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.     

Upregulation of FIk-1 by bFGF via the ERK pathway is essential for VEGF-mediated promotion of neural stem cell proliferation

Neural stem cells (NSCs) constitute the cellular basis for embryonic brain development and neurogenesis.The processis regulated by NSC niche including neighbor cells such as vascular and glial cells.Since both vascular and glial cellssecrete vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF),we assessed the effect ofVEGF and bFGF on NSC proliferation using nearly homogeneous NSCs that were differentiated from mouse embryonicstem cells.VEGF alone did not have any significant effect.When bFGF was added,however,VEGF stimulated NSCproliferation in a dose-dependent manner,and this stimulation was inhibited by ZM323881,a VEGF receptor (Flk-1)-specific inhibitor.Interestingly,ZM323881 also inhibited cell proliferation in the absence of exogenous VEGF,suggestingthat VEGF autocrine plays a role in the proliferation of NSCs.The stimulatory effect of VEGF on NSC proliferationdepends on bFGF,which is likely due to the fact that expression of Flk-1 was upregulated by bFGF via phosphoryla-tion of ERK1/2.Collectively,this study may provide insight into the mechanisms by which mieroenvironmental nichesignals regulate NSCs.     

HSC的活化、增殖与TGF-β1及其Ⅰ型受体在中晚期纤维化肝组织中的改变及护肝片对其的影响

目的 探讨护肝片对中、晚期纤维化大鼠肝组织肝星状细胞（HSC）的活化与增殖及转化生长因子-β1（TGF-β1）及其工型受体（TβRⅠ）表达的影响。方法 采用12．5％CCh诱导的大鼠肝纤维化模型,自造模之日起,大鼠分组灌胃给药（护肝片921mg·kg^-1）或溶媒,每日一次,直至8或13周末,分别处死动物,取左叶肝组织石蜡包埋,制作组织芯片,免疫组化S-P法检测大鼠肝组织α-平滑肌肌动蛋白（α-SMA）、TGF-β1及TβRⅠ蛋白的表达,并用Meta Morph图像分析系统计数α-SMA阳性细胞数、对TGF-β1。及TβRⅠ蛋白表达量进行定量分析。结果 1．模型复制8周和13周,模型组的肝损伤及其纤维化分级均明显高于正常组（P〈0．01）,护肝片组的肝损伤及其纤维化分级均轻于模型组。2．模型复制8周和13周,模型组活化的HSC（即α-SMA阳性细胞）数量较正常组明显增多、TGF-β1及TβRⅠ蛋白的表达较正常组明显增强（P〈0．01）;3．护肝片显著抑制8、13周纤维化肝组织HSC的活化与增殖和TGF-β1及TβRⅠ蛋白的表达（P〈0．01）。结论 抑制HSC的活化与增殖和TGF-β1及TβRⅠ的表达可能是护肝片抗肝纤维化作用的靶点之一。     

高等植物成花诱导调控的分子和遗传机制

成花诱导是高等植物由营养生长向生殖生长过渡的重要环节。成花诱导过程由内因和外因两个因素决定。近年来,在对拟南芥、水稻等有花模式植物成花机制的研究中,已发现植物成花主要受春化、温敏、光周期、赤霉素、自主、成花抑制和年龄7条途径控制。文章简要综述这7条途径相关研究的最新进展,以期为今后从分子和生理水平调控植物成花诱导提供基础。     

Circadian gene variants and susceptibility to type 2 diabetes: a pilot study

Background

Disruption of endogenous circadian rhythms has been shown to increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, suggesting that circadian genes might play a role in determining disease susceptibility. We present the results of a pilot study investigating the association between type 2 diabetes and selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in/near nine circadian genes. The variants were chosen based on their previously reported association with prostate cancer, a disease that has been suggested to have a genetic link with type 2 diabetes through a number of shared inherited risk determinants.

Methodology/Principal Findings

The pilot study was performed using two genetically homogeneous Punjabi cohorts, one resident in the United Kingdom and one indigenous to Pakistan. Subjects with (N = 1732) and without (N = 1780) type 2 diabetes were genotyped for thirteen circadian variants using a competitive allele-specific polymerase chain reaction method. Associations between the SNPs and type 2 diabetes were investigated using logistic regression. The results were also combined with in silico data from other South Asian datasets (SAT2D consortium) and white European cohorts (DIAGRAM+) using meta-analysis. The rs7602358G allele near PER2 was negatively associated with type 2 diabetes in our Punjabi cohorts (combined odds ratio [OR] = 0.75 [0.66–0.86], p = 3.18×10⁻⁵), while the BMAL1 rs11022775T allele was associated with an increased risk of the disease (combined OR = 1.22 [1.07–1.39], p = 0.003). Neither of these associations was replicated in the SAT2D or DIAGRAM+ datasets, however. Meta-analysis of all the cohorts identified disease associations with two variants, rs2292912 in CRY2 and rs12315175 near CRY1, although statistical significance was nominal (combined OR = 1.05 [1.01–1.08], p = 0.008 and OR = 0.95 [0.91–0.99], p = 0.015 respectively).

Conclusions/significance

None of the selected circadian gene variants was associated with type 2 diabetes with study-wide significance after meta-analysis. The nominal association observed with the CRY2 SNP, however, complements previous findings and confirms a role for this locus in disease susceptibility.     

GM2 gangliosidoses in Spain: Analysis of the HEXA and HEXB genes in 34 Tay-Sachs and 14 Sandhoff patients

Acid α-glucosidase (GAA) is a lysosomal enzyme that hydrolyzes glycogen to glucose. Deficiency of GAA causes Pompe disease. Mammalian GAA is synthesized as a precursor of ~ 110,000 Da that is N-glycosylated and targeted to the lysosome via the M6P receptors. In the lysosome, human GAA is sequentially processed by proteases to polypeptides of 76-, 19.4-, and 3.9-kDa that remain associated. Further cleavage between R²⁰⁰ and A²⁰⁴ inefficiently converts the 76-kDa polypeptide to the mature 70-kDa form with an additional 10.4-kDa polypeptide. GAA maturation increases its affinity for glycogen by 7-10 fold. In contrast to human GAA, processing of bovine and hamster GAA to the 70-kDa form is more rapid. A comparison of sequences surrounding the cleavage site revealed human GAA contains histidine at 201 while other species contain hydrophobic amino acids at position 201 in the otherwise conserved sequence. Recombinant human GAA (rhGAA) containing the H201L substitution was expressed in 293 T cells by transfection. Pulse chase experiments in 293 T cells expressing rhGAA with or without the H201L substitution revealed rapid processing of rhGAA^H201L but not rhGAA^WT to the 70-kDa form. Similarly, when GAA precursor was endocytosed by human Pompe fibroblasts rhGAA^H201L but not rhGAA^WT was rapidly converted to the 70-kDa mature GAA. These studies indicate that the amino acid at position 201 influences the rate of conversion of 76-kDa GAA to 70-kDa GAA. The GAA sequence rather than the lysosomal protease environment explains the predominance of the 76-kDa form in human tissues.     

工程大肠杆菌合成游离脂肪酸的研究进展

游离脂肪酸作为一种重要的平台化合物,其衍生产品被广泛应用到能源、化学工业中。作为更加可持续、绿色的生产策略,利用工程微生物合成游离脂肪酸是以石油基和动植物为原料生产脂肪酸类产品的重要补充。大肠杆菌作为经典的模式微生物,通过对其进行代谢工程改造,脂肪酸的积累已经从痕量提高到了约9g/L,展示了其作为脂肪酸合成菌株的巨大应用潜力。随着合成生物学技术的涌现,“感应-调控器”、体外重构、β氧化逆循环、异源合成途径的整合等思路的引入极大地加快了工程大肠杆菌脂肪酸合成的进化速率,并赋予大肠杆菌合成多种脂肪酸产品的能力。对近年来通过代谢工程和合成生物学手段改造大肠杆菌合成游离脂肪酸的研究进展进行综述,对其发展前景进行展望。     

Nitric Oxide Inducing Function and Intracellular Movement of Chicken Interleukin-18 in Cultured Cells

To evaluate the characteristics of chicken interleukin-18 (ChIL-18) in different forms in vitro,the ChIL-18 full-length gene (ChIL-18-F) and the ChIL-18 presumed mature protein gene (ChIL-18-M) werecloned and inserted into the eukaryotic expression vector pCI,to construct recombinant pCI-ChIL-18-Fand pCI-ChIL-18-M.The recombinant plasmids were then transferred into chicken splenic lymphocytes(CSLs).Western blot showed that ChIL-18-F,with a molecular weight of 23.0 kDa,was produced in CSLstransfected by pCI-ChlL-18-F;ChIL-18-M,with a molecular weight of 19.5 kDa,was produced in CSLstransfected by pCI-ChIL-18-M.The nitric oxide (NO) level in the transfected CSLs and the culture mediumat different time points was further examined under confocal microscopy using 4.5-diaminofluoresceinstaining.The results showed that both pCI-ChIL-18-F and pCI-ChIL-18-M groups showed significantincrease in intracellular and extracellular NO production compared with pCI transfected control cells.Theseresults suggest that both ChIL-18-F and ChIL-18-M could stimulate NO secretion in CSLs.To characterizethe intracellular distribution of ChIL-18,ChIL-18-F and ChIL-18-M were each fused to the enhanced greenfluorescent protein gene,and expressed in Vero cells.The results showed that the ChIL-18-F tended to themembranous region in Vero cells,while ChIL-18-M did not.This indicates that the N-terminal 27 amino acidpeptide helped ChIL-18 target to Veto cell membranes.     

Phylogenetic positions of several amitochondriate protozoa——Evidence from phylogenetic analysis of DNA topoisomerase II

In the 1980s some special protozoa were gradually recognized: being eukaryotes, they possess some characteristics between prokaryotes and eukaryotes, for example, lack of eukaryotic organelle such as mi-tochondria, and even 70S ribosomes in some species, containing 16S, 23S rRNA like those of prokaryotes. These protozoa contain diplomonads (e.g. intestinal parasite Giardia), parabasalids (e.g. venereal disease pathogen Trichomonas), microsporidia (e.g. the human pathogen Encephalitozoon), a…