Expression of the gamma-delta T-cell receptor on intestinal CD8+ intraepithelial lymphocytes

The vast majority of mature T lymphocytes in the peripheral blood and lymphoid organs use the CD3-associated alpha, beta T-cell receptor (TCR) heterodimer for antigen recognition. A second class of TCRs consists of disulphide-linked gamma and delta proteins that are also CD3-associated. A subset of early CD3+ fetal and adult CD4- 8- thymocytes express gamma, delta TCRs before alpha, beta TCRs are detectable. In addition, a minor (1-5%) subpopulation of peripheral T lymphocytes, and some spleen cells from nude mice express gamma, delta TCRs. Notably, dendritic epidermal cells have also been shown to express gamma, delta TCRs. All of these populations lack CD4 and CD8 molecules. We now report that most mature T cells residing in the murine intestinal epithelium express CD3-associated TCRs composed of gamma-chains disulphide-linked to a protein resembling the delta-chain. The striking feature of these intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) was that they were exclusively CD4-8+. In addition, approximately half of CD3-bearing IEL lacked detectable Thy-1 on the cell surface, which is unprecedented for murine T cells. In contrast to other CD8+ peripheral T cells, freshly isolated IEL could be induced to display cytolytic activity by engaging the CD3 molecule, indicating that activation had occurred in vivo. Thus, CD8+ IEL are a phenotypically diverse and anatomically restricted population of lymphocytes that use gamma-chain containing heterodimers for antigen recognition.     

AIDS virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes in lung disorders

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is implicated in the development of AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). HIV infection leads to the generation of HIV-specific thymus-derived (T) lymphocytes in humans and apes. We describe an experimental system permitting the quantitative and systematic analysis of HIV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). Functional, HIV-specific CTL are obtained by broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) from the lungs of seropositive patients with lymphocytic alveolitis. These alveolar CTL: (1) recognize and kill HIV-infected alveolar macrophages in vitro under autologous, but not heterologous, conditions; (2) correspond to standard CTL as they express the CD3 and CD8 surface markers, but not the CD4 marker; and (3) are restricted by class I HLA transplantation antigens in their cytotoxic activities. We propose the hypothesis that interactions between HIV-specific CTL and infected macrophages induce major inflammatory reactions in seropositive patients.     

Synapsin I bundles F-actin in a phosphorylation-dependent manner

Synapsin I is a neuron-specific phosphoprotein localized to the cytoplasmic surface of synaptic vesicles. This phosphoprotein is a major substrate for cyclic AMP-dependent and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases. Its state of phosphorylation can be altered both in vivo and in vitro by a variety of physiological and pharmacological manipulations known to affect synaptic function. Recent direct evidence suggests that it may be involved in the regulation of neurotransmitter release from the nerve terminal. In the nerve terminal, synaptic vesicles are embedded in a cytoskeletal network, consisting in part of actin. We report here the ability of the dephospho-form of synapsin I to bundle F-actin. This bundling activity is reduced when synapsin I is phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase and virtually abolished when it is phosphorylated by calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II or by both kinases. These results, demonstrating an interaction of synapsin I with actin in vitro, support the possibility that synapsin I is involved in clustering of synaptic vesicles at the presynaptic terminal and that the phosphorylation of synapsin I may be involved in regulating the translocation of synaptic vesicles to their sites of release.     

Effect of matrix metallo-proteinase-26 (MMP-26) during embryo implantation in the mouse

Matrix metalloproteinase-26 (MMP-26, endometase and matrilysin-2), a novel member of the MMPs family, is detected not only in the placenta and uterus, but is widely expressed in malignant tumors from different sources as well as in diverse tumor cell lines. However, the function of MMP-26 in the reproductive system has never been reported. Expression of MMP-26 in mouse embryos and the function of the MMP-26 antibody during mouse embryo implantation was examined for the first time by injecting the uterine horn, immunohistochemistry,in situ hybridization, co-culture of mouse blastocysts and uterine monolayer epithelial cells, Western blot, RT-PCR, Northern blot and zymography. Our results show that there is strong expression of MMP-26 mRNA and protein in the mouse embryo. Furthermore, the MMP-26 antibody dramatically inhibited mouse embryo implantation and significantly inhibited adhesion and outgrowth of mouse blastocysts onin vitro uterine monolayer epithelial cells. At the same time, the MMP-26 antibody inhibited the expression of integrin αV mRNA and protein in a dose-dependent manner. These data suggest that MMP-26 may play a role in some of the tissue-remodeling events associated with the invasion of the endometrium by trophoblast cells and facilitate successfully embryo implantation.     

Preparation of PE/MMT nanocomposite by monomer intercalation and <Emphasis Type="Italic">in situ</Emphasis> copolymerization

The catalyst [(2-ArN=C(Me))₂C₅H₃N]FeCl₂ (Ar = 2-C₆H₄(i-Pr)) with methylaluminoxane (MAO) as cocatalyst was intercalated between layers of montmorillonite (MMT) for ethylene oligomerization. Metallocene catalyst Me₂Si(Ind)₂ZrCl₂ and MAO was then added to form a dual functional catalytic system. A PE/MMT nanocomposite was prepared by copolymerization of ethylene with α-olefins produced in situ from ethylene over the dual functional catalytic system. The catalytic system was of high polymeric activity. The resultant PE/MMT nanocomposites were stable and got increases in tensile strength and temperature of maximum weight loss (T_onset).     

Radiolarian record to paleoecological environment change events over the past 1.2 MaBP in the southern South China Sea

This note studies the Radiolarian fossil groups since 1.2 MaBP in ODP leg 184 site 1143, the southern South China Sea (SCS). The result shows that radiolarian abundance experienced a significant variation: before 0.9 MaBP it remained at the extremely low level, but increased with low extent between 0.9–0.65 Ma, which corresponded to the Mid-Pleistocene Transition stage, and it increased rapidly after 0.65 MaBP. During the whole process, the average abundance became higher and higher in each stage, and showed regularly periodic fluctuations. The obvious increase after 0.65 MaBP is inferred to result from the enhanced upwelling in this region, which was induced by the intensified monsoon circulation after the “Mid-Pleistocene Transition”. An outstanding result of the spectral analyses is that a long oscillation of ∼ 0.2 Ma cycle was found in the records of radiolarian abundance and complex diversity, which corresponds well to the result of other paleoceanographic indexes. This probably indicated a special cycle characteristic of paleoecological environment evolution in this area. In addition, all of the radiolarian indexes show an obvious boundary in about 0.47 MaBP, indicating the abrupt variation of the community structure and radiolarian abundance level before and after 0.47 MaBP. So we suppose that there existed a distinct change event of oceanic ecology environment during that period.     

Introns in higher plant genes

The intron is an important component of eukaryotic gene. Extensive studies have been conducted to get a better understanding of its structure and function. This paper presents a brief review of the structure and function of introns in higher plant genes. It is shown that higher plant introns possess structural properties shared by all eukaryotic introns, however, they also exhibit a striking degree of diversity. The process of intron splicing in higher plant genes involves interaction between multiple cis-acting elements and trans-acting factors, such as 5′ splicing site, 3′ splicing site and many protein factors. The process of intron splicing is an important level at which gene expression is regulated. Especially alternative splicing of intron can regulate time and space of gene expression. In addition, some introns in higher plant genes also regulate gene expression by affecting the pattern of gene expression, enhancing the level of gene expression and driving the gene expression.     

Landau theory of martensitic transformation in Fe-Mn-Si based alloys

Considering the features of martensitic transformation in Fe-Mn-Si based alloys, the Landau theory is established by introducing the density of stacking faults as a new order parameter ηand the corresponding free energy function. By using such an order parameter, the stacking fault mechanism of the nucleation and growth for the γ(fcc)→ε(hcp) martensitic transformation can be reasonably explained, and a further detailed mechanism is proposed. The stacking faults are generated and overlapped in an irregular form at the beginning and then becoming regular to create some transition structures till a stable phase forms at a certain temperature. The importance of the interface soliton is to complete the transformations into various structures of martensite but not the twinned one. The thermodynamics of fcc→hcp transformation and those between different transition structures are described by the free energy function established in the present note.     

Regularities of formation and lattice distortion of perovskite-type compounds

Based on 489 known perovskite-type complex oxides and a number of other type complex oxides, the pattern recognition-atomic parameter method is adopted to find regularities of the formation and the lattice distortion of the perovskite structure. It has been found that the restriction on Goldschmidt's t factor constitutes only a necessary but not a sufficient condition to form perovskite-type compounds. A more effective mathematical model, which can precisely sum up the regularities of the formation, the lattice distortion,and the cell constants of known perovskite-type compounds and reliably make corresponding predictions on unknown compounds, can be set up by integrating multiple atomic parameters such as ionic radii, ionic valency, and Basanov's electronegativity of constituent elements. Based on it, an intelligent database has been implemented. Its prediction accuracy is tested by eight newly discovered perovskite-type compounds such as Eu(Mn0.5 Ni0.5)O3, etc. (they are not included in the database during the test). The prediction resuits are in agreement with experimental facts.