Development and application of light-controlled inducible recombination systems.

The site-specific recombination systems are composed of recombinases and specific recognition sites, which are powerful tools for gene manipulation and have been extensively used in life sciences research. Inducible recombination systems have been developed to precisely regulate gene expression in a spatiotemporal manner in cells and animals for applications such as gene function research, cell lineage tracing and disease treatment. Based on different spatiotemporal expression methods of recombinases, inducible recombination systems can be divided into two categories: chemical- controlled and light-controlled inductions. Light-controlled inducible recombination systems that utilize light as inducer consist of photocage and optogenetics in accordance with optical control patterns and objects. Photocaged inducible recombination systems are using photosensitive groups to control chemical inducers or recombinases. Their activities are inhibited by photosensitive groups before light induction and recovered after specific light irradiation, leading to light-controlled inducible gene recombination. While optogenetic inducible recombination systems rely on reactivations of split recombinases that mediated by optogenetic switches. Optogenetic switches are composed of a series of gene-encoded photosensitive proteins, including cryptochromes, VIVID, phytochromes, etc. These types of light-controlled inducible recombination systems provide more possibilities for analyzing gene expression and function from the dimension of high spatiotemporal resolution to meet the increasingly complex demands of life science research. In this review, we summarize the developing principles and applications of different types of light-controlled inducible recombination systems, compare their advantages and disadvantages, and prospect the development of more light-controlled recombination systems in the future, with the aims to provide theoretical basis and guidance for system optimization and upgrade.

Mechanism of Chaihu Shugan Powder () for Treating Depression Based on Network Pharmacology / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To analyze the effective components of Chinese medicine (CM) contained in Chaihu Shugan Powder (, CSP) in the treatment of depressive disorders and to predict its anti-depressant mechanism by network pharmacology.@*METHODS@#Absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity calculation method was used to screen the active components of CSP. Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacological Database Analysis Platform and text mining tool (GoPuMed database) were used to predict and screen the active ingredients of CSP and anti-depressive targets. Through Genetic Association Database, Therapeutic Target Database, and PharmGkb database targets for depression were obtained. Cytoscape3.2.1 software was used to establish a network map of the active ingredients-targets of CSP, and to analyze gene function and metabolic pathways through Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery and the Omicshare database.@*RESULTS@#The 121 active ingredients and 15 depression-related targets which were screened from the database can exert antidepressant effects by improving the neural plasticity, growth, transfer condition and gene expression of neuronal cell, and the raise of the expression of gap junction protein. The 15 targets passed 14 metabolic pathways, mainly involved in the regulation of neurotransmitters (5-hydroxytryptamine, dopamine and epinephrine), inflammatory mediator regulation of TRP channels, calcium signaling pathway, cyclic adenosine monophosphate signaling pathway and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction and other signal channels to exert anti-depressant effects.@*CONCLUSION@#This article reveals the possible mechanism of CSP in the treatment of depression through network pharmacology research, and lays a foundation for further target studies.

[Application of ultrasound counter currentextraction in patent of traditional Chinese medicine].

The patent information of ultrasound countercurrent extraction used in traditional Chinese medicine was analyzed in this paper by the samples from Derwent World Patent Database (DWPI) and the Chinese Patent Abstracts Database (CNABS). The application of ultrasound countercurrent was discussed with the patent applicant,the amount of the annual distribution, and the pharmaceutical raw materials and other aspects. While the technical parameters published in the patent was deeply analyzed, such as material crushing, extraction solvent, extraction time and temperature, extraction equipment and ultrasonic frequency. Thought above research, various technical parameters of ultrasound countercurrent extraction used in traditional Chinese was summarize. The analysis conclusion of the paper can be used in discovering the technical advantages, optimizing extraction conditions, and providing a reference to extraction technological innovation of traditional Chinese medicine.