纳豆激酶基因的优化设计、合成及其在烟草叶片中的瞬时表达

根据植物偏爱密码子优化设计、合成纳豆激酶基因sNK,利用重叠延伸PCR法在其中插入番茄果实特异性表达基因E8的第一内含子构成sNKi基因,通过农杆菌渗透法将这两种基因渗入到烟草NC89叶片中并实现瞬时表达。通过RT-qPCR法将两种基因在烟草叶片中转录水平的表达量进行比较,结果表明两种基因在烟草叶片中均表达,且sNKi基因的表达量显著高于sNK基因;通过纤维蛋白平板法在两种基因的瞬时表达样品中均能检测到纤溶酶活性,表明目的基因在烟草叶片中可正常翻译并表现出溶栓活性,且sNKi基因在翻译水平的表达量显著高于sNK基因。表明内含子对人工合成的纳豆激酶基因的瞬时表达具有显著的促进作用。     

Age and Gender Adjusted Comparison of Clinical Features between Severe Cases Infected with H7N9 and H1N1pdm Influenza A in Jiangsu Province,China

Background

Influenza H7N9 and H1N1pdm can cause severe human infections. It is important to investigate the distinguishing clinical features between these two diseases. Several studies have compared the differences in general, however, age and gender adjusted comparisons may be more useful and informative to the health professionals.

Methods

A total of 184 severe H1N1pdm patients and 37 severe H7N9 patients from Jiangsu Province were included in this analysis to perform age and gender adjusted comparison of clinical features.

Results

After adjusting age and gender, no significant differences in chronic medical conditions or treatment were found between severely ill patients with H7N9 and H1N1pdm. Severely ill patients with H7N9 had significantly longer interval from onset of illness to neuraminidase inhibitor treatment and to death. They were more likely to have complications such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), liver and renal dysfunctions, and had a significantly higher risk of death.

Conclusion

Our results suggests that age and gender should be adjusted as important confounding factors when comparing the clinical features between severe H7N9 and H1N1pdm patients to avoid any misunderstanding regarding the differences between these two diseases particularly in terms of clinical severity and prognosis.     

Spred2 Modulates the Erythroid Differentiation Induced by Imatinib in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Cells

Differentiation induction is currently considered as an alternative strategy for treating chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Our previous work has demonstrated that Sprouty-related EVH1 domainprotein2 (Spred2) was involved in imatinib mediated cytotoxicity in CML cells. However, its roles in growth and lineage differentiation of CML cells remain unknown. In this study, we found that CML CD34⁺ cells expressed lower level of Spred2 compared with normal hematopoietic progenitor cells, and adenovirus mediated restoration of Spred2 promoted the erythroid differentiation of CML cells. Imatinib could induce Spred2 expression and enhance erythroid differentiation in K562 cells. However, the imatinib induced erythroid differentiation could be blocked by Spred2 silence using lentiviral vector PLKO.1-shSpred2. Spred2 interference activated phosphorylated-ERK (p-ERK) and inhibited erythroid differentiation, while ERK inhibitor, PD98059, could restore the erythroid differentiation, suggesting Spred2 regulated the erythroid differentiation partly through ERK signaling. Furthermore, Spred2 interference partly restored p-ERK level leading to inhibition of erythroid differentiation in imatinib treated K562 cells. In conclusion, Spred2 was involved in erythroid differentiation of CML cells and participated in imatinib induced erythroid differentiation partly through ERK signaling.     

马铃薯杂种无性株系的SSR鉴定及花粉育性和染色体构型分析

为明确马铃薯‘MB09’ב陇薯7号’杂种F1无性株系在DNA和细胞遗传学水平上的差异,该试验以亲本材料为对照,利用SSR分子标记技术对其20个优良无性株系(F1无性系一代)的DNA指纹特征进行分析,并采用常规制片镜检方法对已选出的8个杂种优良株系(F1无性系二代)的花粉育性及花粉母细胞减数分裂中期Ⅰ(PMCMⅠ)的染色体配对构型进行了研究,为马铃薯杂交新品系选育提供分子细胞遗传学依据。结果显示:(1)试验共筛选出2对SSR特异引物C57和S25,通过PCR扩增建立了能识别出这20个杂种株系及其双亲的SSR指纹图。(2)杂种优异株系F1-1、F1-2、F1-7、F1-11、F1-13、F1-14、F1-15和F1-20的花粉可育率变幅为36.73%~87.08%,并以株系F1-7最高(87.08%),而且显著超过高亲(83.33%),说明各优良株系花粉育性有一定差异。(3)对8个优异株系花粉母细胞的PMCMⅠ观察发现,各优良株系的染色体配对构型明显不同,均包括单价体、二价体、三价体和四价体4类,其中二价体构型的比例最高,其介于49.13%~82.91%之间,其中以株系F1-7的二价体比例最高(82.91%)。该研究明确了20个马铃薯杂种优良株系的SSR指纹特征和8个优异株系的花粉育性及染色体配对构型差异。     

杂色山雀的婚外父权与配偶间的遗传相容性无关

婚配制度作为一种进化稳定对策是动物对某一环境包括种群内部环境适应的结果。据统计,约92%的鸟类为社会性单配制,但单配制鸟类中很多都存在婚外父权现象,表现出社会性婚配制度与遗传性婚配制度的不一致性。杂色山雀(Parus varius)是一种社会性单配制的小型森林洞巢鸟,其是否存在婚外父权现象至今尚未见报道。通过对杂色山雀进行亲权鉴定以确定其有无婚外父权现象及婚外父权的比例,结果显示:45.45%(20/44)的巢存在婚外父权,14.39%(38/264)的后代为婚外子代,说明杂色山雀具有较高的婚外父权水平。进一步探究其婚外父权的发生原因,结果如下:(1)有、无婚外父权巢的社会性亲本之间的遗传相似性无显著差异(P=0.504);(2)有婚外父权巢中婚内子代和无婚外父权巢中子代的杂合度(P=0.118)以及有婚外父权巢中婚外子代与婚内子代的杂合度(P=0.206)均无显著差异。(3)有婚外父权巢中的婚内子代与婚外子代间8项体征指标比较,差异均不显著(Ps0.05)。综上,社会性单配制杂色山雀婚外父权的发生与配偶间的遗传相容性无关,还有待从其他角度进行探究。     

Time structure and dynamics of the insect communities in bush vegetation restoration areas of Zhifanggou watershed in Loess hilly region

The insects were investigated in Zhifanggou watershed, Ansai County, Shaanxi Province, China. The results showed that the insect species varied spatially in the following order: the natural bush forests, the mixed forests and the simple forests. The individual number of insects in Caragana korshinskii was the highest, followed by mixed forests and Hippaphae rhamnoides, and the change range of the insect individuals in the natural bush forests was the smallest. The species number of insects with seasonal changes and the individual number of insects in various types of vegetation can be described by the Univariate cubic equation. The order of the diversity index of the insect communities in various types of vegetation from May to September was the natural bush forests, the mixed forests and the simple forests. The change ranges of the evenness values of the simple forests and the mixed forests were higher, and that of the natural bush forests was smaller. The reverse trend was assumed between the dominance values and the evenness values in the time course. Moreover, the main factors and temporal patterns of the insect communities in the natural bush forests were more complicated, fluctuative and obvious than those in the mixed forests and the simple forests by using the principal component analysis.     

Successful embryo transfer in Tianzhu white yak using standard protocol

The present study was carried out to investigate the efficiency of superovulation, oestrus synchroni-zation, and embryo recovery in Tianzhu white yaks and also to confirm the pregnancy rate of black yaks, to which embryos collected from white yaks were transplanted. Forty-seven yaks were selected from different experiment groups, including 10 Tianzhu white female yaks (donor, group A) and 37 black female yaks (recipient, groups B and C). Superovulation of the donor was induced by the application procedure of CIDR-B FSH PG. Oestrus synchronization of recipients was induced using two meth-ods: group B was given the same treatment as group A, except that the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) injection was not administered, whereas group C was injected with cloprostenol only once when corpus luteum (corpora lutea) was (were) palpated. The results showed that the oestrous rates in group A were higher (80%) than those in group B (60%) and group C (44.5%). As for the efficiency of su-perovulation, it was indicated that the mean numbers (±SD) of total corpora lutea, follicles, viable (transferable), and degenerated embryos were 4.75 ± 2.19, 1.13 ± 0.83, 2.50 ± 1.31, and 1.38 ± 0.92, re-spectively. The mean embryo recovery rates were 55.6%. All together, 18 viable embryos of Tianzhu white yak were obtained and 12 of them were transplanted to 10 recipients. The pregnancy rate was 50% and the delivery rate was 40%.     

Complexity in the vascular permeability factor/vascular endothelial growth factor (VPF/VEGF)-receptors signaling

The adult vasculature results from a network of vessels that is originally derived in the embryo by vasculogenesis, a process whereby vessels are formed de novo from endothelial cell (EC) precursors, known as angioblasts. During vasculogenesis, angioblasts proliferate and come together to form an initial network of vessels, also known as the primary capillary plexus. Sprouting and branching of new vessels from the preexisting vessels in the process of angiogenesis remodel the capillary plexus. Normal angiogenesis, a well-balanced process, is important in the embryo to promote primary vascular tree as well as an adequate vasculature from developing organs. On the other hand, pathological angiogenesis which frequently occurs in tumors, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetic retinopathy and other circumstances can induce their own blood supply from the preexisting vasculature in a route that is close to normal angiogenesis. Vascular permeability factor/vascular endothelial growth factor (VPF/VEGF) is perhaps the most important of pro-angiogenic cytokine because of its ability to regulate most of the steps in the angiogenic cascade. The main goal of this review article is to discuss the complex nature of the mode of action of VPF/VEGF on vascular endothelium. To this end, we conclude that more research needs to be done for completely understanding the VPF/VEGF biology with relation to angiogenesis.     

Neurotensin stimulates IL-8 expression in human colonic epithelial cells through Rho GTPase-mediated NF-kappa B pathways

Neurotensin (NT), a neuropeptide highlyexpressed in the gastrointestinal tract, participates in thepathophysiology of intestinal inflammation. We recently showed that NTstimulates interleukin-8 (IL-8) expression in NCM460 nontransformedhuman colonic epithelial cells via both mitogen-activating proteinkinase (MAPK)- and NF-B-dependent pathways. However, the molecularmechanism by which NT induces expression of proinflammatory cytokinessuch as IL-8 has not been investigated. In this study we show thatinhibition of endogenous Rho family proteins (RhoA, Rac1, and Cdc42) bytheir respective dominant negative mutants inhibits NT-induced IL-8protein production and promoter activity. Western blot experimentsdemonstrated that NT strongly activated RhoA, Rac1, and Cdc42.Overexpression of the dominant negative mutants of RhoA, Rac1, andCdc42 significantly inhibited NT-induced NF-B-dependent reportergene expression and NF-B DNA binding activity. NT also stimulatedp38 MAPK phosphorylation, and overexpression of dominant negativemutants of RhoA, Rac1, and Cdc42 did not significantly alter p38 andERK1/2 phosphorylation in response to NT. Together, our findingsindicate that NT-stimulated IL-8 expression is mediated via aRho-dependent NF-B-mediated pathway.

     

一种浓缩噬藻体的反冲超滤技术

噬藻体(Cyanophage)是一类感染蓝藻的病毒,形态上同于噬菌体,近期的研究表明,噬藻体作为水体环境中活跃的动态因子,在控制水体初级生产力和有害藻类水华(Harmful Algal Bloom,HAB)方面可能发挥着重要的作用,甚至影响水体生态系统中食物链的结构,因此研究水体中噬藻体的生理生态学特性对于了解其生态功能是非常重要的,但是由于自然水体中的噬藻体浓度往往较低,难以直接对其进行定性或定量研究,所以对天