Recombinant fish parvalbumins: Candidates for diagnosis and treatment of fish allergy

Fish and fish products represent one of the most important causes of IgE-mediated food hypersensitivity. In sensitized individuals contact with and consumption of fish can lead to severe health problems, ranging from urticaria and dermatitis to angiedema, diarrhoea, asthma and, at worst, systemic anaphylactic reactions and death. Parvalbumin, a small calcium-binding protein present in the muscles of vertebrates, was identified as the major fish allergen. We describe the isolation and characterization of cDNA clones coding for carp parvalbumin by IgE immunoscreening of a carp muscle expression library. These clones will be the basis for the production of recombinant carp parvalbumin, a useful tool for in vitro and in vivo diagnosis of fish allergy.     

Isolation and characterization of a cDNA coding for a novel human 17.3K myelin basic protein (MBP) variant

Human fetal spinal cord poly A (+) mRNA was found to direct the synthesis of three major myelin basic protein (MBP) variants with molecular weights of 17K, 18.5K, and 21.5K when translated in reticulocyte lysates. In order to investigate the structural relationships between these MBP variants and their corresponding mouse variants, human fetal spinal cord and mouse brain cDNA libraries were constructed and screened for MBP cDNAs. A number of MBP cDNA clones were isolated and characterized. One of these, PP535 contained the entire coding region of the mouse 14K MBP; and another mouse cDNA clone, PP1.85, was almost full-length and coded for either the 21.5K MBP or the 18.5K MBP. A human clone (KK36), 1,173 nucleotides in length, contained the entire coding region of an MBP variant with a molecular weight of 17,342. The structure of this clone within its coding region is significantly different from the corresponding mouse 17K MBP cDNA. It is missing two sequences found in the mouse 17K MBP cDNA (exons 2 and 5); and it contains a sequence (exon 6) that is missing from the mouse 17K MBP cDNA. Thus, this human 17.3K cDNA codes for a "17K" human MBP variant that is quite different from the corresponding mouse variant and is identical to the human 18.5K MBP except for a deletion of a peptide consisting of 11 amino acids that includes the single tryptophan residue of the 18.5K MBP. An analysis of the structure of this 17.3K human MBP cDNA suggests that the major pathway for splicing the primary human MBP gene product may be different from that in the mouse.     

一DXFD52相关人肝细胞cDNA的部分序列分析及其反转录病毒载体的构建

为了寻找和研究新的人类基因ｃＤＮＡ，本实验以Ｔ７ＤＮＡ聚合酶对一ＤＸＦＤ５２相关人肝细胞ｃＤＮＡ（ＤＥ）进行了分段部分测定，并将所测各部分序列分别在ＥＭＢＬ（欧洲分子生物学库）中进行核酸同源性检索，结果在库中没有找到任何具有同源性的人类基因或ＤＮＡ片段。因此，我们初步认为ＤＥ为一新的人类基因ｃＤＮＡ片段。同时为初步探讨ＤＥ的功能，我们还成功地将ＤＥ构建于反转录病毒载体ＰＬＸＳＮ上。     

鼻咽癌中与已知基因同源的差异表达cDNA序列

采用新近发展的ｃＤＮＡ代表性差异分析法筛选鼻咽癌中不表达的或表达降低的ｃＤＮＡ序列。结果显示：有９个与已知基因高度同源的ｃＤＮＡ序列。通过对这些已知基因的结构和功能分析,发现有与细胞骨架成分相关的基因：αａｃｔｉｎｉｎ,ｅｚｒｉｎ和细胞角蛋白１３;直接与瘤基因和抑瘤基因相互作用的基因：鲨烯合成酶和ＴＲＩＰ１基因;直接参与ＤＮＡ合成以及调控基因转录和翻译的基因：ＴＡＦⅡ６８和组蛋白Ｈ１０;另外还有人类补体因子Ｂ及类转运ＲＮＡ合成酶的基因。这些基因大多具有相当于抑瘤基因的功能。从而进一步说明鼻咽癌的发生是多基因相互作用的结果。     

Ⅲ型胶原α链基因mRNA的表达与舌苔形成的关系研究

目的研究Ⅲ型胶原α链基因表达水平与舌苔形成之间的关系。方法应用基因芯片技术和实时荧光定量逆转录-聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）技术,检测Ⅲ型胶原α链在不同舌苔中的表达水平。结果基因芯片显示,常见舌苔中Ⅲ型胶原α链表达水平差异有统计学意义;实时荧光定量PCR证实从高到低依次为：黄厚苔〉白薄苔〉白厚苔〉无苔〉黄薄苔〉胎儿白薄苔。结论常见舌苔中,Ⅲ型胶原α链表达水平有差异,提示Ⅲ型胶原α链基因表达水平的调控在舌苔形成过程中可能有一定的意义。     

Iron Deficiency Anemia: Efficacy and Limitations of Nutritional and Comprehensive Mitigation Strategies

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) has reached epidemic proportions in developing countries and has become a major global public health problem, affecting mainly 0–5-year-old children and young women of childbearing age, especially during pregnancy. Iron deficiency can lead to life-threatening loss of red blood cells, muscle function, and energy production. Therefore, the pathogenic features associated with IDA are weakness and impaired growth, motor, and cognitive performance. IDA affects the well-being of the young generation and the economic advancement of developing countries, such as India. The imbalance between iron intake/absorption/storage and iron utilization/loss culminates into IDA. However, numerous strategic programs aimed to increase iron intake have shown that improvement of iron intake alone has not been sufficient to mitigate IDA. Emerging critical risk factors for IDA include a composition of cultural diets, infections, genetics, inflammatory conditions, metabolic diseases, dysbiosis, and socioeconomic parameters. In this review, we discuss numerous IDA mitigation programs in India and their limitations. The new multifactorial mechanism of IDA pathogenesis opens perspectives for the improvement of mitigation programs and relief of IDA in India and worldwide.