Biofabrication with chitosan

The traditional motivation for integrating biological components into microfabricated devices has been to create biosensors that meld the molecular recognition capabilities of biology with the signal processing capabilities of electronic devices. However, a different motivation is emerging; biological components are being explored to radically change how fabrication is achieved at the micro- and nanoscales. Here we review biofabrication, the use of biological materials for fabrication, and focus on three specific biofabrication approaches: directed assembly, where localized external stimuli are employed to guide assembly; enzymatic assembly, where selective biocatalysts are enlisted to build macromolecular structure; and self-assembly, where information internal to the biological material guides its own assembly. Also reviewed are recent results with the aminopolysaccharide chitosan, a material that offers a combination of properties uniquely suited for biofabrication. In particular, chitosan can be directed to assemble in response to locally applied electrical signals, and the chitosan backbone provides sites that can be employed for the assembly of proteins, nucleic acids, and virus particles.     

漆酶及其应用

结合当今该领域的最新研究进展,综述了漆酶来源、结构、作用机制、介体系统及其在水相和非水相中的应用,以期为漆酶催化性能的进一步研究提供一定的借鉴和参考.     

Determination of cefazedone in human plasma by high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry: Application to a pharmacokinetic study on Chinese volunteers

A rapid, sensitive and simple high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS) method was developed for determination of cefazedone in human plasma using metronidazole as internal standard (IS). The chromatographic separation was achieved on an Ultimate XB-CN column (2.1 mm × 150 mm, 5 μm) with an isocratic mobile phase of acetonitrile and 20 mM ammonium acetate in 0.1% formic acid in water (15:85, v/v). Detection was performed using electrospray ionization in positive ion multiple reaction-monitoring mode (SRM), monitoring the transitions m/z 548.2 → 344.1 for cefazedone and m/z 172.2 → 128.1 for IS. Calibration curves were linear over a wide range of 0.20–401.12 μg/mL for cefazedone in plasma. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 0.20 μg/mL. The intra- and inter-day precisions were less than 7.2%. The average recovery of cefazedone was 90.8–91.0%. The validated method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of cefazedone in Chinese healthy volunteers following intravenous (IV) administration of 500, 1000 and 2000 mg cefazedone injection.     

鼎突多刺蚁群体结构和生活史的研究

本文报告了鼎突多刺蚁(Polyrhachis vicina Roger)的群体结构和生活史。通过研究表明,鼎突多刺蚁一年发生一代,以蚁后、雄蚁、工蚁、幼虫和卵越冬。卵和幼虫在冬天发育停滞(或极慢)。到了春天,随着气温的上升,卵和幼虫又恢复正常发育。据室内人工饲养观察,卵的发育历期为23.8±2.5天(平均温度26℃)幼虫为20.4±4.4天(26℃),工蚁蛹为19.8±5.5天(27℃)。成长工蚁在5—11月出现;8—11月,雄蚁从蛹中羽化;10月,雌蚁从蛹中羽化。雌蚁分飞交尾后,进入邻近蚁巢或回到原巢,脱翅成为蚁后。蚁巢内存在着多后现象。     

短嘴金丝燕回声定位叫声特征

2012年6月,对湖南省石门县壶瓶山国家级自然保护区神景洞短嘴金丝燕的回声定位叫声进行研究,在黑暗山洞内使用录音仪器录制其自由飞行状态的声音后使用声音软件进行分析.短嘴金丝燕捕食归巢时,快速飞入洞口,在洞内有光区域不发声,到达洞内黑暗区域后开始发出回声定位叫声,且飞行速度减慢.声音分析结果表明其回声定位叫声为双脉冲组的噪声脉冲串型(noise burst),组内脉冲间隔很短[(6.6±0.42)ms],组间脉冲间隔较长[(99.3±3.86) ms],两者差异显著(P＜0.01).对比第一、第二脉冲声音参数发现,主频和脉冲时程差异不显著,第一、第二脉冲主频分别为(6.2±0.08) kHz和(6.2±0.10) kHz (P＞0.05);脉冲时程分别为(2.9±0.12) ms和(3.2±0.17) ms (P＞0.05);最高和最低频率差异显著,第一、第二脉冲最高频率分别为(20.1±1.10) kHz和(15.4±0.98) kHz (P＜0.01),最低频率分别为(3.7±0.12) kHz和(4.0±0.09)kHz (P＜0.05);第一脉冲频宽((16.5±1.17) kHz)宽于第二脉冲((11.4±1.01) kHz) (P＜0.01);且第一脉冲能量[(-32.5±0.60) dB]高于第二脉冲[(-35.2±0.94) dB] (P＜0.05).另外,短嘴金丝燕在黑暗山洞内的回声定位叫声还包含了部分超声波,最高频率可达33.2 kHz.     

Inhibition of mitochondrial complex I improves glucose metabolism independently of AMPK activation

Accumulating evidences showed metformin and berberine, well‐known glucose‐lowering agents, were able to inhibit mitochondrial electron transport chain at complex I. In this study, we aimed to explore the antihyperglycaemic effect of complex I inhibition. Rotenone, amobarbital and gene silence of NDUFA13 were used to inhibit complex I. Intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test and insulin tolerance test were performed in db/db mice. Lactate release and glucose consumption were measured to investigate glucose metabolism in HepG2 hepatocytes and C2C12 myotubes. Glucose output was measured in primary hepatocytes. Compound C and adenoviruses expressing dominant negative AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) α1/2 were exploited to inactivate AMPK pathway. Cellular NAD⁺/NADH ratio was assayed to evaluate energy transforming and redox state. Rotenone ameliorated hyperglycaemia and insulin resistance in db/db mice. It induced glucose consumption and glycolysis and reduced hepatic glucose output. Rotenone also activated AMPK. Furthermore, it remained effective with AMPK inactivation. The enhanced glycolysis and repressed gluconeogenesis correlated with a reduction in cellular NAD⁺/NADH ratio, which resulted from complex I suppression. Amobarbital, another representative complex I inhibitor, stimulated glucose consumption and decreased hepatic glucose output in vitro, too. Similar changes were observed while expression of NDUFA13, a subunit of complex I, was knocked down with gene silencing. These findings reveal mitochondrial complex I emerges as a key drug target for diabetes treatment. Inhibition of complex I improves glucose homoeostasis via non‐AMPK pathway, which may relate to the suppression of the cellular NAD⁺/NADH ratio.     

鱼腥藻PCC7120藻蓝蛋白α亚基体内重组研究

为了研究藻蓝蛋白α亚基的生物合成途径,通过构建相容的3种重组质粒pETDuet-cpcA、pCOLADuet-cpcE-cpcF和pACYCDuet-ho1-pcyA,将裂合酶基因cpcE和cpcF、血红素氧化酶基因ho1、藻蓝胆素合成酶基因pcyA和脱辅基藻蓝蛋白α亚基基因cpcA共同转入大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)。通过色素蛋白锌电泳和光谱检测表明产生了生物活性的CpcA-PCB。成功实现了大肠杆菌内藻蓝蛋白α亚基84位半胱氨酸残基与PCB的连接。而在裂合酶基因cpcE和cpcF不转入大肠杆菌的情况下,大肠杆菌内只有0.2%的CpcA-PCB产生。以上研究为进一步在大肠杆菌内合成天然的藻蓝蛋白奠定了基础。     

Compositional changes in cell wall polysaccharides from chilled and non-chilled cucumber fruit

Cell wall carbohydrate composition and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) content have been determined in chilled (2.5°) and non-chilled (12.5°) cucumber fruit. The major compositional change that accompanied the increased capability for ACC synthesis during chilling was a diminished loss of galactose residues, relative to the loss which occurred at 12.5°. However, the loss of galactose residues increased markedly when fruit were transferred from 2.5° to 20°, and wall galactose levels eventually declined to similar levels in both chilled and non-chilled fruit. Rhamnose, arabinose, xylose, mannose and cellulose content of walls was similar in chilled and non-chilled fruit and did not change substantially upon transfer of fruit to 20°. Upon transfer of chilled fruit from 2.5° to 20°, an increase in the relative amount of galacturonic acid in cell walls occurred; this change did not occur in non-chilled fruit. Thus, chilling stress results in a rapid change in the neutral sugar and galacturonic acid composition of cell wall pectic polysaccharides upon warming.     

桔小实蝇线粒体基因组全序列及其分析

桔小实蝇Bactrocera dorsalis线粒体基因组全序列对研究实蝇分子系统进化具有重要意义。本研究通过DNA测序和克隆技术,对桔小实蝇mtDNA全序列进行了测定和分析。结果表明：桔小实蝇线粒体基因组全长15 915 bp（GenBank序列号: DQ845759）。基因组碱基组成为39.3%A,16.2%C,10.2%G,34.3%T,由13个蛋白编码基因、22个tRNA基因、2个rRNA基因以及一个非编码的控制区域（A+T-rich区）组成。7个蛋白编码基因和13个tRNA基因从J链编码,其余6个蛋白编码基因和9个tRNA基因从N链编码。位于J链上的蛋白编码基因具有近似的A、T含量,而位于N链上的蛋白编码基因的A的含量明显高于T的含量。以mtDNA COⅠ基因为例,比较了桔小实蝇与其他14种实蝇的亲缘关系,结果显示其与同亚属（果实蝇亚属Bactrocera）内的其他近缘种相互间的同源性很高。