Gold Immunochromatographic Assay for Rapid On‐Site Detection of Lincosamide Residues in Milk,Egg, Beef,and Honey Samples

Lincosamides (LMs), include clindamycin (CLIN), lincomycin (LIN), and pirlimycin (PIR), that are widely used as veterinary drugs. LM residues in edible animal origin foods endanger human health and are in urgent need of establishing fast, simple, and highly sensitive detection methods. A gold immunochromatographic strip is prepared to detect CLIN, LIN, and PIR residues simultaneously with a single monoclonal antibody. This antibody is obtained with the design of a novel Hapten and can simultaneously recognize CLIN, LIN, and PIR. Under optimized conditions, the strip results can be semi‐quantitatively evaluated with the naked eye within 15 min, with cut‐off values in phosphate‐buffered saline of 1 ng mL^?1 for CLIN, 10 ng mL^?1 for LIN, and 25 ng mL^?1 for PIR, respectively. Besides, the strip can also be quantified using a hand‐held strip scanner, and the spiked samples are used for establishing matrix curves. The limits of detection for CLIN, LIN, and PIR in spiked milk, egg, beef, and honey samples can satisfy the detection requirement. The utility of this strip is also confirmed by positive honey sample. In short, this strip should be expected to be a useful tool for the rapid on‐site screening of lincosamide residues in milk, egg, beef, and honey samples.     

干旱条件下外源蔗糖对高表达玉米C4型pepc水稻种子萌发的影响

为揭示外源蔗糖参与干旱胁迫下高表达转玉米C₄ 型磷酸烯醇式丙酮酸羧化酶(phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, PEPC)基因(C₄ pepc)水稻(简称：PC)种子萌发的生理机制,该研究以 PC及其未转基因野生型受体‘Kitaake’(简称：WT)的种子为材料,研究外施不同浓度蔗糖联合模拟干旱(10% PEG 6000)处理下,其种子发芽参数、总可溶性糖及可溶性蛋白含量、蔗糖非发酵1 (sucrose nonfermenting 1, SNF1)相关蛋白激酶(SNF1 related protein kinase 1s, SnRK1s)基因以及PEPC基因表达等参数的变化。结果表明：(1)PEG 6000模拟干旱处理均显著抑制两材料发芽,但明显促进胚根的生长;外施蔗糖则呈现浓度效应,高浓度蔗糖(>150 mmol·L^-1)进一步加剧了干旱对发芽的抑制效应,而低浓度(<30 mmol·L^-1)则可缓解干旱的抑制,但与WT(<30 mmol·L^-1)相比,促进PC水稻萌发的外施蔗糖浓度(<6 mmol·L^-1)更低,且各处理的发芽表现与其α 淀粉酶活性的动态表现一致。(2)与WT相比,外施3 mmol·L^-1蔗糖联合干旱处理下,显著提高了PC种子的发芽率,且伴随PC内源蔗糖含量、总可溶糖和可溶性蛋白含量显著增加;且外施3 mmol·L^-1蔗糖使PC中内源C₃ pepc基因表达下调,而外源导入C₄ pepc基因表达显著增加。(3)与WT相比,干旱处理下外施3 mmol·L^-1蔗糖,PC的糖信号相关基因SnRKs亚家族基因(包括SnRK1s：OsK1a OsK24 OsK35和SnRK2s:SAPK6)的表达也显著增加。研究发现,外施低浓度蔗糖通过上调PC水稻种子中可溶性糖和可溶性蛋白含量,增强SnRK1s亚家族基因和外源C₄ pepc基因的表达,提高了α 淀粉酶活性,从而缓解了干旱胁迫对PC种子萌发的抑制。     

PCR增强剂在核酸体外扩增检测技术的研究进展

在各种高致病性病原体、禽流感病毒、食源性微生物等引起的疾病随时大规模流行的背景下,利用聚合酶链式反应（polymerase chain reaction,PCR）技术对第一例或第一波病例的快速实验室诊断显得尤为重要,同时发展出多种以PCR技术为基础的检测技术以便更加快速、高通量、敏感地对疾病进行诊断、预防或预测。然而,在实际病原体检测中,常常出现灵敏度低、准确性差的结果。PCR增强剂是在PCR及PCR衍生技术中添加的一类物质,其可从产率、特异性、灵敏度等方面提高核酸扩增性能,从而优化核酸检测,解决病原体检测的应用瓶颈,为第一例病原体检出节约宝贵的时间。结合以PCR为基础的核酸体外扩增检测技术对PCR增强剂在其中的应用、优缺点、作用机理进行介绍,以期为病原体核酸检测的实际应用提供一些参考。     

GanDouLing promotes proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells in the mouse model of Wilson’s disease

Wilson’s disease (WD) is an autosomal recessive disease caused by mutation of the ATPase copper transporting β (ATP7B) gene, resulting in abnormal copper metabolism. We aimed to investigate the protective effect of GanDouLing (GDL) on neural stem cell (NSC) function in a mouse model of WD. NSCs were treated with different concentrations of GDL alone or in combination with penicillamine, following which we evaluated cellular growth, apoptosis, and differentiation. Nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway and NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation were analyzed via Western blotting. Treatment with GDL alone or in combination with penicillamine significantly increased proliferation and inhibited apoptosis of NSCs in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, GDL treatment remarkably promoted differentiation of NSCs. Consistently, levels of class III β-tubulin (Tuj1) and microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) were significantly elevated, whereas glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) levels were obviously suppressed in the presence of GDL or penicillamine. In vivo assays confirmed that GDL increased the ratio of Ki67⁺, Tuj1⁺, and MAP2⁺ cells and suppressed apoptosis in the hippocampal region in WD mice. Behavioral assays revealed that both GDL and penicillamine improved memory ability in WD models. Mechanistically, GDL treatment led to activation of Nrf2 signaling and suppression of the NLRP3 inflammasome in WD mice. Notably, inhibition of Nrf2 signaling reversed the protective effects of GDL on hippocampal NSCs. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that GDL exerts a protective effect on NSCs and promotes neurogenesis by targeting Nrf2 signaling and the NLRP3 inflammasome in WD.     

Deficiency of Adiponectin Protects against Ovariectomy-Induced Osteoporosis in Mice

Adipokine adiponectin (APN) has been recently reported to play a role in regulating bone mineral density (BMD). To explore the mechanism by which APN affects BMD, we investigated BMD and biomechanical strength properties of the femur and vertebra in sham-operated (Sham) and ovariectomized (OVX) APN knockout (KO) mice as compared to their operated wild-type (WT) littermates. The results show that APN deficiency has no effect on BMD but induces increased ALP activity and osteoclast cell number. While OVX indeed leads to significant bone loss in both femora and vertebras of WT mice with comparable osteogenic activity and a significant increase in osteoclast cell number when compared to that of sham control. However, no differences in BMD, ALP activity and osteoclast cell number were found between Sham and OVX mice deficient for APN. Further studies using bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) demonstrate an enhanced osteogenic differentiation and extracellular matrix calcification in APN KO mice. The possible mechanism for APN deletion induced acceleration of osteogenesis could involve increased proliferation of MSCs and higher expression of Runx2 and Osterix genes. These findings indicate that APN deficiency can protect against OVX-induced osteoporosis in mice, suggesting a potential role of APN in regulating the balance of bone formation and bone resorption, especially in the development of post-menopausal osteoporosis.     

No Evidence for Selection of HIV-1 with Enhanced Gag-Protease or Nef Function among Breakthrough Infections in the CAPRISA 004 Tenofovir Microbicide Trial

Background

Use of antiretroviral-based microbicides for HIV-1 prophylaxis could introduce a transmission barrier that inadvertently facilitates the selection of fitter viral variants among incident infections. To investigate this, we assessed the in vitro function of gag-protease and nef sequences from participants who acquired HIV-1 during the CAPRISA 004 1% tenofovir microbicide gel trial.

Methods and Results

We isolated the earliest available gag-protease and nef gene sequences from 83 individuals and examined their in vitro function using recombinant viral replication capacity assays and surface protein downregulation assays, respectively. No major phylogenetic clustering and no significant differences in gag-protease or nef function were observed in participants who received tenofovir gel versus placebo gel prophylaxis.

Conclusion

Results indicate that the partial protective effects of 1% tenofovir gel use in the CAPRISA 004 trial were not offset by selection of transmitted/early HIV-1 variants with enhanced Gag-Protease or Nef fitness.     

Role of Choline Deficiency in the Fatty Liver?Phenotype of Mice Fed a Low Protein,Very Low Carbohydrate Ketogenic Diet

Though widely employed for clinical intervention in obesity, metabolic syndrome, seizure disorders and other neurodegenerative diseases, the mechanisms through which low carbohydrate ketogenic diets exert their ameliorative effects still remain to be elucidated. Rodent models have been used to identify the metabolic and physiologic alterations provoked by ketogenic diets. A commonly used rodent ketogenic diet (Bio-Serv F3666) that is very high in fat (~94% kcal), very low in carbohydrate (~1% kcal), low in protein (~5% kcal), and choline restricted (~300 mg/kg) provokes robust ketosis and weight loss in mice, but through unknown mechanisms, also causes significant hepatic steatosis, inflammation, and cellular injury. To understand the independent and synergistic roles of protein restriction and choline deficiency on the pleiotropic effects of rodent ketogenic diets, we studied four custom diets that differ only in protein (5% kcal vs. 10% kcal) and choline contents (300 mg/kg vs. 5 g/kg). C57BL/6J mice maintained on the two 5% kcal protein diets induced the most significant ketoses, which was only partially diminished by choline replacement. Choline restriction in the setting of 10% kcal protein also caused moderate ketosis and hepatic fat accumulation, which were again attenuated when choline was replete. Key effects of the 5% kcal protein diet – weight loss, hepatic fat accumulation, and mitochondrial ultrastructural disarray and bioenergetic dysfunction – were mitigated by choline repletion. These studies indicate that synergistic effects of protein restriction and choline deficiency influence integrated metabolism and hepatic pathology in mice when nutritional fat content is very high, and support the consideration of dietary choline content in ketogenic diet studies in rodents to limit hepatic mitochondrial dysfunction and fat accumulation.     

HRG1 Is Essential for Heme Transport from the Phagolysosome of Macrophages during Erythrophagocytosis

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Highlights? Humans have about 25 trillion RBCs, each containing over a billion heme moieties ? Five million senescent RBCs are recycled per second by erythrophagocytosis in macrophages to make new RBCs ? HRG1, the mammalian homolog of C. elegans heme transporter, recycles heme-iron from the macrophage phagolysosome ? Missense polymorphisms in human HRG1 may be genetic modifiers of iron metabolism     

2012年中国植物科学若干领域重要研究进展

2012年中国植物科学研究继续快速发展。中国科学家在植物科学多个领域中取得了大量的原创性、高水平研究成果, 包括植物基因组研究、植物天然免疫抗性及其应答环境的信号转导机制以及植物去甲基化作用和DNA双链断裂修复机制研究等, 受到国内外的高度评价。该文对2012年中国本土植物生命科学若干领域取得的重要研究进展进行概括性评述, 旨在全面追踪当前中国植物科学领域发展的最新前沿和热点事件, 并展现我国科学家所取得的杰出成就。