Sulodexide protects against hyperglycemia-induced retinal vascular injury via suppressing NOX4/NLRP3 pathway

AIM To investigate the effect of sulodexide (SDX) on high glucose-induced damage in retinal microvascular endothelial cells. METHODS (1) High-fat diet combined with intraperitoneal injection of streptozocin were used to induce type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) followed by injection of saline or SDX in C57BL/6J male mice. Retinal microvascular leakage and density, and the protein levels of NLRP3 inflammasome-related proteins, zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4) were measured. (2) Human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRMECs) were treated with normal glucose or high glucose with or without SDX, and were further transfected with siRNA to knock down NOX4, or infected by adenovirus to over-express NOX4. The protein levels of ZO-1, VE-cadherin (VE-Cad), NOX4 and NLRP3 inflammasome-related proteins as well as the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were detected. RESULTS Treatment with SDX increased the protein level of ZO-1, attenuated retinal leakage and NLRP3 inflammasome activation, and enhanced the density of microvasculature and the number of ganglion cells in diabetic retinas. The protein levels of ZO-1 and VE-Cad were decreased, while the levels of NOX4, NLRP3 inflammasome-related proteins and ROS generation were increased in high glucose-treated HRMECs. Silencing of NOX4 inhibited high glucose-induced increases in NLRP3 inflammasome and ROS generation, and decreases in the protein levels of ZO-1 and VE-Cad. Over-expression of NOX4 significantly increased the levels of NLRP3 inflammasome-related proteins and ROS generation in HRMECs, and reduced the protein levels of ZO-1 and VE-Cad. Treatment with SDX partly reversed NOX4 over-expression-induced changes. CONCLUSION SDX alleviates hyperglycemia-induced retinal microvascular endothelial injury via inhibiting NOX4/ROS/NLRP3 pathways.     

Mouse melanoma cell exosomes promote expression of Rac1 protein in fibroblasts

AIM To investigate the effect of exosomes secreted by mouse melanoma cells on the expression of Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 (Rac1) protein in fibroblasts. METHODS Ultracentrifugation was adopted to separete exosomes secreted by mouse melanoma B16-F10 cells. The morphological structure of exosomes was observed by negative-staining electron microscopy. The size distribution of exosomes was determined by nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). The exosomal markers, tumor susceptibility gene 101 (Tsg101) and tyrosinase-related protein 2 (Tyrp2), were identified by Western blot. Laser confocal microscopy was used to observe the process that mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) took in exosomes during co-culture. Immunocytochemical staining and Western blot were used to detect the expression of Rac1 protein in MEF. RESULTS B16-F10 cell exosomes showed a typical tea tray-like structure, with a size range of 141~255 nm, and expressed protein markers Tsg101 and Tyrp2. The results of laser confocal microscopy showed that compared with co-culture at 0 h, a small number of exosomes appeared in the MEF at 12 h, and a large number of exosomes accumulated in the MEF after co-cultured for 24 and 36 h. Western blot analysis showed that compared with co-culture at 0 h, the expression of Rac1 protein in the MEF was significantly increased at 24 h and 36 h of co-culture (P<0.01). The results of immunocytochemical staining showed that compared with co-culture at 0 h, the positive expression level of Rac1 in the MEF cells was significantly increased at 12 h, 24 h and 36 h of co-culture (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSION Intake of exosomes secreted by mouse melanoma cells promotes the expression of Rac1 protein in fibroblasts.     

转Cry抗虫基因玉米对家蚕的安全性评价

家蚕可能通过取食漂移到桑叶上的玉米花粉从而受到转基因玉米中表达的Cry蛋白的影响。实验采用室内生物测试的方法评价了转cry1Ab和cry2Ab基因玉米GAB-3花粉对家蚕可能产生的影响,并采用在饲料中掺入蛋白的方式检测了转基因玉米中广泛使用的6种Cry杀虫蛋白对家蚕的毒性。当桑叶上GAB-3花粉密度为50粒·cm^-2时,对家蚕幼虫存活率无显著影响,达500粒·cm^-2时,家蚕14 d存活率为0;以10粒·cm^-2的GAB-3花粉饲喂家蚕幼虫7 d对其体重无显著不利影响,但延长饲喂时间或者当GAB-3花粉密度为50粒·cm^-2时,家蚕的体重显著低于对照组;转基因和非转基因玉米花粉处理14 d或更长时间的家蚕体重均低于无花粉处理组。与非转基因对照处理组相比,低于100粒·cm^-2的转基因玉米GAB-3花粉处理组家蚕的化蛹率、茧重、茧壳重和蛹重无显著差异,转基因玉米和非转基因玉米花粉处理均会延长家蚕幼虫的发育历期。GAB-3花粉对家蚕7 d的LC₅₀为261.18粒·cm^-2,随着处理时间延长,LC₅₀下降。测试的6种Bt杀虫蛋白对家蚕的毒性依次为Cry1C>Cry1Fa>Cry1B>Cry2A>Cry1Ab>Cry1Ac。目前,在中国接近商业化的转基因玉米中多采用的Bt杀虫蛋白为Cry1Ab和Cry2A,二者对家蚕的毒性较低,并且在实际生产中,家蚕接触到的转基因玉米花粉密度较低,因此转Cry抗虫基因玉米对家蚕的风险较低。     

甜樱桃花芽不同发育时期内参基因的筛选与验证

为了筛选甜樱桃花芽不同发育时期均稳定表达的内参基因,以甜樱桃桑提娜和黔樱一号不同发育时期花芽为材料,通过qRT-PCR技术检测28S rRNA、EF1-a1、EF1-a2、UBC、RPL13、18S rRNA、RSP3、CYP40、ACT2和α-TUB3等10个常用看家基因的表达水平,并利用GeNorm、NormFinder和BestKeeper综合评价其表达稳定性。结果表明,EF-1a2和RSP3在所有样品中稳定性最好。分别以EF-1a2、RSP3及EF-1a2+RSP3作为内参基因检测不同发育时期花芽生长素运输载体AUX1基因及生长素响应因子ARF基因的表达模式,该2个基因在不同内参基因标定下表达模式相同。表明EF-1a2、RSP3及EF-1a2+RSP3可作为甜樱桃花芽不同发育时期的内参基因。     

翠竹及菲白竹LEA3同源基因的克隆及序列分析

竹类植物在中国有着非常悠久的栽培历史,并被广泛应用于园林、造林、庭院以及食品等行业。本研究以翠竹和菲白竹为材料提取其叶片总DNA,采用PCR方法获得翠竹SpLEA3基因与菲白竹SfLEA3-1、SfLEA3-2基因;其中SpLEA3全长804 bp,编码195个氨基酸,GC含量为68.4%;SfLEA3-1全长803 bp,编码195个氨基酸,GC含量为68.2%;SfLEA3-2全长557 bp,编码144个氨基酸,GC含量为67.8%。通过ProtParamy等生物软件分析,SpLEA3、SfLEA3-1和SfLEA3-2与贵州悬竹LEA3基因同源性高达61%以上,且3个基因编码蛋白均属于亲水性蛋白。源自2个竹种LEA3基因均包含一个完整的开放阅读框,其编码的氨基酸含有4~6个由11个氨基酸组成的保守基元序列。本研究不仅为深入了解竹类植物抗旱的分子机理研究提供了基础数据,也为竹类植物的抗旱育种后续研究提供了科学依据。     

鹅细小病毒四平分离株VP3基因的克隆与序列分析

根据已发表的鹅细小病毒(GPV)核苷酸序列,设计并合成了1对引物,对吉林农业大学预防兽医学研究室分离鉴定的GPV四平株(SP)主要保护性抗原蛋白VP3基因进行扩增。所得到的PCR产物片段大小约1.6 kb,与预期片段大小相符。将该片段纯化后与T载体连接,转化到感受态大肠杆菌JM-109中进行克隆。对所提质粒进行快速鉴定、PCR鉴定以及限制性内切酶NheⅠ和BamHⅠ双酶切鉴定,筛选阳性重组质粒,对重组质粒测序并进行核苷酸序列分析。结果表明:GPV四平株VP3基因长1 605 nt,包含了完整编码GPV VP3蛋白阅读框,且与国内GPV分离株B,GD,HG5/82相应核苷酸序列和氨基酸序列的同源性较高,分别为96.2%,96.3%,96.4%和97.4%,98.7%,98.9%。据此认为,GPV四平株VP3基因可以作为构建具有普遍应用价值的基因工程疫苗的候选基因。     

低温等离子体耦合Fe2O3催化剂去除粮食仓储环境中磷化氢

为了探究低温等离子体（Non-Thermal Plasma,NTP）耦合催化剂对粮仓中磷化氢（PH3）的去除效果,该文采用介质阻挡放电低温等离子体与催化剂耦合的反应装置,研究了NTP与Fe2O3催化剂耦合对PH3去除率的影响,并对耦合反应后的催化剂进行表征,分析产物及反应机理。结果表明,载体和催化剂与NTP耦合改变了NTP的放电状态,提高了PH3去除率;不同载体负载Fe2O3后,在输入功率超过53 W时,NTP与Fe2O3催化剂耦合对PH3去除率均高于无填充,Fe2O3/Al2O3与NTP耦合效果最好,去除效率达到了100%。耦合前后催化剂的表征结果表明,耦合反应之后,Fe2O3/Al2O3催化剂的比表面积降低了11.23%,Fe3+/(Fe2++Fe3+)含量提高了21.06%,Osur/(Olatt+Osur+Oads)含量减少了2.24%,Fe含量降低了4.69%,P含量增加了4.34倍。产物分析表明耦合后生成的主要产物为磷酸。研究结果表明NTP耦合Fe2O3/Al2O3催化剂具有很好的PH3去除效果,为粮食仓储行业去除磷化氢提供理论依据。     

3D modeling and reconstruction of plants and trees: A cross-cutting review across computer graphics,vision, and plant phenotyping

This paper reviews the past and current trends of three-dimensional (3D) modeling and reconstruction of plants and trees. These topics have been studied in multiple research fields, including computer vision, graphics, plant phenotyping, and forestry. This paper, therefore, provides a cross-cutting review. Representations of plant shape and structure are first summarized, where every method for plant modeling and reconstruction is based on a shape/structure representation. The methods were then categorized into 1) creating non-existent plants (modeling) and 2) creating models from real-world plants (reconstruction). This paper also discusses the limitations of current methods and possible future directions.     

不同性别黄瓜中的EIN3序列分析

以WI1983G(全雌,G)和WI1983H(两性,H)近等基因系为材料,对EIN3序列进行分析,发现它们分别在153 bp和501 bp处出现两个单核苷酸多态性(SNPs).根据两个SNPs获得了1个可在黄瓜雌性植株上特异扩增的标记.初步推测,EIN3因为两个SNPs导致基因表达发生变化,使植株表现出对乙烯不同的敏感性,可能是最终不同性别表达方式的主要原因之一.