Cu^2＋和十二烷基硫酸钠对裸项栉鰕虎鱼仔鱼急性毒性影响

目的研究Cu^2＋和SDS对裸项栉鰕虎鱼仔鱼存活率的影响,了解裸项栉鰕虎鱼的毒性敏感性。方法实验选取了五个不同日龄的仔鱼,设置了8个不同Cu^2＋浓度水平和7个SDS浓度水平,实验时间为96 h。结果日龄、Cu^2＋浓度和SDS浓度均对裸项栉鰕虎鱼仔鱼的存活率产生影响,随日龄的增加,各处理组仔鱼存活率均升高。结论实验结果表明裸项栉鰕虎鱼用于生物毒性检测,具有比同类生物更宽的适用范围、更适宜的毒性敏感性。     

Irreversible Electroporation of Malignant Hepatic Tumors - Alterations in Venous Structures at Subacute Follow-Up and Evolution at Mid-Term Follow-Up

Purpose

To evaluate risk factors associated with alterations in venous structures adjacent to an ablation zone after percutaneous irreversible electroporation (IRE) of hepatic malignancies at subacute follow-up (1 to 3 days after IRE) and to describe evolution of these alterations at mid-term follow-up.

Materials and Methods

43 patients (men/women, 32/11; mean age, 60.3 years) were identified in whom venous structures were located within a perimeter of 1.0 cm of the ablation zone at subacute follow-up after IRE of 84 hepatic lesions (primary/secondary hepatic tumors, 31/53). These vessels were retrospectively evaluated by means of pre-interventional and post-interventional contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography or both. Any vascular changes in flow, patency, and diameter were documented. Correlations between vascular change (yes/no) and characteristics of patients, lesions, and ablation procedures were assessed by generalized linear models.

Results

191 venous structures were located within a perimeter of 1.0 cm of the ablation zone: 55 (29%) were encased by the ablation zone, 78 (41%) abutted the ablation zone, and 58 (30%) were located between 0.1 and 1.0 cm from the border of the ablation zone. At subacute follow-up, vascular changes were found in 19 of the 191 vessels (9.9%), with partial portal vein thrombosis in 2, complete portal vein thrombosis in 3, and lumen narrowing in 14 of 19. At follow-up of patients with subacute vessel alterations (mean, 5.7 months; range, 0 to 14 months) thrombosis had resolved in 2 of 5 cases; vessel narrowing had completely resolved in 8 of 14 cases, and partly resolved in 1 of 14 cases. The encasement of a vessel by ablation zone (OR = 6.36, p<0.001), ablation zone being adjacent to a portal vein (OR = 8.94, p<0.001), and the usage of more than 3 IRE probes (OR = 3.60, p = 0.035) were independently associated with post-IRE vessel alterations.

Conclusion

Venous structures located in close proximity to an IRE ablation zone remain largely unaffected by this procedure, and thrombosis is rare.     

4种红豆杉属植物遗传多样性和遗传关系的RAPD分析

采用RAPD标记研究了分属于4种红豆杉属(Taxus Linn.)植物的68个单株的遗传多样性,并采用UPGMA方法分析68个单株的遗传关系.结果表明:12条RAPD引物共扩增出109条带,其中多态性条带108条,多态性条带百分率为99.1％;平均每条引物扩增出9.1条带.南方红豆杉[T.wallichiana var.mairei (Lemée et Lévl)L.K.Fu et Nan Li.]种内的多态性条带百分率和观察等位基因数均最高;欧洲红豆杉(T.baccata Linn.)种内的有效等位基因数、Nei's基因多样度和Shannon's信息指数均最高;须弥红豆杉(T.wallichiana Zucc.)种内的各项遗传多样性指数均最低.供试4种植物的种内遗传多样度、种间遗传多样度、基因流和种间遗传分化系数分别为0.1745、0.358 6、0.401 7和0.554 5,表明55.45％的遗传变异发生在种间.南方红豆杉和须弥红豆杉遗传距离最近;曼地亚红豆杉(Taxus×media Rehd.)和须弥红豆杉的遗传距离最远.通过聚类分析可将68个单株分为3组,欧洲红豆杉的18个单株和曼地亚红豆杉的18个单株分别各自聚为1组;须弥红豆杉的16个单株和南方红豆杉的16个单株聚为1组,其中须弥红豆杉的16个单株和南方红豆杉的16个单株又各自聚为1个亚组,且南方红豆杉的雌、雄单株也分别聚在同一分支上,表明须弥红豆杉和南方红豆杉遗传关系较近,而欧洲红豆杉与其他3种植物的遗传关系较远.     

The affinity of human RANK binding to its ligand RANKL

Receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B (RANK) and its ligand, RANKL play critical roles in bone re-modeling, immune function, vascular disease and mammary gland development. To study the interaction of RANK and RANKL, we have expressed both extracellular domain of RANK and ectodomain of RANKL using Escherichia coli expression system. RANK was expressed as an inclusion body first which properly refolded later, while RANKL was initially produced as a GST fusion protein, after which the GST was removed by enzyme digestion. Soluble RANK existed as a monomer while RANKL was seen as a trimer in solution, demonstrated by gel filtration chromatography and cross-linking experiment. The recombinant RANK and RANKL could bind to each other and the binding affinity of RANKL for RANK was measured with surface plasmon resonance technology and K_D value is about 1.09 × 10⁻¹⁰ M.     

Generation of Hepatitis B virus PreS2-S antigen in Hansenula polymorpha

Despite the long availability of a traditional prophylactic vaccine containing the HBV surface antigen(HBsA g) and aluminum adjuvant, nearly 10% of the population remains unable to generate an effective immune response. Previous studies have indicated that hepatitis B virus(HBV) PreS 2-S is abundant in T/B cell epitopes, which induces a stronger immune response than HBsA g, particularly in terms of cytotoxic T lymphocyte(CTL) reaction. In the current study, the HBV PreS 2-S gene encoding an extra26 amino acids(PreS 2 C-terminus) located at the N-terminus of HBsA g was cloned into the pV CH1300 expression vector. Pre S2-S expressed in the methylotrophic yeast, Hansenula polymorpha, was produced at a yield of up to 250 mg/L. Subsequent purification steps involved hydrophobic adsorption to colloidal silica, ion-exchange chromatography and density ultracentrifugation. The final product was obtained with a total yield of ~15% and purity of ~99%. In keeping with previous studies, ~22 nm viruslike particles were detected using electron microscopy. The generated PreS 2-S antigen will be further studied for efficacy and safty in animals.     

Metformin affects the circadian clock and metabolic rhythms in a tissue-specific manner

Metformin is a commonly-used treatment for type 2 diabetes, whose mechanism of action has been linked, in part, to activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). However, little is known regarding its effect on circadian rhythms. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of metformin administration on metabolism, locomotor activity and circadian rhythms. We tested the effect of metformin treatment in the liver and muscle of young lean, healthy mice, as obesity and diabetes disrupt circadian rhythms. Metformin led to increased leptin and decreased glucagon levels. The effect of metformin on liver and muscle metabolism was similar leading to AMPK activation either by liver kinase B1 (LKB1) and/or other kinases in the muscle. AMPK activation resulted in the inhibition of acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC), the rate limiting enzyme in fatty acid synthesis. Metformin also led to the activation of liver casein kinase I α (CKIα) and muscle CKIε, known modulators of the positive loop of the circadian clock. This effect was mainly of phase advances in the liver and phase delays in the muscle in clock and metabolic genes and/or protein expression. In conclusion, our results demonstrate the differential effects of metformin in the liver and muscle and the critical role the circadian clock has in orchestrating metabolic processes.     

Excision and transposition of piggyBac transposable element in tobacco budworm embryos

The TTAA-specific lepidopteran transposon piggyBac has already proved useful as a gene-transfer vector for efficient transformation of a wide variety of insects. Transposable element excision and transposition assays are useful indicators of an element's ability to be mobilized in vivo and, thus, potentially serve as a transforming vector. Here, we report that this transposon is capable of excision and transposition in tobacco budworm embryos with relatively low frequency.     

Heregulin targets gamma-catenin to the nucleolus by a mechanism dependent on the DF3/MUC1 oncoprotein

The DF3/MUC1 transmembrane oncoprotein is aberrantly overexpressed in most human breast carcinomas and interacts with the Wnt effector gamma-catenin. Here, we demonstrate that MUC1 associates constitutively with ErbB2 in human breast cancer cells and that treatment with heregulin/neuregulin-1 (HRG) increases the formation of MUC1-ErbB2 complexes. The importance of the MUC1-ErbB2 interaction is supported by the demonstration that HRG induces binding of MUC1 and gamma-catenin and targeting of the MUC1-gamma-catenin complex to the nucleolus. Significantly, nucleolar localization of gamma-catenin in response to HRG is dependent on MUC1 expression. Moreover, mutation of a RRK motif in the MUC1 cytoplasmic domain abrogates HRG-induced nucleolar localization of MUC1 and gamma-catenin. In concert with these results, we show nucleolar localization of MUC1 and gamma-catenin in human breast carcinomas but not in normal mammary ductal epithelium. These findings demonstrate that MUC1 functions in cross talk between ErbB2 and Wnt pathways by acting as a shuttle for HRG-induced nucleolar targeting of gamma-catenin.     

A RNA interference screen identifies the protein phosphatase 2A subunit PR55gamma as a stress-sensitive inhibitor of c-SRC

Protein Phosphatase type 2A (PP2A) represents a family of holoenzyme complexes with diverse biological activities. Specific holoenzyme complexes are thought to be deregulated during oncogenic transformation and oncogene-induced signaling. Since most studies on the role of this phosphatase family have relied on the use of generic PP2A inhibitors, the contribution of individual PP2A holoenzyme complexes in PP2A-controlled signaling pathways is largely unclear. To gain insight into this, we have constructed a set of shRNA vectors targeting the individual PP2A regulatory subunits for suppression by RNA interference. Here, we identify PR55gamma and PR55delta as inhibitors of c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK) activation by UV irradiation. We show that PR55gamma binds c-SRC and modulates the phosphorylation of serine 12 of c-SRC, a residue we demonstrate to be required for JNK activation by c-SRC. We also find that the physical interaction between PR55gamma and c-SRC is sensitive to UV irradiation. Our data reveal a novel mechanism of c-SRC regulation whereby in response to stress c-SRC activity is regulated, at least in part, through loss of the interaction with its inhibitor, PR55gamma.     

血卟啉光分解性质的研究

本文阐述了血卟啉的光分解性质。Ｈｕｃｋｅｌ分子轨道理论指出,共轭分子随着π电子数的增加,分子的πＭ０能级变密,激发能降低,分子的激发带边红移。因此通过红移分析可以计算出共轭分子的π电子数。在强紫外光照射下血卟啉发生了光分解,其激发光谱发生了明显的变化,根据光谱数据可计算出血卟啉开环。