Protoplasmic astrocytes enhance the ability of neural stem cells to differentiate into neurons in vitro

Protoplasmic astrocytes have been reported to exhibit neuroprotective effects on neurons, but there has been no direct evidence for a functional relationship between protoplasmic astrocytes and neural stem cells (NSCs). In this study, we examined neuronal differentiation of NSCs induced by protoplasmic astrocytes in a co-culture model. Protoplasmic astrocytes were isolated from new-born and NSCs from the E13-15 cortex of rats respectively. The differentiated cells labeled with neuron-specific marker β-tubulin III, were dramatically increased at 7 days in the co-culture condition. Blocking the effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) with an anti-BDNF antibody reduced the number of neurons differentiated from NSCs when co-cultured with protoplasmic astrocytes. In fact, the content of BDNF in the supernatant obtained from protoplasmic astrocytes and NSCs co-culture media was significantly greater than that from control media conditions. These results indicate that protoplasmic astrocytes promote neuronal differentiation of NSCs, which is driven, at least in part, by BDNF.     

Treating Cutis Verticis Gyrata Using Skin Expansion Method

The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and clinical effect of repairing scalp defect after the excision of cutis verticis gyrata using expanded scalp skin flaps. For this purpose, 8 patients with cutis verticis gyrata were subjected to scalp skin expander implantation under the skin. After saline injection and scalp expansion for 2–3 months, the cutis verticis gyrata was excised and the expanded scalp flaps were applied to recover the skin defect. As a result, the flaps and hair grew well without contractures and significant scarring, suggesting that this method is useful for surgical correction of cutis verticis gyrata.     

长白山哈泥泥炭地丘间生境泥炭藓孢子的寿命

长寿有性繁殖体对于植物种群的长存具有重要意义,迄今,泥炭地苔藓植物孢子长寿性研究还很少。在长白山哈泥泥炭地钻取丘间表层泥炭样品,测定泥炭腐殖化度和烧失量,逐层提取和培养泥炭藓孢子,研究埋藏时间对孢子萌发的影响。结果表明,丘间泥炭藓孢子埋藏环境中,随着埋深的增加即埋藏年限的增加,泥炭腐殖化度和烧失量总体上分别呈现增加和递减的趋势,而地层泥炭藓孢子萌发率呈现直线递减的规律,但在埋藏近150余年后孢子萌发率仍可达40%。研究进一步证明泥炭藓具有长期持久孢子库,根据推算,泥炭地丘间埋藏环境中,泥炭藓孢子最大寿命可超过400a。     

血清白蛋白序列中的相似氨基酸突变特点分析

血清白蛋白是必不可少的生命物质,在生命运动和发展延续中起着重要的作用。它不仅能维持正常的血浆渗透压,最重要的是能够储存和运输众多的内源性和外源性物质。本文利用生物信息学的方法分析了几种不同物种的血清白蛋白的结构信息和疏水性特点,研究表明人、牛、猴、兔、狼、猫的血清白蛋白序列均属于亲水性蛋白质,在100 bp以内的疏水性值差别比较明显。通过对血清白蛋白进行多序列比对分析,发现兔血清白蛋白的氨基酸突变的数目是最多的。在这几种血清白蛋白序列中,氨基酸突变更容易发生在结构相似、极性相似和能量比较接近的氨基酸之间,如D和L、E和D。对于人血清白蛋白来说,从疏水性的丙氨酸A到酸性的谷氨酸E的突变比较多,使得人血清白蛋白在进化过程中的亲水性增强,是个很好的储存和运输小分子的载体。这些基于生物信息学方面的血清白蛋白的突变及其进化关系的研究,为进一步研究药物与血清白蛋白的相互作用在其他物种中表现和特点提供了良好的基础。     

统一山水林田湖草生态保护修复标准体系研究

加强山水林田湖草生态保护修复标准体系建设,是统一行使国土空间生态保护修复的基础性工作。我国现行山水林田湖草生态保护修复有关标准多达350多项,存在标准体系不统一、内容交叉重复、协调性差、发布时间长、关键标准缺少等问题。在梳理相关领域标准的基础上,结合我国山水林田湖草生态保护修复试点工程实践,提出以矿山、水环境、森林、农田、湖泊、草原、湿地、海洋、农村、城市等为对象,以生态问题和修复工程为重点,围绕生态目标控制、调查监测评价、规划设计、工程技术、生态维护管理等功能需求,研究提出建立统一的山水林田湖草生态保护修复标准体系,指导当前我国山水林田湖草生态保护修复工程建设和国土空间生态修复。     

镁离子与肿瘤的相关关系

镁离子是人体内重要的阳离子,参与多种生理活动,其摄入的失衡不仅能导致低镁血症及高镁血症产生的相应临床症状,还与肿瘤的发生发展密切相关。最新的研究还表明高浓度镁离子具有抗肿瘤的作用。针对镁离子与肿瘤的发生、发展、治疗等方面的研究进展进行了综述,以期为镁离子与肿瘤的流行病学调查及抗肿瘤研究提供进一步的参考依据。     

HSV-IgM人-鼠嵌合抗体制备及稳定细胞株构建工艺开发

为实现体外大规模制备单纯疱疹病毒HSV-IgM(HSV1,HSV2)人鼠嵌合抗体,本研究通过RNA连接酶介导的cDNA末端快速扩增(RNA ligase-mediated rapid amplification of cDNA ends,RLM-RACE)技术获取其对应杂交瘤细胞基因序列,构建嵌合抗体至真核表达载体,在CHO-S细胞中稳定表达所需目的蛋白。同时优化稳定细胞株筛选工艺,对细胞池构建阶段和单克隆筛选阶段的加压条件进行摸索与探究,最后目的抗体采用蛋白L亲和纯化法进行纯化并进行生物活性检测;最终成功制备899 kDa和909 kDa的稳定高表达重组IgM抗体(HSV1,HSV2)细胞株。结果表明,最适筛选压力为20P200M(一轮加压)和50P1000M(二轮加压);使用加压培养基进行单克隆筛选抗体表达量较高,HSV1-IgM和HSV2-IgM单克隆最终表达量分别为1620 mg/L和623 mg/L。本研究为HSV1和HSV2的IgM系列重组抗体质控品开发以及体外高表达分泌IgM亚型抗体提供理论与实践基础。     

Forcing nonamyloidogenic beta-synuclein to fibrillate

The fibrillation and aggregation of alpha-synuclein is a key process in the formation of intracellular inclusions, Lewy bodies, in substantia nigral neurons and, potentially, in the pathology of Parkinson's disease and several other neurodegenerative disorders. Alpha-synuclein and its homologue beta-synuclein are both natively unfolded proteins that colocalize in presynaptic terminals of neurons in many regions of the brain, including those of dopamine-producing cells of the substantia nigra. Unlike its homologue, beta-synuclein does not form fibrils and has been shown to inhibit the fibrillation of alpha-synuclein. In this study, we demonstrate that fast and efficient aggregation and fibrillation of beta-synuclein can be induced in the presence of a variety of factors. Certain metals (Zn(2+), Pb(2+), and Cu(2+)) induce a partially folded conformation of beta-synuclein that triggers rapid fibrillation. In the presence of these metals, mixtures of alpha- and beta-synucleins exhibited rapid fibrillation. The metal-induced fibrillation of beta-synuclein was further accelerated by the addition of glycosaminoglycans or high concentrations of macromolecular crowding agents. Beta-synuclein also rapidly formed soluble oligomers and fibrils in the presence of pesticides, whereas the addition of low concentrations of organic solvents induced formation of amorphous aggregates. These new findings demonstrate the potential effect of environmental pollutants in generating an amyloidogenic, and potentially neurotoxic, conformation, in an otherwise benign protein.