疟原虫入侵人类红细胞机制研究进展

疟原虫作为一种侵入红细胞的顶复门原虫代表虫种,目前对疟原虫入侵宿主红细胞的机制知之甚少。尽管疟原虫中蛋白质的基本或非基本性质越来越明确,但其功能和蛋白质之间如何相互作用,以及如何有效的抑制疟原虫入侵的机制了解不多。论文讨论裂殖子入侵红细胞的机制,介绍裂殖子入侵宿主红细胞的早期阶段及疟原虫入侵期间与宿主红细胞的平衡和相互作用,阐明当裂殖子入侵红细胞时,由肌动蛋白-肌球蛋白收缩系统提供动力,为研究疟原虫等顶复门原虫的入侵机制奠定了基础,对研究疟原虫具有重要的意义。     

弓形虫入侵宿主分子机制研究进展

弓形虫几乎可入侵一切温血脊椎动物的有核细胞,造成较为严重的人兽共患弓形虫病,威胁人类和动物的健康。与其他病原菌入侵宿主的方式有所不同,弓形虫以一种独特的运动方式入侵宿主细胞,其中滑行运动是弓形虫成功入侵宿主细胞的关键环节。弓形虫入侵宿主是一个连续且复杂的过程,在入侵的过程中,虫体可分泌一系列蛋白质分子,以介导虫体在宿主细胞中滑行、黏附与入侵等重要功能。研究弓形虫入侵宿主细胞的详细过程,可进一步揭示介导或参与虫体入侵宿主细胞的重要蛋白质分子的作用及其机制,为弓形虫疾病的预防与治疗药物的研发提供参考。     

恶性疟原虫ApiAP2蛋白质家族研究进展

疟疾是由顶复门寄生虫——疟原虫引起的一种人畜共患病。疟原虫不仅可以感染人，还能够感染家禽、鼠、食蟹猴等多种动物，其中，鸡疟原虫病、鼠疟原虫病对畜牧业影响较大。为完成其复杂的生命周期，疟原虫需要严格的基因调控，而转录因子对基因表达的调控作用十分关键。截至目前，ApiAP2 蛋白质家族是在所有顶复门原虫中作为候选转录因子出现的唯一蛋白质家族。论文在总结已有研究的基础上，预测恶性疟原虫ApiAP2 蛋白质家族中未知功能蛋白质的调控机制，并开展对ApiAP2 蛋白质家族发生蛋白质翻译后修饰功能的展望，为畜牧业研发原虫病疫苗提供借鉴与参考。     

丝氨酸蛋白酶在昆虫先天免疫中的功能和作用机制研究进展

昆虫先天免疫系统包括细胞免疫和体液免疫。细胞免疫主要通过昆虫血液中的浆细胞对入侵的微生物进行吞噬;体液免疫比较复杂,涉及到昆虫体内许多蛋白质之间的相互作用,其中丝氨酸蛋白酶及其同源物与血淋巴黑化和抗菌肽合成等过程密切相关,如参与胞内酚氧化酶原及Toll免疫信号途径的激活等,因而在昆虫的体液免疫中发挥着重要作用。本文就昆虫丝氨酸蛋白酶及其同源物的类型、结构与功能以及家蚕丝氨酸蛋白酶的研究进展进行综述,为促进家蚕、蜜蜂等经济昆虫先天免疫的分子机制研究提供参考。     

分子伴侣在病毒感染中的作用

随着蛋白质研究技术的不断发展，数以百种的蛋白质三维结构已研究得较为清楚，但对于这些蛋白质折叠成天然构象的途径和机制所知甚少。通常认为蛋白质的一级结构决定了蛋白质的三级和四级结构，但近年来研究表明，在很多蛋白质的折叠与装配过程中，有其他蛋白质或酶的参与，其中分子伴侣就是目前研究得最多、最热的一种。病毒是细胞内寄生物，分子伴侣与病毒的增殖过程密切相关，从病毒基因组复制的起始、转录的进行、翻译的完成到病毒粒子的装配成熟．甚至病毒成分在宿主体内的转运都有分子伴侣的参与。随着病毒与分子伴侣相互关系研究的深入，产生了抗病毒的又一个可能的途径。     

顶复门原虫棒状体蛋白疫苗候选分子的研究进展

顶复门原虫是一类专一性的胞内寄生性原虫,其种类丰富、分布广泛,包括艾美耳球虫、巴贝斯虫、隐孢子虫、疟原虫和弓形虫等.此类原虫具有保守的棒状体、致密颗粒以及微线等顶端复合器结构,这些细胞器可分泌大量的入侵相关蛋白分子介导虫体入侵宿主细胞.而棒状体蛋白是这类原虫在入侵过程中由棒状体分泌的一类蛋白,其在虫体入侵宿主细胞、纳虫...     

分子伴侣及在病毒增殖中的作用

随着蛋白质研究技术的不断发展，数以百种的蛋白质三维结构已研究的较为清楚，但对于这些蛋白质折叠成天然构象的途径和机制尚知之甚少。通常认为蛋白质的1级结构决定了蛋白质的3级和4级结构，但近年来研究表明，在很多蛋白质的折叠与装配过程中，有其他蛋白质或酶的参与，其中分子伴侣就是目前研究得最多也是研究最热的一种。病毒是细胞内寄生物，分子伴侣与病毒的增殖过程密切相关，从病毒复制的起始、转录的进行、翻译的完成到病毒粒子的装配成熟，甚至病毒在宿主体内的转运都有分子伴侣的参与。随着病毒与分子伴侣相互关系研究的深入，产生了抗病毒的又一可能新途径。     

抗疟药对牛感染錐虫病的疗效试验

我县牛的锥虫感染率较高。目前应用的抗锥虫药,购买常有困难,价格也较高,我们试图寻找在农村易得的抗锥虫药物。疟原虫、锥虫都是血液原虫,它们有某些共性,抗疟药也可能有一定的抗锥虫作用。1968年开始,用四种抗疟药试验于感染锥虫的牛只。     

麻疹病毒细胞受体研究进展

麻疹病毒是一种引起儿童急性呼吸道感染的传染病,属于副黏病毒科麻疹病毒属,同属的还包括犬瘟热病毒、牛瘟病毒等。细胞受体是病毒入侵易感细胞和启动感染的关键。目前,3种蛋白质分子——膜辅蛋白CD46、信号淋巴细胞激活因子SLAM和细胞黏附分子Nectin-4已经被证实是介导麻疹病毒入侵易感染细胞和启动感染的受体。论文综述了麻疹病毒3种细胞受体的研究进展,对深入了解病毒与宿主间的相互关系及有针对性地进行抗病毒药物、疫苗研制具有重大意义。     

顶复门原虫入侵相关因子的研究进展

顶复门原虫是一类专一性的细胞内寄生原虫,包括弓形虫(Toxoplasma gondii)、隐孢子虫(Cryptosporidium spp.)、疟原虫(Plasmodium spp.)、巴贝斯虫(Babesia spp.)及艾美耳球虫(Eimeria spp.)等,是人和动物的重要病原.这类原虫具有相似的亚细胞结构和保守的入侵机制.研究结果表明,入侵过程是由大量的入侵相关蛋白分子所介导的,包括微线、棒状体及致密颗粒所分泌的相关蛋白等.随着生物信息学及分子生物学的发展,顶复门原虫入侵相关蛋白分子的研究资料也日益增多.笔者结合最近几年本课题组的研究成果,综述了顶复门原虫入侵相关蛋白因子的最新进展.     

A new type of pterocarpanquinone that affects Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites in vitro

Toxoplasma gondii, the agent of Toxoplasmosis, is an obligate intracellular protozoan able to infect a wide range of vertebrate cells, including nonprofessional and professional phagocytes. Therefore, drugs must have intracellular activities in order to control this parasite. The most common therapy for Toxoplasmosis is the combination of sulfadiazine and pyrimethamine. This treatment is associated with adverse reactions, thus, the development of new drugs is necessary. In previous studies, naphthoquinone derivatives showed anti-cancer activity functioning as agents capable of acting on groups of DNA, preventing cancer cells duplication. These derivatives also display anti-parasitic activity against Plasmodium falciparum and Leishmania amazonensis. The derivative pterocarpanquinone tested in this work resulted from the molecular hybridization between pterocarpans and naphtoquinone that presents anti-tumoral and anti-parasitic activities of lapachol. The aim of this work was to determine if this derivative is able to change T. gondii growth within LLC-MK2 cells. The drug did not arrest host cell growth, but was able to decrease the infection index of T. gondii with an IC(50) of 2.5 μM. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy analysis showed morphological changes of parasites including membrane damage. The parasite that survived tended to encyst as seen by Dolichos biflorus lectin staining and Bag-1 expression. These results suggest that pterocarpanquinones are drugs potentially important for the killing and encystment of T. gondii.     

Cellular adhesive phenomena in apicomplexan parasites of red blood cells

The apicomplexan parasites Babesia and Plasmodium are related, yet phylogenetically distinct haemoprotozoa that infect red blood cells and cause severe diseases of major human and veterinary importance. A variety of cellular and molecular interactions are pivotal in many aspects of the pathogenicity of these two parasites. Comparison of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that culminate in accumulation of parasitised red blood cells in the microvasculature of cattle infected with Babesia bovis (babesiosis) and humans infected with Plasmodium falciparum (falciparum malaria) is particularly instructive given the striking similarities in the pathophysiology of these two important medical and veterinary diseases. While such adhesive phenomena have been studied extensively in malaria, they have received relatively little attention in babesiosis. In this review, we summarise the findings of more than 25 years of research into cellular adhesive phenomena in malaria and speculate on how this body of work can now be applied to Babesia parasites. Such information is fundamental if we are to learn more about the biology of Babesia parasites, the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which they cause infection and disease and how to develop novel therapeutic strategies or vaccines for both Babesia and malaria infections.     

Ethanol euthanasia and its effect on the binding of antibody generated against an immunogenic peptide construct.

Mice were immunised with an immunogenic peptide construct CKNNNSTNSGI coupled to diphtheria toxoid as a carrier. This peptide sequence contains the epitope STNS which is the target of inhibitory monoclonal antibodies directed against the second merozoite surface antigen of Plasmodium falciparum. Antisera raised against the peptide construct were taken using an injection of 70 per cent ethanol or sodium pentobarbitone as methods of euthanasia and these methods compared by determining their effects on the binding specificity of the antibody to the antigen using the immunological criteria of immunofluorescence, immunoblotting criteria of immunofluorescence, immunoblotting and ELISA assays. There was no significant decrease in antibody binding with either sodium pentobarbitone, or ethanol with a final concentration of less than 30 per cent in mouse antisera. Antisera with an added ethanol concentration of 40 to 60 per cent relaxed antibody conformation and this raises the possibility of using the differential effects of ethanol as a tool in mapping antigenic fine structure of a range of antibodies directed against defined epitopes. The cross-reactive response of non-specific antibodies in polyclonal antisera was lowered at the suggested dosage for ethanol euthanasia. Ethanol has immense potential as an alternative method of euthanasia when barbiturate drugs, such as sodium pentobarbitone, are unavailable in specific experimental protocols. This may especially aid research workers in developing countries involved in vaccine development, antibody production and subsequent serological analysis.     

cDNA cloning of a Rab5 homologue in Babesia gibsoni

For studying protein trafficking in Babesia-infected erythrocyte, we describe the cloning of a Rab5, one of molecular marker for vesicle trafficking in eukaryotic cells, gene homologue in Babesia gibsoni (BgRab5). The full-length cDNA of BgRab5 is 1,020 bp long with an open reading frame encoding a protein of 220 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence of BgRab5 contained the highly conserved GTP-binding consensus sequence and shares about 40% homology with that of Rab5 from Plasmodium falciparum, Toxoplasma gondii, Dog, Lotus japonicusor, Oryza sativa. Northern blot analysis showed that the BgRab5 probe hybridized with a 1kb band in total RNA from parasitized erythrocytes, that was consistent with the size of the BgRab5 full-length cDNA.     

柔嫩艾美耳球虫（E，Etenella）马杜拉霉素抗药株和敏感株孢子化卵囊的蛋白质差异分析

利用双向电泳技术，对本实验室诱导保存的柔嫩艾美耳球虫马杜拉霉素抗药株与敏感株的蛋白质表达图谱进行差异比较和分析，发现两者之间差异有4个蛋白质斑点，利用MALDI—TOF—TOF质谱技术对3个差异明显的蛋白质斑点进行分析鉴定，获得3个明确的肽质量指纹图谱，通过在NCBInr数据库中检索分析，确定了其中1种蛋白质为球虫子孢子表面抗原TA4。另外2种蛋白质与疟原虫的Pfjl和线粒体转运蛋白受体Tom40具有很高的同源性，上述蛋白的鉴定将对球虫的抗药性产生机理和柔嫩艾美耳球虫马杜拉霉素抗药株的分之标志物提供了研究方向。     

In vitro antibody response to the tetrapeptide repeats of Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein by splenocytes from mice infected with P. yoelii yoelii

The antibody response to the recombinant protein, R32tet32, which contained the repetitive sequence (NANP)n of Plasmodium falciparum CSP was determined in C57BL/6 mice during the course of nonlethal infection with Plasmodium yoelii 17X. Marked suppression of the IgG antibody response to R32tet32 occurred when mice were immunized at peak parasitemia (on day 16). In vitro antibody responses of spleen cells from acutely infected mice to R32tet32 were similarly suppressed. Stimulation of normal spleen cells cultured for 5 days with 100 ng/ml of R32tet32 gave an optimal IgG antibody response, but spleen cells from infected mice obtained at peak parasitemia failed to respond to a broad range of antigen concentrations. Cocultivation studies employing enriched lymphocyte populations from infected and uninfected C57BL/6 mice indicated that both T and B cells from infected mice were defective in their response to R32tet32. The response to the repetitive region was restored by the addition of recombinant mouse interleukin-2 (IL-2) at a dose of 50 U/ml to cultures of spleen cells from infected mice.     

Cloning and characterization of cDNA encoding a prohibitin-like protein from Theileria orientalis

A cDNA clone encoding a prohibitin-like protein (Toprh) was isolated from a piroplasm cDNA library of Theileria orientalis and its nucleotide sequence was determined. An open reading frame, encoding a polypeptide of 278 amino acid residues, was found in Toprh cDNA sequence. An intron of 89 bp was identified when this cDNA clone was compared with the Toprh gene in the genome of T. orientalis. The deduced amino acid sequence of Toprh shares 93.8, 93.1 and 69.1% identities with the prohibitins of T. parva (from chromosome 1), T. annulata (from chromosome 1), and Plasmodium falciparum, (from chromosome 10), respectively. By Western blot analysis, Toprh was found to be expressed in the piroplasm stage of the parasites.