The protease-sensitive N-terminal polybasic region of prion protein modulates its conversion to the pathogenic prion conformer

Conversion of normal prion protein (PrP^C) to the pathogenic PrP^Sc conformer is central to prion diseases such as Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease and scrapie; however, the detailed mechanism of this conversion remains obscure. To investigate how the N-terminal polybasic region of PrP (NPR) influences the PrP^C-to-PrP^Sc conversion, we analyzed two PrP mutants: ΔN6 (deletion of all six amino acids in NPR) and Met4-1 (replacement of four positively charged amino acids in NPR with methionine). We found that ΔN6 and Met4-1 differentially impacted the binding of recombinant PrP (recPrP) to the negatively charged phospholipid 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoylphosphatidylglycerol, a nonprotein cofactor that facilitates PrP conversion. Both mutant recPrPs were able to form recombinant prion (recPrP^Sc) in vitro, but the convertibility was greatly reduced, with ΔN6 displaying the lowest convertibility. Prion infection assays in mammalian RK13 cells expressing WT or NPR-mutant PrPs confirmed these differences in convertibility, indicating that the NPR affects the conversion of both bacterially expressed recPrP and post-translationally modified PrP in eukaryotic cells. We also found that both WT and mutant recPrP^Sc conformers caused prion disease in WT mice with a 100% attack rate, but the incubation times and neuropathological changes caused by two recPrP^Sc mutants were significantly different from each other and from that of WT recPrP^Sc. Together, our results support that the NPR greatly influences PrP^C-to-PrP^Sc conversion, but it is not essential for the generation of PrP^Sc. Moreover, the significant differences between ΔN6 and Met4-1 suggest that not only charge but also the identity of amino acids in NPR is important to PrP conversion.     

Overexpression of Small Heat Shock Protein LimHSP16.45 in Arabidopsis hsp17.6II Mutant Enhances Tolerance to Abiotic Stresses

Russian Journal of Plant Physiology - Organisms can produce heat shock proteins (HSPs) in response to elevated temperatures and other abiotic stresses. However, the function of HSPs, including...     

Vascular progenitor cell senescence in patients with Marfan syndrome

Vascular progenitor cells (VPCs) present in the adventitia of the vessel wall play a critical role in the regulation of vascular repair following injury. This study aimed to assess the function of VPCs isolated from patients with Marfan syndrome (MFS). VPCs were isolated from control and MFS donors and characterized. Compared with control‐VPCs, MFS‐VPCs exhibited cellular senescence as demonstrated by increased cell size, higher SA‐β‐gal activity and elevated levels of p53 and p21. RNA sequencing showed that several cellular process‐related pathways including cell cycle and cellular senescence were significantly enriched in MFP‐VPCs. Notably, the expression level of TGF‐β1 was much higher in MFS‐VPCs than control‐VPCs. Treatment of control‐VPCs with TGF‐β1 significantly enhanced mitochondrial reactive oxidative species (ROS) and induced cellular senescence whereas inhibition of ROS reversed these effects. MFS‐VPCs displayed increased mitochondrial fusion and decreased mitochondrial fission. Treatment of control‐VPCs with TGF‐β1 increased mitochondrial fusion and reduced mitochondrial fission. Nonetheless, treatment of mitofusin2 (Mfn2)‐siRNA inhibited TGF‐β1‐induced mitochondrial fusion and cellular senescence. Furthermore, TGF‐β1‐induced mitochondrial fusion was mediated by the AMPK signalling pathway. Our study shows that TGF‐β1 induces VPC senescence in patients with MFS by mediating mitochondrial dynamics via the AMPK signalling pathway.     

资源型地区工业集聚对生态效率的影响——基于我国9个典型资源型省份的实证研究

资源型地区生态环境与工业经济发展之间的矛盾异常突出。本研究以2006—2015年山西、内蒙古、黑龙江、贵州、云南、陕西、青海、宁夏和新疆9个典型资源型省份为样本,深入研究专业化、相关多样化和无关多样化等不同类型工业集聚对资源型地区生态效率的影响及作用机制。结果表明: 专业化集聚对生态效率具有显著的负向影响,除宁夏以外,多数资源型省份的工业专业化程度呈下降趋势,有利于生态效率的提高。相关多样化集聚对生态效率的影响呈“U”型曲线,山西、青海和宁夏的工业相关多样化程度小于临界值1.49,抑制了生态效率的提高;其他省份已跨越拐点,对生态效率的提升作用已经显现。无关多样化对生态效率具有负向影响,山西、贵州、陕西和黑龙江等省的工业无关多样化程度略有下降,有利于生态效率的提高;其他省份则明显上升,不利于生态效率的改善。研究结论可为资源型地区工业绿色转型路径选择和相关政策制定提供理论依据。     

A bursal pentapeptide (BPP-I), a novel bursal-derived peptide, exhibits antiproliferation of tumor cell and immunomodulator activity

The bursa of Fabricius (BF) is the central humoral immune organ unique to birds. Here, we isolated a novel bursal pentapeptide I (BPP-I), LGPGP, from BF. BPP-I could play inhibition effect on MCF-7 but not on CEF or Vero cell proliferation in vitro, and enhance antitumor factor p53 protein expression. Also, BPP-I stimulated antibody production in a dose-dependent manner in hybridoma cell. Furthermore, BPP-I could induce various immune responses in mice immunization experiments, including increase antibody production and cytokines IL-4 and IFN-γ level, and induce T-cell immunophenotyping. These results suggest that BPP-I is a potential immunomodulator of antitumor and immunity. The study could provide some novel insights on the probable candidate reagent for the antitumor and immune improvement.     

小菜蛾成虫下唇须感器的超微结构及其神经元中枢投射

【目的】明确小菜蛾Plutella xylostella成虫下唇须感器的形态结构及感器神经元的投射。【方法】利用光学显微镜观察和扫描电子显微镜观察下唇须结构和感器类型,利用神经回填技术和激光共聚焦显微镜观察下唇须感器神经元在脑部的投射。【结果】小菜蛾成虫下唇须共3节,其上存在Böhm氏鬃毛、钟形感器、鳞形感器、锥形感器、微毛形感器5种不同类型的感器和一个陷窝器结构。Böhm氏鬃毛短小尖细,钟形感器形如顶部凹陷的圆帽,两种感器均分布于下唇须第1节,且大小上均无雌雄二型差异;鳞形感器形同柳叶,锥形感器粗而直,均散生于下唇须的第2和3节,两种感器在大小上均存在雌雄二型差异,其中雌性的鳞形感器显著大于雄性的,根据其雌雄二型差异现象推测雌蛾的鳞形感器可能与感受寄主植物挥发物有关;下唇须第3节中上部具有一个圆形陷窝器结构,雄虫的陷窝器内径为5.68±0.33μm,雌虫的为6.03±0.23μm,雌雄间无显著性差异;凹坑内长有表面光滑的微毛形感器。小菜蛾下唇须感器神经元主要投射于脑部咽下神经节、每个触角叶的下唇须陷窝器神经纤维球和腹神经索3条通路。【结论】阐明了小菜蛾下唇须感器的类型、分布和形态特征及其感器神经元在脑部的投射形态,为深入了解小菜蛾下唇须感器的生理和功能奠定了基础。     

几种真姬菇菌种保藏方法的保藏效果对比

【背景】菌种保藏方法与保藏效果是菌种质量的前提和保证。随着真姬菇Hypsizygus marmoreus栽培规模和产量的逐年递增,选择最佳的菌种保藏方法也越来越迫切。【目的】对真姬菇菌种的常见保藏方法及保藏效果进行分析和研究,寻找简便、高效、廉价的真姬菇菌种保藏方法。【方法】通过对比菌丝生长率、菌丝脱氢酶活性以及菌丝对色度培养基的脱色率等指标参数来评价保藏方法的保藏效果。【结果】通过对三大类27种真姬菇菌种保藏方法 3个月保藏效果的对比分析发现,三大类菌种保藏方法中保藏效果最好的是水溶液保藏法,其中以0.1%PEG6000水溶液保藏效果最佳;其次为木屑保藏法,其中以盐水浸泡过的杨木木屑保藏效果最好;斜面保藏法效果最差。正常保藏实验的效果好于加速保藏实验。【结论】与当前真姬菇菌种保藏的常规方法相对比,本实验所采用的菌种保藏方法大大拓宽了菌种保藏方法的种类与范围,提高了菌种保藏的效果。