Marine actinomycete diversity and natural product discovery

Microbial natural products remain an important resource for drug discovery yet the microorganisms inhabiting the worlds oceans have largely been overlooked in this regard. The recent discovery of novel secondary metabolites from taxonomically unique populations of marine actinomycetes suggests that these bacteria add an important new dimension to microbial natural product research. Continued efforts to characterize marine actinomycete diversity and how adaptations to the marine environment affect secondary metabolite production will create a better understanding of the potential utility of these bacteria as a source of useful products for biotechnology.     

Zinc tolerance and hyperaccumulation in F1 and F2 offspring from intra and interecotype crosses of Thlaspi caerulescens

The relationship between zinc (Zn) tolerance and hyperaccumulation in Thlaspi caerulescens was investigated from F1 and F2 crosses within and among metallicolous and nonmetallicolous Mediterranean populations. F1 offspring were grown on increasingly Zn-enriched soils to test Zn enrichment effects, and many families of F2 offspring were grown on a Zn-rich soil. Tolerance of F1 offspring depended on stress intensity. Tolerance of interecotype crosses was intermediate between that of the intraecotype crosses. No difference in Zn accumulation appeared among the F1 offspring from the three crosses involving metallicolous parents. Otherwise, none of these offspring exceeded the Zn hyperaccumulation threshold (10,000 mg kg(-1)), unlike the nonmetallicolous ones. The latter also showed the highest mortality. In some F2 families from interecotype crosses, hyperaccumulation values exceeded 15,000 mg kg(-1) in nontolerant offspring, whereas tolerant offspring displayed lower values (c. 10,000 mg kg(-1)). There was no difference between tolerant and nontolerant offspring when they showed low hyperaccumulation. Therefore, the relationship between tolerance and hyperaccumulation in F1 and F2 crosses depended on the hyperaccumulation level of plants.     

强化生物除磷系统的微生物种群及其表征技术

详细介绍了强化生物除磷系统(enhanced biological phosphate removal,简称EBPR)中的微生物种群及其表征技术,提出了研究EBPR中微生物种群及其表征技术的发展方向。     

干旱区不同草地土壤植物系统水盐的特征

 土壤水盐状况对干旱区草地植物群落的种类组成有直接的影响。本文通过3年对土壤水盐动态(1m土壤含盐量、潜水埋深和矿化度)的定位定点监测,系统地划分出水盐等级指标,并结合草地调查,阐述了不同草地类型与水盐状况的关系,将新疆呼图壁草地生态试验站天然草地划分为沼泽化低地草甸、盐化低地草甸、重盐化低地草甸、盐土荒漠和重盐土荒漠五个亚类。     

Effect of commercial herbal toothpastes and mouth rinses on the prevention of enamel demineralization using a microcosm biofilm model

Abstract

This work evaluated the effects of commercial toothpastes and mouth rinses containing natural/herbal agents on biofilm viability, extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) production and on enamel demineralization in vitro. Microcosm biofilm was produced on bovine enamel for 5?days and treated daily with: Orgânico natural^® (toothpaste/mouth rinse), Boni Natural Menta &; Malaleuca^® (toothpaste/mouth rinse), Propolis &; Myrrh^® (toothpaste), Colgate Total 12 Clean Mint^® (toothpaste, positive control), Malvatricin^® Plus (mouth rinse), PerioGard^® (mouth rinse, positive control) or PBS (negative control). Tom’s Propolis &; Myrrh^® and Colgate Total 12^® toothpastes and Malvatricin^® Plus and PerioGard^® mouth rinses significantly reduced biofilm viability (p?® had significant effects on biofilm thickness and EPS. Despite the indication that Tom’s Propolis &; Myrrh^® significantly reduced lesion depth, only Colgate Total 12^® significantly reduced mineral loss. Malvatricin^® Plus significantly reduced mineral loss and lesion depth, as did PerioGard^®. Some herbal products, Malvatricin^® Plus and Tom’s Propolis &; Myrrh^®, showed anticaries effects.     

Immunobiology of the IL-15/IL-15Rα complex as an antitumor and antiviral agent

Interleukin (IL)-15 is essential for natural killer (NK), NKT and memory (m) CD8⁺ T cell development and function, and is currently under investigation as an immunotherapeutic agent for the treatment of cancer. Recently, the creation of IL-15 superagonist by complexing IL-15 and its high affinity receptor alpha (IL-15 Rα) in solution, inspired by the natural trans-presentation of IL-15, advances the potential of IL-15-based tumor immunotherapy. IL-15 superagonist shows promising advantages over monomeric IL-15 such as sustaining high circulating concentrations due to prolonged half-life and more potently stimulating NK and CD8⁺ T effector lymphocytes. So far, there are three different forms of recombinant IL-15 superagonist fusion protein based on configurational modifications. Gene therapy using engineered cells co-expressing IL-15/IL-15 Rα complex for cancer treatment is also emerging. All forms have demonstrated efficacy in causing tumor regression in animal studies, which provides strong rationale for advancing IL-15 superagonist through clinical trials. To date, there are fourteen phase I/II IL-15 superagonist trials in cancer patients and one phase I trial in HIV patients. Information generated by ongoing trials regarding the toxicity and efficacy of IL-15 superagonist is awaited. Finally, we elaborate on immunotoxicity caused by IL-15 superagonist in preclinical studies and discuss important safety considerations.     

外界支持物对绞股蓝种群觅养行为和繁殖对策的影响

绞股蓝（Gynostemma pentaphyllum)是一种攀援植物,自然条件下攀附其它植物向上生长,利用实验生态学方法,设置两种处理,即有外界支持物（简称支持物）的直立生长和无支持的伏地生长（模拟绞股蓝寻找到和找不到支持物的两种生长情况）,以探讨支持物对绞股蓝种群觅养行为和繁殖对策的影响,结果表明：（１）支持物能显著影响叶片生物量比、卷须生物量比、分枝率、比叶面各、叶生物量／支持结构生物量比和叶柄角度,这些影响既体现了绞股蓝种群对异质光环境的生态适应,又反映了伏地生长种群对支持物的“寻找”;（２）支持物能显著影响繁殖分配、繁殖指数、繁殖效率指数、繁殖比率和繁殖产量,这暗示了支持物可显著影响绞股蓝种群的繁殖对策;（３）绞股蓝种群的不同性状对支持物的敏感性存在差异;（４）支持物正是通过改变绞股蓝种群的光资源环境和生长方式进而影响其觅养行为繁殖对策。     

HPLC法测定紫苏不同来源不同部位中迷迭香酸的含量

采用 HP LC 法测定14种不同来源紫苏不同部位的迷迭香酸的含量,并进行统计与聚类分析.结果表明：14种来源紫苏间叶、果穗、茎及根中迷迭香酸含量均有显著差异(P ＜0．05),同一来源不同部位间迷迭香酸含量也存在显著差异(P ＜0．05).各种来源紫苏叶中的迷迭香酸含量均最高;大部分来源紫苏果穗中迷迭香酸的含量较紫苏茎高.14份材料经聚类分析可分成4个类群.研究结果表明紫苏果穗可能是潜在的新药源,来源于长江中下游紫苏不同部位的迷迭香酸含量要比西南地区的高.     

Up-Regulation of PI 3-Kinases and the Activation of PI3K-Akt Signaling Pathway in Cancer Stem-Like Cells Through DNA Hypomethylation Mediated by the Cancer Microenvironment

Previously, we have succeeded in converting induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into cancer stem cells (CSCs) by treating the iPSCs with conditioned medium of Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells. The converted CSCs, named miPS-LLCcm cells, exhibited the self-renewal, differentiation potential, and potential to form malignant tumors with metastasis. In this study, we further characterized miPS-LLCcm cells both in vivo and in vitro. The tumors formed by subcutaneous injection showed the structures with pathophysiological features consisting of undifferentiated and malignant phenotypes generally found in adenocarcinoma. Metastasis in the lung was also observed as nodule structures. Excising from the tumors, primary cultured cells from the tumor and the nodule showed self-renewal, differentiation potential as well as tumor forming ability, which are the essential characters of CSCs. We then characterized the epigenetic regulation occurring in the CSCs. By comparing the DNA methylation level of CG rich regions, the differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were evaluated in all stages of CSCs when compared with the parental iPSCs. In DMRs, hypomethylation was found superior to hypermethylation in the miPS-LLCcm cells and its derivatives. The hypo- and hypermethylated genes were used to nominate KEGG pathways related with CSC. As a result, several categories were defined in the KEGG pathways from which most related with cancers, significant and high expression of components was PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. Simultaneously, the AKT activation was also confirmed in the CSCs. The PI3K-Akt signaling pathway should be an important pathway for the CSCs established by the treatment with conditioned medium of LLC cells.