Using proteomics to discover novel biomarkers for fatty liver development and response to CB1R antagonist treatment in an obese mouse model

Over activity of cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1R) plays a key role in increasing the incidence of obesity‐induced non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease. Tissue proteome analysis has been applied to investigate the bioinformatics regarding the mode of action and therapeutic mechanism. The aim of this study was to explore the potential pathways altered with CB1R in obesity‐induced fatty liver. Male C57BL/6 mice were fed either a standard chow diet (STD) or a high‐fat diet (HFD) with or without 1‐week treatment of CB1R inverse agonist AM251 at 5 mg/kg. Then, liver tissues were harvested for 2DE analysis and protein profiles were identified by using MALDI‐MS. Results showed that eight of significantly altered protein spots at the level of changes > twofold were overlapped among the three groups, naming major urinary protein 1, ATP synthase subunit β, glucosamine‐fructose‐6‐phosphate aminotransferase 1, zine finger protein 2, s‐adenosylmethionine synthase isoform type‐1, isocitrate dehydrogenase subunit α, epoxide hydrolase 2 and 60S acidic ribosomal protein P0. These identified proteins were involved in glucose/lipid metabolic process, xenobiotic metabolic system, and ATP synthesized process in mitochondria. Based on the findings, we speculated that CB1R blockade might exert its anti‐metabolic disorder effect via improvement of mitochondrial function in hepatic steatosis in HFD condition.     

通过细胞内的靶向定位大幅度提高外源蛋白在转基因植株的积累水平

通过体外操作,对豇豆胰蛋白酶抑制剂(cpti)基因进行修饰,获得了一个融合蛋白基因(sck).该基因是在cpti基因的基础上,在其5'端添加了信号肽编码序列,在3'端添加了内质网滞留信号编码序列,旨在引导基因转译产物进入细胞内质网,并最终滞留在内质网及其衍生的蛋白体内.用sck基因转化烟草(Nicotiana tabacum L.),对获得的转基因植株进行ELISA检测.结果表明,含有修饰基因的转基因烟草CpTI蛋白含量有明显提高,比转未修饰cpti基因烟草平均高出2倍,最高单株可达4倍以上,同时转基因植株的抗虫性也有了显著的提高.结果表明,采用外源蛋白靶向定位的策略,可大幅度提高外源蛋白在转基因植物细胞内的积累量,在植物基因工程研究中具有广泛的借鉴意义.     

中国北方植被水分利用效率的时间变化特征及其影响因子

水分利用效率(WUE)既是衡量植被生长适应性的重要指标, 也是连接生态系统水碳循环的纽带。认识不同类型植被WUE的时间变化特征及驱动机制有助于增进对生态系统水碳循环过程的理解。已有研究表明, 在不同时间尺度下, WUE呈现不同的时间变化特征, 但现有研究多是集中在单一的时间尺度下开展的, 对不同植被类型在不同时间尺度下的动态变化及影响因子分析开展得较少。该研究选用中国北方地区9个定位观测台站的通量与气象数据, 分析了WUE的日内变化和季节变化特征, 并在0.5 h、1 d、8 d以及月尺度下, 分别分析了气温(T_a)、相对湿度(RH)、饱和水汽压差(VPD)以及光合有效辐射(PAR)等非生物因子对WUE的影响。同时, 该研究也分析了植被叶面积指数(LAI)和降水(P)对WUE的影响。研究发现: (1) WUE的日变化呈现不对称的“U”型特征, 日出时的WUE普遍高于日落时。荒漠地区WUE的季节变化呈“U”型, 而其他站点呈现单峰型。不同站点WUE的季节变化可以分为总初级生产力(GPP)主导型和蒸发散(ET)主导型, 并随着时间尺度的扩大, GPP或ET的主导作用逐渐增强。(2)在较短的时间尺度(0.5 h、1 d)上, T_a、RH、VPD和PAR是影响WUE变化的主要因子, 但随着时间尺度的扩大, T_a和RH成为影响WUE变化的主要因子, 并且与WUE的相关关系受GPP或ET对WUE主导作用的影响, 随着时间尺度增大, T_a和RH与WUE的线性关系更加显著。(3) WUE大体上随LAI的增加而增加, 但当LAI超过一定值时, 在长白山、海北和张掖站, WUE对LAI的敏感性降低。降水与WUE的关系在研究区域内并不显著。(4)不同植被类型的WUE由大到小依次为森林、农田、草地、湿地和荒漠。     

浙江清凉峰昆虫物种组成及其多样性

2008年5月至2013年12月,利用网捕、马氏网诱捕、灯诱等方法对浙江清凉峰进行了昆虫资源调查,共发现27目256科1598属2567种,优势类群鳞翅目、鞘翅目、半翅目、同翅目、双翅目、膜翅目的科数分别占总数的17.19%、12.5%、9.77%、9.38%、7.42%和6.25%,其种类数分别占25.42%、15.81%、4.96%、10.23%、11.71%和13.08%。优势类群的科属多度分析表明,该地区昆虫群落结构稳定。同时,多种物种多样性指数也表明浙江清凉峰昆虫物种昆虫多样性指数较高,群落稳定性好。     

晋江流域水质污染与浮游动物四季群落结构的关系

报道了2003年2、4、6、8、10和12月在福建晋江流域15个样点进行浮游动物群落生态学调查研究的结果。采用种类组成、种群数量、优势种群、Margalef和Shannon-Wiener多样性指数等参数,初步比较了流域中各不同河段的水质状况,结果显示,流域受污染程度的顺序为东、西溪〈晋江干流〈南、北干渠。东溪、西溪上过度开发的梯级水电站对浮游动物群落结构和水质有明显的影响,加速了水体富营养化进程。     

通过细胞内的靶向定位大幅度提高外源蛋白在转基因植株的积累水平

通过体外操作,对豇豆胰蛋白酶抑制剂(cpti)基因进行修饰,获得了一个融合蛋白基因(sck)。该基因是在cpti基因的基础上,在其5’端添加了信号肽编码序列,在3’端添加了内质网滞留信号编码序列,旨在引导基因转译产物进入细胞内质网,并最终滞留在内质网及其衍生的蛋白体内。用sck基因转化烟草(Nicotiana tabacum L.),对获得的转基因植株进行ELISA检测。结果表明,含有修饰基因的转基因烟草CpTI蛋白含量有明显提高,比转末修饰cpti基因烟草平均高出2倍,最高单株可达4倍以上,同时转基因植株的抗虫性也有了显著的提高。结果表明,采用外源蛋白靶向定位的策略,可大幅度提高外源蛋白在转基因植物细胞内的积累量,在植物基因工程研究中具有广泛的借鉴意义。     

菜粉蝶热激蛋白70(HSP70)基因的分子特性及其对杀虫剂胁迫的响应

[目的]明确菜粉蝶Pieris rapae热激蛋白70(HSP70)基因的分子特性及其对杀虫剂胁迫的响应,为探索菜粉蝶HSP70基因在抵御杀虫剂胁迫中的功能提供前期基础.[方法]利用同源检索方法,从菜粉蝶转录组数据中鉴定HSP70基因;使用生物信息学方法分析HSP70基因的分子特性;采用实时荧光定量PCR技术分析HSP...     

Macroalgae exhibit diverse responses to human disturbances on coral reefs

Scientists and managers rely on indicator taxa such as coral and macroalgal cover to evaluate the effects of human disturbance on coral reefs, often assuming a universally positive relationship between local human disturbance and macroalgae. Despite evidence that macroalgae respond to local stressors in diverse ways, there have been few efforts to evaluate relationships between specific macroalgae taxa and local human-driven disturbance. Using genus-level monitoring data from 1205 sites in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, we assess whether macroalgae percent cover correlates with local human disturbance while accounting for factors that could obscure or confound relationships. Assessing macroalgae at genus level revealed that no genera were positively correlated with all human disturbance metrics. Instead, we found relationships between the division or genera of algae and specific human disturbances that were not detectable when pooling taxa into a single functional category, which is common to many analyses. The convention to use percent cover of macroalgae as an indication of local human disturbance therefore likely obscures signatures of local anthropogenic threats to reefs. Our limited understanding of relationships between human disturbance, macroalgae taxa, and their responses to human disturbances impedes the ability to diagnose and respond appropriately to these threats.     

Method used to establish a large animal model of drug-induced acute kidney injury

Acute kidney injury is a serious health hazard disease due to its complex etiology and lack of effective treatments, resulting in high medical costs and high mortality. At present, a large number of basic research studies on acute kidney injury have been carried out. However, acute kidney injury models established in rodents sometimes do not simulate the course of human disease well. Research in large animal models of acute kidney injury is relatively rare, and methods to build a mature model of acute kidney injury have failed. Because its kidney anatomy and morphology are very similar to those in humans, the mini pig is an ideal animal in which to model kidney disease. Nephrotoxic drug-induced acute kidney injury has a high incidence. In this study, we established models of acute kidney injury induced by two drugs (gentamicin and cisplatin). Finally, the model of cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury was developed successfully, but we found the model of gentamycin-induced acute kidney injury was not reproducible. Compared to other models, these models better represent acute kidney injury caused by antibiotics and chemotherapeutic drugs and provide a basis for the study of new treatments for acute kidney injury in a large animal model.