HPV18 Utilizes Two Alternative Branch Sites for E6~*I Splicing to Produce E7 Protein

Human papillomavirus 18(HPV18) E6 and E7 oncogenes are transcribed as a single bicistronic E6 E7 pre-mRNA. The E6 ORF region in the bicistronic E6 E7 pre-mRNA contains an intron. Splicing of this intron disrupts the E6 ORF integrity and produces a spliced E6~*I RNA for efficient E7 translation. Here we report that the E6 intron has two overlapped branch point sequences(BPS) upstream of its 30 splice site, with an identical heptamer AACUA■C, for E6~*I splicing. One heptamer has a branch site adenosine(underlined) at nt 384 and the other at nt 388. E6~*I splicing efficiency correlates to the expression level of E6 and E7 proteins and depends on the selection of which branch site. In general, E6~*I splicing prefers the 30 ss-proximal branch site at nt 388 over the distal branch site at nt 384. Inactivation of the nt 388 branch site was found to activate a cryptic acceptor site at nt 636 for aberrant RNA splicing. Together, these data suggest that HPV18 modulates its production ratio of E6 and E7 proteins by alternative selection of the two mapped branch sites for the E6~*I splicing, which could be beneficial in its productive or oncogenic infection according to the host cell environment.     

Evaluation of the allergenicity of ω5-gliadin-deficient Hokushin wheat (1BS-18) in a wheat allergy rat model

We previously developed Hokushin wheat line as a hypoallergenic wheat lacking ω5-gliadin (1BS-18), a major allergen for wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis. However, the allergenicity of 1BS-18 has not been understood completely. In this study, we evaluated the allergenicity of 1BS-18 such as anaphylactic elicitation ability and sensitization ability using rats sensitized with ω5-gliadin or glutens prepared from Hokushin (Hokushin gluten) or 1BS-18 (1BS-18 gluten). Rats were sensitized by intraperitoneal administration of ω5-gliadin, Hokushin gluten or 1BS-18 gluten. Immunoglobulin E-mediated systemic anaphylaxis was evaluated by measuring changes in rectal temperature for 30 min after intravenous challenge with ω5-gliadin or the test glutens in unsensitized rats or rats sensitized with ω5-gliadin or the test glutens. In ω5-gliadin-sensitized rats, intravenous challenge with ω5-gliadin or Hokushin gluten significantly decreased the rectal temperature at 30 min after challenge while challenge with 1BS-18 gluten did not reduce the rectal temperature. Furthermore, intravenous challenge with ω5-gliadin significantly decreased the rectal temperature in rats sensitized with Hokushin gluten or 1BS-18 gluten. However, the reduced degree observed in 1BS-18 gluten-sensitized rats was smaller than that in Hokushin gluten-sensitized rats. In conclusion, 1BS-18 elicited no allergic reaction in ω5-gliadin-sensitized rats and had less sensitization ability for ω5-gliadin than that of Hokushin wheat.     

Exploring the taxonomic and functional diversity of marine benthic micro-Eukaryotes along the Red Sea coast of Jeddah city

BackgroundsDiverse marine habitats along Jeddah's Red Sea coast support rich biodiversity. Few studies have been done on its diverse communities, especially its microbial counterparts. Metagenomic analysis of marine benthic micro-eukaryotic communities was performed for the first time on the Red Sea coast of Jeddah. This research looks into their community structure and metabolic potential.MethodsNext-generation sequencing was used to examine the micro-eukaryotic communities of seven sedimentary soil samples from four Jeddah coast locations. After isolating DNA from seven benthic sedimentary soil samples, the 18S rDNA V4 regions were amplified and sequenced on the Illumina MiSeq. It was also verified using an Agilent Technologies 2100 Bioanalyzer with a DNA 1000 chip (Agilent Technologies, Fisher Scientific). A standard curve of fluorescence readings generated by qPCR quantification using the Illumina library was achieved using the GS FLX library. Metagenomic data analysis was used to evaluate the microbial communities' biochemical and enzymatic allocations in studied samples.ResultsBlast analysis showed that the top ten phyla were Annelida, Eukaryota, Diatomea, Porifera, Phragmoplastophyta, Arthropoda, Dinoflagellata, Xenacoelomorpha Nematoda, and uncultured. Annelida was also found in the highest percentage (93%), in the sample M followed by Porifera (64%), the most abundant in the control sample then Eukaryotes (61%), Phragmatoplastophyta (55%), Arthropoda, and Diatomea (the least common) (32%). community diversity analysis: using Shannon and inverse Simpson indices showed sediment composition to be effective. Also, PICRUST2 indicated that the most abundant pathways were pyruvate fermentation to isobutanol, pyrimidine deoxyribonucleotide phosphorylation, adenosine ribonucleotide de novo biosynthesis, guanosine ribonucleotide de novo biosynthesis, NAD salvage pathway I, the super pathway of glyoxylate bypass and aerobic respiration I (cytochrome c).ConclusionResults showed that high throughput metagenomics could reveal species diversity and estimate gene profiles. Environmental factors appear to be more important than geographic variation in determining the structure of these microbial communities. This study provides the first report of marine benthic micro-eukaryotic communities found on the Red Sea coast of Jeddah and will serve as a good platform for future research.     

Stingless bee honey (Tetragonula laeviceps): Chemical composition and their potential roles as an immunomodulator in malnourished rats

Honey is rich in bioactive compounds, phenolic acids, and flavonoids and is an antioxidant and an immunomodulator. The objectives of this study were to determine the honey chemical composition of Indonesian stingless bees and their potential roles as an immunomodulator in the malnourished rats. Tetragonula laeviceps honey was used to analyses of chemical composition was obtained from three different geographical origins were Depok Sleman, Bayan Lombok, and Nglipar Gunungkidul. Thirty-two rats were divided into four groups of 8 rats and placed in individual cages. The experimental designed was as follows: T1 = normal rats + without honey (0–7 weeks), T2 = normal rats + with honey of 1.8 g/kg BW/day (0–7 weeks), T3 = malnourished honey of 1.8 g/kg BW/day started from 2 weeks after the malnourished condition (2–7 weeks). The results showed that the chemical composition of Tetragonula laeviceps honey from three different geographical origins were vitamin C content (6.49–13.58 mg/100 g), total phenolic content (0.65–2.30% GAE/100 g), total flavonoid content (0.28–1.00 mg QE/g), and antioxidant activity DPPH (61.43–90.28%). The application of fresh honey from stingless bee that was offered to either normal or malnourished rats were increased lymphocytes proliferation and decreased the production of both proinflammatory markers, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) from tissue culture supernatant of lymphocytes (p < 0.01). Data from this study clearly indicates the potential role of honey from stingless bee as an immunomodulator in malnourished rats.     

血清白介素8基因多态性与食管鳞癌根治术后的相关性分析

摘要 目的：探讨与分析血清白细胞介素8（IL-8）基因多态性与食管鳞癌（ESCC）根治术后的相关性。方法：2017年8月到2020年6月选择在本院诊治的食管鳞癌患者98例作为研究对象,检测血清IL-8表达水平。所有患者都给予根治手术治疗,随访患者的预后并进行相关性分析。结果：所有患者术后随访到2021年7月,平均随访时间为25.69±2.58个月,死亡28例,死亡率为28.6 %（死亡组）。两组血清IL-8表达水平表达具有差异（P<0.05）。所有患者的基因型频率均符合Hardy-Weinberg这一平衡法则,表明本文所选取的样本均具有群体代表性。IL-8基因启动子rs4073A/T的AA基因型较死亡组高,TT基因型较死亡组低,两组A、T等位基因频率分布对比有差异（P<0.05）。直线相关性分析显示：IL-8基因启动子rs4073A/T的AA基因型、A等位基因、血清IL-8表达水平与预后死亡率存在相关性（P<0.05）。多因素logistic回归分析显示：IL-8基因启动子rs4073A/T的AA基因型、A等位基因、血清IL-8表达水平为导致患者随访死亡的主要因素（OR=2.051,3.094,P<0.05）。结论：食管鳞癌根治术后患者依然存在一定的死亡率,患者死亡与血清IL-8基因多态性存在相关性,同时多伴随有IL-8的高表达。IL-8基因启动子rs4073A/T的AA基因型、A等位基因、血清IL-8表达水平为导致患者死亡的主要因素。     

基于环境DNA宏条形码技术的辽东湾典型围海养殖池塘内水母多样性研究

研究使用环境DNA宏条形码技术(eDNA metabarcoding)检测辽东湾东北部河口区围海养殖池塘水母种类多样性,探索适用于水母种类物种鉴定和监测的新方法。利用环境DNA宏条形码技术,分别基于18S rDNA和COI宏条形码检测了辽东湾东北部河口区围海养殖池塘水母种类多样性,通过水样采集、过滤、eDNA提取、遗传标记扩增、测序与生物信息分析的环境DNA宏条形码标准化分析流程,从围海养殖池塘7个采样点中获得可检测的采样点数据。结果显示,基于18S rDNA宏条形码检测出8种水母种类,其中钵水母纲大型水母2种、水螅水母总纲小型水母6种;基于COI宏条形码技术共检测出19种水母种类,其中钵水母纲大型水母5种、水螅水母总纲小型水母14种;两种DNA条形码标记都显示养殖种类海蜇(Rhopilema esculentum)为优势种。研究结果表明,环境DNA宏条形码技术作为一种新兴的生物多样性监测手段可用于快速检测水母种类多样性,在水母类物种鉴定、监测及早期预警中有较大的应用潜能。     

pr2-primers: An 18S rRNA primer database for protists

Metabarcoding of microbial eukaryotes (collectively known as protists) has developed tremendously in the last decade, almost solely relying on the 18S rRNA gene. As microbial eukaryotes are extremely diverse, many primers and primer pairs have been developed. To cover a relevant and representative fraction of the protist community in a given study system, an informed primer choice is necessary, as no primer pair can target all protists equally well. As such, a smart primer choice is very difficult even for experts and there are very few online resources available to list existing primers. We built a database listing 285 primers and 83 unique primer pairs that have been used for eukaryotic 18S rRNA gene metabarcoding. In silico performance of primer pairs was tested against two sequence databases: PR² version 4.12.0 for eukaryotes and a subset of silva version 132 for bacteria and archaea. We developed an R -based web application enabling browsing of the database, visualization of the taxonomic distribution of the amplified sequences with the number of mismatches, and testing any user-defined primer or primer set ( https://app.pr2-primers.org ). Taxonomic specificity of primer pairs, amplicon size and location of mismatches can also be determined. We identified universal primer sets that matched the largest number of sequences and analysed the specificity of some primer sets designed to target certain groups. This tool enables guided primer choices that will help a wide range of researchers to include protists as part of their investigations.     

工程化外泌体介导巨噬细胞清除肿瘤外泌体*

目的:通过膜表面修饰改造技术构建工程化外泌体(engineered exosomes,enExos),并以此介导巨噬细胞特异性清除膜表面富含表皮生长因子受体(epidermal growth factor receptor,EGFR)的肿瘤外泌体。方法:利用表面展示技术获得膜表面展示趋化因子(chemokine 8,CXCL8)的外泌体,同时在其磷脂双分子层上修饰EGFR核酸适配体制备工程化外泌体;纳米颗粒跟踪和纳米粒度电位分析enExos的尺寸、电位;CCK-8试剂盒检测细胞活力;透射电子显微镜观察enExos与高表达EGFR的肿瘤外泌体的特异性结合;荧光成像技术及流式细胞术分析探究enExos靶向趋化巨噬细胞吞噬高表达EGFR的肿瘤外泌体。结果:成功构建膜表面展示EGFR与CXCL8的工程化外泌体,enExos可以特异性识别并捕获高表达EGFR的肿瘤外泌体,同时利用其趋化因子CXCL8特异性靶向巨噬细胞膜表面趋化因子受体CXCR1/CXCR2,刺激巨噬细胞对肿瘤外泌体的捕获及清除。结论:工程化外泌体促进了特定肿瘤外泌体的清除,为后续深入研究工程化外泌体抑制癌症转移的作用奠定基础,并期望为癌症转移治疗提供新的研究方向。     

蒙药乌力吉-18对大鼠下丘脑-垂体-卵巢轴相关激素及受体表达的影响

目的:探讨蒙药乌力吉-18对大鼠下丘脑-垂体-卵巢轴相关激素及受体的影响。方法:选取40只健康雌性未孕SD大鼠,随机分为空白组、对照组、乌力吉-18高、低2个剂量组,每组10只。空白组灌胃等体积蒸馏水,对照组灌胃逍遥丸,高、低剂量组分别灌胃2.0 g·kg^-1·d^-1、1.0 g·kg^-1·d^-1乌力吉-18,连续给药31学艺术d。采用酶联免疫吸附法测定血清促性腺激素释放激素(GnRH)、促卵泡生成素(FSH)、黄体生成素(LH)、雌二醇(E₂)及孕酮(PROG)的含量;免疫组化法检测下丘脑组织促性腺激素释放激素(GnRH)、垂体组织促性腺激素释放激素受体(GnRHR)的表达;以蛋白免疫印迹技术检测卵巢组织促卵泡生成素受体(FSHR)、黄体生成素受体(LHR)蛋白表达量。以实时荧光定量PCR检测卵巢组织中FSHR、LHR基因表达量。结果:与空白组比较,乌力吉-18低剂量组可明显升高血清LH含量(P<0.05),上调下丘脑组织GnRH、垂体组织GnRHR表达及卵巢组织FSHR、LHR蛋白表达(P<0.05);乌力吉-18高剂量组可显著升高血清FSH、LH、E₂含量(P<0.05),上调下丘脑组织GnRH表达及卵巢组织FSHR表达量(P<0.05),并可显著升高卵巢组织中FSHR、LHR基因表达量(P<0.05);对照组可明显升高血清E₂含量(P<0.05)。结论:蒙药乌力吉-18可明显升高血清FSH、LH及E₂的含量,促进下丘脑组织GnRH、垂体组织GnRHR及卵巢组织中FSHR、LHR的表达,表明乌力吉-18能够对下丘脑-垂体-卵巢轴相关激素及受体表达产生影响。     

慢性肺源性心脏病患者血清白细胞介素-6、降钙素原、D-二聚体、N端B型脑钠肽前体与心功能分级和预后的关系研究

摘要 目的：探讨慢性肺源性心脏病（CCP）患者血清白细胞介素-6（IL-6）、降钙素原（PCT）、D-二聚体（D-D）、N端B型脑钠肽前体（NT-proBNP）与心功能分级和预后的关系。方法：选取2020年1月～2021年5月合肥市第一人民医院全科医学科及呼吸与危重症科收治的170例CCP患者（CCP组）,其中纽约心脏协会（NYHA）心功能分级Ⅱ级49例、Ⅲ级66例、Ⅳ级55例,根据1年后存活状况分为死亡组26例和存活组144例,另选取同期54名体检健康者（对照组）。收集CCP患者临床资料,采用酶联免疫吸附法检测血清IL-6、PCT、D-D、NT-proBNP水平。通过多因素Logistic回归分析CCP患者预后不良的影响因素,受试者工作特征（ROC）曲线分析血清IL-6、PCT、D-D、NT-proBNP水平对CCP患者预后不良的预测价值。结果：与对照组比较,CCP组血清IL-6、PCT、D-D、NT-proBNP水平升高（P＜0.05）。Ⅱ级、Ⅲ级、Ⅳ级CCP患者血清IL-6、PCT、D-D、NT-proBNP水平依次升高（P＜0.05）。单因素分析显示,死亡组NYHA心功能分级Ⅳ级、肺动脉收缩压、Tie指数和血清IL-6、PCT、D-D、NT-proBNP水平高于存活组,第1秒用力呼气容积（FEV₁）占预计值％、FEV₁/用力肺活量（FVC）、三尖瓣环收缩期位移低于存活组（P＜0.05）。多因素Logistic回归分析显示,NYHA心功能分级Ⅳ级和肺动脉收缩压、IL-6、PCT、D-D、NT-proBNP升高为CCP患者预后不良的独立危险因素,FEV1占预计值％升高为独立保护因素（P＜0.05）。ROC曲线分析显示,血清IL-6、PCT、D-D、NT-proBNP水平单独与联合预测CCP患者预后不良的曲线下面积分别为0.789、0.789、0.792、0.801、0.954,灵敏度分别为93.33％、66.67％、66.67％、86.67％、86.67％,特异度分别为46.67％、82.67％、85.33％、66.67％、94.67％。血清IL-6、PCT、D-D、NT-proBNP水平联合预测CCP患者预后不良的AUC大于单项预测（P＜0.05）。结论：CCP患者血清IL-6、PCT、D-D、NT-proBNP水平升高可增加心功能严重程度并导致预后不良,可作为CCP患者预后不良的辅助预测指标,且四项指标联合检测具有更好的预测效能。