模拟干旱胁迫处理下北柴胡种苗MYC2基因的调控研究

该研究以北柴胡一年生种苗为材料,使用质量分数为10%、20%的PEG6000营养液进行模拟干旱胁迫实验,检测北柴胡根内源信号物质OPR、JA含量,转录因子BcMYC2和柴胡皂苷生物合成途径中4个关键酶基因HMGR、IPPI、FPS、β AS表达量,以及柴胡皂苷a、d含量,探究模拟干旱胁迫下茉莉酸信号通路调控BcMYC2进而影响柴胡皂苷生物合成的机制。结果表明：(1) PEG6000模拟干旱胁迫处理北柴胡种苗后,20% PEG6000处理组根内OPR含量在2 h时出现峰值,10% PEG6000处理组的根内OPR含量在6 h时出现峰值;两个胁迫组内源JA含量均在2 h时出现峰值。(2)两个胁迫处理组北柴胡根内BcMYC2相对表达量均在2 h处出现峰值,之后的2~4 h时间段内大幅度下降,且20% PEG6000处理组的BcMYC2相对表达量高于10% PEG6000处理组;其余4个柴胡皂苷生物合成途径关键酶基因HMGR、IPPI、FPS、β AS的相对表达量均在4 h时出现峰值,晚于BcMYC2相对表达量出现峰值的时间。(3)经模拟干旱胁迫处理后,北柴胡根内的柴胡皂苷含量在36 d内逐渐上升;在处理36 d时,20% PEG6000处理组的柴胡皂苷含量略高于10% PEG6000处理组,且两处理组均显著高于对照组。研究发现,经PEG6000模拟干旱处理后,北柴胡根内信号物质OPR及JA含量提高,促进BcMYC2的表达,进而提高柴胡皂苷生物合成途径中的关键酶基因的表达,最终显著提高了根内柴胡皂苷的含量。     

Sustainability of SARS-CoV-2 Induced Humoral Immune Responses in COVID-19 Patients from Hospitalization to Convalescence Over Six Months

Virologica Sinica - Understanding the persistence of antibody in convalescent COVID-19 patients may help to answer the current major concerns such as the risk of reinfection, the protection period...     

The Efficacy of a Live Attenuated TW I-Type Infectious Bronchitis Virus Vaccine Candidate

Virologica Sinica - Infectious bronchitis (IB) is a highly contagious avian disease caused by infection with infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), which seriously affects the development of the global...     

A practical guide to amplicon and metagenomic analysis of microbiome data

Advances in high-throughput sequencing(HTS)have fostered rapid developments in the field of microbiome research,and massive microbiome datasets are now being generated.However,the diversity of software tools and the complexity of analysis pipelines make it difficult to access this field.Here,we systematically summarize the advantages and limitations of micro-biome methods.Then,we recommend specific pipelines for amplicon and metagenomic analyses,and describe commonly-used software and databases,to help researchers select the appropriate tools.Furthermore,we introduce statistical and visualization methods suit-able for microbiome analysis,including alpha-and beta-diversity,taxonomic composition,difference compar-isons,correlation,networks,machine learning,evolu-tion,source tracing,and common visualization styles to help researchers make informed choices.Finally,a step-by-step reproducible analysis guide is introduced.We hope this review will allow researchers to carry out data analysis more effectively and to quickly select the appropriate tools in order to efficiently mine the bio-logical significance behind the data.     

Is oral microbiome of children able to maintain resistance and functional stability in response to short-term interference of ingesta?

Dear Editor, A series of studies had focused on the ecological stability of human microbiome (Lozupone et al.,2012;Faith et al.,2013;Moya and Ferrer,2016).Despite the continuous perturbation and the highly personalized composition within the human microbiome (Human Microbiome Project,2012),healthy adults stably maintain their microbial communities in terms of space and time (Faith et al.,2013;Moya and Ferrer,2016;Oh et al.,2016).This stability is proved to be critical for the well-being of human body (Lozupone et al.,2012).On the contrary,major shifts in microbial community composition are often related to diseases (Lynch and Pedersen,2016).     

Inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 enhanced intestinal epithelial homeostasis via suppressing β-catenin signalling pathway in experimental liver fibrosis

The intestinal barrier dysfunction is crucial for the development of liver fibrosis but can be disturbed by intestinal chronic inflammation characterized with cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression. This study focused on the unknown mechanism by which COX-2 regulates intestinal epithelial homeostasis in liver fibrosis. The animal models of liver fibrosis induced with TAA were established in rats and in intestinal epithelial–specific COX-2 knockout mice. The impacts of COX-2 on intestinal epithelial homeostasis via suppressing β-catenin signalling pathway were verified pharmacologically and genetically in vivo. A similar assumption was tested in Ls174T cells with goblet cell phenotype in vitro. Firstly, disruption of intestinal epithelial homeostasis in cirrhotic rats was ameliorated by celecoxib, a selective COX-2 inhibitor. Then, β-catenin signalling pathway in cirrhotic rats was associated with the activation of COX-2. Furthermore, intestinal epithelial–specific COX-2 knockout could suppress β-catenin signalling pathway and restore the disruption of ileal epithelial homeostasis in cirrhotic mice. Moreover, the effect of COX-2/PGE2 was dependent on the β-catenin signalling pathway in Ls174T cells. Therefore, inhibition of COX-2 may enhance intestinal epithelial homeostasis via suppression of the β-catenin signalling pathway in liver fibrosis.     

Peptides YYGGEGSSSEQG and SESEM Inhibit TNF-α-Induced Smooth Muscle Cells Proliferation and Migration Through Their Bindings to TNF-α Receptor

International Journal of Peptide Research and Therapeutics - The peptides YYGGEGSSSEQG and SESEM derived from rice α-globulin have been reported to possess anti-atherosclerotic activity, but...     

Seasonal changes in cuticular hydrocarbons in response to polyphenism in the host-alternating aphid Prociphilus oriens

In most terrestrial arthropods, cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) function to assist in desiccation tolerance and chemical communications. However, few studies have clarified whether CHC profiles change among developmental stages or among different morphs in non-social insects. In the present study, we evaluated how CHC profiles change in accordance with polyphenism in the host-alternating aphid Prociphilus oriens, which exhibits a complex life cycle and five distinct morphs. These morphs are sexual or asexual and adapt to different host plants. We found that all generations of P. oriens shared high proportions of n-alkanes, but its composition varied among morphs. Three morphs that are attended by ants were characterized by relatively high proportions of n-C25 to n-C27, whereas two morphs that are not attended by ants had higher proportions of longer-chain n-alkanes, such as n-C27 and n-C29. The CHC profiles of sexual females were largely different from those of males. Considering that sexual females of Prociphilus spp. lack organs that secrete sex pheromones (scent plaques), the CHCs of sexual females are likely to function as a sex attractant. High proportions of methyl-branched alkanes were detected in the long and flocculent waxy substances of autumnal migrants. These methyl-branched alkanes are considered a cue to recognize conspecifics. We concluded that the functions and components of CHCs differ among morphs, and that those of sexual females differ from those of males and asexual generations because of their function in sexual communication.