Nannochloropsis has been considered as a promising feedstock for biodiesel production in recent years. To improve its lipid productivity, heavy-ion irradiation mutagenesis, an effectively breeding method used in plants and microorganisms was applied in Nannochloropsis oceanica OZ-1. After large-scale screening using Imaging-PAM and microplate-reader, two mutants (HP-1 and HP-2) with higher growth rate were isolated from the wild type N. oceanica. Subsequently analysis showed that after 18 days of cultivation biomass accumulation of the HP-1 and HP-2 mutant was increased by 18% and 26% respectively compare to the wild type. Total lipid productivity of the HP-1 and HP-2 mutant was 295 mg/(L x d) and 275 mg/(L x d), respectively, whereas that of the wild type was 247 mg/(L x d). Both mutants showed significantly advantage over their wild type concerning biomass accumulation and lipid productivity.
Heavy Ions ; Lipids ; biosynthesis ; Microalgae ; growth & development ; metabolism ; radiation effects ; Mutagenesis ; genetics ; Mutation ; genetics ; Stramenopiles ; genetics ; metabolism ; radiation effects

We expressed recombinant single-stranded DNA-binding protein (r-SSBP) from Escherichia coli with the molecular weight of 24-kDa by using genetic engineering strategy, and demonstrated the single-stranded DNA (ssDNA)-binding activity of r-SSBP by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). To further characterize r-SSBP, we studied the effects of r-SSBP on melting temperature (T(m)) of DNA. The results showed that r-SSBP could bind to ssDNA, and lower the T(m) of DNA, especially for single-base mismatched DNA. Therefore, r-SSBP significantly increased the T(m) difference between single-base mismatched DNA and perfect matched DNA. These results are very beneficial for single-nucleotide polymorphism detection. Moreover, we applied r-SSBP in high sensitive pyrosequencing system developed by our group. The results suggest that the r-SSBP decreased non-specific signals, corrected the proportion of signal peak height and improved the performance of pyrosequencing.
DNA-Binding Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Diphosphates ; metabolism ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Genetic Vectors ; Recombinant Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; methods

The concept of"one qi peripheral flow"originates from the ancient Chinese philosophy of"qi monism"and the theory of yin and yang chi chemistry in the Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine,and was formally proposed in Huang Yuanyu's The Origin of the Four Sacred Hearts,which elaborates on the theory of one qi circumference in which the earth pivots on four signs and the left rises and the right descends.Based on this theory,this paper discusses the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid nodules,believes that the development of thyroid nodules is closely related to the deficiency of the earth and qi,and the disorder of the liver and lungs,and combines the evidence of modern research to argue that the deficiency of the earth and qi,and the disorder of the liver and lungs are the important pathomechanisms of the thyroid nodules,proposes to refer to the results of ultrasound elasticity imaging of the thyroid gland for staging and typing treatment of thyroid nodules.It also summarizes the clinical use of medicines in different stages and types,aiming at estoring the"one qi peripheral flow"in the body,and provides a new diagnostic and therapeutic idea for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of thyroid nodules.

Objective:To study the effects of conservative treatment versus percutaneous interventional treatment(PCI)on symptoms and prognosis of chronic coronary syndrome patients aged over 75 years with fractional flow reserve(FFR)in the grey zone(0.75≤FFR≤0.80).Methods:A total of 96 coronary heart disease(CHD)patients aged over 75 years undergone FFR examination in our hospital from January 2011 to December 2017 were retrospectively selected.All patients showed stenosis of 50%-90% in at least one main coronary artery and had FFR values within the range of 0.75-0.80(0.75≤FFR≤0.80). According to the treatment, patients were divided into the optimized medication group(OMT group, n=35)and the PCI group(n=61). The degree of angina alleviation assessed by the Seattle Angina Questionnaire(SAQ)and the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular endpoints(death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and repeated revascularization)were recorded during the one-year follow-up after treatment.Results:There was no significant difference in baseline data including age, gender and comorbidities between the OMT and PCI groups( P>0.05). The incidence of previous myocardial infarction, and the basal level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)were higher in the PCI group than in the OMT group( P<0.05). One-year follow-up showed that there was no significant difference between the OMT and PCI groups in the score of SAQ(77.6 ± 19.5 vs. 83.1 ± 22.8, P>0.05)and the incidence of composite MACEs(11.4% or 4 / 35 vs. 9.8% or 6/61, P>0.05). However, the incidence of repeated target vessel revascularization was lower in the PCI group than in the OMT group(1.6% or 1 case vs. 5.8% or 2 cases, P<0.05). Conclusions:In elderly CHD patients aged over 75 years with FFR values between 0.75-0.8 in the grey zone, optimal medication treatment has similar effects as the PCI on symptom alleviation, and no significant increase in composite MACEs is found at one-year follow-up.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Chuanshanlong granule on Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）/myeloid differentiation protein 88 （MyD88）/nuclear transcription factor -κB （NF-κB） signaling pathway， and to explore the mechanism of its treatment of autoimmune thyroiditis （AIT） in rats. MethodForty AIT models were established following excess iodine and injection of porcine thyroglobulin and Freund's adjuvant into Lewis rats for six weeks. Then the rats were randomly divided into the model group， Chuanshanlong granule low-， medium- and high-dose group （0.52， 1.03， 2.06 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， with ten in each group. Rats in the Chuanshanlong granule low-， medium- and high-dose groups were separately given 0.01 mL·g^-1·d^-1 Chuanshanlong granule， and those in the normal group and the model group were given the same volume of deionized water for eight weeks. Serum of rats was taken to measure thyroglobulin antibody （TgAb） and thyroid peroxidase antibody （TPOAb） by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and the concentrations of free triiodothyronine （FT₃）， free thyroxine （FT₄） and thyroid stimulating hormone （TSH） were detected. The rat thyroid lobes were stained with hematoxylin and eosin （HE）， and the pathological changes were observed under light microscope. In addition， the relative expression of TLR4， MyD88， NF-κB protein and mRNA was determined by immunohistochemistry and real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. ResultCompared with the conditions in the normal group， the serum concentrations of TPOAb and TgAb （P<0.01） and FT₃ and FT₄ （P<0.01） increased and TSH decreased （P<0.01） in the model group. Compared with the conditions in the model group， the concentrations of TPOAb and TgAb in the Chuanshanlong granule treatment groups reduced （P<0.01）， and the concentrations of FT₃ and FT₄ were lowered （P<0.01） while TSH increased （P<0.01） in the Chuanshanlong granule high-dose group. HE staining showed that there was lymphocyte infiltration in the thyroid follicular space， a large number of destroyed or diminished follicular cavities， decreased colloid content， and thinned or destroyed follicular wall in the model group， while the thyroid lymphocyte infiltration in the Chuanshanlong granule treatment groups was significantly less and the structure of thyroid follicles was more complete than those in the model group. Compared with the normal group， the model group had up-regulated relative expression of TLR4， MyD88 and NF-κB protein （P<0.01） and mRNA （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Chuanshanlong granule high-dose group had down-regulated relative expression of TLR4 protein and mRNA （P<0.05）， MyD88 protein （P<0.01） and mRNA （P<0.05）， and NF-κB protein and mRNA （P<0.01）. ConclusionChuanshanlong granule may play a therapeutic role in AIT by inhibiting the activation of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Liver is the most common metastatic site for colorectal cancer (CRC), there is no satisfied approach to treat CRC liver metastasis (CRCLM). Here, we investigated the role of a polycomb protein BMI-1 in CRCLM. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that BMI-1 expression in liver metastases was upregulated and associated with T4 stage, invasion depth and right-sided primary tumor. Knockdown