Selective pericentromeric heterochromatin dismantling caused by TP53 activation during senescence

Cellular senescence triggers various types of heterochromatin remodeling that contribute to aging. However, the age-related mechanisms that lead to these epigenetic alterations remain elusive. Here, we asked how two key aging hallmarks, telomere shortening and constitutive heterochromatin loss, are mechanistically connected during senescence. We show that, at the onset of senescence, pericentromeric heterochromatin is specifically dismantled consisting of chromatin decondensation, accumulation of DNA breakages, illegitimate recombination and loss of DNA. This process is caused by telomere shortening or genotoxic stress by a sequence of events starting from TP53-dependent downregulation of the telomere protective protein TRF2. The resulting loss of TRF2 at pericentromeres triggers DNA breaks activating ATM, which in turn leads to heterochromatin decondensation by releasing KAP1 and Lamin B1, recombination and satellite DNA excision found in the cytosol associated with cGAS. This TP53–TRF2 axis activates the interferon response and the formation of chromosome rearrangements when the cells escape the senescent growth arrest. Overall, these results reveal the role of TP53 as pericentromeric disassembler and define the basic principles of how a TP53-dependent senescence inducer hierarchically leads to selective pericentromeric dismantling through the downregulation of TRF2.     

用Hela229细胞培养法研究呼吸道肺炎衣原体感染

本文用Ｈｅｌａ２２９细胞培养与单克隆抗体免疫荧光法对９４０例咽拭子及２２４例纤支镜取材标本进行肺炎衣原体分离鉴定。结果正常组、上呼吸道感染组、下呼吸道感染组、肺部肿瘤组的咽拭子标本分离率分别为０％（０／２４８）,２．１３％（１０／４６８）,２．１％（３／１４６）,１．２８％（１／７８）。上呼吸道感染组和下呼吸道感染组的分离率均高于正常组和肺部肿瘤组。前二组与正常组的差异有显著性意义（Ｐ＜０．０５）,与肿瘤组的差异无显著性意义（Ｐ＞０．０５）。下呼吸道感染组、肺部肿瘤组的纤支镜取材分离率分别为１０．９６％（     

Distinct basolateral amygdala excitatory inputs mediate the somatosensory and aversive-affective components of pain

Pain is a multidimensional perception that includes unpleasant somatosensory and affective experiences; however, the underlying neural circuits that mediate different components of pain remain elusive. Although hyperactivity of basolateral amygdala glutamatergic (BLA^Glu) neurons is required for the somatosensory and emotional processing of pain, the precise excitatory inputs to BLA^Glu neurons and their roles in mediating different aspects of pain are unclear. Here, we identified two discrete glutamatergic neuronal circuits in male mice: a projection from the insular cortex glutamatergic (IC^Glu) to BLA^Glu neurons, which modulates both the somatosensory and affective components of pain, and a projection from the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus (MD^Glu) to BLA^Glu neurons, which modulates only the aversive-affective component of pain. Using whole-cell recording and fiber photometry, we found that neurons within the IC→BLA and MD→BLA pathways were activated in mice upon inflammatory pain induced by injection of complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) into their paws. Optical inhibition of the IC^Glu→BLA pathway increased the nociceptive threshold and induced behavioral place preference in CFA mice. In contrast, optical inhibition of the MD^Glu→BLA pathway did not affect the nociceptive threshold but still induced place preference in CFA mice. In normal mice, optical activation of the IC^Glu→BLA pathway decreased the nociceptive threshold and induced place aversion, while optical activation of the MD^Glu→BLA pathway only evoked aversion. Taken together, our results demonstrate that discrete IC^Glu→BLA and MD^Glu→BLA pathways are involved in modulating different components of pain, provide insights into its circuit basis, and better our understanding of pain perception.     

SARS-CoV-2 envelope protein causes acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)-like pathological damages and constitutes an antiviral target

Cytokine storm and multi-organ failure are the main causes of SARS-CoV-2-related death. However, the origin of excessive damages caused by SARS-CoV-2 remains largely unknown. Here we show that the SARS-CoV-2 envelope (2-E) protein alone is able to cause acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)-like damages in vitro and in vivo. 2-E proteins were found to form a type of pH-sensitive cation channels in bilayer lipid membranes. As observed in SARS-CoV-2-infected cells, heterologous expression of 2-E channels induced rapid cell death in various susceptible cell types and robust secretion of cytokines and chemokines in macrophages. Intravenous administration of purified 2-E protein into mice caused ARDS-like pathological damages in lung and spleen. A dominant negative mutation lowering 2-E channel activity attenuated cell death and SARS-CoV-2 production. Newly identified channel inhibitors exhibited potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity and excellent cell protective activity in vitro and these activities were positively correlated with inhibition of 2-E channel. Importantly, prophylactic and therapeutic administration of the channel inhibitor effectively reduced both the viral load and secretion of inflammation cytokines in lungs of SARS-CoV-2-infected transgenic mice expressing human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE-2). Our study supports that 2-E is a promising drug target against SARS-CoV-2.Subject terms: Cell death, Molecular biology     

The PLEKHA7–PDZD11 complex regulates the localization of the calcium pump PMCA and calcium handling in cultured cells

The plasma membrane calcium ATPase (PMCA) extrudes calcium from the cytosol to the extracellular space to terminate calcium-dependent signaling. Although the distribution of PMCA is crucial for its function, the molecular mechanisms that regulate the localization of PMCA isoforms are not well understood. PLEKHA7 is implicated by genetic studies in hypertension and the regulation of calcium handling. PLEKHA7 recruits the small adapter protein PDZD11 to adherens junctions, and together they control the trafficking and localization of plasma membrane associated proteins, including the Menkes copper ATPase. Since PDZD11 binds to the C-terminal domain of b-isoforms of PMCA, PDZD11 and its interactor PLEKHA7 could control the localization and activity of PMCA. Here, we test this hypothesis using cultured cell model systems. We show using immunofluorescence microscopy and a surface biotinylation assay that KO of either PLEKHA7 or PDZD11 in mouse kidney collecting duct epithelial cells results in increased accumulation of endogenous PMCA at lateral cell–cell contacts and PDZ-dependent ectopic apical localization of exogenous PMCA4x/b isoform. In HeLa cells, coexpression of PDZD11 reduces membrane accumulation of overexpressed PMCA4x/b, and analysis of cytosolic calcium transients shows that PDZD11 counteracts calcium extrusion activity of overexpressed PMCA4x/b, but not PMCA4x/a, which lacks the PDZ-binding motif. Moreover, KO of PDZD11 in either endothelial (bEnd.3) or epithelial (mouse kidney collecting duct) cells increases the rate of calcium extrusion. Collectively, these results suggest that the PLEKHA7–PDZD11 complex modulates calcium homeostasis by regulating the localization of PMCA.     

发酵液内氨甲酰妥布拉霉素的定量测定

报道了应用一种以测量图象面积为指标的Ｚｙ－３００Ａ多功能抑菌圈测量仪,能够精确、稳定、快速地测定发酵液经薄层层析生物显迹后单组分氨甲酰妥布拉霉素的抑菌斑面积,然后从绘制的标准曲线中直接读取氨甲酸妥布拉霉素在发酵液中的含量,从而排除了其他组分对测定的干扰。试验证明,用Ｚｙ－３００Ａ多功能抑菌圈测量仪测定抗生素薄层层析生物显迹的抑菌斑,具有线性宽、精密度高、重复性强、操作简单方便等优点．本方法的建立为抗生素的纯品检定和多组分抗生素发酵、分离和纯化提供了准确的定量数据．     

黏土矿物中重金属离子的吸附规律及竞争吸附

采用等温吸附法,研究了重金属铜、铅、镉、镍在膨润土中的吸附特征,发现膨润土对铜、铅的吸附明显强于镉、镍,吸附强度大小顺序为Pb2 >Cu2 >Ni2 >Cd2 。Langmuir和Freundlich方程对这4种金属离子等温吸附的拟合均呈极显著关系。Pb2 、Cd2 、Ni2 分别与Cu2 的双组分竞争吸附表明,黏土矿物对4种离子具有"选择性吸附"。在Pb2 、Ni2 、Cd2 的存在条件下,黏土矿物对Cu2 的吸附产生不同程度的下降;100mg/LCu2 对Pb2 的影响不大,但可完全抑制Ni2 、Cd2 的吸附。建立了IAS和LCA模型来预测Pb2 与Cu2 的双组分竞争吸附,并对LCA模型进行修正,提出了更符合实际情况的竞争吸附模型。文章最后用LCA修正模型对Pb2 与Cu2 的双组分竞争吸附进行了模拟。     

野生与栽培黄花蒿净光合速率对光强和CO2浓度的响应

比较了相同种源的野生和栽培黄花蒿(Artemisia annua L.)净光合速率对光强和CO2浓度的响应特性。结果表明,野生和栽培黄花蒿的光饱和点(LSP)分别为1 183和1 564μmol m-2s-1,光补偿点(LCP)为17和18μmol m-2s-1,最大净光合速率(Pmax)为18.78和22.38μmol m-2s-1,表观量子效率(AQY)为0.08和0.075μmol m-2s-1,表明黄花蒿的光合能力强,能够利用很高的光强,且对弱光的适应性也较强。栽培黄花蒿的Pmax、LSP和最大羧化速率(Vcmax)显著高于野生黄花蒿,两者的LCP、不包括光下呼吸的CO2补偿点、AQY、光下呼吸速率和最大电子传递速率(Jmax)差异不显著。强光下栽培黄花蒿主要通过提高Vcmax和Jmax等来增强光合能力,强的光合能力有利于黄花蒿的生长,因此在人工栽培黄花蒿的过程中应选择阳光充足的开阔生境。