ROCK Inhibitor Y27632 Induced Morphological Shift and Enhanced Neurite Outgrowth-Promoting Property of Olfactory Ensheathing Cells via YAP-Dependent Up-Regulation of L1-CAM

Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) are heterogeneous in morphology, antigenic profiles and functions, and these OEC subpopulations have shown different outcomes following OEC transplantation for central nervous system (CNS) injuries. Morphologically, OECs are divided into two subpopulations, process-bearing (Schwann cells-like) and flattened (astrocytes-like) OECs, which could switch between each other and are affected by extracellular and intracellular factors. However, neither the relationship between the morphology and function of OECs nor their molecular mechanisms have been clarified. In the present study, we first investigated morphological and functional differences of OECs under different cytokine exposure conditions. It demonstrated that OECs mainly displayed a process-bearing shape under pro-inflammatory conditions (lipopolysaccharide, LPS), while they displayed a flattened shape under anti-inflammatory conditions [interleukin-4 (IL-4) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)]. The morphological changes were partially reversible and the Rho-associated coiled-coil-containing protein kinase (ROCK)/F-actin pathway was involved. Functionally, process-bearing OECs under pro-inflammatory conditions showed increased cellular metabolic activity and a higher migratory rate when compared with flattened OECs under anti-inflammatory conditions and significantly promoted neurite outgrowth and extension. Remarkably, the morphological shift towards process-bearing OECs induced by ROCK inhibitor Y27632 enhanced the neurite outgrowth-promoting property of OECs. Furthermore, as the downstream of the ROCK pathway, transcriptional co-activator Yes-associated protein (YAP) mediated morphological shift and enhanced the neurite outgrowth-promoting property of OECs through upregulating the expression of the neural adhesion molecule L1-CAM. Our data provided evidence that OECs with specific shapes correspond to specific functional phenotypes and opened new insights into the potential combination of OECs and small-molecule ROCK inhibitors for the regeneration of CNS injuries

Satellite-Detected Contrasting Responses of Canopy Structure and Leaf Physiology to Drought

Disentangling drought impacts on plant photosynthesis is crucial for projecting future terrestrial carbon dynamics. We examined the separate responses of canopy structure and leaf physiology to an extreme summer drought that occurred in 2011 over Southwest China, where the weather was humid and radiation was the main growth-limiting factor. Canopy structure and leaf physiology were, respectively, represented by near-infrared reflectance of vegetation (NIRv) derived from MODIS data and leaf scale fluorescence yield (Φf) derived from both continuous SIF (CSIF) and global OCO-2 SIF (GOSIF). We detected contrasting responses of canopy structure and leaf physiology to drought with a 14.0% increase in NIRv, compared with 12.6 or 19.3% decreases in Φf from CSIF and GOSIF, respectively. The increase in structure resulted in a slight carbon change, due to water deficit-induced physiological constraints. The net ecosystem effect was a 7.5% (CSIF), 1.2% (GOSIF), and-2.96% (EC-LUE GPP) change in photosynthesis. Our study improves understanding of complex vegetation responses of plant photosynthesis to drought and may contribute to the reconciliation of contrasting observed directions in plant responses to drought in cloudy regions via remote sensing

DNA-mediated association of two histone-bound complexes of yeast Chromatin Assembly Factor-1 (CAF-1) drives tetrasome assembly in the wake of DNA replication.

Nucleosome assembly in the wake of DNA replication is a key process that regulates cell identity and survival. Chromatin assembly factor 1 (CAF-1) is a H3-H4 histone chaperone that associates with the replisome and orchestrates chromatin assembly following DNA synthesis. Little is known about the mechanism and structure of this key complex. Here we investigate the CAF-1•H3-H4 binding mode and the mechanism of nucleosome assembly. We show that yeast CAF-1 binding to a H3-H4 dimer activates the Cac1 winged helix domain interaction with DNA. This drives the formation of a transient CAF-1•histone•DNA intermediate containing two CAF-1 complexes, each associated with one H3-H4 dimer. Here, the (H3-H4

Optimization of empty container repositioning in liner shipping

In recent years, with the development of the shipping industry, container transportation has gradually become a major part of the shipping industry. Nevertheless, the transportation of high-cost empty containers has posed a serious challenge for liner shipping companies. The movement of empty containers is an unavoidable problem due to the imbalance of supply and demand across the country. Historical data show that empty containers account for about 20 percent of the total shipping volume, and this figure is still rising year by year. Therefore, it becomes more and more important to raise the shipping company's management level of the empty container to reduce transportation costs. The issue of empty container transport has also attracted the attention of many scholars and has carried out corresponding research, but systematic and rigorous quantitative analysis has yet to be published. And most of the shipping companies are still using the experience of scheduling rather than a systematic empty container repositioning system. This article focuses on one route of a shipping company as the main research subject. It uses a linear programming model to optimize problems and find out the best transportation network to reduce transportation expenses.Bachelor of Science (Maritime Studies

Structural insights into chromatin assembly factor 1 and nucleosome assembly mechanism

2018 Spring.Includes bibliographical references.The eukaryotic genome is highly packed with histones to form chromatin. The basic building unit of chromatin is the nucleosome, which consists of a histone octamer core, wrapped by 147 base pairs of DNA. The nature of the nucleosome structure presents a formidable barrier for DNA-related processes, especially for DNA replication. Therefore, the chromatin will undergo dramatic dynamics during replication, involving disassembly of old nucleosomes and distribution of both new and old histones to form nucleosomes onto both daughter DNA strands. These nucleosome dynamics suggest a challenge for the maintenance of histone density and epigenetic inheritance in the wake of DNA replication. Chromatin Assembly Factor-1 (CAF-1) is a conserved histone chaperone that directly interacts with the replication machinery via the polymerase processivity factor PCNA, and is involved in assembling nucleosomes behind the DNA replication fork. CAF-1 is essential for multicellular eukaryotes, while deletion of CAF-1 in yeast is not lethal, but results in increased sensitivity to DNA damage and aberrant telomeric silencing. Despite the significance of this histone chaperone, the structural organization of this complex remains largely unknown, and thus the mechanism underlying CAF-1-mediated nucleosome assembly is elusive. In this study, we identified the key peptides involved in CAF-1 subunit assembly by performing HDX-MS analysis followed by site-directed mutagenesis studies, which were confirmed by yeast genetic studies. This structural information allows us to further characterize functional domains within CAF-1, and provides unprecedented details for future structural studies using crystallization and/or cryo-EM. This work also shows how histones H3-H4 are bound by CAF-1, and how this histone binding regulates the nucleosome assembly activity by CAF-1. We also show that DNA is acting as a bridge to bring two histone-bound CAF-1 together, thereby promoting (H3-H4)2 tetramer formation as well as the tetramer hand-off between CAF-1 and DNA, resulting in the formation of tetrasome ((H3-H4)2 tetramer wrapped with DNA), the initial step for nucleosome assembly. Overall, this study provides a mechanistic explanation for efficient nucleosome assembly by CAF-1 following DNA replication, and highlights a direct nucleosome assembly mechanism by a histone chaperone for the first time. Moreover, the concerted mechanism of CAF-1-mediated nucleosome assembly suggests that two H3-H4 dimers are brought together right before the (H3-H4)2 tetramer deposition onto DNA, shedding light on the future directions of epigenetic maintenance regulation during replication

Measuring Nucleosome Assembly Activity with the Nucleosome Assembly and Quantification (NAQ) Assay

Nucleosomes organize the eukaryotic genome into chromatin. In cells, nucleosome assembly relies on the activity of histone chaperones, proteins with high binding affinity to histones. At least a subset of histone chaperones promotes histone deposition in vivo. However, it has been challenging to characterize this activity, due to the lack of quantitative assays. Here we developed a quantitative nucleosome assembly (NAQ) assay to measure the amount of nucleosome formation in vitro. This assay relies on a Micrococcal nuclease (MNase) digestion step that yields DNA fragments protected by the deposited histone proteins. A subsequent run on the Bioanalyzer machine allows the accurate quantification of the fragments (length and amount), relative to a loading control. This allows us to measure nucleosome formation by following the signature DNA length of ~150 bp. This assay finally enables the characterization of the nucleosome assembly activity of different histone chaperones, a step forward in the understanding of the functional roles of these proteins in vivo

FRET-based Stoichiometry Measurements of Protein Complexes

For a complete understanding of biochemical reactions, information on complex stoichiometry is essential. However, measuring stoichiometry is experimentally challenging. Our lab has developed a FRET-based assay to study protein complex stoichiometry in vitro. This assay, also known as Job plot, is set up as a continuous variation of the molar ratio between the two species, kept at constant total concentration. The FRET (Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer) between the two fluorescently-labeled proteins is measured and the stoichiometry is inferred from the sample with highest FRET signal. This approach allows us to assess complex stoichiometry in solution