链球菌非编码小RNA研究进展

非编码小RNA(Small non-coding RNA,sRNA)是一种存在于原核和真核生物中的新型调控RNA,长度约为40～500个核苷酸。作为一类关键的调控因子,sRNA通过与靶mRNA或蛋白质结合来调控细胞内的基因表达。大部分细菌sRNA在大肠杆菌等革兰氏阴性菌中被发现并研究,但近十年来越来越多的sRNA在革兰氏阳性菌中被逐步发现。作为一类革兰氏阳性菌,链球菌属中sRNA目前研究主要集中在毒力调节,鲜有其他调控的报道。本文总结了链球菌中sRNA的最新进展,并介绍其主要功能和机理,以期为细菌sRNA研究提供借鉴。     

羊布鲁氏菌非编码小RNA分子BSR-2的预测与鉴定

利用RT-PCR和RACE等方法对生物信息学预测的羊布鲁氏菌非编码小RNA(smallnon-codingRNA,sRNA)BSR-2进行了实验鉴定,并通过分析BSR-2在胞内生存缺陷株中的转录情况以及预测BSR-2的靶标基因对BSR-2的功能进行初步探讨.RT-PCR结果表明,BSR-2在羊布鲁氏菌的总RNA中存在转录本,而且在不同的应激条件下转录水平不同.RACE结果表明,BSR-2长224nt,位于Ⅱ号染色体的BMEII0742和BMEII0743之间的基因间区.进一步的实验结果表明,BSR-2可能与布鲁氏菌的胞内生存能力相关.     

非编码RNA在胞内病原菌免疫逃逸与致病中的作用

非编码RNA(non-coding RNAs,ncRNAs)在细胞增殖、发育、分化、代谢、信号转导以及免疫调控中发挥重要调节作用。越来越多的研究证明,ncRNA在胞内病原菌的致病性和免疫逃逸中发挥重要调控作用。一方面ncRNA是细菌代谢、群体感应和毒力因子表达的调控因子,与胞内病原菌的致病性密切相关;另一方面ncRNA在调节宿主抗胞内病原菌免疫应答中发挥重要作用,深入研究ncRNA如何调节宿主免疫应答将有助于胞内菌免疫逃逸机制的研究。就非编码RNA在胞内病原菌免疫逃逸和致病中的作用作一综述。     

The emerging role of small non-coding RNA in renal cell carcinoma

Noncoding RNAs are transcribed in the most regions of the human genome, divided into small noncoding RNAs (less than 200 nt) and long noncoding RNAs (more than 200 nt) according to their size. Compelling evidences suggest that small noncoding RNAs play critical roles in tumorigenesis and tumor progression, especially in renal cell carcinoma. MiRNA, the most famous small noncoding RNA, has been comprehensively explored for its fundamental role in cancer. And several miRNA-based therapeutic strategies have been applied to several ongoing clinical trials. However, piRNAs and tsRNAs, have not received as much research attention, because of several technological limitations. Nevertheless, some studies have revealed the presence of aberration of piRNAs and tsRNAs in renal cell carcinoma, highlighting a potentially novel mechanism for tumor onset and progression. In this review, we provide an overview of three classes of small noncoding RNA: miRNAs, piRNAs and tsRNAs, that have been reported dysregulation in renal cell carcinoma and have the potential for advancing diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic applications of this disease.     

Diversity of endogenous small non-coding RNAs in Oryza sativa

Small non-coding RNAs play important roles in regulating cell functions by controlling mRNA turnover and translational repression in eukaryotic cells. Here we isolated 162 endogenous small RNA molecules from Oryza sativa, which ranged from 16 to 35 nt in length. Further analysis indicated that they represented a diversity of small RNA molecules, including 17 microRNAs (miRNAs), 30 tiny non-coding RNAs (tncRNAs) and 20 repeat-associated small interfering RNAs (rasiRNAs). Among 17 miRNAs, 13 were novel miRNA candidates and their potential targets were important regulatory genes in the rice genome. We also found that a cluster of small RNAs, including many rasiRNAs, matched to a nuclear DNA fragment that evolutionarily derived from chloroplast. These results demonstrate clearly the existence of distinct types of small RNAs in rice and further suggest that small RNAs may control gene regulation through diverse mechanisms.     

重症监护病房呼吸机相关性肺炎中鲍曼不动杆菌耐药性的动态分析

目的探讨重症监护病房呼吸机相关性肺炎(VAP)中鲍曼不动杆菌(Acinetobacter baumannii,Ab)的分布特点和耐药性,为临床防治鲍曼不动杆菌感染提供依据。方法对机械通气>48 h的79例患者的气管抽吸物(ETA)进行细菌定量培养和药敏测定。结果回顾性分析79例VAP患者ETA培养出病原菌214株,其中鲍曼不动杆菌79株(36.9%)。鲍曼不动杆菌对常见抗菌药物的耐药率呈上升趋势,出现较多多重耐药和泛耐药菌株。头孢哌酮/舒巴坦和亚胺培南的耐药率分别是55.6%和68.4%,均呈上升趋势。结论鲍曼不动杆菌是VAP常见病原菌之一,鲍曼不动杆菌的耐药性呈上升趋势,特别是多重耐药和泛耐药菌株,应引起高度重视。     

F-Actin is associated with a worsening qSOFA score and intensive care unit admission in emergency department patients at risk for sepsis

Abstract

Objective: We previously demonstrated that plasma levels of F-actin and Thymosin Beta 4 differs among patients with septic shock, non-infectious systemic inflammatory syndrome and healthy controls and may serve as biomarkers for the diagnosis of sepsis. The current study aims to determine if these proteins are associated with or predictive of illness severity in patients at risk for sepsis in the Emergency Department (ED).

Methods: Prospective, biomarker study enrolling patients (>18?years) who met the Shock Precautions on Triage Sepsis rule placing them at-risk for sepsis.

Results: In this study of 203 ED patients, F-actin plasma levels had a linear trend of increase when the quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) score increased. F-actin was also increased in patients who were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) from the ED, and in those with positive urine cultures. Thymosin Beta 4 was not associated with or predictive of any significant outcome measures.

Conclusion: Increased levels of plasma F-actin measured in the ED were associated with incremental illness severity as measured by the qSOFA score and need for ICU admission. F-actin may have utility in risk stratification of undifferentiated patients in the ED presenting with signs and symptoms of sepsis.     

呼吸道合胞病毒肺炎患儿血清NRAV水平及临床意义

探讨呼吸道合胞病毒（RSV）肺炎患儿血清中抗病毒应答负性调节因子（NRAV）的表达水平及临床意义。

选取我院收治的RSV肺炎患儿100例作为RSV组,并将RSV肺炎患儿根据肺炎严重指数（PSI）分为低危组（62例）、中危组（24例）及高危组（14例）。另选取同期于本院体检的102例健康儿童作为对照组。采用荧光定量PCR法检测血清NRAV水平,用肺功能仪检测受试儿童肺功能,采用Pearson法分析血清NRAV水平与RSV肺炎患儿肺功能的相关性;采用Logistics回归分析RSV肺炎患儿病情严重程度的影响因素;采用ROC曲线分析血清NRAV水平对RSV肺炎的诊断价值。

RSV组患儿血清NRAV水平高于对照组,第1秒用力呼气容积占预计值百分比（FEV₁%）及FEV₁/用力肺活量（FVC）均低于对照组（均P＜0.05）。不同严重程度RSV肺炎患儿血清NRAV水平、FEV₁%及FEV₁/FVC比较差异有统计学意义（均P＜0.05）。低危组、中危组、高危组RSV肺炎患儿血清NRAV水平依次升高,FEV₁%及FEV₁/FVC均依次下降,组间两两比较差异有统计学意义（均P＜0.05）。RSV肺炎患儿血清NRAV水平与FEV₁%及FEV₁/FVC均呈负相关（均P＜0.05）。Logistics分析显示,血清NRAV水平升高、FEV₁%及FEV₁/FVC水平下降均是影响RSV肺炎严重程度的独立危险因素（均P＜0.05）。ROC曲线分析显示,血清NRAV水平诊断RSV肺炎的曲线下面积为0.843,敏感度为76.0%,特异度为88.2%,最佳截断值为1.14。

RSV肺炎患儿血清NRAV水平升高且随着疾病严重程度的加重而升高,其水平可反映肺功能,对RSV肺炎具有一定诊断价值。

     

The RNA phosphatase PIR-1 regulates endogenous small RNA pathways in C. elegans

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Deep sequencing analysis of small non-coding RNAs reveals the diversity of microRNAs and piRNAs in the human epididymis

The epididymis plays a crucial role in regulating the development of sperm motility and fertilizing capacity. Small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs), especially microRNAs (miRNAs), can participate in the regulation of various physiological pathways. However, their abundance and whether they are involved in the regulation of gene expression in the human epididymis are unknown. By adopting the Solexa deep sequencing approach, we systematically investigated the sncRNAs in the adult human epididymis. A total of 4903 unique sequences representing 527 known miRNA were discovered. Eighteen novel miRNA genes encoding 23 mature miRNAs were also identified and the expression of some of them was confirmed by qRT-PCR. The presence of Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) in the library also adds to the diversity of the sncRNA population in the human epididymis. This research will contribute to a preliminary database for their functional study in male reproductive system.     

头孢曲松钠联合阿奇霉素治疗儿童重症社区获得性肺炎临床观察

目的观察头孢曲松钠联合阿奇霉素治疗儿童重症社区获得性肺炎的疗效。方法92例重症社区获得性肺炎患儿随机分为治疗组和对照组,各46例。对照组给予头孢曲松钠50～80mg／（kg·d）静脉滴注治疗;治疗组在对照组基础上加用阿奇霉素10mg/（kg·d）静脉滴注治疗,连用5～7d。结果治疗组在退热、肺部哕音及咳嗽消失时间、平均住院时间均较对照组短,差异有非常显著性（P〈0．01）。结论头孢曲松钠联合阿奇霉素治疗儿童重症社区获得性肺炎效果明显,不良反应少,值得临床推广。     

低压低氧对小鼠精子发生及其小RNA表达的影响

作为青藏高原最为关键的环境因子,低压低氧对高原非习服动物繁殖和生殖系统功能有不利影响。已有的研究表明,低氧环境会导致雄性生殖细胞凋亡、精子畸形率升高、精子质量下降,进而影响受精和早期胚胎发育,但目前缺乏低氧损伤精子功能的机理研究。小RNA (small RNA)是在转录后及翻译水平上调控基因表达的重要功能分子,不同类型的small RNA通过诱导基因沉默或调控翻译等方式参与调节精子发生。本研究通过低压氧舱模拟海拔5 000 m处理4周建立缺氧小鼠模型,发现低氧处理导致小鼠曲精细管中生精细胞排列紊乱,精子数量未发生显著变化但畸形率增加17.5倍(P <0.001)。通过small RNA测序发现,低氧组小鼠精子中的small RNA碱基偏好性与对照组一致,第一碱基对尿嘧啶(U)有很强的偏好性。低氧组小鼠精子中21 nt长度的small RNA比例显著减少4.4%(P <0.05)。低氧组小鼠精子中piRNA、tsRNA表达无差异,但miRNA表达上调21个,下调58个。对差异miRNAs靶基因与相同低氧处理小鼠睾丸组织差异基因比对,共比对到831个差异表达基因,其中上调miR...     

非编码小RNA BSR0602在布鲁菌环境适应能力中的调控作用

BSR0602是位于布鲁菌染色体上的非编码小RNA,在前期研究中我们发现,BSR0602与布鲁菌的胞内生存能力相关.为了进一步研究BSR0602对布鲁菌胞内环境适应能力的调控作用,采用双向电泳技术对布鲁菌野生株16M和BSR0602过表达株的全菌蛋白质谱进行比较分析.结果显示,BSR0602过表达后,布鲁菌转运代谢蛋白和压力适应蛋白的表达发生变化. qRT-PCR和HIS表位标记实验结果进一步证实,BSR0602在转录和翻译水平均影响氧压力适应蛋白SodA的表达.相关表型实验结果显示,BSR0602过表达株对氧压力更为敏感,证实了BSR0602在布鲁菌适应氧压力中的作用.结果表明,非编码小RNA BSR0602作为布鲁菌的转录后调控因子,可通过调控压力适应蛋白的表达来影响布鲁菌的压力适应能力和胞内生存.     

The interplay between m6A modification and non-coding RNA in cancer stemness modulation: mechanisms,signaling pathways,and clinical implications

Cancer stemness, mainly consisting of chemo-resistance, radio-resistance, tumorigenesis, metastasis, tumor self-renewal, cancer metabolism reprogramming, and tumor immuno-microenvironment remodeling, play crucial roles in the cancer progression process and has become the hotspot of cancer research field in recent years. Nowadays, the exact molecular mechanisms of cancer stemness have not been fully understood. Extensive studies have recently implicated that non-coding RNA (ncRNA) plays vital roles in modulating cancer stemness. Notably, N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification is of crucial importance for RNAs to exert their biological functions, including RNA splicing, stability, translation, degradation, and export. Emerging evidence has revealed that m6A modification can govern the expressions and functions of ncRNAs, consequently controlling cancer stemness properties. However, the interaction mechanisms between ncRNAs and m6A modification in cancer stemness modulation are rarely investigated. In this review, we elucidate the recent findings on the relationships of m6A modification, ncRNAs, and cancer stemness. We also focus on some key signaling pathways such as Wnt/β-catenin signaling, MAPK signaling, Hippo signaling, and JAK/STAT3 signaling to illustrate the underlying interplay mechanisms between m6A modification and ncRNAs in cancer stemness. In particular, we briefly highlight the clinical potential of ncRNAs and m6A modifiers as promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets for indicating cancer stemness properties and improving the diagnostic precision for a wide variety of cancers.     

Mitochondrial small ribosomal RNA is present on polar granules in early cleavage embryos of Drosophila melanogaster

In Drosophila, formation of the germline progenitors, the pole cells, is induced by polar plasm localized in the posterior pole region of early embryos. The polar plasm contains polar granules, which act as a repository for the factors required for pole cell formation. It has been postulated that the factors are stored as mRNA and are later translated on polysomes attached to the surface of polar granules. Here, the identification of mitochondrial small ribosomal RNA (mtsrRNA) as a new component of polar granules is described. The mtsrRNA was enriched in the polar plasm of the embryos immediately after oviposition and remained in the polar plasm throughout the cleavage stage until pole cell formation. In situ hybridization at an ultrastructural level revealed that mtsrRNA was enriched on the surface of polar granules in cleavage embryos. Furthermore, the localization of mtsrRNA in the polar plasm depended on the normal function of oskar, vasa and tudor genes, which are all required for pole cell formation. The temporal and spatial distribution of mtsrRNA is essentially identical to that of mitochondrial large ribosomal RNA (mtlrRNA), which has been shown to be required for pole cell formation. Taken together, it is speculated that mtsrRNA and mtlrRNA are part of the translation machinery localized to polar granules, which is essential for pole cell formation.     

The highest affinity binding site of small protein B on transfer messenger RNA is outside the tRNA domain

Eubacterial ribosomes stalled on defective mRNAs are released through a mechanism referred to as trans-translation, depending on the coordinated actions of small protein B (SmpB) and transfer messenger RNA (tmRNA). A series of tmRNA variants with deletions in each structural domain were produced. Their structures were monitored by enzymatic and chemical probes in vitro, in the presence and absence of SmpB. Dissociation constants between these RNAs and SmpB from Aquifex aeolicus were derived by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) combined with filter binding assays. Three independent experimental evidences, including filter binding assays, SPR, and concentration titrations of the RNA–protein reactivity changes toward structural probes, indicate that the binding site that has the highest affinity for the protein is located outside the tRNA domain, upstream of the internal tag. The minimal tmRNA fragment that contains this high affinity site for SmpB, and also contains another site of lower affinity, includes the tag reading frame and three downstream pseudoknots that form a ring structure in solution.     

PANDORA-Seq unveils the hidden small noncoding RNA landscape in atherosclerosis of LDL receptor-deficient mice

Small noncoding RNAs (sncRNAs) play diverse roles in numerous biological processes. While the widely used RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) method has advanced sncRNA discovery, RNA modifications can interfere with the complementary DNA library construction process, preventing the discovery of highly modified sncRNAs including transfer RNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) and ribosomal RNA-derived small RNAs (rsRNAs) that may have important functions in disease development. To address this technical obstacle, we recently developed a novel PANDORA-Seq (Panoramic RNA Display by Overcoming RNA Modification Aborted Sequencing) method to overcome RNA modification-elicited sequence interferences. To identify novel sncRNAs associated with atherosclerosis development, LDL receptor-deficient (LDLR^−/−) mice were fed a low-cholesterol diet or high-cholesterol diet (HCD) for 9 weeks. Total RNAs isolated from the intima were subjected to PANDORA-Seq and traditional RNA-Seq. By overcoming RNA modification-elicited limitations, PANDORA-Seq unveiled an rsRNA/tsRNA-enriched sncRNA landscape in the atherosclerotic intima of LDLR^−/− mice, which was strikingly different from that detected by traditional RNA-Seq. While microRNAs were the dominant sncRNAs detected by traditional RNA-Seq, PANDORA-Seq substantially increased the reads of rsRNAs and tsRNAs. PANDORA-Seq also detected 1,383 differentially expressed sncRNAs induced by HCD feeding, including 1,160 rsRNAs and 195 tsRNAs. One of HCD-induced intimal tsRNAs, tsRNA-Arg-CCG, may contribute to atherosclerosis development by regulating the proatherogenic gene expression in endothelial cells. Overall, PANDORA-Seq revealed a hidden rsRNA and tsRNA population associated with atherosclerosis development. These understudied tsRNAs and rsRNAs, which are much more abundant than microRNAs in the atherosclerotic intima of LDLR^−/− mice, warrant further investigations.     

Sequences in the H19 ICR that are transcribed as small RNA in oocytes are dispensable for methylation imprinting in YAC transgenic mice

Allele-specific methylation of the endogenous H19 imprinting control region (ICR) is established in sperm. We previously showed that the paternal H19 ICR in yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) transgenic mice (TgM) was preferentially methylated in somatic cells, but not in germ cells, suggesting that differential methylation could be established after fertilization. In this report, we discovered small RNA molecules in growing oocytes, the nucleotide sequences of which mapped to the H19 ICR. To test if these small RNA sequences play a role in the establishment of differential methylation, we deleted the sequences from the H19 ICR DNA and generated YAC TgM. In somatic cells of these mice, methylation imprinting of the transgene was normally established. In addition, the mutant fragment was not methylated in sperm and eggs. These data demonstrate that sequences in the H19 ICR that correspond to the small RNA sequences are dispensable for methylation imprinting in YAC TgM.     

The Role of RNA in Biological Phase Separations

Phase transitions that alter the physical state of ribonucleoprotein particles contribute to the spacial and temporal organization of the densely packed intracellular environment. This allows cells to organize biologically coupled processes as well as respond to environmental stimuli. RNA plays a key role in phase separation events that modulate various aspects of RNA metabolism. Here, we review the role that RNA plays in ribonucleoprotein phase separations.