麦迪霉素产生菌酮基还原酶基因的研究

将麦迪霉素产生菌基因文库中与放线紫红索酮基还原酶基因actⅢ有同源性的4·0kb DNA片段克隆到质粒载体pWHM3中,构成重组质粒pCB4。将质粒pCB4转入酮基还原酶基因缺陷菌株——加利利链霉菌ATCC3167l中,得到转化子。转化子发酵产物经TLC和HPLC分析证明是阿克拉菌酮,与加利利链霉菌原株ATCC31133的产物相同,说明麦迪霉素产生菌酮基还原酶基因互补了加利利链霉菌ATCC31671中缺陷的酮基还原酶基因,使其恢复了产生阿克拉菌酮的能力。4．Okb DNA片段插入方向相反的重组质粒pCBR4在加利利链霉菌ATCC31671中发酵产物经TLC分析证明也是阿克拉菌酮,这说明4．0kbDNA片段中麦迪霉素产生菌酮基还原酶基因具有自身的启动子。对4．0kb DNA片段进行了限制酶酶切分析,建立了其酶切图谱。以actⅢ基因为探针,经分子杂交以及亚克隆和DNA转化实验,将麦迪霉索产生菌酮基还原酶基因定位于BssH Ⅱ—BamH Ⅰ 1．3kb DNA片段上。对1．3kb DNA片段核苷酸序列分析结果表明：此1．3kbDNA片段中含有一个独立的ORF,起始密码ATG,终止密码TAG,含783bp;在起始密码上游有GGAGG5个核苷酸SD序列;此ORF编码260个氨基酸,与actⅢ基因编码的261个氨基酸相似性为77．4%,相同性为66．7％,对麦迪霉素产生苗酮基还原酶基因的可能作用进行了讨论。     

密码结构域及其功能表现

能组织成超级结构的各种序列组块,因其具有特定一级序列、或者具有某种卷曲的螺旋构象和某种非β螺旋结构,可以作为有特异功能的结构域、被特异的结合蛋白质识别和结合,因而可称为密码结构域,密码结构域作为特异的分子相互作用和过程的遗传指令,参与细胞周期的各种事件乃至发育和分化过程中基因有区别的表达.     

影响大肠杆菌中外源基因表达的因素

大肠杆菌已经被广泛地应用于表达各种外源基因,但是,不同的外源基因在表达效率上却有很大的差异,文章综述了影响大肠杆菌中外源基因表达的因素,这将有助于认识大肠杆菌中外源基因表达的规律,以便采取有效的方法提高外源基因在大肠杆菌中的表达效率．     

Transfection of the mouse ICAM-1 gene into murine neuroblastoma enhances susceptibility to lysis,reduces in vivo tumorigenicity and decreases ICAM-2-dependent killing

We determined the expression of intercellular adhesion molecules (ICAM) on neuro-2a cells in order to evaluate whether they were involved in cytolysis of murine neuroblastoma. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis revealed that the control neomycin-resistance-genetransduced line (neuro-2a/LN) had poor expression of ICAM-1 (mean channel fluorescence, MCF=3.7). An ICAM-1-positive transfectant of neuro-2a (neuro-2a/ICAM-1⁺) (CMF=64.3) was generated to evaluate directly the role of this adhesion molecule in cytolysis. Neuro-2a/ICAM-1⁺ was more sensitive to LAK killing (69.7% at an effector-to-target ratio of 1001) compared to neuro-2a/LN (48.6%) (P<0.001). Blocking of neuro-2a/LN and neuro-2a/ICAM-1⁺ lysis with anti-ICAM-1 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) did not account for all the LFA-1-dependent killing. These data indicate that even in neuro-2a/ICAM-1⁺ cells, other LFA-1 ligands participated in the effector-target interaction. Therefore, we examined these cell lines for ICAM-2 expression. Both neuro-2a/LN and neuro-2a/ICAM-1⁺ lines expressed ICAM-2 (MCF=16.4 and 16.5). ICAM-2 accounted for the majority of the LFA-1-dependent killing in the ICAM-1-negative target, neuro-2a/LN, while ICAM-1 played a primary role in the cytolysis of the ICAM-1⁺ transfectant. Inhibition of lysis in the presence of anti-ICAM-1 and ICAM-2 mAbs was comparable to that seen with the addition of anti-LFA-1 mAb, indicating that other LFA-1 ligands were not involved in this system. ICAM-1 expression was associated with decreased in vivo tumorigenicity; mice inoculated with neuro-2a/ICAM-1⁺ cells had a significantly longer survival compared to those receiving neuro-2a/LN cells (median survival time 35.5 versus 24.5 days) (P<0.001). It is important to note that ICAM-1 transfection of murine neuroblastoma did not alter its metastatic potential. We conclude that transfection of mouse neuroblastome with ICAM-1 increases its sensitivity to in vitro lysis and reduces its in vivo tumorgenicity. In ICAM-1-negative murine neuroblastoma cells, ICAM-2 plays a primary role in cell-mediated lysis.This work was supported in part by the Children's Cancer Research Fund, the Minnesota Medical Foundation, the Viking Children's Fund and NIH grants PO1-CA-21737, NO1-AI-85002. E. K. is a recipient of the Irvine McQuarrie Research Scholar Award and B. R. B. a recipient of the Edward Mallinkrodt Foundation Scholar Award     

T cell recognition of melanoma antigens in association with HLA-A1 on allogeneic melanoma cells

Previous studies have shown that recognition of melanoma by cytotoxic T lymphocytes may be restricted by HLA-A1, A2 and other HLA antigens. The present study examined the cytotoxic specificity and major histocompatibility complex restriction of cloned cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) isolated from a patient with the HLA phenotype A3,31 who had been immunized with a vaccine prepared from HLA-A1,3 melanoma cells. Cytotoxic assays against HLA-typed allogeneic melanoma cells indicated that cloned CTL from the patient were able to kill allogeneic melanoma cells expressing HLA-A1 but not other HLA-A1-positive cells. Studies on a representative clone indicated that proliferation and cytokine (tumour necrosis factor ) production in response to melanoma cells was also associated with HLA-A1 on melanoma cells. Response to the melanoma cells was associated with interleukin-4 (IL-4) rather than IL-2 production. The antigen recognized in the context of HLA-A1 on allogeneic melanoma cells was detected in cytotoxic assays on cells from 9 of 12 HLA-A1⁺ melanoma cell lines and did not appear to be the product of the MAGE-1 or-3 genes. These findings suggest that T cells can recognize melanoma antigens in the context of alloantigens and that allogeneic vaccines containing immunodominant alloantigens may generate CTL that are ineffective against autologous melanoma. The study does not, however, exclude the possibility that CTL with specificity to the latter may be activated by allogeneic vaccines, and further studies are needed to answer this question.     

8-[3H]Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino) tetralin binding sites in goldfish retina

The binding sites of 8-[³H]hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin ([³H]DPAT) were characterized in the retina of goldfish in order to evaluate the selectivity of the ligand for serotonin_1A (5HT_1A) receptors. Specificity of the binding was performed in the presence of serotonergic and dopaminergic agonists and antagonists. Buspirone, spriroxatrine and 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine were potent inhibitors, followed by propranolol, citalopram, imipramine and desipramine. Serotonin was not a potent inhibitor, and its interaction with the binding sites of [³H]DPAT was complex. Nomifensine displayed an important inhibition, however, other dopamine uptake blockers, such as bupropion and GBR-12909, were less potent. Haloperidol was also a good inhibitor, but the D₁ receptor agonist, SKF-38393, the D₂ receptor antagonist, sulpiride, and dopamine did not inhibit the binding. GppNHp inhibited the binding in the micromolar range. The analysis of saturation experiments by isotopic dilution, using buspirone to determine nonspecific binding, revealed two sites. The number of binding sites defined by buspirone were higher than the ones defined by nomifesine. The specific binding, using buspirone for definition, was reduced by the intraocular injection of 6-hydroxydopamine. This investigation demonstrates that [³H]DPAT labels 5HT_1A receptors in goldfish retina, but also interacts with a non-5HT receptor site. These receptors seem to be localized in dopaminergic neurons.     

H1° and H3.3B mRNA levels in developing rat brain

Two overlapping rat cDNAs, covering a continuous region of 1107 base pairs, have been isolated and sequenced. The clones contain identical open reading frames, encoding a 136 amino acid long polypeptide which exhibits 100% identity to other mammalian H3.3 histone variants. We show that the inserts derive, in particular, from the H3.3B gene. We used these inserts and an insert from an H1° encoding clone, previously described (6), as probes to study the accumulation of mRNAs encoding the corresponding histone replacement variants (namely, H1° and H3.3) during rat brain development. We found that the concentration of both H1° and H3.3B mRNAs decreases from the embryonal day 18 (E18) to the postnatal day 10 (P10), with inverse correlation to protein accumulation.This paper is dedicated to our friend Paolo Carbone who devoted his life to research and teaching in Genetics. We will always remember him for scientific honesty and for his unique qualities of humanity.     

Molecular characterization of ura1, a mutant allele for orotidine-5'-monophosphate decarboxylase in Schizophyllum commune

Abstract The basis of the auxotrophic ural phenotype in Schizophyllum commune has been investigated. Two point mutations causing changes in conserved amino acid positions 62 (from lysine to glutamate) and 79 (from leucine to phenylalanine) most likely are the cause for the observed phenotype, whereas the overall gene structure was unchanged. Since reversion rates in this locus are extremely low, a single point mutation could not be expected to be the cause for the mutation. Besides the two point mutations expected to be induced by UV mutagenesis, the two alleles investigated from independently isolated strains differ by approximately 7% in nucleic acid sequence and about 3% in amino acid sequence, indicating a distant relationship between the strains used.     

豚鼠腹腔神经节细胞γ－氨基丁酸双相反应的药理学特性

在豚鼠腹腔神经节细胞,γ－氨基丁酸（ＧＡＢＡ）可诱发“去极化－超极化”的双相反应,去极化伴膜电阻减小,超极化伴膜电阻增大,这种反应在低钙高镁液中仍然存在。蝇蕈醇可模拟ＧＡＢＡ双相反应,但在诱发相同强度的去极化反应时,蝇蕈醇产生的超极化弱于ＧＡＢＡ。荷包牡丹碱（１００μｍｏｌ／Ｌ）和印防已毒素（１００—３００μｍｏｌ／Ｌ）能可逆地抑制ＧＡＢＡ诱发的双相反应。Ｂａｃｌｏｆｅｎ对神经节细胞的膜电位无明显影响。结果提示,ＧＡＢＡ双相反应的去极化相由ＧＡＢＡＡ／Ｃｌ－通道受体复合物介导,而超极化相很可能由不同于经典的ＧＡＢＡＡ受体,但其药理学行为又由与之十分相近的另一种ＧＡＢＡ受体介导。