Adjusting the Balance between Effective Loading and Vector Migration of Macrophage Vehicles to Deliver Nanoparticles

The nature of macrophage allows the possibility that this cell type could be used as drug delivery system to track therapeutic drug nanoparticles (NPs) in cancer. However, there is no existing research on the regulation between effective loading of NPs and targeted delivery of macrophages. Here, we investigated the important parameters of intracellular NP quantity and the vector migration rate. Macrophage loading capacity was obtained by comparing the uptake quantity of varisized NPs, and the delivery ability of loaded cells was determined by measuring vector migration rates. We observed a positive correlation between the size of NPs and directed macrophage migration. Our findings suggest that the molecular mechanism of migration vector rate regulation involved increased expression levels of colony-stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1) receptor and integrin induced by 100-nm and 500-nm particles. The ability of macrophages uptake to varisized NPs showed the opposite trend, with the increased vector rate of cell migration influenced by NPs. We are able to demonstrate the important balance between effective macrophage loading and targeted delivery. By adjusting the balance parameters, it will be possible to utilize NPs in macrophage-mediated disease diagnosis and therapy.     

基因工程抗体研究进展

随着对分子生物学研究和抗体分子结构功能的深入研究,利用细胞工程和遗传工程对抗体分子进行改建并赋予其新的功能,进而开发了新的抗体应用领域,使单克隆抗体技术又向前发展了一步.基因工程抗体是按人类设计所重新组装的新型抗体分子,可保留或增加天然抗体的特异性和主要生物学活性,去除或减少无关结构,从而可克服单克隆抗体在临床应用方面的缺陷.     

Simulation of sequential batch reactor (SBR) operation for simultaneous removal of nitrogen and phosphorus

Modeling of the operation of sequential batch reactor (SBR) was performed to find out optimum design parameters for simultaneous removal of nitrogen and phosphorus in a small-scale wastewater treatment plant. The models were set up with material balances on SBR operation and Monod kinetics. The model parameters were obtained to best fit the experimental results in a small scale SBR. The models were useful in optimizing hydraulic retention time (HRT) and successfully simulated operations of SBR in a larger scale. Especially the model predicted well the reactions occurring in the filling period as well as the effect of dilution, and evaluated the performance of SBR process under diverse operating conditions.     

RG108对肺腺癌A549细胞增殖、凋亡及RASSF1A基因表达的影响

目的探讨DNA甲基转移酶抑制剂RG108对人肺腺癌细胞株A549增殖、凋亡以及对RASSF1A（Ras as-sociation domain proteinfamily1）基因启动子区域甲基化状态、表达的影响。方法用20μmol/L的RG108对A549细胞进行化学干预72h,用MTT法检测细胞生长抑制率;流式细胞术检测细胞周期以及凋亡情况;RT-PCR观察RASSF1A基因mRNA水平变化;Western blot检测RASSF1A蛋白的表达;甲基化特异性PCR（MS-PCR）检测RASSF1A基因启动子区域甲基化状态的改变。结果经RG108干预72h后,A549细胞的抑制率为17.2±0.43%,细胞周期阻滞于G0/G1期,并引起细胞凋亡。RT-PCR和Western blot结果显示在干预组细胞中分别出现RASSF1A基因的DNA条带（329bp）和蛋白质条带（39kD）,而对照组中无相应条带出现。RASSF1A基因启动子区域由甲基化状态转变为非甲基化状态。结论RG108可使RASSF1A基因启动子区域去甲基化,并通过该机制诱导RASSF1A基因在人肺腺癌细胞株A549中表达。     

杨树基因组AMT转运蛋白的生物信息学特性

本研究中,通过隐马尔科夫模型(HMM)和杨树蛋白质库搜索,共找到17个杨树铵转运体蛋白(PtAMTs).利用生物信息学方法,我们对杨树家族17条AMT蛋白序列的系统发生和AMT基因组定位进行分析,然后对其氨基酸组成成分、理化性质以及二级结构进行预测和分析,同时还分析了杨树与拟南芥、水稻、番茄、百脉根和欧洲油菜的AMT基因家族之间的联系.二级结构预测结果发现不同成员间氨基酸数目、氨基酸序列间的疏水性存在一定的差异;α-螺旋和无规则卷曲为主要二级结构组成部分.同源性比对分析表明,PtAMT基因家族主要分为2个亚家族,AMT1 (11个成员)和AMT2 (6个成员),基因结果分析表明AMT2亚家族成员不含内含子.杨树AMT蛋白的亚细胞定位分析表明PtAMT主要定位于膜结构上.电子表达图谱分析结果表明:只有XP_002309151和 XP_002334025基因有对应的EST序列,并有相应的电子表达谱,并主要在花蕾表达.     

叶绿体——疫苗生产新工厂

以叶绿体为受体的叶绿体基因工程技术已经在工农业及医药生物技术领域发挥了重要作用。利用叶绿体为基因转移受体的叶绿体基因工程技术来生产疫苗是目前人们关注的焦点。现着重在叶绿体作为遗传工程受体的特点、叶绿体基因工程的研究进展,它在疫苗生产中的应用及发展前景等方面进行综述。     

人中性粒细胞多肽HNP1，3体外抗单纯疱疹病毒Ⅰ型的作用

体外观察人中性粒细胞多肽1,3(Humanneutrophilpeptide,HNP1,3)及阿昔洛韦(Acyclovir,ACV)对单纯疱疹病毒-Ⅰ型(Herpessimplexvirus1,HSV-1)的抑制作用。以Vero细胞为靶细胞,用各种浓度HNP1,3与游离病毒颗粒(直接失活组)及感染病毒后的靶细胞(复制抑制组)进行相互作用,镜下观察各药物对HSV-1致细胞病变效应的抑制作用,并采用ELISA法测定感染48h后药物对HSV-1囊膜糖蛋白分泌的抑制作用。MTT法检测各药物对细胞的毒性作用。结果显示直接失活组中,HNP1,3可使HSV-1的致细胞病变效应减轻,对HSV-1直接失活的50%有效浓度(EC50)为8.1μg/mL、10.03μg/mL;复制抑制组中,ACV使HSV-1的致细胞病变效应减轻,EC50为0.68μg/mL。MTT检测结果表明HNP1,3在治疗浓度范围内无明显细胞毒性。以上结果表明HNP1,3除具有较强的抗菌作用和抗人类免疫缺陷病毒Ⅰ型(Humanimmunodeficiencyvirus1,HIV-1)活性外,还能失活HSV-1病毒颗粒,从而逆转病毒及其蛋白的病毒效应(致细胞病变)和抑制病毒蛋白质的合成。     

Influence of magnesium ions on biofilm formation by Pseudomonas fluorescens

Mg²⁺ can potentially influence bacterial adhesion directly through effects on electrostatic interactions and indirectly by affecting physiology-dependent attachment processes. However, the effects of Mg²⁺ on biofilm structure are largely unknown. In this study, Pseudomonas fluorescens was used to investigate the influence of Mg²⁺ concentration (0, 0.1 and 1.0 mM MgCl₂) on biofilm growth. Planktonic and attached cells were enumerated (based on DAPI staining) while biofilm structures were examined via confocal laser scanning microscopy and three-dimensional structures were reconstructed. Mg²⁺ concentration had no influence on growth of planktonic cells but, during biofilm formation, Mg²⁺ increased the abundance of attached cells. For attached cells, the influence of Mg²⁺ concentration changed over time, suggesting that the role of Mg²⁺ in bacterial attachment is complex and dynamic. Biofilm structures were heterogeneous and surface colonization and depth increased with increasing Mg²⁺ concentrations. Overall, for P. fluorescens, Mg²⁺ increased initial attachment and altered subsequent biofilm formation and structure.     

Parkin Overexpression Ameliorates PrP106–126-Induced Neurotoxicity via Enhanced Autophagy in N2a Cells

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are caused by the accumulation of the abnormal prion protein scrapie (PrP^Sc). Prion protein aggregation, misfolding, and cytotoxicity in the brain are the major causes of neuronal dysfunction and ultimate neurodegeneration in all TSEs. Parkin, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, has been studied extensively in all major protein misfolding aggregating diseases, especially Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease, but the role of parkin in TSEs remains unknown. Here we investigated the role of parkin in a prion disease cell model in which neuroblastoma2a (N2a) cells were treated with prion peptide PrP106–126. We observed a gradual decrease in the soluble parkin level upon treatment with PrP106–126 in a time-dependent manner. Furthermore, endogenous parkin colocalized with FITC-tagged prion fragment106–126. Overexpression of parkin in N2a cells via transfection repressed apoptosis by enhancing autophagy. Parkin-overexpressing cells also showed reductions in apoptotic BAX translocation to the mitochondria and cytochrome c release to the cytosol, which ultimately inhibited activation of proapoptotic caspases. Taken together, our findings reveal a parkin-mediated cytoprotective mechanism against PrP106–126 toxicity, which is a novel potential therapeutic target for treating prion diseases.