Involvement of a sperm aminopeptidase in fertilization of the sea urchin

Summary Inhibitory efficiencies of bestatin methyl ester and its nine analogs for sea urchin sperm aminopeptidase activity were similar to the efficiency of the same compounds as inhibitors either of sperm respiration or of fertilization. This suggests that a sperm aminopeptidase plays a role in fertilization in the sea urchin, possibly through its involvement in sperm respiration.Acknowledgment. We are grateful to Dr Wataru Tanaka of Nippon kayaku co. for his gifts of bestatin and its analogs. We are also indebted to Mrs Akiko Tsuchida-Watanabe for her technical assitance, and to the staff of Asamushi Marine Biological Station, Tohoku University, where part of this work was carried out. This work was supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan.     

Functional, biochemical and genetic diversity of prokaryotic nitrate reductases

Prokaryotic nitrate reduction can serve a number of physiological roles and can be catalysed by a number of biochemically distinct nitrate reductases. Three distinct nitrate reductase classes can be indentified in prokaryotes, NAS, NAR and NAP. NAS is located in the cytoplasmic compartment and participates in nitrogen assimilation. NAR is usually a three-subunit complex anchored to the cytoplasmic face of the membrane with its active site located in the cytoplasmic compartment and is involved in anaerobic nitrate respiration. NAP is a two-subunit complex, located in the periplasmic compartment, that is coupled to quinol oxidation via a membrane anchored tetraheme cytochrome. It shows considerable functional flexibility by participating in anaerobic respiration or redox energy dissipation depending on the organism in which it is found. The members of all three classes of enzymes bind the bis-molybdopterin guanine dinucleotide cofactor at the active site, but they differ markedly in the number and nature of cofactors used to transfer electrons to this site. Analysis of prokaryotic genome sequences available at the time of writing reveals that the different nitrate reductases are phylogenetically widespread.     

Alternative Respiration Induced by Glucose Stimulation and Variation of Adenylate Energy Charge in Glucose-Starved Cells of Green Alga Chlorella Protothecoides

IntroductionCyanide- resistant or alternative respiration hasbeen reported to be widespread in higher plants,phytoplanktons and microorganisms[13 ] . Thestudies of the inhibitor- resistant respiration havecontributed much to the understanding of theorganization and control of complex intracellularrespiratory systems and biochemical processes.Grant and Hommersand[4 ,5] examined theinhibitor- resistantrespiratory characteristics of thegreen alga Chlorella protothecoides grown in highconcentrati…     

Mitochondrial activity: A possible determinant of anoxic injury in renal medulla

Summary In brain¹, heart² and kidney³, cell work in the absence of oxygen has been thought to precipitate anoxic damage by increasing the rate of depletion of cellular energy stores. In the medullary thick ascending limb of isolated perfused rat kidneys, however, reduction of ATP synthesis by a variety of mitochondrial or metabolic inhibitors caused ATP depletion comparable to that produced by oxygen deprivation but did not reproduce the lesions of anoxia. In these cells, unrestrained mitochondrial activity may be an important source of anoxic injury.     

贵州省两种新毒菌食物中毒的调查研究

本文首次报道了贵州省龙里县由亮耳菌和月夜菌引起的食物中毒,对国内尚未报道的亮耳菌中毒的临床表现特点、治疗及预防措施进行分析讨论,并对二种毒菌的生态环境、形态特征进行描述。     

肾气丸对衰老大鼠心肌、肝脏细胞凋亡及线粒体膜电位的影响

目的：观察肾气丸对D-半乳糖（D-gal）致衰老模型大鼠心肌、肝脏细胞凋亡及线粒体膜电位的影响.方法：Wistar大鼠随机分为4组,每组10只：正常组,模型组,肾气丸低、高剂量组.制备D-gal大鼠衰老模型,采用流式细胞技术观察心肌、肝脏细胞凋亡及线粒体膜电位变化,ELISA法测定心肌、肝脏组织超氧化物歧化酶（Superoxide Dismutase,SOD）、丙二醛（Malomdialdehvde,MDA）含量变化.结果：与模型组比较,肾气丸组大鼠心肌、肝脏细胞凋亡率明显下降（P ＜0.05或P＜0.01）,线粒体膜电位明显升高（P＜0.05或P＜0.01）;心肌、肝脏组织SOD含量均明显升高（P＜0.05或P＜0.01）,MDA含量明显下降（P＜0.05或P＜0.01）.结论：肾气丸可阻断衰老大鼠心肌、肝脏细胞线粒体膜电位的下降,抑制细胞凋亡,其作用机理与肾气丸提高心肌、肝脏组织抗氧化功能有关.     

紫色土丘陵区典型林地土壤温室气体释放研究

采用动态-密闭气室法(LI-6400-09)对紫色土丘陵区三种典型林地土壤温室气体释放进行连续测定.结果表明,温度是影响土壤呼吸的关键因子,各林地土壤呼吸速率与土壤温度呈正相关,都随温度呈指数增长.在温度较低的冬春季,土壤湿度对土壤呼吸的影响不明显,温度较高的夏季土壤湿度与林地(桤树,柏树)土壤呼吸速率呈显著性抛物线相关(p＜0.05);三种林地中,针叶林柏树林地土壤呼吸与土壤湿度相关性最好,当土壤含水量＜25%时,随着湿度的增加,土壤呼吸速率逐渐增大,之后随着湿度的增大,土壤呼吸速率逐渐减小.各季节的日变化规律表现不一致,冬春两季各林地土壤呼吸都和土壤温度的日变化趋势保持一致,表现为先升后减的趋势;夏秋两季,因为较高的土壤温度和表层土壤相对湿度的剧烈波动,各林地土壤呼吸日变化呈现不规则波动.     

茂兰喀斯特森林主要演替群落土壤呼吸研究

以茂兰自然保护区喀斯特植被两种主要演替群落(喀斯特原生乔木林和次生林)为研究对象,采用LI-6400-09便携式土壤呼吸室对其土壤呼吸速率进行了连续定位观测.结果表明:(1)喀斯特乔木林和次生林的土壤呼吸速率、土壤温度和林内气温的日变化因演替群落和月份的不同而存在差异;(2)两种演替群落的土壤呼吸速率具有明显的季节变化特征,表现为夏季＞秋季＞春季＞冬季;喀斯特乔木林的月平均土壤呼吸速率在0.39 ～ 4.65 μmol/(m2·s)之间,变异幅度达11.92,次生林的月平均土壤呼吸速率在0.93 ～4.56 μmol/(m2 ·s)之间,变异幅度为4.90;(3)两种演替群落土壤呼吸速率的季节变化与林内气温和不同层次土壤温度均呈显著性正相关;(4)喀斯特乔木林土壤呼吸的Q10值在3.82 ～ 4.07之间,次生林的Q10值在2.52 ～2.61之间,喀斯特乔木林土壤呼吸对温度的敏感性指数要大于次生林,且土壤呼吸的Q10值随着土壤深度的增加而增加.     

模拟氮沉降对典型阔叶红松林土壤呼吸的影响

阔叶红松(Pinus koraiensis)林是我国东北东部山区的地带性顶极植被,全球氮沉降增加可能影响其碳循环的各个过程。在2010年和2011年的5—10月,对典型阔叶红松林进行了模拟氮沉降实验。实验设置了对照(N₀, 0 kg/(hm²·a))、低氮(N₁, 30 kg/(hm²·a))、中氮(N₂, 60 kg/(hm²·a))和高氮(N₃, 120 kg/(hm²·a))4种模拟氮沉降处理,每隔半个月采用Li-6400-09便携式CO₂/H₂O气体分析仪对土壤呼吸速率进行测定,研究了氮沉降对典型阔叶红松林土壤呼吸的影响。结果表明:① 各处理土壤呼吸速率的季节变化与5 cm深度的土壤温度相似,均呈现出明显的季节变化趋势,最大值出现在6月中旬(3.84～4.55 μmol/(m²·s)),最小值出现在5月初(1.37～1.84 μmol/(m²·s)),土壤温度的变化可解释土壤呼吸速率季节变化的49.9%～69.2%。② 各处理的土壤呼吸速率与土壤温度呈指数相关(R²=0.499～0.692),土壤呼吸速率与土壤温度、湿度及其相互作用的回归模型可以解释各处理土壤呼吸速率52.2%～73.5%的季节变异; ③ N₀、N₁、N₂和N₃样地土壤呼吸温度敏感系数Q₁₀值分别为2.10、1.93、1.97和2.01; ④ 各处理样地土壤呼吸速率的平均值分别为3.09、2.78、3.06和2.90 μmol/(m²·s),与对照样地N₀相比,土壤呼吸速率和凋落物量无明显相关(P> 0.05)。     

石油类污染土壤基础呼吸作用的影响因素研究

 石油类污染物进入土壤环境,会对土壤的理化性质、微生物活性等产生危害,进而影响土壤呼吸强度。以某石油类污染场地为研究对象,通过调查取样,采用分子生物学手段对污染发生后包气带、含水层的土壤现状微生物量、土壤化学指标、基础呼吸作用进行研究。研究发现,土壤呼吸强度首要受微生物量影响,其次受硝酸盐、氨氮、亚硝酸盐等因子影响。石油污染对土壤基础呼吸强度的影响,主要体现在对浅层土壤（0.5 m）、地下水位变动带（1.5 m）的土壤基础呼吸强度具有一定的抑制作用。