Blockade of L-type voltage-gated Ca channel inhibits ischemia-induced neurogenesis by down-regulating iNOS expression in adult mouse

Neurogenesis in the adult mammalian hippocampus may contribute to repairing the brain after injury. The signals that regulate neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus following ischemic stroke insult are not well known. We have previously reported that inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression is necessary for ischemia-stimulated neurogenesis in the adult dentate gyrus. Here, we show that mice subjected to 90 min of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) significantly increased the number of new neurons and up-regulated iNOS expression in the dentate gyrus. Blockade of the L-type voltage-gated Ca(2+) channel (L-VGCC) prevented neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus and subventricular zone (SVZ), and down-regulated iNOS expression in the dentate gyrus after cerebral ischemia. This study suggests that Ca(2+) influx through L-VGCC is involved in ischemia-induced neurogenesis by up-regulating iNOS expression.     

Increasing activity and thermal resistance of Bacillus gibsonii alkaline protease (BgAP) by directed evolution

Bacillus gibsonii Alkaline Protease (BgAP) is a recently reported subtilisin protease exhibiting activity and stability properties suitable for applications in laundry and dish washing detergents. However, BgAP suffers from a significant decrease of activity at low temperatures. In order to increase BgAP activity at 15°C, a directed evolution campaign based on the SeSaM random mutagenesis method was performed. An optimized microtiter plate expression system in B. subtilis was established and classical proteolytic detection methods were adapted for high throughput screening. In parallel, the libraries were screened for increased residual proteolytic activity after incubation at 58°C. Three iterative rounds of directed BgAP evolution yielded a set of BgAP variants with increased specific activity (K_cat) at 15°C and increased thermal resistance. Recombination of both sets of amino acid substitutions resulted finally in variant MF1 with a 1.5‐fold increased specific activity (15°C) and over 100 times prolonged half‐life at 60°C (224 min compared to 2 min of the WT BgAP). None of the introduced amino acid substitutions were close to the active site of BgAP. Activity‐altering amino acid substitutions were from non‐charged to non‐charged or from sterically demanding to less demanding. Thermal stability improvements were achieved by substitutions to negatively charged amino acids in loop areas of the BgAP surface which probably fostered ionic and hydrogen bonds interactions. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013; 110: 711–720. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Feeding scallop shell powder induces the expression of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) in white adipose tissue of rats

Previously we found that the organic components in scallop shell promote lipolysis in differentiated 3T3-L1 and C3H10T1/2 adipocyte cells, and that incorporating scallop shell powder into the diet of rats reduced the amount of white adipose tissue. In this study, we used RT-PCR to investigate the effect of ingesting scallop shell powder on the gene expression profile of uncoupling proteins (UCPs) regulating energy metabolism in rats.Feeding of scallop shell powder increased mRNA levels of UCP1 and UCP2 in white adipose tissue. By contrast, scallop shell powder had no effect on the expression of UCP1 in brown adipose tissue, although the expression level of UCP2 mRNA decreased significantly. These results suggest that feeding scallop shell powder increases gene expression of UCP1 that may regulate energy metabolism in white adipose tissue, resulting in the observed reduction in weight of white adipose tissue.     

转化生长因子β1在肾小管上皮细胞的信号介导分子

本研究在人肾小管上皮细胞系(HK-2)上探讨了介导转化生长因子β_1(TGFβ_1)生物学效应的信号介导分子。结果表明SMADs信号蛋白及ERK激酶均参与TGFβ_1的信号转导;通路特异性Smad2于TGFβ_1作用4小时后开始增加,持续至48小时;而抑制性Smad6于TGFβ_1作用1小时开始减少,4小时达到最低值,以后逐渐恢复;ERK只参与TGFβ抑制增殖效应,对TGFβ促进FN分泌无影响。     

新生大鼠下丘脑神经元L-Ca~(2 )通道电流活动特征

目的 :研究新生大鼠下丘脑神经元L Ca2 通道单通道特性 ;Ca2 通道激动剂BayK 86 44对Ca2 通道单通道特性的影响。方法 :采用神经元急性分离技术 ;用膜片钳细胞贴附式记录方式进行研究。结果 :大鼠下丘脑神经元L Ca2 通道是一种电导相对较大的Ca2 通道 ,其电导为 (2 9.5± 3.1)pS ,平均开放时间 (τ0 )为 0 .2 8ms,平均关闭时间的短关闭时间常数 (τc1)为 2 .91ms,长关闭时间常数 (τc2 )为 5 3.2 2ms。此通道几乎不存在时间依赖性失活。BayK86 44显著增加通道的开放概率 ,通道平均开放时间增加为 1.6 1ms。结论 :下丘脑神经元存在L Ca2 通道 ,该通道具有明显电压依赖性 ,而无显著的时间依赖性。通道特征与文献报道的其它神经元上L Ca2 通道相似 ,也有明显不同 ,显示下丘脑神经元L Ca2 钙通道的独特性     

农田休闲后土壤微生物类群和酶活性的变化及对西洋参种植的影响

研究农田经不同休闲年限后的土壤肥力、微生物类群和酶活性的关系.试验结果表明,农田土栽参在经过土壤体闲后土壤的有机质、速效氮和速效钾的含量均高于未经休闲的土壤.在休闲1年后,各类微生物的增长幅度是最大的.细菌增长了25倍,真菌增长5.6倍,放线菌增长4倍.当休闲2年后,微生物的增长速度明显降低.土壤在休闲1年后过氧化氢酶的活性提高了16%,蔗糖酶活性虽略有提高但差异不显著.休闲后土壤的氨化作用和硝化作用明显提高,其中休闲1年的土壤硝化作用比休闲前的提高33.5%.     

Cyclin G2 is degraded through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway and mediates the antiproliferative effect of activin receptor-like kinase 7

We have previously reported that Nodal, a member of the TGF-β superfamily, acts through activin receptor-like kinase 7 (ALK7) to inhibit ovarian cancer cell proliferation. To determine the mechanism underlying their effects, a cell cycle gene array was performed and cyclin G2 mRNA was found to be strongly up-regulated by Nodal and ALK7. To study the function and regulation of cyclin G2 in ovarian cancer cells, expression constructs were generated. We found that cyclin G2 protein level decreased rapidly after transfection, and this decrease was prevented by 26S proteasome inhibitors. Immunoprecipitation and pull-down studies showed that ubiquitin, Skp1, and Skp2 formed complexes with cyclin G2. Knockdown of Skp2 by siRNA increased, whereas overexpression of Skp2 decreased cyclin G2 levels. Nodal and ALK7 decreased the expression of Skp1 and Skp2 and increased cyclin G2 levels. Overexpression of cyclin G2 inhibited cell proliferation whereas cyclin G2-siRNA reduced the antiproliferative effect of Nodal and ALK7. Taken together, these findings provide strong evidence that cyclin G2 is degraded by the ubiquitin–proteasome pathway and that Skp2 plays a role in regulating cyclin G2 levels. Furthermore, our results also demonstrate that the antiproliferative effect of Nodal/ALK7 on ovarian cancer cells is in part mediated by cyclin G2.     

中国西藏种子植物区系新资料

本文报道了采自西藏喜马拉雅南坡的8个中国种子植物新记录种以及1个西藏新记录属。前者分别是吉隆牛奶菜(Marsdenia roylei)、塔基棕榈(Trachycarpus takil)、喀西蜂斗草(Sonerila khasiana)、旋花锡生藤(Cissampelos convolvulacea)、吉隆角盘兰(Herminium edgeworthii)、尼泊尔西番莲(Passiflora napalensis)、椭穗姜花(Hedychium ellipticum)和藏南象牙参(Roscoea brandisii); 1个西藏新记录属为箭药藤属(Belostemma) (箭药藤 Belostemma hirsutum)。凭证标本存放于中国科学院西双版纳热带植物园标本馆(HITBC)和西藏自治区高原生物研究所标本室(XZ)。     

长效促胰岛素降糖酵母的构建及其对糖尿病模型小鼠的治疗效果

益生菌生物药物是指通过口服表达药用多肽(蛋白)的重组益生菌活细胞达到治疗疾病的新型口服给药系统。为了构建一种能有效防治2型糖尿病的酵母生物药物,文章首先构建了酿酒酵母(S.cerevisiae)整合型表达载体pNK1-PGK,并且通过绿色荧光蛋白(GFP)证明其表达功能正常,利用该载体将10×GLP-1 (Glucagon-like peptide-1)基因转化到酿酒酵母INVSc1中,通过营养缺陷型和Western blotting成功筛选出表达10×GLP-1的长效促胰岛素降糖酵母(Long-acting GLP-1 hypoglycemic yeast, LHY)。该酵母生长迅速,外源基因10×GLP-1表达稳定,表达量达到1.56 mg/g细胞湿重。通过链脲佐菌素和高脂高糖饮食联合诱导的方法构建了2型糖尿病小鼠模型,用LHY对其进行口服灌胃治疗,证明LHY具有较好疗效,明显降低血糖水平。