Identification of potential internal control genes for real-time PCR analysis during stress response in Pyropia haitanensis

Pyropia haitanensis has prominent stress-resistance characteristics and is endemic to China. Studies into the stress responses in these algae could provide valuable information on the stress-response mechanisms in the intertidal Rhodophyta. Here, the effects of salinity and light intensity on the quantum yield of photosystem II in Py. haitanensis were investigated using pulse-amplitude-modulation fluorometry. Total RNA and genomic DNA of the samples under different stress conditions were isolated. By normalizing to the genomic DNA quantity, the RNA content in each sample was evaluated. The cDNA was synthesized and the expression levels of seven potential internal control genes were evaluated using qRT-PCR method. Then, we used geNorm, a common statistical algorithm, to analyze the qRT-PCR data of seven reference genes. Potential genes that may constantly be expressed under different conditions were selected, and these genes showed stable expression levels in samples under a salinity treatment, while tubulin, glyceraldehyde- 3-phosphate dehydrogenase and actin showed stability in samples stressed by strong light. Based on the results of the pulse amplitude-modulation fluorometry, an absolute quantification was performed to obtain gene copy numbers in certain stress-treated samples. The stably expressed genes as determined by the absolute quantification in certain samples conformed to the results of the geNorm screening. Based on the results of the software analysis and absolute quantification, we proposed that elongation factor 3 and 18S ribosomal RNA could be used as internal control genes when the Py. haitanensis blades were subjected to salinity stress, and that a-tubulin and 18S ribosomal RNA could be used as the internal control genes when the stress was from strong light. In general, our findings provide a convenient reference for the selection of internal control genes when designing experiments related to stress responses in Py. haitanensis.

Identification of stable internal control genes for accurate normalization of real-time quantitative PCR data in testicular tissue from two breeds of cattle

Objective:To assess the stability of 10 candidate internal control genes(ICGs),namely GAPDH,ACTB,RPL23,RPS15A,ATPSF1,GLUT5,HMBS,ATP2B4,PPIA,and BRP to normalize the transcriptional data from testes samples of Zebu and crossbred bulls.Methods:Total RNA was isolated from testicular tissue of Zebu and crossbred bulls(n=6 each)between 2-8 years of age.cDNA was synthesized,and the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(PCR)was performed.The cycle threshold values were used for the analysis of the stability of ICGs.Four different statistical algorithms:geNorm,Normfinder,BestKeeper,and RefFinder,were used to assess the stability of these genes.Results:ATPSF1,HMBS,PPIA,and RPS15A were the most reliable and stable ICGs for Zebu testes,and ATPSF1,RPL23,and PPIA for crossbred testes.Conclusions:A panel of stable ICGs(ATPSF1,HMBS,PPIA,RPS15A for Zebu and ATPSF1,RPL23,and PPIA for crossbred)for normalization of gene expression data in testes samples can be helpful for researchers to conduct functional genomics studies at the testicular level in cattle bulls.

Validation of housekeeping genes as internal controls for studying the gene expression in Pyropia haitanensis(Bangiales, Rhodophyta) by quantitative real-time PCR

Pyropia haitanensis is an economically important mariculture crop in China and has a high research value for several life phenomena, for example environmental tolerance. To explore the mechanisms underlying these characteristics, gene expression has been investigated at the whole transcriptome level. Gene expression studies using quantitative real-time PCR should start by selecting an appropriate internal control gene; therefore, the absolute expression abundance of six housekeeping genes （18S rRNA （18S）, ubiquitin-conju-ating enzyme （UBC）, actin （ACT）, β-tubulin （TUB）, elongation factors 2 （EF2）, and glyceraldehyde-3-phos- phate dehydrogenase （GAPDH） examined by the quantitative real-time PCR in samples corresponding to different strains, life-cycle stages and abiotic stress treatments. Their expression stabilities were assessed by the comparative cycle threshold （Ct） method and by two different software packages： geNorm and NormFinder. The most stable housekeeping gene is UBC and the least stable housekeeping is GADPH. Thus, it is proposed that the most appropriate internal control gene for expression analyses in P. haitanensis is UBC. The results pave the way for further gene expression analyses of different aspects of P. haitanensis biology including different strains, life-history stages and abiotic stress responses.

Selection of suitable internal controls for gene expression normalization in rats with spinal cord injury

There is a lack of systematic research on the expression of internal control genes used for gene expression normalization in real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in spinal cord injury research.In this study,we used rat models of spinal cord hemisection to analyze the expression stability of 13 commonly applied reference genes:Actb,Ankrd27,CypA,Gapdh,Hprt1,Mrpl10,Pgk1,Rictor,Rn18s,Tbp,Ubc,Ubxn11,and Ywhaz.Our results show that the expression of Ankrd27,Ubc,and Tbp were stable after spinal cord injury,while Actb was the most unstable internal control gene.Ankrd27,Ubc,Tbp,and Actb were consequently used to investigate the effects of internal control genes with differing stabilities on the normalization of target gene expression.Target gene expression levels and changes over time were similar when Ankrd27,Ubc,and Tbp were used as internal controls but different when Actb was used as an internal control.We recommend that Ankrd27,Ubc,and Tbp are used as internal control genes for real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in spinal cord injury research.This study was approved by the Administration Committee of Experimental Animals,Jiangsu Province,China(approval No.20180304-008)on March 4,2018.

Identification of a suitable endogenous control gene in porcine blastocysts for use in quantitative PCR analysis of microRNAs

To obtain reliable results in quantitative PCR （qPCR） reactions, an endogenous control （EC） gene is needed to correct for systematic variations. In this study, a TaqMan low density array was used to quantify the expression levels of microRNA （rniRNA） genes in in vivo fertilized, in vitro fertilized, parthenogenetic and somatic cell nuclear transfer blastocysts. The aim was to identify suitable EC genes for the qPCR analysis of rniRNAs in porcine blastocysts. The results showed that thirty-six miRNAs were commonly expressed in the four kinds of embryos and the expression levels of eleven miRNAs were similar in the different embryo types （P-value〉0.05）. These 11 miRNAs were selected as candidate EC genes for further analysis and, of these, miR-16 was identified as the most stable EC gene by the GeNorm （a tool based on a pair-wise comparison model that calculates the internal control genes stability measure and determines the most reliable pair of EC genes） and NorrnFinder （an excel plug-in that uses an ANOVA-based model to estimate intra- and inter- group variation to indicate the single most stable EC gene） programs. In addition, a cell number normalization method validated miR-16 as a suitable EC gene for use in future qPCR analysis of miRNAs in porcine blastocysts.

Myeloidcell-lineage and premylocytic-stage-specific-expression of the mouse myeloperoxidase gene is controlled at initiation as well as elongation levels of transcription

The myeloperoxidase (MPO) is an important microbicidal protein present at high concentration in the primary granule of mature granulocyte and its expression is regulated in both myeloidcell-lineage and premyelocytic-stagespecific manners. A better understanding of the underlying control mechanisms should provide insights into the temporal and co-ordinate regulation of the gene expression during granulopoiesis. We have identified its promoter by mapping the start(s) of transcription using various molecular approaches together with demonstrating the promoter function of the relevant DNA segment in a transient transfection reporter assay. Besides the major start of transcription mapped at G residue, 11 nucleotide upstream of the 3’ end of exon 0, the usage of that is specific to the MPO expressing cell lines, we have shown that irrespective of the MPO-expression status of the hematopoietic cells, transcription occurs broadly within a two kb region upstream of the 5’ proximity of the gene, and is largely terminated in nitron 2. These data support a model of the pre myelocytic-stage-specific MPO expression, the control of which is operated at initiation as well as elongation levels of transcription.

Hypoxic response elements and Tet-On advanced double-controlled systems regulate hVEGF_(165) and angiopoietin-1 gene expression in vitro

Angiogenesis in ischemic tissue is a complex and multi-gene event. In the study, we constructed hypoxic re-sponse elements （HRE） and the Tet-On advanced double-controlled systems and investigated their effects on the expression of hVEGF165 and angiopoietin-1 （Ang-1） genes in rat cardiomyocytes exposed to hypoxia and pharma-cologic induction. We infected neonatal rat cardiomyocytes with recombinant rAAV-rtTA-Rs-M2/rAAV-TRE-Tight-Ang-1 and rAAV-9HRE- hVEGF165. Our results indicated that the viral titer was 1×1012 vg /mL and the viral purity exceeded 98%. hVEGF165 expression was induced by hypoxia, but not by normoxia （P 0.001）. Ang-1 expression was evident under doxycycline induction, but undetectable without doxycycline induction （P 0.001）. Immunofluorescence staining showed that positively stained hVEGF165 and Ang-1 protein appeared only under both hypoxia and doxycycline induction. We demonstrate here that HRE and the recombinant Tet-On advanced double gene-controlled systems sensitively regulate the expression of hVEGF165 and Ang-1 genes in an altered oxygen environment and under pharmacological induction in vitro.

Suitable internal control genes for qRT-PCR normalization in cotton fiber development and somatic embryogenesis

The mechanisms of cotton fiber development and somatic embryogenesis have been explored sys-tematically with microarray and suppression subtractive hybridization. Real-time RT-PCR provides the simultaneous measurement of gene expression in many different samples,with which the data from microarray or others can be confirmed in detail. To achieve accurate and reliable gene expression re-sults,normalization of real-time PCR data against one or several internal control genes is required,which should not fluctuate in different tissues during various stages of development. We assessed the gene expression of 7 frequently used housekeeping genes,including 18S rRNA,Histone3,UBQ7,Actin,Cyclophilin,Gbpolyubiquitin-1 and Gbpolyubiquitin-2,in a diverse set of 21 cotton samples. For fiber developmental series the expression of all housekeeping genes had the same down tendency after 17 DPA. But the expression of the AGP gene(arabinogalactan protein) that has high expression level at the later fiber development stage was up-regulated from 15 to 27 DPA. So the relative absolute quanti-fication should be an efficient and convenient method for the fiber developmental series. The expres-sion of nonfiber tissues series varied not so much against the fiber developmental series. And three best control genes Histone3,UBQ7 and Gbpolyubiquitin-1 have to be used in a combinated way to get better normalization.

The Genetic Structure and Diversity of Repomucenus curvicornis Inhabiting Liaoning Coast Based on Mitochondrial COⅠ Gene and Control Region

[Object] This study was conducted to explore the genetic diversity and structure of the wild Repomucenus curvicornis inhabiting Liaoning Coast, China. [Method] The mitochondrial COⅠ gene and control region（CR） were PCR amplified from the wild R. curvicornis populations from the Liaodong Bay（n=22） and the northern Yellow Sea（n=18）, sequenced and analyzed for genetic diversity. [Result] The contents of A, T, C and G of 624 bp COⅠ gene were 24.09%, 31.04%, 25.28%, and 19.59%, and those of 460 bp CR fragment were 32.96%, 32.80%, 14.86% and 19.38%, respectively. The total number of variable sites, average number of nucleotide differences（ k）, haplotype diversity（H） and nucleotide diversity（π） based on COⅠ gene were 38, 4.67,（0.96±0.02） and（0.007 5±0.004 2）, and those based on CR fragment were 26, 3.35,（0.97 ±0.02） and（0.007 3±0.004 3）, respectively. Based on mitochondrial COⅠ gene and CR, the genetic diversity of Liaodong Bay population was lower than that of the northern Yellow Sea population. The AMOVA analysis based on CR fragments revealed almost significant genetic divergence between the Liaodong Bay and the northern Yellow Sea populations, while there was no significant genetic divergence based on COⅠ gene. The results showed that CR and COⅠ gene are effective molecular markers for detecting the genetic diversity of R. curvicornis population, while CR is more reliable than COⅠ gene in detecting the genetic structure. [Conclusion] CR is an appropriate marker for genetic analysis of marine fish population.

Controlling N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunit 1 with calcitonin gene related peptide after cerebral ischemic injury

BACKGROUND: Activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) is a key link of exitotoxicity at the phase of cerebral ischemic injury. Because NMDAR is a main way to mediate internal flow of Ca2+ among glutamic acid receptors, over-excitation can cause neuronal apoptosis. Calcitonin gene related peptide has a strongly biological activity. On one hand, it can protect ischemic neurons through inhibiting the expression of NMDAR1 mRNA; on the other hand, it can play the protective effect through down-regulating the expression of NMDAR1 mRNA by exogenous calcitonin gene related peptide. OBJECTIVE: To observe the expression of NMDAR1 and the regulatory effect of calcitonin gene related peptide on the expression of NMDAR1 mRNA and protein in the cerebral cortex of rats with focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). DESIGN: Randomized controlled animal study. SETTING: China Medical University. MATERIALS: A total of 216 healthy male Wistar rats, general grade, weighing 250-280 g, were selected in this study. Twelve rats were randomly selected to regard as control group; meanwhile, other 204 rats were used to establish middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MACO) models. The main reagents were detailed as follows: calcitonin gene related peptide (Sigma Company); calcitonin gene related peptide kit (Boster Company); antibody Ⅰ, Ⅱ and antibody β-actin Ⅰ, Ⅱ of NMDAR1 mRNA and chemiluminescence reagent (Santa Cruz Company, USA). METHODS: The experiment was carried out in the Laboratory of Neurobiology of China Medical University from August 2005 to June 2006. ① Right MCAO models of rats were established to cause focal ischemia and scored based on Zea Longa five-grade scale. If the scores were 1, 2 and 3 after wakefulness, the MACO models were established successfully and involved in the experiment. A total of 120 rats with successful modeling were randomly divided into I/R group and administration group with 60 in each group. All rats in the both groups were observed at five time points, including 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours after reperfusion and after 2-hour ischemia, with 12 experimental animals at each time point. Six rats were prepared for detection of hybridization in situ, and the other 6 were used for Western blotting histochemical detection. Rats in the control group were opened their skin to separate common carotid artery and not treated with line and drugs. In addition, rats in the I/R group were treated with 1 mL saline at 2 hours after focal cerebral ischemia, and then, rats in the administration group were treated with 1 mL (1 g/L) calcitonin gene related peptide at 2 hours after focal cerebral ischemia. ② The expression of NMDAR1 mRNA was detected with hybridization in situ at various time points; moreover, the expression of NMDAR1 protein was measured with Western blotting method at various time points. The results were analyzed with Metamoph imaging analytical system. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The expression of NMDAR1 mRNA and its protein in cortical neurons of rats at various time points. RESULTS: A total of 84 rats were excluded because of non-symptoms, exanimation or death; and then, 132 rats were involved in the final analysis. The expression of NMDAR1 mRNA and its protein in cortical neurons of rats in the control group was 0.205±0.001 and 0.184±0.001, respectively; after I/R, expression of NMDAR1 mRNA and its protein was up-regulated, especially, expression of mRNA at 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours was 0.245±0.003, 0.287±0.004, 0.354±0.008, 0.284±0.002 and 0.217±0.006, respectively; moreover, expression of protein at 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours was 0.222±0.003, 0.261±0.028, 0.311±0.004, 0.259±0.013 and 0.210±0.008, respectively. There was significant difference between the two groups (0.205±0.001, P < 0.01). The expression was up-related in the former 24 hours, reached peak at 24 hours, down-regulated, and decreased to the level of control group at 72 hours. Except 72 hours, the expression of NMDAR1 mRNA and its protein was lower in administration group than that in I/R group at other four time points. In addition, the expression of mRNA at 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours was 0.223±0.005, 0.243±0.001, 0.292±0.002, 0.250±0.003 and 0.213±0.003, respectively; moreover, the expression of protein at 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours was 0.216±0.006, 0.245±0.025, 0.276±0.003, 0.241±0.045 and 0.202±0.013, respectively. There was significant difference at various time points (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The expressions of NMDAR1 mRNA and its protein of peripheral cortical neurons are up-related in ischemic area after focal cerebral I/R. Meanwhile, exogenous calcitonin gene related peptide can protect cortical neurons through inhibiting expression of NMDAR1 mRNA and its protein after focal cerebral I/R.

Construction and Control of Genetic Regulatory Networks:A Multivariate Markov Chain Approach

In the post-genomic era, the construction and control of genetic regulatory networks using gene expression data is a hot research topic. Boolean networks (BNs) and its extension Probabilistic Boolean Networks (PBNs) have been served as an effective tool for this purpose. However, PBNs are difficult to be used in practice when the number of genes is large because of the huge computational cost. In this paper, we propose a simplified multivariate Markov model for approximating a PBN The new model can preserve the strength of PBNs, the ability to capture the inter-dependence of the genes in the network, qnd at the same time reduce the complexity of the network and therefore the computational cost. We then present an optimal control model with hard constraints for the purpose of control/intervention of a genetic regulatory network. Numerical experimental examples based on the yeast data are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed model and control policy.

Characterization of reference genes for qPCR analysis in various tissues of the Fujian oyster Crassostrea angulata

Accurate quantification of transcripts using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction （qPCR） depends on the identification of reliable reference genes for normalization. This study aimed to identify and validate seven reference genes, including actin-2 （ACT-2）, elongation factor 1 alpha （EF-1α）, elongation factor 1 beta （EF-1β）, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase （GAPDH）, ubiquitin （UBQ）, β-tubulin （β-TUB）, and 18 S ribosomal RNA, from Crassostrea angulata, a valuable marine bivalve cultured worldwide. Transcript levels of the candidate reference genes were examined using qPCR analysis and showed differential expression patterns in the mantle, gill, adductor muscle, labial palp, visceral mass, hemolymph and gonad tissues. Quantitative data were analyzed using the geNorm software to assess the expression stability of the candidate reference genes, revealing that β-TUB and UBQ were the most stable genes. The commonly used GAPDH and 18S rRNA showed low stability, making them unsuitable candidates in this system. The expression pattern of the G protein β-subunit gene （Gβ） across tissue types was also examined and normalized to the expression of each or both of UBQ andβ-TUB as internal controls. This revealed consistent trends with all three normalization approaches, thus validating the reliability of UBQ and β-TUB as optimal internal controls. The study provides the first validated reference genes for accurate data normalization in transcript profiling in Crassostrea angulata, which will be indispensable for further fimetional genomics studies in this economically valuable marine bivalve.

Advances in Research and Application of gE Gene/Protein in Prevention and Control of Swine Pseudora-bies

Research and application progresses of gE gene and its encoding gE protein in PR vaccines, diagnostic technique and epidemiological investigation are summarized, which have certain reference value for comprehensive prevention and control of PR and gradual purification of PR in different regions.

Validation of reference genes for gene expression studies in the dinoflagellate Akashiwo sanguinea by quantitative real-time RT-PCR

The accurate measurement of gene expression via quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR（q RT-PCR）heavily relies on the choice of valid reference gene（s） for data normalization. Resting cyst is the dormant stage in the life cycle of dinoflagellate, which plays crucial roles in HAB-forming dinoflagellate ecology. However, only limited investigations have been conducted on the reference gene selection in dinoflagellates. Gap remained in our knowledge about appropriate HKGs for normalizing gene expression in different life stages, which laid obstacles for the application of q RT-PCR to the HAB-forming group. In this study, six candidate reference genes,18 S ribosomal RNA（18S）, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase（GAPDH）, α-tubulin（TUA）, β-tubulin（TUB）, actin（ACT） and cytochrome oxidase subunit 1（COX1）, were evaluated for their expression stability with q RT-PCR and three statistical algorithms（Ge Norm, Norm Finder, and Best Keeper） for the cosmopolitan, harmful algal bloom-forming dinoflagellate Akashiwo sanguinea. Expression patterns were observed across 18 biological samples, including cells at resting stages（resting cysts）, different growth stages, in darkness, exposed to abscisic acid（ABA） and exposed to temperature stress. The results indicated that TUA, 18 S and GAPDH were relatively stable across all tested scenarios. While the best-recommended reference genes differed across experimental groups, the pairs of ACT and TUA, 18 S and GAPDH were the most reliable for cells at different growth stages and darkness treatment. The combination of TUA and TUB was the best choice for normalization in resting cysts and in ABA treatment, respectively. The pair of ACT and COX1 was suitable for temperature treatments. This study was the first to investigate the stable internal reference genes in dinoflagellates at different stages of life cycle,particularly in resting cysts. Our results provided useful information for selection of reference genes in dinoflagellates regarding quantification of gene expression at different experimental scenarios, which will facilitate more accurate and widespread use of q RT-PCR in gene analysis of dinoflagellates and help to design primers targeting orthologous genes in other algal species.

Association of the Apolipoprotein B Gene Polymorphisms With Essential Hypertension in Northern Chinese Han Population

Objective To study the association of the apolipoprotein B gene polymorphisms with essential hypertension in Northern Chinese Han population. Methods XbaI and EcoRl polymorphisms of the apolipoprotein B （APOB） gene were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction （PCR） and restriction fragment-length polymorphism （RFLP） method in 503 unrelated hypertensive patients and 490 healthy controls recruited from international collaborative study of cardiovascular disease in Asia （InterAsia）. Results The difference in the genotypic distributions could be neglected across the groups. The prevalence of X＋ allele in healthy controls （4.8%） was less frequent in Chinese, and there was no significant difference in the frequency of the X＋ allele between cases （5.7%） and controls （P=0.38）. The observed E- allele frequencies were closely similar among groups （5.9% in cases vs 5.0% in controls, P=0.39）. Logitstic regression analyses revealed that the lack of association still persisted after adjustment of other environmental factors. Haplotype analysis showed that X-E＋ was most frequent and no haplotype could significantly contribute to essential hypertension. Conclusion The APOB gene XbaI and EcoRI polymorphisms are not associated with essential hypertension in the Northern Chinese Han population. Future studies on single nucleotide polymorphisms in larger samples are needed to further investigate the possible contribution of the APOB gene to essential hypertension.

柴胡皂苷A调节cAMP/PKA/CREB信号通路对失眠大鼠的改善作用及机制研究

目的基于cAMP/PKA/CREB通路探讨柴胡皂苷A对失眠大鼠的改善作用及机制。方法将75只SD大鼠随机分为空白组、模型组、柴胡皂苷A低剂量组(0.625 mg·kg^(-1))、柴胡皂苷A高剂量组(2.500 mg·kg^(-1))、艾司唑仑组(0.1 mg·kg^(-1)),每组15只。采用腹腔注射苯丙氨酸(PCPA,0.1 mg·kg^(-1))复制失眠大鼠模型。观察大鼠一般情况及昼夜节律;采用戊巴比妥钠翻正实验测定大鼠睡眠潜伏期及睡眠持续时间;观测大鼠睡眠时相,记录慢波睡眠第1期(SWS1)、慢波睡眠第2期(SWS2)、快速眼球运动睡眠期(REMS)时长以及总睡眠时长(TST);qRT-PCR法测定下丘脑节律基因Clock、Bmal1 mRNA及钟控基因Rev-erbα、RorαmRNA的表达水平;免疫荧光法测定海马组织NeuN表达水平;ELISA法测定脑组织中的cAMP水平;Western Blot法测定脑组织中Clock、Bmal1、Rev-erbα、Rorα及cAMP/PKA/CREB通路相关蛋白表达水平。结果与空白组比较,模型组大鼠昼伏夜出的节律紊乱,极度兴奋,易激惹,睡眠减少;睡眠潜伏期明显延长(P<0.05),睡眠持续时间及SWS1、SWS2、REMS、TST均明显缩短(P<0.05);神经元排列紊乱,NeuN阳性神经元IOD值明显降低(P<0.05);脑组织Clock、Bmal1、Rev-erbα、RorαmRNA及蛋白表达水平明显降低(P<0.05);脑组织cAMP、p-PKA/PKA、p-CREB/CREB蛋白表达水平明显降低(P<0.05)。与模型组比较,给药组大鼠的攻击性明显减弱,昼伏夜出有节律性,活动减少,睡眠增多;睡眠潜伏期明显缩短(P<0.05),睡眠持续时间及SWS1、SWS2、REMS、TST均明显延长(P<0.05);神经元排列紊乱情况有所恢复,NeuN阳性神经元IOD值明显升高(P<0.05);脑组织Clock、Bmal1、Rev-erbα、RorαmRNA及蛋白表达水平明显升高(P<0.05);脑组织cAMP、p-PKA/PKA、p-CREB/CREB蛋白表达水平明显升高(P<0.05)。结论柴胡皂苷A可能通过激活cAMP/PKA/CREB通路改善失眠大鼠的昼夜节律。

Estrogen receptor gene polymorphism in a Chinese population with multiple sclerosis

This study sought to elucidate the role of the Pvull and Xbal polymorphisms of the estrogen receptor gene in 74 Chinese patients with multiple sclerosis, and 95 ethnicity-matched controls, using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment-length polymorphism analysis. The results revealed that the P allele of Pvull was significantly more prevalent in multiple sclerosis patients compared with controls （P = 0.019）. While distribution frequencies were significantly increased in female multiple sclerosis patients compared with female controls （P = 0.044）, no significant difference was observed between male patients and controls （P〉 0.05）. Frequencies of Ppxx genotypes were significantly higher in multiple sclerosis patients compared with controls （24.3% vs 12.8%, P = 0.025）. Genotypes and alleles of the estrogen receptor were not associated with age, number of attacks or expanded disability status scale scores of patients with multiple sclerosis. These findings indicate that the Pvull but not the Xbal polymorphism in the estrogen receptor gene is associated with susceptibility to multiple sclerosis in the Chinese population. In addition, women with P allele appear to be particularly susceptible to multiple sclerosis.

Relationship Between Polymorphism of Cystathionine beta Synthase Gene and Congenital Heart Disease in Chinese Nuclear Families

Objective To study the relationship between polymorphism of cystathionine beta synthase （CBS） gene and development of congenital heart disease （CHD）. Methods One hundred and twenty-seven CHD case-parent triads were recruited from Liaoning Province as patient group, and 129 healthy subjects without family history of birth defect were simultaneously recruited as control group together with their biological parents. For all subjects the polymorphism of CBS gene G919A locus was examined by PCR-ARMS method, Results The frequencies of three genotypes （w/w, w/m, and m/m） in control group were 27.2%, 58,4%, and 14.4%, respectively, with no significant difference in gender. A significant difference in the allele frequency was found between CHD patients and controls, the wild allele frequency was 67,9% in patients and 55.7% in controls CHD parents＇ genotype distribution was significantly different from that in controls. Further comparison of each type of CHD showed that genotype frequencies in several CHD subtypes were significantly different from those in their corresponding controls. The results of TDT analysis showed that no allele transmission disequilibrium existed in CHD nuclear families. Conclusions CBS gene G919A mutation is associated with the development of CHD, and the mutated allele may decrease the risk of CHD.

芽胞杆菌JZB30-1的鉴定及其对番茄灰霉病的生防作用

为获得对番茄灰霉病具有良好防效的生防芽胞杆菌,采用对峙培养、双层平板以及生防相关特性检测等方法筛选高活性拮抗菌株,根据形态学、生理生化特性及多基因测序进行菌株种类鉴定,通过离体果实和盆栽试验明确供试菌株的防病促生效果。结果表明,芽胞杆菌JZB30-1对番茄灰霉病菌等10余种植物病原真菌和细菌具有广谱抑菌活性;该菌株具有合成蛋白酶、纤维素酶、脂肽类物质,分泌铁载体、生长激素及溶磷等特性,经鉴定其为解淀粉芽胞杆菌Bacillus amyloliquefaciens;菌株JZB30-1无菌发酵滤液50倍液喷施处理,对番茄果实灰霉病防效为95.0%,发酵液10倍稀释液灌根,番茄株高、鲜重分别较对照增加25.7%和28.4%。相关结果为利用解淀粉芽胞杆菌JZB30-1进行番茄灰霉病生物防治提供理论依据。

食源性金黄色葡萄球菌生物膜形成调控与生物防控策略研究进展

生物膜是很多食源性致病菌应对各种极端环境、杀菌理化因子以及维持菌体内环境稳定的重要基质屏障。数据显示,有超过80%的细菌感染由生物膜引起,尤以金黄色葡萄球菌感染多见。食源性金黄色葡萄球菌是引发细菌性食物中毒和食品安全事故的重要风险源,特别是多重耐药菌株。金黄色葡萄球菌的耐药性、致病性和免疫逃逸与生物膜复杂的三维结构有重大关系。由于生物膜结构基因和调控因子结构相对保守,现已成为金黄色葡萄球菌生物防控新的重要的效应靶点。本文从多糖细胞间黏附素、胞外DNA和生物膜形成相关蛋白等角度阐明了生物膜形成机制,从群体感应系统(如Agr系统和LuxS/AI-2群体感应系统)、全局性调控因子(如附属调节因子Sar和转录因子SigB)及双组分信号转导系统(如SrrAB系统、SaeRS系统、ArlRS系统、LytRS系统和WalKR系统)等角度系统阐述了生物膜形成调控机制。最后,从抗菌肽(蛋白)、植物源化合物、生物酶、抗菌药物等角度提出新的防控策略,以期为食源性金黄色葡萄球菌的生物防控提供指导。