Isolation of mouse FM3A cell mutants with thermolabile thymidylate synthetase by resistance to aphidicolin

Of 625 aphidicolin-resistant clones selected at 33.5°C from mutagenized mouse FM3A cells, 13 clones could not grow at 39.5°C. Five of these clones, chosen at random, resumed growth at 39.5°C when thymidine was added to the culture medium. In hybrids, conditional thymidine auxotrophy was a recessive trait, but aphidicolin-resistance was either a codominant or recessive one depending on the mutant clone used.Thymidylate synthetase activity in crude extracts of these mutants was completely inactivated by preincubation for 30 min at 42°C, whereas that of the parent cells was not affected by the same treatment. Thus, the temperature-sensitive growth of the mutants described here seems to be due to this heat-sensitive thymidylate synthetase.     

Urinary excretion of a novel hexasaccharide and glycopeptide analogue in fucosidosis.

Repeated Biogel P6 chromatography of the urine from a patient with fucosidosis yielded several fractions containing fucosyloligosaccharides and glycopeptides. Two of these were shown by ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-n.m.r.) spectroscopy and permethylation analysis to have the following structures respectively: (I) αfuc (1→3) [βgal (1→4)] βglcNAc (1→2) αman ($\text{1→}\text{3}\text{6}$) βman (1→4) glcNAc and (II) αfuc (1→3) [βgal (1→4)] βglcNAc (1→2) αman ($\text{1→}\text{3}\text{6}$) βman (1→4) βglcNAc (1→4) [αfuc ($\text{1→}\text{3}\text{6}$)] βglcNAc-Asn.     

JQ-1 ameliorates schistosomiasis liver granuloma in mice by suppressing male and female reproductive systems and egg development of Schistosoma japonicum

Schistosomiasis is a serious and widespread parasitic disease caused by infection with Schistosoma. Because the parasite’s eggs are primarily responsible for schistosomiasis dissemination and pathogenesis, inhibiting egg production is a potential approach to control the spread and severity of the disease. The bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) proteins represent promising targets for the development of epigenetic drugs against Schistosoma. JQ-1 is a selective inhibitor of the BET protein family. In the present study, JQ-1 was applied to S. japonicum in vitro. By using laser confocal scanning microscopy and EdU incorporation assays, we showed that application of JQ-1 to worms in vitro affected egg laying and the development of both the male and female reproductive systems. JQ-1 also inhibited the expression of the reproductive-related genes SjPlk1 and SjNanos1 in S. japonicum. Mice infected with S. japonicum were treated with JQ-1 during egg granuloma formation. JQ-1 treatment significantly reduced the size of the liver granulomas and levels of serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase in mice and suppressed both egg laying and the development of male and female S. japonicum reproductive systems in vivo. Moreover, the mRNA expression levels of some proinflammatory cytokines were decreased in the parasites. Our findings suggest that JQ-1 treatment attenuates S. japonicum egg–induced hepatic granuloma due at least in part to suppressing the development of the reproductive system and egg production of S. japonicum. These findings further suggest that JQ-1 or other BET inhibitors warrant additional study as a new approach for the treatment or prevention of schistosomiasis.     

城市边缘区生态承载力时空分异研究——以甘井子区为例

以大连市甘井子区为例,利用1998年的土地利用数据和2003年、2007年、2013年的SPOT5遥感数据等多元数据,运用状态空间表征生态承载力量值的计量方法,计算了城市边缘区的社区生态承载力,并研究了甘井子区1998—2013年生态承载力的时空分异特征。结果表明:(1)时间上,1998—2013年,甘井子区整体的生态承载力呈现先快后慢的下降趋势,生态状态呈现出从优秀向良好,再向一般过渡的阶段特征。(2)空间上,甘井子区整体的生态承载力等级东西部差异明显,呈现出相同承载力等级小范围聚集和相近承载力等级间穿插分布的特征。(3)甘井子区内部各社区生态承载力程度差异明显。靠近市区的社区生态承载力15年间变化显著,生态承载程度迅速下降,远离市区的部分社区生态承载力变化不大,生态环境保持良好以上的状态。     

基于DSSAT模型对豫北地区夏玉米灌溉制度的优化模拟

合理的灌溉制度是提高农业水资源利用效率、保证夏玉米高产稳产的前提。采用农业技术转化决策系统(DSSAT,Decision Support System for Agrotechno1ogy Transfer)探究了河南省北部地区夏玉米不同降水年型下的最优灌溉制度。经过参数的校正和验证,归一化均方根误差(nRMSE)、均方根误差(RMSE)和一致性指数(d)均表现出模拟值与实测值的吻合度很好,DSSAT-maize模型可以准确模拟夏玉米物候期、地上部分生物量、产量和土壤水分状况。然后基于模型模拟了不同灌溉处理下的夏玉米生产潜力,从而评估夏玉米缺水量,并对比分析不同生育时期灌水对产量的影响确定最优灌溉时期,综合考虑产量和水分利用效率确定最优灌溉制度。结果表明:夏玉米生长季的缺水量年际间差异显著,多年平均值为38.91 mm,波动范围为0—193.03 mm。在丰水年,不需要灌溉;在平水年,开花期灌水30 mm;在枯水年,开花期和灌浆期灌水50 mm;在特别干旱年,苗期、拔节期和开花期至少灌水180 mm。优化的灌溉制度下丰水年、平水年和枯水年的WUE达到最高且产量分别占其最高产量的100%、99.72%和97.89%,实现了作物高产节水协同提高的目标。     

副溶血弧菌CHY5-M1M噬菌体的分离鉴定及生物学特性分析

副溶血弧菌引起的疾病给水产养殖行业带来巨大损失,而随着抗生素的禁用,人们开始探索治疗水产动物病菌的新型方法,如噬菌体治疗法。从青岛市城阳水产品批发市场采集了15份海产品养殖水及下水道污水样品,以副溶血弧菌作为宿主菌,采用点滴法分离纯化获得12株副溶血弧菌噬菌体,通过双层平板法研究副溶血弧菌噬菌体CHY5-M1M的最佳感染复数、一步生长曲线、温度和pH的稳定性以及对紫外线的敏感度等生物学特性。结果显示,CHY5-M1M噬菌体效价为8.65×10¹³CFU·mL^-1,且在100感染复数时效价最高;一步生长曲线的潜伏期为20 min,裂解时长100 min,140min后达到平稳期;噬菌体在温度为40℃时效价最高,高于60℃时活性开始下降;噬菌体pH适应范围为5～11;噬菌体浓度随紫外照射时间增加明显下降;噬菌体基因组共43 193 bp,包含44个基因,无毒力因子基因和抗生素耐药基因。研究结果表明,噬菌体CHY5-M1M在开发新型抗弧菌药物、预防治疗严重海水动物弧菌病等方面具有良好的应用前景,有望作为未来的抗生素替代产品。     

利用Pichia pastoris生产S-腺苷甲硫氨酸的发酵工艺

在摇瓶中考察了重组Pichia pastoris发酵的诱导剂量,L-甲硫氨酸,以及pH对腺苷甲硫氨酸产量的影响.放大到3.7 L发酵罐和30 L发酵罐后,研究了重组细胞的发酵过程变化,对S-腺苷甲硫氨酸初步纯化.摇瓶中优化后的发酵条件是:每天添加1%甲醇诱导,L-甲硫氨酸为50mmol/L,培养基pH 5.0.培养144 h后SAM产量达到2.32 g/L.3.7 L发酵罐中发酵251 h后细胞浓度为120 g/L,SAM总量为15.18 g.放大到30 L发酵罐中,发酵225.5 h后细胞浓度约为120 g/L,SAM总量为145.05 g.纯化后SAM的纯度为93.5%,回收率为84.5%.     

Genetic Polymorphisms of Pneumocystis Jirovecii in HIV-Positive and HIV-Negative Patients in Northern China

Pneumocystis jirovecii is an opportunistic fungus that can cause severe and potentially fatal Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) in immunodeficient patients. In this study, we investigated the genetic polymorphisms of P. jirovecii at eight different loci, including six nuclear genes (ITS, 26S rRNA, sod, dhps, dhfr and β-Tub) and two mitochondrial genes (mtLSU-rRNA and cyb) in three PCP cases, including two patients with HIV infection and one without HIV infection in Shanxi Province, P.R. China. The gene targets were amplified by PCR followed by sequencing of plasmid clones. The HIV-negative patient showed a coinfection with two genotypes of P. jirovecii at six of the eight loci sequenced. Of the two HIV-positive patients, one showed a coinfection with two genotypes of P. jirovecii at the same two of the six loci as in the HIV-negative patient, while the other showed a single infection at all eight loci sequenced. None of the three drug target genes (dhfr, dhps and cyb) showed mutations known to be potentially associated with drug resistance. This is the first report of genetic polymorphisms of P. jirovecii in PCP patients in Shanxi Province, China. Our findings expand our understanding of the genetic diversity of P. jirovecii in China. Open in a separate window     

Kindlin-2 promotes Src-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of androgen receptor and contributes to breast cancer progression

Androgen receptor (AR) signaling plays important roles in breast cancer progression. We show here that Kindlin-2, a focal adhesion protein, is critically involved in the promotion of AR signaling and breast cancer progression. Kindlin-2 physically associates with AR and Src through its two neighboring domains, namely F1 and F0 domains, resulting in formation of a Kindlin-2-AR-Src supramolecular complex and consequently facilitating Src-mediated AR Tyr-534 phosphorylation and signaling. Depletion of Kindlin-2 was sufficient to suppress Src-mediated AR Tyr-534 phosphorylation and signaling, resulting in diminished breast cancer cell proliferation and migration. Re-expression of wild-type Kindlin-2, but not AR-binding-defective or Src-binding-defective mutant forms of Kindlin-2, in Kindlin-2-deficient cells restored AR Tyr-534 phosphorylation, signaling, breast cancer cell proliferation and migration. Furthermore, re-introduction of phosphor-mimic mutant AR-Y534D, but not wild-type AR reversed Kindlin-2 deficiency-induced inhibition of AR signaling and breast cancer progression. Finally, using a genetic knockout strategy, we show that ablation of Kindlin-2 from mammary tumors in mouse significantly reduced AR Tyr-534 phosphorylation, breast tumor progression and metastasis in vivo. Our results suggest a critical role of Kindlin-2 in promoting breast cancer progression and shed light on the molecular mechanism through which it functions in this process.Subject terms: Cell signalling, Breast cancer