The translocation motif of hepatitis B virus improves protein vaccination

Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) have been shown to improve antigen loading of dendritic cell vaccines. Here we asked whether fusion of a CPP to a protein improves its immunogenicity when this fusion protein is directly applied as vaccine. We used the cell-penetrating translocation motif (TLM) derived from the hepatitis B virus, because no size limitation of cargos has been observed. Increased immunogenicity was observed when TLM was fused to ovalbumin (TLM-ova). TLM-ova was found to be superior to ova in inducing proliferation and cytotoxicity of ova-specific CD8+ T cells in vitro and in vivo. Using ovalbumin-expressing thymoma cells (EG7-ova), an improved anti-tumor immune response was observed for TLM-ova vaccination versus vaccination with ova. Moreover, TLM-ova vaccination induced a higher titer of anti-ovalbumin IgG2a antibodies compared to ova. These data demonstrate that CPP-protein vaccines can improve cellular as well as humoral immune responses. Received 16 November 2005; received after revision 12 December 2005; accepted 10 January 2006 †These authors contributed equally to this work     

SPF小鼠肠道菌群在不同免疫功能状态下的比较

我们分析了肠道菌群差异与肠道细菌易位的关系。比较了Ｔ细胞、Ｂ细胞和ＮＫ细胞缺陷，结果说明鼠盲肠内容物中的类杆菌、乳酸杆菌的量明显低于其它两种鼠，比值明显下降。我们认为鼠盲肠内类杆菌和乳酸杆菌量与Ｔ细胞缺陷有密切关系，在肠道细菌易位过程中也起一定作用．     

高等植物铁元素的吸收、转位和调控

铁(Fe)是大多数生物体必需的微量营养元素.虽然铁在许多土壤中是丰富的,但铁在土壤中的可溶性非常低,常常限制植物生长.此外,铁自身存在高度的氧化还原特性,对细胞具有潜在的毒性.因此,细胞内铁的动态平衡需要严格调控.植物细胞中形成了一个复杂的信号网络来调节对铁的摄取、分配、运输及其代谢等过程.非禾本科和禾本科植物物种分别通过基于铁还原和铁螯合的两种不同策略从土壤中获得铁.植物对铁的吸收受到局部和全身信号的调控.系统信号通路似乎整合了激素信号、一氧化氮(NO)信号和植物营养需求等多种因素.综述了两种策略所依赖的分子机制和在铁缺乏条件下负责诱导这些策略的因素.     

长春地区季节冻土水热迁移的分析与模拟

为了揭示季节性冻土中地下水的运移规律,在长春进行了为期5个月的现场冻深、含水量、地温观测,同时进行了室内试验研究,并建立模型分析水的运移规律。结果表明:导热系数随着温度的降低略有增大,但增率很小,当温度变化1℃,导热系数的变化在1%左右,所以计算中可忽略温度变化对导热系数的影响,并且需要加入一个过渡函数来防止数值模拟过程中的不收敛问题。改进后的数值模拟方法可以正确揭示冻土中水分迁移的规律,并进一步指导工程实践。     

The peroxisomal protein import machinery – a case report of transient ubiquitination with a new flavor

The peroxisomal protein import machinery displays remarkable properties. Be it its capacity to accept already folded proteins as substrates, its complex architecture or its energetics, almost every aspect of this machinery seems unique. The list of unusual properties is still growing as shown by the recent finding that one of its central components, Pex5p, is transiently monoubiquitinated at a cysteine residue. However, the data gathered in recent years also suggest that the peroxisomal import machinery is not that exclusive and similarities with p97/Cdc48-mediated processes and with multisubunit RING-E3 ligases are starting to emerge. Here, we discuss these data trying to distill the principles by which this complex machinery operates. Received 16 July 2008; received after revision 25 August 2008; accepted 29 August 2008     

Glischropus tylopus,the first known old-world bat with an X-autosome translocation

Summary Glischropus tylopus shows an X-autosome translocation in which a small acrocentric chromosome has been transferred to the X. The diploid number is 30 for the females and 31 for the males. RBG banding shows that in the late replicating X of the female only the original X replicates late, the autosomal part replicates early, showing the same pattern as the corresponding autosomal Y₂ of the male. In the X chromosome, a heterochromatic band separates the autosomal from the gonosomal sequences.23 January 1987I am very grateful to Prof. R.A. Pfeiffer for giving me the opportunity to work at the Department of Human Genetics.My stay in Malaysia was supported by a grant of the DAAD.     

小麦-黑麦易位系的诱发与鉴定

染色体易位可以人工诱发来产生,利用Ph基因突变体、5B缺体、远缘杂交和远缘杂交与辐射相结合的方法都可以获得染色体易位.其发生频率与亲本类型、杂交组合、辐射剂量的大小有关.对小麦与黑麦杂交后代的花粉母细胞进行Giemsa-C带分析,证实在杂种中黑麦染色体与小麦染色体有同祖配对和黑麦染色体的组内配对现象.利用C-带技术对十二个初步稳定的小麦-黑麦易位品系进行鉴定,其中四个品系为6RS/5RL易位;五个品位为1RS/7BL易位;对于无明显黑麦染色体端带的三个品系根据性状表现,推测为5RL易位或含有5RL片段的易位.实验结果表明用C-带技术鉴定小麦-黑麦的染色体易位是可行的.     

Plant grafting and its application in biological research

Grafting is widely used for various aspects of plant biological research. We reviewed grafting methods and graft development processes for herbaceous plants. We introduced also methods of investigating the development of graft union and compatibility, and the application of grafting in understanding translocation of substances and long-distance signaling in plants.