Epidemiology of molluscum contagiosum using genetic analysis of the viral DNA

The molecular epidemiology of molluscum contagiosum virus (MCV) infections was investigated by restriction endonuclease analysis of the genomes of 222 separate isolates collected from 147 patients living in Germany (33 patients), Hong Kong (6 patients), and Scotland (108 patients). MCV type 1 (MCV-1) caused 96.6% of the infections, and MCV type 2 (MCV-2) caused 3.4%. However, isolates from four of the 142 MCV-1-infected patients and two of the five MCV-2-infected patients showed minor differences in their DNA restriction patterns because of the loss of a single or very few recognition sites for the enzymes used. No genome variations were detected amongst isolates collected from different sites or on several occasions from individual patients or from closely related patients. Southern blot hybridization revealed a high level of relatedness between MCV-1 and 2. No differences were seen in the appearance or anatomical localization of lesions caused by either virus type. In particular, there was no preferred genital localization for MCV-2 infections.     

Detection of parvovirus B19 DNA, antigen, and particles in the human fetus

Human parvovirus B19 commonly infects children, causing erythema infectiosum (fifth disease). However, there is a significant adult population which has not been exposed to the virus and, consequently, does not have protective antibody. Recent reports have associated B19 infection during pregnancy with fetal death, although normal outcome of pregnancy is more common. To characterise further the role of B19 infection in fetal deaths, a series of laboratory investigations has been undertaken on tissues obtained at autopsy. These have demonstrated the presence of virion-sized DNA by Southern blotting, viral antigen by radioimmunoassay, and viral particles by electron microscopy, all from tissues of hydrops fetalis. These data confirm that the human parvovirus B19 can cross the placenta and replicate in fetal tissues.     

Characterization of the translocated chromosome using fluorescencein situ hybridization and random amplified polymorphic DNA on twoTriticum aestivum—Thinopyrum intermedium translocation lines resistant to wheat streak mosaic or barley yellow dwarf virus

Fluorescencein situ hybridization (FISH) was used to determine the breakpoint of the translocation chromosome in two bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) germplasm lines withThinopyrum intermedium chromatin carrying resistance to either wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) or barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV). In addition, genome-specific random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used to ascertain the genomic sources of theTh. intermedium chromosomes carrying the WSMV or BYDV resistance. CI17766, a WSMV-resistant wheat germplasm line derived from induced homoeologous pairing by using theph1b mutant, had a translocation chromosome composed of the complete 4AL and about 45% of proximal 4AS from wheat, and the entire 4ES ofTh. intermedium. The BYDV-resistant translocation line, TC14, derived from tissue culture, had a very short distal segment of 7StL fromTh. intermedium terminally attached to 56% of the proximal 7DL. These observations indicate that translocations in these wheat germplasm lines did not involve centromeric breaks and fusion but were a result of homoeologous chromosome recombination.accepted for publication by J. S. (Pat) Heslop-Harrison     

Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase increases synaptophysin mRNA expression in the hippocampal formation of rats

Synaptophysin is a protein involved in the biogenesis of synaptic vesicles and budding. It has been used as an important tool to investigate plastic effects on synaptic transmission. Nitric oxide (NO) can influence plastic changes in specific brain regions related to cognition and emotion. Experimental evidence suggests that NO and synaptophysin are co-localized in several brain regions and that NO may change synaptophysin expression. Therefore, the aim of the present work was to investigate if inhibition of NO formation would change synaptophysin mRNA expression in the hippocampal formation. Male Wistar rats received single or repeated (once a day for 4 days) i.p. injections of saline or l-nitro-arginine (l-NOARG, 40 mg/kg), a non-selective inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS). Twenty-four hours after the last injection the animals were sacrificed and their brains removed for ‘in situ’ hybridization study using ³⁵S-labeled oligonucleotide probe complementary to synaptophysin mRNA. The results were analyzed by computerized densitometry. Acute administration of l-NOARG induced a significant (p < 0.05, ANOVA) increase in synaptophysin mRNA expression in the dentate gyrus, CA1 and CA3. The effect disappeared after repeated drug administration. No change was found in the striatum, cingulated cortex, substantia nigra or nucleus accumbens. These results reinforce the proposal that nitric oxide is involved in plastic events in the hippocampus.     

11q trisomy detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization

Takano T, Yamanouchi Y, Kawashima S, Date M, Hashira S, Kida M, Abe T, Nakahori Y, Nakagome Y. 11q trisomy detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Clin Genet 1993: 44: 324–328. © Munksgaard, 1993 A patient with psychomotor developmental delay, multiple minor anomalies, congenital heart disease and left inguinal hernia is reported. His karyotype was 45,X/46,X,+mar (3 : 37 cells), and the marker chromosome was identified as t(Y;11) (q12;q14?) using fluorescence in situ hybridization and fluorescent chromosome painting. He was diagnosed as mosaic for de novo 11q trisomy.     

Detection of the Epstein-Barr virus in primary gastric lymphoma by in situ hybridization

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been shown to be associated with numerous human malignancies including Burktt's lymphoma and nasopharyngeal lymphoepithelioma. In addition, some typical gastric adenocarcinomas were also recently reported to demonstrate EBV relevance. The present study was designed to detect EBV in primary gastric lymphoma, using the in situ hybridization (ISH) method, in which oligo-nucleotide probes for the EBERl RNA and the EBV DNA W region have been used. Of the 49 cases of primary gastric lymphoma studied, which all showed B cell immunopheno-type, EBER1 sequences could only be found in four cases, including two low-grade cases and two high-grade cases of histological subtypes while the number of positive cells was less than 50% of the tumor cells. In one case of low-grade mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, the EBER1 -positive neoplastic cells were found in the regional lymph node, but the primary site of the stomach showed no positive signals. The EBV presence was further confirmed by the EBV DNA ISH. Using the ISH method, rare or occasional positive lymphoid cells (probably non-tumorous bystander cells) could be detected in 10 other cases including all histological subtypes. The present study shows that only a small proportion of primary gastric lymphoma is associated with EBV, and such positive cases could be found in both high- and low-grade histological subtypes. It is also suggested that the EBV presence in the neoplastic cells of some cases of primary gastric lymphoma is most likely a secondary phenomenon.     

人食管癌相关基因cDNA片段的克隆、筛选与初步鉴定

目的 :筛选和鉴定人原发性食管癌组织的相关基因 ,揭示食管癌的癌变机理。方法 :用高效、灵敏的荧光mRNA差异显示技术 ,以食管癌及相应的正常食管粘膜组织为对照 ,通过对其基因表达的比较 ,找出差异条带 ,利用ReverseNorthernDotBlot、DNA序列分析和NorthernBlot,并结合mRNA原位杂交技术对被筛片段进行鉴定。结果 :①在实验中分离、鉴定了 74条差异片段 ,其中包括正常组织表达而癌组织中不表达的差异片段 5 4个 ,癌组织中表达而正常组织不表达的差异片段 2 0个。②其中 1个片段C5 7(337bp)在GenBank数据库中没有发现同源的已知基因或片段 ,推测其可能为食管癌相关基因。③经NorthernBlot检测C5 7在癌组织中有表达信号。④原位杂交技术检测C5 7在癌组织中具有较高的阳性表达率 (74% )。结论 :食管癌组织中C5 7可能是新的食管癌相关的候选癌基因 ,它与食管癌的发生发展可能有关     

不同温度对压电传感器基因杂交效应的影响

目的：探讨温度对压电传感器基因杂交效应的影响。方法：在压电传感器阵列上固定20碱基的疏基DNA探针,而后分别在15℃、20℃、25℃、30℃下与同长度的互补靶序列进行杂交,计算机采集并分析传感器频率数据,比较各温度下杂交达到平衡所需时间,杂交前后频率差,并计算杂交动力学参数。结果：随温度增加,杂交时间有缩短趋势,杂交前后的频率差值逐渐减小。结合常数变化不明显,解离常数增大,使平衡常数显著增大。结论：在石英晶体传感器阵列上,基因杂交量随温度增高而减小。     

原位杂交技术检测增殖细胞核抗原反义寡脱氧核苷酸对BIU-87细胞体外增殖的影响

运用原位杂交技术检测脂质体介导增殖细胞核抗原(PCNA)反义寡脱氧核苷酸抑制人膀胱癌细胞BIU-87PCNA mRNA的表达水平.结果表明脂质体介导PCNA反义寡脱氧核苷酸处理组中BIU-87细胞PCNA mRNA的表达水平明显低于对照组.结果提示脂质体介导PCNA反义寡脱氧核苷酸可抑制人膀胱癌细胞BIU-87体外增殖活性,其抑制作用可通过阻断PCNA蛋白表达来实现.     

用非同位素原位杂交组化在光镜和电镜水平观察前阿黑皮素mRNA在垂体的分布

用地高辛标记反意前阿黑皮素(pro-opiomelanocortin,POMC)cRNA探针原位杂交组化在光镜和电镜水平观察了POMC mRNA在大鼠垂体的分布,并比较了碱性磷酸酶(AKP)显色系统和辣根过氧化酶(HRP)显色系统在光镜水平上的敏感性.结果:POMC mRNA广泛地分布于垂体的中间叶和前叶.中间叶全部细胞均为POMC mRNA阳性.前叶中除前叶的腹侧缘和前叶与中间叶交界处阳性细胞较少外,都有较多的POMC mRNA阳性细胞分布.AKP显色系统比HRP显色系统敏感.在电镜水平,POMC mRNA主要分布于粗面内质网,少数分泌颗粒可能呈阳性反应,胞核未见阳性反应沉淀.文内还就阳性分泌颗粒在调节细胞合成功能方面可能起的作用进行了讨论.