miRNAs in Newt Lens Regeneration: Specific Control of Proliferation and Evidence for miRNA Networking

Background

Lens regeneration in adult newts occurs via transdifferentiation of the pigment epithelial cells (PECs) of the dorsal iris. The same source of cells from the ventral iris is not able to undergo this process. In an attempt to understand this restriction we have studied in the past expression patterns of miRNAs. Among several miRNAs we have found that mir-148 shows an up-regulation in the ventral iris, while members of the let-7 family showed down-regulation in dorsal iris during dedifferentiation.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We have performed gain- and loss-of–function experiments of mir-148 and let-7b in an attempt to delineate their function. We find that up-regulation of mir-148 caused significant decrease in the proliferation rates of ventral PECs only, while up-regulation of let-7b affected proliferation of both dorsal and ventral PECs. Neither miRNA was able to affect lens morphogenesis or induction. To further understand how this effect of miRNA up-regulation is mediated we examined global expression of miRNAs after up-regulation of mir148 and let-7b. Interestingly, we identified a novel level of mirRNA regulation, which might indicate that miRNAs are regulated as a network.

Conclusion/Significance

The major conclusion is that different miRNAs can control proliferation in the dorsal or ventral iris possibly by a different mechanism. Of interest is that down-regulation of the let-7 family members has also been documented in other systems undergoing reprogramming, such as in stem cells or oocytes. This might indicate that reprogramming during newt regeneration shares common molecular signatures with reprogramming in stem or germ cells. On the other hand that miRNAs can regulate the levels of other miRNAs is a novel level of regulation, which might provide new insights on their function.     

Importance of TLR2 on hepatic immune and non-immune cells to attenuate the strong inflammatory liver response during Trypanosoma cruzi acute infection

Background

Toll-like receptors (TLR) and cytokines play a central role in the pathogen clearance as well as in pathological processes. Recently, we reported that TLR2, TLR4 and TLR9 are differentially modulated in injured livers from BALB/c and C57BL/6 (B6) mice during Trypanosoma cruzi infection. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in local immune response remain unclear.

Methodology/Principal Findings

In this study, we demonstrate that hepatic leukocytes from infected B6 mice produced higher amounts of pro-inflammatory cytokines than BALB/c mice, whereas IL10 and TGFβ were only released by hepatic leukocytes from BALB/c. Strikingly, a higher expression of TLR2 and TLR4 was observed in hepatocytes of infected BALB/c mice. However, in infected B6 mice, the strong pro-inflammatory response was associated with a high and sustained expression of TLR9 and iNOS in leukocytes and hepatic tissue respectively. Additionally, co-expression of gp91- and p47-phox NADPH oxidase subunits were detected in liver tissue of infected B6 mice. Notably, the pre-treatment previous to infection with Pam3CSK4, TLR2-agonist, induced a significant reduction of transaminase activity levels and inflammatory foci number in livers of infected B6 mice. Moreover, lower pro-inflammatory cytokines and increased TGFβ levels were detected in purified hepatic leukocytes from TLR2-agonist pre-treated B6 mice.

Conclusions/Significance

Our results describe some of the main injurious signals involved in liver immune response during the T. cruzi acute infection. Additionally we show that the administration of Pam3CSk4, previous to infection, can attenuate the exacerbated inflammatory response of livers in B6 mice. These results could be useful to understand and design novel immune strategies in controlling liver pathologies.     

Effect of Control Strategies on Prevalence,Incidence and Re-infection of Clonorchiasis in Endemic Areas of China

Background

A pilot clonorchiasis control project was implemented to evaluate the efficacies of various chemotherapy strategies on prevalence, incidence and re-infection in Heilongjiang Province, China.

Methods and Findings

Seven intervention groups (14,139 residents, about 2000 in each group) in heavily or moderately endemic areas were subjected to repeated praziquantel administration from 2001 to 2004. In the selective chemotherapy groups, residents were examined for fecal eggs, and those who tested positive were treated with three doses of 25 mg/kg praziquantel at 5-hour-intervals in one day. However, all residents were treated in the mass chemotherapy groups. In heavily endemic areas, two mass treatments of all residents in 2001 and 2003 reduced the prevalence from 69.5% to 18.8%, while four annual mass treatments reduced the prevalence from 48.0% in 2001 to 8.4% in 2004. Selective annual treatments for egg-positive subjects reduced the egg-positive rates from 54.9% in 2001 to 15.0% in 2004 or from 73.2% in 2001 to 12.3% in 2004. Selective treatments every 6 months significantly reduced the prevalence from 59.5% in 2001 to 7.5% in 2004. All of the repeated treatments reduced EPG (eggs per gram of feces) significantly. The annual mass treatment and selective treatment every 6 months produced lower prevalence and re-infection rates and higher egg reduction rate than annual selective treatments did. In the moderate endemic areas, egg positive rates were 24.8% and 29.7% in 2001 but were 1.9% and 1.3% after 2 or 3 selective treatments. The prevalence, incidence, re-infection rates in a moderately endemic area were significantly lower than those of heavy endemic areas.

Conclusions

Repeated mass treatment or selective treatment with praziquantel every 6 to 12 months is highly effective for clonorchiasis control in heavily endemic areas. In contrast, one or two selective treatments with health education is effective in moderately endemic areas.     

自制起搏电极在心脏电生理实验中的应用研究

本文探索了自制起搏电极在心脏电生理研究中的应用,通过选择适当的材料,分为三部分制作电极：极片部分、起搏器接口部分、焊封与绝缘。最后,将电极缝合于犬的心脏进行起搏。结论是自制起搏电极应用于动物实验进行心脏电生理的研究是可行的。     

鼻咽癌上皮细胞株HNE1差异表达基因的分离与鉴定

为了分离鼻咽癌差异表达基因 ,应用抑制性扣除杂交技术 ,在正向抑制性扣除杂交中 ,以鼻咽癌上皮细胞株HNE1cDNA作为检测子 ,以人胚鼻咽上皮细胞cDNA作为驱赶子 ;在反向抑制性扣除杂交中 ,以人胚鼻咽上皮细胞cDNA作为检测子 ,以鼻咽癌上皮细胞株HNE1cDNA作为驱赶子 ,分别通过抑制性扣除杂交 ,构建了鼻咽癌上皮细胞株HNE1表达下调和表达上调的两个扣除cDNA文库 .从鼻咽癌相关的扣除cDNA文库中随机挑取 1 2 0 0个克隆 ,采用菌落PCR扩增其插入cDNA片段 ,自动点膜制备成cDNA微阵列膜 ,分别用鼻咽癌上皮细胞株HNE1、人胚鼻咽上皮mRNA经逆转录标记cDNA探针 ,分别与cDNA微阵列膜杂交 ,通过杂交信号的自动扫描分析 ,对杂交信号存在 5倍差异的克隆进行测序 ,获得了 1 0个鼻咽癌差异表达基因的cDNA片段 ,其中 3个为新基因序列 ,其GenBank登录号为 :AF5 1 0 1 88、AF5 1 0 1 89和AF5 1 0 1 90 ,7个代表已知基因序列 .采用RT PCR证实S1 0 0A8,CK1 9和RBP1基因在人胚鼻咽上皮中高表达而在鼻咽癌细胞株HNE1中低表达 .这些结果显示上述基因可能是鼻咽癌发生的重要因素     

甘蓝型油菜BcNA1基因启动子在转基因烟草中对GUS基因表达的调控

通过PCR扩增,从甘蓝型油菜（Brassica     

普通小麦F_1杂种Glu-1基因表达过程中的共显性,基因组互作和剂量效应

普通小麦F_1杂种Glu-1基因表达过程中的共显性,基因组互作和剂量效应@潘幸来$山西农业科学院棉花研究所!运城044000小麦;;基因表达;;基因组     

云南野生贸易真菌资源调查及研究

野生贸易真菌即市场上出售的野生真菌,云南的野生贸易真菌资源十分丰富且长期以来受到关注。但以往对于这一资源的全面调查和研究较为缺乏。本项目通过市场调查、标本采集和鉴定,自1997－2001年连续4年对云南野生贸易真菌从种类、地理分布、季节变化、基于贸易量的优势度评价和经济价值5方面进行研究。云南野生贸易真菌已知共64属207种（含变种、变型）,以担子菌中的牛肝菌属（Boletus)、口蘑属（Tricholoma)、鸡Chong菌属（Termitomyces)、革菌属（Thelephora)、红菇属（Russula)、乳菇属（Lactarius)、丛枝瑚属（Ramaria)为主,表现出较高的多样性和较强的地区特有性。尽管具有人为选择的因素,但云南野生贸易真菌仍表现出较强的地理分布特异性：滇南地区包含较多的热带种类,具有较强的热带性质,而滇西北则具有较强的温带高山、亚高山性质,滇中、滇西南等地表现出亚热带和温带的过渡特征。以上各地区既有各自的代表种类,又通过某些过渡类群存在一定的联系。根据各个种贸易量的相对大小即优势度将贸易真菌分为4个等级,其中的优势Ⅰ级和优势Ⅱ级为主导种类。云南贸易真菌中约近90％的种类为食用菌,5％为药用菌,另有约7%为有毒种类。对每一种贸易真菌的经济价值给予了评价。     

新生儿CYP2E1基因5′端RsaⅠ位点多态性和PON2基因148位点多态性与早产的关系

为探讨新生儿细胞色素P450 2E1(CYP2E1)基因多态性和对氧磷酶2(二乙基对硝基苯磷酸酯酶2)基因(PON2)148位点多态性对早产的影响,采用横断面调查方法,使用统一的调查表,由安庆市各县医院对入院分娩孕妇及其单胎、活产、早产和对照新生儿进行调查,共得到有效样本209个母亲-新生儿对。单因素分析结果显示：CYP2E1野生纯合子基因型( ／ )与突变纯合子基因型(-／-)／杂合子基因型( ／-)比较,对早产的影响不具有统计学意义。而PON2 Alal48Ala纯合子基因型与G1y148G1y纯合子基因型／Ala148 Gly杂合子基因型比较,对早产的影响具有显著的统计学意义。进一步分析CYP2E1基因5′端RsaⅠ位点多态性和PON2基因148位点多态性是否存在交互作用,结果显示：CYP2E1野生纯合子基因型和PON2 Ala148Ala纯合子基因型这一组合与参照组比较,对早产的影响有显著的统计学意义。基因CYP2E1 5′端Rsa I位点多态性与新生儿早产不相关,但基因PON2 148位点多态性与新生儿早产相关,且CPY2E1 5′端Rsa I位点多态性和PON2 148位点多态性之间对早产的影响存在交互作用。     

Crystal structure studies on rubrerythrin: enzymatic activity in relation to the zinc movement

Rubrerythrin (Rr) is a non-heme iron protein isolated from anaerobic sulfate-reducing bacteria. Rr is a dimeric molecule, each monomer contains a Fe(SCys)(4) center in the C-terminal domain and a binuclear metal center in the N-terminal domain. Rr structures with different protein sources and/or preparation procedures have been studied. Two Rr crystal structures have been solved with significant differences in their binuclear metal centers. The first structure, which was obtained from expressed protein under aerobic conditions, has a diiron-oxo center. The second structure, which was obtained from native protein of Desulfovibrio vulgaris under aerobic conditions, has an Fe-Zn center with the zinc position differing from the corresponding iron position in the former structure by approximately 2 A. The crystal structures of Rr isolated from D. vulgaris (Hildenborough, NCIB 8303), the same as the second structured but prepared under anaerobic conditions, are reported in this paper. The binuclear metal center in these structures is an Fe-Zn center. When the crystal was exposed to air, the zinc atom moved gradually, approximately 2 A, accompanied by the entrance of a water molecule (or hydroxyl group) and changes in the binuclear metal center microenvironment. This finding can explain the differences between the two different structures. The results suggest that the zinc movement may be related to the enzymatic activity of Rr.