Eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase confers tolerance to stress conditions in cancer cells

Eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2) is a member of the GTP-binding translation elongation factor family that is essential for protein synthesis. eEF2 kinase (eEF2K) is a structurally and functionally unique protein kinase in the calmodulin-mediated signaling pathway. eEF2K phosphorylates eEF2, thereby inhibiting eEF2 function under stressful conditions. eEF2K regulates numerous processes, such as protein synthesis, cell cycle progression, and induction of autophagy and apoptosis in cancer cells. This review will demonstrate the mechanisms underlying eEF2K activity in cancer cells under different stresses, such as nutrient deprivation, hypoxia, and DNA damage via eEF2 regulation. In vivo, in vitro, and clinical studies indicated that eEF2K may be a novel biomarker and therapeutic target for cancer.     

鄂西南天然林主要乔木树种物种组成及林分空间结构动态变化研究

该研究以鄂西南木林子国家级自然保护区内天然林为研究对象,以森林内胸径≥5 cm的乔木个体为具体分析对象,通过乔木树种重要值及其角尺度、大小比、混交度等林分空间结构参数的一元分布,阐述林分空间分布格局、大小分化程度、林木混交程度及变化,并通过分析林分空间结构参数的二元分布,探究各参数之间的联系,揭示5年间其林分空间结构特...     

嫁接对辣椒根际土壤环境的影响及其与抗病性和产量的关系

以‘卫士’(WS)和‘部野丁’(BYD)辣椒为砧木,‘新丰2号’(XF)辣椒为接穗嫁接,以‘新丰2号’自根嫁接辣椒(XF/XF)为对照(CK),研究嫁接对辣椒根际土壤微生物量、物理性质、养分含量及土传病害和产量的影响.结果表明: 嫁接辣椒新丰/卫士(XF/WS)与新丰/部野丁(XF/BYD)根际土壤的真菌和放线菌数量较多,放线菌比例较大;定植60 d时,嫁接辣椒根际土壤过氧化氢酶(CAT)和过氧化物酶(POD)活性显著高于CK;定植90 d时,XF/WS根际土壤磷酸酶、蔗糖酶、脲酶、硝酸还原酶(NR)活性显著高于CK;此外,嫁接辣椒根际土壤浸提液中的烃类化合物增多,XF/WS和XF/BYD根际土壤N、P、K含量显著低于CK,根际土壤电导率(EC)略高,XF/WS的pH显著高于CK,而XF/BYD与CK差异不显著.说明嫁接可优化辣椒根际土壤环境,增强其对土传病害的抗性,XF/WS和XF/BYD的产量分别比CK增加40.8%和28.7%.     

轮虫休眠卵形成和萌发的生态机理研究进展

休眠卵的形成是单巢目轮虫生殖行为中最显着的特征之一。作为一系列有性生殖过程的产物,休眠卵具有抵抗外界不良环境、易于扩散和通过重组产生遗传多样性等特点。轮虫休眠卯是轮虫集约化培养的重要种源,通过轮虫快速的孤雌生殖在短时间内大量繁殖,使得轮虫作为鲜活饵料为水产经济动物的苗种生产起到了极其重要的作用。但是在生产实践中,利用孤雌生殖批量培养轮虫常会因难以预测的种群突然崩溃而造成水产经济动物苗种生产的重大损失。       

Molecular assembly of recombinant chicken type II collagen in the yeast Pichia pastoris

Effective treatment of rheumatoid arthritis can be mediated by native chicken type II collagen(n CCII), recombinant peptide containing n CCII tolerogenic epitopes(CTEs), or a therapeutic DNA vaccine encoding the full-length CCOL2 A1 c DNA. As recombinant CCII(r CCII) might avoid potential pathogenic virus contamination during n CCII preparation or chromosomal integration and oncogene activation associated with DNA vaccines, here we evaluated the importance of propeptide and telopeptide domains on r CCII triple helix molecular assembly. We constructed p C-and p N-procollagen(without N-or Cpropeptides, respectively) as well as CTEs located in the triple helical domain lacking both propeptides and telopeptides, and expressed these in yeast Pichia pastoris host strain GS115(his4, Mut+) simultaneously with recombinant chicken prolyl-4-hydroxylase α and β subunits. Both p C-and p N-procollagen monomers accumulated inside P. pastoris cells, whereas CTE was assembled into homotrimers with stable conformation and secreted into the supernatants, suggesting that the large molecular weight p C-or p N-procollagens were retained within the endoplasmic reticulum whereas the smaller CTEs proceeded through the secretory pathway. Furthermore, resulting recombinant chicken type II collagen p Cα1(II) can induce collagen-induced arthritis(CIA) rat model, which seems to be as effective as the current standard n CCII. Notably, protease digestion assays showed that r CCII could assemble in the absence of C-and N-propeptides or telopeptides. These findings provide new insights into the minimal structural requirements for r CCII expression and folding.