Influenza Infects Lung Microvascular Endothelium Leading to Microvascular Leak: Role of Apoptosis and Claudin-5

Severe influenza infections are complicated by acute lung injury, a syndrome of pulmonary microvascular leak. The pathogenesis of this complication is unclear. We hypothesized that human influenza could directly infect the lung microvascular endothelium, leading to loss of endothelial barrier function. We infected human lung microvascular endothelium with both clinical and laboratory strains of human influenza. Permeability of endothelial monolayers was assessed by spectrofluorimetry and by measurement of the transendothelial electrical resistance. We determined the molecular mechanisms of flu-induced endothelial permeability and developed a mouse model of severe influenza. We found that both clinical and laboratory strains of human influenza can infect and replicate in human pulmonary microvascular endothelium, leading to a marked increase in permeability. This was caused by apoptosis of the lung endothelium, since inhibition of caspases greatly attenuated influenza-induced endothelial leak. Remarkably, replication-deficient virus also caused a significant degree of endothelial permeability, despite displaying no cytotoxic effects to the endothelium. Instead, replication-deficient virus induced degradation of the tight junction protein claudin-5; the adherens junction protein VE-cadherin and the actin cytoskeleton were unaffected. Over-expression of claudin-5 was sufficient to prevent replication-deficient virus-induced permeability. The barrier-protective agent formoterol was able to markedly attenuate flu-induced leak in association with dose-dependent induction of claudin-5. Finally, mice infected with human influenza developed pulmonary edema that was abrogated by parenteral treatment with formoterol. Thus, we describe two distinct mechanisms by which human influenza can induce pulmonary microvascular leak. Our findings have implications for the pathogenesis and treatment of acute lung injury from severe influenza.     

氨基酸对于Monascus ruber生物合成Monacolin K影响的研究

在Monacolin K发酵中添加氨基酸后发现较高质量浓度的氨基酸高度抑制了Monacolin K的产量。0.1 g.L-1的D-甲硫氨酸在发酵第4 d添加可以提高产量30%以上,而L-甲硫氨酸则没有此功能,D,L-甲硫氨酸因D-甲硫氨酸的关系也有一定的增产效果。以甲硫氨酸代替蛋白胨作为主要氮源,则抑制了polyketide途径的前期步骤,因此严重抑制了色素及Monacolin K的生产。另外,发现1 g.L-1的L-苯丙氨酸的添加时间越早越有利于Monacolin K的生产,在起始时添加发酵单位可达135.9 mg.L-1,可能是因为L-苯丙氨酸经过脱氨后,可以进入polyketide途径从而促进了Monacolin K的生产。     

Influenza Outbreak during Sydney World Youth Day 2008: The Utility of Laboratory Testing and Case Definitions on Mass Gathering Outbreak Containment

Background

Influenza causes annual epidemics and often results in extensive outbreaks in closed communities. To minimize transmission, a range of interventions have been suggested. For these to be effective, an accurate and timely diagnosis of influenza is required. This is confirmed by a positive laboratory test result in an individual whose symptoms are consistent with a predefined clinical case definition. However, the utility of these clinical case definitions and laboratory testing in mass gathering outbreaks remains unknown.

Methods and Results

An influenza outbreak was identified during World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney. From the data collected on pilgrims presenting to a single clinic, a Markov model was developed and validated against the actual epidemic curve. Simulations were performed to examine the utility of different clinical case definitions and laboratory testing strategies for containment of influenza outbreaks. Clinical case definitions were found to have the greatest impact on averting further cases with no added benefit when combined with any laboratory test. Although nucleic acid testing (NAT) demonstrated higher utility than indirect immunofluorescence antigen or on-site point-of-care testing, this effect was lost when laboratory NAT turnaround times was included. The main benefit of laboratory confirmation was limited to identification of true influenza cases amenable to interventions such as antiviral therapy.

Conclusions

Continuous re-evaluation of case definitions and laboratory testing strategies are essential for effective management of influenza outbreaks during mass gatherings.     

细胞周期检验点与肿瘤发生之间关系的研究进展

DNA损伤反应引起的基因组不稳定性并不足以导致肿瘤发生,还需要一些协同突变促进肿瘤的生长或存活,因此,基因组结构不稳定和周期检验点突变失活是肿瘤发生的重要因素。与正常细胞不同,肿瘤细胞中细胞周期检验点反应缺陷,当肿瘤细胞遭受基因毒药物损伤时,可通过激活周期检验点反应阻滞细胞周期进程,加强损伤修复,导致耐药表型的产生。因此,寻找特异性的检验点抑制剂来加强化疗药物或辐射对肿瘤细胞的杀伤效应,已成为肿瘤治疗的一个研究方向。     

GC-MS法分析甘肃和青海蕨麻中的脂肪酸成分

为了研究蕨麻的化学成分以更好地利用蕨蔴资源,采用索氏提取法提取了青海和甘肃两个地区产的蕨麻中的脂溶性成分,利用气相色谱-质谱联用(GC-MS)对蕨麻中的脂肪酸成分进行分析。结果表明,来自甘肃产地的蕨麻含有11种脂肪酸,青海地区产的蕨麻含有7种脂肪酸,二者的共同成分有7种;甘肃产蕨麻中硬脂酸含量最高,辛烷含量最低;青海产蕨麻中邻苯二酚含量最高,棕榈酸含量最低。表明不同产地的蕨麻所含脂肪酸种类和脂肪酸含量均存在差异。     

Missense Mutation Lys18Asn in Dystrophin that Triggers X-Linked Dilated Cardiomyopathy Decreases Protein Stability,Increases Protein Unfolding,and Perturbs Protein Structure,but Does Not Affect Protein Function

Genetic mutations in a vital muscle protein dystrophin trigger X-linked dilated cardiomyopathy (XLDCM). However, disease mechanisms at the fundamental protein level are not understood. Such molecular knowledge is essential for developing therapies for XLDCM. Our main objective is to understand the effect of disease-causing mutations on the structure and function of dystrophin. This study is on a missense mutation K18N. The K18N mutation occurs in the N-terminal actin binding domain (N-ABD). We created and expressed the wild-type (WT) N-ABD and its K18N mutant, and purified to homogeneity. Reversible folding experiments demonstrated that both mutant and WT did not aggregate upon refolding. Mutation did not affect the protein''s overall secondary structure, as indicated by no changes in circular dichroism of the protein. However, the mutant is thermodynamically less stable than the WT (denaturant melts), and unfolds faster than the WT (stopped-flow kinetics). Despite having global secondary structure similar to that of the WT, mutant showed significant local structural changes at many amino acids when compared with the WT (heteronuclear NMR experiments). These structural changes indicate that the effect of mutation is propagated over long distances in the protein structure. Contrary to these structural and stability changes, the mutant had no significant effect on the actin-binding function as evident from co-sedimentation and depolymerization assays. These results summarize that the K18N mutation decreases thermodynamic stability, accelerates unfolding, perturbs protein structure, but does not affect the function. Therefore, K18N is a stability defect rather than a functional defect. Decrease in stability and increase in unfolding decrease the net population of dystrophin molecules available for function, which might trigger XLDCM. Consistently, XLDCM patients have decreased levels of dystrophin in cardiac muscle.     

施氮对半湿润农田冬小麦冠层叶片氮素含量和叶绿素相对值垂直分布的影响

选用半湿润地区土垫旱耕人为土和冬小麦品种‘小偃22’,通过田间试验研究了在不同施氮水平下冬小麦不同生育期冠层叶片含氮量、叶绿素相对值的垂直分布规律,并分析了它们与小麦穗粒重的相关性。结果表明,小麦各生育期冠层叶片含氮量从上至下呈明显递减规律,并且均随施氮量增加含氮量逐渐提高,倒一叶平均比倒二叶高15.83%,倒二叶平均比倒三叶高25.79%;随着施氮量增加,各叶位间叶片含氮量梯度差在拔节期和孕穗期相对稳定,而倒二叶与倒三叶含氮量梯度在成熟期逐渐加大。冠层叶片叶绿素相对值的垂直分布规律与含氮量相似,倒一叶平均比倒二叶高6.5%,倒二叶平均比倒三叶高27.43%。叶片叶绿素相对值与其含氮量呈极显著正相关(r=0.744**,n=234),其间的一元饱和回归方程为ySPAD=87.90xN/(2.29 xN)(R2=0.710);各叶位叶绿素相对值、叶片含氮量均与其穗粒重大多呈显著正相关,并以倒一叶的相关性最密切。研究发现,施氮能提高小麦冠层叶片的含氮量和叶绿素相对值以及它们在叶片间的梯度差,但不能改变它们自上而下逐渐递减的垂直分布规律。     

基于NDVI时间序列轨迹的草原露天矿区植被时空动态特征

采矿作用下草原露天矿区植被时空动态特征尚不明确.以胜利露天矿区为例,选取MODIS和Landsat影像,利用ESTARFM构建2001—2015年植被生长期一致的年际Landsat时间序列,以时间分割算法拟合像元NDVI时间序列轨迹,结合轨迹形态特征提取早期扰动型、持续扰动型、扰动稳定型、扰动稳定恢复型和扰动恢复型5种植被动态类型及各类型的时间特征.结果表明:胜利矿区植被动态类型以扰动恢复型为主,占各类型像元总数的55.2%,扰动稳定型和持续下降型次之,分别为25.6%和11.0%,早期扰动型和扰动稳定恢复型较小,分别为3.5%和4.7%.扰动多发于2004—2009年,稳定期多始于2008年,空间上多分布于露天采场和排土场,恢复期多始于2008年和2010年,其空间范围较小且集中于矿井外围和排土场.扰动持续时长以1年为主,稳定期持续时长以7年为主,恢复期持续时长中稳定恢复型为2～5年,扰动恢复型为8年.     

红白花斑种皮高油酸花生种质材料的创制

本研究利用粉色种皮高油酸花生G63与紫白花斑种皮普通油酸花生VG-01配置杂交组合。利用等位基因特异性扩增(AS-PCR,allele-specific PCR)鉴定出16个F_1真杂种。在F_2中筛选到_ol1_ol_2单株,并对64个F_2:3家系间的种皮色泽分离进行χ~2检测。结果表明,纯色花生∶花斑花生在0.05水平上符合9∶7,花生种皮花斑性状由2对互补基因控制,当2对基因同时处于显性时,种皮表现为纯色;当2对基因至少有1对为隐性纯合时,种皮表现为花斑。利用AS-PCR技术对334株花斑种皮F_3单株进行基因型鉴定,筛选到29株ol_1ol_1ol_2ol_2基因型的单株。利用气相色谱测定结果表明,F4种子油酸GC值介于70.77%~82.87%,油酸/亚油酸介于8.15~26.30。F4群体植株主茎高12.4~87.3 cm,平均57.2 cm,较对照冀花2号增高34.97%;第1对侧枝长91.6~196.3 cm,平均134.1 cm,较对照冀花2号增长34.28%。F5新种质的单株果重、单株果数、单株仁重、单株仁数分别为(27.16±9.51)g、(22.11±10.26)个、(20.10±7.17)g和(31.94±15.16)个。新种质9-7、14-2、14-3、17-3和17-7均为红白花斑种皮,在单株果重方面较对照冀花2号增加230.02%、165.80%、210.66%、200.65%和160.26%,在单株果数方面增加280.00%、340.00%、450.00%、210.00%和150.00%,其油酸GC值分别为80.54%、81.75%、80.63%、81.3%和81.56%。该批种质材料不仅油酸含量高,而且具有医疗保健价值,对丰富我国高油酸花生遗传多样性具有重要的现实意义。     

柯萨奇病毒B3型3D蛋白抗体的制备

肠道病毒3D蛋白是其RNA聚合酶。柯萨奇病毒B3型(coxsackievirus B3,CVB3)主要感染心脏,其3D蛋白在心肌表达中的时序和分布尚不清楚。本研究将通过聚合酶链反应(polymerase chain reaction,PCR)获得的CVB 3D片段插入pET28a(＋)的表达框,获得pET28a(＋)-3D重组质粒。异丙基 β-D-硫代半乳糖苷(isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside,IPTG)诱导pET28a(＋)-3D表达3D-His蛋白,十二烷基硫酸钠-聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳(sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis,SDS-PAGE)后,切胶,获得3D-His蛋白。3D-His蛋白加佐剂免疫新西兰大白兔制备3D蛋白多克隆抗体,蛋白免疫印迹法检测抗体效价及特异性。结果显示,本研究获得了高效价且特异性好的抗CVB3 3D蛋白抗体,可用于CVB3 3D蛋白功能的后续研究。