Cell-to-cell contact results in a selective translocation of maternal human immunodeficiency virus type 1 quasispecies across a trophoblastic barrier by both transcytosis and infection

Mother-to-child transmission can occur in utero, mainly intrapartum and postpartum in case of breastfeeding. In utero transmission is highly restricted and results in selection of viral variant from the mother to the child. We have developed an in vitro system that mimics the interaction between viruses, infected cells present in maternal blood, and the trophoblast, the first barrier protecting the fetus. Trophoblastic BeWo cells were grown as a tight polarized monolayer in a two-chamber system. Cell-free virions applied to the apical pole neither crossed the barrier nor productively infected BeWo cells. In contrast, apical contact with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) resulted in transcytosis of infectious virus across the trophoblastic monolayer and in productive infection correlating with the fusion of HIV-infected PBMCs with trophoblasts. We showed that viral variants are selected during these two steps and that in one case of in utero transmission, the predominant maternal viral variant characterized after transcytosis was phylogenetically indistinguishable from the predominant child's virus. Hence, the first steps of transmission of HIV-1 in utero appear to involve the interaction between HIV type 1-infected cells and the trophoblastic layer, resulting in the passage of infectious HIV by transcytosis and by fusion/infection, both leading to a selection of virus quasispecies.     

日利用l基因工程培育成功耐高温植物

Nature Biotechnology 2000年18卷3期249页报道：日本九州大学的科学家们已培育成功一种可在高温下维持光合作用的转基因烟草(Science287,476～479,2000)。鉴于沙漠植物的叶绿体可在高温下减少三烯脂肪酸的合成,科学家们培育了含有来自拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana)的附加的叶绿体特异△-3去饱和酶(脱氢酶)基因的两个转基因烟草株系。互阻遏作用导致△-3去饱和酶基因在这些植株中的表达下降,以及与此伴随的三烯脂肪酸的相应减少。因此,这种转基因植株40℃高温下的光合作用活性可高于25℃下的活性(但40℃可极大地降低野生型植株的光合作用强度)。科学家们提示,利用内源基因可避免利－46用外源DNA进行基因操作时发生的有害效应。这个研究组的植物生理学家KohIba说：“此项研究给予我们的启迪是,利用基因操作技术可育成新的农作物或树木,以适应无可避免的全球性气候变化。例如可使寒冷地区的树木适应于高温环境”。汪开治     

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     

“太岁”生物学组分的研究

＂太岁＂是一种存在于地球上分类地位尚不清楚的生物体。对实验室保藏的7种不同的＂太岁＂样品进行了生物学组分的定性定量分析,旨在科学地了解＂太岁＂的组成成分,同时为＂太岁＂有效成分的开发利用和分类鉴定提供理论依据。对实验室保藏的7种＂太岁＂样品做生物组分及含量分析,具体包括：苯酚硫酸法测粗多糖含量、凯氏定氮法测粗蛋白含量、索氏提取法测粗脂肪含量、钒钼酸显色法测核酸含量、灼烧重量法测粗灰分含量、恒温干燥法测水分含量、原子吸收法测微量元素含量。实验结果表明,7种＂太岁＂样品含水量均较高,除LNUT006含水量73.58%外,其余＂太岁＂样品均达到90%以上;＂太岁＂样品中粗多糖含量在8.97~46.57 mg/g之间,其中LNUT006多糖含量明显高于其他＂太岁＂样品;粗蛋白含量在20.35~184.18 mg/g之间,其中LNUT006蛋白含量明显高于其他＂太岁＂样品;＂太岁＂样品中净核酸含量在2.053~35.128 6μg/g之间;灰分含量在42.93~246.4 mg/g之间;＂太岁＂样品钙、铁含量较高,分别为2 907.09μg/g和3 929.09μg/g,铅、镉含量最低。首次对未知生物＂太岁＂样品的组成成分进行初步系统的研究,为明确其组分和对其进一步的开发利用均有很重要的意义。     

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.