B7H1 Expression and Epithelial-To-Mesenchymal Transition Phenotypes on Colorectal Cancer Stem-Like Cells

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) can invade and metastasize by epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). However, how they escape immune surveillance is unclear. B7H1 is crucial negative co-stimulatory molecule but little information about whether it works in CSCs. Therefore, we determined the expression of B7H1 and EMT-associated markers in colorectal cancer stem-like cells to investigate a possible immunoevasion way of CSCs. We enriched CD133⁺ colorectal cancer cells which manifested the CSCs-like properties such as higher levels of other stem cell markers Oct-4 and Sox-2, tumor sphere forming ability and more tumorigenic in NOD/SCID mice. These CD133⁺ cells possess EMT gene expression profile including higher level of Snail, Twist, vimentin, fibronectin and lower level of E-cadherin. Moreover, CD133⁺ cells in both cell line and colorectal cancer tissues expressed high level of negative co-stimulate molecule B7H1. Furthermore, some B7H1⁺ cancer cells also showed the characteristic of EMT, indicating EMT cells could escape immune attack during metastasis. B7H1 expression and EMT phenotypes on CSCs indicates a possible immunoevasion way.     

大水面网箱养殖俄罗斯鲟后备亲鱼的适宜投喂量与效益

为探讨大水面网箱养殖俄罗斯鲟后备亲鱼的适宜投喂量与养殖效益,将平均体质量为（6.15±0.23） kg的4龄俄罗斯鲟（Acipenser gueldenstaedtii）后备亲鱼（雌性）养殖在网箱中,以养殖基地日常投饵率（feeding rate, FR）计算的投喂量（feeding quantity, FQ）为基准,设置C-1（80%×FQ）、C-2（90%×FQ）、C-3（100%×FQ）、C-4（110%×FQ）四个投喂水平,研究不同投喂水平对俄罗斯鲟后备亲鱼生长性能和养殖效益的影响,并设置上游、实验点和下游三个水质监测点,评价养殖生产对湖区水环境的影响。结果表明,C-1组成活率显著低于其他组（P<0.05）,C-2、C-3、C-4组成活率均超过99%,且无显著性差异（P>0.05）;C-4组增重率显著高于C-1组（P<0.05）,其他各组之间增重率无显著性差异（P>0.05）;饵料系数C-3对照组和C-4组都显著高于C-1组（P<0.05）,而其他各组间无显著性差异（P>0.05）;成活率、增重率和饵料系数均随着投喂量的增加而逐渐提高,但C-3和C-4组较C-2组提高不显著（P>0.05）。C-2组所发生的养殖成本是（6.35±0.28）元/kg,且显著低于其他各组（P<0.05）;相应地,C-2组获得的养殖效益是（11.66±0.28）元/kg,且显著高于其他各组（P<0.05）。对实验区域及上下游水质监测结果表明,水环境指标在一定程度上受到养殖活动,尤其是投喂量的影响。随着时间推移,水温和pH值呈现季节性变化,各监测点总氮（total nitrogen, TN）、总磷（total phosphorus, TP）、氨氮（ammonia nitrogen, AN）和高锰酸盐指数（hypermanganate index, HI）的值总体变化趋势基本一致,监测值除TN外均低于地表水环境质量标准（GB 3838-2002）中的Ⅱ类水质标准。因此,建议将目前日常投喂量从100%×FQ降至90%×FQ,以达到降低养殖成本、提高经济和生态效益的目的。     

Novel plasmids and resistance phenotypes in Yersinia pestis: unique plasmid inventory of strain Java 9 mediates high levels of arsenic resistance

Growing evidence suggests that the plasmid repertoire of Yersinia pestis is not restricted to the three classical virulence plasmids. The Java 9 strain of Y. pestis is a biovar Orientalis isolate obtained from a rat in Indonesia. Although it lacks the Y. pestis-specific plasmid pMT, which encodes the F1 capsule, it retains virulence in mouse and non-human primate animal models. While comparing diverse Y. pestis strains using subtractive hybridization, we identified sequences in Java 9 that were homologous to a Y. enterocolitica strain carrying the transposon Tn2502, which is known to encode arsenic resistance. Here we demonstrate that Java 9 exhibits high levels of arsenic and arsenite resistance mediated by a novel promiscuous class II transposon, named Tn2503. Arsenic resistance was self-transmissible from Java 9 to other Y. pestis strains via conjugation. Genomic analysis of the atypical plasmid inventory of Java 9 identified pCD and pPCP plasmids of atypical size and two previously uncharacterized cryptic plasmids. Unlike the Tn2502-mediated arsenic resistance encoded on the Y. enterocolitica virulence plasmid; the resistance loci in Java 9 are found on all four indigenous plasmids, including the two novel cryptic plasmids. This unique mobilome introduces more than 105 genes into the species gene pool. The majority of these are encoded by the two entirely novel self-transmissible plasmids, which show partial homology and synteny to other enterics. In contrast to the reductive evolution in Y. pestis, this study underlines the major impact of a dynamic mobilome and lateral acquisition in the genome evolution of the plague bacterium.     

氨茶碱及硝苯吡啶治疗高原肺水肿效果观察

目的:评价氨茶碱及硝苯吡啶对高原肺水肿的疗效.方法:采用右心漂浮导管方法,观察了静脉推注氨茶碱及舌下含服硝苯吡啶对患者血流动力学及动脉血气等方面的影响.结果:氨茶碱能降低患者的肺动脉压和肺血管阻力,提高患者的心输出量及动脉血氧饱和度,用药前后体循环压及心率未见明显变化.硝苯吡啶含服也能降低肺动脉压和肺血管阻力,虽能降低体循环压但幅度较小,但用药前后心输出量、心率及动脉血气饱和度未见明显变化.结论:氨茶碱及硝苯吡啶均有急性降低高原肺水肿患者肺动脉高压的作用,但二者相比,氨茶碱降低肺动脉压效果明显优于硝苯吡啶.     

染色体三维结构重建方法研究

染色体三维结构重构问题是近年生物领域中基因组学的热点研究问题,是以二维交互频率数据为基础来预测其三维空间结构。最新相关实验表明染色质的三维空间结构对于基因表达、调控等方面都具有重要意义。而Hi-c数据能利用染色质交互信息形成二维接触矩阵重构出染色体三维结构。本综述以染色体三维结构重建方法为研究对象,通过对染色体三维结构重建方法进行比较分析,综述了目前基于Hi-c数据在染色体三维结构重建中的经典方法,系统介绍了染色体三维结构重建技术的发展脉络,以促进染色体三维结构重建的进一步研究。     

Distribution and characteristics of telocytes as nurse cells in the architectural organization of engineered heart tissues

Interstitial Cajal-like cells are a distinct type of interstitial cell with a wide distribution in mammalian organs and tissues,and have been given the name"telocytes".Recent studies have demonstrated the potential roles of telocytes in heart development,renewal,and repair.However,further research on the functions of telocytes is limited by the complicated in vivo environment.This study was designed to construct engineered heart tissue(EHT)as a three-dimensional model in vitro to better understand the role of telocytes in the architectural organization of the myocardium.EHTs were constructed by seeding neonatal cardiomyocytes in collagen/Matrigel scaffolds followed by culture under persistent static stretch.Telocytes in EHTs were identified by histology,toluidine blue staining,immunofluorescence,and transmission electron microscopy.The results from histology and toluidine blue staining demonstrated widespread putative telocytes with compact toluidine blue-stained nuclei,which were located around cardiomyocytes.Prolongations from the cell bodies showed a characteristic dichotomous branching pattern and formed networks in EHTs.Immunofluorescence revealed positive staining of telocytes for CD34 and vimentin with typical moniliform prolongations.A series of electron microscopy images further showed that typical telocytes embraced the cardiomyocytes with their long prolongations and exhibited a marked appearance of nursing cardiomyocytes during the construction of EHTs.This finding highlights the great importance of telocytes in the architectural organization of EHTs.It also suggests that EHT is an appropriate physical and pathological model system in vitro to study the roles of telocytes during heart development and regeneration.     

A versatile reporter system for CRISPR-mediated chromosomal rearrangements

Although chromosomal deletions and inversions are important in cancer, conventional methods for detecting DNA rearrangements require laborious indirect assays. Here we develop fluorescent reporters to rapidly quantify CRISPR/Cas9-mediated deletions and inversions. We find that inversion depends on the non-homologous end-joining enzyme LIG4. We also engineer deletions and inversions for a 50 kb Pten genomic region in mouse liver. We discover diverse yet sequence-specific indels at the rearrangement fusion sites. Moreover, we detect Cas9 cleavage at the fourth nucleotide on the non-complementary strand, leading to staggered instead of blunt DNA breaks. These reporters allow mechanisms of chromosomal rearrangements to be investigated.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13059-015-0680-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

CRNDE enhances neuropathic pain via modulating miR-136/IL6R axis in CCI rat models

Neuropathic pain has been reported as a type of chronic pain due to the primary dysfunction of the somatosensory nervous system. It is the most serious types of chronic pain, which can lead to a significant public health burden. But, the understanding of the cellular and molecular pathogenesis of neuropathic pain is barely complete. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have recently been regarded as modulators of neuronal functions. Growing studies have indicated lncRNAs can exert crucial roles in the development of neuropathic pain. Therefore, our present study focused on the potential role of the lncRNA Colorectal Neoplasia Differentially Expressed (CRNDE) in neuropathic pain progression. Firstly, a chronic constrictive injury (CCI) rat model was built. CRNDE was obviously increased in CCI rats. Interestingly, overexpression of CRNDE enhanced neuropathic pain behaviors. Neuroinflammation was induced by CRNDE and as demonstrated, interleukin-10 (IL-10), IL-1, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) protein levels in CCI rats were activated by LV-CRNDE. For another, miR-136 was obviously reduced in CCI rats. Previously, it is indicated that miR-136 participates in the spinal cord injury via an inflammation in a rat model. Here, firstly, we verified miR-136 could serve as CRNDE target. Loss of miR-136 triggered neuropathic pain remarkably via the neuroinflammation activation. Additionally, IL6R was indicated as a target of miR-136 and miR-136 regulated its expression. Subsequently, we confirmed that CRNDE could induce interleukin 6 receptor (IL6R) expression positively. Overall, it was implied that CRNDE promoted neuropathic pain progression via modulating miR-136/IL6R axis in CCI rat models.     

Association analysis of salt tolerance in cowpea (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Vigna unguiculata</Emphasis> (L.) Walp) at germination and seedling stages

Key message

This is the first report on association analysis of salt tolerance and identification of SNP markers associated with salt tolerance in cowpea.

Abstract

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) is one of the most important cultivated legumes in Africa. The worldwide annual production in cowpea dry seed is 5.4 million metric tons. However, cowpea is unfavorably affected by salinity stress at germination and seedling stages, which is exacerbated by the effects of climate change. The lack of knowledge on the genetic underlying salt tolerance in cowpea limits the establishment of a breeding strategy for developing salt-tolerant cowpea cultivars. The objectives of this study were to conduct association mapping for salt tolerance at germination and seedling stages and to identify SNP markers associated with salt tolerance in cowpea. We analyzed the salt tolerance index of 116 and 155 cowpea accessions at germination and seedling stages, respectively. A total of 1049 SNPs postulated from genotyping-by-sequencing were used for association analysis. Population structure was inferred using Structure 2.3.4; K optimal was determined using Structure Harvester. TASSEL 5, GAPIT, and FarmCPU involving three models such as single marker regression, general linear model, and mixed linear model were used for the association study. Substantial variation in salt tolerance index for germination rate, plant height reduction, fresh and dry shoot biomass reduction, foliar leaf injury, and inhibition of the first trifoliate leaf was observed. The cowpea accessions were structured into two subpopulations. Three SNPs, Scaffold87490_622, Scaffold87490_630, and C35017374_128 were highly associated with salt tolerance at germination stage. Seven SNPs, Scaffold93827_270, Scaffold68489_600, Scaffold87490_633, Scaffold87490_640, Scaffold82042_3387, C35069468_1916, and Scaffold93942_1089 were found to be associated with salt tolerance at seedling stage. The SNP markers were consistent across the three models and could be used as a tool to select salt-tolerant lines for breeding improved cowpea tolerance to salinity.