rapid-detection-bacterial-pathogens-causing-lower-respiratory-tract

Rapid Detection of Bacterial Pathogens Causing Lower Respiratory Tract Infections via Microfluidic-Chip-Based Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification

Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are among the most common problems in clinical settings. Rapid and accurate identification of bacterial pathogens will ...

Southern Medical University

A novel bacterium capable of degrading 17beta-estradiol (E2) was isolated from the activated sludge collected from wastewater treatment plant of an oral contraceptives producing factory in Xianju, Zhejiang. According to its morphology, physiochemical characteristics and 16S rDNA sequence analysis, this strain was identified as Bacillus sp. The optimal pH and temperature for E2 biodegradation in shaking flasks were 7.5 and 30 degrees C, respectively. The enhanced action of peptone and Lab-Lemco were quite obvious; metal ions such as Ba2+, Zn2+, Sn2+, Cd2+, Cr2+, Pb2+ inhibited degradation, and the actions were ordinal increasing; the addition such as Ca2+, Fe2+, KNO and amylum had no obvious effect on the degradation of E2. Furthermore, this strain could degrade E2 completely within 7 days with initial concentration ranged from 0.5 to 50 mg/L and was capable of converting E2 to estrone (E1), then to nonestrogenic compounds, thus 95% of initial estrogenic activities was decreased within 15 days during the biodegradation process.

[Isolation, identification of 17beta-estradiol (E2)-degrading strain and its degradation characteristics].

Type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R) is a promising therapeutic target for cancer treatment. A single-chain variable fragment (scFv) against human IGF-1R forms inclusion body when expressed in periplasmic space of E. coli routinely. Here, we described that co-expression of appropriate disulfide bonds (Dsb) proteins known to catalyze the formation and isomerization of Dsb can markedly recover the soluble expression of target scFv in E. coli. A 50 % recovery in solubility of the scFv was observed upon co-expression of DsbC alone, and a maximum solubility (80 %) was obtained when DsbA and DsbC were co-expressed in combination. Furthermore, the soluble scFv present full antigen-binding activity with IGF-1R, suggesting its correct folding. This study also suggested that the selection of Dsb proteins should be tested case-by-case if the approach of co-expression of Dsb system is adopted to address the problem of insoluble expression of proteins carrying Dsb.

Co-expression of Dsb proteins enables soluble expression of a single-chain variable fragment (scFv) against human type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R) in E. coli.

Recent evidence has shown that cardiomyocytes (CMs) can proliferate at a low level after myocardial infarction (MI), but it is insufficient to reestablish heart function. Several microRNAs (miRNAs) have been proven to sufficiently induce rodent CM proliferation. However, whether miRNAs identified in rodents can promote human CM proliferation is unknown due to the poorly conserved functions of miRNAs among species. In the present study, we demonstrate that i) expression of microRNA-302d (miR-302d) decreased significantly during CM differentiation from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) from day 4 to day 18; ii) miR-302d efficiently promoted proliferation of hPSC-derived CMs; iii) miR-302d promoted CM proliferation by targeting  in the Hippo pathway; and iv) RNA-sequencing analysis revealed that overexpression of miR-302d induced changes in gene expression, which mainly converged on the cell cycle. Our study provides further evidence for the therapeutic potential of miR-302d.

MicroRNA-302d promotes the proliferation of human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes by inhibiting  in the Hippo pathway.

Lack of comprehending key factors of schizophrenia relapse has impeded its effective treatment, indicating that the mechanism clarification and available intervention of schizophrenia relapse required further amelioration.

Yu-Rong Qin

Southern Medical University

Rapid Detection of Bacterial Pathogens Causing Lower Respiratory Tract Infections via Microfluidic-Chip-Based Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification