七鳃鳗——铁代谢研究的极佳模型

七鳃鳗历经5亿年的进化历程,所处的自然环境具有低温及铁含量较高等特点,且在变态发育过程中组织结构和生命机制已经发展出其独特的适应性的进化方式,这为人们进一步研究生命起源和进化提供了新的方向。铁是人体必需的营养素之一,在代谢过程中发挥重要的作用,但当过量时可能导致铁中毒。七鳃鳗体内游离铁含量很高,如变态前幼体的血清铁浓度是人类正常男性的149倍,幼体肝中的铁含量约是人类正常含量的2～3倍。七鳃鳗具有完备的生物化学系统耐受体内高浓度的游离铁,铁稳态的重要基因如转铁蛋白、铁蛋白重链、超氧化物歧化酶等基因高表达,提升了铁转运、铁储存及抗氧化能力。七鳃鳗具有IRE/IRP调控系统,是适应组织内高铁环境的重要保护机制。此外,七鳃鳗在变态发育过程中逐渐形成口腔腺,成为独特的铁代谢器官。本文主要介绍了七鳃鳗各组织铁的分布及适应体内高铁含量的潜在机制,为后续寻找调控铁代谢分子机制提供理论基础。     

蓝细菌对汞耐受机制的研究进展

蓝细菌对不同形态的汞具有很强的耐受和富集能力，能够改变环境中的汞浓度，影响汞的生物地球化学循环。同时，蓝细菌是生态系统中重要的初级生产者，经过蓝细菌富集的汞更容易进入食物链，影响人类健康。本文系统总结了蓝细菌对汞的耐受机制，主要包括：(1)在细胞壁外合成胶质鞘隔离汞；(2)通过与自身化合物结合钝化汞的毒性；(3)利用自身抗氧化机制修复汞对细胞的损伤；(4)利用自身酶转化汞的形态降低毒性；(5)与抗汞细菌共生抵御汞。基于此，本文展望了蓝细菌汞耐受机制的进一步研究方向，以及利用蓝细菌进行汞解毒和污染修复的前景。     

内毒素耐受的机制研究

内毒素是革兰阴性菌细胞壁的成分,能够激发机体的免疫反应。当细菌释放大量的内毒素到血液,即可引起内毒素血症,内毒素血症可以伴随多种疾病出现,引起致死性感染性休克,循环功能衰竭,其病死率极高。内毒素耐受是指机体接受小剂量内毒素刺激后对后续内毒素刺激的反应性降低,表现为促炎因子释放减少而抗炎因子释放增加,机体发热,缺氧,低血压,休克的症状减轻。内毒素耐受的发生机制极其复杂,受机体内多种因素的调节,但目前尚无明确的结论。近年来,有关其机制的研究有许多报道,其中,对内毒素耐受的信号机制的研究最为广泛,大量的研究表明内毒素的主要受体,细胞内的信号蛋白,负调控因子以及转录因子可能在内毒素耐受的发生过程中起重要作用。也有报道表明免疫细胞的凋亡,染色体修饰和基因重排以及小RNA的参与可能诱导内毒素耐受的发生。本文从细胞、分子水平对内毒素耐受的发生机制进行综述,拟对炎症性疾病如内毒素血症的预防和治疗提供理论依据。     

硝酸甘油耐受机制的研究进展

硝酸甘油是临床治疗心绞痛、劳力型心力衰竭和急性心肌梗死等疾病的一种常用药物.它通过扩张外周血管,降低心脏前后负荷,同时扩张冠状动脉,减少心肌耗氧而发挥作用.硝酸甘油长期应用后其生物效应减弱甚至消失,即形成所谓的硝酸甘油耐受.关于耐受的形成机制,近年的研究获得很多新的重要认识,特别在硝酸甘油细胞内生物活化、活性氧作用及环鸟苷酸-环鸟苷酸依赖的蛋白激酶信号通路障碍方面.本文将对此进行介绍与讨论.     

胆总管内注射无水乙醇致胆道闭锁动物模型的建立

目的应用胆总管内注射无水乙醇建立SD大鼠胆道闭锁模型。方法将SD雄性大鼠随机分为实验组和对照组,在实验组中经静脉留置针插入胆总管注入无水乙醇,对照组注入生理盐水。观察SD大鼠的生化及病理结果。结果在实验组中SD大鼠根据病理及生化检测分为肝功能持续恶化组和肝功能修复组,肝功能持续恶化组在8周以后生化明显高于对照组及肝功能修复组。常规HE染色及SMA、Masson染色也出现明显变化。结论胆总管无水乙醇注射诱导胆道闭锁模型是一种可靠的动物模型,此动物模型会帮助人们进一步研究胆道闭锁提供更多的研究手段。     

家禽卵泡闭锁机制的研究进展

家禽卵泡闭锁是一种受多种机制共同调控卵泡退化的过程,与家禽的繁殖性能密切相关。近年来,随着分子技术的快速发展,针对家禽卵泡细胞的凋亡和自噬引起卵泡闭锁的研究取得巨大进展。综述了家禽卵泡内细胞凋亡与自噬对家禽卵泡闭锁调控机制,讨论了卵泡细胞凋亡与自噬引起卵泡闭锁的意义及存在的问题。通过对家禽卵泡闭锁机制的研究,以期为家禽产蛋性能的充分利用和挖掘提供理论依据。     

嗜热厌氧菌乙醇耐受机制的研究进展

生物能源因其原料具有来源丰富、价格低廉和可再生的优点,作为可替代化石能源的潜在能源受到世界各国的高度重视。有些嗜热厌氧菌因为具有木质纤维素降解能力和高温发酵的成本优势,被视为生物质转化乙醇等能源物质的理想微生物而成为近年来研究的热点,但乙醇耐受性较低是限制嗜热厌氧菌在工业化生产中应用的主要因素之一。本文从以下三个方面介绍嗜热厌氧菌乙醇耐受机制的研究进展：（1）嗜热厌氧菌生产乙醇的代谢途径;（2）嗜热厌氧菌的乙醇耐受机制;（3）提高嗜热厌氧菌乙醇耐受性的方法。     

细菌对抗菌肽的耐受机制

抗菌肽广谱、高特异、高生物活性等特点决定其具极大的临床应用潜力,然而抗菌肽的耐受是其药物开发必须重视和亟待克服的问题。从生物学的观点看,部分细菌可以产生抗菌肽,其必定存在逃避自身抗菌肽作用的机制;从进化的观点看,宿主和病原体之间是相互抑制、相互逃避、相互适应的关系,细菌在漫长的进化中会形成应对抗菌肽的特殊机制。抗菌肽对细菌存在多种作用机制,其核心是依赖于与细胞膜相互作用或进入细胞,进而改变膜完整性或干扰胞内生理生化反应导致细菌死亡;而细菌通过减弱抗菌肽结合、降低抗菌肽有效浓度等方式产生对抗菌肽的耐受。这些耐受机制也为抗菌肽类药物开发提供重要的启示。     

大肠杆菌丁醇耐受机制及耐受菌选育研究进展

随着全球变暖和能源危机日益加剧,生物丁醇因能用作清洁能源和重要化学品而备受关注。大肠杆菌(Escherichia coli)由于具有优良的遗传操作性能成为丁醇生产的底盘菌,但丁醇对细胞的毒害作用已成为提高工程菌丁醇产量的瓶颈,因而增强E.coli丁醇耐受性是提高工程菌丁醇产量的必要前提。为此,需要详细了解E.coli丁醇耐受机制。丁醇可破坏细胞膜的屏障作用、扰乱物质转运和传递功能,细胞产生与热激、渗透等胁迫类似的生理应答反应,通过转录与翻译调节应答丁醇胁迫。从上述几个方面综述了E.coli丁醇耐受机制,并总结了运用基因工程理性设计获得丁醇耐受菌株的研究进展。然而目前丁醇耐受机制尚未完全揭示,限制了理性设计策略的应用,因此概括了运用定向进化获得耐受丁醇菌株并解析丁醇耐受功能基因的反向代谢工程策略在此方面的研究进展。同时也关注和评述了最新的组合策略、化学修饰方法提高E.coli丁醇耐受性的研究。最后总结和展望了提高底盘菌株E.coli丁醇耐受性的关键策略。     

大肠杆菌乙酸耐受性菌株的构建及其耐受机制研究进展

乙酸是微生物发酵生产常见的副产物,也可作为碳源存在于木质纤维素水解液等非粮原料发酵培养基中。培养基中含有高浓度的乙酸/乙酸盐时会抑制细胞生长、降低生物量,影响目标产品的产量和产率。研究乙酸耐受性机制,改进菌株的乙酸耐受性,构建具有高乙酸耐受性工程菌株,对于以乙酸为碳源或利用含乙酸的原料进行高附加值产品发酵生产具有重要意义。本文综述了通过代谢工程、实验室适应性进化、全局转录机器工程和基于CRISPR可追踪基因组工程等方法构建大肠杆菌乙酸耐受性菌株的研究进展,进一步从乙酸同化代谢、氨基酸依赖型代谢、离子转运系统调节和细胞膜成分修饰等4个方面阐述了大肠杆菌乙酸耐受性菌株的耐受性应答机制,总结了大肠杆菌乙酸耐受菌株的生产应用,展望了提高大肠杆菌乙酸耐受方法和大肠杆菌乙酸耐受机制的研究方向。     

Relocalization of membrane enzymes accompanies biliary atresia in lamprey liver

Summary Light- and electron-microscopic histochemical procedures were used to show the distribution of the membrane-bound enzymes alkaline phosphatase (Alp), adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase), and 5-nucleotidase (5-nuc) in the livers of lamprey, Petromyzon marinus, throughout the life cycle. In larvae, the three enzymes are located at the biliary pole on the canalicular membranes of microvilli. At metamorphosis the enzymes become localized at all lateral cell surfaces of hepatocytes as bile canaliculi degenerate in the programmed regression of the entire biliary tree. This latter pattern of enzyme distribution persists during the parasitic adult phase but no activity is evident in individuals in the spawning migration. As the timing of the relocalization of enzymatic activity correlates well with a build-up of bile products and iron during metamorphosis, it is suggested that the lateral surface may be the new site for transport of these products.Supported by NSERC of Canada grant no. A5945 to J.H.Y.     

Significant hepatic expression of IL-2 and IL-8 in biliary atresia compared with other neonatal cholestatic disorders

ObjectivesAlthough the exact etiology of biliary atresia (BA) is still elusive, inflammation plays a key role. Release of proinflammatory cytokines from activated immune cells perpetuates the injury and causes biliary destruction. We aimed to study interleukin (IL)-2 and IL-8 expression in liver tissue of BA patients compared with other neonatal cholestatic disorders.MethodsThe study included 59 infants with neonatal cholestasis in two groups; BA group (n = 31) and non-BA group (n = 28) with cholestatic disorders other than BA as controls. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and histopathological parameters were collected. IL-2 and IL-8 immunostaining was performed. Immunostaining in portal cellular infiltrate was scored as positive or negative and expressed as the mean cell count in three portal tracts.ResultsThe mean value of IL-2 and IL-8 positive inflammatory cells was significantly higher in BA than in non-BA group (P-values of 0.004 and 0.002 respectively). IL-2 correlated significantly with IL-8 immunostaining in both BA and non-BA group (P < 0.0001 for both). Furthermore, both cytokines in both groups correlated significantly with inflammatory activity in liver biopsy while there was no significant correlation with the other studied parameters. Yet, there was a trend of increased expression of IL-2 and IL-8 with increasing stage of fibrosis in BA group. This trend was not observed in non-BA group.ConclusionThe significantly higher expression of IL-2 and IL-8 in patients with BA compared to non-BA suggests a potential role for these cytokines in the pathogenesis in therapy of this devastating neonatal hepatic disorder.     

线虫耐寒性研究进展

对于分布在温带和寒带的线虫,它们只有战胜冬季寒冷的挑战,才能有利于种群的存在与发展。因此,耐寒性是线虫生物学研究中不可忽视的内容。综述了关于线虫在低温胁迫下的耐寒性测定方法、耐寒对策及耐寒机制等方面的研究进展。线虫的耐寒性和昆虫一样,可通过过冷却点和低温存活率两种指标进行评价,但在具体的实验方法上,线虫耐寒性研究有其不同之处。线虫的耐寒对策和耐寒机制具有多样化。耐寒对策主要有耐冻和避冻,二者能共同渗透于线虫的耐寒过程中。耐寒机制包括特殊发育阶段的形成、低温驯化作用、低分子量抗冻物质的聚集、以及高分子量抗冻蛋白和热休克蛋白的产生,等等。此外,还强调应从多个角度研究线虫的耐寒性,如寒冷敏感型线虫的研究、寄生线虫的耐寒对策研究以及交叉胁迫的研究。     

螨类耐寒性及其机理研究进展

耐寒性的高低极大程度上影响螨类的越冬存活以及分布扩散情况。螨类耐寒性评估的主要指标是过冷却点以及低温胁迫下的致死温度和致死时间。螨类耐寒性通常具有可塑性,不同发育时期、滞育、季节变化以及冷驯化均会影响耐寒性,而耐寒性的变化涉及复杂的分子水平以及生理生化物质的变化。本文简要介绍了目前评估螨类耐寒性的生物学指标以及影响螨类的耐寒性的因素,总结了螨类耐寒性变化所涉及的生理生化和分子机制,探讨了目前螨类耐寒性需要进一步研究的科学问题,并对螨类耐寒性研究的生态学意义进行了展望。以期对螨类耐寒性的深入研究提供参考,促进害螨的综合防治和天敌捕食螨的开发利用。     

工业酵母抗逆机理研究进展

工业酵母利用木质纤维素等生物质资源发酵生产醇、酮、醛、酸等各种化合物,是解决人类面临的不可再生资源和能源危机的重要途径,这激发了人们对木质纤维素水解液为原料和环保节能型浓醪发酵技术的极度关注。然而高浓度底物、产物、渗透压、木质纤维素水解液中抑制性物质、发酵过程温度的提高均会抑制微生物生长代谢及发酵性能,这是发酵行业"瓶颈"问题。本文简述了渗透压、温度及抑制性物质对酵母细胞生长的危害,并从胞内稳态平衡、分子水平等方面着重叙述工业酵母对渗透压、温度及抑制性物质的抗逆机制研究进展。     

microRNA-222 modulates liver fibrosis in a murine model of biliary atresia

microRNA-222 (miR-222) has been shown to initiate the activation of hepatic stellate cells, which plays an important role in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis. The aim of our study was to evaluate the role of miR-22 in a mouse model of biliary atresia (BA) induced by Rhesus Rotavirus (RRV) infection. New-born Balb/c mice were randomized into control and RRV infected groups. The extrahepatic bile ducts were evaluated. The experimental group was divided into BA group and negative group based on histology. The expression of miR-222, protein phosphatase 2 regulatory subunit B alpha (PPP2R2A), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and phospho-Akt were detected. We found that the experimental group showed signs of cholestasis, retardation and extrahepatic biliary atresia. No abnormalities were found in the control group. In the BA group, miR-222, PCNA and Akt were highly expressed, and PPP2R2A expression was significantly inhibited. Our findings suggest that miR-222 profoundly modulated the process of fibrosis in the murine BA model, which might represent a potential target for improving BA prognosis.     

Gap junctions and zonulae occludentes of hepatocytes during biliary atresia in the lamprey

Gap junctions and zonulae occludentes of hepatocytes were examined in thin sections and freeze-fracture replicas from livers of larval and juvenile adult lampreys and during the phase of metamorphosis when bile ducts and bile canaliculi disappear (biliary atresia). Larvae possess zonulae occludentes at the canaliculi which are composed of one to five (mean = 2.81) junctional strands that provide a bile-blood barrier. Morphometry demonstrates that during biliary atresia the decreases in number of junctional strands and apico-basal depth of the zonulae occludentes are accompanied by an increase in the frequency of gaps or interruptions in the strands and in a breakdown of the bile-blood barrier. The zonulae occludentes completely disappear during metamorphosis and are not found in the adult liver. Gap junctions of the larval liver occupy 1% of the surface of the plasma membrane and have a mean area of 0.167 micron 2 but, following an initial decline in these parameters during early biliary atresia, they rise sharply in later stages of metamorphosis and in adults are 3.2% and 0.502 micron 2, respectively. The events of alteration in junctional morphology during lamprey biliary atresia is in many ways comparable to the changes in gap junctions and zonulae occludentes during experimental and pathological intra- and extrahepatic cholestasis in mammals.