Treatment of experimental adjuvant arthritis with a novel folate receptor-targeted folic acid-aminopterin conjugate

Introduction  

Folate receptor (FR)-expressing macrophages have been shown to accumulate at sites of inflammation, where they promote development of inflammatory symptoms. To target such a macrophage population, we designed and evaluated the biologic activity of EC0746, a novel folic acid conjugate of the highly potent antifolate, aminopterin.     

Population Genetic Variation in the Tree Fern Alsophila spinulosa (Cyatheaceae): Effects of Reproductive Strategy

Background

Essentially all ferns can perform both sexual and asexual reproduction. Their populations represent suitable study objects to test the population genetic effects of different reproductive systems. Using the diploid homosporous fern Alsophila spinulosa as an example species, the main purpose of this study was to assess the relative impact of sexual and asexual reproduction on the level and structure of population genetic variation.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Inter-simple sequence repeats analysis was conducted on 140 individuals collected from seven populations (HSG, LCH, BPC, MPG, GX, LD, and ZHG) in China. Seventy-four polymorphic bands discriminated a total of 127 multilocus genotypes. Character compatibility analysis revealed that 50.0 to 70.0% of the genotypes had to be deleted in order to obtain a tree-like structure in the data set from populations HSG, LCH, MPG, BPC, GX, and LD; and there was a gradual decrease of conflict in the data set when genotypes with the highest incompatibility counts were successively deleted. In contrast, in population ZHG, only 33.3% of genotypes had to be removed to achieve complete compatibility in the data set, which showed a sharp decline in incompatibility upon the deletion of those genotypes. All populations examined possessed similar levels of genetic variation. Population ZHG was not found to be more differentiated than the other populations.

Conclusions/Significance

Sexual recombination is the predominant source of genetic variation in most of the examined populations of A. spinulosa. However, somatic mutation contributes most to the genetic variation in population ZHG. This change of the primary mode of reproduction does not cause a significant difference in the population genetic composition. Character compatibility analysis represents an effective approach to separate the role of sexual and asexual components in shaping the genetic pattern of fern populations.     

Population genetic variation and structure of the invasive weed Mikania micrantha in southern China: consequences of rapid range expansion

Invasive plants such as Mikania micrantha provide valuable opportunities for studying population genetic consequences of rapid range expansion. Twenty-eight populations of M. micrantha throughout its introduced range in southern China were examined by using intersimple sequence repeat markers. Population genetic parameters were estimated by Bayesian approaches as well as conventional methods. Bottleneck signature, multilocus linkage disequilibrium, character compatibility, and cluster analyses were conducted to assay the factors that may act to shape population variability. High levels of genetic variation and differentiation were detected in the introduced populations of M. micrantha. All populations experienced severe bottlenecks. Most of them demonstrated significant linkage disequilibrium and matrix compatibility. Populations were mainly clustered into 2 groups, and those from different regions intermingled in the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) dendrogram. No geographical signature was found in the pattern of population genetic variation. This research indicates that during M. micrantha invasion, multiple introductions mitigated the loss of genetic variation associated with bottlenecks. Nonetheless, bottlenecks enhanced the population differentiation. Human-mediated long-distance dispersal events of seeds or propagules explain the lack of geographic structure in genetic variation. Although asexual reproduction is the predominant mating mode in M. micrantha, it has little effect on the population genetic composition.     

Tea polyphenol is a potential antifungal agent for the control of obligate biotrophic fungus in plants

Tea polyphenol (TP) exhibits broad‐spectrum antimicrobial properties. In this study, the in vitro and in vivo antifungal activities of TP on Puccinia striiformis f.sp. tritici (Pst), which is an obligate biotrophic fungus that causes severe wheat stripe rust disease, were evaluated to investigate the control efficacy of TP. In vitro experiments showed that, at a concentration of 1.0 mg/ml, TP significantly suppressed urediniospore germination and caused the aberrant growth of germ tubes. The inhibition ratio reached 100% by increasing the TP concentration. In vivo experiments showed that TP reduced incidence rate and the uredia coverage rate in a dose‐ and application time‐dependent manner. TP treatment also induced the aberrant differentiation of Pst on wheat leaves. Results suggest that the ideal TP concentration range is 20–40 mg/ml, and TP may be a potential antifungal agent for the control of obligate biotrophic fungus in plants.     

Folate targeting of haptens to cancer cell surfaces mediates immunotherapy of syngeneic murine tumors

A variety of human cancers overexpress a cell surface receptor with high affinity for the vitamin, folic acid ( K(d) approximately 10(-10)M). Covalent attachment of therapeutic agents to folic acid has been shown to allow efficient targeting of the folate-drug conjugates to folate receptor-expressing cancer cells, with little or no uptake by normal tissues except the kidneys. We report here the use of folate's ability to deliver attached molecules specifically to cancer cells to convert poorly immunogenic tumors into highly immunogenic tissue targets. By linking folic acid to a model hapten, we have been able to decorate folate receptor-expressing cancer cell surfaces with >10(6) haptens/cell in vivo. Following marking of such cells with haptens, the cells are observed to become opsonized with autologous anti-hapten antibodies, which is presumed to mediate cell removal via antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). Supplemental administration of low levels of ADCC-activating cytokines [e.g. interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha)] has been shown to synergize with the folate-targeted immunotherapy. Thus, using M109 syngeneic lung cancer cells injected intraperitoneally into Balb/c mice that were previously immunized against fluorescein, a significant extension of life span is observed following treatment with folate-fluorescein conjugates, and complete cures are observed upon supplementation with moderate levels of IL-2 and IFN-alpha. Because control tumor-bearing mice treated with the same cytokines but with non-targeted fluorescein show no extension of life span, we conclude that tumor-specific opsonization is an essential step in this immunotherapy. Finally, because the anti-fluorescein antibodies are unable to access the folate receptors on the apical membranes of the kidney proximal tubules, no kidney or other normal tissue cytotoxicity is observed. These data suggest that retargeting of haptens to folate receptor-expressing cancers might constitute a method for mobilizing the immune system specifically against poorly immunogenic tumors.     

植物低温诱导蛋白和低温诱导基因的表达调控

对于温带作物而言,耐冷是一种重要的农艺性状,它对作物的安全越冬和生存起决定作用。阐明冷驯化的形成机理无疑对提高作物的耐冻性使之免遭冰冻伤害具重要意义。自从1906年Wiegand提出研究冻害机制的重要性以来,已经发表了数以千计的文章来探讨低温胁迫对植物形态结构和生理     

部分裸子植物假种皮微形态特征及其分类学意义

应用扫描电镜对红豆杉科、三尖杉科和罗汉松科植物假种皮的微形态特征进行了研究,结果表明：可以把红豆杉科植物分为两类,即具规则型网状纹饰的红豆杉属和具无规则型网状纹饰的白豆杉属、穗花杉属和榧树属。在后三属中,穗花杉属的穗花杉和白豆杉属的纹饰特征更为相近,同属厚网脊亚型。而云南穗花杉和榧树属的特征相近,属薄网脊亚型。假种皮表面纹饰特征显示不宜将红豆杉（T．chinensis）再分为两个独立的种,认为设立红豆杉和变种南方红豆杉（T．chinensisvar.mairei）的处理方式更加合理。三尖杉科（属）蓖子三尖杉（C．oliveri）假种皮纹饰的网脊、网底分化程度、细胞大小、单位面积细胞数和本届的其它植物差异很大,为建立蓖子三尖杉组提供了进一步的佐证。假种皮的微形态特征还支持把宽叶粗榧（C.sinensisvar.latifolia）上升为种C．latifolia的观点。罗汉松科假种皮纹饰类型的观察结果表明罗汉松属和陆均松属是自然分类群。尽管罗汉松属竹相组假种皮纹饰的网脊变异范围相对较大,但是变异范围仍在属内,不支持将其独立为新科的观点。假种皮的表面纹饰特征还表明三尖杉科和红豆杉科之间的联系密切。     

湖北产八角莲属3种植物的解剖学研究

报道了湖北产八角莲属３种植物八角莲,小八角莲和乌云伞的根,根茎,茎和叶的显微构造特点。茎部构造不同于一般双子叶植物的茎,近皮层有８－２２个大小不等外韧维管束排列成环状,而髓内又有３－６个内轮维管束。整个茎轮廊类似于单子叶植物的散生维管柱（中柱）。根,根茎及叶的构造类似于一般双子叶植物。本研究为开发和利用湖北产八角莲属药用植物资源提供鉴别依据。     

三尖杉科植物RAPD分析及其系统学意义

利用随机扩增多态性ＤＮＡ（ＲＡＰＤ）技术分析了三尖杉科植物三尖杉Ｃｅｐｈａｌｏｔａｘｕｓ ｆｏｒｔｕｎｅｉ Ｈｏｏｋ．ｆ．、粗榧Ｃｅｐｈａｌｏｔａｘｕｓ ｓｉｎｅｎｓｉｓＬｉ、海南粗榧Ｃｅｐｈａｌｏｔａｘｕｓ ｈａｉｎａｎｅｎｓｉｓＬｉ和篦子三尖极Ｃｅｐｈａｌｏｔａｘｕｓ ｏｌｉｖｅｒｉＭａｓｔ。,经筛选Ｏｐｅｒｏｎ公司的４组８０个引物,其中１１４个引物的谱带清晰呈多态性。采用ＵＰＧＭＡ法对各样本