Identification of Critical Regions in Human SAMHD1 Required for Nuclear Localization and Vpx-Mediated Degradation

The sterile alpha motif (SAM) and HD domain-containing protein-1 (SAMHD1) inhibits the infection of resting CD4+ T cells and myeloid cells by human and related simian immunodeficiency viruses (HIV and SIV). Vpx inactivates SAMHD1 by promoting its proteasome-dependent degradation through an interaction with CRL4 (DCAF1) E3 ubiquitin ligase and the C-terminal region of SAMHD1. However, the determinants in SAMHD1 that are required for Vpx-mediated degradation have not been well characterized. SAMHD1 contains a classical nuclear localization signal (NLS), and NLS point mutants are cytoplasmic and resistant to Vpx-mediated degradation. Here, we demonstrate that NLS-mutant SAMHD1 K11A can be rescued by wild-type SAMHD1, restoring its nuclear localization; consequently, SAMHD1 K11A became sensitive to Vpx-mediated degradation in the presence of wild-type SAMHD1. Surprisingly, deletion of N-terminal regions of SAMHD1, including the classical NLS, generated mutant SAMHD1 proteins that were again sensitive to Vpx-mediated degradation. Unlike SAMHD1 K11A, these deletion mutants could be detected in the nucleus. Interestingly, NLS-defective SAMHD1 could still bind to karyopherin-β1 and other nuclear proteins. We also determined that the linker region between the SAM and HD domain and the HD domain itself is important for Vpx-mediated degradation but not Vpx interaction. Thus, SAMHD1 contains an additional nuclear targeting mechanism in addition to the classical NLS. Our data indicate that multiple regions in SAMHD1 are critical for Vpx-mediated nuclear degradation and that association with Vpx is not sufficient for Vpx-mediated degradation of SAMHD1. Since the linker region and HD domain may be involved in SAMHD1 multimerization, our results suggest that SAMHD1 multimerization may be required for Vpx-mediation degradation.     

Cost-Effectiveness Comparison of Genechip and Conventional Drug Susceptibility Test for Detecting Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis in China

Background

Genechip (CapitalBio, Beijing, China) is a system for diagnosing resistance to rifampin and isoniazid, which shows high efficiency in detecting drug-resistant tuberculosis. Here, we firstly evaluated the costs of Genechip for detecting the drug susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, compared to conventional drug susceptibility test (DST) in laboratories in China.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Data on the costs of the two tests were collected at four hospitals. Costs were calculated using the essential factor cost calculation method. The costs of diagnosing a single case of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) using Genechip and DST were US$22.38 and $53.03, respectively. Taking into account the effect on costs from failure of a certain number of tests to accurately diagnose MDR-TB, the costs of Genechip and DST increased by 17.65% and 5.22%, respectively. The cost of both tests decreased with the increasing prevalence of MDR-TB disease, and the cost of Genechip at a sensitivity of more than 50% was lower than that of DST. When price of Genechip was varied to 50%, 80%, 150%, and 200% of the original price, the cost of Genechip at sensitivities of more than 30%, 40%, 60%, and 70%, respectively, was also lower than that of DST.

Conclusions/Significance

This study showed that Genechip was a more cost-effective method of diagnosing MDR-TB compared to conventional DST.     

The Joint Effect of hOGG1, APE1, and ADPRT Polymorphisms and Cooking Oil Fumes on the Risk of Lung Adenocarcinoma in Chinese Non-Smoking Females

Background

The human 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase 1 (hOGG1), apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1), and adenosine diphosphate ribosyl transferase (ADPRT) genes play an important role in the DNA base excision repair pathway. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in critical genes are suspected to be associated with the risk of lung cancer. This study aimed to identify the association between the polymorphisms of hOGG1 Ser326Cys, APE1 Asp148Glu, and ADPRT Val762Ala, and the risk of lung adenocarcinoma in the non-smoking female population, and investigated the interaction between genetic polymorphisms and environmental exposure in lung adenocarcinoma.

Methods

We performed a hospital-based case-control study, including 410 lung adenocarcinoma patients and 410 cancer-free hospital control subjects who were matched for age. Each case and control was interviewed to collect information by well-trained interviewers. A total of 10 ml of venous blood was collected for genotype testing. Three polymorphisms were analyzed by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism technique.

Results

We found that individuals who were homozygous for the variant hOGG1 326Cys/Cys showed a significantly increased risk of lung adenocarcinoma (OR = 1.54; 95% CI: 1.01–2.36; P = 0.045). When the combined effect of variant alleles was analyzed, we found an increased OR of 1.89 (95% CI: 1.24–2.88, P = 0.003) for lung adenocarcinoma individuals with more than one homozygous variant allele. In stratified analyses, we found that the OR for the gene-environment interaction between Ser/Cys and Cys/Cys genotypes of hOGG1 codon 326 and cooking oil fumes for the risk of lung adenocarcinoma was 1.37 (95% CI: 0.77–2.44; P = 0.279) and 2.79 (95% CI: 1.50–5.18; P = 0.001), respectively.

Conclusions

The hOGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphism might be associated with the risk of lung adenocarcinoma in Chinese non-smoking females. Furthermore, there is a significant gene-environment association between cooking oil fumes and hOGG1 326 Cys/Cys genotype in lung adenocarcinoma among female non-smokers.     

Innate Immune Signaling Induces Interleukin-7 Production from Salivary Gland Cells and Accelerates the Development of Primary Sj?gren’s Syndrome in a Mouse Model

Elevated IL-7 in the target tissues is closely associated with multiple autoimmune disorders, including Sjögren’s syndrome (SS). We recently found that IL-7 plays an essential role in the development and onset of primary SS (pSS) in C57BL/6.NOD-Aec1Aec2 mice, a well-defined mouse model of primary SS. However, environmental signals that cause excessive IL-7 production are not well-characterized. Innate immune signaling plays a critical role in shaping the adaptive immune responses including autoimmune responses. We and others have previously shown that innate immune signaling can induce IL-7 expression in lungs and intestines of C57BL/6 mice. In this study, we characterized the effects of poly I:C, a double-stranded RNA analog and toll-like receptor 3 agonist, on the induction of IL-7 expression in salivary glands and on pSS development. We showed that poly I:C administration to C57BL/6 mice rapidly induced IL-7 expression in the salivary glands in a type 1 IFN- and IFN-γ-dependent manner. Moreover, poly I:C-induced IL-7 contributed to the optimal up-regulation of CXCL9 in the salivary glands, which may subsequently promote recruitment of more IFN-γ-producing T cells. Repeated administration of poly I:C to C57BL/6.NOD-Aec1Aec2 mice accelerated the development of SS-like exocrinopathy, and this effect was abolished by the blockade of IL-7 receptor signaling with a neutralizing antibody. Finally, poly I:C or a combination of IFN-α and IFN-γ induced IL-7 gene expression and protein production in a human salivary gland epithelial cell line. Hence, we demonstrate that IL-7 expression in the salivary gland cells can be induced by poly I:C and delineate a crucial mechanism by which innate immune signals facilitate the development of pSS, which is through induction of IL-7 in the target tissues.     

穗醛栗叶片中黄酮类物质的研究

本试验以小浆果类果树穗醋栗（黑、红、白）的叶片为试材,利用分光光度法。测定了三种穗醋栗叶（鲜样、干样）中总黄酮的含量及不同提取次数下总黄酮的浸提率,确定了最佳提取次数。结果表明：白穗醋栗叶片中总黄酮含量最高,鲜样785．10mg/100g,干样189.01mg/100g;红穗醋栗叶片次之,鲜样393.22mg／100g,干样1597.73mg／100g;黑穗醋栗叶片中总黄酮含量相对较少,鲜样151.59mg/100g,干样265.03mg/100g。三种穗醋栗叶片浸提三次,总黄酮的浸提率可达到97％以上。此外,利用定性试验（颜色反应）并和标准品芦丁的试验做比较,初步确定三种穗醋栗叶片所含的黄酮类化合物主要是黄酮和黄酮醇两类。     

基因扩增产物的固相杂交-酶联显色方法的建立

建立基于基因扩增技术的简便、快速的病毒核酸定量检测方法．将标记有生物素的寡核苷酸引物所扩增的病毒基因产物,与通过共价键结合在微孔反应板上的特异性探针进行快速杂交,然后通过辣根过氧化物酶标记的抗生物素进行酶联显色,读取光密度值．应用本方法对血清中乙型、丙型肝炎病毒核酸定量检测,灵敏度分别可达１－５拷贝／反应．此方法简便、快速、特异性好、敏感性高、半定量指标客观,可广泛应用于肝炎病毒感染的临床诊断和疗效评价．     

耐热性碱性磷酸酯酶作为非放射性标记物的研究

通过生物素与亲和素－酶复合物系统或地高辛与抗地高辛－酶复合物系统可把酶间接标记到探针上．Ｒｅｎｚ等通过不同的化学方法直接把酶标记到探针上［１～３］．耐热性碱性磷酸酯酶ＦＤ－ＴＡＰ（ｔｈｅｒｍｏｓｔａｂｌｅａｌｋａｌｉｎｅｐｈｏｓｐｈａｔａｓｅ）具有耐...     

Enhancement of in vitro growth of papaya multishoots by aeration

Efficient micropropagation of papaya (Carica papaya L.) has become crucial for multiplication of specific sex types of papaya or transgenic lines resistant to virus infection. In this study, aeration at different intervals with a 0.02 μm filter disc in the closure of culture flasks ensured exchange of gas components. The effect of aeration on development of multibuds to multishoots was investigated. Multibuds grown in culture flasks after one-week without aeration followed by a two-week aeration treatment caused a 41% increase in the number of shoots ≥0.5 cm, 42% increase in leaf expansion, and 17% increase in leaf numbers in comparison with unaerated materials. Ethylene and oxygen concentrations in the culture flasks were measured by gas chromatography and oxygen electrode at weekly intervals during the culture period. Oxygen concentrations were slightly different between aerated and unaerated culture flasks. Ethylene in the unaerated flask reached the highest level (0.11 ppm) 2 weeks after the treatment, while accumulation of ethylene in the aerated flasks was not detected. The multishoots grown for 3 weeks without aeration showed growth retardation on leaves and epinasty on petioles. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

血栓素合成酶抑制剂的研究现状和展望

血栓素合成酶抑制剂(TxSI)是一类新型抗血小板药,其显著特点是阻断花生四烯酸(AA)代谢过程中诱聚性及血管收缩性产物血栓素A_2(TxA_2)的形成,而不抑制甚至增加抗聚性及血管扩张性前列环素(PGI_2)的生成。这类药物比环氧酶抑制剂阿司匹林等经典抗血小板药具有更高的特异性作用,可望于心血管疾病的临床应用。