凝集素的分离纯化、基因克隆及功能研究进展

凝集素(lectin)研究近年来发展迅速，尤其在植物基因工程中，植物外源凝集素基因越来越受到重视。本文从凝集素的分离纯化、基因克隆、理化性质和功能等方面进行了综述。此外还讨论了凝集素基因在植物基因工程中的应用。     

小鼠表皮发育期间蓖麻凝集素受体的定位

采用酶标凝集素技术，在光镜水平对小鼠表皮发育期间蓖麻凝集素的受体进行定位，结果表明；在胚胎期间周皮细胞和角质层以及基膜中均有Ｇａｌ残基分布；在表皮中间层，毛根原基处无Ｇａｌ，在眼睑和眼睑缘处也无Ｇａｌ分布，Ｇａｌ可能参与表皮的角质化和基膜组建，与周皮在胚胎期发挥正常功能有关。     

血管紧张素与一氧化氮的调节平衡对缺血心肌的作用

在心血管系统中,肾素 血管紧张素系统是重要的体液调节系统,一氧化氮是具有多种作用的重要的细胞信使。本文就这二者之间的联系对于缺血心肌的影响及血管内皮生长因子表达的机制作一综述。     

成年雄性斑胸草雀脑多巴胺D1受体的分布

多巴胺是脑内关键的神经递质,它通过与多巴胺受体的作用及其下游的一系列反应来影响基因表达、神经调节和行为活动.在成年鸣禽中,中脑多巴胺能神经元投射到X区、HVC和RA等鸣唱相关核团,释放多巴胺的量受一定社会情境的影响,从而表现出directed song和undirected song等不同鸣唱行为.获得斑胸草雀脑中多巴胺受体的表达情况,为与社会情境有关的鸣唱行为及其他和多巴胺相关的行为活动的神经机制探究提供了基础,并可促进行为学、电生理等方面的研究.我们发现D1受体在斑胸草雀脑中的分布与其mRNA的分布基本一致:在脑的绝大部分区域都有分布;主要鸣唱核团HVC和RA有表达,与其周围区域差异不明显;LMAN中表达量较少;DLM中的表达量较高,并与其周围区域差异明显.但是纹状体内的表达与其周围区域的差异性没有mRNA明显;GCT中的表达量较多,与周围区域差异明显.     

The protease-activated receptor-3 (PAR-3) can signal autonomously to induce interleukin-8 release

Protease-activated receptors (PARs) play a clear role in the burst of inflammatory reactions and immune responses. However, for PAR-3, the most elusive member of the PAR family, the functional role is still largely unclear. It has been claimed that PAR-3 does not signal autonomously, although the wide expression of human PAR-3 indicates its important physiological roles. We demonstrate that in HEK-293 cells, stably transfected with human PAR-3, thrombin induced calcium signaling, IL-8 gene expression and IL-8 release. We confirmed this finding using human lung epithelial and human astrocytoma cells that express endogenous PAR-3. Moreover, thrombin exposure of HEK-293 cells resulted in ERK1/2 activation coinciding with IL-8 release. The effects of thrombin were not dependent on PAR-1 activation, as confirmed by PAR-1 gene silencing. Thus, we propose that PAR-3 is able to signal autonomously to induce IL-8 release mediated by ERK1/2 phosphorylation, which contributes actively to inflammatory responses. Received 9 December 2007; received after revision 16 January 2008; accepted 18 January 2008     

Molecular mechanisms of phagocytic uptake in mammalian cells

Phagocytosis is a highly conserved, complex process that has evolved to counter the constant threat posed by pathogens, effete cells and debris. Classically defined as a mechanism for internalising and destroying particles greater than 0.5 mum in size, it is a receptor-mediated, actin-driven process. The best-studied phagocytic receptors are the opsono-receptors, FcgammaR and CR3. Phagocytic uptake involves actin dynamics including polymerisation, bundling, contraction, severing and depolymerisation of actin filaments. Recent evidence points to the importance of membrane remodelling during phagocytosis, both in terms of changes in lipid composition and delivery of new membrane to the sites of particle binding. Here we review the molecular mechanisms of phagocytic uptake and some of the strategies developed by microbial pathogens to manipulate this process.     

Signaling in the Chemosensory Systems

The mammalian olfactory system is not uniformly organized but consists of several subsystems each of which probably serves distinct functions. Not only are the two major nasal chemosensory systems, the vomeronasal organ and the main olfactory epithelium, structurally and functionally separate entities, but the latter is further subcompartimentalized into overlapping expression zones and projection-related subzones. Moreover, the populations of ‘OR37’ neurons not only express a unique type of olfactory receptors but also are segregated in a cluster-like manner and generally project to only one receptor-specific glomerulus. The septal organ is an island of sensory epithelium on the nasal septum positioned at the nasoplatine duct; it is considered as a ‘mini-nose’ with dual function. A specific chemosensory function of the most recently discovered subsystem, the so-called Grueneberg ganglion, is based on the expression of olfactory marker protein and the axonal projections to defined glomeruli within the olfactory bulb. This complexity of distinct olfactory subsystems may be one of the features determining the enormous chemosensory capacity of the sense of smell.     

Sialic acid-specific lectins: occurrence, specificity and function

Sialic acids consist of a family of acidic ninecarbon sugars that are typically located at the terminal positions of a variety of glycoconjugates. Naturally occurring sialic acids show an immense diversity of structure, and this reflects their involvement in a variety of biologically important processes. One such process involves the direct participation of sialic acids in recognition events through specific interactions with lectins, a family of proteins that recognise and bind sugars. This review will present a detailed overview of our current knowledge regarding the occurrence, specificity and function of sialic acid-specific lectins, particularly those that occur in viruses, bacteria and non-vertebrate eukaryotes. Received 13 December 2005; received after revision 9 February 2006; accepted 15 February 2006     

不同海藻凝集素对鲤免疫活性物的诱导作用

以条斑紫菜（Porphyra yezaensis）和裙带菜（Undaria pinnatifida）的凝集素作为免疫增强剂,来研究它对鲤免疫活性的诱导作用．实验结果表明,投喂和灌喂凝集素后,鲤血清中凝集素、超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）、过氧化氢酶（CAT）、溶菌酶活性与对照组相比都有提高,其中投喂条斑紫菜凝集素组比投喂对照组依次提高3．0倍、0．8倍、3．9倍、1.0倍;投喂裙带菜凝集素组比投喂对照组依次提高1.0倍、0．4倍、3．0倍、0．7倍,灌喂裙带菜凝集素组比灌喂对照组依次提高3．0倍、0．3倍、1．8倍;灌喂条斑紫菜凝集素组比灌喂对照组依次提高3.0倍、0．7倍．由此可看出：两种凝集素都可以作为一种免疫添加剂激活鲤的免疫系统,对鲤的非特异性免疫功能具有明显的增强作用．其中投喂条斑紫菜的效果更好．     

Baclofen prevents rapid amygdala kindling in adult rats

This study investigates the effect of the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA_B) agonist, baclofen, on amygdala kindling in adult rats. Baclofen has been reported to be anticonvulsant in a variety of seizure models and prevents kindling in immature rats. These experiments describe the effects of baclofen (2, 5 and 10 mg/kg, i.p.) on the afterdischarge threshold and kindling rate. Baclofen, 10 mg/kg, significantly increased the afterdischarge threshold in the amygdala. Baclofen at 5 and 10 mg/kg, retarded the rate of kindling as measured by the number of stimuli required to advance to subsequent seizure stages. These results suggest that baclofen may decrease the local excitability of the amygdala and retard the rate of seizure spread (or generalization) throughout the brain. Baclofen, acting at GABA_B receptors exerts an anticonvulsant effect on amygdala kindling in these experiments.