以秀丽线虫为模式生物评价蓖麻碱毒性的研究

以秀丽线虫作为评价蓖麻碱毒性的模式生物,通过测定不同浓度的蓖麻碱提取物对线虫的半致死浓度、生殖能力和体内酶活性的影响,对蓖麻碱的毒性进行初步评价。结果表明,蓖麻碱提取物的48h的LD50为0.977mg/mL,72h的LD50为0.821mg/mL;随着蓖麻碱提取物浓度从0.5mg/mL增加到2.0mg/mL,虫体的SOD活性由(80.669±3.2)U/mg降低至(1.532±0.2)U/mg;CAT活性由(70.947±2.7)U/mg降低至(0.234±2.1)U/mg。说明蓖麻碱提取物浓度越大,毒性越强,线虫体内酶活越低,蓖麻碱提取物可使秀丽线虫生殖能力降低或丧失。     

秀丽线虫的蛋白质组学研究

作为模式生物,秀丽线虫(Caenorhabditis elegans)已经成功地用于许多生命过程的研究,尤其被广泛应用于现代发育生物学、行为与神经生物学、基因组学、正向和反向的遗传学研究中,近年来,秀丽线虫更成为了一个进行蛋白质组学研究的优良体系,诠释了基于基因组学和RNA干涉研究中的基因功能。许多比较蛋白质组学表达谱的建立可以更好地理解线虫在不同发育阶段、不同温度下基因的表达,在与人类神经疾病相关的疾病研究中,线虫对帕金森疾病、阿尔茨海默症、衰老与寿命、胰岛素通路都有所揭示。另外,线虫的亚蛋白质组学和翻译后修饰如糖基化和磷酸化也已经鉴定,其数据库也在不断地完善。本文介绍了秀丽线虫的蛋白质表达谱建立的历史,尤其是神经科学研究中的应用及翻译后修饰表达谱的建立等方面的研究现状,因此,结合其它分子生物学和基因工程技术,线虫蛋白质组学研究已成为提供一个新的全面的系统分析基因功能的重要工具,提示线虫是"蠕虫蛋白质组学"的一个丰富宝藏。     

太空飞行后秀丽隐杆线虫肌相关基因和蛋白质变化

太空飞行所致的肌萎缩和重力感知的分子机制至今尚不清楚．研究太空飞行对秀丽隐杆线虫（C.elegans）体壁肌细胞结构和功能的影响．经过近15天太空飞行后对其生存率和运动能力进行了观察,并检测了5个重要的肌相关基因的表达和3种蛋白质含量．太空研究是在动物的整体水平进行的,而不是就单个细胞的研究．经历太空飞行后线虫生存率没有明显变化,但运动频率变慢,爬行轨迹也发生了改变,提示线虫运动功能出现障碍,这些数据揭示：微重力下秀丽线虫肌肉发育发生了变化．肌球蛋白A（myosin A）免疫荧光染色观察发现,太空飞行组肌纤维面积缩小,肌细胞致密体（dense－body）荧光亮度下降．这些形态学观察直接提示太空组线虫出现了肌萎缩．但是,肌动蛋白（F-actin）荧光染色显示两组并无明显差别．基因表达水平的分析结果显示,在太空飞行组动物中dys－1表达明显上调,同时hlh－1,myo－3,unc－54和egl—19基因表达下调．抗肌萎缩蛋白（dystrophin,由dys—1编码）是抗肌萎缩蛋白－糖蛋白复合物（DGC）的主要组成成分,而该复合物在微重力下增多,提示肌细胞是为了接受更多的力学刺激以维持细胞内外的力学平衡,所以该复合物在肌细胞的重力感知中起关键作用．基因hlh－1,myo－3,unc－54和egl－19表达下调,说明它们分别从结构和功能两个途径促进了微重力性肌萎缩的发生．最后,Western blot结果提示,太空组线虫体壁肌内肌球蛋白A减少,进一步确证了太空飞行中线虫有肌萎缩发生．     

秀丽隐杆线虫脂肪沉积研究进展

脂肪的过度沉积会引发多种疾病,如心脏病、高血压、高甘油三酯血症、Ⅱ型糖尿病等。小白鼠(Mus musculus)和猪(Sus domesticus)是常用的研究脂肪沉积的模式动物,近年来随着研究的深入,发现脂肪代谢调控网络错综复杂,调控因子相互作用。秀丽隐杆线虫(Caenorhabditis elegans)具有结构简单、身体透明、便于观察、繁殖周期短、易于人工培养等特征,因此使得秀丽隐杆线虫进行脂肪调控的研究成为了可能。本文通过总结国内外线虫脂肪沉积方面的研究,综述秀丽隐杆线虫研究脂肪沉积的进展。     

秀丽线虫衰老调控的生理与分子机制

秀丽线虫(Caenorhabditis elegans)是目前研究动物衰老调控机制重要模型之一.在线虫中,众多的信号通路经相互协同形成的复杂网络接受来自感觉神经元的各种环境信息,进而通过信号传递作用于各组织器官而影响衰老的诸多方面.线虫衰老的生理与分子调控主要涉及三个调节系统,即发挥神经内分泌功能的insulin/IGF-1体系、进食限制延缓衰老的调节系统和线粒体呼吸链/ATP合成体系.本文主要针对这三类体系的生理与分子调控机制予以论述.     

基于模式生物秀丽隐杆线虫的三丁基锡生态毒性评价

本研究利用秀丽隐杆线虫半致死浓度分析和致死曲线分析来筛选对三丁基锡（Tributyltin,TBT）敏感的线虫品系,并讨论与TBT毒理学过程可能相关的基因。通过对秀丽隐杆线虫体长、每窝子代数和怀卵量的测定来探讨TBT的生态毒性效应,以期为TBT对秀丽隐杆线虫和人类的生态毒性评价和致毒机理研究提供科学依据。结果表明：TBT对各品系线虫48 h LC50从小到大依次为egl-1（n487）＜ced-4（n1162）＜cep-1（gk138）=cep-1（lg12501）＜ced-9（n1950）＜clk-2（mn159）＜ced-3（n717）＜N2＜opIs34（hus-1::GFP） ＜opIs56（egl-1::GFP）＜daf-16（mn86）＜hus-1（op241）＜daf-2（e1370）。本研究筛选出对TBT最敏感的线虫品系为egl-1（n487）,而对TBT耐受力最强的是daf-2（e1370）。TBT对秀丽隐杆线虫体长、每窝子代数和怀卵量均呈现浓度依赖型的抑制作用。     

秀丽线虫物理低氧损伤模型的建立与应用

目的:利用秀丽线虫研发合适的低氧损伤模型,以更好地揭示低氧生理和低氧病理的分子机制.方法:通过对秀丽线虫进行不同时间的低氧处理,系统观察线虫的死亡率、运动功能、细胞形态及相关蛋白表达水平的变化,分析低氧对线虫的损伤情况.结果:氧浓度为0.2%的物理性低氧可引起秀丽线虫多种细胞形态发生变化,进而导致线虫死亡,且死亡率随低...     

必需氨基酸延缓秀丽隐杆线虫衰老的研究

利用模式生物秀丽隐杆线虫,考察8种人体必需氨基酸对衰老的影响。首先建立秀丽隐杆线虫寿命模型,以雷帕霉素为阳性对照药,分别考察8种必需氨基酸对线虫生存时间的影响。再用筛选出的氨基酸处理线虫21d,通过秀丽隐杆线虫-绿脓杆菌感染模型,考察氨基酸对线虫的抗感染能力的影响,利用实时荧光定量Real-Time RT-PCR方法检测氨基酸处理线虫后DAF-16/FOXO下游基因和免疫相关基因的表达水平。结果表明8种必需氨基酸中苏氨酸和异亮氨酸既能延长野生型线虫的寿命又能延长daf-16突变型线虫的寿命,同时还能增强秀丽隐杆线虫抗绿脓杆菌感染的能力,并提高免疫相关基因lys-7、clec-67的表达水平,而DAF-16/FOXO下游基因表达没有明显变化。因此苏氨酸和异亮氨酸能延长线虫寿命、提高抗感染能力,且对线虫寿命的延长作用不完全依赖于DAF-16/FOXO转录因子。     

秀丽隐杆线虫体内脂肪染色方法的探究

近几十年来,秀丽隐杆线虫(Caenorhabditis elegans)因其结构简单、通体透明、生命周期短和易于培养,常作为一种模式生物被广泛用于现代发育生物学、遗传学、抗衰老和及脂肪调控等方面的研究。本文探索了一种对秀丽隐杆线虫体内脂肪的油红O染色方法,利用1%Triton X-100的透过作用,线虫体内脂滴可被油红O更好的着色,镜下观察颜色鲜红,染色效果较好,为以后研究线虫脂肪调控奠定了基础。     

秀丽线虫脂肪积累调控的生理与分子机制

脂肪积累是一个复杂的生理过程,模式动物秀丽线虫(以下简称线虫)已经成为目前研究脂肪积累的重要模型.线虫中的脂肪酸代谢通路与其他物种中的代谢是基本一致的,很多关键的代谢调节基因的功能已经得到鉴定.线虫中脂肪积累涉及至少4个核心调控通路,分别为胰岛素和转化生长因子β(TGF-β)信号通路、sbp-1/ mdt-15介导的信号通路、核激素受体nhr-49介导的信号通路与雷帕霉素靶标(TOR)和氨基己糖介导的信号通路.此外,神经递质5-羟色胺、多巴胺和谷氨酸参与了脂肪积累的调控,而tub-1和bbs-1可以介导对脂肪积累的神经调控,暗示了纤毛结构与感觉神经元在脂肪积累中可能的重要功能.线虫中的研究工作对人类肥胖症等代谢疾病的研究具有重要的提示作用.     

Age influences resistance of Caenorhabditis elegans to killing by pathogenic bacteria

Caenorhabditis elegans has previously been proposed as an alternative host for models of infectious disease caused by human pathogens. When exposed to some human pathogenic bacteria, the life span of nematodes is significantly reduced. We have shown that mutations in the age-1, and/or age-2 genes of C. elegans, that normally enhance life expectancy, can also increase resistance to killing by the bacterial pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enterica var. Typhimurium, Burkholderia cepacia or Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. We also found that the rate at which wild-type C. elegans was killed by the bacterial pathogens tested increased as nematodes aged. In the case of P. aeruginosa infection, the difference in life span of wild type and age-1 mutants of C. elegans was not due to differences in the level of bacterial colonisation of the gut.     

An Altered Method of Feeding RNAi That Knocks Down Multiple Genes Simultaneously in the Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

In reverse genetics, RNA interference (RNAi) which is substitutable for gene-disruption, is an outstanding method for knockdown of a gene’s function. In Caenorhabditis elegans, feeding RNAi is most convenient, but this RNAi is not suitable for knockdown of multiple genes. Hence, we attempted to establish an efficient method of feeding RNAi for multiple knockdown. We produced bacteria yielding three distinct double-stranded RNAs bound to one another, and fed those bacteria to C. elegans. Quantitative RT-PCR and observation of phenotypes indicated that our method is much more efficient than the traditional one. Our method is useful for investigating genes’ functions in C. elegans.     

A liquid-based method for the assessment of bacterial pathogenicity using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Caenorhabditis elegans has previously been used as an alternative to mammalian models of infection with bacterial pathogens. We have developed a liquid-based assay to measure the effect of bacteria on the feeding ability of C. elegans. Using this assay we have shown that Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PA14, Burkholderia pseudomallei and Yersinia pestis were able to inhibit feeding of C. elegans strain N2. An increase in sensitivity of the assay was achieved by using C. elegans mutant phm-2, in place of the wild-type strain. Using this assay,P. aeruginosa PA01 inhibited the feeding of C. elegans mutant phm-2. Such liquid-based feeding assays are ideally suited to the high-throughput screening of mutants of bacterial pathogens.     

Multiple Molecular Forms of Acetylcholinesterase in the Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract: Extracts of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans contain five molecular forms of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity that can be separated by a combination of selective solubilization, velocity sedimentation, and ion-exchange chromatography. These are called form IA (5.2s), form IB (4.9.s), form II (6.7s), form III (11.3s), and form IV (13.0s). All except form III are present in significant amounts in rapidly prepared extracts and are probably native; form III is probably derived autolytically from form IV. Most of forms IA and IB can be solubilized by repeated extractions without detergent, whereas forms II, III, and IV require detergent for effective solubilization and may therefore be membrane-bound. High salt concentrations are not required for, and do not aid in, the solubilization of these forms. For all forms, molecular weights and frictional ratios have been estimated by a combination of gel permeation chromatography and velocity sedimentations in both H₂O and D₂O. The molecular weight estimates range from 83,000 to 357,000 and only form II shows extensive asymmetry. The separated forms have been characterized with respect to substrate affinity, substrate specificity, inhibitor sensitivity, thermal inactivation, and detergent sensitivity. Judging by these properties, C. elegans is like other invertebrates in that none of its cholinesterase forms resembles either the “true” or the “pseudo” cholinesterase of vertebrates. However, internal comparison of the C. elegans forms clearly distinguishes forms IA, III, and IV as a group from forms IB and II; the former are therefore designated “class A” forms, the latter “class B” forms. Genetic evidence indicates that separate genes control class A and class B forms, and that these two classes overlap functionally. Several factors, including kinetic properties, molecular asymmetry, molecular size, and solubility, all suggest that a molecular model of the multiple cholinesterase forms observed in vertebrate electric organs probably does not apply in C. elegans. Potential functional roles and subunit structures of the multiple AChE forms within each C. elegans class are discussed.     

铜对秀丽隐杆线虫毒性效应的研究

为了阐明铜(Cu)对秀丽隐杆线虫Caenorhabditis elegans长期作用的毒性效应,对实验室多代筛选的耐铜型秀丽隐杆线虫进行了寿命、衰老、发育、生殖和运动等生物学指标的研究.结果显示耐铜型秀丽隐杆线虫与野生型秀丽隐杆线虫相比其寿命缩短、衰老提前、个体发育受到抑制,且出现繁殖率降低、生殖能力减弱、运动行为存在障碍等一系列生理变化.本文为理解与阐明Cu的毒性效应提供了实验资料,有助于深入开展Cu毒性机理的研究.     

An Efficient and Novel Screening Model for Assessing the Bioactivity of Extracts against Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Using Caenorhabditis elegans

As a large number of multidrug-resistant bacteria have emerged, and there is an urgent need for the development of new antibacterial agents. In this study, we developed a liquid-based slow killing assay to be carried out in standard 96-well microtiter plates. This screening method was designed to facilitate high-throughput screening of small molecules and extracts. In antibiotic rescue assays, the Caenorhabditis elegans multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection model displayed a high degree of drug resistance in vivo and in vitro. We used the method to screen 1,300 extracts, and found 36 extracts (2.7%) which prolonged the survival of infected nematodes, and four (0.3%) of these extracts showed in vitro and in vivo anti-multidrug resistant P. aeruginosa activity. These results indicate that the whole-animal C. elegans multidrug-resistant bacterial model can be used to screen antibacterial compounds, and can also be useful for bioactive compounds which most likely cannot be identified in vitro.     

食细菌线虫Caenorhabditis elegans的取食偏好性

通过设置平板培养试验,以模式种线虫 Caenorhabditis elegans 为材料,观察了食细菌线虫的取食行为。结果表明：C. elegans 在取食细菌时对原位土壤中分离的一种Pseudomonas sp细菌存在最大的取食偏好性。这种取食偏好性表现在大部分C. elegans 在24 h内都直接朝Pseudomonas sp迁移,说明C. elegans能通过某种机制识别Pseudomonas sp。距离迁移试验及C. elegans迁移率表明它可能是通过辨别细菌所发出的气味识别它喜欢的食物。C. elegans的繁殖率跟其取食的偏好性是相关的,在迁移率较高的细菌培养基中线虫表现出更高的繁殖率。结果还表明：相对于G+细菌而言, C. elegans 偏好取食G-细菌。为进一步了解土壤生态系统中食细菌线虫与细菌群落结构间相互关系提供了帮助。