细胞衰老与肿瘤发生及药物治疗

肿瘤细胞往往具有衰老障碍而表现出无限增殖的能力。细胞衰老障碍与肿瘤化疗和多药耐药关系密切,恢复肿瘤细胞衰老通路是肿瘤治疗和逆转多药耐药的一个很有前途的研究方向。     

Biological and Physicochemical Wastewater Treatment Processes Reduce the Prevalence of Virulent Escherichia coli

Effluents discharged from wastewater treatment plants are possible sources of pathogenic bacteria, including Escherichia coli, in the freshwater environment, and determining the possible selection of pathogens is important. This study evaluated the impact of activated sludge and physicochemical wastewater treatment processes on the prevalence of potentially virulent E. coli. A total of 719 E. coli isolates collected from four municipal plants in Québec before and after treatment were characterized by using a customized DNA microarray to determine the impact of treatment processes on the frequency of specific pathotypes and virulence genes. The percentages of potentially pathogenic E. coli isolates in the plant influents varied between 26 and 51%, and in the effluents, the percentages were 14 to 31%, for a reduction observed at all plants ranging between 14 and 45%. Pathotypes associated with extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) were the most abundant at three of the four plants and represented 24% of all isolates, while intestinal pathogenic E. coli pathotypes (IPEC) represented 10% of the isolates. At the plant where ExPEC isolates were not the most abundant, a large number of isolates were classified as both ExPEC and IPEC; overall, 6% of the isolates were classified in both groups, with the majority being from the same plant. The reduction of the proportion of pathogenic E. coli could not be explained by the preferential loss of one virulence gene or one type of virulence factor; however, the quinolone resistance gene (qnrS) appears to enhance the loss of virulence genes, suggesting a mechanism involving the loss of pathogenicity islands.     

Pharmacophore modelling and atom-based 3D-QSAR studies on N-methyl pyrimidones as HIV-1 integrase inhibitors

Pharmacophore modelling and atom-based 3D-QSAR studies were carried out for a series of compounds belonging to N-methyl pyrimidones as HIV-1 integrase inhibitors. Based on the ligand-based pharmacophore model, we got 5-point pharmacophore model AADDR, with two hydrogen bond acceptors (A), two hydrogen bond donors (D) and one aromatic ring (R). The generated pharmacophore-based alignment was used to derive a predictive atom-based 3D-QSAR model for the training set (r(2)?=?0.92, SD?=?0.16, F?=?84.8, N?=?40) and for test set (Q(2)?=?0.71, RMSE?=?0.06, Pearson R?=?0.90, N?=?10). From these results, AADDR pharmacophore feature was selected as best common pharmacophore hypothesis, and atom-based 3D-QSAR results also support the outcome by means of favourable and unfavourable regions of hydrophobic and electron-withdrawing groups for the most potent compound 30. These results can be useful for further design of new and potent HIV-1 IN inhibitors.     

Administration of E2 and NS1 siRNAs Inhibit Chikungunya Virus Replication In Vitro and Protects Mice Infected with the Virus

Background

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) has reemerged as a life threatening pathogen and caused large epidemics in several countries. So far, no licensed vaccine or effective antivirals are available and the treatment remains symptomatic. In this context, development of effective and safe prophylactics and therapeutics assumes priority.

Methods

We evaluated the efficacy of the siRNAs against ns1 and E2 genes of CHIKV both in vitro and in vivo. Four siRNAs each, targeting the E2 (Chik-1 to Chik-4) and ns1 (Chik-5 to Chik-8) genes were designed and evaluated for efficiency in inhibiting CHIKV growth in vitro and in vivo. Chik-1 and Chik-5 siRNAs were effective in controlling CHIKV replication in vitro as assessed by real time PCR, IFA and plaque assay.

Conclusions

CHIKV replication was completely inhibited in the virus-infected mice when administered 72 hours post infection. The combination of Chik-1 and Chik-5 siRNAs exhibited additive effect leading to early and complete inhibition of virus replication. These findings suggest that RNAi capable of inhibiting CHIKV growth might constitute a new therapeutic strategy for controlling CHIKV infection and transmission.     

Modern pollen assemblages from Reasi (Jammu and Kashmir), India: a tool for interpreting fossil pollen records

Twenty five surface samples/moss cushions were collected for palynological analysis from open areas of Reasi District, Jammu and Kashmir (India). These samples were used to investigate the relationships between extant vegetation and modern pollen spectra, which serve as modern analogue for the reliable ecological interpretation of fossil pollen records. The present vegetation in the region comprises tropical dry deciduous forests and subtropical pine forests with scattered stands of oak. The pollen analysis reveals that Pinus sp. (average 69% in the pollen assemblages), amongst the conifers, dominates the pollen rain, which can be attributed to its high pollen productivity and exceptional pollen dispersal efficiency. Cedrus sp. and Podocarpus sp. pollen contribute with an average of 16 and 5% to the total pollen rain. Other conifers such as Picea sp., Abies sp., Juniperus sp. and Tsuga sp., as well as broad-leaved taxa such as Quercus sp., Alnus sp., Betula sp., Carpinus sp., Corylus sp., Juglans sp., Ulmus sp., Salix sp., Elaeocarpus sp., Mallotus sp. and Aesculus sp., have lower averages of 1 to 4.5% in the total pollen rain which could be either due to their poor pollen dispersal efficiency or to the poor preservation in the samples. Tubuliflorae (average 25%), Poaceae (average 6.26%), Cerealia and other crop plants (average 7.68%) are other prominent taxa in the pollen rain. The nearly complete absence of members of tropical dry deciduous forests in the pollen spectra likely is due to the fact that most species in this vegetation type are not wind pollinated.     

Meclonazepam analogues as potential new antihelmintic agents

New analogues of the potent antihelmintic meclonazepam were prepared and evaluated against Schistosoma mansoni. The biological data suggests substitution at positions 2 and 4 of meclonazepam could provide promising analogues for prophylactic and therapeutic activity against S. mansoni.     

陕西不同区域苹果林土壤水分动态和水分生产力模拟

基于WinEPIC和偏最小二乘回归模型对1981—2016年陕西不同区域成龄苹果林的水分生产力影响因子和土壤水分动态进行比较.结果表明: 研究期间,陕北丘陵沟壑区、渭北残塬区和关中平原区成龄苹果林年均产量分别为16.94、22.62和25.70 t·hm^-2,年均蒸散量分别为511.2、614.9和889.88 mm,水分生产力分别为3.81、3.82和3.24 kg·m^-3.在陕北区和渭北区,林地水分胁迫最严重,年均胁迫天数分别为54.89、28.38 d,关中区的N素胁迫较为剧烈,年均胁迫天数为25.87 d.陕北区和渭北区影响苹果林产量的最大因子是降水量,其标准化回归系数分别为0.274和0.235,但施N量对产量也有较大影响,回归系数分别达0.224和0.232;关中区的最大影响因子为施N量,回归系数为0.335,其次是供水量和施P量,回归系数分别为0.154和0.147.陕北区和渭北区影响苹果林水分生产力的最大因子是降水量,其标准化回归系数分别0.238和0.194;关中区最主要的影响因子为施N量和供水量,回归系数分别为0.182和0.178.在模拟期间,陕北区、渭北区和关中区苹果林地的过耗水总量分别为1152.17、1342.95和1372.42 mm,2~15 m土层土壤有效含水量下降速率分别为63.44、57.08、51.41 mm·a^-1,深层土壤干层出现时间分别为8、13和17年后,干层稳定至11 m深的时间分别为18、21和26年,干燥化严重.不同区域苹果林的管理重心应参考水分生产力的主导因子确定.