通过凝胶电泳数字化图像分析蛋白含量的改进方法

本文提出利用凝胶电泳数字化图像技术，通过光密度方法测量蛋白含量的改进方法和修正公式。分析了凝胶电泳图像数字化过程中，照射光源强度、凝胶背景、摄像机等参量对蛋白含量计算结果的影响；并证明了用不同强度的光源照射或使用大小不同的摄像机光圈所获得的凝胶数字化图像，不影响测量结果。采用图像分析技术确定蛋白区带电泳边界和修正公式，测量了不同浓度的牛血清白蛋白、β－乳球蛋白的相对含量，结果显示：修正公式的计算结果与蛋白实际浓度的相关系数高于不考虑凝胶背景的公式的计算结果，且修正公式的计算结果与实际含量更趋近于正比关系     

Thromboresistant properties of hydrophilic gels

The thromboresistant properties of hydrophilic gels based on copolymers of nitrogen-containing heterocyclic vinyl compounds with vinyl monomers were investigated. The hydrophilic gels were shown to prevent adsorption of fibrinogen, activation of procoagulants, and adhesion of platelets. Hydrogen surfaces possess selective affinity for plasma albumin. The authors consider that the thromboresistant effect of hydrophilic gels is due to the competitive action of plasma albumin. Modification of hydrophilic gels increases their thromboresistant properties.Laboratory of Thromboresistant Materials, Institute of Transplantation of Organs and Tissues, Ministry of Health of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR A. M. Chernukh.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 89, No. 3, pp. 296–298, March, 1980.     

Comparative proteomic analysis of Vibrio cholerae O139, O22, O155 and El Tor biotype epidemic strains

Cholera ,as one of the most severe epidemic dis-eases inthe world,can occurin a short time ,andspread quicklyto a wide region.Until 1992 ,onlyV.choleraeserogroup O1 was recognized as thecause of epidemic cholera . However in October1992 ,a major outbreak of a cholera-like illnesscaused by a newserogroupstrain ofV.choleraee-mergedinIndia and Bangladesh.In contrast to allpreviously reported non-O1 strains , which induceonly sporadic cases of human diarrhea without epi-demic potential ,the new…     

兔关节软骨细胞的琼脂糖凝胶培养及其力学性质的研究

目的对兔膝关节软骨细胞进行体外琼脂糖凝胶三维培养,并对其力学性能进行检测。方法将琼脂糖凝胶、细胞、血清和培养基在正确的比例下混合,形成软骨细胞凝胶块。取培养7d、14d和21d时的软骨细胞凝胶块分别对细胞外基质进行组织学观察和免疫组化染色,同时采用Instron 5544材料试验机检测其极限应力、极限应变、抗压模量和切线模量的力学性能变化。结果在琼脂糖凝胶中培养的关节软骨细胞具有典型的软骨细胞特性,能够正常合成细胞外基质,形成有一定弹性和抗压缩能力的软骨样凝胶块。而且随着培养时间增长,基质合成增加,培养21d时的极限应力(0.0226±0.006)N/mm、抗压模量(0.608±0.061)N/mm和切线模量(0.096±0.004)N/mm,比7d时的(0.0204±0.004)MPa,(0.558±0.036)N/mm,(0.029±0.002)N/mm和14d时的(0.0213±0.008)N/mm,(0.586±0.095)N/mm,(0.049±0.005)N/mm有明显增加,但极限应变却没有明显差异(P>0.05)。结论软骨细胞-琼脂糖凝胶块的力学性能与细胞外基质的合成直接相关。     

The effect of surface chemistry modification of titanium alloy on signalling pathways in human osteoblasts

Establishing and maintaining mature bone at the bone–device interface is critical to the long-term success of prosthesis. Poor cell adhesion to orthopaedic and dental implants results in implant failure. Considerable effort has been devoted to alter the surface characteristics of these biomaterials in order to improve the initial interlocking of the device and skeleton. We investigated the effect of surface chemistry modification of titanium alloy (Ti–6Al–4V) with zinc, magnesium or alkoxide-derived hydroxy carbonate apatite (CHAP) on the regulation of key intracellular signalling proteins in human bone-derived cells (HBDC) cultured on these modified Ti–6Al–4V surfaces. Western blotting demonstrated that modifying Ti–6Al–4V with CHAP or Mg results in modulation of key intracellular signalling proteins. We showed an enhanced activation of Shc, a common point of integration between integrins and the Ras/Mapkinase pathway. Mapkinase pathway was also upregulated, suggesting its role in mediating osteoblastic cell interactions with biomaterials. The signalling pathway involving c-fos (member of the activated protein-1) was also shown to be upregulated in osteoblasts cultured on the Mg and CHAP modified Ti–6Al–4V. Thus surface modification with CHAP or Mg may contribute to successful osteoblast function and differentiation at the skeletal tissue–device interface.     

Engineered human dicentric chromosomes show centromere plasticity

The centromere is essential for the faithful distribution of a cell's genetic material to subsequent generations. Despite intense scrutiny, the precise genetic and epigenetic basis for centromere function is still unknown. Here, we have used engineered dicentric human chromosomes to investigate mammalian centromere structure and function. We describe three classes of dicentric chromosomes isolated in different cell lines: functionally monocentric chromosomes, in which one of the two genetically identical centromeres is consistently inactivated; functionally dicentric chromosomes, in which both centromeres are consistently active; and dicentric chromosomes heterogeneous with respect to centromere activity. A study of serial single cell clones from heterogeneous cell lines revealed that while centromere activity is usually clonal, the centromere state (i.e. functionally monocentric or dicentric) in some lines can switch within a growing population of cells. Because pulsed field gel analysis indicated that the DNA at the centromeres of these chromosomes did not change detectably, this switching of the centromere state is most likely due to epigenetic changes. Inactivation of one of the two active centromeres in a functionally dicentric chromosome was observed in a percentage of cells after treatment with Trichostatin A, an inhibitor of histone deacetylation. This study provides evidence that the activity of human centromeres, while largely stable, can be subject to dynamic change, most likely due to epigenetic modification.     

The RNA helicase, nucleotide 5'-triphosphatase, and RNA 5'-triphosphatase activities of Dengue virus protein NS3 are Mg2+-dependent and require a functional Walker B motif in the helicase catalytic core

The nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) of Dengue virus (DV) is a multifunctional enzyme carrying activities involved in viral RNA replication and capping: helicase, nucleoside 5'-triphosphatase (NTPase), and RNA 5'-triphosphatase (RTPase). Here, a 54-kDa C-terminal domain of NS3 (DeltaNS3) bearing all three activities was expressed as a recombinant protein. Structure-based sequence analysis in comparison with Hepatitis C virus (HCV) helicase indicates the presence of a HCV-helicase-like catalytic core domain in the N-terminal part of DeltaNS3, whereas the C-terminal part seems to be different. In this report, we show that the RTPase activity of DeltaNS3 is Mg2+-dependent as are both helicase and NTPase activities. Mutational analysis shows that the RTPase activity requires an intact NTPase/helicase Walker B motif in the helicase core, consistent with the fact that such motifs are involved in the coordination of Mg2+. The R513A substitution in the C-terminal domain of DeltaNS3 abrogates helicase activity and strongly diminishes RTPase activity, indicating that both activities are functionally coupled. DV RTPase seems to belong to a new class of Mg2+-dependent RTPases, which use the active center of the helicase/NTPase catalytic core in conjunction with elements in the C-terminal domain.     

人晶状体上皮细胞蛋白质组的双向电泳和质谱鉴定

目的： 建立人晶状体上皮细胞蛋白质组研究体系，探讨双向电泳和质谱鉴定技术在人晶状体上皮细胞蛋白质组研究中的作用。 方法: 体外培养人晶状体上皮细胞株，用两种不同方法提取总蛋白，进行固相pH梯度(IPG)等电聚焦双向凝胶电泳，凝胶通过GS-800扫描仪（Bio-Rad）获取图像并使用PDQuest专业图像分析软件分析。在此基础之上，胰酶消化蛋白质斑点并进行质谱分析。 结果: 获得了重复性较好的人晶状体上皮细胞蛋白质组电泳图谱。晶状体蛋白质斑点在等电点pH值为4-7、相对分子质量为17-72 kD之间均有分布。其中高丰度蛋白点主要分布于分子量19-50 kD、PI 5-7范围内。2个蛋白点通过质谱分析和数据库的检索得到了初步的鉴定。 结论: 建立起了一个稳定的分析人晶状体上皮细胞蛋白质组学实验体系；为进一步研究人类晶状体在生理状态及白内障等病理条件下的改变提供了蛋白质组学的研究方法和途径。     

Alert surveillance of intensive care unit-acquired Acinetobacter infections in a Sicilian hospital

The epidemiological impact of Acinetobacter baumannii nosocomial infections in a Sicilian intensive care unit (ICU) was investigated to determine the Acinetobacter-specific infection rates, to estimate the preventable proportion of Acinetobacter infections, i.e., those resulting from cross-transmission, and to investigate the molecular epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance in Acinetobacter. The impact of Acinetobacter nosocomial infection in the ICU was determined to be 3.0 new cases per 100 admissions. Site-specific rates confirmed that ICU-acquired pneumonia was the most important infection type. The incidence rate, adjusted by the number of patient-days, was 3.3 infections/1000 patient-days. The estimated preventable proportion of A. baumannii nosocomial infections in the ICU was 66.7%. A class 1 integron, characterised by its gene cassette content, was present in all A. baumannii isolates of four different pulsed-field gel electrophoresis types, and was associated significantly with clones implicated in cross-transmission episodes. Furthermore, the same integron was detected in two genetically distinct isolates responsible for recurrent infection in the same patient, suggesting the occurrence of horizontal gene transfer in vivo. Even in an endemic setting with low infection rates, spread of A. baumannii was caused mainly by infection control shortcomings that require appropriate surveillance and control policies.