Cathepsin B inhibitory activities of three new phthalate derivatives isolated from seahorse, Hippocampus Kuda Bleeler

Three new phthalate acid derivatives, 2,12-diethyl-11-methylhexadecyl 2-ethyl-11-methylhexadecyl phthalate (1), 2-ethyldecyl 2-ethylundecyl phthalate (2), and bis(2-ethyldodecyl) phthalate (3), were isolated from seahorse, Hippocampus Kuda Bleeler, together with a known natural analog bis(2-ethylheptyl) phthalate (4). The structures of these compounds were elucidated mainly by means of the comprehensive analysis of their NMR spectroscopic data. The four phthalate derivatives showed dose-dependent cathepsin B inhibitions activities with IC(50) values of 0.13 mM (1), 0.21 mM (2), 0.18 mM (3), and 0.29 mM (4), respectively.     

脑缺血/再灌对蒙古沙土鼠海马突触体酪氨酸磷酸化的影响

用蒙古沙土鼠双侧颈总动脉结扎（ＢＣＡＯ）前脑缺血模型,研究缺血／再灌对海马突触体蛋白酪氨酸磷酸休的影响及ＮＭＤＡ受体（ＮＲ）非竞争性拮抗剂氯胺酮（Ｋｅｔａｍｉｎｅ,ＫＴ）、Ｌ－型电压门控钙离子通道（Ｌ－ｔｙｐｅ ｖｏｌｔａｇｅ ｇａｔｅｄｃａｌｃｉｕｍ ｃｈａｎｎｅｌ,Ｌ－型ＶＧＣＣ）拮抗剂硝苯吡啶（ｎｉｆｅｄｉｐｉｎｅ,ＮＤ）及非ＮＲ拮抗６,７－二硝基喹恶啉上卫四（６,７－ｄｉ－ｎｉｔｒｏｐｕ     

云南冬青科新分类群

单序冬青组[Sect.Lioprinus(Loes.)S.Y.Hu常绿乔木或灌木;单个花序生于当年生枝叶腋或鳞片内。叶片薄革质或坚纸质,分核背部具1单沟,断面呈U形(聚伞冬青系Ser.Chinenses)。     

Salicylic acid inducible nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of NPR1 fusion proteins in human cells

Ligand inducible proteins that enable precise and reversible control of nuclear translocation of passenger proteins have broad applications ranging from genetic studies in mammals to therapeutics that target diseases such as cancer and diabetes. One of the drawbacks of the current translocation systems is that the ligands used to control nuclear localization are either toxic or prone to crosstalk with endogenous protein cascades within live animals. We sought to take advantage of salicylic acid (SA), a small molecule that has been extensively used in humans. In plants, SA functions as a hormone that can mediate immunity and is sensed by the nonexpressor of pathogenesis-related (NPR) proteins. Although it is well recognized that nuclear translocation of NPR1 is essential to promoting immunity in plants, the exact subdomain of Arabidopsis thaliana NPR1 (AtNPR1) essential for SA-mediated nuclear translocation is controversial. Here, we utilized the fluorescent protein mCherry as the reporter to investigate the ability of SA to induce nuclear translocation of the full-length NPR1 protein or its C-terminal transactivation (TAD) domain using HEK293 cells as a heterologous system. HEK293 cells lack accessory plant proteins including NPR3/NPR4 and are thus ideally suited for studying the impact of SA-induced changes in NPR1. Our results obtained using a stable expression system show that the TAD of AtNPR1 is sufficient to enable the reversible SA-mediated nuclear translocation of mCherry. Our studies advance a basic understanding of nuclear translocation mediated by the TAD of AtNPR1 and uncover a biotechnological tool for SA-mediated nuclear localization.     

Essential oil variations in different Perilla L. accessions: chemotaxonomic implications

Three processes play an important role in plant speciation: isolation, hybridization and polyploidization. Galapagos endemic Opuntia display putatively all of these processes. On this archipelago most islands are inhabited by a single Opuntia taxon. Santa Cruz, however, houses two morphologically distinct O. echios varieties (echios and gigantea). Morphological intermediates are found where these two geographically isolated varieties meet. Here we used ten microsatellite loci to reveal the population genetic structure of this system. In contrast to earlier studies, we found high genetic variability within localities. Genetic structuring was weak and no evidence for the existence of hybrids was found. The reasons for this weak genetic structure may include: the species’ hexaploid nature, high levels of gene flow, recent colonization, and the lack of geographic barriers. This first detailed genetic study on these threatened species will be important for further conservation planning.     

Two Rubisco activase isoforms may play different roles in photosynthetic heat acclimation in the rice plant

Studies on some plant species have shown that increasing the growth temperature gradually or pretreating with high temperature can lead to obvious photosynthetic acclimation to high temperature. To test whether this acclimation arises from heat adaptation of ribulose 1,5‐bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco, EC 4.1.1.39) activation mediated by Rubisco activase (RCA), gene expression of RCA large isoform (RCA_L) and RCA small isoform (RCA_S) in rice was determined using a 4‐day heat stress treatment [40/30°C (day/night)] followed by a 3‐day recovery under control conditions [30/22°C (day/night)]. The heat stress significantly induced the expression of RCA_L as determined by both mRNA and protein levels. Correlative analysis indicated that RCA_S protein content was extremely significantly related to Rubisco initial activity and net photosynthetic rate (Pn) under both heat stress and normal conditions. Immunoblot analysis of the Rubisco–RCA complex revealed that the ratio of RCA_L to Rubisco increased markedly in heat‐acclimated rice leaves. Furthermore, transgenic rice plants expressing enhanced amounts of RCA_L exhibited higher thermotolerance in Pn and Rubisco initial activity and grew better at high temperature than wild‐type (WT) plants and transgenic rice plants expressing enhanced amounts of RCA_S. Under normal conditions, the transgenic rice plants expressing enhanced amounts of RCA_S showed higher Pn and produced more biomass than transgenic rice plants expressing enhanced amounts of RCA_L and wild‐type plants. Together, these suggest that the heat‐induced RCA_L may play an important role in photosynthetic acclimation to moderate heat stress in vivo, while RCA_S plays a major role in maintaining Rubisco initial activity under normal conditions.     

利用mtCOI PCR-RFLP技术鉴定中国境内九个烟粉虱隐种

烟粉虱Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius)是一个物种复合体, 包括31个以上形态上无法区分的隐种, 其中少数隐种是世界性入侵害虫。目前, 在中国境内分布有2个入侵隐种和13个土著隐种。快速、 高效的鉴别方法对掌握烟粉虱田间发生规律及制定相关防控策略具有重要意义。然而到目前为止, 除了mtCOI基因测序比对外, 尚未有一种简便的方法可以有效地区分多个烟粉虱隐种。本研究采用mtCOI PCR-RFLP技术, 单独或组合使用TaqI, VspI, Van91I, NcoI和FokI这5种限制性内切酶, 酶切烟粉虱mtCOI的PCR扩增片段, 鉴别分布在中国境内的9个烟粉虱隐种。结果表明, 单独使用TaqI酶切, 可鉴别出MEAM1和China 1两个隐种, 使用TaqI+NcoI分步酶切可鉴定出MED和Asia 1两个隐种, 使用TaqI+Van91I分步酶切可鉴定出Asia II 3和Asia II 9两个隐种, 使用TaqI+VspI+FokI分步酶切可鉴定出Asia II 1, Asia II 6和Asia II 7 3个隐种。本研究为高效鉴别中国境内的多个烟粉虱隐种提供了方法。     

Molecular cloning and characterization of a novel human gene containing 4 ankyrin repeat domains

Ankyrin repeat, one of the most important protein motifs, plays a wide variety of roles in protein-protein interactions and in the signal pathways. Via large-scale sequencing, a novel 941-bp gene was isolated from an 18-week old human fetal brain cDNA library. It encodes a putative protein of 158 amino acid residues with four conserved ankyrin repeat domains. It displays a high degree of homology with rat low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 2-binding protein (Lrp2bp), and was therefore was named hLrp2bp (human Lrp2bp). The hLrp2bp gene was located in chromosome 4q35 and the conserved ankyrin repeat domains were located between amino acid residues 10 and 116. RT-PCR revealed that hLrp2bp was mainly expressed in the human testis, small intestine, colon and blood leukocytes, and in human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells. A HEK293 cell was transfected with the ORF of hLrp2bp, and analyses showed that the protein was distributed both in the cytoplasm and nucleus.