Constitutive expression of interferons in swine leukocytes

Interferon (IFN)-α and IFN-γ positive cells were revealed by flow cytometry in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) pigs. A low prevalence of IFN-γ positive cells was also detected in PBMC of some Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus-infected pigs and uninfected, control pigs. IFN-α positive cells showed phenotypes of both monocytes and plasmacytoid dendritic cells. The presence of IFN-α in PBMC was also confirmed by Western blotting. By immunoprecipitation, IFN-α was detected as 32 and 55-57 kDa bands in PBMC of healthy SPF piglets. These samples were also IFN-γ positive; the cytokine was revealed as 24, 37 and 54 kDa bands. The unusual molecular mass values of intracellular interferons were probably due to oligomerization, as previously described for human IFN-α. Swine intracellular IFN-α displayed the expected antiviral activity on bovine MDBK cells. The results indicate that interferons are constitutively expressed in swine leukocytes with peculiar molecular features.     

高羊茅腺苷甲硫氨酸脱羧酶基因FaSAMDC的克隆与差异表达分析

在进行高羊茅光敏色素C基因5′端克隆时,筛选到腺苷甲硫氨酸脱羧酶基因的5′端序列,根据5′端序列设计引物,扩增出该基因的3′端,拼接得到高羊茅腺苷甲硫氨酸脱羧酶基因全序列,命名为FaSAMDC(GenBank登录号:HQ606139),利用实时荧光定量PCR技术研究FaSAMDC基因在长日照与短日照条件下昼夜24 h的表达差异,为进一步揭示不同光周期调控FaSAMDC基因的表达奠定理论基础。FaSAMDC的cDNA全长1 964 bp,具有微型上游阅读框、小型上游阅读框和主阅读框3个开放阅读框,分别位于226～234,234～380和555～1 742 bp,微型上游阅读框和小型上游阅读框存在1个碱基重叠,主阅读框编码395个氨基酸,含有保守功能域:酶原剪切位点功能域和SAMDC蛋白快速降解有关的PEST功能域。对编码蛋白氨基酸序列的同源性分析表明,FaSAMDC与其他单子叶植物SAMDC蛋白的亲缘关系较近。在长日照和短日照处理条件下,FaSAMDC都具有3个表达峰。短日照处理条件下的表达峰比长日照处理条件下的表达峰早几个小时,但峰高低于长日照条件。由此说明,FaSAMDC基因的表达受光周期调控,与生物钟控制的昼夜节律有关。     

蒙古马突触融合蛋白17(STX17)基因多态性及在不同毛色皮肤组织中的表达分析

为研究突触融合蛋白17(STX17)基因与蒙古马毛色之间的相关性及其作用机制.本研究利用半巢式PCR技术及实时荧光定量PCR技术对蒙古马STX17基因第6内含子的多态性以及不同毛色蒙古马皮肤组织中STX17基因的相对表达量进行了检测.巢式PCR结果显示:STX17基因在青毛蒙古马第6内含子处存在4.6 kb的重复片段,在其它毛色中不存在该重复片段;荧光定量PCR结果显示:STX17基因在蒙古马青毛皮肤组织中表达量最高,在骝毛皮肤组织中的表达量最低.结果证明蒙古马STX17基因与其青毛表型具有典型的相关性.     

犬IFN-α优化基因的真核表达及抗病毒活性的研究

本研究根据酵母系统密码子的偏嗜性,对成熟蛋白基因核苷酸序列进行密码子偏嗜性改造,利用毕赤酵母分泌型表达载体pPICZαC来表达犬IFN-α成熟蛋白基因。并采用非洲绿猴肾细胞(Vero) -水疱性口炎病毒(VSV)系统以细胞病变抑制法为基础来测定重组犬α干扰素的效价,同样方法测定了表达产物对PRV和CDV的抑制作用。本试验实现了犬α干扰素在酵母中的高表达,表达量高达58 mg/L,SDS-PAGE检测大小约为24 ku,比预测分子质量大,推测发生了糖基化。表达产物具有较强的种属特异性,在Vero细胞上对PRV具有较高的抗病毒活性,达到了3.6×10⁷ U/L,对CDV也有很好的抑制作用。本研究为犬IFN-α以后的临床应用研究奠定基础。     

Divergence of a strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa during an outbreak of ovine mastitis

Bacterial infections causing mastitis in sheep can result in severe economic losses for farmers. A large survey of milk samples from ewes with mastitis in Sardinia, Italy, indicated an increasing prevalence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. It has been shown previously that during chronic, biofilm-associated infections P. aeruginosa populations diversify. We report the phenotypic and genomic characterisation of two clonal P. aeruginosa isolates (PSE305 and PSE306) from a mastitis infection outbreak, representing distinct colony morphology variants. In addition to pigment production, PSE305 and PSE306 differed in phenotypic characteristics including biofilm formation, utilisation of various carbon and nitrogen sources, twitching motility. We found higher levels of expression of genes associated with biofilm formation (pelB) and twitching motility (flgD) in PSE305, compared to the biofilm and twitching-defective PSE306. Comparative genomics analysis revealed single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and minor insertion/deletion variations between PSE305 and PSE306, including a SNP mutation in the pilP gene of PSE306. By introducing a wild-type pilP gene we were able to partially complement the defective twitching motility of PSE306. There were also three larger regions of difference between the two genomes, indicating genomic instability. Hence, we have demonstrated that P. aeruginosa population divergence can occur during an outbreak of mastitis, leading to significant variations in phenotype and genotype, and resembling the behaviour of P. aeruginosa during chronic biofilm-associated infections.     

凋亡素基因真核表达载体的构建及在人肿瘤细胞中的表达

为探讨凋亡素对肿瘤的基因治疗效果,构建了凋亡素基因的真核表达载体。将凋亡素基因重组入 ｐｃ Ｄ Ｎ Ａ３ 载体,并通过脂质体介导凋亡素在人喉癌、人肺癌细胞系中表达;通过 Ｒ Ｔ Ｐ Ｃ Ｒ 在转染细胞中检测到了凋亡素的 ｍ Ｒ Ｎ Ａ,这为应用凋亡素进行肿瘤的基因治疗奠定了基础。     

猪戊型肝炎病毒ORF2片段克隆及原核表达

设计套式引物，内套引物含有BamHⅠ／XhoⅡ酶切位点，采用RT-PCR技术扩增猪戊型肝炎病毒（UEV）结构蛋白基因ORF2部分片段，长度为634bp，将其克隆于PGEX-T载体，测序结果表明插入的片段属于戊型肝炎病毒ORF2部分，将该片段插入PproEXHTb表达载体，经酶切鉴定证实获得了重组表达质粒。将重组质粒转化大肠杆菌BL21，经1mmol／L IPTG诱导，得到表达，表达蛋白分子量为27Ku，以包涵体形式存在。Western blot分析表明，该蛋白可以与猪戊型肝炎阳性血清反应，表明该蛋白具有良好的反应原性。     

热应激蛋白对畜禽抗应激机理的研究进展

热应激蛋白(heat shock proteins, HSPs)是机体在应激条件下所产生的一组特异性蛋白质,能使机体迅速适应环境变化。作者简要介绍了HSPs的来源及分类,阐述了HSP70 的基因结构和调控机制,综述了HSPs抗应激功能及在畜禽应激反应中的表达,以期为从分子水平探索HSPs 抗应激机理提供参考。     

Immunopathology of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dirofilaria immitis</Emphasis> Infection

Heartworm disease caused by Dirofilaria immitis affects canine and feline hosts, with infections occasionally being reported in humans. Studies have shown that both dirofilarial antigens and those derived from its bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia, interact with the host organism during canine, feline and human infections and participate in the development of the pathology and in the regulation of the host’s immune response. Both innate and acquired immune responses are observed and the development of the acquired response may depend on the host and, or on its parasitological status. This review aims at illustrating current research on the role of both D. immitis and Wolbachia, in the immunology and immunopathology of dirofilariosis.     

猪胰岛素样生长因子I基因表达与调控的研究进展

胰岛素样生长因子-I(I nsulin-like growth factor-I,I GF-I)是机体生长、发育和代谢的一个重要调控因子,同时也是生长激素(growth hormone,GH)启动生长活性的主要介导者。血液中的I GF-I主要来源于肝脏,以内分泌的形式作用于其他组织;许多肝外组织也能合成I GF-I,其主要以自分泌或旁分泌的形式发挥作用。多种因素调控其表达。本文就猪I GF-I的表达与调控方面的最新研究进展进行一综述。