Crystal Structure of the Botulinum Neurotoxin Type G Binding Domain: Insight into Cell Surface Binding

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) typically bind the neuronal cell surface via dual interactions with both protein receptors and gangliosides. We present here the 1.9-Å X-ray structure of the BoNT serotype G (BoNT/G) receptor binding domain (residues 868-1297) and a detailed view of protein receptor and ganglioside binding regions. The ganglioside binding motif (SxWY) has a conserved structure compared to the corresponding regions in BoNT serotype A and BoNT serotype B (BoNT/B), but several features of interactions with the hydrophilic face of the ganglioside are absent at the opposite side of the motif in the BoNT/G ganglioside binding cleft. This may significantly reduce the affinity between BoNT/G and gangliosides. BoNT/G and BoNT/B share the protein receptor synaptotagmin (Syt) I/II. The Syt binding site has a conserved hydrophobic plateau located centrally in the proposed protein receptor binding interface (Tyr1189, Phe1202, Ala1204, Pro1205, and Phe1212). Interestingly, only 5 of 14 residues that are important for binding between Syt-II and BoNT/B are conserved in BoNT/G, suggesting that the means by which BoNT/G and BoNT/B bind Syt diverges more than previously appreciated. Indeed, substitution of Syt-II Phe47 and Phe55 with alanine residues had little effect on the binding of BoNT/G, but strongly reduced the binding of BoNT/B. Furthermore, an extended solvent-exposed hydrophobic loop, located between the Syt binding site and the ganglioside binding cleft, may serve as a third membrane association and binding element to contribute to high-affinity binding to the neuronal membrane. While BoNT/G and BoNT/B are homologous to each other and both utilize Syt-I/Syt-II as their protein receptor, the precise means by which these two toxin serotypes bind to Syt appears surprisingly divergent.     

蓝舌病病毒4型特异性竞争ELISA检测方法的建立

旨在建立蓝舌病病毒4型(BTV-4)特异性抗体ELISA检测方法,为蓝舌病的免疫学诊断提供新的技术。利用制备的两株抗4型BTV VP2蛋白的单克隆抗体4A-1G7和4B-1B6,建立BTV-4特异性竞争ELISA抗体检测方法。利用该方法同时对50份羊和牛BTV阴性血清进行检测,分别确定两种方法阻断率临界值为49%和40%。利用标准阳性血清检测的试验结果表明,该方法的敏感性、特异性和重复性符合OIE通用标准。同时,4A-1G7和4B-1B6两种竞争ELISA方法联合作用,可以检测感染4、18和20型BTV的血清。研究结果为建立以上各型BTV的检测方法提供了基础。     

人源抗A型肉毒毒素单链抗体的体外亲和筛选

以重组制备的A型肉毒毒素保护性抗原为配体,对人源噬菌体免疫抗体文库进行体外定向亲和筛选,获得特异结合子,其中与抗原高亲和力结合的抗体克隆B17基因全长750bp,可编码250个氨基酸,抗体可变区基因同源分析表明,分属VH4和κ chain Ⅱ家族,是一株人源特异单链抗体基因。人源单链抗体B17在大肠杆菌中获得了重组表达,表达产物可以竞争特异肉毒抗毒素马血清与抗原的结合,是国内首次获得的抗A型肉毒毒素保护性抗原的人源单链抗体,可以在肉毒毒素检测和治疗研究中发挥作用。     

电脉冲和布吡卡因增强A型肉毒毒素DNA核酸疫苗的免疫效果

目的：考查DNA疫苗注射免疫后电脉冲和布吡卡因佐剂化DNA疫苗递送方式对A型肉毒毒素DNA核酸疫苗免疫效果的影响。方法：A型肉毒毒素DNA复制子疫苗和传统DNA疫苗肌肉注射免疫小鼠后电脉冲和布吡卡因佐剂化DNA后再肌肉注射免疫小鼠;检测免疫小鼠的抗体和细胞水平,并分析抗体亚类。结果：电脉冲和布吡卡因这二种递送方式均增强DNA复制子疫苗和传统DNA疫苗的体液免疫和细胞免疫效果;电脉冲提高DNA疫苗免疫效果更为明显,并且电脉冲和布吡卡因组合这种递送方式增强DNA疫苗体液免疫和细胞免疫水平最高;与传统DNA疫苗相比,A型肉毒毒素DNA复制子疫苗在这些递送方式下均诱导产生了更好的特异性体液免疫和细胞免疫应答,并且这些递送方式没有改变DNA疫苗的Th1/Th2免疫应答特性,即DNA复制子疫苗诱导产生Th1/Th2混合免疫应答但偏向于Th2途经,而传统DNA疫苗则完全偏向于Th2途经。结论：电脉冲和布吡卡因增强DNA复制子疫苗和传统DNA疫苗的免疫效果,是提高DNA疫苗免疫原性的良好策略。     

A型肉毒毒素保护性抗原的基因修饰及高效表达

在A型肉毒毒素保护性抗原基因初步表达的基础上,为提高表达水平,依据EMBL的DNA数据库中A型肉毒毒素基因全序列,重新设计上游引物,通过修饰基因片段N端,保持氨基酸序列不变,从已获得的A型肉毒毒素与靶细胞起结合作用的重链C端基因中,扩增小的突变基因,克隆入pGEM-T载体进行测序,并以pBV220为表达载体构建重组表达质粒,在大肠杆菌中实现高效表达。结果表明,重组表达产物占全菌蛋白的40%,酶联检测重组表达产物具有特异结合活性。A型肉毒毒素保护性抗原基因的高效表达,为下一步基因工程抗毒素和疫苗的研制奠定了基础。     

猪链球菌2型烯醇化酶的分子克隆与免疫学特性

对新近测定的猪链球菌2型(S.suis 2)05ZYH33全基因序列进行生物信息学分析,并与相关家族蛋白进行同源性比较,设计合成引物,PCR法扩增出约1.3 kb的烯醇化酶编码基因(enolase,eno),将其克隆入pMD-18T载体中,进一步亚克隆入表达载体pET32a.将重组表达质粒pET32a::eno转化E.coli BL21(DE3),经IPTG诱导表达后,SDS-PAGE初步检测到分子量约为75kD的蛋白带.通过His-Tag亲和层析纯化,获得融合蛋白His-ENO.Western-blot表明该表达产物具有免疫原性.基于ELISA进行的细胞定位实验证实了Enolase可以部分存在S.suis 2 05ZYH33细菌的表面.这提示了Enolase作为一种新发现的抗原对于引发猪链球菌相关疾病可能发挥着重要的作用.     

Diversity of Bacillus thuringiensis strains from soil in China and their pesticidal activities

A large number of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) isolates have been obtained from soil samples in China. The flagellar antigen serotypes, cry genes and crystal proteins of 570 Bt isolates were determined, and the pesticidal activity was assayed against the insects, Plutella xylostella, Heliothis armigera, Phaedon brassicae and Locusta migratoria manilensis, and the snail, Oncomelania hupensis. The results indicated that the Bt isolates were distributed within 35 H-serotypes, in which isolates of H3 were the most abundant (20%) followed by H5 (13%), H7 (9%) and H4 (8.7%), whereas isolates of other H-serotypes were less than 6%. The percentage of isolates containing the genes cry1Ac, cry1Aa/cry1Ac, cry1Aa/cry1Ac/cry1Ab, and cry1Aa/cry1Ac/cry1C was 14.7%, 6.6%, 5.6%, and 7.0%, respectively, while 265 isolates, representing 46.5% of the 570 Bt isolates, did not show any amplification product for the genes cry1Aa, cry1Ac, cry1C, cry2, cry3, cry4, cry7Aa. Some of the 570 Bt isolates caused high mortality of the assayed pests with 14.9%, 6%, 1.6%, 1.1%, and 0.2% of the isolates killing more than 90% of P. xylostella, H. armigera, P. brassicae, O. hupensis, and L. migratoria manilensis, respectively. The remaining 76.2% of the 570 isolates caused no mortality or less than 90% mortality against the tested insect and snail species.     

Therapeutic gene modified cell based cancer vaccines

History of cancer immunotherapy lasts for more than 120 years. In 1891 William B. Coley injected bacteria into inoperable cancer (bone sarcoma) and observed tumor shrinkage. He is recognized as the "'"Father of Immunotherapy"'". Cancer immunotherapy is based on the ability of the immune system to recognize cancer cells and to affect their growth and expansion. Beside the fact that, tumor cells are genetically distinct from their normal counterparts, and should be recognized and eliminated by immune system, the tumor associated antigens (TAAs) are often poorly immunogenic due to immunoediting. This process allows tumor to evolve during continuous interactions with the host immune system, and eventually escape from immune surveillance. Furthermore, tumor microenvironment consists of immunosuppressive cells that release immunosuppressive factors including IL-6, IL-10, IDO, TGFβ or VEGF. Interactions between cancer and stroma cells create network of immunosuppressive pathways, while activation of immune defense is inhibited. A key to successful immunotherapy is to overcome the local immunosuppression within tumor microenvironment and activate mechanisms that lead to tumor eradication. There are two clinical approaches of immunotherapy: active and passive. Active immunotherapy involves stimulation of immune response to tumor associated antigens (TAAs), either non-specifically via immunomodulating agents or specifically employing cancer vaccines. This review presents the progress and breakthroughs in design, development and clinical application of selected cell-based tumor vaccines achieved due to the generation and development of gene transfer technologies.     

高致病性2型猪链球菌毒素-抗毒素系统SezAT

<正>高致病性2型猪链球菌(Streptococcus suis serotype 2,SS2)属于革兰氏阳性B组链球菌,是一种重要的人畜共患传染病病原菌,它不仅可以导致猪出现急性败血症、脑膜炎、关节炎、心内膜炎及急性死亡,还可以通过伤口和呼吸道等传播途径,导致人的感染。自1998及2005年我国发生两次2型猪链球菌大流行后,该菌所引起的链球菌毒素休克综合征引起国际高度重视,我国不少学者聚焦该领域的研究[1]。本刊2012年第2期刊登了王敏、胡福泉等的文章"高致病性2型猪链球菌毒-抗素毒素系统SezAT的鉴     

猪链球菌2型89K毒力岛研究进展

高致病性猪链球菌2型的致病机制仍是未解之谜.毒力岛不仅赋予病原菌特殊的致病能力,而且在细菌的适应性进化过程中扮演重要角色.对猪链球菌2型89K毒力岛功能性基因的深入剖析有助于更全面地掌握病原菌的致病特性.综述了猪链球菌2型89K毒力岛的结构与进化过程,以及国内外对毒力岛中二元信号转导系统、Ⅳ型分泌系统、ABC转运蛋白、毒素-抗毒素系统等重要基因的研究进展,力图从基因水平为猪链球菌2型的致病机制寻找突破口.