Amplification, analysis and chromosome mapping of novel homeobox-containing and homeobox-flanking sequences in rice

Homeobox genes, widely distributed among animal and plant kingdoms, play an important role in developmental process. Several homeobox conserved fragments were amplified by PCR and the flanking regions were also obtained by an LM-PCR procedure. Sequencing and Southern analysis showed that they belong to a homeobox gene family of rice. Six homeobox-containing fragments were mapped on the molecular linkage map of rice. They were located on chromosomes 3, 4 and 7 respectively. It is noteworthy that there are 4 homeobox fragments located on rice chromosome 3 and the result is also consistent with the comparative genomics between rice and maize.     

Lipid droplet proteins and metabolic diseases

Lipid droplets (LDs) are ubiquitous cellular organelles for lipid storage which are composed of a neutral lipid core bounded by a protein decorated phospholipid monolayer. Although lipid storage is their most obvious function, LDs are far from inert as they participate in maintaining lipid homeostasis through lipid synthesis, metabolism, and transportation. Furthermore, they are involved in cell signaling and other molecular events closely associated with human disease such as dyslipidemia, obesity, lipodystrophy, diabetes, fatty liver, atherosclerosis, and others. The last decade has seen a great increase in the attention paid to LD biology. Regardless, many fundamental features of LD biology remain obscure. In this review, we will discuss key aspects of LD biology including their biogenesis, growth and regression. We will also summarize the current knowledge about the role LDs play in human disease, especially from the perspective of the dynamics of the associated proteins. This article is part of a Special issue entitled Cardiac adaptations to obesity, diabetes and insulin resistance, edited by Professors Jan F.C. Glatz, Jason R.B. Dyck and Christine Des Rosiers.     

Systems biology analysis reveals new insights into invasive lung cancer

Background

Adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) is a pre-invasive lesion in the lung and a subtype of lung adenocarcinoma. The patients with AIS can be cured by resecting the lesion completely. In contrast, the patients with invasive lung adenocarcinoma have very poor 5-year survival rate. AIS can develop into invasive lung adenocarcinoma. The investigation and comparison of AIS and invasive lung adenocarcinoma at the genomic level can deepen our understanding of the mechanisms underlying lung cancer development.

Results

In this study, we identified 61 lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) invasive-specific differentially expressed genes, including nine long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) based on RNA sequencing techniques (RNA-seq) data from normal, AIS, and invasive tissue samples. These genes displayed concordant differential expression (DE) patterns in the independent stage III LUAD tissues obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) RNA-seq dataset. For individual invasive-specific genes, we constructed subnetworks using the Genetic Algorithm (GA) based on protein-protein interactions, protein-DNA interactions and lncRNA regulations. A total of 19 core subnetworks that consisted of invasive-specific genes and at least one putative lung cancer driver gene were identified by our study. Functional analysis of the core subnetworks revealed their enrichment in known pathways and biological progresses responsible for tumor growth and invasion, including the VEGF signaling pathway and the negative regulation of cell growth.

Conclusions

Our comparison analysis of invasive cases, normal and AIS uncovered critical genes that involved in the LUAD invasion progression. Furthermore, the GA-based network method revealed gene clusters that may function in the pathways contributing to tumor invasion. The interactions between differentially expressed genes and putative driver genes identified through the network analysis can offer new targets for preventing the cancer invasion and potentially increase the survival rate for cancer patients.

     

miR-34c逆转乳腺癌耐药细胞株MCF-7/DOX耐药性的研究

miR-34在肿瘤发生发展中起着至关重要的作用,然而,mi R-34在肿瘤耐药中的作用研究不多。该研究将合成的mi R-34c成熟序列转染乳腺癌阿霉素(doxorubicin,DOX)耐药细胞MCF-7/DOX,探讨mi R-34c体外逆转MCF-7/DOX细胞耐药性作用及其可能的机制。采用Real-time RT-PCR检测mi R-34c在乳腺癌耐药细胞株MCF-7/DOX中的表达,MTS法检测miR-34c对MCF-7/DOX细胞阿霉素耐药性的影响,流式细胞术检测miR-34c对MCF-7/DOX细胞周期和凋亡的影响,Real-time RT-PCR和Western blot法检测多药耐药相关蛋白MDR、MRP以及细胞周期与凋亡相关蛋白Bcl-2、E2F3的表达。结果显示,mi R-34c在乳腺癌MCF-7/DOX耐药细胞中低表达,转染mi R-34c可明显增加耐药细胞对阿霉素的敏感性;流式分析发现,miR-34c可以促进耐药细胞G2期细胞周期阻滞和凋亡;与对照组相比较,miR-34c转染组细胞MDR、MRP蛋白表达无明显变化,而Bcl-2、E2F3 mRNA和蛋白表达均明显下调。研究表明,miR-34c直接靶向抑制Bcl-2和E2F3的表达,诱导细胞周期G2期阻滞和凋亡,进而增强MCF-7/DOX耐药细胞对阿霉素的敏感性。     

Activation of STAT3 stimulates AHSP expression in K562 cells

Studies on the chaperone proteinα-hemoglobin stabilizing protein(AHSP)reveal that abundant AHSP in erythroid cells enhance the cells’tolerance to oxidative stress imposed by excessα-hemoglobin in pathological conditions.However,the potential intracellular modulation of AHSP expression itself in response to oxidative stress is still unknown.The present study examined the effect and molecular mechanism of STAT3,an oxidative regulator,on the expression of AHSP.AHSP expression increased in K562 cells upon cytokine IL-6-induced STAT3 activation and decreased in STAT3 knock-down K562 cells.Regulation of AHSP in oxidative circumstance was then examined inα-globin-overloaded K562 cells,and real-time PCR showed strengthened expression of both AHSP and STAT3.ChIP analysis showed binding of STAT3 to AHSP promoter and binding was significantly augmented with IL6 stimulation and uponα-globin overexpression.Dual luciferase reporter assays of the wildtype and mutated SB3 element,an IL-6RE site,in the AHSP promoter in K562 cells highlighted the direct regulatory effect of STAT3 on AHSP gene.Finally,direct binding of STAT3 to SB3 site of AHSP promoter was confirmed with EMSA assays.Our work reveals an adaptive AHSP regulation mediated by the redox-sensitive STAT3 signaling pathway,and provides clues to the therapeutic strategy for AHSP enhancement.     

The mechanism for the effect of selenium supplementation on immunity

Lipid peroxide (LPO) in lymphocytes from mice was evaluated by measuring substances reactive to thiobarbituric acid (TBA). The product resulting from the reaction of TBA with lymphocytes was extracted with n-butyl and fluorescence intensity was determined. The degree of lipid peroxidation, expressed as fluorescence intensity f547, was assessed for stimulation of lymphocytes with concanavalin A (Con A), and was related to lymphocyte proliferation in response to Con A if Se was administered. The lymphocyte proliferation was determined by [³H]thymidine incorporation, expressed as cpm. The effect of superoxide dismutase (SOD), added to cell culture on lymphocyte proliferation was also evaluated. It was found that LPO in lymphocytes before Con A stimulation was significantly less than that after stimulation (p<0.001), and that SOD promoted lymphocyte proliferation dose dependently. The addition of Na₂SeO₃ to lymphocyte culture or supplementation in drinking water to mice decreased the produced LPO in lymphocyte in response to Con A. In the presence of Se, there is an inverse correlation between the levels of LPO in lymphocyte and the stimulated proliferation (r=−0.8902,r=−0.9439). In conclusion, active oxygen species scavenging was proposed as one of the mechanisms for Se to promote immunity.     

太湖全新世沉积物有机联同位素的分布及其古气侯意义

通过太湖两个钻孔岩芯有机碳同位素（１３Ｃ／１２Ｃ）的分析,发现δ１３Ｃ的垂直分布与太湖地区１６０００ａＢ．Ｐ．以来古气候波动相关。根据δ１３Ｃ垂直分布曲线可推测,大约在１１０００—６０００ａＢ．Ｐ,太湖地区处于温暖湿润期,气温高于现在平均温度。另一方面,根据太湖两岩芯沉积物的δ１３Ｃ值的对比发现,大约在１１０００—６０００ａＢ．Ｐ,西太湖（Ｗ１Ｂ）岩芯沉积物的δ１３Ｃ平均值明显高于东太湖（Ｅ２Ｂ）。据此可认为,在这一期间西太湖很可能有过海水侵入。     

Design and fabrication development of a micro flow heated channel with measurements of the inside micro-scale flow and heat transfer process

The current work provides a design and fabrication technique for a micro channel system that can provide a uniform heat flux boundary condition on the channel wall and a well insulation on the wall to prevent heat loss from the channel to the outside ambient. Therefore, detailed micro-scale flow and heat transfer process and information along the channel can be studied. Semiconductor sensor material was selected to fabricate both the heaters and the arrays of temperature sensors on a silicon substrate. These heaters and sensors were then moved to a low thermal conductivity epoxy-glass substrate for fabrication of the channel. Design consideration and fabrication techniques involved in this processes will be discussed. A final measurement for the validation of the heaters and the sensors fabricated and a study of the flow friction behavior and the heat transfer coefficient distributions inside the micro channel will be presented. The local Nusselt number distrubution inside the micro channel is reported the first time in the open literature.