Gibberellin-Induced Alterations to the Expression of Cell Wall-Related Genes in the Xylem of Carrot Root

Journal of Plant Growth Regulation - Gibberellins (GAs) are a group of plant hormones that play important roles in various processes. Previous studies demonstrated that GA can increase the...     

Extracellular HMGB1 augments macrophage inflammation by facilitating the endosomal accumulation of ALD-DNA via TLR2/4-mediated endocytosis

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease with unclear pathogenesis. We previously reported that syngenetic, activated lymphocyte-derived DNA (ALD-DNA) could robustly elicit macrophage activation, which plays an important role in the pathogenesis of murine lupus nephritis. In addition, extracellular HMGB1 obviously facilitated the accumulation of ALD-DNA in endosomes and promoted macrophage inflammation. While the detailed mechanism was still unknown. In this study, we found that HMGB1 could obviously change the DNA uptake pathways in macrophages. ALD-DNA alone was mainly uptake by the low efficient and unselective macropinocytosis, while extracellular HMGB1 potently promoted the more efficient and specific clathrin-/caveolin-1-dependent receptor-mediated endocytosis pathways, and led to the rapid and abundant aggregation of ALD-DNA in endosomes. This effect relied on the DNA binding ability and TLR2/TLR4 of HMGB1. Our study not only helped us to understand the promotion mechanisms of extracellular HMGB1 on ALD-DNA-induced macrophage inflammation, but also provided some clues to the pathogenesis of SLE.     

Modelling the effect of birth and feeding modes on the development of human gut microbiota

The human gut microbiota is transmitted from mother to infant through vaginal birth and breastfeeding. Bifidobacterium, a genus that dominates the infants’ gut, is adapted to breast milk in its ability to metabolize human milk oligosaccharides; it is regarded as a mutualist owing to its involvement in the development of the immune system. The composition of microbiota, including the abundance of Bifidobacteria, is highly variable between individuals and some microbial profiles are associated with diseases. However, whether and how birth and feeding practices contribute to such variation remains unclear. To understand how early events affect the establishment of microbiota, we develop a mathematical model of two types of Bifidobacteria and a generic compartment of commensal competitors. We show how early events affect competition between mutualists and commensals and microbe-host-immune interactions to cause long-term alterations in gut microbial profiles. Bifidobacteria associated with breast milk can trigger immune responses with lasting effects on the microbial community structure. Our model shows that, in response to a change in birth environment, competition alone can produce two distinct microbial profiles post-weaning. Adding immune regulation to our competition model allows for variations in microbial profiles in response to different feeding practices. This analysis highlights the importance of microbe–microbe and microbe–host interactions in shaping the gut populations following different birth and feeding modes.     

基于高分辨率遥感影像的北亚热带森林生物量反演

以北亚热带湖北省太子山林场为研究对象,基于高空间分辨率GF-2与SPOT-6卫星影像,提取不同窗口大小下的纹理信息与光谱信息,利用随机森林回归算法,并结合野外实测106块样地的生物量数据,建立不同影像下的太子山林场森林生物量反演模型。结果显示：（1） GF-2和SPOT-6虽然空间分辨率有差异,但是从其不同波段反射率的相关系数（0.75、0.78、0.73、0.61）发现,两种影像的波段反射率具有较高的相关性,说明两者的辐射性能相近;（2）通过分析不同纹理特征对生物量模型的影响,发现均值和对比度纹理参数对生物量反演具有很好的效果。（3）高分辨率的遥感数据在生物量反演中具有较好的表现,且GF-2生物量模型精度（R²=0.88,RMSE=27.11 Mg/hm²）与SPOT-6生物量模型的精度（R²=0.89,RMSE=23.93 Mg/hm²）相近。（4）两种影像对不同森林类型的生物量预测值不存在显著差异,都适合对不同林分类型的生物量进行预测。     

脆弱拟杆菌BF839治疗寻常型银屑病：一项单臂、开放初步临床试验

银屑病被认为是一种T细胞主导的炎症性疾病,其发病与肠道菌群失调密切相关。脆弱拟杆菌 (Bacteroides fragilis,BF) 可通过调节T细胞的细胞因子表达起抗炎作用。目前尚无脆弱拟杆菌用于治疗银屑病的相关报道,文中率先探究脆弱拟杆菌BF839对银屑病的治疗效果。选择2019年4月至2019年10月广州医科大学附属第二医院就诊的27例银屑病患者,维持原治疗不变,口服脆弱拟杆菌BF839 12周,对比治疗前后银屑病皮损面积与严重程度指数 (Psoriasis area and severity index,PASI) 评分,统计治疗12周后药物减停率。结果表明,12周试验完成率为96.3% (26/27),12周PASI30 (PASIN定义为治疗后PASI评分下降≥N%的患者比例) 为65.4%,PASI50为42.3%,PASI75为19.2%;治疗前PASI评分为9.1±5.9,治疗12周后PASI评分为5.8±4.9,具有显著统计学差异 (P<0.01);治疗12周后皮肤瘙痒程度用视觉模拟量表 (Visual analog scale,VAS) 评分有效率为42.3%,治疗前VAS评分为2.9±2.2,治疗12周后VAS评分为2.3±2.1,无显著统计学差异 (P>0.05)。患者治疗12周内不良反应率为3.8% (1/26),其中便秘1例,药物减停率为60.0%。以上结果提示脆弱拟杆菌BF839可能对银屑病治疗有一定疗效,可降低PASI评分及药物使用率,不良反应少,值得进一步研究。     

组织工程细胞片的构建

作为一种无支架的组织工程技术,组织工程细胞片不仅可以避免支架材料带来的不利影响,而且可通过组装进一步形成更为复杂的三维功能化组织,因而在生物医学领域备受关注。细胞片的构建主要是基于敏感性材料所构建的培养基底,通过改变温度、酶、光、离子、氧化还原pH、糖等刺激因素,调节基底对细胞的粘附行为使细胞发生自然脱附,从而获取细胞片。近年来,随着研究的深入进行,特别是各种新型的敏感性培养基底的不断发展,各种简单高效的细胞片构建技术不断涌现,得到的各种具有优良性能的细胞片极大地扩展了其应用的广度和深度。文中对组织工程细胞片的各种构建方法进行了阐述,对其存在的问题及发展前景进行了分析和展望。     

途径特异性调控因子介导的链霉菌来源天然产物的产量提升

链霉菌是活性天然产物的重要来源。基因组学研究揭示了链霉菌有巨大的生物合成潜力,平均每株菌拥有20–40个生物合成基因簇。在常规的实验室条件下,大多数链霉菌来源的天然产物产量较低,影响了对其进一步研究和产业化开发。由于链霉菌中天然产物的生物合成受到严格的调控,对于这些调控因子和调控网络的深入研究将有力地促进链霉菌来源的天然产物的发现和开发利用。文中主要综述了近5年来链霉菌来源天然产物生物合成中途径特异性调控因子的研究进展,重点介绍其在提高相应天然产物产量中的应用。     

新工科背景下生物反应工程课程的多元化教学模式 改革与探索

生物反应工程作为一门理论性与应用性都很强的专业课程,在生物工程等相关专业的课程设置中处于桥梁和纽带地位,对新型应用型工科人才的培养发挥着重要的作用。但由于该课程中公式等抽象理论知识过多,导致学生学习效率十分低下。因此,为了适应新工科教育背景下对创新型人才培养的需求,提高学生的学习兴趣和积极性,并培养学生的自主学习等创新能力,教学团队在课程教学中通过引入虚拟仿真技术、开展微课教学、采用案例式教学模式、利用科研平台等多元化方式,对该课程的教学模式、方法和手段尝试改革和探索,取得了一定的教学效果,并就此进行了一些探讨,以期能为相关课程的教学改革提供一些思路和启示。     

Leptin gene-targeted editing in ob/ob mouse adipose tissue based on the CRISPR/Cas9 system

Gene therapy has become the most effective treatment for monogenic diseases. Congenital LEPTIN deficiency is a rare autosomal recessive monogenic obesity syndrome caused by mutations in the Leptin gene. Ob/ob mouse is a monogenic obesity model, which carries a homozygous point mutation of C to T in Exon 2 of the Leptin gene. Here, we attempted to edit the mutated Leptin gene in ob/ob mice preadipocytes and inguinal adipose tissues using CRISPR/Cas9 to correct the C to T mutation and restore the production of LEPTIN protein by adipocytes. The edited preadipocytes exhibit a correction of 5.5% of Leptin alleles and produce normal LEPTIN protein when differentiated into mature adipocytes. The ob/ob mice display correction of 1.67% of Leptin alleles, which is sufficient to restore the production and physiological functions of LEPTIN protein, such as suppressing appetite and alleviating insulin resistance. Our study suggests CRISPR/Cas9-mediated in situ genome editing as a feasible therapeutic strategy for human monogenic diseases, and paves the way for further research on efficient delivery system in potential future clinical application.