Natural killer cells kill extracellular Pseudomonas aeruginosa using contact-dependent release of granzymes B and H

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that often infects individuals with the genetic disease cystic fibrosis, and contributes to airway blockage and loss of lung function. Natural killer (NK) cells are cytotoxic, granular lymphocytes that are part of the innate immune system. NK cell secretory granules contain the cytolytic proteins granulysin, perforin and granzymes. In addition to their cytotoxic effects on cancer and virally infected cells, NK cells have been shown to play a role in an innate defense against microbes, including bacteria. However, it is not known if NK cells kill extracellular P. aeruginosa or how bacterial killing might occur at the molecular level. Here we show that NK cells directly kill extracellular P. aeruginosa using NK effector molecules. Live cell imaging of a co-culture of YT cells, a human NK cell line, and GFP-expressing P. aeruginosa in the presence of the viability dye propidium iodide demonstrated that YT cell killing of P. aeruginosa is contact-dependent. CRISPR knockout of granulysin or perforin in YT cells had no significant effect on YT cell killing of P. aeruginosa. Pre-treatment of YT and NK cells with the serine protease inhibitor 3,4-dichloroisocoumarin (DCI) to inhibit all granzymes, resulted in an inhibition of killing. Although singular CRISPR knockout of granzyme B or H had no effect, knockout of both in YT cells completely abrogated killing of P. aeruginosa in comparison to wild type YT cell controls. Nitrocefin assays suggest that the bacterial membrane is damaged. Inhibition of killing by antioxidants suggest that ROS are required for the bactericidal mode-of-action. Taken together, these results identify that NK cells kill P. aeruginosa through a membrane damaging, contact-dependent process that requires granzyme induced ROS production, and moreover, that granzyme B and H are redundant in this killing process.     

Oral vaccination of mice with adenoviral vectors is not impaired by preexisting immunity to the vaccine carrier

Adenovirus vectors with E1 deleted of the human serotype 5 (AdHu5) and the chimpanzee serotype 68 (AdC68) expressing the glycoprotein of the Evelyn Rokiniki Abelseth strain of rabies virus were tested upon oral application for induction of systemic and mucosal transgene product-specific antibody responses in mice. Both vectors induced systemic and mucosal antibodies to rabies virus, including virus-neutralizing antibodies and protection against a severe intracerebral challenge with a mouse-adapted strain of rabies virus. Pre-existing immunity of AdHu5 virus, which dampens induction of transgene product-specific immunity elicited by AdHu5 vectors given systemically did not impair the response induced by oral vaccination. Oral priming-boosting regimens with either heterologous or homologous adenoviral vectors used sequentially increased both mucosal and systemic antibody titers to rabies virus [corrected]     

Assessing telomeric DNA content in pediatric cancers using whole-genome sequencing data

Background

Telomeres are the protective arrays of tandem TTAGGG sequence and associated proteins at the termini of chromosomes. Telomeres shorten at each cell division due to the end-replication problem and are maintained above a critical threshold in malignant cancer cells to prevent cellular senescence or apoptosis. With the recent advances in massive parallel sequencing, assessing telomere content in the context of other cancer genomic aberrations becomes an attractive possibility. We present the first comprehensive analysis of telomeric DNA content change in tumors using whole-genome sequencing data from 235 pediatric cancers.

Results

To measure telomeric DNA content, we counted telomeric reads containing TTAGGGx4 or CCCTAAx4 and normalized to the average genomic coverage. Changes in telomeric DNA content in tumor genomes were clustered using a Bayesian Information Criterion to determine loss, no change, or gain. Using this approach, we found that the pattern of telomeric DNA alteration varies dramatically across the landscape of pediatric malignancies: telomere gain was found in 32% of solid tumors, 4% of brain tumors and 0% of hematopoietic malignancies. The results were validated by three independent experimental approaches and reveal significant association of telomere gain with the frequency of somatic sequence mutations and structural variations.

Conclusions

Telomere DNA content measurement using whole-genome sequencing data is a reliable approach that can generate useful insights into the landscape of the cancer genome. Measuring the change in telomeric DNA during malignant progression is likely to be a useful metric when considering telomeres in the context of the whole genome.     

基于信息技术的蛋白质识别研究

随着质谱技术和NMR等仪器测定技术的飞速发展,利用大规模质谱技术可以得到海量蛋白质的质谱数据。同时,利用NMR技术也可获得蛋白质的精确三维结构数据。这些数据以及面向这些数据的分析方法使得蛋白质组研究迅速发展,其基础理论和技术方法,都在不断地进步和完善。利用信息工程技术辅助生物学家开展面向质谱技术的高温量蛋白识别,面向NMR的蛋白质三维结构识别,以及功能发现研究,已经成为蛋白质组中的生命科学与信息科学交叉研究的热点和挑战问题。本文侧重从信息技术的角度对上述问题进行综述,并提出我们解决问题的思路和方法。     

热球菌目(Thermococcales)遗传操作系统研究与应用进展

热球菌目(Thermococcales)是一类分离自浅海热泉或者深海热液口的超嗜热微生物,包括火球菌(Pyrococcus)、热球菌(Thermococcus)、古老球菌(Palaeococcus)。研究其生命活动的分子机制,基因的功能等必须借助遗传操作系统。由于选择标记的限制,Thermococcales遗传操作系统落后于其他菌株。近年来,在Thermococcales发现了内源质粒并可以将其改造用作遗传工具。如在Thermococcus kodakarensis及Pyrococcus furious等菌株内都建立了成熟的遗传系统,并用于基因敲除以及基因表达。将就Thermococcales内源质粒的发现和遗传操作系统的发展与应用加以阐述。     

重组人干扰素—β的中试研究

从大肠杆菌中大规模纯化新型干扰素β(IFN-βser17).首先建立IFN-βser17发酵和纯化工艺,连续大量纯化三批,并对纯化终产品进行全面鉴定.建立了稳定的发酵和纯化工艺流程,中试三批菌产量平均为4.33g/L,IFNβser17的表达量平均为20%,经破碎、粗提、精制后IFN-βser17的比活达2×107IU/mg以上,纯度超过96%,其他检定项目也均符合规程要求.     

Prediction of platinum-resistance patients of gastric cancer using bioinformatics

Lack of guidelines for personalized chemotherapy treatment after surgery has caused gastric cancer (GC) patients' unnecessary exposure to toxicity and the financial burden of chemotherapy treatments. In our study, we aimed to identify potential biomarkers to predict GC patients' susceptibility to platinum-based on Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) data sets. A total of 603 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between platinum-resistant cell lines and platinum-sensitive cell lines based on the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE) data sets. A total of 253 patients who had accepted radical gastrectomy were recruited, of which 97 received platinum-based chemotherapy and 156 were untreated. Three biomarkers (BRMS1, ND6, SRXN1) were then selected by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis to establish the predictive models using nomogram. Then this model was further validated through the GEO data set (GSE62254) which showed that this model could precisely predict the disease-free survival and overall survival of patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy after surgery compared with untreated GC patients (P < 0.0001). This predictive model might provide helpful messages about the patients' susceptibility to platinum to guide personalized chemotherapy.     

幼胚长度、2，4-D浓度、光强度等对花生体细胞胚发生的影响及高效再生系统的建立

花生幼胚在含2,4-D的诱导培养基中,形成近球状的致密的胚性愈伤组织、杆状两极结构及子叶期体胚。继代培养也有体胚发生。光照明显抑制体胚发生类似于自然栽培的情况。成熟培养基中诱导体胚根、芽两极发育完全。光下,具有根、芽的体胚于再生培养基中长成小植株后移栽于盛沙土的盆中正常生长、结实。在较好的影响因素(光照、幼胚长度、激素、切分方式、接种密度)组合下,体胚发生频率达75％以上,每子叶形成体胚3个以上。该体细胞胚高效再生系统与合子胚的发育相似,是遗传转化和胚发育研究的良好系统。     

中国皱茎飞虱属一新种（同翅目：飞虱科）

记述采自中国贵州省的飞虱科Ｄｅｌｐｈａｃｉｄａｅ皱茎飞虱属Ｏｐｉｃｏｎｓｉｖａ１新种：白边皱茎飞虱Ｏ．ａｌｂｉｍａｒｇｉｎａｔａ,ｓｐ．ｎｏｖ．。地贵州大学昆虫研究所。