Importance of rabies virus nucleoprotein in viral evasion of interferon response in the brain

By using a cultured neuroblastoma cell line, the present authors recently showed that the N protein of virulent rabies virus fixed strain Nishigahara (Ni), but not that of the attenuated derivative Ni‐CE, mediates evasion of induction of type I interferon (IFN). In this study, to determine whether Ni N protein indeed fulfills this function in vivo, the abilities to suppress IFN responses in the mouse brain of Ni‐CE and the virulent chimeric virus CE(NiN), which has the N gene from Ni in the genetic background of Ni‐CE, were compared. It was demonstrated that CE(NiN) propagates and spreads more efficiently than does Ni‐CE in the brain and that IFN response in brains infected with CE(NiN) is weaker than in those infected with Ni‐CE. It was also shown that amino acids at positions 273 and 394 in the N protein, which are known as pathogenic determinants, affect the ability of the viruses to suppress IFN response in the brain. These findings strongly suggest that, in the brain, rabies virus N protein plays important roles in evasion of innate immune responses and thereby in efficient propagation and spread of virus leading to lethal outcomes of infection.     

消化道屏障与树突状细胞免疫研究进展

肠相关淋巴组织在防御病毒、细菌、寄生虫等有害物质入侵中发挥着重要作用,是消化道屏障的组成部分,其中肠道树突状细胞尤为重要,作为目前所知的机体内功能最强的专职性抗原呈递细胞,在肠道内,树突状细胞不但能对病原菌产生免疫应答,还能对肠腔内的正常菌群和各种食物蛋白产生免疫耐受,因此了解树突状细胞的功能及相关作用机制有着重要意义.现就对树突状细胞的生物学特性,以及其在肠道免疫中的作用进行综述.     

植物性发酵乳杆菌对免疫系统的生理活性、抗高血糖和促进肠蠕动的影响

研究植物源性发酵乳杆菌对免疫系统生理活性、抗高血糖和促进肠蠕动的影响.β-内啡肽对免疫系统有重要作用,阿片-促黑素细胞皮质素原(POMC)是β-内啡肽的前体物质,为了探讨发酵乳杆菌对免疫功能的影响,检测小鼠下丘脑和脑垂体中POMC的基因表达水平.通过喂食发酵乳杆菌时间和浓度的不同及测量β一内啡肽表达水平的方式,来分析血液中B-内啡肽的变化情况.此外,测定了三种小鼠模型的血糖变化,即常规的WT小鼠模型、D-葡萄糖诱导的急性高血糖模型和链唑霉素(STZ)诱导的糖尿病模型,以证实发酵乳杆菌的降血糖效果,并对降血糖效果进行了验证.通过检测血糖随喂食发酵乳杆菌浓度和时间而变化的情况,已证实给药浓度和时间对血糖浓度有很好的影响.另外,为证实发酵乳杆菌对肠蠕动的影响测定了胃肠通过时间,证明发酵乳杆菌对肠蠕动有极好的促进作用.通过此项研究,证实发酵乳杆菌对提高人体免疫系统的生理活性、抗高血糖和促进小肠蠕动有极佳的效果.     

Evaluation of a Liposome-Supplemented Intranasal Influenza Subunit Vaccine in a Murine Model System: Induction of Systemic and Local Mucosal Immunity

Abstract

This study reports on the mucosal immunoadjuvant activity of liposomes in an experimental influenza subunit vaccine administered intranasally (i.n.) to mice. Antibody responses induced by the i.n. liposomal vaccine were compared to those induced by an influenza infection or by subcutaneous (s.c.) injection of subunit antigen alone, the conventional route of human flu vaccination. Negatively charged liposomes, but not positively charged or zwitter-ionic liposomes, coadministered i.n. with influenza subunit antigen, significantly stimulated systemic IgG levels and local antibody responses in pulmonary secretions, relative to the responses upon i.n. administration of subunit antigen alone. I.n. immunization with liposome-supplemented subunit antigen as well as s.c. immunization with subunit antigen alone or infection induced high levels of IgG antibodies in serum and pulmonary secretions, with a preferential induction of IgGl upon immunization and IgG2a upon infection. Both i.n. immunization with liposome-supplemented antigen and infection, but not s.c. immunization with subunit antigen alone, induced local secretion of S-IgA. At the same time, both IgA-and IgG-secreting cells appeared in (he lungs and lung-associated lymph nodes, suggestive of local antibody production. In conclusion, the liposomal adjuvant system, combined with a mucosal administration protocol, provides a promising strategy for induction of both systemic and local antibody responses against influenza virus.     

The Effects of Caffeine and Caffeine-containing Beverages on the Disposition of Brain Serotonin in Rats

Caffeine and caffeine-containing beverages (instant coffee, black tea, green tea, or oolong tea) caused a significant decrease in serum tryptophan, and significant increases in brain tryptophan, serotonin, and 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid over those in rats fed a control diet. Adenosine supplementation partially counteracted the increase of brain serotonin caused by caffeine. These results are interpreted as indicating that caffeine-containing beverages may have some nutritional and behavioral effects.     

Gene expression profiling of coelomic cells and discovery of immune-related genes in the earthworm,Eisenia andrei,using expressed sequence tags

The coelomic cells of the earthworm consist of leukocytes, chlorogocytes, and coelomocytes, which play an important role in innate immunity reactions. To gain insight into the expression profiles of coelomic cells of the earthworm, Eisenia andrei, we analyzed 1151 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) derived from the cDNA library of the coelomic cells. Among the 1151 ESTs analyzed, 493 ESTs (42.8%) showed a significant similarity to known genes and represented 164 unique genes, of which 93 ESTs were singletons and 71 ESTs manifested as two or more ESTs. From the 164 unique genes sequenced, we found 24 immune-related and cell defense genes. Furthermore, real-time PCR analysis showed that levels of lysenin-related proteins mRNA in coelomic cells of E. andrei were upregulated after the injection of Bacillus subtilis bacteria. This EST data-set would provide a valuable resource for future researches of earthworm immune system.     

A novel pattern recognition protein of the Chinese oak silkmoth,Antheraea pernyi,is involved in the pro-PO activating system

In this paper, we firstly reported a C-type lectin cDNA clone of 1029 bps from the larvae of A. Pernyi (Ap-CTL) using PCR and RACE techniques. The full-length cDNA contains an open reading frame encoding 308 amino acid residues which has two different carbohydrate-recognition domains (CRDs) arranged in tandem. To investigate the biological activities in the innate immunity, recombinant Ap-CTL was expressed in E. coli with a 6-histidine at the amino-terminus (Ap-rCTL). Besides acted as a broad-spectrum recognition protein binding to a wide range of PAMPs and microorganisms, Ap-rCTL also had the ability to recognize and trigger the agglutination of bacteria and fungi. In the proPO activation assay, Ap-rCTL specifically restored the PO activity of hemolymph blocked by anti-Ap-rCTL antibody in the presence of different PAMPs or microorganisms. In summary, Ap-rCTL plays an important role in insect innate immunity as an pattern recognition protein. [BMB Reports 2013; 46(7): 358-363]