Cardiolipin and Its Different Properties in Mitophagy and Apoptosis

Cardiolipin (CL) is a unique dimeric phospholipid that exists almost exclusively in the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) in eukaryotic cells. Two chiral carbons and four fatty acyl chains in CL result in a flexible body allowing interactions with respiratory chain complexes and mitochondrial substrate carriers. Due to its high content of unsaturated fatty acids, CL is particularly prone to reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced oxidative attacks. Under mild mitochondrial damage, CL is redistributed to the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM) and serves as a recognition signal for dysfunctional mitochondria, which are rapidly sequestered by autophagosomes. However, peroxidation of CL is far greater in response to severe stress than under normal or mild-damage conditions. The accumulation of oxidized CL on the OMM results in recruitment of Bax and formation of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP), which releases Cytochrome c (Cyt c) from mitochondria. Over the past decade, the significance of CL in the function of mitochondrial bioenergy has been explored. Moreover, approaches to analyzing CL have become more effective and accurate. In this review, we discuss the unique structural features of CL as well as the current understanding of CL-based molecular mechanisms of mitophagy and apoptosis.     

Effects of Proton Pump Inhibitors on the Gastrointestinal Microbiota in Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Proton pump inhibitors(PPIs) are commonly used to lessen symptoms in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD). However, the effects of PPI therapy on the gastrointestinal microbiota in GERD patients remain unclear. We examined the association between the PPI usage and the microbiota present in gastric mucosal and fecal samples from GERD patients and healthy controls(HCs) using 16 S rRNA gene sequencing. GERD patients taking PPIs were further divided into short-term and long-term PPI user groups. We showed that PPI administration lowered the relative bacterial diversity of the gastric microbiota in GERD patients. Compared to the non-PPIuser and HC groups, higher abundances of Planococcaceae, Oxalobacteraceae, and Sphingomonadaceae were found in the gastric microbiota from the PPI-user group. In addition, the Methylophilus genus was more highly abundant in the long-term PPI user group than in the short-term PPI-user group. Despite the absence of differences in alpha diversity, there were significant differences in the fecal bacterial composition of between GERD patients taking PPIs and those not taking PPIs. There was a higher abundance of Streptococcaceae, Veillonellaceae, Acidaminococcaceae,Micrococcaceae, and Flavobacteriaceae present in the fecal microbiota from the PPI-user group than those from the non-PPI-user and HC groups. Additionally, a significantly higher abundance of Ruminococcus was found in GERD patients on long-term PPI medication than that on shortterm PPI medication. Our study indicates that PPI administration in patients with GERD has a significant effect on the abundance and structure of the gastric mucosal microbiota but only on the composition of the fecal microbiota.     

东方蝾螈原肠形成期瓶状细胞的结构及其对胚胎发育的影响

以１００只东方蝾螈早期胚胎为材料,用ＳＥＭ和ＴＥＭ对瓶状细胞形态结构和除去瓶状细胞的胚胎进行观察,去除瓶状细胞后,胚胎的原肠形成不会中断,外包和内卷仍能正常进行,并可以发育成幼螈,但有部分胚胎原肠前端缺失,长期培养的蝾螈胚对针刺激有反应,幼虫阶段中自由活动,我们的结论是：１）东方蝾螈原肠胚的瓶状细胞除了原肠前端存在外,还有部分瓶状细胞与原肠长轴垂直,从力学角度推断瓶状细胞在原肠形成过程中不起主要作     

红角辉蝽和紫翅果蝽线粒体完整基因组测序及蝽亚科系统发育分析(半翅目: 蝽科)(英文)

【目的】本研究对红角辉蝽Carbula crassiventris和紫翅果蝽Carpocoris purpureipennis完整线粒体基因组测序,以探究蝽亚科(Pentatominae)线粒体基因组特征并重建其系统发育关系。【方法】使用Illumina MiSeq测序平台测定红角辉蝽和紫翅果蝽线粒体基因组全序列,并进行组装和注释。基于这2个种和其他30个蝽亚科分类单元线粒体基因组的13个蛋白质编码基因的第1和2位密码子以及2个rRNA基因的核苷酸序列,利用贝叶斯和最大似然法重建蝽亚科系统发育树。【结果】红角辉蝽和紫翅果蝽的线粒体基因组全长分别为15 824 和16 575 bp, 包含13个蛋白质编码基因、2个rRNA基因、22个tRNA基因和1个控制区。蝽亚科内线粒体基因组基因排列顺序保守且没有发现基因重排。此外,蝽亚科内的碱基组成、密码子使用和RNA结构均较为保守; 控制区重复序列拥有不同的长度、类型和拷贝数。基于贝叶斯法和最大似然法重建的系统发育树显示二星蝽族(Eysarcorini)、果蝽族(Carpocorini)、稻绿蝽族(Nezarini)和Antestiini构成一个稳定分枝。【结论】系统发育分析支持辉蝽属Carbula应属于二星蝽族,而果蝽属Carpocoris、斑须蝽属Dolycoris和珠蝽属Rubiconia同属于果蝽族。     

人乳腺癌多药耐药细胞系MCF-7/MDRa的建立及其生物学特性的初步研究

实验以MCF-7细胞株为亲本细胞,采用阿霉素(ADM)低浓度持续加量诱导法建立了多药耐药的人乳腺癌细胞系MCF-7/MDRa,并对其耐药谱、动力学周期分布、表型变化、药物的蓄积量等生物学特性进行了初步分析评价。结果表明,MCF-7/MDRa细胞较亲本细胞的ADM半数致死浓度(IC50)高500倍,撤药培养150天后耐药指数仍维持在200倍以上,并对多种化疗药物产生交叉耐药性;耐药细胞分化程度低于同步传代的MCF-7细胞,细胞倍增时间与亲本细胞接近,S期细胞显著增加,G1期细胞减少;随着撤药时间的延长,细胞的增殖速度加快;耐药细胞P-gP、LRP和GSTπ的表达水平较亲本细胞有显著增加,ER阳性表达丢失;在稳定生长的撤药培养6天的细胞中仍有ADM蓄积。建立的MCF-7/MDRa模型具有多药耐药细胞的基本生物学特性,可用于肿瘤多药耐药机制的研究。     

One-Step Bulk Preparation of Calcium Carbonate Nanotubes and Its Application in Anticancer Drug Delivery

Bulk fabrication of ordered hollow structural particles (HSPs) with large surface area and high biocompatibility simultaneously is critical for the practical application of HSPs in biosensing and drug delivery. In this article, we describe a smart approach for batch synthesis of calcium carbonate nanotubes (CCNTs) based on supported liquid membrane (SLM) with large surface area, excellent structural stability, prominent biocompatibility, and acid degradability. The products were characterized by transmission electron micrograph, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectra, UV-vis spectroscopy, zeta potential, and particle size distribution. The results showed that the tube-like structure facilitated podophyllotoxin (PPT) diffusion into the cavity of hollow structure, and the drug loading and encapsulation efficiency of CCNTs for PPT are as high as 38.5 and 64.4 wt.%, respectively. In vitro drug release study showed that PPT was released from the CCNTs in a pH-controlled and time-dependent manner. The treatment of HEK 293T and SGC 7901 cells demonstrated that PPT-loaded CCNTs were less toxic to normal cells and more effective in antitumor potency compared with free drugs. In addition, PPT-loaded CCNTs also enhanced the apoptotic process on tumor cells compared with the free drugs. This study not only provides a new kind of biocompatible and pH-sensitive nanomaterial as the feasible drug container and carrier but more importantly establishes a facile approach to synthesize novel hollow structural particles on a large scale based on SLM technology.     

两株耐紫杉醇人乳腺癌细胞MCF-7的比较

建立稳定的肿瘤多药耐药(MDR)细胞株是肿瘤MDR机制研究的基础,以MCF-7细胞林为亲本细胞株,采用低浓度加量持续诱导和高浓度短期作用分别建立MCF-7/Taxola和MCF-7/Taxolb细胞模型,并对其耐药谱、动力学周期变化、表形变化、细胞侧群分布、药物蓄积等生物学特性比较评价.结果表明,MCF-7/Taxola和MCF-7/Taxolb细胞的紫杉醇(paclitaxel/Taxol)半数抑制浓度(IC50)分别是亲代MCF-7细胞的525倍和330倍,并且都对多种化疗药物交叉耐药;MCF-7/Taxola细胞S期细胞显著增加,G,期细胞减少;MCF-7/Taxolb细胞各个期变化不大;MCF-7/Taxola细胞P-糖蛋白(P-gP)、肺耐药相关蛋白(LRP)和还原型谷胱甘肽-S转移酶(GSTπ)的表达水平较亲代有显著增加,而MCF-7/Taxolb细胞GSTπ的表达水平较亲代也有显著增加,另外,拓扑异构酶Ⅱ(ToPoⅡ)在两株耐药细胞中表达都明显下降,而两株细胞雌激素受体(ER)、孕激素受体(PR)阳性都表达丢失;光镜下耐药细胞MCF-7/Taxola明显变大并且形态不规则而MCF-7/Taxolb变化不大;电镜下MCF-7/Taxolb表面纤绒毛成小球状隆起和絮状,而MCF-7/Taxolb表面成絮状:MCF-7/Taxola撤药10天后细胞中有紫杉醇蓄积,而MCF-7/Taxolb中没有紫杉醇蓄积.两个模型都具有MDR的基本生物学特性,可用于肿瘤MDR机制的研究,通过两种耐药细胞的比较,推测MCF-7/Taxolb细胞是MCF-7/Taxola细胞的一个亚群.     

Tolerance and stress response of sclerotiogenic <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aspergillus oryzae</Emphasis> G15 to copper and lead

Aspergillus oryzae G15 was cultured on Czapek yeast extract agar medium containing different concentrations of copper and lead to investigate the mechanisms sustaining metal tolerance. The effects of heavy metals on biomass, metal accumulation, metallothionein (MT), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD) were evaluated. Cu and Pb treatment remarkably delayed sclerotial maturation and inhibited mycelial growth, indicating the toxic effects of the metals. Cu decreased sclerotial biomass, whereas Pb led to an increase in sclerotial biomass. G15 bioadsorbed most Cu and Pb ions on the cell surface, revealing the involvement of the extracellular mechanism. Cu treatment significantly elevated MT level in mycelia, and Pb treatment at concentrations of 50–100 mg/L also caused an increase in MT content in mycelia. Both metals significantly increased MDA level in sclerotia. The variations in MT and MDA levels revealed the appearance of heavy metal-induced oxidative stress. The activities of SOD, CAT, and POD varied with heavy metal concentrations, which demonstrated that tolerance of G15 to Cu and Pb was associated with an efficient antioxidant defense system. In sum, the santioxidative detoxification system allowed the strain to survive in high concentrations of Cu and Pb. G15 depended mostly on sclerotial differentiation to defend against Pb stress.