Negative regulating factors of notch signaling may be a key factor for the teeth root formation

It is still an open question that how the teeth root development is initiated at the molecular level. But what we know is that the teeth root development begins after the crown part is completely formed, and then the terminal cervical loop structure faces two developmental fate options when the crown development is quite advanced: it can remain as a ‘crown’ pattern, and continue enamel production, or it can adopt the ‘root’ fate, and begins teeth root development. Epithelial notch and mesenchymal fgf10 signaling are thought to be the key switches of root or crown development pattern. But, for a rodent's molars and incisors, it is very interesting that after a similar teeth crown developmental process, the late development for the molars and incisors is quite different: the molar germ forms a multi-rooted pattern, while the incisor germ forms a single-rooted analogue and without a really root development process. In a recent study, one of the negative regulating factors for notch signaling, sel1l was found strongly related to the molar root development. So we hypotheses that the negative regulating factors of notch signaling, may be the key signals to determine the tooth root developmental onset, and the quantity or function's abnormal of that factors, may lead to hypoplasia of the teeth root.     

Roles of SCaBP8 in salt stress response

The tissue-preferential distributed calcium sensors, SOS3 and SCaBP8, play important roles in SOS pathway to cope with saline conditions. Both SOS3 and SCaBP8 interact with and activate SOS2. However the regulatory mechanism for SOS2 activation and membrane recruitment by SCaBP8 differs from SOS3. SCaBP8 is phosphorylated by SOS2 at plasma membrane (PM) under salt stress. This phosphorylation anchors the SCaBP8-SOS2 complex on plasma membrane and activates PM Na⁺/H⁺ anti-porter, such as SOS1. Here, we describe that SOS2 has high binding affinity and catalytic efficiency to SCaBP8, suggesting that phosphorylation of SCaBP8 by SOS2 perhaps occurs rapidly in salt condition. SCaBP8 is also phosphorylated by PKS5 (SOS2-like Protein Kinase5) which negatively regulates PM H⁺-ATPase activity and functions in plant alkaline tolerance, providing a clue to roles of SCaBP8 in both salt and alkaline tolerance. SOS2 interacts with SOS3 and SCaBP8 with its FISL motif at C-terminus. However, luciferase activity complement assay indicates that SOS2 N-terminal is also essential for interacting with these proteins in plant.Key words: calcium signal, kinase activity, luciferase complementDue to their sessile nature, plants have developed elaborate strategies to deal with a number of environmental challenges. One overwhelming constraint is high salinity in the soil, which inhibits plant growth and decreases the agricultural productivity. Efflux and/or sequestering of sodium ion to apoplastic space/vacuolar are well-known cellular mechanisms that plants protect them from saline stress.¹ Recently identified SOS (salt overly sensitive) pathway plays critical roles in maintaining ion homeostasis in response to high salinity.² Two calcium sensors, SOS3 and SCaBP8 (SOS3-like calcium binding protein8), perceive cytosolic calcium signature triggered by salt, interact with and activate a Thr/Ser protein kinase, SOS2 and recruit it to the plasma membrane. Then, the formed SOS3-SOS2 or SCaBP8-SOS2 complex activates a PM Na⁺/H⁺ anti-porter, SOS1.^2–4 Moreover, SOS2 also regulates vascular Na⁺/H⁺ antiporter activity.⁵ Previously, we reported that SCaBP8 and SOS3 function distinctly in activation of SOS2.³ For instance, N-terminal myristoylation of SOS3 plays an important role in salt tolerance.⁶ However, there is no consensus myristoylated motif in SCaBP8. Instead, an N-terminal hydrophobic domain is sufficient to facilitate the association of SCaBP8 to plasma membrane.³ In addition, SCaBP8 is phosphorylated by SOS2 under salt stress and this phosphorylation stabilizes the interaction of SOS2 and SCaBP8.⁴ In this report, we describe that SCaBP8 possibly is rapidly phosphorylated by SOS2 under salt stress and also phosphorylated by another stress responsible protein kinase, implying additional roles of SCaBP8 in stress responses.     

Isolation and characterization of 12 polymorphic microsatellite markers from ladyfish (Elops saurus Linnaeus)

Ladyfish (Elops saurus Linnaeus) is an economically important marine fish species. 76 microsatellite loci were isolated from an enriched genomic library of Elops saurus. Twelve of these markers were polymorphic in a test population with alleles per locus ranging from three to nine. The number of observed, expected heterozygosity and polymorphism information content (PIC) per locus in 20 individuals ranged from 0.2000 to 1.0000, 0.1897–0.8846, 0.1769–0.8476, respectively. One markers significantly deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium after Bonferroni correction analysis and there was no significant linkage disequilibrium found between pairs of markers. As a result, 12 microsatellite markers probably should provide sufficient level of genetic diversity to investigate the fine-scale population structure, stock management and enhancement, genetic linkage map construction and molecular marker-assisted breeding in Elops saurus Linnaeus.     

Mitochondria: One of the origins for autophagosomal membranes?

Macroautophagy is a transport pathway to the lysosome/vacuole that contributes to the degradation of numerous intracellular components. Despite the recent advances achieved in the understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying macroautophagy, the membrane origin of autophagosomes, the hallmark of this process is still a mystery. It has been suggested that mitochondria may be one of the lipid sources for autophagosome formation and that possibly this organelle provides the phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) that covalently links to the members of the ubiquitin-like Atg8/microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) protein family. These lipidated proteins are inserted into the outer and inner surface of autophagosomes and are essential for the biogenesis of these large double-membrane vesicles. However, because PE is an integral component of all cellular membranes, designing appropriate experiments to determine the origin of the autophagosomal PE is not easy. In this review, we discuss the idea that mitochondria provide the pool of PE necessary for the autophagosome biogenesis and we propose some possible experimental approaches aimed to explore this possibility.     

Recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma cells with stem cell-like properties: possible targets for immunotherapy

Background aimsHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurs with high frequency. Characterization of recurrent HCC cells will facilitate the design of future therapeutic strategies for recurrent HCC.MethodsTwo cell lines, Hep-11 and Hep-12, were established from the same HCC patient's primary and recurrent tumor tissues, respectively, and then analyzed for stem cell-like properties, immune evasion strategies and immunogenicity.ResultsCompared with Hep-11 cells, Hep-12 cells expressed higher levels of liver progenitor cell makers and displayed persistent tumorigenic potential in the serial transplantation assay. Although Hep-12 cells down-regulated human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I expression, they could still be recognized and killed by autologous-activated tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) in vitro. Pre-treatment with cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) increased the expression of HLA class I molecules on Hep-12 cells, and rendered them more susceptible to CD8⁺ T-cell-mediated recognition and TIL-mediated cytotoxicity in vitro.ConclusionsOur results indicate that Hep-12 cells possess stem cell-like properties, are susceptible to autologous-activated TIL-mediated recognition and cytotoxicity, and pre-treatment with TNF-α and IFN-γ enhances their immunogenicity. This is the first evidence to support the hypothesis that immunotherapy can be used to target recurrent HCC cells with stem cell-like properties. This strategy may be an effective therapeutic approach to prevent HCC recurrence and control recurrent HCC growth.     

The nuclear experience of CPEB: Implications for RNA processing and translational control

CPEB is a sequence-specific RNA binding protein that promotes polyadenylation-induced translation in early development, during cell cycle progression and cellular senescence, and following neuronal synapse stimulation. It controls polyadenylation and translation through other interacting molecules, most notably the poly(A) polymerase Gld2, the deadenylating enzyme PARN, and the eIF4E-binding protein Maskin. Here, we report that CPEB shuttles between the nucleus and cytoplasm and that its export occurs via the CRM1-dependent pathway. In the nucleus of Xenopus oocytes, CPEB associates with lampbrush chromosomes and several proteins involved in nuclear RNA processing. CPEB also interacts with Maskin in the nucleus as well as with CPE-containing mRNAs. Although the CPE does not regulate mRNA export, it influences the degree to which mRNAs are translationally repressed in the cytoplasm. Moreover, CPEB directly or indirectly mediates the alternative splicing of at least one pre-mRNA in mouse embryo fibroblasts as well as certain mouse tissues. We propose that CPEB, together with Maskin, binds mRNA in the nucleus to ensure tight translational repression upon export to the cytoplasm. In addition, we propose that nuclear CPEB regulates specific pre-mRNA alternative splicing.     

22种植物提取物及其6种化合物对鱼类指环虫的杀灭研究

将感染有指环虫的金鱼投放在加有一定浓度的植物提取物或化合物的水体中,控制一定的水体条件,显微镜下定期观察鱼鳃上的指环虫数量,统计杀虫率。结果表明:22种植物中蛇床提取物的杀灭指环虫效果最好,其最高杀灭率为100%;其次是两面针、木通、吴茱萸、牛心朴子,最高杀虫率均为80%;夹竹桃、徐长卿的最高杀虫率均为70%;草果、苦木、北乌头、滨蒿、蒺藜、白芷、山柰、榧的最高杀虫率在48 h内均在20%~50%;在测试浓度范围内,生姜、辣椒、仙茅、大风子、泽漆、相思子和雷丸没有明显杀虫活性。6种植物化合物作用48 h时川楝素的杀灭指环虫活性最高,最高杀灭率为100%;其次是鬼臼毒素、烟碱和槟榔碱,杀虫率在30%~50%;青蒿素和苦参碱在鱼中毒浓度下对指环虫仍然没有杀灭效果。根据以上结果,蛇床、两面针、木通、吴茱萸、牛心朴子、夹竹桃、徐长卿等植物和化合物川楝素对鱼类指环虫具有较好的杀灭作用。     

小花假泽兰茎叶中杀菌活性成分的研究

以小麦纹枯病原菌为指示菌种,采用活性跟踪法,从小花假泽兰(M ikan ia m icrantha H.B.K.)茎叶中分离出1种对黄瓜霜霉、黄瓜炭疽、小麦赤霉和玉米大斑4种病原菌孢子萌发具有较好抑制作用的物质,在供试浓度为0.50 m g.mL-1时,对黄瓜炭疽、小麦赤霉、玉米大斑3种病原菌孢子萌发抑制率均在70%以上.生长速率法测定其对番茄灰霉病原菌的EC50为0.039 m g.mL-1,组织法测定结果表明该化合物对番茄灰霉病有较好的防效,在供试浓度为2 000 m g.k-g 1时,治疗作用和保护作用防效分别达到了68.6%和48.7%,高于或相当于对照药剂速克灵的防效.经熔点测定、IR、M S1、HNM R1、3CNM R分析,鉴定该化合物为豆甾醇,其为首次从小花假泽兰茎叶中分离得到.     

Functional replacement of the RING, B-box 2, and coiled-coil domains of tripartite motif 5alpha (TRIM5alpha) by heterologous TRIM domains

Tripartite motif 5alpha (TRIM5alpha) restricts some retroviruses, including human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), from infecting the cells of particular species. TRIM5alpha is a member of the TRIM family of proteins, which contain RING, B-box, coiled-coil (CC), and, in some cases, B30.2(SPRY) domains. Here we investigated the abilities of domains from TRIM proteins (TRIM6, TRIM34, and TRIM21) that do not restrict HIV-1 infection to substitute for the domains of rhesus monkey TRIM5alpha (TRIM5alpha(rh)). The RING, B-box 2, and CC domains of the paralogous TRIM6 and TRIM34 proteins functionally replaced the corresponding TRIM5alpha(rh) domains, allowing HIV-1 restriction. By contrast, similar chimeras containing the components of TRIM21, a slightly more distant relative of TRIM5, did not restrict HIV-1 infection. The TRIM21 B-box 2 domain and its flanking linker regions contributed to the functional defectiveness of these chimeras. All of the chimeric proteins formed trimers. All of the chimeras that restricted HIV-1 infection bound the assembled HIV-1 capsid complexes. These results indicate that heterologous RING, B-box 2, and CC domains from related TRIM proteins can functionally substitute for TRIM5alpha(rh) domains.