Correlation of two‐photon in vivo imaging and FIB/SEM microscopy

Advances in the understanding of brain functions are closely linked to the technical developments in microscopy. In this study, we describe a correlative microscopy technique that offers a possibility of combining two‐photon in vivo imaging with focus ion beam/scanning electron microscope (FIB/SEM) techniques. Long‐term two‐photon in vivo imaging allows the visualization of functional interactions within the brain of a living organism over the time, and therefore, is emerging as a new tool for studying the dynamics of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease. However, light microscopy has important limitations in revealing alterations occurring at the synaptic level and when this is required, electron microscopy is mandatory. FIB/SEM microscopy is a novel tool for three‐dimensional high‐resolution reconstructions, since it acquires automated serial images at ultrastructural level. Using FIB/SEM imaging, we observed, at 10 nm isotropic resolution, the same dendrites that were imaged in vivo over 9 days. Thus, we analyzed their ultrastructure and monitored the dynamics of the neuropil around them. We found that stable spines (present during the 9 days of imaging) formed typical asymmetric contacts with axons, whereas transient spines (present only during one day of imaging) did not form a synaptic contact. Our data suggest that the morphological classification that was assigned to a dendritic spine according to the in vivo images did not fit with its ultrastructural morphology. The correlative technique described herein is likely to open opportunities for unravelling the earlier unrecognized complexity of the nervous system.     

有机pH荧光探针研究进展

细胞内p H在许多细胞生物学过程中发挥着至关重要的作用,异常的p H变化会导致细胞功能紊乱、生长和分裂的突变,还可能引发癌症和阿尔茨海默综合症等疾病。因此,研究细胞内p H的变化具有非常重要的理论和实践意义。荧光分析法具有操作简便、灵敏度高、选择性好、实时检测以及对生物体损伤小等优点而得到了广泛地研究和应用。双光子荧光探针技术相对于单光子荧光技术具有长波吸收、短波发射、高度的三维空间选择性、大的穿透深度、避免荧光漂白和光致毒以及降低组织自发荧光干扰等特点,在生命科学领域显示出了广阔的应用前景。介绍了有机单光子和双光子p H荧光探针的研究现状,同时对有机p H荧光探针未来的发展趋势进行了展望。     

Two‐Step Protein Labeling by Using Lipoic Acid Ligase with Norbornene Substrates and Subsequent Inverse‐Electron Demand Diels–Alder Reaction

Inverse‐electron‐demand Diels–Alder cycloaddition (DA_inv) between strained alkenes and tetrazines is a highly bio‐orthogonal reaction that has been applied in the specific labeling of biomolecules. In this work we present a two‐step labeling protocol for the site‐specific labeling of proteins based on attachment of a highly stable norbornene derivative to a specific peptide sequence by using a mutant of the enzyme lipoic acid ligase A (LplA^W37V), followed by the covalent attachment of tetrazine‐modified fluorophores to the norbornene moiety through the bio‐orthogonal DA_inv . We investigated 15 different norbornene derivatives for their selective enzymatic attachment to a 13‐residue lipoic acid acceptor peptide (LAP) by using a standardized HPLC protocol. Finally, we used this two‐step labeling strategy to label proteins in cell lysates in a site‐specific manner and performed cell‐surface labeling on living cells.     

Fluorogenic Sequencing Using Halogen‐Fluorescein‐Labeled Nucleotides

Fluorogenic sequencing is a sequencing‐by‐synthesis technology that combines the advantages of pyrosequencing and fluorescence detection. With native duplex DNA as the major product, we employ polymerase to incorporate the complement‐ arily matched terminal phosphate‐labeled fluorogenic nucleotides into the DNA template and release halogen‐fluorescein as the reporter. This red‐emitting fluorophore successfully avoids spectral overlap with the autofluorescence background of the flow chip. We fully characterized the enzymatic reaction kinetics of the new substrates, and performed a 35‐base sequencing experiment with 60 reaction cycles. Our achievement expands the substrate repertoire for fluorogenic sequencing, and extends the spectral range to obtain better signal‐to‐background performance.     

稳定表达绿色荧光蛋白标记的人单纯疱疹病毒2型潜伏相关转录体ORF2融合蛋白的Vero细胞株的建立

目的建立稳定表达绿色荧光蛋白(EGFP)标记的人单纯疱疹病毒2型(HSV-2)潜伏相关转录体(LAT)开放读码框2(ORF2)融合蛋白的Vero细胞株。方法构建重组真核表达质粒pEGFP-ORF2,经酶切及测序鉴定正确后,体外转染Vero细胞,经G418筛选稳定表达融合蛋白的克隆,扩大培养后,荧光显微镜观察EGFP的表达,RT-PCR检测目的基因的转录。结果重组真核表达质粒pEGFP-ORF2经酶切及测序鉴定构建正确,经G418培养20d筛选出的Vero细胞株荧光显微镜下可见融合蛋白表达,RT-PCR检测显示,转染了重组表达质粒的Vero细胞内有目的基因的表达。结论已成功建立了稳定表达EGFP-ORF2的Vero细胞株,为进一步研究HSV-2LATORF2的功能奠定了基础。     

电光源科技发展趋势

本文对电光源发展的现状进行了分析,并对电光源发展趋势及应用前景进行了展望。     

Mass transfer characterization for hydrocarbon liquid–particle collision based on sensitive tracing of fluorescent probe

The heat and mass transfer characteristics during the collision process of hydrocarbon droplets and polyethylene particles in a liquid-containing gas–solid polyethylene fluidized bed reactor significantly affect the product quality. In this work, the mass transfer process of single-component hydrocarbon and bi-component hydrocarbon liquid films on the polyethylene particle surface were quantitatively characterized by a newly developed experimental approach, based on a novel synthesized hydrocarbon liquid soluble fluorescent probe for sensitive tracing of hydrocarbon liquid diffusion. It was found that the boiling point and surface tension of the liquid as well as the surface temperature of the particle are the key factors affecting the mass transfer properties of the liquid film. Marangoni convection was observed and characterized on the particle surface. The critical time for the onset of Marangoni flow is between 4 and 8 s.     

连续识别Zn2+和草甘膦荧光探针的合成与应用

以2-巯基苯并噻唑为原料,设计合成了一种结构简单的苯并噻唑类荧光探针2-[2-(苯并噻吩-2-基亚甲基)肼基]苯并噻唑(简称NSS),并通过FTIR、HRMS、¹HNMR、¹³CNMR对其结构进行了表征。荧光光谱表明,在二甲基亚砜中,探针NSS实现了Zn²⁺的“关-开”型检测,具有响应时间短(30 s)、特异性强、抗干扰性强等优点。探针NSS荧光强度与Zn²⁺浓度(0～11μmol/L)呈现良好的线性关系,检出限达19.1 nmol/L,并与Zn²⁺形成物质的量比为1∶1的络合物。同时,络合物NSS-Zn²⁺对草甘膦呈现特异性的荧光猝灭响应,猝灭率达99.4%,检出限16.0 nmol/L(2.71 ng/mL),且不受其他有机磷农药的干扰。     

高灵敏度磁荧光免疫层析试纸模式构建及在呕吐毒素检测中的应用

构建基于磁荧光纳米材料的免疫层析试纸模式,弥补现在免疫层析技术的不足,为更灵敏的免疫学快速检测提供技术支撑。以呕吐毒素（deoxynivalenol,DON）为靶标,采用溶剂热法制备羧基修饰的超顺磁颗粒,碳二亚胺法将磁颗粒、绿色荧光蛋白及DON单克隆抗体进行偶联,一步法制备磁荧光抗体探针,以DON人工抗原（DON-BSA）为检测线建立磁荧光免疫层析试纸。同时用胶体金标记DON单克隆抗体,以DON-BSA为检测线建立胶体金免疫层析试纸;制备的磁荧光抗体探针具有很好的磁性、荧光特性及抗体反应性,基于该探针成功制备了DON磁荧光免疫层析试纸,该试纸回归方程为y=－0.562x＋0.921,R2=0.990,IC50为5.611 ng/mL,检出限为1.089 ng/mL;制备了DON胶体金免疫层析试纸,该试纸裸眼检测灵敏度为500 ng/mL;定量检测回归方程为y=－0.543x＋1.485,R2=0.991,IC50为65.16 ng/mL,检出限为11.94 ng/mL。DON磁荧光免疫层析试纸的灵敏度是胶体金免疫层析试纸的10.96 倍。本实验建立的磁荧光免疫层析试纸模式可以同时实现样品的富集及荧光信号检测,提高检测灵敏度,并成功用于DON的检测,为磁荧光纳米颗粒广泛应用于免疫层析领域提供参考。