A large number of testis-specific genes are involved in the complex process of mammalian spermatogenesis. Identification of these genes and their roles is important for understanding the mechanisms underlying spermato...A large number of testis-specific genes are involved in the complex process of mammalian spermatogenesis. Identification of these genes and their roles is important for understanding the mechanisms underlying spermatogenesis. Here we report on a novel human RING finger protein, ZNF645, which contains a C3HC4 RING finger domain, a C2H2 zinc-finger domain, and a proline-rich region, indicating that it has a structure similar to that of the c-Cbl-like protein Hakai. ZNF645 was exclusively expressed in normal human testicular tissue. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed that ZNF645 protein was present in spermatocytes, round and elongated spermatids, and Leydig cells. Immunofluorescence staining of mature sperms further showed that the ZNF645 protein was localized over the postacrosomal perinuclear theca region and the entire length of sperm tail. An in vitro ubiquitination assay indicated that the RING finger domain of the ZNF645 protein had E3 ubiquitin ligase activity. Therefore, we suggest that ZNF645 might act as an E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase and play a role in human sperm production and quality control.展开更多
Three-degree of freedom（3-DOF） translational parallel manipulators（TPMs） have been widely studied both in industry and academia in the past decades. However, most architectures of 3-DOF TPMs are created mainly on ...Three-degree of freedom（3-DOF） translational parallel manipulators（TPMs） have been widely studied both in industry and academia in the past decades. However, most architectures of 3-DOF TPMs are created mainly on designers＇ intuition, empirical knowledge, or associative reasoning and the topology synthesis researches of 3-DOF TPMs are still limited. In order to find out the atlas of designs for 3-DOF TPMs, a topology search is presented for enumeration of 3-DOF TPMs whose limbs can be modeled as 5-DOF serial chains. The proposed topology search of 3-DOF TPMs is aimed to overcome the sensitivities of the design solution of a 3-DOF TPM for a LARM leg mechanism in a biped robot. The topology search, which is based on the concept of generation and specialization in graph theory, is reported as a step-by-step procedure with desired specifications, principle and rules of generalization, design requirements and constraints, and algorithm of number synthesis. In order to obtain new feasible designs for a chosen example and to limit the search domain under general considerations, one topological generalized kinematic chain is chosen to be specialized. An atlas of new feasible designs is obtained and analyzed for a specific solution as leg mechanisms. The proposed methodology provides a topology search for 3-DOF TPMs for leg mechanisms, but it can be also expanded for other applications and tasks.展开更多
The pneumatic muscle actuator(PMA)has many advantages,such as good flexibility,high power/weight ratio,but its nonlinearity makes it difficult to build a static mathematical model with high precision.A new method is p...The pneumatic muscle actuator(PMA)has many advantages,such as good flexibility,high power/weight ratio,but its nonlinearity makes it difficult to build a static mathematical model with high precision.A new method is proposed to establish the model of PMA.The concept of hybrid elastic modulus which is related to the static characteristic of PMA is put forward,and the energy conservation law is used to achieve the expression of the hybrid elastic modulus,which can be fitted out based on experimental data,and the model of PMA can be derived from this expression.At the same time,a 3-DOF parallel mechanism(a new bionic shoulder joint)driven by five PMAs is designed.This bionic shoulder joint adopts the structure of two antagonistic PMAs actualizing a rotation control and three PMAs controlling another two rotations to get better rotation characteristics.The kinematic and dynamic characteristics of the mechanism are analyzed and a new static model of PMA is used to control it.Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of this new static model.展开更多
RING finger E3 ligases play an important role in regulating plant growth and development by mediating substrate degradation.In this study,we identified TaGW2L,encoding a Grain width and weight2(GW2)-like RING finger E...RING finger E3 ligases play an important role in regulating plant growth and development by mediating substrate degradation.In this study,we identified TaGW2L,encoding a Grain width and weight2(GW2)-like RING finger E3 ligase,as a novel positive regulator of heading date in wheat(Triticum aestivum L.).TaGW2L exhibited high amino acid sequence similarities with TaGW2 homoeologs,particularly in the conserved RING finger domain.Expression analysis indicated that TaGW2L was constitutively expressed in various wheat tissues.TaGW2L showed transactivation activity in yeast and could interact with the ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes E2_(s).An in vitro ubiquitination assay verified that TaGW2L possessed a similar E3 ligase activity to TaGW2.Overexpression of the TaGW2L-7A homoeolog in wheat led to a significantly earlier heading date under both natural conditions and long-day conditions.Transcriptome analysis revealed that multiple known genes positively regulating wheat heading were significantly upregulated in the TaGW2L-7A-overexpression plants compared with the wild-type control.Together,our findings shed light on the role of TaGW2L in wheat heading date and provide potential applications of TaGW2L for the adaptation improvement of crops.展开更多
AIM TO uncover the roles of tumor-promoting gene ZEB1 in aerobic glycolysis regulation and shed light on the underlying molecular mechanism.METHODS Endogenous zinc finger E-box binding homeobox-1 （ZEB1） was silenced...AIM TO uncover the roles of tumor-promoting gene ZEB1 in aerobic glycolysis regulation and shed light on the underlying molecular mechanism.METHODS Endogenous zinc finger E-box binding homeobox-1 （ZEB1） was silenced using a and the impact of ZEB1 and lentivirus-mediated method, methyI-CpG binding domain protein 1 （MBD1） on aerobic glycolysis was measured using seahorse cellular flux analyzers, reactive oxygen species quantification, and mitochondrial membrane potential measurement. The interaction between ZEB1 and MBD1 was assessed by co-immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence assays. The impact of ZEB1 and MBD1 interaction on sirtuin 3 （SIRT3） expression was confirmed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, and dual-luciferase and chromatinimmunoprecipitation assays.RESULTS ZEB1 was a positive regulator of aerobic glycolysis in pancreatic cancer. ZEB1 transcriptionally silenced expression of SIRT3, a mitochondrial-localized tumor suppressor, through interaction with MBD1.CONCLUSION ZEB1 silenced SIRT3 expression via interaction with MBD1 to promote aerobic glycolysis in pancreatic cancer.展开更多
Ocean wave energy converters(WECs) are obtaining more and more attentions in the world. So far, many types of converters have been invented. Oscillating body systems are a major class of WECs, which typically have one...Ocean wave energy converters(WECs) are obtaining more and more attentions in the world. So far, many types of converters have been invented. Oscillating body systems are a major class of WECs, which typically have one degree of freedom(DOF), and the power absorption efficiency is not quite satisfactory. In this paper, a 3-DOF WEC is proposed and a simplified frequency-domain dynamic model of the WEC depending on the linear potential theory is conducted. The performances of three geometries of the oscillating body including the cone, the cylinder and the hemisphere have been compared, and the results show that the hemisphere is more suitable for the 3-DOF WEC.Subsequently, the relationship among the parameters of the hemisphere is established based on the equal natural frequencies of the heave and pitch(or roll) motions, and the results show that lowering the center of gravity leads to the better power absorption in the pitch(or roll) motion. In the end, the power matrixes of different sizes of the hemispheres under different irregular waves are obtained, which can give a size design reference for engineers.展开更多
To improve the sense of reality on perception, an improved algorithm of 3D shape haptic rendering is put forward based on a finger mounted vibrotactile device. The principle is that the interactive information and the...To improve the sense of reality on perception, an improved algorithm of 3D shape haptic rendering is put forward based on a finger mounted vibrotactile device. The principle is that the interactive information and the shape information are conveyed to users when they touch virtual objects at mobile terminals by attaching the vibrotactile feedback on a fingertip. The extraction of shape characteristics, the interactive information and the mapping of shape in formation of vibration stimulation are key parts of the proposed algorithm to realize the real tactile rendering. The contact status of the interaction process, the height information and local gradient of the touch point are regarded as shape information and used to control the vibration intension, rhythm and distribution of the vibrators. With different contact status and shape information, the vibration pattern can be adjusted in time to imitate the outlines of virtual objects. Finally, the effectiveness of the algorithm is verified by shape perception experiments. The results show that the improved algorithm is effective for 3D shape haptic rendering.展开更多
Background： RING H2 finger E3 ligase （RH2FE3） genes encode cysteine rich proteins that mediate E3 ubiquitin ligase activity and degrade target substrates. The roles of these genes in plant responses to phytohormone...Background： RING H2 finger E3 ligase （RH2FE3） genes encode cysteine rich proteins that mediate E3 ubiquitin ligase activity and degrade target substrates. The roles of these genes in plant responses to phytohormones and abiotic stresses are well documented in various species, but their roles in cotton fiber development are poorly understood. To date, genome wide identification and expression analyses of Gossypium hirsutum RH2FE3 genes have not been reported. Methods： We performed computational identification, structural and phylogenetic analyses, chromosomal distribution analysis and estimated KJKs values of G hirsutum RH2FE3 genes. Orthologous and paralogous gene pairs were identified by all versus all BLASTP searches. We predicted cis regulatory elements and analyzed microarray data sets to generate heatmaps at different development stages. Tissue specific expression in cotton fiber, and hormonal and abiotic stress responses were determined by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction （qRT PCR） analysis. Results： We investigated 140 G hirsutum, 80 G. orboreum, and evolutionary mechanisms and compared them with orthologs 89 G. roimondii putative RH2FB genes and their in Arobidopsis and rice. A domain based analysis of the G hirsutum RH2FE3 genes predicted conserved signature motifs and gene structures. Chromosomal localization showed the genes were distributed across all G hirsutum chromosomes, and 60 duplication events （4 tandem and 56 segmental duplications） and 98 orthologs were detected, cis elements were detected in the promoter regions of G hirsutum RH2FE3 genes. Microarray data and qRT PCR analyses showed that G hirsutum RH2FE3 genes were strongly correlated with cotton fiber development. Additionally, almost all the （brassinolide, gibberellic acid （GA）, indole 3-acetic acid drought, and salt）. dentified genes were up regulated in response to phytohormones （IAA）, and salicylic acid （SA）） and abiotic stresses （cold, heat, Conclusions： The genome wide identification, comprehensive analysis, and characterization of conserved domains and gene structures, as well as phylogenetic analysis, cis element prediction, and expression profile analysis of G hirsutum RH2FE3 genes and their roles in cotton fiber development and responses to plant hormones and abiotic stresses are reported here for the first time. Our findings will contribute to the genome wide analysis of putative RH2FE3 genes in other species and lay a foundation for future physiological and functional research on G hirsutum RH2FE3 genes.展开更多
文摘A large number of testis-specific genes are involved in the complex process of mammalian spermatogenesis. Identification of these genes and their roles is important for understanding the mechanisms underlying spermatogenesis. Here we report on a novel human RING finger protein, ZNF645, which contains a C3HC4 RING finger domain, a C2H2 zinc-finger domain, and a proline-rich region, indicating that it has a structure similar to that of the c-Cbl-like protein Hakai. ZNF645 was exclusively expressed in normal human testicular tissue. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed that ZNF645 protein was present in spermatocytes, round and elongated spermatids, and Leydig cells. Immunofluorescence staining of mature sperms further showed that the ZNF645 protein was localized over the postacrosomal perinuclear theca region and the entire length of sperm tail. An in vitro ubiquitination assay indicated that the RING finger domain of the ZNF645 protein had E3 ubiquitin ligase activity. Therefore, we suggest that ZNF645 might act as an E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase and play a role in human sperm production and quality control.
基金supported by the Chinese Scholarship Council(CSC)for his Ph D study and research at LARM in the University of Cassino and South Latium,Italy,during 2013-2015
文摘Three-degree of freedom（3-DOF） translational parallel manipulators（TPMs） have been widely studied both in industry and academia in the past decades. However, most architectures of 3-DOF TPMs are created mainly on designers＇ intuition, empirical knowledge, or associative reasoning and the topology synthesis researches of 3-DOF TPMs are still limited. In order to find out the atlas of designs for 3-DOF TPMs, a topology search is presented for enumeration of 3-DOF TPMs whose limbs can be modeled as 5-DOF serial chains. The proposed topology search of 3-DOF TPMs is aimed to overcome the sensitivities of the design solution of a 3-DOF TPM for a LARM leg mechanism in a biped robot. The topology search, which is based on the concept of generation and specialization in graph theory, is reported as a step-by-step procedure with desired specifications, principle and rules of generalization, design requirements and constraints, and algorithm of number synthesis. In order to obtain new feasible designs for a chosen example and to limit the search domain under general considerations, one topological generalized kinematic chain is chosen to be specialized. An atlas of new feasible designs is obtained and analyzed for a specific solution as leg mechanisms. The proposed methodology provides a topology search for 3-DOF TPMs for leg mechanisms, but it can be also expanded for other applications and tasks.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No. 51405229)the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province of China(Nos. BK20151470,BK20171416)
文摘The pneumatic muscle actuator(PMA)has many advantages,such as good flexibility,high power/weight ratio,but its nonlinearity makes it difficult to build a static mathematical model with high precision.A new method is proposed to establish the model of PMA.The concept of hybrid elastic modulus which is related to the static characteristic of PMA is put forward,and the energy conservation law is used to achieve the expression of the hybrid elastic modulus,which can be fitted out based on experimental data,and the model of PMA can be derived from this expression.At the same time,a 3-DOF parallel mechanism(a new bionic shoulder joint)driven by five PMAs is designed.This bionic shoulder joint adopts the structure of two antagonistic PMAs actualizing a rotation control and three PMAs controlling another two rotations to get better rotation characteristics.The kinematic and dynamic characteristics of the mechanism are analyzed and a new static model of PMA is used to control it.Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of this new static model.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32172045, 31671687)the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2016YFD0100302)the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program of the CAAS
文摘RING finger E3 ligases play an important role in regulating plant growth and development by mediating substrate degradation.In this study,we identified TaGW2L,encoding a Grain width and weight2(GW2)-like RING finger E3 ligase,as a novel positive regulator of heading date in wheat(Triticum aestivum L.).TaGW2L exhibited high amino acid sequence similarities with TaGW2 homoeologs,particularly in the conserved RING finger domain.Expression analysis indicated that TaGW2L was constitutively expressed in various wheat tissues.TaGW2L showed transactivation activity in yeast and could interact with the ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes E2_(s).An in vitro ubiquitination assay verified that TaGW2L possessed a similar E3 ligase activity to TaGW2.Overexpression of the TaGW2L-7A homoeolog in wheat led to a significantly earlier heading date under both natural conditions and long-day conditions.Transcriptome analysis revealed that multiple known genes positively regulating wheat heading were significantly upregulated in the TaGW2L-7A-overexpression plants compared with the wild-type control.Together,our findings shed light on the role of TaGW2L in wheat heading date and provide potential applications of TaGW2L for the adaptation improvement of crops.
基金the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars of China,No.81625016the National Science Foundation of China,No.81502031 and No.81772555+1 种基金Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning Grant,No.20154Y0090Youth Research Foundation of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning,No.Z0124Y074
文摘AIM TO uncover the roles of tumor-promoting gene ZEB1 in aerobic glycolysis regulation and shed light on the underlying molecular mechanism.METHODS Endogenous zinc finger E-box binding homeobox-1 （ZEB1） was silenced using a and the impact of ZEB1 and lentivirus-mediated method, methyI-CpG binding domain protein 1 （MBD1） on aerobic glycolysis was measured using seahorse cellular flux analyzers, reactive oxygen species quantification, and mitochondrial membrane potential measurement. The interaction between ZEB1 and MBD1 was assessed by co-immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence assays. The impact of ZEB1 and MBD1 interaction on sirtuin 3 （SIRT3） expression was confirmed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, and dual-luciferase and chromatinimmunoprecipitation assays.RESULTS ZEB1 was a positive regulator of aerobic glycolysis in pancreatic cancer. ZEB1 transcriptionally silenced expression of SIRT3, a mitochondrial-localized tumor suppressor, through interaction with MBD1.CONCLUSION ZEB1 silenced SIRT3 expression via interaction with MBD1 to promote aerobic glycolysis in pancreatic cancer.
基金financially supported by China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(Grant No.2017M611554)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.51335007)
文摘Ocean wave energy converters(WECs) are obtaining more and more attentions in the world. So far, many types of converters have been invented. Oscillating body systems are a major class of WECs, which typically have one degree of freedom(DOF), and the power absorption efficiency is not quite satisfactory. In this paper, a 3-DOF WEC is proposed and a simplified frequency-domain dynamic model of the WEC depending on the linear potential theory is conducted. The performances of three geometries of the oscillating body including the cone, the cylinder and the hemisphere have been compared, and the results show that the hemisphere is more suitable for the 3-DOF WEC.Subsequently, the relationship among the parameters of the hemisphere is established based on the equal natural frequencies of the heave and pitch(or roll) motions, and the results show that lowering the center of gravity leads to the better power absorption in the pitch(or roll) motion. In the end, the power matrixes of different sizes of the hemispheres under different irregular waves are obtained, which can give a size design reference for engineers.
基金The National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.61473088)Six Talent Peaks Projects in Jiangsu Province
文摘To improve the sense of reality on perception, an improved algorithm of 3D shape haptic rendering is put forward based on a finger mounted vibrotactile device. The principle is that the interactive information and the shape information are conveyed to users when they touch virtual objects at mobile terminals by attaching the vibrotactile feedback on a fingertip. The extraction of shape characteristics, the interactive information and the mapping of shape in formation of vibration stimulation are key parts of the proposed algorithm to realize the real tactile rendering. The contact status of the interaction process, the height information and local gradient of the touch point are regarded as shape information and used to control the vibration intension, rhythm and distribution of the vibrators. With different contact status and shape information, the vibration pattern can be adjusted in time to imitate the outlines of virtual objects. Finally, the effectiveness of the algorithm is verified by shape perception experiments. The results show that the improved algorithm is effective for 3D shape haptic rendering.
基金supported by the Major Research Plan of National Natural Science Foundation of China(NO.31690093)Young Elite Scientist Sponsorship Program by CAST(China Association for Science and Technology)
文摘Background： RING H2 finger E3 ligase （RH2FE3） genes encode cysteine rich proteins that mediate E3 ubiquitin ligase activity and degrade target substrates. The roles of these genes in plant responses to phytohormones and abiotic stresses are well documented in various species, but their roles in cotton fiber development are poorly understood. To date, genome wide identification and expression analyses of Gossypium hirsutum RH2FE3 genes have not been reported. Methods： We performed computational identification, structural and phylogenetic analyses, chromosomal distribution analysis and estimated KJKs values of G hirsutum RH2FE3 genes. Orthologous and paralogous gene pairs were identified by all versus all BLASTP searches. We predicted cis regulatory elements and analyzed microarray data sets to generate heatmaps at different development stages. Tissue specific expression in cotton fiber, and hormonal and abiotic stress responses were determined by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction （qRT PCR） analysis. Results： We investigated 140 G hirsutum, 80 G. orboreum, and evolutionary mechanisms and compared them with orthologs 89 G. roimondii putative RH2FB genes and their in Arobidopsis and rice. A domain based analysis of the G hirsutum RH2FE3 genes predicted conserved signature motifs and gene structures. Chromosomal localization showed the genes were distributed across all G hirsutum chromosomes, and 60 duplication events （4 tandem and 56 segmental duplications） and 98 orthologs were detected, cis elements were detected in the promoter regions of G hirsutum RH2FE3 genes. Microarray data and qRT PCR analyses showed that G hirsutum RH2FE3 genes were strongly correlated with cotton fiber development. Additionally, almost all the （brassinolide, gibberellic acid （GA）, indole 3-acetic acid drought, and salt）. dentified genes were up regulated in response to phytohormones （IAA）, and salicylic acid （SA）） and abiotic stresses （cold, heat, Conclusions： The genome wide identification, comprehensive analysis, and characterization of conserved domains and gene structures, as well as phylogenetic analysis, cis element prediction, and expression profile analysis of G hirsutum RH2FE3 genes and their roles in cotton fiber development and responses to plant hormones and abiotic stresses are reported here for the first time. Our findings will contribute to the genome wide analysis of putative RH2FE3 genes in other species and lay a foundation for future physiological and functional research on G hirsutum RH2FE3 genes.
