凝血接触系统对人血管内皮细胞炎症活性的影响

内源性凝血途径的起始部分称为接触系统,包括高分子量激肽原、前激肽释放酶、XII因子和XI因子。以接触系统成分及激活产物分别刺激人血管内皮细胞,检测了其NF-κB活性、细胞间黏附分子1(ICAM-1)表达和炎性细胞因子分泌的变化。结果显示:与对照组相比较,只有游离XI因子和激活的XI因子可以使内皮细胞NF-κB活性升高,并具有统计学差异(P<0.01);而激活的XI因子能够进一步使内皮细胞的ICAM-1和细胞因子分泌显著增加(P<0.01)。其余各组与对照组相比没有统计学差异。这些观察结果提示接触系统可以直接活化血管内皮细胞,说明内源性凝血途径也参与了炎症的发展过程。     

Arg77和Glu80定点突变同时去除葡激酶中的T和B细胞抗原表位

【目的】对葡激酶的T和B细胞抗原表位重叠的关键氨基酸Arg77和Glu80进行定点突变以降低葡激酶的免疫原性。【方法】基于Arg77和Glu80的溶剂可及表面积设计葡激酶的突变体;突变体在大肠杆菌DH5α中进行表达。经过三步层析法纯化后,分析突变体的纤溶活性和免疫原性。【结果】免疫学实验提示,葡激酶导致Th2免疫反应;Glu80突变为丙氨酸和丝氨酸减少了溶剂可及表面积,同时去除了部分T和B细胞抗原表位;Arg77突变为天冬酰胺、谷氨酰胺和赖氨酸仅去除了部分T细胞抗原表位;6个组合突变体中,Sak(R77Q/E80A)和Sak(R77Q/E80S)有效去除了部分B和T细胞抗原表位,降低了葡激酶的免疫原性;Sak(R77Q/E80A)and Sak(R77Q/E80S)的纤溶活性和催化效率与r-Sak相当。     

Study of the swelling dynamics with overshooting effect of hydrogels based on sodium alginate-g-acrylic acid

A series of hydrogels were synthesized by graft cross-link copolymerization of sodium alginate (SA) and acrylic acid (AA) using N, N-methylene-bis-(acrylamide) as a cross-linker. By study of the swelling kinetics of the hydrogels in different buffer solutions, the overshooting effect was observed in acidic medium, namely the gels firstly swelled to a maximum value following by a gradual deswelling until the equilibrium. The phenomenon is interpreted as a cooperative physical cross-linking caused by the hydrogen bond formation between the carboxyl groups of the hydrogels in a hydrophobic environment. The hydrogen bond formation was further confirmed by FT-IR spectra. The dependence of overshooting effect on the pH of buffer solution was more noticeable in comparison with the composition of hydrogels, demonstrating that the cooperative physical cross-linking caused by the hydrogen bond formation is dominant. Whether or not the overshooting effect appears is not only relative to the pH of buffer solution, but also depends on the pK_a of carboxyl groups on the network. The overshoot processes of the hydrogels under acidic medium at pH below the pK_a follow a quantitative model proposed by Díez-Peńa et al., and the theoretical curves are in very good agreement with the experimental data. While in pH > pK_a buffer solutions, the overshoot phenomenon does not appear arising from the repulsive interaction between the ionized carboxyl groups, the swelling processes follow Schott second-order rate equation.     

细叶益母草(Leonurus sibiricus)叶表面腺毛多样性及发育形态学研究

本文研究了分布在细叶益母草（Ｌｅｏｎｕｒｕｓｓｉｂｉｒｉｃｕｓ） 叶表面三种腺毛的发育过程,在此基础上,对２细胞头状腺毛、４细胞头状腺毛和８细胞盾状腺毛的多样性特征进行了讨论     

拟南芥甲基结合蛋白基因AtMBP11启动子在种子形成和萌发中的功能鉴定

为研究拟南芥甲基结合蛋白基因AtMBP11在种子形成和萌发过程中的调控模式,克隆拟南芥AtMBP11启动子,将其替换植物表达载体pBI121的35S启动子序列,转入拟南芥基因组中.转基因拟南芥后代卡那霉素抗性发生分离,选取具有3∶1分离比的后代自交,产生纯合的具有单拷贝插入的后代.转基因后代GUS染色结果表明,新克隆的MBP启动子控制基因在种子、花药和花粉中高效表达.通过对AtMBP11核心启动子缺失分析表明,G-box元件是主要功能元件.     

Association of the Maternal MTHFR C677T Polymorphism with Susceptibility to Neural Tube Defects in Offsprings: Evidence from 25 Case-Control Studies

Background

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is a critical enzyme in folate metabolism and is involved in DNA methylation, DNA synthesis, and DNA repair. In addition, it is a possible risk factor in neural tube defects (NTDs). The association of the C677T polymorphism in the MTHFR gene and NTD susceptibility has been widely demonstrated, but the results remain inconclusive. In this study, we performed a meta-analysis with 2429 cases and 3570 controls to investigate the effect of the MTHFR C677T polymorphism on NTDs.

Methods

An electronic search of PubMed and Embase database for papers on the MTHFR C677T polymorphism and NTD risk was performed. All data were analysed with STATA (version 11). Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated to assess the association. Sensitivity analysis, test of heterogeneity, cumulative meta-analysis, and assessment of bias were performed in our meta-analysis.

Results

A significant association between the MTHFR C677T polymorphism and NTD susceptibility was revealed in our meta-analysis ( TT versus CC: OR  = 2.022, 95% CI: 1.508, 2.712; CT+TT versus CC: OR  = 1.303, 95% CI: 1.089, 1.558; TT versus CC+CT: OR  = 1.716, 95% CI: 1.448, 2.033; 2TT+CT versus 2CC+CT: OR  = 1.330, 95% CI: 1.160, 1.525). Moreover, an increased NTD risk was found after stratification of the MTHFR C677T variant data by ethnicity and source of controls.

Conclusion

The results suggested the maternal MTHFR C677T polymorphism is a genetic risk factor for NTDs. Further functional studies to investigate folate-related gene polymorphisms, periconceptional multivitamin supplements, complex interactions, and the development of NTDs are warranted.     

逆病毒载体介导双耐药基因在脐血CD34+细胞中的表达和抗性研究

为探讨转染醛脱氢酶基因(ALDHl)和多药耐药基因(MDRl)的人脐血CD34+细胞能否同时增强对活性环磷酰胺(4-HC)和MDRl基因靶药的抗性,构建了同时含ALDHl和MDRl双耐药基因的逆转录病毒表达质粒GlNa-ALDHl-IRES-MDRl,经LipofectAMINE介导转染GP+E86和PA317包装细胞,采用含长春新碱(VCR)和4-HC的培养基克隆选择后收集重组病毒上清于单向型GP+E86与双嗜型PA317包装细胞行乒乓交互感染,获得PA317重组病毒生产细胞(最高滴度达5.6×105CFU／ml),将含ALDHl和MDRl双耐药基因重组病毒的上清在细胞生长因子刺激下重复感染人脐血CD34+细胞,用PCR、RT-PCR、Southernblot、Northernblot、FACS和MTT等方法检测外源ALDHl与MDRl基因在CD34+细胞中的转移和表达。结果显示逆转录病毒载体介导的双耐药基因已经整合人转染靶细胞基因组并获得有效表达,同时传递不同的耐药表型。经双耐药基因修饰的脐血CD34+细胞对4-HC和VCR药物同时产生抗性,其IC50值分别比未转染细胞高4倍和7.2倍,本研究为开展肿瘤基因治疗的临床研究奠定了实验基础。     

Caffeine induces a second wave of apoptosis after low dose-rate gamma radiation of HL-60 cells

Most cell lines that lack functional p53 protein are arrested in the G₂ phase of the cell cycle due to DNA damage. It was previously found that the human promyelocyte leukemia cells HL-60 (TP53 negative) that had been exposed to ionizing radiation at doses up to 10 Gy were arrested in the G₂ phase for a period of 24 h. The radioresistance of HL-60 cells that were exposed to low dose-rate gamma irradiation of 3.9 mGy/min, which resulted in a pronounced accumulation of the cells in the G₂ phase during the exposure period, increased compared with the radioresistance of cells that were exposed to a high dose-rate gamma irradiation of 0.6 Gy/min. The D₀ value (i.e. the radiation dose leading to 37% cell survival) for low dose-rate radiation was 3.7 Gy and for high dose-rate radiation 2.2 Gy. In this study, prevention of G₂ phase arrest by caffeine (2 mM) and irradiation of cells with low dose-rate irradiation in all phases of the cell cycle proved to cause radiosensitization (D₀=2.2 Gy). The irradiation in the presence of caffeine resulted in a second wave of apoptosis on days 5–7post-irradiation. Caffeine-induced apoptosis occurring later than day 7 post-irradiation is postulated to be a result of unscheduled DNA replication and cell cycle progress.     

基于T7表达系统的洋葱伯克霍尔德菌G63脂肪酶同源高效表达

为实现对洋葱伯克霍尔脂肪酶的可控高效表达, 将目前被广泛使用的T7重组蛋白高效表达系统移植到洋葱伯克霍尔德菌(Burkholderia cepacia)G63中进行脂肪酶同源表达。首先采用PCR从大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)中得到T7 RNA 聚合酶基因(T7 RNAP)并将其克隆到致死质粒pJQ200SK上, 然后在T7 RNAP 前后各加入500 bp用于同源重组的片段, 再通过三亲本杂交把T7 RNAP整合到B. cepacia基因组上, 使T7 RNAP受到脂肪酶基因(lipA)启动子调控。接着把lipA和它的伴侣基因lipB单独或全部克隆到载体pUCPCM和pBBR22b上, 构建出pBBR22blipAB、pBBR22blipA、pUCPCMlipAB、pUCPCMlipA、pUCPCMΔlipAlipB、pUCPCMΔlipA、pUCPCMΔlipB七种表达质粒, 通过电转化将上述表达质粒转化到含T7 RNAP的B. cepacia宿主菌中, 最终得到一系列脂肪酶基因工程菌。通过摇瓶诱导发酵发现含表达质粒pUCPCMlipAB的工程菌脂肪酶酶活最高, 达到607 U/mg, 与野生菌相比酶活力提高2.8倍, 并且除含pUCPCMΔlipB的工程菌外, 其它工程菌的脂肪酶酶活均有不同程度提高。野生菌与工程菌pUCPCMlipAB的发酵液经硫酸铵沉淀, Sephadex G-75凝胶过滤纯化后, 比酶活分别为29 984 U/mg和30 875 U/mg。以上结果表明, 构建的基于T7表达系统的B. cepacia脂肪酶基因工程能有效提高脂肪酶的表达量, 同时说明分泌信号PelB和增强转录的核糖体接合位点对脂肪酶的表达有促进作用。