Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist inhibits metastatic potential by down-regulating CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling axis in colorectal cancer

Wnt signaling plays key roles in cellular and physiological processes, including cell proliferation, differentiation and migration during development and tissue homeostasis in adults. This pathway can be defined as Wnt/β-catenin-dependent or β-catenin-independent or “non-canonical”, both signaling are involved in neurite and synapse development/maintenance. Porcupine (PORCN), an acylase that o-acylates Wnt ligands, a major modification in secretion and interaction with its receptors. We use Wnt-C59, a specific PORCN inhibitor, to block the secretion of endogenous Wnts in embryonic hippocampal neurons (DIV 4). Under these conditions, the activity of exogenous Wnt ligands on the complexity of the dendritic tree and axonal polarity were evaluated Cultured primary embryonic hippocampal neurons obtained from Sprague–Dawley rat fetuses (E18), were cultured until day in vitro (DIV) 4 (according to Banker´s protocol) and treated with Wnt-C59 for 24 h, Wnt ligands were added to the cultures on DIV 3 for 24 h. Dendritic arbors and neurites were analysis by fluorescence microscopy. Transfection with Lipofectamine 2000 on DIV 2 of plasmid expressing eGFP and KIF5-Cherry was carried out to evaluate neuronal polarity. Immunostaining was performed with MAP1B and Tau protein. Immunoblot analysis was carried out with Wnt3a, β-catenin and GSK-3β (p-Ser9). Quantitative analysis of dendrite morphology was carried out with ImageJ (NIH) software with Neuron J Plugin. We report, here, that Wnt-C59 treatment changed the morphology of the dendritic arbors and neurites of embryonic hippocampal neurons, with decreases β-catenin and Wnt3a and an apparent increase in GSK-3β (p-Ser9) levels. No effect was observed on axonal polarity. In sister cultures, addition of exogenous Wnt3a, 5a and 7a ligands rescued the changes in neuronal morphology. Wnt3a restored the length of neurites to near that of the control, but Wnt7a increased the neurite length beyond that of the control. Wnt5a also restored the length of neurites relative to Wnt concentrations. Results indicated that Wnt ligands, added exogenously, restored dendritic arbor complexity in embryonic hippocampal neurons, previously treated with a high affinity specific Porcupine inhibitor. We proposed that PORCN is an emerging molecular target of interest in the search for preclinical options to study and treat Wnt-related diseases.     

砀山梨果多酚氧化酶活性的分析

为探讨梨果多酚氧化酶(polyphenol oxidase,PPO)活性变化规律,本研究选取贡梨、酸梨、紫酥梨、香梨、酥梨和皇冠梨6个不同品种的砀山梨果作为实验材料,采用分光光度计法分别测定了梨果的皮、肉和心的多酚氧化酶活性,并对其进行分析。结果表明,紫酥梨皮、香梨肉和香梨心PPO活性最高,分别为19.72AU·g-1·min-1、19.51AU·g-1·min-1和19.30AU·g-1·min-1,酸梨皮、酸梨肉以及皇冠梨心的PPO活性最低,分别只有11.64AU·g-1·min-1、13.39AU·g-1·min-1和6.67AU·g-1·min-1。PPO活性变异及方差分析显示,梨皮PPO活性平均值最高为16.27AU·g-1·min-1,梨心PPO活性平均值最低为13.68AU·g-1·min-1;不同品种梨皮、梨肉、梨心PPO活性变化不一致;不同部位中梨心的PPO活性变异系数最大,达32.23%;不同部位及品种间PPO活性差异不显著。由此可知梨皮可以作为梨果PPO活性改良的目标之一,梨心具有筛选低PPO活性的潜力,皇冠梨梨心可作为选育低PPO活性的种质资源。     

水分胁迫下内生真菌球毛壳ND35对冬小麦苗期生长和抗旱性的影响

为明确不同水分条件下内生真菌对冬小麦苗期生长和抗旱性的影响,以抗旱型小麦品种山农16和水分敏感型小麦品种山农22为材料,利用荧光定量PCR技术检测小麦干旱诱导基因脱水素wzy2的表达量来了解冬小麦在干旱胁迫下相关基因的表达差异,通过测定相关生理指标与酶活性来判断小麦发育及其在干旱胁迫下的生理响应状况。结果表明,与正常水分ND35组相比,接种球毛壳菌(Chaetomium globosum)ND35的干旱处理组小麦的根冠比、总蛋白含量、脯氨酸含量及丙二醛含量等指标显著提高,小麦叶片含水量和可溶性糖含量有所降低。在干旱处理组中,球毛壳菌ND35可以显著提高小麦山农16的根长和山农22的株高,接种球毛壳ND35的山农16脯氨酸含量、可溶性糖含量、过氧化氢酶活性比对照组均显著提高,丙二醛含量比对照组降低9.0%,但差异不显著;山农22脯氨酸含量和过氧化氢酶活性比对照组显著提高,丙二醛含量和可溶性糖含量比对照组有所降低,但可溶性糖含量差异不显著;相对定量检测数据显示,接种球毛壳ND35后,两种小麦脱水素wzy2基因的表达量较对照组均能够显著提高。综合分析说明内生真菌球毛壳ND35可以促进冬小麦苗期根系和植株发育,小麦提前进入三叶期,增强小麦避旱性,同时提高小麦根系活力,增强小麦耐旱性;提高个体细胞内水分、糖分、脯氨酸含量,降低丙二醛的氧化性损伤,增强过氧化氢酶活性,从而提高两种冬小麦对干旱胁迫的耐受能力;球毛壳ND35促进小麦干旱诱导相关基因wzy2的表达量,进而提高抗旱相关蛋白的表达,从而提高两种冬小麦耐脱水性和对干旱胁迫的适应性。