HLA-D region beta-chain DNA endonuclease fragments differ between HLA-DR identical healthy and insulin-dependent diabetic individuals

The human HLA-D histocompatibility region encodes class II antigens each of which consists of two polypeptide chains (alpha and beta) inserted in the plasma membrane. These molecules are implicated in the regulation of the immune response but several human diseases are also found to be associated with certain HLA-DR antigens. The occurrence of insulin-dependent (type I) diabetes (IDDM) is strongly associated with HLA-DR3 and/or 4 (ref. 5). The class II antigens, however, show a marked genetic polymorphism associated with the beta-chains which seem, from hybridization studies, to be encoded by several genes. We have therefore used the beta-chain cDNA probe, pDR-beta-1 (refs 8, 10) to test whether there are differences in hybridization pattern between DNA from healthy individuals and diabetic patients, after digestion with restriction endonucleases. Among the HLA-DR 4 and 3/4 individuals, the IDDM patients showed an increased frequency of a PstI 18 kilobase (kb) fragment. A BamHI 3.7 kb fragment, frequent among controls (30-40%), was rarely detected in the IDDM patients (0-2%). These differences may be related to susceptibility to develop the disease.     

Future projections for Mexican faunas under global climate change scenarios

Global climates are changing rapidly, with unexpected consequences. Because elements of biodiversity respond intimately to climate as an important driving force of distributional limitation, distributional shifts and biodiversity losses are expected. Nevertheless, in spite of modelling efforts focused on single species or entire ecosystems, a few preliminary surveys of fauna-wide effects, and evidence of climate change-mediated shifts in several species, the likely effects of climate change on species' distributions remain little known, and fauna-wide or community-level effects are almost completely unexplored. Here, using a genetic algorithm and museum specimen occurrence data, we develop ecological niche models for 1,870 species occurring in Mexico and project them onto two climate surfaces modelled for 2055. Although extinctions and drastic range reductions are predicted to be relatively few, species turnover in some local communities is predicted to be high (>40% of species), suggesting that severe ecological perturbations may result.     

The genome sequence of Bacillus anthracis Ames and comparison to closely related bacteria

Bacillus anthracis is an endospore-forming bacterium that causes inhalational anthrax. Key virulence genes are found on plasmids (extra-chromosomal, circular, double-stranded DNA molecules) pXO1 (ref. 2) and pXO2 (ref. 3). To identify additional genes that might contribute to virulence, we analysed the complete sequence of the chromosome of B. anthracis Ames (about 5.23 megabases). We found several chromosomally encoded proteins that may contribute to pathogenicity--including haemolysins, phospholipases and iron acquisition functions--and identified numerous surface proteins that might be important targets for vaccines and drugs. Almost all these putative chromosomal virulence and surface proteins have homologues in Bacillus cereus, highlighting the similarity of B. anthracis to near-neighbours that are not associated with anthrax. By performing a comparative genome hybridization of 19 B. cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis strains against a B. anthracis DNA microarray, we confirmed the general similarity of chromosomal genes among this group of close relatives. However, we found that the gene sequences of pXO1 and pXO2 were more variable between strains, suggesting plasmid mobility in the group. The complete sequence of B. anthracis is a step towards a better understanding of anthrax pathogenesis.     

The bright optical afterglow of the nearby gamma-ray burst of 29 March 2003

Past studies of cosmological gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have been hampered by their extreme distances, resulting in faint afterglows. A nearby GRB could potentially shed much light on the origin of these events, but GRBs with a redshift z 相似文献   

三种水份条件下湿生植物Lythrum salicaria L.的菌根状况及其对植物生长的影响

陆生植物的菌根已被广泛研究,对湿生植物菌根的研究却很少.本研究的目的是检测在水淹、潮湿和干旱条件下水生植物L.salicaria的菌根合成状况及其对植物生长的影响.在三种水份条件下,L.salicaria与来源于不同地点(干旱和水淹)的两种接种物(F2和F1)均可形成菌根,水份条件和接种物种类都显著地影响菌根的合成水平(P《0.05).F1和F2接种物与植物合成菌根的水平均在水淹处理中最低. F1接种物与L.salicaria合成菌根的水平在潮湿和干旱处理中显著地高于水淹处理(P《0.05),并且趋势是:潮湿》干旱》水淹处理.F2接种物与L.salicaria合成菌根的水平在三种水份处理中没有显著区别,但仍然可观察到一个趋势:干旱》潮湿》水淹处理.在水淹和干旱处理中,菌根对植物地上部分的生长和根的生物量积累没有影响.在潮湿处理中被F1接种的植株与被F2接种的植株与对照植株相比,地上部分干重、根鲜重显著地低;地上部分鲜/干重比、地上部分/根鲜重比显著地高.水份条件显著地影响植物的生长行为.     

Role of peripheral chemoreceptors in response to smoke-induced apnea vs tracheal occlusion

Summary Reflex autonomic changes which occur after cigarette smoke enters the upper airways are partially due to peripheral chemoreceptor stimulation. Chemoreceptor denervation attenuates but does not abolish smoke induced bradycardia. Denervation nearly abolishes bradycardia induced by tracheal occlusion. Hypertension accompanies smoke induced apnea but does not occur during tracheal occlusion.Acknowledgments. This study was supported by Oral Roberts University research funds.     

Visual processing in the leech central nervous system

In animals with complex visual systems spatial contrast is enhanced by mutual inhibition between retinal neurones monitoring different fields. By analogy, if animals like leeches and some caterpillars, that have several simple (non-image-forming) eyes aimed in different directions, are capable of rudimentary form detection, one might predict mutual antagonism between eyes monitoring different fields. In support of this prediction, I report here a paired interneurone in the central nervous system (CNS) of the leech which is stimulated by eyes on one side of the animal and inhibited by eyes on the other. There are striking parallels between these neurones and other integrating neurones, in particular those processing bilateral auditory input in crickets, suggesting that the visual system of the leech may be representative of a general class of sensory processing systems.