重组人神经生长因子rh-β-NGF真核表达载体的构建及其在HEK293细胞中的表达

为大量制备β-NGF,构建了一种稳定、高效表达重组人神经生长因子(Recombinant human nerve growth factor,rh-β-NGF)的真核表达载体及含该重组载体的HEK293细胞株。首先,构建重组质粒p CMV-β-NGF-IRES-dhfr并转染至HEK293细胞系,用MTX加压筛选和有限稀释法进行选择,获得高效表达rh-β-NGF的单克隆重组细胞株;随后逐步降低血清培养,最终使细胞株完全适应无血清培养基并稳定表达rh-β-NGF;SDS-PAGE分析该表达产物,可见相对分子质量约13 k Da的条带,纯度大于50%,经质谱法测定得到其肽图谱与理论序列完全匹配,接着利用离子交换层析和分子筛层析纯化rh-β-NGF;最后进行重组细胞株表达效率和表达稳定性检测,表明重组细胞株可稳定、高效表达rh-β-NGF,其分泌效率大于20 pg/(cell?d),并能诱导PC12细胞的分化,具有良好的生物学活性。     

古尔班通古特沙漠4种草本植物叶片与土壤的化学计量特征

在荒漠极端环境下,对2种短命植物(角茴香和土大戟)和2种类短命植物(簇花芹和弯花黄芪)叶片与土壤化学计量特征及其相互关系进行研究.结果表明:每个物种所有样地的各土壤因子之间均无显著差异;土壤氮(N)含量(0.18~0.22 mg·g-1)远低于土壤磷(P)含量(1.58~1.62 mg·g-1),N/P仅为0.12~0.15,表现出严重的土壤N缺乏.4种植物叶片N、P含量及N/P之间均有显著差异,其中,弯花黄芪最大,分别为57.36 mg·g-1、2.46 mg·g-1及23.43,角茴香其次,分别为34.05 mg·g-1、1.98 mg·g-1及17.56,土大戟分别为27.07 mg·g-1、1.87 mg·g-1及14.51,簇花芹分别为28.63 mg·g-1、2.20 mg·g-1及13.10.各物种N、P含量之间均具有显著的相关性,但绝大部分土壤因子与叶片化学计量值之间没有显著相关性.     

新疆维、哈两民族粪样中韦荣球菌属和梭菌属水平与2型糖尿病的相关性研究

目的探讨目标差异肠道菌群与新疆维吾尔族、哈萨克族2型糖尿病(T2DM)的相关性。方法采用16S r DNA实时荧光定量PCR对新疆维吾尔族、哈萨克族正常糖耐量及2型糖尿病患者粪样中韦荣球菌属和梭菌属水平进行检测。两组间均数比较采用t检验,运用Pearson分析方法对差异肠道菌群与新疆维、哈两民族正常糖耐量及2型糖尿病人群的体检及生化指标进行相关性分析。结果 (1)16S r DNA实时定量PCR结果显示,韦荣球菌属及梭菌属水平在哈萨克族2型糖尿病组粪样中显著高于该民族正常糖耐量组(P=0.035,P=0.028)。(2)新疆维吾尔族、哈萨克族正常糖耐量人群和2型糖尿病人群粪样中韦荣球菌属水平与体重及体重指数(BMI)显著正相关(r=0.469,P=0.009;r=0.623,P=0.002),与高密度脂蛋白胆固醇(HDL-C)水平显著负相关(r=-0.466,P=0.025);梭菌属水平与体重、空腹血糖(FBG)、甘油三酯(TG)水平显著正相关(r=0.375,P=0.049;r=0.398,P=0.033;r=0.375,P=0.041)。结论肠道中Veillonella spp和C.coccoides subgroup水平的变化可能与新疆哈萨克族、维吾尔族2型糖尿病的发病有关,需进一步深入探讨。     

Anion Transport or Nucleotide Binding by Ucp2 Is Indispensable for Ucp2-Mediated Efferocytosis

Rapid and efficient engulfment of apoptotic cells is an essential property of phagocytes for removal of the large number of apoptotic cells generated in multicellular organisms. To achieve this, phagocytes need to be able to continuously uptake apoptotic cells. It was recently reported that uncoupling protein 2 (Ucp2) promotes engulfment of apoptotic cells by increasing the phagocytic capacity, thereby allowing cells to continuously ingest apoptotic cells. However, the functions of Ucp2, beyond its possible role in dissipating the mitochondrial membrane potential, that contribute to elevation of the phagocytic capacity have not been determined. Here, we report that the anion transfer or nucleotide binding activity of Ucp2, as well as its dissipation of the mitochondrial membrane potential, is necessary for Ucp2-mediated engulfment of apoptotic cells. To study these properties, we generated Ucp2 mutations that affected three different functions of Ucp2, namely, dissipation of the mitochondrial membrane potential, transfer of anions, and binding of purine nucleotides. Mutations of Ucp2 that affected the proton leak did not enhance the engulfment of apoptotic cells. Although anion transfer and nucleotide binding mutations did not affect the mitochondrial membrane potential, they exerted a dominant-negative effect on Ucp2-mediated engulfment. Furthermore, none of our Ucp2 mutations increased the phagocytic capacity. We conclude that dissipation of the proton gradient by Ucp2 is not the only determinant of the phagocytic capacity and that anion transfer or nucleotide binding by Ucp2 is also essential for Ucp2-mediated engulfment of apoptotic cells.     

Beneficial effects of co-treatment with dextromethorphan on prenatally methadone-exposed offspring

Background

Heroin use among young women of reproductive age has drawn much attention around the world. Although methadone is widely used in maintenance therapy for heroin/morphine addiction, the long-term effects of prenatal exposure to methadone and preventative therapy remain unclear. For revealing this question, female pregnant Sprague–Dawley rats were sub-grouped to receive (1) vehicle, (2) methadone 5 mg/kg at embryonic day 3 (E3) and then 7 mg/kg from E4 to E20, (3) dextromethorphan (DM) 3 mg/kg, and (4) methadone + DM (the rats received methadone followed by DM treatment), subcutaneously, twice a day from E3 to E20. The body weight, natural withdrawal, pain sensitivity, ED50, conditioned place preference and water maze were conducted at different postnatal stages (P1 to P79) of offspring. The quantitative real-time RT-PCR and electrophysiology were also used to measure the gene expression of opioid receptors in the spinal cord and changes of LTP/LTD in the hippocampus, separately.

Results

Prenatal exposure to methadone or DM did not affect survival rate, body weight, water maze and LTP or LTD of offspring. However, prenatal methadone significantly increased the withdrawal symptoms, pain sensitivity, addiction liability and decreased the mRNA expression of pain related opioid receptors. Co-administration of DM with methadone in the maternal rats effectively prevented these abnormalities of offspring induced by methadone.

Conclusions

Our study clearly showed that co-administration of dextromethorphan with methadone in the maternal rats prevented the adverse effects induced by prenatal methadone exposure. It implies that dextromethorphan may have a potential to be used in combination with methadone for maintenance treatment in pregnant heroin-addicted women to prevent the adverse effects induced by methadone on offspring.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12929-015-0126-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Artificial leaf aids analysis of chlorophyll fluorescence and P700 absorbance in studies involving microalgae

Measuring chlorophyll fluorescence and P700 absorbance has been widely used to study photosynthesis in both terrestrial plants and algae. However, in order to apply these measurement techniques to study microalgae, a concentrated suspension of algae, which is usually prepared by centrifugation, is required. In this study, instead of using centrifugation, we concentrated microalgae on a nitrocellulose membrane using filtration to create an ‘artificial leaf’ before analysis. Overall, we were able to generate values of the appropriate photosynthetic parameters that were comparable to those obtained when chlorophyll fluorescence and P700 absorbance were measured following centrifugation. There were no statistically significant differences (P > 0.05) between the artificial leaf method and the traditional cuvette method for determining chlorophyll fluorescence or P700 absorbance at appropriate chlorophyll concentrations. We were also able to reduce background noise by using a filter membrane as a carrier. Therefore, an artificial leaf has the potential to be a valuable tool for phycologists interested in studying microalgal photosynthesis by enabling them to eliminate tedious centrifugation steps. In addition, fluorometers commonly used for studying the leaves of higher plants will also be suitable for studying microalgae.     

Two guard cell mitogen‐activated protein kinases,MPK9 and MPK12, function in methyl jasmonate‐induced stomatal closure in Arabidopsis thaliana

Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and abscisic acid (ABA) signalling cascades share several signalling components in guard cells. We previously showed that two guard cell‐preferential mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs), MPK9 and MPK12, positively regulate ABA signalling in Arabidopsis thaliana. In this study, we examined whether these two MAP kinases function in MeJA signalling using genetic mutants for MPK9 and MPK12 combined with a pharmacological approach. MeJA induced stomatal closure in mpk9‐1 and mpk12‐1 single mutants as well as wild‐type plants, but not in mpk9‐1 mpk12‐1 double mutants. Consistently, the MAPKK inhibitor PD98059 inhibited the MeJA‐induced stomatal closure in wild‐type plants. MeJA elicited reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and cytosolic alkalisation in guard cells of the mpk9‐1, mpk12‐1 and mpk9‐1 mpk12‐1 mutants, as well in wild‐type plants. Furthermore, MeJA triggered elevation of cytosolic Ca²⁺ concentration ([Ca²⁺]_cyt) in the mpk9‐1 mpk12‐1 double mutant as well as wild‐type plants. Activation of S‐type anion channels by MeJA was impaired in mpk9‐1 mpk12‐1. Together, these results indicate that MPK9 and MPK12 function upstream of S‐type anion channel activation and downstream of ROS production, cytosolic alkalisation and [Ca²⁺]_cyt elevation in guard cell MeJA signalling, suggesting that MPK9 and MPK12 are key regulators mediating both ABA and MeJA signalling in guard cells.