Heavy ion beams with high linear energy transfer exhibit more beneifcial physical and biological performance than conventional X-rays, thus improving the potential of this type of radiotherapy in the treatment of canc...Heavy ion beams with high linear energy transfer exhibit more beneifcial physical and biological performance than conventional X-rays, thus improving the potential of this type of radiotherapy in the treatment of cancer. However, these two radiotherapy modalities both cause inevitable brain injury. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of heavy ion and X-ray irra-diation on the cytoskeleton and cytomechanical properties of rat cortical neurons, as well as to determine the potential mechanism of neuronal injury after irradiation. Cortical neurons from 30 new-born mice were irradiated with heavy ion beams at a single dose of 2 Gy and X-rays at a single dose of 4 Gy;subsequent evaluation of their effects were carried out at 24 hours after irradiation. An immunolfuorescence assay showed that after irradiation with both the heavy ion beam and X-rays, the number of primary neurons was signiifcantly decreased, and there was ev-idence of apoptosis. Radiation-induced neuronal injury was more apparent after X-irradiation. Under atomic force microscopy, the neuronal membrane appeared rough and neuronal rigidity had increased. These cell changes were more apparent following exposure to X-rays. Our ifnd-ings indicated that damage caused by heavy ion and X-ray irradiation resulted in the structural distortion and rearrangement of the cytoskeleton, and affected the cytomechanical properties of the cortical neurons. Moreover, this radiation injury to normal neurons was much severer after irradiation with X-rays than after heavy ion beam irradiation.展开更多
Mollusc shell matrix proteins （SMPs） are important functional components embedded in the shell and play a role in shell formation. A SMP （Pif177） was identified previously from the nacreous layer of the Japanese p...Mollusc shell matrix proteins （SMPs） are important functional components embedded in the shell and play a role in shell formation. A SMP （Pif177） was identified previously from the nacreous layer of the Japanese pearl oyster Pinctadafucata, and its cleavage products （named pfPif97 and pfPif80 proteins） were found to bind to the chitin framework and induce aragonite crystal formation and orient the c axis. In this study, a homologue of pfPif177 was cloned from the mantle of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas, containing the homologue of pfPif97 only and not pfPif80. This finding hints at the large divergence in gene structure between the two species. This homologue （cgPif97） shares characteristics with pfPif97, and suggests that the biological functions of these two proteins may be similar. The expression pattern of cgPif97 in different tissues and development stages in- dicates that it may play an important role in shell formation of the adult oyster. The morphology of the inner shell surface was af- fected by injected siRNA of cgPif97 and the calcite laths of the shell became thinner and narrower when the siRNA dose in- creased, suggesting that the cgPip7 gene plays an important role in calcite shell formation in C. gigas. In conclusion, we found evidence that the Pif177 gene evolved very fast but still retains a similar function among species [Current Zoology 59 （1）： 109-115, 2013].展开更多
文摘Heavy ion beams with high linear energy transfer exhibit more beneifcial physical and biological performance than conventional X-rays, thus improving the potential of this type of radiotherapy in the treatment of cancer. However, these two radiotherapy modalities both cause inevitable brain injury. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of heavy ion and X-ray irra-diation on the cytoskeleton and cytomechanical properties of rat cortical neurons, as well as to determine the potential mechanism of neuronal injury after irradiation. Cortical neurons from 30 new-born mice were irradiated with heavy ion beams at a single dose of 2 Gy and X-rays at a single dose of 4 Gy;subsequent evaluation of their effects were carried out at 24 hours after irradiation. An immunolfuorescence assay showed that after irradiation with both the heavy ion beam and X-rays, the number of primary neurons was signiifcantly decreased, and there was ev-idence of apoptosis. Radiation-induced neuronal injury was more apparent after X-irradiation. Under atomic force microscopy, the neuronal membrane appeared rough and neuronal rigidity had increased. These cell changes were more apparent following exposure to X-rays. Our ifnd-ings indicated that damage caused by heavy ion and X-ray irradiation resulted in the structural distortion and rearrangement of the cytoskeleton, and affected the cytomechanical properties of the cortical neurons. Moreover, this radiation injury to normal neurons was much severer after irradiation with X-rays than after heavy ion beam irradiation.
文摘Mollusc shell matrix proteins （SMPs） are important functional components embedded in the shell and play a role in shell formation. A SMP （Pif177） was identified previously from the nacreous layer of the Japanese pearl oyster Pinctadafucata, and its cleavage products （named pfPif97 and pfPif80 proteins） were found to bind to the chitin framework and induce aragonite crystal formation and orient the c axis. In this study, a homologue of pfPif177 was cloned from the mantle of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas, containing the homologue of pfPif97 only and not pfPif80. This finding hints at the large divergence in gene structure between the two species. This homologue （cgPif97） shares characteristics with pfPif97, and suggests that the biological functions of these two proteins may be similar. The expression pattern of cgPif97 in different tissues and development stages in- dicates that it may play an important role in shell formation of the adult oyster. The morphology of the inner shell surface was af- fected by injected siRNA of cgPif97 and the calcite laths of the shell became thinner and narrower when the siRNA dose in- creased, suggesting that the cgPip7 gene plays an important role in calcite shell formation in C. gigas. In conclusion, we found evidence that the Pif177 gene evolved very fast but still retains a similar function among species [Current Zoology 59 （1）： 109-115, 2013].
