DISTRIBUTION,MORPHOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AND EVIDENCE FOR POLYPLOIDY IN NORTH AMERICAN ZYGNEMATACEAE (CHLOROPHYTA)1

Large-scale collections of Zygnemataceae in the continental United States of America were made between March and August in 1982, 1983, and 1984. Collections were made on a 31000-km transect through 35 states. Zygnemataceae were found at 318 sites was inspected. Temperature average 19°C and p^H averaged 6.1 over all sites. Algal strains in collections were identified to genus, characterized for filament width, chloroplast number, and end wall type, then photographed and isolated into unialgal culture. Spirogyra was the most common genus collected(632 strains), followed in abundance by Zygnema (174 Strains) and Mougeotia (135 strains). These three genera contained 95% of the strains collected and were equally widely distributed. Strains of the three genera frequently occurred together; no genus displayed evidence of habitat specialization among the three habitat types: flowing water, permanent ponds or lakes, and temporary pools. In Spirogyra, strains with plane (flat) end walls were four times more abundant than those with replicate (interlocking) end walls. Spirogyra with plane end walls showed more variation in filament width than Zygnema, Mougeotia, or Spirogyra with replicate end walls. In Spirogyra with plane end walls, filament width was correlted with nuclear DNA content and number of strains found per collection site was twice that of other genera or Spirogyra, with replicate end walls. Spirogyra strains wider than 70 μm were more frequent on the northern part of the transect. It is proposed that polyploidy may be of widespread occurrence in Spirogyra with plane end walls and that associated morphological plasticity may account for the high apparent specied diversity and survival of the genus in a wider variety of microhabitats than occupied by other Zygnemataceae.     

小RNA病毒和小DNA病毒的三维结构模型

本文综述了小RNA病毒和小DNA病毒的主要结构特征,绘制出了它们的三维结构模型,从中找出了两者间的共同点和差异,为进一步研究两种病毒提供了依据。     

玉米转录因子zmCBF1的凝胶阻滞分析

凝胶阻滞试验是分析核酸与蛋白质相互作用的有效方法,在转录因子的功能分析中得到了广泛应用。以玉米转录因子zmCBF1与顺式元件CRT的结合为例,建立了用于转录因子分析的GRA/EMSA实验体系,并对其在应用中可能出现的问题进行了分析。     

Involvement of regulatory volume decrease in the migration of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells

The transwell chamber migration assay and CCD digital camera imaging techniques were used to investigate the relationship between regulatory volume decrease (RVD) and cell migration in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells (CNE-2Z cells). Both migrated and non-migrated CNE-2Z cells, when swollen by 47% hypotonic solution, exhibited RVD which was inhibited by extracellular application of chloride channel blockers adenosine 5‘-triphosphate (ATP), 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino) benzoic acid (NPPB) and tamoxifen. However, RVD rate in migrated CNE-2Z cells was bigger than that of non-migrated cells and the sensitivity of migrated cells to NPPB and tamoxifen was higher than that of nonmigrated cells. ATP, NPPB and tamoxifen also inhibited migration of CNE-2Z cells. The inhibition of migration was positively correlated to the blockage of RVD, with a correlation coefficient (r) = 0.99, suggesting a functional relationship between RVD and cell migration. We conclude that RVD is involved in cell migration and RVD may play an important role in migratory process in CNE-2Z cells.     

Fe- and S-Metabolizing Microbial Communities Dominate an AMD-Contaminated River Ecosystem and Play Important Roles in Fe and S Cycling

Indigenous Fe- and S-metabolizing bacteria play important roles both in the formation and the natural attenuation of acid mine drainage (AMD). Due to its low pH and Fe-S-rich waters, a river located in the Dabaoshan Mine area provides an ideal opportunity to study indigenous Fe- and S-metabolizing microbial communities and their roles in biogeochemical Fe and S cycling. In this work, water and sediment samples were collected from the river for physicochemical, mineralogical, and microbiological analyses. Illumina MiSeq sequencing indicated higher species richness in the sediment than in the water. Sequencing also found that Fe- and S-metabolizing bacteria were the dominant microorganisms in the heavily and moderately contaminated areas. Fe- and S-metabolizing bacteria found in the water were aerobes or facultative anaerobes, including Acidithiobacillus, Acidiphilium, Thiomonas, Gallionella, and Leptospirillum. Fe- and S-metabolizing bacteria found in the sediment belong to microaerobes, facultative anaerobes, or obligatory anaerobes, including Acidithiobacillus, Sulfobacillus, Thiomonas, Gallionella, Geobacter, Geothrix, and Clostridium. Among the dominant genera in the sediment, Geobacter and Geothrix were rarely detected in AMD-contaminated natural environments. Canonical correspondence analysis indicated that pH, S, and Fe concentration gradients were the most important factors in structuring the river microbial community. Moreover, a scheme explaining the biogeochemical Fe and S cycling is advanced in light of the Fe and S species distribution and the identified Fe- and S-metabolizing bacteria.     

松果体昼夜节律生物钟分子机制的研究进展

在各种非哺乳类脊椎动物中 ,松果体起着中枢昼夜节律振荡器的作用。近来 ,在鸟类松果体中相继发现了几种钟基因 ,如Per、Cry、Clock和Bmal等 ,其表达的时间变化规律与哺乳类视交叉上核 (SCN)的非常相似。钟的振荡由其自身调控反馈环路的转录和翻译组成 ,鸟类松果体和哺乳类SCN似乎具有共同的钟振荡基本分子构架 ;若干钟基因产物作为正向或负向调节子影响钟的振荡 ;昼夜性的控时机制同时也需要翻译后事件的参与。这些过程对钟振荡器的稳定性和 /或钟导引的光输入通路有着重要的调控作用     

Combination of bone tissue engineering and BMP-2 gene transfection promotes bone healing in osteoporotic rats

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to develop a feasible approach to promote bone healing in osteoporotic rats using autogenous bone tissue-engineering and gene transfection of human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (hBMP-2). METHODS: Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) from the left tibia of osteoporotic rats were transfected with the hBMP-2 gene in vitro which was confirmed by immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization and Western blotting. Autogenous transfected or untransfected BMSCs were seeded on macroporous coral hydroxyapatite (CHA) scaffolds. Each cell-scaffold construct was implanted into a defect site which was created in the ramus of the mandible of osteoporotic rats. Four or eight weeks after implantation in situ hybridization was performed in BMSCs transfected with hBMP-2, X-ray examinations, histological and histomorphological analyses were used to evaluate the effect of tissue-engineered bone on osseous defect repair. RESULTS: Newly formed bone was observed at the margin of the defect 4 weeks after implantation with BMSCs transfected with BMP-2. Mature bone was observed 8 weeks after treatment. In the control group there was considerably less new bone and some adipose tissue was observed at the defect margins 8 weeks after implantation. CONCLUSIONS: Autogenous cells transfected with hBMP-2 promote bone formation in osteoporotic rats. BMSC-mediated BMP-2 gene therapy used in conjunction with bone tissue engineering may be used to successfully treat bone defects in osteoporotic rats. This method provides a powerful tool for bone regeneration and other tissue engineering.     

Sunitinib Reverse Multidrug Resistance in Gastric Cancer Cells by Modulating Stat3 and Inhibiting P-gp Function

Sunitinib, a small-molecule multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has been applied in phase II clinical trial as second-line treatment for advanced gastric cancer. In this study, we determined the effect of Sunitinib on the multidrug resistance in gastric cancer cells selected by vincristine. Our results showed that Sunitinib significantly enhanced the cytotoxicity of adriamycin, vincristine, etoposide, 5-Fluorouracil, and cisplatin in multidrug-resistant gastric cancer cells (SGC7901/VCR). Sunitinib significantly increased the intracellular accumulation and retention of rhodamine 123 in the SGC7901/VCR cells. However, Sunitinib, at a concentration that reverses MDR, had no significant effect on P-gp protein or mRNA expression levels. In addition, the present study revealed that Sunitinib inhibited Stat3 and down-regulated Bcl-2 in SGC7901/VCR cells, which might also contribute to the reversal of MDR. In conclusion, Sunitinib reverses multidrug resistance in gastric cancer cells by inhibiting P-gp transporter function and modulating Stat3 and Bcl-2. Further study with Sunitinib may be helpful for developing combination therapeutic strategy or circumventing gastric cancer MDR to other conventional anti-cancer drugs.     

高血压病患者肠系膜动脉平滑肌细胞钙激活钾通道研究

目的:研究高血压病患者肠系膜动脉平滑肌细胞钙激活钾通道(KCa)的功能活动。方法:应用膜片钳制技术内面向外式单通道记录方法。结果:①人肠系膜动脉平滑肌细胞KCa开放具有电压依赖性。KCa通道电导在高血压组、正常组分别为191.4pS、197.7pS。胞内侧应用TEA可阻断通道。②增加浴液中Ca2 浓度(从0增至10-8、10-7、5×10-7、10-6mol/L),各组KCa开放概率(Po)均呈浓度依赖性增加,高血压组Po从0.016增至0.023、0.031、0.053、0.094,正常组Po从0.004增至0.023、0.041、0.072、0.184。通道平均开放时间延长,平均关闭时间缩短。③Ca2 浓度为0时,高血压组KCa开放概率明显高于正常组,在其它Ca2 浓度下高血压组KCa开放概率等于或低于正常组。结论:高血压病患者肠系膜动脉平滑肌细胞KCa的Ca2 敏感性较低,可能促进高血压的发生。