The regulation of glycerol 3-phosphate oxidase of rat brownadipose tissue mitochondria by long-chain free fatty acids

Added free fatty acids inhibit oxidation of glycerol 3-phosphate, succinate and NADH in brown-adipose tissue mitochondria from 10-day-old rats. The most pronounced is the inhibitory effect of glycerol 3-phosphate cytochrome c reductase (GP-cyto. c reductase). Contrary to other reductases, GP-cyto. c reductase activity of freshly isolated mitochondria is already inhibited by the fraction of endogenous free fatty acids. Both added and endogenous free fatty acids inhibition of GP-cyto. c reductase is fully reversible by the removal of free fatty acids by bovine serum albumine treatment. The inhibition of GP-cyto. c reductase is of strictly non-competitive type. The most inhibitory are unsaturated long-chain free fatty acids-oleic and linoleic acid. Results are discussed with regards to the regulatory importance of free fatty acids in brown-adiposetissue during intensive non-shivering thermogenesis.     

篮状菌属微生物次级代谢产物研究进展

天然产物的主要来源之一是微生物,不同于其他的生物资源,真菌菌种相对容易选育和保藏、适应力较强,可通过大规模发酵获取产物,更具有利于自然资源的可持续发展性和利用价值。篮状菌（Talaromyces sp.）及其次级代谢产物在天然色素上的研究受到科学家的青睐,同时在食品、环境、农业和医药等方面发挥了重要作用,尤其是海洋来源的篮状菌及其次级代谢物表现出显著的生物活性,例如杀虫、抗肿瘤、抗菌、抗病毒等。近来研究表明,篮状菌次级代谢产物根据生物合成的方式可以分为六大类：萜类（terpenes）、生物碱类（fumiquinazolines）、聚酮类（polyketides）、聚酯类（lactones）、醌类（quinones）和甾体类（steroids）,这些活性物质对促进药物的先导物质挖掘与开发具有重要意义。本文通过对文献和资料的查阅,总结了近年来篮状菌及其次级代谢物的研究开发进展,希望为后续研究和应用提供参考。     

迁地麋鹿对野鸭湖植被的保护性生物控制

利用食草动物来管理自然保护地的植被平衡具有很大的应用潜力,一方面可提升动物的生态价值,另一方面通过控制取食规模,改变植被的生物多样性,达到对自然保护地生态平衡管理的目的。基于此于2021年6月5日引入4头麋鹿(2雄2雌),对野鸭湖自然保护区的“芦苇优势群落”采取保护性的生物控制研究,从项目的实施来看：1)单纯收割不能控制芦苇的生长扩张;对芦苇区系植物多样性的影响有限,未改变芦苇区系结构;2)麋鹿引入该区域后,通过取食、游泳、躺卧和踩踏等活动有效控制了芦苇和香蒲的过度扩张;1年后芦苇和香蒲面积下降了21.96%,为三棱水葱、水蓼等提供了生长空间,逐渐形成了仍以芦苇和香蒲为主且更多样的湿地环境;3)增加滩涂和开阔水面等景观,使多样性指数进一步提升,未改变周边区系湿地生态结构;4)麋鹿迁入可降低野鸭湖“脆弱物种”芦苇区系的丰富度,由引入前的(r=3.67)下降到引入后的(r=1.97);麋鹿迁入提升了野鸭湖植被区系物种多样性,芦苇区系的多样性指数由引进前的(r=0.90)上升到引进后的(r=2.11);麋鹿引入的第一年结果显示,整个引入区域的植被多样性指数由r=0.51上升到r=0.91。麋...     

Long noncoding RNA lncMREF promotes myogenic differentiation and muscle regeneration by interacting with the Smarca5/p300 complex

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in the spatial and temporal regulation of muscle development and regeneration. Nevertheless, the determination of their biological functions and mechanisms underlying muscle regeneration remains challenging. Here, we identified a lncRNA named lncMREF (lncRNA muscle regeneration enhancement factor) as a conserved positive regulator of muscle regeneration among mice, pigs and humans. Functional studies demonstrated that lncMREF, which is mainly expressed in differentiated muscle satellite cells, promotes myogenic differentiation and muscle regeneration. Mechanistically, lncMREF interacts with Smarca5 to promote chromatin accessibility when muscle satellite cells are activated and start to differentiate, thereby facilitating genomic binding of p300/CBP/H3K27ac to upregulate the expression of myogenic regulators, such as MyoD and cell differentiation. Our results unravel a novel temporal-specific epigenetic regulation during muscle regeneration and reveal that lncMREF/Smarca5-mediated epigenetic programming is responsible for muscle cell differentiation, which provides new insights into the regulatory mechanism of muscle regeneration.     

A new family of CRISPR‐type V nucleases with C‐rich PAM recognition

Most CRISPR‐type V nucleases are stimulated to cleave double‐stranded (ds) DNA targets by a T‐rich PAM, which restricts their targeting range. Here, we identify and characterize a new family of type V RNA‐guided nuclease, Cas12l, that exclusively recognizes a C‐rich (5''‐CCY‐3′) PAM. The organization of genes within its CRISPR locus is similar to type II‐B CRISPR‐Cas9 systems, but both sequence analysis and functional studies establish it as a new family of type V effector. Biochemical experiments show that Cas12l nucleases function optimally between 37 and 52°C, depending on the ortholog, and preferentially cut supercoiled DNA. Like other type V nucleases, it exhibits collateral nonspecific ssDNA and ssRNA cleavage activity that is triggered by ssDNA or dsDNA target recognition. Finally, we show that one family member, Asp2Cas12l, functions in a heterologous cellular environment, altogether, suggesting that this new group of CRISPR‐associated nucleases may be harnessed as genome editing reagents.     

三峡水库消落区不同生活史类型植物群落的空间分布格局

为探究三峡水库消落区不同生活史植物群落随海拔梯度及水库干流沿程的空间分布规律,于2017年8月至2017年9月对三峡水库干流消落区植被进行了调查。研究结果表明:(1)三峡水库消落区植被的植物物种丰富度随距大坝里程距离的缩短而呈现逐渐减小的趋势。(2)三峡水库消落区不同生活史类型植被群落盖度对水淹梯度胁迫的响应呈现相反的变化规律:随着消落区高程的升高,一年生植物对消落区植被覆盖度的贡献逐渐增加,而多年生植物对植被群落覆盖度的贡献逐渐降低。但是,在消落区的任一高程区域,多年生植物物种盖度均要大于一年生植物物种盖度。(3)采用TWINSPAN植被分类方法可对9个样地607个样方的三峡水库消落区植被划分为25个组,其中苍耳+狗牙根群落Ass.Xanthiumsibiricum+Cynodon dactylon(含213个样方)、狗牙根群落Ass.Cynodon dactylon(包含137个样方)、狗牙根+香附子群落Ass.Cynodon dactylon+Cyperus rotundus(含55个样方)、狗牙根+酸模叶蓼群落Ass.Cynodon dactylon+Polygonum lap...     

Ginsenoside Rh2 mitigates doxorubicin‐induced cardiotoxicity by inhibiting apoptotic and inflammatory damage and weakening pathological remodelling in breast cancer‐bearing mice

ObjectivesThere are presently a few viable ways to reduce cardiotoxicity of doxorubicin (Dox). The combination of chemotherapy agents with natural compounds delivers greater efficacy and reduces adverse effects in recent researches for cancer treatment. Here, we examined the potential effect of ginsenoside Rh2 on a Dox‐based regimen in chemotherapy treatment.Materials and MethodsHuman breast tumour (MDA‐MB‐231) xenograft nude mice, human cardiac ventricle fibroblasts, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were employed in the present study. Histology, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, western blot, antibody array, and RNA‐sequencing analyses were utilized to assess the protective effect of Rh2 on cardiotoxicity induced by Dox and the underlying mechanisms.ResultsRh2‐reduced cardiotoxicity by inhibiting the cardiac histopathological changes, apoptosis and necrosis, and consequent inflammation. Pathological remodelling was attenuated by reducing fibroblast to myofibroblast transition (FMT) and endothelial–mesenchymal transition (EndMT) in hearts. RNA‐sequencing analysis showed that Dox treatment predominantly targets cell cycle and attachment of microtubules and boosted tumour necrosis, chemokine and interferon‐gamma production, response to cytokine and chemokine, and T cell activation, whereas Rh2 regulated these effects. Intriguingly, Rh2 also attenuated fibrosis via promoting senescence in myofibroblasts and reversing established myofibroblast differentiation in EndMT.ConclusionsRh2 regulates multiple pathways in the Dox‐provoked heart, proposing a potential candidate for cancer supplement and therapy‐associated cardiotoxicity.

Doxorubicin is extensively reported to induce severe cardiotoxicity in clinical applications. Our work proposed a natural herbal compound, ginsenoside Rh2, as a potential candidate for attenuating this side effect. Rh2 significantly inhibited cardiac apoptosis and necrosis, inflammation, and pathological remodelling in Dox‐challenged hearts.     

大熊猫精液和包皮菌群组成及潜在致病菌调查

[目的] 大熊猫是我国国家一级保护动物,其种群面临着传染病和栖息地破碎化等持续威胁,其中生殖系统的细菌感染和菌群失衡会影响大熊猫生殖健康,严重者可导致流产,是引起大熊猫繁殖障碍的原因之一。本研究对精液与包皮分泌物样本的菌群组成情况及分离培养潜在致病菌开展研究。[方法] 通过采集13份大熊猫包皮分泌物和12份精液样本,采用16S rRNA扩增子测序技术、细菌培养及PCR鉴定的方法,确定样本中的细菌种类。[结果] 菌群组成分析结果显示,在门水平上,厚壁菌门（Firmicutes）的细菌丰度在大熊猫包皮与精液中均为最高;在属水平上,不同时期的雄性大熊猫包皮的菌群可能会发生改变,棒状杆菌属（Corynebacterium）和Dolosicoccus是Ⅰ期包皮样本中最丰富的微生物菌群,相对丰度分别为15.45%和12.40%;链球菌属（Streptococcus）和埃希氏菌属（Escherichia）是Ⅱ期包皮样本中最丰富的微生物菌群,相对分度分别为37.94%和9.68%;拟杆菌属（Bacteroides）和普雷沃氏菌属（Prevotella）是精液样本中最丰富的微生物菌群,相对丰度分别为14.40%和12.88%。菌群多样性分析结果显示,精液样品高于Ⅰ期包皮样品和Ⅱ期包皮样品,Ⅰ期包皮样品和Ⅱ期包皮样品之间无显著差异。通过细菌分离培养得到肺炎克雷伯菌（Klebsiella pneumonia）在内的多种潜在性致病菌。[结论] 本研究分析了大熊猫精液和不同时期包皮分泌物的菌群组成,其优势菌属存在差异,大熊猫包皮与精液中存在潜在性致病菌,这可能对大熊猫的生殖系统健康带来威胁,其致病性有待进一步研究。