A restricted human antitetanus clonotype shares idiotypic cross-reactivity with tetanus antibodies from most human donors and rabbits: reactivity with antibodies of widely differing electrophoretic mobility

Antitetanus antibodies from each of 20 hyperimmunized human donors were isolated on a tetanus immunoadsorbent, eluted with acidic buffer, and examined by isoelectric focusing (IEF). There was electrophoretic restriction, as determined by IEF, in the IgG of only 20% of the purified antibodies studied. The remaining 80% showed a more diffuse polyclonal spectrotype. Several IEF bands from the most electrophoretically restricted sample were isolated and used to immunize rabbits. Virtually every IgG-IEF band in the antitetanus antibodies of the original donor shared idiotypic cross-reactivity as detected by one or more of the three rabbit anti-Id reagents, even though major qualitative differences in binding from one rabbit anti-Id reagent to another were noted. Antitetanus antibodies of each of the 20 donors were separated by IEF and transferred to a nitrocellulose membrane. By using a sensitive and specific ELISA detection method, cross-reactivity was detected with the rabbit anti-Id reagents in 1 to 50% of the antitetanus antibodies of individual donors. This cross-reactivity was greater than 10% in 15 of the 19 antisera studied. In addition, these cross-reactive antibodies had very different electrophoretic mobility. Binding of the rabbit anti-Id reagents to the tetanus antibodies was almost completely blocked by pretreatment with soluble tetanus toxoid antigen. This idiotypic cross-reactivity with antibodies of different electrophoretic mobility from the same and unrelated donors suggests sharing among these antibodies of one or more of the germ-line DNA-encoded hypervariable regions present in the antibody-combining site.     

Binding of antibodies and other proteins to nitrocellulose in acidic, basic, and chaotropic buffers.

This report compares the binding of proteins to nitrocellulose membranes in acidic buffers (pH 2 and 3) with binding in neutral buffer (pH 7), basic buffers (pH 12 and 13), 8 M urea (pH 2, 3, and 7), and 6 M guanidine hydrochloride (pH unadjusted). Initially, similar amounts of antibodies and other proteins bound to the nitrocellulose membrane in all of these buffers and solvents. However, the susceptibility of individual proteins to displacement (stripping) from the membrane by the milk blocking agent depended on both the pH and the type of buffer or solvent used to bind the proteins to the membrane. Most proteins that were bound to nitrocellulose in acidic buffers were relatively resistant to milk stripping compared to proteins bound in pH 7 buffer. After correction for the amount of antibody remaining on the membrane after the milk block, it was found that acid-bound antibodies were unchanged in biological activity when compared with the same antibodies bound at neutral pH. These results suggest that acid binding of proteins could increase the sensitivity of nitrocellulose membrane assays using a milk block.     

鼠李糖乳杆菌LV108及其发酵乳免疫调节作用的比较

目的探讨鼠李糖乳杆菌LV108及其发酵乳对免疫抑制小鼠免疫功能的调节作用。方法将BALB/c小鼠随机分为5组,每组10只,即空白组(正常小鼠)、模型组(免疫抑制小鼠)、药物组(免疫抑制小鼠食物中添加左旋咪唑)、LV108菌悬液组(免疫抑制小鼠食物中添加LV108菌悬液)和LV108发酵乳组(免疫抑制小鼠食物中添加LV108发酵乳),除空白组外其余组构建免疫抑制小鼠模型。干预4周后,分别测定各组小鼠体质量和脏器指数,血清中白细胞介素2(IL2)、肿瘤坏死因子α(TNFα)和免疫球蛋白G(IgG)含量,血清溶血素含量、耳肿胀度和肝、脾巨噬细胞吞噬能力。结果相比模型组,LV108菌悬液组和LV108发酵乳组小鼠体质量增长速度、脏器指数、血清IL2与IgG水平、血清溶血值、耳肿胀度和巨噬细胞吞噬能力显著升高(均P<0.05);在脾脏指数、血清IL2与TNFα水平、血清溶血素含量和耳肿胀度免疫指标上,LV108菌悬液组与LV108发酵乳组之间比较差异具有统计学意义(均P<0.05)。结论LV108菌体及发酵乳对免疫抑制小鼠具备较全面的免疫调节作用,均可提高小鼠的自身免疫力;LV108发酵乳对小鼠的免疫调节作用强于LV108菌体。     

Evidence of current impact of climate change on life: a walk from genes to the biosphere

We review the evidence of how organisms and populations are currently responding to climate change through phenotypic plasticity, genotypic evolution, changes in distribution and, in some cases, local extinction. Organisms alter their gene expression and metabolism to increase the concentrations of several antistress compounds and to change their physiology, phenology, growth and reproduction in response to climate change. Rapid adaptation and microevolution occur at the population level. Together with these phenotypic and genotypic adaptations, the movement of organisms and the turnover of populations can lead to migration toward habitats with better conditions unless hindered by barriers. Both migration and local extinction of populations have occurred. However, many unknowns for all these processes remain. The roles of phenotypic plasticity and genotypic evolution and their possible trade‐offs and links with population structure warrant further research. The application of omic techniques to ecological studies will greatly favor this research. It remains poorly understood how climate change will result in asymmetrical responses of species and how it will interact with other increasing global impacts, such as N eutrophication, changes in environmental N : P ratios and species invasion, among many others. The biogeochemical and biophysical feedbacks on climate of all these changes in vegetation are also poorly understood. We here review the evidence of responses to climate change and discuss the perspectives for increasing our knowledge of the interactions between climate change and life.