Increased polyploidy in aortic vascular smooth muscle cells during aging is marked by cellular senescence

We previously reported that the frequency of polyploid aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) serves as a biomarker of aging. Cellular senescence of somatic cells is another marker of aging that is characterized by the inability to undergo cell division. Here, we examined whether polyploidy is associated with the development of cellular senescence in vivo. Analysis of aortic tissue preparations from young and old Brown Norway rats showed that expression of senescence markers such as p16(INK4a) and senescence-associated beta-galactosidase activity are detected primarily in the old tissues. VSMC from p16(INK4a) knockout and control mice display similar levels of polyploid cells. Intriguingly, senescence markers are expressed in most, but not all, polyploid VSMC. Moreover, the polyploid cells exhibit limited proliferative capacity in comparison to their diploid counterparts. This study is the first to demonstrate in vivo that polyploid VSMC adopt a senescent phenotype.     

Self-assembled films of hemoglobin/laponite/chitosan: application for the direct electrochemistry and catalysis to hydrogen peroxide

A highly stable biological film was formed on the functional glassy carbon electrode (GCE) via step-by-step self-assembly of chitosan (CHT), laponite, and hemoglobin (Hb). Cyclic voltammetry (CV) of the Hb/laponite/CHT/GCE showed a pair of stable and quasi-reversible peaks for the Hb-Fe(III)/Fe(II) redox couple at about -0.035 V versus a saturated calomel electrode in pH 6.0 phosphate buffer at a scan rate of 0.1 V s(-1). The electrochemical reaction of Hb entrapped on the laponite/CHT self-assembled film exhibited a surface-controlled electrode process. The formal potential of the Hb-heme-Fe(III)/Fe(II) couple varied linearly with the increase of pH over the range of 3.0-8.0 with a slope of -63 mV pH(-1), which implied that an electron transfer was accompanied by single-proton transfer in the electrochemical reaction. The position of the Soret absorption band of this self-assembled Hb/laponite/CHT film suggested that the entrapped Hb kept its secondary structure similar to its native state. The self-assembled film showed excellent long-term stability, the CV peak potentials kept in the same positions, and the cathodic peak currents retained 90% of their values after 60 days. The film was used as a biological catalyst to catalyze the reduction of hydrogen peroxide. The electrocatalytic response showed a linear dependence on the H2O2 concentration ranging widely from 6.2 x 10(-6) to 2.55 x 10(-3) M with a detection limit of 6.2 x 10(-6) M at 3 sigma.     

Interaction between proteins and cationic gemini surfactant

Surface tension, fluorescence, and circular dichroism (CD) methods have been used to investigate the interaction between cationic gemini surfactant 1,2-ethane bis(dimethyldodecylammonium bromide) (C12C2C12) and proteins including bovine serum albumin (BSA) and gelatin. Surface tension measurements show that the complexes of gelatin--C12C2C12 form more easily than that of BSA--C12C2C12. Addition of C12C2C12 has a different effect not only on the polarity of the microenvironment in BSA and gelatin systems but also on their fluorescence spectra. It can be seen from far-UV CD spectra that the alpha-helical network of BSA is disrupted and its content decreases from 41.7% to 27.6% while the random coil content of gelatin increases from 53.0% to 55.9% with increasing C12C2C12 concentration. The results from near-UV CD spectra show that the binding of C12C2C12 induces changes of the microenvironment around the aromatic amino acid residues and disulfide bonds of BSA at high C12C2C12 concentrations.     

咸鸭蛋清胃蛋白酶水解产物的抗菌性及抗氧化性

【目的】提高对咸鸭蛋清的综合利用,制备具有生物活性的蛋白水解产物。【方法】采用超滤对咸鸭蛋清进行脱盐及分级,利用胃蛋白酶对不同分子量范围的咸鸭蛋清蛋白组分进行酶解,并对不同组分的水解产物进行体外抑菌试验,测定其最低抑菌浓度(MIC)、最低杀菌浓度(MBC)、细菌细胞膜完整性及抗氧化活性。【结果】超滤后得到3种不同分子量的组分,组分A (Mw>50 kDa)、组分B (50 kDa>Mw>20 kDa)和组分C (20 kDa>Mw>5 kDa)。其中,组分A和组分B的水解产物对大肠杆菌的生长有抑制作用。2种组分的MIC分别为1 024 μg/mL和2 048 μg/mL,MBC均为2 048 μg/mL。大肠杆菌进入稳定期OD₆₀₀值约为1.15,添加2种水解产物浓度达1×MIC时,OD₆₀₀值降至0.79和0.86,浓度达2×MIC时,OD₆₀₀值降至0.50和0.68。2种水解产物可破坏大肠杆菌细胞膜,达到较好的抑菌效果。而金黄色葡萄球菌对3种水解产物均不敏感,抑菌效果较差。另外,3种水解产物均具有抗氧化活性,它们对DPPH自由基清除能力分别达0.5倍Trolox (水溶性维生素E)、0.67倍Trolox、0.38倍Trolox。【结论】超滤可同时实现咸蛋清脱盐及富集不同目标蛋白的目的。目标蛋白酶解组分具备抗菌活性和抗氧化活性,同时可作为一种营养添加剂,提高了咸鸭蛋清的附加价值和利用率。     

Cloning and Drought Resistance Analysis of Soybean <i>GmHsps_p23-like</i> Gene

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is an important cultivated crop, which requires much water during its growth, and drought seriously affects soybean yields. Studies have shown that the expression of small heat shock proteins can enhance drought resistance, cold resistance and salt resistance of plants. In this experiment, soybean GmHsps_p23-like gene was successfully cloned by RT-PCR, the protein encoded by the GmHsps_p23-like gene was subjected to bioinformatics analysis, and the pCAMBIA3301-GmHsps_p23-like overexpression vector and pCBSG015-GmHsps_p23-like gene editing vector were constructed. Agrobacterium-mediated method was used to transform soybeans to obtain positive plants. RT-PCR detection, rehydration experiment and drought resistance physiological and biochemical index detection were performed on the T₂ generation positive transgenic soybean plants identified by PCR and Southern hybridization. The results showed that the overexpression vector plant GmHsps_p23-like gene expression increased. After rehydration, the transgenic overexpression plants returned to normal growth, and the damage to the plants was low. After drought stress, the SOD and POD activities and the PRO content of the transgenic overexpression plants increased, while the MDA content decreased. The reverse was true for soybean plants with genetically modified editing vectors. The drought resistance of the overexpressed soybeans under drought stress was higher than that of the control group, and had a stronger drought resistance. It showed that the expression of soybean GmHsps_p23-like gene can improve the drought resistance of soybean. The cloning and functional verification of soybean GmHsps_p23-like gene had not been reported yet. This is the first time that PCR technology has been used to amplify the soybean GmHsps_p23-like gene and construct an expression vector for this gene. This research has laid the foundation for transgenic technology to improve plant drought resistance and cultivate new drought-resistant transgenic soybean varieties.     

基于单细菌共焦拉曼光谱的细菌快速检测

【背景】目前利用共焦拉曼光谱技术进行成像和成分鉴别方面的研究较多,但如何快速检测与鉴别多种细菌方面的研究较少。【目的】基于共焦拉曼光谱技术,建立一种在单细菌水平上实现病原微生物快速分类鉴定的方法。【方法】以大肠杆菌为研究对象,利用共焦拉曼光谱技术在单细菌水平上进行了激发波长的优化试验,并研究了大肠杆菌存放时间对单细菌拉曼光谱信息的影响。同时,对白色葡萄球菌、大肠杆菌、金黄色葡萄球菌、沙门氏菌和铜绿假单胞菌进行了共焦拉曼光谱测试,并对5种细菌进行单细菌拉曼光谱的归属分析,设计共焦拉曼光谱技术结合支持向量机(support vector machine,SVM)模型学习算法,进行了5种细菌的快速分类鉴别。【结果】对于单细菌拉曼光谱探测,532、633和785 nm这3种常见的拉曼探测波长中,532 nm具有更好的激发效率和光谱信噪比。结合SVM模型对5种细菌的识别分类,SVM模型的灵敏度和特异性达到了96.00%以上,整体准确率为98.25%。不同存放时间下大肠杆菌拉曼光谱的重复性和稳定性都很好,且SVM模型匹配率均在90.00%以上。【结论】单细菌拉曼光谱结合SVM模型可对5种细菌进行快...     

限制活动加剧2型糖尿病小鼠肠道菌群和糖脂代谢紊乱

【背景】久坐行为在2型糖尿病(type 2 diabetes mellitus,T2DM)患者群体中广泛存在,对于患者的血糖控制具有严重的不良影响,但是其具体机制还缺乏较为完善的阐述。【目的】通过限制小鼠活动模拟久坐行为,从而阐明久坐导致2型糖尿病小鼠糖脂代谢紊乱加剧的具体机制,为相应的健康教育和干预提供一定的理论基础。【方法】利用C57BL/6J雄性小鼠构建糖尿病模型,小鼠随机分为3组：正常组(CON)、2型糖尿病模型组(MOD)和2型糖尿病限制活动组(SED),通过限制小鼠活动的方法使其进行8周的久坐行为;采用试剂盒和形态学观察法测定小鼠糖脂代谢紊乱情况;HE和PAS染色观察小鼠回肠组织受损情况;采用RT-qPCR法测定小鼠粪便微生物的变化;采用TBA试剂盒测定小鼠血清和肝脏中总胆汁酸含量;分别通过荧光定量PCR(RT-qPCR)和Western blotting测定小鼠回肠和肝脏组织中法尼醇X受体(farnesoid X receptor,FXR)和G蛋白偶联胆汁酸受体5(G protein coupled bile acid receptor 5,TGR5)的mRNA和蛋白表达水平。【结果】与正常组相比,模型组小鼠血糖升高、血脂增加、胰岛素抵抗和口服葡萄糖耐量紊乱,而且肠道病理学变化明显,限制活动使T2DM小鼠糖脂代谢紊乱增加(P<0.05);T2DM小鼠肠道菌群失调,在门和属水平上的有益菌减少、有害菌增加,限制活动加剧了这一情况;与正常组相比,T2DM小鼠血清和肝脏组织中总胆汁酸含量增加,限制活动组总胆汁酸进一步增加(P<0.05);模型组小鼠胆汁酸受体FXR和TGR5表达较正常组显著降低(P<0.01),限制活动后进一步抑制了这些受体的表达。同时,Spearman相关性分析也显示小鼠糖脂代谢水平与肠道菌群及肠道菌群代谢物胆汁酸存在显著相关性。【结论】限制活动致使T2DM小鼠糖脂代谢紊乱加剧,其机制可能与肠道菌群和胆汁酸代谢失调,以及胆汁酸受体的进一步下调有关。     

Hb New York,preliminary results concerning the hematologic characteristics and the effects on thalassemia

Molecular Biology Reports - The hematological phenotype and genotype analysis of hemoglobin New York (Hb New York) combined with α or β thalassemia has been rarely reported, and whether...     

Spinal Microglia and Astrocytes: Two Key Players in Chronic Visceral Pain Pathogenesis

Neurochemical Research - Chronic visceral pain (CVP) is one of the common symptoms of many diseases triggered by underlying diseases of the internal organs of the human body. Its causes include...     

黄氏枝膜叶蜂生物学特性及金龟子绿僵菌对其幼虫的致病力

【目的】黄氏枝膜叶蜂Cladiucha huangbki是新发现的叶蜂科(Tenthredinidae)枝膜叶蜂属Cladiucha种类,以幼虫取食危害乳源木莲Manglietia yuyuanensis叶片,虫口密度大, 严重影响乳源木莲的生长。本研究旨在明确该虫的生物学特性,并筛选出对该虫具有高致病力的金龟子绿僵菌Metarhizium anisopliae菌株,为高效治理该虫提供理论基础和生物防治资源。【方法】以林间调查和室内饲养观察相结合的方式,观察黄氏枝膜叶蜂的各发育阶段形态特征和生物学特性(寄主植物、分布和生活史);采用孢子悬浮液喷雾法筛选高致病力金龟子绿僵菌菌株。【结果】林间和室内观察结果表明,黄氏枝膜叶蜂幼虫取食木兰科木莲属植物,在福建永安市一年发生1代,以老熟幼虫(预蛹)在土室中越夏、越冬;翌年3月上旬化蛹,3月下旬成虫羽化,4月上旬为雌虫产卵高峰期,4月中旬幼虫出现,4月下旬至5月上旬为幼虫危害高峰期,5月中旬老熟幼虫开始入土做土室,入土深度30~150 mm。室内金龟子绿僵菌不同菌株对黄氏枝膜叶蜂幼虫致病力测定结果表明,以1×10⁷孢子/mL悬浮液喷雾11 d后,不同菌株对其幼虫的校正死亡率均超过85%,其中MaQZ-01, MaYTTR-04-05, Ma3和MaFZ-13 4个菌株感染的叶蜂幼虫校正死亡率为100%。菌株MaFZ-08感染引起的黄氏枝膜叶蜂僵虫率最高,为60%;其次是MaYTTR-04-05,引起的僵虫率为50%。金龟子绿僵菌各菌株对黄氏枝膜叶蜂幼虫的致死中时间(LT₅₀)相差不大,在6 d左右,其中MaYTTR-04-05菌株的LT₅₀最短,为5.090 d。【结论】黄氏枝膜叶蜂在福建永安一年发生1代,5月中、下旬老熟幼虫入土做土室化为预蛹越夏越冬。本研究筛选出对黄氏枝膜叶蜂幼虫致病力强的金龟子绿僵菌MaYTTR-04-05菌株,在其防治上有良好的应用前景。