Cuticular protein gene LmACP8 is involved in wing morphogenesis in the migratory locust,Locusta migratoria

Cuticular proteins(CPs) are major components of the insect cuticle-associated organs such as integument and wings, although the importance of CPs for wing development and function in hemimetabolous insects remains understudied. In the present study, a wing cuticular protein LmACP8 was identified from Locusta migratoria, which belongs to the RR-2 subfamily of cuticular protein RR consensus(CPR) chitin-binding proteins. LmACP8 was mainly expressed in the wing pads and showed high expression levels before ecdysis of third-, fourth-, and fifth-instar nymphs, with its encoded protein located in the procuticle of wing pads and adult wings. Depletion of LmACP8 by RNA interference markedly reduced the amount of its protein, which consequently caused abnormal wing morphogenesis in the transition from nymph to adult of L. migratoria. We further demonstrated that the abnormal morphogenesis was caused by severe damage of the endocuticle in the wings. LmACP8 was suppressed by 20-hydroxyecdysone(20 E) in vivo, however, its expression was significantly up-regulated after knocking down the hormone receptor gene LmHR39. Thus, the LmACP8 that is negatively regulated by the LmHR39-mediated 20 E signaling pathway is involved in wing development during the nymph to adult transition.     

CnAβ基因对大鼠RBL-2H3细胞脱颗粒的影响

过敏是人和养殖动物常见的疾病，而且发生的频率呈现逐渐增加的趋势。为了深入了解过敏反应的机制，本研究利用CRISPR/Cas9基因编辑技术，构建钙调磷酸酶A beta （calcineurin A beta，CnAβ）基因敲除的大鼠RBL-2H3细胞株，并探讨CnAβ基因对RBL-2H3细胞生长及脱颗粒的影响。选取大鼠CnAβ基因第一外显子为敲除靶点，设计并合成3个单导向RNA （single guide RNA，sgRNA），构建pX459-CnAβ-sgRNA质粒，并用脂质体3000将构建好的质粒转染到RBL-2H3细胞内；利用嘌呤霉素对转染细胞进行筛选，通过DNA测序验证获得CnAβ基因敲除的RBL-2H3细胞株；并检测CnAβ基因缺失对细胞增殖和脱颗粒的影响。结果表明，成功构建了CnAβ单基因敲除的大鼠RBL-2H3细胞株；CnAβ基因缺失对RBL-2H3细胞增殖、细胞的颗粒形成以及颗粒含量无显著影响，但显著抑制由细胞表面受体介导的RBL-2H3细胞脱颗粒作用。该研究结果有助于深入了解动物过敏性疾病的发生机制，为动物过敏性疾病的预防提供了理论基础。     

Expression of Anti-Lipopolysaccharide Factor Isoform 3 in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Showing High Antimicrobial Activity

Antimicrobial peptides are a class of proteins with antibacterial functions. In this study, the anti-lipopolysaccharide factor isoform 3 gene (ALFPm3), encoding an antimicrobial peptide from Penaeus monodon with a super activity was expressed in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, which would develop a microalga strain that can be used for the antimicrobial peptide production. To construct the expression cluster, namely pH2A-Pm3, the codon optimized ALFPm3 gene was fused with the ble reporter by 2A peptide and inserted into pH124 vector. The glass-bead method was performed to transform pH2A-Pm3 into C. reinhardtii CC-849. In addition to 8 μg/mL zeocin resistance selection, the C. reinhardtii transformants were further confirmed by genomic PCR and RT-PCR. Western blot analysis showed that the C. reinhardtii-derived ALFPm3 (cALFPm3) was successfully expressed in C. reinhardtii transformants and accounted for 0.35% of the total soluble protein (TSP). Furthermore, the results of antibacterial assay revealed that the cALFPm3 could significantly inhibit the growth of a variety of bacteria, including both Gram-negative bacteria and Gram-positive bacteria at a concentration of 0.77 μM. Especially, the inhibition could last longer than 24 h, which performed better than ampicillin. Hence, this study successfully developed a transgenic C. reinhardtii strain, which can produce the active ALFPm3 driven from P. monodon, providing a potential strategy to use C. reinhardtii as the cell factory to produce antimicrobial peptides.     

Effects of three methionine sources in diets on temporal B0AT1 and ASCT2 mRNA expression in different intestinal segments of cobia,Rachycentron canadum

A 4‐week feeding trial was conducted using five groups of hybrid grouper (61.15 ± 0.15 g) to explore the potential effects of three methionine (Met) sources. Five isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets were formulated that included a fishmeal (FM) diet; nonsupplemented (NS) diet; or NS diets with the addition of the L‐methionine (L‐Met), DL‐methionine (DL‐Met), or coated Met (Co‐Met) to obtain the same Met level as the FM diet. Fish were randomly distributed into sea cages (30 fish per cage). Weight gain and specific growth rate in the DL‐Met group and FM group were significantly higher than those in all other groups (p < .05). In the proximal and distal intestines, of the 20 gene and time combinations (10 per gene), there were 14 combinations (70%) in which there were no significant differences in gene expression levels between the FM and DL‐Met groups (p > .05). The main reason for the same growth effect between the DL‐Met and FM groups may be attributed to the synchronized absorption at most time points after feeding, which had similar expression patterns of B⁰AT1 and ASCT2 of the proximal and distal intestines between two groups.     

油茶皂苷的制备及提纯工艺研究

为研究油茶皂苷的制备及提纯工艺,为中试化生产提供科学的技术支撑,通过正交试验得到最佳工艺为乙醇体积分数75%,料液比1∶2,提取时间120 min,提取温度60℃,得到纯度为55.65%的油茶皂苷粗品,得率16.12%。油茶皂苷粗品配置成质量分数3%水溶液,加入10%体积的1%壳聚糖絮凝剂絮,经凝沉、淀除去杂质,澄清液经AB-8型大孔树脂吸附90 min,用质量分数2%氢氧化钠溶液洗脱杂质,再用体积分数70%乙醇溶液洗脱油茶皂苷,将洗脱液旋转蒸发,除去乙醇并烘干,即得到纯度85.36%的油茶皂苷。     

Shikonin inhibits neuronal apoptosis induced by OGD through targeting PI3K/Akt signaling pathway

AIM: To explore the effect of shikonin on rat primary cortical neurons in oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)-induced injury model.METHODS: The neurons were pretreated with shikonin at different concentrations (0.02, 0.2, 2 and 20 μmol/L) followed by treatment with OGD. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay and fluorescein diacetate/propidium iodide (FDA/PI) double staining were used to detect neuronal viability and apoptosis, and then the optimal concentration of shikonin was determined. LY294002 (PI3K/Akt signaling pathway inhibitor, 1 μmol/L) was added before the addition of shikonin, and the protein level of p-Akt (Ser473) in the neurons was determined by Wes-tern blot. LDH release assay and FDA/PI double staining were also used to detect neuronal viability and apoptosis.RESULTS: A certain concentration (0.2~20 μmol/L) of shikonin increased the viability of impaired neurons (P<0.05) and the protein level of p-Akt (Ser473) in the neurons (P<0.05). The effect of shikonin on neuronal p-Akt (Ser473) levels and the cell death were blocked by LY294002 (P<0.05).CONCLUSION: A certain concentration of shikonin reduces OGD-induced apoptosis of rat primary cortical neurons by activating PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.     

基于距离相关系数和KNN回归模型的森林蓄积量估测研究

【目的】探究Landsat8 OLI数据和KNN算法在森林蓄积量估测中的潜力。【方法】以湖南省湘潭县为研究区,采用Landsat8 OLI数据和同时期的二类调查数据,通过距离相关系数筛选特征,分别采用线性回归模型(MLR)、K-近邻模型(KNN)、距离加权KNN模型(DW-KNN)和优化欧式KNN模型(FW-KNN)对森林蓄积量进行估测。使用十折交叉方法进行精度检验,对检验结果进行对比分析。【结果】3种KNN模型的估测结果均高于传统的线性模型,并且在3种KNN模型中,FW-KNN算法效果最好,决定系数达到0.69,为3种模型中最高;3种KNN模型中,本研究优化欧氏距离KNN模型的估测精度最高,其均方根误差为30.3%,相比于传统KNN模型的均方根误差降低了5.1%,相比于DW-KNN模型降低了3.3%。【结论】采用DW-KNN蓄积量估测结果明显优于其他两种模型,说明通过特征与蓄积量的相关性优化样本间的距离是一种可行的KNN优化方法。     

重组GSTA3蛋白对福美双诱导的肉鸡TD中抗凋亡基因BAG-3表达的影响

【目的】肉鸡胫骨软骨发育不良（TD）是肉鸡常见的一种骨骼性疾病,研究重组GSTA3蛋白对福美双诱导的TD肉鸡软骨细胞中抗凋亡基因BAG-3表达的影响,为治疗TD提供新的思路和方法。【方法】将120羽1周龄肉雏鸡随机分为6组（编号为A、B、C、D、E、F组）。A、B、C组为基础日粮对照组,D、E、F组为添加福美双日粮诱导TD组。试验饲喂福美双2 d诱发TD,在添加福美双第1、3、5、7天,腿部肌肉注射重组鸡GSTA3蛋白和磷酸盐缓冲液,A组与D组注射（100 μg·kg ^-1）磷酸盐缓冲液;B组与E组注射低剂量（100 μg·kg ^-1）GSTA3;C组与F组注射高剂量（200 μg·kg ^-1）GSTA3。试验历时23 d。添加福美双后1、2、4、6、10和15 d采集胫骨生长板。通过Real-time qPCR检测BAG-3基因的mRNA水平,利用免疫组化来检测BAG-3蛋白表达水平。【结果】Real-time qPCR结果显示,TD损伤修复期内,相比较于基础日粮对照组,福美双对照组肉鸡胫骨生长板中BAG-3 mRNA的表达水平基本都显著上调（P<0.05）;相比较于福美双对照组,E和F组在第2、4、10、15天都有显著差异,且在第10和15天显著低于福美双对照组（P<0.05）,表明与D组相比恢复较快。免疫组化结果表明BAG-3蛋白在肉鸡胫骨软骨细胞的增殖区和前肥大区无表达,只在肥大区细胞质中表达;福美双组与空白对照组相比,BAG-3蛋白表达增加;福美双高低剂量组与未注射蛋白的福美双组相比,重组GSTA3增加了肥大区的蛋白表达水平（第10和15天）。【结论】在福美双诱导肉鸡发生TD的过程中,GSTA3重组蛋白能够通过调控BAG-3表达参与凋亡途径,抑制细胞凋亡。在TD损伤修复期,注射GSTA3后使抗凋亡基因BAG-3蛋白表达增强,从而可参与细胞凋亡来缓解TD损伤,使得肉鸡TD生长板功能较快地恢复正常。     

Astrocyte activity and autophagy after radiation-induced brain injury in rats

AIM: To investigate the activity of astrocytes and autophagy-related changes after radiation-induced brain injury (RBI) in rats.METHODS: A total of 36 Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 180~200 g, were trained for 4 d in the Morris water maze. They were randomly divided into sham group, model group and 3-methyladenine (3-MA) group. The rats in model group and 3-MA group were given single whole-brain X-ray irradiation at a dose of 20 Gy after intraperitoneal anesthesia. After the irradiation was completed, the rats in model group was given 5 μL of NaCl into the lateral ventricle, and the rats in 3-MA group was injected with 3-MA at 600 nmol into the lateral ventricle. After 8 weeks of feeding, Morris water maze was used for measuring the learning and memory abilities. The brain tissues were taken and HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes of the hippocampus. The protein level of GFAP was determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blot for evaluating astrocyte activity. Dual fluorescence staining of GFAP and LC3 was performed for evaluating the changes of autophagy in the astrocytes. The protein level of cleaved caspase-3 detected by Western blot and TUNEL staining in the ipsilateral hippocampus were used to evaluate the apoptosis. The contents of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were examined by ELISA to assess the inflammatory response in the hippocampus.RESULTS: Radiation inhibited astrocyte activity, activated autophagy in astrocytes, and aggravated brain damage. 3-MA promoted the activation of astrocytes and promoted the repair of brain tissue damage.CONCLUSION: The injury of rat hippocampus after radiation is obvious, and the number of astrocytes is significantly reduced. 3-MA significantly attenuates the damage. This finding may provide a new approach for the treatment of radiation-induced brain injury.