A novel locus essential for spreading of Cytophaga hutchinsonii colonies on agar

Cytophaga hutchinsonii is an aerobic cellulolytic gliding bacterium. The mechanism of its cell motility over surfaces without flagella and type IV pili is not known. In this study, mariner-based transposon mutagenesis was used to identify a new locus CHU_1797 essential for colony spreading on both hard and soft agar surfaces through gliding. CHU_1797 encodes a putative outer membrane protein of 348 amino acids with unknown function, and proteins which have high sequence similarity to CHU_1797 were widespread in the members of the phylum Bacteroidetes. The disruption of CHU_1797 suppressed spreading toward glucose on an agar surface, but had no significant effect on cellulose degradation for cells already in contact with cellulose. SEM observation showed that the mutant cells also regularly arranged on the surface of cellulose fiber similar with that of the wild type strain. These results indicated that the colony spreading ability on agar surfaces was not required for cellulose degradation by C. hutchinsonii. This was the first study focused on the relationship between cell motility and cellulose degradation of C. hutchinsonii.     

Additional data for a new Theileria sp. from China based on the sequences of ribosomal RNA internal transcribed spacers

Theileria sinensis was recently isolated and named as an independent Theileria species that infects cattle in China. To date, this parasite has been described based on its morphology, transmission and molecular studies, indicating that it should be classified as a distinct species. To test the validity of this taxon, the two internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2) and the 5.8S rRNA gene were cloned and sequenced from three T. sinensis isolates. The complete ITS sequences were compared with those of other Theileria sp. available in GenBank. Phylogenetic analyses based on sequence data for the complete ITS sequences indicate that T. sinensis lies in a distinct clade that is separate from that of T. buffeli/orientalis and T. annulata. Sequence comparisons indicate that different T. sinensis isolates possess unique sizes of ITS1 and ITS2 as well as species-specific nucleotide sequences. This analysis provides new molecular data to support the classification of T. sinensis as a distinct species from other known Theileria spp. based on ITS sequences.     

Actinopolyspora dayingensis sp. nov., a novel halophilic actinomycete isolated from a hypersaline lake

A novel halophilic, filamentous actinomycete, designated TRM 4064^T, was isolated from a hypersaline habitat in Sichuan Province, China. Phylogenetic analysis based on an almost-complete 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain TRM 4064^T showed that it was most closely related to Actinopolyspora mortivallis (99.1 % sequence similarity). The sequence similarities between strain TRM 4064^T and other Actinopolyspora species with validly-published names were <97.0 %. However, it had relatively low mean values for DNA–DNA relatedness with the A. mortivallis DSM 44261^T (23.2 %). Optimal growth occurred at 37 °C, pH 7.0 and in the presence of 13 % (w/v) NaCl. The whole-cell sugar pattern consists of xylose, glucose, ribose and arabinose. The predominant menaquinones are MK-10(H₄) (38.2 %), MK-9(H₄) (25.1 %), MK-9(H₂) (28.6 %) and MK-8(H₄) (7.3 %). The major fatty acids are anteiso-C_17:0 (36.9 %) and iso-C_17:0 (19.3 %). The diagnostic phospholipids detected were diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylinositol (PI) and two unknown phospholipids. The G+C content of the genomic DNA of the type strain is 66.3 mol%. Strain TRM 4064^T therefore represents a novel species of the genus Actinopolyspora, for which the name Actinopolyspora dayingensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TRM 4064^T (= KCTC 19979^T = CCTCC AA 2010010^T).     

Tenuibacillus halotolerans sp. nov., a novel bacterium isolated from a soil sample from a salt lake in Xinjiang, China and emended description of the genus Tenuibacillus

A Gram-positive, moderately halotolerant, rod-shaped bacterium, designated YIM 94025^T, was isolated from a soil sample from a salt lake in Xinjiang province, north-west China. Strain YIM 94025^T was observed to grow at 25–45 °C (optimum 37 °C), 0–22 % NaCl (optimum 2–10 %) and pH 6.0–9.0 (optimum pH 8.0). Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that the organism belongs to the genus Tenuibacillus and exhibited sequence similarity of 98.0 % to the closest type strain, Tenuibacillus multivorans AS 1.3442^T. The predominant menaquinone was found to be MK-7; the cell-wall peptidoglycan diamino acid was meso-diaminopimelic acid; the polar lipids consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, an unidentified phospholipid and an unknown lipid; and the major fatty acids were found to contain iso-C_15:0, anteiso-C_15:0 and iso-C_16:0. The chemotaxonomic characteristics of strain YIM 94025^T are consistent with those of the genus Tenuibacillus. The level of DNA–DNA relatedness value between YIM 94025^T and T. multivorans AS 1.3442^T was 36.6 ± 4.5 %. The G+C content of the strain YIM 94025^T was determined to be 38.5 %. Based on the comparative analysis of physiological, biochemical and chemotaxonomic data, as well as DNA–DNA hybridization results, the isolate is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Tenuibacillus, for which the name Tenuibacillus halotolerans sp. nov., is proposed, with the type strain of YIM 94025^T (=CCTCC AB 2012860^T = KCTC 33046^T).     

Bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7) mediates ischemic preconditioning-induced ischemic tolerance via attenuating apoptosis in rat brain

A mild cerebral ischemic insult, also known as ischemic preconditioning (IPC), confers transient tolerance to a subsequent ischemic challenge in the brain. This study was conducted to investigate whether bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7) is involved in neuroprotection elicited by IPC in a rat model of ischemia. Ischemic tolerance was induced in rats by IPC (15 min middle cerebral artery occlusion, MCAO) at 48 h before lethal ischemia (2 h MCAO). The present data showed that IPC increased BMP-7 mRNA and protein expression after 24 h reperfusion following ischemia in the brain. In rats of ischemia, IPC-induced reduction of cerebral infarct volume and improvement of neuronal morphology were attenuated when BMP-7 was inhibited either by antagonist noggin or short interfering RNA (siRNA) pre-treatment. Besides, cerebral IPC-induced up-regulation of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and down-regulation of cleaved caspase-3 at 24 h after ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury were reversed via inhibition of BMP-7. These findings indicate that BMP-7 mediates IPC-induced tolerance to cerebral I/R, probably through inhibition of apoptosis.     

A Recurrent PDGFRB Mutation Causes Familial Infantile Myofibromatosis

Infantile myofibromatosis (IM) is the most common benign fibrous tumor of soft tissues affecting young children. By using whole-exome sequencing, RNA sequencing, and targeted sequencing, we investigated germline and tumor DNA in individuals from four distinct families with the familial form of IM and in five simplex IM cases with no previous family history of this disease. We identified a germline mutation c.1681C>T (p.Arg561Cys) in platelet-derived growth factor receptor β (PDGFRB) in all 11 affected individuals with familial IM, although none of the five individuals with nonfamilial IM had mutations in this gene. We further identified a second heterozygous mutation in PDGFRB in two myofibromas from one of the affected familial cases, indicative of a potential second hit in this gene in the tumor. PDGFR-β promotes growth of mesenchymal cells, including blood vessels and smooth muscles, which are affected in IM. Our findings indicate p.Arg561Cys substitution in PDGFR-β as a cause of the dominant form of this disease. They provide a rationale for further investigations of this specific mutation and gene to assess the benefits of targeted therapies against PDGFR-β in aggressive life-threatening familial forms of the disease.     

Genetic Diversity of Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) Evaluated by Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR)

Understanding genetic diversity is very useful for scientific utilization for breeding. In this study, we estimated the genetic distances in a panel of 84 kenaf accessions collected from 26 countries and regions using ISSR markers. The results of UPGMA analysis showed that kenaf germplasm had abundant genetic variation, with genetic dissimilarity coefficients ranging from 0.01 to 0.62. The in-group dissimilarity coefficient (0.29) was observed in 84 kenaf accessions, and all the accessions could be divided into three groups: cultivars (L_1–1), relatively wild species (L_1–2 and L_1–3), and wild species (the others). Further in-group analysis in group L_1–1 (0.19) revealed that the kenaf cultivars could be divided into five subgroups with distinct regional characteristics. It is imperative that genes be exchanged among all kinds of tested varieties from different origins. The results provide a useful basis for kenaf germplasm research and breeding.     

Identification and biological characterization of chicken embryonic cardiac progenitor cells

Objectives: Many kinds of cardiac progenitor cell populations have been identified, including c‐kit⁺, Nkx2.5⁺s and GATA4⁺ cells. However, these progenitors have limited ability to differentiate into different cardiac cell types. Recently, a new kind of cardiac progenitor cell named the multipotent Isl1⁺ cardiovascular progenitor (MICPs) has been identified, which also expresses Nkx2.5, GATA4, CD34 and Flk1. Materials and methods: In this study, we have isolated and characterized MICPs from chicken embryonic heart tissues using immunofluorescence and PCR. Results: Results shown that they express markers of cardiac progenitor cells, with high clonality. They have the ability to self‐renew and can give rise to three types of heart cell in vitro. Conclusions: Myocytes, smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells. Our work provides evidence for a developmental paradigm of the heart, that endothelial and muscle lineage diversification arises from multipotent cardiac progenitor cells. Existence of these cells provides a new opportunity for myocardial injury repair.     

大鼠骨骼肌损伤后中性粒细胞、巨噬细胞和肌成纤维细胞数量分析研究

目的 研究大鼠骨骼肌损伤后中性粒细胞、巨噬细胞和肌成纤维细胞数量的变化情况,为今后骨骼肌损伤修复的病理学机制研究打下坚实的基础.方法 建立大鼠骨骼肌机械性损伤动物模型,随机分为伤后6h、12h、1d、3d、7d、10d、14d及正常对照组.应用免疫组织荧光染色和免疫组织化学染色,检测大鼠骨骼肌损伤后不同时间点中性粒细胞、巨噬细胞和肌成纤维细胞的数量.结果 伤后6h-12h,损伤区可见中性粒细胞和巨噬细胞浸润,中性粒细胞数量达到高峰.伤后1d,损伤区巨噬细胞数量急剧增加,迅速达到高峰,而中性粒细胞数量开始下降.伤后3d,中性粒细胞和巨噬细胞数量都显著下降.伤后7d,肌成纤维细胞开始出现.到伤后10d-14d,损伤区主要以肌成纤维细胞为主,偶见巨噬细胞.结论 大鼠骨骼肌损伤区中性粒细胞、巨噬细胞和肌成纤维细胞数量呈时间规律性变化,以期为骨骼肌损伤修复的病理学机制研究提供参考资料.