Because of the role major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I b molecules may play during mouse embryonic development,
we thought it would be interesting to search for additional MHC class I b molecules that might be expressed in preimplantation
embryos, and in particular in the trophoblastic lineage. We therefore screened a mouse preimplantation blastocyst cDNA library
for MHC class I sequences. This search led to the identification and characterization of a new MHC class I b gene, blastocyst MHC. Sequences identical to the exons and 3′ untranslated region of this gene have been found in many laboratory mouse strains,
as well as in the related mouse species Mus spreciligus. The presence of this gene in mouse strains of different MHC class I haplotypes argues that blastocyst MHC is a unique, newly-described gene rather than a new allele of a previously described mouse MHC class I gene. Blastocyst MHC has the structure of an MHC class I b gene, with the six exons characteristic of T-region genes. It is linked to H2-D. The amino acid sequence encoded by this gene maintains all the features of a functional antigen-presentation domain. The
blastocyst MHC gene, like the human class I b gene HLA-G, is expressed at the blastocyst stage and in the placenta, and may be the mouse analog for HLA-G.
Received: 31 May 1996 / Revised: 19 August 1996 相似文献
The production of transgenic mice is a technology of great utility in the dissection of complex biological processes. This article is intended as a detailed primer for people interested in learning to produce transgenic mice, and discusses equipment, methods, and future directions for this technique. 相似文献
Uxmal and Tulum are two important Mayan sites in the Yucatan peninsula. The buildings are mainly composed of limestone and grey/black discoloration is seen on exposed walls and copious greenish biofilms on inner walls. The principal microorganisms detected on interior walls at both Uxmal and Tulum were cyanobacteria; heterotrophic bacteria and filamentous fungi were also present. A dark‐pigmented mitosporic fungus and Bacillus cereus, both isolated from Uxmal, were shown to be acidogenic in laboratory cultures. Cyanobacteria belonging to rock‐degrading genera Synechocystis and Gloeocapsa were identified at both sites. Surface analysis previously showed that calcium ions were present in the biofilms on buildings at Uxmal and Tulum, suggesting the deposition of biosolubilized stone. Apart from their potential to degrade the substrate, the coccoid cyanobacteria supply organic nutrients for bacteria and fungi, which can produce organic acids, further increasing stone degradation. 相似文献
The NOD.Cg-PrkdcscidIl2rgtm1Wjl/SzJ mouse strain, commonly known as NSG (for NOD SCID Gamma) is severely immunodeficient and thus is an excellent recipient for xenografts, and in particular for engrafting human tumor cells and human hematopoietic stem cells. In the latter case, these cells give rise to many human hematopoetic lineages in their NSG hosts, resulting in recapitulation of many of the features of a human immune system. However, the immune system of these ??humanized mice?? (huMice) is not completely functional, in part because of a lack of expression of necessary human cytokines and HLA molecules by NSG host tissues. In order to facilitate the genetic modification of this strain in order to improve the huMouse model, we have created germline competent ES cells of this strain in which such modifications can be carried out. 相似文献
This study evaluated the effects of stroke on regulation of cerebral blood flow in response to fluctuations in systemic blood pressure (BP). The autoregulatory dynamics are difficult to assess because of the nonstationarity and nonlinearity of the component signals.
Methods
We studied 15 normotensive, 20 hypertensive and 15 minor stroke subjects (48.0 ± 1.3 years). BP and blood flow velocities (BFV) from middle cerebral arteries (MCA) were measured during the Valsalva maneuver (VM) using transcranial Doppler ultrasound.
Results
A new technique, multimodal pressure-flow analysis (MMPF), was implemented to analyze these short, nonstationary signals. MMPF analysis decomposes complex BP and BFV signals into multiple empirical modes, representing their instantaneous frequency-amplitude modulation. The empirical mode corresponding to the VM BP profile was used to construct the continuous phase diagram and to identify the minimum and maximum values from the residual BP (BPR) and BFV (BFVR) signals. The BP-BFV phase shift was calculated as the difference between the phase corresponding to the BPR and BFVR minimum (maximum) values. BP-BFV phase shifts were significantly different between groups. In the normotensive group, the BFVR minimum and maximum preceded the BPR minimum and maximum, respectively, leading to large positive values of BP-BFV shifts.
Conclusion
In the stroke and hypertensive groups, the resulting BP-BFV phase shift was significantly smaller compared to the normotensive group. A standard autoregulation index did not differentiate the groups. The MMPF method enables evaluation of autoregulatory dynamics based on instantaneous BP-BFV phase analysis. Regulation of BP-BFV dynamics is altered with hypertension and after stroke, rendering blood flow dependent on blood pressure.
We have previously provided compelling evidence that human recombinant
interleukin 2 (IL-2) binds to the sulfated polysaccharides heparin, highly
sulfated heparan sulfate and fucoidan. Here we show that IL-2 binding is
dependent on heparin chain length, but with fragments as small as 15-mers
retaining binding activity. The addition of exogenous heparin has no effect
on the in vitro biological activity of IL-2. In addition soluble IL-2
receptor alpha and beta polypeptides do not compete with heparin for the
binding of IL-2. IL-2 bound by heparin is still recognized by two IL-2
specific monoclonal antibodies, 3H9 and H2- 8, whose epitopes lie in the
amino terminal region. Murine IL-2 unlike its human counterpart fails to
bind to heparin. Human IL-2 analogs with single amino acid substitutions at
positions Lys43, Thr51, and Gln126 analogs no longer bind to heparin. By
contrast the Arg38Ala analog retains heparin full heparin binding activity.
These experimental findings together with molecular modeling studies
suggest two putative heparin binding sites on human IL-2, one involving
four basic residues, Lys48, Lys49, Lys54, and His55, and the other being a
discontinuous site comprising Lys43, Lys64, Arg81, and Arg83. Neither of
these two clusters is completely conserved in murine IL-2. Overall our data
suggest that the binding of human IL-2 to heparin and heparan sulfate does
not interfere with IL-2/IL-2 receptor interactions. Therefore, binding to
glycosaminoglycan may be a mechanism for retaining the cytokine in an
active form close to its site of secretion in the tissue, thus favoring a
paracrine role for IL-2.
相似文献
Multi-drug efflux pumps have been increasingly recognized as a major component of resistance in P. aeruginosa. We have investigated the expression level of efflux systems among clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa, regardless of their antimicrobial susceptibility profile. 相似文献
Public gardens can help prevent detrimental effects of plant invasions by collecting and sharing data on taxa spreading from cultivation early in the invasion process, thereby acting as sentinels of plant invasion. Existing initiatives have called for public gardens to adopt measures preventing plant invasion, but it is unclear what actions individual gardens are implementing, as there is no formal mechanism for communicating their progress. This study used internal lists of escaping taxa from seven public gardens in the Midwestern United States and Canada to demonstrate how public gardens can collectively contribute data that is critical to assessing potential invasiveness. It also reveals methodological differences in how gardens develop their lists of escaping plants, leading to recommendations for standardization. Data pooled across gardens yielded 769 species spreading from cultivation at one or more gardens. Eight woody species were listed by all gardens despite not consistently being recognized as invasive by states and provinces containing the gardens; some species recorded by multiple gardens did not appear on any invasive lists. While it may be premature to call taxa escaping from cultivation at a few public gardens “invasive” or even “potentially invasive”, these plants should be monitored and evaluated with this information shared to facilitate stronger conclusions about risk. Thus, public gardens have a unique expertise in assisting invasive plant efforts as sentinels, particularly if challenges related to methodological inconsistencies and data sharing are suitably addressed, which is herein recommended through the adoption of a set of standardized guidelines.
Several species of Aspidosperma plants are used to treat diseases in
the tropics, including Aspidosperma ramiflorum, which acts against
leishmaniasis, an activity that is experimentally confirmed. The species, known as
guatambu-yellow, yellow peroba,
coffee-peroba andmatiambu, grows in the Atlantic
Forest of Brazil in the South to the Southeast regions. Through a guided
biofractionation of A. ramiflorum extracts, the plant activity
against Plasmodium falciparum was evaluated in vitro for toxicity
towards human hepatoma G2 cells, normal monkey kidney cells and nonimmortalised human
monocytes isolated from peripheral blood. Six of the seven extracts tested were
active at low doses (half-maximal drug inhibitory concentration < 3.8 µg/mL); the
aqueous extract was inactive. Overall, the plant extracts and the purified compounds
displayed low toxicity in vitro. A nonsoluble extract fraction and one purified
alkaloid isositsirikine (compound 5) displayed high selectivity indexes (SI) (= 56
and 113, respectively), whereas compounds 2 and 3 were toxic (SI < 10). The
structure, activity and low toxicity of isositsirikine in vitro are described here
for the first time in A. ramiflorum, but only the neutral and
precipitate plant fractions were tested for activity, which caused up to 53%
parasitaemia inhibition of Plasmodium berghei in mice with
blood-induced malaria. This plant species is likely to be useful in the further
development of an antimalarial drug, but its pharmacological evaluation is still
required. 相似文献