Establishing microbial co‐cultures for 3‐hydroxybenzoic acid biosynthesis on glycerol

Converting renewable feedstocks to aromatic compounds using engineered microbes offers a robust approach for sustainable, environment‐friendly, and cost‐effective production of these value‐added products without the reliance on petroleum. In this study, rationally designed E. coli–E. coli co‐culture systems were established for converting glycerol to 3‐hydroxybenzoic acid (3HB). Specifically, the 3HB pathway was modularized and accommodated by two metabolically engineered E. coli strains. The co‐culture biosynthesis was optimized by using different cultivation temperatures, varying the inoculum ratio between the co‐culture strains, recruitment of a key pathway intermediate transporter, strengthening the critical pathway enzyme expression, and adjusting the timing for inducing pathway gene expression. Compared with the E. coli mono‐culture, the optimized co‐culture showed 5.3‐fold improvement for 3HB biosynthesis. This study demonstrated the applicability of modular co‐culture engineering for addressing the challenges of aromatic compound biosynthesis.     

Assessment of haemophilic arthropathy through balance analysis: a promising tool

The purpose of this study was to develop a tool able to distinguish between subjects who have haemophilic arthropathy in lower limbs and those who do not by analyzing the centre of pressure displacement. The second objective was to assess the possible different responses of haemophiliacs and healthy subjects by creating a classifier that could distinguish between both groups. Fifty-four haemophilic patients (28 with and 26 without arthropathy) and 23 healthy subjects took part voluntarily in the study. A force plate was used to measure postural stability. A total of 276 centre of pressure displacement parameters were calculated under different conditions: unipedal/bipedal balance with eyes open/closed. These parameters were used to design a Quadratic Discriminant Analysis classifier. The arthropathy versus non-arthropathy classifier had an overall accuracy of 97.5% when only 10 features were used in its design. Similarly, the haemophiliac versus non-haemophiliac classifier had an overall accuracy of 97.2% when only 7 features were used. In conclusion, an objective haemophilic arthropathy in lower limbs evaluation system was developed by analyzing centre of pressure displacement signals. The haemophiliac vs. non-haemophiliac classifier designed was also able to corroborate the existing differences in postural control between haemophilic patients (with and without arthropathy) and healthy subjects.     

苦苣苔科一新种——闽西异叶苣苔

作者于2020年在福建长汀进行林木种质资源调查时发现了一种苦苣苔科异叶苣苔属植物,经过2年多次跟踪调查鉴定,确认为苦苣苔科一新种——闽西异叶苣苔(Whytockia minxiensis),并提供了该新种的描述和图片资料。闽西异叶苣苔子房2室,雌蕊柱头椭圆形,叶背密被短柔毛,花萼具毛,可与相近种台湾异叶苣苔(Whytockia sasakii)区分。模式标本存放于福建农林大学林学院标本馆(FJFC)。     

Intramyocardial injection of hypoxia-preconditioned adipose-derived stromal cells treats acute myocardial infarction: an in vivo study in swine

Hypoxic preconditioning is a promising method for improving the anti-apoptotic and paracrine signaling capabilities of adipose-derived stromal cells (ADSCs). The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of different hypoxic conditions on ADSCs and the therapeutic effects of hypoxia-preconditioned ADSCs (HPADSCs) on an animal model of myocardial infarction (MI). For the in vitro studies, ADSCs were divided into five groups and cultured in different oxygen concentrations (1, 3, 5, 10, and 21 %). After 24 h, RT-PCR and western blots showed that 3 % oxygen preconditioning could improve the viability and cytokine secretion of the ADSCs. A Matrigel assay indicated that the HPADSC-conditioned medium could stimulate endothelial cells to form capillary-like tubes. For the in vivo studies, MI was induced by coronary occlusion in 24 mature Chinese minipigs. The animals were divided into three groups and treated by intramyocardial injection with vehicle alone (saline group), with 1?×?10⁸ ADSCs cultured in normoxic conditions (ADSCs group) or with 1?×?10⁸ ADSCs precultured in 3 % oxygen (HPADSCs group). SPECT and echocardiography demonstrated that cardiac function was improved significantly in the HPADSC transplant group compared with the vehicle control group (P?P?相似文献   

植物对环境应力刺激的生物学效应

植物生长在自然环境中由于其“不动性”而不可避免地要受到各种环境应力的刺激,应力－生长关系一直是生物学家和物理学家所关心的课题,是生物力学的灵魂。很多研究已经表明外界应力作用对植物的生长发育有着重要的影响。本综述了国内外关于应力对植物组织所引起的生物学效应,首先论述了环境应力所引起的宏观生物学效应,随后重点论述了环境应力所引起的生物学效应在细胞和分子水平上的研究,其中包括单个细胞的加载、电磁场、微     

Notch-1 Signaling Promotes the Malignant Features of Human Breast Cancer through NF-κB Activation

The aberrant activation of Notch-1 signaling pathway has been proven to be associated with the development and progression of cancers. However, the specific roles and the underlying mechanisms of Notch-1 signaling pathway on the malignant behaviors of breast cancer are poorly understood. In this study, using multiple cellular and molecular approaches, we demonstrated that activation of Notch-1 signaling pathway promoted the malignant behaviors of MDA-MB-231 cells such as increased cell proliferation, colony formation, adhesion, migration, and invasion, and inhibited apoptosis; whereas deactivation of this signaling pathway led to the reversal of the aforementioned malignant cellular behaviors. Furthermore, we found that activation of Notch-1 signaling pathway triggered the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway and up-regulated the expression of NF-κB target genes including MMP-2/-9, VEGF, Survivin, Bcl-xL, and Cyclin D1. These results suggest that Notch-1 signaling pathway play important roles in promoting the malignant phenotype of breast cancer, which may be mediated partly through the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway. Our results further suggest that targeting Notch-1 signaling pathway may become a newer approach to halt the progression of breast cancer.     

Unique Protein Profiles of Extracellular Vesicles as Diagnostic Biomarkers for Early and Advanced Non‐Small Cell Lung Cancer

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) mediate intercellular communication via transferring proteins and other biological molecules and have been recently investigated as biomarkers of disease. Sensitive and specific biomarkers are required for lung cancer diagnosis and prognosis. The present study screens for abnormal EV proteins in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using a quantitative proteomics strategy involving LC‐MS/MS to identify ideal biomarkers for NSCLC diagnosis. EVs are enriched from the sera of early and advanced NSCLC patients and healthy controls and from cell culture supernatants of lung adenocarcinoma and bronchial epithelial cell lines. In the sera and supernatants, 279 and 632 differentially expressed proteins, respectively, are associated with signaling pathways including extracellular membrane–receptor interaction, focal adhesion, and regulation of the actin cytoskeleton. Thirty‐two EV proteins are identified at the intersection of differentially expressed proteins between the NSCLC groups and cell lines. Based on bioinformatics analysis, in silico immunohistochemical, and PRM verification, fibronectin is selected for following in vitro studies and validation with an independent cohort. Fibronectin on EVs is estimated to perform well in the diagnosis of NSCLC patients based on AUC, showing great potential for clinical use and demonstrating the efficacy of this method for EV‐associated biomarker screening.     

肠道微生物群与药物相互作用的研究进展

药物的代谢是机体对药物处置过程的关键步骤,而肠道作为机体中重要的微生态系统,其在药物代谢方面的作用至关重要。肠道微生物群能够对各种药物等外源化合物进行生物转化、积累,并改变这些物质的活性和毒性,从而影响宿主机体对它们的反应。肠道微生物群与药物之间的相互作用相当复杂,亟待更多更加深入、全面的发掘和研究。近年来,随着人们对肠道微生物群代谢及其与药物互作关系,肠道菌-宿主共代谢认知的不断深化,越来越多的研究表明肠道微生物在药代动力学中扮演重要角色。本文通过调研、整理、归纳和总结国内外相关文献资料,对机体肠道微生物的分类、功能,几种常用药物对肠道微生物的影响以及肠道菌群对药物的代谢作用效果与几个主要的机制进行了梳理和综述,并讨论了微生物和药物之间的双向互作。有利于增进对微生物群影响药物疗效及其代谢途径和机制的了解,提高调控肠道微生物改善治疗的可能性,为指导临床合理用药、精准用药、个体化治疗、药物的评价和新药研发等提供科学参考。