Bioinformatic analysis of BBTV satellite DNA in Hainan

Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV),family Nanaviridae,genus Babuvirus,is a single stranded DNA virus (ssDNA) that causes banana bunchy top disease (BBTD) in banana plants.It is the most common and most destructive of all viruses in these plants and is widespread throughout the Asia-Pacific region.In this study we isolated,cloned and sequenced a BBTV sample from Hainan Island,China.The results from sequencing and bioinformatics analysis indicate this isolate represents a satellite DNA component with 12 DNA sequences motifs.We also predicted the physical and chemical properties,structure,signal peptide,phosphorylation,secondary structure,tertiary structure and functional domains of its encoding protein,and compare them with the corresponding quantities in the replication initiation protein of BBTV DNA1.     

High‐fat diet‐induced dysbiosis mediates MCP‐1/CCR2 axis‐dependent M2 macrophage polarization and promotes intestinal adenoma‐adenocarcinoma sequence

High‐fat diet (HFD) is a well‐known risk factor for gut microbiota dysbiosis and colorectal cancer (CRC). However, evidence relating HFD, gut microbiota and carcinogenesis is limited. Our study aimed to demonstrate that HFD‐induced gut dysbiosis promoted intestinal adenoma‐adenocarcinoma sequence. In clinical study, we found that HFD increased the incidence of advanced colorectal neoplasia (AN). The expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP‐1), CC chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2) and CD163 in CRC patients with HFD was significantly higher than that in CRC patients with normal diet. When it comes to the Apc^min/+ mice, HFD consumption could induce gut dysbiosis and promote intestinal carcinogenesis, accompanying with activation of MCP‐1/CCR2 axis that recruited and polarized M2 tumour‐associated macrophages. Interestingly, transfer of faecal microbiota from HFD‐fed mice to another batch of Apc^min/+ mice in the absence of HFD could also enhance carcinogenesis without significant body weight gain and induced MCP‐1/CCR2 axis activation. HFD‐induced dysbiosis could also be transmitted. Meanwhile, antibiotics cocktail treatment was sufficient to inhibit HFD‐induced carcinogenesis, indicating the vital role of dysbiosis in cancer development. Conclusively, these data indicated that HFD‐induced dysbiosis accelerated intestinal adenoma‐adenocarcinoma sequence through activation of MCP‐1/CCR2 axis, which would provide new insight into better understanding of the mechanisms and prevention for HFD‐related CRC.     

Zebrafish peptidoglycan recognition protein SC (zfPGRP-SC) mediates multiple intracellular signaling pathways

Insect PGRPs can function as bacterial recognition molecules triggering proteolytic and/or signal transduction pathways, with the resultant production of antimicrobial peptides. To explore if zebrafish peptidoglycan recognition protein SC (zfPGRP-SC) has such effects, RNA interference (siRNA) and high-density oligonucleotide microarray analysis were used to identify differentially expressed genes regulated by zfPGRP-SC. The mRNA levels for a set of genes involved in Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, such as TLRs, SARM, MyD88, TRAF6 and nuclear factor (NF)-kappa B2 (p100/p52), were examined by quantitative RT-PCR (QT-PCR). The results from the arrays and QT-PCR showed that the expression of 133 genes was involved in signal transduction pathways, which included Toll-like receptor signaling, Wnt signaling, BMP signaling, insulin receptor signaling, TGF-beta signaling, GPCR signaling, small GTPase signaling, second-messenger-mediated signaling, MAPK signaling, JAK/STAT signaling, apoptosis and anti-apoptosis signaling and other signaling cascades. These signaling pathways may connect with each other to form a complex network to regulate not just immune responses but also other processes such as development and apoptosis. When transiently over-expressed in HEK293T cells, zfPGRP-SC inhibited NF-κB activity with and without lipopolysacharide (LPS) stimulation.     

两种类型聚半乳糖醛酸酶的提纯及性质

黑曲霉(AspergilluS niger)AS 3.3883所产果胶酶经DEAE Sephadex A50及Sephadex G100柱层析分离出电泳纯的两种聚半乳糖醛酸酶(PG1,PG2),并对它们的性质及结构进行了比较研究。结果证明两种酶作用的最适条件、动力学性质、分子量、氨基酸组成及金属离子对酶活力影响等方面有很大差异,但二者的每个摩尔的活力及酶的构象很相似。     

Analysis of variable sites between two complete South China tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis) mitochondrial genomes

In order to investigate the mitochondrial genome of Panthera tigris amoyensis, two South China tigers (P25 and P27) were analyzed following 15 cymt-specific primer sets. The entire mtDNA sequence was found to be 16,957 bp and 17,001 bp long for P25 and P27 respectively, and this difference in length between P25 and P27 occurred in the number of tandem repeats in the RS-3 segment of the control region. The structural characteristics of complete P. t. amoyensis mitochondrial genomes were also highly similar to those of P. uncia. Additionally, the rate of point mutation was only 0.3% and a total of 59 variable sites between P25 and P27 were found. Out of the 59 variable sites, 6 were located in 6 different tRNA genes, 6 in the 2 rRNA genes, 7 in non-coding regions (one located between tRNA-Asn and tRNA-Tyr and six in the D-loop), and 40 in 10 protein-coding genes. COI held the largest amount of variable sites (9 sites) and Cytb contained the highest variable rate (0.7%) in the complete sequences. Moreover, out of the 40 variable sites located in 10 protein-coding genes, 12 sites were nonsynonymous.     

Effects of macrophage-specific adiponectin expression on lipid metabolism in vivo

Epidemiological studies have associated low circulating levels of the adipokine adiponectin with multiple metabolic disorders, including metabolic syndrome, obesity, insulin resistance, type II diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Recently, we reported that adiponectin selectively overexpressed in mouse macrophages can improve insulin sensitivity and protect against inflammation and atherosclerosis. To further investigate the role of adiponectin and macrophages on lipid and lipometabolism in vivo, we engineered the expression of adiponectin in mouse macrophages (Ad-TG mice) and examined effects on plasma lipoproteins and on the expression levels of genes involved in lipoprotein metabolism in tissues. Compared with the wild-type (WT) mice, Ad-TG mice exhibited significantly lower levels of plasma total cholesterol (-21%, P < 0.05) due to significantly decreased LDL (-34%, P < 0.05) and VLDL (-32%, P < 0.05) cholesterol concentrations together with a significant increase in HDL cholesterol (+41%, P < 0.05). Further studies investigating potential mechanisms responsible for the change in lipoprotein cholesterol profile revealed that adiponectin-producing macrophages altered expression of key genes in liver tissue, including apoA1, apoB, apoE, the LDL receptor, (P < 0.05), and ATP-binding cassette G1 (P < 0.01). In addition, Ad-TG mice also exhibited higher total and high-molecular-weight adipnection levels in plasma and increased expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 as well as a decrease in the proinflammatory cytokine IL-6 in adipose tissue. These results indicate that macrophages engineered to produce adiponectin can influence in vivo gene expression in adipose tissue in a manner that reduces inflammation and macrophage infiltration and in liver tissue in a manner that alters the circulating lipoprotein profile, resulting in a decrease in VLDL and LDL and an increase in HDL cholesterol. The data support further study addressing the use of genetically manipulated macrophages as a novel therapeutic approach for treatment of cardiometabolic disease.     

地上部植食者褐飞虱对不同水稻品种土壤线虫群落的影响

地上和地下部生物群落的交互作用对于调控陆地生态过程具有重要作用。在盆栽条件下利用2×2析因设计研究了褐飞虱(Nilaparvata lugens)取食不同水稻品种后对土壤线虫群落的影响。结果表明, 褐飞虱侵害水稻9 d后, 感虫品种(广四和汕优63)的土壤线虫总数、属数及自生线虫(食细菌线虫、食真菌线虫和捕食性线虫)数量增加, 并且一般达到显著水平(P<0.05); 而上述指标在抗虫品种(汕优559和IR36)土壤中则呈现相反的趋势。植食性线虫数量在强感虫品种广四上显著增加(P<0.05), 而在强抗虫品种IR36上显著减少(P<0.05)。褐飞虱和水稻品种对土壤线虫的生态指数(线虫通道指数、Shannon-Wiener指数、成熟度指数、富集指数和结构指数)没有明显影响, 可能与供试土壤线虫群落组成单一及褐飞虱作用时间较短有关。总之, 褐飞虱强烈影响土壤线虫数量、群落组成和营养结构, 并且作用的方向(促进或抑制)和程度依赖于水稻的品种特性, 揭示出地上部植食者的短期侵害将对稻田土壤生态系统的结构和功能产生深远影响。     

Development of software for human muscle force estimation

Muscle force estimation (MFE) has become more and more important in exploring principles of pathological movement, studying functions of artificial muscles, making surgery plan for artificial joint replacement, improving the biomechanical effects of treatments and so on. At present, existing software are complex for professionals, so we have developed a new software named as concise MFE (CMFE). CMFE which provides us a platform to analyse muscle force in various actions includes two MFE methods (static optimisation method and electromyographic-based method). Common features between these two methods have been found and used to improve CMFE. A case studying the major muscles of lower limb of a healthy subject walking at normal speed has been presented. The results are well explained from the effect of the motion produced by muscles during movement. The development of this software can improve the accuracy of the motion simulations and can provide a more extensive and deeper insight in to muscle study.     

辽西半干旱地区深松中耕对作物产量的影响及其作用机理研究

对辽宁西部半干旱地区深松中耕对作物产量影响及作用机理的研究表明,深松打破了犁底层,减小了土壤容重及穿透阻力,增加了表层及亚表层土壤的孔隙度．深松土壤水分人渗可达８０ｃｍ,大豆根系深度增加３．６～４．０ｃｍ,大豆产量和水分利用效率分别增加２７．７～３４．５％和１６．１％,在干旱年份玉米增产７．９％．