副溶血性弧菌免疫逃逸及其可能机制的研究进展

副溶血性弧菌是全球范围内威胁人体健康和食品安全的食源性致病菌。在感染人体的过程中,副溶血性弧菌通过将其效应蛋白直接注射至宿主细胞中操纵宿主,介导毒力的发挥,并进化出了一套完美的免疫逃逸策略,成功躲避免疫系统的攻击,引起急性肠胃炎、败血症和坏死性筋膜炎等疾病。副溶血性弧菌入侵上皮细胞,使胞内囊泡酸化,在与溶酶体融合之前逃逸到细胞质中,并且限制活性氧的产生,促进其在胞内生存。副溶血性弧菌可以诱导自噬,抑制NLRC4炎症小体介导的caspase-1的激活,还可以通过抑制TAK1激酶,阻止MAPK和NF-κB信号通路的激活,干扰免疫系统激活,借助多种手段共同协作从而达到免疫逃逸。本文系统总结了副溶血性弧菌现已研究的免疫逃逸机制,并对其可能存在的免疫逃逸机制提供了新的见解和方向,对深入了解副溶血性弧菌的致病机理和防控药物靶向位点的选择及研发具有重要意义。     

6种植物次生物质对斜纹夜蛾解毒酶活性的影响

草食性昆虫取食植物时遇到宿主植物中大量次生物质的化学防御,研究昆虫适应植物毒素的反防御策略具有重要的科学意义。分别添加0.01%肉桂酸、0.01%水杨酸、0.01%花椒毒素、0.02%槲皮素、0.05%黄酮和0.1%香豆素等6种植物次生物质的人工饲料饲养斜纹夜蛾(Spodoptera litura)五龄幼虫48 h后,测定斜纹夜蛾幼虫中肠和脂肪体中谷胱甘肽S-转移酶(GSTs)、羧酸酯酶(CarE)、P450的酶含量及头部乙酰胆碱酯酶(AChE)的活性,利用半定量RT-PCR检测中肠和脂肪体中CYP4M14和CYP4S9的基因表达水平。结果表明:取食肉桂酸和香豆素后,斜纹夜蛾中肠中CarE的酶活性分别提高了1.67和1.37倍,取食6种次生物质均能显著提高斜纹夜蛾脂肪体中GSTs酶活性。取食肉桂酸和香豆素48 h后,脂肪体中P450酶含量比对照增加2.93和14.50倍。取食肉桂酸、花椒毒素、槲皮素和香豆素后,斜纹夜蛾头部AchE酶活性与对照相比提高了1.53、1.80、2.36和1.56倍。6种次生物质均可诱导脂肪体中CYP4M14基因表达,槲皮素、肉桂酸和香豆素强烈诱导CYP4S9在脂肪体中表达。表明,斜纹夜蛾具有利用植物次生物质诱导其解毒酶的能力,进而提高其对毒素的抗性。     

Detection of several harmful algal species by sandwich hybridization integrated with a nuclease protection assay

The frequent occurrence of harmful algal blooms (HABs) is a pressing topic in marine research. An integrated sandwich hybridization and nuclease protection assay was established to qualitatively and quantitatively detect 12 harmful algal species. This method demonstrated good reliability, specificity and accuracy for analyzing samples from individual and mixed cultures, as well as field collection, and cell volumes were positively correlated to the slopes of calibration curves. The lowest quantitative detection limits were those concentrations observed during blooms; thus, this technique provides an efficient alternative to microscopy for rapid identification and quantitation of harmful algal species and could be routinely used to monitor phytoplankton in field surveys.     

Effects of size,neighbors, and site condition on tree growth in a subtropical evergreen and deciduous broad‐leaved mixed forest,China

Successful growth of a tree is the result of combined effects of biotic and abiotic factors. It is important to understand how biotic and abiotic factors affect changes in forest structure and dynamics under environmental fluctuations. In this study, we explored the effects of initial size [diameter at breast height (DBH)], neighborhood competition, and site condition on tree growth, based on a 3‐year monitoring of tree growth rate in a permanent plot (120 × 80 m) of montane Fagus engleriana–Cyclobalanopsis multiervis mixed forest on Mt. Shennongjia, China. We measured DBH increments every 6 months from October 2011 to October 2014 by field‐made dendrometers and calculated the mean annual growth rate over the 3 years for each individual tree. We also measured and calculated twelve soil properties and five topographic variables for 384 grids of 5 × 5 m. We defined two distance‐dependent neighborhood competition indices with and without considerations of phylogenetic relatedness between trees and tested for significant differences in growth rates among functional groups. On average, trees in this mixed montane forest grew 0.07 cm year^?1 in DBH. Deciduous, canopy, and early‐successional species grew faster than evergreen, small‐statured, and late‐successional species, respectively. Growth rates increased with initial DBH, but were not significantly related to neighborhood competition and site condition for overall trees. Phylogenetic relatedness between trees did not influence the neighborhood competition. Different factors were found to influence tree growth rates of different functional groups: Initial DBH was the dominant factor for all tree groups; neighborhood competition within 5 m radius decreased growth rates of evergreen trees; and site condition tended to be more related to growth rates of fast‐growing trees (deciduous, canopy, pioneer, and early‐successional species) than the slow‐growing trees (evergreen, understory, and late‐successional species).     

微核技术研究进展

微核试验作为检测染色体损伤最常用而有效的细胞遗传学检测方法之一,经济、简便、快速,在敏感性、特异性和准确性方面,与经典的染色体畸变分析方法基本相当。主要综述国内外微核检测技术的最新研究进展,尤其是微核的自动化检测技术。其中流式细胞仪自动化检测和激光扫描细胞仪自动化检测,以及微核试验高内涵筛选方法由于其特有的优势,应用和发展前景广阔。     

MiR‐616‐3p modulates cell proliferation and migration through targeting tissue factor pathway inhibitor 2 in preeclampsia

Objectives

Despite improvements in diagnosis and treatment, preeclampsia (PE) continues to pose a significant risk of maternal and foetal morbidity and mortality if not addressed promptly. An increasing number of studies have suggested that tissue factor pathway inhibitor 2 (TFPI2) acts as a suppressor gene, possibly inhibiting multiple serine proteases affecting cell proliferation and migration. It plays an essential role in the occurrence and development of PE, but the pathogenesis remains unclear.

Materials and methods

In our research, we performed western blotting, immunohistochemistry and qPCR assays to investigate TFPI2 and miR‐616‐3p expression in preeclamptic placental tissues. Cell assays were performed in HTR‐8/SVneo and JEG3 cell lines. Cell proliferation and migration events were investigated by MTT, EdU and transwell assays. In conjunction with bioinformatics analysis, luciferase reporter assays were performed to elucidate the mechanism by which miR‐616‐3p binds to TFPI2 mRNA.

Results

We established that TFPI2 protein levels were significantly upregulated in PE placental tissues. In addition, we found that miR‐616‐3p binds specifically to the 3′‐UTR region of TFPI2 mRNA. Furthermore, miR‐616‐3p knockdown or TFPI2 overexpression substantially impaired cell growth and migration, whereas miR‐616‐3p upregulation or TFPI2 knockdown stimulated cell proliferation and migration. This miR‐616‐3p / TFPI2 axis was also found to affect the epithelial‐mesenchymal transition process in PE.

Conclusions

Our results demonstrated that TFPI2 plays a vital role in the progression of PE and might provide a prospective therapeutic strategy to mitigate the severity of the disorder.

     

Solid cultures of thrips-pathogenic fungi Isaria javanica strains for enhanced conidial productivity and thermotolerance

Entomopathogenic fungi have great potential to control agricultural and horticultural insect pests, however optimizing conidial production systems to demonstrate high productivity and stability still needs additional efforts for successful field application and industrialization. Although many virulent entomopathogenic fungal isolates have been viewed as potential candidates in a laboratory environment, very few of the isolates are being used in practice for application in agricultural fields as commercial products. I. javanicus is an entomopathogenic fungus that is parasitic to various diverse coleopteran and lepidopteran insects and thought good candidate as biopesticdes. In this work, the basic characteristics of two entomopathogenic fungi, I. javanica FG340 and Pf04, were investigated in morphological examinations, genetic identification, and virulence against Thrips palmi, and then the feasibility of various grains substrates for conidial production was assessed, particularly focusing on conidial productivity and thermotolerance. Isaria javanica FG340 and Pf04 conidia were solid-cultured on 12 grains for 14?days in a Petri dish. Of the tested Italian millet, perilla seed, millet and barley-based cultures showed high conidial production. The four-grain media yielded >1?×?10⁹ conidia/g of I. javanica FG340 and Pf04. Pf04 strain had enhanced thermotolerance up to 45?°C when cultured on Italian millet. In application, it was easy to make a conidial suspension using the cultured grains, and several surfactants were tested to release the conidia. This work suggests several possible inexpensive grain substrates by which to promote conidial production combined with enhanced stability against exposure to high temperature.