昆虫免疫识别与病原物免疫逃避机理研究进展

昆虫在长期进化过程中形成复杂的天然免疫系统,病原识别是启动下游免疫反应的第一步,这一过程主要是由不同的模式识别蛋白来完成的。目前发现并鉴定的昆虫模式识别蛋白主要包括肽聚糖识别蛋白、类免疫球蛋白、β-1,3-葡聚糖结合蛋白、C型凝集素及具多功能的载脂蛋白等,不同的蛋白种类具有不同的结构、功能及识别对象。与昆虫免疫识别相对应的是,不同昆虫病原物在进化过程中发展出不同策略的免疫逃避能力,以战胜宿主免疫而致病或最终杀死昆虫。本文就昆虫免疫过程中不同模式识别蛋白的结合对象、结构与功能,以及逐渐兴起的病原物通过分子伪装等进行免疫逃避的研究进展进行了综述。并在此基础上,作者就昆虫免疫与昆虫病理研究的发展方向进行了展望,认为只有当两方面研究相结合时,才能更好地揭示昆虫宿主与病原物之间免疫与抗免疫的动态相互作用过程。     

模式识别受体Dectin-1与β-葡聚糖的免疫识别作用

二十多年前,人们首次发现β-葡聚糖受体作为一种非调理素依赖性受体,可在免疫反应早期,通过识别内、外源配体,在清除衰老细胞和防御感染方面发挥重要作用,进而实现其抗肿瘤、抗感染等生物学效应。本文对β-葡聚糖模式识别受体在先天性免疫细胞和组织中的分布及其在炎症反应中的作用进行了综述。     

小菜蛾幼虫血淋巴中β-1,3-葡聚糖结合蛋白的分离及其对根虫瘟霉侵染的免疫活性

用亲和沉淀法从小菜蛾(Plutella xylostella)幼虫血淋巴中分离获得2种β-1,3-葡聚糖结合蛋白,分子质量分别为75.9 ku和83.2 ku,主要存在于幼虫血浆中,但血细胞中未检出.研究表明,β-1,3-葡聚糖结合蛋白能特异性地识别β-1,3-葡聚糖,并显著激活幼虫血淋巴中的酚氧化酶原（ProPO）,与昆布多糖共存时所激活的酚氧化酶（PO）活性显著高于两者单独存在时的PO活性.与4株根虫瘟霉(Zoophthora radicans)菌丝裂解液共存时,β-1,3-葡聚糖结合蛋白能激活幼虫血淋巴中的ProPO,使PO活力显著高于该菌原生质体裂解液所激活的PO活性.显然,β-1,3-葡聚糖结合蛋白只有特异性地识别根虫瘟霉细胞壁中的β-1,3-葡聚糖后才能激活幼虫血淋巴中的ProPO,表明虫霉原生质体可逃避寄主免疫反应.此外,β-1,3-葡聚糖结合蛋白对不同菌株所激活的PO活性存在差异,各菌株所激活的PO活性由高到低依次为：ARSEF1342＞ARSEF2699＞F99101＞ARSEF1100,这与各菌株对小菜蛾的毒力强弱相一致,即菌株逃避寄主免疫识别的能力与其毒力相关.     

黄粉虫β-1,3-葡聚糖识别蛋白的分离纯化及部分生物学功能

采用中性盐沉淀、凝胶层析等常规方法纯化黄粉虫Tenebrio molitor血淋巴中的β-1,3-葡聚糖识别蛋白,并对其在酚氧化酶原激活系统中的作用进行了初步的研究。结果表明:黄粉虫血淋巴的β-1,3-葡聚糖识别蛋白的分子量约为70 kDa,主要分布于血浆中。纯化的β-1,3-葡聚糖识别蛋白只能特异性地识别β-1,3-葡聚糖而不能识别肽聚糖。在β-1,3- 葡聚糖所诱导的酚氧化酶原的激活过程中,随着酚氧化酶原激活程度的提高,内源性β-1,3-葡聚糖识别蛋白的含量逐渐减少。抗β-1,3-葡聚糖识别蛋白多克隆抗体对黄粉虫血淋巴中由β-1,3-葡聚糖所诱导的酚氧化酶活性起抑制作用,且该抑制作用呈现一种剂量依赖性的趋势。上述结果有助于深入了解β-1,3-葡聚糖对黄粉虫血淋巴酚氧化酶原激活系统的激活作用。     

不同病原菌刺激下三疣梭子蟹主要组织LGBP基因的时序表达

脂多糖-β-1,3-葡聚糖结合蛋白（lipopolysaccharide-β-1,3-glucan binding protein,LGBP）作为一种模式识别受体能够识别革兰氏阴性菌和真菌的细胞壁多糖成分脂多糖和β-1,3-葡聚糖,在甲壳动物的免疫系统中占有重要地位,为了解LGBP在蟹类动物抗菌免疫应答中的作用,采用SYBR Green I实时荧光定量PCR方法,对分别经溶藻弧菌,酵母菌,溶-酵混合菌、金黄色葡萄球菌刺激6 h、12 h、24 h、48 h的三疣梭子蟹血细胞、肝胰腺、肌肉3种组织LGBP基因的相对表达量进行了检测。结果显示,LGBP基因在3种组织中的时序表达量总体趋势基本一致,呈现＂上升-下降-再上升-下降＂的趋势,各实验组在实验6 h时表达量均达到了峰值;不同病原菌刺激下LGBP基因在梭子蟹肝胰腺和血细胞中的表达量明显高于肌肉,且溶-酵混合菌刺激组织LGBP的表达量最高,酵母菌和溶藻弧菌刺激组次之,金黄色葡萄球菌组最低,说明LGBP主要参与蟹类抵抗革兰氏阴性菌和真菌侵入的免疫防御反应,但对革兰氏阳性菌也有一定的作用。     

冬虫夏草寄主蒲氏钩蝠蛾β-1,3-葡聚糖识别蛋白家族的分子结构与功能分析

β-1,3-葡聚糖识别蛋白(βGRP)是昆虫响应真菌侵染的重要识别介质,能够识别并结合真菌细胞壁的β-1,3-葡聚糖从而激活体内的天然免疫系统。本文采用Protparam等生物信息学方法和工具对βGRP家族TpβGRP4a和TpβGRP4b基因及其编码蛋白的序列特征、分子结构、理化性质和生化功能等进行了预测分析。结果显示该基因的核苷酸序列全长分别为1 991 bp和1 681 bp,包括3'-UTR、ORF和5'-UTR序列,其蛋白分子式C2504H3832N672O736S15和C2094H3188N554O610S12,含496个和412个氨基酸残基,均以Gly含量最高,定位于分泌途径,无跨膜结构域,二级结构和三维模型解析完成,以随机卷曲为主,是含有21个碱基的信号肽和Glyco-hydro及Laminarinase功能域的亲水性蛋白质,而它们在稳定性、酸碱性和磷酸化位点存在不同,表明TpβGRP家族与目前已知βGR在昆虫对病原物的模式识别和免疫反应机制中的作用类似,但作用方式可能不同。本文为深入研究冬虫夏草寄主钩蝠蛾昆虫βGRP的生化特性和分子免疫学机理奠定基础,从而推动冬虫夏草资源的开发和保护,对丰富昆虫天然免疫体系也有积极意义。     

植物NLR免疫受体的识别、免疫激活与信号调控

高等植物进化出大量膜表面和胞内免疫受体以感知各种病原信号,抵御病原物入侵。其中,细胞表面的模式识别受体感知模式分子后激活基础免疫反应,核苷酸结合和富亮氨酸重复蛋白(NLRs)则通过感知病原微生物分泌的效应蛋白激活特异免疫反应,导致超敏反应与细胞死亡。该文主要综述了NLRs对效应蛋白的识别、植物免疫激活及下游信号调控的最新研究进展。     

模式识别受体Dectin-1与天然免疫反应

在免疫反应早期,抗原递呈细胞表达的模式识别受体通过识别内、外源配体在清除衰老宿主细胞、分子以及防御感染中发挥重要作用。新近发现的树突状细胞相关性C型植物血凝素-1(dendritic cell—associated C-type lectin-1,Dectin-1)作为β-葡聚糖的主要受体,广泛分布于单核巨噬细胞系统、树突状细胞(dendritic cell,DC)及中性粒细胞等。本文对Dectin-1分子结构、细胞组织分布及其在诱导、调控局部和全身免疫、炎症反应中的作用进行概述。     

LysM蛋白介导植物免疫防卫反应及其信号激发的研究进展

溶解素基序(LysM)是一类普遍存在于大多数有机体中的蛋白质结构域。植物细胞中含有LysM结构域的蛋白能够识别不同种类含有N-乙酰葡糖胺结构的配体分子,从而启动植物对病原菌的特异防御反应。作为一种重要的模式识别受体,LysM结构域蛋白通过不同形式的寡聚化、受体类胞质激酶BIK1和MAPK级联反应向下游传递信号,而病原菌能够通过其分泌的效应蛋白特异性识别或修饰模式识别受体,规避植物细胞中病原体相关分子模式诱导的免疫反应。该文主要综述受体激酶/蛋白在病原菌激发子识别和防卫反应启动中的作用。     

无脊椎动物先天免疫模式识别受体研究进展

免疫系统的基本功能是“自己”与“非己”识别.对入侵物的识别是免疫防御的起始,最终引发效应物反应系统,包括吞噬作用、包被作用、激活蛋白酶级联反应和黑化作用以及诱导抗菌肽的合成等,从而清除或消灭入侵物.研究证明,这种“非己”识别是因为存在某些特异性的、可溶的或与细胞膜结合的模式识别受体,可以识别或结合微生物表面保守的、而在宿主中又不存在的病原相关分子模式.模式识别受体通过对病原相关分子的识别启动先天免疫防御.近年来这方面的研究进展很快,已经在无脊椎动物中确定了多种模式识别受体,包括肽聚糖识别蛋白、含硫酯键蛋白、革兰氏阴性菌结合蛋白、清除受体、C型凝集素、硫依赖型凝集素、Toll样受体和血素等,并对其性质和功能进行了研究.     

Role for dopamine in malonate-induced damage in vivo in striatum and in vitro in mesencephalic cultures

Defects in mitochondrial energy metabolism have been implicated in the pathology of several neurodegenerative disorders. In addition, the reactive metabolites generated from the metabolism and oxidation of the neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) are thought to contribute to the damage to neurons of the basal ganglia. We have previously demonstrated that infusions of the metabolic inhibitor malonate into the striata of mice or rats produce degeneration of DA nerve terminals. In the present studies, we demonstrate that an intrastriatal infusion of malonate induces a substantial increase in DA efflux in awake, behaving mice as measured by in vivo microdialysis. Furthermore, pretreatment of mice with tetrabenazine (TBZ) or the TBZ analogue Ro 4-1284 (Ro-4), compounds that reversibly inhibit the vesicular storage of DA, attenuates the malonate-induced DA efflux as well as the damage to DA nerve terminals. Consistent with these findings, the damage to both DA and GABA neurons in mesencephalic cultures by malonate exposure was attenuated by pretreatment with TBZ or Ro-4. Treatment with these compounds did not affect the formation of free radicals or the inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation resulting from malonate exposure alone. Our data suggest that DA plays an important role in the neurotoxicity produced by malonate. These findings provide direct evidence that inhibition of succinate dehydrogenase causes an increase in extracellular DA levels and indicate that bioenergetic defects may contribute to the pathogenesis of chronic neurodegenerative diseases through a mechanism involving DA.     

Scurvy in capybaras bred in captivity in Argentine

In order to determine if the absence of vitamin C in the diet of capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) causes scurvy, a group of seven young individuals were fed food pellets without ascorbic acid, while another group of eight individuals received the same food with 1 g of ascorbic acid per animal per day. Animals in the first group developed signs of scurvy-like gingivitis, breaking of the incisors and death of one animal. Clinical signs appeared between 25 and 104 days from the beginning of the trial in all individuals. Growth rates of individuals deprived of vitamin C was considerably less than those observed in the control group. Deficiency of ascorbic acid had a severe effect on reproduction of another population of captive capybaras. We found that the decrease in ascorbic acid content in the diet affected pregnancy, especially during the first stages. The results obtained suggest that it is necessary to supply a suitable quantity of vitamin C in the diet of this species in captivity.     

Changes in lactate dehydrogenase activity in chicken tissues in hyperthyreosis in ontogenesis

The lactate dehydrogenase activity in reactions of lactate oxidation and synthesis was studied in subfractions of the chicken brain, heart and liver at the embryonal, early postembryonal and adult stages of development after thyroxine administration. It has been shown that during embryogenesis thyroxine predominantly enhanced the rate of lactate oxidation in the mitochondrial tissues. A marked increase in the lactate synthesis was found in cytoplasm of the adult chicken tissues. Specificity of enzyme activity alterations was detected in the chicken brain during ontogenesis after thyroxine administration.     

SSTR5 ablation in islet results in alterations in glucose homeostasis in mice

Somatostatin (SST) peptide is a potent inhibitor of insulin secretion and its effect is mediated via somatostatin receptor 5 (SSTR5) in the endocrine pancreas. To investigate the consequences of gene ablation of SSTR5 in the mouse pancreas, we have generated a mouse model in which the SSTR5 gene was specifically knocked down in the pancreatic beta cells (betaSSTR5Kd) using the Cre-lox system. Immunohistochemistry analysis showed that SSTR5 gene expression was absent in beta cells at three months of age. At the time of gene ablation, betaSSTR5Kd mice demonstrated glucose intolerance with lack of insulin response and significantly reduced serum insulin levels. Insulin tolerance test demonstrated a significant increase of insulin clearance in vivo at the same age. In vitro studies demonstrated an absence of response to SST-28 stimulation in the betaSSTR5Kd mouse islet, which was associated with a significantly reduced SST expression level in betaSSTR5Kd mice pancreata. In addition, betaSSTR5Kd mice had significantly reduced serum glucose levels and increased serum insulin levels at 12 months of age. Glucose tolerance test at an older age also indicated a persistently higher insulin level in betaSSTR5Kd mice. Further studies of betaSSTR5Kd mice had revealed elevated serum C-peptide levels at both 3 and 12 months of age, suggesting that these mice are capable of producing and releasing insulin to the periphery. These results support the hypothesis that SSTR5 plays a pivotal role in the regulation of insulin secretion in the mouse pancreas.