Brominated Diphenyl Ethers Including a New Tribromoiododiphenyl Ether from the Vietnamese Marine Sponge Arenosclera sp. and Their Antibacterial Activities

A new tribromoiododiphenyl ether ( 1 ) and eight known brominated diphenyl ethers ( 2 – 9 ) were isolated from the MeOH extract of the sponge Arenosclera sp. collected in Vietnam, using repeated open column chromatography and preparative thin layer chromatography. The chemical structure of the new compound 1 was determined by analyses of spectroscopic (1D‐ and 2D‐NMR, and MS) data and by comparison of our data with those reported in the literature. Compounds 1 , 3 , and 8 exhibited strong antibacterial activities against the Gram‐positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus and the Gram‐negative bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae with MIC values ranging from 0.8 to 6.3 μm , while compounds 5 and 7 only displayed activities against Gram‐positive bacteria with MIC values from 0.5 to 3.1 μm . Compound 2 showed activities against the four tested bacteria with MIC values ranging from 0.5 to 6.3 μm .     

A synthetic biology approach for the fabrication of functional (fluorescent magnetic) bioorganic–inorganic hybrid materials in sponge primmorphs

During evolution, sponges (Porifera) have honed the genetic toolbox and biosynthetic mechanisms for the fabrication of siliceous skeletal components (spicules). Spicules carry a protein scaffold embedded within biogenic silica (biosilica) and feature an amazing range of optical, structural, and mechanical properties. Thus, it is tempting to explore the low-energy synthetic pathways of spiculogenesis for the fabrication of innovative hybrid materials. In this synthetic biology approach, the uptake of multifunctional nonbiogenic nanoparticles (fluorescent, superparamagnetic) by spicule-forming cells of bioreactor-cultivated sponge primmorphs provides access to spiculogenesis. The ingested nanoparticles were detected within intracellular vesicles resembling silicasomes (silica-rich cellular compartments) and as cytosolic clusters where they lent primmorphs fluorescent/magnetic properties. During spiculogenesis, the nanoparticles initially formed an incomplete layer around juvenile, intracellular spicules. In the mature, extracellular spicules the nanoparticles were densely arranged as a surface layer that rendered the resulting composite fluorescent and magnetic. By branching off the conventional route of solid-state materials synthesis under harsh conditions, a new pathway has been opened to a versatile platform that allows adding functionalities to growing spicules as templates in living cells, using nonbiogenic nanoscale building blocks with multiple functionalities. The magnet-assisted alignment renders this composite with its fluorescent/magnetic properties potentially suitable for application in biooptoelectronics and microelectronics (e.g., microscale on-chip waveguides for applications of optical detection and sensing).     

miR-92a-3p和miR-25-3p海绵上调Kiss1并影响雌性小鼠的青春期启动及动情周期

下丘脑Kiss1神经元产生的神经肽kisspeptin通过影响促性腺激素释放激素的分泌,参与青春期的启动、生殖系统的成熟以及排卵等过程的神经内分泌调节。Kiss1基因的表达受到包括多种反式调控因子及表观遗传的调控。预测与前期研究表明,miR-92a-3p、miR-25-3p的种子序列能够与Kiss1的3′-UTR直接结合,抑制Kiss1的表达。为进一步研究miR-92a-3p、miR-25-3p在Kiss1表达调控中的作用,本研究分别构建了对miR-92a-3p、miR-25-3p具有抑制作用的特异性吸附海绵载体：sponge-miR-92a和sponge-miR-25,以实现miRNA的功能缺失。流式细胞术和双荧光素酶报告基因系统分别证实,这2个海绵载体均能够非常有效地吸附外源性或内源性靶miRNA。sponge-miR-92a和sponge-miR-25载体被进一步包装成慢病毒LV-sponge-miR-92a和LV-sponge-miR-25。实时荧光定量PCR结果显示,经LV-sponge-miR-92a和LV-sponge-miR-25感染的下丘脑原代神经元细胞中,Kiss1表达水平均显著上调（P<0.05）;将LV-sponge-miR-92a注射到下丘脑后,雌性小鼠阴门开启时间明显提前（P<0.05）;下丘脑注射LV-sponge-miR-92a和LV-sponge-miR-25扰乱了雌性小鼠的正常动情周期。综上所述,成功构建了能够有效吸附miR-92a-3p、miR-25-3p的海绵载体,证明它们在解除miR-92a-3p、miR-25-3p对Kiss1的抑制中的作用,下丘脑注射海绵对雌性小鼠的阴门开启时间和动情周期均产生一定程度的影响,提示miR-92a-3p、miR-25-3p可能在青春期的启动和生殖成熟过程中发挥重要的作用。     

繁茂膜海绵硅聚合酶抗体制备及其在造骨细胞鉴别中的应用

为准确鉴别海绵造骨细胞,分别提取了繁茂膜海绵、多皱软海绵和澳大利亚厚皮海绵的硅聚合酶,以繁茂膜海绵硅聚合酶为抗原制备抗体,效价为1∶9600。SDSPAGE显示三种海绵硅聚合酶的亚基分布在28kD左右;建立竞争抑制性检测方法并结合WesternBlotting检测,显示该抗体可与繁茂膜海绵硅聚合酶特异性结合,且与另外两种海绵硅聚合酶几乎无交叉反应。利用该抗体对繁茂膜海绵组织和体外培养细胞进行免疫组织化学染色,均可显示造骨细胞的分布。结果提示硅聚合酶抗体可以特异性与繁茂膜海绵造骨细胞内的硅聚合酶结合,因此,该抗体可以用于造骨细胞的鉴别。     

陕西镇巴早寒武世海绵骨针化石

作者对采自陕西省镇巴县下寒武统西蒿坪段和水井沱组下部碳酸盐岩地层的海绵骨针化石进行了研究。三叶虫及小壳化石的生物地层学资料表明西蒿坪段和水井沱组下段属于筇竹寺阶。化石经室内醋酸浸泡处理后获得,骨针化石保存较好、类型多样,其中属于六射海绵纲的骨针3类,普通海绵纲的骨针6类,分类未定的骨针1类(Nabaviellasp.);并详细地对各类骨针化石进行了描述。虽然普通海绵骨针类型多样,但六射海绵的骨针丰度远高于普通海绵。简要地探讨了海绵骨针的保存方式,对比和分析了西蒿坪段和水井沱组海绵骨针化石组成的差异。结合同时代产自皖南荷塘组和云南澄江动物群中特异保存的海绵软躯体化石资料,认为虽然海绵动物起源于新元古代末期,但躯体海绵化石和骨针化石都显示海绵动物的大辐射事件发生在早寒武世筇竹寺期。     

Production and Properties of Lipase from a Newly Isolated Chromobacterium

Out of some 750 strains of microorganisms, a potent bacterium for lipase production was isolated from soil and was identified as Chromobacterium viscosum.

The bacterium accumulates lipase in culture fluid when grown aerobically at 26°C for 3 days in a medium composed of soluble starch, soy bean meal, lard and inorganic salts.

Chromobacterium lipase had an optimum pH of 7.0 for activity at 37°C, and an optimal temperature of 65°C at pH 7.0. The enzyme retained 80% of the activity when heated for 10 min at 70°C. This lipase was capable of hydrolyzing a variety of natural fats and oils, and it was more active on lard and butter than on olive oil. The activity was stimulated by Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Mn²⁺ and inhibited by Cu²⁺, Hg²⁺ and Sn²⁺. It was not diminished but rather stimulated by a high concentration of bile-salts.     

The First Instar Larva of Nothohoraia (Diptera: Blephariceridae)

The first instar larva of the net-winged midge, Nothohoraia micrognathia Craig, 1969 (Diptera: Blephariceridae) is described. Instead of the primitive ring of eversible hooklets the pseudopods possess stiff apical setae. This character expression suggests that Nothohoraia is more closely related to the advanced Apistomyiini occurring outside New Zealand than to the two other New Zealand genera, Neocurupira and Peritheates.     

来源于海绵的纳米生物硅材料及其相关酶研究进展

水生生物海绵的纳米结构的硅质骨针及其相关酶,在微电子、光纤及生物医学等方面具有诱人的前景,硅生物技术研究的发展有望成为纳米生物技术的一个新亮点。简要综述了海绵骨针的结构、组成及其形态发生过程,骨针合成代谢相关酶——硅聚合酶、骨针分解代谢相关酶——硅分解酶基因的克隆及表达影响因子,海绵骨针硅材料及其相关酶的获得、体外催化活性及潜在应用。