Macrophage migration inhibitory factor in the regulation of myoblast proliferation and differentiation

Obesity is documented to be a state of chronic mild inflammation associated with increased macrophage infiltration into adipose tissue and liver and skeletal muscle. As a pleiotropic inflammatory mediator, macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is associated with metabolic disease, so MIF may signal molecular links between adipocytes and myocytes. MIF expression was modified during myoblast differentiation, but the role of MIF during this process is unclear. C2C12 cells were transfected with MIF to investigate their role during differentiation. MIF expression attenuated C2C12 differentiation. It did not change proliferation, but downregulated cyclin D1 and CDK4, causing cell accumulation in the G1 phase. p21 protein was increased significantly and MyoD, MyoG, and p21 mRNA also increased significantly in the C2C12 cells treated with ISO-1, suggesting that inhibition of MIF promotes differentiation. MIF inhibits the myoblast differentiation by affecting the cell cycle progression, but does not affect proliferation.     

Expression,purification, and breast cancer cell inhibiting effect of recombinant human lactoferrin C-lobe

Lactoferrin (LTF), a multifunctional glycoprotein of the transferrin family mainly found in exotic secretions in mammals, is an important defense molecule against not only microbial invasion but also tumors. It folds into two globular domains (N- and C-lobes) each containing an iron-binding site. The cationic antimicrobial peptide in N-lobe is known to exert anti-tumor effect via a non-receptor-mediated pathway. However, whether LTF C-lobe also contributes to its anti-tumor activity remains to be investigated. In this study, a human LTF fragment (amino acid residues 343–682) covering the C-lobe was expressed with a histidine tag in E. coli and the purified polypeptide refolded through a series of buffer changing procedure. The resultant recombinant protein caused significant growth arrest of breast carcinoma cells MDA-MB-231 in a dose- and time-dependent manner, evidently via induction of apoptosis of the cell. Our data suggest a positive role for the C-lobe of human LTF in controlling tumors in vitro.     

Membrane-bound pyrophosphatase of human gut microbe Clostridium methylpentosum confers improved salt tolerance in Escherichia coli,Saccharomyces cerevisiae and tobacco

Membrane-bound pyrophosphatases (PPases) are involved in the adaption of organisms to stress conditions, which was substantiated by numerous plant transgenic studies with H⁺-PPase yet devoid of any correlated evidences for other two subfamilies, Na⁺-PPase and Na⁺,H⁺-PPase. Herein, we demonstrate the gene cloning and functional evaluation of the membrane-bound PPase (CmPP) of the human gut microbe Clostridium methylpentosum. The CmPP gene encodes a single polypeptide of 699 amino acids that was predicted as a multi-spanning membrane and K⁺-dependent Na⁺,H⁺-PPase. Heterologous expression of CmPP could significantly enhance the salt tolerance of both Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and this effect in yeast could be fortified by N-terminal addition of a vacuole-targeting signal peptide from the H⁺-PPase of Trypanosoma cruzi. Furthermore, introduction of CmPP could remarkably improve the salt tolerance of tobacco, implying its potential use in constructing salt-resistant transgenic crops. Consequently, the possible mechanisms of CmPP to underlie salt tolerance are discussed.     

抗生素对溶藻弧菌SXT/R391元件转移频率的影响北大核心CSCD

【目的】研究萘啶酸、诺氟沙星、卡那霉素3种抗生素对溶藻弧菌(Vibrio alginolyticus)SXT/R391元件ICEVal A056-1转移频率的影响。【方法】利用PCR检测溶藻弧菌A056中ICEVal A056-1的自我剪切、转移潜力。通过溶藻弧菌A056与大肠杆菌菌株VB111的接合实验,研究溶藻弧菌分别在含不同浓度萘啶酸、诺氟沙星、卡那霉素的LB培养基中培养15 min或30 min后,ICEVal A056-1转移频率的变化规律。【结果】溶藻弧菌A056细胞中有环状形式的ICEVal A056-1分子存在,具有水平转移潜力;溶藻弧菌A056在含40μg/m L萘啶酸的LB中培养30 min后,ICEVal A056-1转移频率是对照组的19.59倍;在含50μg/m L诺氟沙星的LB中培养15 min后,ICEVal A056-1转移频率是对照组的31.25倍;在含不同浓度卡那霉素的LB中培养30 min后,ICEVal A056-1转移频率与对照组没有显著差别。【结论】部分抗生素的使用可以明显促进溶藻弧菌ICEVal A056-1向大肠杆菌的转移,因此海洋环境中抗生素的滥用及随意排放很可能加剧ICEs(integrating conjugative elements)从溶藻弧菌到其他细菌的传播。     

中国东北样带的梯度分析及其预测

陆地样带研究已成为国际地圈-生物圈计划(IGBP)全球变化研究的重要手段与热点。中国东北样带(NECT)已被列为IGBP国际全球变化陆地样带之一。该样带在东经112°与130°30＇之间沿北纬43°30＇设置,长约1600km,是一条中纬度温带以降水为驱动因素的梯度,具有由温带针阔叶混交林向温带草原的3个亚地带——草甸草原、典型草原与荒漠草原过渡的空间系列。该样带上有4个生态实验站。在大量的固定样地、实验调查研究资料与数据的基础上给出了样带的初步梯度分析及在全球变化图景下的预测,包括其地理位置、设置意义、地形地貌、气候梯度、土壤类型、植被类型和土地利用格局,一个遥感数据驱动的模型和NPP模型在整个样带上运行过。今后NECT将在生物地球化学循环(水、C、N、P等与痕量气体CO_2、CH_4等)、生态系统结构、功能与动态、生物多样性、土地利用与土地覆盖、动态全球植被模型(DGVM)以及高分辨率遥感数据应用等方面得到加强,将成为我国全球变化与陆地生态系统(GCTE)与其它IGBP核心项目研究的前沿阵地。     

Regional Brain Structural Abnormality in Meal-Related Functional Dyspepsia Patients: A Voxel-Based Morphometry Study

Background and Aims

Brain dysfunction in functional dyspepsia (FD) has been identified by multiple neuroimaging studies. This study aims to investigate the regional gray matter density (GMD) changes in meal-related FD patients and their correlations with clinical variables, and to explore the possible influence of the emotional state on FD patients’s brain structures.

Methods

Fifty meal-related FD patients and forty healthy subjects (HS) were included and underwent a structural magnetic resonance imaging scan. Voxel-based morphometry analysis was employed to identify the cerebral structure alterations in meal-related FD patients. Regional GMD changes'' correlations with the symptoms and their durations, respectively, have been analyzed.

Results

Compared to the HS, the meal-related FD patients showed a decreased GMD in the bilateral precentral gyrus, medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and midcingulate cortex (MCC), left orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and right insula (p<0.05, FWE Corrected, Cluster size>50). After controlling for anxiety and depression, the meal-related FD patients showed a decreased GMD in the bilateral middle frontal gyrus, left MCC, right precentral gyrus and insula (p<0.05, FWE Corrected, Cluster size>50). Before controlling psychological factors, the GMD decreases in the ACC were negatively associated with the symptom scores of the Nepean Dyspepsia Index (NDI) (r = −0.354, p = 0.048, Bonferroni correction) and the duration of FD (r = −0.398, p = 0.02, Bonferroni correction) respectively.

Conclusions

The regional GMD of meal-related FD patients, especially in the regions of the homeostatic afferent processing network significantly differed from that of the HS, and the psychological factors might be one of the essential factors significantly affecting the regional brain structure of meal-related FD patients.     

Analysis of metabolic fluxes for hyaluronic acid (HA) production by Streptococcus zooepidemicus

Summary A detailed metabolic flux analysis (MFA) for hyaluronic acid (HA) production by Streptococcus zooepidemicus was carried out. A metabolic network was constructed for the metabolism of S. zooepidemicus. Fluxes through these reactions were estimated by MFA using accumulation rates of biomass and product, consumption rate of glucose in batch fermentation and dissolved oxygen-controlled fermentation. The changes of the fluxes were observed at different stages of batch fermentation and in different dissolved oxygen tension (DOT)-controlled fermentation processes. The effects of metabolic nodes on HA accumulation under various culture conditions were investigated. The results showed that high concentration of glucose in the medium did not affect metabolic flux distribution, but did influence the uptake rate of glucose. HA synthesis was influenced by DOT via flux redistribution in the principal node. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) produced in the fermentation process are associated with cell growth and HA synthesis.