Pattern analysis of stem cell differentiation during <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro Arabidopsis</Emphasis> organogenesis

Plant somatic cells have the capability to switch their cell fates from differentiated to undifferentiated status under proper culture conditions, which is designated as totipotency. As a result, plant cells can easily regenerate new tissues or organs from a wide variety of explants. However, the mechanism by which plant cells have such remarkable regeneration ability is still largely unknown. In this study, we used a set of meristem-specific marker genes to analyze the patterns of stem cell differentiation in the processes of somatic embryogenesis as well as shoot or root organogenesis in vitro. Our studies furnish preliminary and important information on the patterns of the de novo stem cell differentiation during various types of in vitro organogenesis.     

Engineering lysine‐rich caleosins as carrier proteins to render biotin as a hapten on artificial oil bodies for antibody production

It has been demonstrated that caleosin alone is sufficient to stabilize artificial oil bodies. A series of recombinant caleosins, mutated with 3, 5, 8, 11, 13, 15, and 17 extra Lys residues and over‐expressed in Escherichia coli, were used as carrier proteins to render biotin as a hapten on the surface of artificial oil bodies for antibody production. Biotinylation levels of the recombinant caleosins were step‐wisely elevated as the number of extra Lys residues increased, and the biotinylated Lys residues were identified by mass spectrometric analysis. Polyclonal antibodies against biotin were successfully generated in rats injected with artificial oil bodies constituted with each of the biotinylated caleosins. Moreover, those generated via the biotinylated caleosins with eight or more extra Lys residues no longer recognized caleosin. It appears that engineered Lys‐rich caleosins are suitable carrier proteins for the production of antibodies against small molecules. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2011     

A study on giant panda recognition based on images of a large proportion of captive pandas

1. As a highly endangered species, the giant panda (panda) has attracted significant attention in the past decades. Considerable efforts have been put on panda conservation and reproduction, offering the promising outcome of maintaining the population size of pandas. To evaluate the effectiveness of conservation and management strategies, recognizing individual pandas is critical. However, it remains a challenging task because the existing methods, such as traditional tracking method, discrimination method based on footprint identification, and molecular biology method, are invasive, inaccurate, expensive, or challenging to perform. The advances of imaging technologies have led to the wide applications of digital images and videos in panda conservation and management, which makes it possible for individual panda recognition in a noninvasive manner by using image‐based panda face recognition method.
2. In recent years, deep learning has achieved great success in the field of computer vision and pattern recognition. For panda face recognition, a fully automatic deep learning algorithm which consists of a sequence of deep neural networks (DNNs) used for panda face detection, segmentation, alignment, and identity prediction is developed in this study. To develop and evaluate the algorithm, the largest panda image dataset containing 6,441 images from 218 different pandas, which is 39.78% of captive pandas in the world, is established.
3. The algorithm achieved 96.27% accuracy in panda recognition and 100% accuracy in detection.
4. This study shows that panda faces can be used for panda recognition. It enables the use of the cameras installed in their habitat for monitoring their population and behavior. This noninvasive approach is much more cost‐effective than the approaches used in the previous panda surveys.

     

Semiparametric Regression in Size-Biased Sampling

Summary .  Size-biased sampling arises when a positive-valued outcome variable is sampled with selection probability proportional to its size. In this article, we propose a semiparametric linear regression model to analyze size-biased outcomes. In our proposed model, the regression parameters of covariates are of major interest, while the distribution of random errors is unspecified. Under the proposed model, we discover that regression parameters are invariant regardless of size-biased sampling. Following this invariance property, we develop a simple estimation procedure for inferences. Our proposed methods are evaluated in simulation studies and applied to two real data analyses.     

Evidence for Inbreeding and Genetic Differentiation among Geographic Populations of the Saprophytic Mushroom Trogia venenata from Southwestern China

During the past 40 years, more than 400 Sudden Unexplained Deaths (SUDs) have occurred in Yunnan, southwestern China. Epidemiological and toxicological analyses suggested that a newly discovered mushroom called Trogia venenata was the leading culprit for SUDs. At present, relatively little is known about the genetics and natural history of this mushroom. In this study, we analyzed the sequence variation at four DNA fragments among 232 fruiting bodies of T. venenata collected from seven locations. Our ITS sequence analyses confirmed that all the isolates belonged to the same species. The widespread presence of sequence heterozygosity within many strains at each of three protein-coding genes suggested that the fruiting bodies were diploid, dikaryotic or heterokaryotic. Within individual geographic populations, we found significant deviations of genotype frequencies from Hardy-Weinberg expectations, with the overall observed heterozygosity lower than that expected under random mating, consistent with prevalent inbreeding within local populations. The geographic populations were overall genetically differentiated. Interestingly, while a positive correlation was found between population genetic distance and geographic distance, there was little correlation between genetic distance and barium concentration difference for the geographic populations. Our results suggest frequent inbreeding, geographic structuring, and limited gene flow among geographic populations of T. venenata from southwestern China.     

Mass Collaboration in Earthquake Risk Management

The mechanism of mass collaboration in risk management was studied during the Sichuan earthquake under a Web-based “PeopleFinder” project, where information is contributed and shared among mass contributors. The case study is provided by a great earthquake that happened in Wenchuan County, Sichuan Province, of southwestern China at 2:28 p.m. on May 12, 2008. We witnessed and experienced the rescue and relief efforts for the great earthquake. In this article, two fundamental frameworks are developed to study the mechanism of mass collaboration. Mass collaboration is proven to be effective in a big public crisis such as the Sichuan earthquake.     

Modulatory effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus KLDS 1.0738 on intestinal short‐chain fatty acids metabolism and GPR41/43 expression in β‐lactoglobulin–sensitized mice

We investigated the correlation between the beneficial effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus on gut microbiota composition, metabolic activities, and reducing cow's milk protein allergy. Mice sensitized with β‐lactoglobulin (β‐Lg) were treated with different doses of L. acidophilus KLDS 1.0738 for 4 weeks, starting 1 week before allergen induction. The results showed that intake of L. acidophilus significantly suppressed the hypersensitivity responses, together with increased fecal microbiota diversity and short‐chain fatty acids (SCFAs) concentration (including propionate, butyrate, isobutyrate, and isovalerate) when compared with the allergic group. Moreover, treatment with L. acidophilus induced the expression of SCFAs receptors, G‐protein–coupled receptors 41 (GPR41) and 43 (GPR43), in the spleen and colon of the allergic mice. Further analysis revealed that the GPR41 and GPR43 messenger RNA expression both positively correlated with the serum concentrations of transforming growth factor‐β and IFN‐γ (p < .05), but negatively with the serum concentrations of IL‐17, IL‐4, and IL‐6 in the L. acidophilus–treated group compared with the allergic group (p < .05). These results suggested that L. acidophilus protected against the development of allergic inflammation by improving the intestinal flora, as well as upregulating SCFAs and their receptors GPR41/43.     

Role of Hsp70 ATPase Domain Intrinsic Dynamics and Sequence Evolution in Enabling its Functional Interactions with NEFs

Catalysis of ADP-ATP exchange by nucleotide exchange factors (NEFs) is central to the activity of Hsp70 molecular chaperones. Yet, the mechanism of interaction of this family of chaperones with NEFs is not well understood in the context of the sequence evolution and structural dynamics of Hsp70 ATPase domains. We studied the interactions of Hsp70 ATPase domains with four different NEFs on the basis of the evolutionary trace and co-evolution of the ATPase domain sequence, combined with elastic network modeling of the collective dynamics of the complexes. Our study reveals a subtle balance between the intrinsic (to the ATPase domain) and specific (to interactions with NEFs) mechanisms shared by the four complexes. Two classes of key residues are distinguished in the Hsp70 ATPase domain: (i) highly conserved residues, involved in nucleotide binding, which mediate, via a global hinge-bending, the ATPase domain opening irrespective of NEF binding, and (ii) not-conserved but co-evolved and highly mobile residues, engaged in specific interactions with NEFs (e.g., N57, R258, R262, E283, D285). The observed interplay between these respective intrinsic (pre-existing, structure-encoded) and specific (co-evolved, sequence-dependent) interactions provides us with insights into the allosteric dynamics and functional evolution of the modular Hsp70 ATPase domain.