Observations on an association between the weevil Scaphomorphus trivittatus (Say) and two Astragalus species on selenium-rich soils in Carbon County, Utah

The weevil Scaphomorphus trivittatus (Say) was found in close association with Astragalus praelongus var. elliseae (Rydb.) and Astragalus asclepiadoides (Jones) in selenium-containing soils in Carbon County, Utah. The weevils fed on roots of the Astragalus species and formed soil cocoons, which were attached to the tap roots. The weevils pupated and developed into adults in these cocoons over the fall and winter and then emerged in the spring. The plants and soil cocoons contained highly elevated levels of selenium compared to the soils. The weevils, in contrast, differed little from the soils in selenium content.     

Effect of iron supply on Southern Ocean CO2 uptake and implications for glacial atmospheric CO2

Photosynthesis by marine phytoplankton in the Southern Ocean, and the associated uptake of carbon, is thought to be currently limited by the availability of iron. One implication of this limitation is that a larger iron supply to the region in glacial times could have stimulated algal photosynthesis, leading to lower concentrations of atmospheric CO2. Similarly, it has been proposed that artificial iron fertilization of the oceans might increase future carbon sequestration. Here we report data from a whole-ecosystem test of the iron-limitation hypothesis in the Southern Ocean, which show that surface uptake of atmospheric CO2 and uptake ratios of silica to carbon by phytoplankton were strongly influenced by nanomolar increases of iron concentration. We use these results to inform a model of global carbon and ocean nutrients, forced with atmospheric iron fluxes to the region derived from the Vostok ice-core dust record. During glacial periods, predicted magnitudes and timings of atmospheric CO2 changes match ice-core records well. At glacial terminations, the model suggests that forcing of Southern Ocean biota by iron caused the initial approximately 40 p.p.m. of glacial-interglacial CO2 change, but other mechanisms must have accounted for the remaining 40 p.p.m. increase. The experiment also confirms that modest sequestration of atmospheric CO2 by artificial additions of iron to the Southern Ocean is in principle possible, although the period and geographical extent over which sequestration would be effective remain poorly known.     

The Clq receptor site on immunoglobulin G

We propose that, the binding site for the complement subcomponent Clq on immunoglobulin G involves the last two (C-terminal) beta-strands of the C gamma 2 domain. This region contains a large number of accessible and highly conserved charged residues and charge is postulated as an important component of the Clq-IgG interaction. The conclusions are reached on the basis of accessibility and sequence conservation analyses of C gamma 2 amino acid residues, the use of specific inhibitors and chemical modification studies.     

Renal conservation of antifreeze peptide in Antarctic eelpout, Rhigophila dearborni.

In Antarctic notothenioid fishes large amounts (3% w/v) of small molecular weights of 2,600-23,500 and would be expected to be filtered into the urine, they remain in the blood because the kidneys of these fishes contain only aglomerular nephrons. Unlike the situation in most fishes, urine formation is the result of secretion rather than filtration and reabsorption. On the other hand, the peptide antifreezes in Northern Hemisphere fishes such as the winter flounder. Pseudopleuronectes americanus, are retained by the glomerular kidney even though inulin, of comparable weight, is rapidly filtered from the blood into the urine. The Antarctic eelpout (zoarcid), Rhigophila dearborni, which is unrelated to either the Antarctic notothenioids or P. americanus, also uses a peptide antifreeze (molecular weight 6,000) which is maintained at a concentration of 3% (w/v) in the blood plasma. We report here that the lack of antifreeze in the urine of R. dearborni probably reflects the fact that the glomeruli are not functional and cannot filter. We support this conclusion with morphological and physiological evidence and relate our findings to the conservation of biological antifreeze necessary for life in ice-laden polar waters.     

Plasma protease inhibitors in mouse and man: divergence within the reactive centre regions

The plasma protease inhibitors control a wide variety of physiological functions including blood coagulation, complement activation and aspects of the inflammatory response. The inhibitors function by forming a 1:1 complex with a specific protease within the reactive centre region of the inhibitor. Little is known about the evolutionary relationships of these inhibitors. We report here the sequences of cDNAs which represent the C-terminal halves of the two major murine plasma protease inhibitors. One of these, murine alpha 1-antitrypsin, more appropriately called alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor (alpha 1-PI), has diverged from its human counterpart at a vital position in the reactive centre but this has not led to a physiologically significant change in function. Also, we have determined the partial sequence of a recently characterized protein termed contrapsin, which inhibits trypsin-like proteases. We show, surprisingly, that contrapsin is highly homologous to human alpha 1-antichymotrypsin, an inhibitor of chymotrypsin-like proteases. The reactive centre regions of these two inhibitors have diverged considerably, which may account for the differences in specificity. We propose that the genes for contrapsin and human alpha 1-antichymotrypsin are the descendents of a single gene that have evolved since rodent and primate divergence to encode proteins with different functions.     

在中国环境条件下油菜花粉介导的除草剂抗性基因飘逸

依据转基因安全评估的个案原则, 研究了抗除草剂转基因油菜花粉向中国传统油菜品种的飘逸概率及其影响因素. 通过检测受体植株后代的除草剂抗性检测转基因油菜花粉的飘逸率. 结果表明, 花粉飘逸的距离达2000 m, 且飘逸率随着与花粉源区距离的增加而急剧减少. 但在距花粉源区33.5~2000 m的范围内, 花粉飘逸率均低于0.015%, 且并不随距离增加而逐渐下降, 表现了花粉长距离飘逸和授粉的随机性. 绝大多数花粉散布在花粉源区周围4.5 m范围内, 其中最大飘逸率为1.19%, 出现在距源区1.4 m的取样点. 风向显著影响花粉飘逸的方向和距离. 但是, 授粉昆虫蜜蜂的数量与花粉飘逸方向和距离没有相关性, 表明花粉飘逸的方向性差异并不是由于蜜蜂的数量及分布引起的. 本研究在中国自然环境条件下开展大面积田间试验, 为转基因油菜的商品化生产和安全管理提供科学依据. 花粉空间分布模型为油菜杂交种生产的隔离距离与杂种纯度估计等研究提供了重要的依据.     

基于微丝的PDMS微流动通道制作技术

微流动通道是微流控芯片的重要组成部分, 其加工技术的每一步进化或简化一直为国际学术界与工业界所重视. 提出了一种基于微丝的PDMS微流动通道制作技术. 该技术利用一些简单的模具辅助固定和布置微丝, 然后将PDMS预聚物浇注于模具中浸没微丝并固化, 固化后抽出微丝形成PDMS微通道或通道阵列, 在与通道垂直的方向上打孔并封装, 形成与通道外部物质交换的接口. 实际制作通道时可采用商用化的金属微丝(如不锈钢微丝), 直径从100~20 μm不等. 较为详细地介绍了利用这种技术来构建多种拓扑结构的二维或三维通道或通道阵列, 例如直通道、交叉通道、弯曲通道等的能力. 进一步, 基于金属微丝的电磁特性, 这样的微通道制作工艺还被应用来构建出适于电磁控制和温度控制的微流动通道装置. 最后, 通过圆截面微通道的光路分析、微通道内粒子流动的图像测速(Micro-PIV)与微液滴形成实验及分析进一步印证了这种微流动通道制作技术的可行性和适用性.