Quantitative analysis of localization and nuclear aggregate formation induced by GFP-lamin A mutant proteins in living HeLa cells

Although A-type lamins are ubiquitously expressed, their role in the tissue-specificity of human laminopathies remains enigmatic. In this study, we generate a series of transfection constructs encoding missense lamin A mutant proteins fused to green fluorescent protein and investigate their subnuclear localization using quantitative live cell imaging. The mutant constructs used included the laminopathy-inducing lamin A rod domain mutants N195K, E358K, M371K, R386K, the tail domain mutants G465D, R482L, and R527P, and the Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome-causing deletion mutant, progerin (LaA delta50). All mutant derivatives induced nuclear aggregates, except for progerin, which caused a more lobulated phenotype of the nucleus. Quantitative analysis revealed that the frequency of nuclear aggregate formation was significantly higher (two to four times) for the mutants compared to the wild type, although the level of lamin fusion proteins within nuclear aggregates was not. The distribution of endogenous A-type lamins was altered by overexpression of the lamin A mutants, coexpression experiments revealing that aberrant localization of the N195K and R386K mutants had no effect on the subnuclear distribution of histones H2A or H2B, or on nuclear accumulation of H2A overexpressed as a DsRed2 fusion protein. The GFP-lamin fusion protein-expressing constructs will have important applications in the future, enabling live cell imaging of nuclear processes involving lamins and how this may relate to the pathogenesis of laminopathies.     

Phenotype and Micro-array characterization of duplication 11q22.1-q25 and review of the literature

Partial duplication of 11q is related to several malformations like growth retardation, intellectual disability, hypoplasia of corpus callosum, short nose, palate defects, cardiac, urinary tract abnormalities and neural tube defects. We have studied the clinical and molecular characteristics of a patient with severe intellectual disabilities, dysmorphic features, congenital inguinal hernia and congenital cerebral malformation which is referred to as cytogenetic exploration. We have used FISH and array CGH analysis for a better understanding of the double chromosomic aberration involving a 7p microdeletion along with a partial duplication of 11q due to adjacent segregation of a paternal reciprocal translocation t(7;11)(p22;q21) revealed after banding analysis. The patient's karyotype formula was: 46,XY,der(7)t(7;11)(p22;q21)pat. FISH study confirmed these rearrangement and array CGH technique showed precisely the loss of at least 140 Kb on chromosome7p22.3pter and 33.4 Mb on chromosome11q22.1q25. Dysmorphic features, severe intellectual disability and brain malformations could result from the 11q22.1q25 trisomy. Our study provides an additional case for better understanding and delineating the partial duplication 11q.     

油蒿群落不同演替阶段某些群落特征的研究

 本文就鄂尔多斯高原毛乌素沙地油蒿群落不同演替阶段的特征进行了研究。结果表明：流动沙地质地疏松,植物种类少、稀疏,群落冠层温度变化剧烈,相对湿度低,油蒿生长旺盛,其叶的含水量、水势、蒸腾强度高;固定沙地,植物种类增多、覆盖度大、生物量高,缓冲气象因子的能力强。但蒸腾失水量大,致使土壤含水量低,在某种程度上限制了油蒿生长;具结皮的固定沙地,植物种类最多,密度最大,但土壤紧实,油蒿生长微弱,其叶的含水量、水势最低,但蒸腾最大,加速失水。其演替趋势为流动沙地→流动沙地油蒿群落→固定沙地油蒿群落→具结皮的固定沙地油蒿+本氏针茅群落→本氏针茅群落。     

Stopped-flow dynamic light scattering as a method to monitor compaction during protein folding

Kinetic dynamic light scattering is a useful tool to follow compaction during protein folding. In contrast to measurements of the formation of secondary structure and side chain ordering, kinetic measurements of compactness are not well established up to now. This work describes the adaptation of a stopped-flow system (SFM-3) to a dynamic light scattering apparatus, which allows one to monitor the compaction of protein molecules by measuring the hydrodynamic Stokes radius R. The feasibility of such investigations was demonstrated by measuring R and the integrated scattered intensity I during refolding of ribonuclease A and phosphoglycerate kinase from yeast. Refolding was initiated by rapid mixing of protein solutions containing high concentrations of guanidine hydrochloride with buffer. Between 20 and 50 mixing events were performed in these experiments. Measuring both R and I in one and the same experiment is important to distinguish between true folding of individual molecules and cases where folding is accompanied by the appearance of transient oligomers or associated misfolded structures. On refolding of ribonuclease A (0.6 M GuHCl, 25 °C), after a fast phase the Stokes radius decreased from 2.26 nm to 1.95 nm with a time constant of 27 s without detectable aggregates. By contrast, transient and stable oligomers have been observed during the more complex folding of phosphoglycerate kinase. In general, the time-resolution of the method is of the order of 1 s. It can be extended to the subsecond time-range if the number of shots is not limited by the amount of protein available. Received: 8 August 1996 / Accepted: 18 October 1996     

胆固醇7,8位脱氢酶的表达及催化活性研究

果蝇的neverland基因是胆固醇7,8位脱氢的重要酶基因。为了探究其在胆固醇脱氢反应中的催化机制,将neverland分别克隆至表达载体p IEx-6及p XY212,再转染导入S2细胞并电转化到S.cerevisiae W303-1A中表达。Western blot结果证实NVD蛋白在重组S2细胞及S.cerevisiae W303-1A中实现了表达。胆固醇转化实验经HPLC分析发现,重组S2细胞可以将胆固醇转化为7-脱氢胆固醇,而重组S.cerevisiae W303-1A并不能实现胆固醇的7,8位脱氢。此外,在重组S.cerevisiae W303-1A和S2细胞的破碎液共同转化胆固醇及NVD体外转化实验中也未发现产物7-脱氢胆固醇的生成。实验结果显示,neverland基因在S2细胞中具有生物活性而在S.cerevisiae中没有生物活性,表明它在胆固醇脱氢时需要其它的伴侣蛋白协助,实验结果为进一步研究其催化机制提供了理论基础。     

HBV感染者肝纤维化四项指标检测值与Fibroscan检测值的相关性分析

目的分析HBV感染者四项肝纤维化血清学指标检测值与Fibroscan检测值之间的相关性。方法选择大连市第六人民医院211例HBV感染者,按肝影像学Fibroscan检测值将患者分为肝硬化组和非肝硬化组,非肝硬化组患者再根据Fibroscan分期分为无肝纤维化组、轻度肝纤维化组、中度肝纤维化组和重度肝纤维化组。所有患者均采集其相近时间内Fibroscan及Ⅲ型前胶原(PCⅢ)、Ⅳ型胶原(C-Ⅳ)、血清透明质酸(HA)、层黏连蛋白(LN)检测数据。结果运用SPSS 17.0软件进行统计学分析。结果 PCⅢ、C-Ⅳ、HA、LN检测值与Fibroscan检测值之间均具有良好的相关性(r=0.404、0.445、0.557、0.470,P0.01),其中以HA检测值与Fibroscan检测值之间的相关性最高(r=0.557,P0.01)。结论肝纤维化四项血清学指标检测值与Fibroscan检测值之间相关性显著。肝纤维化四项血清学指标检测在肝纤维化程度较重时的准确性更高。     

Validation and Comparison of the Therapeutic Efficacy of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy Mediated By Boron-Rich Liposomes in Multiple Murine Tumor Models

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) was performed at the University of Missouri Research Reactor in mice bearing CT26 colon carcinoma flank tumors and the results were compared with previously performed studies with mice bearing EMT6 breast cancer flank tumors. Mice were implanted with CT26 tumors subcutaneously in the caudal flank and were given two separate tail vein injections of unilamellar liposomes composed of cholesterol, 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycer-3-phosphocholine, and K[nido-7-CH₃(CH₂)₁₅–7,8-C₂B₉H₁₁] in the lipid bilayer and encapsulated Na₃[1-(2`-B₁₀H₉)-2-NH₃B₁₀H₈] within the liposomal core. Mice were irradiated 30 hours after the second injection in a thermal neutron beam for various lengths of time. The tumor size was monitored daily for 72 days. Despite relatively lower tumor boron concentrations, as compared to EMT6 tumors, a 45 minute neutron irradiation BNCT resulted in complete resolution of the tumors in 50% of treated mice, 50% of which never recurred. Median time to tumor volume tripling was 38 days in BNCT treated mice, 17 days in neutron-irradiated mice given no boron compounds, and 4 days in untreated controls. Tumor response in mice with CT26 colon carcinoma was markedly more pronounced than in previous reports of mice with EMT6 tumors, a difference which increased with dose. The slope of the dose response curve of CT26 colon carcinoma tumors is 1.05 times tumor growth delay per Gy compared to 0.09 times tumor growth delay per Gy for EMT6 tumors, indicating that inherent radiosensitivity of tumors plays a role in boron neutron capture therapy and should be considered in the development of clinical applications of BNCT in animals and man.