Benzo(a)pyrene-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death in p53-null Hep3B cells

Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) has been shown to induce apoptosis and necrosis in various cell types. However, the effect of BaP on mitochondria function and p73, and their possible roles in BaP-induced cell death have not been well studied. This study focused on mitochondria-mediated cell death and the occurrence of p73 protein accumulation in BaP-treated human hepatoma Hep3B (p53-null) cells. We found that BaP (8, 16, 32 and 64μM) induced early necrosis at 12h and delayed apoptosis at 24h. BaP dramatically induced ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activity and led to significant increase in oxidative stress at early time points (6 and 12h). Necrotic cell death was concurrent with loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, decrease in the ATP level and activities of Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase and Ca(2+)/Mg(2+)-ATPase. However, these changes were reversed in the process of apoptosis. In addition, after BaP treatment, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and Bax were activated during apoptosis and no change in p73 protein level was observed. These results revealed that the cells with mitochondria dysfunction and ATP depletion underwent necrosis at early time point and apoptosis afterward when they recovered from mitochondrial dysfunction and ATP depletion. Activation of JNK and Bax possibly contributed to BaP-induced apoptosis.     

A Postspinel Anode Enabling Sodium‐Ion Ultralong Cycling and Superfast Transport via 1D Channels

Sodium‐ion batteries are intensively investigated for large‐scale energy storage due to the favorable sodium availability. However, the anode materials have encountered numerous problems, such as insufficient cycling performance, dissatisfactory capacity, and low safety. Here, a novel post‐spinel anode material, i.e., single‐crystalline NaVSnO₄, is presented with the confined 1D channels and the shortest diffusion path. This material delivers an ultra long cycling life (84% capacity retention after 10 000 cycles), a high discharging capacity (163 mA h g^?1), and a safe average potential of 0.84 V. Results indicate that the post‐spinel structure is well maintained over 10 000 cycles, surprisingly, with 0.9% volume change, the Sn⁴⁺/Sn²⁺ based redox enables two sodium ions for reversible release and uptake, and the diffusion coefficient of sodium ions is characterized by 1.26 × 10^?11 cm² s^?1. The findings of this study provide a new insight into design of new frameworks with polyelectronic transfers for full performance electrode materials of sodium‐ion batteries.     

Photosystem II photochemistry and photosynthetic pigment composition in salt-adapted halophyte Artimisia anethifolia grown under outdoor conditions

The effects of high salinity (0-400 mmol/L NaCl) on photosystem II (PSII) photochemistry and photosynthetic pigment composition were investigated in the halophyte Artimisia anethifolia grown under outdoor conditions and exposed to full sunlight. High salinity resulted in an inhibition in plant growth and a significant accumulation of sodium and chloride in leaves. However, high salinity induced no effects on the actual PSII efficiency, the efficiency of excitation energy capture by open PSII reaction centres, photochemical quenching, and non-photochemical quenching at midday. High salinity also induced neither changes in the maximum efficiency of PSII photochemistry, the efficiency with which a trapped exciton can move an electron into the electron transport chain further than QA and the quantum yield of electron transport beyond QA, nor changes in absorption, trapping and electron transport fluxes per PSII reaction centre. No significant changes were observed in the levels of neoxanthin, lutein, beta-carotene, violaxanthin, antheraxanthin, and zeaxanthin expressed on a total chlorophyll basis in salt-adapted plants. Our results suggest that Artimisia anethifolia showed high resistance not only to high salinity, but also to photoinhibition even if it was treated with high salinity as high as 400 mmol/L NaCl and exposed to full sunlight. The results indicate that tolerance of PSII to high salinity and photoinhibition can be viewed as an important strategy for Artimisia anethifolia, a halophyte plant, to grow in very high saline soil.     

An Excitatory Neural Assembly Encodes Short-Term Memory in the Prefrontal Cortex

1. Download high-res image (377KB)
2. Download full-size image

     

白蚁及其共生菌来源的4种木质纤维素酶的共表达

天然的木质纤维素材料含有纤维素、半纤维素和木质素等成分。降解天然木质纤维素底物时,需要木质纤维素酶共同作用。近年在木质纤维素酶的相互协同作用方面的研究引起人们的关注,成为一个新的研究热点,文中使用两个不同的共表达载体pETDuet-1和pRSFDuet-1,在大肠杆菌中共表达了白蚁及其肠道微生物来源的β-葡萄糖苷酶、内切β-1,4-葡聚糖酶、漆酶和木聚糖酶这4种木质纤维素酶,经过SDS-PAGE分析得到了与理论值一致的蛋白条带,同时经过酶活验证,这4种蛋白都具有酶活性。以磷酸处理的微晶纤维素(PASC)为底物,测定了共表达酶粗酶液与单独表达酶混合液的协同作用因子,从还原糖的产量上经计算共表达的粗酶液比单独表达酶的混合液对PASC的降解协同作用提高44%;以滤纸和磷酸处理的玉米芯为底物,测定降解协同作用,分别提高了34%和20%。结果表明,共表达酶的降解效率要高于混合的单组分酶液降解效率的总和。     

NPC1-regulated dynamic of clathrin-coated pits is essential for viral entry

Science China Life Sciences - Viruses utilize cellular lipids and manipulate host lipid metabolism to ensure their replication and spread. Therefore, the identification of lipids and metabolic...     

植物TIR-NB-LRR类型抗病基因各结构域的研究进展

植物抗病反应是一个多基因调控的复杂过程,在这个过程中R基因发挥了非常重要的作用。根据其氨基酸基序组成以及跨膜结构域的不同,R基因可以分为多种类型,其中NBS-LRR类型是植物基因组中最大的基因家族之一。TIR-NB-LRR类型的抗病基因又是NB-LRR类型中的一大类,也是目前抗病基因研究的热点。该文总结了TIR-NB-LRR类型抗病基因各个结构域的功能和相关的研究进展。相关研究表明,TIR结构域主要通过自身或异源的二聚体化介导抗性信号的转导,但也有部分研究表明,该结构域可能参与病原菌的特异性识别。NBS结构域常被认为具有"分子开关"的功能,它可以通过结合ADP或ATP来调节植物抗病蛋白的构象变化,从而调节下游抗病信号的传导。LRR结构域在植物与病原菌互作的过程中可以通过与病原菌的无毒蛋白直接或间接互作来特异识别病原菌。也有研究发现,LRR结构域具有调节信号传导的功能。这些信息将为研究植物抗病机理提供理论依据,也为将来通过基因编辑技术对作物进行定向抗病育种提供思路。     

飞行员中血管紧张素转换酶基因插入或缺失多态性研究

为了解飞行员血管紧张素转换酶(ACE)基因插入或缺失（I/D）多态性情况,探讨ACE基因多态性与飞行员耐力可能的关系,用聚合酶链反应（PCR）扩增技术检测118例飞行员和96例健康对照者的ACE基因I/D多态性。 结果位于ACE基因内含子16的I/D多态性经PCR扩增后呈三种基因型：纯合子插入型（II）、纯合子缺失型（DD）和杂合子插入或缺失型（I/D）。飞行员组II基因型（44.07%）和I等位基因频率（0.65）显著高于健康对照组(分别为31.25%和0.52)。 结果表明ACE I基因有可能在飞行员的飞行耐力中起重要作用。 Abstract:In order to understand insertion/delation (I/D) polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene in pilots,and to explore the relationship between ACE gene I/D polymorphism and the perfomance of the pilots,the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to determine the genotypes for an I/D polymorphism in intron 16 of the ACE gene in 118 pilots and 96 healthy subjects as controls.The result showed that the I/D polymorphism in intron 16 of the ACE gene was categorized into three genotypes: two deletion alleles (genotype DD),heterozygous alleles (genotype ID),and two insertion alleles (genotype II).The genotype II and I allele frequency were significantly higher in pilots (44.07% and 0.65) than that in healthy subjects (31.25% and 0.52).It is suggested that I gene of ACE may play a role in perfomance of the pilots.     

新抗菌靶点分选酶基因（srtA）在两种原核载体中的克隆表达

【目的】革兰氏阳性菌的表面蛋白在病原菌致病性方面具有重要作用,表面蛋白锚定到细胞壁过程的关键酶—分选酶成为抗感染的新靶点。【方法】本文利用GenBank中的分选酶A基因（srtA）序列设计特异性引物,以金黄色葡萄球菌基因组DNA为模板进行PCR扩增,获得618 bp的DNA片段。按照常规分子克隆操作成功构建两种原核表达载体pet22-srtA和pTRX-srtA,转入大肠杆菌感受态BL21（DE3）中,在1 mmol/LIPTG诱导下进行表达。利用SDS-PAGE和western blot进行鉴定和分析,【结果】结果显示：(1)重组载体pet22-srtA和pTRX-srtA分别表达出相对分子量为约45 kDa和39 kDa的外源蛋白;【结论】（2）分子伴侣硫氧还蛋白（Trx）有利于分选酶A基因的可溶性表达。该实验为后续的分选酶酶学性质研究特别是抑制剂筛选研究奠定良好基础。     

不同倍性香石竹杂交花粉管生长荧光显微观察及结实研究

以香石竹四倍体材料‘紫蝴蝶’(2n=4x=60)为母本,二倍体材料‘珍珠粉’和‘NH6’(2n=2x=30)为父本,利用荧光显微镜观察其授粉后花粉管生长情况,统计其座果率、亲和指数及种子萌发率,并对杂交后代进行倍性鉴定。结果表明,在‘紫蝴蝶’柱头上,‘珍珠粉’和‘NH6’的花粉2h开始萌发,花粉管多处出现胼胝质塞,且花柱组织出现胼胝质反应,4h花粉管到达柱头中部并出现胼胝质塞,6h花粉管到达柱头基部,17h柱头基部的花粉管增多,花粉管进入子房组织且子房组织出现胼胝质反应,17～24h花粉管能与胚珠结合,但结合率低;‘紫蝴蝶’ב珍珠粉’杂交未获得植株,‘紫蝴蝶’בNH6’杂交获得3株植株,染色体倍性鉴定表明3株植株均为四倍体,这可能是‘NH6’产生2n配子的缘故。