N49 phospholipase A2, a unique subgroup of snake venom group II phospholipase A2

A novel phospholipase A₂ (PLA₂) with Asn at its site 49 was purified from the snake venom of Protobothrops mucrosquamatus by using SP-Sephadex C25, Superdex 75, Heparin-Sepharose (FF) and HPLC reverse-phage C₁₈ chromatography and designated as TM-N49. It showed a molecular mass of 13.875 kDa on MALDI-TOF. TM-N49 does not possess enzymatic, hemolytic and hemorrhagic activities. It fails to induce platelet aggregation by itself, and does not inhibit the platelet aggregation induced by ADP. However, it exhibits potent myotoxic activity causing inflammatory cell infiltration, severe myoedema, myonecrosis and myolysis in the gastrocnemius muscles of BALB/c mice. Phylogenetic analysis found that that TM-N49 combined with two phospholipase A₂s from Trimeresurus stejnegeri, TsR6 and CTs-R6 cluster into one group. Structural and functional analysis indicated that these phospholipase A₂s are distinct from the other subgroups (D49 PLA₂, S49 PLA₂ and K49 PLA₂) and represent a unique subgroup of snake venom group II PLA₂, named N49 PLA₂ subgroup.     

心肌组织工程的研究现状

心肌组织工程的目的是通过在体外构建思想的心肌组织工程,用于替代和修复病损的心肌组织,从心肌组织工程的细胞来源,细胞培养基,细胞接种,细胞支架,生物反应器5个方面介绍心肌组织工程的研究现状。     

食品常见真菌毒素的危害及其防止措施

真菌毒素是一类由真菌产生的普遍存在的化合物。危害人类健康的真菌毒素主要源于曲霉Aspergillus、青霉Penicil-lium、麦角菌属Claviceps和镰刀菌Fusarium等产生的次生代谢物。从全球范围来看,粮食安全问题经常是由谷物、坚果、水果和绿色咖啡豆上的真菌毒素造成的。其中,玉米和花生仁中的黄曲霉素经常超过安全阈值。在以这些食物作为主食的地处温暖和潮湿气候国家的消费者特别容易食用到黄曲霉素污染的食物。而真菌毒素往往会引起人类和动物急性中毒、慢性中毒和致癌。其不可避免地、广泛地、持续地影响着全球人类的健康。目前的防止措施包括选用抗真菌植物、采用适当方法贮藏食物以及食用绿色蔬菜等来预防癌症等。本文阐述了食品中常见真菌毒素的污染情况及其毒性,并对常用防止措施进行了综述,以期为食品真菌毒素防控工作提供参考。     

Moxostoma的磷酸葡萄糖异构酶电泳研究

用水平淀粉凝胶电泳对290尾Moxostoma属3个种的胭脂鱼进行了磷酸葡萄糖异构酶(PGI)的研究,得到10种电泳表现型(Phenotype),由A与B两个位点控制。A位点向阳极迁移,有a、b、c、d及e5个等位基因;B位点向阴极迁移,有f及g两个等位基因。种间差异明显。 不同采集地区(德克萨斯、佛罗里达及路易斯安那)的鱼类,新鲜材料、冰冻材料及雌雄之间电泳结果无差异。     

Novel 2D supramolecular array based on antibacterial drug norfloxacin

Self-assembly reaction of Cd(ClO₄)₂ · 6H₂O with Norfloxacin (H-Norf) affords a novel 2D rectangular grid framework [Cd(Norf)(ClO₄)(H₂O)] (1) with strong blue luminescent emission (λ_em=425 nm), while Norf⁻ acts as a tetradentate bridging linker to connect three Cd centers and ClO₄ ⁻ completes Cd center octahedron coordination geometry. The compound 1 has crystallographic data of triclinic, space group , a=9.4577(1) Å, b=9.5012(2) Å, c=12.2805(1) Å, V=3624.4(3) ų, Z=2.     

A novel compound derived from danshensu inhibits apoptosis via upregulation of heme oxygenase-1 expression in SH-SY5Y cells

Background

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) has potential anti-apoptotic properties. A novel compound [4-(2-acetoxy-3-((R)-3-(benzylthio)-1-methoxy-1-oxopropan-2- ylamino)-3-oxopropyl)-1,2-phenylene diacetate (DSC)] was synthesized by joining danshensu and cysteine through an appropriate linker. This study investigated if the cytoprotective properties of DSC involved the induction of HO-1.

Methods

We evaluated the cytoprotective effects of DSC on H₂O₂-induced cell damage, apoptosis, intracellular and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ_m) loss, and apoptosis-related proteins expression and its underlying mechanisms.

Results

DSC concentration-dependently attenuated cell death, lactate dehydrogenase release, intracellular and mitochondrial ROS production, and ΔΨ_m collapse, modulated apoptosis-related proteins (Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-3, p53, and cleaved PARP) expression, and inhibited phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 in SH-SY5Y cells induced by H₂O₂. In addition, DSC concentration-dependently induced HO-1 expression associated with nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-erythroid 2 related factor 2 (Nrf-2), while the effect of DSC was inhibited by a phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor LY294002. Furthermore, the protective effect of DSC on H₂O₂-induced cell death was abolished by HO-1 inhibitor ZnPP, but was mimicked by carbon monoxide-releasing moiety CORM-3 or HO-1 by-product bilirubin. Finally, DSC inhibited H₂O₂-induced changes of Bcl-2, Bax, and caspase-3 expression, and all of these effects were reversed by HO-1 silencing.

Conclusions

Induction of HO-1 may be, at least in part, responsible for the anti-apoptotic property of DSC, an effect that involved the activation of PI3K/Akt/Nrf-2 axis.

General significance

DSC might have the potential for beneficial therapeutic interventions for neurodegenerative diseases.     

Nitrogen removal from secondary effluent by using integrated constructed wetland system

The treatment capacity of an integrated constructed wetland system (CWS) that was designed to reduce nitrogen (N) from secondary effluent was explored. The integrated CWS consisted of vertical-flow constructed wetland, floating bed and sand filter. The vertical-flow wetland was filled with gravel, steel slag and peat from the bottom to the top. Vetiver zizanioides was selected to grow in the vertical-flow constructed wetland and Coix lacrymajobi L. was grown in the floating bed. The results showed that the integrated CWS displayed superior removal efficiency for nitrate nitrogen (NO₃⁻-N), ammonia nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N), nitrite nitrogen (NO₂⁻-N), and total nitrogen (TN). The average NO₃⁻-N, NO₂⁻-N, NH₄⁺-N and TN removal efficiencies of the integrated CWS were 98.83%, 95.60%, 98.05% and 92.41%, respectively, during the whole experimental operation. The integrated CWS may have a good potential for removing N from secondary effluent.     

通过改进实验器具促进师范院校动物学实践教学的体会

动物学是师范院校生物科学专业的基础课程之一,其教学内容包括理论教学和实践教学,而实践教学是理论联系实际、训练学生观察和动手能力的重要教学环节。因此通过引导学生改进昆虫毒瓶和昆虫展翅板等教具,既调动了学生的学习积极性,也培养了学生的科研能力和创新能力,使动物学实践教学取得了良好的教学效果。