在中国壮族家系中发现的一例-α~T/-α~Q复合β~0β~0珠蛋白基因型

本文报道在我国广西隆林壮族中发现一个罕見的HbQ复合α,β地中海贫血家系。先证者女,18岁,贫血面容,肝脾肿大。化学结构分析确证本Hb变异体为HbQ Thailand[α74(EF3)Asp→His]。血红蛋白组成以及α和β珠蛋白基因分析结果表明,先证者的珠蛋白基因型为-α~Q/-α~T复合β°/β°(IVSI-1G→T/Codon17A→T);先证者父的基因型为-‘α~Q/-复合β~O/β~A(IVSI-1G→T/β~A);先证母的基因型为-α~T/αα复合β~O/β~A(Codon17A→T/β~A)。     

体外冲击波碎石术对兔肝酶活性的影响

采用超微组织化学方法,观察了体外冲击波碎石术(ESWL)对家免肝脏酶活性的影响。实施 ESWL 后,肝细胞的琥珀酸脱氢酶(SDH)和毛细胆管壁上的碱性磷酸酶(ALP)、焦磷酸硫胺素酶(TPPase)反应活性减弱或消失。TPPase 从损伤的肝细胞高尔基体分泌面扁囊、溶酶体样小泡和毛细胆管内溢出,并伴有肝细胞面的质膜上出现了 TPPase 反应产物和形成膜包内凹小泡。结果提示 ESWL 可对肝细胞及毛细胆管的功能和结构有损伤作用。     

UreB immunodominant epitope-specific CD8+ T-cell responses were beneficial in reducing gastric symptoms in Helicobacter pylori-infected individuals

Background and aims

Although Helicobacter pylori is recognized as an extracellular infection bacterium, it can lead to an increase in the number of CD8⁺ T cells after infection. At present, the characteristics of H. pylori antigen-specific CD8⁺ T cells and the epitope response have not been elucidated. This study was focused on putative protective antigen UreB to detect specific CD8⁺ T-cell responses in vitro and screen for predominant response epitopes.

Methods

The PBMCs collected from H. pylori-infected individuals were stimulated by UreB peptide pools in vitro to identify the immunodominant CD8⁺ T-cell epitopes. Furthermore, their HLA restriction characteristics were detected accordingly by NGS. Finally, the relationship between immunodominant responses and appearance of gastric symptoms after H. pylori infection was conducted.

Results

UreB-specific CD8⁺ T-cell responses were detected in H. pylori-infected individuals. Three of UreB dominant epitopes (A-2 (UreB_443–451: GVKPNMIIK), B-4 (UreB_420–428: SEYVGSVEV), and C-1 (UreB_5–13: SRKEYVSMY)) were firstly identified and mainly presented by HLA-A*1101, HLA-B*4001 and HLA-C*0702 alleles, respectively. C-1 responses were mostly occurred in H. pylori-infected subjects without gastric symptoms and may alleviate the degree of gastric inflammation.

Conclusions

The UreB dominant epitope-specific CD8⁺ T-cell response was closely related to the gastric symptoms after H. pylori infection, and the C-1 (UreB_5-13) dominant peptides may be protective epitopes.     

Site and mechanism of behavioral tolerance to cocaine: A study of dopamine release in Wistar-Kyoto and spontaneously hypertensive rats

Wistar-Kyoto and spontaneously hypertensive rats received i.v. infusions of cocaine hydrochloride (60 mg/kg per day) for 3, 7, and 14 days, or saline for 7 days. Acute cocaine challenge (40 mg/kg, s.c.) was given to treated and control rats 24 hr after the termination of each infusion period. There were no strain differences in brain levels of cocaine during cocaine infusion, nor after cocaine challenges. There were no strain differences in resting levels of [³H]dopamine release. Release of [³H]dopamine decreased in nuclei accumbens of 7- and 14-day cocaine-infused animals. Release of [³H]dopamine was maximal in both brain regions 2 hr after acute cocaine challenge. After 14 days of cocaine infusion, cocaine challenge in both strains reduced [³H]dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens, but not in the striatum; the reduction being greater in Wistar-Kyoto rats. The behavioral tolerance which accompanies similar cocaine infusion regimens may be related to striatal tolerance to cocaine-induced dopamine release.     

Restudy of the upper age limit of Beijing Man site

The chronological position of Beijing Man site was restudied by U-series dating of two calcite samples taken from a stalagmitic flowstone layer intercalated in 1–2 layers. Based on the weighted mean of three measurements performed on the purer one, the upper age limit of this site be 421 ₋₅₄ ⁺¹¹⁰ ka B.P., much greater than former evaluation of 230 ka based on U-series dating of fossil bones. The reliability of the obtained results was discussed.     

南极乔治王岛冰锥洞微生物培养探索

【目的】南极洲具备独特的环境和相对的生物地理隔离,南极洲各类生境中蕴藏了大量尚未培养和难培养的微生物,也是新颖微生物物种的重要来源之一。本研究以南极冰锥洞这类特殊生境为研究对象,通过培养条件的多样化提升南极微生物的培养率和多样性,揭示南极冰锥洞可培养微生物类群多样性,为该环境可培养微生物功能研究奠定基础,也为南极极端环境未培养微生物的培养方法提供借鉴。【方法】通过采用不同培养基添加复苏促进因子(resuscitation promoting factor, Rpf)的方式,提高南极柯林斯冰盖冰锥洞生境中微生物的可培养率,探究该生境中微生物的多样性。采用4种不同营养水平的培养基,平行添加Rpf进行菌株培养,经分离纯化与16S rRNA基因鉴定,分析冰锥洞可培养微生物的多样性及培养条件对多样性的影响。【结果】本研究共分离培养细菌407株,涵盖5个门、18个科、29个属,其中：放线菌门(Actinomycetota)为优势门,占72.73%;微杆菌科(Microbacteriaceae)为优势科,占69.78%;Lacisediminihabitans属为优势属,占45.70%。从培养基效果...     

高耐酸酒酒球菌常压室温等离子体诱变选育及其苹果酸-乳酸发酵研究

【目的】为选育出高度耐酸性酒酒球菌（Oenococcus oeni）突变菌株,研究其胁迫耐受性能及苹果酸-乳酸发酵（malolactic fermentation,MLF）能力。【方法】以酒酒球菌SD-2a为出发菌株,通过常压室温等离子体（atmospheric and room temperature plasma,ARTP）诱变技术,筛选高耐酸性酒酒球菌突变菌株,并探究其乙醇耐受性及在模拟酒和葡萄酒条件下的MLF能力。【结果】经过ARTP诱变处理后,利用pH 3.0的胁迫传代培养和分离纯化等,获得了5株β-葡萄糖苷酶活性较好的耐酸突变菌株,且在高乙醇浓度下表现出了较好的耐乙醇性。其中突变菌株ARTP-2在模拟酒中的β-葡萄糖苷酶活性和l-苹果酸累积降解量最高,且其在葡萄酒中l-苹果酸降解速率快于出发菌株,在第18天完成MLF,发酵后的葡萄酒香气成分的含量显著高于接种SD-2a的酒样。【结论】突变菌株ARTP-2具有良好的胁迫耐受性和MLF能力,对葡萄酒的香气起到积极的作用,为进一步开发优质的MLF商业发酵剂奠定基础。     

Calcineurin B-like interacting protein kinase 31 confers resistance to sheath blight via modulation of ROS homeostasis in rice

Sheath blight (ShB) severely threatens rice cultivation and production; however, the molecular mechanism of rice defence against ShB remains unclear. Screening of transposon Ds insertion mutants identified that Calcineurin B-like protein-interacting protein kinase 31 (CIPK31) mutants were more susceptible to ShB, while CIPK31 overexpressors (OX) were less susceptible. Sequence analysis indicated two haplotypes of CIPK31: Hap_1, with significantly higher CIPK31 expression, was less sensitive to ShB than the Hap_2 lines. Further analyses showed that the NAF domain of CIPK31 interacted with the EF-hand motif of respiratory burst oxidase homologue (RBOHA) to inhibit RBOHA-induced H₂O₂ production, and RBOHA RNAi plants were more susceptible to ShB. These data suggested that the CIPK31-mediated increase in resistance is not associated with RBOHA. Interestingly, the study also found that CIPK31 interacted with catalase C (CatC); cipk31 mutants accumulated less H₂O₂ while CIPK31 OX accumulated more H₂O₂ compared to the wild-type control. Further analysis showed the interaction of the catalase domain of CatC with the NAF domain of CIPK31 by which CIPK31 inhibits CatC activity to accumulate more H₂O₂.     

The complex genome and adaptive evolution of polyploid Chinese pepper (Zanthoxylum armatum and Zanthoxylum bungeanum)

Zanthoxylum armatum and Zanthoxylum bungeanum, known as ‘Chinese pepper’, are distinguished by their extraordinary complex genomes, phenotypic innovation of adaptive evolution and species-special metabolites. Here, we report reference-grade genomes of Z. armatum and Z. bungeanum. Using high coverage sequence data and comprehensive assembly strategies, we derived 66 pseudochromosomes comprising 33 homologous phased groups of two subgenomes, including autotetraploid Z. armatum. The genomic rearrangements and two whole-genome duplications created large (~4.5 Gb) complex genomes with a high ratio of repetitive sequences (>82%) and high chromosome number (2n = 4x = 132). Further analysis of the high-quality genomes shed lights on the genomic basis of involutional reproduction, allomones biosynthesis and adaptive evolution in Chinese pepper, revealing a high consistent relationship between genomic evolution, environmental factors and phenotypic innovation. Our study provides genomic resources and new insights for investigating diversification and phenotypic innovation in Chinese pepper, with broader implications for the protection of plants under severe environmental changes.     

High-temperature stress in crops: male sterility,yield loss and potential remedy approaches

Global food security is one of the utmost essential challenges in the 21st century in providing enough food for the growing population while coping with the already stressed environment. High temperature (HT) is one of the main factors affecting plant growth, development and reproduction and causes male sterility in plants. In male reproductive tissues, metabolic changes induced by HT involve carbohydrates, lipids, hormones, epigenetics and reactive oxygen species, leading to male sterility and ultimately reducing yield. Understanding the mechanism and genes involved in these pathways during the HT stress response will provide a new path to improve crops by using molecular breeding and biotechnological approaches. Moreover, this review provides insight into male sterility and integrates this with suggested strategies to enhance crop tolerance under HT stress conditions at the reproductive stage.