Suppression of hepatic glucose production by human neutrophil alpha-defensins through a signaling pathway distinct from insulin

In this study, we tested the hypothesis that human neutrophil alpha-defensins (HNPs) inhibit hepatic glucose production through a signaling pathway distinct from insulin. The effect of HNP-1 on fasting blood glucose levels and the expression of hepatic gluconeogenic genes was first examined. Using hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamps, we determined the effect of HNP-1 on endogenous glucose production, hepatic expression of key gluconeogenic genes and glucose uptake in skeletal muscle in Zucker diabetic fatty rats. In isolated primary hepatocytes, we studied the effect of HNP-1 and -2 on glucose production, expression of gluconeogenic genes, and phosphorylation of Akt, c-Src, and FoxO1. Our results show that HNP-1 reduced blood glucose levels of both normal mice and Zucker diabetic fatty rats predominantly through suppression of hepatic glucose production. HNPs inhibited glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis in isolated hepatocytes. HNPs also suppressed expression of key gluconeogenic genes including phosphoenoylpyruvate carboxyl kinase and glucose-6-phosphatase. To investigate the mechanism, we found that HNPs stimulated phosphorylation of Akt and FoxO1 without activating IRS1. Nevertheless, HNPs activated c-Src. Blockade of c-Src activity with either a chemical inhibitor PP2 or an alternative inhibitor CSK prevented the inhibitory effect of HNPs on gluconeogenesis. Together, our results support the hypothesis that HNPs can suppress hepatic glucose production through an intracellular mechanism distinct from the classical insulin signaling pathway.     

Comparing beta-carotene,vitamin E and nitric oxide as membrane antioxidants

Singlet oxygen initiates lipid peroxidation via a nonfree radical mechanism by reacting directly with unsaturated lipids to form lipid hydroperoxides (LOOHs). These LOOHs can initiate free radical chain reactions leading to membrane leakage and cell death. Here we compare the ability and mechanism by which three small-molecule membrane antioxidants (beta-carotene, alpha-tocopherol and nitric oxide) inhibit lipid peroxidation in membranes. We demonstrate that beta-carotene provides protection against singlet oxygen-mediated lipid peroxidation, but does not slow free radical-mediated lipid peroxidation. Alpha-Tocopherol does not protect cells from singlet oxygen, but does inhibit free radical formation in cell membranes. Nitric oxide provides no direct protection against singlet oxygen exposure, but is an exceptional chain-breaking antioxidant as evident from its ability to blunt oxygen consumption during free radical-mediated lipid peroxidation. These three small-molecule antioxidants appear to have complementary mechanisms for the protection of cell membranes from detrimental oxidations.     

Involvement of histidine and tryptophan residues of glutamine binding protein in the interaction with membrane-bound components of the glutamine transport system of Escherichia coli

We treated the glutamine binding protein with diethyl pyrocarbonate (DEPC) and N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) to modify respectively the sole histidine and tryptophan residues and examined the effect of these modifications on the ability of the binding protein to bind glutamine as well as the ability to restore glutamine transport in membrane vesicles of Escherichia coli. Under the conditions used, both DEPC and NBS markedly inhibited the ability to restore glutamine transport in vesicles without any significant effect on glutamine binding. Moreover, saturating quantities of glutamine had no protective effect on the inactivation of the binding protein by DEPC or NBS. Fluorometric measurement and amino acid analysis indicate that the inactivation of the binding protein in restoring vesicle transport by NBS can be attributed to the oxidation of a single tryptophan residue. Similar analysis and the inability of hydroxylamine to reverse the effect of DEPC indicate that the effects of DEPC can probably be attributed to alterations of the sole histidine and/or one or more lysine residues of the binding protein. We conclude that the glutamine binding protein possesses at least two largely nonoverlapping functional domains, one responsible for glutamine binding and the other for the interaction with the other components of the glutamine transport system.     

Pierisformotoxins A – D,Polyesterified Grayanane Diterpenoids from Pieris formosa and Their cAMP‐Decreasing Activities

Four highly acylated diterpenoids, designated as pierisformotoxins A–D ( 1 – 4 , resp.), along with 26 known compounds, were isolated from the flowers of Pieris formosa. Among them, pierisformotoxins A and B ( 1 and 2 , resp.) were new highly acylated grayanane diterpenoids, of which the five‐membered ring A has undergone an oxidative cleavage between C(3) and C(4), followed by lactonization, to give rise to a five‐membered lactone ring between C(3) and C(5), differing from the previously reported grayanane diterpenoids with a 5/7/6/5 ring system. Results of the cAMP‐regulation‐activity assay showed that pierisformotoxin C ( 3 ) at 10 μM (inhibitory ratio (IR): 10.1%) or 2 μM (9.8%), and pierisformotoxin B ( 2 ) at 50 μM (13.9%) significantly decreased the cAMP level in N1E‐115 neuroblastoma cells (p<0.05).     

烟草甲clip丝氨酸蛋白酶基因的克隆及其对外源激素和免疫胁迫的表达响应(英文)

【目的】作为细胞外信号级联通路的重要组成部分,含有clip结构域的丝氨酸蛋白酶(clip-domain serine proteases, CLIPs)在昆虫发育和先天免疫过程中起着重要作用。本研究旨在克隆烟草甲Lasioderma serricorne CLIP基因,解析其在烟草甲不同发育阶段和幼虫不同组织中的表达模式,分析其在外源激素20-羟基蜕皮酮(20E)和免疫胁迫后的表达特征,为进一步研究其生理功能奠定基础。【方法】采用RT-PCR技术克隆获得烟草甲两个CLIPs基因(LsCLIP1和LsCLIP2)全长cDNA序列,并利用生物信息学软件预测其编码蛋白的结构和特征,利用MEGA 6.06构建昆虫CLIPs系统发育树;利用实时荧光定量PCR(quantitative real-time PCR, qPCR)研究这两个基因在不同发育阶段［低龄幼虫(卵孵化后24 h内)、高龄幼虫(4龄以上)、蛹(化蛹后48 h以上)、早期成虫(化蛹后24 h内)和晚期成虫(化蛹后7 d)］、5龄幼虫不同组织(表皮、脂肪体、肠道和剩余组织)中以及注射20E(120 ng/幼虫)和来源于大肠杆菌Escherichia coli和金黄色葡萄球菌Staphylococcus aureus的肽聚糖(0.2 μL)后4龄幼虫中的表达模式。【结果】克隆获得烟草甲LsCLIP1和LsCLIP2基因的cDNA全序列,其开放阅读框长度均为1 194 bp,编码397个氨基酸。序列分析显示,其氨基酸序列各自具有一个clip结构域和胰蛋白酶结构域。系统发育分析表明,CLIP1和CLIP2都属于subfamily C CLIPs。qPCR结果表明,LsCLIP1和LsCLIP2基因在所检测的各发育阶段和幼虫各组织中均有表达,分别尤以蛹期和表皮中表达量最高;经20E和肽聚糖诱导后,烟草甲幼虫体内LsCLIP1和LsCLIP2基因的表达量明显提高。【结论】推测LsCLIP1和LsCLIP2可能参与了烟草甲的蜕皮发育和对免疫胁迫的应激响应。本研究将为后续研究昆虫CLIPs的分子调控提供参考。     

Role of bta-miR-204 in the regulation of adipocyte proliferation,differentiation, and apoptosis

Adipocyte growth and development are complex and precisely orchestrated processes. Several microRNAs have been identified as critical regulators of the adipocyte growth and development. Recently, bta-miR-204 was found to be involved in adipogenesis; however, the underlying molecular mechanism involved in bta-miR-204-mediated regulation of proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis of adipocytes is not fully understood or elucidated. In this study, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), Cell Counting Kit-8, EdU, flow cytometer, Oil Red O staining, and the western blot assays were used to assess the role of bta-miR-204 in adipocyte growth and development. Overexpression of bta-miR-204 had no significant effect on 3T3-L1 cell proliferation. The forced expression of bta-miR-204 promoted 3T3-L1 cell differentiation. Meanwhile, overexpression of bta-miR-204 upregulated the expression of Bax and downregulated the expression of Bcl-2 both at messenger RNA and protein levels, which suggested that bta-miR-204 can promote 3T3-L1 cell apoptosis. Using bioinformatic analysis, dual-luciferase reporter system and qRT-PCR, TGFBR2, and ELOVL6 were identified as the direct target genes of bta-miR-204. Therefore, our study provides a novel insight into the role of bta-miR-204 in the regulation of adipocyte growth and development, which may provide a novel therapeutic alternative against obesity.     

Silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles labeled endothelial progenitor cells alleviate ischemic myocardial injury and improve long-term cardiac function with magnetic field guidance in rats with myocardial infarction

Low retention of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in the infarct area has been suggested to be responsible for the poor clinical efficacy of EPC therapy for myocardial infarction (MI). This study aimed to evaluate whether magnetized EPCs guided through an external magnetic field could augment the aggregation of EPCs in an ischemia area, thereby enhancing therapeutic efficacy. EPCs from male rats were isolated and labeled with silica-coated magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles to form magnetized EPCs. Then, the proliferation, migration, vascularization, and cytophenotypic markers of magnetized EPCs were analyzed. Afterward, the magnetized EPCs (1 × 10⁶) were transplanted into a female rat model of MI via the tail vein at 7 days after MI with or without the guidance of an external magnet above the infarct area. Cardiac function, myocardial fibrosis, and the apoptosis of cardiomyocytes were observed at 4 weeks after treatment. In addition, EPC retention and the angiogenesis of ischemic myocardium were evaluated. Labeling with magnetic nanoparticles exhibited minimal influence to the biological functions of EPCs. The transplantation of magnetized EPCs guided by an external magnet significantly improved the cardiac function, decreased infarction size, and reduced myocardial apoptosis in MI rats. Moreover, enhanced aggregations of magnetized EPCs in the infarcted border zone were observed in rats with external magnet-guided transplantation, accompanied by the significantly increased density of microvessels and upregulated the expression of proangiogenic factors, when compared with non-external-magnet-guided rats. The magnetic field-guided transplantation of magnetized EPCs was associated with the enhanced aggregation of EPCs in the infarcted border zone, thereby improving the therapeutic efficacy of MI.     

Native drivers of fish life history traits are lost during the invasion process

Rapid adaptation to global change can counter vulnerability of species to population declines and extinction. Theoretically, under such circumstances both genetic variation and phenotypic plasticity can maintain population fitness, but empirical support for this is currently limited. Here, we aim to characterize the role of environmental and genetic diversity, and their prior evolutionary history (via haplogroup profiles) in shaping patterns of life history traits during biological invasion. Data were derived from both genetic and life history traits including a morphological analysis of 29 native and invasive populations of topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva coupled with climatic variables from each location. General additive models were constructed to explain distribution of somatic growth rate (SGR) data across native and invasive ranges, with model selection performed using Akaike's information criteria. Genetic and environmental drivers that structured the life history of populations in their native range were less influential in their invasive populations. For some vertebrates at least, fitness‐related trait shifts do not seem to be dependent on the level of genetic diversity or haplogroup makeup of the initial introduced propagule, nor of the availability of local environmental conditions being similar to those experienced in their native range. As long as local conditions are not beyond the species physiological threshold, its local establishment and invasive potential are likely to be determined by local drivers, such as density‐dependent effects linked to resource availability or to local biotic resistance.