Human umbilical cord-derived MSC culture: the replacement of animal sera with human cord blood plasma

Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) hold great potential for their therapeutic use in various clinical diseases. Many publications have reported on human blood-derived alternatives to animal serum for culturing mesenchymal stem cells, such as human serum, allogenic umbilical cord blood serum, and human platelet derivatives. However, it is not clear whether human umbilical cord blood plasma (UCBP), as the surplusage of umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cell extraction, could be used. In this study, in order to make the best of umbilical cord blood, the human UCBP was dialyzed to replace fetal bovine serum (FBS) in the culture medium. hUC-MSCs were cultured in the new medium. Cell growth rate, specific biomarkers, and differentiation properties were detected to characterize the cell proliferation and MSC-specific properties. The hUC-MSCs cultured in such derived medium were verified with proliferation rate, cluster differentiation markers, cell cycle, as well as differentiation capabilities. Such dialyzed human UCBP is fully comparable with, if not superior to, FBS in deriving and culturing hUC-MSCs.     

小球藻中类胡萝卜素类化合物的高效液相色谱分离条件的优化

采用超声破碎法和甲醇:二氯乙烷=2:1(v/v)溶剂来萃取小球藻中类胡萝卜素类化合物.分别采用了3种不同的色谱分离方法,最后确定小球藻中类胡萝卜素类化合物的最优色谱分离条件为甲醇(A):乙氰(B)=90:10(v/v),柱温为室温,流速1ml/min.用ZOBAX SB-C18色谱柱和ZOBAX Eclipse plus C18色谱柱进行分离试验时发现,ZOBAX Eclipse plus C18色谱柱的分离效果良好.最后确定小球藻中叶黄素含量为2.312mg/g.     

The urban heat island and its impact on heat waves and human health in Shanghai

With global warming forecast to continue into the foreseeable future, heat waves are very likely to increase in both frequency and intensity. In urban regions, these future heat waves will be exacerbated by the urban heat island effect, and will have the potential to negatively influence the health and welfare of urban residents. In order to investigate the health effects of the urban heat island (UHI) in Shanghai, China, 30 years of meteorological records (1975–2004) were examined for 11 first- and second-order weather stations in and around Shanghai. Additionally, automatic weather observation data recorded in recent years as well as daily all-cause summer mortality counts in 11 urban, suburban, and exurban regions (1998–2004) in Shanghai have been used. The results show that different sites (city center or surroundings) have experienced different degrees of warming as a result of increasing urbanization. In turn, this has resulted in a more extensive urban heat island effect, causing additional hot days and heat waves in urban regions compared to rural locales. An examination of summer mortality rates in and around Shanghai yields heightened heat-related mortality in urban regions, and we conclude that the UHI is directly responsible, acting to worsen the adverse health effects from exposure to extreme thermal conditions.     

A maize ADP‐ribosylation factor ZmArf2 increases organ and seed size by promoting cell expansion in Arabidopsis

ADP‐ribosylation factors (ARFs) are small GTP‐binding proteins that regulate a wide variety of cell functions. Previously, we isolated a new ARF, ZmArf2, from maize (Zea mays). Sequence and expression characteristics indicated that ZmArf2 might play a critical role in the early stages of endosperm development. In this study, we investigated ZmArf2 function by analysis of its GTP‐binding activity and subcellular localization. We also over‐expressed ZmArf2 in Arabidopsis and measured organ and cell size and counted cell numbers. The expression levels of five organ size‐associated genes were also determined in 35S::ZmArf2 transgenic and wild‐type plants. Results showed that the recombinant ZmArf2 protein purified from Escherichia coli exhibited GTP‐binding activity. Subcellular localization revealed that ZmArf2 was localized in the cytoplasm and plasma membrane. ZmArf2 over‐expression in Arabidopsis showed that 35S::ZmArf2 transgenic plants were taller and had larger leaves and seeds compared to wild‐type plants, which resulted from cell expansions, not an increase in cell numbers. In addition, three cell expansion‐related genes, AtEXP3, AtEXP5 and AtEXP10, were upregulated in 35S::ZmArf2 transgenic lines, while the expression levels of AtGIF1 and AtGRF5, were unchanged. Collectively, our studies suggest that ZmArf2 has an active GTP‐binding function, and plays a crucial role in growth and development in Arabidopsis through cell expansion mediated by cell expansion genes.     

Secretion, purification, and characterization of a recombinant Aspergillus oryzae tannase in Pichia pastoris

Tannase (tannin acyl hydrolase) is an industrially important enzyme produced by a large number of fungi, which hydrolyzes the ester and depside bonds of gallotannins and gallic acid esters. In the present work, a tannase from Aspergillus oryzae has been cloned and expressed in Pichia pastoris. The catalytic activity of the recombinant enzyme was assayed. A secretory form of enzyme was made with the aid of Saccharomyces cerevisiae alpha-factor, and a simple procedure purification protocol yielded tannase in pure form. The productivity of secreted tannase achieved 7000 IU/L by fed-batch culture. Recombinant tannase had a molecular mass of 90 kDa, which consisted of two kinds of subunits linked by a disulfide bond(s). Our study is the first report on the heterologous expression of tannase suggesting that the P. pastoris system represents an attractive means of generating large quantities of tannase for both research and industrial purpose.     

测墒补灌对小麦光合特性和干物质积累与分配的影响

以高产冬小麦品种济麦22为材料,研究了测墒补灌对小麦光合特性和干物质积累与分配的影响.结果表明:W2(拔节期补灌至相对含水量75％,开花期70％)和DW2(拔节后10 d补灌至相对含水量75％,开花期70％)灌浆后期旗叶光合速率和实际光化学效率分别高于W3(拔节期补灌至相对含水量80％,开花期70％)和DW3(拔节后10 d补灌至相对含水量80％,开花期70％)处理;W2和DW2开花期和成熟期干物质积累量、开花前贮藏干物质向籽粒的转运量和籽粒干物质分配量高于W1(拔节期补灌至相对含水量65％,开花期70％)和DW1(拔节后10d补灌至相对含水量65％,开花期70％)处理,水分利用效率和灌溉水生产效率显著高于W3和DW3处理.相同补灌水平下,DW2和DW3灌浆后期旗叶光合速率和实际光化学效率分别高于W2和W3处理,开花期干物质积累量及其向籽粒的转运量低于W2和W3处理,开花后干物质积累量、籽粒产量、水分利用效率和灌溉水生产效率高于W2和W3处理.DW2是本试验条件下的高产高水分利用效率灌溉方案.     

京尼平的微生物转化及其交联特性的测定分析

从土壤中富集筛选获得一株产β-葡萄糖苷酶的菌株,经菌落的形态和18S rDNA鉴定确定为黑曲霉。将筛选出的黑曲霉菌株接种于发酵培养基,利用含有京尼平苷的栀子粉作为底物发酵,通过对发酵条件优化,得到在装液量50/250 mL,栀子粉浓度为10%,转速为180 r/min,发酵时间为96 h时,京尼平的微生物转化率达到最大22%。这种微生物转化法简化了京尼平的生产工艺,大大降低了生产成本。利用微生物转化获得的京尼平交联胶原蛋白材料,研究表明其具有较好的交联特性,是一种在食品、医药等领域都具有应用前景的生物交联剂。