RETRACTED ARTICLE: Silencing SP1 Alleviated Sevoflurane-Induced POCD Development via Cholinergic Anti-inflammatory Pathway

Neurochemical Research - Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a common complication induced by anesthesia or surgery, which affects the concentration, cognition and memory of patients....     

Burkholderia xenovorans LB400联苯双加氧酶及突变体对DDTs的降解

DDTs（dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane,1,1,1-三氯-2,2-双氯苯基乙烷）是一种典型的持久性有机污染物,曾在疟疾防治和农业除虫方面被广泛应用。虽然包括我国在内的很多国家已经禁止使用DDTs,但目前对环境中DDTs的检测发现它仍然广泛存在且具有新的输入源。DDTs的持续存在对近海生态系统和人类健康具有一定危害,因此它所造成的环境污染问题仍然值得关注。由于Rieske型芳香羟化双加氧酶能够起始多种持久性污染物的降解,过去的几十年里一直是芳香化合物降解领域的焦点。[目的] 为探讨联苯双加氧酶对DDTs的降解特性及机制,本研究选取了食异生素伯克霍尔德氏菌LB400（Burkholderia xenovorans）联苯双加氧酶及突变体对p,p''-DDT和o,p''-DDT的降解过程进行研究。[方法] 以BphAE_LB400为亲本,通过两步定点突变将283位的丝氨酸突变为蛋氨酸,获得突变体BphAE_S283M。通过比较亲本酶与突变体对DDTs的催化性能,模拟突变蛋白结构和分子对接等方法,探究其降解特性及机制。[结果] BphAE_LB400和突变体BphAE_S283M都无法降解对位的p,p''-DDT,但突变体BphAE_S283M可以代谢o,p''-DDT并产生2个立体异构体。对接p,p''-DDT的BphAE_LB400和BphAE_S283M的结构分析表明,BphAE_LB400和BphAE_S283M中p,p''-DDT的反应环均不与原晶体结构中的联苯反应环重合。而对接o,p''-DDT的BphAE_S283M的结构分析表明o,p''-DDT的反应环与晶体结构中的联苯反应环距离很近,且2、3位的碳原子与单核铁原子催化中心的距离在0.5 nm以内,此外,BphAE_S283M的催化腔表面积和体积比BphAE_LB400更大,这很可能有助于BphAE_S283M与o,p''-DDT的结合。[结论] 283位氨基酸是影响BphAE_LB400对DDTs的催化代谢能力的关键氨基酸残基,它可以通过调节反应碳原子与催化中心的距离以及催化腔的大小来影响底物特异性。本次研究进一步阐明了283位氨基酸残基的影响机理,为更有效修复DDTs污染提供理论依据和技术支持。     

HRAS: a webserver for early warning of human health risk brought by aflatoxin

Most people are aware that outdoor air pollution can damage their health, but many do not know that indoor air pollution can also exhibit significant negative health effects. Fungi parasitizing in air conditioning and ventilation systems can be one of indoor air pollution sources. Aflatoxin produced by Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus) became a central focus of indoor air pollution, especially in farmer markets. Therefore we developed an early warning system, Health Risk Assessment System, to estimate the growth rate of A. flavus, predict the amount of aflatoxin and provide early warning information. Firstly, the growth of A. flavus and the production of aflatoxin under different conditions were widely obtained through a comprehensive literature review. Secondly, three mathematical models were established to predict the A. flavus colony growth rate, lag phase duration and aflatoxin content, as functions of temperature and water activity based on present studies. Finally, all the results were evaluated by the user-supplied data using PHP programming language. We utilized the web page to show the results and display warning information. The JpGraph library was used to create a dynamic line chart, refreshing the warning information dynamically in real-time. The HARS provides accurate information for early warning purposes to let us take timely steps to protect ourselves.     

Dynamics of focal adhesions and reorganization of F‐actin in VEGF‐stimulated NSCs under varying differentiation states

Precise migration of neural stem/progenitor cells (NSCs) is crucially important for neurogenesis and repair in the nervous system. However, the detailed mechanisms are not clear. Our previous results showed that NSCs in varying differentiation states possess different migratory ability to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). In this study, we demonstrate the different dynamics of focal adhesions (FAs) and reorganization of F‐actin in NSCs during spreading and migration stimulated by VEGF. We found that the migrating NSCs of 0.5 and 1 day differentiation possess more FAs at leading edge than cells of other states. Moreover, the phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and paxillin in NSCs correlates closely with their differentiation states. VEGF promotes FA formation with broad lamellipodium generation at the leading edge in chemotaxing cells of 0, 0.5, and 1 day differentiation, but not in cells of 3 days differentiation. Furthermore, cells of 1 day differentiation show a maximal asymmetry of FAs between lamella and cell rear, orchestrating cell polarization and directional migration. Time‐lapse video analysis shows that the disassembly of FAs and the cell tail detachment in NSCs of 1 day differentiation are more rapid, along with the concurrent enlarged size of FAs at the leading edge, leading to the most effective chemotactic response to VEGF. Collectively, these results indicate that the dynamics of FAs and reorganization of F‐actin in NSCs that undergo directional migration correlate closely with their differentiation states, contributing to the different chemotactic responses of these cells to VEGF. J. Cell. Biochem. 114: 1744–1759, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Correlations and comparisons of quantitative trait loci with family per se and testcross performance for grain yield and related traits in maize

Simultaneous improvement in grain yield and related traits in maize hybrids and their parents (inbred lines) requires a better knowledge of genotypic correlations between family per se performance (FP) and testcross performance (TP). Thus, to understand the genetic basis of yield-related traits in both inbred lines and their testcrosses, two F _2:3 populations (including 230 and 235 families, respectively) were evaluated for both FP and TP of eight yield-related traits in three diverse environments. Genotypic correlations between FP and TP, $ \hat{r}_{\text{g}} $ (FP, TP), were low (0–0.16) for grain yield per plant (GYPP) and kernel number per plant (KNPP) in the two populations, but relatively higher (0.32–0.69) for the other six traits with additive effects as the primary gene action. Similar results were demonstrated by the genotypic correlations between observed and predicted TP values based on quantitative trait loci positions and effects for FP, $ \hat{r}_{\text{g}} $ (M _FP, Y _TP). A total of 88 and 35 QTL were detected with FP and TP, respectively, across all eight traits in the two populations. However, the genotypic variances explained by the QTL detected in the cross-validation analysis were much lower than those in the whole data set for all traits. Several common QTL between FP and TP that accounted for large phenotypic variances were clustered in four genomic regions (bin 1.10, 4.05–4.06, 9.02, and 10.04), which are promising candidate loci for further map-based cloning and improvement in grain yield in maize. Compared with publicly available QTL data, these QTL were also detected in a wide range of genetic backgrounds and environments in maize. These results imply that effective selection based on FP to improve TP could be achieved for traits with prevailing additive effects.     

Analysis of the local organization and dynamics of cellular actin networks

A ctin filaments, with the aid of multiple accessory proteins, self-assemble into a variety of network patterns. We studied the organization and dynamics of the actin network in nonadhesive regions of cells bridging fibronectin-coated adhesive strips. The network was formed by actin nodes associated with and linked by myosin II and containing the formin disheveled-associated activator of morphogenesis 1 (DAAM1) and the cross-linker filamin A (FlnA). After Latrunculin A (LatA) addition, actin nodes appeared to be more prominent and demonstrated drift-diffusion motion. Superresolution microscopy revealed that, in untreated cells, DAAM1 formed patches with a similar spatial arrangement to the actin nodes. Node movement (diffusion coefficient and velocity) in LatA-treated cells was dependent on the level and activity of myosin IIA, DAAM1, and FlnA. Based on our results, we developed a computational model of the dynamic formin-filamin-actin asters that can self-organize into a contractile actomyosin network. We suggest that such networks are critical for connecting distant parts of the cell to maintain the mechanical coherence of the cytoplasm.     

Comparative proteomics and physiological characterization of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings in responses to Ochratoxin A

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin that is primarily produced by Aspergillus ochraceus and Penicillium verrucosum. This mycotoxin is a contaminant of food and feedstock worldwide and may induce cell death in plants. To investigate the dynamic growth process of Arabidopsis seedlings in response to OTA stress and to obtain a better understanding of the mechanism of OTA toxicity towards Arabidopsis, a comparative proteomics study using 2-DE and MALDI-TOF/TOF MS/MS was performed. Mass spectrometry analysis identified 59 and 51 differentially expressed proteins in seedlings exposed to 25 and 45 μM OTA for 7 days, respectively. OTA treatment decreased root elongation and leaf area, increased anthocyanin accumulation, damaged the photosynthetic apparatus and inhibited photosynthesis. Treatment of the seedlings with 25 μM OTA enhanced energy metabolism, whereas higher concentration of OTA (45 μM) inhibited energy metabolism in the seedlings. OTA treatment caused an increase of ROS, an enhancement of antioxidant enzyme defense responses, disturbance of redox homeostasis and activation of lipid oxidation. Glutamine and S-adenosylmethionine metabolism may also play important roles in the response to OTA. In conclusion, our study provided novel insights regarding the response of Arabidopsis to OTA at the level of the proteome. These results are expected to be highly useful for understanding the physiological responses and dissecting the OTA response pathways in higher plants.