Reconstitution of a functional interleukin (IL)-7 receptor demonstrates that the IL-2 receptor γ chain is required for IL-7 signal transduction

The interleukin (IL)-2 receptor γ chain has recently been shown to be a component of the IL-7 and IL-4 receptors. Using a transient transfection assay and the trans-activation of reporter gene constructs which are under the control of cytokine-responsive promoter elements, we have studied signal transduction through the IL-7 receptor (IL-7R). The reporter gene expression was not stimulated by receptors that contained the cytoplasmic domain of the IL-7R, either as intact IL-7R or as part of a chimeric receptor. However, co-expression of the IL-7R with the IL-2 receptor γ chain was able to stimulate gene activation. For maximal stimulation the intact cytoplasmic domains of each chain was required.     

Dissecting the complexity of the memory T cell response

Memory immune responses are classically attributed to the reactivation of long-lived, antigen-specific T lymphocytes that persist in a quiescent state. Determining mechanisms for the generation of memory T cells and dissecting the functional nature of the memory T cell pool has been encumbered by an inability to distinguish recently activated effector T cells from memory T cells. We have established new activation and biochemical criteria that distinguish effector and memory T cells and have applied these criteria to follow memory generation from activated cells in vivo. We found that the resultant memory T cell pool is heterogeneous and consists of effector-like and resting memory-like subsets that differ in expression of the homing receptor, CD62L. We discuss these findings in the context of memory T cell heterogeneity identified in human and mouse systems. These results suggest that more than one type of previously activated T cell can mediate recall or memory immune responses and that elucidating the fundamental phenotypic and functional features of memory T cell subsets is therefore critical to deciphering the complex nature of the memory immune response.     

肾上腺髓质素对豚鼠心室肌细胞L-型钙通道的作用及其信号转导机制

目的: 研究肾上腺髓质素( adrenomedullin, ADM)抑制豚鼠心室肌细胞L-型钙通道的信号转导机制。方法: 应用全细胞膜片钳技术,记录应用ADM(1-100 nmol·L^-1)前后L-型钙电流(I_Ca,L),以及分别记录应用ADM特异性受体拮抗剂ADM_22-52(100 nmol·L^-1)+ADM(100 nmol·L^-1)、蛋白激酶A (PKA) 特异性拮抗剂H-89(10 μmol·L^-1) + ADM(100 nmol·L^-1)、蛋白激酶C (PKC) 特异性拮抗剂PKC_19-36(10 μmol·L^-1)+ADM(100 nmol·L^-1)、PKC特异性激动剂PMA(1 μmol·L^-1)前后I_Ca,L。结果: ADM(1-100 nmol·L^-1)浓度依赖性地抑制豚鼠心室肌细胞I_Ca,L,并可被ADM_22-52(100 nmol·L^-1)完全阻断;H-89(10 μmol·L^-1)对ADM抑制I_Ca,L的作用无影响。PKC_19-36(10 μmol·L^-1)可完全阻断ADM 对I_Ca,L的抑制效应,且PMA(1 μmol·L^-1)可模拟ADM 对I_Ca,L的抑制效应。结论: ADM作用于特异性ADM受体可浓度依赖性地抑制豚鼠心室肌细胞I_Ca,L,此作用有可能与PKC激活相关。     

神经元保护蛋白TAT-Bcl-XL的体外高效表达及其功能的初步研究

目的：在原核表达系统中表达对凋亡神经元具有保护作用的重要蛋白Bcl-XL与蛋白质转导序列（PTD）的融合蛋白，并检测重组蛋白对重金属离子所诱导的细胞凋亡的保护作用。方法：通过RT-PCR的方法，用Bcl-XL特异引物从乳腺癌细胞系MCF-7细胞的总RNA中扩增出Bcl-XL基因，构建相应的原核表达载体，体外表达的TAT-Bcl-XL融合蛋白经镍亲和层析介质纯化后，通过免疫荧光方法检测其转导293T细胞的能力；并用流式细胞仪检测融合蛋白抑制细胞凋亡的能力。结果：经RT-PCR从MCF-7细胞总RNA中得到相应的TAT-Bcl-XL基因片段，并将其克隆入pCRT7/CT-TOPO载体中，重组质粒pTBTOPO转化大肠杆菌后，在SDS-PAGE和Western blot的结果中出现了与预期分子量相同的蛋白条带和阳性信号，纯化的TAT-Bcl-XL重组蛋白经免疫荧光检测，主要分布于细胞的细胞质中。流式细胞仪的检测结果显示融合表达蛋白可以有效地抑制Zn2＋离子所诱导的细胞凋亡，使细胞的存活率提高40%。结论：TAT-Bcl-XL融合蛋白在大肠杆菌中获得高效表达，初步的功能性检测表明融合蛋白具有抑制细胞凋亡的功能。     

Ras homolog gene family H (RhoH) deficiency induces psoriasis-like chronic dermatitis by promoting TH17 cell polarization

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SH2A 基因对细胞信号转导的影响及其亚细胞定位

目的 研究Src同源域2(src homology 2，SH2)A基因在细胞信号转导中的作用并进行亚细胞定位。方法 通过RT—PCR方法扩增SH2A cDNA编码序列，构建真核重组表达载体pcDNA3．1-SH2A，利用脂质体转染肝癌Bel7402细胞、COS7细胞，检测蛋白酶C(protein kinaseC，PKC)、酪氨酸蛋白激酶(tyrosine protein kinase，TPK)、丝裂原激活蛋白激酶(mitogen activated protein kinase，MAPK)活性的改变；另构建pEGEP—SH2A，转染同前，荧光显微镜观察荧光定位。结果 测序结果显示真核重组表达载体pcDNA3．1-SH2A及pEGFP—SH2A中均含有SH2AcDNA编码序列；肝癌Bel7402细胞、COS7细胞转染pcDNA3．1-SH2A后，胞浆PKC的活性下降了40％左右，MAPK和TPK活性未见明显改变。荧光显微镜观察发现SH2A基因在细胞质中表达。结论 SH2A基因编码蛋白在PKC信号转导通路中起抑制作用；SH2A基因编码蛋白定位于细胞质。     

A Parametric Approach to Measuring Cerebral Blood Flow Autoregulation from Spontaneous Variations in Blood Pressure

Autoregulation maintains cerebral blood flow (CBF) almost constant in the face of changes in arterial blood pressure (ABP). Tests for impairment of this process using only spontaneous fluctuations in ABP, without provoking large variations, are of great clinical interest, and a range of different approaches have previously been applied. Extending earlier work based on linear filters, we propose a simple parametric method using a first order finite impulse response filter. We evaluate the method on ABP and CBF velocity [(CBFV), from trancranial Doppler ultrasound] signals collected in 60 patients with stenosis or occlusion of the carotid arteries. Data were collected during the inspiration of ambient air, a 5% CO2/air mixture, and finally the return to ambient air. Equivalent data were collected in 15 normal subjects. The filters estimated from the data segments with constant inspiratory pCO2 showed the expected high-pass characteristic, which was reduced during hypercapnia and also in patients. Highly significant correlation between the filter parameters and cerebrovascular reactivity (percent increase in CBFV per unit change in end-tidal pCO2) gives further evidence that the filters reflect autoregulation. The method allows simple parametrization of the dynamic autoregulatory responses in CBFV, and the analysis of short (1 min) data segments. © 2001 Biomedical Engineering Society. PAC01: 8719Uv, 4762+q, 4380Qf