高脂饮食对小鼠附睾内质网应激的影响及褪黑素的干预作用

目的探讨内质网应激在高脂饮食引起的ApoE基因敲除小鼠附睾损伤中的作用及褪黑素（MT）的干预机制。方法将12只ApoE基因敲除的C57BL／6J雄性小鼠随机分为高脂饮食组及MT处理组。高脂饮食组为ApoE基因敲除小鼠,给予高脂饮食;MT处理组给予高脂饲养外,并MT灌胃。以6只野生型C57BL／6J雄性小鼠作为对照组,给予普通饮食。饲养12w后,取附睾组织制片,HE染色观察附睾的病理学形态,免疫组化检测GRP78和CHOP的表达。结果HE染色显示,高脂饮食组小鼠,附睾上皮细胞形态结构不清,细胞萎缩。对照组和褪黑素处理组小鼠附睾上皮细胞形态结构完整,细胞排列整齐。免疫组化显示高脂饮食组小鼠附睾中GRP78、CHOP表达增强（P〈0．01）。MT处理组和高脂饮食组相比,附睾中GRP78、CHOP表达下调（P〈0．01）。结论内质网应激参与高脂饮食导致的附睾损伤;MT可能通过抑制附睾内质网应激,减轻高脂饮食对小鼠附睾的损伤。     

Pierce's Disease of Grapevines in Taiwan: Isolation,Cultivation and Pathogenicity of Xylella fastidiosa

Characteristic symptoms of Pierce's disease (PD) in grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.) were observed in 2002 in the major grape production fields of central Taiwan. Disease severity in vineyards varied, and all investigated grape cultivars were affected. Diseased tissues were collected from fields for subsequent isolation and characterization of the causal agent of the disease (Xylella fastidiosa). Koch's postulates were fulfilled by artificially inoculating two purified PD bacteria to grape cultivars Kyoho, Honey Red and Golden Muscat. The inoculated plants developed typical leaf‐scorching symptoms, and similar disease severity developed in the three cultivars from which the bacterium was readily re‐isolated, proving that the leaf scorch of grapevines in Taiwan is caused by the fastidious X. fastidiosa. This confirmed PD of grapevines is also the first report from the Asian Continent. Phylogenetic analyses were performed by comparing the 16S rRNA gene and 16S‐23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer region (16S‐23S ITS) of 12 PD strains from Taiwan with the sequences of 13 X. fastidiosa strains from different hosts and different geographical areas. Results showed that the PD strains of Taiwan were closely related to the American X. fastidiosa grape strains but not to the pear strains of Taiwan, suggesting that the X. fastidiosa grape and pear strains of Taiwan may have evolved independently from each other.     

Cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase A negatively regulates conidia formation by the tangerine pathotype of Alternaria alternata

The necrotrophic fungal pathogen Alternaria alternata causes brown spot diseases in many citrus cultivars. The FUS3 and SLT2 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK)-mediated signaling pathways have been shown to be required for conidiation. Exogenous application of cAMP to this fungal pathogen decreased conidia formation considerably. This study determined whether a cAMP-activated protein kinase A (PKA) is required for conidiation. Using loss-of-function mutations in PKA catalytic and regulatory subunit-coding genes, we demonstrated that PKA negatively regulates conidiation. Fungal mutants lacking PKA catalytic subunit gene (PKA ^cat ) reduced growth, lacked detectable PKA activity, and produced higher amounts of conidia compared to wild-type. Introduction of a functional copy of PKA ^cat into a null mutant partially restored PKA activity and produced wild-type level of conidia. In contrast, fungi lacking PKA regulatory subunit gene (PKA ^reg ) produced detectable PKA activity, exhibited severe growth reduction, formed swelling hyphal segments, and produced no mature conidia. Introduction of the PKA ^reg gene to a regulatory subunit mutant restored all phenotypes to wild type. PKA ^reg -null mutants induced fewer necrotic lesions on citrus compared to wild-type, whereas PKA ^cat mutant displayed wild-type virulence. Overall, our studies indicate that PKA and FUS3-mediated signaling pathways apparently have very different roles in the regulation of conidia production and A. alternata pathogenesis in citrus.     

Effect of repeated harvesting on the content of caffeic acid and seven species of caffeoylquinic acids in sweet potato leaves

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of repeated harvesting on the content of caffeic acid (CA) and seven species of caffeoylquinic acids (CQAs) in sweet potato leaves using a newly developed high-performance liquid chromatography method. Six cultivars and two breeding lines were used in this study. Leaves were collected at monthly intervals from 1st harvest (May) to 4th harvest (August) in 2011 and 2012. ANOVA analysis revealed that the contents of CQAs were significantly different among all cultivars and breeding lines, but no significant differences were found for CA. No annual variation was confirmed in CA and CQAs. Repeated harvest of sweet potato leaves affected the content of only 4-CQA and 5-CQA. Post-hoc comparisons using Tukey’s method indicated that the contents of 4-CQA and 5-CQA in sweet potato leaves harvested at first time were significantly higher compared to those at the other harvest times.     

Ketogenic essential amino acids replacement diet ameliorated hepatosteatosis with altering autophagy-associated molecules

Ketogenic amino acid (KAA) replacement diet has been shown to cure hepatic steatosis, a serious liver disease associated with diverse metabolic defects. In this study, we investigated the effects of KAA replacement diet on nutrition sensing signaling pathway and analyzed whether induction of hepatic autophagy was involved. Mice are fed with high fat diet (HFD) or KAA replacement in high-fat diet (30% fat in food; HFD)-fed (HFD^KAAR) and sacrificed at 8, 12, 16 weeks after initiation of experimental food. Hepatic autophagy was analyzed in protein expression of several autophagy-associated molecules and in light chain-3 green fluorescent protein (LC-3 GFP) transgenic mice. HFD^KAAR showed increased AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation and enhanced liver kinase B1 (LKB1) expression compared to control HFD-fed mice. The KAA-HFD-induced activation of AMPK was associated with an increased protein expression of sirtuin 1 (Sirt1), decreased forkhead box protein O3a (Foxo3a) level, and suppression of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) phosphorylation compared with the HFD-fed mice. The intervention study revealed that a KAA-replacement diet also ameliorated all the established metabolic and autophagy defects in the HFD-fed mice, suggesting that a KAA-replacement diet can be used therapeutically in established diseases. These results indicate that KAA replacement in food could be a novel strategy to combat hepatic steatosis and metabolic abnormalities likely involvement of an induction of autophagy.     

Genetic Structure and Aggressiveness of Rhizoctonia solani AG1‐IA,the Cause of Sheath Blight of Rice in Southern China

One hundred and eighty isolates of Rhizoctonia solani AG1‐IA, the causal agent of rice sheath blight, were obtained from six locations in southern China. The genetic structure of R. solani isolates was investigated using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers, and a considerable genetic variation among R. solani isolates was observed. Most of the genetic diversity was distributed within populations, rather than among them. The distribution pattern of the genetic variation of R. solani appears to be the result of high gene flow (Nm) and low‐genetic differentiation among populations. The aggressiveness of R. solani was visually assessed by rice seedlings of five different cultivars in the glasshouse. All isolates tested were found to induce significantly different levels of disease severity, reflecting considerable variation in aggressiveness. The isolates were divided into highly virulent, moderately virulent and weakly virulent groups, and the moderately virulent isolates were dominant in R. solani population. No significant correlation was observed among the genetic similarity, pathogenic aggressiveness and geographical origins of the isolates. Information obtained from this study may be useful for breeding for improved resistance to sheath blight.     

双歧杆菌预防早产儿坏死性小肠结肠炎的疗效观察

目的 探讨双歧杆菌预防早产儿坏死性小肠结肠炎(NEC)的疗效.方法 随机分成试验组和对照组,对照组给予常规治疗,试验组在对照组基础上给予双歧杆菌治疗.观察两组不同胎龄和不同出生体重早产儿NEC患病率、治疗前后肠道各菌群变化的差异.结果 (1)试验组NEC总发生率显著低于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.01);(2)试验组出生体重＜1500g早产儿NEC发生率显著低于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05);(3)治疗后试验组细菌总数、球菌总数及杆菌总数上升幅度显著大于对照组,差异均有统计学意义(P＜0.01);治疗后试验组杆球菌比值较对照组显著下降,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.01).结论 双歧杆菌可有效预防早产儿坏死性小肠结肠炎.     

基于PCR DGGE的小鼠肠道菌群基因组提取方法的建立

通过比较4种小鼠粪便细菌总DNA提取方法对基于PCR-DGGE检测的肠道菌群多样性分析的影响,旨在建立适于PCR—DGGE的小鼠肠道微生物宏基因组提取的稳定、经济、快捷的方法。采用SDS裂解法、某国产市售粪便DNA提取试剂盒、改进的化学裂解法、改进的溶菌酶法4种方法提取小鼠粪便细菌总DNA,通过琼脂糖凝胶电泳、紫外分光光度法、细菌16S rRNAV3区PCR扩增结合DGGE对提取结果进行比较分析。SDS裂解法和国产市售试剂盒2种方法提取粪便细菌总DNA均未得到理想结果,另2种方法均能够检测到粪便中20种左右的细菌。改进的化学裂解法和改进的溶菌酶提取法的建立为基于PCR—DGGE进行肠道菌群结构的定量及定性分析提供了可靠的前提基础和实验保障。     

Gene cloning and functional analysis of yellow green leaf3 (ygl3) gene during the whole-plant growth stage in rice

Chlorophyll is an important photosynthetic pigment in the process of photosynthesis in plants and photosynthetic bacteria. Genes involved in chlorophyll biosynthesis in Arabidopsis and photosynthetic bacteria have been well documented. In rice, however, these genes have not been fully annotated. In this paper, a yellow-green leaf gene, yellow green leaf3 (ygl3) was cloned and analyzed. ygl3 encodes magnesium chelation ChlD (D) subunit, a key enzyme for chlorophyll synthesis, resulting in a yellow-green leaf phenotype in all growth stages in rice. Expression content of ygl3 is highest in the leaf blades, followed by the leaf sheaths, while there is virtually no expression of the gene in the stems and seeds. The sub-cellular structure and protein content of the photosynthetic system of the ygl3 mutant were revealed by transmission electron microscopy, BN-PAGE, and western blotting. The results show that the mutation of the ygl3 gene indirectly leads to a decrease in the protein content of the photosynthetic system and severely obstructs the formation of granum thylakoids.