The LRRK2 G2019S mutant exacerbates basal autophagy through activation of the MEK/ERK pathway

Mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) are a major cause of familial Parkinsonism, and the G2019S mutation of LRRK2 is one of the most prevalent mutations. The deregulation of autophagic processes in nerve cells is thought to be a possible cause of Parkinson’s disease (PD). In this study, we observed that G2019S mutant fibroblasts exhibited higher autophagic activity levels than control fibroblasts. Elevated levels of autophagic activity can trigger cell death, and in our study, G2019S mutant cells exhibited increased apoptosis hallmarks compared to control cells. LRRK2 is able to induce the phosphorylation of MAPK/ERK kinases (MEK). The use of 1,4-diamino-2,3-dicyano-1,4-bis[2-aminophenylthio]butadiene (U0126), a highly selective inhibitor of MEK1/2, reduced the enhanced autophagy and sensibility observed in G2019S LRRK2 mutation cells. These data suggest that the G2019S mutation induces autophagy via MEK/ERK pathway and that the inhibition of this exacerbated autophagy reduces the sensitivity observed in G2019S mutant cells.     

Extensive characterization of sphere models established from colorectal cancer cell lines

Links between cancer and stem cells have been proposed for many years. As the cancer stem cell (CSC) theory became widely studied, new methods were developed to culture and expand cancer cells with conserved determinants of “stemness”. These cells show increased ability to grow in suspension as spheres in serum-free medium supplemented with growth factors and chemicals. The physiological relevance of this phenomenon in established cancer cell lines remains unclear. Cell lines have traditionally been used to explore tumor biology and serve as preclinical models for the screening of potential therapeutic agents. Here, we grew cell-forming spheres (CFS) from 25 established colorectal cancer cell lines. The molecular and cellular characteristics of CFS were compared to the bulk of tumor cells. CFS could be isolated from 72 % of the cell lines. Both CFS and their parental CRC cell lines were highly tumorigenic. Compared to their parental cells, they showed similar expression of putative CSC markers. The ability of CRC cells to grow as CFS was greatly enhanced by prior treatment with 5-fluorouracil. At the molecular level, CFS and parental CRC cells showed identical gene mutations and very similar genomic profiles, although microarray analysis revealed changes in CFS gene expression that were independent of DNA copy-number. We identified a CFS gene expression signature common to CFS from all CRC cell lines, which was predictive of disease relapse in CRC patients. In conclusion, CFS models derived from CRC cell lines possess interesting phenotypic features that may have clinical relevance for drug resistance and disease relapse.     

Regulation of oligodendrocyte precursor migration during development, in adulthood and in pathology

Oligodendrocytes are the myelin-forming cells in the central nervous system (CNS). These cells originate from oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) during development, and they migrate extensively from oligodendrogliogenic niches along the neural tube to colonise the entire CNS. Like many other such events, this migratory process is precisely regulated by a battery of positional and signalling cues that act via their corresponding receptors and that are expressed dynamically by OPCs. Here, we will review the cellular and molecular basis of this important event during embryonic and postnatal development, and we will discuss the relevance of the substantial number of OPCs existing in the adult CNS. Similarly, we will consider the behaviour of OPCs in normal and pathological conditions, especially in animal models of demyelination and of the demyelinating disease, multiple sclerosis. The spontaneous remyelination observed after damage in demyelinating pathologies has a limited effect. Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the biology of OPCs, particularly adult OPCs, should help in the design of neuroregenerative strategies to combat multiple sclerosis and other demyelinating diseases.     

Overactive bone morphogenetic protein signaling in heterotopic ossification and Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are important extracellular cytokines that play critical roles in embryogenesis and tissue homeostasis. BMPs signal via transmembrane type I and type II serine/threonine kinase receptors and intracellular Smad effector proteins. BMP signaling is precisely regulated and perturbation of BMP signaling is connected to multiple diseases, including musculoskeletal diseases. In this review, we will summarize the recent progress in elucidation of BMP signal transduction, how overactive BMP signaling is involved in the pathogenesis of heterotopic ossification and Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and discuss possible therapeutic strategies for treatment of these diseases.     

混合约束非凸规划拟锥条件下的同伦方法

使用同伦算法研究混合约束的非凸非线性规划问题. 当规划问题为混合约束（带有等式约束）时, 可行域变成一个边界区域, 并没有内点. 通过对可行域定义新的拟锥条件, 给出相应同伦方程, 并证明此同伦算法在此拟锥条件下具有全局收敛性.     

东濮凹陷胡庆地区原油地球化学特征与油源分析

研究东濮凹陷胡庆地区原油地球化学特征及其来源.利用有机地球化学分析方法,对原油与烃源岩进行饱和烃色谱、饱和烃与芳烃色谱-质谱分析,剖析了两者的分子地球化学特征及油源.研究表明:胡庆地区发育3类原油,第一类原油具有极高伽马蜡烷,质量色谱图中甾烷呈"L"形特征,来自第二台阶的沙一段烃源岩,在沙一段储层中富集形成自生自储常温...     

法锥条件下非凸规划的非内点同伦方法

利用不可行的内点同伦方法(CHIIP)求解非凸规划问题的KKT点. 证明了当非凸规划问题的可行域满足法锥条件时, 跟踪同伦方程产生的同伦曲线可得到非凸规划问题的KKT点, 且该算法具有全局收敛性.     

基于EXCEL和MATLAB的矩形薄片热传导计算与仿真研究

对二维导热问题进行了离散化研究,推导出了节点差分方程,以矩形薄片为例,用MS.Excel对节点温度进行了计算,用MATLAB对计算结果进行了仿真,得到了薄片的温度分布仿真图.