Fluorescence in blue light (FLU) is involved in inactivation and localization of glutamyl‐tRNA reductase during light exposure

Fluorescent in blue light (FLU) is a negative regulator involved in dark repression of 5‐aminolevulinic acid (ALA) synthesis and interacts with glutamyl‐tRNA reductase (GluTR), the rate‐limiting enzyme of tetrapyrrole biosynthesis. In this study, we investigated FLU‘s regulatory function in light‐exposed FLU‐overexpressing (FLUOE) Arabidopsis lines and under fluctuating light intensities in wild‐type (WT) and flu seedlings. FLUOE lines suppress ALA synthesis in the light, resulting in reduced chlorophyll content, but more strongly in low and high light than in medium growth light. This situation indicates that FLU's impact on chlorophyll biosynthesis depends on light intensity. FLU overexpressors contain strongly increased amounts of mainly membrane‐associated GluTR. These findings correlate with FLU‐dependent localization of GluTR to plastidic membranes and concomitant inhibition, such that only the soluble GluTR fraction is active. The overaccumulation of membrane‐associated GluTR indicates that FLU binding enhances GluTR stability. Interestingly, under fluctuating light, the leaves of flu mutants contain less chlorophyll compared with WT and become necrotic. We propose that FLU is basically required for fine‐tuned ALA synthesis. FLU not only mediates dark repression of ALA synthesis, but functions also to control balanced ALA synthesis under variable light intensities to ensure the adequate supply of chlorophyll.     

Dysregulated haemolysin promotes bacterial outer membrane vesicles‐induced pyroptotic‐like cell death in zebrafish

Inflammasomes are important innate immune components in mammals. However, the bacterial factors modulating inflammasome activation in fish, and the mechanisms by which they alter fish immune defences, remain to be investigated. In this work, a mutant of the fish pathogen Edwardsiella piscicida (E. piscicida), called 0909I, was shown to overexpress haemolysin, which could induce a robust pyroptotic‐like cell death dependent on caspase‐5‐like activity during infection in fish nonphagocyte cells. E. piscicida haemolysin was found to mainly associate with bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMVs), which were internalised into the fish cells via a dynamin‐dependent endocytosis and induced pyroptotic‐like cell death. Importantly, bacterial immersion infection of both larvae and adult zebrafish suggested that dysregulated expression of haemolysin alerts the innate immune system and induces intestinal inflammation to restrict bacterial colonisation in vivo. Taken together, these results suggest a critical role of zebrafish innate immunity in monitoring invaded pathogens via detecting the bacterial haemolysin‐associated OMVs and initiating pyroptotic‐like cell death. These new additions to the understanding of haemolysin‐mediated pathogenesis in vivo provide evidence for the existence of noncanonical inflammasome signalling in lower vertebrates.     

深畦栽培对干旱胁迫下葡萄叶幕微气候和光合作用的影响

试验以‘京亚’和‘红地球’葡萄品种2年生苗木为材料,在田间遮雨棚内考察了自然干旱胁迫下深畦栽植和平畦栽植葡萄根际土壤湿度、叶幕微气候因子、光合作用参数变化特征,探讨根际土壤湿度与叶幕气候互作对葡萄光合作用的影响。结果显示:(1)在干旱逆境下,葡萄根际土壤湿度和叶幕微气候因子交互作用能通过影响水分条件来影响葡萄的光合作用;土壤湿度阀值是葡萄进行光合作用时水分利用最有效的土壤湿度点值,土壤湿度阀值存在“阀值漂移”现象,与叶幕空气湿度呈明显负相关关系,维持较高的叶幕空气湿度有利于实现在较低的土壤湿度下达到更高的光合效率。(2)在干旱逆境下,与平畦栽植相比,深畦栽植在改善葡萄根际土壤水分和叶幕微气候方面具有明显的优势,在该模式下葡萄具有更强的保水能力和更高的水分利用效率,从而具有更强的光合效率。(3)采用深畦栽植模式时,根际土壤相对含水量30%~50%是显著影响葡萄光合作用的土壤湿度区间;根际土壤相对含水量分别在43.32%~50.00%和40.19%~50.00%是‘京亚’和‘红地球’光合作用适宜的土壤湿度范围,在43.32%和40.19%时分别为2种葡萄光合作用水分利用效率达到最高的最适土壤湿度。研究发现,干旱逆境条件下,葡萄根际土壤湿度和叶幕微气候因子交互作用能改善葡萄的光合作用效率;深畦栽植葡萄光合作用对土壤湿度的需求较低,在相对较低的土壤湿度即可达到相对较高的光合能力;深畦栽植模式可以协调葡萄光合作用和水分消耗之间的关系,具有较高的水分利用效率和光合能力,是干旱地区进行葡萄抗旱节水生产的理想模式。     

Expert consensus on organizing the multidisciplinary team (MDT) diagnosis and treatment of hepato-pancreato-biliary diseases in China

Science China Life Sciences -     

Antidiabetic potential of oleanolic acid from Ligustrum lucidum Ait

Ligustrum lucidum Ait. has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over 1000 years because of its anti-tumor, antimutagenic, antidiabetic, and hepatoprotective properties. The aim of this study was to determine whether oleanolic acid (OA) is the principal active compound of L. lucidum responsible for its antidiabetic properties, and to examine its effect on the expression of thyroid hormones and insulin secretion, thus revealing the mechanism by which L. lucidum modulates insulin levels in diabetes. When rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes were treated with OA (100 and 200 mg/kg body mass per day, for 40 days), the changes in blood glucose levels and in oral glucose tolerance tests showed that hypoglycemia was more pronounced in OA-treated groups than in the diabetic control rats, and that the levels of triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoportein cholesterol in OA-treated rats were lower than those in the diabetic control rats, whose high-density lipoprotein cholesterol increased. OA-treated rats also gained weight, and exhibited increased serum insulin levels. In contrast, OA treatment did not effect the levels of thyroid hormone or TSH in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes. These results indicate that OA has hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects. OA treatment might stimulate insulin release, and consequently, results in the modulation of glucose levels and regulation of lipid metabolism.     

黄瓜果瘤的遗传及SSR 标记

通过对以荷兰温室无瘤黄瓜(Cucumis sativus )品种Z1和Z3为母本(tutu), 有瘤黄瓜品系东农129为父本(TuTu)的杂交后代F1和F2的统计分析, 结果表明: 在F1代, 2个组合果实都有果瘤, 有果瘤为显性; F2代果实有瘤与无瘤呈现分离, 其比例分别是2.92:1和2.95:1, 表明Tu基因是独立遗传的, 即有瘤(Tu)对无瘤(tu)为显性。为了获得与黄瓜果瘤基因连锁的SSR(simple sequence repeat)标记, 从129×Z3 F2群体中选取有瘤、无瘤单株的DNA各10个, 构建有瘤、无瘤近等基因池。用86对SSR引物在亲本及DNA混合池之间进行筛选, 并对F2群体的75个单株进行验证。筛选得到了5对与果瘤相关的SSR引物, 经MAPMAKER/EXP version 3.0b软件分析, 其中CSWGATT01B、CSWGATT01C、CSCT335和CSWGATT01A四个标记位于同一连锁群上, Tu基因位于这4个标记构建的连锁群中, 具体位置为CSWGATT01C-Tu-CSCT335, 距离两侧标记的遗传距离分别为20.0 cM和14.1 cM。     

QRAR models for cardiovascular system drugs using biopartitioning micellar chromatography

The capability of biopartitioning micellar chromatography (BMC) to describe and estimate pharmacological parameters of cardiovascular system drugs has been studied. The retention of cardiovascular system drugs was studied using different pH of Brij-35 as micellar mobile phase in modified C(18) stationary phase. Quantitative retention-activity relationships (QRAR) in BMC were investigated for these compounds. An adequate correlation between the retention factors (log k) and the toxicity (LD(50)) of cardiovascular system drugs was obtained.     

Distribution characteristics of ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms and their responses to external nitrogen and carbon in sediments of a freshwater reservoir,China

Aquatic Ecology - Ammonia oxidation driven by ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB) plays a significant role in the nitrogen cycle, but the mechanism of this important action...     

‘锦苗标靶’诱抗剂抑制列当寄生向日葵的机制研究

该研究通过对2个向日葵品种(LD5009 和JK103)根系浇灌‘锦苗标靶’诱抗剂,于浇灌处理后0、24、48 和72 h分别对根系取样进行组织化学分析,测定根系H₂O₂含量、ROS清除酶活性以及抗性相关基因表达,并于浇灌处理后20 d检测向日葵生长指标和根瘤结数量,以明确‘锦苗标靶’对向日葵抑制列当寄生的诱抗机制。结果显示：(1)与对照(施用清水)相比,LD5009在‘锦苗标靶’处理后,列当瘤结数减少了95.5个,寄生率降低了98.20%;瘤结的鲜质量和干质量分别降低了94.60%和81.63%,而向日葵株高和茎粗分别相应增加了2.09 cm和0.52 mm,增长率分别为14.92%和15.29%;JK103在‘锦苗标靶’处理后,列当瘤结数较对照减少了37.5个,寄生率降低了98.04%,瘤结的鲜质量和干质量也分别降低了97.06%和82.69%,而向日葵的株高和茎粗分别增加了2.07 cm和0.39 mm,增长率分别为12.26%和9.70%。(2)‘锦苗标靶’诱抗剂浇灌处理后,2个向日葵品种根系中胼胝质的沉积量均有增加,但以JK103在处理48 h后增加幅度最为明显;JK103和LD5009中H₂O₂含量在处理24 h后均达到最大值,分别为3.53和2.68 μmol·g^-1,与对照相比,LD5009的H₂O₂含量增幅较大,为208.05%。(3)2个品种的ROS清除酶活性在处理后均呈先升高后降低的趋势,且均在处理48 h后达到最大值;JK103+锦苗标靶处理较清水对照的SOD、POD、CAT、PPO活性分别增加了69.77 U·g^-1、5.44 U·g^-1·min^-1、1.88 U·g^-1·min^-1和527 U·g^-1·min^-1,而LD5009+锦苗标靶处理后,上述4种酶的活性分别增加了25.91 U·g^-1、13.16 U·g^-1·min^-1、0.50 U·g^-1·min^-1和313 U·g^-1·min^-1。(4)抗性相关基因转录水平的检测结果显示,施用诱抗剂后2个品种抗性基因的转录水平都不同程度地被诱导,但以LD5009+锦苗标靶样本中被诱导的幅度最为明显,特别是CAT、Mn SOD和XTH6基因,其转录水平比对照均上调了50倍之多。研究表明,诱抗剂‘锦苗标靶’对向日葵列当的寄生有显著的抑制效果,且在向日葵列当寄生前(瘤结未形成)施用效果更佳;‘锦苗标靶’可促进向日葵根系细胞中胼胝质的沉积量增加,在结构水平上抵御列当对向日葵根系的侵染,并能够诱导向日葵根系ROS清除酶活性以及CAT、PAL、Mn SOD和XTH6等基因表达的提高,从而建立向日葵对列当寄生的获得性抗性,但诱导的程度由于品种不同而存在一定的差异。     

Circular RNA hsa_circ_0076248 promotes oncogenesis of glioma by sponging miR-181a to modulate SIRT1 expression

Glioma is one of the most common primary malignancies of the central nervous system, which has aggressive clinical behavior and a poorer prognosis. MicroRNAs (miRs) are a class of small noncoding RNAs that function as mediators of gene expression, which can be sponged by circRNA provided with a closed circular structure. Dysregulations of circular RNAs (circRNAs) and miRs have been implicated in the development and progression of glioma. In the current study, we investigated the role of circular RNA hsa_circ_0076248 in mediating the oncogenesis of glioma by sponging miR-181a to modulate silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) expression in vitro and in vivo. The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction results showed that the expression of miR-181a was significantly decreased in glioma tissues and cell lines compared with normal brain tissues and normal gliocyte, respectively, and the expression of hsa_circ_0076248 and SIRT1 demonstrated the opposite. Bioinformatics analysis identified hsa_circ_0076248 could sponge miR-181a, and miR-181a could target the mRNA of SIRT1. Our results verified that downregulating hsa_circ_0076248 or upregulating miR-181a could depress the proliferation and invasion of glioma in vitro and in vivo. The experiment also showed that downregulating hsa_circ_0076248 or upregulating miR-181a could remarkably promote the temozolomide chemotherapy sensitivity. Furthermore, Western blot analysis testified that downregulating hsa_circ_0076248 or upregulating miR-181a could promote the expression of p53 and SIRT1. In summary, our study sheds light on the regulatory mechanism of hsa_circ_0076248 in glioma growth and invasion via sponging miR-181a, which downregulates the SIRT1 expression and also suggests that hsa_circ_0076248, miR-181a, and SIRT1 may serve as potential therapeutic targets for glioma.