gp49B1 suppresses stem cell factor-induced mast cell activation-secretion and attendant inflammation in vivo

We report that gp49B1, a mast cell membrane receptor with two immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motifs (ITIM), constitutively inhibits mast cell activation-secretion induced by stem cell factor (SCF), a tissue-derived cytokine that also regulates mast cell development. The intradermal injection of SCF into the ears of gp49B1 null (gp49B(-/-)) mice elicited approximately 4- and 2.5-fold more degranulating mast cells and tissue swelling caused by edema, respectively, than in gp49B(+/+) mice. SCF did not induce tissue swelling in mast cell-deficient mice, and the responsiveness of gp49B(-/-) mice to mast cell-associated amine and lipid mediators was unaltered. When gp49B(+/+) and gp49B(-/-) mice were pretreated with antagonists of the amines, SCF-induced tissue swelling was reduced by >90% and 60%, respectively, and it was reduced by >90% in both genotypes when a cysteinyl leukotriene receptor antagonist was also provided. Hence, the dominant contribution of secretory granule amines to SCF-induced tissue swelling is the result of gp49B1-mediated inhibition of the production of cysteinyl leukotrienes by mast cells. Our findings also provide the first example of an ITIM-bearing receptor that constitutively suppresses inflammation generated in vivo independently of the adaptive immune response by a receptor that signals through intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity rather than immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs.     

Development of a PCR-SSOP approach capable of defining the natural killer cell inhibitory receptor (KIR) gene sequence repertoires

A molecular typing method based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of three different target domains (immunoglobulin domains 1 and 3, and the transmembrane-cytoplasmic domain), followed by hybridisation with 26 digoxigenin-labelled sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes (SSOP) has been established for the polymorphic killer inhibitory receptor (KIR) genes. In addition to identifying the 12 KIR subfamilies, our PCR-SSOP typing approach could also distinguish the putative alleles, NKB1 and NKAT3, that comprise the KIR3DL1 subfamily. Ninety unrelated blood donors and 13 families (52 individuals), including both parents, were subjected to our KIR PCR-SSOP typing approach. All 12 KIR subfamilies, including a 2DS5 variant sequence, were present in the 90 individuals and displayed varied phenotype frequencies: 2DL1 (0.96), 2DL2 (0.31), 2DL3 (0.95), 2DS1 (0.56) 2DS2 (0.51), 2DS3 (0.27), 2DS4 (0.96), 2DS5v (0.35), 3DS1 (0.47), 3DL1 (0.96), 3DL2 (1.0) and 2DL4 (1.0). A total of 23 different KIR phenotypes were defined in this study, and 10 of these were only found on one occasion in one individual, indicating considerable diversity in the KIR phenotype profiles within the Irish population. Most individuals (93%) possessed the complement of inhibitory KIR specificities for the three well-defined HLA-B and -C ligands. An unusual probe pattern for 3DS1 was observed in 3 individuals indicating a variant 3DS1 gene sequence with changes at nucleotide positions 1185-1186, within the cytoplasmic domain. Sequencing analysis revealed a new single nucleotide polymorphism in exon 3 of 3DL1 NKB1(195, G-A) and a 22-bp deletion polymorphism in exon 5 of 2DS4 (nucleotides 777-798 deleted). A number of strong KIR associations were observed, namely 2DL1 with 2DL3, 2DS4 with 3DL1, 2DL2 with 2DS1/2DS2/2DS3, 2DS1 with 2DS3/2DS5v/3DS1, 2DS2 with 2DS3 and 2DS5v with 3DS1. Analysis of the KIR segregation observed in the 13 families confirmed these strong associations and permitted the definition of a number of partial KIR haplotypes, e.g. 2DL2-2DS1-2DS2-2DS3-3DL1. The segregation analysis concluded that at least 3 distinct gene loci encode 2DL1-4 and at least 4 gene loci encode the non-inhibitory KIR2DS1-2DS5. In the case of 3DL1-2 and 3DS1, our data suggests 3 gene loci, one for each subfamily.     

慢性乙型肝炎患者外周血T细胞KIR表达研究

目的：检测慢性乙型肝炎患者外周血T细胞表面KIR的表达情况。方法：采用三色流式细胞术检测慢性乙型肝炎患者外周血CD4^＋T细胞和CD8^high T细胞表面KIR分子表达，并与正常外周血比较。结果：慢性乙型肝炎患者外周血中CD8^high T细胞KIR表达明显高于对照组CD8^high T细胞。正常外周血CD4^＋T细胞几乎不表达KIR，慢性乙型肝炎患者外周血中CD4^＋T细胞表达KIR。结论：慢性乙型肝炎患者T细胞表面KIR表达明显增加。     

Members of the heat-shock protein 70 family promote cancer cell growth by distinct mechanisms

Whereas the stress-inducible heat-shock protein 70 (Hsp70) has gained plenty of attention as a putative target for tumor therapy, little is known about the role of other Hsp70 proteins in cancer. Here we present the first thorough analysis of the expression and function of the cytosolic Hsp70 proteins in human cancer cells and identify Hsp70-2, a protein essential for spermatogenesis, as an important regulator of cancer cell growth. Targeted knock-down of the individual family members by RNA interference revealed that both Hsp70 and Hsp70-2 were required for cancer cell growth, whereas the survival of tumorigenic as well as nontumorigenic cells depended on Hsc70. Cancer cells depleted for Hsp70 and Hsp70-2 displayed strikingly different morphologies (detached and round vs. flat senescent-like), cell cycle distributions (G2/M vs. G1 arrest) and gene expression profiles. Only Hsp70-2 depletion induced the expression of macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 that was identified as a target of P53 tumor-suppressor protein and a mediator of the G1 arrest and the senescent phenotype. Importantly, concomitant depletion of Hsp70 and Hsp70-2 had a synergistic antiproliferative effect on cancer cells. Thus, highly homologous Hsp70 proteins bring about nonoverlapping functions essential for cell growth and survival.     

抗巨噬细胞移动抑制因子抗体在油酸致急性肺损伤发病中的干预作用

目的:探讨抗巨噬细胞移动抑制因子单克隆抗体(anti-MIFMAb)在油酸诱导的大鼠急性肺损伤(ALI)中的干预作用,及其对巨噬细胞移动抑制因子(MIF)和细胞间粘附分子-1(ICAM-1)表达的影响。方法:雄性Wistar大鼠静脉注射油酸复制ALI为油酸组,静脉注射生理盐水为对照组,大鼠先给予抗-MIF单抗腹腔注射后再给予油酸静脉注射为抗-MIF单抗干预组。静注后4h,3组大鼠分别测定动脉血氧分压(PaO₂),肺泡通透指数等肺损伤指标;用ELISA法测定支气管肺泡灌洗液(BALF)中可溶性细胞间粘附分子-1(sICAM-1)水平;用原位杂交检测MIF和ICAM-1mRNA表达水平;用免疫组化双重套染方法检测巨噬细胞浸润程度与MIF表达的关系。结果:油酸组PaO₂低于对照组和干预组,肺通透性指数高于对照组和干预组(P<0.01),BALF中sICAM-1水平显著高于对照组和干预组(P<0.01)。油酸组肺组织MIF和ICAM-1表达明显高于对照组和干预组(P<0.01),经抗-MIF单抗干预ICAM-1表达变化不明显,但MIF表达显著下调,巨噬细胞浸润减少且肺损伤指标改善。结论:MIF和ICAM-1在介导巨噬细胞对组织的粘附、浸润和ALI的发生发展中起重要作用,抗-MIF单抗主要通过阻断MIF表达,减少巨噬细胞浸润而起肺保护作用。     

2000年～2004年淋球菌深圳分离株的耐药性变迁

目的了解深圳地区淋球菌流行状况和耐药趋势,为淋病的预防和治疗提供依据.方法琼脂稀释法测定青霉素、四环素、壮观霉素、头孢三嗪和环丙沙星对246株淋球菌的最低抑茵浓度,头孢硝噻吩纸片法检测β-内酰胺酶.结果淋球茵PPNG和TRNG阳性率呈逐年上升趋势;淋球菌对5种常规抗生素的耐药性均有不同程度增强,尤以环丙沙星耐药性增强突出.结论深圳地区淋球菌耐药状况较为严重,大观霉素可作为淋病治疗的首选药物.临床应加强淋球茵耐药性监测并根据药物敏感试验合理使用抗生素.     

Genomic structure of PIR-B, the inhibitory member of the paired immunoglobulin-like receptor genes in mice

Abstract: The genes encoding the murine paired immunoglobulin-like receptors PIR-A and PIR-B are members of a novel gene family which encode cell-surface receptors bearing immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motifs (ITIMs) and their non-inhibitory/activatory counterparts. PIR-A and PIR-B have highly homologous extracellular domains but distinct trans-membrane and cytoplasmic regions. A charged arginine in the transmembrane region of PIR-A suggests its potential association with other transmembrane proteins to form a signal transducing unit. PIR-B, in contrast, has an uncharged transmembrane region and several ITIMs in its cytoplasmic tail. These characteristics suggest that PIR-A and PIR-B which are coordinately expressed by B cells and myeloid cells, serve counter-regulatory roles in humoral and inflammatory responses. In the present study we have determined the genomic structure of the single copy PIR-B gene. The gene consists of 15 exons and spans approximately 8 kilobases. The first exon contains the 5' untranslated region, the ATG translation start site, and approximately half of the leader peptide sequence. The remainder of the leader peptide sequence is encoded by exon 2. Exons 3–8 encode the six extracellular immunoglobulin-like domains and exons 9 and 10 code for the extracellular membrane proximal and transmembrane regions. The final five exons (exons 11–15) encode for the ITIM-bearing cytoplasmic tail and the 3' untranslated region. The intron/exon boundaries of PIR-B obey the GT-AG rule and are in phase I, with the notable exception of the three boundaries determined for ITIM-containing exons. A microsatellite composed of the trinucleotide repeat AAG in the intron between exons 9 and 10 provides a useful marker for studying population genetics.     

Renewal of the membrane complex of Schistosoma mansoni is closely associated with lipid metabolism

Metabolic pathways leading to lipid biosynthesis in four different developmental stages of Schistosoma mansoni were explored and quantified by incubation in the presence of labeled precursors in a chemically defined medium. At the schistosomulum stage and in male, female, or paired worms, glycerol and oleate incorporation into neutral lipids, mainly in the form of triacylglycerols, was greater than into phospholipids, whereas in 11-and 15-day-old worms, synthesis mainly led to phospholipids. Incorporation into phospholipids was recovered largely in phosphatidylcholine, and distribution into other phospholipids depended on the developmental stage. Incorporation of choline and ethanolamine into their respective phospholipids represented up to 15% of the parasitic phospholipid content. The formation of phosphatidylcholine by phosphatidylethanolamine methylation occurred mainly in the immature parasitic stages. Inositol incorporation was also measurable, whereas [14C]serine incorporation was low or undetectable. Addition of 1-palmitoyl-2-[14C]oleyl phosphatidylcholine revealed a very high uptake of this phospholipid by the immature stages but further metabolism was not detectable. In contrast, adult S. mansoni were completely unable to take up or absorb this exogenous phospholipid. The most striking aspect of this study was the relatively high metabolic activity in 11-day-old worms and the lower but sustained activity on day 15 and at the schistosomulum stage. By comparison, biosynthetic activity in adult S. mansoni, on which research studies have been focused until now, was very low. We also discuss the participation of lipid metabolism in the constant renewal of the membrane complex which is essential to parasitism by S. mansoni.