Synaptic neurotransmission depression in ventral tegmental dopamine neurons and cannabinoid-associated addictive learning

Drug addiction is an association of compulsive drug use with long-term associative learning/memory. Multiple forms of learning/memory are primarily subserved by activity- or experience-dependent synaptic long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD). Recent studies suggest LTP expression in locally activated glutamate synapses onto dopamine neurons (local Glu-DA synapses) of the midbrain ventral tegmental area (VTA) following a single or chronic exposure to many drugs of abuse, whereas a single exposure to cannabinoid did not significantly affect synaptic plasticity at these synapses. It is unknown whether chronic exposure of cannabis (marijuana or cannabinoids), the most commonly used illicit drug worldwide, induce LTP or LTD at these synapses. More importantly, whether such alterations in VTA synaptic plasticity causatively contribute to drug addictive behavior has not previously been addressed. Here we show in rats that chronic cannabinoid exposure activates VTA cannabinoid CB1 receptors to induce transient neurotransmission depression at VTA local Glu-DA synapses through activation of NMDA receptors and subsequent endocytosis of AMPA receptor GluR2 subunits. A GluR2-derived peptide blocks cannabinoid-induced VTA synaptic depression and conditioned place preference, i.e., learning to associate drug exposure with environmental cues. These data not only provide the first evidence, to our knowledge, that NMDA receptor-dependent synaptic depression at VTA dopamine circuitry requires GluR2 endocytosis, but also suggest an essential contribution of such synaptic depression to cannabinoid-associated addictive learning, in addition to pointing to novel pharmacological strategies for the treatment of cannabis addiction.     

血卟啉单甲醚在A549肺癌细胞内亚细胞分布的动态变化

目的:探讨血卟啉单甲醚(Hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether,HMME)在A549肺癌细胞内亚细胞分布的动态变化。方法:传代培养A549肺癌细胞,分别与光敏剂HMME孵育2 h和12 h。应用由荧光显微镜及电感耦合器材(Charge-coupled device,CCD)组成的高分辨率荧光显微成像系统,结合荧光探针标记技术,采用细胞器-细胞荧光强度比值法研究HMME在不同时间的亚细胞分布情况。结果:在2 h和12 h两个孵育时间点高尔基体的平均荧光强度比值(J1/J2)值都最高;随着孵育时间延长,A549细胞的四种细胞器J1/J2值都升高且溶酶体幅度最大。结论:孵育时间是影响HMME亚细胞分布的一个重要因素。随着孵育时间的延长,A549肺癌细胞各细胞器吸收HMME能力逐渐增强,尤以溶酶体显著。     

95例SARS患者细胞免疫功能抑制的特点及其原因

用ELISA方法测定95例SARS患者急性期、恢复期血清细胞因子水平,用流式细胞仪检测该组患者急性期、恢复期淋巴细胞亚群,并分析细胞因子水平和淋巴细胞亚群变化的关系。结果发现,IL-10和TGF—β在观察期（急性期和恢复期）持续升高,急性期CD4^＋和CD8^＋T细胞显著减少,恢复期患者外周血CD8^＋记忆T细胞减少36．78％。IL-10和TGF-β升高与淋巴细胞变化具有统计学相关。结果提示,SARS病毒感染抑制宿主的细胞免疫功能,引起急性期CD4^＋和CD8^＋T细胞显著降低和恢复期的免疫记忆细胞减少。而IL-10和TGF—β过表达可能在SARS免疫病理中起重要作用。     

亮氨酸拉链提高小鼠血浆中剪接的凝血因子Ⅷ凝血活性

培养细胞实验表明,亮氨酸拉链通过改善内含肽(intein)的蛋白质剪接效率,提高双载体转B区缺失型凝血因子Ⅷ(BDD-FⅧ)基因细胞剪接FⅧ蛋白的分泌量和活性.本文从C57BL/6小鼠门静脉注射含亮氨酸拉链和Ssp DnaB内含肽融合的BDD-FⅧ的重链和轻链基因双表达载体,48 h后,检测到血浆的重链分泌量和FⅧ活性分别为(298±67)μg/L和(1.15±0.29)U/mL,明显高于不含亮氨酸拉链的双载体转BDD-FⅧ基因对照小鼠((179±59)μg/L和(0.58±0.19)U/mL).结果表明,亮氨酸拉链通过改善蛋白质反式剪接,提高基于蛋白质剪接的双载体转BDD-FⅧ基因小鼠血浆的凝血活性,为进一步双腺相关病毒(AAV)载体转BDD-FⅧ基因的甲型血友病基因治疗研究提供了依据.     

利用分子标记18S rDNA对天牛高阶元进化关系的研究

【目的】构建天牛总科高阶元的进化关系,为解决天牛各亚科之间进化关系和归属提供依据。【方法】本研究采用18S rDNA(V4、V7区)分子标记,分析和测定了49种天牛基因序列,并结合GenBank数据库中3科2亚科21种天牛的18S rDNA基因序列,采用邻近法(Neighbor Jointing,NJ)、贝叶斯推论法(Bayesian Inference,BI)和最大似然法(Maximum Likelihood),对天牛总科3科6亚科的70种天牛基因序列构建进化树,探讨天牛高阶元类群的进化关系。【结果】研究表明:序列分析比对后得到序列为703 bp,碱基A、T、C、G的含量分别为21.1%、26.3%、23.6%和28.9%;变异位点(Variable sites)98个占全部位点的13.9%,简约信息位点(Parsimony informative sites)45个占全部位点的6.4%;转换(Transition)/颠换(Transversion)的平均值R值为2.79,转换大于颠换。进化树结果显示沟胫天牛亚科Lamiinae、天牛亚科Cerambycinae、锯天牛亚科Prioninae和瘦天牛科Disteniidae为单系性进化群,这与传统形态学分类结果相似。【结论】本研究成功构建了天牛总科高阶元的系统发育树,研究证明18S rDNA(V4、V7区)是探讨天牛高级阶元分类有效的分子标记。     

RNAi介导的OsBTF3基因沉默及其对水稻籽粒相关性状的影响

为了创制OsBTF3基因沉默的水稻植株、验证该基因在水稻籽粒相关性状中的功能、评价其在水稻遗传改良中潜在的应用价值,设计和合成OsBTF3基因序列的引物、扩增部分基因片段,构建RNAi基因沉默载体、通过农杆菌介导转化愈伤组织、植株再生、潮霉素抗性筛选和PCR验证、定量分析OsBTF3基因表达量,测定转基因水稻籽粒相关性状。结果表明,成功地获得了20个T1代OsBTF3-RNAi转基因株系,OsBTF3基因表达量得到显著的抑制和干扰,抑制效果平均达到85%;与野生型对照株相比,5个所测定RNAi转基因株系的穗长、穗粒数、千粒重和穗粒重等籽粒相关性状明显地减小或降低。因此,RNAi介导的基因沉默导致了OsBTF3基因表达水平抑制以及在籽粒性状中的功能缺失;OsBTF3可能是一个调控水稻籽粒相关性状重要的功能基因。     

细胞凋亡的研究进展

细胞凋亡（apoptosis)是一种主动的细胞死亡,是机体维持自身稳定的一种基本生理机制,参与许多疾病的病理过程,具有重要的生理病理意义,近年来倍受关注,本文概括介绍有关细胞凋亡的研究进展。     

刈割强度对冷蒿可溶性碳水化合物的影响

通过对播种、移植于大小不同花盆的1年龄和多年龄冷蒿进行刈割实验。探讨冷蒿在不同刈割强度下可溶性碳水化合物含量和库的变化。结果表明。在不同的刈割强度下。冷蒿可溶性碳水化合物含量表现为：刈割1／4和刈割2／4比不进行刈割和刈割3／4高。可溶性碳水化合物库表现为：刈割1／4＞对照＞刈割2/4＞刈割3／4;刈割后在不同的资源与空间。冷蒿体内可溶性碳水化合物含量和可溶性碳水化合物库均表现为：大盆＞小盆＞移栽盆;在不同的刈割强度下生物量发生明显的变化,刈割1／4冷蒿生物量比对照增加,出现超补偿生长。别割3／4生物量降低。出现欠补偿生长。说明适度的干扰有利于冷蒿碳水化合物、生物量的积累;可利用资源、空间越多。可溶性碳水化合物含量越高。可溶性碳水化合物库的变化趋势与再生生长的趋势一致。说明可溶性碳水化合物库可以表征再生生长能力。     

Combinatorial signals of activin/nodal and bone morphogenic protein regulate the early lineage segregation of human embryonic stem cells

Cell fate commitment of pre-implantation blastocysts, to either the inner cell mass or trophoblast, is the first step in cell lineage segregation of the developing human embryo. However, the intercellular signals that control fate determination of these cells remain obscure. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) provide a unique model for studying human early embryonic development. We have previously shown that Activin/Nodal signaling contributes to maintaining pluripotency of hESCs, which are derivatives of the inner cell mass. Here we further demonstrate that the inhibition of Activin/Nodal signaling results in the loss of hESC pluripotency and trophoblast differentiation, similar to BMP4-induced trophoblast differentiation from hESCs. We also show that the trophoblast induction effect of BMP4 correlates with and depends on the inhibition of Activin/Nodal signaling. However, the activation of BMP signaling is still required for trophoblast differentiation when Activin/Nodal signaling is inhibited. These data reveal that the early lineage segregation of hESCs is determined by the combinatorial signals of Activin/Nodal and BMP.     

华广虻肠道溶纤活性蛋白的纯化和性质(英文)

经过 75 %饱和度硫酸铵沉淀、SephadexG 75凝胶过滤层析、Lys Sepharose 4B亲和层析和电泳制备洗脱 ,从华广虻 (TabanusamaenusWalker)腹部组织匀浆液中分离纯化出分子量约为 6 7KD的溶纤活性蛋白TAFP。经纤维蛋白平板测定表明 ,TAFP不仅具有纤溶酶作用 ,还具有激活纤溶酶原的作用 ;通过三肽生色底物测定发现 ,TAFP能分解纤溶酶原激活剂的生色底物—ChromozymUK及S 2 2 88。还能水解胰蛋白酶专一底物Bz Phe Val Arg NA及CBZ Gly Pro Arg NA ,表明TAFP具有类胰蛋白酶活性 ,专一水解精氨酸形成的酰胺键 (或肽键 )。TAFP无胰凝乳蛋白酶活性