中华绒螯蟹水通道蛋白11基因克隆及表达分析

为研究水通道蛋白11基因(AQP11)在中华绒螯蟹(Eriocheir sinensis)生长蜕壳过程中的功能作用,采用RACE技术克隆获得中华绒螯蟹水通道蛋白11基因cDNA全长序列.该序列总长为1 746bp,5'端和3'端非编码区分别为463 bp和476 bp,开放阅读框为807 bp,推测编码268个氨基酸,预测分子量29.46 kDa,理论等电点为5.38.生物学信息分析表明,AQP11含有4个跨膜区(第62～84,第159～181,第194～216,第231～250)和2个NPV单元,属于稳定蛋白;同源性和进化树分析表明,中华绒螯蟹AQP11氨基酸序列与凡纳滨对虾(Litopenaeus vannamei)的同源性最高(82.0％),与凡纳滨对虾的聚为一支,与甲壳动物的亲缘关系最近.实时荧光定量PCR(RT-qPCR)的检测显示,AQP11基因在中华绒螯蟹各组织中均有表达,其中在肠道中表达量最高,其次是脑、肌肉和胸神经节,在肝胰腺、鳃和血中表达量最低.研究发现,AQP11基因在中华绒螯蟹肠道中的表达呈现,在蜕壳间期(C期)和蜕壳前期(D期)过程中表达量均较低,在蜕壳期(E期)表达量开始上升,蜕壳后期(AB期)表达量不变.AQP11基因在肌肉中的表达呈现,蜕壳间期(C期)表达量低,蜕壳前期(D期)表达量开始上升,蜕壳期(E期)达到峰值,随后到蜕壳后期(AB期)下降.研究结果表明,中华绒螯蟹AQP11基因在其蜕壳过程中发挥着重要的作用.     

First record of organic-walled microfossils from the Tonian Shiwangzhuang Formation of the Tumen Group in western Shandong,North China

Organic-walled microfossils offer important information on the biospheric evolution in pre-Cryogenian and provide biostratigraphic implications for many Proterozoic fossiliferous sequences that are poorly age constrained for the lack of reliable radiometric date. Recently, macroscopic carbonaceous compression fossils have been reported for the first time from the Tonian Shiwangzhuang Formation of the Tumen Group in western Shandong, North China. However, organic-walled microfossils have never been discovered from this formation up till now. To improve our knowledge about Proterozoic biodiversity in North China, we conducted a micropaleontological survey on the argillaceous limestone samples of the Shiwangzhuang Formation, which also contain macroscopic carbonaceous compression fossils, from the Baishicun section in Anqiu, western Shandong, North China. Our investigation shows that the Shiwangzhuang microfossil assemblage is dominated by smooth-walled sphaeromorphic acritarchs and cyanobacterium-like filaments and relatively low abundance of other acritarchs, including 16 taxa, such as Polysphaeroides filliformis, Ostiana microcystis, Simia annulare, ?Jacutianema sp., Arctacellularia tetragonala, Pellicularia tenera, Polythrichoides lineatus, and Navifusa actinomorpha. The Shiwangzhuang organic-walled microfossil assemblage, although consisting of long-ranging and not age diagnostic taxa, is consistent with a Tonian age suggested by macroscopic carbonaceous compression fossils, including the Chuaria-Tawuia and Sinosabellidites-Protoarenicola-Pararenicola assemblages, revealed from the same fossiliferous horizon of the Shiwangzhuang Formation and by organic-walled microfossil assemblage, including the late Mesoproterozoic to Tonian index fossil Trachyhystrichosphaera aimika, from the underlying Tongjiazhuang Formation. However, it is also worth noting that a Cryogenian or Ediacaran age cannot be completely excluded based just on the Shiwangzhuang microfossils because of their limited biostratigraphic utility.     

Characteristics of Refractive-Index Sensor in Graphene-Modified Long-Range Surface Exciton-Polaritons

The organic non-crystalline medium of 5,6-dichloro-2-[[5,6-dichloro-1-ethyl-3-(4-sulfobutyl)-benzimidazol-2-ylidene]-propenyl]-1-ethyl-3-(4-sulfobutyl)-benzimidazolium hydroxide (TDBC) is emerging as possible alternative plasmonic material for noble metal in visible region. In this paper, a novel long-range surface exciton-polariton (LRSEP) sensor based on TDBC film covered with graphene is reported. To enhance the imaging sensitivity, the thickness of TDBC film and the number of graphene layers are optimized. The result shows that the optimized imaging sensitivity is enhanced to 3243 RIU⁻¹ when n_s = 1.34. Compared with the traditional noble metal film-based sensor, the proposed LRSEP sensor demonstrates that the imaging sensitivity has been greatly improved. This is the first study of the TDBC film-based LRSEP sensor, which we hope to support the potential development of chemical sensing and bio-sensing.

     

WormFarm: a quantitative control and measurement device toward automated Caenorhabditis elegans aging analysis

Caenorhabditis elegans is a leading model organism for studying the basic mechanisms of aging. Progress has been limited, however, by the lack of an automated system for quantitative analysis of longevity and mean lifespan. To address this barrier, we developed ‘WormFarm’, an integrated microfluidic device for culturing nematodes. Cohorts of 30–50 animals are maintained throughout their lifespan in each of eight separate chambers on a single WormFarm polydimethylsiloxane chip. Design features allow for automated removal of progeny and efficient control of environmental conditions. In addition, we have developed computational algorithms for automated analysis of video footage to quantitate survival and other phenotypes, such as body size and motility. As proof‐of‐principle, we show here that WormFarm successfully recapitulates survival data obtained from a standard plate‐based assay for both RNAi‐mediated and dietary‐induced changes in lifespan. Further, using a fluorescent reporter in conjunction with WormFarm, we report an age‐associated decrease in fluorescent intensity of GFP in transgenic worms expressing GFP tagged with a mitochondrial import signal under the control of the myo‐3 promoter. This marker may therefore serve as a useful biomarker of biological age and aging rate.     

Bone marrow lesion volume reduction is not associated with improvement of other periarticular bone measures: data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative

Introduction

We evaluated the associations between bone marrow lesion (BML) volume change and changes in periarticular bone mineral density (paBMD) as well as subchondral sclerosis to determine whether BML change is associated with other local bone changes.

Methods

The convenience sample comprised participants in the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) with weight-bearing posterior-anterior knee radiographs and magnetic resonance images (MRIs) at the 24- and 48-month visits and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at the 30-/36-month and 48-month visits. The right knee was assessed unless contraindicated for MRI. We used knee DXA scans to measure medial tibia paBMD and medial/lateral paBMD ratio (M:L paBMD). Knee radiographs were scored for sclerosis (grades 0 to 3) in the medial tibia. Two raters determined BML volume on sagittal fat-suppressed MRI by using a semiautomated segmentation method. To focus on knees with only medial tibia BML changes, knees with lateral tibial BMLs were excluded. Medial tibial BML volume change was classified into three groups: BML regression (lowest quartile of medial tibial BML volume change), no-to-minimal change (middle two quartiles), and BML progression (highest quartile). We used proportional odds logistic regression models to evaluate the association between quartiles of changes in medial paBMD or M:L paBMD ratio, as outcomes, and BML volume change.

Results

The sample (n = 308) included 163 (53%) female subjects, 212 (69%) knees with radiographic osteoarthritis, and participants with a mean age of 63.8 ± 9.3 years and mean body mass index of 29.8 ± 4.7 kg/m². We found an association between greater increases in medial tibia paBMD and BML regression (OR = 1.7 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.1 to 2.8)) and a similar trend for BML progression (OR = 1.6 (95% CI = 1.0 to 2.6]). We also detected associations between greater increase in M:L paBMD and BML regression (OR = 1.6 (95% CI = 1.0 to 2.7]) and BML progression (OR = 1.8 (95% CI = 1.1 to 3.0)), although BML regression had borderline statistical significance. The frequency of sclerosis progression in the medial tibia (n = 14) was greater among knees with BML progression or regression compared with knees without BML change (P = 0.01 and P = 0.04, respectively).

Conclusion

BML regression and BML progression are characterized by concurrent increases in paBMD and sclerosis, which are characteristic of increased radiographic osteoarthritis severity. At least during 24 months, BML regression is not representative of improvement in other periarticular bone measures.     

Ion-current-based Proteomic Profiling of the Retina in a Rat Model of Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome

Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS) is one of the most common recessive human disorders and is characterized by multiple congenital malformations as well as neurosensory and cognitive abnormalities. A rat model of SLOS has been developed that exhibits progressive retinal degeneration and visual dysfunction; however, the molecular events underlying the degeneration and dysfunction remain poorly understood. Here, we employed a well-controlled, ion-current-based approach to compare retinas from the SLOS rat model to retinas from age- and sex-matched control rats (n = 5/group). Retinas were subjected to detergent extraction and subsequent precipitation and on-pellet-digestion procedures and then were analyzed on a long, heated column (75 cm, with small particles) with a 7-h gradient. The high analytical reproducibility of the overall proteomics procedure enabled reliable expression profiling. In total, 1,259 unique protein groups, ∼40% of which were membrane proteins, were quantified under highly stringent criteria, including a peptide false discovery rate of 0.4%, with high quality ion-current data (e.g. signal-to-noise ratio ≥ 10) obtained independently from at least two unique peptides for each protein. The ion-current-based strategy showed greater quantitative accuracy and reproducibility over a parallel spectral counting analysis. Statistically significant alterations of 101 proteins were observed; these proteins are implicated in a variety of biological processes, including lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, cell death, proteolysis, visual transduction, and vesicular/membrane transport, consistent with the features of the associated retinal degeneration in the SLOS model. Selected targets were further validated by Western blot analysis and correlative immunohistochemistry. Importantly, although photoreceptor cell death was validated by TUNEL analysis, Western blot and immunohistochemical analyses suggested a caspase-3-independent pathway. In total, these results provide compelling new evidence implicating molecular changes beyond the initial defect in cholesterol biosynthesis in this retinal degeneration model, and they might have broader implications with respect to the pathobiological mechanism underlying SLOS.Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS)¹ is an autosomal recessive disorder associated with subnormal growth and failure to thrive, mental retardation and neurosensory deficits, and multiple congenital anomalies, including dysmorphologies (1, 2). Early epidemiological studies estimated the incidence of SLOS as 1 in 20,000 to 1 in 60,000 live births, primarily among Caucasians (1, 2). However, more recent studies suggest that the SLOS carrier frequency is ∼1 in 30 to 1 in 50; this predicts a much higher actual disease frequency, ranging from 1 in 1,590 to 1 in 17,000 (3, 4), making SLOS the fourth most common autosomal recessive human disease (after cystic fibrosis, phenylketonuria, and hemochromatosis). Mutation of the DHCR7 gene is the intrinsic cause of SLOS; this gene encodes the enzyme DHCR7 (3β-hydroxysterol-Δ7-reductase, a.k.a. 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase; EC1.3.1.21), which catalyzes the final step in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway, reducing the Δ7 double bond and thus converting 7-dehydrocholesterol (7DHC) to cholesterol (4, 5). As a consequence, markedly reduced levels of cholesterol and aberrantly elevated levels of the cholesterol precursor 7DHC (and its epimer, 8DHC) are observed in the majority of affected SLOS patients (6, 7). Therefore, the clinical suspicion of SLOS is confirmed by elevated 7DHC in plasma or tissues, typically demonstrated via chromatographic methods (e.g. HPLC or GC/MS) (8, 9).Visual capacity may become compromised in SLOS patients because of a variety of congenital or postnatal pathologies, such as cataracts, aniridia, corneal endothelium defects, sclerocornea, electrophysiological defects in the retina, optic nerve abnormalities, or other ophthalmologic problems (10, 11). We currently lack full knowledge of the exact pathobiological mechanism underlying SLOS, but additional insights may be afforded by studies employing a rodent model of the disease in which rats are treated with AY9944 (trans-1,4-bis[2-chlorobenzylaminomethyl] cyclohexane dihydrochloride), a relatively selective inhibitor of DHCR7 (12–14). We previously described progressive retinal degeneration in this rat model of SLOS, which is characterized by the shortening of retinal rod outer segments, pyknosis and thinning of the outer nuclear layer (ONL) of the retina (which contains the photoreceptor nuclei), and accumulation of membranous/lipid inclusions in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) (12, 13). Reduced rod outer segment membrane fluidity, primarily caused by a dramatic (30 to 40 mol%) decline in docosahexaenoic acid (22:6, n3) levels relative to age-matched controls, also was observed in the SLOS rat model by three postnatal months (15, 16). Retinal function and sterol steady-state in the same rat model of SLOS can be partially rescued using a high-cholesterol diet (2% by weight), although histological degeneration of the retina still occurs (17). However, the molecular mechanisms that underlie the observed electrophysiological defects in the retina, the accumulation of membranous/lipid inclusions in the RPE, the shortening of retinal rod outer segments, and the initiation of ONL pyknosis in the SLOS rat model remain poorly understood. Therefore, a comprehensive profiling of the retinal proteomes of AY9944-treated versus age-matched untreated control rats may contribute to further understanding of the underlying mechanisms responsible for the retinopathy associated with the SLOS model and, by extension, the human disease.Nevertheless, extensive and reliable expression profiling of the retinal proteome remains a prominent challenge, owing to the need to quantify data from multiple animals and a high percentage of integral membrane and membrane-associated proteins (18, 19). Label-free approaches can compare multiple replicates (20–22) with quantitative accuracy comparable to that attained with stable isotope-labeling methods (23–25). However, in order to achieve reliable relative quantification, highly quantitative and reproducible sample preparation and LC/MS analysis are required for relatively large-scale sample cohorts.In the present study, we performed a reproducible, well-controlled, ion-current-based comparative proteomic analysis of the retinas from AY9944-treated versus age/sex-matched control rats (n = 5 animals per group). A high-concentration detergent mixture was used for the efficient extraction of proteins from retinas, and samples then underwent a reproducible precipitation/on-pellet-digestion procedure and long-column, 7-h nano-LC-MS analysis. These approaches ensured extensive comparative analysis of retina samples with 10 animals. The preparative and analytical procedures were carefully optimized and controlled to ensure optimal reproducibility. Two label-free approaches, the ion-current-based method and a spectral counting method, were compared in parallel. The altered proteins were subjected to functional annotation, and selected groups of proteins of interest were further validated by means of Western blot and correlative immunohistochemical analysis.     

Expression and role of Toll-like receptors on human umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cells

Background aimsToll-like receptors (TLRs) play an important role in innate and adaptive immunity by recognizing pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs).MethodsIn the present study, we investigated the expression and role of TLRs on human umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cells (UC-MSCs). The proliferation, differentiation and immunoregulatory activity of UC-MSCs primed with or without TLR ligands were determined.ResultsAt the RNA level, the expression of TLR2, 4, 6 and 9 was relatively higher than that of other TLRs. However, TLR3 and TLR4 expression were relatively higher at the protein level. UC-MSCs expressed functional TLRs by nuclear factor-κB activation and cytokine expression assay. Poly-inosinic acid:cytidylic acid [Poly(I:C)] stimulation inhibited the proliferation of UC-MSCs, but the ligand of other TLRs had no significant effect. Poly(I:C) stimulation enhanced the adipogenic differentiation capability of UC-MSCs, but lipopolysaccharide inhibited the adipogenic differentiation. Poly(I:C) and CpG-oligonucleotide promoted the immunosuppressive potentiality of UC-MSCs, accompanied with the phosphorylation of interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) and increased expression of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase and interferon β, whereas activation of other TLR ligands (synthetic analog fibroblast-stimulating lipopeptide-1 and lipopolysaccharide) failed to affect the immunoregulatory activity of UC-MSCs.ConclusionsTaken together, our data demonstrated that TLR activation influenced the function of UC-MSCs, which might have important implications in future efforts to explore the clinical potentials of UC-MSCs.