Structure of mammalian AMPK and its regulation by ADP

The heterotrimeric AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has a key role in regulating cellular energy metabolism; in response to a fall in intracellular ATP levels it activates energy-producing pathways and inhibits energy-consuming processes. AMPK has been implicated in a number of diseases related to energy metabolism including type 2 diabetes, obesity and, most recently, cancer. AMPK is converted from an inactive form to a catalytically competent form by phosphorylation of the activation loop within the kinase domain: AMP binding to the γ-regulatory domain promotes phosphorylation by the upstream kinase, protects the enzyme against dephosphorylation, as well as causing allosteric activation. Here we show that ADP binding to just one of the two exchangeable AXP (AMP/ADP/ATP) binding sites on the regulatory domain protects the enzyme from dephosphorylation, although it does not lead to allosteric activation. Our studies show that active mammalian AMPK displays significantly tighter binding to ADP than to Mg-ATP, explaining how the enzyme is regulated under physiological conditions where the concentration of Mg-ATP is higher than that of ADP and much higher than that of AMP. We have determined the crystal structure of an active AMPK complex. The structure shows how the activation loop of the kinase domain is stabilized by the regulatory domain and how the kinase linker region interacts with the regulatory nucleotide-binding site that mediates protection against dephosphorylation. From our biochemical and structural data we develop a model for how the energy status of a cell regulates AMPK activity.     

G9a对TMS1基因表观调控作用的研究

为探究组蛋白H3K9me2催化酶G9a对甲基化诱导静止基因1(Target of Methylation induced gene Silencing 1, TMS1)的表观调控作用, 通过染色质免疫共沉淀实验检测G9a在TMS1基因启动子区域的结合情况, 然后构建shRNA表达载体转入细胞敲低G9a, 检测TMS1启动子区域组蛋白H3K9me2修饰程度与TMS1 mRNA表达水平.研究结果显示G9a在TMS1基因启动子区域有结合, 敲低G9a后, TMS1基因启动子区域H3K9me2抑制性修饰程度降低, TMS1 mRNA表达水平上升.此结果表明G9a可能通过在TMS1基因启动子区域产生H3K9me2抑制性修饰的方式参与了TMS1基因的表观调控.     

HD2基因调控拟南芥下胚轴发育的功能研究

为探究组蛋白去乙酰化酶HD2基因在拟南芥下胚轴发育中的调控作用,本研究采用野生型（Col-0）、HD2突变体以及过表达植株为材料,研究其在1/2MS以及1/2MS+100 mmol/L甘露醇培养中下胚轴的表型特征,并结合转录组测序数据进一步分析. 实验结果显示,四种过表达株系下胚轴长度较Col-0长,伸长百分比为7.1%～19.5%,差异显著;甘露醇处理后,过表达植株下胚轴较Col-0更长,伸长百分比为14.6%～32.8%,差异更加显著,缩短幅度也更小. hd2a/hd2b和hd2a/hd2c双基因突变体植株在有无甘露醇时,下胚轴长度均显著短于Col-0,但干旱胁迫后变短幅度无明显增加. 转录组数据揭示,HD2基因调控光合系统响应基因影响植株暗形态建成反应,从而影响下胚轴发育. 甘露醇处理后,HD2基因诱导产生非生物刺激响应因子,帮助下胚轴抵抗不良环境. 综上所述,HD2基因在拟南芥下胚轴发育中承担重要调控作用.     

人间充质干细胞成骨分化早期HOX家族基因转录的表观遗传调控

人间充质干细胞(human mesenchymal stem cells,hMSCs)是一类具有多分化潜能的成体干细胞,在体内外可以被人工定向诱导分化成多种不同的细胞.有报道表明,在干细胞分化的过程中,细胞核内染色质发生重塑.HOX家族基因作为一类转录因子,在胚胎发育以及细胞分化过程中发挥着十分重要作用.通过体外定向诱导骨髓间充质干细胞向成骨细胞分化,对比分化前后细胞中HOX家族基因的表达状况,发现HOX家族基因的表达水平在hMSCs早期成骨分化过程中显著下降.进一步的研究发现,HOX家族基因的这种表达变化是由其启动子区的组蛋白H3-Lys9乙酰化和二甲基化水平发生变化而导致的.一系列实验证据表明,在间充质干细胞的成骨分化过程中,HOX家族基因表达受到抑制,而这种抑制作用是与其分化过程中发生的染色质重塑事件密切相关的.     

Neurotrophic regulation of synapse development and plasticity

Neurotrophic factors are traditionally thought to be secretory proteins that regulate long-tern survival and differe, ntiation of neurons. Recent studies have revealed a previously unexpected role for these factors in synaptie de velopment ami plasticity in diverse neuronal populations. Here we review experimeuts carried oul in our own laboratory in the last few years.. We have made two important discoveries.First,we were among the first to report that brain-derived. neurotrophie faclor (BDNF) facilitates hippocampal hmg-term potentiation (LTP), a form of synaptic plaslicity believed to be involved in learning and memory. BDNF modulates LTP al CAI synapses by enhaneing synaptic responses to high frequency, tetanic slimulalion. This is achieved primafily by facilitating synaptie vesicle doeking, possibly due to an in crease in the levels of the vesicle prolein synaptobrevin and synaptoplysin in the nerve terminals. Gene knockout study demonstrates thai the effects of BDNF are primarily mediated through presynaptic mechanisms. Second, we demonstrated a form of long-term, neurotrophin-mediated synaptic regulation. We showed that long-term treatment of the neuromuscu lar synapses with neurotrophin-3 (NT3) resulted in an enhancement of both spontaneous and evoked synaptic currcuts, as well as profound changes in thc number of synaptic varicosities and syuaptic vesicle proteins in motoneurons, all of which are indicative of more mature synapses. Our current work addresses the following issues:(i) activity-dependent trafficking of neurotrophin receptors, and its role in synapse-specific modulation; (ii) signal transduction mechanisms medialing the acute enhancement of synaplic transmission by neurotrophins; (iii) acute and long-tenn synaptie actions of the GDNF family; (iv) role of BDNF in late-phase LTP and in the development of hippocampal circuit.     

Molecular regulation of development and differentiation inStreptomyces

Development and differentiation is an important and leading research field in modem biology. Streptomyces has a complicated life cycle of morphological differentiation including the spore germination, aerial mycelium and spore formation. Each developmental stage has a distinguished morphological feature which greatly facilitates the identification of developmental mutants, the complementary cloning and the spatial and temporal expression of the genes involved in differentiation. This characteristic of Streptomyces  is comparatively superior to other prokaryotic bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis and Myxococcus xanthus. Moreover, Streptomyces  also possesses a complicated physiological differentiation in which it produces a wide variety of secondary metabolites (more than half of the 12 000 or so known antibiotics), including many important antibiotics used in medicine, agriculture and industry. Studies on the molecular mechanism of antibiotic biosynthesis will be helpful in improving the antibiotic producer and developing some new medicines. In comparison with eukaryotic microorganism such as Asperillus nidulans,the structure of genetic material in Streptomyces  is simple,and it is linear and conkaryotes such as Streptomyces  cerevisiae. The large number of genes are the molecular basis of Streptomyces  differentiation,suggesting that the regulation mechanism of gene expression in differentiation and development may be complex^[1]     

Predicting evolutionary patterns of mammalian teeth from development

One motivation in the study of development is the discovery of mechanisms that may guide evolutionary change. Here we report how development governs relative size and number of cheek teeth, or molars, in the mouse. We constructed an inhibitory cascade model by experimentally uncovering the activator-inhibitor logic of sequential tooth development. The inhibitory cascade acts as a ratchet that determines molar size differences along the jaw, one effect being that the second molar always makes up one-third of total molar area. By using a macroevolutionary test, we demonstrate the success of the model in predicting dentition patterns found among murine rodent species with various diets, thereby providing an example of ecologically driven evolution along a developmentally favoured trajectory. In general, our work demonstrates how to construct and test developmental rules with evolutionary predictability in natural systems.     

Progress in studies of fish reproductive development regulation

Mechanisms of the animal reproductive development are an important research field in life sciences.The study of the reproductive development and regulatory mechanisms in fishes is important for elucidating the mechanisms of animal reproduction.This paper summarizes recent advances in the mechanisms of fish sex determination and differentiation,of fish gonad development and maturation,and of fish germ cell development,as well as the according regulating strategies.Fishes comprise an evolutionary stage that links invertebrates and higher vertebrates.They include diversiform species,and almost all vertebrate types of reproduction have been found in fishes.All these will lead to important advances in the regulatory mechanisms of animal reproduction by using fishes as model organisms.It will also enable novel fish breeding techniques when new controllable on-off strategies of reproduction and/or sex in fishes have been developed.     

Rac function and regulation during Drosophila development

Rac GTPases regulate the actin cytoskeleton to control changes in cell shape. To date, the analysis of Rac function during development has relied heavily on the use of dominant mutant isoforms. Here, we use loss-of-function mutations to show that the three Drosophila Rac genes, Rac1, Rac2 and Mtl, have overlapping functions in the control of epithelial morphogenesis, myoblast fusion, and axon growth and guidance. They are not required for the establishment of planar cell polarity, as had been suggested on the basis of studies using dominant mutant isoforms. The guanine nucleotide exchange factor, Trio, is essential for Rac function in axon growth and guidance, but not for epithelial morphogenesis or myoblast fusion. Different Rac activators thus act in different developmental processes. The specific cellular response to Rac activation may be determined more by the upstream activator than the specific Rac protein involved.     

生态旅游的发展及法律调控的探讨与研究

通过对自然保护区开发生态旅游的现状进行的调查，指出了我国自然保护区生态旅游目前存在一些问题：破坏环境搞生态旅游开发现象严重，缺乏相应的专业技术人才，相应的法律不完善。发展自然保护区生态旅游的措施：完善自然保护区生态旅游法规，加强生态环境的教育，加强监督与管理。     

Combinatorial regulation of gene expression by uORFs and microRNAs in Drosophila

Gene expression is tightly controlled at multiple levels by dif-ferent categories of cis-regulatory elements(CREs)and trans-acting factors(TAFs).Two different r...