RNF7 promotes glioma growth via the PI3K/AKT signalling axis

RNF7 has been reported to play critical roles in various cancers. However, the underlying mechanisms of RNF7 in glioma development remain largely unknown. Herein, the expression level of RNF7 was examined in tissues by quantitative real-time PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. The effect of RNF7 on glioma progression was measured by performing CCK-8 and apoptosis assays, cell cycle-related experiments and animal experiments. The effect of RNF7 on PI3K/AKT signalling pathway was tested by Western blotting. First, we found that RNF7 was upregulated in tumour tissue compared with normal brain tissue, especially in high-grade glioma, and the high expression of RNF7 was significantly related to tumour size, Karnofsky Performance Scale score and a poor prognosis. Second, RNF7 overexpression facilitated tumour cell cycle progression and cell proliferation and suppressed apoptosis. Conversely, RNF7 knockdown suppressed tumour cell cycle progression and cell proliferation and facilitated apoptosis. Furthermore, follow-up mechanistic studies indicated that RNF7 could facilitate glioma cell proliferation and cell cycle progression and inhibit apoptosis by activating the PI3K/AKT signalling pathway. This study shows that RNF7 can clearly promote glioma cell proliferation by facilitating cell cycle progression and inhibiting apoptosis by activating the PI3K/AKT signalling pathway. Targeting the RNF7/PI3K/AKT axis may provide a new perspective on the prevention or treatment of glioma.     

气候变化导致青藏高原马鹿种群适应性分布退缩：以类乌齐马鹿国家级自然保护区为例

近50年青藏高原的气候变化速率是全球平均值的2倍,对高原有蹄类的种群分布和多样性维持带来严重影响。本研究以西藏类乌齐马鹿国家级自然保护区的马鹿种群为例,通过2013年和2021年对马鹿和牦牛种群数量、分布的调查,并整合了物种分布模型和种群动态模型,评估了当前和未来气候变化及人类活动(放牧、道路、居民点等)对马鹿种群适应性分布的影响。研究表明,马鹿种群在2013—2021年由890头增加到1 400头,根据种群增长模型预计在2050年马鹿种群数量将达到1 735头,但其适宜栖息地在2050年代下降43.4%,2070年代下降5.1%,表明马鹿种群增长与适宜栖息地缩小之间的冲突将不利于马鹿种群的可持续发展。同时,当前马鹿与牦牛栖息地重合率为19%,2050年代为60%,2070年代为37%,且牦牛与马鹿存在食物竞争,这在一定程度上减少了马鹿原有的适宜栖息地。为保护马鹿,建议减少牦牛的饲养量1 000～1 500头。本研究将种群增长模型、种间竞争关系与物种分布模型整合,把气候变化对物种的影响延伸到种群层面,对其他物种的保护具有借鉴意义。     

Arrest of cell cycle progression of HeLa cells in the early G1 phase in K+-depleted conditions and its recovery upon addition of insulin and LDL

Cell cycle progression of synchronized HeLa cells was studied by measuring labeling of the nuclei with [³H]thymidine. The progression was arrested in a chemically defined medium in which K⁺ was replaced by Rb⁺ (Rb-CDM) but was restored upon addition of insulin and/or low density lipoprotein (LDL). Cells started DNA synthesis 12 hr after addition of insulin and/or LDL, regardless of the time of arrest, suggesting their arrest early in the G1 phase. After incubation of cells in Rb-CDM containing insulin or LDL singly for 3, 6, or 9 hr, replacement of the medium by that without an addition resulted in marked delay in entry of cells into the S phase, but in its replacement by medium containing both agents, the delay was insignificant. Synthesis of bulk protein, estimated as increase in the cell volume, was not strongly inhibited. From these results we conclude that cell cycle progression of HeLa cells in K^?-depleted CDM is arrested early in the G1 phase and that the arrest is due to lack of some protein(s) required for entry into the S phase that is synthesized in the early G1 phase.     

Transgenic modifications of silkworms as a means to obtain therapeutic biomolecules and protein fibers with exceptional properties

Transgenic modification of Bombyx mori silkworms is a benign approach for the production of silk fibers with extraordinary properties and also to generate therapeutic proteins and other biomolecules for various applications. Silk fibers with fluorescence lasting more than a year, natural protein fibers with strength and toughness exceeding that of spider silk, proteins and therapeutic biomolecules with exceptional properties have been developed using transgenic technology. The transgenic modifications have been done primarily by modifying the silk sericin and fibroin genes and also the silk producing glands. Although the genetic modifications were typically performed using the sericin 1 and other genes, newer techniques such as CRISPR/Cas9 have enabled successful modifications of both the fibroin H-chain and L-chain. Such modifications have led to the production of therapeutic proteins and other biomolecules in reasonable quantities at affordable costs for tissue engineering and other medical applications. Transgenically modified silkworms also have distinct and long-lasting fluorescence useful for bioimaging applications. This review presents an overview of the transgenic techniques for modifications of B. mori silkworms and the properties obtained due to such modifications with particular focus on production of growth factors, fluorescent proteins, and high performance protein fibers.     

Reduced Application of Nitrogen Fertilizer Affects the Carbon Metabolism of Leaves and Maintains the Number of Flowers in Coreopsis tinctoria

This study examined the effects of nitrogen (N) fertilizer reduction on the carbon (C) metabolism and yield of Coreopsis tinctoria. A two-year (2020–2021) hydroponic experiment was conducted in accordance with a randomized complete group design with five N levels [0.875 mM Ca(NO₃)₂ (N1), 1.750 mM Ca(NO₃)₂ (N2), 3.500 mM Ca(NO₃)₂ (N3), 7.000 mM Ca(NO₃)₂ (N4), and 14.000 mM Ca(NO₃)₂ (N5)] and three replications. The results showed that low N significantly affected the functional leaf weight, C metabolism, and flower bud (or flower) numbers of C. tinctoria at harvest. Lower-N levels, especially those of the N2 treatment, significantly increased Rubisco, sucrose synthase (SS), sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS), soluble acid invertase (SAI), glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGDH) activity and maintained the flower number of C. tinctoria. In addition, the balance of carbohydrates (sucrose, starch, glucose, and fructose) and ATP contents was more efficiently maintained under relatively low-N levels. These findings might suggest that reduced application of N fertilizer affects the C metabolism of leaves and maintains the number of flowers in Coreopsis tinctoria. Applying relatively low-N fertilizer levels is also a promising cultivation strategy for C. tinctoria.

     

Terpenoids and Their Possible Role in Defense Against a Fungal Pathogen Alternaria tenuissima in Chrysanthemum morifolium Cultivars

Journal of Plant Growth Regulation - Terpenoids are a class of structurally diverse natural products involved in various plant biological processes. Their primary function is believed to provide...     

Partition of proteins in aqueous two-phase systems containing charged dextran or hydrophobic PEG

Summary The electrochemical effect of a charged dextran derivative and the hydrophobic effect of hydrophobic chain PEG derivative on partitioning of six types of proteins in PEG/dextran aqueous two-phase systems were investigated- When 1. 6%(w/w)DEAE-dextran was present in the system,the partition coefficient decreased quickly with increasing pH value;when 0. 4% (w/w)PEG pentadecanoic acid ester was present in the system, the partition coefficient of protein with strong hydrophobicity was greatly increased. The experimental results show that the influence of hydrocarbon chain PEG derivative on partition coefficient is closely related to the hydrophobicity of proteins.     

单增李斯特菌胎盘感染的体内外模型研究进展

单核细胞增生李斯特氏菌（Listeria monocytogenes）是重要的食源性致病菌,能引发人类的李斯特菌病,是全球公共卫生问题之一。该菌易感染孕妇,引起胎儿和新生儿的侵袭性李斯特菌病,严重威胁母婴健康。因此,建立有效的单增李斯特菌感染胎盘体内外模型,解析和探究单增李斯特菌经胎盘感染机制,是预防和控制单增李斯特菌感染母婴的关键所在。本文综述了可用于研究单增李斯特菌母婴感染的体内外胎盘模型,总结和讨论了各类模型的优势和局限性;并着重分析了体外三维胎盘屏障模型在单增李斯特菌感染方面的研究进展和未来研究方向。以期为深入解析该菌经胎盘感染的途径、发病机制提供支持,并为预防和控制母婴李斯特菌病提供科学参考。     

别藻蓝蛋白藻蓝胆素发色团分子构象研究

主要研究了蓝绿藻污棕席藻(Phormidium luridum)别藻蓝蛋白在不同 pH值条件下的吸收光谱和共振拉曼光谱.发现低聚化的结果导致了三聚体别藻蓝蛋白 650nm 特征吸收峰的消失和一些共振拉曼带强度和位置的移动.结果表明在低 pH 值作用下的低聚化的别藻蓝蛋白中藻蓝胆素发色团分子的构象和自由胆素分子类似,比三聚体的别藻蓝蛋白的发色团分子更趋于卷曲,折叠的构象态.而三聚体的别藻蓝蛋白,主要的拉曼带 1645cm^-1是其发色团分子构象处于更线性延展的标志,其光谱行为和吸收光谱 A_vis/A_uv所表征的发色团分子构象的结果相一致.     

异育银鲫及其人工杂合种外源遗传物质的检测分析

采用 DNA 杂交的方法,对异育银鲫及其人工杂合种进行了外源 DNA 的检测分析,发现两个雌核发育系的异育银鲫及其人工杂合种的 DNA 与红鲤 DNA 片段间的分子杂交均有阳性斑点出现,这表明,在异育银鲫及其人工杂合种产生过程中,父本(红鲤)的 DNA 片段的确可以随机地掺入到母本细胞的 DNA 中,从而产生了异精效应,使其子代生长加快,并出现父本性状。