Function annotation of hepatic retinoid x receptor α based on genome-wide DNA binding and transcriptome profiling.

BackgroundRetinoid x receptor α (RXRα) is abundantly expressed in the liver and is essential for the function of other nuclear receptors. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing and mRNA profiling data generated from wild type and RXRα-null mouse livers, the current study identifies the bona-fide hepatic RXRα targets and biological pathways. In addition, based on binding and motif analysis, the molecular mechanism by which RXRα regulates hepatic genes is elucidated in a high-throughput manner.Principal findingsClose to 80% of hepatic expressed genes were bound by RXRα, while 16% were expressed in an RXRα-dependent manner. Motif analysis predicted direct repeat with a spacer of one nucleotide as the most prevalent RXRα binding site. Many of the 500 strongest binding motifs overlapped with the binding motif of specific protein 1. Biological functional analysis of RXRα-dependent genes revealed that hepatic RXRα deficiency mainly resulted in up-regulation of steroid and cholesterol biosynthesis-related genes and down-regulation of translation- as well as anti-apoptosis-related genes. Furthermore, RXRα bound to many genes that encode nuclear receptors and their cofactors suggesting the central role of RXRα in regulating nuclear receptor-mediated pathways.ConclusionsThis study establishes the relationship between RXRα DNA binding and hepatic gene expression. RXRα binds extensively to the mouse genome. However, DNA binding does not necessarily affect the basal mRNA level. In addition to metabolism, RXRα dictates the expression of genes that regulate RNA processing, translation, and protein folding illustrating the novel roles of hepatic RXRα in post-transcriptional regulation

Introducing a new concept: Psychological capital of older people and its positive effect on mental health

ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the structure of psychological capital (PsyCap) and its positive effects on mental health among older people.MethodsStudy 1 used grounded theory to analyze the semi-structured interviewing data of 17 Chinese older people (60–96 years old) to develop a primary PsyCap questionnaire for older people. Study 2, respectively, applied exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with 198 Chinese older people (M = 69.2; SD = 6.685) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with 370 Chinese older people (M = 73.84; SD = 9.416) to test a seven-factor structure for PsyCap. Study 3 used 328 participants (M = 79.73; SD = 9.073) to examine the correlation between PsyCap and mental health.ResultsStudy 1 identified that PsyCap of older people contains ‘resilience,’ ‘self-efficacy,’ ‘optimism,’ ‘ease and content,’ ‘gratitude and dedication, ‘wisdom,’ and ‘meaning in life’ and generated a primary seven-factor questionnaire. Study 2 proved the overall and internal structure reliability of PsyCap were good (Cronbach’s alphas ranged 0.809 ~ 0.935), and the seven-factor measurement model fitted the data well (χ2/df = 2.07, RMSEA = 0.05, RMR = 0.05, CFI = 0.95, IFI = 0.95, TLI = 0.94, NFI = 0.91). The PsyCap scale was also proved to an excellent convergent validity, discriminant validity, calibration validity, and measurement invariance across different groups. Study 3 found that PsyCap and its seven factors significantly correlated with depression (r = −0.419 ~ −0.163, p < 0.01) after controlling the demographic variables.ConclusionThese findings provide a reliable and valid assessment for quantitative empirical research of PsyCap among older people and show significant impacts on mental health among older people, which offers new insight into improving mental health from the perspective of positive psychology

Identification of SNPs in chemerin gene and association with carcass and meat quality traits of Qinchuan Cattle

Chemerin is a novel adipokine that regulates adipogenesis and adipocyte metabolism via its own receptor. In this study, two novel SNPs (868A>G in exon 2 and 2692C>T in exon 5) of chemerin gene were identified by PCR-SSCP and DNA sequencing technology. The allele frequencies of the novel SNPs were determined in the genetically diverse bovine breeds including six Chinese indigenous cattle breeds (Caoyuan red, Jiaxian red, Luxi, Nanyang, Qinchuan and Xia’nan cattle). We evaluated the potential association of the SNPs with traits measured by ultrasound measurement in 214 Qinchuan individuals. Furthermore, meat quality traits data gotten from carcass measurement in another 69 Qinchuan individuals were analyzed by the comparison between the genotypes and their phenotypic data. Results showed that SNP 868A>G had a significant association with the ultrasound loin-muscle area (P < 0.05), loin-eye area and water holding capability (P < 0.05). And also revealed significant effects of genotype on the ultrasound backfat thickness (P < 0.05), backfat thickness and water holding capability (P < 0.05) of SNP 2692C>T. It was shown that associations do exist between chemerin gene and carcass and meat quality traits. As a result of the small sample size of this study, it is proposed that further effort is required to validate these findings in larger populations. It could be concluded that ultrasound measurements are similar in accuracy to carcass measurements for predicting carcass and meat quality traits in cattle, and could be a useful predictor of retail yield in live animals.Keywords: Bos bovine, chemerin gene, PCR-SSCP, SNP, meat quality trait

Molecular characterization, polymorphism of growth differentiation factor 5 gene and association with ultrasound measurement traits in native Chinese cattle breeds

Growth differentiation factor 5 (GDF5), involved in the development and maintenance of bone andcartilage, is a n important candidate gene for growth and carcass traits selection through markerassisted selection (MAS). Genomic structural analysis showed that bovine GDF5 shares much similarity with human GDF5. The latest findings demonstrate that the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) T586C in exon 1 is significantly associated with ultrasound marbling score (UMAR) and ultrasound backfat thickness (UBF). Furthermore, the analysis of T586C SNP marker shows there are significant effects on the UBF (P = 0.0498) and on the UMAR (P = 0.0058) in 465 individuals. These results clearly suggest that the GDF5 gene is among target genes for carcass traits in bovine reproduction and breeding.Keywords: Cattle, GDF5 gene, ultrasound measurement, polymorphism, association analysisAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 9(33), pp. 5269-5273, 16 August, 201

Normal Red Blood Cell Count Reference Values in Chinese Presenile Women Given by Geographical Area

Background/PurposeWe aimed to standardize the normal reference value of red blood cell (RBC) counts in Chinese presenile women using an underlying scientific basis.MethodsThis research was conducted to study the relationship between the normal reference value of 31,405 RBC samples from presenile women in eight different geographical areas in China. RBC counts were determined using a microscopic counting method.ResultsThere was a significant correlation between geographical factors and the normal reference RBC value in presenile women (F = 187.82, p = 0.000). Using stepwise regression analysis, one regression equation was obtained.ConclusionIf geographical values are obtained in a certain area, the normal RBC reference value in presenile women in this area can be obtained using the regression equation

Function Annotation of Hepatic Retinoid x Receptor α Based on Genome-Wide DNA Binding and Transcriptome Profiling

Background Retinoid x receptor α (RXRα) is abundantly expressed in the liver and is essential for the function of other nuclear receptors. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing and mRNA profiling data generated from wild type and RXRα-null mouse livers, the current study identifies the bona-fide hepatic RXRα targets and biological pathways. In addition, based on binding and motif analysis, the molecular mechanism by which RXRα regulates hepatic genes is elucidated in a high-throughput manner. Principal Findings Close to 80% of hepatic expressed genes were bound by RXRα, while 16% were expressed in an RXRα-dependent manner. Motif analysis predicted direct repeat with a spacer of one nucleotide as the most prevalent RXRα binding site. Many of the 500 strongest binding motifs overlapped with the binding motif of specific protein 1. Biological functional analysis of RXRα-dependent genes revealed that hepatic RXRα deficiency mainly resulted in up-regulation of steroid and cholesterol biosynthesis-related genes and down-regulation of translation- as well as anti-apoptosis-related genes. Furthermore, RXRα bound to many genes that encode nuclear receptors and their cofactors suggesting the central role of RXRα in regulating nuclear receptor-mediated pathways. Conclusions This study establishes the relationship between RXRα DNA binding and hepatic gene expression. RXRα binds extensively to the mouse genome. However, DNA binding does not necessarily affect the basal mRNA level. In addition to metabolism, RXRα dictates the expression of genes that regulate RNA processing, translation, and protein folding illustrating the novel roles of hepatic RXRα in post-transcriptional regulation.This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (DK092100 and CA053596 to YYW). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Urinary Arsenic Metabolites in Children and Adults Exposed to Arsenic in Drinking Water in Inner Mongolia, China

BACKGROUND: We report the concentrations and distributions of urinary arsenic (As) metabolites in 233 residents exposed to 20, 90, or 160 μg/L inorganic arsenic (iAs) in drinking water from three villages in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China, that formed one control and two exposed groups. METHODS: We used hydride generation-atomic absorption spectrometry (HGAAS) to determine iAs, monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA). RESULTS: The concentrations of each urinary As species in the two exposed groups were significantly higher than in the control group for both children and adults. Both children and adults in exposed groups had higher percent iAs and MMA and lower percent DMA, and low primary and secondary methylation indices (PMI and SMI, respectively) than those in the control group. However, children showed significant increases in percent DMA and the SMI as well as decreases in the percent MMA when the iAs exposure level increased from 90 to 160 μg/L. In addition, children in the two exposed groups showed lower percent MMA but higher percent DMA and higher SMI than adults in the same exposed group. No significant differences in As metabolite concentrations and distributions were found between males and females in each group. A significant correlation was also found in the SMI between 11 pairs of children and their mothers from the 160-μg/L–exposed group. CONCLUSIONS: Children had higher a capacity for secondary methylation of As than adults when exposed to the same concentrations of iAs in drinking water. Exposure to As may increase the capacity for methylation in children to some extent

Hfq Is a Global Regulator That Controls the Pathogenicity of Staphylococcus aureus

The Hfq protein is reported to be an RNA chaperone, which is involved in the stress response and the virulence of several pathogens. In E. coli, Hfq can mediate the interaction between some sRNAs and their target mRNAs. But it is controversial whether Hfq plays an important role in S. aureus. In this study, we found that the deletion of hfq gene in S. aureus 8325-4 can increase the surface carotenoid pigments. The hfq mutant was more resistant to oxidative stress but the pathogenicity of the mutant was reduced. We reveal that the Hfq protein can be detected only in some S. aureus strains. Using microarray and qRT-PCR, we identified 116 genes in the hfq mutant which had differential expression from the wild type, most of which are related to the phenotype and virulence of S. aureus. Among the 116 genes, 49 mRNAs can specifically bind Hfq protein, which indicates that Hfq also acts as an RNA binding protein in S. aureus. Our data suggest that Hfq protein of S. aureus is a multifunctional regulator involved in stress and virulence

Muon radiography experiments on the subway overburden structure detection

Muon radiography is an innovative and non-destructive technique for internal density structure imaging, based on measuring the attenuation of cosmic-ray muons after they penetrate the target. Due to the strong penetration ability of muons, the detection range of muon radiography can reach the order of hundreds of meters or even kilometers. Using a portable muon detector composed of plastic scintillators and silicon photomultipliers, we performed a short-duration(1h) flux scanning experiment of the overburden above the platform and tunnel of the Xiaoying West Road subway station under construction. With the observation direction facing up, the detector is placed on the north side of the track and moved eastward from the platform section inside the station to the tunnel section. The scanning length is 264m and a total of 21 locations are observed. By comparing the observed and predicted values of the muon survival ratio at different locations, the experiment accurately detects the jump in thickness at the interface of the platform section and tunnel section. Furthermore, unknown anomalies caused by random placed light brick piles and side passage mouth above the observation locations are detected and confirmed later. This experiment verifies the feasibility of using natural muons to quickly detect abnormal structures of the overburden of tunnel, and shows that muon radiography has broad application prospects in tunnel safety and other similar aspects.Comment: 30 pages, 10 figure