Exogenous Spermidine Promotes Somatic Embryogenesis of <i>Cunninghamia lanceolata</i> by Altering the Endogenous Phytohormone Content

In order to study how exogenous hormones in C. lanceolata (gymnosperm) regulate somatic embryogenesis, we measured the endogenous phytohormones of two genotypes with different somatic embryogenesis efficiency and found that an increase in endogenous concentrations of IAA and ABA may be correlated to more efficient somatic embryogenesis. By applying exogenous spermidine, we found that exogenous hormones may affect somatic embryogenesis efficiency through affecting the endogenous phytohormone content. Based on these results, further studies can be conducted whereby the concentration of exogenous hormones or the levels of endogenous phytohormones by molecular methods are regulated to promote somatic embryogenesis. Our research may benefit the long-term economic output of the forestry industry and lays the foundation to studying the molecular mechanism that controls somatic embryogenesis efficiency.     

不同地区田间草地贪夜蛾卵巢的结构和发育

【目的】探明田间草地贪夜蛾Spodoptera frugiperda卵巢的发育状态及其变化,为草地贪夜蛾种群的发生和迁飞动态提供精准监测依据。【方法】采用雌性生殖系统解剖法,比较不同日龄和地区的田间草地贪夜蛾雌蛾卵巢的形态差异,分析卵巢成熟状态与雌蛾交配的关系。【结果】草地贪夜蛾雌蛾生殖系统包含卵巢、输卵管、交配囊、导精管、受精囊、附腺和产卵器。根据形态特征可以将田间草地贪夜蛾卵细胞分为卵黄发生前期、卵黄期和成熟期3个时期。田间雌蛾1日龄卵巢中发育最快的卵仅处于卵黄期中期,卵巢管柄为空;3日龄卵巢出现分化,一部分卵巢仍然和1日龄相似,另一部分卵巢中存在成熟卵;这种卵巢发育分化到羽化后11 d时仍然存在。云南江城、弥勒,广西田阳以及浙江瑞安和镇海等地的田间雌蛾,到死亡时分别有61.5%, 51.7%, 41.7%, 42.1%和35.5%卵巢发育不成熟。室内饲养第1代雌蛾中,有39.6%的个体到死亡时卵巢未发育成熟,和田间雌蛾比例相似。交配雌蛾卵巢可以是发育成熟和未成熟的,但是未成熟卵巢的比例仅为18.0%±5.0%。【结论】结果提示同一代次的田间草地贪夜蛾可能同时存在迁飞和非迁飞个体,其比例随地理位置和季节发生变化。本研究的结果在一定程度上解释了单纯依据化学农药难以防治草地贪夜蛾的原因,也为田间草地贪夜蛾的迁飞监测和绿色防控提供了一定依据。     

miR-181a/b-5p ameliorates inflammatory response in monocrotaline-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension by targeting endocan

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive disorder characterized by vascular remodeling, endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction, and inflammation. The roles of microRNAs have received much critical attention. Thus, this study was attempted to show the biological function of miR-181a/b-5p (miR-181a/b) in monocrotaline (MCT)-induced PAH. Here, rats injected with MCT were used as PAH models. The expression of miR-181a/b and its effect on PAH pathologies were examined using miR-181a/b overexpression lentivirus. A luciferase reporter analysis was performed to measure the relationships between miR-181a/b and endocan. Additionally, primary rat pulmonary arterial endothelial cells (rPAECs) treated with tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were employed to further validate the regulatory mechanism of miR-181a/b in vitro. Our results showed that miR-181a/b expression was reduced in PAH, and its upregulation significantly attenuated the short survival period, right ventricular systolic pressure and mean pulmonary artery pressure increments, right ventricular remodeling, and lung injury. Furthermore, the increase of intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM1) in PAH rats was inhibited by miR-181a/b overexpression. Similarly, our in vitro results showed that inducing miR-181a/b suppressed TNF-α-stimulated increase of ICAM1 and VCAM1 in rPAECs. Importantly, the increased expression of endocan in PAH model or TNF-α-treated rPAECs was restored by miR-181a/b upregulation. Further analysis validated the direct targeting relationships between miR-181a/b and endocan. Collectively, this study suggests that miR-181a/b targets endocan to ameliorate PAH symptoms by inhibiting inflammatory states, shedding new lights on the prevention and treatment of PAH.     

Analysis of Fecal Lactobacillus Community Structure in Patients with Early Rheumatoid Arthritis

The objective of this study was to analyze human fecal Lactobacillus community and its relationship with rheumatoid arthritis. Samples taken from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and healthy individuals were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR. Bacterial DNA was extracted from feces, and amplicons of the Lactobacillus-specific regions of 16S rRNA were analyzed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. The richness, Shannon-Wiener index, and evenness of gut microbiota of both groups were analyzed to compare fecal Lactobacillus community structures. Results of this study demonstrated that fecal microbiota of RA patients contained significantly more Lactobacillus (10.62 ± 1.72 copies/g) than the control group (8.93 ± 1.60 copies/g). Significant increases were observed in RA patients in terms of the richness, Shannon-Wiener, and evenness measures, indicating more bacterial species, and increased bacterial diversity and abundance. These results suggest a potential relationship between Lactobacillus communities and the development and progression of rheumatoid arthritis.     

药用甘草组织培养生产黄酮的研究进展

甘草是驰名中外的中药材,有"十方九草"之称,甘草黄酮为其主要成分之一,不仅具有消炎保肝、抗氧化、抗肿瘤、抗病毒和抗菌等药用功效,还可用于食品、化妆品等工业生产中。本文介绍了甘草黄酮的种类、组织化学定位,并着重总结了黄酮的组织培养获得途径及生物合成调控的影响因素,在此基础上,对今后的研究及应用进行了分析和展望,旨在为更好地开发利用甘草黄酮提供一定的依据。     

Association between rs10118757(A/G) in methylthioadenosine phosphorylase gene and coronary artery disease in Chinese Hans

Studies focusing on the association of gene methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP) with the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) and myocardial infarction (MI) are limited.     

Patterns of protein synthesis and accumulation during oogenesis in the polychaete,Pseudopotamilla occelata Moore

Summary

Proteins synthesized and accumulated during oogenesis or Pseudopotamilla occelata were analyzed by two-dimensional Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and fluorography. Significant changes in the patterns of synthesis and accumulation occur during oogenesis, paticularly between previtellogenic and vitellogenic stages, although many of the proteins are represented throughout the process. The changes may be generally dependent upon the variation in the gene expression affecting autosynthesis of proteins. However, appearance of proteins, which occur only at the vitellogenic stages but apparently not synthesized within the oocytes, indicates that heterosynthetic proteins are stage-specifically transported into oocytes.     

Manganese-Induced Effects on Cerebral Trace Element and Nitric Oxide of Hyline Cocks

Exposure to Manganese (Mn) is a common phenomenon due to its environmental pervasiveness. To investigate the Mn-induced toxicity on cerebral trace element levels and crucial nitric oxide parameters on brain of birds, 50-day-old male Hyline cocks were fed either a commercial diet or a Mn-supplemented diet containing 600, 900, 1,800 mg kg^?1. After being treated with Mn for 30, 60, and 90 days, the following were determined: the changes in contents of copper (Cu), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), calcium (Ca), selenium (Se) in brain; inducible nitric oxide synthase-nitric oxide (iNOS-NO) system activity in brain; and histopathology and ultrastructure changes of cerebral cortex. The results showed that Mn was accumulated in brain and the content of Cu and Fe increased. However, the levels of Zn and Se decreased and the Ca content presented no obvious regularity. Exposure to Mn significantly elevated the content of NO and the expression of iNOS mRNA. Activity of total NO synthase (T NOS) and iNOS appeared with an increased tendency. These findings suggested that Mn exposure resulted in the imbalance of cerebral trace elements and influenced iNOS in the molecular level, which are possible underlying nervous system injury mechanisms induced by Mn exposure.     

A novel locus essential for spreading of Cytophaga hutchinsonii colonies on agar

Cytophaga hutchinsonii is an aerobic cellulolytic gliding bacterium. The mechanism of its cell motility over surfaces without flagella and type IV pili is not known. In this study, mariner-based transposon mutagenesis was used to identify a new locus CHU_1797 essential for colony spreading on both hard and soft agar surfaces through gliding. CHU_1797 encodes a putative outer membrane protein of 348 amino acids with unknown function, and proteins which have high sequence similarity to CHU_1797 were widespread in the members of the phylum Bacteroidetes. The disruption of CHU_1797 suppressed spreading toward glucose on an agar surface, but had no significant effect on cellulose degradation for cells already in contact with cellulose. SEM observation showed that the mutant cells also regularly arranged on the surface of cellulose fiber similar with that of the wild type strain. These results indicated that the colony spreading ability on agar surfaces was not required for cellulose degradation by C. hutchinsonii. This was the first study focused on the relationship between cell motility and cellulose degradation of C. hutchinsonii.