Epigenetics of a tandem DNA repeat: chromatin DNaseI sensitivity and opposite methylation changes in cancers

DNA methylation and chromatin DNaseI sensitivity were analyzed in and adjacent to D4Z4 repeat arrays, which consist of 1 to ~100 tandem 3.3-kb units at subtelomeric 4q and 10q. D4Z4 displayed hypomethylation in some cancers and hypermethylation in others relative to normal tissues. Surprisingly, in cancers with extensive D4Z4 methylation there was a barrier to hypermethylation spreading to the beginning of this disease-associated array (facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, FSHD) despite sequence conservation in repeat units throughout the array. We infer a different chromatin structure at the proximal end of the array than at interior repeats, consistent with results from chromatin DNaseI sensitivity assays indicating a boundary element near the beginning of the array. The relative chromatin DNaseI sensitivity in FSHD and control myoblasts and lymphoblasts was as follows: a non-genic D4Z4-adjacent sequence (p13E-11, array-proximal)> untranscribed gene standards > D4Z4 arrays> constitutive heterochromatin (satellite 2; P < 10⁻⁴ for all comparisons). Cancers displaying D4Z4 hypermethylation also exhibited a hypermethylation-resistant subregion within the 3.3-kb D4Z4 repeat units. This subregion contains runs of G that form G-quadruplexes in vitro. Unusual DNA structures might contribute to topological constraints that link short 4q D4Z4 arrays to FSHD and make long ones phenotypically neutral.     

利用成体干细胞治疗糖尿病

糖尿病是一类严重的代谢疾病, 正危害着世界上越来越多人口的健康。胰岛移植是一种治疗糖尿病的有效方法,却因供体缺乏和移植后免疫排斥问题制约了其广泛应用。干细胞为具有强增殖能力和多向分化潜能的细胞, 是利用细胞替代疗法治疗重大疾病的细胞来源之一, 其中成体干细胞因不存在致瘤性及伦理道德问题而被人们寄予厚望。成体胰腺干细胞在活体损伤及离体培养条件下均能产生胰岛素分泌细胞, 肝干细胞、骨髓干细胞和肠干细胞等在特定离体培养条件下或经过遗传改造后也均可产生胰岛素分泌细胞, 将这些干细胞来源的胰岛素分泌细胞移植到模型糖尿病小鼠中可以治疗糖尿病。因而, 成体干细胞可以为细胞替代疗法治疗糖尿病提供丰富的胰岛供体来源。     

Synthetic, non-natural sphingolipid analogs inhibit the biosynthesis of cellular sphingolipids, elevate ceramide and induce apoptotic cell death

Numerous studies have demonstrated the participation of sphingolipids in signal transduction and regulation of cell growth. Several cellular stress agents have been shown to elevate ceramide, the basic precursor of all sphingolipids, initiating a cascade of events leading to arrest of the cell cycle, apoptosis and cell death. Aiming at inhibiting metabolic pathways of sphingolipid metabolism that might lead to an increase of cellular ceramide, we have synthesized non-natural analogs of ceramide, sphingosine and trimethylsphingosine. When the respective analogs were applied to HL60 human myeloid leukemic cells they inhibited the biosynthesis of sphingomyelin (SPM) and glycosphingolipids and induced apoptosis that led to cell death. A fluorescent procedure which has been developed for quantifying the biosynthesis of cellular ceramide indicated an increase in the ceramide content following an incubation with the synthetic analogs. These results suggest that the newly synthesized sphingolipid analogs might be valuable for potential application as a therapeutic modality in leukemia and other malignancies.     

Networking of phospholipases in plant signal transduction

Phospholipases are activated in response to various cellular and environmental cues. Their activation can affect many cellular processes through their roles in signal transduction. Recent advances in the biochemical and molecular understanding of phospholipase D (PLD) have provided insights into potential networks of PLDs and other phospholipases in plants. PLDs are a family of heterogeneous enzymes, and the activities of the multiple types of PLDs are regulated in distinctly different manners. Phosphoinositides, free fatty acids, lysophospholipids, and calcium are differential modulators of PLDs. Since these modulators are substrates, products, or downstream targets of phospholipase As and phospholipase Cs, there are many potential regulatory and metabolic interrelationships among the various PLDs and other phospholipases.     

Carbon budgets of wetland ecosystems in China

Wetlands contain a large proportion of carbon (C) in the biosphere and partly affect climate by regulating C cycles of terrestrial ecosystems. China contains Asia's largest wetlands, accounting for about 10% of the global wetland area. Although previous studies attempted to estimate C budget in China's wetlands, uncertainties remain. We conducted a synthesis to estimate C uptake and emission of wetland ecosystems in China using a dataset compiled from published literature. The dataset comprised 193 studies, including 370 sites representing coastal, river, lake and marsh wetlands across China. In addition, C stocks of different wetlands in China were estimated using unbiased data from the China Second Wetlands Survey. The results showed that China's wetlands sequestered 16.87 Pg C (315.76 Mg C/ha), accounting for about 3.8% of C stocks in global wetlands. Net ecosystem productivity, jointly determined by gross primary productivity and ecosystem respiration, exhibited annual C sequestration of 120.23 Tg C. China's wetlands had a total gaseous C loss of 173.20 Tg C per year from soils, including 154.26 Tg CO₂‐C and 18.94 Tg CH₄‐C emissions. Moreover, C stocks, uptakes and gaseous losses varied with wetland types, and were affected by geographic location and climatic factors (precipitation and temperature). Our results provide better estimation of the C budget in China's wetlands and improve understanding of their contribution to the global C cycle in the context of global climate change.     

吉林省豚草瘦果形态及微结构特征

【目的】研究吉林省不同地区豚草瘦果形态及微结构特征,为豚草的识别及防控提供参考。【方法】采集吉林省吉林市磨盘山、吉林市龙潭山、桦甸市、蛟河市、长春市、四平市、公主岭市、通化市、白山市、白城市、松原市和乾安县12个地区不同豚草种群的瘦果进行扫描电镜观察、描述和拍照,分析豚草瘦果表型性状与地理-气候因子的相关性,并对瘦果形态及微结构特征进行聚类分析。【结果】豚草果皮纹饰有条状纹饰、网状纹饰和穴状纹饰;瘦果的喙长度随年均降水量增加而增加、随纬度升高而减少;果形系数随经度升高及年均降水量的增加而增加。根据形态和微结构性状聚类分析结果,将豚草瘦果分为3类（Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ）。其中,Ⅰ类瘦果果皮纹饰网状、中果形、短喙类,种源主要来自蛟河市、通化市、公主岭市、松原市和乾安县;Ⅱ类瘦果果皮纹饰条状、小果形、中长喙类,种源主要来自吉林市磨盘山、吉林市龙潭山、桦甸市、长春市和四平市;Ⅲ类瘦果果皮纹饰穴状、大果形、长喙类,种源主要来自白山市和白城市。【结论】吉林省豚草瘦果形态及微结构存在差异,低纬度、高降水量有利于豚草瘦果生长发育。     

PEG模拟干旱胁迫对加拿大飞蓬种子萌发及幼根生长的影响

【目的】研究干旱胁迫对加拿大飞蓬种子萌发及幼根生长的影响,为科学防控加拿大飞蓬入侵提供依据。【方法】以当年生加拿大飞蓬成熟种子为材料,分别用蒸馏水（CK）和不同浓度5%、10%、15%、20%、25%的聚乙二醇溶液（PEG）（分别表示轻度、中度、重度、极度和极重度干旱胁迫强度）对加拿大飞蓬种子进行处理。测定日相对发芽率、发芽率、发芽势等指标,分析加拿大飞蓬种子萌发情况;测定幼苗根系宽、根系高、根平均直径、根面积、总根尖数及根分叉数,分析其幼苗根生长情况;并测定种子恢复萌发情况。【结果】无干旱胁迫的加拿大飞蓬种子萌发指标最高,随着干旱胁迫强度增加,种子萌发指标减小,极重度干旱胁迫下加拿大飞蓬种子不萌发。与CK相比,轻度干旱胁迫和重度干旱胁迫对加拿大飞蓬根平均直径影响不显著,但会促进侧根与不定根生长;重度干旱胁迫下,加拿大飞蓬的总根尖数和分叉数显著增加。加拿大飞蓬种子在PEG浓度为20.13%的干旱胁迫下不发芽。种子在极度和极重度干旱胁迫下不萌发,但当水分条件充足时,种子依然具有萌发的能力。【结论】建议在加拿大飞蓬种子尚未成熟前进行人工拔除,或在加拿大飞蓬入侵地种植耐旱强、生长快、根系发达、竞争性强的植物,以控制加拿大飞蓬的生长发育。     

电场诱导棘孢小单胞菌原生质体融合

以小诺霉素（Micromomicin,MCR)产生菌棘孢小单胞菌（Micromonosporaechinospora）为出发菌株,诱变筛选得到一株链霉素抗性菌株,抗性菌株的原生质体分别用紫外线照射和热处理致死,通过单亲致死原生质体融合,以链霉素为选择条件选出融合株,经摇瓶发酵并结合薄层层析扫描（ThinLayerCharamotography,TLC）分析,筛得4株MCR百分含量高于亲株的融合子,MCR百分含量达到90％,效价1076u／ml,分别比亲株提高15％和11％。     

利用啤酒废水小球藻异养培养

摘要：【目的】利用小球藻异养培养技术处理啤酒废水,旨在为啤酒废水资源化利用和降低小球藻生产成本提供一个途径。【方法】在含有10 g/L葡萄糖的基本培养基进行异养小球藻高效藻株的筛选,并用于啤酒废水的资源化处理。【结果】从5株小球藻中得到2株适合高密度异养培养的藻株（Chlorella pyrenoidosa 15-2070 和 Chlorella vulgaris 15-2075）,在啤酒废水的资源化处理过程中这2株小球藻得到非常接近的试验结果。利用由废水配制含10 g/L葡萄糖的基本培养液培养Chlorella pyrenoidosa 15-2070获得了5.3 g/L藻细胞;并且在此过程中,啤酒废水得到有效利用,几种主要污染物最高去除率为：CODcr,92.2 %;BOD5,95.1 %;NO3--N,98.5 %;NH4+-N,92.3 %。【结论】啤酒废水中的重要环境污染物在培养小球藻的过程中可以得到有效地清除,并从中可以获得具有商业价值的小球藻细胞。