Potentialities of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells for treatment of diseases

Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell research has been growing a new height throughout the world due to its potentialities in medical applications. We can explore several therapeutic applications through the iPS cell research. In this review, we have first discussed the development of iPS cells, reprogramming factors, and effectiveness of iPS cells. Then we have emphasized the potential applications of iPS cells in pharmaceutical and medical sectors, such as, study of cellular mechanisms for spectrum of disease entities, disease-specific iPS cell lines for drugs discovery and development, toxicological studies of drugs development, personalized medicine, and regenerative medicine.     

The expression of a novel estrogen receptor, GPR30, in epithelial ovarian carcinoma and its correlation with MMP-9

The aim of the present study is to investigate the expression of a novel estrogen receptor, G protein-coupled receptor 30 (GPR30) and its correlation with matrix metalloproteinases-9 (MMP-9) in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Ovary tissues were obtained from 39 female patients, including 30 cases of EOC and 9 cases of benign ovarian tumor. Four normal ovary tissues were used as control. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expressions of GPR30 and MMP-9. Chi square test, Fisher's exact test and Spearman's rank correlation analysis were used for statistical analysis. The results showed that GPR30 overexpression rate in EOC cases was significantly higher than those in benign ovarian tumor and normal ovary cases. Whereas MMP-9 overexpression rate in EOC cases was significantly higher than that in normal ovary cases, without any difference to that in benign ovarian tumor cases. To demonstrate the relationship between GPR30 and clinicopathological variables of EOC, we further analyzed the pathology type, FIGO stage and age of patients sampled in our study. The analysis showed there were significant differences of GPR30 overexpression rate among various pathology types and different FIGO stages (P<0.05), and no significant difference of both GPR30 and MMP-9 among three age groups (P>0.05). Moreover, GPR30 expression was positively correlated with MMP-9 (r(s)=1.000, P=0.002). These results suggest that GPR30 may be involved in the invasion and metastasis of EOC, being a potential index of EOC early diagnosis and malignancy grade prediction.     

Seasonal occurrence of helminths in the anadromous fish Coilia nasus (Engraulidae): parasite indicators of fish migratory movements

To understand the seasonal migration of the anadromous Coilia nasus , we attempted to identify the parasites infecting C. nasus and determine their seasonal occurrence. From June 2007 to July 2008, a survey of 775 C. nasus individuals from the estuary of the Yangtze River and the coast of the East China Sea revealed more than 7,300 parasites associated with the gills and alimentary tracts of C. nasus . The following 6 helminth taxa were identified, i.e., the monogeneans Heteromazocraes lingmueni and Helciferus tenuis, the digenean Elytrophallus coiliae, the acanthocephalan Acanthosentis cheni , and larvae of the nematodes Anisakis simplex and Contracaecum sp., all of which are marine or brackish-water parasites. The absence of freshwater helminths suggested that the parasites acquired in freshwater may have been accidentally, and easily, lost by the time the fish had reached the estuary and coast. Contrary to seasonal occurrence of the parasites' life cycles, the lowest mean abundance and prevalence of H. lingmueni and A. cheni occurred in August, which suggested the immigration of C. nasus from freshwater to the Yangtze estuary, with lower parasite burdens. The highest mean abundance and prevalence of the nematodes A. simplex and Contracaecum sp. in May and June, and the lowest in August, indicated the arrival of the fish from the coast and the Yangtze River, to the estuary, respectively. These findings suggested that a majority of the fish prepared for spawning migration in the estuary in spring and early summer and returned to the estuary after spawning in the lower and middle reaches of the Yangtze River in late summer.     

Heregulin targets gamma-catenin to the nucleolus by a mechanism dependent on the DF3/MUC1 oncoprotein

The DF3/MUC1 transmembrane oncoprotein is aberrantly overexpressed in most human breast carcinomas and interacts with the Wnt effector gamma-catenin. Here, we demonstrate that MUC1 associates constitutively with ErbB2 in human breast cancer cells and that treatment with heregulin/neuregulin-1 (HRG) increases the formation of MUC1-ErbB2 complexes. The importance of the MUC1-ErbB2 interaction is supported by the demonstration that HRG induces binding of MUC1 and gamma-catenin and targeting of the MUC1-gamma-catenin complex to the nucleolus. Significantly, nucleolar localization of gamma-catenin in response to HRG is dependent on MUC1 expression. Moreover, mutation of a RRK motif in the MUC1 cytoplasmic domain abrogates HRG-induced nucleolar localization of MUC1 and gamma-catenin. In concert with these results, we show nucleolar localization of MUC1 and gamma-catenin in human breast carcinomas but not in normal mammary ductal epithelium. These findings demonstrate that MUC1 functions in cross talk between ErbB2 and Wnt pathways by acting as a shuttle for HRG-induced nucleolar targeting of gamma-catenin.     

Primulina petrocosmeoides sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from Guangxi,China

Primulina petrocosmeoides Bo Pan & Fang Wen sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from Guangxi, China, is described and illustrated. This new species is similar to P. weii Mich. Möller & A. Weber, but differs from it in leaf blade ovate to elliptical, 1.0 × 0.8 to 2.5 × 2.0 cm, leaf base broadly cuneate, cymes 5–16, 2–6‐flowered, bracts narrowly lanceolate, calyx lobes lanceolate, 4.0–6.5 mm long, corolla bluish purple, 1.2–1.5 cm long, pubescent outside but glabrous inside, filaments purple, pubescent, staminodes 3, stigma trapezoid with its apex lobed to the middle and with dense short papillae.     

Spindlin1, a novel nuclear protein with a role in the transformation of NIH3T3 cells

spindlin1, a novel human gene recently isolated by our laboratory, is highly homologous to mouse spindlin gene. In this study, we cloned cDNA full-length of this novel gene and send it to GenBank database as spindlin1 (Homo sapiens spindlin1) with Accession No. AF317228. In order to investigate the function of spindlin1, we studied further the subcellular localization of Spindlin1 protein and the effects of spindlin1 overexpression in NIH3T3 cells. The results showed that the fusion protein pEGFP-N1-spindlin1 was located in the nucleus and the C-terminal is correlated with nuclear localization of Spindlin1 protein. NIH3T3 cells which could stably express spindlin1 as a result of RT-PCR analysis compared with the control cells displayed a complete morphological change; made cell growth faster; and increased the percentage of cells in G2/M and S phase. Furthermore, overexpressed spindlin1 cells formed colonies in soft agar in vitro and formed tumors in nude mice. Our findings provide direct evidence that spindlin1 gene may contribute to tumorigenesis.     

水牛精子蛋白质组双向电泳体系的建立和优化

建立和优化一种适合水牛精子蛋白质组学研究的双向电泳技术。以水牛精子为研究对象,比较两种不同配方的裂解液,以及不同上样量对其2-DE图谱质量的影响。结果显示,以7 mol/L尿素、2 mol/L硫脲、4%CHAPS、1%DTT、0.5%Cocktail of protease inhibitors为裂解液,24 cm胶条上样量200μg时,可获得较好的精子总蛋白质2-DE图谱。运用ImageMaster 2-Dplatinum分析软件检测出约500个蛋白质点,蛋白质大部分分布在等电点5-7之间,分子量范围约40-90 kD。     

DL-蛋按酸及衍生物的合成与拆分研究进展

综述了蛋氨基酸及其衍生物的化学合成及化学拆分近年来的研究进展.第一部分讨论了DL-蛋氨酸及其衍生物的化学合成,包括丙烯醛法、丙二酸酯法,氨基内酯法等,并着重介绍了海因法.第二部分为 DL-蛋氨酸的手性拆分,主要包括膜分离,加合物、络合物形式分离,用苯丙氨酸拆分,衍生物分离等拆分方法,还介绍了生物酶拆分方法和其它有关拆分方法的进展.     

双效表达载体的构建及其U6启动子的功能效率鉴定

利用pBudcE4.1双表达载体构建shRNA与蛋白共表达载体,为双效疫苗的研制提供新的研究思路.以含U6启动子的载体为模板,PCR扩增得到U6启动子,用其置换载体pBudcE4.1内的CMV启动子的核心部分构建shRNA与蛋白共表达载体.用干扰绿色荧光蛋白表达的方法鉴定重组载体中的U6启动子能否启动shRNA的表达.经PCR扩增、双酶切鉴定及DNA测序证明成功构建了载体pBudcE4.1-U6.用干扰载体pBudcE4.1-U6-eGFPshRNA与含eGFP的载体共转染293T细胞后,荧光显微镜观察显示eGFP的表达量下降;流式细胞仪检测细胞的转染效率降低.研究结果证明U6启动子正常发挥作用. 成功构建RNAi与蛋白共表达载体,为利用该载体研制动物双效疫苗奠定了基础.