埃博拉病毒NP蛋白的单克隆抗体制备及抗原肽的定位

埃博拉病毒(Ebola virus,EBOV)是一种能导致人类及脊椎动物出血热的致死性病毒,对公共卫生具有较严重的危害。EBOV的NP蛋白在病毒复制中具有重要作用,也是诊断该病重要的靶蛋白。文中原核表达重组扎伊尔型EBOV的NP蛋白,重组蛋白免疫bal/c小鼠,制备了一株小鼠抗EBOV-NP的单克隆抗体。利用Western blotting方法,该抗体能特异识别真核表达和原核表达的重组EBOV-NP,并能同莱斯顿型(RestonEbola virus,REBOV)、科特迪瓦型(Cote-d’Ivoire Ebola virus,CIEBOV)和本迪布焦型(Bundibugyo Ebola virus,BEBOV)埃博拉病毒产生交叉反应,而不与苏丹型(the Sudan Ebola virus,SEBOV)和马堡型(the Marburgvirus,MARV)埃博拉病毒产生反应。利用突变PCR和Western blotting方法,定位了该抗体识别的抗原决定簇序列,该序列(PPLESD)位于EBOV-NP蛋白的C端583-588aa。生物信息学研究表明,该序列在已经公布的ZEBOV、CIEBOV、BEBOV共16个型和REBOV的4个型中高度保守。研究结果为建立以上各型埃博拉病毒的检测方法提供了工具,也为研究埃博拉病毒复制及致病机理提供了基础。     

Herbal decoctosome is a novel form of medicine

Traditionally, herbal medicine is consumed by drinking decoctions produced by boiling herbs with water. The functional components of the decoction are heat stable. Small RNAs(sRNAs) were reported as a new class of functional components in decoctions. However, the mechanisms by which sRNAs survive heat treatment of the decoction and enter cells are unclear.Previous studies showed that plant-derived exosome-like nanoparticles(ELNs), which we call botanosomes, could deliver therapeutic reagents in vivo. Here, we report that heat-stable decoctosomes(ELNs) from decoctions have more therapeutic effects than the decoctions in vitro and demonstrate therapeutic efficacy in vivo. Furthermore, sRNAs, such as HJT-sRNA-m7 and PGY-sRNA-6, in the decoctosome exhibit potent anti-fibrosis and anti-inflammatory effects, respectively. Decoctosome is comprised of lipids, chemical compounds, proteins, and s RNAs. A medical decoctosome mimic is called bencaosome. A single lipid sphinganine(d22:0) identified in the decoctosome was mixed and heated with the synthesized sRNAs to form the simplest bencaosome. This simple bencaosome structure was identified by critical micelle concentration(cmc) assay that sRNAs coassembled with sphinganine(d22:0) to form the lipid layers of vesicles. The heating process facilitates co-assembly of sRNAs and sphinganine(d22:0) until a steady state is reached. The artificially produced sphinganine-HJT-sRNA-m7 and sphinganinePGY-sRNA-6 bencaosomes could ameliorate bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis and poly(I:C)-induced lung inflammation, respectively, following oral administration in mice. Our study not only demonstrates that the herbal decoctosome may represent a combinatory remedy in precision medicine but also provides an effective oral delivery route for nucleic acid therapy.     

陆地生态系统甲烷产生和氧化过程的微生物机理

陆地生态系统存在许多常年性或季节性缺氧环境,如:湿地、水稻土、湖泊沉积物、动物瘤胃、垃圾填埋场和厌氧生物反应器等。每年有大量有机物质进入这些环境,在缺氧条件下发生厌氧分解。甲烷是有机质厌氧分解的最终产物。产生的甲烷气体可通过缺氧-有氧界面释放到大气,产生温室效应,是重要的温室气体。产甲烷过程是缺氧环境中有机质分解的核心环节,而甲烷氧化是缺氧-有氧界面的重要微生物过程。甲烷的产生和氧化过程共同调控大气甲烷浓度,是全球碳循环不可分割的组成部分。对陆地生态系统甲烷产生和氧化过程的微生物机理研究进展进行了概要回顾和综述。主要内容包括:新型产甲烷古菌即第六和第七目产甲烷古菌和嗜冷嗜酸产甲烷古菌的发现;短链脂肪酸中间产物互营氧化过程与直接种间电子传递机制;新型甲烷氧化菌包括厌氧甲烷氧化菌和疣微菌属好氧甲烷氧化菌的发现;甲烷氧化菌生理生态与环境适应的新机制。这些研究进展显著拓展了人们对陆地生态系统甲烷产生和氧化机理的认识和理解。随着新一代土壤微生物研究技术的发展与应用,甲烷产生和氧化微生物研究领域将面临更多机遇和挑战,对未来发展趋势做了展望。     

喜马拉雅山东段鸟类多度-垂直分布幅关系:特有种与非特有种的对比

物种多度与分布幅之间的正相关被认为是一种普遍的规律。但近年在热带山地和岛屿的研究发现多度-分布幅关系会出现不相关或负相关的现象;该现象可能是由于当地多度高且分布幅小的特有种比例较高所导致。在喜马拉雅山东段的勒布沟沿海拔2350—4950 m开展研究：1)记录了当地鸟类多度垂直分布格局;2)验证了该区繁殖鸟总体多度-垂直分布幅关系,并对比了特有种和非特有种分组子集多度-垂直分布幅关系、平均多度和垂直分布中心的差异。研究发现勒布沟鸟类多度垂直分布格局为驼峰格局。该区繁殖鸟类与非特有种的多度-垂直分布幅关系均为正相关,但特有种的多度-垂直分布幅关系为不相关。特有种的多度及海拔分布中心位置均高于非特有种。结果表明区域的鸟类特有性对多度-垂直分布幅关系存在着重要的影响;地理隔离导致的区域物种组成差异,是造成多度-分布幅关系模式变化的重要原因之一。     

猪鞭虫和斯氏鞭虫线粒体pnad4和pcox1基因的扩增与序列分析

以采自广东不同地区的猪鞭虫(Trichuris suis)和斯氏鞭虫(Trichuris skrjabini)为研究对象,扩增线粒体基因组的pnad4和pcox1基因,将扩增产物纯化后克隆至pMD18-T载体,对阳性菌落进行测序和序列分析。结果表明,来源于不同地区的鞭虫上述两个基因种内相对保守,差异性不大,但种间差异较大。猪鞭虫和斯氏鞭虫的pnad4长度均为468 bp,相互间有162个种间遗传标记位点;猪鞭虫和斯氏鞭虫的pcox1长度分别为600 bp与438 bp,相互间有156个种间遗传标记位点。两种鞭虫之间的pnad4基因差异率为45.1%-45.9%,pcox1基因差异率为44.1%-45.4%。上述线粒体两个基因均可作为区分两种线虫的种间遗传标记。     

小鼠Toll样受体3基因的克隆及真核表达

采用RT-PCR方法从小鼠巨噬细胞中克隆小鼠Toll样受体3(TLR3)基因,基因测序表明获得了小鼠全长TLR3cDNA,构建了真核表达质粒p3XFLAG-CMV-7.1-TLR3.重组质粒转染293T细胞,Western blotting检测蛋白表达,表达蛋白质的相对分子量与预计相符.采用TLR3的阳性刺激物poly(I∶C)刺激重组质粒转染的293T细胞,双荧光素酶报告基因系统检测发现能激活下游转录因子NF-κB的转录活性,并能诱导TLR3下游细胞因子IL-6和TNF-α的表达.小鼠TLR3基因的克隆和表达,为研究TLR3介导的信号通路及其在抗病毒免疫中的作用打下基础.     

GAP-43 ameliorates Podocyte injury by decreasing nuclear NFATc1 expression

Podocyte injury is sufficient to cause glomerulosclerosis and proteinuria, eventually leading to kidney failure. Previous studies found that podocytes and neurons had similar biological characteristics. Growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43) is a growth cone protein in neurons, and a marker of axonal and synaptic growth. However, it is not known whether GAP-43 is expressed in podocytes. Compared with normal glomerular podocytes, GAP-43 was significantly reduced in patients with glomerular diseases. GAP-43 also significantly reduced in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated podocytes. We found that the decreased expression of nephrin, the cell marker of the podocyte, was significantly recovered with GAP-43 overexpression. In contrast, the migration ability in LPS-treated podocyte was reduction after GAP-43 overexpressing. Moreover, overexpression of GAP-43 attenuated podocyte apoptosis by up-regulating the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax with LPS treatment. Finally, Plaue and Rcan1 which are downstream target gene of NFATc1 decreased with overexpression of GAP-43 podocytes. We concluded that GAP-43 attenuated podocyte injury by inhibiting calcineurin/NFATc1 signaling. The findings may provide a promising treatment for podocyte injury-related diseases.