Lectin is a generic name of sugar binding protein in living organisms. With an objective to clarify physiological functions of lectin in marine invertebrates and utilize it as a useful material in the bio-chemical industry, studies were carried out on the chemical structure, distribution in living organisms and structural changes of lectin. Lectin is involved with such physiological actions as immunity reactions, generation and differentiation, Ca fixation and symbiosis. Lectin is one of the main components of lymph fluid in shellfish and crustacean, and is a multi-functional polymer that is related with foreign substance recognition, Ca transport, and shell formation. Lectin of a certain kind shows strong actions to accelerate cell division. Organs and cells were cultivated for lectin producing organs and lectin ...
Variant alleles of the mannose binding lectin (MBL) gene are associated with increased susceptibility to infection and polymorphisms of tumour necrosis factor and lymphotoxin alpha genes (TNF, LTA)...Full Text Available
From the dried fruiting bodies of the mushroom Armillaria luteo-virens, a dimeric lectin with a molecular mass of 29.4 kDa has been isolated. The purification procedure involved (NH{sub 4}){sub 2}SO{sub 4} precipitation, ion exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, CM-cellulose, and Q-Sepharose, and gel filtration by fast protein liquid chromatography on Superdex 75. The hemagglutinating activity of the lectin could not be inhibited by simple sugars but was inhibited by the polysaccharide inulin. The activity was stable up to 70 {sup o}C but was acid- and alkali-labile. Salts including FeCl{sub 3}, AlCl{sub 3}, and ZnCl{sub 2} inhibited the activity whereas MgCl{sub 2}, MnCl{sub 2}, and CaCl{sub 2} did not. The lectin stimulated mitogenic response of mouse splenocytes with the maximal response achieved by 1 {mu}M lectin. Proliferation of tumor cells including MBL2 cells, HeLa cells, and L1210 cells ...
To investigate the role of intravenously administered, radioiodinated peanut lectin ("1"3"1I-PNA) in the non-invasive detection of cancer, the pharmacokinetics and scintigraphic distribution of this novel tumor-seeking compound were studied in 8 patients with metastatic cancer of the colon, breast or lung. Scintigraphic localization of "1"3"1I-PNA was apparent at certain anatomical sites of known metastases in 2 patients and in a further 2 patients an adjacent malignant pleural effusion was visualized. The rapid clearance of radioactivity from the whole body and plasma with marked renal concentration and rapid urinary excretion of significant amounts of intact "1"3"1I-PNA (mol.wt. 107,000,pI 5.95) implied that this molecule was excreted selectively by the renal tubules. PNA or other lectins may find a role in the scintigraphic detection of selected types of cancer. (author).
A galactose-specific seed lectin was purified from the legume Spatholobus parviflorus and crystallized using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion technique. Thecrystals belonged to space group P1, with unit-cell parameters a = 60.998, b=60.792, c = 78.179-, = 101.32, = 91.38, = 104.32. X-ray diffraction data were collected under cryoconditions (100-K) to a resolution of 2.04- using a MAR image-plate detector system mounted on a rotating-anode X-ray (Cu-K) generator. Molecular replacement using legume-lectin coordinates as a search model gave a tetrameric structure.
Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV), family Nanaviridae, genus Babuvirus, is a single stranded DNA virus (ssDNA) that causes banana bunchy top disease (BBTD) in banana plants. It is the most common and most destructive of all viruses in these plants and is widespread throughout the Asia-Pacific region. In this study we isolated, cloned and sequenced a BBTV sample from Hainan Island, China. The results from sequencing and bioinformatics analysis indicate this isolate represents a satellite DNA component with 12 DNA sequences motifs. We also predicted the physical and chemical properties, structure, signal peptide, phosphorylation, secondary structure, tertiary structure and functional domains of its encoding protein, and compare them with the corresponding quantities in the replication initiatio...
SummaryExperimental evidence has demonstrated the importance of FGF signalling in morphogenesis of the mandibular processes. FGFs transmit their signals through four tyrosine kinase transmembrane receptors (FGFRs). Alternative splicing in FGFRs including FGFR2 generates different isoforms that exhibit different ligand-specificities, exclusive tissue distributions and specific biological functions. Despite extensive information regarding the isoform-specific patterns of expression Fgfr2c and Fgfr2b during morphogenesis of many organs, a comparative analysis of these specific isoforms in the chick mandible has not been reported. To better understand the function of FGFR2 in mandibular morphogenesis, we have analysed the expression Fgfr2b, Fgfr2c and their putative ligands Fgf10 and Fgf9, in ...
Diagnostic accuracy of the currently available serum markers of cardiac injury, such as myoglobin, creatine kinase and its myocardial isoform, are altered in patients with renal failure. It is shown...Full Text Available
Brucella abortus is a facultative, intracellular zoonotic pathogen which can cause undulant fever in humans and abortions in cattle. A 14-kDa protein of B. abortus...Full Text Available
A genomic clone that specifies a single polypeptide precursor for ricin, a toxic lectin of Ricinus communis (castor bean), was isolated, sequenced and Sl mapped. The gene encodes a 64 kDa precursor...Full Text Available
Banana flour obtained from unripe banana (Musa acuminata, var. Nanic?o) under specific drying conditions was evaluated regarding its chemical composition and nutritional value. Results are expressed in dry weight (dw). The unripe banana flour (UBF) presented a high amount of total dietary fiber (DF) (56.24?g/100?g), which consisted of resistant starch (RS) (48.99?g/100?g), fructans (0.05?g/100?g) and DF without RS or fructans (7.2?g/100?g). The contents of available starch (AS) (27.78?g/100?g) and soluble sugars (1.81?g/100?g) were low. The main phytosterols found were campesterol (4.1?mg/100?g), stigmasterol (2.5?mg/100?g) and ?-sitosterol (6.2?mg/100?g). The total polyphenol content was 50.65?mg GAE/100?g. Antioxidant activity, by the FRAP and ORAC methods, was moderated, being 358.67 an...
BackgroundMany commercial banana varieties lack sources of resistance to pests and diseases, as a consequence of sterility and narrow genetic background. Fertile wild relatives,...Full Text Available
Transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta isoforms (TGF-beta 1, -beta 2, and -beta 3) regulate cell growth and differentiation and have critical regulatory roles in the process of tissue repair and remodeling....Full Text Available
The leukocyte-enriched p110γ and p110δ isoforms of PI3K have been shown to control in vitro degranulation of mast cells induced by cross-linking...Full Text Available
The three mammalian transforming growth factor (TGF)-β isoforms (TGF-β1, TGF-β2, and TGF-β3) differ in their putative roles in radiation-induced fibrosis in intestine...Full Text Available
Radiation inactivation and sedimentation equilibrium analysis were used to determine the functional and physical size of the chicken hepatic membrane receptor that binds N-acetylglucosamine-terminated glycoproteins. Purified plasma membranes from chicken liver were irradiated with high energy electrons and assayed for 125I-agalactoorosomucoid binding. Increasing the dose of ionizing radiation resulted in a monoexponential decay in binding activity due to a progressive loss of binding sites. The molecular mass of the chicken lectin, determined in situ by target analysis, was 69,000 +/- 9,000 Da. When the same irradiated membranes were solubilized in Brij 58 and assayed, the binding protein exhibited a target size of 62,000 +/- 4,000 Da; in Triton X-100, the functional size of the receptor was 85,000 +/- 10,000 Da. Sedimentation equilibrium measurements of the purified binding protein yielded a lower limit molecular weight of 79,000 +/- 7,000. However, the ...
Neuron differentiation is a complex process involving various cell-cell interactions, and multiple signaling pathways. We showed previously that CD40 is expressed and functional on mouse and human neurons. In neurons, ligation of CD40 protects against serum withdrawal-induced injury and plays a role in survival and differentiation. CD40 deficient mice display neuron dysfunction, aberrant neuron morphologic changes, and associated gross brain abnormalities. Previous studies by Tone and colleagues suggested that five isoforms of CD40 exist with two predominant isoforms expressed in humans: signal-transducible CD40 type I and a C-terminal truncated, non-signal-transducible CD40 type II. We hypothesized that differential expression of CD40 isoform type I and type II in neurons may modulate neuron differentiation. Results show that adult wild-type, and CD40"-"/"- deficient mice predominantly express CD40 type I and II ...
Objective. Preterm neonates are susceptible to infection due to a combination of sub-optimal immunity and increased exposure to invasive organisms. Invasive fungal infections are associated with significant morbidity and mortality among preterm infants cared for in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is a component of the innate immune system, which may be especially important in the neonatal setting. The objective of this study was to investigate the presence of any association between MBL gene polymorphism and nosocomial invasive fungal infection in preterm neonates. Methods. Codon 54 (B allele) polymorphism in exon 1 of the MBL gene was investigated in 31 patients diagnosed as nosocomial invasive fungal infection and 30 control preterm neonates. Results...
In the present study the authors have shown that glycoproteins are present in the plasma membrane of Acanthamoeba castellanii by utilizing different radioactive labeling techniques. Plasma membrane proteins in the amoeba were iodinated by "1"2"5I-lactoperoxidase labeling and the solubilized radiolabeled glycoproteins were separated by lectin-Sepharose affinity chromatography followed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The periodate/NaB"3H_4 and galactose oxidase/NaB"3H_4 labeling techniques were used for labeling of surface carbohydrates in the amoeba. Several surface-labeled glycoproteins were observed in addition to a diffusely labeled region with M_r of 55,000-75,000 seen on electrophoresis, which could represent glycolipids. The presence of glycoproteins in the plasma membrane of Acanthamoeba castellanii was confirmed by metabolic labeling with ["3"5S]methionine followed by lectin-Sepharose affinity chromatography and polyacrylamide gel ...
Supercritical fluid extraction from dried banana peel (Musa spp., subgroup Prata, genomic group AAB, popularly known in Brazil as Enxerto) was studied. The aspects investigated were: overall extraction curve (OEC), mass transfer modeling of the yield curves, economical analysis of the process and phase equilibrium data for the pseudo-ternary system of banana peel extract, carbon dioxide and ethanol. The extraction operating conditions evaluated were: pressure ranging from 100bar to 300bar, temperature from 40 to 50^oC and constant solvent flow rate of 5.0gCO2/min. Experimental extraction data were correlated using three kinetic models based on mass transfer equations (logistic, diffusion and Esquivel models). Phase equilibrium measurements were performed using pressure from 64.9bar to 239....
In this article we describe the identification of endophytic bacteria belonging to three groups isolated from shoot tip cultures of banana cv. Grand Naine in a recent study (Thomas et?al. 2008) based on partial 16S rRNA gene sequence homology analysis. The first group included banana stocks that displayed obvious colony growth on MS based tissue culture medium during the first in?vitro passage. The second group constituted stocks that were tissue index-negative for cultivable bacteria initially but turned index-positive after a few to several (4?8) in?vitro passages while the third group formed one sub-stock that turned index-positive after about 18 passages. The organisms belonged to about 20 different genera comprising of ?, ?, ?-proteobacteria, Gram-positive firmicutes and actinobacteri...
Current genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are moving towards the use of large cohorts of primary cell lines to study a disease of interest and to assign biological relevance to the genetic signals...Full Text Available
Peptide toxins with high affinity, divergent pharmacological functions, and isoform-specific selectivity are powerful tools for investigating the structure-function relationships of voltage-gated...Full Text Available
Background. For unknown reasons, the prevalence of thyroid autoimmune disorders is higher in patients with Down's syndrome than in the general population. The present case strongly...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe dystrophin glycoprotein complex is disrupted in Duchenne muscular dystrophy and many other neuromuscular diseases. The principal heterodimeric partner of dystrophin...Full Text Available
We have used Western blot analysis and immunocytochemistry to determine the effect of dietary K intake on the expression of protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms in the kidney. Western blot has demonstrated...Full Text Available
Importance of the fieldThe cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoforms that are selectively induced following exposure to structurally-diverse chemicals often are the ones capable...Full Text Available
Computational prediction of microRNA targets remains a challenging problem. The existing rule-based, data-driven and expression profiling approaches to target prediction are mostly approached from the...Full Text Available
ObjectivesWe examined the expression of Rho Kinase (ROK) isoforms in young and old rabbit’s detrusor smooth muscles (SM) during the progression of short term...Full Text Available
The extracts from kinnow peel, kinnow seeds, litchi pericarp, litchi seeds, grape seeds, and banana peel were screened for total phenolic content (TPC), trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), 1,1 diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, as well as reducing power. Kinnow peel extract exhibited the highest reducing power, TEAC, and DPPH free radical scavenging activity, whereas, the phenolic content of 37.4 mg GAE/g-dw was highest for grape seed extract. Banana peel extract with a low TPC showed the lowest reducing power, TEAC as well as DPPH free radical scavenging activity among the fruit residue extracts examined in the present study. Correlation analysis between the reducing power and DPPH radical scavenging ability; reducing power and ABTS radical scavengin...
A solvent extraction method was developed to obtain methanolic extracts rich in antioxidants from banana peel. Central composite design ''2^3+star'' and response surface methodology were used in order to optimise the number of extraction steps, extraction temperature and extraction time. The number of extractions was statistically the most significant factor in scavenging activity against both DPPH? and ABTS?^+ radicals and in the inhibition of TBARS formation, while the extraction temperature had an important impact on the capacity to prevent b-carotene bleaching. However, the effect of the extraction time on antioxidant activity was less important. The optimum values of the factors that influence the capacity to scavenge DPPH? and ABTS?^+ radicals or to inhibit b-carotene bleaching were ...
This work reports phase equilibrium measurements for the ternary systems linoleic (acid+CO2+ethanol) and (linolenic acid+CO2+ethanol). The fatty acids present in the ternary systems were selected based on composition of banana peel oil extracted by supercritical CO2 at 20MPa and 313K. The motivation of this research relies on the fact that these unsaturated fatty acids are recognized to play an important role in lowering blood pressure and serum cholesterol and because they are present in high concentrations in banana peel extract. Besides that, equilibrium data of these compounds are scarce in literature. The phase equilibrium experiments were performed using a high-pressure variable-volume view cell over the temperature range of (303 to 343)K and pressures up to 19MPa. For both systems, ...
Gold nanoparticles were synthesized by using banana peel extract (BPE) as a simple, non-toxic, eco-friendly 'green material'. The boiled, crushed, acetone precipitated, air-dried peel powder was used to reduce chloroauric acid. A variety of nanoparticles were formed when the reaction conditions were altered with respect to pH, BPE content, chloroauric acid concentration and temperature of incubation. The reaction mixtures displayed vivid colors and UV-vis spectra characteristic of gold nanoparticles. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) studies revealed that the average size of the nanoparticles under standard synthetic conditions was around 300nm. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) confirmed these results. A coffee ring phenomenon, led to the aggregation of th...
Bio-inspired silver nanoparticles were synthesized with the aid of a novel, non-toxic, eco-friendly biological material namely, banana peel extract (BPE). Boiled, crushed, acetone precipitated, air-dried peel powder was used for reducing silver nitrate. Silver nanoparticles were formed when the reaction conditions were altered with respect to pH, BPE content, concentration of silver nitrate and incubation temperature. The colorless reaction mixtures turned brown and displayed UV-visible spectra characteristic of silver nanoparticles. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations revealed the predominance of silver nanosized crystallites after short incubation periods. When the reaction mixtures were incubated for 15 days, some micro-aggregates were also observed. Energy dispersive spectr...
Bio-inspired palladium nanoparticles were synthesized by using banana peel extract (BPE), a non-toxic eco-friendly material. Boiled, crushed, acetone precipitated, air-dried peel powder was used to reduce palladium chloride. The palladium nanoparticles were characterized by using UV-Visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive spectra (SEM-EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) studies revealed the average size of nanoparticles to be 50nm. Fourier transform infra red spectroscopy (FTIR) implicated the role of carboxyl, amine and hydroxyl groups in the synthetic process. This paper thus describes a novel green method for the synthesis of palladium nanoparticles.
Banana (Musa acuminata Colla AAA) peel extracts obtained in this work had a high capacity to scavenge 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2prime-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS+) free radicals, and they were also good lipid peroxidation inhibitors. Acetone:water extracts were considerably more effective (compared with methanol, ethanol, acetone, water, methanol:water or ethanol:water) at inhibiting the peroxidation of lipids in the b-carotene/linoleic acid system or scavenging free radicals. However, aqueous extracts had a high capacity to protect lipids from oxidation in the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) test, as well as in the b-carotene bleaching assay. In addition, acetone:water most efficiently extracted all extractable components (54+-...
Type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is often accompanied by non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and associated with hypercholesterolemia, i.e. increased levels of plasma low-density...Full Text Available
A total of 6360 mud samples were obtained, in 62 collections made with an exhaustive sampling device, from banana drains on the West Indian island of St Lucia during fortnightly samplings over a 2½-year...Full Text Available
Thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) isoforms play important roles in cell physiology, protecting cells against oxidative processes. In addition to its endogenous substrates (Trx isoforms), hepatic TrxR can reduce organic selenium compounds such as ebselen and diphenyl diselenide to their selenol intermediates, which can be involved in their hepatoprotective properties. Taking this into account, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the hypothesis that ebselen, diphenyl diselenide and its analogs (4,4'-bistrifluoromethyldiphenyl diselenide, 4,4'-bismethoxydiphenyl diselenide, 4.4'-biscarboxy-diphenyl diselenide, 4,4'-bischlorodiphenyl diselenide, 2,4,6,2',4',6'-hexamethyldiphenyl diselenide) could be substrates of rat brain TrxR. In the presence of partially purified rat brain TrxR, dipheny...
Aims A depressed cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) activity is implicated in nitrate tolerance. The present study determines whether the leucine zipper-positive (LZ+) isoform of myosin phosphatase target subunit 1 (MYPT1), a key target protein for PKG actions, is involved in the development of nitrate tolerance. Methods and results Nitrate tolerance in in vitro preparations was obtained by a 24 h incubation with nitroglycerin (NTG). Nitrate tolerance in in vivo preparations was obtained by subcutaneous injection of mice with NTG, and the aortas were used. Protein levels of total MYPT1, MYPT1 (LZ+), PP1Cd, myosin light chain (MLC), and phosphorylated MLC were determined by Western blot analysis. Isometric vessel tension was determined by an organ chamber technique. Protein levels of MYPT1...
The Thomsen-Friedenreich (T) antigen, #betta#-D-Gal-(1->3)-#alpha#-D-GalNAc, is exposed in reactive form on many human adenocarcinomata, but not on corresponding benign tissues. Peanut lectin (PNA) has a strong binding affinity for the T antigen and reportedly binds preferentially to certain malignant tissues. We investigated the potential of radio-labelled PNA as a tumour localising agent in an animal model system using a mouse lymphoma (RI) shown to bind fluorescein-labelled PNA in vitro. The radio-iodinated lectin showed good tumour localisation and rapid blood clearance. Clear images of tumours were obtained, in serial scintigraphic imaging, by 24 and 48 h. No blood background subtraction was necessary. Biodistribution studies revealed tumour to blood ratios in mice were 6:1 (at 24 h) and 17:1 (at 48 h), and tumour to muscle ratios were 34:1 (at 24 h) and 40:1 (at 48 h). Rapid in vivo breakdown of _1_2_5I-PNA led to some localisation of ...
Protocols were standardized for in vitro propagation of several elite and diverse banana accessions using shoot tip explants. Tissue culture raised plants were field planted at multiple locations. Studies were undertaken for the induction of mutations using multiple shoot cultures of six selected cultivars, Shreemanti (AAA), Basrai (AAA), Lal Kela (AAA), Rasthali (AAB), Karibale Monthan (ABB) and a wild diploid (BB). These shoot cultures were irradiated at different doses of gamma rays (0-100 Gy) and subcultured thrice (up to M_1V_3) to separate shimeras, followed by induction of rooting (M_1V_4). In general, the rate of multiplication had a negative association with the dose of gamma rays. Enhanced multiplication of shoots was noticed at lower doses. The proliferation of shoots was arrested beyond 50 Gy and a dose of 70 Gy was completely lethal for all the genotypes studied. The rooted plantlets were hardened in the green house and in the early stages of field ...
Pittston Coal Company recognized the potential economic benefit of improving process efficiency with increased capacity at it`s U.K. No. 1 Coal Preparation Plant. Accordingly, extensive research, both domestically and internationally, was conducted to select the appropriate technologies to achieve the desired circuit in the most cost effective manner while, at the same time, sacrificing neither structural integrity nor process performance. Large diameter heavy media cyclone technology was combined with highly efficient banana type screens and improved high intensity magnetic separators to create a coordinated process circuit that provided high efficiency at very high capacities in an economically attractive package.
The validity is given to the newly proposed two {delta}f method for neoclassical transport calculation, which can be solve the drift kinetic equation considering effects of steep plasma gradients, large radial electric field, finite banana width, and an orbit topology near the axis. The new method is applied to the study of ion transport with steep plasma gradients. It is found that the ion thermal diffusivity decreases as the scale length of density gradient decreases, while the ion particle flux due to ion-ion self collisions increases with increasing gradient. (author)
c-Jun N-terminal kinase 2 (JNK2) isoforms are transcribed from the jnk2 gene and are highly homologous with jnk1 and jnk3 transcriptional products....Full Text Available
N-Hydroxy-N′-(4-n-butyl-2-methylphenyl)formamidine (HET0016) is a potent inhibitor of 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) formation by specific cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoforms....Full Text Available
The NSP5 protein is required for viroplasm formation during rotavirus infection and is hyperphosphorylated into 32- to 35-kDa isoforms. Earlier studies reported that NSP5 is not hyperphosphorylated...Full Text Available
Paraspeckles (PSPs) are nuclear bodies associated with the retention in the nucleus of specific mRNAs. Two isoforms of a long noncoding RNA (NEAT1_v1/Menε and NEAT1_v2/Menβ)...Full Text Available
The transcriptional co-activator PGC-1α regulates functional plasticity in adipose tissue by linking sympathetic input to the transcriptional program of adaptive thermogenesis. We report here...Full Text Available
Ethylene (C2H4) is a unique plant-signaling molecule that regulates numerous developmental processes. The key enzyme in the two-step biosynthetic pathway of ethylene is 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate...Full Text Available
The three mammalian transforming growth factor (TGF)-? isoforms (TGF-?1, TGF-?2, and TGF-?3) differ in their putative roles in radiation-induced fibrosis in intestine and other organs. Furthermore, tissue specificity of TGF-? action may result from temporal or spatial changes in production and/or activation. The present study examined shifts in the cell types expressing TGF-? mRNA relative to TGF-? immunoreactivity and histopathological injury during radiation enteropathy development. A 4-cm loop of rat small intestine was locally exposed to 0, 12, or 21-Gy single doses of x-irradiation. Sham-irradiated and irradiated intestine were procured 2 and 26 weeks after irradiation. Cells expressing the TGF-?1, TGF-?2, or TGF-?3 transcripts were identified by in situ hybridization with digoxigenin-labeled riboprobes. Intestinal wall TGF-? immunoreactivity was measured using computerized image analysis, and structural radiation injury was assessed by quantitative ...
Lung cancer is still difficult to treat by current chemotherapeutic procedures. We recently found that MVL, an anti-HIV lectin from blue-green algae Microcystis viridis, also has antitumor activity. The objective of this study was to investigate apoptosis-inducing activity of recombinant MVL (R-MVL) and proteomic changes in A549 cells, and to identify the molecular pathways responsible for the anti-cancer action of R-MVL. We found that R-MVL induces A549 cells apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner by using MTT assay, fluorescent microscope (FM) and flow cytometry (FCM), and the IC50 was calculated to be 24.12??g/ml. Subsequently, 7 altered proteins in R-MVL-treated A549 cells were identified, including upregulated aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 and ?-actin, and five downregulated proteins: heat s...
This is a process for the manufacture of a filter material for cleaning industrial or internal combustion engine exhaust gases and filter material manufactured according to the process. The filter material is manufactured from the mineralized combustion product of peel of tropical fruits burnt at a temperature of 820/sup 0/C to 840/sup 0/C in an oxidising atmosphere excluding the production of carbon, particularly using banana skins and orange peels, which product is granulated with carrier materials or compressed.
The validity is given to the newly proposed two weighting {delta}f scheme (Wang et al., Research Report of National Institute for Fusion Science NIFS-588, 1999) for collisional or neoclassical transport calculations, which can solve the drift kinetic equation taking account of effects of steep plasma gradients, large radial electric field, finite banana width, and the non-standard orbit topology near the axis. The marker density functions in weight equations are successively solved by using the idea of {delta}f method and a hierarchy of equations for weight and marker density functions is obtained. These hierarchy equations are solved by choosing an appropriate source function for each marker density. Thus the validity of the two weighting {delta}f scheme is mathematically proved. (author)
To assess the influence of a live attenuated oral vaccine against porcine post-weaning colibacillosis (PWC) induced by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) on mucosal lymphoid cell CD45 isoforms expression, experimental group of weaned pigs (n=6) was immunized orally with F4ac+ non-ETEC strain (day 0) and challenged with F4ac+ ETEC strain 7 days latter. Non-immunized ETEC-infected pigs (n=6) served as control. All pigs were killed on post-challenge day 7. The small intestine was excised for isolation of jejunal lamina propria (JLP) and ileal Peyer's patch (IPP) lymphocytes and immunohistochemical studies. The results obtained by immunophenotyping of isolated cells show that the proportion of CD45RA+ and CD45RC+ JLP, but not IPP, cells were higher in the non-ETEC-immunized ETEC-infected pigs versus non-immunized infected. Additionally, while CD45RA+ JLP cells increased only slightly, the expression of CD45RC isoform on the JLP cells was ...
By catalyzing the rate-limiting step in adipose tissue lipolysis, hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) is an important regulator of energy homeostasis. The role and importance of HSL in tissues other than adipose are poorly understood. We report here the cloning and expression of a testicular isoform, designated HSL{sub tes}. Due to an addition of amino acids at the NH{sub 2}-termini, rat and human HSL{sub tes} consist of 1068 and 1076 amino acids, respectively, compared to the 768 and 775 amino acids, respectively, of the adipocyte isoform (HSL{sub adi}). A novel exon of 1.2 kb, encoding the human testis-specific amino acids, was isolated and mapped to the HSL gene, 16 kb upstream of the exons encoding HSL{sub adi}. The transcribed mRNA of 3.9 kb was specifically expressed in testis. No significant similarity with other known proteins was found for the testis-specific sequence. The amino acid composition differs from the HSL{sub adi} sequence, with ...
Quantitative I-131 labelled Peanut lectin (I-131-PNA) renal clearance was determined in dogs before and after a 5 day single cycle cis-platinum chemotherapy regimen (0.5mg/Kg/day). Results were statistically compared with E.R.P.F. (I-131-Hippuran), G.F.R. (Tc-99m-DTPA), and serum biochemistry and correlated with histopathology. I-131-PNA clearance was significantly reduced in all dogs 5 days after cessation of cis-platinum treatment (mean #DELTA#S% = 71.3%) and similar reductions in the gamma camera derived renogram peak were demonstrated (mean #DELTA#S% = 65.8%). E.R.P.F. was noted to drop by a minor degree (mean #DELTA#S% = 20.9%) post treatment. G.F.R. was diminished (mean #DELTA#S% = 46.6%) and serum creatinine elevated (mean #DELTA#S% = 42.7%) in all dogs compared to their pretreatment values. Histopathology demonstrated variable degrees of tubular toxicity ranging from mild to severe. The degree of change of the I-131-PNA values was significantly greater than ...
An intact basement membrane (BM) is essential for the proper function, differentiation and morphology of many epithelial cells. The disruption or loss of this BM occurs during normal development as well as in the disease state. To examine the importance of BM during mammary gland development in vivo, we generated transgenic mice that inappropriately express autoactivating isoforms of the matrix metalloproteinase stromelysin-1. The mammary glands from these mice are both functionally and morphologically altered throughout development. We have now documented a dramatic incidence of breast tumors in several independent lines of these mice. These data suggest that overexpression of stromelysin-1 and disruption of the BM may be a key step in the multi-step process of breast cancer.
Mutations in sclerostin function or expression cause sclerosing bone dysplasias, involving decreased antagonism of Wnt/Lrp5 signaling. Conversely, deletion of the VHL tumor suppressor in osteoblasts, which stabilize HIF-a isoforms and thereby enables HIF-a/b-driven gene transcription, increases bone mineral content and cross-sectional area compared to wild-type controls. We examined the influence of cellular hypoxia (1% oxygen) upon sclerostin expression and canonical Wnt signaling. Osteoblasts and osteocytes cultured under hypoxia revealed decreased sclerostin transcript and protein, and increased expression and nuclear localization of activated b-catenin. Similarly, both hypoxia and the hypoxia mimetic DFO increased b-catenin gene reporter activity. Hypoxia and its mimetics increased exp...
Thirty fattened one humped desert camels were used to examine the effect of season on contractile and metabolic properties of Longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle. Ten camels were slaughtered according to seasons of the year (winter, summer and autumn). Season significantly influenced muscle chemical composition, ultimate pH (pHu) and color. Activities of metabolic enzymes were higher during autumn season compared to summer and winter for phosphofructokinase (+64% compared to both seasons) and for isocitrate dehydrogenase (+35% and +145% in autumn vs. summer and winter, respectively). Quantification of muscle myosin heavy chain isoforms by SDS-PAGE electrophoresis showed only presence of type I and type IIa MyHC in camel muscle and indicated high proportion in winter for type I and in autumn f...
We recently found that many RNA polymerase II transcription factors are modified with N-acetylglucosamine residues. These sugar moieties confer upon transcription factors an ability to bind the lectin wheat germ agglutinin. We have taken advantage of this interaction to devise a purification procedure for the "GC-box" binding transcription factor Sp1. Crude nuclear extracts are first subjected to wheat germ agglutinin affinity chromatography and then subjected to sequence-specific DNA affinity chromatography. The Sp1 protein purified by this procedure is at least 95% pure, and the overall recovery is greater than 80%. In addition to yielding larger quantities of Sp1 than conventional schemes, the new purification procedure is also simpler and more rapid. We show that wheat germ agglutinin affinity chromatography can also be used to purify the glycosylated forms of the CCAAT-binding transcription factor. Thus, wheat germ agglutinin affinity chromatography may aid ...
The bioavailability of lead was studied in rats fed various baby foods (Babymix-turkey, Babymix-vegetables, Frutolino-fruit, Frutamix-bananas, Babyron-S-26, Truefood), cow's milk, bread, liver and standard rat diet. Lead absorption was determined by measuring the whole body retention of "2"0"3Pb 6 days after a single oral application. Highest absorption values ranging from 17 to 20% were obtained in animals fed cow's milk and fruit foods. Rats on other human diets absorbed between 3 and 8% of the radioactive lead dose. Only in animals on rat diet lead absorption was below 1%. It is concluded that rats fed human diets show absorption values similar to those in humans. This might indicate that the bioavailability of lead is primarily dependent on dietary habits. This experimental model, if confirmed by further work, might be useful for obtaining preliminary data on the bioavailability of metals from various foods.
Eight phospholipases A2 (PLAs) and four three-finger-toxins (3FTx) from the pooled venom of Bungarus fasciatus (Bf) were previously studied and sequenced, but their expression pattern in individual Bf venom and possible geographic variations remained to be investigated. We herein analyze the individual venom of two Bf specimens from Kolkata (designated as KBf) to address this question. Seven PLAs and five 3FTx were purified from the KBf venoms, and respective cDNAs were cloned from venom glands of one of the snakes. Comparison of their mass and N-terminal sequence revealed that all the PLAs were conserved in both KBf venoms, but that two of their 3FTx isoforms were variable. When comparing the sequences of these KBf-PLAs with those published, only one was found to be identical to that of Bf Vb-2, and the other five were 94-98% identical to those of Bf II, III, Va, VI and XI-2, respectively. Notably, the most abundant PLA isoforms of Bf and KBf ...
The present study was undertaken to determine the involvement of calcium-protein kinase C pathway in the mechanism of action of Escherichia coli heat stable enterotoxin (STa) apart from STa-induced activation of guanylate cyclase in human colonic carcinoma cell line COLO-205, which was used as a model cultured cell line to study the mechanism of action of E. coli STa. In response to E. coli STa, protein kinase C (PKC) activity was increased in a time-dependent manner with its physical translocation from cytosol to membrane. Inhibition of the PKC activity in membrane fraction and inhibition of its physical translocation in response to IP_3-mediated calcium release inhibitor dantrolene suggested the involvement of intracellular store depletion in the regulation of PKC activity. Among different PKC isoforms, predominant involvement of calcium-dependent protein kinase C (PKC#alpha#) was specified using isotype-specific pseudosubstrate, which showed pronounce enzyme ...
Hepatic injury and regeneration of the liver are associated with activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC). Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) and their receptors are important regulators of repair in various tissues. HSC express FGFR3IIIc as well as FGFGR4 and different spliced FGFR1IIIc and FGFR2IIIc isoforms which differ in the presence or absence of the acid box and of the first Ig-like domain. Expression of FGF9, known to be capable to activate the HSC FGFR2/3-isoforms, was increased in HSC in liver slice cultures after exposition to carbon tetrachloride, as an acute liver injury model. FGF9 significantly stimulated 3-H thymidine incorporation of hepatocytes, but failed to induce DNA synthesis in HSC despite the fact that FGF9 induced a sustained activation of extracellular signal-related kinases (ERK) 1/2. FGF9 induced an increased phosphorylation of Tyr436 of the fibroblast growth factor receptor substrate (FRS) 2, while phosphorylation ...
Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies are caused by defects of dystrophin, which forms a part of the membrane cytoskeleton of specialized cells such as muscle. It has been previously shown that the dystrophin-associated protein A1 (59-kDa DAP) is actually a heterogeneous group of phosphorylated proteins consisting of an acidic ({alpha}-A1) and a distinct basic ({beta}-A1) component. Partial peptide sequence of the A1 complex purified from rabbit muscle permitted the design of oligonucleotide probes that were used to isolate a cDNA for one human isoform of A1. This cDNA encodes a basic A1 isoform that is distinct from the recently described syntrophins in Torpedo and mouse and is expressed in many tissues with at least five distinct mRNA species of 5.9, 4.8, 4.3, 3.1, and 1.5 kb. A comparison of the human cDNA sequence with the GenBank expressed sequence tag (EST) data base has identified a relative from human skeletal muscle, EST25263, which ...
The gammaretrovirus, xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV), replicates to high titers in some human cell lines and is able to infect non-human primates. To determine whether APOBEC3 (A3) proteins restrict XMRV infections in a non-human primate model, we sequenced proviral DNA from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of XMRV-infected rhesus macaques. Hypermutation characteristic of A3DE, A3F and A3G activities was observed in the XMRV proviral sequences in vivo. Furthermore, expression of rhesus A3DE, A3F, or A3G in human cells inhibited XMRV infection and caused hypermutation of XMRV DNA. These studies show that some rhesus A3 isoforms are highly effective against XMRV in the blood of a non-human primate model of infection and in cultured human cells. PMID:21982221
The production of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for the recognition of C-terminal cholecystokinin pentapeptide (CCK-5) in the presence of metal ion is reported. The MIPs were produced under the same molar ratio of template to monomers (acrylamide, N,N'-methylene bisacrylamide) in the presence or absence of nitrilotriacetic acid-nickel (Ni-NTA) complex. Scanning electron microscopy images of MIPs were obtained in an attempt to correlate the adsorption characteristics with polymer's morphology. Subsequently Ni2+ was removed and substituted by other divalent ions such as Mg2+, Fe2+, Zn2+, Co2+ and Cu2+. It was found that polymers containing the metal ion complex with the order Fe-NTA, Ni-NTA and Cu-NTA presented lower dissociation constant values than the rest thus exhibiting stronger guest binding activity. The percentage of theoretical maximum binding sites Bmax was almost the same for these ions, indicating that the ion-template coordination is responsible only for their ...
The sodium- and potassium-dependent adenosine triphosphatase (Na+,K(+)-ATPase) maintains the transmembrane Na+ gradient to which is coupled all active cellular transport systems. The R and S alleles of the gene encoding the Na+,K(+)-ATPase alpha 1 subunit isoform were identified in Dahl salt-resistant (DR) and Dahl salt-sensitive (DS) rats, respectively. Characterization of the S allele-specific Na+,K(+)-ATPase alpha 1 complementary DNA identified a leucine substitution of glutamine at position 276. This mutation alters the hydropathy profile of a region in proximity to T3(Na), the trypsin-sensitive site that is only detected in the presence of Na+. This mutation causes a decrease in the rubidium-86 influx of S allele-specific sodium pumps, thus marking a domain in the Na+,K(+)-ATPase alpha subunit important for K+ transport, and supporting the hypothesis of a putative role of these pumps in hypertension.
The authors have demonstrated that induction of mitogenesis in human T lymphocytes is associated with the tyrosine phosphorylation of a 66KD soluble substrate-TPP 66. Since DMSO has been shown to be a non-specific stimulator of tyrosine protein kinases they have examined the effect of DMSO on both activation and tyrosine phosphorylation in human T cells. Human peripheral blood T lymphocytes were isolated by dextran sedimentation, Ficol/Paque centrifugation and nylon wool filtration. Phosphorylation was performed in cells incubated with ["3"2P] orthophosphate followed by DMSO for 30 min. TPP 66 was identified by 2-D PAGE, autoradiography, and HV electrophoresis of the hydrolyzed protein. Concentrations of DMSO from 1% to 50% induced the tyrosine phosphorylation of TPP 66 with maximal stimulation seen at 20%. DMSO alone did not activate the T cells (measured by ["3H] thymidine incorporation) when tested at high concentrations for 30 sec to 10 min. (longer incubations were markedly toxic) ...
Abstract in english The outcome of the interaction between Biomphalaria and Schistosoma mansoni depends on the response of the host internal defence system (IDS) and the escape mechanisms of the parasite. The aim of this study was to evaluate the responsiveness of the IDS (haemocytes and soluble haemolymph factors) of resistant and susceptible Biomphalaria tenagophila lineages and Biomphalaria glabrata lineages in the presence of in vitro-transformed primary sporocysts and secondary sporocys (more) ts obtained from infected B. glabrata. To do this, we assayed the cellular adhesion index (CAI), analysed viability/mortality, used fluorescent markers to evaluate the tegumental damage and transplanted secondary sporocysts. B. tenagophila Taim was more effective against primary and secondary sporocystes than the susceptible lineage and B. glabrata. Compared with secondary sporocysts exposed to B. tenagophila, primary sporocysts showed a higher CAI, a greater percentage of dead sporocysts ...
In the present work, the introduction of alternative energy of biogas in agricultural communities for the sustainable development was studied through exploitation of residual biomass and also getting as by-product the biological fertilizer. A fast composting of the domestic residue with the organic was made possible where part of this residue after processing was taken together with effluent to the biodigester. The bibliographical research on the processes of generation of biogas, about composting and the equipment for processing had been carried through. The projects engineering with the use of computational tools had been developed with the software Super Pro 4,9 Design and ORC GPEC 2004 by our research group. Five case studies had been elaborated, where different scenes related with our innovation, that uses of the residue for the composting together with domestic effluent for digestion. Several economic parameters were obtained and our work proved the viability about the use of ...
In the present work, the introduction of alternative energy of biogas in agricultural communities for the sustainable development was studied through exploitation of residual biomass and also getting as by-product the biological fertilizer. A fast composting of the domestic residue with the organic was made possible where part of this residue after processing was taken together with effluent to the biodigestor. The bibliographical research on the processes of generation of biogas, about composting and the equipment for processing had been carried through. The projects Engineering with the use of computational tools had been developed with the Software Super Pro 4,9 Design and ORC GPEC 2004 by our research group. Five case studies had been elaborated, where different scenes related with our innovation, that uses of the residue for the composting together with domestic effluent for digestion. Several economic parameters were obtained and our work proved the viability about the use of ...
Norepinephrine stimulates the growth of a range of bacterial species in nutritionally poor SAPI minimal salts medium containing 30% serum. Addition of size-fractionated serum components to SAPI medium indicated that transferrin was required for norepinephrine stimulation of growth of Escherichia coli. Since bacteriostasis by serum is primarily due to the iron-withholding capacity of transferrin, we considered the possibility that norepinephrine can overcome this effect by supplying transferrin-bound iron for growth. Incubation with concentrations of norepinephrine that stimulated bacterial growth in serum-SAPI medium resulted in loss of bound iron from iron-saturated transferrin, as indicated by the appearance of monoferric and apo- isoforms upon electrophoresis in denaturing gels. Norepinephrine also caused the loss of iron from lactoferrin. The pharmacologically inactive metabolite norepinephrine 3-O-sulfate, by contrast, did not result in iron loss from ...
Four trypsin inhibitor homologs, the first known from Dendroaspis angusticeps venom, were characterized using a combination of gel filtration, cation exchange, reverse-phase liquid chromatography, Edman degradation and mass spectrometry. The four toxins comprise two 57 residue and two 59 residue isoforms. The long toxins possess a Lys-Gln N-terminal extension lacked by the short toxins. The only other structural difference is an Arg/His replacement at position 55. The long Arg55 variant is identical to trypsin inhibitor E from the venom of Dendroaspis polylepis. The name epsilon-dendrotoxin is suggested so as to follow the nomenclature of Benishin, C.G., Sorensen, R.G., Brown, W.E., Krueger, B.K., Blaustein, M.P., 1988. Four polypeptide components of green mamba venom selectively block certain potassium channels in rat brain synaptosomes. Mol. Pharmacol. 34, 152-159. Among snake venom protease inhibitors, the epsilon-dendrotoxins are structurally most like the ...
Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) and tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO) are tryptophan-degrading enzymes. Mammalian IDO expression is induced by cytokines and has antimicrobial and immunomodulatory effects. A major role of mammalian TDO is to supply nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+)). In fungi, the IDO homologue is thought to be expressed constitutively and supply NAD(+), as TDO is absent from their genomes. Here, we reveal the distribution of IDO genes among fungal species and characterize their enzymatic activity. The yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae has only one IDO gene, whereas the koji-mold, Aspergillus oryzae has two genes, IDO? and IDO?. The A. oryzae IDO? showed more similar enzymatic properties to those of S. cerevisiae IDO than IDO?, suggesting that the A. oryzae IDO? is a functional homologue of the S. cerevisiae IDO. From the IDO? gene, two isoforms, IDO? and IDO?(+) could be generated by alternative splicing. The latter contained a 17 amino ...
A cDNA library was constructed using RNA isolated from the livers of chickens which had been treated with zinc. This library was screened with a RNA probe complementary to mouse metallothionein-I (MT), and eight chicken MT cDNA clones were obtained. All of the cDNA clones contained nucleotide sequences homologous to regions of the longest (375 bp) cDNA clone. The latter contained an open reading frame of 189 bp, and the deduced amino acid sequence indicates a protein of 63 amino acids of which 20 are cysteine residues. Amino acid composition and partial amino acid sequence analyses of purified chicken MT protein agreed with the amino acid composition and sequence deduced from the cloned cDNA. Amino acid sequence comparison establish that chicken MT shares extensive homology with mammalian MTs. Southern blot analysis of chicken DNA indicates that the chicken MT gene is not a part of a large family of related sequences, but rather is likely to be a unique gene sequence. In the chicken ...