Research Articles : The Influence of Challenge on Cathepsin B and D Expression Patterns in the Silkworm Bombyx mori L

( Feng Yao Wu ),( Feng Ming Zou ),( Jun Qiang Jia ),( Sheng Peng Wang ),( Guo Zheng Zhang ),( Xi Jie Guo ),( Zhong Zheng Gui ) 한국잠사학회 2011 International Journal of Industrial Entomology Vol.23 No.1

Cathepsins are well-characterized proteases that are ubiquitously expressed in lysosomes. Previous work revealed that Bombyx mori cathepsins B and D are expressed in the fat body and undergo decomposition during larval-pupal metamorphosis. Quantitative RTPCR was performed to detect cathepsin gene expression at the transcription level when challenged by B. mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV), temperature and hormones (20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) and juvenile hormone analogue (JHA)). mRNAs encoding cathepsins B and D were significantly enhanced after the larvae were infected with BmNPV, and the peak of the induction appeared at 1 day before spinning. This attenuated the inducing effect on cathepsin expression caused by infection. Temperature shock induced cathepsin expression at the later stage of the 5th instar, and transcription levels varied with development stage and temperature. Cathepsin B and D mRNA expression in the fat body were significantly induced by JHA at the day before spinning, and with 20E, the expression reached a peak at the last day of the 5th instar. Cathepsin B and D mRNA expression exhibited detectable changes post-treatment, without significant differences between or among the hormone concentrations.

Differential and spatial regulation of the prophenoloxidase (proPO) and proPO-activating enzyme in cuticularmelanization and innate immunity in Bombyx mori pupae

Feng Ming Zou,이광식,김보연,김홍자,Zhong Zheng Gui,Guozheng Zhang,Xijie Guo,진병래 한국응용곤충학회 2015 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.18 No.4

Insect cuticular melanization is regulated by the prophenoloxidase (proPO)-activating system, which is also involved in the innate immune reaction. Here, we demonstrate how the differentiation of the proPO-activating system is regulated toward a cuticular melanization or innate immunity function in silkworm (Bombyx mori) pupae. Our results indicate that the differential and spatial regulation of key components, such as the proPOactivating enzyme and proPOs, primes the proPO-activating system for either cuticular melanization or innate immunity. This dual strategy for cuticular melanization in development and innate immunity upon infection demonstrates a two-pronged defense mechanism that is mediated by the priming of the proPO system.

Mixing of initially stratified miscible fluids in an eccentric stirred tank: Detached eddy simulation and volume of fluid study

Feng Ling Yang,Shenjie Zhou,Cui Xun Zhang,Gui Chao Wang 한국화학공학회 2013 Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol.30 No.10

Mixing of two stratified miscible fluids in an eccentric stirred tank agitated by a four pitched-blade turbine was studied by using the detached eddy simulation (DES) model and volume of fluid (VOF) method. The fluids were operated in the transitional and mildly turbulent flow regimes. Interfaces between the two miscible fluids during the mixing processes were captured and mixing times were computed. Effects of the Richardson number and eccentricity on the mixing times were quantificationally analyzed. Results show that the spatial and temporal variations of volume fractions of the fluids can be well captured by the method presented in this study. Mixing time increases with the increase of Richardson number. Effect of eccentricity on mixing time depends on Richardson number and the eccentric agitation scheme is not advisable to use to blend the low-viscosity miscible fluids starting from a stratified state, especially for lower Richardson values.

Toughening polystyrene by core–shell grafting copolymer polybutadiene-graft-polystyrene with potassium persulfate as initiator

Gui Di Cai,Guang Hui Gao,Hong Yu Yang,Li Dan Zhu,Hua Liu,Guang Feng Wu,Ming Yao Zhang,Chao Zhou,Hui Xuan Zhang 한국공업화학회 2013 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.19 No.3

Core–shell polybutadiene-graft-polystyrene rubber particles with different ratios of polybutadiene core to polystyrene shell were synthesized by an emulsion polymerization using K2S2O8 as an initiator. Then the core–shell rubber particles were blended with PS to prepare PS/PB-g-PS. The rubber particles with a size of 0.3–0.5 mm could toughen polystyrene significantly. The mechanical properties, morphologies and deformation mechanisms of samples were extensively investigated. The experimental results showed that the dispersion of rubber particles in a ‘‘cluster’’ state leads to better impact resistances. Crazing occurred from rubber particles and extended in a bridge-like manner to neighboring rubber particles parallel to the equatorial direction.

A Framework for measuring query privacy in Location-based Service

( Xuejun Zhang ),( Xiaolin Gui ),( Feng Tian ) 한국인터넷정보학회 2015 KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Syst Vol.9 No.5

The widespread use of location-based services (LBSs), which allows untrusted service provider to collect large number of user request records, leads to serious privacy concerns. In response to these issues, a number of LBS privacy protection mechanisms (LPPMs) have been recently proposed. However, the evaluation of these LPPMs usually disregards the background knowledge that the adversary may possess about users` contextual information, which runs the risk of wrongly evaluating users` query privacy. In this paper, we address these issues by proposing a generic formal quantification framework,which comprehensively contemplate the various elements that influence the query privacy of users and explicitly states the knowledge that an adversary might have in the context of query privacy. Moreover, a way to model the adversary`s attack on query privacy is proposed, which allows us to show the insufficiency of the existing query privacy metrics, e.g., k-anonymity. Thus we propose two new metrics: entropy anonymity and mutual information anonymity. Lastly, we run a set of experiments on datasets generated by network based generator of moving objects proposed by Thomas Brinkhoff. The results show the effectiveness and efficient of our framework to measure the LPPM.

Improvement of heat and drought photosynthetic tolerance in wheat by overaccumulation of glycinebetaine

Wang, Gui-Ping,Hui, Zhen,Li, Feng,Zhao, Mei-Rong,Zhang, Jin,Wang, Wei The Korean Society of Plant Biotechnology 2010 Plant biotechnology reports Vol.4 No.3

Within their natural habitat, crops are often subjected to drought and heat stress, which suppress crop growth and decrease crop production. Causing overaccumulation of glycinebetaine (GB) has been used to enhance the crop yield under stress. Here, we investigated the response of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) photosynthesis to drought, heat stress and their combination with a transgenic wheat line (T6) overaccumulating GB and its wild-type (WT) Shi4185. Drought stress (DS) was imposed by controlling irrigation until the relative water content (RWC) of the flag leaves decreased to between 78 and 82%. Heat stress (HS) was applied by exposing wheat plants to $40^{\circ}C$ for 4 h. A combination of drought and heat stress was applied by subjecting the drought-stressed plants to a heat stress as above. The results indicated that all stresses decreased photosynthesis, but the combination of drought and heat stress exacerbated the negative effects on photosynthesis more than exposure to drought or heat stress alone. Drought stress decreased the transpiration rate (Tr), stomatal conductance (Gs) and intercellular $CO_2$ concentration (Ci), while heat stress increased all of these; the deprivation of water was greater under drought stress than heat stress, but heat stress decreased the antioxidant enzyme activity to a greater extent. Overaccumulated GB could alleviate the decrease of photosynthesis caused by all stresses tested. These suggest that GB induces an increase of osmotic adjustments for drought tolerance, while its improvement of the antioxidative defense system including antioxidative enzymes and antioxidants may be more important for heat tolerance.

The Influence of Challenge on Cathepsin B and D Expression Patterns in the Silkworm Bombyx mori L.

Wu, Feng-Yao,Zou, Feng-Ming,Jia, Jun-Qiang,Wang, Sheng-Peng,Zhang, Guo-Zheng,Guo, Xi-Jie,Gui, Zhong-Zheng Korean Society of Sericultural Science 2011 International Journal of Industrial Entomology Vol.23 No.1

Cathepsins are well-characterized proteases that are ubiquitously expressed in lysosomes. Previous work revealed that $Bombyx$ $mori$ cathepsins B and D are expressed in the fat body and undergo decomposition during larval-pupal metamorphosis. Quantitative RT-PCR was performed to detect cathepsin gene expression at the transcription level when challenged by $B.$ $mori$ nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV), temperature and hormones (20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) and juvenile hormone analogue (JHA)). mRNAs encoding cathepsins B and D were significantly enhanced after the larvae were infected with BmNPV, and the peak of the induction appeared at 1 day before spinning. This attenuated the inducing effect on cathepsin expression caused by infection. Temperature shock induced cathepsin expression at the later stage of the $5^{th}$ instar, and transcription levels varied with development stage and temperature. Cathepsin B and D mRNA expression in the fat body were significantly induced by JHA at the day before spinning, and with 20E, the expression reached a peak at the last day of the $5^{th}$ instar. Cathepsin B and D mRNA expression exhibited detectable changes post-treatment, without significant differences between or among the hormone concentrations.

Diagnostic Value of Rectal Bleeding in Predicting Colorectal Cancer: a Systematic Review

Tong, Gui-Xian,Chai, Jing,Cheng, Jing,Xia, Yi,Feng, Rui,Zhang, Lu,Wang, De-Bin Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.2

This study aimed at summarizing published study findings on the diagnostic value of rectal bleeding (RB) and informing clinical practice, preventive interventions and future research areas. We searched Medline and Embase for studies published by September 13, 2013 examining the risk of colorectal cancer in patients with RB using highly inclusive algorithms. Data for sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio and positive predictive value (PPV) of RB were extracted by two researchers and analyzed applying Meta-Disc (version 1.4) and Stata (version 11.0). Methodological quality of studies was assessed according to QUADAS. A total of 38 studies containing 5,626 colorectal cancer patients and 73,174 participants with RB were included. The pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.47 (95% CI: 0.45-0.48) and 0.96 (95% CI: 0.96-0.96) respectively. The overall PPVs ranged from 0.01 to 0.21 with a pooled value of 0.06 (95% CI: 0.05-0.08). Being over the age of 60 years, change in bowel habit, weight loss, anaemia, colorectal cancer among first-degree relatives and feeling of incomplete evacuation of rectum appeared to increase the predictive value of RB. Although RB greatly increases the probability of diagnosing colorectal cancer, it alone may not be sufficient for proposing further sophisticated investigations. However, given the high specificity, subjects without RB may be ruled out of further investigations. Future studies should focus on strategies using RB as an "alarm" symptom and finding additional indications to justify whether there is a need for further investigations.

Molecular identification and expression patterns of carboxylesterase genes based on transcriptome analysis of the common cutworm, Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Ya Nan Zhang,Jin-Bu Li,Peng He,Liang Sun,Zhao-Qun Li,Li-Ping Fang,Zhan-Feng Ye,Dao-Gui Deng,Xiu-Yun Zhu 한국응용곤충학회 2016 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.19 No.4

Carboxylesterases (CXEs) belong to a family of metabolic enzymes that are widely distributed in insects and other organisms and can rapidly degrade the components of sex pheromones and plant volatiles with an acetate functional group. The common cutworm, Spodoptera litura, is an important agricultural pest around the world, causing vast economic losses every year. The female sex pheromones of S. litura comprise four acetates, Z9, E11-14:OAc; Z9, E12-14:OAc; Z9-14:OAc; and E11-14:OAc, but the degradation mechanisms of these components are not well understood. By analysing previously obtained transcriptomic data of the sex pheromone glands,we identified a total of 24 putative CXE genes in S. litura. Gene expression patterns and phylogenetic analysis revealed 5 genes with antennae-specific or biased expression, and clusteredwith genes showed involvement in the degradation of sex pheromones or other detoxification in other insects. SlitCXE10was expressed specifically in the antennae of both sexes, and SlitCXE14, 17, 19, and 21 had high antenna biased expression. Interestingly, RT-PCR and qPCR tests indicated that SlitCXE24 had significantly higher expression in PG than in other tissue, and that it could be a potential candidate gene for sex pheromone degradation in PG. This study is the first to provide solid background information for the further elucidation of sex pheromone degradation, and ultimately provides potential targets for the disruption of sexual communication in S. litura for new pest management.

UHRF2 mRNA Expression is Low in Malignant Glioma but Silencing Inhibits the Growth of U251 Glioma Cells in vitro

Wu, Ting-Feng,Zhang, Wei,Su, Zuo-Peng,Chen, San-Song,Chen, Gui-Lin,Wei, Yong-Xin,Sun, Ting,Xie, Xue-Shun,Li, Bin,Zhou, You-Xin,Du, Zi-Wei Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.10

UHRF2 is a member of the ubiquitin plant homeo domain RING finger family, which has been proven to be frequently up-regulated in colorectal cancer cells and play a role as an oncogene in breast cancer cells. However, the role of UHRF2 in glioma cells remains unclear. In this study, we performed real-time quantitative PCR on 32 pathologically confirmed glioma samples (grade I, 4 cases; grade II, 11 cases; grade III, 10 cases; and grade IV, 7 cases; according to the 2007 WHO classification system) and four glioma cell lines (A172, U251, U373, and U87). The expression of UHRF2 mRNA was significantly lower in the grade III and grade IV groups compared with the noncancerous brain tissue group, whereas its expression was high in A172, U251, and U373 glioma cell lines. An in vitro assay was performed to investigate the functions of UHRF2. Using a lentivirus-based RNA interference (RNAi) approach, we down-regulated UHRF2 expression in the U251 glioma cell line. This down-regulation led to the inhibition of cell proliferation, an increase in cell apoptosis, and a change of cell cycle distribution, in which S stage cells decreased and G2/M stage cells increased. Our results suggest that UHRF2 may be closely related to tumorigenesis and the development of gliomas.