The Wnt receptor Ryk controls specification of GABAergic neurons versus oligodendrocytes during telencephalon development

GABAergic neurons and oligodendrocytes originate from progenitors within the ventral telencephalon. However, the molecular mechanisms that control neuron-glial cell-fate segregation, especially how extrinsic factors regulate cell-fate changes, are poorly understood. We have discovered that the Wnt receptor Ryk promotes GABAergic neuron production while repressing oligodendrocyte formation in the ventral telencephalon. We demonstrate that Ryk controls the cell-fate switch by negatively regulating expression of the intrinsic oligodendrogenic factor Olig2 while inducing expression of the interneuron fate determinant Dlx2. In addition, we demonstrate that Ryk is required for GABAergic neuron induction and oligodendrogenesis inhibition caused by Wnt3a stimulation. Furthermore, we showed that the cleaved intracellular domain of Ryk is sufficient to regulate the cell-fate switch by regulating the expression of intrinsic cell-fate determinants. These results identify Ryk as a multi-functional receptor that is able to transduce extrinsic cues into progenitor cells, promote GABAergic neuron formation, and inhibit oligodendrogenesis during ventral embryonic brain development.     

Study on the flocs poly-β-hydroxybutyrate production and process optimization in the bio-flocs technology system

The bio-flocs technology (BFT) was applied in the sequencing batch reactor (SBR) to treat aquaculture wastewater for flocs poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) accumulation with alternant anaerobic and aerobic conditions. The statistical modeling approach was used to evaluate system performance and to optimize the flocs PHB yield at batch mode. The results show that all variables have significant impact on the response objective, as well as the interactions of the C/N ratio with the flocs biomass concentration (VSS) and anaerobic time, respectively. By process optimization, approximately 150-200 PHB/VSS (mg·g) of flocs PHB yield was achieved in the range of 4-7 g/l of flocs biomass concentration, 15-18 of the C/N ratio and 50-85 min of anaerobic time in the BFT systems. The results demonstrated that a suitable flocs PHB yield can be obtained via optimizing the ex-situ operating strategy, which have potential prebiotic value and practical implication for the sustainable aquaculture.     

诱导性多能干细胞研究技术的现状与前景

2006年Takahashi研究小组成功地将小鼠的胚胎成纤维细胞和鼠尾成纤维细胞重编成为诱导性多能干细胞(iPSC),开创了体细胞重编程的全新方法,所得iPSC具有和胚胎干细胞相似的生物学特性,不仅解决了人类胚胎干细胞研究所面临的伦理学困境和免疫排斥问题,而且进一步深化了对细胞多能性和基因组重编程的认识,再次掀起了干细胞研究的热潮。iPSC结合基因治疗和细胞治疗的成果已经应用到动物疾病模型上。iPSC能够自我更新并维持未分化状态,可分化为3个胚层来源的所有细胞,参与形成机体所有组织和器官,体外定向诱导能够分化出各种成体细胞,在理论研究和临床应用等方面都极具应用价值。但iPSC技术也存在一系列问题需要研究解决。     

Interception of teicoplanin oxidation intermediates yields new antimicrobial scaffolds

In the search for new efficacious antibiotics, biosynthetic engineering offers attractive opportunities to introduce minor alterations to antibiotic structures that may overcome resistance. Dbv29, a flavin-containing oxidase, catalyzes the four-electron oxidation of a vancomycin-like glycopeptide to yield A40926. Structural and biochemical examination of Dbv29 now provides insights into residues that govern flavinylation and activity, protein conformation and reaction mechanism. In particular, the serendipitous discovery of a reaction intermediate in the crystal structure led us to identify an unexpected opportunity to intercept the normal enzyme mechanism at two different points to create new teicoplanin analogs. Using this method, we synthesized families of antibiotic analogs with amidated and aminated lipid chains, some of which showed marked potency and efficacy against multidrug resistant pathogens. This method offers a new strategy for the development of chemical diversity to combat antibacterial resistance.     

Practical and theoretical considerations in study design for detecting gene-gene interactions using MDR and GMDR approaches

Detection of interacting risk factors for complex traits is challenging. The choice of an appropriate method, sample size, and allocation of cases and controls are serious concerns. To provide empirical guidelines for planning such studies and data analyses, we investigated the performance of the multifactor dimensionality reduction (MDR) and generalized MDR (GMDR) methods under various experimental scenarios. We developed the mathematical expectation of accuracy and used it as an indicator parameter to perform a gene-gene interaction study. We then examined the statistical power of GMDR and MDR within the plausible range of accuracy (0.50～0.65) reported in the literature. The GMDR with covariate adjustment had a power of >80% in a case-control design with a sample size of ≥2000, with theoretical accuracy ranging from 0.56 to 0.62. However, when the accuracy was <0.56, a sample size of ≥4000 was required to have sufficient power. In our simulations, the GMDR outperformed the MDR under all models with accuracy ranging from 0.56～0.62 for a sample size of 1000-2000. However, the two methods performed similarly when the accuracy was outside this range or the sample was significantly larger. We conclude that with adjustment of a covariate, GMDR performs better than MDR and a sample size of 1000～2000 is reasonably large for detecting gene-gene interactions in the range of effect size reported by the current literature; whereas larger sample size is required for more subtle interactions with accuracy <0.56.     

Characterization and structural analyses of nonspecific lipid transfer protein 1 from mung bean

Plant nonspecific lipid transfer proteins (nsLTPs) are thermal stable proteins that are capable of transferring lipid molecules between bilayers in vitro. This family of proteins, abundant in plants, is proposed to be involved in defense, pollination, and germination; the in vivo biological function remains, however, elusive. Here we report the purification and sequencing of an nsLTP1 from mung bean sprouts. We have also determined the solution structure of this nsLTP1, which represents the first 3D structure of the dicotyledonous nsLTP1 family. The global fold of mung bean nsLTP1 is similar to those of the monocotyledonous nsLTP1 structures and consists of four alpha-helices stabilized by four disulfide bonds. There are, however, some notable differences in the C-terminal tails and internal hydrophobic cavities. Circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy were used to compare the thermodynamics and lipid transfer properties of mung bean nsLTP1 with those of rice nsLTP1. Docking of a lipid molecule into the solution structure of mung bean nsLTP1 reveals similar binding cavities and hydrophobic interactions as in rice nsLTP1, consistent with their comparable lipid transfer properties measured experimentally.     

Principles of mimicking and engineering the self-organized structure of hard tissues

The mechanism of the formation of a self-aligned hydroxyapatite (HAP) nanocrystallite structure was examined. It is found that the highly ordered HAP nanocrystallite assembly is attributed to the so-called self-(homo)epitaxial nucleation and growth. On the other hand, according to this mechanism, a high supersaturation will give rise to a random assembly of HAP crystallites. The effects of ions, biosubstrate, and supersaturation on the micro/nanostructure correlation between substrate and biominerals as well as their implications in hard tissue formation were examined. Surprisingly, some biomolecules are found to be able to suppress the supersaturation-driven interfacial structure mismatch and hence promote the well aligned HAP pattern formation.     

Characterization of photodynamic therapy responses elicited in A431 cells containing intracellular organelle‐localized photofrin

Photodynamic therapy (PDT), a photochemotherapeutic regimen used to treat several diseases, including cancer, exerts its effects mainly through induction of cell death. Using human epidermoid carcinoma A431 cells as a model, we previously showed that distinct cell death types could be triggered by protocols that selectively delivered Photofrin (a clinically approved photosensitizer) to different subcellular sites (Hsieh et al. [2003] J Cell Physiol 194: 363–375]. Here, the responses elicited by PDT in A431 cells containing intracellular organelle‐localized Photofrin were further characterized. Two prominent cell phenotypes were observed under these conditions: one characterized by perinuclear vacuole (PV) formation 2–8 h after PDT followed by cell recovery or shrinkage within 48 h, and a second characterized by typical apoptotic features appearing within 4 h after PDT. DCFDA‐sensitive reactive oxygen species formed proximal to PVs during the response to PDT, covering areas in which both endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the Golgi complex were located. Biochemical analyses showed that Photofrin‐PDT also induced JNK activation and altered the protein secretion profile. A more detailed examination of PV formation revealed that PVs were derived from the ER. The alteration of ER structure induced by PDT was similar to that triggered by thapsigargin, an ER Ca²⁺‐ATPase inhibitor that perturbs Ca²⁺ homeostasis, suggesting a role for Ca²⁺ in the formation of PVs. Microtubule dynamics did not significantly affect PV formation. This study demonstrates that cells in which intracellular organelles are selectively loaded with Photofrin mount a novel response to ER stress induced by PDT. J. Cell. Biochem. 111: 821–833, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Study of cryopreservation of articular chondrocytes using the Taguchi method

This study evaluates the effect of control factors on cryopreservation of articular cartilage chondrocytes using the Taguchi method. Freeze-thaw experiments based on the L₈(2⁷) two-level orthogonal array of the Taguchi method are conducted, and ANOVA (analysis of variables) is adopted to determine the statistically significant control factors that affect the viability of the cell. Results show that the type of cryoprotectant, freezing rate, thawing rate, and concentration of cryoprotectant (listed in the order of influence) are the statistically significant control factors that affect the post-thaw viability. The end temperature and durations of the first and second stages of freezing do not affect the post-thaw viability. Within the ranges of the control factors studied in this work, the optimal test condition is found to be a freezing rate of 0.61 ± 0.03 °C/min, a thawing rate of 126.84 ± 5.57 °C/min, Me₂SO cryoprotectant, and a cryoprotectant concentration of 10% (v/v) for maximum cell viability. In addition, this study also explores the effect of cryopreservation on the expression of type II collagen using immunocytochemical staining and digital image processing. The results show that the ability of cryopreserved chondrocytes to express type II collagen is reduced within the first five days of monolayer culture.