青藏高原东缘常见种长毛风毛菊(Saussurea hieracioides)的繁殖分配

对分布在青藏高原东缘高寒草甸常见种长毛风毛菊的6个海拔梯度(3200～3850m)18个居群的繁殖分配进行了研究,结果表明:长毛风毛菊随海拔的升高个体和营养器官减小,繁殖的投入增加;随着海拔的升高,长毛风毛菊的个体管状小花数目和种子数目减少,管状小花重量和百粒重增大;个体管状小花的数目及重量和个体种子的数目及重量间存在权衡关系;长毛风毛菊的个体大小和繁殖分配存在负相关关系。在资源受限的环境下,长毛风毛菊以减少管状小花数目和种子的数目来增加管状小花重量和百粒重,是保证有性繁殖成功的策略之一。     

云南省2006～2010年非脊灰肠道病毒分子流行病学特征分析

为了解云南省非脊髓灰质炎(脊灰)肠道病毒(NPEV)的基因型分布及分子进化特征,对2006～2010年间从急性迟缓性麻痹(AFP)病例中分离到的105株NPEVs进行VP1区部分核苷酸扩增和序列测定。所获得的云南地方株基因序列与各基因型原型株进行核苷酸与氨基酸同源性比较,并与GenBank中选取的代表株构建基因进化关系树。结果分析显示:105株NPEVs分别属于HEV-A、HEV-B、HEV-C,其中HEV-A 18株(7个血清型)所占比例为17.1%;HEV-B 77株(22个血清型)所占比例为73.3%,表明云南省AFP病例中流行的NPEV还是以HEV-B为主;HEV-C 10株(4个血清型)所占比例为9.5%;没有分离到HEV-D组肠道病毒;基因进化树中各种血清型病毒与对应原型株及代表株聚集一起,除CA2、EV90和EV76外,云南地方株与原型株位于不同分支。相同型别的毒株在5年的流行过程中变异程度亦不同,亲缘关系远近不一,表明这些病毒在云南省存在不同的传播链。     

XBP-1u suppresses autophagy by promoting the degradation of FoxO1 in cancer cells

Autophagy is activated to maintain cellular energy homeostasis in response to nutrient starvation. However, autophagy is not persistently activated, which is poorly understood at a mechanistic level. Here, we report that turnover of FoxO1 is involved in the dynamic autophagic process caused by glutamine starvation. X-box-binding protein-1u (XBP-1u) has a critical role in FoxO1 degradation by recruiting FoxO1 to the 20S proteasome. In addition, the phosphorylation of XBP-1u by extracellular regulated protein kinases1/2 (ERK1/2) on Ser61 and Ser176 was found to be critical for the increased interaction between XBP-1u and FoxO1 upon glutamine starvation. Furthermore, knockdown of XBP-1u caused the sustained level of FoxO1 and the persistent activation of autophagy, leading to a significant decrease in cell viability. Finally, the inverse correlation between XBP-1u and FoxO1 expression agrees well with the expression profiles observed in many human cancer tissues. Thus, our findings link the dynamic process of autophagy to XBP-1u-induced FoxO1 degradation.     

Structural analyses of Legionella LepB reveal a new GAP fold that catalytically mimics eukaryotic RasGAP

Rab GTPases are emerging targets of diverse bacterial pathogens. Here, we perform biochemical and structural analyses of LepB, a Rab GTPase-activating protein (GAP) effector from Legionella pneumophila. We map LepB GAP domain to residues 313-618 and show that the GAP domain is Rab1 specific with a catalytic activity higher than the canonical eukaryotic TBC GAP and the newly identified VirA/EspG family of bacterial RabGAP effectors. Exhaustive mutation analyses identify Arg444 as the arginine finger, but no catalytically essential glutamine residues. Crystal structures of LepB_313-618 alone and the GAP domain of Legionella drancourtii LepB in complex with Rab1-GDP-AlF₃ support the catalytic role of Arg444, and also further reveal a 3D architecture and a GTPase-binding mode distinct from all known GAPs. Glu449, structurally equivalent to TBC RabGAP glutamine finger in apo-LepB, undergoes a drastic movement upon Rab1 binding, which induces Rab1 Gln70 side-chain flipping towards GDP-AlF₃ through a strong ionic interaction. This conformationally rearranged Gln70 acts as the catalytic cis-glutamine, therefore uncovering an unexpected RasGAP-like catalytic mechanism for LepB. Our studies highlight an extraordinary structural and catalytic diversity of RabGAPs, particularly those from bacterial pathogens.     

MOC-31和CD44v6在良恶性腹水鉴别诊断中的应用

目的探讨检测肿瘤标志物MOC-31和CD44v6对鉴别良恶性腹水的诊断价值。方法利用液基薄层细胞学自动涂片技术方法筛查出查到肿瘤细胞的恶性腹水标本390例以及良性腹水标本100例,分别采用酶联免疫吸附法(ELISA)和免疫细胞化学染色检测MOC-31和CD44v6的含量和表达情况。结果 ELISA结果显示MOC-31和CD44v6在良性腹水中的含量分别为21±4ng/ml和291±32ng/ml,在恶性腹水中的含量分别为98.1±19.3ng/ml和891±116ng/ml,差异均具有显著性(P<0.05);免疫细胞化学染色显示MOC-31在恶性腹水细胞中阳性表达250例,良性腹水细胞中阳性表达5例;CD44v6在恶性腹水细胞中阳性表达266例,良性腹水细胞中阳性表达3例,差异均具有显著性(P<0.05)。结论 MOC-31和CD44v6可以做为良恶性腹水鉴别诊断的重要指标,值得在临床病理工作中推广应用。     

Influence of gestational overfeeding on myocardial proinflammatory mediators in fetal sheep heart

Maternal overnutrition is associated with predisposition of offspring to cardiovascular disease in later life. Since maternal overnutrition may promote fetal and placental inflammatory responses, we hypothesized that maternal overnutrition/obesity increases expression of fetal cardiac proinflammatory mediators and alter cardiac morphometry. Multiparous ewes were fed either 150% of National Research Council (NRC) nutrient recommendations (overfed) or 100% of NRC requirement (control) from 60 days prior to mating to gestation Day 75 (D75), when ewes were euthanized. An additional cohort of overfed and control ewes were necropsied on D135. Cardiac morphometry, histology, mRNA and protein expression of toll-like receptor 4, iNOS, IL-1a, IL-1b, IL-6, IL-18, CD-14, CD-68, M-CSF and protein levels of phosphorylated I-κB and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) were examined. Immunohistochemistry was performed to assess neutrophil and monocyte infiltration. Crown rump length, left and right ventricular free wall weights as well as left and right ventricular wall thickness were significantly increased in D75 fetuses of overfed mothers. Hematoxylin and eosin staining revealed irregular myofiber orientation and increased interstitial space in fetal ventricular tissues born to overfed mothers. Oil red O staining exhibited marked lipid droplet accumulation in the overfed fetuses. Overfeeding significantly enhanced TLR4, IL-1a, IL-1b IL-6 expression, promoted phosphorylation of IκB, decreased cytoplasmic NF-κB levels and increased neutrophil and monocyte infiltration. Collectively, these data suggest that maternal overfeeding prior to and throughout gestation leads to inflammation in the fetal heart and alters fetal cardiac morphometry.     

Direct electrochemical sensor for label-free DNA detection based on zero current potentiometry

A direct electrochemical DNA biosensor based on zero current potentiometry was fabricated by immobilization of ssDNA onto gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) coated pencil graphite electrode (PGE). One ssDNA/AuNPs/PGE was connected in series between clips of working and counter electrodes of a potentiostat, and then immersed into the solution together with a reference electrode, establishing a novel DNA biosensor for specific DNA detection. The variation of zero current potential difference (ΔE(zcp)) before and after hybridization of the self-assembled probe DNA with the target DNA was used as a signal to characterize and quantify the target DNA sequence. The whole DNA biosensor fabrication process was characterized by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy with the use of ferricyanide as an electrochemical redox indicator. Under the optimized conditions, ΔE(zcp) was linear with the concentrations of the complementary target DNA in the range from 10nM to 1μM, with a detection limit of 6.9nM. The DNA biosensor showed a good reproducibility and selectivity. Prepared DNA biosensor is facile and sensitive, and it eliminates the need of using exogenous reagents to monitor the oligonucleotides hybridization.     

Analysis of synonymous codon usage patterns in the genus Rhizobium

The codon usage patterns of rhizobia have received increasing attention. However, little information is available regarding the conserved features of the codon usage patterns in a typical rhizobial genus. The codon usage patterns of six completely sequenced strains belonging to the genus Rhizobium were analysed as model rhizobia in the present study. The relative neutrality plot showed that selection pressure played a role in codon usage in the genus Rhizobium. Spearman’s rank correlation analysis combined with correspondence analysis (COA) showed that the codon adaptation index and the effective number of codons (ENC) had strong correlation with the first axis of the COA, which indicated the important role of gene expression level and the ENC in the codon usage patterns in this genus. The relative synonymous codon usage of Cys codons had the strongest correlation with the second axis of the COA. Accordingly, the usage of Cys codons was another important factor that shaped the codon usage patterns in Rhizobium genomes and was a conserved feature of the genus. Moreover, the comparison of codon usage between highly and lowly expressed genes showed that 20 unique preferred codons were shared among Rhizobium genomes, revealing another conserved feature of the genus. This is the first report of the codon usage patterns in the genus Rhizobium.