A Novel Esterase from a Marine Metagenomic Library Exhibiting Salt Tolerance Ability

( Ze Ming Fang ),( Jing Jing Li ),( Quan Wang ),( Wei Fang ),( Hui Peng ),( Xue Cheng Zhang ),( Ya Zhong Xiao ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2014 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.24 No.6

A putative lipolytic enzyme gene, named as est9x, was obtained from a marine microbial metagenome of the South China Sea. Sequence analysis showed that Est9X shares lower than 27% sequence identities with the characterized lipolytic enzymes, but possesses a catalytic triad highly conserved in lipolytic enzymes of the α/β hydrolase superfamily. By phylogenetic tree construction, Est9X was grouped into a new lipase/esterase family. To understand Est9X protein in depth, it was recombinantly expressed, purified, and biochemically characterized. Within potential hydrolytic activities, only lipase/esterase activity was detected for Est9X, confirming its identity as a lipolytic enzyme. When using p-nitrophenol esters with varying lengths of fatty acid as substrates, Est9X exhibited the highest activity to the C2 substrate, indicating it is an esterase. The optimal activity of Est9X occurred at a temperature of 65°C, and Est9X was pretty stable below the optimum temperature. Distinguished from other salttolerant esterases, Est9X``s activity was tolerant to and even promoted by as high as 4 M NaCl. Our results imply that Est9X is a unique esterase and could be a potential candidate for industrial application under extreme conditions.

Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Awareness, Acceptability, and Decision-Making Factors among Chinese College Students

Wang, Shao-Ming,Zhang, Shao-Kai,Pan, Xiong-Fei,Ren, Ze-Fang,Yang, Chun-Xia,Wang, Zeng-Zhen,Gao, Xiao-Hong,Li, Man,Zheng, Quan-Qing,Ma, Wei,Zhao, Fang-Hui,Qiao, You-Lin,Sivasubramaniam, Priya Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.7

Background: College students are recommended as the target groups for catch-up human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. Systematical exploration of awareness, acceptability, and decision-making factors of HPV vaccination among Chinese college students has been limited. Materials and Methods: A multi-center survey was conducted in mainland China between November 2011 and May 2012. College students aged 18-22 years were stratified by their grade, gender, and major for sampling. Socio-demographic and HPV-related information such as knowledge, perceptions, acceptability, and attitudes were collected through a questionnaire. Results: A total of 3,497 undergraduates completed the questionnaire, among which 1,686 were males. The acceptability of the HPV vaccine was high (70.8%). Undergraduates from high-level universities, at lower grade, or with greater prior knowledge of HPV vaccines showed higher acceptability of HPV vaccination ($p_{trend}$ <0.001). Additionally, undergraduates with vaccination experience outside the National Expanded Program on Immunization (OR=1.29; 95%CI: 1.10-1.51) or fear of HPV-related diseases (OR=2.79; 95%CI: 2.28-3.41) were more willing to accept HPV vaccination. General knowledge of HPV vaccine was low among undergraduates, and safety was a major concern (71.05%). The majority of students wished to pay less than 300RMB for HPV vaccine and chose the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention as the most appropriate venue for vaccination. Conclusions: Although most undergraduates demonstrate positive attitudes towards HPV vaccination, challenges pertaining to introduction exist in China. Corresponding proactive education and governmental subsidy to do so are urgently needed by this age-group population. Suggestions and potential strategies indicated may help shape the future HPV vaccination program in China.

Bioethanol from Fermentation of Cassava Pulp in a Fibrous-bed Bioreactor Using Immobilized Δldh, a Genetically Engineered Thermoanaerobacterium aotearoense

You-Hua Cai,Ze-Xin Liang,Shuang Li,Ming-Jun Zhu,Zhenqiang Wu,Shang-Tian Yang,Ju-Fang Wang 한국생물공학회 2012 Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering Vol.17 No.6

There is an increasing worldwide interest in bioethanol production from agricultural, industrial, and urban residues for both ecological and economic reasons. The acid hydrolysis of cassava pulp to reducing sugars and their fermentation to ethanol were evaluated in a fibrousbed bioreactor with immobilized Δldh, a genetically engineered Thermoanaerobacterium aotearoense. A maximum yield of total reducing sugars of 53.5% was obtained after 8 h of hydrolysis at 85oC in 0.4 mol/L hydrochloric acid with a solid-to-liquid ratio of 1:20, which was optimized by using an orthogonal design based on preliminary experiments. In the FBB, the fed-batch fermentation, using glucose as the sole carbon source, gave a maximum ethanol production of 38.3 g/L with a yield of 0.364 g/g in 100 h; whereas the fed-batch fermentation, using xylose as the sole carbon source, gave 34.1 g/L ethanol with a yield of 0.342 g/g in 135 h. When cassava pulp hydrolysate was used as a carbon source, 39.1 g/L ethanol with a yield of 0.123 g/g cassava pulp in185 h was observed, using the fed-batch fermentation model. In addition, for repeated batch fermentation of cassava pulp hydrolysate carried out in the fibrous-bed bioreactor, long-term operation with high ethanol yield and volumetric productivity were achieved. The above results show that the acid hydrolysate of cassava pulp can be used for ethanol production in a fibrous-bed bioreactor, although some inhibition phenomena were observed during the process of fermentation.

HCV, Acute, LT : A Disparate Subset of Double Negative T cells Contributes to the Outcome of Murine Fulminant Viral Hepatitis via Effector Molecule Fibrinogen-like Protein 2

( Di Wu ),( Hong Wu Wang ),( Tao Chen ),( Yong Zou ),( Wei Ming Yan ),( Mei Fang Han ),( Ze Guang Wu ),( Xiao Jing Wang ) 대한간학회 2013 춘·추계 학술대회 (KASL) Vol.2013 No.1

Aims: The underlying pathogenesis of fulminant viral hepatitis (FVH) has not been fully elucidated. As a subset of regulatory T cells, CD3+CD4-CD8- double negative (DN) T cells can suppress T cell responses. In this study, we present new insights into the immune mediated mechanisms involved in FVH caused by murine hepatitis virus strain 3 (MHV-3). Methods: The phenotype and cytokines of DN T cells were detected by flow cytometric analysis. The levels of mfgl2 were measured by real-time PCR and western-blot. The function of mfgl2 was measured by PCA. Results: After MHV-3 infection, the proportions of DN T cells increased significantly in BALB/cJ mice, and splenic DN T cells expressing high levels of CD69 were recruited by MHV-3 infected hepatocytes to the liver. Serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and total bilirubin (TBil) increased, accompanied by massive hepatocyte necrosis. These DN T cells were predominantly consisted of a TCRαβ+ subset expressing high levels of CD44, and did not produce cytokine except IL-2. Adoptive transfer of this subset of DN T cells to the MHV-3 infected mice resulted in an increase of murine fibrinogen-like protein 2 (mfgl2) expression in association with massive fibrin deposition in the liver. Following MHV-3 infection, membrane mfgl2 expression and functional procoagulant activity (PCA) increased remarkably in the DN T cells. Introduction of a recombinant adenovirus which encoded a microRNA specifically targeting mfgl2 gene (Ad-mfgl2-miRNA) in vivo significantly inhibited the hepatic expression of mfgl2, increased mice survival. However, under this condition, adoptive transfer of the DN T cells accelerated the disease progression and reversed the benefit from mfgl2 gene silence, led to a 100% death. Conclutions: Our results demonstrated that DN T cell-derived mfgl2 may serve as an important effector molecule contributing to the pathogenesis of MHV-3-induced FVH.

Risk Assessment of Breast Cancer in Guangdong, China: A Community-based Survey

Lin, Ying,Shao, Nan,Zhang, Yun-Jian,Wu, Zhuang-Hong,Li, Zhi-Bin,Ren, Ze-Fang,Wang, Shen-Ming Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.6

Objectives: Compared with Western countries, the incidence rates for breast cancer in China are still low. However, breast cancer appears to be hitting Chinese women at a much younger age, with a peak between 40 and 50 years. Furthermore, breast tumors of Asian women have molecular and genetic characteristics that are different from those of Caucasian women. Methods: A community-based study was designed to evaluate the relationship between lifestyles and breast cancer risk in Chinese women residing in Guangzhou. 16,314 subjects completed the questionnaire. Potential confounding factors included sociodemographic characteristics. Results: 33 individuals reported a history of breast cancer, yielding a prevalence rate of 202.3/100000. Associations between subjects' demographic and breast cancer risk factors were assessed. Breast cancer is associated with family history of breast cancer, X-rays received, benign breast disease and hyperlipoidemia or hypercholesteremia with elevated odds ratios. Conclusions: Family history of breast cancer, X-ray received benign breast disease and hyperlipoidemia or hypercholesteremia were significantly associated with risk of breast cancer and may havepotential for breast cancer risk assessment.

Patient and Care Delays of Breast Cancer in China

Yue-Lin Li,Ya-Chao Qin,Lu-Ying Tang,Yu-Huang Liao,Wei Zhang,Xiao-Ming Xie,Qiang Liu,Ying Lin,Ze-Fang Ren 대한암학회 2019 Cancer Research and Treatment Vol.51 No.3

Purpose This study differentiates patient and care delays of breast cancer and explores the related factors as well as the associations with the prognosis in Guangzhou, a southern city of China. Materials and Methods A cohort of female incident breast cancer patients (n=1,551) was recruited from October 2008 to March 2012 and followed up until January 1, 2016 (n=1,374) in the affiliated hospitals of Sun Yat-sen University. The factors associated with patient and care delays were analyzed with multivariable logistic models. Cox proportional hazards regression models were constructed to estimate the impacts of the delays on the prognosis. Results There were 40.4% patient delay (! 3 months) and 15.5% care delay (! 1 month). The patient delay, but not the care delay, was significantly related to the clinical stage and consequently worsened the prognosis of breast cancer (hazard ratio, 1.45; 95% confidence interval, 1.09 to 1.91 for progression-free survival). The factors related to an increased patient delay included premenopausal status, history of benign breast disease, and less physical examination. Conclusion Patient delay was the main type of delay in Guangzhou and resulted in higher clinical stage and poor prognosis of breast cancer. Screening for breast cancer among premenopausal women may be an effective way to reduce this delay.