The Structure of the Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 ORF112-Zα·Z-DNA Complex Reveals a Mechanism of Nucleic Acids Recognition Conserved with E3L,a Poxvirus Inhibitor of Interferon Response

In vertebrate species, the innate immune system down-regulates protein translation in response to viral infection through the action of the double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-activated protein kinase (PKR). In some teleost species another protein kinase, Z-DNA-dependent protein kinase (PKZ), plays a similar role but instead of dsRNA binding domains, PKZ has Zα domains. These domains recognize the left-handed conformer of dsDNA and dsRNA known as Z-DNA/Z-RNA. Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 infects common and koi carp, which have PKZ, and encodes the ORF112 protein that itself bears a Zα domain, a putative competitive inhibitor of PKZ. Here we present the crystal structure of ORF112-Zα in complex with an 18-bp CpG DNA repeat, at 1.5 Å. We demonstrate that the bound DNA is in the left-handed conformation and identify key interactions for the specificity of ORF112. Localization of ORF112 protein in stress granules induced in Cyprinid herpesvirus 3-infected fish cells suggests a functional behavior similar to that of Zα domains of the interferon-regulated, nucleic acid surveillance proteins ADAR1 and DAI.     

GSK3 inhibitors stabilize Wee1 and reduce cerebellar granule cell progenitor proliferation

Ubiquitin mediated proteolysis is required for transition from one cell cycle phase to another. For instance, the mitosis inhibitor Wee1 is targeted for degradation during S phase and G2 to allow mitotic entry. Wee1 is an essential tyrosine kinase required for the G2/M transition and S-phase progression. Although several studies have concentrated on Wee1 regulation during mitosis, few have elucidated its degradation during interphase. Our prior studies have demonstrated that Wee1 is degraded via CK1δ dependent phosphorylation during the S and G2/M phases of the cell cycle. Here we demonstrate that GSK3β may work in concert with CK1δ to induce Wee1 destruction during interphase. We generated small molecules that specifically stabilized Wee1. We profiled these compounds against 296 kinases and found that they inhibit GSK3α and GSK3β, suggesting that Wee1 may be targeted for proteolysis by GSK3. Consistent with this notion, known GSK3 inhibitors stabilized Wee1 and GSK3β depletion reduced Wee1 turnover. Given Wee1''s central role in cell cycle progression, we predicted that GSK3 inhibitors should limit cell proliferation. Indeed, we demonstrate that GSK3 inhibitors potently inhibited proliferation of the most abundant cell in the mammalian brain, the cerebellar granule cell progenitor (GCP). These studies identify a previously unappreciated role for GSK3β mediated regulation of Wee1 during the cell cycle and in neurogenesis. Furthermore, they suggest that pharmacological inhibition of Wee1 may be therapeutically attractive in some cancers where GSK-3β or Wee1 are dysregulated.     

Discovery of polymorphisms in starch-related genes in rice germplasm by amplification of pooled DNA and deeply parallel sequencing

High-throughput sequencing of pooled DNA was applied to polymorphism discovery in candidate genes involved in starch synthesis. This approach employed semi- to long-range PCR (LR-PCR) followed by next-generation sequencing technology. A total of 17 rice starch synthesis genes encoding seven classes of enzymes, including ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase), granule starch synthase (GBSS), soluble starch synthase (SS), starch branching enzyme (BE), starch debranching enzyme (DBE) and starch phosphorylase (SPHOL) and phosphate translocator (GPT1) from 233 genotypes were PCR amplified using semi- to long-range PCR. The amplification products were equimolarly pooled and sequenced using massively parallel sequencing technology (MPS). By detecting single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)/Indels in both coding and noncoding areas of the genes, we identified genetic differences and characterized the SNP/Indel variation and distribution patterns among individual starch candidate genes. Approximately, 60.9 million reads were generated, of which 54.8 million (90%) mapped to the reference sequences. The average coverage rate ranged from 12,708 to 38,300 times for SSIIa and SSIIIb, respectively. SNPs and single/multiple-base Indels were analysed in a total assembled length of 116,403 bp. In total, 501 SNPs and 113 Indels were detected across the 17 starch-related loci. The ratio of synonymous to nonsynonymous SNPs (Ka/Ks) test indicated GBSSI and isoamylase 1 (ISA1) as the least diversified (most purified) and conservative genes as the studied populations have been through cycles of selection. This report demonstrates a useful strategy for screening germplasm by MPS to discover variants in a specific target group of genes.     

槐杞黄颗粒联合CCLG-ALL2008方案对急性淋巴细胞白血病维持期患儿的临床研究

摘要 目的：探讨槐杞黄颗粒联合CCLG-ALL2008方案治疗急性淋巴细胞白血病（ALL）维持期患儿的临床疗效。方法：选择2017年5月~2019年3月期间我院收治的62例ALL维持期患儿,采用随机数字表法将患儿分为对照组（CCLG-ALL2008方案治疗,n=31）和研究组（槐杞黄颗粒联合CCLG-ALL2008方案治疗,n=31）。观察两组临床症状情况、血清炎症因子和免疫球蛋白水平、T淋巴细胞亚群的变化,同时记录两组不良反应发生率。结果：研究组平均白细胞水平高于对照组,感染发作次数少于对照组,抗生素使用时间短于对照组（P<0.05）。研究组治疗后CD3⁺、CD4⁺、CD4⁺/CD8⁺高于对照组,CD8⁺低于对照组（P<0.05）。研究组治疗后免疫球蛋白A（IgA）、免疫球蛋白G（IgG）高于对照组（P<0.05）。对照组、研究组患儿治疗后免疫球蛋白M（IgM）组内对比,无统计学差异（P>0.05）。研究组治疗后C反应蛋白（CRP）、肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）、降钙素原（PCT）、白细胞介素-6（IL-6）低于对照组（P<0.05）。两组不良反应总发生率对比,无显著性差异（P>0.05）。结论：槐杞黄颗粒联合CCLG-ALL2008方案治疗ALL维持期患儿,可减轻患儿炎症反应,提高其免疫功能,减少感染发作次数,缩短抗生素使用时间,安全有效。     

小儿豉翘清热颗粒联合奥司他韦对急性上呼吸道感染患儿血清炎性因子和外周血T淋巴细胞亚群的影响

摘要 目的：探讨小儿豉翘清热颗粒联合奥司他韦对急性上呼吸道感染患儿血清炎性因子和外周血T淋巴细胞亚群的影响。方法：选择2019年9月至2022年1月期间合肥市第二人民医院收治的急性上呼吸道感染患儿180例。按照双色球法将患儿分为对照组和研究组,在常规治疗的基础上,对照组（给予磷酸奥司他韦颗粒治疗）和研究组（给予小儿豉翘清热颗粒联合磷酸奥司他韦颗粒治疗）,两组各为90例。对比两组疗效、临床症状缓解情况、T淋巴细胞亚群指标、炎性因子水平和不良反应发生情况。结果：研究组的临床总有效率为95.56%,高于对照组的83.33%（P<0.05）。研究组的咳嗽、发热、咽痛、鼻塞流涕等症状缓解时间均短于对照组（P<0.05）。治疗5 d后,研究组CD3⁺、CD4⁺、CD4⁺/CD8⁺高于对照组,CD8⁺低于对照组（P<0.05）,研究组血清降钙素原（PCT）、白介素6（IL-6）、血清淀粉样蛋白A（SAA）、超敏C反应蛋白（hs-CRP）低于对照组（P<0.05）。两组不良反应发生率组间对比无明显差异（P>0.05）。结论：奥司他韦联合小儿豉翘清热颗粒治疗急性上呼吸道感染,可提高患儿的免疫力,降低血清PCT、IL-6、SAA、hs-CRP水平,有助于临床症状改善。     

飞蝗复眼生理和结构上的节律变化

采用细胞内记录和光镜方法研究了飞蝗(Locusta migratoria)夜间和日间在暗适应和明适应状态下小网膜细胞角敏感度以及晶锥和小网膜细胞之间区域结构上的变化.结果表明小网膜细胞角敏感度的变化不仅仅由于晶锥周围主色素细胞色素颗粒的移动,而且也由于小眼感杆束结构上的节律变化.     

Extracellular release of newly synthesized sphingosine-1-phosphate by cerebellar granule cells and astrocytes

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a potent biomediator that can act as either an intracellular or an intercellular messenger. In the nervous system it exerts a wide range of actions, and specific membrane receptors for it have been identified in various regions. However, the physiological origin of extracellular S1P in the nervous system is largely unknown. We investigated cerebellar granule cells at different stages of differentiation and astrocytes in primary cultures as possible origins of extracellular S1P. Although these cells show marked differences in S1P metabolism, we found that they can all release S1P and express mRNAs for S1P specific receptors. Extracellular S1P derives from the export of newly synthesized intracellular S1P, and not from the action of a released sphingosine kinase. S1P release is rapid, efficient, and can be regulated by exogenous stimuli. Phorbol ester treatment resulted in an increase in sphingosine kinase 1 activity in the membranes, accompanied by a significant increase in extracellular S1P. S1P release in cells from the cerebellum emerges as a regulated mechanism, possibly related to a specific pool of newly synthesized S1P. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence of the extracellular release of S1P by primary cells from the CNS, which supports a role of S1P as autocrine/paracrine physiological messenger in the cerebellum.