RELMα可通过抑制PTEN信号通路来促进气道重塑并增加炎症反应

本研究旨在考察抵抗素样分子-α(resistin-like molecule-α,RELMα)在哮喘小鼠模型和小鼠肺上皮细胞中的表达及对气道重塑和炎症反应的影响。本研究通过卵清蛋白(ovalbumin,OVA)诱导小鼠哮喘模型,并评估了小鼠肺组织中RELMα、collagen I和fibronectin-1的表达。为了研究RELMα对PTEN信号通路的调控作用,本研究利用shRNA-RELMα、pcDNA3.0-RELMα和pcDNA3.0-PTEN转染小鼠肺上皮细胞系TC-1来上调或下调RELMα及PTEN的表达。通过Western blotting检测了TC-1细胞中RELMα、collagenⅠ、fibronectin-1、PTEN、TNF-α、IL-1β和IL-6的表达。研究发现,与对照小鼠相比,OVA致敏的哮喘小鼠的肺组织中RELMα、collagen I和fibronectin-1的表达显著升高。上调RELMα可显著升高collagenⅠ、fibronectin-1、TNF-α、IL-1β和IL-6的表达并抑制PTEN信号通路的活化。上调PTEN则可抑制collagenⅠ、fibronectin-1、TNF-α、IL-1β和IL-6的表达。本研究表明,RELMα在哮喘发病过程中高表达,上调RELMα可抑制PTEN信号通路来促进气道重塑并增加炎症反应。     

Scavenger Receptor Cysteine-Rich domains of Lysyl Oxidase-Like2 regulate endothelial ECM and angiogenesis through non-catalytic scaffolding mechanisms

Lysyl oxidases are major actors of microenvironment and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling. These cross-linking enzymes are thus involved in many aspects of physiopathology, including tumor progression, fibrosis and cardiovascular diseases. We have already shown that Lysyl Oxidase-Like 2 (LOXL2) regulates collagen IV deposition by endothelial cells and angiogenesis. We here provide evidence that LOXL2 also affects deposition of other ECM components, including fibronectin, thus altering structural and mechanical properties of the matrix generated by endothelial cells. LOXL2 interacts intracellularly and directly with collagen IV and fibronectin before incorporation into ECM fibrillar structures upon exocytosis, as demonstrated by TIRF time-lapse microscopy. Furthermore, surface plasmon resonance experiments using recombinant scavenger receptor cysteine-rich (SRCR) domains truncated for the catalytic domain demonstrated their direct binding to collagen IV. We thus used directed mutagenesis to investigate the role of LOXL2 catalytic domain. Neither enzyme activity nor catalytic domain were necessary for collagen IV deposition and angiogenesis, whereas the SRCR domains were effective for these processes. Finally, surface coating with recombinant SRCR domains restored deposition of collagen IV by LOXL2-depleted cells. We thus propose that LOXL2 SRCR domains orchestrate scaffolding of the vascular basement membrane and angiogenesis through interactions with collagen IV and fibronectin, independently of the enzymatic cross-linking activity.     

Two combinatorial patterns of telomere histone marks in plants with canonical and non‐canonical telomere repeats

Telomeres, nucleoprotein structures at the ends of linear eukaryotic chromosomes, are crucial for the maintenance of genome integrity. In most plants, telomeres consist of conserved tandem repeat units comprising the TTTAGGG motif. Recently, non‐canonical telomeres were described in several plants and plant taxons, including the carnivorous plant Genlisea hispidula (TTCAGG/TTTCAGG), the genus Cestrum (Solanaceae; TTTTTTAGGG), and plants from the Asparagales order with either a vertebrate‐type telomere repeat TTAGGG or Allium genus‐specific CTCGGTTATGGG repeat. We analyzed epigenetic modifications of telomeric histones in plants with canonical and non‐canonical telomeres, and further in telomeric chromatin captured from leaves of Nicotiana benthamiana transiently transformed by telomere CRISPR‐dCas9‐eGFP, and of Arabidopsis thaliana stably transformed with TALE_telo C‐3×GFP. Two combinatorial patterns of telomeric histone modifications were identified: (i) an Arabidopsis‐like pattern (A. thaliana, G. hispidula, Genlisea nigrocaulis, Allium cepa, Narcissus pseudonarcissus, Petunia hybrida, Solanum tuberosum, Solanum lycopersicum) with telomeric histones decorated predominantly by H3K9me2; (ii) a tobacco‐like pattern (Nicotiana tabacum, N. benthamiana, C. elegans) with a strong H3K27me3 signal. Our data suggest that epigenetic modifications of plant telomere‐associated histones are related neither to the sequence of the telomere motif nor to the lengths of the telomeres. Nor the phylogenetic position of the species plays the role; representatives of the Solanaceae family are included in both groups. As both patterns of histone marks are compatible with fully functional telomeres in respective plants, we conclude that the described specific differences in histone marks are not critical for telomere functions.     

CC类趋化因子亚家族与心肌梗死的研究进展

CC类趋化因子亚家族是趋化因子家族中成员最多、研究最广泛的一大类细胞因子,其主要功能参与炎症细胞激活、迁移、粘附等病理生理过程。大量研究表明,CC类趋化因子亚家族成员参与了心肌梗死后病理过程的各个阶段。其中研究最为深入的为单核细胞趋化蛋白-1（monocyte chemoattractant protein-1,MCP-1）及其受体CC趋化因子受体2（CC chemokine receptor 2,CCR2）,在心肌梗死后炎症期、增殖期及疤痕愈合期都发挥了重要作用从而影响梗死后心室重构。近年来,CC类趋化因子亚家族其他成员亦被逐渐揭示参与了心肌梗死的发展。本文结合以往大量文献将对CC类趋化因子亚家族在心肌梗死各个阶段中尤其是梗死后各期对于心室重构的影响进行综述,以期为今后的实验研究提供方向及疾病的预防和治疗提供药物靶点。     

染色质调节元件与不同启动子的相互作用对基因表达调控的影响

为探究DNA序列元件对不同启动子调节转基因稳定表达的影响,利用遍在染色质开放元件 (Ubiquitous chromatin opening elements,UCOE) 和基质黏附序列 (Scaffold/matrix-attachment regions,MAR) 分别与含增强子的oct4基因启动子、含CpG岛的sox2基因启动子和不含调控元件的nanog基因启动子以及同时包含增强子和CpG岛的CMV启动子组合构建pOCT4-MAR、pOCT4-UCOE、pSOX2-MAR、pSOX2-UCOE、pNANOG-MAR、pNANOG-UCOE、pCMV-UCOE、pCMV-MAR等质粒,分析这些质粒稳定转染后的表达量和嵌合表达差异。结果发现,UCOE与含增强子元件的oct4启动子组合能较稳定高效表达,而MAR与含CpG岛的sox2启动子组合能较稳定高效表达。利用排除位置效应原因的嵌合表达对染色质高级结构调控基因表达的稳定性分析表明：(1) 通常情况下UCOE比MAR调节的表达载体的表达更高效和更稳定;UCOE连接含CpG岛的启动子形成开放染色质调节的高表达更稳定;(2) MAR与启动子上TATA盒或增强子可能通过染色质环产生高表达,但相对不稳定。结论：染色质调节元件UCOE和MAR与启动子调控元件之间能通过染色质开放状态或染色质环调控基因稳定表达。     

The Elusive Structure of Centro-Chromatin: Molecular Order or Dynamic Heterogenetity?

The centromere is an essential chromatin domain required for kinetochore recruitment and chromosome segregation in eukaryotes. To perform this role, centro-chromatin adopts a unique structure that provides access to kinetochore proteins and maintains stability under tension during mitosis. This is achieved by the presence of nucleosomes containing the H3 variant CENP-A, which also acts as the epigenetic mark defining the centromere. In this review, we discuss the role of CENP-A on the structure and dynamics of centromeric chromatin. We further discuss the impact of the CENP-A binding proteins CENP-C, CENP-N, and CENP-B on modulating centro-chromatin structure. Based on these findings we provide an overview of the higher order structure of the centromere.     

酿酒酵母酚类抑制物耐受性脂质组学研究

通过脂质组学分析方法从细胞膜磷脂分布方面探究适应进化酿酒酵母酚酸耐受性机制。主要利用高效液相色谱-质谱(LC-MS)对酚酸胁迫下适应进化菌株和原始菌株脂质成分检测并进行统计学比较分析。检测出565种脂质代谢物,包含细胞膜磷脂185种。相比初始菌株,适应进化菌株细胞膜中磷脂酰胆碱(PC)、磷脂酰乙醇胺(PE)和磷脂酰肌醇(PI)类磷脂分子相对含量增加,含有长链(C32-C36)和双不饱和脂酰链的磷脂分子含量增加。统计学分析表明显著性差异磷脂分子主要为含有长链不饱和脂酰链的PC和PE类磷脂分子。推测适应进化菌株通过膜磷脂重塑提高细胞膜完整性,对酚类抑制物起到选择性屏障作用,从而保持细胞活性。     

复方丹参滴丸联合沙库巴曲缬沙坦对老年心肌梗死患者PCI术后炎性反应、心室重塑和心肌灌注的影响

摘要 目的：探讨复方丹参滴丸联合沙库巴曲缬沙坦对老年心肌梗死患者经皮冠状动脉介入术（percutaneous coronary intervention,PCI）术后炎性反应、心室重塑和心肌灌注的影响。方法：采用随机数字表法将本院2017年3月至2020年2月间收治的行PCI治疗的68例老年心肌梗死为研究对象,分为对照组（34例）和观察组（34例）。两组均行常规药物治疗,在此基础上予以对照组沙库巴曲缬沙坦治疗,予以观察组复方丹参滴丸联合沙库巴曲缬沙坦治疗。比较两组治疗前后血浆中超敏C反应蛋白（high-sensitivity creactive protein,hs-CRP)、肿瘤坏死因子-α（Tumor necrosis factor-α,TNF-α）、白细胞介素-8（interleukin-8,IL-8）、N末端脑钠肽前体（N-terminal-pro-brain-natriuretic-peptide,NT-proBNP）、左室舒张末期前后径（left ventricular end-diastolic diamete,LVEDD）、左室射血分数（left ventricular ejection fraction,LVEF）、左室质量指数（left ventricular mass index,LVMI）以及治疗后TIMI血流分级。结果：两组血浆hs-CRP、TNF-α、IL-8和NT-proBNP水平以及LVEDD和LVMI水平较治疗前明显降低,LVEF水平明显增加（P<0.05）。观察组治疗后血浆hs-CRP、TNF-α、IL-8和NT-proBNP水平以及LVEDD和LVMI水平明显低于对照组,LVEF水平明显高于对照组（P<0.05）。两组术后20 minTIMI血流分级均明显好转,观察组术后20 min时TIMI血流分级明显优于对照组（P<0.05）。两组不良反应总发生率比较无明显差异（P>0.05）。结论：复方丹参滴丸联合沙库巴曲缬沙坦能够明显降低老年心肌梗死患者PCI术后炎性反应,抑制心室重塑,改善心肌灌注,安全性较高。