U4 RNA is one of several small nuclear RNAs involved in the splicing of mRNA precursors. The domestic chicken has two genes per haploid genome that are capable of encoding U4 RNA. The U4X RNA gene (which encodes a sequence variant of U4 RNA that was unknown prior to the cloning of the gene) and the U4B RNA gene were both expressed in vivo in each of seven adult and three embryonic chicken tissues examined. However, the ratio of U4B RNA to U4X RNA can vary more than sevenfold in both a tissue- and stage-specific manner. 相似文献
The present study investigates the importance of the amino acid side chains in the octapeptide angiotensin II (Ang II) for binding to the AT2 receptor. A Gly scan was performed where each amino acid in Ang II was substituted one-by-one with glycine. The resulting set of peptides was tested for affinity to the AT2 receptor (porcine myometrial membranes). For a comparison, the peptides were also tested for affinity to the AT1 receptor (rat liver membranes). Only the substitution of Arg2 reduced affinity to the AT2 receptor considerably (92-fold when compared with Ang II). For the other Gly-substituted analogues the affinity to the AT2 receptor was only moderately affected. To further investigate the role of the Arg2 side chain for receptor binding, we synthesized some N-terminally modified Ang II analogues. According to these studies a positive charge in the N-terminal end of angiotensin III [Ang II (2-8)] is not required for high AT2 receptor affinity but seems to be more important in Ang II. With respect to the AT1 receptor, [Gly2]Ang II and [Gly8]Ang II lacked binding affinity (Ki > 10 microM). Replacement of the Val3 or Ile5 residues with Gly produced only a slight decrease in affinity. Interestingly, substitution of Tyr4 or His6, which are known to be very important for AT1 receptor binding, resulted in only 48 and 14 times reduction in affinity, respectively. 相似文献
Sixty-one dental surgeons at King''s College Hospital were interviewed to establish the incidence of attacks of viral hepatitis and to relate this to environmental risk factors. Six (10%) had a history of hepatitis, in one case due to infection with the hepatitis B virus. Screening blood for HBsAg by radioimmunoassay showed no carriers of the antigen, but transient antigenaemia was observed in one dentist. Antibody to HBsAg, tested by radioimmunoassay, was detected in four dentists (7%), only one of whom had had clinical hepatitis. Dental surgeons may be more at risk from infection with the hepatitis B virus than the general population, although this should be minimised in hospital practice, where the most infected patients will already have been identified and appropriate precautions can be taken. The risk of transmission from an antigen-positive dentist to his patients is probably much smaller, and there is no evidence to restrict his clinical activities. 相似文献
Entomopathogenic nematodes and parasitoid larvae of some wasps play important roles in the natural control of the pest insects. However, it has not been excluded that competition between nematodes and wasps may in some cases reduce their efficacy in the pest control. Using caterpillars of Spodoptera littoralis, we examined interactions between the nematode Steinernema carpocapsae and the venom of the parasitoid Habrobracon hebetor. The survival of S. littoralis caterpillars was reduced in a dose-dependent manner when 5 to 500 nematodes or 0.005–0.1 venom units were applied to single caterpillars. High doses of either nematodes or the venom caused death within 1–3 days in all treated hosts. The low doses of nematodes killed caterpillars within a week, in some cases when they attempted to pupate. Caterpillars receiving low venom doses were characterized by extended survival time terminated with death due to starvation. Combined treatment of nematodes and the venom were mutually synergistic and elicited severe lethal effects. The nematodes were fully resistant to the venom and can feed and grow on the symbiotic bacteria in vitro. The venom impairs food processing and causes death of caterpillars due to starvation. Disruption of the hormonal regulation of metamorphosis by ecdysteroids and juvenile hormone could be responsible for defective moults block at different stages of the moulting process, regionally restricted moulting, moults to “intermediates” combining regions of newly secreted larval and pupal cuticles. 相似文献
The complement system is an essential component of the immune response, providing a critical line of defense against different pathogens including S. pneumoniae. Complement is activated via three distinct pathways: the classical (CP), the alternative (AP) and the lectin pathway (LP). The role of Pneumolysin (PLY), a bacterial toxin released by S. pneumoniae, in triggering complement activation has been studied in vitro. Our results demonstrate that in both human and mouse sera complement was activated via the CP, initiated by direct binding of even non-specific IgM and IgG3 to PLY. Absence of CP activity in C1q−/− mouse serum completely abolished any C3 deposition. However, C1q depleted human serum strongly opsonized PLY through abundant deposition of C3 activation products, indicating that the LP may have a vital role in activating the human complement system on PLY. We identified that human L-ficolin is the critical LP recognition molecule that drives LP activation on PLY, while all of the murine LP recognition components fail to bind and activate complement on PLY. This work elucidates the detailed interactions between PLY and complement and shows for the first time a specific role of the LP in PLY-mediated complement activation in human serum. 相似文献
Both ageing and hypertension are known risk factors for atrial fibrillation (AF) although the pathophysiological contribution or interaction of the individual factors remains poorly understood. Here we aim to delineate the arrhythmogenic atrial substrate in mature spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR).
Methods
SHR were studied at 12 and 15 months of age (n = 8 per group) together with equal numbers of age-matched normotensive Wistar-Kyoto control rats (WKY). Electrophysiologic study was performed on superfused isolated right and left atrial preparations using a custom built high-density multiple-electrode array to determine effective refractory periods (ERP), atrial conduction and atrial arrhythmia inducibility. Tissue specimens were harvested for structural analysis.
Results
Compared to WKY controls, the SHR demonstrated: Higher systolic blood pressure (p<0.0001), bi-atrial enlargement (p<0.05), bi-ventricular hypertrophy (p<0.05), lower atrial ERP (p = 0.008), increased atrial conduction heterogeneity (p = 0.001) and increased atrial interstitial fibrosis (p = 0.006) & CD68-positive macrophages infiltration (p<0.0001). These changes resulted in higher atrial arrhythmia inducibility (p = 0.01) and longer induced AF episodes (p = 0.02) in 15-month old SHR. Ageing contributed to incremental bi-atrial hypertrophy (p<0.01) and atrial conduction heterogeneity (p<0.01) without affecting atrial ERP, fibrosis and arrhythmia inducibility. The limited effect of ageing on the atrial substrate may be secondary to the reduction in CD68-positive macrophages.
Conclusions
Significant atrial electrical and structural remodeling is evident in the ageing spontaneously hypertensive rat atria. Concomitant hypertension appears to play a greater pathophysiological role than ageing despite their compounding effect on the atrial substrate. Inflammation is pathophysiologically linked to the pro-fibrotic changes in the hypertensive atria. 相似文献
Corpus callosum trauma has long been implicated in mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), yet the mechanism by which forces penetrate this structure is unknown. We investigated the hypothesis that coronal and horizontal rotations produce motion of the falx cerebri that damages the corpus callosum. We analyzed previously published head kinematics of 115 sports impacts (2 diagnosed mTBI) measured with instrumented mouthguards and used finite element (FE) simulations to correlate falx displacement with corpus callosum deformation. Peak coronal accelerations were larger in impacts with mTBI (8592 rad/s2 avg.) than those without (1412 rad/s2 avg.). From FE simulations, coronal acceleration was strongly correlated with deep lateral motion of the falx center (r = 0.85), while horizontal acceleration was correlated with deep lateral motion of the falx periphery (r > 0.78). Larger lateral displacement at the falx center and periphery was correlated with higher tract-oriented strains in the corpus callosum body (r = 0.91) and genu/splenium (r > 0.72), respectively. The relationship between the corpus callosum and falx was unique: removing the falx from the FE model halved peak strains in the corpus callosum from 35% to 17%. Consistent with model results, we found indications of corpus callosum trauma in diffusion tensor imaging of the mTBI athletes. For a measured alteration of consciousness, depressed fractional anisotropy and increased mean diffusivity indicated possible damage to the mid-posterior corpus callosum. Our results suggest that the corpus callosum may be sensitive to coronal and horizontal rotations because they drive lateral motion of a relatively stiff membrane, the falx, in the direction of commissural fibers below.