取食不同食料的美国白蛾幼虫肠道细菌多样性及差异性研究

为了解取食不同食料的美国白蛾Hyphantria cunea Drury幼虫肠道细菌多样性及差异性,本研究应用Illumina Hi Seq二代测序技术检测16S rDNA基因序列的方法分析以人工饲料、桑树Morus alba Linn和柳树Salix babylonica Linn为食的3种美国白蛾5龄幼虫肠道细菌类群结构、丰度差异和α多样性。共获得657 819对读数,聚成3 743个OTUs,注释到23个门,60个纲,90个目,143个科,196个属和58个种。科以上分类阶元,以两种植物为食的幼虫肠道的优势类群一致,但取食人工饲料的幼虫在各级分类水平与前者不同(门水平除外)。在属分类阶元,取食3种美国白蛾幼虫肠道菌群优势属各不相同,丰度最高分别为希瓦氏菌属Shewanella(12.81%)、葡萄球菌属Staphylococcus(7.86%)和芽孢杆菌属Bacillus(5.24%)。种水平上海藻希瓦氏菌Shewanella algae在3种食料的美国白蛾幼虫肠道中都有较高的丰度;松鼠葡萄球菌Staphylococcus sciuri在以桑树和柳树为食料的美国白蛾幼虫肠道中比例较高,但在以人工饲料的幼虫中比例很低。3种食料的幼虫共有的OUTs为228个,特有的OUTs分别为人工饲料145个、桑树160个和柳树138个。以上结论表明取食不同食料的美国白蛾幼虫的肠道细菌类群结构和丰度存在一定差异。α多样性指数表明美国白蛾幼虫肠道细菌群落具有较高的丰富度和多样性。为进一步探明其肠道细菌的功能以及对寄主的适应机制等方面的研究奠定基础。     

The N-Terminal Region of IFITM3 Modulates Its Antiviral Activity by Regulating IFITM3 Cellular Localization

Interferon-inducible transmembrane (IFITM) protein family members IFITM1, -2, and -3 restrict the infection of multiple enveloped viruses. Significant enrichment of a minor IFITM3 allele was recently reported for patients who were hospitalized for seasonal and 2009 H1N1 pandemic flu. This IFITM3 allele lacks the region corresponding to the first amino-terminal 21 amino acids and is unable to inhibit influenza A virus. In this study, we found that deleting this 21-amino-acid region relocates IFITM3 from the endosomal compartments to the cell periphery. This finding likely underlies the lost inhibition of influenza A virus that completes its entry exclusively within endosomes at low pH. Yet, wild-type IFITM3 and the mutant with the 21-amino-acid deletion inhibit HIV-1 replication equally well. Given the pH-independent nature of HIV-1 entry, our results suggest that IFITM3 can inhibit viruses that enter cells via different routes and that its N-terminal region is specifically required for controlling pH-dependent viruses.     

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Applications Normalized Prefrontal Dysfunctions and Cognitive-Related Metabolic Profiling in Aged Mice

Chronic high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a noninvasive brain stimulation technique that has recently received increasing interests as a therapeutic procedure for neurodegenerative diseases. To identify the metabolism mechanism underlying the improving effects of rTMS, we observed that high frequency (25Hz) rTMS for 14 days could reverse the decline of the performance of the passive avoidance task in aged mice. We further investigated the metabolite profiles in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in those mice and found that rTMS could also reverse the metabolic abnormalities of gamma-aminobutyric acid, N-acetyl aspartic, and cholesterol levels to the degree similar to the young mice. These data suggested that the rTMS could ameliorate the age-related cognitive impairment and improving the metabolic profiles in PFC, and potentially can be used to improve cognitive decline in the elderly.     

Identification of phosphorylation sites in the PKD1-encoded protein C-terminal domain.

The PKD1-encoded protein, "polycystin-1", has a large N-terminal extracellular portion, multiple transmembrane domains, and a short intracellular C-terminal tail with four tyrosine residues and two putative sites for serine phosphorylation. Its function in kidney development and autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is still unknown. We have subcloned the cDNA encoding the polycystin-1 C-terminal domain (PKD1-CTD) into a prokaryotic expression vector, and site-directed mutagenesis was performed to target the four tyrosine residues and four serine residues in two putative phosphorylation sites. In vitro phosphorylation assays were conducted on both wild type and mutant PKD1-CTD fusion proteins. It was found that the wild type PKD1-CTD and all mutant fusion proteins, except S4251G/S4252G, could be phosphorylated by lysates from cultured normal human renal collecting tubule (NHCT) cells, as well as by commercially purified cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA). The phosphorylation of the PKD1-CTD fusion protein by NHCT lysates was greatly enhanced by cAMP and its analog 8-Br-cAMP, and inhibited by the specific PKA inhibitors PKI(6-22) and H-89. Activators and inhibitors of protein kinase C (PKC) had no effects on the phosphorylation of the PKD1-CTD fusion protein. Using commercially purified pp60(c-src) (c-src) it was also shown that the PKD1-CTD fusion protein could be phosphorylated by c-src in vitro, and that this phosphorylation could be abolished by a mutation Y4237F. By comparing the amino acid sequence at 4249-4253 (RRSSR) with the consensus sequence for PKA phosphorylation (RRXSX), we suggest that the serine residue at 4252 is the target of phosphorylation by a cAMP-dependent protein kinase in NHCT cell lysates. In addition, we suggest that Y4237 might be phosphorylated by c-src in living cells.     

Cyanobacterial phytochrome-like PixJ1 holoprotein shows novel reversible photoconversion between blue- and green-absorbing forms

The gene, pixJ1 (formerly pisJ1), is predicted to encode a phytochrome-like photoreceptor that is essential for positive phototaxis in the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 [Yoshihara et al. (2000) Plant Cell Physiol. 41: 1299]. The PixJ1 protein was overexpressed as a fusion with a poly-histidine tag (His-PixJ1) and isolated from Synechocystis cells. A zinc-fluorescence assay suggested that a linear tetrapyrrole was covalently attached to the His-PixJ1 protein as a chromophore. His-PixJ1 showed novel photoreversible conversion between a blue light-absorbing form (Pb, lambdaAmax=425-435 nm) and a green light-absorbing form (Pg, lambdaAmax=535 nm). Dark incubation led Pg to revert to Pb, indicative of stability of the Pb form in darkness. Red or far-red light irradiation, which is effective for photochemical conversion of the known phytochromes, produced no change in the spectra of Pb and Pg forms. Site-directed mutagenesis revealed that a Cys-His motif in the second GAF domain of PixJ1 is responsible for binding of the chromophore. Possible chromophore species are discussed with regard to the novel photoconversion spectrum.     

Small molecule biaryl FSH receptor agonists. Part 2: Lead optimization via parallel synthesis

Potent small molecule biaryl diketopiperazine FSH receptor agonists such as 10c (EC(50)=13 nM) and 11f (EC(50)=1.2 nM) were discovered through the design, synthesis and evaluation of three biaryl diketopiperazine optimization libraries with over 300 compounds. These libraries were prepared via solid-phase parallel synthesis using a cyclization-release method.