A strategy for fusion expression and preparation of functional glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogue by introducing an enterokinase cleavage site

KGLP-1, a 31-amino acid glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogue, has a great therapeutic potential for anti-diabetes. In this work, a strategy for expression and purification of functional KGLP-1 peptide has been established. KGLP-1 cDNA was fused with glutathione S-transferase (GST), with an enterokinase cleavage site in the fusion junction. The recombinant fusion protein GST–KGLP-1 was affinity purified via the GST-tag, and then digested with enterokinase. The resulting GST part as well as the enzymes were eliminated by ultra-filtration followed by size exclusion chromatograph. The yield of purified KGLP-1 was approximately 12.1 mg/L, with purity of 96.18 %. The recombinant KGLP-1 was shown to have similar bioactivity as native GLP-1 when evaluated in a Chinese hamster ovary cell line expressing a GLP-1 receptor-egfp reporter gene.     

云南萝芙木pnae基因全长克隆及其序列分析

根据已知的其他物种PNAE酶cDNA序列设计引物,采用RT-PCR技术从云南萝芙木叶片中扩增获得pnae基因部分cDNA序列即PNAE酶基因中间大片段,再用RACE技术获得其两端序列。序列拼接得到完整的1 004 bp的PNAE酶基因,根据获得的序列,分析得到795 bp的开放阅读框,编码264个氨基酸。序列分析显示,云南萝芙木中PNAE酶氨基酸序列与蛇根木中的该酶氨基酸序列同源性高达90%,但和其他植物物种中的PNAE酶氨基酸序列,以及其他物种间的PNAE酶氨基酸序列同源性都不高,在40%-60%之间,表明不同物种中PNAE酶氨基酸序列不具有全序列的高度同源性。进一步序列分析发现,在各植物的PNAE酶氨基酸序列中都存在两个高度保守的氨基酸区域,表明不同物种中PNAE酶存在共同的高度保守区段。     

Effects and mechanisms of ghrelin on cardiac microvascular endothelial cells in rats

Ghrelin is thought to directly exert a protective effect on the cardiovascular system, specifically by promoting vascular endothelial cell function. Our study demonstrates the ability of ghrelin to promote rat CMEC (cardiac microvascular endothelial cell) proliferation, migration and NO (nitric oxide) secretion. CMECs were isolated from left ventricle of adult male Sprague—Dawley rat by enzyme digestion and maintained in endothelial cell medium. Dil‐ac‐LDL (1,1′‐dioctadecyl‐3,3,3′,3′‐ tetramethylindocarbocyanine‐labelled acetylated low‐density lipoprotein) intake assays were used to identify CMECs. Cells were split into five groups and treated with varying concentrations of ghrelin as follows: one control non‐treated group; three ghrelin dosage groups (1×10^?9, 1×10^?8, 1×10^?7 mol/l) and one ghrelin+PI3K inhibitor group (1×10^?7 mol/l ghrelin+20 μmol/l LY294002). After 24 h treatment, cell proliferation capability was measured by MTT [3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyl‐2H‐tetrazolium bromide] assay and Western blot for PCNA (proliferating cell nuclear antigen) protein expression. Migration of CMECs was detected by transwell assays, and NO secretion of CMECs was measured via nitrate reduction. Protein expression of AKT and phosphorylated AKT in CMECs was measured by Western blot after exposure to various concentrations of ghrelin and the PI3K inhibitor LY294002. Our results indicate that ghrelin significantly enhanced cell growth at concentrations of 10^?8 mol/l (0.271±0.041 compared with 0.199±0.021, P=0.03) and 10^?7 mol/l (0.296±0.039 compared with 0.199±0.021, P<0.01). However, addition of the PI3K/AKT inhibitor LY294002 inhibited the ghrelin‐mediated enhancement in cell proliferation (0.227±0.042 compared with 0.199±0.021, P=0.15). At a concentration between 10^?8 and 10^?7 mol/l, ghrelin caused a significant increase in the number of migrated cells compared with the control group (126±9 compared with 98±7, P=0.02; 142±6 compared with 98±7, P<0.01), whereas no such change could be observed in the presence of 20 μmol/l of the PI3K/Akt inhibitor LY294002 (103±7 compared with 98±7, P=0.32). Ghrelin treatment significantly enhanced NO production in a dose‐dependent fashion compared with the untreated control group [(39.93±2.12) μmol/l compared with (30.27±2.71) μmol/l, P=0.02; (56.80±1.98) μmol/l compared with (30.27±2.71) μmol/l, P<0.01]. However, pretreatment with 20 μmol/l LY294002 inhibited the ghrelin‐stimulated increase in NO secretion [(28.97±1.64) μmol/l compared with (30.27±2.71) μmol/l, P=0.37]. In summary, we have found that ghrelin treatment promotes the proliferation, migration and NO secretion of CMECs through activation of PI3K/AKT signalling pathway.     

基于土地利用变化情景的生态系统服务价值评估: 以钱江源国家公园体制试点区为例

土地利用变化是生物多样性与生态系统服务变化的主要原因之一。评估土地利用变化对生物多样与生态系统服务影响对于政府决策具有重要作用。钱江源国家公园体制试点区是钱塘江的源头, 也是国家的重点生态功能区。本研究以钱江源国家公园体制试点区为研究区, 首先设计自然发展情景、规划情景、生态保护情景和开发利用情景等4种2025年不同土地利用变化情景, 随后采用InVEST模型和CLUE-S模型分析不同情景下钱江源国家公园水资源供给、涵养水源、固碳释氧、土壤保持、环境净化和生境质量等生态系统服务及其价值变化。结果表明: (1)核心保护区和生态保育区的生态系统服务价值占钱江源国家公园总价值的88.30%。(2)生态保护情景下钱江源国家公园生态系统服务价值最高, 有129.17亿元; 规划情景下生态系统服务价值次之, 有126.92亿元。(3)规划情景下钱江源国家公园水资源供给服务优于生态保护情景, 其他生态系统服务则次于生态保护情景。考虑到钱江源国家公园为下游提供重要的水资源这一功能, 将规划情景作为试点区2025年最优的土地利用变化情景。     

TNFα‐induced abnormal activation of TNFR/NF‐κB/FTH1 in endometrium is involved in the pathogenesis of early spontaneous abortion

Early spontaneous abortion (ESA) is one of the most common complications during pregnancy and the inflammation condition in uterine environment such as long‐term exposure to high TNFα plays an essential role in the aetiology. Ferritin heavy chain (FTH1) is considered to be closely associated with inflammation and very important in normal pregnancy, yet the underlying mechanism of how TNFα induced abortion and its relationship with FTH1 remain elusive. In this study, we found that TNFα and FTH1 were positively expressed in decidual stromal cells and increased significantly in the ESA group compared with the normal pregnancy group (NP group). Besides, TNFα expression was positively correlated with FTH1 expression. Furthermore, in vitro cell model demonstrated that high TNFα could induce the abnormal signals of TNFR/NF‐κB/FTH1 and activate apoptosis both in human endometrium stromal cells (hESCs) and in local decidual tissues. Taken together, the present findings suggest that the excessive apoptosis in response to TNFα‐induced upregulation of FTH1 may be responsible for the occurrence of ESA, and thus provide a possible therapeutic target for the treatment of ESA.     

Nitrate increases cisplatin chemosensitivity of oral squamous cell carcinoma via REDD1/AKT signaling pathway

Although cisplatin is one of the chemotherapeutics most frequently used in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) treatment,it exerts multiple side effects and poo...