一个离散单种群动力系统的超临界Flip分支和Hoph分支(英文)

文中考虑一个非线性的具有年龄阶段结构的单种群离散模型,致力于揭示该系统的动力学行为,说明了系统在分支阈值附近会出现超临界Flip分支和Hoph分支.与一些文献不同的是文中用数学工具给出证明过程而不是用数值模拟的结果说明.     

肥大细胞释放生物活性介质促进TNCB致敏淋巴细胞分泌IL-17

氯化苦咪酸(TNCB)是诱导接触性超敏反应(CHS)实验模型的常用试剂,IL-17参与CHS的致病过程。利用TNCB致敏C57BL/6小鼠,4d后无菌分离淋巴结细胞。同时制备并体外活化同源小鼠成熟骨髓来源的肥大细胞(BMMC),成熟的BMMC具有肥大细胞特异性表型(FcεRI+/c-kit+),活化后可分泌TNF-α和IL-6等生物活性介质。在抗原提呈细胞存在下,活化的BMMC与淋巴结细胞体外共同培养72h,结果显示,与未致敏淋巴细胞共同培养组相比,BMMC与TNCB致敏淋巴细胞的共同培养上清中IL-17分泌水平显著增高(P0.01)。由此提示,活化的肥大细胞通过释放生物活性介质,促进TNCB致敏淋巴细胞IL-17的分泌。     

RNA干扰的研究进展及应用

RNA干扰(RNAi)是生物体的一种在进化上保持高度保守的,能抵御外源基因或外来病毒侵犯的重要防御机制,是一种序列特异性的转录后基因沉默现象。它由双链RNA引发,广泛存在于动、植物等各种生物体内。我们简要综述了RNAi发生的机制、特点、哺乳动物与RNAi现象,以及RNAi的应用等。     

Relationship Among H-FABP Gene Polymorphism, Intramuscular Fat Content, and Adipocyte Lipid Droplet Content in Main Pig Breeds with Different Genotypes in Western China

H-FABP (Heart fatty acid-binding protein), a member of FABP family, plays an essential role in long-chain fatty acid uptake and metabolic homeostasis. Its role in pig intramuscular fat content remains poorly understood, especially in local pig breeds in western China. In this study, the genetic variations of 5′-upstream region and the second intron in porcine H-FABP gene were investigated by PCR-RFLP in 256 pigs including Duroc, Large White, Landrace, Neijiang, Rongchang, Bamei pig, Hanjiang Black, Hanzhong White, and the wild ones. The effect of H-FABP gene on the IMF content was analyzed by the least square method. Lipid droplet morphology and content in adipocytes cultured from pigs with different H-FABP genotypes, were studied by oil red O staining and a triglyceride assay kit. Results showed a Hinf I -RFLP in these eight pig breeds and wild pigs, among which Large white, Bamei pig, Hanjiang Black, Hanzhong White, and wild pigs presented with low polymorphism while the other breeds had intermediate polymorphism. There was no Hae III or Msp I -RFLPs in the four Chinese local pig breeds tested, but Duroc, Landrace, Large White, Hanzhong White and wild pig had polymorphism. Landrace, Large White and wild pigs had low levels of Hae III-and Msp I -RFLP, whereas others had intermediate polymorphism. H-FABP genotypes significantly affected the IMF content (P<0.05). The IMF content ordered by H-FABP genotypes were HH>Hh>hh, DD<Dd<dd, and AA<Aa<aa. The genetic effect values were 3.89, 3.42, 3.17, 2.27, 2.49, 2.91, 2.28, 2.70, and 2.95, respectively. Fat deposition in adipocytes was stronger in the HH, dd and aa genotypes than in others. The results suggest that porcine meat quality may be improved by increasing the frequency of genotype aa-dd-HH in pig breeds.     

Genetic disruption of both Chlamydomonas reinhardtii [FeFe]-hydrogenases: Insight into the role of HYDA2 in H₂ production

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (Chlamydomonas throughout) encodes two [FeFe]-hydrogenases, designated HYDA1 and HYDA2. While HYDA1 is considered the dominant hydrogenase, the role of HYDA2 is unclear. To study the individual functions of each hydrogenase and provide a platform for future bioengineering, we isolated the Chlamydomonas hydA1-1, hydA2-1 single mutants and the hydA1-1 hydA2-1 double mutant. A reverse genetic screen was used to identify a mutant with an insertion in HYDA2, followed by mutagenesis of the hydA2-1 strain coupled with a H(2) chemosensor phenotypic screen to isolate the hydA1-1 hydA2-1 mutant. Genetic crosses of the hydA1-1 hydA2-1 mutant to wild-type cells allowed us to also isolate the single hydA1-1 mutant. Fermentative, photosynthetic, and in vitro hydrogenase activities were assayed in each of the mutant genotypes. Surprisingly, analyses of the hydA1-1 and hydA2-1 single mutants, as well as the HYDA1 and HYDA2 rescued hydA1-1 hydA2-1 mutant demonstrated that both hydrogenases are able to catalyze H(2) production from either fermentative or photosynthetic pathways. The physiology of both mutant and complemented strains indicate that the contribution of HYDA2 to H(2) photoproduction is approximately 25% that of HYDA1, which corresponds to similarly low levels of in vitro hydrogenase activity measured in the hydA1-1 mutant. Interestingly, enhanced in vitro and fermentative H(2) production activities were observed in the hydA1-1 hydA2-1 strain complemented with HYDA1, while maximal H(2)-photoproduction rates did not exceed those of wild-type cells.     

Carbon trading for phosphorus gain: the balance between rhizosphere carboxylates and arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis in plant phosphorus acquisition

Two key plant adaptations for phosphorus (P) acquisition are carboxylate exudation into the rhizosphere and mycorrhizal symbioses. These target different soil P resources, presumably with different plant carbon costs. We examined the effect of inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on amount of rhizosphere carboxylates and plant P uptake for 10 species of low‐P adapted Kennedia grown for 23 weeks in low‐P sand. Inoculation decreased carboxylates in some species (up to 50%), decreased plant dry weight (21%) and increased plant P content (23%). There was a positive logarithmic relationship between plant P content and the amount of rhizosphere citric acid for inoculated and uninoculated plants. Causality was indicated by experiments using sand where little citric acid was lost from the soil solution over 2 h and citric acid at low concentrations desorbed P into the soil solution. Senesced leaf P concentration was often low and P‐resorption efficiencies reached >90%. In conclusion, we propose that mycorrhizally mediated resource partitioning occurred because inoculation reduced rhizosphere carboxylates, but increased plant P uptake. Hence, presumably, the proportion of plant P acquired from strongly sorbed sources decreased with inoculation, while the proportion from labile inorganic P increased. Implications for plant fitness under field conditions now require investigation.     

Altered fermentative metabolism in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii mutants lacking pyruvate formate lyase and both pyruvate formate lyase and alcohol dehydrogenase

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a unicellular green alga, often experiences hypoxic/anoxic soil conditions that activate fermentation metabolism. We isolated three Chlamydomonas mutants disrupted for the pyruvate formate lyase (PFL1) gene; the encoded PFL1 protein catalyzes a major fermentative pathway in wild-type Chlamydomonas cells. When the pfl1 mutants were subjected to dark fermentative conditions, they displayed an increased flux of pyruvate to lactate, elevated pyruvate decarboxylation, ethanol accumulation, diminished pyruvate oxidation by pyruvate ferredoxin oxidoreductase, and lowered H(2) production. The pfl1-1 mutant also accumulated high intracellular levels of lactate, succinate, alanine, malate, and fumarate. To further probe the system, we generated a double mutant (pfl1-1 adh1) that is unable to synthesize both formate and ethanol. This strain, like the pfl1 mutants, secreted lactate, but it also exhibited a significant increase in the levels of extracellular glycerol, acetate, and intracellular reduced sugars and a decrease in dark, fermentative H(2) production. Whereas wild-type Chlamydomonas fermentation primarily produces formate and ethanol, the double mutant reroutes glycolytic carbon to lactate and glycerol. Although the metabolic adjustments observed in the mutants facilitate NADH reoxidation and sustained glycolysis under dark, anoxic conditions, the observed changes could not have been predicted given our current knowledge of the regulation of fermentation metabolism.     

VAMP-Associated Protein B (VAPB) Promotes Breast Tumor Growth by Modulation of Akt Activity

VAPB (VAMP- associated protein B) is an ER protein that regulates multiple biological functions. Although aberrant expression of VAPB is associated with breast cancer, its function in tumor cells is poorly understood. In this report, we provide evidence that VAPB regulates breast tumor cell proliferation and AKT activation. VAPB protein expression is elevated in primary and metastatic tumor specimens, and VAPB mRNA expression levels correlated negatively with patient survival in two large breast tumor datasets. Overexpression of VAPB in mammary epithelial cells increased cell growth, whereas VAPB knockdown in tumor cells inhibited cell proliferation in vitro and suppressed tumor growth in orthotopic mammary gland allografts. The growth regulation of mammary tumor cells controlled by VAPB appears to be mediated, at least in part, by modulation of AKT activity. Overexpression of VAPB in MCF10A-HER2 cells enhances phosphorylation of AKT. In contrast, knockdown of VAPB in MMTV-Neu tumor cells inhibited pAKT levels. Pharmacological inhibition of AKT significantly reduced three-dimensional spheroid growth induced by VAPB. Collectively, the genetic, functional and mechanistic analyses suggest a role of VAPB in tumor promotion in human breast cancer.     

植物水孔蛋白的亚细胞分布与生理功能研究浅析

水孔蛋白(aquaporin,AQP)因具有水转运活性而得名,然而随着研究的深入,水孔蛋白转运活性的多样性与生理功能的多样性不断被报道．本文综合分析了植物水孔蛋白亚细胞定位与功能多样性的研究进展,重点综述了植物水孔蛋白广泛的亚细胞分布特点,以及亚细胞上的再分布现象与植物水孔蛋白生理功能多样性间的关系,并对植物水孔蛋白研究中存在的 问题及研究方向进行了分析,认为水孔蛋白多样化的生理功能的作用机制需要结合其组织定位与亚细胞定位进行分析才能 揭示．