Foam cell death induced by 7beta-hydroxycholesterol is mediated by labile iron-driven oxidative injury: mechanisms underlying induction of ferritin in human atheroma

Human atherosclerotic lesions typically contain large amounts of ferritin associated with apoptotic macrophages and foam cells, although the reasons are unknown. In the present investigation, we studied the relationship between ferritin induction and occurrence of apoptosis in 7beta-hydroxycholesterol (7beta-OH)-treated monocytic cells and macrophages. We found that 7beta-OH enlarges the intracellular labile iron pool, increases formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and induces ferritin and cytosolic accumulation of lipid droplets, lysosomal destabilization, and apoptototic macrophage death. Since ferritin is a phase II-type protective protein, our findings suggest that ferritin upregulation here worked as an inefficient defense mechanism. Addition to the culture medium of both a membrane-permeable iron chelator 10-phenanthroline and the non-membrane-permeable iron chelators apoferritin and desferrioxamine afforded significant protection against the 7beta-OH-induced effects. Consequently, endocytosed iron compounds dramatically augmented 7beta-OH-induced cytotoxicity. We conclude that oxidized lipid 7beta-OH causes not only foam cell formation but also oxidative damage with abnormal metabolism of cellular iron. The findings suggest that modulation of iron metabolism in human atheroma may be a potential therapeutic strategy against atherosclerosis.     

密码子偏性的分析方法及相关研究进展

密码子偏性是指生物体中编码同一种氨基酸的同义密码子的非均衡使用的现象,由于这一现象与遗传信息的载体分子DNA和生物功能分子蛋白质相关联,所以具有重要的生物学意义;本文概述了密码子偏性研究方面的基本理论和常用分析方法,归纳了密码子使用分析的常用软件和提供在线分析网站,介绍了与密码子偏性相关的生物学领域及最新的研究进展,并对深入研究进行展望。     

Paeonia anomala 的核型研究

报道了Paeonia anomala L. 的核型, 澄清了新疆阿尔泰地区分布的该物种的染色体数目。分布于该地区的Paeonia anomala L. 的核型组成: 2n = 2x = 10 = 6m+ 2sm+ 2st。该类群核型与该属其它类群一致———2A 型。在综合比较分析该属染色体参数以及核型不均一性数, 包括最长􊄯最短染色体比(L1/Ln ) 和染色体不对称系数( CKOA) 的基础上, 我们发现该属三个组在核型上没有明显分化, 仅在木本类群(Sect . Moutan DC .) 和草本类群(Sect. Onaepia Lindley 和Sect. Paeonia) 之间存在微小差异。此外, 作为二倍体类群, 新疆阿尔泰地区分布的Paeonia anomala L. 很可能是二倍体杂种, 这将为研究被子植物的父母本同倍化杂交式物种起源提供一个很好的研究材料。     

Genetic Variation and Clonal Diversity of the Two Divergent Types of Clonal Populations of Leymus chinensis Tzvel on the Song Liao Steppe in the West of Northeastern China

The genetic variation and clonal diversity of two divergent types (grey-green and yellow-green) of clonal populations ofLeymus chinensis Tzvel at 14 loci were compared. Total gene diversity (HT) and the coefficient of genetic differentiation (GsT) were all higher for the yellow-green type (HT = 0.270; GsT = 0.186)than for the grey-green type (HT = 0.250; GsT = 0.157) of L. chinensis. Rare alleles usually occurred as heterozygotes rather than homozygotes and significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were found only at a few loci. This indicated that these two types of populations were mainly out-crossing. Clonal diversity, evenness of clones, and mean clone size were not significantly different between the two types.We found that differences between the clone size and genetic variation of the yellow-green type of popula tions occurred with different climate and habitat population groups. However, for the grey-green type of populations, these genetic variations decreased under conditions of different climate and habitat popula tion groups.     

Embryological Studies on Endangered Ophiopogon xylorrhizus (Liliaceae)

The embryological studies on an endangered species Ophiopogon xylorrhizus are reported in this paper. The anther was four-sporangiate, and its wall was composed of four layers: epidermis, fibrous endothelium, middle layer and glandular tapetum. Cytokinesis of microspore mother cell in meiosis was of the Successive type, and tetrads were tetrahedral or isobilateral. The mature pollen grains were 2-celled. Ovules were anatropous, bitegminous, and crassinucellate. Ovary wall ruptured 4～5 days after fertilization. The development of embryo sacs conformed to the Polygonum type. The two polar nuclei fused into a secondary nucleus before fertilization. The embryogeny was of the Asterad type, and endosperm development corresponded to the Nuclear type. About 55.8 % individuals in the population of O. xylorrhizus were found male sterile, and 43.3% of embryos aborted at early development stage. As a conclusion, we consider that (1)the failure of the xenogamy resulted from male sterility, autogamy and inefficient pollination agents, (2)embryo abortion and (3)exposure of young seeds during their early development are the weak links in the sexual reproductionof O. xylorrhizus, which would contribute to the endangerment of this species.     

合成生物学应用产品开发现状与趋势

目的：从产品开发角度分析全球合成生物学发展现状和趋势。方法：在伍德罗·威尔逊国际学者中心的合成生物学产品和应用清单（synthetic biology products and applications inventory）的数据基础上,对全球合成生物学产品的开发状态、市场应用和发展前景等进行补充检索和分析。结果：至2015年,全球至少已有81家企业（或研究机构）的116种合成生物学产品得到了市场应用开发,主要开发者为美国企业（或研究机构）,产品主要集中于化学和医药领域。结论：合成生物学实现了从生物学分析向生物学合成的范式转移,其产品开发将给一系列的行业带来深刻的变革。     

Perfect Plasmon-Induced Absorption and Its Application for Multi-Switching in Simple Plasmonic System

Plasmonics - The perfect plasmon-induced absorption (PIA) effect is achieved in a simple plasmonic system, composed of two rectangle cavities side-coupled to the metal-insulator-metal (MIM)...