Bounding fluid viscosity and translational diffusion in a fluid lipid bilayer

Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching was used to investigate the translational diffusion of a fluorescent derivative of a membrane-spanning lipid in L phase multibilayers of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoylphosphatidylcholine prepared in water and in glycerol. The translational diffusion coefficient in hydrated bilayers (D _w) ranged between 2 and 5x10^–8 cm²/s and in glycerinated bilayers (D _g) the range was between 3 and 24×10^–10 cm²/s between 10° and 40°C. These results are discussed in terms of models for diffusion in membranes.     

Life at the border: Adaptation of proteins to anisotropic membrane environment

This review discusses main features of transmembrane (TM) proteins which distinguish them from water‐soluble proteins and allow their adaptation to the anisotropic membrane environment. We overview the structural limitations on membrane protein architecture, spatial arrangement of proteins in membranes and their intrinsic hydrophobic thickness, co‐translational and post‐translational folding and insertion into lipid bilayers, topogenesis, high propensity to form oligomers, and large‐scale conformational transitions during membrane insertion and transport function. Special attention is paid to the polarity of TM protein surfaces described by profiles of dipolarity/polarizability and hydrogen‐bonding capacity parameters that match polarity of the lipid environment. Analysis of distributions of Trp resides on surfaces of TM proteins from different biological membranes indicates that interfacial membrane regions with preferential accumulation of Trp indole rings correspond to the outer part of the lipid acyl chain region—between double bonds and carbonyl groups of lipids. These “midpolar” regions are not always symmetric in proteins from natural membranes. We also examined the hydrophobic effect that drives insertion of proteins into lipid bilayer and different free energy contributions to TM protein stability, including attractive van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonds, side‐chain conformational entropy, the hydrophobic mismatch, membrane deformations, and specific protein–lipid binding.     

Vitamin A deficiency induces prooxidant environment and inflammation in rat aorta

We evaluated whether nutritional vitamin A deficiency generates oxidative stress and inflammation in aorta. Wistar male rats (21 days old) were given free access to a control (8 mg retinol as retinyl palmitate/kg) or a vitamin A- deficient diet for three months. One group of deficient animals was fed with the control diet fifteen days before sacrifice. Thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and nitrite concentration where both analyzed in serum and aorta. Aorta Copper-Zinc Superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD), Glutathion peroxidase (GPx) and Catalase (CAT) activities were measured. In addition, binding activity of the nuclear factor- kB (NF-kB), inducible and endothelial Nitric Oxide synthase (iNOS and eNOS, respectively) and Ciclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expressions were determinated in aorta. Rats fed the vitamin A- deficient diet were characterized by sub-clinical plasma retinol concentration and showed increased serum and aorta concentrations of TBARS compared to controls. Lower than control activities of CuZnSOD, GPx, and CAT were observed in aorta of the vitamin A- deficient group. The binding activity of NF- kB was higher in vitamin A- deficient animals than controls. In addition, NO production evaluated as nitrite concentration increased in aorta and serum, associated with a higher expression of iNOS, eNOS and COX-2 in aorta of vitamin A-deficient rats. The incorporation of vitamin A into the diet of vitamin A-deficient rats reverted the changes observed in TBARS level, CuZnSOD and GPx activities, nitrite concentration and also, iNOS, eNOS and COX-2 expression. Prooxidant environment and inflammation are induced by vitamin A deficiency in rat aorta.     

PCOS患者外周血白细胞计数变化的临床意义

目的:探讨多囊卵巢综合征(PCOS)患者外周血白细胞计数和血脂代谢变化的临床意义。方法:随机抽取2012年1月~2014年1月期间来院就诊未经药物治疗的PCOS患者48例作为研究对象,将体重指数(BMI)≥23的患者26例作为PCOS超重组,将BMI23的22例患者作为PCOS体重正常组,选择同期来院就诊的非PCOS妇女20例作为对照组,所有患者均于月经期空腹静脉抽血3~4m L,检测患者的血浆C反应蛋白(CRP)、血常规及血脂代谢指标。结果:PCOS超重组的甘油三酯(TG)、低密度脂蛋白(LDL-C)、载脂蛋白B(Apo-B)、外周白细胞总数、淋巴细胞、中性粒细胞、单核细胞、嗜酸性细胞、CRP指标均较对照组、PCOS体重正常组高,而高密度脂蛋白(HDL-C)、载脂蛋白A(Apo-A)水平较对照组、PCOS体重正常组低,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05);PCOS体重正常组淋巴细胞、CRP指标较对照组高,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:慢性炎症是PCOS的主要病理表现,其中体重超重的PCOS患者主要表现为血脂代谢异常及白细胞升高,而体重正常的PCOS患者主要表现为淋巴细胞升高。     

Absence of carbon transfer between Medicago truncatula plants linked by a mycorrhizal network, demonstrated in an experimental microcosm

Carbon transfer between plants via a common extraradical network of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal hyphae has been investigated abundantly, but the results remain equivocal. We studied the transfer of carbon through this fungal network, from a Medicago truncatula donor plant to a receiver (1) M. truncatula plant growing under decreased light conditions and (2) M. truncatula seedling. Autotrophic plants were grown in bicompartmented Petri plates, with their root systems physically separated, but linked by the extraradical network of Glomus intraradices. A control Myc-/Nod- M. truncatula plant was inserted in the same compartment as the receiver plant. Following labeling of the donor plant with 13CO2, 13C was recovered in the donor plant shoots and roots, in the extraradical mycelium and in the receiver plant roots. Fatty acid analysis of the receiver's roots further demonstrated 13C enrichment in the fungal-specific lipids, while almost no label was detected in the plant-specific compounds. We conclude that carbon was transferred from the donor to the receiver plant via the AM fungal network, but that the transferred carbon remained within the intraradical AM fungal structures of the receiver's root and was not transferred to the receiver's plant tissues.     

Extraction of lipids from mammalian liver using nontoxic solvents

A simple method for extracting and purifying lipids from rat liver in a single step using nontoxic solvents is described. The method consists of homogenizing the puliverized tissue with a mixture of tricholotrifluoroethane (Cl₂CF-CClF₂) and isopropyl alcohol ($\text{1 : 1,}\text{v}\text{v}$). Just enough water is added to the lipid extract to produce a biphasic system. Pure lipid extract is obtained by isolating the lower layer from the aqueous upper phase which contains the non-lipid materials. The described method compares favourably with that of Folch et al., both quantitatively and qualitatively. The solvent system used also has the advantage of being less toxic than the widely used chloroform/methanol system, which makes it safer for prolonged use. The new method is simple, efficient and reproducible.     

大丽轮枝菌甘油-3-磷酸脱氢酶的功能分析

大丽轮枝菌可侵染棉花、马铃薯、番茄等660余种寄主植物,引致黄萎病,造成严重的经济损失。为了深入了解大丽轮枝菌的致病机制,本研究在前期棉花提取物诱导大丽轮枝菌转录组分析的基础上,选择上调差异表达的线粒体甘油-3-磷酸脱氢酶基因VdGut2(VD592＿6958＿Chr4)和非差异表达的胞质甘油-3-磷酸脱氢酶基因VdGpd(VD592＿10256＿Chr2),进行了功能分析。结果表明,两个VdGut2敲除突变体菌株的产孢量较野生型菌株分别下降了32%和41%,病情指数分别下降了70%和51%,菌落生长速率也显著下降;VdGpd过表达菌株产孢量和病情指数较野生型菌株显著下降,但在甘油为唯一碳源的培养基上其菌落生长速率显著上升。因此,VdGut2促进了大丽轮枝菌分生孢子的形成、碳源的利用以及对寄主植物的致病过程,VdGpd抑制了大丽轮枝菌分生孢子的形成和对寄主植物的致病力,却促进了甘油的代谢。     

Resource utilization of wood decomposers: mycelium nuclear phases and host tree species affect wood decomposition by Dacrymycetes

Throughout evolution, wood-decaying fungi have adapted to different woody plants, resulting in wide species diversity. Dacrymycetes, which are brown-rot fungi and include host-recurrent species, are useful for studying fungal adaptation to host trees. When estimating the decay abilities of basidiomycetes, the nuclear phases of the mycelium should be considered, since dikaryons are thought to be more efficient wood-decayers than monokaryons; however, the difference in their physiological performances remains largely untested. In this study, we verified the decay capabilities of dikaryotic and monokaryotic mycelia and tested the hypothesis that the host tree-recurrence of wood-decaying fungi results from their resource utilization in each host wood. The mass loss caused by eight dacrymycetous species from wood of four tree species was investigated in pure cultures. The decomposition ability of dikaryons was greater than that of monokaryons in these experiments. Dikaryotization is expected to raise certain physiological parameters, such as the quantity and variety of wood-decomposing enzymes, thus enhancing the decomposition rate of wood decomposers. The high decomposition ability of dikaryons suggests their superiority over monokaryons to survive under natural conditions. All dacrymycetous strains caused high mass loss from Pinus wood, the main host tree of Dacrymycetes. However, most of the individual tested strains did not cause the greatest mass loss from the wood of their original host group. This result suggested that host-recurrence can be partly explained by resource utilization, but it is likely that other micro-organisms and abiotic factors also affect host-recurrence in the field environment.