Biotechnological challenges of bioartificial kidney engineering

With the world-wide increase of patients with renal failure, the development of functional renal replacement therapies have gained significant interest and novel technologies are rapidly evolving. Currently used renal replacement therapies insufficiently remove accumulating waste products, resulting in the uremic syndrome. A more preferred treatment option is kidney transplantation, but the shortage of donor organs and the increasing number of patients waiting for a transplant warrant the development of novel technologies. The bioartificial kidney (BAK) is such promising biotechnological approach to replace essential renal functions together with the active secretion of waste products. The development of the BAK requires a multidisciplinary approach and evolves at the intersection of regenerative medicine and renal replacement therapy. Here we provide a concise review embracing a compact historical overview of bioartificial kidney development and highlighting the current state-of-the-art, including implementation of living-membranes and the relevance of extracellular matrices. We focus further on the choice of relevant renal epithelial cell lines versus the use of stem cells and co-cultures that need to be implemented in a suitable device. Moreover, the future of the BAK in regenerative nephrology is discussed.     

FoxO转录因子

FoxO家族是转录调节因子 ,也是INS IGF 1信号通路中的关键分子。FoxO基因在进化上高度保守 ,其氨基酸序列中含有 3个高度保守PKB磷酸化基序。FoxO受PI3K PKB磷酸化级联通路的调节 ,其活性与磷酸化状态直接相关。FoxO对细胞增殖、细胞凋亡等生理过程有重要调节作用 ,并可能在免疫系统发育中对免疫细胞的凋亡及亚群间的平衡起一定调节作用。     

大肠杆菌共表达LeGGPS2、LePSY1和crtI基因合成番茄红素

利用大肠杆菌研究番茄红素的合成,不仅可以获得副产物少的高产菌株,而且可以探讨基因或基因簇的功能。文中将番茄LeGGPS2和LePSY1的cDNA序列,及欧文氏菌crtI的编码序列分别添加上核糖体结合位点后,以单独或组合的方式受控于T7启动子和终止子,在大肠杆菌菌株BL21(DE3)中进行表达和诱导番茄红素合成。结果显示,仅T7::crtI-LeGGPS2-LePSY1三价基因共表达时才能合成番茄红素,且将种子液以1∶50接种于含3%蔗糖的LB培养基(pH 6.8)中,于37℃摇8 h左右的对数生长后期加IPTG至80μmol/L,30℃诱导表达5 h的发酵条件下,获得2.124 mg/g DCW的番茄红素。该结果既验证了原核化的番茄LeGGPS2和LePSY1基因及与crtI基因协同作用的功能,又为在番茄质体中建立独立的番茄红素合成途径奠定了基础。     

云南含笑花粉萌发研究

应用离体培养和人工授粉的方法对云南含笑花粉的萌发进行了研究。栽培和野生云南含笑花粉的萌发率有很大的差异,分别为20％和90％。首次报道了云南含笑的花粉粒在离体培养基上萌发2条花粉管的现象。云南含笑花粉在灰岩含笑花柱头上的萌发率和萌发时间与离体培养基上的相同,表明灰岩含笑的柱头对云南含笑的花粉没有排异现象。     

Genetic analysis of the structure and function of RNase P fromE. coli

A brief review of the genetic studies on ribonuclease P (RNase P) fromEscherichia coli is presented. Temperature-sensitive mutants ofE. coli defective in tRNA processing were isolated by screening cells which were unable to synthesize a suppressor tRNA at restrictive temperature. Structural analysis of accumulated tRNA precursors showed that the isolated mutants were defective in RNase P activity. Analyses of the mutants revealed that the enzyme is essential for the synthesis of all tRNA molecules in cells and that the enzymes consists of two subunits. Analyses of the isolated mutants revealed a possible domain structure of the RNA subunit of the enzyme.Abbreviations E. coli Escherichia coli - RNase P ribonuclease P     

Cultivar identification in T. aestivum using highly polymorphic RFLP probes

Two probes, specific for HMW-glutenins and -gliadins have been used to identify 50 common wheat Italian cultivars, most of which are closely related, and four common wheat cultivars originating outside Italy. The probes revealed complex polymorphic patterns; three probe/enzyme combinations had the necessary sensitivity for the identification of all 54 cultivars. As already shown for potato and barley, the use of four-cutter restriction enzymes and polyacrylamide gels proved particularly useful for detecting polymorphism.     

嘌呤拟似物对豚鼠胃窦环行肌自发性收缩及电活动的影响

为探讨非肾上腺素能非胆碱能神经递质对胃窦环行肌功能的调节作用,在离体胃平滑肌上观察了嘌呤拟似物对胃窦环行肌自发性收缩活动和电活动的影响。电活动用传统的细胞内微电极记录,并和收缩活动同步描记于多道生理记录仪。结果表明,嘌呤能P2Y受体激动剂,三磷酸腺苷(ATP)和2-methylthio ATP(2-MeSATP)均增强胃窦平滑肌的收缩活动,但不影响电活动,而且ATP和2-MeSATP对胃平滑肌收缩活动的增强作用可被嘌呤能P2Y受体阻断剂,reactive blue-2和苏拉明(suramin)所阻断。用100μmol／L α,β-MeATP引起的脱敏感使P2X受体被阻断,ATP增强胃窦平滑肌收缩活动的效应不受影响。嘌呤能P2X受体激动剂,α,β-MeATP明显抑制胃窦环行肌自发性收缩活动,同时使膜电位明显超极化。ATP对胃窦平滑肌的收缩作用不被L型钙通道阻断剂尼卡地平(nicardipine)阻断,但细胞外用无钙液灌流时这种效应则完全被阻断。用前列腺素合成抑制剂消炎痛预先处理20min后,ATP和2-MeSATP仍能增强胃窦平滑肌的自发性收缩活动。以上结果提示：(1)ATP和2-MeSATP通过嘌呤能P2Y受体增强胃窦平滑肌的自发性收缩活动,而α,β-MeATP或β,γ-MeATP通过嘌呤能P2X受体使膜电位超极化,引起胃窦平滑肌的舒张;(2)ATP和2-MeSATP增强胃窦平滑肌自发性收缩活动的效应依赖于细胞外钙,但钙离子进入细胞的途径并不是电压依赖性钙通道;(3)ATP和2-MeSATP增强胃窦平滑肌自发性收缩活动的效应不通过前列腺素介导。     

StructureSelector: A web‐based software to select and visualize the optimal number of clusters using multiple methods

Inferences of population genetic structure are of great importance to the fields of ecology and evolutionary biology. The program structure has been widely used to infer population genetic structure. However, previous studies demonstrated that uneven sampling often leads to wrong inferences on hierarchical structure. The most widely used ΔK method tends to identify the uppermost hierarchy of population structure. Recently, four alternative statistics (medmedk , medmeak , maxmedk and maxmeak ) were proposed, which appear to be more accurate than the previously used methods for both even and uneven sampling data. However, the lack of easy‐to‐use software limits the use of these appealing new estimators. Here, we developed a web‐based user‐friendly software structureselector to calculate the four appealing alternative statistics together with the commonly used Ln Pr(X|K) and ΔK statistics. structureselector accepts the result files of structure , admixture or faststructure as input files. It reports the “best” K for each estimator, and the results are available as HTML or tab separated tables. The program can also generate graphical representations for specific K, which can be easily downloaded from the server. The software is freely available at http://lmme.qdio.ac.cn/StructureSelector/ .     

Association of RAGE gene polymorphism with circulating AGEs level and paraoxonase activity in relation to macro-vascular complications in Indian type 2 diabetes mellitus patients

Background and aims

Sustained interaction of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) with their receptor RAGE and subsequent signaling plays an important role in the development of diabetic complications. Genetic variation of RAGE gene may be associated with the development of vascular complications in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Objectives

The present study aimed to explore the possible association of RAGE gene polymorphisms namely − 374T/A, − 429T/C and G82S with serum level of AGEs, paraoxonase (PON1) activity and macro-vascular complications (MVC) in Indian type 2 diabetes mellitus patients (T2DM).

Methods

A total of 265 diabetic patients, including DM without any complications (n = 135), DM-MVC (n = 130) and 171 healthy individuals were enrolled. Genotyping of RAGE variants were assessed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Serum AGEs were estimated by ELISA and fluorometrically. and PON1 activity was assessed spectrophotometrically.

Results

Of the three examined SNPs, association of − 429T/C polymorphism with MVC in T2DM was observed (OR = 3.001, p = 0.001) in the dominant model. Allele ‘A’ of − 374T/A polymorphism seems to confer better cardiac outcome in T2DM. Patients carrying C allele (− 429T/C) and S allele (G82S) had significantly higher AGEs levels. − 429T/C polymorphism was also found to be associated with low PON1 activity. Interaction analysis revealed that the risk of development of MVC was higher in T2DM patients carrying both a CC genotype of − 429T/C polymorphism and a higher level of AGEs (OR = 1.343, p = 0.040).

Conclusion

RAGE gene polymorphism has a significant effect on AGEs level and PON1 activity in diabetic subjects compared to healthy individuals. Diabetic patients with a CC genotype of − 429T/C are prone to develop MVC, more so if AGEs levels are high and PON1 activity is low.