Long noncoding RNA PTENP1 affects the recovery of spinal cord injury by regulating the expression of miR-19b and miR-21

Exosomes derived from differentiated P12 cells and MSCs were proved to suppress apoptosis of neuron cells, and phosphatase and tensin homolog pseudogene 1 (PTENP1) was reported to inhibit cell proliferation. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of PTENP1 in the process of post-spinal cord injury (SCI) recovery, so as to evaluate the therapeutic effects of exosomes derived from MSCs transfected with PTENP1 short hairpin RNA (shRNA), as a type of novel biomarkers in the treatment of SCI. Electron microscopy was used to observe the morphology of different exosomes. Real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assays, flow cytometry, Nissl staining, immunohistochemistry assay, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay were conducted to investigate and validate the underlying molecular signaling pathway. PTENP1-shRNA downregulated PTENP1 and PTEN while upregulating miR-21 and miR-19b. PTENP1-shRNA also accelerated cell apoptosis and reduced cell viability. In addition, PTENP1 reduced the miR-21 and miR-19b expression by directly targeting miR-21 and miR-19b. Meanwhile, both miR-21 and miR-19b reduced the expression of PTEN by directly targeting the 3′-untranslated region of PTEN. Furthermore, PTEN level and apoptosis index of neuron cells was the highest in the SCI group, while the treatment with exosomes+PTENP1-shRNA reduced the PTEN expression to a level similar to that in the sham group. Finally, PTENP1 inhibited miR-21 and miR-19b expression but upregulated PTEN expression. The upregulation of miR-21/miR-19b also suppressed the apoptosis of neuron cells by downregulating the PTEN expression. PTENP1 is involved in the recovery of SCI by regulating the expression of miR-19b and miR-21, and exosomes from PTENP1-shRNA-transfected cells may be used as a novel biomarker in SCI treatment.     

长江经济带林地和其他生物质碳储量及碳汇量研究

以全国林业应对气候变化碳汇计量监测体系建设结果数据为基础，应用森林碳库专项调查建立的碳计量模型和参数，结合历次森林资源清查成果等数据，估算了2020年长江经济带林地和其他生物质碳储量和碳汇量。研究表明：（1）2020年长江经济带林地碳储量24543.58 Tg C （其中森林植被碳储量为4372.85Tg C），散生木和四旁树等其他生物质碳储量329.59 Tg C。2020年长江经济带林地碳汇量81.81 Tg C/a （300.26Tg CO₂/a）、散生木和四旁树等其他生物质碳汇量6.60 Tg C/a （24.21 Tg CO₂/a）。无论是林地和其他生物质碳储量、碳汇量、还是森林植被碳储量，乔木林地所占比例最大（69%-85%）；长江经济带11个省市中，云南省最大，上海市最小；林地碳储量中土壤有机质碳库贡献最大（81.46%），林地碳汇量中生物量碳库贡献最大（90.99%）；林地碳汇量中"一直为林地的土地"产生碳汇量贡献最大（71.74%），其中一直为乔木林的土地产生的碳汇量占69.89%；（2）阐述了长江防护林工程、天然林资源保护工程、珠江防护林工程和沿海防护林工程4大重点生态工程对长江经济带碳储量和碳汇量的贡献，长江防护林工程贡献率最大（81%-83%），其次是天然林资源保护工程（32%-38%），珠江防护林工程和沿海防护林工程影响较小。分析了人工造林、中幼林抚育、次生林和低效林改造、退化林修复等生态保护修复措施对长江经济带碳储量和碳汇量的贡献，并提出了碳中和愿景下森林固碳增汇的有效途径。     

Association between ABHD1 and DOK6 polymorphisms and susceptibility to Hirschsprung disease in Southern Chinese children

Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) is an infrequent congenital intestinal dysplasia. The known genetic variations are unable to fully explain the pathogenesis of HSCR. The α/β-hydratase domain 1 (ABHD1) interferes with the proliferation and migration of intestinal stem cells. Docking protein 6 (DOK6) is involved in neurodevelopment through RET signalling pathway. We examined the association of ABHD1 and DOK6 genetic variants with HSCR using 1470 controls and 1473 HSCR patients from Southern Chinese children. The results clarified that DOK6 rs12968648 G allele significantly increased HSCR susceptibility, in the allelic model (p = 0.034; OR = 1.12, 95%CI = 1.01~1.24) and the dominant model (p = 0.038; OR = 1.12, 95%CI = 1.01~1.25). Clinical stratification analysis showed that rs12968648 G allele was associated with increased risk of short-segment HSCR (S-HSCR), in the allelic model (p = 0.028; OR = 1.14, 95%CI = 1.01~1.28) and the additive model (p = 0.030; OR = 1.14, 95%CI = 1.01~1.28). ABHD1 rs2304678 C allele had higher risk to develop total colonic aganglionosis (TCA) in the allelic model (p = 7.04E-03; OR = 1.67, 95%CI = 1.15~2.43) and the dominant model (p = 4.12E-03; OR = 1.93, 95%CI = 1.23~3.04). DOK6 rs12968648 and ABHD1 rs2304678 had significant intergenic synergistic effect according to logical regression (p = 0.0081; OR = 0.76, 95%CI = 0.63~0.93) and multifactor dimensionality reduction (MDR, p = 0.0045; OR = 1.25, 95%CI = 1.07~1.46). This study verified two susceptible variations of HSCR on ABHD1 and DOK6. Their roles in HSCR should be conducted in further studies.     

Peripheral Blood Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number Is Associated with Prostate Cancer Risk and Tumor Burden

Alterations of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have been associated with the risk of a number of human cancers; however, the relationship between mtDNA copy number in peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) and the risk of prostate cancer (PCa) has not been investigated. In a case-control study of 196 PCa patients and 196 age-paired healthy controls in a Chinese Han population, the association between mtDNA copy number in PBLs and PCa risk was evaluated. The relative mtDNA copy number was measured using quantitative real-time PCR; samples from three cases and two controls could not be assayed, leaving 193 cases and 194 controls for analysis. PCa patients had significantly higher mtDNA copy numbers than controls (medians 0.91 and 0.82, respectively; P<0.001). Dichotomized at the median value of mtDNA copy number in the controls, high mtDNA copy number was significantly associated with an increased risk of PCa (adjusted odds ratio  = 1.85, 95% confidence interval: 1.21–2.83). A significant dose-response relationship was observed between mtDNA copy number and risk of PCa in quartile analysis (P _trend = 0.011). Clinicopathological analysis showed that high mtDNA copy numbers in PCa patients were significantly associated with high Gleason score and advanced tumor stage, but not serum prostate-specific antigen level (P = 0.002, 0.012 and 0.544, respectively). These findings of the present study indicate that increased mtDNA copy number in PBLs is significantly associated with an increased risk of PCa and may be a reflection of tumor burden.     

miR24-2 accelerates progression of liver cancer cells by activating Pim1 through tri-methylation of Histone H3 on the ninth lysine

Several microRNAs are associated with carcinogenesis and tumour progression. Herein, our observations suggest both miR24-2 and Pim1 are up-regulated in human liver cancers, and miR24-2 accelerates growth of liver cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, miR24-2 increases the expression of N6-adenosine-methyltransferase METTL3 and thereafter promotes the expression of miR6079 via RNA methylation modification. Furthermore, miR6079 targets JMJD2A and then increased the tri-methylation of histone H3 on the ninth lysine (H3K9me3). Therefore, miR24-2 inhibits JMJD2A by increasing miR6079 and then increases H3K9me3. Strikingly, miR24-2 increases the expression of Pim1 dependent on H3K9me3 and METTL3. Notably, our findings suggest that miR24-2 alters several related genes (pHistone H3, SUZ12, SUV39H1, Nanog, MEKK4, pTyr) and accelerates progression of liver cancer cells through Pim1 activation. In particular, Pim1 is required for the oncogenic action of miR24-2 in liver cancer. This study elucidates a novel mechanism for miR24-2 in liver cancer and suggests that miR24-2 may be used as novel therapeutic targets of liver cancer.     

紫花苜蓿F-box蛋白基因MsFTL的克隆及功能分析

FTL(F-box Triple LRR protein)是F-box蛋白家族的成员,具有F-box保守结构域,在植物抵御逆境胁迫过程中起重要作用。本研究参考低温胁迫下紫花苜蓿转录组数据设计引物,通过RT-PCR克隆获得紫花苜蓿MsFTL基因,该基因的全长1422 bp,编码473个氨基酸。该蛋白含有1个F-box结构域及3个LRR重复。系统进化分析表明,MsFTL与蒺藜苜蓿XP_003626345.1 F-box/FBD/LRR-repeat protein亲缘关系最近。两者蛋白序列比对发现共有11个差异位点。在低温、盐、干旱以及外源ABA处理下,MsFTL基因受到诱导,表达量上调。构建植物过表达载体pCBM-MsFTL,通过农杆菌介导法转化烟草。对经过抗性筛选、PCR和Real-time PCR验证的转基因植株进行低温抗性鉴定。在-4℃低温胁迫下,野生型烟草叶片出现了明显的萎蔫失水现象,而转基因烟草萎蔫程度相对较轻。生理检测结果表明,4℃处理24 h之后,转基因烟草的可溶性蛋白含量、可溶性糖含量、SOD活性,CAT活性高于野生型,MDA含量低于野生型。本研究表明,MsFTL基因在提高植物对低温胁迫的抗性方面具有重要的作用。     

燕山山脉一种香料型乳菇的香味成分分析

利用固相微萃取技术（SPME）偶联气相色谱-质谱（GC-MS）分析燕山山脉一种香料型乳菇——香亚环乳菇Lactarius subzonarius的挥发性成分。共检出25种挥发性成分,其中氧杂环化合物3种、醛类1种、酯类13种、烯烃类3种、芳香族化合物2种和烷烃类3种。具有葫芦巴感官气味的挥发性组分3-羟基-4,5-二甲基-2(5H)-呋喃酮的相对含量35.76%,该成分是其近缘种Lactarius helvus的主要香味化合物,故推测3-羟基-4,5-二甲基-2(5H)-呋喃酮是其关键香味成分。     

抗真菌感染新药研究进展

随着免疫功能缺陷人群的增多,侵袭性真菌感染（invasive fungal infections,IFIs）的发病率和死亡率逐年上升,严重威胁人类健康。目前临床常用抗侵袭性真菌感染药物有三唑类（氟康唑）、多烯类（两性霉素B）、棘白菌素类（卡泊芬净）等,然而这些药物并不能满足临床需要,侵袭性真菌感染的死亡率仍居高不下。因此,本文着重于目前处于临床研究阶段的抗真菌感染新药,根据作用靶点不同依次介绍：作用于细胞壁的新型葡聚糖合成酶抑制剂CD101和SCY-078、几丁质合成酶抑制剂尼可霉素Z、GPI锚定蛋白抑制剂APX001;作用于细胞膜的CYP51抑制剂VT-1161和VT-1129、破坏细胞膜通透性药物CAmB;影响细胞代谢的嘧啶合成抑制剂F901318,以及生物制剂包括细胞表面凝集素样序列3蛋白疫苗（NDV-3）和抗真菌感染抗体Mycograb。本文主要综述了上述新药的研究进展,包括作用机制、体内外活性、临床研究结果等,为相关药物的研发与未来的临床应用提供参考。