IRF9 inhibits CyHV-3 replication by regulating the PI3K-AKT signalling pathway in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) epithelial cells.

Interferon regulatory factor 9 (IRF9) is an important transcriptional regulator involved in innate and adaptive immunity. Cyprinid herpesvirus-3 (CyHV-3) is a virus causing widespread death and great economic loss in farmed common carp (Cyprinus carpio). However, the effect of IRF9 on CyHV-3 infection in common carp has not been reported. In this study, during CyHV-3 infection, IRF9 overexpression in common carp fin epithelial (CCF) cells significantly reduced the expression of viral factor thymidine kinase (TK) and open reading frame 72 (ORF72), and knockdown of IRF9 produced the opposite results (p < 0.05). In CCF cells. The IRF9 protein was expression in the nucleus and was rapidly induced in CCF cells by CyHV-3 infection. In addition, several genes associated with virus infection, including type I interferon (IFNI), IFN-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15), myxovirus resistance 1 (Mx1) and Viperin were induced in CCF cells overexpressing IRF9 upon CyHV-3 infection. IRF9 overexpression induced by CyHV-3 infection significantly increased the gene expression of Mx1 and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and the protein expression of protein kinase B (AKT) (p < 0.01). Interestingly, IRF9 did not significantly affect Mx1 gene expression when AKT protein levels remained unchanged during CyHV-3 infection of CCF cells. Furthermore, a significant resistance-related locus was found in the IRF9 sequence in "Longke-11" mirror carp (M11) and Yellow River carp (p < 0.05). These results indicated that IRF9 inhibited viral replication by upregulating the expression of Mx1 via the PI3K-AKT signalling pathway during CyHV-3 infection in CCF cells and provide some basis for the study of the antiviral molecular mechanisms of common carp.

An Improved Rapidly-Exploring Random Trees Algorithm Combining Parent Point Priority Determination Strategy and Real-Time Optimization Strategy for Path Planning.

In order to solve the problems of long path planning time and large number of redundant points in the rapidly-exploring random trees algorithm, this paper proposed an improved algorithm based on the parent point priority determination strategy and the real-time optimization strategy to optimize the rapidly-exploring random trees algorithm. First, in order to shorten the path-planning time, the parent point is determined before generating a new point, which eliminates the complicated process of traversing the random tree to search the parent point when generating a new point. Second, a real-time optimization strategy is combined, whose core idea is to compare the distance of a new point, its parent point, and two ancestor points to the target point when a new point is generated, choosing the new point that is helpful for the growth of the random tree to reduce the number of redundant points. Simulation results of 3-dimensional path planning showed that the success rate of the proposed algorithm, which combines the strategy of parent point priority determination and the strategy of real-time optimization, was close to 100%. Compared with the rapidly-exploring random trees algorithm, the number of points was reduced by more than 93.25%, the path planning time was reduced by more than 91.49%, and the path length was reduced by more than 7.88%. The IRB1410 manipulator was used to build a test platform in a laboratory environment. The path obtained by the proposed algorithm enables the manipulator to safely avoid obstacles to reach the target point. The conclusion can be made that the proposed strategy has a better performance on optimizing the success rate, the number of points, the planning time, and the path length.

Time-varying migration process of moving neutralization boundary on the immobilized pH gradient strip in the weak-base rehydration buffer.

This paper quantificationally probes into time-varying migration processes of moving neutralization boundary (MNB) on immobilized pH gradient (IPG) strip in ammonia-rehydration buffers. The time-varying migration processes are determined by both time-varying dissociation equilibria of ammonia and position-varying pH environments formed by immobilized carrier ampholytes (CAs) on the IPG strip. Thus, the local dissociation equilibria of ammonia and the position-varying pH are introduced into the recursion equation of position of MNB migrations. The theoretical position-time curves and the velocity-time curves of MNB migrations obtained by the recursion approach were satisfactorily validated by a series of images of boundary migrations from the IPG-MNB experiments by using rehydration buffers with different ammonia concentrations on pH 3-6 IPG strips. The results achieved herein have significant evidence to a quantificational understanding of the mechanism of MNB and IEF.

Recursion approach for moving neutralization boundary formed on IPG strips. Part I: With strong alkali rehydration buffer.

Moving neutralization boundary (MNB) is an important foundation to understand and improve IEF. However, there are obstacles in theoretical predictions of MNB on IPG strips due to the unknown local concentrations of carrier ampholytes on commercial IPG strips and the time-varying boundary velocities. We introduce a recursion approach to extend the current MNB theories into the space-time varying MNB system. The recursion approach emphasizes the localizability of physicochemical parameters in the discrete time intervals and local positions in Lagrangian coordinates, such as local concentrations of carrier ampholytes, local OH concentrations, local boundary velocities, local judgments, etc. The boundary-position recursion equation in a complete time sequence was presented to quantitatively predict the MNB position-time curves by distinguishing three kinds of titration cases according to NaOH concentrations in rehydration buffers. The theoretical position-time curves and local relative judgments of boundaries were satisfactorily validated by corresponding images of boundary migrations achieved from the IPG-MNB experiments with the some typical NaOH concentrations-bromophenol blue-rehydration buffers on pH 4-7 IPG strips. The results achieved herein have evident significances to the development of moving reaction boundary and IEF.

[Expression of MMPs in gingival crevicular fluid of the rats in different age groups with orthodontic appliances].

PURPOSE: To detect the changes of MMP-1 and MMP-9 in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) of the rats in different age groups with orthodontic appliances. METHODS: 40 female Wistar rats were selected as the animal model, in which there were 20 6-week-old rats and 20 12-week-old rats. The orthodontic appliances were fixed onto the maxilla of the rats after general anesthesia. The maxillary first molar in the experimental side was drawn medially by applying an excess force of 50 g, with both of the maxillary central incisors as anchorage. In the control side, the maxillary first molar was winded around the dental cervix with ligature wire. The GCF was collected every week, and MMP-1 and MMP-9 were assayed in quantitation by SDS-PAGE, Western blot and Gel Doc quantitative analysis system,respectively. The data were analyzed for ANOVA using SPSS11.0 software package. RESULTS: No statistical difference of the original concentration of MMP-1 and MMP-9 in GCF was found between adolescent group and adult group (P>0.05), but the adult group's contents were a little more than adolescent group's, and is the same as the 1st week's content. The concentration of MMPs in adult group changed more greatly than that in adolescent group. At the beginning of the experiment, the MMPs' increasing speed of adult group was higher than that of adolescent group. But at the end, the rate of descent of adult group was lower than that of adolescent group. CONCLUSIONS: The expression of MMPs in gingival crevicular fluid of adult rats is higher than that of adolescent rats. It may be more serious of the orthodontic root resorption in adult rats than in adolescent rats. Supported by Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation (Grant No.Y2007C023) and Jinan Science and Technology Development Plan (Grant No.200705089-9).