CPI-17-mediated contraction of vascular smooth muscle is essential for the development of hypertension in obese mice

Several factors have been implicated in obesity-related hypertension, but the genesis of the hypertension is largely unknown. In this study, we found a significantly upregulated expression of CPI-17(C-kinasepotentiated protein phosphatase 1 inhibitor of 17 kDa) and protein kinase C(PKC) isoforms in the vascular smooth muscles of high-fat diet(HFD)-fed obese mice. The obese wild-type mice showed a significant elevation of blood pressure and enhanced calcium-sensitized contraction of vascular smooth muscles. However, the obese CPI-17-deficient mice showed a normotensive blood pressure, and the calcium-sensitized contraction was consistently reduced. In addition, the mutant muscle displayed an abolished responsive force to a PKC activator and a 30%-50% reduction in both the initial peak force and sustained force in response to various G protein-coupled receptor(GPCR) agonists. Our observations showed that CPI-17-mediated calcium sensitization is mediated through a GPCR/PKC/CPI-17/MLCP/RLC signaling pathway. We therefore propose that the upregulation of CPI-17-mediated calcium-sensitized vasocontraction by obesity contributes to the development of obesity-related hypertension.     

Perivascular adipose tissue‐derived stromal cells contribute to vascular remodeling during aging

Aging is an independent risk factor for vascular diseases. Perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT), an active component of the vasculature, contributes to vascular dysfunction during aging. Identification of underlying cell types and their changes during aging may provide meaningful insights regarding the clinical relevance of aging‐related vascular diseases. Here, we take advantage of single‐cell RNA sequence to characterize the resident stromal cells in the PVAT (PVASCs) and identified different clusters between young and aged PVASCs. Bioinformatics analysis revealed decreased endothelial and brown adipogenic differentiation capacities of PVASCs during aging, which contributed to neointimal hyperplasia after perivascular delivery to ligated carotid arteries. Mechanistically, in vitro and in vivo studies both suggested that aging‐induced loss of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐γ coactivator‐1 α (PGC1α) was a key regulator of decreased brown adipogenic differentiation in senescent PVASCs. We further demonstrated the existence of human PVASCs (hPVASCs) and overexpression of PGC1α improved hPVASC delivery‐induced vascular remodeling. Our finding emphasizes that differentiation capacities of PVASCs alter during aging and loss of PGC1α in aged PVASCs contributes to vascular remodeling via decreased brown adipogenic differentiation.     

植物TOR激酶响应上游信号的研究进展

雷帕霉素靶蛋白(TOR)是真核生物中高度保守的丝氨酸/苏氨酸蛋白激酶, 能整合营养、能量、生长因子及环境信号, 协调细胞增殖、生长和代谢等过程, 是真核生物生长发育的核心调控因子。近年来, 随着相关研究系统的建立, 植物TOR的功能和机制研究取得了众多突破, 发现其进化上保守的生物学功能及植物中特有的信号通路。该文概述了TOR蛋白复合体的构成, 以及植物TOR响应糖、营养元素(氮、磷和硫)、激素及逆境胁迫信号来调控下游基因转录、蛋白翻译、代谢、细胞自噬和胁迫应答等生物学过程的分子机制, 并提出了植物TOR领域一些亟待解决的科学问题, 以期为全面揭示植物TOR的生物学功能提供参考。     

Physiological response of riparian plants to watering in hyper-arid areas of Tarim River, China

The physiological responses and adaptive strategies of Populus euphratica Oliv. (arbor species), Tamarix ramosissima Ldb. (bush species), and Apocynum venetum L. (herb species) to variations in water and salinity stress were studied in the hyper-arid environment of the Tarim River in China. The groundwater table, the saline content of the groundwater, as well as the content of free proline, soluble sugars, plant endogenous hormones (abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinins (CTK)) of the leaves of the three species were monitored and analyzed at the lower reaches of the Tarim River in the study area where five transects were fixed at 100 m intervals along a vertical sampling line before and after water release. Saline stress dramatically increased soluble sugar concentration of the three species. Differences in sugar accumulation were determined among the species at different transects. The free proline concentration of the leaves of T. ramosissima and P. euphratica showed a proportional decrease with various degrees of elevation of the groundwater table after water release. There was a least correlation between the soluble sugars and proline stimulation in T. ramosissima. It was strongly suggested that T. ramosissima developed a different strategy to accumulate organic solutes to adapt to the stress environment. The soluble sugars and proline accumulation responded to the changes of groundwater table independently: the former occurred under salt stress, whereas the latter was more significant under drought stress. The concentration and the increase in concentration of ABA and CTK involved in stress resistance of the three species were also determined. This increase in the hormone concentration in P. euphratica was different from that of the other two species. Expressed as a function of increase of ABA concentration in leaves, A. venetum and T. ramosissima showed a different solute accumulation in response to groundwater table. There was a significant correlation between ABA accumulation and Δ [proline] in A. venetum as well as between ABA accumulation and Δ [sugar] in T. ramosissima. Translated from Acta Ecologica Sinica, 2005, 25(8): 1966–1973 [译自: 生态学报]     

A fundamental regulatory role of formate on thuringiensin production by resting cell of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus thuringiensis</Emphasis> YBT-032

In this work, a fundamental regulatory role of formate on thuringiensin production by resting cell of Bacillus thuringiensis YBT-032 was investigated. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) production and formate dehydrogenase activity increased with formate addition from 0.5 to 2.0 g/L, respectively. However, with the formate addition of 1.5 g/L, the activities of pyruvate kinase and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase reached a peak and increased by 316 and 150% relative to those of the control, respectively. In addition, intracellular production of pyruvate, aspartate, citrate and adenine were significantly enhanced by 75, 66, 32 and 78% as well. An improvement (90%) of thuringiensin production was also successfully obtained. Interestingly to point out, thuringiensin yield was closely correlative with adenine production, and the linear relationship was also observed. The results suggest that appropriate formate addition did act as a modulator and facilitate carbon flux in glycolysis and pentose phosphate pathway to synthesize adenine and thuringiensin via intracellular NADH availability.     

The YCR079w gene confers a rapamycin-resistant function and encodes the sixth type 2C protein phosphatase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Type 2C protein phosphatase (PP2C) is a monomeric enzyme and requires Mg(2+) or Mn(2+) for its activity. Up to now, seven PP2C-like genes have been identified in the genome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. However, the protein encoded by the sixth PP2C-like gene, YCR079w, has not been demonstrated to have PP2C activity. In this study, we show that YCR079w confers a rapamycin-resistant function in yeast cells, and we also demonstrate that the YCR079w-encoded protein exhibits characteristics of a typical PP2C. Therefore, YCR079w encodes the sixth PP2C, PTC6, in budding yeast.