hIL-2分泌肽序列在HepG2细胞中对hEndostatin表达和分泌差异的影响

目的:了解分泌肽序列在HepG2细胞中对人内皮抑素基因(hEndostatin)的cDNA表达和分泌差异的影响。方法:构建不含hIL-2分泌肽序列的真核表达载体pBlast-hEndo质粒, 转染人的HepG2细胞株, 用RT-PCR的方法检测HepG2(pBlast-hIL2-hEndo), HepG2(pBlast-hEndo), HepG2(pBlast-Mcs)和HepG2中hEndostatin的mRNA表达水平, 及制备4种细胞的总蛋白和收集各自的培养上清, 进行Westernblot分析蛋白表达和分泌的差异。结果:发现HepG2(pBlast-hIL2-hEndo)中hEndostatin的mRNA的水平显著高于HepG2(pBlast-hEndo)。而仅在HepG2(pBlast-hIL-2-hEndo)的细胞总蛋白和上清, 及HepG2(pBlast-hEndo)的细胞总蛋白中检测到hEndostatin表达, 在其它各株细胞总蛋白及上清中, 未检测到hEndostatin。结论:hIL-2分泌肽序列能促进hEndostatin基因在HepG2细胞中表达及分泌。     

T cell stimulation in the absence of exogenous antigen: a T cell signal is induced by both MHC-dependent and -independent mechanisms

Mature T cells residing in peripheral lymphoid organs have frequent contact with antigen presenting cells (APC). Such contact may be required for T cell survival, but the degree to which signals in mature T cells are induced by TCR recognition of self peptide/MHC complexes is unclear. We have used induction of the early growth response gene 1 (Egr1) as an indicator of signal transduction in 3.L2 (I-Ek-restricted) T cells interacting with APC in the absence of exogenous antigen. The data show that Egr1 can be induced in 3.L2 T cells by TCR recognition of self peptides presented by I-Ek. However, a more transient induction of Egr1 can be induced in 3.L2 T cells interacting with dendritic cells derived from class II/beta2m double-deficient mice. Egr1 induction after T cell-APC contact was also observed in a freshly isolated polyclonal CD4 T cell population. The data suggest that self peptide/MHC recognition by the TCR induces a signal in T cells and that dendritic cells can also induce a more transient T cell signal by an MHC-independent mechanism.     

SOCS1与T细胞分化发育及功能调控的研究进展

细胞因子参与介导了机体天然免疫和获得性免疫应答反应，SOCS家族是近年来发现的通过JAK／STAT途径抑制细胞因子信号转导通路的负性调控蛋白。目前SOCS家族成员中以SOCS1的研究最为深入。SOCS1的缺失会导致T细胞胸腺选择受阻，以IFNγ为主的多种细胞因子的过量分泌，T细胞表面活化分子表达增加等等。因此，SOCS1的正常表达对于T细胞的分化发育和自身稳定发挥了重要作用。     

N-乙酰半胱氨酸对慢性间歇缺氧大鼠海马神经元凋亡及氧化应激的影响

目的：探讨N-乙酰半胱氨酸(NAC)对慢性间歇缺氧(CIH)模型大鼠海马组织氧化应激及海马神经元凋亡的影响。方法:30只雄性Wistar大鼠随机分为慢性缺氧组、NAC治疗组及正常对照组3组，每组10只。采用化学比色法测定海马组织丙二醛(MDA)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)水平，同时应用免疫组化方法检测海马CA1 区磷酸化JNK(p-JNK)表达水平，应用TUNEL法检测海马CA1区神经元凋亡率。结果:NAC治疗组 MDA水平低于CIH组（1.71±0.43 vs 1.37±0.26，P＜0.05）、SOD活性高于CIH组（44.94±14.01 vs 57.66±14.07，P＜0.05），p-JNK表达水平低于CIH组 （0.53±0.10 vs 0.39±0.16，P＜0.05），海马神经元凋亡率显著低于CIH组（0.32±0.18 vs 0.20±0.11，P＜0.05）。结论:NAC能抑制慢性间歇缺氧导致的氧化应激，从而影响JNK信号转导通路，减少海马神经元凋亡。     

Extra- and intracellular free iron and the carotid body responses

The hypothesis that chelation of free iron, by decreasing reactive oxygen species (ROS), might mimic hypoxia and stimulate the carotid body was tested. We used the iron chelators, desferrioxamine (DFO, 200-400 microM) initially, and later ciclopirox olamine (CPX, 2.5-5.0 microM), on rat carotid body in vitro and measured chemosensory activity and [Ca2+]i in isolated cultured glomus cell clusters during normoxia and hypoxia. Although acute treatment of DFO might not penetrate the cell, and extracellular DFO would not influence these activities whereas CPX significantly increased chemosensory activities as well as increased [Ca2+]i in normoxia. We concluded that chelation of extracellular free iron did not alter ROS formation and oxygen sensing. Chelation of intracellular free iron and, therefore, a decrease in intracellular ROS appears to influence oxygen sensing in the carotid body.     

A model for antigen-induced T cell unresponsiveness based on autophosphorylative protein tyrosine kinase activity

Helper T cell signaling is initiated by the aggregation of TCRwith the induction of tyrosine kinase activity as one of theearliest consequences. Here, a theoretical model for antigen-inducedunresponsiveness is presented that relies on a cascade of tyrosinephosphorylation- dephoshorylation cycles. A mechanism is describedfor both desensitization in the presence of antigen and persistentlowering of cell responsiveness after stimulus removal. An importantcomponent of the model, leading to bistability, is the presenceof autophosphorylating protein tyrosine kinases in the earlysteps of TCR signaling. One of its predictions is that, followingstimulation, the net phosphorylative activity of these receptor-associatedtyrosine kinases will remain above background level after removalof the antigen. It is proposed that this residual tyrosine kinaseactivity is linked to a deficient signal transduction capacityof the TCR system that leads to a state of prolonged unresponsiveness.In addition, the present analysis defines the notion of a signalingthreshold for hyporesponsiveness induction, associated witha durable switch and amplification of the net tyrosine kinaseactivity. This approach emphasizes the role of tyrosine kinasesin the down-regulation of cellular competence.     

CYFIP2 is highly abundant in CD4+ cells from multiple sclerosis patients and is involved in T cell adhesion

DNA microarray profiling of CD4(+) and CD8(+) cells from non-treated relapsing and remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) patients determined that the cytoplasmic binding partner of fragile X protein (CYFIP2, also called PIR121) was increased significantly compared to healthy controls. Western analysis confirmed that CYFIP2 protein was increased approximately fourfold in CD4(+) cells from MS compared to inflammatory bowel disorder (IBD) patients or healthy controls. Because CYFIP2 acts as part of a tetrameric complex that regulates WAVE1 activation we hypothesized that high levels of CYFIP2 facilitate T cell adhesion, which is elevated in MS patients. Several findings indicated that increased levels of CYFIP2 facilitated adhesion. First, adenoviral-mediated overexpression of CYFIP2 in Jurkat cells increased fibronectin-mediated adhesion. Secondly, CYFIP2 knock-down experiments using antisense oligodeoxynucleotides reduced fibronectin-mediated binding in Jurkat and CD4(+) cells. Thirdly, inhibition of Rac-1, a physical partner with CYFIP2 and regulator of WAVE1 activity, reduced fibronectin-mediated adhesion in Jurkat and CD4(+) cells. Finally, inhibition of Rac-1 or reduction of CYFIP2 protein decreased fibronectin-mediated adhesion in CD4(+) cells from MS patients to levels similar to controls. These studies suggest that overabundance of CYFIP2 protein facilitates increased adhesion properties of T cells from MS patients.     

A Novel Lymphocyte Signaling Defect: trk A Mutation in the Syndrome of Congenital Insensitivity to Pain and Anhidrosis (CIPA)

Congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis is a syndrome characterized by loss of pain and sensation. The condition frequently evolves into deep wounds and prolonged healing times. Anhidrosis is another prominent component of the disorder. Often associated with recurrent episodes of unexplained fever, it can result in patient mortality. Recent investigations point to Trk A, the high affinity receptor for nerve growth factor (NGF), as a candidate for the site of the mutation that causes the disorder. Functional NGF receptors, such as Trk A and the Trk family of tyrosine kinases, are essential for NGF signaling of human lymphocytes. In this study, we demonstrated that the presence of a trk A mutation in patient B cells results in a novel lymphocyte signaling defect. In these B cells, NGF failed to induce Trk A phosphorylation, cytoskeleton assembly, or MAP kinase activation. These abnormalities may explain some of the clinical features of the disease.     

Neural-specific ablation of the scaffold protein JSAP1 in mice causes neonatal death

We previously identified c-Jun NH₂-terminal kinase (JNK)/stress-activated protein kinase-associated protein 1 (JSAP1, also known as JNK-interacting protein 3) as a scaffolding factor for JNK intracellular signaling pathways. Targeted gene-disruption studies have shown that JSAP1-null mice are unable to breathe and die shortly after birth. Although neural defects might be responsible for their death, there has been no convincing evidence for this. Here we first generated genetically engineered mice carrying a loxP-flanked (floxed) jsap1 gene. To evaluate the validity of this deletion as a jsap1 conditional knockout (KO), we created mice in which the same exon was deleted in all cell lineages, and compared their phenotypes with those of the jsap1 conventional KO mice reported previously. The two KO lines showed indistinguishable phenotypes, i.e., neonatal death and morphological defects in the telencephalon, indicating that the conditional deletion was a true null mutation. We then introduced the floxed jsap1 deletion mutant specifically into the neural lineage, and found that the jsap1 conditional KO mice showed essentially the same phenotypes as the JSAP1-null mice. These results strongly suggest that the neonatal death of jsap1-deficient mice is caused by defects in the nervous system.     

基因芯片对大鼠肝移植急性排斥反应T淋巴细胞信号传导基因表达变化的研究

目的：从基因水平研究肝移植急性排斥反应中T淋巴细胞信号传导途径。方法：利用4096条大鼠cDNA克隆的基因芯片对从急性排斥组Wistar→SD(n=5)和对照组SD→SD(n=5)两组肝移植大鼠T细胞中抽提、纯化mRNA，扩增、逆转录成cDNA，荧光标记后与芯片杂交，扫描后筛选出差异表达的基因。结果：在4096个基因中共发现差异表达基因190条，其中ll条与细胞信号传导有关的基因差异表达明显：MHC(3条)、CD3抗原(1条)相关基因；蛋白酶类：蛋白激酶C结合蛋白、蛋白酪氨酸磷酸酯酶D型受体、磷脂酰肌醇二磷酸酶基因各l条；涉及核酸信号传导、激活、转录、翻译的基因3条。结论：T细胞在肝移植术后排斥反应中信号传导机制涉及多个基因，基因芯片技术的大规模筛选为进一步研究T细胞在排斥反应中的信号传导途径提供了客观依据和目标。