Analysis of the distribution and clonality of TCR Vβ T cells in cord blood

AIM:To investigate the distribution and clonality of TCR Vβ subfamily T cells in cord blood. METHODS:The CDR3 of TCR Vβ 24 subfamily genes were amplified in mononuclear cells from 13 cases of cord blood. To observe the usage of TCR Vβ repertoire, the PCR products were further labeled with fluorescent and analyzed by genescan technique for the CDR3 size, to evaluate clonality of the detectable TCR Vβ T cells. Peripheral bloods from 10 cases of normal individuals and T cell line Molt-4 and Jurkat served as controls. RESULTS:Only 38.78%±16.26% of 24 Vβ subfamily T cell were selectively expressed in cord blood, predominantly in Vβ 3, 5, 8, 9 and 13, whereas all 24 Vβ subfamilies could be detected in T cells from peripheral blood of normal individuals. Genescan analysis showed that all PCR products of TCR Vβ subfamilies from cord blood or normal individual peripheral blood displayed multi-peaks. CONCLUSION:Some TCR Vβ subfamily T cells were absent in cord blood. All TCR Vβ subfamily T cells in cord blood displayed polyclonality.     

Molecular detection of Fusarium solani f. sp. glycines in soybean roots and soil

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based method was developed to detect DNA of Fusarium solani f. sp. glycines , the cause of soybean sudden death syndrome. Two pairs of primers, Fsg1/Fsg2 designed from the mitochondrial small subunit ribosomal RNA gene, and FsgEF1/FsgEF2 designed from the translation elongation factor 1-α gene, produced PCR products of 438 and 237 bp, respectively. Primer specificity was tested with DNA from 82 F. solani f. sp. glycines , 55 F. solani non-SDS isolates, 43 isolates of 17 soybean fungal pathogens and the oomycete Phytophthora sojae , and soybean. The sensitivity of primer Fsg1/Fsg2 was 10 pg while that of FsgEF1/FsgEF2 was 1 ng when using F. solani f. sp. glycines total genomic DNA or down to 10³ macroconidia g⁻¹ soil. Nested PCR increased the sensitivity of the PCR assay 1000-fold to 10 fg using primers Fsg1/Fsg2, and 1 pg using primers FsgEF1/FsgEF2. F. solani f. sp. glycines DNA was detected in field-grown soybean roots and soil by PCR using either single pairs of primers or the combination of two pairs of primers. The occurrence of F. solani f. sp. glycines was determined using nested PCR for 47 soil samples collected from soybean fields in 20 counties of Illinois in 1999. F. solani f. sp. glycines was detected in soil samples from all five Illinois Agricultural Statistic Districts including 100, 89, 50, 92 and 50% of the samples from East, Central, North-east and West Districts, respectively.     

温湿度调控对番茄灰霉病菌产生的细胞壁降解酶的影响

 番茄灰霉病菌在致病过程中能够产生4种细胞壁降解酶,以PMG酶活性最高,其次是β-葡萄糖苷酶和PG酶,Cx最少。灰霉病菌在不同温度下侵染番茄叶片时产生的致病酶活性不同,4种酶在20℃时表现了最高的活性,15℃次之,当温度达到25℃时,各种酶的活性都急剧下降,随着温度的再升高,酶活更低。随着湿度的增高,病菌产生的细胞壁降解酶的活性也增加,当相对湿度达到90%以上时,4种酶的活性也达到最高。温湿度对番茄灰霉病菌产生细胞壁降解酶的影响趋势,与其对发病的影响趋势是一致的。     

香蕉分生小球体途径胚性细胞悬浮系的建立

 以7 个香蕉品种未成熟雄花为外植体均获得了分生小球体(meristematic globules) 。分生小球体的诱导率因基因组型和品种而异, 为15 %～81 % , 分生小球体的特点及开始出现的时间也受基因组型和品种的影响。以分生小球体为起始材料, 建立了‘广东2 号’、‘华农7 号’及‘河口龙牙’3 个品种的胚性细胞悬浮系, 并通过体胚发生途径获得了前两个品种的再生植株。     

猪胚胎死亡的影响因素及其预防措施

猪胚胎死亡直接影响着母猪的产仔数，并进而影响着养猪生产的经济效益。因此，在深入研究猪胚胎死亡规律及其影响因素的基础上，通过有效的措施降低胚胎死亡率，对提高母猪窝产仔数和经济效益具有十分重要的意义。本文综述了影响猪胚胎死亡的遗传、环境、营养和疾病等因素，并对生产实践中如何通过综合预防措施降低猪胚胎死亡率进行了初步探讨。     

对虾的免疫机制及其疾病预防策略的研究

在对虾的细胞免疫中血细胞是主要的作用因素,而体液免疫是血淋巴中的一些酶和调节因子,机体还可以被诱导产生特殊的免疫保护反应.应用免疫增强剂、疫苗和基因工程技术为预防对虾病害提供了有效的途径.本文根据国内外的有关资料,就对虾的免疫机制和疾病预防策略进行了综述.     

玉米叶片受新月弯孢菌侵染后的细胞病理学变化

 本文利用透射电子显微镜技术与细胞化学技术研究了玉米叶片受弯孢菌侵染后的超微结构和细胞壁的组成成份变化。透射电镜观察发现,病菌侵入后,菌丝先在寄主细胞间扩展,随着寄主细胞病变、坏死,菌丝可进入寄主细胞形成胞内菌丝。随病菌侵入和在寄主体内扩展,寄主细胞先后发生了一系列的超微结构变化,叶绿体、液泡等细胞器解体,出现质壁分离现象,并最终解体、坏死、变形。细胞化学标记定位发现,受侵寄主细胞壁中纤维素、木聚糖和果胶质的标记密度明显低于未接种的健康组织,表明细胞壁降解酶(如纤维素酶、木聚糖酶和果胶酶)的产生与病菌侵染和致病过程密切相关。     

Expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in IL-1β-stimulated mesangial cells is medicated by NF-κB/IκB signal pathway

AIM: To investigate the role of NF-κB/IκB signal pathway in the regulation of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in human mesangial cells (HMC). METHODS: The PGE₂ concentration in supernatants of HMC was measured by radioimmunoassay. COX-2 mRNA and protein expression were determined by RT-PCR and Western blot. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and Western blot were used to detect the activity of NF-κB and degradation of IκB. RESULTS: IL-1β significantly upregulated COX-2 expression and PGE₂ production in HMC. Significant up-regulation of NF-κB activation, nuclear translocation of p65 subunit, and degradation of IκB α and IκB β were observed in IL-1β-induced HMC. CONCLUSION: Expression of COX-2 in IL-1β-induced HMC is mediated by NF-κB/IκB signal pathway.     

Regulation of MMP-2 and TIMP-3 expression by uPA signal transduction system in human bone giant cell tumor

AIM: To study effects of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) signal transduction on expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-3 (TIMP-3) in giant cell tumor of bone (GCT). METHODS: Expression of uPAR, MMP-2 and TIMP-3 in GCT tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry. Phosphorylation level of mitogen-activated protein kinase (p44) in uPA/uPAR signal pathway in cultured GCT cells was detected by immunoprecipitation. The expression of MMP-2 and TIMP-3 in cultured cells after treatment with uPA-ATF or anti-uPAR antibody was also detected by Western blotting. RESULTS: 1) Urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) was positive on the cell membrane and in cytoplasm of some mononuclear stromal cells (MSCs) and multinucleated giant cells (MGCs); 2) MMP-2 was positive in the cytoplasm and on the cell membrane of almost all of MSCs and some of MGCs. The polar distribution of MMP-2 in the cytoplasm of MGCs was especially obvious; 3) The expression of TIMP-3 of some MSCs and MGCs in GCT was much lower than MMP-2. The positive signal also showed a prominent polarity; 4) After treatment with uPA-ATF, the phosphorylation level of p44 in GCT cultured cells was much higher than the control. Addition of anti-uPAR antibody in the cells remarkably down-regulated the phosphorylation level of p44 as compared with the control group, suggesting that uPA-ATF participates cell signal transduction and this reaction can be inhibited by anti-uPAR antibody; 5) uPA-ATF cell signal pathway up-regulated expression of MMP-2 and TIMP-3, while anti-uPAR antibody down-regulated the expression of MMP-2 and TIMP-3. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate for the first time that uPA-ATF directly regulates the expression of MMP-2 and TIMP-3 by signal transduction pathway, and the over-expression of MMP-2 and TIMP-3 may play an important role in local osteolysis of GCT.     

Astrocyte proliferation in the rat hippocampus after middle cerebral artery occlusion

AIM: To study rat astrocyte proliferation in ipsilateral hippocampus following focal cerebral ischemia. METHODS: Ischemia was induced by temporary middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). In hippocampus of rats at 3, 7 and 30 days after MCAO, the numbers and anatomic distribution of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were detected by immunohistochemistry. The protein expression of GFAP and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in the ipsilateral hippocampus were analyzed by Western blot analysis. RESULTS: Astrocytes appeared hypertrophic, with increased process thickness and numbers at 7 days after MCAO, and the highest density of astrocytes were seen at 30 days in the CA1, CA2 regions of the ipsilateral hippocampus. Western blot analysis revealed that GFAP levels were normal at 3 days, but increased by 7 days and remained elevation at 30 days. Western blot analysis of PCNA protein also revealed identified upregulation PCNA at 3 days after MCAO and the expression peaked at 7 days. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that focal cerebral ischemia in the rat results in a rapid response, a process often referred to as reactive astrogliosis or glial scarring, from resident astrocytes of the ipsilateral hippocampus to the side of ischemia.