Plasticity of DNA methylation in mouse T cell activation and differentiation

Background

Circulating CD4⁺ T helper cells are activated through interactions with antigen presenting cells and undergo differentiation into specific T helper cell subsets depending on the type of antigen encountered. In addition, the relative composition of the circulating CD4⁺ T cell population changes as animals mature with an increased percentage of the population being memory/effector type cells.

Results

Here, we report on the highly plastic nature of DNA methylation at the genome-wide level as T cells undergo activation, differentiation and aging. Of particular note were the findings that DNA demethylation occurred rapidly following T cell activation and that all differentiated T cell populations displayed lower levels of global methylation than the non-differentiated population. In addition, T cells from older mice had a reduced level of DNA methylation, most likely explained by the increase in the memory/effector cell fraction. Although significant genome-wide changes were observed, changes in DNA methylation at individual genes were restricted to specific cell types. Changes in the expression of enzymes involved in DNA methylation and demethylation reflect in most cases the changes observed in the genome-wide DNA methylation status.

Conclusion

We have demonstrated that DNA methylation is dynamic and flexible in CD4+ T cells and changes rapidly both in a genome-wide and in a targeted manner during T cell activation, differentiation. These changes are accompanied by parallel changes in the enzymatic complexes that have been implicated in DNA methylation and demethylation implying that the balance between these opposing activities may play a role in the maintaining the methylation profile of a given cell type but also allow flexibility in a cell population that needs to respond rapidly to environmental signals.     

大花栀子植物挥发物成分测定及其日变化分析

为探究大花栀子植物挥发物成分组成及其一天内早、中、晚的差异,采用热脱附气质联用技术对其进行香气成分的分析。结果表明:全天从其花朵中共鉴定出62种成分,主要为萜烯类、酯类、醇类物质,且不同时间其成分差异显著,如早、中、晚3个时间段,β-蒎烯相对含量分别为1.93%、1.69%、8.81%,顺式-β-罗勒烯分别为28.22%、4.35%、16.47%。3-蒈烯(3.45%)、异丁子香酚(0.21%)等只在早上检出;月桂烯(0.38%)、伞花烃(2.46%)等只在晚上检出;芳樟醇、金合欢烯等在早上和午间两个时间段相对含量较高,而在晚上却未检测出。从植物VOCs角度结合其日变化动态,为大花栀子园林配置及其综合开发利用提供理论依据。     

菊花不同花期及花序不同部位香气成分和挥发研究

以切花菊品种‘神马’为试材,采用顶空-固相微萃取和气相色谱-质谱联用(GC/MS)技术,分别测定菊花不同花期及花序不同部位的香气成分种类和含量,并利用生物显微镜观察花瓣的表皮细胞和横切面组织细胞的结构特征。结果表明:(1)菊花花蕾期共检测到香气成分24种,始花期31种,盛花期43种,终花期22种;随着花朵的开放和凋谢,酮类、萜烯类和醇类化合物的含量呈先上升后下降的趋势,在盛花期含量达到最高,而酯类、醛类和杂环类化合物则呈持续下降的趋势。(2)盛花期,在舌状花中共检测到香气成分种类31种,在管状花中共检测到50种;舌状花对菊花香气的贡献比管状花大;菊花舌状花由内轮向外轮香气成分种类变化不大,但是同类香气成分含量的变化出现由内轮向外轮逐渐减少的趋势。(3)异环柠檬醛、桉叶醇、α-蒎烯、β-金合欢烯和石竹烯等化合物可能为菊花的主要特征香气成分。(4)显微观察结果表明:舌状花的香气可能是通过表皮细胞间隙释放的,上表皮是菊花释放香气的主要部位。     

濒危植物长叶红砂适应盐胁迫的生理生化机制研究

以濒危盐生植物长叶红砂(Reaumuria trigyna)幼苗为材料,研究了不同浓度NaCl溶液(0、100、200、300和400mmol/L)处理30d对其生长和生理生化指标的影响,以分析长叶红砂的耐盐生理机制。结果表明:(1)100和200mmol/L NaCl处理时,长叶红砂鲜重和干重均显著增加,但随着盐浓度继续增加,长叶红砂幼苗生长受到抑制,且地上部受到的抑制大于根部,显示长叶红砂适宜生长的NaCl浓度是200mmol/L。(2)随NaCl胁迫浓度的升高,长叶红砂的净光合速率(Pn)、蒸腾速率(Tr)和气孔导度(Gs)呈下降趋势,胞间CO2浓度(Ci)呈上升趋势,说明光合速率的下降使利用CO2的能力下降,胞间积累了大量的CO2,且盐处理浓度越高量越大。(3)随NaCl胁迫浓度的升高,长叶红砂幼苗Na+、Cl-含量增加,可溶性糖、脯氨酸、游离氨基酸及可溶性蛋白等有机渗透调节物质的合成增加。研究认为,长叶红砂是通过调节叶片Na+、Cl-以及有机渗透调节物质含量来提高其耐盐能力。     

湖北省主要森林类型生态系统生物量与碳密度比较

利用野外调查数据对湖北省封山育林下的次生林、次生林、人工林森林生态系统碳密度进行了分析,结果表明:封山育林下的次生林、次生林和人工林生态系统乔木层平均碳密度分别为133.87、73.42和111.62t·hm-2,灌木层平均碳密度分别为1.65、1.40和1.52t·hm-2,草本层平均碳密度分别为0.13、0.09和0.13t·hm-2,枯落物层平均碳密度分别为0.47、1.34和0.93t·hm-2,乔木层碳密度作为生态系统碳储量的主要贡献者占总生物碳密度的98.35%、96.29%和97.74%,林下植被(灌木层和草本层)碳密度分别占1.31%、1.95%和1.44%,凋落物层碳密度分别占0.34%、1.76%和0.82%。土壤(0～100cm)碳密度平均值分别为57.04、66.92和54.12t·hm-2,土壤碳密度的60%储存在0～40cm土壤中,并随土层深度增加,各层次土壤碳密度逐渐减少。森林生态系统的乔木层、灌木层、草本层、凋落物层生物量和土壤层碳密度均表现出:封山育林下的次生林、次生林大于人工林。封山育林下的次生林、次生林和人工林碳密度分布序列为土壤(0～100cm)>乔木层>灌木层>草本层>枯落物层。可见,封山育林下的次生林更有助于提高森林碳汇,实施近自然林经营是提升该区域森林碳汇能力的重要途径。     

CFTR mediates bicarbonate-dependent activation of miR-125b in preimplantation embryo development

Although HCO₃⁻ is known to be required for early embryo development, its exact role remains elusive. Here we report that HCO₃⁻ acts as an environmental cue in regulating miR-125b expression through CFTR-mediated influx during preimplantation embryo development. The results show that the effect of HCO₃⁻ on preimplantation embryo development can be suppressed by interfering the function of a HCO₃⁻-conducting channel, CFTR, by a specific inhibitor or gene knockout. Removal of extracellular HCO₃⁻ or inhibition of CFTR reduces miR-125b expression in 2 cell-stage mouse embryos. Knockdown of miR-125b mimics the effect of HCO₃⁻ removal and CFTR inhibition, while injection of miR-125b precursor reverses it. Downregulation of miR-125b upregulates p53 cascade in both human and mouse embryos. The activation of miR-125b is shown to be mediated by sAC/PKA-dependent nuclear shuttling of NF-κB. These results have revealed a critical role of CFTR in signal transduction linking the environmental HCO₃⁻ to activation of miR-125b during preimplantation embryo development and indicated the importance of ion channels in regulation of miRNAs.