Application of imiquimod-induced murine psoriasis model in evaluating interleukin-17A antagonist.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-17A (IL17A) is a proinflammatory cytokine critically involved in autoimmune diseases, and monoclonal antibodies of IL17A have been approved for clinical treatment of psoriasis. However, a usable psoriatic animal model has been always required for preclinical evaluation of IL17A antagonists. Imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis model is widely used in fundamental research, but it's not able to accurately show anti-psoriatic effect of IL17A antagonists with conventional modelling condition. RESULTS: On female C57BL/6 mice, with optimization on the usage of IMQ, positive control reagent and anti-mIL17A antibody, a 7-day model with proper testing window, acceptable disease severity as well as high repeatability was developed, and the efficacy of IL17A antagonist can be objectively evaluated by several qualitative and quantitative indices. Meanwhile, we validated the detailed involvement of IL17A signaling in disease progression, confirmed that the expression levels of IL17A and its related cytokines were induced by IMQ application, and its downstream cytokines can be inhibited by IL17A antagonist treatment. In further study, we revealed that IL17A was transient induced by IMQ and directly caused downstream signaling activation. This finding on the kinetical change of IL17A signaling will manifest the pharmacokinetics-pharmacodynamics investigation of IL17A antagonists. CONCLUSIONS: Our work presents the application of a convenient psoriatic animal model in the research and development of IL17A antagonists, meanwhile providing extra evidence for understanding IL17A's role in the progression of IMQ-induced psoriasis model, which manifest the research and development of IL17A antagonists.

Ectopic overexpression of a membrane-tethered transcription factor gene NAC60 from oilseed rape positively modulates programmed cell death and age-triggered leaf senescence.

Senescence is an integrative final stage of plant development that is governed by internal and external cues. The NAM, ATAF1/2, CUC2 (NAC) transcription factor (TF) family is specific to plants and membrane-tethered NAC TFs (MTTFs) constitute a unique and sophisticated mechanism in stress responses and development. However, the function of MTTFs in oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) remains unknown. Here, we report that BnaNAC60 is an MTTF associated with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. Expression of BnaNAC60 was induced during the progression of leaf senescence. Translocation of BnaNAC60 into nuclei was induced by ER stress and oxidative stress treatments. It binds to the NTLBS motif, rather than the canonical NAC recognition site. Overexpression of BnaNAC60 devoid of the transmembrane domain, but not the full-length BnaNAC60, induces significant reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and hypersensitive response-like cell death in both tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana) and oilseed rape protoplasts. Moreover, ectopic overexpression of BnaNAC60 devoid of the transmembrane domain, but not the full-length BnaNAC60, in Arabidopsis also induces precocious leaf senescence. Furthermore, screening and expression profiling identified an array of functional genes that are significantly induced by BnaNAC60 expression. Further it was found that BnaNAC60 can activate the promoter activities of BnaNYC1, BnaRbohD, BnaBFN1, BnaZAT12, and multiple BnaVPEs in a dual-luciferase reporter assay. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled to quantitative PCR assays revealed that BnaNAC60 directly binds to the promoter regions of these downstream target genes. To summarize, our data show that BnaNAC60 is an MTTF that modulates cell death, ROS accumulation, and leaf senescence.

The R2R3-MYB transcription factor BnaMYB111L from rapeseed modulates reactive oxygen species accumulation and hypersensitive-like cell death.

As one of the largest families of transcription factors in plants, the R2R3-MYB proteins play important roles in diverse biological processes including growth and development, primary and secondary metabolism such as flavonoid and anthocyanin biosynthesis as well as abiotic and biotic stress responses. However, functions of R2R3-MYB genes in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) remain elusive. Here, we characterized BnaMYB111L, which is homologous to Arabidopsis MYB111 and encodes an R2R3-MYB protein in rapeseed. BnaMYB111L is responsive to abscisic acid (ABA), heat, cold, hydrogen peroxide and fungal pathogen Sclerotinia scelerotiorum treatments through quantitative RT-PCR assay. BnaMYB111L encodes a transcriptional activator and is localized exclusively to nuclei. Interestingly, overexpression of BnaMYB111L in tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana) and rapeseed protoplasts promoted reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and hypersensitive response-like cell death, accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA) as well as degradation of chlorophyll. Furthermore, BnaMYB111L expression evoked the alterations of transcript levels of genes encoding ROS-producing enzyme, vacuolar processing enzymes and genes implicated in defense responses. A further dual luciferase reporter assay indicated that BnaMYB111L activated the expression of RbohB, MC4 and ACRE132, which are involved in ROS generation, cell death as well as defense responses. Taken together, this study characterized the function of rapeseed MYB111L and identified its putative target genes involved in ROS production and cell death.

Rapeseed calcium-dependent protein kinase CPK6L modulates reactive oxygen species and cell death through interacting and phosphorylating RBOHD.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play important roles in plant growth, development, responses to abiotic and biotic stresses. Hypersensitive response (HR)-like cell death is often associated with excess ROS. However, how a calcium-dependent protein kinase (CPK) modulates this process remains elusive in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.). In the present study, we identified and characterized CPK6L from rapeseed as a novel regulator of ROS and cell death. The subcellular localization of BnaCPK6L was investigated through GFP and was found to be located at the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. Overexpression of the constitutively active BnaCPK6LCA resulted in significant accumulation of ROS and HR-like cell death than the full-length. A quantitative RT-PCR survey identified that the expression levels of a few ROS, cell death and defense-related marker genes were up-regulated upon BnaCPK6LCA expression. Mating-based split ubiquitin system (mbSUS) screening revealed that BnaCPK6L interacted with BnaRBOHD (Respiratory Burst Oxidase Homolog D), which was validated by bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC). An in vitro phosphorylation assay indicated that BnaCPK6L phosphorylated BnaRBOHD. Lastly, we also found that three 2C type protein phosphatases (PP2Cs) interacted with BnaCPK6L. Taken together, this study indicates that BnaCPK6L plays an important role in ROS and HR-like cell death through interacting with and phosphorylating RBOHD.

Emission control for precursors causing acid rain (V): Improvement of acid soil with the bio-briquette combustion ash.

The bio-briquette technique which mixes coal, biomass and sulfur fixation agent and bio-briquettes under 3-5 t/cm2 line pressure has aroused people's attention in view of controlling the air pollution and the acid rain. In this paper, the physicochemical properties of bio-briquette and its ash were investigated. And the acid soil was improved by the bio-briquette combustion ash, which contained nutritive substances such as P, N, K and had the acid-neutralizing capacity (ANC). The pH, EC, effective nutrient elements (Ca, Mg, K, P and N), heavy metal elements (Al, Cu, Cd, Cr, Zn and Mn) and acid-neutralizing capacity change of ash-added soils within the range of 0-10%, were also studied. Specially, when 5% bio-briquette combustion ash was added to the tested soil, the content of the effective elements such as Ca, Mg and K rose by 100 times, 7 times and twice, respectively. The total nitrogen also increased by about twice. The results showed the oxyanions such as that of Al, Cu, Cd, Cr, Zn and Mn were not potentially dangerous, because they were about the same as the averages of them in Chinese soil. It is shown that the ANC became stronger, though the ANC hardly increases in the ash-added soil. On the basis of the evaluation indices, it is concluded that the best mixture ratio is to add 2.5%-8% of the bio-briquette combustion ash to the tested soil.

Measurements of low-molecular-mass carboxylic acids in atmospheric aerosols by capillary electrophoresis.

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) methods for the determination of low-molecular-mass (LMM) carboxylic acids in airborne particular matter have been developed. The separations of 22 LMM carboxylic acids, including acids derived from the oxidation of biogenic hydrocarbons, are performed using a background electrolyte consisting of 3.0mM 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid and 18.0mM 2,2-bis (hydroxymethyl)-2,2',2"-nitrilotriethanol (Bis-tris) in 16% (v/v) 1-propanol within 10 min. Using a combination of a buffer mixed with an organic solvent and electroosmotic flow modifier, a minimum of peak overlaps is achieved with migration time variation of less than 1% and peak area ratio (relative to an internal standard) variation of less than 5% within 1 day. The detection limits for the aliphatic LMM acids that can be determined by this method are in the range of 30-140 micro g/L. Furthermore, a simple method for efficient extraction of LMM organic acids from particulate atmospheric matter collected on quartz fiber filters using high-volume samplers is developed. Combining the extraction procedure with a reduction of the extract to approximately 0.2 mL allows for the measurement of LLM in atmospheric particulate organic matter at concentrations well below 1 ng.m(-3). Repeat analysis of filters collected in tunnels, urban, suburban, and forested areas demonstrate that the procedure allows for measurements of aliphatic and aromatic LMM acids within a variability of 10-25%.