High prevalence of serum folate receptor autoantibodies in children with autism spectrum disorders

Abstract

Background: Supplementation of folic acid by pregnant mothers is thought to lower the risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in the offspring. Folic acid is taken up by cells via receptors with high affinity for folate and reduced folic acid derivatives. However, this is blocked by the presence of folate receptor autoantibodies (FRAA). Cerebral FRAA have been detected with high frequency in children with ASDs, suggesting the existence of a link between folic acid uptake and disease aetiology.

Methods: We investigated the frequency of FRAA in serum samples from 40 children with ASDs and 42 gender- and age-matched children with typical development (TD). Serum FRAA concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results: We found a significant difference in the frequency of serum FRAA in the two study cohorts. Serum FRAA were present in 77.5% (31/40) of children with ASDs compared with 54.8% (23/42) of TD children (p?=?0.03746, Fischer’s exact test). Thus, serum FRAA are more prevalent in children with ASDs than in TD children.

Conclusions: Our data suggest that children with ASDs may have defects in folic acid absorption that play a role in the onset of ASDs.     

Molecular Identification and Diversity of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma solani’ Associated with Red‐leaf Disease of Salvia miltiorrhiza in China

Reddening disease has recently been threatening Salvia miltiorrhiza in China, ranging from 30 to 50%. The main symptoms observed, such as plant stunting, inflorescence malformation, leaf reddening, fibrous roots browning, skin blackening and eventually root rot, are typically associated with phytoplasma infection. The presence of phytoplasmas was demonstrated through phytoplasma‐specific PCR, with the expected amplification (1.8 kb) from symptomatic S. miltiorrhiza plants from Shangluo, Shangzhou and Luonan fields in Shaanxi Province of China. The sequences of 16S rRNA, tuf, secY and vmp1 genes amplified from LN‐1 phytoplasma shared the closest homologies of 99%, 100%, 99% and 98% with those of the reference strain Candidatus Phytoplasma solani (subgroup 16SrXII‐A), respectively. The phylogenetic trees showed that LN‐1 phytoplasma clustered with the members of 16SrXII‐A group, including Ca. P. solani. Computer‐simulated restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis further supported this classification. Diversity analysis showed that all ‘Ca. P. solani’ strains identified from the three different regions examined shared 100% identical 16S rRNA, tuf, secY and vmp1 nucleotide sequences. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of phytoplasma infecting the medicinal plant of S. miltiorrhiza. The results demonstrate that ‘Ca. P. solani’ is the presumptive aetiological agent of S. miltiorrhiza reddening disease in China.     

Purification and Properties of a β-1,3-glucanase from Chaetomium sp. that is Involved in Mycoparasitism

A β-1,3-glucanase was detected, using laminarin as substrate, in the culture broth of Chaetomium sp. Major activity was associated with a 70 kDa protein band visualized on a polyacrylamide gel. β-1,3-Glucanase was purified by a one-step, native gel purification procedure. Optimal activity was observed at pH 6.0 and 30 °C (over 30 min). It could degrade cell walls of plant pathogens including Rhizoctonia solani, Gibberella zeae, Fusarium sp., Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Phoma sp. The N-terminal amino acid residues of the purified β-1,3-glucanase are PYQLQTP, which do not exhibit homology to other fungal β-1,3-glucanases suggesting it may be a novel enzyme. Received 20 July 2005; Revisions requested 2 August 2005 and 27 September 2005; Revisions received 16 September 2005 and 3 November 2005; Accepted 6 November 2005     

Design,synthesis and biological evaluation of indeno[1,2-d]thiazole derivatives as potent histone deacetylase inhibitors

Novel indeno[1,2-d]thiazole hydroxamic acids were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for histone deacetylases (HDACs) inhibition and antiproliferative activities on tumor cell lines. Most of the tested compounds exhibited HDAC inhibition and antiproliferative activity against both MCF7 and HCT116 cells with GI₅₀ values in the sub-micromolar range. Among them, compound 6o showed good inhibitory activity against pan-HDAC with IC₅₀ value of 0.14 μM and significant growth inhibition on MCF7 and HCT116 cells with GI₅₀ values of 0.869 and 0.535 μM, respectively.     

一株拮抗黄单胞菌的贝莱斯芽孢杆菌的分离和鉴定

【目的】为了筛选防治水稻条斑病(bacterial leaf streak,BLS)的生防细菌。【方法】以水稻条斑病菌(Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola,Xoc)的模式菌株RS105为靶标菌,采用平板稀释和抑菌圈法,从空心菜根际土壤中筛选到一株对RS105具有拮抗作用的细菌菌株504。通过形态学、生理生化特征以及16SrDNA和gyrA序列分析对菌株504进行了鉴定。利用牛津杯法测定504对植物病原黄单胞菌的拮抗活性及其无菌发酵液拮抗活性的稳定性。通过PCR扩增预测504编码合成脂肽类和聚酮类化合物的合成相关基因。采用苗期水稻注射接菌法来评价水稻组织中504对Xoc的拮抗活性。【结果】菌株鉴定结果表明504为贝莱斯芽孢杆菌,命名为Bacillusvelezensis504。抑菌实验显示,B.velezensis504对黄单胞菌属的细菌具有较好的抑菌活性,对水稻白叶枯病菌(X. oryzae pv. oryzae,Xoo)的拮抗效果最显著。基因预测结果显示,B. velezensis 504含有fenA、dhbA、sfrA、bmyA、beaS、dfnA及bacA等编码脂肽类和聚酮糖类抑菌化合物的基因簇。其无菌发酵液的活性物质耐高温和蛋白酶降解,但不耐强酸、强碱,在pH值为5.5–8.9时仍具有稳定的拮抗活性。在高感水稻品种原丰早上,B. velezensis 504对Xoc在水稻叶片中引起的水渍症状具有显著的抑制作用。【结论】B. velezensis 504能够特异性拮抗黄单胞菌,在黄单胞菌引起的细菌性病害的生物防治中将具有较大的应用潜力。     

Production of Native Bispecific Antibodies in Rabbits

Background

A natural bispecific antibody, which can be produced by exchanging Fab arms of two IgG4 molecules, was first described in allergic patients receiving therapeutic injections with two distinct allergens. However, no information has been published on the production of natural bispecific antibody in animals. Even more important, establishment of an animal model is a useful approach to investigate and characterize the naturally occurring antibody.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We demonstrated that a natural bispecific antibody can also be generated in New Zealand white rabbits by immunization with synthesized conjugates. These antibodies showed bispecificity to the components that were simultaneously used to immunize the animals. We observed a trend in our test animals that female rabbits exhibited stronger bispecific antibody responses than males. The bispecific antibody was monomeric and primarily belonged to immunoglobulin (Ig) G. Moreover, bispecific antibodies were demonstrated by mixing 2 purified monospecific antibodies in vivo and in vitro.

Conclusions/Significance

Our results extend the context of natural bispecific antibodies on the basis of bispecific IgG4, and may provide insights into the exploration of native bispecific antibodies in immunological diseases.     

使用多因素易患性阈值模型评估双相情感障碍的遗传度缺失

为了评估双向情感障碍的遗传度缺失,文章通过查询美国国家人类基因组研究所(National Human Genome Research Institute,NHGRI)的gwascatalog目录,检索出所有已发现的双相情感障碍易感变异,使用多因素易患性阈值模型计算每个易感变异对双相情感障碍遗传度的解释度。将所有易感变异遗传度解释度求和得到双相情感障碍已知易感变异对遗传度的总解释度,使用此总解释度评估双相情感障碍的遗传度缺失。结果显示,已知双相情感障碍易感变异对双相情感障碍遗传度的合计解释度为38.34%,尚有61.66%的遗传度无法被已有易感变异解释,属于遗传度缺失。双相情感障碍38.34%的遗传度解释度较早前国外同类研究大幅度提高,表明随着新的双相情感障碍易感变异被不断发现,双相情感障碍遗传度缺失得到大幅度减小。但双相情感障碍遗传度缺失依然存在且数目较大的事实也表明双相情感障碍尚存在许多未知的分子遗传学机制有待进一步阐明。     

An improved,versatile and efficient modular plasmid assembly system for expression analyses of genes in Xanthomonas oryzae

Xanthomonas oryzae pathovars oryzae (Xoo) and oryzicola (Xoc) infect rice, causing bacterial blight and bacterial leaf streak, respectively, which are two economically important bacterial diseases in paddy fields. The interactions of Xoo and Xoc with rice can be used as models for studying fundamental aspects of bacterial pathogenesis and host tissue specificity. However, an improved vector system for gene expression analysis is desired for Xoo and Xoc because some broad host range vectors that can replicate stably in X. oryzae pathovars are low-copy number plasmids. To overcome this limitation, we developed a modular plasmid assembly system to transfer the functional DNA modules from the entry vectors into the pHM1-derived backbone vectors on a high-copy number basis. We demonstrated the feasibility of our vector system for protein detection, and quantification of virulence gene expression under laboratory conditions and in association with host rice and nonhost tobacco cells. This system also allows execution of a mutant complementation equivalent to the single-copy chromosomal integration system and tracing of pathogens in rice leaf. Based on this assembly system, we constructed a series of protein expression and promoter-probe vectors suitable for classical double restriction enzyme cloning. These vector systems enable cloning of all genes or promoters of interest from Xoo and Xoc strains. Our modular assembly system represents a versatile and highly efficient toolkit for gene expression analysis that will accelerate studies on interactions of X. oryzae with rice.     

Si‐Doping Mediated Phase Control from β‐ to γ‐Form Li3VO4 toward Smoothing Li Insertion/Extraction

The γ phase Li₃VO₄ which possesses higher ionic conductivity is more preferable for lithium ion batteries, but it is only stable at high temperature and would convert to low temperature β phase spontaneously when cooling down. Here, the phase control of Li₃VO₄ to stabilize its γ phase in room temperature is successfully mediated by introducing proper Si‐doping, and for the first time the electrochemical performances of γ‐Li₃VO₄ is investigated. It is found that pure γ‐Li₃VO₄ can be obtained in a doping ratio of x = 0.05–0.15 in Li_3+xV_1?xSi_xO₄ with addition of excess Li source in synthesis design. The doping mechanism and the energy changes are investigated in detail by using the first principle calculations, it reveals that an interstitial Li⁺ is formed with doping of Si⁴⁺ in Li₃VO₄ to balance the system charge. When served as an anode, the Si‐doped γ‐Li₃VO₄ shows much smoothed Li⁺ insertion/extraction and enhanced cycle stability with only a single pair of redox peaks, which behaves much different with the complex multicouples of redox peaks in typical β‐Li₃VO₄. These changes in electrochemical performances implies that γ‐Li₃VO₄ can effectively accommodate Li⁺ in an easier and more facile way and relieved structure stress during the charge/discharge process.     

Verdinexor,a Selective Inhibitor of Nuclear Exportin 1, Inhibits the Proliferation and Migration of Esophageal Cancer via XPO1/c-Myc/FOSL1 Axis

Esophageal carcinoma (EC) ranks sixth among cancers in mortality worldwide and effective drugs to reduce EC incidence and mortality are lacking. To explore potential anti-esophageal cancer drugs, we conducted drug screening and discovered that verdinexor, a selective inhibitor of nuclear exportin 1 (XPO1/CRM1), has anti-esophageal cancer effects both in vivo and in vitro. However, the mechanism and role of verdinexor in esophageal cancer remain unknown. In the present study, we observed that verdinexor inhibited the proliferation and migration of EC cells in vitro and suppressed tumor growth in vivo. Additionally, we found that verdinexor induced cleavage of PARP and downregulated XPO1, c-Myc, and FOSL1 expression. RNA-sequence analysis and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis revealed that verdinexor regulated the XPO1/c-Myc/FOSL1 axis. The results of immunoprecipitation and proximity ligation assays confirmed that verdinexor disrupted the interaction between XPO1 and c-Myc. Overexpression of c-Myc rescued the inhibition of cell proliferation and cell migration caused by verdinexor. Overexpressed FOSL1 restored the inhibited migration by verdinexor. Taken together, verdinexor inhibited cell proliferation and migration of esophageal cancer via XPO1/c-Myc/FOSL1 axis. Our findings provide a new option for the development of anti-esophageal cancer drugs.