应用基因工程技术生产IL-11和IL-12

目前武汉大学生命科学学院科研人员针对人体失血和免疫功能下降,应用基因工程技术生产出了人白细胞介素-11(即IL-11)和人白细胞介素-12(即IL-12)。 1 IL-11为人体自然产生的细胞生长因子,能增加血小板,提高凝血速度,防止伤口出血不止,在临床上用来治疗低血小板症,还能辅助治疗癌症,主要用于化疗。克隆于载体,通过大肠杆菌充分表达,经分离、纯化和精制,生产出质量很高的医用成药,故疗效很好。 2 IL-12这是目前在细胞素中发现对人体免疫活性细胞诱导和调节最强、范围最广的一种。其研制技术是将IL-12的两种不同来源的基因克隆于昆虫病毒载体,在昆虫细胞内表达,经分离纯化成工程蛋白,再制备成医药产品。它能诱导干扰素的产生,激活T细胞和NK细胞产生肿瘤坏死因子,能抗利什曼原虫、疟原虫、结核杆菌、血吸虫、肿瘤和病毒及其各相应的疾病,故美国基因研究所和惠施-阿耶斯特制药公司将它用于治疗艾滋病和肿瘤病,效果很好。秦春圃     

Senescence—like changes induced by expression of p21^Waf1／Cip1 in NIH3T3 cell line

P21^Waf1/Cip1 is a potent cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor.As a downstream mediator of P53,P21^Waf1/Cip1 involves in cell cycle arrest,differentiation and apoptosis.Previous studies in human cells provided evidence for a link between P21^Waf1/Cip1 and cellular senescence.While in murine cells,the role of P21^Waf1/Cip1 is indefinite.We explored this issue using NIH3T3 cells with inducible P21^Waf1/Cip1 expression.Induc-tion of P21^Waf1/Cip1 triggered G1 growth arrest, and NIH3T3-p21 cells exhibited morphologic features,such as enlarged and flattened cellular shape,specific to the senescence phenotype.We also showed that P21^Waf1/Cip1-transduced NIH3T3 cells expressed β-galactosidase activity at pH6.0 ,which is known to be a marker of senescence.Our results suggest that P21^Waf1/Cip1 can also induce senescence-like changes in murine cells.     

Gene Regulatory Networks in the Genomics Era

<正>The precise regulation of gene expression is critical to the normal development and biological function of all organisms. Dysregulation of gene expression during early development can result in a spectrum of failures ranging from minor defects to the termination of development. In adult life, dysregulation ncan lead to     

miR-769-3p 对甲型 H1N1流感病毒核蛋白表达的调控

目的:预测靶向甲型流感病毒核蛋白(NP)基的微小 RNA(miRNA),并检测其对 NP 表达的影响.方法:从miRBase 数据库中获取人成熟 miRNA 序列,利用 miRanda 软件预测潜在靶向流感病毒 A/FM/1/47(H1N1) NP 基的人 miRNA;通过双萤光素酶报告基系统及 Western 印迹验证所预测的 miRNA 对 NP 表达的影响.结果:用 miRanda软件在流感病毒 A/FM/1/47(H1N1) NP 基上预测得到分值及最小结合自由能均较好的 miR-769-3p;双萤光素酶报告基结果显示 miR-769-3p 能显著降低报告基载体萤光素酶的表达;Western 印迹结果显示 miR-769-3p 能明显抑制 NP 的表达,但突变 NP 基上的 miR-769-3p 结合位点后,miR-769-3p 不能抑制 NP 的表达.结论:miR-769-3p 可靶向流感病毒 A/FM/1/47(H1N1) NP 基并抑制 NP 的表达,为抗甲型流感病毒的 miRNA 药物研发提供了据和潜在药物靶标.     

黑果枸杞原生质体培养及植株再生

该研究以黑果枸杞(Lycium ruthenicum)无菌苗为材料,建立了愈伤组织来源的原生质体再生体系,采用ISSR和FCM技术对再生植株进行了遗传稳定性分析。结果表明：(1)黑果枸杞叶片愈伤组织是产生原生质体的最好材料,在含0.5 mg·mL^-1甘露醇的酶液中,继代1次的叶片愈伤组织中原生质体产量为7.77×10⁶个·g^-1,活力为92%。(2)改良MS培养基 固体液体双层培养(MS₂ 固液双层)是培养原生质体的最好方式,培养10 d的原生质体分裂频率为45.9%,培养20 d的细胞团形成频率为22.9%。(3)在1.5 mg·mL^-1 6 BA+0.1 mg·mL^-1 IBA+MS培养基中,叶片愈伤组织产生的原生质体可分化获得再生植株。(4)ISSR分析显示,再生植株的平均遗传相似系数为0.88;FCM显示再生植株为二倍体,与亲本植株一致。该研究结果为进一步研究枸杞体细胞杂交技术转移野生植物抗逆遗传性状提供科学依据,为枸杞优良品种的选育奠定了基础。     

乙醇合成途径的计算机重构

目的:用计算机重构乙醇合成途径,为合成生物燃料乙醇提供理论依据。方法:利用KEGG反应、化合物数据提取反应等式,过滤掉42个通用代谢物参与的反应,然后利用剩下的反应构建反应矩阵;利用广度优先搜索算法在反应矩阵中搜索生成乙醇的代谢途径。结果:计算机重构了23 108条乙醇合成途径,以大肠杆菌作为产乙醇基因工程菌为例,通过限制改构菌整合的关键酶数目,分别得到了78条以酒精O-乙酰基转移酶为关键酶的乙醇合成通路和89条以丙酮酸脱羧酶和乙醇脱氢酶为关键酶的乙醇合成通路,并构建了相应的乙醇合成网络图,标注每个反应的酶及编码该酶的基因。结论:通过计算机方法重构了多种乙醇合成途径,可以为利用微生物工业化生产乙醇提供理论依据。     

Improving the evidence base for decision making during a pandemic: the example of 2009 influenza A/H1N1

This article synthesizes and extends discussions held during an international meeting on "Surveillance for Decision Making: The Example of 2009 Pandemic Influenza A/H1N1," held at the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics (CCDD), Harvard School of Public Health, on June 14 and 15, 2010. The meeting involved local, national, and global health authorities and academics representing 7 countries on 4 continents. We define the needs for surveillance in terms of the key decisions that must be made in response to a pandemic: how large a response to mount and which control measures to implement, for whom, and when. In doing so, we specify the quantitative evidence required to make informed decisions. We then describe the sources of surveillance and other population-based data that can presently--or in the future--form the basis for such evidence, and the interpretive tools needed to process raw surveillance data. We describe other inputs to decision making besides epidemiologic and surveillance data, and we conclude with key lessons of the 2009 pandemic for designing and planning surveillance in the future.     

Nationwide molecular surveillance of pandemic H1N1 influenza A virus genomes: Canada, 2009

Background

In April 2009, a novel triple-reassortant swine influenza A H1N1 virus (“A/H1N1pdm”; also known as SOIV) was detected and spread globally as the first influenza pandemic of the 21^st century. Sequencing has since been conducted at an unprecedented rate globally in order to monitor the diversification of this emergent virus and to track mutations that may affect virus behavior.

Methodology/Principal Findings

By Sanger sequencing, we determined consensus whole-genome sequences for A/H1N1pdm viruses sampled nationwide in Canada over 33 weeks during the 2009 first and second pandemic waves. A total of 235 virus genomes sampled from unique subjects were analyzed, providing insight into the temporal and spatial trajectory of A/H1N1pdm lineages within Canada. Three clades (2, 3, and 7) were identifiable within the first two weeks of A/H1N1pdm appearance, with clades 5 and 6 appearing thereafter; further diversification was not apparent. Only two viral sites displayed evidence of adaptive evolution, located in hemagglutinin (HA) corresponding to D222 in the HA receptor-binding site, and to E374 at HA2-subunit position 47. Among the Canadian sampled viruses, we observed notable genetic diversity (1.47×10⁻³ amino acid substitutions per site) in the gene encoding PB1, particularly within the viral genomic RNA (vRNA)-binding domain (residues 493–757). This genome data set supports the conclusion that A/H1N1pdm is evolving but not excessively relative to other H1N1 influenza A viruses. Entropy analysis was used to investigate whether any mutated A/H1N1pdm protein residues were associated with infection severity; however no virus genotypes were observed to trend with infection severity. One virus that harboured heterozygote coding mutations, including PB2 D567D/G, was attributed to a severe and potentially mixed infection; yet the functional significance of this PB2 mutation remains unknown.

Conclusions/Significance

These findings contribute to enhanced understanding of Influenza A/H1N1pdm viral dynamics.     

Relative importance of water, energy, and heterogeneity in determining regional pteridophyte and seed plant richness in China

Environmental variables, such as ambient energy, water availability, and environmental heterogeneity have been frequently proposed to account for species diversity gradients. How taxon-specific functional traits define large-scale richness gradients is a fundamental issue in understanding spatial patterns of species diversity, but has not been well documented. Using a large dataset on the regional flora from China, we examine the contrast spatial patterns and environmental determinants between pteridophytes and seed plants which differ in dispersal capacity and environmental requirements. Pteridophyte richness shows more pronounced spatial variation and stronger environmental associations than seed plant richness. Water availability generally accounts for more spatial variance in species richness of pteridophytes and seed plants than energy and heterogeneity do, especially for pteridophytes which have high dependence on moist and shady environments. Thus, pteridophyte richness is disproportionally affected by water-related variables; this in turn results in a higher proportion of pteridophytes in regional vascular plant floras (pteridophyte proportion) in wet regions. Most of the variance in seed plant richness, pteridophyte richness, and pteridophyte proportion explained by energy is included in variation that water and heterogeneity account for, indicating the redundancy of energy in the study extent. However, heterogeneity is more important for determining seed plant distributions. Pteridophyte and seed plant richness is strongly correlated, even after the environmental effects have been removed, implying functional linkages between them. Our study highlights the importance of incorporating biological traits of different taxonomic groups into the studies of macroecology and global change biology.     

Increased T cell proliferative responses to islet antigens identify clinical responders to anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody (rituximab) therapy in type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes mellitus is believed to be due to the autoimmune destruction of β-cells by T lymphocytes, but a single course of rituximab, a monoclonal anti-CD20 B lymphocyte Ab, can attenuate C-peptide loss over the first year of disease. The effects of B cell depletion on disease-associated T cell responses have not been studied. We compare changes in lymphocyte subsets, T cell proliferative responses to disease-associated target Ags, and C-peptide levels of participants who did (responders) or did not (nonresponders) show signs of β-cell preservation 1 y after rituximab therapy in a placebo-controlled TrialNet trial. Rituximab decreased B lymphocyte levels after four weekly doses of mAb. T cell proliferative responses to diabetes-associated Ags were present at baseline in 75% of anti-CD20- and 82% of placebo-treated subjects and were not different over time. However, in rituximab-treated subjects with significant C-peptide preservation at 6 mo (58%), the proliferative responses to diabetes-associated total (p = 0.032), islet-specific (p = 0.048), and neuronal autoantigens (p = 0.005) increased over the 12-mo observation period. This relationship was not seen in placebo-treated patients. We conclude that in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus, anti-B cell mAb causes increased proliferative responses to diabetes Ags and attenuated β-cell loss. The way in which these responses affect the disease course remains unknown.