Effect of CHOP expression knock-down on apoptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells

AIM:To study the effect of C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) on the apoptosis of renal tubular epithelial HK2 cells. METHODS:The serum mRNA levels of CHOP in the patients with acute kidney injury and healthy controls were detected by qPCR. In vitro, renal tubular epithelial HK2 cells were divided into control group, negative group (transfected with negative control siRNA), si-CHOP group (transfected with CHOP siRNA), and induced by transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). The viability of the cells was measured by MTT assay, and the apoptotic rate was analyzed by flow cytometry. The protein levels of nuclear antigen Ki-67, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-3 were determined by Western blot. RESULTS:Compared with the healthy controls, the serum mRNA levels of CHOP in the patients with acute kidney injury were increased significantly (P<0.05). Transfection with CHOP siRNA significantly decreased the expression of CHOP in the renal tubular epithelial HK2 cells (P<0.05). Knock-down of CHOP expression by siRNA significantly increased the viability of renal tubular epithelial HK2 cells (P<0.05), decreased the apoptotic rate (P<0.05), increased the expression of Ki-67 and PCNA (P<0.05), and down-regulated the protein level of cleaved caspase-3 (P<0.05). CONCLUSION:The serum mRNA levels of CHOP were increased in the patients with acute kidney injury. Knock-down of CHOP expression inhibits the apoptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells by regulating the expression of proliferation-and apoptosis-related proteins.     

miR-204 inhibits proliferation of Hodgkin lymphoma cells by targeting Sirt1/p53 signaling pathway

AIM: To investigate the effect of microRNA-204 (miR-204) on the proliferation of Hodgkin lymphoma cells and the underlying mechanism. METHODS: The expression of miR-204 and Sirt1 mRNA in Hodgkin lymphoma tissues was detected by RT-qPCR. After transfection with miR-204 mimic, Sirt1 siRNA and miR-204 mimic+pcDNA3.1-Sirt1 into the L428 cells, the cell viability and BrdU incorporation were measured by CCK-8 assay and BrdU assay, respectively. The protein levels of Sirt1 and acetylated p53 (ac-p53) were determined by Western blot.The targeting relationship between miR-204 and Sirt1 was verified by double luciferase reporter assay. RESULTS: The low expression of miR-204 and the high mRNA expression of Sirt1 were found in the Hodgkin lymphoma tissues. Compared with control group, the cell viability, BrdU incorporation and the protein levels of Sirt1 and ac-p53 were significantly decreased after L428 cells were transfected with miR-204 mimic or Sirt1 siRNA (P<0.05). Compared with miR-204 mimic alone group, the cell viability, BrdU incorporation and the protein levels of Sirt1 and ac-p53 were increased after L428 cells were co-transfected with miR-204 mimic and pcDNA3.1-Sirt1 (P<0.05). The results of double luciferase reporter assay confiermed that Sirt1 was the target gene of miR-204. CONCLUSION: The inhibitory effect of miR-204 on the proliferation of L428 cells may be achieved by inhibiting the expression of Sirt1 and promoting the up-regulation of ac-p53.     

Three dimensional (3D) spatial metrics for objects

Landscape Ecology - The increasing availability of lidar data and structure from motion processing techniques is moving pattern metric research toward the development of three-dimensional (3D)...     

辣椒抗番茄斑萎病毒病研究进展及展望

番茄斑萎病毒（Tomato spotted wilt virus，TSWV）自19 世纪发现以来，在全世界各地蔓延，对多种作物造成重大经济损失。本文以辣椒为例，从TSWV 的发生与分布、病害症状检测、传播方式、防治方法、抗TSWV 育种及展望等6 个方面对国内外辣椒TSWV 的研究现状进行综述。     

P0 protein of cotton leafroll dwarf virus-atypical isolate is a weak RNA silencing suppressor and the avirulence determinant that breaks the cotton Cbd gene-based resistance

Cotton blue disease (CBD) is the most important disease present in cotton crops in South America and cotton leafroll dwarf virus (CLRDV) is the causal agent. The disease has been controlled by sowing cotton varieties resistant to CLRDV. However, in the 2009/10 growing season, an outbreak due to an atypical CLRDV isolate (CLRDV-at) occurred in northwest Argentina. Although CLRDV and CLRDV-at genomes are very closely related, the symptoms they produce in cotton plants are quite different. P0 is the most divergent protein between the isolates and in CLRDV is a silencing suppressor protein. This work characterized the silencing suppressor activity of the P0 protein encoded by CLRDV-at (P0^CL-at) and evaluated its role in Cbd-resistance break in cotton plants. It was demonstrated that P0^CL-at, despite having a mutation in the consensus of the F-box-like motif, was able to suppress local RNA silencing, but displayed lower activity than P0^CL. P0^CL and P0^CL-at showed no differences in the interaction with Gossypium hirsutum SKP1 orthologue (GSK1) and Nicotiana benthamiana SKP1 and both P0 proteins triggered destabilization of ARGONAUTE1. However, when the ability to enhance PVX symptoms was evaluated, P0^CL-at was shown to be a weaker pathogenicity factor than P0^CL in N. benthamiana. Interestingly, trans-expressed P0^CL-at enabled CLRDV to systemically infect CBD-resistant plants, and a chimeric CLRDV-P0^CL-at infectious clone succeeded in establishing infection in CBD-resistant cotton varieties with symptoms resembling those produced by CLRDV-at. These results strongly suggest that P0^CL-at is the avirulence (Avr) determinant involved in breaking cotton Cbd gene-based resistance.     

黏虫CYP9A113基因的克隆及外源物质对基因表达的诱导效应

黏虫是我国作物上最重要的害虫之一。细胞色素P450能够参与昆虫外源物质代谢。本研究采用RACE技术克隆了一条编码黏虫P450基因的cDNA序列,并通过Real-time PCR技术,检测了4种外源物质对该基因表达的诱导效应。该基因被国际P450命名委员会命名为CYP9A113,GenBank登录号为KY436739。利用2.5%高效氯氟氰菊酯乳油的LD_(50)处理黏虫3 h,LD_(10)、LD_(30)和LD_(50)处理12 h和24 h,可诱导表达CYP9A113基因;20%氯虫苯甲酰胺悬浮剂的LD_(10)处理黏虫12、24和48 h,LD_(30)和LD_(50)处理24 h,CYP9A113基因表达呈诱导效应;0.1和0.5 mg/mL香豆素处理6、12、24和48 h,CYP9A113基因表达均呈诱导效应;0.1和0.5 mg/mL吲哚-3-甲醇处理3、6、12、24和48 h,CYP9A113基因表达均呈诱导效应。     

中国东北地区水稻纹枯病病原菌种类及融合群的分子鉴定

为明确中国东北地区水稻纹枯病病原菌种类及融合群的归属情况, 2015－2017年从黑龙江省、吉林省和辽宁省的17个水稻主产区采集水稻纹枯病标样, 分离获得水稻纹枯病菌214株, 运用水稻纹枯病菌的不同病原菌及融合群的特异性引物对214株水稻纹枯病菌进行病原菌种类和融合群鉴定, 并利用rDNA内转录间隔区(ITS)序列, 对供试水稻丝核菌的融合群归属进行了分析。结果表明:供试214株水稻纹枯病菌分属于茄丝核菌Rhizoctonia solani和水稻丝核菌Rhizoctonia oryzae-sativae, 菌株数分别为198株和16株, 占比分别为92.52%和7.48%。茄丝核菌菌株分属于2个融合群, 分别为AG1-IA和AG4, 菌株数分别为191株和7株, 占比分别为96.46%和3.54%。水稻丝核菌菌株均属于AG-Bb融合群, 菌株数为16株。不同年份水稻纹枯病的病原菌种类及融合群出现的频率和地域分布无明显变化, 而不同地域间水稻纹枯病病原菌的种类及融合群具有明显的分化特征, AG1-IA融合群在中国东北三省各个水稻产区均有分布且均为优势融合群, AG4融合群在辽宁省盘锦市出现频率最高, 水稻丝核菌AG-Bb融合群在吉林省吉林市、通化市和梅河口市出现频率最高。     

Role of chlorogenic acid in endothelial dysfunction in db/db mice

AIM: To explore the effects of chlorogenic acid (CGA) on endothelial dysfunction in db/db mice and the possible mechanism. METHODS: Male db/db mice (n=12) were divided into control group and CGA group, with 6 mice in each group. The mice in CGA group were treated with diet containing 0.02% CGA, while the mice in control group were given normal diet only. The observation period was 12 weeks. Fasting blood glucose level, tail blood pressure and the body weight were analyzed each week. At the end of the 12th week, the mice were anesthetized and blood was taken from carotid artery. The plasma levels of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), catalase (CAT), NAD(P)H dehydrogenase quinone 1 (NQO1) and glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPx-1) were measured by ELISA. The mouse aortas were isolated, and the superoxide anion and nitric oxide (NO) levels were measured by DHE and DAF-2 DA staining, respectively. Wire Myograph System was used to detect the vasorelaxation of db/db mouse aorta. The protein levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα), nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase (p-AMPK), phosphorylated endothelial NO synthase (p-eNOS), P22^phox and P47^phox were determined by Western blot. RESULTS: Dietary CGA decreased fasting blood glucose and body weight in db/db mice as compared with control group (P<0.01 or P<0.05). The plasma levels of HO-1, CAT, NQO1 and GPx-1 in CGA group were higher than those in control group (P<0.01 or P<0.05). Administration of CGA for 12 weeks attenuated superoxide anion level, increased NO level in the mouse endothelium and improved endothelium-dependent relaxation of the db/db mouse aorta. CGA also increased the protein levels of PPARα, Nrf2, p-AMPK and p-eNOS, and decreased P22^phox and P47^phox levels (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Dietary CGA improves db/db mouse endothelium-dependent relaxation. This effect may be related to the increases in the levels of antioxidant molecules PPARα, Nrf2 and p-AMPK, and the up-regulation of antioxidant capacity, thus decreasing the oxidative stress, promoting eNOS phosphorylation, and increasing NO level.     

Causes and feedbacks to widespread grass invasion into chaparral shrub dominated landscapes

Landscape Ecology - This study provides a unified, holistic framework for predicting the dynamics of shrub-grass conversion throughout Mediterranean-climate shrublands. This work focuses...