新生BALB/c小鼠肠道潘氏细胞的分布规律

观察BALB/c小鼠小肠潘氏细胞的分布规律。应用石蜡切片、H&E染色技术和LeicaQwin显微图像处理系统,分别对2 d、4 d、6 d、8 d、10 d BALB/c小鼠小肠内潘氏细胞的形态发育、分布规律进行观察和分析。结果发现,4日龄前的BALB/c小鼠各段小肠中肠腺发育尚不完整,未见有潘氏细胞。6日龄后,潘氏细胞开始出现,数量随日龄增加呈递增趋势增长,各日龄间差异显著(P<0.05)。BALB/c小鼠肠道潘氏细胞存在于小肠,十二指肠和空肠较少,回肠较多,各组(不同日龄/肠段)之间差异显著(P<0.05)。     

Tenascin-R distinct domains modulate migration of neural stem/progenitor cells in vitro

Extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules constitute a "niche" that modulates the migration, proliferation, and differentiation of neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs). The glycoprotein Tenascin-R (TN-R) is an ECM molecule, comprising multiple domains. Either the whole TN-R molecule or its distinct domains has been demonstrated to play a very important role in the developing central nervous system. However, little is known about the effect of the TN-R domain on NSPCs, especially NSPC migration. In the present study, we first show that both TN-R domains epidermal growth factor-like repeat (EGFL) and fibronectin type III (FN)6-8 can inhibit the NSPCs migration from neurospheres in vitro. Furthermore, both the EGFL and FN6-8 domains affect the distribution of neurons generated from neurospheres, indicating that EGFL and FN6-8 domains inhibit the motility of neurons generated from neurospheres. These results suggest that TN-R has an inhibitory effect on NSPCs migration.     

Repression of SIRT1 Promotes the Differentiation of Mouse Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells into Neural Stem Cells

The use of transplanting functional neural stem cells (NSCs) derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has increased for the treatment of brain diseases. As such, it is important to understand the molecular mechanisms that promote NSCs differentiation of iPSCs for future NSC-based therapies. Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), a NAD⁺-dependent protein deacetylase, has attracted significant attention over the past decade due to its prominent role in processes including organ development, longevity, and cancer. However, it remains unclear whether SIRT1 plays a role in the differentiation of mouse iPSCs toward NSCs. In this study, we produced NSCs from mouse iPSCs using serum-free medium supplemented with retinoic acid. We then assessed changes in the expression of SIRT1 and microRNA-34a, which regulates SIRT1 expression. Moreover, we used a SIRT1 inhibitor to investigate the role of SIRT1 in NSCs differentiation of iPSCs. Data revealed that the expression of SIRT1 decreased, whereas miRNAs-34a increased, during this process. In addition, the inhibition of SIRT1 enhanced the generation of NSCs and mature neurocytes. This suggests that SIRT1 negatively regulated the differentiation of mouse iPSCs into NSCs, and that this process may be regulated by miRNA-34a.     

Improvement of xylose utilization in Clostridium acetobutylicum via expression of the talA gene encoding transaldolase from Escherichia coli

Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824 was metabolically engineered for improved xylose utilization. The gene talA, which encodes transaldolase from Escherichia coli K-12, was cloned and overexpressed in C. acetobutylicum ATCC 824. Compared with C. acetobutylicum ATCC 824 (824-WT), the transformant bearing the E. coli talA gene (824-TAL) showed improved ability on xylose utilization and solvents production using xylose as the sole carbon source. During the fermentation of xylose and glucose mixtures with three xylose/glucose ratios (approximately 1:2, 1:1 and 2:1), the rate of xylose consumption and final solvents titers of 824-TAL were all higher than those of 824-WT, despite glucose repression on xylose uptake still existing. These results suggest that the insufficiency of transaldolase in the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) of C. acetobutylicum is one of the bottlenecks for xylose metabolism and therefore, overexpressing the gene encoding transaldolase is able to improve xylose utilization and solvent production.     

Low Molecular Weight Heparin Ablates Lung Cancer Cisplatin-Resistance by Inducing Proteasome-Mediated ABCG2 Protein Degradation

Cancer side population (SP) cells, which are often referred to as cancer stem cells, are thought to be responsible for lung cancer chemotherapy resistance, and currently no drug can specifically target these cells. We hypothesize low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) may affect the biological properties of SP cells and could be used to clinically target these cells. To test this, SP cells were isolated from cisplatin (DDP)-resistant lung adenocarcinoma A549/DDP cells by flow cytometric sorting. Compared to non-SP cells, SP cells formed increased numbers of colonies in vitro, and had a 1000-fold increase in tumorigenicity in vivo. Proliferation and apoptosis assays demonstrated LMWH had no significant effect on lung SP cell proliferation or apoptosis. However, LMWH reduced lung SP cell colony formation ability and protein expression of the multidrug transporter, ABCG2, by FACS and western blot analyses without affecting its mRNA levels by RT-PCR. Consistently, immunohistochemistry stainings of ABCG2 in LMWH-treated tumor tissues were significantly reduced compared with those in controls. Further, we found proteasomal inhibitor MG132, but not lysosomal inhibitors leupeptin and pepstatin A, could restore ABCG2 protein levels in LMWH-treated SP cells. These suggest LMWH ablates lung SP cell chemoresistance by proteasome-mediated reduction of ABCG2 protein levels without affecting its mRNA levels. We also determined LMWH combined with cisplatin could overcome cisplatin-resistance and induced lung SP cells apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo. This study provides an experimental basis for using a combination of LMWH, which targets lung SP cells, with chemotherapy to improve lung cancer survival.     

Decoy engineering of the receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase StPBS1 to defend against virus infection in potato

Potato virus Y (PVY) is an important pathogen of potato (Solanum tuberosum). Although the PBS1–RPS5 immune system is well documented in Arabidopsis thaliana, it has not been reported in potato. In Arabidopsis, the bacterial effector AvrPphB cleaves AtPBS1 to trigger an immune response. Here, we show that the AvrPphB-triggered immune response is mediated by StPBS1, a close homologue of AtPBS1 in potato. However, downstream signalling of StPBS1 was mediated by unknown resistance (R) proteins other than potato orthologues of AtRPS5 and HvPBR1, which is important for HvPBS1 signalling in barley. Immune signalling of StPBS1 is mediated by the AvrPphB C-terminal cleavage domain and an STKPQ motif, in contrast to AtPBS1-mediated immunity in which both AvrPphB cleavage fragments and an SEMPH motif are essential. The cleavage sequence of AvrPphB in StPBS1 was replaced with that of the PVY NIa-Pro protease to obtain StPBS1^NIa. StPBS1^NIa overexpression potato displayed stronger immunity to PVY infection than did the StPBS1 transgenic lines. StPBS1^NIa was cleaved at the expected target site by NIa-Pro protease from PVY. Thus, we characterized the function of StPBS1 in potato immunity and provide a biotechnology control method for PVY via transformation of decoy-engineered StPBS1^NIa.     

高寒草甸植物物种丧失对草原毛虫的影响

植物多样性是调控食物网结构和生态系统功能最重要的生物因素, 植物多样性丧失深刻影响食草动物, 但由于小型食草动物种群数量波动明显、统计随机性较大等困难, 我们对植物多样性丧失如何影响小型食草动物依然知之甚少。基于在青藏高原高寒草甸设置的长期植物物种剔除试验, 本研究于2016-2020年7-8月连续调查了植物物种剔除各处理中草原毛虫(Gynaephora alpherakiif)的数量, 分析了植物物种及功能群丧失对草原毛虫的影响。结果表明, 虽然时空差异及统计随机性是影响草原毛虫数量变化的主要因素, 但植物物种剔除介导的群落差异对草原毛虫数量的影响依然显著: (1)在各观测时段, 优势种线叶嵩草(Kobresia capillifolia)的丧失导致群落中草原毛虫数量显著减少; 禾草类物种丧失也会减少草原毛虫数量, 但其影响仅在8月显著; (2)杂类草物种丧失通过增加群落中禾草物种多度, 可增加草原毛虫数量; 豆科物种丧失使莎草增多, 也会增加草原毛虫数量; (3)各植物功能群部分物种剔除并未显著影响草原毛虫数量。本研究证实了高寒草甸中草原毛虫数量会因优势植物嵩草和禾草的多度减少或禾草物种丧失而显著减少, 但群落总生物量、个体数和物种丰富度、豆科多度以及各功能群植物同比减少, 都对草原毛虫数量没有明显影响。这些结果说明在随机作用主导下, 植物群落中的特定功能群相对多度(而非物种多样性)变化深刻影响草原毛虫适合度, 进而影响生态系功能及服务; 未来生物多样性研究及草地虫害生物防控中应更多考虑统计随机性及植物功能多样性对小型食草动物的影响。     

基于近红外漫反射光谱快速测定淫羊藿蛋白质含量

采用近红外漫反射光谱技术对淫羊藿(Epimedium)的蛋白质含量进行快速且无损检测。近红外漫反射光谱经二阶导数处理、标准多元离散校正及主成分分析聚类处理后, 采用改进最小二乘法回归得到的定标模型预测效果最佳, 定标决定系数、交互验证标准差及交互验证相关系数分别为0.923、0.554和0.717。近红外光谱分析法的测定结果与用凯氏定氮法所得结果无显著差异, 两种方法测定值的相关性较高(R²=0.933 9)。重复性实验表明, 近红外光谱分析法的相对标准偏差为0.937%。该研究首次采用近红外光谱分析法测定了8种淫羊藿的蛋白质含量。该方法简便、精确, 在淫羊藿资源开发利用和药材质量控制方面具有参考意义。     

凹甲陆龟沙门氏菌的分离鉴定及毒力因子基因的PCR检测

从成都动物园因腹泻死亡的凹甲陆龟体内分离到一株病源菌,经选择性分离培养、生化试验、血清型鉴定等,确定该病源菌为D群肠炎沙门氏菌,其抗原结构式为1,9,12∶ g,m∶ -.该菌株对小鼠有较强的致病性,能引起人工感染小鼠大量死亡,且从其体内分离到相同特性的菌株;药物敏感性试验证实该分离菌对头孢曲松、氧氟沙星、卡拉霉素、多粘菌素、复方新诺明、呋喃唑酮等敏感,对链霉素、四环素、氯霉素等耐药;同时根据GenBank中已报道的沙门氏菌毒力因子ivnA和ivnE的基因序列,设计两对特异性引物对该菌进行PCR检测,结果在该菌中成功扩增并检测出ivnA和ivnE基因.本试验尝试了沙门氏菌的PCR检测方法,为该分子诊断技术的全面推广奠定了良好基础,也为今后该疾病的预防、诊断和治疗提供了科学的实验数据.