Structural insights and biomedical potential of IgNAR scaffolds from sharks

In addition to antibodies with the classical composition of heavy and light chains, the adaptive immune repertoire of sharks also includes a heavy-chain only isotype, where antigen binding is mediated exclusively by a small and highly stable domain, referred to as vNAR. In recent years, due to their high affinity and specificity combined with their small size, high physicochemical stability and low-cost of production, vNAR fragments have evolved as promising target-binding scaffolds that can be tailor-made for applications in medicine and biotechnology. This review highlights the structural features of vNAR molecules, addresses aspects of their generation using immunization or in vitro high throughput screening methods and provides examples of therapeutic, diagnostic and other biotechnological applications.     

Comprehensive optimization of a single-chain variable domain antibody fragment as a targeting ligand for a cytotoxic nanoparticle

Antibody-targeted nanoparticles have the potential to significantly increase the therapeutic index of cytotoxic anti-cancer therapies by directing them to tumor cells. Using antibodies or their fragments requires careful engineering because multiple parameters, including affinity, internalization rate and stability, all need to be optimized. Here, we present a case study of the iterative engineering of a single chain variable fragment (scFv) for use as a targeting arm of a liposomal cytotoxic nanoparticle. We describe the effect of the orientation of variable domains, the length and composition of the interdomain protein linker that connects VH and VL, and stabilizing mutations in both the framework and complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) on the molecular properties of the scFv. We show that variable domain orientation can alter cross-reactivity to murine antigen while maintaining affinity to the human antigen. We demonstrate that tyrosine residues in the CDRs make diverse contributions to the binding affinity and biophysical properties, and that replacement of non-essential tyrosines can improve the stability and bioactivity of the scFv. Our studies demonstrate that a comprehensive engineering strategy may be required to identify a scFv with optimal characteristics for nanoparticle targeting.     

The impacts of cytoplasmic incompatibility factor (cifA and cifB) genetic variation on phenotypes

Wolbachia are maternally transmitted, intracellular bacteria that can often selfishly spread through arthropod populations via cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). CI manifests as embryonic death when males expressing prophage WO genes cifA and cifB mate with uninfected females or females harboring an incompatible Wolbachia strain. Females with a compatible cifA-expressing strain rescue CI. Thus, cif-mediated CI confers a relative fitness advantage to females transmitting Wolbachia. However, whether cif sequence variation underpins incompatibilities between Wolbachia strains and variation in CI penetrance remains unknown. Here, we engineer Drosophila melanogaster to transgenically express cognate and non-cognate cif homologs and assess their CI and rescue capability. Cognate expression revealed that cifA;B native to D. melanogaster causes strong CI, and cognate cifA;B homologs from two other Drosophila-associated Wolbachia cause weak transgenic CI, including the first demonstration of phylogenetic type 2 cifA;B CI. Intriguingly, non-cognate expression of cifA and cifB alleles from different strains revealed that cifA homologs generally contribute to strong transgenic CI and interchangeable rescue despite their evolutionary divergence, and cifB genetic divergence contributes to weak or no transgenic CI. Finally, we find that a type 1 cifA can rescue CI caused by a genetically divergent type 2 cifA;B in a manner consistent with unidirectional incompatibility. By genetically dissecting individual CI functions for type 1 and 2 cifA and cifB, this work illuminates new relationships between cif genotype and CI phenotype. We discuss the relevance of these findings to CI’s genetic basis, phenotypic variation patterns, and mechanism.     

View on donated life: Construction of philosophical ethics on human organ donation

With the emergence of organ donation and donation technology, the previous indivisibility of the human body becomes divisible, and different human organs form a new life subject. With reference to specific case studies in China, a new life, consisting of donated organs from different bodies by donation, can be called “donated life.” Donated life is a win-win action between altruism and egoism, that is, to save the lives of others and to regenerate the organs of donors or their relatives. Due to the emergence of this kind of life, traditional social ethics theories based on the marriage-related family find it difficult to difficult to explain the new realities. Thus, new thinking about social ethics is necessary.     

Enrichment of a common wheat genetic map and QTL mapping for fatty acid content in grain

DArT and SSR markers were used to saturate and improve a previous genetic map of RILs derived from the cross Chuan35050 × Shannong483. The new map comprised 719 loci, 561 of which were located on specific chromosomes, giving a total map length of 4008.4 cM; the rest 158 loci were mapped to the most likely intervals. The average chromosome length was 190.9 cM and the marker density was 7.15 cM per marker interval. Among the 719 loci, the majority of marker loci were DArTs (361); the rest included 170 SSRs, 100 EST-SSRs, and 88 other molecular and biochemical loci. QTL mapping for fatty acid content in wheat grain was conducted in this study. Forty QTLs were detected in different environments, with single QTL explaining 3.6-58.1% of the phenotypic variations. These QTLs were distributed on 16 chromosomes. Twenty-two QTLs showed positive additive effects, with Chuan35050 increasing the QTL effects, whereas 18 QTLs were negative with increasing effects from Shannong483. Six sets of co-located QTLs for different traits occurred on chromosomes 1B, 1D, 2D, 5D, and 6B.     

利用间接ELISA定量分析伤寒沙门菌表面呈现表达的流感病毒抗原

目的:建立定量检测伤寒沙门菌表面呈现表达的流感病毒抗原的间接ELISA方法。方法:ELISA板以2.5%的戊二醛溶液预处理,将呈现表达M2e等流感病毒抗原表位的伤寒沙门菌的全细胞抗原在ELISA板上进行干燥包被,通过间接ELISA确立全菌抗原的最佳包被浓度;分别采用化学合成多肽M2e和GST-M2e融合蛋白干燥包被ELISA板,绘制标准曲线,对沙门菌表面呈现表达的抗原进行定量分析;对多肽和融合蛋白干燥包被进行比较,同时确立用于定量表面展示量的回归方程。结果:用多肽包被测定的呈现表达的M2e分子数为9.8×104,以GST-M2e包被测定的呈现表达的M2e分子数为1.3×105。结论:利用全菌干燥包被ELISA板可以对伤寒沙门菌表面呈现表达的抗原进行很好的定量分析。     

DNA测序技术概述

DNA测序技术作为现代生命科学研究的核心技术之一,自上世纪70年代中期DNA发明以来发展迅速。我们简要综述现有的几代DNA测序技术的原理及其发展历程,并对未来可能出现的第三代测序进行预测。     

蓖麻毒素检测技术研究进展

蓖麻毒素是从蓖麻种子的胚乳中提取的一种核糖体失活蛋白。基于其潜在的威胁,建立快速、灵敏的蓖麻毒素检测技术受到人们的高度关注。根据蓖麻毒素的理化性质、免疫原性,已经建立了免疫荧光技术、夹心免疫PCR技术、免疫胶体金标记技术、蛋白芯片技术和生物传感器技术等用于检测蓖麻毒素。     

血清学检测H-Y噬菌体Fab抗体阳性克隆的分析

目的 为分析H-Y噬菌体Fab抗体特异性,筛选用于抗体亲和力提高的H-Y噬菌体Fab抗体阳性克隆.方法 以从噬菌体Fab抗体库中筛选到具有雄性特异性结合活性的阳性克隆A6、A8、E6为基础,通过C57BL/6鼠脾细胞为抗原的ELISA分析3株阳性克隆的特异性,镜下观察亲和力较好的A8阳性克隆ELISA结果,利用生物信息学方法预测分析该克隆的抗体基因可变区序列和结构.结果 ELISA分析显示3株阳性克隆具有雄性特异性,其中A8阳性克隆具备较好的雄性特异性.A8克隆具有免疫球蛋白轻链和重链可变区结构,其重链、轻链可变区分别属于VHI和VκIV基因家族.结论 A8阳性克隆可用于后续的导向筛选和抗体基因改造等研究工作.