live-cell-measurement-odorant-receptor-activation-using-real-time

Live-cell Measurement of Odorant Receptor Activation Using a Real-time cAMP Assay

The enormous sizes of the mammalian odorant receptor (OR) families present difficulties to find their cognate ligands among numerous volatile chemicals. ...

Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine

While taxol yields of fungi from non-animal sources are still low, whether Pestalotiopsis hainanensis isolated from the scurf of a dermatitic giant panda, Ailuropoda melanoleuca, provides a greater taxol yield remains unknown. The objective of the study was to determine the corresponding taxol yield. The structure of the taxol produced by the fungus was evaluated by thin layer chromatography (TLC), ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), (1)H and (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-NMR and (13)C-NMR), and time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS), with standard taxol as a control. The results demonstrated that the P. hainanensis fungus produced taxol, which had the same structure as the standard taxol and yield of 1,466.87 μg/L. This fungal taxol yield from the dermatitic giant panda was significantly greater than those of fungus from non-animal sources. The taxol-producing fungus may be a potential candidate for the production of taxol on an industrial scale.

Greater taxol yield of fungus Pestalotiopsis hainanensis from dermatitic scurf of the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca).

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) belonging to the Paramyxovirinae subfamily is one of the most devastating pathogens in poultry. Although vaccines are widely applied to control the infection, outbreaks of Newcastle disease (ND) repeatedly happen. Currently, there are no alternative control measures available for ND. In the present study, we found that sulfated Chuanmingshen violaceum polysaccharide (sCVPS) were potent inhibitors of NDV in specific pathogen free chickens infected with a virulent strain. With sCVPS treatment, the survival rate increased by almost 20% and virus titers in test organs, including brain, lung, spleen and thymus, were significantly decreased. The sCVPS also exhibited the ability to prevent viral transmission by reducing the amount of virus shed in saliva and feces. Higher concentrations of interferon α and γ in serum were detected in chickens treated with sCVPS, indicating that one of the antiviral mechanisms may be attributed to the property of immunoenhancement. Histopathological examination showed that sCVPS could alleviate the tissue lesions caused by NDV infection. These results suggest that sCVPS are expected to be a new alternative control measure for NDV infection and further studies could be carried out to evaluate the antiviral activity of sCVPS against other paramyxoviruses.

Antiviral effect of sulfated Chuanmingshen violaceum polysaccharide in chickens infected with virulent Newcastle disease virus.

One hundred mice were randomly divided into five groups. The mice in one group were injected with physiological saline as the normal control group. The mice in the other four groups were injected with physiological saline, sulfated Chuanminshen violaceum polysaccharides (SCVP), Chuanminshen violaceum polysaccharide (CVP) and astragalus polysaccharide (AP) once daily for 7 d and then with cyclophosphamide (CY) in the last 3 d. The serum cytokine level, apoptosis protein expressions, spleen lymphocyte proliferation, changes in peripheral blood T-cell subsets, and immune organ index were then measured. Results showed that SCVP and CVP can overcome CY-induced immunosuppression by promoting spleen lymphocyte proliferation, raising serum IFN-γ and IL-2 levels, enlarging immune organ indexes, and decreasing excessive apoptosis. Moreover, SCVP and CVP showed the potential to treat autoimmune diseases based on CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratios. Results suggested that SCVP and CVP exhibited the potential to treat autoimmune and immunosuppression diseases.

Effect of Chuanminshen violaceum polysaccharides and its sulfated derivatives on immunosuppression induced by cyclophosphamide in mice.

MPP can be effective in the treatment of E. coli O101-induced diarrhea in mice. MPP can improve the weight loss caused by diarrhea, increase spleen and thymus indices, and reduce the diarrhea index. MPP can reduce the number of WBC, regulate the level of cytokines, and regulate the intestinal microbial flora. These data suggest that MPP is a promising candidate for treatment of E. coli-induced diarrhea in humans and animals.

Yuetian Zhang

Department of Pathophysiology,
Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of National Ministry of Education,
Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of National Ministry of Education

Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine

Live-cell Measurement of Odorant Receptor Activation Using a Real-time cAMP Assay