PKCβ/NF-κB pathway in diabetic atrial remodeling

Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry - Atrial remodeling in diabetes is partially attributed to NF-κB/TGF-β signal transduction pathway activation. We examined whether the...     

会仙喀斯特湿地三种典型植物叶片碳同位素(δ13C)特征及其指示意义

为探讨会仙喀斯特湿地不同生长环境下植物叶片碳(C)、氮(N)、磷(P)、稳定碳同位素(δ~(13)C)特征及其生态学指示意义,该文以挺水植物芦苇、浮水植物水葫芦和沉水植物金鱼藻为研究对象,分析了三种典型不同生活型植物叶片的δ~(13)C特征及种间和微生境的差异,并基于植物碳同位素与碳酸酐酶显著正相关的二端元模型,估算了植物利用光合作用固定的碳酸氢根离子(HCO3-)的碳量。结果表明:(1)三种植物叶片δ~(13)C的变化范围为-28.47‰～-21.69‰,平均值为-24.83‰,不同生活型植物间δ~(13)C存在差异,金鱼藻水葫芦芦苇。(2)植物δ~(13)C值与叶片C、N和P元素含量间呈显著正相关,与C/N、C/P和N/P呈显著负相关关系,与底泥的有机质、速效氮、总氮、速效磷和总磷含量呈显著正相关。(3)会仙喀斯特湿地三种不同生活型植物叶片N/P平均值为10.34,表现出植物受N、P共同影响的特征。(4)δ~(13)C的变化特征,揭示了三种水生植物可能通过增加磷利用效率来促进低水分利用率环境下的碳的合成,通过提高植物水分利用效率的策略来代偿较低的氮素利用效率。(5)芦苇光合作用固定HCO3-碳量为159.60 t·a~(-1)·km~(-2),水葫芦为10.80 t·a~(-1)·km~(-2),金鱼藻为9.24 t·a~(-1)·km~(-2),平均值为59.88 t·a~(-1)·km~(-2)。会仙喀斯特湿地植物的不同生活型、光合作用途径和生长微环境,是影响叶片δ~(13)C变化的主要因素。     

韭菜化感物质草莓酸对香蕉枯萎病菌的影响

香蕉枯萎病主要由尖孢镰刀菌 4 号生理小种(Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense,Foc4)引起的一种土传病害,严重威胁香蕉产业的可持续发展。为寻求一种经济有效且环保的防治措施,以韭菜化感物质的衍生物草莓酸(strawberry acid,SA)为材料,通过平板和盆栽实验,研究了SA对Foc4的菌丝生长、香蕉枯萎病病情指数、土壤微生物数量、土壤酶活性的影响。结果表明:(1)随着SA浓度的增加,Foc4的菌落生长直径显著减小,第5天时菌落直径在SA浓度为300、450 μL·L^-1时比150 μL·L^-1分别减小了49.15%、70.89%; 液体培养条件下SA浓度为600 μL·L^-1时Foc4的分生孢子数量显著低于对照处理(相差 470 多倍); pH为5时SA对Foc4的抑制效果显著比pH为7和9时好。(2)随实验处理时间的延长,添加 SA后香蕉幼苗的病情指数显著低于对照。(3)土壤细菌、真菌数量和微生物总量在SA为600 μL·L^-1时均为最高; Foc4数量随SA浓度升高而降低,在1 200 μL·L^-1时显著降低。(4)各土壤酶在浓度(300～600 μL·L^-1)SA处理时活性较高; 1 200 μL·L^-1时显著降低,过氧化氢酶和多酚氧化酶较对照分别降低了41.88%、54.82%。(5)相关性分析得出,土壤微生物总量与细菌、真菌数量极显著正相关; 土壤真菌与放线菌显著负相关; 土壤细菌、真菌和放线菌数量均与蔗糖酶、多酚氧化酶显著正相关; 蔗糖酶与脲酶、过氧化氢酶与多酚氧化酶均显著正相关。综上认为,添加SA浓度为600 μL·L^-1能较好地抑制Foc4的菌丝生长且能提高其抑制率,病情指数明显降低,有利于改善香蕉的生长环境。该研究结果为有效利用SA防治香蕉枯萎病提供了科学依据。     

AAV-Delivered Antibody Mediates Significant Protective Effects against SIVmac239 Challenge in the Absence of Neutralizing Activity

Long-term delivery of potent broadly-neutralizing antibodies is a promising approach for the prevention of HIV-1 infection. We used AAV vector intramuscularly to deliver anti-SIV monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in IgG1 form to rhesus monkeys. Persisting levels of delivered mAb as high as 270 μg/ml were achieved. However, host antibody responses to the delivered antibody were observed in 9 of the 12 monkeys and these appeared to limit the concentration of delivered antibody that could be achieved. This is reflected in the wide range of delivered mAb concentrations that were achieved: 1–270 μg/ml. Following repeated, marginal dose, intravenous challenge with the difficult-to-neutralize SIVmac239, the six monkeys in the AAV-5L7 IgG1 mAb group showed clear protective effects despite the absence of detectable neutralizing activity against the challenge virus. The protective effects included: lowering of viral load at peak height; lowering of viral load at set point; delay in the time to peak viral load from the time of the infectious virus exposure. All of these effects were statistically significant. In addition, the monkey with the highest level of delivered 5L7 mAb completely resisted six successive SIVmac239 i.v. challenges, including a final challenge with a dose of 10 i.v. infectious units. Our results demonstrate the continued promise of this approach for the prevention of HIV-1 infection in people. However, the problem of anti-antibody responses will need to be understood and overcome for the promise of this approach to be effectively realized.     

树鼩脐带间充质干细胞与抗小鼠、人CD抗体的交叉反应性

目的观察树鼩的细胞是否与抗鼠或抗人的CD抗体反应。方法采树鼩外周血与小鼠的CD3、CD4、CD8抗体反应。再分离培养树鼩的脐带间充质干细胞,分别与抗小鼠的CD29-FITC、Sca-1-PE、CD90-PE反应,与抗人的CD44-FITC、CD29-FITC、CD13-FITC、CD34-FITC反应。结果树鼩外周血与小鼠的CD3、CD4、CD8抗体不发生反应,但树鼩的脐带间充质干细胞与抗小鼠的CD29-FITC抗体发生反应,阳性率为99.8﹪。树鼩的脐带间充质干细胞与抗人的CD44-FITC抗体发生反应,阳性率为99.7﹪。结论树鼩的外周血与小鼠的CD抗体不反应,但树鼩的脐带间充质干细胞与小鼠的CD29-FITC抗体和人的CD44-FITC抗体反应效果较好。     

贵州省野生火棘果营养成分与气候因子相关性分析

野生火棘在贵州省的资源分布广泛，由于省内各地区气候因子的不同，导致野生火棘果实的营养性成分存在差异。为探究贵州省野生火棘果的营养性成分差异，明确影响营养成分积累的气候因子，筛选出适宜生长区域，采用硫酸-苯酚法、全自动凯氏定氮仪、索氏提取法和福林-酚比色法对火棘果粗多糖、总蛋白、总脂肪和总多酚含量进行测定，并进行差异性分析、主成分分析和聚类分析；同时结合气候因子，进行灰色关联度的相关性分析。结果显示，不同产地之间4种营养成分含量存在明显差异，可将10个不同产地火棘分成3大类；灰色关联度分析表明，相对湿度是影响贵州野生火棘果营养成分含量的主要影响因子；降低相对湿度利于火棘果中营养性成分的积累。     

The UT-A1 urea transporter interacts with snapin, a SNARE-associated protein

The UT-A1 urea transporter mediates rapid transepithelial urea transport across the inner medullary collecting duct and plays a major role in the urinary concentrating mechanism. To transport urea, UT-A1 must be present in the plasma membrane. The purpose of this study was to screen for UT-A1-interacting proteins and to study the interactions of one of the identified potential binding partners with UT-A1. Using a yeast two-hybrid screen of a human kidney cDNA library with the UT-A1 intracellular loop (residues 409-594) as bait, we identified snapin, a ubiquitously expressed SNARE-associated protein, as a novel UT-A1 binding partner. Deletion analysis indicated that the C-terminal coiled-coil domain (H2) of snapin is required for UT-A1 interaction. Snapin binds to the intracellular loop of UT-A1 but not to the N- or C-terminal fragments. Glutathione S-transferase pulldown experiments and co-immunoprecipitation studies verified that snapin interacts with native UT-A1, SNAP23, and syntaxin-4 (t-SNARE partners), indicating that UT-A1 participates with the SNARE machinery in rat kidney inner medulla. Confocal microscopic analysis of immunofluorescent UT-A1 and snapin showed co-localization in both the cytoplasm and in the plasma membrane. When we co-injected UT-A1 with snapin cRNA in Xenopus oocytes, urea influx was significantly increased. In the absence of snapin, the influx was decreased when UT-A1 was combined with t-SNARE components syntaxin-4 and SNAP23. We conclude that UT-A1 may be linked to the SNARE machinery via snapin and that this interaction may be functionally and physiologically important for urea transport.     

Cysteine modification alters voltage- and Ca(2+)-dependent gating of large conductance (BK) potassium channels

The Ca(2+)-activated K+ (BK) channel alpha-subunit contains many cysteine residues within its large COOH-terminal tail domain. To probe the function of this domain, we examined effects of cysteine-modifying reagents on channel gating. Application of MTSET, MTSES, or NEM to mSlo1 or hSlo1 channels changed the voltage and Ca2+ dependence of steady-state activation. These reagents appear to modify the same cysteines but have different effects on function. MTSET increases I(K) and shifts the G(K)-V relation to more negative voltages, whereas MTSES and NEM shift the G(K)-V in the opposite direction. Steady-state activation was altered in the presence or absence of Ca2+ and at negative potentials where voltage sensors are not activated. Combinations of [Ca2+] and voltage were also identified where P(o) is not changed by cysteine modification. Interpretation of our results in terms of an allosteric model indicate that cysteine modification alters Ca2+ binding and the relative stability of closed and open conformations as well as the coupling of voltage sensor activation and Ca2+ binding and to channel opening. To identify modification-sensitive residues, we examined effects of MTS reagents on mutant channels lacking one or more cysteines. Surprisingly, the effects of MTSES on both voltage- and Ca(2+)-dependent gating were abolished by replacing a single cysteine (C430) with alanine. C430 lies in the RCK1 (regulator of K+ conductance) domain within a series of eight residues that is unique to BK channels. Deletion of these residues shifted the G(K)-V relation by > -80 mV. Thus we have identified a region that appears to strongly influence RCK domain function, but is absent from RCK domains of known structure. C430A did not eliminate effects of MTSET on apparent Ca2+ affinity. However an additional mutation, C615S, in the Haem binding site reduced the effects of MTSET, consistent with a role for this region in Ca2+ binding.