Evidence for Symbiont-induced Alteration of a Host's Gene Expression: Irreversible Loss of SAM Synthetase from Amoeba proteus

ABSTRACT. Symbiont-bearing xD amoebae no longer produce a 45-kDa cytoplasmic protein that functions as S-adenosylmethionine synthetase in symbiont-free D amoebae. The absence of the protein in xD amoebae is attributable to xD amoeba's failure to transcribe the corresponding gene as a result of harboring bacterial symbionts. However, xD amoebae have about half the level of enzyme activity found in D amoebae, indicating that they use an alternative source for the enzyme. xD amoebae originated from D amoebae by bacterial infection and now depend on their symbionts for survival. xD amoebae exhibit irreversible nucleolar abnormalities when their symbionts are removed, suggesting that X-bacteria supply the needed enzyme. A monoclonal antibody against the 45-kDa protein was produced and used as a probe in cloning its corresponding cDNA. The product of the cDNA was found to have S-adenosylmethionine synthetase activity. These results show how symbiotic X-bacteria may become essential cellular components of amoebae by supplementing a genetic defect for an amoeba's house-keeping gene that is brought about by an action of X-bacteria themselves. This is the first reported example in which symbionts alter the host's gene expression to block the production of an essential protein.     

A Symbiont-Produced Protein and Bacterial Symbiosis in Amoeba proteus

ABSTRACT. Gram- symbiotic X-bacteria present in the xD strain of Amoeba proteus as required cell components, synthesize and export a large amount of a 29-kDa protein (S29x) into the host's cytoplasm across bacterial and symbiosome membranes. The S29x protein produced by E. coli transformed with the s29x gene is also rapidly secreted into the culture medium. Inside amoebae, S29x enters the host's nucleus as detected by confocal and irnmunoelectron microscopy, although it is not clear if S29x is selectively accumulated inside the nucleus. The deduced amino-acid sequence of S29x has a stretch of basic amino acids that could act as a nuclear localization signal, but there is no signal peptide at the N-terminus and the transport of S29x is energy independent. The functions of S29x are not known, but in view of its prominent presence inside the amoeba's nucleus, S29x is suspected to be involved in affecting the expression of amoeba's nuclear gene(s).     

Antigenic Reactivity of a Monoclonal Antibody Against Amoeba proteus Actin

The reactivity of a monoclonal antibody against actin of Amoeba proteus with actins from other sources was examined. The monoclonal antibody cross-reacted with actins from vertebrate muscles, human erythrocytes, and Acanthamoeba castellanii , but it did not react with Naegleria gruberi actin. The amoeba actin was resolved into 3 bands with isoeletric points of 5.96, 6.03 and 6.10 in electrofocusing gels and they corresponded to 3 peptide spots reacting with the antibody on 2-dimensional immunoblots.     

人心肌肌球蛋白轻链1与重链和肌动蛋白的结合

在测得中国人心肌肌球蛋白轻链 1cDNA的核苷酸序列 ,并获得一株单克隆抗体 (HCMLC1 8)的基础上 ,用PCR方法 ,以中国人心肌肌球蛋白轻链 1的cDNA为模板 ,分别获得中国人心肌肌球蛋白轻链 1的各为 98个氨基酸的N端和C端片段cDNA的克隆并进行了表达。同时进行了其表达产物和大鼠心肌肌球蛋白重链和人心肌肌动蛋白以及单克隆抗体结合的研究 ,发现三者均和轻链 1的N端相结合 ,结合位点各不相同。这些结合位点可能均位于轻链 1的分子表面 ,而且如果轻链 1在实验状态下先与肌动蛋白结合 ,则有可能影响轻链与重链间的彼此结合。肌动蛋白在体外能以不同位点结合肌球蛋白重链和轻链 ,可能在肌肉收缩过程中具有重要的生理意义     

Characterization of an Anti-Thioredoxin Monoclonal Antibody

An anti-E. coli thioredoxin monoclonal antibody, IMM-3C6, which showed high specificity to thioredoxin as assessed by indirect ELISA, was generated using hybridoma technology. The affinity constant of IMM-3C6 to thioredoxin was 0.40×10⁹ m⁻¹ and its sensitivity to thioredoxin fusion protein in dot blotting was 50 ng. In sandwich ELISA, it detected thioredoxin fusion protein between 16 and 150 ng/ml. By using IMM-3C6 as the ligand, thioredoxin fusion protein was successfully purified by affinity chromatography. IMM-3C6 was confirmed to be a useful tool for immunoassay and purification of thioredoxin fusion proteins. These authors contributed equally to the work. Received 21 September 2005; Revisions requested 7 October 2005; Revisions received 10 November 2005; Accepted 11 November 2005     

庚型肝炎病毒（HGV）NS5区部分基因的克隆和cDNA序列测定

用RT－PCR技术从一例献血员血清标本中扩增出HGV非结构区的部分基因片段,克隆后测定。cDNA序列。该序列与国外三株HGV的核苷酸同源性在90％以上;与GBV—A和GBV—B的同源性分别为44．7％和33．17％;与已发表的23个HCV全序列的相应序列比较,同源性均小于40％。结果表明,克隆的病毒株为HGV中国株。同时,用RT—PCR检测了河北固安和南京地区的115份HCV感染者标本．HGVRNA阳性率为3．47％。表明我国某些特殊人群中HGV感染率较高,是一个不容忽视的问题。     

甲型H1N1流感病毒血凝素单克隆抗体轻链和重链可变区基因的巢式PCR扩增及序列分析

目的：采用巢式PCR对甲型H1N1流感病毒血凝素单克隆抗体的轻链和重链基因进行扩增,对获得的基因进行序列分析,并找出克隆鼠Igκ轻链和重链可变区基因的通用方法。方法：设计22对扩增鼠Igκ轻链可变区和重链可变区基因的引物,对6株鼠抗人甲型H1N1流感病毒血凝素单克隆抗体的轻链和重链可变区基因进行克隆并测序,与NCBI公布的鼠免疫球蛋白序列比对分析。结果：巢式PCR方法可以有效避免单克隆抗体克隆过程的假基因,并且得到的单克隆抗体的氨基酸序列均符合鼠免疫球蛋白可变区特征。结论：建立了克隆鼠免疫球蛋白轻链和重链可变区基因的通用方法,为后期克隆鼠源性单克隆抗体的可变区基因提供了基础,并为研究甲型H1N1流感病毒血凝素与抗体的结合位点提供了实验数据。     

Characterization of a Monoclonal Antibody and a cDNA for Polyubiquitin of Amoeba proteus

A monoclonal antibody was obtained that reacts with many different proteins (14-200 kDa) of Amoeba proteus. By indirect immunofluorescence microscopy we found the antigens to be dispersed throughout the cytoplasm but were more concentrated in the nucleus. The antibody cross-reacted with proteins of Tetrahymena, Xenopus embryo, and mouse macrophages. Using the antibody as a probe we cloned a cDNA of 1.2 kb coding for ubiquitin in five repeats. Amino acid sequences of ameba's polyubiquitin showed the most variations among the nineteen polyubiquitins of other organisms compared. The well-conserved ²⁰Ser and ⁵⁵Thr residues were replaced with Gly and Ser. respectively. The ²⁸Ala residue found in most organisms was replaced with Gln or Glu in the amoeba. Amoebae contained two ubiquitin-mRNAs that could be detected by Northern blot analysis using the cDNA as a probe. In an analysis for specificity, the antibody reacted with polyubiquitin and ubiquitin-fusion proteins larger than 14 kDa but not with monomeric ubiquitin. The antibody is a useful probe in the detection and characterization of proteins ubiquitinated in response to cellular stresses.     

紫茎泽兰花蕾发育过程中类Beclin1基因的克隆表达分析

以紫茎泽兰不同发育时期花蕾为实验材料,通过光学显微观察、DNA ladder检测表明紫茎泽兰花蕾发育过程中绒毡层有PCD现象发生,自紫茎泽兰花蕾中克隆长为679 bp的Beclin1 cDNA基因部分片段,同烟草叶片的Beclin1基因序列（AY701316）同源性为98%,通过Northern blotting分析,在紫茎泽兰花蕾发育过程中细胞程序性死亡（PCD）相关Beclin1基因表达在花蕾发育第Ⅱ期和Ⅲ期较为旺盛,且在花蕾发育第Ⅱ期最强烈。本研究首次克隆并证实紫茎泽兰花蕾Beclin1基因与PCD有一定的相关性,为分析紫茎泽兰入侵机理提供新的思路和手段。     

单域重链抗体的分子特征

源于软骨鱼或骆驼科动物的同型重链二聚体无轻链,用基因工程方法获得其单一重链可变区可保留完整的抗原结合活性,称为单域重链抗体。单域重链抗体具有分子小、稳定性高、体内组织渗透性好、可溶性好、易表达、抗原识别表位独特的结构特征,近年来在生物技术研究与诊断治疗应用领域得到广泛关注,取得了快速发展。     

人癌胚抗原单链抗体基因的构建和筛选

从分泌抗癌胚抗原(carcinoembryoni antigen, CEA)单抗的杂交瘤细胞株C50中提取总RNA, 逆转录成cDNA, PCR扩增分别得到抗体轻、重链可变区基因, 再利用两对PCR引物合成和扩增得到全单链抗体基因. 将含轻、重链可变区序列的DNA片段克隆于含噬菌体基因Ⅲ的噬菌粒pCANTAB5. 重组克隆在噬菌体表面表达基因Ⅲ与单链抗体的融合蛋白. 表达具抗原结合活性的单链抗体的重组噬菌体可以通过亲和筛选的方法筛选得到并富集. 利用该方法我们可以从许多分泌不同抗体的杂交瘤细胞RNA中快速克隆和筛选功能性抗体可变区基因.     

Isolation and Nucleotide Sequence of Rat Cu/Zn Superoxide Dismutase cDNA Clones

Superoxide dismutase (SOD: EC 1.15.1.1) catalyzes the dismutation of oxygen radicals and is thought to protect cells against free radical damage. We have isolated and sequenced cDNA clones of the rat Cu/Zn SOD, and have used these clones to map the rat genomic sequences coding for this enzyme. Rat Cu/Zn SOD is coded for by a single copy gene which is transcribed into an mRNA species of approximately 800 bases. Comparison of the nucleotide sequences of rat and human SOD cDNAs shows that they are homologous over 83% of the coding sequences and that in the 3′-untranslated region the extent of homology drops to 66%. The predicted rat SOD amino acid sequence is very similar to that of other eukaryotic SODs, showing 70% homology with the SODs of other mammals. Sequence conservation is particularly high in domains believed to be of functional importance.     

Immunodetection and intracellular localization of caldesmon-like proteins in Amoeba proteus

Summary. Caldesmon immunoanalogues were detected in Amoeba proteus cell homogenates by the Western blot technique. Three immunoreactive bands were recognized by polyclonal antibodies against the whole molecule of chicken gizzard caldesmon as well as by a monoclonal antibody against its C-terminal domain: one major and two minor bands corresponding to proteins with apparent molecular masses of 150, 69, and 60 kDa. The presence of caldesmon-like protein(s) in amoebae was revealed as well in single cells after their fixation, staining with the same antibodies, and recording their total fluorescence in a confocal laser scanning microscope. Proteins recognized by the antibodies bind to filamentous actin. This was established by a cosedimentation assay in cell homogenates and by colocalization of the caldesmon-related immunofluorescence with the fluorescence of filamentous actin stained with rhodamine-labelled phalloidin, demonstrated in optical sections of single cells in a confocal microscope. Caldesmon is colocalized with filamentous actin in the withdrawn cell regions where the cortical actomyosin network contracts and actin is depolymerized, in the frontal zone where actin is polymerized again and the cortical cytoskeleton is reconstructed, inside the nucleus and in the perinuclear cytoskeleton, and probably at the cell-to-substratum adhesion sites. The regulatory role of caldesmon in these functionally different regions of locomoting amoebae is discussed.Correspondence and reprints: Department of Cell Biology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, ulica Pasteura 3, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland.Received October 7, 2002; accepted December 2, 2002; published online August 26, 2003     

抗人小细胞肺癌单克隆抗体的重链变区基因的体外扩增、克隆和序列分析

本文从抗人小细胞肺癌单克隆抗体杂交瘤细胞中抽提总RNA,合成第一链cDNA,直接用PCR技术(polymerase chain reaction)扩增出351bp的重链变区基因(V_H),克隆至pUCV_(NP)-PCR载体上,经筛选得一批插入片段为351bp的阳性克隆,经核苷酸序列分析研究,证实已获得了该单克隆抗体的重链可变区基因。     

单克隆抗体及其抗感染作用的研究进展

骨髓瘤细胞和单个B细胞可融合形成杂交瘤细胞,这种细胞分离并克隆后可产生针对单一表位,且结构和功能相同的抗体,即单克隆抗体(monoclonal antibody, mAb)。单克隆抗体发展历程经历了四个阶段。其制备技术也在不断革新与发展。目前单克隆抗体技术发展日益成熟,在疾病治疗与诊断中发挥着关键的作用。单克隆抗体与天然抗体不同,具有效价高、特异性强、交叉反应少、可大量制备,靶向性高等特点。mAb可用于诊断及治疗感染性疾病、自身免疫病以及癌症等。对mAb的发展历程及mAb在抗感染性疾病中的应用进行简要阐述。     

Direct amplification and sequencing of the 16S ribosomal DNA of an intracellular Legionella species recovered by amoebal enrichment from the sputum of a patient with pneumonia

DNA coding for the 16S rRNA of an intracellular bacterium was directly amplified from lysed cells of a host amoebae using the polymerase chain reaction and primers specific for eubacteria. The amoebae had been used to recover an uncultured bacterium observed in the sputum of a patient with pneumonia. The amplified DNA was sequenced directly and compared with published 16S rRNA sequences. The analysis revealed that the intracellular bacterium is a member of the genus Legionella and that it is different from species, including L. pneumophila, for which 16S ribosomal RNA sequence data are available.