E35 ablates acute leukemia stem and progenitor cells in vitro and in vivo

Leukemia stem cells (LSCs) have critical functions in acute leukemia (AL) pathogenesis, participating in its initiation and relapse. Thus, identifying new molecules to eradicate LSCs represents a high priority for AL management. This work identified E35, a novel Emodin derivative, which strongly inhibited growth and enhanced apoptosis of AL stem cell lines, and primary stem and progenitor cells from AL cases, while sparing normal hematopoietic cells. Furthermore, functional assays in cultured cells and animals suggested that E35 preferentially ablated primitive leukemia cell populations without impairing their normal counterparts. Moreover, molecular studies showed that E35 remarkably downregulated drug-resistant gene and dramatically inhibited the Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway. Notably, the in vivo anti-LSC activity of E35 was further confirmed in murine xenotransplantation models. Collectively, these findings indicate E35 constitutes a novel therapeutic candidate for AL, potentially targeting leukemia stem and progenitor cells.     

皖西霍山县白马尖植物区系和植被

本文论述了北亚热带典型地段——大别山主峰白马尖的植被和植物区系的特点,提出白马尖地区是一“生物避难所”。与纬度相近地区的比较研究,结果表明,海拔1000米以上的山地,植被类型和植物区系成份与皖南黄山、浙北天目山较一致,而低海拔地区与江苏的宜溧山区相似,特别是常绿阔叶树的属、种极为一致。值得指出的是耐寒常绿阔叶林类型的发现,为北亚热带植被地带的概念增添了新内容。文中对原圈定佛子岭水库库区周围为水源涵养林自然保护区认为不妥,将白马尖主峰整个集水区包括在内,才是完善的。     

HIV Pol inhibits HIV budding and mediates the severe budding defect of Gag-Pol

The prevailing hypothesis of HIV budding posits that the viral Gag protein drives budding, and that the Gag p6 peptide plays an essential role by recruiting host-cell budding factors to sites of HIV assembly. HIV also expresses a second Gag protein, p160 Gag-Pol, which lacks p6 and fails to bud from cells, consistent with the prevailing hypothesis of HIV budding. However, we show here that the severe budding defect of Gag-Pol is not caused by the absence of p6, but rather, by the presence of Pol. Specifically, we show that (i) the budding defect of Gag-Pol is unaffected by loss of HIV protease activity and is therefore an intrinsic property of the Gag-Pol polyprotein, (ii) the N-terminal 433 amino acids of Gag and Gag-Pol are sufficient to drive virus budding even though they lack p6, (iii) the severe budding defect of Gag-Pol is caused by a dominant, cis-acting inhibitor of budding in the HIV Pol domain, and (iv) Gag-Pol inhibits Gag and virus budding in trans, even at normal levels of Gag and Gag-Pol expression. These and other data support an alternative hypothesis of HIV budding as a process that is mediated by the normal, non-viral pathway of exosome/microvesicle biogenesis.     

Degradation of pentachlorophenol with the presence of fermentable and non-fermentable co-substrates in a microbial fuel cell

Pentachlorophenol (PCP) was more rapidly degraded in acetate and glucose-fed microbial fuel cells (MFCs) than in open circuit controls, with removal rates of 0.12 ± 0.01 mg/Lh (14.8 ± 1.0 mg/g-VSS-h) in acetate-fed, and 0.08 ± 0.01 mg/L h (6.9 ± 0.8 mg/g-VSS-h) in glucose-fed MFCs, at an initial PCP concentration of 15 mg/L. A PCP of 15 mg/L had no effect on power generation from acetate but power production was decreased with glucose. Coulombic balances indicate the predominant product was electricity (16.1 ± 0.3%) in PCP-acetate MFCs, and lactate (19.8 ± 3.3%) in PCP-glucose MFCs. Current generation accelerated the removal of PCP and co-substrates, as well as the degradation products in both PCP-acetate and PCP-glucose reactors. While 2,3,4,5-tetrachlorophenol was present in both reactors, tetrachlorohydroquinone was only found in PCP-acetate MFCs. These results demonstrate PCP degradation and power production were affected by current generation and the type of electron donor provided.     

大别山区霍山、金寨两县的常绿植物与常绿阔叶林

本文根据大别山区霍山和金寨两县植物考察所积累的标本,提出一个包含近70种的常绿植物名录,其中有6种为华东或安徽新记录,9种为该区的新记录;这些植物中,约3／4—4／5均以该地为分布的北界。文中再次报道了以苦槠为优势的常绿阔叶林类型,证明该地区低海拔地带有耐寒性常绿阔叶林的分布。最后扼要讨论了华东区常绿植物和常绿阔叶林北部边缘的分布与当地气候条件的关系,除温度的主导作用外,还受水湿条件的制约,水湿条件起到补偿温度的作用。     

汉滩病毒核壳蛋白（NP）在杆状病毒系统的表达及其免疫原性研究

应用杆状病毒表达载体成功地表达了汉滩病毒７６－１１８株（ＨＴＮＶ）核壳蛋白,将ＨＴＮＶＳ基因插入杆状病毒转染质粒ｐＡｃＹＭＩＢ的多角体基因启动子下游附近,与经Ｂｓｕ３６１酶切线性化的杆状病毒（ＡｃＶＥＰＡ）ＤＮＡ共同转染Ｓ１９细胞,经空斑筛选获得了高效表达ＮＰ的重组杆状病毒（ＡｃＶＨａｎＳ）。经ＳＤＳ－ＰＡＧＥ和Ｗｅｓｔｅｒｎ ｂｌｏｔ证实,表达产物与ＨＴＮＶ毒粒ＮＰ分子量均为５０ＫＤ左右,紫外扫     

Cystine Deprivation Induces Oligodendroglial Death: Rescue by Free Radical Scavengers and by a Diffusible Glial Factor

Abstract: In this study we examined the effect on oligodendroglial survival of exogenous cystine deprivation. Oligodendroglia isolated from mixed glial primary cultures derived from brains of 1-day-old rats, and then grown for 3 days, were markedly dependent on extracellular cystine for survival. The EC₅₀ values for cystine for a 24-h exposure ranged from 2 to 65 µ M . After 6 h of cystine deprivation, the cellular glutathione level decreased to 21 ± 13% of the control. Free radical scavengers (α-tocopherol, ascorbate, idebenone, and N-tert -butyl-α-phenylnitrone) were protective against cystine deprivation but had no effect on the glutathione level. An iron chelator, desferrioxamine mesylate, also was protective. These findings suggest that intracellular hydroxyl radicals are important for this toxicity. In contrast to the observations in 3-day-old cultures, the dependence on exogenous cystine for cell viability was not observed consistently in oligodendroglia cultured for 6 days before the onset of cystine deprivation. Several observations suggested that this loss of cystine dependence was due to a diffusible factor. Sensitivity to the toxicity of cystine deprivation in day 6 cultures increased as the volume of medium was increased from 0.3 to 2 ml. Furthermore, preincubation of cystine-depleted medium with astrocyte cultures eliminated the toxicity of the cystine deprivation. HPLC assay of the conditioned cystine-depleted medium showed no significant change in cystine or cysteine concentration. We conclude that oligodendroglia are highly susceptible to cystine deprivation in day 3 cultures and that this susceptibility is due to the accumulation of intracellular free radicals in the setting of glutathione depletion. The resistance of day 6 oligodendroglial cultures is caused at least in part by a diffusible factor.     

Biosynthesis,characterization and antimicrobial activity of silver nanoparticles by a halotolerant Bacillus endophyticus SCU-L

Abstract

We have conducted a thorough study on extracellular biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by a halotolerant bacterium Bacillus endophyticus SCU-L, which was identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis. This strain was selected during an ongoing research programme aimed at finding a novel biological method for green nanosynthetic routes using the extremophiles in unexplored hypersaline habitats. The biosynthesized AgNPs were characterized and analyzed with UV–vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Further, the AgNPs were found to be spherical in shape with an average particle size of about 5.1?nm, and it was stable in aqueous solution for three months period of storage at room temperature under dark condition. Also, the synthesized AgNPs significantly presented antimicrobial activity against Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi and Staphylococcus aureus. The above results suggested that the present work may provide a valuable reference and theoretical basis for further exploration on microbial biosynthesis of AgNPs by halotolerant bacteria.     

Amino‐functionalized macroporous silica for efficient tryptic digestion in acidic solutions

Amino‐functionalized macroporous silica foam (NH₂‐MOSF) has been developed as a host reactor to realize highly efficient proteolysis in acidic solutions where normal tryptic reactions cannot occur. The digestion protocol consists simply of adding the functionalized NH₂‐MOSF into the protein and trypsin solutions without altering the bulk pH or preloading the enzymes on the materials. With this protocol, digestion of sample fractions from LC can be efficiently realized in the acidic solutions directly. Digestion of a protein fraction extracted from rat liver tissue after LC separation was performed to illustrate this principle, where 103 proteins were successfully identified at pH 3 after 1.5 h of tryptic digestion.