Meiotic maturation: receptor trafficking is the key

Meiotic maturation and ovulation rates in Caenorhabditis elegans are regulated by a sperm-released gradient of major sperm protein (MSP). Recent work has provided insights into the modulation of the MSP signal by the trafficking of its receptor in oocytes.     

Isolation and characterization of 12 microsatellite loci from Korean water deer (Hydropotes inermis argyropus) for population structure analysis in South Korea

The main goals of this study were to isolate microsatellites markers of Korean water deer (Hydropotes inermis argyropus) and understand the genetic status of the species in South Korea. Twelve new microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized to establish basic population genetic parameters for 45 H. i. argyropus specimens in South Korea. There were no significant regional or genetic structure differences between the mid-eastern and southwestern populations in South Korea according to the population genetic analyses. The number of alleles per locus ranged from two to 13 with an average of 6.08. Mean expected (H _E) and observed heterozygosity (H _O) were 0.622 and 0.533, respectively. Microsatellite variability was also not significant between the two regions (F _ST=0.012). These new markers should facilitate the future population genetics studies of Korean water deer and other closely related species.     

Repair of Ear Cartilage Defects with Allogenic Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Rabbits

The study aims to investigate the feasibility of repairing cartilaginous defects with chondrocytes induced from allogenic bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSC) in rabbits’ ear. BMMSCs were isolated and purified from New Zealand rabbits, in vitro amplified, and cultured in chondrocyte induction medium in order to acquire chondrocytes. After 3 weeks of induction, their phenotypes were confirmed as chondrocytes, then they were implanted onto novel polymeric scaffolds made from Poly (dl-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) embedded with chitosan nonwoven cloth. The experimental group was transplanted with tissue engineering cartilaginous grafts composed of chondrogenetic BMMSC/scaffolds; the scaffold group was treated with scaffolds without cells, while in the control group, nothing was implanted. Specimens were taken at 6, 12, and 18 weeks after implantation, and the healing condition was observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining and toluidine blue staining. The right and left ears with cartilage defects of eighteen rabbits were randomly divided into three groups. In the experimental group, after 18 weeks of transplantation, the gross observation indicated that the cartilaginous defects were completely repaired by chondrocytes with smooth surface and similar color with the surrounding tissue. Hematoxylin-eosin staining and toluidine blue staining suggested that the defective area was filled with mature cartilage cells with obvious lacunae but without obvious boundaries with the normal cartilage tissue, and that the new cartilage cells were evenly distributed with homogeneously dyed cytoplasm and smaller in size. The chondrocyte induced from allogenic BMMSC can be used to repair cartilage defects in rabbit’s ear.     

纳米材料治疗具核梭杆菌促进的结直肠癌研究进展

具核梭杆菌(Fusobacterium nucleatum,Fn)是一种口腔厌氧菌,最近被发现在人类结直肠癌(colorectal cancer,CRC)细胞表面聚集,其富集程度与癌症治疗预后呈高度负相关。大量研究表明,Fn参与CRC的发生与发展过程,Fn与肿瘤微环境中多种组分相互作用从而增强肿瘤的耐药性。近年来,开始有研究利用纳米材料抑制Fn在肿瘤部位的增殖或通过直接靶向Fn治疗CRC。因此,本综述一方面将对近年来Fn在CRC中促肿瘤的机制进行梳理总结,另一方面将归纳整理不同纳米材料应用于Fn相关CRC治疗的最新研究进展,最后对纳米材料在Fn介导的CRC治疗中的应用前景进行了展望。     

甲基溴土壤消毒替代技术条件下的线虫生态学研究

为评价和筛选几种甲基溴替代技术及其对土壤线虫群落的影响 ,2 0 0 1年 6月～ 2 0 0 2年 3月对 5种土壤消毒处理的线虫数量和群落结构及微生物量动态作了测定和分析。试验共分离到土壤线虫 4个目 14个科属 ,包括小杆目 (Rhabditida)、垫刃目(Tylenchida)、矛线目 (Dorylaimida)、单宫目 (Monhysterida)。小杆目线虫占总数的 88.7% ,表明食细菌的小杆目线虫是该温室土壤线虫群落的优势类群。分析表明甲基溴 VIF、威百亩、威百亩 VIF三种措施的消毒效果达到了甲基溴处理的水平 ,可作为甲基溴土壤消毒替代技术 ,而太阳能 BCA处理未达到甲基溴消毒的效果。研究显示同一处理的线虫数量在两个番茄品种(AF179和毛粉 80 2 )间不存在显著差异 ,即表明这两种番茄品种不是影响土壤线虫数量动态的主要因素。对消毒处理后土壤线虫各营养类群在群落中的比例进行分析 ,发现与对照相比 ,化学消毒提高了线虫群落中优势类群 (即食细菌线虫 )的比例 ,而使弱势类群的比例下降 ,这表明土壤线虫的弱势类群对化学熏蒸剂更加敏感。两番茄品种小区中土壤食细菌、食真菌线虫数量与微生物量碳之间呈显著正相关关系 ,表明微生物生物量的消长受土壤消毒措施的影响 ,同时也证实了上述两营养类群线虫与土壤微生物间的食物依赖关系。     

Dexamethasone Ameliorates H2S-Induced Acute Lung Injury by Alleviating Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 and -9 Expression

Acute lung injury (ALI) is one of the fatal outcomes after exposure to high levels of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), and the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) especially MMP-2 and MMP-9 are believed to be involved in the development of ALI by degrading the extracellular matrix (ECM) of blood-air barrier. However, the roles of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in H₂S-induced ALI and the mechanisms of dexamethasone (DXM) in treating ALI in clinical practice are still largely unknown. The present work was aimed to investigate the roles of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in H₂S-induced ALI and the protective effects of DXM. In our study, SD rats were exposed to H₂S to establish the ALI model and in parallel, A549 cells were incubated with NaHS (a H₂S donor) to establish cell model. The lung HE staining, immunohistochemisty, electron microscope assay and wet/dry ratio were used to identify the ALI induced by H₂S, then the MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression in both rats and A549 cells were detected. Our results revealed that MMP-2 and MMP-9 were obviously increased in both mRNA and protein level after H₂S exposure, and they could be inhibited by MMP inhibitor doxycycline (DOX) in rat model. Moreover, DXM significantly ameliorated the symptoms of H₂S-induced ALI including alveolar edema, infiltration of inflammatory cells and the protein leakage in BAFL via up-regulating glucocorticoid receptor(GR) to mediate the suppression of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Furthermore, the protective effects of DXM in vivo and vitro study could be partially blocked by co-treated with GR antagonist mifepristone (MIF). Our results, taken together, demonstrated that MMP-2 and MMP-9 were involved in the development of H₂S-induced ALI and DXM exerted protective effects by alleviating the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Therefore, MMP-2 and MMP-9 might represent novel pharmacological targets for the treatment of H₂S and other hazard gases induced ALI.     

Size-dependent gender modification in Lilium apertum (Liliaceae): does this species exhibit gender diphasy?

Background and Aims

Variation in the relative female and male reproductive success of flowering plants is widespread, despite the fundamental hermaphroditic condition of the majority of species. In many hermaphroditic populations, environmental conditions and their influence on development and size can influence the gender expression of individuals through the formation of hermaphroditic and unisexual flowers. This study investigates the hypothesis that the bulbous, animal-pollinated, perennial Lilium apertum (Liliaceae) exhibits a form of size-dependent gender modification known as gender diphasy, in which the sexual expression of individuals depends on their size, with plants often changing sex between seasons.

Methods

Variation in floral traits was examined in relation to their size using marked individuals in natural populations, and also under glasshouse conditions. Measurements were taken of the height, flower number, floral sex expression, flower size, flower biomass and pollen production of individuals over consecutive years between 2009 and 2012 in seven populations in south-west China.

Key Results

Flowers of L. apertum are either perfect (hermaphroditic) or staminate (male) and, in any given season, plants exhibit one of three sex phenotypes: only hermaphrodite flowers, a mixture of hermaphroditic and male flowers, or only male flowers. Transitions between each of these sex phenotypes were observed over consecutive years and were commonly size-dependent, particularly transitions from small plants bearing only male flowers to those that were taller with hermaphroditic flowers. Hermaphroditic flowers were significantly larger, heavier and produced more pollen than male flowers.

Conclusions

The results for L. apertum are consistent with the ‘size advantage hypothesis’ developed for animal species with sex change. The theory predicts that when individuals are small they should exhibit the sex for which the costs of reproduction are less, and this usually involves the male phase. L. apertum provides an example of gender diphasy, a rare sexual system in flowering plants.     

An improved model considering traditional network properties to assess spatial vulnerability of a network system

We have recently reported a new spatial vulnerability model, which proposed two important curves (i.e., impact curve and neutral curve) and two quantified indices (i.e., absolute spatial vulnerability index and relative spatial vulnerability index) to assess the global impact of spatially local hazards on network systems (Li et al. 2015 Guo XM, Hu XB, Li H, et al. 2015. A study on spatial-temporal rainstorm risk at civil airports in China. J Risk Anal Crisis Response 5:188–198 [Google Scholar]). This paper aims to further investigate and improve the practicability of the new spatial vulnerability model. As some traditional network properties, such as the shortest path, betweenness and connectivity, are often used to assess the vulnerability of network systems, this paper develops a methodology of applying traditional network properties to analyze the spatial vulnerability of network systems. To this end, we firstly describe the new spatial vulnerability model, then analyze its relationship with traditional network properties, and at last conduct a case study on the Beijing subway network to verify this relationship. The results show that, when the global impact of spatially local hazards on network systems is concerned in vulnerability assessment, the combination of some traditional network properties and the new spatial vulnerability model can deliver an effective approach.