ACE/ACE2 Ratio and MMP-9 Activity as Potential Biomarkers in Tuberculous Pleural Effusions

Objective: Pleural effusion is common problem, but the rapid and reliable diagnosis for specific pathogenic effusions are lacking. This study aimed to identify the diagnosis based on clinical variables to differentiate pleural tuberculous exudates from other pleural effusions. We also investigated the role of renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMPs) in the pathogenesis of pleural exudates.Experimental design: The major components in RAS and extracellular matrix metabolism, including angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), ACE2, MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities, were measured and compared in the patients with transudative (n = 45) and exudative (n = 80) effusions. The exudative effusions were come from the patients with tuberculosis (n = 20), pneumonia (n = 32), and adenocarcinoma (n = 28).Results: Increased ACE and equivalent ACE2 activities, resulting in a significantly increased ACE/ACE2 ratio in exudates, were detected compared to these values in transudates. MMP-9 activity in exudates was significantly higher than that in transudates. The significant correlation between ACE and ACE2 activity that was found in transudates was not found in exudates. Advanced analyses showed significantly increased ACE and MMP-9 activities, and decreased ACE2 activity in tuberculous pleural effusions compared with those in pneumonia and adenocarcinoma effusions. The results indicate that increased ACE and MMP-9 activities found in the exudates were mainly contributed from a higher level of both enzyme activities in the tuberculous pleural effusions.Conclusion: Interplay between ACE and ACE2, essential functions in the RAS, and abnormal regulation of MMP-9 probably play a pivotal role in the development of exudative effusions. Moreover, the ACE/ACE2 ratio combined with MMP-9 activity in pleural fluid may be potential biomarkers for diagnosing tuberculous pleurisy.     

A Putative Calcium-Permeable Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Channel, CNGC18, Regulates Polarized Pollen Tube Growth

A tip-focused Ca^2＋ gradient is tightly coupled to polarized pollen tube growth, and tip-localized influxes of extracellular Ca^2＋ are required for this process. However the molecular identity and regulation of the potential Ca^2＋ channels remains elusive. The present study has implicated CNGC18 （cyclic nucleotide-gated channel 18） in polarized pollen tube growth, because its overexpression induced wider and shorter pollen tubes. Moreover, CNGC18 overexpression induced depolarization of pollen tube growth was suppressed by lower extracellular calcium （[Ca^2＋]ex）. CNGC18-yellow fluorescence protein （YFP） was preferentially localized to the apparent post-Golgi vesicles and the plasma membrane （PM） in the apex of pollen tubes. The PM localization was affected by tip-localized ROP1 signaling. Expression of wild type ROP1 or an active form of ROP1 enhanced CNGC18-YFP localization to the apical region of the PM, whereas expression of RopGAP1 （a ROP1 deactivator） blocked the PM localization. These results support a role for PM-Iocalized CNGC18 in the regulation of polarized pollen tube growth through its potential function in the modulation of calcium influxes.     

Genetics of sex determination in flowering plants

Most flowering plant species are hermaphroditic, but a small number of species in most plant families are unisexual (i.e., an individ-ual will produce only male or female gametes). Because species with unisexual flowers have evolved repeatedly from hermaphroditic progenitors, the mechanisms controlling sex determination in flowering plants are extremely diverse. Sex is most strongly determined by genotype in all species but the mechanisms range from a single controlling locus to sex chromosomes bearing several linked locirequired for sex determination. Plant hormones also influence sex expression with variable effects from species to species. Here, we review the genetic control of sex determination from a number of plant species to illustrate the variety of extant mechanisms. We emphasize species that are now used as models to investigate the molecular biology of sex determination. We also present our own investigations of the structure of plant sex chromosomes of white campion (Silene latifolia - Melan-drium album). The cytogenetic basis of sex determination in white campion is similar to mammals in that it has a male-specific Y-chromosome that carries dominant male determining genes. If one copy of this chromosome is in the genome, the plant is male. Otherwise it is female. Like mammalian Y-chromosomes, the white campion Y-chromosome is rich in repetitive DNA. We isolated repetitive sequences from microdissected Y-chromosomes of white campion to study the distribution of homologous repeated sequences on the Y-chromosome and the other chromosomes. We found the Y to be especially rich in repetitive sequences that were generally dispersed over all the white campion chromosomes. Despite its repetitive character, the Y-chromosome is mainly euchromatic. This may be due to the relatively recent evolution of the white campion sex chromosomes compared to the sex chromosomes of animals. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

牛病毒性腹泻病毒Erns-E2融合蛋白在果蝇S2细胞中的表达与鉴定

目的:利用果蝇S2细胞表达牛病毒性腹泻病毒(BVDV)Erns-E2融合蛋白,并对其抗体结合能力进行鉴定.方法:用RT-PCR方法扩增BVDV NADL株Erns和E2蛋白的编码基因,利用(G4-S)3柔性15肽基因将扩增的2个基因连接,再与昆虫表达载体pMT/BiP/V5-His连接构建重组表达载体pMT/BiP/V5-His-E(MS)-E2,将后者与筛选质粒pCoBlast共转染果蝇S2细胞后表达Erns-E2融合蛋白.并对表达产物进行鉴定.结果:SDS-PAGE结果表明,融合蛋白相对分子质量为76 800;Westem blotting检测表明,该融合蛋白具有与BVDV抗体良好的结合能力.结论:BVDV的Erns-E2融合蛋白能在果蝇S2细胞中进行表达;经鉴定,表达产物具有良好的抗体结合能力,可用于抗原检测.     

甘薯同一不亲和群内品种间体细胞杂种

利用PEG融合方法,融合甘薯(Ipomoea batatas ) B不亲和群内品种‘koganesengan’和‘bitambi’的原生质体。将融合处理的原生质体进行培养,共获得45株再生植株。4株再生植株形态上表现出融合双亲的中间特性,其中2株染色体数为融合两亲之和（2n = 12x (2n + 2n) = 180）,另外2株分别为41～103和35～100,因细胞不同而不同。经RAPD分析,这4株再生植株分别具有双亲特异的DNA扩增带或双亲都不具有的新扩增带。鉴定这4株再生植株为杂交不亲和的B群内品种间体细胞杂种。     

浆细胞样树突状细胞在宿主抵御隐球菌肺部感染中的作用及机制研究进展

肺隐球菌病是由隐球菌感染引起的常见真菌病,由于症状的非特异性,临床上诊断较为困难。作为条件致病性真菌感染,肺隐球菌病的结局主要与宿主免疫力有关。目前肺隐球菌病免疫学发病机制研究主要局限在T细胞和巨噬细胞。近年研究表明,作为树突状细胞亚群之一的浆细胞样树突细胞,由于其激活后可以产生大量的I型干扰素并活化相关的T细胞,所以在机体抵抗病毒和细菌免疫中发挥着重要的作用。但是浆细胞样树突细胞在真菌病,尤其是在隐球菌病的发生发展中发挥的作用尚不明确。本文将介绍肺隐球菌病的临床表现、诊治及T细胞和巨噬细胞在肺隐球菌病中的免疫机制,并通过介绍肺隐球菌病和浆细胞样树突细胞及二者之间已有报道的联系,初步阐述浆细胞样树突细胞在肺隐球菌病免疫学发病机制中的相关作用。     

Ca2+-Dependent Protein Kinase11 and 24 Modulate the Activity of the Inward Rectifying K+ Channels in Arabidopsis Pollen Tubes

Potassium (K⁺) influx into pollen tubes via K⁺ transporters is essential for pollen tube growth; however, the mechanism by which K⁺ transporters are regulated in pollen tubes remains unknown. Here, we report that Arabidopsis thaliana Ca²⁺-dependent protein kinase11 (CPK11) and CPK24 are involved in Ca²⁺-dependent regulation of the inward K⁺ (K+_in) channels in pollen tubes. Using patch-clamp analysis, we demonstrated that K+_in currents of pollen tube protoplasts were inhibited by elevated [Ca²⁺]_cyt. However, disruption of CPK11 or CPK24 completely impaired the Ca²⁺-dependent inhibition of K+_in currents and enhanced pollen tube growth. Moreover, the cpk11 cpk24 double mutant exhibited similar phenotypes as the corresponding single mutants, suggesting that these two CDPKs function in the same signaling pathway. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation and coimmunoprecipitation experiments showed that CPK11 could interact with CPK24 in vivo. Furthermore, CPK11 phosphorylated the N terminus of CPK24 in vitro, suggesting that these two CDPKs work together as part of a kinase cascade. Electrophysiological assays demonstrated that the Shaker pollen K+_in channel is the main contributor to pollen tube K+_in currents and acts as the downstream target of the CPK11-CPK24 pathway. We conclude that CPK11 and CPK24 together mediate the Ca²⁺-dependent inhibition of K+_in channels and participate in the regulation of pollen tube growth in Arabidopsis.     

HLA-G与肿瘤研究进展

人类白细胞抗原-G（human leukocyte antigen G,HLA—G1属于非经典的HLAI类分子,是机体内重要的免疫耐受分子。HLA．G可以与表达在免疫细胞上的受体结合直接发挥免疫抑制功能,同时通过诱导产生调节性T细胞（regulatory Tcells,Treg）或“Trogocytosis”机制参与机体的免疫耐受,以协助肿瘤细胞实现免疫逃逸。近年来研究发现,HLA．G在多种恶性肿瘤中均存在异常表达并抑制宿主的抗肿瘤免疫反应。对HLA-G在肿瘤中的表达及可能的作用机制研究进展作一综述。     

GTL2基因在体细胞核移植牛中的印记状态分析

体细胞核移植技术（SCNT）在医学研究、畜牧业生产和拯救濒危动物方面有重要的应用价值,而核移植效率低是制约其应用的主要因素．印记基因在哺乳动物胚胎发育和出生后的正常生长中都具有十分重要的作用,GTL2基因是在人和鼠中已被鉴定的印记基因,它作为一种RNA调解分子调控目的mRNA的转录．为了研究GTL2基因在自然繁殖牛和体细胞核移植牛中的印记状态,首先应用PCR-SSCP方法对GTL2基因多态性进行检测,鉴定自然繁殖牛和体细胞核移植牛中的杂合子,进而利用RT-PCR-SSCP技术对GTL2基因在杂合子牛的心、肝、脾、肺、肾、大脑中的表达状态进行分析．研究结果表明：GTL2基因在自然繁殖牛的被检测的6个组织中均表现为单等位基因表达,在体细胞核移植牛的心和肝中表现为单等位基因表达,而在大脑、脾、肺、肾中为双等位基因表达,GTL2基因在体细胞核移植牛的部分组织中表达紊乱有可能是造成体细胞核移植牛器官发育异常和核移植效率低下的原因之一．     

牛SRY蛋白表达纯化与体外功能鉴定

利用PCR技术从北京黑白花奶牛(Bostaurus)的基因组DNA中克隆了SRY(Sex-determiningregionontheYchromosome)基因编码区全长序列。序列分析表明牛SRY基因的HMG区(Highmobilitygroup)呈现高度的保守性,与人、小鼠、猪等的相似性达到70%。将SRY基因与pET-28a( )载体相连,构建表达载体pET-28a/SRY;把该表达载体转入大肠杆菌BL21(DE3),以IPTG诱导30℃诱导4h,SRY蛋白可高效表达,表达产物占总蛋白量的26%。对表达产物进行了Western-blotting检测,并采用亲和层析技术获得了高纯度的牛SRY蛋白。通过PCR技术分别获得牛、人、鼠的苗勒氏管抑制物(MullerianInhibitingsubstances,MIS)启动子,凝胶阻滞试验证明,牛SRY蛋白可与人及牛的MIS启动子结合,但与鼠的Mis启动子不发生相互作用。