Quantitative regulation of the thermal stability of enveloped virus vaccines by surface charge engineering to prevent the self-aggregation of attachment glycoproteins

The development of thermostable vaccines can relieve the bottleneck of existing vaccines caused by thermal instability and subsequent poor efficacy, which is one of the predominant reasons for the millions of deaths caused by vaccine-preventable diseases. Research into the mechanism of viral thermostability may provide strategies for developing thermostable vaccines. Using Newcastle disease virus (NDV) as model, we identified the negative surface charge of attachment glycoprotein as a novel determinant of viral thermostability. It prevented the temperature-induced aggregation of glycoprotein and subsequent detachment from virion surface. Then structural stability of virion surface was improved and virus could bind to and infect cells efficiently after heat-treatment. Employing the approach of surface charge engineering, thermal stability of NDV and influenza A virus (IAV) vaccines was successfully improved. The increase in the level of vaccine thermal stability was determined by the value-added in the negative surface charge of the attachment glycoprotein. The engineered live and inactivated vaccines could be used efficiently after storage at 37°C for at least 10 and 60 days, respectively. Thus, our results revealed a novel surface-charge-mediated link between HN protein and NDV thermostability, which could be used to design thermal stable NDV and IAV vaccines rationally.     

Hemin with Peroxidase Activity Can Inhibit the Oxidative Damage Induced by Ultraviolet A

Excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS), a highly reactive substance that contains oxygen, induced by ultraviolet A (UVA) cause oxidative damage to skin. We confirmed that hemin can catalyze the reaction of tyrosine (Tyr) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). Catalysis was found to effectively reduce or eliminate oxidative damage to cells induced by H₂O₂ or UVA. The scavenging effects of hemin for other free-radical ROS were also evaluated through pyrogallol autoxidation, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH·)-scavenging assays, and phenanthroline–Fe²⁺ assays. The results show that a mixture of hemin and tyrosine exhibits strong scavenging activities for H₂O₂, superoxide anion (O₂⁻·), DPPH·, and the hydroxyl radical (·OH). Furthermore, the inhibition of oxidative damage to human skin keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells induced by H₂O₂ or UVA was evaluated. The results show that catalysis can significantly reduce the ratio of cell apoptosis and death and inhibit the release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), as well as accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA). Furthermore, the resistance to apoptosis was found to be enhanced. These results show that the mixture of hemin and tyrosine has a significantly protective effect against oxidative damage to HaCaT cells caused by UVA, suggesting it as a protective agent for combating UVA damage.     

系统发育谱构建方法研究

随着后基因组时代的到来,系统发育谱方法作为一种非同源性的功能注释方法,已经被成功的应用到基因组功能预测、蛋白质相互作用预测等一些重要领域的研究中去。本文阐述了系统发育谱法的基本原理,详细地介绍了现有的几种系统发育谱的构建方法,并提出了利用ortholog来构建基因的系统发育谱的思想。     

Fast classification and compositional analysis of cornstover fractions using Fourier transform near-infrared techniques

The objectives of this research were to determine the variation of chemical composition across botanical fractions of cornstover, and to probe the potential of Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) techniques in qualitatively classifying separated cornstover fractions and in quantitatively analyzing chemical compositions of cornstover by developing calibration models to predict chemical compositions of cornstover based on FT-NIR spectra. Large variations of cornstover chemical composition for wide calibration ranges, which is required by a reliable calibration model, were achieved by manually separating the cornstover samples into six botanical fractions, and their chemical compositions were determined by conventional wet chemical analyses, which proved that chemical composition varies significantly among different botanical fractions of cornstover. Different botanic fractions, having total saccharide content in descending order, are husk, sheath, pith, rind, leaf, and node. Based on FT-NIR spectra acquired on the biomass, classification by Soft Independent Modeling of Class Analogy (SIMCA) was employed to conduct qualitative classification of cornstover fractions, and partial least square (PLS) regression was used for quantitative chemical composition analysis. SIMCA was successfully demonstrated in classifying botanical fractions of cornstover. The developed PLS model yielded root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP %w/w) of 0.92, 1.03, 0.17, 0.27, 0.21, 1.12, and 0.57 for glucan, xylan, galactan, arabinan, mannan, lignin, and ash, respectively. The results showed the potential of FT-NIR techniques in combination with multivariate analysis to be utilized by biomass feedstock suppliers, bioethanol manufacturers, and bio-power producers in order to better manage bioenergy feedstocks and enhance bioconversion.     

一株粘质沙雷氏菌烈性噬菌体污水分离及特性

[目的]以粘质沙雷氏菌(8039)为宿主菌从医院污水中分离噬菌体并对其基本生物学特点进行研究.[方法]四步法污水分离噬菌体;单、双层平板噬菌斑实验筛选烈性噬菌体并观察噬菌斑形态;纯化后2%磷钨酸染色电镜观察;手工法提取噬菌体核酸酶切后琼脂糖凝胶电泳分析;利用双层平板噬菌斑实验测定最佳感染复数和完成一步生长实验.[结果]从医院污水中成功分离出粘质沙雷氏菌烈性噬菌体一株(SM701),该噬菌体有一个正多面体立体对称的头部,头径约64nm,无囊膜,有一长尾,无收缩尾鞘,尾长约143nm;基因组核酸能被双链DNA内切酶BamH Ⅰ及Hind Ⅲ切开,大小约57kb;噬菌斑圆形透明,直径1mm左右(培养12h,),边界清楚;当感染复数(multiplicity of infection,MOI)为10时,子代噬菌体滴度较高;按照一步生长实验结果绘制出一步生长曲线,可知感染宿主菌的潜伏期是约为30min,爆发期约100min,平均爆发量约为630[结论]按照国际病毒分类委员会分类标准,该噬菌体属于长尾噬菌体科(siphoviridae)烈性噬菌体,按照Bradley和Ackermann形态分类法属于B1亚群;噬菌斑与周围红色细菌生长区,颜色差异明显,非常便于观察和计数;噬菌体头部大小和形态与呼吸道病毒中的呼肠病毒和腺病毒最为接近;国内尚未见粘质沙雷氏菌噬菌体相关报道.     

转基因抗虫棉对棉铃虫及其内寄生蜂的双重效应

以含1%转基因（Cry1A+CpTI）抗虫棉“中抗310”棉叶粉的人工饲料为基础,建立一套抗虫棉 棉铃虫Helicoverpa armigera 棉铃虫幼虫内寄生蜂中红侧沟茧蜂Microplitis mediator和棉铃虫齿唇姬蜂Campoletis chlorideae的三级营养关系的研究系统,研究了转基因抗虫棉对棉铃虫及内寄生蜂的双重效应,分析比较了6种状态的棉铃虫生长发育动态,以及寄生蜂的生长状况。结果表明,无论是否被寄生,抗虫棉对棉铃虫生长发育的抑制作用都非常显著;寄生取食抗虫棉饲料的棉铃虫的寄生蜂,其出茧率和茧重都显著下降,对于中红侧沟茧蜂,出茧率和茧重分别下降了26.1%和1.0 mg;对于棉铃虫齿唇姬蜂,分别下降了17.9%和5.1 mg。解剖寄主发现,两种寄生蜂在取食抗虫棉饲料的寄主体内发育缓慢并出现部分畸形幼蜂。棉铃虫幼虫血淋巴总蛋白含量和血淋巴蛋白SDS-PAGE电泳分析表明,取食抗虫棉饲料后,棉铃虫血淋巴总蛋白含量低于相应的对照,推测寄主血淋巴蛋白含量降低是导致寄生蜂生长缓慢、发育不正常的一个重要原因。     

白背飞虱对水稻抗虫品种N22的适应性研究

在室内连续用感虫品种TN1和抗虫品种N22单管饲养白背飞虱(Sogatella furcifera)种群,研究它对抗虫水稻品种的适应性及其体内保护酶的变化,结果表明,白背飞虱在感虫品种TN1和抗虫品种N22品种上饲养1至2代,其卵历期、若虫期和全世代历期均无明显差异,从感虫品种TN1转移到抗虫品种N22上饲养1代,白背飞虱的若虫存活率、雌成虫寿命、体重、蜜露量、产卵量和内禀增长率等均低于在抗虫品种上连续饲养2代,而后者又低于在感虫品种上饲养的指标,白背飞虱在抗虫品种上连续饲养2代后,体内保护酶中超氧化物岐化酶(SOD)和过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性逐渐接近于感虫品种上连续饲养的结果,说明白背飞虱从感虫品种转到抗虫品种在开始时并不适应,经过连续繁殖多代后白背飞虱逐渐适应,最后导致抗虫品种的抗性丧失。     

大鼠脂肪间充质干细胞诱导为类肝细胞及其细胞片的制备

成体多能干细胞,如来自骨髓和脂肪组织的间充质干细胞等具有多向分化的潜能。虽然自体干细胞移植已经发展成为器官移植的有效代替疗法之一,但是由于移植位点细胞的流失和分化条件的限制等问题使得这种疗法的效率大大降低。本研究目的是将由脂肪干细胞分化而来的类肝细胞制备成具有稳定细胞性状的可移植的肝细胞片。首先在体外分离扩增脂肪干细胞,并通过控制严格地分化条件获得类肝细胞。然后将此细胞接种到聚N-异丙基丙烯酰胺(PNIPAAm)结合的细胞培养皿表面,通过调节培养温度到20oC,使细胞成片脱离培养皿形成细胞片。对细胞片进行了常规HE染色和免疫组化观察,结果显示:这类细胞片中平均含有2～3层细胞,并且保持了细胞外基质的完整。同传统的胰酶消化收集移植用细胞相比,细胞片方法极大地减少了对移植用细胞的细胞膜和细胞外基质的损伤,这将大大促进细胞片和原位组织的相互作用,增加细胞利用效率,从而有望提高治疗效果。     

不同稻作方式对稻田杂草群落的影响

运用半试验与调查相结合的方法,以贵州省从江县传统农业区的糯稻和杂交稻为例,研究了在水稻单作（R）、稻-鱼（R-F）和稻-鱼-鸭（R-F-D）3种不同稻作方式下稻田杂草群落的特征.结果表明：糯稻在3种稻作方式下的抑制杂草能力均优于杂交稻;R-F-D显著降低了田间杂草的发生密度,对鸭舌草、节节菜等的抑制效果达到100%,总体抑制杂草效果显著优于其他稻作方式,杂草的物种丰富度及Shannon多样性指数显著降低,Pielou均匀度指数提高,表明群落物种组成发生了很大的改变,降低了原来优势杂草的发生, 是一种较好的可达到抑制杂草效果的稻作方式.