Differential roles of MDA5 and RIG-I helicases in the recognition of RNA viruses

The innate immune system senses viral infection by recognizing a variety of viral components (including double-stranded (ds)RNA) and triggers antiviral responses. The cytoplasmic helicase proteins RIG-I (retinoic-acid-inducible protein I, also known as Ddx58) and MDA5 (melanoma-differentiation-associated gene 5, also known as Ifih1 or Helicard) have been implicated in viral dsRNA recognition. In vitro studies suggest that both RIG-I and MDA5 detect RNA viruses and polyinosine-polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)), a synthetic dsRNA analogue. Although a critical role for RIG-I in the recognition of several RNA viruses has been clarified, the functional role of MDA5 and the relationship between these dsRNA detectors in vivo are yet to be determined. Here we use mice deficient in MDA5 (MDA5-/-) to show that MDA5 and RIG-I recognize different types of dsRNAs: MDA5 recognizes poly(I:C), and RIG-I detects in vitro transcribed dsRNAs. RNA viruses are also differentially recognized by RIG-I and MDA5. We find that RIG-I is essential for the production of interferons in response to RNA viruses including paramyxoviruses, influenza virus and Japanese encephalitis virus, whereas MDA5 is critical for picornavirus detection. Furthermore, RIG-I-/- and MDA5-/- mice are highly susceptible to infection with these respective RNA viruses compared to control mice. Together, our data show that RIG-I and MDA5 distinguish different RNA viruses and are critical for host antiviral responses.     

Suppression of basal autophagy in neural cells causes neurodegenerative disease in mice

Autophagy is an intracellular bulk degradation process through which a portion of the cytoplasm is delivered to lysosomes to be degraded. Although the primary role of autophagy in many organisms is in adaptation to starvation, autophagy is also thought to be important for normal turnover of cytoplasmic contents, particularly in quiescent cells such as neurons. Autophagy may have a protective role against the development of a number of neurodegenerative diseases. Here we report that loss of autophagy causes neurodegeneration even in the absence of any disease-associated mutant proteins. Mice deficient for Atg5 (autophagy-related 5) specifically in neural cells develop progressive deficits in motor function that are accompanied by the accumulation of cytoplasmic inclusion bodies in neurons. In Atg5-/- cells, diffuse, abnormal intracellular proteins accumulate, and then form aggregates and inclusions. These results suggest that the continuous clearance of diffuse cytosolic proteins through basal autophagy is important for preventing the accumulation of abnormal proteins, which can disrupt neural function and ultimately lead to neurodegeneration.     

Video imaging of walking myosin V by high-speed atomic force microscopy

The dynamic behaviour of myosin V molecules translocating along actin filaments has been mainly studied by optical microscopy. The processive hand-over-hand movement coupled with hydrolysis of adenosine triphosphate was thereby demonstrated. However, the protein molecules themselves are invisible in the observations and have therefore been visualized by electron microscopy in the stationary states. The concomitant assessment of structure and dynamics has been unfeasible, a situation prevailing throughout biological research. Here we directly visualize myosin V molecules walking along actin tracks, using high-speed atomic force microscopy. The high-resolution movies not only provide corroborative 'visual evidence' for previously speculated or demonstrated molecular behaviours, including lever-arm swing, but also reveal more detailed behaviours of the molecules, leading to a comprehensive understanding of the motor mechanism. Our direct and dynamic high-resolution visualization is a powerful new approach to studying the structure and dynamics of biomolecules in action.     

Biological responses inCaenorhabditis elegans to high magnetic fields

Here we describe a device for testing possible influences of high magnetic fields on biological processes, by which alternating-current magnetic stimuli as high as 1.7 T can be administered. Experiments with a simple multicellular organism, the nematodeCaenorhabditis elegans, revealed that intermittent exposure to the magnetic fields modestly inhibited the animal's reproduction as well as its post-embryonic development, and caused a marked but transient derangement in its locomotory behavior. Available evidence indicates that alternating high magnetic fields can elicit both chronic and acute biological effects, but that the effects may be well tolerated or compensated for by the living organism.     

金或银离子催化的内炔基环丙基硅醚的分子内环化反应

在金或银离子的催化下, 对7种内炔基环丙基硅醚化合物进行催化环化反应, 得到了相应的α,β 不饱和环戊烯基酮的分子内环化产物, 最高收率为78%, 并通过红外光谱、 核磁共振氢谱/碳谱证实了新化合物的结构, 提出了环化反应机理.     

短双歧杆菌(Bifidobacterium breve 203)α-D-半乳糖苷酶的诱导合成及部分酶性质研究

研究发现 2 5株所试肠道细菌中只有 6株双歧杆菌可以利用棉子糖良好生长 ,并且在棉子糖的诱导下产生α D 半乳糖苷酶 .9种不同糖中 ,Bifidobacter iumbreve 2 0 3可以利用葡萄糖、半乳糖、果糖、麦芽糖、乳糖、蜜二糖、棉子糖良好生长 ,但只有蜜二糖和棉子糖诱导α D 半乳糖苷酶的产生 .1 0mmol/L的棉子糖和蜜二糖对于α D 半乳糖苷酶的诱导合成是最佳浓度的 ,且此浓度下 ,棉子糖的诱导能力 (比活 7.1 3units/mg)是蜜二糖 (比活 3 .4 0units/mg)的 2倍以上 .B .breve 2 0 3菌株α D 半乳糖苷酶专一性水解α D 半乳糖苷键 ,不水解β D 半乳糖苷键 .酶反应的最适温度是 3 7℃ ,酶在 4 0℃以下稳定 ,60℃时剩余 80 %的酶活 ,65℃时剩余 2 0 %的酶活 ,70℃时失去所有的酶活 .酶在 pH5.5～ 9.5稳定 ,酶反应的最适pH是 5.5～ 6.5.Hg 、Cu2 、Ag 和PCMB强烈抑制酶的活性 ,而Co2 、Mg2 、Ca2 、Mn2 、Zn2 、EDTA和DTT对酶活性没有抑制 .     

A new simple temperature-controlled membrane oxygenator for the perfusion of isolated rat livers

A new temperature-controlled membrane oxygenator for perfusing isolated rat livers was assembled using a combination of heat-exchangeable rubber tubing and silicon rubber tubing. The apparatus supplied enough oxygen to satisfy the requirements of hemoglobin-free perfused livers.     

距骨多糖（APS）和距骨类黄酮（AF）对正常老鼠和瘤变老鼠的淋巴因子激活杀伤细胞（LAK）和天然杀伤细胞（NK）的细胞毒性的影响

使用WST方法研究了APS和AF分别对LAK和NK细胞的抗瘤变活性的影响。结果表明：在APS（或AF）和rIL-2的协同作用下，LAK细胞的抗瘤变活性显著增强；单独使用APS能增加NK细胞的细胞毒性；如果将单独使用的rIL-2的剂量增加到20倍，可以减轻癌症病人在接受针对LAK细胞的顺势疗法时引起的毒副作用，同时APS和AF也是有效的距骨细胞膜的免疫调节组份。     

Sexual behavior mutants revisited: molecular and cellular basis of Drosophila mating

The study of Drosophila melanogaster by a combination of forward genetics with specific mutants, and reverse genetics, in which a given gene is expressed in an appropriate brain area to test its effect on behavior, provides a unique opportunity to explore the causal relationship between a particular gene, its function in the cell and the behavioral outcome at the organismic level. Enhanced male-to-male courtship has been shown to occur as a result of mutations in several different genes. For example, the Voila mutant exhibits intense GAL4 reporter expression in the tarsal gustatory sensilla, suggesting the importance of tapping by a male on the female abdomen with his forelegs. Feminization of parts of the antennal lobe and mushroom body by targeted expression of a female-determining gene transformer ⁺ (tra ⁺) drives the male to court other males. Mutations in the tra target gene fruitless (fru), which is expressed in the antennal lobe as well as the suboesophageal ganglion (the gustatory inputs are processed here), also induce homosexual courtship in males. These results suggest that sensory inputs mediated and/or processed by the tarsal receptors, suboesophageal ganglion, antennal lobe and mushroom body contribute to the regulation of male–female courtship. Mosaic analysis localized the neural center for male courtship behavior to the posterior dorsal brain, in which the sensory information processed by the aforementioned neural structures may be integrated. Another mosaic study mapped the neural center for female sexual behavior, as measured by her receptiveness to copulation, to the anterior dorsal brain. The issue as to how the mutations that reduce female sexual receptiveness, e.g. dissatisfaction (dsf), spinster (spin) and chaste (cht), affect the structure and/or function of this neural center deserves to be addressed urgently. Received 27 April 1999; received after revision 21 June 1999; accepted 8 July 1999