脂肪干细胞与间充质干细胞体外诱导分化为心肌细胞的差别

本文旨在探讨脂肪干细胞(adipose-derived stem cells, ASCs)和骨髓间充质干细胞(mesenchymal stem cells, MSCs)在组织含量、体外培养和诱导分化为心肌细胞方面的差别.ASCs从新西兰白兔皮下脂肪组织提取,MSCs从大鼠四肢长骨骨髓提取,体外培养扩增,免疫细胞学方法鉴定.采用细胞集落形成法检测组织中干细胞的含量.将不同代的干细胞用不同浓度的5-氮胞苷诱导,观察其形态变化,免疫细胞化学方法检测诱导后细胞是否转化为心肌细胞.结果显示,体外培养的ASCs呈短梭形,分布均匀,生长迅速,细胞形态单一、稳定.MSCs原代生长非常缓慢,呈簇生长,细胞纯度偏低,容易混杂其它细胞类型,传代细胞容易分化和老化.脂肪组织中ASCs含量显著高于骨髓中MSCs含量,且前者含量受年龄影响小.5-氮胞苷诱导ASCs分化为心肌细胞的有效浓度为6～9μmol/L,而MSCs在3～15μmol/L 5-氮胞苷诱导下可见心肌细胞形成.ASCs诱导分化的心肌细胞呈球形细胞团,MSCs分化的心肌细胞呈条形或棒状,其心肌细胞分化率低于ASCs.幼年动物MSCs的组织含量和心肌细胞分化率均高于老年动物,而ASCs受动物年龄影响较小.结果表明,ASCs在组织含量、细胞纯度、生长速度和心肌细胞分化率等方面均明显优于骨髓MSCs,在心肌细胞再生方面较MSCs具有更大的优势.     

Molecular cloning and characterization of an inducible RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene, <Emphasis Type="Italic">GhRdRP</Emphasis>, from cotton (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Gossypium hirsutum</Emphasis> L.)

The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) cDNA, designated as Gossypium hirsutum RdRP (GhRdRP) was cloned from cotton by rapid amplification of cDNA ends-polymerase chain reaction (RACE-PCR). The full-length cDNA was 3,672 bp in size and encoded an open reading frame (ORF) of 1,110 amino acids which contained the RdRP conserved functional domain and the signature motif DbDGD. Amino acid sequence alignment indicated that GhRdRP shared the highest identity (66.37%) with AtRdRP1 and had homology with other plant, fungal, yeast and nematode RdRPs. The corresponding genomic DNA containing five exons and four introns, was isolated and analyzed. Also a 5′-flanking region was cloned, and a group of putative cis-acting elements were identified. Southern blot analysis revealed a single copy of the GhRdRP gene in cotton genome. The expression analysis by semi-quantitative RT-PCR showed that GhRdRP was induced by salicylic acid (SA), 5-chloroSA (5-CSA) and fungal infection of Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn. The cloning and characterization of the GhRdRP gene will be useful for further studies of biological roles of GhRdRP in plants.     

Transmission of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Methylobacterium mesophilicum</Emphasis> by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bucephalogonia xanthophis</Emphasis> for paratransgenic control strategy of Citrus variegated chlorosis

Methylobacterium mesophilicum, originally isolated as an endophytic bacterium from citrus plants, was genetically transformed to express green fluorescent protein (GFP). The GFP-labeled strain of M. mesophilicum was inoculated into Catharanthus roseus (model plant) seedlings and further observed colonizing its xylem vessels. The transmission of this endophyte by Bucephalogonia xanthophis, one of the insect vectors that transmit Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca, was verified by insects feeding from fluids containing the GFP bacterium followed by transmission to plants and isolating the endophyte from C. roseus plants. Forty-five days after inoculation, the plants exhibited endophytic colonization by M. mesophilicum, confirming this bacterium as a nonpathogenic, xylem-associated endophyte. Our data demonstrate that M. mesophilicum not only occupy the same niche of X. fastidiosa subsp. pauca inside plants but also may be transmitted by B. xanthophis. The transmission, colonization, and genetic manipulation of M. mesophilicum is a prerequisite to examining the potential use of symbiotic control to interrupt the transmission of X. fastidiosa subsp. pauca, the bacterial pathogen causing Citrus variegated chlorosis by insect vectors.     

In Vitro and Ex Vivo Testing of Tenofovir Shows It Is Effective As an HIV-1 Microbicide

Background

Tenofovir gel has entered into clinical trials for use as a topical microbicide to prevent HIV-1 infection but has no published data regarding pre-clinical testing using in vitro and ex vivo models. To validate our findings with on-going clinical trial results, we evaluated topical tenofovir gel for safety and efficacy. We also modeled systemic application of tenofovir for efficacy.

Methods and Findings

Formulation assessment of tenofovir gel included osmolality, viscosity, in vitro release, and permeability testing. Safety was evaluated by measuring the effect on the viability of vaginal flora, PBMCs, epithelial cells, and ectocervical and colorectal explant tissues. For efficacy testing, PBMCs were cultured with tenofovir or vehicle control gels and HIV-1 representing subtypes A, B, and C. Additionally, polarized ectocervical and colorectal explant cultures were treated apically with either gel. Tenofovir was added basolaterally to simulate systemic application. All tissues were challenged with HIV-1 applied apically. Infection was assessed by measuring p24 by ELISA on collected supernatants and immunohistochemistry for ectocervical explants. Formulation testing showed the tenofovir and vehicle control gels were >10 times isosmolar. Permeability through ectocervical tissue was variable but in all cases the receptor compartment drug concentration reached levels that inhibit HIV-1 infection in vitro. The gels were non-toxic toward vaginal flora, PBMCs, or epithelial cells. A transient reduction in epithelial monolayer integrity and epithelial fracture for ectocervical and colorectal explants was noted and likely due to the hyperosmolar nature of the formulation. Tenofovir gel prevented HIV-1 infection of PBMCs regardless of HIV-1 subtype. Topical and systemic tenofovir were effective at preventing HIV-1 infection of explant cultures.

Conclusions

These studies provide a mechanism for pre-clinical prediction of safety and efficacy of formulated microbicides. Tenofovir was effective against HIV-1 infection in our algorithm. These data support the use of tenofovir for pre-exposure prophylaxis.     

Temperature‐mediated local adaptation alters the symbiotic function in arbuscular mycorrhiza

Variation in the symbiotic function of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AM fungi) has been demonstrated among distinct biotic and abiotic interactions. However, there is little knowledge on how local temperature conditions influence the functional divergence of AM symbionts in alpine ecosystems. Here, we conduct a reciprocal inoculation experiment to explore the three‐way interactions among plants, AM fungal inoculum and temperature at sites of contrasting elevation. Evidence of local adaptation of plant growth was found only under low temperature conditions, with no consistent local versus foreign effect found in AM fungal performance. The origin of either the plant or the inoculum relative to the temperature was important in explaining symbiotic function. Specifically, when inoculum and temperature were sympatric but allopatric to the plant, poor adaptation by the plant to the novel environment was clearly found under both temperature conditions. Further analysis found that the symbiotic function was inversely related to fungal diversity under high temperature conditions. These results suggest that local adaptation represents a powerful factor in the establishment of novel combinations of plant, inoculum and temperature, and confirms the importance of taking into account both biotic and abiotic interactions in the prediction of the response of symbionts to global environmental change.     

Tissue-specific expression of Populus C19 GA 2-oxidases differentially regulate above- and below-ground biomass growth through control of bioactive GA concentrations

? Here, we studied the poplar C(19) gibberellin 2-oxidase (GA2ox) gene subfamily. We show that a set of paralogous gene pairs differentially regulate shoot and root development. ? PtGA2ox4 and its paralogous gene PtGA2ox5 are primarily expressed in aerial organs, and overexpression of PtGA2ox5 produced a strong dwarfing phenotype characteristic of GA deficiency. Suppression of PtGA2ox4 and PtGA2ox5 led to increased biomass growth, but had no effect on root development. By contrast, the PtGA2ox2 and PtGA2ox7 paralogous pair was predominantly expressed in roots, and when these two genes were RNAi-suppressed it led to a decrease of root biomass. ? The morphological changes in the transgenic plants were underpinned by tissue-specific increases in bioactive GAs that corresponded to the predominant native expression of the targeted paralogous gene pair. Although RNAi suppression of both paralogous pairs led to changes in wood development, they were much greater in the transgenics with suppressed PtGA2ox4 and PtGA2ox5. The degree of gene suppression in independent events was strongly associated with phenotypes, demonstrating dose-dependent control of growth by GA2ox RNA concentrations. ? The expression and transgenic modifications reported here show that shoot- and leaf-expressed PtGA2ox4 and PtGA2ox5 specifically restrain aerial shoot growth, while root-expressed PtGA2ox2 and PtGA2ox7 promote root development.