Structure and sequence of the human α- -iduronidase gene

In humans, a deficiency of the lysosomal hydrolase α- -iduronidase (IDUA; EC 3.2.1.76) results in the lysosomal storage of the glycosaminoglycans heparan sulfate and dermatan sulfate, thereby causing the lysosomal storage disorder mucopolysaccharidosis type I. The gene for IDUA is split into 14 exons spanning approximately 19 kb. We report the sequence of two noncontiguous segments of the IDUA gene, one 1.8-kb segment containing exons 1 and 2 and surrounding sequences and a second segment of 4.5 kb containing the last 12 exons. The potential promoter for IDUA has only GC box type consensus sequences consistent with a housekeeping promoter and is bounded by an Alu repeat sequence. The first two exons of IDUA are separated by an intron of 566 bp, then there is a large intron of approximately 13 kb, and the last 12 exons are clustered within 4.5 kb. No consensus polyadenylation signal was found in the 3′ untranslated region, although two variant polyadenylation signals are proposed.     

野生田头菇菌株的驯化及其子实体营养成分分析

采自湖南洞庭湖大通湖区芦苇湿地的野生菌株,经鉴定为田头菇Agrocybe praecox。通过驯化实现人工栽培,栽培原料以芦苇屑为主,使用液体菌种和覆土栽培方式,初潮菇平均生物转化率为45.6%。营养成分分析表明：以芦苇屑为栽培培养基,子实体中矿物元素含量分别为K（2 190mg/kg）、Fe（16.2mg/kg）、Mg（59.7mg/kg）、Ca（33.4mg/kg）,必需氨基酸含量占比高达44.85%,谷氨酸、蛋氨酸、天冬氨酸含量高,是一种高蛋白、低脂肪、高钾低钠的食用菌。     

甜菜夜蛾半胱天冬酶基因的克隆及对细胞凋亡 诱导剂和病原微生物感染的表达响应

【目的】本研究旨在明确甜菜夜蛾Spodoptera exigua半胱天冬酶(caspase)在细胞凋亡诱导剂诱导和病原微生物胁迫下的表达模式,为丰富鳞翅目昆虫细胞凋亡机制研究奠定基础。【方法】利用RT-PCR技术从甜菜夜蛾3龄幼虫体内扩增两个半胱天冬酶基因(SeCasp-3和SeCasp-4)编码区的全长;利用qPCR技术分别检测两个半胱天冬酶基因在细胞凋亡诱导剂过氧化氢(hydrogen peroxide, H₂O₂)(100 μmol/L)、放线菌素D(actinomycin D, ActD)(10 μg/mL)和地塞米松(dexamethasone, DEX)(50 μg/mL)诱导后甜菜夜蛾脂肪体细胞中及病原菌苏云金芽孢杆菌Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (Btk)(10⁸个细菌/mL)、大肠杆菌TG1菌株Escherichia coli TG1 (E. coli TG1)(10⁸个细菌/mL)、烟芽夜蛾囊泡病毒3h株(Heliothis virescens ascovirus 3h, HvAV-3h)(1.16×10¹¹个基因组拷贝/mL)和苜蓿银纹夜蛾核型多角体病毒(Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus, AcMNPV)(5 000 OBs/μL)感染后甜菜夜蛾3龄幼虫体内的表达模式。【结果】SeCasp-3(GenBank登录号: MW183334)的编码区长942 bp,共编码313个氨基酸;SeCasp-4(GenBank登录号: MW183335)的编码区长843 bp,共编码280个氨基酸。SeCasp-3和SeCasp-4的假定蛋白序列与家蚕Bombyx mori Dronc的氨基酸序列一致性分别为45.54％和58.46％,且SeCasp-3和SeCasp-4之间具有较高的同源性。SeCasp-3和SeCasp-4在不同化学物质诱导下的甜菜夜蛾脂肪体细胞中的表达模式存在明显差异,在100 μmol/L H₂O₂和10 μg/mL ActD处理后24和48 h,脂肪体细胞中SeCasp-3和SeCasp-4的相对表达量均显著升高;50 μg/mL DEX处理后24和48 h,SeCasp-3的相对表达量未见显著变化,但SeCasp-4的相对表达量升高了数千倍。在不同病原微生物感染后的甜菜夜蛾3龄幼虫体内,SeCasp-3和SeCasp-4的表达模式基本相同。一般线性模型的分析结果表明,Btk和E. coli TG1的感染不造成SeCasp-3和SeCasp-4相对表达量的显著变化,而HvAV-3h和AcMNPV的感染则显著抑制了这两个基因的表达。【结论】本研究鉴定了两个甜菜夜蛾半胱天冬酶基因,并分析了其对细胞凋亡诱导剂和病原微生物感染的表达响应,为进一步探究半胱天冬酶功能和昆虫细胞凋亡过程提供了重要的理论基础。     

Ovule morphogenesis and structure in Menispermaceae,focusing on the development of the single fertile ovule and its systematic significance

Menispermaceae is one of the core groups of Ranunculales. The single fertile ovule in each ovary in Menispermaceae varies greatly in integument number, micropyle formation, and integument lobe. However, data regarding ovule morphogenesis in the family are very limited. In this study, we document ovule development of selected species in the Menispermaceae using scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy. Ovule development in Menispermaceae shows the following characteristics. Two ovules are initiated in a young carpel, one of them degenerates gradually and the other develops into a fertile ovule in subsequent stages. Bitegmic in Sinomenium Diels. and Cocculus DC. and unitegmic in Stephania Lour. The formation of unitegmy is probably due to integumentary shifting. The annularly initiated inner integument is of dermal origin and has 2–3 cell layers in the family, but the semi-annularly initiated outer integument is of both dermal and subdermal origin. Both inner and outer integument are cup-shaped at maturity. The cup-shaped outer integument is formed due to the outer integument's extension to the concave (adaxial) side of the funiculus. The obturator is well developed and consists of 2–3 cell layers in Cocculus or 9–11 cell layers in Stephania. Ovule development of Menispermaceae suggests some common characteristics between Cocculus and Sinomenium, and derived unitegmy supports molecular data that indicate Stephania is one of the late-diverging lineages in the family. Integument lobations are present. The sterile ovule shows variations in the degeneration process. These results will provide evidence for exploring the evolution of ovules in Ranunculales.     

Artemisinin Analogue SM934 Ameliorates Murine Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis through Enhancing the Expansion and Functions of Regulatory T Cell

Background

Artemisinin analogue SM934 was previously reported to possess immunosuppressive properties. The aim of this study was to determine the effects and the underlying mechanisms of SM934 in murine experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE).

Methods

Female C57BL/6 mice immunized with MOG_35–55 were treated with or without SM934, then the clinical scores and other relevant parameters were assessed. Th1, Th17 and regulatory T (Treg) cell profiles were determined through ELISA, qRT-PCR, flow cytometry and BrdU incorporation assay. The effects of SM934 on Th1, Th17 and Treg cells differentiation were explored through intracellular staining and flow cytometry examination.

Results

In vivo, administration of SM934 significantly inhibited the development of EAE and suppressed the elevation of serum IL-17. Ex vivo, upon antigen-recall stimulation, IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-17 and IL-6 production were decreased, whereas IL-10 and TGF-β production were increased from the splenocytes isolated from SM934-treated mice. Consistently, both flow cytometry and qRT-PCR results showed that SM934 treatment significantly increased the Treg, while strongly suppressed the Th17 and Th1, responses in the peripheral. Furthermore, in the spinal lesion, SM934 treatment dramatically decreased the infiltration of CD4⁺ T cells, within which the Treg cells percentage was enlarged, whereas the Th17, but not Th1 percentage, was significantly decreased comparing with the vehicle-treated groups. Finally, both BrdU incorporation and in vitro Treg differentiation assays revealed that SM934 treatment could directly promote the expansion of Treg cells in vivo and in vitro.

Conclusion

Taken together, this study demonstrated that SM934 treatment could ameliorate the murine EAE disease, which might be mediated by inducing Treg differentiation and expansion.     

白念珠菌铁通透酶基因CaFTH1的功能研究

[目的]白念珠菌CaFTH1是一种铁通透酶编码基因.为了研究CaFTH1对胞内铁代谢和液泡功能的影响,构建fth1△/△单基因缺失菌株和fth1△/△fet33△/△双基因缺失菌株.[方法]利用生物信息学软件对CaFTH1进行序列比对和分析;通过实时荧光定量PCR技术研究铁离子丰度对CaFTH1表达的影响;利用PCR介导的同源重组方法构建基因缺失菌株;利用原子吸收光谱方法测定基因缺失菌株胞内铁含量的变化,并对基因缺失菌株在缺铁条件和菌丝诱导条件下的生长状况进行研究;通过代谢转换实验,研究CaFTH1对细胞液泡功能的影响.[结果]序列比对结果表明白念珠菌CaFth1蛋白属于铁通透酶Ftr1超家族,与酿酒酵母液泡膜蛋白ScFth1具有最高的同源性.铁匮乏条件会诱导CaFTH1的表达,而富铁条件则会抑制其表达.白念珠菌CaFTH1的缺失会导致胞内铁含量的降低,fth1△/△突变菌株基础上CaFET33的缺失则会进一步降低胞内铁含量.在缺铁条件下,fth1△/△fet33△/△双基因缺失菌株在一定程度上表现出代谢转换能力的缺陷.另外,在某些固体菌丝诱导培养条件下,fth1△/△fet33△/△缺失菌株菌落表面形成褶皱能力显著增强;而在液体菌丝诱导条件下,则表现为增强的菌丝聚集能力.[结论]CaFTH1是一种低铁应答基因,在维持白念珠菌胞内铁离子稳态及液泡功能方面具有重要作用.CaFTH1和CaFET33基因的双缺失会对白念珠菌的菌落形态和菌丝聚集产生影响.     

Later Passages of Neural Progenitor Cells from Neonatal Brain Are More Permissive for Human Cytomegalovirus Infection

Congenital human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection is the most frequent infectious cause of birth defects, primarily neurological disorders. Neural progenitor/stem cells (NPCs) are the major cell type in the subventricular zone and are susceptible to HCMV infection. In culture, the differentiation status of NPCs may change with passage, which in turn may alter susceptibility to virus infection. Previously, only early-passage (i.e., prior to passage 9) NPCs were studied and shown to be permissive to HCMV infection. In this study, NPC cultures derived at different gestational ages were evaluated after short (passages 3 to 6) and extended (passages 11 to 20) in vitro passages for biological and virological parameters (i.e., cell morphology, expression of NPC markers and HCMV receptors, viral entry efficiency, viral gene expression, virus-induced cytopathic effect, and release of infectious progeny). These parameters were not significantly influenced by the gestational age of the source tissues. However, extended-passage cultures showed evidence of initiation of differentiation, increased viral entry, and more efficient production of infectious progeny. These results confirm that NPCs are fully permissive for HCMV infection and that extended-passage NPCs initiate differentiation and are more permissive for HCMV infection. Later-passage NPCs being differentiated and more permissive for HCMV infection suggest that HCMV infection in fetal brain may cause more neural cell loss and give rise to severe neurological disabilities with advancing brain development.