Requirements for human‐induced pluripotent stem cells

‘Requirements for Human‐Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells’ is the first set of guidelines on human‐induced pluripotent stem cells in China, jointly drafted and agreed upon by experts from the Chinese Society for Stem Cell Research. This standard specifies the technical requirements, test methods, and instructions for use, labeling, packaging, storage, transportation, and waste handling for human‐induced pluripotent stem cells, which apply to the production and quality control of human‐induced pluripotent stem cells. It was released by the Chinese Society for Cell Biology on 9 January 2021 and came into effect on 9 April 2021. We hope that the publication of these guidelines will promote institutional establishment, acceptance, and execution of proper protocols and accelerate the international standardization of human‐induced pluripotent stem cells for applications.     

解纤维梭菌脱水四环素诱导的ClosTron基因打靶系统构建

【背景】解纤维梭菌是发酵木质纤维素生产乙醇的中温模式菌株,构建可控诱导的基因打靶技术是研究解纤维梭菌遗传调控的重要手段。【目的】在解纤维梭菌中构建脱水四环素诱导的ClosTron基因打靶系统。【方法】首先,分析解纤维梭菌对脱水四环素的敏感性,筛选合适的诱导剂浓度,并以β-葡萄糖苷酶为报告基因,检测其在解纤维梭菌中的诱导效果。然后,将脱水四环素诱导型操纵子与II型内含子元件组合,构建脱水四环素诱导的ClosTron质粒。最后,以解纤维梭菌mspI、ldh和ack为例,检测其在解纤维梭菌中的打靶效率。【结果】脱水四环素诱导系统在解纤维梭菌中能够诱导ClosTron元件表达,在mspI、ldh和ack这3个基因位点的打靶效率分别为29.48%±15.51%、23.61%±7.08%和28.09%±6.97%。【结论】在解纤维梭菌中成功构建脱水四环素诱导的ClosTron基因打靶系统,为梭菌基因工程改造奠定了基础。     

Polymeric structure and host Toll-like receptor 4 dictate immunogenicity of NY-ESO-1 antigen in vivo

In search of intrinsic factors that contribute to the distinctively strong immunogenicity of a non-mutated cancer/testis antigen, we found that NY-ESO-1 forms polymeric structures through disulfide bonds. NY-ESO-1 binding to immature dendritic cells was dependent on its polymeric structure and involved Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) on the surface of immature dendritic cells in mouse and human. Gene gun-delivered plasmid encoding the wild-type NY-ESO-1 readily induced T cell-dependent antibody (Ab) responses in wild-type C57BL/10 mice but not TLR4-knock-out C57BL/10ScNJ mice. Disrupting polymeric structures of NY-ESO-1 by cysteine-to-serine (Cys-to-Ser) substitutions lead to diminished immunogenicity and altered TLR4-dependence in the induced Ab response. To demonstrate its adjuvant effect, NY-ESO-1 was fused with a major mugwort pollen allergen Art v 1 and a tumor-associated antigen, carbonic anhydrase 9. Plasmid DNA vaccines encoding the fusion genes generated robust immune responses against otherwise non-immunogenic targets in mice. Polymeric structure and TLR4 may play important roles in rendering NY-ESO-1 immunogenic and thus serve as a potent molecular adjuvant. NY-ESO-1 thus represents the first example of a cancer/testis antigen that is a also damage-associated molecular pattern.     

Disease-driven detection of differential inherited SNP modules from SNP network

Detection of the synergetic effects between variants, such as single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), is crucial for understanding the genetic characters of complex diseases. Here, we proposed a two-step approach to detect differentially inherited SNP modules (synergetic SNP units) from a SNP network. First, SNP-SNP interactions are identified based on prior biological knowledge, such as their adjacency on the chromosome or degree of relatedness between the functional relationships of their genes. These interactions form SNP networks. Second, disease-risk SNP modules (or sub-networks) are prioritised by their differentially inherited properties in IBD (Identity by Descent) profiles of affected and unaffected sibpairs. The search process is driven by the disease information and follows the structure of a SNP network. Simulation studies have indicated that this approach achieves high accuracy and a low false-positive rate in the identification of known disease-susceptible SNPs. Applying this method to an alcoholism dataset, we found that flexible patterns of susceptible SNP combinations do play a role in complex diseases, and some known genes were detected through these risk SNP modules. One example is GRM7, a known alcoholism gene successfully detected by a SNP module comprised of two SNPs, but neither of the two SNPs was significantly associated with the disease in single-locus analysis. These identified genes are also enriched in some pathways associated with alcoholism, including the calcium signalling pathway, axon guidance and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction. The integration of network biology and genetic analysis provides putative functional bridges between genetic variants and candidate genes or pathways, thereby providing new insight into the aetiology of complex diseases.     

Caspase-11 regulates cell migration by promoting Aip1-Cofilin-mediated actin depolymerization

Coordinated regulation of cell migration, cytokine maturation and apoptosis is critical in inflammatory responses. Caspases, a family of cysteine proteases, are known to regulate cytokine maturation and apoptosis. Here, we show that caspase-11, a mammalian pro-inflammatory caspase, regulates cell migration during inflammation. Caspase-11-deficient lymphocytes exhibit a cell-autonomous migration defect in vitro and in vivo. We demonstrate that caspase-11 interacts physically and functionally with actin interacting protein 1 (Aip1), an activator of cofilin-mediated actin depolymerization. The caspase-recruitment domain (CARD) of caspase-11 interacts with the carboxy-terminal WD40 propeller domain of Aip1 to promote cofilin-mediated actin depolymerization. Cells with Aip1 or caspase-11 deficiency exhibit defects in actin dynamics. Using in vitro actin depolymerization assays, we found that caspase-11 and Aip1 work cooperatively to promote cofilin-mediated actin depolymerization. These data demonstrate a novel cell autonomous caspase-mediated mechanism that regulates actin dynamics and mammalian cell migration distinct from the receptor mediated Rho-Rac-Cdc42 pathway.     

Antioxidation and DNA‐Binding Properties of Binuclear Lanthanide(III) Complexes with a Schiff Base Ligand Derived from 8‐Hydroxyquinoline‐7‐carboxaldehyde and Benzoylhydrazine

8‐Hydroxyquinoline‐7‐carboxaldehyde (8‐HQ‐7‐CA), Schiff‐base ligand 8‐hydroxyquinoline‐7‐carboxaldehyde benzoylhydrazone, and binuclear complexes [LnL(NO₃)(H₂O)₂]₂ were prepared from the ligand and equivalent molar amounts of Ln(NO₃)?6 H₂O (Ln=La³⁺, Nd³⁺, Sm³⁺, Eu³⁺, Gd³⁺, Dy³⁺, Ho³⁺, Er³⁺, Yb³⁺, resp.). Ligand acts as dibasic tetradentates, binding to Ln^III through the phenolate O‐atom, N‐atom of quinolinato unit, and C?N and ? O? C?N? groups of the benzoylhydrazine side chain. Dimerization of this monomeric unit occurs through the phenolate O‐atoms leading to a central four‐membered (LnO)₂ ring. Ligand and all of the Ln^III complexes can strongly bind to CT‐DNA through intercalation with the binding constants at 10⁵–10⁶ M ^?1. Moreover, ligand and all of the Ln^III complexes have strong abilities of scavenging effects for hydroxyl (HO^.) radicals. Both the antioxidation and DNA‐binding properties of Ln^III complexes are much better than that of ligand.     

西藏台错古湖晚第四纪轮藻类及其生态环境、气候变化探讨

西藏台错TT-1剖面厚369 cm,为一套碳酸盐粘土和粘土碳酸盐沉积,地层测年为41.4-4.5 ka,含丰富的轮藻化石,分属于11个轮藻植物群,群落所在地层的碳酸盐和钙质含量分别为80％和33％.从老到新(剖面自下而上):①41.4-26.64 ka(369-319 cm),处于末次冰期间冰阶MIS3a暖期,湖区气候...     

Androgen Inhibits Abdominal Fat Accumulation and Negatively Regulates the PCK1 Gene in Male Chickens

Capons are male chickens whose testes have been surgically incised. Capons show a significant increase in fat accumulation compared to intact male chickens. However, while caponization leads to a significant reduction in androgen levels in roosters, little is known about the molecular mechanisms through which androgen status affects lipogenesis in avian species. Therefore, investigation of the influence of androgens on fat accumulation in the chicken will provide insights into this process. In this study, Affymetrix microarray technology was used to analyze the gene expression profiles of livers from capons and intact male chickens because the liver is the major site of lipogenesis in avian species. Through gene ontology, we found that genes involved in hepatic lipogenic biosynthesis were the most highly enriched. Interestingly, among the upregulated genes, the cytosolic form of the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PCK1) gene showed the greatest fold change. Additionally, in conjunction with quantitative real-time PCR data, our results suggested that androgen status negatively regulated the PCK1 gene in male chickens.     

NO APICAL MERISTEM (MtNAM) regulates floral organ identity and lateral organ separation in Medicago truncatula

? The CUP-SHAPED COTYLEDON (CUC)/NO APICAL MERISTEM (NAM) family of genes control boundary formation and lateral organ separation, which is critical for proper leaf and flower patterning. However, most downstream targets of CUC/NAM genes remain unclear. ? In a forward screen of the tobacco retrotransposon1 (Tnt1) insertion population in Medicago truncatula, we isolated a weak allele of the no-apical-meristem mutant mtnam-2. Meanwhile, we regenerated a mature plant from the null allele mtnam-1. These materials allowed us to extensively characterize the function of MtNAM and its downstream genes. ? MtNAM is highly expressed in vegetative shoot buds and inflorescence apices, specifically at boundaries between the shoot apical meristem and leaf/flower primordia. Mature plants of the regenerated null allele and the weak allele display remarkable floral phenotypes: floral whorls and organ numbers are reduced and the floral organ identity is compromised. Microarray and quantitative RT-PCR analyses revealed that all classes of floral homeotic genes are down-regulated in mtnam mutants. Mutations in MtNAM also lead to fused cotyledons and leaflets of the compound leaf as well as a defective shoot apical meristem. ? Our results revealed that MtNAM shares the role of CUC/NAM family genes in lateral organ separation and compound leaf development, and is also required for floral organ identity and development.