IFN-gamma treatment of K562 cells inhibits natural killer cell triggering and decreases the susceptibility to lysis by cytoplasmic granules from large granular lymphocytes

Pretreatment of human K562 leukemia cells with rIFN-alpha and rIFN-gamma resulted in decreased susceptibility to lysis by human peripheral blood NK cells. The reduction of NK-susceptibility after IFN treatment was not due to a general effect of IFN on the stability of the cell membrane because the susceptibility of K562 cells to lysis by antibodies plus C, distilled water, or lysolecithin was unaffected. Binding studies with effector cell preparations enriched for NK cells with large granular lymphocyte morphology revealed no difference in binding to control and IFN-gamma-treated target cells. The sensitivity to soluble NK cytotoxic factors was not affected significantly by the IFN treatment. In contrast, the susceptibility of IFN-treated target cells to the cytotoxic activity of purified cytoplasmic granules from a rat large granular lymphocyte tumor was significantly reduced, indicating that the IFN-induced resistance acted at the level of susceptibility to the lytic mechanism of NK cells. However, IFN-alpha was more effective than IFN-gamma in inducing resistance to the cytoplasmic granules although resulting in only a weak resistance in the cell-mediated cytotoxic assay. IFN-gamma but not IFN-alpha caused a reduction in the frequency of effector cells that had reoriented their Golgi apparatus toward their bound target cell. In addition, IFN-gamma treated K562 cells failed to elicit an influx of Ca2+ into effector cells. Taken together, the results suggest that IFN-gamma in addition to an increased resistance to the lytic molecules released by NK cells can also induce changes in the target cells which prevent the triggering and activation of the effector cell.     

垂体在刺激脑内渗透压感受器引起的肾脏反应中的作用

实验在α氯醛糖和氨基甲酸乙酯混合麻醉的大鼠中进行。脑室内注射高张盐水(icv.HS)后,肾血浆流量、肾小球滤过率、尿量、尿钠排出量、尿钾排出量和渗透物质清除率均增加,游离水清除率下降。去除垂体后,icv.HS不再能引起上述肾脏反应。另外给大鼠静脉注射血管升压素(VP)拮抗剂(V_1和V_2受体拮抗剂),并不能削弱上述icv.HS引起的肾脏反应。脑室内注射高张盐水后,尿中多巴胺(DA)排出量无显著增多;给予多巴脱羧酶抑制剂苄丝肼也不能削弱icv.HS引起的肾脏反应。上述实验结果表明,在本实验条件下刺激脑内渗透压感受器引起的肾脏反应依赖于垂体的完整性,但看来并不依赖于外周的VP和DA,故垂体通过何种机制介导icv.HS引起上述肾脏反应,有待于进一步的研究。     

Genetic transformation of a halophilic archaebacterium with a gas vesicle gene cluster restores its ability to float.

The halophilic archaebacterium, Halobacterium halobium, and many other aquatic bacteria synthesize gas-filled vesicles for flotation. We recently identified a cluster of 13 genes (gvpMLKJIHGFEDACN) on a 200-kb H. halobium plasmid, pNRC100, involved in gas vesicle synthesis. We have cloned and reconstructed the gvp gene cluster on an H. halobium-E. coli shuttle plasmid. Transformation of H. halobium Vac- mutants lacking the entire gas vesicle gene region with the gvp gene cluster results in restoration of their ability to float. These results open the way toward further genetic analysis of gas vesicle gene functions and directed flotation of other microorganisms with potential biotechnological applications.     

取食雄蜂蛹粉对龟纹瓢虫和异色瓢虫卵黄发生的影响

本文比较了龟纹瓢虫Proylea japonica和异色瓢虫Harmonia axyridis取食蚜虫和取食雄蜂蛹粉时的卵黄发生情况.当取食雄蜂蛹粉时,体内卵黄蛋白出现迟,积累速度慢,产卵前期长.但用保幼激素类似物ZR512点滴处理后则能达到与食蚜对照相当的水平.ZR512对取食雄蜂蛹粉瓢虫的作用显著大于取食岈虫者.进一步的研究表明,ZR512能促进这两种瓢虫取食雄蜂蛹粉,但对成虫的体重没有明显的影响.因此推论,雄蜂蛹粉基本能够满足这两种瓢虫生殖的营养需要,但对其内分泌有一定的影响,使瓢虫处于类似生殖滞育的状态.本文根据不同食物条件对卵黄蛋白发生的影响不同,建议用卵黄蛋白的量作为生理指标,以快速初步筛选和评估人工饲料.     

The paradox of the adventurous young and the cautious old: natural selection vs. rational calculation.

Younger people are more adventurous and less willing to reduce the risk to life. This seems to be fitness reducing since the gene cannot be passed on if one dies before leaving offsprings. However, due to the cumulative nature of knowledge and the complementarity of learning and adventurousness, it is shown in a simple model that it enhances fitness. Nevertheless, the higher willingness of the old to pay to reduce the risk to life may also be due to the rational calculation of expected utility maximization. A positive real rate of interest makes accumulation of wealth desirable and hence may make the dollar value of life increase dramatically until a fairly old age. Even if the lifetime earnings of everyone are the same and everyone can lend and borrow at the same rate of interest, the old may be willing to pay much more to reduce the risk to life.     

Age-dependent choice of sexual partners and the transmission dynamics of HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa.

A mathematical model of the transmission of HIV-1 within heterosexual populations in Sub-Saharan Africa is described and its properties analysed. The model incorporates epidemiological and demographic processes and extends previous work in this area via the inclusion of age and sex dependency in rates of sexual partner change, and sexual partner choice dependent on age. Parameter assignments are made on the basis of current data on the transmission dynamics of HIV-1 and the demography of human populations in Africa. Both age-dependent rates of sexual activity and the sexual contact of males with females younger than themselves act to enhance the predicted demographic impact. With realistic parameter values, the model suggests AIDS is able to reverse the sign of population growth rates from positive to negative values over a timescale of a few decades. The sensitivity of this prediction is examined in relation to changes in the pattern of sexual contact between different age classes of females and males, different patterns of change in the age-dependent rate of sexual partner change, different assumptions concerning the doubling time of the epidemic in its early stages, and the relative efficiencies of viral transmission between men and women, and vice versa. The impact AIDS is predicted to have on the number of young and elderly persons as a fraction of the number of productive adults (the dependancy ratio) is examined under various assumptions concerning the weighting to be applied to mirror the burden imposed by the care of those with AIDS. The paper includes an assessment of the influence of the timing of changes in sexual behaviour, or the promotion of the use of condoms, on the predicted course of the epidemic. The paper concludes with a discussion of data needs and the model refinements required to more accurately mirror current understanding of the epidemiology of HIV-1.     

方口鲃属鱼类一新种(鲤形目:鲤科)

本文记述采自云南的鲤科鱼类一新种。Sauvage(1878)以上下唇具乳突等特征建立了方口鲃属Cosmochilus,迄今共3个种。新种命名为南腊方口鲃C.nanlaensis sp.nov.以乳突不发达、呈绒毛状;第一鳃弓鳃耙稀疏;上颌须呈退化状,口角须亦不发达;背鳍末根不分枝鳍条较短;侧线鳞数目偏少等特征易与本属其他种类相区别。文末附本属鱼类之检索表。     

云南鲤科鱼类一新属新种(鲤形目:鲤科:(鱼丹)亚科)

本文记述采自云南澜沧江水系的鲤科(鱼丹)亚科鱼类一新属新种。新属裸(鱼丹)属Gymnodanio gen.nov.在侧线、臀鳍条数目等特征上近似于低线(?)属Barilius,但以其除侧线鳞外体裸露无鳞,具不完全之腹棱等而与其及(鱼丹)亚科现有各属相区别。新种命名为条纹裸(鱼丹)G.strigatus sp.nov.。     

中国三节茧蜂属Acampsis Wesmale记述(膜翅目:茧蜂科:屏腹茧蜂亚科)

三节茧蜂属Acampsis Wesmael是屏腹茧蜂亚科中的1个小属,全世界仅知1种。本文新添在我国发现的2个新种:中华三节茧蜂A.chinensis sp.nov.(陕西)和湖南三节茧蜂A.hunanensis sp.nov.(湖南)。这是本属在我国的首次发现,也是在东洋区的首次报道。     

Regulation of receptor-mediated calcium influx across the plasma membrane in a human leukemic T-cell line: evidence of its dependence on an initial calcium mobilization from intracellular stores

It has been repeatedly shown that stimulation of a human leukemic T-cell line, JURKAT, by lectins such as phytohaemagglutinin and anti-T3 antibody (OKT3) leads to an elevation in the concentration of cytosolic free Ca2. This Ca2+ transient results from both an intracellular mobilization and an influx of Ca2+ through specific membrane channels. The objective of this study was to investigate the mechanism by which receptor-mediated influx of Ca2+ is regulated in JURKAT cells, which demonstrably lack 'voltage-dependent calcium channels'. It was found that upon increased loading with quin2 or 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetate (BAPTA) there was a pronounced decline of both phytohaemagglutinin-stimulated and OKT3-stimulated influx of 45Ca2+. Using 15 microM quin2/AM or 30 microM BAPTA/AM, agonist-stimulated 45Ca2+ influx was almost totally abolished. At these concentrations of both quin2/AM or BAPTA/AM, phytohaemagglutinin and OKT3 could still induce a rise of cytosolic free Ca2+ above 200 nM. In the presence of La3+ (200 microM), which completely inhibited the agonist-induced 45Ca2+ influx, both phytohaemagglutinin and OKT3 were able to raise the concentrations of cytosolic free Ca2+ to well above 200 nM by merely mobilizing Ca2+ from intracellular stores alone. The data suggest that an agonist-induced increase in the concentration of cytosolic free Ca2+, due to mobilization from intracellular stores, could either directly or indirectly, initiate receptor-mediated Ca2+ influx across the plasma membrane in JURKAT cells.