Effects of supplementation with plant extract product containing carvacrol,cinnamaldehyde and capsaicin on serum metabolites and enzymes during the finishing phase of feedlot-fed bull calves

This study investigated the in vivo effects of a commercial blend of plant extracts (carvacrol, cinnamaldehyde and capsaicin) on serum metabolic parameters closely connected with energy and protein metabolism (glucose; l-lactate; non-esterified fatty acids, NEFA; urea nitrogen, SUN; creatinine; total protein, TSP) and enzymes associated with hepatic function (aspartate-aminotransferase, AST and gamma-glutamyl transferase, GGT) in finishing-stage Belgian Blue bull calves maintained in a commercial feedlot. Monitoring was performed over 86 days in 24 animals randomly allotted to two groups: (1) a control group (CTR, no supplementation; n = 10), and (2) a group receiving dietary supplementation with a commercial blend of plant extracts (PEX, 100 mg/kg DM of concentrate; n = 14). Under the conditions of our study, supplementation with the commercial blend did not give detrimental effects, but the opposite: the decrease in serum l-lactate, NEFA and creatinine levels and the increase in SUN concentrations; suggests an improvement in the energy status and protein turnover of the supplemented animals.     

Cellulose microfibril angle variation in Picea crassifolia tree rings improves climate signals on the Tibetan plateau

Microfibril angle (MFA) is an important factor in determining the mechanical properties of individual cells and wood as a whole. While some studies have described the variation of MFA within trees, little work has been done on the extent to which MFA is influenced by climate, despite it being known to respond to climatic events. Year-to-year variation in MFA and ring width was measured at high resolution by SilviScan-3^? on 30 dated Picea crassifolia trees growing in the northeastern Tibetan plateau. The climate signals registered in MFA and ring width were analyzed using dendroclimatological methods. The response function of MFA accounted for 67% of total variance, of which 60% was explained by climate elements. The response function of ring width explained 57% total variance, 37% of which was explained by climate variables. MFA significantly responded to July–August temperatures, and to precipitation in March, May and September. Over the period 1987–2009 temperatures generally increase and appeared to have a greater influence on MFA. A decrease in the strength of the relationship between MFA and ring width over the period 1987–2009 was also observed. MFA offers the potential to build robust climate proxies. The strong climate sensitivity of MFA to increasing temperature or the observed changes in the MFA–ring width relationship may contribute to resolving the “divergence problem” in temperature reconstructions. As far as we are aware, this study is the first to show a strong climate response in MFA and suggests that it might be a useful climate proxy.     

广东金山温泉沉积物中原核与真核微生物多样性初步分析

[目的]本研究旨在采用不同的PCR引物对广东省恩平市金山温泉的高温水底沉积物微生物多样性进行初步的分析.[方法]采用改进的玻璃珠法抽提温泉沉积物中环境基因组DNA,通过对用4对引物分别扩增得到的原核微生物16S rRNA基因和真核微生物ITS序列的分析,将所得到的数据与国际基因数据库GenBank进行相似性比较并构建系统发育树.[结果]研究发现原核类群G的 14个优势克隆中7个都属于蛭弧菌属(Bdellovibrio).与它们最相似的序列是从海洋中分离到的两个菌株 Bacteriovorax sp. NE1 (EF092445)和Bdellovibrio sp. JS5 (AF084859),相似性分别为96%和99%.原核类群X的4个序列主要属于蓝细菌类群,其中JS-X2与在美国黄石公园温泉发现的Uncultured Cyanobacterium (L35331)有95%的相似性,并且与已经全基因组测序的嗜热蓝细菌聚球藻Thermosynechococcus elongatus BP-1 (47118315)有89%的相似性.真核类群Z有三个类群,分别是Penicillium sp.,Lodderomyces sp.和Gloeotinia sp..其中大部分序列与青霉属相似性在88%～ 90%之间.[结论]所得到的结果显示金山温泉中的微生物多样性十分丰富.     

Extraction and Separation of Sinapine from Rapeseed Cake and the Mode of Action of Melanin Production Inhibition

Molecular Biology - Brassica campestris L. is the important oil-bearing crop in China. Rapeseed cake is the main byproduct of rapeseed oil extraction. As the main active ingredient in rapeseed...     

Xanthomonas campestris sensor kinase HpaS co-opts the orphan response regulator VemR to form a branched two-component system that regulates motility

Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) controls virulence and plant infection mechanisms via the activity of the sensor kinase and response regulator pair HpaS/hypersensitive response and pathogenicity G (HrpG). Detailed analysis of the regulatory role of HpaS has suggested the occurrence of further regulators besides HrpG. Here we used in vitro and in vivo approaches to identify the orphan response regulator VemR as another partner of HpaS and to characterize relevant interactions between components of this signalling system. Bacterial two-hybrid and protein pull-down assays revealed that HpaS physically interacts with VemR. Phos-tag SDS-PAGE analysis showed that mutation in hpaS reduced markedly the phosphorylation of VemR in vivo. Mutation analysis reveals that HpaS and VemR contribute to the regulation of motility and this relationship appears to be epistatic. Additionally, we show that VemR control of Xcc motility is due in part to its ability to interact and bind to the flagellum rotor protein FliM. Taken together, the findings describe the unrecognized regulatory role of sensor kinase HpaS and orphan response regulator VemR in the control of motility in Xcc and contribute to the understanding of the complex regulatory mechanisms used by Xcc during plant infection.     

LncRNA MAYA promotes iron overload and hepatocyte senescence through inhibition of YAP in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Although recent evidence has shown that hepatocyte senescence plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis and development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the mechanism is still not clear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the signal transduction pathways involved in the senescence of hepatocyte, in order to provide a potential strategy for blocking the process of NAFLD. The results confirmed that hepatocyte senescence occurred in HFD-fed Golden hamsters and PA-treated LO2 cells as manifested by increased levels of senescence marker SA-β-gal, p16 and p21, heterochromatin marker H3K9me3, DNA damage marker γ-H2AX and decreased activity of telomerase. Further studies demonstrated that iron overload could promote the senescence of hepatocyte, whereas the overexpression of Yes-associated protein (YAP) could blunt iron overload and alleviate the senescence of hepatocyte. Of importance, depression of lncRNA MAYA (MAYA) reduced iron overload and cellular senescence via promotion of YAP in PA-treated hepatocytes. These effects were further supported by in vivo experiments. In conclusion, these data suggested that inhibition of MAYA could up-regulate YAP, which might repress hepatocyte senescence through modulating iron overload. In addition, these findings provided a promising option for heading off the development of NAFLD by abrogating hepatocyte senescence.     

直接遗忘效应中认知抑制机制研究新进展

随着认知抑制研究的兴起,作为测量认知抑制能力的主要方法,直接遗忘效应得到了不断深入的研究。本文简要介绍了直接遗忘效应的研究范式,并就直接遗忘的内在机制是"选择性复述"的作用,还是"认知抑制"的作用展开讨论。在此基础上还就个体抑制能力的发展进程及其应用价值的研究进展做了简要介绍,并指出了已有研究存在的一些问题。