A novel porcine circovirus type 2a strain, 10JS-2, with eleven-nucleotide insertions in the origin of genome replication

Here, we report a novel porcine circovirus type 2a (PCV2a) strain with 11 nucleotides (nt) inserted in the origin of genome replication (Ori). This is the first report of a PCV2a strain with nucleotide insertion in Ori. Our study will help further epidemiological studies and extend our knowledge of evolutionary characteristics of PCV2.     

Antihyperglycemic effect of polysaccharide from fermented broth of Pleurotus citrinopileatus

Pleurotus citrinopileatus is an edible mushroom, which has recently become very popular, with a consequent increase in industrial production. Water-soluble polysaccharides (WSPS), extracted from edible mushrooms, have been found to have antitumor and immunoenhancing effects. In this study, we investigate the effects of WSPS extracted from submerged fermented medium of P. citrinopileatus on hyperglycemia and damaged pancreatic cells in rats with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes. The diabetic rats fed with water-soluble polysaccharide of P. citrinopileatus (SPPC) lost less body weight than those fed SPPC-free regular diet. Serum total cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the diabetic rats fed with SPPC at a dose of 0.4 g/kg bw daily was lower than in the groups fed with SPPC at doses of 0.04 and 0.12 g/kg bw. The fasting blood glucose levels of diabetic rats fed with SPPC were 44% lower than the negative controls. The degree of damage to the islets of Langerhans of the rats fed with the highest dosage of SPPC was significantly lower than those fed with SPPC at doses of 0.04 and 0.12 g/kg bw. The results showed that STZ-induced diabetic rats fed with SPPC might help alleviate the elevation of the level of that in fasting blood glucose.     

人乳腺癌多药耐药细胞系MCF-7/MDRa的建立及其生物学特性的初步研究

实验以MCF-7细胞株为亲本细胞,采用阿霉素(ADM)低浓度持续加量诱导法建立了多药耐药的人乳腺癌细胞系MCF-7/MDRa,并对其耐药谱、动力学周期分布、表型变化、药物的蓄积量等生物学特性进行了初步分析评价。结果表明,MCF-7/MDRa细胞较亲本细胞的ADM半数致死浓度(IC50)高500倍,撤药培养150天后耐药指数仍维持在200倍以上,并对多种化疗药物产生交叉耐药性;耐药细胞分化程度低于同步传代的MCF-7细胞,细胞倍增时间与亲本细胞接近,S期细胞显著增加,G1期细胞减少;随着撤药时间的延长,细胞的增殖速度加快;耐药细胞P-gP、LRP和GSTπ的表达水平较亲本细胞有显著增加,ER阳性表达丢失;在稳定生长的撤药培养6天的细胞中仍有ADM蓄积。建立的MCF-7/MDRa模型具有多药耐药细胞的基本生物学特性,可用于肿瘤多药耐药机制的研究。     

Sulphur fractionation in calcareous soils and bioavailability to plants

Sulphur fractionation and availability to plants are poorly understood in calcareous soils. Sixty-four calcareous soils containing varying amounts of CaCO₃ were collected from ten provinces in China and their S fractions determined. Organic S was the predominant fraction of S, accounting for on average 77% of the soil total S. The amounts of adsorbed sulphate were found to be negligible. 1 M HCl extracted substantially more sulphate than either 0.01 M CaCl₂ or 0.016 M KH₂PO₄, indicating the existence of water-insoluble but acid-soluble sulphate, probably in the form of sulphate co-precipitated with CaCO₃. The concentrations of water-insoluble sulphate correlated positively with the contents of CaCO₃ and accounted for 0.03–40.3% (mean 11.7%) of soil total S. To test the bioavailability of water-insoluble sulphate, a sulphate-CaCO₃ co-precipitate labelled with ³⁵S was prepared and added to a calcareous soil in a pot experiment with either NH₄⁺ or NO₃^– as the N source. In 29 days, wheat plants took up 10.6% and 3.0% of the ³⁵S added to the soil in the NH₄⁺ and NO₃^– treatments, respectively. At the end of the pot experiment, the decrease of water-insoluble, acid-soluble, sulphate was more apparent in the NH₄⁺ than in the NO₃^– treatment. The results indicate that sulphate co-precipitated with CaCO₃ in calcareous soils may become partly available for plant uptake, depending on rhizosphere pH, if the field precipitate is similar to the laboratory prepared sample studied.     

基于ITS和ndhF-rpl32序列的荞麦种间亲缘关系分析

荞麦起源于我国, 演化形成了丰富的物种和遗传多样性。为了有效研究和利用荞麦及其野生种资源, 以从四川、甘肃、贵州等地采集的荞麦属(Fagopyrum)10个种(含变种、亚种和复合体种)共71份材料为对象, 通过ITS和叶绿体ndhF-rpl32序列分析, 利用MEGA5.0构建系统进化树, 探讨了荞麦种内及种间亲缘关系。结果表明, 在ITS序列矩阵中, 序列长度为725 bp, 信息位点为150个, 占序列总长度的20.7%; 在ndhF-rpl32序列矩阵中, 序列长度为940 bp, 信息位点为158个, 占序列总长度的16.8%。由ITS序列和ndhF-rpl32序列构建的两个进化树都可以将71份材料分为大粒荞麦种组和小粒荞麦种组; 其中, 大粒荞麦种组包括栽培苦荞和米苦荞(F. tataricum)、金荞复合体(F. cymosum complex)、栽培甜荞(F. esculentum)和野生甜荞(F. esculentum ssp. ancestralis); 小粒荞麦种组包括齿翅野荞(F. gracilipes var. odontopterum)、疏穗小野荞(F. leptopodum var. grossii)、小野荞(F. leptopodum)、密毛野荞(F. densovillosum)、细柄野荞(F. gracilipes)和硬枝万年荞(F. urophyllum)。而ndhF-rpl32序列构建的系统发育树还能区分栽培甜荞和野生甜荞, 具有更好的聚类效果。另外, 与栽培甜荞相比, 金荞复合体与栽培苦荞的亲缘关系更近。该研究为荞麦属种的分类和条形码研究提供了一定的科学依据。     

Diminished G1 checkpoint after gamma-irradiation and altered cell cycle regulation by insulin-like growth factor II overexpression

High levels of insulin-like growth factor II (IGFII) mRNA expression are detected in many human tumors of different origins including rhabdomyosarcoma, a tumor of skeletal muscle origin. To investigate the role of IGFII in tumorigenesis, we have compared the mouse myoblast cell line C2C12-2.7, which was stably transfected with human IGFII cDNA and expressed high and constant amounts of IGFII, to a control cell line C2C12-1.1. A rhabdomyosarcoma cell line, RH30, which expresses high levels of IGFII and contains mutated p53, was also used in these studies. IGFII overexpression in mouse myoblast C2C12 cells causes a reduced cycling time and higher growth rate. After gamma-irradiation treatment, C2C12-1.1 cells were arrested mainly in G0/G1 phase. However, C2C12-2.7 and RH30 cells went through a very short G1 phase and then were arrested in an extended G2/M phase. To verify further the effect of IGFII on the cell cycle, we developed a Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line with tetracycline-controlled IGFII expression. We found that CHO cells with high expression of IGFII have a shortened cycling time and a diminished G1 checkpoint after treatment with methylmethane sulfonate (MMS), a DNA base-damaging agent, when compared with CHO cells with very low IGFII expression. It was also found that IGFII overexpression in C2C12 cells was associated with increases in cyclin D1, p21, and p53 protein levels, as well as mitogen-activated protein kinase activity. These studies suggest that IGFII overexpression shortens cell cycling time and diminishes the G1 checkpoint after DNA damage despite an intact p53/p21 induction. In addition, IGFII overexpression is also associated with multiple changes in the levels and activities of cell cycle regulatory components following gamma-irradiation. Taken together, these changes may contribute to the high growth rate and genetic alterations that occur during tumorigenesis.     

Au-nanoclusters incorporated 3-amino-5-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole film modified electrode for the simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid, dopamine, uric acid and nitrite

A novel biosensor has been constructed by the electrodeposition of Au-nanoclusters (nano-Au) on poly(3-amino-5-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole) (p-TA) film modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and employed for the simultaneous determination of dopamine (DA), ascorbic acid (AA), uric acid (UA) and nitrite (NO₂⁻). NH₂ and SH groups exposed to the p-TA layer are helpful for the electrodeposition of nano-Au. The combination of nano-Au and p-TA endow the biosensor with large surface area, good biological compatibility, electricity and stability, high selectivity and sensitivity and flexible and controllable electrodeposition process. In the fourfold co-existence system, the linear calibration plots for AA, DA, UA and NO₂⁻ were obtained over the range of 2.1–50.1 μM, 0.6–340.0 μM, 1.6–110.0 μM and 15.9–277.0 μM with detection limits of 1.1 × 10⁻⁶ M, 5.0 × 10⁻⁸ M, 8.0 × 10⁻⁸ M and 8.9 × 10⁻⁷ M, respectively. In addition, the modified biosensor was applied to the determination of AA, DA, UA and NO₂⁻ in urine and serum samples by using standard adding method with satisfactory results.