CFH, VEGF, and PEDF genotypes and the response to intravitreous injection of bevacizumab for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration

We determined whether there is an association between complement factor H (CFH), high-temperature requirement A-1 (HTRA1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) genotypes and the response to treatment with a single intravitreous injection of bevacizumab for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Eighty-three patients with exudative AMD treated by bevacizumab injection were genotyped for three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; rs800292, rs1061170, rs1410996) in the CFH gene, a rs11200638-SNP in the HTRA1 gene, three SNPs (rs699947, rs1570360, rs2010963) in the VEGF gene, and four SNPs (rs12150053, rs12948385, rs9913583, rs1136287) in the PEDF gene using a TaqMan assay. The CT genotype (heterozygous) of CFH-rs1061170 was more frequently represented in nonresponders in vision than TT genotypes (nonrisk allele homozygous) at the time points of 1 and 3 months, while there was no CC genotype (risk allele homozygous) in our study cohort (p = 7.66 × 10⁻³, 7.83 × 10⁻³, respectively). VEGF-rs699947 was also associated with vision changes at 1 month and PEDF-rs1136287 at 3 months (p = 5.11 × 10⁻³, 2.05 × 10⁻², respectively). These variants may be utilized for genetic biomarkers to estimate visual outcomes in the response to intravitreal bevacizumab treatment for AMD.     

中国淡水水体常见束丝藻种类的形态及生理特性研究

束丝藻(Aphanizomenon Morr. ex Born. et Flah)是我国水华蓝藻的重要种类, 由其产生的束丝藻水华已经引起了许多的环境问题。水华束丝藻、柔细束丝藻和依沙束丝藻是我国淡水水体常见的三种束丝藻种类,然而, 国内外对它们的生理学研究却相对较少。基此, 文章对水华束丝藻、柔细束丝藻和依沙束丝藻的形态特性、色素含量、生长及光合作用进行了比较研究, 结果表明丝状体的营养细胞、异形胞和厚壁孢子的长宽比具有一定的差异性, 揭示了厚壁孢子的长宽比可作为三种束丝藻分类的一个参数; 同时, 种间的差异性也体现在三种束丝藻的生理特性上, 相比水华束丝藻和依沙束丝藻, 柔细束丝藻的藻蓝素含量较高, 而叶绿素a、类胡萝卜素含量、最大光合作用(Pm)、表观光合作用效率(α)和最大电子传递速率(ETRmax)显著偏低。此外, 水华束丝藻和依沙束丝藻生理特性基本一致, 表明了形态不同的三种束丝藻在生理上可被分为两种类型, 暗示了依沙束丝藻可能具有像水华束丝藻一样形成水华的生理潜能且由于它的产毒性所以应该倍加关注       

γ-Secretase and presenilin mediate cleavage and phosphorylation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1

We have reported previously that pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) can, via γ-secretase-mediated events, inhibit VEGF-induced angiogenesis in microvascular endothelial cells by both (a) cleavage and intracellular translocation of a C-terminal fragment of VEGF receptor-1 (VEGFR1) and (b) inhibition of VEGF-induced phosphorylation of VEGFR1. Using site-direct mutagenesis and transfection of wild type and mutated receptors into endothelial cells, we showed that transmembrane cleavage of VEGFR1 occurs at valine 767 and that a switch from valine to alanine at this position prevented cleavage and formation of a VEGFR1 intracellular fragment. Using siRNA to selectively knock down protein-tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) in endothelial cells, we demonstrated that vascular endothelial PTP is responsible for dephosphorylation of activated VEGFR1. PEDF up-regulation of full-length presenilin 1 (Fl.PS1) facilitated the association of vascular endothelial PTP and VEGFR1. Knockdown of Fl.PS1 prevented dephosphorylation of VEGFR1, whereas up-regulation of Fl.PS1 stimulated VEGFR1 dephosphorylation. Fl.PS1 associated with VEGFR1 within 15 min after PEDF treatment. In conclusion, we determined the PEDF-mediated events responsible for VEGFR1 signaling and identified full-length presenilin as a critical adaptor molecule in the dephosphorylation of VEGFR1. This greater understanding of the regulation of VEGFR1 signaling will help identify novel anti-VEGF therapeutic strategies.     

胚胎干细胞衍生的视网膜色素上皮细胞移植治疗眼病

Schwartz等报告的用从人胚胎干细胞分化成的视网膜色素上皮细胞（RPE）移植治疗视网膜病,已观察4月,尚属成功。这是首次用从人胚胎干细胞（hESC）定向分化而成的细胞移植至患者取得成功。本文复习RPE移植的历史与现况;hESC分化而成的RPE（hESC-RPE）的实验研究以及临床移植的意义、方法、效果及存在问题,并展望了应用干细胞分化的RPE移植的前景。     

锦鲤总色素及色素组分的比较研究

用光谱和色谱两种方法对锦鲤的总色素和色素组分进行了研究。研究结果表明,红色锦鲤、乌鲤和绯写锦鲤总色素光谱在可见光区(448nm和470nm)有两个完全相同的吸收峰,黄写锦鲤和昭和三色锦鲤总色素光谱在可见光区(445nm和472nm附近)有两个相近的吸收峰,锦鲤所含色素组分均以杏黄色或橙色为主,其他色素组分为辅。锦鲤黑色色斑是由于黑色素存在时,其他各色素组分的颜色被黑色所掩盖;锦鲤其他色斑的形成则是由于其体内各色素组分以不同比例相互搭配组合的结果。亲缘关系越近的锦鲤其总色素组分就越相似,红色锦鲤和乌鲤均含有六种相同的色素组分,绯写锦鲤除杏黄色和橙色色素组分与前二者的同色色素组分Rf值不同外,其余四种同色色素组分的Rf值均相近;黄写锦鲤与昭和三色锦鲤分别含有三种和四种色素组分且Rf值差异显著。据此推测,红色锦鲤、乌鲤和绯写锦鲤可能具有较近的亲缘关系,而黄写锦鲤、昭和三色锦鲤与前三者之间可能具有较远的亲缘关系。该研究有望为锦鲤增色饵料的研制与开发提供理论依据,使锦鲤的观赏价值和经济价值得到进一步提高。       

太湖梅梁湾水华蓝藻复苏过程的研究

采用在底泥表面设置藻类细胞捕捉器的方法,测定其中的色素含量变化,并与水柱和底泥中的色素含量变化相比较.结果表明,藻类复苏与底泥环境中的温度、光照、溶解氧、氧化还原电位均有密切关系,叶绿素a、b和藻蓝素所表征的总藻类、绿藻以及蓝藻的上浮率分别为59.84%、76.83%和466.98%,3种藻的上浮量分别占相应浮游藻类最大生物量的7.18%、3.71%和9.33%.蓝藻复苏对太湖水华的形成具有很重要的意义.     

中国悬钩子属植物的利用价值概述

主要报道中国悬钩子属植物作为果树种质资源和药用植物的利用价值及果实色素和香味成分的利用潜力。经过十余年的调查１引种栽培和观测评价,发现一些种类可以作为野生小果类果树直接利用,其中２３种４变种是悬钩子类果树选育种的优良种质。据文献记载和民间调查发现。４５种４变种悬钩子植物可以作为中草药治疗多种疾病。对灰白毛莓、高梁泡、蓬、掌叶复盆子和黑莓果实色素的研究结果表明：悬钩子果实色素以醇提法为佳,水提法效果     

Algal and bacterial pigments in non-laminated lacustrine sediment: Studies of their sedimentation, degradation and stratigraphy

Abstract Natural phyto- and bacterioplankton populations of Lake Vechten (the Netherlands) were subjected to darkness under oxic and anoxic conditions at in situ temperatures in order to test the stability in time of their photosynthetic pigments. Furthermore, sedimentary fluxes and concentrations of pigments were estimated in (respectively) sediment trap catches and at the sediment-water interphase in order to measure the pigment breakdown upon burial into the sediment. The chlorophylls and most of the xanthophylls showed substantial losses of 20% to 60% in the incubation experiments as well as in the surficial sediment. β-Carotene, okenone and echinenone were most stable (2–10% losses); fucoxanthin and peridinin were degraded extensively; alloxanthin and zeaxanthin held an intermediate position as did the bacteriochlorophylls. Trends in sediment profiles of pigments were compared with limnological data obtained during the enhanced eutrophication of the lake. Evidence was provided that the β-carotene profile closely followed the increase of phytoplankton biomass. Although susceptible to substantial degradation, several profiles of pigments and of pigment ratios could be related in a qualitative way to biomass and to shifts in species composition which occurred as a result of the changing ecological conditions in the lake.     

Mechanism of the light-state transition in photosynthesis: V. 77 K linear dichroism of Anacystis nidulans in State 1 and State 2

Linear-dichroism spectra of Anacystis nidulans at 77 K were determined for whole cells chemically fixed in light State 1 and light State 2. Whole cells were oriented by the squeezed gel technique using 5% gelatin 2.2 M sucrose gels. Peaks with positive dichroism were observed at 638 nm and 688 nm with shoulders at approx. 650 nm and 700 nm. The amplitude of the 650 nm shoulder was greater for cells in State 2 than those in State 1, and the State-2-minus-State 1 difference spectrum had a single peak at 656 nm. The linear dichroism spectrum of phycobilisomes isolated from A. nidulans showed peaks at 635 nm (phycocyanin) and 656 nm (allophycocyanin). The spectrum for thylakoid membranes free of phycobilisomes had one peak at 685 nm with a shoulder at 698 nm. We suggest that the change in dichroism at 656 nm between cells in State 1 and State 2 results from a change in orientation of the allophycocyanin core of the phycobilisome. This result is discussed in the context of our model for the light-state transition in phycobilisome-containing organisms.