A non-PCR SPR platform using RNase H to detect MicroRNA 29a-3p from throat swabs of human subjects with influenza A virus H1N1 infection.

As in all RNA viruses, influenza viruses change and mutate constantly because their RNA polymerase has no proofreading ability. This poses a serious threat to public health nowadays. In addition, traditional pathogen-based detection methods may not be able to report an infection from an unknown type or a subtype of virus if its nucleotide sequence is not known. Because of these factors, targeting host microRNA signatures may be an alternative to classify infections and distinguish types of pathogens as microRNAs are produced in humans shortly after infection. Although this approach is in its infant stage, there is an urgent need to develop a rapid reporter assay for microRNA for disease control and prevention. As a proof of concept, we report herein for the first time a non-PCR MARS (MicroRNA-RNase-SPR) assay to detect the microRNA miR-29a-3p from human subjects infected with influenza virus H1N1 by surface plasmon resonance (SPR). In our MARS assay, RNase H is employed to specifically hydrolyze the RNA probes immobilized on the gold surface where they hybridize with its cognate target cDNAs miR-29a-3p, where it was formed from reverse transcription with mature miR-29a-3p specific stem-looped primers. After the digestion of the RNA probe by RNase H, the intact cDNA was released from the RNA-DNA hybrid and bound to a new RNA probe for another enzymatic reaction cycle to amplify signals. With assay optimization, the detection limit of our MARS assay for miR-29a-3p was found to be 1 nM, and this new assay could be completed within 1 hour without thermal cycling. This non-PCR assay with high selectivity for mature microRNA provides a new platform for rapid disease diagnosis, quarantine and disease control.

A new flavonol glycoside and activity of compounds from the flower of Nymphaea candida.

A new compound, kaempferol 3-O-(2''-O-galloylrutinoside) (1), was isolated from the white flower of Nymphaea candida, together with nine known flavonol glycosides, kaempferol (2), kaempferol 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (3), kaempferol 3-O-alpha-l-rhamnopyranoside (4), kaempferol 3-O-alpha-l-rhamnopyranosylglucopyranoside (5), kaempferol 7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside 3-(O-alpha-l-rhamnopyranosylglucopyranoside) (6), quercetin (7), quercetin 3-O-beta-D-xylopyranoside (8), myricetin (9), myricetin 3'-O-beta-D-xylopyranoside (10). The structure of 1 was established on the basis of the analysis of its 1D and 2D NMR spectral data. Compounds 1-7 and 9 exhibited moderate to significant antioxidant activities, which were evaluated by measurement of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in vitro. Compounds 1, 3, 4, 6 and 9 exhibited promising neuroprotective effects on ischemic injury model of cultured rat cortical neurons treated with sodium dithionite in glucose-free medium. Furthermore, compounds 1, 5, and 9 had distinct cytotoxicity to adrenal gland pheochromocytoma, PC12 cells, being treated by the same way.

Evidence of anti-obesity effects of the pomegranate leaf extract in high-fat diet induced obese mice.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the anti-obesity effects of the pomegranate leaf extract (PLE) in a mouse model of high-fat diet induced obesity and hyperlipidemia. DESIGN: For the anti-obesity experiment, male and female ICR mice were fed with a high-fat diet to induce obesity. When the weight of the high-fat diet group was 20% higher than the normal diet group, the animals were treated with 400 or 800 mg/kg/day of PLE for 5 weeks. Body weight and daily food intake were measured regularly during the experimental period. The various adipose pads were weighed and serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), glucose and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were measured after 5 weeks, treatment with PLE. In the fat absorption experiment, both the normal and obese mice were given 0.5 ml lipid emulsion and PLE at a dose of 800 mg/kg at the same time. Serial serum TG levels were measured at times 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 h after the treatment. TGs in fecal excretions were measured after the mice were orally given a lipid emulsion. Effects of PLE and its isolated compounds (ellagic acid and tannic acid) on pancreatic lipase activity were examined in vitro. RESULTS: The PLE-treated groups showed a significant decrease in body weight, energy intake and various adipose pad weight percents and serum, TC, TG, glucose levels and TC/HDL-C ratio after 5 weeks treatment. Furthermore, PLE significantly attenuated the raising of the serum TG level and inhibited the intestinal fat absorption in mice given a fat emulsion orally. PLE showed a significant difference in decreasing the appetite of obese mice fed a high-fat diet, but showed no effect in mice fed a normal diet. CONCLUSION: PLE can inhibit the development of obesity and hyperlipidemia in high-fat diet induced obese mice. The effects appear to be partly mediated by inhibiting the pancreatic lipase activity and suppressing energy intake. PLE may be a novel appetite suppressant that only affects obesity owing to a high-fat diet.

Identification and analysis of a putative origin of DNA replication in the Choristoneura fumiferana multinucleocapsid nuclear polyhedrosis virus genome.

A recombinant plasmid containing the Choristoneura fumiferana multinucleocapsid nuclear polyhedrosis virus (CfMNPV) HindIII R fragment (m.u. 2.2-3.9) was shown to undergo CfMNPV infection-dependent DNA replication in Cf-124T cells. Replication of this DNA sequence was detectable by 24 hr p.i. and did not appear to have resulted as a consequence of recombination with the virus genome. Replication was inhibited by mimosine, an inhibitor of eukaryotic DNA replication. These data suggest that HindIII R of CfMNPV DNA contains an origin of DNA replication which we call ori1. HindIII R contains five GC-rich and three AT-rich regions and a 0.9-kb homologous repeat region 1 (hr1). Two short 440- and 740-bp contiguous sequences at the right end of the HindIII R fragment separately exhibited limited ori function. HindIII R subfragments with optimal ori activity contained a cluster of repeated and inverted sequences including nine copies of a 50-bp homologous repeat sequence (hr1a to hr1i) within hr1. The CfMNPV hr1 sequence was somewhat homologous with the homologous repeat (hr) of the putative Autographa californica MNPV (AcMNPV) replication origins. HindIII Y, another CfMNPV DNA fragment containing an hr sequence, hr3, also supported infection-dependent DNA replication, suggesting that it too contains an ori. Although replication of a putative AcMNPV origin (HindIII Q) was detectable in CfMNPV-infected Cf-124T cells, replication of CfMNPV HindIII R was not detectable in AcMNPV-infected Spodoptera frugiperda cells.

Lepidopteran cell variants resistant to 5-bromodeoxyuridine and their use for transfection of the HSV-TK gene.

Following mutagenesis of cultured lepidopteran cells (Spodoptera frugiperda) by ethylmethanesulfonate, three variants resistant to 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd) were isolated. These clones were 100- to 200-fold more resistant to BrdUrd than the parental cells and were shown to be deficient in thymidine kinase (TK). The drug-resistant phenotype was stable for up to three years of culture under nonselective conditions. It was also found that the S. frugiperda cell line was highly resistant to aminopterin. A selective medium was formulated and used to select herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-TK) transfectants from the TK-deficient cells.

Expression of hepatitis B virus surface antigen gene in insect baculovirus vector systems.

The gene coding for the hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) under the control of Autographa californicanuclear polyhedrosis virus polyhedrin promoter was successfully inserted into the genome of the Trichoplusia ni nuclear polyhdrosis virus. Infection of Spodoptera frugiperda cells with this recombinant virus produced a significant amount of HBsAg protein and secreted 22 nm particles containing the HBsAg. The expression of HBsAg gene was also obtained both in Trichoplusia ni larvae and in Philosamia cynthia ricini prepupae when infected with the recombinant virus. The HBsAg proteins expressed by baculovirus vector systems have morphological and antigenic properties identical to the 22 nm particles secreted by human cells.