Reactions Involved in the Lower Pathway for Degradation of 4-Nitrotoluene by Mycobacterium Strain HL 4-NT-1

In spite of the variety of initial reactions, the aerobic biodegradation of aromatic compounds generally yields dihydroxy intermediates for ring cleavage. Recent investigation of the degradation of nitroaromatic compounds revealed that some nitroaromatic compounds are initially converted to 2-aminophenol rather than dihydroxy intermediates by a number of microorganisms. The complete pathway for the metabolism of 2-aminophenol during the degradation of nitrobenzene by Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes JS45 has been elucidated previously. The pathway is parallel to the catechol extradiol ring cleavage pathway, except that 2-aminophenol is the ring cleavage substrate. Here we report the elucidation of the pathway of 2-amino-4-methylphenol (6-amino-m-cresol) metabolism during the degradation of 4-nitrotoluene by Mycobacterium strain HL 4-NT-1 and the comparison of the substrate specificities of the relevant enzymes in strains JS45 and HL 4-NT-1. The results indicate that the 2-aminophenol ring cleavage pathway in strain JS45 is not unique but is representative of the pathways of metabolism of other o-aminophenolic compounds.     

五种丛生状棕榈植物叶热值的月变化研究

对5种丛生状棕榈植物一欧洲棕、细叶棕竹、小箬棕、玲珑椰子、缨络椰子的叶片热值和灰分含量的月变化进行了研究,结果表明,5种植物具有较高的灰分含量,但灰分含量的月变化趋势各不相同;欧洲棕、细叶棕竹、小箬棕3种植物干重热值的月变化趋势有些差异,同属的缨络椰子、玲珑椰子干重热值的月变化趋势基本相似;缨络椰子、小箬棕的干重热值与灰分含量具有显著的线性相关(P<0．05),而其余3种植物的干重热值与灰分含量相关性不显著(P>0．05);从去灰分热值的月变化来看,细叶棕竹与小箬棕,缨络椰子与玲珑椰子的月变化趋势相似。     

Encapsulation Thermogenic Preadipocytes for Transplantation into Adipose Tissue Depots

Cell encapsulation was developed to entrap viable cells within semi-permeable membranes. The engrafted encapsulated cells can exchange low molecular weight metabolites in tissues of the treated host to achieve long-term survival. The semipermeable membrane allows engrafted encapsulated cells to avoid rejection by the immune system. The encapsulation procedure was designed to enable a controlled release of bioactive compounds, such as insulin, other hormones, and cytokines. Here we describe a method for encapsulation of catabolic cells, which consume lipids for heat production and energy dissipation (thermogenesis) in the intra-abdominal adipose tissue of obese mice. Encapsulation of thermogenic catabolic cells may be potentially applicable to the prevention and treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Another potential application of catabolic cells may include detoxification from alcohols or other toxic metabolites and environmental pollutants.     

利用离体叶片鉴定杨树耐盐潜力

以受体杨树107和转基因杨树18-1的一年生枝条为材料, 采用Hoagland营养液水培方法, 添加不同浓度的NaCl, 检测二者植株生长以及叶中Na⁺和K⁺含量的变化。结果表明, 在0.6%NaCl处理下18-1生根率明显高于107, 生物量较大, 叶片中Na⁺积累量是107的1.45倍左右。以107和18-1离体叶片为材料, NaCl处理下测定其生理活性指标, 发现18-1叶盘的失绿速度和相对电导率都显著低于107叶盘。把离体叶片接种在改良MS培养基上, 1.2%NaCl处理可使107叶盘几乎停止伸长, 细胞大小不再增加; 而18-1叶盘培养7天后伸长了近50%。以上结果表明利用离体叶片可以鉴定出不同基因型杨树的耐盐潜力。     

Relative changes in krill abundance inferred from Antarctic fur seal

Antarctic krill Euphausia superba is a predominant species in the Southern Ocean, it is very sensitive to climate change, and it supports large stocks of fishes, seabirds, seals and whales in Antarctic marine ecosystems. Modern krill stocks have been estimated directly by net hauls and acoustic surveys; the historical krill density especially the long-term one in the Southern Ocean, however, is unknown. Here we inferred the relative krill population changes along the West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) over the 20th century from the trophic level change of Antarctic fur seal Arctocephalus gazella using stable carbon (δ(13)C) and nitrogen (δ(15)N) isotopes of archival seal hairs. Since Antarctic fur seals feed preferentially on krill, the variation of δ(15)N in seal hair indicates a change in the proportion of krill in the seal's diets and thus the krill availability in local seawater. For the past century, enriching fur seal δ(15)N values indicated decreasing krill availability. This is agreement with direct observation for the past ～30 years and suggests that the recently documented decline in krill populations began in the early parts of the 20th century. This novel method makes it possible to infer past krill population changes from ancient tissues of krill predators.     

Exosomal HOTAIR promotes proliferation,migration and invasion of lung cancer by sponging miR-203

正Dear Editor,Lung cancer is one of the most common causes of cancerrelated deaths worldwide. Despite great progress in the development of lung cancer treatments, the prognoses of patients with advanced stage cancer remains poor (Torre et al.,2015). Growing evidence has demonstrated that long non-     

Effects of genetic variability of the dairy goat growth hormone releasing hormone receptor (<Emphasis Type="Italic">GHRHR</Emphasis>) gene on growth traits

Growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor (GHRHR) plays a critical role in growth hormone (GH) synthesis, release and regulation of pituitary somatotroph expansion in vertebrates. The objective of this study was to investigate variations in goat GHRHR gene and their associations with growth traits in 668 dairy goats. The results showed four novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): NC_007302:g.5203C>T, 7307C>G, 9583G>A and 9668A>C. In detail, the novel SNP C>T in the 5203rd nucleotide identified a missense mutation: CCC (Pro)>TCC (Phe) at position 116aa of the goat GHRHR (423aa). Besides, 9583G>A and 9668A>C polymorphism were in complete linkage disequilibrium. The genetic diversity analysis revealed that the Guanzhong dairy goat possessed intermediate genetic diversity in P3 and P7 loci, and the Xinong Sannen dairy goat belonged to poor genetic diversity in P4 locus. Significant associations between the genotypes of P3 locus and body length, body height and chest circumference was observed in Guanzhong goat (P < 0.05). However, in Xinong saanen population, significant statistical difference was only found in body height and body length (P < 0.05). In P4 and P7 loci, no significant associations were detected between any variant sites and body length, body height and chest circumference, as well as for the milk traits (P > 0.05). These results strongly suggested that the goat GHRHR gene is a candidate gene that influences growth traits in dairy goat.     

Near-infrared fluorescence-labeled anti-PD-L1-mAb for tumor imaging in human colorectal cancer xenografted mice

The expression of programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) in tumor has been used as a biomarker to predict the anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy response. To develop a noninvasive imaging technique to monitor the dynamic changes in PD-L1 expression in colorectal cancer (CRC), we labeled an anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody with near-infrared (NIR) dye and tested the ability of the NIR-PD-L1-mAb probe to monitor the PD-L1 expression in CRC-xenografted mice by performing optical imaging. Consistent with the expression levels of PD-L1 protein in three CRC cell lines in vitro by flow cytometry and Western blot analyses, our in vivo imaging showed the highest fluorescence signal of the xenografted tumors in mice bearing SW620 CRC cells, followed by tumors derived from SW480 and HCT8 cell lines. We detected the highest fluorescent intensity of the tumor at 120 hours after injection of NIR-PD-L1-mAb. The highest fluorescence intensity was seen in the tumor, followed by the spleen and the liver in SW620 xenografted mice. In SW480 and HCT8 xenografted mice, however, the highest fluorescent signals were detected in the spleen, followed by the liver and the tumor. Our findings indicate that SW620 cells express a higher level of PD-L1, and the NIR-PD-L1-mAb binding to PD-L1 on the surface of CRC cells was specific. The technique was safe and could provide valuable information on PD-L1 expression of the tumor for development of a therapeutic strategy of personized targeted immunotherapies as well as treatment response of patients with CRC.     

Estrogen-independent effects of ER-α36 in ER-negative breast cancer

Estrogen receptor-alpha 36 (ER-α36) is a variant of ER-α that has been found to be expressed in conventional ER (ER-α66)-negative breast cancer cell lines and human breast cancer samples. In this study, we found that, using immunohistochemical study, ER-α36 expression was significantly higher in ER-negative tumors than in ER-positive tumors although the expression was not associated with other clinicopathological characteristics. We then constructed an ER-α36-specific microRNA hairpin vector and established stable ER-α36 knockdown cells, and found that the knockdown cells were more sensitive to paclitaxel; the c-Jun N-terminal kinase pathway appeared to be involved in the mechanism. Downregulation of ER-α36 also resulted in decreased migration and invasion. These changes were estrogen independent. Our findings indicated that target ER-α36 may be a strategy for treating ER-negative breast cancers.     

Modeling uptake of cadmium from solution outside of root to cell wall of shoot in rice seedling

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is well known for its relatively high salt tolerance among cereal crops. However, the genetic variation of cultivated barley becomes narrower due to continuous artificial selection and breeding processes. Compared with cultivated barley, wild barley contains wider genetic variation and abundant sources for abiotic stress tolerance, considering as an elite resource for mechanism study on salt tolerance. In this study, Tibetan wild barley accession XZ113 identified with high salt tolerance, was used to investigate ionic responses and to identify proteins involved in salt tolerance in roots and shoots at early stage of salt stress, during 48 h. Exposed to salinity, shoot growth is more sensitive than root growth. Conversely, K/Na ratio in the shoots was larger than that in the roots, and both were above 1.0. Steady-state K⁺ flux experiment showed XZ113 had a strong K⁺-retaining ability under salt stress, maybe contributing to its good performance of the absolute growth rate. Proteomic results suggested that monodehydroascorbate reductase and peroxidases related to reactive oxygen species scavenging in the roots and phosphoglycerate kinase, triosephosphate isomerase and sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase associated with photosynthesis and metabolisms in the shoots, played important roles in salt tolerance at early stage of salinity in wild barley.