Cutaneous leiomyosarcoma with visceral metastases in a White Carneau pigeon and literature review

Cutaneous leiomyosarcomas are malignant mesenchymal tumors of smooth muscle origin and are reported occasionally in avian species. A 14-y-old male laboratory White Carneau pigeon (Columba livia) was presented for surgical excision of a cervical soft tissue mass. Ultrasonography with color flow Doppler imaging revealed multiple cavitations of mixed echogenicity within the mass and vascularization. Histologically, the dermis and subcutis were expanded by a densely cellular multinodular mass comprised of fusiform cells forming haphazardly arranged broad streams and short interwoven bundles, often surrounding blood vessels and variably sized cavitations. Neoplastic cells were strongly immunopositive for desmin and α–smooth muscle actin, and negative for pancytokeratin, S100, and von Willebrand factor. Based on histopathology and IHC findings, the cutaneous mass was diagnosed as leiomyosarcoma (LMS). The pigeon died 312 d post-operatively. Postmortem examination revealed masses infiltrating the left and right pulmonary airways and one hepatic nodule, but no regrowth at the surgical site. Histologic and IHC evaluation of the pulmonary and hepatic masses were consistent with LMS, representing metastatic foci from the primary cutaneous LMS. Our case highlights the malignant behavior and histomorphologic features of cutaneous LMS in an avian species.     

Suppression of MyoD induces spontaneous adipogenesis in skeletal muscle progenitor cell culture

The degree of intramuscular adipose tissue accumulation is one of the factors affecting meat quality. Accumulation of adipocytes is also observed under the pathological condition of skeletal muscle such as muscular dystrophy and sarcopenia. The origin of adipocytes seen in skeletal muscle is mesenchymal progenitor cells that can give rise to both adipocytes and fibroblasts. In the present study, we demonstrated that siRNA-mediated suppression of MyoD expression in rat skeletal muscle progenitor cell culture, which comprises both myogenic satellite cells and mesenchymal progenitor cells, resulted in diminished myotube formation and an unexpected spontaneous appearance of white adipocytes. Suppressing myomaker expression also resulted in complete absence of myotube formation without reducing MyoD expression, but no adipogenesis was seen in this scenario, indicating that decline in MyoD expression rather than decreased myotube formation is necessary to induce adipogenesis. In addition, spontaneous adipogenesis induced by suppressing MyoD expression in culture was inhibited by the conditioned medium from control culture, indicating that anti-adipogenic factor(s) are secreted from MyoD-positive myogenic cells. These results indicate the presence of regulatory mechanism on adipogenesis by myogenic cells.     

猪戊型肝炎病毒ORF3蛋白影响HepG2细胞核黄素代谢的lncRNA-mRNA调控网络的鉴定

为初步鉴定并挖掘出猪戊型肝炎病毒(Hepatitis E virus,HEV)ORF3蛋白影响HepG2细胞核黄素代谢信号通路的lncRNA-mRNA调控网络,本试验通过构建腺病毒过表达载体,制备高滴度过表达腺病毒,介导猪 HEV-ORF3在HepG2细胞中实现过表达。Western blotting检测ORF3蛋白过表达成功后,运用lncRNA高通量组学测序,筛选出差异表达的lncRNA并进行靶向差异基因预测,对lncRNA靶向差异基因进行GO功能和KEGG通路富集分析,初步鉴定出与核黄素代谢信号通路相关的lncRNA-mRNA调控网络。Western blotting结果显示,在约为12 ku处出现目的条带,说明成功实现腺病毒介导猪HEV-ORF3在HepG2细胞中过表达。lncRNA高通量组学测序结果显示,共发现102个显著差异表达lncRNAs表达量上调,80个显著差异表达lncRNAs表达量下调。GO功能和KEGG通路富集分析显示,初步挖掘出lncRNA(MSTRG.13995.2)和lncRNA(MSTRG.1960.1)可能是与核黄素代谢信号通路相关的显著差异表达lncRNA,分别通过顺式调控其靶向基因APC-5和FLAD1来影响核黄素代谢信号通路。本试验初步鉴定出lncRNA(MSTRG.13995.2)-APC5和lncRNA(MSTRG.1960.1)-FLAD1可能是影响HepG2细胞核黄素代谢信号通路的lncRNA-mRNA调控网络。     

睾丸支持细胞的功能、分离纯化及鉴定研究进展

支持细胞对维持精子形成过程中的微环境起决定作用,它可以通过分泌功能、细胞间连接形成的血睾屏障功能以及吞噬功能等来促进精子的形成过程,其发育异常会导致不同程度的雄性生殖缺陷。基于支持细胞在雄性动物生殖过程中的作用,体外培养高纯度支持细胞可成为研究睾丸两大核心功能-精子发生和性激素分泌功能相关调节机制重要的细胞模型。此外,体外培养睾丸支持细胞也可作为生殖毒理学等新兴热点领域的细胞模型,为评估和研究环境因素对雄性生殖的影响提供便利。因此,作者系统地归纳、总结了目前关于动物支持细胞生物功能的研究及常用的体外分离纯化、培养及鉴定方法,以期为利用动物支持细胞开展雄性生殖领域的研究提供参考。     

肌肉发生相关长链非编码RNA研究进展

肌肉参与机体的运动、协调和体温调节等一系列生命活动,同时畜禽肌肉是人类重要的蛋白质来源。肌肉发生过程中的不同调控机制可引起肌肉发育的阶段性差异,而整个肌肉发育主要以两个时期（胚胎期和出生后）的发育状态体现。长链非编码RNA（lncRNA）是一类不具有蛋白编码能力且长度>200 nt的RNA分子。近年来,随着基因组学和分子生物学技术的高速发展,发现lncRNA广泛参与到肌肉发育的各个阶段,以多种作用机制调控肌肉的发育过程。作者介绍了肌肉的发育过程,综述了目前发现的与肌肉发育相关的lncRNAs及其作用机制,并阐述其在肌肉发育的不同阶段发挥的重要作用,为进一步研究肌肉发育相关lncRNAs提供了参考。     

MSTN基因对牛肌动蛋白细胞骨架调节通路的影响

为探究肌肉生长抑制素（myostatin,MSTN）对牛骨骼肌生长发育的作用机制,本研究前期利用定量蛋白质组学与磷酸化蛋白质组学分析野生型蒙古牛（MG.WT）和MSTN^+/-蒙古牛（MG.MSTN^+/-）腿臀肌肌肉组织中蛋白质水平和磷酸化修饰水平的差异变化,使用已建立的牛骨骼肌卫星细胞体外诱导成肌分化模型,检测设计合成的MSTN siRNA （si-MSTN）干扰效果;采用实时荧光定量PCR和Western blotting方法检测转染si-MSTN的增殖期（GM）和分化第3天（DM3）牛骨骼肌卫星细胞中肌动蛋白细胞骨架调节通路相关基因的mRNA和蛋白水平的表达变化,研究敲低MSTN表达对肌动蛋白细胞骨架调节通路的影响。结果显示,在MSTN^+/-蒙古牛肌肉组织中共鉴定到16个肌动蛋白细胞骨架调节通路相关基因表达丰度上调;转染si-MSTN细胞中的MSTN表达水平极显著降低（P<0.01）;在转染si-MSTN的GM期牛骨骼肌卫星细胞中,肌动蛋白细胞骨架调节通路相关基因ENAH、ACTN4和Cdc42的mRNA水平均显著升高（P<0.05）,PFN1、RhoA和ACTN4的蛋白水平均显著或极显著升高（P<0.05;P<0.01）;在转染si-MSTN的DM3牛骨骼肌卫星细胞中,ENAH、CFL1、SCIN和Cdc42基因mRNA水平均显著升高（P<0.05）,RhoA基因mRNA水平极显著升高（P<0.01）,PFN1和ACTN4的蛋白水平均显著升高（P<0.05）。结果表明,干扰MSTN可以促进肌动蛋白细胞骨架调节通路相关基因的表达,探明了MSTN可能通过介导肌动蛋白细胞骨架调节通路影响牛骨骼肌卫星细胞增殖和成肌分化的分子机制,为进一步研究MSTN对牛成肌分化的调控机制提供参考。     

Production and Identification of Clone Sheep Using Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells as Donor Cell

In order to obtain the cloned sheep using bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells（BMSCs）as the donor cells,the BMSCs of sheep were chosen and reconstructed embryos were built to transfer.10 published microsatellite markers were chosen,and the DNA samples from clone sheep,donor cells and surrogate ewes were amplified,and the relationship of father-son（RCP）was analyzed using the Quantity One for genotyping.The results showed that the reconstructed embryos were successfully built for electric fusion using sheep BMSCs as nuclear donor,and making nuclear transplantation into enucleated mature oocytes of which the fusion rate was 80.62%.20 surrogate ewe were chosen to be implanted with the reconstructed embryos at morula stage by implant surgery,and 5 lambs were born and only 3 were survived.The genotype of cloned sheep was in line with the dornor cell and the RCP were more than 99.999%.In conclusion,the first clone sheep were obtained successfully by using BMSCs as a nuclear donor in this experiment.     

Expression Analysis of THBS3 Gene in Different Tissues and Skeletal Muscles at Different Periods from Landrace and Tongcheng Pigs

To study the expression pattern of THBS3 gene in different tissues and during skeletal muscle development, the THBS3 gene expression in different tissues and skeletal muscles during prenatal periods (33, 45, 65, 70 and 90 d) and postnatal periods (0, 9, 30, 60, 120 and 160 d) from Landrace and Tongcheng pigs were detected by Real-time quantification PCR.The results showed that THBS3 gene widely expressed in all tissues examined, exhibiting similar spatial expression patterns with expression peaks in lung in both pig breeds except in stomach and intestine.Moreover, although THBS3 gene showed a significant higher expression level in gestation than after birth in Landrace and Tongcheng pigs (P<0.05), it exhibited different expression patterns between Landrace and Tongcheng pigs, the expression peak was detected at gestation day 45 in Landrace pig, while was detected at gestation day 65 in Tongcheng pig.The results suggested that THBS3 gene involved in skeletal muscle growth and development in pigs, as well as the regulation of asynchronization of skeletal muscle development in different pig breeds.