Effect of miRNA-33 on ABCA1/ABCG1 expression in RAW264.7 macrophage-derived foam cells after Hcy treatment

AIM:To study whether homocysteine (Hcy) inhibits the expression of ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) and ATP-binding cassette transporter G1 (ABCG1) by microRNA-33 (miRNA-33) signaling, and reduces the efficiency of reverse cholesterol transport (RCT).METHODS:RAW264.7 macrophages were induced by oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) to establish foam cell model. Oil red O staining was used to determine whether the model was established successfully. miRNA-33 mimics and miRNA-33 inhibitor were transfected into the cells by Lipofectamine 2000, and the cells were exposed to Hcy at concentration of 5 mmol/L for 24 h. The intracellular lipid droplets were observed by Oil red O staining. The expression of ABCA1 and ABCG1 at mRNA and protein levels was determined by real-time PCR and Western blot. The cellular cholesterol content was analyzed by HPLC, and effluent rate of cholesterol was detected by the method of liquid scintillation counting.RESULTS:Compared with blank control group, the lipid content in miRNA-33 mimics group was increased, and the expression of ABCA1 and ABCG1 at mRNA and protein levels was decreased (P<0.05). The intracellular cholesterol content was increased gradually (P<0.05), and the cellular cholesterol efflux rate was gradually decreased (P<0.05) in miRNA-33 mimics group. Compared with blank control group, the testing results in miRNA-33 inhibitor group were the opposition of those in miRNA-33 mimics group (P<0.05). No diffe-rence of the above indexes among blank control group, miRNA-33 mimics-NC group and miRNA-33 inhibitor-NC group was observed.CONCLUSION:Hcy inhibits the mRNA and protein expression of ABCA1 and ABCG1 through miRNA-33 signaling, and reduces the efficiency of RCT in RAW264.7 macrophage-derived foam cells.     

Infection routes of Aeromonas salmonicida in rainbow trout monitored in vivo by real‐time bioluminescence imaging

Recent development of imaging tools has facilitated studies of pathogen infections in vivo in real time. This trend can be exemplified by advances in bioluminescence imaging (BLI), an approach that helps to visualize dissemination of pathogens within the same animal over several time points. Here, we employ bacterial BLI for examining routes of entry and spread of Aeromonas salmonicida susbp. salmonicida in rainbow trout. A virulent Danish A. salmonicida strain was tagged with pAKgfplux1, a dual‐labelled plasmid vector containing the mutated gfpmut3a gene from Aequorea victoria and the luxCDABE genes from the bacterium Photorhabdus luminescens. The resulting A. salmonicida transformant exhibited growth properties and virulence identical to the wild‐type A. salmonicida, which made it suitable for an experimental infection, mimicking natural conditions. Fish were infected with pAKgfplux1 tagged A. salmonicida via immersion bath. Colonization and subsequent tissue dissemination was followed over a 24‐h period using the IVIS spectrum imaging workstation. Results suggest the pathogen's colonization sites are the dorsal and pectoral fin and the gills, followed by a progression through the internal organs and an ensuing exit via the anal opening. This study provides a tool for visualizing colonization of A. salmonicida and other bacterial pathogens in fish.     

低氧胁迫对河川沙塘鳢抗氧化酶及ATP酶活性的影响

研究了在急性低氧1.5 h、5 h和慢性低氧3 d下,河川沙塘鳢(Odontobutis potamophila)5种组织(心、脑、肝、鳃和肾)的超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)及谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GPX)3种抗氧化酶和ATP酶活性的变化规律。结果显示:在急性低氧暴露1.5 h时,河川沙塘鳢SOD和GPX的活力在各组织中与对照组相比均无显著差异,CAT活力在心、鳃和肝3种组织呈现显著升高(P0.05),ATP酶活力在心和肝组织极显著升高(P0.01);在急性低氧暴露5 h时,除肝组织SOD酶活性显著降低外(P0.05),其它4种组织的CAT、GPX和ATP酶均不同程度显著升高(P0.05);在慢性低氧处理3 d时,心、脑组织的抗氧化酶已基本恢复至与对照组无显著差异的水平,但鳃、肝和肾中酶活力仍较高(P0.05)。研究表明,河川沙塘鳢能通过自身调节抗氧化酶及ATP酶活性,改变代谢底物,提高机体适应低氧环境的能力。     

用于水生病原菌的3种高通量活菌计数方法的比较

以一株副溶血弧菌(Vibrio parahaemolyticus)作为研究对象，比较了MTT [3-(4,5-二甲基噻唑-2)-2,5-二苯基四氮唑溴盐]比色法、ATP生物发光法和高通量生长曲线法在活细菌高通量计数上的应用效果。用96孔培养板进行不同浓度细菌活菌计数，确定了上述3种方法在副溶血弧菌活菌计数的标准曲线和线性范围。结果显示，副溶血弧菌的MTT比色法以DMSO溶解的MTT产物甲瓒在555 nm的吸光度(OD555 nm)为计数依据，活菌数的对数(LgC)与LgOD555 nm线性关系的标准曲线为LgC=(1.0439±0.0200)LgOD555 nm+(8.0565±0.0125)，相关系数R²=0.9965，线性检测范围为7.8×106~2.5×108 CFU/ml；ATP生物发光法以ATP产生的相对发光度值(RLU)为计数依据，LgC与LgRUL线性关系的标准曲线为LgC=(0.9590±0.0065)LgRLU+(0.9949±0.0366)，相关系数R²=0.9994，线性检测范围为1.0×104~3.0×108 CFU/ml；高通量生长曲线法以生长曲线达到拐点的时间(Ts)为计数依据，LgC与Ts线性关系的标准曲线为LgC=?(0.8727±0.0230)Ts+(9.0128±0.1572)，相关系数R²=0.9924，线性检测范围为1.0×100~1.0×107 CFU/ml。用3种方法对实际菌液测量并与平板计数法比较表明，ATP生物发光法与高通量生长曲线法有很好的准确性，MTT比色法准确度稍差，而高通量生长曲线法有最宽的线性范围，也最适合高通量测定。     

外源ATP对盐胁迫下油菜种子萌发及幼苗生长的影响

以‘陇油8号’油菜为试验材料,研究了不同浓度(1、10、25、50、100μmol·L~(-1))外源ATP预处理对盐胁迫下油菜种子萌发及幼苗生物量、H_2O_2和·OH含量、抗氧化酶活性、膜损伤程度、渗透调节物质及相关基因表达的影响。结果表明,与对照(不用ATP或NaCl处理)相比,用不同浓度的外源ATP处理,可不同程度地提高油菜种子的发芽率和发芽势,25μmol·L~(-1)的ATP处理表现较为显著,发芽率和发芽势分别提高了26.9%和17.2%。25μmol·L~(-1)的ATP+NaCl处理相比较于单独NaCl胁迫处理,油菜种子的发芽率和发芽势分别提高了13.7%和15.0%,油菜幼苗的生物量(根长、株高、鲜重)、2种抗氧化酶活性(CAT、POD)、可溶性糖和脯氨酸含量及相关基因(MAPK3和MAPK6、SOS1和NHX1)的表达量均显著增加,其中根长、株高、鲜重分别增加了23.6%、27.3%、28.6%,CAT、POD活性、可溶性糖和脯氨酸含量分别增加了10.3%、27.0%、15.9%、41.0%;而H_2O_2和·OH含量、丙二醛(MDA)含量及相对电导率分别显著降低了13.6%、6.3%、27.6%、20.5%。以上结果表明,外源ATP浸种能够促进NaCl胁迫处理下油菜的种子萌发,显著提高幼苗的生物量、抗氧化能力及相关基因的表达,降低其膜损伤,增强油菜幼苗的耐盐性。     

Lipid-rich bovine serum albumin improves the viability and hatching ability of porcine blastocysts produced in vitro

The effects of lipid-rich bovine serum albumin (LR-BSA) on the development of porcine blastocysts produced in vitro were examined. Addition of 0.5 to 5 mg/ml LR-BSA to porcine blastocyst medium (PBM) from Day 5 (Day 0 = in vitro fertilization) significantly increased the hatching rates of blastocysts on Day 7 and the total cell numbers in Day-7 blastocysts. When Day-5 blastocysts were cultured with PBM alone, PBM containing LR-BSA, recombinant human serum albumin or fatty acid-free BSA, addition of LR-BSA significantly enhanced hatching rates and the cell number in blastocysts that survived compared with other treatments. The diameter, ATP content and numbers of both inner cell mass and total cells in Day-6 and Day-7 blastocysts cultured with PBM containing LR-BSA were significantly higher than in blastocysts cultured with PBM alone, whereas LR-BSA had no effect on mitochondrial membrane potential. The mRNA levels of enzymes involved in fatty acid metabolism and β-oxidation (ACSL1, ACSL3, CPT1, CPT2 and KAT) in Day-7 blastocysts were significantly upregulated by the addition of LR-BSA. The results indicated that LR-BSA enhanced hatching ability and quality of porcine blastocysts produced in vitro, as determined by ATP content, blastocyst diameter and expression levels of the specific genes, suggesting that the stimulatory effects of LR-BSA arise from lipids bound to albumin.     

生物超弱发光的光子成像及其检测方法研究

任何有生命的物质,人、动物、植物和微生物等都有一种超弱发光,这是生命体本身所固有的一种属性,而且这种超弱发光的强弱与生命活动能力密切相关,新陈代谢愈旺盛,生命活力愈强,则发光也愈强。为此,介绍了生物超弱发光的基本原理和光子成像探测系统的结构,并且对迄今为止生物超弱发光研究的主要实验结果以及超弱发光的主要检测方法进行了归纳总结。     

Microbial biomass and activity in urban soils contaminated with Zn and Pb

Summary The effects of heavy metals on microbial biomass and activity were investigated in 30 urban soils, contaminated mainly with Zn and Pb to different extents, in terms of the physicochemical and biological characteristics of the soils. Evaluated by simple and multiple regression analyses, the microbial biomass was not affected significantly by easily soluble Zn + Pb (extractable with 0.1 NHCI). The biomass was accounted for as a function of cation exchange capacity (CEC), total organic C and the numbers of fungal colonies present (R ² = 0.692). Carbon dioxide evolution from soils, which reflected microbial activity, was studied on soils incubated with microbial-promoting substrates (glucose and ammonium sulfate) or without. Carbon dioxide evolution was negatively related to Zn+Pb, and this inhibitory effect of the metals was greater in the soils incubated with substrates. Carbon dioxide evolution in soils with substrates was closely related to Zn+Pb, bacterial numbers and the numbers of fungal colonies (R ² = 0.718). Carbon dioxide evolution in soils without substrates was accounted for as a function of Zn + Pb, biomass and the C/N ratio (R ² = 0.511). Using these relationships, the effects of heavy metals on soil microorganisms are discussed in terms of metabolically activated and dormant populations.     

小麦白粉菌ADP/ATP载体蛋白基因的克隆及表达特征分析

 小麦白粉病是小麦上的一种重要病害。研究小麦白粉菌致病相关基因及其在致病过程中的作用,对于丰富小麦白粉菌致病的分子机制和筛选防治新靶标具有重要意义。前期转录组测序结果提示一个小麦白粉菌ADP/ATP载体蛋白（ADP/ATP carrier protein,AACP）在小麦与白粉菌互作时上调表达。本研究利用cDNA末端快速克隆技术（rapid\|amplification of cDNA ends,RACE）获得了长945 bp具有完整开放阅读框的小麦白粉菌ADP/ATP carrier基因序列,暂命名为BgtAACPx（GenBank登录号为MF197857）该基因编码314个氨基酸残基,利用相关软件进行生物信息分析,结果表明该蛋白为疏水性,含有6个跨膜区,亚细胞定位在线粒体上。与已有小麦白粉菌AACP蛋白的同源性为97%,是一个新的蛋白,同时构建了与其同源蛋白的遗传进化树。定量结果表明该基因在小麦白粉菌吸器期（48 h）、次生菌丝（72 h）至白粉菌刚产孢子又未形成孢子堆（120 h）这段时期高表达,提示该基因可能参与小麦白粉菌对小麦的致病过程。     

不同栽培模式对早稻—再生稻头季稻籽粒灌浆特性和ATP酶活性的影响

为了揭示不同栽培措施对再生稻产量的影响,阐明超高产栽培模式实现高产的生理原因,采用超高产栽培模式并以常规栽培模式作为对照进行比较试验,研究不同栽培模式下早稻—再生稻头季稻籽粒灌浆特性和ATP酶活性的变化。结果表明,与常规栽培模式相比,超高产栽培模式头季稻强、弱势粒的生长潜势强,灌浆最大生长速率出现的时间早,灌浆速率在整个灌浆期的前、中、后3个阶段均较高,活跃灌浆时间较短,强、弱势粒较早进入灌浆盛期,同时,整个灌浆期头季稻强、弱势粒的Mg2 -ATP和Ca2 -ATP酶活性超高产栽培模式也都较常规栽培模式的高,尤其是在籽粒灌浆的快速增长阶段,超高产栽培模式的明显高于常规栽培模式,因而其头季籽粒灌浆呈现出灌浆起动快、灌浆强度大、灌浆后期“拉力”足的特点,从而有利于有机物质向穗部运输,这是超高产栽培模式头季实现大穗、多穗、粒饱、结实率高的籽粒灌浆特性和生理原因。