Combinatorial polymer electrospun matrices promote physiologically-relevant cardiomyogenic stem cell differentiation

Myocardial infarction results in extensive cardiomyocyte death which can lead to fatal arrhythmias or congestive heart failure. Delivery of stem cells to repopulate damaged cardiac tissue may be an attractive and innovative solution for repairing the damaged heart. Instructive polymer scaffolds with a wide range of properties have been used extensively to direct the differentiation of stem cells. In this study, we have optimized the chemical and mechanical properties of an electrospun polymer mesh for directed differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) towards a cardiomyogenic lineage. A combinatorial polymer library was prepared by copolymerizing three distinct subunits at varying molar ratios to tune the physicochemical properties of the resulting polymer: hydrophilic polyethylene glycol (PEG), hydrophobic poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), and negatively-charged, carboxylated PCL (CPCL). Murine ESCs were cultured on electrospun polymeric scaffolds and their differentiation to cardiomyocytes was assessed through measurements of viability, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), α-myosin heavy chain expression (α-MHC), and intracellular Ca(2+) signaling dynamics. Interestingly, ESCs on the most compliant substrate, 4%PEG-86%PCL-10%CPCL, exhibited the highest α-MHC expression as well as the most mature Ca(2+) signaling dynamics. To investigate the role of scaffold modulus in ESC differentiation, the scaffold fiber density was reduced by altering the electrospinning parameters. The reduced modulus was found to enhance α-MHC gene expression, and promote maturation of myocyte Ca(2+) handling. These data indicate that ESC-derived cardiomyocyte differentiation and maturation can be promoted by tuning the mechanical and chemical properties of polymer scaffold via copolymerization and electrospinning techniques.     

Molecular insights into the klotho-dependent, endocrine mode of action of fibroblast growth factor 19 subfamily members

Unique among fibroblast growth factors (FGFs), FGF19, -21, and -23 act in an endocrine fashion to regulate energy, bile acid, glucose, lipid, phosphate, and vitamin D homeostasis. These FGFs require the presence of Klotho/betaKlotho in their target tissues. Here, we present the crystal structures of FGF19 alone and FGF23 in complex with sucrose octasulfate, a disaccharide chemically related to heparin. The conformation of the heparin-binding region between beta strands 10 and 12 in FGF19 and FGF23 diverges completely from the common conformation adopted by paracrine-acting FGFs. A cleft between this region and the beta1-beta2 loop, the other heparin-binding region, precludes direct interaction between heparin/heparan sulfate and backbone atoms of FGF19/23. This reduces the heparin-binding affinity of these ligands and confers endocrine function. Klotho/betaKlotho have evolved as a compensatory mechanism for the poor ability of heparin/heparan sulfate to promote binding of FGF19, -21, and -23 to their cognate receptors.     

血水草地下部分白屈菜红碱的含量测定

提出一个单波长扫描测定血水草地下部分白屈菜红碱含量的方法,药材以95％的乙醇提取在320nm处测定,回收率为96.3％(CV=2.39％),结果稳定可靠。     

鹿衔草化学成分的研究：羟基肾叶鹿蹄草甙的结构鉴定

从鹿衔草（Ｐｙｒｏｌａ ｃａｌｌｉａｎｔｈａ Ｈ．Ａｎｄｒｅｓ）分离得到两个化合物。经光谱分析,确定其中１个化合物为新化合物,命名为羟基肾叶鹿蹄草甙（１, ｈｙｄｒｏｘｙｌｒｅｎｉｆｏｌｉｎ）,另一化合物为儿茶素（３）。     

龙眼胚性愈伤组织DRM1基因的克隆及其定位与表达分析

该研究以龙眼胚性愈伤组织的转录组数据为基础,对龙眼胚性愈伤组织DlDRM1基因进行克隆和生物学信息分析,并检测其在体胚发生过程中不同发育阶段、不同浓度的外源激素(2,4-D、IAA、KT)处理下及不同组织部位的表达,以揭示DlDRM1基因在龙眼体胚发生过程中的功能。结果表明:(1)从龙眼转录组unigene序列筛选获得龙眼结构域重排甲基化酶1基因(命名为DlDRM1)全长序列,并利用RT-PCR法从‘红核子’龙眼胚性愈伤组织中克隆获得DlDRM1基因的cDNA全长序列(GenBank登录号为KY990493);DlDRM1基因cDNA全长2 574bp,包括494bp的5′UTR,184bp的3′UTR,可编码包含631个氨基酸的蛋白质。(2)生物信息学分析显示,DlDRM1是一个不稳定的亲水蛋白,不含信号肽,不存在跨膜结构域,其分子式为C_(3104)H_(4839)N_(851)O_(984)S_(28);序列比对和系统进化分析表明,龙眼DlDRM1与脐橙DRM相似度最高(76.85%),二者亲缘关系也最为接近。(3)实时荧光定量PCR分析发现,DlDRM1在龙眼各组织器官中均有表达,且在果肉中表达量最高,其次是花蕾,在叶中的表达量最低;DlDRM1基因在非胚性愈伤组织中表达量最高,而且在非胚性愈伤向胚性愈伤转变过程中DlDRM1基因的表达量呈逐步下降趋势,说明DlDRM1基因与体胚胚性呈负相关关系,在龙眼体胚发生过程中可能发挥着重要的作用;一定浓度的IAA和2,4-D能够促进DlDRM1基因的表达,而KT则抑制DlDRM1的表达。(4)亚细胞定位结果表明,DlDRM1定位于细胞核和细胞膜上。     

诱变筛选荧光假单胞菌M18高产吩嗪-1-羧酸(PCA)菌株及发酵条件研究

研究了亚硝基胍(NTG)的诱变剂量、处理时间以及氯化钠浓度对野生型荧光假单胞菌M18存活率的影响,NTG的诱变剂量25～200mg／L,处理时间10～30min范围内,随着诱变剂剂量增加和时间的延长,M18的存活率不断下降。NTG的作用剂量25mg／L,处理时间10min时,细菌存活率为55％左右。利用细菌存活率为55％时的诱变条件,经生物测定,初筛获得20株抑菌效果明显的诱变株。经摇瓶发酵复筛,从这20株诱变株中,获得PCA高产诱变株M18N07。并对此菌株发酵条件进行调整,较理想的培养条件为：蛋白胨18g／L,葡萄糖16g／L,氯化钠1g／L,硝酸钾10g／L。小瓶培养时间17h,大瓶5％接种量,28℃培养54h。     

北部湾涠洲岛水域发现上颌和须板异常的布氏鲸:对保护的启示

2018年初以来,北部湾涠洲岛附近出现了布氏鲸（Balaenoptera edeni）的活动。一头上颌与须板异常的小布氏鲸个体引发热议,其视频在网络上广泛流传。我们在船只调查时,目击该个体10次,其以单独活动为主（90%）,主要出现在涠洲岛到斜阳岛之间的水域,最小凸多边形家域面积为14km2,核心家域面积为166.9km²。然而,在 2019年3月30日我们发现该个体已死亡漂浮在海面,根据尸体腐烂状况来推测,该个体的死亡时间大约为3~5日,死亡原因不明。根据照片和现场解剖分析,推测该小布氏鲸的上颌和鲸须异常可能是被渔网或绳索缠绕导致的。由于无法从外形上确认属于哪一个亚种,因此我们测定了该个体的线粒体DNA D-loop（mitochondrial DNA, mtDNA）和细胞色素b（cytochrome b, Cyt b）基因,分别得到909bp和395bp的序列,经比对和系统发育重建,发现该个体属于近岸分布的小布氏鲸亚种（Eden’s whale, B. e. edeni）。由于小布氏鲸具有一定季节迁移特性,我们无法判断造成其上颌伤害的渔网或绳索是否在中国水域。尽管如此,仍然建议当地部门应加强宣传,减少渔网等海洋垃圾的丢弃和排放,为小布氏鲸营造一个安全的栖息环境。     

镉吸附细菌的分离及其对土壤镉的固定

[目的] 探究镉吸附细菌是否能够高效固定土壤有效镉（Cd）,为土壤有效Cd的微生物固定提供理论依据。[方法] 利用含Cd²⁺牛肉膏蛋白胨液体培养基对细菌进行Cd的耐受性测试筛选出镉抗性强的菌株;通过16S rRNA基因相似性及系统进化分析鉴定耐镉细菌,将菌细胞加入含CdCl₂溶液中进行Cd²⁺吸附效率测定;通过土培模拟实验,测定土壤pH、碱解氮、有效磷、速效钾、有机质、CEC、有效Cd及微生物数量来分析镉吸附细菌对镉污染土壤的影响。[结果] 从德阳鱼腥草根际土壤中分离获得的57株细菌对Cd²⁺表现出不同程度的抗性,并从中筛选出3株耐Cd优势细菌普罗威登斯菌属（Providencia）DY8、芽孢杆菌属（Bacillus）DY3和芽孢杆菌属（Bacillus）DY1-4。其对溶液中的Cd²⁺表现出较好的吸附作用,吸附效率随着Cd²⁺浓度升高而降低。DY8、DY3、DY1-4能使镉污染土壤中有效Cd含量分别降低72.11%、68.55%、62.32%,同时显著提高镉污染土壤中碱解氮、有效磷的含量。[结论] Cd污染农田土壤中含有丰富的耐Cd微生物资源,Cd吸附细菌能降低土壤中有效Cd的含量,且能有效改善土壤养分条件。     

A method for repetitive artifact suppression in multichannel EEG recordings

An artifact suppression method based on the assumption of linear independence of EEG and artifact signals is described. This assumption allows the use of principal component analysis for their separation. The method makes it possible to eliminate electrooculogram (EOG) signals from multichannel EEG recordings regardless of the use of special EOG channels in the recording, as well as to eliminate any other repetitive artifacts, including pulse and electrocardiogram artifacts, ones related to mechanical instability of the reference electrode, etc.