Advancement and properties of circular RNAs in prostate cancer: An emerging and compelling frontier for discovering

Prostate cancer (PC) is the most common carcinoma among men worldwide which results in 26% of leading causes of cancer-related death. However, the ideal and effective molecular marker remains elusive. CircRNA, initially observed in plant-infected viruses and Sendai virus in 1979, is generated from pre-mRNA back-splicing and comes in to play by adequate expression. The differential expression in prostate tissues compared with the control reveals the promising capacity in modulating processes including carcinogenesis and metastasis. However, the biological mechanisms of regulatory network in PC needs to systemically concluded. In this review, we enlightened the comprehensive studies on the definite mechanisms of circRNAs affecting tumor progression and metastasis. What''s more, we validated the potential clinical application of circRNAs serving as diagnostic and prognostic biomarker. The discussion and analysis in circRNAs will broaden our knowledge of the pathogenesis of PC and further optimize the current therapies against different condition.     

Coherent modeling of longitudinal causal effects on binary outcomes

Analyses of biomedical studies often necessitate modeling longitudinal causal effects. The current focus on personalized medicine and effect heterogeneity makes this task even more challenging. Toward this end, structural nested mean models (SNMMs) are fundamental tools for studying heterogeneous treatment effects in longitudinal studies. However, when outcomes are binary, current methods for estimating multiplicative and additive SNMM parameters suffer from variation dependence between the causal parameters and the noncausal nuisance parameters. This leads to a series of difficulties in interpretation, estimation, and computation. These difficulties have hindered the uptake of SNMMs in biomedical practice, where binary outcomes are very common. We solve the variation dependence problem for the binary multiplicative SNMM via a reparameterization of the noncausal nuisance parameters. Our novel nuisance parameters are variation independent of the causal parameters, and hence allow for coherent modeling of heterogeneous effects from longitudinal studies with binary outcomes. Our parameterization also provides a key building block for flexible doubly robust estimation of the causal parameters. Along the way, we prove that an additive SNMM with binary outcomes does not admit a variation independent parameterization, thereby justifying the restriction to multiplicative SNMMs.     

幽门螺杆菌致病岛CagL重组抗原的可溶性表达及其多克隆抗体的制备和分析*

目的:利用原核表达和蛋白质纯化技术获得高纯度的幽门螺杆菌致病岛CagL重组抗原(rCagL),利用其制备anti-CagL多克隆抗体,并分析抗体的特异性。方法:通过生物信息学软件分析rCagL的抗原结构;利用PCR长片段DNA合成技术合成不含有信号肽序列的幽门螺杆菌致病岛CagL基因,将其插入表达质粒pCzn1中,构建重组质粒pCzn1-rCagL。然后,将pCzn1-rCagL转入大肠杆菌Arctic Express中,经IPTG诱导表达后,通过Ni-IDA镍离子亲和层析纯化重组抗原rCagL,利用Western blot鉴定rCagL与His标签抗体和Anti-H. pylori抗体的免疫反应性;最后,通过rCagL辅以弗氏佐剂免疫BALB/c小鼠,制备anti-CagL多克隆抗血清,通过ELISA方法分析抗血清的特异性。结果:生物信息学软件表明重组抗原rCagL具有较好的抗原性质;重组质粒pCzn1-rCagL经双酶切和基因测序等技术鉴定,证实rCagL核苷酸序列与理论序列完全一致;基因工程菌株pCzn1-rCagL/Arctic Express在低温11℃条件经IPTG诱导表达。 SDS-PAGE实验结果证实:rCagL可实现相对高效地可溶性蛋白表达,可溶性蛋白约占包涵体的62.07%。经Ni-IDA亲和层析柱纯化,可获得高纯度rCagL,纯度约为96.6%。Western blot结果证实:重组抗原rCagL可特异性与His标签抗体和Anti-H. pylori抗体结合。ELISA结果证实:经rCagL免疫小鼠制备的多克隆抗体anti-CagL可特异性识别rCagL和H. pylori裂解物,具有较高的抗体特异性。结论:重组抗原rCagL在低温条件下可实现可溶性表达,经纯化可获得高纯度抗原蛋白;rCagL具有较好的抗原性,制备的多克隆抗体具有较好的免疫特异性,为发展H. pylori相关诊断试剂奠定了实验基础。     

山羊不同组织器官的内参基因筛选

本研究通过比较9个内参基因在山羊不同组织中的表达水平进而确定最适合研究山羊组织表达的内参基因。本试验以简州大耳羊为试验材料,利用实时荧光定量PCR技术分析9个内参基因(GAPDH,PPIA,18S rRNA,PPIB,UXT,RPLP0,ACTB,EIF3K和TBP)在心脏、肝脏、脾脏、肺脏、肾脏、大肠、瘤胃、背最长肌和皮下脂肪等组织中的表达差异情况,并利用geNorm、NormFinder和BestKeeper等程序分析了它们的表达稳定性。geNorm和NormFinder程序一致显示TBP表达最稳定,其次是UXT和RPLP0;BestKeeper分析显示18S rRNA表达最为稳定,其次为TBP和ACTB;3个程序一致认为GAPDH表达稳定性最差。综合3个程序分析得出TBP最适合作为山羊组织中的内参基因,其次为UXT和RPLP0,GAPDH表达稳定性最差,不适合作为山羊组织内参,这为后续研究其他目的基因在山羊组织器官中的表达模式提供数据保障。     

Allotransplantation of adult spinal cord tissues after complete transected spinal cord injury: Long-term survival and functional recovery in canines

Science China Life Sciences - Spinal cord injury (SCI), especially complete transected SCI, leads to loss of cells and extracellular matrix and functional impairments. In a previous study, we...     

侵袭性真菌深部感染的早期实验室诊断

目的探讨假丝酵母菌甘露聚糖抗原和假丝酵母菌IgG/IgM抗体、曲霉半乳甘露聚糖抗原和烟曲霉IgG抗体在侵袭性真菌病早期临床诊断中的应用价值。方法收集已确诊侵袭性假丝酵母菌病患者18例,侵袭性烟曲霉病患者6例,单纯细菌感染患者20例,浅部真菌感染患者20例,健康体检者(正常对照组)20例,通过酶联免疫吸附法(ELISA)检测患者血清甘露聚糖和假丝酵母菌IgG/IgM抗体以及曲霉半乳甘露聚糖抗原和烟曲霉IgG抗体浓度,计算各指标的灵敏度、特异度、阳性预测值、阴性预测值和受试者工作特征(ROC)曲线下面积。结果甘露聚糖抗原和假丝酵母菌IgG/IgM抗体联合测定的敏感度为66.7%,特异度为83.3%,阴性预测值为100.0%,阳性预测值为85.7%,ROC曲线下面积为0.992(95%CI:0.974~1.000);半乳甘露聚糖抗原和烟曲霉IgG抗体联合测定的敏感度为66.7%,特异度为95.0%,阴性预测值为98.2%,阳性预测值为100.0%,ROC曲线下面积为0.978(95%CI:0.934~1.000)。结论甘露聚糖抗原和假丝酵母菌IgG/IgM抗体、半乳甘露聚糖抗原和烟曲霉IgG抗体联合检测对深部真菌感染的早期诊断具有重要意义。     

Theoretical studies on the Mo-catalyzed asymmetric intramolecular Pauson-Khand-type [2?+?2?+?1] cycloadditions of 3-allyloxy-1-propynylphosphonates

Density functional theory (DFT) was used to investigate the Mo-catalyzed intramolecular Pauson-Khand reaction of 3-allyloxy-1-propynylphosphonates. All intermediates and transition states were optimized completely at the B3LYP/6-31 G(d,p) level [LANL2DZ(f) for Mo]. In the Mo-catalyzed intramolecular Pauson-Khand reaction, the C–C oxidative cyclization reaction was the chirality-determining step, and the reductive elimination reaction was the rate-determining step. The carbonyl insertion reaction into the Mo–C(sp(3)) bondwas easier than into the Mo–C=C bond. And the dominant product predicted theoretically was of (S)-chirality, which agreed with experimental data. This reaction was solventd ependent, and toluene was the best among the three solvents toluene, CH3CN, and THF.     

Continuous microalgae cultivation in a photobioreactor

New biomass sources for alternative fuels has become a subject of increasing importance as the nation strives to resolve the economic and strategic impacts of limited fossil fuel resources on our national security, environment, and global climate. Algae are among the most promising non‐food‐crop‐based biomass feedstocks. However, there are currently no commercially viable microalgae‐based production systems for biofuel production that have been developed, as limitations include less‐than optimal oil content, growth rates, and cultivation techniques. While batch studies are critical for determining basic growth phases and characteristics of the algal species, steady‐state studies are necessary to better understand and measure the specific growth parameters. This study evaluated the effects of dilution rate on microalgal biomass productivity, lipid content, and fatty acid profile under steady‐state conditions with continuous illumination and carbon dioxide supplemention for two types of algae. Continuous cultures were conducted for more that 3 months. Our results show that the productivity of Chlorella minutissima varied from 39 to 137 mg/L/day (dry mass) when the dilution rate varied from 0.08 to 0.64 day^?1. The biomass productivity of C. minutissima reached a maximum value (137 mg/L/day) at a dilution rate of 0.33 day^?1, while the productivity of Dunaliella tertiolecta varied from 46 to 91 mg/L/day at a dilution rate of 0.17 to 0.74 day^?1. The biomass productivity of D. tertiolecta reached a maximum value of 91 mg/L/day at a dilution rate of 0.42 day^?1. Moreover, the lipid content had no significant change with various dilution rates. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2012; 109: 2468–2474. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Diversity,structure and function of the coiled‐coil domains of plant NLR immune receptors

Plant nucleotide‐binding, leucine‐rich repeat receptors (NLRs) perceive pathogen avirulence effectors and activate defense responses. Nucleotide‐binding, leucine‐rich repeat receptors are classified into coiled‐coil (CC)‐containing and Toll/interleukin‐1 receptor (TIR)‐containing NLRs. Recent advances suggest that NLR CC domains often function in signaling activation, especially for induction of cell death. In this review, we outline our current understanding of NLR CC domains, including their diversity/classification and structure, their roles in cell death induction, disease resistance, and interaction with other proteins. Furthermore, we provide possible directions for future work.     

Preferential Release of Newly Synthesized Insulin Assessed by a Multi-Label Reporter System Using Pancreatic β-Cell Line MIN6

Newly synthesized hormones have been suggested to be preferentially secreted by various neuroendocrine cells. This observation indicates that there is a distinct population of secretory granules containing new and old hormones. Recent development of fluorescent timer proteins used in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells revealed that secretory vesicles segregate into distinct age-dependent populations. Here, we verify the preferential release of newly synthesized insulin in the pancreatic β-cell line, MIN6, using a combination of multi-labeling reporter systems with both fluorescent and biochemical procedures. This system allows hormones or granules of any age to be labeled, in contrast to the timer proteins, which require fluorescence shift time. Pulse-chase labeling with different color probes distinguishes insulin secretory granules by age, with younger granules having a predominantly intracellular localization rather than at the cell periphery.