Dieckol,a natural polyphenolic drug,inhibits the proliferation and migration of colon cancer cells by inhibiting PI3K,AKT, and mTOR phosphorylation

This study investigated that dieckol (DKL), a natural drug, inhibits colon cancer cell proliferation and migration by inhibiting phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (AKT), and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) phosphorylation in HCT-116 cells. The cells were treated with DKL in various concentrations (32 and 50 μM) for 24 h and then analyzed for various experiments. MTT (tetrazolium bromide) and crystal violet assay investigated DKL-mediated cytotoxicity. Dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate staining was used to assess the reactive oxygen species (ROS) measurement, and apoptotic changes were studied by dual acridine orange and ethidium bromide staining. Protein expression of cell survival, cell cycle, proliferation, and apoptosis protein was evaluated by western blot analysis. Results indicated that DKL produces significant cytotoxicity in HCT-116, and the half-maximal inhibitory concentration was found to be 32 μM for 24-h incubation. Moreover, effective production of ROS and enhanced apoptotic signs were observed upon DKL treatment in HCT-116. DKL induces the expression of phosphorylated PI3K, AKT, and mToR-associated enhanced expression of cyclin-D1, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)-4, CDK-6, and Bcl-2 in HCT-116. In addition, proapoptotic proteins such as Bax, caspase-9, and caspase-3 were significantly enhanced by DKL treatment in HCT-116. Hence, DKL has been considered a chemotherapeutic drug by impeding the expression of PI3K-, AKT-, and mTOR-mediated inhibition of proliferation and cell cycle-regulating proteins.     

Isolation and characterization of axolemma-enriched fractions from rabbit and bovine peripheral nerve

Axolemma-enriched fractions were isolated from bovine spinal accessory nerves, bovine intradural dorsal roots, and rabbit sciatic nerve by differential centrifugation and separation on a linear 10–40% sucrose (w/w) gradient. The fractions were enriched 4 to 10 fold in acetylcholinesterase, a biochemical marker for axolemma. Axolemma-enriched fractions isolated from uniformly well-myelinated fibers (bovine spinal accessory nerve) contained lower CNPase activity and higher acetylcholinesterase activity than comparable fractions isolated from variably myelinated fibers (rabbit sciatic nerve and bovine intradural roots). Separation by polyacrylamide electrophoresis showed that the molecular weight distribution of all peripheral nerve axolemma-enriched fractions was similar and ranged from 20 to over 150 kilodaltons. All axolemma-enriched fractions appeared to contain a small but variable amount of myelin-specific proteins. Based on biochemical properties, peripheral nerves containing uniformly well-myelinated fibers yield an axolemma-enriched fraction which is least contaminated with myelin-related membranes.     

枯草芽孢杆菌聚谷氨酸合成途径相关基因功能研究

聚谷氨酸(polyglutamic acid, PGA)作为一种天然多功能的聚合物,近年来成为研究的热点。由于很难通过化学方法合成,微生物发酵是目前生产聚谷氨酸的有效途径。【目的】从基因水平探究枯草芽孢杆菌聚谷氨酸合成途径中degS、degQ、degU、swrA、rocA、putM基因的功能,通过分子改造实现对代谢途径的调控。【方法】以枯草芽孢杆菌为出发菌株,通过对代谢途径中相关基因进行敲除或过表达,分别构建degS、degQ和degU基因缺失的重组菌,swrA、rocA和putM基因过表达的重组菌,借助菌株胞外聚谷氨酸积累的变化分析影响途径的关键节点。【结果】在摇瓶发酵条件下,重组菌Bacillus subtilis 168-swrA、Bacillus subtilis 168-rocA、Bacillus subtilis 168-putM的胞外聚谷氨酸含量分别是原始菌株的1.28倍、1.47倍和1.37倍。重组菌Bacillus subtilis 168-ΔdegS、Bacillus subtilis 168-ΔdegQ、Bacillus subtilis 168-ΔdegU的胞外...     

嗜黏蛋白阿克曼氏菌治疗疾病的潜力与作用机制研究进展

嗜黏蛋白阿克曼氏菌(Akkermansia muciniphila, AKK)可促进肠道黏液分泌,维持肠道黏液动态平衡,调节肠黏膜屏障功能,在机体代谢调节、免疫应答中发挥重要作用。AKK对肠道炎症、神经炎症、机体代谢紊乱和癌症等疾病具有显著改善作用,被视为极具潜力的下一代益生菌。本文分别从消化系统、神经系统、代谢性紊乱和癌症等角度入手,系统概述AKK在疾病治疗中的潜力及作用分子机制。     

黔西水城晚二叠世长兴期钙藻和有孔虫及其古环境意义

在黔西水城地区的K576井长兴组共鉴定钙藻3属3种,包括Gymnocodium bellerophontis、Permocalculus sp.和Tauridiumkurdistanensis;有孔虫8属10种,其中(虫筳)类2属2种,有孔虫动物群主要由Reichelinasp.indet.、Nankinella sp.、Pachyphloia schwageri、Pachyphloia sp.、Geinitzina sp.、Nestellorella sp. indet.、Howchinella sp.、Hemigordius aff. saranensis、Hemigordius sp.和Midiella sp. indet.组成。将本井按照生物特征分为有孔虫-钙藻-介形虫组合、有孔虫-腕足类-介形虫组合、介形虫-双壳类-腹足类组合、有孔虫-钙藻-双壳类组合、有孔虫-腕足类-介形虫组合、有孔虫-钙藻-双壳类组合和介形虫组合等7个组合。按照层序地层划分、垂向沉积序列特征和测井资料的分析,有孔虫-钙藻-介形虫组合(SQ3-3)和有孔虫-腕足类-介形虫组合(SQ3-4)时期地层为三角洲前...     

一株C3形态多重耐药大肠杆菌噬菌体生物学特性和基因组分析

【目的】多重耐药菌的出现对公共卫生安全构成严重威胁,本研究分离多重耐药大肠杆菌噬菌体,研究其生物学特性和基因组特征,为耐药菌的噬菌体疗法提供理论依据。【方法】使用双层平板法从污水样本中分离纯化大肠杆菌噬菌体;磷钨酸染色后通过透射电镜观察形态;测定其宿主范围,测定温度和pH稳定性、一步生长曲线和体外抑菌效果等生物学特性;体内抑菌试验评估噬菌体对多重耐药大肠杆菌N1203-1Af感染的大蜡螟幼虫的保护作用;基于全基因组测序对其基因组特点进行分析。【结果】本研究分离共得到5株大肠杆菌噬菌体,分别命名为pEC-S163-2.1、pEC-S163-2.2、pEC-M1167-5Ar.1、pEC-m1291-2Dr.1和pEC-N1203-2Af.1;电镜结果显示噬菌体pEC-N1203-2Af.1属于短尾噬菌体中罕见的C3形态型,头部较长,长是宽的2–3倍;pEC-N1203-2Af.1可裂解受试15株大肠杆菌中的3株;感染10 min后进入指数增长期,–20-50℃、pH值为4.0–10.0的环境下均能够保持稳定活性;大蜡螟幼虫感染大肠杆菌N1203-2Af后噬菌体pEC-N1203-2Af....     

Gut microbiome helps honeybee (Apis mellifera) resist the stress of toxic nectar plant (Bidens pilosa) exposure: Evidence for survival and immunity

Honeybee (Apis mellifera) ingestion of toxic nectar plants can threaten their health and survival. However, little is known about how to help honeybees mitigate the effects of toxic nectar plant poisoning. We exposed honeybees to different concentrations of Bidens pilosa flower extracts and found that B. pilosa exposure significantly reduced honeybee survival in a dose-dependent manner. By measuring changes in detoxification and antioxidant enzymes and the gut microbiome, we found that superoxide dismutase, glutathione-S-transferase and carboxylesterase activities were significantly activated with increasing concentrations of B. pilosa and that different concentrations of B. pilosa exposure changed the structure of the honeybee gut microbiome, causing a significant reduction in the abundance of Bartonella (p < 0.001) and an increase in Lactobacillus. Importantly, by using Germ-Free bees, we found that colonization by the gut microbes Bartonella apis and Apilactobacillus kunkeei (original classification as Lactobacillus kunkeei) significantly increased the resistance of honeybees to B. pilosa and significantly upregulated bee-associated immune genes. These results suggest that honeybee detoxification systems possess a level of resistance to the toxic nectar plant B. pilosa and that the gut microbes B. apis and A. kunkeei may augment resistance to B. pilosa stress by improving host immunity.     

The potato StMKK5-StSIPK module enhances resistance to Phytophthora pathogens through activating the salicylic acid and ethylene signalling pathways

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades play pivotal roles in plant responses to both biotic and abiotic stress. A screen of a Nicotiana benthamiana cDNA virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) library for altered plant responses to inoculation with Phytophthora infestans previously identified an NbMKK gene, encoding a clade D MAPKK that we renamed as NbMKK5, which is involved in immunity to P. infestans. To study the role of the potato orthologous gene, referred to as StMKK5, in the response to P. infestans, we transiently overexpressed StMKK5 in N. benthamiana and observed that cell death occurred at 2 days postinfiltration. Silencing of the highly conserved eukaryotic protein SGT1 delayed the StMKK5-induced cell death, whereas silencing of the MAPK-encoding gene NbSIPK completely abolished the cell death response. Further investigations showed that StMKK5 interacts with, and directly phosphorylates, StSIPK. Furthermore, both StMKK5 and StSIPK trigger salicylic acid (SA)- and ethylene (Eth)-related gene expression, and co-expression of the salicylate hydroxylase NahG with the negative regulator of Eth signalling CTR1 hampers StSIPK-triggered cell death. This observation indicates that the cell death triggered by StMKK5-StSIPK is dependent on the combination of SA- and Eth-signalling. By introducing point mutations, we showed that the kinase activity of both StMKK5 and StSIPK is required for triggering cell death. Genetic analysis showed that StMKK5 depends on StSIPK to trigger plant resistance. Thus, our results define a potato StMKK5-SIPK module that positively regulates immunity to P. infestans via activation of both the SA and Eth signalling pathways.     

TaTPP-7A positively feedback regulates grain filling and wheat grain yield through T6P-SnRK1 signalling pathway and sugar–ABA interaction

Grain size and filling are two key determinants of grain thousand-kernel weight (TKW) and crop yield, therefore they have undergone strong selection since cereal was domesticated. Genetic dissection of the two traits will improve yield potential in crops. A quantitative trait locus significantly associated with wheat grain TKW was detected on chromosome 7AS flanked by a simple sequence repeat marker of Wmc17 in Chinese wheat 262 mini-core collection by genome-wide association study. Combined with the bulked segregant RNA-sequencing (BSR-seq) analysis of an F₂ genetic segregation population with extremely different TKW traits, a candidate trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase gene located at 135.0 Mb (CS V1.0), designated as TaTPP-7A, was identified. This gene was specifically expressed in developing grains and strongly influenced grain filling and size. Overexpression (OE) of TaTPP-7A in wheat enhanced grain TKW and wheat yield greatly. Detailed analysis revealed that OE of TaTPP-7A significantly increased the expression levels of starch synthesis- and senescence-related genes involved in abscisic acid (ABA) and ethylene pathways. Moreover, most of the sucrose metabolism and starch regulation-related genes were potentially regulated by SnRK1. In addition, TaTPP-7A is a crucial domestication- and breeding-targeted gene and it feedback regulates sucrose lysis, flux, and utilization in the grain endosperm mainly through the T6P-SnRK1 pathway and sugar–ABA interaction. Thus, we confirmed the T6P signalling pathway as the central regulatory system for sucrose allocation and source–sink interactions in wheat grains and propose that the trehalose pathway components have great potential to increase yields in cereal crops.