转座子来源的植物长链非编码RNA

转座子是基因组的重要组分, 影响基因组的结构与稳定。长链非编码RNA (lncRNA)在转录及转录后水平调控多个生物学过程。转座子与lncRNA是物种进化的重要驱动力。含有转座子序列的lncRNA在自然界广泛存在。该文对植物lncRNA的发掘策略和功能研究进行概述, 围绕植物转座子来源lncRNA (TE-lncRNA)的分布和功能展开综述, 并对植物TE-lncRNA的调控机制、表观修饰及育种潜势等进行探讨与展望。     

microRNA-21在食管癌细胞增殖、迁移和凋亡中的作用

本研究检测了40例食管癌组织和40例癌旁组织中的miR-21、PTEN、PI3K和AKT表达,并通过转染miR-21抑制剂来敲低人食管癌细胞系EC9706的miR-21表达,考察了miR-21对食管癌细胞生长的影响。研究发现,食管癌组织中PTEN蛋白的阳性染色评分低于癌旁组织(p<0.05),而PI3K和AKT蛋白的阳性染色评分高于癌旁组织(p<0.05)。miR-21在人食管癌组织中被上调(3.56 vs 1.21,p<0.05)。转染miR-21抑制剂导致PTEN蛋白表达升高,而PI3K和AKT蛋白表达降低(p<0.05)。转染miR-21抑制剂抑制了EC9706细胞的增殖和迁移,但促进了细胞凋亡(p<0.05)。miR-21的上调可通过激活PTEN/PI3K/AKT信号通路来促进食道癌细胞的增殖和迁移,并抑制细胞凋亡。     

Berberine ameliorates cellular senescence and extends the lifespan of mice via regulating p16 and cyclin protein expression

Although aging and senescence have been extensively studied in the past few decades, however, there is lack of clinical treatment available for anti‐aging. This study presents the effects of berberine (BBR) on the aging process resulting in a promising extension of lifespan in model organisms. BBR extended the replicative lifespan, improved the morphology, and boosted rejuvenation markers of replicative senescence in human fetal lung diploid fibroblasts (2BS and WI38). BBR also rescued senescent cells with late population doubling (PD). Furthermore, the senescence‐associated β‐galactosidase (SA‐β‐gal)‐positive cell rates of late PD cells grown in the BBR‐containing medium were ~72% lower than those of control cells, and its morphology resembled that of young cells. Mechanistically, BBR improved cell growth and proliferation by promoting entry of cell cycles from the G₀ or G₁ phase to S/G₂‐M phase. Most importantly, BBR extended the lifespan of chemotherapy‐treated mice and naturally aged mice by ~52% and ~16.49%, respectively. The residual lifespan of the naturally aged mice was extended by 80%, from 85.5 days to 154 days. The oral administration of BBR in mice resulted in significantly improved health span, fur density, and behavioral activity. Therefore, BBR may be an ideal candidate for the development of an anti‐aging medicine.     

TaRPP13-3, a CC-NBS-LRR-like gene located on chr 7D,promotes disease resistance to wheat powdery mildew in Brock

Disease resistance (R) gene, RPP13, plays an important role in the resistance of plants to pathogen infections; its function in resistance of wheat to powdery mildew remains unknown. In this study, a RNA-Seq technique was used to monitor expression of genes in susceptible wheat ‘Jing411’ and resistant near-isogenic line ‘BJ-1’ in response to powdery mildew infection. Overall, 413 differential expression genes were observed and identified as involved in disease resistance. RPP13 homologous gene on wheat chromosome 7D was preliminarily identified using the wheat 660K SNP chip. RPP13 was highly expressed in ‘BJ-1’ and encodes 1,027 amino acids, including CC, NB and LRR domain, termed TaRPP13-3. After inoculation with powdery mildew, expression of TaRPP13-3 in resistant wheat changed with time, but average expression was higher when compared to susceptible variety, thus indicating that TaRPP13-3 is involved in resistance to powdery mildew. Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) was used to inhibit expression of TaRPP13-3 in resistant parent ‘Brock’. Results indicated that silencing of TaRPP13-3 led to decreased disease resistance in ‘Brock’. Overall results of this study indicate that TaRPP13-3 gene is involved in the defence response of wheat to powdery mildew and plays a positive role in wheat powdery mildew interactions.     

Cultivation and biomass production of the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii as a live feed for white-leg shrimp in hatcheries and commercial farms in Vietnam

This study investigated the biomass production process from the laboratory to the pilot scale in order to use the nutrient-rich biomass of the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii as live feed for white-leg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) at larval stages (zoeal, mysis, and postlarval) and in commercial production in hatcheries in Vietnam. Our results showed that T. weissflogii was successfully cultured in 1–2 L Erlenmeyer flasks, 0.2–3.5 m³ composite tanks, and 6.5 m³ tubular photobioreactors, with the highest cell density of 1.6 × 10⁶ cells mL^?1 reached after 6 days of culture. Under optimal culture conditions, the protein, lipid, and carbohydrate contents in this algal biomass were 13.2%, 20.0%, and 10.0% of dry cell weight, respectively. The fatty acid composition contains high amount of palmitic acid (C16:0, 43.11% of total fatty acid), and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5ω-3), approximated 16.5% of total fatty acid. In a 50 L larval rearing tank, at the optimal stocking density of 125 nauplii L^?1, the survival percentage (75.55%), the total body length (from 5.376 ± 0.007 to 10.860 ± 0.030 mm), and weight (at from PL₁ to PL₁₂ stages) (from 0.145 ± 0.002 to 1.158 ± 0.005 g) of the white-leg shrimp larvae reached the highest values but the metamorphosis time (234 h) was shortest compared with the other stocking densities. Further, adding living T. weissflogii biomass to the diet of white-leg shrimp larvae at the nauplii 6 stage led to an increase in the body length, weight, and survival percentage of white-leg shrimp larvae of 21.17%, 35.7%, and 33% higher compared with those of larvae fed the control diet (without the addition of T. weissflogii), respectively. At the same time, the metamorphosis time of larvae (from Z₁ to PL₁) decreased by 4 h compared to the control group. In intensive ponds (area of 6400 m² pond^?1), using seed stocks at the postlarvae 12 stage that had been fed T. weissflogii, the final weight, yield, and survival percentage of the shrimp were increased by 7.3%, 14.2%, and 16.3%, respectively, compared with those of the control group. There were no statistically significant differences in the protein and carbohydrate contents in the shrimp flesh among the experimental and control group (p > 0.05). The lipid, omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9 fatty acid contents of shrimp flesh in experiment formula (per 100 g shrimp) were 1.21 g, 72.9 mg, 114 mg, and 86.1 mg, 11%, 29%, 21.6%, and 17.7% higher than that those in control, respectively. The obtained results show the great potential of using T. weissflogii as live feed on white-leg shrimp farms in Vietnam.

     

Marinifaba aquimaris gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel chitin‐degrading gammaproteobacterium in the family Alteromonadaceae isolated from seawater of the Mariana Trench

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek - A novel Gram-negative, rod-shaped, aerobic, oxidase-positive and catalase-negative bacterium, designated strain SM1970T, was isolated from a seawater sample collected from...