The centipede Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans is an environmentally beneficial and medically important arthropod species. Although this species is increasingly applied as a reliable source of new antimicrobial peptides, the transcriptome of this species is a prerequisite for more rational selection of antimicrobial peptides. In this report, we isolated total RNA from the whole body of adult centipedes, S. subspinipes mutilans, that were nonimmunized and immunized against Escherichia coli, and we generated a total of 77,063 pooled contigs and singletons using high-throughput sequencing. To screen putative antimicrobial peptides, in silico analyses of the S. subspinipes mutilans transcriptome were performed based on the physicochemical evidence of length, charge, isoelectric point, and in vitro and in vivo aggregation scores together with the existence of continuous antimicrobial peptide stretches. Moreover, we excluded some transcripts that showed similarity with both previously known antimicrobial peptides and the human proteome, had a proteolytic cleavage site, and had downregulated expression compared with the nonimmunized sample. As a result, we selected 17 transcripts and tested their antimicrobial activity with a radial diffusion assay. Among them, ten synthetic peptides experimentally showed antimicrobial activity against microbes and no toxicity to mouse erythrocytes. Our results provide not only a useful set of antimicrobial peptide candidates and an efficient strategy for novel antimicrobial peptide development but also the transcriptome data of a big centipede as a valuable resource.
The biochemical mechanisms of Chlorella vulgaris protection against cadmium (Cd)-induced liver toxicity were investigated in male Sprague-Dawley rats (5 weeks of age, weighing 90-110 g). Forty rats were randomly divided into one control and three groups treated with 10 ppm Cd: one Cd without Chlorella (Cd-0C), one Cd with 5% Chlorella (Cd-5C), and one Cd with 10% Chlorella (Cd-10C) groups. The rats had free access to water and diet for 8 weeks. Body weight gain and relative liver weight were significantly lower in the Cd-0C group than in Cd-5C and Cd-10C groups. Rats in the Cd-0C group had significantly higher hepatic concentrations of Cd and metallothioneins (MTs) than in the Cd-5C or Cd-10C group. The hepatic MT I/II mRNA was expressed in all experimental rats. MT II was more expressed in the Cd-5C and Cd-10C groups than in the Cd-0C group. Morphologically, a higher level of congestion and vacuolation was observed in the livers of the Cd-0C group compared to those of the Cd-5C and Cd-10C groups. Therefore, this study suggests that C. vulgaris has a protective effect against Cd-induced liver damage by reducing Cd accumulation and stimulating the expression of MT II in liver. However, the details of the mechanism of C. vulgaris on liver toxicity remains to be clarified by further studies.
Fostering creativity among gifted students has become forefront as an important element in Korea’s future economic prosperity. Since the passage of a gifted education act in 2002, all K-12 schools have been developing gifted programs. The first of two studies examines Koreans’ concept of giftedness based on the implicit theory. Three hundred twenty-eight Koreans including scientists, parents, teachers, and college students described their concept of giftedness, which includes intelligence, task commitment, creativity, interpersonal relationship, moral sense, and artistic talent. The second study explores self-reported characteristics of Korean students identified as gifted and whether identification criteria for giftedness miss creative students by emphasizing IQ and achievement scores. One thousand one hundred fifty-four students (469 gifted in sciences, 285 gifted in humanities, and 400 regular students) answered a questionnaire developed from the first study. The results indicate that students identified as gifted tend to have higher intelligence and task commitment than regular students, but tend not to differ from regular students in creativity when compared to Renzulli’s three rings concept of giftedness—above average ability, task commitment, and creativity.
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