Transfer of HBV genomes to bone marrow using adenovirus vectors leads to alteration of the hematopoietic status in mice

Infection of humans with hepatitis B virus(HBV)not only leads to hepatitis,cirrhosis,and liver cancer but also causes extrahep-atic damage,such as diabetes,kidn...     

Preparation and characterization of magnetic microspheres for the purification of interferon alpha-2b

Magnetic agarose microspheres (MAMS), magnetic cellulose microspheres (MCMS), and magnetic poly(vinyl alcohol) microspheres (MPVAMS) were prepared by various different preparation methods. MCMS coupled with anti-IFN alpha-2b monoclonal antibodies (mAb) were selected for the purification of interferon alpha-2b (IFN alpha-2b) after performance characterization among microspheres. Parameters of immunomagnetic separation (IMS), including binding mAb, elution behavior, and sample pretreatment conditions, were optimized to improve the purification efficiency of the separation of IFN alpha-2b by MCMS. Size-exclusion HPLC (HPSEC) showed that the IFN alpha-2b was purified from crude cell lysate had an overall purity of 92.9%, while immunological and biological assays showed an activity recovery of 88.5% and specific antiviral activity of 2.7 x 10(8) IU/mg. Identity and molecular mass of purified IFN alpha-2b were confirmed by western blot and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) analysis. This study illustrated the favorable separation media which combined desired properties for the development of magnetic separation of biological materials.     

Fine mapping and candidate gene analysis of dense and erect panicle 3, DEP3, which confers high grain yield in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Architecture of the rice inflorescence, which is determined mainly by the morphology, number and length of primary and secondary inflorescence branches, is an important agronomical trait. In the current study, we characterized a novel dense and erect panicle (EP) mutant, dep3, derived from the Oryza sativa ssp. japonica cultivar Hwacheong treated with N-methyl-N-nitrosourea. The panicle of the dep3 mutant remained erect from flowering to full maturation, whereas the panicle of the wild type plant began to droop after flowering. The dep3 mutation also regulated other panicle characteristics, including panicle length, grain shape and grain number per panicle. Anatomical observations revealed that the dep3 mutant had more small vascular bundles and a thicker culm than wild type plants, explaining the EP phenotype. Genetic analysis indicated that the phenotype with the dense and EP was controlled by a single recessive gene, termed dep3. The DEP3 gene was identified as the candidate via a map-based cloning approach and was predicted to encode a patatin-like phospholipase A2 (PLA2) superfamily domain-containing protein. The mutant allele gene carried a 408?bp genomic deletion within LOC_Os06g46350, which included the last 47?bp coding region of the third exon and the first 361?bp of the 3??-untranslated region. Taken together, our results indicated that the patatin-like PLA2 might play a significant role in the formation of vascular bundles, and that the dep3 mutant may provide another EP resource for rice breeding programs.     

Oestrogen regulates the expression of cathepsin E-A-like gene through ER$$\upbeta $$ in liver of chicken ( Gallus gallus)

The cathepsin E-A-like, also known as ‘similar to nothepsin’, is a new member of the aspartic protease family, which may take part in processing of egg yolk macromolecules, due to it was identified in the chicken egg-yolk. Previously, studies have suggested that the expression of cathepsin E-A-like increased gradually during sexual maturation of pullets, but the exact regulation mechanism is poorly understood. In this study, to gain insight into the function and regulation mechanism of the gene in egg-laying hen, we cloned the cathepsin E-A-like gene and evaluated its evolutionary origin by using both phylogenetic and syntenic methods. The mode of the gene expression regulation was analysed through stimulating juvenile hens with \(17\upbeta \)-estradiol and chicken embryo hepatocytes with \(17\upbeta \)-estradiol combined with oestrogen receptor antagonists including MPP, ICI 182,780 and tamoxifen. Our results showed that cathepsin E-A-like was an orthologoues gene with nothepsin, which is present in birds but not in mammals. The expression of cathepsin E-A-like significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner after the juvenile hens were treated with \(17\upbeta \)-estradiol (\(P~<~0.05\)). Compared with the \(17\upbeta \)-estradiol treatment group, the expression of cathepsin E-A-like was not significantly changed when the hepatocytes were treated with \(17\upbeta \)-estradiol combined with MPP (\(P~<~0.05\)). In contrast, compared with the \(17\upbeta \)-estradiol combined with MPP treatment group, the expression of cathepsin E-A-like was significantly downregulated when the hepatocytes were treated with \(17\upbeta \)-estradiol combined with tamoxifen or ICI 182,780 (\(P~<~0.05\)). These results demonstrated that cathepsin E-A-like shared the same evolutionary origin with nothepsin. The expression of cathepsin E-A-like was regulated by oestrogen, and the regulative effect was predominantly mediated through ER-\(\upbeta \) in liver of chicken.     

Cocirculation of two transmission lineages of echovirus 6 in jinan, china, as revealed by environmental surveillance and sequence analysis

Enterovirus environmental surveillance on sewage from the city of Jinan, Shandong Province, China, was initiated in 2008. Thirty echovirus 6 (E6) strains-1 in 2008 and 29 in 2010-were isolated and identified. Most E6 isolates (n = 21) came from the sewage collected on August 2010, revealing high local E6 activity at that time. Interestingly, the VP1 sequences of most isolates, even from the same sewage, were not identical. Phylogenetic analysis of VP1 sequences revealed two lineages for these isolates, with 78.0 to 80.0% nucleotide identities with one another, 94.8 to 100.0% identity within the major lineage, and 92.7 to 98.5% identity within the minor one. The VP1 sequences of environmental isolates, clinical isolates from 1998 to 2010, and global E6 were subjected to evolutionary analysis using Bayesian phylodynamic methods. The inferred E6 VP1 ancestral sequence dated back to 1901 (range, 1873 to 1928) and evolved with 7.047 × 10(-3) substitutions per site per year. Shandong E6 segregated into three clusters, and the two environmental lineages belonged to clusters A and C, which originated in 2003 and 1992, respectively. The antigenicity analysis via neutralization assay confirmed great antigenic differences between Shandong isolates and a prototype strain. These findings underscore the value of continuous environmental surveillance and genetic analysis to monitor circulating enteroviruses in the population and give further insight into E6 evolution.     

野生藏酋猴冬季食物组成及营养成分

觅食是获取营养物质和能量的重要途经。对于栖息在四季分明地区的灵长类动物而言,低温以及食物资源相对匮乏的冬季是其生存和生长发育的瓶颈期。本研究以安徽黄山的野生藏酋猴(Macaca thibetana)天湖山群为对象,于2019年11月至2020年1月采用瞬时扫描取样法(Instantaneous scan sampling)采集猴群觅食行为数据,并分析其冬季食物组成及食物中各化学成分含量对取食的影响。结果显示,野生藏酋猴在冬季共取食23科31属34种植物,主要包括壳斗科(Fagaceae, 21.62%)、樟科(Lauraceae, 17.57%)、蔷薇科(Rosaceae, 8.11%)的植物,取食部位以叶片(66.22%)和果实(种子)(24.32%)为主。不同取食部位的水分、总糖、淀粉、脂肪、单宁等成分存在显著差异。其中,叶片的水分含量高于果实(种子)、茎和芽,茎和果实(种子)含有较高的总糖,果实(种子)的淀粉和脂肪含量最高,芽的单宁含量最高。此外,取食植物中的总糖含量高于非取食植物。结果表明,野生藏酋猴适应寒冷冬季与食物匮乏的觅食策略是对植物种类、植物部位及其主要营养成分的综合结...     

Preparation, characterization and properties of superabsorbent nanocomposites based on natural guar gum and modified rectorite

Novel guar gum-g-poly(sodium acrylate)/rectorite (GG-g-PNaA/REC) superabsorbent nanocomposites were prepared in aqueous solution using guar gum (GG), partially neutralized acrylic acid (NaA), acidified rectorite (H⁺-REC) and organified rectorite (CTA⁺-REC) by cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as raw materials, ammonium persulfate (APS) as initiator and N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as crosslinker. FTIR spectra confirmed that NaA had been grafted onto GG chains and the OH groups of REC participated in polymerization reaction. Exfoliated nanocomposite was obtained for H⁺-REC and intercalated structure was formed for CTA⁺-REC as shown by XRD results. SEM observations show REC has been uniformly dispersed in polymeric matrix. Effects of HCl concentration, organification degree of CTA⁺-REC and content of REC on swelling capabilities were investigated and the swelling kinetics of nanocomposites was evaluated. Results indicate that modifying REC by acidification and organification can improve swelling properties of the resultant nanocomposites, and GG-g-PNaA/CTA⁺-REC exhibited higher swelling capability and swelling rate contrast to GG-g-PNaA/H⁺-REC.     

Tumour necrosis factor‐α promotes liver ischaemia‐reperfusion injury through the PGC‐1α/Mfn2 pathway

Tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α has been considered to induce ischaemia‐reperfusion injury (IRI) of liver which is characterized by energy dysmetabolism. Peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor‐γ co‐activator (PGC)‐1α and mitofusion2 (Mfn2) are reported to be involved in the regulation of mitochondrial function. However, whether PGC‐1α and Mfn2 form a pathway that mediates liver IRI, and if so, what the underlying involvement is in that pathway remain unclear. In this study, L02 cells administered recombinant human TNF‐α had increased TNF‐α levels and resulted in down‐regulation of PGC‐1α and Mfn2 in a rat liver IRI model. This was associated with hepatic mitochondrial swelling, decreased adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, and increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity as well as cell apoptosis. Inhibition of TNF‐α by neutralizing antibody reversed PGC‐1α and Mfn2 expression, and decreased hepatic injury and cell apoptosis both in cell culture and in animals. Treatment by rosiglitazone sustained PGC‐1α and Mfn2 expression both in IR livers, and L02 cells treated with TNF‐α as indicated by increased hepatic mitochondrial integrity and ATP production, reduced ROS and ALT activity as well as decreased cell apoptosis. Overexpression of Mfn2 by lentiviral‐Mfn2 transfection decreased hepatic injury in IR livers and L02 cells treated with TNF‐α. However, there was no up‐regulation of PGC‐1α. These findings suggest that PGC‐1α and Mfn2 constitute a regulatory pathway, and play a critical role in TNF‐α‐induced hepatic IRI. Inhibition of the TNF‐α or PGC‐1α/Mfn2 pathways may represent novel therapeutic interventions for hepatic IRI.     

家蚕光泽小眼(varnished eye)突变基因的精细定位

家蚕(Bombyx mori)光泽小眼(varnished eye,ve)突变体是家蚕突变品种中少数关于家蚕复眼形态异常的自然隐性突变品种之一,表现为成虫复眼小,表面富有光泽,有瘤状突起;小眼数量少且不规则。经典遗传学连锁图谱将ve基因定位在第6连锁群32.2座位,但到目前为止,该突变性状的形成机理仍不清楚。文章以突变品种ve和对照品种Dz为亲本,杂交产生的F1代雄个体与轮回亲本ve雌个体回交产生的BC1代为材料进行ve基因的精细定位。通过对ve低密度连锁图谱分析发现,ve基因被定位在SNP3~SNP6之间,物理图谱距离大约为1.2 Mb。利用1563个BC1代个体构建ve高密度连锁图谱,最终将ve基因定位在SNP5~SNP61之间,物理图谱距离大约为221.8 kb。通过家蚕基因数据库对ve最终定位区域内进行预测基因检索,发现有6个预测基因。对6个预测基因进行生物信息学分析和测序,这些候选基因都有可能参与家蚕复眼形成,但在编码区没有发现ve特异的突变位点;对这些候选基因进行表达分析,发现编号为BGIBMGA013642的候选基因在ve复眼形成过程中的表达量明显比正常对照Dz低,推测该基因为最佳候选基因。