Significant longevity-extending effects of EGCG on Caenorhabditis elegans under stress

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a main active ingredient of green tea, is believed to be beneficial in association with anticarcinogenesis, antiobesity, and blood pressure reduction. Here we report that EGCG extended Caenorhabditis elegans longevity under stress. Under heat stress (35°C), EGCG improved the mean longevity by 13.1% at 0.1 μg/ml, 8.0% at 1.0 μg/ml, and 11.8% at 10.0 μg/ml. Under oxidative stress, EGCG could improve the mean longevity of C. elegans by 172.9% at 0.1 μg/ml, 177.7% at 1.0 μg/ml, and 88.5% at 10.0 μg/ml. However, EGCG could not extend the life span of C. elegans under normal culture conditions. Further studies demonstrated that the significant longevity-extending effects of EGCG on C. elegans could be attributed to its in vitro and in vivo free radical-scavenging effects and its up-regulating effects on stress-resistance-related proteins, including superoxide dismutase-3 (SOD-3) and heat shock protein-16.2 (HSP-16.2), in transgenic C. elegans with SOD-3∷green fluorescent protein (GFP) and HSP-16.2∷GFP expression. Quantitative real-time PCR results showed that the up-regulation of aging-associated genes such as daf-16, sod-3, and skn-1 could also contribute to the stress resistance attributed to EGCG. As the death rate of a population is closely related to the mortality caused by external stress, it could be concluded that the survival-enhancing effects of EGCG on C. elegans under stress are very important for antiaging research.     

A Microarray-Based Analysis Reveals that a Short Photoperiod Promotes Hair Growth in the Arbas Cashmere Goat

Many animals exhibit different behaviors in different seasons. The photoperiod can have effects on migration, breeding, fur growth, and other processes. The cyclic growth of the fur and feathers of some species of mammals and birds, respectively, is stimulated by the photoperiod as a result of hormone-dependent regulation of the nervous system. To further examine this phenomenon, we evaluated the Arbas Cashmere goat (Capra hircus), a species that is often used in this type of research. The goats were exposed to an experimentally controlled short photoperiod to study the regulation of cyclic cashmere growth. Exposure to a short photoperiod extended the anagen phase of the Cashmere goat hair follicle to increase cashmere production. Assessments of tissue sections indicated that the short photoperiod significantly induced cashmere growth. This conclusion was supported by a comparison of the differences in gene expression between the short photoperiod and natural conditions using gene chip technology. Using the gene chip data, we identified genes that showed altered expression under the short photoperiod compared to natural conditions, and these genes were found to be involved in the biological processes of hair follicle growth, structural composition of the hair follicle, and the morphogenesis of the surrounding skin appendages. Knowledge about differences in the expression of these genes as well as their functions and periodic regulation patterns increases our understanding of Cashmere goat hair follicle growth. This study also provides preliminary data that may be useful for the development of an artificial method to improve cashmere production by controlling the light cycle, which has practical significance for livestock breeding.     

双管基因枪介导的基因瞬时表达技术在拟南芥中的应用

基因瞬时表达是植物中研究目标基因功能的常用手段。在模式植物拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana)中, 相比原生质体和农杆菌介导的基因异源表达技术, 利用粒子轰击进行基因瞬时表达一直鲜有报道。其主要原因是拟南芥叶型相对较小、基因枪操作相对烦琐以及基因表达效率差异较大。该研究通过优化双管基因枪系统, 在营养生长旺盛的拟南芥莲座叶中实现GFP和GUS基因高效表达。同时, 通过GUS报告基因明确了坏死诱导因子BAX、Avh238和ATR13/Rpp13激发拟南芥细胞坏死的表型。但在本氏烟(Nicotiana benthamiana)中明显诱导细胞坏死的Avrblb1/RB基因对, 在拟南芥中却丧失了诱导细胞坏死的活性。由于双管基因枪系统每次轰击时设置平行对照, 可有效降低转化实验中的样本变异度, 为拟南芥及其突变体研究中准确评价基因功能和高通量筛选目标基因提供新的技术参考。     

OGR1/GPR68 Modulates the Severity of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis and Regulates Nitric Oxide Production by Macrophages

Ovarian cancer G protein-coupled receptor 1 (OGR1) is a proton-sensing molecule that can detect decreases in extracellular pH that occur during inflammation. Although OGR1 has been shown to have pro-inflammatory functions in various diseases, its role in autoimmunity has not been examined. We therefore sought to determine whether OGR1 has a role in the development of T cell autoimmunity by contrasting the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis between wild type and OGR1-knockout mice. OGR1-knockout mice showed a drastically attenuated clinical course of disease that was associated with a profound reduction in the expansion of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein 35-55-reactive T helper 1 (Th1) and Th17 cells in the periphery and a reduced accumulation of Th1 and Th17 effectors in the central nervous system. We determined that these impaired T cell responses in OGR1-knockout mice associated with a reduced frequency and number of dendritic cells in draining lymph nodes during EAE and a higher production of nitric oxide by macrophages. Our studies suggest that OGR1 plays a key role in regulating T cell responses during autoimmunity.