Long non‐coding RNA highly up‐regulated in liver cancer promotes epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition process in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is an oral and maxillofacial malignancy that exhibits high incidence worldwide. In diverse human cancers, the long non‐coding RNA (lncRNA) highly up‐regulated in liver cancer (HULC) is aberrantly expressed, but how HULC affects OSCC development and progression has remained mostly unknown. We report that HULC was abnormally up‐regulated in oral cancer tissues and OSCC cell lines, and that suppression of HULC expression in OSCC cells not only inhibited the proliferation, drug tolerance, migration and invasion of the cancer cells, but also increased their apoptosis rate. Notably, in a mouse xenograft model, HULC depletion reduced tumorigenicity and inhibited the epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition process. Collectively, our findings reveal a crucial role of the lncRNA HULC in regulating oral cancer carcinogenesis and tumour progression, and thus suggest that HULC could serve as a novel therapeutic target for OSCC.     

Site-selective lateral multilayer assembly of bienzyme with polyelectrolyte on ITO electrode based on electric field-induced directly layer-by-layer deposition

We describe here a new approach to construct a multilayer enzyme/polyelectrolyte film on a structured transparent indium-tin oxide (ITO) covered glass electrode surface as micropattern, on which two different types of enzyme distributed laterally on one common substrate without interference. The multilayer film was prepared by alternate electric field directed layer-by-layer assembly deposition and alternate deposition of different redox enzymes and polyelectrolyte poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) onto the site-selective ITO glass electrode surface. The cyclic voltammogram, obtained from the ITO glass electrode modified with the glucose oxidase (GO(X))/PDDA and catalase (CA(T))/PDDA multilayers, revealed that the bioelectrocatalytic response is directly correlated to the number of deposition bilayers. From the analysis of cyclic voltammetric characterization, the coverage of catalytically active enzymes per enzyme/PDDA bilayer during the multilayer formation was homogeneous, which demonstrates that the multilayer is constructed in a spatially ordered manner. Also, from the atomic force microscopy and Brewster angle microscopy measurements, more information of the multilayer constructed by different methods on the modified electrode surface is obtained and compared. This fabrication technique is simple and would be applicable to the construction of a thickness- and area-controlled biopattern composed of multi-enzymes as well as multiple biomaterials.     

Auxin-related gene families in abiotic stress response in Sorghum bicolor

Sorghum, a C4 model plant, has been studied to develop an understanding of the molecular mechanism of resistance to stress. The auxin-response genes, auxin/indole-3-acetic acid (Aux/IAA), auxin-response factor (ARF), Gretchen Hagen3 (GH3), small auxin-up RNAs, and lateral organ boundaries (LBD), are involved in growth/development and stress/defense responses in Arabidopsis and rice, but they have not been studied in sorghum. In the present paper, the chromosome distribution, gene duplication, promoters, intron/exon, and phylogenic relationships of Aux/IAA, ARF, GH3, and LBD genes in sorghum are presented. Furthermore, real-time PCR analysis demonstrated these genes are differently expressed in leaf/root of sorghum and indicated the expression profile of these gene families under IAA, brassinosteroid (BR), salt, and drought treatments. The SbGH3 and SbLBD genes, expressed in low level under natural condition, were highly induced by salt and drought stress consistent with their products being involved in both abiotic stresses. Three genes, SbIAA1, SbGH3-13, and SbLBD32, were highly induced under all the four treatments, IAA, BR, salt, and drought. The analysis provided new evidence for role of auxin in stress response, implied there are cross talk between auxin, BR and abiotic stress signaling pathways.     

应用纤维素结合域标签构建谷氨酸棒状杆菌表达系统

为优化谷氨酸棒状杆菌表达系统的纯化工艺,合成里氏木霉的CBD基因,将其与谷氨酸棒状杆菌分泌表达载体pXMJ19-sp连接,构建以CBD为纯化标签的重组载体pXMJ 19-sp-CBD.在该载体中插入GFP基因并转化至谷氨酸棒状杆菌,可获得分泌表达融合蛋白GFP-CBD的重组菌.该菌经IPTG诱导后的发酵液在紫外灯下显示强烈的绿色荧光,重组蛋白的分泌表达量达200 mg/L.利用CBD标签对纤维素柱的可逆性吸附,可直接对谷氨酸棒状杆菌分泌到培养基中的重组蛋白进行纯化,从而简化工艺和降低成本,为工业化大生产奠定基础.     

中国西藏种子植物区系新资料

本文报道了采自西藏喜马拉雅南坡的8个中国种子植物新记录种以及1个西藏新记录属。前者分别是吉隆牛奶菜(Marsdenia roylei)、塔基棕榈(Trachycarpus takil)、喀西蜂斗草(Sonerila khasiana)、旋花锡生藤(Cissampelos convolvulacea)、吉隆角盘兰(Herminium edgeworthii)、尼泊尔西番莲(Passiflora napalensis)、椭穗姜花(Hedychium ellipticum)和藏南象牙参(Roscoea brandisii); 1个西藏新记录属为箭药藤属(Belostemma) (箭药藤 Belostemma hirsutum)。凭证标本存放于中国科学院西双版纳热带植物园标本馆(HITBC)和西藏自治区高原生物研究所标本室(XZ)。     

The role of transferrin in natural killer cell and IL-2-induced cytotoxic cell function

The growth factor transferrin (Tf) enhanced natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity. This enhancement was due to direct effects on NK cell function, and Tf treatment of the K562 target cell had no effect on their sensitivity. NK cells were highly enriched in the low-density large granular lymphocyte population (LGL) by Percoll gradient centrifugation. Despite the direct effect of Tf on NK cells, the number of cells expressing receptors for Tf (TfR) in NK-enriched LGL was the same as the NK-cell-depleted high-density small lymphocyte population (SL). All populations, tested without stimulation, had very few TfR+ cells. Interleukin 2 (IL-2) could induce very high NK-like activity in the LGL but not in SL. Similarly, only LGL could be induced by IL-2 to express TfR. In serum-free cultures, only limited NK-like activity could be developed which was greatly enhanced by supplementing with Tf in the cultures. The importance of Tf in NK-like development was confirmed by modulating the expression of TfR in IL-2 containing cultures with mouse monoclonal antibody OKT9 specific for TfR. OKT9 totally abrogated the induction of cytotoxic activity by IL-2 against K562 and NK-resistant target. OKT9 inhibited the induction of cytotoxicity in both lymphocytes containing active NK cells and in those predepleted of active NK cells, indicating that the development of NK-like activity from both precursor populations requires Tf. The inhibition by OKT9 was only during the induction phase. The same antibody had no effect on the cytotoxicity of fresh NK cells or the mature IL-2-induced NK-like cells. Our data therefore do not support the hypothesis of TfR as the NK recognition structure. Instead, these results indicate that Tf is important for the development of NK and NK-like activities.