旱生植物冷蒿（Artemisia frigida）的甲烷排放

本工作研究植物源CH4排放，即植物本身生成的CH4，不是厌氧微生物代谢产生的。目前对植物是否直接排放甲烷仍然存在很大争议：一方面实验中观测到的植物甲烷排放率差异较大；另一方面对植物甲烷排放内在机理仍不清楚。本文以旱生植物冷蒿(Artemisia frigida)为对象，测定冷蒿甲烷排放，分析冷蒿甲烷排放的可能存在的外界干扰因素。实验结果表明，冷蒿确实能够排放甲烷，冷蒿甲烷生成可能与活性氧代谢有关。 冷蒿是一种典型的旱生植物，其生长的典型草原中，土壤透气性好并表现为大气甲烷的汇。土壤孔隙间的甲烷浓度不高于大气甲烷浓度，能够通过植物根系进入植物体内的土壤甲烷量十分有限，植物组织又缺乏吸附甲烷的能力，很难在植物体内累积甲烷。因此，一些实验研究中所提出的植物蒸腾作用和细胞壁吸附作用对冷蒿的甲烷排放并没有显著影响。我们研究在实验室条件下冷蒿能否排放甲烷，无论是野外生长的冷蒿，还是室内无菌培养的冷蒿，都有明显的甲烷排放。通过研究植物呼吸作用与甲烷排放之间的相关性，我们发现两者有明显的线性关系。植物在应对环境胁迫时，呼吸电子传递链发生紊乱，导致活性氧的积累，这可能是植物所排放甲烷的主要来源。进而，我们通过活性氧添加实验证实包括超氧阴离子(•O2-)，羟基自由基(•OH)和过氧化氢(H2O2)在内的多种活性氧都能够促进冷蒿的甲烷排放，而抗氧化酶CAT则对冷蒿的甲烷排放具有抑制效果，我们认为这种抑制效果是通过对ROS的清除来实现的。冷蒿体内能够不断产生甲烷的途径可能需要活性氧的参与，植物体内自由基水平的高低，很可能决定了这种植物能否排放甲烷。因此，我们对比了四种植物体内的抗氧化酶活性。我们在抗氧化酶活性高的物种中没有测得甲烷的排放，而冷蒿和小叶锦鸡儿两种有明显甲烷排放的植物，其三种抗氧化酶活性均较低。由此我们认为，植物体内的活性氧与植物细胞内的某些成分发生反应并产生甲烷的过程很可能是植物体内清除活性氧，降低过氧化毒害的一种适应机制。

植物体内谷胱甘肽还原酶的功能研究

谷胱甘肽还原酶（GR，EC1.6.4.2）是一重要的抗氧化酶，许多生理学和遗传工程研究都证明GR酶在抗氧化中的重要作用。但改变GR酶怎样影响植物的抗氧化系统却不清楚。GR是抗坏血酸－谷胱甘肽循环途径中的重要组成部分，其功能必然与其密切相关。本文用RNAi技术获得具有较低GR酶活性的转基因烟草，系统测定了非胁迫条件和胁迫条件下抗坏血酸－谷胱甘肽循环的变化，得出以下主要结果： 1．选择一烟草叶绿体GR酶编码基因（X76293, gi: 431954）进行RNAi载体构建，构建好的双元载体转化根癌农杆菌LBA4404，然后侵染转化烟草叶圆片。获得的转基因烟草具有30－70％的GR酶活性。分子检测结果表明GR在RNA和蛋白水平上与GR酶活性的变化一致。文中我们第一次用2-D电泳对烟草中GR同工酶进行分析，并确定发生抑制的GR同工酶在细胞中的定位。2-D电泳后的Western杂交检测到烟草的10种GR同工酶，pI值分布在4.5-6.3，其中3种GR同工酶定位在叶绿体内，其蛋白量占据所有GR酶含量的大部分。RNAi发生在叶绿体内和叶绿体外，表明发生抑制的GR同工酶的基因序列具有很高的同源性。igr转基因烟草在表型上与野生型对照烟草无明显差异。 2．所有igr转基因植株和对照植株中的活性氧（O2-和H2O2）、MDA含量和光合作用都无明显差异，表明正常生长条件下GR酶活性的降低不会引起氧化胁迫。测定正常生长条件下igr转基因烟草中谷胱甘肽库的变化。结果表明与对照烟草相比，GR酶活性降低70％会引起转基因植株中GSH/GSSG比率明显降低，而GSH和GSSG的含量稍有增加；测定抗坏血酸－谷胱甘肽循环的变化，结果显示igr转基因烟草中DHAR和MDHAR的酶活性升高，表明非胁迫条件下较低的GR酶活性可能会诱导抗坏血酸－谷胱甘肽循环不能正常的运转。这一作用可能与改变的谷胱甘肽库有关。GR酶活性降低30％的转基因烟草中未检测到这些变化，表明70％的GR酶活对于非胁迫条件下igr转基因烟草可能是足够的。 3. MV处理结果显示，igr转基因烟草的离体叶圆片和活体植株在MV处理后都发生比对照烟草严重的光漂白作用。igr转基因烟草的活性氧和MDA含量明显高于对照烟草，igr转基因烟草的光合作用明显低于对照烟草。以上这些指标表明igr转基因烟草对MV处理更为敏感。MV处理条件下igr转基因烟草谷胱甘肽的含量明显高于对照烟草，但是GSH/GSSG的比率明显低于对照烟草，GR酶活性仍明显低于对照烟草，表明在MV胁迫条件下igr转基因烟草中较低的GR酶活性不能有效的将GSSG还原生成GSH。igr转基因烟草中较高的谷胱甘肽净含量说明其谷胱甘肽的合成能力提高，但这仍不能补偿胁迫条件下较低GR酶引起的GSH/GSSG比率降低。MV处理条件下igr转基因烟草和对照烟草相比ASC的含量大大降低，导致DHA/ASC明显升高。测定MDHAR和DHAR的结果表明，MV处理后igr转基因烟草的MDHAR酶活性明显降低，这表明较低的GR酶活性引起ASC再生循环受到抑制。MV处理后较低的GR酶还引起igr转基因烟草中APX的活性大大降低。以上这些结果表明MV处理条件下降低GR酶活性会削弱抗坏血酸－谷胱甘肽循环，从而引起活性氧的大量积累，造成严重的氧化伤害。 4．低温处理的结果和MV处理的结果稍有不同。在GR酶活性较高的i2转基因烟草中所有检测指标与对照烟草无明显差异。而GR酶活性较低的i21、i28和i42植株与对照烟草相比表现出明显差异。低温下生长的对照烟草叶绿素含量明显高于i21、i28和i42植株。i21、i28和i42中活性氧（O2-和H2O2）和MDA的含量都明显高于对照烟草，表明低温处理下i21、i28和i42受到更严重的胁迫伤害。与MV处理后的变化相似，低温处理后i21、i28和i42中较低的 GR酶活性导致GSH/GSSG大大降低，ASC再生循环受抑制，APX活性明显降低，从而使抗坏血酸－谷胱甘肽循环不能高效的清除活性氧，导致ROS和MDA的大量积累，造成严重的低温伤害。

Antioxidant Peptidomics Reveals Novel Skin Antioxidant System

It is generally agreed that reactive oxygen species (ROS) contribute to skin aging, skin disorders, and skin diseases. Skin possesses an extremely efficient antioxidant system. This antioxidant activity is conferred by two systems: antioxidant enzymes and

Purification, characterization and biological activity of an L-amino acid oxidase from Trimeresurus mucrosquamatus venom

An L-amino acid oxidase (TM-LAO) from the venom of Hunan Trimeresurus mucrosquamatus was purified to homogenicity by three steps including DEAE Sephadex A-50 ion-exchange chromatography, Sephadex G-75 gel filtration and Resourse Q ion-exchange chromatography. TM-LAO is composed of two identical subunits with a molecular weight of 55 kD by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The molecular weight was different with that of LAO purified from the same species distributed in Taiwan that was 70 kD. The 24 N-terminal ammo acid sequence of TM-LAO is ADNKNPLEECFRETNYEEFLEIAR, which shares high similarity with other Viperid snake venom LAOs and has moderate similarity with Elapid snake venom LAOs. Further studies found that TM-LAO inhibited the growth of E. colt, S. aurues and B. dysenteriae. TM-LAO also showed cytotoxicity and platelet aggregation activity. All the biological activities were eliminated by catalase, a H2O2 scavenger. It shows that these biological effects are possibly due to the formation of H2O2 produced by TM-LAO.

微囊藻毒素对束丝藻细胞生长和抗氧化系统的影响

为从活性氧(ROS)角度探讨微囊藻毒素(MC)导致藻类细胞死亡的机理及揭示藻细胞对MC诱发的氧化胁迫的响应机制,采用50和500μg·L-1的微囊藻毒素LR(MC-LR)处理束丝藻(Aphanizomenon sp. DC01)细胞,测定了细胞生长、细胞内活性氧(ROS)含量及抗氧化系统的变化.结果表明,50μg·L-1的MC-LR处理对藻细胞的生长无显著影响,而500μg·L-1的MC-LR处理可诱导藻细胞死亡.50μg·L-1的MC-LR处理的藻细胞ROS含量在处理第2d显著高于对照;但藻细胞能通过还

微囊藻毒素在细长聚球藻中的积累及其毒性效应

用 100μg/L 的微囊藻毒素(MC-RR)处理细长聚球藻,研究了 MC-RR 在藻细胞中的积累及其对细长聚球藻的生长和抗氧化系统的影响.结果表明,MC-RR 能在细长聚球藻中迅速积累,而细长聚球藻具有较强的降解 MC-RR 的能力,MC-RR 对细长聚球藻的生长具有显著的抑制作用;MC-RR 处理后,活性氧(ROS)和膜脂过氧化产物丙二醛(MDA)含量明显升高,还原型谷胱甘肽(GSH)含量和谷胱甘肽 S-转移酶(GST)、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GPX)活性则有一个先降后升的变化.以上结果说明,细长聚球藻

烟草悬浮细胞抗氧化系统对微囊藻毒素-RR的响应

采用0.1mg/L的微囊藻毒素-RR(MC-RR)处理烟草BY-2悬浮细胞,测定了细胞活力、细胞内活性氧(ROS)及抗氧化系统的变化.结果表明,处理144h后,BY-2的细胞活力与对照相比无显著差异,但是处理细胞的ROS含量随着MC-RR处理时间的延长而迅速上升,96h后,细胞的ROS含量与对照差异显著;毒素处理细胞的过氧化物酶(POD)和谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GPX)活性明显升高,分别在处理48h和72h后与对照差异显著;细胞中还原型谷胱甘肽(GSH)含量有一个先下降后升高的过程,96h后,MC-RR处理

鲤肝细胞抗氧化系统对微囊藻毒素毒性的反应

用 10 μg/L的微囊藻毒素LR(Microcystin LR ,MC LR)处理鲤肝细胞培养物 ,检测鲤肝细胞抗氧化系统的 6项指标。结果表明 ,MC LR处理后活性氧 (ROS)含量明显升高 ,还原型谷胱甘肽 (GSH)含量迅速下降 ,超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化氢酶 (CAT)的活性明显升高 ,谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶 (GSH Px)活性在MC LR处理 15min后也有明显上升 ,但谷胱甘肽S 转移酶 (GST)活性在MC LR处理后没有明显变化。另外 ,还从氧自由基理论解释了微囊藻毒素造成鲤肝

Hexabromocyclododecane-induced developmental toxicity and apoptosis in zebrafish embryos

Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) is widely used as a brominated flame retardant, and has been detected in the aquatic environment, wild animals, and humans. However, details of the environmental health risk of HBCD are not well known. In this study, zebrafish embryos were used to assess the developmental toxicity of the chemical. Four-hour post-fertilization (hpf) zebrafish embryos were exposed to various concentrations of HBCD (0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, and 1.0 mg L-1) until 96 h. Exposure to 0.1, 0.5, and 1.0 mg L-1 HBCD significantly increased the malformation rate and reduced survival in the 0.5 and 1.0 mg L-1 HBCD exposure groups. Acridine orange (AO) staining showed that HBCD exposure resulted in cell apoptosis. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) was significantly induced at exposures of 0.1, 0.5, and 1.0 mg L-1 HBCD. To test the apoptotic pathway, several genes related to cell apoptosis, such as p53, Puma, Apaf-1, caspase-9, and caspase-3, were examined using real-time PCR. The expression patterns of these genes were up-regulated to some extent. Two anti-apoptotic genes, Mdm2 (antagonist of p53) and Bcl-2 (inhibitor of Bax), were down-regulated, and the activity of capspase-9 and caspase-3 was significantly increased. The overall results demonstrate that waterborne HBCD is able to produce oxidative stress and induce apoptosis through the involvement of caspases in zebrafish embryos. The results also indicate that zebrafish embryos can serve as a reliable model for the developmental toxicity of HBCD. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reducing organic substances from anaerobic decomposition of hydrophytes

Oxidation-reduction properties of surface sediments are tightly associated with the geochemistry of substances, and reducing organic substances (ROS) from hydrophytes residues may play an important role in these processes. In this study, composition, dynamics, and properties of ROS from anaerobic decomposition of Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms, Potamogenton crispus Linn, Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara, Lemna trisulca Linn and Microcystis flos-aquae (Wittr) Kirch were investigated using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The type of hydrophytes determined both the reducibility and composition of ROS. At the peak time of ROS production, the anaerobic decomposition of M. flos-aquae produced 6 types of ROS, among which 3 belonged to strongly reducing organic substance (SROS), whereas there were only 3-4 types of ROS from the other hydrophytes, 2 of them exhibiting strong reducibility. The order of potential of hydrophytes to produce ROS was estimated to be: M. flos-aquae > E. crassipes > L. trisulca > P. crispus approximate to V. natans, based on the summation of SROS and weakly reducing organic substances (WROS). The dynamic pattern of SROS production was greatly different from WROS. The total SROS appeared periodic fluctuation with reducibility gradually weakening with incubation time, whereas the total WROS increased with incubation time. Reducibility of ROS from hydrophytes was readily affected by acid, base and ligands, suggesting that their properties were related to these aspects. In addition to the reducibility, we believe that more attention should be paid to the other behaviors of ROS in surface sediments.

Effects of tetrabrominated diphenyl ether and hexabromocyclododecanes in single and complex exposure to hepatoma HepG2 cells

This study was designed to determine cytotoxic effects of PBDE-47 and HBCDs individually or with a mixture of both compounds exposure to Hep G2 cells. The results showed PBDE-47 and HBCDs induced increase of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity, release of NO. dissipation of mitochondria membrane potential and cell apoptosis. Exposure to HBCDs induced ROS formation. Moreover, preincubation with PTIO (NO scavanger) and N-acetylcysteine (ROS scavanger) partially reversed cytotoxic effects of these compounds. The possible mechanism is that PBDE-47 and HBCDs could boost generation of NO and/or ROS, impact mitochondria, and result in start-ups of apoptosis program. Cells exposed to mixture of both compounds and each of them showed non-apoptotic rate significant difference, but the combination of them caused more adverse effects on cells. These results Suggest that PBDE-47 and HBCDs in single and complex exposure have the cytotoxic activity of anti-proliferation and induction of apoptosis in tumor cells in vitro. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

UV-B-induced Oxidative Damage and Protective Role of Exopolysaccharides in Desert Cyanobacterium Microcoleus vaginatus

UV-B-induced oxidative damage and the protective effect of exopolysaccharides (EPS) in Microcoleus vaginatus, a cyanobacterium isolated from desert crust, were investigated. After being irradiated with UV-B radiation, photosynthetic activity (Fv/Fm), cellular total carbohydrates, EPS and sucrose production of irradiated cells decreased, while reducing sugars, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, malondialdehyde (MDA) production and DNA strand breaks increased significantly. However, when pretreated with 100 mg/L exogenous EPS, EPS production in the culture medium of UV-B stressed cells decreased significantly; Fv/Fm, cellular total carbohydrates, reducing sugars and sucrose synthase (SS) activity of irradiated cells increased significantly, while ROS generation, MDA production and DNA strand breaks of irradiated cells decreased significantly. The results suggested that EPS exhibited a significant protective effect on DNA strand breaks and lipid peroxidation by effectively eliminating ROS induced by UV-B radiation in M. vaginatus.

Cytotoxicity evaluation of three pairs of hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) enantiomers on Hep G2 cell

Hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) are additive brominated flame retardants mainly used in plastics and textiles. At the present time, these compounds are found in almost all environmental and human samples. In order to evaluate the environmental safety and health risk of HBCDs, the enantiomerically pure alpha-, beta-, and gamma-HBCD were prepared using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) on a PM-P-CD column and the cytotoxicities of their enantiomers were evaluated in Hep G2 cells. Results from the 3-(4,5-dimethylthioazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT), resazurin reduction and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assays showed a good agreement that the order of cytotoxicity was gamma-HBCD >= beta-HBCD > alpha-HBCD, and that significantly lower cell viability and higher LDH release were observed in all (+)-enantiomers ((+) alpha-, (+) beta- and (+) gamma-HBCD) than the corresponding (-)-forms ((-) alpha-, (-) beta- and (-) gamma-HBCD). Additionally, the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by these HBCD enantiomers were detected. The positive correlation between the LDH release and ROS formation demonstrated that the toxic mechanism might be mediated by oxidative damage. These results suggest that environmental and human health risks of HBCDs must be evaluated at the level of individual enantiomers. (C) 2008 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Growth and antioxidant system of Escherichia coli in response to microcystin-RR

Microcystins are a kind of cyclic hepatoxins produced by many species of cyanobacteria. The toxic effects of microcystins on animals and plants have been well studied. However, the reports about the effects of microcystins on microbial cells are very limited. In present paper, Escherichia coli was undertaken to determine the effect of microcystin-RR. These results suggested that microcystin-RR could prolong the growth of E. coli when exposed to high concentrations of microcystin-RR and cause the accumulation of ROS and induce the oxidant stress for a short time. The antioxidant system protects E. coli from oxidative damage.

Microcystin-RR induced apoptosis in tobacco BY-2 suspension cells is mediated by reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial permeability transition pore status

When tobacco BY-2 cells were treated with 60 mu g/mL MC-RR for 5 d, time-dependent effects of MC-RR on the cells were observed. Morphological changes such as abnormal elongation, evident chromatin condensation and margination, fragmentation of nucleus and formation of apoptotic-like bodies suggest that 60 mu g/mL MC-RR induced rapid apoptosis in tobacco BY-2 cells. Moreover, there was a significant and rapid increase of ROS level before the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (Delta Psi(m)) and the onset of cell apoptosis. Ascorbic acid (AsA), a major primary antioxidant, prevented the increase of ROS generation, blocked the decrease in Delta Psi(m) and subsequent cell apoptosis, indicating a critical role of ROS in serving as an important signaling molecule by causing a reduction of Delta Psi(m) and MC-RR-induced tobacco BY-2 cell apoptosis. In addition, a specific mitochondrial permeability transition pores (PTP) inhibitor, cyclosporin A (CsA), significantly blocked the MC-RR-induced ROS formation, loss of Delta Psi(m), as well as cell apoptosis when the cells were MC-RR stressed for 3 d, suggesting that PTP is involved in 60 mu g/mL MC-RR-induced tobacco cell apoptosis signalling process. Thus, we concluded that the mechanism of MC-RR-induced apoptosis signalling pathways in tobacco BY-2 cells involves not only the excess generation of ROS and oxidative stress, but also the opening of PTP inducing loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. (C) 2007 Published by Elsevier Ltd.