Is mRNA and protein level of CD46 altered in measles virus vaccine strain S191-infected cells?

Previous research showed that the expression of measles virus receptor CD46 was downregulated after expression of measles virus hemagglutinin protein on the surface of the virus infected cell or triggered by infected cell-to-cell contact. We reported here that the mRNA level of CD46 in MV infected cells was not changed which was tested by real-time quantitative PCR. To further analyse the surface expression alteration of CD46 after MV infection, flow cytometric analysis and indirect immunofluorescence were used to detect the protein level of CD46. Altogether, our results provided a demonstration that the expression of CD46 was not downregulated by the infection of MV strain S191 both on mRNA level and cellular surface protein level. Previous results reported that the "downregulation" of CD46 expression on the cell surface may take place because H protein masks the antibody recognition site on CD46 which results in "downregulation" of the expression of CD46.     

Site-directed mutagenesis to enable and improve crystallizability of Candida tropicalis (3R)-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase

The N-terminal part of Candida tropicalis MFE-2 (MFE-2(h2Delta)) having two (3R)-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenases with different substrate specificities has been purified and crystallized as a recombinant protein. The expressed construct was modified so that a stabile, homogeneous protein could be obtained instead of an unstabile wild-type form with a large amount of cleavage products. Cubic crystals with unit cell parameters a=74.895, b=78.340, c=95.445, and alpha=beta=gamma=90 degrees were obtained by using PEG 4000 as a precipitant. The crystals exhibit the space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) and contain one molecule, consisting of two different (3R)-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenases, in the asymmetric unit. The crystals diffract to a resolution of 2.2A at a conventional X-ray source.     

Interaction between endogenous nitric oxide and carbon monoxide in the pathogenesis of recurrent febrile seizures

The aim of the study was to investigate the interaction between nitric oxygenase (NOS)/nitric oxide (NO) and heme oxygenase (HO)/carbon monoxide (CO) system in the pathogenesis of recurrent febrile seizures (FS). On a rat model of recurrent FS, the ultrastructure of hippocampal neurons was observed under electron microscopy, and expression of neuronal NOS (nNOS) in hippocampus and NO formation in plasma were examined after treatment with ZnPP-IX, an HO-1 inhibitor. In the ultrastructure of hippocampal neurons, the expression of HO-1 in hippocampus and CO formation in plasma were examined after treatment with L-NAME, a NOS inhibitor. We found that hippocampal neurons were injured after recurrent FS. The gene and protein expression of nNOS and HO-1 increased markedly in hippocampus in FS rats, while CO formation in plasma increased markedly and the concentration of NO in plasma increased slightly. ZnPP-IX could worsen the neuronal damage of recurrent FS rats. However, it further increased the expression of nNOS and endogenous production of NO obviously. L-NAME alleviated the neuronal damage of recurrent FS rats, but decreased the expression of HO-1 and CO formation. The results of this study suggested that endogenous NOS/NO and HO/CO systems might interact with each other and therefore play an important regulating role in recurrent FS brain damage.     

两种菌株来源的glyA基因的克隆、表达及酶活性检测

采用PCR方法,分别从大肠杆菌和嗜热链球菌基因组DNA中扩增获得glyA基因,分别克隆入载体pET-28 a(+)中并进行表达,分离和纯化得到两种不同来源的SHMT,分别检测两种SHMT的逆向酶活。比较来源于大肠杆菌K12与嗜热链球菌AS1.2471中的glyA基因表达的丝氨酸羟甲基转移酶(SHMT)的活性,以获得高活性的SHMT。结果成功获得两种菌中的glyA基因,并表达出具有较高活性的SHMT,其中嗜热链球菌中glyA基因表达出的SHMT的酶活性大约为大肠杆菌的两倍。从嗜热链球菌中克隆表达的SHMT具有更高的催化活性及良好的工业应用前景。     

石蒜属植物的药用和观赏利用前景

石蒜属植物是重要的药用植物,又是一类优良观赏植物,既可用于园林配置,也可用作切花生产或盆栽。综述了石蒜属植物的药用和观赏价值并对其应用前景进行了探讨,为全面开发利用我国这一丰富的野生资源提供了一些理论基础。     

乙型肝炎病毒蛋白对纤维介素基因的激活作用

纤维介素基因（fgl2）在人和小鼠的重型肝炎的发病机制中发挥重要作用.为探讨乙型肝炎病毒（HBV）编码蛋白对人纤维介素基因（hfgl2）的激活作用, 构建了HBV编码蛋白C、 S和X的真核表达质粒pcDNA-HBc、pcDNA-HBs和pcDNA-HBx, 分别与hfgl2启动子荧光素酶报告基因质粒及β半乳糖苷酶基因质粒（βGal ）共转染到CHO细胞和HepG2 细胞, 采用免疫组织化学和免疫印记方法(Western blotting)鉴定病毒蛋白的表达.通过检测报告基因荧光素酶（LUC）及β半乳糖苷酶的表达活性, 反映病毒蛋白对hfgl2启动子的转录激活作用.结果显示, 转染了真核表达质粒的细胞均能瞬时表达相应的肝炎病毒蛋白, 在CHO细胞, 转染pcDNA-HB组和pcDNA-HBx组相对荧光素酶的活性是对照组的5.4和6倍, 在hepG2细胞, 转染pcDNA-HBc组和pcDNA-HBx组相对荧光素酶的活性是对照组的8.7和11倍.研究表明, CHO和HepG2细胞中表达的HBV C蛋白和X蛋白均具有激活hfgl2的功能, 而S蛋白则不能激活.进一步揭示了HBV病毒蛋白与宿主基因的相互作用机制.     

Ischemia impairs the association between connexin 43 and M3 subtype of acetylcholine muscarinic receptor (M3-mAChR) in ventricular myocytes.

We used Western blot analysis to examine the expression of connexin 43 and M2/M3 acetylcholine muscarinic receptors (mAChR) and their interaction in ventricular myocytes from control and the ischemic heart. We confirmed that the connexin 43 and M2/ M3-mAChR were expressed in ventricular myocytes. Moreover, we showed that M3-mAChR was expressed in non-glycosylated (72 kDa) and glycosylated forms (115 kDa). Immunostaining showed that connexin 43 is closely associated with M3-mAChR in parts of cell membranes of myocytes. Immunoprecipitation of lysate of cardiac myocytes with M2/M3-mAChR antibody pulled down a 44 kDa protein recognized by connexin 43 antibody. Ischemia increased the expression of M3-mAChR in myocytes. The ischemiainduced increase in the M3-mAChR expression was specific because ischemia did not affect the expression of M1, M2, M4 and M5- mAChR in the heart. On the other hand, ischemia decreased the expression of connexin 43 in myocardium. We also examined the effect of ischemia on the interaction between M2/M3-mAChR and connexin 43. Ischemia suppressed the association of M3-mAChR with connexin 43 but did not affect the association of connexin 43 with M2-mAChR. Administration of choline before ischemia not only partially restored the expression of connexin 43 but also attenuated the ischemia-induced suppression of the association between connexin 43 and M3-mAChR. We conclude that connexin 43 interacts with M2/M3-mAChR and that ischemia specifically impairs the association between M3-mAChR and connexin 43.     

Phospholipid capture combined with non-linear chromatographic correction for improved serum metabolite profiling

Serum analysis with LC/MS can yield thousands of potential metabolites. However, in metabolomics, biomarkers of interest will often be of low abundance, and ionization suppression from high abundance endogenous metabolites such as phospholipids may prevent the detection of these metabolites. Here a cerium-modified column and methyl-tert-butyl-ether (MTBE) liquid–liquid extraction were employed to remove phospholipids from serum in order to obtain a more comprehensive metabolite profile. XCMS, an in-house developed data analysis software platform, showed that the intensity of existing endogenous metabolites increased, and that new metabolites were observed. This application of phospholipid capture in combination with XCMS non-linear data processing has enormous potential in metabolite profiling, for biomarker detection and quantitation.     

Boron nitride cages from B12N12 to B36N36: square–hexagon alternants vs boron nitride tubes

The structures and stabilities of square–hexagon alternant boron nitrides (B _x N _x , x=12–36) vs their tube isomers containing octagons, decagons and dodecagons have been computed at the B3LYP density functional level of theory with the correlation-consistent cc-pVDZ basis set of Dunning. It is found that octagonal B₂₀N₂₀ and B₂₄N₂₄ tube structures are more stable than their square–hexagon alternants by 18.6 and 2.4 kcal mol⁻¹, respectively, while the square–hexagon alternants of other cages are more stable. Trends in stability as a function of cluster size are discussed.Figure The octagonal B₂₀N₂₀ and B₂₄N₂₄ tube structures are more stable than their square-hexagon alternant cagesDedicated to Professor Dr. Paul von Ragué Schleyer on the occasion of his 75th birthday