Methylation protects miRNAs and siRNAs from a 3'-end uridylation activity in Arabidopsis

Small RNAs of 21-25 nucleotides (nt), including small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs), act as guide RNAs to silence target-gene expression in a sequence-specific manner. In addition to a Dicer homolog, DCL1, the biogenesis of miRNAs in Arabidopsis requires another protein, HEN1. miRNAs are reduced in abundance and increased in size in hen1 mutants. We found that HEN1 is a miRNA methyltransferase that adds a methyl group to the 3'-most nucleotide of miRNAs, but the role of miRNA methylation was unknown. Here, we show that siRNAs from sense transgenes, hairpin transgenes, and transposons or repeat sequences, as well as a new class of siRNAs known as trans-acting siRNAs, are also methylated in vivo by HEN1. In addition, we show that the size increase of small RNAs in the hen1-1 mutant is due to the addition of one to five U residues to the 3' ends of the small RNAs. Therefore, a novel uridylation activity targets the 3' ends of unmethylated miRNAs and siRNAs in hen1 mutants. We conclude that 3'-end methylation is a common step in miRNA and siRNA metabolism and likely protects the 3' ends of the small RNAs from the uridylation activity.     

BRG1 variant rs1122608 on chromosome 19p13.2 confers protection against stroke and regulates expression of pre-mRNA-splicing factor SFRS3

A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs1122608 on chromosome 19p13.2 and in the BRG1/SMARCA4 gene was previously associated with coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD and ischemic stroke are both associated with atherosclerosis. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that rs1122608 is associated with ischemic stroke. Further studies were used to identify the most likely mechanism by which rs1122608 regulates atherosclerosis. For case–control association studies, two independent Chinese Han GeneID cohorts were used, including a Central cohort with 1,075 cases and 2,685 controls and the Northern cohort with 1,208 cases and 824 controls. eQTL and real-time RT-PCR analyses were used to identify the potential candidate gene(s) affected by rs1122608. The minor allele T of SNP rs1122608 showed significant association with a decreased risk of ischemic stroke in the Central GeneID cohort (adjusted P _adj = 2.1 × 10^?4, OR 0.61). The association was replicated in an independent Northern GeneID cohort (P _adj = 6.00 × 10^?3, OR 0.69). The association became more significant in the combined population (P _adj = 7.86 × 10^?5, OR 0.73). Allele T of SNP rs1122608 also showed significant association with a decreased total cholesterol level (P _adj = 0.013). Allele T of rs1122608 was associated with an increased expression level of SFRS3 encoding an mRNA splicing regulator, but not with the expression of BRG1/SMARCA4 or LDLR (located 36 kb from rs1122608). Increased expression of SFSR3 may decrease IL-1β expression and secretion, resulting in reduced risk of atherosclerosis and stroke. This is the first study that demonstrates that rs1122608 confers protection against ischemic stroke and implicates splicing factor SFSR3 in the disease process.     

Direct competitive chemiluminescence immunoassays based on gold‐coated magnetic particles for detection of chloramphenicol

Direct competitive chemiluminescence immunoassays (CLIA) based on gold‐coated magnetic nanospheres (Au‐MNPs) were developed for rapid analysis of chloramphenicol (CAP). The Au‐MNPs were modified with carboxyl groups and amino groups by 11‐mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA) and cysteamine respectively, and then were respectively conjugated with CAP base and CAP succinate via an activating reaction using 1‐ethyl‐3‐(3‐dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) and N‐hydroxysuccinimide (NHS). NSP‐DMAE‐NHS, a new and effective luminescence reagent, was employed to label anti‐CAP antibody (mAb) as a tracer in direct CLIA for CAP detection using a ‘homemade’ luminescent measurement system that was set up with a photomultiplier tube (PMT) and a photon counting unit linked to a computer. The sensitivities and limits of detection (LODs) of the two methods were obtained and compared according to the inhibition curves. The 50% inhibition concentration (IC₅₀) values of the two methods were about 0.044 ng/mL and 0.072 ng/mL respectively and LODs were approximately 0.001 ng/mL and 0.006 ng/mL respectively. To our knowledge, they were much more sensitive than any traditional enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) ever reported. Moreover, the new luminescence reagent NSP‐DMAE‐NHS is much more sensitive and stable than luminol and its derivatives, contributing to the sensitivity enhancement. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

国家级经济技术开发区绿色发展指数研究

国家级经济技术开发区是改革开放以来中国经济发展的缩影,已成为中国推动开放型经济发展,促进工业化、城镇化进程,实现区域发展战略的重要支撑。处理好经济发展与节约资源、保护环境的关系,实现绿色、低碳、循环发展,提高发展的质量和效益,是国家级经开区在新形势下面临的新挑战。为推进国家级经开区的创新驱动和绿色发展,加强对国家级经开区绿色低碳循环发展的引导,通过建立绿色发展指数方法,对国家级经开区的绿色发展水平进行评价,以期为管理决策提供参考。绿色发展水平定量评价研究运用多准则排序方法构建了绿色发展指数。首先从经济发展、资源能源消耗、生态环境和基础设施4个方面构建了国家级经开区绿色发展评价指标体系,其次对各项指标进行归一化处理,加权后得到绿色发展指数。以2007年52家国家级经开区各项指标(基于不变价格的平均值)为参照,分析了2007—2012年52家国家级经开区绿色发展指数的动态变化,采用动态气泡图直观地表征年际间经开区绩效的横向和纵向变化。比较了东中西部国家级经开区绿色发展水平的差异,及建设国家生态工业示范园区对其绿色发展指数的影响,进而对国家级经开区的绿色发展进行了展望。     

药源植物盾叶薯蓣甾体皂苷及皂苷元的研究进展

盾叶薯蓣是重要的甾体激素类药源植物,其根茎中薯蓣皂苷元含量居薯蓣属植物之冠,为我国的特有种。为了寻找高含量的资源、筛选新的生理活性成分,多年来我国学者做了大量的研究工作。主要概括了盾叶薯蓣的资源分布、薯蓣皂苷元的提取工艺、化学成分、药理、含量测定等方面的研究。     

Reconstitution of ThiC in thiamine pyrimidine biosynthesis expands the radical SAM superfamily

4-Amino-5-hydroxymethyl-2-methylpyrimidine phosphate (HMP-P) synthase catalyzes a complex rearrangement of 5-aminoimidazole ribonucleotide (AIR) to form HMP-P, the pyrimidine moiety of thiamine phosphate. We determined the three-dimensional structures of HMP-P synthase and its complexes with the product HMP-P and a substrate analog imidazole ribotide. The structure of HMP-P synthase reveals a homodimer in which each protomer comprises three domains: an N-terminal domain with a novel fold, a central (betaalpha)(8) barrel and a disordered C-terminal domain that contains a conserved CX(2)CX(4)C motif, which is suggestive of a [4Fe-4S] cluster. Biochemical studies have confirmed that HMP-P synthase is iron sulfur cluster-dependent, that it is a new member of the radical SAM superfamily and that HMP-P and 5'-deoxyadenosine are products of the reaction. M?ssbauer and EPR spectroscopy confirm the presence of one [4Fe-4S] cluster. Structural comparisons reveal that HMP-P synthase is homologous to a group of adenosylcobalamin radical enzymes. This similarity supports an evolutionary relationship between these two superfamilies.     

微小RNA与肺癌耐药

肺癌细胞对化疗药物产生耐药性是目前肺癌化疗过程中遇到的主要问题。微小RNA（miRNA）是一类内源性非编码短链小分子RNA,它能调节细胞生长、凋亡和信号转导。miRNA的多态性与药物代谢和耐药形成密切相关,异常表达的miRNA对预测肺癌化疗药物敏感性有重要作用。调节特异miRNA的表达,将为克服肺癌耐药和选择个体化治疗开辟新的途径。     

拟南芥不定芽发生早期的数字基因表达谱分析

目前,有关不定芽发生的研究主要集中在单基因的调控方面,缺乏转录组方面的系统研究.利用RNA-seq高通量测序技术在全基因组范围内检测了不定芽发生早期的基因表达谱,共检测到2457个差异表达基因.这些基因参与了激素代谢和信号转导、愈伤组织和侧根的形成、茎顶端分生组织的发育和光合作用等过程.进一步的途径富集分析表明,不定芽发生早期苯丙氨酸代谢和苯丙胺素合成等途径相关的基因显著富集.并且苯丙氨酸可以显著抑制不定芽的发生,暗示了苯丙氨酸代谢和苯丙胺素的合成可能在不定芽发生过程起着重要的作用.     

鲫鱼(Carassius auratus)表达序列标签资源的SSR构成与分布分析

分析鲫鱼EST资源的SSR信息,为开发EST-SSR标记奠定基础.从GenBank中获得鲫鱼EST序列,然后用Sequencher 4.8软件进行序列拼接得到Uni-EST序列,再通过SciRoKo 3.4软件扫描Uni-EST序列中的SSR,最后得出EST-SSR的分布特征、频率和重复基元类型等特征.通过搜索共获得9 230条鲫鱼EST原始序列,通过使用计算机软件进行预处理共得到全长为3.81×106 bp的无冗余Uni-EST 7 092条.在这些序列中共搜索出597个SSR位点,分布在545条Uni-EST序列中,发生频率为8.13％,EST-SSR的平均长度为(19.34±6.23) bp,平均每Mb含156.55个SSR位点.单核苷酸重复在鲫鱼EST-SSR中占主导地位,发生频率为39.53％,其次为二核苷酸重复,发生频率为36.68％以及三核苷酸重复的15.41％.在所有非单核苷酸重复基元中,AC基元出现频率最高,其次为AG.设计出引物404对.最后得出结论鲫鱼EST中SSR出现的频率较高,并且类型较为丰富,为进行遗传多样性分析和重要经济性状筛选等方面的研究提供了基础和指导.