Secondary structure and 3D homology modeling of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) major histocompatibility complex class I molecules

No information to date is available on the structure of fish major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and beta2-microglobulin (beta2m) proteins. In the present study, grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) MHC class I (Ctid-MHC I) and beta(2)-microglobulin (Ctid-beta2m) genes were expressed as soluble maltose binding protein (MBP)-proteins and purified in a pMAL-p2X/Escherichia coli TB1 system. The expressed proteins were purified on amylase affinity columns followed by DEAE-Sepharose. The purified products were identified by Western blotting with anti-MBP polyclonal antibodies. The MBP-Ctid-MHC I and MBP-Ctid-beta2m were cleaved separately with Factor Xa, mixed together and purified on DEAE-Sepharose. The secondary structures were analyzed by circular dichroism (CD) spectrophotometry. The three-dimensional (3D) structure of their peptide-binding domain (PBD) was modeled based sequence homology. The sequence lengths of the alpha-helix, beta-sheet, turn, and random coil in the Ctid-MHC I protein were 79aa, 75aa, 20aa, and 99aa, respectively. In the 97aa of Ctid-beta2m, the contents of the alpha-helix, beta-sheet, turn, and random coil were 0aa, 41aa, 12aa, and 44aa, respectively. The Ctid-beta2m protein displayed a typical beta-sheet. Homology modeling of the Ctid-MHC I and Ctid-beta2m proteins demonstrated similarities with the structure of human MHC class I proteins.     

Identification and characterization of a chondroitin synthase from Avibacterium paragallinarum

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - Avibacterium paragallinarum is a Gram-negative bacterium that causes infectious coryza in chicken. It was reported that the capsule polysaccharides...     

Cloning and characterization of a non-TIR-NBS-LRR type disease resistance gene analogue from peach.

Cloning of plant disease resistant genes is greatly helpful for disease resistant breeding in plants and the insight of resistance mechanism. However, there are less relevant researches in peach [prunus persica (L.) Batch]. In this study, four NBS-LRR type resistance gene analogs (RGAs) were cloned from genomic DNA of peach. The PNBS2 fragment was also amplified from peach cDNA and the full-length cDNA of PNBS2 (PRPM1, GenBank accession no. AY599223) has been cloned. Sequence analysis indicated that the cDNA of PRPM1 is 3007 bp in length and that the contained ORF encodes for a polypeptide of 917 amino acids. Compared with known NBS-LRR genes, it presented relatively high amino acid sequence identity. The polypeptide has typical structure of non-TIR-NBS-LRR genes, with NB-ARC, LZ, LRR and transmembrane domains. Southern analysis indicated that the PRPM1 gene might be a single copy in peach genome. Northern blot and RT-PCR analysis showed that the expression of PRPM1 was not induced by salicylic acid (SA) in peach young leaves. The isolation of putative resistance genes from peach provided useful bases for studying the structure and function of peach disease-resistance relating genes and disease resistant genetic breeding in peach.     

用甘蓝苗连续饲养小菜蛾的技术

室内实验结果表明 :在 ( 2 5± 1 )℃、相对湿度 5 0 %～ 70 %、光周期 1 6L∶8D条件下 ,用甘蓝苗(BrassicanapusL .)饲养小菜蛾PlutellaxylostellaL .可取得较好的饲养结果 ,连续饲养多代种群未出现退化现象 ,能够得到大量发育整齐的供试虫源。在低温 ( 4℃ )条件下 ,卵冷藏 7d ,孵化率 77 8% ,蛹冷藏 1 5d化蛹率 86 9% ,冷藏后卵和蛹的发育等与各自的对照基本一致 ,可以较好地调控小菜蛾发育进度 ,便于取得虫龄基本一致的虫源。     

Characterization of heparan sulfate N-deacetylase/N-sulfotransferase isoform 4 using synthetic oligosaccharide substrates

Background

The final structure of heparan sulfate chains is strictly regulated in vivo, though the biosynthesis is not guided by a template process. N-deacetylase/N-sulfotransferase (NDST) is the first modification enzyme in the HS biosynthetic pathway. The N-sulfo groups introduced by NDST are reportedly involved in determination of the susceptibility to subsequent processes catalyzed by C₅-epimerse and 3-O-sulfotransferases. Understanding the substrate specificities of the four human NDST isoforms has become central to uncovering the regulatory mechanism of HS biosynthesis.

Seroepidemiological Survey of Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus in Wild House Mice in China with Particular Reference to Their Subspecies

Serum samples from 337 wild house mice (Mus musculus) from 35 sites in China, collected in 1992 and 1993, were examined for antibodies against lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV). Ten samples from eight sites were found to contain such antibodies. Six of the eight positive sites were located in the territory of M. m. gansuensis. One of the other two sites was located in the territory of M. m. castaneus in southern China and the other site was in a habitat of M. m. castaneus which had invaded into the western end of the territory of M. m. homourus. It seems likely that LCMV is distributed in the territories of M. m. gansuensis and M. m. castaneus in China. This is the first report of detection of these antibodies in wild house mice in China and specifically in the territories of M. m. gansuensis and M. m. castaneus.     

猪主要组织相容性复合体研究进展

主要组织相容性复合体（major histocompatibility complex,MHC）分子首先作为主要组织相容性抗原被发现,进而以此命名。随着其抗原结合分子及T细胞信使生物学功能本质的揭示,关于MHC结构与功能的研究就进入了一个崭新时代,并在这一领域中取得了许多可喜的成果。论述了近年来猪MHC（SLA）结构与功能方面的研究进展,包括SLA的分类及多态性、SLA分子结构特点、SLA分子功能及SLA分子相关领域的最新研究进展。     

我国巴马小型猪SLA-2基因克隆及分子特征

为研究我国巴马小型猪SLA-Ⅰ分子特征,设计引物克隆了SLA-Ⅰ类分子SLA-2基因(SLA-2bm),并通过分子生物学软件分析其分子特征。经克隆及序列测定分析,SLA-2bm为1119bp,其中3~1097为ORF区,共编码364个氨基酸,分别在第125、188、227和283位置出现半胱氨酸残基,含有两对链内二硫键。氨基酸同源性分析显示SLA-2bm与其它SLA-2、SLA-3和SLA-1序列的同源率分别为88.4%~96.4%、88.3%~90.5%和87.7%~92.7%。系统进化树显示SLA-2bm与其它SLA-2等位基因在遗传关系上相对独立,进化程度较低;各功能区分析,SLA-2bm与人HLA-A2和小鼠H-2K分子结构相似,且保留了人HLA-A2基因的部分功能位点。结果表明,SLA-2bm属于一个新的等位基因,巴马小型猪是保留原始基因特征的品种。