Flavin containing monooxygenase 3 exerts broad effects on glucose and lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis

We performed silencing and overexpression studies of flavin containing monooxygenase (FMO) 3 in hyperlipidemic mouse models to examine its effects on trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) levels and atherosclerosis. Knockdown of hepatic FMO3 in LDL receptor knockout mice using an antisense oligonucleotide resulted in decreased circulating TMAO levels and atherosclerosis. Surprisingly, we also observed significant decreases in hepatic lipids and in levels of plasma lipids, ketone bodies, glucose, and insulin. FMO3 overexpression in transgenic mice, on the other hand, increased hepatic and plasma lipids. Global gene expression analyses suggested that these effects of FMO3 on lipogenesis and gluconeogenesis may be mediated through the PPARα and Kruppel-like factor 15 pathways. In vivo and in vitro results were consistent with the concept that the effects were mediated directly by FMO3 rather than trimethylamine/TMAO; in particular, overexpression of FMO3 in the human hepatoma cell line, Hep3B, resulted in significantly increased glucose secretion and lipogenesis. Our results indicate a major role for FMO3 in modulating glucose and lipid homeostasis in vivo, and they suggest that pharmacologic inhibition of FMO3 to reduce TMAO levels would be confounded by metabolic interactions.     

Intentionally introduced species: more easily invited than removed

Alien species are brought into countries world wide on a massive scale for agricultural production, ex situ conservation, landscape aesthetics, gardens, and ecosystem restoration. Unfortunately, some of these species have escaped and adversely impacted on regional as well as global biodiversity conservation and agricultural production. To reduce such risks, it is necessary to implement specific and effective measures. Since various government departments and institutions are involved in the management of alien species, it is difficult to prevent native and agroecosystems from being invaded by invited species. We propose the establishment of a supervision and inspection continuum over intentional species introduction, similar to that which exists in some countries over unintentional species introductions. Namely, a justification of the necessity to import, a risk assessment, assurances as to provision of an adequate containment facility assessment, and a damage-limitation protocol should that need to be invoked. These requirements should be satisfied before an alien species is knowingly imported, and the necessary follow-up supervision is important post- importation.     

双向凝胶电泳-飞行时间质谱技术鉴定小鼠胚泡黏附时子宫内膜nm23-M2／NDPK B的表达

运用双向聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳(2DPAGE)分析未交配小鼠子宫内膜和妊娠第五天(D5)小鼠子宫内膜胚泡黏附时植入位点及其旁组织蛋白质组。差异蛋白质组学显示,等电点(isoelectric point,pI)约7．1、分子量(molecular weight,Mw)约18kDa的蛋白质点在D5小鼠子宫内膜特别是植入位点表达上调。对此蛋白质点用基质辅助激光解析电离飞行时间质谱(matrix-assisted laser desorption／ionization time of flying mass spectrometry,MALDI—TOF—MS)测定其胶内酶解后的肽质量指纹谱(Peptide Mass Fingerprint,PMF),经Mascot：Peptide Mass Fingerprint中SWISS-PROT数据库查询后,鉴定该蛋白质为鼠源性nm23-M2／NDPKB。RT—PCR和免疫组织化学结果也显示D5小鼠子宫内膜nm23-M2／NDPK B mRNA和蛋白表达明显增加。提示nm23-M2／NDPKB参与胚泡着床这一重要生命活动过程。     

Delineation of CTG repeats and clinical features in a Taiwanese myotonic dystrophy family

Myotonic dystrophy (DM) is an inherited, autosomal dominant muscular disease which is primarily caused by a CTG trinucleotide expansion mutation on chromosome 19q13.3. The size of this trinucleotide repeat is related both to the age of onset and to the severity of the clinical manifestation. This disease is very rare in Taiwan, and clinical and genetic study on DM has not yet been documented in this area. Here, we present both clinical features and degrees of CTG expansion for a Taiwanese DM family. All of the DM patients examined in this family showed obvious clinical manifestations by age 30, which included facial and limb muscle weakness with atrophy, myotonia, and ptosis. In addition, individual DM members also exhibited variable phenotypes, which may reflect the complexity of the pathogenic mechanism. Because the collection of blood specimens was considered to be an invasive procedure, a genetic study on this DM family was performed using buccal cells. Our results confirmed that four members showing classic symptoms of DM had CTG repeat expansion in the DMI locus, and that one member with ptosis and minor muscle weakness in the right foot was a normal homozygote for CTG repeat. These data demonstrate that buccal cells can provide clear and reliable results, and thus, are suitable for a family study of DM.     

Distal NF-kB binding motif functions as an enhancer for nontypeable H. influenzae-induced DEFB4 regulation in epithelial cells

Among the antimicrobial molecules produced by epithelial cells, DEFB4 is inducible in response to proinflammatory signals such as cytokines and bacterial molecules. Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is an important human pathogen that exacerbates chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in adult and causes otitis media and sinusitis in children. Previously, we have demonstrated that DEFB4 effectively kills NTHi and is induced by NTHi via TLR2 signaling. The 5′-flanking region of DEFB4 contains several NF-κB binding motifs, but their NTHi-specific activity remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to elucidate molecular mechanism involved in DEFB4 regulation, focusing on the role of the distal NF-κB binding motif of DEFB4 responding to NTHi. Here, we show that the human middle ear epithelial cells up-regulate DEFB4 expression in response to NTHi via NF-κB activation mediated by IκKα/β−IκBα signaling. Deletion of the distal NF-κB binding motif led to a significant reduction in NTHi-induced DEFB4 up-regulation. A heterologous construct containing the distal NF-κB binding motif was found to increase the promoter activity in response to NTHi, indicating a NTHi-responding enhancer activity of the distal NF-κB binding motif. Furthermore, electrophoretic mobility shift assays and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays showed that the p65 domain of NF-κB binds to the distal NF-κB binding motif in response to NTHi. Taken together, our results suggest that NTHi-induced binding of p65 NF-κB to the distal NF-κB binding motif of DEFB4 enhances NTHi-induced DEFB4 regulation in epithelial cells.     

Expression and bioactivity analysis of Staphylococcal enterotoxin M and N

Staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) are powerful superantigens that stimulate non-specific T-cell proliferation produced by Staphylococcus aureus and draw considerable attention as ideal drugs for cancer therapy. The filtrate of S. aureus culture has been used as ampul named Staphylococcal enterotoxin C injection in clinic for 10 years in China and proved to be effective. The superantigen SEC claimed to be the only active component without certifiable evidences. For further investigations of the active components of this injection and establishment of foundations for the development of novel anti-cancer drugs, in this research we extracted total DNA from S. aureus (FRI 1230), cloned, expressed and purified recombinant proteins of Staphylococcal enterotoxin M and N (rSEM and rSEN). The MTT assay of the purified rSEM and rSEN demonstrated that their abilities of stimulating T cells and inhibiting the proliferation of K562-ADM cells and B16 cells were equivalent to that of purified SEC2 in vitro. These findings suggested that SEC was not the only active component of Staphylococcal enterotoxin C injection and the effective procedure of expression and purification may be useful for mass productions of these therapeutically important proteins.     

Effects of Forest Regrowth and Urbanization on Ecosystem Carbon Storage in a Rural–Urban Gradient in the Southeastern United States

Forest regrowth after cropland abandonment and urban sprawl are two counteracting processes that have influenced carbon (C) sequestration in the southeastern United States in recent decades. In this study, we examined patterns of land-use/land-cover change and their effect on ecosystem C storage in three west Georgia counties (Muscogee, Harris, and Meriwether) that form a rural–urban gradient. Using time series Landsat imagery data including MSS for 1974, TM for 1983 and 1991, and ETM for 2002, we estimate that from 1974 to 2002, urban land use in the area has increased more than 380% (that is, 184 km²). Most newly urbanized land (63%) has been converted from forestland. Conversely, cropland and pasture area has decreased by over 59% (that is, 380 km²). Most of the cropland area was converted to forest. As a result, the net change in forest area was small over the past 29 years. Based on Landsat imagery and agricultural census records, we reconstructed an annual gridded data set of land-cover change for the three counties for the period 1850 to 2002. These data sets were then used as input to the Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (TEM) to simulate land-use effects on C fluxes and storage for the study area. Simulated results suggest that C uptake by forest regrowth (approximately 23.0 g C m⁻² y⁻¹) was slightly greater than the amount of C released due to deforestation (approximately 18.4 g C m⁻² y⁻¹), thus making the three counties a weak C sink. However, the relative importance of different deforestation processes in this area changed significantly through time. Although agricultural deforestation was generally the most important C-release process, the amount of C release attributable to urbanization has increased over time. Since 1990, urbanization has accounted for 29% of total C loss from the study area. We conclude that balancing urban development and forest protection is critically important for C management and policy making in the southeastern United States.     

甲藻分类历史沿革及中国近海部分甲藻分类地位修订

甲藻自发现至今已有200多年的历史.一方面,甲藻的分类地位越来越受到学者的重视;另一方面,随着研究的深入,出现了越来越多的争议和困惑,在一定程度上阻碍了甲藻分类学的发展.本文简述了国内外甲藻分类研究的历史沿革,主要介绍了几次较大的分类地位的变革.另外,目前中国近海甲藻的分类体系与国际上通用的分类体系还有很多差异,为了更好地促进国内甲藻的分类学研究,方便国际间的合作与交流,我们对国际国内的甲藻分类体系(分别以algaeBASE数据库和《中国海洋生物名录》为代表)进行比较,发现目水平上的分类体系基本相同,但在科、属的划分上有很多差异.针对这些差异点查阅文献,寻根溯源,最终提出了一个较为合理的划分.本文所作的主要调整有:将凯伦藻属(Karenia)、卡罗藻属(Karlodinium)和塔卡藻属(Takay ama)3个属从裸甲藻科(Gymnodiniaceae)中分出,单独成凯伦藻科(Kareniaceae);角藻属(Ceratium)中的大部分海洋种改为新角藻属(Neoceratium);亚历山大藻属(Alexandrium)从屋甲藻科(Goniodomataceae)中分出,归入膝沟藻科(Gonyaulacaceae);取消异沟藻科(Heteraulacus),由屋甲藻科取而代之;成立2个新目,即尖尾藻目(Oxyrrhinales)和梨甲藻目(Pyrocystales).     

鸭瘟病毒gB蛋白N端主要抗原域的表达及间接ELISA检测

在分析鸭瘟病毒gB蛋白抗原性的基础上,设计一对引物克隆gB蛋白N端抗原性较好的抗原域编码基因.将克隆的基因定向插入pET-32a的EcoR Ⅰ和HindⅢ之间,构建了gB蛋白主要抗原域原核表达载体pET-gB1.将pET-gB1质粒转化BL(21)宿主菌后,对培养和表达条件进行了优化,实现了DPV gB蛋白主要抗原域的高效表达.免疫印迹试验表明获得的表达产物具有良好的反应原性.应用His·Bind亲和层析柱纯化重组DPV gB蛋白,以纯化的重组gB1蛋白作为检测抗原,初步建立了检测鸭瘟病毒抗体的igB1-ELISA.结果表明,抗原的最佳包被浓度为6.5μg/mL,血清的最佳稀释度为1∶80,阳性标准初步定为:待检血清OD490＞0.4,且待检血清OD490/阴性血清OD490＞2.应用igB1-ELISA对鸭血清样品进行检测,结果表明igB1-ELISA与全病毒包被的iDPV-ELISA符合率达到95.6%.     

GFAP启动子调控的双顺反子真核表达载体pGFAP-IRES2-EGFP-p27的构建及表达分析

目的构建并鉴定带GFAP启动子的Flag-p27和EGFP双顺反子真核表达载体,观察其表达。方法利用IRES和GFAP启动子,通过质粒抽提、琼脂糖凝胶电泳、酶切、连接、转化等多种基因工程技术,经多步亚克隆后完成能同时表达p27和EGFP基因的星形胶质细胞特异性真核表达载体pGFAP-IRES2-EGFP-p27。转染体外培养的星形胶质细胞,观察EGFP的表达,并通过免疫荧光细胞化学技术观察p27的表达。结果经酶切鉴定和测序鉴定,成功构建真核表达载体pGFAP-IRES2-EGFP-p27。转染星形胶质细胞后可见EGFP的表达,并且在EGFP阳性的细胞中P27表达水平明显增高。结论GFAP启动子能启动目的基因p27和EGFP在星形胶质细胞的表达,连于Flag-p27的下游EGFP可作为报告基因,指示p27的表达情况。带启动子GFAP的Flag-p27和EGFP双顺反子真核表达载体的构建为进一步研究星形胶质细胞增生与神经系统疾病的关系,并为寻找神经系统疾病的有效基因治疗途径奠定基础。