Allele-specific targeting of hsa-miR-657 to human IGF2R creates a potential mechanism underlying the association of ACAA-insertion/deletion polymorphism with type 2 diabetes

The biological mechanism of a recent discovered association of type 2 diabetes with the ACAA-insertion/deletion polymorphism at the 3′UTR of the IGF2R gene has remained unclear. A very recently emerging novel polymorphic control layer by microRNAs (miRNAs) makes it possible to elucidate this issue. In this study, a prediction by web tools MicroInspector and miRanda demonstrated that DNA sequence polymorphism (DSPs) ACAA-insertion/deletion in IGF2R 3′UTR is located within the hsa-miR-657 and hsa-miR-453 binding sites. And luciferase reporter assay revealed that hsa-miR-657 acts directly at the 3′UTR of the IGF2R. Furthermore, ACAA-deletion exerted a further repression compared with ACAA-insertion, indicating that hsa-miR-657 regulates IGF2R gene expression in a polymorphic control manner. Importantly, we also demonstrated that hsa-miR-657 can translationally regulate the IGF2R expression levels in Hep G2 cells. Thus, our findings testify the possibility that the ACAA-insertion/deletion polymorphism may result in the change of IGF2R expression levels at least in part by hsa-miR-657-mediated regulation, contributing to the elucidation for the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes and raise the possibility that miRNAs or in combination with functional DNA sequence polymorphism may be valuable in the treatment of human type 2 diabetes.     

Effects of aspirin on the development of Helicobacter pylori-induced gastric inflammation and heterotopic proliferative glands in Mongolian gerbils

Background: Helicobacter pylori infection is a major cause of gastritis and gastric carcinoma. Aspirin has anti‐inflammatory and antineoplastic activity. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of aspirin on H. pylori‐induced gastritis and the development of heterotopic proliferative glands. Methods: H. pylori strain SS1 was inoculated into the stomachs of Mongolian gerbils. Two weeks after inoculation, the animals were fed with the powder diets containing 0 p.p.m. (n = 10), 150 p.p.m. (n = 10), or 500 p.p.m. (n = 10) aspirin. Mongolian gerbils were killed after 36 weeks of infection. Uninfected Mongolian gerbils (n = 10) were used as controls. Histologic changes, epithelial cell proliferation and apoptosis, and prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) levels of gastric tissue were determined. Results: H. pylori infection induced gastric inflammation. Administration of aspirin did not change H. pylori‐induced gastritis, but alleviated H. pylori‐induced hyperplasia and the development of heterotopic proliferative glands. Administration of aspirin accelerated H. pylori‐associated apoptosis but decreased H. pylori‐associated cell proliferation. In addition, the increased gastric PGE₂ levels due to H. pylori infection were suppressed by treatment with aspirin, especially at the dose of 500 p.p.m. Conclusions: Aspirin alleviates H. pylori‐induced hyperplasia and the development of heterotopic proliferative glands. Moreover, aspirin increases H. pylori‐induced apoptosis. We demonstrated the antineoplastic activities of aspirin in H. pylori‐related gastric carcinogenesis.     

Proteomic analysis of silk gland programmed cell death during metamorphosis of the silkworm Bombyx mori

The silk gland of the silkworm Bombyx mori undergoes programmed cell death (PCD) during pupal metamorphosis. On the basis of their morphological changes and the occurrence of a DNA ladder, the tissue cells were categorized into three groups: intact, committed, and dying. To identify the proteins involved in this process, we conducted a comparative proteomic analysis. Protein expression changes among the three different cell types were examined by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Among approximately 1000 reproducibly detected protein spots on each gel, 43 were down-regulated and 34 were up-regulated in PCD process. Mass spectrometry identified 17 differentially expressed proteins, including some well-studied proteins as well as some novel PCD related proteins, such as caspases, proteasome subunit, elongation factor, heat shock protein, and hypothetical proteins. Our results suggest that these proteins may participate in the silk gland PCD process of B. mori and, thus, provide new insights for this mechanism.     

Large Scale Fabrication of Gold Nano-Structured Substrates Via High Temperature Annealing and Their Direct Use for the LSPR Detection of Atrazine

The present work is reporting on the fabrication of localized surface plasmonic resonant (LSPR) gold nano-structures on glass substrate by using different high annealing temperatures (500 °C, 550 °C, 600 °C) of initially created semi-continue gold films (2 nm and 5 nm) by the electron beam evaporation technique. Interestingly, well-defined gold nano-structures were also obtained from continuous 8 nm evaporated gold film - known as the value above gold percolated thickness - once exposed to high temperatures. The surface morphology and plasmonic spectroscopy of “annealed” nano-structures were controlled by key experimental parameters such as evaporated film thickness and annealing temperature. By using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) characterization of annealed surface it was noticed that the size and inter-particle distance between nano-structures were highly dependent on the evaporated thin film thickness, while the nanoparticle shape evolution was mainly affected by the employed annealing temperature. Due to the well-controlled morphology of gold nano-particles, prominent and stable LSPR spectra were observed with good plasmon resonance tunability from 546 nm to 780 nm that recommend the developed protocol as a robust alternative to fabricate large scale LSPR surface. An example of a LSPR-immunosensor is reported. Thus, the monoclonal anti-atrazine antibodies immobilizion on the “annealed” gold nano-structures, as well as the specific antigen (atrazine) recognition were monitored as variations of the resonance wavelength shifts and optical density changes in the extinction measurements.     

Characterization and constitutive expression of a novel endo-1,4-β-d-xylanohydrolase from Aspergillus niger in Pichia pastoris

A putative endo-1,4-β-d-xylanohydrolase gene xyl10 from Aspergillus niger, encoding a 308-residue mature xylanase belonging to glycosyl hydrolase family 10, was constitutively expressed in Pichia pastoris. The recombinant Xyl10 exhibited optimal activity at pH 5.0 and 60 °C with more than 50 % of the maximum activity from 40 to 70 °C. It retained more than 90 % of the original activity after incubation at 60 °C (pH 5.0) for 30 min and more than 74 % after incubation at pH 3.0–13.0 for 2 h (25 °C). The specific activity, K _m and V _max values for purified Xyl10 were, respectively, 3.2 × 10³ U mg^?1, 3.6 mg ml^?1 and 5.4 × 10³ μmol min^?1 mg^?1 towards beechwood xylan. The enzyme degraded xylan to a series of xylooligosaccharides and xylose. The recombinant enzyme with these properties has the potential for various industrial applications.     

Comparison between linear and nonlinear in-season training programs in freshman football players

The purpose of this study was to compare linear (LT) with nonlinear (NL) in-season training programs in freshman football players during the course of 2 separate seasons. During the first year (n = 14, mean +/- SD = 177.3 +/- 4.8 cm, 88.0 +/- 9.7 kg), the LT program was employed 2 days per week. In the second year (n = 14, 175.0 +/- 7.1 cm, 94.2 +/- 20.5 kg), a 2 days per week LT was used. Subjects were tested for maximal strength in the squat (1 repetition maximum [1RM]) and bench press (1RM) exercises. A significant improvement in 1RM squat was seen in LT, but not in NL. No significant improvement in 1RM bench press was seen in either group. A significant difference between LT and NL was observed in Delta1RM squat (13.8 +/- 7.4 kg compared with 1.6 +/- 2.6 kg, respectively). Results of this study suggest that LT may be more effective in eliciting strength gains than NL in freshman football players during an in-season training program.     

Nitric Oxide Participates in the Brain Ischemic Tolerance Induced by Intermittent Hypobaric Hypoxia in the Hippocampal CA1 Subfield in Rats

Previous studies have shown that intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (IH) preconditioning protected neurons survival from brain ischemia. However, the mechanism remains to be elucidated. The present study explored the role of nitric oxide (NO) in the process by measuring the expression of NO synthase (NOS) and NO levels. Male Wistar rats (100) were randomly assigned into four groups: sham group, IH?+?sham group, ischemia group and IH?+?ischemia group. Rats for IH preconditioning were exposed to hypobaric hypoxia mimicking 5000 m high-altitude (P_B?=?404 mmHg, PO₂?=?84 mmHg) 6 h/day, once daily for 28 days. Global brain ischemia was established by four-vessel occlusion that has been created by Pulsinelli. Rats were sacrificed at 7th day after the ischemia for neuropathological evaluation by thionin stain. In addition, the expression of neuronal NOS (nNOS), inducible NOS (iNOS), and NO content in the hippocampal CA1 subfield were measured at 2nd day and 7th day after the ischemia. Results revealed that global brain ischemia engendered delayed neuronal death (DND), both nNOS and iNOS expression up-regulated, and NO content increased in the hippocampal CA1 subfield. IH preconditioning reduced neuronal injury induced by the ischemia, and prevented the up-regulation of NOS expression and NO production. In addition, l-NAME?+?ischemia group was designed to detect whether depressing NO production could alleviate the DND. Pre-administration of l-NAME alleviated DND induced by the ischemia. These results suggest that IH preconditioning plays a protective role by inhibiting the over expression of NOS and NO content after brain ischemia.     

利用红外相机调查浙江省凤阳山兽类和鸟类多样性

2008年11月至2009年11月,2010年8月至2016年8月期间,采用红外相机调查浙江凤阳山–百山祖国家级自然保护区内凤阳山片区的兽类和鸟类多样性。调查期内共布设98个不同相机位点（45个公里网格）,累计28 256相机日,共拍摄到8 208张有效独立照片,鉴定为18种野生兽类和38种野生鸟类物种,分别隶属5目12科和7目16科;家畜及家禽共5种。红外相机拍摄率最高的前5种野生动物依次为小麂（Muntiacus reevesi）（拍摄率CR=11.15）、白鹇（Lophura nycthemera）（CR=2.63）、黑麂（M. crinifrons）（CR=1.03）、野猪（Sus scrofa）（CR=0.96）、猕猴（Macaca mulatta）（CR=0.59）;国家I级重点保护野生动物2种,国家II级重点保护野生动物有6种;被中国脊椎动物红色名录评估为濒危（EN）、易危（VN）、近危（TN）的物种分别有2、4、9种。调查中记录到倭花鼠（Tamiops maritimus）、凤头鹰（Accipiter trivirgatus）和丘鹬（Scolopax rusticola）等15个物种为凤阳山保护区新记录种,其中斑尾鹃鸠（Macropygia unchall）为浙江省鸟类新记录物种。此外红外相机还拍摄到大量的人类活动照片,表明当地人类活动较为严重,应加强管理。调查结果提供了较为全面的凤阳山保护区兽类和鸟类的本底信息,为后续的保护管理和长期监测提供了数据支持和指导。     

37份新疆粳稻品种(系)的IRAP遗传多样性分析

该研究基于4个稻属(Oryza)反转录转座子,包括活性、低拷贝[Tos17/Osr21(Ty1-copia)和RIRE7/Osr31(Ty3-gypsy)]和非活性、高拷贝[Osr34(Ty3-gypsy)和Houba/Tos5/Osr13(Ty1-copia)],在两侧翼长末端重复序列(LTR)区域分别设计引物,对37份新疆粳稻(Oryza sativa L.ssp.japonica)栽培品种(系)进行PCR扩增。评估鉴定适用于反转录转座子插入位点间扩增多态性(IRAP)标记方法,并分析37份供试品种(系)的遗传多样性。(1)PCR扩增结果显示,Tos17/Osr21、RIRE7/Osr31、Osr34和Houba/Tos5/Osr13依次获得73、63、107和560条谱带,其中多态性条带36、63、70和523个,多态性比率为49.3%、100.0%、65.4%和93.4%。(2)综合评估比较多态性、异质性、总谱带数和平均多态性谱带数发现,Houba/Tos5/Osr13适用于IRAP标记方法构建DNA指纹图谱数据库。(3)以Houba/Tos5/Osr13遗传相似系数为基础,对供试品种(系)采用非加权平均(UPGMA)法进行聚类分析显示,以0.55为阈值将37份新疆粳稻栽培品种(系)分为6大类群,绝大多数品种(系)得到了明确的区分,品种间的遗传相似性较高,多样化程度偏低;品系‘20-18’和‘96-16’分别各自聚为一类,表明品系与品种间遗传背景较远,多样化程度较高。综上所述,IRAP分子标记适用于新疆粳稻种质资源的亲缘关系分析、鉴别及育种遗传距离的判定和DNA指纹图谱数据库构建等相关研究,在实际育种中选取不同类群的水稻品种与品系进行杂交选育,成功率较高,可能会大大缩短优良品种的选育进程。