DNASE1L3 inhibits proliferation,invasion and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma by interacting with β‐catenin to promote its ubiquitin degradation pathway

As a member of the deoxyribonuclease 1 family, DNASE1L3 plays a significant role both inside and outside the cell. However, the role of DNASE1L3 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its molecular basis remains to be further investigated. In this study, we report that DNASE1L3 is downregulated in clinical HCC samples and evaluate the relationship between its expression and HCC clinical features. In vivo and in vitro experiments showed that DNASE1L3 negatively regulates the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of HCC cells. Mechanistic studies showed that DNASE1L3 recruits components of the cytoplasmic β‐catenin destruction complex (GSK‐3β and Axin), promotes the ubiquitination degradation of β‐catenin, and inhibits its nuclear transfer, thus, decreasing c‐Myc, P21 and P27 level. Ultimately, cell cycle and EMT signals are restrained. In general, this study provides new insight into the mechanism for HCC and suggests that DNASE1L3 can become a considerable target for HCC.

Decreased expression of DNASE1L3 is associated with poor prognosis in patients with HCC DNASE1L3 inhibits the proliferation and cell cycle of HCC cells in vitro and promotes the invasion and metastasis of HCC cells DNASE1L3 inhibits the tumorigenicity and metastasis of HCC cells in vivo DNASE1L3 interacts with β‐catenin and promotes its binding to the β‐catenin destroying complex DNASE1L3 interacts with P21 and stabilizes P21 by mediating the deubiquitin activity     

CircHIPK3 prevents chondrocyte apoptosis and cartilage degradation by sponging miR‐30a‐3p and promoting PON2

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common joint disease featured by the deterioration of articular cartilage and chondrocyte death. Emerging evidence has indicated that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play an essential role in OA progress. Here, we found that the expression of circHIPK3 was significantly decreased in human and mouse OA cartilage. Knocking down circHIPK3 increased apoptosis and intracellular ROS level in HC‐a chondrocytes. We performed proteomic studies and identified that circHIPK3 regulated chondrocyte apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway. Results of JC‐1 staining and western blot further confirmed that mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization was promoted in HC‐a chondrocytes transfected by circHIPK3 siRNA. In terms of mechanism, we showed that PON2 functioned as a potential target of circHIPK3 to regulate chondrocyte apoptosis. Moreover, we revealed that circHIPK3 interacted with miR‐30a‐3p to regulate PON2 expression in chondrocytes. Taken together, our findings suggested that circHIPK3 regulated chondrocyte apoptosis by mitochondrial pathway, and targeting the circHIPK3/miR‐30a‐3p/PON2 axis might be a potential strategy for OA treatment.

The current study revealed the important role of circHIPK3 in regulating chondrocyte apoptosis and maintaining extracellular matrix (ECM) homeostasis. Mechanistically, circHIIPK3 might serve as a sponge of miR‐30a‐3p to regulate PON2 expression. The downregulation of circHIIPK3 resulted in the increased expression of miR‐30a‐3p and decreased expression of PON2, thus leading to mitochondrial pathway apoptosis and ECM destruction.     

Positional behavior and canopy use of black snub-nosed monkeys Rhinopithecus strykeri in the Gaoligong Mountains,Yunnan, China

Studies on positional behavior and canopy use are essential for understanding how arboreal animals adapt their morphological characteristics and behaviors to the challenges of their environment. This study explores canopy and substrate use along with positional behavior in adult black snub-nosed monkeys Rhinopithecus strykeri, an endemic, critically endangered primate species in Gaoligong Mountains, southwest China. Using continuous focal animal sampling, we collected data over a 52-month period and found that R. strykeri is highly arboreal primarily using the high layers of the forest canopy (15–30 m), along with the terminal zone of tree crowns (52.9%), medium substrates (41.5%), and oblique substrates (56.8%). We also found sex differences in canopy and substrate use. Females use the terminal zones (56.7% versus 40.4%), small/medium (77.7% versus 60.1%), and oblique (59.9% versus 46.5%) substrates significantly more than males. On the other hand, males spend more time on large/very large (39.9% versus 22.3%) and horizontal (49.7% versus 35.2%) substrates. Whereas both sexes mainly sit (84.7%), and stand quadrupedally (9.1%), males stand quadrupedally (11.5% versus 8.3%), and bipedally (2.9% versus 0.8%) more often than females. Clamber, quadrupedalism, and leap/drop are the main locomotor modes for both sexes. Rhinopithecus strykeri populations never enter canopies of degenerated secondary forest and mainly use terminal branches in the middle and upper layers of canopies in intact mid-montane moist evergreen broadleaf forest and hemlock coniferous broadleaf mixed forests across their habitat.     

草地贪夜蛾雄性成虫和5龄幼虫的转录组比较分析

【目的】草地贪夜蛾Spodoptera frugiperda是一种新近入侵我国的重要害虫。本研究旨在对草地贪夜蛾雄性成虫和5龄幼虫两个不同发育阶段的转录组进行比较分析。【方法】利用高通量测序技术对草地贪夜蛾雄性成虫和5龄幼虫进行转录组测序和数据组装,并对转录组数据进行功能注释和比较分析。【结果】经de novo组装共获得209 002条转录本,平均长度为687.55 bp,N50为982 bp。共有46 198条(57.43%) unigene在至少一个数据库中获得功能注释,其中1 713条(2.13%) unigene在所有数据库中均能获得注释。在GO数据库中获得205 269条unigene的注释,主要包括68个功能分类;在KEGG数据库中共有3 408条unigene得到注释,涉及277个代谢通路。共鉴定到424个嗅觉相关的基因,并且在雄性成虫和5龄幼虫之间的表达存在差异。通过比较转录组分析,在雄性成虫中鉴定到9 162个上调和6 399个下调差异表达基因(DEGs);功能富集分析发现在上调DEGs中涉及信息素以及信号转导的代谢通路显著富集,而下调DEGs中涉及解毒相关的通路显著...     

果胶甲酯酶的结构与功能研究进展

果胶甲酯酶(PME)是一种重要的果胶酶,其水解果胶中的甲酯基从而释放甲醇并降低果胶的甲酯化程度。目前在食品加工、茶饮料、造纸等生产工艺中有着广泛的应用前景。随着对PME的深入研究,已报道了几种不同来源的酶晶体结构,对这些已获得的晶体结构进行分析发现,PME属于右手平行β-螺旋结构,其催化残基为2个保守的天冬氨酸和1个谷氨酰胺残基,并且在催化过程中分别起到了一般酸碱、亲核试剂以及稳定中间体的作用。同时对其底物特异性进行分析,初步了解其底物与活性位点的识别机制。文中针对这几个相关方面进行了系统的综述。     

Development and evaluation of an efficient and real-time monitoring system for the vector mosquitoes,Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus

BackgroundThe surveillance of vector mosquitoes is essential for prevention and control of mosquito-borne diseases. In this study, we developed an internet-based vector mosquito monitor, MS-300, and evaluated its efficiency for the capture of the important vector mosquitoes, Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus, in laboratory and field trials.Methodology/Principal findingsThe linear sizes of adult Ae. albopictus and Cx. quinquefasciatus were measured and an infrared window was designed based on these data. A device to specifically attract these two species and automatically transmit the number of captured mosquitoes to the internet was developed. The efficiency of the device in capturing the two species was tested in laboratory, semi-field and open field trials. The efficiency results for MS-300 for catching and identifying Ae. albopictus in laboratory mosquito-net cages were 98.5% and 99.3%, and 95.8% and 98.6%, respectively, for Cx. quinquefasciatus. In a wire-gauze screened house in semi-field trials, the efficiencies of MS-300 baited with a lure in catching Ae. albopictus and Cx. quinquefasciatus were 54.2% and 51.3%, respectively, which were significantly higher than 4% and 4.2% without the lure. The real-time monitoring data revealed two daily activity peaks for Ae. albopictus (8:00–10:00 and 17:00–19:00), and one peak for Cx. quinquefasciatus (20:00–24:00). During a 98-day surveillance trial in the field, totals of 1,118 Ae. albopictus and 2,302 Cx. quinquefasciatus were captured by MS-300. There is a close correlation between the number of captured mosquitoes and the temperature in the field, and a positive correlation in the species composition of the captured samples among the mosquitoes using MS-300, BioGents Sentinel traps and human landing catches.Conclusions/SignificanceThe data support the conclusion that MS-300 can specifically and efficiently capture Ae. albopictus and Cx. quinquefasciatus, and monitor their density automatically in real-time. Therefore, MS-300 has potential for use as a surveillance tool for prevention and control of vector mosquitoes.     

珊瑚礁生态脆弱性评价——以泰国思仓岛为例

珊瑚礁生态系统受到环境变化、人类活动等各种因素的严重威胁,保护珊瑚礁生态系统是目前全球海洋生态保护的热点,对珊瑚礁开展定量的生态脆弱性评估能够为保护管理对策的制定提供重要科学依据。本研究选取泰国思仓岛作为研究区域,结合空间分析技术建立了具有通用性的珊瑚礁生态脆弱性评估方法。基于ESA模型构建了珊瑚礁生态脆弱性综合指数和评价指标体系,系统分析了思仓岛珊瑚礁脆弱性的来源、构成,并直观展现了脆弱性的区域空间分布。结果表明:思仓岛研究区东北侧的珊瑚礁生态脆弱性大于西南侧,当地珊瑚礁的关键影响因子分别为驳船排污、港口码头、水体透明度等。根据脆弱性评价的结果,提出了当地珊瑚礁保护与修复的空间分区管理对策。本研究为印度-太平洋区系珊瑚礁生态脆弱性评价提供了可行的示例,也为中国的珊瑚礁可持续管理研究提供了借鉴和参照。     

线虫转型发育和寄主识别的化学通讯研究进展

线虫是一类低等无脊椎动物,在自然界分布很广。因为线虫通常生活在土壤或寄生物中,没有适宜的视觉或听觉系统,接收环境信号的重要途径就是借助于其精细的化学感受系统。研究表明,线虫能够通过识别挥发性物质来引导一系列行为:取食、交配、产卵和驱避有毒物质、避免高种群密度等。目前,对线虫化学感受机制的研究越来越被人们所重视,也取得了一些突破性进展。综合近年来已有的研究成果,从发育调控机制、寄主识别机制、化学感受机理等方面进行了详细系统的总结,并对未来研究和线虫防治进行了展望。