Molecular characterization of woodchuck type I interferons and their expression by woodchuck peripheral blood lymphocytes

Interferon (IFN)-alpha and -beta are important antiviral mediators. IFN-alpha is widely used for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B. In our previous studies, a subtype of woodchuck IFN-alpha (wIFN-alpha) was characterized and has been shown to be active in suppressing the replication of woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) in vitro and vivo. Here, we refined the analysis of the IFN-alpha/beta system of the woodchuck and studied the expression of wIFN-alpha/beta in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) from na?ve and WHV-infected woodchucks. A number of wIFN-alpha genes were sequenced and could be classified into 10 subtypes and 3 pseudotypes. The biological activity of different subtypes of wIFN-alpha was demonstrated by their ability to protect woodchuck cells against encephalomyocarditis virus infection and to induce MxA expression in woodchuck cells. Additionally, a partial sequence of wIFN-beta was characterized. A subtyping method for wIFN-alpha based on restriction length polymorphism analysis was developed. Further, the expression of wIFN by woodchuck PBLs after stimulation with polyI/C was investigated. The maximal production of wIFN by woodchuck PBLs occurred within the first 48 h after addition poly I/C. The wIFN-alpha subtypes 1, 4, and 5 were found to be produced by poly I/C-stimulated woodchuck PBLs, indicating a selective expression of wIFN-alpha subtypes. PBLs from chronically WHV-infected woodchucks showed a reduced ability to produce wIFN when stimulated with poly I/C. The results suggest that woodchucks with chronic WHV infection have impaired immunological responses to poly I/C.     

融合基因研究进展

基因融合是生物技术领域大有发展前景的一类方法,其理论和实践意义重大。总结了融合基因的概念、分类及应用。     

Volatile fatty acids distribution during acidogenesis of algal residues with pH control

The anaerobic acidification of protein-rich algal residues with pH control (4, 6, 8, 10) was studied in batch reactors, which was operated at mesophilic(35 °C) condition. The distribution of major volatile fatty acids (VFAs) during acidogenesis was emphasized in this paper. The results showed that the acidification efficiency and VFAs distribution in the acid reactor strongly depended on the pH. The main product for all the runs involved acetic acid except that the proportion of butyric acid acidified at pH 6 was relatively higher. The other organic acids remained at lower levels. The VFAs yield reached the maximum value with about 0.6 g VFAs/g volatile solid (VS) added as pH was 8, and also the content of total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) reached the highest values of 9,629 mg/l. Low acidification degrees were obtained under the conditions at pH 4 and 10, which was not suitable for the metabolism of acidogens. Hydralic retention time (HRT) required for different conditions varied. As a consequence, it was indicated that pH was crucial to the acidification efficiency and products distribution. The investigation of acidogenesis process, which was producing the major substrates, short-chain fatty acids, would play the primary role in the efficient operation of methanogenesis.     

Synthesis, characterization and photostability of several soluble tetra(quinolin-8-yloxy)metallophthalocyanines

Five tetra(quinolin-8-yloxy)metallophthalocyanines 4a-4e were synthesized from 4-(quinolin-8-yloxy)phthalonitrile in the presence of 1,8-diazabicyclo [5.4.0] undec-7-ene (DBU) as the catalyst, and characterized by MS, ¹H NMR, UV-Vis, IR and elemental analysis, which were consistent with the proposed structures. The Q band wavelength of them is related to the metal species in center of Pc rings and follows an order: Mn > Zn ≈ Cu > Ni ≈ Co. They all possess excellent solubility in several polar organic solvents, such as chloroform and dichloromethane. But the stability of them, especially that with zinc as coordinated center, is very poor in solutions.     

一种HBV研究的新动物模型-喜马拉雅旱獭β-actin基因的克隆及序列分析

目的 喜马拉雅旱獭对土拨鼠肝炎病毒（woodchuck hepatitis virus,WHV）高度易感,可作为HBV感染的新动物模型.本研究对喜马拉雅旱獭β肌动蛋白（β-actin）的部分cDNA序列进行了克隆和序列分析,为喜马拉雅旱獭在HBV感染研究中的应用奠定基础.方法 根据Genbank的土拨鼠β-actin cDNA的序列设计特异性引物,提取旱獭脾组织总RNA作为模板,RT-PCR扩增旱獭β-actin cDNA序列;PCR产物纯化后连接至T载体（pMD18-T）,构建重组质粒pMD18-T-mhActin.对重组质粒进行PCR初筛及酶切鉴定,选择阳性克隆测序;对所获得的序列进行同源性和种系进化分析.结果 获得的旱獭β-actin序列为349 bp（nt887～1 235）,其中编码序列为323 bp（nt-887～1209）,编码106个氨基酸,包含形成二硫键的2个丝氨酸位点（氨基酸16和氨基酸105）及与β-actin功能相关的2个ATP结合位点、6个凝溶胶蛋白结合位点和6个profilin结合位点.同源性分析发现上述序列与其它哺乳动物β-actin的同源性均高达88 %以上,与土拨鼠β-actin的同源性最高（99.69 %）,其氨基酸序列的同源性为100 %.种系进化树分析提示喜马拉雅旱獭β-actin与土拨鼠β-actin的亲缘关系最近,其次为其它啮齿类动物.结论 成功克隆了喜马拉雅旱獭β-actin的部分序列.序列分析发现喜马拉雅旱獭β-actin与土拨鼠β-actin的同源性最高.     

亚热带常绿林不同冠层小枝叶面积-叶生物量关系研究

叶面积与叶生物量的关系对于理解植物叶片的碳收益和投资权衡策略具有重要意义。收益递减假说认为植物的叶面积与叶生物量成显著异速生长关系,其异速生长指数<1.0,但该假说是否适用于不同生活型(常绿与落叶)亚热带木本植物不同冠层高度(上下冠层)当年生小枝的叶片仍不清楚。以江西亚热带常绿阔叶林的69种常绿与落叶木本植物当年生小枝上的叶为研究对象,采用标准化主轴回归估计(standardized major axis estimation, SMA)方法检验不同冠层高度和生活型叶面积与叶生物量的异速生长关系。结果显示:(1)当年生小枝叶生物量在不同冠层高度和生活型的植物中无显著差异(P>0.05),叶面积在常绿和落叶植物中有显著差异(P<0.05),常绿和落叶植物的比叶重存在显著差异(P<0.05),而落叶植物的比叶重在不同冠层高度存在显著差异(P<0.05),同一冠层,常绿植物比叶重显著高于落叶植物(P<0.05);(2)69种植物的叶面积与叶生物量异速生长指数具有物种特异性,60.9%的物种叶面积与叶生物量呈等速生长关系;(3)不同冠层和生活型植物的叶面积与...     

Differential coordination of stomatal conductance,mesophyll conductance,and leaf hydraulic conductance in response to changing light across species

Stomatal conductance (g_s) and mesophyll conductance (g_m) represent major constraints to photosynthetic rate (A), and these traits are expected to coordinate with leaf hydraulic conductance (K_leaf) across species, under both steady‐state and dynamic conditions. However, empirical information about their coordination is scarce. In this study, K_leaf, gas exchange, stomatal kinetics, and leaf anatomy in 10 species including ferns, gymnosperms, and angiosperms were investigated to elucidate the correlation of H₂O and CO₂ diffusion inside leaves under varying light conditions. Gas exchange, K_leaf, and anatomical traits varied widely across species. Under light‐saturated conditions, the A, g_s, g_m, and K_leaf were strongly correlated across species. However, the response patterns of A, g_s, g_m, and K_leaf to varying light intensities were highly species dependent. Moreover, stomatal opening upon light exposure of dark‐adapted leaves in the studied ferns and gymnosperms was generally faster than in the angiosperms; however, stomatal closing in light‐adapted leaves after darkening was faster in angiosperms. The present results show that there is a large variability in the coordination of leaf hydraulic and gas exchange parameters across terrestrial plant species, as well as in their responses to changing light.     

Enhancing Virus-Specific Immunity In Vivo by Combining Therapeutic Vaccination and PD-L1 Blockade in Chronic Hepadnaviral Infection

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) persistence is facilitated by exhaustion of CD8 T cells that express the inhibitory receptor programmed cell death-1 (PD-1). Improvement of the HBV-specific T cell function has been obtained in vitro by inhibiting the PD-1/PD-ligand 1 (PD-L1) interaction. In this study, we examined whether in vivo blockade of the PD-1 pathway enhances virus-specific T cell immunity and leads to the resolution of chronic hepadnaviral infection in the woodchuck model. The woodchuck PD-1 was first cloned, characterized, and its expression patterns on T cells from woodchucks with acute or chronic woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) infection were investigated. Woodchucks chronically infected with WHV received a combination therapy with nucleoside analogue entecavir (ETV), therapeutic DNA vaccination and woodchuck PD-L1 antibody treatment. The gain of T cell function and the suppression of WHV replication by this therapy were evaluated. We could show that PD-1 expression on CD8 T cells was correlated with WHV viral loads during WHV infection. ETV treatment significantly decreased PD-1 expression on CD8 T cells in chronic carriers. In vivo blockade of PD-1/PD-L1 pathway on CD8 T cells, in combination with ETV treatment and DNA vaccination, potently enhanced the function of virus-specific T cells. Moreover, the combination therapy potently suppressed WHV replication, leading to sustained immunological control of viral infection, anti-WHs antibody development and complete viral clearance in some woodchucks. Our results provide a new approach to improve T cell function in chronic hepatitis B infection, which may be used to design new immunotherapeutic strategies in patients.     

MicroRNA as a new player in the cell cycle

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a newly identified class of small regulatory non‐coding endogenous RNAs that are ubiquitous from animals to plants and have pivotal functions in nearly all biological and metabolic processes. Increasing evidence shows that miRNAs are also new players regulating many protein‐coding genes and specific pathways during the cell cycle. This review focuses on the functions of miRNAs in the cell cycle of differentiated cells and embryonic stem (ES) cells. Aberrant expression of these cell‐cycle‐related miRNAs may result in carcinogenesis, revealing the potential of miRNAs as therapeutic targets for clinical purposes. J. Cell. Physiol. 225: 296–301, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.