IL1RN promotes osteoblastic differentiation via interacting with ITGB3 in osteoporosis

The occurrence and progress of osteoporosis(OP)are partially caused by impaired osteoblast differentiation.Interleukin-I receptor antagonist(IL1RN)is an immune ...     

Hemin with Peroxidase Activity Can Inhibit the Oxidative Damage Induced by Ultraviolet A

Excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS), a highly reactive substance that contains oxygen, induced by ultraviolet A (UVA) cause oxidative damage to skin. We confirmed that hemin can catalyze the reaction of tyrosine (Tyr) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). Catalysis was found to effectively reduce or eliminate oxidative damage to cells induced by H₂O₂ or UVA. The scavenging effects of hemin for other free-radical ROS were also evaluated through pyrogallol autoxidation, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH·)-scavenging assays, and phenanthroline–Fe²⁺ assays. The results show that a mixture of hemin and tyrosine exhibits strong scavenging activities for H₂O₂, superoxide anion (O₂⁻·), DPPH·, and the hydroxyl radical (·OH). Furthermore, the inhibition of oxidative damage to human skin keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells induced by H₂O₂ or UVA was evaluated. The results show that catalysis can significantly reduce the ratio of cell apoptosis and death and inhibit the release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), as well as accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA). Furthermore, the resistance to apoptosis was found to be enhanced. These results show that the mixture of hemin and tyrosine has a significantly protective effect against oxidative damage to HaCaT cells caused by UVA, suggesting it as a protective agent for combating UVA damage.     

Is the removal of aboveground shrub biomass an effective technique to restore a shrub‐encroached grassland?

Encroachment of woody plants into grasslands is a global phenomenon that has substantial impacts on pastoral productivity and ecosystem services. Over the past half century, pastoralists and land management agencies have explored various options to control woody plants in order to improve ecosystem services in shrub‐encroached grasslands. We examined the effectiveness of controlling the encroachment of the shrub Caragana microphylla into grassland in Inner Mongolia, China. We cut and removed all of the aboveground biomass from 450 shrubs, predicting that the effectiveness of this technique to control shrubs would depend on shrub morphology. Specifically, we expected that larger shrubs with more biomass would be more difficult to kill by cutting than smaller shrubs. A year after treatment, we found that cutting killed only 11% of the 450 treated shrubs, and of these, three‐quarters of the locations that they occupied reverted to grasses and one‐quarter to bare soil. Shrubs that survived the cutting treatment produced more stems and leaf biomass, and therefore had a greater leaf to stem ratio. Shrubs that died after cutting had a lower crown area and basal area, and less stem biomass than shrubs that resprouted within 12 months of cutting. There were no effects of shrub height on the fate of treated shrubs. Cutting had no effect on understory plant cover or richness, but reproductive plants were taller under shrubs that were not cut. Overall, our study showed that removing aboveground shrub biomass by cutting is an ineffective technique for “restoring” the original grassland community unless shrubs are very small. Strategic targeting of small shrubs would be a more effective technique for controlling the spread of C. microphylla in the long term.     

A preliminary X-ray study of a refolded PTS EIIBfruc protein from Escherichia coli

The phosphoenolpyruvate-carbohydrate phosphotransferase system (PTS) catalyzes the phosphorylation and transportation of its sugar substrates. A sugar-specific enzyme II complex involved in the PTS finally functions to translocate substrates across the membrane. A PTS EIIB(fruc) protein, a fructose specific EIIB subunit, from Escherichia coli has been cloned, expressed, refolded, purified, and crystallized. The synchrotron data were collected to 2.6 A from the crystal of a selenomethionine substitute PTS EIIB(fruc) protein. The crystal belongs to the primitive trigonal space group P3(1)21, with unit-cell parameters of a = 33.4 A, b = 33.4 A, c = 154.0 A, and beta = 120.0 degrees . A full structure determination is under way to provide insights into the structure-function relationships of this protein.     

鸡传染性喉气管炎病毒gB基因的克隆及其在耻垢分枝杆菌中的表达

以ILTV基因组为模板 ,利用PCR特异扩增出gB基因 ,定向克隆到中间质粒载体pY_α ,构建了中间质粒pY_α_gB。然后以中间质粒pY_α_gB为模板 ,扩增出含有人结核分枝杆菌启动子hsp70基因和堪萨斯分枝杆菌α信号肽基因的hsp_α_gB片段 ,回收补平后与穿梭表达载体pRR3平端连接 ,从而构建大肠杆菌_分枝杆菌穿梭表达质粒pR_α_gB。再将其电转化至耻垢分枝杆菌M .smegmatismc2 15 5 ,ELISA检测表明重组菌株M .smegmatismc2 15 5 (pR_α_gB)的表达产物具有很好的反应原性。Westernblot检测说明gB基因在分枝杆菌中获得了表达并具有良好的免疫原性。鸡胚中和试验结果表明该重组菌株可以中和 1个剂量EID50 的ILTV强毒 ,能够保护SPF鸡胚抵抗强毒攻击     

Protein kinase C delta null mice exhibit structural alterations in articular surface,intra-articular and subchondral compartments

IntroductionStructural alterations in intra-articular and subchondral compartments are hallmarks of osteoarthritis, a degenerative disease that causes pain and disability in the aging population. Protein kinase C delta (PKC-δ) plays versatile functions in cell growth and differentiation, but its role in the articular cartilage and subchondral bone is not known.MethodsHistological analysis including alcian blue, safranin O staining and fluorochrome labeling were used to reveal structural alterations at the articular cartilage surface and bone–cartilage interface in PKC-δ knockout (KO) mice. The morphology and organization of chondrocytes were studied using confocal microscopy. Glycosaminoglycan content was studied by micromass culture of chondrocytes of PKC-δ KO mice.ResultsWe uncovered atypical structural demarcation between articular cartilage and subchondral bone of PKC-δ KO mice. Histology analyses revealed a thickening of the articular cartilage and calcified bone–cartilage interface, and decreased safranin O staining accompanied by an increase in the number of hypertrophic chondrocytes in the articular cartilage of PKC-δ KO mice. Interestingly, loss of demarcation between articular cartilage and bone was concomitant with irregular chondrocyte morphology and arrangement. Consistently, in vivo calcein labeling assay showed an increased intensity of calcein labeling in the interface of the growth plate and metaphysis in PKC-δ KO mice. Furthermore, in vitro culture of chondrocyte micromass showed a decreased alcian blue staining of chondrocyte micromass in the PKC-δ KO mice, indicative of a reduced level of glycosaminoglycan production.ConclusionsOur data imply a role for PKC-δ in the osteochondral plasticity of the interface between articular cartilage and the osteochondral junction.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13075-015-0720-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

泛素化修饰与植物免疫应答

植物暴露在细菌、病毒和真菌等病原微生物环境中,病虫害是限制农作物产量和品质的主要因素,而植物病虫害的防治依赖于对植物抗病机制的深入认识。近年来的研究表明,蛋白质泛素化广泛地参与植物防御调节。蛋白质泛素化是真核生物中重要的翻译后修饰方式之一,在植物中,泛素化修饰在多种信号传导途径中发挥作用,如激素、光、糖应答,发育调节和病原菌防御信号途径等。综述了蛋白质泛素化修饰在植物免疫应答中的调控作用。     

Mechanisms of the acute ischemia-induced arrhythmogenesis--a simulation study

The underlying ionic mechanisms of ischemic-induced arrhythmia were studied by the computer simulation method. To approximate the real situation, ischemic cells were simulated by considering the three major component conditions of acute ischemia (elevated extracellular K(+) concentration, acidosis and anoxia) at the level of ionic currents and ionic concentrations, and a round ischemic zone was introduced into a homogeneous healthy sheet to avoid sharp angle of the ischemic tissue. The constructed models were solved using the operator splitting and adaptive time step methods, and the perturbation finite difference (PFD) scheme was first used to integrate the partial differential equations (PDEs) in the model. The numerical experiments showed that the action potential durations (APDs) of ischemic cells did not exhibited rate adaptation characteristic, resulting in flattening of the APD restitution curve. With reduction of sodium channel availability and long recovery of excitability, refractory period of the ischemic tissue was significantly prolonged, and could no longer be considered as same as APD. Slope of the conduction velocity (CV) restitution curve increased both in normal and ischemic region when pacing cycle length (PCL) was short, and refractory period dispersion increased with shortening of PCL as well. Therefore, dynamic changes of CV and dispersion of refractory period rather than APD were suggested to be the fundamental mechanisms of arrhythmia in regional ischemic myocardium.     

污水土地处理生态工程综合效益评价以霍林河森林型慢速渗滤土地处理工程为例

为了科学、定量地评价污水土地处理生态工程的综合效益,运用层次分析法（ＡＨＰ）,提出了评价指标体系、指标权重和综合效益计算方法．应用此方法对霍林河森林型慢速渗滤土地处理工程的综合效益进行了分析与评价．结果表明,霍林河森林型慢速渗滤土地处理工程的综合效益值ＣＥ＝０．６４,属于中级生态经济系统,而且具有良好的环境效益和社会效益