The histone H3K79 methyltransferase Dot1L is essential for mammalian development and heterochromatin structure

Dot1 is an evolutionarily conserved histone methyltransferase specific for lysine 79 of histone H3 (H3K79). In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Dot1-mediated H3K79 methylation is associated with telomere silencing, meiotic checkpoint control, and DNA damage response. The biological function of H3K79 methylation in mammals, however, remains poorly understood. Using gene targeting, we generated mice deficient for Dot1L, the murine Dot1 homologue. Dot1L-deficient embryos show multiple developmental abnormalities, including growth impairment, angiogenesis defects in the yolk sac, and cardiac dilation, and die between 9.5 and 10.5 days post coitum. To gain insights into the cellular function of Dot1L, we derived embryonic stem (ES) cells from Dot1L mutant blastocysts. Dot1L-deficient ES cells show global loss of H3K79 methylation as well as reduced levels of heterochromatic marks (H3K9 di-methylation and H4K20 tri-methylation) at centromeres and telomeres. These changes are accompanied by aneuploidy, telomere elongation, and proliferation defects. Taken together, these results indicate that Dot1L and H3K79 methylation play important roles in heterochromatin formation and in embryonic development.     

表达HPV16 L1抗原的1型重组AAV载体免疫效果的研究

为研究1型重组腺病毒伴随病毒(Adeno-associated virus type 1,AAV1)载体作为HPV16预防性疫苗的可行性,构建含密码子优化型HPV16L1基因(mod.HPV16L1)的1型重组AAV载体rAAV1-mod.HPV16L1,将纯化的rAAV1-mod.HPV16L1以肌注和滴鼻途径分别免疫C57BL/6小鼠,使用体外中和实验检测血清中的特异性中和抗体.结果显示,rAAV1-mod.HPV16L1单针肌注及滴鼻免疫均可诱导特异性血清中和抗体,但二组抗体动态变化趋势不同,肌注组血清中和抗体滴度显著高于滴鼻组.rAAV1-mod.HPV16L1单针肌注免疫可诱导强而持久的血清中和抗体,是理想的候选HPV16预防性疫苗.     

贵州高原红枫湖水库浮游植物功能分组及其时空分布特征

为了解贵州高原水源红枫湖水库的浮游植物功能类群及其时空分布特征,于2012年至2013年枯水期(11月)、平水期(4月)、丰水期(7月)对红枫湖浮游植物与水体进行分层采样分析。研究结果表明,水库浮游植物可分为25个功能群,其中S1、F、J、B、D、S2、Y、LM是红枫湖主要代表性功能群,而W1、A、W2、K、X3出现频率较低,主要功能群生境特征都适应于中富营养水体,S1适应于透明度较低、混合程度较高的中富营养水体,F适应于深层混合的中至富营养湖泊,J适应于混合的高富营养浅水水体,B对分层敏感适应于中营养水体;各采样点主要浮游植物功能群季节变化大体相同,枯水期、平水期各采样点功能群较少,丰水期功能群最为丰富;水温是影响红枫湖浮游植物功能类群分布变化的主要因子;浮游植物生长策略变化规律为:枯水期CR/R/S策略藻种→平水期R/CR/CS策略藻种→丰水期R/CR/CRS/C策略藻种,水体浮游植物优势功能群在物质供给、能量输入均较理想的条件下能充分生长,随着能量限制程度的增加而较其他类群更具耐受性;通过浮游植物功能群与水体环境相互关系可以得出:红枫湖水体处于中富营养状态。     

The Effect of Pollination on Cd Phytoextraction From Soil by Maize (Zea mays L.)

A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of pollination on cadmium (Cd) phytoextraction from soil by mature maize plants. The results showed that the unpollinated maize plants accumulated 50% more Cd than that of the pollinated plants, even though the dry weight of the former plants was 15% less than that of the latter plants. The Cd accumulation in root and leaf of the unpollinated maize plant was 0.47 and 0.89 times higher than that of the pollinated plant, respectively. The Cd concentration in the cob was significantly decreased because of pollination. Preventing pollination is a promising approach for enhancing the effectiveness of phytoextraction in Cd-contaminated soils by maize. This study suggested that in low Cd-contaminated soil pollination should be encouraged because accumulation of Cd in maize grains is very little and maize seeds can bring farmers economic benefits, while in high Cd-contaminated soil, inhibition of pollination can be applied to enhance phytoextraction of Cd from soil by maize plant.     

光周期对粘虫生殖与飞翔影响的初步研究

在室内恒温条件下,测定了粘虫在短光照（ＬＤ８：１６）、中等光照（ＬＤ１２：１２）、长光照（ＬＤ１６：８）、光照逐日由长变短（ＬＤ１６：８－１２：１２）和逐日由为长（ＬＤ８：１６－１２：１２）等不同光周期条件下的发育进度,生殖力和飞翔能力。结果表明,光照由长变短使幼虫发育进度比其它处理平均缩短１ｄ以上,短光照、长变知道工换短、中等光照等条件下的成虫产卵前期均比长光照。短换长和短变和等处理蛾显著延长,     

HDAC1 Regulates the Proliferation of Radial Glial Cells in the Developing Xenopus Tectum

In the developing central nervous system (CNS), progenitor cells differentiate into progeny to form functional neural circuits. Radial glial cells (RGs) are a transient progenitor cell type that is present during neurogenesis. It is thought that a combination of neural trophic factors, neurotransmitters and electrical activity regulates the proliferation and differentiation of RGs. However, it is less clear how epigenetic modulation changes RG proliferation. We sought to explore the effect of histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity on the proliferation of RGs in the visual optic tectum of Xenopus laevis. We found that the number of BrdU-labeled precursor cells along the ventricular layer of the tectum decrease developmentally from stage 46 to stage 49. The co-labeling of BrdU-positive cells with brain lipid-binding protein (BLBP), a radial glia marker, showed that the majority of BrdU-labeled cells along the tectal midline are RGs. BLBP-positive cells are also developmentally decreased with the maturation of the brain. Furthermore, HDAC1 expression is developmentally down-regulated in tectal cells, especially in the ventricular layer of the tectum. Pharmacological blockade of HDACs using Trichostatin A (TSA) or Valproic acid (VPA) decreased the number of BrdU-positive, BLBP-positive and co-labeling cells. Specific knockdown of HDAC1 by a morpholino (HDAC1-MO) decreased the number of BrdU- and BLBP-labeled cells and increased the acetylation level of histone H4 at lysine 12 (H4K12). The visual deprivation-induced increase in BrdU- and BLBP-positive cells was blocked by HDAC1 knockdown at stage 49 tadpoles. These data demonstrate that HDAC1 regulates radial glia cell proliferation in the developing optical tectum of Xenopus laevis.     

Uptake and metabolism of fructose by rat neocortical cells in vivo and by isolated nerve terminals in vitro

Fructose reacts spontaneously with proteins in the brain to form advanced glycation end products (AGE) that may elicit neuroinflammation and cause brain pathology, including Alzheimer's disease. We investigated whether fructose is eliminated by oxidative metabolism in neocortex. Injection of [¹⁴C]fructose or its AGE‐prone metabolite [¹⁴C]glyceraldehyde into rat neocortex in vivo led to formation of ¹⁴C‐labeled alanine, glutamate, aspartate, GABA, and glutamine. In isolated neocortical nerve terminals, [¹⁴C]fructose‐labeled glutamate, GABA, and aspartate, indicating uptake of fructose into nerve terminals and oxidative fructose metabolism in these structures. This was supported by high expression of hexokinase 1, which channels fructose into glycolysis, and whose activity was similar with fructose or glucose as substrates. By contrast, the fructose‐specific ketohexokinase was weakly expressed. The fructose transporter Glut5 was expressed at only 4% of the level of neuronal glucose transporter Glut3, suggesting transport across plasma membranes of brain cells as the limiting factor in removal of extracellular fructose. The genes encoding aldose reductase and sorbitol dehydrogenase, enzymes of the polyol pathway that forms glucose from fructose, were expressed in rat neocortex. These results point to fructose being transported into neocortical cells, including nerve terminals, and that it is metabolized and thereby detoxified primarily through hexokinase activity.

     

Anticancer immunotherapy by CTLA-4 blockade: obligatory contribution of IL-2 receptors and negative prognostic impact of soluble CD25

The cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4)-blocking antibody ipilimumab induces immune-mediated long-term control of metastatic melanoma in a fraction of patients. Although ipilimumab undoubtedly exerts its therapeutic effects via immunostimulation, thus far clinically useful, immunologically relevant biomarkers that predict treatment efficiency have been elusive. Here, we show that neutralization of IL-2 or blocking the α and β subunits of the IL-2 receptor (CD25 and CD122, respectively) abolished the antitumor effects and the accompanying improvement of the ratio of intratumoral T effector versus regulatory cells (Tregs), which were otherwise induced by CTLA-4 blockade in preclinical mouse models. CTLA-4 blockade led to the reduction of a suppressive CD4⁺ T cell subset expressing Lag3, ICOS, IL-10 and Egr2 with a concomitant rise in IL-2-producing effector cells that lost FoxP3 expression and accumulated in regressing tumors. While recombinant IL-2 improved the therapeutic efficacy of CTLA-4 blockade, the decoy IL-2 receptor α (IL-2Rα, sCD25) inhibited the anticancer effects of CTLA-4 blockade. In 262 metastatic melanoma patients receiving ipilimumab, baseline serum concentrations of sCD25 represented an independent indicator of overall survival, with high levels predicting resistance to therapy. Altogether, these results unravel a role for IL-2 and IL-2 receptors in the anticancer activity of CTLA-4 blockade. Importantly, our study provides the first immunologically relevant biomarker, namely elevated serum sCD25, that predicts resistance to CTLA-4 blockade in patients with melanoma.