Verticillium dahliae VdBre1 is required for cotton infection by modulating lipid metabolism and secondary metabolites

The soil-borne ascomycete Verticillium dahliae causes wilt disease in more than two hundred dicotyledonous plants including the economically important crop cotton, and results in a severe reduction in cotton fiber yield and quality. During infection, V. dahliae secretes numerous secondary metabolites, which act as toxic factors to promote the infection process. However, the mechanism underlying how V. dahliae secondary metabolites regulate cotton infection remains largely unexplored. In this study, we report that VdBre1, an ubiquitin ligase (E3) enzyme to modify H2B, regulates radial growth and conidia production of V. dahliae. The VdBre1 deletion strains show nonpathogenic symptoms on cotton, and microscopic inspection and penetration assay indicated that penetration ability of the ∆VdBre1 strain was dramatically reduced. RNA-seq revealed that a total of 1643 differentially expressed genes between the ∆VdBre1 strain and the wild type strain V592, among which genes related to lipid metabolism were significantly overrepresented. Remarkably, the volume of lipid droplets in the ∆VdBre1 conidia was shown to be smaller than that of wild-type strains. Further metabolomics analysis revealed that the pathways of lipid metabolism and secondary metabolites, such as steroid biosynthesis and metabolism of terpenoids and polyketides, have dramatically changed in the ∆VdBre1 metabolome. Taken together, these results indicate that VdBre1 plays crucial roles in cotton infection and pathogenecity, by globally regulating lipid metabolism and secondary metabolism of V. dahliae.     

Isometric and Eccentric Force Generation Assessment of Skeletal Muscles Isolated from Murine Models of Muscular Dystrophies

Critical to the evaluation of potential therapeutics for muscular disease are sensitive and reproducible physiological assessments of muscle function. Because many pre-clinical trials rely on mouse models for these diseases, isolated muscle function has become one of the standards for Go/NoGo decisions in moving drug candidates forward into patients. We will demonstrate the preparation of the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and diaphragm muscles for functional testing, which are the predominant muscles utilized for these studies. The EDL muscle geometry is ideal for isolated muscle preparations, with two easily accessible tendons, and a small size that can be supported by superfusion in a bath. The diaphragm exhibits profound progressive pathology in dystrophic animals, and can serve as a platform for evaluating many potential therapies countering fibrosis, and promoting myofiber stability. Protocols for routine testing, including isometric and eccentric contractions, will be shown. Isometric force provides assessment of strength, and eccentric contractions help to evaluate sarcolemma stability, which is disrupted in many types of muscular dystrophies. Comparisons of the expected results between muscles from wildtype and dystrophic muscles will also be provided. These measures can complement morphological and biochemical measurements of tissue homeostasis, as well as whole animal assessments of muscle function.     

Erratum to: Endogenous TGFβ1 Plays a Crucial Role in Functional Recovery After Traumatic Brain Injury Associated with Smad3 Signal in Rats

Neurochemical Research -     

Voltage pulsation of sickle erythrocytes enhances membrane permeability to oxygen

Treatment of sickle red cells (SS homozygous) with a voltage pulse of less than 0.8 kV/cm and duration of 20 μs caused a change in the cell membrane, so as to facilitate the permeation of oxygen. The unsickling of the treated cells after a re-introduction of oxygen took place at a much faster rate. Neither leakages of Na⁺ and K⁺, nor a change in the cell volume occurred as the result of the low voltage pulsation. The effect of the voltage treatment persisted for hours at 25°C but disappeared rapidly at 37°C. The result suggests that a selective modification of membrane permeability may be achieved by the voltage pulsation technique.     

mMR-1基因的克隆和在毕赤酵母中分泌表达

hMR-1为本实验室首次克隆发现的一个人类新基因 ,是一种和三种肌肉收缩蛋白及多种细胞信号蛋白具有相互作用的膜蛋白。经与鼠基因组数据库进行同源分析后设计合成引物 ,利用RT-PCR技术从小鼠C57BL 6J脾脏T淋巴细胞总RNA中反转录得到鼠源MR-1基因 (mMR-1) ,提交GenBank ,收录号 (AY2 99972 )。序列分析证明其与人源MR-1基因 (hMR-1)同源性为 90.1%。构建表达载体pPIC9 mMR-1电转化PichiapastorisGS115 ,筛选得到整合分泌表达mMR-1蛋白的重组酵母菌株。表达目的蛋白分子量 25kD ,诱导 5d时产量达到 50mg/L ,通过Westernblot验证了表达产物的正确性。本研究为进一步研究新基因MR-1的生物学功能奠定了基础。     

超选择子宫动脉栓塞治疗子宫肌瘤

目的探讨超选择子宫动脉栓塞治疗子宫肌瘤的方法及疗效。方法子宫肌瘤65例采用Seldinger技术经皮股动脉插管至双侧髂内动脉,造影了解肿瘤的血供来源后,超选至两侧子宫动脉,缓慢注入平阳霉素碘油乳剂或PVA微粒栓塞治疗。结果患者症状缓解率为93．2％,月经增多,痛经,尿频、尿急,贫血等1-3个月内恢复正常。并发症：除栓塞综合征外,可见阴道不规则流血,腰腿痛,可自行恢复。治疗后3-6个月肌瘤缩小率在30％-68％之间。中短期疗效较稳定,末见复发。治疗前后性激素水平变化无明显差异。结论子宫动脉栓塞术治疗子宫肌瘤操作简单安全,疗效好。超选择子宫动脉插管其分支栓塞,并发症少,具有较大的临床应用价值。     

南方4种草本植物对铝胁迫生理响应的研究

 不同的植物对铝胁迫的生理响应不同, 因而对铝毒的耐性也不相同。设置5种铝浓度,进行砂培法处理,研究了4种我国南方红壤广泛分布的草本植物——牵牛(Pharbitis nil)、望江南(Cassia occidentlis)、光头稗(Echinochloa colonum)和合萌(Aeschynomene indica)的种子萌发、光合色素、脯氨酸含量、丙二醛(MDA)含量、可溶性糖(SS)含量、质膜透性(MP)、过氧化氢酶 (CAT) 活性以及过氧化物酶 (POD)活性的变化。结果表明铝对4种植物的生理特性都有明显的影响。4种植物的种子在10 000 mg·L－1 Al3+处理条件下都不能萌发。2 000 mg·L－1 Al3+处理都不利于4种植物的生长,与对照相比,2 000 mg·L－1 Al3+处理时4种草本植物叶绿素和叶绿素总含量显著降低(p<0.05);MDA含量和MP显著增加(p<0.05);脯氨酸含量极显著增加(p<0.01);POD和CAT活性极显著降低(p<0.01)。中低铝(80和400 mg·L－1)处理时,牵牛和合萌与对照相比,MP和MDA含量降低,POD和CAT活性升高;望江南的反应与牵牛和合萌的反应相反;光头稗在80 mg·L－1 Al3+处理时,与牵牛和合萌的变化一致,在400 mg·L－1 Al3+处理时,则相反。植物在中低铝处理条件下,通过维持较高的POD和CAT活性和脯氨酸、叶绿素含量,较低的MP和MDA含量来增加其对铝的耐性。