Localization of the human prealbumin gene to chromosome 18

A human liver cDNA library was screened using an oligonucleotide probe based on the amino acid sequence of human prealbumin. The cDNA insert of one positive clone was sequenced and found to contain the entire coding sequence of human prealbumin plus untranslated 5' and 3' regions. This cDNA was used to probe DNA from a panel of mouse/human somatic cell hybrids. Only those hybrids containing human chromosome 18 showed the human-specific hybridization pattern, thereby localizing the human prealbumin gene to this chromosome.     

Interaction of lymphocytes and macrophage cell line cells (M1 cells). I. Functional maturation and appearance of Fc receptors im M1 cells

M₁ cells, which are cell line cells established from myeloid leukemia cells of the SL strain mouse, can differentiate from blast cells ($\text{M}{}_1{}^{\mathrm{?}}$) to mature macrophages ($\text{M}{}_1{}^{\mathrm{+}}$) within 48 hr, when they are cultured with conditioned medium (CM) obtained from murine embryonic fibroblasts. While $\text{M}{}_1{}^{\mathrm{?}}$ cells have no phagocytic activity nor Fc receptor (FcR), $\text{M}{}_1{}^{\mathrm{+}}$ cells possess both characteristics. The appearance of FcR is temperature-dependent and inhibited by a metabolic inhibitor, cycloheximide. FcR on $\text{M}{}_1{}^{\mathrm{+}}$ cells is resistant to trypsin and pronase. $\text{M}{}_1{}^{\mathrm{+}}$ cells improve the viability of macrophage-depleted SL splenic lymphocytes and restore the in vitro secondary plaque forming cell response of macrophage-depleted spleen cells to particulate and soluble antigens. $\text{M}{}_1{}^{\mathrm{?}}$ cells lack this macrophage-substituting capacity. Mm₁ cells, mutant cells from M₁ cells, having FcR and higher phagocytic activity than $\text{M}{}_1{}^{\mathrm{+}}$ cells, are also devoid of this capacity.     

Scaffold protein Homer 1: Implications for neurological diseases

Homer proteins are commonly known as scaffold proteins at postsynaptic density. Homer 1 is a widely studied member of the Homer protein family, comprising both synaptic structure and mediating postsynaptic signaling transduction. Both an immediate-early gene encoding a Homer 1 variant and a constitutively expressed Homer 1 variant regulate receptor clustering and trafficking, intracellular calcium homeostasis, and intracellular molecule complex formation. Substantial preclinical investigations have implicated that each of these Homer 1 variants are associated with the etiology of many neurological diseases, such as pain, mental retardation syndromes, Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, drug-induced addiction, and traumatic brain injury.     

Exposure to novel environment is characterized by an interaction of D1/NMDA receptors underlined by phosphorylation of the NMDA and AMPA receptor subunits and activation of ERK1/2 signaling, leading to epigenetic changes and gene expression in rat hippocampus

Interactions between dopamine and glutamate receptors are essential for prefrontal cortical (PFC) and hippocampal cognitive functions. The hippocampus has been identified as a detector of a novel stimulus, where an association between incoming information and stored memories takes place. Further to our previous results which showed a strong synergistic interaction of dopamine D1 and glutamate NMDA receptors, the present study is going to investigate the functional status of that interaction in rats, following their exposure to a novel environment. Our results showed that the “spatial” novelty induced in rat hippocampus and PFC (a) a significant increase in phosphorylation of NMDA and AMPA receptor subunits, as well as a robust phosphorylation/activation of ERK1/2 signaling, which are both dependent on the concomitant stimulation of D1/NMDA receptors and are both abolished by habituation procedure, (b) chromatin remodeling events (phosphorylation-acetylation of histone H3) and (c) an increase in the immediate early genes (IEGs) c-Fos and zif-268 expression in the CA1 region of hippocampus, which is dependent on the co-activation of D1/NMDA and acetylcholine muscarinic receptors. In conclusion, our results clearly show that a strong synergistic interaction of D1/NMDA receptor is required for the novelty-induced phosphorylation of NMDA and AMPA receptor subunits and for the robust activation of ERK1/2 signaling, leading to chromatin remodeling events and the expression of the IEGs c-Fos and zif-268, which are involved in the regulation of synaptic plasticity and memory consolidation.     

Effect of an orally applied herbal immunomodulator on cytokine induction and antibody response in normal and immunosuppressed mice

The influence of the oral administration of a herbal immunomodulator, consisting of an aqueous-ethanolic extract of the mixed herbal drugs Thujae summitates, Baptisiae tinctoriae radix, Echinaceae purpureae radix and Echinaceae pallidae radix, on cytokine induction and antibody response against sheep red blood cells was investigated in mice. The treatment of the animals with the extract caused no enhancement of the cytokine titers in the serum. Spleen cells isolated from the treated mice, however, produced higher amounts of IL-2, IFNgamma and GM-CSF ex vivo in comparison to spleen cells isolated from control animals, especially after additional stimulation by lipopolysaccharides or concanavalin A. The application of the extract also triggered the production of IL-1 and TNFalpha by peritoneal macrophages ex vivo. The influence of the herbal extract on the antibody response was examined by the plaque forming cell assay. The administration of the extract caused a significant enhancement of the antibody response against sheep red blood cells, inducing an increase in the numbers of splenic plaque forming cells and the titers of specific antibodies in the sera of the treated animals. In mice, immunosuppressed by old age or additional treatment with hydrocortisone, the therapy with the extract resulted in a normalization of the antibody response against sheep red blood cells.     

老年与青年小鼠慢性应激后抑郁样行为的观察

目的：探讨慢性应激后不同月龄小鼠抑郁样行为的变化,以及海马和前脑皮层胰岛素样神经营养因子-Ⅱ （IGF-Ⅱ）的作用。方法：昆明品系小白鼠3月龄（青年）和14月龄（老年）,随机分为青年对照组和青年应激组、老年对照组和老年应激组,每组12只、雌雄各半。多因素慢性应激21 d,建立抑郁小鼠模型。采用悬尾实验和蔗糖偏好实验评价小鼠的抑郁样行为;并且检测小鼠海马和前脑皮层IGF-Ⅱ的表达水平。结果：与青年对照组相比,老年对照组小鼠的累积不动时间明显增多（P<0.05）,蔗糖消耗度明显降低（P<0.05）,并且IGF-Ⅱ阳性神经元数目在海马CA1区、CA3区、齿状回（D G）和前脑皮层均明显减少（P<0.01或P<0.05）;慢性应激后,青年应激组小鼠的第一次静止不动时间、累积不动时间和蔗糖消耗度与其对照组比较均有显著性差异（P均<0.01）,IGF-Ⅱ阳性神经元数目在CA1、DG和前脑皮层均显著减少（P<0.05或P<0.01）;与老年对照组比较,老年应激组小鼠的第一次静止不动时间明显减少（P<0.05）、累积不动时间显著增加（P<0.0 5）和蔗糖消耗度明显减少（P<0.05）,海马CA1、CA3和DG区IGF-Ⅱ阳性神经元数目均显著减少（P <0.05或P<0.01）。结论：慢性应激后小鼠的抑郁样行为可能与海马和前脑皮层IGF-Ⅱ表达的下调密切相关。     

The neurodynamics underlying attentional control in set shifting tasks

In this work we address key phenomena observed with classical set shifting tasks as the “Wisconsin Card Sorting Test” or the “Stroop” task: Different types of errors and increased response times reflecting decreased attention. A component of major importance in these tasks is referred to as the “attentional control” thought to be implemented by the prefrontal cortex which acts primarily by an amplification of task relevant information. This mode of operation is illustrated by a neurodynamical model developed for a new kind of set shifting experiment: The Wisconsin-Delayed-Match-to-Sample task combines uninstructed shifts as investigated in Wisconsin-like tasks with a Delayed-Match-to-Sample paradigm. These newly developed WDMS experiments in conjunction with the neurodynamical simulations are able to explain the reason for decreased attention in set shifting experiments as well the different consequences of decreased attention in tasks requiring bivalent yes/no responses compared to tasks requiring multivalent responses. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi: ) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

猪链球菌2型的表面蛋白烯醇化酶在细菌黏附和引发免疫下调中的作用

利用克隆表达获得了具有酶活性的猪链球菌2型(S.suis2)05ZYH33重组烯醇化酶(Enolase)蛋白。流式细胞术FCM的细胞定位发现Enolase可部分存在于S.suis205ZYH33细菌的表面。进而利用Hep2细胞探讨猪链球菌表面Enolase参与细菌对宿主细胞的黏附作用。免疫空斑试验的结果提示,Enolase可能作为一个免疫下调蛋白对于引发猪链球菌相关疾病发挥着重要的作用。