Telomere and telomerase in oncology

Telomere and cell replicative senescenceTelomeres, which are located at the end of chro-mosome, are crucial to protect chromosome againstdegeneration, rearrangment and end to end fusion[1].Human telomeres are tandemly repeated units of thehexanucleotide TTAGGG. The estimated length oftelomeric DNA varies from 2 to 20 kilo base pairs,depending on factors such as tissue type and hu-man age. The buck of telomeric DNA is double-stranded, but the end of telomeric DNA consists of3' overhang of…     

细菌分类与鉴定的新热点：16S—23S rDNA间区

随着分子生物学的迅速发展,细菌的分类鉴定亦从传统的表型分类进入到各种基因型分类水平、如（G＋C）mol%、DNA杂交、rDNA指纹图、质粒图谱和16S rDNA序列分析等。rRNA存在于所有细菌中,rRNA基因由保守区和可变区组成,在细菌中高度保守。rRNA基因包含5‘端到3‘端的若干种成分,分别是16S rDNA、间区、23S rDNA、间区和 5S rDNA。16S－23S rDNA间区近年来在细菌系统发育学,特别是相近种和菌 区分和鉴定方面倍受关注。作为细菌分类和鉴定中的一个热点,本文将就16S－23S rDNA间区的一些特性及其胡细菌分类鉴定方面的作用做一简要的介绍。     

激光扫描共聚焦显微镜术检测单个血小板钙波动方法的探讨

目的 探讨血小板贴壁的简易方法,同时,观察单个血小板激活前后细胞内钙波动及形态变化的规律。方法 采用多种粘附剂固定血小板,利用钙荧光探针（Fluo-3/AM)（终浓度10－20μmol)进行染色,在激光扫描共聚焦显同镜检测下加入二磷酸腺苷,观察和分析血小板内Ca^2 浓度及形态变化。结果 多聚赖氨酸促进血小板贴壁固定的效果最佳;单个血小板活后细胞内Ca^2 浓度为激活前的128％,形态圆形或椭形转为不规则形,有空泡,突起形成。结论 多聚赖氨酸是血小板贴壁的理想粘附剂,本方法能简易,快捷地监测血小板激活过程中胞浆内钙离子动态变化及形态改变,有助于血小板功能的深入研究。     

从营养扰动实验看原绿球藻在近海分布的制约因素

地球上细胞最小、丰度最大的放氧光合自养原核生物原绿球藻 (Prochlorococcus)发现于热带大洋 ,并被证实可在某些近海甚至近岸水域大量分布。但除温度之外 ,原绿球藻自然分布的控制因子尚不明了。从近海和大洋生态条件的主要差别考虑 ,在南海进行了主要营养盐———氮、磷和微量元素———铁、钴扰动的现场培养实验 ,并应用流式细胞技术监测原绿球藻及聚球藻 (Synechococcus)、超微型真核浮游植物 (pico_eukaryotes)的细胞丰度和单细胞色素含量的响应以及细菌的影响。结果表明 ,磷和钴的添加有利于原绿球藻 ,而氮和铁的添加更有利于聚球藻和超微型真核浮游植物。同时 ,由环境条件引起的生物响应又间接地导致超微型生物之间的相互作用。因而 ,原绿球藻在近海的分布 ,可能受到营养盐组成等环境因子以及生物之间的相互作用等多方面的限制和影响     

小鼠杂交瘤细胞在双口滚动培养瓶中的生长及抗体分泌

研制了一种新的滚动式细胞培养装置(rolling culture system)和双口滚动瓶(double-mouthed roller).利用分泌抗人绒毛膜促性腺激素(hCG)单克隆抗体的小鼠杂交瘤细胞作为检验材料,对培养在双口滚动培养装置及常规T形瓶中的细胞生长和单抗分泌进行了比较.在滚动培养装置中(转速2～10 r/min)培养的细胞生长和抗体分泌皆增加30%以上.不同浓度的血清对细胞生长和抗体产量有一定影响,含5%血清的培养液中生长的杂交瘤细胞单抗产量最高;添加少量明胶可增加细胞生长和抗体产量.     

2-(Trimethylammonium) Ethyl (R)-3-Methoxy-3-oxo-2-Stearamidopropyl Phosphate Suppresses Osteoclast Maturation and Bone Resorption by Targeting Macrophage-Colony Stimulating Factor Signaling

2-(Trimethylammonium) ethyl (R)-3-methoxy-3-oxo-2-stearamidopropyl phosphate [(R)-TEMOSPho], a derivative of an organic chemical identified from a natural product library, promotes highly efficient megakaryopoiesis. Here, we show that (R)-TEMOSPho blocks osteoclast maturation from progenitor cells of hematopoietic origin, as well as blocking the resorptive function of mature osteoclasts. The inhibitory effect of (R)-TEMOSPho on osteoclasts was due to a disruption of the actin cytoskeleton, resulting from impaired downstream signaling of c-Fms, a receptor for macrophage-colony stimulating factor linked to c-Cbl, phosphoinositol-3-kinase (PI3K), Vav3, and Rac1. In addition, (R)-TEMOSPho blocked inflammation-induced bone destruction by reducing the numbers of osteoclasts produced in mice. Thus, (R)-TEMOSPho may represent a promising new class of antiresorptive drugs for the treatment of bone loss associated with increased osteoclast maturation and activity.     

A Complex Role of Herpes Viruses in the Disease Process of Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the central nervous system (CNS). Neither the antigenic target(s) nor the cell population(s) responsible for CNS tissue destruction in MS have been fully defined. The objective of this study was to simultaneously determine the antigen (Ag)-specificity and phenotype of un-manipulated intrathecal CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells of patients with relapsing-remitting and progressive MS compared to subjects with other inflammatory neurological diseases. We applied a novel Ag-recognition assay based on co-cultures of freshly obtained cerebrospinal fluid T cells and autologous dendritic cells pre-loaded with complex candidate Ag''s. We observed comparably low T cell responses to complex auto-Ag''s including human myelin, brain homogenate, and cell lysates of apoptotically modified oligodendroglial and neuronal cells in all cohorts and both compartments. Conversely, we detected a strong intrathecal enrichment of Epstein-Barr virus- and human herpes virus 6-specific (but not cytomegalovirus-specific) reactivities of the Th1-phenotype throughout all patients. Qualitatively, the intrathecal enrichment of herpes virus reactivities was more pronounced in MS patients. This enrichment was completely reversed by long-term treatment with the IL-2 modulating antibody daclizumab, which strongly inhibits MS disease activity. Finally, we observed a striking discrepancy between diminished intrathecal T cell proliferation and enhanced cytokine production of herpes virus-specific T cells among progressive MS patients, consistent with the phenotype of terminally differentiated cells. The data suggest that intrathecal administration of novel therapeutic agents targeting immune cells outside of the proliferation cycle may be necessary to effectively eliminate intrathecal inflammation in progressive MS.     

环境胁迫对不同水分管理措施下稻田土壤功能稳定性的影响

随着全球变化和人类活动干扰的加剧,维持和提高土壤生态功能具有重要意义.本研究以室内模拟干扰下土壤功能稳定性为核心,研究环境胁迫(干燥、高温和干燥高温)对常规淹水、裸地旱作、秸秆覆盖旱作3种水分管理措施下土壤功能稳定性(抵抗力和恢复力)的影响.结果表明:相对于单一的干燥或高温胁迫,复合胁迫虽然显著增加了土壤可溶性有机碳和铵态氮含量,但是降低了胁迫1 d后的土壤真菌和细菌生物量、土壤呼吸、土壤功能抵抗力,同时也显著降低了56 d后的土壤功能恢复力.相关性分析结果表明,细菌生物量和真菌生物量与土壤功能抵抗力和土壤功能恢复力均呈显著相关.不同水分管理措施能够调节环境胁迫对土壤功能稳定性的影响,无论是单一胁迫还是复合胁迫条件下,秸秆覆盖旱作均显著增加了可溶性有机碳、铵态氮含量和真菌、细菌生物量,其功能抵抗力和功能恢复力均高于常规淹水和裸地旱作.总之,在多种胁迫存在的条件下,秸秆覆盖旱作能够提高土壤生态系统在环境胁迫下的功能稳定性,是稻田节水旱作适宜的农业管理措施.     

黄土高原人工刺槐林生长衰退的生态生理机制

刺槐是黄土高原广泛栽植的水土保持树种,然而人工刺槐林的树木个体生长衰退已经成为该区域开展植被恢复建设、实现森林可持续经营所面临的重大生态环境问题之一.目前人工刺槐林生长衰退的定义、界定标准、量化指标尚未形成统一标准.探讨刺槐生长衰退的机理不仅是植被恢复的理论基础,也是退耕还林还草工程持续开展的直接需求,具有实际价值和研究意义.通过汇集相关研究文献,综合国际和黄土高原关于森林生长衰退、死亡率增加的研究,从生态学(气候变化、土壤干化、群落结构失调、森林经营管理不当)和树木生理学(水力学故障、碳饥饿、遗传及分子调节)两个角度概述了黄土高原人工刺槐林生长衰退的机制以及取得的研究进展.最后提出黄土高原人工刺槐林生长衰退研究的不足,并对未来研究进行展望.