Differential regulation of NMDA receptor function by DJ‐1 and PINK1

Dysfunction of PTEN‐induced kinase 1 (PINK1) or DJ‐1 promotes neuronal death and is implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Given the roles of N‐methyl‐d‐ aspartate receptor (NMDAr)‐mediated neurotoxicity in various brain disorders including cerebral ischemia and neurodegenerative diseases, we investigated the effects of PINK1 and DJ‐1 on NMDAr function. Using protein overexpression and knockdown approaches, we showed that PINK1 increased NMDAr‐mediated whole‐cell currents by enhancing the function of NR2A‐containing NMDAr subtype (NR2ACNR). However, DJ‐1 decreased NMDAr‐mediated currents, which was mediated through the inhibition of both NR2ACNR and NR2B‐containing NMDAr subtype (NR2BCNR). We revealed that the knockdown of DJ‐1 enhanced PTEN expression, which not only potentiated NR2BCNR function but also increased PINK1 expression that led to NR2ACNR potentiation. These results indicate that NMDAr function is differentially regulated by DJ‐1‐dependent signal pathways DJ‐1/PTEN/NR2BCNR and DJ‐1/PTEN/PINK1/NR2ACNR. Our results further showed that the suppression of DJ‐1, while promoted NMDA‐induced neuronal death through the overactivation of PTEN/NR2BCNR‐dependent cell death pathway, induced a neuroprotective effect to counteract DJ‐1 dysfunction‐mediated neuronal death signaling through activating PTEN/PINK1/NR2ACNR cell survival–promoting pathway. Thus, PINK1 acts with DJ‐1 in a common pathway to regulate NMDAr‐mediated neuronal death. This study suggests that the DJ‐1/PTEN/NR2BCNR and DJ‐1/PTEN/PINK1/NR2ACNR pathways may represent potential therapeutic targets for the development of neuroprotection strategy in the treatment of brain injuries and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease.     

污染土壤的酶学修复研究进展

土壤酶在污染土壤的修复过程中起到非常重要的作用,污染土壤的酶修复具有专性强、适应性广、受环境因素影响较小等特点。文中综述了土壤酶对污染土壤修复的优势,酶的固定化技术与方法、氧化还原酶对污染物的去除机理;介绍了用于土壤修复的酶的来源及主要特征,并对今后的研究工作提出了几点建议。     

p27蛋白和Cyclin E在食管鳞状细胞癌的表达及意义

目的　探讨 p2 7和CyclinE在食管鳞状上皮和鳞癌细胞中的表达特点及意义。方法　收集正常食管鳞状上皮粘膜组织和不典型增生的食管粘膜组织共 41例 ,食管鳞状细胞癌组织 73例 ,采用S P免疫组织化学方法进行染色。结果　CyclinE和 p2 7在正常鳞状上皮中无阳性表达 ;不典型增生上皮组阳性率分别为 3 3 3 3 % ( 7/ 2 1)和 2 3 80 % ( 5 / 2 1) .在鳞癌中CyclinE和 p2 7阳性率分别为 5 3 42 % ( 3 9/ 73 )和 2 7 40 % ( 2 0 / 73 ) .经统计 ,CyclinE与癌组织分化程度有关 ,低分化组阳性率明显高于中、高分化组 (P <0 0 5 ) ;而p2 7在高分化组阳性率明显高于低分化组 (P <0 0 5 ) ;两者差异显著 (P <0 0 5 )。结论　p2 7和CyclinE表达与食管鳞癌的生物学行为有关。CyclinE过表达是食管鳞癌恶性度较高的指标 ,而p2 7过表达是恶性度较低的指标     

Prostacyclin analogs stimulate VEGF production from human lung fibroblasts in culture

Prostacyclin is a short-lived metabolite of arachidonic acid that is produced by several cells in the lung and prominently by endothelial cells. It increases intracellular cAMP levels activating downstream signaling thus regulating vascular mesenchymal cell functions. The alveolar wall contains a rich capillary network as well as a population of mesenchymal cells, i.e., fibroblasts. The current study evaluated the hypothesis that prostacyclin may mediate signaling between endothelial and mesenchymal cells in the alveolar wall by assessing the ability of prostacyclin analogs to modulate fibroblast release of VEGF. To accomplish this study, human lung fibroblasts were cultured in routine culture on plastic support and in three-dimensional collagen gels with or without three prostacyclin analogs, carbaprostacyclin, iloprost, and beraprost, and the production of VEGF was evaluated by ELISA and quantitative real-time PCR. Iloprost and beraprost significantly stimulated VEGF mRNA levels and protein release in a concentration-dependent manner. These effects were blocked by the adenylate cyclase inhibitor SQ-22536 and by the protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor KT-5720 and were reproduced by a direct PKA activator but not by an activator of exchange protein directly activated by cAMP (Epac), indicating that cAMP-activated PKA signaling mediated the effect. Since VEGF serves to maintain the pulmonary microvasculature, the current study suggests that prostacyclin is part of a bidirectional signaling network between the mesenchymal and vascular cells of the alveolar wall. Prostacyclin analogs, therefore, have the potential to modulate the maintenance of the pulmonary microcirculation by driving the production of VEGF from lung fibroblasts.     

64Cu-labeled 2-(diphenylphosphoryl)ethyldiphenylphosphonium cations as highly selective tumor imaging agents: effects of linkers and chelates on radiotracer biodistribution characteristics

Radiolabeled organic cations, such as triphenylphosphonium (TPP), represents a new class of radiotracers for imaging cancers and the transport function of multidrug resistance P-glycoproteins (particularly MDR1 Pgp) by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) or positron emission tomography (PET). This report presents the synthesis and biological evaluation of (64)Cu-labeled 2-(diphenylphosphoryl)ethyldiphenylphosphonium (TPEP) cations as novel PET radiotracers for tumor imaging. Biodistribution studies were performed using the athymic nude mice bearing subcutaneous U87MG human glioma xenografts to explore the impact of linkers, bifunctional chelators (BFCs), and chelates on biodistribution characteristics of the (64)Cu-labeled TPEP cations. Metabolism studies were carried out using normal athymic nude mice to determine the metabolic stability of four (64)Cu radiotracers. It was found that most (64)Cu radiotracers described in this study have significant advantages over (99m)Tc-Sestamibi for their high tumor/heart and tumor/muscle ratios. Both BFCs and linkers have significant impact on biological properties of (64)Cu-labeled TPEP cations. For example, (64)Cu(DO3A-xy-TPEP) has much lower liver uptake and better tumor/liver ratios than (64)Cu(DO3A-xy-TPP), suggesting that TPEP is a better mitochondrion-targeting molecule than TPP. Replacing DO3A with DO2A results in (64)Cu(DO2A-xy-TPEP) (+), which has a lower tumor uptake than (64)Cu(DO3A-xy-TPEP). Substitution of DO3A with NOTA-Bn leads to a significant decrease in tumor uptake for (64)Cu(NOTA-Bn-xy-TPEP). The use of DOTA-Bn to replace DO3A has little impact on the tumor uptake, but the tumor/liver ratio of (64)Cu(DOTA-Bn-xy-TPEP) (-) is not as good as that of (64)Cu(DO3A-xy-TPEP), probably due to the aromatic benzene ring in DOTA-Bn. Addition of an extra acetamido group in (64)Cu(DOTA-xy-TPEP) results in a lower liver uptake, but tumor/liver ratios of (64)Cu(DOTA-xy-TPEP) and (64)Cu(DO3A-xy-TPEP) are comparable due to a faster tumor washout of (64)Cu(DOTA-xy-TPEP). Substitution of xylene with the PEG 2 linker also leads to a significant reduction in both tumor and liver uptake. MicroPET imaging studies on (64)Cu(DO3A-xy-TPEP) in athymic nude mice bearing U87MG glioma xenografts showed that the tumor was clearly visualized as early as 1 h postinjection with very high T/B contrast. There was very little metabolite (<2%) detectable in the urine and feces samples for (64)Cu(DO3A-xy-TPEP), (64)Cu(DOTA-Bn-xy-TPEP)(-), and (64)Cu(NOTA-Bn-xy-TPEP). Considering both tumor uptake and T/B ratios (particularly tumor/heart, tumor/liver, and tumor/muscle), it was concluded that (64)Cu(DO3A-xy-TPEP) is a promising PET radiotracer for imaging the MDR-negative tumors.     

丝裂霉素C对瘢痕疙瘩成纤维细胞Cyclin D1、CDK4及P27基因表达的影响

目的探讨丝裂霉素C（Mitomycin C,MMC）对瘢痕疙瘩成纤维中Cyclin D1、CDK4及P27基因表达的影响,以阐明MMC对瘢痕疙瘩的作用机制,为瘢痕疙瘩的治疗提供理论依据。方法用不同浓度的MMC作用于体外培养的瘢痕疙瘩成纤维细胞,MTT法测量细胞增殖情况,利用半定量RT-PCR、免疫组化分析用药前后Cydin D1、CDK4及P27的mRNA和蛋白水平表达的变化。结果MMC可明显抑制体外培养的瘢痕疙瘩成纤维细胞的增殖,并呈时间和剂量依赖性抑制成纤维细胞增殖;MMC作用后,使Cyclin D1和CDK4的mRNA及蛋白表达减少,P27基因的表达增加。结论MMC可能是通过调节cyclin D1／CDK4／P27细胞周期调控通路,抑制瘢痕疙瘩成纤维细胞增殖而发挥治疗瘢痕疙瘩的作用。     

Correlation between numerical dynamics and reproductive behavior in Cypripedium lentiginosum

Isolation, molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis were carried out to investigate the biodiversity of manganese bacteria in sediments which were collected from the Arctic Ocean during the 2^nd Chinese Arctic Scientific Expedition. 21 and 19 species of cultivable strains were isolated from sediments at Stations P11 and S11, respectively, according to their distinct morphological character on the screening plate of manganese medium. Molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis showed that the cultivable manganese bacteria from Station P11 were basically composed of γ-Proteobacteria (γ subgroup of the Proteobacteria branch of the domain Bacteria) and Actinobacteria, which accounted for 86% and 14%, respectively. The isolates of γ-Proteobacteria mainly included Psychrobacter, Shewanella, Acinetobacter and Marinobacter, of which Psychrobacter was the major genus, which accounted for 67% of the γ-Proteobacteria. The cultivable manganese bacteria from Station S11 included α-Proteobacteria, γ-Proteobacteria and Flavobacteria of Bacteroides. The γ-Proteobacteria mainly included Shewanella, Marinomonas and Alteromonas. The majority of α-Proteobacteria was Sphingomonas. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that bacteria from sediments at Stations P11 and S11 had different cultivable manganese microbial communities. All tested strains had higher resistance to Mn²⁺, of which Marinomonas sp. S11-S-4 had the highest resistant ability.     

大气CO2增加对土壤脲酶、磷酸酶活性的影响

1　引　　言自 19世纪 70年代工业化革命以来 ,由于化石燃料燃烧、林草地开垦农用等已引起ＣＯ2 大气排放的不断增加 ,可能使未来的 5 0～ 10 0年内 ,全球大气ＣＯ2 将增加 1倍左右 .许多研究证明 ,大气ＣＯ2 增加可提高植物生长代谢水平[1,8] .其结果是植物代谢分泌物的种类和数量发生变化 ,由植物光合作用强度或速率变化引起的植物枯枝落叶质量也会改变 ,二者均可能在经泌入土壤或凋落进入土壤分解后 ,对植物着生的土壤环境产生直接或间接的影响 .植物对大气ＣＯ2 增加的响应途径还有根圈微生物种群 (植物根圈大量活性Ｃ组分将直接作为微…