Noggin and bFGF cooperate to maintain the pluripotency of human embryonic stem cells in the absence of feeder layers

Human embryonic stem (hES) cells are typically maintained on mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) feeders or with MEF-conditioned medium. However, these xenosupport systems greatly limit the therapeutic applications of hES cells because of the risk of cross-transfer of animal pathogens. Here we showed that the bone morphogenetic protein antagonist noggin is critical in preventing differentiation of hES cells in culture. Furthermore, we found that the combination of noggin and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) was sufficient to maintain the prolonged growth of hES cells while retaining all hES cell features. Since both noggin and bFGF are expressed in MEF, our findings suggest that they may be important factors secreted by MEF for maintaining undifferentiated pluripotent hES cells. Our data provide new insight into the mechanism how hES cell self-renewal is regulated. The newly developed feeder-free culture system will provide a more reliable alternative for future therapeutic applications of hES cells.     

两种光呼吸抑制剂对草莓若干生理指标及产量品质的影响

以"丰香"草莓为试材,在花期喷施不同浓度的光呼吸抑制剂NaHSO₃和异烟肼。结果表明,喷施一定浓度的NaHSO₃(100 mg/L)和异烟肼(0.5 mg/ml),可增加草莓植株叶面积、叶绿素总量和光合速率;同时可提高坐果率,增加单果重和产量,果实总糖、可溶性固形物含量也显著提高。     

DNA barcoding of Gaultheria L.in China (Ericaceae: Vaccinioideae)

Four DNA barcoding loci,chloroplast loci rbcL,matK,trnH-psbA,and nuclear locus internal transcribed spacer (ITS),were tested for the accurate discrimination of the Chinese species of Gaultheria by using intraspecific and interspecific pairwise P-distance,Wilcoxon signed rank test,and tree-based analyses.This study included 186 individuals from 89 populations representing 30 species.For all individuals,single locus markers showed high levels of sequencing universality but were ineffective for species resolvability.Polymerase chain reaction amplification and sequencing were successful for all four loci.Both ITS and matK showed significantly higher levels of interspecific species delimitation than rbcL and trnH-psbA.A combination ofmatK and ITS was the most efficient DNA barcode among all studied regions,however,they do not represent an appropriate candidate barcode for Chinese Gaultheria,by which only 11 out of 30 species can be separated.Loci rbcL,matK,and trnH-psbA,which were recently proposed as universal plant barcodes,have a very poor capacity for species separation for Chinese Gaultheria.DNA barcodes may be reliable tools to identify the evolutionary units of this group,so further studies are needed to develop more efficient DNA barcodes for Gaultheria and other genera with complicated evolutionary histories.     

ROCK1 induces ERK nuclear translocation in PDGF-BB-stimulated migration of rat vascular smooth muscle cells

It has been known that Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) signaling regulates the migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). However, the isoform-specific roles of ROCK and its underlying mechanism in VSMC migration are not well understood. The current study thus aimed to investigate the roles of ROCK1/2 and their relationship to the MAPK signaling pathway in platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-induced rat aorta VSMC migration by manipulating ROCK gene expression. The results revealed that ROCK1 small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) rather than ROCK2 siRNA decreased PDGF-BB-generated VSMC migration, and upregulation of ROCK1 expression via transfection of constructed pEGFP-C1/ROCK1 plasmid further increased the migration of PDGF-BB-treated VSMCs. In PDGF-treated VSMCs, ROCK1 siRNA did not affect the phosphorylation levels of ERK and p38 in the cytoplasm, but decreased the level of ERK phosphorylation in the nucleus. These findings demonstrate that activated ROCK1 can promote VSMC migration through facilitating phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of ERK protein.     

心肌组织工程的研究现状

心肌组织工程的目的是通过在体外构建思想的心肌组织工程,用于替代和修复病损的心肌组织,从心肌组织工程的细胞来源,细胞培养基,细胞接种,细胞支架,生物反应器5个方面介绍心肌组织工程的研究现状。     

Seasonal occurrence of helminths in the anadromous fish Coilia nasus (Engraulidae): parasite indicators of fish migratory movements

To understand the seasonal migration of the anadromous Coilia nasus , we attempted to identify the parasites infecting C. nasus and determine their seasonal occurrence. From June 2007 to July 2008, a survey of 775 C. nasus individuals from the estuary of the Yangtze River and the coast of the East China Sea revealed more than 7,300 parasites associated with the gills and alimentary tracts of C. nasus . The following 6 helminth taxa were identified, i.e., the monogeneans Heteromazocraes lingmueni and Helciferus tenuis, the digenean Elytrophallus coiliae, the acanthocephalan Acanthosentis cheni , and larvae of the nematodes Anisakis simplex and Contracaecum sp., all of which are marine or brackish-water parasites. The absence of freshwater helminths suggested that the parasites acquired in freshwater may have been accidentally, and easily, lost by the time the fish had reached the estuary and coast. Contrary to seasonal occurrence of the parasites' life cycles, the lowest mean abundance and prevalence of H. lingmueni and A. cheni occurred in August, which suggested the immigration of C. nasus from freshwater to the Yangtze estuary, with lower parasite burdens. The highest mean abundance and prevalence of the nematodes A. simplex and Contracaecum sp. in May and June, and the lowest in August, indicated the arrival of the fish from the coast and the Yangtze River, to the estuary, respectively. These findings suggested that a majority of the fish prepared for spawning migration in the estuary in spring and early summer and returned to the estuary after spawning in the lower and middle reaches of the Yangtze River in late summer.     

鸡减蛋综合征病毒(EDSV)基因组右末端结构的分析

从中国发病鸡中分离的鸡减蛋综合征病毒（ＥｇｇＤｒｏｐＳｙｎｄｒｏｍＶｉｒｕｓ,ＥＤＳＶ）弱毒株（ＡＡ－２）,其基因组全长约为３３ｋｂ。用限制性内切酶ＨｉｎｄⅢ水解ＥＤＳＶ全基因组,构建了以ｐＢｌｕｅｓｃｒｉｐｔⅡ（ＫＳ＋）为载体的右末端片段的克隆（约４．２ｋｂ）,对其进行了序列测定和结构分析。该片段全长４１８３个碱基对（ｂｐ）,位于基因组右末端８７．３ｍ．ｕ．－１００ｍ．ｕ．。结果显示,该片段与哺乳动物腺病毒右末端Ｅ４区结构不同,与禽Ⅰ型腺病毒代表株ＣＥＬＯ右末端片段亦无同源性。本文为深入了解ＥＤＳＶ基因组结构特点,ＥＤＳＶ与其他腺病毒基因结构与功能的进化关系和ＥＤＳＶ载体的构建奠定了分子生物学基础     

冻结速率对血小板冷冻干燥保存的影响

冷冻干燥法是使血小板能够长期保存的一种理想方法。冻结过程对血小板的冻干保存至关重要。采用梯度降温、搁板预冷、液氮冻结等三种冻结方式,研究了冻结速率对血小板冷冻干燥保存恢复率的影响。实验结果表明用搁板预冷的方式冻结并干燥的血小板复水后的恢复率最高,达到(93.0.2)%,此时的冻结速度约为10℃/min。扫描电镜照片显示冻干复水后的血小板保持了完整的细胞结构,但与新鲜血小板相比略呈球形。冻干复水后的血小板对1U/ml凝血酶的最大聚集率接近于新鲜血小板,但聚集速度比新鲜血小板慢。     

Affinity biosensor for avidin using a double functionalized dendrimer monolayer on a gold electrode

We have developed an affinity biosensor system based on avidin-biotin interaction on a gold electrode. As the building block of an affinity-sensing monolayer, a fourth-generation (G4) poly(amidoamine) dendrimer having partial ferrocenyl-tethered surface groups was prepared and used. The unmodified surface amine groups from dendrimers were functionalized with biotinamidocaproate, and the biotinylated and electroactive dendritic monolayer was constructed on a gold electrode for the affinity-sensing surface interacting with avidin. An electrochemical signal from the affinity biosensor was generated by free glucose oxidase in electrolyte, depending on the degree of coverage of the sensing surface with avidin. The sensor signal decreased correlatively with increasing avidin concentration and approached a minimum level when the sensing surface was fully covered with avidin. The detection limit of avidin was about 4.5 pM, and the sensor signal was linear ranging from 1.5 pM to 10 nM under optimized conditions. From the kinetic analysis using the biotinylated glucose oxidase, an active enzyme coverage of 2.5 x 10(-12) mol/cm(2) on the avidin-pretreated surface was registered, which demonstrates the formation of a spatially ordered and compact protein layer on the derivatized electrode surface.