Molecular characterization of avian-like H1N1 swine influenza a viruses isolated in Eastern China, 2011

Currently, three predominant subtypes of influenza virus are prevalent in pig populations worldwide: H1N1, H3N2, and H1N2. European avian-like H1N1 viruses, which were initially detected in European pig populations in 1979, have been circulating in pigs in eastern China since 2007. In this study, six influenza A viruses were isolated from 60 swine lung samples collected from January to April 2011 in eastern China. Based on whole genome sequencing, molecular characteristics of two isolates were determined. Phylogenetic analysis showed the eight genes of the two isolates were closely related to those of the avian-like H1N1 viruses circulating in pig populations, especially similar to those found in China. Four potential glycosylation sites were observed at positions 13, 26, 198, 277 in the HA1 proteins of the two isolates. Due to the presence of a stop codon at codon 12, the isolates contained truncated PB1-F2 proteins. In this study, the isolates contained 591Q, 627E and 701N in the polymerase subunit PB2, which had been shown to be determinants of virulence and host adaptation. The isolates also had a D rather than E at position 92 of the NS1, a marker of mammalian adaptation. Both isolates contained the GPKV motif at the PDZ ligand domain of the 3′ end of the NS1, a characteristic marker of the European avian-like swine viruses since about 1999, which is distinct from those of avian, human and classical swine viruses. The M2 proteins of the isolates have the mutation (S31N), a characteristic marker of the European avian-like swine viruses since about 1987, which may confer resistance to amantadine and rimantadine antivirals. Our findings further emphasize the importance of surveillance on the genetic diversity of influenza A viruses in pigs, and raise more concerns about the occurrence of cross-species transmission events.     

Molecular Cloning of a Novel Gene ZAhi-1 and its Expression Analysis during Zebrafish Gametogenesis

Proto-oncogen Ahi-1 is closely related to a lot of human and mouse diseases. Ahi-1 mutation will lead to leukemia in mice and Joubert syndrome in human beings. We have cloned the full cDNA sequence of Ahi-1 homologous in zebrafish, and RT-PCR results of ZAhi-1 in different tissues reveal that ZAhi-1 expressed highest in the mature gonad. In situ hybridization results of zebrafish gonad show that ZAhi-1 only expressed in the early stages’ gamete cells. RT-PCR analyses of mouse Ahi-1 in different stages of spermatogenesis have been done according to the published Ahi-1 sequence, and the findings reveal that Ahi-1 is expressed in gamete of pachytene stage. It can then be safely concluded that Ahi-1 might take place in the spermatocyte from the early pachytene stage to the late pachytene stage.     

牦牛瘤胃中产脂肪酶微生物的分离与鉴定

【背景】脂肪酶是一类特殊的酯键水解酶,广泛应用于工业化生产中,微生物是工业脂肪酶的主要来源。瘤胃中微生物种类繁多、数量庞大,已有关于瘤胃微生物产纤维素酶的报道,尚无产脂肪酶瘤胃微生物的分离筛选报道。【目的】从牦牛瘤胃中分离筛选出能够产脂肪酶的微生物,并进行菌株鉴定及其酶学性质的研究。【方法】以橄榄油为唯一碳源,通过中性红油脂平板进行初步筛选后,用改进铜皂-分光光度法测定酶活力进行复筛;再经形态学观察、生理生化实验和16S rRNA基因序列分析进行菌种鉴定;研究3种脂肪酶的最适作用温度、pH值及金属离子、有机溶剂和表面活性剂对酶活力的影响。【结果】筛选出6株酶活力较高的菌株,其中3株为液化沙雷氏菌,2株为白地霉,1株为卷枝毛霉。脂肪酶的酶学性质研究表明:液化沙雷氏菌、白地霉和卷枝毛霉所产脂肪酶的最适作用温度为45、35和40°C;最适pH为8.0、7.0和7.0;Ca2+和Mg2+对3种脂肪酶均有激活作用;Zn2+对3种脂肪酶有不同程度的抑制作用,EDTA、SDS可使3种脂肪酶失活;3种脂肪酶对丙三醇的耐受力较高,卷枝毛霉脂肪酶对甲醇、乙醇、丙酮的耐受力较高。【结论】从牦牛瘤胃中分离出3种产脂肪酶的微生物,且证实瘤胃微生物在脂肪酶研究方面具有较高的价值。     

T淋巴细胞上的离子通道

近年的研究证明,淋巴细胞上的离子通道,在免疫功能调节中具有重要的作用。T淋巴细胞上主要有三类离子通道,即Ca2 、K 和C1-通道。Ca2 通过T淋巴细胞膜上的Ca2 通道(CRAC)进入细胞内,可作为第二信使激活T淋巴细胞。通过K 通道的K 外流是T淋巴细胞膜电位形成的基础。由于膜电位水平可以影响钙离子的内流,因此,K 通道可以间接调节T淋巴细胞的活化和功能。T淋巴细胞上的Cl-通道是新近发现的一种离子通道,可能与细胞的体积调节有关。本文扼要总结了T淋巴细胞上离子通道的新近进展。     

Aquaporin water channels and lung physiology

Fluid transport across epithelial and endothelial barriers occurs in the neonatal and adult lungs. Biophysical measurements in the intact lung and cell isolates have indicated that osmotic water permeability is exceptionally high across alveolar epithelia and endothelia and moderately high across airway epithelia. This review is focused on the role of membrane water-transporting proteins, the aquaporins (AQPs), in high lung water permeability and lung physiology. The lung expresses several AQPs: AQP1 in microvascular endothelia, AQP3 in large airways, AQP4 in large- and small-airway epithelia, and AQP5 in type I alveolar epithelial cells. Lung phenotype analysis of transgenic mice lacking each of these AQPs has been informative. Osmotically driven water permeability between the air space and capillary compartments is reduced approximately 10-fold by deletion of AQP1 or AQP5 and reduced even more by deletion of AQP1 and AQP4 or AQP1 and AQP5 together. AQP1 deletion greatly reduces osmotically driven water transport across alveolar capillaries but has only a minor effect on hydrostatic lung filtration, which primarily involves paracellular water movement. However, despite the major role of AQPs in lung osmotic water permeabilities, AQP deletion has little or no effect on physiologically important lung functions, such as alveolar fluid clearance in adult and neonatal lung, and edema accumulation after lung injury. Although AQPs play a major role in renal and central nervous system physiology, the data to date on AQP knockout mice do not support an important role of high lung water permeabilities or AQPs in lung physiology. However, there remain unresolved questions about possible non-water-transporting roles of AQPs and about the role of AQPs in airway physiology, pleural fluid dynamics, and edema after lung infection.     

冬眠周期长短不同的蒙古黄鼠（Citellus dauricus）...

Adult Mongolian ground squirrels (Citellus dauricus) were kept at 5 degrees C in winter and divided into four experimental groups according to the bout length. The first group was not hibernating until decapitation. The bout length of the second group was between 4-10 days, the third group 11-17 days and the fourth group longer than 20 days. All pineals were sampled at the end of January. Morphometric analytical procedures were used to study the ultrastructure of the distal part of the pineal gland. The statistical results demonstrated that 1) the euthermic animals have larger cross areas of pinealocyte, longer and narrower Golgi apparatus and more number of saccules of each Golgi apparatus (P less than 0.01). But they also have smaller volume density of vaculoes, less lipid droplets and associated vesicles around Golgi apparatus (P less than 0.01). 2) the hibernating animals with variety of bout length had no significant differences in the number of mitochondria, lipid droplets, lysosomes, the size of Golgi apparatus and the cross areas of nucleus and cytoplasm (P greater than 0.05). However, the number and the cross areas of vacuoles were significantly increased with the bout length (P less than 0.01). This might suggest that the bout length was not related to the metabolic activity of pinealocytes in Citellus dauricus and vacuoles might play some important roles in maintenance of individual bout of hibernation in this species.     

越冬代棉大卷叶螟的种群动态

对棉大卷叶螟Sylepta derogata Fabricius第5代、第6代室内种群饲养结果显示,该虫的有效越冬虫源为第5代滞育的老熟幼虫,滞育率24.4%～33.1%,第6代棉大卷叶螟的发生对第2年的种群基数影响不大。滞育老熟幼虫的越冬存活率为60.0%～71.9%。次年越冬代羽化的成虫雌虫少,雄虫多,单雌产卵量平均为163.4～198.8粒。     

中国云南草螽属一新种(直翅目,螽斯科)

报道采自中国云南草螽属1新种,即云南草螽Conocephalus(Anisoptera)yunnanensis sp.nov.,新种与悦鸣草螽Conocephalus(Anisoptera)melaenus(Haan,1842)近似,但翅明显较短,产卵瓣远长于体长,后足股节中部具1黑色环纹.模式标本保存于河北大学博物馆.     

IgE isotype switch and IgE production are enhanced in IL-21-deficient but not IFN-gamma-deficient mice in a Th2-biased response

IgE plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of allergy and asthma. Therefore, suppression of IgE production would provide therapeutic benefits to patients suffering from these diseases. We have reported that the production of IgE is regulated differently in the spleen vs. the draining lymph nodes (LN). IgE isotype switch and IgE producing B cell expansion occur in the draining LN after antigen (Ag) immunization, but do not happen in the spleen. In addition, a population of pre-existing IgE+ cells is observed in the spleen of normal or sham immunized mice, but is not present in the draining LN. To further understand the regulation of IgE production in different lymphoid organs, and the potential inhibitory factors of IgE isotype switch in the spleen, the involvement of IL-21 and IFN-gamma in regulating IgE production was investigated by using the IL-21 and the IFN-gamma deficient mice. We found that in the absence of IL-21 IgE isotype switch and IgE+ cell clonal expansion were dramatically enhanced in the spleen and IgE isotype switch was partially increased in the draining LN. In addition, IgE production of the pre-existing CD19-CD5+B220(low) IgE+ cells in the spleen was also increased in the absence of IL-21 under physiological conditions. In contrast, using the IFN-gamma deficient mice, we did not observe a negative impact of IFN-gamma on either IgE isotype switch or IgE production. Our data suggest that IL-21 appears to be a critical cytokine to keep low IgE levels under physiological and pathological conditions.