Gallic acid attenuates calcium calmodulin‐dependent kinase II‐induced apoptosis in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Hypertension causes cardiac hypertrophy and leads to heart failure. Apoptotic cells are common in hypertensive hearts. Ca²⁺/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is associated with apoptosis. We recently demonstrated that gallic acid reduces nitric oxide synthase inhibition‐induced hypertension. Gallic acid is a trihydroxybenzoic acid and has been shown to have beneficial effects, such as anti‐cancer, anti‐calcification and anti‐oxidant activity. The purpose of this study was to determine whether gallic acid regulates cardiac hypertrophy and apoptosis in essential hypertension. Gallic acid significantly lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) and H&E staining revealed that gallic acid reduced cardiac enlargement in SHRs. Gallic acid treatment decreased cardiac hypertrophy marker genes, including atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), in SHRs. The four isoforms, α, β, δ and γ, of CaMKII were increased in SHRs and were significantly reduced by gallic acid administration. Gallic acid reduced cleaved caspase‐3 protein as well as bax, p53 and p300 mRNA levels in SHRs. CaMKII δ overexpression induced bax and p53 expression, which was attenuated by gallic acid treatment in H9c2 cells. Gallic acid treatment reduced DNA fragmentation and the TUNEL positive cells induced by angiotensin II. Taken together, gallic acid could be a novel therapeutic for the treatment of hypertension through suppression of CaMKII δ‐induced apoptosis.     

冠状动脉旁路移植术后大隐静脉桥再狭窄机制

冠状动脉旁路移植术是冠状动脉粥样硬化性心脏病的常规治疗方法之一.动脉血管作为移植血管材料有其自身优势,但对大多数患者而言,自体大隐静脉仍然是最常用的移植血管材料.新内膜形成和粥样硬化导致的静脉桥再狭窄已成为一个亟待解决的问题.目前认为静脉桥再狭窄的病理机制包括:早期桥血管闭塞,主要由于急性血栓形成;中期血管闭塞,主要由于血管内膜纤维化增生;晚期闭塞,主要由于静脉粥样硬化.     

An In Vitro and In Vivo Analysis of the Correlation between Susceptibility-Weighted Imaging Phase Values and R2* in Cirrhotic Livers

Objective

To establish a baseline of susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) phase value as a means of detecting iron abnormalities in cirrhotic liver and to analyze its relationship with R2*.

Materials and Methods

Sixteen MnCl₂ phantoms, thirty-seven healthy individuals and 87 cirrhotic patients were performed SWI and multi-echo T2*-weighted imaging, and the signal processing in NMR (SPIN) software was used to measure the radian on SWI phase images and the R2* on T2* maps. The mean minus two times standard deviation (SD) of Siemens Phase Unit (SPU) in healthy individuals was designated as a threshold to separate the regions of interest (ROIs) into high- and low-iron areas in healthy participants and cirrhotic patients. The SWI phase values of high-iron areas were calculated. The R2* values was measured in the same ROI in both healthy participants and patients.

Results

SWI phase values correlated linearly with R2* values in cases of MnCl₂ concentrations lower than 2.3 mM in vitro (r = −0.996, P<0.001). The mean value and SD of 37 healthy participants were 2003 and 15 (SPU), respectively. A threshold of 1973 SPU (−0.115 radians) was determined. The SWI phase value and R2* values had a negative correlation in the cirrhotic patients (r = −0.742, P<0.001). However, no similar relationship was found in the healthy individuals (r = 0.096, P = 0.576). Both SWI phase values and R2* values were found to have significant correlations with serum ferritin concentrations in 42 patients with blood samples (r = −0.512, P = 0.001 and r = 0.641, P<0.001, respectively).

Conclusion

SWI phase values had significant correlations with R2* after the establishment of a baseline on the phase image. SWI phase images may be used for non-invasive quantitative measurement of mild and moderate iron deposition in hepatic cirrhosis in vivo.     

ATP citrate lyase is required for normal sexual and asexual development in Gibberella zeae

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) citrate lyase (ACL) is a key enzyme in the production of cytosolic acetyl-CoA, which is crucial for de novo lipid synthesis and histone acetylation in mammalian cells. In this study, we characterized the mechanistic roles of ACL in the homothallic ascomycete fungus Gibberella zeae, which causes Fusarium head blight in major cereal crops. Deletion of ACL in the fungus resulted in a complete loss of self and female fertility as well as a reduction in asexual reproduction, virulence, and trichothecene production. When the wild-type strain was spermatized with the ACL deletion mutants, they produced viable ascospores, however ascospore delimitation was not properly regulated. Although lipid synthesis was not affected by ACL deletion, histone acetylation was dramatically reduced in the ACL deletion mutants during sexual development, suggesting that the defects in sexual reproduction were caused by the reduction in histone acetylation. This study is the first report demonstrating a link between sexual development and ACL-mediated histone acetylation in fungi.     

L-蛋氨酸γ-裂解酶的研究进展

L-蛋氨酸γ-裂解酶是一种磷酸吡哆醛依赖型多功能酶,属于γ-蛋白家族.它能催化L-蛋氨酸及同型半胱氨酸的α,γ-裂解反应,被应用于肿瘤治疗及同型半胱氨酸血症的诊断.综述了蛋氨酸γ-裂解酶的来源,酶学性质,基因克隆与表达,酶的空间结构、活性位点及其应用,并对其在制备及应用中存在的问题和前景作了分析与展望.     

植物MicroRNA的特点与研究方法

MicroRNAs(miRNAs)是一类在植物、动物、单细胞藻类和病毒等中存在的具有调控基因表达作用的内源非编码小RNA(small RNAs).在植物中,miRNAs主要依靠与靶基因之间完全或近乎完全的互补配对切割靶基因或翻译抑制实现其调控功能.主要综述植物miRNA的特点,并介绍miRNA的获得方式、靶基因预测及验证方法.     

Proteomic identification of annexins, calcium-dependent membrane binding proteins that mediate osmotic stress and abscisic acid signal transduction in Arabidopsis

Comparative proteomic analysis of the Arabidopsis thaliana root microsomal fraction was performed to identify novel components of salt stress signaling. Among the salt-responsive microsomal proteins, two spots that increased upon salt treatment on a two-dimensional gel were identified as the same protein, designated annexin 1 (AnnAt1). Annexins comprise a multigene family of Ca²⁺-dependent membrane binding proteins and have been extensively studied in animal cells. AnnAt1 is strongly expressed in root but rarely in flower tissue. In this study, the results suggest that salt stress induces translocation from the cytosol to the membrane and potential turnover of existing protein. This process is blocked by EGTA treatment, implying that AnnAt1 functions in stress response are tightly associated with Ca²⁺. T-DNA insertion mutants of annAt1 and a different isoform, annAt4, displayed hypersensitivity to osmotic stress and abscisic acid (ABA) during germination and early seedling growth. The results collectively suggest that AnnAt1 and AnnAt4 play important roles in osmotic stress and ABA signaling in a Ca²⁺-dependent manner.     

猪链球菌IgG结合蛋白的原核表达及其与不同动物IgG的结合性

猪链球菌IgG结合蛋白(SPG)是一种可与多种动物IgG结合的细胞壁蛋白,广泛地存在于猪链球菌的各个血清型中,被认为是共同抗原。然而其在猪链球菌中的生物学意义并不清楚。本实验用PCR方法从猪链球菌1/2、1、2和9型菌株基因组中扩增SPG基因,构建pET28a-SPG重组表达载体,将其转入大肠杆菌BL21菌株。IPTG诱导表达后,重组蛋白经SDS-PAGE及Western blotting鉴定为可高效表达。镍亲和层析及分子筛两步纯化后获得纯度较高的目的蛋白。Western blotting及ELISA试验结果表明,所有纯化的目的蛋白均可与不同动物IgG结合,其中与人和猪IgG的结合能力相对较高,但不同血清型猪链球菌SPG与同种动物IgG的结合活性没有明显差异。     

反复冻融对枯草芽孢杆菌St-zn-34抑制链格孢菌活性的影响北大核心CSCD

【目的】以从冬枣分离的内生枯草芽孢杆菌(Bacillus subtilis St-zn-34)为供试菌株,明确反复冻融对菌体形态及其发酵滤液抑制枣缩果病初侵染病菌(Alternaria alternata)活性的变化。【方法】对供试菌株分批发酵后进行反复冻融,采用梯度稀释计数法、滤纸片法分别测定活菌数量和芽孢含量、发酵滤液抑菌活性,对供试菌株的形态变化进行电镜观察。【结果】发酵培养中pH值、活菌量、芽孢量及抑菌活性随发酵时间的增加均呈先上升后下降的趋势,其中发酵60 h发酵滤液抑菌活性最大,对此时的发酵液反复冻融,冻融3次枯草芽孢杆菌活菌量和发酵滤液抑菌活性依次减少,以后再冻融差异不显著(P>0.05),电镜观察发现随冻融次数增加,菌体变小,表面凹陷、扭曲,胶状物流出。抑菌谱检测发现发酵滤液对12种植物病原菌具有抑菌能力。不同温度和蛋白酶处理发酵滤液表明,低于60℃以下,抑菌活性与对照相比差异不显著;80℃以上抑菌活性随温度上升而下降,与对照相比差异显著;蛋白酶K可降低抑菌活性。【结论】反复冻融影响细菌形态并降低发酵滤液的抑菌活性。