西红花酸对阿霉素所致大鼠心肌线粒体损伤的影响

目的: 研究西红花酸对阿霉素所致大鼠心肌线粒体损伤的保护作用。方法: 建立阿霉素致大鼠心脏毒性模型, 观察西红花酸对心肌线粒体膜电位、线粒体DNA 断裂程度、细胞色素C 氧化酶活性及其亚基IImRNA 表达的影响;测定心肌线粒体超氧阴离子含量及谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GSH-PX)活性。结果: 与模型组相比, 西红花酸可明显升高线粒体膜电位, 降低线粒体DNA 断裂程度, 提高细胞色素C氧化酶活性及其亚基IImRNA 表达水平, 显著降低心肌线粒体超氧阴离子含量, 提高GSH-PX 活性。结论: 西红花酸能明显减轻阿霉素所致大鼠心肌线粒体损伤。     

The Versatile Manipulations of Self-Assembled Proteins in Vaccine Design

Protein assemblies provide unique structural features which make them useful as carrier molecules in biomedical and chemical science. Protein assemblies can accommodate a variety of organic, inorganic and biological molecules such as small proteins and peptides and have been used in development of subunit vaccines via display parts of viral pathogens or antigens. Such subunit vaccines are much safer than traditional vaccines based on inactivated pathogens which are more likely to produce side-effects. Therefore, to tackle a pandemic and rapidly produce safer and more effective subunit vaccines based on protein assemblies, it is necessary to understand the basic structural features which drive protein self-assembly and functionalization of portions of pathogens. This review highlights recent developments and future perspectives in production of non-viral protein assemblies with essential structural features of subunit vaccines.     

发动机风扇转子叶片叶身裂纹分析

发动机风扇转子叶片叶身中部区域过早产生一条裂纹。通过对故障叶片进行外观检查、断口分析、表面检查、材质分析等试验手段,确定了故障叶片裂纹性质及开裂机理。结果表明:故障风扇转子叶片裂纹为起源于叶身中部叶背侧亚表面的高周疲劳裂纹;裂纹疲劳源区附近基体组织不均匀,且存在较多的长条状初生α相,降低了叶片的疲劳性能,是导致该叶片叶身中部过早开裂的主要影响因素。改进措施为控制锻造温度并保证毛坯变形量,避免长条状初生α相的形成。     

Transcriptional Profiling of Cardiac Cells Links Age-Dependent Changes in Acetyl-CoA Signaling to Chromatin Modifications

Metabolism has emerged as a regulator of core stem cell properties such as proliferation, survival, self-renewal, and multilineage potential. Metabolites serve as secondary messengers, fine-tuning signaling pathways in response to microenvironment alterations. Studies show a role for central metabolite acetyl-CoA in the regulation of chromatin state through changes in histone acetylation. Nevertheless, metabolic regulators of chromatin remodeling in cardiac cells in response to increasing biological age remains unknown. Previously, we identified novel cardiac-derived stem-like cells (CTSCs) that exhibit increased functional properties in the neonatal heart (nCTSC). These cells are linked to a unique metabolism which is altered with CTSC aging (aCTSC). Here, we present an in-depth, RNA-sequencing-based (RNA-Seq) bioinformatic with cluster analysis that details a distinct epigenome present in nCTSCs but not in aCTSCs. Gene Ontology (GO) and pathway enrichment reveal biological processes, including metabolism, gene regulation enriched in nCTSCs, and STRING analysis that identifies a network of genes related to acetyl-CoA that can potentially influence chromatin remodeling. Additional validation by Western blot and qRT-PCR shows increased acetyl-CoA signaling and histone acetylation in nCTSCs compared to aCTSCs. In conclusion, our data reveal that the link between metabolism and histone acetylation in cardiac cells is altered with the aging of the cardiac tissue.     

A novel ATP regeneration system using polyphosphate-AMP phosphotransferase and polyphosphate kinase

Polyphosphate-AMP phosphotransferase (PAP) and polyphosphate kinase (PPK) were used for designing a novel ATP regeneration system, named the PAP-PPK ATP regeneration system. PAP is an enzyme that catalyzes the phospho-conversion of AMP to ADP, and PPK catalyzes ATP formation from ADP. Both enzymes use inorganic polyphosphate [poly(P)] as a phosphate donor. In the PAP-PPK ATP regeneration system, ATP was continuously synthesized from AMP by the coupling reaction of PAP and PPK using poly(P). Poly(P) is a cheap material compared to acetyl phosphate, phosphoenol pyruvate and creatine phosphate, which are phosphate donors used for conventional ATP regeneration systems. To achieve efficient synthesis of ATP from AMP, an excessive amount of poly(P) should be added to the reaction solution because both PAP and PPK consume poly(P) as a phosphate donor. Using this ATP generation reaction, we constructed the PAP-PPK ATP regeneration system with acetyl-CoA synthase and succeeded in synthesizing acetyl-CoA from CoA, acetate and AMP. Since too much poly(P) may chelate MG2+ and inhibit enzyme activity, the Mg2+ concentration was optimized to 24 mM in the presence of 30 mM poly(P) in the reaction. In this reaction, ATP was regenerated 39.8 times from AMP, and 99.5% of CoA was converted to acetyl-CoA. In addition, since the PAP-PPK ATP regeneration system can regenerate GTP from GMP, it could also be used as a GTP regeneration system.     

枸杞多糖-4的提取、分离及其对雌性下丘脑损伤性肥胖小鼠的减肥作用

提取、分离了枸杞多糖-4,并研究了其对雌性下丘脑损伤性肥胖小鼠的减肥作用及其作用机制。雌性下丘脑损伤性肥胖小鼠模型造型后分别以20、40和60mg/(kg·d)的剂量连续灌胃30d后,称量体重,测量体长,眼球取血处死,称量全身脂肪重量,计算李氏指数和脂肪指数,测定血脂水平,将脂肪组织固定、染色后400倍显微镜下记数单个视野内脂肪细胞个数,测定脂肪组织中AccmRNA含量。结果表明,枸杞多糖-4可显著降低雌性下丘脑损伤肥胖小鼠的体重和脂肪指数;摄入适当剂量的枸杞多糖-4可显著降低血清TC和TG的含量,提高血清HDL含量;并可显著减小脂肪细胞大小和增加脂肪组织内AccmRNA的含量。表明枸杞多糖-4可通过调节机体的能量代谢达到降脂减肥的作用。     

Studies on protein and its high‐molecular‐weight subunit composition in relation to chapati‐making quality of Indian wheat cultivars

In order to predict the suitability of wheat for chapati making, 15 Indian wheat cultivars were studied for various protein characteristics in relation to chapati‐making quality. The cultivars varied considerably in their protein characteristics and chapati‐making potential. Results clearly indicated that both quantitative and qualitative characteristics of proteins influenced the chapati‐making potential of cultivars. Puffed height, the important qualitative parameter of chapati, was positively correlated with protein content (r = 0.62, p < 0.05), gluten content (r = 0.79, p < 0.01), sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) sedimentation value (r = 0.57, p < 0.05) and Glu‐1 quality scores of high‐molecular‐weight (HMW) subunits (r = 0.66, p < 0.01). Overall quality score of chapati was positively correlated with gluten content (r = 0.64, p < 0.01), SDS sedimentation value (r = 0.60, p < 0.05) and Glu‐1 score (r = 0.58, p < 0.05). HMW subunit composition varied considerably among cultivars. Cultivars having 5 + 10 subunits at the Glu‐1D chromosome, a protein content of about 130 g kg^?1 and SDS sedimentation value around 75 ml yielded excellent chapatis, while those having 2 + 12 subunits, a protein content of about 115 g kg^?1 and SDS sedimentation value around 55 ml resulted in poor chapatis. Interestingly, the presence of the 1BL/1RS chromosome in cultivars had no adverse effect on chapati quality. © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

不同品种甜菜类型甜菜光合特性的研究

水文研究了甜菜生育期中不同品种类型甜菜的光合特性，结果表明在生育前期，高糖型品种的叶绿素含量高，而生育中前期以丰产型高，标准型介于二者之间，ＲｕＢＰ竣化酶活性的动态变化亦显这种趋势；在叶丛形成期和块根增长期，丰产型品种光合速度最高，在糖分积累期则以高糖型品种光合速度高；不同品种不同叶位的叶绿素含量与光合速率中呈正相关。     

Genetic diversity of ivory shell (Babylonia areolata) in Taiwan and identification of species using DNA-based assays

For better traceability of seafood products in Taiwan, we need to effectively test product quality during the processes of identification of seafood species. The aim of this study was to analyse gene diversity and the methods of identification of high-value seafood, ivory shell (Babylonia areolata), on the Penghu Island in Taiwan using molecular marker technology and to build a relevant molecular database. Thirty-three samples of B. areolata and the samples of 5 other Babylonia species, including Babylonia feicheni, Babylonia spirata spirata, Babylonia perforata and Babylonia formosae formosae, from cultivation and from the wild were tested using the inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) method, mitochondrial DNA analysis, PCR-single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) and PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE). The results showed that the primers ISSR3, ISSR7 and ISSR13 of the ISSR method and cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1 (coxI) gene analysis have a good discriminatory power in inter-species and intra-species tests. In conclusion, ISSR, PCR-DGGE and PCR-SSCP with coxI analysis can be used for the screening and identification of B. areolata species. Furthermore, these molecular methods could be useful for the identification of other types of seafood.