双单抗的免疫层析一步法用于早妊诊断的研究

在试管式、微孔式和斑点式的酶免测定法测定人绒毛膜促性腺激素（ＨＣＧ）的基础上,发展了应用双单克隆抗体的免疫层析一步法测定ＨＣＧ。此法用胶体金标记抗βＨＣＧ单克隆抗体,将抗αＨＣＧ单克隆抗体包被在硝酸纤维素膜上。无需分离步骤,特别是在进行测定时除加入样品外无需再加任何试剂,此方法特别迅速、简便,２～５ｍｉｎ即可得结果。凡ＨＣＧ浓度＞２５ＩＵ／Ｌ的样品可得到阳性结果。在人体血或尿中可能出现的高浓度的干扰物质,如抗坏血酸、乙酰水杨酸、雌二醇、蛋白质、胆红素、甘油三酯等对本测定均无干扰作用,在促黄体激素（ＬＨ）浓度高达５００ＩＵ／Ｌ时仍与ＨＣＧ没有交叉反应。能进行测定的最高值大于３００ＩＵ／ｍｌ,这表示,当ＨＣＧ浓度达到妊娠期的最高值时仍不会有假阴性结果。     

Localization and neuroanatomy of catecholaminergic neurons in some rotifer species

We studied Dicranophorus sp., Platyias quadricornis (Ehrb.) and Rotaria tardigrada (Ehrb.). These rotifers, systematically distant from each other, show the same pattern of the catecholaminergic (CA-ergic) part of the nervous system. It is formed of a small (23–24), but steady number of neurons characteristic for each species. Three types of CA-ergic neurons are described. The sizes of neurons vary from to two to ten µm. The distribution of the brain neurons is correlated with body shape. Such a type of nervous system is topographically comparable to the concentrated orthogon of the flatworms.     

Phylogenetic position of Dictyostelium inferred from multiple protein data sets

The phylogenetic position of Dictyostelium inferred from 18S rRNA data contradicts that from protein data. Protein trees always show the close affinity of Dictyostelium with animals, fungi, and plants, whereas in 18S rRNA trees the branching of Dictyostelium is placed at a position before the massive radiation of protist groups including the divergence of the three kingdoms. To settle this controversial issue and to determine the correct position of Dictyostelium, we inferred the phylogenetic relationship among Dictyostelium and the three kingdoms Animalia, Fungi, and Plantae by a maximum-likelihood method using 19 different protein data sets. It was shown at the significance level of 1 SE that the branching of Dictyostelium antedates the divergence of Animalia and Fungi, and Plantae is an outgroup of the Animalia-Fungi-Dictyostelium clade.Correspondence to: T. Miyata     

Evolutionary analysis of the picornavirus family

An exhaustive evolutionary analysis of the picornavirus family has been carried out using the amino acid sequences of several proteins of the viruses including: the capsid proteins (1D, 1B, and 1C) situated at the 5 end of the genome and responsible for the serotype of the viruses, and the viral polymerase (3D), located at the 3 end of the genome. The evolutionary relationships found among the viruses studied support the new classification, recently suggested, in contrast to the classical one, and the existence of a new genus for the picornavirus family. In the new taxonomic organization, five genera form the picornavirus family: (1) aphthoviruses, (2) cardioviruses, (3) hepatoviruses (previously classified as enteroviruses), (4) renteroviruses (which mainly constitute a combination of the previous genera rhinovirus and enterovirus), and (5) a new genus, with a new and unique representative: the echovirus 22. Our analysis also allowed us, for the first time, to propose the most probable sequence of speciation events to have given rise to the current picornavirus family.The bootstrap procedure was used to check the reliability of the phylogenetic trees obtained. The application of the method of the statistical geometry in distance space to internal branches of the tree revealed a high degree of evolutionary noise, which makes the resolution of some internal branching points difficult. Correspondence to: J. Dopazo     

A method for determining the position and size of optimal sequence regions for phylogenetic analysis

The availability of fast and accurate sequencing procedures along with the use of PCR has led to a proliferation of studies of variability at the molecular level in populations. Nevertheless, it is often impractical to examine long genomic stretches and a large number of individuals at the same time. In order to optimize this kind of study, we suggest a heuristic procedure for detection of the shortest region whose informational content can be considered sufficient for significant phylogenetic reconstruction. The method is based on the comparison of the pairwise genetic distances obtained from a set of sequences of reference to those obtained for different windows of variable size and position by means of a simple index. We also present an approach for testing whether the informative content in the stretches selected in this way is significantly different from the corresponding content shown by the larger genomic regions used as reference. Application of this test to the analysis of the VP1 protein gene of foot-and-mouth-disease type C virus allowed us to define optimal stretches whose informative content is not significantly different from that displayed by the complete VP1 sequence. We showed that the predictions made for type C sequences are valid for type O sequences, indicating that the results of the procedure are consistent. Correspondence to: J. Dopazo     

New methods for estimating the numbers of synonymous and nonsynonymous substitutions

New methods for estimating the numbers of synonymous and nonsynonymous substitutions per site were developed. The methods are unweighted pathway methods based on Kimura's two-parameter model. Computer simulations were conducted to evaluate the accuracies of the new methods, Nei and Gojobori's (NG) method, Miyata and Yasunaga's (MY) method, Li, Wu, and Luo's (LWL) method, and Pamilo, Bianchi, and Li's (PBL) method. The following results were obtained: (1) The NG, MY, and LWL methods give overestimates of the number of synonymous substitutions and underestimates of the number of nonsynonymous substitutions. The major cause for the biased estimation is that these three methods underestimate the number of synonymous sites and overestimate the number of nonsynonymous sites. (2) The PBL method gives better estimates of the numbers of synonymous and nonsynonymous substitutions than those obtained by the NG, MY, and LWL methods. (3) The new methods also give better estimates of the numbers of synonymous and nonsynonymous substitutions than those obtained by the NG, MY, and LWL methods. In addition, estimates of the numbers of synonymous and nonsynonymous sites obtained by the new methods are reasonably accurate. (4) In some cases, the new methods and the PBL method give biased estimates of substitution numbers. However, from the number of nucleotide substitutions at the third position of codons, we can examine whether estimates obtained by the new methods are good or not, whereas we cannot make an examination of estimates obtained by the PBL method. (5) When there are strong transition/transversion and nucleotide-frequency biases like mitochondrial genes, all of the above methods give biased estimates of substitution numbers. In such cases, Kondo et al.'s method is recommended to be used for estimating the number of synonymous substitutions, although their method cannot estimate the number of nonsynonymous substitutions and is time-consuming. These results, particularly result (1), call for reexaminations of some genes. This is because evolutionary pictures of genes have often been discussed on the basis of results obtained by the NG, MY, and LWL methods, which are favorable for the neutral theory of molecular evolution.     

On-line state recognition in a yeast fed-batch culture using error vectors

The physiological states with respect to cell growth and ethanol production in a yeast fed-batch culture expressed in linguistic form could be recognized on-line by fuzzy inferencing based on error vectors. The error vector was newly defined here in a macroscopic elemental balance equation. The physiological states for cell growth and ethanol production were characterized by error vectors using many experimental data from fed-batch cultures. Fuzzy membership functions were constructed from the frequency distributions of the error vectors and state recognition was performed by fuzzy inferencing. In particular, an unusual physiological state for a yeast cultivation, in which aerobic ethanol production was accompanied by very low cell growth, could be recognized accurately. According to the results of the state recognition, an energy parameter, the P/O ratio in the metabolic reaction model was adaptively estimated, and the cell growth was successfully evaluated with the estimated P/O. (c) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Distribution and production ofChironomus salinarius (Diptera: Chironomidae) in a shallow coastal lagoon in the Bay of Cádiz

The abundance, generation time and production ofChironomus salinarius larvae in a lagoon fish-pond system in the Bay of Cádiz were studied by taking monthly samples at 3 sites during 1991 and 1992. Numerical abundance and biomass of larvae showed considerable spatial, seasonal and interannual variation (ANCOVAs,P<0.001). The maximum mean annual density was 7048 larvae m^–2, and corresponded to a biomass of 3.08 g dry weight (DW) m^–2. It was recorded at the site with the lowest rate of water renewal. Seasonal patterns were similar at all sites, with main annual peaks of abundance and biomass in autumn-early winter. Chironomid density was positively related to the biomass of benthic macroalgae (P<0.001). The population studied was multivoltine with a probable average of five generations per year, with overlapping cohorts and a predominance of third- and fourth-instar larvae. Estimates of annual production ranged between 72.2 g DW m^–2 yr^–1 at the site with the lowest rate of water renewal in 1991 and 0.1 g DW m^–2 yr^–1 at the site with the highest rate of water renewal in 1992. Mean annual production and the production/biomass ratio for the system was estimated to be 16.8 g DW m^–2 yr^–1 and 12.7, respectively. Possible factors leading to the observed density fluctuations are discussed, as well as possible sources of error in production estimates.     

Human recombinant [C22A] FK506-binding protein amide hydrogen exchange rates from mass spectrometry match and extend those from NMR.

Hydrogen/deuterium exchange behavior of human recombinant [C22A] FK506 binding protein (C22A FKBP) has been determined by protein fragmentation, combined with electrospray Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (MS). After a specified period of H/D exchange in solution, C22A FKBP was digested by pepsin under slow exchange conditions (pH 2.4, 0 degree C), and then subjected to on-line HPLC/MS for deuterium analysis of each proteolytic peptide. The hydrogen exchange rate of each individual amide hydrogen was then determined independently by heteronuclear two-dimensional NMR on 15N-enriched C22A FKBP. A maximum entropy method (MEM) algorithm makes it possible to derive the distributions of hydrogen exchange rate constants from the MS-determined deuterium exchange-in curves in either the holoprotein or its proteolytic segments. The MEM-derived rate constant distributions of C22A FKBP and different segments of C22A FKBP are compared to the rate constants determined by NMR for individual amide protons. The rate constant distributions determined by both methods are consistent and complementary, thereby validating protein fragmentation/mass spectrometry as a reliable measure of hydrogen exchange in proteins.     

母牛分枝杆菌制剂对T淋巴细胞增殖反应影响的研究

以氚标记胸腺嘧啶核苷(~3H-TdR)掺入法检测每分钟脉冲数(CPM),比较母牛分枝杆菌活菌悬液、辐射杀死菌悬液及高温杀死菌悬液对健康人外周血T淋巴细胞增殖反应的影响.以此作为评价治疗以细胞介导免疫为主的结核病免疫功能障碍免疫制剂效力的一个重要参数.在加入单一刺激因子实验中,对照组CPM为448±131;加入BCG、母牛分枝杆菌活菌悬液、辐射杀灭菌悬液以及高温杀死菌悬液的CPM分别为1037±194,2299±140,1819±528,994±186.这4种制剂的刺激指数均在2.0以上,尤其是母牛分枝杆菌活菌悬液、辐射杀死菌悬液分别为5.13,4.06.结果表明,母牛分枝杆菌3种制剂与BCG基本相似,在体外对T淋巴细胞增殖反应有明显的促进作用,其中以活菌悬液和辐射杀死菌悬液更为显著.另一试验中,以重组白细胞介素-2(rIL-2)作对照,BCG、母牛分枝杆菌悬液、辐射杀死菌悬液及高温杀死菌悬液分别加入rIL-2,目的在于观察菌体抗原加淋巴因子对T淋巴细胞增殖反应有无协同刺激作用.对照组的CPM为3721±1336,BCG加rIL-2组CPM为6904±1218;母牛分枝杆菌3种制剂的CPM分别为9544±172…