淋巴细胞趋化因子——独树一帜的趋化因子

淋巴细胞趋化因子（Ltn)是C族趋化因子的唯五成员,其独特的的结构和作用的选择性引入注目,研究表明其在调节免疫系统平衡、增强免疫、抗肿瘤等方面发挥重要作用,并与肾炎等多种疾病相关,可望成为防治疾病的新靶点。     

趋化因子及其受体在连接天然免疫与获得性免疫中的作用

病原侵入组织引起天然免疫中巨噬细胞(Mφ)分泌趋化因子,趋化因子／趋化因子受体的表达与非成熟树突状细胞(DC)的迁移、成熟、归巢以及获得性免疫应答密切相关。整个过程涉及许多趋化因子和趋化因子受体的表达变化,正是这种表达变化的精细调节启动了免疫细胞的定向迁移、归巢和游走,搭起天然免疫和获得性免疫的桥梁。本文综述了趋化因子和趋化因子受体在连接天然免疫和获得性免疫应答中的重要作用。     

趋化因子及趋化因子受体在急性胰腺炎中的研究进展

普遍认为,急性胰腺炎起始于腺泡细胞内的胰蛋白酶原激活,随后引起的炎症反应加剧病情,也是多器官功能衰竭的主要原因。然而,最新的研究表明,急性胰腺炎引起的炎症反应是不依赖于胰蛋白酶原激活的独立病理过程。趋化因子作为能引起细胞趋化的细胞因子,通过与趋化因子受体作用,不但能调控淋巴细胞的生长、成熟和迁移,也参与多种炎症疾病与癌症的病理过程。近年来,多项研究已经阐述趋化因子及趋化因子受体在急性胰腺炎的发病发展过程中起到至关重要的作用。本文总结了CC,CXC和CX3C趋化因子家族成员在参与急性胰腺炎的炎症反应及对胰腺损伤的修复的研究进展,这将为AP临床治疗方案的设计提供新思路。     

趋化因子CXCL13及其受体CXCR5研究进展

趋化因子及其受体是免疫系统的重要组成部分,通过它们之间的信号传导,使得免疫系统正常运作。根据其结构特征,趋化因子及其受体被分为C、CC、CXC、CX3C四个家族,本文将介绍近两年对CXC家族的趋化因子CXCL13的结构特征、表达调控、与细胞因子家族其它成员之间的相互作用,以及它与相应的配体CXCR5结合后所介导的生理和病理作用等方面研究的一些进展,为今后的研究工作提供帮助。     

鱼类趋化因子的研究进展

趋化因子(Chemokine)是由多种细胞在致病因子刺激后分泌的一类低分子量的细胞因子,它们都具有激活和趋化白细胞的作用。趋化因子从结构上可分为四类:CC型、CXC型、CX3C型和C型;从功能上可分为两种类型:一类主要诱导白细胞到炎症部位;另一类主要是对肌体起免疫监控作用。目前,有关鱼类趋化因子的研究主要集中于CXC型和CC型两类,以及其在非特异性免疫中的作用。     

趋化因子及其受体基因家族的系统进化分析

通过分析现有的趋化因子和趋化因子受体的氨基酸序列,用距离法和最简约法构建了聚类图,探讨了趋化因子和趋化因子受体基因家族的系统演化特征。可见基因家族成员的分化早于脊椎动物的分化。不同物种的同一种基因的聚类关系能较好地反映物种经因子受体的进化速度不同,其中ＣＸＣＲ４的进化速率最低。趋化因子和趋化因子受体可能都起源于少数几个原始的基因,病毒编码与寄主相似的趋化因子或受体是进化过程中分子模拟的结果。     

趋化因子对肿瘤生长的影响

虽然趋化因子早先被认为主要影响炎症和造血过程时白细胞的迁移,但现在有大量的事实显示它们也影响许多肿瘤过程,像白细胞浸润、血管生成、肿瘤细胞生长、存活、浸润和转移。控制肿瘤细胞内趋化因子网将为肿瘤治疗提供一种选择。     

趋化因子及趋化因子受体3在自身免疫疾病中的作用

人体在防御和清除入侵病原体等异物时,有一种使白细胞趋集的功能,有一些低分子量的物质能引起这种功能称之为趋化剂或趋化因子。这些小蛋白因其有定向细胞趋化作用而得名。经研究表明,趋化因子受体3（CXCR3）趋化因子可能在自身免疫内分泌疾病中起到致病作用。此外,血清中CXCR3趋化因子的判定可能辅助检测免疫活性。CXCR3和优先参与趋化Th1细胞的因子。该受体连接的趋化因子10（CXCL10）不仅参与白细胞募集,还诱导T细胞增殖的异源体和抗原的刺激。趋化因子10正调节Th1细胞产物并且负调节Th2细胞的产物。免疫反应纤维结合素（INF）产物可增强特异的炎症反应。当被激活或者发现炎症和肿瘤细胞后趋化因子受体3-B在内皮细胞中表达并且其结合的趋化因子10,趋化因子9和趋化因子11激活后产生血管抑制作用。     

趋化因子受体CXCR1、CXCR2与肿瘤研究进展

趋化因子受体是由7个跨膜区组成的G蛋白偶联受体,多个系统的肿瘤细胞均表达趋化因子受体,其在肿瘤的发生、发展和转移等各个阶段都发挥重要作用.近年来有不少研究发现趋化因子受体中的CXCR1和CXCR2与肿瘤关系密切,认为其可能成为肿瘤治疗的一个潜在新靶点.本文就CXCR1和CXCR2这两种趋化因子受体与肿瘤的关系做一综述.     

趋化因子及其受体在神经系统发育中的作用

趋化因子是具有趋化作用的一类细胞因子,参与白细胞迁移的调控,在炎症中诱导性表达,与炎症过程密切相关,最初的研究主要局限于免疫系统。近几年来研究发现,趋化因子不仅参与神经系统疾病的炎症过程,而且在神经细胞成熟、发育等生理情况下组成性表达,发挥重要的生理调节作用,这一有趣的现象日益成为关注的焦点。本文主要针对趋化因子及其受体在神经系统发育中的作用及相关机制的研究成果予以综述,将有助于深入理解趋化因子与神经系统发育的关系,为进一步的研究提供依据。     

Recent advances in the study of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus replication and pathogenesis

It has now been over twenty years since a novel herpesviral genome was identified in Kaposi's sarcoma biopsies. Since then, the cumulative research effort by molecular biologists, virologists, clinicians, and epidemiologists alike has led to the extensive characterization of this tumor virus, Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus(KSHV; also known as human herpesvirus 8(HHV-8)), and its associated diseases. Here we review the current knowledge of KSHV biology and pathogenesis, with a particular emphasis on new and exciting advances in the field of epigenetics. We also discuss the development and practicality of various cell culture and animal model systems to study KSHV replication and pathogenesis.     

A Unique Protease Cleavage Site Predicted in the Spike Protein of the Novel Pneumonia Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Potentially Related to Viral Transmissibility

正Dear Editor,In December 2019, a novel human coronavirus caused an epidemic of severe pneumonia(Coronavirus Disease 2019,COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei, China(Wu et al. 2020; Zhu et al. 2020). So far, this virus has spread to all areas of China and even to other countries. The epidemic has caused 67,102 confirmed infections with 1526 fatal cases     

Curcuminoids as inhibitors of thioredoxin reductase: A receptor based pharmacophore study with distance mapping of the active site

Curcumin is the yellow pigment of turmeric that interacts irreversibly forming an adduct with thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), an enzyme responsible for redox control of cell and defence against oxidative stress. Docking at both the active sites of TrxR was performed to compare the potency of three naturally occurring curcuminoids, namely curcumin, demethoxy curcumin and bis-demethoxy curcumin. Results show that active sites of TrxR occur at the junction of E and F chains. Volume and area of both cavities is predicted. It has been concluded by distance mapping of the most active conformations that Se atom of catalytic residue SeCYS498, is at a distance of 3.56 from C13 of demethoxy curcumin at the E chain active site, whereas C13 carbon atom forms adduct with Se atom of SeCys 498. We report that at least one methoxy group in curcuminoids is necessary for interation with catalytic residues of thioredoxin. Pharmacophore of both active sites of the TrxR receptor for curcumin and demethoxy curcumin molecules has been drawn and proposed for design and synthesis of most probable potent antiproliferative synthetic drugs.     

The structure, reproduction and taxonomy of Vidalia and Osmundaria (Rhodophyta, Rhodomelaceae)

Comprises species occurring mostly in subtidal habitats in tropical, subtropical and warm-temperate areas of the world. An analysis of the type species, V. spiralis (Sonder) Lamouroux ex J. Agardh, a species from Australia, establishes basic characters for distinguishing species in the genus. These characters are (1) branching patterns of thalli, (2) flat blades that may be spiralled on their axis, (3) width of the blade, (4) primary or secondary derivation of sterile and fertile branchlets and (5) position of sterile and fertile branchlets on the thalli. Application of the latter two characters provides an important basic method for separation of species into three major groups. Osmundaria , a genus known only in southern Australia, was studied in relation to Vidalia , and its separation from the Vidalia assemblage is not accepted. Species of Vidalia therefore are transferred to the older genus name, Osmundaria. Two new species, Osmundaria papenfussii and Osmundaria oliveae are described from Natal. Confusion in the usage of the epithet, Vidalia fimbriala Brown ex Turner has been clarified, and Vidalia gregaria Falkenberg, described as an epiphyte on Osmundaria pro/ifera Lamouroux, is revealed to be young branches of the host, Osmundaria prolifera.     

New or rare chromosome counts in Artemisia L. (Asteraceae, Anthemideae) and related genera from Kazakhstan

Fifteen chromosome counts of six Artemisia taxa and one species of each of the genera Brachanthemum, Hippolytia, Kaschgaria, Lepidolopsis and Turaniphytum are reported from Kazakhstan. Three of them are new reports, two are not consistent with previous counts and the remainder are confirmations of very scarce (one to four) earlier records. All the populations studied have the same basic chromosome number, x = 9, with ploidy levels ranging from 2x to 6x. Some correlations between ploidy level, morphological characters and distribution are noted.