CD1d degradation in Chlamydia trachomatis-infected epithelial cells is the result of both cellular and chlamydial proteasomal activity

Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular pathogen that can persist in the urogenital tract. Mechanisms by which C. trachomatis evades clearance by host innate immune responses are poorly described. CD1d is MHC-like, is expressed by epithelial cells, and can signal innate immune responses by NK and NKT cells. Here we demonstrate that C. trachomatis infection down-regulates surface-expressed CD1d in human penile urethral epithelial cells through proteasomal degradation. A chlamydial proteasome-like activity factor (CPAF) interacts with the CD1d heavy chain, and CPAF-associated CD1d heavy chain is then ubiquitinated and directed along two distinct proteolytic pathways. The degradation of immature glycosylated CD1d was blocked by the proteasome inhibitor lactacystin but not by MG132, indicating that degradation was not via the conventional proteasome. In contrast, the degradation of non-glycosylated CD1d was blocked by lactacystin and MG132, consistent with conventional cellular cytosolic degradation of N-linked glycoproteins. Immunofluorescent microscopy confirmed the interruption of CD1d trafficking to the cell surface, and the dislocation of CD1d heavy chains into both the cellular cytosol and the chlamydial inclusion along with cytosolic CPAF. C. trachomatis targeted CD1d toward two distinct proteolytic pathways. Decreased CD1d surface expression may help C. trachomatis evade detection by innate immune cells and may promote C. trachomatis persistence.     

RNAi knockdown of Oryza sativa root meander curling gene led to altered root development and coiling which were mediated by jasmonic acid signalling in rice

Jasmonic acid (JA) is a well-known defence hormone, but its biological function and mechanism in rice root development are less understood. Here, we describe a JA-induced putative receptor-like protein (OsRLK, AAL87185) functioning in root development in rice. RNA in situ hybridization revealed that the gene was expressed largely in roots, and a fusion protein showed its localization on the plasma membrane. The primary roots in RNAi transgenic rice plants meandered and curled more easily than wild-type (WT) roots under JA treatment. Thus, this gene was renamed Oryza sativa root meander curling (OsRMC). The transgenic primary roots were shorter, the number of adventitious roots increased and the number of lateral roots decreased as compared to the WT. As well, the second sheath was reduced in length. Growth of both primary roots and second sheaths was sensitive to JA treatment. No significant change of JA level appeared in the roots between the transgenic rice line and WT. Expression of RSOsPR10, involved in the JA signalling pathway, was induced in transgenic rice. Western blotting revealed OsRMC induced by JA. Our results suggest that OsRMC of the DUF26 subfamily involved in JA signal transduction mediates root development and negatively regulates root curling in rice.     

Effective resolution of racemic pirlindole at the preparative scale

Pirlindole, a racemic antidepressant drug, was recently resolved using the derivatization method coupled with preparative HPLC. In order to improve this technique, the use of amino acid derivatives as chiral derivatizing agents (CDA) was investigated. Among different residues, the (L)-phenylalanine methyl ester was found to be very effective to separate pirlindole enantiomers using a medium pressure liquid chromatographic (MPLC) method. This procedure is better adapted to preparative application than HPLC. Thus, several grams of the pirlindole antipodes were isolated and characterized. These two enantiomers permitted the study of the stereochemical influence at the pharmacological level. Chirality 11:261–266, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

siRNA在治疗学中的应用

小干扰RNA（small interfering RNA,siRNA）是外源性双链RNA（double strand RNA,dsRNA）的加工产物,在细胞内能介导RNA干扰（RNA interference,RNAi）效应,识别特异性mRNA,沉默同源基因表达。其特异性和高效性显示出很高的实用价值,siRNA已成为许多疾病潜在的治疗手段。对于siRNA的应用,尽管还需要在减少非特异反应,发掘高效递药载体,应对新的基因变异等方面进行深入研究,但其可望在抗病毒、神经系统疾病和肿瘤治疗等许多领域发挥治疗作用。     

Fluid Intelligence and Automatic Neural Processes in Facial Expression Perception: An Event-Related Potential Study

The relationship between human fluid intelligence and social-emotional abilities has been a topic of considerable interest. The current study investigated whether adolescents with different intellectual levels had different automatic neural processing of facial expressions. Two groups of adolescent males were enrolled: a high IQ group and an average IQ group. Age and parental socioeconomic status were matched between the two groups. Participants counted the numbers of the central cross changes while paired facial expressions were presented bilaterally in an oddball paradigm. There were two experimental conditions: a happy condition, in which neutral expressions were standard stimuli (p = 0.8) and happy expressions were deviant stimuli (p = 0.2), and a fearful condition, in which neutral expressions were standard stimuli (p = 0.8) and fearful expressions were deviant stimuli (p = 0.2). Participants were required to concentrate on the primary task of counting the central cross changes and to ignore the expressions to ensure that facial expression processing was automatic. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were obtained during the tasks. The visual mismatch negativity (vMMN) components were analyzed to index the automatic neural processing of facial expressions. For the early vMMN (50–130 ms), the high IQ group showed more negative vMMN amplitudes than the average IQ group in the happy condition. For the late vMMN (320–450 ms), the high IQ group had greater vMMN responses than the average IQ group over frontal and occipito-temporal areas in the fearful condition, and the average IQ group evoked larger vMMN amplitudes than the high IQ group over occipito-temporal areas in the happy condition. The present study elucidated the close relationships between fluid intelligence and pre-attentive change detection on social-emotional information.     

Apple Fruit Diameter and Length Estimation by Using the Thermal and Sunshine Hours Approach and Its Application to the Digital Orchard Management Information System

In apple cultivation, simulation models may be used to monitor fruit size during the growth and development process to predict production levels and to optimize fruit quality. Here, Fuji apples cultivated in spindle-type systems were used as the model crop. Apple size was measured during the growing period at an interval of about 20 days after full bloom, with three weather stations being used to collect orchard temperature and solar radiation data at different sites. Furthermore, a 2-year dataset (2011 and 2012) of apple fruit size measurements were integrated according to the weather station deployment sites, in addition to the top two most important environment factors, thermal and sunshine hours, into the model. The apple fruit diameter and length were simulated using physiological development time (PDT), an indicator that combines important environment factors, such as temperature and photoperiod, as the driving variable. Compared to the model of calendar-based development time (CDT), an indicator counting the days that elapse after full bloom, we confirmed that the PDT model improved the estimation accuracy to within 0.2 cm for fruit diameter and 0.1 cm for fruit length in independent years using a similar data collection method in 2013. The PDT model was implemented to realize a web-based management information system for a digital orchard, and the digital system had been applied in Shandong Province, China since 2013. This system may be used to compute the dynamic curve of apple fruit size based on data obtained from a nearby weather station. This system may provide an important decision support for farmers using the website and short message service to optimize crop production and, hence, economic benefit.