Enolase 1 of Candida albicans binds human CD4+ T cells and modulates naïve and memory responses

To obtain a better understanding of the biology behind life-threatening fungal infections caused by Candida albicans, we recently conducted an in silico screening for fungal and host protein interaction partners. We report here that the extracellular domain of human CD4 binds to the moonlighting protein enolase 1 (Eno1) of C. albicans as predicted bioinformatically. By using different anti-CD4 monoclonal antibodies, we determined that C. albicans Eno1 (CaEno1) primarily binds to the extracellular domain 3 of CD4. Functionally, we observed that CaEno1 binding to CD4 activated lymphocyte-specific protein tyrosine kinase (LCK), which was also the case for anti-CD4 monoclonal antibodies tested in parallel. CaEno1 binding to naïve human CD4⁺ T cells skewed cytokine secretion toward a Th2 profile indicative of poor fungal control. Moreover, CaEno1 inhibited human memory CD4⁺ T-cell recall responses. Therapeutically, CD4⁺ T cells transduced with a p41/Crf1-specific T-cell receptor developed for adoptive T-cell therapy were not inhibited by CaEno1 in vitro. Together, the interaction of human CD4⁺ T cells with CaEno1 modulated host CD4⁺ T-cell responses in favor of the fungus. Thus, CaEno1 mediates not only immune evasion through its interference with complement regulators but also through the direct modulation of CD4⁺ T-cell responses.     

白色念珠菌对人肺上皮细胞的黏附作用及其影响因素

目的　在体外研究白色念珠菌临床分离株对人肺上皮细胞的黏附作用及其影响因素。方法　将不同浓度的白色念珠菌和人肺上皮细胞在体外作用不同的时间 ,固定后经革兰染色 ,在倒置显微镜下计数白色念珠菌黏附人肺上皮细胞的黏附数。观察胰酶、白色念珠菌培养上清液、加热等处理因素对白色念珠菌黏附人肺上皮细胞的影响。结果　白色念珠菌的黏附与浓度、时间有关 ,在 5× 10 3～ 5× 10 7CFU/ml范围内 ,黏附数随浓度的增加而增加。该黏附作用 15min后趋于饱和。在 15min内 ,白色念珠菌对肺上皮细胞的黏附随时间的延长而增强。白色念珠菌经胰酶或 10 0℃ 30min处理后黏附数降低 ,培养上清液及上清液经加热或胰酶处理后都能抑制白色念珠菌的黏附作用。结论　白色念珠菌对人肺上皮细胞的黏附作用与浓度和时间有依赖的关系 ,是特异性黏附过程。不同因素处理白色念珠菌和肺上皮细胞 ,其黏附数发生改变 ,说明黏附作用与白色念珠菌表面黏附因子和人肺上皮细胞表面的黏附受体的数量和结构有关。     

Effects of 8-methoxypsoralen plus 365 nm UVA light on Candida albicans cells

Summary Candida (C.) albicans cells were exposed to 8-Methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) concentrations of 1.0 g/ml and 10.0 g/ml medium and irradiated with 365 nm light. The amount of energy emitted was 4.8 J/cm². Two divergent types of cell damage occured concerning yeast cell cytoplasm and cell wall. Two hours after exposure cytoplasmic changes involving mitochondria, which showed irregularities in shape, blurred appearance or loss of mitochondrial cristae and outer membrane were seen. The number of vacuoles was increased. The cytoplasm showed large electron transparent areas, the cytoplasmic membrane disappeared in some areas completely. Nucleus and nuclear envelope usually remained intact in early stages. 24h after exposure conspicuous cell wall alterations were observed in addition to cytoplasmic changes. Newly produced cell wall material formed ball-like protrusions or was adherent sickle-shaped to the cell wall. The investigations strongly suggest that the results found after 8-MOP-UVA treatment of C. albicans cells can not be interpreted in the sense of a general cytotoxic effect. Apparently it takes the form of a combination of events involving regressive and progressive alterations.     

中药山豆根的形态组织学研究

对目前国内作山豆根用的9种不同植物来源的生药进行了形态组织学的比较研究,观察并描述了它们的生药性状和组织构造,并列出了生药的分种检索表。     

丹参根腐病及其微生物防治研究

丹参根腐病是由腐皮镰刀菌浸染所致的一种土传病害，近年来在四川的田间发病株率达10%-30%，导致丹参产量下降，品质变劣。对丹参根腐病的防治，一般化学农药难于有效，而且滥用化学农药合造成农药残留污染。利用有益微生物控制病原菌是一种可行的措施，本研究从生长在不同生态环境的丹参根际土样中分离了一批木霉菌株，通过室内拮抗试验和田问防病增产试验，筛选出了对腐皮镰刀菌有较强拮抗作用的哈茨木霉T23、桔绿木霉T56等菌株。田间试验结果，T23、T56对丹参根腐病的防效分别为52．3％和55．7％，与常用化学杀菌剂多菌灵的防效相当，表明木霉防治丹参根病病具有较好的应用前景。     

头孢硫脒等6种抗菌药物对革兰氏阳性球菌体外抗菌活性研究

目的 对比研究头孢硫脒(CTM)、头孢唑林(CEZ)、头孢映辛(CXM)、头孢曲松(CRO)、苯唑西林(MPIPC)、万古霉素(VCM)对99株临床分离革兰氏阳性球菌的抗菌活性。方法采用琼脂平板稀释法测定最低抑菌浓度(MIC)。结果 CTM对32株金黄色葡萄球菌的MIC50、MIC90均为0．5mg/L，低于CRO，CTM对29株表皮葡萄球菌的MIC50、MIC90分别为0．125和8mg/L，是CRO的l／16，对9株甲氧西林耐药的葡萄球菌(MRS)的范围与CXM相近；CTM对粪肠球菌的抗菌活性与万古霉家相仿，强于CEZ、CXM、CRO、LGIPC。结论头孢硫腺对葡萄球菌和粪肠球菌具有很强的体外抗菌活性。     

E-test试条对异质性耐万古霉素葡萄球菌的检测

目的 探讨E—test对异质性耐万古霉素葡萄球菌的检测价值。方法 从连续接触万古霉素的脑心浸液琼脂(BHIA)平板上挑取万古霉素异质性耐药葡萄球菌苗株，应用万古霉素E—test试条、药敏纸片和琼脂平板对倍稀释法测定药敏结果。结果 E—test检测的对万古霉素异质性耐药葡萄球菌MRSHl09，MRSH2，MRSH13，MRSH31，MRSH60，MRSHl08，MRSH73，MRSH97，MRSH102的MIC依次为：16、24、48、48、16、32、24、24mg/L，其中耐药7株占77．8％(7/9)，中介2株占22．2％(2/9)；琼脂对倍稀释法的MIC为：16、32、64、32、16、32、32、16、32mg/L，耐药6株占66．7％(6/9)，中介3株占33．3％(3/9）；药敏纸片直径依次为：14、12、10、11、10、15、13、10，13mm，敏感率为11．1％(1/9)。结论 E—test可以便捷直观地鉴定对万古霉素异质性耐药葡萄球菌的药敏结果，与琼脂平板对倍稀释法接近，优于纸片法。     

Seasonality of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning at a coastal lagoon in Portugal: rainfall patterns and folk wisdom.

Of the three types of toxicity known so far in Portuguese shellfish, only diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) and amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP) are produced by microalgae that seem to have been present in the last decades or centuries. The most important paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) producer, Gymnodinium catenatum, is hypothesised to have been introduced quite recently as only in 1976 PSP toxicity was detected for the first time in shellfish from Galicia, NW Iberian Peninsula. While ASP presents very short episodes of contamination, the concentration of DSP toxins in some years surpasses human safety values for much longer periods. It is traditionally stated that shellfish should be consumed in 'months with R' (September-April). A retrospective study of the maximum monthly DSP levels attained in mussels from a coastal lagoon-Ria de Aveiro-between 1994 and 2001, showed that the highest frequency of months with concentrations surpassing the safety level of 2 microg/g digestive glands were found in June-September, followed by May and October. These months correspond with the months of lowest historical average rainfall in the period 1941-1998.Oscillations in the rainfall pattern coincided with earliest (or latest) detection by HPLC of DSP toxins in mussel in the years studied. In a semi-closed lagunar environment prone to in situ growth of DSP-producer microalgae, like Dinophysis acuminata, rainfall affects river output, lowering salinity and disrupting water column stability that favours Dinophysis growth. The seasonality of DSP recurrence may be connected to the folk adage on safety of shellfish consumption, after many years of empirical observations by coastal populations of diarrhoea episodes in summertime.     

念珠菌对唑类药物耐药机理的探讨

文献报道念珠菌对唑类药物耐药机制有三，即膜通透性降低、靶酶改变及靶酶产生过多。本文对２６株分离自艾滋病患者的耐氟康唑白念珠菌及通过诱变获得的白念珠菌ＡＴＣＣ１４０５３五个氟康唑耐药突变菌落的耐药机制进行了初步探讨。根据唑类药物靶酶编码序列设计六对上下之间交叉重叠的引物，分六段（包括相当于调控序列所在部位）将目的基因扩增出来，采用Ｓｏｕｔｈｅｒｎ杂交、限制性片段多态性分析及聚合酶链反应－单链构象多态性分析等方法对所获目的片段进行了分析。结果排除了所有受试菌株因靶酶编码基因缺失而耐药的可能，单链构象多态性分析结果呈阳性，且耐药株之间也存在差异。故此，推测耐药性系因为靶酶编码序列多位点突变造成，这一点尚有待进一步证实。另外，本实验结果不能排除另两条耐药机理的存在