Theileria parva: Effects of irradiation on a culture of parasitized bovine lymphoid cells

Aliquots of a culture of Theileria parva-infected bovine lymphoid cells were irradiated at 0, 300, 600, 900, and 1200 rads. The short-term effects of irradiation were evaluated on examination of Giemsa-stained smears and on autoradiography of cells labeled with [³H]thymidine. Irradiation inhibited cell division but parasite division did not appear to be inhibited and macroschizont nuclear particles increased in number, frequently to several hundred per schizont. There was no evidence of an increased percentage switch from macro- to microschizont. Apparently viable cells were still present in all cultures 4 days after irradiation.     

Effect of Electric-Field Intensity on Electropermeabilization and Electrosensitmty of Various Tumor-Cell Lines In Vitro

Electropermeabilization (electroporation) is a technique widely used to introduce various membrane-impermeable molecules into cells in vitro or in vivo. In this study we determined the effect of different electric-field intensities on electropermeabilization and electrosensitivity of a variety of tumor-cell lines in vitro. For this purpose we used two assays: propidium iodide uptake for measurement of cell electropenneabilization, and the clono-genic or MTT assay for determination of electrosensitivity. Our results showed that electropermeabilization of almost all cell lines tested occurred at 600 V/cm. In contrast, a marked difference in electrosensitivity existed among these cell lines. Our results could be of great importance for pharmacological and biochemical studies in vilro, and for prediction and determination of tumor response in vivo to electropermeabilization combined with chemo-therapeutic drugs (electrochemotherapy) and gene therapy.     

QTL identification of grain protein concentration and its genetic correlation with starch concentration and grain weight using two populations in maize (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Zea mays</Emphasis> L.)

Protein is one of the three main storage chemical components in maize grains, and is negatively correlated with starch concentration (SC). Our objective was to analyse the influence of genetic backgrounds on QTL detection for protein concentration (PC) and to reveal the molecular genetic associations between PC and both SC and grain weight (GWP). Two hundred and eighty-four (Pop1) and 265 (Pop2) F_2:3 families were developed from two crosses between one high-oil maize inbred GY220 and two normal maize inbreds 8984 and 8622 respectively, and were genotyped with 185 and 173 pairs of SSR markers. PC, SC and GWP were evaluated under two environments. Composite interval mapping (CIM) and multiple interval mapping (MIM) methods were used to detect single-trait QTL for PC, and multiple-trait QTL for PC with both SC and GWP. No common QTL were shared between the two populations for their four and one PC QTL. Common QTL with opposite signs of effects for PC and SC/GWP were detected on three marker intervals at bins 6.07–6.08, 8.03 and 8.03–8.04. Multiple-traits QTL mapping showed that tightly-linked QTL, pleiotropic QTL and QTL having effects with opposite directions for PC and SC/GWP were all observed in Pop1, while all QTL reflected opposite effects in Pop2.     

大豆品种(系)和种植密度对豆天蛾幼虫存活及生长发育的影响

豆天蛾Clanis bilineata tsingtauica Mell幼虫,是一种食用昆虫,富含蛋白质、维生素和矿质元素,具有很高的营养、药用和经济价值。了解适宜豆天蛾幼虫生长发育的大豆品种（品系）和种植密度,可为豆天蛾幼虫规模化饲养提供理论基础。研究通过设置两因素裂区实验,在10个品种（品系）大豆和2个种植密度水平下,测定豆天蛾幼虫生物学参数,明确适宜豆天蛾幼虫养殖的大豆品种（品系）和种植密度。结果表明,不同大豆品种（系）和种植密度对豆天蛾幼虫存活及生长发育均有显著影响;其中使用连151、淮豆9号、东辛3号和H0573大豆饲养的豆天蛾幼虫产量和存活率较高,虫体长度较长,发育历期较短;大青豆饲养的豆天蛾幼虫产量较低,幼虫发育整齐度较差,发育历期长。当种植密度为40 cm×30 cm时,豆天蛾幼虫存活和发育历期整齐度均显著高于种植密度40 cm×15 cm。综上所述,较适宜豆天蛾幼虫养殖的大豆品种（品系）为连151、淮豆9号、东辛3号和H0573,种植密度为40 cm×30 cm。     

Synthesized β-cyclodextrin modified graphene oxide (β-CD-GO) composite for adsorption of cadmium and their toxicity profile in cervical cancer (HeLa) cell lines

In the current study, a composite material was constructed using β-cyclodextrin/graphene oxide (β-CD-GO) and was then applied for the purpose of eliminating cadmium (Cd) from aqueous solution. The synthesized β-CD-GO composite material was then subjected to characterization using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The batch study was conducted for the purpose of removing Cd(II). The results of the study revealed that the β-CD-GO composite material demonstrated a high adsorption capacity of 196 mg/g of Cd(II) at pH 7.0. Further, the adsorption of Cd(II) on the β-CD-GO followed pseudo second-order kinetics and equilibrium adsorption data, which fitted well to the Langmuir isotherm model. The evaluation of the toxicity of the synthesized β-CD-GO composite material was done by the examination of the cervical cancer (HeLa) cell lines. Increasing concentration of β-CD-GO composite material (50 μg to 200 μg) leads to a decline in the percentage of cell viability as from 74 % to 25 %. This study has suggested that the β-CD-GO could play an efficient and beneficial source of the adsorbent for the purpose of eliminating Cd(II) from aqueous solution.     

Synthesis and anti-proliferative activity of a novel 1,2,3-triazole tethered chalcone acetamide derivatives

A new series of 1,2,3-triazole tethered chalcone acetamide derivatives (7a-c & 8a-r) have been synthesized in excellent yields and their structures were determined by analytical and spectral (FT-IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR & HRMS) studies. The newly synthesized derivatives were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against four human cancer cell lines, such as HeLa (Human cervical cancer), A549 (Human alveolar adenocarcinoma), MCF-7 (Human breast adenocarcinoma) and SKNSH (Human brain cancer). Among them, compound 7c exhibited good anti-proliferation activity with HeLa (IC₅₀ 7.41 + 0.8 μM), SKNSH (IC₅₀ 8.68 + 1.1 μM), MCF-7 (IC₅₀ 9.76 + 1.3 μM) and MDA-MB-231, while compounds 7a and 7b showed promising anti-proliferation against above four human cancer cell lines with IC₅₀ 7.95–11.62 μM, respectively, compared with the standard drug Doxorubicin. We explored the probable key active site and binding mode interactions in HDAC8 (PDB ID:3SFH) and EHMT2 (PDB ID:3K5K) proteins. The docking results are complementary to the experimental observations.     

Metalloproteomics analysis in human mammary cell lines treated with inorganic mercury

The interest in inorganic Hg toxicity and carcinogenicity has been pointed to target organs such as kidney, brain or placenta, but only a few studies have focused on the mammary gland. In this work, analytical combination techniques (SDS-PAGE followed by CV-AFS, and nanoUPLC-ESI-MS/MS) were used to determine proteins that could bind Hg in three human mammary cell lines. Two of them were tumorigenic (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) and the other one was the non-tumorigenic cell line (MCF-10A). There are no studies that provide this kind of information in breast cell lines with IHg treatment. Previously, we described the viability, uptake and the subcellular distribution of Hg in human breast cells and analysis of RNA-seq about the genes that encode proteins which are related to cytotoxicity of Hg. This work provides important protein candidates for further studies of Hg toxicity in the mammary gland, thus expanding our understanding of how environmental contaminants might affect tumor progression and contribute with future therapeutic methods.     

肉类及肉制品中动物源性成分鉴别方法研究进展

肉类掺假问题直接影响着人类健康、公共卫生安全以及社会稳定等方面,成为当今食品安全热点话题之一,因此,高效、精确的肉类及肉制品中动物源性成分的检测鉴定势在必行。基于此,主要介绍了对于动物源性成分检测及鉴别的不同研究方法,分析了利弊,并对后续肉类及肉制品中动物源性成分的鉴别方法的研发方向进行了展望,以期为此领域提供资料性参考。     

利用SNP标记及配合力划分超甜玉米自交系的杂种优势群

划分超甜玉米自交系的杂种优势群,筛选配合力高的甜玉米自交系,构建新的杂种优势更强的甜玉米群体,为优良甜玉米的选育提供依据。本研究选用23个自育超甜玉米自交系,采用NCⅡ设计得到60(3×20)个组合,研究它们的产量配合力效应并结合56K SNP标记将供试材料进行杂种优势群的划分。结果表明23个自交系的平均杂合率为2.59%,纯合度较高;除GX06和GX10,GX14和GX15,GX16和GX17的遗传相似度较高外,其余自交系之间的遗传相似度均小于90%,可作为不同的材料在育种上应用;测验系GX21和被测系GX01、GX03、GX12、GX13、GX18的产量GCA正向效应值较高,在产量性状上是非常优良的自交系;进化树、主成分分析和产量SCA聚类图将23个超甜玉米自交系分为GX21群、GX22群和GX23群,其中GX22(HJZ33)群称为父本群,包含的自交系为GX02、GX11、GX19、GX20及测验系GX22自身共5个,GX21(GTL273)和GX23(YC26)群称为母本群,包含的自交系为GX01、GX03~GX10、GX12~GX18及测验系GX21和GX23共18个。SNP标记和产量SCA分群结果基本一致,使用SNP标记化划分杂种优势群可以明显缩短玉米育种周期。