研究: 异族面孔分类中情绪的调节作用

人们对异族面孔的分类绩效比本族面孔更好,这称作异族分类优势.但面孔异族分类优势是否也和面孔异族效应一样受到情绪的调节作用,尚未可知.本文通过两个实验考察情绪对于面孔种族分类任务的影响.实验一要求40名大学生被试对不同表情面孔(中性,负性,正性)完成种族判断任务,结果发现,正性和负性情绪使年轻人对异族面孔分类变得更慢,削弱了面孔异族分类优势,而且正性情绪对异族分类效应影响更大.实验二以不同情绪加工特点的老年人为被试,发现老年人对负性异族面孔的分类绩效明显更差,负性情绪对异族分类优势的影响更大.这些结果为异族分类优势理论中,异族面孔分类和个体身份加工过程相互制约的潜在假设提供了进一步的支持.     

Parental and hybrid Daphnia from the D. longispina complex: long‐term dynamics in genetic structure and significance of overwintering modes

In recent decades, hybridization has become a focus of attention because of its role in evolutionary processes. However, little is known about changes in genetic structure within and between parental species and hybrids over time. Here, we studied processes of genetic change in parental species and hybrids from the Daphnia longispina complex (Crustacea, Cladocera) over a period of six years across ten habitats. These cyclical parthenogens respond to fluctuating environments by switching from asexual to sexual reproduction. Importantly, sexually produced diapausing eggs, which resist extreme conditions such as low temperatures and serve as dispersal stages, are produced to a lower extent by hybrids. Long‐term microsatellite data revealed clear differences between hybrids and parental species. In hybrids, clonal diversity values were lower, whereas heterozygosity and linkage disequilibrium values were higher compared to parental species. Clonal diversity of hybrids responded to the strength of the winter, with cold winters resulting in few genotypes in the following spring. In time windows when only asexual hybrid females survive, priority effects will favour the establishment of the hybrid offspring before hatchlings from parental diapause eggs can enter the community. The constant high levels of heterozygosity maintained by clonal reproduction in hybrids might lead to their successful establishment over time, when they are able to escape competition from both parental species. Although we found evidence that hybrids diversity depends on fluctuating environments, a direct link between hybrid abundance and the strength of winter was missing. Because of reduced adaptability in clonally reproducing hybrids, multiple factors must contribute to promoting their long‐term success in fluctuating environments.     

Mating games squid play: reproductive behaviour and sexual skin displays in Caribbean reef squid Sepioteuthis sepioidea

Observation of the sexual interactions of Sepioteuthis sepioidea squid during the short reproductive stage of their lives showed a scramble competition system, with both male and female polygyny. Mature females were faithful to a specific location in the daytime, whereas males moved from group to group and formed short-term consortships with females. Males defended females from other males, particularly with an agonistic Zebra display. Male–female pairs exchanged Saddle-Stripe displays, after which males might display an on–off Flicker. There was considerable female choice. Only if a female responded to this display with a parallel Rocking action would she pair and would the male deposit spermatophores at the base of her arms, and only 50% of the time did females move the spermatophores internally to where sperm might be released and stored in the oviducal gland for later fertilization of eggs. This long-term set of interactions and solitary deposition of hidden egg strings contrasts with the attraction of both sexes to a common ‘egg mop’ laid by many females which was a site of competition in other loliginid squid. Since Sepioteuthis is a primitive genus within the family Loliginidae, it may represent a generalist reproductive strategy that evolved into a specialized localization one.     

Long noncoding RNA SPRY4-IT1 regulates intestinal epithelial barrier function by modulating the expression levels of tight junction proteins

Epithelial cells line the intestinal mucosa and form an important barrier to a wide array of noxious substances in the lumen. Disruption of the barrier integrity occurs commonly in various pathologies. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) control diverse biological processes, but little is known about the role of lncRNAs in regulation of the gut permeability. Here we show that the lncRNA SPRY4-IT1 regulates the intestinal epithelial barrier function by altering expression of tight junction (TJ) proteins. SPRY4-IT1 silencing led to dysfunction of the epithelial barrier in cultured cells by decreasing the stability of mRNAs encoding TJ proteins claudin-1, claudin-3, occludin, and JAM-1 and repressing their translation. In contrast, increasing the levels of SPRY4-IT1 in the intestinal mucosa protected the gut barrier in mice exposed to septic stress by increasing the abundance of TJ proteins. SPRY4-IT1 directly interacted with TJ mRNAs, and this process was enhanced through the association with the RNA-binding protein HuR. Of interest, the intestinal mucosa from patients with increased gut permeability exhibited a decrease in the levels of SPRY4-IT1. These findings highlight a novel role for SPRY4-IT1 in controlling the intestinal epithelial barrier and define a mechanism by which SPRY4-IT1 modulates TJ expression by altering the stability and translation of TJ mRNAs.     

药物注射联合针刀治疗肩周炎临床疗效及安全性分析

为探讨针刀联合曲安奈德、正清风痛宁、利多卡因治疗肩周炎的临床疗效及安全性分析,本研究选取2016年1月至2017年12月来东南大学附属中大医院疼痛科就诊肩周炎患者120例,随机数字表法分为药物治疗组40例(曲安奈德+正清风痛宁+利多卡因+臭氧治疗),针刀治疗组40例,综合治疗组40例(曲安奈德+正清风痛宁+利多卡因+臭氧+针刀治疗),对比分析各组治疗前后肩关节功能评分、视觉模拟评分法(visual analogue score, VAS)评分、不良反应发生率。结果显示,组内比较,3组治疗后VAS和肩关节功能评分与治疗前比较,差异具有统计学意义(p<0.001)。组间比较,治疗前3组VAS和肩关节功能评分比较,差异不具有统计学意义;综合治疗组各时间点VAS评分均低于药物及针刀治疗组,综合治疗组肩关节功能评分在治疗后1个月和2个月高于药物及针刀治疗组,差异具有统计学意义(p<0.001)。3组的不良反应发生率,差异不具有统计学意义(p>0.05)。综上所述,针刀治疗联合曲安奈德、正清风痛宁、利多卡因及臭氧在关节腔及关节周围注射治疗肩周炎安全有效,值得在临床中推广应用。     

An MAP kinase interacts with LHK1 and regulates nodule organogenesis in Lotus japonicus

Symbiosis receptor-like kinase(SymRK) is a key protein mediating the legume-Rhizobium symbiosis. Our previous work has identified an MAP kinase kinase, SIP2, as a SymRK-interacting protein to positively regulate nodule organogenesis in Lotus japonicus, suggesting that an MAPK cascade might be involved in Rhizobium-legume symbiosis. In this study, LjMPK6 was identified as a phosphorylation target of SIP2. Stable transgenic L. japonicus with RNAi silencing of LjMPK6 decreased the numbers of nodule primordia(NP) and nodule, while plants overexpressing LjMPK6 increased the numbers of nodule, infection threads(ITs), and NP, indicating that LjMPK6 plays a positive role in nodulation. LjMPK6 could interact with a cytokinin receptor, LHK1 both in vivo and in vitro. LjMPK6 was shown to compete with LHP1 to bind to the receiver domain(RD) of LHK1 and to downregulate the expression of two LjACS(1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthase) genes and ethylene levels during nodulation. This study demonstrated an important role of LjMPK6 in regulation of nodule organogenesis and ethylene production in L. japonicus.     

Strategy for efficient cloning of biosynthetic gene clusters from fungi

Filamentous fungi are excellent sources for the production of a group of bioactive small molecules which are often called secondary metabolites(SMs). The advanced genome sequencing technology combined with bioinformatics analysis reveals a large number of unexplored biosynthetic gene clusters(BGCs) in the fungal genomes. To unlock this fungal SM treasure, many approaches including heterologous expression are being developed and efficient cloning of the BGCs is a crucial step to do this.Here, we present an efficient strategy for the direct cloning of fungal BGCs. This strategy consisted of Splicing by Overlapping Extension(SOE)-PCR and yeast assembly in vivo. By testing 14 BGCs DNA fragments ranging from 7 kb to 52 kb, the average positive rate was over 80%. The maximal insertion size for fungal BGC assembly was 52 kb. Those constructs could be used conveniently for the heterologous expression leading to the discovery of novel natural products. Thus, our results provide an efficient and quick method for the low cost direct cloning of fungal BGCs.     

EDTA/gelatin zymography method to identify C1s versus activated MMP‐9 in plasma and immune complexes of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Gelatin zymography analysis is a sensitive method and commonly used to characterize and quantify the presence of the gelatinases (MMP‐2 and MMP‐9) in biological samples. In human plasma samples from healthy controls and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, we observed a gelatinolytic molecule at 80 kDa, suggestive for activated human MMP‐9. However, by developing and using the EDTA/gelatin zymography method and after purification of the 80 kDa entity, we proved that this molecule was the C1s subunit of the complement system. The zymolytic capacity of C1s was validated and found to be enhanced, in the absence of calcium and in the presence of EDTA. Our findings indicate that for correct identification of gelatinolytic proteins in complex biological samples the use of EDTA/gelatin zymography for enzyme development is advised. In addition, by quantification of EDTA/gelatin zymography analysis and ELISA, we observed that the levels of C1s were higher in plasma and immune complexes of SLE patients than of healthy individuals. Therefore, our data imply that C1s may become a marker for the diagnosis of SLE.     

FBXL10 regulates cardiac dysfunction in diabetic cardiomyopathy via the PKC β2 pathway

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a condition associated with significant structural changes including cardiac tissue necrosis, localized fibrosis, and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. This study sought to assess whether and how FBXL10 can attenuate DCM using a rat streptozotocin (STZ)‐induced DCM model system. In the current study, we found that FBXL10 expression was significantly decreased in diabetic rat hearts. FBXL10 protected cells from high glucose (HG)‐induced inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in vitro. In addition, FBXL10 significantly activated PKC β2 signaling pathway in H9c2 cells and rat model. The cardiomyocyte‐specific overexpression of FBXL10 at 12 weeks after the initial STZ administration attenuated oxidative stress and inflammation, thereby reducing cardiomyocyte death and preserving cardiac function in these animals. Moreover, FBXL10 protected against DCM via activation of the PKC β2 pathway. In conclusion, FBXL has the therapeutic potential for the treatment of DCM.