Single batrachotoxin-activated sodium channels from rat brain were modified by trimethyloxonium (TMO) after incorporation in planar lipid bilayers. TMO modification eliminated saxitoxin (STX) sensitivity, reduced the single channel conductance by 37%, and reduced calcium block of inward sodium currents. These effects always occurred concomitantly, in an all-or-none fashion. Calcium and STX protected sodium channels from TMO modification with potencies similar to their affinities for block. Calcium inhibited STX binding to rat brain membrane vesicles and relieved toxin block of channels in bilayers, apparently by competing with STX for the toxin binding site. These results suggest that toxins, permeant cations, and blocking cations can interact with a common site on the sodium channel near the extracellular surface. It is likely that permeant cations transiently bind to this superficial site, as the first of several steps in passing inward through the channel. 相似文献
We have developed a new approach to the measurement of phylogenetic signal
in character state matrices called relative apparent synapomorphy analysis
(RASA). RASA provides a deterministic, statistical measure of natural
cladistic hierarchy (phylogenetic signal) in character state matrices. The
method works by determining whether a measure of the rate of increase of
cladistic similarity among pairs of taxa as a function of phenetic
similarity is greater than a null equiprobable rate of increase. Our
investigation of the utility and limitations of RASA using simulated and
bacteriophage T7 data sets indicates that the method has numerous
advantages over existing measures of signal. A first advantage is
computational efficiency. A second advantage is that RASA employs known
methods of statistical inference, providing measurable sensitivity and
power. The performance of RASA is examined under various conditions of
branching evolution as the number of characters, character states per
character, and mutations per branch length are varied. RASA appears to
provide an unbiased and reliable measure of phylogenetic signal, and the
general approach promises to be useful in the development of new techniques
that should increase the rigor and reliability of phylogenetic estimates.
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Analysis of the heat-shock proteins (hsps) of six closely related species
of Poeciliopsis demonstrated the existence of biochemical diversity in the
hsp100, hsp70, hsp60, and hsp30 protein families among species. Each
species expressed five to seven hsp70-related isoforms. Constitutive 70-kD
isoforms were identical among species, but four different patterns of
heat-inducible isoforms were seen in these six species. Members of the
hsp70 family of molecular chaperones are included among the most highly
conserved proteins known, and the possibility of variation in hsp70 among
closely related species has rarely been addressed. The hsp30 family is
known to be less conserved than the hsp70 family, and, as expected, the
Poeciliopsis hsp30 patterns showed more variation. Most of the hsp30
isoforms characteristic of a particular species were unique to that
species. Hsp100 and hsp60 were identical in five of the species, but
alternate isoforms were found in P. monacha. The small size and limited
geographical distribution of the P. monacha population have probably
contributed to the uniqueness of the monacha pattern. Two of the species
were shown to acquire thermotolerance, the ability to withstand normally
lethal temperatures when subjected to a gradual temperature increase.
Rapid-heating protocols commonly used to establish critical thermal maxima
of organisms do not include this inducible component of thermoresistance
and therefore do not adequately assess an organism's capacity to withstand
thermal stress.
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A 15-year-old patient with ITP which was refractory to corticosteroids, splenectomy, and immunosuppressive therapy with vincristine was twice treated with platelets loaded with vinblastine. Five days after the application of the platelets vinblastine complex the platelets began to rise up to 600 X 10(9)/l. The remission has lasted until now for more than 15 weeks. The therapy showed no major side effects except for a transient granulocytopenia. 相似文献
Exact mechanisms of autoimmune disease development are still yet unknown. However, it is known that the development of autoimmune diseases is associated with defects in the immune system, namely, the violation of the bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) differentiation profiles. Different characteristics of autoimmune reaction development in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) prone Th mice characterizing T-lymphocytes response were analyzed using standard approaches. Profiles of several HSCs differentiation of bone marrow (BFU-E, CFU-E, CFU-GM, CFU-GEMM, T- and B-lymphocytes) of Th male and female mice during spontaneous development of EAE were noticeably different. Patterns of total lymphocytes, B- and T-cells proliferation in several different organs (bone marrow, blood, spleen, thymus, and lymph nodes) were also remarkably different. In addition, there were in time noticeable differences in their changes for some organs of male and female mice. Characters of changes in the profiles of CD4 and CD8 cells proliferation in some organs not always coincide with those for total T lymphocytes. The changes in the differentiation profiles of HSCs and the level of lymphocytes proliferation in the bone marrow and other organs were associated with the increase in the concentration of antibodies against DNA, myelin basic protein, and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein, and catalytic antibodies hydrolyzing these substrates. Despite some differences in changes in the analyzed parameters, in general, the spontaneous development of EAE in male and female mice occurs to some extent in a comparable way.
Continuous processing is the future production method for monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). A fully continuous, fully automated downstream process based on disposable equipment was developed and implemented inside the MoBiDiK pilot plant. However, a study evaluating the comparability between batch and continuous processing based on product quality attributes was not conducted before. The work presented fills this gap comparing both process modes experimentally by purifying the same harvest material (side-by-side comparability). Samples were drawn at different time points and positions in the process for batch and continuous mode. Product quality attributes, product-related impurities, as well as process-related impurities were determined. The resulting polished material was processed to drug substance and further evaluated regarding storage stability and degradation behavior. The in-process control data from the continuous process showed the high degree of accuracy in providing relevant process parameters such as pH, conductivity, and protein concentration during the entire process duration. Minor differences between batch and continuous samples are expected as different processing conditions are unavoidable due to the different nature of batch and continuous processing. All tests revealed no significant differences in the intermediates and comparability in the drug substance between the samples of both process modes. The stability study of the final product also showed no differences in the stability profile during storage and forced degradation. Finally, online data analysis is presented as a powerful tool for online-monitoring of chromatography columns during continuous processing. 相似文献
The live attenuated simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) SIVmac239Δnef is the most effective SIV/human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccine in preclinical testing. An understanding of the mechanisms responsible for protection may provide important insights for the development of HIV vaccines. Leveraging the uniquely restricted genetic diversity of Mauritian cynomolgus macaques, we performed adoptive transfers between major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-matched animals to assess the role of cellular immunity in SIVmac239Δnef protection. We vaccinated and mock vaccinated donor macaques and then harvested between 1.25 × 109 and 3.0 × 109 mononuclear cells from multiple tissues for transfer into 12 naive recipients, followed by challenge with pathogenic SIVmac239. Fluorescently labeled donor cells were detectable for at least 7 days posttransfer and trafficked to multiple tissues, including lung, lymph nodes, and other mucosal tissues. There was no difference between recipient macaques'' peak or postpeak plasma viral loads. A very modest difference in viral loads during the chronic phase between vaccinated animal cell recipients and mock-vaccinated animal cell recipients did not reach significance (P = 0.12). Interestingly, the SIVmac239 challenge virus accumulated escape mutations more rapidly in animals that received cells from vaccinated donors. These results may suggest that adoptive transfers influenced the course of infection despite the lack of significant differences in the viral loads among animals that received cells from vaccinated and mock-vaccinated donor animals. 相似文献