Insulation and wiring specificity of BceR‐like response regulators and their target promoters in Bacillus subtilis

BceRS and PsdRS are paralogous two‐component systems in Bacillus subtilis controlling the response to antimicrobial peptides. In the presence of extracellular bacitracin and nisin, respectively, the two response regulators (RRs) bind their target promoters, P_bceA or P_psdA, resulting in a strong up‐regulation of target gene expression and ultimately antibiotic resistance. Despite high sequence similarity between the RRs BceR and PsdR and their known binding sites, no cross‐regulation has been observed between them. We therefore investigated the specificity determinants of P_bceA and P_psdA that ensure the insulation of these two paralogous pathways at the RR–promoter interface. In vivo and in vitro analyses demonstrate that the regulatory regions within these two promoters contain three important elements: in addition to the known (main) binding site, we identified a linker region and a secondary binding site that are crucial for functionality. Initial binding to the high‐affinity, low‐specificity main binding site is a prerequisite for the subsequent highly specific binding of a second RR dimer to the low‐affinity secondary binding site. In addition to this hierarchical cooperative binding, discrimination requires a competition of the two RRs for their respective binding site mediated by only slight differences in binding affinities.     

Ibuprofen Exerts Antiepileptic and Neuroprotective Effects in the Rat Model of Pentylenetetrazol-Induced Epilepsy via the COX-2/NLRP3/IL-18 Pathway

Neurochemical Research - Epilepsy is one of the most common diseases of the central nervous system. Recent studies have shown that a variety of inflammatory mediators play a key role in the...     

Cloning and expressing a recombinant human tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2) in methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris and its characterizations

To obtain human tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2)cDNA and the secretory expression of TIMP-2 gene in Pichia pastoris,we designed and synthesized a 618 base pairs artificial gene coding for the TIMP-2 with a computer-aided design method using a standard chemical synthesis technique,which was composed of frequently used codons in the highly expressed Pichia pastoris genes.Then the synthetic gene encoding TIMP-2 was checked by means of dideoxynucleotide sequencing.The verified gene of TIMP-2 was cloned to the Escherichia coli-yeast shuttle vector of pPIC9 to construct a recombinant plasmid pPIC9-T2.The plasmid was transformed into GS115 cells of the methylotrophic yeast,Pichia pastoris by electroporation,and we got the expression cell through phenotype selection and induction with methanol.Separation,purification,and bioactivity analysis of the expressed products were performed.     

NaCl胁迫对马齿苋光合作用及叶绿素荧光特性的影响

以马齿苋为材料,采用温室盆栽法研究了14 d NaCl胁迫处理对其幼苗生长、光合作用和叶绿素荧光特性的影响.结果显示:(1)马齿苋幼苗的鲜重和株高在25 mmol·L-1 NaCl胁迫时与对照无显著差异,但其随着NaCl浓度的继续增加均显著降低,且其生物量受到的抑制早于株高.(2) NaCl胁迫下,马齿苋幼苗叶片净光合速率(Pn)降低,胞间二氧化碳浓度(C1)增大,且两者的变化幅度随着NaCl浓度增加而增大.(3)NaCl胁迫下,马齿苋幼苗叶片的初始荧光(F0)、最大荧光(Fm)、可变荧光(Fv)、恒态荧光(Fs)、恒态荧光与初始荧光差值(△F0)、PSⅡ潜在光化学效率(Fv/Fo)和PSⅡ最大光化学效率(Fv/Fm)均降低,叶片光化学荧光猝灭系数(qP)也在NaCl胁迫下降低,而非光化学荧光猝灭系数(NPQ)则上升;在0～50 mmol·L-1NaCl胁迫下,幼苗叶片各荧光参数下降幅度小于其他高浓度NaCl胁迫.研究表明,在NaCl胁迫条件下,马齿苋幼苗叶片的光合作用受光抑制伤害,但在低浓度NaCl下能够较多地将光能用于光化学反应,光抑制程度较低,保持了较高的净光合速率,明显减轻盐胁迫对植株生长的影响,表现出一定的耐盐性.     

宫颈癌差异表达基因筛选及功能分析

目的:筛选参与宫颈癌发生、发展的关键基因,为临床诊疗提供新的靶点。方法:在NCBI-GEO数据库中筛选多组宫颈癌基因表达检测数据集,利用GEO2R分析工具筛选各组数据集的差异表达基因;应用R分析筛选不同数据集之间共有的差异表达基因;利用DAVID在线分析对差异表达基因进行功能聚类和通路分析;利用STRING分析差异表达基因编码蛋白之间的相互作用关系。结果:共选择6组表达数据集,筛选得到59个差异表达基因(宫颈癌组织vs正常组织),表达差异至少达2倍,其中包含50个表达上调基因及9个表达下调基因。这些差异表达基因参与细胞周期、DNA复制、细胞分裂等生物进程。蛋白互作分析表明,这些差异表达基因多数存在相互作用。结论:利用生物信息学方法对不同来源的基因检测数据进行整合分析,有助于更准确的筛选对宫颈癌发生、发展过程具有重要作用的关键基因,本文筛选的宫颈癌差异基因为进一步研究宫颈癌发生、发展的分子机制及临床诊疗提供思路。     

光合细菌的分离、保存及其同化磷能力试验研究

为了研究光合细菌的保藏方法及其同化磷能力,采用液体种室内自然放置、液体种蜡封和穿刺物蜡封等方法对光合细菌进行保藏方法研究,结果表明,液体种蜡封和穿刺物蜡封可作为该菌种的长期保存方法;对两株菌的磷同化能力进行了比较,降解率分别为22%和15%。本研究为获得光合细菌的长期保存方法及其在污水净化中的应用提供参考。     

重组人血清白蛋白-干扰素α2b融合蛋白在PichiaPink系统中的表达

目的:比较PichiaPink表达系统和巴斯德毕赤酵母GS115在表达外源蛋白方面的差异,对PichiaPink表达系统的潜在优点进行评价。方法:以重组人血清白蛋白-干扰素α2b融合蛋白(HSA-IFN-α2b)为报告蛋白,构建相关载体,分别转化PichiaPink系统菌株和巴斯德毕赤酵母GS115菌株,诱导HSA-IFN-α2b表达并测定表达水平;通过SDS-PAGE检测HSA-IFN-α2b在PichiaPink系统中的降解程度。结果:PichiaPink系统几乎所有的转化子都可以表达HSA-IFN-α2b,而GS115菌株只有60%的转化子能表达HSA-IFN-α2b;同一种Pink菌株中,整合有高拷贝数表达载体pPink-HC的菌株表达量高于整合有低拷贝数表达载体pPink-LC的菌株;Pink蛋白酶缺陷菌株在复杂培养基(YPD,BMMY)中HSA-IFN-α2b基本没有降解,而在合成培养基(BSM)中降解现象明显。结论:PichiaPink表达系统产生的转化子较GS115菌株产生的转化子易于筛选;PichiaPink系统蛋白酶缺陷菌株可明显减少外源蛋白降解。这些结果为利用PichiaPink表达系统高水平和大规模制备外源蛋白提供了实验依据。     

Systematic analysis of multigene predictors in gastric cancer exploiting gene expression signature

Gastric cancer (GC) is the second most common cause of cancer death worldwide but could be more curable if diagnosed at an earlier stage. At present, the capability to predict the efficaciousness of molecular diagnosis for GC for each patient remains elusive. The purpose of this study was to identify tumor biomarkers through systems analysis of multigene predictors exploiting the available data resource. In this study, we investigated the top 10% overexpressed genes in GC from five data sets of the Oncomine platform, with 265 GC samples versus 174 normal gastric mucosa samples. Sixteen candidate genes were identified as predictors of GC, of which 14 genes were verified through the comparison of expression levels in specimens from normal (chronic gastritis, 21 samples) and GC groups (38 samples). In addition, unique molecular portraits of diffuse adenocarcinoma (DA), intestinal adenocarcinoma (IA), and mixed adenocarcinoma (MA) were studied through Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis, where DA showed higher extracellular matrix alteration while IA and MA showed higher cell-cycle alteration than other types. We also found that the elevated expressions of genes during GC progression were independent of gene mutations, and high core-binding factor subunit β expression is correlated with a high overall survival rate in GC patients. Our research may provide an efficient clinical diagnosis of GC at an early stage with high accuracy and thus help improve the overall survival rate through early therapeutic interventions.     

Population Differences in Brain Morphology and Microstructure among Chinese,Malay, and Indian Neonates

We studied a sample of 75 Chinese, 73 Malay, and 29 Indian healthy neonates taking part in a cohort study to examine potential differences in neonatal brain morphology and white matter microstructure as a function of ethnicity using both structural T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). We first examined the differences in global size and morphology of the brain among the three groups. We then constructed the T2-weighted MRI and DTI atlases and employed voxel-based analysis to investigate ethnic differences in morphological shape of the brain from the T2-weighted MRI, and white matter microstructure measured by fractional anisotropy derived from DTI. Compared with Malay neonates, the brains of Indian neonates’ tended to be more elongated in anterior and posterior axis relative to the superior-inferior axis of the brain even though the total brain volume was similar among the three groups. Although most anatomical regions of the brain were similar among Chinese, Malay, and Indian neonates, there were anatomical variations in the spinal-cerebellar and cortical-striatal-thalamic neural circuits among the three populations. The population-related brain regions highlighted in our study are key anatomical substrates associated with sensorimotor functions.