Store-operated Ca2+ channel in renal microcirculation and glomeruli

Store-operated Ca2+ channel (SOC) is defined as a channel that opens in response to depletion of the internal Ca2+ stores. During the last decade, many investigators have made a great effort to identify and characterize SOC, and to evaluate its physiologic function and pathophysiologic relevance in a variety of cell lines, primary cultures, and native tissues. To date, accumulating evidence has demonstrated that SOC is an essential Ca2+ entry mechanism in vascular smooth-muscle cells of renal microvasculature and glomerular mesangial cells, both of which tightly control glomerular hemodynamics and filtration. Store-operated Ca2+, combined with other types of Ca2+ entry channels, constitutes a profile of Ca2+ changes in response to physiologic vasoconstrictors and, thereby, regulates renal microcirculation and mesangial function. In addition, SOC is associated with altered Ca2+ signaling occurring in diseased kidneys, such as diabetic nephropathy. Although the gating mechanism and molecular identity of SOC are still enigmatic and may be cell-type and tissue specific, data from several independent groups suggest that protein kinase C plays an important role in SOC activation and that certain isoforms of canonical transient receptor potential (TRPC) proteins are candidates of SOC in renal microvessels and mesangial cells.     

Successful low dose insemination of flow cytometrically sorted Sika (Cervus nippon) sperm in Wapiti (Cervus elaphus)

The purpose of this study was to determine a practical method in Wapiti (Cervus elaphus) of using predetermined sexed Sika (Cervus nippon) semen. Semen was collected by electro-ejaculation from one stag of proven fertility and transported to the laboratory where it was retained as unsorted (control) or was separated into X- and Y-chromosome-bearing sperm using a modified high-speed cell sorter. Wapiti hinds (n = 81) were inseminated into the uterus by rectum manipulation with 1 × 10⁶ (X1 and Y1 group, respectively) or 2 × 10⁶ (X2 and Y2 group, respectively) of sorted frozen-thawed and 1 × 10⁷ non-sorted frozen-thawed (a commercial dose control) Sika motile sperm 60–66 h after removal of intra-vaginal progesterone-impregnated CIDR devices and administration of 700 IU of PMSG at the time of CIDR removal. The percentage of hinds calving after insemination was similar for X1 (38.5%), X2 (41.7%), Y1 (44.4%), Y2 (38.9%) groups (P > 0.05), but higher for control (75%) treatment (P < 0.05). Ultimately 15 out of the 16 Sika and Wapiti-hybrid calves produced by Wapiti hinds inseminated with Y-sorted sperm were male (93.7%) and 10/10 (100%) Sika and Wapiti-hybrid calves from hinds inseminated with X-sorted sperm were female. The sex ratio of the Sika and Wapiti-hybrid calves born to hinds inseminated with sex-sorted sperm deviated significantly (P < 0.05) from 50% and 50.0% in the control group. All Sika and Wapiti-hybrid calves were born between 237 and 250 d of gestation. Male and female calves in the control group had similar birth weights and weaning weights as calves from hinds inseminated with X- or Y-sorted sperm. In conclusion it can be said that normal Sika and Wapiti-hybrid calves of predicted sex can be produced after artificial insemination of Wapiti does with low numbers of sex-sorted cryopreserved Sika sperm.     

拟南芥RopGEFs家族基因在外源脱落酸处理下的表达分析

ABA不同浓度和不同时间处理拟南芥野生型7天龄幼苗,采用实时荧光定量PCR方法,分析小G蛋白ROP10和ROP乌苷酸交换因子RopGEFs基因的表达水平差异。结果表明,RopGEF7-10,12及33没有检测到表达,而RopGEFI-6,11,14ROP10在ABA处理下表现出不同的应答趋势,其中RopGEF5基因的表达变化与ROP10的变化相似。推测RopGEF5有可能在ROP10介导的ABA信号转导途经中起调控作用。     

Cationic N-confused porphyrin derivative as a better molecule scaffold for G-quadruplex recognition

One N-confused porphyrin derivative was prepared and its first observation that it could stabilize G-quadruplex and possessed high selectivity over duplex DNA was made, furthermore, it was also proved to possess the capacity to induce a structural transition from the antiparallel to the mixed-type hybrid G-quadruplex structure.     

中国亚热带地区柑桔的气候适宜性

应用生态适宜度理论和模糊数学方法,建立柑桔气候适宜度模型,对中国亚热带地区柑桔生产的气候适宜性及其时空差异进行了计算、评价,并分析了中国亚热带地区柑桔各生育期气候适宜性以及中国亚热带地区各县区的平均气候适宜度.结果表明:柑桔花芽分化期、发芽期、果实成熟期的适宜性较低、风险较高,其他各生育期的适宜性较高、风险较低,影响中国亚热带地区柑桔生产的关键问题是冷害和伏旱.柑桔温度适宜性的地域分异呈纬度地带性规律;降水适宜度最适宜型分布在亚热带中部"射阳-那坡"一线区域,其东南为适宜型区,西北为次适宜型区,高山区为不适宜型区;日照适宜度与实际日照时数的区域变化规律基本一致,大致呈高纬度区高于低纬度区、高海拔区高于低海拔区;受温度因子的限制,气候适宜度与温度适宜度的分布情况大体一致,南部大于北部,基本也呈纬度地带性规律.从中国亚热带地区柑桔气候适宜度的年际变化分析可知,整个亚热带地区柑桔气候适宜度呈下降趋势,且存在区域差异,说明气候变化引起了中国亚热带柑桔适宜区和关键生育期的变动.     

奶牛乳房炎抗性候选基因的研究进展

乳房炎是奶业生产中的一种常见病,发病率很高,每年给世界各国奶牛饲养者造成严重的经济损失。乳房炎的影响因素很多,但遗传因素对其起着重要作用。综述了乳铁蛋白基因、MHC/BoLA基因、ToLL样受体家族基因、趋化性细胞因子受体基因、牛锌指蛋白313基因、β-防御素基因和热休克蛋白70基因等奶牛乳房炎抗性候选基因的研究现状。     

Versatile Loops in Mycocypins Inhibit Three Protease Families

Mycocypins, clitocypins and macrocypins, are cysteine protease inhibitors isolated from the mushrooms Clitocybe nebularis and Macrolepiota procera. Lack of sequence homology to other families of protease inhibitors suggested that mycocypins inhibit their target cysteine protease by a unique mechanism and that a novel fold may be found. The crystal structures of the complex of clitocypin with the papain-like cysteine protease cathepsin V and of macrocypin and clitocypin alone have revealed yet another motif of binding to papain like-cysteine proteases, which in a yet unrevealed way occludes the catalytic residue. The binding is associated with a peptide-bond flip of glycine that occurs before or concurrently with the inhibitor docking. Mycocypins possess a β-trefoil fold, the hallmark of Kunitz-type inhibitors. It is a tree-like structure with two loops in the root region, a stem comprising a six-stranded β-barrel, and two layers of loops (6 + 3) in the crown region. The two loops that bind to cysteine cathepsins belong to the lower layer of the crown loops, whereas a single loop from the crown region can inhibit trypsin or asparaginyl endopeptidase, as demonstrated by site-directed mutagenesis. These loops present a versatile surface with the potential to bind to additional classes of proteases. When appropriately engineered, they could provide the basis for possible exploitation in crop protection.     

The translocon Sec61beta localized in the inner nuclear membrane transports membrane-embedded EGF receptor to the nucleus

Accumulating evidence indicates that endocytosis plays an essential role in the nuclear transport of the ErbB family members, such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and ErbB-2. Nevertheless, how full-length receptors embedded in the endosomal membrane pass through the nuclear pore complexes and function as non-membrane-bound receptors in the nucleus remains unclear. Here we show that upon EGF treatment, the biotinylated cell surface EGFR is trafficked to the inner nuclear membrane (INM) through the nuclear pore complexes, remaining in a membrane-bound environment. We further find that importin β regulates EGFR nuclear transport to the INM in addition to the nucleus/nucleoplasm. Unexpectedly, the well known endoplasmic reticulum associated translocon Sec61β is found to reside in the INM and associate with EGFR. Knocking down Sec61β expression reduces EGFR level in the nucleoplasm portion and accumulates it in the INM portion. Thus, the Sec61β translocon plays an unrecognized role in the release of the membrane-anchored EGFR from the lipid bilayer of the INM to the nucleus. The newly identified Sec61β function provides an alternative pathway for nuclear transport that can be utilized by membrane-embedded proteins such as full-length EGFR.     

Dauricine induces apoptosis,inhibits proliferation and invasion through inhibiting NF‐κB signaling pathway in colon cancer cells

Dauricine, a bioactive component of Asiatic Moonseed Rhizome, has been widely used to treat a large number of inflammatory diseases in traditional Chinese medicine. In our study, we demonstrated that dauricine inhibited colon cancer cell proliferation and invasion, and induced apoptosis by suppressing nuclear factor‐kappaB (NF‐κB) activation in a dose‐ and time‐dependent manner. Addition of dauricine inhibited the phosphorylation and degradation of IκBα, and the phosphorylation and translocation of p65. Moreover, dauricine down‐regulated the expression of various NF‐κB‐regulated genes, including genes involved cell proliferation (cyclinD1, COX2, and c‐Myc), anti‐apoptosis (survivin, Bcl‐2, XIAP, and IAP1), invasion (MMP‐9 and ICAM‐1), and angiogenesis (VEGF). In athymic nu/nu mouse model, we further demonstrated that dauricine significantly suppressed colonic tumor growth. Taken together, our results demonstrated that dauricine inhibited colon cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and induced cell apoptosis by suppressing NF‐κB activity and the expression profile of its downstream genes. These findings provide evidence for a novel role of dauricine in preventing or treating colon cancer through modulation of NF‐κB singling pathway. J. Cell. Physiol. 225: 266–275, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

A series of inorganic-organic hybrid compounds constructed from bis(undecatungstophosphate) lanthanates and copper-organic units

A series of inorganic-organic hybrid compounds built from bis(undecatungstophosphate) lanthanates and copper-complexes, namely, H₈[Cu(en)₂H₂O]₄[Cu(en)₂]{[Cu(en)₂][La(PW₁₁O₃₉)₂]}₂·18H₂O (1), H₆[Na₂(en)₂(H₂O)₅][Cu(en)₂H₂O]₄[Cu(en)₂]{[Cu(en)₂][Ce(PW₁₁O₃₉)₂]}₂·16H₂O (2), H₆[Na₂(en)₂(H₂O)₅][Cu(en)₂H₂O]₄[Cu(en)₂]{[Cu(en)₂][Pr(PW₁₁O₃₉)₂]}₂·18H₂O (3), H₆[Na₂(en)₂(H₂O)₄][Cu(en)₂H₂O]₄[Cu(en)₂]{[Cu(en)₂][Nd(PW₁₁O₃₉)₂]}₂·14H₂O (4), H₆[Na₂(en)₂(H₂O)₅][Cu(en)₂H₂O]₄[Cu(en)₂]{[Cu(en)₂][Sm(PW₁₁O₃₉)₂]}₂·20H₂O (5), and H₇[Cu(en)₂]₂[Sm(PW₁₁O₃₉)₂]·10H₂O (6) (where en = 1,2-ethylenediamine), have been prepared. In these compounds, two lacunary [PW₁₁O₃₉]⁷⁻ anions sandwich an eight-coordinated Ln(III) cation to yield [Ln(PW₁₁O₃₉)₂]¹¹⁻ anion in a twisted square anti-prismatic geometry, which is further bridged by [Cu(en)₂]²⁺ fragments to generate a 1D zigzag-like chain. In 1-6, the coordination bond interactions and weak interactions between adjacent 1D chains play an important role in the zigzagging distances and angles of different 1D chains. The magnetic studies indicate that antiferromagnetic interactions exist in compounds 1, 2 and 4.