Is CD36 gene polymorphism in region encoding lipid-binding domain associated with early onset CAD?

CD36 is a fatty acid translocase in striated muscle cells and cardiomyocytes. Some study suggested that alterations in CD36 gene may be associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) risk. The aim of the current study was to compare the frequency of CD36 variants in region encoding lipid-binding domain in Caucasian patients with early-onset CAD, no-CAD adult controls and neonates. The study group comprised 100 patients with early onset CAD. The genetic control groups were 306 infants and 40 no-CAD adults aged over 70 years. Exons 4, 5 and 6 including fragments of flanking introns were studied using the denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography technique and direct sequencing. Changes detected in analyzed fragment of CD36: IVS3-6 T/C (rs3173798), IVS4-10 G/A (rs3211892), C311T (Thr104Ile, not described so far) in exon 5, G550A (Asp184Asn, rs138897347), C572T (Pro191Leu, rs143150225), G573A (Pro191Pro, rs5956) and A591T (Thr197Thr, rs141680676) in exon 6. No significant differences in the CD36 genotype, allele and haplotype frequencies were found between the three groups. Only borderline differences (p = 0.066) were found between early onset CAD patients and newborns in the frequencies of 591T allele (2.00% vs 0.50%) and CGCGCGT haplotype (2.00% vs 0.50%) with both IVS3-6C and 591T variant alleles. In conclusion, CD36 variants: rs3173798, rs3211892, rs138897347, rs5956, rs143150225 rs141680676 and C311T do not seem to be involved in the risk of early-onset CAD in Caucasian population.     

Globins Synthesize the Second Messenger Bis-(3′-5′)-Cyclic Diguanosine Monophosphate in Bacteria

Globin-coupled sensors are heme-binding signal transducers in Bacteria and Archaea in which an N-terminal globin controls the activity of a variable C-terminal domain. Here, we report that BpeGReg, a globin-coupled diguanylate cyclase from the whooping cough pathogen Bordetella pertussis, synthesizes the second messenger bis-(3′-5′)-cyclic diguanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) upon oxygen binding. Expression of BpeGReg in Salmonella typhimurium enhances biofilm formation, while knockout of the BpeGReg gene of B. pertussis results in decreased biofilm formation. These results represent the first identification a signal ligand for any diguanylate cyclase and provide definitive experimental evidence that a globin-coupled sensor regulates c-di-GMP synthesis and biofilm formation. We propose that the synthesis of c-di-GMP by globin sensors is a widespread phenomenon in bacteria.     

Glycated albumin and diabetes mellitus

Background

Diabetes is a growing worldwide problem that is strongly associated with atherosclerosis. Screening and intervention for diabetes in the earliest stages are advocated for the prevention of diabetic complications and cardiovascular disease.

Scope of review

This review gives a background of and discusses the potential clinical utility of glycated albumin (GA) in diabetes.

Major conclusions

GA is a ketoamine formed via a non-enzymatic glycation reaction of serum albumin and it reflects mean glycemia over two to three weeks. GA can be used for patients with anemia or hemoglobinopathies for whom the clinically measured hemoglobin A1c level may be inaccurate. Because both serum and plasma samples can be used, GA can be analyzed from the same samples as common biological markers. GA is a useful marker for the screening of diabetes in a medical evaluation. It can be also used to determine the effectiveness of treatment before initiating or changing medications for diabetic patients. GA is potentially an atherogenic protein in the development of diabetic atherosclerosis.

General significance

GA measurement is useful as part of a routine examination to screen for both diabetes and atherosclerosis. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Serum Albumin.     

农杆菌介导的大豆高频遗传转化

大豆(Glycine max(L.)Merrill)遗传转化目前常用的两种方法为农杆菌介导的子叶节转化系统和基因枪介导的体细胞胚转化,但这两种转化系统都存在转化频率低、难于重复及依赖于特定的基因型等问题.为了提高农杆菌介导的大豆子叶节的转化频率,采用了一种基于bar基因作为筛选标记基因的固体-液体筛选系统,与农杆菌共培养3d的大豆子叶节在MS添加2 mg/L 6-BA和5 mg/L的glufosinate的筛选培养基培养2周后,再转到含有0.01 mg/L TDZ和2mg/L glufosinate的液体培养基中筛选,并每周更换一次培养液.得到的再生芽首先经GUS分析为阳性后再转入生根培养基得到完整转化植株,然后通过Southern杂交分析证实外源基因整合到大豆基因组,转化植物含有1～2个基因拷贝数.该转化系统具有转化频率高、转化周期短以及不依赖于大豆基因型等优点,对影响该转化系统的一些因子进行了讨论.     

三裂叶野葛毛状根的诱导及其固体培养和液体培养

发根农杆菌（Agrobacterium rhizogenes）ATCC15834感染三裂叶野葛(Pueraria phaseoloides)叶片外植体20 d后产生毛状根,毛状根可直接从叶片外植体叶脉处或从叶脉处产生的愈伤组织上产生。感染35d后,约85%的叶片外植体产生毛状根。毛状根能在无外源生长调节剂的 MS固体和液体培养基上自主生长。PCR扩增结果表明,发根农杆菌Ri质粒的rolB和rolC基因已在三裂叶野葛毛状根基因组中整合并得到表达。与固体培养的毛状根相比,在液体培养基中培养的毛状根不仅生长迅速,也不会形成愈伤组织。在无外源生长调节剂的液体MS培养基中培养15d的三裂叶野葛毛状根的鲜重、干重、可溶性总糖含量及细胞内活性氧(ROS)含量分别为固体培养毛状根的1.59倍、1.18倍、5.25倍和1.16倍。     

青藏高原红景天药材的HPLC指纹图谱

利用高效液相色谱法建立了青藏高原红景天的色谱指纹图谱。固定相采用C28反相色谱柱,流动相为甲醇：0．1%磷酸水(v／v=15：85);检测波长220nm;流速为1．0mL／min。通过比较发现红景天样品的8个主要共有峰．可作为鉴别红景天药材的主要依据。方法简便快速。为中药品种的鉴定提供了较全面的信息。     

Maturation and germination of walnut somatic embryos

Walnut somatic embryos were multiplied by repetitive embryogenesis on a solid basal DKW medium at 25°C in the dark. When the embryos were isolated at early cotyledonary stage (1–2 mm long) from the primary embryos and cultured on the medium for 3 weeks, they developed into mature embryos showing white, enlarged cotyledons and shoot and root apex. After transfer to light on solid germination medium, however, few mature embryos (0–5%) germinated. Germination percentage increased to about 10% when the mature embryos were pretreated by a storage at 4°C in the dark for 2 months, or by desiccation at 25°C in the dark for 3 or 5 days under an air-humidity conditioned by saturated salt solutions (Mg(NO₃)₂.6H₂O, or ZnSO₄.7H₂O). Similar results were obtained by the addition of gibberellic acid (GA₃) to the germination medium. When mature embryos were desiccated and then placed on medical cotton compresses in liquid germination medium, 45% of the embryos germinated into complete plantlets. These plantlets continued their growth after transplanting to a mixture of peat and vermiculite in pots.Abbreviations GA₃ gibberellic acid - DKW medium Driver & Kuniyuki Walnut medium     

不同沼液用量对夏玉米源库代谢关键酶及产量的影响

以玉米杂交种郑单958为材料,研究了3个不同沼液用量（15000、22500、30000 kg·hm^-2）对夏玉米源库代谢关键酶和产量构成因素的影响.结果表明：与对照和施氮肥相比,田间浇灌沼液不仅可提高夏玉米地上部干物质量、叶面积指数和叶绿素含量,而且可提高叶片中硝酸还原酶（NR）、谷氨酰胺合成酶（GS）、蔗糖磷酸合成酶（SPS）和籽粒中蔗糖合成酶（SS）活性,从而显著增加了玉米穗粗、穗长、穗行数、穗粒数、穗粒重、千粒重和单位面积产量.在3个沼液用量中,以22500 kg·hm^-2处理(拔节期、大口期、抽雄期各追施7500 kg·hm^-2)对提高玉米酶活性和产量的效果最好,其产量可达14006.7 kg·hm^-2,比对照增产40.7％.     

Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)1-3 enhances bone repair

Members of the astacin family of metalloproteinases such as human bone morphogenetic protein 1 (BMP-1) regulate morphogenesis by processing precursors to mature functional extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and several growth factors including TGFβ, BMP2, BMP4 and GFD8. We have recently discovered that BMP1-3 isoform of the Bmp-1 gene circulates in the human plasma and is significantly increased in patients with acute bone fracture. We hypothesized that circulating BMP1-3 might have an important role in bone repair and serve as a novel bone biomarker. When administered systemically to rats with a long bone fracture and locally to rabbits with a critical size defect of the ulna, recombinant human BMP1-3 enhanced bone healing. In contrast, neutralization of the endogenous BMP1-3 by a specific polyclonal antibody delayed the bone union. Invitro BMP1-3 increased the expression of collagen type I and osteocalcin in MC3T3-E₁ osteoblast like cells, and enhanced the formation of mineralized bone nodules from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. We suggest that BMP1-3 is a novel systemic regulator of bone repair.     

白毒鹅膏菌液体培养特性及不同生长时期胞外酶活性

用马铃薯葡萄糖琼脂液体培养基培养白毒鹅膏菌,测定培养过程中的pH变化、蛋白质含量2项生理指标与6种胞外酶的活性。结果表明：在整个培养过程中,6种胞外酶均有酶活,但不同酶的活性差异较大,产酶高峰也不尽相同,淀粉酶于第5d达到峰值（198U）;羧甲基纤维素酶、微晶纤维素酶和滤纸纤维素酶的酶活变化趋势相近,分别为199、199、198U;愈创木酚氧化酶与邻苯二酚氧化酶的酶活分别在第10d、第11d达到峰值,分别为182、58U。蛋白含量和pH随时间变化,且与酶活力有关。