干扰素刺激基因（ISGs）的研究进展

干扰素刺激基因(ISGs)是干扰素作用机制研究的核心内容.干扰素与受体结合后,通过细胞内信号转换,激活胞浆转录调控因子与ISGs调控序列上的cis元件结合而诱导基因表达.     

犬冠状病毒流行株膜蛋白基因序列分析及其表达研究

对国内分离的犬冠状病毒(CCoV)DXMV、V1和V2流行毒株膜蛋白(M)基因进行了扩增、测序和遗传进化分析。3个CCoV流行毒株M基因全长均为792bp,编码263个氨基酸,其中前17个氨基酸为信号肽。DXMV、V1和V2流行株与Insavc-1疫苗株M基因相比,核苷酸的同源性分别为92.6%、90.9%和91.6%,推导的氨基酸序列的同源性分别为92.5%、92.0%和92.3%,在M基因前1/3区域内存在变异,其中74-76、120-124和131-135三个区域变异较大。国内DXMV、V1、V2、NJ1和NJ1-175个流行株M基因核苷酸同源性为96.6%,推导的氨基酸序列同源性为96.4%,显示出很高的保守性。基于M基因的遗传进化分析表明,目前国内绝大多数CCoV流行毒株都属于CCoV基因II型,只有Fox3-1和Rac2-1两个毒株属于基因I型。另外,将DXMV株M基因亚克隆到pET28a中,在BL21(DE3)中实现了M蛋白的表达,表达量约占菌体蛋白的10.2%。     

犬冠状病毒流行株膜蛋白基因序列分析及其表达研究

对国内分离的犬冠状病毒(CCoV)DXMV、V1和V2流行毒株膜蛋白(M)基因进行了扩增、测序和遗传进化分析.3个CCoV流行毒株M基因全长均为792bp,编码263个氨基酸,其中前17个氨基酸为信号肽.DXMV、V1和V2流行株与Insavc-1疫苗株M基因相比,核苷酸的同源性分别为92.6% 、90.9%和91.6%,推导的氨基酸序列的同源性分别为92.5%、92.0%和92.3% ,在M基因前1/3区域内存在变异,其中74-76、120-124和131-135三个区域变异较大.国内DXMV、V1、V2、NJ1和NJ1-17 5个流行株M基因核苷酸同源性为96.6%,推导的氨基酸序列同源性为96.4%,显示出很高的保守性.基于M基因的遗传进化分析表明,目前国内绝大多数CCoV流行毒株都属于CCoV基因II型,只有Fox3-1和Rac2-1两个毒株属于基因I型.另外,将DXMV株M基因亚克隆到pET28a中,在BL21(DE3)中实现了M蛋白的表达,表达量约占菌体蛋白的10.2%.     

R-Loops Enhance Polycomb Repression at a Subset of Developmental Regulator Genes

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Antimalarial Exposure Delays Plasmodium falciparum Intra-Erythrocytic Cycle and Drives Drug Transporter Genes Expression

Background

Multi-drug resistant Plasmodium falciparum is a major obstacle to malaria control and is emerging as a complex phenomenon. Mechanisms of drug evasion based on the intracellular extrusion of the drug and/or modification of target proteins have been described. However, cellular mechanisms related with metabolic activity have also been seen in eukaryotic systems, e.g. cancer cells. Recent observations suggest that such mechanism may occur in P. falciparum.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We therefore investigated the effect of mefloquine exposure on the cell cycle of three P. falciparum clones (3D7, FCB, W2) with different drug susceptibilities, while investigating in parallel the expression of four genes coding for confirmed and putative drug transporters (pfcrt, pfmdr1, pfmrp1 and pfmrp2). Mefloquine induced a previously not described dose and clone dependent delay in the intra-erythrocytic cycle of the parasite. Drug impact on cell cycle progression and gene expression was then merged using a non-linear regression model to determine specific drug driven expression. This revealed a mild, but significant, mefloquine driven gene induction up to 1.5 fold.

Conclusions/Significance

Both cell cycle delay and induced gene expression represent potentially important mechanisms for parasites to escape the effect of the antimalarial drug.     

Soluble Receptor Potentiates Receptor-Independent Infection by Murine Coronavirus

Mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) infection spreads from MHV-infected DBT cells, which express the MHV receptor CEACAM1 (MHVR), to BHK cells, which are devoid of the receptor, by intercellular membrane fusion (MHVR-independent fusion). This mode of infection is a property of wild-type (wt) JHMV cl-2 virus but is not seen in cultures infected with the mutant virus JHMV srr7. In this study, we show that soluble MHVR (soMHVR) potentiates MHVR-independent fusion in JHMV srr7-infected cultures. Thus, in the presence of soMHVR, JHMV srr7-infected DBT cells overlaid onto BHK cells induce BHK cell syncytia and the spread of JHMV srr7 infection. This does not occur in the absence of soMHVR. soMHVR also enhanced wt virus MHVR-independent fusion. These effects were dependent on the concentration of soMHVR in the culture and were specifically blocked by the anti-MHVR monoclonal antibody CC1. Together with these observations, direct binding of soMHVR to the virus spike (S) glycoprotein as revealed by coimmunoprecipitation demonstrated that the effect is mediated by the binding of soMHVR to the S protein. Furthermore, fusion of BHK cells expressing the JHMV srr7 S protein was also induced by soMHVR. These results indicated that the binding of soMHVR to the S protein expressed on the DBT cell surface potentiates the fusion of MHV-infected DBT cells with nonpermissive BHK cells. We conclude that the binding of soMHVR to the S protein converts the S protein to a fusion-active form competent to mediate cell-cell fusion, in a fashion similar to the fusion of virus and cell membranes.     

过氧化氢刺激RAW264.7巨噬细胞促炎细胞因子和趋化因子基因表达

免疫反应细胞经呼吸瀑布作用产生的活性氧是巨噬细胞促炎细胞因子和趋化因子表达的信号分子,但目前缺乏过氧化氢(H2O2)刺激巨噬细胞表达促炎细胞因子和趋化因子的直接证据．本研究以离体培养的小鼠RAW264.7巨噬细胞为研究体系,探讨外源H2O2对RAW264.7巨噬细胞促炎因子和趋化因子基因表达和生成的影响．MTT法结合实时荧光定量PCR(qRT-PCR)、酶联免疫吸附试验(ELISA)结果显示,RAW264.7细胞在H2O2浓度低于40 μmol/L时不影响RAW264.7细胞的增殖活力．20 μmol/L和40 μmol/L H2O2显著增强RAW264.7细胞TNF-α、IL-1β、MCP-1和MIP-2基因转录和蛋白质生成,并存在剂量依赖效应;而200 U/mL过氧化氢酶预处理则可减弱由H2O2刺激的TNF-α、IL-1β、MCP-1和MIP-2基因表达和蛋白生成．这些结果提示,H2O2是刺激巨噬细胞促炎因子和趋化因子表达或生成的重要因子,对机体炎症反应的发生具有重要作用．     

Expression Patterns of Murine Antichymotrypsin-like Genes Reflect Evolutionary Divergence at the Serpina3 Locus

Members of the serpin (serine protease inhibitor) superfamily of genes are well represented in both human and murine genomes. In many cases it is possible to identify a definite ortholog on the basis of sequence similarity and by examining the surrounding genes at syntenic loci. We have recently examined the murine serpin locus at 12F1 and observed that the single human 1-antichymotrypsin gene is represented by 14 paralogs. It is also known that the single human 1-antitrypsin gene has five paralogs in the mouse. The forces driving this gene multiplication are unknown and there are no data describing the function of the various serpin gene products at the 1-antichymotrypsin multigene locus. Examination of the predicted amino acid sequences shows that the serpins are likely to be functional protease inhibitors but with differing target protease specificities. In order to begin to address the question of the problem presented by the murine 1-antichymotrypsins, we have used RT-PCR to examine the expression pattern of these serpin genes. Our data show that the divergent reactive center loop sequence, and predictably variable target protease specificity, is reflected in tissue-specific expression for many of the family members. These observations add weight to the hypothesis that the antichymotrypsin-like serpins have an evolutionary importance which has led to their expansion and diversification in multiple species.[Reviewing Editor: Dr. Peer Bork]     

High Basal Expression of Interferon-Stimulated Genes in Human Bronchial Epithelial (BEAS-2B) Cells Contributes to Influenza A Virus Resistance

Respiratory epithelial cells play a key role in influenza A virus (IAV) pathogenesis and host innate response. Transformed human respiratory cell lines are widely used in the study of IAV−host interactions due to their relative convenience, and inherent difficulties in working with primary cells. Transformed cells, however, may have altered susceptibility to virus infection. Proper characterization of different respiratory cell types in their responses to IAV infection is therefore needed to ensure that the cell line chosen will provide results that are of relevance in vivo. We compared replication kinetics of human H1N1 (A/USSR/77) IAVs in normal primary human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) and two commonly used respiratory epithelial cell lines namely BEAS-2B and A549 cells. We found that IAV replication was distinctly poor in BEAS-2B cells in comparison with NHBE, A549 and Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells. IAV resistance in BEAS-2B cells was accompanied by an activated antiviral state with high basal expression of interferon (IFN) regulatory factor-7 (IRF-7), stimulator of IFN genes (STING) and IFN stimulated genes (ISGs). Treatment of BEAS-2B cells with a pan-Janus-activated-kinase (JAK) inhibitor decreased IRF-7 and ISG expression and resulted in increased IAV replication. Therefore, the use of highly resistant BEAS-2B cells in IAV infection may not reflect the cytopathogenicity of IAV in human epithelial cells in vivo.