High-content screening of diterpenoids from Isodon species as autophagy modulators and the functional study of their antiviral activities

Cell Biology and Toxicology - Autophagy is a conserved lysosomal degradation process, and abnormal autophagy has been associated with various pathological processes, e.g., neurodegeneration,...     

Extracellular HMGB1 augments macrophage inflammation by facilitating the endosomal accumulation of ALD-DNA via TLR2/4-mediated endocytosis

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease with unclear pathogenesis. We previously reported that syngenetic, activated lymphocyte-derived DNA (ALD-DNA) could robustly elicit macrophage activation, which plays an important role in the pathogenesis of murine lupus nephritis. In addition, extracellular HMGB1 obviously facilitated the accumulation of ALD-DNA in endosomes and promoted macrophage inflammation. While the detailed mechanism was still unknown. In this study, we found that HMGB1 could obviously change the DNA uptake pathways in macrophages. ALD-DNA alone was mainly uptake by the low efficient and unselective macropinocytosis, while extracellular HMGB1 potently promoted the more efficient and specific clathrin-/caveolin-1-dependent receptor-mediated endocytosis pathways, and led to the rapid and abundant aggregation of ALD-DNA in endosomes. This effect relied on the DNA binding ability and TLR2/TLR4 of HMGB1. Our study not only helped us to understand the promotion mechanisms of extracellular HMGB1 on ALD-DNA-induced macrophage inflammation, but also provided some clues to the pathogenesis of SLE.     

NLRP3 regulates alveolar bone loss in ligature‐induced periodontitis by promoting osteoclastic differentiation

ObjectivesNLRP3 inflammasome is a critical part of the innate immune system and plays an important role in a variety of inflammatory diseases. However, the effects of NLRP3 inflammasome on periodontitis have not been fully studied.Materials and methodsWe used ligature‐induced periodontitis models of NLRP3 knockout mice (NLRP3^KO) and their wildtype (WT) littermates to compare their alveolar bone phenotypes. We further used Lysm‐Cre/Rosa^nTnG mouse to trace the changes of Lysm‐Cre⁺ osteoclast precursors in ligature‐induced periodontitis with or without MCC950 treatment. At last, we explored MCC950 as a potential drug for the treatment of periodontitis in vivo and in vitro.ResultsHere, we showed that the number of osteoclast precursors, osteoclast differentiation and alveolar bone loss were reduced in NLRP3^KO mice compared with WT littermates, by using ligature‐induced periodontitis model. Next, MCC950, a specific inhibitor of the NLRP3 inflammasome, was used to inhibit osteoclast precursors differentiation into osteoclast. Further, we used Lysm‐Cre/Rosa^nTnG mice to demonstrate that MCC950 decreases the number of Lysm‐Cre⁺ osteoclast precursors in ligature‐induced periodontitis. At last, treatment with MCC950 significantly suppressed alveolar bone loss with reduced IL‐1β activation and osteoclast differentiation in ligature‐induced periodontitis.ConclusionOur findings reveal that NLRP3 regulates alveolar bone loss in ligature‐induced periodontitis by promoting osteoclastic differentiation.     

Fitness of F1 hybrids between 10 maternal wild soybean populations and transgenic soybean

Transgenic Research - The releasing of transgenic soybeans (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) into farming systems raises concerns that transgenes might escape from the soybeans via pollen into...     

基于增强回归树与区域增温敏感性指数的城市升温效应空间分异

热岛效应已成为城市化进程中备受关注的城市生态环境问题。有关城市热岛效应的研究对区域在地表升温过程中的空间分异关注尚不足。通过设计区域增温敏感性指数,借助增强回归树（boosted regression tree,BRT）机器学习算法,量化城市不同区域在地表升温过程中的敏感性差异。结果表明：（1）上海市各辖区增温敏感性从高至低依次是：黄浦区、杨浦区、虹口区、静安区、普陀区、徐汇区、长宁区、宝山区、闵行区、浦东新区、嘉定区、奉贤区、松江区、青浦区、金山区、崇明区;（2）区域增温敏感性在不同的温度梯度下具有明显差异,在高温梯度下区域间指数值的差异最大;（3）地表覆被的增温敏感性存在明显的区域分异特性;（4）基于BRT的增温敏感性指数具有较好的指示意义和较高的灵敏度。在城市热环境持续恶化背景下,探讨城市异质空间中地表温度变化的敏感性可为城市热环境调控提供科学依据。     

舟山海域大中型浮游动物群落时空变化及受控要素

为更好地保护舟山海域的渔业资源和生态环境,了解舟山海域浮游动物组成的时空变化,于2014年到2017年对舟山海域33个站位开展4个季节的生态综合调查,结果表明:4个航次共鉴定出浮游动物成体88种和浮游幼体19类,优势种共12种,浮游动物的优势种更替和群落特征季节变化明显,春夏、夏秋、秋冬、冬春相邻季节优势种更替率分别为75%、80%、100%和60%;平均生物量为夏季(176.34 mg/m³)>春季(120.20 mg/m³)和秋季(86.28 mg/m³)>冬季(7.21 mg/m³);平均丰度为夏季(143.97个/m³)>春季(86.30个/m³)>秋季(21.38个/m³)和冬季(26.86个/m³);平均多样性指数:夏季(3.03)>秋季(2.82)>春季(2.05)>冬季(1.71)。舟山海域浮游动物群落具有明显的季节和区域差异,温度、盐度、Chl a和营养盐是影响舟山浮游动物群落时空变化的主要环境因素,其中春季浮游动物群落空间分布主要受盐度的影响,夏季主要受温度、盐度和Chl a的影响,秋季主要受Chl a的影响,冬季主要受悬浮物和溶解氧的影响,而营养盐对每个季节的浮游动物群落分布都有一定的影响。     

连续氮添加14年对温带典型草原土壤碳氮组分及物理结构的影响

全球氮沉降对生态系统造成了深远的影响,研究长时间氮沉降对草地生态系统土壤理化特征的影响有助于加强生态系统对氮沉降响应的长效机制的理解。通过连续14年长期施加N0（0 g N m^-2 a^-1）、N2（2 g N m^-2 a^-1）、N4（4 g N m^-2 a^-1）、N8（8 g N m^-2 a^-1）、N16（16 g N m^-2 a^-1）、N32（32 g N m^-2 a^-1）六种浓度尿素模拟氮沉降,并将土壤分成0-10、10-20和20-40 cm三个深度土层,研究温带草原生态系统土壤碳氮组分及物理结构对氮添加的响应及其相互关系,结果表明：（1）氮添加显著降低0-10 cm土壤酸碱度及土壤微生物量碳含量,N32相比N0分别下降了27.63%和58.40%（P<0.05）;各土层总有机碳和全氮含量对氮添加处理无显著响应,0-10 cm土层显著高于20-40 cm土层。（2）同一土层深度不同梯度氮添加处理显著增加土壤无机氮离子含量（P<0.05）,0-10 cm土层铵态氮含量N32相比N0增加了88.72%,20-40 cm土层硝态氮含量N32相比N0增加了19.55倍,土壤深度与氮添加对无机氮离子含量影响具有显著的交互效应。（3）同一土壤深度不同梯度氮添加处理土壤粒度分形维数及土壤团聚体差异不显著,相关分析表明土壤碳氮元素含量与土壤结构显著相关。土壤碳氮组分在适宜浓度氮添加的增加趋势说明氮添加在一定程度上可能促进土壤理化性质的改良,氮添加对土壤物理结构的影响还需要进一步的深入研究。     

生物基分子介导纳米金属材料的制备及其应用

纳米金属材料具有纳米晶强化效应、光吸收率大、较高的表面能和单磁畴性能等优点,因其在医药、化学催化、抗菌抑毒等方面发挥着越来越重要的作用而受到人们广泛关注。近年来,随着全球石化资源消耗与日俱增,环境污染加剧,基于可再生资源的生物基分子介导纳米材料的制备研究方兴未艾。生物基分子是指直接或间接来源于生物质的小分子或大分子物质,它们多数具有生物相容性好、低毒、可降解、来源广泛、价格低廉等优点。且由于生物基分子多数具有独特的理化性质,如具有生理活性的旋光性、酸碱两性、亲水亲油性以及易与金属离子络合等,其介导合成的纳米材料还兼具其独特功能性,比如消炎、抗癌、抗氧化、抗病毒以及降血糖血脂等,进一步拓宽了纳米金属材料的应用领域。文中对近年来基于生物基分子介导纳米金属材料的制备及应用进行全面综述,为开展相关研究提供参考。     

维生素C生物合成相关脱氢酶研究进展

维生素C是一种人体必需的维生素,在食品制药等领域拥有巨大的市场。工业上维生素C主要以微生物发酵生产的2-酮基-L-古龙酸为前体,然后通过内酯化反应获得。微生物发酵中,山梨糖途径和葡萄糖酸途径因为转化率高一直是研究的热点。文中从维生素C生物合成相关脱氢酶的角度阐述了:山梨糖途径和葡萄糖酸途径中关键脱氢酶在定位、底物谱、辅因子和电子传递上的特点;山梨糖途径和葡萄糖酸途径中面临的主要问题和改造策略等。最后讨论了维生素C生物合成中山梨糖途径和葡萄糖酸途径可能的研究方向。