The leaf extract of Siberian Crabapple (Malus baccata (Linn.) Borkh) contains potential fatty acid synthase inhibitors

The present work focused on the kinetics of the inhibitory effects of the leaf extract of Siberian Crabapple, named Shan jingzi in China, on chicken liver fatty acid synthase. The results showed that this extract had much stronger inhibitory ability on fatty acid synthase than that from green teas described in many previous reports. The inhibitory ability of this extract is closely related to the extracting solvent, and the time of extraction was also an important influencing factor. The inhibitory types of this extract on diffeerent substrates of chicken liver fatty acid synthase, acetyl-CoA, malonyl-CoA and NADPH, were found to be noncompetitive, uncompetitive and mixed, respectively. The studies here shed a new light on the exploration for inhibitors of fatty acid synthase.     

Genetic diversity and association mapping in a collection of selected Chinese soybean accessions based on SSR marker analysis

For broadening the narrow genetic base of modern soybean cultivars, 159 accessions were selected from the Chinese soybean collection which contained at least one of seven important agronomic traits: resistance to soybean cyst nematode (SCN) or soybean mosaic virus (SMV), tolerance to salt, cold, or drought, high seed oil content or high protein content. Genetic diversity evaluation using 55 microsatellite loci distributed across the genome indicated that a large amount of genetic diversity (0.806) and allelic variation (781) were conserved in this selected set, which captured 65.6% of the alleles present in Chinese soybean collection (1,863 accessions). On average, 9.4 rare alleles (frequency <5%) per locus were present, which were highly informative. Using model-based Bayesian clustering in STRUCTURE we distinguished four main clusters and a set of accessions with admixed ancestry. The four clusters reflected different geographic regions of origin of the accessions. Since the clusters were also clearly different with respect to the seven agronomic traits, the inferred population structure was introduced when association analysis was conducted. A total of 21 SSR markers on 16 chromosomes were identified as significantly (P < 0.01) associated with high oil content (6), high protein content (1), drought tolerance (5), SCN resistance (6) and SMV resistance (3). Twelve of these markers were located in or near previously identified quantitative trait loci (QTL). The results for both genetic relationship and trait-related markers will be useful for effective conservation and utilization of soybean germplasm.     

Adenovirus-mediated delivery of human IFNgamma gene inhibits prostate cancer growth

Interferon gamma (IFNgamma) is regarded as a potent antitumor agent, but therapy with IFNgamma is hampered by its short half-life and significant side effects. We developed a replication defective adenovirus carrying the human IFNgamma gene and evaluated the effects of adenovirus-mediated IFNgamma (Ad-IFNgamma) gene transfer on human prostate cancer cell lines in vitro and on xenografts in vivo. Our results showed infection of prostate cancer cells with Ad-IFNgamma led to production of an active cytokine and resulted in an antiproliferative effect on the prostate cancer cells. Intratumoral injection of Ad-IFNgamma significantly inhibited the growth of DU-145 cell xenografts in vivo, while no significant toxicity effect was observed. RT-PCR analysis indicated transgene expression mainly enriched in tumors in vivo, and slightly distributed in livers. These findings suggest adenovirus-mediated IFNgamma gene transfer is a promising approach in the treatment of advanced prostate cancer.     

八种苏铁植物叶轴的比较解剖研究

对苏铁科和泽米铁科8种苏铁植物,即台湾苏铁(Cycas taiwaniana)、海南苏铁(C·hainanensis)、元江苏铁(C·parvulus)、单羽苏铁(C·simplicipinna)、滇南苏铁(C·diannanensis)、越南篦齿苏铁(C·elon-gata)、长刺大泽米铁(Macrozamia longispina)、双子铁(Dioon edule)的叶轴横切面结构进行了比较研究,以期为苏铁植物的系统演化和分类进一步提供解剖学依据,并探讨其解剖结构与生态的适应机制。结果表明,较原始的苏铁科和较进化的泽米铁科叶轴的横切面结构无论在表皮、机械组织、基本组织和维管组织,还是在后含物方面都存在着明显的不同;泽米铁科的大泽米铁属与双子铁属差异也较大;苏铁科科内的6个种则相似性稍大,表明它们是亲缘关系较密切的类群,但每个种都有各自的结构特点。越南篦齿苏铁的维管束排列方式和数目的增加方式与泽米铁科两个种的相似,因此推断它处于较进化的地位。研究还发现苏铁科种类的叶轴的近轴面均像叶片那样具有栅栏组织状同化组织存在。苏铁类植物叶轴具有旱生植物的解剖结构特征:角质层较厚、表皮细胞壁厚、机械组织发达、晶体较多、分泌道和维管束数目较多等结构特征。这些对研究苏铁纲各科及种类之间的进化与亲缘关系提供了佐证,同时揭示了苏铁纲这类古老的植物类群其多个属的种类能够经历如此漫长的地质年代而幸存下来,是由于其在长期演化过程中均形成了这些独特的结构特征,因而具备了相对应的生理功能,能够在恶劣的自然环境下,具备耐干旱、贫瘠、高温及耐盐碱等逆境的结果。     

Mutations in the gene PRRT2 cause paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia with infantile convulsions

Paroxysmal Kinesigenic Dyskinesia with Infantile Convulsions (PKD/IC) is an episodic movement disorder with autosomal dominant inheritance and high penetrance, but the causative gene is unknown. We have now identified four truncating mutations involving the PRRT2 gene in the vast majority (24/25) of well characterized families with PKD/IC. PRRT2 truncating mutations were also detected in 28 of 78 additional families. The PRRT2 gene encodes a proline-rich transmembrane protein of unknown function that has been reported to interact with the t-SNARE, SNAP25. PRRT2 localizes to axons but not to dendritic processes in primary neuronal culture and mutants associated with PKD/IC lead to dramatically reduced PRRT2 protein levels leading ultimately to neuronal hyperexcitability that manifests in vivo as PKD/IC.     

Dietary antioxidants protect hematopoietic cells and improve animal survival after total-body irradiation

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a dietary supplement consisting of L-selenomethionine, vitamin C, vitamin E succinate, alpha-lipoic acid and N-acetyl cysteine could improve the survival of mice after total-body irradiation. Antioxidants significantly increased the 30-day survival of mice after exposure to a potentially lethal dose of X rays when given prior to or after animal irradiation. Pretreatment of animals with antioxidants resulted in significantly higher total white blood cell and neutrophil counts in peripheral blood at 4 and 24 h after 1 Gy and 8 Gy. Antioxidants were effective in preventing peripheral lymphopenia only after low-dose irradiation. Antioxidant supplementation was also associated with increased bone marrow cell counts after irradiation. Supplementation with antioxidants was associated with increased Bcl2 and decreased Bax, caspase 9 and TGF-beta1 mRNA expression in the bone marrow after irradiation. Maintenance of the antioxidant diet was associated with improved recovery of the bone marrow after sublethal or potentially lethal irradiation. Taken together, oral supplementation with antioxidants appears to be an effective approach for radioprotection of hematopoietic cells and improvement of animal survival, and modulation of apoptosis is implicated as a mechanism for the radioprotection of the hematopoietic system by antioxidants.     

The leaf extract of Siberian Crabapple (Malus baccata (Linn.) Borkh) contains potential fatty acid synthase inhibitors

The present work focused on the kinetics of the inhibitory effects of the leaf extract of Siberian Crabapple, named Shan jingzi in China, on chicken liver fatty acid synthase. The results showed that this extract had much stronger inhibitory ability on fatty acid synthase than that from green teas described in many previous reports. The inhibitory ability of this extract is closely related to the extracting solvent, and the time of extraction was also an important influencing factor. The inhibitory types of this extract on diffeerent substrates of chicken liver fatty acid synthase, acetyl-CoA, malonyl-CoA and NADPH, were found to be noncompetitive, uncompetitive and mixed, respectively. The studies here shed a new light on the exploration for inhibitors of fatty acid synthase.     

莲品种资源的SRAP遗传多样性分析

利用分子标记SRAP技术对国内广泛栽培以及新近育成的39个莲品种进行了DNA多态性分析。选取5对引物扩增基因组DNA,共获得101条带,其中88条为多态性条带,每对引物平均提供20个标记信息。由UPMGA方法得到的聚类分析结果表明了39个品种间的遗传关系,结果表明:花莲、籽莲和藕莲三大类群有明显的界限,花莲和籽莲的遗传距离较近,藕莲与它们的遗传距离较远。分子方差分析结果表明:莲品种间和品种内均存在遗传变异,藕莲品种内的遗传变异略低于品种间的遗传变异,而诱变籽莲、诱变花莲和常规籽莲品种内遗传变异均大于品种间的遗传变异,尤其是诱变籽莲、诱变花莲品种内遗传变异占总变异的分量分别超过了70%和60%,这种品种内的遗传变异,一方面对于莲的高产稳产具有重要的意义,另一方面也说明了从这些国内广泛栽培的品种以及新近育成的莲品种中可以直接进一步选育出更优良的新品种。