Specificity and mechanism of the histone methyltransferase Pr-Set7

Methylation of lysine residues of histones is an important epigenetic mark that correlates with functionally distinct regions of chromatin. We present here the crystal structure of a ternary complex of the enzyme Pr-Set7 (also known as Set8) that methylates Lys 20 of histone H4 (H4-K20). We show that the enzyme is exclusively a mono-methylase and is therefore responsible for a signaling role quite distinct from that established by other enzymes that target this histone residue. We provide evidence from NMR for the C-flanking domains of SET proteins becoming ordered upon addition of AdoMet cofactor and develop a model for the catalytic cycle of these enzymes. The crystal structure reveals the basis of the specificity of the enzyme for H4-K20 because a histidine residue within the substrate, close to the target lysine, is required for completion of the active site. We also show how a highly variable component of the SET domain is responsible for many of the enzymes' interactions with its target histone peptide and probably also how this part of the structure ensures that Pr-Set7 is nucleosome specific.     

Theophylline disrupts diurnal rhythms of humoral factors with loss of meal cyclicity

To test the possibility that theophylline induced circadian disappearance of food intake might depend upon rhythmic disruption of blood glucose, insulin and free fatty acids (FFA), theophylline was administered chronically. This markedly lengthened postprandial intermeal intervals during the dark, and induced approximately identical intermeal intervals and identical meal sizes in the light and dark periods. In contrast to the clear light-dark dependent oscillations of serum glucose, insulin and FFA in the controls, the theophyllinized rats lost circadian fluctuation of each of these three chemical substances. Further, theophyllinized rats, unlike controls, had no time-dependent fluctuation in the levels of these substances at ? 120, ?60 or ?15 min preceding the onset of the first meal before the dark. These findings, together with previous reports, explain the disappearance of nocturnal feeding rhythm in theophyllinized rats in terms of functional destruction of circadian regulation in the hypothalamus which modulate the production of chemical determinants of food intake.     

白松片对慢性应激抑郁模型大鼠行为学及血浆CORT、ACTH的影响

目的：观察白松片对慢性应激抑郁大鼠模型行为学和血浆CORT、ACTH含量的影响。方法：SD雄性大鼠28只随机分为空白对照组、模型对照组、氟西汀对照组及白松片试验组，选用慢性轻度不可预见性应激加孤养造模，观察各组大鼠敞箱实验和液体消耗等行为学指标变化，采用放射免疫方法检测大鼠血浆皮质醇(CORT)和促肾上腺皮质激素(ACTH)含量。结果：慢性应激抑郁大鼠体重增加缓慢，敞箱实验中的水平运动、垂直运动得分、清洁动作次数显著减少，中央格停留时间显著延长；糖水消耗明显下降，纯水消耗显著增多，而且其血浆皮质醇和促肾上腺皮质激素含量增加。氟西汀和白松片均显著改善慢性应激抑郁大鼠模型的行为学和神经内分泌变化。结论：慢性轻度不可预见性应激可使大鼠行为及神经内分泌发生异常改变，引起抑郁状态，白松片对此具有一定拮抗作用。     

芪丹通脉片对缺血/再灌注犬心肌微血管功能的影响

目的评价中药复方芪丹通脉片对急性缺血再灌注致心肌微血管功能的影响。方法应用12只健康犬,随机分为对照组(control)和芪丹通脉片治疗组(QDTMT treatment group),对照组经十二指肠给予生理盐水(1.5ml/kg),给药后30min分离冠状动脉左前降支,放置电磁流量计探头测定血流量,在其下缘左前降支1/2处结扎90min,松开后再灌注180min观察,分别于灌胃前、缺血90min和再灌注180min静脉快速均匀推入微泡声学造影剂SONOVUE,FLASH模式进行静脉声学造影,实时连续记录心肌声学造影前后的图像采用,采用Echopac图象工作站软件包进行分析心肌声学造影的图像视频密度,根据时间-视频密度曲线计算曲线下面积(area under curve,AUC)以评价心肌微血管的血流灌注状态,根据图像分析缺血心肌范围的影响。芪丹通脉片组则经十二指肠给予芪丹通脉片浸膏混悬液(1g/ml,1.5ml/kg),其余实验过程同对照组。并在不同时间点从冠状静脉窦采血,检测血清中NO和血浆中ET-1的含量。结果在基础状态、缺血前和缺血90min,对照组和芪丹通脉片干预组的时间-视频密度曲线计算曲线下面积(AUC)以及缺血后出现的灌注缺损所占左心室的百分比没有显著差异。然而再灌注180min两组的AUC存在显著差异(14.09±2.31 vs 11.47±1.55,P<0.05),左心室心肌灌流均没有完全恢复,但芪丹通脉片能够显著促进再灌注后心肌微循环灌流的恢复(92.10±2.2)%,与对照组(87.49±4.12)%比较,存在显著差异(P<0.05)。在缺血90min和再灌注180min,芪丹通脉片处理组血清中NO和血浆中ET-1分别为(68.98±10.01)μmol/L、(67.55±9.81)μmol/L和(114.73±11.89)μg/L,(139.97±12.36)μg/L,与对照组存在显著差异(56.38±8.27)μmol/L,(53.55±6.03)μmol/L和(137.40±13.48)μg/L,(161.90±19.14)μg/L,(P<0.05)。结论芪丹通脉片能够促进心肌缺血/再灌注后微循环血流的恢复,调节循环血中的NO和ET含量,改善微循环功能,抑制缺血/再灌注所致的心肌损伤。     

Mouse monoclonal antibodies to the human C3b receptor

Mouse monoclonal antibodies were raised against the human C3b receptor (CR1) molecule that had been purified from solubilized erythrocytes membranes. Four hybridomas were selected, cloned and expanded because their supernatants reacted strongly with insolubilized CR1 by ELISA and intensely stained B-dependent areas of the spleen and glomerular podocytes by indirect immunofluorescence. The four monoclonal antibodies, named J3D3, J8B10, J3B11 and J7C2, were IgG1 immunoglobulins. J3D3 immunoprecipitated two protein bands of apparent mol. wts 200,000 and 220,000 from 125I-surface-labeled human erythrocytes, which correspond to the two major allotypic forms of CR1. By indirect immunofluorescence, monoclonal antibodies stained polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMN), most peripheral blood B-cells and a small subset of peripheral blood T-cells. J3D3 bound to CR1 on erythrocytes, PMN and lymphocytes with an affinity of 1-3 X 10(9) M-1 and recognized 170-1330 antigenic CR1 sites with an average of 740 sites/erythrocyte in 100 healthy individuals, approx. 50,000 sites/PMN and 15,000 sites/lymphocyte. There was a bimodal distribution of CR1 numbers on erythrocyte in the normal population. The four monoclonal antibodies similarly inhibited CR1-mediated decay of preformed cell-bound alternative- and classical-pathway C3 convertase sites. Two antibodies, J3D3 and J3B11, inhibited C3b-dependent rosette formation with lymphocytes, although much less efficiently than F(ab')2 polyclonal anti-CR1 antibody. Differences that were observed in the relative capacity of the antibodies to inhibit some of the functions of CR1 and in their ability to compete for binding of 125I-J3D3 to CR1 on erythrocytes, suggested that they are directed against different epitopes on CR1. Monoclonal antibodies provide useful means to assess and analyze the biological and immunoregulatory functions of the C3b receptor.     

Mast cell corticotropin-releasing factor subtype 2 suppresses mast cell degranulation and limits the severity of anaphylaxis and stress-induced intestinal permeability

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锌指蛋白基因抑制氧损伤诱导的内皮细胞E-选择素的表达

目的：探讨外源性锌指蛋白基因A20对氧损伤诱导的内皮细胞E-选择素表达的影响。方法：DOTAP脂质体介导peDNA3．1EHA20质粒转染人脐静脉内皮细胞，经G418筛选，免疫荧光检测A20基因的表达，原位杂交、免疫组化分别检测过氧化氢诱导的内皮细胞E-选择素表达。结果：A20基因在经G418筛选后的内皮细胞中得到高效表达，过氧化氢能诱导人内皮细胞E-选择素高表达，而A20基因能抑制80％以上过氧化氢诱导的内皮细胞E-选择素表达，两者间相差显著。结论：A20基因能够显著抑制过氧化氢诱导的内皮细胞活化，有助于氧损伤的治疗。     

CD20scFv-IgGFc T 淋巴细胞的建立及其对B细胞淋巴瘤靶向杀伤作用的比较

目的：研究CD20scFv嵌合T淋巴细胞靶向杀伤Daudi细胞时杀伤的效果和T细胞活化情况。方法：将两种质粒转染至PA317细胞中，用转染成功的PA317上清液感染外周血T淋巴细胞后经800 mg/L的G418筛选1周后去杀伤Daudi、K562细胞，分别在不同时点用流式细胞仪检测Daudi细胞AnnexinⅤ的阳性率 ，用ELISA检测细胞因子IL-2、IFNγ。结果：Daudi细胞AnnexinⅤ的阳性率在24 h内两实验组与K562组相比明显增高，而实验组之间没有显著差异。72 h时CD20scFv-IgGFc-CD28-ζ组比CD20scFv-IgGFc组IL-2（1 509.00 ng/L比220.54 ng/L）和IFNγ（912.16 ng/L比251.42 ng/L）的分泌量有显著增高。结论：①两种CD20scFv特异的T细胞在引起Daudi细胞早期凋亡无显著差异，说明在CD20scFv的靶向杀伤过程中CD28-ζ基因可能不主导Daudi细胞的早期凋亡。②CD20scFv-IgGFc-CD28-ζ组IL-2、IFNγ增幅更加明显，说明CD3ζ和CD28嵌合的T细胞可以自身活化而不受MHC的限制，从而增强了T细胞的活化和杀伤等功能。     

Molecular cloning of a novel human gene (SIRP-B2) which encodes a new member of the SIRP/SHPS-1 protein family

A full-length cDNA encoding a novel protein was isolated and sequenced from a human placental cDNA library. This cDNA consists of 1735 base pairs and has a predicted open reading frame (ORF) encoding 354 amino acids. It possesses a putative signal sequence, a long extracellular domain, a transmembrane region, a short intracellular domain, and no catalytic domain, which is highly homologous to signal-regulatory protein (SIRP)-β, suggesting that it seems to be a new member of the SIRP family. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based mapping with both a monochromosomal hybrid panel and radiation hybrid cell panels placed the gene to human chromosome 20p13 near the marker D20S906. Received: August 11, 2000 / Accepted: September 21, 2000