Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) actively modulates the protein stability of host cells to optimize viral replication. To systematically examine this modulation in HIV infection, we used isobaric ...tag-based mass spectrometry to quantify changes in the abundance of over 14,000 proteins during HIV-1 infection of human primary CD4
T cells. We identified P-selectin glycoprotein ligand 1 (PSGL-1) as an HIV-1 restriction factor downregulated by HIV-1 Vpu, which binds to PSGL-1 and induces its ubiquitination and degradation through the ubiquitin ligase SCF
. PSGL-1 is induced by interferon-γ in activated CD4
T cells to inhibit HIV-1 reverse transcription and potently block viral infectivity by incorporating in progeny virions. This infectivity block is antagonized by Vpu via PSGL-1 degradation. We further show that PSGL-1 knockdown can significantly abolish the anti-HIV activity of interferon-γ in primary CD4
T cells. Our study identifies an HIV restriction factor and a key mediator of interferon-γ's anti-HIV activity.
A Box–Behnken design was used to obtain the optimal conditions of microwave-assisted extraction (MAE). The effects of operating conditions, such as extraction time, solid–liquid ratio, and microwave ...irradiation power, on the extraction yield of anthocyanins were studied through a response surface methodology (RSM). The highest total anthocyainin content (TAC) from purple corn cob (185.1
mg/100
g) was obtained at an extraction time of 19
min, a solid–liquid ratio of 1:20, and a microwave irradiation power of 555
W. Six major kinds of anthocyanins were detected and identified as cyanidin-3-glucoside, pelargonidin-3-glucoside, peonidin-3-glucoside, and their respective malonated counterparts. In comparison with the conventional solvent extraction, MAE was highly efficient and rapid in extracting anthocyanins from Chinese purple corn cob.
In the last decades, the interest in anthocyanin pigments has increased because of their possible utilization as natural food colorants and especially as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents. Purple corn cob was the byproduct during the corn processing. Purple corn cob is dark purple to almost black color due to its high content of anthocyanins, which makes this byproduct a good source of anthocyanins.
Abstract
The liver has a remarkable regenerative capacity. Nevertheless, under chronic liver-damaging conditions, this capacity becomes exhausted, allowing the accumulation of fibrotic tissue and ...leading to end-stage liver disease. Enhancing the endogenous regenerative capacity by targeting regeneration breaks is an innovative therapeutic approach. We set up an in vivo functional genetic screen to identify such regeneration breaks. As the top hit, we identified Microfibril associated protein 4 (Mfap4). Knockdown of Mfap4 in hepatocytes enhances cell proliferation, accelerates liver regeneration, and attenuates chronic liver disease by reducing liver fibrosis. Targeting Mfap4 modulates several liver regeneration-related pathways including mTOR. Our research opens the way to siRNA-based therapeutics to enhance hepatocyte-based liver regeneration.
The total anthocyanin content (TAC) and the antioxidant activity of the seed and cob from Chinese purple corn (
Zea mays L., cv Zihei) extracts were determined by pH-differential method, and DPPH, ...FRAP, and TEAC methods, respectively. TAC in purple corn cob anthocyanins (PCCAs) extract was higher than TAC in purple corn seed anthocyanins (PCSAs) extract. Compared to bulylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), PCCAs and PCSAs possessed significantly higher antioxidant activities, according to the DPPH, FRAP and TEAC assays. A satisfactory correlation between TAC and antioxidant activity was observed. Result indicated that cyanidin-3-glucoside, pelargonidin-3-glucoside and peonidin-3-glucoside were components in PCSAs extracts, and seven kinds of anthocyanin had been detected and six kinds of anthocyanin in PCCAs extracts were separated and identified them as cyanidin-3-glucoside, pelargonidin-3-glucoside and peonidin-3-glucoside, and their respective malonated counterparts as their anthocyanins using HPLC–MS analysis.
In the last decades, in interest in anthocyanin pigments has increased because of their possible utilization as natural food colorants and especially as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents. Purple corn is a pigmented variety of
Z.
mays L., originally cultivated in Latin America. Now, this corn variety is mainly grown in China, especially in Shanxi and Anhui Province, could be new and interesting sources to obtain extracts rich in anthocyanins for their use in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Our results indicated that the seed and cob of purple corn possessed excellent antioxidant activity, which could lead to increased application of these natural food colorants by the food industry.
Objective To study the effect of CD11b agonist leukadherin-1 (LA1) on Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7)- and TLR9-induced activation of mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) and its specific ...mechanism. Methods BMDCs were successfully induced and the concentrations of LA1 used in the study were determined by CCK-8 assay and annexin V-FITC/PI double staining. BMDCs were treated with LA1 for 2 hours followed by stimulation of TLR7 agonist R837 and TLR9 agonist CpG1826. The expression of BMDCs surface markers CD40, CD86 and MHC-II were detected by flow cytometry; IL-6, IL-12p40 and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) in the cell culture supernatant were detected by ELISA; the phosphorylation of NF-κB p65 in BMDCs was detected by Western blotting. Results LA1 concentration below 20 μmol/L had no effect on the viability and apoptosis of BMDCs. LA1 pretreatment significantly inhibited R837- and CpG 1826-induced expression of CD40, CD86 and MHC-II , and the secretion of IL-6, IL-12p40 and TNF-α in BMDCs. Moreover,
An efficient extraction of anthocyanin from purple corn (Zea mays L.) was investigated in this paper. Tristimulus colourimetry was used to evaluate the process quantitatively and qualitatively. ...Purple corn anthocyanin was extracted with 1 n HCl-95% ethanol (15:85, v/v) at different extraction temperatures (30-70 °C), times (60-120 min) and solid-liquid ratio (1:20-1:40). The combined effects of extraction conditions on anthocyanin yield and colour attributes were studied using a three-level three-factor Box-Behnken design. The results showed that the highest yield of anthocyanin from purple corn (6.02 mg g⁻¹) were obtained at 70 °C, extraction time 73 min, and solid-liquid ratio 1:25. Three kinds of non-acylated anthocyanins were detected and characterised as cyanidin-3-glucoside, pelargonidin-3-glucoside and peonidin-3-glucoside by HPLC-MS.
Human papillomavirus type 16 plays a critical role in the neoplastic transformation of cervical cancers. Molecular variants of HPV16 existing in different ethnic groups have shown substantial ...phenotypic differences in pathogenicity, immunogenicity and tumorigenicity. In this study, we sequenced the entire HPV16 genome of 76 isolates originated from Anyang, central China. Phylogenetic analysis of these sequences identified two major variants of HPV16 in the Anyang area, namely the European prototype (E(p)) and the European Asian type (E(As)). These two variants show a high degree of divergence between groups, and the E(p) comprised higher genetic diversity than the E(As). Analysis with two measurements of genetic diversity indicated that viral population size was relatively stable in this area in the past. Codon based likelihood models revealed strong statistical support for adaptive evolution acting on the E6 gene. Bayesian analysis identified several important amino acid positions that may be driving adaptive selection in the HPV 16 population, including R10G, D25E, L83V, and E113D in the E6 gene. We hypothesize that the positive selection at these codons might be a contributing factor responsible for the phenotypic differences in carcinogenesis and immunogenicity among cervical cancers in China based on the potential roles of these molecular variants reported in other studies.
In this study, the raw wastewater (RW), and effluents from the acidogenic phase (AP) and methanogenic phase (MP) in a swine wastewater treatment plant were collected to investigate the occurrence and ...transformation of arsenic (As), as well as the abundance of As metabolism genes during the anaerobic digestion (AD) process. The results showed that total concentrations of As generally decreased by 33–71% after AD. Further analysis showed that the As species of the dissolved fractions were present mainly as dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), with arsenite (As(III)) and arsenate (As(V)) as the minor species. Moreover, real-time PCR (qPCR) results showed that As metabolism genes (arsC, arsenate reduction gene; aioA, arsenite oxidation gene and arsM, arsenite methylation gene) were highly abundant, with arsM being predominant among the metabolism genes. This study provides reliable evidence on As biotransformation in swine wastewater treatment process, suggesting that AD could be a valuable treatment to mitigate the risk of As in wastewater.
In multi-cellular organisms, tissue homeostasis is maintained by an exquisite balance between stem cell proliferation and differentiation. This equilibrium can be achieved either at the single cell ...level (a.k.a. cell asymmetry), where stem cells follow strict asymmetric divisions, or the population level (a.k.a. population asymmetry), where gains and losses in individual stem cell lineages are randomly distributed, but the net effect is homeostasis. In the mature mouse intestinal crypt, previous evidence has revealed a pattern of population asymmetry through predominantly symmetric divisions of stem cells. In this work, using population genetic theory together with previously published crypt single-cell data obtained at different mouse life stages, we reveal a strikingly dynamic pattern of stem cell homeostatic control. We find that single-cell asymmetric divisions are gradually replaced by stochastic population-level asymmetry as the mouse matures to adulthood. This lifelong process has important developmental and evolutionary implications in understanding how adult tissues maintain their homeostasis integrating the trade-off between intrinsic and extrinsic regulations.
Seasonal Influenza H3N2 virus poses a great threat to public health, but its vaccine efficacy remains suboptimal. One critical step in influenza vaccine production is the viral passage in embryonated ...eggs. Recently, the strength of egg passage adaptation was found to be rapidly increasing with time driven by convergent evolution at a set of functionally important codons in the hemagglutinin (HA1). In this study, we aim to take advantage of the negative correlation between egg passage adaptation and vaccine effectiveness (VE) and develop a computational tool for selecting the best candidate vaccine virus (CVV) for vaccine production. Using a probabilistic approach known as mutational mapping, we characterized the pattern of sequence evolution driven by egg passage adaptation and developed a new metric known as the adaptive distance (AD) which measures the overall strength of egg passage adaptation. We found that AD is negatively correlated with the influenza H3N2 vaccine effectiveness (VE) and ~75% of the variability in VE can be explained by AD. Based on these findings, we developed a computational package that can Measure the Adaptive Distance and predict vaccine Effectiveness (MADE). MADE provides a powerful tool for the community to calibrate the effect of egg passage adaptation and select more reliable strains with minimum egg-passaged changes as the seasonal A/H3N2 influenza vaccine.
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