Brain tumors: Cancer stem-like cells interact with tumor microenvironment

Cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) with potential of self-renewal drive tumorigenesis. Brain tumor microenvironment (TME) has been identified as a critical regulator of malignancy progression. Many researchers are searching new ways to characterize tumors with the goal of predicting how they respond to treatment. Here, we describe the striking parallels between normal stem cells and CSCs. We review the microenvironmental aspects of brain tumors, in particular composition and vital roles of immune cells infiltrating glioma and medulloblastoma. By highlighting that CSCs cooperate with TME via various cellular communication approaches, we discuss the recent advances in therapeutic strategies targeting the components of TME. Identification of the complex and interconnected factors can facilitate the development of promising treatments for these deadly malignancies.     

Foliar Application of Phosphorus Enhances Photosynthesis and Biochemical Characteristics of Maize under Drought Stress

Water is essential for the growth period of crops; however, water unavailability badly affects the growth and physiological attributes of crops, which considerably reduced the yield and yield components in crops. Therefore, a pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of foliar phosphorus (P) on morphological, gas exchange, biochemical traits, and phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) of maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids grown under normal as well as water deficit situations at the Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan in 2014. Two different treatments (control and P @ 8 kg ha⁻¹ ) and four hybrids (Hycorn, 31P41, 65625, and 32B33) of maize were tested by using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Results showed that the water stress caused a remarkable decline in total soluble protein (9.7%), photosynthetic rate (9.4%) and transpiration rate (13.4%), stomatal conductance (10.2%), and internal CO₂ rate (20.4%) comparative to well-watered control. An increase of 37.1%, 36.8%, and 24.5% were recorded for proline, total soluble sugar, and total free amino acid, respectively. However, foliar P application minimized the negative impact of drought by improving plant growth, physio-biochemical attributes, and PUE in maize plants under water stress conditions. Among the hybrids tested, the hybrid 6525 performed better both under stress and non-stress conditions. These outcomes confirmed that the exogenous application of P improved drought stress tolerance by modulating growth, physio-biochemical attributes, and PUE of maize hybrids.     

翻压山黧豆绿肥与氮肥减施对水稻生长及其养分吸收与产量的影响

为探明种植翻压山黧豆绿肥与减施氮肥下的水稻生产潜力,通过3年田间定位试验,设置冬闲+不施肥(NF)、山黧豆绿肥(GM)、冬闲+常规氮肥(100%N,CK)、山黧豆绿肥+80%常规氮肥(GM+80%N)、山黧豆绿肥+70%常规氮肥(GM+70%N)、山黧豆绿肥+60%常规氮肥(GM+60%N)6个处理,研究不同处理对水稻生长、养分吸收及产量的影响。结果表明：(1)与CK相比,翻压山黧豆绿肥并减施氮肥处理均能够显著提升水稻株高、增加水稻分蘖数、提高水稻干物质积累量,其中以GM+70%N施肥处理提升效果最为明显。(2)GM+70%N施肥处理下,不同生育时期水稻株高、有效分蘖数分别较对照常规施肥(100%N)提升了13.32%~ 15.73%和33.98%~59.47%,水稻干物质积累量提高了23.19%~144.18%,且随着生育时期的推进增加速率依次降低。(3)种植翻压山黧豆绿肥并减施氮肥处理下水稻产量均有所提高,其中GM+70%N和GM+80%N处理显著提高,增产分别达13.84%,7.25%,且GM+70%N处理下水稻植株和籽粒养分吸收更为全面。研究发现,种植翻压山黧豆并适量减施氮肥能有效促进水稻生长和养分的吸收积累,显著提高水稻产量,说明翻压山黧豆绿肥可替代稻田30%~40%的氮肥施入量,并可在避免水稻旺长的同时实现水稻高产,是四川水稻种植较好的耕作措施。     

限水减氮对关中平原冬小麦氮素利用和氮素表观平衡的影响

研究限水减氮对冬小麦产量、氮素利用率和氮素表观平衡的影响,探讨限水减氮管理模式在关中平原冬小麦生产中的可行性,可为实现关中平原灌区冬小麦生产的稳产高效和环境友好发展提供科学依据。本研究于2017—2018和2018—2019年连续2年在陕西杨凌地区进行小麦田间裂区试验,灌水量为主处理,设置两个灌溉水平,1200 m³·hm^-2(常规灌溉,在越冬期和拔节期灌溉, W₂)和600 m³·hm^-2(限水灌溉,仅在越冬期灌溉, W₁);施氮量为副处理,设置4个施氮水平,300 kg·hm^-2(关中地区常规施氮量,N₃₀₀)、225 kg·hm^-2(减量施氮25%,N₂₂₅)、150 kg·hm^-2(减量施氮50%,N₁₅₀)和0 kg·hm^-2(不施氮,N₀),分析冬小麦产量、氮素利用效率、收获后土壤硝态氮积累量和氮素表观平衡。结果表明: 限水减氮能显著增加冬小麦植株和籽粒氮素含量,提升产量和氮素携出量,提高氮素利用效率、氮素收获指数、氮肥表观利用率和氮肥农学效率,减少硝态氮的淋失,降低氮素盈余量,维持氮素平衡。2017—2019年在W₁N₁₅₀处理基础上增加了灌溉量和施氮量,冬小麦产量和氮素携出量不会显著增加。2017—2018年和2018—2019年,与W₂N₃₀₀相比,W₁N₁₅₀同时期植株氮素含量分别提高0.1%～25.5%和14.0%～31.6%,籽粒氮素含量分别提高0.1%和4.6%。氮素利用效率、氮素收获指数、氮肥表观利用率和氮肥农学效率平均提高95.3%、4.2%、81.7%和33.0%,氮素盈余量分别减少97.2%和95.1%,有效减少了土壤硝态氮的淋失。综合各项指标,越冬期灌溉600 m³·hm^-2配合施氮量150 kg·hm^-2的限水减氮组合能够保证关中平原冬小麦高产、高效和环境友好发展。     

场效应晶体管生物传感器在生物医学检测中的应用研究进展*

场效应晶体管生物传感器因其灵敏度高、分析速度快、无标记、体积小、操作简单等特点而受到了很多关注,广泛应用于DNA、蛋白质、细胞、离子等生物识别物的检测。近年来,更有纳米材料和微电子技术在传感器设计中提高传感器的传感性能,场效应晶体管生物传感器朝着高灵敏、微型化、快速化以及多功能化的方向以令人惊叹的速度发展。研究场效应晶体管生物传感器工作原理,阐述近年来场效应晶体管生物传感器在生物医学检测领域中最新的研究进展与应用,探讨场效应晶体管生物传感器克服各种缺陷的应对策略,为该传感器在未来生物医学检测中的开发提供参考。     

承气活血通腑汤联合穴位贴敷治疗粘连性肠梗阻的疗效及对胃肠功能和血清炎性因子的影响

目的:探讨承气活血通腑汤联合穴位贴敷治疗粘连性肠梗阻的疗效及对胃肠功能和血清炎性因子的影响。方法:选取2018年2月到2020年7月期间于我院接受诊治的粘连性肠梗阻患者60例。分组方法采用随机数字表法,将入选患者分为对照组(n=30,常规治疗)、研究组(n=30,对照组的基础上给予承气活血通腑汤联合穴位贴敷治疗),对比两组疗效、胃肠功能、炎性因子、住院时间、住院费用、临床症状评分。结果:研究组的临床总有效率较对照组高(P<0.05)。两组治疗12d后血清降钙素原(PCT)、C反应蛋白(CRP)水平较治疗前降低,且研究组较对照组低(P<0.05)。两组治疗12d后腹部胀痛、排便排气、恶心呕吐、口苦口干评分较治疗前降低,且研究组较对照组低(P<0.05)。研究组胃管拔除时间、恢复正常饮食时间均短于对照组(P<0.05)。研究组住院时间短于对照组,住院费用少于对照组(P<0.05)。结论:承气活血通腑汤联合穴位贴敷治疗粘连性肠梗阻的疗效确切,可改善患者临床症状和胃肠功能,促进患者早日恢复,减少住院费用,降低机体炎性因子水平。     

Cloning,purification and biochemical characterisation of an organic solvent-, detergent-, and thermo-stable amylopullulanase from Thermococcus kodakarensis KOD1

Thermostable amylopullulanases can catalyse the hydrolysis of both α-1,4 and α-1,6 glucosidic bonds and are of considerable interest in the starch saccharification industry. In this study, the gene Apu-Tk encoding an extracellular amylopullulanase was cloned from an extremely thermophilic anaerobic archaeon Thermococcus kodakarensis KOD1. Apu-Tk encodes an 1100-amino acid protein with a 27-residue signal peptide, which has a predicted mass of 125 kDa after signal peptide cleavage. Sequence alignments showed that Apu-Tk contains the five regions conserved in all GH57 family proteins. Full-length Apu-Tk was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity. The purified enzyme displayed both pullulanase and amylase activity. The optimal temperature for Apu-Tk to hydrolyse pullulan and soluble starch was >100 °C. Apu-Tk was also active at a broad range of pH (4–7), with an optimum pH of ~5.0–5.5. Apu-Tk also retained >30% of its original activity and partially folded globular structure in the presence of 8% SDS or 10% β-mercaptoethanol. The high yield, broad pH range, and stability of Apu-Tk implicate it as a potential enzyme for industrial applications.     

Measuring Cation Transport by Na,K- and H,K-ATPase in Xenopus Oocytes by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry: An Alternative to Radioisotope Assays

Whereas cation transport by the electrogenic membrane transporter Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase can be measured by electrophysiology, the electroneutrally operating gastric H⁺,K⁺-ATPase is more difficult to investigate. Many transport assays utilize radioisotopes to achieve a sufficient signal-to-noise ratio, however, the necessary security measures impose severe restrictions regarding human exposure or assay design. Furthermore, ion transport across cell membranes is critically influenced by the membrane potential, which is not straightforwardly controlled in cell culture or in proteoliposome preparations. Here, we make use of the outstanding sensitivity of atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) towards trace amounts of chemical elements to measure Rb⁺ or Li⁺ transport by Na⁺,K⁺- or gastric H⁺,K⁺-ATPase in single cells. Using Xenopus oocytes as expression system, we determine the amount of Rb⁺ (Li⁺) transported into the cells by measuring samples of single-oocyte homogenates in an AAS device equipped with a transversely heated graphite atomizer (THGA) furnace, which is loaded from an autosampler. Since the background of unspecific Rb⁺ uptake into control oocytes or during application of ATPase-specific inhibitors is very small, it is possible to implement complex kinetic assay schemes involving a large number of experimental conditions simultaneously, or to compare the transport capacity and kinetics of site-specifically mutated transporters with high precision. Furthermore, since cation uptake is determined on single cells, the flux experiments can be carried out in combination with two-electrode voltage-clamping (TEVC) to achieve accurate control of the membrane potential and current. This allowed e.g. to quantitatively determine the 3Na⁺/2K⁺ transport stoichiometry of the Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase and enabled for the first time to investigate the voltage dependence of cation transport by the electroneutrally operating gastric H⁺,K⁺-ATPase. In principle, the assay is not limited to K⁺-transporting membrane proteins, but it may work equally well to address the activity of heavy or transition metal transporters, or uptake of chemical elements by endocytotic processes.