Pattern analysis of stem cell differentiation during <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro Arabidopsis</Emphasis> organogenesis

Plant somatic cells have the capability to switch their cell fates from differentiated to undifferentiated status under proper culture conditions, which is designated as totipotency. As a result, plant cells can easily regenerate new tissues or organs from a wide variety of explants. However, the mechanism by which plant cells have such remarkable regeneration ability is still largely unknown. In this study, we used a set of meristem-specific marker genes to analyze the patterns of stem cell differentiation in the processes of somatic embryogenesis as well as shoot or root organogenesis in vitro. Our studies furnish preliminary and important information on the patterns of the de novo stem cell differentiation during various types of in vitro organogenesis.     

CircRNA has_circ_0006427 suppresses the progression of lung adenocarcinoma by regulating miR-6783–3p/DKK1 axis and inactivating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

Recently, circular RNAs (circRNAs) are identified as a novel class of noncoding RNAs playing important roles in human malignant tumors. However, the regulatory function of circRNA in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is still largely unknown. Present study aimed to explore the role of circ_0006427 in LUAD progression. Firstly, the downregulation of circ_0006427 in LUAD tissues and cell lines was revealed by microarray analysis and qRT-PCR analysis. And we also confirmed the circ_0006427 as a prognostic target in LUAD patients. Functionally, overexpression of circ_0006427 effectively suppressed cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Mechanistically, circ_0006427 was found to be predominantly located in the cytoplasm of LUCA cell, and was further revealed to positively regulate DKK1 in LUAD by sponging miR-6783–3p. KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathway analysis and western blot analysis revealed that circ_0006427 inactivated Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway by upregulating DKK1. At last, rescue assays proved the function of circ_0006427/miR-6783–3p/DKK1 axis in LUAD progression. In conclusion, our study revealed that circ_0006427 suppressed lung adenocarcinoma progression through regulating miR-6783–3p/DKK1 axis.     

Dissipative particle dynamics simulation of a gold nanoparticle system

Dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) was carried out to study systems containing gold atoms, organic ether (oligohydroquinonyl ether terminated with a thiol group) and organic solvents. The components in the simulated system are very different in size and chemical nature. Our simulation showed that the reproduction of the macroscopic experimental phase separation, properly dividing the polymeric molecule into beads, selecting the size of gold bead, and choosing the appropriate interaction parameters between beads are crucial. In addition, the solvent effect was the dominant factor for the formation of spherical aggregates of Au atoms and organic ether molecules. We report the interaction strengths between the solvent and gold clusters. Our work has demonstrated that DPD methods can be applied to the study of complex meso-scale systems.     

压脚痛阈测定法的改进和应用

本文介绍一种改进的压脚测痛法。采用电机驱动替代用手挤压橡皮球完成升压过程;通过一个自动的电路切断结构判定抽脚反应,较目视更加客观;用读数保持电路记录压力变化,较直接读取刻度值更加准确,可靠。这些优点,业经电针和吗啡镇痛实验验证。     

Changes in lipid content and composition during the development of N-nitrosodiethylamine induced hepatocarcinoma

Alterations in lipid content and composition in the N-nitrosodiethylamine-induced hepatocarcinoma were investigated. Rats were administrated with N-nitrosodiethylamine in the drinking water for 12 weeks followed by normal tap water for another 6 weeks. The cholesterol content in the liver was increased shortly after the administration of N-nitrosodiethylamine and remained elevated after the removal of the nitrosoamine from the water. The phosphatidylethanolamine level was elevated during N-nitrosodiethylamine administration with a concomitant reduction in phosphatidylcholine level. Lysophosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin levels were increased during the last four weeks of the study. The level of phosphatidylinositol was substantially reduced after eight weeks of N-nitrosodiethylamine treatment, and remained low during the post-treatment period. We postulate that changes in lysophosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin may be a compensatory mechanism for maintaining the asymmetrical distribution of choline-containing lipids in the outer leaflet of the membrane. The elevated level of cholesterol may be a useful indicator for the early detection of N-nitrosodiethylamine-induced hepatocarcinoma.