UreB immunodominant epitope-specific CD8+ T-cell responses were beneficial in reducing gastric symptoms in Helicobacter pylori-infected individuals

Background and aims

Although Helicobacter pylori is recognized as an extracellular infection bacterium, it can lead to an increase in the number of CD8⁺ T cells after infection. At present, the characteristics of H. pylori antigen-specific CD8⁺ T cells and the epitope response have not been elucidated. This study was focused on putative protective antigen UreB to detect specific CD8⁺ T-cell responses in vitro and screen for predominant response epitopes.

Methods

The PBMCs collected from H. pylori-infected individuals were stimulated by UreB peptide pools in vitro to identify the immunodominant CD8⁺ T-cell epitopes. Furthermore, their HLA restriction characteristics were detected accordingly by NGS. Finally, the relationship between immunodominant responses and appearance of gastric symptoms after H. pylori infection was conducted.

Results

UreB-specific CD8⁺ T-cell responses were detected in H. pylori-infected individuals. Three of UreB dominant epitopes (A-2 (UreB_443–451: GVKPNMIIK), B-4 (UreB_420–428: SEYVGSVEV), and C-1 (UreB_5–13: SRKEYVSMY)) were firstly identified and mainly presented by HLA-A*1101, HLA-B*4001 and HLA-C*0702 alleles, respectively. C-1 responses were mostly occurred in H. pylori-infected subjects without gastric symptoms and may alleviate the degree of gastric inflammation.

Conclusions

The UreB dominant epitope-specific CD8⁺ T-cell response was closely related to the gastric symptoms after H. pylori infection, and the C-1 (UreB_5-13) dominant peptides may be protective epitopes.     

Circular RNA SLTM as a miR-421-competing endogenous RNA to mediate HMGB2 expression stimulates apoptosis and inflammation in arthritic chondrocytes

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common age-related joint disease characterized by chronic inflammation, progressive articular cartilage destruction, and subchondral sclerosis. Accumulating evidence suggests that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play key roles in OA, but the function of circSLTM in OA remains greatly unknown. Therefore, this study focused on interleukin-1β (IL-1β)-treated primary human chondrocytes as well as a rat model to investigate the expression pattern and functional role of circSLTM in OA in vitro and in vivo. CircSLTM and high mobility group protein B2 (HMGB2) were upregulated in IL-1β-induced chondrocytes, whereas miR-421 was downregulated. Knockdown of circSLTM or overexpression of miR-421 ameliorated IL-1β-induced chondrocyte apoptosis and inflammation. The regulatory relationship between circSLTM and miR-421, as well as that between miR-421 and HMGB2, was predicted by bioinformatics and then verified by the RNA immunoprecipitation experiment and dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. Furthermore, silencing of circSLTM increased cartilage destruction and decreased cartilage tissue apoptosis rate and inflammation in a rat model of OA. Taken together, our findings demonstrate the fundamental role of circSLTM in OA progression and provide a potential molecular target for OA therapy.     

撕裂蜡孔菌HG2011对光叶紫花苕结瘤固氮的影响及其潜在机制

【目的】 在我国南方尤其是西南地区,光叶紫花苕(Vicia villosa Roth.)作为重要的青饲和绿肥两用豆科作物被广泛种植,有助于提高土壤氮素和后茬作物的产量品质。接种有益微生物是促进豆科作物生物固氮和生长的重要措施之一。为此,本文研究了一株自主分离获得的白腐真菌¾¾撕裂蜡孔菌(Careporia lacerata HG2011)对光叶紫花苕结瘤固氮和生长的影响,并揭示其潜在机制。【方法】 采用微生物培养、植物培养和田间试验,研究C. lacerata磷铁活化能力、代谢产物构成、与根瘤菌Rhizobium sophorae S3的相互作用,及其对光叶紫花苕结瘤、生长、产量、品质和土壤有效磷铁的影响。【结果】 C. lacerata和根瘤菌之间无拮抗作用。液相色谱-质谱(liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, LC-MS)分析发现,C. lacerata发酵液含有氨基酸、有机酸和类黄酮等化感物质,能增强根瘤菌的趋化性并促进生物膜形成。此外,C. lacerata还能释放生长素、赤霉素、水杨酸和铁载体,活化难溶性有机和无机磷。在植物培养试验中,单独接种C. lacerata或根瘤菌均能促进光叶紫花苕生长,但以共接种处理效果最佳。C. lacerata定殖于光叶紫花苕根际,导致根长、根系表面积和结瘤数显著增加。田间试验发现,接种C. lacerata显著提高了光叶紫花苕单株根瘤数、根瘤质量和固氮酶活性,以及土壤有效磷铁含量和磷酸酶活性,产量比常规施肥处理增加12.15%且品质无显著变化。【结论】 C. lacerata能够在光叶紫花苕根际定殖,通过分泌化感物质、生长素和活化土壤磷铁等机制促进结瘤固氮和生长发育。C. lacerata易于培养,菌剂制备成本低廉,施用简便,对提高豆科作物产量品质具有一定应用价值。     

基于Golden Gate技术的齐整小核菌转录单元高效组装系统

【目的】为齐整小核菌代谢工程研究建立高效的转录单元组装系统。【方法】通过应用Golden Gate技术,以mobius assembly为基础,分别设计并构建DNA元件标准化接口改造、单转录单元组装、应用质粒(多转录单元)组装等功能的载体,从而形成一套完整的多转录单元组装系统。【结果】构建了2个用于DNA元件标准化接口改造的Level 0载体,4个用于单转录单元组装的Level 1载体,4个用于应用质粒组装的Level 2载体和13个应用质粒组装的辅助质粒。然后应用此系统为齐整小核菌组装了若干经过标准化接口改造的DNA元件质粒、单转录单元质粒和硬葡聚糖相关基因的功能分析质粒。所构建的最终应用质粒可以同时适用于齐整小核菌的根癌农杆菌介导转化法、电穿孔转化法和原生质体转化法。【结论】此质粒系统具有强大的DNA设计、组装和容纳能力,为未来齐整小核菌代谢工程和功能基因组学研究提供了高效的质粒构建技术平台。     

Deciphering RNA m6A regulation in aging: Perspectives on current advances and future directions

N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) is a dynamic and reversible RNA modification that has emerged as a crucial player in the life cycle of RNA, thus playing a pivotal role in various biological processes. In recent years, the potential involvement of RNA m⁶A modification in aging and age-related diseases has gained increasing attention, making it a promising target for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying aging and developing new therapeutic strategies. This Perspective article will summarize the current advances in aging-related m⁶A regulation, highlighting the most significant findings and their implications for our understanding of cellular senescence and aging, and the potential for targeting RNA m⁶A regulation as a therapeutic strategy. We will also discuss the limitations and challenges in this field and provide insights into future research directions. By providing a comprehensive overview of the current state of the field, this Perspective article aims to facilitate further advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying aging and to identify new therapeutic targets for aging-related diseases.     

Exercise enhancement by RGS14 disruption is mediated by brown adipose tissue

Enhanced exercise capacity is not only a feature of healthful aging, but also a therapy for aging patients and patients with cardiovascular disease. Disruption of the Regulator of G Protein Signaling 14 (RGS14) in mice extends healthful lifespan, mediated by increased brown adipose tissue (BAT). Accordingly, we determined whether RGS14 knockout (KO) mice exhibit enhanced exercise capacity and the role of BAT in mediating exercise capacity. Exercise was performed on a treadmill and exercise capacity was assessed by maximal running distance and work to exhaustion. Exercise capacity was measured in RGS14 KO mice and their wild types (WT), and also in WT mice with BAT transplantation from RGS14 KO mice or from other WT mice. RGS14 KO mice demonstrated 160 ± 9% increased maximal running distance and 154 ± 6% increased work to exhaustion, compared to WT mice. RGS14 KO BAT transplantation to WT mice, resulted in a reversal of phenotype, with the WT mice receiving the BAT transplant from RGS14 KO mice demonstrating 151 ± 5% increased maximal running distance and 158 ± 7% increased work to exhaustion, at three days after BAT transplantation, compared to RGS14 KO donors. BAT transplantation from WT to WT mice also resulted in increased exercise performance, but not at 3 days, but only at 8 weeks after transplantation. The BAT induced enhanced exercise capacity was mediated by (1) mitochondrial biogenesis and SIRT3; (2) antioxidant defense and the MEK/ERK pathway, and increased hindlimb perfusion. Thus, BAT mediates enhanced exercise capacity, a mechanism more powerful with RGS14 disruption.     

基于遗传算法的土地利用优化：NSGA-Ⅱ和NSGA-Ⅲ的对比研究

土地利用优化通常要兼顾不同群体的多种要求,理论上是复杂的超多目标(4个及以上)优化问题。但实际操作中却往往被简化为多目标(2—3个)优化问题,通过一种流行的多目标优化算法第Ⅱ代非支配排序遗传算法(NSGA-Ⅱ)求解。究其原因是对超多目标优化算法认知的缺失和与多目标优化算法理论对比的匮乏。对NSGA系列中应用最广泛的多目标优化算法NSGA-Ⅱ和最新提出、面向超多目标优化的算法NSGA-Ⅲ进行探究,从理论和实验两方面对Ⅲ和Ⅱ进行对比,从而探究二者进行土地利用优化时的优劣。在理论上,对比两种算法原理的异同。在实验中,分别设计多目标(3个目标)和超多目标(13个目标)土地利用优化问题,利用两种算法进行求解。对实验结果采用四层架构、六大指标进行全面评价,以对比两种算法的可用性。理论对比发现,两个算法只有种群多样性保护的方法不同,其中NSGA-Ⅲ是基于与固定的参考点的距离,而NSGA-Ⅱ则是基于相邻解间的距离。通过实验对比发现,NSGA-Ⅲ在超多目标优化时运算速度快,且产生的最优方案实用价值更高,NSGA-Ⅱ在算法的有效性方面更有优势。     

基于转录组测序的宁夏枸杞不同品种果实活性成分合成差异表达基因分析

为探究不同品种宁夏枸杞果实活性成分生物合成相关基因的表达水平,筛选关键差异表达基因(differentially expressed genes,DEGs),揭示宁夏枸杞品种间活性成分含量差异的分子机制,本研究采用Illumina NovaSeq 6000高通量测序技术,对宁夏枸杞‘宁杞1号’和‘宁杞7号’青果期、转色期及成熟期果实进行转录组测序,比较2个品种果实不同发育期相关基因表达谱的变化。结果显示:转录组测序共获得811818178条clean reads,有121.76 Gb有效数据。‘宁杞1号’和‘宁杞7号’在青果期、转色期和成熟期差异表达基因分别有2827、2552和2311个;分别有2153、2050和1825个差异基因在基因本体论(gene ontology,GO)、京都基因与基因组百科全书(Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes,KEGG)富集分析和同源蛋白簇(clusters of orthologous groups of proteins,KOG)分析等6个数据库中被成功注释。青果期、转色期和成熟期果实的差异表达基因,在GO数据库分别有1307、865和624个被富集到生物学过程、细胞组分及分子功能3个部分中;KEGG通路富集结果均集中在代谢途径、次生代谢物生物合成和植物-病原互作过程;在KOG数据库,3个发育期分别注释了1775、1751和1541个差异表达基因。对注释的基因进行PubMed数据库检索,在青果期、转色期和成熟期分别筛选到与枸杞活性成分合成相关的差异表达基因18、26和24个,这些基因主要参与类胡萝卜素、类黄酮、萜类、生物碱和维生素等代谢途径。选取7个差异表达基因进行RT-qPCR验证,结果与转录组测序数据表达趋势一致。本研究从转录水平为不同品种宁夏枸杞活性成分含量差异提供了初步证据,为进一步挖掘枸杞活性成分生物合成的关键基因及解析其表达调控机制提供了研究基础。