Implications of prion adaptation and evolution paradigm for human neurodegenerative diseases

There is a growing body of evidence indicating that number of human neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, fronto-temporal dementias, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, propagate in the brain via prion-like intercellular induction of protein misfolding. Prions cause lethal neurodegenerative diseases in humans, the most prevalent being sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD); they self-replicate and spread by converting the cellular form of prion protein (PrP^C) to a misfolded pathogenic conformer (PrP^Sc). The extensive phenotypic heterogeneity of human prion diseases is determined by polymorphisms in the prion protein gene, and by prion strain-specific conformation of PrP^Sc. Remarkably, even though informative nucleic acid is absent, prions may undergo rapid adaptation and evolution in cloned cells and upon crossing the species barrier. In the course of our investigation of this process, we isolated distinct populations of PrP^Sc particles that frequently co-exist in sCJD. The human prion particles replicate independently and undergo competitive selection of those with lower initial conformational stability. Exposed to mutant substrate, the winning PrP^Sc conformers are subject to further evolution by natural selection of the subpopulation with the highest replication rate due to the lowest stability. Thus, the evolution and adaptation of human prions is enabled by a dynamic collection of distinct populations of particles, whose evolution is governed by the selection of progressively less stable, faster replicating PrP^Sc conformers. This fundamental biological mechanism may explain the drug resistance that some prions gained after exposure to compounds targeting PrP^Sc. Whether the phenotypic heterogeneity of other neurodegenerative diseases caused by protein misfolding is determined by the spectrum of misfolded conformers (strains) remains to be established. However, the prospect that these conformers may evolve and adapt by a prion-like mechanism calls for the reevaluation of therapeutic strategies that target aggregates of misfolded proteins, and argues for new therapeutic approaches that will focus on prior pathogenetic steps.     

HD、HD+ HDF及PD对老年尿毒症患者皮肤瘙痒症的疗效比较

目的:对比分析血液透析(HD)、血液透析联合血液透析滤过(HD+HDF)、腹膜透析(PD)三种方式对老年尿毒症患者皮肤瘙痒症的疗效,为老年尿毒症患者皮肤瘙痒症的治疗提供参考。方法:选取2010年3月至2014年3月来我院就诊的老年尿毒症皮肤瘙痒症患者共100例作为研究对象,采用随机数表法随机分为HD组(33例)、联合组(33例)、PD组(34例),在初次透析前后、透析后1个月、透析后2个月记录患者皮肤瘙痒评分,并检测患者全段甲状旁腺激素(i PTH)、β2-微球蛋白(β2-MG)的水平。透析2个月后比较三组对皮肤瘙痒症的疗效。结果:联合组和PD组透析2月后β2-MG水平、i PTH水平、瘙痒症评分明显低于HD组,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。PD组透析2月后β2-MG水平低于联合组,但差异不具有统计学意义(P>0.05)。PD组透析2月后i PTH水平明显低于联合组,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。PD组透析2月后评分明显低于联合组,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。PD组、联合组有效率明显高于HD组,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05);PD组有效率高于联合组,但差异怒具有统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论 :血液透析联合血液透析滤过与腹膜透析均可以明显降低患者全段甲状旁腺激素、β2-微球蛋白的水平,缓解患者瘙痒症状,提升患者生活质量,值得临床推广。     

Inhibition by Retinoic Acid of Albumin and DNA Synthesis in Adult Rat Hepatocytes

RA down-regulated albumin and DNA synthesis of adult rat hepatocytes in a dose-dependent manner at dose ranges of 10^?9–10^?5 m. 10^?5 m of RA decreased albumin synthesis as well as growth factors EGF, aFGF, bFGF, and HGF-induced DNA synthesis to half of the control. These inhibitory effects of RA were not a consequence of the toxicity of RA to hepatocytes.     

Conformational stability and activity analysis of two hydroxymethylbilane synthase mutants,K132N and V215E,with different phenotypic association with acute intermittent porphyria

The autosomal dominantly inherited disease AIP (acute intermittent porphyria) is caused by mutations in HMBS [hydroxymethylbilane synthase; also known as PBG (porphobilinogen) deaminase], the third enzyme in the haem biosynthesis pathway. Enzyme-intermediates with increasing number of PBG molecules are formed during the catalysis of HMBS. In this work, we studied the two uncharacterized mutants K132N and V215E comparative with wt (wild-type) HMBS and to the previously reported AIP-associated mutants R116W, R167W and R173W. These mainly present defects in conformational stability (R116W), enzyme kinetics (R167W) or both (R173W). A combination of native PAGE, CD, DSF (differential scanning fluorimetry) and ion-exchange chromatography was used to study conformational stability and activity of the recombinant enzymes. We also investigated the distribution of intermediates corresponding to specific elongation stages. It is well known that the thermostability of HMBS increases when the DPM (dipyrromethane) cofactor binds to the apoenzyme and the holoenzyme is formed. Interestingly, a decrease in thermal stability was measured concomitant to elongation of the pyrrole chain, indicating a loosening of the structure prior to product release. No conformational or kinetic defect was observed for the K132N mutant, whereas V215E presented lower conformational stability and probably a perturbed elongation process. This is in accordance with the high association of V215E with AIP. Our results contribute to interpret the molecular mechanisms for dysfunction of HMBS mutants and to establish genotype–phenotype relations for AIP.     

Comparative analysis of the roles of catalases KatB and KatG in the physiological fitness and pathogenesis of fish pathogen Edwardsiella tarda

Aims: The aim of this study was to reveal functional redundancy and variation of the two catalases KatB and KatG in Edwardsiella tarda. Methods and Results: Genome sequencing of fish pathogen Edw. tarda EIB202 reveals that it contains two genes putatively encoding catalases, katB (ETAE_1368) and katG (ETAE_0889). Under free‐living conditions, single disruption in katB or katG resulted in no growth impairment, whereas double mutation of the two genes led to moderate decrease in growth, indicating that these two catalases were together essential for the physiological fitness by dissipating the endogenous H₂O₂. katG mutant exhibited much more elevated sensitivity to exogenous H₂O₂ than katB mutant did, indicating that KatG was quasi‐essential in detoxifying external reactive oxygen species (ROS) in Edw. tarda EIB202. Further comparative analysis indicated that katB or katG disruption showed different effects on the virulence‐related processes of Edw. tarda such as haemolysin production, bile and serum resistance, as well as the internalization within fish epithelial cells. Moreover, both of the katB and katG mutants exhibited incapacity to replicate in murine macrophage J774 cell model, although the deficiency was seen much severe for ΔkatB/katG mutant. With regard to in vivo virulence, katB and katG mutants displayed delayed lethality and increased LD₅₀ values for zebrafish. Conclusions: KatB and KatG in Edw. tarda serve for the physiological fitness, and pathogenesis related the bacterial survival in macrophage and in vivo of fish. Significance and Impact of the Study: Counteracting ROS for systemic infection, Edw. tarda catalase KatG and KatB merits as potential targets for attenuated live vaccine construction.     

Overexpression of mltA in Edwardsiella tarda reduces resistance to antibiotics and enhances lethality in zebra fish

Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the role of membrane‐bound lytic murein transglycosylase A (MltA) in a bacterial fish pathogen Edwardsiella tarda. Methods and Results: An mltA in‐frame deletion mutant (ΔmltA) and an mltA overexpression strain (mltA⁺) of Edw. tarda were constructed through double‐crossover allelic exchange and by transformation of a low‐copy plasmid carrying the intact mltA into the ΔmltA mutant, respectively. Either inactivation or overexpression of MltA in Edw. tarda resulted in elevated sensitivity to β‐lactam antibiotics and lower viability in oligotrophic or high osmotic environment than wild‐type strain. Autolysis induced by EDTA was reduced in ΔmltA strain, while mltA⁺ strain was virtually flimsy, indicating that MltA is responsible for the lysis effect. Moreover, mltA⁺ strain exhibited significant increases in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) biosynthesis and virulence to zebra fish compared with wild‐type strain. Conclusions: The results indicated that MltA plays essential roles in β‐lactam antibiotics and environmental stresses resistance, autolysis, LPS biosynthesis and pathogenicity of Edw. tarda. This is the first report that MltA has a virulence‐related function in Edw. tarda. Significance and Impact of the Study: This study provided useful information for further studies on pathogenesis of Edw. tarda.     

Distribution and status of bustards in China

This article presents the distribution and status of bustards, which are listed as first-category protected animals according to the survey results during 1990-2002 in China. The Chinese populations of Otis tarda dybowskii are breeding in south-west of Heilongjiang Province, west-ern Jilin Province, east and middle Inner Mongolia, north Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and Gansu Province. A few can winter in the south breeding-range. Its winter-range lies from the south to the Yellow River, as far as to Guizhou Province and Jiangxi Province. Its population number is about 200-300 or 500-800. The Chinese popula-tions of O. t. tarda are breeding in the north and west of Xinjiang. It is unclear about its winter-range, which is pre-sumed to be in south Asia. Recently we found individuals wintering in Chabuchaer and west Xinjiang. The popu-lation number is about 2000-3000. The habitat in breeding range includes steppe, grassland, desert grassland, and farmland. The habitat in winter range is the beach of rivers and lakes, meadows, meadow-grassland, and wheatland. The Chinese populations of Chlamydotis undulata mac-queeni are breeding in the fringe of the Jungar Basin, the banks of the Ulungur River, Balikun and south Turpan Basin in Xinjiang, west Inner Mongolia, and west Gansu. Northeast Mulei in eastern Jungar Basin of Xinjiang is the main breeding-range in the world. The bird uses desert and desert grassland as its habitat. Its winter-range is west Asia and south Asia. Its population number is about 2000. The Chinese populations of Tetrax tetrax are breeding in north Xinjiang, and China is located on the east border of its breeding-range. Its habitat is grassland and semi-desert, and its winter-range lies in south Asia. Its population in China is very scarce. In addition, we analyzed the causes of their endangerment and put forward protection tactics of Chinese Bustards.     

迟缓爱德华菌溶血相关基因的测序和初步的功能分析

溶血素是迟缓爱德华菌（Edwardsiella tarda简称ET）的重要致病因子。用鸟枪法从ET－12菌的染色体中克隆到1株含有溶血活性的克隆子,经测定其序列的大小为4264bp,和已报道的ET两种溶血素基因无同源性,其中开放阅读框3（ORF3）424bp序列和伤寒沙门氏菌溶血调控基因（slyA0序列有68％同源性。含有完整的ORF3的亚克隆子有溶血性,而卡那霉素基因插入ORF3内的酶切位点,其转化子无溶血性,斑点杂交和Southern blot证实,该基因片段来源于供体菌ET－12,而且也存在于其他ET菌染色体上,但这些ET菌表型不一定溶血。含有溶血相关基因重组质粒的大肠杆菌（Escherichia coli简称E.coli）JM109、E.coli LE392有溶血现象。含有溶血相关基因重组质粒的ET菌,不一定有溶血现象。该基因不是溶血结构基因,而是溶血相关基因。     

牙鲆迟钝爱德华氏菌感染症及其病原的研究

对 7起牙鲆迟钝爱德华氏菌感染病例进行了发病情况、临床特征、病理变化等方面的检验 ,经对细菌的分离与鉴定表明所检病例均为迟钝爱德华氏菌的单独感染 ,系统归纳了该感染症的主要特点。同时 ,对所分离后做纯培养的 130株迟钝爱德华氏菌进行了主要生物学性状、血清型的测定 ,表明除在生化试验的吲哚项目中表明有株间差异 (阴性的 2 0株、阳性的 110株 )外 ,130株对其他所测内容的结果一致 ,130株均为同种血清型。从每起病例分离并鉴定的各 1个代表菌株做对健康牙鲆的人工感染试验 ,表明了相应的原发病原学意义及较强的致病作用。药敏试验结果表明 ,对供试 37种抗菌药物中的头孢唑啉等 19种药物敏感、对青霉素G等 5种药物耐药、对氨苄青霉素等 13种药物表现了株间差异。经以荧光抗体技术对纯培养物、人工感染病死鱼肝脏中细菌的检验 ,初步表明了荧光抗体技术在对迟钝爱德华氏菌检验中作为辅助检验手段的可行性。