The Litsea genome and the evolution of the laurel family.

The laurel family within the Magnoliids has attracted attentions owing to its scents, variable inflorescences, and controversial phylogenetic position. Here, we present a chromosome-level assembly of the Litsea cubeba genome, together with low-coverage genomic and transcriptomic data for many other Lauraceae. Phylogenomic analyses show phylogenetic discordance at the position of Magnoliids, suggesting incomplete lineage sorting during the divergence of monocots, eudicots, and Magnoliids.

KILLER CELL IMMUNOGLOBULIN-LIKE RECEPTOR GENES AND THEIR HLA-C LIGANDS IN HASHIMOTO THYROIDITIS IN A CHINESE POPULATION.

Objective: Natural killer (NK) cells serve as primary immune surveillance and are partially regulated by combinations of killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) and their human leukocyte antigen-C (HLA-C) ligands. Alterations in NK cell activity have been associated with Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT). The aim of this study was to determine whether certain KIR/HLA-C genotype combinations play a role in HT pathogenesis.

Short low concentration cisplatin treatment leads to an epithelial mesenchymal transition-like response in DU145 prostate cancer cells.

Background: Prostate cancer is one of the main causes of cancer death, and drug resistance is the leading reason for therapy failure. However, how this occurs is largely unknown. We therrfore aimed to study the response of DU145 cells to cisplatin.

Diphtheria Toxin/Human B-Cell Activating Factor Fusion Protein Kills Human Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia BALL-1 Cells: An Experimental Study.

Objective: This study aimed to express a fusion protein of diphtheria toxin and human B cell-activating factor (DT388sBAFF) in Escherichia coli (E. coli) and investigate its activity in human B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia 1 cells (BALL-1).

Methods: A fragment of DT388sBAFF fusion gene was separated from plasmid pUC57-DT388sBAFF digested with Nde I and Xho I, and inserted into the expression vector pcold II digested with the same enzymes.

Elevated plasma level of HMGB1 is associated with disease activity and combined alterations with IFN-α and TNF-α in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Recent studies indicate that high-mobility group box protein 1 (HMGB1) contributes to the pathogenesis of diverse autoimmune disorders. It induces the production of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) in vitro. In the present study, plasma HMGB1, TNF-alpha, and IFN-alpha were determined with ELISA in 37 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 39 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC).

Polymorphisms of KIR gene and HLA-C alleles: possible association with susceptibility to HLA-B27-positive patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

Accumulating evidences indicate that killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) and their corresponding specific HLA-C ligands contribute to the pathogenesis of multiple autoimmune diseases via the modulation of natural killer (NK) cell and T cell functions. The present study was performed to investigate whether the polymorphism of KIR genes and HLA ligands associates with the susceptibility of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Previous studies have demonstrated a strong association between HLA-B27 gene and the pathogenesis of AS.

[Expression of human HMGB1 A box in E. coli and its inhibitory effects on monocytes].

Aim: To clone human high mobility guoup box1 A box (HMGB1 A box) and express it in escherichia coli effectly, investigate the inhibit effection of the purpose protern to the activation of monocytes stimulated by immunocomplex.

Methods: According to human HMGB1 gene order which was optimized by our laboratory the PCR primer was designed which containing restriction enzyme cutting site. The HMGB1 A box gene was cloned following the whole gene synthesis template of human HMGB1, then the PCR product was inserted into clone vector pMD19-T.

Chronic ethanol feeding impairs AMPK and MEF2 expression and is associated with GLUT4 decrease in rat myocardium.

Chronic and heavy alcohol consumption is one of the causes of heart diseases. However, the effects of ethanol on insulin sensitivity in myocardium has been unclear. To investigate the effects of ethanol on the expression of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4), all of which are involved in the regulation of insulin sensitivity, in the myocardium, we performed three parts of experiments in vivo and in vitro.

[Genotype and haplotype analysis of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors in ankylosing spondylitis].

Objective: To investigate the association of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) genotype and haplotype with ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

Methods: Peripheral blood samples were collected from 105 AS patients, 62 patients of osteoarthritis (OA), and 412 randomly selected healthy controls. Polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP) was used to detect the KIR genotype and haplotype.

Association of estrogen receptor alpha gene polymorphisms with cytokine genes expression in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Aim: To analyze the association of estrogen receptor alpha (OR alpha) gene polymorphisms with cytokine genes expression in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and controls.

Methods: Genomic DNA was extracted and polymorphisms of XbaI, Ukrainian (XX, Xx, or xx genotype) and PvuII (PP, Pp, or pp) in intron 1 of OR alpha gene were detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphisms (PCR-RFLP) method. The messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of interleukin (IL)-10, IL-4, interferon (IFN)-gamma, and IL-2 were assessed by semiquantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

Polymorphisms of KIRs gene and HLA-C alleles in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: possible association with susceptibility to the disease.

Introduction: An emerging body of evidence is accumulating to suggest that killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I ligands contribute to the pathogenesis of diverse kinds of autoimmune diseases. However, the functional effects of their polymorphism remain largely unknown to date. Thus, the present study was undertaken to determine the association of the polymorphisms KIRs gene and HLA-C alleles with the susceptibility to ankylosing spondylitis (AS) by means of polymerase chain reaction/sequence-specific primers for genotyping KIRs from genomic DNA of 119 patients with AS together with 128 healthy donors as a control group.

Polymorphisms of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor gene: possible association with susceptibility to or clearance of hepatitis B virus infection in Chinese Han population.

Aim: To explore whether killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) gene polymorphisms are associated with susceptibility to persistent hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection or HBV clearance.

Methods: Fifteen known KIR genes were determined in 150 chronic hepatitis B patients, 251 spontaneously recovered controls, and 412 healthy controls by the sequence specific primer polymerase chain reaction (SSP-PCR) method. KIR genotype frequency (gf) differences were tested for significance by two-tailed Fisher exact test or chi(2) test.

Increased activating killer immunoglobulin-like receptor genes and decreased specific HLA-C alleles in couples with recurrent spontaneous abortion.

Accumulating evidence indicates natural killer (NK) cells play crucial roles in successful pregnancy. To investigate whether the killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) gene polymorphism and the corresponding specific HLA ligands in parent couples possessing a susceptibility to unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA), we searched 73 pairs of childless couples with three or more abortions characterized as unexplained RSA and 68 pairs of healthy control couples. Peripheral blood was drawn to obtain genomic DNA which was used for a polymerase chain reaction using sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP) in order to determine whether 15 selected KIR genes and two groups of HLA-C alleles were present.

[Cloning and expression of human interleukin-26 in Escherichia coli].

To clone human interleukin-26 (hIL-26) and express it in E. coli efficiently. Two pairs of primers were synthesized according to the hIL-26 gene reported on GenBank.

[Construction of co-expression vector pSLC-IRES-IL-2 and its expression in COS-7 cells].

Aim: To construct an eukaryotic co-expression plasmid pSLC-IRES-IL-2, and to express it in COS-7 cells.

Methods: Human IL-2 and SLC genes were cloned by RT-PCR and PCR, respectively, and then the eukaryotic expression plasmid pSLC-IRES-IL-2 was constructed.The constructed plasmid was transfected into COS-7 cells by electroporation method.