Identification of HSP70 gene in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Corythucha ciliata</Emphasis> and its expression profiles under laboratory and field thermal conditions

Previous laboratory studies have demonstrated that insects can tolerate high temperatures by expressing inducible heat shock proteins (HSPs). This HSP-based tolerance, however, has seldom been studied under field conditions. Here, we cloned the HSP70 gene of Corythucha ciliata (Cchsp70), an invasive insect species with substantial thermal tolerance in subtropical China. We also compared the relative mRNA expression levels of Cchsp70 in response to controlled temperature treatments (2 h at 33–43 °C at 2 °C intervals in the laboratory) and to natural increases in temperature (08:00–14:00 at 2-h intervals, 29.7–37.2 °C) on a hot summer day in the field. The complete cDNA of Cchsp70 is 2256 bp long and has a 1917 bp open reading frame that encodes a protein (CcHSP70) with 639 amino acids. The expression levels of Cchsp70 significantly increased in response to high temperatures in both laboratory and field. At similar temperatures, however, the expression levels were much higher in the field than in the laboratory. These results suggest that CcHSP70 contributes to the thermal tolerance of C. ciliata and that factors in addition to thermal stress may induce Cchsp70 expression in the field.     

Production of (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) copolymer from coffee waste oil using engineered Ralstonia eutropha

Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering - Polyhydroxyalkonate (PHA) is a type of polymer that has the potential to replace petro-based plastics. To make PHA production more economically feasible,...     

Efficacy of granulocyte colony stimulating factor in patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis with partial or null response to steroid (GRACIAH trial): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background

Alcoholic hepatitis (AH) has the most severe presentation among alcohol-related liver diseases. Corticosteroids are the most widely recommended treatment for severe AH. However, more innovative, refined treatment measures are required because of its high mortality despite corticosteroid treatment. This study aims to determine whether granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) treatment increases short-term survival in patients with severe AH refractory to corticosteroid treatment.

Methods/design

Patients with severe AH whose Maddrey’s discriminant function (MDF) score is ≥?32 and who will be treated with prednisolone (40?mg/day) for 1?week will be screened. Among them, 190 subjects with a partial response (PR) (Lille score 0.16–0.56), and 78 subjects with a null response (NR) (Lille score?≥?0.56) will be enrolled. Subjects with PR will be randomized to steroid plus placebo or steroid plus 12?G-CSF injections (5?μg/kg/day for 5?days followed by every 3?days) at a ratio of 1:1. Subjects with a NR will be randomized to the placebo or G-CSF group (1:1). Study subjects in the PR group will be treated with prednisolone for 28?days followed by dose tapering for an additional 2?weeks. The primary endpoint is the 2-month survival rate in the NR group and the 6-month survival rate in the PR group. Child–Turcotte–Pugh, model for end-stage liver disease score, and the change in the proportion of peripheral circulating CD34-positive cells will be analyzed as risk factors for mortality. Preliminary safety data for the initial 10 study subjects enrolled in the PR study will be assessed to determine whether the PR study would be continued, according to the G-CSF-mobilized, peripheral-blood stem cell donor assessment protocol of the National Marrow Donor Program.

Discussion

We hypothesized that G-CSF would prolong short-term survival of patients with severe AH refractory to corticosteroid treatment. This is a proof-of-concept trial designed to assess the efficacy of Lille-score-guided G-CSF treatment. This trial is also designed to identify a special subgroup in whom G-CSF rescue treatment would improve liver function and prolong survival.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02442180. Prospectively registered on 13 May 2015.

     

Long‐term compositional and functional changes in alien and native weed communities in annual and perennial irrigated crops

Agricultural intensification in Europe during the past 30 years has led to changes in compositional and functional weed structure in agroecosystems as well as increases in the prominence of alien weeds. Irrigation is a major driver of agricultural intensification, particularly in semi‐arid zones of the Mediterranean. In the past few decades, irrigated land has expanded in semi‐arid agricultural lands in northeastern Spain. The goals of this study were to identify long‐term temporal changes in compositional and functional weed communities in annual (i.e. maize crops) and perennial (i.e. orchards) irrigated crops of this area and determine whether these changes differentially affect native and alien plants. Changes in the diversity, composition and functional groups of the weed communities in fruit‐tree orchards and maize crops were assessed using plant surveys in 1989 and 2009. During the studied period, a decrease was recorded in the diversity of native species in the fruit‐tree orchards; this decrease was accompanied by an increase in alien weed diversity and a general homogenisation of species in the weed community. In the maize crops, the diversity values of native and alien plants changed little during 20 years. The identification of functional groups revealed that most of the species whose cover increased in the fruit‐tree orchards were graminoid alien species that perform C4 photosynthesis and disperse seed via water or a combination of vectors. In the maize crops, the identified functional groups did not differ in the proportion of species whose cover changed between 1989 and 2009. Hence, in irrigated orchards the observed changes in the weed community and the prominence of alien species are mediated by the selection of a set of traits that let species to overcome management filters. Similarly, the stability of functional composition of weed communities in maize fields is the result of the selection of species functionally similar to the crop.     

Co-culture with TM4 cells enhances the proliferation and migration of rat adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells with high stemness

The proliferation and migration of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are the efficiency determinants in MSCs transplant therapy. Sertoli cells considered as “nurse cell” possesses the ability to enhance the proliferation and migration of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSCs). However, no reports about TM4 cells' effect on the proliferation and migration of adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) have been found until at present research work. Therefore, this study investigates the effect of TM4 cells on the proliferation and migration of ADSCs. We found that the performance of proliferation and migration of ADSCs were improved significantly while maintaining their stemness and reducing their apoptosis rate. After co-culturing with TM4 cells, the co-cultured ADSCs demonstrated higher proportion of synthetic phase (S) cells and colony-forming units-fibroblastic (CFU-F) number, lower proportion of sub-G1 phase cells and enhanced osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation ability. Moreover, results confirmed the higher multiple proteins involved in cell proliferation and migration including expression of the phospho-Akt, mdm2, pho-CDC2, cyclin D1 CXCR4, MMP-2, as well as phospho-p44 MAPK and phospho-p38 MAPK in co-cultured ADSCs. Furthermore, the process of TM4 cells promoting the proliferation of ADSCs was significantly inhibited by the administration of the PI3K/AKT inhibitor LY294002. Obtained results indicated that TM4 cells through MAPK/ERK1/2, MAPK/p-38 and PI3K/Akt pathways influence the proliferation and migration of ADSCs. These findings indicated that TM4 cells were found effective in promoting stemness and migration of ADSCs, that proves adopted co-culturing technique as an efficient approach to obtain ADSCs in transplantation therapy.     

PTD modified paclitaxel anti-resistant liposomes for treatment of drug-resistant non-small cell lung cancer

Context: Non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is a type of epithelial lung cancer that accounts for approximately 80–85% of lung carcinoma cases. Chemotherapy for the NSCLC is unsatisfactory due to multidrug resistance, nonselectively distributions and the accompanying side effects.

Objective: The objective of this study was to develop a kind of PTD modified paclitaxel anti-resistant liposomes to overcome these chemotherapy limitations.

Method: The studies were performed on LLT cells and resistant LLT cells in vitro and on NSCLC xenograft mice in vivo, respectively.

Results and discussion: In vitro results showed that the liposomes with suitable physicochemical characteristics could significantly increase intracellular uptake in both LLT cells and resistant LLT cells, evidently inhibit the growth of cancer cells, and clearly induce the apoptosis of resistant LLT cells. Studies on resistant LLT cells xenograft mice demonstrated that the liposomes magnificently enhanced the anticancer efficacy in vivo. Involved action mechanisms were down-regulation of adenosine triphosphate binding cassette transporters on resistant LLT cells, and activation of the apoptotic enzymes (caspase 8/9/3).

Conclusion: The PTD modified paclitaxel anti-resistant liposomes may provide a promising strategy for treatment of the drug-resistant non-small cell lung cancer.     

Hemin-incorporated nanoflowers as enzyme mimics for colorimetric detection of foodborne pathogenic bacteria

Rapid, sensitive and point-of-care detection of foodborne pathogenic bacteria is essential for food safety. In this study, we found that hemin-concanavalin A hybrid nanoflowers (HCH nanoflowers), as solid mimic peroxidase, could catalyze oxidation of 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) in the presence of H₂O₂ to a green-colored product. HCH nanoflowers, integrating the essential functions of both biological recognition and signal amplification, meet the requirements of signal labels for colorimetric immunoassay of bacteria. In view of the excellent peroxidase mimetic catalytic activity of HCH nanoflowers, a colorimetric biosensing platform was newly constructed and applied for sensitive detection of foodborne Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli O157:H7). The corresponding detection limits was as low as 4.1?CFU/mL with wide linear ranges (10¹–10⁶?CFU/mL).