Resistin induces monocyte-endothelial cell adhesion by increasing ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression in endothelial cells via p38MAPK-dependent pathway

Resistin, firstly reported as an adipocyte-specific hormone, is suggested to be an important link between obesity and diabetes. Recent studies have suggested an association between resistin and atherogenic processes. The adhesion of circulating monocytes to endothelial cells is a critical step in the early stages of atherosclerosis. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of resistin on the adhesion of THP-1 monocytes to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and the underlying mechanism. Our results showed that resistin caused a significant increase in monocyte adhesion. In exploring the underlying mechanisms of resistin action, we found that resistin-induced monocyte adhesion was blocked by inhibition of p38MAPK activation using SB203580 and SB202190. Furthermore, resistin increased the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) by HUVECs and these effects were also p38MAPK-dependent. Resistin-induced monocyte adhesion was also blocked by monoclonal antibodies against ICAM-1 and VCAM-1. Taken together, these results show that resistin increases both the expression of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 by endothelial cells and monocyte adhesion to HUVECs via p38MAPK-dependent pathways.     

利诺吡啶对豚鼠耳蜗外毛细胞和Deiters细胞钾电流的抑制

为探讨KCNQ家族钾通道在耳蜗外毛细胞和Deiters细胞的功能性表达,我们观察并记录了KCNQ家族钾通道阻滞剂利诺吡啶对豚鼠耳蜗单离外毛细胞(outer hair cells,OHCs)和Deiters细胞总钾电流的影响。采用酶孵育加机械分离法分离豚鼠耳蜗单个OHCs和Deiters细胞：运用膜片钳技术,在全细胞模式下记录正常细胞外液中8个外毛细胞和5个Deiters细胞的总钾电流,并观察100μmol／L和200μmol／L利诺吡啶对外毛细胞和Deiters细胞总钾电流的影响。结果观察到,在正常细胞外液中的单离外毛细胞,可记录到四乙基二乙胺敏感的外向性钾电流和静息膜电位附近激活的内向性钾电流(the K^ current activated at negative potential,IKa)两种钾电流,而在单离Deiters细胞中只记录到外向整流性钾电流。在细胞外液中,加入100μmol／L利诺吡啶后,OHCs中的四乙基二乙胺敏感的钾电流峰电流成分被抑制,稳态电流幅值减小,且电流的失活时问常数明显延长;在细胞外液中加入100μmol／L和200μmol／L利诺吡啶后,OHCs的内向性钾电流IKa被完全抑制;而细胞外液中利诺吡啶终浓度为200μmol／L时,Deiters细胞的外向整流性钾电流幅值无明显变化。由此我们推测,KCNQ家族钾通道存在于豚鼠耳蜗外毛细胞,其介导的钾电流是四乙基二乙胺敏感的钾电流的组成部分,并构成全部的IKn,其功能是介导细胞内K^ 外流和防止细胞过度去极化;KCNQ家族钾通道不存在于豚鼠耳蜗Dciters细胞。     

Intergenic Complementation of Glucoamylase and Citric Acid Production in Two Species of Aspergillus

All auxotrophs of Aspergillus foetidus and all but two auxotrophs of A. niger which we isolated yield glucoamylase and citric acid, respectively, at levels below that of the prototrophic strain from which they were derived. Results of representative heterokaryon tests suggest that the nucleus was principally responsible for the inheritance of citric acid or glucoamylase production. Most somatic diploid strains of A. foetidus gave rise to higher yields of glucoamylase when compared to their haploid component strains. Both heterokaryons and somatic diploid strains of A. niger synthesized between auxotrophs which were simultaneously reduced in citric acid yields also gave rise to enhanced yields when compared with their haploid components. The yields of a heterokaryon and somatic diploid synthesized between two high producers of citric acid were not higher than those of respective haploid components. We concluded from these results that gene dosage (or ploidy) does not increase the yield of citric acid. The apparent enhancement in yields observed in diploids or heterokaryons synthesized between auxotrophs with reduced yields in both species can be interpreted as resulting from intergenic complementation.     

哺乳动物昼夜节律生物钟研究进展

昼夜节律生物钟是一种以近似24小时为周期的自主维持的振荡器,在分子水平上,该振荡器是一个由9个基因组成的转录翻译反馈环路系统。它能受外界环境影响重新设置节律,使自身机体活动处于最佳状态。除了进行自我调节外,生物钟基因还能通过调节代谢途径中特定基因表达而影响机体生理生化过程。在过去的几年里,借用遗传学和分子生物学工具,我们对哺乳动物昼夜节律生物钟的分子基础有了新的认识,本文综述了这一进展,并展望了它们在研究人的昼夜节律行为异常领域的前景。     

Mechanism of selective stabilization of extrinsic polypeptides in PSII particles by glycinebetaine

Ｔｈｒｅｅｅｘｔｒｉｎｓｉｃｐｏｌｙｐｅｐｔｉｄｅｓ,ｗｈｉｃｈａｒｅｌｏｃａｔｅｄｏｎｔｈｅｉｎｎｅｒｓｕｒｆａｃｅｏｆｔｈｙｌａｋｏｉｄｍｅｍｂｒａｎｅ,ｐｌａｙｅｓｓｅｎｔｉａｌｒｏｌｅｓｉｎｍａｉｎｔａｉｎｉｎｇｔｈｅｐｈｏｔｏｓｙｎｔｈｅｔｉｃｅｖｏｌｕｔｉｏｎｏｆｏｘｙｇｅｎ.Ｔｈｅｙａｒｅｇｅｎｅｒａｌｌｙｒｅｃｏｇｎｉｚｅｄａｓｌｉａｂｌｅｃｏｍｐｏｎｅｎｔｓｏｆｔｈｅｐｈｏｔｏｓｙｎｔｈｅｔｉｃａｐｐａｒａｔｕｓ,ａｎｄｃａｎｂｅｒｅｌｅａｓｅｄｂｙａｖａｒｉｅｔｙｏｆｐｈｙｓｉｃ…     

大豆异黄酮糖苷酶的纯化及性质研究

利用Absidiasp.R菌株,通过液体发酵的方法,得到了一种高活性的大豆异黄酮糖基水解酶。该酶经硫酸铵分级沉淀、DEAE-Cellocuse(DE-52)离子交换层析纯化,被纯化了11倍,收率为10.9%;经SDS-聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳测得该酶的分子量为53kD;该酶的最适反应温度为50℃;最适pH为5.0;温度低于60℃,pH在5.0~7.0范围内该酶较稳定,Co2 、Ca2 对该酶有激活作用;Ag 、Cu2 对该酶有抑制作用。当以染料木甙为底物时该酶的米氏常数(Km)为1.3×10-2mol/L。等电聚焦电泳测得其等电点为3.2。     

印度北部Pali Gad流域资源利用模式研究

喜马拉雅西部独特、丰富的自然资源对当地居民生计及生态服务等方面起着重要的作用。由于长期以来当地居民与山地生态系统的相互作用,特别是农业生产、畜牧业放牧、薪柴采集以及其他多种多样的资源利用方式,形成了一种特殊的山区文化景观。本文以印度北部的山地小流域PaliGad（共有25个村子）为例,主要研究当地的资源利用状况,利用卫星遥感数据对该地区可利用自然资源进行评估分析,通过从户到户的社会经济调查,对其提供的生态服务功能以及受威胁的程度进行估计,研究分析了村民对资源需求及获取的时空变化情况。结果显示,平均每人每天的薪柴采集量为1．12k,平均每人每天通过修剪枝叶获得饲料采集量为3．69kg,平均每人每天从森林中采集草料的量为3．25kgo对生态系统服务功能进行估测的结果显示,森林可提供更多的临时调节功能,而农业更多的是支撑服务功能,河流,水体给当地人提供了文化服务功能。以山区典型的人-地生态系统为例,这类生态系统中的自然资源破碎化程度很高。研究发现,该区域贫瘠土地上的自然资源需求还在不断增加。因此,从长远来看,人对资源的无止境获取将不利于整个流域的可持续发展。     

Expression and purification of hexahistidine-tagged human glutathione S-transferase P1-1 in Escherichia coli

The bacterial expression and purification of human pi class glutathione S-transferase (hGST P1-1) as a hexahistidine-tagged polypeptide was performed. The expression plasmid for hGST P1-1 was constructed by ligation of the cDNA which codes for the protein into the expression vector pET-15b. The expressed protein was purified by either glutathione or metal (Co(2+)) affinity column chromatography, which produced the pure and fully active enzyme in one step with a yield of more than 30 mg/liter culture. The activity of the purified protein was 130 units mg(-1) from the GSH affinity column and 112 units mg(-1) from the Co(2+) affinity column chromatography. The purity of the protein was assessed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and size-exclusion chromatography. It showed that the real molecular weight of the hexahistidine-tagged hGST P1-1 polypeptide chain agreed with the calculated value and that the purified protein eluted as an apparent homodimer on the gel filtration column. Our expression system allows the expression and purification of active hexahistidine-tagged hGST P1-1 in high yield with no need of removal of the hexahistidine tag and gives pure protein in one purification step allowing further study of this enzyme.