Endometrial extracellular matrix rigidity and IFNτ ensure the establishment of early pregnancy through activation of YAP

BackgroundIn mammals, early pregnancy is a critical vulnerable period during which complications may arise, including pregnancy failure. Establishment of a maternal endometrial acceptance phenotype is a prerequisite for semiheterogeneous embryo implantation, comprising the rate‐limiting step of early pregnancy.MethodsConfocal fluorescence, immunohistochemistry and western blot for nuclear and cytoplasmic protein were used to examine the activation of yes‐associated protein (YAP) in uterine tissue and primary endometrial cells. The target binding between miR16a and YAP was verified by dual‐luciferase reporter gene assay. The mouse pregnancy model and pseudopregnancy model were used to investigate the role of YAP in the maternal uterus during early pregnancy in vivo.ResultsWe showed that YAP translocates into the nucleus in the endometrium of cattle and mice during early pregnancy. Mechanistically, YAP acts as a mediator of ECM rigidity and cell density, which requires the actomyosin cytoskeleton and is partially dependent on the Hippo pathway. Furthermore, we found that the soluble factor IFNτ, which is a ruminant pregnancy recognition factor, also induced activation of YAP by reducing the expression of miR‐16a.ConclusionsThis study revealed that activation of YAP is necessary for early pregnancy in bovines because it induced cell proliferation and established an immunosuppressive local environment that allowed conceptus implantation into the uterine epithelium.     

Association of myostatin deficiency with collagen related disease-umbilical hernia and tippy toe standing in pigs

Transgenic Research - Herein, we investigate the high incidence of umbilical hernia and tippy-toe standing and their underlying changes in gene expression and proliferation in myostatin knockout...     

一株氯霉素降解细菌的分离鉴定与代谢特性研究

微生物是介导环境中氯霉素降解转化的主要驱动者,但高效降解矿化菌株资源匮乏,氧化反应介导的代谢途径不清。为研究微生物介导下氯霉素的环境归趋过程,为氯霉素污染环境强化修复提供菌株资源,文中以受氯霉素污染的活性污泥为接种源,首先富集获得一个由红球菌Rhodococcus主导 (相对丰度>70%) 的氯霉素高效降解菌群,并从中分离获得一株能够高效降解氯霉素的菌株CAP-2,通过16S rRNA基因分析鉴定为红球菌Rhodococcus sp.。菌株CAP-2能在不同营养条件下高效降解氯霉素。基于菌株CAP-2对检测到的代谢产物对硝基苯甲酸和已报道的代谢产物对硝基苯甲醛和原儿茶酸的生物转化特征,提出其降解途径是由氯霉素侧链氧化断裂生成对硝基苯甲醛,进一步氧化为对硝基苯甲酸的新型氧化降解途径。该菌株对于氯霉素分解代谢的分子机制研究以及受氯霉素污染环境的原位生物修复应用具有巨大潜力。     

染色质调节元件与不同启动子的相互作用对基因表达调控的影响

为探究DNA序列元件对不同启动子调节转基因稳定表达的影响,利用遍在染色质开放元件 (Ubiquitous chromatin opening elements,UCOE) 和基质黏附序列 (Scaffold/matrix-attachment regions,MAR) 分别与含增强子的oct4基因启动子、含CpG岛的sox2基因启动子和不含调控元件的nanog基因启动子以及同时包含增强子和CpG岛的CMV启动子组合构建pOCT4-MAR、pOCT4-UCOE、pSOX2-MAR、pSOX2-UCOE、pNANOG-MAR、pNANOG-UCOE、pCMV-UCOE、pCMV-MAR等质粒,分析这些质粒稳定转染后的表达量和嵌合表达差异。结果发现,UCOE与含增强子元件的oct4启动子组合能较稳定高效表达,而MAR与含CpG岛的sox2启动子组合能较稳定高效表达。利用排除位置效应原因的嵌合表达对染色质高级结构调控基因表达的稳定性分析表明：(1) 通常情况下UCOE比MAR调节的表达载体的表达更高效和更稳定;UCOE连接含CpG岛的启动子形成开放染色质调节的高表达更稳定;(2) MAR与启动子上TATA盒或增强子可能通过染色质环产生高表达,但相对不稳定。结论：染色质调节元件UCOE和MAR与启动子调控元件之间能通过染色质开放状态或染色质环调控基因稳定表达。     

Microbulbifer hainanensis sp. nov., a moderately halopilic bacterium isolated from mangrove sediment

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek - A new bacterium was successfully isolated from a mangrove sediment sample in Haikou City, Hainan Province, China. The organism is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped, non-motile...     

LncRNA H19 rs4929984 Variant is Associated with Coronary Artery Disease Susceptibility in Han Chinese Female Population

Biochemical Genetics - Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to play an important role in cardiovascular diseases. The present study aimed to investigate the levels of lncRNA H19 in...     

Tissue distribution and subcellular localization of the family of Kidney Ankyrin Repeat Domain (KANK) proteins

Kidney Ankyrin Repeat-containing Proteins (KANKs) comprise a family of four evolutionary conserved proteins (KANK1 to 4) that localize to the belt of mature focal adhesions (FAs) where they regulate integrin-mediated adhesion, actomyosin contractility, and link FAs to the cortical microtubule stabilization complex (CMSC). The human KANK proteins were first identified in kidney and have been associated with kidney cancer and nephrotic syndrome. Here, we report the distributions and subcellular localizations of the four Kank mRNAs and proteins in mouse tissues. We found that the KANK family members display distinct and rarely overlapping expression patterns. Whereas KANK1 is expressed at the basal side of epithelial cells of all tissues tested, KANK2 expression is mainly observed at the plasma membrane and/or cytoplasm of mesenchymal cells and KANK3 exclusively in vascular and lymphatic endothelial cells. KANK4 shows the least widespread expression pattern and when present, overlaps with KANK2 in contractile cells, such as smooth muscle cells and pericytes. Our findings show that KANKs are widely expressed in a cell type-specific manner, which suggests that they have cell- and tissue-specific functions.