Genetic analysis of IREB2, FAM13A and XRCC5 variants in Chinese Han patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Recently, variants (rs2568494, rs2869967 and rs3821104) in the IREB2, FAM13A and XRCC5 genes were found to be associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in non-Asian populations by genome-wide association study (GWAS) analysis. To evaluate whether variants in these genes are related to COPD in Chinese Han population, we investigated COPD patients of Chinese Han ethnicity from Mainland China. Significant differences in genotypic distributions (χ² = 6.319, p = 0.042 for rs2869967; χ² = 6.062, p = 0.048 for rs3821104) and allele distributions (χ² = 4.014, p = 0.045 for rs2869967; χ² = 5.607, p = 0.018 for rs3821104) were observed between patients and control subjects for variants rs2869967 and rs3821104, whereas no statistically significant associations for genotypic and allelic distribution between IREB2 rs2568494 and COPD phenotype (p > 0.05) were identified. Our results support that FAM13A rs2869967 and XRCC5 rs3821104 are associated with COPD in Chinese Han population.     

Molecular phylogenetic relationships of China Seas groupers based on cytochrome <Emphasis Type="Italic">b</Emphasis> gene fragment sequences

The classification and evolutionary relationships are important issues in the study of the groupers. Cytochrome b gene fragment of twenty-eight grouper species within six genera of subfamily Epinephelinae was amplified using PCR techniques and the sequences were analyzed to derive the phylogenetic relationships of the groupers from the China Seas. Genetic information indexes, including Kimura-2 parameter genetic distance and T _S/T _V ratios, were generated by using a variety of biology softwares. With Niphon spinosus, Pagrus major and Pagrus auriga as the designated outgroups, phylogenetic trees, which invoke additional homologous sequences of other Epinephelus fishes from GenBank, were constructed based on the neighbor-joining (NJ), maximum-parsimony (MP), maximum-likelihood (ML) and minimum-evolution (ME) methods. Several conclusions were drawn from the DNA sequences analysis: (1) genus Plectropomus, which was early diverged, is the most primitive group in the subfamily Epinephelinae; (2) genus Variola is more closely related to genus Cephalopolis than the other four genera; (3) genus Cephalopolis is a monophyletic group and more primitive than genus Epinephelus; (4) Promicrops lanceolatus and Cromileptes altivelis should be included in genus Epinephelus; (5) there exist two sister groups in genus Epinephelus.     

Tumorigenesis by human herpesvirus 8 vGPCR is accelerated by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Tat

Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), also called Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) herpesvirus, can cause KS but is inefficient. Untreated human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) coinfection is a powerful risk factor. The HHV-8 chemokine receptor, vGPCR (ORF74), activates NF-kappaB and NF-AT, and their levels of activation are synergistically increased by HIV-1 Tat. Transgenic vGPCR mice develop KS-like tumors. A cell line derived from one such tumor expresses vGPCR and forms tumors in nude mice. Here we show that transfection of DNA encoding HIV-1 tat (but not a transactivation-defective mutant) into these tumor cells increases NF-kappaB and NF-AT activation levels and accelerates tumor formation. Tumorigenesis was also accelerated when Tat DNA was transfected into normal cells and the transfected cells were mixed with the tumor cells and injected into a single site. Tumorigenesis was also increased when the two cell types were injected at separate sites, suggesting that tumorigenesis is accelerated by Tat through soluble factors.     

Uterine Msx-1 and Wnt4 signaling becomes aberrant in mice with the loss of leukemia inhibitory factor or Hoxa-10: evidence for a novel cytokine-homeobox-Wnt signaling in implantation

Successful implantation absolutely depends on the reciprocal interaction between the implantation-competent blastocyst and the receptive uterus. Expression and gene targeting studies have shown that leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), a cytokine of the IL-6 family, and Hoxa-10, an abdominalB-like homeobox gene, are crucial to implantation and decidualization in mice. Using these mutant mice, we sought to determine the importance of Msx-1 (another homeobox gene formerly known as Hox-7.1) and of Wnt4 (a ligand of the Wnt family) signaling in implantation because of their reported functions during development. We observed that Msx-1, Wnt4, and a Wnt antagonist sFRP4 are differentially expressed in the mouse uterus during the periimplantation period, suggesting their role in implantation. In addition, we observed an aberrant uterine expression of Msx-1 and sFRP4 in Lif mutant mice, and of Wnt4 and sFRP4 in Hoxa-10 mutant mice, further reinforcing the importance of these signaling pathways in implantation. Collectively, the present results provide evidence for a novel cytokine-homeotic-Wnt signaling network in implantation.     

栗色圆孔牛肝菌中的三种甾醇成分

从栗色圆孔牛肝菌（Ｇｙｒｏｐｏｕｓ　ｃａｓｔａｎｅｕｓ）中分离得到三种甾醇类化合物：（Ⅰ）β－ｅｒ－ｇｏｓｔｅｒｏｌ;（Ⅱ）５α,８α－ｅｐｉｄｉｏｘｙｅｒｇｏｓｔａ－６,２２－ｄｉｅｎ－３β－ｏｌ; （Ⅲ）ｅｒｇｏｓｔａ－６,２２－ｄｉｅｎ－３β,５β,８β－ｔｒｉｏｌ。以上三种甾醇均是首次从栗色圆孔牛肝菌中获得,其中化合物（Ⅲ）的构型未见有其它文献报道。     

Bt rice expressing Cry1Ab does not stimulate an outbreak of its non-target herbivore, Nilaparvata lugens

In this study, the non-target effects of Bt rice “KMD2” expressing a Cry1Ab protein on the performance of the brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens, over multiple generations were evaluated under laboratory and field conditions. In the laboratory, BPH was reared to observe the impact of the Bt rice as compared to its parental non-Bt cultivar Xiushui 11, while the population dynamics and oviposition performance of BPH were investigated in the field. The survival of BPH nymphs fed Bt and non-Bt rice did not differ significantly. The nymph developmental duration of BPH was significantly delayed by the Bt rice by comparison with the non-Bt rice for the 1st and 2nd but not the 4th generation. Most importantly, the fecundity of BPH on the Bt rice was significantly decreased in every generation when compared with the non-Bt rice. In the field investigations, the population density of BPH nymphs was significantly lower in the Bt rice field. However, the temporal pattern of population dynamics of BPH adults was similar between the Bt and non-Bt rice, presumably due to migratory interference of the adults. In the Bt rice field, the percentage of tillers with eggs and the number of eggs per tiller were also significantly lower from tillering to mature stage. Additionally, Cry1Ab protein could not be detected in guts from single BPH adults. In general, our results suggest that the Bt rice “KMD2” could not stimulate an outbreak of BPH.     

Endotoxin-induced cytokine gene expression in vivo. III. IL-6 mRNA and serum protein expression and the in vivo hematologic effects of IL-6

Endotoxin (LPS) at sublethal doses injected i.v. into rats was found to induce IL-6 mRNA expression peaking at 1 to 2 h in whole organ RNA preparations of the spleen, liver, lung, bowel, and kidney. IL-6 serum protein levels also peaked at 2 h. TNF and IL-1, generally considered to be among the most rapidly released cytokines, also induced IL-6 expression. IL-6 in turn inhibited TNF and IL-1 expression, suggesting that IL-6 may be part of a negative feedback mechanism in the cytokine cascade. Dexamethasone down-regulated and Corynebacterium parvum up-regulated IL-6 expression, although the possibility cannot be excluded that these immunomodulating factors may in part have exerted their effects indirectly via the up- and down-regulation of TNF and IL-1. IL-6 injected i.v. at a pathophysiologically relevant dose caused a peripheral neutrophilia and mild myeloproliferative effect in the bone marrow.     

雌激素神经保护作用机制:线粒体功能的调节

大量研究表明雌激素具有神经保护作用,但其机制尚不清楚。近年来研究提示,雌激素的神经保护作用与线粒体有着密切联系。线粒体是细胞内能量和活性氧自由基(ROS)的主要来源,对细胞内信号转导、细胞存活与死亡调节等具有十分重要的影响。在生理和病理条件下,雌激素可多方面调节线粒体功能,包括影响ATP与ROS的生成、稳定线粒体膜电位、维护细胞内钙稳态,以及调节线粒体基因和蛋白表达等。本文主要从线粒体角度综述了雌激素神经保护作用及其机制。     

利用稻瘟霉模型初级筛选抗肿瘤物质研究进展

稻瘟霉(Pyricularia oryzae)活性物质初筛模型是近年来筛选抗肿瘤活性物质的重要模型之一,具有操作便捷、安全经济等优点。为更好地利用该模型,对其原理、方法、应用现状和存在问题进行了综述,同时介绍了利用其他植物病原真菌作为靶标菌建立抗癌药物初筛模型的应用前景,以期对更有效地获得抗肿瘤活性物质起到一定的积极作用。