Localization and characterization of a putative cysteine desulfurase in Chlamydia psittaci

Chlamydia psittaci is an obligate intracellular pathogen with a biphasic developmental life cycle. It is auxotrophic for a variety of essential metabolites and obtains amino acids from eukaryotic host cells. Chlamydia can develop inside host cells within chlamydial inclusions. A pathway secreting proteins from inclusions into the host cellular cytoplasm is the type III secretion system (T3SS). The T3SS is universal among several Gram-negative bacteria. Here, we show that CPSIT_0959 of C. psittaci is expressed midcycle and secreted into the infected cellular cytoplasm via the T3SS. Recombinant CPSIT_0959 possesses cysteine desulfurase and PLP-binding activity, which removes sulfur from cysteine to produce alanine, and helps chlamydial replication. Our study shows that CPSIT_0959 improve the infectivity of offspring elementary bodies and seems to promote the replication by its product. This phenomenon has inhibited by the PLP-dependent enzymes inhibitor. Moreover, CPSIT_0959 increased expression of Bim and tBid, and decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential of host mitochondria to induce apoptosis in the latecycle for release of offspring. These results demonstrate that CPSIT_0959 has cysteine desulfurase and PLP-binding activity and is likely to contribute to apoptosis of the infected cells via a mitochondria-mediated pathway to improve the infectivity of progeny.     

滇黄精资源的开发应用进展及前景分析

滇黄精为重要药食两用资源,誉有"血气双补之王"之称。其在云南蕴藏量大,是黄精品种中产量及市场份额最大的,为重要的"云药"品种。对黄精的药用记载、生长环境、资源状况,以及化学成分、药理作用和产品研发进展进行了综述;并对滇黄精的产品研发前景、产业发展潜力及研发可行性进行了分析。结果显示有必要进一步加大滇黄精的研发力度,充分发挥其药食两用的特点及优势,努力把滇黄精发展成为云药产业、乃至我国中药产业的一大支柱。     

Associations between tumor necrosis factor alpha gene polymorphism and sarcoidosis: a meta-analysis

Published studies regarding the association between tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) gene polymorphism and sarcoidosis risk are inconsistent. In order to clarify this association, we performed a meta-analysis of case–control studies with available data. PubMed, EMBASE and BIOSIS Previews were comprehensively searched to identify relevant studies. Twelve case–control studies in 11 articles involving 3,218 participants were included in the meta-analysis to assess the association between TNF-α gene polymorphism and susceptibility to sarcoidosis. We estimated the pooled odds ratio (OR) with its 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CI) to explore the potential association. Our meta-analysis results suggested that TNF-α-308G/A AA/AG genotype increased sarcoidosis risk, in Asian and Caucasian ethnicity, and in sarcoidosis with Löfgren syndrome. No association was found between TNF-α-238G/A, TNF-α-857C/T polymorphism and sarcoidosis risk. In conclusion, our meta-analysis indicated that AG/GG genotype of TNF-α-308G/A are associated with increased sarcoidosis risk.     

A probe to study the toxic interaction of tartrazine with bovine hemoglobin at the molecular level

Tartrazine is an artificial azo dye commonly used in food products, but tartrazine in the environment is potentially harmful. The toxic interaction between tartrazine and bovine hemoglobin (BHb) was investigated using fluorescence, synchronous fluorescence, UV–vis absorption, circular dichroism (CD) and molecular modeling techniques under simulated physiological conditions. The fluorescence data showed that tartrazine can bind with BHb to form a complex. The binding process was a spontaneous molecular interaction, in which van der Waals' forces and hydrogen bonds played major roles. Molecular docking results showed that the hydrogen bonds exist between the oxygen atoms at position 31 of tartrazine and the nitrogen atom NZ7 on Lys99, and also between the oxygen atoms at position 15 of tartrazine and the nitrogen atom NZ7 on Lys104, Lys105. The results of UV–vis and CD spectra revealed that tartrazine led to conformational changes in BHb, including loosening of the skeleton structure and decreasing α helix in the secondary structure. The synchronous fluorescence experiment revealed that tartrazine binds into the hemoglobin central cavity, and this was verified using a molecular modeling study. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Design and synthesis of benzodiazepines as brain penetrating PARP-1 inhibitors

The poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors play a crucial role in cancer therapy. However, most approved PARP inhibitors cannot cross the blood-brain barrier, thus limiting their application in the central nervous system. Here, 55 benzodiazepines were designed and synthesised to screen brain penetrating PARP-1 inhibitors. All target compounds were evaluated for their PARP-1 inhibition activity, and compounds with better activity were selected for further assays in vitro. Among them, compounds H34, H42, H48, and H52 displayed acceptable inhibition effects on breast cancer cells. Also, computational prediction together with the permeability assays in vitro and in vivo proved that the benzodiazepine PARP-1 inhibitors we synthesised were brain permeable. Compound H52 exhibited a B/P ratio of 40 times higher than that of Rucaparib and would be selected to develop its potential use in neurodegenerative diseases. Our study provided potential lead compounds and design strategies for the development of brain penetrating PARP-1 inhibitors.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Structural fusion was used to screen brain penetrating PARP-1 inhibitors.
• 55 benzodiazepines were evaluated for their PARP-1 inhibition activity.
• Four compounds displayed acceptable inhibition effects on breast cancer cells.
• The benzodiazepine PARP-1 inhibitors were proved to be brain permeable.

     

不同经营模式对蒙古栎次生林叶功能性状和土壤理化性质的影响

植物功能性状是连接植物与环境的桥梁,能反映植物对外部环境的适应机制。以黑龙江省哈尔滨市丹青河实验林场3种经营模式下的蒙古栎天然次生林为研究对象,对其叶功能性状进行研究,探讨叶功能性状与土壤理化性质间的关系,对于理解植物对环境的适应机制及植物群落的构建具有重要意义。研究结果表明:(1)除土壤全钾、速效钾、有机碳含量外,不同经营模式下的土壤理化性质相差不大;(2)不同经营模式下的叶功能性状差异较大,目标树经营模式的单叶面积极显著大于综合抚育模式和无干扰模式(P0.01),目标树经营模式的叶氮、叶有机碳含量极显著小于综合抚育模式和无干扰模式(P0.01);单叶面积与叶氮含量、叶有机碳含量间均存在极显著负向相关关系(P0.01),叶氮含量与叶有机碳含量间存在极显著正向相关关系(P0.01);(3)土壤有机碳对单叶面积、叶氮含量、叶磷含量、叶有机碳含量均有显著影响。可见,不同经营模式下的蒙古栎天然次生林自我恢复能力较强,在采取不同程度的抚育后均未造成林地土壤养分的损失,土壤有机碳是影响不同经营模式下蒙古栎天然次生林叶功能性状变异的主要因素,蒙古栎天然次生林群落通过功能性状的耦合协调或组合来适应环境,植物功能性状对土壤理化性质的响应是一个长期的过程,仍需加强长期监测和更多研究。     

植物病毒适应性机制研究进展

植物病毒是一类专性寄生生物,其生存和繁衍依赖于宿主植物和传播介体.植物病毒通过适应性进化来对抗宿主的防御系统,响应环境的变化,确保病毒的顺利传播和扩大种群数量,其适应性机制的研究不仅有助于我们对病毒的变异和进化、病毒与宿主及传播介体间的互作有更深刻的理解,更重要的是为植物病毒病的防治提供了新的思路和途径.主要从RNA沉默抑制子、快速进化、病毒的传播3个方面,就近年来在植物病毒适应性机制研究领域的一些进展进行概述.     

东北地区北红尾鸲巢址选择及繁殖成效

北红尾鸲(Phoenicurus auroreus)是一种分布广泛的小型雀形目鸟类,主要分布于南亚东北部,东南亚北部、东亚及俄罗斯等地区,我国东北、华北、华中至西南等地也均有分布,是重要的食虫益鸟。为探究北红尾鸲巢址选择的影响因素,找到影响北红尾鸲繁殖成功率的主要巢址因子,于2017年4—7月,在辽宁仙人洞国家级自然保护区开展系统研究。共发现北红尾鸲自然巢44个,其中29巢繁殖成功,15巢繁殖失败。北红尾鸲主要筑巢于石墙缝、空心砖墙缝及废旧电表箱中。巢址参数的主成分分析结果表明:巢口因子(27.738%)、巢位因子(14.195%)、光照因子(12.145%)、人为干扰因子(10.440%)、安全因子(9.266%)和隐蔽因子(7.187%)是影响北红尾鸲巢址选择的重要因子。采用二元逻辑斯蒂回归分析繁殖成功巢与失败巢参数发现,成功巢的巢口最大高度显著小于失败巢(P=0.047),且其距顶的距离更近(P=0.043)。多元线性回归分析表明,巢上方盖度对繁殖成功率有极显著影响(t=2.883,P=0.009)。总的来说,北红尾鸲虽偏爱筑巢于人为干扰较大的村庄房屋附近,但较小的巢口能有效避免巢捕食者的捕食,更近的距顶距离和更大的巢上方盖度能有效降低巢上方的可视程度和降水等不利因素的影响,从而提高繁殖成功率。