Effects of RNA interference targeting CDC25agene on proliferation of human liver cancer HepG2 cells

AIM: To investigate the effect of silencing cell division cycle 25a (CDC25a) gene on the proliferation of human hepatoma HepG2 cells. METHODS: CDC25agene in human hepatoma HepG2 cells was silenced by RNA interference. Real-time PCR was applied to detect the expression of CDC25a, cyclin E and CDK2 at mRNA levels in the HepG2 cells. Western blotting was applied to detect the expression of CDC25a at protein level. In addition, MTT assay, Giemsa staining and flow cytometry were used to measure the proliferation of human hepatoma HepG2 cells. RESULTS: The expression of CDC25a at mRNA and protein levels in RNA silence group was lower than those in negative control group and normal control group (P＜0.05). The mRNA expression of cyclin E and CDK2 in silence group was lower than that in negative control group and normal control group (P＜0.05). The cell proliferation in silence group was lower than that in negative control group and normal control group (P＜0.05). The results of flow cytometry revealed that the cells in silence group were blocked in G1 phase. CONCLUSION: Infection of LV-CDC25a-RNAi recombinant to the HepG2 cells effectively inhibits the CDC25agene expression and the proliferation of human hepatoma cells, and arrests the cells in G1 phase, suggesting that CDC25agene may be a key target for the treatment of liver cancer.     

Attenuated Salmonella carrying pGRIM-19-si-survivin co-expression plasmid inhibits growth of prostate cancer subcutaneous xenografts in vivo

AIM：To explore the effects of pGRIM-19-si-survivin co-expression plasmid carried by human attenuated Salmonella on prostate cancer subcutaneous xenograft growth in nude mice. METHODS：Prostate cancer xenograft model was established in nude mice. Co-expression plasmids carried by attenuated Salmonella were introduced by intraperitoneal injection. The xenograft volumes were monitored timely. Immunohistochemical staining, RT-PCR and TUNEL assay were applied to investigate the related mechanisms that pGRIM-19-si-survivin inhibited tumor growth in vivo. RESULTS：Compared with psi-survivin and pGRIM-19 carried by attenuated Salmonella (control groups), the tumor volumes were reduced markedly in pGRIM-19-si-survivin plasmid group. The mean shrinkage rates were 2.36 and 3.02 times. pGRIM-19-si-survivin co-expression plasmid carried by attenuated Salmonella inhibited survivin expression but strengthened GRIM-19 expression obviously (P<0.05). The mRNA expression of apoptosis-related proteins such as Bcl-xL, Stat3, cyclin D1 and c-Myc was inhibited, and the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA and Ki67 protein were also inhibited, but the caspase-3 mRNA expression was up-regulated (P<0.05) with significant cell apoptosis. CONCLUSION： pGRIM-19-si-survivin co-expression plasmid carried by human attenuated Salmonella inhibits the growth of prostate cancer subcutaneous xenografts in nude mice by promoting cell apoptosis and inhibiting prostatic cancer proliferation.     

Effect of small interfering RNA on expression of β2M in pre-differentiated bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells

AIM：To study the effect of small interfering RNA (siRNA) on the expression of beta 2-microglo-bulin (β2M) in pre-differentiated bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). METHODS：The β2M siRNA was transfected into the pre-differentiated BMSCs with Lipofectamine 2000. BMSCs were divided into transfection group, blank control group and negative control group. The expression of β2M at mRNA and protein levels was determined by real-time qPCR, Western blotting and laser confocal microscopy. The productions of aggrecan and type II collagen in pre-differentiated BMSCs were determined by toluidine blue staining and type Ⅱ collagen immunofluorescence. RESULTS：The results of real-time qPCR, Western blotting and laser confocal microscopy showed that siRNA successfully inhibited the expression of β2M at mRNA and protein levels in the pre-differentiated BMSCs. The results of toluidine blue and type Ⅱ collagen immunofluorescence staining showed that siRNA does not affect the productions of aggrecan and type Ⅱ collagen in the pre-differentiated BMSCs. CONCLUSION：siRNA targeting β2M reduces the expression of β2M in the pre-differentiated BMSCs and does not affect the chondrocyte characteristics of pre-differentiated BMSCs.     

Influence of high-mobility group box 1 on proliferation of neural stem cell in pre-infarction cortex of focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion model rats

AIM：To investigate the influence of high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) on the proliferation of neural stem cells in peri-infarction cortex of focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion model rats. METHODS：Male SD rats (n=48) were randomly divided into sham group, ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) group, RNA interference group and negative interference group. The rat middle cerebral artery was blocked to establish focal cerebral I/R model (ischemia for 1 h and reperfusion for 7 d). Lentivirus vector of HMGB1 shRNA was used to suppress the HMGB1 protein expression in the rat brain. The effect of RNA interference was evaluated by the methods of double-immunofluorescence labeling of HMGB1/GFAP and Western blotting. The proliferation of neural stem cells in the peri-infarction cortex was assessed by double labeling of BrdU/nestin. RESULTS：The protein expression of HMGB1 in I/R group was much higher than those in sham group (P<0.05). RNA interference effectively inhibited the HMGB1 expression (P<0.05). Double labeled BrdU/nestin positive cells in I/R group were more than that in sham group (P<0.05). The double labeled BrdU/nestin positive cells were significantly decreased in RNA interference group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION：Focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury promotes the proliferation of neural stem cells in peri-infarction cortex by increasing HMGB1 protein level.     

甘蔗黄叶病毒P0基因的克隆与原核表达及抗血清制备

根据已发表ScYLV-P0基因系列设计特异性引物,应用RT-PCR技术从甘蔗病叶的mRNA扩增得到目的DNA片段.以pET32a（＋）为原核表达载体,构建重组表达质粒pET32a-P0.经过双酶切鉴定和DNA测序后,将重组表达质粒转入大肠杆菌BL21 （DE3）pLySs,在30℃培养条件下IPTG诱导表达.通过SDS-PAGE电泳检测融合蛋白表达情况.表达结果显示,在该表达系统中,融合表达蛋白P0是以包涵体形式的蛋白存在;P0融合蛋白大小约45kDa,与P0开放阅读框的理论推算值29.991 kDa加上载体自身蛋白约18 kDa相符,用Ni2＋-NTA琼脂糖亲和层析纯化融合蛋白,免疫家兔制备出抗血清,通过酶联法（ID-ELISA）测定本实验制备的ScYLY-P0抗血清工作浓度为1：25000.     

我国猪瘟疫苗效力检验的替代方法研究与应用进展

我国兽药典中现行的猪瘟疫苗效力检验方法存在试验成本较高、周期较长、操作较繁琐、重复性较差、敏感性较低等缺点,随着分子生物学与免疫学技术的日臻发展与应用,猪瘟疫苗效力检验的新兴替代检验方法不断发展和完善。论文就我国近年来针对猪瘟疫苗毒种、半成品、成品效力检验的新兴分子生物学和免疫学检测方法的研究与应用进展做一简要综述,旨在为提升我国猪瘟疫苗效力检验水平提供合理的科学依据。     

相手蟹属两种蟹类线粒体16S rRNA基因序列的比较

测定了相手蟹属红螯相手蟹和褶痕相手蟹线粒体16S rRNA基因部分片段的序列，二者的序列长度相同，均为533bp，且A、T、D、C的含量相似，分别为198bp（37．1％），206bp（38．6％），84bp（15．8％），45bp（8．4％）和200bp（37．5％），205bp（38．5％），81bp（15．2％），47bp（8．8％）；二者的序列有49处差异，其中21个位点为转换、22个位点为颠换和6个缺失／插入位点。进一步对20种相手蟹属蟹类的长度为361bp的16S rRNA基因同源序列进行分析，发现AT的含量为78．6％～82．9％，明显高于GC的含量，且存有91个变异位点。从NJ树和遗传距离来看，在分布于中国的3种相手蟹中，无齿相手蟹和红螯相手蟹的亲缘关系最近（d=0．0151），而它们与褶痕相手蟹的亲缘关系则较远（d=0．0924／0．0923）。分布于中国的相手蟹和分布于北美的相手蟹之间存在着较大的遗传距离（差异），表明它们之间有着较远的亲缘关系，互为单系起源。     

Extra small virus-like particles (XSV) and nodavirus associated with whitish muscle disease in the giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii

A disease of Macrobrachium rosenbergii, the giant freshwater prawn, farmed in China was recently recorded in Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Guangxi and Guangdong provinces. The clinical sign of the disease, which develops in post-larvae (PL), is a whitish appearance of the muscles, particularly noticeable in the abdomen. Mortalities may reach 100% in some hatcheries. Investigations by transmission electron microscopy after negative staining of diseased PL homogenates showed the presence of two types of viral particles: one, unenveloped, icosahedral in shape, 26-27 nm in diameter, the second, much smaller, about 14-16 nm in diameter, designated extra small virus particle (XSV). The large virus has a genome with two pieces of ssRNA (RNA-1 and RNA-2), of 3 and 1.2 kb, respectively. Hybridization tests confirmed that this large virus is closely related to M. rosenbergii nodavirus (MrNV) which was isolated from diseased prawns in a hatchery in the French West Indies. Its very small size and hypothesized biochemical and biological characteristics suggest XSV is a new type of crustacean virus. As XSV has always been found associated with the larger virus (nodavirus) and is located in muscle and connective cells of diseased animals, it could be an autonomous virus, a helper-type virus or a satellite-like virus.     

Water quality affects SDH activity, protein content and RNA:DNA ratios in fish (Catla catla, Labeo rohita and Oreochromis mossambicus) raised in ponds of a sewage-fed fish farm

The spatial and seasonal variability of the respiratory enzyme succinate dehydrogenase and the protein content were examined in different tissues of fish cultured in three ponds along the effluent gradient of a sewage-fed fish farm. Indian major carp Catla catla (150-230 g) and Labeo rohita (60-190 g) cultured in both the middle and last points of the sewage effluent (stocking pond 1) and (stocking pond 4) and Oreochromis mossambicus (50-160 g), a naturally growing fish of the inlet (facultative pond) and the out let of the sewage effluent (stocking pond 4) were procured every month during the period of January-December, 2005 and were subjected to determination of succinate dehydrogenase activity, total protein, DNA and RNA contents from gill, liver and muscle tissue respectively. The SDH activity of all three test fishes (Catla catla, Labeo rohita and Oreochromis mossambicus) was reduced significantly (ANOVA; P < 0.05) when cultured in SP-4 compared to SP-1 in the case of Catla catla and Labeo rohita and in facultative pond in the case of Oreochromis mossambicus.Conspicuous differences in the SDH activity of fish between the last and first stocking pond or the facultative pond were clearly due to the result of the differences in water quality. There was a direct relationship between SDH activity in gill tissue of any of the fish investigated and ammonia-N concentration of water or water pH. This shows that the respiratory activity of these fishes was strongly affected by the ammonia and pH of water. In other words, this suggests that as the distance from the point source increases, there was a substantial improvement of water quality in the ponds located along the sewage effluent gradient. Evidently, there is a progressive pattern of growth, survival and physiological health of fish and abundance of favorable diversity of food organisms with rich biodiversity.     

The effects of elevated winter temperature and sub-lethal pollutants (low pH, elevated ammonia) on protein turnover in the gill and liver of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Appetite, growth, and protein turnover (synthesis, growth and degradation) of liver and gills were measured in juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fed to satiation, and exposed for 90 days to elevated winter temperatures (+2 °C above ambient) and either low pH (5.2) in softwater or 70 M total ammonia (TAmm) in hardwater. All fish increased in weight during the experiments, but those exposed to +2°C grew significantly more than those at ambient temperature due to a stimulation of appetite. During the relatively constant temperature of the first 75 days, +2 °C caused a significant increase in the rates of protein synthesis and degradation in the liver of hardwater-acclimated fish, as a result of an increase in RNA translational efficiency (KRNA). The elevated temperature also induced an increase in gill protein synthesis in softwater-acclimated fish but in this case the underlying mechanism was an increase in Cs, the capacity for protein synthesis (RNA:protein) rather than in KRNA. The addition of 70 M TAmm had no effect on protein turnover in either liver or gills of hardwater-acclimated fish. Low pH inhibited protein growth in the liver of softwater-acclimated fish at day 90 under both temperature regimes. This inhibition was effected via a decrease in protein synthesis at control temperature but via an increase in protein degradation when the fish were exposed to both low pH and +2 °C. From these results we conclude that a simulated global warming scenario has potentially beneficial rather than detrimental effects on protein turnover and growth of freshwater fish during winter.