Glycine metabolomic changes induced by anticancer agents in A549 cells

Amino Acids - Glycine plays a key role in rapidly proliferating cancer cells such as A549 cells. Targeting glycine metabolism is considered as a potential means for cancer treatment. However, the...     

Systematic profiling of staralog response to acquired drug resistant kinase gatekeeper mutations in targeted cancer therapy

Amino Acids - Kinase-targeted therapy has been widely used as a lifesaving strategy for cancer patients. However, many patients treated with targeted cancer drugs are clinically observed to rapidly...     

Active interfacial dynamic transport of fluid in a network of fibrous connective tissues throughout the whole body

Fluid in interstitial spaces accounts for ~20% of an adult body weight and flows diffusively for a short range. Does it circulate around the body like vascular circulations? This bold conjecture has been debated for decades. As a conventional physiological concept, interstitial space is a micron‐sized space between cells and vasculature. Fluid in interstitial spaces is thought to be entrapped within interstitial matrix. However, our serial data have further defined a second space in interstitium that is a nanosized interfacial transport zone on a solid surface. Within this fine space, fluid along a solid fibre can be transported under a driving power and identically, interstitial fluid transport can be visualized by tracking the oriented fibres. Since 2006, our data from volunteers and cadavers have revealed a long‐distance extravascular pathway for interstitial fluid flow, comprising at least four types of anatomic distributions. The framework of each extravascular pathway contains the longitudinally assembled and oriented fibres, working as a fibrorail for fluid flow. Interestingly, our data showed that the movement of fluid in a fibrous pathway is in response to a dynamic driving source and named as dynamotaxis. By analysis of previous studies and our experimental results, a hypothesis of interstitial fluid circulatory system is proposed.     

Ultra‐high α‐linolenic acid accumulating developmental defective embryo was rescued by lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase 2

For decades, genetic engineering approaches to produce unusual fatty acids (UFAs) in crops has reached a bottleneck, including reduced seed oil production and seed vigor. Currently, plant models in the field of research are primarily used to investigate defects in oil production and seedling development, while the role of UFAs in embryonic developmental defects remains unknown. In this study, we developed a transgenic Arabidopsis plant model, in which the embryo exhibits severely wrinkled appearance owing to α‐linolenic acid (ALA) accumulation. RNA‐sequencing analysis in the defective embryo suggested that brassinosteroid synthesis, FA synthesis and photosynthesis were inhibited, while FA degradation, endoplasmic reticulum stress and oxidative stress were activated. Lipidomics analysis showed that ultra‐accumulated ALA is released from phosphatidylcholine as a free FA in cells, inducing severe endoplasmic reticulum and oxidative stress. Furthermore, we identified that overexpression of lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase 2 rescued the defective phenotype. In the rescue line, the pool capacity of the Kennedy pathway was increased, and the esterification of ALA indirectly to triacylglycerol was enhanced to avoid stress. This study provides a plant model that aids in understanding the molecular mechanism of embryonic developmental defects and generates strategies to produce higher levels of UFAs.     

The mechanism of Single strand binding protein–RecG binding: Implications for SSB interactome function

The Escherichia coli single‐strand DNA binding protein (SSB) is essential to viability where it functions to regulate SSB interactome function. Here it binds to single‐stranded DNA and to target proteins that comprise the interactome. The region of SSB that links these two essential protein functions is the intrinsically disordered linker. Key to linker function is the presence of three, conserved PXXP motifs that mediate binding to oligosaccharide‐oligonucleotide binding folds (OB‐fold) present in SSB and its interactome partners. Not surprisingly, partner OB‐fold deletions eliminate SSB binding. Furthermore, single point mutations in either the PXXP motifs or, in the RecG OB‐fold, obliterate SSB binding. The data also demonstrate that, and in contrast to the view currently held in the field, the C‐terminal acidic tip of SSB is not required for interactome partner binding. Instead, we propose the tip has two roles. First, and consistent with the proposal of Dixon, to regulate the structure of the C‐terminal domain in a biologically active conformation that prevents linkers from binding to SSB OB‐folds until this interaction is required. Second, as a secondary binding domain. Finally, as OB‐folds are present in SSB and many of its partners, we present the SSB interactome as the first family of OB‐fold genome guardians identified in prokaryotes.     

基因拷贝数对重组毕赤酵母产谷氨酰胺转胺酶的影响

基于毕赤酵母核糖体DNA序列 (rDNA),构建多拷贝谷氨酰胺转胺酶基因表达载体pPICZα-rDNA- mtg,并转化到表达前导肽 (Pro peptide或pro) 的宿主菌pGAP9-pro/GS115,得到共表达菌株pro/rDNA-mtg (GS115)。实时荧光定量PCR (qPCR) 分析了4株阳性表达菌株中mtg基因拷贝数,进一步研究了不同基因拷贝数对重组毕赤酵母产酶的影响及高产菌株在3 L发酵罐高密度发酵。结果表明,被检测的4株阳性表达菌株中mtg拷贝数分别为2.21、3.36、5.72和7.62 (mtg-2c、mtg-3c、mtg-6c和mtg-8c),其发酵产酶能力和蛋白质表达水平为mtg-3c>mtg-2c>mtg-6c>mtg-8c;高密度发酵较低和较高拷贝数的两株菌mtg-3c和mtg-6c,发酵上清的最高酶活和单位菌体酶活分别为3.12 U/mL、52.1 U/g湿重和2.07 U/mL、36.5 U/g湿重,其中单位菌体酶活mtg-3c是mtg-6c的1.4倍;mtg-3c纯化酶的最高酶活达到7.21 U/mL,蛋白浓度为437.2 μg /mL。通过分析拷贝数对重组毕赤酵母产酶的影响,发现mtg-3c适合pro/rDNA-mtg中pro和mtg共表达,MTG高酶活与菌株较高分泌蛋白有关。     

植物原生质体在分子细胞生物学研究中的应用

植物原生质体是去除了细胞壁的裸露细胞,其具有细胞全能性,现广泛应用于植物分子细胞生物学的研究中,可以大大缩减实验周期,并有助于得到体内实验的实时检测数据。该文除了介绍植物原生质体的提取和纯化方法外,还对国内外利用各种植物的原生质体进行细胞瞬时转化、亚细胞定位、细胞融合和大分子复合物相互作用等试验进行了总结和讨论。植物原生质体还可用于基因表达模式的实时检测,并作为生物反应器的受体细胞进行代谢物的体外生产。此外,还对当前该技术所面临的瓶颈进行了分析,为植物原生质体在分子细胞生物学领域的应用提供帮助,为技术的优化和推广提供参考。     

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3000 μmol/L附近波动,最大值为4210.74 μmol/L（120 cm）,SBM采样点的CO₂浓度随深度先增后减,60 cm以上在1800 μmol/L附近波动,60 cm以下在3000 μmol/L附近波动,最大值为4191.94 μmol/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735.90 μmol/L（260 cm）,SBM最大值为543.51 μmol/L（170 cm）。（2）BBM和SBM的δ¹³C_CH4的值均较小,表明大部分的¹²CH₄仍被储存在泥炭土壤中,而两个采样点的δ¹³C_CO2和分馏系数α_c均随深度增加,表明泥炭土中产甲烷方式为浅层以乙酸产甲烷为主,深层以H₂还原CO₂为主。（3）C/N、碳氮同位素比值、FTIR均显示SBM和BBM的有机质分解程度较低,因为两个采样点的低可溶性有机碳浓度和低pH值不利于分解,表明该地储存着大量有机碳。通过探讨北温带典型泥炭地温室气体的浓度变化规律及其影响因素,结果可为全球泥炭湿地碳排放提供理论支撑。