'Working' cardiomyocytes exhibiting plateau action potentials from human placenta-derived extraembryonic mesodermal cells

The clinical application of cell transplantation for severe heart failure is a promising strategy to improve impaired cardiac function. Recently, an array of cell types, including bone marrow cells, endothelial progenitors, mesenchymal stem cells, resident cardiac stem cells, and embryonic stem cells, have become important candidates for cell sources for cardiac repair. In the present study, we focused on the placenta as a cell source. Cells from the chorionic plate in the fetal portion of the human placenta were obtained after delivery by the primary culture method, and the cells generated in this study had the Y sex chromosome, indicating that the cells were derived from the fetus. The cells potentially expressed 'working' cardiomyocyte-specific genes such as cardiac myosin heavy chain 7beta, atrial myosin light chain, cardiac alpha-actin by gene chip analysis, and Csx/Nkx2.5, GATA4 by RT-PCR, cardiac troponin-I and connexin 43 by immunohistochemistry. These cells were able to differentiate into cardiomyocytes. Cardiac troponin-I and connexin 43 displayed a discontinuous pattern of localization at intercellular contact sites after cardiomyogenic differentiation, suggesting that the chorionic mesoderm contained a large number of cells with cardiomyogenic potential. The cells began spontaneously beating 3 days after co-cultivation with murine fetal cardiomyocytes and the frequency of beating cells reached a maximum on day 10. The contraction of the cardiomyocytes was rhythmical and synchronous, suggesting the presence of electrical communication between the cells. Placenta-derived human fetal cells may be useful for patients who cannot supply bone marrow cells but want to receive stem cell-based cardiac therapy.     

甲状腺激素对胸腺上皮细胞CK19蛋白表达的影响

目的探讨甲状腺激素对胸腺的发育的影响及可能的机制。方法将12只怀孕4d的大鼠随机分成A组和B组,A组正常饮水,B组孕鼠供以含有0．02％甲巯咪唑的饮水制备仔鼠甲状腺功能低下动物模型,将A组的仔鼠随机分成对照组和甲状腺素钠组,将B组的仔鼠随机分成甲低组和甲低＋甲状腺素钠组。甲状腺素钠组和甲低＋甲状腺素钠组于出生后15d给予腹腔注射甲状腺素钠（0．5mg／kg体重,1次／d）,连续给药25d。所有动物于出生后40d麻醉处死,测定仔鼠的胸腺重量及脏器指数;采用放射免疫技术测定仔鼠血清中三碘甲状腺原氨酸（triiodothyronine,T3）、四碘甲状腺原氨酸（tetraiodothyronine,T4）、促甲状腺激素（thyroid—stimulating hormone,TSH）水平,免疫组织化学技术检测胸腺上皮细胞细胞角蛋白19（cytokeratin 19,CK19）蛋白的表达量。结果与对照组比较,甲状腺素钠组仔鼠血清中T3、T4显著升高,TSH减少,胸腺重量增大;甲低组仔鼠血清中T3、T4明显降低,TSH显著增高,胸腺重量降低,胸腺上皮细胞CK19蛋白表达减少。与甲低组比较,甲低＋甲状腺素钠组仔鼠血清中T3、T4升高,TSH降低,胸腺指数增大,胸腺上皮细胞CK19蛋白的表达明显增多。结论甲状腺激素可以通过影响胸腺上皮细胞CK19的表达量,使胸腺发育或退化。     

长萼兰花蕉(Orchidantha chinensis var.longisepala)的繁育系统研究

通过野外观察并采用杂交指数（OCI）测定、花粉/胚珠比（P/O）检测、人工控制授粉等方法,对长萼兰花蕉（Orchidantha chinensis var.longisepala（D.Fang） T.L.Wu）种群的繁育系统进行了研究,采用常规石蜡切片与扫描电子显微镜（SEM）观察了柱头与"V"形黏盘的结构与形态。结果表明,长萼兰花蕉单花花期一般为18 d,依其花部形态的变化可分为蕾期、花萼未反转期、花萼反转期、唇瓣枯萎期、花萼枯萎期5个时期;根据杂交指数值为4、P/O值为253.89 ±21.09、人工异花授粉结实率分别为45%（2014年）和75%（2015年）,显示出长萼兰花蕉的繁育系统属于异交,且需要传粉者。石蜡切片观察到长萼兰花蕉黏盘区与柱头可授区之间是光滑的表皮细胞,结合人工授粉实验与分泌物含糖量测定结果表明,长萼兰花蕉的"V"形黏盘不具有可授性,其作用可能是分泌黏液附着在传粉者背部使其便于携带花粉。长萼兰花蕉整个花期环境湿冷、多雨且开花同步性较低,这些因素很可能造成其有效传粉媒介缺乏,影响了传粉成功;另一方面,长萼兰花蕉有性繁殖受到限制,其主要通过根状茎进行无性繁殖后代,所以分布范围比较狭窄。     

用EST-SSR标记检测我国甘蓝型油菜品种的遗传多样性

杂交育种依然是我国油菜育种的主要方法,杂种优势的利用仍然是提高产量的重要途径.为了解我国甘蓝型油菜的遗传变异,采用16个EST-SSR标记对近年来推广的91个品种的遗传多样性进行了分析.共扩增到100个条带,其中84个多态性带,多态性比率为84%.平均每对引物扩增的带数和多态性带数分别为6.25个和5.25个.多态性信息含量(PIC)变化在0.022-0.926之间,平均为0.677,所揭示的基因型数变化于2-24之间,平均为12.44个.供试材料间遗传距离变幅较大(0.0530-0.7223之间),说明它们具有广泛的遗传变异.其中,杂交种和2000年以后育成品种的遗传基础较宽,遗传多样性分别明显高于常规品种和2000年以前育成的品种.按非加权成对平均数法(UPGMA)进行的聚类分析显示,在遗传距离为0.313处,参试材料可以分为三大类,其中,包含87份材料的第一大类在遗传距离为0.233处又可进一步分为10个亚类.聚类结果与系谱来源基本一致,比较真实反映了所用材料的遗传变异情况.     

光合作用系统II外周蛋白——P23k去折叠的热力学和动力学

利用荧光光谱学等方法结合高压力技术研究了光合作用系统II中的一个外周蛋白——— 2 3kD(以P2 3k表示 )蛋白的去折叠。热力学研究表明 ,在 2 0℃、180MPa(1MPa =10 .0大气压 )可使该蛋白质完全去折叠 ,而在3℃ ,16 0MPa即可使该蛋白质完全去折叠 ,这是迄今为止有关研究中最易被高压力去折叠的一个蛋白质。在2 0℃ ,该蛋白质在常压下去折叠反应的标准自由能与标准体积变化分别为 2 3.4 5kJ mol和 - 15 0 .3ml mol;动力学研究揭示该蛋白质的折叠反应的活化体积ΔV f 为正值 (84 .1ml mol) ,而去折叠反应的活化体积ΔV u 为负值(- 6 6 .2ml mol)。在常压下 ,折叠和去折叠反应的速度常数 (K0f,K0u)分别为 1.87s- 1 和 1.3× 10 - 4s- 1 ,这些结果为解释该蛋白质易被压力去折叠提供了线索     

土壤中质粒pLV1016在快生型大豆根瘤菌间的水平转移

在滤膜、液体培养基和土壤微宇宙 3种系统中 ,研究了接合型质粒 pLV1 0 1 6由快生型大豆根瘤菌 (Rhizobiumfredii)QB1 1 31向R .frediilux3的水平转移及pLV1 0 1 6由QB1 1 31向土著细菌的转移 .接合培养 1d后 ,分别计算供、受体菌的生长速率和质粒转移速率常数 (γ) .结果表明 ,相同接种浓度下 ,滤膜接合时γ值最高 ,土壤中γ值最低 ,γ值不受土壤是否灭菌和是否有大豆植株的影响 ,γ值与初始接种浓度负相关 ,与供、受体的生长速率正相关 .在未灭菌土中检测到 pLV1 0 1 6可转移到土著细菌 ,土著接合子分别属于根瘤菌属和假单胞菌属 .     

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus enhances P acquisition of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in a sandy loam soil with long-term inorganic fertilization regime

The P efficiency, crop yield, and response of wheat to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) Glomus caledonium were tested in an experimental field with long-term (19 years) fertilizer management. The experiment included five fertilizer treatments: organic amendment (OA), half organic amendment plus half mineral fertilizer (1/2 OM), mineral fertilizer NPK, mineral fertilizer NK, and the control (without fertilization). AMF inoculation responsiveness (MIR) of wheat plants at acquiring P were estimated by comparing plants grown in unsterilized soil inoculated with G. caledonium and in untreated soil containing indigenous AMF. Without AMF inoculation, higher crop yields but lower colonization rates were observed in the NPK and two OA-inputted treatments, and NPK had significantly (P < 0.05) lower impacts on organic C and available P in soils and thereby P acquisition of wheat plants compared with OA and 1/2 OM. G. caledonium inoculation significantly (P < 0.05) increased colonization rates with the NPK and two P-deficient treatments but significantly (P < 0.05) increased vegetative biomass, crop yield, and P acquisition of wheat as well as soil alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, only with the NPK treatment. This gave an MIR of ca. 45% on total P acquisition of wheat plants. There were no other remarkable MIRs. It suggested that the MIR is determined by soil available P status, and rational combination of AMF with chemical NPK fertilizer can compensate for organic amendments by improving P-acquisition efficiency in arable soils.     

The glucose‐deprivation network counteracts lapatinib‐induced toxicity in resistant ErbB2‐positive breast cancer cells

Dynamic interactions between intracellular networks regulate cellular homeostasis and responses to perturbations. Targeted therapy is aimed at perturbing oncogene addiction pathways in cancer, however, development of acquired resistance to these drugs is a significant clinical problem. A network‐based computational analysis of global gene expression data from matched sensitive and acquired drug‐resistant cells to lapatinib, an EGFR/ErbB2 inhibitor, revealed an increased expression of the glucose deprivation response network, including glucagon signaling, glucose uptake, gluconeogenesis and unfolded protein response in the resistant cells. Importantly, the glucose deprivation response markers correlated significantly with high clinical relapse rates in ErbB2‐positive breast cancer patients. Further, forcing drug‐sensitive cells into glucose deprivation rendered them more resistant to lapatinib. Using a chemical genomics bioinformatics mining of the CMAP database, we identified drugs that specifically target the glucose deprivation response networks to overcome the resistant phenotype and reduced survival of resistant cells. This study implicates the chronic activation of cellular compensatory networks in response to targeted therapy and suggests novel combinations targeting signaling and metabolic networks in tumors with acquired resistance.