光枝勾儿茶内生真菌多样性及抑菌活性研究

为探索贵州苗药光枝勾儿茶内生真菌类群特征、分布部位及其抑菌活性,该研究采用传统方法对贵州省贵阳市和黔西市光枝勾儿茶内生真菌进行分离,并基于分子生物学及统计学对其分类地位进行鉴定及多样性评价,最后通过微量肉汤倍比稀释法筛选具有抑菌活性的菌株。结果表明:(1)从光枝勾儿茶中分离到191 株内生真菌,隶属于3 个门5 个纲10 个目15 个科19 个属,优势属为叶点霉属(Phyllosticta)、间座壳属(Diaporthe)、葡萄座腔菌属(Botryosphaeria)和刺盘孢属(Colletotrichum)。(2)黔西光枝勾儿茶内生真菌香农-维纳多样性指数(H''_Q=2.112)较贵阳(H''_G=1.801)高,索伦森相似性指数Cs_G-Q为0.923,不同组织香农-维纳多样性指数为茎(H''_S=2.004)>根(H''_R=1.764)>叶(H''_L=1.654)>果实(H''_F=1.473),茎和叶内生真菌的索伦森相似性最高(Cs_S-L=0.667)。(3)筛选出的21株内生真菌对供试菌大肠杆菌(Escherichia coli)、金黄色葡萄球菌(Staphylococcus aureus)和沙门氏菌(Salmonella enterica)具有抑菌效果,其中Diaporthe sp. QX4G6对大肠杆菌、金黄色葡萄球菌和沙门氏菌的最小抑菌浓度分别为12.5、6.25、12.5 mg·mL^-1,最小杀菌浓度分别为12.5、6.25、12.5 mg·mL^-1。以上研究结果揭示了光枝勾儿茶蕴藏丰富的内生真菌资源,不同地区及组织内生真菌类群组成有差异,多个分离菌株具有抗菌活性,为光枝勾儿茶内生真菌天然抗菌药物或药源研发奠定了基础。     

人上皮细胞角蛋白纤维结构转化的分析

用0℃冷冻处理2—3 h,一些PcaSE-1和BEL-7404细胞的角蛋白纤维能部分地转化成凝聚颗粒,但在HeLa 和CNE 细胞中不发生这种角蛋白纤维结构转化。当回复温度到37℃15—30 min 时,PcaSE-1 和BEL-7404细胞的这种结构转化能快速回复。相反,在HeLa 和CNE 细胞有丝分裂时,角蛋白纤维能转化成凝聚颗粒,但PcaSE-1细胞和BEL-7404细胞的角蛋白纤维网始终维持纤维状态,且围绕纺锤体分布。上述结果表明:两类上皮细胞角蛋白纤维结构的转化似由不同因子所引起。我们的结果还指出:(1)单用秋水仙素或用秋水仙素和细胞松弛素D 合并处理PcaSE-1细胞不能引起角蛋白纤维凝聚。但经秋水仙素解聚微管后,会增强细胞对冷处理的凝聚反应。(2)冷处理时角蛋白纤维凝聚的形成与细胞是否具有两套不同的中间纤维无关。(3)予先用TritonX-100抽提细胞,角蛋白纤维在冷冻后不能转化成凝聚颗粒。(4)冷冻处理引起的结构转化可能是某些上皮细胞系的角蛋白纤维的一种特殊性质。     

Butanol Extract of Acanthopanax senticosus (Rupr. et Maxim.) Harms Alleviates Atherosclerosis in Apolipoprotein E-Deficient Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet

This study investigated the effect of butanol extract of AS (ASBUE) on atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE^−/−) mice. The mice were administered ASBUE (390 or 130 mg/kg/day) or rosuvastatin (RSV) via oral gavage for eight weeks. In ApoE^−/− mice, ASBUE suppressed the abnormal body weight gain and improved serum and liver biochemical indicators. ASBUE remarkably reduced the aortic plaque area, improved liver pathological conditions, and lipid metabolism abnormalities, and altered the intestinal microbiota structure in ApoE^−/− mice. In the vascular tissue of ASBUE-treated mice, P-IKKβ, P-NFκB, and P-IκBα levels tended to decrease, while IκB-α increased in high fat-diet-fed atherosclerotic mice. These findings demonstrated the anti-atherosclerotic potential of ASBUE, which is mediated by the interaction between the gut microbiota and lipid metabolism and regulated via the Nuclear Factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathway. This work paves the groundwork for subsequent studies to develop innovative drugs to treat atherosclerosis.     

CX3CL1 induces cell migration and invasion through ICAM-1 expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma cells

Human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has been associated with a relatively low survival rate over the years and is characterized by a poor prognosis. C-X3-C motif chemokine ligand 1 (CX3CL1) has been involved in advanced migratory cells. Overexpressed CX3CL1 promotes several cellular responses related to cancer metastasis, including cell movement, migration and invasion in tumour cells. However, CX3CL1 controls the migration ability, and its molecular mechanism in OSCC remains unknown. The present study confirmed that CX3CL1 increased cell movement, migration and invasion. The CX3CL1-induced cell motility is upregulated through intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression in OSCC cells. These effects were significantly suppressed when OSCC cells were pre-treated with CX3CR1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) and small-interfering RNA (siRNA). The CX3CL1-CX3CR1 axis activates promoted PLCβ/PKCα/c-Src phosphorylation. Furthermore, CX3CL1 enhanced activator protein-1 (AP-1) activity. The CX3CR1 mAb and PLCβ, PKCα, c-Src inhibitors reduced CX3CL1-induced c-Jun phosphorylation, c-Jun translocation into the nucleus and c-Jun binding to the ICAM-1 promoter. The present results reveal that CX3CL1 induces the migration of OSCC cells by promoting ICAM-1 expression through the CX3CR1 and the PLCβ/PKCα/c-Src signal pathway, suggesting that CX3CL1-CX3CR1-mediated signalling is correlated with tumour motility and appealed to be a precursor for prognosis in human OSCC.     

BmCaspase-8-like regulates autophagy by suppressing BmDREDD-mediated cleavage of BmATG6

Autophagy plays an important role in tissue remodeling during insect development. The interplay between autophagy-related (ATG) proteins and caspases regulates the autophagic activity of ATGs, thereby modulating the process of autophagy. Our previous study characterized BmCaspase-8-like (BmCasp8L) as a caspase suppressor that inhibits apoptosis and immune signaling by suppressing the activation of death-related ced-3/Nedd2-like caspase (DREDD), a caspase-8 homolog in silkworm. In this study, we explored the regulatory role of BmCasp8L in autophagy. We found that the expression of Bmcasp8l increased from the late spinning stage to the pupa stage in the posterior silk gland (PSG), correlating with the expression patterns of Bmatg8 and Bmatg6. RNA interference-mediated downregulation of BmCasp8L expression significantly decreased starvation-induced autophagic influx as determined by the levels of BmATG8–phosphatidylethanolamine and the percentage of cells displaying punctate enhanced green fluorescent protein-BmATG8. Conversely, the overexpression of BmCasp8L significantly increased autophagic influx. We also found that BmCasp8L underwent autophagic degradation induced by starvation and that it was colocalized with BmATG8. Lastly, we demonstrated that BmDREDD attenuated autophagy and BmCasp8L suppressed BmDREDD-mediated cleavage of BmATG6. Taken together, our results demonstrated that BmCasp8L is a novel proautophagic molecule which suppresses BmDREDD-mediated cleavage of BmATG6 and is a target for autophagy.     

Correlation between fibronectin and its receptor in chick myoblast differentiation

Alterations in the amount of fibronectin and in the number of its receptors during myoblast differentiation of chicken embryo were investigated. The amount of fibronectin in the cell surface pool as measured by immunoblotting decreased during myogenesis To identify and characterize the fibronectin receptors on the myoblasts, the interactions of the 28,000 dalton (28 kDa) amino terminal fragment and 85,000 dalton (85 kDa) cell-binding fragment of fibronectin with my-oblasts were examined. The binding of the 28 kDa fragment was found to be time-dependent and reached a maximum level within 60 min. The unlabeled 28 kDa fragment inhibited the binding of the radioiodinated 28 kDa fragment, whereas the unlabeled 85 kDa fragment and antibody to integrin did not inhibit it, suggesting that the 28 kDa fragment interacts with the matrix assembly receptors but not with the cell adhesion receptors. There was a single class of 3.4 × 10⁵ binding sites per cell with an apparent dissociation constant of 1.4 × 10^?7 M on 30 hr old myoblasts. The specific binding of the radioiodinated 28 kDa fragment to myoblasts decreased as the fusion proceeded. This decrease of binding was consistent with the decrease in the amount of fibronectin. Furthermore, the levels of fibronectin and binding of the radioiodinated 28 kDa fragment in the fusion-blocked myoblasts by EGTA treatment appeared to remain constant. These results suggest that the decrease and/or loss of fibronectin during myoblast fusion is closely correlated with the alteration of fibronectin receptors and with the fusion of myoblasts.     

Nicardipine inhibits axon conduction but causes dual changes of acetylcholine release in the mouse motor nerve

The effects of nicardipine, a dihydropyridine Ca2(+)-channel antagonist, on neuromuscular transmission and impulse-evoked release of acetylcholine were compared with those of nifedipine. In the isolated mouse phrenic nerve diaphragm, nicardipine (50 microM), but not nifedipine (100 microM), induced neuromuscular block, fade of tetanic contraction, and dropout or all-or-none block of end-plate potentials. Nicardipine had no significant effect on the resting membrane potential and the amplitude of miniature end-plate potentials but increased the frequency and caused the appearance of large size miniature potentials. The quantal contents of evoked end-plate potentials were increased. In the presence of tubocurarine, however, nicardipine depressed the amplitude of end-plate potentials. The compound nerve action potential was also decreased. It is concluded that nicardipine blocks neuromuscular transmission by acting on Na+ channels and inhibits axonal conduction. Nicardipine appeared to affect the evoked release of acetylcholine by dual mechanisms, i.e., an enhancement presumably by an agonist action on Ca2+ channels, like Bay K 8644 and nifedipine, and inhibition by an effect on Na+ channels, like verapamil and diltiazem. In contrast with its inactivity on the amplitude of miniature end-plate potentials, depolarization of the end plate in response to succinylcholine was greatly depressed. The contractile response of baby chick biventer cervicis muscle to exogenous acetylcholine was noncompetitively antagonized by nicardipine (10 microM), but was unaffected by nifedipine (30 microM). These results may implicate that nicardipine blocks the postsynaptic acetylcholine receptor channel by enhancing receptor desensitization or by a use-dependent effect.     

ON THE ORIGIN OF INCIPIENT REPRODUCTIVE ISOLATION: THE CASE OF DROSOPHILA ALBOMICANS AND D. NASUTA

The nasuta subgroup of Drosophila consists of 12 known species classified within the immigrans group. D. nasuta and D. albomicans are two sibling species widely distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific tropics, which, although morphologically indistinguishable, have different meta-phase-chromosome configurations: chromosomes X and 3 are attached in D. albomicans, so that about 60% of its genes are sex-linked. Our experiments show that, at least in the laboratory, there is no sexual, mechanical, or gametic isolation between the two species. There is, however, hybrid “breakdown” expressed in three ways: 1) reduction in the number of F₂ hybrids produced per culture; 2) reduction in the fertility of F₂ (males) and F₃ (males and females) hybrid progenies; and 3) abnormal sex ratios in the progenies of crosses between strains of certain localities. In experimental populations, the karyotypes of both species are still present in substantial frequencies after 20 generations, although the frequencies of the two karyotypes vary depending on the geographic origin of the strains. Our results support the hypothesis that, in allopatry, the evolution of postzygotic isolation precedes that of prezygotic isolation. The mtDNA is polymorphic in both D. nasuta and D. albomicans and fairly similar between them. Assuming typical rates of mtDNA evolution, the two species would have diverged from each other about 500,000 years ago, whereas the African and Indian populations of D. nasuta (considered to be different subspecies by some authors) might have diverged some 350,000 years ago.