B(a)P暴露干扰细胞周期调控蛋白影响孕早期小鼠卵巢黄体功能

该研究旨在探讨苯并(a)芘[Benzo(a)pyrene,B(a)P]对孕早期小鼠卵巢黄体功能的影响及机制。体内模型:将昆明小鼠每晚按雌雄3:1的比例合笼,次晨查得阴栓记为孕第1天(d1);将其随机分为对照组和B(a)P处理组,每日早晨称重后以0.1 mL/10 g动物体质量灌胃给予0.2 mg/(kg·d)的B(a)P,对照组灌胃等体积的玉米油,收取d4、d7小鼠卵巢组织。体外模型:培养小鼠卵巢颗粒细胞KK-1,将其分为对照组(0.1%DMSO)、HCG组(1.0 IU/mL HCG)、HCG+BPDE(1.0 IU/mL HCG和0.5μmol/L BPDE)联合处理组,处理细胞24 h后进行后续检测。ELISA检测小鼠血清雌激素(E2)、孕激素(P4)水平;qRT-PCR检测体内外卵巢雌、孕激素合成限速酶3β-HSD、17β-HSD和P450SCC的mRNA水平;免疫组化检测卵巢组织切片中Ki67、PCNA的表达,CCK-8检测KK-1细胞增殖情况;Western blot、免疫组化和免疫荧光检测周期相关蛋白CyclinA1、CDK2、CDK4、CyclinB1以及GAS1的表达情况。透射电镜和Mitotracker探针观察线粒体形态。与对照组相比,B(a)P暴露导致孕早期小鼠血清中E2、P4水平明显降低;同时,卵巢雌、孕激素合成限速酶3β-HSD、17β-HSD和P450SCC mRNA水平下调;CCK-8结果显示,BPDE暴露导致细胞活力下降;体内B(a)P暴露导致卵巢黄体中Ki67、PCNA表达下调;Western blot、免疫组化和免疫荧光结果显示,B(a)P或BPDE暴露下调细胞周期相关因子CyclinA1、CDK2、CDK4、CyclinB1及GAS1水平;电镜和免疫荧光结果显示,BPDE暴露导致线粒体形态异常。B(a)P及其代谢物BPDE干扰细胞周期调控,影响线粒体功能,进而导致孕早期小鼠卵巢黄体功能异常。     

红糖加工型甘蔗种质资源评价与筛选方法的建立

优良的甘蔗原料是生产高品质红糖的基础,筛选营养价值丰富的甘蔗种质资源,是选育红糖加工型甘蔗品种的基础。本研究以全国广泛种植、当前普遍用于红糖加工以及历史上较早应用于制作红糖等具有代表性的16份甘蔗种质为试验材料,通过分析蔗汁的蛋白质、总游离氨基酸、总多酚、蔗糖、还原糖、灰分、氯化物、胶体含量等营养、品质指标,采用因子分析、聚类分析、灰色多维综合评估等方法,建立了红糖加工型甘蔗种质资源评价与筛选方法,对16份甘蔗种质的营养价值综合评价得分进行排序。试验结果显示:不同参试甘蔗种质营养及品质指标间存在显著差异,选三、闽糖69-421、ROC22所含蛋白质、氨基酸的均值在所有材料中位居前列,灰分含量适中,可作为红糖加工型甘蔗种质进行应用;兼顾红糖生产需求和甘蔗营养成分含量,综合评价排序前5的种质依次为选三、闽糖69-421、云蔗05-51、ROC22和川糖61-408,是红糖加工型甘蔗种质的首选材料。     

Magnetic Resonance Angiography Signal Intensity as a Marker of Hemodynamic Impairment in Intracranial Arterial Stenosis

Background

Intracranial arterial stenosis (ICAS) is the predominant cause of ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack in Asia. Change of signal intensities (SI) across an ICAS on magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) may reflect its hemodynamic severity.

Methods

In-patients with a symptomatic single ICAS detected on 3D time-of-flight MRA were recruited from 2 hospitals. Baseline and 1-year follow-up data were collected. Signal intensity ratio (SIR) [ =  (mean post-stenotic SI -mean background SI)/(mean pre-stenotic SI - mean background SI)] was evaluated on baseline MRA to represent change of SIs across an ICAS. Acute infarct volume was measured on baseline diffusion-weighted images (DWI). Relationships between SIR and baseline characteristics as well as 1y outcomes were evaluated.

Results

Thirty-six subjects (86.1% males, mean age 55.0) were recruited. Overall, mean SIR was 0.84±0.23. Mean SIRs were not significantly different between the 23 (63.9%) anatomically severe stenoses and the 13 (36.1%) anatomically moderate stenoses (0.80±0.23 versus 0.92±0.21, p = 0.126). SIR was significantly, linearly and negatively correlated to acute infarct volume on DWI (Spearman correlation coefficient −0.471, p = 0.011). Two patients (5.6%) had recurrent ischemic strokes at 1y, not related to SIR values.

Conclusions

Change of signal intensities across an ICAS on MRA may reflect its hemodynamic and functional severity. Future studies are warranted to further verify the relationships between this index and prognosis of patients with symptomatic ICAS.     

类芽胞杆菌碱性果胶裂解酶的纯化与酶学性质表征

从类芽胞杆菌Paenibacillus sp.WZ008的发酵上清液中纯化得到一个高活力碱性果胶裂解酶,经SDS-PAGE电泳估算其亚基相对分子质量为4.5×104。通过对该酶进行酶学性质研究发现：该酶能催化裂解果胶酸、低酯果胶和高酯果胶;酶催化反应最适温度范围为55～60℃,最适pH为9.6,在最适条件下以低酯果胶为底物酶的比酶活达3 021.6 U/mg;Ca2＋能增强该酶的活力,而Mn2＋,Ba2＋和EDTA强烈抑制该酶活力;当没有Ca2＋存在时,高度酯化的果胶是该酶的最适底物,在4 mmol/L Ca2＋存在时,该酶以果胶酸为底物比酶活最高（25 467 U/mg）。该酶N端序列比对分析发现与类芽胞杆菌Paenibacillus amylolyticus strain 27c64果胶裂解酶高度同源。     

Activation and competition of lipoylation of H protein and its hydrolysis in a reaction cascade catalyzed by the multifunctional enzyme lipoate–protein ligase A

Protein lipoylation is essential for the function of many key enzymes but barely studied kinetically. Here, the two-step reaction cascade of H protein lipoylation catalyzed by the multifunctional enzyme lipoate–protein ligase A (LplA) was quantitatively and differentially studied. We discovered new phenomena and unusual kinetics of the cascade: (a) the speed of the first reaction is faster than the second one by two orders of magnitude, leading to high accumulation of the intermediate lipoyl-AMP (Lip-AMP); (b) Lip-AMP is hydrolyzed, but only significantly at the presence of H protein and in competition with the lipoylation; (c) both the lipoylation of H protein and its hydrolysis is enhanced by the apo and lipoylated forms of H protein and a mutant without the lipoylation site. A conceptual mechanistic model is proposed to explain these experimental observations in which conformational change of LplA upon interaction with H protein and competitive nucleophilic attacks play key roles.     

Unravelling mitochondrial retrograde regulation in the abiotic stress induction of rice ALTERNATIVE OXIDASE 1 genes

Mitochondrial retrograde regulation (MRR) is the transduction of mitochondrial signals to mediate nuclear gene expression. It is not clear whether MRR is a common regulation mechanism in plant abiotic stress response. In this study, we analysed the early abiotic stress response of the rice OsAOX1 genes, and the induction of OsAOX1a and OsAOX1b (OsAOX1a/b) was selected as a working model for the stress‐induced MRR studies. We found that the induction mediated by the superoxide ion (O_2·^‐)‐generating chemical methyl viologen was stronger than that of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). The addition of reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavengers demonstrated that the stress induction was reduced by eliminating O_2·^‐. Furthermore, the stress induction did not rely on chloroplast‐ or cytosol‐derived O_2·^‐. Next, we generated transgenic plants overexpressing the superoxide dismutase (SOD) gene at different subcellular locations. The results suggest that only the mitochondrial SOD, OsMSD, attenuated the stress induction of OsAOX1a/b specifically. Therefore, our findings demonstrate that abiotic stress initiates the MRR on OsAOX1a/b and that mitochondrial O_2·^– is involved in the process.     

Design and synthesis of 1-aryl-5-anilinoindazoles as c-Jun N-terminal kinase inhibitors

Starting from pyrazole HTS hit (1), a series of 1-aryl-1H-indazoles have been synthesized as JNK3 inhibitors with moderate selectivity against JNK1. SAR studies led to the synthesis of 5r as double digital nanomolar JNK3 inhibitor with good in vivo exposure.     

嗜热菌Anoxybacillus sp．DL3产蛋白酶条件及其酶学性质研究

目的：对Anoxybacillussp．DL3的产蛋白酶条件及其酶学性质进行研究,为下一步进行蛋白酶基因的克隆、表达提供依据。方法：应用常规方法液体培养细菌,研究温度、pH、培养基中碳源、氮源对菌株产蛋白酶的影响,硫酸铵盐析的方法提取酶液,并采用Folin法测酶活性。用紫外分光光度计在OD680hi／1测吸光值。并对提取的蛋白酶液进行酶的最适温度、pH以及酶的热稳定性和pH稳定性研究,向酶液中添加金属离子和EDTA、PMSF,研究其对酶活性的影响。结果：在培养基初始pH是6．5,培养温度为40℃时菌株产酶酶活性最大;培养基中以乳糖为碳源,酵母膏和硫酸铵为氮源,碳源与氮源的比例为1：2时,酶活最大。酶学性质研究结果显示：该酶的最适反应温度是55℃,最适反应pH是7．0;在50℃保温20min-80min内,酶活力下降幅度较小。60℃保温60min后,仍保持约60％的酶活。70℃保温60min后,残余酶活为30％。该酶在pH为6．0～8．0范围内,相对酶活差别不是很大,下降趋势大致相同。在强碱条件下,相对酶活下降很明显。Fe2＋、Cu2＋和Hg2＋对酶活性有明显的抑制作用;Ca2＋、Mg^2＋、Mn2＋等金属离子对酶活性有明显的促进作用;乙二胺四乙酸（EDTA）和苯甲基磺酰氟（PMSF）对酶活性也有一定抑制作用。结论：Anoxybacillussp．DL3所产的蛋白酶为嗜热中性蛋白酶,此酶具有较好的热稳定性和pH耐受性,该菌株具有进一步开发、利用的价值。     

In Vitro Activity of Sodium New Houttuyfonate Alone and in Combination with Oxacillin or Netilmicin against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Background

Staphylococcus aureus can cause severe infections, including bacteremia and sepsis. The spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) highlights the need for novel treatment options. Sodium new houttuyfonate (SNH) is an analogue of houttuynin, the main antibacterial ingredient of Houttuynia cordata Thunb. The aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro activity of SNH and its potential for synergy with antibiotics against hospital-associated MRSA.

Methodology

A total of 103 MRSA clinical isolates recovered in two hospitals in Beijing were evaluated for susceptibility to SNH, oxacillin, cephalothin, meropenem, vancomycin, levofloxacin, minocycline, netilmicin, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole by broth microdilution. Ten isolates were evaluated for potential for synergy between SNH and the antibiotics above by checkerboard assay. Time-kill analysis was performed in three isolates to characterize the kill kinetics of SNH alone and in combination with the antibiotics that engendered synergy in checkerboard assays. Besides, two reference strains were included in all assays.

Principal Findings

SNH inhibited all test strains with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 16 to 64 µg/mL in susceptibility tests, and displayed inhibition to bacterial growth in concentration-dependent manner in time-kill analysis. In synergy studies, the combinations of SNH-oxacillin, SNH-cephalothin, SNH-meropenem and SNH-netilmicin showed synergistic effects against 12 MRSA strains with median fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) indices of 0.38, 0.38, 0.25 and 0.38 in checkerboard assays. In time-kill analysis, SNH at 1/2 MIC in combination with oxacillin at 1/128 to 1/64 MIC or netilmicin at 1/8 to 1/2 MIC decreased the viable colonies by ≥2log₁₀ CFU/mL.

Conclusions/Significance

SNH demonstrated in vitro antibacterial activity against 103 hospital-associated MRSA isolates. Combinations of sub-MIC levels of SNH and oxacillin or netilmicin significantly improved the in vitro antibacterial activity against MRSA compared with either drug alone. The SNH-based combinations showed promise in combating MRSA.