First record of Cricetops rodent in the Oligocene of southwestern China

The muroid Cricetops Matthew and Granger, 1923 commonly occurred in the Oligocene terrestrial deposits in central and northern Asia. Here we report the first record of Cricetops in the southern part of Asia. Isolated rodent molars named as a new species, Cricetops auster sp. nov., were discovered from the early Oligocene sediments at the Lijiawa locality in Yunnan Province in southwestern China. Compared to previously known Cricetops, C. auster is smaller than Cricetops dormitor Matthew and Granger, 1923 and Cricetops aeneus Shevyreva, 1965, but larger than Cricetops minor Wang, 1987. The cusps of C. auster are less conical. The ridges and crests are longer, higher and thicker. Relatively long and high crests, ridges and arms extending from the main cusps in the new species make those cusps more crescent in appearance than in C. dormitor, C. aeneus and C. minor. C. auster is a rare species in the Lijiawa mammalian fauna. Well-developed shearing tooth crests and ridges of C. auster probably suggest a different diet from the Cricetops from the northern part of Asia.     

Mutations in the exon 10 of prolactin receptor gene change the egg production performance in Wanjiang white goose

To select the molecular genetic markers related to egg performance of Wanjiang white goose, prolactin receptor gene (PRLR) was adopted to be a candidate gene in our study. Five pairs of primers (P1–P5) were designed to detect the SNPs of PRLR gene by PCR-SSCP method. The results revealed that polymorphisms were discovered in the PCR products amplified with P4 primers in PRLR exon 10, three genotypes were found: AA, AB and AC. The sequence of AB genotype is the same as original sequence (DQ660982) in NCBI. There are five mutations in AA genotype: C → A at 840 bp, C → T at 862 bp, T → C at 875 bp, T → A at 963 bp, A → T at 989 bp, resulting in amino acid mutations: His → Asn, Thr → Ile, Asn → Lys, Thr → Ser, and synonymous mutation at 875 bp. Sequencing revealed five mutations in AC genotype: G → T at 816 bp, A → T at 861 bp, C → T at 862 bp, T → C at 875 bp, A → G at 948 bp, causing amino acid mutations of Val → Phe, Thr → Phe, synonymous mutations at 875 and 963 bp. Besides, there are an N-glycosylation site (NQSR), three casein kinase II phosphorylation sites including SIIE, SKTE, and SLMD in AA genotype; three casein kinase II phosphorylation sites including SIIE, SKTE, and TLMD in AB genotype; three casein kinase II phosphorylation sites including SIFE, SKTE, and TLMD in AC genotype. The annual egg yielding of AB genotype geese are significantly more than those of AA and AC genotype geese on the average (P < 0.05). It is suggested for the first time that PRLR is a promising candidate gene that can affect egg performance in Wanjiang white goose.     

Production of ascorbic acid,total protein,callus and root in vitro of non-heading Chinese cabbage by tissue culture

Molecular Biology Reports - The objective of the present work was the selection of cultivar, suitable medium and explant type for callus, root production, ascorbic acid, total ascorbic acid,...     

Glymphatic distribution of CSF-derived apoE into brain is isoform specific and suppressed during sleep deprivation

Background

Apolipoprotein E (apoE) is a major carrier of cholesterol and essential for synaptic plasticity. In brain, it’s expressed by many cells but highly expressed by the choroid plexus and the predominant apolipoprotein in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The role of apoE in the CSF is unclear. Recently, the glymphatic system was described as a clearance system whereby CSF and ISF (interstitial fluid) is exchanged via the peri-arterial space and convective flow of ISF clearance is mediated by aquaporin 4 (AQP4), a water channel. We reasoned that this system also serves to distribute essential molecules in CSF into brain. The aim was to establish whether apoE in CSF, secreted by the choroid plexus, is distributed into brain, and whether this distribution pattern was altered by sleep deprivation.

Methods

We used fluorescently labeled lipidated apoE isoforms, lenti-apoE3 delivered to the choroid plexus, immunohistochemistry to map apoE brain distribution, immunolabeled cells and proteins in brain, Western blot analysis and ELISA to determine apoE levels and radiolabeled molecules to quantify CSF inflow into brain and brain clearance in mice. Data were statistically analyzed using ANOVA or Student’s t- test.

Results

We show that the glymphatic fluid transporting system contributes to the delivery of choroid plexus/CSF-derived human apoE to neurons. CSF-delivered human apoE entered brain via the perivascular space of penetrating arteries and flows radially around arteries, but not veins, in an isoform specific manner (apoE2?>?apoE3?>?apoE4). Flow of apoE around arteries was facilitated by AQP4, a characteristic feature of the glymphatic system. ApoE3, delivered by lentivirus to the choroid plexus and ependymal layer but not to the parenchymal cells, was present in the CSF, penetrating arteries and neurons. The inflow of CSF, which contains apoE, into brain and its clearance from the interstitium were severely suppressed by sleep deprivation compared to the sleep state.

Conclusions

Thus, choroid plexus/CSF provides an additional source of apoE and the glymphatic fluid transporting system delivers it to brain via the periarterial space. By implication, failure in this essential physiological role of the glymphatic fluid flow and ISF clearance may also contribute to apoE isoform-specific disorders in the long term.

     

Treatment of donor cells with trichostatin A improves in vitro development and reprogramming of buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) nucleus transfer embryos

It has been reported that buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) embryos reconstructed by somatic cell nucleus transfer (SCNT) can develop to the full term of gestation and result in newborn calves. However, the developmental competence of reconstructed embryos is still low. Recently, it has been reported that treating donor cells or embryos with trichostatin A (TSA) can increase the cloning efficiency in some species. Thus, the present study was undertaken to improve the development of buffalo SCNT embryos by treatment of donor cells (buffalo fetal fibroblasts) with TSA and explore the relation between histone acetylation status of donor cells and developmental competence of SCNT embryos. Treatment of donor cells with either 0.15 or 0.3 μM TSA for 48 hours resulted in a significant increase in the cleavage rate and blastocyst yield of SCNT embryos (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the expression level of HDAC1 in donor cells was also decreased (0.4–0.6 fold, P < 0.05) by TSA treatment, although the expression level of HAT1 was not affected. Further measurement of the epigenetic maker AcH4K8 in buffalo IVF and SCNT embryos at the eight-cell stage revealed that the spatial distribution of acH4K8 staining in SCNT embryos was different from the IVF embryos. Treatment of donor cells with TSA resulted in an increase in the AcH4K8 level of SCNT embryos and similar to fertilized counterparts. These results suggest that treatment of donor cells with TSA can facilitate their nucleus reprogramming by affecting the acetylated status of H4K8 and improving the in vitro development of buffalo SCNT embryos. The AcH4K8 status at the eight-cell stage can be used as an epigenetic marker for predicting the SCNT efficiency in buffalos.     

Body mass and behavior in Swiss mice subjected to continuous or discontinuous food restriction and refeeding

Food restriction (FR) is hypothesized to decrease body fat content of an animal and thus prevent obesity. However, the response of energy budget to a continuous (CFR) or discontinuous FR (DFR) remains inconsistent. In the present study, effects of CFR or DFR and refeeding on energy budget and behavior were examined in male Swiss mice. CFR significantly decreased the energy expenditure associated with basal metabolic rate (BMR) and activity behavior, but not sufficiently to compensate for energy deficit and thus resulted in lower body mass and fat content. DFR mice had a significantly higher food intake on ad libitum days and showed increases in BMR and activity after 4 weeks’ DFR, which might resulted in lower body mass and less body fat than controls. After being refed ad libitum, both CFR and DFR mice had similar body mass, BMR, and behavioral patterns to controls but had 95% and 75% higher fat content. This suggested that not only CFR but also DFR would be a significant factor in the process of obesity for animals that were refed ad libitum. It also indicated that food restriction interrupted many times by periods of ad libitum feeding had the same long-term effects like continuous underfeeding.     

影像分析在生化研究中的应用概况

影像分析是一项重要的微观物质形态测量和浓度测量技术,已经在众多领域中得到应用。本主要介绍影像分析系统的基本结构及其在生化领域中的应用情况,包括细胞形态观察与测量、突变菌株的区分与筛选、蛋白质与ＤＮＡ分子浓度的测量。     

Role of IKK/NF-κB signaling in extinction of conditioned place aversion memory in rats

The inhibitor κB protein kinase/nuclear factor κB (IKK/NF-κB) signaling pathway is critical for synaptic plasticity. However, the role of IKK/NF-κB in drug withdrawal-associated conditioned place aversion (CPA) memory is unknown. Here, we showed that inhibition of IKK/NF-κB by sulphasalazine (SSZ; 10 mM, i.c.v.) selectively blocked the extinction but not acquisition or expression of morphine-induced CPA in rats. The blockade of CPA extinction induced by SSZ was abolished by sodium butyrate, an inhibitor of histone deacetylase. Thus, the IKK/NF-κB signaling pathway might play a critical role in the extinction of morphine-induced CPA in rats and might be a potential pharmacotherapy target for opiate addiction.     

Identification and validation of quantitative trait loci conferring tan spot resistance in the bread wheat variety Ernie

Tan spot, caused by Pyrenophora tritici-repentis, is a foliar disease of wheat, and it can inflict serious reduction in grain yield and quality. The bread wheat variety Ernie was found to be immune to this disease in Australia, and its genetic control was investigated by quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis using a doubled haploid population. Eight QTL were identified in this population from three independent trials, and four of them were derived from the parent Ernie. The most significant QTL was located on chromosome arm 2BS, explaining 38.2, 29.8 and 36.2% of the phenotypic variance, respectively, in these trials. The effects of the 2BS QTL were further validated in four additional populations. The presence of this single QTL reduced disease severity by between 29.2 and 67.1% with an average of 50.5%. The significant effects of this QTL and its consistent detection across all the trials with different genetic backgrounds make it an ideal target for breeding programmes as well as for its further characterization. Data from this study also showed that neither plant height nor heading date significantly affects tan spot resistance.