Is oral microbiome of children able to maintain resistance and functional stability in response to short-term interference of ingesta?

Dear Editor, A series of studies had focused on the ecological stability of human microbiome (Lozupone et al.,2012;Faith et al.,2013;Moya and Ferrer,2016).Despite the continuous perturbation and the highly personalized composition within the human microbiome (Human Microbiome Project,2012),healthy adults stably maintain their microbial communities in terms of space and time (Faith et al.,2013;Moya and Ferrer,2016;Oh et al.,2016).This stability is proved to be critical for the well-being of human body (Lozupone et al.,2012).On the contrary,major shifts in microbial community composition are often related to diseases (Lynch and Pedersen,2016).     

ASH2L Regulates Ubiquitylation Signaling to MLL: trans-Regulation of H3 K4 Methylation in Higher Eukaryotes

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Highlights? ASH2L WH motif is important for trans-regulation of H3 K4 methylation by H2Bub ? Ub stimulates MLL activity in trans, in contrast to DOT1L regulation by H2Bub ? H2Bub enhances MLL, but not MLL3, methyltransferase activity ? H2Aub directly represses MLL methyltransferase activity     

Molecular Characterization and Alternative Splicing of a Sodium Channel and DSC1 Ortholog Genes in Liposcelis bostrychophila Badonnel (Psocoptera: Liposcelididae)

Alternative splicing greatly contributes to the structural and functional diversity of voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) by generating various isoforms with unique functional and pharmacological properties. Here, we identified a new optional exon 23 located in the linker between domains II and III, and four mutually exclusive exons (exons 27A, 27B, 27C, and 27D) in domains IIIS3 and IIIS4 of the sodium channel of Liposcelis bostrychophila (termed as LbVGSC). This suggested that more alternative splicing phenomena remained to be discovered in VGSCs. Inclusion of exon 27C might lead to generation of non-functional isoforms. Meanwhile, identification of three alternative exons (exons 11, 13A, and 13B), which were located in the linker between domains II and III, indicated that abundant splicing events occurred in the DSC1 ortholog channel of L. bostrychophila (termed as LbSC1). Exons 13A and 13B were generated by intron retention, and the presence of exon 13B relied on the inclusion of exon 13A. Exon 13B was specifically expressed in the embryonic stage and contained an in-frame stop codon, inclusion of which led to generation of truncated proteins with only the first two domains. Additionally, several co-occurring RNA editing events were identified in LbSC1. Furthermore, remarkable similarity between the structure and expression patterns of LbVGSC and LbSC1 were discovered, and a closer evolutionary relationship between VGSCs and DSC1 orthologs was verified. Taken together, the data provided abundant molecular information on VGSC and DSC1 orthologs in L. bostrychophila, a representative Psocoptera storage pest, and insights into the alternative splicing of these two channels.     

RADtyping: An Integrated Package for Accurate De Novo Codominant and Dominant RAD Genotyping in Mapping Populations

Genetic linkage maps are indispensable tools in genetic, genomic and breeding studies. As one of genotyping-by-sequencing methods, RAD-Seq (restriction-site associated DNA sequencing) has gained particular popularity for construction of high-density linkage maps. Current RAD analytical tools are being predominantly used for typing codominant markers. However, no genotyping algorithm has been developed for dominant markers (resulting from recognition site disruption). Given their abundance in eukaryotic genomes, utilization of dominant markers would greatly diminish the extensive sequencing effort required for large-scale marker development. In this study, we established, for the first time, a novel statistical framework for de novo dominant genotyping in mapping populations. An integrated package called RADtyping was developed by incorporating both de novo codominant and dominant genotyping algorithms. We demonstrated the superb performance of RADtyping in achieving remarkably high genotyping accuracy based on simulated and real mapping datasets. The RADtyping package is freely available at http://www2.ouc.edu.cn/mollusk/ detailen.asp?id=727.     

Oxaliplatin and Its Enantiomer Induce Different Condensation Dynamics of Single DNA Molecules

The interactions of DNA with oxaliplatin (Pt(R,R-DACH)) or its enantiomer (Pt(S,S-DACH)) were investigated using magnetic tweezers and atomic force microscope. In the process of DNA condensation induced by Pt-DACH, only diadducts and micro-loops are formed at low Pt-DACH concentrations, while at high Pt-DACH concentrations, besides the diadducts and micro-loops, long-range cross-links are also formed. The diadduct formation rate of Pt(R,R-DACH) is higher than that of Pt(S,S-DACH). However, the proportions of micro-loops and long-range cross-links for Pt(S,S-DACH) are higher than those for Pt(R,R-DACH). We propose a model to explain these differences between the effect of Pt(R,R-DACH) and that of Pt(S,S-DACH) on DNA condensation. The study has strong implications for the understanding of the effect of chirality on the interaction between Pt-DACH and DNA and the kinetics of DNA condensation induced by platinum complexes.     

The relationship between vascular endothelial growth factor and spermatogenesis disturbance in an experimentally-induced unilateral cryptorchidism murine model

Molecular Biology Reports - This study is to explore the relationship between vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and pathological changes in cryptorchidism by using murine model of...     

Effects of different 2A peptides on transgene expression mediated by tricistronic vectors in transfected CHO cells

Molecular Biology Reports - Multicistronic vectors can increase transgene expression and decrease the imbalance of gene expression in the Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell expression system. Small,...     

The Effect of a LYSE Exporter Overexpression on l-Arginine Production in Corynebacterium crenatum

A targeted approach for direct topical antimicrobial delivery involving the formulation of impregnated freeze-dried wafers prepared from a natural polymer has been assessed to consider potential for treatment of wounded skin. The synthetic cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAPs) NP101 and NP108 were found to have modest in vitro activity against bacterial species commonly associated with wound infections. Minimum inhibitory concentration/minimum bactericidal concentrations against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were found to be 0.31 mg/ml for NP101 and 0.25–0.5 mg/ml for NP108. Rapid, substantial cytoplasmic potassium loss was induced by NP108 in E. coli, but not the other species. Through scanning electron microscopy, both CAPs were observed to alter cell morphology, prevent normal septation, promote cell aggregation and trigger release or formation of extracellular filaments. Wafers harbouring these agents displayed substantial antibacterial activity when assessed by standard diffusion assay. These data confirm that topical delivery of CAPs, through their incorporation within freeze-dried wafer formulations prepared from natural polymers, represents a potential viable approach for treating skin infection.     

Microinjection of Adenosine into the Hypothalamic Ventrolateral Preoptic Area Enhances Wakefulness via the A1 Receptor in Rats

Adenosine (AD) is a nucleic acid component that is critical for energy metabolism in the body. AD modulates numerous neural functions in the central nervous system, including the sleep-wake cycle. Previous studies have indicated that the A₁ receptor (A₁R) or A_2A receptor (A_2AR) may mediate the effects of AD on the sleep-wake cycle. The hypothalamic ventrolateral preoptic area (VLPO) initiates and maintains normal sleep. Histological studies have shown A₁R are widely expressed in brain tissue, whereas A_2AR expression is limited in the brain and undetectable in the VLPO. We hypothesize therefore, that AD modulates the sleep-wake cycle through A₁R in the VLPO. In the present study, bilateral microinjection of AD or an AD transporter inhibitor (s-(4-nitrobenzyl)-6-thioinosine) into the VLPO of rats decreased non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. An A₁R agonist (N₆-cyclohexyladenosine) produced similar effects in the VLPO. Microinjection of an A₁R antagonist (8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dimethylxanthine) into the VLPO enhanced NREM sleep and diminished AD-induced wakefulness. These data indicate that AD enhances wakefulness in the VLPO via A₁R in rats.