Expression profiles and function analysis of microRNAs in postovulatory aging mouse oocytes

In this study, microRNA (miRNA) profiles in postovulatory aging mouse oocytes were analyzed by microarray screening and RT-qPCR. Hierarchical cluster analysis on the microarray data and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis on the mRNAs targeted by differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs between two adjacent egg-ages suggest that while only a mild alteration in miRNA expression occurred from 13 to 18 h, a great change took place from 18 to 24 h post hCG injection. Theoretical exploration on functions of the predicted target genes suggest that KEGG pathways enriched by 13-18 h DE miRNAs are correlated with early events of oocyte aging while pathways most enriched by 18-24 h or 24-30 h DE miRNAs are correlated with the late symptoms of aged oocytes. Experimental verification on functions of the key proteins predicted by the KEGG analysis and injection of miR-98 mimics or inhibitors further confirmed that miRNAs played stimulatory/inhibitory roles in postovulatory oocyte aging. In conclusion, marked changes in miRNA expression are associated with significant alterations in function and morphology of postovulatory aging oocytes.

Meiotic arrest with roscovitine and follicular fluid improves cytoplasmic maturation of porcine oocytes by promoting chromatin de-condensation and gene transcription

The developmental capacity of in vitro matured oocytes is inferior to that of the in vivo matured ones due to insufficient cytoplasmic maturation. Although great efforts were made to accomplish better cytoplasmic maturation by meiotic arrest maintenance (MAM) before in vitro maturation (IVM), limited progress has been achieved in various species. This study showed that MAM of porcine oocytes was better achieved with roscovitine than with dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate (db-cAMP) or 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine. Oocyte developmental competence after IVM was significantly improved following MAM in 199 + FF medium (TCM-199 containing 10% porcine follicular fluid and 25 µM roscovitine) to a level even higher than that in control oocytes matured without pre-MAM. Observations on other markers further confirmed the positive effects of MAM in 199 + FF on oocyte cytoplasmic maturation. During MAM culture in 199 + FF, re-decondensation (RDC) of condensed chromatin occurred, and transcription of genes beneficial to cytoplasmic maturation was evident in some of the oocytes with surrounded nucleoli (SN). However, MAM with db-cAMP neither induced RDC nor improved oocyte developmental potential. Together, the results suggest that MAM in the presence of FF and roscovitine improved the developmental competence of porcine oocytes by promoting a pre-GVBD chromatin de-condensation and expression of beneficial genes.

Cloning and functional characterization of the HbSYR1 gene encoding a syntaxin-related protein in Tibetan hulless barley (Hordeum vulgare L. var. nudum HK. f.)

Tibetan barley is a staple food for the natives of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Drought causes a reduction in barley production. In this study, the full-length cDNA of a gene encoding a syntaxin-associated protein was cloned from the leaves of a drought-resistant variety of barley, "Himalaya 10"; its expression was evaluated during drought stress and rehydration via real-time PCR. The cloned HbSYR1 cDNA sequence was 1300 bp in length, and included an 840-bp open reading frame that encoded 279 amino acids. Sequence analysis predicted the molecular weight of the encoded protein to be 42.08 kDa, with an isoelectric point of 4.98. ScanProsite analysis showed that the HbSYR1 protein contained a SNARE family characteristic motif, five casein kinase II phosphorylation sites, two N-glycosylation sites, four protein kinase C phosphorylation sites, and two N-myristoylation sites. The TMHMM prediction program indicated that the protein does not contain a transmembrane transfer ribbon. According to the SignalP 3.0 server, this protein does not contain a signal peptide, and is not a secretory protein. Instead, this protein was suggested to be localized in the cytoplasm, as predicted by the protein subcellular localization prediction tool (PSORT). Our results indicated that HbSYR was induced by drought stress and rehydration, and was determined to be a key gene for drought resistance and water retention in barley.

Parental life events cause behavioral difference among offspring: Adult pre-gestational restraint stress reduces anxiety across generations

While effects of gestational, neonatal or adolescent stress on psychological alterations in progeny have been extensively studied, much less is known regarding the effects of adult pre-gestational life events on offspring behavior. Although full siblings often display behavioral differences, whether the different parental life events prior to different pregnancies contribute to these behavioral differences among siblings is worth studying. In this study, male and female adult mice were restrained for 60 days before mating with unstressed or stressed partners. F1 offspring were examined for anxiety or mated to generate F2. Both F1 females and males from restrained mothers and/or fathers showed significantly reduced anxiety and serum cortisol and increased mRNA levels of glucocorticoid receptor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor compared to control offspring from unstressed parents. Similar behavioral and molecular changes were also observed in F2 females and males. Although restraint of adolescent mice reduced anxiety in F1 of both sexes, social instability of them increased anxiety predominantly in F1 females. Thus, adult pre-gestational restraint reduced offspring’s anxiety across generations; different stressors on parents may cause different phenotypes in offspring; individual behaviors can depend on adult life experiences of parents.

NJ cluster analysis of the SnRK2, PYR/PYL/RCAR, and ABF genes in Tibetan hulless barley

The abscisic acid (ABA) signaling pathway is known as one of the most important signaling pathways in plants and is mediated by multiple regulators. The genes SnRK2, PYR/PYL/RCAR, and ABF are relevant to both ABA-dependent and -independent signaling pathways. To elucidate the profile of these genes from Tibetan hulless barley (Hordeum vulgare L. var. nudum Hook. f.), we collected available sequences from RNA-Seq data, together with NCBI data from five other model plant species (Arabidopsis thaliana, Brachypodium distachyon, Oryza sativa, Populus trichocarpa, and Sorghum bicolor). Gene trees of SnRK2, PYR/PYL/RCAR, and ABF were constructed using a neighbor joining (NJ) method. For all genes, we identified a dominant group in which all six species were represented. Three, four, and five groups were found in the NJ trees of SnRK2, PYR/PYL/RCAR, and ABF, respectively. For each gene, Tibetan hulless barley was divided into three groups. Our analyses indicated that Tibetan hulless barley was associated with B. distachyon. The NJ cluster analysis also suggested that Tibetan hulless barley was affiliated with S. bicolor (SnRK2), A. thaliana (PYR/PYL/RCAR), and O. sativa (ABF). These results illustrate a diverse expression of genes SnRK2, PYR/PYL/RCAR, and ABF, and suggest a relationship among the six species studied. Collectively, our characterization of the three components of the ABA signaling pathway may contribute to improve stress tolerance in Tibetan hulless barley.

Preimplantation maternal stress impairs embryo development by inducing oviductal apoptosis with activation of the Fas system

STUDY QUESTION

What are the mechanisms by which the preimplantation restraint stress (PIRS) impairs embryo development and pregnancy outcome?

SUMMARY ANSWER

PIRS impairs embryo development by triggering apoptosis in mouse oviducts and embryos,and this involves activation of the Fas system.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY

Although it is known that the early stages of pregnancy are more vulnerable than later stages to prenatalstress, studies on the effect of preimplantation stress on embryo developmentare limited. Furthermore, the mechanisms by which psychological stress impairs embryo development are largely unknown. These issues are worth exploring using the mouse PIRS models because restraint of mice is an efficient experimental procedure developed for studies of psychogenic stress.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE AND DURATION

Mice of Kunming strain, the generalized lymphoproliferative disorder (gld) mice with a germline mutation F273L in FasL in a C57BL/6J genomic background and the wild-type C57BL/6J mice were used. Female and male mice were used 8-10 weeks and 10-12 weeks after birth, respectively. Female mice showing vaginal plugs were paired by weight and randomly assigned to restraint treatments or as controls. For restraint treatment, an individual mouse was put in a micro-cage with food and water available. Control mice remained in their cages with food and water during the time treated females were stressed.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS

Female mice were exposed to PIRS for 48 h starting from 16:00 on the day of vaginal plug detection. At the end of PIRS, levels of glucorticoids (GC), corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)and redox potential were measured in serum, while levels of GC, GC receptor (GR), CRH, CRH receptor (CRHR), Fas and Fas ligand (FasL) protein, mRNAs for brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), oxidative stress (OS) and apoptosis were examined in oviducts. Preimplantation development and levels of GR, Fas, redox potential and apoptosis were observed in embryos recovered at different times after the initiation of PIRS. The gld mice were used to confirm a role for the Fas system in triggering apoptosis of embryos and oviducts.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE

Compared to those in control mice, while the number of blastocysts/mouse (5.0 ± 0.7 versus 11.1 ± 0.5), cell number/blastocyst (49.1 ± 1.3 versus 61.5 ± 0.9), percentages of term pregnancy (37.5% versus 90.9%) and litter size (3.7 ± 0.1versus 9.6 ± 0.6) decreased, blood CRH (560 ± 23 versus 455 ± 37 pg/ml), cortisol (27.3 ± 3.4 versus 5 ± 0.5 ng/ml) and OS index (OSI: 2.8 versus 1.7) increased significantly (all P < 0.05) following PIRS. In the oviduct, while levels of CRH (1175 ± 85 versus 881 ± 33 pg/100 mg), cortisol (28.9 ± 1.7 versus14 ± 4 ng/g), CRHR (2.3 ± 0.3 versus 1.0 ± 0.0), FasL (1.31 ± 0.06 versus 1.08 ± 0.05 ng/g), Fas (1.42 ± 0.13 versus 1.0 ± 0.0) and apoptotic cells (19.1 ± 0.5% versus 8.4 ± 0.4%) increased, levels of GR proteins (0.67 ± 0.14 versus 1.0 ± 0.0) and Igf-1 (0.6 ± 0.09 versus 1.0 ± 0.0) and Bdnf (0.73 ± 0.03 versus 1.0 ± 0.0) mRNAs decreased significantly (all P < 0.05 versus control) after PIRS. Mouse embryos expressed GR and Fas at all stages of preimplantation development and embryo OS (GSH/GSSG ratio: 0.88 ± 0.03 versus 1.19 ± 0.13) and annexin-positive cells (blastocysts: 31.4 ± 3.8% versus 10.96 ± 3.4%) increased significantly (P < 0.05) following PIRS. Furthermore, the detrimental effects of PIRS on embryo development and oviductal apoptosis were much reduced in gld mice. Thus, PIRS triggered apoptosis in oviductal cells with activation of the Fas/FasL system. The apoptotic oviductal cells promoted embryo apoptosis with reduced production of IGF-1 and BDNF and increased production of FasL.

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION

Although important, the conclusions were drawn from limited results obtained using a single model in one species and thus they need further verification using other models and/or in other species. Furthermore, as differences in stressed samples were modest and sometimes not significant between gld and wild-type mice whereas differences between control and stressed samples were always present within gld mice, it is deduced that signaling pathways other than the Fas/FasL system might be involved as well in the PIRS-triggered apoptosis of oviducts and embryos.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

The data are important for studies on the mechanisms by which psychological stress affects female reproduction, as FasL expression has been observed in human oviduct epithelium.

LARGE SCALE DATA

Not applicable.

STUDY FUNDING AND COMPETING INTERESTS

This study was supported by grants from the National Basic Research Program of China (Nos. 2014CB138503 and 2012CB944403), the China National Natural Science Foundation (Nos. 31272444 and 30972096) and the Animal breeding improvement program of Shandong Province. All authors declare that their participation in the study did not involve factual or potential conflicts of interests.

Glucocorticoids impair oocyte developmental potential by triggering apoptosis of ovarian cells via activating the Fas system

Previous studies indicate that stress damages oocytes with increased secretion of glucorticoids. However, although injection of female mice with cortisol decreased oocyte competence, exposure of mouse oocytes directly to physiological or stress-induced concentrations of glucorticoids did not affect oocyte maturation and embryo development. This study has explored the mechanisms by which glucocorticoids impair oocyte competence. Female mice were injected with cortisol and the effects of cortisol-injection on oocyte competence, ovarian cell apoptosis and Fas/FasL activation were observed. The results showed that cortisol-injection decreased (a) oocyte developmental potential, (b) the E2/P4 ratio in serum and ovaries, and (c) expression of insulin-like growth factor 1, brain-derived neurotrophic factor and glucocorticoid receptor in mural granulosa cells (MGCs), while increasing levels of (a) cortisol in serum and ovaries, (b) apoptosis in MGCs and cumulus cells (CCs), (c) FasL secretion in ovaries and during oocyte maturation in vitro, and (d) Fas in MGCs, CCs and oocytes. The detrimental effects of cortisol-injection on oocyte competence and apoptosis of MGCs and CCs were significantly relieved when the gld (generalized lymphoproliferative disorder) mice harboring FasL mutations were observed. Together, the results suggested that glucocorticoids impair oocyte competence by triggering apoptosis of ovarian cells via activating the Fas system.

Cloning and characterization of up-regulated HbSINA4 gene induced by drought stress in Tibetan hulless barley

Hulless barley is an important crop cereal in Tibetan, China. Drought is a major abiotic stress in barley production. In this study, we cloned the drought-related HbSINA4 gene from the variety 'Himalaya 10' and analyzed its expression patterns under different drought and rehydration conditions. The cDNA of HbSINA4 was 1052 bp long, including an open reading frame of 771 bp that encoded a protein of 256 amino acids. The molecular weight of HbSINA4 protein was predicted to be 29.53 kDa and the theoretical pI was 8.32. Bioinformatic analysis showed that the HbSINA4 gene contained a protein kinase domain profile family signature motif, with high similarity to that of Oryza sativa and Brachypodium distachyon. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays revealed that gene expression declined rapidly with increasing drought stress; in contrast, its expression increased after rehydration treatment. Therefore, the HbSINA4 gene responds to the drought stress and plays an important role in barely drought resistance. Furthermore, our results provide information which may be useful in other temperate crop studies and in aiding resistance to drought.

Correlation analysis of the PNPLA7 gene polymorphism and susceptibility to menstrual disorder

We examined the correlation between PNPLA7 gene polymorphisms at the rs61754920 and rs11137410 loci and menstrual disorder in women of reproductive age in the Central Plain. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood; polymerase chain reaction-ligase detection reaction and SNaPshot genotyping were used to detect polymorphisms in the rs61754920 and rs11137410 gene loci, respectively. The results for the 2 loci in individuals of different blood types were statistically analyzed. The proportion of the AA homozygote at the rs61754920 locus in the PNPLA7 gene was the lowest, while the proportion of the CC homozygote at the rs11137410 locus in the PNPLA7 gene was the highest. There were no statistical differences in the frequency distribution of genotypes and alleles at the 2 loci between control and test groups. The frequency of the TT genotype at the rs11137410 locus in women with type O blood was significantly lower in the test group than in the control group. Frequencies of the C and T alleles were significantly different between the 2 groups. There may be an association between the PNPLA7 gene and type O blood or a combined effect of the 2 genes.

Restraint stress on female mice diminishes the developmental potential of oocytes: roles of chromatin configuration and histone modification in germinal vesicle stage oocytes

The mechanisms by which restraint stress impairs oocyte developmental potential are unclear. Factors causing differences between the developmental potential of oocytes with surrounded nucleolus (SN) and that of oocytes with nonsurrounded nucleolus (NSN) are not fully characterized. Furthermore, the relationship between increased histone acetylation and methylation and the increased developmental competence in SN oocytes is particularly worth exploring using a system where the SN configuration can be uncoupled (dissociated) from increased histone modifications. In this study, female mice were subjected to restraint for 24 or 48 h or for 23 days before being examined for oocyte chromatin configuration, histone modification, and development in vitro and in vivo. Results showed that restraint for 48 h or 23 days impaired NSN-to-SN transition, histone acetylation and methylation in SN oocytes, and oocyte developmental potential. However, whereas the percentage of stressed SN oocytes returned to normal after a 48-h postrestraint recovery, neither histone acetylation/methylation in SN oocytes nor developmental competence recovered following postrestraint recovery with equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) injection. Priming unstressed mice with eCG expedited oocyte histone modification to an early completion. Contrary to the levels of acetylated and methylated histones, the level of phosphorylated H3S10 increased significantly in the stressed SN oocytes. Together, the results suggest that 1) restraint stress impaired oocyte potential with disturbed histone modifications; 2) SN configuration was uncoupled from increased histone acetylation/methylation in the restraint-stressed oocytes; and 3) the developmental potential of SN oocytes is more closely correlated with epigenetic histone modification than with chromatin configuration.

Restraint stress inhibits mouse implantation: temporal window and the involvement of HB-EGF, estrogen and progesterone

It is known that psychological stress affects reproduction in women, but it is unknown whether the effect is by impairing implantation. Although studies suggest that long periods of auditory or restraint stress may inhibit implantation in rats and mice, the exact stage of pregnancy at which stress impairs implantation is unclear. Furthermore, whether stress impairs implantation by decreasing the heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF), estrogen and/or progesterone and whether by acting on embryos or on the uterus need further investigations. In this study, a 24-h restraint stress was initiated at 15:30 of day 3 (regimen 1) or at 07:30 (regimen 2) or 15:30 of day 4 (regimen 3) of pregnancy (vaginal plug  =  day 1) to observe effects of restraint stress applied at different peri-implantation stages on implantation. Among the three regimens, whereas regimens 1 and 3 affected neither term pregnancy nor litter size, regimen 2 reduced both. Further observations indicated that regimen 2 of restraint stress also delayed blastocyst hatching and the attachment reaction, decreased serum concentrations of progesterone and estradiol, and down regulated the expression of HB-EGF in both the endometrium and blastocysts. Taken together, the results suggested that restraint stress inhibited mouse implantation in a temporal window-dependent manner and by impairing blastocyst activation and hatching and uterine receptivity via down-regulating HB-EGF, estrogen and progesterone. Thus, the stress applied within the implantation window impaired implantation by acting on both embryos and the uterus.

Characterization of cumulus expansion-inhibiting factor (CEIF) in goat follicles

Studies suggest that oocyte cumulus expansion is regulated by both cumulus expansion-enabling factor (CEEF) and cumulus expansion-inhibiting factors (CEIF). Many reports on CEEF have appeared, but CEIF has rarely been studied. By cumulus expansion assays using mouse cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) and oocytectomized complexes, the present study demonstrated that whereas follicular fluid (FF) from medium (diameter, 2-4 mm) goat follicles contained both CEEF and CEIF activities, FF from large (diameter, 5-6 mm) abattoir or large (diameter, 5-7 mm) follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)-stimulated follicles contained neither. FF from (diameter, 5-7 mm) human chorionic gonadotropin-stimulated follicles showed CEEF but not CEIF activity. Whereas medium conditioned with cumulus or mural granulosa cells from medium goat follicles contained only CEEF activity, theca cell-conditioned medium (CM) showed both CEEF and CEIF activities. Whereas 0.01 mg/ml of heparin efficiently inhibited cumulus expansion of mouse COCs in vitro, FF from large follicles that showed no CEIF activity contained much higher concentrations (0.23-0.25 mg/ml) of heparin. None of the glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) tested inhibited cumulus expansion of goat COCs. Among the follicles observed, only FF from medium goat follicles contained a linoleic acid (LA) level sufficient to inhibit cumulus expansion of both mouse and goat COCs in vitro. CM contained some amount of GAGs but no LA. Taken together, the results suggest that 1) the FSH and luteinizing hormone (LH) surges before ovulation promote cumulus expansion by down-regulating CEIF and up-regulating CEEF activity, respectively; 2) GAGs are not the CEIF in goat follicles; and 3) LA has CEIF activity but additional factors must be involved, because CM that showed high CEIF activity contained no LA.

Validity of the rapid strip assay test for detecting HBsAg in patients admitted to hospital in Uganda

Commercially available rapid strip assays (RSAs) for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) are used for most routine clinical testing in sub-Saharan Africa. This study evaluated the validity of RSA and a more sophisticated enzyme immunoassay (EIA) with confirmation by nucleic acid testing (NAT) in hospitalized patients in Uganda. Sera from 380 consecutive patients collected and tested for HBsAg and anti-HIV in Kampala, Uganda by RSA were sent frozen to Dallas for EIA including HBsAg, total anti-hepatitis B core, hepatitis B e antigen, and anti-HIV. NAT was performed on all HBsAg-positives and on a random sample of 102 patients that were HBsAg-negative by both assays. Overall, 31 (8%) were HBsAg positive by RSA while 50 (13%) were HBsAg-positive by EIA; 26 were concordant between the two assays. Of 55 HBsAg-positive patients, nearly all showed detectable serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA by bDNA (46) or PCR (4) assay. The 26 patients who were HBsAg positive by both EIA and RSA had significantly higher median serum HBV DNA levels than the 24 patients who were HBsAg positive by EIA alone. An additional 12/102 (12%) HBsAg negative patients had very low serum HBV DNA levels by NAT. Several differences in expected results of serologic testing were observed in this large series of African patients. RSA HBsAg testing is less sensitive than EIA; even EIA failed to detect all HBV DNA positive sera. A more complex testing protocol than RSA alone will be needed in Africa to improve patient care.

Poor performance of hepatitis C antibody tests in hospital patients in Uganda

Most hepatitis C testing in Uganda is performed using commercial rapid strip assays (RSA) to detect antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV), rather than enzyme immunoassays (EIA). The prevalence of hepatitis C antibodies in a Ugandan hospital population was determined using both methods to test their accuracy using nucleic acid testing (NAT) as a reference. Sera from 380 consecutive hospitalized Ugandan patients were tested for anti-HCV using an RSA in Uganda, with subsequent automated third-generation EIA testing in the United States, followed by NAT. Recombinant immunoblot assays (RIBA) were used as a supplementary test to detect anti-HCV epitopes. Overall, anti-HCV was detected in 48/380 (13%) by one or both antibody tests. Anti-HCV was detected in 19 (5.0%) patients by RSA and in 33 (8.7%) patients by EIA; only four patients were anti-HCV positive by both methods. Fourteen of the 48 anti-HCV positive patients had detectable serum HCV RNA, 7 each by bDNA assay or by PCR. RSA detected only 7 of 14 HCV RNA positive sera. Of 29 RNA negative but anti-HCV positive patients tested by RIBA, only two were anti-HCV positive; 27 were anti-HCV negative or indeterminate. Anti-HCV testing by RSA and/or EIA was neither sensitive nor specific for detection of ongoing HCV infection in hospitalized Ugandan patients. Our findings underscore the importance of confirmatory nucleic acid testing, which, despite its increased cost, appears essential to manage African patients with HCV.

A Comparison of the Long-term Health Related Quality of Life and Handicap of Stroke Patients in Mainland China and Hong Kong

Purpose

To compare health related quality of life (HRQOL) and handicap of stroke survivors in Hong Kong (HK) and Chengdu (CD) in Mainland China.

Method

Fifty-four pairs of first ever stroke patients in CD and in HK matched by age, sex and Modified Barthel Index (MBI) were interviewed using a structured questionnaire at 16–36 months after stroke. HRQOL and handicap outcomes were evaluated by the Chinese version of the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and London Handicap Scale (LHS) respectively.

Results

Compared to stroke patients in CD, HK subjects reported significantly greater handicap, especially in the occupation domain. HK subjects also had significantly lower HRQOL Z scores in domains of role limitations due to emotional or physical problems, and bodily pain. CD subjects had more social support, but had more difficulties in meeting medical costs, and were less likely to have regular medical follow-up and dysphagia symptom. After adjusting for social and health related factors, the site differences in handicap and the role limitation (physical) domain of SF36 became insignificant.

Conclusions

CD stroke survivors had better scores in HRQOL and fewer handicaps than their counterparts in HK, because of social and health related factors.

Production of intergeneric hybrid between dwarfing polish wheat (Triticum polonicum L.) and Aegilops tauschii Cosson. with reference to wheat origin

Dwarfing polish wheat is a dwarfing accession of Triticum polonicum L. from Xinjiang of China. In the present study, the artificial hybridization between dwarfing polish wheat and two accessions of Aegilops tauschii Cosson. (AS60 and AS65) was carried out, and the F1 hybrids were obtained successfully without using embryo rescue techniques for the first time. The crossabilities of hybrids T. polonicum x Ae. tauschii (AS60) and T. polonicum x Ae. tauschii (AS65) were 1.67% and 0.60% respectively. Only the hybrids of T. polonicum x Ae. tauschii (AS60) germinated well, and 24 Fl hybrid plants were obtained. All the F1 hybrid plants grew vigorously, and the morphological traits were similar to bread wheat. The F1 plants had some obvious traits inherited from T. polonicum and Ae. tauschii and were completely sterile. Chromosome pairing in the hybrid was characterized by a large number of univalents, with an average of 20.56 and 0.22 bivalents per PMC, and no ring bivalents and multivalents were observed. Furthermore, the potential value of the F1 hybrids between T. polonicum and Ae. tauschii for studying wheat origin and breeding are discussed.

Antipsychotic drugs inhibit the function of breast cancer resistance protein

The ABCG2 transporter breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) has been identified in several physiological sites. It has been suggested to play an important role in disposition of many drugs and environmental toxins. We investigated the effects of several antipsychotic drugs, including risperidone, 9-hydroxy-risperidone (paliperidone), olanzapine, quetiapine, clozapine, haloperidol and chlorpromazine, and a positive control inhibitor Ko143 on functions of BCRP in MCF7 and BCRP over-expressing MCF7/MX100 cell lines using a BCRP prototypical substrate mitoxantrone. Our findings indicated that the tested antipsychotics rank order of potency of inhibition of BCRP according to concentrations required to reach 50% of maximum inhibition (IC(50)) was as follows: Ko143 (0.07 microM) > risperidone (38.1 microM) > clozapine (42.0 microM) > paliperidone (51 microM) > chlorpromazine (52.2 microM) > quetiapine (66.1 microM) > olanzapine = haloperidol (>100.0 microM). We further tested the effects of various concentrations of risperidone on the BCRP-mediated transport of oestrone-3-sulfate in a colon carcinoma cell line, Caco-2, a widely used model to study drug absorption. Our findings show that risperidone at concentrations ranging from 1 to 100 microM significantly inhibited intracellular accumulation of oestrone-3-sulfate in Caco-2 cell monolayers. The present results suggest that a potential source of pharmacokinetic interactions exists between BCRP substrates and several antipsychotics.

A novel DFNA5 mutation, IVS8+4 A>G, in the splice donor site of intron 8 causes late-onset non-syndromic hearing loss in a Chinese family

We report here the clinical, genetic, and molecular characteristics of a large Chinese family exhibiting non-syndromic, late-onset autosomal dominant sensorineural hearing loss. Clinical evaluation revealed variable phenotypes of hearing loss in terms of severity and age-at-onset of disease in these subjects. Genome-wide linkage analysis mapped the disease gene to the DFNA5 locus with a maximum two-point log odds score of 5.39 at [theta] = 0 for marker D7S2457. DNA sequencing of DFNA5 revealed a novel heterozygous IVS8+4 A>G substitution in the splice donor site of intron 8. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) showed skipping of exon 8 in the mutant transcript. This mutation faithfully cosegregated with hearing loss in the family. In addition, the mutation was absent in 100 unrelated control DNA samples of Chinese origin. The IVS8+4 A>G mutation is predicted to create a shift in the reading frame and introduce a stop codon at position 372, thereby resulting in a prematurely truncated DFNA5 protein. Up to date, a total of four mutations in DFNA5 have been reported to lead to hearing impairment, all of them result in skipping of exon 8 at the mRNA level. Our findings provide further support for the hypothesis that DFNA5-associated hearing loss is caused by a very specific gain-of-function mutation.

Nutritional status of older Tibetans in rural Sichuan China

OBJECTIVE

To examine the nutritional status of older Tibetans in rural China.

DESIGN

Cross sectional study.

SETTING

Remote mountainous region of Sichuan province of Western China.

SUBJECTS AND METHOD

Forty four male and forty six female Tibetans, over 60 years old were recruited. Body weight, standing height, triceps and bicep skinfold thicknesses (TSF, BSF), mid arm circumference (MAC) and waist circumference (WC) were measured. Dietary intakes were assessed by a twenty-four hour dietary recall. Based on skinfold thicknesses and MAC, total body fat and corrected arm muscle area (CAMA) were calculated by published equations. Their nutritional status and dietary intakes were compared with those of normal older people in Hong Kong and a rural area near Tianjin in the east coast of China.

RESULTS

Compared with Hong Kong older women, the Tibetan older women had similar BMI and total body fat, but their CAMA was significantly greater (p<0.01). The Tibetan older men had lower BMI, total body fat (p<0.05), and higher CAMA than the Hong Kong older men (p<0.05). The average calorie intake in the Tibetans was lower than that of older people in Hong Kong and rural Tianjin. Intakes of protein, vitamins and minerals were the lowest in Tibetans and the highest in older people in Hong Kong.

CONCLUSIONS

Older Tibetans had more lean mass than Hong Kong older Chinese despite having lower caloric and protein intakes. Older Tibetan women were fatter than their male counterparts, and they were as fat as the older people in Hong Kong, despite having low caloric intakes.

[Construction of gene library of Arthrobacter BT801 and isolation & expression of hydantoinase gene]

Hydantoinase can be widely used in enzymic production of various amino acids. In order to obtain the hydantoinase genes in Arthrobacter BT801, its chromatosomal DNA is isolated and partialy digested with Sau3A I to collect fragments of about 30kb. Then, this fragment is inserted into the Hpa I and Pst I site of cosmid pKC505. The genomic library was thus constructed by packing in vitro with lambda phage package protein and transfecting E. coli DH5alpha. A positive transformant was selected from the library using thin layer chromatography and other methods. A DNA fragment containing complete hydantoinase genes was sequenced by sub-cloning into pUC18. The gene can express active protein under control of its own promoter and T5 promoter in E. coli. The isolation of the gene established foundition for research and application of the hydantoinase.