39K基因对家蚕核型多角体病毒(BmNPV)复制和转录的影响

39K同源基因存在于所有鳞翅目昆虫杆状病毒基因组中,其编码产物为一种磷蛋白.迄今的研究表明,39K基因与病毒基因表达调控有关,但家蚕核型多角体病毒(Bombyx mori Nucleopolyhedrovirus,BmNPV) 39K基因对病毒复制和转录的具体调控作用尚不清楚.本研究利用Red重组技术和Bac-to-Bac系统分别敲除和回补39K基因,构建了39K缺失型病毒39K-ko-Bacmid和修复型病毒39K-re-Bacmid,并分别转染家蚕(Bombyx mori)细胞系BmN细胞,发现二者均能产生具有感染活力的病毒粒子,表明39K基因不是BmNPV复制的必需基因,但是该基因的缺失可显著降低病毒滴度.进一步利用qPCR发现,39K基因缺失对病毒基因组早期基因组的复制没有显著影响,但在后期会降低病毒基因组的复制水平,并导致病毒各时期基因转录水平的极显著下降(P＜0.01).为了进一步了解39K基因对BmNPV极晚期基因多角体启动子的表达调控作用,本研究构建了由BmNPV多角体启动子驱动的萤火虫萤光素酶和家蚕胞质肌动蛋白A3启动子驱动海肾萤光素酶的双萤光素酶报告系统,通过定量检测荧光素酶活性的变化情况,证明了39K基因对多角体启动子具有显著的负调控作用.综上所述,可知39K基因不是BmNPV复制的必需基因,但该基因的缺失可显著降低病毒各时期基因的表达水平,并导致多角体基因启动子的启动活性增强.本研究结果将为深入了解BmNPV 39K基因对病毒基因组复制、转录的影响奠定基础,同时也将为家蚕杆状病毒(Bombyx mori baculovirus)表达系统高效转录机制的研究提供资料.     

四个新城疫病毒强毒株HN基因的同源性分析

新城疫病毒（ＮＤＶ）四平株、昌黎株、青岛株、Ｆ４８Ｅ８株分别接种９日龄ＳＰＦ鸡胚增殖，蚀斑纯化（３代），生物学特性鉴定及结合基因序列分析，表明ＮＤＶ四平株、昌黎株、青岛株均为强毒株。经差数、蔗糖密度梯度离心提纯病毒，分别提取ＲＮＡ，利用一对特异性引物及ＲＴ－ＰＣＲ方法，一次性扩增出 ＮＤＶ四平株、昌黎株、青岛株和 Ｆ４８Ｅ８株的全长 ＨＮ基因，分别将该ＨＮ基因克隆入载体ｐＫＳ（－）并进行测序。序列分析表明，这４个毒株ＨＮ基因核苷酸长度均为１７１３ｂｐ，编码５７１个氨基酸，其中四平株和 Ｆ４８Ｅ８株含有５个糖基化位点，青岛株和昌黎株含有 ６个糖基化位点，四平株含有 １２个半胱氨酸残基，而昌黎株、青岛株和Ｆ４８Ｅ８株含有１３个半胱氨酸残基。３个野生毒株与Ｆ４８Ｅ８相比较，核苷酸序列同源性为８５．７％－９９．３％，推导的氨基酸序列同源性为 ８９．５％－９８．８％，其中 ＮＤＶ四平株与标准强毒 Ｆ４８Ｅ８同源关系最近，核苷酸同源性为 ９９．３％，推导的氨基酸同源性为 ９８． ８％。     

Bone marrow-derived dendritic cell vaccination of dogs with naturally occurring melanoma by using human gp100 antigen

Canine malignant melanoma (CMM) is a common and aggressive form of cancer in dogs. Established therapeutic approaches such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy (RT) have not proven curative. As a coadjuvant of RT and to enhance the antimelanoma immune response, we characterized dendritic cells (DCs) from the bone marrow (BM) of dogs with CMM, ex vivo, for use in therapeutic vaccines. BM mononuclear cells from 3 dogs with melanoma and from 1 healthy dog were cultured for 12 days in media supplemented with recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor, stem cell factor, tumor necrosis factor, and Flt-3 ligand. On day 11, DCs were transduced with an adenovirus vector encoding a xenoantigen, human melanoma antigen gp100. Each dog received 3 subcutaneous vaccinations over a 4-month period. Phenotypic analysis of the expanded DC population demonstrated expression of CD11c/CD18 and major histocompatibility complex class II surface markers, and ultrastructural features characteristic of DCs were observed on electron microscopy. On functional analysis, these DCs were able to stimulate allo-reactivity and capture and express gp100. One dog demonstrated antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity in peripheral blood lymphocytes. This dog has displayed no clinical signs, either locally or systemically, of recurrent melanoma 48 months after initial DC injection. However, another dog, which was CTL negative, relapsed 22 months after vaccination. Ex vivo DC expansion is feasible for immunotherapy of spontaneous cancers in outbred dogs.     

Variation of brain derived neurotrophic factor and its mRNA expression in infancy rats after experimental bacterial meningitis

AIM: To investigate the expression and effect of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA and its protein in infancy rats after exposure to bacterial meningitis. METHODS: Three week old rats were used to construct the models of bacterial meningitis (n=30) and mormal(n=18). At 24 h, 48 h, 5 d after inoculating, the expression of BDNF mRNA and its protein were detected by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical staining methods, respectively. RESULTS: The increase in BDNF mRNA expression was detected by in situ hybridization at 24 h in experiment(0.13320±0.02750) compared to control(0.06269±0.01147)(P＜0.01). Expression of BDNF mRNA was declined at 48 h, but its expression was still stronger than that in controls at 5 d(P＜0.05). The expression of BDNF protein was enhanced and reached to its zenith at 24 h in this experiment (0.16896±0.02717) (P＜0.01), compared to controls(0.08700±0.03413), and it declined after 48 h, then restored to the control levels at 5 d(P＞0.05). Meanwhile, in the brain from the experiment rats, strong positive hybridization and immunoreactivity were observed in the infiltrated inflammatory cells in leptomeninges, subarachnoid cavity, ventricles and brain parenchyma. CONCLUSIONS: These results support the hypothesis that BDNF might play a neuroprotective role in brain damage process in bacterial meningitis attacked rats. BDNF might take part in imune response. These results also support the hypothesis that BDNF has some relationships with other inflammatory mediators during acute inflammatory response of bacterial meningitis.     

The function of Fas,FasL and Bcl-2 in the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid disorders

AIM: To investigate the expression and function of apoptosis-related protein, Fas, FasL, and Bcl-2 in the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroiditis. METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining was performed on 20 Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT), 20 Graves' disease (GD), and 20 thyroid follicular adenoma (TFA, as control).RESULTS: All the cases expressed Fas, mainly on the cell surface and cytoplasm. FasL was found in all except 3 of the TFA. Bcl-2 in 15 of HT, 19 of GD, 17 of TFA. In TFA follicular cells expressed moderate Fas and minimal or absent FasL. In HT, follicles adjacent to infiltrating lymphocytes showed a increased levels of Fas and FasL, but infiltrating lymphocytes exhibited weaker staining of Fas and FasL than thyrocytes. In GD, thyrocytes and lymphocytes showed nearly similar Fas with HT, but rather weaker for FasL than HT. Bcl-2 was nearly similar in GD and TFA, but follicular cells in vicinity of lymphocytes and lymphocytes located in germinal centers of HT tissues exhibited significantly weaker. CONCLUSION: The expression of Fas, FasL and Bcl-2 in Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Graves' disease was nearly similar. Strong FasL expression and weak Bcl-2 expression on the follicles in HT may induce apoptosis. These results provide further proof that the functions of Fas and its ligand and Bcl-2 may play an important part in the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid diseases. The lymphocytes do not seem to be directly engaged in the process with their own FasL, but they may provide some cytokines that , in turn , up-regulates Fas and/or FasL leading to apoptosis.     

Expression of adhesion molecules in hepatocellurlar carcinoma and its clinical significance

AIM: To investigate the expression of adhesion molecules in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and analyze its clinical significance. METHODS: The expressions of adhesion molecules of tumor tissues of 64 cases and adjacent tissues of 12 cases of HCC were detected with RT-PCR. RESULTS: ①The expression rates of E-cadherin, ICAM-1, CD44, CD44V, α₅, β₁ were 90.62%, 93.75%, 50.00%, 96.88%, 100%, 100%, respectively, and there was a significant difference between CD44 and other adhesion molecules. ②The expression level of E-cadherin, ICAM-1, CD44, CD_44V, α₅,β₁ in liver cancer tissues were 1.24±0.54, 0.96±0.37, 0.62±0.73, 0.86±0.33, 0.97±0.49, 1.41±0.24, respectively, and there was a significant difference between CD44 and E-cadherin, β₁. ③The expression level of E-cadherin and CD44 mRNA declined as HCC stage become higher, and there was a statistical difference in the expression level of CD44 mRNA between Ⅰ-Ⅱ stage and Ⅳ stage. The expression level of ICAM-1, α₅, β₁ had a trend to rise as HCC stage become higher, and there was a statistical difference in the expression level of ICAM-1 between Ⅰ-Ⅱ stage and Ⅳ stage. ④The expression level of ICAM-1,CD_44V, α₅, β₁ had positive correlation with tumor volume, tumor nodules, tumor metastasis, and had negative correlation with tumor encapsulation. E-cadherin and CD44 had negative correlation with tumor volume, tumor nodules, tumor metastasis, and had positive correlation with tumor encapsulation. All showed no significant correlation with the level of AFP , the degree of cirrhosis and the function of liver. CONCLUSION: There was a significant difference in the expression level of adhesion molecule mRNA in HCC, and their expression had Spearman correlation with each other. The expression level of adhesion molecule mRNA is associated with tumor volume, tumor nodules and tumor metastasis.     

Genetic analysis of landscape connectivity in tree populations

Genetic connectivity in plant populations is determined by gene movement within and among populations. When populations become genetically isolated, they are at risk of loss of genetic diversity that is critical to the long-term survival of populations. Anthropogenic landscape change and habitat fragmentation have become so pervasive that they may threaten the genetic connectivity of many plant species. The theoretical consequences of such changes are generally understood, but it is not immediately apparent how concerned we should be for real organisms, distributed across real landscapes. Our goals here are to describe how one can study gene movement of both pollen and seeds in the context of changing landscapes and to explain what we have learned so far. In the first part, we will cover methods of describing pollen movement and then review evidence for the impact of fragmentation in terms of both the level of pollen flow into populations and the genetic diversity of the resulting progeny. In the second part, we will describe methods for contemporary seed movement, and describe findings about gene flow and genetic diversity resulting from seed movement. Evidence for pollen flow suggests high connectivity, but it appears that seed dispersal into fragments may create genetic bottlenecks due to limited seed sources. Future work should address the interaction of pollen and seed flow and attention needs to be paid to both gene flow and the diversity of the incoming gene pool. Moreover, if future work is to model the impact of changing landscapes on propagule movement, with all of its ensuing consequences for genetic connectivity and demographic processes, we will need an effective integration of population genetics and landscape ecology.     

Construction and expression of mouse liver-specific expression vector Kbpala/Alb-ATP7B

AIM:To construct the liver-specific transg ene vectors encoding wild-type as well as most common disease mutant A TP7B cDNA under the control of mouse albumin promoter and to explore t heir expression.METHODS:Two Kbpala/Alb-ATP7B mutants contai ning the Arg778Leu and His1069Gln mutations were constructed using site-directed mutagenesis system plus site-subcloning technique.The vectors expressed wild-t ype and mutants of human ATP7B in mouse liver cells were obt ained and transiently transfected into BRL and BHK cell lines.Western blotting analysis was utilized to detect the expression of human ATP7B .RESULTS:Enzyme analysis and sequencing analysis confirmed that the target genes were ATP7B and in right position.The resul ts of Western blotting showed that the gene products were expressed specifically in liver cells.CONCLUSION:The Kbpala/Alb-ATP7B vectors wer e constructed successfully and the liver-specific expression of human ATP7B proteins were conformed.