In-depth Profiling and Quantification of the Lysine Acetylome in Hepatocellular Carcinoma with a Trapped Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometer

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide with limited therapeutic options. Comprehensive investigation of protein posttranslational modifications in HCC is still limited. Lysine acetylation is one of the most common types of posttranslational modification involved in many cellular processes and plays crucial roles in the regulation of cancer. In this study, we analyzed the proteome and K-acetylome in eight pairs of HCC tumors and normal adjacent tissues using a timsTOF Pro instrument. As a result, we identified 9219 K-acetylation sites in 2625 proteins, of which 1003 sites exhibited differential acetylation levels between tumors and normal adjacent tissues. Interestingly, many novel tumor-specific K-acetylation sites were characterized, for example, filamin A (K865), filamin B (K697), and cofilin (K19), suggesting altered activities of these cytoskeleton-modulating molecules, which may contribute to tumor metastasis. In addition, we observed an overall suppression of protein K-acetylation in HCC tumors, especially for enzymes from various metabolic pathways, for example, glycolysis, tricarboxylic acid cycle, and fatty acid metabolism. Moreover, the expression of deacetylase sirtuin 2 (SIRT2) was upregulated in HCC tumors, and its role of deacetylation in HCC cells was further explored by examining the impact of SIRT2 overexpression on the proteome and K-acetylome in Huh7 HCC cells. SIRT2 overexpression reduced K-acetylation of proteins involved in a wide range of cellular processes, including energy metabolism. Furthermore, cellular assays showed that overexpression of SIRT2 in HCC cells inhibited both glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation. Taken together, our findings provide valuable information to better understand the roles of K-acetylation in HCC and to treat this disease by correcting the aberrant acetylation patterns.     

Mechanisms of chromatin-based epigenetic inheritance

Multi-cellular organisms such as humans contain hundreds of cell types that share the same genetic information(DNA sequences), and yet have different cellular traits and functions. While how genetic information is passed through generations has been extensively characterized, it remains largely obscure how epigenetic information encoded by chromatin regulates the passage of certain traits, gene expression states and cell identity during mitotic cell divisions, and even through meiosis. In this r...     

肠道真菌研究进展

真菌菌群是肠道菌群的重要组成部分,在肠道微生态稳态的维持和宿主的免疫调节中发挥重要作用。肠道真菌失调通常和肠道疾病甚至肠道外疾病有关。本文就肠道真菌的定殖与组成、真菌菌群对肠道微生态的调控、菌群失调促进疾病的发展机制、基于肠道真菌的治疗策略和肠道真菌的鉴定分析方法等方面的进展进行了综述和展望,旨在系统认识肠道真菌调节宿主健康和促进疾病发生的机制,为相关疾病的诊断和治疗提供重要参考。     

茶条槭愈伤组织的再生体系建立及其没食子酸含量的测定

通过愈伤组织诱导途径, 建立了快速高效的茶条槭再生体系。成熟种子在MS+1.0 mg·L-1 6-BA的培养基中萌发, 以茎段作为外植体, 在WPM+0.002-0.01 mg·L-1 TDZ+0.1 mg·L-1 6-BA中培养3周诱导形成愈伤组织, 诱导频率平均为98.0%。愈伤组织转入WPM+0.01 mg·L-1 TDZ+0.1 mg·L-1 6-BA培养基中得到再生芽, 分化频率为42.0%,平均每块愈伤产生再生芽10个左右。转到WPM+0.3 mg·L-1 IBA的培养基上的再生芽均可生根并长成完整植株, 小苗移栽成活率达到89.0%。实验还建立了愈伤组织中没食子酸的提取和HPLC检测方法。对深绿色愈伤组织连续培养2个继代后, 没食子酸含量达到2.8%。     

巨膜长蝽的形态特征和生物学特性

【目的】近年来巨膜长蝽Jakowleffia setulosa(Jakovlev)由以往稳定种群的荒漠昆虫上升为暴发性发生并迁移至农区危害的农业害虫。由于缺乏对巨膜长蝽基础生物学的相关研究,对其开展监测预警和农业防治存在困难。开展巨膜长蝽个体生物学研究,填补研究空白对于有效监测预报和防控提供可靠的依据,同时能为下一步分析巨膜长蝽成灾规律提供基础数据。【方法】本文通过室内观察和野外调查相结合,系统阐明该种形态特征、生活史、习性和行为等生物学特性。【结果】巨膜长蝽在宁夏中部干旱带一年发生2代,5月中旬和10月中下旬是两个发生高峰期,6月中旬至8月中旬以成虫进入滞育状态,11月下旬以成虫越冬;雌成虫的平均寿命为(32.14±2.34)d,雄成虫的平均寿命为(28.00±3.13)d,雌雄性比为1︰1.9,有多次交尾多次产卵的习性,每头雌虫抱卵量10粒左右,平均产卵量10~15粒左右;食性杂,群居危害,喜食白茎盐生草(Halogeton arachnoideus)等沙生草本植物的种子。【结论】该虫具有以成虫形态越冬和滞育、迁移性强等生物学特性。在生态环境发生较大变动后,能够经历逆境后迅速恢复种群并迁移危害。宁夏中南部地区种植结构调整,极大改变了该地区的荒漠生态环境,促使巨膜长蝽在经过夏季高温滞育恢复种群后无法获得足够野生寄主的情况下,大规模迁入农田系统危害。     

The role of GSK3beta in the development of the central nervous system

Glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) is a multifunctional serine/threonine kinase.It is particularly abundant in the developing central nervous system (CNS).Since GSK3β has diverse substrates ranging fr...     

Peptide models of four possible insulin folding intermediates with two disulfides

The single-chain insulin (PIP) can spontaneously fold into native structure through preferred kinetic intermediates. During refolding, pairing of the first disulfide A20-B19 is highly specific, whereas pairing of the second disulfide is likely random because two two-disulfide intermediates have been trapped. To get more details of pairing property of the second disulfide, four model peptides of possible folding intermediates with two disulfides were prepared by protein engineering, and their properties were analyzed. The four model peptides were named [A20-B19, A7-B7]PIP, [A20-B19, A6-B7]PIP, [A20-B19, A6-A11]PIP, and [A20-B19, A7-A11]PIP according to their remaining disulfides. The four model peptides all adopt partially folded structure with moderate conformational differences. In redox buffer, the disulfides of the model peptides are more easily reduced than those of the wild-type PIP. During in vitro refolding, the reduced model peptides share similar relative folding rates but different folding yields: The refolding efficiency of the reduced [A20-B19, A7-A11]PIP is about threefold lower than that of the other three peptides. The present results indicate that the folding intermediates corresponding to the present model peptides all adopt partially folded conformation, and can be formed during PIP refolding, but the chance of forming the intermediate with disulfide [A20-B19, A7-A11] is much lower than that of forming the other three intermediates.     

中药调节肠道菌群防治高血压的研究进展

肠道菌群是人体内环境的重要组成部分,可影响机体的代谢、免疫和炎症反应,与原发性高血压的发生发展密切相关,已成为防治高血压的研究热点。中药在临床用于原发性高血压的治疗且疗效显著。研究表明中药可被肠道菌群分解代谢为易于吸收的活性物质,而这些活性物质又可通过调节肠道菌群结构及其代谢产物防治高血压。本文以肠道菌群作为切入点,通过分析肠道菌群与原发性高血压发生发展的关系和中药在调节原发性高血压肠道菌群方面的研究,总结中药通过调节肠道菌群防治原发性高血压的作用和机制,以期为中药防治高血压及药物研发提供新的研究思路。