Antidiabetic potential of oleanolic acid from Ligustrum lucidum Ait

Ligustrum lucidum Ait. has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over 1000 years because of its anti-tumor, antimutagenic, antidiabetic, and hepatoprotective properties. The aim of this study was to determine whether oleanolic acid (OA) is the principal active compound of L. lucidum responsible for its antidiabetic properties, and to examine its effect on the expression of thyroid hormones and insulin secretion, thus revealing the mechanism by which L. lucidum modulates insulin levels in diabetes. When rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes were treated with OA (100 and 200 mg/kg body mass per day, for 40 days), the changes in blood glucose levels and in oral glucose tolerance tests showed that hypoglycemia was more pronounced in OA-treated groups than in the diabetic control rats, and that the levels of triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoportein cholesterol in OA-treated rats were lower than those in the diabetic control rats, whose high-density lipoprotein cholesterol increased. OA-treated rats also gained weight, and exhibited increased serum insulin levels. In contrast, OA treatment did not effect the levels of thyroid hormone or TSH in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes. These results indicate that OA has hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects. OA treatment might stimulate insulin release, and consequently, results in the modulation of glucose levels and regulation of lipid metabolism.     

Effects of tensile stress on the α1 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor expression in maxillofacial skeletal myocytes

The present study was to test the hypothesis that 11,12-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (11,12-EET), a metabolic product of arachidonic acid by cytochrome P450 epoxygenase, regulates nitric oxide (NO) generation of the l-arginine/NO synthase (NOS) pathway in human platelets. Human platelets were incubated in the presence or absence of different concentrations of 11,12-EET for 2 h at 37°C, followed by measurements of activities of the l-arginine/NOS pathway. Incubation with 11,12-EET increased the platelet NOS activity, nitrite production, cGMP content, and the platelet uptake of l-[³H]arginine in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, 11,12-EET attenuated intracellular free Ca²⁺ accumulation stimulated by collagen, which was at least partly mediated by EET-activated l-arginine/NOS pathway. It is suggested that 11,12-EET regulates platelet function through up-regulating the activity of the l-arginine/NOS/NO pathway.     

Dissimilarity in the folding of human cytosolic creatine kinase isoenzymes

Creatine kinase (CK, EC 2.7.3.2) plays a key role in the energy homeostasis of excitable cells. The cytosolic human CK isoenzymes exist as homodimers (HMCK and HBCK) or a heterodimer (MBCK) formed by the muscle CK subunit (M) and/or brain CK subunit (B) with highly conserved three-dimensional structures composed of a small N-terminal domain (NTD) and a large C-terminal domain (CTD). The isoforms of CK provide a novel system to investigate the sequence/structural determinants of multimeric/multidomain protein folding. In this research, the role of NTD and CTD as well as the domain interactions in CK folding was investigated by comparing the equilibrium and kinetic folding parameters of HMCK, HBCK, MBCK and two domain-swapped chimeric forms (BnMc and MnBc). Spectroscopic results indicated that the five proteins had distinct structural features depending on the domain organizations. MBCK BnMc had the smallest CD signals and the lowest stability against guanidine chloride-induced denaturation. During the biphasic kinetic refolding, three proteins (HMCK, BnMc and MnBc), which contained either the NTD or CTD of the M subunit and similar microenvironments of the Trp fluorophores, refolded about 10-fold faster than HBCK for both the fast and slow phase. The fast folding of these three proteins led to an accumulation of the aggregation-prone intermediate and slowed down the reactivation rate thereby during the kinetic refolding. Our results suggested that the intra- and inter-subunit domain interactions modified the behavior of kinetic refolding. The alternation of domain interactions based on isoenzymes also provides a valuable strategy to improve the properties of multidomain enzymes in biotechnology.     

Oxytocin is expressed by both intrinsic sensory and secretomotor neurons in the enteric nervous system of guinea pig

Single- and double-immunostaining techniques were used systematically to study the distribution pattern and neurochemical density of oxytocin-immunoreactive (-ir) neurons in the digestive tract of the guinea pig. Oxytocin immunoreactivity was distributed widely in the guinea pig gastrointestinal tract; 3%, 13%, 17%, 15%, and 10% of ganglion neurons were immunoreactive for oxytocin in the myenteric plexuses of the gastric corpus, jejunum, ileum, proximal colon, and distal colon, respectively, and 36%, 40%, 52%, and 56% of ganglion neurons were immunoreactive for oxytocin in the submucosal plexuses of the jejunum, ileum, proximal colon, and distal colon, respectively. In the myenteric plexus, oxytocin was expressed exclusively in the intrinsic enteric afferent neurons, as identified by calbindin 28 K. In the submucosal plexuses, oxytocin was expressed in non-cholinergic secretomotor neurons, as identified by vasoactive intestinal polypeptide. Oxytocin-ir nerve fibers in the inner circular muscle layer possibly arose from the myenteric oxytocin-ir neurons, and oxytocin-ir nerve fibers in the mucosa possibly arose from both the myenteric and submucosal oxytocin-ir neurons. Thus, oxytocin in the digestive tract might be involved in gastrointestinal tract motility mainly via the regulation of the inner circular muscle and the balance of the absorption and secretion of water and electrolytes.     

浙北平原水杉人工林生物量的研究

 本文对浙江省北部平原水杉人工林的生物量和生产力进行了测定和研究。按平均标准木法分别调查了干、枝、叶、根的生物量。据调查材料,用相对生长规律建立了估测单株林木各器官干重的回归方程,方程的相关系数和估测精度符合要求,具实用价值。研究结果表明：水杉人工林生物量随年龄的增长而增加,林带18年生后增加速度变缓,片林生物量普遍大于林带生物量,生物量组成比例因年龄而异。随着年龄的增加,年平均净生产量、叶面积指数、光能利用率均逐步加大,至18年生时,上述指标分别为17.51t／ha·a、9.1和0.77%。叶净光合生产率以速生阶段为最大,衰退阶段为最低,当叶净光合生产率急剧下降时,可实施主伐更新。     

Insulin receptor substrate 1-induced inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ uptake in beta-cells. Autocrine regulation of intracellular ca2+ homeostasis and insulin secretion.

To understand the role of the insulin receptor pathway in beta-cell function, we have generated stable beta-cells (betaIRS1-A) that overexpress by 2-fold the insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) and compared them to vector-expressing controls. IRS-1 overexpression dramatically increased basal cytosolic Ca2+ levels from 81 to 278 nM, but it did not affect Ca2+ response to glucose. Overexpression of the insulin receptor also caused an increase in cytosolic Ca2+. Increased cytosolic Ca2+ was due to inhibition of Ca2+ uptake by the endoplasmic reticulum, because endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ uptake and content were reduced in betaIRS1-A cells. Fractional insulin secretion was significantly increased 2-fold, and there was a decrease in betaIRS1-A insulin content and insulin biosynthesis. Steady-state insulin mRNA levels and glucose-stimulated ATP were unchanged. High IRS-1 levels also reduced beta-cell proliferation. These data demonstrate a direct link between the insulin receptor signaling pathway and the Ca2+-dependent pathways regulating insulin secretion of beta-cells. We postulate that during regulated insulin secretion, released insulin binds the beta-cell insulin receptor and activates IRS-1, thus further increasing cytosolic Ca2+ by reducing Ca2+ uptake. We suggest the existence of a novel pathway of autocrine regulation of intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis and insulin secretion in the beta-cell of the endocrine pancreas.     

Variants of endothelin-1 and its receptors in atopic asthma.

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a 21 amino acid peptide released from several types of bronchial cells. It operates through two types of receptors, type A(ET-RA) and type B(ET-RB) and has various activities in the pathophysiology of atopic asthma. These genes are localised on different chromosomes where genome-wide searches have identified linkage for atopic asthma, thus supporting the candidacy of ET-1 and its receptors for atopic asthma. A genetic association study was performed with variants of these three genes in both British (n = 300) and Japanese populations (n = 200). No significant association was found between variants of EDN1 and EDNRB genes, and atopic asthma in either population. However, variants of EDNRA gene showed a marginal association with atopy [odds = 0.39(95% CI: 0.17-0.89), p = 0.022, Pc = 0.066], especially with antigen specific IgE levels [odds = 0.31 (95% CI: 0.20-0.77), p = 0.006, Pc = 0.018] in the British population. These findings suggest that EDNRA is a major candidate locus for atopy on chromosome 4.     

Production of a thermostable metal-tolerant laccase from Trametes versicolor and its application in dye decolorization

Production of laccase using a submerged culture of Trametes versicolor sdu-4 was optimized using a central composite design of the Response Surface Methodology. Optimized conditions gave a laccase yield of 4,213 U/L which was approximately three times of that in basal medium. The laccase was purified to homogeneity using a three-step process. The overall yield of the purification was 58%, with a purification fold of 11.4 and a specific activity of 1320.7 U/mg protein. The molecular mass of the laccase was 60 kDa. The optimum pH values of the enzyme were 2.2, 3.7, and 7 for the oxidations of ABTS, DMP, and syringaldazine, respectively. The enzyme had adaptability to a broad pH range and high temperature and wsa stable at pH 3.0 ∼ 10.0. The half-life of this laccase at 70°C was 2.2 h. Methyl red, 2-bromophenol, and 4-bromophenol were oxidized by the purified laccase in the absence of mediators. Purified laccase was effective in the decolorization of several dyes and was not inhibited by Cu²⁺, Mn²⁺, Zn²⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, Ba²⁺, and Ca²⁺ at 5 mM. These excellent characteristics made it a highly attractive candidate for industrial use.     

PHB3 Maintains Root Stem Cell Niche Identity through ROS-Responsive AP2/ERF Transcription Factors in Arabidopsis

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Mapping and validation of a new QTL for adult-plant resistance to powdery mildew in Chinese elite bread wheat line Zhou8425B

Key message

Four QTLs for adult-plant resistance to powdery mildew were mapped in the Zhou8425B/Chinese Spring population, and a new QTL on chromosome 3B was validated in 103 wheat cultivars derived from Zhou8425B.

Abstract

Zhou8425B is an elite wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) line widely used as a parent in Chinese wheat breeding programs. Identification of genes for adult-plant resistance (APR) to powdery mildew in Zhou8425B is of high importance for continued controlling the disease. In the current study, the high-density Illumina iSelect 90K single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array was used to map quantitative trait loci (QTL) for APR to powdery mildew in 244 recombinant inbred lines derived from the cross Zhou8425B/Chinese Spring. Inclusive composite interval mapping identified QTL on chromosomes 1B, 3B, 4B, and 7D, designated as QPm.caas-1BL.1, QPm.caas-3BS, QPm.caas-4BL.2, and QPm.caas-7DS, respectively. Resistance alleles at the QPm.caas-1BL.1, QPm.caas-3BS, and QPm.caas-4BL.2 loci were contributed by Zhou8425B, whereas that at QPm.caas-7DS was from Chinese Spring. QPm.caas-3BS, likely to be a new APR gene for powdery mildew resistance, was detected in all four environments. One SNP marker closely linked to QPm.caas-3BS was transferred into a semi-thermal asymmetric reverse PCR (STARP) marker and tested on 103 commercial wheat cultivars derived from Zhou8425B. Cultivars with the resistance allele at the QPm.caas-3BS locus had averaged maximum disease severity reduced by 5.3%. This STARP marker can be used for marker-assisted selection in improvement of the level of powdery mildew resistance in wheat breeding.