Urinary protein profiling in hyperactive delirium and non-delirium cardiac surgery ICU patients

Background  

Suitable biomarkers associated with the development of delirium are still not known. Urinary proteomics has successfully been applied to identify novel biomarkers associated with various disease states, but its value has not been investigated in delirium patients.     

Peripheral natural killer cell maturation depends on the transcription factor Aiolos

Natural killer (NK) cells are an innate lymphoid cell lineage characterized by their capacity to provide rapid effector functions, including cytokine production and cytotoxicity. Here, we identify the Ikaros family member, Aiolos, as a regulator of NK-cell maturation. Aiolos expression is initiated at the point of lineage commitment and maintained throughout NK-cell ontogeny. Analysis of cell surface markers representative of distinct stages of peripheral NK-cell maturation revealed that Aiolos was required for the maturation in the spleen of CD11b^highCD27⁻ NK cells. The differentiation block was intrinsic to the NK-cell lineage and resembled that found in mice lacking either T-bet or Blimp1; however, genetic analysis revealed that Aiolos acted independently of all other known regulators of NK-cell differentiation. NK cells lacking Aiolos were strongly hyper-reactive to a variety of NK-cell-mediated tumor models, yet impaired in controlling viral infection, suggesting a regulatory function for CD27⁻ NK cells in balancing these two arms of the immune response. These data place Aiolos in the emerging gene regulatory network controlling NK-cell maturation and function.     

Clinical and Environmental Isolates of Legionella pneumophila Serogroup 1 Cannot Be Distinguished by Sequence Analysis of Two Surface Protein Genes and Three Housekeeping Genes

We used gene sequencing to determine whether clinical (sporadic, epidemic, and endemic) and environmental isolates of Legionella pneumophila serogroup (sg) 1 belong to specific lineages. A total of 178 clinical and environmental L. pneumophila sg 1 isolates, defined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and epidemiological data as sporadic, epidemic, or endemic, were analyzed for polymorphisms in five gene fragments. The fragments belonged to three housekeeping genes (coding for aconitase [acn], aspartate-β-semialdehyde dehydrogenase [asd], and RNA polymerase β subunit [rpoB]) and two surface protein genes (coding for the macrophage infectivity potentiator [mip] and the major outer membrane protein [mompS]). The phylogenetic tree inferred from sequence polymorphisms of the five genes identified two large clusters, one consisting of 133 poorly differentiated strains and containing two smaller clusters (10 and 2 strains) unrelated to each other and the other consisting of 42 strains. Clinical and environmental isolates could not be distinguished on this basis, and no link between genetic background and epidemiological type was found, suggesting that other factors are responsible for differences in pathogenicity.     

The artiodactyl <Emphasis Type="Italic">APOBEC3</Emphasis> innate immune repertoire shows evidence for a multi-functional domain organization that existed in the ancestor of placental mammals

Background  

APOBEC3 (A3) proteins deaminate DNA cytosines and block the replication of retroviruses and retrotransposons. Each A3 gene encodes a protein with one or two conserved zinc-coordinating motifs (Z1, Z2 or Z3). The presence of one A3 gene in mice (Z2–Z3) and seven in humans, A3A-H (Z1a, Z2a-Z1b, Z2b, Z2c-Z2d, Z2e-Z2f, Z2g-Z1c, Z3), suggests extraordinary evolutionary flexibility. To gain insights into the mechanism and timing of A3 gene expansion and into the functional modularity of these genes, we analyzed the genomic sequences, expressed cDNAs and activities of the full A3 repertoire of three artiodactyl lineages: sheep, cattle and pigs.     

Latimeria chalumnae and its pedigree

Synopsis Latimeria is the product of a long coelacanth lineage, usually viewed as having changed very little. In this paper a classification of better known coelacanth genera is proposed based on a cladistic computer analysis of 56 morphological characters. Biometrical data are then matched with the classification to explore the possibility of identifying subtle change. It is concluded that throughout coelacanth history there have been changes in the structure of the vertebral column involving an overall increase in the number of vertebral elements, and a consequent crowding of these elements within the abdominal region. These changes may be associated with increasing lobation of the second dorsal and anal fins. In the skull, parameters involving the intracranial joint have also changed in such a way that the anterior part of the skull has lengthened in relation to the posterior part and this may be associated with an increase in length of the basicranial muscle.Abbreviations in text figures Ang angular - a.o.r anterior opening of th rostral organ - Art articular - ba.cr.m basicranial muscle - Basi basisphenoid - Boc basioccipital - bpt.pr basipterygoid process - c.p.l cheek pit line - De dentary - Esc extrascapular - eth.sp etmosphenoid - f.e frontoethmoid - Fr frontal - Fr.d descending process of frontal - intr. j intracranial joint - io.s interorbital septum - sc jugal sensory canal - L.e lateral ethmoid - m.Cor modified coronoid - Mm memtomeckelian - m.ot.sc medial branch of otic canal - Op operculum - o.p.l oral pit line - ot,occ otico-occipital - Pa parietal - Pa.d descending process of parietal - Par parasphenoid - pa.s parietal shield - p.Cor principal coronoid - Po postorbital - Pop preoperculum - p.o.r posterior openings of the rostral organ - Pmx premaxilla, Pre-preorbital - Pro prootic - Pro.p posterior process of prootic - Rart retroarticular - Sc.o sclerotic ossicle - So supraorbital - Soc supraoccipital - Sop suboperculum - Sp spiracular - spl splenial - Sq squamosal - Stt supratemporal - Stt.com supratemporal commissure - Stt.d descending process of supratemporal - Par.a.w ascending wing of parasphenoid - Te tectal - X level of vagus exit     

转基因细胞分泌乙型肝炎重组疫苗在儿童中的免疫原性初步研究

本文报告用转基因细胞B43分泌的乙型肝炎病毒表面抗原主蛋白经纯化制成的87-4批重组疫苗进行临床接种观察的结果,同时用8723-1批血源疫苗作对照。疫苗接种采用0、1、2月各接种1针的方案。重组疫苗共接种111名8～13岁儿童,分为20μg、10μg及5μg 3组,血源疫苗分为20μg、10μg 2组。所有儿童接种前检查乙型肝炎病毒表面抗原、抗体及核心抗体均阴性.20μg组1针后1个月,重组疫苗阳转率60.5％,血源疫苗为31％;2针后1个月,两种疫苗的阳转率分别为100％和72.4％;血源疫苗3针后1个月阳转率也仅79.3％。3针后1个月两种疫苗的抗体几何平均滴度(GMT)分别为492.7和207.4mIU。但重组疫苗6个月后血清抗体的GMT为628mIU。10μg组1针后1个月的阳转率重组疫苗为21.7％,血源疫苗为20.9％;2针后1个月分别为87％及62.8％;3针后1个月分别为100％及81.4％。抗体GMT分别为163.7和129.6mIU.5μg组的重组疫苗免疫后6个月100％阳转,其GMT为56mIU。结论认为无论从阳转率或几何平均滴度分析判断,重组疫苗均优于血源疫苗。     

Studies on the mitogenic effect of transferrin by membrane signal transduction

One of the earliest events leading to cell activation and growth is the hydrolysis of inositol phospholipids producing various membrane signals induced by an interaction between growth factors or hormones with their respective receptors on the cell membrane [1].To demonstrate the mitogenic action of transferrin,our results show that an addition of transferrin to “serum-deprived” rat hepatoma cells produced a rapid but transient rise in inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate(IP3) level,and at the same time,an increased intracellular Ca^2 activity and a cytoplasmic alkalinization were observed.These signal transductions further lend support to the mitogenic nature of transferrin.In addition,a possible link between the receptor-mediated endocytosis of transferrin with the generation of intracellular signals is discussed herewith.     

Cell surface distribution and intracellular fate of asialoglycoproteins: a morphological and biochemical study of isolated rat hepatocytes and monolayer cultures

A combination of biochemistry and morphology was used to demonstrate that more than 95 percent of the isolated rat hepatocytes prepared by collagenase dissociation of rat livers retained the pathway for receptor-mediated endocytosis of asialoglycoproteins (ASGPs). Maximal specific binding of (125)I-asialoorosomucoid ((125)I-ASOR) to dissociated hepatocytes at 5 degrees C (at which temperature no internalization occurred) averaged 100,000-400,000 molecules per cell. Binding, uptake, and degredation of (125)I- ASOR at 37 degrees C occurred at a rate of 1 x 10(6) molecules per cell over 2 h. Light and electron microscopic autoradiography (LM- and EM-ARG) of (125)I-ASOR were used to visualize the surface binding sites at 5 degrees C and the intracellular pathway at 37 degrees C. In the EM-ARG experiments, ARG grains corresponding to (125)I-ASOR were distributed randomly over the cell surface at 5 degrees C but over time at 37 degrees C were concentrated in the lysosome region. Cytochemical detection of an ASOR-horseradish peroxidase conjugate (ASOR-HRP) at the ultrastructural level revealed that at 5 degrees C this specific ASGP tracer was concentrated in pits at the cell surface as well as diffusely distributed along the rest of the plasma membrane. Such a result indicates that redistribution of ASGP surface receptors had occurred. Because the number of surface binding sites of (125)I-ASOR varied among cell preparations, the effect of collagenase on (125)I-ASOR binding was examined. When collagenase-dissociated hepatocytes were re-exposed to collagenase at 37 degrees C, 10-50 percent of control binding was observed. However, by measuring the extent of (125)I-ASOR binding at 5 degrees C in the same cell population before and after collagenase dissociation, little reduction in the number of ASGP surface receptors was found. Therefore, the possibility that the time and temperature of the cell isolations allowed recovery of cell surface receptors following collagenase exposure was tested. Freshly isolated cells, dissociated cells that were re-exposed to collagenase, and perfused livers exposed to collagenase without a Ca(++)-free pre-perfusion, were found to bind 110-240 percent more(125)I-ASOR after 1 h at 37 degrees C that they did at 0 time. This recovery of surface ASGP binding activity occurred in the absence of significant protein synthesis (i.e., basal medium or 1 mM cycloheximide). Suspensions of isolated, unpolarized hepatocytes were placed in monolayer culture for 24 h and confluent cells were demonstrated to reestablish morphologically distinct plasma membrane regions analogous to bile canalicular, lateral, and sinusoidal surfaces in vivo. More than 95 percent of these cells maintained the capacity to bind, internalize, and degrade (125)I-ASOR at levels comparable to those of the freshly isolated population. ASOR-HRP (at 5 degrees C) was specifically bound to all plasma membrane surfaces of repolarized hepatocytes (cultured for 24 h) except those lining bile canalicular-like spaces. Thus, both isolated, unpolarized hepatocytes and cells cultured under conditions that promote morphological reestablishment of polarity maintain the pathway for receptor- mediated endocytosis of ASGPs.     

Clinical and environmental isolates of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 cannot be distinguished by sequence analysis of two surface protein genes and three housekeeping genes

We used gene sequencing to determine whether clinical (sporadic, epidemic, and endemic) and environmental isolates of Legionella pneumophila serogroup (sg) 1 belong to specific lineages. A total of 178 clinical and environmental L. pneumophila sg 1 isolates, defined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and epidemiological data as sporadic, epidemic, or endemic, were analyzed for polymorphisms in five gene fragments. The fragments belonged to three housekeeping genes (coding for aconitase [acn], aspartate-beta-semialdehyde dehydrogenase [asd], and RNA polymerase beta subunit [rpoB]) and two surface protein genes (coding for the macrophage infectivity potentiator [mip] and the major outer membrane protein [mompS]). The phylogenetic tree inferred from sequence polymorphisms of the five genes identified two large clusters, one consisting of 133 poorly differentiated strains and containing two smaller clusters (10 and 2 strains) unrelated to each other and the other consisting of 42 strains. Clinical and environmental isolates could not be distinguished on this basis, and no link between genetic background and epidemiological type was found, suggesting that other factors are responsible for differences in pathogenicity.     

Fishes from the Akkuyu Formation (Tithonian),Western Taurus,Turkey

Two fragmentary fishes are described from theUpper Jurassic (Tithonian) Akkuyu Formation of the Akseki region in the western Taurus (Turkey). Both are determinable, one as a caudal fin of an ichthyodectiform teleost, either Thrissops or Allothrissops, the other as a coelacanthid coelacanth, cf. Undina. This discovery extends the geographic range of these taxa and draw attention to the possibility of collecting a more extensive fish fauna from the region.