慢病毒载体介导shRNA干扰IL-6Rα基因表达削弱IL-6对猪脂肪细胞分化的影响

为研究白细胞介素-6(IL-6)对猪脂肪细胞分化的影响及其分子机制,构建猪IL 6Rα基因RNA干扰（RNA interference, RNAi）慢病毒载体;用IL-6Rα-RNAi重组慢病毒预处理原代培养的猪前体脂肪细胞或不处理, 然后用100 ng/mL IL-6处理分化第6 d的脂肪细胞48 h．通过测定甘油释放量检测脂肪细胞的脂解率;油红O染色提取法测定脂肪细胞的脂质含量;采用RT-PCR 和Western印迹检测脂肪细胞分化相关基因的mRNA 和蛋白表达．结果显示,IL-6显著抑制猪脂肪细胞分化,并下调PPARγ2、Perilipin A和IRS-1的mRNA及蛋白表达,同时增强ERK1/2磷酸化;IL-6Rα-RNAi预处理前体脂肪细胞则显著逆转IL 6的上述作用．总之,IL-6通过多重机制抑制猪脂肪细胞分化;而且本研究构建的IL-6Rα-RNAi重组慢病毒载体可有效阻断IL-6信号,为进一步研究IL-6的功能奠定了基础．     

过表达Sirt2抑制猪前体脂肪细胞的分化

本文旨在利用过表达技术研究Sirt2在猪前体脂肪细胞分化中的作用.首先将Sirt2插入腺病毒穿梭载体pAdTrack-CMV,并与骨架载体pAdEasy-1在大肠杆菌BJ5183中同源重组,重组体用Lipofectamine2000包装转染HEK293细胞系,成功获得重组腺病毒vAd-Sirt2.用vAd-Sirt2感染猪前体脂肪细胞,48h后油红O染色法观察脂肪细胞分化情况,RT-PCR检测脂肪细胞分化标志基因PPARγ和aP2的表达.结果显示,过表达Sirt2促使细胞中脂滴减少,同时标志基因PPARγ、aP2mRNA水平显著降低,说明Sirt2抑制猪前体脂肪细胞分化,这为控制猪体脂沉积提供依据以及为人类肥胖和相关疾病的治疗和预防奠定基础.     

过表达miR-103促进猪前体脂肪细胞分化

为阐明miR-103在猪前体脂肪细胞分化过程中的调控作用,采用Real-time PCR检测猪前体脂肪细胞成脂分化过程中的miR-103表达谱,明确了其在分化过程中的表达趋势;使用miR-103的腺病毒超表达载体感染猪原代脂肪细胞,随后采用Real-time PCR和Western blotting分别检测成脂标记基因PPARγ、aP2的mRNA和蛋白表达量变化;油红O染色观察腺病毒miR-103侵染的前体脂肪细胞诱导分化第8天的成脂情况。结果显示,miR-103的表达量随着脂肪细胞分化而增加,在miR-103超表达的猪原代脂肪细胞的诱导分化过程中,成脂标记基因PPARγ、aP2的表达量与对照相比显著升高,分化第8天观察到明显的脂滴。说明miR-103能够促进猪前体脂肪细胞分化。     

CTSB超表达促进体外培养的猪前体脂肪细胞分化

为研究溶酶体组织蛋白酶B(cathepsin B,CTSB)对脂肪细胞分化的影响,本实验构建了Ctsb重组腺病毒超表达载体,包装并侵染体外培养的猪前体脂肪细胞,采用油红O染色,油红O提取比色法检测猪前体脂肪细胞分化的情况,并通过real-time PCR法检测成脂关键基因mRNA水平的变化.结果显示,重组腺病毒Ctsb载体构建成功,转染猪前体脂肪细胞后,使Ctsb的mRNA和蛋白质表达量分别提高了约16倍和12倍. CTSB超表达能促进脂肪细胞的分化和脂质积累,成脂关键基因过氧化物酶体增殖物激活受体γ(peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, PPARγ)、脂肪酸结合蛋白2(adipocyte protein 2, aP2)的表达量均有显著升高. 研究表明,提高Ctsb的表达能促进猪前体脂肪细胞分化,揭示了Ctsb在猪前体脂肪细胞分化过程中可能发挥关键作用. 研究结果为进一步研究其作用机制奠定了基础.     

慢病毒载体介导的RNA干扰Akt2表达抑制猪前体脂肪细胞分化

丝氨酸/苏氨酸蛋白激酶2(serine/threonine protein kinase2,Akt 2)是胰岛素信 号通路的关键基因, 与细胞生存和癌症的发生密切相关. 但Akt2在前体脂肪细胞分化中 的作用仍然不是十分清楚. 本研究构建了慢病毒干扰载体pLentiH1-Akt2-shRNA 1, 2, 3及scrambled, 经酶切和测序鉴定均正确; 这4种干扰载体分别转染HEK293T细胞后, 均 获得有感染性的病毒颗粒并感染猪前体脂肪细胞. 转染HEK293T细胞48 h 后real-time PCR分析和转染72 h 后Western 印迹分析表明, Akt2-shRNA2 和shRNA3 介导的Akt2 mRNA和蛋白表达被显著下调 (P <0.05), 其中pLentiH1-Akt2-shRNA3 介导的对Akt2 mRNA和蛋白的干扰效率均达到70%以上 (P <0.01). 进一步研究发现, 猪前体脂肪细胞 中Akt2被有效干扰后, 细胞中脂滴明显减少并变小, 且成脂标志基因PPARγ和aP2蛋白 水平被显著下调. 本研究结果表明, Akt2 knockdown可显著抑制猪前体脂肪细胞分化.     

EGCG对猪前体脂肪细胞增殖和分化的作用

表没食子儿茶素没食子酸酯（Epigallocatechin-3-gallate,EGCG）是绿茶提取物EGCG的生物活性成分,为了探讨其对猪前体脂肪细胞增殖和分化的影响,以不同浓度EGCG处理猪前体脂肪细胞,MTT法测定EGCG对猪前体脂肪细胞生长的影响;油红O染色检测猪前体脂肪细胞的形态学变化;油红O染色提取法定量分析脂肪细胞充脂量的变化;半定量RT-PCR检测分化转录因子过氧化物酶体增生物激活受体佗（PPARγ2）和CCAAT／增强子结合蛋白α（C／EBPα）mRNA表达水平变化。结果显示：EGCG随着浓度的递增显著抑制猪前体脂肪细胞的增殖（P〈0．01）;低浓度的EGCG（5μmol／L）不影响脂肪细胞分化,而高浓度EGCG（200μmol／L）显著抑制猪前体脂肪细胞分化,同时下调PPARγ2和C／EBPαmRNA表达,本研究结果表明EGCG可抑制猪前体脂肪细胞的增殖和分化。     

用成熟脂肪建立一种新的猪前体脂肪细胞培养模型

用去分化的成熟脂肪细胞建立一种新的具有再增殖和再分化能力的猪前体脂肪细胞模型. 用“天花板” 培养法分离、培养1～3日龄仔猪皮下成熟脂肪细胞, 显微镜下观察细胞形态变化并计数, 流式细胞术检测细胞周期;油红O染色法检测脂肪细胞分化率, RT-PCR分析前体脂肪细胞标志基因Pref-1及成熟脂肪细胞关键转录因子PPARγ和C/EBPα等mRNA表达情况. 发现刚贴壁的细胞为单室脂滴成熟脂肪细胞, 油红O染色完全阳性; 14d后这种成熟脂肪细胞完全去分化为无脂滴的纤维状细胞, 并表达前体脂肪细胞标志基因Pref-1, 油红O染色阴性. 这种去分化的前体脂肪细胞在成脂诱导剂作用下,可重新分化为成熟的脂肪细胞. 结果证实,成熟脂肪细胞去分化后的前体脂肪细胞可重新增殖、分化为成熟脂肪细胞, 是一种新的有效的前体脂肪细胞模型.     

黄芩素对猪前体脂肪细胞增殖分化的影响

研究黄芩素(BAI)对猪前体脂肪细胞增殖分化的影响,并探讨其可能的作用机制。原代培养猪前体脂肪细胞,采用油红O染色观察细胞分化的形态学变化;MTT检测细胞增殖状况;油红O染色提取定量分析细胞内脂肪生成及细胞分化程度;分光光度法测定脂肪酸合酶(FAS)的活性;逆转录-聚合酶链反应(RT-PCR)检测分化特异基因过氧化物酶体增殖物激活受体γ2(PPARγ2)mRNA表达变化。结果显示,前体脂肪细胞在分化成脂肪细胞的过程中,其形态由梭形变成椭圆形、圆形,细胞内充满大小不一的脂滴;BAI浓度在160～640μmol/L时显著抑制其增殖(P<0.05)、BAI浓度为40～320μmol/L时显著抑制PPARγ2mRNA表达和FAS的活性,并抑制细胞分化(P<0.05)。以上结果说明,BAI对前体脂肪细胞增殖分化均有一定抑制作用,BAI可能通过抑制PPARγ2mRNA表达和降低FAS活性,从而抑制猪前体脂肪细胞分化。     

Txnip基因siRNA慢病毒表达质粒构建及促进猪前体脂肪细胞分化

硫氧还蛋白互作蛋白(thioredoxin interacting protein, Txnip)是一种氧化还原调节蛋白质,与硫氧还蛋白结合并抑制其活性,调节细胞氧化还原状态,影响细胞多种生理过程,然而其在猪脂肪细胞分化中的作用尚不明确。本文设计合成3对靶向猪Txnip基因的shRNA寡核苷酸,分别连接于重组慢病毒载体pGLV_3/H_1/GFP+Puro构建siRNA表达质粒。测序验证后,与包装质粒共转染293T细胞,获得滴度1×10~8 pfu/mL的慢病毒干扰质粒。以MOI值100转染原代培养猪前体脂肪细胞,转染率均达80%以上,其中Txnip-shRNA-2转染细胞Txnip基因沉默率达75%。转染Txnip-shRNA-2的猪前体脂肪细胞用成脂分化培养液诱导后,每隔1 d检测细胞成脂分化及相关基因表达。结果发现,其分化比阴性对照质粒转染或未转染细胞显著增强(P<0.05),PPARγ和FAS mRNA表达水平显著提高(P<0.05)。本文构建siRNA慢病毒表达质粒能有效干扰猪Txnip基因表达,Txnip表达沉默可通过上调PPARγ表达促进猪前体脂肪细胞分化。本研究提示,Txnip可能是猪脂肪细胞分化的抑制因子。     

猪前体脂肪细胞的分离培养

在比较组织块法和消化法分离培养猪前体脂肪细胞的基础上,通过对前体脂肪细胞增殖与分化过程中细胞的形态学变化、生长曲线、油红O染色以及脂肪细胞特异性标志基因脂蛋白脂酶（lipoprotein lipase,LPL）和过氧化物体增殖剂活化受体γ（peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor γ,PPARγ）表达的研究,证明用消化法可从猪的脂肪组织中分离获得大量的前体脂肪细胞,其生长旺盛,可见自发充脂;传代细胞经诱导培养后,充脂率大幅度提高,脂肪特异性标志基因表达增强。这为深入研究脂肪细胞增殖与分化以及猪体脂肪沉积提供了一个较好的模型。     

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.     

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.     

Enterovirus 71 3C proteolytically processes the histone H3 N-terminal tail during infection

Highlights
1. The N-terminal tail of histone H3 is specifically cleaved during EV71 infection.
2. Viral protease 3C is identified as a protease responsible for proteolytically processing the N-terminal H3 tail.
3. Our finding reveals a new epigenetic regulatory mechanism for Enterovirus 71 in virus-host interactions.     

Detection of EBV and HHV6 in the Brain Tissue of Patients with Rasmussen’s Encephalitis

Rasmussen’s encephalitis (RE) is a rare pediatric neurological disorder, and the exact etiology is not clear. Viral infection may be involved in the pathogenesis of RE, but conflicting results have reported. In this study, we evaluated the expression of both Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and human herpes virus (HHV) 6 antigens in brain sections from 30 patients with RE and 16 control individuals by immunohistochemistry. In the RE group, EBV and HHV6 antigens were detected in 56.7% (17/30) and 50% (15/30) of individuals, respectively. In contrast, no detectable EBV and HHV6 antigen expression was found in brain tissues of the control group. The co-expression of EBV and HHV6 was detected in 20.0% (6/30) of individuals. In particular, a 4-year-old boy had a typical clinical course, including a medical history of viral encephalitis, intractable epilepsy, and hemispheric atrophy. The co-expression of EBV and HHV6 was detected in neurons and astrocytes in the brain tissue, accompanied by a high frequency of CD8⁺ T cells. Our results suggest that EBV and HHV6 infection and the activation of CD8⁺ T cells are involved in the pathogenesis of RE.     

Perinatal Vertical Transmission of Chikungunya Virus in Ruili,a Town on the Border between China and Myanmar

正Dear Editor,Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an arbovirus in the family of Togaviridae, genus Alphavirus, is transmitted by the A.aegyptii or A. albopictus mosquito, and causes disease in humans characterized by fever, rash, and arthralgia (Silva and Dermody 2017; Suhrbier 2019). It was first reported in 1953 in Tanzania, and caused only a few outbreaks and sporadic cases in Africa and Asia in last century. However, in the epidemic in 2004, CHIKV acquired mutations that conferred enhanced transmission by the A. albopictus mosquito(Schuffenecker et al. 2006). Since then, it has successively caused outbreaks in Africa, the Indian Ocean, South East Asia, the South America, and Europe (Zeller et al. 2016).     

Development of a Novel Reverse Transcription Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Method for Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2

In conclusion, the novel visual RT-LAMP assay is a simple, rapid, and sensitive approach for detection of SARS-CoV-2, and it is ready for application in primary care and community hospitals or health care centers, and even patients' own houses in response to the current SARS-CoV-2 epidemic because the assay does not require sophisticated equipment and skilled personnel. Furthermore, it is also ready to be used in fields for screening samples from wild animals and environments to facilitate the identification of potential intermediate hosts that mediate the cross-species transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from bats to humans.