脂肪细胞分化相关基因在大鼠再生肝中表达变化

肝脏由多种细胞构成,肝再生与细胞分化密切相关,细胞分化受基因转录水平调控。为在基因转录水平了解脂肪细胞分化基因在大鼠肝再生中作用,本文用搜集网站资料和查阅相关论文等方法获得上述基因,用Rat Genome2302.0芯片检测它们在大鼠肝再生(liver regeneration,LR)中表达情况,将三次检验结果相同或相似、在肝再生中表达变化2倍以上、真手术组和假手术组相比差异显著的基因视为肝再生相关基因。初步证实上述基因中75个基因与肝再生相关。肝再生启动(PH后0.5-4h)、G0/G1过渡(PH后4-6h)、细胞增殖(PH后6-66h)、细胞分化和组织结构功能重建(PH后72-168h)等四个阶段起始表达的基因数为44、13、30和1;基因的总表达次数为88、58、302和90。表明相关基因主要在肝再生启动阶段起始表达,在不同阶段发挥作用。它们共表达上调313次、下调167次,分为43种表达方式。表明肝再生中脂肪细胞发生和分化相关基因活动多样和复杂。根据本文研究结果推测,上述基因不仅调节脂肪细胞分化,而且参与肝再生的生理生化活动。     

Autophagic activity measured in whole rat hepatocytes as the accumulation of a novel BHMT fragment (p10), generated in amphisomes by the asparaginyl proteinase, legumain

To investigate the stepwise autophagic-lysosomal processing of hepatocellular proteins, the abundant cytosolic enzyme, betaine:homocysteine methyltransferase (BHMT) was used as a probe. Full-length (45 kDa) endogenous BHMT was found to be cleaved in an autophagy-dependent (3-methyladenine-sensitive) manner in isolated rat hepatocytes to generate a novel N-terminal 10-kDa fragment (p10) identified and characterized by mass spectrometry. The cleavage site was consistent with cleavage by the asparaginyl proteinase, legumain and indeed a specific inhibitor of this enzyme (AJN-230) was able to completely suppress p10 formation in intact cells, causing instead accumulation of a 42-kDa intermediate. To prevent further degradation of p10 or p42 by the cysteine proteinases present in autophagic vacuoles, the proteinase inhibitor leupeptin had to be present. Asparagine, an inhibitor of amphisome-lysosome fusion, did not detectably impede either p42 or p10 formation, indicating that BHMT processing primarily takes place in amphisomes rather than in lysosomes. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was similarly degraded primarily in amphisomes by leupeptin-sensitive proteolysis, but some additional leupeptin-resistant LDH degradation in lysosomes was also indicated. The autophagic sequestration of BHMT appeared to be nonselective, as the accumulation of p10 (in the presence of leupeptin) or of its precursors (in the additional presence of AJN-230) proceeded at approximately the same rate as the model autophagic cargo, LDH. The complete lack of a cytosolic background makes p10 suitable for use in a "fragment assay" of autophagic activity in whole cells. Incubation of hepatocytes with ammonium chloride, which neutralizes amphisomes as well as lysosomes, caused rapid, irreversible inhibition of legumain activity and stopped all p10 formation. The availability of several methods for selective targeting of legumain in intact cells may facilitate functional studies of this enigmatic enzyme, and perhaps suggest novel ways to reduce its contribution to cancer cell metastasis or autoimmune disease.     

Alteration of serotonin system by polychlorinated biphenyls exposure

Although commercial production of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was banned in 1979, PCBs continue to be an environmental and health concern due to their high bioaccumulation and slow degradation rates. In fact, PCBs are still present in our food supply (fish, meat, and dairy products). In laboratory animals, exposure to single PCB congener or to mixtures of different congeners induces a variety of physiological alterations. PCBs cross the placenta and even exposure at low level is harmful for the foetus by leading to neurodevelopment alterations. Serotonin system which regulates many physiological functions from platelet activation to high cerebral processes and neurodevelopment is one of the targets of PCBs toxicity. The effects of PCBs exposure on serotonin system have been investigated although to a lesser extent compared to its effect in other neurotransmitter systems. This review provides a summary of the results concerning the impact of PCBs exposure (in vitro and in vivo) on serotonin system. Further research is needed to correlate specific deficits with PCB-induced changes in the serotonin system.     

Morphological evolution of the mammalian cecum and cecal appendix

The evolutionary pressures leading to the appearance of the cecal appendix, its evolutionary relationships with the cecum, and the link between these gastrointestinal characters and ecology remain controversial. We collected data on appendix presence and size, other gastrointestinal characters, ecological variables, dietary habits, and social characters hypothesized to drive appendix evolution for 533 mammalian species. Using phylogeny-informed analyses, we identified the first evidence of a positive correlation between appendix presence and cecal apex thickness, and a correlation with cecal morphology, suggesting that the appendix and cecum may be evolving as a module, the cecoappendicular complex. A correlation between appendix presence and concentration of cecal lymphoid tissue supports the hypothesis of an adaptive immune function for this complex. Other new findings include an inverse correlation between relative cecum length and habitat breadth, and positive relationships between cecum length and mean group size, and between colon length and weaning age.     

ZNF230/荧光蛋白融合基因表达载体的构建及其在Cos细胞中的表达与定位

为了用绿色荧光蛋白标记观察人类无精症相关基因ZNF230在Cos7细胞中的蛋白质表达及定位,用PCR方法扩增得到突变的人和小鼠mt ZNF230和mt znf230基因,使其3′端的终止密码TGA突变为TGG,并装入T 载体,双酶切后通过定向克隆将其与真核表达载体pEGFP N1的绿色荧光蛋白(greenfluorescenceprotein,GFP)基因融合,构建了ZNF230—荧光蛋白融合基因表达载体。然后经真核表达质粒-脂质体介导,导入Cos7细胞系。荧光显微镜观察显示:在空白载体pEGFP N1转染的Cos细胞中荧光布满整个细胞,而在转染阳性载体pEGFP ZNF230和pEGFP znf230的Cos细胞中荧光主要聚集在细胞核中。表明转染的Cos细胞系能高效表达人ZNF230和小鼠znf230蛋白,ZNF230基因表达的蛋白定位于细胞核内。     

细胞连接相关基因在大鼠肝再生中表达模式

细胞连接是组织、器官形成的基础。为在基因转录水平了解紧密连接、粘附连接、粘着斑和间隙连接相关基因在肝再生中作用,本文用搜集网站资料和查阅相关论文等方法获得上述基因,用Rat Genome 230 2.0芯片检测它们在大鼠再生肝中表达情况,将3次检验结果相同或相似、在肝再生中发生有意义表达变化、真手术组和假手术组表达差异显著的基因视为肝再生相关基因。初步证实上述4种细胞连接中79、53、109和53个基因与肝再生相关。其中,肝再生启动(部分肝切除后0.5～4h)、G0/G1过渡(PH后4～6h)、细胞增殖(部分肝切除后6～66h)、细胞分化和组织结构功能重建(部分肝切除后72～168h)等4个阶段起始表达的基因数和基因的总表达次数为124、43、122、10和249、145、957、306。表明相关基因主要在肝再生启动阶段起始表达,在不同阶段发挥作用。它们共上调972次,下调540次,表明肝再生中大多数细胞连接相关基因表达加强,少数基因表达降低。它们表达的相似性分为均上调、上调占优势、均下调、下调占优势、上调和下调相近等5类,涉及102、38、73、27和16个基因,它们表达的时间相关性分为0.5和1h、2h、4和6h、8和12h、16h、18和48h、24h、30和42h、36h、54和60h、66和72h、96h、120h、144和168h等14组,表明肝再生中细胞生理生化活动具有阶段性。它们的表达模式分为41类,表明肝再生中细胞生理生化活动具有多样性和复杂性。根据肝再生中基因表达变化和表达模式推测,肝再生早期和前期间隙连接形成增强,晚中期和后期间隙连接形成减少;早期、前期和后期粘着斑形成增强;紧密连接和粘附连接的形成贯穿于整个肝再生。     

Expression profiles of the organic acid metabolism-associated genes during rat liver regeneration

In this study, 55 of the organic acid metabolism-involved genes were primarily confirmed to be associated with liver regeneration (LR) by bioinformatics and gene expression profiling analysis. Number of the initially and totally expressed genes occurring in initiation phase of LR, G₀/G₁, cell proliferation, cell differentiation and liver tissue structure-function reconstruction were 21, 5, 33, 1 and 40, 20, 174, 44, respectively, illustrating that genes were initially expressed mainly in initiation stage, and worked in different phases. 151 times up-regulation and 114 times down-regulation as well as 14 types of expression patterns showed the diversification and complication of genes expression changes. It is inferred from the above gene expression changes and patterns that acetate biosynthesis enhanced at forepart, propionate biosynthesis at forepart, prophase and early metaphase, pyruvate biosynthesis at forepart, metaphase and anaphase, succinate biosynthesis at forepart and anaphase; malate biosynthesis in metaphase and N-acetylneuraminate biosynthesis at 36, 66 and 96 h. Whereas, carnitine biosynthsis attenuates at forepart and prophase, enhancement at middle metaphase; isocitrate in the forepart, quinolinate at forepart and early metaphase, creatine at early metaphase and fumarate at anaphase perform the restrained biosynthesis, respectively; catabolisms of propionate and pyruvate were depressed in metaphase.     

Human land use is comparable to climate as a driver of global plant occurrence and abundance across life forms

Aim

Historically, climate has been a dominant driver of global vegetation patterns. Recently, ecological understanding has been updated to acknowledge the influence of human land use (the dominant driver of biodiversity change) in shaping global vegetation patterns. We test whether Raunkiær's life form, a plant classification system designed to reflect climatic drivers, affects how plants respond to both land use and climate.

Location

Forty-one countries across six continents.

Time period

1990 to 2013.

Major taxa studied

Terrestrial plants.

Methods

Combining data from the biodiversity and land use database PREDICTS, and plant trait databases TRY and BIEN, we use generalized linear mixed models with weighted effects coding to test whether Raunkiær's life form affects plant response to land use and climate in over 4800 species at over 300 sites globally.

Results

We provide evidence that human land use is comparable to climate in influencing life form occurrence and that land use produces divergent outcomes across life forms.

Main conclusions

Combined with climatic suitability, land use acts as a filter contracting the realized niche of trees and expanding the realized niche of disturbance-tolerant species. Our results highlight the fundamental role of human activity in shaping species' distribution.