Naturally Occurring Mutations Alter the Stability of Polycystin-1 Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Domains

Mutations in polycystin-1 (PC1) can cause autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, which is a leading cause of renal failure. The available evidence suggests that PC1 acts as a mechanosensor, receiving signals from the primary cilia, neighboring cells, and extracellular matrix. PC1 is a large membrane protein that has a long N-terminal extracellular region (about 3000 amino acids) with a multimodular structure including 16 Ig-like polycystic kidney disease (PKD) domains, which are targeted by many naturally occurring missense mutations. Nothing is known about the effects of these mutations on the biophysical properties of PKD domains. Here we investigate the effects of several naturally occurring mutations on the mechanical stability of the first PKD domain of human PC1 (HuPKDd1). We found that several missense mutations alter the mechanical unfolding pathways of HuPKDd1, resulting in distinct mechanical phenotypes. Moreover, we found that these mutations also alter the thermodynamic stability of a structurally homologous archaeal PKD domain. Based on these findings, we hypothesize that missense mutations may cause autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease by altering the stability of the PC1 ectodomain, thereby perturbing its ability to sense mechanical signals.     

长鳍篮子鱼消化道黏膜上皮的扫描电镜观察

采用扫描电镜观察了长鳍篮子鱼(Siganus canaliculatus)消化道黏膜上皮表面细微的结构特征。结果显示,长鳍篮子鱼食道黏膜为纵行黏膜褶皱,在褶皱上形成"V"字型次级褶皱,黏膜上皮表面具有许多分泌孔及较多腺体导管的开口,上皮细胞扁平,似鳞片状,连接紧密。胃黏膜褶皱呈绳状纵向排列,黏膜上皮表面有许多沟回,细胞之间有较多的胃小凹,在上皮表面可见有乳头状突起,未见有微绒毛;上皮细胞为五边形或六边形,无细胞间隙。肠黏膜分布着密集排列的肠绒毛,绒毛呈拇指状或扁平状,黏膜上皮表面呈脑回状,分布有许多分泌颗粒,细胞游离面分布着丰富的微绒毛,细胞为多边形、圆形、不规则形,有细胞间隙。幽门盲囊黏膜上皮的结构与肠道相似。本文探讨了黏膜上皮结构与功能的关系。     

Microbial biosensors: a review

A microbial biosensor is an analytical device which integrates microorganism(s) with a physical transducer to generate a measurable signal proportional to the concentration of analytes. In recent years, a large number of microbial biosensors have been developed for environmental, food, and biomedical applications. Starting with the discussion of various sensing techniques commonly used in microbial biosensing, this review article concentrates on the summarization of the recent progress in the fabrication and application of microbial biosensors based on amperometry, potentiometry, conductometry, voltammetry, microbial fuel cell, fluorescence, bioluminescence, and colorimetry, respectively. Prospective strategies for the design of future microbial biosensors will also be discussed.     

县域农业主导产业结构生态适宜性评价及其发展预测

基于生态适宜性“三基点”理论,采用动态赋权和拟合的方法,建立县域农业主导产业结构生态适宜性评价指标体系,并以山东省章丘市为例,对其县域农业主导产业结构生态适宜性进行评价.结果表明： 在有限的农业生态资源下,2005-2010年,章丘市4种农业主导产业的生态适宜性综合指数呈上升趋势;2011-2015年,则呈下降趋势,其中,2015年油料作物和水果的生态适宜性综合指数出现负值.对章丘市的应用研究证实了本文提出的县域农业主导产业结构生态适宜性评价方法的有效性及预测模型的合理性.     

1.42A crystal structure of mini-IGF-1(2): an analysis of the disulfide isomerization property and receptor binding property of IGF-1 based on the three-dimensional structure

Insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) share a homologous sequence, a similar three-dimensional structure and weakly overlapping biological activity, but IGF-1 folds into two thermodynamically stable disulfide isomers, while insulin folds into one unique stable tertiary structure. This is a very interesting phenomenon in which one amino acid sequence encodes two three-dimensional structures, and its molecular mechanism has remained unclear for a long time. In this study, the crystal structure of mini-IGF-1(2), a disulfide isomer of an artificial analog of IGF-1, was solved by the SAD/SIRAS method using our in-house X-ray source. Evidence was found in the structure showing that the intra-A-chain/domain disulfide bond of some molecules was broken; thus, it was proposed that disulfide isomerization begins with the breakdown of this disulfide bond. Furthermore, based on the structural comparison of IGF-1 and insulin, a new assumption was made that in insulin the several hydrogen bonds formed between the N-terminal region of the B-chain and the intra-A-chain disulfide region of the A-chain are the main reason for the stability of the intra-A-chain disulfide bond and for the prevention of disulfide isomerization, while Phe B1 and His B5 are very important for the formation of these hydrogen bonds. Moreover, the receptor binding property of IGF-1 was analyzed in detail based on the structural comparison of mini-IGF-1(2), native IGF-1, and small mini-IGF-1.     

Precise Reconstruction of Veins and Bile Ducts in Rat Liver Transplantation

Rat orthotopic liver transplantation (ROLT) remains a technically demanding procedure, especially regarding the reconstruction of the suprahepatic vena cava (SHVC). In this study, a new microsuture technique was developed for anastomosis of the SHVC, and a special single-groove cuff and blade-cut stent were introduced. With these modified techniques, we aimed to make a precise anastomosis of the SHVC and to provide optimal cuffs and stents for the reconstruction of the veins and bile ducts. According to different microsuture techniques for the SHVC and different types of cuffs and stents, three ROLT groups were created to compare the operation times and prognoses. Sham operations were performed as controls in the fourth group. The time expenditures with each step were compared among the transplantation groups. Biochemical parameters were tested at the end of a 1-month observation period. The short- and long-term survival rates of the transplantation groups were recorded and compared. Our new microsuture technique was faster than the conventional continuous suture technique for SHVC anastomosis (P < 0.05). The use of a single-groove cuff for reconstruction of the portal vein and the infrahepatic vena cava shortened the anastomotic time (P < 0.05). The use of blade-cut stents resulted in fewer biliary complications and better survival over the short and long terms (P < 0.05). Our new microsuture technique and the single-groove cuffs proved to be a precise method for venous reconstruction which shortened the anhepatic time and the anastomotic time significantly. The blade-cut stents apparently reduced the incidence of biliary complications. In summary, with this precise microsuture technique and delicate cuffs and stents, excellent long-term survival can be achieved easily and stably for ROLT.     

NMDA受体在海马CA3区习得性TP保持中的作用

The effect of microinjection of 2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (APV), a selective NMDA receptor antagonist, into the rat hippocampal CA3 area on the synaptic efficacy and related conditioned behavior during the acquisition and consolidation of discrimination learning behavior was examined. The results showed: (1) After population spike (PS) amplitude had just increased to the maximum through training i.e. learning-dependent LTP had just formed, APV 1 microliter (2 mmol/L) was injected into CA3 area, then the rats were trained during the time of efficacy of the drug in every experimental block. The result demonstrated that the PS amplitude could not be maintained at the highest level but decreased to the pre-experiment level after 8 blocks. Correct response percentage of rats could not be consolidated with further training but decreased to less than 10%. (2) After the PS amplitude had kept up at the highest level, APV 1 microliter (2 mmol/L) was injected into CA3 area, then the rats were trained during the time of efficacy of the drug in every experimental block, in which case the PS amplitude also could not be maintained at the highest level but decreased to the pre-experiment level after 14 blocks. Correlatively, when the correct response percentage of rats decreased gradually to less than 10%, the conditioned response of the animals extinguished, but its extinction speed was slower than it was in result (1). These results suggest that the NMDA receptor in CA3 area plays an important role in the maintenance of the learning-dependent long-term potentiation.     

胚胎和成体神经干细胞分化机制的研究

神经干细胞的分化调控一直是发育神经生物学的重要研究课题。综述了调节胚胎和成体神经干细胞分化的细胞内在因素和外部环境因素,初步探讨了胚胎和成体神经干细胞分化机制的差异。