Performance evaluation of native plants suited to extensive green roof conditions in a maritime climate

Assessing plant species performance on extensive green roofs can inform about and improve green roof functioning, aesthetics, longevity and the diversity of plant palettes available for the green roof industry. In this study, we evaluate survival, cover, roof cooling and stormwater retention properties of 15 plant species native to coastal regions of Atlantic Canada in extensive green roof monocultures. After a complete growing season (May-October 2009), all but one species had greater than 80% survival, and 10 species reached greater than 90% groundcover. Over the growing season, the top performing species reduced roof surface temperature by an average of 3.44 °C and increased solar reflectivity by 22.2% over the growing-medium only controls. Moreover, the best species retained 75.3% of experimentally added stormwater. Our results demonstrate that several species (mainly graminoids) performed better than creeping shrubs and forbs for most functions, although significant variation existed within life-form groups.     

Dietary soy and tea mitigate chronic inflammation and prostate cancer via NFκB pathway in the Noble rat model

Chronic inflammation and nuclear factor-kappa B (NFκB) have been implicated in prostate cancer development; thus, dietary factors that inhibit NFκB may serve as effective chemo-preventative agents. Prostate cancer risk is significantly lower in Asian countries compared to the United States, which has prompted interest in the potential chemopreventative action of Asian dietary components such as soy and green tea. This study examined the effects of dietary soy and tea on NFκB activation and inflammation in vivo using a hormone-induced rat model for prostate cancer. Male Noble rats implanted with estradiol and testosterone were divided into 4 dietary groups: control, soy, tea, or soy+tea. NFκB activation and inflammatory cytokines were measured post implantation. The combination of soy and tea suppressed NFκB p50 binding activity and protein levels via induction of IκBα. Soy and tea also decreased prostate inflammatory infiltration, increased Bax/BcL2 ratio and decreased protein expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1β compared to control. Soy and tea attenuated prostate malignancy by decreasing prostate hyperplasia. These effects were not apparent in groups treated with soy or tea alone. The ongoing in vivo studies thus far suggest that combination of foods, such as soy and tea, may inhibit hormone-induced proinflammatory NFκB signals that contribute to prostate cancer development.     

转基因DT40细胞导入早期鸡胚后的分布及绿色荧光蛋白表达的研究

目的为了研究经过基因修饰的体细胞导入到禽类胚胎以后,供体细胞及外源基因是否能在受体胚胎中成活并且外源基因是否可以长期表达。方法筛选得到稳定整合绿色荧光蛋白基因的鸡DT40细胞作为外源蛋白的运载工具,通过血管微注射的方法将其导入到于38.5℃温度条件下孵化65～70 h的鸡胚中,并将操作后的鸡胚在原孵化条件下继续孵化。在孵化的不同时期取移植了DT40细胞的嵌合体胚胎在荧光显微镜下观察荧光细胞的存活与分布情况。并通过PCR以及免疫组织化学方法检测供体细胞在受体中的位置以及绿色荧光蛋白的表达情况。结果荧光标记的DT40细胞可以存活于受体不同的组织器官中,包括：脑、心脏、肝脏等。导入胚胎的整合外源基因的DT40细胞可以存活到胚胎出雏之前,并且外源基因能够正常表达。结论可以通过此方法将外源基因导入到受体中,并使目的蛋白在受体胚胎中持续表达,为胚胎期导入外源蛋白诱导免疫耐受的研究以及将转基因细胞移植到动物体内生产目的蛋白的研究提供科学依据和技术平台。     

The candidate tumor suppressor SASH1 interacts with the actin cytoskeleton and stimulates cell-matrix adhesion

SASH1, a member of the SLY-family of signal adapter proteins, is a candidate tumor suppressor in breast and colon cancer. Reduced expression of SASH1 is correlated with aggressive tumor growth, metastasis formation, and inferior prognosis. However, the biological role of SASH1 remains largely unknown. To unravel the function of SASH1, we have analyzed the intracellular localization of endogenous SASH1, and have generated structural SASH1 mutants. SASH1 localized to the nucleus as well as to the cytoplasm in epithelial cells. In addition, SASH1 was enriched in lamellipodia and membrane ruffles, where it co-distributed with the actin cytoskeleton. Moreover, we demonstrate a novel interaction of SASH1 with the oncoprotein cortactin, a known regulator of actin polymerization in lamellipodia. Enhanced SASH1 expression significantly increased the content of filamentous actin, leading to the formation of cell protrusions and elongated cell shape. This activity was mapped to the central, evolutionarily conserved domain of SASH1. Furthermore, expression of SASH1 inhibited cell migration and lead to increased cell adhesion to fibronectin and laminin, whereas knock-down of endogenous SASH1 resulted in significantly reduced cell–matrix adhesion. Taken together, our findings unravel for the first time a mechanistic role for SASH1 in tumor formation by regulating the adhesive and migratory behaviour of cancer cells.     

慢病毒介导的GFP-Hsp90αE47A基因在HepG2细胞表达及对细胞增殖性影响的研究

目的：建立真核细胞表达的GFP-Hsp90αE47A基因重组慢病毒载体三质粒包装细胞系统,并检测其对细胞增殖性的影响,为进一步研究HSP90分子伴侣功能奠定基础。方法：制备完整的重组慢病毒载体三质粒系统：转移质粒（Hsp90αE47A/psin-GFP）,包装质粒（ΔNRF）及包膜蛋白质粒（VSV-G）。磷酸钙法将三质粒共转染293T包装细胞,48h后收集病毒上清。将制备好的慢病毒颗粒感染HepG2细胞,在荧光显微镜下观察报告基因GFP的表达情况,Westernblot检测HepG2细胞GFP-Hsp90α表达。MTT法检测细胞增殖情况。结果：转染后的293T和感染后的HepG2细胞能观察到较强的绿色荧光,培养液上清病毒滴度约为3.0×103ifu/μl,HepG2细胞中有GFP-Hsp90α蛋白的表达。内源性Hsp90α表达无明显上升（为对照组的1.05±0.15倍,P〈0.05,t检验）,有明显外源性GFP-Hsp90αE47A蛋白的表达,为对照组内源性Hsp90α的0.68±0.12倍。外源性GFP-Hsp90αE47A蛋白的表达HepG2细胞增殖活性于第4d有明显抑制。（1.051±0.03vs1.349±0.05,P〈0.05,t检验）。结论：成功建立重组慢病毒载体的三质粒包装细胞系统,并将GFP-Hsp90αE47A基因在HepG2细胞中稳定表达,且并未引起细胞明显的热休克反应而导致的内源性Hsp90α增高;且能明显抑制细胞增殖,为后期Hsp90α分子伴侣功能进行研究奠定基础。     

三种酵母启动子在毕赤酵母中的功能比较

启动子是基因表达调控的重要顺式元件,启动子功能的强弱对于目的基因的表达非常重要.为找到一个启动转录功能较好的启动子,以绿色荧光蛋白(GFP)为报告基因,在毕赤酵母中研究不同启动子对外源蛋白表达的影响.首先采用PCR扩增的方法克隆了酿酒酵母甘油合成关键酶3-磷酸甘油脱氢酶基因启动子pScgpd,借助于载体pPIC9K和p...     

土壤中棉花黄萎病菌SYBR Green Ⅰ荧光RT-PCR定量检测技术研究

为实现田间土壤棉花黄萎病菌的早期检测,建立了土壤中棉花黄萎病菌的SYBR Green I荧光定量PCR检测方法。以含342bp PCR扩增产物的阳性质粒为参考,构建了标准曲线,并对该曲线的特异性、敏感性、可重复性进行了评价。结果表明,该方法具有快速、特异性强、敏感度高等特点。检测范围在3.8×103-3.8×108copies/μL之间有良好的线性关系,相关系数R2为0.996,扩增效率为101.5%,灵敏度比常规PCR方法高102倍。     

Global analysis of fluorescence fluctuation data

Over the last decade the number of applications of fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) has grown rapidly. Here we describe the development and application of a software package, FCS Data Processor, to analyse the acquired correlation curves. The algorithms combine strong analytical power with flexibility in use. It is possible to generate initial guesses, link and constrain fit parameters to improve the accuracy and speed of analysis. A global analysis approach, which is most effective in analysing autocorrelation curves determined from fluorescence fluctuations of complex biophysical systems, can also be implemented. The software contains a library of frequently used models that can be easily extended to include user-defined models. The use of the software is illustrated by analysis of different experimental fluorescence fluctuation data sets obtained with Rhodamine Green in aqueous solution and enhanced green fluorescent protein in vitro and in vivo.An erratum to this article can be found at Victor V. Skakun, Mark A. Hink and Anatoli V. Digris contributed equally to this work.     

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of embryogenic tissue and transgenic plant regeneration in Chamaecyparis obtusa Sieb. et Zucc.

A genetic transformation procedure for Chamaecyparis obtusa was developed after co-cultivation of embryogenic tissues with disarmed Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain C58/pMP90, which harbours the sgfp (synthetic green fluorescent protein) visual reporter and nptII (neomycin phoshotransferase II) selectable marker genes. The highest transformation frequency was 22.5 independent transformed lines per dish (250 mg embryogenic tissue) following selection on kanamycin medium. Transgenic plantlets were regenerated through the maturation and germination of somatic embryos. The intensity of GFP fluorescence, observed under a fluorescence microscope, varied from very faint to relatively strong, depending on the transgenic line or part of the transgenic plant. The integration of the genes into the genome of regenerated plantlets was confirmed by Southern blot analysis.