Progressive determination of cell fates along the dorsoventral axis in the sea urchin Heliocidaris erythrogramma

In the direct-developing sea urchin Heliocidaris erythrogramma the first cleavage division bisects the dorsoventral axis of the developing embryo along a frontal plane. In the two-celled embryo one of the blastomeres, the ventral cell (V), gives rise to all pigmented mesenchyme, as well as to the vestibule of the echinus rudiment. Upon isolation, however, the dorsal blastomere (D) displays some regulation, and is able to form a small number of pigmented mesenchyme cells and even a vestibule. We have examined the spatial and temporal determination of cell fates along the dorsoventral axis during subsequent development. We demonstrate that the dorsoventral axis is resident within both cells of the two-celled embryo, but only the ventral pole of this axis has a rigidly fixed identity this early in development. The polarity of this axis remains the same in half-embryos developing from isolated ventral (V) blastomeres, but it can flip 180° in half-embryos developing from isolated dorsal (D) blastomeres. We find that cell fates are progressively determined along the dorsoventral axis up to the time of gastrulation. The ability of dorsal half-embryos to differentiate ventral cell fates diminishes as they are isolated at progressively later stages of development. These results suggest that the determination of cell fates along the dorsoventral axis in H. erythrogramma is regulated via inductive interactions organized by cells within the ventral half of the embryo.     

基于益生菌治疗帕金森病的研究进展

帕金森病是常见的神经退行性疾病,其发病原因至今尚未明确,目前的治疗方法价格昂贵、效果差且副作用大。帕金森病患者常见胃肠道功能障碍,帕金森病和肠道菌群之间的关联已得到实验证实,患者有望通过益生菌改善肠道菌群达到治疗的目的。工程益生菌的出现使得人们可以按照自己的意愿改造益生菌,提高其稳定性和靶向性,展现出其特有的应用潜力。本文将从益生菌治疗帕金森病的研究现状出发,阐述益生菌治疗帕金森病的可能机制,进一步分析工程益生菌治疗帕金森病的可行性,为该疾病的安全治疗提供新的思路。     

花生种子萌发早期胚轴细胞DNA合成的特点

花生种子吸胀6h后胚轴DNA中有~3H-胸苷掺入。咖啡因和羟基脲均对6～12h的~3H—胸苷掺入具强烈的抑制作用;当12～24h时,咖啡因的抑制作用较大;但30h以后,羟基脲的抑制作用超过咖啡因。双链DNA放射性从种子吸胀9h后迅速上升,单链DNA放射性在吸胀12h后出现一个明显的峰。但在吸胀12h后,单链DNA形成和存在的时间是短暂的。     

肠道菌群在脊髓损伤后胃肠道炎症反应中的研究进展

脊髓损伤(spinal cord injury, SCI)目前尚无有效的治疗手段。脊髓损伤后,患者常伴有严重的胃肠功能障碍,严重影响患者的生活质量。研究发现,脊髓损伤后肠道菌群的紊乱和脊髓损伤后的胃肠道功能障碍密切相关。因此,本文围绕脊髓损伤后肠道菌群的变化,探讨肠道菌群在迷走神经、下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺和肠道菌群代谢物3个途径中发挥的作用,及与胃肠道炎症反应相关的研究进展。     

Non-crystallographic symmetry of crystal of neutral phospholipase A2 from Agkistrodon halys Pallas

Agkistrodotoxin, a neutral phospholipase A₂ with high presynaptic neurotoxicity from the venom of Agkistrodon halys Pallas, has been crystallized by hanging drop vapor diffusion method. The crystal belongs to P2₁ space group with the cell dimensions a = 10.836 nm, b=8.486nm, c = 7.082nm, β=109.87$ showing C2 pseu-do-symmetry. Diffraction data to 0. 26 nm resolution have been collected on a Siemens X-200B area detector. C2 pseu-do-symmetry suggests that there exists a non-crystallographic two-fold axis parallel to crystallographic b axis. Self-rotation function calculation with different integrated radius and resolution ranges using the program POLARRFN yields four stable high peaks corresponding to three more non-crystallographic two-fold axis and one special non-crystal-lographic symmetry. The molecules in the asymmetric unit are suggested to be arranged in a manner of "dimer of dimers" by inference.     

花生种子萌发早期胚轴DNA合成与种子活力的关系

随着花生种子萌发率和活力指数的下降,胚轴DNA开始合成的时间推迟,其合成水平也降低。但DNA合成都是先于吸胀的12h(高活力胚)或18h(低活力胚)出现一个峰,然后再持续上升。腐胺预处理明显地促进老化胚轴萌发早期(12～2dh)的DNA合成。钙离子预处理则有一定抑制作用,但两种预处理均能提高种子的活力指数,并能促进吸胀30h以后的DNA合成。     

Uptake of [2-14C]abscisic acid and distribution of 14C in apple embryos

Pyrus malus L. var. Golden delicious embryos were incubated with (±)-[2-¹⁴C]abscisic acid (ABA) (10^-5 M, 355 kBq mol^-1). After incubations of various durations, the radioactivity was measured in whole embryos, cotyledons, and embryonic axes.With either 48-h or 16-d incubation periods, the uptake of [¹⁴C]ABA depended upon the mode of culture used. The lowest values corresponded to the absorption by the embryonic axis, the highest to the absorption by the distal parts of the two cotyledons. The cotyledons accumulated the main part of the radioactivity under all conditions. Dormant and almost completely after-ripened embryos cultivated for 4 d showed no significant differences in the radioactivity uptake for identical modes of culture. There was a linear relationship between exogenous ABA concentrations (0.5 to 3.10^-5 M) and ABA uptake for embryos cultivated for 4 d with the distal parts of the cotyledons immersed in the medium.Abbreviations ABA abscisic acid. RM, RM⁺, C/2 M, and CM are different modes of embryo cultures: embryonic axis immersed alone (RM), together with the proximal parts of the cotyledons (RM⁺); distal parts of the cotyledons immersed alone (CM); embroyo flat on the medium, the root and the external surface of one cotyledon being in contact with the medium (C/2 M) - PP proximal parts of the cotyledons - DP distal parts of the cotyledons     

High‐fat diet‐induced dysbiosis mediates MCP‐1/CCR2 axis‐dependent M2 macrophage polarization and promotes intestinal adenoma‐adenocarcinoma sequence

High‐fat diet (HFD) is a well‐known risk factor for gut microbiota dysbiosis and colorectal cancer (CRC). However, evidence relating HFD, gut microbiota and carcinogenesis is limited. Our study aimed to demonstrate that HFD‐induced gut dysbiosis promoted intestinal adenoma‐adenocarcinoma sequence. In clinical study, we found that HFD increased the incidence of advanced colorectal neoplasia (AN). The expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP‐1), CC chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2) and CD163 in CRC patients with HFD was significantly higher than that in CRC patients with normal diet. When it comes to the Apc^min/+ mice, HFD consumption could induce gut dysbiosis and promote intestinal carcinogenesis, accompanying with activation of MCP‐1/CCR2 axis that recruited and polarized M2 tumour‐associated macrophages. Interestingly, transfer of faecal microbiota from HFD‐fed mice to another batch of Apc^min/+ mice in the absence of HFD could also enhance carcinogenesis without significant body weight gain and induced MCP‐1/CCR2 axis activation. HFD‐induced dysbiosis could also be transmitted. Meanwhile, antibiotics cocktail treatment was sufficient to inhibit HFD‐induced carcinogenesis, indicating the vital role of dysbiosis in cancer development. Conclusively, these data indicated that HFD‐induced dysbiosis accelerated intestinal adenoma‐adenocarcinoma sequence through activation of MCP‐1/CCR2 axis, which would provide new insight into better understanding of the mechanisms and prevention for HFD‐related CRC.     

IL-23/IL-17轴在脓毒症中的表达及意义

目的:探讨IL-23/IL-17轴在脓毒症患者中的表达及意义.方法:符合诊断标准的脓毒症患者40例,以28天预后为终点,将患者分为存活组(n=21)和病死组(n=19),分析各组病人的急性生理和慢性健康评分(APACHE)Ⅱ和序贯器官衰竭估计(SOFA)评分,同时在入ICU第1天采取外周静脉血做IL-23和IL-17检测,并对病死率和IL-23、IL-17、APACHEⅡ、SOFA做相关性分析.结果:与存活组比较,病死组患者拥有较高的APACHEⅡ和SOFA评分(P<0.01),且外周血的IL-23和IL-17蛋白含量均明显升高(P<0.05).APACHEⅡ和SOFA评分、IL-17和IL-23含量与28天预后有明显的相关性(P<0.05).结论:脓毒症Th17细胞分泌的IL-23/IL-17增加,加重患者病情,在脓毒症发病机制中可能扮演重要角色.