Quantitative trait loci identification reveals zinc finger protein CONSTANS-LIKE 4 as the key candidate gene of stigma color in watermelon(Citrullus lanatus)

Stigma color is a critical agronomic trait in watermelon that plays an important role in pollination.However,there are few reports on the regulation of stigma color in watermelon.In this study,a genetic analysis of the F2 population derived from ZXG1553(P1,with orange stigma)and W1-17(P2,with yellow stigma)indicated that stigma color is a quantitative trait and the orange stigma is recessive compared with the yellow stigma.Bulk segregant analysis sequencing(BSA-seq)revealed a 3.75 Mb segment on chromosome 6 that is related to stigma color.Also,a major stable effective QTL Clqsc6.1(QTL stigma color)was detected in two years between cleaved amplified polymorphic sequencing(CAPS)markers Chr06_8338913 and Chr06_9344593 spanning a~1.01 Mb interval that harbors 51 annotated genes.Cla97C06G117020(annotated as zinc finger protein CONSTANS-LIKE 4)was identified as the best candidate gene for the stigma color trait through RNA-seq,quantitative real-time PCR(qRT-PCR),and gene structure alignment analysis among the natural watermelon panel.The expression level of Cla97C06G117020 in the orange stigma accession was lower than in the yellow stigma accessions with a significant difference.A nonsynonymous SNP site of the Cla97C06G117020 coding region that causes amino acid variation was related to the stigma color variation among nine watermelon accessions according to their re-sequencing data.Stigma color formation is often related to carotenoids,and we also found that the expression trend of ClCHYB(annotated asβ-carotene hydroxylase)in the carotenoid metabolic pathway was consistent with Cla97C06G117020,and it was expressed in low amounts in the orange stigma accession.These data indicated that Cla97C06G117020 and ClCHYB may interact to form the stigma color.This study provides a theoretical basis for gene fine mapping and mechanisms for the regulation of stigma color in watermelon.

PbrARF4 contributes to calyx shedding of fruitlets in ‘Dangshan Suli’ pear by partly regulating the expression of abscission genes

Fruitlet calyx shedding in pear plants is apparently regulated via numerous pathways that involve both environmental triggers and phytohormones cues such as auxin. In this study, we found at 10 days after full bloom (DAFB) higher levels of indoleacetic acid (IAA) and tryptophan (Trp) in calyx persistence fruitlet (CPF) than calyx shedding fruitlet (CSF) ofDanshan Suli’ pear (Pyrus bretschneideri Rhed.). Consisting with this, the activity of indolealdehyde oxidase (IAAIdO), which promotes IAA synthesis, was remarkably increased, and that of peroxidase(POD), which degrades IAA, dropped markedly in CPF but not in CSF. Further, qRT-PCR results revealed that most of 31 PbrARFs (encoding auxin response factors) in Pyrus bretschneideri were highly expressed in CPF, whereas PbrARF4, PbrARF24 and PbrARF26 were significantly downregulated in CPF vis-a-vis CSF. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that 6 PbrARFs clustered in the group III, where PbrARF4 showed the closest affinity with AtARF1 that promotes organ abscission, indicating a putative role of PbrARF4 in mediating the process of calyx shedding in pear. In fact, the ectopic overexpression of PbrARF4 in Solanum lycopersicum resulted in an earlier-formed and deeper abscission layer (AL) in the transgenic plants, whose calyxes were more prone to wilt at the mature red stage (MR) compared with the control plants (wild-type). More importantly, expression levels of the abscission genes SILS and Sl Cel2 in transgenic plants overexpressing PbrARF4 were significantly upregulated in comparation with the WT, whereas those of Sl BI and Sl TAPG2 were considerably inhibited. Further, PbrJOINTLESS and PbrIDA,the two genes related to calyx shedding in pear, were up-regulated more in CSF than CPF. The findings contribute to a better understanding of PbrARFs involved in fruitlet calyx shedding of pear, which could prove beneficial to improving the quality of pear fruit.

Cellular Senescence and SENEX Gene on the Peripheral CD4+CD25+ Treg Cells Enhancement in Elderly

Cellular senescence is a signal transduction process which maintained genomic stability and stopped mammalian cell growth. Furthermore, cellular senescence induces a protective response to a variety of DNA damage. However, this process is also associated with apoptosis, upregulated secretion of inflammatory cytokine, and promoted surrounding tissue damage. When cellular senescence accumulates to a certain extent, it triggers geriatric diseases, such as chronic inflammation, immune senescence-associated tumors and incontrollable infections. Cellular senescence gene SENEX, which was cloned in 2004, has been demonstrated to play a unique gatekeeper function in human endothelial cells when stress-induced pre-mature senescence and apoptosis occurr. The phenomenon that CD4+CD25+ Treg cells accumulated in the aged population has been well studied in recent years. Now Treg accumulation related to immune-pathology has attracted more interest. CD4+CD25+ Treg did not decline and age, but accumulated and suppressed immunoreaction. The enhanced Treg number and function may be associated with stress-induced premature senescence-mediated unique cellular senescence protection mechanisms, and SENEX may play a critical role in this process. In this article, we summarize the cellular senescence and SENEX gene in the accumulation and functional activity of CD4+CD25+ Treg in the elderly.

The Influence of Aerial Exposure on Sea Anemones Aulactinia veratra Mucin Genes Expression Using the RNA Sequencing

Mucin genes are the main component of mucus. The sea anemone species, Aulactinia veratra (Phylum Cnidaria) contains different types of mucin genes. In the intertidal zone, A. veratra is found to be exposed to air during the low tide and produces large quantities of mucus as an external covering. The relation between low tide and mucus secretion is still unclear, and what is the role of mucin during arial exposure is not yet investigated. This study hypothesised that the mucin genes in A. veratra would have significantly high expression in response to aerial exposure. Therefore, the aim of current study was to examine and analyses the response of A. veratra mucins in response to an experiment involving three hours of aerial exposure. To achieve this, aim the RNA-sequencing and bioinformatics analyses were used to examine the expression profile of A. veratra mucin genes in response to aerial exposure. The generated results have shown that, Mucin4-like and mucin5B-like were up-regulated in response to the three hours of aerial exposure in A. veratra. This finding shows a significant role of mucin5B-like and mucin4-like genes in response to air stress at low tide. The data generated from this study could be used in conjunction with future mucin gene studies of sea anemones and other cnidarians to compare A. veratra mucin gene expression results across time, and to extend our understanding of mucin stress response in this phylum.

Changes of chlorogenic acid content and its synthesis-associated genes expression in Xuehua pear fruit during development

According to synthetic pathway of plant chlorogenic acid （CGA）, the expression patterns of genes encoding enzymes that are associated with CGA synthesis were studied in normally developed Xuehua pear fruit. The study demonstrated that CGA content in peel and flesh of Xuehua pear decreased as fruit development progressed, with a higher level in peel. The expression levels of PbPAL 1, PbPAL2, PbC3H, PbC4H, Pb4CL 1, Pb4CL2, Pb4CL6, PbHC T1 and PbHC T3 genes decreased in fruit, which was consistent with the pattern of variation in CGA content. That indicated that these genes might be key genes for influencing fruit CGA synthesis in Xuehua pear. However, Pb4CL7 gene expression profile is not consistent with variation of CGA content, hence, it may not be a key gene involved in CGA synthesis.

An Investigation of the Effects of B7-H4 Gene rs10754339 and miR-125a Gene rs12976445 on Cancer Susceptibility

Objective To investigate the effects of the B7-H4 gene rs10754339 and miR-125a gene rs12976445 on cancer susceptibility through a case-control study and meta-analysis.Methods A total of 1,490 cancer patients(lung/gastric/liver/:550/460/480)and 800 controls were recruited in this case-control study.The meta-analysis was performed by pooling the data from previous related studies and the present study.Results The results of this study showed that in the Hubei Han Chinese population,the rs10754339gene was significantly associated with the risk of lung and gastric cancer but not liver cancer,and the rs12976445 gene was significantly associated with the risk of lung cancer but not liver or gastric cancer.The meta-analysis results indicated that rs10754339 and rs12976445 contributed to cancer susceptibility in the Chinese population and also revealed a significant association between rs10754339and breast cancer risk,as well as between rs12976445 and lung cancer risk.Conclusion The B7-H4 gene rs10754339 and miR-125a gene rs12976445 may be the potential genetic markers for cancer susceptibility in the Chinese population,which should be validated in future studies with larger sample sizes in other ethnic populations.

Novel mutation of SPG4 gene in a Chinese family with hereditary spastic paraplegia:A case report

BACKGROUND Hereditary spastic paraplegia(HSP)is a group of neurogenetic diseases of the corticospinal tract,accompanied by distinct spasticity and weakness of the lower extremities.Mutations in the spastic paraplegia type 4(SPG4)gene,encoding the spastin protein,are the major cause of the disease.This study reported a Chinese family with HSP caused by a novel mutation of the SPG4 gene.CASE SUMMARY A 44-year-old male was admitted to our hospital for long-term right lower limb weakness,leg stiffness,and unstable walking.His symptoms gradually worsened,while no obvious muscle atrophy in the lower limbs was found.Neurological examinations revealed that the muscle strength of the lower limbs was normal,and knee reflex hyperreflexia and bilateral positive Babinski signs were detected.Members of his family also had the same symptoms.Using mutation analysis,a novel heterozygous duplication mutation,c.1053dupA,p.(Gln352Thrfs*15),was identified in the SPG4 gene in this family.CONCLUSION A Chinese family with HSP had a novel mutation of the SPG4 gene,which is autosomal dominant and inherited as pure HSP.The age of onset,sex distribution,and clinical manifestations of all existing living patients in this family were analyzed.The findings may extend the current knowledge on the existing mutations in the SPG4 gene.

Regenerating gene 4 promotes chemoresistance of colorectal cancer by affecting lipid droplet synthesis and assembly

BACKGROUND Regenerating gene 4(REG4)has been proved to be carcinogenic in some cancers,but its manifestation and possible carcinogenic mechanisms in colorectal cancer(CRC)have not yet been elucidated.Our previous study found that the drug resistance of CRC cells may be closely linked to their fat metabolism.AIM To explore the role of REG4 in CRC and its association with lipid droplet formation and chemoresistance.METHODS We conducted a meta-analysis and bioinformatics and pathological analyses of REG4 expression in CRC.The effects of REG4 on the phenotypes and related protein expression were also investigated in CRC cells.We detected the impacts of REG4 on the chemoresistance and lipid droplet formation in CRC cells.Finally,we analyzed how REG4 regulated the transcription and proteasomal degradation of lipogenic enzymes in CRC cells.RESULTS Compared to normal mucosa,REG4 mRNA expression was high in CRC(P<0.05)but protein expression was low.An inverse correlation existed between lymph node and distant metastases,tumor-node-metastasis staging or short overall survival and REG4 mRNA overexpression(P<0.05),but vice versa for REG4 protein expression.REG4-related genes included:Chemokine activity;taste receptors;protein-DNA and DNA packing complexes;nucleosomes and chromatin;generation of second messenger molecules;programmed cell death signals;epigenetic regulation and DNA methylation;transcription repression and activation by DNA binding;insulin signaling pathway;sugar metabolism and transfer;and neurotransmitter receptors(P<0.05).REG4 exposure or overexpression promoted proliferation,antiapoptosis,migration,and invasion of DLD-1 cells in an autocrine or paracrine manner by activating the epidermal growth factor receptor-phosphoinositide 3-kinase-Akt-nuclear factor-κB pathway.REG4 was involved in chemoresistance not through de novo lipogenesis,but lipid droplet assembly.REG4 inhibited the transcription of acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1(ACC1)and ATP-citrate lyase(ACLY)by disassociating the complex formation of anti-acetyl(AC)-acetyl-histone 3-AC-histone 4-inhibitor of growth protein-5-si histone deacetylase;-sterol-regulatory element binding protein 1 in their promoters and induced proteasomal degradation of ACC1 or ACLY.CONCLUSION REG4 may be involved in chemoresistance through lipid droplet assembly.REG4 reduces expression of de novo lipid synthesis key enzymes by inhibiting transcription and promoting ubiquitination-mediated proteasomal degradation.

ADAMTS3 and FLT4 gene mutations result in congenital lymphangiectasia in newborns:A case report

BACKGROUND Congenital lymphangiectasia is a rare disease characterized by dilated interstitial lymphatic vessels and cystic expansion of the lymphatic vessels.Congenital lymphangiectasia can affect various organ systems;however,it frequently occurs in the lungs accompanied with unexplained pleural effusion.Further,it might not be diagnosed during prenatal examination owing to the absence of pronounced abnormalities.However,after birth the newborn rapidly develops respiratory distress that quickly deteriorates.Genetic variations in proteins controlling the development of lymphatic vessels contribute to the pathophysiology of this disease.We report a rare case of heterozygous mutation of ADAMTS3 and FLT4 genes,which have not been reported previously.CASE SUMMARY We analysed the case of a neonate who had presented with only pleural effusion at a late gestational age and eventually died due to its inability to establish spontaneous breathing after birth.An autopsy revealed lymphangiectasia of the organ systems.Further,whole exome sequencing revealed heterozygous mutations of the lymphangiogenesis-controlling genes,ADAMTS3 and FLT4,and Sanger verification revealed similar lesions in the mother with no symptoms.CONCLUSION Considering the presented case,obstetricians should observe unexplained foetal pleural effusion,and perform pathology analysis and whole exome sequencing for a conclusive diagnosis and prompt treatment.

ABCB4 gene mutation-associated cirrhosis with systemic amyloidosis:A case report

BACKGROUND Gene mutations in ATP-binding cassette,subfamily B(ABCB4)lead to autosomal recessive disorders.Primary light amyloidosis is a rare and incurable disease.Here,we report a rare case of liver cirrhosis caused by ABCB4 gene mutation combined with primary light amyloidosis.CASE SUMMARY We report a case of a 25-year-old female who was hospitalized due to recurrent abdominal pain caused by calculous cholecystitis and underwent cholecystectomy.Pathological examination of the liver tissue suggested liver cirrhosis with bile duct injury.Exon analyses of the whole genome from the patient’s peripheral blood revealed the presence of a heterozygous mutation in the ABCB4 gene.Bone marrow biopsy tissues,renal puncture examination,and liver mass spectrometry confirmed the diagnosis of a rare progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type 3 with systemic light chain type κ amyloidosis,which resulted in cirrhosis.Ursodeoxycholic acid and the cluster of differentiation 38 monoclonal antibody daretozumab were administered for treatment.Following treatment,the patient demonstrated significant improvement.Urinary protein became negative,peripheral blood-free light chain and urine-free light chain levels returned to normal,and the electrocardiogram showed no abnormalities.Additionally,the patient’s lower limb numbness resolved,and her condition remained stable.CONCLUSION This report presents the diagnosis and treatment of liver cirrhosis,a rare disease that is easily misdiagnosed or missed.

Impact of Copy Number on Transgene Expression In Tobacco

对农杆菌介导法获得的转 β_葡糖醛酸酶 (β_glucuronidase ,GUS)基因 (uidA)烟草 (NicotianatabacumL .)进行GUS表达分析 ,发现部分转基因植株无GUS活性。进一步Southern杂交结果发现 ,GUS基因失活植株的基因组中整合了多个uidA拷贝 ,而GUS活性高的转基因植株多为uidA单拷贝整合 ,表明uidA基因失活与基因多拷贝整合有关。Northern杂交结果显示 ,失活植株无特异uidARNA杂交带 ,而GUS活性高的植株可检测到明显的杂交信号 ,说明多拷贝引起的基因失活发生在RNA水平。

Association of Graves’ disease and Graves’ ophthalmopathy with the polymorphisms in promoter and exon 1 of cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated antigen-4 gene

Objective: To investigate the association of Graves’ disease and Graves’ ophthalmopathy with the C/T transition polymorphism at position –318 of promoter and the A/G transition polymorphism at position 49 of exon 1 within cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4) gene. Methods: Thirty-three patients with ophthalmopathy of Graves’ disease, fifty-six Graves’ patients without ophthalmopathy and sixty normal subjects as control were involved in the present case-control study. The polymorphisms were evaluated by polymerase chain reaction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Com-parisons were made of gene frequencies and allele frequencies between the groups. Results: The gene frequencies of CT and allele frequencies of T were much higher in Graves’ patients with ophthalmopathy than that in the group without ophthalmopathy (P=0.020, P=0.019). The gene frequencies of GG and allele frequencies of G in patients with Graves’ disease were significantly increased as compared with control group (P=0.008, P=0.007). The data suggest that smokers with Graves’ disease seemed to be more predisposed to ophthalmopathy than non-smokers (P=0.018). Conclusion: Our results suggest that an allele of T at position –318 of promoter is associated with genetic susceptibility to Graves’ ophthalmopathy while an allele of G at position 49 of exon 1 is associated with genetic susceptibility to Graves’ disease instead. Smoking is believed to be a major risk factor for ophthalmo-pathy.

Expression,deleton and mnutation of ρ16 gene in human gastric cancer

AIM To investigate the relationship between the expression of p16 gene and the gastric carcinogenesis,depth of invasion and lymph node metastases, and to evaluate the deletion and mutation of exon 2 in p16 gene in gastric carcinoma.METHODS The expression of P16 protein was examined by streptavidin-peroxidase conjugated method (S-P); the deletion and mutation of p16 gene were respectively examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and polymerase chain reaction single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis (PCR-SSCP) in gastric carcinoma.RESULTS Expression of P16 protein was detected in 96.25% (77/80) of the normal gastric mucosa, in 92.00% (45/50) of the dysplastic gastric mucosa and in 47.54% (58/122) of the gastric carcinoma. The positive rate of P16 protein expression in gastric carcinoma was significantly lower than that in normal gastric mucosa and dysplastic gastric mucosa (P＜0.05). The positive rate of P16 protein expression in mucoid carcinoma 10.00% (1/ 10) was significantly lower than that in poorly differentiated carcinoma 51.22% ( 21/ 41 ),undifferentiated carcinoma 57.69% (15/26) and signet ring cell carcinoma 62.50% (10/ 16) (P＜0.05). The positive rate of p16 protein in 30 cases paired primary and lymph node metastatic gastric carcinoma: There was 46.67% (14/30) in primary gastric carcinoma, 16.67% (5/30) in lymph node metastatic gastric carcinoma. The positive rate of lymph node metastatic carcinoma was significantly lower than that of primary carcinoma (P＜0.05). There was of p16 gene mutation in exon 2, but 5 cases displayed deletion of p16 gene in exon 2 in the 25 primary gastric carcinomas.CONCLUSIONS The expression loss of P16 protein related to the gastric carcinogenesis, gastric carcinoma histopathological subtypes and lymph metastasis. The mutation of p16 gene in exon 2 may not be involved in gastric carcinogenesis. But the deletion of p16 gene in exon 2 may be involved in gastric carcinogenesis.

Effect of VEGF-targeted antisense gene therapy on retinoblastoma cell line SO-RB50 in vitro and in vivo

AIM: To evaluate the possibility of generation 4 polyamidoamine (G4PAMAM) dendrimers acting as the delivery system of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (VEGFASODN), and to investigate the anti-tumor effect of G4PAMAM/VEGFASODN complex on the cultured cells and the mouse tumor xenograft model. METHODS: The transfection efficiency was assessed by Row cytometry (FCM). Thiazolyl tetrazolium (MU) assay was performed to determine the relative growth rate (RGR) of the cells after transfection. Then a mouse tumor xenograft model of human retinoblastoma was established. Different interventions were given to the mice by intratumoral injection and the tumor growth was monitored. The expression of VEGF mRNA was detected by reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR), the expression of VEGF protein was determined by western blot analysis, and the microvessel density (MVD) was measured by immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining. RESULTS: G4PAMAM/VEGFASODN exhibited a high transfection rate in vitro, and the transfection rates of different doses of G4PAMAM/VEGFASODN groups increased with higher doses. This effect was accompanied by a dose-depended reduction in cell viability. The tumor growth in the tumor-bearing athymic mice was significantly inhibited in the G4PAMAM/VEGFASODN group. The expressions of VEGF mRNA and protein were obviously inhibited in the G4PAMAM/VEGFASODN group (p<0.05), and the MVD of the G4PAMAM/VEGFASODN group was lower than that of the other groups(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: VEGFASODN can be delivered into the cultured and transplanted retinoblastoma cells efficiently by G4PAMAM, suppress the expressions of VEGF mRNA and protein, and reduce the MVD of tumor tissues. The G4PAMAM/VEGFASODN complex has antitumor properties vitro and in vivo.

Molecular Characterization of the Duck Enteritis Virus UL4 Gene

Duck enteritis virus(DEV) is a herpesvirus that causes an acute,contagious and fatal disease. In the present article,the DEV UL4 gene was cloned and sequenced from a vaccine virus. A degenerate oligonucleotide primer for the consensus site of herpesvirus UL3 gene and a specific primer located in UL5 were used in the polymerase chain reaction(PCR) to amplify a DNA product 2 086 bp in size. DNA sequence analysis revealed that a 714 bp open reading frame(ORF) of DEV encoding a 237 amino acid polypeptide is homologous to the family of herpesvirus UL4 proteins and therefore has been characterized as a DEV UL4 gene. Alignment of the DEV UL4 protein sequence with those of other alphaherpesviruses showed that 10 amino acid residues are completely conserved. Phylogenetic tree analysis showed that the seventeen alphaherpesviruses viruses analyzed were classified into four large groups,and the duck enteritis virus branched separately,closely related to the Mardiviruses group comprising Gallid herpesvirus 2(GaHV-2) ,Gallid herpesvirus 3(GaHV-3) and Meleagrid herpesvirus 1(MeHV-1) . The present study showed that the evolutionary relationship of the UL4 protein could be used for classification of alphaherpesviruses.

Genetic Polymorphism of TLR4 Gene and Correlation with Mastitis in Cattle

Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4） recognizes pathogen ligands and mediates signaling to initiate innate and adaptive immune responses. In this experiment, a 316 bp and 382 bp fragments of TLR4 gene named T4CRBR1 and T4CRBR2, of Chinese Holstein, Sanhe cattle, and Chinese Simmental was amplified by polymerase chain reaction （PCR）, respectively. The genetic polymorphisms in the three populations were detected by Single-Strand Conformational Polymorphism （SSCP） in the first locus and by digesting the fragments with restriction endonuclease Alu I in the second one. Results showed that both alleles （A and B） of two loci were found in all the three populations and the value of polymorphism information content （PIC） indicated that these were a moderate polymorphism. Statistical results of X^2 test indicated that two polymorphism sites in the three populations fitted with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium （P 〉 0.05）. After sequencing, A-G single nucleotide polymorphism （SNP） was identified at nucleotide 4,525 in intron 1 of TLR4 gene and C-T SNP was identified at nucleotide 1,397 in exon 3 of TLR4 gene. Meanwhile, the effect of polymorphism of TLR4 gene on somatic cell score （SCS） was analyzed, the results indicated that the cattle with allele A in T4CRBR1 showed lower somatic cell score than that of allele B （P 〈 0.05）. In short, the allele A might play an important role in mastiffs resistance in bovine.

Gene interference regulates aquaporin-4 expression in swollen tissue of rats with cerebral ischemic edema Correlation with variation in apparent diffusion coefficient

To investigate the effects of mRNA interference on aquaporin-4 expression in swollen tissue of rats with ischemic cerebral edema, and diagnose the significance of diffusion-weighted MRI, we injected 5 pL shRNA- aquaporin-4 （control group） or siRNA- aquaporin-4 solution （1：800） （RNA interference group） into the rat right basal ganglia immediately before occlusion of the middle cerebral artery. At 0.25 hours after occlusion of the middle cerebral artery, diffusion-weighted MRI displayed a high signal; within 2 hours, the relative apparent diffusion coefficient decreased markedly, aquaporin-4 expression increased rapidly, and intracellular edema was obviously aggravated; at 4 and 6 hours, the relative apparent diffusion coefficient slowly returned to control levels, aquaporin-4 expression slightly increased, and angioedema was observed. In the RNA interference group, during 0.25- 6 hours after injection of siRNA- aquaporin-4 solution, the relative apparent diffusion coefficient slightly fluctuated and aquaporin-4 expression was upregulated; during 0.5 4 hours, the relative apparent diffusion coefficient was significantly higher, while aquaporin-4 expression was significantly lower when compared with the control group, and intracellular edema was markedly reduced; at 0.25 and 6 hours, the relative apparent diffusion coefficient and aquaporin-4 expression were similar when compared with the control group; obvious angioedema remained at 6 hours. Pearson＇s correlation test results showed that aquaporin-4 expression was negatively correlated with the apparent diffusion coefficient （r = -0.806, P 〈 0.01）. These findings suggest that upregulated aquaporin-4 expression is likely to be the main molecular mechanism of intracellular edema and may be the molecular basis for decreased relative apparent diffusion coefficient. Aquaporin-4 gene interference can effectively inhibit the upregulation of aquaporin-4 expression during the stage of intracelfular edema with time-effectiveness. Moreover, diffusion-weighted MRI can accurately detect intracellular edema.

Construction of recombinant industrial Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain with bglS gene insertion into PEP4 locus by homologous recombination

The bglS gene encoding endo-1,3-1,4-β-glucanase from Bacillus subtil＆ was cloned and sequenced in this study. The bglS expression cassette, including PGK1 promoter, bglS gene fused to the signal sequence of the yeast mating pheromone a-factor （MFals）, and ADH1 terminator with G418-resistance as the selected marker, was constructed. Then one of the PEP4 allele of Saccharomyces cerevisiae WZ65 strain was replaced by bglS expression cassette using chromosomal integration of polymerase chain reaction （PCR）-mediated homologous recombination, and the bglS gene was expressed simultaneously. The recombinant strain S. cerevisiae （SC-βG） was preliminarily screened by the clearing hydrolysis zone formed after the barley β-glucan was hydrolyzed in the plate and no proteinase A （PrA） activity was measured in fermenting liquor. The results of PCR analysis of genome DNA showed that one of the PEP4 allele had been replaced and bglS gene had been inserted into the locus of PEP4 gene in recombinant strains. Different endo-1,3-1,4-β-glucanase assay methods showed that the recombinant strain SC-βG had high endo-1,3-1,4-β-glucanase expression level with the maximum of 69.3 U/（h·ml） after 60 h of incubation. Meanwhile, the Congo Red method was suitable for the determination of endo-1,3-1,4-β-glucanase activity during the actual brewing process. The current research implies that the constructed yeast strain could be utilized to improve the industrial brewing property of beer.

Clinical significance of NOD2/CARD15 and Toll-like receptor 4 gene single nucleotide polymorphisms in inflammatory bowel disease

AIM： To evaluate the role of genetic factors in the pathogenesis of Crohn＇s disease （CD） and ulcerative colitis （UC）, we investigated the single nucleotide polymorphisms （SNPs） of NOD2/CARD15 （R702W, Gg08R and L1007finsC）, and Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4） genes （D299G and T399I） in a selected inflammatory bowel disease （IBD） population coming from Southern Italy. METHODS： Allele and genotype frequencies of NOD2/ CARD15 （R702W, Gg08R and L1007finsC） and TLR4 （D299G and T399I） SNPs were examined in 133 CD patients, in 45 UC patients, and in 103 healthy controls. A genotype-phenotype correlation was performed. RESULTS： NOD2/CARD15 R702W mutation was significantly more frequent in CD （9.8%） than in controls （2.4%, P = 0.001） and in UC （2.3%, P = 0.03）. No significant difference was found between UC patients and control group （P 〉 0.05）. In CD and UC patients, no significant association with G908R variant was found. L1007finsC SNP showed an association with CD （9.8%） compared with controls （2.9%, P = 0.002） and UC patients （2.3%, P = 0.01）. Moreover, in CD patients, G908R and L1007finsC mutations were significantly associated with different phenotypes compared to CD wild-type patients. No association of IBD with the TLR4 SNPs was found in either cohort （allele frequencies： D299G-controls 3.9%, CD 3.7%, UC 3.4%, P 〉 0.05; T399I-controls 2.9%, CD 3.0%, UC 3.4%, P 〉 0.05）. CONCLUSION： These findings confirm that, in our IBD patients selected from Southern Italy, the NOD2/ CARD15, but not TLR4 SNPs, are associated with increased risk of CD.

A large-scale functional approach to uncover human genes and pathways in Drosophila

We demonstrate the feasibility of performing a systematic screen for human gene functions in Drosophila by assaying for their ability to induce overexpression phenotypes. Over 1 500 transgenic fly lines corresponding to 236 human genes have been established. In all, 51 lines are capable of eliciting a phenotype suggesting that the human genes are functional. These heterologous genes are functionally relevant as we have found a similar mutant phenotype caused either by a dominant negative mutant form of the human ribosomal protein L8 gene or by RNAi downregulation of the Drosophila RPL8. Significantly, the Drosophila RPL8 mutant can be rescued by wild-type human RPL8. We also provide genetic evidence that Drosophila RPL8 is a new member of the insulin signaling pathway. In summary, the functions of many human genes appear to be highly conserved, and the ability to identify them in Drosophila represents a powerful genetic tool for large-scale analysis of human transcripts in vivo.