The Effect of the B Subunit of Cholera Toxin on the Action of Nerve Growth Factor on PC12 Cells

Abstract: Exogenous gangliosides, especially ganglioside GM1 (GM1), seem to potentiate the action of nerve growth factor (NGF). We have examined the possible regulation of the NGF signaling pathway in PC12 cells by the B subunit of cholera toxin (CTB), which binds to endogenous GM1 specifically and with a high affinity. CTB treatment (1 μg/ml) enhanced NGF-induced neurite outgrowth from PC12 cells, NGF-induced activation of ribosomal protein S6 kinase, and NGF-induced stimulation of trk phosphorylation. CTB plus NGF also caused a greater inhibition of [³H]-thymidine incorporation into DNA than did NGF alone. These enhancing effects of CTB were blocked by the presence of cytochalasin B in the culture medium but were not affected by the presence of colchicine or by the depletion of Ca²⁺ in the medium. ¹²⁵I-NGF binding experiments revealed that CTB treatment did not affect the specific binding of NGF to the cells. These results strongly suggest that the binding of cell surface GM1 by CTB modulates the pathway of intracellular signaling initiated by NGF and that the association of CTB with a cytoskeletal component is essential for these effects.     

A well-characterized polycistronic-like gene expression system in yeast

Efficient expression of multiple genes is critical to yeast metabolic engineering for the bioproduction of bulk and fine chemicals. A yeast polycistronic expression system is of particular interest because one promoter can drive the expression of multiple genes. 2A viral peptides enable the cotranslation of multiple proteins from a single mRNA by ribosomal skipping. However, the wide adaptation of 2A viral peptides for polycistronic-like gene expression in yeast awaits in-depth characterizations. Additionally, a one-step assembly of such a polycistronic-like system is highly desirable. To this end, we have developed a modular cloning (MoClo) compatible 2A peptide-based polycistronic-like system capable of expressing multiple genes from a single promoter in yeast. Characterizing the bi-, tri-, and quad-cistronic expression of fluorescent proteins showed high cleavage efficiencies of three 2A peptides: E2A from equine rhinitis B virus, P2A from porcine teschovirus-1, and O2A from Operophtera brumata cypovirus-18. Applying the polycistronic-like system to produce geraniol, a valuable industrial compound, resulted in comparable or higher titers than using conventional monocistronic constructs. In summary, this highly-characterized polycistronic-like gene expression system is another tool to facilitate multigene expression for metabolic engineering in yeast.     

Drosophila acidic ribosomal protein rpA2: Sequence and characterization

A cDNA encoding the Drosophila melanogaster acidic ribosomal protein rpA2 was cloned and sequenced. rpA2 is homologous to the Artemia salina acidic ribosomal protein eL12′. In situ hybridization to salivary gland polytene chromosomes localizes the rpA2 gene to band 21C. It is a single copy gene, with an mRNA of 0.8 kb. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of Drosophila ribosomal proteins followed by immuno-blotting showed that the rpA2 protein has an apparent relative mobility in SDS of 17 kD and an isoelectric point less than pH 5.0. Although the Drosophila gene rp21C may be the same as rpA2, the reported sequences differ. Comparisons of the aligned nucleotide sequences coding for the acidic ribosomal proteins rpA1 and rpA2 of Drosophila with those of other eukaryotes support the view of two separate, though closely related, groups of acidic proteins. Comparison with the Artemia homologues suggests that nucleotide identity may have been conserved by some constraint that acts in addition to the requirement for substantial similarity of amino acid sequences. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Effect of retinyl acetate on the assembly of the fibronectin extracellular matrix and the processing of the fibronectin receptor β subunit of confluent C3H/10T1/2 mouse embryo fibroblasts

The mouse embryo fibroblast cell line, C3H/10T1/2, synthesized and deposited a large amount of fibronectin especially in the pericellular matrix. Confluent cultures of these cells cultured in the presence of 0.3 μg/ml of retinyl acetate released cell surface fibronectin and the extracellular matrix fibronectin fibrils were disorganized. The immunoblot analysis demonstrated that the number of the fibronectin receptor was decreased in the prolonged culturing of retinyl acetate-treated cells. Immunoprecipitation of ³⁵S-methionine pulse-chase labeled cell extracts by antifibronectin receptor antibody indicated that about one-half of the pre-β subunit was processed and converted to the mature form in control cells, and only about one-fourth of the pre-β subunit was processed in the retinyl acetate-treated confluent cells. 1-deoxymannojirimycin (MNJ), which is an inhibitor of oligosaccharide processing, induced disorganization of the extracellular matrix fibronectin assembly similar to that observed with retinyl acetate. The results of this study suggest that a mechanism of action of retinyl acetate is inhibition of the glycosylation during processing of the fibronectin receptor, a step necessary for fibronectin binding and for assembly of the extracellular matrix. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

外周血NETs、TP53、STAT3表达与弥漫性大B细胞淋巴瘤临床病理及预后的关系分析

摘要 目的：探究外周血中性粒细胞胞外诱捕网（NETs）、TP53、信号转导与转录因子3（STAT3）表达与弥漫性大B细胞淋巴瘤（DLBCL）临床病理及预后的关系。方法：选取2020年3月-2021年12月收治的71例DLBCL患者作为研究对象,抽取患者外周静脉血,采用R-CHOP方案进行治疗,记录患者外周血NETs、TP53、STAT3表达情况并分析DLBCL患者外周血NETs、TP53、STAT3表达与其临床病理及预后的关系。结果：髓细胞组织增生蛋白（MYC）阳性在TP53阳性中的占比显著高于TP53阴性,差异有统计学意义（x²=28.844,P＜0.001）;Hans分型生发中心B细胞（GCB）在STAT3阳性中的占比显著高于STAT3阴性（x²=4.331,P=0.037）,其余差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）;随访截止至2022年6月,随访时长8~28个月,71例患者中共53例缓解DLBCL患者,其余18例为R/R DLBCL患者;NETs阳性、TP53阳性、STAT3阳性患者无进展生存期（PFS）显著低于NETs阴性、TP53阴性、STAT3阴性患者,差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）且NETs阳性、TP53阳性、STAT3阳性患者存活率均低于NETs阴性、TP53阴性、STAT3阴性患者（P<0.05）;单因素分析结果显示Ann Arbor分期、NETs、TP53、STAT3为DLBCL患者的影响因素（P<0.05）;以患者预后情况（R/R DLBCL=1,缓解DLBCL=0）为因变量,将Ann Arbor分期、NETs、TP53、STAT3单因素分析有统计学意义的因素纳入COX回归模型中,结果显示：NETs、TP53、STAT3为DLBCL患者预后的危险因素（P<0.05）。结论：TP53、STAT3表达与DLBCL临床病理存在一定相关性,临床应对DLBCL患者TP53、STAT3表达情况引起重视;NETs、TP53、STAT3表达为DLBCL预后的危险因素,可作为DLBCL患者不良预后的预测指标。     

A NEW PHYLOGENY FOR CHROMOPHYTE ALGAE USING 16S-LIKE RRNA SEQUENCES FROM MALLOMONAS PAPILLOSA (SYNUROPHYCEAE) AND TRIBONEMA AEQUALE (XANTHOPHYCEAE)1

The 16S-like ribosomal RNA genes from Mallomonas papillosa Harris et Bradley (Synurophyceae) and Tribonema aequale Pascher (Xanthophyceae) were sequenced and compared to those of other eukaryotes. Mallomonas is closely related to Ochromonas (Chrysophyceae) and supports the general hypothesis of a close phylogenetic relationship between the Synurophyceae and Chrysophyceae. Tribonema is specifically related to Costaria costata (C. A. Agardh) Saunders (Phaeophyceae) demonstrating an unexpected phylogenetic relationship between the Xanthophyceae and Phaeophyceae. Distance and parsimony analysis place these four chromophyte genera in a complex evolutionary assemblage that includes the Bacillariophyceae and Oomycetes but excludes the Dinophyceae. The close relationship between the chromophyte algae and the Öomycete fungi supports the hypothesis that protists with tripartite hairs form a natural assemblage.     

家蚕内网虫属微孢虫核糖体小亚单位RNA(SSUrRNA)核心序列的克隆和序列分析

Endoreticulatus bombycis is a new pathogenic microspordia isolated from the silkworm larvae.With polymerase chain reaction(PCR) method,we amplified a fragment of the core sequence of the small subunit ribosomal RNA( SSUr-RNA) of Endoreticulatus bombycis.The SSUrRNA fragment was inserted into pMD18-T Vector and then cloned.It had a length of 1230 nucleotides and a percentage GC content of 51.3%.The accession number in Genbank is gill 181769|AY009115.The secondary structure model of the SSUrRNA of Endoreticulatus bombycis was constructed both on the bases of the sequence alignment and RNAFOLD program of the PC-GENE package.The secondary structure model revealed that Endoreticulatus bombycis lacked many cukaryotic hclices.such as heli10,helix 11.helix 18,helix 43 and helix 46,but it has V4 region and has more of prokaryotic character.Analyzed by Blast,Endoreticulatus bombycis.Endoreticulatus schubergi and pleistophora sp.(Sd-Nu-IW8201) have a high similarity,over 98%,Phylogeny tree of Endoreticulatus and Pleistophora species showed that Endoreticulatus and Pleistophora sp.(Sd0Nu-IW8201) was in a group and the other Pleistophora species were in another group[Acta Zoologica Sinica 49(3):414-420,2001].     

Feeding by the pine weevil Hylobius abietis in relation to sun exposure and distance to forest edges

Abstract 1 The intensity of feeding by adult pine weevils Hylobius abietis (L.) on the stem bark of Norway spruce Picea abies (L.) Karst. seedlings planted in rows with a north–south orientation across a clear‐cutting, was measured throughout a growth season. The feeding was then correlated to light interception, soil temperature and distance to the nearest forest edge. 2 Feeding was at least twice as intense on seedlings in the central part of the clear‐cutting compared to those at the edges. The decline began approximatety 15 m from the edge and was of similar proportions on both the sun‐exposed and shaded sides. 3 Measures of global radiation and soil temperature correlated well with consumption on the shaded side. However, on the sun‐exposed side, there were no apparent correlations with global radiation or soil temperature that could explain the decline in consumed bark area. 4 We conclude that the decline in feeding towards the forest edges was mainly due to factors other than the microclimate variables we monitored. We suggest that the presence of roots of living trees along the forest edge may reduce damage to seedlings, since they provide an alternative source of food for the weevils. This alternative‐food hypothesis may also explain why seedlings in shelterwoods usually suffer less damage from pine weevils than seedlings in clear‐cuttings.