The Complete Plastid Genome Sequence of Madagascar Periwinkle Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don: Plastid Genome Evolution,Molecular Marker Identification,and Phylogenetic Implications in Asterids

The Madagascar periwinkle ( Catharanthus roseus in the family Apocynaceae) is an important medicinal plant and is the source of several widely marketed chemotherapeutic drugs. It is also commonly grown for its ornamental values and, due to ease of infection and distinctiveness of symptoms, is often used as the host for studies on phytoplasmas, an important group of uncultivated plant pathogens. To gain insights into the characteristics of apocynaceous plastid genomes (plastomes), we used a reference-assisted approach to assemble the complete plastome of C . roseus , which could be applied to other C . roseus -related studies. The C . roseus plastome is the second completely sequenced plastome in the asterid order Gentianales. We performed comparative analyses with two other representative sequences in the same order, including the complete plastome of Coffea arabica (from the basal Gentianales family Rubiaceae) and the nearly complete plastome of Asclepias syriaca (Apocynaceae). The results demonstrated considerable variations in gene content and plastome organization within Apocynaceae, including the presence/absence of three essential genes (i.e., accD, clpP, and ycf1) and large size changes in non-coding regions (e.g., rps2-rpoC2 and IRb-ndhF). To find plastome markers of potential utility for Catharanthus breeding and phylogenetic analyses, we identified 41 C . roseus -specific simple sequence repeats. Furthermore, five intergenic regions with high divergence between C . roseus and three other euasterids I taxa were identified as candidate markers. To resolve the euasterids I interordinal relationships, 82 plastome genes were used for phylogenetic inference. With the addition of representatives from Apocynaceae and sampling of most other asterid orders, a sister relationship between Gentianales and Solanales is supported.     

The Curcumin Analog EF24 Targets NF-κB and miRNA-21, and Has Potent Anticancer Activity In Vitro and In Vivo

EF24 is a curcumin analog that has improved anticancer activity over curcumin, but its therapeutic potential and mechanism of action is unknown, which is important to address as curcumin targets multiple signaling pathways. EF24 inhibits the NF-κB but not the JAK-STAT signaling pathway in DU145 human prostate cancer cells and B16 murine melanoma cells. EF24 induces apoptosis in these cells apparently by inhibiting miR-21 expression, and also enhances the expression of several miR-21 target genes, PTEN and PDCD4. EF24 treatment significantly suppressed the growth of DU145 prostate cancer xenografts in immunocompromised mice and resulted in tumor regression. EF24 enhanced the expression of the miR-21 target PTEN in DU145 tumor tissue, but suppressed the expression of markers of proliferating cells (cyclin D1 and Ki67). In syngeneic mice injected with B16 cells, EF24 treatment inhibited the formation of lung metastasis, prolonged animal survival, inhibited miR-21 expression and increased the expression of miR-21 target genes. Expression profiling of miRNAs regulated by EF24 in vitro and in vivo showed that the antitumor activity of EF24 reflected the enhanced expression of potential tumor suppressor miRNAs as well as the suppressed expression of oncogenic miRNAs, including miR-21. Taken together, our data suggest that EF24 is a potent anticancer agent and selectively targets NF-κB signaling and miRNA expression, indicating that EF24 has significant potential as a therapeutic agent in various cancers.     

青海省多毛蚤属一新种记述(蚤目:多毛蚤科)

报道多毛蚤属Ｈｙｓｔｒｉｃｈｏ「ｐｓｙｌｌａ Ｔａｓｃｈｅｎｂｅｒｇ一新种,詹氏多毛蚤Ｈｙｓｔｒｉｃｈｏｐｓｙｌｌａ ｚｈａｎｉ ｓｐ．ｎｏｖ．,采自青海省民和县古鄯林场的斯氏水麝Ｑｕ Ｃｈｉｍａｒｒｏｇａｌｅ ｓｔｙａｎｉ体上。模式标本存于青海省地方病防治研究所。     

Physiological responses to single versus double stepping pattern of ascending the stairs

The aim of this study was to compare the physiological responses and energy cost between two ascending patterns, the single-step (SS) and the double-step (DS), in climbing a public staircase. In the SS pattern, a person climbs one step at a time whilst in the double-step (DS) pattern, the individual traverses two steps in a single stride. Advocates of each stepping pattern claimed that their type of ascent is physically more taxing and expends more calories. Thirty subjects (10 males and 20 females) climbed a typical 11-storey flat (each step height of 0.15 m, a total of 180 steps and a vertical displacement of 27.0 m). The subjects climbed using either the SS pattern at a tempo of 100 steps x min(-1) or the DS pattern at 50 steps x min(-1). The prescribed stepping frequencies ensured that an equal amount of total work was performed between the SS and DS patterns. The climbing patterns were performed in random order. Physiological measures during the last 30 s of the climbs were used in the comparative analysis. The results showed that ventilation, oxygen uptake and heart rate values were significantly higher (all p < 0.01) in the SS as compared to the DS pattern. However, the caloric expenditure during the SS pattern was calculated to be only marginally higher than the DS pattern. In conclusion, ascending with the SS pattern led to significantly higher physiological responses compared to the DS pattern. The higher calorie expended with the SS compared to the DS pattern was deemed to be of little practical significance.     

大熊猫bHLH基因家族的识别与分析

碱性/螺旋-环-螺旋(basic/Helix-Loop-Helix,bHLH)蛋白质家族是数量最多、最复杂的转录因子家族之一,几乎存在于所有真核生物体内,其功能包括参与神经发育、肌肉形成、造血等重要生物学过程的基因表达调控.目前对一些动物的bHLH蛋白的研究已较为广泛和深入,但作为保护动物的旗舰物种大熊猫的bHLH蛋白的研究却很有限,大熊猫全基因组最近已经公布,这方便了大熊猫bHLH的深入研究.本研究发现大熊猫基因组中共有118个bHLH基因,根据结构域差异和系统发育分析结果,大熊猫的bHLH基因归属于42个亚家族,其中属于A、B、C、D、E、F 6个组的数目分别为:56、26、17、5、6、0,此外还有8个大熊猫的bHLH成员暂时无法将其分为任何一组,列为"orphans"组.有些种类,如COE和MITF亚家族在大熊猫进化过程中可能出现了丢失.     

独叶草叶片性状表型多样性研究

独叶草是特产于中国的一种珍稀濒危植物.为研究独叶草自然居群的叶片形态变异特征及影响因素,选取分布于陕西、四川、甘肃的9个自然居群,对独叶草叶片的叶面积、叶柄长、总齿数、末级叶脉数、盲脉数、网结脉数等指标进行统计分析.结果表明:(1)独叶草叶片各属性间存在显著相关性,个别性状表现出与地理位置的相关性.(2)主成分分析显示独叶草的末级叶脉数、叶面积、总齿数对变异有较大贡献,而网结脉贡献很小.(3)独叶草叶片性状居群间变异程度大于居群内,其中盲脉数量在各个居群间变异程度最大,而末级叶脉数为最稳定的性状.(4)将本研究中形态变异结果与前期的遗传分析结果对比分析认为独叶草形态变异主要来自生态环境,而非遗传组成.(5)独叶草居群的形态及遗传变异聚类结果都显示独叶草形态变异并不具有地理格局规律,可能由于地质历史变化打断了独叶草原本连续的分布区,遗传保守性使其仍然保持分布区断裂前的遗传特性,但其表型随着生境的变化表现出可塑性.     

人脐带间充质干细胞通过分泌IL-6介导冈田酸对SH-SY5Y细胞毒性的保护作用

阿尔茨海默病(Alzheimer’s disease,AD)是一种国际公认的难治性神经退行性疾病,是引起痴呆的最常见的病因.其主要的病理学变化是由Aβ过度沉积引起的老年斑(SP),以及Tau蛋白过度磷酸化引起的神经纤维缠结(NFTs).从人脐带华通胶中分离出的间充质干细胞(hUC-MSCs)由于其强大的旁分泌作用,已经被证实对神经系统疾病有治疗效果,其中包括AD,这种治疗机制尚不明确.本研究用冈田酸对SH-SY5Y细胞系进行损伤,建立AD体外模型,然后用种有hUC-MSCs的transwell小室或其条件培养基对模型进行治疗,并发现其分泌的IL-6可能是介导这种修复作用的关键因子.     

抗菌肽CM4基因克隆及其在毕赤酵母中的表达鉴定

为了在毕赤酵母中获得抗菌肽CM4表达,将抗菌肽CM4基因克隆入表达质粒pPIC9,SacⅠ线性化的重组表达质粒pPIC9-CM4电击转化P.pastorisGS115(his-),采用MM、MD板和PCR法筛选Mut 表型,甲醇诱导表达;抗菌活性检测、Tricine-SDS-PAGE及酸性活性电泳均表明抗菌肽CM4在毕赤酵母中成功地分泌表达;重组抗菌肽CM4对黑曲霉(Aspergillus niger)、绿色木霉(Trichoderma viride)都有很强的抑菌活性。     

认知负荷对色词Stroop干扰效应的影响

目的:依据负荷理论,认知负荷会导致选择性注意任务中干扰刺激干扰效应的增加.本研究目的在于检验两种类型的认知负荷对色词Stroop干扰效应的影响.方法:实验一通过比较色词Stroop任务与言语工作记忆任务同时进行的双任务区组(高负荷条件)与单任务区组(低负荷条件)来检验认知负荷对构成Stroop干扰效应的语义冲突及反应冲突产生的影响.实验二则通过比较色词Stroop任务与言语工作记忆任务相协调的双任务区组(高负荷条件)与单任务区组(低负荷条件)来操纵认知负荷.结果:实验一的结果显示工作记忆负荷变化对语义冲突及反应冲突均不产生影响.实验二发现虽然在反应时指标上认知负荷与一致性之间未产生显著交互作用,但在错误率指标上两者交互作用达到显著,说明在高认知负荷条件下反应冲突显著增加了.结论:认知负荷对选择性注意任务中干扰刺激干扰效应的影响取决于认知负荷类型及冲突所发生的水平.