Calcium-dependent protease of the cyanobacterium Anabaena: molecular cloning and expression of the gene in Escherichia coli, sequencing and site-directed mutagenesis

Summary It has been suggested that a calcium-dependent intracellular protease of the cyanobacterium, Anabaena sp., participates in the differentiation of heterocysts, cells that are specialized for fixation of N₂. Clones of the structural gene (designated prcA) for this protease from Anabaena variabilis strain ATCC 29413 and Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 were identified via their expression in Escherichia coli. The prcA gene from A. variabilis was sequenced. The genes of both strains, mutated by insertion of a drug resistance cassette, were returned to these same strains of Anabaena on suicide plasmids. The method of sacB-mediated positive selection for double recombinants was used to achieve replacement of the wild-type prcA genes by the mutated forms. The resulting mutants, which lacked Ca²⁺-dependent protease activity, were not impaired in heterocyst formation and grew on N₂ as sole nitrogen source.     

The Relationship Between Phytoplankton Diversity and Ecosystem Functioning Changes with Disturbance Regimes in Tropical Reservoirs

Ecosystems - The relationship between species diversity and ecosystem functioning is one of central topics in modern ecology, but variable and controversial patterns have been found depending on...     

Loganin alleviates testicular damage and germ cell apoptosis induced by AGEs upon diabetes mellitus by suppressing the RAGE/p38MAPK/NF-κB pathway

Diabetes mellitus (DM) damages male reproduction at multiple levels, such as endocrine secretion, spermatogenesis and penile erection. We herein investigated the protective effects and mechanism of loganin targeting the advanced glycation end products (AGEs)/receptor for AGEs (RAGE)/p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK)/NF-κB signalling pathway. Loganin relieved the general DM symptoms and decreased the blood glucose level of KK-Ay DM mice. Haematoxylin-eosin staining demonstrated that loganin ameliorated testicular histology and function and enhanced the activities of testis-specific markers lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), acid phosphatase (ACP) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (γ-GT). Loganin also showed evident anti-oxidative stress, anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory effects on DM-induced reproductive damage by restoring glutathione (GSH) level and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, as well as reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio in vivo and in vitro. Western blotting exhibited that loganin significantly inhibited the AGEs/RAGE/p38MAPK/NF-κB signalling pathway. Acridine orange and ethidium bromide staining (AOEB) and Western blotting showed that loganin in combination with inhibitors of RAGE, p38MAPK and NF-κB exerted stronger anti-apoptotic effects on AGE-induced GC-2 cell damage compared with loganin alone. In conclusion, loganin can protect against DM-induced reproductive damage, probably by suppressing the AGEs/RAGE/p38MAPK/NF-κB pathway.     

Systematic profiling of staralog response to acquired drug resistant kinase gatekeeper mutations in targeted cancer therapy

Amino Acids - Kinase-targeted therapy has been widely used as a lifesaving strategy for cancer patients. However, many patients treated with targeted cancer drugs are clinically observed to rapidly...     

沉默PPP3CA对后肾间充质细胞MET转化、凋亡、增殖及迁移的影响

肾脏是人体重要器官,肾脏发育对肾脏的形成和功能至关重要,其中后肾间充质细胞 (Metanephric mesenchyme,MM) 间质-上皮转化 (Mesenchymal-epithelial transition,MET) 是肾单位形成的关键环节。qRT-PCR和Western blotting实验检测蛋白质磷酸酶3催化亚基α (Protein phosphatase 3 catalytic subunit alpha,PPP3CA) 在不同状态MM细胞株mK3、mK4中的表达谱及对MET标志蛋白调控作用;采用慢病毒包装方式构建稳定敲低PPP3CA的mK4细胞株;采用CCK-8、EdU实验、细胞划痕实验、流式细胞技术分别检测PPP3CA对上皮样后肾间充质细胞株mK4细胞生长、迁移、凋亡的调控作用。PPP3CA在mK4细胞中表达量较间质样后肾间充质细胞mK3更高,敲低PPP3CA后,检测MET标志物及细胞生物学行为,结果显示敲低PPP3CA显著上调上皮细胞标志物E-cadherin表达,促进MET过程,且促进细胞凋亡,抑制细胞增殖和迁移。此外,敲低PPP3CA促进ERK1/2磷酸化,提示PPP3CA生物学功能的调控机制可能与其去磷酸化ERK1/2蛋白相关。以上结果提示PPP3CA在MM细胞MET转化和生物学行为调节中发挥重要功能,为发现和解析肾发育过程中潜在的关键调节因子提供了新的理论基础。     

The RHD variants in Chinese population

The Rhesus (Rh) blood group system is the most important blood group system in hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN). In clinical transfusions, the D antigen in the Rh blood group system comes third, behind antigens A and B which from ABO blood group system. Over the past decade, molecular technologies have been used to investigate the RHD allele in different ethnic groups. This review first introduces the basic structure of RhD protein and coding genes, then focuses on D-negative, weak D, partial D, DEL, RhD_null variants reported in the Chinese population. To date, more than 460 RHD variants have been reported around the world, but less than 70 RHD variants have been reported in the Chinese population. Further research is needed to identify more RHD polymorphism and establish criteria for blood detection and transfusion guidelines for RHD variants. Only in this way can we better guarantee the safety of blood transfusion and prevent the occurrence of HDFN. With the accumulation of research and clinical data, we should be clearer which RHD variants are to be regarded as RhD negative and which need to be regarded as RhD positive.     

新疆特色药食两用植物恰玛古内生放线菌的分离与鉴定

恰玛古（Qamgur, Brassica rapa L.）内生菌的研究主要集中在内生真菌,内生放线菌的研究报道较少。通过研究新疆药食两用植物恰玛古内生放线菌多样性,以期发现产新活性物质的放线菌或新种放线菌,为研究微生物药物奠定基础。从恰玛古根、茎和叶三个部位分离培养获得内生放线菌,对其菌落与个体形态进行观察,并利用序列测定方法进行鉴定,以获取其分类地位。从恰玛古三个部位共分离得到17株内生放线菌,其中12株为革兰氏阳性杆菌,3株为革兰氏阳性球菌,2株为革兰氏阳性丝状菌;17株内生放线菌分属于红球菌属（Rhodococcus）、拟诺卡氏菌属（Nocardiopsis）、链霉菌属（Streptomyces）、短杆菌属（Brevibacterium）、小短杆菌属（Brachybacterium）、两面神菌属（Janibacter）和微杆菌属（Microbacterium）。从新疆药食两用植物恰玛古中分离获得17株内生放线菌以稀有放线菌为主。     

解淀粉芽孢杆菌生防菌BS-3全基因组测序及生物信息分析

【背景】解淀粉芽孢杆菌BS-3是从健康橡胶树树根中分离获得的一株对真菌具有较强抗菌活性的内生细菌,有作为生物农药的潜力。【目的】解析菌株BS-3的基因组序列信息,以深入研究该菌株防病促生机制及挖掘次级代谢产物基因资源。【方法】采用第二代BGISEQ与第三代Pac Bio平台相结合的测序技术,对生防菌BS-3进行全基因组测序,并对测序数据进行基因组组装、基因预测与功能注释、共线性分析及次级代谢产物合成基因簇预测等。【结果】BS-3全基因组大小为3 870 130 bp,平均GC含量为46.88%,共编码4 161个基因;含有92个t RNA基因、28个r RNA、10个sRNA;含有122个串联重复序列、98个小卫星DNA、2个微卫星。在COG、GO、KEGG、NR和Swiss-Prot数据库分别注释到基因2 875、2 620、1 885、4 040和3 328个。同时,预测到BS-3中有10个次级代谢产物合成基因簇,编码表面活性素、丰原素、多烯类、儿茶酚型嗜铁素等抑菌物质。基因组测序数据提交至NCBI获得GenBank登录号为CP060384。【结论】为基因组层面上解析菌株BS-3具有良好防病效果的内在原因提供基础数据,为深入了解解淀粉芽孢杆菌次级代谢合成途径提供参考信息,对菌株BS-3后续相关研究具有重要意义。     

桂林岩溶石山青冈群落植物功能性状的种间和种内变异研究

研究植物功能性状的种间和种内变异,有助于揭示植物对环境的适应策略及其群落构建机制研究。以桂林岩溶石山青冈群落主要木本植物为研究对象,选取叶干物质含量（LDMC）、叶厚度（LT）、比叶面积（SLA）和木材密度（WD）4个功能性状,采用混合线性模型结合方差分解方法对其在种内和种间尺度的变异程度和相对贡献进行分析,同时运用零模型方法探讨驱动岩溶石山青冈群落构建的潜在机制。结果表明：（1） LDMC,LT,SLA和WD这4个性状在种内和种间水平上均存在不同程度的变异幅度,种间变异大于种内变异,但种内变异亦不容忽略。（2）零模型检验表明,将种内变异纳入考虑的环境过滤检测得到改善,基于个体性状值的尺度考虑群落构建机制研究是必要的。（3）对于桂林岩溶石山青冈群落,环境过滤作用确实是群落构建的重要驱动机制,与相似性限制作用和随机作用共同塑造了以青冈为优势物种的群落构建。