ON THE DIFFERENTIAL CYTOTOXICITY OF ACTINOMYCIN D

Actinomycin D (AMD) at concentrations that inhibit cellular RNA synthesis by 85% or more causes an acute phase of lethal cell degeneration in HeLa cultures beginning as early as 3 hr after drug exposure, resulting in the nearly complete loss of viable cells by 12 hr. The loss of cells during this acute phase of lethality is closely dose dependent. Vero, WI38, or L cells are not susceptible to this early acute cyto-intoxication by AMD, and may begin to die only after 1–2 days. Differential susceptibility to acute cyto-intoxication by AMD, or other inhibitors of RNA synthesis (daunomycin or nogalamycin), among different types of cultured cells is analogous to that observed in vivo in certain tissues and tumors, and cannot be accounted for by differences in the effect of AMD on RNA, DNA, or protein syntheses, or by the over-all loss of preformed RNA. Actinomycin D in a dose that inhibits RNA synthesis causes an equivalent loss of the prelabeled RNA in all the cell types studied. Inhibition of protein synthesis with streptovitacin A or of DNA synthesis with hydroxyurea does not cause acute lethal injury in HeLa cells as does inhibition of RNA synthesis. Furthermore, since Vero or L cells divide at about the same rate as HeLa cells, no correlation can be drawn between the rate of cell proliferation and susceptibility to the cytotoxicity of AMD. Susceptibile cells are most vulnerable to intoxication by AMD in the G₁-S interphase or early S phase. Inhibition of protein synthesis (which protects cells against damage by other agents affecting DNA) does not protect against AMD-induced injury. Although HeLa cells bind more AMD at a given dose than Vero or L cells, the latter cell types, given higher doses, can be made to bind proportionally more AMD without succumbing to acute cyto-intoxication. It is suggested that the differential susceptibility of these cell types to acute poisoning by AMD may reflect differences among various cells in the function or stability of certain RNA species not directly involved in translation whose presence is vital to cells. In HeLa cells, these critical species of RNA are presumed to have a short half-life.     

THE MECHANISM OF THE INHIBITION OF HEMOLYSIS

The principal conclusion of this investigation is that the inhibitory effect of plasma or serum on hemolysis by saponin and lysins of the same type is similar in nature to the inhibitory effects of certain sugars and electrolytes, which again are similar to the acceleratory effects produced by indol, benzene, and other substances already studied. All these effects, both inhibitory and acceleratory, are the result of reactions between the inhibitors or accelerators and those components of the red cell membrane which are broken down by lysins. The inhibitory effect of plasma on saponin hemolysis has a number of properties in common with the inhibition produced by sugars and electrolytes and with accelerations in general. (a) The temperature coefficient is small and negative. (b) The extent of the inhibition depends on the type of red cell used in the hemolytic system. (c) The most satisfactory measure of the extent of the inhibition, the constant R, is a function of the concentration of lysin in the system, and (d) R is a linear function of the quantity of inhibitor present. It is also shown that the inhibitory effect of plasma, and serum is not entirely dependent on its protein content. The process underlying the phenomenon of lysis and its acceleration or inhibition seems to be one in which the lysin reacts with a component or components of the cell membrane in such a way as to break down its semipermeability to hemoglobin, and in which the accelerator or inhibitor also reacts with the same component in such a way as to increase or decrease the effectiveness of the lysin in producing breakdown. The membrane is considered as being an ultrastructure made up of small areas or spots of varying degrees of resistance to breakdown, the resistances being distributed according to a negatively skew type of frequency curve, and the process of lysis seems to begin with the least resistant spots breaking down first. These spots may be arranged in some regular spatial pattern, and the membrane has also to be regarded as possessing spots of varying rigidity of form. The accelerator or inhibitor changes the resistance of every reactive spot in the ultrastructure by a factor R, which suggests that acceleration and inhibition are results of some over-all effect, such as that of changing the extent to which lysin is concentrated at the surface or partitioned between the material of the membrane and the surrounding fluid. Some kind of combination between the accelerator or inhibitor and the material of the ultrastructure is presumably involved; at first the combination seems to be a loose one and partly reversible, but later some of the loose links are replaced by more permanent combinations involving the same types of bond as are broken down by the lysins themselves.     

负载Her-2多肽的DCIK细胞对乳腺癌细胞杀伤作用研究

本文观察利用树突状细胞(DC)呈递肿瘤抗原(Her-2多肽)的特性提高DCIK细胞对乳腺癌细胞的杀伤活性。提取外周血来源的有核细胞诱导分离出细胞因子诱导的杀伤细胞(CIK)和树突状细胞(DC),DC负载Her-2多肽后和CIK细胞共培养产生DCIK细胞,并鉴定其HLA基因型。分析三株肿瘤细胞(MDA-MB-231、SK-BR-3、MCF-7)HLA基因型和Her-2蛋白表达情况。用细胞毒试验(CCK-8法)测定DCIK细胞的对三株Her2表达不同的乳腺癌细胞株的杀伤活性。结果表明DCIK细胞对MDA-MB-31、SK-BR-3、MCF-7的杀伤率(效靶比10:1)分别为50.38%±3.25%、52.19%±3.25%、47.09%±2.41%。而负载Her-2多肽的DCIK细胞对MDA-MB-231、SK-BR-3、MCF-7的杀伤率分别为76.30%±1.74%(P<0.001)、55.70%±3.05%(P=0.0143)、47.67%±2.40%(P=0.6972)。实验证明负载Her-2多肽的DCIK细胞能显著提高对Her-2( )的乳腺癌细胞的杀伤作用,为乳腺癌患者进行过继免疫治疗提供了理论依据。     

THE MECHANISM OF COMPLEMENT FIXATION

1. Complement fixation is obtained in every antigen-antibody reaction involving the presence or formation of a heterogeneous phase (red cells, bacteria, precipitate). 2. The physical constants of fixation (temperature coefficient, velocity, quantitative relationships between the reactants) are those commonly associated with adsorption processes, and are the same in the three types of fixation studied. 3. All the in vitro immune reactions involve an aggregation of immune-serum globulins upon the surface of the antigen. It has been shown that the "fixation" of complement is an adsorption by the aggregates so formed; whether these aggregates are visible as a flocculent precipitate (e.g., sheep serum vs. anti-serum) or concentrated as a surface film on a cellular antigen (sensitized cells; agglutinated bacteria), the reaction is fundamentally the same. 4. As yet, it is unknown whether this adsorption is determined by the physical state of the precipitate, and thus, differs only quantitatively from that by Kaolin, charcoal, normal bacteria, heat-denatured proteins, etc.; or whether the comparatively enormous avidity of these aggregates for complement is due to a specific chemical affinity.     

THE MECHANISM OF STOMATAL MOVEMENT

Ketellapper , H. J. (California Inst. Tech., Pasadena.) The mechanism of stomatal movement. Amer. Jour. Bot. 46(3) : 225-231. IIlus. 1959.—A review of the pertinent literature reveals that fairly exact knowledge is available about the effects of light, CO₂, and water content of the leaf on stomatal movement. Two distinct types of light action can be distinguished: an indirect effect, mediated through photosynthesis and the resulting lower CO₂ concentration within the leaf, and a direct effect which occurs even when the intercellular spaces are washed out with CO₂-free air. The CO₂ concentration occupies a very central position in the regulation of stomatal movement. The action of CO₂ and light will be influenced, or even counteracted, by the value of the water deficit in the leaf. A large number of changes in the guard cells, accompanying stomatal movement, has been described in the literature and some of these have been discussed in the present review: for example, the changes in osmotic value, in starch content, and in permeability. These observations led to the formulation of the classical theories of stomatal movement. It has been concluded that the classical theories are not adequate to explain stomatal movement. At present one can choose between 2 alternatives: an osmotic theory incorporating the pathways of the classical theories and bringing these together in one general scheme hinging on the sugar-starch conversion, or else a theory incorporating non-osmotic processes for the removal of water or osmotic active material. These alternatives have been discussed in some detail. It has been concluded that more experimental evidence is required before a valid theory of stomatal movement can be brought forward.     

THE MECHANISM OF COMPLEMENT ACTION

It has been shown: 1. That complement exposed to ultra-violet light is not thereby sensitized to the action of heat (which indicates that it is not protein). 2. That inactivation of complement by ultra-violet light is accompanied by a decrease in its surface tension. 3. That photoinactivation of complement is not a result of any changes in hydrogen ion concentration since these are less than 0.05 pH. 4. That hydrogen ion concentrations high enough to transform serum proteins from the cation to the anion condition (i.e. past the isoelectric point) permanently inactivate complement. These facts together with those given in previous papers lead to the following hypotheses. 1. That there is present in serum a hemolytic substance which is formed from a precursor (which may resemble lecithin) and is constantly being formed and simultaneously being broken down into inactive products. 2. That both precursor and lysin contain the same photosensitive molecular group. 3. That the lytic substance is dependent for its activity upon the state of the serum proteins.     

关于法氏囊自然退化的研究

实验结果进一步表明法氏囊的发育是受性激素控制的。法氏囊的自然退化是机体内性激素浓度达到一定的水平所致。 在法氏襄的退化过程中起关键作用的细胞成分是FAE细胞,当它们完全地受到性激素的影响时,淋巴细胞分化的微环境遭到破坏,法氏襄发生不可逆性的退化。     

噬菌体脱毒机理的研究Ⅰ

用噬菌体处理河流弧菌Ⅱ的时间不同,细菌菌落的透明度和超微结构也不一样。在吸附后７ｈ开始菌落出现透明度的变化,首先是不透明（乳黄色）的菌落占绝对优势,但已出现半透明和透明菌落,培养到４８ｈ时,几乎全部变为透明菌落。透明菌落不再能与其噬菌体吸附而产生噬斑,也不会再感染鲍而产生脓疱病。透射电镜观察发现,透明菌落的菌细胞形状和结构大都发生变化。细胞壁薄,细胞质浓缩集中在细胞的一侧或一端。不透明菌落细胞形状正常,细胞壁完整,细胞质外延使细胞横切面呈指环状。电镜观察不同时间取样发现,１号样品细胞结构无明显变化。２号样品多数细胞产生外膜泡。３号样品许多细胞结构与１号相似,但在一些细胞的附近出现成簇的外膜泡和噬菌体。４号样品细胞结构变化较大,细菌的核区被破坏,在细胞的周围发现许多噬菌体。５号样中发现许多菌细胞被破坏,也在一些细胞内发现噬菌体。６号样中透明菌落和不透明菌落细胞结构变化明显。７号样几乎所有菌落都变为透明状,许多细胞破裂等。