MicroRNA-21可促进金华猪胚胎肝脏生长

microRNAs是一种小分子非编码RNA,广泛参与细胞的生长发育、分化和凋亡等生物学过程. microRNA-21(miR-21)是一个在实体肿瘤中高表达的miRNA,可促进癌细胞增殖. 为了研究miR-21在金华猪生长过程中的作用,本试验选取了金华猪80日龄胚胎的心、肝、脾、肺、肾、小肠、胰脏、皮脂组织,进行miR-21组织表达谱研究,结果发现miR-21在肝脏中的表达最高. 进一步以肝脏为对象,研究miR-21在金华猪不同生长阶段中的表达,结果显示胚胎80日龄的miR-21表达量最高（P<0.01）,其次是胚胎期的60日龄和105日龄,出生后1至120日龄miR-21的表达量均维持在较低的水平且相互之间差异不显著(P>0.05). 利用KEGG软件对miR-21预测的靶基因进行通路归类分析表明miR-21参与细胞代谢、生长等过程,从中选择两个抑制细胞增殖的靶基因,增强子结合蛋白（CCAAT/enhancer binding protein,Cebpa) 和原肌球蛋白1基因（tropomyosin 1,Tpm1),qRT-PCR检测二者在不同生长阶段的mRNA表达量,结果其表达趋势与miR-21相反,其中胚胎期80天表达量最低(P<0.05). 综上表明miR-21可能具有促进胚胎肝脏生长的作用.     

金沙江河谷特有植物罂粟莲花的保护遗传学

毛茛科的罂粟莲花(Anemoclema glaucifolium)是中国西南部金沙江河谷地带特有的单种属植物。本研究利用分子生物学手段（SNPs）,对罂粟莲花的遗传多样性和遗传结构进行了研究。三个叶绿体片段(rps16内含子,psbA trnH 基因间隔区以及trnC ycf6基因间隔区)联合分析的结果显示低的遗传多样性和高的遗传分化。这可能是由于居群间长期的地理隔离,狭小的分布区以及生境片段化造成的有限的基因流所引起的。如今在金沙江上修建水电站的位置与罂粟莲花的分布区有部分重叠,这些水电站会淹没罂粟莲花的部分个体和生境,并且改变生态环境,威胁罂粟莲花的生存。本研究对罂粟莲花遗传多样性的研究为制定有效的保护策略提供了信息。     

Comparison of Th1 and Th2 responses in non-healing and healing patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis

Background:

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is an endemic disease in many regions of Iran, including the city of Mashhad. In recent years, some cases have not responded to Glucantime, the usual treatment for this disease. The cellular immune response caused by T-helper type 1 (Th1) cells has an important role in protection against leishmaniasis, and activation of the T-helper type 2 (Th2) response causes progression of the disease. By analyzing these responses we hope to find a more effective treatment than that currently in use for leishmaniasis patients.

Methods:

The cellular immune responses in 60 cases of non-healing and healing cutaneous leishmaniasis, and individuals in a control group, were analyzed by measuring cytokines released by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) when stimulated with Leishmania major antigens by Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA).

Results:

Subjects from the healing group secreted more interleukin-12 (IL-12) and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) (p<0.05) and less interleukins -4, -5, -10 (IL-4, IL-5, and IL-10) (p<0.005) and -18 (IL-18) (p=0.003) than the non-healing group.

Conclusions:

The results demonstrate that secretion of cytokines that activate Th2 response including IL-4, IL-5 and IL-10 in non-healing subjects was higher than healing subjects and secretion of cytokines that activate Th1 response including IL-12 and IFN-γ in healing subjects was higher relative to the non-healing subjects. In this study it has been shown that the level of IL-18 progresses disease in non-healing patients when the level of IL-12 gets decreased. Key Words: Cytokines, Cutaneous leishmaniasis, Glucantime     

Differences in Incubation Length and Hatchling Morphology among Five Species of Oviparous Phrynocephalus Lizards （Agamidae） from China

We incubated eggs of five Phrynocephalus species （P. albolineatus, P. axillaries, P. grumgrzimailoi, P. helioscopus and P. przewalskii） at three constant temperatures （24℃, 28℃ and 32℃） to examine differences in incubation length and hatchling morphology among species and among temperature treatments. We combined data from this study with those reported previously for P. frontalis and P. versicolor to examine whether embryonic stage at laying is a causal factor for interspecific variation in incubation length, and whether the phylogenetic relationship inferred from hatchling morphology is consistent with the relationship based on mitochondrial DNA data. Mean values for incubation length differed among the five species studied herein and, in all these five species, incubation length decreased at a decreasing rate as temperature increased. In none of the five species did hatchling size （snout-vent length and body mass） and other morphological variables differ among the three temperature treatments. The seven oviparous Phrynocephalus lizards found in China differ from each other in hatchling morphology, and embryonic stage at laying is a causal factor of inter- and intra-specific variation in incubation length. The phylogenetic relationship inferred from hatchling morphology is not always consistent with the currently known relationship based on mitochondrial DNA data. Data from this study and those reported previously allow the conclusion that any Phrynocephalus species may have its unique position along the axis defined by hatchling morphology.     

Endogenous Purification Reveals GREB1 as a Key Estrogen Receptor Regulatory Factor

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Highlights? A proteomic method identifies protein-protein interaction in primary tumors ? GREB1 is the top estrogen-induced ER-interacting protein ? GREB1 is an essential ER cofactor recruited to chromatin ? GREB1 is an independent prognostic marker     

Study of PKRBD in HCV genotype 3a infected patients in response to interferon therapy in Pakistani population

Background

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma and infects about 3% world population. Response to interferon therapy depends upon the genotype of the virus and factors associated with the host. Despite a good response to interferon therapy, a considerable number of genotype 3a infected patients remains unalleviated.

Results

In total forty-nine patients including twenty-five non-responders (non-SVR) and twenty-four responders (SVR) were recruited. Patients were tested for viral status at different intervals and the isolated RNA was sequenced for the NS5A region in both groups. The comparison of PKRBD of HCV between the SVR and non-SVR patients did not confirm any significant difference in the number of mutations. However, when the sequence downstream to the PKRBD of NS5A was compared, two important statistically significant mutations were observed; at positions 2309 (Ala to Ser) and 2326 (Gly to Ala). These mutations were then analysed for tertiary protein structure and important structural changes were observed. Statistically significant difference was also observed when age groups of patients were compared; younger patients showed better response than the older ones.

Conclusions

The region between PKRBD and IRRDR may be important for prediction of response to IFN therapy for genotype 3a. ISDR and PKRBD have not shown any involvement in treatment response. Further functional analyses of these findings can help in understanding the involvement of the NS5A region in interferon treatment of HCV-3a infected patients.