Primary limbal stem cell transplantation in the surgical management of extensive ocular surface squamous neoplasia involving the limbus.

PURPOSE: To determine the role of primary limbal stem cell transplantation (LSCT) in managing extensive ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) with more than 3 quadrants of limbal involvement to prevent manifestations of limbal stem cell deficiency. METHODS: A multi-center, comparative, and interventional clinical study of cases and historical controls was done. Patients with a limbal mass suggestive of OSSN involving more than 3 quadrants of limbus (> 9 clock hours) and no local, regional or systemic metastasis, who underwent primary surgical excision with or without adjuvant chemotherapy and had a minimum follow-up of 12 months were included in this study. Two historical controls underwent tumor excision with only amniotic membrane grafting. Three cases underwent tumor excision along with LSCT in the form of conjunctival limbal autograft (CLAG) or simple limbal epithelial transplant (SLET). RESULTS: None of the eyes had any recurrences of OSSN during the follow-up period. Cases with primary LSCT with tumor excision showed better ocular surface stability in the long term. CONCLUSION: Concomitant LSCT either in the form of CLAG or SLET appears to provide better long-term outcomes and is advocated while excision of extensive OSSN involving the limbus.

Development and optimization of a noncontact optical device for online monitoring of jaundice in human subjects.

Jaundice is one of the notable markers of liver malfunction in our body, revealing a significant rise in the concentration of an endogenous yellow pigment bilirubin. We have described a method for measuring the optical spectrum of our conjunctiva and derived pigment concentration by using diffused reflection measurement. The method uses no prior model and is expected to work across the races (skin color) encompassing a wide range of age groups. An optical fiber-based setup capable of measuring the conjunctival absorption spectrum from 400 to 800 nm is used to monitor the level of bilirubin and is calibrated with the value measured from blood serum of the same human subject. We have also developed software in the LabVIEW platform for use in online monitoring of bilirubin levels in human subjects by nonexperts. The results demonstrate that relative absorption at 460 and 600 nm has a distinct correlation with that of the bilirubin concentration measured from blood serum. Statistical analysis revealed that our proposed method is in agreement with the conventional biochemical method. The innovative noncontact, low-cost technique is expected to have importance in monitoring jaundice in developing/underdeveloped countries, where the inexpensive diagnosis of jaundice with minimally trained manpower is obligatory.

A transgenic Marc-145 cell line of piggyBac transposon-derived targeting shRNA interference against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is now considered to be one of the most important diseases in countries with intensive swine industries. The two major membrane-associated proteins of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), GP5 and M (encoded by ORF5 and ORF6 genes, respectively), are associated as disulfide-linked heterodimers (GP5/M) in the virus particle. In this study, we designed 5 of the small hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) targeting the GP5 and M gene of PRRSV respectively, and investigated their inhibition to the production of PRRSV. The highest activity displayed in shRNAs of the ORF6e sequence (nts 261-279), which the inhibition rate reached was 99.09%. The result suggests that RNAi technology might serve as a potential molecular strategy for PRRSV therapy. Furthermore, the transgenic Marc-145 cell line of piggyBac transposon-derived targeting shRNA interference against PRRS virus was established. It presented stable inhibition to the replication and amplification of PRRS. The work implied that shRNAs targeting the GP5 and M gene of PRRSV may be used as potential RNA vaccines in vivo, and supplied the screening methods of transformed pig embryonic fibroblast which are prerequisite for the disease-resistant transgenic pigs to PRRS.

Molecular cloning and characterization of a putative cDNA encoding endoglucanase IV from Trichoderma viride and its expression in Bombyx mori.

The development of cellulase production technology has greatly contributed to the successful use of cellulosic materials as renewable carbon sources. In this study, a putative endoglucanase IV (EG IV) complementary DNA was cloned from the mycelium of a strain of the filamentous fungus Trichoderma viride using a PCR-based exon-splicing method and expressed in both a silkworm BmN cell line and in silkworm larvae. Western blot analysis detected a band of 42 kDa in BmN cells after infection with a recombinant mBacmid/BmNPV/EG IV baculovirus. Sequence alignment analysis of the T. viride EG IV gene showed two domains that were highly conserved with glycosyl hydrolases and a funga-type cellulose-binding domain. Analysis of variance showed that silkworms infected with recombinant baculoviruses exhibited significantly higher enzyme activity that was 48.84% higher than silkworms infected with blank baculoviruses and 46.61% higher than normal silkworms. The expressed bioactive EG IV was also stable at the pH range from 5.0 to 10.0. The availability of large quantities of bioactive EG IV in silkworm provided a possibility to produce cellulase transgenic silkworm, which express bioactive cellulase specially in its digestive tract and improve its metabolism efficiency of mulberry leaves. Its application in the sericulture industry may be very promising.

Heterologous expression characteristics of Trichoderma viride endoglucanase V in the silkworm, Bombyx mori L.

Efficient degradation of cellulose needs a synergistic reaction of the cellulolytic enzymes, which include exoglucanases, endoglucanases, and ß-1,4-glucosidase. In this study, we used an improved Bac-to-Bac/BmNPV baculovirus expression system, which lacks the virus-encoded chitinase cathepsin (v-cath) genes of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV), to express the endoglucanase V (EG V) gene from Trichoderma viride in silkworm BmN cells and silkworm larvae, and analyzed the characteristics of the recombinant enzyme in silkworm larvae. The result showed that an around 36-kDa protein was visualized in BmN cells at 48 h after the second-generation recombinant mBacmid/BmNPV/EG V baculovirus infection. The crude enzyme extract from the recombinant baculoviruses-infected silkworms exhibited a significant maximum activity at the environmental condition of pH 5.0 and a temperature of 50 °C, and increased 39.86% and 37.76% compared with that from blank mBacmid/BmNPV baculovirus-infected silkworms and normal silkworms, respectively. It was stable at pH range from 5.0 to 10.0 and at temperature range from 40 to 60 °C. The availability of large quantities of EG V that the silkworm provides might greatly facilitate the future research and the potential application in industries.

Cloning and characterization of the Bombyx mori ecdysone oxidase.

The physiological titer of molting hormones in insects depends on relative activities of synthesis and degradation pathways. Ecdysone oxidase (EO) is a key enzyme in the inactivation of ecdysteroid. However, there are only a few reports on ecdysteroid inactivation and its enzymes in silkworm. In this study, we cloned and characterized the Bombyx mori EO (BmEO). The BmEO cDNA contains an ORF of 1,695 bp and the deduced protein sequence contains 564 amino acid residues. The deduced protein sequence contains two functional domains of glucose-methanol-choline oxidoreductase in N-terminal and C-terminal. Comparing the expression levels of BmEO in different tissues, high transcription was mainly present in hemocytes. Reduced expression of this enzyme is expected to lead to pathological accumulation of ecdysone in the hemolymph of silkworm larvae or pupae. Our data show that RNA inference of BmEO transcripts resulted in the accumulation of ecdysteroid and death of larvae or pupae. We infer that EO is a crucial element in the physiology of insect development.

Expression of Trichoderma viride endoglucanase III in the larvae of silkworm, Bombyx mori L. and characteristic analysis of the recombinant protein.

Endoglucanase is a part of cellulase which hydrolyzes cellulose into glucose. In this study, we cloned endoglucanase III (EG III) gene from Trichoderma viride strain AS 3.3711 using a PCR-based exon splicing method, and expressed EG III recombinant protein in both silkworm BmN cell line and silkworm larvae with an improved Bac-to-Bac/BmNPV mutant baculovirus expression system, which lacks the chiA and v-cath genes of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV). The result showed that around 45 kDa protein was visualized in BmN cells at 48 h after the second generation recombinant mBacmid/BmNPV/EG III baculovirus infection. The enzymes from recombinant baculoviruses infected silkworms exhibited significant maximum enzyme activity at the environmental condition of pH 8.0 and temperature 50°C, and increased 20.94 and 19.13% compared with that from blank mBacmid/BmNPV baculoviruses infected silkworms and normal silkworms, respectively. It was stable at pH range from 5.0 to 9.0 and at temperature range from 40 to 60°C. It provided a possibility to generate transgenic silkworms expressing bio-active cellulase, which can catabolize dietary fibers more efficiently, and it might be of great significance for sericulture industry.

Cloning and expression pattern of 3-dehydroecdysone 3ß-reductase (3DE 3ß-reductase) from the silkworm, Bombyx mori L.

Molting in insects is regulated by molting hormones (ecdysteroids), which are also crucial to insect growth, development, reproduction, etc. Ecdysone was inactivated to 3-dehydroecdysone (3DE) under ecdysone oxidase (EO), and followed by NAD(P)H-dependent irreversible reduction to 3-epiecdysteroid under 3DE 3a-reductase. On the other hand, 3-dehydroecdysone undergoes reversible reduction to ecdysone by 3DE 3ß-reductase in the hemolymph. In this article, we cloned and characterized 3-dehydroecdysone 3ß-reductase (3DE 3ß-reductase) in the different tissues and the developing stage from the silkworm, Bombyx mori L. The B. mori 3DE 3ß-reductase cDNA contains an ORF 972 bp and the deduced protein sequence containing 323 amino acid residues. Analysis showed that the deduced 3DE 3ß-reductase belongs to the aldo-keto reductase (AKR) superfamily, which has the NAD(P)-binding domain, indicating that the function of 3DE 3ß-reductase depends on the existence of NAD(P)H. Using Escherichia coli, a high level expression of a fusion polypeptide band of approx. 40 kDa was observed. The high transcription of 3DE 3ß-reductase was mainly observed in the genitalia and fatty bodies in the third day of the fifth-instar larvae, followed next in the head, epidermis, and hemocytes. The expression of 3DE 3ß-reductase in the early of every instar was lower than that in the late of instar. When the titer of 3DE is low, higher expression of 3DE 3ß-reductase is necessary to maintain the ecdysone titer in body through converting 3DE to ecdysone, while the 3DE titer is high, the expression of 3DE 3ß-reductase showed feedback inhibition.

Identification and characterization of two chitin-binding proteins from the peritrophic membrane of the silkworm, Bombyx mori L.

The peritrophic membrane (PM) is a semi-permeable lining of the insect midgut, broadly analogous to the mucous lining of vertebrate gut. The PM proteins are important achievements for the function of the PM. In this study, two chitin-binding proteins (BmPM-P43 and BmPM-P41) from the PM of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, were identified and cloned. These proteins showed the molecular mass of 43 and 41 kDa, respectively. The deduced amino acid sequences codes for a protein of 381 amino acid residues and 364 amino acid residues, containing 12 and 14 cysteine residues followed by similar domain, both of them have 5 cysteine residues in similar position in the C-terminal. The confirmation of these proteins was performed by western blot analysis of recombinant BmPM-P43 and BmPM-P41. The chitin-binding activity analysis showed that the BmPM-P43 and BmPM-P41 could bind to chitin strongly. It is concluded that BmPM-P43 and BmPM-P41 contains a polysaccharide deacetylase domain instead of peritrophin domain, indicated that these two proteins may belong to a new chitin-binding protein family.

Cloning and expression of a cellulase gene in the silkworm, Bombyx mori by improved Bac-to-Bac/BmNPV baculovirus expression system.

Cellulases catalyze the hydrolysis of cellulose which are mainly three types: endoglucanases, cellobiohydrolases and ß-glucosidases. It can be used in converting cellulosic biomass to glucose that can be used in different applications such as production of fuel ethanol, animal feed, waste water treatment and in brewing industry. In this paper, we cloned a 1380-bp endoglucanase I (EG I) gene from mycelium of filamentous fungus Trichoderma viride strain AS 3.3711 using PCR-based exon splicing methods, and expressed the recombinant EG I mature peptide protein in both silkworm BmN cell line and silkworm larvae with a newly established Bac-to-Bac/BmNPV mutant baculovirus expression system, which lacks the virus-encoded chitinase (chiA) and cathepsin (v-cath) genes of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV). An around 49-kDa protein was visualized after mBacmid/BmNPV/EG I infection, and the maximum expression in silkworm larvae was at 84 h post-infection. The ANOVA showed that the enzymes from recombinant baculoviruses infected silkworms exhibited significant maximum enzyme activity at the environmental condition of pH 7.0 and temperature 50°C. It was stable at pH range from 5.0 to 10.0 and at temperature range from 50 to 60°C, and increased 24.71 and 22.84% compared with that from wild baculoviruses infected silkworms and normal silkworms, respectively. The availability of large quantities of EG I that the silkworm provides maybe greatly facilitate the future research and the potential application in industries.

Screening and identification of new isolate: thermostable Escherichia coli with novel thermoalkalotolerant cellulases.

A cellulase-producing bacterium strain was isolated from soil that produced novel thermoalkalotolerant cellulases after growth on CMC-Na agar screening plate at 37 degrees C. It was identified as Escherichia coli using the method of 16S rRNA and intergenic spacer gene analysis combined with morphological, physiological, and biochemical tests. Three major components of the cellulases [carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase), filter paper cellulase, and beta-glucosidase] were produced with maximal activities (0.23, 0.08, and 0.15 U/ml) and maximum specific activities 4.13, 0.56, and 0.50 U/mg protein after 72, 96, and 120 h growth, respectively. Maximum CMCase activity was measured at 50 degrees C and pH 6.0, respectively, and it also retained more than 60% of its maximal activity for at least 20 min at 50-70 degrees C and 10 min at 80 degrees C, respectively, and retained approximately 50% of its maximal activity after incubating at 90 degrees C for 10 min. The enzyme could be applied in bioconversion of lignocellulosic agricultural wastes.