ApoE4 upregulates the activity of mitochondria‐associated ER membranes

In addition to the appearance of senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, Alzheimer''s disease (AD) is characterized by aberrant lipid metabolism and early mitochondrial dysfunction. We recently showed that there was increased functionality of mitochondria‐associated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes (MAM), a subdomain of the ER involved in lipid and cholesterol homeostasis, in presenilin‐deficient cells and in fibroblasts from familial and sporadic AD patients. Individuals carrying the ε4 allele of apolipoprotein E (ApoE4) are at increased risk for developing AD compared to those carrying ApoE3. While the reason for this increased risk is unknown, we hypothesized that it might be associated with elevated MAM function. Using an astrocyte‐conditioned media (ACM) model, we now show that ER–mitochondrial communication and MAM function—as measured by the synthesis of phospholipids and of cholesteryl esters, respectively—are increased significantly in cells treated with ApoE4‐containing ACM as compared to those treated with ApoE3‐containing ACM. Notably, this effect was seen with lipoprotein‐enriched preparations, but not with lipid‐free ApoE protein. These data are consistent with a role of upregulated MAM function in the pathogenesis of AD and may help explain, in part, the contribution of ApoE4 as a risk factor in the disease.     

Digital image analysis of AgNORs in cervical smears of women with premalignant and malignant lesions of the uterine cervix

We performed a hospital-based, unmatched case-control study to investigate the association between progressive stages of cervical neoplasia and digital analysis of cell proliferation by silver stained nucleolus organizer region associated proteins (AgNORs). We measured cell proliferation levels in the cervical epithelial cells of 10 women with low grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LG-SIL), eight with high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HG-SIL), 11 with cervical cancer (CC) and eight with no cervical lesions (controls) using the AgNORs technique. Cell proliferation was measured by digital image analysis (DIA). DIA revealed increased total areas of AgNORs in HG-SIL and CC compared to LG-SIL and control patients. AgNORs with a kidney or cluster shape exhibited greater areas than those with a spherical or long shape. We propose a cut-off of 118 pixels to differentiate benign (control and LG-SIL) from malignant (HG-SIL and CC) lesions. DIA of AgNORs is a simple and inexpensive method for studying proliferation. The increased total area of AgNORs in malignant lesions provides information regarding cell behavior and may be related to cervical carcinogenesis; however, further validation studies are required to establish its usefulness in cytological analysis.     

Morphological and functional seed traits of the wild medicinal plant Dioscorea strydomiana,the most threatened yam in the world

• Morphological and functional seed traits have important roles in characterising the species regeneration niche and help to understand the reproductive biology of rare and threatened plants, which can thus support appropriate plant conservation measures.
• Seed morphometric and dispersal kinetics of the critically endangered Dioscorea strydomiana were measured and compared with those of four other Dioscorea species, and seed germination response under constant temperatures (5–35 °C) was compared with that of the congeneric and widespread D. sylvatica.
• Seed mass of D. strydomiana (ca. 14 mg) was twice that of D. sylvatica, but similar to or smaller than the other species examined. Seeds of D. strydomiana have the lowest speed of descent and lowest variability in most of the morphological traits considered, suggesting lower phenotypic plasticity but higher variance in the wing‐loading value. Seeds of D. strydomiana reached maximum germination at 15 °C (ca. 47%), which decreased slightly to ca. 37% at 25 °C and was completely inhibited at 35 °C. D. sylvatica seeds started to germinate at 10 °C (ca. 3%), reached 75–80% germination at 15–20 °C and maximum (ca. 90%) at 25–30 °C. Base temperatures for germination (T_b) were 9.3 and 5.7 °C, for D. strydomiana and D. sylvatica, respectively. Due to the higher germination percentages of D. sylvatica, ceiling and optimum temperatures could also be modelled for this species, suggesting higher sensitivity to high temperature for seeds of D. strydomiana.
• The detected poor seed lot quality of D. strydomiana suggests difficulties in reproduction from seed, highlighting the need for further investigation and conservation actions for this threatened yam species.

     

EGFR配体生物学效应的多样性

表皮生长因子受体（epidermal growth factor receptor, EGFR）的配体作为一类重要的信号分子参与了细胞功能的调节,并且和机体发育、器官形成、组织修复与稳态维持,以及疾病的发生密切相关。虽然这些信号分子具有序列和结构上的相似性,但由于这些信号分子结构上的细微差异以及它们受体信号传导上的复杂性,造成了这些信号分子（配体）生物学效应的多样性。目前,从结构和机制上,对于单个信号分子的生物学效应已有较为深入的研究,但这些信号分子之间以及信号分子与受体之间的调控网络较为复杂,并且这种调控网络对信号的精细、有序和多样化转导至关重要。本文对EGFR配体的结构及配体生物学效应多样性的分子机制进行回顾,并对未来的研究方向提出展望。     

世界竹子清单更新

编研世界竹子清单(World Checklist of Bamboos,WCB)是竹学的一项基础性工作。文中更正了2016年由世界禾草权威英国皇家植物园——Kew园领衔出版的World Checklist of Bamboos and Rattans竹子部分统计数据,实际为1665种,而非其自述的1642种;持续汇集全球竹种,时间更新至2018年底,WCB(2018)已禀赋计130个竹属,包含1700个竹种。     

络合型含铁材料对砷胁迫下水稻生理生化特性及砷累积的影响

土壤重金属与农产品质量息息相关.本研究通过设置砷胁迫条件下水稻种植盆栽试验,分析络合型含铁材料不同施用时期和不同施用量对水稻SPAD值、抗氧化酶(SOD、POD、CAT)活性以及水稻砷吸收、累积的影响.结果表明,砷胁迫对水稻SOD、POD、CAT活性有着不同程度的抑制作用,添加络合型含铁材料可以降低水稻MDA含量,缓解砷对水稻光合作用和SOD、POD、CAT活性的抑制;同时能减少水稻对土壤砷的吸收和累积.与移栽前添加络合型含铁材料相比,选择水稻孕穗期前添加络合型含铁材料,水稻砷吸收的抑制效果较好;水稻植株地上部砷含量与络合型含铁材料的添加浓度呈显著负相关,孕穗期前添加0.2 g·kg-1络合型含铁材料对水稻植株砷的吸收抑制效果最好,水稻植株地上部砷含量降低59.22%.     

Strong phenotypic divergence in spite of low genetic structure in the endemic Mangrove Warbler subspecies (Setophaga petechia xanthotera) of Costa Rica

Despite the enormous advances in genetics, links between phenotypes and genotypes have been made for only a few nonmodel organisms. However, such links can be essential to understand mechanisms of ecological speciation. The Costa Rican endemic Mangrove Warbler subspecies provides an excellent subject to study differentiation with gene flow, as it is distributed along a strong precipitation gradient on the Pacific coast with no strong geographic barriers to isolate populations. Mangrove Warbler populations could be subject to divergent selection driven by precipitation, which influences soil salinity levels, which in turn influences forest structure and food resources. We used single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and morphological traits to examine the balance between neutral genetic and phenotypic divergence to determine whether selection has acted on traits and genes with functions related to specific environmental variables. We present evidence showing: (a) associations between environmental variables and SNPs, identifying candidate genes related to bill morphology (BMP) and osmoregulation, (b) absence of population genetic structure in neutrally evolving markers, (c) divergence in bill size across the precipitation gradient, and (d) strong phenotypic differentiation (P_ST) which largely exceeds neutral genetic differentiation (F_ST) in bill size. Our results indicate an important role for salinity, forest structure, and resource availability in maintaining phenotypic divergence of Mangrove Warblers through natural selection. Our findings add to the growing body of literature identifying the processes involved in phenotypic differentiation along environmental gradients in the face of gene flow.     

Arabidopsis VTC2 encodes a GDP-L-galactose phosphorylase, the last unknown enzyme in the Smirnoff-Wheeler pathway to ascorbic acid in plants

The first committed step in the biosynthesis of L-ascorbate from D-glucose in plants requires conversion of GDP-L-galactose to L-galactose 1-phosphate by a previously unidentified enzyme. Here we show that the protein encoded by VTC2, a gene mutated in vitamin C-deficient Arabidopsis thaliana strains, is a member of the GalT/Apa1 branch of the histidine triad protein superfamily that catalyzes the conversion of GDP-L-galactose to L-galactose 1-phosphate in a reaction that consumes inorganic phosphate and produces GDP. In characterizing recombinant VTC2 from A. thaliana as a specific GDP-L-galactose/GDP-D-glucose phosphorylase, we conclude that enzymes catalyzing each of the ten steps of the Smirnoff-Wheeler pathway from glucose to ascorbate have been identified. Finally, we identify VTC2 homologs in plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates, suggesting that a similar reaction is used widely in nature.     

Mixed-dimensional multi-scale poroelastic modeling of adipose tissue for subcutaneous injection

Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology - Subcutaneous injection of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) has gained increasing interest in the pharmaceutical industry. The transport,...     

不同抗性泡核桃对褐斑病病原菌侵染的生理生化响应北大核心CSCD

以抗病和感病泡核桃无性系为实验材料,人工接种褐斑病病原菌后测定不同时期叶片中保护酶活性、总酚、类黄酮、叶绿素含量等相关生理生化指标,探讨不同抗性泡核桃响应褐斑病病原菌侵染的生理生化差异。结果表明:(1)接种病原菌后,感病无性系64叶片带菌率随着侵染时间的增加而升高,且显著高于抗病无性系199(P<0.05)。(2)抗病无性系199和感病无性系64叶片的SOD、POD、CAT、APX和PPO活性随着侵染时间均呈现先升高后降低的变化趋势,其中SOD、POD和APX活性均在16 d时达到最大值;与较感病无性系相比,接种后抗病无性系的POD和APX活性较强;在接种前期(1~16 d),感病无性系PPO活性高于抗病无性系,后期(16~34 d)CAT活性也较抗病无性系高。(3)抗病无性系叶片叶绿素含量始终高于感病无性系;抗病无性系MDA含量在接种后无明显变化,而感病无性系先增加后降低,其细胞膜脂过氧化较重。(4)两个无性系叶片可溶性蛋白和可溶性糖含量变化较平缓,且差异不显著,在接种后期(34 d)有升高的趋势;接种5 d以后,感病无性系叶片类黄酮和总酚含量始终显著高于抗病无性系。研究发现,泡核桃抗病无性系叶片带菌率较低,较难受到侵染,并且通过提高POD和APX活性以及积累较多叶绿素、可溶性蛋白和可溶性糖来应对病原菌侵染引起的氧化胁迫,抑制病原菌的繁殖,从而提高其抗病能力。