TGF‐β Stimulates Expression of Chondroitin Polymerizing Factor in Nucleus Pulposus Cells Through the Smad3, RhoA/ROCK1, and MAPK Signaling Pathways

The enzyme chondroitin polymerizing factor (ChPF) is primarily involved in extension of the chondroitin sulfate backbone required for the synthesis of sulfated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG). Transforming growth factor beta (TGF‐β) upregulates sGAG synthesis in nucleus pulposus cells; however, the mechanisms mediating this induction are incompletely understood. Our study demonstrated that ChPF expression was negatively correlated with the grade of degenerative intervertebral disc disease. Treatment of nucleus pulposus cells with TGF‐β induced ChPF expression and enhanced Smad2/3, RhoA/ROCK activation, and the JNK, p38, and ERK1/2 MAPK signaling pathways. Selective inhibitors of Smad2/3, RhoA or ROCK1/2, and knockdown of Smad3 and ROCK1 attenuated ChPF expression and sGAG synthesis induced by TGF‐β. In addition, we showed that RhoA/ROCK1 signaling upregulated ChPF via activation of the JNK pathway but not the p38 and ERK1/2 signaling pathways. Moreover, inhibitors of JNK, p38 and ERK1/2 activity also blocked ChPF expression and sGAG synthesis induced by TGF‐β in a Smad3‐independent manner. Collectively, our data suggest that TGF‐β stimulated the expression of ChPF and sGAG synthesis in nucleus pulposus cells through Smad3, RhoA/ROCK1 and the three MAPK signaling pathways. J. Cell. Biochem. 119: 566–579, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Precise feeding of probiotics in the treatment of edwardsiellosis by accurate estimation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Edwardsiella tarda</Emphasis>

Edwardsiella tarda is one of the leading fish pathogens for the aquaculture industry. To realize efficient disease control of edwardsiellosis, a predictive model for E. tarda in seawater was developed. The modified logistic model was used to regress the growth curves of E. tarda JN at five different temperatures (range from 10 to 30 °C) and four organic nutrient concentrations (range from 5 to 40 mg l^?1 measured by chemical oxygen demand (COD)). The modeling effects of temperature and COD on the specific growth rate (μ) were developed by square-root model and saturation-growth rate model, respectively. The growth model was validated in turbot aquaculture tanks by estimating the dynamics of inoculated E. tarda. The accurate feeding of probiotic Bacillus pumilus strain H2 was calculated based on the estimation of E. tarda. Results showed that the logistic model produced a good fit to the growth curves of E. tarda JN (average R²?=?0.962). The overall predictions based on above models agreed well with the growth curve of E. tarda JN observed by plate counting in the validation tests (average Af?=?1.16; average Bf?=?1.32). The use of predicted amount of B. pumilus (5.66 log CFU ml^?1) successfully prevent the deterioration of disease for turbot with 13.3% mortality rate in a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS), while the feeding of 0 and 3.0 log CFU ml^?1 of B. pumilus resulted in 53.7 and 75.3% of turbot mortality rate, respectively. In conclusion, accurate estimation of E. tarda realized the precise feeding of probiotics, which successfully prevent the rapid progression of the edwardsiellosis.     

NDRG2 通过影响CD24 调控乳腺癌细胞的粘附能力

目的:阐明NDRG2(N-Myc downstream-regulated gene 2)在乳腺癌细胞中对CD24的调控及其对乳腺癌细胞粘附能力的影响。方法:RT-PCR和Western blot方法检测乳腺癌细胞MCF-7及Bcap-37中NDRG2和CD24的表达;通过腺病毒上调MCF-7细胞中NDRG2的表达,或利用siRNA下调Bcap-37细胞中NDRG2的表达,检测CD24基因和蛋白的变化。粘附实验检测改变NDRG2表达水平后对MCF-7及Bcap-37细胞粘附能力的影响。结果:MCF-7细胞中NDRG2基因和蛋白的表达水平低于Bcap-37细胞,而CD24的表达水平高于Bcap-37细胞;在MCF-7细胞中通过腺病毒载体上调NDRG2可以抑制CD24的表达并抑制其粘附能力,而在Bcap-37细胞中利用siRNA下调NDRG2的表达可以提高CD24的水平及细胞的粘附能力;结论:NDRG2通过影响CD24参与调控乳腺癌细胞的粘附能力。     

不同干旱胁迫下欧李光合及叶绿素荧光参数的响应

采用人为控制土壤含水量的方法对欧李进行轻度和重度干旱的处理,测定叶片的气体交换和叶绿素荧光参数的日变化。结果表明,干旱胁迫下欧李叶片净光合速率、蒸腾速率、水分利用效率、气孔导度、PSII最大光化学效率、光化学量子效率显著下降,但胞间CO2浓度、非光化学猝灭系数以及叶黄素循脱环氧化状态（Z＋0.5A）/（V＋A＋Z）和Z含量升高。两干旱处理植株的影响程度存在差异。这表明在长时间干旱条件下,欧李叶片光合作用的降低受到气孔与非气孔因素的双重影响,叶黄素循环的启动增加了胁迫条件下的热耗散能力以保护光合机构免受干旱胁迫的进一步伤害。     

H<Subscript>2</Subscript> inhibits TNF-α-induced lectin-like oxidized LDL receptor-1 expression by inhibiting nuclear factor κB activation in endothelial cells

H₂ is a therapeutic antioxidant that can reduce oxidative stress. Oxidized low-density lipoprotein, which plays roles in atherosclerosis, may promote endothelial dysfunction by binding the cell-surface receptor LOX-1. LOX-1 expression can be upregulated by various stimuli, including TNF-α. Thus, we aimed to examine whether the upregulation of LOX-1 by different stimuli could be blocked by H₂ in endothelial cells. H₂ significantly abolished the upregulation of LOX-1 by different stimuli, including TNF-α, at the protein and mRNA levels. The TNF-α-induced upregulation of LOX-1 was also attenuated by the NF-κB inhibitor N-acetyl-l-cysteine. H₂ inhibited the TNF-α-induced activation of NF-κB and the phosphorylation of IκB-α. Furthermore, H₂ inhibited the expression of LOX-1 and the activation of NF-κB in apolipoprotein E knockout mice, an animal model of atherosclerosis. Thus, H₂ probably inhibits cytokine-induced LOX-1 gene expression by suppressing NF-κB activation.     

环鸟苷二磷酸代谢相关基因PXO03877的原核表达

分别利用表达载体pET-32a(+)和pGEX-4T-1,对水稻白叶枯病菌(Xanthomonas oryzzae v.oryzae,简称Xoo)中环鸟苷二磷酸代谢相关基因PXO_03877进行了原核表达,并进行可溶性检测.结果显示,用pET-32a(+)栽体构建的表达质粒栽体经诱导后,重组蛋白大多位于沉淀而非上清中,经诱导条件优化后,蛋白仍以包涵体形式存在;而利用pGEX-4T-1载体表达的含有GST标签的重组蛋白为可溶性蛋白,可用于下一步纯化后进行功能分析.     

脊神经损伤后钠电流的变化及其离子通道机制

目的：检测脊神经切断大鼠背根节（DRG）神经元重复放电能力和钠电流的变化,并研究介导其电流变化的钠通道亚型的表达情况。方法：脊神经切断术后2～8d慢性痛大鼠模型背根节急性分离,对中等直径DRG神经元运用全细胞膜片钳技术记录神经元放电和钠电流的变化。对背根节神经元进行RT-PCR检测,分析其钠通道亚型的表达情况。结果：电流钳下,实验组DRG神经元在电流刺激下产生重复放电,而对照组神经元多诱发单个动作电位,电压钳记录发现实验组背根节神经元快钠电流和持续性钠电流幅值均明显大于对照组,PCR结果显示,Nav1.3、Nav1.7和Nav1.8通道亚型mRNA表达显著增高。结论：钠通道介导了脊神经受损模型的DRG神经元兴奋性增高,持续性钠电流可能通过调节阈下膜电位振荡的产生调节神经元兴奋性。     

祁连山北坡退化林地植被群落的自然恢复过程及土壤特征变化

采用长期定位观测的方法,研究了祁连山北坡退化林地人工抚育下2001-2008年间植被群落的自然恢复过程和土壤特征变化。结果表明:人为干扰消除后,退化林地群落环境逐渐优化,群落的科、属、种均明显增加,物种成员更替频繁;灌木和乔木物种出现后,群落垂直高度增大,群落结构出现成层现象;群落总体多样性指数呈不断增大的趋势,在空间结构上,Patrick丰富度指数、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数和Simpson优势度指数表现出:草本层>灌木层>乔木层的规律,而Pielou均匀度指数变化相反;土壤含水量、土壤有机碳和全氮含量随植被恢复均不断增加。在实施封育禁牧措施后,退化林地实现了由草本群落-灌木群落-乔木群落方向的快速演替,当恢复到早期的先锋乔灌混交阶段时,群落的物种组成、结构和多样性趋于复杂化,土壤性状也得到一定改善,显示出相对较好的适应性和恢复效果。     

干旱胁迫下内生真菌感染对羽茅的生理生态影响

本研究在田间环境下对感染和未感染内生真菌的天然宿主羽茅（Achnatherum sibiricum (L. ) Keng）进行了干旱胁迫实验,结果发现在干旱胁迫下,内生真菌感染对宿主植物的营养生长、生物量累积和叶绿素含量都没有显著影响,但对宿主植株光系统II光化学效率（Fv/Fm）的维持产生了有利效应。同时,内生真菌感染缓解了宿主植物细胞膜的旱害程度,表现在与未感染植株相比,感染植株的丙二醛（MDA）含量显著降低,但内生真菌的感染并未促使宿主植物体内保护酶如超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）和过氧化氢酶（CAT）活性的增加,只是显著增加了类胡萝卜素的含量。因此我们推测在羽茅中,内生真菌对宿主植物的保护作用可能更多的体现在非酶系统上。     

稻曲病菌厚垣孢子壁黑色素提取方法研究

探究稻曲病菌（Ustiloginoidea virens（Cooke） Takahashi）厚垣孢子壁黑色素的最佳提取方法,采用以HCl为提取剂的酸提法和以NaOH为提取剂的碱提法,对该病菌黑色和黄色2种厚垣孢子壁的黑色素进行提取,用3因素3水平进行正交设计试验,结果表明以NaOH作提取剂为佳,其提取黑色素效果最佳的组合条件为3 mol/L NaOH、2 mol/L HC l、水浴温度80℃、水浴时间120 min。