An allied reprogramming,selection, expansion and differentiation platform for creating hiPSC on microcarriers

ObjectivesInduced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) generated by monolayer cultures is plagued by low efficiencies, high levels of manipulation and operator unpredictability. We have developed a platform, reprogramming, expansion, and differentiation on Microcarriers, to solve these challenges.Materials and MethodsFive sources of human somatic cells were reprogrammed, selected, expanded and differentiated in microcarriers suspension cultures.ResultsImprovement of transduction efficiencies up to 2 times was observed. Accelerated reprogramming in microcarrier cultures was 7 days faster than monolayer, providing between 30 and 50‐fold more clones to choose from fibroblasts, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, T cells and CD34+ stem cells. This was observed to be due to an earlier induction of genes (β‐catenin, E‐cadherin and EpCAM) on day 4 versus monolayer cultures which occurred on days 14 or later. Following that, faster induction and earlier stabilization of pluripotency genes occurred during the maturation phase of reprogramming. Integrated expansion without trypsinization and efficient differentiation, without embryoid bodies formation, to the three germ‐layers, cardiomyocytes and haematopoietic stem cells were further demonstrated.ConclusionsOur method can solve the inherent problems of conventional monolayer cultures. It is highly efficient, cell dissociation free, can be operated with lower labor, and allows testing of differentiation efficiency without trypsinization and generation of embryoid bodies. It is also amenable to automation for processing more samples in a small footprint, alleviating many challenges of manual monolayer selection.

We have developed an allied protocol for reprogramming, selecting, expanding and differentiating human pluripotent stem cells on Microcarriers (designated as RepMC). This method allows faster reprogramming, selecting 30‐50‐fold more candidates for characterization and also allows us to find high quality candidates that differentiate to cardiomyocytes and blood lineages. Mechanistically, this method appears to accelerate the induction, maturation and stabilization phases of reprogramming. Our findings help simplify the process of deriving and expanding iPSCs for therapeutic applications, offering a robust and scalable suspension platform for large‐scale generation of clinical grade iPSCs.     

添加外源锌对大杯香菇子实体细胞保护酶活性的影响

摘要：【目的】本实验研究了添加外源锌（Zn）对大杯香菇子实体保护酶活性的影响。【方法】以硫酸锌为外源锌,添加到培养料中,制成0、10、20、30、40、50 mg/kg 6个浓度。采用分光光度法测定大杯香菇子实体超氧化物岐化酶（SOD）活性、过氧化物酶（POD）活性、多酚氧化酶（PPO）活性、丙二醛（MDA）含量和可溶性蛋白含量,采用高锰酸钾滴定法过氧化氢酶（CAT）活性。【结果】添加外源 Zn浓度为30 mg/kg处理大杯香菇子实体内可溶性蛋白含量、SOD、POD和CAT活性极显著提高（P＜0.01）,PPO活性极显著减少（P＜0.01）,而MDA含量显著下降（P＜0.05）。随着Zn水平进一步升高,可溶性蛋白含量、SOD、POD和CAT活性呈下降趋势,而MDA含量极显著和显著上升（P＜0.01和P＜0.05）。【结论】高用量的Zn浓度能使大杯香菇子实体中的MDA含量上升,SOD、POD、CAT活性均下降,对保护酶系统有破坏作用,促进自由基的积累,从而导致膜脂过氧化作用的加剧。适宜Zn浓度能提高保护酶的活性,从而抑制了大杯香菇子实体中细胞膜脂过氧化水平,减轻膜伤害。     

Spatial separation without territoriality in shark communities

Spatial separation within predator communities can arise via territoriality but also from competitive interactions among and within species. However, linking competitive interactions to predator distribution patterns is difficult and theoretical models predict different habitat selection patterns dependent on habitat quality and how competition manifests itself. While models generally consider competitors to be either equal in ability, or for one phenotype to have a fixed advantage over the other, few studies consider that an animal may only have a competitive advantage in specific habitats. We used  10 years of telemetry data, habitat surveys and behavioral experiments, to show spatial partitioning between and within two species of reef shark (grey reef Carcharhinus amblyrhinchos and blacktip reef sharks C. melanopterus) at an unfished Pacific atoll. Within a species, sharks remained within small ‘sub‐habitats’ with very few movements of individuals between sub‐habitats, which previous models have suggested could be caused by intra‐specific competition. Blacktip reef sharks were more broadly distributed across habitat types but a greater proportion used lagoon and backreef habitats, while grey reef sharks preferred forereef habitats. Grey reef sharks at a nearby atoll where blacktip reef sharks are absent, were distributed more broadly between habitat types than when both species were present. A series of individual‐based models predict that habitat separation would only arise if there are competitive interactions between species that are habitat‐specific, with grey reefs having a competitive advantage on the forereefs and blacktips in the lagoons and backreef. We provide compelling evidence that competition helps drive distribution patterns and spatial separation of a marine predator community, and highlight that competitive advantages may not be constant but rather dependent on habitats.     

发根农杆菌Ri质粒及其在植物科学中的应用

阐述了发根农杆菌的性质及Ri质粒的结构和功能,介绍了毛状根的诱导及其鉴定方法,并对Ri质粒在植物基因工程、植物次生代谢产物生产、植物品种改良和植物栽培等方面的应用进行了综述。     

Pitcher plant facilitates prey capture in a sympatric congener

Carnivorous plants avoid below-ground competition for nitrogen by utilizing an alternative nitrogen resource—invertebrate prey, but it remains unclear if sympatric carnivorous plants compete for prey resources. The aim of this study was to investigate if exploitative prey-resource competition occurs between the two sympatric pitcher plant species, Nepenthes rafflesiana and N. gracilis in Singapore. We first investigated if prey-resource partitioning occurs between these two species, and then investigated niche shift in N. gracilis by examining its pitcher contents along an in situ gradient of N. rafflesiana interspecific competition. Our results showed clear evidence of resource partitioning between the two species, but contrary to the expectation of competition, proximity to N. rafflesiana pitchers correlated with higher total prey numbers in N. gracilis pitchers. Our multivariate model of prey assemblages further suggested that N. rafflesiana facilitates N. gracilis prey capture, especially in several ant taxa that are trapped by both species. Concurrently, we found strong evidence for intraspecific competition between N. gracilis pitchers, suggesting that prey resources are exhaustible by pitcher-predation. Our results show that resource partitioning can be associated with facilitative interactions, instead of competition as is usually assumed. Facilitation is more typically expected between phylogenetically distant species, but divergences in resource acquisition strategies can permit facilitation between congeners.     

A sputtered thin film of nanostructured Ni/Pt/Ti on Al2O3 substrate for ethanol sensing

A novel thin film ethanol sensor using sputtered Ni/Pt/Ti on an Al2O3 substrate as the working electrode in an alkaline solution was developed. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the nanostructure of nickel films. Sputtering deposition conditions for maximum catalytic efficiency, electrode selectivity, and reproducibility were discussed. The results showed that ethanol oxidation was more efficient on the sputtered Ni/Pt/Ti on an Al2O3 substrate electrode than that on the conventional nickel electrode. The optimal operating conditions to generate the sputtered Ni/Pt/Ti on the Al2O3 substrate electrode were: 45 min of Ni sputtering deposition time, and 50 W of Ni sputtering power. The results also indicated that the response time of the prepared ethanol sensor is 27 s and the best sensitivity is 3.08 microA microM(-1) cm(-2).     

2016生物基材料专刊序言

生物基材料,是利用谷物、豆科、秸秆、竹木粉等可再生生物质为原料制造的新型材料和化学品等,包括生物合成、生物加工、生物炼制过程获得的生物醇、有机酸、烷烃、烯烃等基础生物基化学品,也包括生物基塑料、生物基纤维、糖工程产品、生物基橡胶以及生物质热塑性加工得到塑料材料等。生物基材料由于其绿色、环境友好、资源节约等特点,正逐步成为引领当代世界科技创新和经济发展的又一个新的主导产业。本期专刊报道了生物基材料总体发展情况,介绍了生物基纤维、聚羟基烷酸酯、可生物降解地膜、生物基聚酰胺、蛋白医用生物材料、生物基聚氨酯、聚乳酸改性与加工等几个方面行业状况及其研究进展。     

ApoA-II maintains HDL levels in part by inhibition of hepatic lipase. Studies In apoA-II and hepatic lipase double knockout mice.

High density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels are inversely related to the risk of developing coronary heart disease. Apolipoprotein (apo) A-II is the second most abundant HDL apolipoprotein and apoA-II knockout mice show a 70% reduction in HDL cholesterol levels. There is also evidence, using human apoA-II transgenic mice, that apoA-II can prevent hepatic lipase-mediated HDL triglyceride hydrolysis and reduction in HDL size. These observations suggest the hypothesis that apoA-II maintains HDL levels, at least in part, by inhibiting hepatic lipase. To evaluate this, apoA-II knockout mice were crossbred with hepatic lipase knockout mice. Compared to apoA-II-deficient mice, in double knockout mice there were increased HDL cholesterol levels (57% in males and 60% in females), increased HDL size, and decreased HDL cholesteryl ester fractional catabolic rate. In vitro incubation studies of plasma from apoA-II knockout mice, which contains largely apoA-I HDL particles, showed active lipolysis of HDL triglyceride, whereas similar studies of plasma from apoA-I knockout mice, which contains largely apoA-II particles, did not. In summary, these results strongly suggest that apoA-II is a physiological inhibitor of hepatic lipase and that this is at least part of the mechanism whereby apoA-II maintains HDL cholesterol levels.     

RNA‐seq analysis reveals new candidate genes for drip loss in a Pietrain × Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire population

Drip loss, one of the most important meat quality traits, is characterized by low heritability. To date, the genetic factors affecting the drip loss trait have not been clearly elucidated. The objective of this study was to identify critical candidate genes affecting drip loss. First, we generated a Pietrain × Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire commercial pig population and obtained phenotypic values for the drip loss trait. Furthermore, we constructed two RNA libraries from pooled samples of longissimus dorsi muscles with the highest (H group) and lowest (L group) drip loss and identified the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between these extreme phenotypes using RNA‐seq technology. In total, 25 883 genes were detected in the H and L group libraries, and none was specifically expressed in only one library. Comparative analysis of gene expression levels found that 150 genes were differentially expressed, of which 127 were upregulated and 23 were downregulated in the H group relative to the L group. In addition, 68 drip loss quantitative trait loci (QTL) overlapping with 63 DEGs were identified, and these QTL were distributed mainly on chromosomes 1, 2, 5 and 6. Interestingly, the triadin (TRDN) gene, which is involved in muscle contraction and fat deposition, and the myostatin (MSTN) gene, which has a role in muscle growth, were localized to more than two drip loss QTL, suggesting that both are critical candidate genes responsible for drip loss.