VI. Characterization of the lipid fraction by gas chromatography in conjunction with mass spectrometry

Summary The lipid fraction ofP. acnes was submitted to stepwise purification followed by bioassay in order to localize the prostaglandin-like material. GC-MS analysis revealed the occurrence of substances having a part but not a total molecule in common with the prostaglandin family, suggesting that prostaglandin-like substances represent a new group of prostaglandin compounds.The competent technical assistance of Mr N. Engström and Mr G.A. de Vogel is gratefully acknowledged.     

Soil invertebrate fauna enhances grassland succession and diversity

One of the most important areas in ecology is to elucidate the factors that drive succession in ecosystems and thus influence the diversity of species in natural vegetation. Significant mechanisms in this process are known to be resource limitation and the effects of aboveground vertebrate herbivores. More recently, symbiotic and pathogenic soil microbes have been shown to exert a profound effect on the composition of vegetation and changes therein. However, the influence of invertebrate soil fauna on succession has so far received little attention. Here we report that invertebrate soil fauna might enhance both secondary succession and local plant species diversity. Soil fauna from a series of secondary grassland succession stages selectively suppress early successional dominant plant species, thereby enhancing the relative abundance of subordinate species and also that of species from later succession stages. Soil fauna from the mid-succession stage had the strongest effect. Our results clearly show that soil fauna strongly affects the composition of natural vegetation and we suggest that this knowledge might improve the restoration and conservation of plant species diversity.