Spotting the right location— imaging approaches to resolve the intracellular localization of invasive pathogens

Background

A common strategy of microbial pathogens is to invade host cells during infection. The invading microbes explore different intracellular compartments to find their preferred niche.

Scope of Review

Imaging has been instrumental to unravel paradigms of pathogen entry, to identify their exact intracellular location, and to understand the underlying mechanisms for the formation of pathogen-containing niches. Here, we provide an overview of imaging techniques that have been applied to monitor the intracellular lifestyle of pathogens, focusing mainly on bacteria that either remain in vacuolar-bound compartments or rupture the endocytic vacuole to escape into the host's cellular cytoplasm.

Major Conclusions

We will depict common molecular and cellular paradigms that are preferentially exploited by pathogens. A combination of electron microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, and time-lapse microscopy has been the driving force to reveal underlying cell biological processes. Furthermore, the development of highly sensitive and specific fluorescent sensor molecules has allowed for the identification of functional aspects of niche formation by intracellular pathogens.

General Significance

Currently, we are beginning to understand the sophistication of the invasion strategies used by bacterial pathogens during the infection process- innovative imaging has been a key ingredient for this.This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Nanotechnologies - Emerging Applications in Biomedicine.     

Carbon dioxide transport inxylem causes errors in estimation of rates of respiration in stemsand branches of trees

Complementary laboratory and field experiments showed that theinternal transport of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the xylemof trees is an important pathway for carbon movement. Carbon dioxidereleased by respiration dissolves in sap and moves upward in thetranspirational stream. The concentration of CO₂ in xylemsap can be up to three orders of magnitude greater than that foundin the atmosphere. In the present experiments, diffusion outwardof a portion of xylem‐transported CO₂ caused a substantialoverestimation of the apparent rate of stem and branch respiration.Rates of CO₂ efflux were linearly related to sap CO₂ concentration.Direct manipulations of xylem sap CO₂ concentration producedrapid and reversible changes in CO₂ efflux from stemsand branches, in some cases quadrupling the rate of efflux. Theseresults demonstrated that apparent rates of stem and branch respirationof trees are in large part a by‐product of the rate of CO₂ diffusionfrom xylem sap.     

正交实验优选月腺大戟根总黄酮的提取工艺

目的：研究月腺大戟根中总黄酮类化合物的提取工艺,为研发新型植物源农药提供理论基础。方法：采用索氏提取法对月腺大戟根总黄酮进行提取,以乙醇体积分数、提取时间、提取温度、料液比为实验因素,以提取的总黄酮含量为指标,对提取工艺进行考察,确定最佳提取条件。结果和结论：根总黄酮提取的优化条件为：提取时间2h,提取温度70℃,料液比1：40,乙醇浓度50％;影响提取的主次顺序为：料液比〉提取时间〉乙醇浓度〉提取温度;其中料液比和提取时间是影响根总黄酮提取效果的显著因素。     

Profiling of gender-specific rat plasma proteins associated with susceptibility or resistance to diet-induced obesity

Obesity-prone (OP) and obesity-resistant (OR) rats with different responses to development of obesity in spite of the same genetic background are useful animal models for searching for markers during the development of obesity. Here, we investigated whether plasma proteins of OP and OR rats may behave in a different way in males and females. We performed a comparative proteomic analysis using 2-DE combined with MALDI-TOF/MS on proteins from OP and OR male and female rats to discover gender-specific rat plasma proteins associated with susceptibility or resistance to diet-induced obesity. A total of 29 proteins showing differential expression between the groups were identified by MALDI-TOF/MS and database searches. These proteins were classified into 4 groups according to their regulation patterns in response to diet and gender. 22 proteins showed significant differences between OP and OR rats in males and/or females (Group I, II, and III) and 7 proteins exhibited only a high fat diet (HFD)-responsive difference in male or female rats (Group IV). In conclusion, the proteins negatively (ITIH3, FGG, TUBB5, and ZAG) or positively (Hp, ITIH4, and RBP) correlated with obesity found in this study could be used for selection of new targets for gender specific-medical treatment of obesity.     

肋果沙棘幼苗抗氧化酶系统及总黄酮对UV-B辐射增强的响应

该文以青藏高原特有木本植物肋果沙棘为材料,在62μW·cm-2的UV-B辐射强度下,分别测定处理了0～6 d幼苗叶片的氧化损伤程度、抗氧化系统酶活性和总黄酮含量及其抗氧化活性,以探究肋果沙棘对UV-B辐射的生理生态响应机制。结果表明:随UV-B辐射时间的增加,肋果沙棘幼苗过氧化氢含量(H2O2)和膜脂过氧化产物(MDA)显著增加;抗氧化系统酶中过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性显著升高;过氧化物酶(POD)、抗坏血酸过氧化物酶(APX)活性呈先降后升的趋势,且活性均显著低于对照,超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性无明显变化;总黄酮含量随辐射时间的积累显著增加,作为非酶抗氧化物质的总黄酮对1,1-二苯基-2-苦基肼(DPPH)的清除率与其含量变化具有显著正相关关系。综上结果表明,肋果沙棘幼苗在抵御该辐射产生的氧化损伤中,通过提高CAT活性及增加总黄酮含量来抵御辐射造成的氧化损伤。     

云南程海湖泊系统响应富营养化与水文调控的长期模式

流域开发和气候变化背景下,逐渐增强的人类活动已经显著影响湖泊系统演替及功能。本研究以云南程海为研究对象,通过对程海湖泊沉积物记录与现代调查数据相结合,重建了程海近250年来的生态环境变化过程,探讨了程海湖泊系统在富营养化以及水文波动等多重环境压力影响下的长期响应模式。结果表明: 1970年之前程海营养水平整体偏低,1970—2000年间缓慢增长,2000年后快速增加,初级生产力呈长期上升趋势。1993—2000年期间,引水工程显著增加了湖泊水动力强度和物种扩散能力,促进了直链藻和菱形藻的增加。程海沉积物记录的碳循环变化主要受内源输入的长期影响。富营养化是硅藻群落长期演替的主要驱动因子,其次是湖泊水动力条件的波动。对程海的生态修复与流域管理不仅需要关注水体营养盐的富集与流域污染物的控制,同时还要考虑到湖泊水文调控和水位波动的影响。     

Simulations of melting of polyatomic solids and nanoparticles

Molecular dynamics (MD) methods for calculating the melting point of complex molecular and ionic solids and nanoparticles are described. Various approaches for simulating melting and computing the thermodynamic melting point are discussed along with some force fields that have been used in simulations of the melting of molecular and ionic solids. The different structural, energetic and dynamical quantities used to characterize the melting transition are described. The article ends with a discussion of selected examples of melting point calculations of bulk solids and nanoparticles. Pointers on how each method can be implemented in DL_POLY are given.     

雷公藤总生物碱对粘虫幼虫神经系统酶活性及神经递质含量的影响

【目的】明确雷公藤Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f.生物碱对粘虫Mythimna separata (Walker)神经系统的影响,为阐明其杀虫作用机制提供依据。【方法】采用载毒叶片法测定粘虫5龄幼虫经雷公藤总生物碱处理后体内乙酰胆碱酯酶（AChE）、Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase、Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺-ATPase、谷丙转氨酶（GPT）和谷氨酸脱羧酶（GAD）等重要神经系统酶活性及乙酰胆碱（ACh）、谷氨酸（Glu）和γ-氨基丁酸（GABA）等神经递质的含量。【结果】雷公藤总生物碱处理对粘虫5龄幼虫AChE无明显影响,麻醉期处理粘虫幼虫体内ACh相对含量与同期对照无显著差异。处理粘虫幼虫在轻度麻醉期、深度麻醉期和复苏期体内GABA和Glu含量显著升高,GABA含量分别升高了89.86%, 49.28%和20.29%,Glu含量分别升高了24.55%, 23.33%和8.13%。处理粘虫幼虫GPT活性明显受到抑制,而GAD活性无明显变化。处理明显抑制粘虫幼虫头部Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase和Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺-ATPase活性,但对中肠两种ATPase活性影响不大。【结论】研究结果有助于了解雷公藤生物碱对昆虫神经系统的影响,也为进一步阐明其作用靶标奠定了基础。