Immunological responses in patients with tuberculosis and in vivo effects of acetyl-L-carnitine oral administration

Tuberculosis (TBC) is characterized by a complex immune response which parallels the clinical course of the disease. In this respect, acquired resistance, delayed hypersensitivity reaction and anergy are the main types of immune reactivity to mycobacterial antigens. In view of the presence of nonspecific and specific immune deficits in TBC patients, a clinical trial was carried out in a group of 20 individuals with active pulmonary TBC by oral administration of acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC). This drug, which has been shown to possess immunomodulating activities, was able to upregulate the T-dependent antibacterial activity in TBC patients after 30 days' treatment, while the same activity decreased in patients receiving placebo only. On the other hand, ALC did not modify serum levels of tumour necrosis factor-alpha, in the same individuals. This cytokine plays a detrimental rather than beneficial role in TBC pathogenesis. In the light of these data, ALC seems to be a powerful immunomodulator in the course of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and other mycobacteriosis.     

The plant cytoskeleton-cell-wall continuum

Two of the most challenging mysteries of morphogenesis are how cells receive positional information from neighbouring cells and how receipt of this information triggers events that initiate cell differentiation. The concept that the cytoskeleton and éxocellular matrix' (ECM) form an interactive scaffold for perception and transduction of positional information is relatively new. Research is beginning to indicate that a continuous cytoskeleton-ECM scaffold may be a feature of all eukaryotic cells and that many of the molecules participating in this structure may be shared by plants, fungi and animals.     

A new ATP-binding fold in actin, hexokinase and Hsc70

One of a cell biologist's favourite occupations is to discover the proteins that perform newly described functions in the cell. Very often lately, this has resulted in the identification of protein families whose related amino acid sequences reflect similar functions, but can proteins with totally unrelated sequences have similar structures and functions? In this review, Ken Holmes, Chris Sander and Alfonso Valencia describe the structural similarities between three well-known proteins that have no readily detectable primary sequence similarities but for which X-ray crystallography has revealed very similar structures. A comparison of their structures provides insights into their common mechanisms of action and into protein evolution, and has been used to detect related proteins in sequence data bases.     

广西、云南的PSEUDOSCHWAGERINA化石及其地层意义

该文记述了广西宜山马脑山剖面及云南八宝小独山剖面Pseudoschwaserina属34种(亚种),分析了两剖面Pseudoschwagerina动物群的面貌,讨论了Pseudoschwagerina的地层意义。研究表明,两剖面Pseudoschwagerina动物群具有地方性种稀少的共同特点,大多数种皆为广相型分子。从动物群的组成上看,广西、云南Pseudoschwagerina动物群与我国贵州、北美及俄罗斯等地的Pseudoschwagerina动物群有较大的相似性。但是,目前归入 Pseudoschwagerina名下的各种在形态上有着较大的差异,造成不同地区合Pseudoschwagerina地层带化石难以直接对比。根据对两剖面Pseudoschwagerina地层分布规律的研究以及国内、外Pseudochwagerina地理分布的资料,笔者建议选用 Pseudoschwagerina uddeni,P.beedei,P.robusta等 Pseudoschwagerina的典型分子做为含Pseudoschwagerina地层划分、对比的首要标准类群,选用P.uddeni和P.robusta分别做为确定Pseudoschwagerina带底、顶界线的首要标准种,以便于含Pseudoschwagerina地层的全球性的对比。     

中国蚋科一新纪录

1988年7—8月作者在新疆乌什县(41.2°N,79.2°E)托什干河岸边采到盔蚋Simulium(simulium)(galeratum Edward,1921雄虫,为中国新纪录。该种在英国、印度和苏联均有记载。所采到雄虫尾器中的生殖突基节,生殖刺突,生殖腹板以及足的颜色与Rubzov(1956)的描述基本相同,但生殖叉骨     

Factor VIII: structure, function and analysis

Factor VIII is an important blood coagulation protein whose genetic deficiency leads to the serious bleeding disorder, classic haemophilia (haemophilia A).Here we review the structure, function and analysis of this protein for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Because factor VIII is tightly associated with von Willebrand factor some recent work on the latter is also considered so as to clarify the relationship between them.     

靶向调控SIRT1与阿尔茨海默病治疗

沉默信息调节因子1 (silent information regulator 1, SIRT1)是哺乳动物NAD+依赖的去乙酰化酶沉默信息调节因子(sirtuin)家族的七种蛋白质之一。SIRT1具有神经保护作用,且研究揭示SIRT1在阿尔茨海默病(Alzheimer’s disease, AD)中具有潜在神经保护作用。SIRT1调节许多AD相关病理过程,包括调节淀粉样蛋白前体蛋白(amyloid-β precursor protein, APP)剪切、神经炎症、神经退行性变和线粒体功能障碍等。SIRT1在AD中受到了特别的关注,药理学或遗传学手段激活sirtuin通路在AD实验模型中显示出治疗作用。本综述阐述了SIRT1在AD中的病理作用机制最新研究进展,并对SIRT1诱导剂及其在AD中的治疗潜力进行了概述。     

实心球形羟基磷灰石的理化性能及蛋白质分离

羟基磷灰石(HAP)常用作分离蛋白质、酶和核酸等生物大分子的介质。球形羟基磷灰石(S-HAP)的制备方法多为喷雾干燥法和惰性基核包覆法。我们用新建立的一种湿化学反应——成形法制备实心、均质的 S-HAP。其要点是:将含钙盐、磷酸盐、羟基提供剂和成形剂等的混合液置于水浴或微波场中加热反应而得。它是集水解、均相沉淀、成形和改性于同一过程的全新方法,一步反应即获得 S-HAP,方法细节将另行发