Excitatory glycine receptors containing the NR3 family of NMDA receptor subunits

The N-methyl-D-aspartate subtype of glutamate receptor (NMDAR) serves critical functions in physiological and pathological processes in the central nervous system, including neuronal development, plasticity and neurodegeneration. Conventional heteromeric NMDARs composed of NR1 and NR2A-D subunits require dual agonists, glutamate and glycine, for activation. They are also highly permeable to Ca2+, and exhibit voltage-dependent inhibition by Mg2+. Coexpression of NR3A with NR1 and NR2 subunits modulates NMDAR activity. Here we report the cloning and characterization of the final member of the NMDAR family, NR3B, which shares high sequence homology with NR3A. From in situ and immunocytochemical analyses, NR3B is expressed predominantly in motor neurons, whereas NR3A is more widely distributed. Remarkably, when co-expressed in Xenopus oocytes, NR3A or NR3B co-assembles with NR1 to form excitatory glycine receptors that are unaffected by glutamate or NMDA, and inhibited by D-serine, a co-activator of conventional NMDARs. Moreover, NR1/NR3A or -3B receptors form relatively Ca2+-impermeable cation channels that are resistant to Mg2+, MK-801, memantine and competitive antagonists. In cerebrocortical neurons containing NR3 family members, glycine triggers a burst of firing, and membrane patches manifest glycine-responsive single channels that are suppressible by D-serine. By itself, glycine is normally thought of as an inhibitory neurotransmitter. In contrast, these NR1/NR3A or -3B 'NMDARs' constitute a type of excitatory glycine receptor.     

HIV preferentially infects HIV-specific CD4+ T cells

HIV infection is associated with the progressive loss of CD4(+) T cells through their destruction or decreased production. A central, yet unresolved issue of HIV disease is the mechanism for this loss, and in particular whether HIV-specific CD4(+) T cells are preferentially affected. Here we show that HIV-specific memory CD4(+) T cells in infected individuals contain more HIV viral DNA than other memory CD4(+) T cells, at all stages of HIV disease. Additionally, following viral rebound during interruption of antiretroviral therapy, the frequency of HIV viral DNA in the HIV-specific pool of memory CD4(+) T cells increases to a greater extent than in memory CD4(+) T cells of other specificities. These findings show that HIV-specific CD4(+) T cells are preferentially infected by HIV in vivo. This provides a potential mechanism to explain the loss of HIV-specific CD4(+) T-cell responses, and consequently the loss of immunological control of HIV replication. Furthermore, the phenomenon of HIV specifically infecting the very cells that respond to it adds a cautionary note to the practice of structured therapy interruption.     

“一氧化氮养生法”让你远离心脑血管病

一氧化氮是生物学中最简单的分子之一。尽管它的结构及其简单,但目前一氧化氮被认为是体内最重要的信号分子,对机体健康至关重要。一氧化氮是一种很强的信号分子,存在于心血管系统、神经系统乃至全身。在一氧化氮的诸多作用中,以血管舒张作用最为重要。一氧化氮可舒张和扩张血管以确保心脏的足够血供。一氧化氮的另一个重要作用就是减慢动脉粥样硬化斑块在血管壁的沉积。我的研究强烈提示利用一氧化氮可以拮抗动脉粥样硬化斑块的形成。     

The early Holocene optimum inferred from a high-resolution pollen record of Huguangyan Maar Lake in southern China

A high-resolution pollen record of the past 13000 a from Huguangyan Maar Lake reveals the vegetation and environment changes in southern China during the Holocene. It shows that (i) pollen percentage of trees and shrubs reached 56% during the early Holocene (11600―7800 cal a BP), of which the pollen percentage of tropical trees reached a maximum at 9500―8000 cal a BP, reflecting a hot and wet envi- ronment; (ii) during the mid-Holocene (7800―4200 cal a BP), the pollen percentage of montane conif- erous trees and herbs increased, while the percentage of tropical-subtropical trees decreased, indi- cating lower temperature and humidity; (iii) in the late Holocene spanning from 4200 to 350 cal a BP, the pollen percentage of herbs and montane conifer increased significantly, indicating a marked decrease of temperature and humidity. Our pollen data reveal that the time period 9500―8000 cal a BP in south- ern China represents a climatic optimum for the Holocene characterized by hot and wet conditions. This is consistent with the Holocene optimum found in lower latitude regions globally. We speculate that strong insolation might cause the northward migration of the ITCZ and subtropical summer mon- soon front, which resulted in an early Holocene optimum in the Huguangyan area. The dry tendency and climate fluctuations of the middle and late Holocene could be associated with a decrease in solar insolation and frequent ENSO event.     

生物信息学基础

本书内容简练而全面，是一本很好的生物信息学教材。本书主要特点有：（1）尽可能避开繁琐的数学公式，详细介绍了算法的技术细节，免去了读者必须具备复杂的计算背景才能理解算法的前提；（2）恰当地使用图例，使读者更容易理解书中的内容；（3）广泛参阅并综合了生物信息学各关键领域的文献，帮助读者尽快掌握生物信息学的全貌。本书不仅介绍了结构生物信息学，还涵盖了比较基因组学和功能基因组学等较新领域的内容。     

外包过程的评估及管理策略

许多机构面临的一个突出问题是外包的重要性的不断增加。力争高效率及低成本迫使许多机构愈加在几个有限的领域中专业化。这就导致了机构把传统上在内部进行的工作外包出去。