Variability and memory of protein levels in human cells

Protein expression is a stochastic process that leads to phenotypic variation among cells. The cell-cell distribution of protein levels in microorganisms has been well characterized but little is known about such variability in human cells. Here, we studied the variability of protein levels in human cells, as well as the temporal dynamics of this variability, and addressed whether cells with higher than average protein levels eventually have lower than average levels, and if so, over what timescale does this mixing occur. We measured fluctuations over time in the levels of 20 endogenous proteins in living human cells, tagged by the gene for yellow fluorescent protein at their chromosomal loci. We found variability with a standard deviation that ranged, for different proteins, from about 15% to 30% of the mean. Mixing between high and low levels occurred for all proteins, but the mixing time was longer than two cell generations (more than 40 h) for many proteins. We also tagged pairs of proteins with two colours, and found that the levels of proteins in the same biological pathway were far more correlated than those of proteins in different pathways. The persistent memory for protein levels that we found might underlie individuality in cell behaviour and could set a timescale needed for signals to affect fully every member of a cell population.     

烟草薄层培养早期细胞核形态与核DNA含量变化的研究

通过应用ＤＮＡ专一性活体荧光染色剂Ｈｏｅｃｈｅｓｔ３３２５８对烟草茎表皮细胞薄层培养物的细胞核进行活体染色，发现在培养早期，细胞核发生了明显变化，由分化时的一般扁圆形和靠壁的位置逐渐变成圆形和居中的位置；核体积增大；染色质结构由致密变得疏松；而后染色质凝缩，发生无丝分裂；经数次分裂之后，细胞形态较一致，通过单细胞核内ＤＮＡ含量的测定，发现细胞分裂之前，核ＤＮＡ含量不增加；而最初几次分裂之后，含量减     

In vitro synthesis of infectious DNA of murine leukaemia virus.

DNA synthesised in vitro by purified virions of murine leukaemia virus is infectious. Neither RNA nor protein is required for infectivity. Transfection with reverse trancriptase product shows a single-hit dose response and results in the production of complete, infectious virus.     

Identification of antigen receptor-associated structures on murine T cells

The specific antigen receptor on human and murine T lymphocytes is a heterodimer of relative molecular mass (Mr) 80,000-90,000 (80-90K) composed of two 40-50K disulphide-linked glycoprotein subunits. Peptide map analysis of the alpha- and beta-chains of receptor isolated from distinct tumour cell lines suggests the presence of both constant and variable regions. Unlike the antigen receptor on B lymphocytes (that is, surface immunoglobulin), the human T-cell antigen receptor seems to be non-covalently associated with another invariant structure recognized by monoclonal antibodies to the cell-surface antigens T3 and Leu 4 (refs 4, 5, 9, 12). Meuer et al. have demonstrated comodulation of the T3 structure and T-cell antigen receptor using anti-clonotypic and anti-T3 monoclonal antibodies. Furthermore, immunoprecipitation with anti-T3 weakly co-precipitates a small amount of the 80-90K heterodimer in certain conditions. The murine homologue of the Leu 4/T3 structure has not been identified, although Gunter et al. have suggested that Thy-1 may be the counterpart of Leu 4/T3 (ref. 13). Here we describe a Leu 4/T3-like structure, distinct from Thy-1, associated with the T-cell receptor of a murine T-lymphoma cell line.     

昆明鼠胚胎干细胞的分离培养与鉴定

目的：从昆明系小鼠的早期胚胎分离和培养胚胎干细胞(ES细胞)．方法：收集小鼠3．5d胚龄的囊胚，将其培养在小鼠胚胎成纤维细胞饲养层上，5—6d后取隆起生长的内细胞团块分离后再培养，观察集落的生长情况并通过碱性磷酸酶染色、原位杂交、细胞核型分析等对细胞集落进行鉴定．结果：KS细胞集落性生长，符合小鼠胚胎干细胞的一系列特性．结论：昆明系小鼠囊胚在胚胎成纤维细胞饲养层上可以发育成ES细胞，并能进行传代培养．     

小鼠胚肝基质细胞在体外培养中的动态演化

胚肝基质细胞是研究胚肝造血调控的重要工具，本实验对小鼠胚肝基质细胞在体外培养过程中的生长、细胞类型组成及其组成比例的演变过程进行了观察．实验显示小鼠原代培养初期基质细胞是由平滑肌样上皮细胞、巨噬细胞以及成纤维样细胞、树突状细胞、内皮细胞构成的，经过多次传代后，巨噬细胞等类型的细胞逐渐丢失，平滑肌样上皮细胞和成纤维样细胞成为主体，表明体外培养的小鼠胚肝基质细胞在4代以内都能较真实的反映体内造血微环境的构成，适用于胚肝造血研究．此为进一步研究胚肝基质细胞在胚胎期造血过程中的作用奠定了工作基础．