Isolation of human epidermal stem cells by adherence and the reconstruction of skin equivalents

The isolation of human epidermal stem cells is critical for their clinical applications. In the present study, we isolated three populations of epidermal keratinocytes according to their ability to adhere to collagen type IV: i.e., rapidly adhering (RA), slowly adhering (SA), and non-adhering (NA) cells. The aim of this study was to characterize RA cells and to investigate the possibility of using these cells for epidermis reconstruction. To identify RA cells, flow cytometric analysis was performed using anti-₆ integrin and anti-CD71 antibodies. RA cells express high levels of ₆ integrin and low levels of CD71, which are considered as markers of an epidermal stem cell nature. Furthermore, electron microscopy showed that RA cells are small and have a high nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio, whereas SA and NA cells have well-developed cellular organelles and abundant tonofilaments. Western blot analysis showed that RA cells are slow cycling and express p63, a putative epidermal stem cell marker, whereas SA and NA cells express c-Myc, which is known to regulate stem cell fate. To compare epidermal regenerative abilities, skin equivalents (SEs) were made using RA, SA, and NA cells. The epidermis constructed from RA cells was well formed compared to those formed from SA or NA cells. In addition, only SEs with RA cells expressed ₆ integrin and ₁ integrin at the basal layer. These results indicate that RA cells represent epidermal stem cells and are predominately comprised of stem cells. Therefore, the isolation of RA cells using a simple technique offers a potential route to their clinical application, because they are easily isolated and provide a high yield of epidermal stem cells.Received 2 July 2004; received after revision 20 August 2004; accepted 10 September 2004     

Horizontal gene transfer from Eukarya to Bacteria and domain shuffling: the α-amylase model

-Amylases are present in all kingdoms of the living world. Despite strong conservation of the tertiary structure, only a few amino acids are conserved in interkingdom comparisons. Animal -amylases are characterized by several typical motifs and biochemical properties. A few cases of such -amylases have been previously reported in some eubacterial species. We screened the bacterial genomes available in the sequence databases for new occurrences of animal-like -amylases. Three novel cases were found, which belong to unrelated bacterial phyla: Chloroflexus aurantiacus, Microbulbifer degradans, and Thermobifida fusca. All the animal-like -amylases in Bacteria probably result from repeated horizontal gene transfer from animals. The M. degradans genome also contains bacterial-type and plant-type -amylases in addition to the animal-type one. Thus, this species exhibits -amylases of animal, plant, and bacterial origins. Moreover, the similarities in the extra C-terminal domains (different from both the -amylase domain C and the starch-binding domain), when present, also suggest interkingdom as well as intragenomic shuffling.Received 17 October 2003; accepted 6 November 2003     

How retinoids regulate breast cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis

Breast cancer still remains a major problem in its incidence, morbidity and mortality; therefore, more effective strategies for its prevention are urgently needed. Retinoids, natural and synthetic derivatives of vitamin A, possess antiproliferative and proapoptotic properties, making them a promising class of chemopreventive agents against breast cancer. The efficacy of all-trans retinoic acid, 9-cis-retinoic acid, LGD1069 (Targretin, bexarotene), and N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide (fenretinide) as breast cancer chemopreventive agents is being studied. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of action of these agents should lead to improvements in their clinical application. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms by which retinoids exert their antiproliferative and apoptotic effects in breast cancer cells.Received 5 January 2004; received after revision 9 February 2004; accepted 12 February 2004     

CD1d and natural T cells: how their properties jump-start the immune system

Cellular and humoral immune mechanisms recruited to defend the host from infectious agents depend upon the early immune events triggered by antigen. The cytokine milieu within which the immune response matures is the most important of many factors that govern the nature of the immune response. Natural T cells, whose function is controlled by CD1d molecules, are an early source of cytokines that can bestow type 1 or type 2 differentiative potential upon helper T lymphocytes. This review attempts to illuminate the glycolipid antigen presentation properties of CD1d, how CD1d controls the function of natural T cells and how CD1d and natural T cells interact to jump start the immune system. CD1d is postulated to function as a sensor, sensing alterations in cellular lipid content by virtue of its affinity for such ligands. The presentation of a neo-self glycolipid, presumably by infectious assault of antigen-presenting cells, activates natural T cells, which promptly release pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines and jumpstart the immune system. Received 10 July 2000; received after revision 16 October 2000, accepted 16 November 2000     

The neurotrophic factors in non-neuronal tissues

Although neurotrophic factors are defined as molecules that maintain neuronal cells, they possess a range of functions outside the nervous system. For example, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor is essential for ureteric branching in kidney morphogenesis and for regulating the fate of stem cells during spermatogenesis. Leukemia inhibitory factor, a member of the interleukin-6 (IL-6) ciliary neurotrophic factor family, inhibits differentiation of embryonic stem cells, induces tubulogenesis in the embryonic kidney, and regulates sperm differentiation. Other IL-6 family members are important in cardiac differentiation and they have pleiotropic functions in the hematopoietic and immune systems. Although neurotrophin receptors have been found on a number of non-neuronal tissues, they represent mostly truncated receptor isoforms that are incapable of signal transduction and may have scavenger or dominant negative functions. However, several examples can be presented of essential non-neuronal functions played by neurotrophins in e.g., cardiac, hair follicle, and vascular differentiation, and the maintenance of immune cells.     

预退火对Fe73.5Cu1Nb3Si13.5B9纳米晶合金巨磁阻抗效应的影响

用HP4294A型阻抗分析仪测量了经不同温度预退火后再540℃退火的Fe73.5Cu1Nb3S i13.5B9纳米晶合金薄带的巨磁阻抗,并结合XRD衍射图谱和AFM图谱,研究了预退火对纳米晶介观结构的影响.结果发现,200℃、300℃和400℃预退火处理40 m in对随后540℃退火的Fe73.5Cu1Nb3S i13.5B9薄带-αFe(S i)纳米晶介观结构产生了影响,颗粒团聚优势明显减弱,横向各向异性场减小,巨磁阻抗比得到了显著的提高.     

异源四倍体鲫鲤及其原始亲本Sox9基因HMG保守区内含子遗传变异性分析

参照不同物种中Sox基因HMG保守区序列设计简并引物,扩增了异源四倍体鲫鲤及其原始亲本红鲫(Carassius carassiusred var.)和鲤鱼(Cyprinus carpioL.)的Sox基因.对不同片段大小的Sox基因测序,结果表明,四倍体鱼中存在两个Sox9基因(Atsox9a和Atsox9b),红鲫和鲤鱼中只发现一个Sox9基因(Rcsox9a和Ccsox9b).这4个Sox9基因在HMG盒中均含有内含子,大小分别为413bp,703bp,401bp和714bp,其插入位点遵守GT-AG法则.其中Atsox9a与Rcsox9a,Atsox9b与Ccsox9b的内含子序列都具有很高的一致性,分别为94.4%和97.8%,这表明内含子序列变异率较低.有趣的是,根据它们的外显子所推导的氨基酸序列一致性均为100%.因此,四倍体鱼及其原始亲本Sox9基因HMG基序内含子不仅具有长度多态性,而且内含子之间存在遗传变异性,这为进一步探讨异源四倍体鲫鲤的起源和进化提供了重要的分子生物学证据,同时也为正确掌握内含子的位置信息,功能和进化起源有着十分重要的作用.     

荧光试剂衍生化液相色谱分析生物检材中的氟乙酸钠

建立了使用新的荧光衍生试剂9-氯甲基蒽(CA)衍生化生物检材中的氟乙酸钠,并通过薄层色谱和荧光检测的高效液相色谱(HPLC)分析的方法。合成得到氟乙酸钠的荧光衍生物——氟乙酸-9-亚甲基蒽酯(MA-MFA),纯度达到98%以上,通过红外光谱、核磁共振、元素分析和质谱对其进行结构表征。薄层色谱中展开剂为石油醚/乙酸乙酯(体积比为95∶5),检测限为5×10-8g(TLC)。高效液相色谱用AgilentHypersilODS反相色谱柱,以乙腈/水(体积比为85∶15)为流动相,荧光检测波长λex为256 nm,λem为412 nm。方法在2.5×10-9~125×10-9mol/mL浓度范围内呈良好的线性关系,线性相关系数为0.9988,生物样品空白添加实验的回收率为83%~90%,最低检测限为2×10-10g(S/N=3),日内、日间RSD均小于4%。该方法用于中毒死亡者的血液样品及其他检材的测定,效果良好。     

基于关系矩阵的复合宽边界区域拓扑关系计算

简单宽边界区域拓扑关系计算比较简单,而复合宽边界区域拓扑关系计算比较复杂,因而需要一个计算方法以实现复合宽边界区域拓扑关系计算、查询和分析处理。在分析复合宽边界区域与简单宽边界区域关系联系的基础上,研究了根据复合宽边界区域中简单宽边界区域拓扑关系矩阵计算复合宽边界区域拓扑关系的方法,并根据复合宽边界区域的性质,简化了算法。计算方法使得扩展九交模型不再是一个概念模型,而是可计算的,从而为查询和分析处理宽边界区域拓扑关系奠定了基础。     

基于BIND 9架构的智能DNS实现

主要解决双线路上的DNS解析问题,即如何让DNS服务器根据用户的IP地址解析出不同的镜像服务器IP地址.