Thermodynamic parameters of the interaction of Urtica dioica agglutinin with N-acetylglucosamine and its oligomers

The interaction between Urtica dioica agglutinin (UDA) and N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) and its (1-4)-linked oligomers was studied by fluorescence titration and isothermal titration microcalorimetry. UDA possesses one significant binding site that can be measured calorimetrically. This site is composed of three subsites, each subsite accommodating one GlcNAc residue. The interaction is enthalpically driven, and the binding area of UDA is characterized by a H of interaction for a given oligosaccharide considerably smaller than that of wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), despite the fact that they both belong to a family of proteins composed entirely of hevein domains. Relatively high Cp values of the UDA-carbohydrate interactions and more favorable entropy term compared to WGA suggest that binding of the carbohydrate ligands by UDA has a higher hydrophobic component than that of WGA.     

灵武长枣果实同化物韧皮部卸载和运输途径研究

韧皮部卸载和韧皮部后运输在调节同化物在果实中的分配和积累方面起着至关重要的作用,而且很大程度上决定着果实的产量和质量。为探讨灵武长枣果实同化物韧皮部卸载和运输途径,以4个时期灵武长枣果实为实验材料,对各个发育时期果实维管束的显微结构进行观察,并综合运用荧光染料活细胞示踪与激光共聚焦扫描显微镜技术实时观察果实内韧皮部同化物卸载路径的变化,为灵武长枣果实同化物积累和品质调控奠定基础。结果显示：(1)膨大前期不仅果实的韧皮部中具有明显的CF绿色荧光,同时在周围薄壁细胞中也分布着CF绿色荧光,筛管伴胞复合体和周围薄壁细胞之间存在着共质体联系。(2)快速膨大期,CF绿色荧光主要局限于果实的韧皮部中,在韧皮部周围薄壁细胞中分布较少,筛管伴胞复合体与周围薄壁细胞之间主要以共质体隔离为主,但也存在着一定的共质体联系。(3)着色期和完熟期,CF绿色荧光局限于果实的韧皮部中,在韧皮部周围薄壁细胞中基本没有CF绿色荧光,果实筛管伴胞复合体与周围薄壁细胞之间是共质体隔离状态,但引入CFDA的同时引入具有质膜通透作用的洋地黄皂苷时,周围薄壁细胞中CF绿色荧光分布明显增加。研究认为,灵武长枣在膨大前期果实韧皮部同化物为共质体卸载途径,快速膨大期果实主要以质外体途径运输同化物,但也通过共质体卸出同化物,着色期和完熟期果实通过质外体途径运输同化物。     

A Unidirectional Cell Switching Gate by Engineering Grating Length and Bending Angle

On a microgrooved substrate, cells migrate along the pattern, and at random positions, reverse their directions. Here, we demonstrate that these reversals can be controlled by introducing discontinuities to the pattern. On “V-shaped grating patterns”, mouse osteogenic progenitor MC3T3-E1 cells reversed predominately at the bends and the ends. The patterns were engineered in a way that the combined effects of angle- and length-dependence could be examined in addition to their individual effects. Results show that when the bend was placed closer to one end, migration behaviour of cells depends on their direction of approach. At an obtuse bend (135°), more cells reversed when approaching from the long segment than from the short segment. But at an acute bend (45°), this relationship was reversed. Based on this anisotropic behaviour, the designed patterns effectively allowed cells to move in one direction but blocked migrations in the opposing direction. This study demonstrates that by the strategic placement of bends and ends on grating patterns, we can engineer effective unidirectional switching gates that can control the movement of adherent cells. The knowledge developed in this study could be utilised in future cell sorting or filtering platforms without the need for chemotaxis or microfluidic control.     

Upregulation of miR-142-3p Improves Drug Sensitivity of Acute Myelogenous Leukemia through Reducing P-Glycoprotein and Repressing Autophagy by Targeting HMGB1

miR-142-3p was reported to be downregulated in acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and acted as a novel diagnostic marker. However, the regulatory effect of miR-142-3p on drug resistance of AML cells and its underlying mechanism have not been elucidated. Here, we found that miR-142-3p was significantly downregulated and high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) was dramatically upregulated in AML samples and cells, as well as drug-resistant AML cells. P-gp level and autophagy were markedly enhanced in HL-60/ADR and HL-60/ATRA cells. miR-142-3p overexpression improved drug sensitivity of AML cells by inhibiting cell viability and promoting apoptosis, and inhibited P-gp level and autophagy in drug-resistant AML cells, whereas HMGB1 overexpression obviously reversed these effect. HMGB1 was demonstrated to be a target of miR-142-3p, and miR-142-3p negatively regulated HMGB1 expression. In conclusion, our study elucidated that upregulation of miR-142-3p improves drug sensitivity of AML through reducing P-glycoprotein and repressing autophagy by targeting HMGB1, contributing to better understanding the molecular mechanism of drug resistance in AML.     

Reductive transformation of parathion and methyl parathion by Bacillus sp.

Based on the results of phenotypic features, phylogenetic similarity of 16S rRNA gene sequences and BIOLOG test, a soil bacterium was identified as Bacillus sp. DM-1. Using either growing cells or a cell-free extract, it transformed parathion and methyl parathion to amino derivatives by reducing the nitro group. Pesticide transformation by a cell-free extract was specifically inhibited by three nitroreductase inhibitors, indicating the presence of nitroreductase activity. The nitroreductase activity was NAD(P)H-dependent, O₂-insensitive, and exhibited the substrate specificity for parathion and methyl parathion. Reductive transformation significantly decreased the toxicity of pesticides.     

Bt毒素蛋白基因的PCR鉴定及定位

利用合成的cryI、cryIII和cryV基因专一性引物 ,检测了从土壤中分离到的 56株苏云金芽孢杆菌菌株所含的晶体毒素蛋白基因。含有cryI基因的有 7株 ,含有cryIII基因的有 2株 ,同时含有cryI和cryV基因的有 2 1株。斑点杂交及Southern杂交分析表明 ,cryV基因定位于 1 50MD的大质粒上。     

Are regional precipitation–productivity relationships robust to decadal-scale dry period?

降水-生产力的空间关系是否稳定不变？ 降水是全球陆地生态系统中植被生长和净初级生产力的主要驱动因素。因此,探究降水和生产力关系有助于深入了解气候变化如何改变生态系统功能。降水-生产力的空间关系在全球不同草地上非常相似,但在连续多年气候异常的情况下,这种关系是否会发生变化以及如何变化尚不清楚。本研究利用 利用中国北方温带草地长达10年低于多年平均降水的时期,基于遥感植被指数数据,量化了区域尺度上降水-植被生产力关系在持续多年的干湿期之间将如何变化。结果表明,在连续10年的干期,降水-生产力空间相关性急剧下降,而该空间关系的下降主要是由于不同草原类型对干旱的响应在空间上存在高度的异质性,即不同生态系统对干旱的响应程度存在差异。因此,如果未来气候变化进一步加剧全球草地的干旱,那么基于历史时期(平水期)得到的降水-生产力空间关系推测区域尺度植被生产力可能导致误差。     

SFTSV infection in rodents and their ectoparasitic chiggers

SFTSV, a tick-borne bunyavirus causing a severe hemorrhagic fever termed as severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS). To evaluate the potential role of rodents and its ectoparasitic chiggers in the transmission of SFTSV, we collected wild rodents and chiggers on their bodies from a rural area in Qingdao City, Shandong Province, China in September 2020. PCR amplification of the M and L segments of SFTSV showed that 32.3% (10/31) of rodents and 0.2% (1/564) of chiggers (Leptotrombidium deliense) from the rodents were positive to SFTSV. Our results suggested that rodents and chiggers may play an important role in the transmission of SFTSV, although the efficiency of chiggers to transmit SFTSV needs to be further investigated experimentally.     

Obovatol isolated from Magnolia obovata enhances pentobarbital-induced sleeping time: Possible involvement of GABAA receptors/chloride channel activation

This study aimed to investigate the effects of obovatol isolated from Magnolia obovata on pentobarbital-induced sleeping behaviors and to determine whether these effects were mediated by GABA_A receptors/chloride channel activation, using a western blot technique and Cl^? sensitive fluorescence probe. GABA_A receptors subunits expression and chloride influx were investigated in cultured cerebellar granule cells. Obovatol (0.05, 0.1, and 0.2 mg/kg) prolonged the sleeping time induced by pentobarbital (42 mg/kg). In addition, obovatol (20 and 50 μM) significantly increased Cl^? influx in the primary cultured cerebellar granule cells. Moreover, obovatol increased the expression of GABA_A receptor α-, β-, and γ-subunits. However, it had no effect on the abundance of the expression of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), suggesting that obovatol might not activate GAD. These results suggest that obovatol potentiates pentobarbital-induced sleeping time through the GABA_A receptors/chloride channel activation.