Mechanisms of chromatin-based epigenetic inheritance

Multi-cellular organisms such as humans contain hundreds of cell types that share the same genetic information(DNA sequences), and yet have different cellular traits and functions. While how genetic information is passed through generations has been extensively characterized, it remains largely obscure how epigenetic information encoded by chromatin regulates the passage of certain traits, gene expression states and cell identity during mitotic cell divisions, and even through meiosis. In this r...     

串叶松香草的核型研究

串叶松香草Silphiura perfoliatum L.系菊科(Compositae)松香草属(SilphiumL.)多年生宿根草本植物,原产北美洲。1979年由中国科学院植物研究所北京植物园首次从朝鲜引进我国,1980年引种我所栽培,通过几年的试验观察表明:串叶松香草是一种高产、质优、适应性强的饲料作物,近年来,我省广泛发展和应用。据文献报     

阿维链霉菌Streptomyces avermitilis碱性脂肪酶LpsA2的表达和酶学性质分析

【目的】本研究将推测的阿维链霉菌(Streptomyces avermitilis)脂肪酶基因lpsA2在大肠杆菌(Escherichia coli)中进行异源表达及系统的酶学性质分析。【方法】提取阿维链霉菌基因组,设计特异性引物,PCR扩增脂肪酶基因lpsA2,使其在大肠杆菌中异源表达,利用6个组氨酸标签纯化脂肪酶LpsA2,并进行酶学性质分析;对LpsA2进行序列比对和进化分析。【结果】氨基酸序列比对显示LpsA2具有脂肪酶典型的由Ser、His和Asp构成的活性部位,即Ser130-Asp221-His25,其中Ser位于保守的五肽结构(Gly128-His129-Ser130-Gln131-Gly132)中;分子系统学分析显示,LpsA2是脂肪酶第一家族亚家族成员(Subfamily I.7);实验测得纯化的重组脂肪酶LpsA2的最适反应pH为8.0,最适反应温度为50℃;最适底物为对硝基苯酚豆蔻酸酯;在10℃-50℃范围内该酶的激活自由能为6.3 kcal/mol;1 mmol/L Co2+、Hg2+、Zn2+可使酶活性提高至250%以上;15%的二甲基甲酰胺和二甲基亚砜使酶活分别提高至110.7%和138%;0.1%和1%的Span-20可使酶活性分别提高至352.7%和189.7%。【结论】本研究对推测的来源于S.avermitilis的脂肪酶基因lpsA2进行了异源表达和酶学功能鉴定,不仅为脂肪酶的研究积累了更多数据,也为具有优良性能的脂肪酶生物工程菌的筛选奠定了基础,更为其在食品加工、药物合成等工业生产中的应用提供了依据。     

宁夏野生维管植物编目

物种编目是区系研究、生物多样性监测和珍稀濒危生物保护的基础。宁夏维管植物编目对该区植物多样性保护和资源植物开发利用具有重要意义。本文在《宁夏植物志(第二版)》的基础上, 结合多年野外实地调查数据和相关文献资料, 按照APG Ⅳ分类系统修订了宁夏野生维管植物名录。结果显示: 宁夏有野生维管植物127科597属1,754种, 排名前10的优势科分别是菊科、禾本科、豆科、蔷薇科、毛茛科、苋科、唇形科、莎草科、石竹科和伞形科, 这10科共有物种939种, 占宁夏野生维管植物总数的53.53%; 科的组成以物种数小于20种的科为主, 属主要以小于5种的属为主; 2007年至今累计发现新记录植物230种; 宁夏有珍稀濒危植物25科44属65种; 外来归化、逸生及入侵植物9科22属28种。就国土面积和地理位置而言, 宁夏野生维管植物较为丰富。本研究结果可为《宁夏植物志(第三版)》修订和生物多样性监测与保护提供基础数据。     

Neisseria gonorrhoeae Suppresses Dendritic Cell-Induced, Antigen-Dependent CD4 T Cell Proliferation

Neisseria gonorrhoeae is the second most common sexually transmitted bacterial pathogen worldwide. Diseases associated with N. gonorrhoeae cause localized inflammation of the urethra and cervix. Despite this inflammatory response, infected individuals do not develop protective adaptive immune responses to N. gonorrhoeae. N. gonorrhoeae is a highly adapted pathogen that has acquired multiple mechanisms to evade its host's immune system, including the ability to manipulate multiple immune signaling pathways. N. gonorrhoeae has previously been shown to engage immunosuppressive signaling pathways in B and T lymphocytes. We have now found that N. gonorrhoeae also suppresses adaptive immune responses through effects on antigen presenting cells. Using primary, murine bone marrow-derived dendritic cells and lymphocytes, we show that N. gonorrhoeae-exposed dendritic cells fail to elicit antigen-induced CD4+ T lymphocyte proliferation. N. gonorrhoeae exposure leads to upregulation of a number of secreted and dendritic cell surface proteins with immunosuppressive properties, particularly Interleukin 10 (IL-10) and Programmed Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1). We also show that N. gonorrhoeae is able to inhibit dendritic cell- induced proliferation of human T-cells and that human dendritic cells upregulate similar immunosuppressive molecules. Our data suggest that, in addition to being able to directly influence host lymphocytes, N. gonorrhoeae also suppresses development of adaptive immune responses through interactions with host antigen presenting cells. These findings suggest that gonococcal factors involved in host immune suppression may be useful targets in developing vaccines that induce protective adaptive immune responses to this pathogen.     

人胸腺上皮细胞培养及其分泌产物

本文通过降低培养基中血清含量,向RPMI 1640培养基中补加三碘甲腺原氨酸而获得一种人胸腺网状上皮细胞占优势生长的培养物。在此培养基中细胞经传代培养长达90天,仍维持正常形态特征。胸腺组织在培养14天后,新生细胞的突起形成网状结构,细胞化学检查和电镜观察表明具有丰富的分泌颗粒,囊泡及张力原纤维束和桥粒等上皮细胞特征。收集合并细胞培养液,经部分纯化后检查其生物活性,表现出具有促进玫瑰花结形成和降低胸腺细胞TdT活性的作用,说明培养细胞的分泌产物具有胸腺激素活性。根据形态学,细胞化学和生物活性检测结果,我们倾向于认为该培养物主要为网状上皮细胞。     

Blockade of L-type voltage-gated Ca channel inhibits ischemia-induced neurogenesis by down-regulating iNOS expression in adult mouse

Neurogenesis in the adult mammalian hippocampus may contribute to repairing the brain after injury. The signals that regulate neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus following ischemic stroke insult are not well known. We have previously reported that inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression is necessary for ischemia-stimulated neurogenesis in the adult dentate gyrus. Here, we show that mice subjected to 90 min of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) significantly increased the number of new neurons and up-regulated iNOS expression in the dentate gyrus. Blockade of the L-type voltage-gated Ca(2+) channel (L-VGCC) prevented neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus and subventricular zone (SVZ), and down-regulated iNOS expression in the dentate gyrus after cerebral ischemia. This study suggests that Ca(2+) influx through L-VGCC is involved in ischemia-induced neurogenesis by up-regulating iNOS expression.     

A new method for the determination of critical polyethylene glycol concentration for selective precipitation of DNA fragments

Separation strategies based on size-selective precipitation of DNA fragments with polyethylene glycol (PEG) have been used for achieving desired DNA interval in automated sample preparation for next-generation sequencing. By varying PEG concentration, DNA fragments of different sizes can be precipitated onto surfaces of carboxyl-coated paramagnetic particles selectively, and therefore, the desired DNA interval can be obtained. However, one of the crucial points in this approach is to determine the critical PEG concentration for DNA fragment of a certain size. The aim of this work was to develop a convenient and reliable method for accurately determining the critical PEG concentration. In our method, at a fixed concentration of sodium chloride (NaCl), recovered DNA samples obtained with different PEG concentrations were directly quantified, and their concentrations as a function of the PEG concentration were fitted by the logistic function. The critical PEG value was easily and accurately determined from the fitted logistic function. The repeatability and stability of the critical PEG value were assessed, showing an excellent reliability of the method. Based on this method, critical PEG values of different-size DNA fragments were determined at different NaCl concentrations. The effectiveness of the method was also demonstrated by selective precipitation of DNA fragments.     

钙激活钾通道在黎芦碱致神经细胞损伤中的作用

目的:观察新生SD大鼠原代培养皮层神经元的钙激活钾通道(Kca)在黎芦碱致神经元损伤模型上的激活、抑制效应.方法:采用细胞贴附和内面向外两种膜片钳单通道记录方法记录新生SD大鼠原代培养皮层神经元的Kca电生理活动.结果:黎芦碱在胞外可激活Kca.在有钙浴液内,细胞贴附式,钳制膜电位 30 mV,加入不同浓度黎芦碱(μmol/L:15、25、50、75),通道开放概率由0.005分别增加为0.014±0.003、0.085±0.010、0.132±0.016、0.059±0.006(P＜0.01),在50μmol/L以内表现出浓度依赖性.无钙浴液内,细胞贴附式膜片上,钳制膜电位 50 mV,随药物浓度(μmol/L)增加为15、40、60、100时,通道开放概率由0.005分别增加为0.014±0.010、0.113±0.006、0.141±0.004、0 295±0.009(P＜0.05).6例内面向外式膜片上,钳制膜电位 40 mV,分别加入黎芦碱25 μmol/L、50μmol/L 3 min后,通道开放概率由0.011±0.008分别增加为0.010±0.010、0.012±0.007(P＞0.05).黎芦碱在胞内Kca开放概率,平均开放/关闭时间,电流幅值均无明显变化.结论:黎芦碱通过影响胞内游离钙水平间接调节Kca,在缺血缺氧早期,胞内游离钙增高激活Kca开放.