Multiple species of wild tree peonies gave rise to the ‘king of flowers’, Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews

The origin of cultivated tree peonies, known as the ‘king of flowers'' in China for more than 1000 years, has attracted considerable interest, but remained unsolved. Here, we conducted phylogenetic analyses of explicitly sampled traditional cultivars of tree peonies and all wild species from the shrubby section Moutan of the genus Paeonia based on sequences of 14 fast-evolved chloroplast regions and 25 presumably single-copy nuclear markers identified from RNA-seq data. The phylogeny of the wild species inferred from the nuclear markers was fully resolved and largely congruent with morphology and classification. The incongruence between the nuclear and chloroplast trees suggested that there had been gene flow between the wild species. The comparison of nuclear and chloroplast phylogenies including cultivars showed that the cultivated tree peonies originated from homoploid hybridization among five wild species. Since the origin, thousands of cultivated varieties have spread worldwide, whereas four parental species are currently endangered or on the verge of extinction. The documentation of extensive homoploid hybridization involved in tree peony domestication provides new insights into the mechanisms underlying the origins of garden ornamentals and the way of preserving natural genetic resources through domestication.     

Mitochondrion-processed TERC regulates senescence without affecting telomerase activities

Mitochondrial dysfunctions play major roles in ageing. How mitochondrial stresses invoke downstream responses and how specificity of the signaling is achieved, however, remains unclear. We have previously discovered that the RNA component of Telomerase TERCis imported into mitochondria, processed to a shorter form TERC-53, and then exported back to the cytosol. Cytosolic TERC-53levels respond to mito- chondrial functions, but have no direct effect on these functions, suggesting that cytosolic TERC-53functions downstream of mitochondria as a signal of mitochon- drial functions. Here, we show that cytosolic TERC-53plays a regulatory role on cellular senescence and is involved in cognition decline in 10 months old mice, independent of its telomerase function. Manipulation of cytosolic TERC-53levels affects cellular senescence and cognition decline in 10 months old mouse hip-pocampi without affecting telomerase activity, and most importantly, affects cellular senescence in terc^−/− cells. These findings uncover a senescence-related regulatory pathway with a non-coding RNA as the signal in mammals.     

Nature of FeSe2/N‐C Anode for High Performance Potassium Ion Hybrid Capacitor

Potassium ion hybrid capacitors have great potential for large‐scale energy devices, because of the high power density and low cost. However, their practical applications are hindered by their low energy density, as well as electrolyte decomposition and collector corrosion at high potential in potassium bis(fluoro‐sulfonyl)imide‐based electrolyte. Therefore, anode materials with high capacity, a suitable voltage platform, and stability become a key factor. Here, N‐doping carbon‐coated FeSe₂ clusters are demonstrated as the anode material for a hybrid capacitor, delivering a reversible capacity of 295 mAh g^?1 at 100 mA g^?1 over 100 cycles and a high rate capability of 158 mAh g^?1 at 2000 mA g^?1 over 2000 cycles. Meanwhile, through density functional theory calculations, in situ X‐ray diffraction, and ex situ transmission electron microscopy, the evolution of FeSe₂ to Fe₃Se₄ for the electrochemical reaction mechanism is successfully revealed. The battery‐supercapacitor hybrid using commercial activated carbon as the cathode and FeSe₂/N‐C as the anode is obtained. It delivers a high energy density of 230 Wh kg^?1 and a power density of 920 W kg^?1 (the energy density and power density are calculated based on the total mass of active materials in the anode and cathode).     

Reactivity of toluate dioxygenase with substituted benzoates and dioxygen

Toluate dioxygenase (TADO) of Pseudomonas putida mt-2 catalyzes the dihydroxylation of a broad range of substituted benzoates. The two components of this enzyme were hyperexpressed and anaerobically purified. Reconstituted TADO had a specific activity of 3.8 U/mg with m-toluate, and each component had a full complement of their respective Fe(2)S(2) centers. Steady-state kinetics data obtained by using an oxygraph assay and by varying the toluate and dioxygen concentrations were analyzed by a compulsory order ternary complex mechanism. TADO had greatest specificity for m-toluate, displaying apparent parameters of KmA = 9 +/- 1 microM, k(cat) = 3.9 +/- 0.2 s(-1), and K(m)O(2) = 16 +/- 2 microM (100 mM sodium phosphate, pH 7.0; 25 degrees C), where K(m)O(2) represents the K(m) for O(2) and KmA represents the K(m) for the aromatic substrate. The enzyme utilized benzoates in the following order of specificity: m-toluate > benzoate approximately 3-chlorobenzoate > p-toluate approximately 4-chlorobenzoate > o-toluate approximately 2-chlorobenzoate. The transformation of each of the first five compounds was well coupled to O(2) utilization and yielded the corresponding 1,2-cis-dihydrodiol. In contrast, the transformation of ortho-substituted benzoates was poorly coupled to O(2) utilization, with >10 times more O(2) being consumed than benzoate. However, the apparent K(m) of TADO for these benzoates was >100 microM, indicating that they do not effectively inhibit the turnover of good substrates.     

GPD1L inhibits renal cell carcinoma progression by regulating PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy

Few approaches have been conducted in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) after nephrectomy, resulting in a high mortality rate in urological tumours. Mitophagy is a mechanism of mitochondrial quality control that enables selective degradation of damaged and unnecessary mitochondria. Previous studies have found that glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase 1-like (GPD1L) is associated with the progression of tumours such as lung cancer, colorectal cancer and oropharyngeal cancer, but the potential mechanism in RCC is still unclear. In this study, microarrays from tumour databases were analysed. The expression of GPD1L was confirmed by RT–qPCR and western blotting. The effect and mechanism of GPD1L were explored using cell counting kit 8, wound healing, invasion, flow cytometry and mitophagy-related experiments. The role of GPD1L was further confirmed in vivo. The results showed that GPD1L expression was downregulated and positively correlated with prognosis in RCC. Functional experiments revealed that GPD1L prevented proliferation, migration and invasion while promoting apoptosis and mitochondrial injury in vitro. The mechanistic results indicated that GPD1L interacted with PINK1, promoting PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy. However, inhibition of PINK1 reversed GPD1L-mediated mitochondrial injury and mitophagy. Moreover, GPD1L prevented tumour growth and promoted mitophagy by activating the PINK1/Parkin pathway in vivo. Our study shows that GPD1L has a positive correlation with the prognosis of RCC. The potential mechanism involves interacting with PINK1 and regulating the PINK1/Parkin pathway. In conclusion, these results reveal that GPD1L can act as a biomarker and target for RCC diagnosis and therapy.     

MTHFR基因C677T多态性与内蒙古汉族人群中冠心病的关系

目的:检测中国内蒙古汉族人群中MTHFR基因多态性与冠心病的关系.方法:研究组包括62例冠心病(coronary heartdisease,CHD)患者和120例正常对照人群,用聚合酶链反应-限制性片段长度多态性技术(PCR-RFLP)分析C677T型突变.结果:677T/T基因型在冠心病人群中更普遍,是正常人群的3.4倍.结论:在内蒙古汉族人群中,677T/T基因型增加了个体患冠心痛的风险性.     

猪圆环病毒2型流行株的分离及其感染性克隆的构建

【目的】通过分离一株猪圆环病毒2型(PCV2)流行毒株,并构建其感染性克隆,为研究PCV2基因功能提供操作平台。【方法】通过PCR方法,从疑似患断奶仔猪多系统衰竭综合症(PMWS)的仔猪淋巴结中鉴定为猪圆环病毒(Porcine circovirus,PCV)2型阳性。把阳性病料接种PK-15细胞传代培养,在培养物中扩增出PCV2的全基因序列。对扩增出的全序列进行序列测定,并与GenBank中公布的5株广东PCV2分离株(GD-pz、GD-gj、GD-jm、GD-ss和GD-sz)进行同源性分析。通过EcoRⅠ和SalⅠ将PCV2全基因组序列克隆进pUC18载体中,获得含PCV2 GD-zq株全基因组单拷贝的重组质粒pPCV2-GD-zq,再通过SalⅠ和HindⅢ把另一个全长拷贝克隆进pPCV2-GD-zq质粒中,使PCV2 GD-zq株基因组DNA以头尾相接的双重复方式克隆进pUC18载体中,获得重组质粒pPCV2-2GD-zq。将pPCV2-2GD-zq DNA纯化和定量后转染PK-15细胞,拯救PCV2 GD-zq病毒。【结果】从PMWS感染的猪淋巴结中分离到了一株PCV2,命名为GD-zq株;序列分析结果显示,GD-zq株全基因组为1 767 bp,与GenBank中公布的5株广东PCV2分离株ORF1核苷酸一致性为97.1%-99.7%,编码氨基酸一致性为98.7%-100%;ORF2核苷酸一致性为93.2%-99.6%,编码氨基酸一致性为92.3%-99.1%;全基因一致性为96.0%-99.6%。pPCV2-2GD-zq质粒转染PK-15细胞后,其通过间接免疫荧光实验(IFA)能从转染细胞及其传代细胞中,检测到拯救出的病毒。【结论】分离了一株PCV2广东株GD-zq,成功构建了PCV2 GD-zq株的感染性克隆。     

Molecular identification and functional characterization of a Drosophila dual-specificity phosphatase DMKP-4 which is involved in PGN-induced activation of the JNK pathway

MAP (Mitogen-activated protein) kinases play an important role in regulating many critical cellular processes. The inactivation of MAP kinases is always accomplished by a family of dual-specificity phosphatases, termed MAPK phosphatases (MKPs). Here, we have identified a novel MKP-like protein, designated DMKP-4, from the Drosophila genome. DMKP-4 is a protein of 387 amino acids, with a dual-specificity phosphatase (DSP) catalytic domain. Recombinant protein DMKP-4 retains intrinsic phosphatase activity against chromogenic substrate pNPP. Overexpression of DMKP-4 inhibited the activation of ERK, JNK and p38 by H(2)O(2), sorbitol and heat shock in HEK293-T cells, and JNK activation in Drosophila S2 cells under PGN stimuli. "Knockdown" of DMKP-4 expression by RNAi significantly enhanced the PGN-stimulated activation of JNK, but not ERK nor p38. Further study revealed that DMKP-4 interacted specifically with JNK via its DSP domain. Mutation of Cys-126 to serine in the DSP domain of DMKP-4 not only eliminated its interaction with JNK, but also markedly reduced its phosphatase activity. Thus, DMKP-4 is a Drosophila homologue of mammalian MKPs, and may play important roles in the regulation of various developmental processes.