An HLA-binding-motif-aided peptide epitope library: A novel library design for the screening of HLA-DR4-restricted antigenic peptides recognized by CD4+T cells

Susceptibility to a series of autoimmune diseases is strongly associated with particular HLA class II alleles. Identification of T cell clones and antigenic epitopes bound by HLA class II molecules involved in autoimmune diseases is critical to understanding the etiology of these HLA class II-associated diseases. However, establishment of T cell clones in autoimmune diseases is difficult because the antigenic peptides are unknown. Peptide library methods which include all possible peptide sequences offer a potentially powerful tool for the detection of cross-reactive antigenic peptides recognized by T cells. Here, we reduced the number of peptides per mixture by utilizing the known binding motifs of peptides for the HLA-DRB1*0405 molecule and evaluated the effectiveness of this library design. Each library mixture evoked a strong proliferative response in the unprimed peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from HLA-DRB1*0405-positive donors but little or no response in the PBL from HLA-DRB1*0405-negative donors. The library also detected antigenic peptides that activated three antigen-specific T cell lines restricted by HLA-DRB1*0405, with different specificities. The motif-based approach thus presents a powerful method for monitoring T cells in large, heterogeneous T cell populations and is useful for the identification of the mimic peptide epitopes of T cell lines and clones. Received: October 3, 1997 / Accepted: October 23, 1997     

脑膜炎大肠埃希菌侵袭素IbeA结合多肽的初步研究

目的脑膜炎大肠埃希菌（E．coli）侵袭素IbeA通过与脑微血管内皮细胞表面受体结合，从而介导细菌穿透血脑屏障引起新生儿细菌性脑膜炎。为通过肽库筛选获得与IbeA蛋白结合的多肽，建立噬菌体随机肽库筛选IbeA结合多肽模体的方法。方法首先制备靶分子，用PCR扩增出全长ibeA基因序列，克隆至表达载体pET28a中，转化大肠埃希菌BL21（DE3）．经IPTG诱导表达出带有His-tag的目的蛋白，经变性复性后通过Ni^2＋-NTA亲和层析柱得到纯度达90％的重组蛋白。然后以固相化IbeA重组蛋白为靶亲和筛选噬菌体线性12肽库。结果经过3轮淘选，得到能和IbeA结合的24个重组噬菌体克隆；挑选15个亲和力高的克隆进行DNA测序，对比分析所得的短肽序列。固相Fmoc法合成短肽，并进行结合实验、阻断实验和竞争抑制实验。绪论以重组表达的IbeA融合蛋白为靶筛选得到的重组噬菌体十二肽克隆，能够和IbeA蛋白结合，为IbeA蛋白结合多肽。结果提示所筛选的阳性噬菌体克隆及其合成肽可能模拟IbeA受体表位的结构。     

A peptide DNA surrogate that binds and inhibits anti-dsDNA antibodies

Autoantibodies to dsDNA are an important diagnostic marker and pathogenic factor for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Although the anti-dsDNA antibodies present in SLE are indicative of an antigen-driven response, the antigen has not been conclusively identified. The specific SLE anti-dsDNA antibodies were obtained by affinity purification using a dsDNA-coupled Sepharose column. Using the anti-dsDNA antibodies to screen a phage peptide display library, we demonstrated that purified polyclonal anti-dsDNA antibodies and a monoclonal anti-dsDNA antibody specifically bind a 15 mer peptide ASPVTARVLWKASHV. This chemically synthesized peptide could be recognized by anti-dsDNA antibodies in ELISA and Dot blot. This 15 mer peptide can inhibit anti-dsDNA antibodies binding to dsDNA antigen in immunoassays and in the Crithidia luciliae assay while a control peptide did not inhibit anti-dsDNA antibodies. This study demonstrates the potential usefulness of the peptide DNA surrogate in diagnostic tests of SLE and in the investigation of the origin of anti-dsDNA antibodies. It may also be used in studies of the DNA-anti-DNA antibody interaction.     

Tissue remodeling of rat pulmonary artery in hypoxic breathing. I. Changes of morphology, zero-stress state, and gene expression

The remodeling of the pulmonary arterial tissue in response to a step change of the oxygen concentration in the gas in which a rat lives was recorded as function of time and function of O₂ concentration. Three steps of changing from 20.9% to 17.2%, 13.6%, and 10% O₂ were imposed. Earlier work in our laboratory has shown that pulmonary arterial tissue remodeling is significant in the first 24 h after a step change of oxygen tension. Hence we made measurements in this period. Furthermore, data were obtained for tissue remodeling of circumferential and axial lengths of the pulmonary arteries. We recorded the activities of gene expressions in the lung tissues by microarray, determined the dose response curves of gene expression in the homogenized whole lungs with respect to four levels of O₂ concentration, and obtained the time courses of gene expression in the lung parenchyma in 30 days after a step decrease of O₂ concentration from 20.9% to 10%. We would like to suggest that the correlation of gene expression with physiological function parameters, i.e., time, O₂ tension, blood pressure, opening angle, wall thicknesses, etc., is the way to narrow down the search for specific genes for specific physiological functions. © 2001 Biomedical Engineering Society. PAC01: 8719Uv     

Nucleotide sequence of dengue type 3 virus genomic RNA encoding viral structural proteins

Complementary DNAs to the 5 proximal region of the dengue virus type 3 RNA were cloned into bacterial plasmids and the nucleotide sequence of 3,000 bases from the 5 terminus of the genome were determined by DNA and RNA sequencing methods using dideoxy chain-termination reactions. Comparison of the nucleotide sequence thus obtained with those of other flavivirus genomes revealed significant homology existing in nucleotide sequence of the flavivirus genomes. When we compared amino acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequence with those of other flaviviruses, this genome region was found to include sequences encoding three viral structural proteins C, M, and E and a part of the viral nonstructural protein NS1 in this order in addition to the 5-noncoding sequence. The characteristics and functions of these proteins were discussed based on the deduced amino acid sequences and their hydrophobic profiles. The genetic relationship of flaviviruses was also discussed based on the genetic variation observed in their genomes.     

Transcriptome analysis in blastocyst hatching by cDNA microarray

BACKGROUND: Hatching is an important process for early embryo development, differentiation and implantation. However, little is known about its regulatory mechanisms. By integrating the technologies of RNA amplification and cDNA microarrays, it has become possible to study the gene expression profile at this critical stage. METHODS: Pre-hatched and hatched ICR mouse embryos (25 blastocysts in each group were used in the triplicate experiments) were collected for RNA extraction, amplification, and microarray analysis (the mouse cDNA microarray, 6144 genes, including expressed sequence tags). RESULTS: According to cDNA microarray data, we have identified 85 genes that were expressed at a higher level in hatched blastocyst than in pre-hatched blastocysts. In this study, 47 hatching-related candidate genes were verified via re-sequencing. Some of these genes have been selected and confirmed by real-time quantitative RT-PCR. These hatching-specific genes were also expressed at a lower level in the delayed growth embryos (morula or blastocyst without hatching at day 6 post hCG). These genes included: cell adhesion and migration molecules [E-cadherin, neuronal cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), lectin, galactose binding, soluble 7 (Lgals7), vanin 3 and biglycan], epigenetic regulators (Dnmt1, and SIN3 yeast homolog A), stress response regulators (heme oxygenase 1) and immunoresponse regulators [interleukin (IL)-2-inducible T-cell kinase, IL-4R, interferon-gamma receptor 2, and neurotrophin]. The immunostaining of E-cadherin and NCAM showed strong and specific localization in hatched blastocyst. CONCLUSIONS: This work provides important information for studying the mechanisms of blastocyst hatching and implantation. These hatching-specific genes may have potential as new drug targets for controlling fertility.     

抗肝癌细胞噬菌体单链抗体库的构建及筛选

构建抗人肝癌细胞单链抗体库 ,从中筛选与肝癌细胞特异结合的高亲和力单链抗体。从HepG2细胞免疫的BALB/c小鼠脾脏提取总RNA ,RT PCR扩增小鼠抗体重、轻链可变区基因 ,用 (Gly4Ser) 3 连接肽基因 ,经重叠延伸反应 ,在体外将VH 和VL 连接成单链抗体 (scFv)基因 ,并克隆入噬菌粒载体pCANTAB5E中 ,构建噬菌体单链抗体库。以HepG2细胞为抗原对抗体库进行淘选 ,ELISA法鉴定各单克隆与肝癌细胞的结合活性 ,并对阳性克隆进行表达。成功构建了库容为 1 1× 10 6抗肝癌细胞的噬菌体单链抗体库 ,经筛选得到了与HepG2细胞具有较强结合能力的单链抗体 ,实现了scFv在大肠杆菌中的可溶性表达。序列测定结果表明 ,VH 和VL 基因符合小鼠抗体可变区特征 ,scFv基因拼接正确     

Isolation of a peptide inhibitor of human rhinovirus

Cell culture-based transdominant genetic techniques provide new methods for discovering peptide/RNA modulators of cellular pathways. We applied this technology to isolate a peptide inhibitor of human rhinovirus. A green fluorescent protein (GFP)-scaffolded library of cDNA fragments was expressed in HeLa cells from a retroviral vector and screened for inhibitors of rhinovirus-mediated cell killing. A DNA clone, I421, increased cell survival in an HRV14 challenge assay from less than 0.5% to greater than 60%. It encodes a 53-amino-acid C-terminal extension of the GFP scaffold. Particular subclones of Hela cells expressing I421 (exemplified by I421dp3) show a delay in virus production and a 50-fold decrease in viral RNA levels at 6-8 h postinfection. HRV2, HRV14, and HRV16 show a dramatic decrease in plaque-forming ability on I421dp3 while Coxsackievirus B3 showed a small reduction. Levels of ICAM-1, the receptor for the main rhinovirus serotype, are not altered in I421dp3.     

采用IL－6cDNA控针检测人IL－6基因表达

采用缺口平移技术对ＩＬ—６ｃＤＮＡ进行了生物素和同位素标记，证明两种标记的ＩＬ－６ｃＤＮＡ（３０ｎｇ／ｍｌ）均可检出低至５ｐｇ的同源ＤＮＡ，而模拟探针（５００μｇ／ｍｌ）对高达１００ｎｇ的同源序列无此反应。应用ＩＬ－６ｃＤＮＡ对富含ＩＬ－６ｍＲＮＡ的标本进行斑点杂交或Ｎｏｒｔｈｅｒｎ杂交，证明人参三醇皂甙促进了淋巴细胞ＩＬ—６基因表达（４倍），人胎脾单个核细胞、人胎脑组织匀浆和人胎胰岛细胞内均含有高浓度ＩＬ—６ｍＲＮＡ。