转人工miRNA抗玉米粗缩病毒载体玉米的培育及其抗病能力

玉米是重要的粮食作物,水稻黑条矮缩病毒(RBSDV)是玉米粗缩病的病原,由其引起的玉米粗缩病给玉米生产造成重大损失。利用人工mi RNA构建抗病毒植物的技术已经在多种植物中被证明有效,但是在玉米中的尝试未见报道。实验根据玉米zea-mi R159a的前体序列和RBSDV基因组中编码功能蛋白的基因和基因沉默抑制子的序列信息设计引物,构建了用于沉默RBSDV编码基因和基因沉默抑制子的ami RNA(Artificial mi RNA)基因。构建p CAMBIA3301-121-ami RNA植物表达载体,利用农杆菌介导法转化玉米自交系综31(Z31)。对转基因玉米进行分子检测,选择mi RNA表达量高的纯合体株系进行自然发病实验,按0-4的分级标准调查玉米粗缩病的严重度。结果表明,转抗粗缩病毒人工mi RNA载体玉米纯合体株系的抗病表现好于野生型玉米,其中针对基因组6的S6-mi R159转基因玉米抗病情况较好。研究表明利用人工mi RNA技术构建抗病毒病玉米新品种是可行的。     

新兴海岛型城市建设引发的生态变化的遥感分析——以福建平潭综合实验区为例

福建省平潭岛于2010年被正式确立为"福建省平潭综合实验区",由此引发了新兴海岛型城市的建设高潮.本研究利用遥感生态指数(RSEI),基于2007年Landsat-5影像和2013年Landsat-8影像,分析了平潭综合实验区建设初期的生态状况及其时空变化趋势和变化原因.结果表明:研究期间,作为生态脆弱的海岛,平潭岛的生态状况整体处于中等水平,在综合实验区建设初期(2007—2013年)有进一步下降的态势,RSEI值从2007年的0.511下降至2013年的0.450,降幅达14%;占全岛面积约36.5%区域的生态状况趋于退化,且主要发生在中部和西南部地区.究其原因主要是由于综合实验区建设带来的大面积成片开发,使得岛内原本不多的植被遭到进一步破坏.平潭岛在综合试验区建设中应及时制定并落实科学有效的生态保护措施,以遏制其生态质量下滑的趋势.     

适宜印度块菌生长的地形和土壤因子

在云南、四川和西藏印度块菌产区的9个地点进行调查和采样,选择地形因子和土壤因子为评价指标,采用主成分分析法对印度块菌生长适宜性进行综合评价,以确定印度块菌的生长与地形因子和土壤因子的关系.结果表明:1)地形因子和土壤因子15个指标中提取出的5个主成分,累计贡献率达到87.5％.地形因子中坡位对块菌生长的影响最大,坡位越高越不适宜块菌生长,以中坡和中下坡最佳.2)土壤因子中容重、粉粒含量、pH值、全氮含量、交换性钙镁含量是块菌生长的限制因子.容重为0.65～0.82 g· cm-3适宜块菌生长,而容重过高(＞1 g·cm-3)不利于块菌的生长;粉粒含量为30.0％、砂粒含量为55.0％左右适宜块菌的生长,而粘粒含量过高不利于块菌的生长.在土壤化学因子中,pH值在6.40左右、全氮为2.29 ～3.70 g·kg-1、交换性钙为22.91～37.17 cmol·kg-1、交换性镁含量为1.85～2.59 cmol·kg-1的环境条件适宜块菌生长.3)综合评价表明,在9个采集地点,云南省昆明市哨上村和西藏自治区林芝地区江色岗得分较高,其地形和土壤条件最适合块菌生长;而四川省攀枝花市二十九梁子和云南省楚雄州五顶山得分较低,其地形和土壤条件不太适宜印度块菌生长.     

SAA和CRP联合检测在小儿感染性疾病鉴别诊断中的应用价值

目的探讨血清淀粉样蛋白A(SAA)和C-反应蛋白(CRP)联合检测在小儿感染性疾病鉴别诊断中的临床价值。方法选取2012年1月至2013年12月间住院患儿166例,分为细菌感染组72例,病毒感染组94例,采用免疫比浊法检测急性期和恢复期水平,并与30例健康儿童进行比较分析。结果细菌感染组SAA和CRP浓度显著高于病毒感染组和对照组,病毒感染组SAA显著高于对照组(P0.05)。细菌感染组中重症组SAA和CRP浓度显著高于轻症组,轻症组SAA和CRP浓度显著高于对照组(P0.05)。SAA和CRP单独检测阳性率较低,两者联合检测能提高检出率。结论 SAA和CRP联合检测在小儿感染性疾病鉴别诊断、疗效动态观察中有重要应用价值。     

牛乳腺上皮细胞体外培养条件的优化及功能验证

乳腺上皮细胞是研究泌乳的调控机理、乳腺癌发病机制以及制备乳腺生物反应器靶细胞。由于乳腺细胞体外培养生命周期较短并且增殖活力与体外培养时间呈负相关,到目前为止,能够适合体外研究的乳腺细胞系报道较少。因此,在优化了乳腺细胞体外培养条件的基础上,进一步验证了优化体系后培养的乳腺上皮细胞生物学的稳定性、蛋白表达情况及转基因的效率。结果表明:1∶1 DMEM/F12基础培养液+10%胎牛血清+2 mmol/L谷氨酰胺+10 ng/m L表皮生长因子+10 ng/m L碱性成纤维细胞生长因子+10μg/m L的ITS+5μg/m L胰岛素+0.1 mmol/L非必须氨基酸是维持乳腺上皮细胞体外培养的最适条件。在此培养条件获得的乳腺上皮细胞生长旺盛,传代次数能延长到20代,生长后期仍然能稳定表达CK18,且具有较高的转基因效率。     

Regulation of nuclear–cytoplasmic shuttling and function of Family with sequence similarity 13, member A (Fam13a), by B56-containing PP2As and Akt

Recent genome-wide association studies reveal that the FAM13A gene is associated with human lung function and a variety of lung diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, lung cancer, and pulmonary fibrosis. The biological functions of Fam13a, however, have not been studied. In an effort to identify novel substrates of B56-containing PP2As, we found that B56-containing PP2As and Akt act antagonistically to control reversible phosphorylation of Fam13a on Ser-322. We show that Ser-322 phosphorylation acts as a molecular switch to control the subcellular distribution of Fam13a. Fam13a shuttles between the nucleus and cytoplasm. When Ser-322 is phosphorylated by Akt, the binding between Fam13a and 14-3-3 is enhanced, leading to cytoplasmic sequestration of Fam13a. B56-containing PP2As dephosphorylate phospho–Ser-322 and promote nuclear localization of Fam13a. We generated Fam13a-knockout mice. Fam13a-mutant mice are viable and healthy, indicating that Fam13a is dispensable for embryonic development and physiological functions in adult animals. Intriguingly, Fam13a has the ability to activate the Wnt pathway. Although Wnt signaling remains largely normal in Fam13a-knockout lungs, depletion of Fam13a in human lung cancer cells causes an obvious reduction in Wnt signaling activity. Our work provides important clues to elucidating the mechanism by which Fam13a may contribute to human lung diseases.     

Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Protects against Hyperglycemic-Induced Endothelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition and Improves Myocardial Dysfunction by Suppressing Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerase 1 Activity

Under high glucose conditions, endothelial cells respond by acquiring fibroblast characteristics, that is, endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT), contributing to diabetic cardiac fibrosis. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) has cardioprotective properties independent of its glucose-lowering effect. However, the potential mechanism has not been fully clarified. Here we investigated whether GLP-1 inhibits myocardial EndMT in diabetic mice and whether this is mediated by suppressing poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1). Streptozotocin diabetic C57BL/6 mice were treated with or without GLP-1 analog (24 nmol/kg daily) for 24 wks. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed to assess cardiac function. Human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) were cultured in normal glucose (NG) (5.5 mmol/L) or high glucose (HG) (30 mmol/L) medium with or without GLP-1analog. Immunofluorescent staining and Western blot were performed to evaluate EndMT and PARP-1 activity. Diabetes mellitus attenuated cardiac function and increased cardiac fibrosis. Treatment with the GLP-1 analog improved diabetes mellitus–related cardiac dysfunction and cardiac fibrosis. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that hyperglycemia markedly increased the percentage of von Willebrand factor (vWF)⁺/alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA)⁺ cells in total α-SMA⁺ cells in diabetic hearts compared with controls, which was attenuated by GLP-1 analog treatment. In cultured HAECs, immunofluorescent staining and Western blot also showed that both GLP-1 analog and PARP-1 gene silencing could inhibit the HG-induced EndMT. In addition, GLP-1 analog could attenuate PARP-1 activation by decreasing the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Therefore, GLP-1 treatment could protect against the hyperglycemia-induced EndMT and myocardial dysfunction. This effect is mediated, at least partially, by suppressing PARP-1 activation.     

Antiinflammatory Activity of a Novel Folic Acid Targeted Conjugate of the mTOR Inhibitor Everolimus

Folate receptor (FR)-β has been identified as a promising target for antimacrophage and antiinflammatory therapies. In the present study, we investigated EC0565, a folic acid–derivative of everolimus, as a FR-specific inhibitor of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Because of its amphiphilic nature, EC0565 was first evaluated for water solubility, critical micelle formation, stability in culture and FR-binding specificity. Using FR-expressing macrophages, the effect of EC0565 on mTOR signaling and cellular proliferation was studied. The pharmacokinetics, metabolism and bioavailability of EC0565 were studied in normal rats. The in vivo activity of EC0565 was assessed in rats with adjuvant arthritis, a “macrophage-rich” model with close resemblance to rheumatoid arthritis. EC0565 forms micellar aggregates in physiological buffers and demonstrates good water solubility as well as strong multivalent FR-binding capacity. EC0565 inhibited mTOR signaling in rat macrophages at nanomolar concentrations and induced G0/G1 cell cycle arrest in serum-starved RAW264.7 cells. Subcutaneously administered EC0565 in rats displayed good bioavailability and a relatively long half-life (~12 h). When given at 250 nmol/kg, EC0565 selectively inhibited proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression in thioglycollate-stimulated rat peritoneal cells. With limited dosing regimens, the antiarthritic activity of EC0565 was found superior to that of etanercept, everolimus and a nontargeted everolimus analog. The in vivo activity of EC0565 was also comparable to that of a folate-targeted aminopterin. Folate-targeted mTOR inhibition may be an effective way of suppressing activated macrophages in sites of inflammation, especially in nutrient-deprived conditions, such as in the arthritic joints. Further investigation and improvement upon the physical and biochemical properties of EC0565 are warranted.