AREL1 resists the apoptosis induced by TGF-β by inhibiting SMAC in vascular endothelial cells

Abnormal apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells is an important feature of arteriosclerosis (AS). Here, we induced apoptosis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) using transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), and investigated the role of antiapoptotic E3 ubiquitin ligase (AREL1) in the apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells. We proved that AREL1 is downregulated in TGF-β treated HUVECs. The overexpression of AREL1 inhibits the activation of Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 and attenuates cell apoptosis induced by TGF-β. According to the result of coimmunoprecipitation, AREL1 interacts with the proapoptotic proteins the second mitochondria-derived activator of caspases (SMAC) in TGF-β treated HUVECs. In addition, miR-320b inhibits the expression of AREL1, and the overexpression of AREL1 attenuates the apoptosis induced by miR-320b mimics in HUVECs. In conclusion, AREL1 is downregulated by miR-320b. AREL1 overexpression inhibits TGF-β induced apoptosis through downregulating SMAC in vascular endothelial cells. Our study explores pathogenesis regulation mechanism and new biological therapeutic targets for vascular disease.     

HBsAg阴性母亲的新生儿接种不同剂量乙型肝炎血源疫苗的效果

HBsAg阴位母亲的新生儿,按0,1、6月程序分别接种10-10-10μg(1组)、20-10-10μg(2组)和30-10-10μg(3组)乙型肝炎血源疫苗。第一针后一年,检查抗-HBs阳转率,分别为87.60％,90.64％和88.97％,无统计学显著差异。3针10μg组免疫后l～4年抗-HBs阳性率分别为88.31％、81.08％、80.10％和78.39％,虽稍下降,但无统计学显著差异。3个剂量组HBsAg阳性率分别为0.71％,0.49％和0.74％,说明HBsAg阴性母亲的新生儿,用国产血源HBsAg疫苗免疫以10μ×3效果较理想。     

microRNA‐124 inhibits stem‐like properties and enhances radiosensitivity in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells via direct repression of expression of JAMA

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a source of tumour recurrence in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC); however, the function of microRNA‐124 (miR‐124) in NPC CSCs has not been clearly defined. In this study, we investigated the role of miR‐124 in NPC CSCs. qRT‐PCR was performed to measure miR‐124 expression in NPC tissues and cell lines and the effects of miR‐124 on stem‐like properties and radiosensitivity of NPC cells measured. Luciferase reporter assays and rescue experiments were used to investigate the interaction of miR‐124 with the 3′UTR of junctional adhesion molecule A (JAMA). Finally, we examined the effects of miR‐124 in an animal model and clinical samples. Down‐regulation of miR‐124 was detected in cancer tissues and was inversely associated with tumour stage and lymph node metastasis. Overexpression of miR‐124 inhibited stemness properties and enhanced radiosensitivity of NPC cells in vitro and in vivo via targeting JAMA. Up‐regulation of miR‐124 was correlated with superior overall survival of patients with NPC. Our study demonstrates that miR‐124 can inhibit stem‐like properties and enhance radiosensitivity by directly targeting JAMA in NPC. These findings provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying therapy failure in NPC.     

中国树萝卜属(杜鹃花科)一新记录种——葡萄树萝卜

报道了采自云南省绿春县的杜鹃花科树萝卜属一中国新记录种,即葡萄树萝卜(Agapetes putaoensis Y. H. Tong & N. H. Xia)。葡萄树萝卜原记录产于缅甸东北部克钦邦葡萄地区。该研究对该种进行了描述,补充了该种发表时未曾描述的果实特征,并提供彩色图版以方便鉴别。凭证标本存放于中国科学院西双版纳热带植物园标本馆(HITBC)和中国医学科学院药用植物研究所云南分所标本馆(IMDY)。     

Biooxidation of ferrous iron by immobilized Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans in poly(vinyl alcohol) cryogel carriers

PVA-cryogels entrapping about 10⁹ cells of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans per ml of gel were prepared by freezing-thawing procedure, and the biooxidation of Fe²⁺ by immobilized cells was investigated in a 0.365 l packed-bed bioreactor. Fe²⁺ oxidation fits a plug-flow reaction model well. A maximum oxidation rate of 3.1 g Fe²⁺ l^–1 h^–1 was achieved at the dilution rate of 0.4 h^–1 or higher, while no obvious precipitate was determined at this time. In addition, cell-immobilized PVA-cryogels packed in bioreactor maintained their oxidative ability for more than two months under non-sterile conditions. Nomenclature: C _A0 – Concentration of Fe²⁺ in feed stream (g l^–1) C _A – Concentration of Fe^{2 +} in outlet stream (g l^{– 1}) D – Dilution rate of the packed-bed bioreactor (h^–1) F – Volumetric flow rate of iron solution (l h^–1) F _A0 – Mass flow rate of Fe²⁺ in the feed stream (g h^–1) K – Kinetic constant (l l^–1 h^–1) r _A – Oxidation rate of Fe²⁺ (g l^–1 h^–1) V – Volume of packed-bed bioreactor (l) X _A – Conversion ratio of Fe²⁺ (%)     

Composition, spatial distribution, and diversity of the bacterial communities in the rumen of cows fed different forages

The species composition, distribution, and biodiversity of the bacterial communities in the rumen of cows fed alfalfa or triticale were investigated using 16S rRNA gene clone library analyses. The rumen bacterial community was fractionated and analyzed as three separate fractions: populations in the planktonic, loosely attached to rumen digesta particles, and tightly attached to rumen digesta particles. Six hundred and thirteen operational taxonomic units (OTUs) belonging to 32 genera, 19 families, and nine phyla of the domain Bacteria were identified from 1014 sequenced clones. Four hundred and fifty one of the 613 OTUs were identified as new species. These bacterial sequences were distributed differently among the three fractions in the rumen digesta of cows fed alfalfa or triticale. Chao 1 estimation revealed that, in both communities, the populations tightly attached to particulates were more diverse than the planktonic and those loosely attached to particulates. S-Libshuff detected significant differences in the composition between any two fractions in the rumen of cows with the same diet and between the communities fed alfalfa and triticale diets. The species richness estimated for the communities fed alfalfa and triticale is 1027 and 662, respectively. The diversity of the rumen bacterial community examined in this study is greater than previous studies have demonstrated and the differences in the community composition between two high-fiber diets have implications for sample selection for downstream metagenomics applications.     

Ecophysiology of abundant denitrifying bacteria in activated sludge

The abundance of potential denitrifiers in full-scale wastewater treatment plants with biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal was investigated by FISH and various oligonucleotide probes. The potential denitrifiers were characterized as probe-defined populations that were able to consume radiolabelled substrate with oxygen, nitrate and nitrite as electron acceptor as determined by microautoradiography. The most abundant potential denitrifiers were related to the genera Aquaspirillum, Azoarcus, Thauera and Rhodocyclus, all within the Betaproteobacteria. They made up 20-49% of all bacteria in most of the 17 nitrogen removal plants investigated and were hardly present in four plants without denitrification. The ecophysiology of Aquaspirillum, Azoarcus and Thauera-related bacteria was consistent within each probe-defined group in the plants investigated. These three groups showed distinct physiological differences, with the Aquaspirillum-related bacteria appearing as the most specialized one, consuming only amino acids among the substrates tested, and Thauera as the most versatile consuming some volatile fatty acids, ethanol and amino acids. The coexistence of Aquaspirillum, Azoarcus and Thauera-related bacteria in a range of treatment plants with differences in wastewater, design and operation suggest that the populations ensure a functional stability of the plants by occupying different ecological niches related to the carbon transformation.     

Hypoxic preconditioning protects human brain endothelium from ischemic apoptosis by Akt-dependent survivin activation

Preconditioning-induced ischemic tolerance is well documented in the brain, but cell-specific responses and mechanisms require further elucidation. The aim of this study was to develop an in vitro model of ischemic tolerance in human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs) and to examine the roles of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase)/Akt and the inhibitor-of- apoptosis protein, survivin, in the ability of hypoxic preconditioning (HP) to protect endothelium from apoptotic cell death. Cultured HBMECs were subjected to HP, followed 16 h later by complete oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) for 8 h; cell viability was quantified at 20 h of reoxygenation (RO) by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. HBMECs were examined at various times after HP or OGD/RO using immunoblotting and confocal laser scanning immunofluorescence microscopy for appearance of apoptotic markers and expression of phosphorylated (p)-Akt and p-survivin. Causal evidence for the participation of the PI3-kinase/Akt pathway in HP-induced protection and p-survivin upregulation was assessed by the PI3-kinase inhibitor LY-294002. HP significantly reduced OGD/RO-induced injury by 50% and also significantly reduced the OGD-induced translocation of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) from mitochondria to nucleus and the concomitant cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1). PI3-kinase inhibition blocked HP-induced increases in Akt phosphorylation, reversed the effects of HP on OGD-induced AIF translocation and PARP-1 cleavage, blocked HP-induced survivin phosphorylation, and ultimately attenuated HP-induced protection of HBMECs from OGD. Thus HP promotes an antiapoptotic phenotype in HBMECs, in part by activating survivin via the PI3-kinase/Akt pathway. Survivin and other phosphorylation products of p-Akt may be therapeutic targets to protect cerebrovascular endothelium from apoptotic injury following cerebral ischemia.     

中国植物区系新资料

该文报道了发现于云南盈江的2个中国植物新分布属——木瓜桐属（Siphonodon Griff.）和羽脉百部属（Stichoneuron Hook. f.）,以及对应的2个新记录种木瓜桐（Siphonodon celastrineus Griff.）和羽脉百部（Stichoneuron membranaceum Hook.f.）,并结合原始文献及野外调查对其形态特征进行了详细描述。凭证标本存放于中国科学院西双版纳热带植物园标本馆（HITBC）。     

中国哥纳香属(番荔枝科)植物新资料

番荔枝科(Annonaceae)是基部被子植物木兰目(Magnoliales)中较进化且物种数最多的科。目前的系统发育研究将番荔枝科划分为4个亚科,即蒙蒿子亚科(Anaxagoreoideae)、澄光木亚科(Ambavioideae)、番荔枝亚科(Annonoideae)和排石木亚科(Malmeoideae),有107属,2 400多种,中国原产21 属约110 种。番荔枝科泛热带分布,是热带植物区系的优势类群,中国云南盈江位于云南省最西部边境,与缅甸东北部接壤,并与印度的东阿萨姆较近,植物区系处于东南亚(印度—马来西亚)热带生物区系向东亚亚热带-温带生物区系的过渡地带,属典型热带北缘性质,在植被地理和生物地理上十分重要,成为生物多样性保护的关键和热点地区。该区的热带雨林是印度阿萨姆和缅甸北部的热带雨林向东和向北扩散分布的边缘类型,是东南亚热带雨林在纬度和海拔分布上的极限类型。该文报道了采自中国云南省盈江县,引种保存于中国科学院西双版纳热带植物园的番荔枝科哥纳香属2个中国新记录种,即皱叶哥纳香 [Goniothalamus sesquipedalis(Colebr. ex Wall.)Hook. f. & Thomson]和长梗哥纳香(G. peduncularis King & Prain)。Flora of China将盈江哥纳香(G. lii X. L. Hou & Y. M. Shui)处理为云南哥纳香(G. yunnanensis W. T. Wang)的异名,基于活植物观察、馆藏标本和文献研究,该文对盈江哥纳香的分类地位进行了澄清,将其处理为长梗哥纳香的异名。皱叶哥纳香原记载产于印度、孟加拉国和缅甸等地,长梗哥纳香仅产于缅甸,该文对它们进行了补充描述,并提供彩色图版以便于鉴别。凭证标本存放于中国科学院西双版纳热带植物园标本馆(HITBC)。哥纳香属2个新记录的发现,丰富了中国番荔枝科植物多样性的认识,为中国云南热带植物区系属于热带亚洲(印度—马来西亚)植物区系,以及与缅甸北部、印度东北部植物区系的关系增加了例证。