Effect of environmental conditions on proteins secreted by enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O26:H11

Infections due to Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are responsible for severe diarrheal diseases in humans, and these bacteria have recently emerged as a leading cause of renal failure and encephalitis in children and the aged. In this study, we examined the environment-dependent production of proteins secreted from a strain of STEC O26:H11 by trichloroacetic acid precipitation, SDS-PAGE, Western blotting and N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis. Growth of bacteria in essential minimum medium (M9) led to the detection of secreted proteins of 104, 80,40, 37 and 25 kDa (P104, P80, P40, P37 and P25, respectively). When grown in serum-free MEM, only P104, P40, P37 and P25 were observed in supernatant fluids. Growth of the bacteria in Luria-Bertani broth (LB) enhanced the expression of P104, but the productions of the other proteins were remarkably reduced. CO2 increased the secretion of P80 and P37, but reduced the production of P104. N-terminal amino acid sequencing revealed that P104 was EspP of STEC, which was homologous to EspC of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC), and both proteins belong to a subclass of the IgA protease family. P80, which was identified as EspE of STEC, was homologous to Tir of EPEC. P40, P37 and P25 were found to be highly homologous to the similarly sized EspD, EspB and EspA proteins, previously detected in culture supernatants of EPEC. Those proteins are thought to be STEC virulence factors. Sera were obtained from two patients, one with colitis and another with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), caused by STEC O157:H7, to study immune response to secreted proteins. Our results suggested that Tir caused immune response following STEC disease.     

Antimicrobial susceptibilities of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli isolates from pigs with edema disease in Japan

Fifty-seven Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains isolated from pigs with edema disease (ED) from 1997 to 2001 in Japan were examined for antimicrobial susceptibilities. The susceptibilities were compared with those of E. coli ATCC 23546 isolated from pig with ED in the 1950's. Consequently, the isolated STECs showed high susceptibility to peptides and bicozamycin in a way similar to the reference strain. On the other hand, the STECs showed low susceptibility to beta-lactams, tetracyclines, novobiocin, fosfomycin, trimethoprim, and old quinolones. It became clear that the susceptibilities of the isolated STECs had diminished in regard to antimicrobials.     

A tumor cell line producing granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and an immune suppressive factor

From a patient, both a cell line incapable of secreting granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) (TC873) and a cell line capable of secreting G-CSF (TCM902) were established. The effector cells induced, with TC873 cells showed a high lytic capacity against two types of tumor cells. The effector cells induced by TCM902 cells did not show such capacity. Furthermore, the TCM902 cells excreted a factor suppressing the proliferation of lymphokine activated killer (LAK) cells and the autologous tumor cell lysis of tumor associated lymphocytes. This factor probably is TFG- ₁.Abbreviations CSF colony stimulating factor - ELISA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay - G granulocyte - GM granulocyte-monocyte - IFN interferon - IL interleukin - LAK lymphokine activated killer - M monocyte - MLTC mixed lymphocyte tumor cell culture - TGF transforming growth factor - TILs tumor infiltrating lymphocytes - TNF tumor necrosis factor     

Immunofluorescence study of LH-RH producing cells in the human fetal hypothalamus

Summary The use of antibodies to synthetic LH-RH has enabled the detection by immunofluorescence of hypothalamic LH-RH producing cells in the human fetus. The perikarya of these cells are located in the pericommissural and preoptic regions, in the lamina terminalis and in the premamillary region. Reactive axons occur in the median eminence. The first LH-RH producing cells are seen as early as nine weeks of gestation. The specificity of immunocytological reaction has been controlled.     

Preliminary evidence for novel fucose-containing lipids in normal and murine sarcoma virus-transformed rat cells.

Two fucose-containing lipids with long chain base as their apolar moiety are described. These compounds were shown to possess a free amino group and a net positive charge by derivatization with specific amino reagents and by cation exchange column chromatography. The presence of long chain base was demonstrated by periodate-NaB[³H]₄ treatment to yield long chain alcohol and by [³H]-dansylation followed by hydrolysis to yield dansyl-long chain base.     

Topical astilbin ameliorates imiquimod‐induced psoriasis‐like skin lesions in SKH‐1 mice via suppression dendritic cell‐Th17 inflammation axis

Astilbin, an essential component of Rhizoma smilacis glabrae, exerts significant antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory effects against various autoimmune diseases. We have previously reported that astilbin decreases proliferation and improves differentiation of HaCaT keratinocytes in a psoriatic model. The present study was designed to evaluate the potential therapeutic effects of topical administration of astilbin on an imiquimod (IMQ)‐induced psoriasis‐like murine model and to reveal their underlying mechanisms. Topical administration of astilbin at a lower dose alleviated IMQ‐induced psoriasis‐like skin lesions by inducing the differentiation of epidermal keratinocytes in mice, and the therapeutic effect was even better than that of calcipotriol. Moreover, the inflammatory skin disorder was relieved by astilbin treatment characterized by a reduction in both IL‐17‐producing T cell accumulation and psoriasis‐specific cytokine expression in skin lesions. Furthermore, we found that astilbin inhibited R837‐induced maturation and activation of bone marrow‐derived dendritic cells and decreased the expression of pro‐inflammatory cytokines by downregulating myeloid differentiation factor 88. Our findings provide the convincing evidence that lower doses of astilbin might attenuate psoriasis by interfering with the abnormal activation and differentiation of keratinocytes and accumulation of IL‐17‐producing T cells in skin lesions. Our results strongly support the pre‐clinical application of astilbin for psoriasis treatment.     

草鱼肾脏和脾脏血细胞发育过程的观察

鱼类肾脏、脾脏是机体造血的主要器官。印迹涂片显示:草鱼肾脏和脾脏内血细胞的发育过程大致经历了三个阶段,即原始阶段、幼稚阶段、成熟阶段。本文着重描述了各阶段细胞的形态特征井对草鱼血细胞的发育及命名等问题作了初步的探讨。       

代谢工程及其在产苯丙氨酸基因工程菌构建中的应用

本文对代谢工程的发展状况从研究方法,在医药、农业及环保中应用等几方面做了概括地介绍;从宿主的选择,加速限速反应,改变代谢流和生产程序的优化几方面较为详细地评述了代谢工程在苯丙氨酸基因工程菌构建方面的应用,并对代谢工程的未来发展进行了展望。     

Mechanism of action of salsolinol on tyrosine hydroxylase

Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) is the first and rate-limiting enzyme in dopamine synthesis. Dopamine regulates TH as an end-product inhibitor through its binding to a high and low affinity site, the former being abolished by Ser40 phosphorylation only, and the latter able to bind and dissociate according to intracellular dopamine levels. Here, we have investigated TH inhibition by a dopamine metabolite found in dopaminergic brain regions, salsolinol (SAL). SAL is known to decrease dopamine in the nigrostriatal pathway and mediobasal hypothalamus, and to also decrease plasma catecholamines in rat stress models, however a target and mechanism for the effects of SAL have not been found. We found that SAL inhibits TH activity in the nanomolar range in vitro, by binding to both the high and low affinity dopamine binding sites. SAL produces the same level of inhibition as dopamine when TH is non-phosphorylated. However, it produces 3.7-fold greater inhibition of Ser40-phosphorylated TH compared to dopamine by competing more strongly with tetrahydrobiopterin, the cofactor of this enzymatic reaction. SAL’s potent inhibition of phosphorylated TH would prevent TH from being fully activated to synthesise dopamine.