Subunit-specific rules governing AMPA receptor trafficking to synapses in hippocampal pyramidal neurons

AMPA-type glutamate receptors (AMPA-Rs) mediate a majority of excitatory synaptic transmission in the brain. In hippocampus, most AMPA-Rs are hetero-oligomers composed of GluR1/GluR2 or GluR2/GluR3 subunits. Here we show that these AMPA-R forms display different synaptic delivery mechanisms. GluR1/GluR2 receptors are added to synapses during plasticity; this requires interactions between GluR1 and group I PDZ domain proteins. In contrast, GluR2/GluR3 receptors replace existing synaptic receptors continuously; this occurs only at synapses that already have AMPA-Rs and requires interactions by GluR2 with NSF and group II PDZ domain proteins. The combination of regulated addition and continuous replacement of synaptic receptors can stabilize long-term changes in synaptic efficacy and may serve as a general model for how surface receptor number is established and maintained.     

Multi-environment mapping and meta-analysis of 100-seed weight in soybean

100-Seed weight (100-SW) of soybean is an important but complicated quantitative trait to yield. This study was focus on the quantitative trait loci (QTLs) of soybean 100-SW from 2006 to 2010, using recombination inbred lines population that was derived from a cross between Charleston and Dongnong 594. A total of 23 QTLs for 100-SW were detected in the linkage group C2, D1a, F, G and O. Nine QTLs were identified by composite interval mapping including one QTL with the minimum confidence interval (CI) of 1.3?cM, while 14 QTLs by multiple interval mapping. Furthermore, 94 reported QTLs of 100-SW were integrated with our QTL mapping results using BioMercator. As a result, 15 consensus QTLs and their corresponding markers were identified. The minimum CI was reduced to 1.52?cM by the combination of meta-analysis. These findings may merit fine-mapping of these QTL in soybean.     

五株木糖利用酵母的生理代谢特性

摘要:【目的】木质纤维素是地球上最丰富的可再生资源,筛选具有高抗逆和高效利用木糖能力的菌株对纤维素类可再生资源综合利用具有重大意义。【方法】论文以5株利用木糖的酵母,即树干毕赤酵母(Scheffersomyces stipitis,S.stipitis)、Candida tenuis (C.tenuis)、Spathaspora passalidarum (S.passalidarum)、Candida amazonensis(C. amazonensis)和Candida jeffriesii(C. jeffriesii)为研究对象,研究了其对温度、乙醇浓度、渗透压的耐受性,采用杜氏小管实验研究了其对常用碳源和氮源的利用能力,另外通过木糖发酵实验初步研究了被测试酵母在有氧和限氧条件下的木糖发酵性能。【结果】结果表明,S. passalidarum能够耐受44 ℃左右的高温,对多种碳源和氮源具有较强的利用能力,此外,S. passalidarum在有氧与限氧条件下均能快速代谢木糖,限氧条件下乙醇得率达0.43 g/g。C. amazonensis对纤维二糖具有较强发酵能力,代谢木糖产生木糖醇和少量乙醇,同时该酵母耐受温度在42 ℃左右。综合比较,其他酵母在实验过程中没有表现出明显优势。【结论】S. passalidarum 在纤维素工业化应用中是一株良好的生产候选菌株。此外,C. amazonensis具有较强的木糖醇生产能力,有望成为一株优良的木糖醇生产菌株。     

Structural and functional characterization of polyethylene terephthalate hydrolase from Ideonella sakaiensis

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) hydrolase from Ideonella sakaiensis (IsPETase) can be used to degrade PET. In order to use IsPETase in industry, we studied the enzymatic activity of IsPETase in different conditions containing environmental and physicochemical factors commonly found in nature. We observed that salts and glycerol enhanced the enzymatic activity, while detergents and organic solvents reduced the enzymatic activity. IsPETase hydrolyzed p-nitrophenyl (p-NP) esters instead of naphthyl esters. To make IsPETase an enzyme capable of hydrolyzing naphthyl esters, site-directed mutagenesis was carried out based on the structural information provided by the crystal structure. We found that the IsPETase^S93M, IsPETase^W159F, and IsPETase^N241F mutants can hydrolyze naphthyl esters. IsPETase engineering can direct researchers to use this α/β-hydrolase protein scaffold to design enzymes that can hydrolyze a variety of polyesters.     

Ⅰ型马立克氏病病毒不同致病型参考株与中国分离株pp24基因的克隆与序列分析

为了比较Ⅰ型马立克氏病病毒(MDV)的致病型与pp24基因的关系,将Ⅰ型MDV弱毒(mMDV)、强毒(vMDV)、超强毒(vvMDV)、特超强毒(vv MDV)等不同致病型的CVI988、GA、648A、RB1B、Md5和Md11等6个国际参考株,从中国河北、北京、广东和广西等地分离的7个中国分离株和1个中国疫苗毒814株的pp24基因分别做PCR扩增,并将其克隆到pMD-18载体中测序,与国外已发表的BC-1株进行序列比较.结果表明:Ⅰ型MDV的pp24基因非常保守,15个毒株中只出现5个碱基的随机变化,并引起相应的4个氨基酸改变,但与致病型无明显相关;pp24基因ORF的第81碱基出现差异,所有中国株为G,所有不同致病型国外参考株为C,但并未引起氨基酸改变,显示这一碱基差异只是作为MDV地域性分布的遗传标志,而与病毒分离的年代及致病型等因素无关.     

绵羊肌肉中FAS基因和HSL基因的发育性变化及其对肌内脂肪含量的影响

选取不同日龄的雄性哈萨克羊和新疆细毛羊共54只,屠宰后取背最长肌,用索氏抽提法检测肌内脂肪(intramuscular fat,IMF)含量,用荧光实时定量PCR法检测肌肉脂肪酸合成酶(fatty acid synthase,FAS)和激素敏感脂肪酶(hormone-sensitive lipase,HSL)基因表达的发育性变化,并分析基因表达对肌内脂肪沉积的影响。结果表明:1)随着日龄的增加,雄性哈萨克羊的IMF含量持续上升,各生长时期差异显著(P<0.05),而新疆细毛羊的IMF含量在各生长时期无显著差异(P>0.05)。雄性哈萨克羊的IMF含量30~90日龄期间极显著高于新疆细毛羊(P<0.01)。2)FAS基因mRNA水平在哈萨克羊肌肉中初生时最高(P<0.05),然后随日龄的增加呈下降趋势;在新疆细毛羊肌肉中,FAS mRNA水平表现出"下降-上升-下降-上升"的发育模式,其中60日龄显著高于90日龄(P<0.05),其余日龄之间差异不显著。HSL基因在2品种绵羊肌肉中的表达模式基本类似,在哈萨克羊肌肉中随年龄的增加而下降,初生时的水平显著高于60~90日龄(P<0.05);在新疆细毛羊中30日龄时达到最高(P<0.01),到60日龄时下降到最低(P<0.05),随后保持这种低表达水平。3)FAS和HSL基因mRNA的表达量均与哈萨克羊IMF含量呈负相关,相关系数分别为:r=-0.485(P=0.02),r=-0.423(P=0.05);在哈萨克羊中两基因表达量水平比值(FAS:HSL)与IMF呈极显著负相关r=-0.552(P=0.01)。在新疆细毛羊中两基因的表达水平及比值均与IMF无显著相关性(P>0.05)。     

Cyanidin-3-glucoside, a natural product derived from blackberry, exhibits chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic activity

Epidemiological data suggest that consumption of fruits and vegetables has been associated with a lower incidence of cancer. Cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G), a compound found in blackberry and other food products, was shown to possess chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic activity in the present study. In cultured JB6 cells, C3G was able to scavenge ultraviolet B-induced *OH and O2-* radicals. In vivo studies indicated that C3G treatment decreased the number of non-malignant and malignant skin tumors per mouse induced by 12-O-tetradecanolyphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) in 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-initiated mouse skin. Pretreatment of JB6 cells with C3G inhibited UVB- and TPA-induced transactivation of NF-kappaB and AP-1 and expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. These inhibitory effects appear to be mediated through the inhibition of MAPK activity. C3G also blocked TPA-induced neoplastic transformation in JB6 cells. In addition, C3G inhibited proliferation of a human lung carcinoma cell line, A549. Animal studies showed that C3G reduced the size of A549 tumor xenograft growth and significantly inhibited metastasis in nude mice. Mechanistic studies indicated that C3G inhibited migration and invasion of A549 tumor cells. These finding demonstrate for the first time that a purified compound of anthocyanin inhibits tumor promoter-induced carcinogenesis and tumor metastasis in vivo.     

泛素样蛋白ISG15抗病毒机制研究进展

ISG15(Interferon stimulated gene 15,ISG15)蛋白是由干扰素诱导产生的一种泛素样蛋白分子,分子量大小约为15kD。ISG15同泛素分子相类似可以被共价结合于其他蛋白分子上,这种现象称为ISG化(ISGylation)现象。ISG化系统包括ISG15、UBE1L、UBCH8和HERC5四类蛋白分子,协同完成ISG化过程。ISG15及ISG化系统在抗病毒反应中具有重要作用。近几年对于ISG15的抗病毒作用和机制的研究已经有了很大的突破,ISG15的抗病毒作用也越来越受到人们重视,了解清楚ISG15抗病毒机制对于研制新的抗病毒药物及提出新的抗病毒策略具有重要意义。本文对ISG15在不同种病毒中的抗病毒机制研究进展进行了简要综述。     

Methylated DNA/RNA in Body Fluids as Biomarkers for Lung Cancer

DNA/RNA methylation plays an important role in lung cancer initiation and progression. Liquid biopsy makes use of cells, nucleotides and proteins released from tumor cells into body fluids to help with cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Methylation of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has gained increasing attention as biomarkers for lung cancer. Here we briefly introduce the biological basis and detection method of ctDNA methylation, and review various applications of methylated DNA in body fluids in lung cancer screening, diagnosis, prognosis, monitoring and treatment prediction. We also discuss the emerging role of RNA methylation as biomarkers for cancer.