Intellectual disability-associated gene ftsj1 is responsible for 2'-O-methylation of specific tRNAs.

tRNA modifications at the anti-codon loop are critical for accurate decoding. FTSJ1 was hypothesized to be a human tRNA 2'-O-methyltransferase. tRNAPhe (GAA) from intellectual disability patients with mutations in ftsj1 lacks 2'-O-methylation at C32 and G34 (Cm32 and Gm34). However, the catalytic activity, RNA substrates, and pathogenic mechanism of FTSJ1 remain unknown, owing, in part, to the difficulty in reconstituting enzymatic activity in vitro. Here, we identify an interacting protein of FTSJ1, WDR6. For the first time, we reconstitute the 2'-O-methylation activity of the FTSJ1-WDR6 complex in vitro, which occurs at position 34 of specific tRNAs with m1 G37 as a prerequisite. We find that modifications at positions 32, 34, and 37 are interdependent and occur in a hierarchical order in vivo. We also show that the translation efficiency of the UUU codon, but not the UUC codon decoded by tRNAPhe (GAA), is reduced in ftsj1 knockout cells. Bioinformatics analysis reveals that almost 40% of the high TTT-biased genes are related to brain/nervous functions. Our data potentially enhance our understanding of the relationship between FTSJ1 and nervous system development.

Anaerobic Process.

A review of the literatures published in 2017 on topics relating to anaerobic process issues in the improvement of biogas production and fermentation efficiency of various kinds of organic waste. New process methodology and technology of digestion is also presented. This review is divided into the following sections: pretreatment, organic waste and co-digestion, multiple-stage process, process methodology and technology.

Anaerobic Process.

A review of the literature published in 2015 on the focus of Anaerobic Process. It is divided into the following sections. Pretreatment Organic waste Multiple-stage co-digestion Process Methodology and Technology.

Seohaeicola nanhaiensis sp. nov., a moderately halophilic bacterium isolated from the benthic sediment of South China Sea.

An aerobic, Gram-staining negative, non-motile, and rod-shaped bacterial strain, SS011A0-7#2-2(T), was isolated from the sediment of South China Sea with the depth of 1,500 m. Optimum growth occurred at pH 8.0, 30 °C, and 6 % (w/v) NaCl. Strain SS011A0-7#2-2(T) did not synthesize bacteriochlorophyll a or carotenoid, neither possess photosynthesis genes. Its genome DNA G+C content was 67.9 mol%. It contained Q-10 as the predominant ubiquinone and C18:1 ω7c (52.3 %) as the major fatty acid. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, unidentified phospholipid, and unidentified aminolipid. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that it was closely related to Seohaeicola saemankumensis SD-15(T), Phaeobacter gallaeciensis BS 107(T) and Roseovarius pacificus 81-2(T) in Rhodobacteraceae, with the 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities being 96.5, 95.7, and 95.6 %, respectively. However, the phylogeny of the 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain SS011A0-7#2-2(T) was a member of the genus Seohaeicola. Strain SS011A0-7#2-2(T) was moderately halophilic which was different from Seohaeicola saemankumensis SD-15(T), and it showed the enzyme activities and carbon source spectrum significantly different from Seohaeicola saemankumensis SD-15(T). As its physiological and chemotaxinomic properties were different from those of Seohaeicola saemankumensis SD-15(T), strain SS011A0-7#2-2(T) represents a novel species of the genus Seohaecola. The name Seohaeicola nanhaiensis sp. nov. is proposed, with strain SS011A0-7#2-2(T) (=LMG 27733(T) = CGMCC 1.12759(T)) as the type strain.

Anti-inflammatory therapeutic biomarkers identified of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell therapy on aging mice by serum proteomics and peptidomics study.

Aging is accompanied by deterioration in physical condition, and creates high risks of diseases. Stem cell therapy exhibited promising potential in delaying aging. However, the unelucidated therapeutic mechanism limits future clinical application. Herein, to systematically understand the response to stem cell transfusion at the molecular level, we performed quantitative serum proteomic and peptidomics analyses in the 24-month-old aging mice model with or without mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) treatment. As a result, a total of 560 proteins and 2131 endogenous peptides were identified, among which, 6 proteins and 9 endogenous peptides derived from 6 precursor proteins were finally identified as therapeutic biomarkers after MSC transfusion on aging mice both by untargeted label-free quantification and targeted parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) quantification. Amazingly, the biological function of these differential proteins was mainly related to inflammation, which is not only the important hallmark of aging, but also the main cause of inducing aging. The reduction of these inflammatory protein content after MSC treatment further suggests the anti-inflammatory effect of MSC therapy reported elsewhere. Therefore, our study provides new evidence for the anti-inflammatory effect of MSC therapy for anti-aging and offers abundant data to support deeper investigations of the therapeutic mechanism of MSC in delaying aging.

[Seasonal dynamics of energy and nutrients of Pinus koraiensis seedlings in different successional stages of broadleaved Korean pine forest in Changbai Mountain, China.] / é•¿ç™½å±±é˜”å¶çº¢æ¾æž—ä¸åŒæ¼”æ›¿é˜¶æ®µæž—ä¸‹çº¢æ¾å¹¼è‹—èƒ½é‡ä¸Žå »åˆ†å­£èŠ‚åŠ¨æ€.

We examined the seasonal variations of growth and nutrient accumulation of two-year-old Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) seedlings in the primary broadleaved Korean pine forest (primary forest) and poplar birch forest (secondary forest) in Changbai Mountain. The seasonal changes of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), seedling biomass, nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC), total nitrogen (N), and total phosphorus (P) were measured in both forests. The effects of understory light and its seasonal variations in both forests on the growth and nutrient accumulation of understory Korean pine seedlings were also explored. The results showed that the seasonal variations of monthly cumulative PAR under both forests showed a double-peak pattern. In summer, light conditions under the two forests were poor because of the closed canopy. In spring and autumn, light conditions were better due to the deciduous characteristics of canopy broadleaved trees, with light conditions under the secondary forest being obviously better than that of the primary forest. The seasonal variations of biomass, NSC, total N and total P concentrations of Korean pine seedlings in the primary and secondary forests were basically consistent with that of understory light. All those variables increased significantly in spring and autumn, and decreased in summer. In spring, starch concentration increased. In summer, starch and soluble sugar concentrations decreased gradually, and touched bottom in August. In autumn, soluble sugar concentration increased significantly. The biomass and NSC concentration of seedlings under secondary forest were significantly higher than those under primary forest in spring and autumn, but without difference in summer. Therefore, the diffe-rence of understory light conditions in spring and autumn between the two forests might be the key factor driving nutrient accumulation, growth and regeneration of Korean pine seedlings.

[Study on effect of different extracts in curcuma long on stability of curcumin].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate effects of different extracted fractions from Curcumia long on the stability of curcumin. There are some constituents that can stabilize curcumin. METHOD: To add the extracts obtained from C. long were water, alcohol, acetone, ether, ethyl acetate, petroleum ether to pure solution of curcumin. To determine the change of curcumin by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). To investigate the dynamics of curcumin degradation. RESULT: The stability obtained from alcohol, acetone, ether, ethyl ether all improved the stabilization of curcumin. 80% Alcohol extract had the optimal stabilizineg ability for curcumin. CONCLUSION: The extracts from alcohol are more stable than pure curcumin at same conditions. The stability of curcumin is improved by alcohol extracts.

[Remote Sensing Estimation of Chlorophyll-a Concentration in Inland Lakes Based on GOCI Image and Optical Classification of Water Body].

Chlorophyll-a as one of the important water quality parameters is often used as a measure of the level of water eutrophication. The 326 measured data collected from Lake Taihu and Lake Dongting were classified based on their measured values of remote sensing reflectance spectra using an automatic clustering algorithm-two-step method, and three water types were finally classified. According to the location and width of GOCI satellite bands, the specific algorithm to estimate chlorophyll-a concentration for different water body types was developed. The bands at 490 nm and 555 nm were used for water body type I , while bands at 660 nm and 443 nm were selected for water body type II and bands at 745 nm and 680 nm were applied for water body type III. The accuracy assessment showed that the mean relative error decreased from 49. 78% to 38. 91% , 24. 19% and 22. 90% for water body type I , II and III, respectively, while the root mean square error decreased from 14.10 µg · L(-1) to 4.87 µg · L(-1), 8.13 µg · L(-1) and 11.66 µg · L(-1) for water body type I, II and III, respectively. The overall mean relative error decreased from 49. 78% to 29. 59% after classification, while the overall root mean square error was reduced from 14.10 µg · L(-1) to 9.29 µg · L(-1) after classification. The retrieval accuracy was significantly improved after classification. The chlorophyll-a concentration in Lake Taihu was retrieved using the GOCI image on May 13, 2013. The results showed that there was a significantly diurnal variation in the concentration of chllorophyll-a on May 13, 2013, and the regions with higher chlorophyll-a concentration were mainly distributed in the Zhushan Bay, Meiliang Bay and Gonghu Bay, while the regions with lower values were mainly located in the centre of the lake and the southern region. The chlorophyll-a concentration reduced significantly after 10:00 in the southwestern region of Lake Taihu. This method of retrieving, after classification played an important role in improving the model retrieval accuracy of case 2 water.

Ligustilide ameliorates neuroinflammation and brain injury in focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion rats: involvement of inhibition of TLR4/peroxiredoxin 6 signaling.

Blocking TLR4/peroxiredoxin (Prx6) signaling is proposed to be a novel therapeutic strategy for ischemic stroke because extracellular Prx6 released from ischemic cells may act as an endogenous ligand for TLR4 and initiate destructive immune responses in ischemic brain. Our previous studies showed that ligustilide (LIG) exerted antineuroinflammatory and neuroprotective effects against ischemic insult, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigated whether the TLR4/Prx6 pathway is involved in the protective effect of LIG against postischemic neuroinflammation and brain injury induced by transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in rats. Intraperitoneal LIG administration (20 and 40 mg/kg/day) at reperfusion onset after MCAO resulted in a reduction of brain infarct size and improved neurological outcome over 72 h. LIG-induced neuroprotection was accompanied by improvement of neuropathological alterations, including neuron loss, astrocyte and microglia/macrophage activation, neutrophil and T-lymphocyte invasion, and regulation of inflammatory mediators expression. Moreover, LIG significantly inhibited the expression and extracellular release of Prx6 and activation of TLR4 signaling, reflected by decreased TLR4 expression, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 phosphorylation, and transcriptional activity of NF-κB and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 in the ischemic brain. Our results demonstrate that LIG may provide an early and direct neuroprotection by inhibiting TLR4/Prx6 signaling and subsequent immunity and neuroinflammation after cerebral ischemia. These findings support the translational potential of blocking TLR4/Prx6 signaling for the treatment of ischemic stroke.

Separation and recovery of cellulose from Zoysia japonica by 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride.

We investigated the use of ionic liquid (IL) 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (AMIMCl) for extracting cellulose from Zoysia japonica by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, scanning electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis to analyze the IL and its effects on cellulose extraction. After water pretreatment at 121 °C for several minutes, cellulose extraction rate was 71% under optimized conditions, and the yield of cellulose was >99% by AMIMCl. The effectiveness of AMIMCl as an extraction agent can be attributed to the prevalence of intra- and inter-molecular hydrogen bonding in cellulose. By contrast, hemicelluloses were not recovered by AMIMCl because hemicelluloses in plant cell walls are connected to lignin by covalent bonding. Results also showed that the regenerated cellulose was exactly the same as untreated cellulose, except for the degree of crystallinity.

Predictive and prognostic roles of ribonucleotide reductase M1 in patients with pancreatic cancer treated with gemcitabine: a meta-analysis.

Increasing scientific evidence suggests that ribonucleotide reductase M1 (RRM1) may be a powerful predictor of survival in patients with pancreatic cancer treated with adjuvant gemcitabine-based chemotherapy after operative resection, but many existing studies have yielded inconclusive results. This meta-analysis aimed to assess the prognostic role of RRM1 in predicting survival in patients with pancreatic cancer treated with gemcitabine. An extensive literature search for relevant studies was conducted on PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and CBM databases from their inception through May 1st, 2013. This meta-analysis was performed using the STATA 12.0 software and crude hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Eight clinical studies were included in this meta-analysis with a total of 665 pancreatic cancer patients treated with adjuvant gemcitabine-based chemotherapy, including 373 patients in the high RRM1 expression group and 292 patients in the low RRM1 expression group. Our meta-analysis revealed that high RRM1 expression was associated with improved overall survival (OS) of pancreatic cancer patients (HR=1.56, 95%CI=0.95-2.17, P<0.001). High RRM1 expression also was linked to longer disease-free survival (DFS) than low RRM1 expression (HR=1.37, 95%CI=0.25-2.48, P=0.016). In conclusion, our meta-analysis suggests that high RRM1 expression may be associated with improved OS and DFS of pancreatic cancer patients treated with adjuvant gemcitabine-based chemotherapy. Detection of RRM1 expression may be a promising biomarker for gemcitabine response and prognosis in pancreatic cancer patients.

Protective effect of Z-ligustilide against amyloid beta-induced neurotoxicity is associated with decreased pro-inflammatory markers in rat brains.

Neuroinflammatory responses induced by accumulation and aggregation of beta-amyloid (Abeta) peptide are mainly involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. Z-ligustilide (LIG), a novel neuroprotectant against ischemic stroke, was reported to have significant anti-inflammatory effects via inhibition of TNF-alpha production and bioactivity. The present study investigated the effect of LIG on AD-like cognitive impairment and neuropathological and neuroinflammatory changes induced by bilateral intracerebroventricular injections of Abeta(25-35) at a dose of 50 nmol/rat. Rats received oral administration of 40 mg/kg LIG or volume-matched vehicle 1 h before Abeta(25-35) treatment then once daily for 15 days. Morris water maze was used to detect the cognitive dysfunction induced by Abeta(25-35). Compared to the sham-operated rats, Abeta(25-35) injection significantly prolonged the mean escape latency in vehicle-treated rats in the Morris water maze test (p < 0.01) and increased both AD-related neuropathological signs (i.e., Abeta, amyloid precursor protein, and phosphorylated Tau immunoreactivity) and pro-inflammatory mediators (i.e., TNF-alpha and activated NF-kappaB) in the prefrontal cortex and CA1 subregion of the hippocampus. And these neurotoxic effects of Abeta(25-35) were significantly ameliorated with LIG treatment (p < 0.01 vs. vehicle-treated group). The present data suggest that LIG modulates TNF-alpha-activated NF-kappaB signaling pathway with respect to its protective effect against Abeta(25-35)-induced neurotoxicity. LIG would be a potential candidate for further preclinical study aimed at the prevention and treatment of cognitive deficits in AD.