An update of the suicide plasmid-mediated genome editing system in Corynebacterium glutamicum

Corynebacterium glutamicum is an important industrial microorganism, but the availability of tools for its genetic modification has lagged compared to other model microorganisms such as Escherichia coli. Despite great progress in CRISPR-based technologies, the most feasible genome editing method in C. glutamicum is suicide plasmid-mediated, the editing efficiency of which is low due to high false-positive rates of sacB counter selection, and the requirement for tedious two-round selection and verification of rare double-cross-over events. In this study, an rpsL mutant conferring streptomycin resistance was harnessed for counter selection, significantly increasing the positive selection rate. More importantly, with the aid of high selection efficiencies through the use of antibiotics, namely kanamycin and streptomycin, the two-step verification strategy can be simplified to just one-step verification of the final edited strain. As proof of concept, a 2.5-kb DNA fragment comprising aroG^fbrpheA^fbr expressing cassettes was integrated into the genome of C. glutamicum, with an efficiency of 20% out of the theoretical 50%. The resulting strain produced 110 mg l⁻¹ l -tyrosine in shake-flask fermentation. This updated suicide plasmid-mediated genome editing system will greatly facilitate genetic manipulations including single nucleotide mutation, gene deletion and gene insertion in C. glutamicum and can be easily applied to other microbes.     

The roles of Centrin 2 and Dynein Light Chain 8a in apical secretory organelles discharge of Toxoplasma gondii

To efficiently enter host cells, apicomplexan parasites such as Toxoplasma gondii rely on an apical complex composed of tubulin‐based structures as well as two sets of secretory organelles named micronemes and rhoptries. The trafficking and docking of these organelles to the apical pole of the parasite is crucial for the discharge of their contents. Here, we describe two proteins typically associated with microtubules, Centrin 2 (CEN2) and Dynein Light Chain 8a (DLC8a), that are required for efficient host cell invasion. CEN2 localizes to four different compartments, and remarkably, conditional depletion of the protein occurs in stepwise manner, sequentially depleting the protein pools from each location. This phenomenon allowed us to discern the essential function of the apical pool of CEN2 for microneme secretion, motility, invasion and egress. DLC8a localizes to the conoid, and its depletion also perturbs microneme exocytosis in addition to the apical docking of the rhoptry organelles, causing a severe defect in host cell invasion. Phenotypic characterization of CEN2 and DLC8a indicates that while both proteins participate in microneme secretion, they likely act at different steps along the cascade of events leading to organelle exocytosis.     

Wound healing effects of methanol extract of Laurocerasus officinalis roem

Laurocerasus officinalis Roem. (syn: Prunus laurocerasus L.) is a member of Rosaceae family. We investigated the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of L. officinalis Roem in wound healing both in vivo and in vitro using an excisional wound model model in mice. We used four groups of eight mice as follows: untreated (control), empty gel, extract + gel (L. officinalis + gel), and Madecassol® groups. All treatments were applied topically once daily. The scar area, percentage wound closure and epithelization time were measured. L. officinalis promoted wound healing and increased granulation tissue, epidermal regeneration and angiogenesis. L. officinalis extract, which is known for its antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, may be useful for promoting wound healing.     

再循环抗体的研究进展

单克隆抗体因其与抗原结合具有高度特异性与强亲和力,已成为抗体药物研发的主要类型。但随着天然单克隆抗体的深入研究,它的诸多缺陷也浮出水面,如与抗原结合次数有限、带来非预期的抗体清除效应和抗原累积效应。人们不再局限于天然抗体的筛选,而是想通过改造提升抗体药物的药效。近年来,一类新型再循环抗体的问世,很好地解决了天然单克隆抗体发展的瓶颈。再循环抗体可以在胞外结合抗原,在细胞内与抗原解离,使抗体结合抗原次数最大化,减少抗原介导的抗体清除效应和抗体介导的抗原累积效应,并且再循环抗体可以通过进一步的Fc改造来加强与Fc受体的亲和力。文中综述了再循环抗体的研究进展,包括其特点、改造方法及展望。     

湖北省兰科植物1个新记录属和4个新记录种

报道了湖北兰科植物1个新记录属：菱兰属（Rhomboda Lindley）;4个新记录种：贵州菱兰（Rhomboda fanjingensis Ormerod）,大根兰（Cymbidium macrorhizon Lindley）,西南齿唇兰（Odontochilus elwesii C. B. Clarke ex Hook. f.）和多叶斑叶兰〔Goodyera foliosa （Lindl） Benth. ex Clarke〕。相关的凭证标本保存于吉首大学植物标本馆（Herbarium of Jishou University,JIU）,副份保存于后河国家级自然保护区标本馆（Herbarium of Houhe National Nature Reserve,HHE）。     

Delay and failure in treatment seeking after first onset of mental disorders in the World Health Organization's World Mental Health Survey Initiative

Data are presented on patterns of failure and delay in making initial treatment contact after first onset of a mental disorder in 15 countries in the World Health Organization (WHO)''s World Mental Health (WMH) Surveys. Representative face-to-face household surveys were conducted among 76,012 respondents aged 18 and older in Belgium, Colombia, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, People''s Republic of China (Beijing and Shanghai), Spain, and the United States. The WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) was used to assess lifetime DSM-IV anxiety, mood, and substance use disorders. Ages of onset for individual disorders and ages of first treatment contact for each disorder were used to calculate the extent of failure and delay in initial help seeking. The proportion of lifetime cases making treatment contact in the year of disorder onset ranged from 0.8 to 36.4% for anxiety disorders, from 6.0 to 52.1% for mood disorders, and from 0.9 to 18.6% for substance use disorders. By 50 years, the proportion of lifetime cases making treatment contact ranged from 15.2 to 95.0% for anxiety disorders, from 7.9 to 98.6% for mood disorders, and from 19.8 to 86.1% for substance use disorders. Median delays among cases eventually making contact ranged from 3.0 to 30.0 years for anxiety disorders, from 1.0 to 14.0 years for mood disorders, and from 6.0 to 18.0 years for substance use disorders. Failure and delays in treatment seeking were generally greater in developing countries, older cohorts, men, and cases with earlier ages of onset. These results show that failure and delays in initial help seeking are pervasive problems worldwide. Interventions to ensure prompt initial treatment contacts are needed to reduce the global burdens and hazards of untreated mental disorders.     

周围神经损伤后再生与修复机制研究进展

周围神经损伤是一种由于压迫、牵引、切割、缺血等原因引起的外周神经细胞损伤或坏死的疾病。周围神经损伤病理学变化包括轴浆运输受损、轴突变性、施万细胞损伤、节段性脱髓鞘和完全瓦勒氏变性。神经损伤后修复成为了现代医学研究中的热点与难点。本文对干细胞移植、神经营养因子、新型材料和生物电刺激在周围神经损伤修复中的作用及机制做了综述,并且对其在临床中的应用进行展望。     

三峡库区水体中固氮微生物多样性及其影响因素

【目的】研究分析不同时空条件下三峡库区水体固氮微生物多样性,并探讨其与地球化学参数的相关性。【方法】采集三峡库区不同时间(三月份和六月份)和空间(干流与支流)的水体样品,对其进行地球化学参数分析,并通过构建克隆文库分析样品中固氮功能基因(nifH)的多样性进而探讨其与水体地化参数的相关关系。【结果】统计分析显示三峡库区水体固氮微生物α-多样性和群落组成具有时空差异。支流水体样品的固氮微生物α-多样性高于干流水体样品;六月水体样品的固氮微生物α-多样性高于三月水体样品。三峡库区三月水体样品中的固氮微生物群落以Proteobacteria (50.3%)和Firmicutes (40.0%)为主;六月水体样品的固氮微生物群落以Proteobacteria(48.4%)、Firmicutes(25.4%)和Cyanobacteria(19.0%)为主。Mantel检验结果显示:固氮微生物群落结构的差异与温度、pH和DIC等地球化学参数具有显著(P0.05)相关性,其中温度和pH的相关性系数最大。【结论】三峡库区固氮微生物的种群结构和多样性具有时空差异,影响三峡水库水体中固氮微生物群落结构与多样性的主要环境因素为温度和pH,同时浊度、DIC、氨氮也对库区水体固氮微生物群落结构和多样性有一定的影响。     

Prediction analysis for microbiome sequencing data

One goal of human microbiome studies is to relate host traits with human microbiome compositions. The analysis of microbial community sequencing data presents great statistical challenges, especially when the samples have different library sizes and the data are overdispersed with many zeros. To address these challenges, we introduce a new statistical framework, called predictive analysis in metagenomics via inverse regression (PAMIR), to analyze microbiome sequencing data. Within this framework, an inverse regression model is developed for overdispersed microbiota counts given the trait, and then a prediction rule is constructed by taking advantage of the dimension‐reduction structure in the model. An efficient Monte Carlo expectation‐maximization algorithm is proposed for maximum likelihood estimation. The method is further generalized to accommodate other types of covariates. We demonstrate the advantages of PAMIR through simulations and two real data examples.     

Microvesicles-mediated communication between endothelial cells modulates,endothelial survival,and angiogenic function via transferring of miR-125a-5p

Endothelial cells (ECs) released microvesicles (EMVs) could modulate the functions of target cells by transferring their microRNAs (miRs). We have reported that miR-125a-5p protected EC function. In this study, we determined whether EMVs provided beneficial effects on ECs by transferring miR-125a-5p. Human brain microvessel ECs were transfected with miR-125a-5p mimic or miR-125a-5p short hairpin RNA to obtain miR-125a-5p overexpressing ECs and miR-125a-5p knockdown ECs, and their derived EMVs. For the functional study, ECs or hypoxia/reoxygenation injured ECs were coincubated with various EMVs. The survival and angiogenic function of ECs were measured. Western blot and quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) were used for measuring the levels of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), phosphorylation-Akt (p-Akt)/Akt, p-endothelial nitric oxide synthase (p-eNOS), cleaved caspase-3, and miR-125a-5p. PI3K inhibitor was used for pathway analysis. EMVs promoted the proliferation, migration, and tube formation ability of ECs, and alleviated the apoptotic rate of ECs. These effects were associated by an increase in p-Akt/Akt and p-eNOS, and a decrease in cleaved caspase-3 could be abolished by LY294002. Overexpression or downregulation of miR-125a-5p in EMVs promoted or inhibited those effects of EMVs. EMVs could enhance the survival and angiogenic function of ECs via delivering miR-125a-5p to modulate the expression of PI3K/Akt/eNOS pathway and caspase-3.