Paracrine effect of CXCR4‐overexpressing mesenchymal stem cells on ischemic heart injury

It has been reported that CXCR4‐overexpressing mesenchymal stem cells (MSC^CX4) can repair heart tissue post myocardial infarction. This study aims to investigate the MSCCX4‐derived paracrine cardio‐protective signaling in the presence of myocardial infarction. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were divided into 3 groups: MSC only, MSC^CX4, and CXCR4 gene‐specific siRNA‐transduced MSC. Mesenchymal stem cells were exposed to hypoxia, and then MSCs‐conditioned culture medium was incubated with neonatal and adult cardiomyocytes, respectively. Cell proliferation–regulating genes were assessed by real‐time polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). In vitro: The number of cardiomyocytes undergoing DNA synthesis, cytokinesis, and mitosis was increased to a greater extent in MSC^CX4 medium‐treated group than control group, while this proproliferative effect was reduced in CXCR4 gene‐specific siRNA‐transduced MSC–treated cells. Accordingly, the maximal enhancement of vascular endothelial growth factor, cyclin 2, and transforming growth factor‐β2 was observed in hypoxia‐exposed MSC^CX4. In vivo: MSCs were labeled with enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) and engrafted into injured myocardium in rats. The number of EGFP and CD31 positive cells in the MSC^CX4 group was significantly increased than other 2 groups, associated with the reduced left ventricular (LV) fibrosis, the increased LV free wall thickness, the enhanced angiogenesis, and the improved contractile function. CXCR4 overexpression can mobilize MSCs into ischemic area, whereby these cells can promoted angiogenesis and alleviate LV remodeling via paracrine signaling mechanism.     

Borrelia burgdorferi outer surface protein C (OspC) binds complement component C4b and confers bloodstream survival

Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) is the causative agent of Lyme disease in the United States, a disease that can result in carditis, and chronic and debilitating arthritis and/or neurologic symptoms if left untreated. Bb survives in the midgut of the Ixodes scapularis tick, or within tissues of immunocompetent hosts. In the early stages of infection, the bacteria are present in the bloodstream where they must resist clearance by the innate immune system of the host. We have found a novel role for outer surface protein C (OspC) from B. burgdorferi and B. garinii in interactions with the complement component C4b and bloodstream survival in vivo. Our data show that OspC inhibits the classical and lectin complement pathways and competes with complement protein C2 for C4b binding. Resistance to complement is important for maintenance of the lifecycle of Bb, enabling survival of the pathogen within the host as well as in the midgut of a feeding tick when ospC expression is induced.     

Modulation of coupling in the Escherichia coli ATP synthase by ADP and Pi: Role of the ε subunit C-terminal domain

The ε-subunit of ATP-synthase is an endogenous inhibitor of the hydrolysis activity of the complex and its α-helical C-terminal domain (εCTD) undergoes drastic changes among at least two different conformations. Even though this domain is not essential for ATP synthesis activity, there is evidence for its involvement in the coupling mechanism of the pump. Recently, it was proposed that coupling of the ATP synthase can vary as a function of ADP and P_i concentration. In the present work, we have explored the possible role of the εCTD in this ADP- and P_i-dependent coupling, by examining an εCTD-lacking mutant of Escherichia coli. We show that the loss of P_i-dependent coupling can be observed also in the εCTD-less mutant, but the effects of P_i on both proton pumping and ATP hydrolysis were much weaker in the mutant than in the wild-type. We also show that the εCTD strongly influences the binding of ADP to a very tight binding site (half-maximal effect ≈ 1 nM); binding at this site induces higher coupling in EF_OF₁ and increases responses to P_i. It is proposed that one physiological role of the εCTD is to regulate the kinetics and affinity of ADP/P_i binding, promoting ADP/P_i-dependent coupling.     

Molecular genetics of met 17 and met 25 mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae: intragenic complementation between mutations of a single structural gene

Summary A method for transposon mutagenesis in Azospirillum lipoferum 29708 is reported with transposon Tn5. The suicide plasmid pSUP2021 was used to deliver Tn5 in A. lipoferum using Escherichia coli SM10 as the donor. Neomycin-resistant transconjugants were detected at a frequency of 6x10^-6 per recipient. Different types of mutants were isolated, e.g. auxotrophic, coloured, IAA-negative, and IAA-overproducers. Among the auxotrophic mutants, cysteine and methionine requirers prevailed. Random Tn5-insertion with only one copy per mutant was demonstrated by Southern blotting and hybridization. Tn5-induced mutants are relatively stable, with reversion rates of 2–20×10^-8. A gene which is a part of the carotenoid pathway is closely linked to the histidine genes. The existence of two pathways for IAA production in A. lipoferum is discussed.     

Anaerobic degradation of phenol by pure cultures of newly isolated denitrifying pseudomonads

From various oxic or anoxic habitats several strains of bacteria were isolated which in the absence of molecular oxygen oxidized phenol to CO₂ with nitrate as the terminal electron acceptor. All strains grew in defined mineral salts medium; two of them were further characterized. The bacteria were facultatively anaerobic Gramnegative rods; metabolism was strictly oxidative with molecular oxygen, nitrate, or nitrite as electron acceptor. The isolates were tentatively identified as pseudomonads. Besides phenol many other benzene derivatives like cresols or aromatic acids were anaerobically oxidized in the presence of nitrate. While benzoate or 4-hydroxybenzoate was degraded both anaerobically and aerobically, phenol was oxidized under anaerobic conditions only. Reduced alicyclic compounds were not degraded. Preliminary evidence is presented that the first reaction in anaerobic phenol oxidation is phenol carboxylation to 4-hydroxybenzoate.     

Structure and expression of the overlapping ND4L and ND5 genes of Neurospora crassa mitochondria

Summary Genes homologous to the mammalian mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit genes ND4L and ND5 were identified in the mitochondrial genome of the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa, and the structure and expression of these genes was examined. The ND4L gene (interrupted by one intervening sequence) potentially encodes an 89 residue long hydrophobic protein that shares about 26% homology (or 41% homology if conservative amino acid substitutions are allowed) with the analogous human mitochondrial protein. The ND5 gene (which contains two introns) encodes a 715 residue polypeptide that shares 23% homology with the human analogue; a 300 amino acid long region is highly conserved (50% homology) in the two ND5 proteins. The stop codon of the ND4L gene overlaps the initiation codon of the downstream ND5 gene, and the two genes are contranscribed and probably cotranslated. A presumed mature dicistronic (ND4L plus ND5) RNA was detected. The postulated mRNA (about 3.2 kb) contains 5 and 3 non-coding regions of about 86 and 730 nucleotides, respectively; this species is generated from very large precursor RNAs by a complex processing pathway. The ND4L and ND5 introns are all stable after their excision from the precursor species.Abbreviations bp base pairs - rRNA ribosomal RNA - ND NADH dehydrogenase - URF unidentified reading frame - kDal kilodaltons; a.a., amino acid     

Sequestration of arginine by polyphosphate in vacuoles of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae)

The conditions for synthesis, purification, and properties of tryptophanase by a marine organism (Vibrio K-7) were studied. Tryptophanase was induced by tryptophan and its analogs, and partially repressed by 0.5% glucose or glycerol. NaCl (0.4M) was required for optimal growth and tryptophanase activity in whole cells. The enzyme was purified to 92% homogeneity by heat treatment, hydroxyapatite chromatography and fractionation with ammonium sulfate. This tryptophanase has been found to have kinetic properties similar to the tryptophanase from other microorganisms. It carries out both , -elimination reactions (using tryptophan, serine, cysteine and S-methyl-cysteine as substrates) and -replacement reactions (forming tryptophan from indole and serine, cysteine or S-methyl-cysteine). The enzyme has a sedimentation coefficient of 9.2S and requires pyridoxal 5-phosphate as a cofactor. The optimal pH for the tryptophanase reaction is pH 8.0.Nonstandard Abbreviations PLP pyridoxal 5-phosphate - TPase tryptophanase - TSase tryptophan synthase - DHase dehydratase - TCA tricarboxylic acid - BSA bovine serum albumin Preliminary reports of this work have been presented (M. J. Klug and R. D. DeMoss, Bacteriol. Proc. 1971, p. 132; D. D. Whitt and R. D. DeMoss, Abstr. Annu. Meet. Am. Soc. Microbiol. 1973, p. 148)     

大丁草属植物的化学成分和药理活性研究

本文概述了大丁草属植物的化学成分和药理活性研究。着重介绍了其中所含的香豆素类化合物的化学结构特点、光谱特征及生物活性。     

酚类物质对杉木幼苗15N养分吸收、分配的影响

 应用15N同位素示踪技术,通过盆栽实验研究了香草醛和对羟基苯甲酸对杉木（Cunninghamia lanceolata）幼苗N素养分吸收、分配的影响,结果发现香草醛及其与对羟基苯甲酸的混合物（浓度比1∶1）明显抑制了杉木幼苗的生长和对15NO3-离子的吸收,10 mmol·L-1的香草醛使杉木幼苗根、茎、叶生物量分别下降了25.3%、13.5%、5.7%,15N吸收量分别减少了38.5%、48.1%、46.5%;10 mmol·L-1的混合物使杉木幼苗根、茎、叶生物量分别下降了33.5%、36.0%、21     

不同强度运动结合白藜芦醇对老年肥胖大鼠RBP4的影响

目的：探讨不同强度运动结合白藜芦醇对老年肥胖大鼠内脏脂肪组织视黄醇结合蛋白4（RBP4） mRNA蛋白表达及血浆RBP4浓度的影响。方法：选择鼠龄3周的雄性SD大鼠80只,随机分为对照组和实验组：对照组（C）饲喂6.0%脂肪的普通饲料（n=12）;实验组分3个阶段饲喂36%~40%高脂饲料（n=68）。建立老年肥胖大鼠模型,选取24只建模成功的肥胖大鼠随机分为4组（n=6）：肥胖对照组（CO）、白藜芦醇组（RO）、低强度运动+白藜芦醇组（LRO）、中强度运动+白藜芦醇组（MRO）。LRO组和MRO组的运动强度分别为（12 m/min×15 min）和（15 m/min×15 min）,每天运动60 min;补充白藜芦醇各组52.5 mg/kg·d灌胃1次,对照组采用等量的纯净水灌胃,持续干预8周。8周后采血和肾周、睾周、血管及内脏脂肪组织,检测血糖和血浆RBP4浓度、计算胰岛素敏感性（ISI）,检测RBP4 mRNA和蛋白表达。结果：与正常组比较,模型组大鼠RBP4 mRNA和蛋白表达、血浆浓度及血糖指标明显升高（P<0.05,P<0.01）,ISI明显降低（P<0.05）;与模型组比较,RO、LRO组和MRO组大鼠RBP4 mRNA和蛋白表达、血浆浓度及血糖指标明显降低（P<0.05,P<0.01）,ISI明显升高（P<0.05）;RO、LRO组和MRO组之间比较,MRO组大鼠RBP4 mRNA和蛋白表达、血浆浓度及血糖指标明显降低,ISI明显升高,但无显著差异。结论：不同强度运动结合白藜芦醇能降低老年肥胖大鼠内脏脂肪组织RBP4 mRNA和蛋白表达及血浆RBP4浓度,受运动强度影响较小。