茶尺蠖人工饲料的研究

本报道饲养茶尺蠖(Ectropis obliqua hypulina Wehrli)的5种人工饲料及其饲养方法．5种人工饲料均可用于大规模饲养一代幼虫．其中62号配方可用于续代饲养,在实验室内饲养5代的结果表明。效果良好．在饲料成分的加工．配制及饲养方法等方面．较前人有相当大的改进,因而叶因子用量减少,幼虫历期缩短．用人工饲料饲养的幼虫历期为13-20天。基本接近以茶叶饲养的对照(11—18天)．实验结果还表明饲料含水量．饲养方法．饲养密度和添加饲料的次数不同,对茶尺蠖的生长发育有明显的影响．初龄幼虫用平面培养基倒置饲养和高龄幼虫用片状饲料正置饲养为最佳方法．     

双拷贝人α型心钠素基因的组建及大肠杆菌分泌型克隆与表达

将单拷贝人α心钠素基因3′端用Ban Ⅱ酶解除去包括终止密码在内的36个碱基对,代之以人工合成的含Glu-Lys-Phe-Glu连接片段与另一单拷贝人α心钠素基因的5′端串连成编码60肽的双拷贝心钠素基因,克隆于大肠杆菌分泌型表达载体pIN-Ⅲ-OmpA_2质粒中,表达生成60肽的双拷贝人α型心钠素衍生物,在信号肽的作用下分泌至胞膜间质并自动切割为60肽的外源基因产物。分子量约8K的表达产物用分子筛或超滤膜分离后再经HPLC纯化,表达产物具有明显的心钠素放免活性和舒张血管活性。     

寡聚脱氧核苷酸d(G-C)_3的激光喇曼谱及其分析

用改进的固相磷酰三酯法合成了oligo-d(G-C)_3。以氩离子激光为激发光源,波长488nm.,在室温条件下,分别测定了纯化后的oligo-d(G-C)_3和其组分单体5’-dGMP和5’-dCMP的激光喇曼谱。观察到被测定的物质在300-2500cm~(-1)频率区间,各自都有其特征的谱形和喇曼峰。5’-dGMP和5’-dCMP谱中大多数特征峰在寡聚体的谱中消失,而在oligo-d(G-C)_3谱中出现了几处新的喇曼峰。经查证,峰832,851和899cm~(-1)系糖-磷酸主链的特征喇曼峰,另外几处峰与DNA的构象有关。实验结果表明oligo-d(G-C)_3在水溶液中(室温)主要以B-构象存在。     

Epidermal growth factor receptor in synaptic fractions of the rat central nervous system.

Functional relationships between epidermal growth factor (EGF) and neural tissues have of late attracted increasing interest. However, in spite of reported EGF effects on neurons, the expression of the EGF receptor (EGF-R) has not yet been unambiguously demonstrated in these cells. This 170-kDa protein bears an intracellular tyrosine kinase domain in which activity is ligand-dependent. We give definitive evidence here for its presence in neonatal and adult rat neurons showing also, for the first time, its binding and functional tyrosine kinase activities in the synaptic region. Immunohistochemistry using a polyclonal antibody prepared against the receptor purified from rat liver showed positive staining localized exclusively to neurons without regionalization to any particular brain zone. Binding studies made in Percoll-obtained synaptosomes revealed specific high affinity 125I-EGF binding sites (Kd, 1.42 x 10(-10) +/- 0.58 M) accounting for 17% of total binding and a great majority of low affinity (Kd, 2.55 x 10(-9) +/- 0.35 M) binding sites. Higher binding capacity was found in synaptosomal fractions obtained from newborn rats. The identity of the synaptosomal EGF binding activity with the 170-kDA EGF-R protein was demonstrated by cross-linking experiments. Furthermore, EGF-Affi-Prep affinity chromatography adsorbs a 170-kDa protein with EGF-R immunoreactivity from whole homogenates of adult rat brain. Phosphorylation assays made in freeze-thawed or intact synaptosomes showed EGF-induced tyrosine phosphorylation in the range of 170-, 126-150-, 124-, 113-, 98-, and 70-kDa proteins including the EGF-R. Thus, the EGF-R/EGF regulatory system could have a role in synaptic function that remains to be explored.     

Biochemical and structural characterization of hepatitis A virus 2C reveals an unusual ribonuclease activity on single-stranded RNA

The HAV nonstructural protein 2C is essential for virus replication; however, its precise function remains elusive. Although HAV 2C shares 24–27% sequence identity with other 2Cs, key motifs are conserved. Here, we demonstrate that HAV 2C is an ATPase but lacking helicase activity. We identified an ATPase-independent nuclease activity of HAV 2C with a preference for polyuridylic single-stranded RNAs. We determined the crystal structure of an HAV 2C fragment to 2.2 Å resolution, containing an ATPase domain, a region equivalent to enterovirus 2C zinc-finger (ZFER) and a C-terminal amphipathic helix (PBD). The PBD of HAV 2C occupies a hydrophobic pocket (Pocket) in the adjacent 2C, and we show the PBD–Pocket interaction is vital for 2C functions. We identified acidic residues that are essential for the ribonuclease activity and demonstrated mutations at these sites abrogate virus replication. We built a hexameric-ring model of HAV 2C, revealing the ribonuclease-essential residues clustering around the central pore of the ring, whereas the ATPase active sites line up at the gaps between adjacent 2Cs. Finally, we show the ribonuclease activity is shared by other picornavirus 2Cs. Our findings identified a previously unfound activity of picornavirus 2C, providing novel insights into the mechanisms of virus replication.     

An insight into planarian regeneration

BackgroundPlanarian has attracted increasing attentions in the regeneration field for its usefulness as an important biological model organism attributing to its strong regeneration ability. Both the complexity of multiple regulatory networks and their coordinate functions contribute to the maintenance of normal cellular homeostasis and the process of regeneration in planarian. The polarity, size, location and number of regeneration tissues are regulated by diverse mechanisms. In this review we summarize the recent advances about the importance genetic and molecular mechanisms for regeneration control on various tissues in planarian.MethodsA comprehensive literature search of original articles published in recent years was performed in regards to the molecular mechanism of each cell types during the planarian regeneration, including neoblast, nerve system, eye spot, excretory system and epidermal.ResultsAvailable molecular mechanisms gave us an overview of regeneration process in every tissue. The sense of injuries and initiation of regeneration is regulated by diverse genes like follistatin and ERK signaling. The Neoblasts differentiate into tissue progenitors under the regulation of genes such as egfr‐3. The regeneration polarity is controlled by Wnt pathway, BMP pathway and bioelectric signals. The neoblast within the blastema differentiate into desired cell types and regenerate the missing tissues. Those tissue specific genes regulate the tissue progenitor cells to differentiate into desired cell types to complete the regeneration process.ConclusionAll tissue types in planarian participate in the regeneration process regulated by distinct molecular factors and cellular signaling pathways. The neoblasts play vital roles in tissue regeneration and morphology maintenance. These studies provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms for regulating planarian regeneration.

Genetic and molecular mechanisms for regeneration control on various tissues in planarian.     

细胞重编程和移植技术用于帕金森病治疗的研究进展

帕金森病(Parkinson disease,PD)是一种复杂的中枢神经系统退行性疾病,主要病理特征为黑质致密部多巴胺神经元的进行性丧失.目前PD主要治疗手段包括药物和手术.但药物存在神经保护活性不足、缺乏对因治疗、晚期无药可用等问题,手术治疗风险较大.近年来,细胞重编程技术取得突破性进展,由重编程产生的诱导多能干细胞(induced pluripotent stem cells,iPSCs)、诱导多巴胺神经元(induced dopamine neurons,iDNs)和诱导神经干细胞(induced neural stem cells,i NSCs)可用于治疗PD.移植iPSCs分化而来的多巴胺能神经元、iDNs和iNSCs至相应脑区,可起到神经替代与修复作用,有效治疗PD.本文重点介绍细胞重编程的机制,总结iPSCs、iDNs和iNSCs治疗PD的优缺点,并阐述尚存在的挑战,探讨可能的解决方案.     

Ginsenoside Rh2 mitigates doxorubicin‐induced cardiotoxicity by inhibiting apoptotic and inflammatory damage and weakening pathological remodelling in breast cancer‐bearing mice

ObjectivesThere are presently a few viable ways to reduce cardiotoxicity of doxorubicin (Dox). The combination of chemotherapy agents with natural compounds delivers greater efficacy and reduces adverse effects in recent researches for cancer treatment. Here, we examined the potential effect of ginsenoside Rh2 on a Dox‐based regimen in chemotherapy treatment.Materials and MethodsHuman breast tumour (MDA‐MB‐231) xenograft nude mice, human cardiac ventricle fibroblasts, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were employed in the present study. Histology, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, western blot, antibody array, and RNA‐sequencing analyses were utilized to assess the protective effect of Rh2 on cardiotoxicity induced by Dox and the underlying mechanisms.ResultsRh2‐reduced cardiotoxicity by inhibiting the cardiac histopathological changes, apoptosis and necrosis, and consequent inflammation. Pathological remodelling was attenuated by reducing fibroblast to myofibroblast transition (FMT) and endothelial–mesenchymal transition (EndMT) in hearts. RNA‐sequencing analysis showed that Dox treatment predominantly targets cell cycle and attachment of microtubules and boosted tumour necrosis, chemokine and interferon‐gamma production, response to cytokine and chemokine, and T cell activation, whereas Rh2 regulated these effects. Intriguingly, Rh2 also attenuated fibrosis via promoting senescence in myofibroblasts and reversing established myofibroblast differentiation in EndMT.ConclusionsRh2 regulates multiple pathways in the Dox‐provoked heart, proposing a potential candidate for cancer supplement and therapy‐associated cardiotoxicity.

Doxorubicin is extensively reported to induce severe cardiotoxicity in clinical applications. Our work proposed a natural herbal compound, ginsenoside Rh2, as a potential candidate for attenuating this side effect. Rh2 significantly inhibited cardiac apoptosis and necrosis, inflammation, and pathological remodelling in Dox‐challenged hearts.