The expression of LRRN4 was correlated with the progression and prognosis of colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) patients

Our present study aims to investigate the value of LRRN4 in the progression and prognosis of COAD patients. All COAD and adjacent sample data was downloaded from TCGA database. Survival analysis was performed according to Kaplan-Meier method. The real-time quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry analysis were conducted for validation in cell lines and tissues. The GSEA was conducted to find functional KEGG pathways. Multivariate Cox regression proportional hazard mode was used to determine whether LRRN4 expression was an independent prognostic factor. The LRRN4 expression in COAD samples were significantly higher than that in adjacent samples, which was consistent with our experiments in cell lines and tissues. Along with the increase of TNM Stage, LRRN4 expression had an increasing tendency. The COAD patients with high LRRN4 expression showed undesirable prognoses. Additionally, the TGF-β signaling pathway, WNT signaling pathway and other 25 pathways were significantly activated in the high LRRN4 expression group. In conclusion, high LRRN4 expression was closely related to the onset of COAD and it was a poor prognostic factor for COAD patients.Keywords: Colon adenocarcinoma, LRRN4, prognosis, biomarker     

地衣芽孢杆菌H-1的鉴定及其产木聚糖酶性质的研究

本实验室分离到一株木聚糖酶高产菌,经形态、生理以及生化鉴定,确认为地衣穿孢杆菌,定名为H-1。对H-1的胞外木聚糖酶进行初步的研究。从碳源利用方面,认为 H-1的木聚糖酶为组成型合成。木聚糖和纤维二糖对它有诱导作用,而木糖和葡萄糖对酶的产生有阻抑作用。对酶解产物分析表明,有小分子糖产生、但并非都是单糖。H-1胞外木聚糖酶经60％硫酸铵沉淀,过DEAE-50柱,以及超过滤,得到了部分纯化酶。该酶作用的最适pH为7.6,在pH4～5范围较为稳定;最适温度为50℃; 70℃25min则完全失活。米氏常数为10.42×10~(-3)g/ml,最大反应速度为0.345μmol/min。2mM Ag~+使酶活增加了1.5倍,2mM EDTA抑制了 22％的酶活性,而2mM Cu~(++)则使酶完全失活。     

盐胁迫对山葡萄叶绿素荧光参数及超微结构的影响

采用不同浓度NaCl(0、0.1%、0.3%、0.5%)处理山葡萄品种‘左山二’幼苗,于盐胁迫20d时测定叶绿素荧光参数,盐胁迫25d时对0(CK)和0.3%NaCl溶液处理的植株进行叶片超微结构观察,以探讨山葡萄品种的耐盐机理。结果表明:(1)中度(0.3%)或重度(0.5%)盐胁迫下,山葡萄叶初始荧光(F0)显著升高,PSⅡ原初光化学效率(Fv/Fm)、PSⅡ潜在活性(Fv/F0)、光化学淬灭系数(qP)、实际光化学效率(ΦPSⅡ)、非光化学淬灭系数(NPQ)和电子传递效率(ETR)显著降低,表明叶片PSⅡ反应中心破坏,PSⅡ受体侧电子传递受害,通过热耗散散失过剩激发能的能力减弱。(2)中度盐胁迫条件下,叶绿体超显微结构较对照发生明显变化,其外形明显皱缩变短呈不规则球形,大的淀粉粒消失,质壁分离明显,基粒和基质片层界限模糊不清,被膜破损或解体,叶绿素内部质体小球增多,表明其形态结构已受到严重损伤。(3)盐胁迫处理下,山葡萄线粒体嵴排列紊乱,线粒体膜结构模糊不清或溶解,但未见明显的破裂现象,说明线粒体受害程度较叶绿体小,线粒体较叶绿体对NaCl相对不敏感。(4)盐处理下细胞核形态较对照发生改变,核膜溶解或消失,但未完全崩解,说明盐胁迫对细胞核造成了一定损伤。     

Long‐chain base phosphates modulate pollen tube growth via channel‐mediated influx of calcium

Long‐chain base phosphates (LCBPs) have been correlated with amounts of crucial biological processes ranging from cell proliferation to apoptosis in animals. However, their functions in plants remain largely unknown. Here, we report that LCBPs, sphingosine‐1‐phosphate (S1P) and phytosphingosine‐1‐phosphate (Phyto‐S1P), modulate pollen tube growth in a concentration‐dependent bi‐phasic manner. The pollen tube growth in the stylar transmitting tissue was promoted by SPHK1 overexpression (SPHK1‐OE) but dampened by SPHK1 knockdown (SPHK1‐KD) compared with wild‐type of Arabidopsis; however, there was no detectable effect on in vitro pollen tube growth caused by misexpression of SPHK1. Interestingly, exogenous S1P or Phyto‐S1P applications could increase the pollen tube growth rate in SPHK1‐OE, SPHK1‐KD and wild‐type of Arabidopsis. Calcium ion (Ca²⁺)‐imaging analysis showed that S1P triggered a remarkable increase in cytosolic Ca²⁺ concentration in pollen. Extracellular S1P induced hyperpolarization‐activated Ca²⁺ currents in the pollen plasma membrane, and the Ca²⁺ current activation was mediated by heterotrimeric G proteins. Moreover, the S1P‐induced increase of cytosolic free Ca²⁺ inhibited the influx of potassium ions in pollen tubes. Our findings suggest that LCBPs functions in a signaling cascade that facilitates Ca²⁺ influx and modulates pollen tube growth.     

CD41+ cmyb+ precursors colonize the zebrafish pronephros by a novel migration route to initiate adult hematopoiesis.

Development of the vertebrate blood lineages is complex, with multiple waves of hematopoietic precursors arising in different embryonic locations. Monopotent, or primitive, precursors first give rise to embryonic macrophages or erythrocytes. Multipotent, or definitive, precursors are subsequently generated to produce the adult hematopoietic lineages. In both the zebrafish and the mouse, the first definitive precursors are committed erythromyeloid progenitors (EMPs) that lack lymphoid differentiation potential. We have previously shown that zebrafish EMPs arise in the posterior blood island independently from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). In this report, we demonstrate that a fourth wave of hematopoietic precursors arises slightly later in the zebrafish aorta/gonad/mesonephros (AGM) equivalent. We have identified and prospectively isolated these cells by CD41 (itga2b) and cmyb expression. Unlike EMPs, CD41(+) AGM cells colonize the thymus to generate rag2(+) T lymphocyte precursors. Timelapse imaging and lineage tracing analyses demonstrate that AGM-derived precursors use a previously undescribed migration pathway along the pronephric tubules to initiate adult hematopoiesis in the developing kidney, the teleostean equivalent of mammalian bone marrow. Finally, we have analyzed the gene expression profiles of EMPs and AGM precursors to better understand the molecular cues that pattern the first definitive hematopoietic cells in the embryo. Together, these studies suggest that expression of CD41 and cmyb marks nascent HSCs in the zebrafish AGM, and provide the means to further dissect HSC generation and function in the early vertebrate embryo.     

Metalens Focusing the Co-/cross-polarized Lights in Longitudinal Direction

Recently, metasurface has attracted lots of attentions because of its great capability in phase engineering for the transmitted cross-polarization light, and many functional optical elements have been designed and investigated. Commonly, the co-polarization and cross-polarization lights will coexist in the transmitted fields. Here, we propose a planar metalens composed of L-shaped nanoholes, which can focus an incident plane wave to two different focal spots in longitudinal direction for the co-polarized and cross-polarized transmitted lights respectively. In our design, the focal length of the transmitted cross-polarized lights can be tuned easily according to Fermat principle. Meanwhile, the focal length of the co-polarized transmitted lights can also be modulated by the ring number of the designed metalens. Because of the polarization-independent characteristic of the L-shaped nanoantenna, the designed planar metalens can also be suitable for both linear and circular polarized incident lights.     

Actin depolymerization is sufficient to induce programmed cell death in self-incompatible pollen

Self-incompatibility (SI) prevents inbreeding through specific recognition and rejection of incompatible pollen. In incompatible Papaver rhoeas pollen, SI triggers a Ca2+ signaling cascade, resulting in the inhibition of tip growth, actin depolymerization, and programmed cell death (PCD). We investigated whether actin dynamics were implicated in regulating PCD. Using the actin-stabilizing and depolymerizing drugs jasplakinolide (Jasp) and latrunculin B, we demonstrate that changes in actin filament levels or dynamics play a functional role in initiating PCD in P. rhoeas pollen, triggering a caspase-3-like activity. Significantly, SI-induced PCD in incompatible pollen was alleviated by pretreatment with Jasp. This represents the first account of a specific causal link between actin polymerization status and initiation of PCD in a plant cell and significantly advances our understanding of the mechanisms involved in SI.     

Genetic variations and haplotypes in TIM-3 gene and the risk of gastric cancer

Purpose  

T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing molecule 3 (TIM-3) could weaken the Th1-mediated anti-tumor responses and accelerate the tumor cell proliferation by inhabiting the production of IL-2 or IFN-γ. This study was to assess the association between TIM-3 genetic variations and the development of gastric cancer.     

A mitogen-activated protein kinase signals to programmed cell death induced by self-incompatibility in Papaver pollen

Self-incompatibility (SI) in higher plants is an important mechanism to prevent inbreeding and involves specific rejection of incompatible ("self") pollen. In field poppy (Papaver rhoeas), S proteins encoded by the stigma component of the S-locus interact with incompatible pollen, resulting in cessation of tip growth. This "self" interaction triggers a Ca(2+)-dependent signaling network, involving programmed cell death (PCD). We previously identified p56, a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) that is activated during the SI response in incompatible pollen. Here, we show that p56 cross-reacts with AtMPK3, but not with AtMPK4 or salicylic acid-induced protein kinase antibodies. We provide good evidence that a MAPK is involved in initiation of SI-induced PCD in incompatible pollen. SI rapidly reduces pollen viability and the MAPK cascade inhibitor U0126, which prevents the SI-induced activation of p56 in incompatible pollen, "rescues" incompatible pollen, while its negative analog, U0124, does not. This strongly implicates the involvement of a MAPK in SI-mediated loss of pollen viability and cell death. SI also stimulates caspase-3-like (DEVDase) activity and later DNA fragmentation. Both these markers of PCD are significantly reduced by pretreatment with U0126, implicating the involvement of a MAPK in signaling during early PCD. As p56 appears to be the only MAPK activated by SI, our studies imply that p56 could be the MAPK involved in mediating SI-induced PCD.     

喜马拉雅山东段鸟类多度-垂直分布幅关系:特有种与非特有种的对比

物种多度与分布幅之间的正相关被认为是一种普遍的规律。但近年在热带山地和岛屿的研究发现多度-分布幅关系会出现不相关或负相关的现象;该现象可能是由于当地多度高且分布幅小的特有种比例较高所导致。在喜马拉雅山东段的勒布沟沿海拔2350—4950 m开展研究：1)记录了当地鸟类多度垂直分布格局;2)验证了该区繁殖鸟总体多度-垂直分布幅关系,并对比了特有种和非特有种分组子集多度-垂直分布幅关系、平均多度和垂直分布中心的差异。研究发现勒布沟鸟类多度垂直分布格局为驼峰格局。该区繁殖鸟类与非特有种的多度-垂直分布幅关系均为正相关,但特有种的多度-垂直分布幅关系为不相关。特有种的多度及海拔分布中心位置均高于非特有种。结果表明区域的鸟类特有性对多度-垂直分布幅关系存在着重要的影响;地理隔离导致的区域物种组成差异,是造成多度-分布幅关系模式变化的重要原因之一。