Rapamycin-induced insulin resistance is mediated by mTORC2 loss and uncoupled from longevity

Rapamycin, an inhibitor of mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), extends the life spans of yeast, flies, and mice. Calorie restriction, which increases life span and insulin sensitivity, is proposed to function by inhibition of mTORC1, yet paradoxically, chronic administration of rapamycin substantially impairs glucose tolerance and insulin action. We demonstrate that rapamycin disrupted a second mTOR complex, mTORC2, in vivo and that mTORC2 was required for the insulin-mediated suppression of hepatic gluconeogenesis. Further, decreased mTORC1 signaling was sufficient to extend life span independently from changes in glucose homeostasis, as female mice heterozygous for both mTOR and mLST8 exhibited decreased mTORC1 activity and extended life span but had normal glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. Thus, mTORC2 disruption is an important mediator of the effects of rapamycin in vivo.     

Synaptic integration mediated by striatal cholinergic interneurons in basal ganglia function

The physiological role of striatal cholinergic interneurons was investigated with immunotoxin-mediated cell targeting (IMCT). Unilateral cholinergic cell ablation caused an acute abnormal turning behavior. These mice showed gradual recovery but displayed abnormal turning by both excess stimulation and inhibition of dopamine actions. In the acute phase, basal ganglia function was shifted to a hyperactive state by stimulation and suppression of striatonigral and striatopallidal neurons, respectively. D1 and D2 dopamine receptors were then down-regulated, relieving dopamine-predominant synaptic perturbation but leaving a defect in controlling dopamine responses. The acetylcholine-dopamine interaction is concertedly and adaptively regulated for basal ganglia synaptic integration.     

Sustained loss of a neoplastic phenotype by brief inactivation of MYC

Pharmacological inactivation of oncogenes is being investigated as a possible therapeutic strategy for cancer. One potential drawback is that cessation of such therapy may allow reactivation of the oncogene and tumor regrowth. We used a conditional transgenic mouse model for MYC-induced tumorigenesis to demonstrate that brief inactivation of MYC results in the sustained regression of tumors and the differentiation of osteogenic sarcoma cells into mature osteocytes. Subsequent reactivation of MYC did not restore the cells' malignant properties but instead induced apoptosis. Thus, brief MYC inactivation appears to cause epigenetic changes in tumor cells that render them insensitive to MYC-induced tumorigenesis. These results raise the possibility that transient inactivation of MYC may be an effective therapy for certain cancers.     

Decreased hippocampal inhibition and a selective loss of interneurons in experimental epilepsy

The occurrence of seizure activity in human temporal lobe epilepsy or status epilepticus is often associated with a characteristic pattern of cell loss in the hippocampus. An experimental model that replicates this pattern of damage in normal animals by electrical stimulation of the afferent pathway to the hippocampus was developed to study changes in structure and function that occur as a result of repetitive seizures. Hippocampal granule cell seizure activity caused a persistent loss of recurrent inhibition and irreversibly damaged adjacent interneurons. Immunocytochemical staining revealed unexpectedly that gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-containing neurons, thought to mediate inhibition in this region and predicted to be damaged by seizures, had survived. In contrast, there was a nearly complete loss of adjacent somatostatin-containing interneurons and mossy cells that may normally activate inhibitory neurons. These results suggest that the seizure-induced loss of a basket cell-activating system, rather than a loss of inhibitory basket cells themselves, may cause disinhibition and thereby play a role in the pathophysiology and pathology of the epileptic state.     

The Trichoderma-plant interaction is mediated by avirulence proteins produced by this fungus

The molecular basis of Trichoderma -plant interaction is very complex and still not completely understood. The colonization of the root system by rhizosphere competent strains of Trichoderma results in increased development of root/aerial systems, in improved yields and in plant disease control. Other beneficial effects, such as the induction of plant systemic resistance, have also been described. To understand the mechanisms involved we are using different approaches, including the making…     

Hypoxic dilation of coronary arteries is mediated by ATP-sensitive potassium channels

The function of the heart depends critically on an adequate oxygen supply through the coronary arteries. Coronary arteries dilate when the intravascular oxygen tension decreases. Hypoxic vasodilation in isolated, perfused guinea pig hearts can be prevented by glibenclamide, a blocker of adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-sensitive potassium channels, and can be mimicked by cromakalim, which opens ATP-sensitive potassium channels. Opening of potassium channels in coronary smooth muscle cells and the subsequent drop in intracellular calcium is probably the major cause of hypoxic and ischemic vasodilation in the mammalian heart.     

Self-recognition in social amoebae is mediated by allelic pairs of tiger genes

Free-living cells of the social amoebae Dictyostelium discoideum can aggregate and develop into multicellular fruiting bodies in which many die altruistically as they become stalk cells that support the surviving spores. Dictyostelium cells exhibit kin discrimination--a potential defense against cheaters, which sporulate without contributing to the stalk. Kin discrimination depends on strain relatedness, and the polymorphic genes tgrB1 and tgrC1 are potential components of that mechanism. Here, we demonstrate a direct role for these genes in kin discrimination. We show that a matching pair of tgrB1 and tgrC1 alleles is necessary and sufficient for attractive self-recognition, which is mediated by differential cell-cell adhesion. We propose that TgrB1 and TgrC1 proteins mediate this adhesion through direct binding. This system is a genetically tractable ancient model of eukaryotic self-recognition.     

Dendritic cell stimulation by mycobacterial Hsp70 is mediated through CCR5

An effective host immune response to mycobacterial infection must control pathogen dissemination without inducing immunopathology. Constitutive overexpression of mycobacterial heat shock protein (myHsp70) is associated with impaired bacterial persistence, but the immune-mediated mechanisms are unknown. We found that myHsp70, in addition to enhancing antigen delivery to human dendritic cells, signaled through the CCR5 chemokine receptor, promoting dendritic cell aggregation, immune synapse formation between dendritic cells and T cells, and the generation of effector immune responses. Thus, CCR5 acts as a pattern-recognition receptor for myHsp70, which may have implications for both the pathophysiology of tuberculosis and the use of myHsps in tumor-directed immunotherapy.     

Sorting of striatal and cortical interneurons regulated by semaphorin-neuropilin interactions

Most striatal and cortical interneurons arise from the basal telencephalon, later segregating to their respective targets. Here, we show that migrating cortical interneurons avoid entering the striatum because of a chemorepulsive signal composed at least in part of semaphorin 3A and semaphorin 3F. Migrating interneurons expressing neuropilins, receptors for semaphorins, are directed to the cortex; those lacking them go to the striatum. Loss of neuropilin function increases the number of interneurons that migrate into the striatum. These observations reveal a mechanism by which neuropilins mediate sorting of distinct neuronal populations into different brain structures, and provide evidence that, in addition to guiding axons, these receptors also control neuronal migration in the central nervous system.     

Human sperm binding is mediated by the sialyl-Lewis(x) oligosaccharide on the zona pellucida

Human fertilization begins when spermatozoa bind to the extracellular matrix coating of the oocyte, known as the zona pellucida (ZP). One spermatozoan then penetrates this matrix and fuses with the egg cell, generating a zygote. Although carbohydrate sequences on the ZP have been implicated in sperm binding, the nature of the ligand was unknown. Here, ultrasensitive mass spectrometric analyses revealed that the sialyl-Lewis(x) sequence [NeuAcα2-3Galβ1-4(Fucα1-3)GlcNAc], a well-known selectin ligand, is the most abundant terminal sequence on the N- and O-glycans of human ZP. Sperm-ZP binding was largely inhibited by glycoconjugates terminated with sialyl-Lewis(x) sequences or by antibodies directed against this sequence. Thus, the sialyl-Lewis(x) sequence represents the major carbohydrate ligand for human sperm-egg binding.     

农业非点源营养盐流失经济损失评估

以浙江省为例,利用JOHNES输出系数模型估算2009年农业种植、禽畜养殖和农村生活非点源的总氮(TN)、总磷(TP)负荷,结合环境经济学防护费用法定量评估这3类非点源营养盐流失所造成的经济损失。研究结果显示:TN非点源负荷中,种植地负荷占57.48%,农村生活负荷占30.22%,畜禽养殖负荷占12.30%;TP非点源负荷中,农村生活负荷占46.18%,畜禽养殖负荷占29.00%,种植地负荷占24.82%。农业非点源营养盐流失所带来的经济损失折合人民币为232 942.47万元/年,其中种植地损失占55.46%,农村生活损失占31.21%,畜禽养殖损失占13.33%。可见,减少农业非点源营养盐流失损失应注重控制种植地及农村生活源。     

根癌农杆菌介导的甘蔗遗传转化

综述开展甘蔗基因工程育种工作20多年来,从最初的利用农杆菌介导法研究抗除草剂和抗虫转基因成功,到目前高转化效率的转基因方法应用过程中取得的成果,分析影响农杆菌转化甘蔗的关键因素,并对农杆菌介导的甘蔗遗传转化研究前景作了展望.     

Ongoing modification of Mediterranean Pleistocene sapropels mediated by prokaryotes

Late Pleistocene organic-rich sediments (sapropels) from the eastern Mediterranean Sea harbor unknown, metabolically active chemoorganotrophic prokaryotes. As compared to the carbon-lean intermediate layers, sapropels exhibit elevated cell numbers, increased activities of hydrolytic exoenzymes, and increased anaerobic glucose degradation rates, suggesting that microbial carbon substrates originate from sapropel layers up to 217,000 years old. 16S ribosomal RNA gene analyses revealed that as-yet-uncultured green nonsulfur bacteria constitute up to 70% of the total microbial biomass. Crenarchaeota constitute a smaller fraction (on average, 16%). A slow but significant turnover of glucose could be detected. Apparently, sapropels are still altered by the metabolic activity of green nonsulfur bacteria and crenarchaeota.     

Selective trafficking of non-cell-autonomous proteins mediated by NtNCAPP1

In plants, cell-to-cell communication is mediated by plasmodesmata and involves the trafficking of non-cell-autonomous proteins (NCAPs). A component in this pathway, Nicotiana tabacum NON-CELL-AUTONOMOUS PATHWAY PROTEIN1 (NtNCAPP1), was affinity purified and cloned. Protein overlay assays and in vivo studies showed that NtNCAPP1 is located on the endoplasmic reticulum at the cell periphery and displays specificity in its interaction with NCAPs. Deletion of the NtNCAPP1 amino-terminal transmembrane domain produced a dominant-negative mutant that blocked the trafficking of specific NCAPs. Transgenic tobacco plants expressing this mutant form of NtNCAPP1 and plants in which the NtNCAPP1 gene was silenced were compromised in their ability to regulate leaf and floral development. These results support a model in which NCAP delivery to plasmodesmata is both selective and regulated.     

发根农杆菌介导的杨梅遗传转化研究初报

为了建立发根农杆菌Agrobacterium rhizogenes介导的杨梅Myrica rubra遗传转化体系,利用携带拟南芥Arabidopsis thaliana LEAFYcDNA片段的发根农杆菌R15834感染东魁杨梅M. rubra‘Dongkui’和荸荠杨梅M. rubra‘Boji’的子叶、叶片和茎段。结果表明,只从东魁杨梅子叶上诱导出毛状根,而且产生毛状根的东魁杨梅子叶数在10%以下。杨梅子叶产生毛状根受多种因素影响,新种子比旧种子容易产生毛状根,在1/2 MS(Murashige and Skoog)培养基培养较在MS培养基上培养好。东魁杨梅子叶上的毛状根经聚合酶链反应(polymerase chain reaction,PCR)检测和Southern杂交检测,证实已将拟南芥的LEAFYcDNA片段成功导入并整合到东魁杨梅子叶中。图2参10     

农杆菌介导的茄子愈伤组织遗传转化研究

以茄子愈伤组织为材料,在优化愈伤组织成苗培养基的基础上,采用正交试验,进行农杆菌介导的茄子愈伤组织遗传转化研究.结果显示,在MS+6-BA(1 mg·L-1)+IAA(0.2 mg·L-1)+KT(1.5 mg·L-1)的培养基上茄子的愈伤组织诱导成苗率最高.结果表明,影响茄子愈伤组织转化的主要因素是预培养时间,其次是侵染时间,再次是共培养时间,并且预培养9 d.侵染20 min,共培养1 d时转化率最高.分子检测表明,11株阳性植株中有7株成功扩出bar基因序列,说明这7株为转基因植株,转基因植株占阳性植株的比率为63.6%.     

农杆菌介导的番茄遗传转化研究进展

综述了农杆菌介导法的转化机理及影响农杆菌转化效果的诸多因素 ,如 :植物基因型、转化受体、预培养、菌液浓度和侵染时间等 ,以及采用遗传工程技术改良番茄品种的现状     

Sorting of mannose 6-phosphate receptors mediated by the GGAs

The delivery of soluble hydrolases to lysosomes is mediated by the cation-independent and cation-dependent mannose 6-phosphate receptors. The cytosolic tails of both receptors contain acidic-cluster-dileucine signals that direct sorting from the trans-Golgi network to the endosomal-lysosomal system. We found that these signals bind to the VHS domain of the Golgi-localized, gamma-ear-containing, ARF-binding proteins (GGAs). The receptors and the GGAs left the trans-Golgi network on the same tubulo-vesicular carriers. A dominant-negative GGA mutant blocked exit of the receptors from the trans-Golgi network. Thus, the GGAs appear to mediate sorting of the mannose 6-phosphate receptors at the trans-Golgi network.