Genetic Structure and Diversity of Glycyrrhiza Populations Based on Transcriptome SSR Markers

Plant Molecular Biology Reporter - Glycyrrhiza is a widely used traditional Chinese herb with medicinal value. Recently, however, Glycyrrhiza biodiversity has faced an unprecedented threat due to...     

Identification of 4-lncRNA prognostic signature in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Deregulated long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) have been critically implicated in tumorigenesis and serve as novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. Here we sought to develop a prognostic lncRNA signature in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Original RNA-seq data of 499 HNSCC samples were retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas database, which was randomly divided into training and testing set. Univariate Cox regression survival analysis, robust likelihood-based survival model and random sampling iterations were applied to identify prognostic lncRNA candidates in the training cohort. A prognostic risk score was developed based on the Cox coefficient of four individual lncRNA imputed as follows: (0.14546 × expression level of RP11-366H4.1) + (0.27106 × expression level of LINC01123) + (0.54316 × expression level of RP11-110I1.14) + (−0.48794 × expression level of CTD-2506J14.1). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that patients with high-risk score had significantly reduced overall survival as compared with those with low-risk score when patients in training, testing, and validation cohorts were stratified into high- or low-risk subgroups. Multivariate survival analysis further revealed that this 4-lncRNA signature was a novel and important prognostic factor independent of multiple clinicopathological parameters. Importantly, ROC analyses indicated that predictive accuracy and sensitivity of this 4-lncRNA signature outperformed those previously well-established prognostic factors. Noticeably, prognostic score based on quantification of these 4-lncRNA via qRT-PCR in another independent HNSCC cohort robustly stratified patients into subgroups with high or low survival. Taken together, we developed a robust 4-lncRNA prognostic signature for HNSCC that might provide a novel powerful prognostic biomarker for precision oncology.     

Nonalternating purine pyrimidine sequences can form stable left-handed DNA duplex by strong topological constraint

In vivo, left-handed DNA duplex (usually refers to Z-DNA) is mainly formed in the region of DNA with alternating purine pyrimidine (APP) sequence and plays significant biological roles. It is well known that d(CG)_n sequence can form Z-DNA most easily under negative supercoil conditions, but its essence has not been well clarified. The study on sequence dependence of Z-DNA stability is very difficult without modification or inducers. Here, by the strong topological constraint caused by hybridization of two complementary short circular ssDNAs, left-handed duplex part was generated for various sequences, and their characteristics were investigated by using gel-shift after binding to specific proteins, CD and T_m analysis, and restriction enzyme cleavage. Under the strong topological constraint, non-APP sequences can also form left-handed DNA duplex as stable as that of APP sequences. As compared with non-APP sequences, the thermal stability difference for APP sequences between Z-form and B-form is smaller, which may be the reason that Z-DNA forms preferentially for APP ones. This result can help us to understand why nature selected APP sequences to regulate gene expression by transient Z-DNA formation, as well as why polymer with chirality can usually form both duplexes with left- or right-handed helix.     

CHCHD2 and CHCHD10 regulate mitochondrial dynamics and integrated stress response

Mitochondrial dysfunction is becoming one of the main pathology factors involved in the etiology of neurological disorders. Recently, mutations of the coiled-coil-helix-coiled-coil-helix domain containing 2 (CHCHD2) and 10 (CHCHD10) which encode two homologous proteins that belong to the mitochondrial CHCH domain protein family, are linked to Parkinson’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)/frontotemporal dementia (FTD), respectively. However, the physiological and pathological roles of these twin proteins have not been well elaborated. Here, we show that, in physiological conditions, CHCHD2 and CHCHD10 interact with OMA1 and suppress its enzyme activity, which not only restrains the initiation of the mitochondrial integrated response stress (mtISR), but also suppresses the processing of OPA1 for mitochondrial fusion. Further, during mitochondria stress-induced by carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) treatment, CHCHD2 and CHCHD10 translocate to the cytosol and interacte with eIF2a, which attenuates mtISR overactivation by suppressing eIF2a phosphorylation and its downstream response. As such, knockdown of CHCHD2 and CHCHD10 triggers mitochondrial ISR, and such cellular response is enhanced by CCCP treatment. Therefore, our findings demonstrate the first “mtISR suppressor” localized in mitochondria for regulating stress responses in mammalian cells, which has a profound pathological impact on the CHCH2/CHCH10-linked neurodegenerative disorder.Subject terms: Stress signalling, Mitochondria     

耐受高浓度铯离子细菌的研究进展

浓度高于毫摩尔级的铯离子即可对一般的微生物产生毒害作用。迄今为止,研究发现多株可以耐受铯离子的细菌,一些细菌耐受铯离子的浓度甚至超过200毫摩尔,这对于揭示细菌耐受铯离子机制,开展微生物修复铯污染环境具有重要意义。本文系统总结在筛选耐受铯离子细菌方面的研究进展,探讨这些菌株耐受高浓度铯离子的分子机制,展望利用微生物进行铯污染环境修复的前景,以期为探索放射性铯污染环境的微生物生态修复提供参考。     

金属螯合载体固定重组腈水解酶

以琼脂粉为基质制备金属螯合载体,并用于固定重组腈水解酶。研究发现:制备金属螯合载体最合适的金属离子为Zn2+。当Zn2+离子浓度0.3 mol/L、给酶量15.6 mg/g、固定化pH 8.0、固定化温度40℃时,制得的固定化酶活性最高。固定化酶最适反应温度为50℃、最适反应pH为7.0。当扁桃腈浓度为10 mmol/L、反应1 h时,固定化酶最大产率为0.041 mmol/(g·h);在反应12 h时,产物e.e.值可达到99%以上。固定化酶重复使用8次以后,酶活力仍保持在45%。     

溶藻菌株NP23的紫外诱变选育

应用紫外诱变技术对溶藻菌株NP23进行紫外诱变处理。经过粗筛后,从8株诱变株中选出2株对绿藻中小球藻和蓝藻中惠氏微囊藻的去除效果明显优于原始菌株的突变株NP23-1和NP23-4,其溶藻率(叶绿素a的去除率)比原始菌株提高30%-35%。连续6代测试,2株诱变菌株NP23-1和NP23-4溶藻率都很稳定,表明所得突变株是比原始菌株更优秀的溶藻菌株。     

黑叶猴和灰叶猴的线粒体DNA限制性片段长度多态研究

本文以15种限制性内切酶分析黑叶猴和灰叶猴种内及种间mtDNA多态。从各个样品中分别检出了41—50个酶切位点。综合15种限制内酶的酶切类型,在2只黑叶猴和2只灰叶猴中分别检出了两种限制性类型,并与其4个地理来源相对应。结合恒河猴和红面猴的资料,构建了4种猴科动物的分子系统树。结果表明,黑叶猴和灰叶猴种内的分歧分别始于30和35万年以前,两种叶猴的分离始于190万年以前,猴亚科和疣猴亚科的分离应早于1100万年。叶猴属在中国的扩散不是很晚才发生的。