Serum TNFRII: A promising biomarker for predicting the risk of subcentimetre lung adenocarcinoma

Early diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma requires effective risk predictors. TNFRII was reported to be related to tumorigenesis, but remained unclear in lung cancer. This research set out to investigate the relationship between the sTNFRII (serum TNFRII) level and the risk of lung adenocarcinoma less than 1 cm in diameter. Seventy-one pairs of subcentimetre lung adenocarcinoma patients and healthy controls were analysed through multiplex bead-based Luminex assay and found a significantly lower expression of sTNFRII in patients with subcentimetre lung adenocarcinoma than that in the healthy controls (P < .001), which was further verified through ONCOMINE database analysis. Increased levels of sTNFRII reduced the risk of subcentimetre lung adenocarcinoma by 89% (P < .001). Patients with a higher level of BLC had a 2.70-fold (P < .01) higher risk of subcentimetre adenocarcinoma. Furthermore, a higher BLC/TNFRII ratio was related to a 35-fold higher risk of subcentimetre adenocarcinoma. TNFRII showed good specificity, sensitivity and accuracy (0.72, 0.75 and 0.73, respectively), with an AUC of 0.73 (P < .001). In conclusion, the present study assessed the value of sTNFRII as a potential biomarker to predict the risk of subcentimetre lung adenocarcinoma and provided evidence for the further use of TNFRII as an auxiliary marker in the diagnosis of subcentimetre lung adenocarcinoma.     

Tin Halide Perovskites: Progress and Challenges

The chemical composition engineering of lead halide perovskites via a partial or complete replacement of toxic Pb with tin has been widely reported as a feasible process due to the suitable ionic radius of Sn and its possibility of existing in the +2 state. Interestingly, a complete replacement narrows the bandgap while a partial replacement gives an anomalous phenomenon involving a further narrowing of bandgap relative to the pure Pb and Sn halide perovskite compounds. Unfortunately, the merits of this anomalous behavior have not been properly harnessed. Although promising progress has been made to advance the properties and performance of Sn‐based perovskite systems, their photovoltaic (PV) parameters are still significantly inferior to those of the Pb‐based analogs. This review summarizes the current progress and challenges in the preparation, morphological and photophysical properties of Sn‐based halide perovskites, and how these affect their PV performance. Although it can be argued that the Pb halide perovskite systems may remain the most sought after technology in the field of thin film perovskite PV, prospective research directions are suggested to advance the properties of Sn halide perovskite materials for improved device performance.     

Rice stripe virus coat protein induces the accumulation of jasmonic acid,activating plant defence against the virus while also attracting its vector to feed

The jasmonic acid (JA) pathway plays crucial roles in plant defence against pathogens and herbivores. Rice stripe virus (RSV) is the type member of the genus Tenuivirus. It is transmitted by the small brown planthopper (SBPH) and causes damaging epidemics in East Asia. The role(s) that JA may play in the tripartite interaction against RSV, its host, and vector are poorly understood. Here, we found that the JA pathway was induced by RSV infection and played a defence role against RSV. The coat protein (CP) was the major viral component responsible for inducing the JA pathway. Methyl jasmonate treatment attracted SBPHs to feed on rice plants while a JA-deficient mutant was less attractive than wild-type rice. SBPHs showed an obvious preference for feeding on transgenic rice lines expressing RSV CP. Our results demonstrate that CP is an inducer of the JA pathway that activates plant defence against RSV while also attracting SBPHs to feed and benefitting viral transmission. This is the first report of the function of JA in the tripartite interaction between RSV, its host, and its vector.     

Flexible chromosome painting based on multiplex PCR of oligonucleotides and its application for comparative chromosome analyses in Cucumis

Chromosome painting is a powerful technique for chromosome and genome studies. We developed a flexible chromosome painting technique based on multiplex PCR of a synthetic oligonucleotide (oligo) library in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L., 2n = 14). Each oligo in the library was associated with a universal as well as nested specific primers for amplification, which allow the generation of different probes from the same oligo library. We were also able to generate double‐stranded labelled oligos, which produced much stronger signals than single‐stranded labelled oligos, by amplification using fluorophore‐conjugated primer pairs. Oligos covering cucumber chromosome 1 (Chr1) and chromosome 4 (Chr4) consisting of eight segments were synthesized in one library. Different oligo probes generated from the library painted the corresponding chromosomes/segments unambiguously, especially on pachytene chromosomes. This technique was then applied to study the homoeologous relationships among cucumber, C. hystrix and C. melo chromosomes based on cross‐species chromosome painting using Chr4 probes. We demonstrated that the probe was feasible to detect interspecies chromosome homoeologous relationships and chromosomal rearrangement events. Based on its advantages and great convenience, we anticipate that this flexible oligo‐painting technique has great potential for the studies of the structure, organization, and evolution of chromosomes in any species with a sequenced genome.     

阴道微生态在早产中的研究进展

阴道微生态是由阴道的局部解剖结构、周期性的内分泌变化、阴道局部免疫系统和阴道内微生物菌群共同组成的阴道环境和生态系统。多项研究证实阴道微生态失调通过局部炎症因子释放、黏膜免疫应答的改变和局部代谢变化,可引起早产的发生。阴道内小分子物质如糖类、短链脂肪酸和胺类通过代谢路径和代谢产物在阴道微生态失调与早产的发病机制起作用。近年来,阴道微生态的理念得到重视,治疗方法由传统的抗生素治疗转向了综合治疗,目的是恢复正常阴道菌群和阴道上皮黏膜免疫系统。但阴道微生态与宿主之间存在复杂的相互作用,因此仍需要进一步的研究。     

叶黄素循环和D1蛋白周转在毛竹叶片光保护中的作用

利用叶绿素荧光技术,对强光胁迫下以及叶黄素循环抑制剂-二硫苏糖醇(DTT)和D1蛋白合成抑制剂-硫酸链霉素(SM)处理后毛竹(Phyllostachys edulis (Carr.) Lehaie)的光抑制特征进行研究。结果显示:在夏季中午强光或人为强光胁迫下,毛竹叶片最大光化学效率Fv/Fm均显著降低;在下午光强减弱或黑暗、弱光条件下,Fv/Fm可有效恢复。DTT和SM均可抑制毛竹叶片非光化学淬灭(NPQ),且DTT效果明显优于SM。另外,在强光下,DTT和SM处理均能使毛竹叶片Fv/Fm、实际光化学效率Y(Ⅱ)和光化学淬灭qP等荧光参数下降幅度增大。研究结果表明毛竹叶片具有完善的光破坏防御机制,NPQ与叶黄素循环和D1蛋白周转紧密关联,在叶片光保护机制中具有重要作用。     

耐高盐枯草芽孢杆菌XP合成球形纳米硒及其抑制草莓病原真菌生物活性

生物方法合成纳米材料具有低能耗、高安全性以及环境友好等优良特点,因而备受人们关注。利用细菌将硒酸盐或亚硒酸盐还原为单质硒,不仅可以降低硒毒性,而且还能获得价值更高的生物纳米材料。文中选用可耐受高盐环境胁迫的枯草芽孢杆菌亚种Bacillus subtilis subspecies stercoris strain XP构建生物模型,分别以LB液体培养基和亚硒酸钠为介质和底物 (电子受体),解析菌株XP合成纳米硒的基本规律。通过扫描电镜 (Scanning electron microscope,SEM) 观察、X射线能谱分析 (X-ray energy dispersive spectral analysis,EDAX)、X射线衍射 (X-ray diffraction,XRD) 分析、傅里叶红外变换光谱 (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,FTIR) 技术对合成的纳米硒进行物理化学表征分析,同时选用草莓枯萎、红叶、紫斑病病原真菌对其抗菌活性进行分析。结果表明,菌株XP介导合成的单质硒为球形纳米颗粒 (Selenium nanoparticles,SeNPs),其生成量与反应时间呈正相关 (0–48 h),且细胞形态未发生褶皱或破损等变化 (耐受力强);SeNPs为非晶态,粒径范围在135–165 nm,表面元素组成以Se为主,同时存在C、O、N、S等有机元素;颗粒表面包裹生物大分子物质,-OH、C=O、N-H、C-H等官能团与SeNPs稳定性和生物活性密切相关;高浓度纳米硒对枯萎、红叶、紫斑病病原真菌均有显著抑制活性 (P<0.05),其中对草莓红叶病与枯萎病病原真菌的抑制活性明显优于对紫斑病病原真菌的抑制活性。总而言之,菌株XP不仅耐受高盐胁迫能力强,同时还可介导合成生物SeNPs,其合成的纳米硒颗粒具有良好的稳定性和生物活性,在草莓病害防治以及绿色富硒草莓种植等领域具有潜在的应用价值。     

胭脂素的生物合成及应用研究进展

由于合成色素对人类健康具有潜在危害,天然色素逐渐受到青睐。胭脂素作为类胡萝卜素物质是世界第二大天然色素,其生物合成途径是国际研究热点,目前尚未被完整解析。文中综述了胭脂素的化学特性与提取方法、合成途径研究及应用现状,比较传统提取方法与新提取技术的特点,阐述胭脂素合成通路相关基因及非生物胁迫对合成通路的影响,介绍胭脂素在食品、医药、化工产业应用现状。由于胭脂素合成通路的研究多停留在转录组水平,大多数基因功能未进行验证,文中提出综合应用基因组学、生物信息学、植物化学等学科技术进行深入研究以解析完整的胭脂素合成途径,为胭脂素合成生物学研究及新药研发奠定基础,促进胭脂素的资源开发及可持续发展。