病毒感染蛋白质组学研究进展

病毒的侵入会导致宿主细胞蛋白表达模式的改变,这种改变将影响宿主细胞的正常生理功能并决定病毒的致病进程和结果.因此,病毒感染蛋白质组学研究有助于揭示病毒与宿主的相互作用机制和病毒的分子致病机制,以及寻找病毒早期感染的分子标记、建立早期诊断方法、评价治疗效果和预后.本文介绍了病毒感染蛋白质组学研究技术、病毒诱导宿主细胞蛋白质组改变和病毒感染宿主血清差异蛋白质组等方面的研究进展.     

基于感光色素吸收信号的太湖藻类识别

铜绿微囊藻和斜生栅藻是太湖"水华"的主要藻种,基于室内纯铜绿微囊藻、斜生栅藻组成色素的吸收系数,通过四阶微分、标准化系数等方法对太湖水体浮游植物中铜绿微囊藻和斜生栅藻进行识别,并确定其组成比例。结果表明,纯藻组成色素的吸收系数应用于其在太湖水体浮游植物中比例的确定和识别中,能够全面考虑辅助色素的识别作用,较好地避免非色素物质吸收信号的干扰,具有较好的识别效果。太湖水体浮游色素中铜绿微囊藻比例最高,斜生栅藻次之,由夏季向冬季过度中,铜绿微囊藻比例不断减小,斜生栅藻的比例逐渐升高,但铜绿微囊藻比例仍略高于斜生栅藻;铜绿微囊藻的区域分布差异性较小,但时间差异性相对较大,而斜生栅藻恰恰相反,空间分布差异性较大而时间分布差异性较小。       

环境条件对双叉犀金龟成虫存活及繁殖的影响

双叉犀金龟Allomyrina dichotoma是一种重要的森林资源昆虫,本文研究了环境温度（20℃、23℃、26℃、29℃、32℃）及菌糠含水量（35%、45%、55%、65%）对双叉犀金龟成虫寿命及子代数量的影响。结果表明,双叉犀金龟雌雄虫寿命均随温度的升高呈显著缩短,20℃~26℃下雌虫寿命在55~62 d之间,显著长于29℃~32℃处理;20℃~23℃下的雄虫寿命在33~48 d之间,显著长于26℃~32℃处理;环境温度及菌糠含水量均对双叉犀金龟成虫子代数量有显著影响,26℃时,4个菌糠含水量处理的平均子代数量为31.42 头/雌,显著高于其它温度处理,菌糠含水量55%~65%时,5个温度处理的平均子代数量为18.83~19.12 头/雌,显著高于其它菌糠含水量处理,其中以温度26℃、菌糠含水量55%处理的双叉犀金龟子代数量最高,达45.42 头/雌。各温度下双叉犀金龟繁殖子代数量均随时间的延长呈先上升后下降的趋势,各温度下产卵繁殖的高峰时间存在明显差异。在26℃时,双叉犀金龟各时间段子代数量均高于其它温度,在35~45 d时,达到产卵高峰期（12.33 头/雌）,综合各指标,建议利用菌糠饲养双叉犀金龟时,其成虫最佳环境条件为26℃,菌糠含水量55%。     

冷藏温度及时间对稻螟赤眼蜂品质的影响

稻螟赤眼蜂Trichogramma japonicum Ashmead是水稻螟虫的重要卵寄生性天敌,对水稻螟虫的自然种群有着一定的控制作用。本文以稻螟赤眼蜂预蛹期作为冷藏时期,在0、3、6、10℃4个温度和0、5、10、15、20、25、30 d 7个冷藏时间条件下,以羽化率、雌蜂百分率、寄生米蛾卵数量、雌蜂寿命、种群趋势指数作为指标,调查了冷藏对稻螟赤眼蜂品质的影响。研究表明,在4个温度下,稻螟赤眼蜂各指标均随着冷藏时间的增加而降低。各冷藏温度中,以0℃最为敏感,冷藏至5 d时,羽化率(38.11%)和寄生米蛾卵数量(19.4粒)显著低于未冷藏处理;冷藏至15 d时,雌蜂寿命由3.1 d降至1.9 d,种群趋势指数由23.36下降至1.07。10℃下,稻螟赤眼蜂各指标下降最为缓慢,冷藏至10 d时,羽化率(85.35%)和寄生米蛾卵数量(24.3个)与冷藏0 d的差异不显著;冷藏至15 d时,雌蜂寿命(2.7 d)与冷藏0 d的差异也不显著,种群趋势指数为12.52。综合各指标,工厂化繁殖稻螟赤眼蜂时,其适宜冷藏温度为10℃,冷藏时间为10 d。     

Differences in cold tolerance and expression of two fatty acid desaturase genes in the leaves between fingered citron and its dwarf mutant

Fingered citron (Citrus medica L. var. sarcodactylis Swingle), a precious fruit ornamental plant, is sensitive to low temperature. Cold tolerance, evaluated by semi-lethal temperature, was lower in wild-type ‘Qingpi’ than in its mutant ‘Aihua’ trees obtained by γ-radiation. The full-length cDNAs of two genes encoding fatty acid desaturases involved in unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis were isolated from the fingered citron leaves. The CmsFAD2 open reading frame (ORF) had 1,152?bp and was uninterrupted, encoding a polypeptide of 384 amino acids that showing 82% homology with the microsomal ω-6 desaturase CiFAD2 in Davidia involucrate. The CmsFAD8 ORF contained 1,373?bp and 7 introns, encoding a polypeptide of 458 amino acids showing 76% homology with the plastidial ω-3 desaturase BpFAD8 in Betula pendula. CmsFAD2 was expressed highly in leaves but low in roots and flowers, while CmsFAD8 was obviously expressed in three tissues. Compared with control group (28°C), the expression of CmsFAD2 and CmsFAD8 in leaves of two genotypes was significantly induced at 6°C. The increase of CmsFAD2 and CmsFAD8 was earlier and larger in cold-tolerant ‘Aihua’ than in cold-sensitive ‘Qingpi’. The linolenic acid content increased significantly in leaves of mutant ‘Aihua’ plants exposed to low temperature of 6°C. The results showed that a positive relationship between CmsFAD expression and genotype tolerance to cold may exist.     

An efficient conversion of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine to N-acetyl-D-galactosamine and derivatives

2-Acetamido-2-deoxy-d-galactose (d-GalNAc) is an important monosaccharide widely distributed in nature. However, unlike its 4-epimer, the 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-d-glucose (d-GlcNAc), d-GalNAc is very expensive to obtain from commercial sources. Herein we report an efficient transformation that allows for the conversion of d-GlcNAc to a d-GalNAc derivative 7 in three steps and in 58.4-75% overall yields. The process was carried out on a greater than 20-g scale without the need of chromatography. The versatility of compound 7 was demonstrated by the synthesis of several useful monosaccharides and thiodisaccharides containing a d-GalNAc residue.     

Synthesis of a Forssman antigen derivative for use in a conjugate vaccine

The total chemical synthesis of a Forssman antigen analog is described. The pentasaccharide contains a functionalized tether which should facilitate future conjugation with immunogenic proteins. We found that the total synthesis can be efficiently achieved by following a convergent 2+3 strategy, and using N-Troc protected GalNAc thioglycoside as a donor.     

Peripheral Immune Cell Gene Expression Changes in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Treated with First Line Combination Chemotherapy

Introduction

Increasing evidence has shown that immune surveillance is compromised in a tumor-promoting microenvironment for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and can be restored by appropriate chemotherapy.

Methods

To test this hypothesis, we analyzed microarray gene expression profiles of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 30 patients with newly-diagnosed advanced stage NSCLC, and 20 age-, sex-, and co-morbidity-matched healthy controls. All the patients received a median of four courses of chemotherapy with cisplatin and gemcitabine for a 28-day cycle as first line treatment.

Results

Sixty-nine differentially expressed genes between the patients and controls, and 59 differentially expressed genes before and after chemotherapy were identified. The IL4 pathway was significantly enriched in both tumor progression and chemotherapy signatures. CXCR4 and IL2RG were down-regulated, while DOK2 and S100A15 were up-regulated in the patients, and expressions of all four genes were partially or totally reversed after chemotherapy. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR for the four up-regulated (S100A15, DOK2) and down-regulated (TLR7, TOP1MT) genes in the patients, and the six up-regulated (TLR7, CRISP3, TOP1MT) and down-regulated (S100A15, DOK2, IL2RG) genes after chemotherapy confirmed the validity of the microarray results. Further immunohistochemical analysis of the paraffin-embedded lung cancer tissues identified strong S100A15 nuclear staining not only in stage IV NSCLC as compared to stage IIIB NSCLC (p = 0.005), but also in patients with stable or progressive disease as compared to those with a partial response (p = 0.032). A high percentage of S100A15 nuclear stained cells (HR 1.028, p = 0.01) was the only independent factor associated with three-year overall mortality.

Conclusions

Our results suggest a potential role of the IL4 pathway in immune surveillance of advanced stage NSCLC, and immune potentiation of combination chemotherapy. S100A15 may serve as a potential biomarker for tumor staging, and a predictor of poor prognosis in NSCLC.     

Mitochondrial DNA evidence of southward migration of Manchus in China

The Northeast area of China is a cross region between East Asia and Siberia. Although five populations from this area have been studied in maternal lineage, little is known about the genetics of other populations. In this study, forty-seven Manchu individuals were analyzed using a mitochondrial DNA marker, and fourteen mitochondrial DNA haplogroups, the representative haplogroups of east Eurasian, were identified. All analyses showed that Manchu were close to the neighboring populations such as Mongolian, Korean and northern Han Chinese, and were far from the other populations who lived in the cradle of Manchu, suggesting that the Manchu integrated gradually with natives following its southward migration.     

Production of mouse embryoid bodies with hepatic differentiation potential by stirred tank bioreactor

Embryonic stem (ES) cells can differentiate into functional hepatic lineage cells, which can potentially be used in biomedicine. To obtain hepatic lineage cells from ES cells, embryoid bodies (EBs) must be formed. In this study, we developed an EB formation system using a spinner flask for mass production of EBs. ES cells were inoculated into the spinner flask, where they formed EBs within 4 d. The EBs were then transferred into an attached culture for hepatic differentiation. To verify the hepatic lineage cells, albumin secretion and hepatic-specific gene expression were examined. We found that EBs formed by either the spinner flask or hanging drops exhibited similar albumin secretion potential and hepatic-specific gene expression. We conclude that the spinner flask method can be used to produce mouse EBs that can be used to mass produce hepatic lineage cells for use in biomedicine.