眼底图象定量分析

本文介绍了基于数学形态学的图象分析系统在生物医学,特别是眼底图方面日益广泛的应用.提出了运用图象分析系统取得眼底照片上一些参数的方法.主要参数包括:动静脉管径及其比例,无灌注区的面积等.这些参数不仅用于眼科方面的诊断和治疗,对于分析和诊断全身性疾病,如高血压、动脉硬化、糖尿病、静脉阻塞等都具有重要价值     

一株人抗人A—血型物质单克隆抗体特异性的研究

本文对一株人抗人A-血型物质单克隆抗体,用定量免疫沉淀法以及ELISA研究其与多种单糖、双糖及寡糖的反应性,从而确定了其结合部位的结构特异性。实验发现其结合部位互补于含有双分子岩藻糖残基的A-t糖:这一研究进一步强调了含有双分子岩藻糖残基的A血型抗原决定簇的重要性。     

Analysis of synonymous codon usage patterns in the genus Rhizobium

The codon usage patterns of rhizobia have received increasing attention. However, little information is available regarding the conserved features of the codon usage patterns in a typical rhizobial genus. The codon usage patterns of six completely sequenced strains belonging to the genus Rhizobium were analysed as model rhizobia in the present study. The relative neutrality plot showed that selection pressure played a role in codon usage in the genus Rhizobium. Spearman’s rank correlation analysis combined with correspondence analysis (COA) showed that the codon adaptation index and the effective number of codons (ENC) had strong correlation with the first axis of the COA, which indicated the important role of gene expression level and the ENC in the codon usage patterns in this genus. The relative synonymous codon usage of Cys codons had the strongest correlation with the second axis of the COA. Accordingly, the usage of Cys codons was another important factor that shaped the codon usage patterns in Rhizobium genomes and was a conserved feature of the genus. Moreover, the comparison of codon usage between highly and lowly expressed genes showed that 20 unique preferred codons were shared among Rhizobium genomes, revealing another conserved feature of the genus. This is the first report of the codon usage patterns in the genus Rhizobium.     

阿魏蘑液体发酵过程菌体形态变化对产漆酶的影响

本文旨在研究阿魏蘑菌体形态与漆酶产量之间的关系。结果显示,玻璃珠的添加可改变发酵过程中菌体形态,漆酶产量在球状菌体条件下高于丝状、絮状菌丝：直径分布在0.2~0.4 mm范围的菌球对漆酶的合成具有明显的促进作用;适合的葡萄糖、玉米粉和麸皮添加量,对直径在0.2~0.4 mm范围的菌球形成具有重要影响。此外,添加惰性载体同样可以控制菌球的直径分布,但对漆酶的合成无促进作用。     

hPNAS-4 inhibits proliferation through S phase arrest and apoptosis: underlying action mechanism in ovarian cancer cells

PNAS-4, a novel pro-apoptotic gene, was activated during the early response to DNA damage. Previous studies have shown that hPNAS-4 can inhibit tumor growth when over-expressed in ovarian cancer cells. However, the underlying action mechanism remains elusive. In this work, we found that hPNAS-4 expression was significantly increased in SKOV3 cells when exposed to cisplatin, methyl methanesulfonate or mitomycin C, and that its overexpression could induce proliferation inhibition, S phase arrest and apoptosis in A2780s and SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells. The S phase arrest caused by hPNAS-4 was associated with up-regulation of p21. p21 is p53-dispensable and correlates with activation of ERK, and activation of the Cdc25A-Cdk2-Cyclin E/Cyclin A pathway, while the pro-apoptotic effects of hPNAS-4 were mediated by activation of caspase-9 and -3 other than caspase-8, and accompanied by release of AIF, Smac and cytochrome c into the cytosol. Taken together, these data suggest a new mechanism by which hPNAS-4 inhibits proliferation of ovarian cancer cells by inducing S phase arrest and apoptosis via activation of Cdc25A-Cdk2-Cyclin E/Cyclin A axis and mitochondrial dysfunction-mediated caspase-dependent and -independent apoptotic pathways. To our knowledge, we provide the first molecular evidence for the potential application of hPNAS-4 as a novel target in ovarian cancer gene therapy.     

Caenorhabditis elegans anillin (ani-1) regulates neuroblast cytokinesis and epidermal morphogenesis during embryonic development

The formation of tissues is essential for metazoan development. During Caenorhabditis elegans embryogenesis, ventral epidermal cells migrate to encase the ventral surface of the embryo in a layer of epidermis by a process known as ventral enclosure. This process is regulated by guidance cues secreted by the underlying neuroblasts. However, since the cues and their receptors are differentially expressed in multiple cell types, the role of the neuroblasts in ventral enclosure is not fully understood. Furthermore, although F-actin is required for epidermal cell migration, it is not known if nonmuscle myosin is also required. Anillin (ANI-1) is an actin and myosin-binding protein that coordinates actin–myosin contractility in the early embryo. Here, we show that ANI-1 localizes to the cleavage furrows of dividing neuroblasts during mid-embryogenesis and is required for their division. Embryos depleted of ani-1 display a range of ventral enclosure phenotypes, where ventral epidermal cells migrate with similar speeds to control embryos, but contralateral neighbors often fail to meet and are misaligned. The ventral enclosure phenotypes in ani-1 RNAi embryos suggest that the position or shape of neuroblasts is important for directing ventral epidermal cell migration, although does not rule out an autonomous requirement for ani-1 in the epidermal cells. Furthermore, we show that rho-1 and other regulators of nonmuscle myosin activity are required for ventral epidermal cell migration. Interestingly, altering nonmuscle myosin contractility alleviates or strengthens ani-1's ventral enclosure phenotypes. Our findings suggest that ventral enclosure is a complex process that likely relies on inputs from multiple tissues.     

Electrically tunable organic bioelectronics for spatial and temporal manipulation of neuron-like pheochromocytoma (PC-12) cells

Background

Organic bioelectronic devices consisting of alternating poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and reduced graphite oxide (rGO) striped microelectrode arrays were fabricated by lithography technology. It has been demonstrated that the organic bioelectronic devices can be used to spatially and temporally manipulate the location and proliferation of the neuron-like pheochromocytoma cells (PC-12 cells).

Methods

By coating an electrically labile contact repulsion layer of poly(l-lysine-graft-ethylene glycol) (PLL-g-PEG) on the PEDOT electrode, the location and polarity of the PC-12 cells were confined to the rGO electrodes.

Results

The outgrowth of spatially confined bipolar neurites was found to align along the direction of the 20 μm wide electrode. The location of the PC-12 cells can also be manipulated temporally by applying electrical stimulation during the neurite differentiation of PC-12 cells, allowing the PC-12 cells to cross over the boundary between the PEDOT and the rGO regions and construct neurite networks in an unconfined manner where the contact repulsive coating of PLL-g-PEG was removed.

Conclusions

This adsorption and desorption of the PLL-g-PEG without and with electrical stimulation can be attributed to the tunable surface properties of the PEDOT microelectrodes, whose surface charge can switch from being negative to positive under electrical stimulation.

General significance

The electrically tunable organic bioelectronics reported here could potentially be applied to tissue engineering related to the development and regeneration of mammalian nervous systems. The spatial and temporal control in this device would also be used to study the synapse junctions of neuron–neuron contacts in both time and space domains. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Organic Bioelectronics — Novel Applications in Biomedicine.