Chikungunya virus neutralization antigens and direct cell-to-cell transmission are revealed by human antibody-escape mutants

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an alphavirus responsible for numerous epidemics throughout Africa and Asia, causing infectious arthritis and reportedly linked with fatal infections in newborns and elderly. Previous studies in animal models indicate that humoral immunity can protect against CHIKV infection, but despite the potential efficacy of B-cell-driven intervention strategies, there are no virus-specific vaccines or therapies currently available. In addition, CHIKV has been reported to elicit long-lasting virus-specific IgM in humans, and to establish long-term persistence in non-human primates, suggesting that the virus might evade immune defenses to establish chronic infections in man. However, the mechanisms of immune evasion potentially employed by CHIKV remain uncharacterized. We previously described two human monoclonal antibodies that potently neutralize CHIKV infection. In the current report, we have characterized CHIKV mutants that escape antibody-dependent neutralization to identify the CHIKV E2 domain B and fusion loop "groove" as the primary determinants of CHIKV interaction with these antibodies. Furthermore, for the first time, we have also demonstrated direct CHIKV cell-to-cell transmission, as a mechanism that involves the E2 domain A and that is associated with viral resistance to antibody-dependent neutralization. Identification of CHIKV sub-domains that are associated with human protective immunity, will pave the way for the development of CHIKV-specific sub-domain vaccination strategies. Moreover, the clear demonstration of CHIKV cell-to-cell transmission and its possible role in the establishment of CHIKV persistence, will also inform the development of future anti-viral interventions. These data shed new light on CHIKV-host interactions that will help to combat human CHIKV infection and inform future studies of CHIKV pathogenesis.     

合理化防的马尾松林动物和虫生真菌群落的数量时空格局

对马尾松纯林中动物和虫生真菌群落的调查表明 ,植食性、捕食性、寄生性昆虫和蜘蛛类群物种数分别占 51 %、1 2 %、7%和 2 6% ,益害生物个体数之比约 1∶ 1 0 .2个相似的林分或林间层次中 ,物种数、科数相等或相近 ,优势目相同 ,而且二者的植食性、捕食性、寄生性昆虫和蜘蛛类群的物种数和个体数的波动相对应地趋于一致 .主成分分析显示群落 1周年内处于“深秋准备越冬→冬眠→早春复苏→春、夏、初秋繁荣”的循环演替之中 ,其自我调节力和稳定性较强     

Genetically encoded redox biosensor system for H2O2 measurement in four subcellular compartments in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells

Science China Life Sciences -     

Development of a novel feeding regime for large scale production of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem/stromal cells

Cytotechnology - Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (hUC-MSCs) have attracted significant research interests in regenerative medicine and cell-based therapies due to their...     

Human surfactant protein B promoter in transgenic mice: temporal, spatial, and stimulus-responsive regulation

Surfactant protein B (SP-B) is a developmentally and hormonally regulated lung protein that is required for normal surfactant function. We generated transgenic mice carrying the human SP-B promoter (-1,039/+431 bp) linked to chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT). CAT activity was high in lung and immunoreactive protein localized to alveolar type II and bronchiolar epithelial cells. In addition, thyroid, trachea, and intestine demonstrated CAT activity, and each of these tissues also expressed low levels of SP-B mRNA. Developmental expression of CAT activity and SP-B mRNA in fetal lung were similar and both increased during explant culture. SP-B mRNA but not CAT activity decreased during culture of adult lung, and both were reduced by transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta(1). Treatment of adult mice with intratracheal bleomycin caused similar time-dependent decreases in lung SP-B mRNA and CAT activity. These findings indicate that the human SP-B promoter fragment directs tissue- and lung cell-specific transgene expression and contains cis-acting elements involved in regulated expression during development, fetal lung explant culture, and responsiveness to TGF-beta and bleomycin-induced lung injury.     

Ataxia-Telangiectasia Group D Complementing Gene (ATDC) Promotes Lung Cancer Cell Proliferation by Activating NF-κB Pathway

Previous studies suggested Ataxia-telangiectasia group D complementing gene (ATDC) as an oncogene in many types of cancer. However, its expression and biological functions in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain unclear. Herein, we investigated its expression pattern in 109 cases of human NSCLC samples by immunohistochemistry and found that ATDC was overexpressed in 62 of 109 NSCLC samples (56.88%). ATDC overexpression correlated with histological type (p<0.0001), tumor status (p = 0.0227) and histological differentiation (p = 0.0002). Next, we overexpressed ATDC in normal human bronchial epithelial cell line HBE and depleted its expression in NSCLC cell lines A549 and H1299. MTT and colony formation assay showed that ATDC overexpression promoted cell proliferation while its depletion inhibited cell growth. Furthermore, cell cycle analysis showed that ATDC overexpression decreased the percentage of cells in G1 phase and increased the percentage of cells in S phase, while ATDC siRNA treatment increased the G1 phase percentage and decreased the S phase percentage. Further study revealed that ATDC overexpression could up-regulate cyclin D1 and c-Myc expression in HBE cells while its depletion down-regulated cyclin D1 and c-Myc expression in A549 and H1299 cells. In addition, ATDC overexpression was also associated with an increased proliferation index, cyclin D1 and c-Myc expression in human NSCLC samples. Further experiments demonstrated that ATDC up-regulated cyclin D1 and c-Myc expression independent of wnt/β-catenin or p53 signaling pathway. Interestingly, ATDC overexpression increased NF-κB reporter luciferase activity and p-IκB protein level. Correspondingly, NF-κB inhibitor blocked the effect of ATDC on up-regulation of cyclin D1 and c-Myc. In conclusion, we demonstrated that ATDC could promote lung cancer proliferation through NF-κB induced up-regulation of cyclin D1 and c-Myc.     

凋亡信号调节激酶1对细胞凋亡的调节作用

细胞存活与凋亡之间的平衡是多细胞生物正常发育与稳态的关键。细胞凋亡是受多种因素高度调控的细胞程序性死亡过程。凋亡信号调节激酶 1 (ASK1 )是促分裂原活化蛋白激酶激酶激酶家族的成员之一 ,它分别激活SER1 JNK和MKK3 MKK6 p38途径 ,在细胞因子及应激诱导细胞凋亡过程中起着关键作用。TNF受体和Fas信号转导系统在抗凋亡与促凋亡过程中发挥重要作用 ,其中包括TNF受体Ⅰ相关死亡域蛋白 (TRADD)、Fas相关死亡域蛋白 (FADD)等多种蛋白因子。细胞色素C是线粒体依赖性死亡信号 ,受Bcl 2家族蛋白的调节。反应性氧化合物的氧化激活使硫氧还蛋白 (Trx)氧化 ,并与ASK1分离 ,从而激活ASK1造成细胞凋亡。总之 ,许多促凋亡与抗凋亡因子组成复杂的、相互拮抗的机制。在信号转导的各种不同的关卡上 ,这些因子的平衡作用最终决定细胞的生与死。