Suppression of DRR1 results in the accumulation of insoluble ubiquitinated proteins,which impairs drought stress tolerance

Drought stress has detrimental effects on plants. Although the abscisic acid (ABA)‐mediated drought response is well established, defensive mechanisms to cope with dehydration‐induced proteotoxicity have been rarely studied. DRR1 was identified as an Arabidopsis drought‐induced gene encoding an ER‐localized RING‐type E3 Ub ligase. Suppression of DRR1 markedly reduced tolerance to drought and proteotoxic stress without altering ABA‐mediated germination and stomatal movement. Proteotoxicity‐ and dehydration‐induced insoluble ubiquitinated protein accumulation was more obvious in DRR1 loss‐of‐function plants than in wild‐type plants. These results suggest that DRR1 is involved in an ABA‐independent drought stress response possibly through the mitigation of dehydration‐induced proteotoxic stress.     

丁苯酞对缺血性脑卒中大鼠记忆能力及海马5-HT1A受体和PKA信号通路活化的影响

目的:研究丁苯酞对缺血性脑卒中大鼠学习和记忆能力的影响和大鼠海马5-HT1A受体和PKA信号通路的调控作用。方法:将雄性SD大鼠随机分为假手术组、模型组和丁苯酞组(n=15)。丁苯酞组大鼠建立大脑中动脉闭塞模型,并按照每天60 mg/kg的剂量灌胃丁苯酞,假手术组和模型组灌胃等体积的玉米油,共给药2周。治疗完成后对各组大鼠进行神经功能缺损评估和Morris水迷宫测试(n=15)。通过磁共振成像(MRI)检测梗塞区域(n=15)。ELISA法检测海马组织PKA激酶活性(n=6)。使用钙检测试剂盒测定海马组织的细胞内[Ca²⁺]浓度(n=6)。Western blot检测海马组织中5-羟色胺(1A)受体(5-HT1A)、谷氨酸N-甲基-D-天冬氨酸受体1(NMDA1)和α-氨基-3-羟基-5-甲基-4-异恶唑丙酸受体1(AMPA1)的表达(n=6)。结果:与模型组相比:丁苯酞组大鼠的逃避潜伏期显著降低,而穿越平台次数显著升高(P<0.05);大鼠的神经功能缺损评分和脑梗死体积较显著降低(P<0.05);大鼠的PKA激酶活性和细胞内[Ca²⁺]浓度显著升高(P<0.05);丁苯酞组大鼠的5-HT1A蛋白相对表达量显著降低,而AMPA1和NMDA1的磷酸化水平显著升高(P<0.05)。结论:丁苯酞可改善缺血性脑卒中大鼠的学习和记忆能力,下调海马5-HT1A受体活性并激活PKA信号通路。     

Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of hydroxychloroquine in comparison with chloroquine in moderate and severe patients with COVID-19

Science China Life Sciences -     

Effect of mesenchymal stromal cells encapsulated within polyethylene glycol-collagen hydrogels formed in situ on alkali-burned corneas in an ex vivo organ culture model

Background aimsCorneal inflammation after alkali burns often results in vision loss due to corneal opacification and neovascularization. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and their secreted factors (secretome) have been studied for their anti-inflammatory and anti-angiogenic properties with encouraging results. However, topical instillation of MSCs or their secretome is often accompanied by issues related to delivery or rapid washout. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) and collagen are well-known biomaterials used extensively in scaffolds for tissue engineering. To effectively suppress alkaline burn-induced corneal injury, the authors proposed encapsulating MSCs within collagen gels cross-linked with multi-functional PEG-succinimidyl esters as a means to deliver the secretome of immobilized MSCs.MethodsHuman MSCs were added to a neutralized collagen solution and mixed with a solution of four-arm PEG-N-hydroxysuccinimide. An ex vivo organ culture was conducted using rabbit corneas injured by alkali burn. MSCs were encapsulated within PEG-collagen hydrogels and injected onto the wounded cornea immediately following alkali burn and washing. Photographs of the ocular surface were taken over a period of 7 days after the alkali burn and processed for immunohistochemical evaluation. Samples were split into three groups: injury without treatment, MSCs alone, and MSCs encapsulated within PEG-collagen hydrogels.ResultsAll corneas in ex vivo organ culture lost their transparency immediately after alkali burn, and only the groups treated with MSCs and MSCs encapsulated within PEG-collagen hydrogels recovered some transparency after 7 days. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed increased expression of vimentin in the anterior corneal stroma of the group without treatment indicative of fibrotic healing, whereas less stromal vimentin was detected in the group containing MSCs encapsulated within the PEG-collagen hydrogels.ConclusionsPEG-collagen hydrogels enable the encapsulation of viable MSCs capable of releasing secreted factors onto the ocular surface. Encapsulating MSCs within PEG-collagen hydrogels may be a promising method for delivering their therapeutic benefits in cases of ocular inflammatory diseases, such as alkali burn injuries.     

Long noncoding RNA ATB promotes ovarian cancer tumorigenesis by mediating histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation through binding to EZH2

Ovarian cancer (OC) remains one of the most lethal gynecological malignancies. The unfavourable prognosis is mainly due to the lack of early-stage diagnosis, drug resistance and recurrence. Therefore, it needs to investigate the mechanism of OC tumorigenesis and identify effective biomarkers for the clinical diagnosis. It is reported that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles during the tumorigenesis of OC. Therefore, the present study aimed to study the role and clinical significance of LncRNAs ATB (lnc-ATB) in the development and progression of OC. In our research, lnc-ATB expression in OC tissues was elevated compared with adjacent normal tissues and high expression of lnc-ATB was associated with poor outcomes of OC patients. The silencing of lnc-ATB blocked cell proliferation, invasion and migration in SKOV3 and A2780 cells. RNA immunoprecipitation and RNA pull-down results showed that lnc-ATB positively regulated the expression of EZH2 via directly interacting with EZH2. Besides, the overexpression of EZH2 partly rescued lnc-ATB silencing-inducing inhibition of cell proliferation, invasion and migration. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay results demonstrated that the silencing of lnc-ATB reduced the occupancy of caudal-related homeobox protein 1, Forkhead box C1, Large tumour suppressor kinase 2, cadherin-1 and disabled homolog 2 interacting protein promoters on EZH2 and H3K27me3. These data revealed the oncogenic of lnc-ATB and provided a novel biomarker for OC diagnosis. Furthermore, these findings indicated the mechanism of lnc-ATB functioning in the progression of OC, which provided a new target for OC therapy.     

ARL4C might serve as a prognostic factor and a novel therapeutic target for gastric cancer: bioinformatics analyses and biological experiments

The ADP-ribosylation factor-like proteins (ARLs) have been proved to regulate the malignant phenotypes of several cancers. However, the exact role of ARLs in gastric cancer (GC) remains elusive. In this study, we systematically investigate the expression status, interactive relations, potential pathways, genetic variations and clinical values of ARLs in GC. We find that ARLs are significantly dysregulated in GC and involved in various cancer-related pathways. Subsequently, machine learning models identify ARL4C as one of the two most significant clinical indicators among ARLs for GC. Furthermore, ARL4C silencing remarkably inhibits the growth and metastasis of GC cells both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, enrichment analysis indicates that ARL4C is highly correlated with TGF-β1 signalling. Correspondingly, TGF-β1 treatment dramatically increases ARL4C expression and ARL4C knockdown inhibits the phosphorylation level of Smads, downstream factors of TGF-β1. Meanwhile, the coexpression of ARL4C and TGF-β1 worsens the prognosis of GC patients. Our work comprehensively demonstrates the crucial role of ARLs in the carcinogenesis of GC and the specific mechanisms underlying the GC-promoting effects of TGF-β1. More importantly, we uncover the great promise of ARL4C-targeted therapy in improving the efficacy of TGF-β1 inhibitors for GC patients.     

Characteristics of Refractive-Index Sensor in Graphene-Modified Long-Range Surface Exciton-Polaritons

The organic non-crystalline medium of 5,6-dichloro-2-[[5,6-dichloro-1-ethyl-3-(4-sulfobutyl)-benzimidazol-2-ylidene]-propenyl]-1-ethyl-3-(4-sulfobutyl)-benzimidazolium hydroxide (TDBC) is emerging as possible alternative plasmonic material for noble metal in visible region. In this paper, a novel long-range surface exciton-polariton (LRSEP) sensor based on TDBC film covered with graphene is reported. To enhance the imaging sensitivity, the thickness of TDBC film and the number of graphene layers are optimized. The result shows that the optimized imaging sensitivity is enhanced to 3243 RIU⁻¹ when n_s = 1.34. Compared with the traditional noble metal film-based sensor, the proposed LRSEP sensor demonstrates that the imaging sensitivity has been greatly improved. This is the first study of the TDBC film-based LRSEP sensor, which we hope to support the potential development of chemical sensing and bio-sensing.

     

6个品种樱花在北京地区的适应性研究

为丰富北京地区樱花种植品种,选择大渔樱(Cerasus×kanzakura ‘Tairyo-zakura’)、修善寺寒樱(Cerasus×kanzakura ‘Rubescens’)、阳春(C. spachiana ‘Yoshun’)、天之川(C. serrulata ‘Erecta’)、兰兰(C. serrulata ‘Ranran’)、红华(C. serrulata ‘Kouka’)等6个品种樱花进行实验性种植。在田间观测的基础上,测定低温胁迫下根系脱氢酶活性、枝条脯氨酸含量,高温胁迫下叶片的电导率、可溶性蛋白含量。结果表明,6个品种中,随着温度下降,6个品种樱花根系脱氢酶还原量、枝条脯氨酸含量均呈现先上升后下降的趋势。大渔樱、修善寺寒樱、兰兰在-10 ℃时脱氢酶活性与脯氨酸含量达到最大值,阳春、天之川、红华在-15 ℃脱氢酶活性与脯氨酸含量达到最大值。6个品种的叶片相对电导率,均随着温度的上升不断升高。而叶片可溶性蛋白含量变化趋势,品种间差异较大。阳春、天之川、红华在北京地区适应性良好,大渔樱、修善寺寒樱、兰兰可在小环境较好的区域栽植。     

Human cholesteryl ester transport protein transgene promotes macrophage reverse cholesterol transport in C57BL/6 mice and phospholipid transfer protein gene knockout mice

Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry - Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) and phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) belong to the same gene family. Liver-specific expression of CETP...     

卵巢早衰患者血清抑制素B、抗苗勒管激素及性激素水平与子宫动脉血流参数的相关性研究

目的:探讨卵巢早衰(POF)患者血清抑制素B(INHB)、抗苗勒管激素(AMH)及性激素水平与子宫动脉血流参数的相关性。方法:选择2018年5月至2020年5月期间我院收治的126例POF患者(POF组)和同期于我院进行体检的85例健康女性志愿者(对照组)。检测所有研究对象血清INHB、AMH以及促黄体生成素(LH)、促卵泡激素(FSH)、雌二醇(E2)水平,经阴道多普勒超声检测子宫动脉血流参数[收缩期峰值流速(PSV)、舒张末期流速(EDV),血流阻力指数(RI)、搏动指数(PI)]。Pearson相关性分析POF患者血清INHB、AMH、LH、FSH、E2水平与PSV、EDV、RI、PI的相关性。结果:POF组血清INHB、AMH、E2水平、PSV、EDV低于对照组(P<0.05),LH、FSH水平、RI、PI高于对照组(P<0.05)。Pearson相关性分析结果显示POF患者血清INHB、AMH、E2水平与PSV、EDV呈正相关(P<0.05),与RI、PI呈负相关(P<0.05),LH、FSH与PSV、EDV呈负相关(P<0.05),与RI、PI呈正相关(P<0.05)。结论:POF患者血清INHB、AMH、E2水平降低,LH、FSH水平升高,血清INHB、AMH和性激素与子宫动脉血流受限有关。