Correlates of pentraxin 3 serum concentration in men and women with type 2 diabetes

Elevated levels of plasma pentraxin 3 (PTX3), a marker of inflammation, are associated with the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases in the general population, as well as in patients with type 2 diabetes (DM2). In this study, we aimed to determine factors associated with PTX3 serum concentrations in men and women with DM2. The study included 116 consecutive patients (67 men and 49 women) with DM2 from an outpatient diabetic clinic. Men were characterised by lower age and higher uric acid, creatinine and bilirubin concentrations and waist/hip ratio than women. In women, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels were higher than in men. In men, median (interquartile range) values of PTX3 concentration were 4.02 (1.99), and in women they were 4.53 (3.31) ng/ml (NS). In men, PTX3 concentrations correlated with total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides, apolipoprotein (Apo) C3, Apo B48, Glc and creatinine levels. In women, PTX3 correlated significantly with TC and LDL-C and Apo B100. Partial regression analysis revealed that after adjusting for age, PTX3 concentrations in men were significantly associated with TC, LDL-C, triglycerides, creatinine, Apo C3 and Apo B48, while in women they were associated with TC, LDL-C and Apo B100. The results could be of importance in sex-specific prevention of vascular complications in DM2 patients.     

Flexible docking of peptides to proteins using CABS‐dock

Molecular docking of peptides to proteins can be a useful tool in the exploration of the possible peptide binding sites and poses. CABS‐dock is a method for protein–peptide docking that features significant conformational flexibility of both the peptide and the protein molecules during the peptide search for a binding site. The CABS‐dock has been made available as a web server and a standalone package. The web server is an easy to use tool with a simple web interface. The standalone package is a command‐line program dedicated to professional users. It offers a number of advanced features, analysis tools and support for large‐sized systems. In this article, we outline the current status of the CABS‐dock method, its recent developments, applications, and challenges ahead.     

Establishment of <i>Rhodiola quadrifida</i> Hairy Roots and Callus Culture to Produce Bioactive Compounds

Rhodiola quadrifida is a rare mountain medicinal plant whose root extracts are used in traditional Chinese medicine as a hemostatic, antitussive, and tonic in the treatment of gynecological diseases. The aim of the study was to obtain R. quadrifida cultures at different degrees of differentiation in vitro and compare their growth characteristics and the content of salidroside and rosavin. Hairy roots were obtained by incubating cotyledons and hypocotyls in a suspension of Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain A4. The presence of the rolB and rolC genes was proven by polymerase chain reaction. The obtained roots were cultivated in Murashige-Skoog medium (MS). Calluses were obtained from the hairy roots in MS medium with the addition of hormones: 3 mg/L 2,4 D and 0.5 mg/L BAP. The presence of the main secondary metabolites of R. quadrifida, salidroside and rosavin, in calluses and salidroside in hairy roots by HPLC/MS was confirmed. The content of salidroside in callus culture was significantly higher than in hairy roots, 0.158 and 0.047%, respectively. The content of rosavin in callus culture was 0.07%. The content of rosavin and salidroside in callus culture was close to the level of these substances in the rhizomes of R. quadrifida plants growing in vivo, making this culture promising for its possible biotechnological use.     

Plant apocarotenoids: from retrograde signaling to interspecific communication

Carotenoids are isoprenoid compounds synthesized by all photosynthetic and some non-photosynthetic organisms. They are essential for photosynthesis and contribute to many other aspects of a plant's life. The oxidative breakdown of carotenoids gives rise to the formation of a diverse family of essential metabolites called apocarotenoids. This metabolic process either takes place spontaneously through reactive oxygen species or is catalyzed by enzymes generally belonging to the CAROTENOID CLEAVAGE DIOXYGENASE family. Apocarotenoids include the phytohormones abscisic acid and strigolactones (SLs), signaling molecules and growth regulators. Abscisic acid and SLs are vital in regulating plant growth, development and stress response. SLs are also an essential component in plants’ rhizospheric communication with symbionts and parasites. Other apocarotenoid small molecules, such as blumenols, mycorradicins, zaxinone, anchorene, β-cyclocitral, β-cyclogeranic acid, β-ionone and loliolide, are involved in plant growth and development, and/or contribute to different processes, including arbuscular mycorrhiza symbiosis, abiotic stress response, plant–plant and plant–herbivore interactions and plastid retrograde signaling. There are also indications for the presence of structurally unidentified linear cis-carotene-derived apocarotenoids, which are presumed to modulate plastid biogenesis and leaf morphology, among other developmental processes. Here, we provide an overview on the biology of old, recently discovered and supposed plant apocarotenoid signaling molecules, describing their biosynthesis, developmental and physiological functions, and role as a messenger in plant communication.     

农业科技投入对蜜蜂产业发展的影响——以江西省蜂产业技术体系为例

[目的]系统评价江西省蜂产业技术体系专项投入对江西省蜜蜂产业发展的影响.[方法]基于2018-2020年江西省蜂产业技术体系的面板数据,以经费投入作为农业科技投入指标,并选取蜂群饲养量、蜂蜜产量、科技奖励、科技论文、科技专利、科技标准、人才培养、研究平台等作为衡量产业发展指标.[结果]江西省蜂产业技术体系连续3年(2018-2020年)投入经费合计达420万元,年均投入经费140万元;江西省蜂产业技术体系稳定经费投入,对江西省蜂业生产、蜂业科技产出、蜂业人才培养及平台建设等方面都有显著正向影响.[结论]农业科技投入极大推动了江西省蜂产业健康稳定发展,并提出了加大科技成果示范与推广、加强蜂产品深加工技术研发、推行中华蜜蜂科学饲养技术、蜜蜂授粉关键技术研发与推广、继续做好养蜂产业扶贫与乡村振兴建设先进五点研究建议.     

The molecular mechanism of NELL2 movement and secretion in hippocampal progenitor HiB5 cells

Neural epidermal growth factor-like protein-like 2 (NELL2) is a secreted glycoprotein that is predominantly expressed in the nervous system, but little is known about the intracellular movement and secretion mechanism of this protein. By monitoring the localization and movements of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-labeled NELL2 in living cultured hippocampal neuroprogenitor HiB5 cells, we determined the subcellular localization of NELL2 and its intracellular movement and secretion mechanism. Cterminal EGFP-fused NELL2 showed a typical expression pattern of secreted proteins, especially with respect to its localization in the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, and punctate structures. Vesicles containing NELL2 exhibited bidirectional movement in HiB5 cells. The majority of the vesicles (70.1%) moved in an anterograde direction with an average velocity of 0.454 μm/s, whereas some vesicles (28.7%) showed retrograde movement with an average velocity of 0.302 μm/s. The movement patterns of NELL2 vesicles were dependent upon the presence of microtubules in HiB5 cells. Anterograde movement of NELL2 did not lead to a detectable accumulation of NELL2 in the peripheral region of the cell, indicating that it was secreted into the culture medium. We also showed that the N-terminal 29 amino acids of NELL2 were important for secretion of this protein. Taken together, these results strongly suggest that the N-terminal region of NELL2 determines both the pattern of its intracellular expression and transport of NELL2 vesicles by high-velocity movement. Therefore, NELL2 may affect the cellular activity of cells in a paracrine or autocrine manner.     

SMURF1 Plays a role in EGF-induced breast cancer cell migration and invasion

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is a well-known growth factor that induces cancer cell migration and invasion. Previous studies have shown that SMAD ubiquitination regulatory factor 1 (SMURF1), an E3 ubiquitin ligase, regulates cell motility by inducing RhoA degradation. Therefore, we examined the role of SMURF1 in EGF-induced cell migration and invasion using MDA-MB-231 cells, a human breast cancer cell line. EGF increased SMURF1 expression at both the mRNA and protein levels. All ErbB family members were expressed in MDA-MB-231 cells and receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors specific for the EGF receptor (EGFR) or ErbB2 blocked the EGF-mediated induction of SMURF1 expression. Within the signaling pathways examined, ERK1/2 and protein kinase C activity were required for EGF-induced SMURF1 expression. The overexpression of constitutively active MEK1 increased the SMURF1 to levels similar to those induced by EGF. SMURF1 induction by EGF treatment or by the overexpression of MEK1 or SMURF1 resulted in enhanced cell migration and invasion, whereas SMURF1 knockdown suppressed EGF- or MEK1-induced cell migration and invasion. EGF treatment or SMURF1 overexpression decreased the endogenous RhoA protein levels. The overexpression of constitutively active RhoA prevented EGF- or SMURF1-induced cell migration and invasion. These results suggest that EGFinduced SMURF1 plays a role in breast cancer cell migration and invasion through the downregulation of RhoA.