The genetic architecture of vitiligo

Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease in which destruction of skin melanocytes results in patches of white skin and hair. Genome‐wide linkage studies and genome‐wide association studies in European ancestry cases identified over 50 vitiligo susceptibility loci, defining a model of melanocyte‐directed autoimmunity. Vitiligo heritability is exceedingly high, ~2/3 coming from common and ~1/3 from rare genomic variants; ~20% of vitiligo risk is environmental. Vitiligo genetic risk is polygenic, with greater additive risk in multiplex vitiligo families than simplex cases. Vitiligo age‐of‐onset is bimodal, also involving a major genetic component; a MHC enhancer haplotype confers extreme risk for vitiligo (OR 8.1) and early disease onset, increasing expression of HLA‐DQB1 mRNA and HLA‐DQ protein and thus perhaps facilitating presentation of triggering antigens. Vitiligo triggering also involves a major environmental component; dramatic delay in vitiligo age‐of‐onset, especially from 1973 to 2004, suggests that exposure or response to a key vitiligo environmental trigger diminished during this period. Together, these findings provide deep understanding of vitiligo pathogenesis and genetic architecture, suggesting that vitiligo represents a tractable model for investigating complex disease genetic architecture and predictive aspects of personalized medicine.     

Rebound effects of price differences

Goal, Scope and Background  Traditionally, comparative life cycle assessments (LCA) have not considered rebound effects, for instance in case of significant price differences among the compared products. No justifications have been made for this delimitation in scope. This article shows that price differences and the consequent effects of marginal consumer expenditure may influence the conclusions of comparative LCA significantly. We also show that considerations about rebound effects of price differences can be included in LCAs. Methods  The direct rebound effect of a price difference is marginal consumption. Based on statistical data on private consumption in different income groups (Statistics Denmark 2005a, 2005b), the present article provides an estimate of how an average Danish household will spend an additional 1 DKK for further consumer goods, when the household has gained money from choosing a cheaper product alternative. The approach is to use marginal income changes and the following changes in consumption patterns as an expression for marginal consumption. Secondly, the environmental impact potentials related to this marginal consumption are estimated by the use of environmental impact intensity data from an IO-LCA database (Weidema et al. 2005). Finally, it is discussed whether, and in which ways the conclusions of comparative LCAs can be affected by including the price difference between product alternatives. This is elucidated in a case study of a comparative LCA screening of two different kinds of Danish cheese products (Fricke et al. 2004). Results  Car purchase and driving, use and maintenance of dwelling, clothing purchase and insurance constitutes the largest percentages of the marginal consumption. In a case study of two cheeses, the including the impact potentials related to the price difference results in significant changes in the total impact potentials. Considering the relatively small price difference of the two products, it is likely also to have a significant influence on the results of comparative LCAs more generally. Discussion  The influence of marginal consumption in comparative LCAs is relevant to consider in situations with large differences in the price of the product alternatives being compared, and in situations with minor differences in the impact potentials related to the alternatives. However, different uncertainties are linked to determining the pattern for marginal consumption and the environmental impact potential related to this. These are first of all related to the method used, but also include inaccurate data of consumption in households, aggregation and weighting of income groups, aggregation of product groups, estimation and size of the price difference, and the general applicability of the results. Conclusion  Incorporating marginal consumption in consequential LCAs is possible in practice. In the case study used, including the rebound effects of the price difference has a significant influence on the result of the comparative LCA, as the result for the impact categories acidification and nutrient enrichment changes in favour of the expensive product. Recommendations and Perspectives  It is recommended that the rebound effects of price differences should be included more frequently in LCAs. In order to ensure this, further research in marginal consumption and investment patterns and IO data for different countries or regions is required. Furthermore, this study does not consider the economic distributional consequences of buying an expensive product instead of a cheaper product (e.g. related to how the profit is spent by those who provided the product). It should also be noted, that more expensive products not necessarily result in less consumption, as those who provided the product also will spend the money they have earned from the sale. Ideally, these consequences should also be further investigated. Likewise, the development of databases to include marginal consumption in PC-tools is needed. In general, considerations of marginal consumption would favour expensive product alternatives, depending, however, on the type of consumer. ESS-Submission Editor: Dr. David Hunkeler (david.hunkeler@aquaplustech.ch)     

燃煤烟气脱硫副产物在酸性土壤的农业资源化利用

通过盆栽试验,研究了在酸性土壤上施燃煤烟气脱硫副产物对萝卜的影响及其对环境影响的初步评价.结果显示:(1)在两个不同土类、及同一土类不同母质的两种土壤上,萝卜适量施用脱硫副产物均可获得不同程度的增产和提高品质的效果.(2)在酸性土壤上施用供试物获得正效应是由于其富含红壤土类中普遍缺的有效性钙、硫、硼、钼、硅等作物营养元素;并能有效改善土壤的理化性能.(3)供试物中的重金属含量均没有超过国家的限量标准,故适量施用后,当造作物植株中检出的重金属均低于国家限量标准.     

Denaturation and unfolding of human anaphylatoxin C3a: an unusually low covalent stability of its native disulfide bonds

The complement C3a anaphylatoxin is a major molecular mediator of innate immunity. It is a potent activator of mast cells, basophils and eosinophils and causes smooth muscle contraction. Structurally, C3a is a relatively small protein (77 amino acids) comprising a N-terminal domain connected by 3 native disulfide bonds and a helical C-terminal segment. The structural stability of C3a has been investigated here using three different methods: Disulfide scrambling; Differential CD spectroscopy; and Reductive unfolding. Two uncommon features regarding the stability of C3a and the structure of denatured C3a have been observed in this study. (a) There is an unusual disconnection between the conformational stability of C3a and the covalent stability of its three native disulfide bonds that is not seen with other disulfide proteins. As measured by both methods of disulfide scrambling and differential CD spectroscopy, the native C3a exhibits a global conformational stability that is comparable to numerous proteins with similar size and disulfide content, all with mid-point denaturation of [GdmCl]_1/2 at 3.4-5 M. These proteins include hirudin, tick anticoagulant protein and leech carboxypeptidase inhibitor. However, the native disulfide bonds of C3a is 150-1000 fold less stable than those proteins as evaluated by the method of reductive unfolding. The 3 native disulfide bonds of C3a can be collectively and quantitatively reduced with as low as 1 mM of dithiothreitol within 5 min. The fragility of the native disulfide bonds of C3a has not yet been observed with other native disulfide proteins. (b) Using the method of disulfide scrambling, denatured C3a was shown to consist of diverse isomers adopting varied extent of unfolding. Among them, the most extensively unfolded isomer of denatured C3a is found to assume beads-form disulfide pattern, comprising Cys³⁶-Cys⁴⁹ and two disulfide bonds formed by two pair of consecutive cysteines, Cys²²-Cys²³ and Cys⁵⁶-Cys⁵⁷, a unique disulfide structure of polypeptide that has not been documented previously.     

武陵山区蕨类植物研究

武陵山区蕨类植物资源丰富,现知有644种(包括变种),分属116属, 46科;蕨类区系属热带-亚热带山地类型;属的地理成份有12种类型,与日本、印度-马来西亚有密切关系;武陵山区蕨类区系属我国西南区系,与华中华东区关系密切,华南、华北区次之;蕨类垂直分布分四带。     

Functional intracellular antibody fragments do not require invariant intra-domain disulfide bonds

Intracellular antibody fragments that interfere with molecular interactions inside cells are valuable in investigation of interactomes and in therapeutics, but their application demands that they function in the reducing cellular milieu. We show here a 2.7-Å crystal structure of intracellular antibody folds based on scaffolds developed from intracellular antibody capture technology, and we reveal that there is no structural or functional difference with or without the intra-domain disulfide bond of the variable domain of heavy chain or the variable domain of light chain. The data indicate that, in the reducing in vivo environment, the absence of the intra-domain disulfide bond is not an impediment to correction of antibody folding or to interaction with antigen. Thus, the structural constraints for in-cell function are intrinsic to variable single-domain framework sequences, providing a generic scaffold for isolation of functional intracellular antibody single domains.     

Lung Cancer: Are we up to the Challenge?

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide among both men and women, with more than 1 million deaths annually. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for about 80% of all lung cancers.Although recent advances have been made in diagnosis and treatment strategies, the prognosis of NSCLC patients is poor and it is basically due to a lack of early diagnostic tools.However, in the last years genetic and biochemical studies have provided more information about the protein and gene's mutations involved in lung tumors. Additionally, recent proteomic and microRNA's approaches have been introduced to help biomarker discovery.Here we would like to discuss the most recent discoveries in lung cancer pathways, focusing on the genetic and epigenetic factors that play a crucial role in malignant cell proliferation, and how they could be helpful in diagnosis and targeted therapy.     

大鼠下丘脑室旁核与终纹床核及前额叶皮质间纤维联系的研究

分别注射辣根过氧化物酶（HRP）入大鼠的PVN和BNST,用组织化学的方法在确定注射部位准确的情况下,在PVN、BNST及PFC观察被标记的神经元或轴突末梢,探讨大鼠下丘脑室旁核（PVN）与终纹床核（BNST）及前额叶皮质间（PFC）之间是否存在投射通路;将HRP注射到PVN后,在同侧的BNST见标记的细胞体,在PFC未见标记的细胞体或轴突末梢;将HRP注射到BNST后,在同侧的PVN见标记的轴突末梢,在PFC未见标记的细胞体或轴突末梢。大鼠BNST有神经纤维投射到PVN,PFC与PVN及BNST之间没有直接的或只有极少量的纤维联系,在机体面临威胁性情境时,BNST可能激活HPA轴引发生理和行为反应,PFC是否通过与PVN或BNST的直接或间接的纤维投射实现其调节功能值得关注。