Phylogeny, character evolution, and biogeography of the fern genus Bolbitis (Dryopteridaceae).

Bolbitis is a pantropical fern genus of Dryopteridaceae with ca. 80 species mainly in tropical Asia. Earlier studies confirmed the monophyly of Bolbitis when Mickelia is excluded and identified three major clades in Bolbitis. However, earlier studies are based on relatively small sampling and the majority of Asian species are not sampled. In this study, DNA sequences of three plastid markers of 169 accessions representing ca. 68 (85 % of total) species of Bolbitis in nine out of the 10 series recognized by Hennipman (1977), and 54 accessions representing the five remaining bolbitidoid genera are used to infer a global phylogeny with a focus on Asian species. The major results include: (1) Bolbitis is strongly supported as monophyletic; (2) species of Bolbitis are resolved into four major clades and their relationships are: the Malagasy/Mascarene clade is sister to the rest, followed by the African clade which is sister to the American clade + the Asian clade; (3) six well-supported subclades are identified in the most speciose Asian clade; (4) the free-veined Egenolfia is embedded in Bolbitis and is paraphyletic in relation to species with anastomosing venation; (5) three series sensu Hennipman (1977), B. ser. Alienae, B. ser. Egenolfianae, and B. ser. Heteroclitae, are paraphyletic or polyphyletic; (6) evolution of six morphological characters is analyzed and free venation is found to have evolved from anastomosing venation and reversed to free venation in Bolbitis; and (7) biogeographical implications are drawn and it is shown that a single recent dispersal from Asia resulted in continental disjunction of closely related ferns of Bolbitis between Africa and America.

Cytokines/chemokines and immune checkpoint molecules in anti-leucine-rich glioma-inactivated 1 encephalitis.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate levels of cytokines/chemokines and immune checkpoint molecules in patients with anti-leucine-rich glioma-inactivated 1 (LGI1) encephalitis. METHODS: The study recruited 12 patients with anti-LGI1 encephalitis and six non-inflammatory controls from the Qilu Hospital of Shandong University treated between January 2019 and December 2020. Serum levels of 30 cytokines/chemokines and 10 checkpoint molecules were measured in participants of both the groups. RESULTS: In contrast to those in the control group, 24 cytokines/chemokines and 5 immune checkpoint molecules were differentially expressed in patients with anti-LGI1 encephalitis, with 14 cytokines being upregulated and 10 being downregulated. There were 1033 enriched biological processes and 61 enriched Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes signaling pathways. CONCLUSION: A wide range of cytokines/chemokines and immune checkpoint molecules are implicated in immune regulation in anti-LGI1 encephalitis, indicating that they may serve as important targets in the development and treatment of the disease.

Down-regulation of long non-coding RNA HOTAIR inhibits invasion and migration of oesophageal cancer cells via up-regulation of microRNA-204.

Oesophageal cancer is a progressive tumour with high mortality. However, therapies aimed at treating oesophageal cancer remain relatively limited. Accumulating studies have highlighted long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) HOX transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR), microRNA-204 (miR-204) and homeobox C8 (HOXC8) in the progression of oesophageal cancer. Herein, we tried to demonstrate the function of HOTAIR, miR-204 and HOXC8 in oesophageal cancer and their relationship. Differentially expressed genes involved in oesophageal cancer were identified. The endogenous expression of HOTAIR and miR-204 in oesophageal cancer cell lines was altered to elucidate their effects and to identify the interaction among HOTAIR, miR-204 and HOXC8. We also explored the underlying regulatory mechanisms of HOTAIR and miR-204 with siRNA against HOTAIR, miR-204 mimic or miR-204 inhibitor. Cell proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis were subsequently detected. Xenograft in nude mice was induced to evaluate tumourigenicity. miR-204 was down-regulated, while HOTAIR and HOXC8 were up-regulated in the oesophageal cancer tissues. HOTAIR could competitively bind to miR-204 and miR-204 could further target HOXC8. The oesophageal cancer cells treated with si-HOTAIR or miR-204 mimic exhibited decreased expression levels of HOXC8, Vimentin and MMP-9, but increased E-cadherin level. Silenced HOTAIR or elevated miR-204 inhibited proliferation, migration and invasion, along with stimulated apoptosis of oesophageal cancer cells. In summary, our results show that lncRNA HOTAIR could specifically bind to miR-204 as a competing endogenous RNA and regulate miR-204 and HOXC8. Hence, down-regulation of HOTAIR could inhibit progression of oesophageal cancer, indicating a novel target for oesophageal cancer treatment.

Long Non-Coding RNA (lncRNA) X-Inactive Specific Transcript (XIST) Plays a Critical Role in Predicting Clinical Prognosis and Progression of Colorectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) participate in all cancer biology processes of cells. Although functions and associated mechanisms of lncRNAs have been proven in colorectal cancer (CRC), the roles of lncRNA X-inactive specific transcript (XIST) have not been clearly investigated in CRC. MATERIAL AND METHODS Expression of XIST was detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) assay in CRC cell lines and 196 clinical samples. Correlations between XIST expression and CRC clinicopathological features were analyzed. Log-rank test and Kaplan-Meier test were performed to assess and compare the prognoses of patients with higher and lower expression of XIST. The multivariate Cox regression and univariate Cox regression were conducted to evaluate the risk factors for prognosis of CRC. RESULTS lncRNA XIST was upregulated in CRC cells lines and tissues (p<0.05). Statistical analysis found high XIST expression was correlated with larger tumor size, N1, M1, and topography lymph node metastasis (TNM) III+IV stage of CRC. Moreover, higher expression of XIST could predict poor progression-free survival (PFS) and poor overall survival (OS) of CRC patients. The M1 stage and high expression of XIST were proven to be independent risk factors for poor prognosis (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS XIST is upregulated in CRC and is significantly correlated with CRC clinical progression. lncRNA XIST overexpression predict poor PFS and poor OS for CRC patients. lncRNA XIST can be an independent risk factor for CRC prognosis, and could be a potential therapeutic target and prognostic biomarker for CRC patients.

Facile way to obtain multiple interface modes in a photonic crystal heterostructure.

A very facile way to obtain multiple interface modes in a one-dimensional photonic crystal heterostructure is proposed in this Letter. We found that the interface modes can be generated by introducing the interfaces, and the number of interface modes equals the number of introduced interfaces. All these interface modes originating from a different geometric Zak phase can create two band branches governed by the two different interfaces. We further find that the two band branches can be renormalized into one band branch with discrete energy levels in the form of sinusoidal function. We believe that these findings can be used to provide direct guidance for practical application and can also make the estimation of practical samples more convenient.

General way to obtain multiple defect modes in multiple photonic quantum-well structures.

We introduce a method to obtain and describe the multiple defect modes in the multiple photonic quantum-well structure [(AB)mC]n(AB)m. It is found that the relationship between structural parameters and defect modes can be obtained by analytically solving the dispersion relationship for the photonic crystal with its periodic unit [(AB)mC], and a laconic and unifying expression can be used to describe the energy levels of both the interface modes and defect modes. The internal mechanism to determine the related parameters is revealed. We believe that these findings can be used to provide direct guidance for practical application.

Features of branch occlusive disease-type intracranial atherosclerotic stroke in young patients.

BACKGROUND: Young ischemic stroke patients are common while classification and analysis based upon imaging characteristics are rarely reported. We intend to compare the clinical and MRI characteristics of cerebral stroke induced by intracranial atherosclerosis between young patients with branch occlusive disease (BOD) and those with non-branch occlusive disease (non-BOD) or small artery disease (SAD). METHODS: A total of 151 subjects with acute infarction within the middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory were included and patients with ipsilateral internal carotid artery stenosis or cardioembolism were excluded. Based on the distribution characteristics of infarction and the presence of ipsilateral MCA stenosis, the patients were divided into three groups: BOD-striatocapsular area infarction with ipsilateral MCA stenosis; non-BOD -infarction size exceeds the striatocapsular area and accompanied by ipsilateral MCA stenosis; SAD. The clinical and MCA stenosis characteristics of the three groups were compared. RESULTS: The number of BOD patients with hypertension was significantly higher than that of SAD (92.9% vs 53.7%, p = 0.000) and non-BOD (92.9% vs 57.1%, p = 0.001); subjects with smoking history significantly exceeded that of SAD (50% vs 26.9%, p = 0.03) and subjects with family history of cardiovascular disease was significantly less than that of non-BOD (14.3% vs 41.1%). Baseline NIHSS scores and mRS scores at discharge in patients with BOD were significantly lower than those with non-BOD (p = 0.000, p = 0.001). Majority of patients in non-BOD group displayed severe MCA stenosis (39 cases, 69.6%) while that in BOD group displayed mild stenosis (26 cases, 92.9%), and the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.000). Compared with non-BOD group, the stenosis in BOD group located at a relatively distal end in the M1 segment of MCA (S/M1, 58% vs 40%, p = 0.000) and was more localized (stenosis level/ (SL/M1), 1.86 (1.35-2.6) vs 2.9 (2.0-5.0), p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: BOD in young patients with ischemic stroke induced by intracranial atherosclerosis is not rare (33.3%) and its clinical manifestations and prognosis are similar to those of SAD. This may be related to the mild localized stenosis at the distal end in the M1 segment of MCA. Control of hypertension might play a positive role in secondary prevention.

[Identification of chemical constituents in Sinopodophylli Fructus by HPLC-DAD-ESI-IT-TOF-MSn].

This experiment was performed to analyze and identify the chemical constituents of Sinopodophylli Fructus by HPLC-DAD-ESI-IT-TOF-MSn. The analysis was performed on an Agilent Zorbax SB-C18 (4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 µm) column.The mobile phase consisted of 0.1% formic acid was used for gradient at a flow rate of 1.0 mL·min⁻¹. Electrospray ionization ion trap time-of-flight multistage mass spectrometry was applied for qualitative analysis under positive and negative ion modes. The results indicated that 54 compounds consisted of 18 lignans and 36 flavonoids from Xiaoyelian had been detected by their HRMS data, the information of literature and reference substance. Among them, 27 compounds were reported in Sinopodophylli Fructus for the first time. In conclusion, an HPLC-DAD-ESI-IT-TOF-MSn method was established to qualitative analysis of Xiaoyelian in this study, which will provide the evidence for evaluating the quality of Xiaoyelian herbs, clarifying the mechanism, and guiding the development of pharmacological active ingredients.

Identification of Suitable Candidate Reference Genes for Gene Expression Analysis by RT-qPCR in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of CHB Patients.

BACKGROUND: Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis is a precise and effective method for the study of mRNA expression throughout the field of peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) research. However, the use of suitable reference genes for data normalization is critical to obtain meaningful and reproducible results. The present study aimed to identify the greatest reference genes for further research in PBMC of Chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) patients. METHODS: We assessed the expression stability of four commonly used reference genes (beta actin, beta-tubulin, 18S rRNA, GAPDH) in PBMC of CHB patients. Then we employed geNorm, BestKeeper, and Normfinder to evaluate the expression stability of these reference genes. RESULTS: All four genes displayed no significant differences between patient and control groups except beta actin and thus beta actin should not be used as a normalizing gene in a discussed experimental setup. GAPDH and beta-tubulin composed the best pair of reference genes for normalization purposes in future studies of gene expression in PBMC of CHB patients according to three algorithms. CONCLUSIONS: GAPDH and beta-tubulin were the best combination of two reference genes in this study for RT-qPCR analysis.

The Study of Immune Response in PBMC of CHB Patients treated with IFN-α and 3-TC in vitro.

BACKGROUND: The primary aim of this study is to measure the JAK-STAT signaling in HBV infected peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) stimulated by IFN-α and 3-TC and explore the influence of HBV to the JAKSTAT signaling pathways. METHODS: PBMCs were separated from healthy volunteers and patients who had not received any treatment with chronic hepatitis B. PBMCs were divided into the control group, IFN-α stimulation group, Lamivudine stimulation group, and combined treatment group. The expression of molecules of JAK-STAT signal transduction pathway (STAT1, STAT2, IRF9) and the antiviral protein (MxA) were detected by RT-qPCR and Western blot method. RESULTS: The majority of IFN-α inducible genes were expressed. The molecules of JAK-STAT signal transduction pathway (STAT1, STAT2, IRF9) and the antiviral protein (MxA) were highly expressed in IFN-α stimulation group and the combined treatment group. Compared to healthy controls, the expression levels of molecules (STAT1, IRF9) and the antiviral protein (MxA) are significantly lower in the control group, IFN-α stimulation group, and the combined treatment group of the CHB patients. CONCLUSIONS: IFN-α could activate JAK-STAT signaling transduction pathway in PBMCs of HBV-infected patients and HBV might process the activity to antagonize the antiviral activity in HBV infected PBMCs.

Identification of the relationship between Chinese Adiantum reniforme var. sinense and Canary Adiantum reniforme.

BACKGROUND: There are different opinions about the relationship of two disjunctively distributed varieties Adiantum reniforme L. var. sinense Y.X.Lin and Adiantum reniforme L. Adiantum reniforme var. sinense is an endangered fern only distributed in a narrowed region of Chongqing city in China, while Adiantum reniforme var. reniforme just distributed in Canary Islands and Madeira off the north-western African coast. To verify the relationship of these two taxa, relative phylogenetic analyses, karyotype analyses, microscopic spore observations and morphological studies were performed in this study. Besides, divergence time between A. reniforme var. sinense and A. reniforme var. reniforme was estimated using GTR model according to a phylogeny tree constructed with the three cpDNA markers atpA, atpB, and rbcL. RESULTS: Phylogenetic results and divergence time analyses--all individuals of A. reniforme var. sinense from 4 different populations (representing all biogeographic distributions) were clustered into one clade and all individuals of A. reniforme var. reniforme from 7 different populations (all biogeographic distributions are included) were clustered into another clade. The divergence between A. reniforme var. reniforme and A. reniforme var. sinense was estimated to be 4.94 (2.26-8.66) Myr. Based on karyotype analyses, A. reniforme var. reniforme was deduced to be hexaploidy with 2n = 180, X = 30, while A. reniforme var. sinense was known as tetraploidy. Microscopic spore observations suggested that surface ornamentation of A. reniforme var. reniforme is psilate, but that of A. reniforme var. sinense is rugate. Leaf blades of A. reniforme var. sinense are membranous and reniform and with several obvious concentric rings, and leaves of A. reniforme var. reniforme are pachyphyllous and coriaceous and are much rounder and similar to palm. CONCLUSION: Adiantum reniforme var. sinense is an independent species rather than the variety of Adiantum reniforme var. reniforme. As a result, we approve Adiantum nelumboides X. C. Zhang, nom. & stat. nov. as a legal name instead of the former Adiantum reniforme var. sinense. China was determined to be the most probable evolution centre based on the results of phylogenetic analyses, divergence estimation, relative palaeogeography and palaeoclimate materials.

Abnormal expression of synaptophysin, SNAP-25, and synaptotagmin 1 in the hippocampus of kainic acid-exposed rats with behavioral deficits.

Temporal lobe epilepsy is characterized by spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRS) and associated with behavioral problems. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these problems are not yet clear. In this study, kainic acid (KA) was systemically administered to immature male Wistar rats to induce SRS. The behavior of the immature rats was evaluated with a water maze, elevated-plus mazes, and open field tests. The expression patterns of synaptophysin, SNAP-25, and synaptotagmin 1 (Syt 1) were examined by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot analysis. KA-treated rats with SRS demonstrated learning and memory deficits, reduced anxiety, and increased locomotor activity, compared with placebo-treated rats and KA-treated rats without SRS. No neuronal cell loss was observed in the hippocampus 6 weeks after exposure to KA. However, RT-PCR and Western blot analyses revealed decreased synaptophysin, SNAP-25, and Syt 1 expression in KA-treated rats with SRS. Synaptophysin, SNAP-25, and Syt1 expression levels were found to be positively correlated with learning and memory but negatively correlated with anxiety and locomotor activity. These data suggested that SRS may induce changes in synaptophysin, SNAP-25, and Syt1 expression and may be functionally related to SRS-induced behavioral deficits.

Enhanced levels of interleukin-8 are associated with hepatitis B virus infection and resistance to interferon-alpha therapy.

The objective of this study was to analyze the expression levels of IL-8 in serum and liver tissues from patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection and to investigate whether IL-8 may antagonize interferon-alpha (IFN-α) antiviral activity against HBV. IL-8 expression in serum was determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and fluorescence-based quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to measure IL-8 mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in patients with CHB. IL-8 protein expression was detected in liver biopsy tissues by immunohistochemistry. In addition, the differences in serum IL-8 and PBMCs mRNA levels were also observed in patients with different anti-viral responses to IFN-α. Compared to normal controls, serum IL-8 protein and mRNA levels were increased in CHB patients, IL-8 levels were positively correlated with the severity of liver inflammation/fibrosis. Moreover, serum IL-8 protein and mRNA levels were positively correlated with serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level and negatively correlated with serum prealbumin (PA) level. IL-8 expression was mainly located in portal area of liver tissues and was increased with the severity of liver inflammation and fibrosis stage. The expression serum and mRNA levels of IL-8 in the CHB patients with a complete response to IFN-α are significantly lower than that of the patients with non-response to IFN-α treatment. It is suggested that IL-8 might play important roles in the pathogenesis of CHB. Moreover, interferon resistance may be related to the up-regulation of IL-8 expression in the patients did not respond to IFN-α treatment.

Activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in diffuse large B cell lymphoma: clinical significance and inhibitory effect of rituximab.

Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) represents the most common subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and accounts for approximately 30% of newly diagnosed lymphoid neoplasms in Western countries, and 40-50% in China. A better understanding of the biology of DLBCL is needed for the development of potential therapeutic agents that target specific intracellular pathways. In this study, expression of the important components of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway and their clinical significance were investigated in 73 DLBCL cases. The effect of rituximab alone or combined with the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway inhibitor rapamycin was further evaluated in the DLBCL cell lines. A total of 73 patients were identified, including 45 men and 28 women aged 18 to 78 years (median age 50 years). Of these patients, p-AKT was positive in 40 cases (54.8%), p-p70S6K in 34 cases (46.6%), and p-4E-BP1 in 33 cases (45.2%). Activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway was related to poor disease outcome in DLBCL patients treated with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) but not in those treated with rituximab-CHOP. Rituximab combined with rapamycin synergically downregulated the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Western blot analysis revealed a baseline activation status of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in DLBCL cell lines, with high levels of p-AKT, p-mTOR, in addition to downstream molecules p-p70S6K and p-4E-BP1. The results indicate that the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway is a potentially important signaling route and an unfavorable prognostic factor for DLBCL. Patients with PI3K/AKT/mTOR activation experience a more rapidly deteriorating clinical course with poor treatment response and decreased survival time. Addition of rituximab could downregulate PI3K/AKT/mTOR activation, reversing its negative effect on chemotherapy-treated patients. In addition, our results indicate that the combination of rituximab and inhibition of the activated PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway could be a promising target for DLBCL therapeutic intervention in the future.

[Research on chemical fingerprint chromatograms of Sinopodophyllum hexandrum].

OBJECTIVE: To study the HPLC fingerprint of Sinopodophylli Fructus, compare the major chemical differences in fruit of Sinopodophyllum hexandrum as well as the roots and rhizomas of S. hexandrum, and provide scientific evidence for clinical application and quality control. METHOD: HPLC fingerprint method was used to analyze 12 fruits of S. hexandrum. A total of 20 common peaks were confirmed, and 12 peaks in the HPLC fingerprint were identified. Furthermore, similarity evaluation method and clustering analysis method were introduced to compare HPLC chromatograms, between fruits and underground parts. RESULT: In this paper, quercetin-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosid, kaempferol-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside, 8-prenylquercetin and 8-prenylquercetin 3-methyl ether were firstly reported in Sinopodophylli Fructus. Among the existing fingerprint research, a total of 11 peaks were identified for the first time, containing 9 flavonoids and 2 lignans. The chemical constituents differed significantly in different medicinal parts of S. hexandrum. Prenylflavonoid compounds were the main constituents of Sinopodophylli Fructus. However, podophyllotoxin, flavonoids with simple substituent groups and flavonoid glycosides were the major ingredients in the roots and rhizomas of S. hexandrum. CONCLUSION: This method can be used for the quality control of Sinopodophylli Fructus and the roots and rhizomas of S. hexandrum. It has provided a reference for the pharmacodynamic differences of the two different parts.

[Z scores for growth and development, physical fitness, and the relationship between them in 362 preschool children in Yantai City, China].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the Z scores for growth and development, physical fitness, and the relationship between them in preschool children in Yantai City, China, and to provide scientific evidence for health care in children. METHODS: A total of 362 children aged 3 to 4 years, whose data were recorded in the National Physical Fitness Survey in Yantai in 2010, were included in the study. Z scores for weight-for-age, height-for-age and body mass index-for-age were calculated. The relationship between Z scores and physical fitness was determined by Pearson's correlation analysis. RESULTS: The mean Z scores were all positive numbers. The prevalence rates of underweight and growth retardation were very low, but that of obesity was relatively high (up to 16.5% in 4-year-old boys). There were differences in physical fitness between children of different ages and between boys and girls (P<0.05). The Z scores showed correlation with some physical fitness indices (P<0.05), but they were not closely correlated as the value of r was not more than 0.30. CONCLUSIONS: Z scores for growth and development remain at relatively high levels in preschool children in Yantai. The physical fitness is associated with age and gender in these children. There are weak correlations between Z scores and some physical fitness indices. Effective measures should be taken to adjust dietary habits and promote exercise for children, thus preventing obesity and improving physical fitness.

Theoretical framework, indicator system and practical application of key biodiversity areas.

With the continuous decline of global biodiversity, biodiversity conservation has attracted more and more attention from the international society. In order to slow down the trend of biodiversity decline, it is particularly important to identify key areas for biodiversity conservation. However, most of current methods for identifying important areas have different assessment criteria and focus on different biological assemblages (species or communities) and ecosystem types. Key biodiversity areas (KBAs) are sites that contribute significantly to global biodiversity persistence. Unlike traditional research and identification methods, KBAs identification is based on a unified global standard to explore habitats that are critical to endangered plants and animals in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. Based on the theoretical and technical framework of KBAs, we summarized the system of identification criteria and assessment parameters for KBAs. The five high-level criteria are separated into eleven sub-level criteria. Among the eleven evaluation parameters, there is one evaluation parameter for the ecosystem level, eight evaluation parameters for the species level, one evaluation parameter for the gene level, and one comprehensive evaluation parameter. In addition, we analyzed the application of KBAs identification in biodiversity research and conservation combined with relevant domestic and foreign research cases. Furthermore, we discussed the future development direction and application prospect of KBAs identification method in China. This method could provide a new perspective for the formulation of ecological protection policies and the planning of naturally protected areas in China.

The complete chloroplast genome of Eastern Asian fern Bolbitis laxireticulata (Dryopteridaceae).

Bolbitis laxireticulata is a potential ornamental plant, which is restricted to eastern Asia. Here, we sequenced the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of B. laxireticulata and constructed a phylogenetic cp tree of Dryopteridaceae to study their relationships. The cp genome of B. laxireticulata is 153,093 bp in length, being made up of large single-copy (LSC, 83,169 bp), small single-copy (SSC, 21,538 bp), and a pair of region inverted repeats (IRs, 24,193 bp). It has 124 genes including 83 protein-coding genes, 33 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. With the maximum-likelihood tree indicating, B. laxireticulata is more closely related to B. subcordata.

Transforming growth factor beta1 gene variation Leu10Pro affects secretion and function in hepatic cells.

BACKGROUND: Our previous work revealed transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFß1) gene polymorphisms are associated with susceptibility to hepatocellular carcinoma and liver cirrhosis. However, no further study of functional substitution in hepatic cells has yet been reported. AIMS: This study was designed to uncover the functional mechanisms of TGFß1 gene polymorphisms in the pathogenesis of liver diseases. METHODS: Two recombinant TGFß1 expression plasmids containing TGFß1 codon 10 Leu/Pro variation were constructed with CMV promoter and transfected into human hepatoma cell lines (HepG2 and SMMU 7721), hepatic stellate cells (LX-2), and immortalized hepatocytes (L02). The secretion capacities of TGFß1 protein in the transfected cells were determined by ELISA. Apoptosis, proliferative activity, and expression of CD 105, CD83, and CD80 were also measured by use of flow cytometry. RESULTS: The ELISA results showed that cells transfected with CMV-Pro10 were more capable of TGFß1 secretion than those transfected with CMV-Leu10. Functionally, CMV-Pro10 was more apoptosis-protective and induced more proliferation than CMV-Leu10 in transfected hepatic cells. Pro10 up-regulated expression of CD105 and down-regulated expression of CD83. CONCLUSIONS: TGFß1 gene Leu10Pro variation in signal peptide has significant effects on TGFß1 secretion and functions in hepatic cells.

An alternative method for cDNA cloning from surrogate eukaryotic cells transfected with the corresponding genomic DNA.

cDNA is widely used in gene function elucidation and/or transgenics research but often suitable tissues or cells from which to isolate mRNA for reverse transcription are unavailable. Here, an alternative method for cDNA cloning is described and tested by cloning the cDNA of human LALBA (human alpha-lactalbumin) from genomic DNA. First, genomic DNA containing all of the coding exons was cloned from human peripheral blood and inserted into a eukaryotic expression vector. Next, by delivering the plasmids into either 293T or fibroblast cells, surrogate cells were constructed. Finally, the total RNA was extracted from the surrogate cells and cDNA was obtained by RT-PCR. The human LALBA cDNA that was obtained was compared with the corresponding mRNA published in GenBank. The comparison showed that the two sequences were identical. The novel method for cDNA cloning from surrogate eukaryotic cells described here uses well-established techniques that are feasible and simple to use. We anticipate that this alternative method will have widespread applications.