Phosphorylation of Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinases 1/2 Predominantly Enhanced in the Microglia of the Rat Spinal Cord Following Lipopolysaccharide Injection

The present study was initiated to investigate the role of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) 1/2 signaling pathway in the early response of spinal cord to systemic inflammation by using Western blotting and immunohistochemical techniques in a rat model intraperitoneally injected with 10 mg/kg of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The results showed that there was a considerable amount of phosphorylated ERK 1/2 protein in the spinal cord of inflamed animals killed under pentobarbital anesthesia. The result of Western blotting showed that the phosphorylation level of ERK 1/2 in the spinal cord was increased at one hour; then 12 and 24 h after LPS injection the level decreased, while the total ERK 1/2 level seemed unchanged. The phosphorylated ERK 1/2 dominantly existed in the microglia cells of the gray matter of spinal cord, as demonstrated with double immunofluorescent staining 1 h after LPS injection. Collectively, the present results suggest that ERK signal pathway involve the cellular activation in the spinal cord following systemic inflammation, with ERK mainly in microglia. The increase of phosphorylation of ERK 1/2 in microglia of spinal cord after LPS injection implicates that ERK signaling pathway involves intracellular activity of microglia responding to the inflammation. Dan Zhou and Min Fei contributed equally to this work.     

Electroacupuncture Effects in a Rat Model of Complete Freund’s Adjuvant-Induced Inflammatory Pain: Antinociceptive Effects Enhanced and Tolerance Development Accelerated

We have previously shown that electroacupuncture (EA) produced antinociception through the release of endogenous opioid peptides to activate opioid receptors during acute nociception. EA produced tolerance after its prolonged application. It has reported that 100 Hz EA could reduce mechanical hyperalgesia in complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA)-induced inflammatory nociception rats. The present study aims to investigate the antinociceptive effect of EA and the development of EA tolerance in chronic inflammatory nociception rats with CFA injection into the hind paw plantar. The results showed that the antinociceptive effect of 100 Hz EA was significantly enhanced in CFA-induced inflammatory nociception rats. Naloxone at 20 mg/kg could significantly block this antinociceptive effect. Chronic tolerance to EA was developed faster in CFA-induced inflammatory nociception rats than in normal rats. Therefore, 100 Hz EA could enhance antinociceptive effects and accelerate tolerance development in CFA-induced inflammatory nociception rats. The enhancement of EA antinociceptive effect in CFA-induced inflammatory nociception rats might involve the endogenous opioid peptides such as dynorphin. Special issue article in honor of Dr. Ji-Sheng Han.     

Monitoring sandy desertification of Otindag Sandy Land based on multi-date remote sensing images

Sandy desertification is now the main ecological problem in the Otindag Sandy Land. In order to reveal the process of land degradation, especially the latest situation of sandy desertification, a method integrating remote sensing, Geographic Information System (GIS) and field survey was employed to build a sandy desertification dataset for analysis. Remote sensing images included the Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) image in 1987, the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM⁺) image in 2000, and the image with the Charge-Coupled Device Camera (CCD) on the China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite (CBERS) in 2006. Five land-cover classes, including active sand dunes, fixed sand dunes, semi-fixed sand dunes, inter-dune grassland and wetlands, were identified. Results showed that the Otindag Sandy Land has been suffering sandy desertification since 1987 with 2 different desertified stages. The first stage from 1987 to 2000 was a severe sandy desertification period, characterized by the fixed sand dunes decreasing at a high speed, and the semi-fixed and active sand dunes increasing remarkably. The second stage spanned from 2000 to 2006 and the sandy desertification was weakened greatly. Although a large area of fixed sand dunes were transformed to other types, fixed sand dunes were still the dominant type in the Ointdag region at 2006. Spatial change detection based on active sand dunes showed that the expansion area was much larger than the reversion area in the past two decades, and that several active sand belts had been formed, suggesting that sandy desertification controlling of the Otindag Sandy Land will be a long-term task.     

TEMPO-mediated selective oxidation of substituted polysaccharides--an efficient approach for the determination of the degree of substitution at C-6

2,2,6,6-Tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy radical (TEMPO)-mediated oxidations of substituted polysaccharides were studied at pH 10.2 and at a temperature of 0 °C with NaOCl as the oxidant. The reaction is highly selective, and it was shown that the oxidation can proceed to a yield of nearly 100%. The oxidation process was investigated for several substituted polysaccharides, especially for a series of hydroxypropyl guar gums with different molar degrees of substitution. It was shown that this oxidation can be used for the determination of the degree of substitution at C-6 of the polysaccharide by comparing the difference in oxidation yield between substituted and natural polysaccharides. Studies on several hydroxypropyl guar gums showed that the degrees of substitution at C-6—for MS of 0.08, 0.34, 0.62, and 1.08—are 0.06, 0.24, 0.40, and 0.44, respectively. The results were extended to other polysaccharides such as carboxymethyl cellulose, cationic guar gum, carboxymethyl pullulan, and methyl cellulose. It can be concluded that the TEMPO-mediated oxidation is a useful method for the determination of the DS at the substituted C-6 position for different kinds of modified polysaccharides.     

Cdt1 forms a complex with the minichromosome maintenance protein (MCM) and activates its helicase activity

Mcm4/6/7 forms a complex possessing DNA helicase activity, suggesting that Mcm may be a central component for the replicative helicase. Although Cdt1 is known to be essential for loading of Mcm onto the chromatin, its precise role in pre-RC formation and replication initiation is unknown. Using purified proteins, we show that Cdt1 forms a complex with Mcm4/6/7, Mcm2/3/4/5/6/7, and Mcm2/4/6/7 in glycerol gradient fractionation through interaction with Mcm2 and Mcm4/6. In the glycerol gradient fractionation, Mcm4/6/7-Cdt1 forms a complex (speculated to be a (Mcm4/6/7)2-Cdt13 assembly) in the presence of ATP, which is significantly larger than the Mcm4/6/7-Cdt1 complex generated in its absence. Furthermore, DNA binding and helicase activities of Mcm4/6/7 are significantly stimulated by Cdt1 protein in vitro. We generated a Cdt1 mutant, which fails to stimulate DNA binding and helicase activities of Mcm4/6/7. This mutant Cdt1 showed reduced interaction with Mcm and is deficient in the formation of a high molecular weight complex with Mcm. Thus, a productive interaction between Cdt1 and MCM appears to be essential for efficient loading of MCM onto template DNA, as well as for the efficient unwinding reaction.     

根据蛋白质互作网络预测前列腺癌相关蛋白质的细致功能

对于功能部分已知的前列腺癌相关蛋白质,提出了一种基于Gent Ontology的功能特异的子网构建方法来细化其功能注释。结果显示该方法能够以很高的精确率为前列腺癌相关蛋白质预测更为精细的功能。预测的相关蛋白质的功能对于指导实验研究前列腺癌的分子机制具有重要的价值。     

动物学综合实验在教学中培养探究性的实践

以动物学综合实验--家鸡脑标本的制作与观察为例,从药品的配制、实验材料的准备、实验整个操作程序的设计,到最后的实验结果,让学生独立完成.起到了指导学生探究和掌握科学方法的作用,让学生在体验科学探究的过程中,获得初步的科学探究能力,培养其探索和创新意识,从而提高生物科学素养.     

gacS基因插入失活对绿针假单胞菌G-05的两种胞外次生代谢物合成的影响

一株来自大棚温室甜椒根际的绿针假单胞菌Pseudomonas chlororaphis G-05,可分泌抗生物质吩嗪-1-羧酸,并具有抑制辣椒疫霉的生物防治功效。【目的】为了系统研究该菌株的生物防治功能及抗生物质合成与分泌机制。【方法】首先通过生化法和16S rDNA同源比对法对该菌株进行系统分类的初步鉴定,再根据基因的同源性从G-05基因组DNA中克隆长1.4 kb的gacS基因的部分保守区段,采用抗庆大霉素基因（gentamycin resistance cassette, aacC1）插入失活的策略构建了该基因突变株G-05S。【结果】在King’ s B（KMB）或PPM培养基中,突变株G-05S合成吩嗪-1-羧酸的能力受到明显抑制。然而,突变株G-05S分泌的吲哚乙酸与野生株相比无显著差异。互补实验表明,gacS基因的表达可以使突变株G-05S的吩嗪-1-羧酸的合成恢复到野生株水平。【结论】由此推测,GacS(Global activator sensor )对不同次生代谢物的调控具有特异性。     

LYVE-1和D2—40在检测早期宫颈鳞状细胞癌和癌前病变微淋巴管中的研究

目的对比分析两种常用的淋巴内皮细胞标记分子LYVE-1和D2—40在检测宫颈癌癌前病变和早期宫颈鳞状细胞癌（简称鳞癌）组织中微淋巴管的异同,结合临床资料分析其与宫颈鳞癌的临床分期,淋巴转移和病理特点之间的关系。方法采用SP法检测抗人淋巴管内皮透明质酸受体-1（1ymphatic Vesselendothelial HAreceptor-1,LYVE-1）多克隆抗体和D2—40单克隆抗体免疫组织化学染色分别检测22例宫颈癌癌前病变和36例早期宫颈鳞癌组织中的淋巴管密度（lympatie vessel density,LVD）,图像分析系统统计LVD的水平。结果 1.两种标记分子检测均发现在宫颈癌前病变和早期鳞癌中LVD随着疾病的进展而显著增加（P〈0．001）,同时均发现LVD与盆腔淋巴结状态密切相关。2．对比两种分子染色效果,两种标记分子各有优劣,联合起来使用更为可靠。结论 LYVE-1和D2-40结合使用能更准确反应宫颈淋巴管的情况,宫颈癌前病变和早期宫颈癌组织中高淋巴管分布与淋巴转移和肿瘤分期有关。