Diallyl trisulfide induces apoptosis and inhibits proliferation of A549 cells in vitro and in vivo

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality all over the world. In recent years, pulmonary adenocarcinoma has surpassed squamous cell carcinoma in frequency and is the predominant form of lung cancer in many countries. Epidemiological investigations have shown an inverse relationship between garlic (Allium sativum) consumption and death rate from many cancers. Diallyl trisulfide (DATS) is one of the garlic-derived compounds (also known as: organosulfer compounds, OSC). DATS can induce apoptosis and inhibit the growth of many cancer cell lines. Our study demonstrated that the apoptotic incidents induced by DATS were a mitochondria-dependent caspase cascade through a significant decrease of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 that resulted in up-regulation of the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 and the activity of caspase-3, -8, and -9. Eventually, DATS induced the apoptosis and inhibited the proliferation in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, by establishing an animal model of female BALB/c nude mice with A549 xenografts, we found that oral gavage of DATS significantly retarded growth of A549 xenografts in nude mice without causing weight loss or any other side effects compared with the control group. All the evidence both in vitro and in vivo suggested that DATS could be an ideal anti-cancer drug.     

澜沧江流域北部中华蜜蜂有毒蜂蜜孢粉学和营养生态位分析

为分析澜沧江流域北部人食用蜂蜜中毒的原因,于2013年6—9月份,对该区域蜜蜂和蜜源植物的分布情况进行了调查,观察蜜蜂采集有毒蜜源植物的行为,并进一步调查了蜜蜂巢内蜂蜜、蜂花粉的储存情况,采集了中华蜜蜂蜂蜜样品,进行蜂蜜孢粉学与营养生态位分析。该区域有大量采用传统方式进行人工饲养的中华蜜蜂(Apis cerana cerana),及少量野生中华蜜蜂、黑色小蜜蜂(Apis audreniformis)、黑色大蜜蜂(Apis laboriosa smith)群体分布;人工饲养的中华蜜蜂蜂巢内部结构与野生中华蜜蜂蜂巢相似,为自然蜂巢,内有充足的蜜粉储存,部分蜂群蜂巢内虫害严重。该区域内主要蜜源植物为荞麦(Fagopyrum esculentum Moench),其他零星辅助蜜源较多,部分地点南烛(Vaccinium bracteatum Thunb)、昆明山海棠(Tripterygium hypoglaucum(Levl.)Hutch)连片集中分布。对中华蜜蜂蜂蜜进行孢粉学和营养生态位分析,结果表明:中华蜜蜂蜂蜜标本中含有有毒蜜源植物南烛、昆明山海棠花粉,部分样品中南烛、昆明山海棠的花粉含所占比例较高;中华蜜蜂的营养生态位宽度为0.22,比其他地区中华蜜蜂生态位指数小,推测澜沧江水电枢纽的修建等人为原因已对蜜蜂种类、蜜源植物的物种组成、群落结构造成了较大影响。     

不同降水条件下沙鞭种群非生殖株丛空间格局分析

植物空间分布格局是物种自身生物学特性与环境因素共同作用的结果,非生殖株丛空间分布格局能够揭示物种无性繁殖与种群扩张过程对异质生境的生态学适应机制。利用基于完全随机、泊松聚块和嵌套双聚块模型的点格局方法和群落学调查,分析了沙鞭(Psammochloa villosa)种群非生殖株丛空间分布格局,探讨了空间格局对降水梯度的响应和适应过程。结果表明：(1)聚集分布是沙鞭种群非生殖株丛的主要类型。在89 mm/a、107.8 mm/a、117.4 mm/a、186 mm/a、191.1 mm/a、363 mm/a降水梯度上聚集尺度分别为3—126 cm、9—200 cm、9—129 cm、6—77 cm、2—95 cm、2—96 cm;(2)基于完全随机模型的空间分布格局对降水的响应规律显著,整体表现为随干旱程度加剧,沙鞭种群非生殖株丛聚集尺度从2—96 cm下降至6—77 cm;(3)在107.8 mm/a、117.4 mm/a、191.1 mm/a、363 mm/a降水梯度上,基于泊松聚块模型的空间分布格局分别在15—19 cm、2—6 cm、2—4 cm、9—25 cm尺度正向偏离泊松聚...     

miR‐20a‐5p regulates pulmonary surfactant gene expression in alveolar type II cells

MicroRNA (miRNA) critically controls gene expression in many biological processes, including lung growth and pulmonary surfactant biosynthesis. The present study was conducted to investigate whether miR‐20a‐5p had such regulatory functions on alveolar type II (AT‐II) cells. To accomplish this, miR‐20a‐5p–overexpressed and miR‐20a‐5p–inhibited adenoviral vectors were constructed and transfected into cultured AT‐II cells that were isolated from rat foetal lungs of 19 days' gestation. Transfection efficiency was confirmed by observing the fluorescence of green fluorescent protein (GFP) carried by the viral vector, whereas miR‐20a‐5p levels were verified by real‐time PCR. The CCK‐8 assay was used to compare the proliferation ability of AT‐II cells that had over‐ or underexpressed miR‐20a‐5p. The expression of surfactant‐associated proteins (SPs) and phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) was measured by real‐time PCR and Western blotting. In AT‐II cells, transfection resulted in over‐ or under‐regulation of miR‐20a‐5p. While overexpression of miR‐20a‐5p promoted pulmonary surfactant gene expression, its underexpression inhibited it. Consistent with its role in negatively regulating the pulmonary surfactant gene, an opposite pattern was observed for miR‐20a‐5p regulation of PTEN. As a result, when miR‐20a‐5p was rendered overexpressed, PTEN was down‐regulated. By contrast, when miR‐20a‐5p was underexpressed, PTEN was up‐regulated. Neither overexpression nor underexpression of miR‐20a‐5p altered the cell proliferation. miR‐20a‐5p plays no role in proliferation of foetal AT‐II cells but is a critical regulator of surfactant gene expression. The latter appears to be achieved through a regulatory process that implicates expression of PTEN.     

多约束代谢网络模型的研究进展

基于约束的基因组尺度代谢网络模型(genome-scale metabolic models,GEMs)分析已被广泛应用于代谢表型的预测.而实际细胞中代谢速率除计量学约束外,还受到酶资源可用性和反应热力学可行性等其他因素影响,在GEMs中整合酶资源约束或者热力学约束构建多约束代谢网络模型可以进一步缩小优化解空间,提升细...     

Endophilin functions as a membrane-bending molecule and is delivered to endocytic zones by exocytosis

Two models have been proposed for endophilin function in synaptic vesicle (SV) endocytosis. The scaffolding model proposes that endophilin's SH3 domain recruits essential endocytic proteins, whereas the membrane-bending model proposes that the BAR domain induces positively curved membranes. We show that mutations disrupting the scaffolding function do not impair endocytosis, whereas those disrupting membrane bending cause significant defects. By anchoring endophilin to the plasma membrane, we show that endophilin acts prior to scission to promote endocytosis. Despite acting at the plasma membrane, the majority of endophilin is targeted to the SV pool. Photoactivation studies suggest that the soluble pool of endophilin at synapses is provided by unbinding from the adjacent SV pool and that the unbinding rate is regulated by exocytosis. Thus, endophilin participates in an association-dissociation cycle with SVs that parallels the cycle of exo- and endocytosis. This endophilin cycle may provide a mechanism for functionally coupling endocytosis and exocytosis.     

RIC-7 promotes neuropeptide secretion

Secretion of neurotransmitters and neuropeptides is mediated by exocytosis of distinct secretory organelles, synaptic vesicles (SVs) and dense core vesicles (DCVs) respectively. Relatively little is known about factors that differentially regulate SV and DCV secretion. Here we identify a novel protein RIC-7 that is required for neuropeptide secretion in Caenorhabditis elegans. The RIC-7 protein is expressed in all neurons and is localized to presynaptic terminals. Imaging, electrophysiology, and behavioral analysis of ric-7 mutants indicates that acetylcholine release occurs normally, while neuropeptide release is significantly decreased. These results suggest that RIC-7 promotes DCV-mediated secretion.     

Sensory Neurons Arouse C. elegans Locomotion via Both Glutamate and Neuropeptide Release

C. elegans undergoes periods of behavioral quiescence during larval molts (termed lethargus) and as adults. Little is known about the circuit mechanisms that establish these quiescent states. Lethargus and adult locomotion quiescence is dramatically reduced in mutants lacking the neuropeptide receptor NPR-1. Here, we show that the aroused locomotion of npr-1 mutants results from the exaggerated activity in multiple classes of sensory neurons, including nociceptive (ASH), touch sensitive (ALM and PLM), and stretch sensing (DVA) neurons. These sensory neurons accelerate locomotion via both neuropeptide and glutamate release. The relative contribution of these sensory neurons to arousal differs between larval molts and adults. Our results suggest that a broad network of sensory neurons dictates transitions between aroused and quiescent behavioral states.