Sphingolipids at Plasmodesmata: Structural Components and Functional Modulators

Plasmodesmata (PD) are plant-specific channels connecting adjacent cells to mediate intercellular communication of molecules essential for plant development and defense. The typical PD are organized by the close apposition of the plasma membrane (PM), the desmotubule derived from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and spoke-like elements linking the two membranes. The plasmodesmal PM (PD-PM) is characterized by the formation of unique microdomains enriched with sphingolipids, sterols, and specific proteins, identified by lipidomics and proteomics. These components modulate PD to adapt to the dynamic changes of developmental processes and environmental stimuli. In this review, we focus on highlighting the functions of sphingolipid species in plasmodesmata, including membrane microdomain organization, architecture transformation, callose deposition and permeability control, and signaling regulation. We also briefly discuss the difference between sphingolipids and sterols, and we propose potential unresolved questions that are of help for further understanding the correspondence between plasmodesmal structure and function.     

温度极化对膜蒸馏过程的影响研究

采用直接接触式膜蒸馏，以纯水为料液，考察了材料及结构不同的5种微孔疏水膜的渗透性能．分析结果认为，膜的渗透系数和温度极化系数共同影响着膜通量的大小．实验还考察了料液温度和流率对膜通量及热效率的影响，利用膜及膜两侧边界层内传热传质理论对此进行了分析讨论．因温度极化系数随操作温度变化，可通过控制适宜操作温度获得大膜通量和高热效率．增大料液流率可强化传热，使温度极化减弱，膜通量增加．     

反渗透海水淡化技术最新研究动态

从降低海水反渗透淡化产水成本和环境友好过程的开发两个方面探讨了国内外海水反渗透淡化技术的最新研究成果和应用情况，包括能量回收器的研究、新型工艺过程的设计、海水反渗透膜的研究和应用、用膜法预处理代替传统化学器预处理以及NF—SWRO—MSF过程集成5个部分．     

复合二氧化钛膜的研制

用溶胶 -凝胶法在多孔α -Al2 O3陶瓷衬底上制备了TiO2 微孔膜 ,经激光光散射仪、X -射线衍射仪、扫描电子显微镜、孔率计等对胶粒的大小、膜的结构、形貌和孔径分布等进行了表征 ,发现在孔直径为 0 .5μm的多孔载体上经浸渍 -干燥 -焙烧过程 ,能制得对牛血清白蛋白 (BSA)有 73.5%～ 92 .7%截留率、通量在 0 .2MPa压差下约 52L/(m2 ·h)的超滤膜 .     

Unraveling Membrane Perturbations Caused by the Bacterial Riboregulator Hfq

Hfq is a pleiotropic regulator that mediates several aspects of bacterial RNA metabolism. The protein notably regulates translation efficiency and RNA decay in Gram-negative bacteria, usually via its interaction with small regulatory RNAs. Previously, we showed that the Hfq C-terminal region forms an amyloid-like structure and that these fibrils interact with membranes. The immediate consequence of this interaction is a disruption of the membrane, but the effect on Hfq structure was unknown. To investigate details of the mechanism of interaction, the present work uses different in vitro biophysical approaches. We show that the Hfq C-terminal region influences membrane integrity and, conversely, that the membrane specifically affects the amyloid assembly. The reported effect of this bacterial master regulator on membrane integrity is discussed in light of the possible consequence on small regulatory RNA-based regulation.     

膜生物反应器中污泥EPS的提取方法

采用七种方法（热、酸、碱处理等）提取MBR（Membrane Bioreactor）中污泥EPS（extracellular polymeric substances）,研究了这些方法对于污泥EPS的最佳提取条件。在综合考虑各种方法的精确性、操作简易度、提取效果、对污泥细胞的破坏程度后,确定EDTA二钠提取（浓度2%,3h）和热提取（80℃,45min）是最简便有效的两种提取方法。NaOH提取（1mol.L^-1,2h）对污泥细胞具有很大的破坏作用,投加甲醛（浓度2%,2h）之后提取核酸含量减少了21.5%,降低了NaOH溶液提取对于细胞的破坏作用。     

表面胶转化法合成亚微米厚度MFI型分子筛薄膜应用于快速择形分离己烷异构体

在膜分离中,薄膜超薄化对促进气体传输至关重要,而将膜厚降至亚微米级则极具挑战性.本文中,我们提出表面胶转化法来合成亚微米厚度的纯硅MFI分子筛膜.通过精细调控前驱体化学组成制备了低浸润性的黏性胶,有效防止凝胶从氧化铝载体表面渗透至空隙中.在晶种的诱导下,辅以少量水蒸气,表面凝胶经历了直接和完全晶化过程,形成了厚度为~5...     

Identification of Bacterial Membrane Selectivity of Romo1-Derived Antimicrobial Peptide AMPR-22 via Molecular Dynamics

The abuse or misuse of antibiotics has caused the emergence of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) bacteria, rendering most antibiotics ineffective and increasing the mortality rate of patients with bacteremia or sepsis. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are proposed to overcome this problem; however, many AMPs have attenuated antimicrobial activities with hemolytic toxicity in blood. Recently, AMPR-11 and its optimized derivative, AMPR-22, were reported to be potential candidates for the treatment of sepsis with a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity and low hemolytic toxicity. Here, we performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to clarify the mechanism of lower hemolytic toxicity and higher efficacy of AMPR-22 at an atomic level. We found four polar residues in AMPR-11 bound to a model mimicking the bacterial inner/outer membranes preferentially over eukaryotic plasma membrane. AMPR-22 whose polar residues were replaced by lysine showed a 2-fold enhanced binding affinity to the bacterial membrane by interacting with bacterial specific lipids (lipid A or cardiolipin) via hydrogen bonds. The MD simulations were confirmed experimentally in models that partially mimic bacteremia conditions in vitro and ex vivo. The present study demonstrates why AMPR-22 showed low hemolytic toxicity and this approach using an MD simulation would be helpful in the development of AMPs.     

Effects of Non-Opioid Analgesics on the Cell Membrane of Skin and Gastrointestinal Cancers

Skin and gastrointestinal cancer cells are the target of research by many scientists due to the increasing morbidity and mortality rates around the world. New indications for drugs used in various conditions are being discovered. Non-opioid analgesics are worth noting as very popular, widely available, relatively cheap medications. They also have the ability to modulate the membrane components of tumor cells. The aim of this review is to analyze the impact of diclofenac, ibuprofen, naproxen, acetylsalicylic acid and paracetamol on skin and gastrointestinal cancers cell membrane. These drugs may affect the membrane through topical application, at the in vitro and in vivo level after oral or parenteral administration. They can lead to up- or downregulated expression of receptors, transporters and other molecules associated with plasma membrane. Medications may also alter the lipid bilayer composition of membrane, resulting in changes in its integrity and fluidity. Described modulations can cause the visualization of cancer cells, enhanced response of the immune system and the initiation of cell death. The outcome of this is inhibition of progression or reduction of tumor mass and supports chemotherapy. In conclusion, non-opioid analgesics may be used in the future as adjunctive therapy for the treatment of these cancers.     

Preclinical Assessment of the Combination of PSMA-Targeting Radionuclide Therapy with PARP Inhibitors for Prostate Cancer Treatment

Prostate specific membrane antigen targeted radionuclide therapy (PSMA-TRT) is a promising novel treatment for prostate cancer (PCa) patients. However, PSMA-TRT cannot be used for curative intent yet, thus additional research on how to improve the therapeutic efficacy is warranted. A potential way of achieving this, is combining TRT with poly ADP-ribosylation inhibitors (PARPi), which has shown promising results for TRT of neuroendocrine tumor cells. Currently, several clinical trials have been initiated for this combination for PCa, however so far, no evidence of synergism is available for PCa. Therefore, we evaluated the combination of PSMA-TRT with three classes of PARPi in preclinical PCa models. In vitro viability and survival assays were performed using PSMA-expressing PCa cell lines PC3-PIP and LNCaP to assess the effect of increasing concentrations of PARPi veliparib, olaparib or talazoparib in combination with PSMA-TRT compared to single PARPi treatment. Next, DNA damage analyses were performed by quantifying the number of DNA breaks by immunofluorescent stainings. Lastly, the potential of the combination treatments was studied in vivo in mice bearing PC3-PIP xenografts. Our results show that combining PSMA-TRT with PARPi did not synergistically affect the in vitro clonogenic survival or cell viability. DNA-damage analysis revealed only a significant increase in DNA breaks when combining PSMA-TRT with veliparib and not in the other combination treatments. Moreover, PSMA-TRT with PARPi treatment did not improve tumor control compared to PSMA-TRT monotherapy. Overall, the data presented do not support the assumption that combining PSMA-TRT with PARPi leads to a synergistic antitumor effect in PCa. These results underline that extensive preclinical research using various PCa models is imperative to validate the applicability of the combination strategy for PCa, as it is for other cancer types.