Electron cryotomography of ESCRT assemblies and dividing Sulfolobus cells suggests that spiraling filaments are involved in membrane scission

The endosomal-sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) is evolutionarily conserved from Archaea to eukaryotes. The complex drives membrane scission events in a range of processes, including cytokinesis in Metazoa and some Archaea. CdvA is the protein in Archaea that recruits ESCRT-III to the membrane. Using electron cryotomography (ECT), we find that CdvA polymerizes into helical filaments wrapped around liposomes. ESCRT-III proteins are responsible for the cinching of membranes and have been shown to assemble into helical tubes in vitro, but here we show that they also can form nested tubes and nested cones, which reveal surprisingly numerous and versatile contacts. To observe the ESCRT–CdvA complex in a physiological context, we used ECT to image the archaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius and observed a distinct protein belt at the leading edge of constriction furrows in dividing cells. The known dimensions of ESCRT-III proteins constrain their possible orientations within each of these structures and point to the involvement of spiraling filaments in membrane scission.     

PML coiled-coil结构域与RAN结合蛋白9相互作用的验证

目的验证前髓细胞性白血病的卷曲螺旋结构域（PML—C）和RAN结合蛋白9（RANBP9）之间的相互作用。方法构建分别表达诱饵蛋白PML—C和靶蛋白RANBP9的载体pGBKT7-PML-C和pACT2-RANBP9,然后转人酵母AH109,培养3～5d后对其是否有胞内相互作用进行检测。将目的片断PML-C和RANBP9再次构建于真核生物表达载体pCMV—HA和pCMV—myc里,然后共转染人胚肾293细胞里（HEK293）,最后对其是否有体外相互作用通过免疫共沉淀和免疫印迹进行分析。结果在共转化了质粒pGBKT7-PML—C和pACT2-RANBP9的AH109酵母平板里观察到蓝色菌落生长。用抗HA多克隆抗体对共转染过重组质粒的HEK293细胞的蛋白提取物进行免疫共沉淀,再用抗myc单克隆抗体作为一抗进行免疫印迹,最终检测出融合蛋白myc—RANBP9条带。结论酵母双杂交实验验证了PML—C和RANBP9之间存在胞内相互作用,同时免疫共沉淀实验也从体外验证了它们之间的相互作用。     

大鼠侧脑室慢性注射CRF致抑郁样变化研究

为了探讨CRF在抑郁症发生发展过程中的作用．对正常大鼠侧脑室慢性注射CRF21天并与慢性非预见性应激刺激21天建立的抑郁症模型大鼠进行比较。运用旷场行为实验（open-field）观察大鼠主动性活动能力．用Morris water Maze法．以训练期的逃避潜伏期为指标检测大鼠空间学习记忆能力。采用HPLC—UV法测定血清皮质醇含量,RT—PCR法检测CRF及其受体mRNA的表达。结果显示：慢性应激21天建立的模型大鼠主动性活动和学习记忆能力均明显下降．血清皮质醇含量显著升高,CRF及其受体R1 mRNA的表达增加。大鼠侧脑室慢性注射CRF21天后．其体重增量、主动性活动和学习记忆能力与慢性应激模型大鼠一样均明显降低。这些工作证明了CRF在抑郁症的发生发展过程中发挥了至关重要的作用．慢性应激导致机体CRF分泌持续增加可能是抑郁症发病的主要原因。     

多泡肠袋虫超微结构的研究

对寄生于鲴亚科鱼类肠道中的多泡肠袋虫的超微结构进行了研究,描述了其体表皮层、胞口、核与胞器及腹中凹板各部分的精细构造。结果显示其体表及口区皮层均由表膜和表膜下纤维系统两部分组成;"V"形胞口密被纤毛、对称排布,其咽微丝较体纤毛处更为发达。大核内具多个核仁,异染色质散布核质内;小核内染色质则呈均匀致密分布。另在腹中凹板内质中发现大量支链淀粉粒,并由不连续的微管束沿凹陷边缘将此区域包围起来。同时,对皮层组分和腹中凹板进行了相近物种间的比较分析并对其功能进行了讨论。     

Glycemic Control Promotes Pancreatic Beta-Cell Regeneration in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Mice

Background

Pancreatic beta-cells proliferate following administration of the beta-cell toxin streptozotocin. Defining the conditions that promote beta-cell proliferation could benefit patients with diabetes. We have investigated the effect of insulin treatment on pancreatic beta-cell regeneration in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice, and, in addition, report on a new approach to quantify beta-cell regeneration in vivo.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Streptozotocin-induced diabetic were treated with either syngeneic islets transplanted under the kidney capsule or subcutaneous insulin implants. After either 60 or 120 days of insulin treatment, the islet transplant or insulin implant were removed and blood glucose levels monitored for 30 days. The results showed that both islet transplants and insulin implants restored normoglycemia in the 60 and 120 day treated animals. However, only the 120-day islet and insulin implant groups maintained euglycemia (<200 mg/dl) following discontinuation of insulin treatment. The beta-cell was significantly increased in all the 120 day insulin-treated groups (insulin implant, 0.69±0.23 mg; and islet transplant, 0.91±0.23 mg) compared non-diabetic control mice (1.54±0.25 mg). We also show that we can use bioluminescent imaging to monitor beta-cell regeneration in living MIP-luc transgenic mice.

Conclusions/Significance

The results show that insulin treatment can promote beta-cell regeneration. Moreover, the extent of restoration of beta-cell function and mass depend on the length of treatment period and overall level of glycemic control with better control being associated with improved recovery. Finally, real-time bioluminescent imaging can be used to monitor beta-cell recovery in living MIP-luc transgenic mice.     

Microbial hyaluronic acid production

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a commercially valuable medical biopolymer increasingly produced through microbial fermentation. Viscosity limits product yield and the focus of research and development has been on improving the key quality parameters, purity and molecular weight. Traditional strain and process optimisation has yielded significant improvements, but appears to have reached a limit. Metabolic engineering is providing new opportunities and HA produced in a heterologous host is about to enter the market. In order to realise the full potential of metabolic engineering, however, greater understanding of the mechanisms underlying chain termination is required.     

A multiplexed protein microarray for the simultaneous serodiagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus/hepatitis C virus infection and typing of whole blood

All donor blood samples must be tested pretransfusion to determine the donor blood type. Standard testing protocols require that assays be performed for important bloodborne pathogens such as hepatitis C, syphilis, hepatitis B, and human immunodeficiency virus. We have demonstrated proof of the concept that a protein microarray can type whole blood and detect antibody to significant pathogens simultaneously from the same donor blood sample. The data collected demonstrate the ability of the array to accurately type blood samples while also detecting the presence of antibodies against both human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus. In conclusion, we have successfully developed a platform capable of typing human whole blood samples, while at the same time testing for the presence of antibodies specific for human immunodeficiency virus/hepatitis C virus. The major benefits of this system are its amenability to expansion with additional assays, for example, rhesus typing and syphilis and/or hepatitis B virus detection, and also the adaptability of the assay to higher-throughput analysis, currently 16 individual samples per slide, but readily expandable to a 96-well format.     

A Relationship Between Replication Protein A and Occurrence and Prognosis of Esophageal Carcinoma

Esophageal carcinoma (EC) is an aggressive and the third most common cancer of the digestive tract with poor prognosis. Replication protein A (RPA) is critically required for DNA replication and its elevated expression has been observed in many malignant tumors. In this study, we investigated the expression of RPA1 and RPA2, subunits of RPA, and assessed their prognostic value in EC patients. We analyzed immunohistochemically the expression of RPA1 and RPA2 proteins in 48 EC resection specimens in relation with clinicopathological parameters and survival. We observed a significant elevated (P < 0.001) RPA1 and RPA2 expressions (labeling index) in the tumor than adjacent non-tumor tissues. In addition, both RPA1 and RPA2 labeling index in lymph node metastasis patients was significantly higher (both P = 0.000) than patients without lymph node metastasis. However, RPA1 and RPA2 labeling index in early stage was significantly lower (P = 0.000 and P = 0.002, respectively) than that of late stage EC patients. Importantly, patient’s survival at early stage was significantly higher (P = 0.016) than late stage EC and lymph node metastasis and RPA1 expression was associated with adverse patient’s outcome in multivariate analysis (P < 0.05 and P < 0.00, respectively). In conclusion, RPA1 could be a useful prognostic indicator in patients with esophageal carcinoma and might be a future attractive therapeutic target for regulation by tumor suppressors.     

Calorimetric studies of the effects of cholesterol on the phase transition of C(18):C(10) phosphatidylcholine.

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) has been employed to study the effects of cholesterol on the phase transition of C(18):C(10) phosphatidylcholine (C(18):C(10)PC). C(18):C(10)PC is an asymmetric mixed-chain phosphatidylcholine known to form mixed-interdigitated structures below the transition temperature and form partially interdigitated lipid bilayers above the transition. Three types of samples were used. The treated sample is the lipid dispersion that had undergone three freeze-thaw cycles and stored at 4 degrees C for more than 48 h. The untreated sample was made by vortexing the dry lipid in 50 mM KCl, without the above-mentioned pretreatment. The cold-treated sample was prepared by incubating the treated sample at -20 degrees C for 15 d. There is no apparent difference in the DSC curves between the treated and cold-treated samples. The data derived from the treated samples seem to be more reproducible. The DSC curves between the cholesterol/C(18):C(10)PC and cholesterol/symmetric diacylphosphatidylcholine mixtures are different in three aspects: overall appearance, the cholesterol dependence of delta H, and the effect of cholesterol on the maximal transition temperature Tm, the onset temperature To, and the completion temperature Tc. for both the treated and untreated samples, the total enthalpy change delta H of the phase transition of C(18):C(10)PC decreases with increasing cholesterol content, approaching zero at approximately 25 mol%. This level is lower than the total enthalpy changes reported previously for the cholesterol/symmetric diacylphosphatidylcholine mixtures. Both the heating and cooling thermograms show that Tm, To, and Tc decrease with increasing cholesterol content. The decreasing rates of these temperatures with cholesterol are in the neighborhood of -0.24 degree per mol% of cholesterol.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)