The contribution of HERV-E clone 4-1 and other HERV-E members to the pathogenesis of rheumatic autoimmune diseases

Human endogenous retroviruses (HERV)-E consist of a family of more than 1300 elements, stably integrated in the human genome. Some of them are full-length proviruses able to synthesize the viral proteins gag, pol and env. The reactivation of HERV-E elements has been associated to placentation, cancer and autoimmunity. In this narrative review, we aimed to report the status of the art concerning the involvement of HERV-E in rheumatic autoimmune diseases. Following a research on PubMed database, a total of 87 articles were selected. The highest amount of evidence derives from studies on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), whereas a few to no data are available on other immune-mediated diseases. In SLE, the hyper-expression of HERV-E clone 4-1 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells or differentiated lymphocytes has been associated with disease activity and autoantibody production. It is likely that HERV-E take part to the pathogenesis of rheumatic autoimmune diseases but additional research is needed.     

Molecular analysis of bacteria in asymptomatic and symptomatic endodontic infections

The purpose of the present study was to use terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and the 16S rRNA gene clone library to investigate the diversity of the microbiota associated with asymptomatic and symptomatic endodontic infections and to compare the bacterial community structure in these two clinical conditions. Samples were taken from asymptomatic endodontic infections associated with chronic periradicular lesions and from symptomatic infections clinically diagnosed as acute abscesses. 16S rRNA genes from DNA isolated from clinical samples were used to construct clone libraries or were subjected to terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Sequence analysis of 186 clones revealed 42 taxa; 23 (55%) were uncultivated phylotypes, of which seven were unique to endodontic infections. Clone sequencing and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis revealed that the most commonly detected taxa were Fusobacterium nucleatum (including terminal restriction fragment types 1 and 2), Peptostreptococcus micros/Peptostreptococcus sp. oral clone AJ062/BS044/FG014, Prevotella species, Dialister species, Mogibacterium species, Lachnospiraceae oral clone 55A-34, Filifactor alocis, Megasphaera sp. oral clone CS025/BS073, and Veillonella sp. oral clone BP1-85/Veillonella dispar/V. parvula. Bacteroides-like sp. oral clone X083/Bacteroidales oral clone MCE7_20 and Dialister sp. oral clone BS016/MCE7_134 were detected only in asymptomatic teeth. On the other hand, F. nucleatum terminal restriction fragment type 2, Prevotella intermedia, Dialister pneumosintes, and some phylotypes were exclusively detected in symptomatic samples. Bacterial profiles of symptomatic endodontic infections generated by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis were clearly different from those of asymptomatic infections. Overall, the average number of terminal restriction fragments in symptomatic samples was significantly larger than in asymptomatic samples. Molecular analysis of the microbiota associated with symptomatic or asymptomatic endodontic infections indicates that the endodontic bacterial diversity is greater than previously described by culture methods and that the structure of the microbiota differ significantly between asymptomatic and symptomatic infections.     

Development and characterization of Porphyromonas gingivalis-specific rat T-cell clones

Porphyromonas gingivalis has been implicated as a major pathogen in periodontitis. To determine the role of T cells in the regulation of this disease, a method was developed for the generation and characterization of rat T-cell clones with antigen specificity to P. gingivalis whole cells. The clones studied so far demonstrated a T-helper (Th) phenotype W3/13+, W3/25+, OX8− and OX22−. These T-cell clones proliferated in vitro in response to P. gingivalis, but not to other bacteria (Prevotella intermedia, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Wolinella recta, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Streptococcus sanguis). Limiting dilution analysis showed W3/25+, OX8− T cells preferentially respond to P. gingivalis, rather than W3/25−, OX8+ T cells. P. gingivalis-reactive W3/25+ T cells belonged to the OX22− population, suggesting that the OX22− T cells may represent memory cells. All clones tested produced interferon γ, but not interleukin 2. The cloned T-cell F1 significantly enhanced P. gingivalis-specific antibody production (p < 0.03). The availability of these cloned T cells should bring new insight into the mechanism by which T cells regulate oral health and periodontal disease.     

人牙髓干细胞培养及其细胞表型的分析研究

目的 :分离培养来源于人体牙髓组织的干细胞并对其细胞表型进行分析。方法 :采用胶原酶消化法获得人牙髓组织的单细胞悬液 ,14d后挑取细胞克隆传代培养 ,随机选取 2株细胞克隆扩大培养 ,以骨髓间充质干细胞为参照 ,利用免疫组化方法通过与外胚间充质干细胞的比较对其表型进行分析。结果 :人的牙髓干细胞呈集落状生长 ,有细胞克隆形成 ,细胞表达多种细胞表面标志。结论 :人牙髓组织中存在有呈克隆样生长的成体干细胞 ,细胞表型呈现多样性。     

小鼠Notch1胞外段高抗原区编码基因的克隆与表达

目的 :克隆小鼠Notch1胞外段高抗原区编码基因 ,并进行原核表达及蛋白纯化 ,为制备mNotch1的单克隆抗体做准备。方法 :计算机分析小鼠Notch1全长 ,PCR扩增其胞外段高抗原区编码基因 ,克隆入载体T -vector进行序列测定 ,然后将测定正确的片段连入GST融合表达载体pGEX - 4T - 1,得到pG -NEF ,转化宿主菌DH5α ,经IPTG诱导 ,SDS -PAGE分析 ,以及新生条带表达形式分析以后 ,用GST亲和层析柱纯化。结果 :小鼠Notch1分子胞外段近膜处约 170个氨基酸区域抗原性较高 ,PCR扩增得到大小约 5 0 0bp的特异性片段 ,序列测定结果与文献报导的完全一致 ;原核表达产物大小约Mr 43× 10 3 ,以包涵体形式存在 ,约占总蛋白的2 5 % ,纯化后目的蛋白含量 >95 %。结论 :成功地进行了小鼠Notch1胞外段高抗原区编码基因的基因克隆、原核表达及蛋白纯化。     

骨髓增生异常综合征患者骨髓异常克隆细胞起源的初步研究

本研究旨在探讨骨髓增生异常综合征(MDS)患者骨髓异常克隆细胞的起源,即MDS患者骨髓CD34+CD38-造血干细胞和CD34+CD38+祖细胞中是否存在恶性克隆细胞及其比例。用免疫磁珠分选技术(MACS)分选9例染色体异常的MDS患者(8三体4例,含有8三体的复杂核型1例,5q-2例,含有5q-的复杂核型1例,5q-合并8三体1例)的骨髓单个核细胞(BMMNC)中的CD34+CD38-细胞和CD34+CD38+细胞,分别涂片;然后在上述涂片上通过荧光原位杂交(FISH)方法比较CD34+CD38-和CD34+CD38+两群细胞中异常克隆细胞的百分比。结果发现,这两群细胞均有异常克隆累及,但CD34+CD38-干细胞中异常克隆的比例(41.8±8.4)%低于CD34+CD38+祖细胞(72.4±7.7)%(p<0.001),而在有核细胞检测的异常克隆细胞比例为(70.8±9.2)%。结论:提示MDS患者中5q-和+8异常克隆均可能起源于造血干细胞阶段,而在祖细胞阶段异常克隆占优势。     

酪氨酸激酶抑制剂STI571与P21WAF基因克隆治疗慢性粒细胞白血病的实验研究

本研究探讨酪氨酸激酶抑制剂ST1571和P21^WAF基因克隆对慢性粒细胞白血病急变K562细胞株的细胞增殖、细胞周期及凋亡等的治疗作用。RT—PCR扩增P21^WAF基因，胶纯化回收后连接到T载体测序，序列正确后构建P21—pcDNA3．1栽体，将P21—pcDNA3．1与空载体分别以脂质体转染入P21蛋白表达缺如的K562细胞，经筛选得到G418抗性的K562细胞株，Westernblot证实转染后有P21蛋白表达，MTT法检测细胞存活率，流式细胞仪检测细胞周期和凋亡。结果表明：表达外源性P21蛋白的P21—pcDNA3．1-K562细胞株生长速度明显慢于对照K562细胞株，流式细胞仪显示G0／G1期细胞增多，MTT法显示P21—pcDNA3．1-K562细胞与ST1571联合应用后，与单用ST1571作用的K562细胞相比，凋亡细胞比例轻度减少，细胞存活率下降较慢。结论：表达外源P21蛋白能抑制K562细胞增殖，同时对ST1571的促凋亡作用有轻度抑制，并降低K562细胞对ST1571的敏感性。     

白木香倍半萜合成酶As-SesTPS1基因的克隆、生物信息学和表达分析

目的基于前期对白木香Aquilaria sinensis转录组测序结果,从白木香总RNA中克隆白木香倍半萜合成酶基因(As-Ses TPS1),并对其进行生物信息学及表达分析。方法利用逆转录聚合酶链式反应(RT-PCR)从白木香总RNA中获得倍半萜合成酶基因As-Ses TPS1的c DNA全长序列;利用生物信息学手段对该序列进行相似性和同源性分析,并预测其编码蛋白的结构和功能;利用q RT-PCR技术检测该基因在白木香不同样品中的表达水平。结果得到倍半萜合成酶基因As-Ses TPS1,开放阅读框(ORF)全长1 671 bp,编码556个氨基酸,其与多条倍半萜合成酶基因具有较高相似性,并含有RRx8W和DDxx D的保守序列;该基因在白木香的沉香样品中高表达。结论 As-Ses TPS1的克隆及其生物信息学和在白木香不同部位表达差异性分析,为白木香倍半萜生物合成代谢途径的研究奠定基础。