Kallikrein-related peptidase 12 hydrolyzes matricellular proteins of the CCN family and modifies interactions of CCN1 and CCN5 with growth factors

Kallikrein-related peptidases (KLKs) are an emerging group of secreted serine proteases involved in several physiological and pathological processes. We used a degradomic approach to identify potential substrates of KLK12. MDA-MB-231 cells were treated either with KLK12 or vehicle control, and the proteome of the overlying medium was analyzed by mass spectrometry. CCN1 (cyr61, ctgf, nov) was among the proteins released by the KLK12-treated cells, suggesting that KLK12 might be responsible for the shedding of this protein from the cell surface. Fragmentation of CCN1 by KLK12 was further confirmed in vitro, and the main cleavage site was localized in the hinge region between the first and second half of the recombinant protein. KLK12 can target all six members of the CCN family at different proteolytic sites. Limited proteolysis of CCNs (cyr61, ctgf, nov) was also observed in the presence of other members of the KLK family, such as KLK1, KLK5, and KLK14, whereas KLK6, KLK11, and KLK13 were unable to fragment CCNs. Because KLK12 seems to have a role in angiogenesis, we investigated the relations between KLK12, CCNs, and several factors known to be involved in angiogenesis. Solid phase binding assays showed that fragmentation of CCN1 or CCN5 by KLK12 prevents VEGF(165) binding, whereas it also triggers the release of intact VEGF and BMP2 from the CCN complexes. The KLK12-mediated release of TGF-β1 and FGF-2, either as intact or truncated forms, was found to be concentration-dependent. These findings suggest that KLK12 may indirectly regulate the bioavailability and activity of several growth factors through processing of their CCN binding partners.     

MicroRNA cluster 302-367 enhances somatic cell reprogramming by accelerating a mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are emerging critical regulators of cell function that frequently reside in clusters throughout the genome. They influence a myriad of cell functions, including the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells, also termed reprogramming. Here, we have successfully delivered entire miRNA clusters into reprogramming fibroblasts using retroviral vectors. This strategy avoids caveats associated with transient transfection of chemically synthesized miRNA mimics. Overexpression of 2 miRNA clusters, 106a-363 and in particular 302-367, allowed potent increases in induced pluripotent stem cell generation efficiency in mouse fibroblasts using 3 exogenous factors (Sox2, Klf4, and Oct4). Pathway analysis highlighted potential relevant effectors, including mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition, cell cycle, and epigenetic regulators. Further study showed that miRNA cluster 302-367 targeted TGFβ receptor 2, promoted increased E-cadherin expression, and accelerated mesenchymal-to-epithelial changes necessary for colony formation. Our work thus provides an interesting alternative for improving reprogramming using miRNAs and adds new evidence for the emerging relationship between pluripotency and the epithelial phenotype.     

蔗糖转运蛋白基因VvSUC11和VvSUC12双价植物表达载体的构建及在甜菜中的遗传转化

将葡萄Vitis vinifera L.的蔗糖转运蛋白基因VvSUC11和VvSUC12与甘薯Ipomoea batatas L. Lam.的甘薯贮藏蛋白 (Sporamin) 基因的根部特异性启动子命名为SP1和SP2重组。以pCAMBIA2301为起始载体,构建了pCAMBIA2301- SP1-VvSUC11-SP2-VvSUC12用农杆菌介导法转化了甜菜Beta vulgaris L.品种KWS-9103,发现预培养4 d,侵染时农杆菌的浓度OD600值为0.5,附加0.005％表面活性剂Silwet L-77,延迟筛选4 d,转化效率最高,可达42％。对在卡那霉素中分化并生根的甜菜植株进行PCR和RT-PCR检测,证明目的基因已整合到甜菜中并表达,为进一步研究该基因在甜菜Beta vulgaris中的功能奠定了基础。     

水生花卉对铜绿微囊藻、斜生栅藻和小球藻生长的影响

选择黄菖蒲(Iris pseudacorus)、溪荪(I.sanguinea)、梭鱼草(Pontederia cordata)、白花水龙(Jussiaea repens)、水罂粟(Hydrocleys nymphoides)和大藻(Pistia stratiotes)6种具有较高观赏价值的水生花卉,通过将植物种植水与藻类共同培养的方式研究了不同种植时间的种植水对铜绿微囊藻(Microcystis aeruginosa)、斜生栅藻(Scenedesmus obliqnus)和小球藻(Chlorella vulgaris)生长的影响.结果表明:6种水生花卉种植水对3种藻类的化感作用具有选择性.通过6d的处理,种植水对铜绿微囊藻生长的抑制率为31.22％ ～ 96.53％,除白花水龙外,其余5种花卉的种植水对铜绿微囊藻生长的抑制率均超过70％,表现出很好的抑藻效果;种植水对斜生栅藻生长的抑制率为23.15％～77.25％;而种植水对小球藻有抑制也有促进,抑制率为-26.07％ ～75.70％,大藻、梭鱼草和溪荪抑制小球藻的生长,黄菖蒲、白花水龙表现为低促高抑,水罂粟表现为促进作用.随着种植时间的延长,种植水对3种藻类的抑制作用增强.6种水生花卉种植水对铜绿微囊藻生长的抑制作用由大到小依次为水罂粟＞黄菖蒲＞梭鱼草＞大藻＞溪荪＞白花水龙;对斜生栅藻生长的抑制作用由大到小依次为梭鱼草＞溪荪＞黄菖蒲＞水罂粟＞白花水龙＞大藻;对小球藻生长的抑制作用由大到小依次为大藻＞梭鱼草＞溪荪＞黄菖蒲、白花水龙＞水罂粟.试验表明,6种水生花卉在控制城市景观水体中的藻类水华有一定的推广价值.     

Monoclonal anti-β1-adrenergic receptor antibodies activate G protein signaling in the absence of β-arrestin recruitment

Thermostabilized G protein-coupled receptors used as antigens for in vivo immunization have resulted in the generation of functional agonistic anti-β₁-adrenergic (β₁AR) receptor monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). The focus of this study was to examine the pharmacology of these antibodies to evaluate their mechanistic activity at β₁AR. Immunization with the β₁AR stabilized receptor yielded five stable hybridoma clones, four of which expressed functional IgG, as determined in cell-based assays used to evaluate cAMP stimulation. The antibodies bind diverse epitopes associated with low nanomolar agonist activity at β₁AR, and they appeared to show some degree of biased signaling as they were inactive in an assay measuring signaling through β-arrestin. In vitro characterization also verified different antibody-receptor interactions reflecting the different epitopes on the extracellular surface of β₁AR to which the mAbs bind. The anti-β₁AR mAbs only demonstrated agonist activity when in dimeric antibody format, but not as the monomeric Fab format, suggesting that agonist activation may be mediated through promoting receptor dimerization. Finally, we have also shown that at least one of these antibodies exhibits in vivo functional activity at a therapeutically-relevant dose producing an increase in heart rate consistent with β₁AR agonism.     

Effect of Salt Stress on Carbon Metabolism and Bacteroid Respiration in Root Nodules of Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Abstract: In the present work, we examined the effect of salinity on growth, N fixation and carbon metabolism in the nodule cytosol and bacteroids of Phaseolus vulgaris, and measured the O₂ consumption by bacteroids incubated with or without the addition of exogenous respiratory substrates. The aim was to ascertain whether the compounds that accumulate under salt stress can increase bacteroid respiration and whether this capacity changes in response to salinity in root nodules of Phaseolus vulgaris. The plants were grown in a controlled environment chamber, and 50, 100 mM or no NaCl (control) was added to the nutrient solution. Two harvests were made, at the vegetative growth period and at the beginning of the reproductive period. The enzyme activities in the nodule cytosol were reduced by the salt treatments, while in the bacteroid cytosol the enzyme activities increased at high salt concentrations at the first harvest and for ADH in all treatments. The data presented here confirm that succinate and malate are the preferred substrates for bacteroid respiration in common bean, but these bacteroids may also utilize glucose, either in control or under saline conditions. The addition of proline or lactate to the incubation medium significantly raised oxygen consumption in the bacteroids isolated from plants treated with salt.     

Impact of soil suppressiveness on various population densities of Heterodera schachtii

Infectivity of second‐stage juvenile (J2) populations of Heterodera schachtii was assayed with radish.The numbers of J2 in three‐day‐old seedlings were proportional to the numbers of J2 in two differently textured soils.In a microplot trial with a known H.schachtii‐supprcssivc soil, half of the plots contained untreated suppressive soil, the other half contained the same soil, but methyl iodide‐fumigated and therefore conducive.Both soils were infested with cysts introducing the equivalents of 0, 30, 60 or 120 H.schachtii eggs g‐¹ soil, kept moist for 2 months, and then planted to Swiss chard.The numbers of J2 in radish roots were proportional to the numbers of H.schachtii eggs introduced into the microplots, at a low level of detection in suppressive soil and at a high level in conducive soil.Growth of Swiss chard was not different at increasing infestation levels in suppressive soil, but growth was reduced in conducive soil proportionally to increasing nematode infestation level.     

新疆野杏种群结构特征与健康评价

为探明新疆野杏的生存现状,本研究从新疆野杏种群结构特征与生存状况入手,评价新疆野杏的健康状况与更新能力,为其保护与恢复提供理论依据.在新源县吐尔根乡杏花沟、巩留县塔斯托别乡伊勒格代沟、霍城县大西沟乡大西沟和巩留县库尔德宁镇大小莫合沟的4个野杏居群,共设置22个样地,调查各野生果树居群的种群非空间结构(树种组成、胸径(D...     

Production of Chlorella vulgaris as a source of essential fatty acids in a tubular photobioreactor continuously fed with air enriched with CO2 at different concentrations

To reduce CO₂ emissions and simultaneously produce biomass rich in essential fatty acids, Chlorella vulgaris CCAP 211 was continuously grown in a tubular photobioreactor using air alone or air enriched with CO₂ as the sole carbon source. While on one hand, nitrogen‐limited conditions strongly affected biomass growth, conversely, they almost doubled its lipid fraction. Under these conditions using air enriched with 0, 2, 4, 8, and 16% (v/v) CO₂, the maximum biomass concentration was 1.4, 5.8, 6.6, 6.8, and 6.4 g_DB L^?1 on a dry basis, the CO₂ consumption rate 62, 380, 391, 433, and 430 L^?1 day^?1, and the lipid productivity 3.7, 23.7, 24.8, 29.5, and 24.4 mg L^?1 day^?1, respectively. C. vulgaris was able to grow effectively using CO₂‐enriched air, but its chlorophyll a (3.0–3.5 g 100g_DB^?1), chlorophyll b (2.6–3.0 g 100g_DB^?1), and lipid contents (10.7–12.0 g 100g_DB^?1) were not significantly influenced by the presence of CO₂ in the air. Most of the fatty acids in C. vulgaris biomass were of the saturated series, mainly myristic, palmitic, and stearic acids, but a portion of no less than 45% consisted of unsaturated fatty acids, and about 80% of these were high added‐value essential fatty acids belonging to the ω3 and ω6 series. These results highlight that C. vulgaris biomass could be of great importance for human health when used as food additive or for functional food production. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 30:916–922, 2014