SUMO化信号途径对JNK信号通路活性的调控

c-Jun氨基末端激酶(the c-Jun N-terminal kinase,JNK)家族是促分裂原活化蛋白激酶(MAPK)超家族成员之一.JNK信号通路对细胞生长、分化和凋亡等生物学活动都有重要作用.而SUMO化是一种重要的生物学修饰,可以调节多种细胞生理活动.最近,黄海等在Development发表文章首次将SUMO化途径与JNK信号通路通过Hipk激酶联系起来,为进一步研究SUMO化的功能及其对JNK通路的调节建立了一个新的模型.     

《生物学计算机模拟:BASIC介绍》

《生物学计算机模拟:BASIC介绍》(Computer simulation in biology:a BASIC introduction)Robert E.Keen和James D.Spain著,1992年Wiley-Liss出版社出版,498页。在任何领域里,生物学家都可利用计算机去模拟,从定量模型中取得信息。该书采用阶梯方式,去发展和利用生物学计算机模型及其模拟。对精于编制和操作BASIC计算机程序的人员来说,该书探索了计算机模拟的优点和范围。书中每个章节都是起源于多年的教学经验,并加上若干练习和图解例子。     

虚拟细胞

虚拟细胞是20世纪末在国外刚刚兴起的一种细胞生物学研究方法,主要是通过计算机建立人工细胞模型,模拟细胞内外环境,从而进行生物学的研究和探索。虚拟细胞包含了多门学科前沿的研究成果,具有十分重要的意义。现从其发展历程、应用及其对生物学工作者的关系等方面进行综述。     

基于心脏电生理模型的心律失常机制研究进展

揭示发病机制是心律失常诊断、治疗、药物研发和设备设计的关键.整合当前在心脏分子生物学、生物化学、生理学及解剖学方面的最新成果,构建从离子通道、心肌细胞、心肌纤维、心肌组织、心脏器官到躯体各个层次的多尺度多模态心脏电生理模型,用于系统研究微观局部变化发生、发展、转化为宏观心律失常表现的过程,将彻底改变传统从基因突变、蛋白质表达、细胞电生理、临床表现单独研究心律失常的方式,实现微观与宏观研究的统一,使心脏电生理模型成为系统研究心律失常发病机制的有力手段.本文综述了心脏电生理模型的构建方法和研究进展,讨论了多尺度心脏电生理模型在揭示心律失常机制研究中的作用和地位,给出了基于心脏电生理模型心律失常研究的挑战和重要发展方向.     

利用果蝇心力衰竭模型筛选果蝇第2号染色体缺失系

果蝇心脏一直以来都是研究心血管发育的极好模型,许多控制心脏分化和特化的调控基因和信号途径从果蝇到哺乳动物都是保守的.由于近年心力衰竭的发病率不断升高,我们最近又建立了果蝇心力衰竭模型用于大规模筛选和鉴定心力衰竭的相关基因.在这个模型中,适龄的成体果蝇被整齐排列在导电的载玻片上,通过电极短暂刺激30s,使果蝇的心跳频率由正常的3Hz增加到6Hz,停止后检测果蝇心率恢复情况,不能恢复正常心跳频率或出现纤维性震颤的果蝇视为心力衰竭.该模型可以在短期内大规模筛选到与心力衰竭相关的基因.利用此心力衰竭模型,我们筛选了164个果蝇2号染色体缺失系,获得33个候选缺失系.这些候选缺失系的心衰率要么与野生型品系相比差异显著,要么与tinman或panier突变系相比差异显著,提示这些缺失系中可能含有与心力衰竭相关的调控基因.     

虚拟细胞模型研究进展

虚拟细胞是20世纪末在国外兴起的一种利用现代信息技术和计算机模拟进行细胞研究的全新手段。主要是通过计算机建立人工细胞模型,模拟细胞内外环境,进行生物学的研究和探索。综述了国外主要的虚拟细胞模型的研究概况。     

长链非编码RNA在心脏疾病中的作用

长链非编码RNA(long non-coding RNA,lnc RNA)在转录、转录后和表观遗传学水平调控基因表达,参与多种生物学过程。最近研究表明,lnc RNA在心脏疾病的发生和发展过程中扮演着关键角色。该文就lnc RNA在心脏发育与心脏疾病中的作用作一综述,并指出它具有重要的诊断和治疗潜能。     

基因网络研究进展

分子生物学的深入发展揭示了复杂的生命现象是大量基因相互作用的结果,传统的以描述为主的生物学和分解分析的研究方法受到挑战.随着DNA芯片和分子阵列技术的应用,快速检测生物基因组的表达已成为可能.在生命科学领域,基因网络作为一种系统的、定量的研究方法正在受到重视,该方法建立在分子生物学、非线性数学和信息学等多学科交叉的基础上.基因网络是动力系统模型,具有稳定性、层次性等一系列非线性系统的特性.通过基因表达的大量数据,结合一定的分析和计算方法可以构建合适的基因网络拓扑结构模拟系统的行为.反过来,利用已建立的基因网络可以指导进一步的实验.计算机工具和Internet资源是基因网络研究的重要手段.基因网络研究将在后基因组研究中发挥重要的作用.     

血管新生研究模型的新进展

斑块内不稳定的新生血管破裂出血是动脉粥样硬化进展的关键环节,抑制斑块内血管新生是降低急性心血管事件发生率的潜在方法。实验模型作为研究血管新生的重要工具在探究新生血管生物学行为和机制方面具有重要意义。基于国内外最新进展,本文就血管新生的体外细胞模型、定量三维离体模型、动物在体模型、计算机和数学模型进行综述。     

噪声对窦房结体系钠通道电导作用的计算机仿真研究

本文考虑神经系统的调节作用,利用张恒贵等人构建的兔子心脏窦房结-心房细胞体系的完整二维模型,将其改造为能模拟人体心脏起搏活动的在体模型,并通过计算机仿真模拟研究了环境噪声对心脏体系起搏活动的影响.模拟结果显示:一方面,利用该模型可以重现有生理缺陷的心脏体系异常搏动现象,例如老年化的心脏因细胞膜钠电流减少或部分心肌细胞死...     

A Unique Protease Cleavage Site Predicted in the Spike Protein of the Novel Pneumonia Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Potentially Related to Viral Transmissibility

正Dear Editor,In December 2019, a novel human coronavirus caused an epidemic of severe pneumonia(Coronavirus Disease 2019,COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei, China(Wu et al. 2020; Zhu et al. 2020). So far, this virus has spread to all areas of China and even to other countries. The epidemic has caused 67,102 confirmed infections with 1526 fatal cases     

Curcuminoids as inhibitors of thioredoxin reductase: A receptor based pharmacophore study with distance mapping of the active site

Curcumin is the yellow pigment of turmeric that interacts irreversibly forming an adduct with thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), an enzyme responsible for redox control of cell and defence against oxidative stress. Docking at both the active sites of TrxR was performed to compare the potency of three naturally occurring curcuminoids, namely curcumin, demethoxy curcumin and bis-demethoxy curcumin. Results show that active sites of TrxR occur at the junction of E and F chains. Volume and area of both cavities is predicted. It has been concluded by distance mapping of the most active conformations that Se atom of catalytic residue SeCYS498, is at a distance of 3.56 from C13 of demethoxy curcumin at the E chain active site, whereas C13 carbon atom forms adduct with Se atom of SeCys 498. We report that at least one methoxy group in curcuminoids is necessary for interation with catalytic residues of thioredoxin. Pharmacophore of both active sites of the TrxR receptor for curcumin and demethoxy curcumin molecules has been drawn and proposed for design and synthesis of most probable potent antiproliferative synthetic drugs.     

The structure, reproduction and taxonomy of Vidalia and Osmundaria (Rhodophyta, Rhodomelaceae)

Comprises species occurring mostly in subtidal habitats in tropical, subtropical and warm-temperate areas of the world. An analysis of the type species, V. spiralis (Sonder) Lamouroux ex J. Agardh, a species from Australia, establishes basic characters for distinguishing species in the genus. These characters are (1) branching patterns of thalli, (2) flat blades that may be spiralled on their axis, (3) width of the blade, (4) primary or secondary derivation of sterile and fertile branchlets and (5) position of sterile and fertile branchlets on the thalli. Application of the latter two characters provides an important basic method for separation of species into three major groups. Osmundaria , a genus known only in southern Australia, was studied in relation to Vidalia , and its separation from the Vidalia assemblage is not accepted. Species of Vidalia therefore are transferred to the older genus name, Osmundaria. Two new species, Osmundaria papenfussii and Osmundaria oliveae are described from Natal. Confusion in the usage of the epithet, Vidalia fimbriala Brown ex Turner has been clarified, and Vidalia gregaria Falkenberg, described as an epiphyte on Osmundaria pro/ifera Lamouroux, is revealed to be young branches of the host, Osmundaria prolifera.     

New or rare chromosome counts in Artemisia L. (Asteraceae, Anthemideae) and related genera from Kazakhstan

Fifteen chromosome counts of six Artemisia taxa and one species of each of the genera Brachanthemum, Hippolytia, Kaschgaria, Lepidolopsis and Turaniphytum are reported from Kazakhstan. Three of them are new reports, two are not consistent with previous counts and the remainder are confirmations of very scarce (one to four) earlier records. All the populations studied have the same basic chromosome number, x = 9, with ploidy levels ranging from 2x to 6x. Some correlations between ploidy level, morphological characters and distribution are noted.     

Comparative morphology of the carpel in the Liliaceae: Hewardieae, Petrosavieae, and Tricyrteae

The young pistils in the melanthioid tribes, Hewardieae, Petrosavieae and Tricyrteae, are uniformly tricarpellate and syncarpous. They lack raphide idioblasts. All are multiovulate, with bitegmic ovules. The Petrosavieae are marked by the presence of septal glands and incomplete syncarpy. Tepals and stamens adhere to the ovary in the Hewardieae and the Petrosavieae but not in the Tricyrteae. Two vascular bundles occur in the stamens of the Hewartlieae and Tricyrtis latifolia. Ventral bundles in the upper part of the ovary of the Hewardieae are continuous with compound septal bundles and placental bundles in the lower part. Putative ventral bundles occur in the alternate position in the Tricyrteae and putative placental bundles in the opposite. position in the Petrosavieae. The dichtomously branched stigma in each carpel of the Tricyrteae is supplied by a bifurcated dorsal bundle.     

肝癌中HBV和HCV基因和抗原的分布及意义

采用原位分子杂交方法检测HCV RNA及HBV X基因;采用免疫组织化学方法研究HCV核心抗原,非结构区C33c抗原及HBxAg在肝细胞肝癌中的定位及分布.结果表明(1)HCV RNA、HBV X基因在肝细胞肝癌组织检出率分别为40%(55/136)和82%(112/136).HCV RNA定位于癌细胞的胞浆内,阳性细胞呈散在、灶状及弥漫分布三种形式;HBV X基因在肝癌细胞中的分布呈胞浆型、核型及核浆型,阳性细胞也呈上述三种分布形式;(2)HCV C33c抗原、核心抗原在肝细胞肝癌中的阳性率为81%(133/164)及86%(141/164).C33c抗原定位于癌细胞及肝细胞的胞浆内;核心抗原既定位于癌细胞核中,又可定位于胞浆中.C33c抗原阳性细胞以灶状分布为主;而核心抗原阳性细