Characterization of Cre recombinase mouse lines enabling cell type-specific targeting of postnatal intervertebral discs

Cre/loxP technology is an important tool for studying cell type-specific gene functions. Cre recombinase mouse lines, including Agc1-CreER^T2, Col2a1-Cre; Col2a1-CreER^T2, Shh-Cre, Shh-CreER^T2, and Osx-Cre, have been proven to be valuable tools to elucidate the biology of long bones, yet the information for their activity in postnatal intervertebral disc (IVD) tissues was very limited. In this study, we used R26-mTmG fluorescent reporter to systematically analyze cell specificity and targeting efficiency of these six mouse lines in IVD tissues at postnatal growing and adult stages. We found that Agc1-CreER^T2 is effective to direct recombination in all components of IVDs, including annulus fibrosus (AF), nucleus pulposus (NP), and cartilaginous endplate (CEP), upon tamoxifen induction at either 2 weeks or 2 months of ages. Moreover, Col2a1-Cre targets most of the cells in IVDs, except for some cells in the outer AF (OAF) and NP. In contrast, the activity of Col2a1-CreER^T2 is mainly limited to the IAF of IVD tissues at either stage of tamoxifen injection. Similarly, Shh-Cre directs recombination specifically in all NP cells, whereas Shh-CreER^T2 is active only in a few NP cells when tamoxifen is administered at either stage. Finally, Osx-Cre targets cells in the CEP, but not in the NP or AF of IVDs tissues at these two stages. Thus, our data demonstrated that all these Cre lines can direct recombination in IVD tissues at postnatal stages with different cell type specificity and/or targeting efficiency, and can, therefore, serve as valuable tools to dissect cell type-specific gene functions in IVD development and homeostasis.     

A NEW SPECIES OF LEPTOCONOPS MIDGE FROM WUDANG MOUNTAIN, HUBEI PROVINCE, CHINA (DIPTERA: CERATOPOGONIDAE)

Abstract Male and female adults of Leptoconops (Leptocmps) longicauda new species are described from material colleted from Wudang Mountain, Hubei Province, China.     

Conformational Heterogeneity of Cyclosporin A in Cyclophilin 18 Binding

The immunosuppressive drug cyclosporin A (CsA) binds to its receptor protein cyclophilin 18 (Cyp18) in two distinct kinetic phases, while the mechanism remains elusive. Stopped-flow measurements coupled with titration and competition experiments were used to investigate the puzzling two-phase process of CsA and Cyp18 interaction. This study leads to the dissection of different conformational fractions of either direct fast binding or slow binding with rate-limiting conformational inter-conversion and the real-time measurement of k_on value (8.34 ± 0.22 x10⁶ M^-1s^-1) in solution. Furthermore, our study indicates that the structure of CsA during dissociation from the protein possesses a distribution of conformations different from those in solution under equilibrium condition.     

Development of an Automated and Sensitive Microfluidic Device for Capturing and Characterizing Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) from Clinical Blood Samples

Current analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is hindered by sub-optimal sensitivity and specificity of devices or assays as well as lack of capability of characterization of CTCs with clinical biomarkers. Here, we validate a novel technology to enrich and characterize CTCs from blood samples of patients with metastatic breast, prostate and colorectal cancers using a microfluidic chip which is processed by using an automated staining and scanning system from sample preparation to image processing. The Celsee system allowed for the detection of CTCs with apparent high sensitivity and specificity (94% sensitivity and 100% specificity). Moreover, the system facilitated rapid capture of CTCs from blood samples and also allowed for downstream characterization of the captured cells by immunohistochemistry, DNA and mRNA fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH). In a subset of patients with prostate cancer we compared the technology with a FDA-approved CTC device, CellSearch and found a higher degree of sensitivity with the Celsee instrument. In conclusion, the integrated Celsee system represents a promising CTC technology for enumeration and molecular characterization.     

不同修复措施对黄河源退化高寒草甸植物群落与土壤养分的影响

为了揭示退化高寒草甸逆向转变的驱动因子，通过野外调查和室内分析相结合的方法探究了黄河源不同修复措施（施有机肥F、免耕补播N、施有机肥+免耕补播FN）处理高寒草甸植物群落特征、土壤理化性质和两者相关性的变化规律，阐明不同修复措施对黄河源退化高寒草甸植物群落与土壤养分的影响。结果表明：免耕补播显著增加草甸物种丰富度指数（P<0.05）；施有机肥+免耕补播显著增加草甸植物盖度、总生物量、Shannon Wiener多样性指数和Pielous均匀度指数（P<0.05）。不同人工修复后草甸植物功能群地上、地下生物量变化趋势基本一致（除豆科）。和对照相比，莎草科，杂类草地上和地下生物量含量在N、FN处理分别降低83.04%、73.86%、30.43%、92.37%和96.51%、84.09%、85.68%、95.36%；禾本科地上和地下生物量含量在F、N和FN处理分别增加7.29%、23.45%、17.93%和6.04%、4.03%、10.52%；豆科地上生物量含量基本保持不变，地下生物量含量在F、N和FN处理分别降低24.43%、82.19%和42.61%。F显著增加土壤有机碳含量（P=0.033）；N显著降低土壤NO₃^--N含量（P=0.009）；FN显著降低土壤pH和增加土壤速效磷含量（P=0.024）；F和FN显著增加土壤含水量（P=0.000），N则显著降低土壤含水量（P=0.000）；F显著降低土壤容重（P=0.018）。相关性分析表明植物Shannon Wiener多样性和Pielous均匀度与土壤速效磷含量呈显著正相关（P=0.037；P=0.033），土壤有机碳和含水量与总生物量呈显著正相关（P=0.027；P=0.032），pH与盖度呈显著负相关（P=0.049）。冗余度分析结果表明土壤有机碳含量和含水量显著影响了植物群落结构特征，解释率分别为30.3%和19.7%。研究结果表明，因地制宜进行退化高寒草甸施有机肥+免耕补播修复措施，能够明显提高草地生产力，改善草甸植物群落及其土壤养分和水分环境。     

Intestinal Cell Kinase Is a Novel Participant in Intestinal Cell Signaling Responses to Protein Malnutrition

Nutritional deficiency and stress can severely impair intestinal architecture, integrity and host immune defense, leading to increased susceptibility to infection and cancer. Although the intestine has an inherent capability to adapt to environmental stress, the molecular mechanisms by which the intestine senses and responds to malnutrition are not completely understood. We hereby report that intestinal cell kinase (ICK), a highly conserved serine/threonine protein kinase, is a novel component of the adaptive cell signaling responses to protein malnutrition in murine small intestine. Using an experimental mouse model, we demonstrated that intestinal ICK protein level was markedly and transiently elevated upon protein deprivation, concomitant with activation of prominent pro-proliferation and pro-survival pathways of Wnt/β-catenin, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and protein kinase B (PKB/Akt) as well as increased expression of intestinal stem cell markers. Using the human ileocecal epithelial cell line HCT-8 as an in vitro model, we further demonstrated that serum starvation was able to induce up-regulation of ICK protein in intestinal epithelial cells in a reversible manner, and that serum albumin partially contributed to this effect. Knockdown of ICK expression in HCT-8 cells significantly impaired cell proliferation and down-regulated active β-catenin signal. Furthermore, reduced ICK expression in HCT-8 cells induced apoptosis through a caspase-dependent mechanism. Taken together, our findings suggest that increased ICK expression/activity in response to protein deprivation likely provides a novel protective mechanism to limit apoptosis and support compensatory mucosal growth under nutritional stress.     

灵昆岛潮间带大型底栖动物群落结构与生态位分析

2003年11月至2004年8月,在温州湾的灵昆岛东滩进行了大型底栖动物采样调查。共发现大型底栖动物33种,隶属7门8纲21科。主要为软体动物、节肢动物和环节动物多毛类,其中高潮带25种,中潮带30种,低潮带14种。通过对不同季节不同潮带的大型底栖动物密度数据进行成对t检验分析,结果认为各潮带的大型底栖动物密度分布有明显差异,而大型底栖动物密度的季节变化不明显。对定量取样中获得的21个物种以Shannon-W iener指数为基础进行了生态位宽度测定,以P ianka重叠指数为基础进行了生态位重叠值分析,结果表明日本沙蚕(N ereis jap on ica)、纽虫和线虫的生态位较宽,均为2.80以上,它们之间的生态重叠值也较高,均为0.90以上。以密度数据四次开方为基础,利用欧氏距离进行群落物种的系统聚类分析,结果表明21个物种可以分为三大类,即潮间带广布种、中高潮带常见种、狭布种和偶见种,通过非度量多维标度排序分析也支持以上结果。3类物种的生态位重叠值均有不同的表现,与物种的分布与数量相关。研究表明,物种生态宽度、物种之间的生态位重叠值与物种的分布与数量密切相关,反映了大型底栖动物群落中各物种对生境资源的利用能力的强弱。     

口腔鳞状细胞癌中VEGF、Bcl-2的表达及意义

目的研究血管内皮细胞生长因子VEGF、Bcl-2在口腔鳞状细胞癌(OSCC)中的表达及意义。方法应用免疫组化SP法检测。结果在OSCC不同分化及TNM分期病例中VEGF阳性表达率无显著差异,但Ⅳ期VEGF阳性表达级别比Ⅰ期病例有显著增高。颈淋巴结转移组的VEGF比无颈淋巴结转移组阳性率高(P<0.05)。OSCC高分化组中Bcl-2的表达率比中低分化组明显低(P<0.05)。VEGF阳性级别越高的病例组,Bc-l2的表达率越高。结论在口腔鳞癌中VEGF、Bcl-2的表达有显著的正相关关系。     

60Coγ射线对高免卵黄液中霉形体杀灭作用的研究

用^60Coγ射线处理高免卵黄液,研究了不同剂量、剂量率对霉形体的灭活效果和对卵黄抗体的影响。结果表明,^60Coγ射线可以完全杀灭高免卵黄液中的霉形体,霉形体在卵黄液中的灭活剂量为6．0kGy;10．0kGy以下的辐照剂量不影响卵黄液中蛋白质含量、pH值和活性氧自由基,同时不影响抗体效价。