Human migration through bottlenecks from Southeast Asia into East Asia during Last Glacial Maximum revealed by Y chromosomes

Molecular anthropological studies of the populations in and around East Asia have resulted in the discovery that most of the Y-chromosome lineages of East Asians came from Southeast Asia. However, very few Southeast Asian populations had been investigated, and therefore, little was known about the purported migrations from Southeast Asia into East Asia and their roles in shaping the genetic structure of East Asian populations. Here, we present the Y-chromosome data from 1,652 individuals belonging to 47 Mon-Khmer (MK) and Hmong-Mien (HM) speaking populations that are distributed primarily across Southeast Asia and extend into East Asia. Haplogroup O3a3b-M7, which appears mainly in MK and HM, indicates a strong tie between the two groups. The short tandem repeat network of O3a3b-M7 displayed a hierarchical expansion structure (annual ring shape), with MK haplotypes being located at the original point, and the HM and the Tibeto-Burman haplotypes distributed further away from core of the network. Moreover, the East Asian dominant haplogroup O3a3c1-M117 shows a network structure similar to that of O3a3b-M7. These patterns indicate an early unidirectional diffusion from Southeast Asia into East Asia, which might have resulted from the genetic drift of East Asian ancestors carrying these two haplogroups through many small bottle-necks formed by the complicated landscape between Southeast Asia and East Asia. The ages of O3a3b-M7 and O3a3c1-M117 were estimated to be approximately 19 thousand years, followed by the emergence of the ancestors of HM lineages out of MK and the unidirectional northward migrations into East Asia.     

Adult SVZ stem cells lie in a vascular niche: a quantitative analysis of niche cell-cell interactions

There is an emerging understanding of the importance of the vascular system within stem cell niches. Here, we examine whether neural stem cells (NSCs) in the adult subventricular zone (SVZ) lie close to blood vessels, using three-dimensional whole mounts, confocal microscopy, and automated computer-based image quantification. We found that the SVZ contains a rich plexus of blood vessels that snake along and within neuroblast chains. Cells expressing stem cell markers, including GFAP, and proliferation markers are closely apposed to the laminin-containing extracellular matrix (ECM) surrounding vascular endothelial cells. Apical GFAP+ cells are admixed within the ependymal layer and some span between the ventricle and blood vessels, occupying a specialized microenvironment. Adult SVZ progenitor cells express the laminin receptor alpha6beta1 integrin, and blocking this inhibits their adhesion to endothelial cells, altering their position and proliferation in vivo, indicating that it plays a functional role in binding SVZ stem cells within the vascular niche.     

NM23-H1、 DJ1 和 TIM1 在低分化鼻咽鳞癌 组织和 CNE2 细胞株中共同表达

鼻咽癌为一种好发于鼻咽顶前壁及咽隐窝的头颈肿瘤, 98% 属低分化鳞癌 . 鼻咽癌就诊的患者中约 75% 已有颈淋巴结转移,颅神经受累 ( Ⅱ ~ Ⅵ, Ⅸ ~ Ⅻ ) 也较易发生. CNE2 为一种低分化鼻咽鳞癌细胞系,其生物学行为具有低分化鼻咽鳞癌的一些共同特点 . 选择恶性程度高的鼻咽癌组织 ( Ⅳ期,低分化鼻咽鳞癌 ) 和恶性程度高的低分化鼻咽鳞癌细胞株 CNE2 为研究样本,应用双向凝胶电泳技术获得了 6 例分辨率较高、重复性较好的低分化鼻咽鳞癌组织和 CNE2 细胞系双向凝胶电泳图谱,利用基质辅助激光解吸电离飞行时间质谱 (MALDI-TOF-MS) 技术,分析了 145 个蛋白质斑点 ( 组织 66 个点,细胞株 79 个点 ),共鉴定出了 74 种蛋白质,其中瘤基因 DJ1、转移相关基因 NM23-H1 和磷酸丙糖激酶异构酶 1(TIM1) 3 种蛋白质,在 CNE2 细胞系和该 6 例低分化鼻咽鳞癌组织中均共同表达 . 并进一步应用 RT-PCR 法检测低分化鼻咽鳞癌细胞系 CNE2 和 12 例低分化鼻咽鳞癌组织三者 mRNA 的表达：在细胞系 CNE2 和 3 例Ⅳ期低分化鼻咽鳞癌病人的组织中三者全表达, 3 例Ⅲ期及 6 例Ⅱ期也各有 1 例为全表达,而在正常对照的 6 例慢性鼻咽炎组织中未检测到三者的同时表达且有一例为全阴性, NM23-H1、 DJ1 和 TIM1 三者的 mRNA 在Ⅲ、Ⅳ期低分化鼻咽鳞癌组织共同表达,与正常对照组织相比,发现两者有显著性差异 (x²=10.214 , P＜0.005). NM23-H1、 DJ1 和 TIM1 三者的共同表达,可能与低分化鼻咽鳞癌的发生发展有关.     

Using Illumina-Based Sequence Analysis to Guide Probiotic Candidate Selection and Isolation

Selection for probiotic candidates by in vivo experimental trials is time and labor consuming; more informed strategy is needed to select successful probiotic candidates. The aim of the study was to elucidate the microbial taxa transmitted from maize seeds to seedlings during the germination process of maize and their probiotic effects. The bacterial and fungal taxa in kernel germs and sprouts were analyzed by Illumina-based sequencing. The sprouts contained more diverse fungi than those in germs. The bacterial species (OTUs) declined with the germination from germs to the sprouts. However, the endophytic fungal diversity increased during the germination process. Seed-borne dominant bacterial genera Bacillus, Halomonas, and Shewanella and dominant fungal genera Aspergillus were also detected in sprouts. The spore-forming bacteria BS3 isolated directly from sprouts could promote growth of maize seedling and resistance to F. verticillioides under F. verticillioides-infested soils. The results suggested that maize contained core bacterial and fungal taxa during the development from seeds to sprouts, and the core endophytes showed more intimate correlation with host plants than did other microbial taxa. Illumina-based sequence analysis is feasible to guide probiotic candidate selection and isolation.     

22株猪瘟病毒E2基因部分编码序列的序列分析

RT－PCR方法获得了13株猪瘟病毒分离株、石门系强毒、中国C株及法国温度敏感株Thiverval株的E2基因部分编码序列的拉增片段,并对其进行了测序,得到了251bp的E2基因部分编码序列。利用DNAStar软件对其中224bp的片段进行了序列分析,并与已发表的Alfort、Brescia等毒株进行比较,结果13株猪瘟分离株所测片段均为猪瘟病毒E2基因的序列,与石门系强毒的序列相比所有毒株的碱基替换随机地分布于整个序列,无碱基缺失和碱基插入。其中变化较大的区域位于序列的3′端。2 2株HCV E2基因部分编码序列的核苷酸及氨基酸同源性范围分别为78.1%-100%、78.4%-100%,其中13株猪瘟病毒流行毒株的核苷酸及氨基酸同源性范围分别为:78.1%-100%、78.4%-100%,4株70－80年代分离的毒株的核苷酸及氨基酸同源性范围分别为：79.0%-88.3%、81.1%-87.8%,9株90年代分离的毒株的核苷酸及氨基酸同源性范围分别为：90.3%-100%、83.8%-100％;说明猪病毒流行株的变异呈现一定的多样性。     

冬虫夏草多糖的分子结构与免疫活性

 冬虫夏草多糖(在本文中名为CS-81002)是由冬虫夏草菌Cordyceps sinensis(Berk)Sacc在人工发酵条件下产生的胞外多糖。用凝胶过滤法测出CS-81002的分子量Mr=43kD。CS-81002的单糖组成为Man:Gal:Glc=10.3:3.6:1。甲基化分析和部份酸水解结果表明,CS-81002是多分支的杂多糖,由→6)-Manp-(1→形成主链,大约每10个主链Man残基中,有6个在C3位上被取代(即形成→3,6)-Manp-(1→分支),有4个在位C2上被取代(即形成→2,6-Manp-(1→分支),从而形成侧链。主链中还有少许未被取代的Man残基。侧链则由→3-)-Galf-(1→,→4)-Glcf-(1→,→4)-Manp-(1→和→2)-Manp-(1→组成。位于非还原末端的,则三种单糖残基都有。CS-81002在5mg/kg体重×12剂量条件下,对正常的昆明小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞吞噬功能有显著促进作用。在同样剂量条件下,对正常LACA小鼠脾脏溶血斑形成细胞(PFC)对绵羊红细胞的溶血作用无显著影响。不同程度的部份酸水解可使CS-81002的分子量下降,分支减少,并且对巨噬细胞吞噬功能的促进作用亦有下降趋势。在所得到的各个部份酸水解级分(分子量分别为41000,40000,32000,16000和12000)中,分子量为12000的级分对巨噬细胞吞噬功能无促进作用。     

The kinetic study of arginine kinase from the sea cucumber Stichopus japonicus with 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid)

The Stichopus japonicus arginine kinase (AK) is a significant dimeric enzyme. Its modification and inactivation course with 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) and the reactivation course of DTNB-modified AK by dithiothreitol were investigated on the basis of the kinetic theory of the substrate reaction during the modification of enzyme activity. The results show that the modification is a biphasic course while the inactivation is monophasic, with one essential reactive cysteine per subunit. The Cys274 (numbering from the Stichopus sequence) is exposed to DTNB and is near the ATP binding site. The modified AK can be reactivated by an excess concentration of dithiothreitol in a monophasic kinetic course. The presence of ATP or the transition-state analog markedly slows the apparent reactivation rate constant. The analog components, arginine-ADP-Mg2+ can induce conformational changes of the modified enzyme, but adding NO3- cannot induce further changes that occur with the native enzyme. The reactive cysteines' location and its role in the catalysis of AK are discussed. The results suggest that the cysteine may be located in the hinge area of the two domains of AK. The reactive cysteine of AK, which was proposed to be Cys274, may play an important role not in the binding of the transition-state analog but in the conformational changes caused by the transition-state analog.     

Simultaneous quantification of venlafaxine and O-desmethylvenlafaxine in human plasma by ultra performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry and its application in a pharmacokinetic study

A rapid, selective and sensitive ultra performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was developed to simultaneously determine venlafaxine (VEN) and O-desmethylvenlafaxine (ODV) in human plasma. Sample pretreatment involved a one-step extraction with diethyl ether of 0.5 mL plasma. The separation was carried out on an ACQUITY UPLC? BEH C₁₈ column with 10 mmol/L ammonium acetate and methanol as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.30 mL/min. The detection was performed on a triple–quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer by multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode via electrospray ionization (ESI) source. The linear calibration curves for VEN and ODV were both obtained in the concentration range of 0.200–200 ng/mL (r² ≥ 0.99) with the lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of 0.200 ng/mL. The intra- and inter-day precision (relative standard deviation, R.S.D.) values were less than 13% and the accuracy (relative error, R.E.) was within ±5.3% and ±3.6% for VEN and ODV. The method herein described was superior to previous methods in sensitivity and sample throughput and successfully applied to clinical pharmacokinetic study of venlafaxine sustained-release capsule in healthy male volunteers after oral administration.     

A decaepitope polypeptide primes for multiple CD8+ IFN-gamma and Th lymphocyte responses: evaluation of multiepitope polypeptides as a mode for vaccine delivery

Proteins are generally regarded as ineffective immunogens for CTL responses. We synthesized a 100-mer decaepitope polypeptide and tested its capacity to induce multiple CD8(+) IFN-gamma and Th lymphocyte (HTL) responses in HLA transgenic mice. Following a single immunization in the absence of adjuvant, significant IFN-gamma in vitro recall responses were detected for all epitopes included in the construct (six A2.1-, three A11-restricted CTL epitopes, and one universal HTL epitope). Immunization with truncated forms of the decaepitope polypeptide was used to demonstrate that optimal immunogenicity was associated with a size of at least 30-40 residues (3-4 epitopes). Solubility analyses of the truncated constructs were used to identify a correlation between immunogenicity for IFN-gamma responses and the propensity of these constructs to form particulate aggregates. Although the decaepitope polypeptide and a pool of epitopes emulsified in IFA elicited similar levels of CD8(+) responses using fresh splenocytes, we found that the decaepitope polypeptide more effectively primed for in vitro recall CD8(+) T cell responses. Finally, immunogenicity comparisons were also made between the decaepitope polypeptide and a corresponding gene encoding the same polypeptide delivered by naked DNA immunization. Although naked DNA immunization induced somewhat greater direct ex vivo and in vitro recall responses 2 wk after a single immunization, only the polypeptide induced significant in vitro recall responses 6 wk following the priming immunization. These studies support further evaluation of multiepitope polypeptide vaccines for induction of CD8(+) IFN-gamma and HTL responses.