Lactobacillus plantarum USM8613 Aids in Wound Healing and Suppresses Staphylococcus aureus Infection at Wound Sites

Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins - This study aimed to elucidate the targets and mechanisms of anti-staphylococcal effects from bioactive metabolites produced by lactic acid bacteria. We aimed...     

Multispecies coexistence of trees in tropical forests: spatial signals of topographic niche differentiation increase with environmental heterogeneity

Neutral and niche theories give contrasting explanations for the maintenance of tropical tree species diversity. Both have some empirical support, but methods to disentangle their effects have not yet been developed. We applied a statistical measure of spatial structure to data from 14 large tropical forest plots to test a prediction of niche theory that is incompatible with neutral theory: that species in heterogeneous environments should separate out in space according to their niche preferences. We chose plots across a range of topographic heterogeneity, and tested whether pairwise spatial associations among species were more variable in more heterogeneous sites. We found strong support for this prediction, based on a strong positive relationship between variance in the spatial structure of species pairs and topographic heterogeneity across sites. We interpret this pattern as evidence of pervasive niche differentiation, which increases in importance with increasing environmental heterogeneity.     

The laboratory evaluation of repellent effect of camouflage face paint mixed with DEET to Aedes albopictus

参照中华人民共和国国家标准GB/T 17322.10-1998和《军队特需药品研发勤务技术指导原则(试行)》规定的测试方法,测试了避蚊胺和水溶性二氧化钛处理迷彩油(CFP)对白纹伊蚊Aedes albopictus的驱避效果,为研发我军专用的防蚊虫迷彩油提供依据.结果表明:在3种颜色迷彩油中加入DEET后,不影响DEET的驱蚊效果;添加不同浓度DEET对蚊虫的驱避效果差异显著,20％dEET和25％dEET+迷彩油对白纹伊蚊的平均防护时间均达到或超过10h,达到《军队特需药品研发勤务技术指导原则(试行)》规定的标准,15％dEET+迷彩油平均防护时间不足10h,未达《军队特需药品研发勤务技术指导原则(试行)》规定的标准.研究表明:将适量DEET与迷彩油混合涂抹于皮肤可能作为演习或战时的伪装和防蚊的一种有效的综合保护措施.     

Targeted overexpression of inducible 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase in adipose tissue increases fat deposition but protects against diet-induced insulin resistance and inflammatory responses

Increasing evidence demonstrates the dissociation of fat deposition, the inflammatory response, and insulin resistance in the development of obesity-related metabolic diseases. As a regulatory enzyme of glycolysis, inducible 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase (iPFK2, encoded by PFKFB3) protects against diet-induced adipose tissue inflammatory response and systemic insulin resistance independently of adiposity. Using aP2-PFKFB3 transgenic (Tg) mice, we explored the ability of targeted adipocyte PFKFB3/iPFK2 overexpression to modulate diet-induced inflammatory responses and insulin resistance arising from fat deposition in both adipose and liver tissues. Compared with wild-type littermates (controls) on a high fat diet (HFD), Tg mice exhibited increased adiposity, decreased adipose inflammatory response, and improved insulin sensitivity. In a parallel pattern, HFD-fed Tg mice showed increased hepatic steatosis, decreased liver inflammatory response, and improved liver insulin sensitivity compared with controls. In both adipose and liver tissues, increased fat deposition was associated with lipid profile alterations characterized by an increase in palmitoleate. Additionally, plasma lipid profiles also displayed an increase in palmitoleate in HFD-Tg mice compared with controls. In cultured 3T3-L1 adipocytes, overexpression of PFKFB3/iPFK2 recapitulated metabolic and inflammatory changes observed in adipose tissue of Tg mice. Upon treatment with conditioned medium from iPFK2-overexpressing adipocytes, mouse primary hepatocytes displayed metabolic and inflammatory responses that were similar to those observed in livers of Tg mice. Together, these data demonstrate a unique role for PFKFB3/iPFK2 in adipocytes with regard to diet-induced inflammatory responses in both adipose and liver tissues.     

鳜鱼Mx蛋白全长cDNA的克隆和序列分析

Mx蛋白是一类由I型干扰素诱导表达的抗病毒蛋白.本研究以感染了鳜传染性脾肾坏死病毒(Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus,ISKNV)的鳜鱼为材料,提取肝脏总RNA,通过逆转录-聚合酶链式反应(RT-PCR)扩增出Mx蛋白基因的核心片段序列,再应用3'和5'快速扩增cDNA末端(RACE)方法PCR扩增Mx蛋白cDNA末端,最终获得鳜鱼Mx蛋白cDNA序列(GenBank登陆号AY392097).序列分析表明鳜鱼Mx蛋白cDNA含有2391bp,其中编码区长1881bp,编码627个氨基酸残基,推测蛋白质分子量大小为7.15kDa.鳜鱼Mx蛋白具有脊椎动物Mx蛋白共有的结构特征一个三联体GTP结合区域(GXXXSGKS/T、DXXG、T/NKXD);一个发动蛋白家族的典型结构特征序列(LPRGS/KGIVTR);以及C端高度保守的Leu拉链结构域.鳜鱼Mx蛋白全基因的获得为下一步研究鱼类Mx蛋白的抗病毒活性、作用机制,以及干扰素的检测奠定了基础.     

Identification of Drug Combinations Containing Imatinib for Treatment of BCR-ABL+ Leukemias

The BCR-ABL translocation is found in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and in Ph+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients. Although imatinib and its analogues have been used as front-line therapy to target this mutation and control the disease for over a decade, resistance to the therapy is still observed and most patients are not cured but need to continue the therapy indefinitely. It is therefore of great importance to find new therapies, possibly as drug combinations, which can overcome drug resistance. In this study, we identified eleven candidate anti-leukemic drugs that might be combined with imatinib, using three approaches: a kinase inhibitor library screen, a gene expression correlation analysis, and literature analysis. We then used an experimental search algorithm to efficiently explore the large space of possible drug and dose combinations and identified drug combinations that selectively kill a BCR-ABL+ leukemic cell line (K562) over a normal fibroblast cell line (IMR-90). Only six iterations of the algorithm were needed to identify very selective drug combinations. The efficacy of the top forty-nine combinations was further confirmed using Ph+ and Ph- ALL patient cells, including imatinib-resistant cells. Collectively, the drug combinations and methods we describe might be a first step towards more effective interventions for leukemia patients, especially those with the BCR-ABL translocation.     

广东黄杨科—新种

常绿灌木,高10-30（-40）cm。小枝具棱,无毛。叶对生,叶片倒卵形或狭倒卵形,革质长1-1.5cm,宽（3-）4-7mm,顶端圆钝,微凹,基部楔形,下延成短柄,两面无毛,边缘全缘,反卷,中脉在两面凸起,侧脉不明显;叶柄长1-2mm,两侧具乳头状突起。头状花序腋生兼顶生,花序轴长4-6mm,被微柔毛;花序轴基部苞片l-2对,狭卵状三角形,长约1.5mm,宽约0.6mm,顶端渐尖;雄花:6-8朵,近无梗,萼片4枚,成2对,三角状卵形,凹陷呈舟状,长1.5-2mm,宽约0.8mm,花药长约1mm,花丝扁平,退化子房小,花柱长约 2mm;雌花1朵,位于花序轴顶端,萼片6枚,卵形,凹陷呈舟状,长约 2mm,     

环境胁迫和抗坏血酸的氧化还原状态

为了解环境胁迫对植物体中抗坏血酸含量及氧化还原状态的影响,以不同强度的冰冻和干旱两种胁迫为例,研究了它们对沈阳几种针叶树离体叶抗坏血酸、脱氢抗坏血酸含量以及抗坏血酸-谷胱甘肽循环中4种酶活性的影响.结果表明,两种胁迫达到一定强度后,都能使还原态抗坏血酸含量下降而使脱氢抗坏血酸含量上升.冰冻使抗坏血酸过氧化酶和单脱氢抗坏血酸还原酶活性下降.轻度失水使这两种酶活性上升,失水加重后转而趋于下降.脱氢抗坏血酸还原酶和谷胱甘肽还原酶活性对两种胁迫反应均不如前两种酶敏感.结合以前的研究结果,认为这一H2O2清除系统在导致驯化(acclimation)的轻度胁迫作用下可以得到加强,而当胁迫强度过大时则其清除能力下降并使组织受到伤害.文中还报告了沈阳几种针叶树抗寒性和针叶中抗坏血酸含量及上述4种酶活性之间的相关关系.