The expression of Candida albicans enolase is not heat shock inducible

Abstract An isoprotein of enolase from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was reported to be a heat shock protein. The possible role of the C. albicans enolase as a heat shock protein was therefore investigated. The de novo synthesis of C. albicans enolase protein and mRNA did not increase during heat stress, but remained constitutively expressed. Amino acid similarity to the heat shock proteins suggests that although the C. albicans enolase is not a classical heat shock protein, it may be a memberof a group of constitutively expressed, structurally related proteins, the heat shock cognate proteins.     

The detergent solubility properties of a malarial (Plasmodium knowlesi) variant antigen expressed on the surface of infected erythrocytes

Four detergents have been compared for identification of the Plasmodium knowlesi variant antigen on infected erythrocytes by immunoprecipitation analysis. Erythrocytes infected with late trophozoite and schizont forms of cloned asexual parasites were labeled by lactoperoxidase-catalyzed radioiodination and extracted either with the anionic detergents sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) or cholate, the neutral detergent Triton X-100, or the zwitterion 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propane sulfonate (CHAPS). After addition of Triton X-100 to SDS and cholate extracts, parallel immunoprecipitations of the four extracts were performed using rhesus monkey antisera of defined agglutinability. Identical results were obtained with clone Pk1(A+), which has 125I-variant antigens of Mr 210,000 and 190,000, and with clone Pk1(B+)1+, which has variant antigens of Mr 200,000-205,000. SDS yielded maximal levels of immunoprecipitated 125I-variant antigens. Variant-specific immunoprecipitation was detected in some experiments with Triton X-100 and cholic acid but with significantly lower recovery than with SDS. CHAPS extraction did not yield the variant antigens on immunoprecipitation. The variant antigens could also be identified in Triton X-100-insoluble material by subsequent extraction with SDS, indicating that failure to recover these proteins in the Triton X-100-soluble fraction is due to failure of this detergent to extract the variant antigens rather than to degradation during extraction. We suggest that the 125I-variant antigens either have a structure that renders them intrinsically insoluble in Triton X-100, cholate, or CHAPS, or that they are associated in some way with host cell membrane components that also resist solubilization by these detergents.     

Theoretical studies on the conformation of β-D-N-acetyl neuraminic acid (sialic acid)

The possible conformations of sialic acid were analysed using semi-empirical potential functions. The solid state conformation has approx. 0.2 kcal/mol higher energy than the minimum energy conformation. These studies suggest that in solution sialic acid may exist preponderantly in two different conformations which differ in the orientation of the terminal hydroxymethyl group of glycerol side-chain. The present model is consistent with ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR data, but differs from the earlier models.     

An electrochemical biosensor for prostate cancer biomarker detection using graphene oxide–gold nanostructures

In this paper, a most sensitive electrochemical biosensor for detection of prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) was designed. To reach the goal, a sandwich type electrode composed of reduced graphene oxide/ gold nanoparticles (GO/AuNPs), Anti‐Total PSA monoclonal antibody, and anti‐Free PSA antibody was assembled. The functionalized materials were thoroughly characterized by atomic force microscope spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X‐ray diffraction techniques. The electrochemical properties of each of the modification step were evaluated by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results presented that the proposed biosensor possesses high sensitivity toward total and free PSA. Furthermore, the fabricated biosensor revealed an excellent selectivity for PSA in comparison to the other tumor markers such as BHCG, Alb, CEA, CA125, and CA19‐9. The limit of detection for the proposed electrochemical biosensor was estimated to be around 0.2 and 0.07 ng/mL for total and free PSA antigen, respectively.     

联合检测血清糖类抗原标志物在女性绝经前后卵巢浆液性癌诊断中的价值

目的:探讨联合检测血清糖类抗原标志物在女性绝经前后卵巢浆液性癌诊断中的价值。方法:采用回顾性研究方法,选择2016年8月到至2018年2月在我院肿瘤科进行检测的绝经前后卵巢浆液性癌患者60例(癌变组)与绝经前后健康体检者60例(健康对照组),检测其血清癌胚抗原(carcino-embryonic antigen,CEA)、人附睾蛋白4(human epididymis protein 4,HE4)和糖链抗原125(carbohydrate antigen 125,CA125)的水平,并分析其与患者的临床病理特征与随访预后的相关性。结果:癌变组血清CEA、HE4、CA125水平及阳性表达率都均显著高于健康对照组(P0.05)。在癌变组60例患者中,随着病理分期增加、分化程度的减少、淋巴结转移与死亡情况的发生,血清CEA、HE4、CA125的阳性表达率显著升高,对比差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。同时在120例人群中,联合诊断为卵巢浆液性癌者54例,联合诊断的敏感性与特异性分别为90.0%和100.0%。结论:绝经前后女性卵巢浆液性癌患者血清糖类抗原标志物-CEA、HE4、CA12水平均呈现高表达,可能作为绝经前后女性卵巢浆液性癌诊断与预后预测的参考指标。     

血清B型脑钠肽、糖类抗原125及甲状腺激素水平与慢性心力衰竭患者心功能的相关性研究

目的:探究慢性心力衰竭(CHF)患者血清B型脑钠肽(BNP)、糖类抗原125(CA125)和甲状腺激素(TH)水平与心功能的相关性。方法:选取2015年12月-2017年12月我院收治的120例CHF患者作为本次研究的对象,患者的心功能分级状况为纽约心脏病协会(NYHA)Ⅰ/Ⅱ级51例、NYHAⅢ级39例、NYHAⅣ级30例,另选取同期在我院接受体检的健康志愿者40例作为对照组。检测所有研究对象的血清BNP、CA125和TH水平,并分析其与患者左心室射血分数(LVEF)、左室舒张末内径(LVEDD)间的关系。结果:不同心功能分级患者血清BNP、CA125水平均显著高于对照组,且BNP、CA125水平随NYHA分级升高而逐渐升高(P0.05)。NYHAⅢ级、NYHAⅣ级患者的血清T3水平显著低于对照组,且T3水平随NYHA分级升高而逐渐降低,各组间比较差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。Pearson分析结果显示,CHF患者血清BNP、CA125水平与LVEF呈负相关(P0.05),而与LVEDD呈正相关(P0.05);血清T3水平与LVEF呈正相关(P0.05),与LVEDD呈负相关(P0.05)。结论:CHF患者血清BNP、CA125及T3水平均与心功能存在密切联系,三者联合检测对CHF的临床诊断与病情判断有重要价值。     

Streamlined production of genetically modified T cells with activation,transduction and expansion in closed-system G-Rex bioreactors

BackgroundGas Permeable Rapid Expansion (G-Rex) bioreactors have been shown to efficiently expand immune cells intended for therapeutic use, but do not address the complexity of the viral transduction step required for many engineered T-cell products. Here we demonstrate a novel method for transduction of activated T cells with Vectofusin-1 reagent. Transduction is accomplished in suspension, in G-Rex bioreactors. The simplified transduction step is integrated into a streamlined process that uses a single bioreactor with limited operator intervention.MethodsPeripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy donors were thawed, washed and activated with soluble anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 antibodies either in cell culture bags or in G-Rex bioreactors. Cells were cultured in TexMACS GMP medium with interleukin (IL)-7 and IL-15 and transduced with RetroNectin in bags or Vectorfusin-1 in the G-Rex. Total viable cell number, fold expansion, viability, transduction efficiency, phenotype and function were compared between the two processes.ResultsThe simplified process uses a single vessel from activation through harvest and achieves 56% transduction with 29-fold expansion in 11 days. The cells generated in the simplified process do not differ from cells produced in the conventional bag-based process functionally or phenotypically.DiscussionThis study demonstrates that T cells can be transduced in suspension. Further, the conventional method of generating engineered T cells in bags for clinical use can be streamlined to a much simpler, less-expensive process without compromising the quality or function of the cell product.     

T-cell therapies for T-cell lymphoma

T-cell lymphomas represent a subpopulation of non-Hodgkin lymphomas with poor outcomes when treated with conventional chemotherapy. A variety of novel agents have been introduced as new treatment strategies either as first-line treatment or in conjunction with chemotherapy. Immunotherapy has been demonstrated to be a promising area for new therapeutics, including monoclonal antibodies and adoptive cellular therapeutics. T-cell therapeutics have been shown to have significant success in the treatment of B-cell malignancies and are rapidly expanding as potential treatment options for other cancers including T-cell lymphomas. Although treating T-cell lymphomas with T-cell therapeutics has unique challenges, multiple targets are currently being studied both preclinically and in clinical trials.     

Role of Y-family translesion DNA polymerases in replication stress: Implications for new cancer therapeutic targets

DNA replication stress, defined as the slowing or stalling of replication forks, is considered an emerging hallmark of cancer and a major contributor to genomic instability associated with tumorigenesis (Macheret and Halazonetis, 2015). Recent advances have been made in attempting to target DNA repair factors involved in alleviating replication stress to potentiate genotoxic treatments. Various inhibitors of ATR and Chk1, the two major kinases involved in the intra-S-phase checkpoint, are currently in Phase I and II clinical trials [2]. In addition, currently approved inhibitors of Poly-ADP Ribose Polymerase (PARP) show synthetic lethality in cells that lack double-strand break repair such as in BRCA1/2 deficient tumors [3]. These drugs have also been shown to exacerbate replication stress by creating a DNA-protein crosslink, termed PARP ‘trapping’, and this is now thought to contribute to the therapeutic efficacy. Translesion synthesis (TLS) is a mechanism whereby special repair DNA polymerases accommodate and tolerate various DNA lesions to allow for damage bypass and continuation of DNA replication (Yang and Gao, 2018). This class of proteins is best characterized by the Y-family, encompassing DNA polymerases (Pols) Kappa, Eta, Iota, and Rev1. While best studied for their ability to bypass physical lesions on the DNA, there is accumulating evidence for these proteins in coping with various natural replication fork barriers and alleviating replication stress. In this mini-review, we will highlight some of these recent advances, and discuss why targeting the TLS pathway may be a mechanism of enhancing cancer-associated replication stress. Exacerbation of replication stress can lead to increased genome instability, which can be toxic to cancer cells and represent a therapeutic vulnerability.     

CD47基因对食道癌细胞增殖的影响

本研究将CD47-si RNA转染至食道癌细胞,采用蛋白免疫印迹检测食道癌细胞中CD47蛋白的表达,MTT法检测CD47-siRNA转染组和空质粒转染组(对照组)食道癌细胞增殖状态,蛋白免疫印迹检测CD47-siRNA转染组和空质粒转染组(对照组)食道癌细胞中PCNA蛋白表达,DCFDA染色流式细胞仪检测食道癌细胞CD47-siRNA转染组和空质粒转染组(对照组)中ROS水平,以探究CD47基因对食道癌发生发展的影响。研究结果表明,CD47-si RNA转染组食道癌细胞中CD47蛋白明显低于对照组;CD47-siRNA转染组食道癌细胞增殖率显著低于对照组(p<0.05);CD47-siRNA转染组细胞增殖相关蛋白PCNA低于对照组(p<0.01);CD47-siRNA转染组食道癌细胞中ROS水平明显高于对照组(p<0.05)。本研究初步认为:CD47-siRNA可降低食道癌细胞中CD47蛋白表达,抑制食道癌细胞的增殖并增加食道癌细胞中ROS水平。