Noggin and bFGF cooperate to maintain the pluripotency of human embryonic stem cells in the absence of feeder layers

Human embryonic stem (hES) cells are typically maintained on mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) feeders or with MEF-conditioned medium. However, these xenosupport systems greatly limit the therapeutic applications of hES cells because of the risk of cross-transfer of animal pathogens. Here we showed that the bone morphogenetic protein antagonist noggin is critical in preventing differentiation of hES cells in culture. Furthermore, we found that the combination of noggin and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) was sufficient to maintain the prolonged growth of hES cells while retaining all hES cell features. Since both noggin and bFGF are expressed in MEF, our findings suggest that they may be important factors secreted by MEF for maintaining undifferentiated pluripotent hES cells. Our data provide new insight into the mechanism how hES cell self-renewal is regulated. The newly developed feeder-free culture system will provide a more reliable alternative for future therapeutic applications of hES cells.     

鸡传染性喉气管炎病毒gB基因的克隆及其在耻垢分枝杆菌中的表达

以ILTV基因组为模板 ,利用PCR特异扩增出gB基因 ,定向克隆到中间质粒载体pY_α ,构建了中间质粒pY_α_gB。然后以中间质粒pY_α_gB为模板 ,扩增出含有人结核分枝杆菌启动子hsp70基因和堪萨斯分枝杆菌α信号肽基因的hsp_α_gB片段 ,回收补平后与穿梭表达载体pRR3平端连接 ,从而构建大肠杆菌_分枝杆菌穿梭表达质粒pR_α_gB。再将其电转化至耻垢分枝杆菌M .smegmatismc2 15 5 ,ELISA检测表明重组菌株M .smegmatismc2 15 5 (pR_α_gB)的表达产物具有很好的反应原性。Westernblot检测说明gB基因在分枝杆菌中获得了表达并具有良好的免疫原性。鸡胚中和试验结果表明该重组菌株可以中和 1个剂量EID50 的ILTV强毒 ,能够保护SPF鸡胚抵抗强毒攻击     

一步法发酵菊芋生产乙醇

利用马克斯克鲁维酵母(Kluyveromyces marxianus)YX01具有菊粉酶生产能力且乙醇发酵性能良好的特点,直接发酵菊粉生成乙醇.在摇瓶中考察了该菌株最适发酵温度,进而在2.5L发酵罐中考察了通气量和底物浓度的影响.实验结果表明:该菌株最适发酵温度为35℃;在通气量为50 mL/min和100 mL/min时菌体生长加快,发酵时间缩短,但在不通气条件下糖醇转化率明显提高;在菊粉浓度235 g/L时,发酵终点乙醇浓度达到92.2 g/L,乙醇对糖的得率为0.436,为理论值的85.5%.在此基础上,使用近海滩涂种植海水灌溉收获的菊芋为底物,以批式补料方式直接发酵菊芋干粉浓度为280 g/L的底物,发酵终点乙醇浓度为84.0 g/L,乙醇对糖的得率为0.405,为理论值的80.0%.这些研究工作,为以菊芋为原料的燃料乙醇技术开发奠定了基础.     

大鼠脂肪间充质干细胞诱导为类肝细胞及其细胞片的制备

成体多能干细胞,如来自骨髓和脂肪组织的间充质干细胞等具有多向分化的潜能。虽然自体干细胞移植已经发展成为器官移植的有效代替疗法之一,但是由于移植位点细胞的流失和分化条件的限制等问题使得这种疗法的效率大大降低。本研究目的是将由脂肪干细胞分化而来的类肝细胞制备成具有稳定细胞性状的可移植的肝细胞片。首先在体外分离扩增脂肪干细胞,并通过控制严格地分化条件获得类肝细胞。然后将此细胞接种到聚N-异丙基丙烯酰胺(PNIPAAm)结合的细胞培养皿表面,通过调节培养温度到20oC,使细胞成片脱离培养皿形成细胞片。对细胞片进行了常规HE染色和免疫组化观察,结果显示:这类细胞片中平均含有2～3层细胞,并且保持了细胞外基质的完整。同传统的胰酶消化收集移植用细胞相比,细胞片方法极大地减少了对移植用细胞的细胞膜和细胞外基质的损伤,这将大大促进细胞片和原位组织的相互作用,增加细胞利用效率,从而有望提高治疗效果。     

OC-IΔD86 (Oryzacystatin-IΔD86)基因的原核表达及活性分析

根据OC-IΔD86基因序列, 设计合成了7条寡核苷酸片段, 通过重叠延伸PCR技术合成了OC-IΔD86基因, 利用设计好的BamH I/ Xho I酶切位点将OC-IΔD86基因克隆到原核表达载体pet21b中, 在1 mmol/L的IPTG 诱导后5 h, OC-IDD86融合基因在大肠杆菌中得到表达, 表达产物处于可溶状态, 其表达量占总蛋白的11.4%, 可溶性蛋白的16.4%; 利用Ni-NTA系统纯化该蛋白并经PEG20000浓缩后, 活性分析表明该蛋白酶抑制剂在体外表现出对木瓜蛋白酶明显的抑制作用。这为转OC-IΔD86基因的抗根结线虫植物基因工程抗体制备, 以及进一步体内的抗根结线虫研究奠定了基础。     

Current research status of immunology in the genomic era

This review updates the current status of immunology research under the influence of genomics, both conceptually and technologically. It particularly highlights the advantages of employing the high-throughput and large-scale technology, the large genomic database, and bioinformatic power in the immunology research. The fast development in the fields of basic immunology, clinical immunology (tumor and infectious immunology) and vaccine designing is illustrated with respect to the successful usage of genomic strategy. We also speculate the future research directions of immunology in the era of genomics and post-genomics. Supported by the National High-Tech Research and Development Program of China (Grant No.2006AA02A252), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.30771965) and Shanghai Pujiang Program (Grant No.07pj14066).     

Wangella harbinensis gen. nov., sp. nov., a new member of the family Micromonosporaceae

A novel endophytic actinomycete, designated strain NEAU-J3^T, was isolated from soybean root (Glycine max (L.) Merr) and characterized using a polyphasic approach. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences suggested that strain NEAU-J3^T fell within the family Micromonosporaceae. The strain was observed to form an extensively branched substrate mycelium, which carried non-motile oval spores with a smooth surface. The cell walls of strain NEAU-J3^T were determined to contain meso-diaminopimelic acid and galactose, ribose and glucose were detected as whole-cell sugars. The major menaquinones were determined to be MK-9(H₄) and MK-9(H₆). The phospholipids detected were phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine. The major cellular fatty acids were determined to be C_16:0, C_18:1 ω9c, C_18:0, C_17:0, C_17:1 ω7c, anteiso-C_17:0, C_16:1 ω7c and C_15:0. The DNA G + C content was 62.5 mol%. On the basis of the morphological and chemotaxonomic characteristics, phylogenetic analysis and characteristic patterns of 16S rRNA gene signature nucleotides, strain NEAU-J3^T is considered to represent a novel species of a new genus within the family Micromonosporaceae, for which the name Wangella harbinensis gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Wangella harbinensis is strain NEAU-J3^T (=CGMCC 4.7039^T = DSM 45747^T).     

Pyrosequencing Reveals Contrasting Soil Bacterial Diversity and Community Structure of Two Main Winter Wheat Cropping Systems in China

Microbes are key components of the soil environment, playing an important role in maintaining soil health, sustainability, and productivity. The composition and structure of soil bacterial communities were examined in winter wheat–rice (WR) and winter wheat–maize (WM) cropping systems derived from five locations in the Low-Middle Yangtze River plain and the Huang-Huai-Hai plain by pyrosequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene amplicons. A total of 102,367 high quality sequences were used for multivariate statistical analysis and to test for correlation between community structure and environmental variables such as crop rotations, soil properties, and locations. The most abundant phyla across all soil samples were Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. Similar patterns of bacterial diversity and community structure were observed within the same cropping systems, and a higher relative abundance of anaerobic bacteria was found in WR compared to WM cropping systems. Variance partitioning analysis revealed complex relationships between bacterial community and environmental variables. The effect of crop rotations was low but significant, and interactions among soil properties, locations, and crop rotations accounted for most of the explained variation in the structure of bacterial communities. Soil properties such as pH, available P, and available K showed higher correlations (positive or negative) with the majority of the abundant taxa. Bacterial diversity (the Shannon index) and richness (Chao1 and ACE) were higher under WR than WM cropping systems.