肺部微生物组通过炎症反应介导慢性阻塞性肺疾病转化为肺癌的研究进展

肺部微生物组存在于呼吸道和实质组织中,通过菌群紊乱、代谢产物、炎症反应、免疫反应、基因毒性等方面介导肺部损伤。随着肺部微生物组的深入研究,发现肺部微生物组的相关活动与慢性阻塞性肺疾病(chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD)和肺癌息息相关,能够促使COPD向肺癌的转变。本文主要介绍了肺部微生物组稳态及其通过炎症反应导致COPD和肺癌,重点探讨了肺部微生物组如何通过炎症反应介导COPD转化为肺癌,以期为COPD和肺癌的临床预防、优化治疗以及新型药物设计提供新的理论依据。     

Cell-type action specificity of auxin on Arabidopsis root growth

The plant hormone auxin plays a critical role in root growth and development; however, the contributions or specific roles of cell-type auxin signals in root growth and development are not well understood. Here, we mapped tissue and cell types that are important for auxin-mediated root growth and development by manipulating the local response and synthesis of auxin. Repressing auxin signaling in the epidermis, cortex, endodermis, pericycle or stele strongly inhibited root growth, with the largest effect observed in the endodermis. Enhancing auxin signaling in the epidermis, cortex, endodermis, pericycle or stele also caused reduced root growth, albeit to a lesser extent. Moreover, we established that root growth was inhibited by enhancement of auxin synthesis in specific cell types of the epidermis, cortex and endodermis, whereas increased auxin synthesis in the pericycle and stele had only minor effects on root growth. Our study thus establishes an association between cellular identity and cell type-specific auxin signaling that guides root growth and development.     

耐高盐枯草芽孢杆菌XP合成球形纳米硒及其抑制草莓病原真菌生物活性

生物方法合成纳米材料具有低能耗、高安全性以及环境友好等优良特点,因而备受人们关注。利用细菌将硒酸盐或亚硒酸盐还原为单质硒,不仅可以降低硒毒性,而且还能获得价值更高的生物纳米材料。文中选用可耐受高盐环境胁迫的枯草芽孢杆菌亚种Bacillus subtilis subspecies stercoris strain XP构建生物模型,分别以LB液体培养基和亚硒酸钠为介质和底物 (电子受体),解析菌株XP合成纳米硒的基本规律。通过扫描电镜 (Scanning electron microscope,SEM) 观察、X射线能谱分析 (X-ray energy dispersive spectral analysis,EDAX)、X射线衍射 (X-ray diffraction,XRD) 分析、傅里叶红外变换光谱 (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,FTIR) 技术对合成的纳米硒进行物理化学表征分析,同时选用草莓枯萎、红叶、紫斑病病原真菌对其抗菌活性进行分析。结果表明,菌株XP介导合成的单质硒为球形纳米颗粒 (Selenium nanoparticles,SeNPs),其生成量与反应时间呈正相关 (0–48 h),且细胞形态未发生褶皱或破损等变化 (耐受力强);SeNPs为非晶态,粒径范围在135–165 nm,表面元素组成以Se为主,同时存在C、O、N、S等有机元素;颗粒表面包裹生物大分子物质,-OH、C=O、N-H、C-H等官能团与SeNPs稳定性和生物活性密切相关;高浓度纳米硒对枯萎、红叶、紫斑病病原真菌均有显著抑制活性 (P<0.05),其中对草莓红叶病与枯萎病病原真菌的抑制活性明显优于对紫斑病病原真菌的抑制活性。总而言之,菌株XP不仅耐受高盐胁迫能力强,同时还可介导合成生物SeNPs,其合成的纳米硒颗粒具有良好的稳定性和生物活性,在草莓病害防治以及绿色富硒草莓种植等领域具有潜在的应用价值。     

Kunitz型丝氨酸蛋白酶抑制剂研究进展

Kunitz型丝氨酸蛋白酶抑制剂是一类普遍存在的蛋白酶抑制剂,在体内各项生命活动中扮演着重要角色。这类抑制剂结构稳定且富有特色,通常具有一个或几个串联存在的Kunitz结构域,能够以类似底物的方式与丝氨酸蛋白酶结合,从而抑制酶的活性。在功能方面,Kunitz型丝氨酸蛋白酶抑制剂参与凝血和纤维蛋白溶解、肿瘤免疫、炎症调节以及抵抗细菌、真菌感染等过程。文中就Kunitz型丝氨酸蛋白酶抑制剂研究进展作一综述,为新型Kunitz型丝氨酸蛋白酶抑制剂的开发提供研究思路。     

TRIM37 prevents formation of condensate-organized ectopic spindle poles to ensure mitotic fidelity

Centrosomes are composed of a centriolar core surrounded by pericentriolar material that nucleates microtubules. The ubiquitin ligase TRIM37 localizes to centrosomes, but its centrosomal roles are not yet defined. We show that TRIM37 does not control centriole duplication, structure, or the ability of centrioles to form cilia but instead prevents assembly of an ectopic centrobin-scaffolded structured condensate that forms by budding off of centrosomes. In ∼25% of TRIM37-deficient cells, the condensate organizes an ectopic spindle pole, recruiting other centrosomal proteins and acquiring microtubule nucleation capacity during mitotic entry. Ectopic spindle pole–associated transient multipolarity and multipolar segregation in TRIM37-deficient cells are suppressed by removing centrobin, which interacts with and is ubiquitinated by TRIM37. Thus, TRIM37 ensures accurate chromosome segregation by preventing the formation of centrobin-scaffolded condensates that organize ectopic spindle poles. Mutations in TRIM37 cause the disorder mulibrey nanism, and patient-derived cells harbor centrobin condensate-organized ectopic poles, leading us to propose that chromosome missegregation is a pathological mechanism in this disorder.     

Congruent spatial patterns of species richness and phylogenetic diversity in karst flora: Case study of Primulina (Gesneriaceae)

The karst landform in southern China is renowned for its high levels of species diversity and endemism. Globally, karst ecosystems are under threat from unsustainable anthropogenic disturbance and climate changes and are among the most threatened ecosystems worldwide. In this study, we used the typical karst endemic genus in southern China, Primulina Hance, as a model to identify areas within the karst landform with high diversity and to investigate congruence between phylogenetic and species‐based measures of diversity. Using phylogenetic information and species distribution data, we measured geographical patterns of diversity with four metrics: species richness (SR), corrected weighted endemism (CWE), phylogenetic diversity (PD), and phylogenetic endemism (PE). Our results revealed a high spatial congruence among SR, PD, and PE, with hotspot areas identified in the Nanling Mountains (i.e., north Guangdong and northeast Guangxi) and southeast Yungui Plateau (i.e., north and southwest Guangxi), whereas the hotspots of CWE are comparatively uniform throughout the geographic extent. The categorical analysis of neo‐ and paleoendemism identified a pattern of mixed neo‐ and paleoendemism in numerous grid cells, suggesting that karst areas in southern China have acted as both “museums” and “cradles” of plant evolution. Conservation gap analysis of hotspots revealed that the majority of prioritized hotspots (>90%) of the genus are outside of protected areas, therefore indicating the limited effectiveness of national nature reserves for the karst flora. Overall, our results suggest that the karst flora merits more conservation attention and SR can be an effective surrogate to capture PD in conservation planning.     

过表达SmERF1提高了丹参耐盐性

ERF(ethylene-responsive factor)蛋白是植物中一大类转录因子家族,在植物的生长发育及逆境胁迫中发挥着重要作用.为研究丹参中新的转录因子SmERF1的功能,本研究对其编码序列、表达模式进行分析,并在丹参中进行过表达,检测过表达后转基因植株耐盐性、次生代谢物和激素的变化.研究结果表明,SmERF1含有一个AP2结构域,是典型的ERF转录因子.SmERF1受到MeJA和酵母诱导子(YE)的诱导表达.在盐胁迫下,过表达SmERF1的丹参株系中脯氨酸含量、SOD和POD活性较野生型丹参植株高,MDA含量降低,说明转基因株系的抗盐特性增强.而且过表达SmERF1的丹参株系中ABA含量升高,GA含量降低;过表达SmERF1对丹参酮、丹酚酸等代谢物的合成调控效果不强.综合以上结果,表明SmERF1可能通过调节ABA的合成,提高了丹参耐盐性.