[Comparative clinical observation of the short-term bone fusion effect of composite biosynthetic bone and ilium auto-grafting].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the short-term bone fusion after implantation of composite biosynthetic bone made of coralline hydroxyapatite composite (CHC) as a substitute for autologous bone grafting. METHODS: A clinical sequential trial was designed and the biosynthetic bone and the patient's ilium were respectively used in the treatment of femoral nonunions and interbody fusion. X-ray examinations were performed 10 weeks after the operations and the bone fusion was graded according to Lane-Sandhu's method. RESULTS: The biosynthetic bone was capable of bone fusion as observed in this experiment. Sequential analysis found that the upper bound was reached when the X-ray examination scores of 15th pairs were transcribed in the chart with 2 pairs of cases dismissed for having the same grade. CONCLUSION: The bone fusion effect of CHC is better than auto-grafting judging from the present observation at 10 weeks after operation.

Cloning of DNA Fragments Possessing Promoter Function from Kluyveromyces cicerisporus.

Using three yeast promoter-probe plasmids pSK-kan401, pSK-kan1105, pSK-kan1238 with different reading frames, eight DNA fragments possessing high efficient promoter function have been cloned from K. cicerisporus. Their 3'-DNA sequences have been analyzed. The relative strength of their promoter function was studied by comparing their ability to promote the expression of the reporter gene APHI with that of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene (GAPDH) promoter in K. lactis. The results showed that the insertion fragments in pSK-kan401-41 and pSK-kan1105-51 have stronger promoter function and they are also functional in K. cicerisporus Y179.

Cloning of GAP Gene from K. fragilis.

The K. fragilis CBS 397 gene library was screened with a GAP probe, which was designed according to the homology with S. cerevisiae, K. lactis, K. marxianus GAP gene. One positive clone pG1 containing GAP1 gene was isolated and confirmed by Southern hybridization. The GAP1 gene was partially sequenced. By using a fragment of the clone as a probe, another positive clone pG2 was acquired and also confirmed by Southern hybridization. The GAP2 gene from pG2 was completely sequenced. The upstream sequences of both genes were shown to have promoter activity. The fragment of pG1 could hybridize with three chromosomes of K. fragilis.