Store-Operated Ca2+ Channels Blockers Inhibit Lipopolysaccharide Induced Astrocyte Activation

The destruction of calcium homeostasis is an important factor leading to neurological diseases. Store-operated Ca²⁺ (SOC) channels are essential for Ca²⁺ homeostasis in many cell types. However, whether SOC channels are involved in astrocyte activation induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) still remains unknown. In this study, we used LPS as an exogenous stimulation to investigate the role of SOC channels in astrocyte activation. Using calcium imaging technology, we first found that SOC channels blockers, 1-[h-[3-(4-methoxyphenyl)propoxy]-4-methoxyphenethyl]-1H-imidazole (SKF-96365) and 2-aminoethyldiphenyl borate (2-APB), inhibited LPS induced [Ca²⁺]_i increase, which prompted us to speculate that SOC channels may be involved in LPS induced astrocyte activation. Further experiments confirmed our speculation shown as SOC channels blockers inhibited LPS induced astrocyte activation characterized as cell proliferation by MTS and BrdU assay, raise in glial fibrillary acidic protein expression by immunofluorescence and Western Blot and secretion of interleukin 6 (IL-6) and interleukin 1β (IL-1β) by ELISA. So, our studies showed that SOC channels are involved in LPS-induced astrocyte activation.     

The Possible Structural Models for Polyglutamine Aggregation: A Molecular Dynamics Simulations Study

Abstract

Huntington's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion near the N-terminus of huntingtin. Previous studies have suggested that polyQ aggregation occurs only when the number of glutamine (Q) residues is more than 36-40, the disease threshold. However, the structural characteristics of polyQ nucleation in the very early stage of aggregation still remain elusive. In this study, we designed 18 simulation trials to determine the possible structural models for polyQ nucleation and aggregation with various shapes and sizes of initial β-helical structures, such as left-handed circular, right-handed rectangular, and left- and right-handed triangular. Our results show that the stability of these models significantly increases with increasing the number of rungs, while it is rather insensitive to the number of Qs in each rung. In particular, the 3-rung β-helical models are stable when they adopt the left-handed triangular and right-handed rectangular conformations due to the fact that they preserve high β-turn and β-sheet contents, respectively, during the simulation courses. Thus, we suggested that these two stable β-helical structures with at least 3 rungs might serve as the possible nucleation seeds for polyQ depending on how the structural elements of β-turn and β-sheet are sampled and preserved during the very early stage of aggregation.     

Structure of the Type VI Effector-Immunity Complex (Tae4-Tai4) Provides Novel Insights into the Inhibition Mechanism of the Effector by Its Immunity Protein

The type VI secretion system (T6SS), a multisubunit needle-like apparatus, has recently been found to play a role in interspecies interactions. The Gram-negative bacteria harboring T6SS (donor) deliver the effectors into their neighboring cells (recipient) to kill them. Meanwhile, the cognate immunity proteins were employed to protect the donor cells against the toxic effectors. Tae4 (type VI amidase effector 4) and Tai4 (type VI amidase immunity 4) are newly identified T6SS effector-immunity pairs. Here, we report the crystal structures of Tae4 from Enterobacter cloacae and Tae4-Tai4 complexes from both E. cloacae and Salmonella typhimurium. Tae4 acts as a dl-endopeptidase and displays a typical N1pC/P60 domain. Unlike Tsi1 (type VI secretion immunity 1), Tai4 is an all-helical protein and forms a dimer in solution. The small angle x-ray scattering study combined with the analytical ultracentrifugation reveal that the Tae4-Tai4 complex is a compact heterotetramer that consists of a Tai4 dimer and two Tae4 molecules in solution. Structure-based mutational analysis of the Tae4-Tai4 interface shows that a helix (α3) of one subunit in dimeric Tai4 plays a major role in binding of Tae4, whereas a protruding loop (L4) in the other subunit is mainly responsible for inhibiting Tae4 activity. The inhibition process requires collaboration between the Tai4 dimer. These results reveal a novel and unique inhibition mechanism in effector-immunity pairs and suggest a new strategy to develop antipathogen drugs.     

Synthesis and antibacterial activity of 9-oxime ether non-ketolides,and novel binding mode of alkylides with bacterial rRNA

We report a series of new 9-oxime ether non-ketolides, including 3-hydroxyl, 3-O-acyl and 3-O-alkyl clarithromycin derivatives, and thiophene-containing ketolides 1b–1d. Unlike previously reported ketolide 1a, none of them is comparable to telithromycin. A molecular modeling study was performed to gain insight into the binding mode of alkylides 17–20 with bacterial rRNA and to rationalize the great disparity of their SAR. The 3-O-sidechains of 19 and 20 point to the so-called hydrophilic side of the macrolide ring, as seen in clarithromycin. In contrast, the 3-O-sidechains of 17 and 18 bend to the backside, the so-called hydrophobic side of the macrolide ring. The results clearly indicated the alkylides with improved antibacterial activity might possess a novel binding mode, which is different from clarithromycin and the alkylides with poor activity.     

血液科感染患者致病菌的临床资料分析

目的：探讨血液病患者的感染特点,为临床治疗提供病原学依据。方法：回顾性分析北京友谊医院2008年7月至2011年7月血液科住院患者临床分离出病原菌的情况。结果：原发病以血液系统恶性肿瘤为主。共培养出致病菌357株,包括革兰阴性杆菌（40.8%）;革兰阳性球菌（24.1%）;真菌（35.1%）。引起感染最常见的革兰阴性杆菌为铜绿假单胞菌,最常见的革兰阳性球菌为粪肠球菌,最常见的真菌为白色假丝酵母菌。革兰阴性杆菌来源为血29.4%,痰46.6%,尿10.3%;革兰阳性球菌来源为血14%,痰47.7%,尿10.4%;真菌来源为血8%,痰60.8%,尿4%。66.4%真菌感染患者中性粒细胞〈1.5×109/L。结论：血液病感染的致病菌以革兰阴性杆菌为主,呼吸道是主要感染部位。对于中性粒细胞减少的血液病感染患者,真菌感染的几率明显增加,经验性抗真菌治疗具有一定的意义。     

Effect of propionic acid on citric acid fermentation in an integrated citric acid–methane fermentation process

In this study, an integrated citric acid-methane fermentation process was established to solve the problem of wastewater treatment in citric acid production. Citric acid wastewater was treated through anaerobic digestion and then the anaerobic digestion effluent (ADE) was further treated and recycled for the next batch citric acid fermentation. This process could eliminate wastewater discharge and reduce water resource consumption. Propionic acid was found in the ADE and its concentration continually increased in recycling. Effect of propionic acid on citric acid fermentation was investigated, and results indicated that influence of propionic acid on citric acid fermentation was contributed to the undissociated form. Citric acid fermentation was inhibited when the concentration of propionic acid was above 2, 4, and 6 mM in initial pH 4.0, 4.5 and, 5.0, respectively. However, low concentration of propionic acid could promote isomaltase activity which converted more isomaltose to available sugar, thereby increasing citric acid production. High concentration of propionic acid could influence the vitality of cell and prolong the lag phase, causing large amount of glucose still remaining in medium at the end of fermentation and decreasing citric acid production.     

检测小鼠肝炎病毒的SNaPshot分型技术及其应用

建立一种能对MHV_1、MHV_3、JHM、A_(59) 4种常见小鼠肝炎病毒(Murine Hepatitis Virus,MHV)进行分型检测的SNaPshot新方法。根据MHV 4种常见毒株基因序列比对结果,设计内外两对PCR通用引物和4个单碱基延伸引物,提取MHV 4种常见毒株RNA,逆转录后进行PCR扩增,纯化扩增产物,用SNaPshot方法进行单碱基延伸,将产物进行毛细管凝胶电泳,根据电泳结果分析毒株基因型。优化SNaPshot分析条件,进行灵敏度、特异性分析。用ELISA法和SNaPshot方法检测41例小鼠(Mus musculus)血清样本,将阳性样本进行克隆测序检测。当T1~T4引物修饰的poly T的数量分别为0、3、10和15,其浓度比为4︰6︰5︰10,引物大小分别为16 bp、19 bp、26 bp和31 bp时,SNa Phot分型检测MHV c DNA的最低浓度为1.25 mg/L,特异性为100%,与ELISA和T-克隆测序比较,其准确性为100%(41/41),阳性样本均为JHM毒株。实验结果说明,所建立的SNaPshot检测方法能对MHV_1、MHV_3、JHM、A_(59)进行分型检测,并且具有灵敏、特异、准确的优点。     

巴氏蘑菇子实体不同发育阶段的转录组分析

为探讨巴氏蘑菇子实体不同发育阶段基因的表达情况,本研究对巴氏蘑菇子实体不同发育时期（原基、采收期和开伞期）进行转录组测序,以本实验室已获得的巴氏蘑菇JA菌株的不育单孢菌株JA-15036基因组为参考基因组研究原基与采收期及开伞期样本间差异表达基因,并对差异表达基因进行了GO功能和Pathway富集分析。GO功能分析结果显示,差异表达基因主要富集在跨膜转运、碳水化合物代谢途径和膜组分,它们协同调控为子实体生长发育提供稳定的内环境。KEGG富集分析结果表明,原基期上调的差异表达基因主要富集在核糖体蛋白和DNA复制,表明原基期细胞代谢旺盛,其中核糖体蛋白基因上调为后期蛋白质合成提供重要场所;采收期和开伞期子实体时期差异表达基因主要富集在碳水化合物代谢、脂肪酸降解和氨基酸代谢等途径,为巴氏蘑菇子实体的生长发育与成熟提供营养与能量。