Endothelial cells of adipose tissues: A niche of adipogenesis

Comment on: Tran KV, et al. Cell Metab 2012; 15:222-9.     

Endothelial cells of adipose tissues: A niche of adipogenesis

Comment on: Tran KV, et al. Cell Metab 2012; 15:222-9.     

致病菌体内诱导基因的功能分析—体内表达技术的应用

病原菌体内诱导的基因在致病过程中起重要作用,体内表达技术是一类很有前景的研究体内诱导基因的技术,本介绍了体内表达技术的基本原理,类型以及在致病菌体内诱导基因方面的研究进展和应用前景。     

新型聚乙烯亚胺衍生物体内转染活性的研究

目的:研究新型聚乙烯亚胺衍生物作为基因载体在小鼠体内的转染活性情况。方法:采用荧光素酶质粒DNA作为报告基因,与基因载体复合,对小鼠尾静脉注射,考察组织分布情况;以及对小鼠肌肉注射,应用活体成像技术考察其转染活性。结果:静脉注射后,小鼠肺组织中基因表达量最高;肌肉注射后,可以观察到活性转染结果,表达量高于对照PE(?)25KDa。结论:新型聚乙烯亚胺衍生物在体内可成功输送质粒DNA,但转染效率偏低。     

层理鞭枝藻藻蓝蛋白和藻红蓝蛋白β亚基Cys-155的藻胆色素共价偶联

层理鞭枝藻(Mastigocladus laminosus PCC7603)藻蓝蛋白β-CPC和藻红蓝蛋白β-PEC中均存在2个藻胆色素结合位点(Cys-84和Cys-155),可与藻蓝胆素(简称PCB)发生共价偶联反应,已有研究证实编码基因为alr0617的裂合酶CpcS1是催化Cys-84与PCB共价偶联的裂合酶。在研究Cys-155与PCB共价偶联的过程中,通过BLAST软件同源性对比分析后,筛选出4个基因:cpcT1、cpcT2、cpcS1、cpcS2,其中基因cpcT1和cpcS2,利用分子克隆的技术,根据实验需要转到载体pCDFDuet上,通过DNA电泳和蛋白质电泳挑选出正确的克隆。此4个基因对应的质粒与在大肠杆菌内生成PCB必需的质粒pACYCDuet-ho1-pcyA,以及质粒pET-cpcB(C84S)或pET-pecB(C84A),共同转入大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)内,进行体内重组,得到各重组蛋白,经过亲和层析柱提纯并透析,过滤掉金属离子,纯化透析后的蛋白经过活性比较、蛋白质电泳以及锌染色、蛋白质变性等试验以及荧光和紫外吸收光谱等鉴定,通过与相应文献中PCB光谱的比对,确定编码基因为all5339的裂合酶CpcT1能高效地催化Cys-155与PCB共价偶联,而其余3个基因不能起到催化作用。由此,能催化脱辅基蛋白β-CPC和β-PEC的两个位点共价偶联PCB的裂合酶均被发现。实验对于研究藻胆蛋白的生物合成、光合作用捕光机理以及藻胆体的组装等有重要的意义。       

基因治疗的应用及研究进展

基因治疗是一种新的治疗手段,可用于癌症、遗传性疾病、感染性疾病、心血管疾病和自身免疫性疾病等的治疗。癌症基因治疗是基因治疗的主要应用领域。过去几年里,全球基因治疗临床试验取得了很大的进步,也遇到了很多困难。未来基因治疗的主要目标是发展安全和高效的基因导入系统,它们能将外源遗传物质靶向性地导入特异的细胞。简要综述了基因治疗研究和应用的进展、困难及其发展前景。     

肺炎链球菌体内诱导基因的筛选及初步鉴定

为筛选鉴定肺炎链球菌宿主体内诱导的基因,寻找潜在的抗生素作用靶点和疫苗候选者,应用体内表达技术,以肺炎链球菌荚膜合成的关键基因galU作为体内报告基因,利用其缺陷体不能合成荚膜多糖,从而不能在宿主体内存活的特点,筛选鉴定肺炎链球菌体内诱导基因。首先,把肺炎链球菌基因组DNA的随机酶切片段(200~500bp)克隆到含有体内、体外双重报告基因(galU-lacZ)的报告载体pEVP3-galU的BglⅡ位点,将获得的质粒库转化肺炎链球菌galU缺陷菌株,得到肺炎链球菌体内启动子诱捕文库,将此文库去感染BALB/c小鼠,经过两轮体内筛选,在涂布有X-gal的TSA血清平板上得到了165个白色菌落,对插入的随机片段进行测序及生物信息学分析,共证实15个不同的体内诱导基因片段,8个为单独的ORF,7个为含有多个ORFs的操纵子结构,它们分别参与细菌在宿主体内的定植与粘附、能量代谢、物质转运、转录调节、DNA复制与重组、细胞壁合成等,另外还包括功能不明的假想蛋白。其中部分ORFs可能与细菌毒力相关,可以作为候选疫苗和药物的靶标。     

Factors affecting in vivo nitrate reductase activity in triticale

Factors influencing in vivo nitrate reductase activity in triticale (×Triticosecale Wittmack) primary leaves were investigated. Nitrate reductase activity was found to be a function of reaction time or tissue weight. In the range of 1–10 mm, the optimum slice width for nitrate reductase activity in triticale was found to be 1–2 mm. The optimum exogenous nitrate concentration is 300 mM. Substantial nitrite production was obtained even when exogenous nitrate was omitted from the assay. Of the five low molecular weight organic solvents tested, n-propanol is the most effective in enhancing enzyme activity. The optimum n-propanol concentration is 1% (v/v). The concentration of phosphate buffer (pH 6) does not affect nitrate reductase activity. Enzyme activity drops significantly below or above pH 6. In our system, nitrite production is enhanced by incubating under nitrogen, instead of air. The highest level of in vivo activity of nitrate reductase was found to be 10–15 cm from tip, which is close to the basal meristem of triticale primary leaves. Younger but physiologically mature leaves have higher nitrate reductase activity than old leaves.     

Microdialysis of dopamine interpreted with quantitative model incorporating probe implantation trauma

Although microdialysis is widely used to sample endogenous and exogenous substances in vivo, interpretation of the results obtained by this technique remains controversial. The goal of the present study was to examine recent criticism of microdialysis in the specific case of dopamine (DA) measurements in the brain extracellular microenvironment. The apparent steady-state basal extracellular concentration and extraction fraction of DA were determined in anesthetized rat striatum by the concentration difference (no-net-flux) microdialysis technique. A rate constant for extracellular clearance of DA calculated from the extraction fraction was smaller than the previously determined estimate by fast-scan cyclic voltammetry for cellular uptake of DA. Because the relatively small size of the voltammetric microsensor produces little tissue damage, the discrepancy between the uptake rate constants may be a consequence of trauma from microdialysis probe implantation. The trauma layer has previously been identified by histology and proposed to distort measurements of extracellular DA levels by the no-net-flux method. To address this issue, an existing quantitative mathematical model for microdialysis was modified to incorporate a traumatized tissue layer interposed between the probe and surrounding normal tissue. The tissue layers are hypothesized to differ in their rates of neurotransmitter release and uptake. A post-implantation traumatized layer with reduced uptake and no release can reconcile the discrepancy between DA uptake measured by microdialysis and voltammetry. The model predicts that this trauma layer would cause the DA extraction fraction obtained from microdialysis in vivo calibration techniques, such as no-net-flux, to differ from the DA relative recovery and lead to an underestimation of the DA extracellular concentration in the surrounding normal tissue.     

Real-Time Monitoring of Electrically Stimulated Norepinephrine Release in Rat Thalamus: I. Resolution of Transmitter and Metabolite Signal Components

Abstract: Electrical stimulation of an ascending path of the locus ceruleus-norepinephrine system was used to elicit release of norepinephrine at noradrenergic terminal fields of the rat thalamus. Overflow into the extracellular fluid space was measured by fast in vivo chronoamperometry. At pretreated carbon fibers, the electrochemical signal consists of a sharp peak of ∼20–30-s duration followed by a slower, plateau-like decay to baseline. The peak, characterized by a variety of pharmacological manipulations and dialysis perfusion, is primarily due to norepinephrine. The plateau was shown to correspond to metabolite efflux of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid. By varying the degree of electrochemical pretreatment, the response time and sensitivity of the fibers can be tuned to follow the entire signal or to select the separate components for detailed evaluation. This approach can be used to provide new information on the spatial and temporal characteristics of stimulated neurotransmitter release.     

The susceptibility of in vivo-grown Pasteurella haemolytica to ovine defence mechanisms in vitro

Abstract Pasteurella haemolytica organisms grown in vivo were examined for their susceptibility to ovine immune mechanisms in vitro. Compared with in vitro grown organisms they were less susceptible to opsonophagocytosis and, in contrast, susceptible to complement-dependent killing in the absence of exogenous antibody. These differences were not associated with phenotypic changes in the surface of the bacterial cell. However, overproduction and de novo synthesis of proteins was observed in in vivo grown organisms. Also, bound host-immunoglobulin was observed on in vivo grown organisms and a role for this in modifying the interaction with immune mechanisms is discussed.     

Endocytosis in spermatids during spermiogenesis of the mouse

In the course of spermiogenesis in the mouse, spermatid cytoplasm contains numerous membrane pits, vesicles and membranous tubules which are frequently anastomosed. Pale and dense multivesicular bodies (MVB) and secondary lysosome-like structures are also present in the cytoplasm. In order to study the pathway of non-specific adsorptive endocytosis in spermatids, cationic ferritin (CF) was directly microinjected into the lumen of seminiferous tubules, and added to germinal cell culture. Tissue and cultures were fixed at various time intervals after injection. Two-5 hr after microinjection of tracer, CF was found simultaneously in vesicles, tubules, MVB and in lysosome-like bodies present in spermatids at all steps of spermiogenesis. Various membranous components of the Golgi medulla, and the innermost transsaccule of the Golgi cortex were labelled simultaneously. In primary cultures of spermatids, the vesicles contained the marker 5 min after its deposition; 10 min after deposition, CF was evident in tubules; at 30 min, CF was present in pale MVB; at 1 hr, the dense MVB and lysosome-like bodies were labelled. Finally, at 2 hr 30 min, vesicles and tubules of the Golgi medulla contained CF grains. Apparently spermatids are very active cells in the process of adsorptive endocytosis throughout spermiogenesis. Endocytosis in spermatids is probably one of the mechanisms involved in the uptake of material used to build up spermatozoa components. The strong labelling of the Golgi region probably point to its role in recycling endocytosed membranes.     

舍曲林抗新生隐球菌的体外及动物实验研究

目的评估舍曲林抗新生隐球菌的效果。方法实验分为6组,分别为空白对照组、10 mg/mL氟康唑、10 mg/mL舍曲林、20 mg/mL舍曲林、10 mg/mL氟康唑联用10 mg/mL舍曲林以及10 mg/mL氟康唑联用20 mg/mL舍曲林组。通过体外药敏试验及BALBc小鼠新生隐球菌动物探讨各组间抗隐球菌效果的差异。结果体外药敏试验发现舍曲林可有效降低新生隐球菌菌落数,当与氟康唑联用时抑菌效果更显著。动物实验发现2种浓度的舍曲林都可明显降低感染小鼠实验早期脑、肺组织的新生隐球菌菌落数,但在实验后期,低浓度的舍曲林对感染小鼠脑组织失去抑菌作用。脑、肺组织中,舍曲林治疗对新生隐球菌的抗菌效果均不如氟康唑。舍曲林与氟康唑联合用药对新生隐球菌模型小鼠肺组织的抗菌效果强于单用舍曲林或氟康唑。结论舍曲林具有抗新生隐球菌的作用,当与氟康唑联合用药时可起到协同作用。     

Developmental capacity of rat embryos produced by in vivo or in vitro fertilization

This work compares the ability of rat zygotes fertilized in vitro or in vivo to develop into viable embryos. All oocytes were from adult cyclic females. After the first cleavage, the zygotes were transferred to oviducts of pseudopregnant recipients. Their fate was examined on day 13 at laparotomy and again on day 20. Ninety-five of 146 in vivo fertilized zygotes developed into normal sized 13-day fetuses and 72 (55%) to apparently normal near-term fetuses. Forty-six of 135 in vitro fertilized zygotes developed up to day 13, and 30 (24%) developed to term. It appears that the probability that in vitro fertilized rat zygotes will develop into viable embryos is about half the chance of in vivo fertilized zygotes. Since the two types of zygotes were morphologically identical, the morphological appearance of the two-cell stage is not an adequate criterion for judging developmental potential.     

鼠伤寒沙门菌动物模型活体成像技术的研究进展

鼠伤寒沙门菌的体内实验有利于开展食物中毒、胃肠炎、伤寒热等肠道传染病的防治。由于在活体内检测鼠伤寒沙门菌的动态变化存在瓶颈,使细菌致病机制的研究、疫苗及药物研发滞后。近年来应用小动物成像技术在活体中追踪转化了荧光素酶基因的鼠伤寒沙门菌越来越受到人们关注,综述该技术的应用现状及缺憾之处。     

Dielectric properties of animal tissues in vivo at frequencies 10 MHz – 1 GHz

An open-ended coaxial line sensor in conjunction with an automatic network analyzer was used to measure in vivo the permittivity of several feline tissues (skeletal and smooth muscle, liver, kidney, spleen, and brain – gray and white matter) at frequencies between 10 MHz and 1 GHz. The estimated uncertainties of measurement were between 1.5% and 5%. The data are in general agreement with previously obtained data in vitro and in vivo. Significant differences in the properties of different types of the same tissue (eg, skeletal and smooth muscle) were observed. Many tissues were found to be non-homogeneous in its permittivity.     

Direct selection for ribozyme cleavage activity in cells

Selection may prove to be a powerful tool for the generation of functional RNAs for in vivo genetic regulation. However, traditional in vitro selection schemes do not mimic physiological conditions, and in vivo selection schemes frequently use small pool sizes. Here we describe a hybrid in vitro/in vivo selection scheme that overcomes both of these disadvantages. In this new method, PCR-amplified expression templates are transfected into mammalian cells, transcribed hammerhead RNAs self-cleave, and the extracted, functional hammerhead ribozyme species are specifically amplified for the next round of selection. Using this method we have selected a number of cis-cleaving hammerhead ribozyme variants that are functional in vivo and lead to the inhibition of gene expression. More importantly, these results have led us to develop a quantitative, kinetic model that can be used to assess the stringency of the hybrid selection scheme and to direct future experiments.     

Population balance model of in vivo neutrophil formation following bone marrow rescue therapy

In this paper, we develop a simple four parameter population balance model of in vivo neutrophil formation following bone marrow rescue therapy. The model is used to predict the number and type of neutrophil progenitors required to abrogate the period of severe neutropenia that normally follows a bone marrow transplant. The estimated total number of 5 billion neutrophil progenitors is consistent with the value extrapolated from a human trial. The model provides a basis for designing ex vivo expansion protocols. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

microRNA在体给药研究进展

microRNA(miRNA)是在真核生物中发现的一类内源性具有调控功能的非编码RNA。miRNA对基因表达的转录后调控在免疫、感染性疾病以及肿瘤的在体给药方面有着巨大的潜力与优势。本文从miRNA的概念、在体作用机制、临床应用研究以及在体给药基本方式等几个方面对miRNA在体给药的研究进展进行综述,从而为生命科学研究和临床用药研究提供信息。