Adenoviral transfer of human intedeukin-10 gene in lethal pancreatitis

AIM: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of adenoviral-vector-delivered human interleukin-10 (hIL-10) gene on severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) rats. METHODS: Healthy Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were intraperitoneally injected with adenoviral IL-10 gene (AdvhIL-10), empty vector (Adv0) or PBS solution. Blood, liver, pancreas and lung were harvested on the second day to examine hIL-10 level by ELISA and serum amylase by enzymatic assay. A SAP model was induced by retrograde injection of sodium taurocholate through pancreatic duct. SAP rats were then administered with AdvhIL-10, Adv0and PBS solution by a single intraperitoneal injection 20 min after SAP induction. In addition to serum amylase assay, levels of hIL-10 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were detected by RT-PCR, ELISA and histological study. The mortality rate was studied and analyzed by Kaplan-Meier and log rank analysis.RESULTS: The levels of hIL-10 in the pancreas, liver and lung of healthy rats increased significantly after AdvhIL-10 injection (1.42 ng/g in liver, 0.91 ng/g in pancreas); while there was no significant change of hIL-10 in the other two control groups. The concentration of hIL-10 was increased significantly in the SAP rats after AdvhIL-10 injection (1.68 ng/g in liver, 1.12 ng/g in pancreas) compared to the other two SAP groups with blank vector or PBS treatment (P<0.05). The serum amylase levels remained normal in the AdvhIL-10 transfected healthy rats. However, the serum amylase level was significantly elevated in the other two control SAP rats. In contrast, serum amylase was down-regulated in the AdvhIL-10 treated SAP groups.The TNF-α expression in the AdvhIL-10 treated SAP rats was significantly lower compared to the other two control SAP groups. The pathohistological changes in the AdvhIL-10 treated group were better than those in the other two control groups. Furthermore, the mortality of the AdvhIL-10 treated group was significantly reduced compared to the other two control groups (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Adenoviral hIL-10 gene can significantly attenuate the severity of SAP rats, and can be used in the treatment of acute inflammation process.

A New Dendrobine-Type Alkaloid from Dendrobium nobile

A new dendrobine-type alkaloid has been isolated from stems of Dendrobium nobile lindl.. Its structure has been identified on the basis of spectroscopic method.

Loss of heterozygosity on hromosome 1 in sporadic colorectal carcinoma

AIM: Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) on tumor suppressor genes is believed to play a key role in carcinogenesis of colorectal cancer. When it occurs at a tumor suppressor gene locus with abnormal allele, neoplastic transformation happens. In this study, we analyzed the LOH at 21 loci on chromosome 1 in sporadic colorectal cancer to identify additional loci involved in colorectal tumorigenesis.METHODS: Twenty-one polymorphic micro-satellite DNA markers were analyzed with PCR both in 83 cases of colorectal cancer and in normal tissues. PCR products were eletrophoresed on an ABI 377 DNA sequencer. Genescan 3.1 and Genotype 2.1 software were used for LOH scanning and analysis. X^2 test was used to compare LOH frequency with clinicopathological data. P<0.05 was considered as statistically significant.RESULTS: The average LOH frequency of chromosome 1,short arm and long arm was 19.83%, 18.00% and 21.66%,respectively. The 2 highest LOH loci with a frequency of 36.54% and 32.50% were identified on DIS468 (1p36.33-p36.31) and DIS413 (1q31.3), respectively. On DIS2726 locus, LOH frequency of rectal cancer was 28.57% (6/21),which was higher than that of colon cancer (0.00%, 0/33) (P=0.002), suggesting that the mechanism of carcinogenisis was different in both groups.CONCLUSION: Putative tumor suppressor genes on chromosome 1 may relate to sporadic colorectal carcinomas.Tumor-suppressor-genes might locate on 1p36.33-36.31and/or 1q31.3.

Preliminary studies on differential defense responses induced during plant communication

We compared the expression patterns of three representative genes in undamaged tomato and tobacco plants in response to exposure to either tomato or tobacco fed on by Helicoverpa armigera (cotton bollworm). When tomato and tobacco, two species of one family, were incubated in the chambers with the tomato plants damaged by the cotton bollworm, the expression of the PR1, BGL2, and PAL genes was up-regulated in leaves of both plants. However, the levels of gene expression were significantly higher in the tomato than that in the tobacco. In addition, the activities of enzymes, peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, and lipoxygenase were found to be higher in the tomato than those in the tobacco. Similar results were obtained when the damaged plants were replaced by the tobacco.

Establishment of transgenic mice carrying the gene of human nuclear receptor NR5A2 (hB1F)

AIM: Human hepatitis B virus enhancer II B1 binding factor (hBIF) was cloned and characterized as a novel member of the Ftz-F1 (NR5A) nuclear receptor subfamily. Although progresses have recently been made, its biological function remains largely unidentified. The aim of this study was to establish an hBIF transgenic mouse model to promote the functional study of hB1F.METHODS: Transgene fragments were microinjected into fertilized eggs of mice. The manipulated embryos were transferred into the oviducts of pseudopregnant female mice.The offsprings were identified by PCR and Southern blot analysis. Transgene expression was analyzed with RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. Transgenic founder mice were used to establish transgenic mouse lineages. The F1 and F2 mice were identified by PCR analysis.RESULTS: Seven mice were identified as carrying copies of transgene. RT-PCR and Western blotting results showed that the transgene was expressed in heart, liver, lung, kidney and stomach in one of the transgenic mouse lineages.Genetic analysis of the transgenic mice demonstrated that the transgene was integrated into the chromosome at a single site, and was transmitted stably.CONCLUSION: In this study we established an hB1F transgenic mouse model, which will facilitate the investigation of the biological function of hB1F in vivo.

Huperzine W,a Novel 14 Carbons Lycopodium Alkaloid from Huperzia serrata

Huperzine W, a novel 14 carbons Lycopodium alkaloid, was isolated from the whole plant of Huperzia serrata, and its stucture was determined by spectroscopic analysis.

The Unexpected Reductive Products of δ-Alkoxyenal by Sodium Borohydride in Methanol with A Trace of Magnesium Methoxide

Reduction of d-alkoxy enal 1 and 4 by sodium borohydride in methanol with a catalytic amount of magnesium methoxide gave unexpected methoxylated poducts 3 and 6 respectively.

A mRNA molecule encoding truncated excitatory amino acid carrier 1 （EAAC1） protein （EAAC2）is transcribed from an independent promoter but not an alternative splicing event

Glutamate transporter EAAC1 removes excitatory neurotransmitter in central nervous system, and alsoabsorbs glutamate in epithelia of intestine, kidney, liver and heart for normal cell growth. When a mousecDNA was screened using EAAC1 cDNA fragment as probe in our lab, a transcript (GenBank U75214)encoding an EAAC1 protein with 148 residues truncated at N-terminal was cloned and named as EAAC2.Sequence analysis shows that EAAC2 has it's own start code and unique 5'UTR that is different from that ofEAAC1. A mouse genomic library was screened and a positive clone including EAAC1 CDS was sequenced(GenBank AF 322393) and indicates that normal EAAC1 transcript (GenBank U73521) is transcribed from10 exons in terms of exon I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, and EAAC2 transcript is consisted by exonsfrom IV to IX as same as that of EAAC1 and with its unique exonβ upstream to exon IV and exon δdownstream to IX. EAAC2 transcript has a cluster of transcriptional start sites not overlapping with thetranscriptional start sites of EAAC1. These results indicate that EAAC2 is transcribed from an independentpromoter but not an alternative splicing event.

Partial characterization of the N-linked oligosaccharide structures on P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1)

PSGL-1, a specific ligand for P-, E- and L-selectin, was isolated from in vivo [3H]-glucosamine labeled HL- 60 cells by a combination of wheat germ agglutinin-agarose and P- or E-selectin-agarose chromatography. N- linked oligosaccharides were released from the purified, denatured ligand molecule by peptide: N-glycosidase F treatment and, following separation by Sephacryl S-200 chromatography, partially characterized using lectin, ion-exchange and size-exclusion chromatography in combination with glycosidase digestions. The data obtained suggest that the N-glycans on PSGL-1 are predominantly core-fucosylated, multiatennary complex type structures with extended, poly- N- acetyllactosamine contaniing outer chains. A portion of the outer chains appears to be substituted with fucose indicating that the N-glycans, in addition to the O-glycans on PSGL-1, may be involved in selectin binding.

Studies on aggregation-propensities and secondary structural transformations of proteins

The insoluble and fibrillar aggregates of some proteins are thought to be the pathological cause of neu- rodegenerative diseases. The aggregation-propensities of different types of proteins were investigated by Thioflavine T fluorescence assay and atomic force microscopy imaging. Then, the structural transformations of the proteins from aqueous state to solid state were studied by circular dichroism spectroscopy. The results indicate that proteins of dif- ferent secondary structure show variations in their aggregation-propensities, together with their various structural transformations from aqueous state to solid state. Our studies imply that the structural transformation of proteins from solution to solid state is closely associated with their aggregation-propensities, which will provide insight into the molecular mechanism of protein aggregation in neurodegenerative diseases.

Activation-Induced Cell Death in T Cells and Autoimmunity

Activation-induced cell death(AICD),which results from the interaction between Fas and Fas ligand,is responsible for maintaining tolerance to self-antigen.A defect in AICD may lead to development of autoimmunity.During the last several years,much progress has been made in understanding the mechanism(s) of AICD and its potential role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases.In this review,we summarize the most recent progress on the regulation of the susceptibility of T cells to AICD and its possible involvement in autoimmune diseases.Cellular & Molecular Immunology.2004;1(3):186-192.

Agrobacterium-Mediated Multiple Gene Transformation in Rice Using a Single Vector

Abstract: The homodimeric hemoglobin gene (VHb), the trans-zeatin synthetase gene (tzs), the modified 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase gene (EPSPS), a selectable marker gene (hpt), and a reporter gene (gus), as linked expression cassettes, were stacked into the T-DNA region of a binary vector and introduced simultaneously into immature embryos of the rice (Oryza sativa L.) varieties Xiushui-11, Qiufeng, Youfeng, and Hanfeng by Agrobacterium tumefaciens. A total of 1 153 transgenic lines was obtained through selection for hygromycin B resistance. Approximately 90.2% of the transgenic lines harbored all the transgenes. Integration of multiple transgenes occurred at one to three genetic loci. Expression analysis revealed that the transgenes were coexpressed and inherited in a simple Mendelian fashion in transgenic plants and the frequency of coexpression was approximately 85%. On the basis of the cointegration and coexpression of the transgenes, most transgenic families were considered to be useful in a breeding program.

Genetic analysis and mapping of rice(Oryza sativa L.)male-sterile(OsMS-L)mutant

A rice male-sterile mutant OsMS-L of japonica cultivar 9522 background, was obtained in M4 population treated with Co γ-Ray. Genetic analysis indicated that the 60 male-sterile phenotype was controlled by a single recessive gene. Results of tissue section showed that at microspore stage, OsMS-L tapetum was retarded. Then tapetal cells ex- panded and microspores degenerated. No matured pollens were observed in OsMS-L anther locus. To map OsMS-L lo- cus, an F2 population was constructed from the cross be- tween the OsMS-L (japonica) and LongTeFu B(indica). Firstly, the OsMS-L locus was roughly mapped between two SSR markers, RM109 and RM7562 on chromosome 2. And then eleven polymorphic markers were developed for further fine fine-mapping. At last the OsMS-L locus was mapped between the two InDel markers, Lhs10 and Lhs6 with genetic distance of 0.4 cM, respectively. The region was delimited to 133 kb. All these results were useful for further cloning and functional analysis of OsMS-L.

CMV-hFasL transgenic mice prevent from experimental autoimmune thyroiditis

Background Previous studies showed that the role of Fas ligand (FasL) is not consistent in the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroiditis. This study was designed to investigate the effects of FasL on the pathogenesis of experimental autoimmune thyroiditis (EAT) using CMV-human FasL (hFasL) transgenic mice. Methods Transgenic mice ubiquitously expressing hFasL were used as an animal model of EAT by injection of porcine thyroglobulin (pTg). Expression of hFasL was detected by RT-PCR and Western blot. The activity of hFasL transgenic thyrocytes killing Jurket cells was determined. CMV-hFasL transgenic mice and wild type (WT) mice were immunized with pTg and killed 28 days later to evaluate the lymphocytic infiltration of their thyroids. The number of CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes from the spleen was detected using FACS. The serum interferon-γ (IFN-γ) concentration was measured by ELISA. Results hFasL expression in the thyroid of CMV-hFasL transgenic mice was confirmed. After co-incubation of Jurket thymocytes with thyroid tissues of CMV-hFasL transgenic mice, the percentage of apoptotic cells in the CMV-hFasL transgenic thyroid group was significantly higher than that of the control WT thyroid group ［(23.4±4.3)% vs (6.6±2.5)%, P<0.01］. On day 28 after immunization with pTg, the infiltration index of lymphocytes in thyroids of the CMV-hFasL transgenic mice was significantly lower than that of the WT mice ［(1.0±0.5) vs (2.1±0.7), P<0.001］. Moreover, the number of CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes of the spleen and serum IFN-γ concentration were significantly decreased in the CMV-hFasL transgenic mice. Conclusions FasL plays an important role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroiditis. Transgenic mice ubiquitously expressing hFasL may strongly inhibit lymphocytic infiltration of the thyroid of EAT and ameliorate the course of this disease.

Effects of truncated mutants of the ε subunit of chloroplast ATP synthase on the fast phase of millisecond delayed light emission of chloroplast and its ATP synthesis ability

The ε subunit of the chloroplast ATP synthase and the truncated ε mutants which lack some amino acid residues from the N-terminus or C-terminus were overexpressed in E. coil When the ε subunit or the truncated ε proteins was added to the spinach chloroplast suspension, both the intensity of the fast phase of millisecond delayed light emission (ms-DLE) and the cyclic and noncyclic photophosphorylation activity of chloroplast were enhanced. With an increase in the number of residues deleted from the N-terminus, the enhancement effect of the N-terminal truncated proteins decreased gradually. For the C-terminal truncated proteins, the enhancement effect increased gradually with an increase in the number of residues deleted from the C-terminus. Besides, the ATP synthesis activity of ε-deficient membrane reconstituted with the ε subunit or the truncated ε proteins was compared. The ATP synthesis activity of reconstituted membrane with the N-terminal truncated proteins decreased gradually as the number of residues deleted from the N-terminus increased. For the C-terminal truncated proteins, the ATP synthesis activity of reconstituted membrane increased gradually with an increase in the number of residues deleted from the C-terminus, but was still lower than that of the wild type ε protein. These results suggested that: (a) the N-terminal domain of the ε subunit of the chloroplast ATP synthase could affect the ATP synthesis activity of ATP synthase by regulating the efficiency of blocking proton leakage of ε subunit; and (b) the C-terminal domain of the ε subunit of the chloroplast ATP synthase had a subtle function in modulating the ATP synthesis ability of ATP synthase.

Blast fungus-induction and developmental and tissue-specific expression of a rice P450 CYP72A gene cluster

Cytochrome P450 gene superfamily is widely involved in diverse processes of plant development and environmental responses including defense response to pathogens.We previously isolated a rice cDNA fragment in a DD-PCR screening for blast fungus-induced genes. In the current study, we isolated a CYP72A gene cluster consisting of 7 P450 CYP72A genes (CYP72A17-23) with the conserved cDNA sequence through the public rice genome data. There are total 14 putative CYP72A members in the rice genome, with high diversity at N-terminal sequences while high homology at C-terminal sequences of those 14 putative proteins. We analyzed expression profiles of the cloned 7 CYP72A genes during pathogen infection and development. The results showed that expression of CYP72A18, 19, 22 and 23 was differentially regulated in the incompatible and compatible interactions between rice and blast fungus. Except CYP72A20, a pseudogene, other 6 CYP72A genes also exhibited temporal and spatial expression patterns, respectively.These findings provide fundamental data for rice P450 gene function analysis.

BICP0 and its RING finger domain act as ubiquitin E3 ligases in vitro

Bovine infected-cell protein 0 (BICP0) encoded by bovine herpes virus 1 (BHV-1) immediate early gene is necessary for efficient productive infection, in a large part, because it activates all 3 classes of BHV-1 genes. It also has the ability to efficiently transactivate promoters that are not derived from BHV-1. To investigate the mechanism by which BICP0 achieves these effects, we expressed and purified BICP0 and its different mutants in E. coli. In vitro assays showed that both full-length BICP0 and its isolated RING finger domain induce the accumulation of polyubiquitin chains. Mutations within the RING finger region that abolish the in vitro ubiquitination activity also cause severe reduc- tions in BICP0 activity in other assays. Based on these, we conclude that BICP0 has the potential to act as an E3 ubiq- uitin ligase during viral infection and its RING finger do- main is necessary for this function. These strongly support the hypothesis that BICP0 might influence virus infection through its ability to interact with the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway.