Caveolin-1 identified as a key mediator of acute lung injury using bioinformatics and functional research

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a potentially life-threatening, devastating disease with an extremely high rate of mortality. The underlying mechanism of ALI is currently unclear. In this study, we aimed to confirm the hub genes associated with ALI and explore their functions and molecular mechanisms using bioinformatics methods. Five microarray datasets available in GEO were used to perform Robust Rank Aggregation (RRA) to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and the key genes were identified via the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. Lipopolysaccharide intraperitoneal injection was administered to establish an ALI model. Overall, 40 robust DEGs, which are mainly involved in the inflammatory response, protein catabolic process, and NF-κB signaling pathway were identified. Among these DEGs, we identified two genes associated with ALI, of which the CAV-1/NF-κB axis was significantly upregulated in ALI, and was identified as one of the most effective targets for ALI prevention. Subsequently, the expression of CAV-1 was knocked down using AAV-shCAV-1 or CAV-1-siRNA to study its effect on the pathogenesis of ALI in vivo and in vitro. The results of this study indicated that CAV-1/NF-κB axis levels were elevated in vivo and in vitro, accompanied by an increase in lung inflammation and autophagy. The knockdown of CAV-1 may improve ALI. Mechanistically, inflammation was reduced mainly by decreasing the expression levels of CD3 and F4/80, and activating autophagy by inhibiting AKT/mTOR and promoting the AMPK signaling pathway. Taken together, this study provides crucial evidence that CAV-1 knockdown inhibits the occurrence of ALI, suggesting that the CAV-1/NF-κB axis may be a promising therapeutic target for ALI treatment.Subject terms: Cell signalling, Respiratory tract diseases     

Microbial farming

Does the production of proteinaceous food by extensive cultivation of baker’s yeast in England and Germany during the recent war presage an eventual source of supplementary food for the world through the utilization of microorganisms?     

Endotoxin-induced cytokine gene expression in vivo. III. IL-6 mRNA and serum protein expression and the in vivo hematologic effects of IL-6

Endotoxin (LPS) at sublethal doses injected i.v. into rats was found to induce IL-6 mRNA expression peaking at 1 to 2 h in whole organ RNA preparations of the spleen, liver, lung, bowel, and kidney. IL-6 serum protein levels also peaked at 2 h. TNF and IL-1, generally considered to be among the most rapidly released cytokines, also induced IL-6 expression. IL-6 in turn inhibited TNF and IL-1 expression, suggesting that IL-6 may be part of a negative feedback mechanism in the cytokine cascade. Dexamethasone down-regulated and Corynebacterium parvum up-regulated IL-6 expression, although the possibility cannot be excluded that these immunomodulating factors may in part have exerted their effects indirectly via the up- and down-regulation of TNF and IL-1. IL-6 injected i.v. at a pathophysiologically relevant dose caused a peripheral neutrophilia and mild myeloproliferative effect in the bone marrow.     

典型温带雨养泥炭沼泽湿地地下部二氧化碳和甲烷浓度变化规律及其影响因素

为研究北方泥炭沼泽湿地二氧化碳(CO₂)和甲烷(CH₄)浓度随深度的变化规律及其影响因素,选取欧洲北部典型雨养泥炭地贝尔山湿地(BBM)和舒特兹山湿地(SBM)两个采样点,通过原位采集泥炭剖面温室气体、孔隙水以及土壤样品,结合傅里叶变换红外光谱(FTIR)技术、碳氮同位素技术,探讨泥炭土壤的分解程度及温室气体浓度变化的关系。研究结果表明:(1)BBM采样点地下部的CO₂浓度变化规律总体呈现随深度波动减少趋势,值多在3000μmol/L附近波动,最大值为4210.74μmol/L(120 cm),SBM采样点的CO₂浓度随深度先增后减,60 cm以上在1800μmol/L附近波动,60 cm以下在3000μmol/L附近波动,最大值为4191.94μmol/L(90 cm);BBM和SBM地下部CH₄浓度都随深度增大,并且在60cm以下浓度增加较快,BBM最大值为735.90μmol/L(260 cm),SBM最大值为543.51μmol/L(170 cm)。(2)BBM和SBM...     

后基因组时代的工业生物技术

简述了工业生物技术的发展背景和意义,分析了基因组学和功能基因组学发展对工业生物技术的推动作用,重点介绍了本期专刊发表的代谢工程、发酵工程以及工业酶与生物催化领域的17篇论文。     

海洋固氮菌和解磷菌的分离鉴定及发酵条件优化

【目的】从西沙喜盐草根际沉积物中分离纯化得到具有高效固氮能力及解磷能力的菌株。优化其发酵培养条件,研究其制备海洋微生物菌剂的可能性。【方法】从形态学特征、生理生化、16S rDNA及功能基因水平进行鉴定,通过乙炔还原法、钼锑抗显色法检测菌株的固氮酶活性和解磷能力,单因素法和响应面法优化其发酵培养条件,溶血试验和急性毒性实验鉴定菌株的安全性。【结果】结果表明,菌株AZ16属于星箭头菌(Sagittula stellate),革兰氏阴性菌,选择性固氮培养基中菌落呈黄圆形黏稠状,固氮酶活性达34.63 nmol C2H2/(mL·h),最适生长条件为:盐度25‰、pH 7.5、温度33°C、接种量5.0%;菌株XT37为海洋芽孢杆菌(Bacillus sp.),革兰氏阳性菌,选择性固氮培养基中菌落呈深黄色圆形褶皱,植酸酶活性达239.49μg/L,最适合生长条件为:盐度25‰、pH 6.7、温度28°C、接种量5.0%。溶血实验和急性毒性实验证明两株菌属实际无毒级别。【结论】两株菌具有高效的固氮解磷功能,以及抗高盐、强碱等环境的能力,安全无毒,因此有潜力应用于多功能混合微生物菌剂的研制。     

Amperometric glucose biosensor based on self-assembly hydrophobin with high efficiency of enzyme utilization

Hydrophobins are a family of natural self-assembling proteins with high biocompability, which are apt to form strong and ordered assembly onto many kinds of surfaces. These physical-chemical and biological properties make hydrophobins suitable for surface modification and biomolecule immobilization purposes. A class II hydrophobin HFBI was used as enzyme immobilization matrix on platinum electrode to construct amperometric glucose biosensor. Permeability of HFBI self-assembling film was optimized by selecting the proper HFBI concentration for electrode modification, in order to allow H₂O₂ permeating while prevent interfering compounds accessing. HFBI self-assembly and glucose oxidase (GOx) immobilization was monitored by quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), and characterization of the modified electrode surface was obtained by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The resulting glucose biosensors showed rapid response time within 6 s, limits of detection of 0.09 mM glucose (signal-to-noise ratio = 3), wide linear range from 0.5 to 20 mM, high sensitivity of 4.214 × 10⁻³ A M⁻¹ cm⁻², also well selectivity, reproducibility and lifetime. The all-protein modified biosensor exhibited especially high efficiency of enzyme utilization, producing at most 712 μA responsive current for per unit activity of GOx. This work provided a promising new immobilization matrix with high biocompatibility and adequate electroactivity for further research in biosensing and other surface functionalizing.     

急性低氧对大鼠脑组织钙调素含量及其依赖性蛋白激酶Ⅱ活性的影响

本实验观察了活性钙调素（ＣａＭ）含量和ＣａＭ依赖性蛋白激酶Ⅱ（ＣａＭｋｉｎａｓｅⅡ）活性在急性低氧（模拟海拔７０００ｍ,５ｈ）和常氧对照大鼠脑子组织中的变化。用流式产胞仪（ＦＡＣＳ）所测两组动物脑皮层细胞的ＣａＭ,平均荧光强度分别为４０．０±４．９和４６．１±５．８,急性低氧组明显低于常氧对照组（Ｐ＜０．０５）;用同位素液闪计数法所测两组动物皮层脑匀浆提取液中ＣａＭｋｉｎａｓｅⅡ活性,分别为１８４．３±８．１和１９８．８±９．４ｐｍｏｌＰｉ·ｍｉｎ－１·ｍｇ－１ｐｒｏ,急性低氧组明显低于常氧对照组（Ｐ＜０．０１）。结果提示ＣａＭ和ＣａＭｋｉｎａｓｅⅡ对低氧较为敏感,急性低氧时中枢神经细胞结构或功能的紊乱可能与活性ＣａＭ的含量减少和ＣａＭｋｉｎａｓｅⅡ活性能下降有关。