The role of the ubiquitin proteasome system in synapse remodeling and neurodegenerative diseases

The ubiquitin proteasome system is a potent regulatory mechanism used to control protein stability in numerous cellular processes, including neural development. Many neurodegenerative diseases are featured by the accumulation of UPS-associated proteins, suggesting the UPS dysfunction may be crucial for pathogenesis. Recent experiments have highlighted the UPS as a key player during synaptic development. Here we summarize recent discoveries centered on the role of the UPS in synapse remodeling and draw attention to the potential link between the synaptic UPS dysfunction and the pathology of neurodegenerative diseases.     

Inhibitory effect of naringenin chalcone on inflammatory changes in the interaction between adipocytes and macrophages

Obese adipose tissue is characterized by an enhanced infiltration of macrophages. It is considered that the paracrine loop involving monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha between adipocytes and macrophages establishes a vicious cycle that augments the inflammatory changes and insulin resistance in obese adipose tissue. Polyphenols, which are widely distributed in fruit and vegetables, can act as antioxidants and some of them are also reported to have anti-inflammatory properties. Tomato is one of the most popular and extensively consumed vegetable crops worldwide, which also contains many flavonoids, mainly naringenin chalcone. We investigated the effect of flavonoids, including naringenin chalcone, on the production of proinflammatory mediators in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages and in the interaction between adipocytes and macrophages. Naringenin chalcone inhibited the production of TNF-alpha, MCP-1, and nitric oxide (NO) by LPS-stimulated RAW 264 macrophages in a dose-dependent manner. Coculture of 3T3-L1 adipocytes and RAW 264 macrophages markedly enhanced the production of TNF-alpha, MCP-1, and NO compared with the control cultures; however, treatment with naringenin chalcone dose-dependently inhibited the production of these proinflammatory mediators. These results indicate that naringenin chalcone exhibits anti-inflammatory properties by inhibiting the production of proinflammatory cytokines in the interaction between adipocytes and macrophages. Naringenin chalcone may be useful for ameliorating the inflammatory changes in obese adipose tissue.     

Biological control of oilseed rape Sclerotinia stem rot by Bacillus subtilis strain Em7

In the present study, the endophytic bacterium Bacillus subtilis strain Em7 (GU258545.1) was evaluated as a biological control agent for Sclerotinia sclerotiorum on oilseed rape. In petri dish, strain Em7 not only strongly inhibited pathogen mycelium growth but also germination of sclerotia at concentrations between 10⁹ and 10¹¹ colony forming unit (CFU)·ml^?1. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy studies revealed that in the presence of strain Em7, hyphae of S. sclerotiorum showed leakage and disintegration of hyphal cytoplasm. Furthermore, the strain Em7 showed a broad antifungal spectrum on mycelium growth of numerous important plant pathogenic fungi. Light microscopic observations revealed that strain Em7 caused morphological alterations including increased branching, swelling and collapse of cytoplasm. In the greenhouse, spray treatments of cell suspensions of strain Em7 (1×10⁹ CFU·ml^?1) reduced leaf and stem rot incidence and severity in the seedling and blossom stage. The control efficacy was higher when strain Em7 cell suspension was applied one day prior to inoculation of the pathogen than after inoculation. Three-year field trials showed that two applications of strain Em7 cell suspension at blossom stage significantly reduced disease incidence and severity by 50–70%. There was no significant difference in control efficacy among treatments with strain Em7 cell suspension and the fungicides containing carbendazim or tebuconazole (P = 0.05). Thus, our results strongly suggest that B. subtilis strain Em7 is a promising biological control agent for control of oilseed rape Sclerotinia stem rot.     

Molecular Dissection of Bombyx mori Nucleopolyhedrovirus orf8 Gene

Viruses including baculoviruses are obligatory parasites, as their genomes do not encode all the proteins required for replication. Therefore, viruses have evolved to exploit the behavior and the physiology of their hosts and often eoevolved with their hosts over millions of years. Recent comparative analyses of complete genome sequences of baculoviruses revealed the patterns of gene acquisitions and losses that have occurred during baculovirus evolution. In addition, knowledge of virus genes has also provided understanding of the mechanism of baculovirus infection including replication, species-specific virulence and host range. The Bm8 gene of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (NPV) and its homologues are found only in group I NPV genomes. The Autographa californica NPV Acl6 gene is a homologue of Bm8 and, encodes a viral structural protein. It has been shown that Bm8/Ac 16 interacts with baculoviral and cellular proteins. Bm8/Ac 16 interacts with baculoviral IE1 that is facilitated by coiled coil domains, and the interaction with IE1 is important for Bin8 function. Ac16 also forms a complex with viral FP25 and cellular actin and associates with membranes via palmitoylation. These data suggested that this gene family encodes a multifunctional protein that accomplishes specific needs of group INPVs.     

灰葡萄孢丝裂原活化蛋白激酶编码基因bmp1和bmp3的功能

【背景】植物病原真菌丝裂原活化蛋白激酶(Mitogen-activated protein kinase,MAPK)信号途径参与病菌有性生殖、细胞壁完整、菌丝侵染、致病力、胁迫响应等过程,灰葡萄孢MAPK信号途径参与病菌生长发育、致病力以及胁迫响应,但MAPK信号途径基因在灰葡萄孢中的功能尚未完全阐明,该信号途径对灰葡萄孢的生长发育和致病力的调控机制尚不明确。【目的】明确灰葡萄孢MAPK编码基因bmp1、bmp3在病菌生长发育、致病力以及氧化胁迫响应过程的功能,为进一步阐明MAPK信号途径调控灰葡萄孢生长发育和致病力的分子机制奠定基础。【方法】利用RNAi技术构建灰葡萄孢MAPK编码基因bmp1和bmp3的RNAi突变体,并以野生型BC22菌株为对照,对bmp1和bmp3基因的RNAi突变体的表型、致病力以及对氧化胁迫的敏感性进行分析。【结果】灰葡萄孢bmp1和bmp3基因的RNAi突变体其菌落形态、菌丝形态均与野生型BC22菌株没有明显差别;bmp1基因的RNAi突变体生长速率明显减慢,分生孢子产量明显降低;bmp3基因的RNAi突变体的生长速率与野生型BC22菌株没有明显差别,不能产生分生孢子。bmp1和bmp3基因的RNAi突变体在番茄果实的表面均不能产生明显的致病症状,而且不能穿透玻璃纸。bmp1基因的RNAi突变体在含有H_2O_2的培养基上受抑制的程度显著低于野生型,而在含甲萘醌的培养基上受抑制的程度显著高于野生型;bmp3基因的RNAi突变体在含有H_2O_2和甲萘醌的培养基受抑制的程度均显著高于野生型。【结论】灰葡萄孢bmp1基因正调控病菌生长、分生孢子形成、致病力和穿透能力,参与调控病菌对氧化胁迫的响应;灰葡萄孢bmp3基因正调控病菌分生孢子形成、致病力、穿透能力以及对氧化胁迫的响应。     

茉莉酸作用的分子生物学研究

茉莉酸及其衍生物茉莉酸甲酯等统称为茉莉酸盐,是广泛存在于植物中的一种生长调节物质,在植物细胞中起着非常重要的作用,介绍了茉莉酸生物合成过程中关键酶基因的克隆、表达及调控,并对茉莉酸的一些突变体进行了分析,结果显示茉莉酸在发育及防御尤其是在雄性不育及抗病虫害方面起着非常重要的作用,同时综述了茉莉酸信号转导的最新成果。     

MiR-204 regulates cardiomyocyte autophagy induced by ischemia-reperfusion through LC3-II

Background  

Autophagy plays a significant role in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. So it is important to inhibit autophagy to protect cardiomyocytes besides anti-apoptosis. MiRNA has been demonstrated to protect cardiomyocytes against apoptosis during IR, while whether it has anti-autophagy effect has not been known. The aim of this study was to investigate whether miR-204 regulated autophagy by regulating LC3-II protein, which is the marker of autophagosome during myocardial IR injury.