PPARγ Agonist Suppresses TLR4 Expression and TNF-α Production in LPS Stimulated Monocyte Leukemia Cells

It has been well established that inflammation plays a critical role in cancer. Chronic inflammation promotes tumorgenesis and metastasis, which suggests that anti-inflammation drugs could act as a tumor suppressor. It is known that the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) has been implicated in anti-inflammatory responses; however, the anti-tumor effects of PPARγ have not been intensively investigated. In this study, we examined the effects of PPARγ in cancer. We show that the activation of PPARγ by its agonist rosiglitazone (RGZ) reduces cell proliferation rate in inflammatory and tumor-derived U937 cells. Treatment of RGZ suppresses the expression Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and decreases the production of TNF-α in LPS treated U937 cells. This suggests that NF-κB signaling may be involved in anti-tumor effect of RGZ. Our results demonstrate a role of PPARγ in regulation of NF-κB signaling by modulating TLR4 expression and TNF-α production.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Nibribacter flagellatus</Emphasis> sp. nov., isolated from rhizosphere of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Hibiscus syriacus</Emphasis> and emended description of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nibribacter</Emphasis>

A Gram-stain negative, aerobic, motile by flagella, rod-shaped strain (THG-T16^T) was isolated from rhizosphere of Hibiscus syriacus. Growth occurred at 10–40 °C (optimum 28–30 °C), at pH 6.0–8.0 (optimum 7.0) and at 0–1.0% NaCl (optimum 0%). Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, the near phylogenetic neighbours of strain THG-T16^T were identified as Nibribacter koreensis KACC 16450^T (98.6%), Rufibacter roseus KCTC 42217^T (94.7%), Rufibacter immobilis CCTCC AB 2013351^T (94.5%) and Rufibacter tibetensis CCTCC AB 208084^T (94.4%). The DNA G+C content of strain THG-T16^T was determined to be 46.7 mol%. DNA–DNA hybridization values between strain THG-T16^T and N. koreensis KACC 16450^T, R. roseus KCTC 42217^T, R. immobilis CCTCC AB 2013351^T, R.tibetensis CCTCC AB 208084^T were 33.5?±?0.5% (31.7?±?0.7% reciprocal analysis), 28.1?±?0.2% (25.2?±?0.2%), 17.1?±?0.9% (10.2?±?0.6%) and 8.1?±?0.3% (5.2?±?0.1%). The polar lipids were identified as phosphatidylethanolamine, two unidentified aminophospholipids, an unidentified aminolipid and three unidentified lipids. The quinone was identified as MK-7 and the polyamine as sym-homospermidine. The major fatty acids were identified as C_16:1 ω5c, C_17:1 ω6c, iso-C_15:0, summed feature 3 (C_16:1 ω7c and/or C_16:1 ω6c) and summed feature 4 (iso-C_17:1 I and/or anteiso-C_17:1 B). On the basis of the phylogenetic analysis, chemotaxonomic data, physiological characteristics, and DNA–DNA hybridization data, strain THG-T16^T represents a novel species of the genus Nibribacter, for which the name Nibribacter flagellatus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is THG-T16^T(=?KACC 19188^T?=?CCTCC AB 2016246^T).     

危险性害虫西花蓟马的传播现状

西花蓟马自20世纪80年代以后从北美洲迅速向外传播扩散,已成为世界范围内温室蔬菜和观赏植物上的一种重要危险性害虫。本文依据国内外的有关资料,分析了该虫在全球范围内的传播情况和扩散原因,并提出在我国控制其传播的对策。     

Recent advances in synthesis and surface modification of lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles for biomedical applications

Lanthanide (Ln)-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) with appropriate surface modification can be used for a wide range of biomedical applications such as bio-detection, cancer therapy, bio-labeling, fluorescence imaging, magnetic resonance imaging and drug delivery. The upconversion phenomenon exhibited by Ln-doped UCNPs renders them tremendous advantages in biological applications over other types of fluorescent materials (e.g., organic dyes, fluorescent proteins, gold nanoparticles, quantum dots, and luminescent transition metal complexes) for: (i) enhanced tissue penetration depths achieved by near-infrared (NIR) excitation; (ii) improved stability against photobleaching, photoblinking and photochemical degradation; (iii) non-photodamaging to DNA/RNA due to lower excitation light energy; (iv) lower cytotoxicity; and (v) higher detection sensitivity. Ln-doped UCNPs are therefore attracting increasing attentions in recent years. In this review, we present recent advances in the synthesis of Ln-doped UCNPs and their surface modification, as well as their emerging applications in biomedicine. The future prospects of Ln-doped UCNPs for biomedical applications are also discussed.     

单穗升麻的柱头和雌配子体发育及胚胎发生

单穗升麻的雌蕊群由1～5枚离生心皮组成。子房单室,4～9枚倒生胚珠,双珠被,厚珠心;大孢子四分体呈线形或T形排列,合点端一个具功能。胚囊发育为蓼型。成熟胚囊中3个单核反足细胞,胞质浓密,在球形胚时期尚能观察到其退化痕迹。极核融合早,次生核位于合点端。胚胎发生为柳叶菜型;核型胚乳。雄蕊凋谢后1～2天花柱顶端腹缝线周围出现乳突细胞,雄蕊凋谢后3～5天延长成柱头毛。讨论了单穗升麻与南川升麻柱头可授期与花粉生活力的差异对传粉效果和结籽率的显著影响。     

洋桔梗品种遗传多样性的AFLP分析

该研究以洋桔梗(Eustoma grandiflorum)2个品种‘玛丽艾基粉色’和‘圣剑白底紫边’为试材,提取叶片DNA,经过EcoRⅠ/MseⅠ双酶切、连接、预扩增、选择性扩增,建立了洋桔梗的AFLP最佳反应体系;并以64个常用引物组合进行扩增,得到154个多态性条带,从中筛选出扩增条带较多且多态性较好的4个引物组合(E-ACA/M-CTC,E-ACC/M-CAC,E-AGC/M-CTT,E-ACT/M-CAG),其多态位点百分率均值为24.36%。利用上述4个引物组合,以最佳反应体系为基础,构建了7个常见洋桔梗品种的AFLP指纹图谱,统计7个品种各4个引物组合在1 000~300bp区间7个区段的扩增条带,并将各个品种的AFLP指纹图谱转换成各品种4组7位数构成的28位特异数字指纹,极大地方便了种质比较及鉴定;7个品种间的遗传相似系数介于0.683 5~0.860 8之间,平均值为0.774 6。研究结果为进一步进行洋桔梗的种质研究及利用奠定了基础。     

小麦芽依赖于DNA的RNA聚合酶Ⅱ不能转录绒毛烟斑驳病毒及其拟病毒

小麦芽经过匀浆、沉淀、高速及超速离心、透析以及DE_(52)离子交换层析等步骤,纯化小麦芽依赖于DNA的RNA聚合酶。用α-鹅膏蕈碱抑制试验,证明得到RNA聚合酶Ⅱ。用此聚合酶Ⅱ组建的体外转录体系的研究结果表明,绒毛烟斑驳病毒的拟病毒和卫星RNA(黄瓜花叶病毒相关RNA_3)都不能利用该体系进行转录,类病毒PSTV可进行转录,但转录效率明显低于小牛胸腺DNA;α-鹅膏簟碱可抑制类病毒的转录。绒毛烟斑驳病毒拟病毒和卫星RNA都不能被转录,表明他们的复制方法与类病毒不同。     

牛源流行性出血病病毒(EHDV)血清10型毒株在我国的分离鉴定

我国存在多种血清型流行性出血热病毒(Epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus,EHDV)的流行,但尚未有关于EHDV-10型毒株的分离报道。为了解云南省EHDV的流行情况,2012～2015年,本研究在云南省设立江城、师宗、芒市三个监控点,定期采集监控动物血液,接种幼仓鼠肾细胞(Baby hamster kidney cell,BHK-21)进行病毒分离;通过PCR检测、血清中和试验、琼脂糖凝胶电泳和电镜观察等方法对分离病毒进行鉴定;对分离毒株的Seg-2/VP2与Seg-3/VP3基因节段进行克隆、测序与序列分析。2013年在云南省师宗县的哨兵牛上分离出一株EHDV毒株(YNSZ-V277-2013),病毒可引起BHK-21细胞出现圆缩、裂解的细胞病变(Cytopathic effect,CPE);电镜下病毒粒子呈球形,无囊膜,表面有大量纤维突,直径在70～80nm之间;病毒基因组dsRNA的琼脂糖凝胶电泳显示分离毒株与其他血清型EHDV一致,呈现"3-3-3"的电泳带型;序列分析显示YNSZ-V277-2013毒株的Seg-2/VP2与Seg-3/VP3序列与日本EHDV-10型毒株(ON-4/N/98)相似度最高,分别为97.5%/98.5%与98.1%/99.8%,证实分离毒株为EHDV-10型;系统发育分析显示YNSZ-V277-2013毒株的Seg-2与日本EHDV-10型毒株(ON-4/N/98)的亲缘关系最近,Seg-3与分离至日本和澳大利亚的EHDV毒株同属Eastern型。本研究首次报道了EHDV-10型毒株在我国的分离以及分离毒株的Seg-2与Seg-3基因序列特征,为进一步开展中国EHDV-10型的流行病学调查与致病性研究提供了基础。     

固氮蓝藻高光放氢突变种的筛选和放氢特点

作者以前报道过几种快速生长的固氮蓝藻在某种条件下能好气光放氢,其速度可以达到光合放氧速度的10—15%,但这种活性只有在不积累氢气的流动气相下或在短时间内发生。本文报道用亚硝基胍诱变所得到的Anabaena spp。Strain CA的高光放氢突变种——N9A和18A——的筛选和氢代谢特点。在达生长饱和光照以后,野生型的光放氢活性与光照强度的增加成正相关,而其吸氢活性则与之成负相关,显示高光照强度可能抑制吸氢酶的活性。无论在什么光强下,均测不到两个突变种的吸氢活性,暗示在突变种中,吸氢酶或有关系统受损伤。把细胞固相化在琼脂上,在密闭系统中,高光强下培养50个小时,两个突变种光释放和积累的氢分别为野生型的2倍(N9A)和6倍(18A),后者等于氢占气相(1%CO_2的空气)的1.8%。两个突变种在生长速度、叶绿素含量、乙炔还原活性以及光合放氧方面与野生型无明显不同。当以含50—100nM的镍离子的培养基培养时,野生型的好气净产氢活性完全丢失,其吸氢活性却增加约10倍。培养基中镍离子的存在,对两个突变种的高光放氢活性则毫无影响,而且在此情况下,仍测不出其吸氢活性。实验结果表明,这两个突变种系吸氢酶缺陷型突变种。     

亚热带森林土壤理化性质的异质性和最佳取样量

准确获取最佳取样量有助于提高土壤理化性质的测量精度.采用经典统计学方法,研究了亚热带常绿阔叶林和杉木人工林2个林型土壤理化性质的异质性,运用传统法和自助法研究在90%精度下评估土壤养分含量的最佳取样量.结果表明: 2个林型中土壤pH值和C/N表现为弱变异,其他养分指标均为中等程度变异;常绿阔叶林土壤全C、全N等全量土壤指标的变异系数显著大于杉木人工林,而速效指标差异不显著;2个林型中所有土壤指标的评估误差均随取样量的增加呈现出先急剧曲线下降后稳定的趋势,均值也由剧烈波动转向平稳,并且过多的取样并不能有效提高均值测定精度;常绿阔叶林土壤含水率、全C、全N、NO₃^--N、全K、全Ca、全Mg的取样量都显著大于杉木人工林,杉木林土壤NH₄⁺-N的取样量显著大于阔叶林,而其他指标二者间差异不显著;同一林型各个指标间取样量差异更加明显,NH₄⁺-N、NO₃^--N等速效指标的取样量显著大于全C、全N等全量指标.因此,建议在土壤调查或监测过程中充分考虑土壤理化性质的异质性,最佳取样量必须依据于取样的目的和土壤指标的变异信息.