Flower-fruit size allometry at three taxonomic levels in Crepis (Asteraceae)

The present investigation utilizes the major axis technique to examine the allometric relationship between flower and fruit size, two developmentally related characters. Regression of log (corolla length) on log (fruit length) using data from 188 species of Crepis , 52 populations of C. tectorum and 40 sibships from a population of C. tectorum demonstrated that flower size shows a decelerating increase with increasing fruit size at all taxonomic levels, with the allometric slope varying from 0.53 to 0.69. The null hypothesis of isometry was rejected in analyses using species or sibships as observations, while the comparison of populations revealed a slope significantly different from 1 only if two outliers were excluded from the analysis. Numerous species and populations have escaped the constraint linking flower and fruit size, including C. tectorum (which has a high ratio of flower to fruit size within the genus) and C. tectorum subsp. pumila (which has a high ratio of flower to fruit size within the species).     

细胞死亡的新理论：溶酶体线粒体轴理论

线粒体在细胞死亡中占有中心地位,但其他细胞器影响线粒体启动细胞死亡的机制仍不十分明确. 近几年来,随着对溶酶体功能的不断了解,Alexei等提出了溶酶体线粒体轴理论.这一理论阐述了溶酶体与线粒体的相互作用,并最终导致细胞死亡的机理. 各种致凋亡因素作用于溶酶体,导致溶酶体膜通透性改变．溶酶体膜通透性改变能通过铁依赖的方式、脂褐素相关的方式、Bcl-2家族依赖的方式和Rho/ROCK途径-JNK信号通路的方式影响线粒体,造成线粒体膜通透性改变,进而启动细胞死亡．而线粒体膜通透性改变能通过ROS依赖的方式和Bcl-2家族依赖的方式引起溶酶体通透性改变,最终导致细胞死亡. 溶酶体线粒体轴理论还能用于解释非酒精性脂肪肝和溶酶体贮积症的发病机制．本文将对溶酶体线粒体轴理论及其与疾病的关系两方面进行阐述．     

The relationship between nuclear DNA content and leaf strategy in seed plants

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Species' 2C-values (mass of DNA in G(1) phase 2n nuclei) vary by at least four orders of magnitude among seed plants. The 2C-value has been shown to be co-ordinated with a number of other species traits, and with environmental variables. A prediction that species 2C-values are negatively related to leaf life span (LL) and leaf mass per area (LMA) is tested. These leaf traits are components of a major dimension of ecological variation among plant species. METHODS: Flow cytometry was used to measure the 2C-values for 41 Australian seed plant species, 40 of which were new to the literature. Where possible, LL and LMA data from the global literature were combined with 2C-values from our data set and online C-value databases. KEY RESULTS: Across all species, weak positive relationships were found between 2C-values and both LL and LMA; however, these did not reflect the relationships within either angiosperms or gymnosperms. Across 59 angiosperm species, there were weak negative relationships between 2C-values and both LL (r2 = 0.13, P = 0.005) and LMA (r2 = 0.15, P = 0.002). These relationships were the result of shifts to longer LL and greater LMA in woody compared with herbaceous growth forms, with no relationships present within growth forms. It was not possible to explain a positive relationship between 2C-values and LMA (r2 = 0.30, P = 0.024) across 17 gymnosperm species. The 2C-value was not related to LL or LMA either across species within orders (except for LMA among Pinales), or as radiation divergences in a model phylogeny. CONCLUSIONS: Gymnosperms appear to vary along a spectrum different from angiosperms. Among angiosperms, weak negative cross-species relationships were associated with growth form differences, and traced to a few divergences deep in the model phylogeny. These results suggest that among angiosperms, nuclear DNA content and leaf strategy are unrelated.     

红茶菌在脑缺血再灌注损伤大鼠模型中的作用研究

摘要 目的：探讨红茶菌在脑缺血再灌注损伤大鼠模型中是否有改善效果。方法：将48只清洁级SD大鼠根据随机数字表法分为假手术组、模型组、红茶菌组、依达拉奉组。红茶菌组术前给予红茶菌液灌胃7天以及再灌注麻醉清醒后追加灌胃1次,依达拉奉组大鼠在再灌注前15 min经腹腔注射依达拉奉,模型组和假手术组给予生理盐水。遵循Zea Longa线栓法阻断大鼠大脑中动脉血流2 h后恢复再灌注24 h 建立MCAO模型,假手术组大鼠仅分离劲总动脉。再灌注24 h后,神经行为学评分评估脑损伤程度;TTC染色观察红茶菌对大鼠脑梗死面积比的影响并用Image J软件测定梗死面积;HE染色后观察大鼠脑组织皮层神经元病理形态学;透射电镜观察大鼠皮层神经元超微结构及线粒体形态。结果：脑缺血再灌注24 h后,对大鼠进行神经行为学评分,红茶菌组神经神经行为学评分为（2.21±0.60）,依达拉奉组神经行为学评分为（2.01±0.66）,均显著低于模型组（2.52±0.52）（P＜0.05）;TTC染色后观察到模型组大鼠大脑梗死灶明显,红茶菌组与依达拉奉组较模型组大鼠梗死面积明显减小;HE结果显示模型组大脑皮层神经元损伤明显,红茶菌组与依达拉奉组较模型组大脑皮层神经元坏死减轻,梗死面积缩小;透射电镜下观察到模型组大鼠染色质溶解,线粒体肿胀,红茶菌组与依达拉奉组较模型组溶解减少,线粒体结构较完整。结论：红茶菌可减轻脑缺血再灌注损伤大鼠模型的神经元损伤,有望成为改善脑缺血再灌注损伤的疗法或辅助疗法。     

MicroRNA-363-3p/sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 axis inhibits sepsis-induced acute lung injury via the inactivation of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand signaling

Infection-associated inflammation and coagulation are critical pathologies in sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI). This study aimed to investigate the effects of microRNA-363-3p (miR-363-3p) on sepsis-induced ALI and explore the underlying mechanisms. A cecal ligation and puncture-induced septic mouse model was established. The results of this study suggested that miR-363-3p was highly expressed in lung tissues of septic mice. Knockdown of miR-363-3p attenuated sepsis-induced histopathological damage, the inflammation response and oxidative stress in lung tissues. Furthermore, knockdown of miR-363-3p reduced the formation of platelet-derived microparticles and thrombin generation in blood samples of septic mice. Downregulation of miR-363-3p suppressed sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1PR1) expression in lung tissues and subsequently inactivated the nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (NF-κB) signaling. A luciferase reporter assay confirmed that miR-363-3p directly targeted the 3’-untranslated region of the mouse S1pr1 mRNA. Collectively, our study suggests that inactivation of NF-κB signaling is involved in the miR-363-3p/S1PR1 axis-mediated protective effect on septic ALI.     

应激和肠道菌群在肠易激综合征内脏疼痛中的机制研究

内脏痛是一种躯体内脏器官引起的疼痛,是功能性胃肠病（FGIDs）如肠易激综合征（irritable bowel syndrome,IBS）最常见的临床症状。慢性应激被认为是IBS的发病病因之一,应激可调节脑—肠轴的结构和功能,同时激活肠道免疫,破坏肠道黏膜屏障以及引起内脏感觉过敏。近年来,肠道微生物与脑—肠轴的双向交流及相互作用逐渐被认识,本研究就应激与肠道菌群在IBS内脏疼痛的机制研究作一综述。     

LncRNA LEF1-AS1 regulates the migration and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells by targeting miR-544a/PTEN axis

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in endothelium development. A lncRNA, LEF1-AS1, is recently emerging as a potent mediator of the proliferation and migration of a number of cells, including smooth muscle cells. However, the effects of LEF1-AS1 in atherosclerosis remains largely unknown. Specimens from patients with coronary artery atherosclerosis were collected. The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to analyze levels of LEF1-AS1 and microRNA-544a (miR-544a). Western blot analysis was used to assess PTEN, P-Akt, and T-Akt protein expression. Proliferation, migration, and invasion of cells were analyzed by cell counting kit-8 assay, scratch wound assay, and transwell assay, respectively. The interaction between LEF1-AS1, miR-544a, and PTEN was probed using bioinformatical analysis and dual-luciferase assay. In plasma and tissue of patients with coronary artery atherosclerosis, LEF1-AS1 was upregulated and miR-544a was downregulated. A negative correlation was found between LEF1-AS1 and miR-544a. miR-544a overexpression reversed the inhibition of LEF1-AS1 in smooth muscle cell proliferation and invasion, which were mediated through the PTEN pathway. LEF1-AS1 regulates smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration through the miR-544a/PTEN axis, indicating that LEF1-AS1 may be a potential therapeutic target in atherosclerosis.     

T-UCRs with digestive and respiratory diseases

From the perspective of histoembryology, the lung, gaster, and intestines that derived from the endoderm of the gastrula are structurally homologous. The interplay of intestines and lung in many pathologic changes is called the gut-lung axis. RNAs transcribed from ultraconserved regions (T-UCRs) are highly evolutionarily conserved in many mammalian genomes and have been found to be important in the pathogenesis and diagnosis of many diseases. More and more studies in recent years have shown that T-UCRs play important roles both in digestive and respiratory diseases. Taking the gut-lung axis as the entry point, this review summarizes the T-UCRs related to digestive and respiratory diseases in recent years. Meanwhile, these T-UCRs and their targets can lay a foundation for future drug research.