A novel recombinant Salmonella vaccine enhances the innate immunity of NK cells against acute myeloid leukaemia cells Kasumi-1 in vitro.

Minor histocompatibility antigen HA-1-specific cytotoxic lymphocyte (CTL) clones have apparent anti-leukaemic efficacy, and the AML/ETO gene is a special fusion gene in leukaemic cells. Thus, we hypothesised that a vaccine targeting HA-1 and AML/ETO could stimulate NK cells to target leukaemia cells. Furthermore, we packaged the vaccine using attenuated Salmonella to enhance its immuno-activity.

Identification and comparative analysis of low phosphate tolerance-associated microRNAs in two maize genotypes.

Low phosphate (Pi) availability is a major constraint on maize growth and productivity. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are known to play critical roles in plant responses to various environmental conditions. The identification of low Pi tolerance-associated miRNAs will accelerate the development of Pi starvation tolerant maize plants.

Set9, NF-κB, and microRNA-21 mediate berberine-induced apoptosis of human multiple myeloma cells.

Aim: To investigate the mechanisms by which berberine suppressed the proliferation of human multiple myeloma cells.

Methods: Human U266 multiple myeloma cell line was tested. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, ultramicrostructure and secretion function were examined using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8), flow cytometry (FCM), electron and fluorescence microscopy, as well as ELISA assay.

Overexpression of Thellungiella halophila H+-pyrophosphatase gene improves low phosphate tolerance in maize.

Low phosphate availability is a major constraint on plant growth and agricultural productivity. Engineering a crop with enhanced low phosphate tolerance by transgenic technique could be one way of alleviating agricultural losses due to phosphate deficiency. In this study, we reported that transgenic maize plants that overexpressed the Thellungiella halophila vacuolar H(+)-pyrophosphatase gene (TsVP) were more tolerant to phosphate deficit stress than the wild type.

Phosphate starvation of maize inhibits lateral root formation and alters gene expression in the lateral root primordium zone.

Background: Phosphorus (P) is an essential macronutrient for all living organisms. Maize (Zea mays) is an important human food, animal feed and energy crop throughout the world, and enormous quantities of phosphate fertilizer are required for maize cultivation. Thus, it is important to improve the efficiency of the use of phosphate fertilizer for maize.

Dynamic nucleotide-binding site and leucine-rich repeat-encoding genes in the grass family.

The proper use of resistance genes (R genes) requires a comprehensive understanding of their genomics and evolution. We analyzed genes encoding nucleotide-binding sites and leucine-rich repeats in the genomes of rice (Oryza sativa), maize (Zea mays), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), and Brachypodium distachyon. Frequent deletions and translocations of R genes generated prevalent presence/absence polymorphism between different accessions/species.

Structural insights into the classification of Mud Crab Reovirus.

Cryo-electron microscopy was applied to analyze mud crab reovirus (MCRV), which causes 'sleeping disease' in mud crab, Scylla serrata, a marine species cultured in China. We present here the three dimensional structure of MCRV at 13.8Å resolution.

Nanog and β-catenin: a new convergence point in EpSC proliferation and differentiation.

Skin tissue homeostasis is maintained by the balanced proliferation and differentiation of certain types of proliferating cells such as epidermal stem cells (EpSCs). The proliferation and differentiation of EpSCs are complex processes which are not well understood. This study aimed to find the internal relationship between the Nanog pathway and the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in the proliferation and differentiation process of EpSCs.

Proteome profile of maize (Zea Mays L.) leaf tissue at the flowering stage after long-term adjustment to rice black-streaked dwarf virus infection.

Maize rough dwarf disease (MRDD) is a viral disease and causes great yield loss. To better understand the effects of MRDD on plant growth and metabolism, comparative proteomic analysis of leaves from virus-infected and normal plants was performed. In order to eliminate the interference of Ribulose-1, 5-bisphosphate carboxylase with low-abundance proteins, total proteins were pre-fractionated by 15% PEG and the proteins from supernatant and precipitated fractions were analyzed by 2-DE, subsequently.

[Delayed hypersensitivity to infliximab retreatment in two patients and literature review].

Objective: To improve the understanding of severe anaphylactic reactions to infliximab retreatment.

Methods: Delayed hypersensitivity to infliximab in two patients with ankylosing spondylitis who had previously received infliximab and resumed after discontinuation over 4 years were reported and the related literatures were reviewed.

Results: Two patients (1 male, 1 female) who were diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis for more than 10 years, both individuals had received infliximab treatment during a clinical trial approximately 4 - 5 years prior to further therapy.

Proliferation and chondrogenic differentiation of CD105-positive enriched rat synovium-derived mesenchymal stem cells in three-dimensional porous scaffolds.

Stem cell-based tissue engineering has provided an alternative strategy to treat cartilage lesions, and synovium-derived mesenchymal stem cells (SMSCs) are considered as a promising cell source for cartilage repair. In this study, the SMSCs were isolated from rat synovium, and CD105-positive (CD105(+)) cells were enriched using magnetic activated cell sorting. Sorted cells were subsequently seeded onto the chitosan-alginate composite three-dimensional (3D) porous scaffolds and cultured in chondrogenic culture medium in the presence of TGF-β₃ and BMP-2 for 2 weeks in vitro.

Three-dimensional structure of the hepatitis B core antigen particle truncated at residue 154.

The three-dimensional structure of recombinant hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) particles truncated at residue 154 (HBcAg-154) was determined to 7.8 Å resolution by cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) and computer reconstruction. The capsid of HBcAg-154 is mainly constituted by α-helical folds, highly similar to that of HBcAg-149.

Idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis (RPF): clinical features of 61 cases and literature review.

The objective of this study is to describe the clinical characteristics of patients with idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis (RPF). A retrospective analysis of patients diagnosed with idiopathic RPF in Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital was conducted. Sixty-one patients with idiopathic RPF were identified.

Contrasting evolutionary patterns of the Rp1 resistance gene family in different species of Poaceae.

Disease-resistance genes (R-genes) in plants show complex evolutionary patterns. We investigated the evolution of the Rp1 R-gene family in Poaceae, and 409 Rp1 fragments were sequenced from 21 species. Our data showed that the common ancestor of Poaceae had two Rp1 loci, but the number of Rp1 locus in extant species varies from one to five.

Identification of a new 130 bp cis-acting element in the TsVP1 promoter involved in the salt stress response from Thellungiella halophila.

Background: Salt stress is one of the major abiotic stresses affecting plant growth and productivity. Vacuolar H+-pyrophosphatase (H+-PPase) genes play an important role in salt stress tolerance in multiple species.

Results: In this study, the promoter from the vacuolar H+-pyrophosphatase from Thellungiella halophila (TsVP1) was cloned and compared with the AVP1 promoter from Arabidopsis thaliana.

Structural comparisons of hepatitis B core antigen particles with different C-terminal lengths.

Core protein of hepatitis B virus (HBV) with various C-terminal lengths (residue 154, 164, 167 and 183) can self-assemble into recombinant hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) particles. To understand the RNA encapsidation mechanism of HBV, the three-dimensional structures of these particles were reconstructed by cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM). Detailed structural comparisons showed that their capsid structures are highly similar, while the RNA content is increased upon the retention of more amino acid residues at the C-terminus of core protein, suggesting the crucial role of the basic C-terminal tail on determining the genome size.

[Idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis:clinical characteristics of 61 cases and literature review.].

Objective: We reviewed the data of 61 cases with idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis (IRF). The purpose was to understand the feature of the disease in order to improve its diagnosis and treatment.

Methods: The clinical data of 61 cases discharged from our hospital were analyzed retrospectively.

The three-dimensional structure of Infectious flacherie virus capsid determined by cryo-electron microscopy.

Cryo-electron microscopy and image reconstruction were used to determine the three-dimensional structure of Infectious flacherie virus (IFV). 5047 particles were selected for the final reconstruction. The FSC curve showed that the resolution of this capsid structure was 18 A.

Structure of the hepatitis E virus-like particle suggests mechanisms for virus assembly and receptor binding.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV), a small, non-enveloped RNA virus in the family Hepeviridae, is associated with endemic and epidemic acute viral hepatitis in developing countries. Our 3.5-A structure of a HEV-like particle (VLP) shows that each capsid protein contains 3 linear domains that form distinct structural elements: S, the continuous capsid; P1, 3-fold protrusions; and P2, 2-fold spikes.

Comparative proteome analyses of phosphorus responses in maize (Zea mays L.) roots of wild-type and a low-P-tolerant mutant reveal root characteristics associated with phosphorus efficiency.

Low phosphorus (P) availability is a major limitation for plant growth. To better understand the molecular mechanism of P efficiency in maize, comparative proteome analyses were performed on the roots of the low-P-tolerant mutant 99038 and wild-type Qi-319 grown under P-sufficient (+P) or P-deficient (-P) conditions. Over 10% of proteins detected on two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) gels showed expression that was altered twofold or more between the genotypes under +P or -P conditions.

Proteomic analysis of roots growth and metabolic changes under phosphorus deficit in maize (Zea mays L.) plants.

Phosphorus (P) deficiency is a major limitation for plant growth and development. Plants can respond defensively to this stress, modifying their metabolic pathways and root morphology, and this involves changes in their gene expression. To better understand the low P adaptive mechanism of crops, we conducted the comparative proteome analysis for proteins isolated from maize roots treated with 1000 microM (control) or 5 microM KH2PO4 for 17 days.

[Investigation on the technique of three dimensional reconstruction and analysis of series slices of images].

The new techniques of three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction and segmentation, display and analysis of series slices of images including microscopic wide field optical sectioning by deconvolution method and Cryoelectron microscope slices by electron tomography (ET) and series of computed tomography (CT) were investigated. As a result, this paper presents the 3D reconstruction segmentation display, and analysis results of pollen spore, chaperonin, head, cervical vertabra, tibia and carpale. Mean while, this paper also proposes the application of these new techniques in biomedical field.

A novel technique of three-dimensional reconstruction segmentation and analysis for sliced images of biological tissues.

A novel technique of three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction, segmentation, display and analysis of series slices of images including microscopic wide field optical sectioning by deconvolution method, cryo-electron microscope slices by Fourier-Bessel synthesis and electron tomography (ET), and a series of computed tomography (CT) was developed to perform simultaneous measurement on the structure and function of biomedical samples. The paper presents the 3D reconstruction segmentation display and analysis results of pollen spore, chaperonin, virus, head, cervical bone, tibia and carpus. At the same time, it also puts forward some potential applications of the new technique in the biomedical realm.