微藻生物质成分检测方法评述

不断发展的微藻产业需要统一可信的生物质检测方法体系来评估微藻研究、培养及生产中的各种生物质指标。对目前常用的微藻生物质组成的检测方法进行综述及评估,以期推动微藻产业的生物质分析平台标准化。     

HN1L promotes migration and invasion of breast cancer by up-regulating the expression of HMGB1

Recent reports showed that haematological and neurological expressed 1-like (HN1L) gene participated in tumorigenesis and tumour invasion. However, the expression and role of HN1L in breast cancer remain to be investigated. Here, bioinformatics, western blot and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expression of HN1L in breast cancer. Wound healing, transwell assay, immunofluorescence assay and mass spectrum were used to explore the role and mechanism of HN1L on the migration and invasion of breast cancer, which was confirmed in vivo using a nude mice model. Results showed that HN1L was significantly over-expressed in breast cancer tissues, which was positively correlated with M metastasis of breast cancer patients. Silencing HN1L significantly inhibited the invasion and metastasis of breast cancer cells in vitro and lung metastasis in nude mice metastasis model of breast cancer. Mechanistically, HN1L interacted with HSPA9 and affected the expression of HMGB1, playing a key role in promoting the invasion and metastasis of breast cancer cell. These results suggested that HN1L was an appealing drug target for breast cancer.     

Biocathode microbial fuel cell for efficient electricity recovery from dairy manure

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) represent a new biological method for generating electricity directly from biodegradable compounds. Efficiency of MFCs using manure as substrate is generally low. This study proposed a new design by incorporating biocathodes into a three-chamber MFC, which yielded maximum power densities much higher than those reported in literature. The new design placed cylindrical anode chamber for easy stirring and two symmetrical cathodic chambers with reduced anode-cathode distance. The biocathodes were applied to reduce charge transfer resistance. Additionally, biocathode microbial community was cultured to enrich favorable microorganisms. With external loading of 100 Ω, the power densities for new biocathode MFC using 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10% total solids diary manure reached 7.85±1.0 W m(-3), 7.84±1.20 W m(-3), 8.15±0.20 W m(-3), 7.60±0.97 W m(-3) and 5.63±0.97 W m(-3), respectively. The pH drop as a result of manure hydrolysis limited the power output. To provide detailed information of the microbial community in the biocathode MFC, the 454-pyrosequencing technique was adopted. The Firmicutes, γ-, β-, α- and δ-Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria were the major groups on the anode, while γ-, β-, and α-Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria were the predominant groups on the cathode.     

Impact of Functional Constipation on Health-Related Quality of Life in Preschool Children and Their Families in Xi’an,China

Aim

Functional constipation (FC) is one of the common diseases among children. The aim of this study was to investigate the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in preschool children diagnosed with FC and the impact of the condition on affected families.

Methods

In this cross-sectional, case-control study, 152 children aged 3–6 years with FC, 176 healthy children aged 3–6 years without FC, and their primary caregivers were selected. Chinese versions of the PedsQL^TM 4.0 Generic Core Scale and the Family Impact Module (FIM) were used to assess childhood HRQOL and the impact of FC on family members, respectively. HRQOL scores were compared between children with FC and healthy children. In addition, a multiple step-wise regression with demographic variables of children and their caregivers, family economic status, duration and symptoms of FC, as independent variables, was used to determine factors that influenced HRQOL in children and had impacted caregivers.

Results

Scores of physical, emotional, social and school functions, and summary scales were significantly lower in children with FC than in healthy children (p < 0.05). Physical, emotional, social, cognitive, and communication scores for caregivers, as well as daily activities and relationships for families of children with FC, were significantly lower than those of caregivers and families with healthy children (p < 0.05). Children’s ages, duration of FC, symptoms of FC, the child-caregiver relationship, family economic status, and caregiver education level emerged as the main factors influencing HRQOL in children, caregivers, and family members.

Conclusions

FC had a significant impact on HRQOL of affected children and their caregivers, as well as their family functions. Social characteristics of children and caregivers, duration and symptoms of FC and family economic status significantly affected HRQOL of children and caregivers, as well as family functions of children with FC.     

来源于麦氏喙枝孢霉的玉米赤霉烯酮水解酶在毕赤酵母中的高效表达及活性分析

【背景】玉米赤霉烯酮(zearalenone,ZEN)及其衍生物是一群具有雌激素活性的霉菌毒素,广泛存在于被霉菌污染的谷物中,造成食品业和畜牧业的巨大损失。利用专一性高的水解酶进行生物转化可有效去除玉米赤霉烯酮。【目的】构建高效表达玉米赤霉烯酮水解酶的酵母系统,以促进玉米赤霉烯酮水解酶的研究和工业应用。【方法】将来源于麦氏喙枝孢霉(RhinocladiellamackenzieiCBS650.93)的Rmzhd基因转入毕赤酵母中,筛选获得高效表达菌株,通过高效液相色谱分析发酵液中重组酶的性质。【结果】发酵液中Rm ZHD对ZEN的酶活力为16.67 U/m L,对α-ZOL的酶活力为9.85 U/m L。SDS-PAGE检测表达产物的分子量,与理论值30.7k D符合,且发酵上清液蛋白纯度高。Rm ZHD的最适p H值为9.6,最适温度为45°C,并具有较好的耐热性。【结论】研究结果为玉米赤霉烯酮水解酶的异源表达及其潜在的工业应用提供了一定的指导。     

座壳孢及其有性型（子囊菌门）代谢产物研究进展

座壳孢及其有性型是一类重要的虫生真菌,隶属子囊菌门、粪菌纲、肉座菌目、麦角菌科,能寄生粉虱和蚧类昆虫,可开发成一种环境友好型的生物农药。座壳孢及其有性型属成员广泛分布于热带和亚热带地区,该类群物种、栖息环境和生态适应的多样性使它们的代谢产物化学结构及其生物活性彰显出多样性特点,结构和功能多样的真菌代谢产物已成为发现新药先导化合物的重要资源。虫生真菌因其独特的生活方式和多种生存环境形成了与众不同的适应寄主特性及代谢通路,明显提高获得新颖结构、显著活性的代谢产物的几率,目前已是药物重点研发的领域。在座壳孢及其有性型代谢产物研究中已报道了萜类、黄酮类、醌类、环肽和甾醇等多种化合物,并具有抗肿瘤、抗疟疾、抗菌和杀虫等多种生物活性,可在农业、工业和医药保健等方面应用。本文对近年座壳孢及其有性型代谢产物的化学成分和生物活性等方面的研究进展进行概述,为促进座壳孢及其有性型代谢产物的深入研究、开发利用和新药创制提供参考。     

IFT52 plays an essential role in sensory cilia formation and neuronal sensory function in Drosophila

Cilia are microtubule-based, hair-like organelles involved in sensory function or motility, playing critical roles in many physiological processes such as reproduction, organ development, and sensory perception. In insects, cilia are restricted to certain sensory neurons and sperms, being important for chemical and mechanical sensing, and fertility. Although great progress has been made regarding the mechanism of cilia assembly, the formation of insect cilia remains poorly understand, even in the insect model organism Drosophila. Intraflagellar transport (IFT) is a cilia-specific complex that traffics protein cargos bidirectionally along the ciliary axoneme and is essential for most cilia. Here we investigated the role of IFT52, a core component of IFT-B, in cilia/flagellar formation in Drosophila. We show that Drosophila IFT52 is distributed along the sensory neuronal cilia, and is essential for sensory cilia formation. Deletion of Ift52 results in severe defects in cilia-related sensory behaviors. It should be noted that IFT52 is not detected in spermatocyte cilia or sperm flagella of Drosophila. Accordingly, ift52 mutants can produce sperms with normal motility, supporting a dispensable role of IFT in Drosophila sperm flagella formation. Altogether, IFT52 is a conserved protein essential for sensory cilia formation and sensory neuronal function in insects.     

Identification of a transforming growth factor-β type I receptor transcript in Eriocheir sinensis and its molting-related expression in muscle tissues

The transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling pathway is conserved across animals, and knowledge of its roles during the molt cycle in crustaceans is presently very limited. This study investigates the roles of the TGF-β receptor in molting-related muscle growth in Eriocheir sinensis. Using the RT-PCR and RACE techniques, we obtained a 1722 bp cDNA sequence encoding a transforming growth factor-β type I receptor in Eriocheir sinensis, designated EsTGFBRI, which contains a 124 bp 5′-untranslated region, a 20 bp partial 3′-untranslated region and a 1578 bp open reading frame encoding 525 amino acids. The deduced EsTGFBRI contains an N-terminal 24 amino acid signal peptide, an activin type I and II receptor domain, a transmembrane helix region, a glycine-serine-rich motif, and a conserved serine/threonine kinase catalytic domain including an activation loop. The qRT-PCR results showed that EsTGFBRI gene was highly expressed in the intermolt testis and ovary in mature crabs. In juvenile crabs, the mRNA levels of EsTGFBRI in claw and abdominal muscles in the later premolt D_3–4 stage were significantly higher than those in the intermolt C and postmolt A–B stages. There was no significant change in EsTGFBRI mRNA levels in walking leg muscles during the molt cycle. The results suggest that EsTGFBRI is probably play roles in molting-related muscle growth in E. sinensis. This study provides a necessary basis for elucidating the functions of TGF-β-like signaling mediated by TGFBRI in molting-related muscle growth in crustaceans.