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ABSTRACT: Common reed (Phragmites australis) and narrow-leaved cattail (Typha angustifolia L.) are two plant species used widely in artificial wetlands constructed to treat wastewater. In this study, the community structure and diversity of root-associated bacteria of common reed and narrow-leaved cattail growing in the Beijing Cuihu Wetland, China, were investigated using 16S rDNA library and PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis methods. Root-associated bacterial diversity was higher in common reed than in narrow-leaved cattail. In both plant species, the dominant root-associated bacterial species were Alpha, Beta and Gamma Proteobacteria, including the genera Aeromonas, Hydrogenophaga, Ideonella, Uliginosibacterium and Vogesella. Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Nitrospirae and Spirochaetes were only found in the roots of common reed. Comparing the root-associated bacterial communities of reed and cattail in our system, many more species of bacteria related involved in the total nitrogen cycle were observed in reed versus cattail, while species involved in total phosphorus and organic matter removal were mainly found in cattail. Although we cannot determine their nutrient removal capacity separately, differences in the root-associated bacterial communities may be an important factor contributing to the differing water purification effects mediated by T. angustifolia and P. australis wetlands. Thus, further work describing the ecosystem functions of these bacterial species is needed, in order to fully understand how effective common reed- and narrow-leaved cattail-dominated wetlands are for phytoremediation.
MIRCEN Journal of Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 03/2013; · 1.08 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Response surface methodology (RSM) was utilized for rapid and systematic optimization of on-line solid-phase extraction (SPE) parameters to maximize the response and separation of WM-5. The optimization was performed with Box-Behnken designs. Four major parameters were investigated for their contributions to the response and separation of WM-5, with a total of 29 experiments being performed for each instrument, respectively. Quantitative determination of WM-5 in mouse plasma was performed to evaluate the statistical significance of the parameters on chromatographic response. A fully automated on-line SPE and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode array detection (DAD) method was developed for the determination of WM-5 in mouse plasma. Calibration curve with good linearity (r=0.9989) was obtained in the range of 20-4000ng/mL in mouse plasma. The limit of detection (LOD) and lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of the assay were 6ng/mL and 20ng/mL, respectively. The overall intra-day and the inter-day variations were less than 1.90%. The recovery of the method was in the range of 93.74-96.33% with RSD less than 3.06%. The optimized method demonstrated good performance in terms of specificity, LLOQ, linearity, recovery, precision and accuracy, and was successfully applied to quantify WM-5 in mouse plasma to support the pharmacokinetic study.
Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences 02/2013; 923-924C:8-15. · 2.78 Impact Factor
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Lei Liu,
Yanyan Cao,
Guanglin Cui,
Zongzhe Li,
Jing Sun,
Lina Zhang,
Chen Chen,
Yan Wang,
Peihua Wang,
Hu Ding,
Dao Wen Wang
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ABSTRACT: Rho-kinase (ROCK) has been shown to play an important role in cardiovascular disease such as coronary artery disease (CAD) and hypertension. Recently, common variants of ROCK2 have been reported to influence blood pressure, but the relationship between common ROCK2 variants and cardiovascular disease has not been extensively studied in the Chinese population.
To derive a more precise estimation of their relationship, we screened for the common variants by direct sequencing of all exons of ROCK2, and then we performed genetic association analyses in a CAD case-control study, including a total of 1344 cases and 1267 ethnically and geographically matched controls.
Unconditional logistic regression showed that no significant association between common variants in the coding region of ROCK2 and CAD was observed in our study (for rs978906, OR = 0.92, 95% CI 0.72-1.20 and P = 0.63; for rs2230774, OR = 0.90, 95% CI 0.70-1.16 and P = 0.47; for rs56304104, OR = 0.97, 95% CI 0.70-1.31 and P = 0.83; respectively).
The relationship between the ROCK2 polymorphisms and cardiovascular disease risk cannot be entirely discounted and warrants further evaluation in a large population.
PLoS ONE 01/2013; 8(1):e53905. · 4.09 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: A Gram-staining-negative, rod-shaped and non-spore-forming bacterium, designated strain R27T, was isolated from Grimmia montana collected from Beijing Songshan National Nature Reserve, China and characterized by using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. The predominant fatty acids of strain R27T were C18:1ω7c (31.4 %), C16:0 (16.3 %), summed feature 3 (C16:1ω7c and/or C16:1 ω6c , 15.8 %) and C17:0 cyclo (8.7%); its major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, and three uncharacterized aminolipids and one unknown phospholipid. Strain R27T contained Q-8 as the dominant isoprenoid quinone, and the G+C content of its genomic DNA was 64.6 mol%. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain R27T showed 99.1 % sequence similarity to the closest related species Burkholderia zhejiangensis OP-1T, and 97.6 % sequence similarity to Burkholderia glathei ATCC 29195T. However, the DNA-DNA relatedness values between strain R27T and B. zhejiangensis OP-1T and B. glathei ATCC 29195T were 10.2% and 14.9%, respectively. Based on the 16S rRNA and rpoB gene sequence similarities and phenotypic and chemotaxonomic data, strain R27T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Burkholderia, for which the name Burkholderia grimmiae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is R27T (= CGMCC 1.11013T = DSM 25160T).
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY 10/2012; · 2.11 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Recent publications have found an association between variants of exostosin 2 (EXT2) gene and the risk of type 2 diabetes in some population but not in others. In an attempt to address these inconsistencies, we investigated EXT2 variants in two independent cohorts, and conducted a literature-based meta-analysis. Through regression model, we assessed the relationship between the EXT2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs3740878, rs11037909 and rs1113132) and the risk of type 2 diabetes in Han Chinese population, including a total of 2,533 cases and 2,643 controls. We combined our data with that from previously published studies and performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the effect size of the gene. Consistent with some studies, we found marginal association for the rs3740878 (OR = 1.07, 95 % CI = 0.99, 1.16, p = 0.09), rs11037909 (OR = 1.07, 95 % CI = 0.99, 1.16, p = 0.08), and rs1113132 (OR = 1.08, 95 % CI = 1.00, 1.17, p = 0.06) in our 2 cohorts. Meta-analysis, comprising 9,224 type 2 diabetes and 10,484 controls, revealed that three SNPs (rs3740878, rs11037909 and rs1113132) in EXT2 were significantly associated with type 2 diabetes (ORs range from 1.06 to 1.07, p = 0.038, p = 0.008 and p = 0.005, respectively). Variation in the EXT2 locus appears to be associated with a small increase in the risk of type 2 diabetes. However, well-designed prospective studies with larger sample size and more ethnic groups are needed to further validate the results.
Human Genetics 09/2012; · 5.07 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: A Gram-staining-positive, facultatively anaerobic and rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain xj7T, was isolated from roots of Typha angustifolia L. growing in Beijing Cuihu Wetland, China. The isolate was identified as a member of the genus Paenibacillus based on the phenotypic characteristics and phylogenetic inference. The novel strain was spore-forming, motile, catalase-positive and oxidase-negative. Optimal growth of strain xj7T occurred at 28-30 °C and pH 7.0-7.5. Diphosphatidylglycerol was the most abundant polar lipid in comparison to phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, one unknown phospholipid and three unknown aminophospholipids. The diamino acid found in the cell-wall peptidoglycan was meso-diaminopimelic acid. The predominant isoprenoid quinone was MK-7. The major fatty acid components were anteiso-C15: 0 (56.1 %), iso-C16:0 (9.1 %), C16:0 (8.0 %), iso-C14:0 (6.3 %) and iso-C15:0 (5.1 %). The G+C content of genomic DNA was 47.9 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that strain xj7T fell within the evolutionary radiation encompassed by the genus Paenibacillus, its closest neighbours were Paenibacillus borealis KK19T (97.5 %) and Paenibacillus durus DSM 1735T (97.1%). However, the DNA-DNA relatedness values between strain xj7T and P. borealis KK19T, and that between strain xj7T and P. durus DSM 1735T, were both 35 %. Based on their phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic properties, strain xj7T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Paenibacillus, for which the name Paenibacillus typhae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is xj7T (= CGMCC 1.11012T = DSM 25190T).
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY 06/2012; · 2.11 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: A Gram-negative-staining and rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain 333-1-0411T, was isolated from a soil sample collected from Namucuo, Tibet Autonomous Region, China and characterized by using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. A phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that the strain 333-1-0411T fell within the evolutionary radiation encompassed by the genus Massilia. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities between strain 333-1-0411T and the type strains of recognized Massilia species ranged from 95.4-97.2 %, and the most closely related strains were Massilia flava CGMCC 1.10685T (97.2 %) and Massilia albidiflava KCTC 12343T (97.0 %). The predominant ubiquinone of strain 333-1-0411T was Q-8. Major fatty acid components were summed feature 3 (C16:1ω7c and/or C16:1ω6c 60.9 %) and C16:0 (22.2 %). The G+C content of genomic DNA was 66.7 mol%, a value that supports the affiliation of strain 333-1-0411T to the genus Massilia. However, the DNA-DNA relatedness values between strain 333-1-0411T and Massilia flava CGMCC 1.10685T and Massilia albidiflava KCTC 12343T were 20.2% and 27.2%, respectively. Based on the phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic properties, strain 333-1-0411T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Massilia, for which the name Massilia namucuoensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 333-1-0411T (= CGMCC 1.11014T = DSM 25159T).
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY 03/2012; · 2.11 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Accumulating evidence suggests that telomere length is a maker for biological aging of the cardiovascular system. Whether stroke is associated with accelerated biological aging as measured by telomere length has not been conclusively demonstrated. Our aim was to determine whether mean leukocyte telomere length is a predictor for the development of stroke.
The relative telomere length of leukocytes was determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction in 1309 stroke patients and 1309 age- and sex-matched control subjects as well as 858 stroke patients followed prospectively for 5 years. For each measure, the study sample was divided into quartiles. The associations between the telomere length and risk of stroke as well as poststroke adverse outcomes were determined.
Mean telomere length was significantly shorter in stroke patients than in control subjects. Shorter telomere length levels were directly associated with a higher risk of stroke in the case/control sample. As compared with the fourth (longest) quartile, the odd ratios [OR] (and 95% confidence intervals [CI]) for ischemic stroke risk were as follows: third quartile, 1.37 (1.04-1.82); second quartile, 1.53 (1.17-2.02); and first quartile, 2.12 (1.62-2.77). Follow-up of the patients from the prospective cohort also showed that shorter telomere length levels were associated with mortality from all causes but not with recurrence of stroke.
Shorter telomere length was associated with ischemic stroke and was a strong predictor of poststroke death.
Stroke 03/2012; 43(3):658-63. · 5.73 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: A fully automated on-line solid-phase extraction (SPE) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode array detection (DAD) method was developed for determination of bavachinin in mouse plasma. Analytical process was performed on two reversed-phase columns (SPE cartridge and analytical column) connected via a Valco 6-port switching valve. Plasma samples (10 μL) were injected directly onto a C18 SPE cartridge (MF Ph-1 C18, 10 mm × 4 mm, 5 μm) and the biological matrix was washed out for 2 min with the loading solvent (5 mM NaH(2)PO(4) buffer, pH 3.5) at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. By rotation of the switching valve, bavachinin was eluted from the SPE cartridge in the back-flush mode and transferred to the analytical column (Venusil MP C18, 4.6 mm × 150 mm, 5 μm) by the chromatographic mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-5mM NaH(2)PO(4) buffer 65/35 (v/v, pH 3.5) at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. The complete cycle of the on-line SPE purification and chromatographic separation of the analyte was 13 min with UV detection performed at 236 nm. Calibration curve with good linearity (r=0.9997) was obtained in the range of 20-4000 ng/mL in mouse plasma. The intra-day and inter-day precisions (RSD) of bavachinin were in the range of 0.20-2.32% and the accuracies were between 98.47% and 102.95%. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of the assay was 20 ng/mL. In conclusion, the established automated on-line SPE-HPLC-DAD method demonstrated good performance in terms of linearity, specificity, detection and quantification limits, precision and accuracy, and was successfully utilized to quantify bavachinin in mouse plasma to support the pharmacokinetic (PK) studies. The PK properties of bavachinin were characterized as rapid oral absorption, high clearance, and poor absolute bioavailability.
Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences 02/2012; 893-894:21-8. · 2.78 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Common polymorphisms within cytochrome P450 2J2 (CYP2J2) and epoxide hydrolase 2 (EPHX2), which are involved in the generation or hydrolysis of epoxyeicosatrienoic acids, may determine susceptibility to the development of cardiovascular disease. To derive a more precise estimation of their relationship, we undertook a case-control study as well as a meta-analysis to assess possible associations of coronary artery disease (CAD) risk with CYP2J2 and EPHX2 genetic variations.
Associations among four single nucleotide polymorphisms in CYP2J2 and five in EPHX2 with CAD were examined in a total of 1344 cases and 1267 ethnically and geographically matched controls. To further confirm the effect of two functional variants (G-50T and R287Q) in the development of CAD, we conducted a meta-analysis including seven studies on G-50T polymorphism and six studies on R287Q polymorphism before June 2010.
No significant association between common polymorphisms within these two genes and CAD was observed in our sample, either using methods of single-locus analysis or haplotype-based analysis. In addition, no association was detected in our meta-analysis between these two functional variants and the risk of developing CAD.
This case-control study as well as meta-analysis suggested no association between CYP2J2 G-50T and EPHX2 R287Q and the risk of developing CAD.
Pharmacogenetics and Genomics 06/2011; 21(8):489-94. · 3.48 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: A glutathione peroxidase(GPX) mimic, 2-selenium bridged β-cyclodextrin(2-SeCD), was synthesized. In order to examine its role and mechanism in treating stroke we chose stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHRsp) as animal model. 56 SHRsps of 8-week olds were randomly divided into several groups: test groups (low, moderate, high dose of 2-SeCD) and control groups(positive and negative). After onset of the stroke, the rats in test groups were orally administrated with different amounts of 2-SeCD, the positive control group with ebselen, and the negative control group with drinking water. The treatment lasted two weeks, followed by observation of the rats for 10 days, meanwhile blood pressure, biochemical parameters of plasma, and the contents of nitric oxide(NO) and malondialdehyde(MDA) in plasma and brain were determined. The results show that there were significant differences in contents of NO and MDA in plasma and brain between the test groups(high, moderate dose of 2-SeCD) and negative control group. The NO contents of the test groups were obviously higher than that of the negative control group (P<0.01). The MDA contents of the test groups(high, moderate dose of 2-SeCD) were obviously lower than that of the negative control group(P<0.01). The mechanism of 2-SeCD in treating stroke was discussed, which maybe related to the increase of NO and the decrease of MDA in plasma and brain tissue, but the exact mechanism should be further studied. Moreover, the tendencies of changes in systolic blood pressure, contents of NO and MDA, and other physiological parameters for the test groups were shown to be much better than the corresponding parameters for the positive group(the group with ebselen)(P<0.05), indicating that the treatment effect of 2-SeCD is better than that of ebselen.
Chemical Research in Chinese Universities.
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ABSTRACT: The present study consisted of two parts. First, baseline pigment distributions and potential analytical alterations in 29 microalgal species using ion-paired RP-HPLC/PDA methodology were established. The conversion of chlorophyll-a to chlorophyllide-a easily divided the organisms studied into high and low chlorophyllase activity groups. The idea of species specificity, as to chlorophyllase activity, was reinforced as different species in the same genus behaved differently. A novel compound, tentatively identified as 131-oxydeoxo-chlorophyll-a, was isolated from Euglena gracilis, Thalassiosira sp., Gymnodinium sp. and Dictyota dichotoma. The second and major portion of the study consisted of the dark aging of 9 microalgal clones under anoxic or oxic, warm or cold conditions for periods of up to 31 months. Species with very high chlorophyllase activity produced pheophorbide-a and/or pyropheophorbide-a, usually with chlorophyllide-a being observed as an intermediate. Other species produced only the isomers of pheophytin-a. Four organisms (Anabaena flos-aquae, Closterium sp., Vaucheria sessilis and Nitzschia) were found to produce an early (2–4 months) predominance of pheophorbide-a which, as aging lengthened (4, 6 and 10+ months), gave way to pheophytin-a dominance. As pheophorbide-a is obviously not being converted to pheophytin-a, we propose that pheophorbide-a is being destroyed, possibly enzymatically, to leave pheophytin-a as a more stable survivor in these species. Chlorophyll-b degradation tracked the “a-series”. That is, pheophytin-b or pheophorbide-b dominated according to species patterns for chlorophyll-a. In the green alga Closterium sp., having been aged for 7–31 months, a pigment (3–9% of total a-series) which we have tentatively identified as purpurin-18-phytyl ester was produced and was accompanied by relatively large amounts of pheophytin-a-allomer. We suggest that this compound, formed via the oxidative cleavage of the isocyclic ring, serves as a potential precursor to several open-β position geo-etioporphyrins. The overall degradation of chlorophyll-a and the overlap of catabolic biochemistry with true organic diagenesis is discussed.
Organic Geochemistry.
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ABSTRACT: This report extends previous work ( and . Chlorophyll degradation during senescence and death. Organic Geochemistry 29, 1233–1251.) in which we detailed type-I (alteration) and -II (destruction) degradation of chlorophyll with representative fresh water phytoplankton. The present study covers similar experiments with marine phytoplankton, namely, a cyanobacterium (“ANA” Anacystis sp), a coccolithophore (“COC” Coccolithophora sp.), a dinoflagellate (“GYM” Gymnodinium sp.) and two diatoms (“CYC” Cyclotella meneghiniana and “THAL” Thalassiosira sp.). Mg loss (‘pheophytinization') was rapid and continuous in all species under room-oxic conditions and slow or sporadic under anoxic conditions. The proportion of dephytylated pigments (pheophorbides-a, chlorophyllides-a), relative to the phytylated forms (chlorophyll-a, pheophytins-a), increased over the first year under room-oxic conditions and in room-anoxic conditions only in “CYC”. Pheophorbide-a was converted to pyropheophorbide-a within 15 months only in “THAL” and “ANA”, and slightly in “COC”. After 9–15 months of oxic incubation, “COC” was found to contain traces of purpurin-18 phytyl ester. Consideration of carotenoid pigments is also included herein. All fucoxanthin containing species, except “THAL”, exhibited conversion of fucoxanthin to fucoxanthinol in room-oxic conditions. Diadinoxanthin was rapidly de-epoxidized to give diatoxanthin within the first 2–4 weeks. Diatoxanthin then disappeared from all species by 15 months with a concurrent increase in a pigment which we tentatively identify as a cis-zeaxanthin. Incubations of pure cultures are found to be an effective way by which to model the early type-I reactions for both chlorophylls and carotenoids. The influence of oxygen during senescence-death and the onset of early diagenesis is of paramount importance. The absence of oxygen and, by inference, aerobic microbiota, retards the breakdown of these pigments dramatically.
Organic Geochemistry.
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ABSTRACT: Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) together with caffeic acid, ferulic acid and ethyl ferulate are constituents of propolis and structurally related, which allowed us to gather important information regarding the structure–activity relationships underlying the biological activity of such compounds. In this work, we have investigated the direct scavenging effects of the antioxidants on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals, galvinoxyl radicals and superoxide anions , as well as the anti-lipoperoxidative capacity on human erythrocytes hemolysis and rat liver microsomal membranes peroxidation induced in vitro by two different sources of free radicals: 2,2′-azobis(2-amidinopropane) (AAPH) and Fe2+/ascorbate (OH). The results established that the radical scavenging activity of the compounds increased with increasing numbers of hydroxyl groups or catechol moieties in the molecule, while in the biomembrane systems, the antioxidative activity of the test compounds depends not only on the hydroxyl groups or catechol rings but also on the polarity and hydrophobicity of the antioxidants. In addition, CAPE is the most effective antioxidant of the compounds we tested in our in vitro systems.
Food Chemistry.
