Conversion of CD95 (Fas) Type II into Type I signaling by sub-lethal doses of cycloheximide

CD95 (Fas/Apo-1)-mediated apoptosis was shown to occur through two distinct pathways. One involves a direct activation of caspase-3 by large amounts of caspase-8 generated at the DISC (Type I cells). The other is related to the cleavage of Bid by low concentration of caspase-8, leading to the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria and the activation of caspase-3 by the cytochrome c/APAF-1/caspase-9 apoptosome (Type II cells). It is also known that the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide (CHX) sensitizes Type I cells to CD95-mediated apoptosis, but it remains contradictory whether this effect also occurs in Type II cells. Here, we show that sub-lethal doses of CHX render both Type I and Type II cells sensitive to the apoptogenic effect of anti-CD95 antibodies but not to chemotherapeutic drugs. Moreover, Bcl-2-positive Type II cells become strongly sensitive to CD95-mediated apoptosis by the addition of CHX to the cell culture. This is not the result of a restraint of the anti-apoptotic effect of Bcl-2 at the mitochondrial level since CHX-treated Type II cells still retain their resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs. Therefore, CHX treatment is granting the CD95-mediated pathway the ability to bypass the mitochondria requirement to apoptosis, much alike to what is observed in Type I cells.     

促肾上腺皮质激素释放激素及去甲肾上腺素对高原鼠兔体液免疫的抑制作用

采用第三脑室注入CRF 及N E 的方法观察对高原鼠兔(Ochotona curzoniae) 体液免疫的影响。结果表明: 第三脑室注入CRF 1 Lg 可抑制抗体生成, 比对照下降29.2%(P<0.01) , 而在第三脑室注入CRF 受体阻断剂α-helical CRF2 (9-41) 50 Lg 后再注入CRF 1 Lg 则可取消CRF 对抗体生成的抑制作用; 第三脑室注入5 nM NE, 与对照相比, 抗体水平下降38.85%(P < 0.01) , 而使用62OHDA 损毁脑内交感神经系统则使抗体水平升高24.31% (P <0.01)。这些结果表明, 高原鼠兔中枢CRF 升高对体液免疫有抑制作用, 中枢交感神经系统对体液免疫也具有紧张性抑制作用。     

A broad spectrum monoclonal antibody to alpha-tubulin does not recognize all protozoan tubulins

Summary Monoclonal antibodies able to recognize single antigenic determinants are a powerful tool for the study of immunological heterogeneity of antigens. In this paper we have used a monoclonal antibody against the -subunit of pig brain tubulin (TU-01) to investigate the immunoreactivity of tubulins from mammals, avians, amphibia, echinodermata, plathelmints, slime moulds and protozoa. Immunoreactivity was detected using immunoblotting and indirect immunofluorescence of isolated cells. Our results show that the antigenic determinant recognized by the TU-01 antibody is present in all metazoan tubulin tested and among the eukaryotic microorganisms only in the flagellateTrichomonas vaginalis. Indirect immunofluorescence also reveals that not allTrichomonas microtubules are stained by TU-01 antibody indicating the presence of different tubulins within a single cell. This results are consistent with the multitubulin hypothesis (Fulton andSimpson 1976).     

Diversity in the immune system: “Preconceived ideas” or ideas preconceived?

Two concepts of the evolution and regulation of expression of the combining site repertoire of the immune system, are compared. One view is based on the Associative Recognition Theory as formulated by the author and the other is based on the Idiotype Network Idea as conceived by Jerne. The two concepts are analyzed from the point of view of their logic, internal consistency and factual support.     

The cis-acting DNA sequences required in vivo for bacteriophage Mu helper-mediated transposition and packaging

The 37,000 bp double-stranded DNA genome of bacteriophage Mu behaves as a plaque-forming transposable element of Escherichia coli. We have defined the cis-acting DNA sequences required in vivo for transposition and packaging of the viral genome by monitoring the transposition and maturation of Mu DNA-containing pSC101 and pBR322 plasmids with an induced helper Mu prophage to provide the trans-acting functions. We found that nucleotides 1 to 54 of the Mu left end define an essential domain for transposition, and that sequences between nucleotides 126 and 203, and between 203 and 1,699, define two auxiliary domains that stimulate transposition in vivo. At the right extremity, the essential sequences for transposition require not more than the first 62 base pairs (bp), although the presence of sequences between 63 and 117 bp from the right end increases the transposition frequency about 15-fold in our system. Finally, we have delineated the pac recognition site for DNA maturation to nucleotides 32 to 54 of the Mu left end which reside inside of the first transposase binding site (L1) located between nucleotides 1–30. Thus, the transposase binding site and packaging domains of bacteriophage Mu DNA can be separated into two well-defined regions which do not appear to overlap.Abbreviations attL attachment site left - attR attachment site right - bp base pairs - Kb kilobase pair - nt nucleotide - Pu Purine - Py pyrimidine - Tn transposable element State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY 11204 USA     

Actin surface structure revealed by antibody imprints: evaluation of phage-display analysis of anti-actin antibodies

Phage-display peptide library analysis of an anti-F actin polyclonal antibody identified 12 amino acid residues of actin that appear, in its X-ray crystal structure, to be grouped together in a surface accessible conformational epitope. Phage epitope mapping was carried out by isolating immune complexes containing members of the J404 nonapeptide phage-display library formed in diluted antiserum and isolated on a protein A affinity matrix. Immunoreactive clones were grown as plaques, replica plated onto nitrocellulose, and labeled with anti-actin immune serum. One hundred and forty-four positively staining clones identified in this way were sequenced. Of these, 54 displayed peptides with sequence similarities. When the most abundantly selected sequence, KQTWQQLWD, was produced as a synthetic peptide and derivatized to ovalbumin, the complex was strongly recognized by the antiserum on Western blots and inhibited the binding of the antibody to immobilized F-actin by 60%. A scrambled version of this sequence WQDK WLQTQ, when coupled to ovalbumin, was not recognized by the antiserum and minimally inhibited binding of antiserum to immobilized F-actin by 10%. KQTWQQLWD contained four residues that corresponded, in frame, to a highly conserved six residue region of the chicken beta-actin sequence 351TFQQMW356 (identical residues are shown in bold). Examination of the rabbit skeletal muscle X-ray crystal structure suggested that within a 15 A radius of W356, nine additional residues were arranged on the actin surface in such a way that they could be mimicked by several of the selected phage sequences with root-mean-square deviation fits of 2.1-2.5 A. We conclude that phage-display analysis can provide information about the relative location of amino acids on the surfaces of proteins using antibody imprints of the protein surface structure.     

用人工合成的丁型肝炎病毒抗原多肽检测丁肝病毒IgM抗体及其初步应用

用人工合成的丁型肝炎病毒抗原（ＨＤＶ－Ａｇ）肽建立了检测抗ＨＤＶ－ＩｇＭ抗体的ＥＬＩＳＡ方法,本法操作简便、快速,重复性好,特异性强,与抗ＨＡＶ－ＩｇＭ、抗Ｈｋ－ＩｇＭ、抗ＨＢｓ－ＩｇＭ、抗ＨＣＶ－ＩｇＩ、抗ＣＭＶ－ＩｇＭ、抗ＲＶ－ＩｇＭ、类风湿因子（ＲＦ）及抗核抗体（ＡＮＡ）阳性血清均不起反应,且可被２－巯基乙醇阻断而不起反应。经初步临床应用,３１例正常人血清抗ＨＤＶ－ＩｇＭ全部阴性,２８例慢活肝患者检出率为３２．１％（９／２８）,１７例慢迁肝患者血清阳性率为１１．８％（２／１７）１８例肝癌和肝硬化病人血清阳性率为２２．２％（４／１８）这三组病人与正常对照者相比较均有显著性差异（Ｐ＜０．００１）。此外,抗ＨＤＶ－ＩｇＭ阳性血清的ＡＬＴ值均明显高于正常参考范围,提示在ＨＤＶ感染过程中,患者肝细胞进一步受损。实验结果证明,抗ＨＤＶ－ＩｇＭ是诊断ＨＤＶ感染的重要指标,对ＨＤＶ感染早期诊断具有重要价值。     

Antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 in patients with COVID-19

This paper aimed to analyze antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 in various populations. Two hundred and six COVID-19 patients, 46 convalescent patients, and 270 healthy population were enrolled. Antibodies against nucleocapsid protein (N) and spike protein's receptor-binding domain (RBD), and neutralizing antibody were detected. The results demonstrated both anti-N and anti-RBD antibodies could be detected in about 80% of COVID-19 patients and 90% of convalescent patients, while no antibodies could be detected in some convalescents and patients even after 14 days post-onset of symptoms. The level of anti-RBD antibody strongly correlated with the neutralizing activity of sera from these two cohorts. The titer of neutralizing antibody was lower in convalescents than that in active COVID-19 patients. In addition, the titer of neutralizing antibody was less than 1:80 in none of the severe COVID-19 patients, 18.8% in non-severe COVID-19 patients, and 32.6% in convalescents. The study suggests that the level of anti-RBD antibody is closely related to neutralization activity in COVID-19 patients and convalescents. Some SARS-CoV-2-infected cases trigger a weak antiviral immune response, and the level of neutralizing antibody may have a faster decay rate.