非洲猪瘟病毒E248R蛋白抑制cGAS-STING介导的天然免疫

为了探究ASFV E248R蛋白调控cGAS-STING信号通路的机制,利用双荧光素酶报告系统验证ASFV E248R蛋白够剂量依赖性地抑制cGAS-STING和HT-DNA诱导的IFN-β的产生。通过相对定量PCR技术验证,过表达E248R抑制IFNB1、RANTES、IL-6和TNF-αβ基因的转录水平。免疫共沉淀和激光共聚焦试验结果表明,E248R与STING相互作用。通过蛋白印迹试验证实,过表达E248R可抑制STING的表达。研究表明ASFV E248R蛋白通过抑制STING的表达拮抗天然免疫应答。该结果将扩展对ASF免疫逃逸的认知,为疫苗的研制提供新的思路。     

数字细胞模型的研究及应用

组学分析技术的发展推动生物学逐渐成为一门以数据分析为中心的科学。依托生物数据在细胞整体系统水平建立数字细胞模型,对于理解细胞系统组织原理和生命产生进化规律,预测各种环境和基因扰动对细胞功能的影响并指导设计人工生命具有重要意义,因此数字细胞的构建模拟设计已成为合成生物学的核心研究内容与底层支撑技术。本文重点对天津工业生物技术研究所创立十年来在数字细胞研究方面的进展进行回顾介绍,重点包括基因组尺度代谢网络模型的构建、质控以及其在途径设计和指导菌种代谢工程改造方面的应用,进一步结合近年来细胞模型研究的前沿趋势,对整合多种约束的模型的构建和分析研究方面的最新成果进行了介绍,最后对数字细胞研究的未来发展方向进行展望。数字细胞技术将与基因组测序、合成和编辑等合成生物学前沿技术一起提升人们对生命进行读写改创的能力。     

Elucidating Drug-Like Compounds and Potential Mechanisms of Corn Silk (Stigma Maydis) against Obesity: A Network Pharmacology Study

Corn silk (Stigma Maydis) has been utilized as an important herb against obesity by Chinese, Korean, and Native Americans, but its phytochemicals and mechanisms(s) against obesity have not been deciphered completely. This study aimed to identify promising bioactive constituents and mechanism of action(s) of corn silk (CS) against obesity via network pharmacology. The compounds from CS were identified using Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and were confirmed ultimately by Lipinski’s rule via SwissADME. The relationships of the compound-targets or obesity-related targets were confirmed by public bioinformatics. The signaling pathways related to obesity, protein-protein interaction (PPI), and signaling pathways-targets-bioactives (STB) were constructed, visualized, and analyzed by RPackage. Lastly, Molecular Docking Test (MDT) was performed to validate affinity between ligand(s) and protein(s) on key signaling pathway(s). We identified a total of 36 compounds from CS via GC-MS, all accepted by Lipinski’s rule. The number of 36 compounds linked to 154 targets, 85 among 154 targets related directly to obesity-targets (3028 targets). Of the final 85 targets, we showed that the PPI network (79 edges, 357 edges), 12 signaling pathways on a bubble chart, and STB network (67 edges, 239 edges) are considered as therapeutic components. The MDT confirmed that two key activators (β-Amyrone, β-Stigmasterol) bound most stably to PPARA, PPARD, PPARG, FABP3, FABP4, and NR1H3 on the PPAR signaling pathway, also, three key inhibitors (Neotocopherol, Xanthosine, and β-Amyrone) bound most tightly to AKT1, IL6, FGF2, and PHLPP1 on the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Overall, we provided promising key signaling pathways, targets, and bioactives of CS against obesity, suggesting crucial pharmacological evidence for further clinical testing.     

陕南早寒武世具口部的磷酸盐化Punctatus及其胚胎化石

报道陕西南部灯影组宽川铺段地层中发现的Punctatus锥体标本、保留精美软组织特征的口部标本和可能的胚胎标本。对Punctatus软组织及整体形态功能研究表明,Punctatus在分类上可能更接近于腔肠动物的水螅型,代表初具原始触手的腔肠动物早期演化类型。在上万枚与Punctatus共生的球状化石中,发现若干枚可能的原肠期胚胎及胚胎发育晚期标本,在此基础上提出PunctatusemeiensisHe,1980花冠状口部可能经历的胚胎发育序列。     

Characteristics of the Summer Hydrological Regimen and Chlorophyll Distribution in the Volga River Reservoirs

Field observations on chlorophyll content and hydrological parameters such as temperature, dissolved oxygen and conductivity profiles, Secchi disk transparency and water color were carried out at 5 reservoirs of the Mid and Lower Volga River during August 1990 and 1991. Principal Component Analysis distinguished four classes from 46 sampling points based on the hydrological regimen and phytoplankton development.     

几个引进枣品种枣头及果实生长发育规律的研究

研究得知湘南地区引进沾化冬枣、梨枣和骏枣的枣头一次枝(下简称枣头)伸长生长节律与本地品种鸡蛋枣相似,幼树期枣头有两次明显的伸长生长过程,其间出现生长暂缓期。从枣头年生长量看,三个引进品种均比本地品种鸡蛋枣要小,但秋季生长量比重均比鸡蛋枣还要大。三个引进品种果实均较鸡蛋枣大,果实生长规律均与鸡蛋枣相似。但各个品种果实生育期均长于鸡蛋枣。冬枣果实生育期最长为100天~110天,梨枣与骏枣果实生育较短,梨枣70天~75天,骏枣约85天,而鸡蛋枣只有65天~70天。     

Receptor for advanced glycation end products aggravates cognitive deficits in type 2 diabetes through binding of C‐terminal AAs 2‐5 to mitogen‐activated protein kinase kinase 3 (MKK3) and facilitation of MEKK3‐MKK3‐p38 module assembly

In this study, we explored the precise mechanisms underlying the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE)‐mediated neuronal loss and behavioral dysfunction induced by hyperglycemia. We used immunoprecipitation (IP) and GST pull‐down assays to assess the interaction between RAGE and mitogen‐activated protein kinase kinase 3 (MKK3). Then, we investigated the effect of specific mutation of RAGE on plasticity at hippocampal synapses and behavioral deficits in db/db mice through electrophysiological recordings, morphological assays, and behavioral tests. We discovered that RAGE binds MKK3 and that this binding is required for assembly of the MEKK3‐MKK3‐p38 signaling module. Mechanistically, we found that activation of p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK)/NF‐κB signaling depends on mediation of the RAGE‐MKK3 interaction by C‐terminal RAGE (ctRAGE) amino acids (AAs) 2‐5. We found that ctRAGE R2A‐K3A‐R4A‐Q5A mutation suppressed neuronal damage, improved synaptic plasticity, and alleviated behavioral deficits in diabetic mice by disrupting the RAGE‐MKK3 conjugation. High glucose induces direct binding of RAGE and MKK3 via ctRAGE AAs 2‐5, which leads to assembly of the MEKK3‐MKK3‐p38 signaling module and subsequent activation of the p38MAPK/NF‐κB pathway, and ultimately results in diabetic encephalopathy (DE).