人类巨细胞病毒编码US28受体拮抗性多肽的筛选鉴定及体外活性研究

立足US28的广谱趋化因子结合活性,寻找拮抗剂多肽的先导物．通过预测US28的结合模拟位设计多肽序列,合成相关多肽,再利用自建的25种趋化因子随机构成的噬菌体12肽库筛选结合模拟位,竞争性ELISA方法验证,从而获得30个阳性克隆,测序并推导氨基酸序列,得到7种序列：GSESLNAHCALW、EIDGFNAHCALL、VIARLNAHCALR、ATECLNAHCALW、VIESLNAHCALW、DNGSINAHCALL及VKKTLNAHCALR．所有序列富含疏水氨基酸,其中8个克隆有LNAHCAL保守序列．采用趋化抑制实验检测多肽对生理性趋化因子引起的细胞迁移活性的影响,流式细胞仪检测细胞内钙离子浓度变化．结果表明,利用人源趋化因子序列构建肽库并筛选有效序列的方法取得成功,筛选出的阳性克隆保守序列LNAHCAL可以模拟Human MIP-1β与US28 N端的结合位,从而与合成多肽H22结合,多肽H22可以阻断受体结合生理性趋化因子形成的趋化作用,本身不引起趋化运动,不影响胞内信号转导和细胞自然活性,具有广谱趋化因子拮抗剂的可能性．     

内毒素结合肽模拟肽P11的体外活性研究

目的对从噬菌体展示随机肽库筛选获得的内毒素结合肽模拟肽进行体外拈抗内毒素活性鉴定。方法采用FMOC固相合成法化学合成内毒素结合肽模拟肽P11,并进行拮抗内毒素活性和细胞毒性测定。结果亲和ELISA检测显示P11与LPS有较高的亲和力,通过生长曲线和流式细胞学分析细胞周期显示P11对人U937细胞生长无明显影响。流式细胞检测显示P11呈剂量依赖性抑制FITC—LPS与人外周血单核细胞（PBMC）结合。细胞因子生成抑制实验显示10μg/mlP11可显著抑制LPS诱导PBMC和U937细胞TNF—αmRNA转录和蛋白表达。结论体外活性鉴定结果表明化学合成的模拟肽P11可抑制LPS诱导的炎性反应。     

基于人HMGB1-B box的抑制性小肽筛选及其抗炎功能分析

目的从噬菌体构象型7肽库中筛选人HMGB1-Bbox的抑制性小肽。方法以重组人HMGB1-Bbox为靶分子对噬菌体构象型7肽库进行6轮亲和筛选,获得Bbox结合的克隆,并经ELISA验证。选取亲和力高的克隆进行DNA测序,并推导出呈现的多肽序列,通过IL-6 ELISA检测噬菌体呈现的小肽对人HMGB1-B box致炎功能的抑制作用。结果经过6轮亲和筛选,噬菌体的回收率增加,阳性克隆得到富集。挑选15个结合力强的克隆进行测序,推导出2个多肽序列。所获两个阳性噬菌体克隆能特异性地抑制人HMGB1-B box刺激THP-1细胞产生炎症因子的能力。结论获得了噬菌体呈现的能够抑制人HMGB1-B box的两个小肽。     

脓毒症单核巨噬细胞特异性结合肽的筛选

利用噬菌体随机肽库展示技术,筛选出与脓毒症单核/巨噬细胞特异性结合的短肽,探索脓毒症治疗的新方法.分别以经过脂多糖(lipopolysaccharide, LPS)处理的人外周血单核细胞株(THP-1)细胞作为筛选的靶细胞,以未经LPS处理的THP-1细胞作为非特异性噬菌体吸附细胞,对噬菌体随机环七肽库进行4轮“差减"筛选,经过细胞ELISA验证阳性噬菌体克隆,对获得的阳性克隆进行DNA测序及生物信息学分析,并进一步利用免疫荧光实验,鉴定噬菌体克隆与LPS处理THP-1细胞的结合特异性.4轮筛选后,随机挑取的噬菌体克隆,测序后得到可与LPS处理的THP-1细胞特异性结合肽.对去冗余后的七肽进行Clustal W多序列比对分析和BlastP蛋白同源相似性分析,细胞免疫荧光检测确定获得的噬菌体展示七肽可与LPS处理的THP-1细胞特异性结合.噬菌体随机肽库技术为脓毒症单核/巨噬细胞表面靶位的筛选提供了高效、快捷的筛选体系,实验获得的多肽基序具有高度保守性和细胞特异性,这些多肽的生物活性将是下一步的研究内容.     

噬菌体展示技术筛选大鼠佐剂性关节炎中PGE2受体的拮抗剂

目的：通过筛选PGE2受体拮抗剂,来探讨其在类风湿性关节炎（rheumatoid arthritis, RA）中的作用,为RA的治疗开辟新的途径。方法：应用噬菌体展示技术,以PGE2为靶点,对噬菌体环七肽库进行"吸附-洗脱-扩增"筛选过程,5轮筛选后,随机挑取噬菌体克隆进行亲和力鉴定,并选取亲和力高的克隆进行测序并对序列进行分析。合成环七肽后,建立佐剂性关节炎（AA）动物模型,通过分析足爪肿胀度,以及采用ELISA方法检测关节浸液中细胞因子的含量,对小肽的抗炎作用进行探讨。结果：噬菌体经过富集后,随机挑选的23个克隆中有21个阳性克隆,而在测序的8个克隆中4个具有相同的序列,其余也具有保守氨基酸。合成的环七肽能降低AA关节的肿胀度并减少关节浸液中前炎症细胞因子的含量。结论:噬菌体筛选PGE2受体拮抗剂的方法可行,并且得到的环七肽具有一定的抗炎作用。     

橄榄叶提取物对大鼠急性炎症和痛觉过敏的研究

本文采用鹿角菜胶诱导的大鼠急性炎症模型观察橄榄叶提取物(OLE)的抗炎与镇痛作用及对致炎因子TNF-α和IL-1β的mRNA表达。用鹿角菜胶注射到大鼠右后足内,分别于鹿角菜胶注射前30 min和注射后120 min灌胃给予OLE 100、250和500 mg/kg体重。鹿角菜胶处理后测量足跖肿胀度及痛域。用RT-PCR检测足跖垫内组织TNF-α、IL-1β和IL-10的mRNA表达。结果显示,经灌胃给予OLE100、250和500 mg/kg体重,均能明显降低大鼠后足肿胀度,增加痛域,并明显降低致炎因子TNF-α和IL-1β的mRNA表达。本研究提示OLE具有抗炎和镇痛作用,其作用机制可能与抑制TNF-α和IL-1β的mRNA表达有关。     

从随机噬菌体肽库中筛选抗草鱼出血病病毒多肽的研究

从随机噬菌体九肽表位库中筛选出抑制草鱼出血病病毒（ＧｒａｓＣａｒｐＨｅｍｏｒｈａｇｅＶｉｒｕｓ,ＧＣＨＶ８７３）感染的多肽分子。采用完整、生物素化的草鱼出血病病毒颗粒作为受体,与以融合蛋白形式在丝状噬菌体ｆＵＳＥ５的外壳蛋白Ⅲ的Ｎ端表达的随机九肽库作用。经三轮体外亲和筛选（Ｂｉｏｐａｎｎｉｎｇ）及ＥＬＩＳＡ法检测后,从肽库中筛选出１６个与病毒高亲和力结合的噬菌体克隆,其中六个阳性克隆能有效地抑制病毒在ＣＩＫ细胞中的复制,并使病毒的半数组织培养感染剂量（ＴＣＩＤ５０）下降五个数量级。表明噬菌体肽库技术完全能够应用于抗病毒研究,为研制抗病毒短肽制剂打基础。     

利用噬菌体随机肽库筛选可结合猪繁殖与呼吸综合症病毒的多肽序列

【目的】采用完整的猪繁殖与呼吸综合症病毒(Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus,PRRSV)颗粒筛选噬菌体肽库,以获得能高亲和力结合并能抑制该病毒复制的特异性多肽。【方法】用纯化的病毒粒子包被ELISA板,再用M13噬菌体随机12肽库进行筛选。经过3轮淘筛,ELISA鉴定噬菌体单克隆与PRRSV的亲和力,选取与PRRSV具有高亲和力的噬菌体单克隆进行DNA测序,据此推导多肽的氨基酸序列。通过TCID50检测其抗病毒复制能力,同时人工合成FITC标记的展示肽用于PRRSV的检测。【结果】经筛选和鉴定得到17个阳性噬菌体克隆能与PRRSV呈高亲和力结合,DNA测序发现各克隆之间有部分共有基序,其中2个克隆体外能明显抑制PRRSV的复制,使TCID50由10-7.3/0.1mL分别降至10-3.2、10-3.6/0.1mL,而FITC标记该展示肽能够在5mg/L工作浓度检测PRRSV。【结论】通过噬菌体肽库能够筛选到具有抗病毒作用的阳性噬菌体克隆,为进一步开发高效PRRSV的诊断和治疗试剂奠定基础。     

脂多糖保守表位模拟肽的筛选与鉴定

用针对脂多糖保守表位的单抗2B4对噬菌体随机12肽库进行亲和筛选,通过噬菌体ELISA实验及脂多糖(LPS)竞争抑制实验鉴定阳性克隆.经三轮筛选后,与抗体结合的噬菌体得到明显富集,噬菌体ELISA结果显示,阳性率达80%.将其中12个阳性噬菌体克隆做鼠伤寒杆菌和大肠杆菌LPS竞争抑制实验,抑制作用非常明显,有良好的剂量依赖关系,证明这12个克隆与LPS具相似表位.DNA测序并推导噬菌体展示肽的氨基酸序列为,GPPQWFFSQPQL（5/12,41.7%）,LPQYFWNTATTA（3/12,25%）,FPQNHWNVPWAT（2/12,16.6%）,HSQSFWNAPLAM和AHPWTHGYFPPL（1/12,8.3%）.实验结果表明,用2B4抗体筛选到的噬菌体短肽克隆可模拟保守表位,即脂多糖的模拟肽（位）.     

脂多糖保守表位模拟肽的筛选与鉴定

用针对脂多糖保守表位的单抗2B4对噬菌体随机12肽库进行亲和筛选,通过噬菌体ELISA实验及脂多糖(LPS)竞争抑制实验鉴定阳性克隆.经三轮筛选后,与抗体结合的噬菌体得到明显富集,噬菌体ELISA结果显示,阳性率达80%.将其中12个阳性噬菌体克隆做鼠伤寒杆菌和大肠杆菌LPS竞争抑制实验,抑制作用非常明显,有良好的剂量依赖关系,证明这12个克隆与LPS具相似表位.DNA测序并推导噬菌体展示肽的氨基酸序列为,GPPQWFFSQPQL（5/12,41.7%）,LPQYFWNTATTA （3/12,25%）,FPQNHWNVPWAT（2/12,16.6%）,HSQSFWNAPLAM和AHPWTHGYFPPL（1/12,8.3%）.实验结果表明,用2B4抗体筛选到的噬菌体短肽克隆可模拟保守表位,即脂多糖的模拟肽（位）.     

Heating of a Local Region of a Branching Streamer as a Starting Point of a Space Leader and a Negative-Leader Step

Plasma Physics Reports - Localized plasma formations called space leaders are observed in streamer coronas of negative leaders of long laboratory sparks. The main leader completes a step when the...     

Geminiviruses: a tale of a plasmid becoming a virus

Background  

Geminiviruses (family Geminiviridae) are small single-stranded (ss) DNA viruses infecting plants. Their virion morphology is unique in the known viral world – two incomplete T = 1 icosahedra are joined together to form twinned particles. Geminiviruses utilize a rolling-circle mode to replicate their genomes. A limited sequence similarity between the three conserved motifs of the rolling-circle replication initiation proteins (RCR Reps) of geminiviruses and plasmids of Gram-positive bacteria allowed Koonin and Ilyina to propose that geminiviruses descend from bacterial replicons.     

Effects of a disease affecting a predator on the dynamics of a predator-prey system

We study the effects of a disease affecting a predator on the dynamics of a predator-prey system. We couple an SIRS model applied to the predator population, to a Lotka-Volterra model. The SIRS model describes the spread of the disease in a predator population subdivided into susceptible, infected and removed individuals. The Lotka-Volterra model describes the predator-prey interactions. We consider two time scales, a fast one for the disease and a comparatively slow one for predator-prey interactions and for predator mortality. We use the classical “aggregation method” in order to obtain a reduced equivalent model. We show that there are two possible asymptotic behaviors: either the predator population dies out and the prey tends to its carrying capacity, or the predator and prey coexist. In this latter case, the predator population tends either to a “disease-free” or to a “disease-endemic” state. Moreover, the total predator density in the disease-endemic state is greater than the predator density in the “disease-free” equilibrium (DFE).     

Facile synthesis of a D-galactono-1,6-lactone derivative, a precursor of a copolyester

2,3,4,6-Tetra-O-methyl-d-galactonic acid (5) was readily prepared from d-galactono-1,4-lactone (1) in 47% yield. The sequence involves tritylation of HO-6 of 1, followed by O-permethylation and deprotection. Lactonization of 5 led to the per-O-methyl-d-galactono-1,6-lactone, which was copolymerized with epsilon-caprolactone by ring-opening polymerization catalyzed by scandium triflate. The incorporation of the sugar comonomer into the polyester chain was about 10%.     

Mechanisms of coexistence of a bacteria and a bacteriophage in a spatially homogeneous environment

When bacteriophage are added to laboratory bacteria populations, bacteria mutants that are resistant to the phage quickly dominate the population. The phage will only persist in the long‐term if there are sufficient bacteria in the population that show susceptibility to the phage. We investigated the mechanisms allowing for coexistence by adding the virulent bacteriophage φ6 to cultures of the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola in a spatially homogeneous environment. We saw large differences between replicate cultures, in particular when one or both of the species persisted. These differences can be explained by variation in the timing of the appearance of various resistant phenotypes in the bacteria populations before the phage were added, which determines their relative frequencies within the populations. Although these resistant phenotypes have similar fitnesses in the presence and in the absence of the phage, they have a profound effect on the persistence of the phage. Our results give a clearer understanding of the ecological mechanisms that lead to the coexistence of bacteria and virulent phage in environments where there are no spatial refuges available to the bacteria population.     

Glycan expression as a tool for a deeper understanding of a reproductive gland in a skate of economic importance

Atlantoraja platana is an oviparous skate endemic to the south-west Atlantic Ocean, and is one of the skate species most exploited by local industrial bottom trawl fisheries. Oviparous elasmobranchs encapsulate their eggs in complex egg cases produced by the oviductal gland (OG). This organ is exclusively present in these fishes and comprises four distinct zones: club, baffle, papillary and terminal. The relative size and structural complexity of these zones correlate with mode of reproduction. Glycans are known to play major roles in reproduction so their distribution in each zone of the OG could explain the functional multiplicity of the gland in skates, but this topic has not been previously investigated. In this study, morphological, histochemical and lectin-histochemical analysis revealed various novel aspects of A. platana's OG. The club, papillary and terminal zones positively stained for periodic acid Schiff's reagent (PAS) and Alcian Blue (AB), indicating the presence of neutral and acid mucopolysaccharides. However, the buffle zone was negative for PAS and AB stains, but was positive for all the lectins used. Each zone of the OG had a characteristic pattern of glycan expression. Finally, we confirmed the presence of sperm but not sperm storage. This is the first lectin-histochemical study of the OG in chondrichtyan fish and it has proven to be an important tool to understand some of the mechanisms of fertility and reproductive success in economic important species such as A. platana.