A New Coronary Retroinfusion Technique in theRat Infarct Model: Transjugular Cardiac Vein Catheterization

Cell delivery via the retrograde coronary route boasts less vessel embolism, myocardial injury, and arrhythmogenicity when compared with those via antegrade coronary administration or myocardial injection. However, conventional insertion into the coronary sinus and consequent bleeding complication prevent its application in small animals. To overcome the complication of bleeding, we described a modified coronary retroinfusion technique via the jugular vein route in rats with myocardial infarction (MI). A flexible wire with a bent end was inserted into the left internal jugular vein and advanced slowly along the left superior vena cava. Under direct vision, the wire was run into the left cardiac vein by rotating the wire and changing the position of its tip. A fine tube was then advanced along the wire to the left cardiac vein. This modified technique showed less lethal hemorrhage than the conventional technique. Retroinfusion via transjugular catheter enabled efficient fluid or cell dissemination to the majority areas of the free wall of the left ventricle, covering the infarcted anterior wall. In conclusion, transjugular cardiac vein catheterization may make retrocoronary infusion a more safe and practical route for delivering cell, drug, and gene therapy into the infarcted myocardium of rats.     

NADP-Specific Electron-Bifurcating [FeFe]-Hydrogenase in a Functional Complex with Formate Dehydrogenase in Clostridium autoethanogenum Grown on CO

Flavin-based electron bifurcation is a recently discovered mechanism of coupling endergonic to exergonic redox reactions in the cytoplasm of anaerobic bacteria and archaea. Among the five electron-bifurcating enzyme complexes characterized to date, one is a heteromeric ferredoxin- and NAD-dependent [FeFe]-hydrogenase. We report here a novel electron-bifurcating [FeFe]-hydrogenase that is NADP rather than NAD specific and forms a complex with a formate dehydrogenase. The complex was found in high concentrations (6% of the cytoplasmic proteins) in the acetogenic Clostridium autoethanogenum autotrophically grown on CO, which was fermented to acetate, ethanol, and 2,3-butanediol. The purified complex was composed of seven different subunits. As predicted from the sequence of the encoding clustered genes (fdhA/hytA-E) and from chemical analyses, the 78.8-kDa subunit (FdhA) is a selenocysteine- and tungsten-containing formate dehydrogenase, the 65.5-kDa subunit (HytB) is an iron-sulfur flavin mononucleotide protein harboring the NADP binding site, the 51.4-kDa subunit (HytA) is the [FeFe]-hydrogenase proper, and the 18.1-kDa (HytC), 28.6-kDa (HytD), 19.9-kDa (HytE1), and 20.1-kDa (HytE2) subunits are iron-sulfur proteins. The complex catalyzed both the reversible coupled reduction of ferredoxin and NADP⁺ with H₂ or formate and the reversible formation of H₂ and CO₂ from formate. We propose the complex to have two functions in vivo, namely, to normally catalyze CO₂ reduction to formate with NADPH and reduced ferredoxin in the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway and to catalyze H₂ formation from NADPH and reduced ferredoxin when these redox mediators get too reduced during unbalanced growth of C. autoethanogenum on CO (E_0′ = −520 mV).     

Automated whole animal bio-imaging assay for human cancer dissemination

A quantitative bio-imaging platform is developed for analysis of human cancer dissemination in a short-term vertebrate xenotransplantation assay. Six days after implantation of cancer cells in zebrafish embryos, automated imaging in 96 well plates coupled to image analysis algorithms quantifies spreading throughout the host. Findings in this model correlate with behavior in long-term rodent xenograft models for panels of poorly- versus highly malignant cell lines derived from breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer. In addition, cancer cells with scattered mesenchymal characteristics show higher dissemination capacity than cell types with epithelial appearance. Moreover, RNA interference establishes the metastasis-suppressor role for E-cadherin in this model. This automated quantitative whole animal bio-imaging assay can serve as a first-line in vivo screening step in the anti-cancer drug target discovery pipeline.     

Distinct functions for ERK1 and ERK2 in cell migration processes during zebrafish gastrulation

The MAPKs are key regulatory signaling molecules in many cellular processes. Here we define differential functions for ERK1 and ERK2 MAPKs in zebrafish embryogenesis. Morpholino knockdown of ERK1 and ERK2 resulted in cell migration defects during gastrulation, which could be rescued by co-injection of the corresponding mRNA. Strikingly, Erk2 mRNA cross-rescued ERK1 knockdown, but erk1 mRNA was unable to compensate for ERK2 knockdown. Cell-tracing experiments revealed a convergence defect for ERK1 morphants without a severe posterior-extension defect, whereas ERK2 morphants showed a more severe reduction in anterior-posterior extension. These defects were primary changes in gastrulation cell movements and not caused by altered cell fate specification. Saturating knockdown conditions showed that the absence of FGF-mediated dual-phosphorylated ERK2 from the blastula margin blocked initiation of epiboly, actin and tubulin cytoskeleton reorganization processes and further arrested embryogenesis, whereas ERK1 knockdown had only a mild effect on epiboly progression. Together, our data define distinct roles for ERK1 and ERK2 in developmental cell migration processes during zebrafish embryogenesis.     

A Novel Gene, Encoding 6-Hydroxy-3-Succinoylpyridine Hydroxylase, Involved in Nicotine Degradation by Pseudomonas putida Strain S16

Previous research suggested that Pseudomonas spp. may attack the pyrrolidine ring of nicotine in a way similar to mammalian metabolism, resulting in the formation of pseudooxynicotine, the direct precursor of a potent tobacco-specific lung carcinogen. In addition, the subsequent intermediates, 6-hydroxy-3-succinoylpyridine (HSP) and 2,5-dihydroxypyridine (DHP) in the Pseudomonas nicotine degradation pathway are two important precursors for drug syntheses. However, there is little information on the molecular mechanism for nicotine degradation via the pyrrolidine pathway until now. In this study we cloned and sequenced a 4,879-bp gene cluster involved in nicotine degradation. Intermediates N-methylmyosmine, pseudooxynicotine, 3-succinoylpyridine, HSP, and DHP were identified from resting cell reactions of the transformant containing the gene cluster and shown to be identical to those of the pyrrolidine pathway reported in wild-type strain Pseudomonas putida S16. The gene for 6-hydroxy-3-succinoylpyridine hydroxylase (HSP hydroxylase) catalyzing HSP directly to DHP was cloned, sequenced, and expressed in Escherichia coli, and the purified HSP hydroxylase (38 kDa) is NADH dependent. DNA sequence analysis of this 936-bp fragment reveals that the deduced amino acid shows no similarity with any protein of known function.     

Performance and mechanism of triclosan removal in simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) process under low-oxygen condition

Wastewater treatment under low dissolved oxygen (DO) conditions is promising for its low energy consumption. However, the removal process of some organic micropollutants, such as triclosan (TCS), could be inhibited under anaerobic conditions. So, it is worth investigating the TCS removal performance at low-oxygen condition. In this study, simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) process, with DO ranging from 0.30 to 0.80 mg L⁻¹, was chosen to investigate. Results showed that the water quality of the effluent was deteriorated after TCS addition at the beginning, with removal efficiency of NH₄ ⁺-N dropped from almost 100 ± 0.70 to 88.30 ± 0.98% and COD decreased from 95.15 ± 1.55 to 65.81 ± 2.42 %. However, the performance recovered from the 3rd day and almost stabilized on the 14th day with the removal efficiencies of NH₄ ⁺-N were over 98.00 ± 0.60 %, and COD was above 94.00 ± 1.70 % in effluent. Besides, TCS removal efficiencies were more than 93.00 %, and the contributions for TCS removal by the water effluent, sludge sorption, and other effects including biodegradation were 6.46 ± 2.25, 16.27 ± 3.30, and 77.27 ± 4.45 %, respectively. Although the results of absolute abundances of related genes showed no difference (P > 0.05), Illumina MiSeq sequencing analysis presented the variation of microbial community after TCS addition, in which T-45 had the highest Shannon and Simpson diversity index, followed by T-0 and T-2. Relative abundances of alpha and beta-Proteobacteria, which were related to TCS biodegradation, were increased. Compared with Bacteroidetes in T-0, the abundance of Bacteroidetes took up more than 15.6 % in T-45, which should play a more important role under low-oxygen conditions with TCS addition.

     

城市小型景观水体溶存N2O浓度及排放通量特征

淡水生态系统是大气中N₂O的重要排放源,受到国内外广泛关注。城市小型景观水体作为区域淡水系统的重要组成,具有环境容量小,受人类活动干扰强烈,其N₂O排放特征及影响机制并不清楚。选择重庆大学城8个典型景观水体和2个城市外围的自然水体（对照）作为研究对象,利用顶空法和漂浮箱法对水体溶存N₂O浓度及排放通量进行季节性监测,并通过分析生境特征及水环境特征,探究城市小型景观水体N₂O排放特征及关键影响因素。结果表明：1）小型景观水体TN、NO₃^--N、NH₄⁺-N、NO₂^--N含量总体偏低但变异性极强（变化范围分别为0.31-1.47 mg/L、0.05-0.79 mg/L、0.03-0.14 mg/L、0.00-0.04 mg/L）,硝态氮是主要的氮形态;景观水体氮丰度远高于外围的自然水体;2）10个小型水体N₂O浓度范围为16.51-158.96 nmol/L,平均为（47.60±21.47） nmol/L,均处于过饱和状态;漂浮箱法实测8个景观水体N₂O排放通量均值为（0.13±0.05）mmol m^-2 d^-1,是对照水体的1.3-5.2倍,高于大部分已有研究结果,是大气N₂O的排放热源;3）景观水体N₂O排放通量与水体各形态氮含量呈显著的正相关关系,较高的N负荷和强烈的氮转化过程是导致景观水体成为N₂O排放热源的主要因子,水体N含量可以作为景观水体N₂O排放强度的有效指示因子;同时水生植物分布对水体N₂O排放影响显著,有植物分布的水域比开敞水域高1.4倍;4）漂浮箱法和边界层模型法对小型景观水体N₂O排放通量的监测结果呈较好的线性关系,但不同季节仍存在着一定差异,需要进一步优化模型估算方法;5）水体N₂O排放通量对温度的季节性变化较为敏感,呈夏季最高,春、秋季次之,冬季最低的季节模式。本研究强调,城市小型景观水体具有较高的N₂O排放速率,在区域氮循环及全球淡水系统温室气体排放清单中具有不可忽视的作用,在未来研究中应得到更多关注。     

城市小型景观水体CO2与CH4排放特征及影响因素

淡水生态系统被认为是大气温室气体排放的重要来源,尤其在人类活动影响下,其排放强度可能进一步增强。城市小型景观水体是城市生态系统的重要组成,具有面积小、数量大以及人类干扰强的特征,其温室气体排放特征及影响因素尚不清楚。选择重庆市大学城8个景观水体和周边2个自然水体为对象,于2019年1、4、7、10月,利用漂浮箱和顶空法分析了水体CO₂与CH₄的溶存浓度及排放通量,旨在揭示城市小型景观水体CO₂与CH₄排放强度、时空变异特征以及影响因素。结果表明,10个小型水体CO₂、CH₄的溶存浓度范围分别为10.75-116.25 μmol/L和0.09-3.61 μmol/L（均值分别为（47.6±29.3）μmol/L、（1.13±0.56）μmol/L）,均为过饱和状态;漂浮箱法实测的8个景观水体CO₂和CH₄排放通量均值分别为（72.7±65.9）mmol m^-2 d^-1和（2.31±3.48）mmol m^-2 d^-1（顶空法估算值为（69.7±82.0）mmol m^-2 d^-1和（3.69±2.92）mmol m^-2 d^-1）,是2个自然水体的3.5-6.1和2.0-4.5倍,呈较强的CO₂、CH₄排放源;居民区景观水体CO₂和CH₄排放略高于校园区,均显著高于对照的自然水体;CO₂排放夏季最高,秋季次之,冬、春季最低,CH₄呈夏季>秋季≈春季>冬季的季节模式,温度和水体初级生产共同影响CO₂和CH₄排放的季节模式;水生植物分布对景观水体CO₂、CH₄排放有显著影响,有植物分布的水域比无植物水域平均高1.97和2.94倍;漂浮箱法和顶空法测得气体通量线性关系较好,但顶空法测得CO₂通量在春季明显偏低,而CH₄则普遍偏高。相关分析表明,景观水体碳、氮浓度、pH值以及DO等对CO₂排放具有较好的指示性,CH₄排放通量主要与水体中碳、磷浓度有关。城市小型景观水体CO₂、CH₄排放通量远高于大部分已有自然水体的研究结果,呈一种较强的大气温室气体排放源,在区域淡水系统温室气体排放清单中具有重要贡献,未来研究中应给以更多关注。