A cross-talk between epithelium and endothelium mediates human alveolar–capillary injury during SARS-CoV-2 infection

COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, is an acute and rapidly developing pandemic, which leads to a global health crisis. SARS-CoV-2 primarily attacks human alveoli and causes severe lung infection and damage. To better understand the molecular basis of this disease, we sought to characterize the responses of alveolar epithelium and its adjacent microvascular endothelium to viral infection under a co-culture system. SARS-CoV-2 infection caused massive virus replication and dramatic organelles remodeling in alveolar epithelial cells, alone. While, viral infection affected endothelial cells in an indirect manner, which was mediated by infected alveolar epithelium. Proteomics analysis and TEM examinations showed viral infection caused global proteomic modulations and marked ultrastructural changes in both epithelial cells and endothelial cells under the co-culture system. In particular, viral infection elicited global protein changes and structural reorganizations across many sub-cellular compartments in epithelial cells. Among the affected organelles, mitochondrion seems to be a primary target organelle. Besides, according to EM and proteomic results, we identified Daurisoline, a potent autophagy inhibitor, could inhibit virus replication effectively in host cells. Collectively, our study revealed an unrecognized cross-talk between epithelium and endothelium, which contributed to alveolar–capillary injury during SARS-CoV-2 infection. These new findings will expand our understanding of COVID-19 and may also be helpful for targeted drug development.Subject terms: Mechanisms of disease, Viral infection     

Methylation of KvDMR1 involved in regulating the imprinting of CDKN1C gene in cattle

The CDKN1C gene encodes a cyclin‐dependent kinase inhibitor and is one of the key genes involved in the development of Beckwith–Wiedemann syndrome and cancer. In this study, using a direct sequencing approach based on a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at genomic DNA and cDNA levels, we show that CDKN1C exhibits monoallelic expression in all seven studied organs (heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, muscle and subcutaneous fat) in cattle. To investigate how methylation regulates imprinting of CDKN1C in cattle, allele‐specific methylation patterns in two putative differential methylation regions (DMRs), the CDKN1C DMR and KvDMR1, were analyzed in three tissues (liver, spleen and lung) using bisulfite sequencing PCR. Our results show that in the CDKN1C DMR both parental alleles were unmethylated in all three analyzed tissues. In contrast, KvDMR1 was differentially methylated between the two parental alleles in the same tissues. Statistical analysis showed that there is a significant difference in the methylation level between the two parental alleles (P < 0.01), confirming that this region is the DMR of KvDMR1 and that it may be correlated with CDKN1C imprinting.     

长滩果引种驯化研究

长滩果系罗汉果最佳品种。原产区分布于永福和临桂县交界400—600米山区,但不适应于低丘陵和平原地区,因而不能在低丘陵和平原地区推广。为了解决这个问题。采用了(1)选择湿润和半阴的生长环境;(2)采用适应性强的砧木;(3)促成栽培;(4)加强秋旱期的科学管理等措施并取得成功,试验结果表明长滩果产量和品质达到或略超过原产区水平。     

人体小卫星DNA探针的制备

根据人体小卫星DNA核心顺序,化学合成长23碱基寡核苷酸探针,筛选人体基因组文库,旨在获得能用作遗传分析探针的小卫星顺序。结果得到15个含小卫星的阳性重组子。随机取其一(C_(35.9))作探针,试做群体分析。所有个体均可检出多条杂交带。其中某些带具有多态性。在一定检测条件下,检出的DNA图谱在有限的个体内具有个体特异性。结果表明筛选文库得到的小卫星顺序可用于小卫星多态性的检测。其它小卫星探针的筛选和应用性研究正在进行。     

一种纯化细菌有机磷水解酶的简便方法

Cibacron blue T_3GA与溴化氰活化的Sepharose 4B偶联后,产生一种能有效地分离有机磷水解酶的吸附剂。用0.15mol/L MgCl_2溶液从黄杆菌P3—2细胞抽提出的粗酶液通过柱层析分离,即可得到纯化8倍、酶活性回收率为269.4％的纯酶制品。该酶制品用凝胶电泳测是均一的。     

休眠与萌发过程中苹果种子的呼吸代谢

“秦冠”苹果种子的总呼吸强度和EMP途径的呼吸强度在2℃条件下层积之后逐渐增加,解除休眠临界期大体在层积后第30天发生,此后增长速度较快。HMP途径和TCAC在临界期之前变化极慢,而后急剧增加。种子萌发后子叶和胚轴的总呼吸强度、EMP和TCAC初期呈急剧上升趋势,大约当胚轴长度达2cm时迅速下降,HMP在萌发过程中始终呈上升趋势。细胞透性层积之后逐渐降低,解除休眠至萌发阶段呈上升趋势。用不同浓度呼吸抑制剂处理解除休眠种子的试验结果表明,除1mM碘乙酸能明显刺激萌发和生长外,NaCN、SHAM和丙酮酸都表现为抑制作用。