Multiplexed on-column protein digestion and capillary electrophoresis for high-throughput comprehensive peptide mapping

A novel scheme based on multiplexed capillary electrophoresis (CE) has been developed for high-throughput, low-cost and comprehensive peptide mapping. Orthogonal peptide maps of the protein of interest were obtained by using multiple reaction conditions with three different enzymes (trypsin, pepsin, and chymotrypsin), and multiple separation conditions with six zone electrophoresis buffers and two micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) buffers. Fifteen nanoliters of two protein samples (beta-lactoglobulin A and beta-lactoglobulin B) were separately mixed on-column and digested independently at 37 degrees C for 10 min to produce peptides in a 20-capillary system. The resulting peptides were detected simultaneously at 214 nm by a photodiode array detector. The overall analysis time from reaction to detection was about 40 min.     

三价铁螯合物还原酶在香橙和枳中的表达

用耐缺铁的香橙(Citrus junos Sieb. ex Tanaka)和极不耐缺铁的枳(Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf.),在铁胁迫条件下对根的三价铁螯合物还原酶活性变化和酶基因的表达情况进行了研究.离体根的酶活性测定表明,在铁胁迫4周时,香橙根的酶活性增强约20倍,枳仅增强约3倍.用拟南芥的三价铁螯合物还原酶基因作探针进行组织印迹的Northern杂交检测香橙和枳三价铁螯合物还原酶的mRNA,在铁胁迫2周时,香橙吸收根、幼茎和新叶中均检测到强烈的表达信号,而枳相同器官的表达信号则极其微弱.实验结果表明,三价铁螯合物还原酶活性在缺铁胁迫下被诱导强烈增加是香橙耐缺铁的重要原因,该酶活性的调控发生在转录水平上,而且该酶基因在诱导条件下在根、茎和叶中均有表达.     

NaNO3胁迫对两种微囊藻VOCs释放的影响

为了揭示硝酸盐过量积累对藻类产生胁迫后对藻类挥发性有机化合物(VOCs)释放以及水体气味的影响, 研究以形成蓝藻水华的主要种类铜绿微囊藻和水华微囊藻为材料, 在NaNO3胁迫下, 对其细胞生长和释放的VOCs进行测定分析。结果表明, NaNO3胁迫24h后, 铜绿微囊藻和水华微囊藻细胞生长均受到明显影响, 与对照相比细胞密度分别降低了29.6%和43.0%。在正常条件下, 铜绿微囊藻和水华微囊藻分别释放出26和27种化合物, 其主要类型是硫化物、烃类、萜烯类、苯类、醛类和酯类化合物。在NaNO3胁迫下, VOCs含量均明显增加, 其中铜绿微囊藻释放的此6类VOCs含量分别增加了60.5%、14.3%、136.6%、92.1%、730.0%和120.7%, 水华微囊分别增加了172.7%、162.5%、154.0%、55.9%、51.2%和109.4%。此外, 铜绿微囊藻VOCs中出现4种新成分, 水华微囊藻VOCs中出现1种新成分。由此可见, 硝酸盐过量积累对藻细胞产生胁迫后会诱导其释放出大量VOCs, 从而增加水体气味、破坏水质。       

Adenovirus Entry From the Apical Surface of Polarized Epithelia Is Facilitated by the Host Innate Immune Response

Prevention of viral-induced respiratory disease begins with an understanding of the factors that increase or decrease susceptibility to viral infection. The primary receptor for most adenoviruses is the coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR), a cell-cell adhesion protein normally localized at the basolateral surface of polarized epithelia and involved in neutrophil transepithelial migration. Recently, an alternate isoform of CAR, CAR^Ex8, has been identified at the apical surface of polarized airway epithelia and is implicated in viral infection from the apical surface. We hypothesized that the endogenous role of CAR^Ex8 may be to facilitate host innate immunity. We show that IL-8, a proinflammatory cytokine and a neutrophil chemoattractant, stimulates the protein expression and apical localization of CAR^Ex8 via activation of AKT/S6K and inhibition of GSK3β. Apical CAR^Ex8 tethers infiltrating neutrophils at the apical surface of a polarized epithelium. Moreover, neutrophils present on the apical-epithelial surface enhance adenovirus entry into the epithelium. These findings suggest that adenovirus evolved to co-opt an innate immune response pathway that stimulates the expression of its primary receptor, apical CAR^Ex8, to allow the initial infection the intact epithelium. In addition, CAR^Ex8 is a new target for the development of novel therapeutics for both respiratory inflammatory disease and adenoviral infection.     

Intragastric Administration of Casein Leads to Nigrostriatal Disease Progressed Accompanied with Persistent Nigrostriatal—Intestinal Inflammation Activited and Intestinal Microbiota—Metabolic Disorders Induced in MPTP Mouse Model of Parkinson’s Disease

Neurochemical Research - Gut microbial dysbiosis and alteration of gut microbiota composition in Parkinson's disease (PD) have been increasingly reported, no recognized therapies are available...     

Genome‐wide distribution and functions of the AAE complex in epigenetic regulation in Arabidopsis

Heterochromatin is widespread in eukaryotic genomes and has diverse impacts depending on its genomic context. Previous studies have shown that a protein complex, the ASI1‐AIPP1‐EDM2 (AAE) complex, participates in polyadenylation regulation of several intronic heterochromatin‐containing genes. However, the genome‐wide functions of AAE are still unknown. Here, we show that the ASI1 and EDM2 mostly target the common genomic regions on a genome‐wide level and preferentially interacts with genetic heterochromatin. Polyadenylation (poly(A) sequencing reveals that AAE complex has a substantial influence on poly(A) site usage of heterochromatin‐containing genes, including not only intronic heterochromatin‐containing genes but also the genes showing overlap with heterochromatin. Intriguingly, AAE is also involved in the alternative splicing regulation of a number of heterochromatin‐overlapping genes, such as the disease resistance gene RPP4. We provided evidence that genic heterochromatin is indispensable for the recruitment of AAE in polyadenylation and splicing regulation. In addition to conferring RNA processing regulation at genic heterochromatin‐containing genes, AAE also targets some transposable elements (TEs) outside of genes (including TEs sandwiched by genes and island TEs) for epigenetic silencing. Our results reveal new functions of AAE in RNA processing and epigenetic silencing, and thus represent important advances in epigenetic regulation.     

Characterization and mapping of a novel mutant sms1 （senescence and male sterility 1） in rice

Plant senescence plays diverse important roles in development and environmental responses.However,the molecular basis of plant senescence is remained largely unknown.A rice spontaneous mutant with the character of early senescence and male sterility (sms) was found in the breeding line NT10-748.In order to identify the gene SMS1 and the underlying mechanism,we preliminarily analyzed physiological and biochemical phenotypes of the mutant.The mutant contained lower chlorophyll content compared with the wild type control and was severe male sterile with lower pollen viability.Genetic analysis showed that the mutant was controlled by a single recessive gene.By the map-based cloning approach,we fine-mapped SMS1 to a 67 kb region between the markers Z3-4 and Z1-1 on chromosome 8 using 1,074 F2 recessive plants derived from the cross between the mutant sms1 (japonica) × Zhenshan 97 (indica),where no known gene involved in senescence or male sterility has been identified.Therefore the SMS1 gene will be a novel gene that regulates the two developmental processes.The further cloning and functional analysis of the SMS1 gene is under way.