Comparison of several ELISA tests for detecting the presence of IgG and IgM against herpes simplex viruses

Four enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays designated test 1 (ETI-HSVK-G 1/2); test 2 (ETI-HSVK-M 1/2); test 3 (ETI-HSVK-G 2), and test 4 (BioElisa HSV2 IgG) were studied to evaluate different stages of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection. Samples (50 sera and 14 cerebrospinal fluid) were included in four groups. Group 1 consisted of samples from patients with primary HSV infections; group 2 comprised samples from patients with recurrent HSV infections; group 3 were samples nonreactive to HSV; and group 4 were samples from patients with infections by other herpes viruses (4a, chickenpox; 4b, herpes zoster; and 4c, infectious mononucleosis by Epstein-Barr virus). The percentages of agreement between tests 1 and 2 were 100 and 72.1%, respectively. The total diagnostic values of tests 1 and 2 were: 100 and 50% sensitivity, respectively; and 100 and 89% specificity, respectively. Few positive results for HSV-2 infection were found, and so, tests 3 and 4 were not evaluated. The results of tests 3 and 4 for a chickenpox patient, and a herpes zoster patient were not in agreement.     

Genotoxicity of the coating lacquer on food cans, bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE), its hydrolysis products and a chlorohydrin of BADGE

The epoxy resin bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE), its hydrolysis products and a chlorohydrin of BADGE (BADGE.2HCl), were examined for their genotoxicity in the micronucleus test (MNT) with human peripheral blood lymphocytes in vitro, in presence and in absence of an exogenous metabolizing system S9 rat liver. The treatment was done using different compound concentrations up to cytotoxic doses. The concentrations tested ranged between 12.5 to 62.5microg/ml of BADGE, 12.5 to 62.5microg/ml of first BADGE hydrolysis product (BADGE.H(2)O), 25.0 to 100.0microg/ml of second BADGE hydrolysis product (BADGE.2H(2)O) and 6.25 to 50.0microg/ml of BADGE.2HCl. These compounds are able to induce both cytotoxic and genotoxic effects, as revealed by the increases observed in cytokinesis block proliferation index (CBPI) and in micronuclei (MN) frequencies, respectively.     

Characterization of a virtually full-length human immunodeficiency virus type 1 genome of a prevalent intersubtype (C/B') recombinant strain in China

A molecular epidemiology study was conducted among more than 100 human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) subtype C seropositive intravenous drug users (IDUs) from China. Genotyping based on the envelope C2V3 coding region revealed the highest homology of the most prevalent virus strains circulating throughout China to subtype C sequences of Indian origin. Based on these results, a virtually full-length genome representing the most prevalent class of clade C strains circulating throughout China was directly amplified from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of a selected HIV-infected IDU and subcloned. Sequence analysis identified a mosaic structure, suggesting extensive intersubtype recombination events between genomes of the prevalent clade C and (B')-subtype Thai virus strains of that geographic region. Recombinant Identification Program analysis and phylogenetic bootstrapping suggested that there were 10 breakpoints (i) in the gag-pol coding region, (ii) in vpr and at the 3' end of the vpu gene, and (iii) in the nef open reading frame. (B')-sequences therefore include (i) several insertions in the gag-pol coding region; (ii) 3'-vpr, the complete vpu gene, and the first exons of tat and rev; and (iii) the 5' half of the nef gene. Breakpoints located in the vpr/vpu coding region as well as in the nef gene of 97cn54 were found at almost identical positions of all subtype C strains isolated from IDUs living in different areas of China, suggesting a common ancestor for the C/B' recombinant strains. More than 50% of well-defined subtype B-derived cytotoxic T-lymphocyte epitopes within Gag and Pol and 10% of the known epitopes in Env were found to exactly match sequences within in this clade C/B' chimeric reference strain. These results may substantially facilitate a biological comparison of clade C-derived reference strains as well as the generation of useful reagents supporting vaccine-related efforts in China.     

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies among Atayal aboriginal people and their hunting dogs in northeastern Taiwan

Atayal aborigines, living at an altitude of 1,500-1,600 m in northeastern Taiwan, still hunt for wild animals with the help of hunting dogs. In this study, the latex agglutination test (LAT) was used to detect sera anti-toxoplasma antibodies in this community as a measure of their exposure to Toxoplasma gondii. The positive rates for sera anti-toxoplasma antibodies were 21.8% and 19.6%, respectively, in 422 Atayal and 51 hunting dogs tested. Neither of the positive rates were found to be significantly different between male (22.1%) and female Atayal (21.4%), or between humans (21.8%) and dogs (19.6%) (P > 0.05) when compared by the Chi-Squared test (chi 2-test). A significant difference was observed between the positive rates in adults (28.3%) and children (18.7%) (P < 0.05), and the age pattern of prevalence is consistent with an increasing duration of exposure to Toxoplasma gondii with age. The consumption of raw liver of wild animals or insufficiently cooked meat may be the major mode of transmission of toxoplasmosis in Atayal.     

Chromosome Association of Minichromosome Maintenance Proteins in Drosophila Endoreplication Cycles

Minichromosome maintenance (MCM) proteins are essential eukaryotic DNA replication factors. The binding of MCMs to chromatin oscillates in conjunction with progress through the mitotic cell cycle. This oscillation is thought to play an important role in coupling DNA replication to mitosis and limiting chromosome duplication to once per cell cycle. The coupling of DNA replication to mitosis is absent in Drosophila endoreplication cycles (endocycles), during which discrete rounds of chromosome duplication occur without intervening mitoses. We examined the behavior of MCM proteins in endoreplicating larval salivary glands, to determine whether oscillation of MCM–chromosome localization occurs in conjunction with passage through an endocycle S phase. We found that MCMs in polytene nuclei exist in two states: associated with or dissociated from chromosomes. We demonstrate that cyclin E can drive chromosome association of DmMCM2 and that DNA synthesis erases this association. We conclude that mitosis is not required for oscillations in chromosome binding of MCMs and propose that cycles of MCM–chromosome association normally occur in endocycles. These results are discussed in a model in which the cycle of MCM–chromosome associations is uncoupled from mitosis because of the distinctive program of cyclin expression in endocycles.     

Suspension nodule culture of the Chinese herb, Rhodiola sachalinensis, in an air-lift reactor: kinetics and technical characteristics

Suspension nodule culture of Rhodiola sachalinensis was carried out in a 10 l air-lift reactor for 30 days. The biomass of 13 gdry wt/l and salidroside content of 0.45% dry wt were obtained. No foaming was observed in the reactor since the broth remained almost clear throughout the culture. The O2 transfer coefficient kLa of the culture system increased firstly then dropped during the culture cycle. The significant increase in solid holdup of the culture system is suggested to be responsible for the variation of kLa.     

旱作果园深沟施肥对苹果树根系分布的影响

用干挖壕沟法研究了深沟施肥农艺措施对旱作苹果树根系的重量、结构和分布范围等的影响,结果表明,与未挖泡的对照相比,深沟施肥后,根系的总重量、总体积和分布深度都大幅度减少,总重量减少了５０％,总体积减少了６０％,分布深度减小了１．８ｍ;但吸收根的总长度增加,吸收根在总根量中所占的比例亦大幅度提高。     

鸡减蛋综合征病毒（EDSV—76）基因组E1区结构特点分析

ＥＤＳＶ－７６病毒中国株ＡＡ－２经常规方法提取其病毒ＤＮＡ后,建立了限制性内切酶ＰｓｔＩ水解片段的全基因文库。对其中ＰｓｔＩ－Ｇ片段和ＰｓｔＩ－Ａ片段的正反链进行序列测定,获得ＥＤＳＶ Ｅ１区（０－８．８ｍ．ｕ）的核苷酸序列。经分析,ＥＤＳＶ Ｅ１区具有与其他腺病毒Ｅ１区类似的结构。以大于６０个氨基酸残基为标准,ＥＤＳＶ Ｅ１区共有７个开放读码框架（ＯＲＦ）,其中Ｒ１、Ｒ２、ＥｌｂｓＴ和Ｅ１ｂ１Ｔ     

L-赖氨酸产生菌FH128菌株的研究(Ⅰ)FH128菌株的选育及摇瓶发酵

以赖氨酸产生菌Ａ１１１（ＨＳ－、ＡＥＣｒ）为出发株,经化学诱变剂ＭＮＮＧ（Ｎ－甲基－Ｎ′－硝基－Ｎ－亚硝基胍）及单氟醋酸处理获得单氟醋酸抗性突变株Ｆ７９,摇瓶发酵产Ｌ－赖氨酸盐酸盐７．０％～７．５％,对糖转化率３８％～４０％,分别比Ａ１１１株提高约２５％及２０％。然后,再以Ｆ７９菌为亲株经ＭＮＮＧ及噻唑丙氨酸处理获得噻唑丙氨酸抗性突变株ＦＨ１２８,在适宜的培养条件下,摇瓶发酵产Ｌ－赖氨酸盐酸盐８．５％～９．５％,最高产酸率１１％,对糖转化率４５％～５０％。在１６Ｌ自控发酵罐发酵,产Ｌ－赖氨酸盐酸盐１２％～１４％,对糖转化率４０％～４５％;在２０～１００ｍ３发酵罐发酵,产酸率为８．５％～９．５％,对糖转化率４０％～４２％,提取总收率８０％～８５％,成品（饲料级Ｌ－赖氨酸盐酸盐）质量符合国家标准（ＧＢ８２４５－８７）。ＦＨ１２８菌株遗传性能稳定,营养要求粗放,工艺较简单,便于工业化,二年前已应用于工业生产。     

精制白喉毒素脱毒工艺的改进

为了改进精制白喉毒素脱毒工艺中存在的时间长和损失大等问题,我们考虑进行脱毒过程中加入Ｌ－赖氨酸协同脱毒的试验,并以原工艺进行比较,结果使原工艺存在的问题均得到较好的解决。