A dual role of cholesterol in osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells

Osteoblasts, the chief bone-forming cells, are differentiated from mesenchymal stromal/stem cells. Disruption of this differentiation process can cause osteoporosis, a bone disease characterized by low bone mass and deteriorated bone structure. Cholesterol has been implicated in pathogenesis of osteoporosis, and was recently identified as an endogenous activator of Hedgehog (Hh) signaling. However, its pathological and physiological roles in osteoblast differentiation are still poorly understood. Moreover, it is unclear whether these potential roles played by cholesterol are related to its capability to modulate Hh pathway. In this study, we investigated the role of exogenous versus endogenous cholesterol in osteogenesis and Hh pathway activation using ST2 cells, a bone marrow stromal cell line. We found that exogenous cholesterol significantly inhibited alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and messenger RNA expression of osteoblast markers genes (Alpl, Sp7, and Ibsp) while modestly activating expression of Gli1 (a readout of Hh signaling) under both basal osteogenic culture condition and Wnt3a treatment. Similarly, exogenous cholesterol suppressed osteogenic response of ST2 cells to sonic Hh (Shh) or purmorphamine (Purmo) treatment, which, however, was accompanied by diminished induction of Gli1, indicating the involvement of a Hh-dependent mechanism. Interestingly, depletion of endogenous cholesterol also reduced Shh-induced ALP activity and Gli1 expression. Likewise, cholesterol depletion inhibited osteogenic response to Purmo, although it did not affect Gli1 induction. Taken together, our findings have demonstrated that cholesterol plays a dual role in osteoblast differentiation likely through both Hh-dependent and -independent mechanisms.     

Effects of a foliar fertilizer containing boron on the development of Sclerotinia stem rot (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) on canola (Brassica napus L.) leaves

Sclerotinia stem rot (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum Lib. De Bary) is one of the most destructive fungal diseases on canola (Brassica napus L.). The effect of a foliar fertilizer containing 3% boron (Active Flower™ [AF]) in reducing disease severity was evaluated. AF at 0.1, 0.3 and 0.5 ml/100 ml was first tested for growth inhibition of S. sclerotiorum in potato dextrose broth. Growth was reduced at 0.5 ml/100 ml by around 90%. Boric acid (BA), an important component of AF, was tested against fungal growth at 10 ml/L, and no significant effect (p = .05) was found. Foliar applications of AF and AF formulation that did not contain boron at 0.1, 0.3 and 0.5 ml/100 ml were made weekly to canola ‘Westar’ grown under greenhouse conditions. Treatments were also made with BA at 10 ml/L to canola plants. After four applications, AF at 0.5 ml/100 ml and BA at 10 ml/L enhanced boron levels in leaves by fivefold and threefold, respectively, compared with the control. Lesion size of S. sclerotiorum on detached leaves was significantly (p < .05) reduced by AF at 0.5 ml/100 ml, but lesion size was not reduced on AFWB-treated leaves. Experiments were repeated twice with the same results. Levels of phenolic compounds in leaves treated with 0.5 ml/100 ml AF were enhanced by twofold compared with the control. There were no significant differences in lignin, peroxidase (POD) or polyphenoloxidase (PPO) between the control and AF treatments. These results suggest that enhanced boron levels in canola leaves were associated with a suppressive effect on disease due to S. sclerotiorum.     

Sulfur-driven autotrophic denitrification of nitric oxide for efficient nitrous oxide recovery

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) was previously deemed as a potent greenhouse gas but is actually an untapped energy source, which can accumulate during the microbial denitrification of nitric oxide (NO). Compared with the organic electron donor required in heterotrophic denitrification, elemental sulfur (S⁰) is a promising electron donor alternative due to its cheap cost and low biomass yield in sulfur-driven autotrophic denitrification. However, no effort has been made to test N₂O recovery from sulfur-driven denitrification of NO so far. Therefore, in this study, batch and continuous experiments were carried out to investigate the NO removal performance and N₂O recovery potential via sulfur-driven NO-based denitrification under various Fe(II)EDTA-NO concentrations. Efficient energy recovery was achieved, as up to 35.5%–40.9% of NO was converted to N₂O under various NO concentrations. N₂O recovery from Fe(II)EDTA-NO could be enhanced by the low bioavailability of sulfur and the acid environment caused by sulfur oxidation. The NO reductase (NOR) and N₂O reductase (N₂OR) were inhibited distinctively at relatively low NO levels, leading to efficient N₂O accumulation, but were suppressed irreversibly at NO level beyond 15 mM in continuous experiments. Such results indicated that the regulation of NO at a relatively low level would benefit the system stability and NO removal capacity during long-term system operation. The continuous operation of the sulfur-driven Fe(II)EDTA-NO-based denitrification reduced the overall microbial diversity but enriched several key microbial community. Thauera, Thermomonas, and Arenimonas that are able to carry out sulfur-driven autotrophic denitrification became the dominant organisms with their relative abundance increased from 25.8% to 68.3%, collectively.     

一株白僵菌对红火蚁的毒力及对免疫酶活性与基因表达的影响

白僵菌是最具防治害虫潜力的一类昆虫病原真菌。本研究测定了球孢白僵菌Beauveria bassiana 237菌株对红火蚁Solenopsis invicta的感染毒力,并探究了白僵菌侵染对红火蚁免疫相关酶活性及相关基因表达的影响。结果显示,该白僵菌菌株对红火蚁的毒力较强,在孢子悬浮液108孢子/mL浓度下,对红火蚁的致死中时间LT50为5.288±0.2014 d;在10^4~10^8孢子/mL的不同浓度处理下,红火蚁死亡率随孢子浓度的增加而显著增加。经计算,第4~10天致死中浓度LC50值由8.82×10^6孢子/mL降低到8.95×10^5孢子/mL。红火蚁被球孢白僵菌感染后,体内保护酶和解毒酶发生了不同程度的改变。其中保护酶类酚氧化酶（PO）的活性在白僵菌处理后的第12 h已出现抑制,而在第24 h、48 h、72 h时均显著高于对照;超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）活性在12 h时与对照无显著差异,但在24~48 h阶段酶活显著上升,之后下降;过氧化物酶（POD）在较早时段保持与对照无显著差异水平,至中后期48~72 h出现持续升高。解毒酶类混合功能氧化酶系（MFO）的活性在整个检测时间段内表现为抑制-上升-抑制-上升的波动状态;谷胱甘肽S-转移酶（GSTs）活性的变化与SOD相似,只在24~48 h阶段出现上升。白僵菌还导致红火蚁免疫信号通路Toll途径相关基因表达量变化。在处理后12 h,识别因子GNBP1、Spaetzle即被激活,维持上调-回调波动趋势;而信号传递因子Myd88、pelle在检测的12~72 h内基本处于被抑制状态,只有Myd88在48 h时表达量上升;转录因子Dorsal以及抗菌肽Defensin在12~24 h都已被显著激活,而在后续48~72 h被抑制。综上所述,球孢白僵菌237菌株通过调节红火蚁酶活以及免疫相关基因的表达量实现成功侵染和致病作用,具有很高的生防应用价值。     

Wheat genomic study for genetic improvement of traits in China

Science China Life Sciences - Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a major crop that feeds 40% of the world’s population. Over the past several decades, advances in genomics have led to...     

Dynamically Tunable Terahertz Plasmon-Induced Transparency Analogy Based on Asymmetric Graphene Resonator Arrays

Plasmonics - A plasmon-induced transparency (PIT) effect based on an asymmetric graphene loop structure has been proposed and investigated in this paper. The microstructure consists of a pair of...     

Echinacoside inhibits the proliferation,migration, invasion and angiogenesis of ovarian cancer cells through PI3K/AKT pathway

Journal of Molecular Histology - Echinacoside is a group of natural compounds extracted from medicinal plants Cistanche and Echinacea, which has neuroprotective, antiaging, immunomodulatory and...     

Molecular dynamics simulations provide insights into the origin of gleevec’s selectivity toward human tyrosine kinases

Protein kinases are critical drug targets against cancer. Since the discovery of Gleevec, a specific inhibitor of Abl kinase, the capability of this drug to distinguish between Abl and other tyrosine kinases, such as Src, has been intensely investigated but the origin of Gleevec’s selectivity to Abl against Src is less studied. Here, we performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, dynamical cross-correlation matrices (DCCM), dynamical network analysis, and binding free energy calculations to explore Gleevec’s selectivity based on the crystal structures of Abl, Src, and their common ancestors (ANC-AS) and the two constructed mutation systems (AS→Abl and AS→Src). MD simulations revealed that the conformation of the phosphate-binding loop (P-loop) was altered significantly in the AS→Abl system. DCCM results unraveled that mutations increased anticorrelated motions in the AS→Abl system. Community network analysis suggested that the P-loop established special contacts in the AS→Abl system that are devoid in the AS→Src system. The binding free energy calculations unveiled that the affinity of Gleevec to AS→Abl increased to near the Abl level, whereas its affinity to AS→Src decreased to near the Src level. Analysis of individual residue contributions showed that the differences were located mainly at the P-loop. This study is valuable for understanding the sensitivity of Gleevec to human tyrosine kinases.

Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma     

The Smad3-miR-29b/miR-29c axis mediates the protective effect of macrophage migration inhibitory factor against cardiac fibrosis

Although macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is known to have antioxidant property, the role of MIF in cardiac fibrosis has not been well understood. We found that MIF was markedly increased in angiotension II (Ang-II)-infused mouse myocardium. Myocardial function was impaired and cardiac fibrosis was aggravated in Mif-knockout (Mif-KO) mice. Functionally, overexpression of MIF and MIF protein could inhibit the expression of fibrosis-associated collagen (Col) 1a1, COL3A1 and α-SMA, and Smad3 activation in mouse cardiac fibroblasts (CFs). Consistently, MIF deficiency could exacerbate the expression of COL1A1, COL3A1 and α-SMA, and Smad3 activation in Ang-II-treated CFs. Interestingly, microRNA-29b-3p (miR-29b-3p) and microRNA-29c-3p (miR-29c-3p) were down-regulated in the myocardium of Ang-II-infused Mif-KO mice but upregulated in CFs with MIF overexpression or by treatment with MIF protein. MiR-29b-3p and miR-29c-3p could suppress the expression of COL1A1, COL3A1 and α-SMA in CFs through targeting the pro-fibrosis genes of transforming growth factor beta-2 (Tgfb2) and matrix metallopeptidase 2 (Mmp2). We further demonstrated that Mif inhibited reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and Smad3 activation, and rescued the decrease of miR-29b-3p and miR-29c-3p in Ang-II-treated CFs. Smad3 inhibitors, SIS3 and Naringenin, and Smad3 siRNA could reverse the decrease of miR-29b-3p and miR-29c-3p in Ang-II-treated CFs. Taken together, our data demonstrated that the Smad3-miR-29b/miR-29c axis mediates the inhibitory effect of macrophage migration inhibitory factor on cardiac fibrosis.