A dominant Th epitope in influenza nucleoprotein. Analysis of the fine specificity and functional repertoire of T cells recognizing a single determinant.

The sequence 260-283 of the nucleoprotein (NP) of influenza A virus is an epitope recognized by virus-immune lymph node cells from CBA (H-2k), B6 (H-2b), and B10.S (H-2s) mice. Further analysis shows that there are at least two Th epitopes within this sequence: the one close to the N-terminal (p260-273) is recognized by T cells from CBA and B6 mice while that close to the carboxyl-terminal (p270-283) is a dominant Th determinant in B10.S mice. The fine specificity of the recognition of this epitope by NP-specific T cell clones is also studied. When B10.S mice were infected intranasally or i.v. with live influenza virus, or immunized by different ways with various Ag preparations, P270-283 persistently emerged as a dominant T cell epitope. Immunization of B10.S mice with peptide p270-283 induces T cells with different in vivo functions including class II-restricted cytotoxicity, cognate help for Ag-specific antibody synthesis and delayed type hypersensitivity. This may have important implications for the understanding of the differentiation and classification of subsets of CD4+ T cells. The corresponding sequence of the NP of an equine influenza virus, A/Eq/Prague/56, which has a substitution (leucine to proline) at position 283, was not recognized by the lymph node cells from mice primed with either A/Okuda or A/Eq/Prague. However, the peptide, p270-283(E), representing this sequence induced T cell responses to both human and equine viruses. The data are discussed with respect to the development of viral vaccines.     

Thymic stromal cell clone with nursing activity supports the growth and differentiation of murine CD4+8+ thymocytes in vitro

Thymic stromal cell clone, TNC-R3.1 cell, was established from spontaneous AKR/J mouse thymoma. TNC-R3.1 cell, which has the similar properties to thymic nurse cells, formed a unique complex with normal thymocyte subpopulations. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated that CD4+8+ and CD4-8- immature thymocytes preferentially interacted with TNC-R3.1 stromal cell clone. CD4+8+ thymocytes, which interacted with TNC-R3.1 stromal cell clone, contained a higher proportion of large size and cycling T cells than did noninteracting CD4+8+ thymocytes. As is generally accepted, CD4+8+ thymocytes did not respond to any stimulation such as IL-2, anti-CD3 mAb (2C11), or IL-2 plus 2C11. However, culture of isolated CD4+8+ thymocytes on TNC-R3.1 stromal cell monolayer in the presence of suboptimal dose of IL-2 induced a significant cell growth. Moreover, the addition of 2C11 and IL-2 into this coculture system resulted in a dramatic increase of the proliferative response of thymocytes. Flow cytometry analysis showed the proliferating cells on TNC-R3.1, which originated from CD4+8+ thymocytes, were mostly TCR-alpha beta+ CD3+CD4-8+ T cells. These results provide in vitro evidence that CD4+8+ thymocytes are at an intermediate stage of T cell maturation and TNC-R3.1 stromal cell clone induces the growth and differentiation of CD4+8+ thymocytes into CD4-8+ T cells.     

Serine-palmitoyl transferase activity in cultured human keratinocytes

Sphingolipids comprise approximately 25% of the stratum corneum lipids and are considered critical constituents of the epidermal permeability barrier. Whether sphingoid base structures are synthesized in the epidermis or whether they are derived from circulating or dermal sources is not known. We report here the initial characterization of serine-palmitoyl transferase (EC 2.3.1.50; SPT), the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of sphingolipids, from cultured human neonatal keratinocytes. Subcellular fractionation studies demonstrated that 79% of the total cellular SPT activity was associated with the microsomes. The specific activity of keratinocyte SPT was 270 +/- 20 pmol/min per mg of microsomal protein, a level significantly higher than activities reported in other tissues. Keratinocyte SPT showed an apparent Km for L-serine of 0.40 (+/- 0.04 mM, with an alkaline pH optimum (8.2 +/- 0.4). Keratinocyte SPT utilizes palmitoyl-CoA preferentially over other saturated or unsaturated acyl-CoA substrates; increasing acyl-CoA chain lengths above C16 by one or two carbons was less detrimental to activity than similar decrements in chain length. Finally, the mechanism-based inhibitors L-cycloserine and beta-chloro-L-alanine, demonstrated potent inhibition of keratinocyte SPT activity, with 50% inhibitory concentrations of approximately 3.0 and 25 microM, respectively. In summary, we have found that cultured human neonatal keratinocytes contain unusually high levels of serine-palmitoyl transferase activity, and that the substrate specificity of keratinocyte SPT may determine the base composition of epidermal sphingolipids.     

The biological effect of sodium butyrate (NaBT) on SGC-7901 cells

Changes of (Na+-K+)-ATPase activity, cAMP and fibronectin (FN) content and cell surface microvilli were studied cytochemically, immunocytochemically and scanning electron microscopically on human stomach Glandular carcinoma (SGC-7901) cells treated with NaBT(2.5 mM). It was found that NaBT not only inhibited cell growth but also remarkably decreased the activity of cell surface (Na+-K+)-ATPase of SGC-7901 cells. Note worthy was that, in comparison with the untreated tumor cells, the increase of the intensity of intracellular cAMP and FN immunofluorescence in NaBT-treated tumor cells was striking. Moreover, in contrast to untreated tumor cells, the cell surface of NaBT-treated tumor cells showed more smooth and fewer microvilli under SEM. That NaBT may induce differentiation of SGC-7901 cells through inhibition of (Na+-K+)-ATPase activity and modulation of cellular cAMP and FN content was discussed.     

MPTP与帕金森氏症

1-甲基-4-苯基-1,2,3,6-四氢吡啶(MPTP)是一种神经毒,在人和灵长类动物,它选择性损害黑质纹体系统多巴胺神经元,使多巴胺(DA)及其代谢产物降低,引起典型的帕金森氏样症状。MPTP类毒性物质有其构效关系,其毒性主要与在脑内形成1-甲基-4-苯吡啶(MPP~ )有关。正常存在于脑内的色氨衍生物2-N-甲基四氢β-卡啉(2M-THBC),其构造及作用均类似于MPTP样物质,由此可以推断,MPTP除作为部分帕金森氏症的直接诱发原因外,极有可能是揭示原因不明的原发性帕金森氏病发病机理的一条重要途径。     

白百利烟草愈伤组织细胞细胞分裂素结合蛋白的研究

利用BA-Sepharose 4B亲和层析技术丛白百利烟草(Nicotiana tabacum Baibaili)愈伤组织细胞分离提纯了分子量为4400±100道尔顿的细胞分裂素结合蛋白(CB-蛋白)。在细胞表面、核糖体、线粒体、叶绿体和细胞核上以及在细胞液中都有CB-蛋白存在,而核糖体上的CB-蛋白含量量高。探讨了CB-蛋白的功能。     

中国连香树科的系统研究——Ⅰ.叶的宏观结构及叶柄维管束变化

本文研究了连香树科(Cercidiphyllaceae)叶的宏观结构,首次报道连香树齿腺体显微结构及晶体类型,并对叶柄维管束的变化作了进一步研究。通过与近缘科的比较,我们认为连香树科的系统演化处于孤立地位,和金缕梅科有较近的亲缘关系,与木兰科较为疏远。     

慢性缺氧对肺动脉内皮依赖性和非内皮依赖性舒张反应的影响

本实验用生物测定法观察了模拟海拔5000m高度连续缺氧20d对大鼠肺动脉内皮依赖性和非内皮依赖性舒张反应的影响。结果显示慢性缺氧明显抑制了肺内和肺外动脉对乙酰胆碱、ATP、硝普钠和异丙肾上腺素舒张反应的敏感性和反应性。在浓度为10~(-6)mol/L时,缺氧组大鼠肺内动脉对乙酰胆碱、硝普钠和异丙肾上腺素的舒张反应分别只有对照组大鼠的61.3％、75.9％和61.7％,对浓度为1.8×10~(-5)mol/L的ATP的舒张反应只有对照组大鼠的64.9％。研究表明,ATP和乙酰胆碱主要是通过内皮舒张因子使肺动脉产生内皮依赖性舒张反应,硝普钠和异丙肾上腺素分别通过直接激活血管平滑肌细胞鸟苷酸环化酶和β受体使血管产生非内皮依赖性舒张反应。缺氧同时抑制了肺动脉内皮依赖性和非内皮依赖性舒张反应,提示慢性缺氧可能抑制了正常肺内舒血管活性物质的生理作用。     

长期低浓度SO2对大豆生长和产量的影响

随着化石燃料消耗量不断增加,由此产生的主要大气污染物之一SO_2的浓度和影响范围也日趋增大。SO_2对植物,特别是对农作物的影响已受到普遍重视。本研究选择我国北方种植面积大、分布广的大豆为供试作物,在野外开顶式熏气装置中进行低浓度SO_2长期暴露试验,观察SO_2对大豆生长发育及产量的影响,以期为制订农田大气环境质量标准提供有一定参考价值的生态学基准。