Cardiac myosin binding protein C and MAP-kinase activating death domain-containing gene polymorphisms and diastolic heart failure

Objective

Myosin binding protein C (MYBPC3) plays a role in ventricular relaxation. The aim of the study was to investigate the association between cardiac myosin binding protein C (MYBPC3) gene polymorphisms and diastolic heart failure (DHF) in a human case-control study.

Methods

A total of 352 participants of 1752 consecutive patients from the National Taiwan University Hospital and its affiliated hospital were enrolled. 176 patients diagnosed with DHF confirmed by echocardiography were recruited. Controls were matched 1-to-1 by age, sex, hypertension, diabetes, renal function and medication use. We genotyped 12 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) according to HapMap Han Chinese Beijing databank across a 40 kb genetic region containing the MYBPC3 gene and the neighboring DNA sequences to capture 100% of haplotype variance in all SNPs with minor allele frequencies ≧5%. We also analyzed associations of these tagging SNPs and haplotypes with DHF and linkage disequilibrium (LD) structure of the MYBPC3 gene.

Results

In a single locus analysis, SNP rs2290149 was associated with DHF (allele-specific p = 0.004; permuted p = 0.031). The SNP with a minor allele frequency of 9.4%, had an odds ratio 2.14 (95% CI 1.25–3.66; p = 0.004) for the additive model and 2.06 for the autosomal dominant model (GG+GA : AA, 95% CI 1.17–3.63; p = 0.013), corresponding to a population attributable risk fraction of 12.02%. The haplotypes in a LD block of rs2290149 (C-C-G-C) was also significantly associated with DHF (odds ratio 2.10 (1.53–2.89); permuted p = 0.029).

Conclusions

We identified a SNP (rs2290149) among the tagging SNP set that was significantly associated with early DHF in a Chinese population.     

The discovery of potent, selective, and orally active pyrazoloquinolines as PDE10A inhibitors for the treatment of Schizophrenia

High-throughput screening identified a series of pyrazoloquinolines as PDE10A inhibitors. The SAR development led to the discovery of compound 27 as a potent, selective, and orally active PDE10A inhibitor. Compound 27 inhibits MK-801 induced hyperactivity at 3mg/kg with an ED(50) of 4mg/kg and displays a ～6-fold separation between the ED(50) for inhibition of MK-801 induced hyperactivity and hypolocomotion in rats.     

甘蓝型油菜理化诱变和突变体库的构建

利用射线与甲基磺酸乙酯（EMS）溶液诱变技术复合处理甘蓝型油菜高油605的成熟种子。经田间M2筛选和M3验证, 共筛选到152个叶色、叶形、株高、分枝数、分枝角度、茎径、茎色、花色、花瓣数、花瓣大小、花蕊形态、雄性不育、死蕾及开花期等性状发生变异的突变体, 占M2诱变群体总数的12.67%。利用水培法进行M3和M4株系的子叶和根系变异性状筛选和验证, 发现子叶和根系变异频率分别为12.78%和7.07%。现已构建了包括叶片、株型、花器、子叶、根系及部分生理性状变异类型的突变体库, 可为今后油菜遗传改良和功能基因组学研究提供更多的种质资源。     

超广谱β-内酰胺酶肺炎克雷伯菌噬菌体F20的分离鉴定及其对小鼠败血症治疗效果

【背景】肺炎克雷伯菌是引起临床感染的重要条件致病菌之一,肺炎克雷伯菌中产超广谱β-内酰胺酶(Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases,ESBLs)的耐药菌株增多迫切需要找到一种新的治疗方法。【目的】自污水中分离超广谱β-内酰胺酶肺炎克雷伯菌噬菌体,并明确其生物学特性、观察其治疗小鼠产ESBLs肺炎克雷伯菌感染的疗效。【方法】电镜观察F20形态,调查其噬菌谱、生长曲线等生物学特性。建立小鼠败血症感染模型观察F20治疗小鼠肺炎克雷伯菌感染的疗效。【结果】F20在其宿主菌的菌苔上形成裂解性噬菌体所具有的完全透明的噬菌斑,电镜观察F20具典型的有尾噬菌体目长尾病毒科病毒的形态特征。一步生长曲线显示F20的潜伏期为18 min,裂解量为89 PFU/细胞。稳定性试验显示F20在pH 5.0-9.0及50°C环境均具良好稳定性。使用噬菌体F20对败血症小鼠治疗后,治疗组小鼠各外周血和各脏器(肺脏、肝脏、脾脏和肾脏)中的细菌数也显著小于对照组细菌数(P0.001),与对照组相比下降大约1–3数量级。F20治疗败血症小鼠存活率达到87.5%,无毒副作用,而对照组小鼠在1 d内全部死亡,可显著提高小鼠的存活率(P0.001)。【结论】新分离的裂解性噬菌体F20在小鼠体内能安全有效地治疗超广谱β-内酰胺酶肺炎克雷伯菌引起的败血症,可作为生物抗菌剂的有效成分。     

对叶榕隐头果内佩妃延腹小蜂属两种非传粉榕小蜂的繁殖特点

2005年8-11月,在西双版纳热带植物园对寄生对叶榕的佩妃延腹小蜂的产卵行为进行了观察,并解剖雄花前期的隐头果观察小蜂利用瘿花资源情况;对不同年份（2003、2004、2005）,不同批次的隐头果内榕小蜂数量进行了统计。结果表明： 对叶榕Ficus hispida隐头果内寄生的佩妃延腹小蜂属Philotrypesis的两种榕小蜂——短尾佩妃延腹小蜂P. pilosa和长尾佩妃延腹小蜂Philotrypesis sp.,都是在果外利用长的产卵器刺穿隐头果果壁将卵产于果中雌花子房内。它们不能为寄主榕树传粉,为非传粉小蜂。短尾佩妃延腹小蜂的产卵时间与传粉榕小蜂接近,几乎与传粉榕小蜂同时到达隐头果产卵,该时期隐头果可供其产卵2天;而长尾佩妃延腹小蜂的产卵时间较晚,在传粉榕小蜂产卵后的第6天开始到果外产卵,并可持续产卵约一周时间。对叶榕雄花期雄果中的瘿花子房由于花梗长度不同而明显分为3层：果壁层（具短花梗）,中间层和果腔层（具长花梗）。短尾佩妃延腹小蜂和长尾佩妃延腹小蜂在紧靠果壁的子房果壁层中分布最多,而很少存在于果腔层的瘿花子房内。在自然情况下,短尾佩妃延腹小蜂和长尾佩妃延腹小蜂寄生榕果的比率因季节和植株个体不同而变化。但无论是对榕果的寄生比率还是单果内寄生的数量,长尾佩妃延腹小蜂一般均比短尾佩妃延腹小蜂高,这可能与长尾佩妃延腹小蜂群体在隐头果上产卵时间比后者更长有关系。     

Region specific knock-out reveals distinct roles of chromatin modifiers in adult neurogenic niches

Histone methyltransferases (HMTs) are present in heterogeneous cell populations within the adult brain including neurogenic niches. Yet the question remains whether loss of HMTs and the resulting changes in histone methylation alter cell fate in a region-specific manner. We utilized stereotaxic injection of Cre recombinant protein into the adult neurogenic niches, the subventricular zone (SVZ) adjacent to the lateral ventricle and the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the dentate gyrus. We confirmed that Cre protein was enzymatically active in vivo and recombination events were restricted to the vicinity of injection areas. In this study, we focus on using Cre mediated recombination in mice harboring floxed HMT: enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) or suppressor of variegation homolog (Suv4-20h). Injectable Cre protein successfully knocked out either EZH2 or Suv4-20h, allowing assessment of long-term effects in a region-specific fashion. We performed meso-scale imaging and flow cytometry for phenotype analysis and unbiased quantification. We demonstrated that regional loss of EZH2 affects the differentiation paradigm of neural stem progenitor cells as well as the maintenance of stem cell population. We further demonstrated that regional loss of Suv4-20h influences the cell cycle but does not affect stem cell differentiation patterns. Therefore, Cre protein mediated knock-out a given HMT unravel their distinguishable and important roles in adult neurogenic niches. This Cre protein-based approach offers tightly-controlled knockouts in multiple cell types simultaneously for studying diverse regulatory mechanisms and is optimal for region-specific manipulation within complex, heterogeneous brain architectures.     

Origins and relationships of the Pleuronectoidei: Molecular and morphological analysis of living and fossil taxa

Flatfishes (Pleuronectiformes) are a species‐rich and distinct group of fishes characterized by cranial asymmetry. Flatfishes occupy a wide diversity of habitats, including the tropical deep‐sea and freshwaters, and often are small‐bodied fishes. Most scientific effort, however, has been focused on large‐bodied temperate marine species important in fisheries. Phylogenetic study of flatfishes has also long been limited in scope and focused on the placement and monophyly of flatfishes. As a result, several questions in systematic biology have persisted that molecular phylogenetic study can answer. We examine the Pleuronectoidei, the largest suborder of Pleuronectiformes with >99% of species diversity of the order, in detail with a multilocus nuclear and mitochondrial data set of 57 pleuronectoids from 13 families covering a wide range of habitats. We combine the molecular data with a morphological matrix to construct a total evidence phylogeny that places fossil flatfishes among extant lineages. Utilizing a time‐calibrated phylogeny, we examine the timing of diversification, area of origin and ancestral temperature preference of Pleuronectoidei. We find polyphyly or paraphyly of two flatfish families, the Paralichthyidae and the Rhombosoleidae, and support the creation of two additional families—Cyclopsettidae and Oncopteridae—to resolve their non‐monophyletic status. Our findings also support the distinctiveness of Paralichthodidae and refine the placement of that lineage. Despite a core fossil record in Europe, the observed recent diversity of pleuronectoids in the Indo‐West Pacific is most likely a result of the Indo‐West Pacific being the area of origin for pleuronectoids and the ancestral temperature preference of flatfishes is most likely tropical.