Protonic and cationic changes during cyclical cation transport driven by electron transfer

A method is described for the subcellular fractionation of goldfish xanthophores. The procedure produces relatively pure fractions of caroteniod droplets, pterinosomes, cytosol and what appears to be plasma membrane. The presence of a distinct pattern of proteins is shown to be associated with the carotenoid droplets. Treatment of the xanthophores with ACTH affects the buoyant density of some carotenoid droplets and stimulates the phosphorylation of a polypeptide associated with the carotenoid droplets.     

The Administration of an α-MSH Analogue Reduces the Serum Release of IL-1α and TNFα Induced by the Injection of a Sublethal Dose of Lipopolysaccharides in the BALB/c Mouse

The injection of α-MSH or of one of its analogues ([Nle₄-D.Phe₇] α-MSH_4–10) reduced, in vivo, the release of two cytokines (IL-1α and TNFα) involved in inflammation. The inflammatory state was induced in BALB/c mice by intraperitoneal injection of a sublethal dose of lipopolysaccharides (LPS). The assay of these cytokines by ELISA showed a reduction of 20% with α-MSH and between 30 and 60% with the α-MSH analogue. The α-MSH or the analogue was administered in one of two ways: intravenously or subcutaneously. The most efficient method seemed to be the subcutaneous one because it improved the activity 10,000 times more than the intravenous method. Moreover, the analogue induced a regression of mortality in the animals treated by the intravenous method. Our results show that α-MSH and one of its analogues inhibit IL-1α and TNFα, and can be used as anti-inflammatory molecules.     

实验小鼠种群管理（英文）

2009年11月份在西安举行由中国实验动物学会发起的实验动物医药技术培训研讨会上,本人做了关于实验小鼠种群管理的演讲。其主题涵盖了小鼠繁殖性能的维护和基因工程种群的管理。本篇文章的目的在于强调其所涵盖的材料并为进一步研究提供参考。如若对本文所讨论的内容希望有更深刻的理解,这篇文章所引用的参考资料值得进一步的阅读。另外本文未涉及远交系小鼠的繁殖培育和基因管理,但如有需要可以联系本文作者,可推荐需阅读的材料清单。     

NESTMATE RECOGNITION AND KIN RECOGNITION IN ANTS

Abstract  All ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) are highly eusocial insects that are characterized by reproductive division of labor with sterile castes (worker and soldier) helping fertile castes (queen and male) to reproduce.
Ant societies, like other complex animal societies, have developed a sophisticated communication system, in which recognition behaviors are frequently involved Recognition abilities allow individuals to orient and modulate their behaviors effectively and appropriately in response to the characteristics andlor signals expressed by other organisms. Among recognition behaviors, nestmate recognition and kin recognition mechanisms have attracted great attention of sociobiologists, ecologists, insect physiologists and biochemists since 1970's. This is parallel with the popularization of Hamilton's kin selection theory. The present paper aims at reviewing the current understanding on nestmate/kin recognition in ants. This review consists of three parts. The first part concerns the diversity of recognition behaviors and their ecological implications with emphasis on nestmatelkin recognition; in the second part, the current understandings on the mechanism of nestmatelkin recognition are outlined; and in the third part, we discuss the ontogenetic development of nestmate recognition behavior and naturally mixed colonies. The study of the integration mechanism of social parasite may provide heuristic clues to the understanding of kin/nestmate recognition system.     

Purification and characterization of immunoglobulin production stimulating factor derived from human B lymphoblastoid HO-323 cells

An immunoglobulin (Ig) production stimulating factor (IPSF) for hybridomas was found in spent medium of the human B lymphoblastoid cell line, HO-323. The IPSF was purified by serial use of DEAE chromatography, ultrafiltration, gel filtration and HPLC-DEAE chromatography. Purified IPSF was estimated to be a 410 k macro molecule by gel filtration, and contained three types of isomers which were separated from each other by native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. All of the isomers were, however, assumed to have the same protein components by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.The IPSF was effective for human-human and mouse-mouse hybridomas producing IgM, but not for IgG producers in the experimental condition used here. Human-human hybridoma HF10B4, cultured in IPSF-containing medium, produced 20 times more IgM than in IPSF-free medium under serum-free conditions. The IPSF showed very little proliferation stimulating activity on HF10B4 cells.     

Recombinant human granulocyte-colony stimulating factor and recombinant human macrophage-colony stimulating factor synergize in vivo to enhance proliferation of granulocyte-macrophage, erythroid, and multipotential progenitor cells in mice

Combinations of low dosages of purified recombinant human (rh) macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF; also termed CSF-1) and rh granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) were compared alone and in combination for their influence on the cycling rates and numbers of bone marrow and splenic granulocyte-macrophage, erythroid, and multipotential progenitor cells in vivo in mice pretreated with iron-saturated human lactoferrin (LF). LF was used to enhance detection of the stimulating effects of exogenously added CSFs. Concentrations of each CSF that were not active in vivo when given alone were active when given together, with the other CSF. The concentrations of rhM-CSF and rhG-CSF needed to increase progenitor cell cycling in the marrow and spleen were reduced by factors of 40-200 when these CSFs were administered in combination with low dosages of the other CSF. At the concentrations of rhM-CSF and rhG-CSF tested, synergism was not noted on absolute numbers of progenitor cells or total nucleated cell counts per organ or circulating in the blood. These findings may have potential relevance when considered in a clinical setting where the CSFs might be used in combination with other biotherapy and/or chemotherapy.     

Induction of reversible changes in cell-surface glycoconjugates and lung colonization potential by 13-cis retinoic acid

Murine squamous carcinoma cells (KLN205) grown in a medium supplemented with the retinoid, 13-cis retinoic acid (RA), had dose-dependent, selective increases in the expression of certain lectin receptors, which correlated with a dramatic decrease in the ability to form pulmonary colonies (P ?.0003) (Couch MJ, Pauli BU, Weinstein RS, Coon JS: JNCI, 78:971 ?977, 1987). These findings suggest a possible relationship between the RA-induced glycoconjugate alterations and the decreased experimental metastatic behavior. We further define the mechanism of RA's action. The finding that RA treatment (5 × 10^?6 M, 5 × 10^?7 M) did not perturb the cell cycle of KLN205 cells provides further proof that the decreased metastatic behavior is not attributable to any inhibition in the rate of growth or to alterations in the cell cycle. Furthermore, since stable subpopulations with variable lectin binding could not be detected, the mechanism of RA's action does not appear to be due to selection of variant tumor-cell subpopulations. Finally, in a scries of experiments designed to determine the reversibility of the RA treatment, the RA-induced decrease in metastatic behavior reverted back to a more metastatic state in the same time frame (3 days) as the reversion of the RA-induced changes in cell-surface glycoconjugate expression. This reversion provides further evidence for a close relationship between the RA-induced modulation of tumor cell-surface glycoconjugate expression and the decreased metastatic behavior; it suggests that transient, reversible modulation of the tumor cell surface may play a role in determining metastatic behavior.     

Evidence that de novo protein synthesis participates in a time-dependent augmentation of the chemotactic peptide-induced respiratory burst in neutrophils: Effects of recombinant human colony stimulating factors and dihydrocytochalasin B

We examined the effects of the recombinant human colony stimulating factors GM-CSF and G-CSF, cycloheximide (a protein synthesis inhibitor) and dihydrocytochalasin B (a microfilament disrupting agent) upon FMLP (N-formyl-methionyl-leucylphenylalanine)-stimulated O₂ ⁻ production by neutrophils. We confirmed a time dependent augmentation of O₂ ⁻ production following preincubation of neutrophils either alone or with colony stimulating factors. Furthermore, we found that GM-CSF, but not G-CSF, increased O₂ ⁻ production at some concentrations of the stimulus. Preincubation of neutrophils with cycloheximide in the absence of CSF caused a marked fall in O₂⁻-production that was first evident at 2 hours. The fall in O₂⁻-forming capacity caused by cycloheximide was much less pronounced if dihydrocytochalasin B was also included in the preincubation buffer. These findings suggest a previously unrecognized role for de novo protein synthesis in maintaining the ability of neutrophils to manufacture O₂⁻, and support earlier studies indicating that the cycling of FMLP receptors between the cell membrane and an intracellular compartment is important in determining the magnitude of the respiratory burst in FMLP-stimulated neutrophils.     

Brood raiding and the population dynamics of founding and incipient colonies of the fire ant, Solenopsis invicta

Abstract. 1. One of the first activities of minim workers in incipient fire ant nests is mutual brood raiding, the amalgamation of nests through the reciprocal stealing of brood and defection of workers.
2. Discrete mating flights created cohorts of incipient colonies. About 25% of founding nests survived the claustral period of 16–48 days (depending on season). Early incipient colony mortality was 5–6% per day. Over 60% of this mortality was accounted for through brood raiding. Most colonies raided when each cohort first became active, and many raided more than once. Raid size (number of nests, duration, distance) tended to increase during the summer as colonies grew through raiding. After the raiding period, nest mortality rate dropped 3–10-fold. Only 1–3% of founding nests were still alive at this time.
3. Queens from losing or failed nests tended to abandon their nests and attempted to enter successful ones, often following raiding trails to do so. This emigration was at least as successful as non-emigration in ultimately achieving the status of reproductrix of a successful nest (about 4%).
4. Brood raiding is a dominant process in early population dynamics, probably accounting for most of the early nest mortality. Its effect is to change the venue and unit of competition from nest-against-nest to a shifting aggregation of queens, workers and brood involving entire local populations. Nest thinning is thus very rapid, and the boost to the size of winning nests very large, allowing raiding colonies to win the competition for territory, and to achieve the early colony maturity so important to this, and other, weedy species. The importance of winning brood raids may also have driven increased minim production through the evolution of pleometrosis.     

乙型肝炎病毒表面抗原的微团化及其免疫刺激复合物抗原的理化特性和免疫原性

本文用哺乳动物细胞系表达的乙型肝炎病毒表面抗原(HBsAg),制备了HBsAg的微团化(Micelle)和免疫剂激复合物(Immune-stimulating Complexes,简称ISCOMS)两种形式的抗原。在电镜下观察,微团化抗原是由球形亚单位颗粒组成直径100～150nm的较原颗粒大得多的大颗粒,在蔗糖中的浮力密度为1.24g/ml;而ISCOMS在电镜下为直径30～40nm左右稍大于原颗粒的多面体形态颗粒。SDS-PAGE分析表明,这两种形式的颗粒都是由HBsAg的P23和GP27蛋白所组成。 小鼠免疫接种结果显示,ISCOMS的免疫原性优于微团化抗原,后者又优于原22nm HBsAg颗粒。在抗体产生的速度和强度上,ISCOMS组显著优于微团化抗原组,而微团化抗原组略优于22nm HBsAg组。 ISCOMS的免疫性强,抗体产生早,强度高,又易于制备,而且不需要使用氢氧化铝胶佐剂,有可能发展成为一种新一代的乙型肝炎疫苗。