Development of flow cytometry and its application in plant research / 生物工程学报

Flow cytometry is a multi-parameter, rapid and efficient method for qualitative analysis and quantitative determination of various fluorescently labeled particles in liquid flow. Flow cytometry has been applied in multiple disciplines such as immunology, virology, molecular biology, cancer biology and infectious disease monitoring. However, the application of flow cytometry in plant research is hampered due to the special composition and structure of plant tissues and cells, such as cell walls and secondary metabolites. In this paper, the development, composition and classification of flow cytometry were introduced. Subsequently, the application, research progress and application limitations of flow cytometry in plant field were discussed. At last, the development trend of flow cytometry in plant research was prospected, which provides new perspectives for broadening the potential application scope of plant flow cytometry.

LncRNA in Different Subcellular Structures / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) are non-coding RNA (ncRNA) greater than 200nt inlength, which were initially considered as transcriptional " junk" with no biological function. As researchprogressed, lncRNA were found to be involved in many biological regulatory processes, such aschromosome silencing, chromatin modification, transcriptional activation and interference. Thesebiological regulatory processes are closely related to the structure and spatial and temporal specificexpression of lncRNA. In addition, the corresponding regulatory mechanisms of lncRNA with differentstructures and locations are different. When lncRNA are located in the nucleus, they mostly regulate geneexpression at the transcriptional level and epigenetically, including histone modifications, DNAmethylation, chromosome remodeling and other modification processes. In contrast, lncRNA in thecytoplasm mostly play regulatory roles at the post-transcriptional and translational levels, and themechanisms of action and functions of lncRNA vary among different organelles, all of which illustrate theimportance of the location of lncRNA on their functional performance. In addition, exosomes are also richin lncRNA, and these lncRNA can be delivered to the corresponding sensitive cells through intercellularcommunication to generate the corresponding regulatory mechanisms. In addition, aberrant expression oflncRNA in different structures is often a key factor in the development and progression of related diseasesand cancers. Studying the enrichment of lncRNA in different subcellular structures can help understandthe specific roles played by lncRNA in regulating body homeostasis, disease and cancer occurrence anddevelopment, as well as growth and development of plants and animals, as well as provide a newtheoretical basis for subsequent studies on targeted therapies and improving animal productionperformance. This paper outlines the latest research progress on the different regulatory mechanisms oflncRNA in chromosomes, membraneless substructures, cytoplasm (endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes, mitochondria, lysosomes), exosomes and other locations, as well as describes the processes of relateddiseases and cancers caused by lncRNA abnormalities within the corresponding structures. Finally, anoutlook on lncRNA research is given with the aim of providing a corresponding theoretical basis for futurestudies.

Does Cimicifuga racemosa have the effects like estrogen on the sublingual gland in ovariectomized rats?

BACKGROUND: Cimicifuga racemosa is one of the herbs used for the treatment of climacteric syndrome, and it has been cited as an alternative therapy to estrogen. Apart from hectic fevers, dyspareunia and so on, dry mouth also increase significantly after menopause. It has not yet been reported whether C. racemosa has any impact on the sublingual gland, which may relate to dry mouth. In an attempt to determine this, we have compared the effects of estrogen and C. racemosa on the sublingual gland of ovariectomized rats. RESULTS: HE staining showed that the acinar cell area had contracted and that the intercellular spaces were broadened in the OVX (ovariectomized rats) group, while treatment with estradiol (E2) and iCR (isopropanolic extract of C. racemosa) improved these lesions. Transmission electron microscopy showed that rough endoplasmic reticulum expansion in mucous and serous acinar epithelial cells and apoptotic cells was more commonly seen in the OVX group than in the SHAM (sham-operated rats) group. Mitochondria and plasma membrane infolding lesions in the striated ducts were also observed. These lesions were alleviated by both treatments. It is of note that, in the OVX + iCR group, the volume of mitochondria in the striated duct was larger than in other groups. Immunohistochemical staining showed that the ratio of caspase-3 positive cells was significantly increased in the acinar cells of the OVX group compared with the SHAM group (p < 0.05); and the MA (mean absorbance) of caspase-3 in the striated ducts also increased (p < 0.05). Estradiol decreased the ratio of caspase-3 positive cells and the MA of caspase-3 in striated ducts significantly (p < 0.05). ICR also reduced the ratio of caspase-3 positive cells and the MA in the striated ducts (p < 0.05), but the reduction of the MA in striated ducts was inferior to that of the OVX + E2 group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Both estradiol and iCR can inhibit subcellular structural damage, and down-regulate the expression of caspase-3 caused by ovariectomy, but their effects were not identical, suggesting that both drugs confer a protective effect on the sublingual gland of ovariectomized rats, but that the specific location and mechanism of action producing these effects were different.