Local IL-17A Potentiates Early Neutrophil Recruitment to the Respiratory Tract during Severe RSV Infection

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis triggers a strong innate immune response characterized by excessive neutrophil infiltration which contributes to RSV induced pathology. The cytokine IL-17A enhances neutrophil infiltration into virus infected lungs. IL-17A is however best known as an effector of adaptive immune responses. The role of IL-17A in early immune modulation in RSV infection is unknown. We aimed to elucidate whether local IL-17A facilitates the innate neutrophil infiltration into RSV infected lungs prior to adaptive immunity. To this end, we studied IL-17A production in newborns that were hospitalized for severe RSV bronchiolitis. In tracheal aspirates we measured IL-17A concentration and neutrophil counts. We utilized cultured human epithelial cells to test if IL-17A regulates RSV infection-induced IL-8 release as mediator of neutrophil recruitment. In mice we investigated the cell types that are responsible for early innate IL-17A production during RSV infection. Using IL-17A neutralizing antibodies we tested if IL-17A is responsible for innate neutrophil infiltration in mice. Our data show that increased IL-17A production in newborn RSV patient lungs correlates with subsequent neutrophil counts recruited to the lungs. IL-17A potentiates RSV-induced production of the neutrophil-attracting chemokine IL-8 by airway epithelial cells in vitro. Various lung-resident lymphocytes produced IL-17A during early RSV infection in Balb/c mice, of which a local population of CD4 T cells stood out as the predominant RSV-induced cell type. By removing IL-17A during early RSV infection in mice we showed that IL-17A is responsible for enhanced innate neutrophil infiltration in vivo. Using patient material, in vitro studies, and an animal model of RSV infection, we thus show that early local IL-17A production in the airways during RSV bronchiolitis facilitates neutrophil recruitment with pathologic consequences to infant lungs.     

渤海小型底栖动物丰度的分布格局

在渤海的 2 2个站位 ,分 3个航次采集未受扰动的沉积物样品 ,进行了小型底栖动物类群的丰度、分布格局及其与沉积环境因子间相互关系的研究。结果表明 ,1 997年航次 ,5个站位小型底栖动物的平均丰度为 2 2 74± 1 0 3 9ind./1 0 cm2 ;1 998年和 1 999年航次 ,小型底栖动物的丰度分别为 869± 5 0 9ind./1 0 cm2和 63 2± 3 99ind./1 0 cm2 ,其中 ,小型底栖动物和自由生活海洋线虫丰度的高值主要出现在渤海中东部和海峡口的站位 ,底栖桡足类的丰度在海峡口的 A4、E5、D5站和辽东湾湾口的几个站位较高。在小型底栖动物中 ,线虫是数量上占绝对优势的类群 ,桡足类位于第 2位 ,处在第 3位的类群在两个航次中有所不同 ,在 1 998年航次 ,双壳类幼体的数量位于第 3位 ;1 999年航次 ,多毛类的数量位于第 3位。对小型底栖动物丰度与其沉积环境因子的分析表明 ,水深与小型底栖动物丰度、自由生活海洋线虫丰度和桡足类丰度的相关性为极显著 ;沉积物的中值粒径与桡足类的丰度和小型底栖动物总丰度呈负相关 ,前者为极显著 ,后者为显著 ;砂、粉砂和粘土含量影响三者的丰度变动 ,其中与桡足类丰度的相关性为极显著或显著。沉积物中的叶绿素 a、脱镁叶绿酸 a、含水量和有机质含量与三者丰度的关系不很明显。     

More than multiple introductions: Multiple taxa contribute to the genesis of the invasive California’s wild artichoke thistle

The history of some invasive species is so complex that their origins can be difficult to determine. One example of such invasive species is the California invasive known as “wild artichoke thistle” (Cynara cardunculus var. sylvestris), found in natural and disturbed ecosystems. Wild artichoke thistle is a Mediterranean native and the progenitor of two domesticated horticultural taxa, artichoke and cardoon. Different hypotheses regarding the origins of California plants have included introductions by 19th century Italian immigrants and the de-domestication (evolutionary reversion to wild-type morphology) of feral (escaped, free-living) cultivars. Using microsatellite markers, we compared the genetic constitutions of 12 artichoke thistle populations in California with possible progenitor populations: 17 Spanish and Italian wild populations and eight different artichoke and cardoon cultivars. Each California population was compared with its putative progenitors using STRUCTURE analysis. Our results suggest that California's artichoke thistle populations are polyphyletic. Surprisingly, two-thirds of California's populations closely matched populations from the Iberian Peninsula. Three populations matched domesticated artichoke. One population appears to have wild and cultivar hybrid ancestry. Alleles specific to Italian populations were found at low frequencies in some California plants, suggesting that Italian wild plants may have been in California, but have left a trivial genetic legacy. Given that the de-domesticated plants in this study appear to be as invasive as the wild taxon, we conclude with a discussion of the role that ferality and de-domestication may have in plant invasions.     

Phylogenetic analysis of homologous fatty acid synthase and polyketide synthase involved in aflatoxin biosynthesis

The first two steps of aflatoxin biosynthesis are catalyzed by the HexA/B and by the Pks protein. The phylogenetic analysis clearly distinguished fungal HexA/B from FAS subunits and from other homologous proteins. The phylogenetic trees of the HexA and HexB set of proteins share the same clustering. Proteins involved in the synthesis of fatty acids or in the aflatoxin or sterigmatocystin biosynthesis cluster separately. The Pks phylogenetic tree also differentiates the aflatoxin-related polypeptide sequences from those of other kinds of secondary metabolism. The function of some of the A. flavus Pks homologues may be deduced from the phylogenetic analysis. The conserved sequence motifs of protein domains shared by HexA/B and Pks - namely, β-polyketide synthase (KS), acetyl transferase (AT) and acyl carrier protein (ACP) - have been identified, and the HexA/B and Pks involved in aflatoxin biosynthesis have been distinguished from those involved in primary metabolism or other kinds of secondary metabolism.     

Extracellular proteinases from the phytopathogenic fungus Fusarium culmorum

The growth of Fusarium culmorum fungus on a medium containing thermostable proteins from potato tubers was accompanied by the production of proteinases, exhibiting activity over a broad pH range (from 6.0–10.0). When studied by SDS-PAGE in the presence of β-mercaptoethanol, extracellular proteinases were represented by at least five species with a molecular weight of 30–60 kDa. Inhibitor analysis and studies of enzyme activities with synthetic substrates demonstrated that the culture liquid of Fusarium culmorum contained serine proteinases of various classes. The amount of subtilisin-like proteinases was the highest. A near-complete inhibition of the enzymes was caused by proteinaceous proteinase inhibitors from potato tubers. These data suggest that proteinases of the phytopathogen Fusarium culmorum serve as a metabolic target for natural inhibitors of potato proteinases.     

水分胁迫对牛心朴子光合生理特性影响的研究

采用PVC管种植模拟土壤干旱的方法,研究了牛心朴子(Cynanchum komarovii)在水分胁迫下光合速率(Pn)、气孔导度(Gs)、胞间CO2浓度(Ci)、叶绿素荧光的变化规律及不同生育期适应性表现。结果表明：土壤水分胁迫对牛心朴子叶片光合生理的影响与其胁迫时间及其胁迫程度都有关系,胁迫前中期Pn下降的原因主要是气孔限制,而到后期则以非气孔因素限制为主。中度土壤水分胁迫在短期内对牛心朴子叶片光合作用具有促进作用,而且有利于WUE的提高。而重度胁迫对牛心朴子Pn的影响较显著,而且非气孔因素的出现早于中度胁迫的处理。牛心朴子的光合生理对土壤水分胁迫具有一定的适应时期和适应范围。