油茶CoSAD基因载体的构建、鉴定及功能分析

为揭示油茶( Camellia oleifera Abel)硬脂酰-ACP脱饱和酶( SAD)基因(即CoSAD基因)的功能,构建了该基因的原核表达载体pET28b-CoSAD、植物表达载体pBI121-CoSAD和RNA干扰载体pBI121-CoSAD RNAi,并采用PCR扩增及双酶切方法对3类载体进行鉴定;在此基础上,对原核表达载体中的CoSAD基因进行诱导表达分析,并对pBI121-CoSAD转化的拟南芥〔Arabidopsis thaliana ( Linn.) Heynh.〕sad突变体植株和pBI121-CoSAD RNAi转化的拟南芥野生型植株进行转基因鉴定和主要脂肪酸成分含量分析。 PCR扩增和双酶切结果显示：从 pET28b-CoSAD、pBI121-CoSAD和pBI121-CoSAD RNAi 载体的阳性克隆中均可获得目的条带,表明这3类载体均构建成功;用1 mmol·L-1 IPTG分别诱导0.5、1.0、2.0、3.0、4.0和5.0 h,CoSAD基因均能够在pET28b-CoSAD转化的大肠杆菌BL21感受态细胞中正常表达,能够获得与预测结果相符的相对分子质量约47000的特异目的蛋白条带,且蛋白活性随诱导时间的延长而升高。从pBI121-CoSAD转化的拟南芥突变体植株和pBI121-CoSAD RNAi转化的拟南芥野生型植株中也均可扩增出目的条带。 GC-MS分析结果显示：与拟南芥野生型植株相比,其突变体植株的硬脂酸和棕榈酸含量较高、油酸和棕榈油酸含量较低;但突变体植株经pBI121-CoSAD转化后,硬脂酸和棕榈酸含量降低而油酸和棕榈油酸含量提高;野生型植株经过pBI121-CoSAD RNAi转化后,硬脂酸和棕榈酸含量提高、油酸和棕榈油酸含量降低,表明pBI121-CoSAD转化能够促进拟南芥sad突变体植株体内饱和脂肪酸向不饱和脂肪酸转化,而pBI121-CoSAD RNAi转化对拟南芥SAD基因的表达有明显的抑制作用,这2种重组质粒均可影响拟南芥植株的脂肪酸含量。研究结果表明：油茶CoSAD基因具有调控饱和脂肪酸(硬脂酸和棕榈酸)向不饱和脂肪酸(油酸和棕榈油酸)转化的功能,对茶油的脂肪酸组成具有关键的调控作用。     

Design, synthesis and docking studies on benzamide derivatives as histone deacetylase inhibitors

A series of benzamide derivatives including two scaffolds were designed and synthesized as potential histone deacetylase inhibitors. Most of synthesized compounds showed moderate enzymatic potency at the same order of magnitude, and compound 12b possessed better potency to the positive control (3.8 μM vs 13.0 μM). It also showed a 50-fold increase in vitro anticancer activity against DU-145 cell-lines. Molecular docking studies were carried out and used to explain the structure-activity relationships observed in vitro. Then we found that the cavity surrounded by ASP104, HIS33, PRO34 and PHE155 may be crucial for the inhibitors’ activity. The docking results provide some useful information for future design of more potent inhibitors.     

Small molecules blocking the entry of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus into host cells

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is the pathogen of SARS, which caused a global panic in 2003. We describe here the screening of Chinese herbal medicine-based, novel small molecules that bind avidly with the surface spike protein of SARS-CoV and thus can interfere with the entry of the virus to its host cells. We achieved this by using a two-step screening method consisting of frontal affinity chromatography-mass spectrometry coupled with a viral infection assay based on a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-luc/SARS pseudotyped virus. Two small molecules, tetra-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucose (TGG) and luteolin, were identified, whose anti-SARS-CoV activities were confirmed by using a wild-type SARS-CoV infection system. TGG exhibits prominent anti-SARS-CoV activity with a 50% effective concentration of 4.5 microM and a selective index of 240.0. The two-step screening method described here yielded several small molecules that can be used for developing new classes of anti-SARS-CoV drugs and is potentially useful for the high-throughput screening of drugs inhibiting the entry of HIV, hepatitis C virus, and other insidious viruses into their host cells.     

Toll-like Receptor 4 Is Expressed on Intestinal Stem Cells and Regulates Their Proliferation and Apoptosis via the p53 Up-regulated Modulator of Apoptosis

Factors regulating the proliferation and apoptosis of intestinal stem cells (ISCs) remain incompletely understood. Because ISCs exist among microbial ligands, immune receptors such as toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) could play a role. We now hypothesize that ISCs express TLR4 and that the activation of TLR4 directly on the intestinal stem cells regulates their ability to proliferate or to undergo apoptosis. Using flow cytometry and fluorescent in situ hybridization for the intestinal stem cell marker Lgr5, we demonstrate that TLR4 is expressed on the Lgr5-positive intestinal stem cells. TLR4 activation reduced proliferation and increased apoptosis in ISCs both in vivo and in ISC organoids, a finding not observed in mice lacking TLR4 in the Lgr5-positive ISCs, confirming the in vivo significance of this effect. To define molecular mechanisms involved, TLR4 inhibited ISC proliferation and increased apoptosis via the p53-up-regulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA), as TLR4 did not affect crypt proliferation or apoptosis in organoids or mice lacking PUMA. In vivo effects of TLR4 on ISCs required TIR-domain-containing adapter-inducing interferon-β (TRIF) but were independent of myeloid-differentiation primary response-gene 88 (MYD88) and TNFα. Physiological relevance was suggested, as TLR4 activation in necrotizing enterocolitis led to reduced proliferation and increased apoptosis of the intestinal crypts in a manner that could be reversed by inhibition of PUMA, both globally or restricted to the intestinal epithelium. These findings illustrate that TLR4 is expressed on ISCs where it regulates their proliferation and apoptosis through activation of PUMA and that TLR4 regulation of ISCs contributes to the pathogenesis of necrotizing enterocolitis.     

Drug screening for influenza neuraminidase inhibitors

Neuraminidase (NA) is one of the most important targets to screen the drugs of anti-influenza virus A and B. After virtual screening approaches were applied to a compound database which possesses more than 10000 compound structures, 160 compounds were selected for bioactivity assay, then a High Throughput Screening (HTS) model established for influenza virus NA inhibitors was applied to detect these compounds. Finally, three compounds among them displayed higher inhibitory activities, the range of their IC50 was from 0.1 μmol/L to 3μmol/L. Their structural scaffolds are novel and different from those of NA inhibitors approved for influenza treatment, and will be useful for the design and research of new NA inhibitors. The resuit indicated that the combination of virtual screening with HTS was very significant to drug screening and drug discovery.     

Large scale of identification of differentially expressed genes in the regenerating rat liver after SISPH

After partial hepatectomy (PH), the remnant paren-chyma can completely recover lost liver mass and function in about one week[1,2]. Although adult hepa-tocytes are normally quiescent, they are readily primed to pass from G0 to G1 phase within 2―6 h after PH. The first peak of DNA synthesis appears 24 h after PH, while cell division peaks at 36 h. The liver cells then enter a second cell cycle, and redifferentiation and reconstruction of structure and function[3―6] take place. A great nu…     

Structure-based design of thioether-bridged cyclic phosphopeptides binding to Grb2-SH2 domain

A series of phosphotyrosine containing cyclic peptides was designed and synthesized based upon the phage library derived cyclopeptide, G1TE. Considering the type-I beta-turn feature of peptidic ligand binding to Grb2 SH2 domain, we introduce alpha,alpha-disubstituted cyclic amino acid, Ach, into the 4th position of the cyclic peptide to induce a local right handed 3(10) helical conformation. In order to stabilize the favorable binding conformation, the bulky and hydrophobic amino acids, neopentylglycine (NPG) and phenylalanine, were introduced into the 8th and 2nd positions of the peptide ligand, respectively. To facilitate the sidechain of pTyr3 reaching into the phosphotyrosine binding pocket, a less bulky alanine was preferred in position 1. Based upon these global modifications, a highly potent peptide ligand 12 was discovered with an IC(50)=1.68 nM, evaluated by ELISA binding essay. Ligand 12 is at least 10(5) more potent than the lead peptide, termed G1TE.     

Prevalence and Trends in Obesity among China’s Children and Adolescents, 1985–2010

Objectives

We examined the prevalence of and trends in obesity among children and adolescents in China (1985–2010).

Methods

We used data from the 1985, 1991, 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2010 Chinese National Surveys on Students’ Constitution and Health (CNSSCH). The CNSSCH is a national survey of physical fitness and health status in Chinese students that uses multistage stratified sampling of 31 provinces and municipalities. A subject was considered obese or overweight if weight-for-height exceeded the 20% or 10% of standard weight-for-height. The standard weight-for-height was the 80th percentile for sex- and age-specific growth charts.

Results

The age-adjusted prevalence of obesity and of overweight and obesity combined was 8.1% (95% CI, 8.0–8.3%) and 19.2% (95% CI, 19.1–19.4%) among children and adolescents 7–18 years in age. Obesity was more likely to be present among children or adolescents who were male (RR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.90–1.97), urban (RR, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.95–2.02), or 10–12 years (RR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.40–1.46). Trend analyses of the 25-year period revealed a significant increasing trend in males (RR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.58–1.60) and in females (RR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.48–1.50). The rate of increase in obese or overweight prevalence was highest in boys from rural areas (9% annual increase).

Conclusions

During 1985–2010, there was a significant and continuous increase in the prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents. Obesity is epidemic in China, but may be reduced with evidence-based interventions (e.g., school intervention programs).