Comparative morphology of the foliage leaf epidermis, with emphasis on papillae characters, in key taxa of woody bamboos of the Asian tropics (Poaceae: Bambusoideae)

The foliage leaf epidermis of 35 species representing 12 key genera of woody bamboos of the Asian tropics was investigated using light and scanning electron microscopy. The results indicated that papillae forms and distributional patterns around the stomatal apparatus of the abaxial foliage leaf epidermis were usually constant and were of great taxonomic significance at the specific and generic levels. However, papillae characters were not suitable for dividing subtribes within woody bamboos of the Asian tropics. On the basis of papillae characters, Schizostachyum s.s. and Cephalostachyum were confirmed, but their delimitations should be modified. The transfer of Leptocanna chinensis and Schizostachyum sanguineum into Cephalostachyum was supported, and Cephalostachyum virgatum and C .  pergracile were confirmed to be members of Schizostachyum s.s. The subtribe Racemobambosinae did not obtain support and Racemobambos appeared to be better placed in subtribe Bambusinae. Neomicrocalamus was supported as a close relative and better treated as a synonym of Racemobambos . Gigantochloa was closely related to Dendrocalamus .  © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2008, 156 , 411–423.     

Genome‐wide scans to detect positive selection in Large White and Tongcheng pigs

Due to the direction, intensity, duration and consistency of genetic selection, especially recent artificial selection, the production performance of domestic pigs has been greatly changed. Therefore, we reasoned that there must be footprints or selection signatures that had been left during domestication. In this study, with porcine 60K BeadChip genotyping data from both commercial Large White and local Chinese Tongcheng pigs, we calculated the extended haplotype homozygosity values of the two breeds using the long‐range haplotype method to detect selection signatures. We found 34 candidate regions, including 61 known genes, from Large White pigs and 25 regions comprising 57 known genes from Tongcheng pigs. Many selection signatures were found on SSC1, SSC4, SSC7 and SSC14 regions in both populations. According to quantitative trait loci and network pathway analyses, most of the regions and genes were linked to growth, reproduction and immune responses. In addition, the average genetic differentiation coefficient F_ST was 0.254, which means that there had already been a significant differentiation between the breeds. The findings from this study can contribute to further research on molecular mechanisms of pig evolution and domestication and also provide valuable references for improvement of their breeding and cultivation.     

Isolation and Characterization of Anti-Inflammatory Sorbicillinoids from the Mangrove-Derived Fungus Penicillium sp. DM815

Marine derived fungus has gained increasing ground in the discovery of novel lead compounds with potent biological activities including anti-inflammation. Here, we first report the characterization of one new sorbicillinoid ( 1 ) and fourteen known compounds ( 2 – 15 ) from the ethyl acetate (AcOEt) extract of a cultured mangrove derived fungus Penicillium sp. DM815 by UV, IR, HR ESI-Q-TOF MS, and NMR spectra. We then evaluated the anti-inflammatory effects of eleven sorbicillinoids ( 1 – 11 ) using cultured macrophage RAW264.7 cells. The results show that compound 9 , and to a lesser degree compound 5 , significantly inhibited the Gram-negative bacteria lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced upregulation of the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Consistently, compounds 5 and 9 significantly reduced the level of nitric oxide (NO), the product of iNOS, induced by LPS. We further show that these two compounds dose-dependently inhibited LPS-triggered iNOS expression and NO production, but had no effect on proliferation of RAW264.7 cells in the presence of LPS. In conclusion, our study identifies novel and known sorbicillinoids as potent anti-inflammatory agents, holding the promise of developing novel anti-inflammation treatment in the future.     

澜沧江梯级开发下鱼类支流生境替代效果

作为干流高坝水电开发导致鱼类生境丧失的一种补偿措施，支流替代生境近年来被广泛应用于受工程影响河段的土著鱼类保护，但替代支流发挥怎样的保护效果及干流对其的影响仍不清楚。以实施了澜沧江梯级生境替代的支流基独河与罗梭江为研究对象，并选择了邻近的对照支流，通过对鱼类调查数据的分析对比，揭示了各支流鱼类种类组成与群落结构的差异特征，初步阐明了梯级开发下鱼类支流生境替代效果以及干流工程建设对其的影响。结果表明：澜沧江支流替代生境对干流鱼类具有明显的保护作用，支流生境修复后鱼类物种丰富度明显提高，罗梭江土著鱼类、特有鱼类物种数分别增加了12种、7种，基独河则是7种、2种，替代生境能为澜沧江土著鱼类、部分濒危特有鱼类和洄游鱼类提供完成生活史的关键栖息地。干流对支流生境替代保护有着重要影响，罗梭江、基独河与邻近干流鱼类群落的Bray-Curtis相似性分别为21.76%、10.73%,支流河口段保持“河相”是支流生境替代保护效果可持续的关键。综合考虑生境替代保护的效益与投入，建议今后开展此类保护措施时优先选择库尾河相区的支流。     

用笛卡儿座标对菲氏叶猴和黑叶猴颅骨的比较形态研究

本文利用三维笛卡儿空间座标对菲氏叶猴(Presbytis phayrei)和黑叶猴(P.francoisi)颅骨的形态结构作了比较研究,描绘了它们的侧视和俯视投影图形。结果表明,两种投影图形均显示黑叶猴的颅骨大于菲氏叶猴,且显著性增大的区域出现在眉点、囟门、枕骨大孔附近和下颌骨体的高度。但菲氏叶猴较黑叶猴具有更凸的面颅。据枕骨隆突至眉点的侧视投影弧长,两种叶猴的数学模式均为:Y=a+bX-cX~2(R=0.92)。从侧视投影看,两种叶猴自枕骨隆突至眉点主要表出大小的不同。若据俯视投影图,两种颅骨的差异主要出现在外耳道以前的部分。黑叶猴较菲氏叶猴具有十分显著性增高的下颌骨体以及相对应更发达的咬肌和咀嚼器官,这很可能与它取食更多的果类食物有关。     

F10蛋白及mRNA在部分正常组织及癌组织中的表达

目的:了解F10基因在部分正常组织及肿瘤组织中的表达情况。方法:利用原位杂交和免疫组化方法对F10在部分正常组织和肿瘤组织中的mRNA和蛋白表达情况进行分析。结果:F10基因不仅在腺癌组织中表达呈阳性,在鳞癌组织中表现出较腺癌更强的强阳性,并且在正常组织中也有一定的表达。结论:F10是一个在多种组织普遍表达的细胞内蛋白,其功能可能与物质转运相关。     

Prostatic Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA) Is Positively Associated with Aggressive Prostate Cancer: A Relationship Which May Depend on Genetic Variation in ALA Metabolism

Previous observational studies have reported associations between prostate cancer and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). However, few investigations have been able to study this relationship prospectively and in well-controlled settings. Moreover, no studies have determined whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that influence ALA metabolism are associated with this common cancer. The purpose of this study was to explore associations between prostatic levels of ALA, SNPs and prostate cancer-specific biomarkers in samples collected from a previous randomized clinical trial conducted using a presurgical model and which tested the effects of flaxseed supplementation, a rich source of ALA, prior to prostatectomy (n = 134). Serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) was determined and immunohistochemistry was used to assess tumor proliferation rate (Ki67). Prostatic ALA was determined with gas chromatography. Seven previously identified SNPs associated with delta-6 desaturase activity (rs99780, rs174537, rs174545, rs174572, rs498793, rs3834458 and rs968567) were tested for associations with prostatic ALA, PSA and Ki67. Despite consuming seven times more ALA per day, men in the flaxseed arm had similar amounts of prostatic ALA relative to men not consuming flaxseed. In unadjusted analysis, there were significant positive associations between prostatic ALA and PSA (ρ = 0.191, p = 0.028) and Ki67 (ρ = 0.186, p = 0.037). After adjusting for covariates (flaxseed, age, race, BMI and statin-use) the association between ALA and PSA remained (p = 0.004) but was slightly attenuated for Ki67 (p = 0.051). We did not observe associations between any of the SNPs studied and prostatic ALA; however, in models for PSA there was a significant interaction between rs498793 and ALA and for Ki67 there were significant interactions with ALA and rs99780 and rs174545. Independent and inverse associations were observed between rs174572 and Ki67. This study provides evidence that prostatic ALA, independent of the amount of ALA consumed, is positively associated with biomarkers of aggressive prostate cancer and that genetic variation may modify this relationship.     

Autophagy induction by xanthoangelol exhibits anti‐metastatic activities in hepatocellular carcinoma

Xanthoangelol (XAG), a prenylated chalcone isolated from the Japanese herb Angelica keiskei Koidzumi, has been reported to exhibit antineoplastic properties. However, the specific anti‐tumor activity of XAG in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and the relevant mechanisms are not known. Herein, we evaluated the effect of XAG against HCC in vitro and in vivo. Although XAG treatment did not significantly reduce the viability of the Hep3B and Huh7 cell lines, it suppressed cell migration, invasion, and EMT. This anti‐metastatic effect of XAG was due to induction of autophagy, because treatment with the autophagy inhibitor 3‐methyadenine (3‐MA) or knockdown of the pro‐autophagy Beclin‐1 effectively abrogated the XAG‐induced suppression of metastasis. Mechanistically, XAG induced autophagy via activation of the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway, and XAG treatment dramatically increased the expression of p‐AMPK while decreasing p‐mTOR expression. In addition, blocking AMPK/mTOR axis with compound C abrogated the autophagy‐mediated inhibition of metastasis. The murine model of HCC metastasis also showed that XAG effectively reduced the number of metastatic pulmonary nodules. Taken together, our results revealed that autophagy via the activation of AMPK/mTOR pathway is essential for the anti‐metastatic effect of XAG against HCC. These findings not only contribute to our understanding of the anti‐tumor activity of XAG but also provide a basis for its clinical application in HCC. Before this study, evidence of XAG on HCC was purely anecdotal; present study provides the first comprehensive assessments of XAG on HCC metastasis and investigates its underlying mechanism. Results suggest that XAG exerts anti‐metastatic properties against HCC through inducing autophagy which is mediated by the activation of AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway. This research extends our knowledge about the antineoplastic properties of XAG and suggests that induction autophagy may represent future treatment strategies for metastatic HCC.