There is immense interest in the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids(LC-PUFAs) on account of their health-beneficial properties.There has been considerable interest in the production of LC-PUFAs in transgenic plants to provide a cheap,sustainable and clean source of these fatty acids.Several main LC-PUFAs,their roles and metabolic pathway in plant are introducedbriefly,progresses on biosynthesis of LC-PUFAs in transgenic plant are reviewed,and strategies for improving the yields of LC-PUFAs in plant are also discussed.

Many unusual fatty acids present in the seed oils of non-food plants are modified at the ?12 position either by the addition of epoxy or hydroxy groups or by the formation of triple (acetylenic) bonds or conjugated double bonds. The introduction of these functionalities into C18 fatty acids is catalyzed by a family of divergent forms of the fatty-acid ?12-desaturase (FAD2) enzyme. Genes encoding these enzymes have now been cloned from a variety of organisms and expressed in transgenic oilseeds. However,the accumulation of the intended fatty acids in transgenic plants has been relatively disappointing,and the mechanisms of these unusual fatty acids biosynthesis and transferring from phosphatidylcholine into storage triacylglycerols still need to be elucidated.

Objective To evaluated the role of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) in the diagnosis of thoracic tuberculosis.Methods The study was retrospective,from September 2009 to September 2012,38 patients who underwent EBUS-TBNA were finally diagnosed of thoracic tuberculosis,with enlarged hilar or mediastinal Iymph nodes on chest enhanced computed tomography(≥ 1.0 cm).Patients in whom EBUS TBNA was nondiagnostic subsequently underwent surgical biopsy.All the patients had a minimum of 6 months clinical and radiologic follow-up.Results EBUS-TBNA was performed on a total of 88 lymph node stations in 38 patients.Of the enlarged lymph nodes,60(68.18％) were located in the mediastinal region and the remaining 28 (31.82 ％) around the hilum or interlobar area.Of the 38 patients,EBUS-TBNA achieved definitive diagnosis in 34 patients(89.47％).EBUS was well tolerated by all of the patients with no complications.Conclusion EBUS-TBNA is a safe procedure with a high yield for the diagnoses of thoracic tuberculosis.

Background Inherited retinal degeneration,one of the major causes of blindness worldwide,comprises a large number of disorders characterized by a slow and progressive retinal degeneration.Interleukin-1 (IL-1)was recognized to be involved in inherited retinal degeneration.Whether IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) can arrest retinal degeneration is worthy of investigation.Objective This study was to investigate the effects of IL-1ra on photoreceptor apoptosis in Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rats.Methods The use of the animals complied with the Regulations for the Administration of Affairs Concerning Experimental Animals by State Science and Technology Commission.The SPF RCS rats aged 9,15,16,25,30,35,40,50 and 60 postnatal days were collected,with 9 rats for each age group.Retinal sections were used for the TdT-mediated biotin-dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) cell apoptosis assay.1 μl of IL-1ra (1.8 g/L) was intravitreally injected in the right eyes of 9 RCS rats aged 15 postnatal days and PBS was used in the same way in the fellow eyes.The injection procedure was repeated on the 20 th and 25 th day,respectively.The rats were sacrificed on the 30 th day and retinal sections were prepared for the TUNEL assay.The differences in the percentage of the positive cellular nuclei area among different ages of rats were compared by one-way ANOVA,and the differences in retinal layer thickness between IL-1ra injection group and PBS injection group were assessed by paired t test.Results Photoreceptor apoptosis appeared in 20-day-old RCS rats and progressed and peaked in 30 and 35-day-old rats and then reduced,showing a significant difference among rat of various age groups (F=28.020,P＜0.01).Images from TUNEL assay showed a weaker and less TUNEL staining in the IL-1ra injected eyes than the PBS injected eyes in 30-day-old rats.The total area and relative area of TUNEL positive nuclei were (223.052±153.092) μm2 and (2.206±1.531) ％ in the IL-1ra injected group,and those in PBS injected group were (1235.050±359.767) μm2 and (7.269± 1.624) ％,with a significant difference between them (t =4.370,t=3.250,P＜0.01).The cone and rod thickness was (15.324±9.035) μm in the IL-1ra injected group and (49.566±4.605)μm in the PBS injected group,showing a significant difference (t =22.674,P＜0.01).However,no significant difference was seen in the outer nuclear layer thickness between the two groups (t =0.268,P＞0.05).Conclusions IL-1 participates in the pathogenesis and development of inherited retinal degeneration of RCS rats.The use of IL-1ra might be a potential approach in the treatment of inherited retinal degeneration.

In this paper 3 different media (A,for yeast cultivation ; B, for laccase producing; D, for white rot fungi cultivation) were compared in enriching and screening decolorizing fungi culture using Reactive Black 5 (RB5) and Reactive Red (M-3BE) from the following three points: decolorization effects, abilities of producing enzymes and diversity of microbial community. 11 groups of fungi with obvious decolorization effects were obtained after enrichment for near one month. Among them, 6 groups came from medium D, the other two 3 groups from medium A and B, respectively. However, the 3 groups from medium A exhibited the highest microbial diversity and best decolorization results with 99.53% and 97.42% color removal rate of Reactive Red M-3BE and Acid Red. From them, 16 strains of fungi were isolated and primarily identified as Saprolegniaceae, Eurotiaceae (Monascus went), Erysiphaceae and Physodermataceae. Fungi groups from medium B and D exhibited a bit lower color removal rate of various dyes and only 3 and 2 isolates primarily classified as Saccharomycetaceae and Eurotiaceae (Penicillium) were obtained from them. Fungi cultures in medium A and B could produce lignin peroxidase, and those in medium D could be detected higher activity of laccase. All the fungal cultures exhibited very weak activity of manganese dependant peroxidase.

Human ScFv against botulinum neurotoxin serotype A(BoNTa) was modified by fusing human IgG1 Fc to C terminal of ScFv. ScFv-Fc fusion protein was expressed at high level over 30% of total host cell proteins in E.coli. Recombinant protein existed in inclusion body form. Renatured ScFv-Fc was purified to 90%~95% by Protein G Sepharose column. In vitro ScFv-Fc could bind specific to toxiod BoNTa in ELISA. Recombinant ScFv-Fc had similar relative affinity to parent ScFv and had improved stability.

Objective To demonstrate the carbonic anhydrase Ⅲ (CAⅢ) for 25 000 protein decreased in skeletal muscle of myasthenia gravis (MG). Methods The protein molecular properties responsible to antibodies against 25 000 protein and CAⅢ were analyzed by a combination method of two-dimensional electrophoresis and immuno-Western blot. Competitive binding reactions of the antibodies to the purified 25 000 protein and muscular homogenate were observed by using immuno-Dot blot and immuno-Western blot, respectively. The expression of CAⅢ from normal and MG muscles was detected by immuno-Western blot. Results Combination analysis of two-dimensional electrophoresis and immuno-Western blot showed that the protein of immunological responsible to antibodies against 25 000 protein and CAⅢ had an identical molecular mass and isoelectric point. Competitive binding reactions proved that 25 000 protein and CAⅢ were the same substance, either by immuno-Dot blot or by immuno-Western blot. In addition, a much similar result was obtained when the levels of 25 000 protein from normal and MG muscles were detected by antibodies against 25 000 protein and (CAⅢ) by immuno-Western blot. Conclusion 25 000 protein decreased in the MG skeletal muscle was proved to be just a known protein CAⅢ, which made a basis for further exploring the relationship of CAⅢ deficiency and MG pathogenesis.

Objective To determine the frequency of polymorphism at exon 26 (C3435T) of muhidrug resistance 1 gene (MDR1) in epileptic patients in the southern Chinese and to study the association of this polymorphism with pharmacoresistance.Methods DNA samples were obtained from 134 patients,of whom 72 were resistant to antiepileptic drug treatment and 62 were responsive to the treatment. Genotypes of the C3435T polymorphism were determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by restriction digestion and gel electrophoresis.Genotype and allele frequencies in the drug resistant group were compared to those in the response group by Chi-square analysis.Results Of all 134 patients,33 (24.6%) had CC genotype,72 (53.7%) had CT genotype,and 29 (21.6%) had TT genotype.The frequency of CC genotype was significantly higher in the pharmaeoresistance group (33.3%) than that in the responsive group (14.5%,P=0.012).The frequency of the C allele was also significantly higher in the pharmacoresistance group (57.6%) than that in the responsive group (44.4%,P=0.03).When patients were divided by types of seizure into three groups:generalized seizure group,partial seizure group,and undefined seizure group,the CC genotype and C allele were associated with pharmacoresistance in the partial seizure group.Conclusions In the southern Chinese,the CC genotype and C allele are associated with resistance to the antiepileptic treatment.This finding needs to be verified in studies with larger sample size.

Objective To investigate whether the protein kinase C inhibitor can promote the apopto- sis of multidrug resistance tumor cell lines which are induced by chemotherapy drugs.Methods Choose the KB/S(oral squamous cancer cell line)and KB/VCR(its multidrug resistant cell line)to compare the Adri- amycin-induced apoptosis with or without staurospolin(protein kinase C inhibitor).The apoptosis is stained with acridine orange,tested by flow cytometry,and approved by electron microscope.Results 36 hours after the treatment with 0.04 ?g/ml adriamycin,apoptotic cells of KB/S are 96.68%,and after 48 hours,the apop- totic cells of KB/VCR are 64.99%.When the concentration of adriamycin are augmented to 0.4?g/ml and 2.0?g/ml,the apoptotic cells of KB/VCR are 69.74% and 37.18% respectively.When treated with stau- rospolin together,the apoptotic cells of KB/VCR increased to 72.58%(?~2=4.5,P0.05)respectively.These results were testified by electron microscope and acridine orange-stain.Conclu- sion The resistance to apoptosis may be one of the mechanisms of multidrug resistance and the protein ki- nase C inhibitor may reverse this resistance by promoting the apoptosis of multidrug resistance tumor cells.

The contamination of extrinsic harmful contaminants including mycotoxins, heavy metals and pesticides, etc, brings serious risks to traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), further to human health. Due to their unique photoluminescence, chemiluminescence, electrochemical and electrochemiluminescence properties, semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) nanoparticles are widely used to immobilize bioprobes and biosensors, etc. In this review, the luminescence characteristics and specific ligands of QDs probles which are used to determine contaminants were summed up. Then, the applications of QDs-coated novel probes in the determination of mycotoxins, heavy metals and pesticides were discussed in detail. In addition, the contamination levels and characteristics of extrinsic harmful residues in TCMs were investigated. Further, the maximum levels of those contaminants in TCMs were compared with those set by various countries. Finally, the future development trends and problems of QDs-coated probes in the determination of those extrinsic residues in TCMs were prospected.
Drug Contamination ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Nanotechnology ; instrumentation ; methods ; Quantum Dots ; Safety ; Time Factors