Two temperature-sensitive photosystem II mutants of pea

Two nuclear gene mutants of pea, chlorotica-887 and chlorina-5756, are temperature-sensitive in the development of photosystem II activity. Low temperature flourescence emission spectra of leaves show that the peak at 697 nm from the reaction center of photosystem II is present when the mutants have been grown at 18°C, but absent when they have been grown at 30°C. For leaves of chlorina-5756 grown at 18°C the relative size of the peak at 697 nm is reduced compared to that of leaves of the wild type or chlorotica-887 grown at this temperature. Flourescence induction curves of leaves from wild type plants and chlorotica-887 grown at 18°C possess two steps, while those of leaves from chlorina-5756 grown at 18°C or 30°C and chlorotica-887 grown at 30°C show at fast rise to the maximal level of fluorescence. Measurements on chloroplasts isolated from the mutants indicated that the photosystem I activity per g leaf material is comparable for plants grown at 18°C and plants grown at 30°C. In contrast, no photosystem II activity was detected when the mutants had been grown at 30°C. It is suggested that these mutants are affected in a component required for the assembly of functional photosystem II complexes.     

HSP70 induction by bleomycin metal core analogs

Induction of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) is known to be effective against various diseases. We are interested in HSP70 induction capability of an antitumor antibiotic bleomycin which produces oxidative stress by iron chelate formation and oxygen activation in a cell. The HSP70 induction activity of bleomycin and its six metal core analogs was examined, and a compound HPH-1Trt of 10 μM was found to induce this protein in a pheochromocytoma cell line and some T cell and monocytic cell lines. Its mechanism is increase of HSP70 mRNA, but higher concentration of this compound showed toxicity. Two new derivatives were then synthesized, and one of them named DHPH-1Trt was shown to have less toxicity and higher HSP70 induction activity. This study would lead to a clue for new HSP70 inducer clinically used in near future.     

Genomic analysis of Asian honeybee populations in China reveals evolutionary relationships and adaptation to abiotic stress

The geographic and biological diversity of China has resulted in the differential adaptation of the eastern honeybee, Apis cerana, to these varied habitats. A. cerana were collected from 14 locations in China. Their genomes were sequenced, and nucleotide polymorphisms were identified at more than 9 million sites. Both STRUCTURE and principal component analysis placed the bees into seven groups. Phylogenomic analysis groups the honeybees into many of the same clusters with high bootstrap values (91%–100%). Populations from Tibet and South Yunnan are sister taxa and together represent the earliest diverging lineage included in this study. We propose that the evolutionary origin of A. cerana in China was in the southern region of Yunnan Province and expanded from there into the southeastern regions and into the northeastern mountain regions. The Cold‐Temperate West Sichuan Plateau and Tropical Diannan populations were compared to identify genes under adaptive selection in these two habitats. Pathway enrichment analysis showing genes under selection, including the Hippo signaling pathway, GABAergic pathway, and trehalose‐phosphate synthase, indicates that most genes under selection pressure are involved in the process of signal transduction and energy metabolism. qRT‐PCR analysis reveals that one gene under selection, the AcVIAAT gene, involved in the GABAergic pathway, is responding to cold temperature stress. Through homologous recombination, we show that the AcVIAAT gene is able to replace the CNAG_01904 gene in the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans and that it makes the fungus less sensitive to conditions of oxidative stress and variations in temperature. Our results contribute to our understanding of the evolutionary origin of A. cerana in China and the molecular basis of environmental adaptation.     

人成体心源间充质样细胞表型分析及向心脏谱系诱导分化潜能的研究

目的探讨成人心源性间充质样细胞 (CDMCs)的分子表型及向心脏谱系的分化潜能。方法实验分为:不同培养时间CDMCs (第3、5、7代),并以脐带间充质干细胞 (UCMSCs)为对照。分析各细胞分子表型并向心脏谱系诱导分化。显微镜观察细胞形态;计算生长倍增时间并绘制细胞生长曲线;流式细胞术分析表面标志抗原表达;实时定量PCR和Western blot分别测干细胞多能分子及组织特异性分子mRNA和蛋白表达。结果采用重复测量资料方差分析、单因素方差分析和配对t检验。结果 CDMCs具有UCMSCs形态特征与增殖能力,体外培养1 ~ 7 d,与UCMSCs比较,P3、5、7代CDMCs增殖能力差异无统计学意义 (P> 0.05)。与UCMSCs相比,不同培养时间CDMCs表面标志抗原 (CD90)表达 (冻存前:97.13%±2.00%比59.87%±34.14%、38.83%±11.04%、34.77±14.78%;冻存后:99.83%±0.17%比56.00%±19.47%、47.48±11.88%、41.15±8.68%)降低(P< 0.05)。与UCMSCs相比,不同培养时间CDMCs中Rex1 (0.00±0.00比0.68±0.50、0.29±0.17、0.38±0.50)、Oct3/4 (1.00±0.02比5.28±0.78、3.88±0.95、3.63±0.34)、Nanog(1.00±0.16比7.57±4.69、5.40±3.58、5.34±0.76)以及心脏特异转录因子Nkx2.5 (1.00±0.12比30.60±22.43、19.69±9.65、8.82±4.94)、Gata4 (1.00±0.85比60467±25266、44350±25800、35067±23113)表达均增高,差异有统计学意义 (P均< 0.05)。与诱导前比较,向心肌诱导分化15 d后,不同培养时间CDMCs中cTnT蛋白表达水平 (0.40±0.13比0.98±0.16、0.38±0.18 比0.69±0.15、0.17±0.11比0.70±0.17)增高 (P< 0.05)。结论 CDMCs不仅具备部分干细胞和间充质细胞表型,还具有心脏组织特异性。其具备心脏谱系分化潜能,心肌细胞分化能力可能优于UCMSCs。     

Induction of a white laccase from the deuteromycete Myrothecium verrucaria NF-05 and its potential in decolorization of dyes

Myrothecium verrucaria NF-05 is a deuteromycete fungus capable of producing a white laccase. The optimal concentration of Cu²⁺ for laccase production by this strain is 0.2 mM (43.23 ± 1.16 U mL^{? 1}). A comprehensive investigation of the induction demonstrated that NF-05 laccase production could be synergistically enhanced by various inducers, including aromatic phenols, amines and recalcitrant dyes, in the presence of 0.2 mM Cu²⁺. Sixteen phenols, fourteen amines and four dyes exhibited significant inductive effects on laccase production. The best inducer was 3, 3’-dimethylbenzidine, which increased laccase production to 258.1 ± 11.1 U mL^{? 1}. These results suggest that M. verrucaria NF-05 is a promising industrial laccase producer. Based on the increased production, purified NF-05 laccase was used to decolorize dyes of various structural types in the presence of six redox mediators. Among the 26 tested dyes, the decolorization rate of six azo dyes, chromotrope 2R, orange G6, Congo red, Ponceau S, amaranth and reactive yellow 135 and two arylmethane dyes, fast green 3 and neutral red, were significantly increased by each of the six mediators. These results demonstrate the potential use of the NF-05 laccase for the decolorization of recalcitrant dyes in dye bleaching and effluent detoxification.     

Effect of heating rate on pDNA production by E. coli

The effects of heating rate (HR) on the performance of two-phase (batch followed by fed-batch) high cell-density cultivations (HCDC) of E. coli DH5α for the production of plasmid DNA (pDNA) were investigated. Optimal temperatures for the HCDC, as selected from shake flask experiments at constant temperatures between 30 and 45 °C, were 35 °C for biomass accumulation in the batch phase and 42 °C for inducing pDNA replication during the fed-batch. In HCDC the temperature was increased at HR of 0.025, 0.05, 0.10 and 0.25 °C/min and the performance of the cultivations were compared to a HCDC run at constant temperature (35 °C). Compared to constant 35 °C, heat-induced HCDC accumulated up to 50% less biomass within the same cultivation time and acetate and glucose accumulated to high concentrations. The overall specific productivity (Q_P) and average pDNA yield (Y_p/x) in HCDC at 35 °C were 0.22 ± 0.02 mg/g h and 5.3 ± 0.00 mg/g, respectively. Such parameters were maximum at a HR of 0.05 °C/min, reaching 0.56 ± 0.06 mg/g h and 9.3 ± 0.6 mg/g, respectively. At HR above 0.5 °C/min, Y_p/x remained relatively constant, whereas Q_P tended to decrease. The supercoiled pDNA fraction remained around 80% at all HR. Bioreactors were equipped with a capacitance/conductivity probe. In all cases biomass concentration correlated closely with the capacitance signal and acetate and glucose accumulation was accompanied by an increase in the conductivity signal. Thus, it was possible to calculate acetate and biomass concentrations, as well as μ, from online capacitance and conductivity signals using estimators. Altogether, in this study it was shown that it is possible to maximize pDNA productivity by choosing an appropriate HR and that relevant parameters can be estimated by capacitance/conductivity signals, which are useful for better process control and development.     

Targeted molecular trait stacking in cotton through targeted double‐strand break induction

Recent developments of tools for targeted genome modification have led to new concepts in how multiple traits can be combined. Targeted genome modification is based on the use of nucleases with tailor‐made specificities to introduce a DNA double‐strand break (DSB) at specific target loci. A re‐engineered meganuclease was designed for specific cleavage of an endogenous target sequence adjacent to a transgenic insect control locus in cotton. The combination of targeted DNA cleavage and homologous recombination–mediated repair made precise targeted insertion of additional trait genes (hppd, epsps) feasible in cotton. Targeted insertion events were recovered at a frequency of about 2% of the independently transformed embryogenic callus lines. We further demonstrated that all trait genes were inherited as a single genetic unit, which will simplify future multiple‐trait introgression.     

蛹虫草蓝光诱导两步法发酵产类胡萝卜素

采用黑暗摇瓶发酵和蓝光照射静置培养的两步培养法,进行蛹虫草(Cordyceps militaris L.)液体发酵产类胡萝卜素的蓝光诱导。结果表明蛹虫草在2d的黑暗培养和5d的蓝光照射静置培养后,其类胡萝卜素的含量可达到最高值558.4μg/gFW。而以黑暗摇瓶培养2d后,进行不同时间的蓝光照射静置培养。结果表明,蓝光照射最初2d,蛹虫草类胡萝卜素含量变化不明显,随后快速增加,并在第5天达到最大值558.4μg/gFW,随后类胡萝卜素的含量并无明显变化。通过研究解决了蛹虫草液体发酵产类胡萝卜素的培养过程中蓝光的给光问题。