Purification, characterization and cytokine release function of a novel Arg-49 phospholipase A(2) from the venom of Protobothrops mucrosquamatus

Group IIA phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) are major components in Viperidae/Crotalidae venom. In the present study, a novel PLA(2) named promutoxin with Arg at the site 49 has been purified from the venom of Protobothrops muerosquamatus by chromatography. It

An immunoregulatory peptide from salivary glands of the horsefly, Hybomitra atriperoides

Horseflies are economically important blood-feeding arthropods and also a nuisance for humans, and vectors for filariasis. They rely heavily on the pharmacological propriety of their saliva to get blood meat and suppress immune reactions of hosts. Little information is available on horsefly immune suppressants. By high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) purification coupling with pharmacological testing, an immunoregulatory peptide named immunoregulin HA has been identified and characterized from salivary glands of the horsefly of Hybomitra atriperoides (Diptera, Tabanidae). Immunoregulin HA could inhibit the secretion of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1) and increase the secretion of interteukin-10 (IL-10) induced by lipopolysaccharide (LIPS) in rat splenocytes. IL-10 is a suppressor cytokine of T-cell proliferative and cytokine responses. IL-10 can inhibit the elaboration of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Immunoregulin HA possibly unregulated the IL-10 production to inhibit IFN-gamma and MCP-1 secretion in the current experiments. This immunosuppression may facilitate the blood feeding of this horsefly. The current works will facilitate to understand the molecular mechanisms of the ectoparasite-host relationship. 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Two Immunoregulatory Peptides with Antioxidant Activity from Tick Salivary Glands

Ticks are blood-feeding arthropods that may secrete immunosuppressant molecules, which inhibit host inflammatory and immune responses and provide survival advantages to pathogens at tick bleeding sites in hosts. In the current work, two families of immunoregulatory peptides, hyalomin-A and -B, were first identified from salivary glands of hard tick Hyalomma asiaticum asiaticum. Three copies of hyalomin-A are encoded by an identical gene and released from the same protein precursor. Both hyalomin-A and -B can exert significant anti-inflammatory functions, either by directly inhibiting host secretion of inflammatory factors such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha, monocyte chemotectic protein-1, and interferon-gamma or by indirectly increasing the secretion of immunosuppressant cytokine of interleukin-10. Hyalomin-A and -B were both found to potently scavenge free radical in vitro in a rapid manner and inhibited adjuvant-induced inflammation in mouse models in vivo. The JNK/SAPK subgroup of the MAPK signaling pathway was involved in such immunoregulatory functions of hyalomin-A and -B. These results showed that immunoregulatory peptides of tick salivary glands suppress host inflammatory response by modulating cytokine secretion and detoxifying reactive oxygen species.

中科院水生生物研究所SCI收录论文分析报告

美国科学情报研究所编制的《科学引文索引》(SC I)所提供的分析数据是目前国际评价科研成果水平的通用参考标准,也是对研究单位或个人科研实力进行评价的一个重要依据。1991年以来的数据显示,水生所发表文章被SC I收录呈现不断上升态势。1991~1998年,水生所进入知识创新工程之前的7年中被SC I收录的文章总和仅为63篇;进入创新之后水生所被SC I收录的论文数量快速增长,一期创新阶段,水生所被SC I收录论文总数就达到179篇;二期创新4年中,水生所被SC I收录的论文更是突飞猛进地增长达到427篇,