Cu Stress-Induced Transcriptome Alterations in Sorghum and Expression Analysis of the Transcription Factor-Encoding Gene SbWRKY24

Sorghum is not only an important bio-energy crop but also a vital raw material for brewing.Exogenous copper affects the growth and metabolism of crops in specific ways.This study identified 8475 differentially expressed genes(DEGs)by high-throughput transcriptome sequencing in the sorghum cultivar‘Jinnuoliang 2’after 24 h of treatment with 10 mM CuSO4.Using GO analysis,476 genes were functionally annotated,which were mainly related to catabolism and biosynthetic processes.Additionally,90 pathways were annotated by employing the KEGG analysis.Among them,glutathione metabolism and peroxisome were induced,while photosynthesis,photosynthesis-antenna protein,and carbon sequestration of photosynthetic organisms were inhibited.Of the DEGs,399 were identified to encode transcription factors belonging to 49 families.This study also identified a WRKY transcription factor-encoding gene SbWRKY24 from the transcriptome data.For studying its function,the relative expression levels of SbWRKY24 in roots and leaves post-treatment with different growth hormones and exposure to a variety of abiotic stresses were detected by RT-qPCR.SbWRKY24 showed treatment-and tis-sue-specific expression patterns,indicating its unique role in stress tolerance.This study lays a theoretical basis for the functional exploration of SbWRKY24,elucidating the mechanism of copper resistance,and elaborating on the stress responses in sorghum.It also guides the exploration of the molecular mechanism of copper ions inducing intracellular signal transduction pathways.

Research Progress on Functions and Biosynthesis of D-Psicose

D-Psicose,a naturally occurring rare sugar,exhibits a sweetness approximately 70%that of sucrose.It possesses high solubility,antioxidant activity,anti-inflammatory properties,and the ability to regulate cholesterol levels and enhance insulin sensitivity.However,D-psicose is relatively scarce in nature,making large-scale extraction and utilization impractical.Consequently,the development of cost-effective synthetic strategies for D-psicose is pivotal for its industrial application.In recent years,the Izumoring strategy has emerged as an efficient alternative to chemical synthesis for producing D-psicose.Nonetheless,limitations in the biotransformation of D-psicose,primarily governed by the conversion rate of D-psicose 3-epimerase(DPEase)and enzyme yield,continue to pose challenges in achieving economically viable production.Enzyme engineering and the establishment of high-level expression systems remain crucial avenues for reducing the overall biosynthesis costs.

Multi-protective effects of wheat embryo globulin on D-gal-induced aging mice

Wheat embryo globulin(WEG)has been proven to possess multiple biological activities,including antioxidative properties,immunomodulatory,and so on.Aged mouse model were established by subcutaneous injection of D-galactose(D-gal),and the effects of WEG on learning,memory,and antioxidant capacity in aging mice were explored through behavioural tests and antioxidant enzyme activities determination.Compared with the Model group,WEG improved the percentage of the platform quadrant,increased the number of crossing platforms,and enhanced the identification indexs.WEG also increased total antioxidant capacity(T-AOC),superoxide dismutase(SOD),and glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px)activities in the liver and brains of aging mice,and reduced malondialdehyde(MDA)content.Pathological observations indicated that WEG protected against damage to brain in D-gal-induced aging mice.These results effectively revealed that WEG not only improved the abilities of learning and memory,and the cognitive impairment,but also delayed the aging process of the D-gal-induced mice.

Diversity of the aerobic anoxygenic phototrophy gene pufM in Arctic and Antarctic coastal seawaters

Aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic（AAP） bacteria serve important functions in marine carbon and energy cycling because of their capability to utilize dissolved organic substrates and harvest light energy.AAP bacteria are widely distributed in marine environments,and their diversity has been examined in marine habitats.However,information about AAP bacteria at high latitudes remains insufficient to date.Therefore,this study determined the summer AAP bacterial diversity in Arctic Kongsfjorden and in the Antarctic coastal seawater of King George Island on the basis of puf M,a gene that encodes a pigment-binding protein subunit of the reaction center complex.Four puf M clone libraries were constructed,and 674 positive clones were obtained from four investigated stations（two in Kongsfjorden and two in the Antarctic Maxwell Bay）.Arctic clones were clustered within the Alphaproteobacteria,whereas Antarctic clones were classified into the Alphaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria classes.Rhodobacteraceae-like puf M genes dominated in all samples.In addition,sequences closely related to puf M encoded on a plasmid in Sulfitobacter guttiformis were predominant in both Arctic and Antarctic samples.This result indicates the transpolar or even global distribution of puf M genes in marine environments.Meanwhile,differences between the Arctic and Antarctic sequences may prove polar endemism.These results indicate the important role of Rhodobacteraceae as AAP bacteria in bipolar coastal waters.

Quality prediction of freshly-harvested wheat using Gluto Peak during postharvest maturation

Much recent researches have demonstrated that the quality of freshly-harvested wheat could be improved during postharvest maturation by determinating the rheological properties.However,this process is time-consuming and complex.This study aimed to provide a rapid and convenient method for predicting wheat quality during postharvest maturation by use of Gluto Peak device.Farinograph and Extensograph were used to determine the rheological properties of four wheat samples(WT1,WT2,WT3,WT4)stored under different conditions(WT1:15℃,50%RH;WT2:20℃65%RH;WT3:28℃75%RH;WT4:35℃85%RH)for a total of 10 weeks,and Gluto Peak test was used to determine the gluten aggregation properties of the four samples.Correlation analysis was also conducted between the rheological properties and the gluten aggregation properties.Results of rheological properties showed that all Extensographic properties(dough extensibility,resistance,maximum resistance and area)of the four samples increased along with the storage time,and the Farinographic properties(water absorption,dough development time,dough stability time,and farinograph quality number(FQN))had the same tendency,indicating that the rheological properties were improved considerably with storage time extending.The Gluto Peak curves revealed that Peak Maximum Time(PMT),Brabender Equivalents Maximum(BEM)and Energy to Maximum Torque(En MT)of wheat flour of the four samples varied greatly,particularly the PMT and En MT of the samples WT3 and WT4 increased remarkably.Results of correlation analysis showed that En MT had significant correlation with water absorption and area(P<0.05)for sample WT1,and also showed significant correlation with dough development time(P<0.05)for sample WT2.For sample WT3,PMT was significantly correlated with the dough development time,extensibility,area(P<0.05),and FQN(P<0.01);and En MT was in significant correction with water absorption(P<0.01),and dough stability time,FQN,extensibility,maximum resistance and area(P<0.05).For sample WT4,both PMT and En MT had significant correction with area(P<0.05).The study indicated that the Gluto Peak test is effective in quality prediction for the freshly-harvested wheat during postharvest maturation,making it possible to realize rapid wheat quality detection and evaluation in storage period.

Protective Effect of Bacillus subtilis Peptidoglycan (PG) on β-conglycinin-induced Intestinal Epithelial Cells Damage of Juvenile Carp (Cyprinus carpio)

[Objective] The paper was to investigate the protective effects of different concentrations of Bacillus subtilis peptidoglycan(PG) on β-conglycinin-induced inflammatory injury in intestinal epithelial cells of juvenile carp(Cyprinus carpio).[Method] In 24-cell microplates, the intestinal epithelial cells(IECs) of juvenile carp were primarily cultured for 72 h at 26°C and 6% CO2, and then the IECs were randomly divided into6 groups with 4 replicates per group. One of the six groups was set as negative control group, and the other groups were all supplemented with 1.0 mg/mL β-conglycinin in culture medium to establish inflammatory injury. At 24 h post induction, the culture media were changed into B. subtilis PG culture media with the concentrations of 0(positive control group), 0.15, 0.30, 0.45 and 0.60 mg/mL, respectively. The samples were collected to measure the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory indices at 12, 24 and 36 h post culture.[Result]β-conglycinin exposure significantly decreased the activity of ASA, AHR, SOD, CAT, GPx, and increased the PC content and the mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines(IL-1β, IL-8, TNF-α1,IL-10 and TGF-β). At 12, 24 and 36 h post PG treatment, the activities of ASA, AHR, SOD, CAT, GPx and the content of PC in cells decreased in a dose-dependent manner;the mRNA levels of IL-1β, IL-8 and TNF-α1 were down-regulated and those of IL-10 and TGF-β were up-regulated.[Conclusion] Different concentrations of B. subtilis PG could protect IECs oxidative damage induced by β-conglycinin and improve the antioxidant capacity of IECs. High concentration of PG could improve the anti-inflammatory ability of IECs by inhibiting inflammatory factors and promoting the gene expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines.

Tissue Culture and Rapid Propagation of Spathiphyllum kochii Engl. et Krause

[Objectives] This study was conducted on tissue-culture rapid propagation techniques of Spathiphyllum kochii Engl. et Krause. [Methods] With lateral buds of S. kochii as explants, the effects of such four basic media as MS, B5, Nitsch and Wpm and the ratio of two hormones(1, 2, 3 mg/L 6-BA and 0.1, 0.3, 0.5 mg/L NAA) on bud proliferation of S. kochii were studied by the complete test method, and the effect of the ratio of the two hormones(0.25, 0.50, 1.00 mg/L NAA and 1.0, 1.5 mg/L IBA) on rooting of S. kochii as well as the effect of substrate ratio(perlite and peat soil at 1∶9, 2∶8, 3∶7, 4∶6 and 5∶5) on its transplanting survival rate were also studied. [Results] The best basic medium for the rapid propagation of S. kochii was MS. The best hormone ratio suitable for bud proliferation was 2 mg/L6-BA+0.1 mg/L NAA, and the average number of buds proliferated at 45 d was 3.04. The average bud height was 2.05 cm; the most suitable medium for rooting was 1/2 MS+1 mg/L IBA+0.25 mg/L NAA, and its rooting rate was 100%; and the best transplanting substrate was 5∶5 perlite and peat. The soil ratio had a survival rate of 94%. [Conclusions] This study provides a theoretical basis for the improvement of the transplanting survival rate of test-tube S. kochii plantlets.

Effects of soybean meal replacement with fermented alfalfa meal on the growth performance,serum antioxidant functions,digestive enzyme activities,and cecal microflora of geese

Fermented forages are important feedstuffs. Bacillus subtilis inoculants are often used to improve the value of forage legume fermentation. The present work was conducted to study the effects of replacing soybean meal with solid-state fermented alfalfa meal（FAM） with B. subtilis ACCC 01746 on growth performance, serum antioxidant and digestive enzyme activities, and cecal microflora in goose. 300 healthy geese with similar body weights were randomly assigned to six treatment groups with five replicates of 10 geese（five males and five females） each. Geese were fed ad libitum for 35 days. Results showed that the geese fed with 4 and 8% FAM exhibited no significant effects on their final body weights（FBW） and average day gain（ADG）（P〉0.05）, whereas 12% or higher FAM caused poor growth of the geese compared with control diet（linear（L）： P〈0.05）. The average daily feed intake（ADFI）（quadratic（Q）： P〈0.05） and feed conversion ratio（FCR）（L： P〈0.05） with 8% or higher supplementation level were higher than those of the control group. The activities of antioxidant enzyme in serum increased, and the level of malondialdehyde（MDA） significantly decreased with increasing dietary FAM level（L： P〈0.05）. However, no significant differences were observed at 8% or lower supplementation level for glutathione peroxidase（GSH-Px） and superoxide dismutase（SOD）（P〉0.05） and at 4% for catalase（CAT） supplementation level compared with the control group. All diets containing FAM increased digestive enzyme activities in geese. However, geese fed diets with 12% FAM supplementation showed the highest trypsin activities in pancreas（Q： P〈0.05）. Supplementation with 12% or higher FAM significantly increased amylase activities in pancreas（L： P〈0.05） and duodenum（L： P〈0.05） compared with the control group. Significant differences were not observed in total anaerobic bacteria between geese fed with FAM and control diets on day 35（P〉0.05）. The numbers of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus in the cecum of geese fed with FAM significantly increased（L： P〈0.05）, but no significant effects were found with 4 and 8% FAM supplementation levels compared with the control（P〉0.05）. By contrast, the coliform counts of cecum decreased with increasing inclusion of FAM, but these counts were significantly reduced in geese fed diets with 12% or higher FAM supplementation level（L： P〈0.05）. Collectively, our results indicated that supplementation of the basal geese diet with 8% FAM had no apparent adverse effects on growth performance, serum antioxidant enzyme activities, and digestive parameters and beneficial microbiota.

Research progress on properties of pre-gelatinized starch and its application in wheat flour products

Starch is the most abundant organic compound in nature,second only to cellulose.However,the conserved structure of native starches limits their properties and applications.Therefore,it is often necessary to modify them to obtain specific properties.As a common green and safe physical modification method,pre-gelatinization can improve the cold water solubility and swelling power of starch.The typical preparation methods of pre-gelatinized starch include spray drying,extrusion,and drum drying.Spray-dried pre-gelatinized starch still had good granule shape,but the increase of cold water solubility and cold paste viscosity was relatively small.Extruded and drum-dried pre-gelatinized starch showed serious structure destruction,significant increases in cold water solubility and cold paste viscosity,but relatively low hot paste viscosity.The properties of pre-gelatinized starch obtained by different methods are different,so do their effects on the quality of flour products.Wheat flour products,as one of the leading staple food for the people all over the world,play a vital role in people's daily life.With the improvement of people's living standards,more and more special flour products with unique features have received attentions of consumers and researchers.However,the sensory characteristics of special flour products are often inferior to traditional flour products,which limits its development.The unique functional characteristics of pre-gelatinized starch make it expected to play an essential role in the quality improvement of featured flour products.In this paper,the granule morphology,crystal structure,hydration and gelatinization properties of pre-gelatinized starch prepared by three common methods and their application in flour products were reviewed,which provides a theoretical basis for the application of pre-gelatinized starch in food industry.

Effects of insoluble dietary fiber from wheat bran on noodle quality

Benefiting from its favorable effects in promoting intestinal peristalsis,increasing satiety and reducing postprandial blood sugar,wheat bran insoluble dietary fiber(IDF)could be added to noodles to improve the nutrition value of noodle products.However,the addition of IDF usually results in an adverse effect on the quality characteristics of fiber fortified products,leading to unfavorable texture and consumption drop.It was found that IDF could weaken dough characteristics,thereby causing the quality deterioration of noodles,but the mechanism is unclear as yet.This study aimed to investigate the effects of different amounts of IDF on the texture quality and cooking quality of noodles.The water distribution,rheological properties,pasting properties and cooking properties of the noodles were determined by low-field nuclear magnetic resonance(LF-NMR),dynamic rheometer,and rapid visco-analyzer.The results of the LF-NMR showed that the increased IDF in the noodles resulted in a contraction of relaxation time and an increase in the proportion of loosely bound water.At a high amount of IDF,the water absorption and tensile distance of the noodles significantly decreased and the cooking loss rate increased,with a downward trend in peak viscosity,final viscosity and setback values.Moreover,IDF could improve the storage modulus and loss modulus of sheeted dough and enhance the texture of noodles.Furthermore,the correlations between IDF addition amounts and rheological properties as well as cooking properties were analyzed,and the results confirmed that noodles with the IDF amount of 2%–4%had higher nutrition and quality.This study provides the basis for future development and improvement of IDF-enriched health foods.

The variation of two extracellular enzymes and soybean meal bitterness during solid-state fermentation of Bacillus subtilis

The debittering effect of extracellular enzymes from Bacillus subtilis ACCC 01746 was studied using soybean meal as a substrate for solid-state fermentation(SSF).Results showed that B.subtilis produces proteases and carboxypeptidase in the early stage of SSF(0–8 h).Proteases are dominant and can hydrolyze the soybean protein into long-chain peptides with mild bitterness.Carboxypeptidase production is dominant at 8–16 h SSF,at which point soybean protein is further hydrolyzed and bitterness is enhanced.The strain then produces additional carboxypeptidase after 16 h,and bitterness is reduced.We compared the amino acid composition of the hydrolysates from soybean protein isolates to that of the fermented liquid of SSF.In the hydrolysates from soybean protein isolates that exhibit strong bitterness,62.81%of amino acids are hydrophobic and occur in the form of peptides.In the fermented liquid from soybean meal,16.22%of amino acids are hydrophobic and are mainly present in the form of free amino acids.The bitterness of fermented soybean hydrolysate is reduced from 5 to 0 when fermented for 24 h,suggesting that B.subtilis can effectively reduce bitterness,possibly due to the carboxypeptidase.Enzyme analysis shows that B.subtilis excretes carboxypeptidase during growth.The amino acids phenylalanine,alanine,tyrosine,and leucine at the C-terminal of the soybean bitter peptides in hydrolysates are cleaved in the presence of carboxypeptidase,resulting in complete debitterness.

Study on Isolation and Raman Spectroscopy of Glycinin in Soybean Protein

The secondary structures of soybean glycinin was investigated by Raman spectroscopy and its acidic and basic polypeptides were isolated. The results showed that the secondary structures of glycinin were mainly composed of 21.51% α-helix, 41.62% β-sheet,24.70% β-turn, and 12.18% random coil. For the disulfide bridge(—S—S—), the ratios were 34.8% gauche—gauche—gauche(g—g—g), 32.1% gauche—gauche—trans(g—g—t), and 33.1% trans-gauche-trans(t—g—t). The I_(850)/I_(830) intensity ratio of glycinin Raman tyrosine doublet confirmed that the contents of the N-buried and N-exposed tyrosine residue were 14.1% and 85.9%,respectively. The typical acidic subunit A and basic subunit B were clearly separated by heat denaturation and reduction withβ-mercaptoethanol, and their corresponding molecular masses were 42 and 38 ku, respectively. Raman spectroscopic analysis can be used to determine the secondary structural properties of glycinin. Further studies of the glycinin structures will be helpful for the utilization of soybean protein resources.

Effects of Different Extraction and Purification Methods on the Acquisition of Phycoerythrin from Porphyridium purpureum

Phycoerythrin, as the main light-harvesting antenna in Porphyridium purpureum, exists at the outermost end of the phycobilisome. It has advantages of good fluorescence intensity, anti-oxidation, scavenging free radicals, and high chroma, so it has been widely used in food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and other industries. In this study, the effects of different extraction(ultrasonic breaking method, bead grinding method, liquid nitrogen grinding method, and freezing-thawing method) and purification methods(salting out method, ultrafiltration method, and combination of salting out and ultrafiltration method) on the acquisition of phycoerythrin from P. purpureum were studied, and the characteristics of phycoerythrin in the P. purpureum were identified. The results showed that the freezing-thawing method could extract phycoerythrin from the powder of P. purpureum to the utmost extent, and the concentration of the extracted phycoerythrin was up to 0.036 g/L. The salting out method could most effectively purify phycoerythrin, and the purity index was 2.216. The identification of phycoerythrin by ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy indicated that the phycoerythrin had the maximum absorption peak at 545 nm, and the maximum Stokes shift was up to 79 nm. Due to its high fluorescence characteristics, it can be used as a fluorescent marker in the fields of molecular biology and clinical medicine, and can also be used as a good photosensitizer in tumor therapy.

Study on enzymatic hydrolysis of soybean β-conglycinin using alkaline protease from Bacillus subtilis ACCC 01746 and antigenicity of its hydrolysates

Due to its beneficial health effects,the use of soybean protein has shown a continuous increase,but concerns regarding the allergenicity of soybean antigenic protein have also increased.This study aimed to evaluate the hydrolytic effects of a non-commercial alkaline protease isolated from the Bacillus subtilis ACCC 01746 on soybeanβ-conglycinin and the allergenicity of its hydrolysates.Alkaline protease of the strain was separated by precipitation method of organic solvents,and theβ-conglycinin was separated by alkali-solution and acid-isolation and purified by use of gel column.Using the degree of hydrolysis(DH)and inhibition rate as evaluation indexes,the enzymatic hydrolysis parameters ofβ-conglycinin was optimized by single factor and L_(9)(3^(4))orthogonal tests,so as to explore the effect of the protease on the hydrolysis degree and the antigenicity ofβ-conglycinin hydrolysates.The results showed that the native enzyme existed as an 18.3 kDa monomer with a 430 U/g maximum activity.The purity ofβ-conglycinin was 84.8%.The single-factor test results showed that DH showed the oppostie trendency with the inhibition rate,and the increase of protein concentration causedmonotone increasing and monotone decreasing of the inhibition rate and the DH,and the optimal protein concentration was 30 mg/mL.The optimization results showed that pH had the largest impacts on both DH and the inhibition rate,followed by enzyme dosage,hydrolysis temperature and hydrolysis time.Under the optimum hydrolysis conditions of protein concentration 30mg/mL,enzymedosage0.7%,hydrolysis time40min,temperature 55°C and pH8.5,the DH reached the highest of 76.28%,and the inhibition rate was the lowest of 27.03%,which was reduced greatly compared with that before optimization.These results suggested that alkaline protease appeared to show a relatively high effeciency in lowering soybean allergenicity,making it possible to produce low-allergenicity soybean protein.

Effects of Sourdough Addition on the Quality and Shelf Life of Chinese Steamed Bread

The effect of adding sourdough with lactic acid bacteria(Lactobacillus plantarum M616) on dough quality and the sensory scores, specific volume, crumb firmness, and spread ratio of resultant Chinese steamed bread were studied. The moisture content of crumb and texture characteristics of the Chinese steamed bread with sourdough during storage were analyzed. In this study, 10%,20%, 30%, and 40% of sourdough addition was investigated. The sourdough starter resulted in significant decrease in the water absorption, development time, stability, and farinograph quality number of the dough. The addition of sourdough improved the quality of Chinese steamed bread such as improving the sensory scores and specific volume, decreasing the crumb firmness, and a lower spread ratio was observed with an increase in the sourdough concentration up to 30%. Sourdough addition delayed a fast decrease in the moisture content of the Chinese steamed bread crumb during storage. The texture profile analysis of the bread crumb indicated that the addition of sourdough improved the quality and delayed the staling speed of Chinese steamed bread during storage.Moreover, inclusion of 30% sourdough produced the best protective effect on product staling.

Effect of extrusion on the structure and antigenicity of soybean β-conglycinin

β-Conglycinin,the main component of 7S globulin in soybean protein,is also a key soybean antigen protein that causes allergic reactions.Extrusion technologies have received considerable attention as amethod for modifying soybean protein allergens.This study investigated the changes inβ-conglycinin structure and antigenicity upon extrusion.Isoelectric precipitation,ammoniumsulfate precipitation,and sepharose CL-6B gel filtration were used to isolate and purifyβ-conglycinin from soybean powder,and single-factor and orthogonal tests were used to study the effects of water content,extrusion temperature,screw rotation speed,and feeding speed on the antigenicity ofβ-conglycinin after extrusion.Fourier transforminfrared spectrometry(FTIR)was then employed to analyze the structure ofβ-conglycinin after extrusion under the optimal conditions determined by the orthogonal test.The results showed that extrusion significantly reduced the antigenicity ofβ-conglycinin(P<0.05),and the degree of influence of the factors studied may be ordered as extrusion temperature>feeding speed>screw rotation speed>water content.The optimal parameters were temperature at 130°C,screwrotation speed at 140 r/min,and feeding speed at 35 g/min.Under these conditions,the contents ofα-helix,β-pleated sheet,andβ-turn structures inβ-conglycinin were significantly reduced(P<0.05),while the contents of random coils were significantly increased(P<0.05).The peak absorption intensity of amides I,II,and III also decreased.Taken together,the findings suggest that extrusion could be an effective method for reducing the antigenicity ofβ-conglycinin.

Phylogenetic diversity of planktonic bacteria in the Chukchi Borderland region in summer

Planktonic bacteria are abundant in the Chukchi Borderland region. However, little is known about their di- versity and the roles of various bacteria in the ocean. Seawater samples were collected from two stations K2S and K4S where sea ice was melting obviously. The analysis of water samples with fluorescence in situ hybridization （FISH） showed that DMSP-degrading bacteria accounted for 13% of the total bacteria at the station K2S. No aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic （AAP） bacteria were detected in both samples. The bacterial communities were characterized by two 16S rRNA gene clone libraries. Sequences fell into four major lineages of the domain Bacteria, including Proteobacteria （Alpha, Beta and Gamma subclasses）, Bac- teroidetes, Actinobacteria and Firmicutes. No significant difference was found between the two clone li- braries. SAR11 and Rhodobacteraceae clades of Alphaproteobacteria and Pseudoalteromonas of Gammapro- teobacteria constituted three dominant fractions in the clone libraries. A total of 191 heterotrophic bacterial strains were isolated and 76% showed extracellular proteolytic activity. Phylogenetic analysis reveals that the isolates fell into Gammaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria and Firmicutes. The most common genus in both the bacterial isolates and protease-producing bacteria was Pseudoalteromonas. UniFrac data showed suggestive differences in bacterial communities between the Chukchi Borderland and the northern Bering Sea.

Telmisartan Attenuates the Growth of Epithelium-like Cells and Glomerular Injury in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

The abnormal growth of epithelium-like cells has been noticed in spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHRs)with hypertensive nephropathy.However,the characteristics of abnormal epithelium-like cells and their pathogenesis in hypertensive nephropathy are not fully understood.In the present study,we investigated the correlation of epithelium-like cells with glomerular injury,and the effects of early drug intervention with telmisartan,an anti-hypertensive drug,on the growth of epithelium-like cells.The results showed that the epithelium-like cells were obviously observed lining along the luminal surface of Bowman’s capsule in glomeruli,significantly resulting in the atrophy of the glomerular tuft.Some of the epithelium-like cells strongly expressed proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA)and vimentin,indicating active cellular proliferation.The incidence of epithelium-like cells varied from 13.6%to 54.4%of glomeruli in 48-week-old SHRs,and from 5.1%to 18.0%of glomeruli in age-matched Wistar-Kyoto(WKY)rats(P<0.01).The linear regression analysis further confirmed an obvious correlation between the incidence of epithelium-like cells and the glomerular injury.Moreover,early intervention with telmisartan could dramatically attenuate the progression of epithelium-like cells growth.However,no significant effect of telmisartan on the established epithelium-like cells was observed.Taken together,we demonstrated the involvement of abnormal epithelium-like cells growth in glomerular injury during hypertensive nephropathy in SHRs,and firstly showed the positive effects of the anti-hypertensive drug on the progression of epithelium-like cells growth.

Preparation and Charcterization of Konjac Superabsorbent Polymer

A superabsorbent polymer was prepared by grafting sodium acrylate （ SA ） onto Konjac flour using potassium persulfate （KPS） and N, N＇-methylene bis acrylamide （ MBA ） as an initiator and crosslinker , respectively. The effect of various preparation conditions on its water absorbency was investigated. When the Konjac Flour content was 3.0g, the acrylic acid （AA） content was 30.0 g, the amount of initiator was 0. 150 g, the neutralization degree of monomer was 85% , the reaction temperature was 60 ℃ and the amount of crosslinker was 0.025 g, the polymer＇s absorbency was 750 times in pure water and 279 times in tap water at ambient temperature. It had also high water retention. The graft efficiency reached 67% . The analyses of FT-IR and SEM indicate that sodium acrylate is grafted on the polysaccharides of Konjac flour.

Synthesis,Crystal Structure,and Magnetic Property of One 3D Nickel Coordination Polymer Based on 2-Hydroxy-5-(3',5'-terephthalic acid)Pyridine and 1,4-Bis(1-imdazoly)benzene

One novel nickel coordination polymer, {[Ni（OTP）（bib）1.5（H2O）]·2H2O}n（1, H2 OTP = 2-hydroxy-5-（3＇,5＇-terephthalic acid） pyridine, bib = 1,4-bis（1-imdazoly）benzene）, has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis（EA）, IR, powder X-ray diffraction（PXRD）, and thermogravimetric（TG） analyses. The crystal of 1 crystallizes in monoclinic, space group P21/n with a = 12.2860（5）, b = 13.8246（6）, c = 19.0140（8） A, β = 104.3870（1）°, V = 3128.2（2） A3, Z = 4, C32H28N7 Ni O8, Mr = 697.32, Dc = 1.481 g/cm^3, F（000） = 1444 and μ（Mo Kα） = 0.684 mm-1. The final R = 0.0704 and w R = 0.1764 for 5485 observed reflections with I 2σ（I） and R = 0.1087 and wR = 0.2010 for all data. Topology analysis reveals that complex 1 is a 3D 2-fold interpenetrated {4^4·6^6}-nov net based on the 1D [Ni（OTP）]n chain and the 2D [Ni2（bib）3]n sql sheet. And the variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements exhibit weak antiferromagnetic coupling interaction.