动物的的变态

变态是动物学中一个较重要的专用名词,有关内容在中学课本也多处涉及到。现择要介绍一点动物变态的知识,供动物学教学参考。何谓动物的变态动物由于外在和内在的原因,个体形态发生变化,这叫变态。但动物学所讲的变态,是狭义地从发生学角度理解,即胚胎不直接转变为成体,而是在后期发育过程中,先形成形态、生理、生态方面特殊的幼体,行独立生活和生长,以后在某阶段发生急剧变化,转变为成体。青     

活的不可培养的细菌的研究进展

活的不可培养微生物(VBNC)即一些微生物明显地丧失了可培养的特性,但是保留了自身原有的代谢活力,并且在一定条件下,又可以回复到可培养的状态。从VBNC细菌的诱导条件、生物学特性和检测方法3个方面对VBNC细菌研究进展做一综述。     

真核细胞的基因的组织

一、真核细胞基因的基本结构 1.转录单位: 从已知的数十种基因的顺序,可得出一个具有功能的基因的共同规律,在基因5’端-25至-75区,有CCAAT和TATAAA区(后者又称ATA box或Hogness box),相当于促进子区(Promotor),为体外转录所必需。     

高频率的波动对于种子的萌发和植物的发育的影响

本文主要是以理论和试验来说明音波对植物的生长发育和种子萌发所起的影响。在农业实践上音波所起的作用,据现在所知:有缩短植物成熟期,加速萌芽和增强植物的生长发育等。这一些非但具有理论和实践上的意义,同时在今後把物理科学应用到农业科学中开辟了极广阔的前程。     

由吸附的缩氨酸诱导的细胞膜的形变

研究了由一系列相互平行的吸附在细胞膜上的缩氨酸引起的膜的弹性形变,以及膜对缩氨酸的包裹行为,得到膜的平衡方程,用它可以来处理大尺度的形变,弯曲能量、吸附能量和弹性形变的相互竞争导致膜对缩氨酸发生从不吸附到部分吸附乃至完全包裹的结构转变．在膜的形变很小的时候,可以得到系统能量的解析解。     

远古的人们是怎样认识自己的起源的

人是从那里来的? 回答这个问题,你也许会说这有什么困难——人是从古猿变来的;甚至你还会进一步说,在这个从猿到人的转变过程中,劳动起着决定性的作用。然而这个现在看来比较明了的道理,恰是经历了多么漫长的认识过程才达到的呵!现在让我们首先来谈谈,远古的人们是怎样认识自己的起源的。最初的原始人可能还想不到自己的起源在人类诞生的最早时期,“最初的、从动物界分离出来的人,在一切本质方面是和动物本身一样不自由的”(恩格斯:《反杜林论》),这些最初的原始人为艰苦     

敲除pckA基因的结核杆菌引起的免疫反应的研究

研究结核杆菌pckA基因编码的磷酸烯醇型丙酮酸羧激酶(PEPCK)诱导机体产生的保护性免疫反应。用敲除pckA基因的牛结核杆菌BCG和野生型BCG分别感染小鼠,取肝、肺、脾进行病理分析,并进行脾细胞培养,检测CD4 、CD4 /CD8 、细胞因子IFNI-γI、L-12和TNF等。用敲除pckA基因的BCG感染的小鼠比野生型BCG感染的小鼠体内产生的结核结节少且不典型,炎性程度低。野生型BCG感染的小鼠脾脏内的CD4 T细胞和CD4 /CD8 、细胞因子IFN-γ、IL-12、TNF均明显高于敲除pckA基因BCG感染的小鼠。pckA基因为结核杆菌生长所必需,其编码产物PEPCK能够刺激机体产生免疫反应,是一种很好的疫苗候选分子。     

分离的蚕豆细胞核的RNA聚合酶活力的研究

利用Triton X-100对叶绿体膜的作用,可快速地从蚕豆幼叶制备较纯净的细胞核,它具有较高的RNA聚合酶活力。比较了两种分离核的方法,证明利用匀浆法制备的核具有较高的活力。核活力与发育时期有关系,茎端和第1对幼叶的核活力显著高于第2和第3对叶片的核活力。此外,核活力明显地受反应液内锰离子的抑制。     

霸王的原生质体培养的研究

目的：为利用原生质体融合技术转移霸王抗旱基因。方法：采用酶解法分离霸王原生质体,比较了霸王子叶和愈伤组织游离原生质体的产量和活力,不同渗透压和起始密度对原生质体分裂频率的影响。结果：愈伤组织游离的原生质体产量和活力均高于子叶,原生质体产率可达2.4×106个/g.FW,活力达89%。采用液体浅层培养,在附加2,4-D（2mg/L）、6-BA（1.0mg/L）、2%蔗糖和甘露醇（0.4mol/L）的DPD培养基中,原生质体分裂频率最高,达68.6%。转移到附加2-iP（3mg/L）、KT（1.0mg/L）、6-BA（1.0mg/L）的分化培养基上,获得2个再生苗。结论：采用酶解法游离霸王愈伤组织,可获得高活力和高分裂频率的霸王原生质体。     

人巨细胞病毒IE1-72蛋白在胶质瘤中的表达及意义

目的:探讨人巨细胞病毒(HCMV)立刻早期基因1-72(IE1-72)蛋白在胶质瘤中的表达水平以及HCMV感染与胶质瘤发生的病因学关系。方法:采用免疫组化方法检测HCMV IE1-72蛋白在125例人脑胶质瘤组织及10例正常人脑组织中的表达,分析其表达水平与胶质瘤临床病理学特征的关系。结果:IE1-72蛋白在胶质瘤组织中的表达水平明显高于正常人脑组织(P=0.000);IE1-72蛋白免疫染色强度随胶质瘤病理级别的升高而明显增强(r=0.310,P=0.000),其在高恶性度胶质瘤中的染色强度明显强于低恶性度胶质瘤(P=0.004);IE1-72蛋白染色强度与胶质瘤患者的年龄存在正相关(r=0.234,P=0.009),而与胶质瘤患者的性别(r=0.038,P=0.675)以及肿瘤部位(r=0.086,P=0.341)无明显相关性。结论:HCMV感染及其蛋白IE1-72表达可能与人脑胶质瘤的发生和发展密切相关,但其确切的致瘤机制尚需进一步研究。     

HCMV IE86对恶性胶质瘤细胞凋亡及p53表达活性的影响

人巨细胞病毒(human cytomegalovirus,HCMV)能诱导肿瘤细胞恶性转化且抑制肿瘤细胞凋亡,但HCMV编码的主要即刻早期调控蛋白IE86在这一过程中是否发挥关键作用仍然未知。为探究IE86对基因修饰荷胶质瘤小鼠p53表达水平及恶性胶质瘤细胞凋亡情况的影响,本研究通过PCR技术鉴定基因修饰小鼠IE86表达情况;实时定量PCR技术检测IE86和p53mRNA表达水平变化;免疫组织化学方法检测p53和p21蛋白的表达水平;TUNEL检测肿瘤组织细胞凋亡情况。结果显示,成功构建了IE86基因修饰小鼠模型;与IE86阴性组相比IE86阳性组p53表达水平上升(P0.05),但p21表达水平下降(P0.05);IE86阳性组细胞抗凋亡能力增强(P0.05)。以上结果表明,在基因修饰的小鼠中IE86持续表达但p53转录活性的指示标志p21下调,且IE86可提高恶性胶质瘤细胞抗凋亡能力。     

High Prevalence of Human Cytomegalovirus Proteins and Nucleic Acids in Primary Breast Cancer and Metastatic Sentinel Lymph Nodes

Background

Breast cancer is a leading cause of death among women worldwide. Increasing evidence implies that human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection is associated with several malignancies. We aimed to examine whether HCMV is present in breast cancer and sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastases.

Materials and Methods

Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue specimens from breast cancer and paired sentinel lymph node (SLN) samples were obtained from patients with (n = 35) and without SLN metastasis (n = 38). HCMV immediate early (IE) and late (LA) proteins were detected using a sensitive immunohistochemistry (IHC) technique and HCMV DNA by real-time PCR.

Results

HCMV IE and LA proteins were abundantly expressed in 100% of breast cancer specimens. In SLN specimens, 94% of samples with metastases (n = 34) were positive for HCMV IE and LA proteins, mostly confined to neoplastic cells while some inflammatory cells were HCMV positive in 60% of lymph nodes without metastases (n = 35). The presence of HCMV DNA was confirmed in 12/12 (100%) of breast cancer and 10/11 (91%) SLN specimens from the metastatic group, but was not detected in 5/5 HCMV-negative, SLN-negative specimens. There was no statistically significant association between HCMV infection grades and progesterone receptor, estrogen receptor alpha and Elston grade status.

Conclusions

The role of HCMV in the pathogenesis of breast cancer is unclear. As HCMV proteins were mainly confined to neoplastic cells in primary breast cancer and SLN samples, our observations raise the question whether HCMV contributes to the tumorigenesis of breast cancer and its metastases.     

Human cytomegalovirus-induced upregulation of intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 on villous syncytiotrophoblasts

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is secreted apically from villous trophoblasts, thus congenital infection is not likely to occur by basal release across the basement membrane. As an alternative route, we hypothesize that an HCMV-infected villous syncytiotrophoblast (ST) upregulates intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1, causing blood monocytes to bind to the ST and induce apoptosis. Purified (>99.99%) populations of human villous trophoblasts were differentiated into an ST-like culture, infected with HCMV strain AD169, and assessed for ICAM-1 expression by immunofluorescence. Infection strongly upregulated ICAM-1 24 h after challenge. ICAM-1 was also stimulated by transfection with viral genes IE2-55, IE1-72, and IE2-86, but not by UV-inactivated virus. Infection with a green fluorescent protein recombinant virus allowed infection and ICAM-1 expression to be topographically located. We found that ICAM-1 was expressed on both infected and noninfected cells. Furthermore, antibody to tumor necrosis factor (TNF)alpha and, to a lesser extent, interleukin (IL)1 beta inhibited ICAM-1 upregulation on noninfected cells but not on infected cells. We conclude that HCMV IE proteins stimulate ICAM-1 expression on villous trophoblasts by paracrine release of TNF alpha and IL1 beta, as well as by a direct effect on infected cells.     

Modulation of HLA-A*0201-restricted T cell responses by natural polymorphism in the IE1(315-324) epitope of human cytomegalovirus

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes play a central role in the control of persistent human CMV (HCMV) infection and reactivation. In healthy virus carriers, the specific CD8(+) CTL response is almost entirely directed against the virion tegument protein pp65 and/or the 72-kDa major immediate early protein, IE1. Studies that included a large panel of HCMV(+) donors suggested that immunorelevance of pp65 and IE1 was directly related with individual HLA haplotype difference. Nevertheless, there are no data on the incidence of HCMV natural polymorphism on virus-specific CTL responses. To assess the impact of IE1 polymorphism on CTL response, we have sequenced in 103 clinical isolates the DNA region corresponding to IE1(315-324), an immunodominant epitope presented by HLA-A*0201 molecules. Seven peptidic variants were found with extensive difference in their frequencies. The response of four HLA-A*0201-restricted anti-IE1 T lymphocyte clones, which were previously generated from one donor against autologous B lymphoblastoid cells expressing a recombinant clinical variant of IE1, was then evaluated using target cells loaded with mutant synthetic peptides or expressing rIE1 variants. One of four clones, which have been sorted 19 times among 22 clones targeted against IE1(315-324), recognized six of the seven tested variant epitopes. All three other clones showed distinct reactivity patterns to target cells loaded with the different mutant peptides or expressing IE1 variants. Therefore, in the HLA-A2 context, clonal expansions of anti-IE1 memory CTLs may confer a protection against HCMV successive infections and reactivations by killing cells presenting most of the naturally occurring IE1(315-324) epitope variants.     

Identification and characterization of the human cytomegalovirus immediate-early region 2 gene that stimulates gene expression from an inducible promoter.

The human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) XbaI E cloned DNA fragment of approximately 20 kilobases can complement an adenovirus mutant (dl312) defective in the E1a viral gene product (D. J. Spector and M. J. Tevethia, Virology 151:329-338, 1986). This viral DNA fragment contains three immediate-early (IE) genes between 0.709 and 0.751 map units (M. F. Stinski, D. R. Thomsen, R. M. Stenberg, and L. C. Goldstein, J. Virol. 46:1-14, 1983). Two of the IE genes, IE1 and IE2, were isolated and tested for a role in regulating viral gene expression. Since HCMV early and late promoters require additional characterization, the chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (cat) gene, driven by the adenovirus E2 promoter, was used as an indicator of gene expression. cat expression from this heterologous viral promoter was shown to be stimulated by HCMV at early times after infection. The IE1 gene product did not function independently in activating this promoter. The IE2 gene products could independently stimulate the expression of a plasmid of a plasmid when the cat gene was placed downstream of the inducible E2 promoter (E2CAT). Five proteins of different sizes have been predicted to originate from IE2, depending on mRNA splicing. The protein products specified by the IE2 gene were characterized with an antibody to a synthetic peptide according to the open reading frame of exon 2. Three of the five proteins are encoded by exon 2. Three viral proteins of 82, 54, and 28 kilodaltons (kDa) were detected. The exons contained in the region designated as IE2a have open reading frames that could code for two of the smaller proteins of 27 and 30 kDa. This region, when driven by the HCMV enhancer, could independently stimulate gene expression from E2CAT to a high level. A plasmid with the HCMV enhancer upstream of exons, that could code for the HCMV IE2 proteins of 48 and 51 kDa, as well as 27- and 30-kDa proteins, also stimulated E2CAT expression but at a lower level. The activity of this plasmid was augmented by the IE1 gene product, despite the fact that the latter gene product alone was inactive. It is proposed that the HCMV IE region 2 gene products are involved in the regulation of viral or host cell promoters either independently or in combination with other HCMV IE proteins.     

Fine specificity of cellular immune responses in humans to human cytomegalovirus immediate-early 1 protein.

Cell-mediated immunity is important in maintaining the virus-host equilibrium in persistent human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection. The HCMV 72-kDa major immediate early 1 protein (IE1) is a target for CD8+ cytotoxic T cells in humans, as is the equivalent 89-kDa protein in mouse. Less is known about responses against this protein by CD4+ T cells, which may be important as direct effector cells or helper cells for antibody and CD8+ responses. Proliferative-T-cell responses to HCMV IE1 were studied in normal seropositive subjects. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 85% of seropositive subjects proliferated in response to HCMV from infected fibroblasts, and of these, 73% responded to recombinant baculovirus IE1. Responding cells were predominantly CD3+ CD4+. IE1 antigen preparations, including baculovirus recombinant protein, transfected rat cell nuclei, and synthetic peptides, induced IE1-specific T-cell lines which cross-reacted between the preparations. The fine specificity of these IE1-specific T-cell lines was studied by using overlapping synthetic peptides encompassing the entire sequence of the IE1 protein. The regions of the IE1 molecule recognized were identified and these varied between individuals, possibly reflecting differences in major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II haplotype. In one subject, the peptide specificities of proliferative and MHC class I-restricted cytotoxic determinants on IE1 were spatially distinct. Thus, no single immunodominant T-cell determinant within HCMV IE1 was identified, suggesting that multiple peptides or a region of the 72-kDa IE1 protein would be required to induce specific T-cell responses in humans.     

SUMO-1 modification of human cytomegalovirus IE1/IE72

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) immediate-early protein IE1/IE72 is involved in undermining many cellular processes including cell cycle regulation, apoptosis, nuclear architecture, and gene expression. The multifunctional nature of IE72 suggests that posttranslational modifications may modulate its activities. IE72 is a phosphoprotein and has intrinsic kinase activity (S. Pajovic, E. L. Wong, A. R. Black, and J. C. Azizkhan, Mol. Cell. Biol. 17:6459-6464, 1997). We now demonstrate that IE72 is covalently conjugated to the small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO-1). SUMO-1 is an 11.5-kDa protein that is conjugated to multiple proteins and has been reported to exhibit multiple effects, including modulation of protein stability, subcellular localization, and gene expression. A covalently modified protein migrating at approximately 92 kDa, which is stabilized by a SUMO-1 hydrolase inhibitor, is revealed by Western blotting with anti-IE72 of lysates from cells infected with HCMV or cells expressing IE72. SUMO modification of IE72 was confirmed by immunoprecipitation with anti-IE72 and anti-SUMO-1 followed by Western blotting with anti-SUMO-1 and anti-IE72, respectively. Lysine 450 is within a sumoylation consensus site (I,V,L)KXE; changing lysine 450 to arginine by point mutation abolishes SUMO-1 modification of IE72. Inhibition of protein phosphatase 1 and 2A, which increases the phosphorylation of IE72, suppresses the formation of SUMO-1-IE72 conjugates. Both wild-type IE72 and IE72(K450R) localize to nuclear PML oncogenic domains and disrupt them. Studies of protein stability, transactivation, and complementation of IE72-deficient HCMV (CR208) have revealed no significant differences between wild-type IE72 and IE72(K450R).