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Sample records for acetoacetyl coa thiolase

  1. Understanding the function of bacterial and eukaryotic thiolases II by integrating evolutionary and functional approaches.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fox, Ana Romina; Soto, Gabriela; Mozzicafreddo, Matteo; Garcia, Araceli Nora; Cuccioloni, Massimiliano; Angeletti, Mauro; Salerno, Juan Carlos; Ayub, Nicolás Daniel

    2014-01-01

    Acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase (EC 2.3.1.9), commonly named thiolase II, condenses two molecules of acetyl-CoA to give acetoacetyl-CoA and CoA. This enzyme acts in anabolic processes as the first step in the biosynthesis of isoprenoids and polyhydroxybutyrate in eukaryotes and bacteria, respectively. We have recently reported the evolutionary and functional equivalence of these enzymes, suggesting that thiolase II could be the rate limiting enzyme in these pathways and presented evidence indicating that this enzyme modulates the availability of reducing equivalents during abiotic stress adaptation in bacteria and plants. However, these results are not sufficient to clarify why thiolase II was evolutionary selected as a critical enzyme in the production of antioxidant compounds. Regarding this intriguing topic, we propose that thiolase II could sense changes in the acetyl-CoA/CoA ratio induced by the inhibition of the tricarboxylic acid cycle under abiotic stress. Thus, the high level of evolutionary and functional constraint of thiolase II may be due to the connection of this enzyme with an ancient and conserved metabolic route. © 2013.

  2. Reverse genetic characterization of two paralogous acetoacetyl CoA thiolase genes in Arabidopsis reveals their importance in plant growth and development

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jin, Huanan; Song, Zhihong; Nikolau, Basil J.

    2012-03-31

    Acetoacetyl CoA thiolase (AACT, EC 2.3.1.9) catalyzes the condensation of two acetyl CoA molecules to form acetoacetyl CoA. Two AACT‐encoding genes, At5g47720 (AACT1) and At5g48230 (AACT2), were functionally identified in the Arabidopsis genome by direct enzymological assays and functional expression in yeast. Promoter::GUS fusion experiments indicated that AACT1 is primarily expressed in the vascular system and AACT2 is highly expressed in root tips, young leaves, top stems and anthers. Characterization of T‐DNA insertion mutant alleles at each AACT locus established that AACT2 function is required for embryogenesis and for normal male gamete transmission. In contrast, plants lacking AACT1 function are completely viable and show no apparent growth phenotypes, indicating that AACT1 is functionally redundant with respect to AACT2 function. RNAi lines that express reduced levels of AACT2 show pleiotropic phenotypes, including reduced apical dominance, elongated life span and flowering duration, sterility, dwarfing, reduced seed yield and shorter root length. Microscopic analysis reveals that the reduced stature is caused by a reduction in cell size and fewer cells, and male sterility is caused by loss of the pollen coat and premature degeneration of the tapetal cells. Biochemical analyses established that the roots of AACT2 RNAi plants show quantitative and qualitative alterations in phytosterol profiles. These phenotypes and biochemical alterations are reversed when AACT2 RNAi plants are grown in the presence of mevalonate, which is consistent with the role of AACT2 in generating the bulk of the acetoacetyl CoA precursor required for the cytosol‐localized, mevalonate‐derived isoprenoid biosynthetic pathway.

  3. Isolated Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) Granules Are Complex Bacterial Organelles Catalyzing Formation of PHB from Acetyl Coenzyme A (CoA) and Degradation of PHB to Acetyl-CoA▿

    OpenAIRE

    Uchino, Keiichi; Saito, Terumi; Gebauer, Birgit; Jendrossek, Dieter

    2007-01-01

    Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) granules isolated in native form (nPHB granules) from Ralstonia eutropha catalyzed formation of PHB from 14C-labeled acetyl coenzyme A (CoA) in the presence of NADPH and concomitantly released CoA, revealing that PHB biosynthetic proteins (acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase, acetoacetyl-CoA reductase, and PHB synthase) are present and active in isolated nPHB granules in vitro. nPHB granules also catalyzed thiolytic cleavage of PHB in the presence of added CoA, resulting in...

  4. Effects of acetoacetyl-CoA synthase expression on production of farnesene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tippmann, Stefan; Ferreira, Raphael; Siewers, Verena

    2017-01-01

    to overcome the thermodynamic constraint imposed on the first reaction, in which acetoacetyl-CoA is produced from two moles of acetyl-CoA by acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase. Recently, a novel acetoacetyl-CoA synthase (nphT7) has been identified from Streptomyces sp. strain CL190, which catalyzes the irreversible...... functionality of the bypass was limited by the efficiency of acetoacetyl-CoA synthase (nphT7). Besides modulation of the expression level, which could be used as a means to partially restore the phenotype, nphT7 from Streptomyces glaucescens showed clearly higher efficiency compared to Streptomyces sp. strain...

  5. Clonorchis sinensis acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase: identification and characterization of its potential role in surviving in the bile duct.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Jinsi; Qu, Hongling; Chen, Guishan; He, Lei; Xu, Yanquan; Xie, Zhizhi; Ren, Mengyu; Sun, Jiufeng; Li, Shan; Chen, Wenjun; Chen, Xueqing; Wang, Xiaoyun; Li, Xuerong; Liang, Chi; Huang, Yan; Yu, Xinbing

    2015-02-25

    Clonorchis sinensis (C. sinensis) inhabits in bile duct of the host. However, the mechanisms involved in why C. sinensis can survive in the bile environment containing lipids have not yet been explored. In this study, C. sinensis acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase (CsACAT), a member of the thiolase family which has a key role in the beta oxidation pathway of fatty acid production, was identified and characterized to understand its potential role in adapting to the bile environment. The encoding sequence, conserved domains and spatial structure of CsACAT were identified and analyzed by bioinformatic tools. Recombinant CsACAT (rCsACAT) was obtained using a procaryotic expression system. The expression pattern of CsACAT was confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR, western blotting, and immunofluorescence. Gradients of lecithin were then set to culture C. sinensis adults in vitro and the survival rate of C. sinensis was analyzed, as well as the expression level and enzymatic activity of CsACAT in different lipid environments. Hypercholesteremia rabbit models were established by feeding with a hyperlipidemic diet and then infected intragastrically with C. sinensis. One and a half months later, the worm burdens and the expression level of CsACAT was detected. CsACAT was confirmed to be a member of the thiolase family and present in the excretory/secretory proteins of C. sinensis. CsACAT was specifically localized at the vitellarium and sub-tegumental muscle layer in adult worms. The mRNA level of CsACAT in eggs was higher than those in adult worms and metacercariae. When adult worms were cultured with higher concentration of lecithin, the expression level and enzyme activity of CsACAT were up-regulated. The survival rate of adult worms was higher than control group. More adult worms were recovered from hypercholesteremia rabbit models. The expression level of CsACAT in these worms was higher than control group. Our results implied that C. sinensis might sense lipid levels and

  6. Analysis of acyl CoA ester intermediates of the mevalonate pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Seker, Tamay; Møller, Kasper; Nielsen, Jens

    2005-01-01

    The mevalonate pathway plays an important role in providing the cell with a number of essential precursors for the synthesis of biomass constituents. With respect to their chemical structure, the metabolites of this pathway can be divided into two groups: acyl esters [acetoacetyl CoA, acetyl Co......A, hydroxymethylglutaryl (HMG) CoA] and phosphorylated metabolites (isopentenyl pyrophosphate, dimethylallyl pyrophosphate, geranyl pyrophosphate, farnesyl pyrophosphate). In this study, we developed a method for the precise analysis of the intracellular concentration of acetoacetyl CoA, acetyl CoA and HMG CoA; and we...... used this method for quantification of these metabolites in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, both during batch growth on glucose and on galactose and in glucose-limited chemostat cultures operated at three different dilution rates. The level of the metabolites changed depending on the growth phase...

  7. Functional Expression of the Thiolase Gene thl from Clostridium beijerinckii P260 in Lactococcus lactis and Lactobacillus buchneri

    Science.gov (United States)

    The first step of the butanol pathway involves an acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase (ACoAAT), which controls the key branching point from acetyl-CoA to butanol. ACoAAT, also known as thiolase (EC 2.3.1.9), is encoded by the thl gene and catalyzes ligation of 2 acetyl-CoA into acetoacetyl-CoA. Bioinform...

  8. Activation of liver carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 and mitochondrial acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase is associated with elevated ketone body levels in the elasmobranch Squalus acanthias.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Treberg, Jason R; Crockett, Elizabeth L; Driedzic, William R

    2006-01-01

    Elasmobranch fishes are an ancient group of vertebrates that have unusual lipid metabolism whereby storage lipids are mobilized from the liver for peripheral oxidation largely as ketone bodies rather than as nonesterified fatty acids under normal conditions. This reliance on ketones, even when feeding, implies that elasmobranchs are chronically ketogenic. Compared to specimens sampled within 2 d of capture (recently captured), spiny dogfish Squalus acanthias that were held for 16-33 d without apparent feeding displayed a 4.5-fold increase in plasma concentration of d- beta -hydroxybutyrate (from 0.71 to 3.2 mM) and were considered ketotic. Overt activity of carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 in liver mitochondria from ketotic dogfish was characterized by an increased apparent maximal activity, a trend of increasing affinity (reduced apparent K(m); P=0.09) for l-carnitine, and desensitization to the inhibitor malonyl-CoA relative to recently captured animals. Acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase (ACoAT) activity in isolated liver mitochondria was also markedly increased in the ketotic dogfish compared to recently captured fish, whereas no difference in 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase activity was found between these groups, suggesting that ACoAT plays a more important role in the activation of ketogenesis in spiny dogfish than in mammals and birds.

  9. Generation of poly-β-hydroxybutyrate from acetate in higher plants: Detection of acetoacetyl CoA reductase- and PHB synthase- activities in rice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsuda, Hirohisa; Shiraki, Mari; Inoue, Eri; Saito, Terumi

    2016-08-20

    It has been reported that Poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) is generated from acetate in the rice root. However, no information is available about the biosynthetic pathway of PHB from acetate in plant cells. In the bacterium Ralstonia eutropha H16 (R. eutropha), PHB is synthesized from acetyl CoA by the consecutive reaction of three enzymes: β-ketothiolase (EC: 2.3.1.9), acetoacetyl CoA reductase (EC: 1.1.1.36) and PHB synthase (EC: 2.3.1.-). Thus, in this study, we examined whether the above three enzymatic activities were also detected in rice seedlings. The results clearly showed that the activities of the above three enzymes were all detected in rice. In particular, the PHB synthase activity was detected specifically in the sonicated particulate fractions (2000g 10min precipitate (ppt) and the 8000g 30min ppt) of rice roots and leaves. In addition to these enzyme activities, several new experimental results were obtained on PHB synthesis in higher plants: (a) (14)C-PHB generated from 2-(14)C-acetate was mainly localized in the 2000g 10min ppt and the 8000g 30min ppt of rice root. (b) Addition of acetate (0.1-10mM) to culture medium of rice seedlings did not increase the content of PHB in the rice root or leaf. (c) In addition to C3 plants, PHB was generated from acetate in a C4 plant (corn) and in a CAM plant (Bryophyllum pinnatum). d) Washing with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) strongly suggested that the PHB synthesized from acetate was of plant origin and was not bacterial contamination. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  10. Crystal structure and biochemical characterization of beta-keto thiolase B from polyhydroxyalkanoate-producing bacterium Ralstonia eutropha H16

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Eun-Jung; Son, Hyeoncheol Francis [Structural and Molecular Biology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Kyungpook National University, Daehak-ro 80, Buk-ku, Daegu 702-701 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Sangwoo [Structural and Molecular Biology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Kyungpook National University, Daehak-ro 80, Buk-ku, Daegu 702-701 (Korea, Republic of); School of Nono-Bioscience and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 689-798 (Korea, Republic of); Ahn, Jae-Woo [Structural and Molecular Biology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Kyungpook National University, Daehak-ro 80, Buk-ku, Daegu 702-701 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Kyung-Jin, E-mail: kkim@knu.ac.kr [Structural and Molecular Biology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Kyungpook National University, Daehak-ro 80, Buk-ku, Daegu 702-701 (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-02-14

    Highlights: • We determined a crystal structure of β-keto thiolase from Ralstonia eutropha H16 (ReBktB). • Distinct substrate binding mode ReBktB was elucidated. • Enzymatic kinetic parameters of ReBktB were revealed. - Abstract: ReBktB is a β-keto thiolase from Ralstonia eutropha H16 that catalyzes condensation reactions between acetyl-CoA with acyl-CoA molecules that contains different numbers of carbon atoms, such as acetyl-CoA, propionyl-CoA, and butyryl-CoA, to produce valuable bioproducts, such as polyhydroxybutyrate, polyhydroxybutyrate-hydroxyvalerate, and hexanoate. We solved a crystal structure of ReBktB at 2.3 Å, and the overall structure has a similar fold to that of type II biosynthetic thiolases, such as PhbA from Zoogloea ramigera (ZrPhbA). The superposition of this structure with that of ZrPhbA complexed with CoA revealed the residues that comprise the catalytic and substrate binding sites of ReBktB. The catalytic site of ReBktB contains three conserved residues, Cys90, His350, and Cys380, which may function as a covalent nucleophile, a general base, and second nucleophile, respectively. For substrate binding, ReBktB stabilized the ADP moiety of CoA in a distinct way compared to ZrPhbA with His219, Arg221, and Asp228 residues, whereas the stabilization of β-mercaptoethyamine and pantothenic acid moieties of CoA was quite similar between these two enzymes. Kinetic study of ReBktB revealed that K{sub m}, V{sub max}, and K{sub cat} values of 11.58 μM, 1.5 μmol/min, and 102.18 s{sup −1}, respectively, and the catalytic and substrate binding sites of ReBktB were further confirmed by site-directed mutagenesis experiments.

  11. Substrate Trapping in Crystals of the Thiolase OleA Identifies Three Channels That Enable Long Chain Olefin Biosynthesis*

    OpenAIRE

    Goblirsch, Brandon R.; Jensen, Matthew R.; Mohamed, Fatuma A.; Wackett, Lawrence P.; Wilmot, Carrie M.

    2016-01-01

    Phylogenetically diverse microbes that produce long chain, olefinic hydrocarbons have received much attention as possible sources of renewable energy biocatalysts. One enzyme that is critical for this process is OleA, a thiolase superfamily enzyme that condenses two fatty acyl-CoA substrates to produce a β-ketoacid product and initiates the biosynthesis of long chain olefins in bacteria. Thiolases typically utilize a ping-pong mechanism centered on an active site cysteine residue. Reaction wi...

  12. Differences among Adult COAs and Adult Non-COAs on Levels of Self-Esteem, Depression, and Anxiety.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dodd, David T.; Roberts, Richard L.

    1994-01-01

    Examined self-esteem, depression, and anxiety among 60 adult children of alcoholics (COAs) and 143 adult non-COAs. Subjects completed Children of Alcoholics Screening Test, demographic questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory. Found no significant differences between COAs and…

  13. Mechanistic studies on β-ketoacyl thiolase from Zoogloea ramigera: Identification of the active-site nucleophile as Cys89, its mutation to Ser89, and kinetic and thermodynamic characterization of wild-type and mutant enzymes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thompson, S.; Mayerl, F.; Walsh, C.T.; Peoples, O.P.; Masamune, S.; Sinskey, A.J.

    1989-01-01

    Thiolase proceeds via covalent catalysis involving an acetyl-S-enzyme. The active-site thiol nucleophile is identified as Cys 89 by acetylation with [ 14 C]acetyl-CoA, rapid denaturation, tryptic digestion, and sequencing of the labeled peptide. The native acetyl enzyme is labile to hydrolytic decomposition with t 1/2 of 2 min at pH 7, 25 degree C. Cys 89 has been converted to the alternate nucleophile Ser 89 by mutagenesis and the C89S enzyme overproduced, purified, and assessed for activity. The Ser 89 enzyme retains 1% of the V max of the Cys 89 enzyme in the direction of acetoacetyl-CoA thiolytic cleavage and 0.05% of the V max in the condensation of two acetyl-CoA molecules. A covalent acetyl-O-enzyme intermediate is detected on incubation with [ 14 C]acetyl-CoA and isolation of the labeled Ser 89 -containing tryptic peptide. Comparisons of the Cys 89 and Ser 89 enzymes have been made for kinetic and thermodynamic stability of the acetyl enzyme intermediates both by isolation and by analysis of [ 32 P]CoASH/acetyl-CoA partial reactions and for rate-limiting steps in catalysis with trideuterioacetyl-CoA

  14. Substrate Trapping in Crystals of the Thiolase OleA Identifies Three Channels That Enable Long Chain Olefin Biosynthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goblirsch, Brandon R; Jensen, Matthew R; Mohamed, Fatuma A; Wackett, Lawrence P; Wilmot, Carrie M

    2016-12-23

    Phylogenetically diverse microbes that produce long chain, olefinic hydrocarbons have received much attention as possible sources of renewable energy biocatalysts. One enzyme that is critical for this process is OleA, a thiolase superfamily enzyme that condenses two fatty acyl-CoA substrates to produce a β-ketoacid product and initiates the biosynthesis of long chain olefins in bacteria. Thiolases typically utilize a ping-pong mechanism centered on an active site cysteine residue. Reaction with the first substrate produces a covalent cysteine-thioester tethered acyl group that is transferred to the second substrate through formation of a carbon-carbon bond. Although the basics of thiolase chemistry are precedented, the mechanism by which OleA accommodates two substrates with extended carbon chains and a coenzyme moiety-unusual for a thiolase-are unknown. Gaining insights into this process could enable manipulation of the system for large scale olefin production with hydrocarbon chains lengths equivalent to those of fossil fuels. In this study, mutagenesis of the active site cysteine in Xanthomonas campestris OleA (Cys 143 ) enabled trapping of two catalytically relevant species in crystals. In the resulting structures, long chain alkyl groups (C 12 and C 14 ) and phosphopantetheinate define three substrate channels in a T-shaped configuration, explaining how OleA coordinates its two substrates and product. The C143A OleA co-crystal structure possesses a single bound acyl-CoA representing the Michaelis complex with the first substrate, whereas the C143S co-crystal structure contains both acyl-CoA and fatty acid, defining how a second substrate binds to the acyl-enzyme intermediate. An active site glutamate (Gluβ 117 ) is positioned to deprotonate bound acyl-CoA and initiate carbon-carbon bond formation. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  15. Clinical presentation and outcome in a series of 32 patients with 2-methylacetoacetyl-coenzyme A thiolase (MAT) deficiency

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Grünert, Sarah Catharina; Schmitt, Robert Niklas; Schlatter, Sonja Marina; Gemperle-Britschgi, Corinne; Balci, Mehmet Cihan; Berg, Volker; Çoker, Mahmut; Das, Anibh M; Demirkol, Mübeccel; Derks, Terry G J; Gökçay, Gülden; Uçar, Sema Kalkan; Konstantopoulou, Vassiliki; Christoph Korenke, G.; Lotz-Havla, Amelie Sophia; Schlune, Andrea; Staufner, Christian; Tran, Christel; Visser, Gepke; Schwab, Karl Otfried; Fukao, Toshiyuki; Sass, Jörn Oliver

    2-methylacetoacetyl-coenzyme A thiolase (MAT) deficiency, also known as beta-ketothiolase deficiency, is an inborn error of ketone body utilization and isoleucine catabolism. It is caused by mutations in the ACAT1 gene and may present with metabolic ketoacidosis. In order to obtain a more

  16. CoaSim Guile Manual — Using the Guile-based CoaSim Simulator

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mailund, T

    2006-01-01

    CoaSim is a tool for simulating the coalescent process with recombination and geneconversion, under either constant population size or exponential population growth. It effectively constructs the ancestral recombination graph for a given number of chromosomes and uses this to simulate samples...

  17. CoAs: The line of 3 d demarcation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campbell, Daniel J.; Wang, Limin; Eckberg, Chris; Graf, Dave; Hodovanets, Halyna; Paglione, Johnpierre

    2018-05-01

    Transition metal-pnictide compounds have received attention for their tendency to combine magnetism and unconventional superconductivity. Binary CoAs lies on the border of paramagnetism and the more complex behavior seen in isostructural CrAs, MnP, FeAs, and FeP. Here we report the properties of CoAs single crystals grown with two distinct techniques along with density functional theory calculations of its electronic structure and magnetic ground state. While all indications are that CoAs is paramagnetic, both experiment and theory suggest proximity to a ferromagnetic instability. Quantum oscillations are seen in torque measurements up to 31.5 T and support the calculated paramagnetic Fermiology.

  18. Substrate Trapping in Crystals of the Thiolase OleA Identifies Three Channels That Enable Long Chain Olefin Biosynthesis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goblirsch, Brandon R.; Jensen, Matthew R.; Mohamed, Fatuma A.; Wackett, Lawrence P.; Wilmot, Carrie M.

    2016-11-04

    Phylogenetically diverse microbes that produce long chain, olefinic hydrocarbons have received much attention as possible sources of renewable energy biocatalysts. One enzyme that is critical for this process is OleA, a thiolase superfamily enzyme that condenses two fatty acyl-CoA substrates to produce a β-ketoacid product and initiates the biosynthesis of long chain olefins in bacteria. Thiolases typically utilize a ping-pong mechanism centered on an active site cysteine residue. Reaction with the first substrate produces a covalent cysteine-thioester tethered acyl group that is transferred to the second substrate through formation of a carbon-carbon bond. Although the basics of thiolase chemistry are precedented, the mechanism by which OleA accommodates two substrates with extended carbon chains and a coenzyme moiety—unusual for a thiolase—are unknown. Gaining insights into this process could enable manipulation of the system for large scale olefin production with hydrocarbon chains lengths equivalent to those of fossil fuels. In this study, mutagenesis of the active site cysteine in Xanthomonas campestris OleA (Cys143) enabled trapping of two catalytically relevant species in crystals. In the resulting structures, long chain alkyl groups (C12 and C14) and phosphopantetheinate define three substrate channels in a T-shaped configuration, explaining how OleA coordinates its two substrates and product. The C143A OleA co-crystal structure possesses a single bound acyl-CoA representing the Michaelis complex with the first substrate, whereas the C143S co-crystal structure contains both acyl-CoA and fatty acid, defining how a second substrate binds to the acyl-enzyme intermediate. An active site glutamate (Gluβ117) is positioned to deprotonate bound acyl-CoA and initiate carbon-carbon bond formation.

  19. Substrate Trapping in Crystals of the Thiolase OleA Identifies Three Channels That Enable Long Chain Olefin Biosynthesis*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goblirsch, Brandon R.; Jensen, Matthew R.; Mohamed, Fatuma A.; Wackett, Lawrence P.; Wilmot, Carrie M.

    2016-01-01

    Phylogenetically diverse microbes that produce long chain, olefinic hydrocarbons have received much attention as possible sources of renewable energy biocatalysts. One enzyme that is critical for this process is OleA, a thiolase superfamily enzyme that condenses two fatty acyl-CoA substrates to produce a β-ketoacid product and initiates the biosynthesis of long chain olefins in bacteria. Thiolases typically utilize a ping-pong mechanism centered on an active site cysteine residue. Reaction with the first substrate produces a covalent cysteine-thioester tethered acyl group that is transferred to the second substrate through formation of a carbon-carbon bond. Although the basics of thiolase chemistry are precedented, the mechanism by which OleA accommodates two substrates with extended carbon chains and a coenzyme moiety—unusual for a thiolase—are unknown. Gaining insights into this process could enable manipulation of the system for large scale olefin production with hydrocarbon chains lengths equivalent to those of fossil fuels. In this study, mutagenesis of the active site cysteine in Xanthomonas campestris OleA (Cys143) enabled trapping of two catalytically relevant species in crystals. In the resulting structures, long chain alkyl groups (C12 and C14) and phosphopantetheinate define three substrate channels in a T-shaped configuration, explaining how OleA coordinates its two substrates and product. The C143A OleA co-crystal structure possesses a single bound acyl-CoA representing the Michaelis complex with the first substrate, whereas the C143S co-crystal structure contains both acyl-CoA and fatty acid, defining how a second substrate binds to the acyl-enzyme intermediate. An active site glutamate (Gluβ117) is positioned to deprotonate bound acyl-CoA and initiate carbon-carbon bond formation. PMID:27815501

  20. Getting Started with CoaSim — An Introduction to the Simulator CoaSim

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mailund, T

    2005-01-01

    CoaSim is a tool for simulating the coalescent process with recombination and geneconversion, under either constant population size or exponential population growth. It effectively constructs the ancestral recombination graph for a given number of chromosomes and uses this to simulate samples...

  1. Enhanced poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) production in transgenic tobacco BY-2 cells using engineered acetoacetyl-CoA reductase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yokoo, Toshinori; Matsumoto, Ken'ichiro; Ooba, Takashi; Morimoto, Kenjiro; Taguchi, Seiichi

    2015-01-01

    Highly active mutant of NADPH-dependent acetoacetyl-CoA reductase (PhaB) was expressed in Nicotiana tabacum cv. Bright Yellow-2 cultured cells to produce poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB)]. The mutated PhaB increased P(3HB) content by three-fold over the control, indicating that the mutant was a versatile tool for P(3HB) production. Additionally, the PhaB-catalyzed reaction was suggested to be a rate-limiting step of P(3HB) biosynthesis in tobacco BY-2 cells.

  2. Role of Feedback Regulation of Pantothenate Kinase (CoaA) in Control of Coenzyme A Levels in Escherichia coli

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rock, Charles O.; Park, Hee-Won; Jackowski, Suzanne

    2003-01-01

    Pantothenate kinase (CoaA) is a key regulator of coenzyme A (CoA) biosynthesis in Escherichia coli, and its activity is controlled by feedback inhibition by CoA and its thioesters. The importance of feedback inhibition in the control of the intracellular CoA levels was tested by constructing three site-directed mutants of CoaA that were predicted to be feedback resistant based on the crystal structure of the CoaA-CoA binary complex. CoaA[R106A], CoaA[H177Q], and CoaA[F247V] were purified and shown to retain significant catalytic activity and be refractory to inhibition by CoA. CoaA[R106A] retained 50% of the catalytic activity of CoaA, whereas the CoaA[H177Q] and CoaA[F247V] mutants were less active. The importance of feedback control of CoaA to the intracellular CoA levels was assessed by expressing either CoaA or CoaA[R106A] in strain ANS3 [coaA15(Ts) panD2]. Cells expressing CoaA[R106A] had significantly higher levels of phosphorylated pantothenate-derived metabolites and CoA in vivo and excreted significantly more 4′-phosphopantetheine into the medium compared to cells expressing the wild-type protein. These data illustrate the key role of feedback regulation of pantothenate kinase in the control of intracellular CoA levels. PMID:12754240

  3. Succinyl-CoA:3-ketoacid CoA transferase (SCOT) deficiency: two pathogenic mutations, V133E and C456F, in Japanese siblings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, X Q; Fukao, T; Watanabe, H; Shintaku, H; Hirayama, K; Kassovska-Bratinova, S; Kondo, N; Mitchell, G A

    1998-01-01

    Succinyl-CoA:3-ketoacid CoA transferase (SCOT; EC 2.8.3.5; locus symbol OXCT) is the key enzyme of ketone body utilization. Hereditary SCOT deficiency (MIM 245050) causes episodes of severe ketoacidosis. We developed a transient expression system for mutant SCOT cDNAs, using immortalized SCOT-deficient fibroblasts. This paper describes and characterizes three missense mutations in two SCOT-deficient siblings from Japan. They are genetic compounds who inherited the mutation C456F (c1367 G-->T) from their mother. Their paternal allele contains two mutations in cis, T58M (c173 C-->T) and V133E (c398T-->A). Expression of SCOT cDNAs containing either V133E or C456F produces no detectable SCOT activity, whereas T58M is functionally neutral. T58M is a rare sequence variant not detected in 100 control Japanese alleles. In fibroblasts from the proband (GS02), in whom immunoblot demonstrated no detectable SCOT peptide, we measured an apparent residual SCOT activity of 20-35%. We hypothesize that the high residual SCOT activity in homogenates may be an artifact caused by use of the substrate, acetoacetyl-CoA by other enzymes. Expression of mutant SCOT cDNAs more accurately reflects the residual activity of SCOT than do currently available assays in cell or tissue homogenates.

  4. Reinvestigation of peroxisomal 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase deficiency: identification of the true defect at the level of d-bifunctional protein

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ferdinandusse, S.; van Grunsven, E. G.; Oostheim, W.; Denis, S.; Hogenhout, E. M.; IJlst, L.; van Roermund, C. W. T.; Waterham, H. R.; Goldfischer, S.; Wanders, R. J. A.

    2002-01-01

    In this report, we reinvestigate the only patient ever reported with a deficiency of peroxisomal 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase (THIO). At the time when they were described, the abnormalities in this patient, which included accumulation of very-long-chain fatty acids and the bile-acid intermediate

  5. Identification of a novel CoA synthase isoform, which is primarily expressed in Brain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nemazanyy, Ivan; Panasyuk, Ganna; Breus, Oksana; Zhyvoloup, Alexander; Filonenko, Valeriy; Gout, Ivan T.

    2006-01-01

    CoA and its derivatives Acetyl-CoA and Acyl-CoA are important players in cellular metabolism and signal transduction. CoA synthase is a bifunctional enzyme which mediates the final stages of CoA biosynthesis. In previous studies, we have reported molecular cloning, biochemical characterization, and subcellular localization of CoA synthase (CoASy). Here, we describe the existence of a novel CoA synthase isoform, which is the product of alternative splicing and possesses a 29aa extension at the N-terminus. We termed it CoASy β and originally identified CoA synthase, CoASy α. The transcript specific for CoASy β was identified by electronic screening and by RT-PCR analysis of various rat tissues. The existence of this novel isoform was further confirmed by immunoblot analysis with antibodies directed to the N-terminal peptide of CoASy β. In contrast to CoASy α, which shows ubiquitous expression, CoASy β is primarily expressed in Brain. Using confocal microscopy, we demonstrated that both isoforms are localized on mitochondria. The N-terminal extension does not affect the activity of CoA synthase, but possesses a proline-rich sequence which can bring the enzyme into complexes with signalling proteins containing SH3 or WW domains. The role of this novel isoform in CoA biosynthesis, especially in Brain, requires further elucidation

  6. Mitochondrial storage form of acetyl CoA carboxylase in fasted and alloxan diabetic rats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roman-Lopez, C.R.; Allred, J.B.

    1986-01-01

    Sodium dodecyl sulfate-denatured biotinyl proteins will bind [ 14 C]methyl avidin which remains bound through polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The method has been used to demonstrate the presence of two high molecular weight subunit forms of acetyl CoA carboxylase in rat liver cytoplasm, both of which are precipitated by antibody to purifed rat liver acetyl CoA carboxylase prepared from sheep serum. Rat liver mitochondria contained five distinct biotinyl protein subunits, the two largest of which have been identified as acetyl CoA carboxylase subunits on the basis of precipitation by anti-acetyl CoA carboxylase antibody. The small quantity of acetyl CoA carboxylase associated with rat liver microsomes could be attributed to cytoplasmic contamination. The binding of radioactive avidin is sufficiently tight to use as a measure of the quantity of acetyl CoA carboxylase. The quantity and activity of the cytoplasmic enzyme was reduced in fasted and in alloxan diabetic rats compared to that in fed controls but the quantity of the enzyme associated with isolated mitochondria was not reduced. The results indicate that there is a mitochondrial storage form of acetyl CoA carboxylase

  7. Characterisation of Acetyl-CoA Thiolase: The First Enzyme in the Biosynthesis of Terpenic Sex Pheromone Components in the Labial Gland of Bombus terrestris

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Brabcová, Jana; Demianová, Z.; Kindl, Jiří; Pichová, Iva; Valterová, Irena; Zarevúcka, Marie

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 16, č. 7 (2015), s. 1047-1051 ISSN 1439-4227 R&D Projects: GA TA ČR TA01020969 Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : acetyl-CoA thiolase * biosynthesis * Bombus terrestris * labial gland * pheromones * terpenoids Subject RIV: CE - Biochemistry Impact factor: 2.850, year: 2015

  8. Binding of acyl CoA by fatty acid binding protein and the effect on fatty acid activation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burrier, R.E.; Manson, C.R.; Brecher, P.

    1987-01-01

    The ability of purified rat liver and heart fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs) to bind oleoyl CoA and modulate acyl CoA synthesis by microsomal membranes was investigated. Using binding assays employing either Lipidex 1000 or multilamellar liposomes to sequester unbound ligand, rat liver but not rat heart FABP was shown to bind radiolabeled acyl CoA. Binding studies suggest that liver FABP has a single binding site for acyl CoA which is separate from the two binding sites for fatty acids. Experiments were then performed to determine how binding may influence acyl CoA metabolism by liver microsomes or heart sarcoplasmic reticulum. Using liposomes as fatty acid donors, liver FABP stimulated acyl CoA production whereas heart FABP did not stimulate production over control values. 14 C-Fatty acid-FABP complexes were prepared, incubated with membranes and acyl CoA synthetase activity was determined. Up to 70% of the fatty acid could be converted to acyl CoA in the presence of liver FABP but in the presence of heart FABP, only 45% of the fatty acid was converted. The amount of product formed was not changed by additional membrane, enzyme cofactor, or incubation time. Liver but not heart FABP bound the acyl CoA formed and removed it from the membranes. These studies suggest that liver FABP can increase the amount of acyl CoA by binding this ligand thereby removing it from the membrane and possibly aiding transport within the cell

  9. Binding of acyl CoA by fatty acid binding protein and the effect on fatty acid activation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Burrier, R.E.; Manson, C.R.; Brecher, P.

    1987-05-01

    The ability of purified rat liver and heart fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs) to bind oleoyl CoA and modulate acyl CoA synthesis by microsomal membranes was investigated. Using binding assays employing either Lipidex 1000 or multilamellar liposomes to sequester unbound ligand, rat liver but not rat heart FABP was shown to bind radiolabeled acyl CoA. Binding studies suggest that liver FABP has a single binding site for acyl CoA which is separate from the two binding sites for fatty acids. Experiments were then performed to determine how binding may influence acyl CoA metabolism by liver microsomes or heart sarcoplasmic reticulum. Using liposomes as fatty acid donors, liver FABP stimulated acyl CoA production whereas heart FABP did not stimulate production over control values. /sup 14/C-Fatty acid-FABP complexes were prepared, incubated with membranes and acyl CoA synthetase activity was determined. Up to 70% of the fatty acid could be converted to acyl CoA in the presence of liver FABP but in the presence of heart FABP, only 45% of the fatty acid was converted. The amount of product formed was not changed by additional membrane, enzyme cofactor, or incubation time. Liver but not heart FABP bound the acyl CoA formed and removed it from the membranes. These studies suggest that liver FABP can increase the amount of acyl CoA by binding this ligand thereby removing it from the membrane and possibly aiding transport within the cell.

  10. COA based robust output feedback UPFC controller design

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shayeghi, H., E-mail: hshayeghi@gmail.co [Technical Engineering Department, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Shayanfar, H.A. [Center of Excellence for Power System Automation and Operation, Electrical Engineering Department, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Jalilzadeh, S.; Safari, A. [Technical Engineering Department, Zanjan University, Zanjan (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2010-12-15

    In this paper, a novel method for the design of output feedback controller for unified power flow controller (UPFC) using chaotic optimization algorithm (COA) is developed. Chaotic optimization algorithms, which have the features of easy implementation, short execution time and robust mechanisms of escaping from the local optimum, is a promising tool for the engineering applications. The selection of the output feedback gains for the UPFC controllers is converted to an optimization problem with the time domain-based objective function which is solved by a COA based on Lozi map. Since chaotic mapping enjoys certainty, ergodicity and the stochastic property, the proposed chaotic optimization problem introduces chaos mapping using Lozi map chaotic sequences which increases its convergence rate and resulting precision. To ensure the robustness of the proposed stabilizers, the design process takes into account a wide range of operating conditions and system configurations. The effectiveness of the proposed controller for damping low frequency oscillations is tested and demonstrated through non-linear time-domain simulation and some performance indices studies. The results analysis reveals that the designed COA based output feedback UPFC damping controller has an excellent capability in damping power system low frequency oscillations and enhance greatly the dynamic stability of the power systems.

  11. Effect of elevated total CoA levels on metabolic pathways in cultured hepatocytes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steffen, C.A.; Smith, C.M.

    1987-01-01

    Livers from fasted rats have 30% higher total CoA levels than fed rats. To determine whether this increase of total CoA influences metabolism, the rates of gluconeogenesis, fatty acid oxidation and ketogenesis were measured in hepatocytes with cyanamide (CYM) or pantothenate (PA) deficient medium used to vary total CoA levels independently of hormonal status. Primary cultures of rat hepatocytes were incubated 14 hrs with Bt 2 cAMP, dexamethasone + theophylline in PA deficient medium or with CYM (500 μM) + PA, rinsed and preincubated 0.5 hr to remove the CYM. Hepatocytes treated with CYM had total CoA levels 10-24% higher than PA deficient cells and lower rates of glucose production from lactate + pyruvate (L/P) or from alanine (0.23 +/- 0.05 and 0.089 +/- 0.02 μm/mg protein, respectively in CYM treated cells compared to 0.33 +/- 0.06 and 0.130 +/- 0.006 in PA deficient cells). This decrease was not due to CYM per se, as the direct addition of CYM stimulated glucose production from L/P. CYM treated cells with 15-40% higher total CoA and 30% higher fatty acyl-CoA levels had the same rates of [ 14 C]-palmitate oxidation as PA deficient cells. However, rates of ketogenesis were lower in CYM treated cells (163 +/- 11 nm/mg compared to 217 +/- 14 nm/mg protein). These results suggest that physiological alterations of hepatic total CoA levels are not necessary for fasting rates of gluconeogenesis, fatty acid oxidation and ketogenesis

  12. Synthesis and magnetic properties of superparamagnetic CoAs nanostructures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Desai, P.; Ashokaan, N.; Masud, J.; Pariti, A.; Nath, M.

    2015-03-01

    This article provides a comprehensive guide on the synthesis and characterization of superparamagnetic CoAs nanoparticles and elongated nanostructures with high blocking temperature, (TB), via hot-injection precipitation and solvothermal methods. Cobalt arsenides constitute an important family of magnetically active solids that find a variety of applications ranging from magnetic semiconductors to biomedical imaging. While the higher temperature hot-injection precipitation technique (300 °C) yields pure CoAs nanostructures, the lower temperature solvothermal method (200 °C) yields a mixture of CoAs nanoparticles along with other Co-based impurity phases. The synthesis in all these cases involved usage of triphenylarsine ((C6H5)3As) as the As precursor which reacts with solid Co2(CO)8 by ligand displacement to yield a single source precursor. The surfactant, hexadecylamine (HDA) further assists in controlling the morphology of the nanostructures. HDA also provides a basic medium and molten flux-like conditions for the redox chemistry to occur between Co and As at elevated temperatures. The influence of the length of reaction time was investigated by studying the evolution of product morphology over time. It was observed that while spontaneous nucleation at higher temperature followed by controlled growth led to the predominant formation of short nanorods, with longer reaction time, the nanorods were further converted to nanoparticles. The size of the nanoparticles obtained, was mostly in the range of 10-15 nm. The key finding of this work is exceptionally high coercivity in CoAs nanostructures for the first time. Coercivity observed was as high as 0.1 T (1000 Oe) at 2 K. These kinds of magnetic nanostructures find multiple applications in spintronics, whereas the superparamagnetic nanoparticles are viable for use in magnetic storage, ferrofluids and as contrast enhancing agents in MRI.

  13. Regulation of schistosome egg production by HMG CoA reductase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    VandeWaa, E.A.; Bennett, J.L.

    1986-01-01

    Hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMG CoA reductase) catalyzes the conversion of HMG CoA to mevalonate in the synthesis of steroids, isoprenoids and terpenes. Mevinolin, an inhibitor of this enzyme, decreased egg production in Schistosoma mansoni during in vitro incubations. This was associated with a reduction in the incorporation of 14 C-acetate into polyisoprenoids and a reduction in the formation of a lipid-linked oligosaccharide. In vivo, mevinolin in daily doses of 50 mg/kg (p.o., from days 30-48 post-infection) caused no change in gross liver pathology in S. mansoni infected mice. However, when parasites exposed to mevinolin or its vehicle in vivo were cultured in vitro, worms from mevinolin-treated mice produced six times more eggs than control parasites. When infected mice were dosed with 250 mg/kg mevinolin daily (p.o., from days 35-45 post-infection), liver pathology was reduced in comparison to control mice. Thus, during in vivo exposure to a high dose of the drug egg production is decreased, while at a lower dose it appears unaffected until the parasites are cultured in a drug-free in vitro system wherein egg production is stimulated to extraordinarily high levels. It may be that at low doses mevinolin, by inhibiting the enzyme, is blocking the formation of a product (such as an isoprenoid) which normally acts to down-regulate enzyme synthesis, resulting in enzyme induction. Induction of HMG CoA reductase is then expressed as increased egg production when the worms are removed from the drug. These data suggest that HMG CoA reductase plays a role in schistosome egg production

  14. The Antibiotic CJ-15,801 is an Antimetabolite which Hijacks and then Inhibits CoA Biosynthesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Westhuyzen, Renier; Hammons, Justin C.; Meier, Jordan L.; Dahesh, Samira; Moolman, Wessel J. A.; Pelly, Stephen C.; Nizet, Victor; Burkart, Michael D.; Strauss, Erick

    2012-01-01

    SUMMARY The natural product CJ-15,801 is an inhibitor of Staphylococcus aureus, but not other bacteria. Its close structural resemblance to pantothenic acid, the vitamin precursor of coenzyme A (CoA), and its Michael acceptor moiety suggest that it irreversibly inhibits an enzyme involved in CoA biosynthesis or utilization. However, its mode of action and the basis for its specificity have not been elucidated to date. We demonstrate that CJ-15,801 is transformed by the uniquely selective S. aureus pantothenate kinase, the first CoA biosynthetic enzyme, into a substrate for the next enzyme, phosphopantothenoylcysteine synthetase, which is inhibited through formation of a tight-binding structural mimic of its native reaction intermediate. These findings reveal CJ-15,801 as a vitamin biosynthetic pathway antimetabolite with a mechanism similar to that of the sulfonamide antibiotics, and highlight CoA biosynthesis as a viable antimicrobial drug target. PMID:22633408

  15. Structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis phosphopantetheine adenylyltransferase in complex with the feedback inhibitor CoA reveals only one active-site conformation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wubben, T.; Mesecar, A.D. (Purdue); (UIC)

    2014-10-02

    Phosphopantetheine adenylyltransferase (PPAT) catalyzes the penultimate step in the coenzyme A (CoA) biosynthetic pathway, reversibly transferring an adenylyl group from ATP to 4'-phosphopantetheine to form dephosphocoenzyme A (dPCoA). To complement recent biochemical and structural studies on Mycobacterium tuberculosis PPAT (MtPPAT) and to provide further insight into the feedback regulation of MtPPAT by CoA, the X-ray crystal structure of the MtPPAT enzyme in complex with CoA was determined to 2.11 {angstrom} resolution. Unlike previous X-ray crystal structures of PPAT-CoA complexes from other bacteria, which showed two distinct CoA conformations bound to the active site, only one conformation of CoA is observed in the MtPPAT-CoA complex.

  16. Purification, gene cloning, and characterization of γ-butyrobetainyl CoA synthetase from Agrobacterium sp. 525a.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujimitsu, Hiroshi; Matsumoto, Akira; Takubo, Sayaka; Fukui, Akiko; Okada, Kazuma; Mohamed Ahmed, Isam A; Arima, Jiro; Mori, Nobuhiro

    2016-08-01

    The report is the first of purification, overproduction, and characterization of a unique γ-butyrobetainyl CoA synthetase from soil-isolated Agrobacterium sp. 525a. The primary structure of the enzyme shares 70-95% identity with those of ATP-dependent microbial acyl-CoA synthetases of the Rhizobiaceae family. As distinctive characteristics of the enzyme of this study, ADP was released in the catalytic reaction process, whereas many acyl CoA synthetases are annotated as an AMP-forming enzyme. The apparent Km values for γ-butyrobetaine, CoA, and ATP were, respectively, 0.69, 0.02, and 0.24 mM.

  17. Mutations in COA3 cause isolated complex IV deficiency associated with neuropathy, exercise intolerance, obesity, and short stature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ostergaard, Elsebet; Weraarpachai, Woranontee; Ravn, Kirstine; Born, Alfred Peter; Jønson, Lars; Duno, Morten; Wibrand, Flemming; Shoubridge, Eric A; Vissing, John

    2015-03-01

    We investigated a subject with an isolated cytochrome c oxidase (COX) deficiency presenting with an unusual phenotype characterised by neuropathy, exercise intolerance, obesity, and short stature. Blue-native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (BN-PAGE) analysis showed an almost complete lack of COX assembly in subject fibroblasts, consistent with the very low enzymatic activity, and pulse-labelling mitochondrial translation experiments showed a specific decrease in synthesis of the COX1 subunit, the core catalytic subunit that nucleates assembly of the holoenzyme. Whole exome sequencing identified compound heterozygous mutations (c.199dupC, c.215A>G) in COA3, a small inner membrane COX assembly factor, resulting in a pronounced decrease in the steady-state levels of COA3 protein. Retroviral expression of a wild-type COA3 cDNA completely rescued the COX assembly and mitochondrial translation defects, confirming the pathogenicity of the mutations, and resulted in increased steady-state levels of COX1 in control cells, demonstrating a role for COA3 in the stabilisation of this subunit. COA3 exists in an early COX assembly complex that contains COX1 and other COX assembly factors including COX14 (C12orf62), another single pass transmembrane protein that also plays a role in coupling COX1 synthesis with holoenzyme assembly. Immunoblot analysis showed that COX14 was undetectable in COA3 subject fibroblasts, and that COA3 was undetectable in fibroblasts from a COX14 subject, demonstrating the interdependence of these two COX assembly factors. The mild clinical course in this patient contrasts with nearly all other cases of severe COX assembly defects that are usually fatal early in life, and underscores the marked tissue-specific involvement in mitochondrial diseases. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  18. Analysis of aromatic catabolic pathways in Pseudomonas putida KT 2440 using a combined proteomic approach: 2-DE/MS and cleavable isotope-coded affinity tag analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Young Hwan; Cho, Kun; Yun, Sung-Ho; Kim, Jin Young; Kwon, Kyung-Hoon; Yoo, Jong Shin; Kim, Seung Il

    2006-02-01

    Proteomic analysis of Pseudomonas putida KT2440 cultured in monocyclic aromatic compounds was performed using 2-DE/MS and cleavable isotope-coded affinity tag (ICAT) to determine whether proteins involved in aromatic compound degradation pathways were altered as predicted by genomic analysis (Jiménez et al., Environ Microbiol. 2002, 4, 824-841). Eighty unique proteins were identified by 2-DE/MS or MS/MS analysis from P. putida KT2440 cultured in the presence of six different organic compounds. Benzoate dioxygenase (BenA, BenD) and catechol 1,2-dioxygenase (CatA) were induced by benzoate. Protocatechuate 3,4-dixoygenase (PcaGH) was induced by p-hydroxybenzoate and vanilline. beta-Ketoadipyl CoA thiolase (PcaF) and 3-oxoadipate enol-lactone hydrolase (PcaD) were induced by benzoate, p-hydroxybenzoate and vanilline, suggesting that benzoate, p-hydroxybenzoate and vanilline were degraded by different dioxygenases and then converged in the same beta-ketoadipate degradation pathway. An additional 110 proteins, including 19 proteins from 2-DE analysis, were identified by cleavable ICAT analysis for benzoate-induced proteomes, which complemented the 2-DE results. Phenylethylamine exposure induced beta-ketoacyl CoA thiolase (PhaD) and ring-opening enzyme (PhaL), both enzymes of the phenylacetate (pha) biodegradation pathway. Phenylalanine induced 4-hydroxyphenyl-pyruvate dioxygenase (Hpd) and homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase (HmgA), key enzymes in the homogentisate degradation pathway. Alkyl hydroperoxide reductase (AphC) was induced under all aromatic compounds conditions. These results suggest that proteome analysis complements and supports predictive information obtained by genomic sequence analysis.

  19. CoCoa: a software tool for estimating the coefficient of coancestry from multilocus genotype data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maenhout, Steven; De Baets, Bernard; Haesaert, Geert

    2009-10-15

    Phenotypic data collected in breeding programs and marker-trait association studies are often analyzed by means of linear mixed models. In these models, the covariance between the genetic background effects of all genotypes under study is modeled by means of pairwise coefficients of coancestry. Several marker-based coancestry estimation procedures allow to estimate this covariance matrix, but generally introduce a certain amount of bias when the examined genotypes are part of a breeding program. CoCoa implements the most commonly used marker-based coancestry estimation procedures and as such, allows to select the best fitting covariance structure for the phenotypic data at hand. This better model fit translates into an increased power and improved type I error control in association studies and an improved accuracy in phenotypic prediction studies. The presented software package also provides an implementation of the new Weighted Alikeness in State (WAIS) estimator for use in hybrid breeding programs. Besides several matrix manipulation tools, CoCoa implements two different bending heuristics, in case the inverse of an ill-conditioned coancestry matrix estimate is needed. The software package CoCoa is freely available at http://webs.hogent.be/cocoa. Source code, manual, binaries for 32 and 64-bit Linux systems and an installer for Microsoft Windows are provided. The core components of CoCoa are written in C++, while the graphical user interface is written in Java.

  20. Cyclopiazonic acid biosynthesis in Aspergillus sp.: characterization of a reductase-like R* domain in cyclopiazonate synthetase that forms and releases cyclo-acetoacetyl-L-tryptophan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Xinyu; Walsh, Christopher T

    2009-09-15

    The fungal neurotoxin alpha-cyclopiazonic acid (CPA), a nanomolar inhibitor of Ca2+-ATPase, has a pentacyclic indole tetramic acid scaffold that arises from one molecule of tryptophan, acetyl-CoA, malonyl-CoA, and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate by consecutive action of three enzymes, CpaS, CpaD, and CpaO. CpaS is a hybrid, two module polyketide synthase-nonribosomal peptide synthetase (PKS-NRPS) that makes and releases cyclo-acetoacetyl-L-tryptophan (cAATrp), the tetramic acid that serves as substrate for subsequent prenylation and oxidative cyclization to the five ring CPA scaffold. The NRPS module in CpaS has a predicted four-domain organization of condensation, adenylation, thiolation, and reductase* (C-A-T-R*), where R* lacks the critical Ser-Tyr-Lys catalytic triad of the short chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) superfamily. By heterologous overproduction in Escherichia coli of the 56 kDa Aspergillus flavus CpaS TR* didomain and the single T and R* domains, we demonstrate that CpaS catalyzes a Dieckmann-type cyclization on the N-acetoacetyl-Trp intermediate bound in thioester linkage to the phosphopantetheinyl arm of the T domain to form and release cAATrp. This occurs without any participation of NAD(P)H, so R* does not function as a canonical SDR family member. Use of the T and R* domains in in trans assays enabled multiple turnovers and evaluation of specific mutants. Mutation of the D3803 residue in the R* domain, conserved in other fungal tetramate synthetases, abolished activity both in in trans and in cis (TR*) activity assays. It is likely that cyclization of beta-ketoacylaminoacyl-S-pantetheinyl intermediates to released tetramates represents a default cyclization/release route for redox-incompetent R* domains embedded in NRPS assembly lines.

  1. Endophilin-A1 BAR domain interaction with arachidonyl CoA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petoukhov, Maxim V; Weissenhorn, Winfried; Svergun, Dmitri I

    2014-01-01

    Endophilin-A1 belongs to the family of BAR domain containing proteins that catalyze membrane remodeling processes via sensing, inducing and stabilizing membrane curvature. We show that the BAR domain of endophilin-A1 binds arachidonic acid and molds its coenzyme A (CoA) activated form, arachidonyl-CoA into a defined structure. We studied low resolution structures of endophilin-A1-BAR and its complex with arachidonyl-CoA in solution using synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The free endophilin-A1-BAR domain is shown to be dimeric at lower concentrations but builds tetramers and higher order complexes with increasing concentrations. Extensive titration SAXS studies revealed that the BAR domain produces a homogenous complex with the lipid micelles. The structural model of the complexes revealed two arachidonyl-CoA micelles bound to the distal arms of an endophilin-A1-BAR dimer. Intriguingly, the radius of the bound micelles significantly decreases compared to that of the free micelles, and this structural result may provide hints on the potential biological relevance of the endophilin-A1-BAR interaction with arachidonyl CoA.

  2. A Chemo-Enzymatic Road Map to the Synthesis of CoA Esters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dominik M. Peter

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Coenzyme A (CoA is a ubiquitous cofactor present in every known organism. The thioesters of CoA are core intermediates in many metabolic processes, such as the citric acid cycle, fatty acid biosynthesis and secondary metabolism, including polyketide biosynthesis. Synthesis of CoA-thioesters is vital for the study of CoA-dependent enzymes and pathways, but also as standards for metabolomics studies. In this work we systematically tested five chemo-enzymatic methods for the synthesis of the three most abundant acyl-CoA thioester classes in biology; saturated acyl-CoAs, α,β-unsaturated acyl-CoAs (i.e., enoyl-CoA derivatives, and α-carboxylated acyl-CoAs (i.e., malonyl-CoA derivatives. Additionally we report on the substrate promiscuity of three newly described acyl-CoA dehydrogenases that allow the simple conversion of acyl-CoAs into enoyl-CoAs. With these five methods, we synthesized 26 different CoA-thioesters with a yield of 40% or higher. The CoA esters produced range from short- to long-chain, include branched and α,β-unsaturated representatives as well as other functional groups. Based on our results we provide a general guideline to the optimal synthesis method of a given CoA-thioester in respect to its functional group(s and the commercial availability of the precursor molecule. The proposed synthetic routes can be performed in small scale and do not require special chemical equipment, making them convenient also for biological laboratories.

  3. Biotin augments acetyl CoA carboxylase 2 gene expression in the hypothalamus, leading to the suppression of food intake in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sone, Hideyuki; Kamiyama, Shin; Higuchi, Mutsumi; Fujino, Kaho; Kubo, Shizuka; Miyazawa, Masami; Shirato, Saya; Hiroi, Yuka; Shiozawa, Kota

    2016-07-29

    It is known that biotin prevents the development of diabetes by increasing the functions of pancreatic beta-cells and improving insulin sensitivity in the periphery. However, its anti-obesity effects such as anorectic effects remain to be clarified. Acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC), a biotin-dependent enzyme, has two isoforms (ACC1 and ACC2) and serves to catalyze the reaction of acetyl CoA to malonyl CoA. In the hypothalamus, ACC2 increases the production of malonyl CoA, which acts as a satiety signal. In this study, we investigated whether biotin increases the gene expression of ACC2 in the hypothalamus and suppresses food intake in mice administered excessive biotin. Food intake was significantly decreased by biotin, but plasma regulators of appetite, including glucose, ghrelin, and leptin, were not affected. On the other hand, biotin notably accumulated in the hypothalamus and enhanced ACC2 gene expression there, but it did not change the gene expression of ACC1, malonyl CoA decarboxylase (a malonyl CoA-degrading enzyme), and AMP-activated protein kinase α-2 (an ACC-inhibitory enzyme). These findings strongly suggest that biotin potentiates the suppression of appetite by upregulating ACC2 gene expression in the hypothalamus. This effect of biotin may contribute to the prevention of diabetes by biotin treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Biochemical characterization of recombinant cinnamoyl CoA reductase 1 (Ll-CCRH1) from Leucaena leucocephala.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sonawane, Prashant; Vishwakarma, Rishi Kishore; Khan, Bashir M

    2013-07-01

    Recombinant cinnamoyl CoA reductase 1 (Ll-CCRH1) protein from Leucaena leucocephala was overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) strain and purified to apparent homogeneity. Optimum pH for forward and reverse reaction was found to be 6.5 and 7.8 respectively. The enzyme was most stable around pH 6.5 at 25°C for 90 min. The enzyme showed Kcat/Km for feruloyl, caffeoyl, sinapoyl, coumaroyl CoA, coniferaldehyde and sinapaldehyde as 4.6, 2.4, 2.3, 1.7, 1.9 and 1.2 (×10(6) M(-1) s(-1)), respectively, indicating affinity of enzyme for feruloyl CoA over other substrates and preference of reduction reaction over oxidation. Activation energy, Ea for various substrates was found to be in the range of 20-50 kJ/mol. Involvement of probable carboxylate ion, histidine, lysine or tyrosine at the active site of enzyme was predicted by pH activity profile. SAXS studies of protein showed radius 3.04 nm and volume 49.25 nm(3) with oblate ellipsoid shape. Finally, metal ion inhibition studies revealed that Ll-CCRH1 is a metal independent enzyme. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Flexible DAQ card for detector systems utilizing the CoaXPress communication standard

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Neue, G.; Hejtmánek, M.; Marčišovský, M.; Voleš, P.

    2015-01-01

    This work concerns the design and construction of a flexible FPGA based data acquisition system aimed for particle detectors. The interface card as presented was designed for large area detectors with millions of individual readout channels. Flexibility was achieved by partitioning the design into multiple PCBs, creating a set of modular blocks, allowing the creation of a wide variety of configurations by simply stacking functional PCBs together. This way the user can easily toggle the polarity of the high voltage bias supply or switch the downstream interface from CoaXPress to PCIe or stream directly HDMI. We addressed the issues of data throughput, data buffering, bias voltage generation, trigger timing and fine tuning of the whole readout chain enabling a smooth data transmission. On the current prototype, we have wire-bonded a MediPix2 MXR quad and connected it to a XILINX FPGA. For the downstream interface, we implemented the CoaXPress communication protocol, which enables us to stream data at 3.125 Gbps to a standard PC

  6. Kinetic properties and inhibition of Trypanosoma cruzi 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hurtado-Guerrrero, Ramón; Pena Diaz, Javier; Montalvetti, Andrea

    2002-01-01

    A detailed kinetic analysis of the recombinant soluble enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase (HMGR) from Trypanosoma cruzi has been performed. The enzyme catalyzes the normal anabolic reaction and the reductant is NADPH. It also catalyzes the oxidation of mevalonate but at a lower propo...

  7. Production of (R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid by Arxula adeninivorans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biernacki, Mateusz; Riechen, Jan; Hähnel, Urs; Roick, Thomas; Baronian, Kim; Bode, Rüdiger; Kunze, Gotthard

    2017-12-01

    (R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid can be used in industrial and health applications. The synthesis pathway comprises two enzymes, β-ketothiolase and acetoacetyl-CoA reductase which convert cytoplasmic acetyl-CoA to (R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid [(R)-3-HB] which is released into the culture medium. In the present study we used the non-conventional yeast, Arxula adeninivorans, for the synthesis enantiopure (R)-3-HB. To establish optimal production, we investigated three different endogenous yeast thiolases (Akat1p, Akat2p, Akat4p) and three bacterial thiolases (atoBp, thlp, phaAp) in combination with an enantiospecific reductase (phaBp) from Cupriavidus necator H16 and endogenous yeast reductases (Atpk2p, Afox2p). We found that Arxula is able to release (R)-3-HB used an existing secretion system negating the need to engineer membrane transport. Overexpression of thl and phaB genes in organisms cultured in a shaking flask resulted in 4.84 g L -1 (R)-3-HB, at a rate of 0.023 g L -1  h -1 over 214 h. Fed-batch culturing with glucose as a carbon source did not improve the yield, but a similar level was reached with a shorter incubation period [3.78 g L -1 of (R)-3-HB at 89 h] and the rate of production was doubled to 0.043 g L -1  h -1 which is higher than any levels in yeast reported to date. The secreted (R)-3-HB was 99.9% pure. This is the first evidence of enantiopure (R)-3-HB synthesis using yeast as a production host and glucose as a carbon source.

  8. Insulin signaling regulates fatty acid catabolism at the level of CoA activation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaojun Xu

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The insulin/IGF signaling pathway is a highly conserved regulator of metabolism in flies and mammals, regulating multiple physiological functions including lipid metabolism. Although insulin signaling is known to regulate the activity of a number of enzymes in metabolic pathways, a comprehensive understanding of how the insulin signaling pathway regulates metabolic pathways is still lacking. Accepted knowledge suggests the key regulated step in triglyceride (TAG catabolism is the release of fatty acids from TAG via the action of lipases. We show here that an additional, important regulated step is the activation of fatty acids for beta-oxidation via Acyl Co-A synthetases (ACS. We identify pudgy as an ACS that is transcriptionally regulated by direct FOXO action in Drosophila. Increasing or reducing pudgy expression in vivo causes a decrease or increase in organismal TAG levels respectively, indicating that pudgy expression levels are important for proper lipid homeostasis. We show that multiple ACSs are also transcriptionally regulated by insulin signaling in mammalian cells. In sum, we identify fatty acid activation onto CoA as an important, regulated step in triglyceride catabolism, and we identify a mechanistic link through which insulin regulates lipid homeostasis.

  9. Studies of Human 2,4-Dienoyl CoA Reductase Shed New Light on Peroxisomal β-Oxidation of Unsaturated Fatty Acids

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hua, Tian; Wu, Dong; Ding, Wei; Wang, Jiangyun; Shaw, Neil; Liu, Zhi-Jie [Nankai; (Chinese Aca. Sci.)

    2012-10-15

    Peroxisomes play an essential role in maintaining fatty acid homeostasis. Although mitochondria are also known to participate in the catabolism of fatty acids via β-oxidation, differences exist between the peroxisomal and mitochondrial β-oxidation. Only peroxisomes, but not mitochondrion, can shorten very long chain fatty acids. Here, we describe the crystal structure of a ternary complex of peroxisomal 2,4-dienoyl CoA reductases (pDCR) with hexadienoyl CoA and NADP, as a prototype for comparison with the mitochondrial 2,4-dienoyl CoA reductase (mDCR) to shed light on the differences between the enzymes from the two organelles at the molecular level. Unexpectedly, the structure of pDCR refined to 1.84 Å resolution reveals the absence of the tyrosine-serine pair seen in the active site of mDCR, which together with a lysine and an asparagine have been deemed a hallmark of the SDR family of enzymes. Instead, aspartate hydrogen-bonded to the Cα hydroxyl via a water molecule seems to perturb the water molecule for protonation of the substrate. Our studies provide the first structural evidence for participation of water in the DCR-catalyzed reactions. Biochemical studies and structural analysis suggest that pDCRs can catalyze the shortening of six-carbon-long substrates in vitro. However, the Km values of pDCR for short chain acyl CoAs are at least 6-fold higher than those for substrates with 10 or more aliphatic carbons. Unlike mDCR, hinge movements permit pDCR to process very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids.

  10. Molecular analysis of virulent genes (coa and spa) of staphylococcus aureus involved in natural cases of bovine mastitis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khan, A.; Javed, M.T.; Mahmood, F.; Hussain, R.

    2013-01-01

    The present study was undertaken to determine the distribution and genotypic characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus isolates recovered from naturally occurring mastitis in cattle and buffaloes. For this purpose a total of 1445 lactating cattle (653) and buffaloes (792) present at two experimental livestock farms Okara (Bahadarnagar) and Sahiwal (Qadiarabad), in and around district Faisalabad and slaughtered at an abattoir due to low milk yield and were screened for mastitis. California Mastitis Test (CMT) was used to detect sub clinical mastitis. The positive quarter milk samples were collected for culturing of S. aureus isolates. taphylococcus aureus isolates were identified on the basis of growth features, biochemical characteristics, coagulase test and as well as amplification of coagulase (coa) and spa (spa-X) genes specific to its virulence. S. aureus isolates (n=265) were characterized by Polymerase chain reaction to determine the frequency of coagulase (coa) and spa (spa-X) genes. From these isolates the amplification of the coagulase (coa) gene yielded three different PCR products approximately 204bp to 490bp while spa (spa-X) gene produced five different products ranging in size from 190bp to 320bp. PCR revealed that from all the coagulase positive S. aureus isolates 261(98.5%) had spa (spa-X) gene. The results of the present study indicated that S. aureus isolates recovered from bovine mastitis were genetically different within and among the various herds which may provide essential and valuable strategies to control staphylococcal infections in future. (author)

  11. Molecular analysis of virulent genes (coa and spa) of staphylococcus aureus involved in natural cases of bovine mastitis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Khan, A.; Javed, M. T.; Mahmood, F. [University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (Pakistan). Dept. of Pathology; Hussain, R. [The Islamia Univ. of Bahawalpur, Pakistan (Pakistan). Dept. of Veterinary and Animal Sciences

    2013-12-15

    The present study was undertaken to determine the distribution and genotypic characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus isolates recovered from naturally occurring mastitis in cattle and buffaloes. For this purpose a total of 1445 lactating cattle (653) and buffaloes (792) present at two experimental livestock farms Okara (Bahadarnagar) and Sahiwal (Qadiarabad), in and around district Faisalabad and slaughtered at an abattoir due to low milk yield and were screened for mastitis. California Mastitis Test (CMT) was used to detect sub clinical mastitis. The positive quarter milk samples were collected for culturing of S. aureus isolates. taphylococcus aureus isolates were identified on the basis of growth features, biochemical characteristics, coagulase test and as well as amplification of coagulase (coa) and spa (spa-X) genes specific to its virulence. S. aureus isolates (n=265) were characterized by Polymerase chain reaction to determine the frequency of coagulase (coa) and spa (spa-X) genes. From these isolates the amplification of the coagulase (coa) gene yielded three different PCR products approximately 204bp to 490bp while spa (spa-X) gene produced five different products ranging in size from 190bp to 320bp. PCR revealed that from all the coagulase positive S. aureus isolates 261(98.5%) had spa (spa-X) gene. The results of the present study indicated that S. aureus isolates recovered from bovine mastitis were genetically different within and among the various herds which may provide essential and valuable strategies to control staphylococcal infections in future. (author)

  12. CoaSim: A Flexible Environment for Simulating Genetic Data under Coalescent Models

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mailund; Schierup, Mikkel Heide; Pedersen, Christian Nørgaard Storm

    2005-01-01

    get insight into these. Results We have created the CoaSim application as a flexible environment for Monte various types of genetic data under equilibrium and non-equilibrium coalescent variety of applications. Interaction with the tool is through the Guile version scripting language. Scheme scripts......Background Coalescent simulations are playing a large role in interpreting large scale intra- polymorphism surveys and for planning and evaluating association studies. Coalescent of data sets under different models can be compared to the actual data to test different evolutionary factors and thus...

  13. Chromium downregulates the expression of Acetyl CoA Carboxylase 1 gene in lipogenic tissues of domestic goats: a potential strategy for meat quality improvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Najafpanah, Mohammad Javad; Sadeghi, Mostafa; Zali, Abolfazl; Moradi-Shahrebabak, Hossein; Mousapour, Hojatollah

    2014-06-15

    Acetyl CoA Carboxylase 1 (ACC1) is a biotin-dependent enzyme that catalyzes the carboxylation of Acetyl CoA to form Malonyl CoA, the key intermediate metabolite in fatty acid synthesis. In this study, the mRNA expression of the ACC1 gene was evaluated in four different tissues (liver, visceral fat, subcutaneous fat, and longissimus muscle) of the domestic goat (Capra hircus) kids feeding on four different levels of trivalent chromium (0, 0.5, 1, and 1.5mg/day) as food supplementation. RT-qPCR technique was used for expression analyses and heat shock protein 90 gene (HSP-90) was considered as reference gene for data normalization. Our results revealed that 1.5mg/day chromium significantly reduced the expression of the ACC1 gene in liver, visceral fat, and subcutaneous fat tissues, but not in longissimus muscles (Pmeat quality in domestic animals. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. 12-Oxo-Phytodienoic Acid Accumulation during Seed Development Represses Seed Germination in Arabidopsis[C][W][OA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dave, Anuja; Hernández, M. Luisa; He, Zhesi; Andriotis, Vasilios M.E.; Vaistij, Fabián E.; Larson, Tony R.; Graham, Ian A.

    2011-01-01

    Arabidopsis thaliana COMATOSE (CTS) encodes an ABC transporter involved in peroxisomal import of substrates for β-oxidation. Various cts alleles and mutants disrupted in steps of peroxisomal β-oxidation have previously been reported to exhibit a severe block on seed germination. Oxylipin analysis on cts, acyl CoA oxidase1 acyl CoA oxidase2 (acx1 acx2), and keto acyl thiolase2 dry seeds revealed that they contain elevated levels of 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid (OPDA), jasmonic acid (JA), and JA-Ile. Oxylipin and transcriptomic analysis showed that accumulation of these oxylipins occurs during late seed maturation in cts. Analysis of double mutants generated by crossing cts with mutants in the JA biosynthesis pathway indicate that OPDA, rather than JA or JA-Ile, contributes to the block on germination in cts seeds. We found that OPDA was more effective at inhibiting wild-type germination than was JA and that this effect was independent of CORONATINE INSENSITIVE1 but was synergistic with abscisic acid (ABA). Consistent with this, OPDA treatment increased ABA INSENSITIVE5 protein abundance in a manner that parallels the inhibitory effect of OPDA and OPDA+ABA on seed germination. These results demonstrate that OPDA acts along with ABA to regulate seed germination in Arabidopsis. PMID:21335376

  15. Synthesis of O-[11C]acetyl CoA, O-[11C]acetyl-L-carnitine, and L-[11C]carnitine labelled in specific positions, applied in PET studies on rhesus monkey

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jacobson, Gunilla B.; Watanabe, Yasuyoshi; Valind, Sven; Kuratsune, Hirohiko; Laangstroem, Bengt

    1997-01-01

    The syntheses of L-carnitine, O-acetyl CoA, and O-acetyl-L-carnitine labelled with 11 C at the 1- or 2-position of the acetyl group or the N-methyl position of carnitine, using the enzymes acetyl CoA synthetase and carnitine acetyltransferase, are described. With a total synthesis time of 45 min, O-[1- 11 C]acetyl CoA and O-[2- 11 C]acetyl CoA was obtained in 60-70% decay-corrected radiochemical yield, and O-[1- 11 C]acetyl-L-carnitine and O-[2- 11 C]acetyl-L-carnitine in 70-80% yield, based on [1- 11 C]acetate or [2- 11 C]acetate, respectively. By an N-methylation reaction with [ 11 C]methyl iodide, L-[methyl- 11 C]carnitine was obtained within 30 min, and O-acetyl-L-[methyl- 11 C]carnitine within 40 min, giving a decay-corrected radiochemical yield of 60% and 40-50%, respectively, based on [ 11 C]methyl iodide. Initial data of the kinetics of the different 11 C-labelled L-carnitine and acetyl-L-carnitines in renal cortex of anaesthetized monkey (Macaca mulatta) are presented

  16. The development of a decision analytic model of changes in mean deviation in people with glaucoma: the COA model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kymes, Steven M; Lambert, Dennis L; Lee, Paul P; Musch, David C; Siegfried, Carla J; Kotak, Sameer V; Stwalley, Dustin L; Fain, Joel; Johnson, Chris; Gordon, Mae O

    2012-07-01

    To create and validate a statistical model predicting progression of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) assessed by loss of visual field as measured in mean deviation (MD) using 3 landmark studies of glaucoma progression and treatment. A Markov decision analytic model using patient level data described longitudinal MD changes over 7 years. Patient-level data from the Collaborative Initial Glaucoma Treatment Study (n = 607), the Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study (OHTS; n = 148; only those who developed POAG in the first 5 years of OHTS) and Advanced Glaucoma Intervention Study (n = 591), the COA model. We developed a Markov model with transition matrices stratified by current MD, age, race, and intraocular pressure categories and used a microsimulation approach to estimate change in MD over 7 years. Internal validation compared model prediction for 7 years to actual MD for COA participants. External validation used a cohort of glaucoma patients drawn from university clinical practices. Change in visual field as measured in MD in decibels (dB). Regressing the actual MD against the predicted produced an R(2) of 0.68 for the right eye and 0.63 for the left. The model predicted ending MD for right eyes of 65% of participants and for 63% of left eyes within 3 dB of actual results at 7 years. In external validation the model had an R(2) of 0.79 in the right eye and 0.77 in the left at 5 years. The COA model is a validated tool for clinicians, patients, and health policy makers seeking to understand longitudinal changes in MD in people with glaucoma. Copyright © 2012 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Synthesis of O-[{sup 11}C]acetyl CoA, O-[{sup 11}C]acetyl-L-carnitine, and L-[{sup 11}C]carnitine labelled in specific positions, applied in PET studies on rhesus monkey

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jacobson, Gunilla B.; Watanabe, Yasuyoshi; Valind, Sven; Kuratsune, Hirohiko; Laangstroem, Bengt

    1997-07-01

    The syntheses of L-carnitine, O-acetyl CoA, and O-acetyl-L-carnitine labelled with {sup 11}C at the 1- or 2-position of the acetyl group or the N-methyl position of carnitine, using the enzymes acetyl CoA synthetase and carnitine acetyltransferase, are described. With a total synthesis time of 45 min, O-[1-{sup 11}C]acetyl CoA and O-[2-{sup 11}C]acetyl CoA was obtained in 60-70% decay-corrected radiochemical yield, and O-[1-{sup 11}C]acetyl-L-carnitine and O-[2-{sup 11}C]acetyl-L-carnitine in 70-80% yield, based on [1-{sup 11}C]acetate or [2-{sup 11}C]acetate, respectively. By an N-methylation reaction with [{sup 11}C]methyl iodide, L-[methyl-{sup 11}C]carnitine was obtained within 30 min, and O-acetyl-L-[methyl-{sup 11}C]carnitine within 40 min, giving a decay-corrected radiochemical yield of 60% and 40-50%, respectively, based on [{sup 11}C]methyl iodide. Initial data of the kinetics of the different {sup 11}C-labelled L-carnitine and acetyl-L-carnitines in renal cortex of anaesthetized monkey (Macaca mulatta) are presented.

  18. Liberdade e coação no direito de Kant

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pinheiro, Celso de Moraes

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Kant divide a filosofia moral em duas partes: Ética e Teoria da Justiça. Cada uma é compota de diferentes descrições de deveres e direitos. A ética contém deveres e direitos internos, voluntários e não-coercitivos. A teoria da justiça contém deveres e direitos externos e coercitivos. Os dois tipos de deveres e direitos são definidos em sua relação um com o outro. O que distingue os deveres éticos, ou deveres de virtude, dos deveres jurídicos, é que a compulsão externa para o dever de virtude é baseado na livre coerção própria. Assim, a finalidade deste artigo é pesquisar a noção de dever, e a relação entre dever, liberdade e coação

  19. AMP-acetyl CoA synthetase from Leishmania donovani: identification and functional analysis of 'PX4GK' motif.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soumya, Neelagiri; Kumar, I Sravan; Shivaprasad, S; Gorakh, Landage Nitin; Dinesh, Neeradi; Swamy, Kayala Kambagiri; Singh, Sushma

    2015-04-01

    An adenosine monophosphate forming acetyl CoA synthetase (AceCS) which is the key enzyme involved in the conversion of acetate to acetyl CoA has been identified from Leishmania donovani for the first time. Sequence analysis of L. donovani AceCS (LdAceCS) revealed the presence of a 'PX4GK' motif which is highly conserved throughout organisms with higher sequence identity (96%) to lower sequence identity (38%). A ∼ 77 kDa heterologous protein with C-terminal 6X His-tag was expressed in Escherichia coli. Expression of LdAceCS in promastigotes was confirmed by western blot and RT-PCR analysis. Immunolocalization studies revealed that it is a cytosolic protein. We also report the kinetic characterization of recombinant LdAceCS with acetate, adenosine 5'-triphosphate, coenzyme A and propionate as substrates. Site directed mutagenesis of residues in conserved PX4GK motif of LdAceCS was performed to gain insight into its potential role in substrate binding, catalysis and its role in maintaining structural integrity of the protein. P646A, G651A and K652R exhibited more than 90% loss in activity signifying its indispensible role in the enzyme activity. Substitution of other residues in this motif resulted in altered substrate specificity and catalysis. However, none of them had any role in modulation of the secondary structure of the protein except G651A mutant. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. RNAi inhibition of feruloyl CoA 6'-hydroxylase reduces scopoletin biosynthesis and post-harvest physiological deterioration in cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) storage roots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Shi; Zainuddin, Ima M; Vanderschuren, Herve; Doughty, James; Beeching, John R

    2017-05-01

    Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a major world crop, whose storage roots provide food for over 800 million throughout the humid tropics. Despite many advantages as a crop, the development of cassava is seriously constrained by the rapid post-harvest physiological deterioration (PPD) of its roots that occurs within 24-72 h of harvest, rendering the roots unpalatable and unmarketable. PPD limits cassava's marketing possibilities in countries that are undergoing increased development and urbanisation due to growing distances between farms and consumers. The inevitable wounding of the roots caused by harvesting triggers an oxidative burst that spreads throughout the cassava root, together with the accumulation of secondary metabolites including phenolic compounds, of which the coumarin scopoletin (7-hydroxy-6-methoxy-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one) is the most abundant. Scopoletin oxidation yields a blue-black colour, which suggests its involvement in the discoloration observed during PPD. Feruloyl CoA 6'-hydroxylase is a controlling enzyme in the biosynthesis of scopoletin. The cassava genome contains a seven membered family of feruloyl CoA 6'-hydroxylase genes, four of which are expressed in the storage root and, of these, three were capable of functionally complementing Arabidopsis T-DNA insertion mutants in this gene. A RNA interference construct, designed to a highly conserved region of these genes, was used to transform cassava, where it significantly reduced feruloyl CoA 6'-hydroxylase gene expression, scopoletin accumulation and PPD symptom development. Collectively, our results provide evidence that scopoletin plays a major functional role in the development of PPD symptoms, rather than merely paralleling symptom development in the cassava storage root.

  1. Fermentation characteristics in conversion of organic acids obtained by oxidation of low-rank coals to poly({beta}-hydroxybutyrate) using A. eutrophus cells with some analysis on metabolic flux distribution; Kattan no ekisosanka de erareru yukisan wo suiso saikin wo riyoshite pori {beta}-hidorokishi rakusan (PHB) ni henkansaseru tameno baiyo kogakuteki kento to taisha ryusoku bunpu shisutemu kaiseki

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tsujimoto, Shoko.; Shin, Huidong.; Shimizu, Kazuyuki. [Kyushu Institute of Technology, Fukuoka (Japan). Department of Biochemical engineering and science; Mae, Kazuhiro.; Miura, Koichi. [Kyoto University, Kyoto (Japan). Department of Chemical Engineering

    1999-03-10

    Fermentation characteristics are investigated for the conversion of glycolate, acetate, formate, and malonate obtained by the oxidation of low-rank coals to poly ({beta}-hydrox butyrate) (PHB) using A. eutrophus cells. Based on the cultivation experiments using one of the organic acids as a sole carbon source, it is found that acetate is the most effectively converted to PHB. When mixed organic acids are used, formate is preferentially consumed, followed by acetate, and finally glycolate. Although malate can not be utilized, it is implied that it might change the pathway flux distributions based on the metabolic flux analysis. Namely, it shows competitive inhibition to succinate dehydrogenase so that its addition during fermentation results in flux reduction from succinate to maleic acid as well as glyoxylate flux and gluconeogenesis flux. It is also found that NADPH generated from isocitrate is preferentially utilized for the reaction from {alpha}-ketoglutarate to glutamate when NH{sub 3} concentration is high, while it is eventually used for the PHB production from acetoacetyl CoA as NH{sub 3} concentration decreases. (author)

  2. Inhibitory effect on in vitro LDL oxidation and HMG Co-A reductase activity of the liquid-liquid partitioned fractions of Hericium erinaceus (Bull.) Persoon (lion's mane mushroom).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahman, Mohammad Azizur; Abdullah, Noorlidah; Aminudin, Norhaniza

    2014-01-01

    Oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) has been strongly suggested as the key factor in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Mushrooms have been implicated in having preventive effects against chronic diseases due especially to their antioxidant properties. In this study, in vitro inhibitory effect of Hericium erinaceus on LDL oxidation and the activity of the cholesterol biosynthetic key enzyme, 3-hydroxy-3-methyl glutaryl coenzyme A (HMG Co-A) reductase, was evaluated using five liquid-liquid solvent fractions consisting of methanol : dichloromethane (M : DCM), hexane (HEX), dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate (EA), and aqueous residue (AQ). The hexane fraction showed the highest inhibition of oxidation of human LDL as reflected by the increased lag time (100 mins) for the formation of conjugated diene (CD) at 1 µg/mL and decreased production (68.28%, IC50 0.73 mg/mL) of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) at 1 mg/mL. It also mostly inhibited (59.91%) the activity of the HMG Co-A reductase at 10 mg/mL. The GC-MS profiling of the hexane fraction identified the presence of myconutrients: inter alia, ergosterol and linoleic acid. Thus, hexane fraction of Hericium erinaceus was found to be the most potent in vitro inhibitor of both LDL oxidation and HMG Co-A reductase activity having therapeutic potential for the prevention of oxidative stress-mediated vascular diseases.

  3. Acetyl CoA Carboxylase 2 Is Dispensable for CD8+ T Cell Responses.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jang Eun Lee

    Full Text Available Differentiation of T cells is closely associated with dynamic changes in nutrient and energy metabolism. However, the extent to which specific metabolic pathways and molecular components are determinative of CD8+ T cell fate remains unclear. It has been previously established in various tissues that acetyl CoA carboxylase 2 (ACC2 regulates fatty acid oxidation (FAO by inhibiting carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT1, a rate-limiting enzyme of FAO in mitochondria. Here, we explore the cell-intrinsic role of ACC2 in T cell immunity in response to infections. We report here that ACC2 deficiency results in a marginal increase of cellular FAO in CD8+ T cells, but does not appear to influence antigen-specific effector and memory CD8+ T cell responses during infection with listeria or lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus. These results suggest that ACC2 is dispensable for CD8+ T cell responses.

  4. Diagnostic utility of alpha-methylacyl CoA racemase (P504S) on prostate needle biopsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Zhong; Woda, Bruce A

    2004-11-01

    Alpha-methylacyl CoA racemase (AMACR), also known as P504S, was identified by the analysis of cDNA library subtraction in conjunction with high throughput microarray screening from prostate tissue and has been proven to be one of the very few biomarkers that can distinguish cancer from benign cells with high sensitivity and specificity for prostate carcinoma. It is a successful example of the translation of molecular findings into clinical practice. This review focuses on the study of AMACR (P504S) expression in small focal prostate cancer and atypical small acinar proliferation (ASAP) on needle biopsies and emphasizes the utility of AMACR (P504S) in routine surgical pathology practice. We also discuss the potential pitfalls and caveats in the interpretation of immunostaining results.

  5. Biocatalysis of a Paclitaxel Analogue: Conversion of Baccatin III to N-Debenzoyl-N-(2-furoyl)paclitaxel and Characterization of an Amino Phenylpropanoyl CoA Transferase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thornburg, Chelsea K; Walter, Tyler; Walker, Kevin D

    2017-11-07

    In this study, we demonstrate an enzyme cascade reaction using a benzoate CoA ligase (BadA), a modified nonribosomal peptide synthase (PheAT), a phenylpropanoyltransferase (BAPT), and a benzoyltransferase (NDTNBT) to produce an anticancer paclitaxel analogue and its precursor from the commercially available biosynthetic intermediate baccatin III. BAPT and NDTNBT are acyltransferases on the biosynthetic pathway to the antineoplastic drug paclitaxel in Taxus plants. For this study, we addressed the recalcitrant expression of BAPT by expressing it as a soluble maltose binding protein fusion (MBP-BAPT). Further, the preparative-scale in vitro biocatalysis of phenylisoserinyl CoA using PheAT enabled thorough kinetic analysis of MBP-BAPT, for the first time, with the cosubstrate baccatin III. The turnover rate of MBP-BAPT was calculated for the product N-debenzoylpaclitaxel, a key intermediate to various bioactive paclitaxel analogues. MBP-BAPT also converted, albeit more slowly, 10-deacetylbaccatin III to N-deacyldocetaxel, a precursor of the pharmaceutical docetaxel. With PheAT available to make phenylisoserinyl CoA and kinetic characterization of MBP-BAPT, we used Michaelis-Menten parameters of the four enzymes to adjust catalyst and substrate loads in a 200-μL one-pot reaction. This multienzyme network produced a paclitaxel analogue N-debenzoyl-N-(2-furoyl)paclitaxel (230 ng) that is more cytotoxic than paclitaxel against certain macrophage cell types. Also in this pilot reaction, the versatile N-debenzoylpaclitaxel intermediate was made at an amount 20-fold greater than the N-(2-furoyl) product. This reaction network has great potential for optimization to scale-up production and is attractive in its regioselective O- and N-acylation steps that remove protecting group manipulations used in paclitaxel analogue synthesis.

  6. Correlation of changes in rate of sterol synthesis with changes in HMG CoA reductase activity in cultured lens epithelial cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cenedella, R.J.; Hitchener, W.R.

    1986-01-01

    In the present study, the authors correlated changes in HMG CoA reductase activity with changes in relative rates of sterol synthesis measured from either 3 H 2 O or 1- 14 C-acetate for bovine lens epithelial cells cultured in the presence or absence of lipoproteins. Enzyme activity and rates of incorporation of 3 H 2 O or 1- 14 C-acetate into digitonin precipitable sterols were measured in cells on the 4th day of subculture in DMEM containing 9% whole calf serum (WM) or 9% lipoprotein deficient serum (LDM). In three experiments, HMG CoA reductase activity (U/10 6 cells) averaged 2.2 +/- 0.1 times greater for cells grown in LDM than WM. Sterol synthesis averaged 3.0 +/- 0.4 times greater when measured with 3 H 2 O and 4.0 +/- 1.1 times greater when measured with 14 C-acetate. Thus, 3 H 2 O and 14 C-acetate appear to be comparable substrates for estimating changes in relative rates of sterol synthesis by cultured cells. The larger increases in rates of sterol synthesis than in reductase activity in response to decreased cholesterol could reflect stimulation at additional metabolic steps in the cholesterol pathway beyond mevalonic acid

  7. Up-regulation of hepatic Acyl CoA: Diacylglycerol acyltransferase-1 (DGAT-1) expression in nephrotic syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaziri, Nosratola D; Kim, Choong H; Phan, Dennis; Kim, Sara; Liang, Kaihui

    2004-07-01

    Nephrotic syndrome is associated with hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and marked elevations of plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL). Hypertriglyceridemia in nephrotic syndrome is accompanied by increased hepatic fatty acid synthesis, elevated triglyceride secretion, as well as lipoprotein lipase, VLDL-receptor, and hepatic triglyceride lipase deficiencies, which lead to impaired clearance of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins. Acyl CoA: diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) is a microsomal enzyme that joins acyl CoA to 1, 2-diacylglycerol to form triglyceride. Two distinct DGATs (DGAT-1 and DGAT2) have recently been identified in the liver and other tissues. The present study tested the hypothesis that the reported increase in hepatic triglyceride secretion in nephrotic syndrome may be caused by up-regulation of DGAT. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were rendered nephrotic by two sequential injections of puromycin aminonucleoside (130 mg/kg on day 1 and 60 mg/kg on day 14) and studied on day 30. Placebo-treated rats served as controls. Hepatic DGAT-1 and DGAT-2 mRNA abundance and enzymatic activity were measured. The nephrotic group exhibited heavy proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and marked elevation of VLDL concentration. Hepatic DGAT-1 mRNA, DGAT-1, and total DGAT activity were significantly increased, whereas DGAT-2 mRNA abundance and activity were unchanged in the nephrotic rats compared to the control animals. The functional significance of elevation of DGAT activity was illustrated by the reduction in microsomal free fatty acid concentration in the liver of nephrotic animals. Nephrotic syndrome results in up-regulation of hepatic DGAT-1 expression and activity, which can potentially contribute to the associated hypertriglyceridemia by enhancing triglyceride synthesis. Thus, it appears that both depressed catabolism and increased synthetic capacity contribute to

  8. Inhibitory Effect on In Vitro LDL Oxidation and HMG Co-A Reductase Activity of the Liquid-Liquid Partitioned Fractions of Hericium erinaceus (Bull. Persoon (Lion’s Mane Mushroom

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Azizur Rahman

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL has been strongly suggested as the key factor in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Mushrooms have been implicated in having preventive effects against chronic diseases due especially to their antioxidant properties. In this study, in vitro inhibitory effect of Hericium erinaceus on LDL oxidation and the activity of the cholesterol biosynthetic key enzyme, 3-hydroxy-3-methyl glutaryl coenzyme A (HMG Co-A reductase, was evaluated using five liquid-liquid solvent fractions consisting of methanol : dichloromethane (M : DCM, hexane (HEX, dichloromethane (DCM, ethyl acetate (EA, and aqueous residue (AQ. The hexane fraction showed the highest inhibition of oxidation of human LDL as reflected by the increased lag time (100 mins for the formation of conjugated diene (CD at 1 µg/mL and decreased production (68.28%, IC50 0.73 mg/mL of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS at 1 mg/mL. It also mostly inhibited (59.91% the activity of the HMG Co-A reductase at 10 mg/mL. The GC-MS profiling of the hexane fraction identified the presence of myconutrients: inter alia, ergosterol and linoleic acid. Thus, hexane fraction of Hericium erinaceus was found to be the most potent in vitro inhibitor of both LDL oxidation and HMG Co-A reductase activity having therapeutic potential for the prevention of oxidative stress-mediated vascular diseases.

  9. Fatty acid CoA ligase-4 gene polymorphism influences fatty acid metabolism in metabolic syndrome, but not in depression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeman, Miroslav; Vecka, Marek; Jáchymová, Marie; Jirák, Roman; Tvrzická, Eva; Stanková, Barbora; Zák, Ales

    2009-04-01

    The composition of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in cell membranes and body tissues is altered in metabolic syndrome (MetS) and depressive disorder (DD). Within the cell, fatty acid coenzyme A (CoA) ligases (FACLs) activate PUFAs by esterifying with CoA. The FACL4 isoform prefers PUFAs (arachidonic and eicosapentaenoic acid) as substrates, and the FACL4 gene is mapped to Xq23. We have analyzed the association between the common single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (rs1324805, C to T substitution) in the first intron of the FACL4 gene and MetS or DD. The study included 113 healthy subjects (54 Males/59 Females), 56 MetS patients (34M/22F) and 41 DD patients (7M/34F). In MetS group, T-carriers and patients with CC or C0 (CC/C0) genotype did not differ in the values of metabolic indices of MetS and M/F ratio. Nevertheless, in comparison with CC/C0, the T-allele carriers were characterized by enhanced unfavorable changes in fatty acid metabolism typical for MetS: higher content of dihomogammalinolenic acid (P phosphatidylcholine (PC) (P = 0.052), lower index of Delta5 desaturation (P insulin, conjugated dienes and index of insulin resistance, but showed no significant association with the studied SNP. The present study shows that the common SNP (C to T substitution) in the first intron of the FACL4 gene is associated with altered FA composition of plasma phosphatidylcholines in patients with MetS.

  10. 1200 nt rat liver mRNA identified by differential hybridization exhibits coordinate regulation with 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG CoA) reductase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanaka, R.D.; Clarke, C.F.; Fogelman, A.M.; Edwards, P.A.

    1986-01-01

    Differential hybridization has been used to identify genes in rat liver that encode transcripts which are increased by the drugs cholestyramine and mevinolin and are decreased by dietary cholesterol. This approach should prove useful in isolating and identifying coordinately regulated genes involved in the isoprene biosynthetic pathway. Rat liver poly (A) + RNA was isolated from animals fed diets supplemented with either cholestyramine and mevinolin or with cholesterol. Radiolabeled cDNAs generated from these two RNA preparations were used to screen a rat cDNAs library. A preliminary screen of 10,000 recombinants has led to the identification of a clone with an insert of 1200 bp that hybridizes to a mRNA species of about 1200 nt. The level of this RNA species in rat liver is elevated by the drugs cholestyramine and mevinolin and is decreased by cholesterol feeding. This RNA species is also decreased by mevalonate administration to rats. The regulation of this 1200 nt mRNA species mirrors that of HMG CoA reductase and HMG CoA synthase. It seems very likely that this 1200 nt mRNA encodes a polypeptide which is involved in the isoprene biosynthetic pathway

  11. Purification, molecular cloning, and expression of 2-hydroxyphytanoyl- CoA lyase, a peroxisomal thiamine pyrophosphate-dependent enzyme that catalyzes the carbon-carbon bond cleavage during à-oxidation of 3- methyl-branched fatty acids

    CERN Document Server

    Foulon, V; Croes, K; Waelkens, E

    1999-01-01

    Purification, molecular cloning, and expression of 2-hydroxyphytanoyl- CoA lyase, a peroxisomal thiamine pyrophosphate-dependent enzyme that catalyzes the carbon-carbon bond cleavage during à-oxidation of 3- methyl-branched fatty acids

  12. Determination of the quantity of acetyl CoA carboxylase by [14C]methyl avidin binding

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roman-Lopez, C.R.; Goodson, J.; Allred, J.B.

    1987-01-01

    Conditions are described under which monomeric [ 14 C]methyl avidin binds to SDS-denatured biotin enzymes and remains bound through polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The location of radioactive proteins on the dried gel was determined by fluorography and their identity was established by subunit molecular weight. The relative quantity of bound radioactive avidin, stoichiometrically equivalent to the molar quantity of biotin protein, can be determined by scanning the fluorograph with a soft laser densitometer. To determine the absolute quantity of biotin protein, the radioactive areas of the dried gel were cut out, resolubilized, and assayed for radioactivity. Since the specific radioactivity of the [ 14 C]methyl avidin was known, the quantity of avidin bound and therefore the quantity of biotin enzyme could be calculated. The method is illustrated by the analysis of purified acetyl CoA carboxylase and is applied to the analysis of biotin enzymes in isolated rat liver mitochondria

  13. Intracellular long-chain acyl CoAs activate TRPV1 channels.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yi Yu

    Full Text Available TRPV1 channels are an important class of membrane proteins that play an integral role in the regulation of intracellular cations such as calcium in many different tissue types. The anionic phospholipid phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2 is a known positive modulator of TRPV1 channels and the negatively charged phosphate groups interact with several basic amino acid residues in the proximal C-terminal TRP domain of the TRPV1 channel. We and other groups have shown that physiological sub-micromolar levels of long-chain acyl CoAs (LC-CoAs, another ubiquitous anionic lipid, can also act as positive modulators of ion channels and exchangers. Therefore, we investigated whether TRPV1 channel activity is similarly regulated by LC-CoAs. Our results show that LC-CoAs are potent activators of the TRPV1 channel and interact with the same PIP2-binding residues in TRPV1. In contrast to PIP2, LC-CoA modulation of TRPV1 is independent of Ca2+i, acting in an acyl side-chain saturation and chain-length dependent manner. Elevation of LC-CoAs in intact Jurkat T-cells leads to significant increases in agonist-induced Ca2+i levels. Our novel findings indicate that LC-CoAs represent a new fundamental mechanism for regulation of TRPV1 channel activity that may play a role in diverse cell types under physiological and pathophysiological conditions that alter fatty acid transport and metabolism such as obesity and diabetes.

  14. Succinyl-CoA:3-ketoacid CoA transferase (SCOT): cloning of the human SCOT gene, tertiary structural modeling of the human SCOT monomer, and characterization of three pathogenic mutations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fukao, T.; Mitchell, G. A.; Song, X. Q.; Nakamura, H.; Kassovska-Bratinova, S.; Orii, K. E.; Wraith, J. E.; Besley, G.; Wanders, R. J.; Niezen-Koning, K. E.; Berry, G. T.; Palmieri, M.; Kondo, N.

    2000-01-01

    The activity of succinyl-CoA:3-ketoacid CoA transferase (SCOT; locus symbol OXCT; EC 2.8.3.5) is the main determinant of the ketolytic capacity of tissues. Hereditary SCOT deficiency causes episodic ketoacidosis. Here we describe the human SCOT gene, which spans more than 100 kb and contains 17

  15. Staphylococcus aureus RNAIII binds to two distant regions of coa mRNA to arrest translation and promote mRNA degradation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Clément Chevalier

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Staphylococcus aureus RNAIII is the intracellular effector of the quorum sensing system that temporally controls a large number of virulence factors including exoproteins and cell-wall-associated proteins. Staphylocoagulase is one major virulence factor, which promotes clotting of human plasma. Like the major cell surface protein A, the expression of staphylocoagulase is strongly repressed by the quorum sensing system at the post-exponential growth phase. Here we used a combination of approaches in vivo and in vitro to analyze the mechanism used by RNAIII to regulate the expression of staphylocoagulase. Our data show that RNAIII represses the synthesis of the protein through a direct binding with the mRNA. Structure mapping shows that two distant regions of RNAIII interact with coa mRNA and that the mRNA harbors a conserved signature as found in other RNAIII-target mRNAs. The resulting complex is composed of an imperfect duplex masking the Shine-Dalgarno sequence of coa mRNA and of a loop-loop interaction occurring downstream in the coding region. The imperfect duplex is sufficient to prevent the formation of the ribosomal initiation complex and to repress the expression of a reporter gene in vivo. In addition, the double-strand-specific endoribonuclease III cleaves the two regions of the mRNA bound to RNAIII that may contribute to the degradation of the repressed mRNA. This study validates another direct target of RNAIII that plays a role in virulence. It also illustrates the diversity of RNAIII-mRNA topologies and how these multiple RNAIII-mRNA interactions would mediate virulence regulation.

  16. Contribution of CoA ligases to benzenoid biosynthesis in petunia flowers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klempien, Antje; Kaminaga, Yasuhisa; Qualley, Anthony; Nagegowda, Dinesh A; Widhalm, Joshua R; Orlova, Irina; Shasany, Ajit Kumar; Taguchi, Goro; Kish, Christine M; Cooper, Bruce R; D'Auria, John C; Rhodes, David; Pichersky, Eran; Dudareva, Natalia

    2012-05-01

    Biosynthesis of benzoic acid from Phe requires shortening of the side chain by two carbons, which can occur via the β-oxidative or nonoxidative pathways. The first step in the β-oxidative pathway is cinnamoyl-CoA formation, likely catalyzed by a member of the 4-coumarate:CoA ligase (4CL) family that converts a range of trans-cinnamic acid derivatives into the corresponding CoA thioesters. Using a functional genomics approach, we identified two potential CoA-ligases from petunia (Petunia hybrida) petal-specific cDNA libraries. The cognate proteins share only 25% amino acid identity and are highly expressed in petunia corollas. Biochemical characterization of the recombinant proteins revealed that one of these proteins (Ph-4CL1) has broad substrate specificity and represents a bona fide 4CL, whereas the other is a cinnamate:CoA ligase (Ph-CNL). RNA interference suppression of Ph-4CL1 did not affect the petunia benzenoid scent profile, whereas downregulation of Ph-CNL resulted in a decrease in emission of benzylbenzoate, phenylethylbenzoate, and methylbenzoate. Green fluorescent protein localization studies revealed that the Ph-4CL1 protein is localized in the cytosol, whereas Ph-CNL is in peroxisomes. Our results indicate that subcellular compartmentalization of enzymes affects their involvement in the benzenoid network and provide evidence that cinnamoyl-CoA formation by Ph-CNL in the peroxisomes is the committed step in the β-oxidative pathway.

  17. Acetone production with metabolically engineered strains of Acetobacterium woodii.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffmeister, Sabrina; Gerdom, Marzena; Bengelsdorf, Frank R; Linder, Sonja; Flüchter, Sebastian; Öztürk, Hatice; Blümke, Wilfried; May, Antje; Fischer, Ralf-Jörg; Bahl, Hubert; Dürre, Peter

    2016-07-01

    Expected depletion of oil and fossil resources urges the development of new alternative routes for the production of bulk chemicals and fuels beyond petroleum resources. In this study, the clostridial acetone pathway was used for the formation of acetone in the acetogenic bacterium Acetobacterium woodii. The acetone production operon (APO) containing the genes thlA (encoding thiolase A), ctfA/ctfB (encoding CoA transferase), and adc (encoding acetoacetate decarboxylase) from Clostridium acetobutylicum were cloned under the control of the thlA promoter into four vectors having different replicons for Gram-positives (pIP404, pBP1, pCB102, and pCD6). Stable replication was observed for all constructs. A. woodii [pJIR_actthlA] achieved the maximal acetone concentration under autotrophic conditions (15.2±3.4mM). Promoter sequences of the genes ackA from A. woodii and pta-ack from C. ljungdahlii were determined by primer extension (PEX) and cloned upstream of the APO. The highest acetone production in recombinant A. woodii cells was achieved using the promoters PthlA and Ppta-ack. Batch fermentations using A. woodii [pMTL84151_actthlA] in a bioreactor revealed that acetate concentration had an effect on the acetone production, due to the high Km value of the CoA transferase. In order to establish consistent acetate concentration within the bioreactor and to increase biomass, a continuous fermentation process for A. woodii was developed. Thus, acetone productivity of the strain A. woodii [pMTL84151_actthlA] was increased from 1.2mgL(-1)h(-1) in bottle fermentation to 26.4mgL(-1)h(-1) in continuous gas fermentation. Copyright © 2016 International Metabolic Engineering Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. A Turkish Patient With Succinyl-CoA:3-Oxoacid CoA Transferase Deficiency Mimicking Diabetic Ketoacidosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sahin Erdol MD

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Succinyl-CoA:3-oxoacid CoA transferase (SCOT deficiency is an autosomal recessive disorder of ketone body utilization that is clinically characterized with intermittent ketoacidosis crises. We report here the second Turkish case with SCOT deficiency. She experienced 3 ketoacidotic episodes: The first ketoacidotic crisis mimicked diabetic ketoacidosis because of the associated hyperglycemia. Among patients with SCOT deficiency, the blood glucose levels at the first crises were variable, and this case had the highest ever reported blood glucose level. She is a compound heterozygote with 2 novel mutations, c.517A>G (K173E and c.1543A>G (M515V, in exons 5 and 17 of the OXCT1 gene, respectively. In patient’s fibroblasts, SCOT activity was deficient and, by immunoblot analysis, SCOT protein was much reduced. The patient attained normal development and had no permanent ketosis. The accurate diagnosis of SCOT deficiency in this case had a vital impact on the management strategy and outcome.

  19. Chain elongation and cyclization in type III PKS DpgA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Hai-Chen; Li, Yi-San; Liu, Yu-Chen; Lyu, Syue-Yi; Wu, Chang-Jer; Li, Tsung-Lin

    2012-04-16

    Chain elongation and cyclization of precursors of dihydroxyphenylacetyl-CoA (DPA-CoA) catalyzed by the bacterial type III polyketide synthase DpgA were studied. Two labile intermediates, di- and tri-ketidyl-CoA (DK- and TK-CoA), were proposed and chemically synthesized. In the presence of DpgABD, each of these with [(13)C(3)]malonyl-CoA (MA-CoA) was able to form partially (13)C-enriched DPA-CoA. By NMR and MS analysis, the distribution of (13)C atoms in the partially (13)C-enriched DPA-CoA shed light on how the polyketide chain elongates and cyclizes in the DpgA-catalyzed reaction. Polyketone intermediates elongate in a manner different from that which had been believed: two molecules of DK-CoA, or one DK-CoA plus one acetoacetyl-CoA (AA-CoA), but not two molecules of AA-CoA can form one molecule of DPA-CoA. As a result, polyketidyl-CoA serves as both the starter and extender, whereas polyketone-CoA without the terminal carboxyl group can only act as an extender. The terminal carboxyl group is crucial for the cyclization that likely takes place on CoA. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  20. Contribution of CoA Ligases to Benzenoid Biosynthesis in Petunia Flowers[W

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klempien, Antje; Kaminaga, Yasuhisa; Qualley, Anthony; Nagegowda, Dinesh A.; Widhalm, Joshua R.; Orlova, Irina; Shasany, Ajit Kumar; Taguchi, Goro; Kish, Christine M.; Cooper, Bruce R.; D’Auria, John C.; Rhodes, David; Pichersky, Eran; Dudareva, Natalia

    2012-01-01

    Biosynthesis of benzoic acid from Phe requires shortening of the side chain by two carbons, which can occur via the β-oxidative or nonoxidative pathways. The first step in the β-oxidative pathway is cinnamoyl-CoA formation, likely catalyzed by a member of the 4-coumarate:CoA ligase (4CL) family that converts a range of trans-cinnamic acid derivatives into the corresponding CoA thioesters. Using a functional genomics approach, we identified two potential CoA-ligases from petunia (Petunia hybrida) petal-specific cDNA libraries. The cognate proteins share only 25% amino acid identity and are highly expressed in petunia corollas. Biochemical characterization of the recombinant proteins revealed that one of these proteins (Ph-4CL1) has broad substrate specificity and represents a bona fide 4CL, whereas the other is a cinnamate:CoA ligase (Ph-CNL). RNA interference suppression of Ph-4CL1 did not affect the petunia benzenoid scent profile, whereas downregulation of Ph-CNL resulted in a decrease in emission of benzylbenzoate, phenylethylbenzoate, and methylbenzoate. Green fluorescent protein localization studies revealed that the Ph-4CL1 protein is localized in the cytosol, whereas Ph-CNL is in peroxisomes. Our results indicate that subcellular compartmentalization of enzymes affects their involvement in the benzenoid network and provide evidence that cinnamoyl-CoA formation by Ph-CNL in the peroxisomes is the committed step in the β-oxidative pathway. PMID:22649270

  1. Cobalt-vitamin B12 deficiency and the activity of methylmalonyl CoA mutase and methionine synthase in cattle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kennedy, D G; Young, P B; Kennedy, S; Scott, J M; Molloy, A M; Weir, D G; Price, J

    1995-01-01

    Cobalt deficiency was induced in cattle by feeding two groups of animals either a basal diet that was very low in Co (12.9-17.6 micrograms Co per kg), or the same diet supplemented with cobalt, for a total of 64 weeks. Vitamin B12 deficiency was induced, as judged by hepatic concentrations of vitamin B12 and plasma concentrations of MMA. However, the activity of holo-methylmalonyl CoA mutase was significantly reduced only in brain. This was reflected in very minor alterations in the tissue concentrations of branched chain- and odd numbered-fatty acids. The activity of holo-methionine synthase was significantly reduced in liver and brain, but there were no consequent alterations in the concentrations of phosphatidyl choline and phosphatidyl ethanolamine. This study confirms that cattle are less susceptible to the effects of cobalt deficiency than sheep, and concludes that prolonged cobalt deficiency had little significant effect on tissue metabolism.

  2. Culture engineering examination and metabolism flux distribution system analysis for madding to convert into poly {beta}- hydroxybutyric acid (PHB) using the hydrogen bacteria of organic acid got in liquid-phase oxidation of lignite; Kattan no ekiso sanka de erareru yukisan wo suiso saikin wo riyoshite pori {beta}-hidorokishi rakusan(PHB) ni henkan saseru tameno baiyo kogakuteki kento to taisha ryusoku bunpu shisutemu kaiseki

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tsujimoto, Kinko; Seki, Suito; Shimizu, Kazuyuki; Mae, Kazuhiro; Miura, Koichi

    1999-04-05

    The culture engineering examination for madding to convert into poly {beta} - hydroxy Wisteria (PHB) which glycolic acid. Acetic acid, ant acid, malonic acid got in liquid-phase oxidation of lignite are raw material of biodegradable plastic using hydrogen bacteria Alcaligenes eutrophus was carried out. It was proven that acetic acid was the most efficiently converted into the PHB as a result of cultivating these organic acid as a single carbon source. And, it was utilized to the bacterial cell at the order of ant acid, acetic acid, glycolic acid, when it was cultivated in mixing organic acid, and it was proven to convert into the PHB. Though the malonic acid was not utilized for the bacterial cell breeding, it was indicated that as the result which analyzed metabolism flow distribution by calculating using the culture data, the succinate dehydrogenase of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) circuit received competitive inhibition, when this is added in culture middle point, and that the flux of griot lysyl acid route and gluconeogenesis route lowers. And, it was proven that it was utilized in the route which comes to the PHB synthesis from acetoacetyl CoA with the lowering of the ammonia concentration on NADPH produced from the isocitric acid, though it was prior consumed to the glutamic acid of tricarboxylic acid cycle in the route, if ammonia concentration is high. (translated by NEDO)

  3. Immunohistochemical expression of alpha methylacyl-coa racemase (amacr) in carcinoma prostate in pakistani population

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tariq, H.; Ahmed, R.; Muhammad, I.; Afzal, M.S.; Hashmi, S.N.; Hamdani, S.N.R.; Shahid, A.

    2017-01-01

    Objective: To determine the frequency of expression of positive diagnostic marker alpha methylacyl-COA RACEMES (AMACR) in the examination of prostate needle biopsy specimens from patients of adenocarcinoma prostate from a subset of Pakistani population. Study design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Histopathology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi from Apr 2015 to Oct 2015. Material and Methods: All specimens of adenocarcinoma prostate diagnosed at Armed forces institute of pathology on the basis of immunohistochemistry and routine histopathology irrespective of age of patient, histological type or grade of the tumor were analyzed. Mean and Standard deviation were calculated for quantitative variables like patient's age and frequencies along with percentages were calculated for qualitative variables like AMACR expression. Results: Out of the total 80 cases, 68 (85%) were positive for AMACR while 12 (15%) were negative. Among the cases that were negative 9 (11.3%) showed 1 +- staining (Weak, non-circumferential) and 3 cases (3.8%) displayed 0 staining (No cytoplasmic staining). Conclusion: Positive staining for AMACR can be used to support a diagnosis of cancer on prostate needle core biopsies when the focus in question is <1mm in maximum dimension. The results of AMACR expression in a subset of Pakistani population are comparable to the western studies. AMACR staining must be interpreted in the context of basic haematoxylin and eosin criteria for malignancy along with the results expansion of other supportive markers, such as a basal cell specific marker like p63 or 34 beta E12. (author)

  4. Carbonylation as a key reaction in anaerobic acetone activation by Desulfococcus biacutus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gutiérrez Acosta, Olga B; Hardt, Norman; Schink, Bernhard

    2013-10-01

    Acetone is activated by aerobic and nitrate-reducing bacteria via an ATP-dependent carboxylation reaction to form acetoacetate as the first reaction product. In the activation of acetone by sulfate-reducing bacteria, acetoacetate has not been found to be an intermediate. Here, we present evidence of a carbonylation reaction as the initial step in the activation of acetone by the strictly anaerobic sulfate reducer Desulfococcus biacutus. In cell suspension experiments, CO was found to be a far better cosubstrate for acetone activation than CO2. The hypothetical reaction product, acetoacetaldehyde, is extremely reactive and could not be identified as a free intermediate. However, acetoacetaldehyde dinitrophenylhydrazone was detected by mass spectrometry in cell extract experiments as a reaction product of acetone, CO, and dinitrophenylhydrazine. In a similar assay, 2-amino-4-methylpyrimidine was formed as the product of a reaction between acetoacetaldehyde and guanidine. The reaction depended on ATP as a cosubstrate. Moreover, the specific activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase (coenzyme A [CoA] acylating) tested with the putative physiological substrate was found to be 153 ± 36 mU mg(-1) protein, and its activity was specifically induced in extracts of acetone-grown cells. Moreover, acetoacetyl-CoA was detected (by mass spectrometry) after the carbonylation reaction as the subsequent intermediate after acetoacetaldehyde was formed. These results together provide evidence that acetoacetaldehyde is an intermediate in the activation of acetone by sulfate-reducing bacteria.

  5. Inhibition of HMG CoA reductase reveals an unexpected role for cholesterol during PGC migration in the mouse

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ewing Andrew G

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Primordial germ cells (PGCs are the embryonic precursors of the sperm and eggs. Environmental or genetic defects that alter PGC development can impair fertility or cause formation of germ cell tumors. Results We demonstrate a novel role for cholesterol during germ cell migration in mice. Cholesterol was measured in living tissue dissected from mouse embryos and was found to accumulate within the developing gonads as germ cells migrate to colonize these structures. Cholesterol synthesis was blocked in culture by inhibiting the activity of HMG CoA reductase (HMGCR resulting in germ cell survival and migration defects. These defects were rescued by co-addition of isoprenoids and cholesterol, but neither compound alone was sufficient. In contrast, loss of the last or penultimate enzyme in cholesterol biosynthesis did not alter PGC numbers or position in vivo. However embryos that lack these enzymes do not exhibit cholesterol defects at the stage at which PGCs are migrating. This demonstrates that during gestation, the cholesterol required for PGC migration can be supplied maternally. Conclusion In the mouse, cholesterol is required for PGC survival and motility. It may act cell-autonomously by regulating clustering of growth factor receptors within PGCs or non cell-autonomously by controlling release of growth factors required for PGC guidance and survival.

  6. Malonyl CoA decarboxylase deficiency: C to T transition in intron 2 of the MCD gene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Surendran, S; Sacksteder, K A; Gould, S J; Coldwell, J G; Rady, P L; Tyring, S K; Matalon, R

    2001-09-15

    Malonyl CoA decarboxylase (MCD) is an enzyme involved in the metabolism of fatty acids synthesis. Based on reports of MCD deficiency, this enzyme is particular important in muscle and brain metabolism. Mutations in the MCD gene result in a deficiency of MCD activity, that lead to psychomotor retardation, cardiomyopathy and neonatal death. To date however, only a few patients have been reported with defects in MCD. We report here studies of a patient with MCD deficiency, who presented with hypotonia, cardiomyopathy and psychomotor retardation. DNA sequencing of MCD revealed a homozygous intronic mutation, specifically a -5 C to T transition near the acceptor site for exon 3. RT-PCR amplification of exons 2 and 3 revealed that although mRNA from a normal control sample yielded one major DNA band, the mutant mRNA sample resulted in two distinct DNA fragments. Sequencing of the patient's two RT-PCR products revealed that the larger molecular weight fragments contained exons 2 and 3 as well as the intervening intronic sequence. The smaller size band from the patient contained the properly spliced exons, similar to the normal control. Western blotting analysis of the expressed protein showed only a faint band in the patient sample in contrast to a robust band in the control. In addition, the enzyme activity of the mutant protein was lower than that of the control protein. The data indicate that homozygous mutation in intron 2 disrupt normal splicing of the gene, leading to lower expression of the MCD protein and MCD deficiency. Copyright 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  7. Identification of a Novel HADHB Gene Mutation in an Iranian Patient with Mitochondrial Trifunctional Protein Deficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shahrokhi, Mahdiyeh; Shafiei, Mohammad; Galehdari, Hamid; Shariati, Gholamreza

    2017-01-01

    Mitochondrial trifunctional protein (MTP) is a hetero-octamer composed of eight parts (subunits): four α-subunits containing LCEH (long-chain 2,3-enoyl-CoA  hydratase) and LCHAD (long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase) activity, and four β-subunits that possess LCKT (long-chain  3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase) activity which catalyzes three out of four steps in β-oxidation spiral of long-chain fatty acid. Its deficiency is an autosomal recessive disorder that causes a clinical spectrum of diseases. A blood spot was collected from the patient's original newborn screening card with parental informed consent. A newborn screening test and quantity plasma acylcarnitine profile analysis by MS/MS were performed. After isolation of DNA and Amplification of all exons of the HADHA and HADHB, directly Sequence analyses of all exons and the flanking introns both of genes were performed. Here, we report a novel mutation in a patient with MTP deficiency diagnosed with newborn screening test and quantity plasma acylcarnitine profile analysis by MS/MS and then confirmed by enzyme analysis in cultured fibroblasts and direct sequencing of the HADHA and HADHB genes. Molecular analysis of causative genes showed a missense mutation (p.Q385P) c.1154A > C in exon 14 of HADHB gene. Since this mutation was not found in 50 normal control cases; so it was concluded that c.1154A > C mutation was a causative mutation. Phenotype analysis of this mutation predicted pathogenesis which reduces the stability of the MTP protein complex.

  8. Enzymic Dehalogenation of 4-Chlorobenzoyl Coenzyme A in Acinetobacter sp. Strain 4-CB1

    OpenAIRE

    Copley, Shelley D.; Crooks, Gwen P.

    1992-01-01

    4-Chlorobenzoate degradation in cell extracts of Acinetobacter sp. strain 4-CB1 occurs by initial synthesis of 4-chlorobenzoyl coenzyme A (4-chlorobenzoyl CoA) from 4-chlorobenzoate, CoA, and ATP. 4-Chlorobenzoyl CoA is dehalogenated to 4-hydroxybenzoyl CoA. Following the dehalogenation reaction, 4-hydroxybenzoyl CoA is hydrolyzed to 4-hydroxybenzoate and CoA. Possible roles for the CoA moiety in the dehalogenation reaction are discussed.

  9. Enzymic Dehalogenation of 4-Chlorobenzoyl Coenzyme A in Acinetobacter sp. Strain 4-CB1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Copley, Shelley D.; Crooks, Gwen P.

    1992-01-01

    4-Chlorobenzoate degradation in cell extracts of Acinetobacter sp. strain 4-CB1 occurs by initial synthesis of 4-chlorobenzoyl coenzyme A (4-chlorobenzoyl CoA) from 4-chlorobenzoate, CoA, and ATP. 4-Chlorobenzoyl CoA is dehalogenated to 4-hydroxybenzoyl CoA. Following the dehalogenation reaction, 4-hydroxybenzoyl CoA is hydrolyzed to 4-hydroxybenzoate and CoA. Possible roles for the CoA moiety in the dehalogenation reaction are discussed. PMID:16348702

  10. Molecular cloning and characterization of Polygalacturonase-Inhibiting Protein and Cinnamoyl-Coa Reductase genes and their association with fruit storage conditions in blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum)

    KAUST Repository

    Khraiwesh, Basel

    2013-05-13

    Blueberry is a widely grown and easily perishable fruit crop. An efficient post-harvest handling is critical, and for that purpose gene technology methods have been part of ongoing programmes to improve crops with high food values such as blueberry. Here we report the isolation, cloning, characterization and differential expression levels of two cDNAs encoding Polygalacturonase-Inhibitor Protein (PGIP) and Cinnamoyl-Coa Reductase (CCR) from blueberry fruits in relation to various storage conditions. The open reading frame of PGIP and CCR encodes a polypeptide of 329 and 347 amino acids, respectively. To assess changes in the expression of blueberry PGIP and CCR after harvest, a storage trial was initiated. The northern blots hybridization showed a clear differential expression level of PGIP and CCR between freshly harvested and stored fruits as well as between fruits stored under various storage conditions. Although the prospects of exploiting such a strategy for crop improvement are limited, the results provide further insight into the control of the quality over the storage period at the molecular level.

  11. Molecular cloning and characterization of Polygalacturonase-Inhibiting Protein and Cinnamoyl-Coa Reductase genes and their association with fruit storage conditions in blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum)

    KAUST Repository

    Khraiwesh, Basel; Harb, Jamil; Qudeimat, Enas

    2013-01-01

    Blueberry is a widely grown and easily perishable fruit crop. An efficient post-harvest handling is critical, and for that purpose gene technology methods have been part of ongoing programmes to improve crops with high food values such as blueberry. Here we report the isolation, cloning, characterization and differential expression levels of two cDNAs encoding Polygalacturonase-Inhibitor Protein (PGIP) and Cinnamoyl-Coa Reductase (CCR) from blueberry fruits in relation to various storage conditions. The open reading frame of PGIP and CCR encodes a polypeptide of 329 and 347 amino acids, respectively. To assess changes in the expression of blueberry PGIP and CCR after harvest, a storage trial was initiated. The northern blots hybridization showed a clear differential expression level of PGIP and CCR between freshly harvested and stored fruits as well as between fruits stored under various storage conditions. Although the prospects of exploiting such a strategy for crop improvement are limited, the results provide further insight into the control of the quality over the storage period at the molecular level.

  12. Sudden unexpected infant death (SUDI in a newborn due to medium chain acyl CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD deficiency with an unusual severe genotype

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lovera Cristina

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Medium chain acyl CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MCAD is the most common inborn error of fatty acid oxidation. This condition may lead to cellular energy shortage and cause severe clinical events such as hypoketotic hypoglycemia, Reye syndrome and sudden death. MCAD deficiency usually presents around three to six months of life, following catabolic stress as intercurrent infections or prolonged fasting, whilst neonatal-onset of the disease is quite rare. We report the case of an apparently healthy newborn who suddenly died at the third day of life, in which the diagnosis of MCAD deficiency was possible through peri-mortem blood-spot acylcarnitine analysis that showed very high concentrations of octanoylcarnitine. Genetic analysis at the ACADM locus confirmed the biochemical findings by demonstrating the presence in homozygosity of the frame-shift c.244dup1 (p.Trp82LeufsX23 mutation, a severe genotype that may explain the unusual and very early fatal outcome in this newborn. This report confirms that inborn errors of fatty acid oxidation represent one of the genetic causes of sudden unexpected deaths in infancy (SUDI and underlines the importance to include systematically specific metabolic screening in any neonatal unexpected death.

  13. Abiotic stress induces change in Cinnamoyl CoA Reductase (CCR) protein abundance and lignin deposition in developing seedlings of Leucaena leucocephala.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Srivastava, Sameer; Vishwakarma, Rishi K; Arafat, Yasir Ali; Gupta, Sushim K; Khan, Bashir M

    2015-04-01

    Aboitic stress such as drought and salinity are class of major threats, which plants undergo through their lifetime. Lignin deposition is one of the responses to such abiotic stresses. The gene encoding Cinnamoyl CoA Reductase (CCR) is a key gene for lignin biosynthesis, which has been shown to be over-expressed under stress conditions. In the present study, developing seedlings of Leucaena leucocephala (Vernacular name: Subabul, White popinac) were treated with 1 % mannitol and 200 mM NaCl to mimic drought and salinity stress conditions, respectively. Enzyme linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) based expression pattern of CCR protein was monitored coupled with Phlorogucinol/HCl activity staining of lignin in transverse sections of developing L. leucocephala seedlings under stress. Our result suggests a differential lignification pattern in developing root and stem under stress conditions. Increase in lignification was observed in mannitol treated stems and corresponding CCR protein accumulation was also higher than control and salt stress treated samples. On the contrary CCR protein was lower in NaCl treated stems and corresponding lignin deposition was also low. Developing root tissue showed a high level of CCR content and lignin deposition than stem samples under all conditions tested. Overall result suggested that lignin accumulation was not affected much in case of developing root however developing stems were significantly affected under drought and salinity stress condition.

  14. Effect of coarctation of the aorta and bicuspid aortic valve on flow dynamics and turbulence in the aorta using particle image velocimetry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keshavarz-Motamed, Zahra; Garcia, Julio; Gaillard, Emmanuel; Maftoon, Nima; Di Labbio, Giuseppe; Cloutier, Guy; Kadem, Lyes

    2014-03-01

    Blood flow in the aorta has been of particular interest from both fluid dynamics and physiology perspectives. Coarctation of the aorta (COA) is a congenital heart disease corresponding to a severe narrowing in the aortic arch. Up to 85 % of patients with COA have a pathological aortic valve, leading to a narrowing at the valve level. The aim of the present work was to advance the state of understanding of flow through a COA to investigate how narrowing in the aorta (COA) affects the characteristics of the velocity field and, in particular, turbulence development. For this purpose, particle image velocimetry measurements were conducted at physiological flow and pressure conditions, with three different aorta configurations: (1) normal case: normal aorta + normal aortic valve; (2) isolated COA: COA (with 75 % reduction in aortic cross-sectional area) + normal aortic valve and (3) complex COA: COA (with 75 % reduction in aortic cross-sectional area) + pathological aortic valve. Viscous shear stress (VSS), representing the physical shear stress, Reynolds shear stress (RSS), representing the turbulent shear stress, and turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), representing the intensity of fluctuations in the fluid flow environment, were calculated for all cases. Results show that, compared with a healthy aorta, the instantaneous velocity streamlines and vortices were deeply changed in the presence of the COA. The normal aorta did not display any regions of elevated VSS, RSS and TKE at any moment of the cardiac cycle. The magnitudes of these parameters were elevated for both isolated COA and complex COA, with their maximum values mainly being located inside the eccentric jet downstream of the COA. However, the presence of a pathologic aortic valve, in complex COA, amplifies VSS (e.g., average absolute peak value in the entire aorta for a total flow of 5 L/min: complex COA: = 36 N/m2; isolated COA = 19 N/m2), RSS (e.g., average peak value in the entire aorta for a total flow of 5

  15. OleA Glu117 is key to condensation of two fatty-acyl coenzyme A substrates in long-chain olefin biosynthesis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jensen, Matthew R.; Goblirsch, Brandon R.; Christenson, James K.; Esler, Morgan A.; Mohamed, Fatuma A.; Wackett, Lawrence P.; Wilmot, Carrie M. (UMM)

    2017-10-12

    In the interest of decreasing dependence on fossil fuels, microbial hydrocarbon biosynthesis pathways are being studied for renewable, tailored production of specialty chemicals and biofuels. One candidate is long-chain olefin biosynthesis, a widespread bacterial pathway that produces waxy hydrocarbons. Found in three- and four-gene clusters, oleABCD encodes the enzymes necessary to produce cis-olefins that differ by alkyl chain length, degree of unsaturation, and alkyl chain branching. The first enzyme in the pathway, OleA, catalyzes the Claisen condensation of two fatty acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) molecules to form a β-keto acid. In this report, the mechanistic role of Xanthomonas campestris OleA Glu117 is investigated through mutant enzymes. Crystal structures were determined for each mutant as well as their complex with the inhibitor cerulenin. Complemented by substrate modeling, these structures suggest that Glu117 aids in substrate positioning for productive carbon–carbon bond formation. Analysis of acyl-CoA substrate hydrolysis shows diminished activity in all mutants. When the active site lacks an acidic residue in the 117 position, OleA cannot form condensed product, demonstrating that Glu117 has a critical role upstream of the essential condensation reaction. Profiling of pH dependence shows that the apparent pKa for Glu117 is affected by mutagenesis. Taken together, we propose that Glu117 is the general base needed to prime condensation via deprotonation of the second, non-covalently bound substrate during turnover. This is the first example of a member of the thiolase superfamily of condensing enzymes to contain an active site base originating from the second monomer of the dimer.

  16. Effects of metal ions on growth, β-oxidation system, and thioesterase activity of Lactococcus lactis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Liang; Ma, Ying

    2014-10-01

    The effects of divalent metal ions (Ca(2+), Mg(2+), Fe(2+), and Cu(2+)) on the growth, β-oxidation system, and thioesterase activity of Lactococcus lactis were investigated. Different metal ions significantly influenced the growth of L. lactis: Ca(2+) and Fe(2+) accelerated growth, whereas Cu(2+) inhibited growth. Furthermore, Mg(2+) inhibited growth of L. lactis at a low concentration but stimulated growth of L. lactis at a high concentration. The divalent metal ions had significant effects on activity of the 4 key enzymes of the β-oxidation system (acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, enoyl-CoA hydratase, L-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase, and thiolase) and thioesterase of L. lactis. The activity of acyl-CoA dehydrogenases increased markedly in the presence of Ca(2+) and Mg(2+), whereas it decreased with 1 mmol/L Fe(2+) or 12 mmol/L Mg(2+). All the metal ions could induce activity of enoyl-CoA hydratase. In addition, 12 mmol/L Mg(2+) significantly stimulated activity of L-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase, and all metal ions could induce activity of thiolase, although thiolase activity decreased significantly when 0.05 mmol/L Cu(2+) was added into M17 broth. Inhibition of thioesterase activity by all 4 metal ions could be reversed by 2 mmol/L Ca(2+). These results help us understand the effect of metal ions on the β-oxidation system and thioesterase activity of Lactococcus lactis. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Dependence of mitochondrial coenzyme A uptake on the membrane electrical gradient

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tahiliani, A.G.

    1989-01-01

    Coenzyme A (CoA) transport was studied in isolated rat heart mitochondria. Uptake of CoA was assayed by determining [3H]CoA associated with mitochondria under various conditions. Various oxidizable substrates including alpha-ketoglutarate, succinate, or malate stimulated CoA uptake. The membrane proton (delta pH) and electrical (delta psi) gradients, which dissipated with time in the absence of substrate, were maintained at their initial levels throughout the incubation in the presence of substrate. Addition of phosphate caused a concentration-dependent decrease of both delta pH and CoA uptake. Nigericin also dissipated the proton gradient and prevented CoA uptake. Valinomycin also prevented CoA uptake into mitochondria. Although the proton gradient was unaffected, the electrical gradient was completely abolished in the presence of valinomycin. Addition of 5 mM phosphate 10 min after the start of incubation prevented further uptake of CoA into mitochondria. A rapid dissipation of the proton gradient upon addition of phosphate was observed. Addition of nigericin or valinomycin 10 min after the start of incubation also resulted in no further uptake of CoA into with mitochondria; valinomycin caused an apparent efflux of CoA from mitochondria. Uptake was found to be sensitive to external pH displaying a pH optimum at pHext 8.0. Although nigericin significantly inhibited CoA uptake over the pHext range of 6.75-8, maximal transport was observed around pHext 8.0-8.25. Valinomycin, on the other hand, abolished transport over the entire pH range. The results suggest that mitochondrial CoA transport is determined by the membrane electrical gradient. The apparent dependence of CoA uptake on an intact membrane pH gradient is probably the result of modulation of CoA transport by matrix pH

  18. Identification and characterization of an archaeal ketopantoate reductase and its involvement in regulation of coenzyme A biosynthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomita, Hiroya; Imanaka, Tadayuki; Atomi, Haruyuki

    2013-10-01

    Coenzyme A (CoA) biosynthesis in bacteria and eukaryotes is regulated primarily by feedback inhibition towards pantothenate kinase (PanK). As most archaea utilize a modified route for CoA biosynthesis and do not harbour PanK, the mechanisms governing regulation of CoA biosynthesis are unknown. Here we performed genetic and biochemical studies on the ketopantoate reductase (KPR) from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus kodakarensis. KPR catalyses the second step in CoA biosynthesis, the reduction of 2-oxopantoate to pantoate. Gene disruption of TK1968, whose product was 20-29% identical to previously characterized KPRs from bacteria/eukaryotes, resulted in a strain with growth defects that were complemented by addition of pantoate. The TK1968 protein (Tk-KPR) displayed reductase activity specific for 2-oxopantoate and preferred NADH as the electron donor, distinct to the bacterial/eukaryotic NADPH-dependent enzymes. Tk-KPR activity decreased dramatically in the presence of CoA and KPR activity in cell-free extracts was also inhibited by CoA. Kinetic studies indicated that CoA inhibits KPR by competing with NADH. Inhibition of ketopantoate hydroxymethyltransferase, the first enzyme of the pathway, by CoA was not observed. Our results suggest that CoA biosynthesis in T. kodakarensis is regulated by feedback inhibition of KPR, providing a feasible regulation mechanism of CoA biosynthesis in archaea. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Comparative proteome analysis reveals four novel polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) granule-associated proteins in Ralstonia eutropha H16.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sznajder, Anna; Pfeiffer, Daniel; Jendrossek, Dieter

    2015-03-01

    Identification of proteins that were present in a polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) granule fraction isolated from Ralstonia eutropha but absent in the soluble, membrane, and membrane-associated fractions revealed the presence of only 12 polypeptides with PHB-specific locations plus 4 previously known PHB-associated proteins with multiple locations. None of the previously postulated PHB depolymerase isoenzymes (PhaZa2 to PhaZa5, PhaZd1, and PhaZd2) and none of the two known 3-hydroxybutyrate oligomer hydrolases (PhaZb and PhaZc) were significantly present in isolated PHB granules. Four polypeptides were found that had not yet been identified in PHB granules. Three of the novel proteins are putative α/β-hydrolases, and two of those (A0671 and B1632) have a PHB synthase/depolymerase signature. The third novel protein (A0225) is a patatin-like phospholipase, a type of enzyme that has not been described for PHB granules of any PHB-accumulating species. No function has been ascribed to the fourth protein (A2001), but its encoding gene forms an operon with phaB2 (acetoacetyl-coenzyme A [CoA] reductase) and phaC2 (PHB synthase), and this is in line with a putative function in PHB metabolism. The localization of the four new proteins at the PHB granule surface was confirmed in vivo by fluorescence microscopy of constructed fusion proteins with enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (eYFP). Deletion of A0671 and B1632 had a minor but detectable effect on the PHB mobilization ability in the stationary growth phase of nutrient broth (NB)-gluconate cells, confirming the functional involvement of both proteins in PHB metabolism. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  20. Thermophilic Coenzyme B12-Dependent Acyl Coenzyme A (CoA) Mutase from Kyrpidia tusciae DSM 2912 Preferentially Catalyzes Isomerization of (R)-3-Hydroxybutyryl-CoA and 2-Hydroxyisobutyryl-CoA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weichler, Maria-Teresa; Kurteva-Yaneva, Nadya; Przybylski, Denise; Schuster, Judith; Müller, Roland H; Harms, Hauke; Rohwerder, Thore

    2015-07-01

    The recent discovery of a coenzyme B12-dependent acyl-coenzyme A (acyl-CoA) mutase isomerizing 3-hydroxybutyryl- and 2-hydroxyisobutyryl-CoA in the mesophilic bacterium Aquincola tertiaricarbonis L108 (N. Yaneva, J. Schuster, F. Schäfer, V. Lede, D. Przybylski, T. Paproth, H. Harms, R. H. Müller, and T. Rohwerder, J Biol Chem 287:15502-15511, 2012, http://dx.doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M111.314690) could pave the way for a complete biosynthesis route to the building block chemical 2-hydroxyisobutyric acid from renewable carbon. However, the enzyme catalyzes only the conversion of the stereoisomer (S)-3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA at reasonable rates, which seriously hampers an efficient combination of mutase and well-established bacterial poly-(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) overflow metabolism. Here, we characterize a new 2-hydroxyisobutyryl-CoA mutase found in the thermophilic knallgas bacterium Kyrpidia tusciae DSM 2912. Reconstituted mutase subunits revealed highest activity at 55°C. Surprisingly, already at 30°C, isomerization of (R)-3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA was about 7,000 times more efficient than with the mutase from strain L108. The most striking structural difference between the two mutases, likely determining stereospecificity, is a replacement of active-site residue Asp found in strain L108 at position 117 with Val in the enzyme from strain DSM 2912, resulting in a reversed polarity at this binding site. Overall sequence comparison indicates that both enzymes descended from different prokaryotic thermophilic methylmalonyl-CoA mutases. Concomitant expression of PHB enzymes delivering (R)-3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA (beta-ketothiolase PhaA and acetoacetyl-CoA reductase PhaB from Cupriavidus necator) with the new mutase in Escherichia coli JM109 and BL21 strains incubated on gluconic acid at 37°C led to the production of 2-hydroxyisobutyric acid at maximal titers of 0.7 mM. Measures to improve production in E. coli, such as coexpression of the chaperone MeaH and repression of

  1. GenBank blastx search result: AK061948 [KOME

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available droxybutyrate biosynthetic beta-ketothiolase (phbA), and PHB synthase (phbC) genes, complete cds.|BCT BCT 1e-56 +3 ... ...AK061948 001-042-E07 AF267243.2 Azotobacter vinelandii PhbF (phbF), putative phasin protein PhbP (phbP), putative transcription activator PhbR (phb...R), acetoacetyl-CoA reductase (phbB), polyhy

  2. GenBank blastx search result: AK059654 [KOME

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available droxybutyrate biosynthetic beta-ketothiolase (phbA), and PHB synthase (phbC) genes, complete cds.|BCT BCT 3e-82 +1 ... ...AK059654 001-031-C10 AF267243.2 Azotobacter vinelandii PhbF (phbF), putative phasin protein PhbP (phb...P), putative transcription activator PhbR (phbR), acetoacetyl-CoA reductase (phbB), polyhy

  3. Subarachnoid Aneurysmal Hemorrhage Associated with Coarctation of the Aorta: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakae, Ryuta; Fujiki, Yu; Yokobori, Shoji; Naoe, Yasutaka; Yokota, Hiroyuki

    2017-01-01

    Intracranial aneurysms (IAs) that undergo rupture causing subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), are common in young patients with coarctation of the aorta (CoA), but rarer in middle-aged and elderly patients. The pathogenesis of IAs associated with CoA remains unclear. We report the case of a 50-year-old woman who presented with SAH. On evaluation, six IAs were distributed among the anterior communicating artery (ACoA) (ruptured), distal segments of both anterior cerebral arteries (ACA), the left internal carotid artery (ICA), the bifurcation of the left middle cerebral artery (MCA)/MCA early branch, and the inferior trunk of the left MCA. CoA was also diagnosed. The ruptured ACoA IA, and two other unruptured IAs, were successfully clipped during emergency surgery. Postoperative intensive care was instituted to avoid cerebral vasospasm and renal or spinal cord ischemia. During the same hospitalization, the remaining three IAs were clipped at a second surgery. She was discharged with slight cognitive impairment eighty days after admission. Subsequently, she underwent elective treatment for the CoA. According to the literature, IAs associated with CoA have a higher tendency to involve the ACoA than IAs without CoA. Moreover, adult CoA patients tend to have multiple IAs, considered to be due to hypertension associated with CoA, as well as genetic predisposition. In CoA patients, ruptured IAs should be treated as early as possible before correction of the CoA. Close postoperative observation with management of cerebral vasospasm, renal or spinal cord ischemia, and respiratory compromise in the perioperative period is vital.

  4. Xenobiotic/medium chain fatty acid: CoA ligase - a critical review on its role in fatty acid metabolism and the detoxification of benzoic acid and aspirin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Sluis, Rencia; Erasmus, Elardus

    2016-10-01

    Activation of fatty acids by the acyl-CoA synthetases (ACSs) is the vital first step in fatty acid metabolism. The enzymatic and physiological characterization of the human xenobiotic/medium chain fatty acid: CoA ligases (ACSMs) has been severely neglected even though xenobiotics, such as benzoate and salicylate, are detoxified through this pathway. This review will focus on the nomenclature and substrate specificity of the human ACSM ligases; the biochemical and enzymatic characterization of ACSM1 and ACSM2B; the high sequence homology of the ACSM2 genes (ACSM2A and ACSM2B) as well as what is currently known regarding disease association studies. Several discrepancies exist in the current literature that should be taken note of. For example, the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) reported to be associated with aspirin metabolism and multiple risk factors of metabolic syndrome are incorrect. Kinetic data on the substrate specificity of the human ACSM ligases are non-existent and currently no data exist on the influence of SNPs on the enzyme activity of these ligases. One of the biggest obstacles currently in the field is that glycine conjugation is continuously studied as a one-step process, which means that key regulatory factors of the two individual steps remain unknown.

  5. Comparative genomics and proteomics of vertebrate diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT), acyl CoA wax alcohol acyltransferase (AWAT) and monoacylglycerol acyltransferase (MGAT).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holmes, Roger S

    2010-03-01

    BLAT (BLAST-Like Alignment Tool) analyses of the opossum (Monodelphis domestica) and zebrafish (Danio rerio) genomes were undertaken using amino acid sequences of the acylglycerol acyltransferase (AGAT) superfamily. Evidence is reported for 8 opossum monoacylglycerol acyltransferase-like (MGAT) (E.C. 2.3.1.22) and diacylglycerol acyltransferase-like (DGAT) (E.C. 2.3.1.20) genes and proteins, including DGAT1, DGAT2, DGAT2L6 (DGAT2-like protein 6), AWAT1 (acyl CoA wax alcohol acyltransferase 1), AWAT2, MGAT1, MGAT2 and MGAT3. Three of these genes (AWAT1, AWAT2 and DGAT2L6) are closely localized on the opossum X chromosome. Evidence is also reported for six zebrafish MGAT- and DGAT-like genes, including two DGAT1-like genes, as well as DGAT2-, MGAT1-, MGAT2- and MGAT3-like genes and proteins. Predicted primary, secondary and transmembrane structures for the opossum and zebrafish MGAT-, AWAT- and DGAT-like subunits and the intron-exon boundaries for genes encoding these enzymes showed a high degree of similarity with other members of the AGAT superfamily, which play major roles in triacylglyceride (DGAT), diacylglyceride (MGAT) and wax ester (AWAT) biosynthesis. Alignments of predicted opossum, zebrafish and other vertebrate DGAT1, DGAT2, other DGAT2-like and MGAT-like amino acid sequences with known human and mouse enzymes demonstrated conservation of residues which are likely to play key roles in catalysis, lipid binding or in maintaining structure. Phylogeny studies of the human, mouse, opossum, zebrafish and pufferfish MGAT- and DGAT-like enzymes indicated that the common ancestors for these genes predated the appearance of bony fish during vertebrate evolution whereas the AWAT- and DGAT2L6-like genes may have appeared more recently prior to the appearance of marsupial and eutherian mammals. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Impact of obesity on left ventricular geometry and function in pediatric patients after successful aortic coarctation repair.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di Salvo, Giovanni; Gala, Simona; Castaldi, Biagio; Baldini, Luca; Limongelli, Giuseppe; D'Andrea, Antonello; Scognamiglio, Giancarlo; Sarubbi, Berardo; Caso, Pio; Pacileo, Giuseppe; Giovanna Russo, Maria; Calabrò, Raffaele

    2011-09-01

    To evaluate if obesity has an additional negative impact on left ventricular (LV) geometry and function in normotensive pediatric patients >12 months after successful treatment of aortic coarctation (CoA). We studied 40 CoA patients (mean age 14 ± 3 years, and male sex 70%), of them 10 were obese and 30 lean. Both groups were age and sex comparable. The entire studied sample underwent 24-ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring, standard echocardiographic evaluation, and speckle tracking study. Both office and 24-hour diastolic BP were significantly increased in obese patients. Obese CoA patients showed increased LV mass (52 ± 13 g/m(2.7) vs. 43 ± 9 g/m(2.7) , P = 0.02), and significant reduction in E/A compared with lean CoA patients. Myocardial deformation properties were significantly reduced in obese CoA patients in all the three studied planes (longitudinal, radial, and circumferential) compared with CoA lean patients. LV twist values showed a significant reduction in the obese CoA group (9.9° ± 2.2° vs. 14.5° ± 2.3°, P < 0.0001). Our study shows that obesity in successfully treated CoA children, has an additional negative effect on BP, LV mass, and cardiac function. These findings are of particular concern, since life expectancy in CoA patients is limited mainly by atherosclerosis, and all the obesity-associated abnormalities found are harbingers of higher cardiovascular risk. © 2011, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Up-regulation of an N-terminal truncated 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase enhances production of essential oils and sterols in transgenic Lavandula latifolia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muñoz-Bertomeu, Jesús; Sales, Ester; Ros, Roc; Arrillaga, Isabel; Segura, Juan

    2007-11-01

    Spike lavender (Lavandula latifolia) essential oil is widely used in the perfume, cosmetic, flavouring and pharmaceutical industries. Thus, modifications of yield and composition of this essential oil by genetic engineering should have important scientific and commercial applications. We generated transgenic spike lavender plants expressing the Arabidopsis thaliana HMG1 cDNA, encoding the catalytic domain of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase (HMGR1S), a key enzyme of the mevalonic acid (MVA) pathway. Transgenic T0 plants accumulated significantly more essential oil constituents as compared to controls (up to 2.1- and 1.8-fold in leaves and flowers, respectively). Enhanced expression of HMGR1S also increased the amount of the end-product sterols, beta-sitosterol and stigmasterol (average differences of 1.8- and 1.9-fold, respectively), but did not affect the accumulation of carotenoids or chlorophylls. We also analysed T1 plants derived from self-pollinated seeds of T0 lines that flowered after growing for 2 years in the greenhouse. The increased levels of essential oil and sterols observed in the transgenic T0 plants were maintained in the progeny that inherited the HMG1 transgene. Our results demonstrate that genetic manipulation of the MVA pathway increases essential oil yield in spike lavender, suggesting a contribution for this cytosolic pathway to monoterpene and sesquiterpene biosynthesis in leaves and flowers of the species.

  8. Biosynthesis and maturation of peroxisomal beta-oxidation enzymes in fibroblasts in relation to the Zellweger syndrome and infantile Refsum disease

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schram, A. W.; Strijland, A.; Hashimoto, T.; Wanders, R. J.; Schutgens, R. B.; van den Bosch, H.; Tager, J. M.

    1986-01-01

    The biosynthesis of the peroxisomal enzymes acyl-CoA oxidase, 3-oxoacyl-CoA thiolase (acetyl-CoA acyl-transferase, EC 2.3.1.16), and catalase (EC 1.11.1.6) was studied in cultured skin fibroblasts from a control subject and from patients with Zellweger syndrome and the infantile form of Refsum

  9. Induction of Neuron-Specific Degradation of Coenzyme A Models Pantothenate Kinase-Associated Neurodegeneration by Reducing Motor Coordination in Mice.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stephanie A Shumar

    Full Text Available Pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration, PKAN, is an inherited disorder characterized by progressive impairment in motor coordination and caused by mutations in PANK2, a human gene that encodes one of four pantothenate kinase (PanK isoforms. PanK initiates the synthesis of coenzyme A (CoA, an essential cofactor that plays a key role in energy metabolism and lipid synthesis. Most of the mutations in PANK2 reduce or abolish the activity of the enzyme. This evidence has led to the hypothesis that lower CoA might be the underlying cause of the neurodegeneration in PKAN patients; however, no mouse model of the disease is currently available to investigate the connection between neuronal CoA levels and neurodegeneration. Indeed, genetic and/or dietary manipulations aimed at reducing whole-body CoA synthesis have not produced a desirable PKAN model, and this has greatly hindered the discovery of a treatment for the disease.Cellular CoA levels are tightly regulated by a balance between synthesis and degradation. CoA degradation is catalyzed by two peroxisomal nudix hydrolases, Nudt7 and Nudt19. In this study we sought to reduce neuronal CoA in mice through the alternative approach of increasing Nudt7-mediated CoA degradation. This was achieved by combining the use of an adeno-associated virus-based expression system with the synapsin (Syn promoter. We show that mice with neuronal overexpression of a cytosolic version of Nudt7 (scAAV9-Syn-Nudt7cyt exhibit a significant decrease in brain CoA levels in conjunction with a reduction in motor coordination. These results strongly support the existence of a link between CoA levels and neuronal function and show that scAAV9-Syn-Nudt7cyt mice can be used to model PKAN.

  10. Effect of food deprivation and hormones of glucose homeostasis on the acetyl CoA carboxylase activity in mouse brain: a potential role of acc in the regulation of energy balance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mukherjee Amrita

    2006-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract We studied the regulation of brain acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC activity during food deprivation and under the influence of hormones of glucose homeostasis: glucagon and insulin. Mice were deprived of food and water for time periods of 1, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 24 hours and were then allowed to re-feed for 5, 30 and 60 minutes. Mice that were deprived for up to 6 h, and then re-fed for 60 min, consumed the same amount of food compared to the ad libitum (control animals. However, after 9 h of deprivation, mice consumed only 50% of food present even after 1 h of re-feeding, compared to the controls. The ACC activity was measured in the whole mouse brain of controls and after 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 24 h of food deprivation. Brain extracts assayed from control mice expressed an ACC activity of 0.988 ± 0.158 fmol/min/mg tissue without citrate and 0.941 ± 0.175 fmol/min/mg tissue with citrate. After 1 h of food deprivation, the total ACC activity without citrate decreased to 0.575 ± 0.087 fmol/min/mg and in the presence of citrate, 0.703 ± 0.036 fmol/min/mg activity was measured. The citrate-dependent ACC activity decreased over time, with only 0.478 ± 0.117 fmol/min/mg of activity remaining after 24 h. Intraperitoneal (i.p. injections of insulin, glucagon and phosphate buffered saline (PBS were performed and whole brain ACC activity measured. After hormone administration, there were no significant differences in ACC activity in the presence of citrate. However, in the absence of citrate, there was a significant 20% decrease in ACC activity with glucagon (1.36 ± 0.09 fmol/min/mg and a 33% increase with insulin (2.49 ± 0.11 fmol/min/mg injections compared to PBS controls (1.67 ± 0.08 fmol/min/mg. Neuropeptide Y (NPY levels of corresponding brain extracts were measured by ELISA (OD using anti-NPY antibody and showed an 18% decrease upon insulin injection (0.093 ± 0.019 and a 50% increase upon glucagon injection (0.226 ± 0.084 as compared to

  11. The prevalence of turner syndrome in girls presenting with coarctation of the aorta.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Sze Choong; Burgess, Trent; Cheung, Michael; Zacharin, Margaret

    2014-02-01

    To determine the prevalence of Turner syndrome in girls presenting with coarctation of the aorta (CoA). A total of 132 girls with known structural CoA was identified. Those girls who had no previous karyotype analysis performed were asked to participate in a research study in which a banded karyotype with 50-cell count was performed. Of 132 girls with CoA, 55 (41.7%) had karyotype analysis within 6 months of cardiac diagnosis. Three girls underwent karyotyping later because of clinical concerns. Of the 74 girls with CoA who had not had a karyotype, 38 (51.4%) consented to the study. Results were available for 37 girls. All were 46,XX. Five patients with Turner syndrome were identified in the 95 girls with CoA who had karyotype analysis (4 from early karyotype and 1 diagnosed later), which translated into a minimum prevalence of 5.3% of Turner syndrome in this group of girls with CoA. In addition, one infant with a 20-cell 46,XX karyotype had features of Turner syndrome. Our study demonstrated for the first time in a large cohort that 5.3% of girls presenting with CoA are found to have Turner syndrome when karyotyping is performed. Given the spectrum of preventable and treatable health problems after the diagnosis of Turner syndrome, we believe that all girls with CoA should have a karyotype analysis, ideally with at least 50-cell count, at the time of diagnosis of CoA. Copyright © 2014 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Proteomic analysis of nitrate-dependent acetone degradation by Alicycliphilus denitrificans strain BC.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oosterkamp, Margreet J; Boeren, Sjef; Atashgahi, Siavash; Plugge, Caroline M; Schaap, Peter J; Stams, Alfons J M

    2015-06-01

    Alicycliphilus denitrificans strain BC grows anaerobically on acetone with nitrate as electron acceptor. Comparative proteomics of cultures of A. denitrificans strain BC grown on either acetone or acetate with nitrate was performed to study the enzymes involved in the acetone degradation pathway. In the proposed acetone degradation pathway, an acetone carboxylase converts acetone to acetoacetate, an AMP-dependent synthetase/ligase converts acetoacetate to acetoacetyl-CoA, and an acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase cleaves acetoacetyl-CoA to two acetyl-CoA. We also found a putative aldehyde dehydrogenase associated with acetone degradation. This enzyme functioned as a β-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase catalyzing the conversion of surplus acetoacetate to β-hydroxybutyrate that may be converted to the energy and carbon storage compound, poly-β-hydroxybutyrate. Accordingly, we confirmed the formation of poly-β-hydroxybutyrate in acetone-grown cells of strain BC. Our findings provide insight in nitrate-dependent acetone degradation that is activated by carboxylation of acetone. This will aid studies of similar pathways found in other microorganisms degrading acetone with nitrate or sulfate as electron acceptor. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  13. Cloud condensation nuclei activity and hygroscopicity of fresh and aged cooking organic aerosol

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yanwei; Tasoglou, Antonios; Liangou, Aikaterini; Cain, Kerrigan P.; Jahn, Leif; Gu, Peishi; Kostenidou, Evangelia; Pandis, Spyros N.

    2018-03-01

    Cooking organic aerosol (COA) is potentially a significant fraction of organic particulate matter in urban areas. COA chemical aging experiments, using aerosol produced by grilling hamburgers, took place in a smog chamber in the presence of UV light or excess ozone. The water solubility distributions, cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activity, and corresponding hygroscopicity of fresh and aged COA were measured. The average mobility equivalent activation diameter of the fresh particles at 0.4% supersaturation ranged from 87 to 126 nm and decreased for aged particles, ranging from 65 to 88 nm. Most of the fresh COA had water solubility less than 0.1 g L-1, even though the corresponding particles were quite CCN active. After aging, the COA fraction with water solubility greater than 0.1 g L-1 increased more than 2 times. Using the extended Köhler theory for multiple partially soluble components in order to predict the measured activation diameters, the COA solubility distribution alone could not explain the CCN activity. Surface tensions less than 30 dyn cm-1 were required to explain the measured activation diameters. In addition, COA particles appear to not be spherical, which can introduce uncertainties into the corresponding calculations.

  14. The Basolateral Amygdala Is Necessary for the Encoding and the Expression of Odor Memory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sevelinges, Yannick; Desgranges, Bertrand; Ferreira, Guillaume

    2009-01-01

    Conditioned odor avoidance (COA) results from the association between a novel odor and a delayed visceral illness. The present experiments investigated the role of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) in acquisition and retrieval of COA memory. To address this, we used the GABAA agonist muscimol to temporarily inactivate the BLA during COA acquisition…

  15. Children of Alcoholics: A School-Based Comparative Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morey, Connie K.

    1999-01-01

    Examines differences between 4th-6th grade children of alcoholics (COAs) and non-COAs on measures of internalized shame, self-esteem, perceived support, and teacher behavior ratings. No significant differences were found on measures of social support and shame; however self-esteem and teacher ratings for COAs were significantly lower. Gender…

  16. Diagnosis, imaging and clinical management of aortic coarctation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dijkema, Elles J; Leiner, Tim; Grotenhuis, Heynric B

    2017-08-01

    Coarctation of the aorta (CoA ) is a well-known congenital heart disease (CHD) , which is often associated with several other cardiac and vascular anomalies, such as bicuspid aortic valve (BAV), ventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus and aortic arch hypoplasia. Despite echocardiographic screening, prenatal diagnosis of C o A remains difficult. Most patients with CoA present in infancy with absent, delayed or reduced femoral pulses, a supine arm-leg blood pressure gradient (> 20 mm Hg), or a murmur due to rapid blood flow across the CoA or associated lesions (BAV). Transthoracic echocardiography is the primary imaging modality for suspected CoA. However, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging is the preferred advanced imaging modality for non-invasive diagnosis and follow-up of CoA. Adequate and timely diagnosis of CoA is crucial for good prognosis, as early treatment is associated with lower risks of long-term morbidity and mortality. Numerous surgical and transcatheter treatment strategies have been reported for CoA. Surgical resection is the treatment of choice in neonates, infants and young children. In older children (> 25 kg) and adults, transcatheter treatment is the treatment of choice. In the current era, patients with CoA continue to have a reduced life expectancy and an increased risk of cardiovascular sequelae later in life, despite adequate relief of the aortic stenosis. Intensive and adequate follow-up of the left ventricular function, valvular function, blood pressure and the anatomy of the heart and the aorta are , therefore, critical in the management of CoA. This review provides an overview of the current state-of-the-art clinical diagnosis, diagnostic imaging algori thms, treatment and follow-up of patients with CoA. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  17. A pharmacologic increase in activity of plasma transaminase derived from small intestine in animals receiving an acyl CoA: diacylglycerol transferase (DGAT) 1 inhibitor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yokoyama, Hideaki; Kobayashi, Akio; Kondo, Kazuma; Oshida, Shin-Ichi; Takahashi, Tadakazu; Masuyama, Taku; Shoda, Toshiyuki; Sugai, Shoichiro

    2018-01-01

    Acyl CoA: diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) 1 is an enzyme that catalyzes the re-synthesis of triglycerides (TG) from free fatty acids and diacylglycerol. JTT-553 is a DGAT1 inhibitor and exhibits its pharmacological action (inhibition of re-synthesis of TG) in the enterocytes of the small intestine leading to suppression of a postprandial elevation of plasma lipids. After repeated oral dosing JTT-553 in rats and monkeys, plasma transaminase levels were increased but there were neither changes in other hepatic function parameters nor histopathological findings suggestive of hepatotoxicity. Based on the results of exploratory studies for investigation of the mechanism of the increase in transaminase levels, plasma transaminase levels were increased after dosing JTT-553 only when animals were fed after dosing and a main factor in the diet contributing to the increase in plasma transaminase levels was lipids. After dosing JTT-553, transaminase levels were increased in the small intestine but not in the liver, indicating that the origin of transaminase increased in the plasma was not the liver but the small intestine where JTT-553 exhibits its pharmacological action. The increase in small intestinal transaminase levels was due to increased enzyme protein synthesis and was suppressed by inhibiting fatty acid-transport to the enterocytes. In conclusion, the JTT-553-related increase in plasma transaminase levels is considered not to be due to release of the enzymes from injured cells into the circulation but to be phenomena resulting from enhancement of enzyme protein synthesis in the small intestine due to the pharmacological action of JTT-553 in this organ.

  18. Biochemical characterization and substrate specificity of jojoba fatty acyl-CoA reductase and jojoba wax synthase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miklaszewska, Magdalena; Banaś, Antoni

    2016-08-01

    Wax esters are used in industry for production of lubricants, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. The only natural source of wax esters is jojoba oil. A much wider variety of industrial wax esters-containing oils can be generated through genetic engineering. Biotechnological production of tailor-made wax esters requires, however, a detailed substrate specificity of fatty acyl-CoA reductases (FAR) and wax synthases (WS), the two enzymes involved in wax esters synthesis. In this study we have successfully characterized the substrate specificity of jojoba FAR and jojoba WS. The genes encoding both enzymes were expressed heterologously in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the activity of tested enzymes was confirmed by in vivo studies and in vitro assays using microsomal preparations from transgenic yeast. Jojoba FAR exhibited the highest in vitro activity toward 18:0-CoA followed by 20:1-CoA and 22:1-CoA. The activity toward other 11 tested acyl-CoAs was low or undetectable as with 18:2-CoA and 18:3-CoA. In assays characterizing jojoba WS combinations of 17 fatty alcohols with 14 acyl-CoAs were tested. The enzyme displayed the highest activity toward 14:0-CoA and 16:0-CoA in combination with C16-C20 alcohols as well as toward C18 acyl-CoAs in combination with C12-C16 alcohols. 20:1-CoA was efficiently utilized in combination with most of the tested alcohols. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Pantothenate kinase 1 is required to support the metabolic transition from the fed to the fasted state.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roberta Leonardi

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Coenzyme A (CoA biosynthesis is regulated by the pantothenate kinases (PanK, of which there are four active isoforms. The PanK1 isoform is selectively expressed in liver and accounted for 40% of the total PanK activity in this organ. CoA synthesis was limited using a Pank1(-/- knockout mouse model to determine whether the regulation of CoA levels was critical to liver function. The elimination of PanK1 reduced hepatic CoA levels, and fasting triggered a substantial increase in total hepatic CoA in both Pank1(-/- and wild-type mice. The increase in hepatic CoA during fasting was blunted in the Pank1(-/- mouse, and resulted in reduced fatty acid oxidation as evidenced by abnormally high accumulation of long-chain acyl-CoAs, acyl-carnitines, and triglycerides in the form of lipid droplets. The Pank1(-/- mice became hypoglycemic during a fast due to impaired gluconeogenesis, although ketogenesis was normal. These data illustrate the importance of PanK1 and elevated liver CoA levels during fasting to support the metabolic transition from glucose utilization and fatty acid synthesis to gluconeogenesis and fatty acid oxidation. The findings also suggest that PanK1 may be a suitable target for therapeutic intervention in metabolic disorders that feature hyperglycemia and hypertriglyceridemia.

  20. Health-related lifestyle, physical and mental health in children of alcoholic parents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serec, Maša; Svab, Igor; Kolšek, Marko; Svab, Vesna; Moesgen, Diana; Klein, Michael

    2012-11-01

    To identify potential differences between children of alcoholics (COAs) and controls in their health-related lifestyle, mental and physical health. The recruitment of COAs took place in inpatient and outpatient treatment and rehabilitation units. Controls were recruited in elementary and high schools. 57 COAs (72% response rate) and 84 controls (88% response rate) aged between 12 and 18 years completed a postal questionnaire about their health-related lifestyle, and mental and physical health. Bivariate analysis showed that COAs' families have higher unemployment rates and lower economic status (P = 0.000). COAs reported poorer school performance (P = 0.000), spending more time in sedentary (television: P = 0.000, Internet: P = 0.014, music: P = 0.040) and less time in physical activities (P = 0.048), having poorer eating habits (fruits and vegetables: P = 0.001, sweets: P = 0.001, fast food: P = 0.000, soft drinks: P = 0.004), a higher substance use (cigarettes: P = 0.030; marijuana: P = 0.564, heavy drinking: P = 0.050) and more mental health difficulties (emotional symptoms: P = 0.015, conduct problems: P = 0.012, suicidal tendencies: P = 0.007, mental disorder: P = 0.040). Among COAs, girls reported more emotional and somatic symptoms compared to boys (P = 0.020 and P = 0.047, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that after controlling for socioeconomic status, significant mental health and health-related lifestyle inequalities between COAs and controls persist. Our findings suggest that COAs have a less healthy lifestyle and more mental health difficulties above and beyond the poorer economic environment they live in. © 2012 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

  1. The effect of alterations in total coenzyme A on metabolic pathways in the liver and heart

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schlosser, C.A.S.

    1989-01-01

    The first set of experiments involved in vitro experiments using primary cultures of rat hepatocytes. A range of conditions were developed which resulted in cell cultures with variations in total CoA over a range of 1.3 to 2.9 nmol/mg protein with identical hormonal activation which simulated metabolic stress. Elevations of total CoA levels above that of controls due to preincubation with cyanamide plus pantothenate were correlated with diminished rates of total ketone body production, 3-hydroxybutyrate production and ratios of 3 hydroxybutyrate/acetoactetate with palmitate as substrate. In contrast, cells with elevated total CoA levels had higher rates of [ 14 C] CO 2 production from radioactive palmitate which implied greater flux of acetyl CoA units into the TCA cycle and less to the pathway of ketogenesis. The second set of experiments were designed to alter total CoA levels in vivo by maintaining rats on a chronic ethanol diet with or without pantothenate-supplementation. The effect of alterations of CoA on mitochondrial metabolism was evaluated by measuring substrate oxidation rates in liver and heat mitochondria as well as ketone body production with palmitoyl-1-carnitine as substrate

  2. Constriction of juxta-ductal aorta and rapid progression of obstruction in a newborn

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Awasthy, Neeraj; Tomar, Munesh; Radhakrishnan, Sitaraman; Iyer, Krishna Subramoney

    2010-01-01

    A 13-day-old baby girl presenting with features of congestive cardiac failure was found to have coarctation of the aorta (CoA) and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) by echocardiography. Doppler spectral display revealed moderate CoA. Echocardiogram, 12 hours later, showed severe juxtaductal aortic coarctation with spontaneous closure of PDA. This case emphasises the need to keep a close watch on the progress of CoA in the neonatal period, even if the duct has narrowed to a small size thus demonstrating the role of constriction of juxtaductal aorta in pathogenesis of coaractation. Closure of even asmall PDA can cause acute progression CoA in the presence of posterior shelf

  3. Electrical/thermal transport and electronic structure of the binary cobalt pnictides CoPn2 (Pn = As and Sb

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yosuke Goto

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available We demonstrate the electrical and thermal transport properties of polycrystalline CoPn2 (Pn = As and Sb between 300 and 900 K. CoAs2 shows semiconducting electrical transport up to 900 K, while CoSb2 exhibits degenerate conduction. Sign inversion of the Seebeck coefficient is observed at ∼310 and ∼400 K for CoAs2 and CoSb2, respectively. Thermal conductivity at 300 K is 11.7 Wm−1K−1 for CoAs2 and 9.4 Wm−1K−1 for CoSb2. The thermoelectric power factor of CoAs2 is ∼10 μWcm−1K−2, although the dimensionless figure of merit is limited to ∼0.1 due to relatively high thermal conductivity. Using electronic structure calculations, the band gap value is calculated to be 0.55 eV for CoAs2 and 0.26 eV for CoSb2.

  4. Selective involvement of the lateral entorhinal cortex in the control of the olfactory memory trace during conditioned odor aversion in the rat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferry, Barbara; Ferreira, Guillaume; Traissard, Natalia; Majchrzak, Monique

    2006-10-01

    Evidence from the effect of aspiration lesions of the entorhinal cortex (EC) has shown that this region is involved in conditioned odor-aversion (COA) learning--that is, the avoidance of an odorized tasteless solution the ingestion of which precedes toxicosis--by rendering COA tolerant to long odor-toxicosis delay. The present study examined whether neurotoxic lesions restricted to the lateral or medial parts of the EC, in comparison with large aspiration lesions, were sufficient to produce this effect. Male Long-Evans rats received odor-intoxication pairing with either a short (5-min) or long (120-min) delay between the presentation of the odor and toxicosis. All groups, including sham-lesioned controls, showed COA at the 5-min odor-toxicosis delay interval, but only rats with lateral EC damage displayed COA at the longer delay. These data show that the lateral EC is part of the substrate involved in the control of the olfactory memory trace during COA.

  5. Sequestration of carbon dioxide with hydrogen to useful products

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Adams, Michael W. W.; Kelly, Robert M.; Hawkins, Aaron B.; Menon, Angeli Lal; Lipscomb, Gina Lynette Pries; Schut, Gerrit Jan

    2017-03-07

    Provided herein are genetically engineered microbes that include at least a portion of a carbon fixation pathway, and in one embodiment, use molecular hydrogen to drive carbon dioxide fixation. In one embodiment, the genetically engineered microbe is modified to convert acetyl CoA, molecular hydrogen, and carbon dioxide to 3-hydroxypropionate, 4-hydroxybutyrate, acetyl CoA, or the combination thereof at levels greater than a control microbe. Other products may also be produced. Also provided herein are cell free compositions that convert acetyl CoA, molecular hydrogen, and carbon dioxide to 3-hydroxypropionate, 4-hydroxybutyrate, acetyl CoA, or the combination thereof. Also provided herein are methods of using the genetically engineered microbes and the cell free compositions.

  6. Constriction of juxta-ductal aorta and rapid progression of obstruction in a newborn

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Awasthy Neeraj

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available A 13-day-old baby girl presenting with features of congestive cardiac failure was found to have coarctation of the aorta (CoA and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA by echocardiography. Doppler spectral display revealed moderate CoA. Echocardiogram, 12 hours later, showed severe juxtaductal aortic coarctation with spontaneous closure of PDA. This case emphasises the need to keep a close watch on the progress of CoA in the neonatal period, even if the duct has narrowed to a small size thus demonstrating the role of constriction of juxtaductal aorta in pathogenesis of coaractation. Closure of even asmall PDA can cause acute progression CoA in the presence of posterior shelf.

  7. Molecular typing of Staphylococcus aureus based on coagulase gene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Javid, Faizan; Taku, Anil; Bhat, Mohd Altaf; Badroo, Gulzar Ahmad; Mudasir, Mir; Sofi, Tanveer Ahmad

    2018-04-01

    This study was conducted to study the coagulase gene-based genetic diversity of Staphylococcus aureus , isolated from different samples of cattle using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and their sequence-based phylogenetic analysis. A total of 192 different samples from mastitic milk, nasal cavity, and pus from skin wounds of cattle from Military Dairy Farm, Jammu, India, were screened for the presence of S. aureus . The presumptive isolates were confirmed by nuc gene-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The confirmed S. aureus isolates were subjected to coagulase ( coa ) gene PCR. Different coa genotypes observed were subjected to RFLP using restriction enzymes Hae111 and Alu1 , to obtain the different restriction patterns. One isolate from each restriction pattern was sequenced. These sequences were aligned for maximum homology using the Bioedit softwareandsimilarity in the sequences was inferred with the help of sequence identity matrix. Of 192 different samples,39 (20.31%) isolates of S. aureus were confirmed by targeting nuc gene using PCR. Of 39 S. aureus isolates, 25 (64.10%) isolates carried coa gene. Four different genotypes of coa gene, i.e., 514 bp, 595 bp, 757 bp, and 802 bp were obtained. Two coa genotypes, 595 bp (15 isolates) and 802 bp (4 isolates), were observed in mastitic milk. 514 bp (2 isolates) and 757 bp (4 isolates) coa genotypes were observed from nasal cavity and pus from skin wounds, respectively. On RFLP using both restriction enzymes, four different restriction patterns P1, P2, P3, and P4 were observed. On sequencing, four different sequences having unique restriction patterns were obtained. The most identical sequences with the value of 0.810 were found between isolate S. aureus 514 (nasal cavity) and S. aureus 595 (mastitic milk), and thus, they are most closely related. While as the most distant sequences with the value of 0.483 were found between S. aureus 514 and S. aureus 802 isolates. The study, being localized

  8. Interactions of methylamine and ammonia with atmospheric nucleation precursor H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} and common organic acids: Thermodynamics and atmospheric implications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu, Y.; Jiang, L.; Bai, Z. [State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Science, Beijing 100012 (China); Nadykto, A. B., E-mail: anadykto@gmail.com [State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Science, Beijing 100012 (China); Department of Applied Mathematics, Moscow State University of Technology “STANKIN”, Vadkovsky per. 1, Moscow 127055 (Russian Federation); Atmospheric Science Research Center, State University of New York at Albany, 251 Fuller Road, Albany, NY 12203 (United States)

    2016-06-08

    Interactions of the two common atmospheric bases, ammonia (NH{sub 3}) and methylamine MA (CH{sub 3}NH{sub 2}), which are considered to be important stabilizers of binary clusters in the Earth’s atmosphere, with H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}, the key atmospheric precursor, and 14 common atmospheric organic acids (COA) (formic (CH{sub 2}O{sub 2}), acetic (C{sub 2}H{sub 4}O{sub 2}), oxalic (C{sub 2}H{sub 2}O{sub 4}), malonic (C{sub 3}H{sub 4}O{sub 4}), succinic (C{sub 4}H{sub 6}O{sub 4}), glutaric acid (C{sub 5}H{sub 8}O{sub 4}), adipic (C{sub 6}H{sub 10}O{sub 4}), benzoic (C{sub 6}H{sub 5}COOH), phenylacetic (C{sub 6}H{sub 5}CH{sub 2}COOH), pyruvic (C{sub 3}H{sub 4}O{sub 3}), maleic acid (C{sub 4}H{sub 4}O{sub 4}), malic (C{sub 4}H{sub 6}O{sub 5}), tartaric (C{sub 4}H{sub 6}O{sub 6}) and pinonic acid (C{sub 10}H{sub 16}O{sub 3})) have been studied using the composite high-accuracy G3MP2 method. The thermodynamic stability of mixed (COA) (H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}), (COA)(B1) and (COA)(B2) dimers and (COA) (H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}) (B1) and (COA) (H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}) (B1) trimers, where B1 and B2 represent methylamine (CH{sub 3}NH{sub 2}) and ammonia (NH{sub 3}), respectively, have been investigated and their impacts on the thermodynamic stability of clusters containing H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} have been analyzed. It has been shown that in many cases the interactions of H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} with COA, ammonia and methylamine lead to the formation of heteromolecular dimers and trimers, which are certainly more stable than (H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}){sub 2} and (H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}){sub 3}. It has also been found that free energies of (COA) (H{sub 2}SO{sub 4})+ CH{sub 3}NH{sub 2}⇔(COA) (H{sub 2}SO{sub 4})(CH{sub 3}NH{sub 2}) reactions exceed 10-15 kcal mol{sup −1}. This is a clear indication that mixed trimers composed of COA, H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} and methylamine are very stable and can thus serve as possible nucleation sites. The present study leads us to conclude that the interactions of COA coexisting with H

  9. Purification, properties, and N-terminal amino acid sequence of homogeneous Escherichia coli 2-amino-3-ketobutyrate CoA ligase, a pyridoxal phosphate-dependent enzyme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mukherjee, J J; Dekker, E E

    1987-10-25

    Starting with 100 g (wet weight) of a mutant of Escherichia coli K-12 forced to grow on L-threonine as sole carbon source, we developed a 6-step procedure that provides 30-40 mg of homogeneous 2-amino-3-ketobutyrate CoA ligase (also called aminoacetone synthetase or synthase). This ligase, which catalyzes the cleavage/condensation reaction between 2-amino-3-ketobutyrate (the presumed product of the L-threonine dehydrogenase-catalyzed reaction) and glycine + acetyl-CoA, has an apparent molecular weight approximately equal to 85,000 and consists of two identical (or nearly identical) subunits with Mr = 42,000. Computer analysis of amino acid composition data, which gives the best fit nearest integer ratio for each residue, indicates a total of 387 amino acids/subunit with a calculated Mr = 42,093. Stepwise Edman degradation provided the N-terminal sequence of the first 21 amino acids. It is a pyridoxal phosphate-dependent enzyme since (a) several carbonyl reagents caused greater than 90% loss of activity, (b) dialysis against buffer containing hydroxylamine resulted in 89% loss of activity coincident with an 86% decrease in absorptivity at 428 nm, (c) incubation of the apoenzyme with 20 microM pyridoxal phosphate showed a parallel recovery (greater than 90%) of activity and 428-nm absorptivity, and (d) reduction of the holoenzyme with NaBH4 resulted in complete inactivation, disappearance of a new absorption maximum at 333 nm. Strict specificity for glycine is shown but acetyl-CoA (100%), n-propionyl-CoA (127%), or n-butyryl-CoA (16%) is utilized in the condensation reaction. Apparent Km values for acetyl-CoA, n-propionyl-CoA, and glycine are 59 microM, 80 microM, and 12 mM, respectively; the pH optimum = 7.5. Added divalent metal ions or sulfhydryl compounds inhibited catalysis of the condensation reaction.

  10. Intracranial aneurysms in patients with coarctation of the aorta: a prospective magnetic resonance angiographic study of 100 patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Connolly, Heidi M; Huston, John; Brown, Robert D; Warnes, Carole A; Ammash, Naser M; Tajik, A Jamil

    2003-12-01

    To determine the frequency of intracranial aneurysms (IAs) detected in patients with coarctation of the aorta (CoA) with use of magnetic resonance angiography. From January 1, 1980, to September 30, 2002, 277 adult patients with CoA were seen at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn, and were invited to participate in a study to detect IAs. Of these 277 patients (mean +/- SD age, 41.6 +/- 16.5; 70 men), 100 underwent cranial magnetic resonance angiography. Ten patients had an IA (95% confidence interval, 5%-18%), with a mean diameter of 3.5 mm (range, 2.0-8.0 mm). The frequency of IA was significantly higher than that predicted in the general population (10% vs 2%; P IA and patients with CoA and no IA. The frequency of IA among patients with CoA is approximately 5-fold that of the general population. Although no risk factors were identified in this cohort, additional prospective evaluation is warranted. These data suggest that noninvasive cerebral imaging to screen for IA should be considered in patients with CoA.

  11. The orexin component of fasting triggers memory processes underlying conditioned food selection in the rat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferry, Barbara; Duchamp-Viret, Patricia

    2014-03-14

    To test the selectivity of the orexin A (OXA) system in olfactory sensitivity, the present study compared the effects of fasting and of central infusion of OXA on the memory processes underlying odor-malaise association during the conditioned odor aversion (COA) paradigm. Animals implanted with a cannula in the left ventricle received ICV infusion of OXA or artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF) 1 h before COA acquisition. An additional group of intact rats were food-deprived for 24 h before acquisition. Results showed that the increased olfactory sensitivity induced by fasting and by OXA infusion was accompanied by enhanced COA performance. The present results suggest that fasting-induced central OXA release influenced COA learning by increasing not only olfactory sensitivity, but also the memory processes underlying the odor-malaise association.

  12. Clinical Outcome Assessments: Conceptual Foundation-Report of the ISPOR Clinical Outcomes Assessment - Emerging Good Practices for Outcomes Research Task Force.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walton, Marc K; Powers, John H; Hobart, Jeremy; Patrick, Donald; Marquis, Patrick; Vamvakas, Spiros; Isaac, Maria; Molsen, Elizabeth; Cano, Stefan; Burke, Laurie B

    2015-09-01

    An outcome assessment, the patient assessment used in an endpoint, is the measuring instrument that provides a rating or score (categorical or continuous) that is intended to represent some aspect of the patient's health status. Outcome assessments are used to define efficacy endpoints when developing a therapy for a disease or condition. Most efficacy endpoints are based on specified clinical assessments of patients. When clinical assessments are used as clinical trial outcomes, they are called clinical outcome assessments (COAs). COAs include any assessment that may be influenced by human choices, judgment, or motivation. COAs must be well-defined and possess adequate measurement properties to demonstrate (directly or indirectly) the benefits of a treatment. In contrast, a biomarker assessment is one that is subject to little, if any, patient motivational or rater judgmental influence. This is the first of two reports by the ISPOR Clinical Outcomes Assessment - Emerging Good Practices for Outcomes Research Task Force. This report provides foundational definitions important for an understanding of COA measurement principles. The foundation provided in this report includes what it means to demonstrate a beneficial effect, how assessments of patients relate to the objective of showing a treatment's benefit, and how these assessments are used in clinical trial endpoints. In addition, this report describes intrinsic attributes of patient assessments and clinical trial factors that can affect the properties of the measurements. These factors should be considered when developing or refining assessments. These considerations will aid investigators designing trials in their choice of using an existing assessment or developing a new outcome assessment. Although the focus of this report is on the development of a new COA to define endpoints in a clinical trial, these principles may be applied more generally. A critical element in appraising or developing a COA is to

  13. Overexpression of human fatty acid transport protein 2/very long chain acyl-CoA synthetase 1 (FATP2/Acsvl1) reveals distinct patterns of trafficking of exogenous fatty acids

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Melton, Elaina M. [Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE (United States); Center for Cardiovascular Sciences, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY (United States); Cerny, Ronald L. [Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE (United States); DiRusso, Concetta C. [Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE (United States); Black, Paul N., E-mail: pblack2@unl.edu [Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE (United States)

    2013-11-01

    Highlights: •Roles of FATP2 in fatty acid transport/activation contribute to lipid homeostasis. •Use of 13C- and D-labeled fatty acids provide novel insights into FATP2 function. •FATP2-dependent trafficking of FA into phospholipids results in distinctive profiles. •FATP2 functions in the transport and activation pathways for exogenous fatty acids. -- Abstract: In mammals, the fatty acid transport proteins (FATP1 through FATP6) are members of a highly conserved family of proteins, which function in fatty acid transport proceeding through vectorial acylation and in the activation of very long chain fatty acids, branched chain fatty acids and secondary bile acids. FATP1, 2 and 4, for example directly function in fatty acid transport and very long chain fatty acids activation while FATP5 does not function in fatty acid transport but activates secondary bile acids. In the present work, we have used stable isotopically labeled fatty acids differing in carbon length and saturation in cells expressing FATP2 to gain further insights into how this protein functions in fatty acid transport and intracellular fatty acid trafficking. Our previous studies showed the expression of FATP2 modestly increased C16:0-CoA and C20:4-CoA and significantly increased C18:3-CoA and C22:6-CoA after 4 h. The increases in C16:0-CoA and C18:3-CoA suggest FATP2 must necessarily partner with a long chain acyl CoA synthetase (Acsl) to generate C16:0-CoA and C18:3-CoA through vectorial acylation. The very long chain acyl CoA synthetase activity of FATP2 is consistent in the generation of C20:4-CoA and C22:6-CoA coincident with transport from their respective exogenous fatty acids. The trafficking of exogenous fatty acids into phosphatidic acid (PA) and into the major classes of phospholipids (phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylinositol (PI), and phosphatidyserine (PS)) resulted in distinctive profiles, which changed with the expression of FATP2. The

  14. Overexpression of human fatty acid transport protein 2/very long chain acyl-CoA synthetase 1 (FATP2/Acsvl1) reveals distinct patterns of trafficking of exogenous fatty acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Melton, Elaina M.; Cerny, Ronald L.; DiRusso, Concetta C.; Black, Paul N.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: •Roles of FATP2 in fatty acid transport/activation contribute to lipid homeostasis. •Use of 13C- and D-labeled fatty acids provide novel insights into FATP2 function. •FATP2-dependent trafficking of FA into phospholipids results in distinctive profiles. •FATP2 functions in the transport and activation pathways for exogenous fatty acids. -- Abstract: In mammals, the fatty acid transport proteins (FATP1 through FATP6) are members of a highly conserved family of proteins, which function in fatty acid transport proceeding through vectorial acylation and in the activation of very long chain fatty acids, branched chain fatty acids and secondary bile acids. FATP1, 2 and 4, for example directly function in fatty acid transport and very long chain fatty acids activation while FATP5 does not function in fatty acid transport but activates secondary bile acids. In the present work, we have used stable isotopically labeled fatty acids differing in carbon length and saturation in cells expressing FATP2 to gain further insights into how this protein functions in fatty acid transport and intracellular fatty acid trafficking. Our previous studies showed the expression of FATP2 modestly increased C16:0-CoA and C20:4-CoA and significantly increased C18:3-CoA and C22:6-CoA after 4 h. The increases in C16:0-CoA and C18:3-CoA suggest FATP2 must necessarily partner with a long chain acyl CoA synthetase (Acsl) to generate C16:0-CoA and C18:3-CoA through vectorial acylation. The very long chain acyl CoA synthetase activity of FATP2 is consistent in the generation of C20:4-CoA and C22:6-CoA coincident with transport from their respective exogenous fatty acids. The trafficking of exogenous fatty acids into phosphatidic acid (PA) and into the major classes of phospholipids (phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylinositol (PI), and phosphatidyserine (PS)) resulted in distinctive profiles, which changed with the expression of FATP2. The

  15. Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate) Synthesis Genes in Azotobacter sp. Strain FA8

    OpenAIRE

    Pettinari, M. Julia; Vázquez, Gustavo J.; Silberschmidt, Daniel; Rehm, Bernd; Steinbüchel, Alexander; Méndez, Beatriz S.

    2001-01-01

    Genes responsible for the synthesis of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) in Azotobacter sp. FA8 were cloned and analyzed. A PHB polymerase gene (phbC) was found downstream from genes coding for β-ketothiolase (phbA) and acetoacetyl-coenzyme A reductase (phbB). A PHB synthase mutant was obtained by gene inactivation and used for genetic studies. The phbC gene from this strain was introduced into Ralstonia eutropha PHB-4 (phbC-negative mutant), and the recombinant accumulated PHB when either glucos...

  16. Metabolically engineered cells for the production of resveratrol or an oligomeric or glycosidically-bound derivative thereof

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2006-01-01

    A from said 4-coumaric acid, and resveratrol synthase (VST) produces said resveratrol from said 4- coumaroyl CoA, or in which L-phenylalanine- or tyrosine- ammonia lyase (PAL/TAL) produces 4-coumaric acid, 4- coumarate-CoA ligase (4CL) produces 4-coumaroyl CoA from said 4-coumaric acid, and resveratrol...... synthase (VST) produces said resveratrol from said 4-coumaroyl CoA. The micro-organism may be a yeast, fungus or bacterium including Saccharomyces cerevisiae, E. coli, Lactococcus lactis, Aspergillus niger, or Aspergillus oryzae....

  17. Treating a 20 mm Hg gradient alleviates myocardial hypertrophy in experimental aortic coarctation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wendell, David C; Friehs, Ingeborg; Samyn, Margaret M; Harmann, Leanne M; LaDisa, John F

    2017-10-01

    Children with coarctation of the aorta (CoA) can have a hyperdynamic and remodeled left ventricle (LV) from increased afterload. Literature from an experimental model suggests the putative 20 mm Hg blood pressure gradient (BPG) treatment guideline frequently implemented in CoA studies may permit irreversible vascular changes. LV remodeling from pressure overload has been studied, but data are limited following correction and using a clinically representative BPG. Rabbits underwent CoA at 10 weeks to induce a 20 mm Hg BPG using permanent or dissolvable suture thereby replicating untreated and corrected CoA, respectively. Cardiac function was evaluated at 32 weeks by magnetic resonance imaging using a spoiled cine GRE sequence (TR/TE/FA 8/2.9/20), 14 × 14-cm FOV, and 3-mm slice thickness. Images (20 frames/cycle) were acquired in 6-8 short axis views from the apex to the mitral valve annulus. LV volume, ejection fraction (EF), and mass were quantified. LV mass was elevated for CoA (5.2 ± 0.55 g) versus control (3.6 ± 0.16 g) and corrected (4.0 ± 0.44 g) rabbits, resulting in increased LV mass/volume ratio for CoA rabbits. A trend toward increased EF and stroke volume was observed but did not reach significance. Elevated EF by volumetric analysis in CoA rabbits was supported by concomitant increases in total aortic flow by phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging. The indices quantified trended toward a persistent hyperdynamic LV despite correction, but differences were not statistically significant versus control rabbits. These findings suggest the current putative 20 mm Hg BPG for treatment may be reasonable from the LV's perspective. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Assessment of ventriculo-vascular properties in repaired coarctation using cardiac magnetic resonance-derived aortic, left atrial and left ventricular strain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shang, Quanliang [University of Nebraska College of Medicine and Children' s Hospital and Medical Center, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Omaha, NE (United States); Central South University, Department of Radiology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, Hunan Province (China); Sarikouch, Samir; Beerbaum, Philipp [Hannover Medical School, Hannover (Germany); Patel, Shivani; Danford, David A.; Kutty, Shelby [University of Nebraska College of Medicine and Children' s Hospital and Medical Center, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Omaha, NE (United States); Schuster, Andreas [Department of Cardiology and Pneumonology, Georg-August-University and German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK, Partner Site), Goettingen (Germany); Steinmetz, Michael [Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Georg-August-University and German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK, Partner Site), Goettingen (Germany); Ou, Phalla [University Paris Diderot, Department of Radiology, Hospital Bichat, APHP, Paris (France)

    2017-01-15

    In patients with repaired coarctation of aorta (CoA), we assessed ventriculo-vascular characteristics using CMR-derived aortic area strain (AAS), left atrial (LA) and left ventricular (LV) longitudinal and circumferential strain (LS, CS). Seventy-five subjects including 50 with repaired CoA divided into hypertensive (n = 25), normotensive (n = 25) and 25 controls were studied. AAS was measured at 3 levels: ascending aorta, proximal descending and descending aorta. LA and LV LS were measured using CMR-feature tracking. LA and LV end-diastolic volumes, ejection fraction (EF) and mass were measured. Mean patient age was 19.7 ± 6.7 and controls 23 ± 15 (years). All strains (LA, LV, ascending and descending aortic) were lower in CoA subgroups compared to controls except the AAS at diaphragm, which was not different. Comparisons between hypertensive and normotensive CoA showed no differences in LV mass, LV volumetric indices, and LA and LV strain indices; however, ascending AAS was lower in hypertensive subgroup (p = 0.02). Ascending AAS was correlated with LV mass (r = -0.4, p = 0.005), LVEF (r = -0.4, p = 0.004), systolic blood pressure (r = -0.5, p = 0.0001) and LVLS (r = 0.5, p = 0.001). Ascending AAS correlated with LV mass, EF and LVLS. In hypertensive CoA, ascending AAS was reduced compared to normotensive CoA and controls, indicating vascular remodelling differences influenced by ongoing hypertension. (orig.)

  19. [Osteoarticular coccidioidomicosis. Clinical and pathological study of 36 Mexican patients].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torres-Nájera, Manuel; de la Garza-Galván, Sergio; Cerda-Flores, Ricardo M; Nocedal-Rustrián, Fausto C; Calderón-Garcidueñas, Ana Laura

    2006-01-01

    Coccidioidomycosis (CM) is primarily a lung disease. Systemic spread occurs in 1% of cases and one of its manifestation is osteoarthritis. To describe the clinical and pathological characteristics of 36 patients with osteoarthritis by Coccidioides immitis (COA). The surgical pathology records of two medical institutions were reviewed; patients with clinical diagnosis of osteoarthritis and definitive histopathological diagnosis of COA were included in the study. Results were analyzed by contingence tables (RXC) and chi2 test. Twenty six adults (19 men, seven women) and 10 children (seven males, three females) were studied. The chi2 analysis demonstrated a predominance of disease in men (72.2%, p = 0.008). There was no difference between males and females in relation to history of mycotic disease or diagnosis of lung disease after the diagnosis of COA. Bone involvement (76% of cases) was more frequent that pure joint lesions and the predominant radiological lesion was of lytic type. 30.5% of patients (11 cases) had multiple bone lesions and eight of them were men with multiple vertebral bone lesions. The COA was the only manifestation of disease in 83% of the patients. Therefore is important to consider this etiology in patients of endemic area. The clinical and radiological spectrum of COA is wide and may include a dentigerous and synovial cyst or simulates metastatic disease. The recognition of the clinical manifestations of COA may contribute to an opportune diagnosis and treatment.

  20. Patient-Reported Outcome and Observer-Reported Outcome Assessment in Rare Disease Clinical Trials: An ISPOR COA Emerging Good Practices Task Force Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benjamin, Katy; Vernon, Margaret K; Patrick, Donald L; Perfetto, Eleanor; Nestler-Parr, Sandra; Burke, Laurie

    Rare diseases (RDs) affect a small number of people within a population. About 5000 to 8000 distinct RDs have been identified, with an estimated 6% to 8% of people worldwide suffering from an RD. Approximately 75% of RDs affect children. Frequently, these conditions are heterogeneous; many are progressive. Regulatory incentives have increased orphan drug designations and approvals. To develop emerging good practices for RD outcomes research addressing the challenges inherent in identifying, selecting, developing, adapting, and implementing patient-reported outcome (PRO) and observer-reported outcome (ObsRO) assessments for use in RD clinical trials. This report outlines the challenges and potential solutions in determining clinical outcomes for RD trials. It follows the US Food and Drug Administration Roadmap to Patient-Focused Outcome Measurement in Clinical Trials. The Roadmap consists of three columns: 1) Understanding the Disease or Condition, 2) Conceptualizing Treatment Benefit, and 3) Selecting/Developing the Outcome Measure. Challenges in column 1 include factors such as incomplete natural history data and heterogeneity of disease presentation and patient experience. Solutions include using several information sources, for example, clinical experts and patient advocacy groups, to construct the condition's natural history and understand treatment patterns. Challenges in column 2 include understanding and measuring treatment benefit from the patient's perspective, especially given challenges in defining the context of use such as variations in age or disease severity/progression. Solutions include focusing on common symptoms across patient subgroups, identifying short-term outcomes, and using multiple types of COA instruments to measure the same constructs. Challenges in column 3 center around the small patient population and heterogeneity of the condition or study sample. Few disease-specific instruments for RDs exist. Strategies include adapting existing

  1. Improvement of H2 yield of Fermentative Bacteria by Gene Manipulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Makiko Harada; Takashi Kaneko; Shigeharu Tanisho

    2006-01-01

    Two method were proposed in this paper. One is to destroy the NADH dehydrogenase complex in the electron transport chain of a facultative anaerobic bacterium Enterobacter aerogenes and the other is to disrupt the butyrate producing pathway of a strict anaerobic bacterium Clostridium butyricum. In case of E. aerogenes, one of the 14 membrane-bound NADH dehydrogenases, nuoG, is targeted to destroy. In case of C. butyricum, function of thiolase is targeted to disrupt. (authors)

  2. Improvement of H2 yield of Fermentative Bacteria by Gene Manipulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Makiko Harada; Takashi Kaneko; Shigeharu Tanisho [Department of Environmental and Information Sciences, Yokohama National University Hodogaya-Ku, Yokohama 240-8501, (Japan)

    2006-07-01

    Two method were proposed in this paper. One is to destroy the NADH dehydrogenase complex in the electron transport chain of a facultative anaerobic bacterium Enterobacter aerogenes and the other is to disrupt the butyrate producing pathway of a strict anaerobic bacterium Clostridium butyricum. In case of E. aerogenes, one of the 14 membrane-bound NADH dehydrogenases, nuoG, is targeted to destroy. In case of C. butyricum, function of thiolase is targeted to disrupt. (authors)

  3. PhaP phasins play a principal role in poly-β-hydroxybutyrate accumulation in free-living Bradyrhizobium japonicum

    OpenAIRE

    Yoshida, Ken-ichi; Takemoto, Yuki; Sotsuka, Takayuki; Tanaka, Kosei; Takenaka, Shinji

    2013-01-01

    Background Bradyrhizobium japonicum USDA110, a soybean symbiont, is capable of accumulating a large amount of poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) as an intracellular carbon storage polymer during free-living growth. Within the genome of USDA110, there are a number of genes annotated as paralogs of proteins involved in PHB metabolism, including its biosynthesis, degradation, and stabilization of its granules. They include two phbA paralogs encoding 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase, two phbB paralogs encoding ...

  4. On the Relations between the Attacks on Symmetric Homomorphic Encryption over the Residue Ring

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alina V. Trepacheva

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The paper considers the security of symmetric homomorphic cryptosystems (HC over the residue ring. The main task is to establish an equivalence between ciphertexts only attack (COA and known plaintexts attack (KPA for HC. The notion of reducibility between attacks and sufficient condition of reducibility from COA to KPA are given for this purpose. The main idea is: to prove reducibility from COA to KPA we need to find a function over residue ring being efficiently computable and having a small image size comparing with the size of residue ring. The study of reducibility existence is important since it allows to understand better the security level of symmetric HC proposed in literature. A vulnerability against KPA has been already found for the majority of these HC. Thus the reducibility presence can demonstrate that cryptosystems under the study are not secure even against COA, and therefore they are totally insecure and shouldn’t be used in practice. We give an example of reducibility from COA to KPA for residue ring being a simple field. Based on this example we show an efficient COA on one symmetric HC for small field. Also we separately consider the case of residue ring composed using number n being hard-to-factor. For such n an efficient algorithm to construct an efficiently computable function with small image is unknown so far. So further work related to cryptanalysis of existing symmetric HC will be directed into study of functions properties over residue rings modulo numbers hard for factorization.

  5. Three-dimensional rotational angiography in children with an aortic coarctation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Starmans, N L P; Krings, G J; Molenschot, M M C; van der Stelt, Femke; Breur, J M P J

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Children with aortic coarctations (CoA) are increasingly percutaneously treated. Good visualisation of the CoA is mandatory and can be obtained with three-dimensional rotational angiography (3DRA). This study aims to compare the diagnostic and therapeutic additional value of 3DRA with

  6. Chaos optimization algorithms based on chaotic maps with different probability distribution and search speed for global optimization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Dixiong; Liu, Zhenjun; Zhou, Jilei

    2014-04-01

    Chaos optimization algorithms (COAs) usually utilize the chaotic map like Logistic map to generate the pseudo-random numbers mapped as the design variables for global optimization. Many existing researches indicated that COA can more easily escape from the local minima than classical stochastic optimization algorithms. This paper reveals the inherent mechanism of high efficiency and superior performance of COA, from a new perspective of both the probability distribution property and search speed of chaotic sequences generated by different chaotic maps. The statistical property and search speed of chaotic sequences are represented by the probability density function (PDF) and the Lyapunov exponent, respectively. Meanwhile, the computational performances of hybrid chaos-BFGS algorithms based on eight one-dimensional chaotic maps with different PDF and Lyapunov exponents are compared, in which BFGS is a quasi-Newton method for local optimization. Moreover, several multimodal benchmark examples illustrate that, the probability distribution property and search speed of chaotic sequences from different chaotic maps significantly affect the global searching capability and optimization efficiency of COA. To achieve the high efficiency of COA, it is recommended to adopt the appropriate chaotic map generating the desired chaotic sequences with uniform or nearly uniform probability distribution and large Lyapunov exponent.

  7. Online Chemical Characterization of Food-Cooking Organic Aerosols: Implications for Source Apportionment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reyes-Villegas, Ernesto; Bannan, Thomas; Le Breton, Michael; Mehra, Archit; Priestley, Michael; Percival, Carl; Coe, Hugh; Allan, James D

    2018-04-11

    Food-cooking organic aerosols (COA) are one of the primary sources of submicron particulate matter in urban environments. However, there are still many questions surrounding source apportionment related to instrumentation as well as semivolatile partitioning because COA evolve rapidly in the ambient air, making source apportionment more complex. Online measurements of emissions from cooking different types of food were performed in a laboratory to characterize particles and gases. Aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) measurements showed that the relative ionization efficiency for OA was higher (1.56-3.06) relative to a typical value of 1.4, concluding that AMS is over-estimating COA and suggesting that previous studies likely over-estimated COA concentrations. Food-cooking mass spectra were generated using AMS, and gas and particle food markers were identified with filter inlets for gases and aerosols-chemical ionization mass spectrometer (CIMS) measurements to be used in future food cooking-source apportionment studies. However, there is a considerable variability in both gas and particle markers, and dilution plays an important role in the particle mass budget, showing the importance of using these markers with caution during receptor modeling. These findings can be used to better understand the chemical composition of COA, and they provides useful information to be used in future source-apportionment studies.

  8. Cyberwar XXI: quantifying the unquantifiable: adaptive AI for next-generation conflict simulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miranda, Joseph; von Kleinsmid, Peter; Zalewski, Tony

    2004-08-01

    The era of the "Revolution in Military Affairs," "4th Generation Warfare" and "Asymmetric War" requires novel approaches to modeling warfare at the operational and strategic level of modern conflict. For example, "What if, in response to our planned actions, the adversary reacts in such-and-such a manner? What will our response be? What are the possible unintended consequences?" Next generation conflict simulation tools are required to help create and test novel courses of action (COA's) in support of real-world operations. Conflict simulations allow non-lethal and cost-effective exploration of the "what-if" of COA development. The challenge has been to develop an automated decision-support software tool which allows competing COA"s to be compared in simulated dynamic environments. Principal Investigator Joseph Miranda's research is based on modeling an integrated military, economic, social, infrastructure and information (PMESII) environment. The main effort was to develop an adaptive AI engine which models agents operating within an operational-strategic conflict environment. This was implemented in Cyberwar XXI - a simulation which models COA selection in a PMESII environment. Within this framework, agents simulate decision-making processes and provide predictive capability of the potential behavior of Command Entities. The 2003 Iraq is the first scenario ready for V&V testing.

  9. Event-related potentials during visual selective attention in children of alcoholics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Stelt, O; Gunning, W B; Snel, J; Kok, A

    1998-12-01

    Event-related potentials were recorded from 7- to 18-year-old children of alcoholics (COAs, n = 50) and age- and sex-matched control children (n = 50) while they performed a visual selective attention task. The task was to attend selectively to stimuli with a specified color (red or blue) in an attempt to detect the occurrence of target stimuli. COAs manifested a smaller P3b amplitude to attended-target stimuli over the parietal and occipital scalp than did the controls. A more specific analysis indicated that both the attentional relevance and the target properties of the eliciting stimulus determined the observed P3b amplitude differences between COAs and controls. In contrast, no significant group differences were observed in attention-related earlier occurring event-related potential components, referred to as frontal selection positivity, selection negativity, and N2b. These results represent neurophysiological evidence that COAs suffer from deficits at a late (semantic) level of visual selective information processing that are unlikely a consequence of deficits at earlier (sensory) levels of selective processing. The findings support the notion that a reduced visual P3b amplitude in COAs represents a high-level processing dysfunction indicating their increased vulnerability to alcoholism.

  10. Diagnostic value of the flow profile in the distal descending aorta by phase-contrast magnetic resonance for predicting severe coarctation of the aorta.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muzzarelli, Stefano; Ordovas, Karen Gomes; Hope, Michael D; Meadows, Jeffery J; Higgins, Charles B; Meadows, Alison Knauth

    2011-06-01

    To compare aortic flow profiles at the level of the proximal descending (PDAo) and distal descending aorta (DDAo) in patients investigated for coarctation of the aorta (CoA), and compare their respective diagnostic value for predicting severe CoA. Diastolic flow decay in the PDAo predicts severe CoA, but flow measurements at this level are limited by flow turbulence, aliasing, and stent-related artifacts. We studied 49 patients evaluated for CoA with phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging (PC-MRI). Parameters of diastolic flow decay in the PDAo and DDAo were compared. Their respective diagnostic value was compared with the standard reference of transcatheter peak gradient ≥20 mmHg. Flow measurement in the PDAo required repeated acquisition with adjustment of encoding velocity or location of the imaging plane in 69% of patients; measurement in the DDAo was achieved in single acquisition in all cases. Parameters of diastolic flow decay in the PDAo and DDAo, including rate-corrected (RC) deceleration time and RC flow deceleration yielded a good correlation (r = 0.78; P RC deceleration time at DDAo (sensitivity 85%, specificity 85%). Characterization of aortic flow profiles at the DDAo offers a quick and reliable noninvasive means of assessing hemodynamically significant CoA. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  11. Ratiometric colorimetric determination of coenzyme A using gold nanoparticles and a binuclear uranyl complex as optical probes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, Rurong; Liao, Lifu; Li, Shijun; Yang, Yanyan; Xiao, Xilin; Nie, Changming

    2016-01-01

    We describe a ratiometric colorimetric method for the determination of coenzyme A (CoA) by using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and bis-uranyl-bis-sulfosalophen (BUBSS) as optical probes. BUBSS is a binuclear uranyl complex and formed through the chelating reaction of two uranyl ions with bis-sulfosalophen. CoA is captured by the AuNPs via the thiol group and this leads to the formation of CoA-AuNPs. In a second step, BUBSS binds two CoA-AuNPs through a coordination reaction between the uranyl ions in BUBSS and the phosphate groups in CoA-AuNPs. This causes the CoA-AuNPs to aggregate and results in a color change from wine red to blue. A ratiometric colorimetric assay was established for CoA based on the ratiometric measurement of absorbance changes at 650 and 525 nm. Their ratio is linearly related to the concentration of CoA in the 0 to 1.2 μmol⋅L -1 range, with a 6 nmol⋅ L- 1 detection limit under optimal conditions. The method was successfully applied to the determination of CoA in spiked liver samples with recoveries between 99.4 and 102.6 %. (author)

  12. Predictive battlespace awareness and effects-based operations from a Homeland Security perspective: a wargaming opportunity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, James K.; Hubbard, Zachary P.

    2003-09-01

    Effects Based Operations (EBO) and Predictive Battlespace Awareness (PBA) are intimately linked. Intelligence Preparation of the Battlespace (IPB), the predictive component of PBA, provides a structured analytical process for defining the battlespace environment, describing the battlespace effects that influence all sides, modeling the adversary, and determining likely enemy courses of action (COA). IPB documents some of the necessary elements of EBO, such as centers of gravity, counter-COAs, and indicators. The IPB process has been adapted to Information Operations (IO) through Intelligence Preparation of the Information Battlespace (IPIB), a prototype system for cyber-defense. IPIB ranks Enemy cyber-COAs and lists mission-critical network assets that must be defended. It is clear that IPIB can be inverted for developing COAs that implement EBO, and the prototype is being modified for offensive IO. Full-spectrum EBO would combine kinetic, cyber, and cognitive COAs to affect an adversary's behavior. This paper uses a Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) scenario to: 1) Provide an example of EBO-based PBA for CIP. 2) Illustrate the interaction between EBO and PBA. 3) Demonstrate the need for a national Critical Infrastructure vulnerability assessment. 4) Identify why simulation and wargaming are the most viable means of performing such an assessment.

  13. 76 FR 45271 - Review and Qualification of Clinical Outcome Assessments; Public Workshop

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-07-28

    ... announcing a public workshop to discuss measurement principles for clinical outcome assessments (COAs) for... appropriate drug development program. Because the qualification process is separate from the drug marketing... other DDTs. This workshop will focus on FDA review principles specific to all type of COAs, i.e., PRO...

  14. Prebiotic Fiber Increases Hepatic Acetyl CoA Carboxylase Phosphorylation and Suppresses Glucose-Dependent Insulinotropic Polypeptide Secretion More Effectively When Used with Metformin in Obese Rats1,2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pyra, Kim A.; Saha, Dolan C.; Reimer, Raylene A.

    2013-01-01

    Independently, metformin (MET) and the prebiotic, oligofructose (OFS), have been shown to increase glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) secretion. Our objective was to determine whether using OFS as an adjunct with MET augments GLP-1 secretion in obese rats. Male, diet-induced obese Sprague Dawley rats were randomized to: 1) high-fat/-sucrose diet [HFHS; control (C); 20% fat, 50% sucrose wt:wt]; 2) HFHS+10% OFS (OFS); 3) HFHS + MET [300 mg/kg/d (MET)]; 4) HFHS+10% OFS+MET (OFS +MET). Body composition, glycemia, satiety hormones, and mechanisms related to dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) activity in plasma, hepatic AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK; Western blots), and gut microbiota (qPCR) were examined. Direct effects of MET and SCFA were examined in human enteroendocrine cells. The interaction between OFS and MET affected fat mass, hepatic TG, secretion of glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and leptin, and AMPKα2 mRNA and phosphorylated acetyl CoA carboxylase (pACC) levels (P < 0.05). Combined, OFS and MET reduced GIP secretion to a greater extent than either treatment alone (P < 0.05). The hepatic pACC level was increased by OFS+MET by at least 50% above all other treatments, which did not differ from each other (P < 0.05). OFS decreased plasma DPP4 activity (P < 0.001). Cecal Bifidobacteria (P < 0.001) were markedly increased and C. leptum decreased (P < 0.001) with OFS consumption. In human enteroendocrine cells, the interaction between MET and SCFA affected GLP-1 secretion (P < 0.04) but was not associated with higher GLP-1 than the highest individual doses. In conclusion, the combined actions of OFS and MET were associated with important interaction effects that have the potential to improve metabolic outcomes associated with obesity. PMID:22223580

  15. Gender-related pathways for behavior problems in the offspring of alcoholic fathers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E.F. Furtado

    2006-05-01

    Full Text Available The objective of the present study was to examine gender differences in the influence of paternal alcoholism on children's social-emotional development and to determine whether paternal alcoholism is associated with a greater number of externalizing symptoms in the male offspring. From the Mannheim Study of Risk Children, an ongoing longitudinal study of a high-risk population, the developmental data of 219 children [193 (95 boys and 98 girls of non-alcoholic fathers, non-COAs, and 26 (14 boys, 12 girls of alcoholic fathers, COAs] were analyzed from birth to the age of 11 years. Paternal alcoholism was defined according to the ICD-10 categories of alcohol dependence and harmful use. Socio-demographic data, cognitive development, number and severity of behavior problems, and gender-related differences in the rates of externalizing and internalizing symptoms were assessed using standardized instruments (IQ tests, Child Behavior Checklist questionnaire and diagnostic interviews. The general linear model analysis revealed a significant overall effect of paternal alcoholism on the number of child psychiatric problems (F = 21.872, d.f. = 1.217, P < 0.001. Beginning at age 2, significantly higher numbers of externalizing symptoms were observed among COAs. In female COAs, a pattern similar to that of the male COAs emerged, with the predominance of delinquent and aggressive behavior. Unlike male COAs, females showed an increase of internalizing symptoms up to age 11 years. Of these, somatic complaints revealed the strongest discriminating effect in 11-year-old females. Children of alcoholic fathers are at high risk for psychopathology. Gender-related differences seem to exist and may contribute to different phenotypes during development from early childhood to adolescence.

  16. The Acyl-CoA synthetases encoded within FAA1 and FAA4 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae function as components of the fatty acid transport system linking import, activation, and intracellular Utilization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Færgeman, Nils J.; Black, P N; Zhao, X D

    2001-01-01

    CoA levels were defined following incubation of wild type and mutant cells with limiting concentrations of exogenous oleate. These studies demonstrated oleoyl CoA levels were reduced to less than 10% wild-type levels in faa1 Delta and faa1 Delta faa4 Delta strains. Defects in metabolic utilization...

  17. The Peroxisomal NAD Carrier from Arabidopsis Imports NAD in Exchange with AMP.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Roermund, Carlo W T; Schroers, Martin G; Wiese, Jan; Facchinelli, Fabio; Kurz, Samantha; Wilkinson, Sabrina; Charton, Lennart; Wanders, Ronald J A; Waterham, Hans R; Weber, Andreas P M; Link, Nicole

    2016-07-01

    Cofactors such as NAD, AMP, and Coenzyme A (CoA) are essential for a diverse set of reactions and pathways in the cell. Specific carrier proteins are required to distribute these cofactors to different cell compartments, including peroxisomes. We previously identified a peroxisomal transport protein in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) called the peroxisomal NAD carrier (PXN). When assayed in vitro, this carrier exhibits versatile transport functions, e.g. catalyzing the import of NAD or CoA, the exchange of NAD/NADH, and the export of CoA. These observations raise the question about the physiological function of PXN in plants. Here, we used Saccharomyces cerevisiae to address this question. First, we confirmed that PXN, when expressed in yeast, is active and targeted to yeast peroxisomes. Secondl, detailed uptake analyses revealed that the CoA transport function of PXN can be excluded under physiological conditions due to its low affinity for this substrate. Third, we expressed PXN in diverse mutant yeast strains and investigated the suppression of the mutant phenotypes. These studies provided strong evidences that PXN was not able to function as a CoA transporter or a redox shuttle by mediating a NAD/NADH exchange, but instead catalyzed the import of NAD into peroxisomes against AMP in intact yeast cells. © 2016 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

  18. Model-Based Assessment of the CO2 Sequestration Potential of Coastal Ocean Alkalinization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, E. Y.; Koeve, W.; Keller, D. P.; Oschlies, A.

    2017-12-01

    The potential of coastal ocean alkalinization (COA), a carbon dioxide removal (CDR) climate engineering strategy that chemically increases ocean carbon uptake and storage, is investigated with an Earth system model of intermediate complexity. The CDR potential and possible environmental side effects are estimated for various COA deployment scenarios, assuming olivine as the alkalinity source in ice-free coastal waters (about 8.6% of the global ocean's surface area), with dissolution rates being a function of grain size, ambient seawater temperature, and pH. Our results indicate that for a large-enough olivine deployment of small-enough grain sizes (10 µm), atmospheric CO2 could be reduced by more than 800 GtC by the year 2100. However, COA with coarse olivine grains (1000 µm) has little CO2 sequestration potential on this time scale. Ambitious CDR with fine olivine grains would increase coastal aragonite saturation Ω to levels well beyond those that are currently observed. When imposing upper limits for aragonite saturation levels (Ωlim) in the grid boxes subject to COA (Ωlim = 3.4 and 9 chosen as examples), COA still has the potential to reduce atmospheric CO2 by 265 GtC (Ωlim = 3.4) to 790 GtC (Ωlim = 9) and increase ocean carbon storage by 290 Gt (Ωlim = 3.4) to 913 Gt (Ωlim = 9) by year 2100.

  19. COA User's Guide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fox, B.; Pautz, J.; Sellers, C.

    1999-01-28

    The Department of Energy (DOE) has one of the largest and most complete collections of information on crude oil composition that is available to the public. The computer program that manages this database of crude oil analyses has recently been rewritten to allow easier access to this information. This report describes how the new system can be accessed and how the information contained in the Crude Oil Analysis Data Bank can be obtained.

  20. Lipid Profile Of Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Wistar Rats Treated

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    most common serious metabolic disease in the world, affecting hundreds of millions and ... 1922, the treatment of diabetes mellitus relied mainly on dietary measures ..... In liver, the free fatty acids are catabolized to acetyl CoA, and the excess acetyl. CoA is converted to cholesterol, triglyceride and ketone bodies resulting in.

  1. Responding to the Charge of Alchemy: Strategies for Evaluating the Reliability and Validity of Costing-Out Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duncombe, William

    2006-01-01

    Reforming school finance systems to support performance standards entails estimating the cost of an adequate education. Cost of adequacy (COA) studies have been done in more than 30 states. Recently Eric Hanushek challenged the legitimacy of COA research, calling it alchemy and pseudoscience. The objectives of this study are to present reliability…

  2. Effects of carnitine and its congeners on eicosanoid discharge from rat cells: Implications for release of TNFα

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    I.M. Garrelds (Ingrid); G.R. Elliott (G.); W.M. Pruimboom (Wanda); F.J. Zijlstra (Freek); I.L. Bonta

    1993-01-01

    textabstractTHE acyl carrier coenzyme A (CoA) is involved in fatty acid metabolism. The carnitine/CoA ratio is of particular importance in regulating the transport of long-chain fatty acids into mitochondria for oxidation. Also CoA has a role in the formation and breakdown of products from both the

  3. An inverse method for the design of TIR collimators to achieve a uniform color light beam

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Prins, C.R.; Thije Boonkkamp, ten J.H.M.; Tukker, T.W.; IJzerman, W.L.

    2012-01-01

    Color over Angle (CoA) variation in the light output of white LEDs is a common and unsolved problem. In this article we introduce a new method to reduce CoA variation using a special collimator. The method is based on analytical inverse design methods. We present a numerical algorithm to solve the

  4. An inverse method for the design of TIR collimators to achieve a uniform color light beam

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Prins, C.R.; Thije Boonkkamp, ten J.H.M.; Tukker, T.W.; IJzerman, W.L.

    2013-01-01

    Color-over-angle (CoA) variation in the light output of white LEDs is a common and unsolved problem. In this article we introduce a new method to reduce CoA variation using a special collimator. The method is based on analytical inverse design methods. We present a numerical algorithm to solve the

  5. The Heterogeneity of Children of Alcoholics: Emotional Needs and Help-Seeking Propensity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hinson, Renee C.; And Others

    1993-01-01

    Examined parental alcoholism and help-seeking behavior in college students classified as children of alcoholics (COAs, n=83), Help-seeking COAs (n=51), Controls (n=86), and Help-seeking Controls (n=90). Findings revealed that help-seeking appeared to be the more significant variable for discriminating differences in emotional needs of college…

  6. Cells and methods for producing fatty alcohols

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pfleger, Brian F.; Youngquist, Tyler J.

    2017-07-18

    Recombinant cells and methods for improved yield of fatty alcohols. The recombinant cells harbor a recombinant thioesterase gene, a recombinant acyl-CoA synthetase gene, and a recombinant acyl-CoA reductase gene. In addition, a gene product from one or more of an acyl-CoA dehydrogenase gene, an enoyl-CoA hydratase gene, a 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase gene, and a 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase gene in the recombinant cells is functionally deleted. Culturing the recombinant cells produces fatty alcohols at high yields.

  7. Decreased hepatic contents of coenzyme A molecular species in mice after subchronic mild social defeat stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kubota, Yoshifumi; Goto, Tatsuhiko; Hagiya, Yuki; Chohnan, Shigeru; Toyoda, Atsushi

    2016-01-01

    Social stress may precipitate psychiatric disorders such as depression, which is related to the occurrence of the metabolic syndrome, including obesity and type 2 diabetes. We have evaluated the effects of social stress on central and peripheral metabolism using a model of depression in mice. In the present study, we focused on coenzyme A (CoA) molecular species [i.e. non-esterified CoA (CoASH), acetyl-CoA and malonyl-CoA] which play important roles in numerous metabolic pathways, and we analyzed changes in expression of these molecules in the hypothalamus and liver of adult male mice (C57BL/6J) subjected to 10 days of subchronic mild social defeat stress (sCSDS) with ICR mice as aggressors. Mice (n = 12) exposed to showed hyperphagia- and polydipsia-like symptoms and increased body weight gain compared with control mice which were not affected by exposure to ICR mice (n = 12). To elucidate the underlying metabolic features in the sCSDS model, acetyl-CoA, malonyl-CoA and CoASH tissue levels were analyzed using the acyl-CoA cycling method. The levels of hypothalamic malonyl-CoA, which decreases feeding behavior, were not influenced by sCSDS. However, sCSDS reduced levels of acetyl-CoA, malonyl-CoA and total CoA (sum of the three CoA molecular species) in the liver. Hence, hyperphagia-like symptoms in sCSDS mice evidently occurred independently of hypothalamic malonyl-CoA, but might consequently lead to down-regulation of hepatic CoA via altered expression of nudix hydrolase 7. Future studies should investigate the molecular mechanism(s) underlying the down-regulation of liver CoA pools in sCSDS mice.

  8. Usefulness of cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging to predict the need for intervention in patients with coarctation of the aorta.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muzzarelli, Stefano; Meadows, Alison Knauth; Ordovas, Karen Gomes; Higgins, Charles Bernard; Meadows, Jeffery Joshua

    2012-03-15

    Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging can predict hemodynamically significant coarctation of the aorta (CoA) with a high degree of discrimination. However, the ability of CMR to predict important clinical outcomes in this patient population is unknown. Therefore, we sought to define the ability of CMR to predict the need for surgical or transcatheter intervention in patients with CoA. We retrospectively reviewed the data from 133 consecutive patients who had undergone CMR for the evaluation of known or suspected CoA. The characteristics of the CMR-derived variables predicting the need for surgical or transcatheter intervention for CoA within 1 year were determined through logistic regression analysis. Therapeutic aortic intervention was performed in 41 (31%) of the 133 patients during the study period. The indexed minimum aortic cross-sectional area was the strongest predictor of subsequent intervention (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.975) followed by heart rate-corrected deceleration time in the descending aorta (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.951), and the percentage of flow increase (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.867). The combination of the indexed minimum aortic cross-sectional area and rate-corrected deceleration time in the descending aorta provided the best predictive model (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.986). In conclusion, CMR findings can predict the need for subsequent intervention in CoA. These findings reinforce the "gate-keeper role" of CMR to cardiac catheterization by providing valuable diagnostic and powerful prognostic information and could guide additional treatment of patients with CoA with the final intent of reducing the number of diagnostic catheterizations in such patients. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Calendar Year 2016 Stationary Source Emissions Inventory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Evelo, Stacie [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2017-01-01

    The City of Albuquerque (COA) Environmental Health Department Air Quality Program has issued stationary source permits and registrations the Department of Energy/Sandia Field Office for operations at the Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico. This emission inventory report meets the annual reporting compliance requirements for calendar year (CY) 2016 as required by the COA.

  10. When a Student Does Not Want to Be in School: A Reading of Paulo Freire through Family Alcoholism Discourse

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Edric C.

    2009-01-01

    As Richardson reminds us, "People make sense of their lives, for the most part, in terms of specific events." The author develops a set of poems based on his autoethnography study on Children of Alcoholics (COA). As the author reads Paulo Freire through alcoholism discourse, he creates a link between COA and his own school experiences.…

  11. Spatial Relation Between Left Atrial Anatomical Contact Areas and Circular Activation in Persistent Atrial Fibrillation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakahara, Shiro; Yamaguchi, Takanori; Hori, Yuichi; Anjo, Naofumi; Hayashi, Akiko; Kobayashi, Sayuki; Komatsu, Takaaki; Sakai, Yoshihiko; Fukui, Akira; Tsuchiya, Takeshi; Taguchi, Isao

    2016-05-01

    Atrial low-voltage zones (LVZs) may be related to maintenance of atrial fibrillation (AF). The influence of left atrial (LA) contact areas (CoAs) on reentrant or rotor-like sources maintaining AF has not been investigated. Forty patients with persistent AF (PsAF) were analyzed. Three representative CoA regions in the LA (ascending aorta: anterior wall; descending aorta: left inferior pulmonary vein; and vertebrae: posterior wall) were visualized by enhanced CT. Using circular catheters, the LVZs (80% of the mean AF cycle length. A pivot was defined as the core of the localized circular activation. Anterior (39/40 patients, 98%), left pulmonary vein antrum (27/40, 68%), and posterior (19/40, 48%) CoAs were identified, and 80% (68/85) of those sites were overlapped by or close (<3 mm) to LVZs. Thirty-six (90%) patients demonstrated circular activation (3.1±1.7 sites/patients) along with significantly higher organized dominant frequencies (6.3 ± 0.5 Hz, regularity-index: 0.26 [0.23-0.41]) within the LA, and the average electrogram amplitude of those pivots was 0.30 mV (0.18-0.52). Of those sites, 55% (66/120) were located at or close to CoA regions. Catheter ablation including of LVZs neighboring CoAs terminated AF in 9 (23%) patients. External anatomical structures contacting the LA may be related to unique conduction properties in diseased myocardium necessary for PsAF maintenance. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  12. Structural and Functional Studies of Fatty Acyl Adenylate Ligases from E. coli and L. pneumophila

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Z.; Swaminathan, S.; Zhou, R.; Sauder, J. M.; Tonge, P. J.; Burley, S. K.

    2011-02-18

    Fatty acyl-AMP ligase (FAAL) is a new member of a family of adenylate-forming enzymes that were recently discovered in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. They are similar in sequence to fatty acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) ligases (FACLs). However, while FACLs perform a two-step catalytic reaction, AMP ligation followed by CoA ligation using ATP and CoA as cofactors, FAALs produce only the acyl adenylate and are unable to perform the second step. We report X-ray crystal structures of full-length FAAL from Escherichia coli (EcFAAL) and FAAL from Legionella pneumophila (LpFAAL) bound to acyl adenylate, determined at resolution limits of 3.0 and 1.85 {angstrom}, respectively. The structures share a larger N-terminal domain and a smaller C-terminal domain, which together resemble the previously determined structures of FAAL and FACL proteins. Our two structures occur in quite different conformations. EcFAAL adopts the adenylate-forming conformation typical of FACLs, whereas LpFAAL exhibits a unique intermediate conformation. Both EcFAAL and LpFAAL have insertion motifs that distinguish them from the FACLs. Structures of EcFAAL and LpFAAL reveal detailed interactions between this insertion motif and the interdomain hinge region and with the C-terminal domain. We suggest that the insertion motifs support sufficient interdomain motions to allow substrate binding and product release during acyl adenylate formation, but they preclude CoA binding, thereby preventing CoA ligation.

  13. Open-type congenital cholesteatoma: differential diagnosis for conductive hearing loss with a normal tympanic membrane.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Se-Hyung; Cho, Yang-Sun; Chu, Ho-Suk; Jang, Jeon-Yeob; Chung, Won-Ho; Hong, Sung Hwa

    2012-06-01

    In patients with progressive conductive hearing loss and a normal tympanic membrane (TM), and with soft tissue density in the middle ear cavity (MEC) on temporal bone computed tomography (TBCT) scan, open-type congenital cholesteatoma (OCC) should be highly suspected and a proper surgical plan that includes mastoid exploration and second-stage operation is required. The clinical presentation of OCC is very similar to congenital ossicular anomaly (COA) presenting with a conductive hearing loss with intact TM. Therefore, it is challenging to make a correct preoperative diagnosis in patients with OCC. We evaluated the clinical characteristics of OCC compared with those of COA to find diagnostic clues useful in diagnosis of OCC. The medical records of 12 patients with surgically proven OCC and 14 patients with surgically proven COA were reviewed for demographic data, otologic history, preoperative TBCT findings, intraoperative findings, and pre- and postoperative audiologic data. There was no difference between OCC and COA based on demographic data, preoperative hearing, and ossicular status on TBCT. However, the presence of progressive hearing loss, soft tissue density in the MEC on TBCT scan, and the need for mastoid surgery and second-stage operation were significantly more frequent in OCC patients.

  14. Immediate and Short-term Follow-Up of Aortic Coarctation Balloon Angioplasty and Stenting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hasan Mottaghi Moghadam

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Background Aortic Coarcatation (CoA is one of the congenital heart diseases with the rate of 5-8% of Coronary heart diseases(CHDs. Balloon angioplasty is now one of the effective way of treatment for CoA, native or Re-coarctation (Re-CoA. We aimed to assess the immediate, and short term response to angioplasty and stenting, and also complications. Materials and Methods Balloon angioplasty with our without stenting was performed for 53 patients with native or Re-coarcatation angioplasty (39 balloon angioplasty alone, and 14 balloon and stenting. Pressure gradient across the CoA segment was measured initially by Echo and pre, and Post procedure. Echocardiography was also used for follow up assessment during 24 hours, one and 6 months afterward. Results Among 53 patients, 52.8% were male. There were 98.2% native and 3.8% Re-CoA. The mean age of patients was 8.65 ± 8.37 years, and the mean weight was 25.82±20.73 kg. The mean pressure gradient acrossthe CoA site before angioplasty was 24.88±12.32, and post procedure gradient was 4.77±6.42 (p

  15. The feasibility of using electronic clinical outcome assessments in people with schizophrenia and their informal caregivers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tolley C

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Chloe Tolley,1 Diana Rofail,2 Adam Gater,1 Justine K Lalonde31Adelphi Values Ltd, Bollington, UK; 2Roche Products Ltd, Welwyn Garden City, UK; 3Roche S.A.S, Paris, France Abstract: Many clinical outcome assessments (COAs were originally developed for completion via pen and paper. However, in recent years there have been movements toward electronic capture of such data in an effort to reduce missing data, provide time-stamped records, minimize administrative burden, and avoid secondary data entry errors. Although established in many patient populations, the implications of using electronic COAs in schizophrenia are unknown. In accordance with International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR Task Force recommendations, in-depth cognitive debriefing and usability interviews were conducted with people with schizophrenia (n=12, their informal (unpaid caregivers (n=12, and research support staff (n=6 to assess the suitability of administration of various electronic COA measures using an electronic tablet device. Minimal issues were encountered by participants when completing or administering the COAs in electronic format, with many finding it easier to complete instruments in this mode than by pen and paper. The majority of issues reported were specific to the device functionality rather than the electronic mode of administration. Findings support data collection via electronic tablet in people with schizophrenia and their caregivers. The appropriateness of other forms of electronic data capture (eg, smartphones, interactive voice response systems, etc is a topic for future investigation. Keywords: ePRO, eCOA, mode of administration, electronic data capture, usability 

  16. Impaired rate of microsomal fatty acid elongation in undernourished neonatal rat brain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yeh, Y.Y.

    1986-01-01

    Hypomyelination caused by undernourishment in characterized by low concentrations of myelin lipids and marked reduction in lignocerate (C/sub 24:0/) and nervonate (C/sub 24:1/) moiety of cerebroside and sulfatide. Since microsomal elongation is the major source of long chain (22 to 24 carbons) fatty acids in the brain, the effect of neonatal undernourishment on acyl elongation was investigated. Undernourishment of suckling rats were induced after birth by restricting maternal dietary intake to 40% of that consumed by dams fed ad libitum. Neonates suckled by the normally fed dams served as controls. Microsomal elongation was measured as nmol from [2- 14 C] malonyl CoA incorporated/h per mg of protein. At 19 days of age, rates of behenoyl CoA (C/sub 22:0/) and erucoyl CoA (C/sub 22:1/) elongation in whole brain of undernourished neonates were 30-40% lower than that of the control, whereas the elongation rates of acyl CoA 16, 18 and 20 carbons in length either saturated or monounsaturated were similar in both groups. Undernourishment had no effect on cytoplasmic de novo fatty acid synthesis from acetyl CoA. If there are multiple elongation factors, the results indicate that the depressed activity of elongating enzyme(s) for C/sub 22:0/ and C/sub 22:1/ is an important contributing factor in lowering S/sub 24:0/ and C/sub 24:1/ content in cerebroside and sulfatide. This impairment may be a specific lesion leading to hypomyelination in undernourished rats

  17. A review of empirical research related to the use of small quantitative samples in clinical outcome scale development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Houts, Carrie R; Edwards, Michael C; Wirth, R J; Deal, Linda S

    2016-11-01

    There has been a notable increase in the advocacy of using small-sample designs as an initial quantitative assessment of item and scale performance during the scale development process. This is particularly true in the development of clinical outcome assessments (COAs), where Rasch analysis has been advanced as an appropriate statistical tool for evaluating the developing COAs using a small sample. We review the benefits such methods are purported to offer from both a practical and statistical standpoint and detail several problematic areas, including both practical and statistical theory concerns, with respect to the use of quantitative methods, including Rasch-consistent methods, with small samples. The feasibility of obtaining accurate information and the potential negative impacts of misusing large-sample statistical methods with small samples during COA development are discussed.

  18. Risk factors for surgical site infection following nonshunt pediatric neurosurgery: a review of 9296 procedures from a national database and comparison with a single-center experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sherrod, Brandon A; Arynchyna, Anastasia A; Johnston, James M; Rozzelle, Curtis J; Blount, Jeffrey P; Oakes, W Jerry; Rocque, Brandon G

    2017-04-01

    OBJECTIVE Surgical site infection (SSI) following CSF shunt operations has been well studied, yet risk factors for nonshunt pediatric neurosurgery are less well understood. The purpose of this study was to determine SSI rates and risk factors following nonshunt pediatric neurosurgery using a nationwide patient cohort and an institutional data set specifically for better understanding SSI. METHODS The authors reviewed the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-Pediatric (ACS NSQIP-P) database for the years 2012-2014, including all neurosurgical procedures performed on pediatric patients except CSF shunts and hematoma evacuations. SSI included deep (intracranial abscesses, meningitis, osteomyelitis, and ventriculitis) and superficial wound infections. The authors performed univariate analyses of SSI association with procedure, demographic, comorbidity, operative, and hospital variables, with subsequent multivariate logistic regression analysis to determine independent risk factors for SSI within 30 days of the index procedure. A similar analysis was performed using a detailed institutional infection database from Children's of Alabama (COA). RESULTS A total of 9296 nonshunt procedures were identified in NSQIP-P with an overall 30-day SSI rate of 2.7%. The 30-day SSI rate in the COA institutional database was similar (3.3% of 1103 procedures, p = 0.325). Postoperative time to SSI in NSQIP-P and COA was 14.6 ± 6.8 days and 14.8 ± 7.3 days, respectively (mean ± SD). Myelomeningocele (4.3% in NSQIP-P, 6.3% in COA), spine (3.5%, 4.9%), and epilepsy (3.4%, 3.1%) procedure categories had the highest SSI rates by procedure category in both NSQIP-P and COA. Independent SSI risk factors in NSQIP-P included postoperative pneumonia (OR 4.761, 95% CI 1.269-17.857, p = 0.021), immune disease/immunosuppressant use (OR 3.671, 95% CI 1.371-9.827, p = 0.010), cerebral palsy (OR 2.835, 95% CI 1.463-5.494, p = 0.002), emergency operation (OR 1

  19. Successful adaptation to ketosis by mice with tissue-specific deficiency of ketone body oxidation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cotter, David G; Schugar, Rebecca C; Wentz, Anna E; d'Avignon, D André; Crawford, Peter A

    2013-02-15

    During states of low carbohydrate intake, mammalian ketone body metabolism transfers energy substrates originally derived from fatty acyl chains within the liver to extrahepatic organs. We previously demonstrated that the mitochondrial enzyme coenzyme A (CoA) transferase [succinyl-CoA:3-oxoacid CoA transferase (SCOT), encoded by nuclear Oxct1] is required for oxidation of ketone bodies and that germline SCOT-knockout (KO) mice die within 48 h of birth because of hyperketonemic hypoglycemia. Here, we use novel transgenic and tissue-specific SCOT-KO mice to demonstrate that ketone bodies do not serve an obligate energetic role within highly ketolytic tissues during the ketogenic neonatal period or during starvation in the adult. Although transgene-mediated restoration of myocardial CoA transferase in germline SCOT-KO mice is insufficient to prevent lethal hyperketonemic hypoglycemia in the neonatal period, mice lacking CoA transferase selectively within neurons, cardiomyocytes, or skeletal myocytes are all viable as neonates. Like germline SCOT-KO neonatal mice, neonatal mice with neuronal CoA transferase deficiency exhibit increased cerebral glycolysis and glucose oxidation, and, while these neonatal mice exhibit modest hyperketonemia, they do not develop hypoglycemia. As adults, tissue-specific SCOT-KO mice tolerate starvation, exhibiting only modestly increased hyperketonemia. Finally, metabolic analysis of adult germline Oxct1(+/-) mice demonstrates that global diminution of ketone body oxidation yields hyperketonemia, but hypoglycemia emerges only during a protracted state of low carbohydrate intake. Together, these data suggest that, at the tissue level, ketone bodies are not a required energy substrate in the newborn period or during starvation, but rather that integrated ketone body metabolism mediates adaptation to ketogenic nutrient states.

  20. Possible mechanism for species difference on the toxicity of pivalic acid between dogs and rats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamaguchi, Toshiro; Nakajima, Yoshitsugu; Nakamura, Yutaka

    2006-01-01

    In a high dose toxicity study of pivalic acid (PA), PA caused skeletal muscle disorder in dog, and a significant increase of pivaloyl carnitine (PC) was observed in canine muscle, but not in rat muscle. In order to understand species difference of the toxicity of PA, we compared the in vitro metabolism of PA among dog, rat and rabbit, especially focussing on the carnitine conjugate. Canine muscle showed low, but significant carnitine conjugating activity, while that of rat was negligible. Canine kidney mitochondria had significant activity in the pivaloyl CoA synthesis (7 nmol/mg protein/h), but muscle mitochondria showed only trace activity. Both kidney and muscle mitochondria displayed similar carnitine acyltransferase activity (2-3 nmol/mg protein/h) towards pivaloyl CoA. On the other hand, with respect to the activity of carnitine acyltransferase in the reverse direction using PC as substrate, canine muscle mitochondria showed higher activity than that of kidney mitochondria. This means that PC is not the final stable metabolite, but is converted easily to pivaloyl CoA in canine muscle. These results suggest one of the possible mechanisms for canine selective muscle disorder to be as follows. Only canine muscle can metabolize PA to its carnitine conjugate slowly, but significantly. In canine muscle, PC is not the final stable metabolite; it is easily converted to pivaloyl CoA. As carnitine conjugation is thought to be the only detoxification metabolic route in canine muscle, under certain circumstances such as carnitine deficiency, the risk of exposure with toxic pivaloyl CoA might increase and the CoASH pool in canine muscle might be exhausted, resulting in toxicity in canine muscle

  1. The value of low-dose prospective ECG-gated dual-source CT angiography in the diagnosis of coarctation of the aorta in infants and children

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nie, P. [Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Cardio-Cerebral Vascular Diseases, Shandong Medical Imaging Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong (China); Wang, X., E-mail: wxming369@yahoo.com.cn [Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Cardio-Cerebral Vascular Diseases, Shandong Medical Imaging Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong (China); Cheng, Z.; Duan, Y.; Ji, X. [Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Cardio-Cerebral Vascular Diseases, Shandong Medical Imaging Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong (China); Chen, J. [CT Research Collaboration, Siemens, Beijing (China); Zhang, H. [Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Jinan, Shandong (China)

    2012-08-15

    Aim: To investigate the value of prospective electrocardiogram (ECG)-gated dual-source computed tomography (DSCT) in the diagnosis of coarctation of the aorta (CoA). Materials and methods: Seventeen patients clinically suspected of having CoA underwent prospective ECG-gated DSCT angiography and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). Surgery was performed in all patients. The diagnostic accuracy of DSCT angiography and TTE was compared with the surgical findings as the reference standard. Image quality was evaluated using a five-point scale. Effective radiation dose was calculated from the dose-length product (DLP). Results: CoA was diagnosed in 17 patients by DSCT angiography and in 16 patients by TTE. A total of 46 separate cardiovascular abnormalities were confirmed by surgical findings. The diagnostic accuracy of DSCT angiography and TTE was 96.32% and 97.06%, respectively. There was no significant difference in the diagnostic accuracy between DSCT angiography and TTE ({chi}{sup 2} = 0, p > 0.05). The mean score of image quality was 4.2 {+-} 0.8. The mean effective dose was 0.69 {+-} 0.09 mSv. Conclusion: Prospective ECG-gated DSCT with a low radiation dose is a valuable technique in the diagnosis of CoA in infants and children.

  2. Short-Term Wind Speed Forecasting Using Support Vector Regression Optimized by Cuckoo Optimization Algorithm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jianzhou Wang

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper develops an effectively intelligent model to forecast short-term wind speed series. A hybrid forecasting technique is proposed based on recurrence plot (RP and optimized support vector regression (SVR. Wind caused by the interaction of meteorological systems makes itself extremely unsteady and difficult to forecast. To understand the wind system, the wind speed series is analyzed using RP. Then, the SVR model is employed to forecast wind speed, in which the input variables are selected by RP, and two crucial parameters, including the penalties factor and gamma of the kernel function RBF, are optimized by various optimization algorithms. Those optimized algorithms are genetic algorithm (GA, particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO, and cuckoo optimization algorithm (COA. Finally, the optimized SVR models, including COA-SVR, PSO-SVR, and GA-SVR, are evaluated based on some criteria and a hypothesis test. The experimental results show that (1 analysis of RP reveals that wind speed has short-term predictability on a short-term time scale, (2 the performance of the COA-SVR model is superior to that of the PSO-SVR and GA-SVR methods, especially for the jumping samplings, and (3 the COA-SVR method is statistically robust in multi-step-ahead prediction and can be applied to practical wind farm applications.

  3. Biochemical competition makes fatty-acid β-oxidation vulnerable to substrate overload.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karen van Eunen

    Full Text Available Fatty-acid metabolism plays a key role in acquired and inborn metabolic diseases. To obtain insight into the network dynamics of fatty-acid β-oxidation, we constructed a detailed computational model of the pathway and subjected it to a fat overload condition. The model contains reversible and saturable enzyme-kinetic equations and experimentally determined parameters for rat-liver enzymes. It was validated by adding palmitoyl CoA or palmitoyl carnitine to isolated rat-liver mitochondria: without refitting of measured parameters, the model correctly predicted the β-oxidation flux as well as the time profiles of most acyl-carnitine concentrations. Subsequently, we simulated the condition of obesity by increasing the palmitoyl-CoA concentration. At a high concentration of palmitoyl CoA the β-oxidation became overloaded: the flux dropped and metabolites accumulated. This behavior originated from the competition between acyl CoAs of different chain lengths for a set of acyl-CoA dehydrogenases with overlapping substrate specificity. This effectively induced competitive feedforward inhibition and thereby led to accumulation of CoA-ester intermediates and depletion of free CoA (CoASH. The mitochondrial [NAD⁺]/[NADH] ratio modulated the sensitivity to substrate overload, revealing a tight interplay between regulation of β-oxidation and mitochondrial respiration.

  4. Nevada Renewable Energy Training Project: Geothermal Power Plant Operators

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jim, Nichols [Truckee Meadows Community College, Reno, NV (United States)

    2014-04-29

    The purpose of this project was to develop and institute a training program for certified geothermal power plant operators (GPO). An advisory board consisting of subject matter experts from the geothermal energy industry and academia identified the critical skill sets required for this profession. A 34-credit Certificate of Achievement (COA), Geothermal Power Plant Operator, was developed using eight existing courses and developing five new courses. Approval from the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents was obtained. A 2,400 sq. ft. geothermal/fluid mechanics laboratory and a 3,000 sq. ft. outdoor demonstration laboratory were constructed for hands-on training. Students also participated in field trips to geothermal power plants in the region. The majority of students were able to complete the program in 2-3 semesters, depending on their level of math proficiency. Additionally the COA allowed students to continue to an Associate of Applied Science (AAS), Energy Technologies with an emphasis in Geothermal Energy (26 additional credits), if they desired. The COA and AAS are stackable degrees, which provide students with an ongoing career pathway. Articulation agreements with other NSHE institutions provide students with additional opportunities to pursue a Bachelor of Applied Science in Management or Instrumentation. Job placement for COA graduates has been excellent.

  5. Lower P300 amplitude in eight-year-old offspring of alcoholic fathers with a delinquent history.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viana-Wackermann, Paula C; Furtado, Erikson F; Esser, Günter; Schmidt, Martin H; Laucht, Manfred

    2007-06-01

    The aim of the present study was to investigate the P300 amplitude as a possible vulnerability marker in children of alcoholic (COA) fathers with and without paternal delinquency. Event-related potentials (ERPs) of 122 children aged 8 years (63 boys, 59 girls) were compared depending on father's alcoholism subtype: 30 COAs without paternal delinquency, 10 COAs with paternal delinquency, and 82 children of non-alcoholic and non-delinquent fathers. ERPs were recorded from Fz, Cz, and Pz, using an auditory oddball paradigm. Sinus tones of 60 dB HL were presented binaurally at 1,000 Hz (standard stimulus) and 2,000 Hz (target stimulus), at a relative frequency ratio of 80:20. Two trial blocks of 250 stimuli each were collected. Results indicated that only COAs with paternal delinquency displayed significant differences from the control group, characterized by reduced P300 amplitude at frontal site and in the second trial block. Thus, the combination of fathers' alcoholism and delinquency was more likely to relate to attenuated P300 amplitude in the offspring than paternal alcoholism alone. Our results suggest that both alcoholic and delinquent family history appear to play a role in P300 amplitude reduction in the offspring.

  6. Hibiscus cannabinus feruloyl-coa:monolignol transferase

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilkerson, Curtis; Ralph, John; Withers, Saunia; Mansfield, Shawn D.

    2016-11-15

    The invention relates to isolated nucleic acids encoding a feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferase and feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferase enzymes. The isolated nucleic acids and/or the enzymes enable incorporation of monolignol ferulates into the lignin of plants, where such monolignol ferulates include, for example, p-coumaryl ferulate, coniferyl ferulate, and/or sinapyl ferulate. The invention also includes methods and plants that include nucleic acids encoding a feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferase enzyme and/or feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferase enzymes.

  7. Mixed-Initiative COA Critic Advisors (MICCA)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-02-01

    This java method can modify these strings to provide additional transformations that can’t be expressed in the property language.  Datatype ...vertical bar separator into one string. Instead, setting datatype to “nodeset” for a variable will cause multiple predicates to be generated for

  8. Bitterness in Almonds1[C][OA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sánchez-Pérez, Raquel; Jørgensen, Kirsten; Olsen, Carl Erik; Dicenta, Federico; Møller, Birger Lindberg

    2008-01-01

    Bitterness in almond (Prunus dulcis) is determined by the content of the cyanogenic diglucoside amygdalin. The ability to synthesize and degrade prunasin and amygdalin in the almond kernel was studied throughout the growth season using four different genotypes for bitterness. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses showed a specific developmentally dependent accumulation of prunasin in the tegument of the bitter genotype. The prunasin level decreased concomitant with the initiation of amygdalin accumulation in the cotyledons of the bitter genotype. By administration of radiolabeled phenylalanine, the tegument was identified as a specific site of synthesis of prunasin in all four genotypes. A major difference between sweet and bitter genotypes was observed upon staining of thin sections of teguments and cotyledons for β-glucosidase activity using Fast Blue BB salt. In the sweet genotype, the inner epidermis in the tegument facing the nucellus was rich in cytoplasmic and vacuolar localized β-glucosidase activity, whereas in the bitter cultivar, the β-glucosidase activity in this cell layer was low. These combined data show that in the bitter genotype, prunasin synthesized in the tegument is transported into the cotyledon via the transfer cells and converted into amygdalin in the developing almond seed, whereas in the sweet genotype, amygdalin formation is prevented because the prunasin is degraded upon passage of the β-glucosidase-rich cell layer in the inner epidermis of the tegument. The prunasin turnover may offer a buffer supply of ammonia, aspartic acid, and asparagine enabling the plants to balance the supply of nitrogen to the developing cotyledons. PMID:18192442

  9. The modeling and solution of course of action generation based on IN-DEA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wan, Lujun; Li, Wen; Dai, Jiangbin; Huang, Aqian

    2017-08-01

    The course of action (COA) generation is the course of designing the task planning flow, which is one of the key supporting techniques while the military organization executing aerial operation. Due to the outstanding advantage of influence nets (IN), describing the causal logic between random variable, this proposal will introduce IN into the fast building mechanism of COA model. The COA generation model utilize influence nets is established. The probability propagation method is designed, which is based on influence intensity. An improved differential evolution algorithm (IDEA) is designed to solve the action policy optimized selected model. At last, the simulated result of aerial arrack campaign case show the action policy optimized selected in variety influence constants can improve the capability of cause-effect modeling, and the improved differential evolution algorithm has fine convergent and optimized capability.

  10. Risk factors for surgical site infection following nonshunt pediatric neurosurgery: a review of 9296 procedures from a national database and comparison with a single-center experience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sherrod, Brandon A.; Arynchyna, Anastasia A.; Johnston, James M.; Rozzelle, Curtis J.; Blount, Jeffrey P.; Oakes, W. Jerry; Rocque, Brandon G.

    2017-01-01

    Objective Surgical site infection (SSI) following CSF shunt operations has been well studied, yet risk factors for nonshunt pediatric neurosurgery are less well understood. The purpose of this study was to determine SSI rates and risk factors following nonshunt pediatric neurosurgery using a nationwide patient cohort and an institutional dataset specifically for better understanding SSI. Methods The authors reviewed the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Pediatric (ACS NSQIP-P) database for the years 2012–2014, including all neurosurgical procedures performed on pediatric patients except CSF shunts and hematoma evacuations. SSI included deep (intracranial abscesses, meningitis, osteomyelitis, and ventriculitis) and superficial wound infections. The authors performed univariate analyses of SSI association with procedure, demographic, comorbidity, operative, and hospital variables, with subsequent multivariate logistic regression analysis to determine independent risk factors for SSI within 30 days of the index procedure. A similar analysis was performed using a detailed institutional infection database from Children’s Hospital of Alabama (COA). Results A total of 9296 nonshunt procedures were identified in NSQIP-P with an overall 30-day SSI rate of 2.7%. The 30-day SSI rate in the COA institutional database was similar (3.3% of 1103 procedures, p = 0.325). Postoperative time to SSI in NSQIP-P and COA was 14.6 ± 6.8 days and 14.8 ± 7.3 days, respectively (mean ± SD). Myelomeningocele (4.3% in NSQIP-P, 6.3% in COA), spine (3.5%, 4.9%), and epilepsy (3.4%, 3.1%) procedure categoriess had the highest SSI rates by procedure category in both NSQIP-P and COA. Independent SSI risk factors in NSQIP-P included postoperative pneumonia (OR 4.761, 95% CI 1.269–17.857, p = 0.021), immune disease/immunosuppressant use (OR 3.671, 95% CI 1.371–9.827, p = 0.010), cerebral palsy (OR 2.835, 95% CI 1.463–5.494, p = 0.002), emergency

  11. Abnormalities of aortic arch shape, central aortic flow dynamics, and distensibility predispose to hypertension after successful repair of aortic coarctation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donazzan, Luca; Crepaz, Robert; Stuefer, Josef; Stellin, Giovanni

    2014-10-01

    Systemic hypertension (HT) is a major long-term complication even after successful repair of aortic coarctation (CoA), and many factors are involved in this pathophysiology. To investigate the role of abnormalities in the aortic arch shape, central aortic flow dynamics, and distensibility in developing HT after successful repair of CoA. We selected a group of 26 normotensive patients (mean age 16.9±7.3 years, range 9-32 years) with anatomically successful repair of CoA among 140 patients regularly followed after repair of CoA and analyzed their last clinical and echocardiographic data. Bicycle exercise test and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) were also obtained. Mean age at surgical repair was 3.2±3.9 years (range 10 days-15 years); 12 patients underwent surgical correction during the first year of life. Repair of CoA was performed by end-to-end anastomosis (TT) in 23 patients (extended TT in 6 patients with arch hypoplasia), patch aortoplasty in 2, and subcalvian flap aortoplasty in 1. The postsurgical follow-up was 13.8±7.2 years (range 3.5-29.4 years). The shape of the aortic arch was defined by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on this global geometry (normal-gothic-crenel), ratio of the height-transverse diameter (A/T), percentage of residual stenosis, and growth index of the transverse arch segments. Flow mapping by phase-contrast imaging in the ascending and descending aorta was performed in order to measure the systolic waveforms and central aortic distensibility. Twenty normal age-matched patients submitted to the same MRI protocol were used as controls. Six patients were found to have a gothic and 20 a normal aortic arch shape. Patients with gothic aortic arch shape had an increased A/T ratio (0.80±0.07 vs 0.58±0.05, P135 mm Hg on ABPM were higher in the gothic than in the normal arch group. There was a correlation between nocturnal SBP, 24 hours pulse pressure on ABPM in the whole group, and different MRI variables (A/T, distensibility of

  12. Final Environmental Assessment: Replacement Joint Force Headquarters Building, Hanscom Air Force Base Massachusetts

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-22

    Review Assistant, at (508) 389-6361. Sincerely, ~J.J Thomas W. French , Ph.D. Assistant Director Division ofFisheries and Wildlife www. masswildl{(e...doors or COA Cinema Friday. Dec.18. 1 been given the opportunity to windows. The COA would like p.m. Come and relax with a purchase tickets for the...Chang. clarinet. grade ll edo Chang. trombone. e10 1el Davidow. French hom. ell stey. French hom. grade es Gorry. flute. grade 12 Andrew Goulet

  13. Characterizing the Life Stressors of Children of Alcoholic Parents

    OpenAIRE

    Hussong, Andrea M.; Bauer, Daniel J.; Huang, Wenjing; Chassin, Laurie; Sher, Kenneth J.; Zucker, Robert A.

    2008-01-01

    The current study examined differences between children of alcoholic (COAs) and non-alcoholic parents in their experience of negative life events across three, longitudinal studies together spanning the first three decades of life. We posited that COAs would differ from their peers in the life domains in which they are vulnerable to stressors, in the recurrence of stressors, and in the severity of stressors. Scale- and item-level analyses of adjusted odds-ratios based on stressors across seve...

  14. The roles of culture and gender in the relationship between divorce and suicide risk: a meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yip, Paul S F; Yousuf, Saman; Chan, Chee Hon; Yung, Tiffany; Wu, Kevin C-C

    2015-03-01

    With some exceptions, literature has consistently shown that divorced populations are at higher risk for suicide than married ones. Here we make use of coefficients of aggravation (COAs), suicide rate ratios of the divorcees over the married, to study patterns of COAs and test the contribution of international sociocultural factors and gender to the relationship between divorce and suicide. We conducted a systematic search of electronic databases to identify ecological studies reporting suicide rates and ratios of those rates within different marital statuses between Jan 1, 2000 and Dec 31, 2013. In total, ten studies consisting in suicide statistics of eleven countries/areas were selected. Using random-effect modeling, we noted that the pooled COA for men and women were 3.49 (95% CI 2.43-4.56) and 3.15 (95% CI 1.74-4.56), suggesting both divorced men and women exhibited a greater risk of suicide than their married counterparts. Subgroup analyses revealed that COAs in Asian countries are significantly higher than those in non-Asian ones. Among the sociocultural measures retrieved from the HOFSTEDE index and the World Values Surveys, we noted significant associations between COA and four measures, including the individualism-collectivism score, the long-term orientation scores, the survival/self-expression score, and the gender inequality indices. The magnitudes and the directions of the associations however differ by sex. The results confirm that overall divorced people have an aggregate higher suicide risk than married ones. The method used in our research could reveal what cultural indicators are exerting effect on the relationship between divorce and suicide risk, which might change with sociocultural transition. More investigation into the relationships and then the construction of culturally appropriate suicide prevention policy is recommended. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Predicting Student Academic Performance: A Comparison of Two Meta-Heuristic Algorithms Inspired by Cuckoo Birds for Training Neural Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeng-Fung Chen

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Predicting student academic performance with a high accuracy facilitates admission decisions and enhances educational services at educational institutions. This raises the need to propose a model that predicts student performance, based on the results of standardized exams, including university entrance exams, high school graduation exams, and other influential factors. In this study, an approach to the problem based on the artificial neural network (ANN with the two meta-heuristic algorithms inspired by cuckoo birds and their lifestyle, namely, Cuckoo Search (CS and Cuckoo Optimization Algorithm (COA is proposed. In particular, we used previous exam results and other factors, such as the location of the student’s high school and the student’s gender as input variables, and predicted the student academic performance. The standard CS and standard COA were separately utilized to train the feed-forward network for prediction. The algorithms optimized the weights between layers and biases of the neuron network. The simulation results were then discussed and analyzed to investigate the prediction ability of the neural network trained by these two algorithms. The findings demonstrated that both CS and COA have potential in training ANN and ANN-COA obtained slightly better results for predicting student academic performance in this case. It is expected that this work may be used to support student admission procedures and strengthen the service system in educational institutions.

  16. Investigation of Virulence Genes by PCR in Stapylococcus aureus Isolates Originated from Subclinical Bovine Mastitis in Turkey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Murat Karahan, Mehmet Nuri Acik1* and Burhan Cetinkaya

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the present study was to characterize coagulase (coa positive Staphylococcus aureus strains (n=92 isolated from bovine subclinical mastitis in Turkey by PCR amplification of clumping factor A (clfA and protein A (spa genes. All the coa-positive S. aureus isolates were determined to harbor the genes encoding the IgG binding region (spa-IgG and the X region (spa-X of spa. On the other hand, 84 (91.3% isolates were positive for clfA gene. These three genes displayed size polymorphisms. It was concluded that spa gene polymorphisms for S. aureus, when used together with coa-PCR, can be proposed as good alternatives to conventional methods in typing S. aureus isolates of bovine origin which may provide valuable data for the development of effective control strategies against staphylococcal mastitis. The results of the present study showed that S. aureus isolates responsible for the mastitis cases in Turkey were genetically diverse.

  17. Modeling human Coenzyme A synthase mutation in yeast reveals altered mitochondrial function, lipid content and iron metabolism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Camilla Ceccatelli Berti

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Mutations in nuclear genes associated with defective coenzyme A biosynthesis have been identified as responsible for some forms of neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA, namely PKAN and CoPAN. PKAN are defined by mutations in PANK2, encoding the pantothenate kinase 2 enzyme, that account for about 50% of cases of NBIA, whereas mutations in CoA synthase COASY have been recently reported as the second inborn error of CoA synthesis leading to CoPAN. As reported previously, yeast cells expressing the pathogenic mutation exhibited a temperature-sensitive growth defect in the absence of pantothenate and a reduced CoA content. Additional characterization revealed decreased oxygen consumption, reduced activities of mitochondrial respiratory complexes, higher iron content, increased sensitivity to oxidative stress and reduced amount of lipid droplets, thus partially recapitulating the phenotypes found in patients and establishing yeast as a potential model to clarify the pathogenesis underlying PKAN and CoPAN diseases.

  18. Comparing the relative peripheral refraction effect of single vision and multifocal contact lenses measured using an autorefractor and an aberrometer: A pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bakaraju, Ravi C; Fedtke, Cathleen; Ehrmann, Klaus; Ho, Arthur

    2015-01-01

    To compare the contributions of single vision (SVCL) and multifocal contact lenses (MFCL) to the relative peripheral refraction (RPR) profiles obtained via an autorefractor and an aberrometer in a pilot study. Two instruments, Shin-Nippon NVision K5001 (SN) and COAS-HD, were modified to permit open field PR measurements. Two myopic adults (CF, RB) were refracted (cycloplegia) under eight conditions: baseline (no CL); three SVCLs: Focus Dailies(®) (Alcon, USA), PureVision(®) (Bausch & Lomb, USA) and AirOptix(®) (Alcon, USA); and four MFCLs: AirOptix(®) (Alcon, USA), Proclear(®) Distant and Near (Cooper Vision, USA), and PureVision(®) (Bausch & Lomb, USA). CLs had a distance prescription of -2.00D and for MFCLs, a +2.50D Add was selected. Five independent measurements were performed at field angles from -40° to +40° in 10° increments with both instruments. The COAS-HD measures were analyzed at 3mm pupil diameter. Results are reported as a change in the relative PR profile, as refractive power vector components: M, J180, and J45. Overall, at baseline, M, J180 and J45 measures obtained with SN and COAS-HD were considerably different only for field angles ≥±30°, which agreed well with previous studies. With respect to M, this observation held true for most SVCLs with a few exceptions. The J180 measures obtained with COAS-HD were considerably greater in magnitude than those acquired with SN. For SVCLs, the greatest difference was found at -40° for AirOptix SV (ΔCF=3.20D, ΔRB=1.56D) and for MFCLs it was for Proclear Distance at -40° (ΔCF=2.58D, ΔRB=1.39D). The J45 measures obtained with SN were noticeably different to the respective measures with COAS-HD, both in magnitude and sign. The greatest difference was found with AirOptix Multifocal in subject RB at -40°, where the COAS-HD measurement was 1.50D more positive. In some cases, the difference in the RPR profiles observed between subjects appeared to be associated with CL decentration. For most test

  19. Modeling SOA formation from the oxidation of intermediate volatility n-alkanes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Lee-Taylor

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available The chemical mechanism leading to SOA formation and ageing is expected to be a multigenerational process, i.e. a successive formation of organic compounds with higher oxidation degree and lower vapor pressure. This process is here investigated with the explicit oxidation model GECKO-A (Generator of Explicit Chemistry and Kinetics of Organics in the Atmosphere. Gas phase oxidation schemes are generated for the C8–C24 series of n-alkanes. Simulations are conducted to explore the time evolution of organic compounds and the behavior of secondary organic aerosol (SOA formation for various preexisting organic aerosol concentration (COA. As expected, simulation results show that (i SOA yield increases with the carbon chain length of the parent hydrocarbon, (ii SOA yield decreases with decreasing COA, (iii SOA production rates increase with increasing COA and (iv the number of oxidation steps (i.e. generations needed to describe SOA formation and evolution grows when COA decreases. The simulated oxidative trajectories are examined in a two dimensional space defined by the mean carbon oxidation state and the volatility. Most SOA contributors are not oxidized enough to be categorized as highly oxygenated organic aerosols (OOA but reduced enough to be categorized as hydrocarbon like organic aerosols (HOA, suggesting that OOA may underestimate SOA. Results show that the model is unable to produce highly oxygenated aerosols (OOA with large yields. The limitations of the model are discussed.

  20. [Cloning, expression and transcriptional analysis of biotin carboxyl carrier protein gene (accA) from Amycolatopsis mediterranei U32 ].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Jie; Yao, Yufeng; Jiang, Weihong; Jiao, Ruishen

    2003-02-01

    Acetyl CoA carboxylase (EC 6.4.1.2, ACC) catalyzes the ATP-dependent carboxylation of acetyl CoA to yield malonyl CoA, which is the first committed step in fatty acid synthesis. A pair of degenerate PCR primers were designed according to the conserved amino acid sequence of AccA from M. tuberculosis and S. coelicolor. The product of the PCR amplification, a DNA fragment of 250bp was used as a probe for screening the U32 genomic cosmid library and its gene, accA, coding the biotinylated protein subunit of acetyl CoA carboxylase, was successfully cloned from U32. The accA ORF encodes a 598-amino-acid protein with the calculated molecular mass of 63.7kD, with 70.1% of G + C content. A typical Streptomyces RBS sequence, AGGAGG, was found at the - 6 position upstream of the start codon GTG. Analysis of the deduced amino acid sequence showed the presence of biotin-binding site and putative ATP-bicarbonate interaction region, which suggested the U32 AccA may act as a biotin carboxylase as well as a biotin carrier protein. Gene accA was then cloned into the pET28 (b) vector and expressed solubly in E. coli BL21 (DE3) by 0.1 mmol/L IPTG induction. Western blot confirmed the covalent binding of biotin with AccA. Northern blot analyzed transcriptional regulation of accA by 5 different nitrogen sources.

  1. Inhibitors of Fatty Acid Synthesis Induce PPAR α -Regulated Fatty Acid β -Oxidative Genes: Synergistic Roles of L-FABP and Glucose.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Huan; McIntosh, Avery L; Martin, Gregory G; Petrescu, Anca D; Landrock, Kerstin K; Landrock, Danilo; Kier, Ann B; Schroeder, Friedhelm

    2013-01-01

    While TOFA (acetyl CoA carboxylase inhibitor) and C75 (fatty acid synthase inhibitor) prevent lipid accumulation by inhibiting fatty acid synthesis, the mechanism of action is not simply accounted for by inhibition of the enzymes alone. Liver fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP), a mediator of long chain fatty acid signaling to peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor- α (PPAR α ) in the nucleus, was found to bind TOFA and its activated CoA thioester, TOFyl-CoA, with high affinity while binding C75 and C75-CoA with lower affinity. Binding of TOFA and C75-CoA significantly altered L-FABP secondary structure. High (20 mM) but not physiological (6 mM) glucose conferred on both TOFA and C75 the ability to induce PPAR α transcription of the fatty acid β -oxidative enzymes CPT1A, CPT2, and ACOX1 in cultured primary hepatocytes from wild-type (WT) mice. However, L-FABP gene ablation abolished the effects of TOFA and C75 in the context of high glucose. These effects were not associated with an increased cellular level of unesterified fatty acids but rather by increased intracellular glucose. These findings suggested that L-FABP may function as an intracellular fatty acid synthesis inhibitor binding protein facilitating TOFA and C75-mediated induction of PPAR α in the context of high glucose at levels similar to those in uncontrolled diabetes.

  2. Digital soil mapping as a basis for climatically oriented agriculture a thematic on the territory of the national crop testing fields of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sahabiev, I. A.; Giniyatullin, K. G.; Ryazanov, S. S.

    2018-01-01

    The concept of climate-optimized agriculture (COA) of the UN FAO implies the transformation of agriculture techniques in conditions of changing climate. It is important to implement a timely transition to the concept of COA and sustainable development of soil resources, accurate digital maps of spatial distribution of soils and soil properties are needed. Digital mapping of soil humus content was carried out on the territory of the national crop testing fields (NCTF) of the Republic of Tatarstan (Russian Federation) and the accuracy of the maps obtained was estimated.

  3. Preparación y evaluación de formulaciones acrílicas autocurables de baja toxicidad modificadas con polímeros biodegradables para cirugía ortopédica y mínimamente invasiva

    OpenAIRE

    Franco Marquès, Elena

    2012-01-01

    En este trabajo se ha llevado a cabo el estudio de nuevas formulaciones de cementos óseos acrílicos (COA) para su posterior evaluación como sistema de liberación controlada de medicamentos útiles en el tratamiento terapéutico de la osteoporosis. El trabajo se ha fundamentado en la modificación parcial de la fase sólida de los COA, mediante la substitución parcial de las microesferas de PMMA, por diferentes micropartículas de polímeros biodegradables, tanto de naturaleza sintética como natural...

  4. ORF Alignment: NC_000913 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available ... Formate-Lyase With Pyruvate pdb|1H18|B Chain B, Pyruvate ... Formate-Lyase (E.Coli) In Complex ...With Pyruvate ... pdb|1H18|A Chain A, Pyruvate Formate-Lyase (E.Coli) In ... ... ... Complex With Pyruvate pdb|1H17|A Chain A, Pyruvate ... Formate-Lyase (E.Coli) In Complex Wi...th Coa And The ... Substrate Analog Oxamate pdb|1H16|A Chain A, Pyruvate ... Formate-Lyase (E.Coli...) In Complex With Pyruvate And Coa ... pdb|3PFL|B Chain B, Crystal Structure Of Pfl From E.Coli

  5. Natural separation of the acyl-CoA ligase reaction results in a non-adenylating enzyme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Nan; Rudolf, Jeffrey D; Dong, Liao-Bin; Osipiuk, Jerzy; Hatzos-Skintges, Catherine; Endres, Michael; Chang, Chin-Yuan; Babnigg, Gyorgy; Joachimiak, Andrzej; Phillips, George N; Shen, Ben

    2018-06-04

    Acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) ligases catalyze the activation of carboxylic acids via a two-step reaction of adenylation followed by thioesterification. Here, we report the discovery of a non-adenylating acyl-CoA ligase PtmA2 and the functional separation of an acyl-CoA ligase reaction. Both PtmA1 and PtmA2, two acyl-CoA ligases from the biosynthetic pathway of platensimycin and platencin, are necessary for the two steps of CoA activation. Gene inactivation of ptmA1 and ptmA2 resulted in the accumulation of free acid and adenylate intermediates, respectively. Enzymatic and structural characterization of PtmA2 confirmed its ability to only catalyze thioesterification. Structural characterization of PtmA2 revealed it binds both free acid and adenylate substrates and undergoes the established mechanism of domain alternation. Finally, site-directed mutagenesis restored both the adenylation and complete CoA activation reactions. This study challenges the currently accepted paradigm of adenylating enzymes and inspires future investigations on functionally separated acyl-CoA ligases and their ramifications in biology.

  6. Characterization of CG6178 gene product with high sequence similarity to firefly luciferase in Drosophila melanogaster.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oba, Yuichi; Ojika, Makoto; Inouye, Satoshi

    2004-03-31

    This is the first identification of a long-chain fatty acyl-CoA synthetase in Drosophila by enzymatic characterization. The gene product of CG6178 (CG6178) in Drosophila melanogaster genome, which has a high sequence similarity to firefly luciferase, has been expressed and characterized. CG6178 showed long-chain fatty acyl-CoA synthetic activity in the presence of ATP, CoA and Mg(2+), suggesting a fatty acyl adenylate is an intermediate. Recently, it was revealed that firefly luciferase has two catalytic functions, monooxygenase (luciferase) and AMP-mediated CoA ligase (fatty acyl-CoA synthetase). However, unlike firefly luciferase, CG6178 did not show luminescence activity in the presence of firefly luciferin, ATP, CoA and Mg(2+). The enzymatic properties of CG6178 including substrate specificity, pH dependency and optimal temperature were close to those of firefly luciferase and rat fatty acyl-CoA synthetase. Further, phylogenic analyses strongly suggest that the firefly luciferase gene may have evolved from a fatty acyl-CoA synthetase gene as a common ancestral gene.

  7. The impact of parental alcohol dependence on the development and behavior outcome of children in a tertiary care hospital

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jasmeet Sidhu

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Parents play a pivotal role in upbringing a child and shaping their future. However, children of alcoholics (COAs suffer due to their parent′s dependence pattern. The various domains affected encompass cognitive, behavioural, psychological, emotional and social spheres. This study was designed to assess the impact of alcohol dependence in the parent on the development and behavior of their children, so that further steps could be taken to minimize the negative influences. Aims: To study the impact of parental alcohol dependence on the development and behaviour outcome of children in various domains, alongwith the effect of the family environment. Materials and Methods: The study was a cross-sectional observational study conducted at a tertiary care teaching hospital on 25 children between 6 and 18 years of age, whose atleast one parent was diagnosed as alcohol dependant. The other parent was assessed using a general health questionnaire-28. Child behaviour checklist and family evaluation scale (FES were then applied. Statistical Analysis Used: The analysis was done according the manuals provided with the respective scales to calculate the score. Results: Both male and female COAs had high externalizing and internalizing scores. The girls have higher internalizing scores while the boys of such parents have higher externalizing scores. The FES showed dysfunction in all the three dimensions, namely the relationship, personal growth and the system maintenance. Conclusions: Our study corroborates the findings of the studies done in the past on COAs. The COAs face various affective, anxiety, somatic, attention deficit/hyperactivity, oppositional defiant conduct problems.

  8. Coulometric bioelectrocatalytic reactions based on NAD-dependent dehydrogenases in tricarboxylic acid cycle

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fukuda, Jun [Division of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502 (Japan); Tsujimura, Seiya [Division of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502 (Japan)], E-mail: seiya@kais.kyoto-u.ac.jp; Kano, Kenji [Division of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502 (Japan)], E-mail: kkano@kais.kyoto-u.ac.jp

    2008-12-30

    This paper describes the characterization of mediated electro-enzymatic electrolysis systems based on NAD-dependent dehydrogenase reactions in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. A micro-bulk electrolysis system with a carbon felt anode immersed in an electrolysis solution with a value of about 10 {mu}L was constructed for coulometric analysis of the substrate oxidation. Diaphorase (DI) was used to couple the NAD-dependent dehydrogenase reaction with the anode reaction of a suitable redox mediator. We focused on three types of NAD-dependant dehydrogenases reactions in this research: (1) isocitrate oxidation, in which the standard Gibbs energy change ({delta}G{sup o}') is negative; (2) {alpha}-ketoglutarate oxidation, which involves an electrochemically active coenzyme A (CoA); and (3) malate oxidation, which is thermodynamically unfavorable because of a large positive {delta}G{sup o}' value. The complete electrolysis of isocitrate was easily achieved, supporting the effective re-oxidation of NADH in the diaphorase-catalyzed electrochemical reaction. CoA was unfavorably oxidized at the electrodes in the presence of some mediators. The electrocatalytic oxidation of CoA was suppressed and the quantitative electrochemical oxidation of {alpha}-ketoglutarate was achieved by selecting a suitable mediator with negligibly slow electron transfer kinetics with CoA. The uphill malate oxidation was susceptible to product inhibition in the bioelectrochemical system, although NADH generated in the malate dehydrogenase reaction was immediately oxidized in the electrochemical system. The inhibition was successfully suppressed by linking citrate synthase to quench oxaloacetate and to make the total {delta}G{sup o}' value negative.

  9. Reciprocal effects of 5-(tetradecyloxy)-2-furoic acid on fatty acid oxidation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Otto, D A; Chatzidakis, C; Kasziba, E; Cook, G A

    1985-10-01

    Under certain incubation conditions 5-(tetradecyloxy)-2-furoic acid (TOFA) stimulated the oxidation of palmitate by hepatocytes, as observed by others. A decrease in malonyl-CoA concentration accompanied the stimulation of oxidation. Under other conditions, however, TOFA inhibited fatty acid oxidation. The observed effects of TOFA depended on the TOFA and fatty acid concentrations, the cell concentration, the time of TOFA addition relative to the addition of fatty acid, and the nutritional state of the animal (fed or starved). The data indicate that only under limited incubation conditions may TOFA be used as an inhibitor of fatty acid synthesis without inhibition of fatty acid oxidation. When rat liver mitochondria were preincubated with TOFA, ketogenesis from palmitate was slightly inhibited (up to 20%) at TOFA concentrations that were less than that of CoA, but the inhibition became almost complete (up to 90%) when TOFA was greater than or equal to the CoA concentration. TOFA had only slight or no inhibitory effects on the oxidation of palmitoyl-CoA, palmitoyl(-)carnitine, or butyrate. Since TOFA can be converted to TOFyl-CoA, the data suggest that the inhibition of fatty acid oxidation from palmitate results from the decreased availability of CoA for extramitochondrial activation of fatty acids. These data, along with previous data of others, indicate that inhibition of fatty acid oxidation by CoA sequestration is a common mechanism of a group of carboxylic acid inhibitors. A general caution is appropriate with regard to the interpretation of results when using TOFA in studies of fatty acid oxidation.

  10. Coulometric bioelectrocatalytic reactions based on NAD-dependent dehydrogenases in tricarboxylic acid cycle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fukuda, Jun; Tsujimura, Seiya; Kano, Kenji

    2008-01-01

    This paper describes the characterization of mediated electro-enzymatic electrolysis systems based on NAD-dependent dehydrogenase reactions in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. A micro-bulk electrolysis system with a carbon felt anode immersed in an electrolysis solution with a value of about 10 μL was constructed for coulometric analysis of the substrate oxidation. Diaphorase (DI) was used to couple the NAD-dependent dehydrogenase reaction with the anode reaction of a suitable redox mediator. We focused on three types of NAD-dependant dehydrogenases reactions in this research: (1) isocitrate oxidation, in which the standard Gibbs energy change (ΔG o ') is negative; (2) α-ketoglutarate oxidation, which involves an electrochemically active coenzyme A (CoA); and (3) malate oxidation, which is thermodynamically unfavorable because of a large positive ΔG o ' value. The complete electrolysis of isocitrate was easily achieved, supporting the effective re-oxidation of NADH in the diaphorase-catalyzed electrochemical reaction. CoA was unfavorably oxidized at the electrodes in the presence of some mediators. The electrocatalytic oxidation of CoA was suppressed and the quantitative electrochemical oxidation of α-ketoglutarate was achieved by selecting a suitable mediator with negligibly slow electron transfer kinetics with CoA. The uphill malate oxidation was susceptible to product inhibition in the bioelectrochemical system, although NADH generated in the malate dehydrogenase reaction was immediately oxidized in the electrochemical system. The inhibition was successfully suppressed by linking citrate synthase to quench oxaloacetate and to make the total ΔG o ' value negative

  11. Hypocholesterolemic mechanism of phenolics-enriched extract from Moringa oleifera leaves in HepG2 cell lines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peera Tabboon

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Previous studies have demonstrated the hypolipidemic activity of Moringa oleifera (MO leaves via lowering serum levels of cholesterol, but the mechanism of action is unknown. In this study, we demonstrated the hypocholesterolemic mechanism of a phenolics-enriched extract of Moringa oleifera leaf (PMO in HepG2 cells. When compared to the control treatment, PMO significantly decreased total intracellular cholesterol, inhibited the activity of HMG CoA reductase in a dosedependent manner and enhanced LDL receptor binding activity. Moreover, PMO also significantly increased the genetic expressions of HMG CoA reductase and LDL receptor.

  12. Structural snapshots along the reaction pathway of Yersinia pestis RipA, a putative butyryl-CoA transferase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Torres, Rodrigo; Lan, Benson; Latif, Yama; Chim, Nicholas; Goulding, Celia W.

    2014-01-01

    The crystal structures of Y. pestis RipA mutants were determined to provide insights into the CoA transferase reaction pathway. Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of bubonic plague, is able to survive in both extracellular and intracellular environments within the human host, although its intracellular survival within macrophages is poorly understood. A novel Y. pestis three-gene rip (required for intracellular proliferation) operon, and in particular ripA, has been shown to be essential for survival and replication in interferon γ-induced macrophages. RipA was previously characterized as a putative butyryl-CoA transferase proposed to yield butyrate, a known anti-inflammatory shown to lower macrophage-produced NO levels. RipA belongs to the family I CoA transferases, which share structural homology, a conserved catalytic glutamate which forms a covalent CoA-thioester intermediate and a flexible loop adjacent to the active site known as the G(V/I)G loop. Here, functional and structural analyses of several RipA mutants are presented in an effort to dissect the CoA transferase mechanism of RipA. In particular, E61V, M31G and F60M RipA mutants show increased butyryl-CoA transferase activities when compared with wild-type RipA. Furthermore, the X-ray crystal structures of E61V, M31G and F60M RipA mutants, when compared with the wild-type RipA structure, reveal important conformational changes orchestrated by a conserved acyl-group binding-pocket phenylalanine, Phe85, and the G(V/I)G loop. Binary structures of M31G RipA and F60M RipA with two distinct CoA substrate conformations are also presented. Taken together, these data provide CoA transferase reaction snapshots of an open apo RipA, a closed glutamyl-anhydride intermediate and an open CoA-thioester intermediate. Furthermore, biochemical analyses support essential roles for both the catalytic glutamate and the flexible G(V/I)G loop along the reaction pathway, although further research is required to fully

  13. Structural snapshots along the reaction pathway of Yersinia pestis RipA, a putative butyryl-CoA transferase

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Torres, Rodrigo; Lan, Benson; Latif, Yama; Chim, Nicholas [UC Irvine, 2212 Natural Sciences I, Irvine, CA 92697 (United States); Goulding, Celia W., E-mail: celia.goulding@uci.edu [UC Irvine, 2212 Natural Sciences I, Irvine, CA 92697 (United States); UC Irvine, 2302 Natural Sciences I, Irvine, CA 92697 (United States)

    2014-04-01

    The crystal structures of Y. pestis RipA mutants were determined to provide insights into the CoA transferase reaction pathway. Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of bubonic plague, is able to survive in both extracellular and intracellular environments within the human host, although its intracellular survival within macrophages is poorly understood. A novel Y. pestis three-gene rip (required for intracellular proliferation) operon, and in particular ripA, has been shown to be essential for survival and replication in interferon γ-induced macrophages. RipA was previously characterized as a putative butyryl-CoA transferase proposed to yield butyrate, a known anti-inflammatory shown to lower macrophage-produced NO levels. RipA belongs to the family I CoA transferases, which share structural homology, a conserved catalytic glutamate which forms a covalent CoA-thioester intermediate and a flexible loop adjacent to the active site known as the G(V/I)G loop. Here, functional and structural analyses of several RipA mutants are presented in an effort to dissect the CoA transferase mechanism of RipA. In particular, E61V, M31G and F60M RipA mutants show increased butyryl-CoA transferase activities when compared with wild-type RipA. Furthermore, the X-ray crystal structures of E61V, M31G and F60M RipA mutants, when compared with the wild-type RipA structure, reveal important conformational changes orchestrated by a conserved acyl-group binding-pocket phenylalanine, Phe85, and the G(V/I)G loop. Binary structures of M31G RipA and F60M RipA with two distinct CoA substrate conformations are also presented. Taken together, these data provide CoA transferase reaction snapshots of an open apo RipA, a closed glutamyl-anhydride intermediate and an open CoA-thioester intermediate. Furthermore, biochemical analyses support essential roles for both the catalytic glutamate and the flexible G(V/I)G loop along the reaction pathway, although further research is required to fully

  14. A novel multifunctional O-methyltransferase implicated in a dual methylation pathway associated with lignin biosynthesis in loblolly pine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, L; Popko, J L; Zhang, X H; Osakabe, K; Tsai, C J; Joshi, C P; Chiang, V L

    1997-05-13

    S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM)-dependent O-methyltransferases (OMTs) catalyze the methylation of hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives for the synthesis of methylated plant polyphenolics, including lignin. The distinction in the extent of methylation of lignins in angiosperms and gymnosperms, mediated by substrate-specific OMTs, represents one of the fundamental differences in lignin biosynthesis between these two classes of plants. In angiosperms, two types of structurally and functionally distinct lignin pathway OMTs, caffeic acid 3-O-methyltransferases (CAOMTs) and caffeoyl CoA 3-O-methyltransferases (CCoAOMTs), have been reported and extensively studied. However, little is known about lignin pathway OMTs in gymnosperms. We report here the first cloning of a loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) xylem cDNA encoding a multifunctional enzyme, SAM:hydroxycinnamic Acids/hydroxycinnamoyl CoA Esters OMT (AEOMT). The deduced protein sequence of AEOMT is partially similar to, but clearly distinguishable from, that of CAOMTs and does not exhibit any significant similarity with CCoAOMT protein sequences. However, functionally, yeast-expressed AEOMT enzyme catalyzed the methylation of CAOMT substrates, caffeic and 5-hydroxyferulic acids, as well as CCoAOMT substrates, caffeoyl CoA and 5-hydroxyferuloyl CoA esters, with similar specific activities and was completely inactive with substrates associated with flavonoid synthesis. The lignin-related substrates were also efficiently methylated in crude extracts of loblolly pine secondary xylem. Our results support the notion that, in the context of amino acid sequence and biochemical function, AEOMT represents a novel SAM-dependent OMT, with both CAOMT and CCoAOMT activities and thus the potential to mediate a dual methylation pathway in lignin biosynthesis in loblolly pine xylem.

  15. A novel multifunctional O-methyltransferase implicated in a dual methylation pathway associated with lignin biosynthesis in loblolly pine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Laigeng; Popko, Jacqueline L.; Zhang, Xing-Hai; Osakabe, Keishi; Tsai, Chung-Jui; Joshi, Chandrashekhar P.; Chiang, Vincent L.

    1997-01-01

    S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM)-dependent O-methyltransferases (OMTs) catalyze the methylation of hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives for the synthesis of methylated plant polyphenolics, including lignin. The distinction in the extent of methylation of lignins in angiosperms and gymnosperms, mediated by substrate-specific OMTs, represents one of the fundamental differences in lignin biosynthesis between these two classes of plants. In angiosperms, two types of structurally and functionally distinct lignin pathway OMTs, caffeic acid 3-O-methyltransferases (CAOMTs) and caffeoyl CoA 3-O-methyltransferases (CCoAOMTs), have been reported and extensively studied. However, little is known about lignin pathway OMTs in gymnosperms. We report here the first cloning of a loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) xylem cDNA encoding a multifunctional enzyme, SAM:hydroxycinnamic Acids/hydroxycinnamoyl CoA Esters OMT (AEOMT). The deduced protein sequence of AEOMT is partially similar to, but clearly distinguishable from, that of CAOMTs and does not exhibit any significant similarity with CCoAOMT protein sequences. However, functionally, yeast-expressed AEOMT enzyme catalyzed the methylation of CAOMT substrates, caffeic and 5-hydroxyferulic acids, as well as CCoAOMT substrates, caffeoyl CoA and 5-hydroxyferuloyl CoA esters, with similar specific activities and was completely inactive with substrates associated with flavonoid synthesis. The lignin-related substrates were also efficiently methylated in crude extracts of loblolly pine secondary xylem. Our results support the notion that, in the context of amino acid sequence and biochemical function, AEOMT represents a novel SAM-dependent OMT, with both CAOMT and CCoAOMT activities and thus the potential to mediate a dual methylation pathway in lignin biosynthesis in loblolly pine xylem. PMID:9144260

  16. Potential of tocotrienols in the prevention and therapy of Alzheimer's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Weiming; Mo, Huanbiao

    2016-05-01

    Currently there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease (AD); clinical trials are underway to reduce amyloid generation and deposition, a neuropathological hallmark in brains of AD patients. While genetic factors and neuroinflammation contribute significantly to AD pathogenesis, whether increased cholesterol level is a causative factor or a result of AD is equivocal. Prenylation of proteins regulating neuronal functions requires mevalonate-derived farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) and geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP). The observation that the levels of FPP and GGPP, but not that of cholesterol, are elevated in AD patients is consistent with the finding that statins, competitive inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG CoA) reductase, reduce FPP and GGPP levels and amyloid β protein production in preclinical studies. Retrospective studies show inverse correlations between incidence of AD and the intake and serum levels of the HMG CoA reductase-suppressive tocotrienols; tocopherols show mixed results. Tocotrienols, but not tocopherols, block the processing and nuclear localization of sterol regulatory element binding protein-2, the transcriptional factor for HMG CoA reductase and FPP synthase, and enhance the degradation of HMG CoA reductase. Consequently, tocotrienols deplete the pool of FPP and GGPP and potentially blunt prenylation-dependent AD pathogenesis. The antiinflammatory activity of tocotrienols further contributes to their protection against AD. The mevalonate- and inflammation-suppressive activities of tocotrienols may represent those of an estimated 23,000 mevalonate-derived plant secondary metabolites called isoprenoids, many of which are neuroprotective. Tocotrienol-containing plant foods and tocotrienol derivatives and formulations with enhanced bioavailability may offer a novel approach in AD prevention and treatment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Prevalence and predictors of intracranial aneurysms in patients with bicuspid aortic valve.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Egbe, Alexander C; Padang, Ratnasari; Brown, Robert D; Khan, Arooj R; Luis, Sushil A; Huston, John; Akintoye, Emmanuel; Connolly, Heidi M

    2017-10-01

    To determine the prevalence and outcomes of intracranial aneurysm (IA) in patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV). Retrospective review of patients with BAV who underwent brain MR angiography at the Mayo Clinic from 1994 to 2013. There were 678 patients included in this study-mean age 57±13 years, men 480 (71%), mean follow-up 10±3 years (5913 patient-years). Coarctation of aorta (COA) was present in 154 (23%) patients.There were 59 IAs identified in 52 of 678 patients (7.7%). IA was present in 20/154 patients (12.9%) with COA and 32/524 patients (5.7%) without COA (pIA in women after adjustment for all potential variables (HR 1.76, CI 1.31 to 2.68, p=0.03). There was no significant trend in the risk for IA across age tertiles: age ≤40 years versus 41-60 years (HR 1.19, p=0.34), and age 41-60 years versus 61-80 years (HR 1.06, p=0.56).Among the 52 patients with IA, enlargement occurred in three patients (6%), rupture in two patients (4%) and four patients (8%) underwent coil embolisation. For the 626 patients without IA at baseline, no patient developed IA over 7±2 years of imaging follow-up. BAV is associated with a higher prevalence of IA compared to the general population, and this risk is higher in patients with COA, right-left cusp fusion and female gender. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  18. Movement patterns of Antillean manatees in Chetumal Bay (Mexico) and coastal Belize: A challenge for regional conservation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castelblanco-Martínez, Delma Nataly; Padilla-Saldivar, J.; Hernández-Arana, Héctor Abuid; Slone, D.H.; Reid, J.P.; Morales-Vela, B.

    2013-01-01

    Information from 15 satellite-tracked Antillean manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus) was analyzed in order to assess individual movements, home ranges, and high-use areas for conservation decisions. Manatees were captured in Chetumal Bay, Mexico, and tagged with Argos-monitored satellite transmitters. Location of the manatees and physical characteristics were assessed to describe habitat properties. Most manatees traveled to freshwater sources. The Maximum Area Size (MAS) for each manatee was determined using the observation-area method. Additional kernel densities of 95% home range and 50% Center of Activity (COA) were also calculated, with manatees having 1–3 COAs. Manatees exhibited two different movement patterns: remaining in Chetumal Bay, and long-distance (up to 240 km in 89 d). The residence time in Chetumal Bay was higher for females (89.6% of time) than for males (72.0%), but the daily travel rate (0.4–0.5 km/d) was similar for both sexes. Most of the COAs fell within Natural Protected Areas (NPA). However, manatees also travel for long distances into unprotected areas, where they face uncontrolled boat traffic, fishing activities, and habitat loss. Conservation of movement corridors may promote long-distance movements and facilitate genetic exchange.

  19. Localization and regulation of mouse pantothenate kinase 2 [The PanK2 Genes of Mouse and Human Specify Proteins with Distinct Subcellular Locations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Leonardi, Roberta [St. Jude Children' s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN (United States); Zhang, Yong-Mei [St. Jude Children' s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN (United States); Lykidis, Athanasios [DOE Joint Genome Inst., Walnut Creek, CA (United States); Rock, Charles O. [St. Jude Children' s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN (United States); Jackowski, Suzanne [St. Jude Children' s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN (United States)

    2007-09-07

    Coenzyme A (CoA) biosynthesis is initiated by pantothenatekinase (PanK) and CoA levels are controlled through differentialexpression and feedback regulation of PanK isoforms. PanK2 is amitochondrial protein in humans, but comparative genomics revealed thatacquisition of a mitochondrial targeting signal was limited to primates.Human and mouse PanK2 possessed similar biochemical properties, withinhibition by acetylCoA and activation by palmitoylcarnitine. Mouse PanK2localized in the cytosol, and the expression of PanK2 was higher in humanbrain compared to mouse brain. Differences in expression and subcellularlocalization should be considered in developing a mouse model for humanPanK2 deficiency.

  20. An Abstract Process and Metrics Model for Evaluating Unified Command and Control: A Scenario and Technology Agnostic Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    2004-06-01

    18 EBO Cognitive or Memetic input type ..................................................................... 18 Unanticipated EBO generated... Memetic Effects Based COA.................................................................................... 23 Policy...41 Belief systems or Memetic Content Metrics

  1. Intra-examiner repeatability and agreement in accommodative response measurements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Antona, B; Sanchez, I; Barrio, A; Barra, F; Gonzalez, E

    2009-11-01

    Clinical measurement of the accommodative response (AR) identifies the focusing plane of a subject with respect to the accommodative target. To establish whether a significant change in AR has occurred, it is important to determine the repeatability of this measurement. This study had two aims: First, to determine the intraexaminer repeatability of AR measurements using four clinical methods: Nott retinoscopy, monocular estimate method (MEM) retinoscopy, binocular crossed cylinder test (BCC) and near autorefractometry. Second, to study the level of agreement between AR measurements obtained with the different methods. The AR of the right eye at one accommodative demand of 2.50 D (40 cm) was measured on two separate occasions in 61 visually normal subjects of mean age 19.7 years (range 18-32 years). The intraexaminer repeatability of the tests, and agreement between them, were estimated by the Bland-Altman method. We determined mean differences (MD) and the 95% limits of agreement [coefficient of repeatability (COR) and coefficient of agreement (COA)]. Nott retinoscopy and BCC offered the best repeatability, showing the lowest MD and narrowest 95% interval of agreement (Nott: -0.10 +/- 0.66 D, BCC: -0.05 +/- 0.75 D). The 95% limits of agreement for the four techniques were similar (COA = +/- 0.92 to +/-1.00 D) yet clinically significant, according to the expected values of the AR. The two dynamic retinoscopy techniques (Nott and MEM) had a better agreement (COA = +/-0.64 D) although this COA must be interpreted in the context of the low MEM repeatability (COR = +/-0.98 D). The best method of assessing AR was Nott retinoscopy. The BCC technique was also repeatable, and both are recommended as suitable methods for clinical use. Despite better agreement between MEM and Nott, agreement among the remaining methods was poor such that their interchangeable use in clinical practice is not recommended.

  2. Effect of defuzzification method of fuzzy modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lapohos, Tibor; Buchal, Ralph O.

    1994-10-01

    Imprecision can arise in fuzzy relational modeling as a result of fuzzification, inference and defuzzification. These three sources of imprecision are difficult to separate. We have determined through numerical studies that an important source of imprecision is the defuzzification stage. This imprecision adversely affects the quality of the model output. The most widely used defuzzification algorithm is known by the name of `center of area' (COA) or `center of gravity' (COG). In this paper, we show that this algorithm not only maps the near limit values of the variables improperly but also introduces errors for middle domain values of the same variables. Furthermore, the behavior of this algorithm is a function of the shape of the reference sets. We compare the COA method to the weighted average of cluster centers (WACC) procedure in which the transformation is carried out based on the values of the cluster centers belonging to each of the reference membership functions instead of using the functions themselves. We show that this procedure is more effective and computationally much faster than the COA. The method is tested for a family of reference sets satisfying certain constraints, that is, for any support value the sum of reference membership function values equals one and the peak values of the two marginal membership functions project to the boundaries of the universe of discourse. For all the member sets of this family of reference sets the defuzzification errors do not get bigger as the linguistic variables tend to their extreme values. In addition, the more reference sets that are defined for a certain linguistic variable, the less the average defuzzification error becomes. In case of triangle shaped reference sets there is no defuzzification error at all. Finally, an alternative solution is provided that improves the performance of the COA method.

  3. Correlation of exercise response in repaired coarctation of the aorta to left ventricular mass and geometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krieger, Eric V; Clair, Mathieu; Opotowsky, Alexander R; Landzberg, Michael J; Rhodes, Jonathan; Powell, Andrew J; Colan, Steven D; Valente, Anne Marie

    2013-02-01

    The role of exercise testing to risk stratify patients with repaired coarctation of the aorta (CoA) is controversial. Concentric left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy, defined as an increase in the LV mass-to-volume ratio (MVR), is associated with a greater incidence of adverse cardiovascular events. The objective of the present study was to determine whether a hypertensive response to exercise (HRE) is associated with increased LVMVR in patients with repaired CoA. Adults with repaired CoA who had a symptom-limited exercise test and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging examination within 2 years were identified. A hypertensive response to exercise was defined as a peak systolic blood pressure >220 mm Hg during a symptom-limited exercise test. The LV mass and volume were measured using cardiac magnetic resonance by an investigator who was unaware of patient status. We included 47 patients (median age 27.3 years, interquartile range 19.8 to 37.3), who had undergone CoA repair at a median age of 4.6 years (interquartile range 0.4 to 15.7). Those with (n = 11) and without (n = 36) HRE did not differ in age, age at repair, body surface area, arm-to-leg systolic blood pressure gradient, gender, or peak oxygen uptake with exercise. Those with a HRE had a greater mean systolic blood pressure at rest (146 ± 18 vs 137 ± 18 mm Hg, p = 0.04) and greater median LVMVR (0.85, interquartile range 0.7 to 1, vs 0.66, interquartile range 0.6 to 0.7; p = 0.04) than those without HRE. Adjusting for systolic blood pressure at rest, age, age at repair, and gender, the relation between HRE and LVMVR remained significant (p = 0.001). In conclusion, HRE was associated with increased LVMVR, even after adjusting for multiple covariates. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Activity of 3-Ketosteroid 9α-Hydroxylase (KshAB) Indicates Cholesterol Side Chain and Ring Degradation Occur Simultaneously in Mycobacterium tuberculosis*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Capyk, Jenna K.; Casabon, Israël; Gruninger, Robert; Strynadka, Natalie C.; Eltis, Lindsay D.

    2011-01-01

    Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), a significant global pathogen, contains a cholesterol catabolic pathway. Although the precise role of cholesterol catabolism in Mtb remains unclear, the Rieske monooxygenase in this pathway, 3-ketosteroid 9α-hydroxylase (KshAB), has been identified as a virulence factor. To investigate the physiological substrate of KshAB, a rhodococcal acyl-CoA synthetase was used to produce the coenzyme A thioesters of two cholesterol derivatives: 3-oxo-23,24-bisnorchol-4-en-22-oic acid (forming 4-BNC-CoA) and 3-oxo-23,24-bisnorchola-1,4-dien-22-oic acid (forming 1,4-BNC-CoA). The apparent specificity constant (kcat/Km) of KshAB for the CoA thioester substrates was 20–30 times that for the corresponding 17-keto compounds previously proposed as physiological substrates. The apparent KmO2 was 90 ± 10 μm in the presence of 1,4-BNC-CoA, consistent with the value for two other cholesterol catabolic oxygenases. The Δ1 ketosteroid dehydrogenase KstD acted with KshAB to cleave steroid ring B with a specific activity eight times greater for a CoA thioester than the corresponding ketone. Finally, modeling 1,4-BNC-CoA into the KshA crystal structure suggested that the CoA moiety binds in a pocket at the mouth of the active site channel and could contribute to substrate specificity. These results indicate that the physiological substrates of KshAB are CoA thioester intermediates of cholesterol side chain degradation and that side chain and ring degradation occur concurrently in Mtb. This finding has implications for steroid metabolites potentially released by the pathogen during infection and for the design of inhibitors for cholesterol-degrading enzymes. The methodologies and rhodococcal enzymes used to generate thioesters will facilitate the further study of cholesterol catabolism. PMID:21987574

  5. Activity of 3-ketosteroid 9α-hydroxylase (KshAB) indicates cholesterol side chain and ring degradation occur simultaneously in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Capyk, Jenna K; Casabon, Israël; Gruninger, Robert; Strynadka, Natalie C; Eltis, Lindsay D

    2011-11-25

    Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), a significant global pathogen, contains a cholesterol catabolic pathway. Although the precise role of cholesterol catabolism in Mtb remains unclear, the Rieske monooxygenase in this pathway, 3-ketosteroid 9α-hydroxylase (KshAB), has been identified as a virulence factor. To investigate the physiological substrate of KshAB, a rhodococcal acyl-CoA synthetase was used to produce the coenzyme A thioesters of two cholesterol derivatives: 3-oxo-23,24-bisnorchol-4-en-22-oic acid (forming 4-BNC-CoA) and 3-oxo-23,24-bisnorchola-1,4-dien-22-oic acid (forming 1,4-BNC-CoA). The apparent specificity constant (k(cat)/K(m)) of KshAB for the CoA thioester substrates was 20-30 times that for the corresponding 17-keto compounds previously proposed as physiological substrates. The apparent K(m)(O(2)) was 90 ± 10 μM in the presence of 1,4-BNC-CoA, consistent with the value for two other cholesterol catabolic oxygenases. The Δ(1) ketosteroid dehydrogenase KstD acted with KshAB to cleave steroid ring B with a specific activity eight times greater for a CoA thioester than the corresponding ketone. Finally, modeling 1,4-BNC-CoA into the KshA crystal structure suggested that the CoA moiety binds in a pocket at the mouth of the active site channel and could contribute to substrate specificity. These results indicate that the physiological substrates of KshAB are CoA thioester intermediates of cholesterol side chain degradation and that side chain and ring degradation occur concurrently in Mtb. This finding has implications for steroid metabolites potentially released by the pathogen during infection and for the design of inhibitors for cholesterol-degrading enzymes. The methodologies and rhodococcal enzymes used to generate thioesters will facilitate the further study of cholesterol catabolism.

  6. Reference values for blood pressure response to cycle ergometry in the first two decades of life: comparison with patients with a repaired coarctation of the aorta.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaafarani, Mirna; Schroer, Christian; Takken, Tim

    2017-12-01

    Hemodynamic responses to exercise are used as markers of diagnosis for cardiac diseases, systolic blood pressure (SBP) especially. However, the reference values for SBP in children at peak exertion level are outdated. This study aimed to establish current reference values for SBP, rate pressure product (RPP), and circulatory power (CircP). Data from children who previously underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing were categorized as healthy (N = 184; age 12.6 ± 2.9 years), and CoA patients (N = 25; age 13.0 ± 3.2 years). With the Lambda-Mu-Sigma (LMS) method, percentile curves were made for SBP, CircP, and RPP in function of peak work rate (Wpeak). Data of CoA patients were used to validate the reference values. Wpeak was the best predictor of peak SBP during exercise. The prediction equations for SBP, CircP and RPP were: (0.2853 x Wpeak) + 111.46; (10.56 x Wpeak) + 2550.2 and (61.879 x Wpeak) + 19.887, respectively. CoA patients showed significantly increased values for peak SBP (Z-score 1.063 ± 1.347). This study provides reference values for SBP, RPP, and CircP at peak exercise. These values can be used for objective evaluation of participants 6-18 years of age in a Dutch population.

  7. Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of PaaAC, the main component of the hydroxylase of the Escherichia coli phenylacetyl-coenzyme A oxygenase complex

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grishin, Andrey M.; Ajamian, Eunice; Zhang, Linhua; Cygler, Miroslaw

    2010-01-01

    The expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of the PaaAC complex is reported. This is the main component of the E. coliphenylacetyl-coenzyme A oxygenase complex. The Escherichia coli paa operon encodes enzymes of the phenylacetic acid-utilization pathway that metabolizes phenylacetate in the form of a coenzyme A (CoA) derivative. The phenylacetyl-coenzyme A oxygenase complex, which has been postulated to contain five components designated PaaABCDE, catalyzes ring hydroxylation of phenylacetyl-CoA. The PaaAC subcomplex shows low sequence similarity to other bacterial multicomponent monooxygenases (BMMs) and forms a separate branch on the phylogenetic tree. PaaAC, which catalyzes the hydroxylation reaction, was purified and crystallized in the absence of a bound ligand as well as in complexes with CoA, 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA, benzoyl-CoA and the true substrate phenylacetyl-CoA. Crystals of the ligand-free enzyme belonged to space group P2 1 2 1 2 1 and diffracted to 2.65 Å resolution, whereas complexes with CoA and its derivatives crystallized in space group P4 1 2 1 2 and diffracted to ∼2.0 Å resolution. PaaAC represents the first crystallized BMM hydroxylase that utilizes a CoA-linked substrate

  8. Analysis of synonymous codon usage patterns in the genus Rhizobium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xinxin; Wu, Liang; Zhou, Ping; Zhu, Shengfeng; An, Wei; Chen, Yu; Zhao, Lin

    2013-11-01

    The codon usage patterns of rhizobia have received increasing attention. However, little information is available regarding the conserved features of the codon usage patterns in a typical rhizobial genus. The codon usage patterns of six completely sequenced strains belonging to the genus Rhizobium were analysed as model rhizobia in the present study. The relative neutrality plot showed that selection pressure played a role in codon usage in the genus Rhizobium. Spearman's rank correlation analysis combined with correspondence analysis (COA) showed that the codon adaptation index and the effective number of codons (ENC) had strong correlation with the first axis of the COA, which indicated the important role of gene expression level and the ENC in the codon usage patterns in this genus. The relative synonymous codon usage of Cys codons had the strongest correlation with the second axis of the COA. Accordingly, the usage of Cys codons was another important factor that shaped the codon usage patterns in Rhizobium genomes and was a conserved feature of the genus. Moreover, the comparison of codon usage between highly and lowly expressed genes showed that 20 unique preferred codons were shared among Rhizobium genomes, revealing another conserved feature of the genus. This is the first report of the codon usage patterns in the genus Rhizobium.

  9. Clinician-Reported Outcome Assessments of Treatment Benefit: Report of the ISPOR Clinical Outcome Assessment Emerging Good Practices Task Force.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Powers, John H; Patrick, Donald L; Walton, Marc K; Marquis, Patrick; Cano, Stefan; Hobart, Jeremy; Isaac, Maria; Vamvakas, Spiros; Slagle, Ashley; Molsen, Elizabeth; Burke, Laurie B

    2017-01-01

    A clinician-reported outcome (ClinRO) assessment is a type of clinical outcome assessment (COA). ClinRO assessments, like all COAs (patient-reported, observer-reported, or performance outcome assessments), are used to 1) measure patients' health status and 2) define end points that can be interpreted as treatment benefits of medical interventions on how patients feel, function, or survive in clinical trials. Like other COAs, ClinRO assessments can be influenced by human choices, judgment, or motivation. A ClinRO assessment is conducted and reported by a trained health care professional and requires specialized professional training to evaluate the patient's health status. This is the second of two reports by the ISPOR Clinical Outcomes Assessment-Emerging Good Practices for Outcomes Research Task Force. The first report provided an overview of COAs including definitions important for an understanding of COA measurement practices. This report focuses specifically on issues related to ClinRO assessments. In this report, we define three types of ClinRO assessments (readings, ratings, and clinician global assessments) and describe emerging good measurement practices in their development and evaluation. The good measurement practices include 1) defining the context of use; 2) identifying the concept of interest measured; 3) defining the intended treatment benefit on how patients feel, function, or survive reflected by the ClinRO assessment and evaluating the relationship between that intended treatment benefit and the concept of interest; 4) documenting content validity; 5) evaluating other measurement properties once content validity is established (including intra- and inter-rater reliability); 6) defining study objectives and end point(s) objectives, and defining study end points and placing study end points within the hierarchy of end points; 7) establishing interpretability in trial results; and 8) evaluating operational considerations for the implementation of

  10. Parallel and four-step synthesis of natural-product-inspired scaffolds through modular assembly and divergent cyclization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hiroki Oguri

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available By emulating the universal biosynthetic strategy, which employs modular assembly and divergent cyclizations, we have developed a four-step synthetic process to yield a collection of natural-product-inspired scaffolds. Modular assembly of building blocks onto a piperidine-based manifold 6, having a carboxylic acid group, was achieved through Ugi condensation, N-acetoacetylation and diazotransfer, leading to cyclization precursors. The rhodium-catalyzed tandem cyclization and divergent cycloaddition gave rise to tetracyclic and hexacyclic scaffolds by the appropriate choice of dipolarophiles installed at modules 3 and 4. A different piperidine-based manifold 15 bearing an amino group was successfully applied to demonstrate the flexibility and scope of the unified four-step process for the generation of structural diversity in the fused scaffolds. Evaluation of in vitro antitrypanosomal activities of the collections and preliminary structure–activity relationship (SAR studies were also undertaken.

  11. Insight into cofactor recognition in arylamine N-acetyltransferase enzymes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xu, Ximing; Li de la Sierra-Gallay, Inés; Kubiak, Xavier Jean Philippe

    2015-01-01

    Arylamine N-acetyltransferases (NATs) are xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes that catalyze the acetyl-CoA-dependent acetylation of arylamines. To better understand the mode of binding of the cofactor by this family of enzymes, the structure of Mesorhizobium loti NAT1 [(RHILO)NAT1] was determined...... for Bacillus anthracis NAT1 and Homo sapiens NAT2. Therefore, in contrast to previous data, this study shows that different orthologous NATs can bind their cofactors in a similar way, suggesting that the mode of binding CoA in this family of enzymes is less diverse than previously thought. Moreover......, it supports the notion that the presence of the `mammalian/eukaryotic insertion loop' in certain NAT enzymes impacts the mode of binding CoA by imposing structural constraints....

  12. USCG MARPOL Servicing Facilities

    Data.gov (United States)

    Department of Homeland Security — Datasets containing a listing of U.S. Ports and Terminals holding valid MARPOL Certificates of Adequacy (COAs). U.S. Ports and Terminals are issued Certificates of...

  13. Studies of particle drying using non-invasive Raman spectrometry and particle size analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamilton, Peter; Littlejohn, David; Nordon, Alison; Sefcik, Jan; Slavin, Paul; Dallin, Paul; Andrews, John

    2011-05-21

    The evaporation of methanol from needle-shaped particles of cellobiose octaacetate (COA) has been studied directly in a jacketed vacuum drier using in situ measurements by Raman spectrometry. A design of experiments (DoE) approach was used to investigate the effects of three parameters (method of agitation, % solvent loss on drying and jacket temperature), with the intention of minimising the drying time and extent of particle attrition. Drying curves based on Raman signals for methanol and COA in the spectra of the wet particles indicated the end of drying and revealed three stages in the drying process that could be used to monitor the progress of solvent removal in real time. Off-line particle size measurements based on laser diffraction were made to obtain information on the extent of attrition, to compare with the trends revealed by the Raman drying curves. The study demonstrated that non-invasive Raman spectrometry can be used to study the progress of drying during agitation of particles in a vacuum drier, allowing optimisation of operating conditions to minimise attrition and reduce drying times. Although a correlation between particle size and off-line Raman measurements of COA was demonstrated, it was not possible to derive equivalent information from the in situ Raman spectra owing to the greater effects of particle motion or bulk density variations of the particles in the drier.

  14. The impact of Indian Ocean high pressure system on rainfall and stream flow

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rehman, S.; Nasir, H.; Zia, S.S.; Ansari, W.A.; Salam, K.; Tayyab, N.

    2012-01-01

    Centre of Action approach is very useful in getting insight of rainfall and stream flow variability of specific region. Hameed et al. showed that Inter-annual variability of Gulf Stream north wall is influenced by low Icelandic pressure system and has more statistically significant correlation than North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) with longitude of Icelandic low. This study also aims to explore possible relationships between rainfall and stream flow in Collie river catchment in Southwest Western Australia (SWWA) with Indian Ocean high pressure dynamics. The relationship between rainfall and stream flow with Indian Ocean high pressure system have been investigated using correlation analysis for early winter season (MJJA), lag correlation for MJJA versus SOND rainfall and stream flow are also calculated and found significant at 95% confidence level. By investigating the relationship between COA indices with rainfall and stream flow over the period 1976-2008, significant correlations suggests that rainfall and stream flow in Collie river basin is strongly influenced by COA indices. Multiple correlations between rainfall and stream flow with Indian Ocean high pressure (IOHPS and IOHLN) is 0.7 and 0.6 respectively. Centers of Action (COA) indices explain 51% and 36% of rainfall and stream flow respectively. The correlation between rainfall and stream flow with IOHPS is -0.4 and -0.3 whereas, with IOHLN is -0.47 and -0.52 respectively. (author)

  15. Contribution de la tomographie par coherence optique au diagnostic ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Contribution de la tomographie par coherence optique au diagnostic de la neuropathie optique toxique. C.O.A. Abouki, S Alamou, C.R.A. Assavedo, L Odoulami-Yehouessi, I Sounouvou, S Hounnou-Tchabi ...

  16. Bacillus anthracis o-succinylbenzoyl-CoA synthetase: reaction kinetics and a novel inhibitor mimicking its reaction intermediate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Yang; Suk, Dae-Hwan; Cai, Feng; Crich, David; Mesecar, Andrew D

    2008-11-25

    o-Succinylbenzoyl-CoA (OSB-CoA) synthetase (EC 6.2.1.26) catalyzes the ATP-dependent condensation of o-succinylbenzoate (OSB) and CoA to form OSB-CoA, the fourth step of the menaquinone biosynthetic pathway in Bacillus anthracis. Gene knockout studies have highlighted this enzyme as a potential target for the discovery of new antibiotics. Here we report the first studies on the kinetic mechanism of B. anthracis OSB-CoA synthetase, classifying it as an ordered bi uni uni bi ping-pong mechanism. Through a series of pre-steady-state and steady-state kinetic studies in conjunction with direct binding studies, it is demonstrated that CoA, the last substrate to bind, strongly activates the first half-reaction after the first round of turnover. The activation of the first half-reaction is most likely achieved by CoA stabilizing conformations of the enzyme in the "F" form, which slowly isomerize back to the E form. Thus, the kinetic mechanism of OSB-CoA synthetase may be more accurately described as an ordered bi uni uni bi iso ping-pong mechanism. The substrate specificity of OSB-CoA synthetase was probed using a series of OSB analogues with alterations in the carboxylate groups. OSB-CoA shows a strong preference for OSB over all of the analogues tested as none were active except 4-[2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-4-oxobutyric acid which exhibited a 100-fold decrease in k(cat)/K(m). On the basis of an understanding of OSB-CoA synthetase's kinetic mechanism and substrate specificity, a reaction intermediate analogue of OSB-AMP, 5'-O-{N-[2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-4-oxobutyl}adenosine sulfonamide (TFMP-butyl-AMS), was designed and synthesized. This inhibitor was found to be an uncompetitive inhibitor to CoA and a mixed-type inhibitor to ATP and OSB with low micromolar inhibition constants. Collectively, these results should serve as an important forerunner to more detailed and extensive inhibitor design studies aimed at developing lead compounds against the OSB-CoA synthetase

  17. Bacillus anthracis o-succinylbenzoyl-CoA synthetase: reaction kinetics and a novel inhibitor mimicking its reaction intermediate †

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Yang; Suk, Dae-Hwan; Cai, Feng; Crich, David; Mesecar, Andrew D.

    2009-01-01

    O-succinylbenzoyl-CoA (OSB-CoA) synthetase (EC 6.2.1.26) catalyzes the ATP-dependent condensation of o-succinylbenzoate (OSB) and CoA to form OSB-CoA, the fourth step of the menaquinone biosynthetic pathway in Bacillus anthracis. Gene knockout studies have highlighted this enzyme as a potential target for the discovery of new antibiotics. Here we report the first studies on the kinetic mechanism of B. anthracis OSB-CoA synthetase, classifying it as an ordered Bi Uni Uni Bi ping-pong mechanism. Through a series of pre-steady-state and steady-state kinetic studies in conjunction with direct-binding studies, it is demonstrated that CoA, the last substrate to bind, strongly activates the first half-reaction after the first round of turnover. The activation of the first-half reaction is most likely achieved by CoA stabilizing conformations of the enzyme in the ‘F’ form, which slowly isomerize back to the E form. Thus, the kinetic mechanism of OSB-CoA synthetase may be more accurately described as an ordered Bi Uni Uni Bi Iso ping-pong mechanism. The substrate specificity of OSB-CoA synthetase was probed using a series of OSB analogs with alterations in the carboxylate groups. OSB-CoA shows a strong preference for OSB over all of the analogs tested as none were active except 4-(2-trifluoromethylphenyl)-4-oxobutyric acid which exhibited a 100-fold decrease in kcat/Km. Based on an understanding of OSB-CoA synthetase’s kinetic mechanism and substrate specificity, a reaction intermediate analog of OSB-AMP, 5’-O-(N-(2-trifluoromethylphenyl)-4-oxobutyl) adenosine sulfonamide (TFMP-butyl-AMS), was designed and synthesized. This inhibitor was found to be an uncompetitive inhibitor to CoA and a mixed-type inhibitor to ATP and OSB with low micromolar inhibition constants. Collectively, these results should serve as an important forerunner to more detailed and extensive inhibitor design studies aimed at developing lead compounds against the OSB-CoA synthetase class of

  18. Midterm to long-term safety and efficacy of self-expandable nitinol stent implantation for coarctation of aorta in adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haji Zeinali, Ali Mohammad; Sadeghian, Mohammad; Qureshi, Shakeel A; Ghazi, Payam

    2017-09-01

    Endovascular treatment of coarctation of aorta (CoA) by self-expandable Nitinol stents is one of the recognized treatment methods and may be an alternative to surgery or balloon-expandable stent implantation for CoA but there is little information about midterm to long term results of self-expandable stents. Sixty-two patients with CoA (40 men), with a mean age of 30.7 ± 11 years, (range 17-63 years) underwent stent implantation with Optimed self-expandable Nitinol stents between 2005 and 2014. Successful outcome was defined as peak systolic pressure gradient ≤20 mmHg after stent implantation. The patients were followed-up clinically and by echocardiography and in patients, in whom there was suspicion of recoarctation, CT angiography or recatheterization was performed. 65 stents were successfully implanted in all 62 patients. Peak systolic pressure gradient decreased from mean 62.4 ± 18 mmHg (range 35-100 mmHg) to mean 2.8 ± 5 mmHg (range 0-15 mmHg; P Stent displacement occurred in 3 patients during the procedure. These were managed successfully by an overlapping second stent. None of the patients had major complications such as aortic dissection, rupture, or vascular access problems. In follow up, only three patients had recoarctation, and two of these were managed successfully by balloon redilation or further stenting 16 and 18 months after the first procedure and one patient refused reintervention. There were two deaths, unrelated to the procedure, 12 and 78 months after the initial intervention. Follow-up of a mean of 45.5 ± 17 months (range 12-105 months) demonstrated no evidence of aneurysm formation or stent fracture. Self-expandable nitinol stents for the treatment of native and recurrent CoA is safe and has good efficacy with acceptable midterm to long-term outcome. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  19. Genotoxicity evaluation of HMG CoA reductase inhibitor rosuvastatin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berber, Ahmet Ali; Celik, Mustafa; Aksoy, Hüseyin

    2014-07-01

    The genotoxic potential of rosuvastatin as one of the statin drugs was assessed by chromosomal aberrations (CAs), micronucleus (MN) and DNA damage by comet assay in the human peripheral blood lymphocytes. Rosuvastatin was used at concentrations of 0.0625, 0.125, 0.25, 0.5 and 1 µg/mL for these in vitro assays. In all assays, a negative and positive control were also included. CA frequencies were significantly increased in all concentrations at 24 hours and significantly increased in all concentrations except 0.0625 µg/mL at 48 hours, compared to the negative control. Rosuvastatin has a decreased mitotic index (MI) at 0.5- and 1-µg/mL concentrations at 24 hours and at 0.25, 0.5 and 1 µg/mL at 48 hours. A significant increase was observed for induction of MN in all treatments, compared to the negative control. Cytokinesis-block proliferation indices were not affected by treatments with rosuvastatin. In the comet assay, significant increases in comet tail length and tail moment were observed at 0.0625-, 0.5- and 1-µg/mL concentrations. Comet intensity was significantly increased in all concentrations except 0.0625 µg/mL. According to these results, rosuvastatin is cytotoxic and clastogenic/aneugenic in human peripheral lymphocytes. Further studies should be conducted in other test systems to evaluate the full genotoxic potential of rosuvastatin.

  20. Chemoproteomic Profiling of Acetanilide Herbicides Reveals Their Role in Inhibiting Fatty Acid Oxidation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Counihan, Jessica L; Duckering, Megan; Dalvie, Esha; Ku, Wan-Min; Bateman, Leslie A; Fisher, Karl J; Nomura, Daniel K

    2017-03-17

    Acetanilide herbicides are among the most widely used pesticides in the United States, but their toxicological potential and mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we have used chemoproteomic platforms to map proteome-wide cysteine reactivity of acetochlor (AC), the most widely used acetanilide herbicide, in vivo in mice. We show that AC directly reacts with >20 protein targets in vivo in mouse liver, including the catalytic cysteines of several thiolase enzymes involved in mitochondrial and peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation. We show that the fatty acids that are not oxidized, due to impaired fatty acid oxidation, are instead diverted into other lipid pathways, resulting in heightened free fatty acids, triglycerides, cholesteryl esters, and other lipid species in the liver. Our findings show the utility of chemoproteomic approaches for identifying novel mechanisms of toxicity associated with environmental chemicals like acetanilide herbicides.

  1. AcEST: BP917133 [AcEST

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available 775_CUPTR Putative PROPIONYL-COA CARBOXYLASE (BETA SUBUNIT) PROTEIN OS=Cupriavidus taiwan...TA SUBUNIT) PROTEIN OS=Cupriavidus taiwanensis (strain R1 / LMG 19424) GN=RALTA_A2850 PE=4 SV=1 Length = 533

  2. A Business Case Analysis of the Special Care Unit at Moncrief Army Community Hospital

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Unruh, Charles

    2002-01-01

    The goal of this project is to develop and evaluate four courses of action (COA) in order to determine the most efficient and effective method to care for Moncrief Army Community Hospitals Special Care Unit (SCU) inpatients...

  3. A randomized placebo-controlled trial of fluvastatin for prevention of restenosis after successful coronary balloon angioplasty; final results of the fluvastatin angiographic restenosis (FLARE) trial

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    J. Shepherd; H. Suryapranata (Harry); P.J. Pfister; P.J. de Feyter (Pim); G.A. van Es (Gerrit Anne); R. Melkert (Rein); G. Jackson (Graham); J.J.R.M. Bonnier (Hans); C.M. Miguel (Carlos); M.C. Vrolix (Mathias); A. Branzi (Angelo); P.W.J.C. Serruys (Patrick); D.P. Foley (David)

    1999-01-01

    textabstractBACKGROUND: The 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG CoA) reductase inhibitors competitively inhibit biosynthesis of mevalonate, a precursor of non-sterol compounds involved in cell proliferation. Experimental evidence suggests that fluvastatin may, independent of

  4. Prognostic Role of Hypertensive Response to Exercise in Patients With Repaired Coarctation of Aorta.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yogeswaran, Vidhushei; Connolly, Heidi M; Al-Otaibi, Mohamad; Ammash, Naser M; Warnes, Carole A; Said, Sameh M; Egbe, Alexander C

    2018-05-01

    This study aimed to determine the prevalence of hypertensive response to exercise (HRE) and its association with cardiovascular adverse events (CAEs) in patients with repaired coarctation of aorta (rCOA). We retrospectively reviewed records of adult patients with rCOA who had cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPETs) and follow-up from 1994 to 2014 at Mayo Clinic. Patients with residual COA, defined as aortic isthmus peak velocity >2.5 m/s, were excluded. HRE was defined as peak systolic blood pressure >200 mm Hg; CAEs were defined as cardiovascular death, stroke, acute coronary syndrome, heart failure hospitalization, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) HRE occurred in 26 (19%) patients, and 24 (92%) of the patients with HRE had normal resting blood pressure. There were no differences in age, blood pressure at rest, and CPET findings between patients with HRE and those with normotensive response to exercise. There were 28 CAEs in 24 patients (17%), and HRE was an independent risk factor for CAE (hazard ratio [HR], 1.46 [1.13-2.52]; P = 0.04). HRE can occur even in the setting of normal blood pressure at rest, and it is a risk factor for CAE. We speculate that patients with HRE represent a high-risk group of patients who, presumably, have occult, advanced vascular dysfunction. CPET can identify these patients. The benefit of intensive antihypertension therapy needs to be confirmed. Copyright © 2018 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Enzymes involved in cholesterol homeostasis in outer vs inner cortices of the guinea pig adrenal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brody, R.I.

    1988-01-01

    Adrenocortical cells require cholesterol for steroid hormone synthesis. Intracellular free cholesterol levels are maintained by the actions of three key enzymes: HMG CoA reductase, a rate limiting enzyme of cholesterol biosynthesis, acyl CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT), which esterifies cholesterol to fatty acids, and cholesterol ester hydrolase (CEH), which releases stored cholesterol by clearing the ester bond. The guinea pig adrenal cortex, which can be separated into a lipid-rich outer zone and a lipid-poor inner zone, provides a good model in which to determine whether the morphological differences in these regions correlate with functional distinctions in enzymes of cholesterol homeostasis. These studies have shown that there are great differences in these enzymes in the outer and inner zones of the guinea pig adrenal cortex. The cholesterol-rich outer zone possesses greater activities of ACAT and CEH than the inner zone, and, in untreated animals, these enzymes are nearly maximally stimulated. Both zones had substantial levels of HMG CoA reductase, as measured by enzyme assay and ELISA, and these levels increased following ACTH stimulation. However, only the outer zone incorporated 14 C-acetate into steroids and cholesterol to any great degree in vitro, and only in this zone was incorporation increased following incubation of cultures with ACTH. The discrepancies between HMG CoA reductase levels and 14 C-acetate incorporation in the inner zone indicate that cholesterol synthesis must be regulated differently in this zone

  6. A branch-heterogeneous model of protein evolution for efficient inference of ancestral sequences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Groussin, M; Boussau, B; Gouy, M

    2013-07-01

    Most models of nucleotide or amino acid substitution used in phylogenetic studies assume that the evolutionary process has been homogeneous across lineages and that composition of nucleotides or amino acids has remained the same throughout the tree. These oversimplified assumptions are refuted by the observation that compositional variability characterizes extant biological sequences. Branch-heterogeneous models of protein evolution that account for compositional variability have been developed, but are not yet in common use because of the large number of parameters required, leading to high computational costs and potential overparameterization. Here, we present a new branch-nonhomogeneous and nonstationary model of protein evolution that captures more accurately the high complexity of sequence evolution. This model, henceforth called Correspondence and likelihood analysis (COaLA), makes use of a correspondence analysis to reduce the number of parameters to be optimized through maximum likelihood, focusing on most of the compositional variation observed in the data. The model was thoroughly tested on both simulated and biological data sets to show its high performance in terms of data fitting and CPU time. COaLA efficiently estimates ancestral amino acid frequencies and sequences, making it relevant for studies aiming at reconstructing and resurrecting ancestral amino acid sequences. Finally, we applied COaLA on a concatenate of universal amino acid sequences to confirm previous results obtained with a nonhomogeneous Bayesian model regarding the early pattern of adaptation to optimal growth temperature, supporting the mesophilic nature of the Last Universal Common Ancestor.

  7. stakeholders' perceptions of cocoa extension constraints in ghana

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    User

    The key findings were that all concurred that productivity should be boosted to improve the lot of farmers and ... coa trees infected with the deadly swollen shoot virus disease. .... ence in decision-making processes are strength- ened. District.

  8. Analise funcional das traduccións en linguas en proceso de normalización: o caso da traducción do comic en galego

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sinner, Carsten

    2002-12-01

    Full Text Available In the case of the Galician language, the translation of comics is quite important, because it contributes to the normalization of use of the Galician language and allows young readers to become familiar with the norm. The article focusses on an analysis of the Galician translation with the French original and a Spanish version of the text.

    [gl] A traducción de comics, no caso do galego xoga un papel moi importante xa que o seu obxectivo é sobre todo normalizar o uso da lingua galega ñas xeracións novas e familiariza-la xuventude coa norma. A contribución pretende unha análise ben polo miúdo dunha traducción galega de Asterix comparándoa co orixinal francés e coa traducción española.

  9. Influence of Uncertainty and Time Stress on Decision Making

    Science.gov (United States)

    1993-10-01

    a. . . . . . . . . . . . 23 A General Theoretical Framwork .a .........* 24 Concepts for Aiding Decisions Under Conditions of...seemed to be how they were conceptualizing uncer- tainty). A third, somewhat %tinor change would be to present participants with the COA after the

  10. Exploring the Potential Value of OneSAF at the Small-Unit Level

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    James, David R; Dyer, Jean L; Wampler, Richard L

    2008-01-01

    .... The research determined the extent to which OneSAF (v1.0) could assist company and platoon leaders with tactical planning and assessed the potential value of using OneSAF in institutional training to train course of action (COA...

  11. Investigation of Solid Dispersion of Atorvastatin Calcium in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ATC), a poorly watersoluble 3-hydroxy 3-methyl glutaryl CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor, by a solid dispersion technique using polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG 6000) or polyvinylpyrrolidone k30 (PVP K30). Methods: The solid dispersions were ...

  12. ENVIRONMENTAL ATTITUDES OF ALABAMA COASTAL RESIDENTS: PUBLIC OPINION POLLS AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY

    Science.gov (United States)

    Given these conclusions at the national level, it follows that the continued health and vitality of the Alabama coastal zone is associated with the current environmental knowledge of Mobile and Baldwin county residents. In this research, we collected information from coa...

  13. The Development of a Coalition Operational Architecture: A British and US Army Approach

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Galvin, K. E; Madigan, J. C

    2000-01-01

    ... (COA) to support a US Corps operating as a Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF) Headquarters with up to a UK Division as an integral part of its ORBAT would be investigated by staff from both countries' Army Operational Architecture (AOA) teams...

  14. CCoAOMT down-regulation activates anthocyanin biosynthesis in petunia

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Shaipulah, N.F.M.; Muhlemann, J.K.; Woodworth, B.D.; Van Moerkercke, A.; Verdonk, J.C.; Ramirez, A.M.; Haring, M.A.; Dudareva, N.; Schuurink, R.C.

    2016-01-01

    Anthocyanins and volatile phenylpropenes (isoeugenol and eugenol) in petunia flowers have the precursor 4-coumaryl CoA in common. These phenolics are produced at different stages during flower development. Anthocyanins are synthesized during early stages of flower development and sequestered in

  15. Effects of Source-Apportioned Coarse Particulate Matter (PM) on Allergic Responses in Mice

    Science.gov (United States)

    The Cleveland Multiple Air Pollutant Study (CMAPS) is one of the first comprehensive studies conducted to evaluate particulate matter (PM) over local and regional scales. Cleveland and the nearby Ohio River Valley impart significant regional sources of air pollution including coa...

  16. Metal based pharmacologically active complexes of Cu(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II): synthesis, spectral, XRD, antimicrobial screening, DNA interaction and cleavage investigation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raman, Natarajan; Mahalakshmi, Rajkumar; Arun, T; Packianathan, S; Rajkumar, R

    2014-09-05

    The present contribution reports a thorough characterization of newly obtained metallointercalators incorporating Schiff bases, formed by the condensation of N-acetoacetyl-o-toluidine with 1-amino-4-nitrobenzene (L(1))/1-amino-4-chlorobenzene (L(2)) as main ligand and 1,10-phenanthroline as co-ligand respectively. The characterization of newly formed metallointercalators has been done by (1)H NMR, UV-Vis, IR, EPR spectroscopy and molar conductivity studies. X-ray powder diffraction illustrates that they are crystalline nature. Binding interaction of these complexes with calf thymus (CT-DNA) has been investigated by emission, absorption, viscosity, cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. DNA binding experiments results reveal that the synthesized complexes interact with DNA through intercalative mode. The in vitro antibacterial and antifungal assay indicate that these complexes are good antimicrobial agents against various pathogens. The DNA cleavage exhibits that they act as efficient cleaving agents. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Role of low density lipoprotein in the activation of plasma lysolecithin acyltransferase activity. Effect of chemical and enzymatic modifications of the lipoprotein on enzyme activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Subbaiah, P V; Chen, C H; Bagdade, J D; Albers, J J

    1985-01-01

    The effect of various chemical and enzymatic modifications of low density lipoprotein (LDL) on its ability to activate the isolated human plasma lysolecithin acyltransferase (LAT) was studied. Removal of all lipids from LDL resulted in the complete loss of LAT activation. Removal of only neutral lipids by extraction with heptane retained up to 50% of the original activity, which was not increased further by reconstitution of the LDL with the extracted lipids. Hydrolysis of the diacylphosphoglycerides of the LDL with phospholipases resulted in complete loss of LAT activation which was partially restored by the addition of egg lecithin. Hydrolysis of more than 4% of LDL protein by trypsin led to a linear decrease in activity with complete loss of activity occurring when about 25% of the LDL protein is hydrolyzed. Modification of the arginine groups of LDL reversibly inhibited the activation of LAT. Modification of lysine residues of LDL by acetylation, acetoacetylation or succinylation also abolished its ability to activate lysolecithin acylation.

  18. Unlocking the Barley Genome by Chromosomal and Comparative Genomics

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Mayer, K. F. X.; Martis, M.; Hedley, P. E.; Šimková, Hana; Liu, H.; Morris, J. A.; Steuernagel, B.; Taudien, S.; Kubaláková, Marie; Suchánková, Pavla; Doležel, Jaroslav; Stein, N.

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 23, č. 4 (2011), s. 1249-1263 ISSN 1040-4651 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50380511 Keywords : PSEUDO-RESPONSE-REGULATOR * ACETYL-COA CARBOXYLASE * TRITICUM-AESTIVUM L. Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 8.987, year: 2011

  19. Exposure, Health and Ecological Effects Review of Engineered Nanoscale Cerium and Cerium Oxide Associated with its Use as a Fuel Additive

    Science.gov (United States)

    Advances of nanoscale science have produced nanomaterials with unique physical and chemical properties at commercial levels which are now incorporated into over 1000 products. Nanoscale cerium (di) oxide (CeO(2)) has recently gained a wide range of applications which includes coa...

  20. Deposition and Accumulation of Emerging Contaminants in the Sediments of the Palos Verde Shelf, California

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deposition and Accumulation of Emerging Contaminants in the Sediments of the Palos Verde Shelf, California Mark G. Cantwell, David R. Katz, Julia Sullivan, Robert P. Eganhouse, Monique M. Perron, Robert M. Burgess The Palos Verdes shelf is located off the Southern California coa...

  1. Associations of objectively and subjectively measured physical ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    measures in 38 prepubertal children (mean 9.9 (standard deviation 1.3) years). Dual energy X-ray ... sport, habitual and leisure-time PA. The PAQ has .... selected DXA (femoral neck, spine and hip) and pQCT (cortical area. (CoA), density and ...

  2. CCoAOMT down-regulation activates anthocyanin biosynthesis in petunia

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Shaipulah, N.F.M.; Muhlemann, Joëlle K.; Woodworth, Benjamin D.; Moerkercke, Van Alex; Verdonk, J.C.; Ramirez, A.A.; Haring, Michel A.; Dudareva, Natalia; Schuurink, Robert C.

    2016-01-01

    Anthocyanins and volatile phenylpropenes (isoeugenol and eugenol) in petunia (Petunia hybrida) flowers have the precursor 4-coumaryl coenzyme A (CoA) in common. These phenolics are produced at different stages during flower development. Anthocyanins are synthesized during early stages of flower

  3. Robust state feedback controller design of STATCOM using chaotic optimization algorithm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Safari Amin

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, a new design technique for the design of robust state feedback controller for static synchronous compensator (STATCOM using Chaotic Optimization Algorithm (COA is presented. The design is formulated as an optimization problem which is solved by the COA. Since chaotic planning enjoys reliability, ergodicity and stochastic feature, the proposed technique presents chaos mapping using Lozi map chaotic sequences which increases its convergence rate. To ensure the robustness of the proposed damping controller, the design process takes into account a wide range of operating conditions and system configurations. The simulation results reveal that the proposed controller has an excellent capability in damping power system low frequency oscillations and enhances greatly the dynamic stability of the power systems. Moreover, the system performance analysis under different operating conditions shows that the phase based controller is superior compare to the magnitude based controller.

  4. Mechanical characterization of enamel coated steel bars.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-12-01

    In this study, the corrosion process of enamel-coated deformed rebar completely immersed in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution was evaluated : over a period of 84 days by EIS testing. Three types of enamel coating were investigated: pure enamel, 50/50 enamel coa...

  5. Ambient ex-situ denitrification in isolated wetlands of Ohio, North Carolina and Florida

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isolated wetlands are completely surrounded by uplands and typically do not warrant federal protection under the Clean Water Act. Nevertheless they can be found at high densities in certain parts of the US and Canada (e.g., Prairie Pothole Region, Southern and Middle Atlantic Coa...

  6. The Peroxisomal NAD Carrier from Arabidopsis Imports NAD in Exchange with AMP

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Roermund, Carlo W. T.; Schroers, Martin G.; Wiese, Jan; Facchinelli, Fabio; Kurz, Samantha; Wilkinson, Sabrina; Charton, Lennart; Wanders, Ronald J. A.; Waterham, Hans R.; Weber, Andreas P. M.; Link, Nicole

    2016-01-01

    Cofactors such as NAD, AMP, and Coenzyme A (CoA) are essential for a diverse set of reactions and pathways in the cell. Specific carrier proteins are required to distribute these cofactors to different cell compartments, including peroxisomes. We previously identified a peroxisomal transport protein

  7. Identification of Toxigenic Fungi Aspergillus and Fusarium spp.in Maize Grain Chain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mycotoxins are natural products produced by fungi that evoke a toxic response in higher vertebrates and other animals when ingested at low concentrations. These compounds are low-molecular weight, secondary metabolites derived primarily from amino acids, shikimic acid or malonyl CoA. Mycotoxins ar...

  8. EFSA NDA Panel (EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies), 2014. Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for pantothenic acid

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tetens, Inge

    2014-01-01

    Following a request from the European Commission, the Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) derived Dietary Reference Values (DRVs) for pantothenic acid. Pantothenic acid is a water-soluble vitamin, which is a component of coenzyme A (CoA) and acyl-carrier proteins. Pantothenic...

  9. Fecundity regulation in relation to habitat utilisation of two sympatric flounder (Platichtys flesus) populations in the brackish water Baltic Sea

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nissling, Anders; Thorsen, Anders; da Silva, Filipa F.G.

    2015-01-01

    Two populations of flounder (Platichtys flesus) with different life history traits inhabit the brackish water Baltic Sea. Both types share feeding areas in coastal waters during summer-autumn but utilise different habitats for spawning in spring, namely offshore spawning with pelagic eggs and coa...

  10. Rehabilitation of an old palm-tree plantation in Ivory Coas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abodou Ake, N.

    1988-01-01

    Full Text Available In the "Sous-prefecture" of Anyama, South-east of Ivory Coast, an old palm-tree plantation run at village level had to be replaced by another activity such as cassava cultivation or broiler production. The success of such a rehabilitation is closely associated with an adequate choice of the new agricultural activity, with technical competence, with the acceptance of the new techniques and with an appropriate regional extension service. The conjunction of all these factors has made the operation a success. The poultry production is more profitable than cassava to substitute palm-oil plantation in the context concerned.

  11. Possible inhibition of hydroxy methyl glutaryl CoA reductase activity ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ). 3. Bioactive Natural Products Research Group. 4. Production of bio-products for industrial applications Research group, .... enized using glass homogenizer. The homogenate was centrifuged for 10 min at 12,000 g to remove mito- chondria.

  12. Staff Report to the Senior Department Official on Recognition Compliance Issues. Recommendation Page: Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs

    Science.gov (United States)

    US Department of Education, 2010

    2010-01-01

    The Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) accredits institutions and programs that prepare nurses to become practicing nurse anesthetists. Currently the agency accredits 105 programs located in 35 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, including three single purpose freestanding institutions. The…

  13. Platelet adenylyl cyclase activity as a biochemical trait marker for predisposition to alcoholism.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ratsma, J.E.; Gunning, W.B.; Leurs, R.; Schoffelmeer, A.N.M.

    1999-01-01

    Previous studies demonstrated a reduced G(s)-protein stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity in the brain and blood cells of alcoholics. We investigated this phenomenon in platelets of children of alcoholics (COA), i.e., of children at high risk for the acquisition of alcoholism and (as yet) not

  14. Acyl-CoA metabolism and partitioning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Grevengoed, Trisha J; Klett, Eric L; Coleman, Rosalind A

    2014-01-01

    Long-chain fatty acyl-coenzyme As (CoAs) are critical regulatory molecules and metabolic intermediates. The initial step in their synthesis is the activation of fatty acids by one of 13 long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase isoforms. These isoforms are regulated independently and have different tissue...

  15. Cofilin/Twinstar phosphorylation levels increase in response to impaired coenzyme a metabolism.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katarzyna Siudeja

    Full Text Available Coenzyme A (CoA is a pantothenic acid-derived metabolite essential for many fundamental cellular processes including energy, lipid and amino acid metabolism. Pantothenate kinase (PANK, which catalyses the first step in the conversion of pantothenic acid to CoA, has been associated with a rare neurodegenerative disorder PKAN. However, the consequences of impaired PANK activity are poorly understood. Here we use Drosophila and human neuronal cell cultures to show how PANK deficiency leads to abnormalities in F-actin organization. Cells with reduced PANK activity are characterized by abnormally high levels of phosphorylated cofilin, a conserved actin filament severing protein. The increased levels of phospho-cofilin coincide with morphological changes of PANK-deficient Drosophila S2 cells and human neuronal SHSY-5Y cells. The latter exhibit also markedly reduced ability to form neurites in culture--a process that is strongly dependent on actin remodeling. Our results reveal a novel and conserved link between a metabolic biosynthesis pathway, and regulation of cellular actin dynamics.

  16. Optimized Fuzzy-Cuckoo Controller for Active Power Control of Battery Energy Storage System, Photovoltaic, Fuel Cell and Wind Turbine in an Isolated Micro-Grid

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohsen Einan

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a new control strategy for isolated micro-grids including wind turbines (WT, fuel cells (FC, photo-voltaic (PV and battery energy storage systems (BESS. FC have been used in parallel with BESSs in order to increase their lifetime and efficiency. The changes in some parameters such as wind speed, sunlight, and consumption, lead to improper performance of droop. To overcome this challenge, a new intelligent method using a combination of fuzzy controller and cuckoo optimization algorithm (COA techniques for active power controllers in isolated networks is proposed. In this paper, COA is compared with genetic algorithm (GA and particles swarm optimization algorithm (PSO. In order to show efficiency of the proposed controller, this optimal controller has been compared with droop, optimized droop, and conventional fuzzy methods, the dynamic analysis of the island is implemented to assess the behavior of isolated generations accurately and simulation results are reported.

  17. Biosynthetic pathways to delta-aminolevulinic acid induced by blue light in the pigment mutant C-2A' of Scenedesmus obliquus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klein, O.; Senger, H.

    1978-01-01

    The X-ray induced mutant C-2A' of Scenedesmus obliquus grows heterotrophically but forms only traces of chlorophyll in the dark. Upon illumination, delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) is synthesized and chlorophyll is formed. These processes are blue light dependent and ceased immediately when the cells were transferred back into darkness. Addition of levulinic acid (LA) inhibited the light-dependent formation of chlorophyll and caused accumulation of ALA by competitive inhibition of the ALA dehydratase (EC. 4.2.1.24). By feeding specifically labelled 14 C precursors to the pigment mutant, inhibiting the ALA dehydratase with LA, accumulating, extracting and analyzing the ALA, two pathways leading towards ALA could be established: glycine and succinyl CoA can be condensed to ALA and the 5 carbon skeleton of glutamate can completely be incorporated into ALA via a second pathway. The glycine-succinyl CoA pathway dominated over the glutamate pathway, but both led to chlorophyll formation. (author)

  18. Application of recombinant Pediococcus acidilactici BD16 (fcs +/ech +) for bioconversion of agrowaste to vanillin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chakraborty, Debkumar; Selvam, Ammaiyappan; Kaur, Baljinder; Wong, Jonathan Woon Chung; Karthikeyan, Obulisamy Parthiba

    2017-07-01

    Biotechnological production of vanillin is gaining momentum as the natural synthesis of vanillin that is very expensive. Ferulic acid (FA), a costly compound, is used as the substrate to produce vanillin biotechnologically and the making process is still expensive. Therefore, this study investigated the practical use of an agrobiomass waste, rice bran, and provides the first evidence of a cost-effective production of vanillin within 24 h of incubation using recombinant Pediococcus acidilactici BD16 (fcs + /ech + ). Introduction of two genes encoding feruloyl CoA synthetase and enoyl CoA hydratase into the native strain increased vanillin yield to 4.01 g L -1 . Bioconversion was monitored through the transformation of phenolic compounds. A hypothetical metabolic pathway of rice bran during the vanillin bioconversion was proposed with the inserted pathway from ferulic acid to vanillin and compared with that of other metabolic engineered strains. These results could be a gateway of using recombinant lactic acid bacteria for industrial production of vanillin from agricultural waste.

  19. Effect of [L-Carnitine] on acetyl-L-carnitine production by heart mitochondria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bieber, L.L.; Lilly, K.; Lysiak, W.

    1986-01-01

    The authors recently reported a large efflux of acetyl-L-carnitine from rat heart mitochondria during state 3 respiration with pyruvate as substrate both in the presence and absence of malate. In this series of experiments, the effect of the concentration of L-carnitine on the efflux of acetyl-L-carnitine and on the production of 14 CO 2 from 2- 14 C-pyruvate was determined. Maximum acetylcarnitine production (approximately 25 n moles/min/mg protein) was obtained at 3-5 mM L-carnitine in the absence of added malate. 14 CO 2 production decreased as the concentration of L-carnitine increased; it plateaued at 3-5 mM L-carnitine. These data indicate carnitine can stimulate flux of pyruvate through pyruvate dehydrogenase and can reduce flux of acetyl CoA through the Krebs cycle by acting as an acceptor of the acetyl moieties of acetyl CoA generated by pyruvate dehydrogenase

  20. Environmental Compliance Assessment and Management Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    1994-04-01

    coa- stal waters between Makahuena Point and the westerly boundary of Hoai Bay 8. Niihau - All open coastal waters surrounding the island 9. All other...Beach (continued) 11 - 105 Table 11 - 16 (contaued) On Nihau: All wave-exposed reef communities On Lehua (off Niihau ): All wave-exposed reef communities

  1. Agressie-incidenten in de asielopvang : Over de aard van de incidenten en ervaringen van medewerkers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ufkes, Elze Gooitzen; Zebel, Sven; den Besten, Anouk Leanne

    2017-01-01

    In 2015, the Netherlands were confronted with a strong increase in asylum applications. This high number of asylum seekers arriving in the country increased the pressure on the reception centres of The Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA). At the same time, an increasing number

  2. Characterization of fresh and aged organic aerosol emissions from meat charbroiling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Kaltsonoudis

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Cooking emissions can be a significant source of fine particulate matter in urban areas. In this study the aerosol- and gas-phase emissions from meat charbroiling were characterized. Greek souvlakia with pork were cooked using a commercial charbroiler and a fraction of the emissions were introduced into a smog chamber where after a characterization phase they were exposed to UV illumination and oxidants. The particulate and gas phases were characterized by a high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS and a proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometer (PTR-MS correspondingly. More than 99 % of the aerosol emitted was composed of organic compounds, while black carbon (BC contributed 0.3 % and the inorganic species less than 0.5 % of the total aerosol mass. The initial O  :  C ratio was approximately 0.09 and increased up to 0.30 after a few hours of chemical aging (exposures of 1010 molecules cm−3 s for OH and 100 ppb h for ozone. The initial and aged AMS spectra differed considerably (θ =  27°. Ambient measurements were also conducted during Fat Thursday in Patras, Greece, when traditionally meat is charbroiled everywhere in the city. Positive matrix factorization (PMF revealed that cooking organic aerosol (COA reached up to 85 % of the total OA from 10:00 to 12:00 LST that day. The ambient COA factor in two major Greek cities had a mass spectrum during spring and summer similar to the aged meat charbroiling emissions. In contrast, the ambient COA factor during winter resembled strongly the fresh laboratory meat charbroiling emissions.

  3. Renal sympathetic denervation in uncontrolled arterial hypertension after successful repair for aortic coarctation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lurz, Philipp; Okon, Thomas; Riede, Thomas; Wagner, Robert; Schuler, Gerhard; Daehnert, Ingo; Desch, Steffen

    2016-01-01

    Uncontrolled arterial hypertension is a frequent problem after successful repair of CoA and has been attributed to increased central sympathetic drive as well as a blunted baroreceptor reflex. RSD is a promising therapy to reduce central sympathetic drive and improve baroreflex sensitivity. 8 patients (age: 27±6 years) with previous surgical and/or percutaneous repair of CoA, absence of any relevant restenosis (invasive gradient across the site of previous treatment 3±4 mmHg) and resistant arterial hypertension (daytime SBP≥140 mmHg on 24 hour ambulatory blood pressure measurements [ABPM] in spite of the concurrent use of 3 antihypertensive agents of different classes or intolerance to BP medications) were included. Bilateral RSD was performed using the Symplicity Flex™ catheter (Medtronic, MN, USA). RSD was successful in all patients with no procedural complications and no evidence for renal artery stenosis 6 months post procedure. From baseline to 6 month follow-up, RSD was followed by a significant reduction in average daytime systolic BP (150.4±7.8 to 143.1±8.0 mmHg; p=0.0117) as well as systolic BP throughout 24 h (146.8±7.3 vs. 140.5±7.8, p=0.04). The BP reductions observed in these patients justify engaging in a larger clinical trial on the efficacy of RSD in this specific type of secondary hypertension and bares the hope that RSD might extend the currently very limited armory against arterial hypertension in young adults with previous repair of CoA. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Prevalence of enterotoxin-encoding genes and antimicrobial resistance in coagulase-negative and coagulase-positive Staphylococcus isolates from black pudding

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tiane Martin de Moura

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Staphylococcal species are pathogens that are responsible for outbreaks of foodborne diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of enterotoxin-genes and the antimicrobial resistance profile in staphylococcus coagulase-negative (CoNS and coagulasepositive (CoPS isolates from black pudding in southern Brazil. METHODS: Two hundred typical and atypical colonies from Baird-Parker agar were inoculated on mannitol salt agar. Eighty-two mannitol-positive staphylococci were submitted to conventional biochemical tests and antimicrobial susceptibility profiling. The presence of coagulase (coa and enterotoxin (se genes was investigated by polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The isolates were divided into 2 groups: 75.6% (62/82 were CoNS and 24.4% (20/82 were CoPS. The biochemical tests identified 9 species, of which Staphylococcus saprophyticus (37.8% and Staphylococcus carnosus (15.9% were the most prevalent. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests showed resistance phenotypes to antibiotics widely administered in humans, such as gentamicin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, and erythromycin. The coa gene was detected in 19.5% (16/82 of the strains and 4 polymorphic DNA fragments were observed. Five CoNS isolates carrying the coa gene were submitted for 16S rRNA sequencing and 3 showed similarity with CoNS. Forty strains were positive for at least 1 enterotoxin-encoding gene, the genes most frequently detected were sea (28.6% and seb (27.5%. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of antimicrobial resistant and enterotoxin-encoding genes in staphylococci isolates from black pudding indicated that this fermented food may represent a potential health risk, since staphylococci present in food could cause foodborne diseases or be a possible route for the transfer of antimicrobial resistance to humans.

  5. The origin of high activity but low CO(2) selectivity on binary PtSn in the direct ethanol fuel cell.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Jia-Mei; Sheng, Tian; Lin, Xiao; Kavanagh, Richard; Hamer, Philip; Hu, Peijun; Hardacre, Christopher; Martinez-Bonastre, Alex; Sharman, Jonathan; Thompsett, David; Lin, Wen-Feng

    2014-05-28

    The most active binary PtSn catalyst for direct ethanol fuel cell applications has been studied at 20 °C and 60 °C, using variable temperature electrochemical in situ FTIR. In comparison with Pt, binary PtSn inhibits ethanol dissociation to CO(a), but promotes partial oxidation to acetaldehyde and acetic acid. Increasing the temperature from 20 °C to 60 °C facilitates both ethanol dissociation to CO(a) and then further oxidation to CO2, leading to an increased selectivity towards CO2; however, acetaldehyde and acetic acid are still the main products. Potential-dependent phase diagrams for surface oxidants of OH(a) formation on Pt(111), Pt(211) and Sn modified Pt(111) and Pt(211) surfaces have been determined using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. It is shown that Sn promotes the formation of OH(a) with a lower onset potential on the Pt(111) surface, whereas an increase in the onset potential is found upon modification of the (211) surface. In addition, Sn inhibits the Pt(211) step edge with respect to ethanol C-C bond breaking compared with that found on the pure Pt, which reduces the formation of CO(a). Sn was also found to facilitate ethanol dehydrogenation and partial oxidation to acetaldehyde and acetic acid which, combined with the more facile OH(a) formation on the Pt(111) surface, gives us a clear understanding of the experimentally determined results. This combined electrochemical in situ FTIR and DFT study provides, for the first time, an insight into the long-term puzzling features of the high activity but low CO2 production found on binary PtSn ethanol fuel cell catalysts.

  6. Combining human and machine processes (CHAMP)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sudit, Moises; Sudit, David; Hirsch, Michael

    2015-05-01

    Machine Reasoning and Intelligence is usually done in a vacuum, without consultation of the ultimate decision-maker. The late consideration of the human cognitive process causes some major problems in the use of automated systems to provide reliable and actionable information that users can trust and depend to make the best Course-of-Action (COA). On the other hand, if automated systems are created exclusively based on human cognition, then there is a danger of developing systems that don't push the barrier of technology and are mainly done for the comfort level of selected subject matter experts (SMEs). Our approach to combining human and machine processes (CHAMP) is based on the notion of developing optimal strategies for where, when, how, and which human intelligence should be injected within a machine reasoning and intelligence process. This combination is based on the criteria of improving the quality of the output of the automated process while maintaining the required computational efficiency for a COA to be actuated in timely fashion. This research addresses the following problem areas: • Providing consistency within a mission: Injection of human reasoning and intelligence within the reliability and temporal needs of a mission to attain situational awareness, impact assessment, and COA development. • Supporting the incorporation of data that is uncertain, incomplete, imprecise and contradictory (UIIC): Development of mathematical models to suggest the insertion of a cognitive process within a machine reasoning and intelligent system so as to minimize UIIC concerns. • Developing systems that include humans in the loop whose performance can be analyzed and understood to provide feedback to the sensors.

  7. MR imaging of aortic coarctation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beslic, S.

    2004-01-01

    Purpose. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the contribution of MRI as diagnostic procedure in the preoperative diagnosis of aortic coarctation (CoA), in patients with clinical and echocardiographic suspicion for this disease. Patients and methods. During the period of three years, eight patients were examined, 5 (62.5%) male and 3 (37.5%) female patients with clinical echocardiographic suspicion of CoA. The ratio between male and female patients was 1.7 : 1. The youngest patient was 3 and the oldest 46 years (median age was 15 years). Without administration of contrast media and using body coil the examinations were performed with MR machine Magnetom 1.0 Tesla ( S iemens ) , with the slice thickness of 6 mm, Fast spin-echo (FSE) T1W sequences, Cine gradient echo (GRE) sequence with slab 7 mm and time of flight (TOF) sequence with MIP reconstructions were applied. During the examinations the patients underwent also ECG gating. Examinations were done in axial, coronal and oblique sagittal projections with measuring of the dimensions of cardiovascular structures. Results. CoA was found in 8 (100%) patients. In 7 (87.5%) cases, coarctation developed at isthmus and in one case, coarctation was detected at the horizontal part of aortic arch, between the truncus arteriosus of the left carotid communis artery. Aortal insufficiency was found in 7 (87.5%) patients; in four of them (50%), bicuspidia was confirmed (bicuspid aortic valve), 7 (87.5%) patients had slightly expressed hypertrophy of the left ventricle. Two (25%) patients had dilatation of the ascendant aorta, six (75%) wider outgoing vessels of the aortic arch, four (50%) had well developed arterial collaterals and 2 (25%) patients rib notching. In 2 (25%) patients as side finding thymus persistent was found. Average diameter of coarctation was 10 mm. In one patient, CoA was accompanied with stenosis of pulmonary artery, in one with ventricular septal defect, and one with tricuspid insufficiency. The results

  8. Disease: H01190 [KEGG MEDICUS

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available on with secondary impairment of methionine synthetase and methyl-malonyl CoA mutase activities. This disorder presents with failure...deficiency--potential cause of bone marrow failure in childhood. ... JOURNAL ... J Inherit Metab Dis 31 Suppl 2:S287-92 (2008) DOI:10.1007/s10545-008-0864-3

  9. Characterization and regulation of Leishmania major 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Montalvetti, A; Pena Diaz, Javier; Hurtado, R

    2000-01-01

    In eukaryotes the enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase catalyses the synthesis of mevalonic acid, a common precursor to all isoprenoid compounds. Here we report the isolation and overexpression of the gene coding for HMG-CoA reductase from Leishmania major. The protein from L...

  10. Event-related potentials during visual selective attention in children of alcoholics.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Stelt, O.; Gunning, W.B.; Snel, J.; Kok, A.

    1998-01-01

    Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded from 50 7-18 yr old children of alcoholics (COAs) and 50 age- and sex-matched control children while they performed a visual selective attention task. The task was to attend selectively to stimuli with a specified color (red or blue) in an attempt to

  11. Work and Family. Special Focus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goetz, Kathy, Ed.

    1992-01-01

    This newsletter issue focuses on issues concerning families with both parents employed outside the home and describes several employer programs designed to help employees balance their work and family life. The newsletter includes the following articles: (1) "Work and Family: 1992"; (2) "Levi Strauss and Co.--A Work/Family Program…

  12. Characterization of the "Escherichia Coli" Acyl Carrier Protein Phosphodiesterase

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Jacob

    2009-01-01

    Acyl carrier protein (ACP) is a small essential protein that functions as a carrier of the acyl intermediates of fatty acid synthesis. ACP requires the posttranslational attachment of a 4'phosphopantetheine functional group, derived from CoA, in order to perform its metabolic function. A Mn[superscript 2+] dependent enzymatic activity that removes…

  13. Children of Alcoholics/Addicts: Children at Risk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gover, F. Jill

    Children of alcoholics/addicts (COAs) are at a greater risk to develop alcohol and drug dependency, eating disorders, attention deficit disorders, stress-related illness, and suicidal behavior. Children become part of a conspiracy of silence by being told not to talk about the drug problem. The family members assume different roles which…

  14. Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Emergency Management: A Guide for Policy Makers and Practitioners

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-07-29

    75 Figure 8. New Mexico State University Approved COA ................................ 76 Figure 9. Decision Tree ...APPENDIX B. UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS DECISION TREE .......... 107 LIST OF REFERENCES...maritime border, which is patrolled in collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG).66 Between 2011 and 2014, the UASs operated by the CBP logged over

  15. 77 FR 57171 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Chicago Board Options Exchange, Incorporated; Notice of Filing of...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-09-17

    ... series, the size of the COA-eligible order and any contingencies, but not the side of the market... current market), size, complex order type, and complex order origin type (i.e. non-broker-dealer public customer, broker- dealers that are not Market-Makers or specialists on an options exchange, and/or Market...

  16. 77 FR 65754 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; C2 Options Exchange, Incorporated; Order Approving Proposed Rule...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-10-30

    ... size of the COA-eligible order, and any contingencies, if applicable, but not the side of the market (i... the current market), size, complex order type, and complex order origin (i.e. non-broker-dealer public...: (i) Include the side of the market in the request for response (``RFR'') message sent to Participants...

  17. 78 FR 38750 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NASDAQ OMX PHLX LLC; Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule Change...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-06-27

    ...\\ considering the order's marketability (defined as a number of ticks away from the current market), size..., broker-dealers that are not Market-Makers or specialists on an options exchange, and/or Market- Makers or..., size and complex order type trigger a COA. The Exchange's Complex Order System is governed by Rule 1080...

  18. An inverse method for color uniformity in white LED spotlights

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Prins, C.R.; Thije Boonkkamp, ten J.H.M.; Tukker, T.W.; IJzerman, W.L.

    2013-01-01

    Color over Angle (CoA) variation in the light output of white phosphor-converted LEDs is a common problem in LED lighting technology. In this article we propose an inverse method to design an optical element that eliminates the color variation for a point light source. The method in this article is

  19. An inverse method for color uniformity in white LED spotlights

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Prins, C.R.; Thije Boonkkamp, ten J.H.M.; Tukker, T.W.; IJzerman, W.L.

    2014-01-01

    Color over Angle (CoA) variation in the light output of white phosphor-converted LEDs is a common problem in LED lighting technology. In this article we propose an inverse method to design an optical element that eliminates the color variation for a point light source. The method in this article is

  20. Effects of clofibric acid on the biliary excretion of benoxaprofen glucuronide and taurine conjugate in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okada, K; Kanoh, H; Mohri, K

    2011-10-01

    Benoxaprofen (BOP) is a 2-methyl propionic acid derivative with anti-inflammatory activity. BOP has an asymmetric carbon, and receives chiral inversion from R to S in vivo. BOP is metabolized to glucuronide (BOP-G) and taurine conjugate (BOP-T). The configuration of BOP-G is mainly S, and that of BOP-T is R. Chiral inversion of R to S of the propionic acid moiety and amino acid conjugation of carboxyl compounds proceed via an acyl CoA intermediate. It is known that fibrates, used in hyperlipidemia, induce acyl CoA synthetase and increase CoA concentration. We administered racemic BOP (10 mg/kg body weight) to rats (CFA+) pre-administered clofibric acid (CFA, 280 mg/kg/day), and studied BOP, BOP-G, and BOP-T enantiomer concentrations in plasma and bile up to 12 h after administration. The findings were compared with those in rats (CFA-) that had not received CFA. Furthermore, we studied the amounts of BOP-G enantiomer produced by glucuronidation in vitro using microsomes pretreated with CFA. The amounts of (S)-BOP-G in CFA+ rats were 2.7-fold larger than that in CFA- rats. Although (R)-BOP-T was excreted in CFA- rats, BOP-T could not be detected in CFA+ rats. Plasma clearance values of racemic BOP and (S)-BOP in CFA+ rats were 5-fold and 6-fold larger than those in CFA- rats, respectively. (S)-BOP-G formation activities were higher than (R)-BOP-G formation activities in both CFA+and CFA- microsomes. These findings suggest that CFA increases biliary excretion of (S)-BOP-G and facilitates plasma elimination of BOP, and further suggests that CFA predominantly induces chiral inversion to S rather than metabolic reaction to (R)-BOP-T, resulting in an increase of (S)-BOP-G.

  1. Sex pheromone in the moth Heliothis virescens is produced as a mixture of two pools: de novo and via precursor storage in glycerolipids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foster, Stephen P; Anderson, Karin G; Casas, Jérôme

    2017-08-01

    Most species of moths use a female-produced volatile sex pheromone, typically produced via de novo fatty acid synthesis in a specialized gland, for communication among mates. While de novo biosynthesis of pheromone (DNP) is rapid, suggesting transient precursor acids, substantial amounts of pheromone precursor (and other) acids are stored, predominantly in triacylglycerols in the pheromone gland. Whether these stored acids are converted to pheromone later or not has been the subject of some debate. Using a tracer/tracee approach, in which we fed female Heliothis virescens U- 13 C-glucose, we were able to distinguish two pools of pheromone, in which precursors were temporally separated (after and before feeding on labeled glucose): DNP synthesized from a mixed tracer/tracee acetyl CoA pool after feeding, and pheromone made from precursor acids primarily synthesized before feeding, which we call recycled precursor fat pheromone (RPP). DNP titer varied from high (during scotophase) to low (photophase) and with presence/absence of pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN), in accord with native pheromone titer previously observed. By contrast, RPP was constant throughout the photoperiod and did not change with PBAN presence/absence. The amount of RPP (6.3-10.3 ng/female) was typically much lower than that of DNP, especially during the scotophase (peak DNP, 105 ng/female). We propose an integral role for stored fats in pheromone biosynthesis, in which they are hydrolyzed and re-esterified throughout the photoperiod, with a small proportion of liberated precursor acyl CoAs being converted to pheromone. During the sexually active period, release of PBAN results in increased flux of glucose (from trehalose) and hydrolyzed acids entering the mitochondria, producing acetyl CoA precursor for de novo fat and pheromone biosynthesis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Diacylglycerol Acyltransferase-2 (DGAT2) and Monoacylglycerol Acyltransferase-2 (MGAT2) Interact to Promote Triacylglycerol Synthesis*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Youzhi; McFie, Pamela J.; Banman, Shanna L.; Brandt, Curtis; Stone, Scot J.

    2014-01-01

    Acyl CoA:1,2-diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT)-2 is an integral membrane protein that catalyzes triacylglycerol (TG) synthesis using diacylglycerol and fatty acyl CoA as substrates. DGAT2 resides in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), but when cells are incubated with fatty acids, DGAT2 interacts with lipid droplets presumably to catalyze localized TG synthesis for lipid droplet expansion. Previous studies have shown that DGAT2 interacts with proteins that synthesize its fatty acyl CoA substrates. In this study, we provide additional evidence that DGAT2 is present in a protein complex. Using a chemical cross-linker, disuccinimidyl suberate (DSS), we demonstrated that DGAT2 formed a dimer and was also part of a protein complex of ∼650 kDa, both in membranes and on lipid droplets. Using co-immunoprecipitation experiments and an in situ proximity ligation assay, we found that DGAT2 interacted with monoacylglycerol acyltransferase (MGAT)-2, an enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of diacylglycerol. Deletion mutagenesis showed that the interaction with MGAT2 was dependent on the two transmembrane domains of DGAT2. No significant interaction of DGAT2 with lipin1, another enzyme that synthesizes diacylglycerol, could be detected. When co-expressed in cells, DGAT2 and MGAT2 co-localized in the ER and on lipid droplets. Co-expression also resulted in increased TG storage compared with expression of DGAT2 or MGAT2 alone. Incubating McArdle rat hepatoma RH7777 cells with 2-monoacylglycerol caused DGAT2 to translocate to lipid droplets. This also led to the formation of large cytosolic lipid droplets, characteristic of DGAT2, but not DGAT1, and indicated that DGAT2 can utilize monoacylglycerol-derived diacylglycerol. These findings suggest that the interaction of DGAT2 and MGAT2 serves to channel lipid substrates efficiently for TG biosynthesis. PMID:25164810

  3. Elastoplastic analysis of surface cracks in pressure vessels using slip-line theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Keskinen, R.P.

    1983-01-01

    The paper considers the aspects of engineering application of SLF theory to long surface cracks in pressure vessels. Green's upper-bound SLF for a bend specimen with deep wedge-shaped notch of small flank angle is adopted to analyse the remaining ligament of the cracked section. The SLF involves only one unknown variable, i.e., the radius of a circular slip-line arc, which can be evaluated from the equilibrium condition across the ligament. The stress distribution across the ligament is easily computed by Hencky's theorem and the respective stress resultants produce the boundary conditions for the solution of the neighboring elastic material. The elastic solution readily yields the rotation of the crack edges, COA, and it in turn geometrically defines the applied CTOD. Comparison has proved their relation to the stress resultants identical with that following from the customary single plastic hinge model when Tresca's yield condition prevails and the tensile side plastic constraint factor of the hinge model is chosen as 1.7. The SLF approach is demonstrated for an internal circumferential surface crack subjected to thermal gradient and axial load representative of overpressurization and emergency cooling conditions of a pressure vessel. Analytical formulas relating COA and CTOD to applied loading are derived and CTOD-R curve based stable crack propagation is solved iteratively. Generic numerical results are presented for COA and CTOD under arbitrary loading combination. The risk of crack growth initiation appears to increase with the linear dimensions of the pressure vessel, but remains small for a chosen BWR application. For a long axial surface crack the approach agrees with a previous plastic hinge analysis by Ranta-Maunus et al. suggesting instability under certain combinations of thermal gradient and internal pressure. (orig./HP)

  4. Carbon monoxide induced erythroid differentiation of K562 cells mimics the central macrophage milieu in erythroblastic islands.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shlomi Toobiak

    Full Text Available Growing evidence supports the role of erythroblastic islands (EI as microenvironmental niches within bone marrow (BM, where cell-cell attachments are suggested as crucial for erythroid maturation. The inducible form of the enzyme heme oxygenase, HO-1, which conducts heme degradation, is absent in erythroblasts where hemoglobin (Hb is synthesized. Yet, the central macrophage, which retains high HO-1 activity, might be suitable to take over degradation of extra, harmful, Hb heme. Of these enzymatic products, only the hydrophobic gas molecule--CO can transfer from the macrophage to surrounding erythroblasts directly via their tightly attached membranes in the terminal differentiation stage.Based on the above, the study hypothesized CO to have a role in erythroid maturation. Thus, the effect of CO gas as a potential erythroid differentiation inducer on the common model for erythroid progenitors, K562 cells, was explored. Cells were kept under oxygen lacking environment to mimic BM conditions. Nitrogen anaerobic atmosphere (N₂A served as control for CO atmosphere (COA. Under both atmospheres cells proliferation ceased: in N₂A due to cell death, while in COA as a result of erythroid differentiation. Maturation was evaluated by increased glycophorin A expression and Hb concentration. Addition of 1%CO only to N₂A, was adequate for maintaining cell viability. Yet, the average Hb concentration was low as compared to COA. This was validated to be the outcome of diversified maturation stages of the progenitor's population.In fact, the above scenario mimics the in vivo EI conditions, where at any given moment only a minute portion of the progenitors proceeds into terminal differentiation. Hence, this model might provide a basis for further molecular investigations of the EI structure/function relationship.

  5. The Orexin Component of Fasting Triggers Memory Processes Underlying Conditioned Food Selection in the Rat

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferry, Barbara; Duchamp-Viret, Patricia

    2014-01-01

    To test the selectivity of the orexin A (OXA) system in olfactory sensitivity, the present study compared the effects of fasting and of central infusion of OXA on the memory processes underlying odor-malaise association during the conditioned odor aversion (COA) paradigm. Animals implanted with a cannula in the left ventricle received ICV infusion…

  6. A review of patients with glutaric aciduria type 1 at Inkosi Albert ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Glutaric aciduria type 1 (GA1) is a rare, autosomal-recessive organic acidaemia. It is caused by deficiency of glutaryl-co-enzyme A (CoA) dehydrogenase (GCDH) resulting from a mutation in the GCDH gene on chromosome 19p13.2. There are 108 known disease-causing mutations in the Human Gene Mutation Database.

  7. DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN Staphylococcus aureus, S. intermedius AND S. hyicus USING PHENOTYPICAL TESTS AND PCR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. A. GANDRA

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available

    The aim of this work was to compare the use of two phenotypical tests (beta-galactosidase and acriflavine sensitivity and PCR for the coa and nuc gene sequences, for the identification of three species of coagulase positive staphylococcus (CPS: S. aureus, S. intermedius and S. hyicus. Sixty five staphylococcus isolates, previously characterized as CPS through the coagulase, thermonuclease and catalase production tests and Gram staining, were identified at species level using the beta-galactosidase production tests and sensitivity to acriflavine (7 g.mL-1. At the same time, the DNA of these isolates was extracted and amplified by PCR, using primers for the coa gene, specific for S. aureus, and for the nuc gene, specific for S. intermedius and for S. hyicus. It was possible to differentiate the three species of Staphylococcus through phenotypical tests as well as through the molecular technique. There was no difference in discriminatory power between the two techniques used, but the reproducibility and reliability of the technique based on PCR make this technique more precise.

  8. Identification of Staphylococcus spp. isolated during the ripening process of a traditional minas cheese

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B.M. Borelli

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available The population dynamics of Staphylococcus spp. was studied during the ripening of Canastra Minas cheese at three farms located in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The presence of coagulase (coa, thermonuclease (nuc, and enterotoxin (sea, seb, sec, and sed genes was investigated in Staphylococcus strains isolated during the 60-day cheese-ripening period. The presence of the staphylococcal enterotoxins A, C, and D was also investigated in the cheese samples. Cheese samples that were matured for 0, 7, 15, 30, and 45 days presented staphylococci counts from 10³ to 10(8cfu/g. All isolates considered coagulase-positive by physiological tests had the coa gene. However, no association was observed between the results obtained with biochemical tests and those obtained by PCR using gene-specific primers for coagulase-negative strains. Coagulase and thermonuclease genes occurred simultaneously in 41.3% of Staphylococcus spp. tested. None of the investigated Staphylococcus strains expressed enterotoxins SEA, SEB, SEC, and SED. Enterotoxins A, C, and D were not detected in any of the cheese samples.

  9. Corpus multimedia VEIGA inglés-galego de subtitulación cinematográfica

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patricia Sotelo Dios

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Neste artigo presento un proxecto de investigación que consiste na compilación e na explotación do corpus Veiga, un corpus multimedia de subtítulos en inglés e en galego. Trátase dun proxecto en fase de desenvolvemento que pretende servir como ferramenta para o estudo e a investigación de certos aspectos relacionados coa práctica da subtitulación intralingüística en inglés e da subtitulación interlingüística do inglés cara ao galego. O Veiga, inda que forma parte do corpus paralelo CLUVI, transcende o plano textual propio dos demais subcorpus do CLUVI e permite observar os subtítulos no seu estado natural, isto é, como parte dun produto audiovisual. Amais de cuestións relacionadas coa construción do corpus e co sistema de buscas, mencionarei algunha das posibles utilidades deste corpus para a práctica, a investigación e a formación en subtitulación.

  10. Crystal Structures of Murine Carnitine Acetyltransferase in Ternary Complexes with Its Substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hsiao,Y.; Jogl, G.; Tong, L.

    2006-01-01

    Carnitine acyltransferases catalyze the reversible exchange of acyl groups between coenzyme A (CoA) and carnitine. They have important roles in many cellular processes, especially the oxidation of long-chain fatty acids in the mitochondria for energy production, and are attractive targets for drug discovery against diabetes and obesity. To help define in molecular detail the catalytic mechanism of these enzymes, we report here the high resolution crystal structure of wild-type murine carnitine acetyltransferase (CrAT) in a ternary complex with its substrates acetyl-CoA and carnitine, and the structure of the S554A/M564G double mutant in a ternary complex with the substrates CoA and hexanoylcarnitine. Detailed analyses suggest that these structures may be good mimics for the Michaelis complexes for the forward and reverse reactions of the enzyme, representing the first time that such complexes of CrAT have been studied in molecular detail. The structural information provides significant new insights into the catalytic mechanism of CrAT and possibly carnitine acyltransferases in general.

  11. The Impact of Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) Regulation on Electricity Saving in Malaysia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fatihah Salleh, Siti; Eqwan Roslan, Mohd; Isa, Aishah Mohd; Faizal Basri Nair, Mohd; Syafiqah Salleh, Siti

    2018-03-01

    One of Malaysia’s key strategies to promote efficient energy use in the country is to implement the minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) through the Electricity Regulations (Amendment) 2013. Five selected electrical appliances (refrigerator, air conditioner, television, domestic fans and lamp fittings) must comply with MEPS requirement in order to be sold in Malaysian market. Manufacturers, importers or distributors are issued Certificate of Approval (COA) if products are MEPS-compliant. In 2015, 1,215 COAs were issued but the number of MEPS products in the market is unknown. This work collects sales data from major manufacturers to estimate the annual sales of MEPS appliances and the cumulative electricity consumption and electricity saving. It was found that most products sold have 3-star rating and above. By year 2015, total cumulative electricity savings gained from MEPS implementation is 3,645 GWh, with air conditioner being the highest contributor (30%). In the future, it is recommended that more MEPS products and related incentives be introduced to further improve efficiency of energy use in Malaysia.

  12. Pleiotropic effects of statins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Narasaraju Kavalipati

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Statins or 3-hydroxy-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG CoA reductase inhibitors not only prevents the synthesis of cholesterol biosynthesis but also inhibits the synthesis of essential isoprenoid intermediates such as farnesyl pyrophosphate, geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate, isopentanyl adenosine, dolichols and polyisoprenoid side chains of ubiquinone, heme A, and nuclear lamins. These isoprenoid intermediates are required for activation of various intracellular/signaling proteins- small guanosine triphosphate bound protein Ras and Ras-like proteins like Rho, Rab, Rac, Ral, or Rap which plays an indispensible role in multiple cellular processes. Reduction of circulating isoprenoids intermediates as a result of HMG CoA reductase inhibition by statins prevents activation of these signalling proteins. Hence, the multiple effects of statins such as antiinflammatory effects, antioxidant effects, antiproliferative and immunomodulatory effects, plaque stability, normalization of sympathetic outflow, and prevention of platelet aggregation are due to reduction of circulating isoprenoids and hence inactivation of signalling proteins. These multiple lipid-independent effects of statins termed as statin pleiotropy would potentially open floodgates for research in multiple treatment domains catching attentions of researchers and clinician across the globe.

  13. Forest Conservation Opportunity Areas - Conservative Model (ECO_RES.COA_FORREST66)

    Science.gov (United States)

    This layer designates areas with potential for forest conservation. These are areas of natural or semi-natural forest land cover patches that area at least 395 meters away from roads and away from patch edges. OAs were modeled by creating distance grids using the National Land Cover Database and the Census Bureau's TIGER road files.

  14. Forest Conservation Opportunity Areas - Liberal Model (ECO_RES.COA_FORREST33)

    Science.gov (United States)

    This layer designates areas with potential for forest conservation. These are areas of natural or semi-natural forest land cover patches that are at least 75 meters away from roads and away from patch edges. OAs were modeled by creating distance grids using the National Land Cover Database and the Census Bureau's TIGER roads files.

  15. Forest Conservation Opportunity Areas - Liberal Model (ECO_RES.COA_FORREST33)

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — This layer designates areas with potential for forest conservation. These are areas of natural or semi-natural forest land cover patches that are at least 75 meters...

  16. Identification of isobutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase and its deficiency in humans

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nguyen, Tien V; Andresen, Brage S; Corydon, Thomas J

    2002-01-01

    -CoA dehydrogenase. A single patient has previously been described whose fibroblasts exhibit a specific deficit in the oxidation of valine. Amplified ACAD8 cDNA made from patient fibroblast mRNA was homozygous for a single nucleotide change (905G>A) in the ACAD8 coding region compared to the sequence from control...... in a patient....

  17. 12om Limited Objective Experiment #2: Final Results Summary and Recommendations

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-03-31

    Acronym Definition ARP CD CF CFD CG CIM COA CONOPS CSE Dev DFATD DP DRDC FGS Gov HREC IDP KR LOE LOC MA MARS NASA TLX NGO OP OPP Ops ROC SA...weight Ratings (OPP Support) Ratings (IP) Ratings (CU) Ratings (CS) Ratings (Usability) Ratings (Training T/E) Ratings (Use T/E) NASA TLX Mental demand

  18. Tuberculose oculaire a l'Hopital d'Instruction des Armees de Cotonou

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Tuberculose oculaire a l'Hopital d'Instruction des Armees de Cotonou. C.O.A. Abouki, S Alamou, C.R.A. Assavedo, M Zannou, R Lawani, S Hounnou-Tchabi. Abstract. La tuberculose peut toucher tous les organes, avec une prépondérance de l'atteinte pulmonaire. La localisation oculaire n'est pas exceptionnelle et peut se ...

  19. Antimycobacterial, docking and molecular dynamic studies of pentacyclic triterpenes from Buddleja saligna leaves.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Alveera; Venugopala, Katharigatta N; Khedr, Mohammed A; Pillay, Mellendran; Nwaeze, Kenneth U; Coovadia, Yacoob; Shode, Francis; Odhav, Bharti

    2017-09-01

    Buddleja saligna (family Buddlejaceae) is a medicinal plant endemic to South Africa. Two isomeric pentacyclic triterpenes, oleanolic acid and ursolic acid, were isolated from the leaves of B. saligna using silica gel column chromatography. Compounds oleanolic acid and ursolic acid were subjected to derivatization with acetic anhydride in the presence of pyridine to obtain oleanolic acid-3-acetate and ursolic acid-3-acetate, respectively. The structures of these compounds were fully characterized by detailed nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) investigations, which included 1 H and 13 C NMR. Molecular docking studies predicted the free binding energy of the four triterpenes inside the steroid binding pocket of Mycobacterium tuberculosis fadA5 thiolase compared to a reported inhibitor. Thus, their ability to inhibit the growth of M. tuberculosis was predicted and was confirmed to possess significant antimycobacterial activity when tested against Mycobacterium smegmatis, M. tuberculosis H 37 Rv (ATCC 25177), clinical isolates of multi-drug-resistant M. tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant M. tuberculosis (XDR-TB) using the Micro Alamar Blue Assay. Ursolic acid was isolated from this plant for the first time.

  20. Development of an anhydrotetracycline-inducible gene expression system for solvent-producing Clostridium acetobutylicum: A useful tool for strain engineering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Hongjun; Tao, Wenwen; Zhang, Yanping; Li, Yin

    2012-01-01

    Clostridium acetobutylicum is an important solvent (acetone-butanol-ethanol) producing bacterium. However, a stringent, effective, and convenient-to-use inducible gene expression system that can be used for regulating the gene expression strength in C. acetobutylicum is currently not available. Here, we report an anhydrotetracycline-inducible gene expression system for solvent-producing bacterium C. acetobutylicum. This system consists of a functional chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene promoter containing tet operators (tetO), Pthl promoter (thiolase gene promoter from C. acetobutylicum) controlling TetR repressor expression cassette, and the chemical inducer anhydrotetracycline (aTc). The optimized system, designated as pGusA2-2tetO1, allows gene regulation in an inducer aTc concentration-dependent way, with an inducibility of over two orders of magnitude. The stringency of TetR repression supports the introduction of the genes encoding counterselective marker into C. acetobutylicum, which can be used to increase the mutant screening efficiency. This aTc-inducible gene expression system will thus increase the genetic manipulation capability for engineering C. acetobutylicum. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Jamaican Maritime Security. What are the Capability Gaps that Limit the Jamaica Defence Force in the Execution of its Roles in Maritime Security

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-06-09

    Initiative COA Course of Action DOTMLPF-P Doctrine, Organization, Training, Materiel, Leadership and Education, Personnel, Facilities and Policy...disrupt stability, undermine democratic institutions, and hinder economic growth of the region (UNODC 2012, 15). Over the last decade, Jamaica has...values include democratic choice and political stability in the political area, sustainable development and free enterprise in the economic domain, and

  2. J-GLOBAL MeSH Dictionary: NADP依存性HMG‐COA‐レダクターゼ [MeCab user dictionary for science technology term[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available MeCab user dictionary for science technology term NADP依存性HMG‐COA‐レダクターゼ 名詞 一般 * * * * NAD...P依存性HMG‐COA‐レダクターゼ ... MeSH D025782 200906087882493851 C LS38 UNKNOWN_2 NADP 依存 性 H MG ‐ COA ‐ レダクターゼ

  3. J-GLOBAL MeSH Dictionary: NAD依存性HMG‐COAレダクターゼ [MeCab user dictionary for science technology term[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available MeCab user dictionary for science technology term NAD依存性HMG‐COAレダクターゼ 名詞 一般 * * * * NAD...依存性HMG‐COAレダクターゼ ... MeSH D025781 200906035347133404 C LS38 UNKNOWN_2 NAD 依存 性 H MG ‐ COA レダクターゼ

  4. Variability in statin-induced changes in gene expression profiles of pancreatic cancer

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Gbelcová, H.; Rimpelová, S.; Ruml, T.; Fenclova, M.; Kosek, V.; Hajslova, J.; Strnad, Hynek; Kolář, Michal; Vítek, L.

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 7, jaro (2017), č. článku 44219. ISSN 2045-2322 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LO1304 Institutional support: RVO:68378050 Keywords : hmg-coa reductase * lipid droplets * rho-gtpases * cell-death * in-vitro * risk * protein * association * simvastatin * apoptosis Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology OBOR OECD: Pharmacology and pharmacy Impact factor: 4.259, year: 2016

  5. Report of the Ministry of Energy for the year ended 31 March 1982. [New Zealand

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1982-01-01

    The report contains a statement by the Minister and the annual report of the Secretary of Energy. Four programmes are described: energy policy and administration of mining; production and marketing of coaL; management and sale of geothermal energy; and construction operation, and maintenance of the generation and bulk electricity supply system. Appendices list financial statements statistical tables and reports of related organisations.

  6. Gulf of Maine Seals - Populations, Problems and Priorities

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-06-01

    Science/History Parasite Endogenous retrovirus Stable isotopes Antibiotic (Abx) resistance/ flora / fauna Pox Climate change Human...seal abundance. Studies off the coasts of California (South Farallon Islands) and South Africa (Seal Island) have documented white shark predatory...Sardi New England Aquarium 617-226- 2197 ksardi@neaq.org Rosemar y Seton Allied Whale, College of the Atlantic 207-288- 5644 rseton@coa.edu

  7. Reverse TCA cycle flux through isocitrate dehydrogenases 1 and 2 is required for lipogenesis in hypoxic melanoma cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Filipp, Fabian V; Scott, David A; Ronai, Ze'ev A; Osterman, Andrei L; Smith, Jeffrey W

    2012-05-01

    The tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle is the central hub of oxidative metabolism, running in the classic forward direction to provide carbon for biosynthesis and reducing agents for generation of ATP. Our metabolic tracer studies in melanoma cells showed that in hypoxic conditions the TCA cycle is largely disconnected from glycolysis. By studying the TCA branch point metabolites, acetyl CoA and citrate, as well as the metabolic endpoint glutamine and fatty acids, we developed a comprehensive picture of the rewiring of the TCA cycle that occurs in hypoxia. Hypoxic tumor cells maintain proliferation by running the TCA cycle in reverse. The source of carbon for acetyl CoA, citrate, and fatty acids switches from glucose in normoxia to glutamine in hypoxia. This hypoxic flux from glutamine into fatty acids is mediated by reductive carboxylation. This reductive carboxylation is catalyzed by two isocitrate dehydrogenases, IDH1 and IDH2. Their combined action is necessary and sufficient to effect the reverse TCA flux and maintain cellular viability. Published 2012. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

  8. Fatty acid biosynthesis in pea root plastids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stahl, R.J.; Sparace, S.A.

    1989-01-01

    Fatty acid biosynthesis from [1- 14 C]acetate was optimized in plastids isolated from primary root tips of 7-day-old germinating pea seeds. Fatty acid synthesis was maximum at approximately 80 nmoles/hr/mg protein in the presence of 200 μM acetate, 0.5 mM each of NADH, NADPH and CoA, 6 mM each of ATP and MgCl 2 , 1 mM each of the MnCl 2 and glycerol-3-phosphate, 15 mM KHCO 3 , and 0.1M Bis-tris-propane, pH 8.0 incubated at 35C. At the standard incubation temperature of 25C, fatty acid synthesis was linear from up to 6 hours with 80 to 100 μg/mL plastid protein. ATP and CoA were absolute requirements, whereas KHCO 3 , divalent cations and reduced nucleotides all improved activity by 80 to 85%. Mg 2+ and NADH were the preferred cation and nucleotide, respectively. Dithiothreitol and detergents were generally inhibitory. The radioactive products of fatty acid biosynthesis were approximately 33% 16:0, 10% 18:0 and 56% 18:1 and generally did not vary with increasing concentrations of each cofactor

  9. A simple method for enzymatic synthesis of unlabeled and radiolabeled Hydroxycinnamate-CoA

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rautergarten, Carsten; Baidoo, Edward; Keasling, Jay; Vibe Scheller, Henrik

    2011-07-20

    Hydroxycinnamate coenzyme A (CoA) thioesters are substrates for biosynthesis of lignin and hydroxycinna- mate esters of polysaccharides and other polymers. Hence, a supply of these substrates is essential for investigation of cell wall biosynthesis. In this study, three recombinant enzymes, caffeic acid 3-O-methyltransferase, 4-coumarate- CoA ligase 1, and 4-coumarate-CoA ligase 5, were cloned from wheat, tobacco, and Arabidopsis, respectively, and were used to synthesize {sup 14}C-feruloyl-CoA, caffeoyl-CoA, p-coumaroyl-CoA, feruloyl-CoA, and sinapoyl-CoA. The corresponding hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA thioesters were high-performance liquid chromatography purified, the only extraction/purification step necessary, with total yields between 88-95%. Radiolabeled {sup 14}C-feruloyl-CoA was generated from caffeic acid and S-adenosyl-{sup 14}C-methionine under the combined action of caffeic acid 3-O-methyltransferase and 4-coumarate-CoA ligase 1. About 70% of {sup 14}C-methyl groups from S-adenosyl methionine were incorporated into the final product. The methods presented are simple, fast, and efficient for the preparation of the hydroxycinnamate thioesters.

  10. Glycolytic overload and the genesis of breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robson, J R

    1984-03-01

    It is suggested that the development of breast cancer is due to overloading of the glycolytic pathways. An excess of substrates or an excessive delivery rate of substrates to the Krebs Cycle is believed to result in the formation of acetyl CoA. Feedback mechanisms controlling the conversion of acetyl CoA to cholesterol may be overcome; the resulting high concentration of cholesterol induces the formation of pregnenolone which may then be converted into androgens, estrogens and progesterone. These steroids are in addition to those produced by gonads and adrenal glands. Glycolytic overload is also associated with an increase in fat stores which have been shown to be the site of interconversion of sex hormones. Excess sex hormones or abnormal sex hormones are believed to be the cause of breast cancer. The hypothesis presented links glycolytic overload with clinical biochemical phenomena and explains some of the anomalies observed in breast cancer experience in different ethnic groups. Changes in dietary habits during the history of man resulting in " gorging " and the consumption of highly refined sugars are possible causes of glycolytic overload. So, also, is impaired thermogenesis due to Brown Fat deficits in certain ethnic groups.

  11. Acetogenesis in the energy-starved deep biosphere – a paradox?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mark Alexander Lever

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Under anoxic conditions in sediments, acetogens are often thought to be outcompeted by microorganisms performing energetically more favorable metabolic pathways, such as sulfate reduction or methanogenesis. Recent evidence from deep subseafloor sediments suggesting acetogenesis in the presence of sulfate reduction and methanogenesis has called this notion into question, however. Here I argue that acetogens can successfully coexist with sulfate reducers and methanogens for multiple reasons. These include (1 substantial energy yields from most acetogenesis reactions across the wide range of conditions encountered in the subseafloor, (2 wide substrate spectra that enable niche differentiation by use of different substrates and/or pooling of energy from a broad range of energy substrates, (3 reduced energetic cost of biosynthesis among acetogens due to use of the reductive acetyl CoA pathway for both energy production and biosynthesis coupled with the ability to use many organic precursors to produce the key intermediate acetyl CoA. This leads to the general conclusion that, beside Gibbs free energy yields, variables such as metabolic strategy and energetic cost of biosynthesis need to be taken into account to understand microbial survival in the energy-depleted deep biosphere.

  12. Halothane effects on metabolic processes in cholinergic synaptosomes prepared from rat cerebra

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, G.V.W.

    1984-01-01

    Synaptosomes are an excellent model system for examining metabolic processes that occur in nerve endings. In this study they were used to examine the effects of halothane, an inhalational anesthetic, on metabolic processes associated with the synthesis of the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. They were also used to study possible mechanisms involved with supplying the cytosol with activated acetyl groups produced in the mitochondria. In synaptosomes, halothane reversibly inhibits acetylcholine synthesis, and inhibits choline uptake in a competitive-like manner. It also depresses 14 CO 2 evolution from labeled pyruvate, glucose and succinate, decreases the activity of ATP-citrate lyase and pyruvate dehydrogenase, and completely inhibits pentose phosphate pathway activity. Halothane also significantly enhances glucose utilization and lactate production. However, halothane has no effect on choline acetyltransferases activity or total synaptosomal acetyl CoA levels. These alterations of metabolic processes leads to the suggestion that the primary effect of halothane is to decrease the NAD + /NADH potential, possibly resulting from mitochondrial NADH-CoQ reductase inhibition. This in combination with halothane's inhibition of choline transport would reduce the availability of both choline and acetyl CoA, precursors required for acetylcholine synthesis

  13. Atmosphere Assessment for MARS Science Laboratory Entry, Descent and Landing Operations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cianciolo, Alicia D.; Cantor, Bruce; Barnes, Jeff; Tyler, Daniel, Jr.; Rafkin, Scot; Chen, Allen; Kass, David; Mischna, Michael; Vasavada, Ashwin R.

    2013-01-01

    On August 6, 2012, the Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity, successfully landed on the surface of Mars. The Entry, Descent and Landing (EDL) sequence was designed using atmospheric conditions estimated from mesoscale numerical models. The models, developed by two independent organizations (Oregon State University and the Southwest Research Institute), were validated against observations at Mars from three prior years. In the weeks and days before entry, the MSL "Council of Atmospheres" (CoA), a group of atmospheric scientists and modelers, instrument experts and EDL simulation engineers, evaluated the latest Mars data from orbiting assets including the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's Mars Color Imager (MARCI) and Mars Climate Sounder (MCS), as well as Mars Odyssey's Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS). The observations were compared to the mesoscale models developed for EDL performance simulation to determine if a spacecraft parameter update was necessary prior to entry. This paper summarizes the daily atmosphere observations and comparison to the performance simulation atmosphere models. Options to modify the atmosphere model in the simulation to compensate for atmosphere effects are also presented. Finally, a summary of the CoA decisions and recommendations to the MSL project in the days leading up to EDL is provided.

  14. Metabolic engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the production of n-butanol

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Steen, EricJ.; Chan, Rossana; Prasad, Nilu; Myers, Samuel; Petzold, Christopher; Redding, Alyssa; Ouellet, Mario; Keasling, JayD.

    2008-11-25

    BackgroundIncreasing energy costs and environmental concerns have motivated engineering microbes for the production of ?second generation? biofuels that have better properties than ethanol.Results& ConclusionsSaccharomyces cerevisiae was engineered with an n-butanol biosynthetic pathway, in which isozymes from a number of different organisms (S. cerevisiae, Escherichia coli, Clostridium beijerinckii, and Ralstonia eutropha) were substituted for the Clostridial enzymes and their effect on n-butanol production was compared. By choosing the appropriate isozymes, we were able to improve production of n-butanol ten-fold to 2.5 mg/L. The most productive strains harbored the C. beijerinckii 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase, which uses NADH as a co-factor, rather than the R. eutropha isozyme, which uses NADPH, and the acetoacetyl-CoA transferase from S. cerevisiae or E. coli rather than that from R. eutropha. Surprisingly, expression of the genes encoding the butyryl-CoA dehydrogenase from C. beijerinckii (bcd and etfAB) did not improve butanol production significantly as previously reported in E. coli. Using metabolite analysis, we were able to determine which steps in the n-butanol biosynthetic pathway were the most problematic and ripe for future improvement.

  15. Cloning of phaCAB genes from thermophilic Caldimonas manganoxidans in Escherichia coli for poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Ji-Hong; Lee, Ming-Chieh; Sue, You-Sheng; Liu, Yung-Chuan; Li, Si-Yu

    2017-08-01

    PHB biosynthesis pathway, consisting of three open reading frames (ORFs) that encode for β-ketothiolase (phaA Cma , 1179 bp), acetoacetyl-CoA reductase (phaB Cma , 738 bp), and PHA synthase (phaC Cma , 1694 bp), of Caldimonas manganoxidans was identified. The functions of PhaA, PhaB, and PhaC were demonstrated by successfully reconstructing PHB biosynthesis pathway of C. manganoxidans in Escherichia coli, where PHB production was confirmed by OD 600 , gas chromatography, Nile blue stain, and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The protein sequence alignment of PHB synthases revealed that phaC Cma shares at least 60% identity with those of class I PHB synthase. The effects of PhaA, PhaB, and PhaC expression levels on PHB production were investigated. While the overexpression of PhaB is found to be important in recombinant E. coli, performances of PHB production can be quantified as follows: PHB concentration of 16.8 ± 0.6 g/L, yield of 0.28 g/g glucose, content of 74%, productivity of 0.28 g/L/h, and Mw of 1.41 MDa.

  16. Flexible Coordination in Resource-Constrained Domains

    Science.gov (United States)

    1994-07-01

    Experiments (TIEs) with planning technologies developed at both BBN (FMERG) and SRI ( SOCAP ). We have also exported scheduling support capabilities provided by...SRI’s SOCAP course of action (COA) plan generator. "* Development and demonstration of distributed, multi-level deployment scheduling - Through analysis...scheduler was adapted for integration with the SOCAP planning system to provide feedback on transportation feasibility during generation of the

  17. First report of Panton–Valentine leukocidin-positive methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus ST88 harbouring ΦSa2usa isolated from refractory breast abscesses in Japan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Togashi

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available A methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus with Panton–Valentine leukocidin (PVL genes was isolated from refractory breast abscesses of 12-year-old girl in Japan, and classified into ST88, spa-t1245 and coa-IIIa. This strain harboured PVL phage ΦSa2usa, which is usually found in ST8 community-acquired methicillin-resistant S. aureus clone USA300.

  18. A comparative study of efficacy of atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, and atorvastatin + fibrates as lipid lowering agents

    OpenAIRE

    Karunasree Nagarur; Yamini Vadlamannati; Narasimha Rao Raja

    2016-01-01

    Background: Hypercholesterolemia patients are at high risk of coronary heart disease. National cholesterol education programme (NCEP) Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines provide the option of aggressively lowering Low-density cholesterol in them. Presently the standard therapy of hypercholesterolemia is by HMG co-A reductase inhibitors. Present study shows that Rosuvastatin is better than Atorvastatin, Atorvastatin and Fibrate is better than Atorvastatin monotherapy in management of hypercho...

  19. O cinema na galiza: un cinema ianqui?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sixto García, José

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Este traballo pretende averiguar se os cines españois cumpren coa cota de cine europeo que esixe a lei 15/ 2001 de 9 de xullo, de Fomento e Promoción da Cinematografía e o Sector Audiovisual, cuxo obxectivo fundamental é o de asegurar as condicións favorables para a produción e o aumento da creatividade

  20. Report of Findings: Lake Superior Classified Barrel Disposal Site. Defense Environmental Restoration Program for Formerly Used Defense Sites. Project No. E05MN025501

    Science.gov (United States)

    1991-08-01

    Anny Coa" of EFnser. Teciiniciam are stil wairhing on water, -ml taken trom near the arma where several barrel werefm e Saitw- day. tbiY1 Y0wL do" wy...Army Corps Tha trfPDiCs:: *thes barres bocame~ enang..2es deunane. r hcea-;:. scra ( letal of comerc fiom - 0 cone of tssreC rlns ZeIi. -ae spwee scapes

  1. Measurement and Modeling of Volatile Particle Emissions from Military Aircraft

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-10-01

    CMAQ – Community multiscale air quality model CMU – Carnegie Mellon University COA – organic aerosol concentration CPC - condensation particle...the aerosol phase when there is free ammonia (or another cation) available to neutralize it [36]. Therefore, we expect that nitrate aerosol...be a critical parameter, with greater nitrate expected during winter. Even less is known about the fate of the complex mixture of organics in the

  2. Towards a reassessment of the role of divorce in suicide outcomes: evidence from five Pacific Rim populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yip, Paul S F; Chen, Ying-Yeh; Yousuf, Saman; Lee, Carmen K M; Kawano, Kenji; Routley, Virginia; Ben Park, B C; Yamauchi, Takashi; Tachimori, Hisateru; Clapperton, Angela; Wu, Kevin Chien-Chang

    2012-07-01

    The connection between divorce and suicide risk in Asia is unclear. To understand the contribution of cultural transitions to suicide among the divorced, we compare age- and sex-specific suicide rates among divorced men and women from five Pacific Rim populations: Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and the state of Victoria in Australia. On a cultural spectrum, we consider Hong Kong and Taiwan to lie between the more individualistic Australian culture and the more collectivistic Japanese and Korean cultures. Coefficients of aggravation (COA) are also compared. Suicide rates were found to be higher among the divorced than among other marital status groups in all five populations, but this difference was small in Victoria. The effect of divorce was significantly greater for men than for women only in Japan and South Korea. In the other populations, divorced men and women were at equal risk. Age trends in suicide rates for the divorced groups differed across populations. The COAs for the divorced group aged 40 or younger in the East Asian populations were higher than the COAs for older divorced groups, though this was not the case in the Victorian population. Suicide patterns among the divorced in the East Asian populations can be understood in terms of the legacy of Confucian traditions. Gender differences in Japan and South Korea may reflect either gender inequality (male dominance in formal interactions and emotional dependence in domestic life within a deteriorating Confucian family support system) or unique socio-cultural factors among married women. Divorced East Asian groups aged 40 or younger may be at a higher risk of suicide due to individual-level cultural ambivalence combined with a desire for systemic-level emotional interdependence. Social welfare regimes in the four East Asian populations need to fill the vacancy left by retreating traditional family systems. Research implications are discussed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Radial and tibial bone indices in athletes participating in different endurance sports: a pQCT study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oosthuyse, Tanja; McVeigh, Joanne A; Micklesfield, Lisa K; Meiring, Rebecca M

    2017-03-01

    Low magnitude bone-loading sports may benefit bone structure and strength in the exercised limbs. This study compared peripheral quantitative computed tomography measures of radial and tibial diaphyseal strength (strength-strain index, SSI), structure (total area (ToA) and cortical area (CoA), density (CoD) and thickness (CT), and circumferences), muscle cross-sectional area (MCSA) and strength (one-repetition maximum, 1-RM) in male endurance athletes taking part in (i) non-weight-bearing and non-impact sports: swimmers (SWIM, n = 13) and road cyclists (RC, n = 10), (ii) non-weight-bearing, impact sport: mountain bikers (MB, n = 10), (iii) weight bearing and impact sport: runners (RUN, n = 9). All athlete groups were also compared to sedentary controls (CON, n = 10). Arm MCSA, 1-RM and radial bone size and strength tended to be greater in SWIM than CON and/or RC (ToA, %difference  ± 95%CI, SWIM-CON: 14.6% ± 12.7%; SWIM-RC: 12.9% ± 10.7%) but not different to MB and RUN. RUN had bigger tibial CoA than CON, SWIM and RC (CoA, RUN-CON: 12.1% ± 10.7%; RUN-SWIM: 10.9% ± 9.4%; RUN-RC: 15.8% ± 9.5%) without marked changes in tibial strength indices, lower-limb MCSA or 1-RM. Both MB and RC failed to display any difference in tibial indices, lower-limb MCSA and 1-RM compared to CON. In swimmers, the bone structure and strength of the primary exercised limbs, the arms, is greater than controls and road cyclists. Conversely, although runners experience impact and weight-bearing loading, tibial structure is greater without a substantial difference in tibial strength compared to controls and non-impact sports. Failure to observe a difference in tibial indices in MB and RC compared to controls is unexpected.

  4. Structural characterization and comparison of three acyl-carrier-protein synthases from pathogenic bacteria

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Halavaty, Andrei S. [Center for Structural Genomics of Infectious Diseases, (United States); Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611 (United States); Kim, Youngchang [Center for Structural Genomics of Infectious Diseases, (United States); Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439 (United States); University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637 (United States); Minasov, George; Shuvalova, Ludmilla; Dubrovska, Ievgeniia; Winsor, James [Center for Structural Genomics of Infectious Diseases, (United States); Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611 (United States); Zhou, Min [Center for Structural Genomics of Infectious Diseases, (United States); Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439 (United States); University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637 (United States); Onopriyenko, Olena; Skarina, Tatiana [Center for Structural Genomics of Infectious Diseases, (United States); University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L6 (Canada); Papazisi, Leka; Kwon, Keehwan; Peterson, Scott N. [Center for Structural Genomics of Infectious Diseases, (United States); J. Craig Venter Institute, Rockville, MD 20850 (United States); Joachimiak, Andrzej [Center for Structural Genomics of Infectious Diseases, (United States); Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439 (United States); University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637 (United States); Savchenko, Alexei [Center for Structural Genomics of Infectious Diseases, (United States); University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L6 (Canada); Anderson, Wayne F., E-mail: wf-anderson@northwestern.edu [Center for Structural Genomics of Infectious Diseases, (United States); Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611 (United States)

    2012-10-01

    The structural characterization of acyl-carrier-protein synthase (AcpS) from three different pathogenic microorganisms is reported. One interesting finding of the present work is a crystal artifact related to the activity of the enzyme, which fortuitously represents an opportunity for a strategy to design a potential inhibitor of a pathogenic AcpS. Some bacterial type II fatty-acid synthesis (FAS II) enzymes have been shown to be important candidates for drug discovery. The scientific and medical quest for new FAS II protein targets continues to stimulate research in this field. One of the possible additional candidates is the acyl-carrier-protein synthase (AcpS) enzyme. Its holo form post-translationally modifies the apo form of an acyl carrier protein (ACP), which assures the constant delivery of thioester intermediates to the discrete enzymes of FAS II. At the Center for Structural Genomics of Infectious Diseases (CSGID), AcpSs from Staphylococcus aureus (AcpS{sub SA}), Vibrio cholerae (AcpS{sub VC}) and Bacillus anthracis (AcpS{sub BA}) have been structurally characterized in their apo, holo and product-bound forms, respectively. The structure of AcpS{sub BA} is emphasized because of the two 3′, 5′-adenosine diphosphate (3′, 5′-ADP) product molecules that are found in each of the three coenzyme A (CoA) binding sites of the trimeric protein. One 3′, 5′-ADP is bound as the 3′, 5′-ADP part of CoA in the known structures of the CoA–AcpS and 3′, 5′-ADP–AcpS binary complexes. The position of the second 3′, 5′-ADP has never been described before. It is in close proximity to the first 3′, 5′-ADP and the ACP-binding site. The coordination of two ADPs in AcpS{sub BA} may possibly be exploited for the design of AcpS inhibitors that can block binding of both CoA and ACP.

  5. Diacylglycerol acyltransferase-2 (DGAT2) and monoacylglycerol acyltransferase-2 (MGAT2) interact to promote triacylglycerol synthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Youzhi; McFie, Pamela J; Banman, Shanna L; Brandt, Curtis; Stone, Scot J

    2014-10-10

    Acyl CoA:1,2-diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT)-2 is an integral membrane protein that catalyzes triacylglycerol (TG) synthesis using diacylglycerol and fatty acyl CoA as substrates. DGAT2 resides in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), but when cells are incubated with fatty acids, DGAT2 interacts with lipid droplets presumably to catalyze localized TG synthesis for lipid droplet expansion. Previous studies have shown that DGAT2 interacts with proteins that synthesize its fatty acyl CoA substrates. In this study, we provide additional evidence that DGAT2 is present in a protein complex. Using a chemical cross-linker, disuccinimidyl suberate (DSS), we demonstrated that DGAT2 formed a dimer and was also part of a protein complex of ∼ 650 kDa, both in membranes and on lipid droplets. Using co-immunoprecipitation experiments and an in situ proximity ligation assay, we found that DGAT2 interacted with monoacylglycerol acyltransferase (MGAT)-2, an enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of diacylglycerol. Deletion mutagenesis showed that the interaction with MGAT2 was dependent on the two transmembrane domains of DGAT2. No significant interaction of DGAT2 with lipin1, another enzyme that synthesizes diacylglycerol, could be detected. When co-expressed in cells, DGAT2 and MGAT2 co-localized in the ER and on lipid droplets. Co-expression also resulted in increased TG storage compared with expression of DGAT2 or MGAT2 alone. Incubating McArdle rat hepatoma RH7777 cells with 2-monoacylglycerol caused DGAT2 to translocate to lipid droplets. This also led to the formation of large cytosolic lipid droplets, characteristic of DGAT2, but not DGAT1, and indicated that DGAT2 can utilize monoacylglycerol-derived diacylglycerol. These findings suggest that the interaction of DGAT2 and MGAT2 serves to channel lipid substrates efficiently for TG biosynthesis. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  6. Structural characterization and comparison of three acyl-carrier-protein synthases from pathogenic bacteria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Halavaty, Andrei S.; Kim, Youngchang; Minasov, George; Shuvalova, Ludmilla; Dubrovska, Ievgeniia; Winsor, James; Zhou, Min; Onopriyenko, Olena; Skarina, Tatiana; Papazisi, Leka; Kwon, Keehwan; Peterson, Scott N.; Joachimiak, Andrzej; Savchenko, Alexei; Anderson, Wayne F.

    2012-01-01

    The structural characterization of acyl-carrier-protein synthase (AcpS) from three different pathogenic microorganisms is reported. One interesting finding of the present work is a crystal artifact related to the activity of the enzyme, which fortuitously represents an opportunity for a strategy to design a potential inhibitor of a pathogenic AcpS. Some bacterial type II fatty-acid synthesis (FAS II) enzymes have been shown to be important candidates for drug discovery. The scientific and medical quest for new FAS II protein targets continues to stimulate research in this field. One of the possible additional candidates is the acyl-carrier-protein synthase (AcpS) enzyme. Its holo form post-translationally modifies the apo form of an acyl carrier protein (ACP), which assures the constant delivery of thioester intermediates to the discrete enzymes of FAS II. At the Center for Structural Genomics of Infectious Diseases (CSGID), AcpSs from Staphylococcus aureus (AcpS SA ), Vibrio cholerae (AcpS VC ) and Bacillus anthracis (AcpS BA ) have been structurally characterized in their apo, holo and product-bound forms, respectively. The structure of AcpS BA is emphasized because of the two 3′, 5′-adenosine diphosphate (3′, 5′-ADP) product molecules that are found in each of the three coenzyme A (CoA) binding sites of the trimeric protein. One 3′, 5′-ADP is bound as the 3′, 5′-ADP part of CoA in the known structures of the CoA–AcpS and 3′, 5′-ADP–AcpS binary complexes. The position of the second 3′, 5′-ADP has never been described before. It is in close proximity to the first 3′, 5′-ADP and the ACP-binding site. The coordination of two ADPs in AcpS BA may possibly be exploited for the design of AcpS inhibitors that can block binding of both CoA and ACP

  7. Long-term chemical analysis and organic aerosol source apportionment at nine sites in central Europe: source identification and uncertainty assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daellenbach, Kaspar R.; Stefenelli, Giulia; Bozzetti, Carlo; Vlachou, Athanasia; Fermo, Paola; Gonzalez, Raquel; Piazzalunga, Andrea; Colombi, Cristina; Canonaco, Francesco; Hueglin, Christoph; Kasper-Giebl, Anne; Jaffrezo, Jean-Luc; Bianchi, Federico; Slowik, Jay G.; Baltensperger, Urs; El-Haddad, Imad; Prévôt, André S. H.

    2017-11-01

    Long-term monitoring of organic aerosol is important for epidemiological studies, validation of atmospheric models, and air quality management. In this study, we apply a recently developed filter-based offline methodology using an aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) to investigate the regional and seasonal differences of contributing organic aerosol sources. We present offline AMS measurements for particulate matter smaller than 10 µm at nine stations in central Europe with different exposure characteristics for the entire year of 2013 (819 samples). The focus of this study is a detailed source apportionment analysis (using positive matrix factorization, PMF) including in-depth assessment of the related uncertainties. Primary organic aerosol (POA) is separated in three components: hydrocarbon-like OA related to traffic emissions (HOA), cooking OA (COA), and biomass burning OA (BBOA). We observe enhanced production of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) in summer, following the increase in biogenic emissions with temperature (summer oxygenated OA, SOOA). In addition, a SOA component was extracted that correlated with an anthropogenic secondary inorganic species that is dominant in winter (winter oxygenated OA, WOOA). A factor (sulfur-containing organic, SC-OA) explaining sulfur-containing fragments (CH3SO2+), which has an event-driven temporal behaviour, was also identified. The relative yearly average factor contributions range from 4 to 14 % for HOA, from 3 to 11 % for COA, from 11 to 59 % for BBOA, from 5 to 23 % for SC-OA, from 14 to 27 % for WOOA, and from 15 to 38 % for SOOA. The uncertainty of the relative average factor contribution lies between 2 and 12 % of OA. At the sites north of the alpine crest, the sum of HOA, COA, and BBOA (POA) contributes less to OA (POA / OA = 0.3) than at the southern alpine valley sites (0.6). BBOA is the main contributor to POA with 87 % in alpine valleys and 42 % north of the alpine crest. Furthermore, the influence of primary

  8. Genetics Home Reference: succinyl-CoA:3-ketoacid CoA transferase deficiency

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... elevated level of ketones in their blood (persistent ketosis). If the level of ketones gets too high, ... attacks, but are less likely to have persistent ketosis. Learn more about the gene associated with succinyl- ...

  9. Preliminary analysis of Stearoyl Co-A Desaturase gene transcripts in River buffalo

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. Ramunno

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs. In cattle, SCD gene extends over a DNA segment of ~17.0 Kb, and it is organized in 6 exons and 5 introns. The SCD gene has been indicated as the candidate gene to change the saturated/unsaturated FAs ratio and hence it has been suggested as the gene influencing the fat quality. In cattle, eight SNPs have been identified and one of them, (T→C at 231st nt of 5th exon, is responsible for the Val→Ala amino acid change. The C allele has been associated with higher content of MUFAs in carcasses, and it is positively related to a higher index of desaturation (C18:0/C18:1 and C16:0/C16:1 in the milk. In this study, we report on preliminary results of analysis of transcripts of the SCD encoding gene in river buffalo. The electrophoretic analysis of the RT-PCR products and the subsequent sequencing showed at least five different populations of mRNA. The most represented population is correctly assembled (~1300 bp, followed by the one which is deleted of ~750bp, corresponding to the 3rd, 4th and 5th exon and partially to the 2nd and 6th exon.

  10. After 2014: The U.S./NATO Missions in Afghanistan

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-04-01

    each proposed COA. The chart below summarizes the distinct advantages and relative disadvantages in our proposed courses of action given and...described that al-Qaeda franchises and associated movements elsewhere should draw more of our attention away from Afghanistan-Pakistan in the...Mohammed’s prophecy of Khoresan. Al-Qaeda thus views the franchises in the Middle East and North Africa as compelling support elements to the greater cause

  11. White Sands Missile Range Overview & Introduction: Test Capabilities Briefing

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-11-07

    MOA BRONCO MOAS TALON MOAS UAV COA Regional Air Space Joint Military Operating Area RESERVE MOA MORENCI MOA TOMBSTONE MOA El Paso Alamogordo Clovis...MANPADS target at Aerial Cable Range QF-4 Full-scale drone Sub-scale drone launch Army Proven Battle Ready Ft. Wingate - 250 miles El Paso...Major Nuclear Effects Characterization Test Facilities and Army Proven Battle Ready  Gamma Radiation: El Dorado Gamma Facility • EGF is an

  12. Molecular Mechanisms of Insulin Resistance in Humans and Their Potential Links With Mitochondrial Dysfunction

    OpenAIRE

    Morino, Katsutaro; Petersen, Kitt Falk; Shulman, Gerald I.

    2006-01-01

    Recent studies using magnetic resonance spectroscopy have shown that decreased insulin-stimulated muscle glycogen synthesis due to a defect in insulin-stimulated glucose transport activity is a major factor in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. The molecular mechanism underlying defective insulin-stimulated glucose transport activity can be attributed to increases in intramyocellular lipid metabolites such as fatty acyl CoAs and diacylglycerol, which in turn activate a serine/threonine kina...

  13. Civilian End Strength Study. Study Sponsor ODCSLOG.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1985-12-30

    Chief of Staff deferred action on the recommendations and requested a subsequent briefing with the following guidance. (1) Need to do more to take...Term Actions ... ..................... 38-39 ix CIVILIAN END STRENGTH STUDY Abstract This study examined the methodology by which the Army determines...DAPE-MBC) and COA ( DACA -OMP) has facilitated this process; an updated LOI, in draft, will clear up some of the problems identified in the test

  14. Fatty acid oxidation disorders as primary cause of sudden and unexpected death in infants and young children

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Banner, Jytte; Kølvraa, S; Gregersen, N

    1997-01-01

    Disorders of fatty acid metabolism are known to be responsible for cases of sudden and unexpected death in infancy. At least 14 disorders are known at present. 120 cases of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) had been examined for a prevalent mutation (G985) causing medium chain acyl Co......A dehydrogenase deficiency, which is inherited in an autosomal recessive mode. No over-representation of either homozygous or heterozygous cases was found....

  15. NextGen UAS Research, Development and Demonstration Roadmap. Version 1.0

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-03-15

    18. NUMBER OF PAGES 80 19a. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE PERSON a. REPORT unclassified b. ABSTRACT unclassified c. THIS PAGE unclassified Standard ...individual COA, UAS may operate under both Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and Instrument Flight Rules ( IFR ), in both special use airspace and non- segregated...National Aeronautics Research and Development Plan,” February 2010 , which cites the importance of integrating UAS into the NextGen NAS and establishes

  16. Structural insights into RipC, a putative citrate lyase β subunit from a Yersinia pestis virulence operon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Torres, Rodrigo; Chim, Nicholas; Sankaran, Banumathi; Pujol, Céline; Bliska, James B.; Goulding, Celia W.

    2011-01-01

    Comparison of the 2.45 Å resolution crystal structure of homotrimeric RipC, a putative citrate lyase β subunit from Y. pestis, with structural homologs reveals conserved RipC residues that are implicated in CoA binding. Yersinia pestis remains a threat, with outbreaks of plague occurring in rural areas and its emergence as a weapon of bioterrorism; thus, an improved understanding of its various pathogenicity pathways is warranted. The rip (required for intracellular proliferation) virulence operon is required for Y. pestis survival in interferon-γ-treated macrophages and has been implicated in lowering macrophage-produced nitric oxide levels. RipC, one of three gene products from the rip operon, is annotated as a citrate lyase β subunit. Furthermore, the Y. pestis genome lacks genes that encode citrate lyase α and γ subunits, suggesting a unique functional role of RipC in the Y. pestisrip-mediated survival pathway. Here, the 2.45 Å resolution crystal structure of RipC revealed a homotrimer in which each monomer consists of a (β/α) 8 TIM-barrel fold. Furthermore, the trimeric state was confirmed in solution by size-exclusion chromatography. Through sequence and structure comparisons with homologous proteins, it is proposed that RipC is a putative CoA- or CoA-derivative binding protein

  17. Multi-machine power system stabilizers design using chaotic optimization algorithm

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shayeghi, H., E-mail: hshayeghi@gmail.co [Technical Engineering Department, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Shayanfar, H.A. [Center of Excellence for Power System Automation and Operation, Electrical Engineering Department, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Jalilzadeh, S.; Safari, A. [Technical Engineering Department, Zanjan University, Zanjan (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2010-07-15

    In this paper, a multiobjective design of the multi-machine power system stabilizers (PSSs) using chaotic optimization algorithm (COA) is proposed. Chaotic optimization algorithms, which have the features of easy implementation, short execution time and robust mechanisms of escaping from the local optimum, is a promising tool for the engineering applications. The PSSs parameters tuning problem is converted to an optimization problem which is solved by a chaotic optimization algorithm based on Lozi map. Since chaotic mapping enjoys certainty, ergodicity and the stochastic property, the proposed chaotic optimization problem introduces chaos mapping using Lozi map chaotic sequences which increases its convergence rate and resulting precision. Two different objective functions are proposed in this study for the PSSs design problem. The first objective function is the eigenvalues based comprising the damping factor, and the damping ratio of the lightly damped electro-mechanical modes, while the second is the time domain-based multi-objective function. The robustness of the proposed COA-based PSSs (COAPSS) is verified on a multi-machine power system under different operating conditions and disturbances. The results of the proposed COAPSS are demonstrated through eigenvalue analysis, nonlinear time-domain simulation and some performance indices. In addition, the potential and superiority of the proposed method over the classical approach and genetic algorithm is demonstrated.

  18. Insight into Coenzyme A cofactor binding and the mechanism of acyl-transfer in an acylating aldehyde dehydrogenase from Clostridium phytofermentans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tuck, Laura R; Altenbach, Kirsten; Ang, Thiau Fu; Crawshaw, Adam D; Campopiano, Dominic J; Clarke, David J; Marles-Wright, Jon

    2016-02-22

    The breakdown of fucose and rhamnose released from plant cell walls by the cellulolytic soil bacterium Clostridium phytofermentans produces toxic aldehyde intermediates. To enable growth on these carbon sources, the pathway for the breakdown of fucose and rhamnose is encapsulated within a bacterial microcompartment (BMC). These proteinaceous organelles sequester the toxic aldehyde intermediates and allow the efficient action of acylating aldehyde dehydrogenase enzymes to produce an acyl-CoA that is ultimately used in substrate-level phosphorylation to produce ATP. Here we analyse the kinetics of the aldehyde dehydrogenase enzyme from the fucose/rhamnose utilisation BMC with different short-chain fatty aldehydes and show that it has activity against substrates with up to six carbon atoms, with optimal activity against propionaldehyde. We have also determined the X-ray crystal structure of this enzyme in complex with CoA and show that the adenine nucleotide of this cofactor is bound in a distinct pocket to the same group in NAD(+). This work is the first report of the structure of CoA bound to an aldehyde dehydrogenase enzyme and our crystallographic model provides important insight into the differences within the active site that distinguish the acylating from non-acylating aldehyde dehydrogenase enzymes.

  19. Generalized Synthesis of EAs [E = Fe, Co, Mn, Cr] Nanostructures and Investigating Their Morphology Evolution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Desai

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper illustrates a novel route for the synthesis of nanostructured transition metal arsenides including those of FeAs, CoAs, MnAs, and CrAs through a generalized protocol. The key feature of the method is the use of one-step hot-injection and the clever use of a combination of precursors which are low-melting and highly reactive such as metal carbonyls and triphenylarsine in a solventless setup. This method also facilitates the formation of one-dimensional nanostructures as we move across the periodic table from CrAs to CoAs. The chemical basis of this reaction is simple redox chemistry between the transition metals, wherein the transition metal is oxidized from elemental state (E0 to E3+in lieu of reduction of As3+ to As3−. While the thermodynamic analysis reveals that all these conversions are spontaneous, it is the kinetics of the process that influences morphology of the product nanostructures, which varies from extremely small nanoparticles to nanorods. Transition metal pnictides show interesting magnetic properties and these nanostructures can serve as model systems for the exploration of their intricate magnetism as well as their applications and can also function as starting materials for the arsenide based nanosuperconductors.

  20. Tunable engineered skin mechanics via coaxial electrospun fiber core diameter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blackstone, Britani Nicole; Drexler, Jason William; Powell, Heather Megan

    2014-10-01

    Autologous engineered skin (ES) offers promise as a treatment for massive full thickness burns. Unfortunately, ES is orders of magnitude weaker than normal human skin causing it to be difficult to apply surgically and subject to damage by mechanical shear in the early phases of engraftment. In addition, no manufacturing strategy has been developed to tune ES biomechanics to approximate the native biomechanics at different anatomic locations. To enhance and tune ES biomechanics, a coaxial (CoA) electrospun scaffold platform was developed from polycaprolactone (PCL, core) and gelatin (shell). The ability of the coaxial fiber core diameter to control both scaffold and tissue mechanics was investigated along with the ability of the gelatin shell to facilitate cell adhesion and skin development compared to pure gelatin, pure PCL, and a gelatin-PCL blended fiber scaffold. CoA ES exhibited increased cellular adhesion and metabolism versus PCL alone or gelatin-PCL blend and promoted the development of well stratified skin with a dense dermal layer and a differentiated epidermal layer. Biomechanics of the scaffold and ES scaled linearly with core diameter suggesting that this scaffold platform could be utilized to tailor ES mechanics for their intended grafting site and reduce graft damage in vitro and in vivo.

  1. Cholesterol esterification by mouse liver homogenate. Contribution to the study of ACYL-CoA: Cholesterol ACYL transferase in mammalian liver

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soares, M.G.C.B.

    1976-01-01

    A cholesterol- esterifying enzyme from mouse liver has been partially characterized. The enzyme which showed optimum activity at pH 7,1 and required ATP and CoA, was identified as an acyl CoA: cholesterol acyl transferase (E.C.2.3.1.26). As a fuction of time the percentage of esterified cholesterol increased linearly during the first hour of incubation and continued to increase but not linearly with 4 hours, after which time no further net esterefication was observed. The relative concentration of esterified cholesterol remained constant between the fourth and twelveth hours of incubation but afterwards decreased when the incubation continued until 24 hours. The cholesterol- esterifying activity was 24,0+- 2,9 nmoles cholesterol esterified per gram tissue wet weight per minute. The mean percentages of free cholesterol esterified in and 24 hours respectively were 14,8+- 1,6 e 21,9+- 4,5. The subfractionation of labelled cholesteryl esters after one hour incubation of liver homogenate with 4-C 14 -Cholesterol showed the order of preference for the formation of the different ester classes to be monounsatured > diunsatured ≥ saturated >> polyunsaturated. The properties of the enzyme frommouse liver do not markedly differ from those of the previously recorded ACAT activity of rat liver. (Author) [pt

  2. Cox1 mutation abrogates need for Cox23 in cytochrome c oxidase biogenesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Richard Dela Cruz

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Cox23 is a known conserved assembly factor for cytochrome c oxidase, although its role in cytochrome c oxidase (CcO biogenesis remains unresolved. To gain additional insights into its role, we isolated spontaneous suppressors of the respiratory growth defect in cox23∆ yeast cells. We recovered independent colonies that propagated on glycerol/lactate medium for cox23∆ cells at 37°C. We mapped these mutations to the mitochondrial genome and specifically to COX1 yielding an I101F substitution. The I101F Cox1 allele is a gain-of-function mutation enabling yeast to respire in the absence of Cox23. CcO subunit steady-state levels were restored with the I101F Cox1 suppressor mutation and oxygen consumption and CcO activity were likewise restored. Cells harboring the mitochondrial genome encoding I101F Cox1 were used to delete genes for other CcO assembly factors to test the specificity of the Cox1 mutation as a suppressor of cox23∆ cells. The Cox1 mutant allele fails to support respiratory growth in yeast lacking Cox17, Cox19, Coa1, Coa2, Cox14 or Shy1, demonstrating its specific suppressor activity for cox23∆ cells.

  3. In Silico and Wet Lab Studies Reveal the Cholesterol Lowering Efficacy of Lauric Acid, a Medium Chain Fat of Coconut Oil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lekshmi Sheela, Devi; Nazeem, Puthiyaveetil Abdulla; Narayanankutty, Arunaksharan; Manalil, Jeksy Jos; Raghavamenon, Achuthan C

    2016-12-01

    The coconut oil (CO) contains 91 % of saturated fatty acids in which 72 % are medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) like lauric, capric and caprylic acids. In contrast to animal fat, coconut oil has no cholesterol. Despite this fact, CO is sidelined among other vegetable oils due to the health hazards attributed to the saturated fatty acids. Though various medicinal effects of CO have been reported including the hypolipidemic activity, people are still confused in the consumption of this natural oil. In silico analyses and wet lab experiments have been carried out to identify the hypolipidemic properties of MCFAs and phenolic acids in CO by using different protein targets involved in cholesterol synthesis. The molecular docking studies were carried out using CDOCKER protocol in Accelery's Discovery Studio, by taking different proteins like HMG- CoA reductase and cholesterol esterase as targets and the different phytocompounds in coconut as ligands. Molecular docking highlighted the potential of lauric acid in inhibiting the protein targets involved in hyperlipidemics. Further, validation of in silico results was carried out through in vivo studies. The activity of key enzymes HMG- CoA reductase and lipoprotein lipase were found reduced in animals fed with lauric acid and CO.

  4. Tunable Engineered Skin Mechanics via Coaxial Electrospun Fiber Core Diameter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blackstone, Britani Nicole; Drexler, Jason William

    2014-01-01

    Autologous engineered skin (ES) offers promise as a treatment for massive full thickness burns. Unfortunately, ES is orders of magnitude weaker than normal human skin causing it to be difficult to apply surgically and subject to damage by mechanical shear in the early phases of engraftment. In addition, no manufacturing strategy has been developed to tune ES biomechanics to approximate the native biomechanics at different anatomic locations. To enhance and tune ES biomechanics, a coaxial (CoA) electrospun scaffold platform was developed from polycaprolactone (PCL, core) and gelatin (shell). The ability of the coaxial fiber core diameter to control both scaffold and tissue mechanics was investigated along with the ability of the gelatin shell to facilitate cell adhesion and skin development compared to pure gelatin, pure PCL, and a gelatin-PCL blended fiber scaffold. CoA ES exhibited increased cellular adhesion and metabolism versus PCL alone or gelatin-PCL blend and promoted the development of well stratified skin with a dense dermal layer and a differentiated epidermal layer. Biomechanics of the scaffold and ES scaled linearly with core diameter suggesting that this scaffold platform could be utilized to tailor ES mechanics for their intended grafting site and reduce graft damage in vitro and in vivo. PMID:24712409

  5. Bio-production of Baccatin III, an Important Precursor of Paclitaxel by a Cost-Effective Approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Shu-Ling; Wei, Tao; Lin, Jun-Fang; Guo, Li-Qiong; Wu, Guang-Pei; Wei, Jun-Bin; Huang, Jia-Jun; Ouyang, Ping-Lan

    2018-07-01

    Natural production of anti-cancer drug taxol from Taxus has proved to be environmentally unsustainable and economically unfeasible. Currently, bioengineering the biosynthetic pathway of taxol is an attractive alternative production approach. 10-deacetylbaccatin III-10-O-acetyl transferase (DBAT) was previously characterized as an acyltransferase, using 10-deacetylbaccatin III (10-DAB) and acetyl CoA as natural substrates, to form baccatin III in the taxol biosynthesis. Here, we report that other than the natural acetyl CoA (Ac-CoA) substrate, DBAT can also utilize vinyl acetate (VA), which is commercially available at very low cost, acylate quickly and irreversibly, as acetyl donor in the acyl transfer reaction to produce baccatin III. Furthermore, mutants were prepared via a semi-rational design in this work. A double mutant, I43S/D390R was constructed to combine the positive effects of the different single mutations on catalytic activity, and its catalytic efficiency towards 10-DAB and VA was successfully improved by 3.30-fold, compared to that of wild-type DBAT, while 2.99-fold higher than the catalytic efficiency of WT DBAT towards 10-DAB and Ac-CoA. These findings can provide a promising economically and environmentally friendly method for exploring novel acyl donors to engineer natural product pathways.

  6. Alteration of Gene Expression, DNA Methylation, and Histone Methylation in Free Radical Scavenging Networks in Adult Mouse Hippocampus following Fetal Alcohol Exposure.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eric J Chater-Diehl

    Full Text Available The molecular basis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD is poorly understood; however, epigenetic and gene expression changes have been implicated. We have developed a mouse model of FASD characterized by learning and memory impairment and persistent gene expression changes. Epigenetic marks may maintain expression changes over a mouse's lifetime, an area few have explored. Here, mice were injected with saline or ethanol on postnatal days four and seven. At 70 days of age gene expression microarray, methylated DNA immunoprecipitation microarray, H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 chromatin immunoprecipitation microarray were performed. Following extensive pathway analysis of the affected genes, we identified the top affected gene expression pathway as "Free radical scavenging". We confirmed six of these changes by droplet digital PCR including the caspase Casp3 and Wnt transcription factor Tcf7l2. The top pathway for all methylation-affected genes was "Peroxisome biogenesis"; we confirmed differential DNA methylation in the Acca1 thiolase promoter. Altered methylation and gene expression in oxidative stress pathways in the adult hippocampus suggests a novel interface between epigenetic and oxidative stress mechanisms in FASD.

  7. Ethylene and 1-MCP regulate major volatile biosynthetic pathways in apple fruit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Xiaotang; Song, Jun; Du, Lina; Forney, Charles; Campbell-Palmer, Leslie; Fillmore, Sherry; Wismer, Paul; Zhang, Zhaoqi

    2016-03-01

    The effects of ethylene and 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) on apple fruit volatile biosynthesis and gene expression were investigated. Statistical analysis identified 17 genes that changed significantly in response to ethylene and 1-MCP treatments. Genes encoding branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase (BCAT), aromatic amino acid aminotransferase (ArAT) and amino acid decarboxylases (AADC) were up-regulated during ripening and further enhanced by ethylene treatment. Genes related to fatty acid synthesis and metabolism, including acyl-carrier-proteins (ACPs), malonyl-CoA:ACP transacylase (MCAT), acyl-ACP-desaturase (ACPD), lipoxygenase (LOX), hydroperoxide lyase (HPL), alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC2), β-oxidation, acyl-CoA synthetase (ACS), enoyl-CoA hydratase (ECHD), acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (ACAD), and alcohol acyltransferases (AATs) also increased during ripening and in response to ethylene treatment. Allene oxide synthase (AOS), alcohol dehydrogenase 1 (ADH1), 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase and branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase 2 (BCAT2) decreased in ethylene-treated fruit. Treatment with 1-MCP and ethylene generally produced opposite effects on related genes, which provides evidence that regulation of these genes is ethylene dependent. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Stress exposure results in increased peroxisomal levels of yeast Pnc1 and Gpd1, which are imported via a piggy-backing mechanism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Sanjeev; Singh, Ritika; Williams, Chris P; van der Klei, Ida J

    2016-01-01

    Saccharomyces cerevisiae glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase 1 (Gpd1) and nicotinamidase (Pnc1) are two stress-induced enzymes. Both enzymes are predominantly localised to peroxisomes at normal growth conditions, but were reported to localise to the cytosol and nucleus upon exposure of cells to stress. Import of both proteins into peroxisomes depends on the peroxisomal targeting signal 2 (PTS2) receptor Pex7. Gpd1 contains a PTS2, however, Pnc1 lacks this sequence. Here we show that Pnc1 physically interacts with Gpd1, which is required for piggy-back import of Pnc1 into peroxisomes. Quantitative fluorescence microscopy analyses revealed that the levels of both proteins increased in peroxisomes and in the cytosol upon exposure of cells to stress. However, upon exposure of cells to stress we also observed enhanced cytosolic levels of the control PTS2 protein thiolase, when produced under control of the GPD1 promoter. This suggests that these conditions cause a partial defect in PTS2 protein import, probably because the PTS2 import pathway is easily saturated. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Contrasting effects of fish oil and safflower oil on hepatic peroxisomal and tissue lipid content.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neschen, Susanne; Moore, Irene; Regittnig, Werner; Yu, Chun Li; Wang, Yanlin; Pypaert, Marc; Petersen, Kitt Falk; Shulman, Gerald I

    2002-02-01

    To examine the mechanism by which fish oil protects against fat-induced insulin resistance, we studied the effects of control, fish oil, and safflower oil diets on peroxisomal content, fatty acyl-CoA, diacylglycerol, and ceramide content in rat liver and muscle. We found that, in contrast to control and safflower oil-fed rats, fish oil feeding induced a 150% increase in the abundance of peroxisomal acyl-CoA oxidase and 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase in liver but lacked similar effects in muscle. This was paralleled by an almost twofold increase in hepatic peroxisome content (both P < 0.002 vs. control and safflower). These changes in the fish oil-fed rats were associated with a more than twofold lower hepatic triglyceride/diacylglycerol, as well as intramuscular triglyceride/fatty acyl-CoA, content. In conclusion, these data strongly support the hypothesis that n-3 fatty acids protect against fat-induced insulin resistance by serving as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha ligands and thereby induce hepatic, but not intramuscular, peroxisome proliferation. In turn, an increased hepatic beta-oxidative capacity results in lower hepatic triglyceride/diacylglycerol and intramyocellular triglyceride/fatty acyl-CoA content.

  10. Alteration of Gene Expression, DNA Methylation, and Histone Methylation in Free Radical Scavenging Networks in Adult Mouse Hippocampus following Fetal Alcohol Exposure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chater-Diehl, Eric J; Laufer, Benjamin I; Castellani, Christina A; Alberry, Bonnie L; Singh, Shiva M

    2016-01-01

    The molecular basis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) is poorly understood; however, epigenetic and gene expression changes have been implicated. We have developed a mouse model of FASD characterized by learning and memory impairment and persistent gene expression changes. Epigenetic marks may maintain expression changes over a mouse's lifetime, an area few have explored. Here, mice were injected with saline or ethanol on postnatal days four and seven. At 70 days of age gene expression microarray, methylated DNA immunoprecipitation microarray, H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 chromatin immunoprecipitation microarray were performed. Following extensive pathway analysis of the affected genes, we identified the top affected gene expression pathway as "Free radical scavenging". We confirmed six of these changes by droplet digital PCR including the caspase Casp3 and Wnt transcription factor Tcf7l2. The top pathway for all methylation-affected genes was "Peroxisome biogenesis"; we confirmed differential DNA methylation in the Acca1 thiolase promoter. Altered methylation and gene expression in oxidative stress pathways in the adult hippocampus suggests a novel interface between epigenetic and oxidative stress mechanisms in FASD.

  11. Meeting the Challenge of Installing Canes During New Ship Construction on LPD 28

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-03-01

    the early development phase. Alliances between the shipbuilders and major defense contractors, such as Lockheed-Martin, Raytheon, and Northrop-Grumman...requirement to identify specific C4I equipment has traditionally resulted in brand new ships being delivered to the Navy with dated and less than optimal C4I...evaluate each COA (CNO OPNAV, 2011). In using this approach, shipboard network 19 subject matter experts ( SMEs ) were identified and involved in both

  12. Validating a Model of Team Collaboration at the North American Aerospace Defense Command Using Selected Transcripts from September 11, 2001

    Science.gov (United States)

    2008-06-01

    resources. When communications are more efficient, team performance benefits . Communication plays a critical role in a team’s ability to achieve...standard operating procedure (SOP) for NORAD/NEADS is classified and therefore not useful for this thesis. However, it would be of benefit for someone...1221 Speaker 13: Once you get the tanker you’ve bingo to Langley at 1830. COA 1222 Major N: Okay. They’re working tanker support from my

  13. Army Sustainment. Volume 42, Issue 4, July-August 2010

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-08-01

    ra dio frequency identification tags and military ship ping labels). ❏ Eliminate the manual process used to reconcile hun dreds of thousands of...do­cumentation, radio frequency identification tags, and military shipping labels. The analysis of COA 3 proved that it would be very manpower intense and...age ment Office in Norfolk, Virginia. Conducting Transportation Analyses The third and final team in AACA’s lineup is the TAT. Before AACA’s

  14. Comparing the relative peripheral refraction effect of single vision and multifocal contact lenses measured using an autorefractor and an aberrometer: A pilot study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ravi C. Bakaraju

    2015-07-01

    Conclusion: For most test conditions, distinct differences were observed between the RPR measures obtained with the two modified instruments. The differences varied with CL design and centration. Although the pilot study supports the interchangeable use of the two instruments for on- and off-axis refraction in unaided eyes or eyes corrected with low/no spherical aberration; we advocate the use of the COAS-HD over the SN for special purposes like refracting through multifocal CLs.

  15. Exploring Moulting Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) Escape Responses towards Ship Traffic.

    OpenAIRE

    Skei, Jørgen

    2014-01-01

    1. The construction of bottom dwelling offshore wind farms in shallow waters is expected to interfere with seabird feeding and moulting habitats. This study focus on how the disturbance from ship traffic associated with construction and maintenance of offshore wind farms influence moulting common eiders. Such studies might help forming guidelines to minimize potential conflicts between seabirds and the establishment of bottom dwelling offshore wind farms. 2. The study was conducted in coas...

  16. Mitochondrial GTP Regulates Glucose-Induced Insulin Secretion

    OpenAIRE

    Kibbey, Richard G.; Pongratz, Rebecca L.; Romanelli, Anthony J.; Wollheim, Claes B.; Cline, Gary W.; Shulman, Gerald I.

    2007-01-01

    Substrate-level mitochondrial GTP (mtGTP) and ATP (mtATP) synthesis occurs by nucleotide-specific isoforms of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle enzyme succinyl CoA synthetase (SCS). Unlike mtATP, each molecule of glucose metabolized produces approximately one mtGTP in pancreatic β-cells independent of coupling with oxidative phosphorylation making mtGTP a potentially important fuel signal. siRNA suppression of the GTP-producing pathway (ΔSCS-GTP) reduced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion ...

  17. Estudo cefalométrico das características ântero-posteriores em jovens com dentadura decídua Cephalometric study of the antero-posterior characteristics in children with primary dentition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcelo Flávio Rocha Mendlovitz

    2006-10-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: esse estudo propôs-se a avaliar as características cefalométricas ântero-posteriores em jovens com dentadura decídua. METODOLOGIA: foi avaliada uma amostra de 42 jovens do gênero masculino, divididos em dois grupos, um com 22 indíviduos aos 4 anos de idade (G1 e outro com 20 indíviduos aos 5 anos de idade (G2, no intuito de se obter valores cefalométricos e informações sobre o crescimento craniofacial. Selecionou-se apenas os que apresentavam tanto oclusão normal na dentadura decídua como perfis faciais harmoniosos. Foram avaliadas as medidas cefalométricas angulares SNA, SNB, ANB, SN.GoGn, 1.1, FMA, FMIA e IMPA e as lineares Nperp-A, Co-A, Co-Gn, diferença maxilo-mandibular, S-N, ENA-ENP, trespasse horizontal e a altura do ramo mandibular. Os dados obtidos foram analisados por meio do teste t de Student, com significância estatística de 5%, para detectar diferenças entre os grupos. RESULTADOS E CONCLUSÕES: observou-se somente diferenças para as medidas relativas ao IMPA e ao ângulo inter-incisivos. Os jovens do G2 apresentaram os incisivos mais verticalizados em relação à sua base óssea que o G1. Todas as medidas lineares do G2 encontraram-se maiores que as do G1, mas somente as medidas relativas a Co-A, Co-Gn e diferença maxilo-mandibular apresentaram diferenças estatisticamente significantes.AIM: the aim of this study was to evaluate the antero-posterior cephalometric characteristics in children until primary dentition. METHODS: a group of 42 males, who had normal primary dentition, divided in two groups, one of four year-old boys (n=22 and the other of boys with five years old (n=20, were evaluated to determine cephalometric norms. Simultaneously, groups were evaluated to obtain information about the facial growth on those age. The measurements were taken on lateral cephalograms. Only those who had normal primary dentition and balanced profiles were selected. The cephalometric measurements were SNA, SNB

  18. Volatility of source apportioned wintertime organic aerosol in the city of Athens

    Science.gov (United States)

    Louvaris, Evangelos E.; Florou, Kalliopi; Karnezi, Eleni; Papanastasiou, Dimitrios K.; Gkatzelis, Georgios I.; Pandis, Spyros N.

    2017-06-01

    The volatility distribution of ambient organic aerosol (OA) and its components was measured during the winter of 2013 in the city of Athens combining a thermodenuder (TD) and a High Resolution Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS). Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) analysis of both the ambient and the thermodenuder AMS-spectra resulted in a four-factor solution for the OA, namely: hydrocarbon-like OA (HOA), biomass burning OA (BBOA), cooking OA (COA), and oxygenated OA (OOA). The thermograms of the four factors were analyzed and the corresponding volatility distributions were estimated using the volatility basis set (VBS). All four factors included compounds with a wide range of effective volatilities from 10 to less than 10-4 μg m-3 at 298 K. Almost 40% of the HOA consisted of low-volatility organic compounds (LVOCs) with the semi-volatile compounds (SVOCs) representing roughly 30%, while the remaining 30% consisted of extremely low volatility organic compounds (ELVOCs). BBOA was more volatile than the HOA factor on average, with 10% ELVOCs, 40% LVOCs, and 50% SVOCs. 10% of the COA consisted of ELVOCs, another 65% LVOCs, and 50% SVOCs. Finally, the OOA was the least volatile factor and included 40% ELVOCs, 25% LVOCs, and 35% SVOCs. Combining the volatility distributions and the O:C ratios of the various factors, we placed our results in the 2D-VBS analysis framework of Donahue et al. (2012). HOA and BBOA are in the expected region but also include an ELVOC component. COA is in similar range as HOA, but on average is half an order of magnitude more volatile. The OOA in these wintertime conditions had a moderate O:C ratio and included both semi-volatile and extremely low volatility components. The above results are sensitive to the assumed values of the effective vaporization enthalpy and the accommodation coefficient. A reduction of the accommodation coefficient by an order of magnitude or the reduction of the vaporization enthalpy by 20 kJ mol-1

  19. Highly time-resolved chemical characterization of atmospheric submicron particles during 2008 Beijing Olympic Games using an Aerodyne High-Resolution Aerosol Mass Spectrometer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    X.-F. Huang

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available As part of Campaigns of Air Quality Research in Beijing and Surrounding Region-2008 (CAREBeijing-2008, an Aerodyne High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS was deployed in urban Beijing to characterize submicron aerosol particles during the time of 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (24 July to 20 September 2008. The campaign mean PM1 mass concentration was 63.1 ± 39.8 μg m−3; the mean composition consisted of organics (37.9%, sulfate (26.7%, ammonium (15.9%, nitrate (15.8%, black carbon (3.1%, and chloride (0.87%. The average size distributions of the species (except BC were all dominated by an accumulation mode peaking at about 600 nm in vacuum aerodynamic diameter, and organics was characterized by an additional smaller mode extending below 100 nm. Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF analysis of the high resolution organic mass spectral dataset differentiated the organic aerosol into four components, i.e., hydrocarbon-like (HOA, cooking-related (COA, and two oxygenated organic aerosols (OOA-1 and OOA-2, which on average accounted for 18.1, 24.4, 33.7 and 23.7% of the total organic mass, respectively. The HOA was identified to be closely associated with primary combustion sources, while the COA mass spectrum and diurnal pattern showed similar characteristics to that measured for cooking emissions. The OOA components correspond to aged secondary organic aerosol. Although the two OOA components have similar elemental (O/C, H/C compositions, they display differences in mass spectra and time series which appear to correlate with the different source regions sampled during the campaign. Back trajectory clustering analysis indicated that the southerly air flows were associated with the highest PM1 pollution during the campaign. Aerosol particles in southern airmasses were especially rich in inorganic and oxidized organic species. Aerosol particles in northern airmasses

  20. Highly time-resolved chemical characterization of atmospheric submicron particles during 2008 Beijing Olympic Games using an Aerodyne High-Resolution Aerosol Mass Spectrometer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, X.-F.; He, L.-Y.; Hu, M.; Canagaratna, M. R.; Sun, Y.; Zhang, Q.; Zhu, T.; Xue, L.; Zeng, L.-W.; Liu, X.-G.; Zhang, Y.-H.; Jayne, J. T.; Ng, N. L.; Worsnop, D. R.

    2010-09-01

    As part of Campaigns of Air Quality Research in Beijing and Surrounding Region-2008 (CAREBeijing-2008), an Aerodyne High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS) was deployed in urban Beijing to characterize submicron aerosol particles during the time of 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (24 July to 20 September 2008). The campaign mean PM1 mass concentration was 63.1 ± 39.8 μg m-3; the mean composition consisted of organics (37.9%), sulfate (26.7%), ammonium (15.9%), nitrate (15.8%), black carbon (3.1%), and chloride (0.87%). The average size distributions of the species (except BC) were all dominated by an accumulation mode peaking at about 600 nm in vacuum aerodynamic diameter, and organics was characterized by an additional smaller mode extending below 100 nm. Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) analysis of the high resolution organic mass spectral dataset differentiated the organic aerosol into four components, i.e., hydrocarbon-like (HOA), cooking-related (COA), and two oxygenated organic aerosols (OOA-1 and OOA-2), which on average accounted for 18.1, 24.4, 33.7 and 23.7% of the total organic mass, respectively. The HOA was identified to be closely associated with primary combustion sources, while the COA mass spectrum and diurnal pattern showed similar characteristics to that measured for cooking emissions. The OOA components correspond to aged secondary organic aerosol. Although the two OOA components have similar elemental (O/C, H/C) compositions, they display differences in mass spectra and time series which appear to correlate with the different source regions sampled during the campaign. Back trajectory clustering analysis indicated that the southerly air flows were associated with the highest PM1 pollution during the campaign. Aerosol particles in southern airmasses were especially rich in inorganic and oxidized organic species. Aerosol particles in northern airmasses contained a large fraction of primary HOA

  1. Maturidade emocional e avaliação comportamental de crianças filhas de alcoolistas Emotional maturity and behavioral assessment of children of alcoholics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joseane de Souza

    2005-08-01

    Full Text Available Filhos de alcoolistas têm sido apontados como mais vulneráveis ao desenvolvimento de problemas emocionais e comportamentais. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar comparativamente filhos de alcoolistas e filhos de não-alcoolistas nos aspectos cognitivo e emocional, através do Teste Desenho da Figura Humana, e comportamental, segundo a percepção das mães, utilizando-se a Escala Comportamental de Rutter. Os sujeitos foram 20 filhos de alcoolistas e 20 filhos de não-alcoolistas, com idades entre 9 e 12 anos, matriculados no Ensino Fundamental. Cada grupo foi formado de 10 meninos e 10 meninas. Na análise dos resultados, filhos de alcoolistas apresentaram diferença estatisticamente significativa nos aspectos emocional e comportamental. Eles revelaram timidez, insegurança e baixa auto-estima. Segundo as mães, mostraram: impaciência, irritação, agitação, desobediência e dependência. As meninas filhas de alcoolistas apresentaram mais problemas emocionais e de comportamento que as meninas filhas de não-alcoolistas. Neste trabalho as meninas se revelaram mais vulneráveis que os meninos nos domínios emocional e comportamental.Children of alcoholics (COAs have been found to be more vulnerable to emotional and behavioral problems. This study had the aim to assess comparatively children of alcoholics and children of nonalcoholics. The Human Figure Drawing Test was used to assess their cognitive and emotional aspects. To assess mother's behavioral aspects the Rutter's Scale was used. Subjects: 20 children of alcoholics (COAs and 20 children of nonalcoholics (Non-COAs, 9 to 12 years of age, enrolled at elementary school. Each group was composed of 10 boys and 10 girls. Results: children of alcoholics showed difference statistically significant in emotional and behavioral aspects. They showed: shyness, insecurity and low self-esteem. According their mothers opinion they are: impatient, irritable, agitated, disobedient and

  2. Feasibility of a semi-automated contrast-oriented algorithm for tumor segmentation in retrospectively gated PET images: phantom and clinical validation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carles, Montserrat; Fechter, Tobias; Nemer, Ursula; Nanko, Norbert; Mix, Michael; Nestle, Ursula; Schaefer, Andrea

    2015-12-01

    PET/CT plays an important role in radiotherapy planning for lung tumors. Several segmentation algorithms have been proposed for PET tumor segmentation. However, most of them do not take into account respiratory motion and are not well validated. The aim of this work was to evaluate a semi-automated contrast-oriented algorithm (COA) for PET tumor segmentation adapted to retrospectively gated (4D) images. The evaluation involved a wide set of 4D-PET/CT acquisitions of dynamic experimental phantoms and lung cancer patients. In addition, segmentation accuracy of 4D-COA was compared with four other state-of-the-art algorithms. In phantom evaluation, the physical properties of the objects defined the gold standard. In clinical evaluation, the ground truth was estimated by the STAPLE (Simultaneous Truth and Performance Level Estimation) consensus of three manual PET contours by experts. Algorithm evaluation with phantoms resulted in: (i) no statistically significant diameter differences for different targets and movements (Δ φ =0.3+/- 1.6 mm); (ii) reproducibility for heterogeneous and irregular targets independent of user initial interaction and (iii) good segmentation agreement for irregular targets compared to manual CT delineation in terms of Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC  =  0.66+/- 0.04 ), Positive Predictive Value (PPV  =  0.81+/- 0.06 ) and Sensitivity (Sen.  =  0.49+/- 0.05 ). In clinical evaluation, the segmented volume was in reasonable agreement with the consensus volume (difference in volume (%Vol)  =  40+/- 30 , DSC  =  0.71+/- 0.07 and PPV  =  0.90+/- 0.13 ). High accuracy in target tracking position (Δ ME) was obtained for experimental and clinical data (Δ ME{{}\\text{exp}}=0+/- 3 mm; Δ ME{{}\\text{clin}}=0.3+/- 1.4 mm). In the comparison with other lung segmentation methods, 4D-COA has shown the highest volume accuracy in both experimental and clinical data. In conclusion, the accuracy in volume

  3. Fermentation and genomic analysis of acetone-uncoupled butanol production by Clostridium tetanomorphum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gong, Fuyu; Bao, Guanhui; Zhao, Chunhua; Zhang, Yanping; Li, Yin; Dong, Hongjun

    2016-02-01

    In typical acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation, acetone is the main by-product (50 % of butanol mass) of butanol production, resulting in a low yield of butanol. It is known that some Clostridium tetanomorphum strains are able to produce butanol without acetone in nature. Here, we described that C. tetanomorphum strain DSM665 can produce 4.16 g/L butanol and 4.98 g/L ethanol at pH 6.0, and 9.81 g/L butanol and 1.01 g/L ethanol when adding 1 mM methyl viologen. Butyrate and acetate could be reassimilated and no acetone was produced. Further analysis indicated that the activity of the acetate/butyrate:acetoacetyl-CoA transferase responsible for acetone production is lost in C. tetanomorphum DSM665. The genome of C. tetanomorphum DSM665 was sequenced and deposited in DDBJ, EMBL, and GenBank under the accession no. APJS00000000. Sequence analysis indicated that there are no typical genes (ctfA/B and adc) that are typically parts of an acetone synthesis pathway in C. tetanomorphum DSM665. This work provides new insights in the mechanism of clostridial butanol production and should prove useful for the design of a high-butanol-producing strain.

  4. Assessment of Logistics Effectiveness for Expeditionary Units

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-12-01

    CFO Chief Financial Officer CJSOTF Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force CNO Chief of Naval Operations CO Commanding Officer COA Course...status, contrary to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Act of 1990. By signing the CFO Act of 1990, President Bush required that “the government use...www.dtic.mil/doctrine/new_pubs/jp3_42.pdf Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990, Pub. L. No. 101-576 (1990). Retrieved from https://govinfo.library.unt.edu/npr

  5. Heavy metal, trace element and petroleum hydrocarbon pollution in the Arabian Gulf: Review

    OpenAIRE

    Afnan Mahmood Freije

    2015-01-01

    The Arabian Gulf environmental status was assessed based on studies conducted in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates (UAE) during 1983–2011. This review examines all sorts of pollutions in the Arabian Gulf area over the last three decades. Approximately 50 published studies were reviewed in order to determine the pollution status in the Arabian Gulf regarding heavy metals and organic substances. Three types of environmental pollutions including marine and coas...

  6. Reaction Intermediate Analogues as Bisubstrate Inhibitors of Pantothenate Synthetase

    OpenAIRE

    Xu, Zhixiang; Yin, Wei; Martinelli, Leonardo K.; Evans, Joanna; Chen, Jinglei; Yu, Yang; Wilson, Daniel J.; Mizrahi, Valerie; Qiao, Chunhua; Aldrich, Courtney C.

    2014-01-01

    The biosynthesis of pantothenate, the core of coenzyme A (CoA), has been considered an attractive target for the development of antimicrobial agents since this pathway is essential in prokaryotes, but absent in mammals. Pantothenate synthetase, encoded by the gene panC, catalyzes the final condensation of pantoic acid with β–alanine to afford pantothenate via an intermediate pantoyl adenylate. We describe the synthesis and biochemical characterization of five PanC inhibitors that mimic the in...

  7. The Host Plant Metabolite Glucose Is the Precursor of Diffusible Signal Factor (DSF) Family Signals in Xanthomonas campestris

    OpenAIRE

    Deng, Yinyue; Liu, Xiaoling; Wu, Ji'en; Lee, Jasmine; Chen, Shaohua; Cheng, Yingying; Zhang, Chunyan; Zhang, Lian-Hui

    2015-01-01

    Plant pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris produces cis-11-methyl-2-dodecenoic acid (diffusible signal factor [DSF]) as a cell-cell communication signal to regulate biofilm dispersal and virulence factor production. Previous studies have demonstrated that DSF biosynthesis is dependent on the presence of RpfF, an enoyl-coenzyme A (CoA) hydratase, but the DSF synthetic mechanism and the influence of the host plant on DSF biosynthesis are still not clear. We show here that exogenous ad...

  8. Higher order monochromatic aberrations of the human infant eye

    OpenAIRE

    Wang, Jingyun; Candy, T. Rowan

    2005-01-01

    The monochromatic optical aberrations of the eye degrade retinal image quality. Any significant aberrations during postnatal development could contribute to infants’ immature visual performance and provide signals for the control of eye growth. Aberrations of human infant eyes from 5 to 7 weeks old were compared with those of adult subjects using a model of an adultlike infant eye that accounted for differences in both eye and pupil size. Data were collected using the COAS Shack-Hartmann wave...

  9. NRC/AMRMC Resident Research Associateship Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-05-01

    pnenotypes of SAÞN-speciiic f- ielt populations ano proüeä thäi Coa+ T-cells fiöm mice immuniied I with SAPN are able to, by themselves, induce sterile...knowledge and skills to my repertoire. Publishable results followed shortly and the opportunity to write book chapters also markedly increased. LONGTERMVALUE...vaccine efficacy resulting from the addition of mosquito saliva 6) The youngest investigator at the WRAIR to successfully write and complete a non

  10. Summer U.S. Surface Air Temperature Variability: Controlling Factors and AMIP Simulation Biases

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merrifield, A.; Xie, S. P.

    2016-02-01

    This study documents and investigates biases in simulating summer surface air temperature (SAT) variability over the continental U.S. in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP). Empirical orthogonal function (EOF) and multivariate regression analyses are used to assess the relative importance of circulation and the land surface feedback at setting summer SAT over a 30-year period (1979-2008). In observations, regions of high SAT variability are closely associated with midtropospheric highs and subsidence, consistent with adiabatic theory (Meehl and Tebaldi 2004, Lau and Nath 2012). Preliminary analysis shows the majority of the AMIP models feature high SAT variability over the central U.S., displaced south and/or west of observed centers of action (COAs). SAT COAs in models tend to be concomitant with regions of high sensible heat flux variability, suggesting an excessive land surface feedback in these models modulate U.S. summer SAT. Additionally, tropical sea surface temperatures (SSTs) play a role in forcing the leading EOF mode for summer SAT, in concert with internal atmospheric variability. There is evidence that models respond to different SST patterns than observed. Addressing issues with the bulk land surface feedback and the SST-forced component of atmospheric variability may be key to improving model skill in simulating summer SAT variability over the U.S.

  11. Activities of acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) and phospholipid:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (PDAT) in microsomal preparations of developing sunflower and safflower seeds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banaś, Walentyna; Sanchez Garcia, Alicia; Banaś, Antoni; Stymne, Sten

    2013-06-01

    The last step in triacylglycerols (TAG) biosynthesis in oil seeds, the acylation of diacylglycerols (DAG), is catalysed by two types of enzymes: the acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) and phospholipid:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (PDAT). The relative contribution of these enzymes in the synthesis of TAG has not yet been defined in any plant tissue. In the presented work, microsomal preparations were obtained from sunflower and safflower seeds at different stages of development and used in DGAT and PDAT enzyme assays. The ratio between PDAT and DGAT activity differed dramatically between the two different species. DGAT activities were measured with two different acyl acceptors and assay methods using two different acyl-CoAs, and in all cases the ratio of PDAT to DGAT activity was significantly higher in safflower than sunflower. The sunflower DGAT, measured by both methods, showed significant higher activity with 18:2-CoA than with 18:1-CoA, whereas the opposite specificity was seen with the safflower enzyme. The specificities of PDAT on the other hand, were similar in both species with 18:2-phosphatidylcholine being a better acyl donor than 18:1-PC and with acyl groups at the sn-2 position utilised about fourfold the rate of the sn-1 position. No DAG:DAG transacylase activity could be detected in the microsomal preparations.

  12. Usefulness of multidetector-row computed tomography (MD-CT) for diagnosis and evaluation of cardiovascular anomalies in infants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kani, Hiroyuki; Narabayashi, Isamu; Tanikake, Masato; Matsuki, Mitsuru; Uesugi, Yasuo

    2005-01-01

    We examined the effectiveness of multidetector-row CT (MD-CT) in the diagnosis and evaluation of cardiovascular anomalies in infants. MD-CT was performed 34 times on 21 patients with cardiovascular anomalies. We performed three evaluations: 1) The assessment of the specificity of MD-CT in detecting the morphological features of cardiovascular anomalies. 2) The diameters of aortae with coronary artery (CoA), and the diameters of pulmonary artery, measured by using MD-CT were compared with those by angiography. 3) The amount of exposure to radiation was measured. 1) MD-CT can detect CoA, pulmonary arteriovenous anomalies among extracardiac anomalies in all the patients. The diagnostic accuracy for intracardiac anomalies was poor as only six of the 15 anomalies could be accurately diagnosed. 2) The diameters of aortae and pulmonary artery obtained using MD-CT showed a good correlation with those obtained using arteriography (r=0.97, 0.95). 3) The average dose-length product was 269.2 mGy·cm. And the average effective dose was 5.1 mSv. MD-CT is not suitable for the evaluation of intracardiac anomalies, but is extremely effective in the evaluation of extracardiac major vascular anomalies. On the basis of the amount of information and noninvasive nature, MD-CT should be used first before angiography. (author)

  13. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in cows with mastitis, the presence of the mecA gene and the gene for virulence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vesna Jaki Tkalec

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available The physiological properties of 47 Staphylococcus aureus strains were investigated. The test strains were grown on bacteriological media and identified by the ID32 STAF system for biochemical identification of bacteria. Sensitivity to antimicrobial agents was performed by the disc diffusion method. The nuc gene and the virulence factors coa, hla, hlb, hld, hlg, hlg-2, tst, eta, etb, lukF-PV and lukS-PV and mecA gene were detected by the polymerase chain reaction. Furthermore, the spa type of the studied isolates was also set. According to the obtained results, all strains had the nuc, coa, hla and hld gene. Ten strains (21.3 % had also the tst gene, while 37 strains (78.7 % had the hlg gene and 35 strains (74.5 % had the hlb and hlg-2 genes. All of the investigated S. aureus isolates were penicillin resistant (100 %, with 29 strains which were also resistant to oxacillin (61.7 %. Methicillin (oxacillin resistance was detected by the mecA gene detection, which is also the first MRSA result from the secretion samples of cows’ mammary glands in Croatia. The researched MRSA strains proved to belong to different spa types, and the most common were spa types t005, t011 and t521, and a new spa type t9498 was detected.

  14. Epidemiological investigation of nosocomial outbreak of staphylococcal skin diseases in neonatal ward.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurlenda, J; Grinholc, M; Krzysztoń-Russjan, J; Wiśniewska, K

    2009-05-01

    During a 1-month period, eight neonates developed staphylococcal skin disease diagnosed as a bullous impetigo in the maternity unit of the Provincial Hospital in Gdansk. An epidemiological investigation based on phenotyping and genotyping methods was performed. All neonates involved in the outbreak, their mothers and 15 staff members were screened for carriage of Staphylococcus aureus by nasal swabs. Isolated strains were compared with strains cultured from affected skin and purulent conjunctiva of infected newborns. Isolates were analyzed for the presence of the etA and etB genes using polymerase chain reaction and genotyped by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and coa gene polymorphism. The analyzed S. aureus strains were methicillin-sensitive and could be divided into two groups according to antibiotyping, phage typing, coa polymorphism and PFGE pattern. The first group consisted of etA and etB negative strains, and the second one involved only the etB positive ones. Our results have shown that there were two different clusters of infection caused by two populations of S. aureus strains. Among the 15 medical staff members screened we have found seven carriers. However, phage typing revealed that distinct strains unrelated to the outbreak isolates were carried. Although we have not been able to establish the source of bacteria involved in the outbreak, our results suggest that for both groups, mothers could be the source of the infecting strains.

  15. Bone geometry, strength, and muscle size in runners with a history of stress fracture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Popp, Kristin L; Hughes, Julie M; Smock, Amanda J; Novotny, Susan A; Stovitz, Steven D; Koehler, Scott M; Petit, Moira A

    2009-12-01

    Our primary aim was to explore differences in estimates of tibial bone strength, in female runners with and without a history of stress fractures. Our secondary aim was to explore differences in bone geometry, volumetric density, and muscle size that may explain bone strength outcomes. A total of 39 competitive distance runners aged 18-35 yr, with (SFX, n = 19) or without (NSFX, n = 20) a history of stress fracture were recruited for this cross-sectional study. Peripheral quantitative computed tomography (XCT 3000; Orthometrix, White Plains, NY) was used to assess volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD, mg x mm(-3)), bone area (ToA, mm(2)), and estimated compressive bone strength (bone strength index (BSI) = ToA x total volumetric density (ToD(2))) at the distal tibia (4%). Total (ToA, mm(2)) and cortical (CoA, mm(2)) bone area, cortical vBMD, and estimated bending strength (strength-strain index (SSIp), mm(3)) were measured at the 15%, 25%, 33%, 45%, 50%, and 66% sites. Muscle cross-sectional area (MCSA) was measured at the 50% and 66% sites. Participants in the SFX group had significantly smaller (7%-8%) CoA at the 45%, 50%, and 66% sites (P stress fracture. However, the lower strength was appropriate for the smaller muscle size, suggesting that interventions to reduce stress fracture risk might be aimed at improving muscle size and strength.

  16. Feeding alters blood flow patterns in the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Findsen, Anders; Crossley, Dane A; Wang, Tobias

    2018-01-01

    The crocodilian cardiovascular design with a four-chambered heart and a left aorta that emerge from the right ventricle allows blood to be shunted away from the lungs, a right-to-left (R-L) shunt. The adaptive significance of this R-L shunt remains both poorly understood and controversial with particular debate on its putative role during digestion. Here we measure blood flow patterns in the right aorta (RAo), left aorta (LAo) and the coeliac artery (CoA) of undisturbed American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) during fasting and throughout most of the digestive period. Digestion doubled blood flow in the RAo (10.1±0.9 to 20.7±1.5mlmin -1 kg -1 ), whereas LAo increased approximately 3-fold (3.8±0.6 to 12.2±2.1mlmin -1 kg -1 ). Blood flow in the CoA increased more than four-fold during digestion (3.0±0.6 to 13.3±1.6mlmin -1 kg -1 ). The rise in blood flows was achieved by a doubling of heart rate (18.5±3.3 to 37.8±3.6mlmin -1 kg -1 ). Maximal flows measured in all arteries and heart rate occurred in the first hour of the postprandial period and continued for the next 7h. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. ¿Pueden las autoevaluaciones del alumnado ser la nota final de una asignatura?: el caso de biogerontología Is it possible to assume the autoevaluation of the students as the final mark of a subject?: the case of biogerontology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dámaso Crespo

    2003-03-01

    Full Text Available Presentamos un estudio de la correlación entre las calificaciones objetivas (CO en una prueba tipo test de los estudiantes en la asignatura optativa Biogerontología con las autoevaluaciones subjetivas (AS que los alumnos se asignaron tras la realización de la prueba y la que consideraron se merecían con relación al esfuerzo (AE realizado para preparar dicha materia. El estadístico utilizado ha sido el coeficiente de correlación (rxy. Los resultados obtenidos muestran una alta correlación rxy = 0,77 cuando se comparan AS-AE. Sin embargo, rxy es muy bajo para los pares de valores CO-AS(0,05 y CO-AE (-0,07. Existen diferencias significativas (pThis study correlates the marks obtained in the test of the optative subject Biogerontology (CO, and those self-attributed by a group of students upon level of study (AS and dedication (AE to the subject. Statistical analysis used the correlation coefficient (rxy. The results showed a low correlation when CO-AS (0.05 and CO-AE (-0.07 marks were compared (p<0.05. A high value (0.77 was obtained when both subjective marks were compared (AS-AE. Our results well suggest that subjective marks should not be used as the final marks in this subject.

  18. J-integral evaluation and stability analysis in the unstable ductile fracture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miyoshi, Toshiro; Yoshida, Yuichiro; Shiratori, Masaki.

    1984-01-01

    Concerning unstable ductile fracture, which is an important problem on the structural stability of line pipes, nuclear reactor piping and so on, the research on fracture mechanics parameters which control the beginning of the stable growth and unstable growth of cracks attracts interest. At present, as the parameters, the T-modulus based on J-integral crack tip opening angle, crack opening angle averaged over crack developing part, plastic work coefficient and so on have been proposed. The research on the effectiveness and inter-relation of these parameters is divided into generation phase and application phase, and by these researches, it was reported that all T-modulus, CTOA and COA took almost constant values in relation to crack development, except initial transition period. In order to decide which parameter is most appropriate, the detailed analysis is required. In this study, the analysis of unstable ductile fracture of a central crack test piece and a small tensile test piece was carried out by finite element method, and the evaluation of J-integral in relation to crack development, J-integral resistance value when COA is assumed to be a constant, the form of an unstable fracture occurring point and the compliance dependence were examined. The method of analysis, the evaluation of J-integral, J-integral resistance value, unstable fracture occurring point and stability diagram are described. (Kako, I.)

  19. Post-release monitoring of Antillean manatees: an assessment of the Brazilian rehabilitation and release programme

    Science.gov (United States)

    Normande, Iran C.; Malhado, Ana C. M.; Reid, James P.; Viana Junior, P.C.; Savaget, P. V. S.; Correia, R. A.; Luna, F. O.; R. J. Ladle,

    2016-01-01

    Mammalian reintroduction programmes frequently aim to reconnect isolated sub-populations and restore population viability. However, these long-term objectives are rarely evaluated due to the inadequacy of post-release monitoring. Here, we report the results of a unique long term telemetry-based monitoring programme for rehabilitated Antillean manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus) reintroduced into selected sites in northeast Brazil with the aim of reconnecting isolated relict populations. Twenty-one satellite-tagged rehabilitated manatees, 13 males and 8 females, were released into the wild from two sites between November 2008 and June 2013. Individual accumulation curves were plotted and home ranges were calculated through the fixed kernel method using 95% of the utilization distribution. The number and size of the Centres of Activity (COAs) were calculated using 50% of the utilization distribution. Manatees displayed a dichotomous pattern of movement, with individuals either characterized by sedentary habits or by much more extensive movements. Moreover, home range size was not significantly influenced by gender, age at release or release site. COAs were strongly associated with sheltered conditions within reefs and estuaries, and also by the presence of freshwater and feeding sites. Our data confirm that manatee reintroductions in Brazil have the potential to reconnect distant sub-populations. However, pre-release identification of potential long-distance migrants is currently unfeasible, and further analysis would be required to confirm genetic mixing of distant sub-populations.

  20. Development of an orthopedic surgery trauma patient handover checklist.

    Science.gov (United States)

    LeBlanc, Justin; Donnon, Tyrone; Hutchison, Carol; Duffy, Paul

    2014-02-01

    In surgery, preoperative handover of surgical trauma patients is a process that must be made as safe as possible. We sought to determine vital clinical information to be transferred between patient care teams and to develop a standardized handover checklist. We conducted standardized small-group interviews about trauma patient handover. Based on this information, we created a questionnaire to gather perspectives from all Canadian Orthopaedic Association (COA) members about which topics they felt would be most important on a handover checklist. We analyzed the responses to develop a standardized handover checklist. Of the 1106 COA members, 247 responded to the questionnaire. The top 7 topics felt to be most important for achieving patient safety in the handover were comorbidities, diagnosis, readiness for the operating room, stability, associated injuries, history/mechanism of injury and outstanding issues. The expert recommendations were to have handover completed the same way every day, all appropriate radiographs available, adequate time, all appropriate laboratory work and more time to spend with patients with more severe illness. Our main recommendations for safe handover are to use standardized checklists specific to the patient and site needs. We provide an example of a standardized checklist that should be used for preoperative handovers. To our knowledge, this is the first checklist for handover developed by a group of experts in orthopedic surgery, which is both manageable in length and simple to use.

  1. Two Distinct Coagulase-Dependent Barriers Protect Staphylococcus aureus from Neutrophils in a Three Dimensional in vitro Infection Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guggenberger, Christoph; Wolz, Christiane; Morrissey, Julie A.; Heesemann, Jürgen

    2012-01-01

    Staphylococcus aureus is a pyogenic abscess-forming facultative pathogenic microorganism expressing a large set of virulence-associated factors. Among these, secreted proteins with binding capacity to plasma proteins (e.g. fibrinogen binding proteins Eap and Emp) and prothrombin activators such as Coagulase (Coa) and vWbp are involved in abscess formation. By using a three-dimensional collagen gel (3D-CoG) supplemented with fibrinogen (Fib) we studied the growth behavior of S. aureus strain Newman and a set of mutants as well as their interaction with mouse neutrophils by real-time confocal microscopy. In 3D-CoG/Fib, S. aureus forms microcolonies which are surrounded by an inner pseudocapsule and an extended outer dense microcolony-associated meshwork (MAM) containing fibrin. Coa is involved in formation of the pseudocapsule whereas MAM formation depends on vWbp. Moreover, agr-dependent dispersal of late stage microcolonies could be observed. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the pseudocapsule and the MAM act as mechanical barriers against neutrophils attracted to the microcolony. The thrombin inhibitor argatroban is able to prevent formation of both pseudocapsule and MAM and supports access of neutrophils to staphylococci. Taken together, this model can simulate specific stages of S. aureus abscess formation by temporal dissection of bacterial growth and recruitment of immune cells. It can complement established animal infection models in the development of new treatment options. PMID:22253592

  2. Canada's Response to the Recommendations in the Tenth Biennial Report on Great Lakes Water Quality of the International Joint Commission

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2001-07-01

    The Government of Canada and Ontario are currently renegotiating the Canada-Ontario Agreement Respecting the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem (COA). They are committed to restoring and maintaining the basin's chemical, physical and biological integrity and ensuring that it has a healthy, sustainable future. The COA has established a strategic framework for coordinated federal-provincial responsibilities regarding the Great Lakes basin ecosystem. This document presents responses to the recommendations of the International Joint Commission's (IJC) Tenth Biennial Report on how to improve the performance and effectiveness of government programs such as the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. According to the IJC, there are many challenges ahead, including: cleanup of Canadian Areas of Concern; controlling and preventing the further introduction of exotic species; mitigating the impact of rapid urban growth on environmental conditions throughout the basin; and reducing contaminants transported in the atmosphere over long distances to the Great Lakes. This document presented the government's responses to each of the following IJC recommendations regarding remedial action plans, threats to human health with respect to consumption of fish, contaminated sediment, airborne toxic substances, Great Lakes binational toxics strategy, land use, alien invasive species, and information and data management. IJC also recommended that indicators should be reported regarding whether the Great Lakes surface waters are suitable for drinking, swimming and whether fish are edible.

  3. A variable structure fuzzy neural network model of squamous dysplasia and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma based on a global chaotic optimization algorithm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moghtadaei, Motahareh; Hashemi Golpayegani, Mohammad Reza; Malekzadeh, Reza

    2013-02-07

    Identification of squamous dysplasia and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is of great importance in prevention of cancer incidence. Computer aided algorithms can be very useful for identification of people with higher risks of squamous dysplasia, and ESCC. Such method can limit the clinical screenings to people with higher risks. Different regression methods have been used to predict ESCC and dysplasia. In this paper, a Fuzzy Neural Network (FNN) model is selected for ESCC and dysplasia prediction. The inputs to the classifier are the risk factors. Since the relation between risk factors in the tumor system has a complex nonlinear behavior, in comparison to most of ordinary data, the cost function of its model can have more local optimums. Thus the need for global optimization methods is more highlighted. The proposed method in this paper is a Chaotic Optimization Algorithm (COA) proceeding by the common Error Back Propagation (EBP) local method. Since the model has many parameters, we use a strategy to reduce the dependency among parameters caused by the chaotic series generator. This dependency was not considered in the previous COA methods. The algorithm is compared with logistic regression model as the latest successful methods of ESCC and dysplasia prediction. The results represent a more precise prediction with less mean and variance of error. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Abstracts of Plenary Lectures and Posters. International Symposium of the Structure and Function of Plant Lipids (7th) held in Davis, California on July 27-August 1, 1986,

    Science.gov (United States)

    1986-08-01

    IAA) on pea (Pisum sativum L.) stems have shown that within one hour of treatment a decrease of incorporation of [l 4 Cjcholine into...the results were similar as obtained in the in vivo experiment. 94 PYL-CoA ELONGATION SYSTEI4S IN Allium porrum MICROSC14ES. R. Lessire, J.J...demonstrated that C1 s-CoA and C20 -CoA are the best substrates for exogenous acyl-CoA elongation, using Allium porrur epidermal cell microscrmes as the

  5. Microarray Beads for Identifying Blood Group Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms

    OpenAIRE

    Drago, Francesca; Karpasitou, Katerina; Poli, Francesca

    2009-01-01

    We have developed a high-throughput system for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping of alleles of diverse blood group systems exploiting Luminex technology. The method uses specific oligonucleotide probes coupled to a specific array of fluorescent microspheres and is designed for typing Jka/Jkb, Fya/Fyb, S/s, K/k, Kpa/Kpb, Jsa/Jsb, Coa/Cob and Lua/Lub alleles. Briefly, two multiplex PCR reactions (PCR I and PCR II) according to the laboratory specific needs are set up. PCR I amplif...

  6. CMOS Current-mode Operational Amplifier

    OpenAIRE

    Kaulberg, Thomas

    1992-01-01

    A fully differential-input differential-output current-mode operational amplifier (COA) is described. The amplifier utilizes three second generation current-conveyors (CCII) as the basic building blocks. It can be configured to provide either a constant gain-bandwidth product in a fully balanced current-mode feedback amplifier or a constant bandwidth in a transimpedance feedback amplifier. The amplifier is found to have a gain bandwidth product of 8 MHz, an offset current of 0.8 ¿A (signal-r...

  7. RNAi down-regulation of cinnamate-4-hydroxylase increases artemisinin biosynthesis in Artemisia annua

    OpenAIRE

    Kumar, Ritesh; Vashisth, Divya; Misra, Amita; Akhtar, Md Qussen; Jalil, Syed Uzma; Shanker, Karuna; Gupta, Madan Mohan; Rout, Prashant Kumar; Gupta, Anil Kumar; Shasany, Ajit Kumar

    2016-01-01

    Cinnamate-4-hydroxylase (C4H) converts trans-cinnamic acid (CA) to p-coumaric acid (COA) in the phenylpropanoid/lignin biosynthesis pathway. Earlier we reported increased expression of AaCYP71AV1 (an important gene of artemisinin biosynthesis pathway) caused by CA treatment in Artemisia annua. Hence, AaC4H gene was identified, cloned, characterized and silenced in A. annua with the assumption that the elevated internal CA due to knock down may increase the artemisinin yield. Accumulation of t...

  8. Purification and properties of a mitochondrial lipoprotein inhibitor of sterol synthesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Madhosingh, C.; Migicovsky, B.B.; Starratt, A.N.

    1976-01-01

    A lipoprotein inhibitor of hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA reductase (EC 1.1.1.34) and of cholesterol synthesis by rat liver homogenates, was isolated from the mitochondria of starved rats' livers. The isolated lipoprotein complex contained a low molecular weight protein and fatty acids. The fatty acids identified were arachidonic, linoleic, oleic, stearic and palmitic. The saturated fatty acids and oleic acid did not inhibit. Inhibition of the enzyme was to a large extent related to the degree of fatty acid unsaturation. (auth.)

  9. Analysis of hydroxycinnamic acid degradation in Agrobacterium fabrum reveals a coenzyme A-dependent, beta-oxidative deacetylation pathway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campillo, Tony; Renoud, Sébastien; Kerzaon, Isabelle; Vial, Ludovic; Baude, Jessica; Gaillard, Vincent; Bellvert, Floriant; Chamignon, Cécile; Comte, Gilles; Nesme, Xavier; Lavire, Céline; Hommais, Florence

    2014-06-01

    The soil- and rhizosphere-inhabiting bacterium Agrobacterium fabrum (genomospecies G8 of the Agrobacterium tumefaciens species complex) is known to have species-specific genes involved in ferulic acid degradation. Here, we characterized, by genetic and analytical means, intermediates of degradation as feruloyl coenzyme A (feruloyl-CoA), 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl-β-hydroxypropionyl-CoA, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl-β-ketopropionyl-CoA, vanillic acid, and protocatechuic acid. The genes atu1416, atu1417, and atu1420 have been experimentally shown to be necessary for the degradation of ferulic acid. Moreover, the genes atu1415 and atu1421 have been experimentally demonstrated to be essential for this degradation and are proposed to encode a phenylhydroxypropionyl-CoA dehydrogenase and a 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl-β-ketopropionic acid (HMPKP)-CoA β-keto-thiolase, respectively. We thus demonstrated that the A. fabrum hydroxycinnamic degradation pathway is an original coenzyme A-dependent β-oxidative deacetylation that could also transform p-coumaric and caffeic acids. Finally, we showed that this pathway enables the metabolism of toxic compounds from plants and their use for growth, likely providing the species an ecological advantage in hydroxycinnamic-rich environments, such as plant roots or decaying plant materials.

  10. Selected Manpower Statistics, FY-66

    Science.gov (United States)

    1967-04-11

    H H H co ovq qco H «H ft ft f-l 21 > §1 O-» -1 ei IAON 6<Ö l^«AvO ft ROCOCO ft M M H rH oo OKONOO>« ^> lit- pi §1 ^’ «A »A o! ni t-t-r-oo...OH co rococo tntn 1*1 I O T) 4) PM 41 osocoir» OOOJ-I-I covo^ CM r^c\\coa> ovcaoo OifiCTNvß t-t^(J\\o

  11. Structural and Biochemical Studies of a Fluoroacetyl-CoA-Specific Thioesterase Reveal a Molecular Basis for Fluorine Selectivity†,‡

    OpenAIRE

    Weeks, Amy M.; Coyle, Scott M.; Jinek, Martin; Doudna, Jennifer A.; Chang, Michelle C. Y.

    2010-01-01

    We have initiated a broad-based program aimed at understanding the molecular basis of fluorine specificity in enzymatic systems, and in this context, we report crystallographic and biochemical studies on a fluoroacetyl-coenzyme A (CoA) specific thioesterase (FlK) from Streptomyces cattleya. Our data establish that FlK is competent to protect its host from fluoroacetate toxicity in vivo and demonstrate a 106-fold discrimination between fluoroacetyl-CoA(kcat/KM=5×107M−1 s−1) and acetyl-CoA(kcat...

  12. Complex Binding of the FabR Repressor of Bacterial Unsaturated Fatty Acid Biosynthesis to its Cognate Promoters

    OpenAIRE

    Feng, Youjun; Cronan, John E.

    2011-01-01

    Two transcriptional regulators, the FadR activator and the FabR repressor control biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids in Escherichia coli. FabR represses expression of the two genes, fabA and fabB, required for unsaturated fatty acid synthesis and has been reported to require the presence of an unsaturated thioester (of either acyl carrier protein or CoA) in order to bind the fabA and fabB promoters in vitro. We report in vivo experiments in which unsaturated fatty acid synthesis was bloc...

  13. UAS Research - Who's Doing What?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hackenberg, Davis

    2018-01-01

    This presentation includes the UAS-Enabled Market Categories used in Study, as well as the reason for the UAS-NAS NO Chase COA flight. It discusses the transitioning of a UA from different airspaces. UAS Integration is a community wide effort, and the FAA Symposium provides attendees with the opportunity to engage face-to-face with a cross-section of government and industry leaders and innovators about the latest industry developments, regulations, research, and other initiatives to safely integrate UAS into the National Airspace System (NAS).

  14. About Cryptanalysis of One Fully Homomorphic Cryptosystem Based on Factorization Problem

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alina Viktorovna Trepacheva

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available We present a known plaintext attack (KPA on a recently proposed fully homomorphic cryptosystem (FHC, based on the problem of big integers factoring. We show that the considered FHC is insecure against KPA even if only one pair (plaintext, ciphertext was intercepted by an adversary. The complexity of the proposed KPA depends polynomially on the parameters of FHC and logarithmically on the size of plaintexts space. Also we discuss how ciphertexts only attack (COA on this FHC may be reduced to KPA.

  15. CoasTing: un Ambicioso Programa de Investigación que Combinó Diferentes Estrategias

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gustavo Arias Masis

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Después de dos décadas de no presentarse un cambio radical en el mercado de las bicicletas en Estados Unidos, en el 2002 surgió un programa de investigación con el objetivo de modificar la visión del negocio de bicicletas en ese mercado y provocar sinergias entre actores de la cadena de valor de este producto (proveedores, fabricantes, distribuidores, vendedores y clientes. Se trata de un caso en que se combinaron una serie de estrategias, impulsadas por el proveedor líder de componentes para bicicletas (Shimano, con el propósito de enfrentar nuevas condiciones y oportunidades que este proveedor percibió, y que afectarían el negocio de las bicicletas en ese país. El programa no sólo creó un producto innovador, sino también determinó que se debía ir más allá del producto tangible.   Este artículo se basa en distintas publicaciones con el fin mostrar el contexto, las estrategias y las lecciones que se derivaron de esta experiencia empresarial.   ABSTRACT After two decades with no radical change in the bicycle market in the USA, a research program arose in 2002 with the aim to modify that sector’s business vision for and to stimulate synergies among the different participants in this product’s value chain (suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, salespersons and customers. It is a case in which several strategies were combined, triggered by the leading supplier of bicycle components (Shimano, to face new limitations and opportunities that this supplier observed would affect the bicycle business in that country. The program not only created an innovative product, but also established that business practice should go beyond the tangible product. This article is based in several publications with the goal to show the span, strategies and lessons derived from the business experience.

  16. ACTRIS ACSM intercomparison - Part 2: Intercomparison of ME-2 organic source apportionment results from 15 individual, co-located aerosol mass spectrometers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fröhlich, R.; Crenn, V.; Setyan, A.; Belis, C. A.; Canonaco, F.; Favez, O.; Riffault, V.; Slowik, J. G.; Aas, W.; Aijälä, M.; Alastuey, A.; Artiñano, B.; Bonnaire, N.; Bozzetti, C.; Bressi, M.; Carbone, C.; Coz, E.; Croteau, P. L.; Cubison, M. J.; Esser-Gietl, J. K.; Green, D. C.; Gros, V.; Heikkinen, L.; Herrmann, H.; Jayne, J. T.; Lunder, C. R.; Minguillón, M. C.; Močnik, G.; O'Dowd, C. D.; Ovadnevaite, J.; Petralia, E.; Poulain, L.; Priestman, M.; Ripoll, A.; Sarda-Estève, R.; Wiedensohler, A.; Baltensperger, U.; Sciare, J.; Prévôt, A. S. H.

    2015-06-01

    Chemically resolved atmospheric aerosol data sets from the largest intercomparison of the Aerodyne aerosol chemical speciation monitors (ACSMs) performed to date were collected at the French atmospheric supersite SIRTA. In total 13 quadrupole ACSMs (Q-ACSM) from the European ACTRIS ACSM network, one time-of-flight ACSM (ToF-ACSM), and one high-resolution ToF aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) were operated in parallel for about 3 weeks in November and December~2013. Part 1 of this study reports on the accuracy and precision of the instruments for all the measured species. In this work we report on the intercomparison of organic components and the results from factor analysis source apportionment by positive matrix factorisation (PMF) utilising the multilinear engine 2 (ME-2). Except for the organic contribution of mass-to-charge ratio m/z 44 to the total organics (f44), which varied by factors between 0.6 and 1.3 compared to the mean, the peaks in the organic mass spectra were similar among instruments. The m/z 44 differences in the spectra resulted in a variable f44 in the source profiles extracted by ME-2, but had only a minor influence on the extracted mass contributions of the sources. The presented source apportionment yielded four factors for all 15 instruments: hydrocarbon-like organic aerosol (HOA), cooking-related organic aerosol (COA), biomass burning-related organic aerosol (BBOA) and secondary oxygenated organic aerosol (OOA). ME-2 boundary conditions (profile constraints) were optimised individually by means of correlation to external data in order to achieve equivalent / comparable solutions for all ACSM instruments and the results are discussed together with the investigation of the influence of alternative anchors (reference profiles). A comparison of the ME-2 source apportionment output of all 15 instruments resulted in relative standard deviations (SD) from the mean between 13.7 and 22.7 % of the source's average mass contribution depending on the

  17. ACTRIS ACSM intercomparison – Part 2: Intercomparison of ME-2 organic source apportionment results from 15 individual, co-located aerosol mass spectrometers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Fröhlich

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Chemically resolved atmospheric aerosol data sets from the largest intercomparison of the Aerodyne aerosol chemical speciation monitors (ACSMs performed to date were collected at the French atmospheric supersite SIRTA. In total 13 quadrupole ACSMs (Q-ACSM from the European ACTRIS ACSM network, one time-of-flight ACSM (ToF-ACSM, and one high-resolution ToF aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS were operated in parallel for about 3 weeks in November and December~2013. Part 1 of this study reports on the accuracy and precision of the instruments for all the measured species. In this work we report on the intercomparison of organic components and the results from factor analysis source apportionment by positive matrix factorisation (PMF utilising the multilinear engine 2 (ME-2. Except for the organic contribution of mass-to-charge ratio m/z 44 to the total organics (f44, which varied by factors between 0.6 and 1.3 compared to the mean, the peaks in the organic mass spectra were similar among instruments. The m/z 44 differences in the spectra resulted in a variable f44 in the source profiles extracted by ME-2, but had only a minor influence on the extracted mass contributions of the sources. The presented source apportionment yielded four factors for all 15 instruments: hydrocarbon-like organic aerosol (HOA, cooking-related organic aerosol (COA, biomass burning-related organic aerosol (BBOA and secondary oxygenated organic aerosol (OOA. ME-2 boundary conditions (profile constraints were optimised individually by means of correlation to external data in order to achieve equivalent / comparable solutions for all ACSM instruments and the results are discussed together with the investigation of the influence of alternative anchors (reference profiles. A comparison of the ME-2 source apportionment output of all 15 instruments resulted in relative standard deviations (SD from the mean between 13.7 and 22.7 % of the source's average mass contribution depending on

  18. Characterization and source apportionment of organic aerosol at 260 m on a meteorological tower in Beijing, China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Wei; Wang, Qingqing; Zhao, Xiujuan; Xu, Weiqi; Chen, Chen; Du, Wei; Zhao, Jian; Canonaco, Francesco; Prévôt, André S. H.; Fu, Pingqing; Wang, Zifa; Worsnop, Douglas R.; Sun, Yele

    2018-03-01

    Despite extensive efforts toward the characterization of submicron aerosols at ground level in the megacity of Beijing, our understanding of aerosol sources and processes at high altitudes remains low. Here we conducted a 3-month real-time measurement of non-refractory submicron aerosol (NR-PM1) species at a height of 260 m from 10 October 2014 to 18 January 2015 using an aerosol chemical speciation monitor. Our results showed a significant change in aerosol composition from the non-heating period (NHP) to the heating period (HP). Organics and chloride showed clear increases during HP due to coal combustion emissions, while nitrate showed substantial decreases from 28 to 15-18 %. We also found that NR-PM1 species in the heating season can have average mass differences of 30-44 % under similar emission sources yet different meteorological conditions. Multi-linear engine 2 (ME-2) using three primary organic aerosol (OA) factors as constraints, i.e., fossil-fuel-related OA (FFOA) dominantly from coal combustion emissions, cooking OA (COA), and biomass burning OA (BBOA) resolved from ground high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer measurements, was applied to OA mass spectra of ACSM. Two types of secondary OA (SOA) that were well correlated with nitrate and chloride-CO, respectively, were identified. SOA played a dominant role in OA during all periods at 260 m although the contributions were decreased from 72 % during NHP to 58-64 % during HP. The SOA composition also changed significantly from NHP to HP. While the contribution of oxygenated OA (OOA) was decreased from 56-63 to 32-40 %, less oxidized OOA (LO-OOA) showed a large increase from 9-16 to 24-26 %. COA contributed a considerable fraction of OA at high altitude, and the contribution was relatively similar across different periods (10-13 %). In contrast, FFOA showed a large increase during HP due to the influences of coal combustion emissions. We also observed very different OA composition between ground level

  19. Real time measurements of submicrometer aerosols in Seoul, Korea: Sources, characteristics, and processing of organic aerosols during winter time.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, H.; Zhang, Q.

    2016-12-01

    Highly time-resolved chemical characterization of non-refractory submicrometer particulate matter (NR-PM1) was conducted in Seoul, the capital of Korea, using an Aerodyne high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS). The measurements were performed during winter when persistent air quality problems associated with elevated PM concentrations were observed. The average NR-PM1 concentration was 27.5 µg m-3 and the average mass was dominated by organics (44%), followed by nitrate (24%) and sulfate (10%). Five distinct sources of organic aerosol (OA) were identified from positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis of the AMS data: vehicle emissions represented by a hydrocarbon-like OA factor (HOA), cooking represented by a cooking OA factor (COA), wood combustion represented by a biomass burning OA factor (BBOA), and secondary aerosol formation in the atmosphere that is represented by a semi-volatile oxygenated OA factor (SVOOA) and a low volatile oxygenated OA factor (LVOOA). These factors, on average, contributed 16, 20, 23, 15 and 26% to the total OA mass, respectively, with primary organic aerosol (POA = HOA + COA + BBOA) accounting for 59% of the OA mass. On average, both primary emissions and secondary aerosol formation are important factors affecting air quality in Seoul during winter, contributing approximately equal. However, differences in the fraction of PM source and properties were observed between high and low loading PM period. For example, during stagnant period with low wind speed (WS) (0.99 ± 0.7 m/s) and high RH (71%), high PM loadings (43.6 ± 12.4 µg m-3) with enhanced fractions of nitrate (27%) and SVOOA (8%) were observed, indicating a strong influence from locally generated secondary aerosol. On the other hand, when low PM loadings (12.6 ± 7.1 µg m-3), which were commonly associated with high WS (1.8 ± 1.1 m/s) and low RH (50 %), were observed, the fraction of regional sources, such as sulfate (12%) and LVOOA (21

  20. Cellular Development Associated with Induced Mycotoxin Synthesis in the Filamentous Fungus Fusarium graminearum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menke, Jon; Weber, Jakob; Broz, Karen; Kistler, H. Corby

    2013-01-01

    Several species of the filamentous fungus Fusarium colonize plants and produce toxic small molecules that contaminate agricultural products, rendering them unsuitable for consumption. Among the most destructive of these species is F. graminearum, which causes disease in wheat and barley and often infests the grain with harmful trichothecene mycotoxins. Synthesis of these secondary metabolites is induced during plant infection or in culture in response to chemical signals. Our results show that trichothecene biosynthesis involves a complex developmental process that includes dynamic changes in cell morphology and the biogenesis of novel subcellular structures. Two cytochrome P-450 oxygenases (Tri4p and Tri1p) involved in early and late steps in trichothecene biosynthesis were tagged with fluorescent proteins and shown to co-localize to vesicles we provisionally call “toxisomes.” Toxisomes, the inferred site of trichothecene biosynthesis, dynamically interact with motile vesicles containing a predicted major facilitator superfamily protein (Tri12p) previously implicated in trichothecene export and tolerance. The immediate isoprenoid precursor of trichothecenes is the primary metabolite farnesyl pyrophosphate. Changes occur in the cellular localization of the isoprenoid biosynthetic enzyme HMG CoA reductase when cultures non-induced for trichothecene biosynthesis are transferred to trichothecene biosynthesis inducing medium. Initially localized in the cellular endomembrane system, HMG CoA reductase, upon induction of trichothecene biosynthesis, increasingly is targeted to toxisomes. Metabolic pathways of primary and secondary metabolism thus may be coordinated and co-localized under conditions when trichothecene biosynthesis occurs. PMID:23667578

  1. Saccharomyces cerevisiae Atf1p is an alcohol acetyltransferase and a thioesterase in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nancolas, Bethany; Bull, Ian D; Stenner, Richard; Dufour, Virginie; Curnow, Paul

    2017-06-01

    The alcohol-O-acyltransferases are bisubstrate enzymes that catalyse the transfer of acyl chains from an acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) donor to an acceptor alcohol. In the industrial yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae this reaction produces acyl esters that are an important influence on the flavour of fermented beverages and foods. There is also a growing interest in using acyltransferases to produce bulk quantities of acyl esters in engineered microbial cell factories. However, the structure and function of the alcohol-O-acyltransferases remain only partly understood. Here, we recombinantly express, purify and characterize Atf1p, the major alcohol acetyltransferase from S. cerevisiae. We find that Atf1p is promiscuous with regard to the alcohol cosubstrate but that the acyltransfer activity is specific for acetyl-CoA. Additionally, we find that Atf1p is an efficient thioesterase in vitro with specificity towards medium-chain-length acyl-CoAs. Unexpectedly, we also find that mutating the supposed catalytic histidine (H191) within the conserved HXXXDG active site motif only moderately reduces the thioesterase activity of Atf1p. Our results imply a role for Atf1p in CoA homeostasis and suggest that engineering Atf1p to reduce the thioesterase activity could improve product yields of acetate esters from cellular factories. © 2017 The Authors. Yeast published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. © 2017 The Authors. Yeast published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  2. Reinfection immunity in schistosomiasis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kamiya, Haruo

    1987-01-01

    Schistosomiasis is one of the most important parasitic diseases in the world, especially in endemic areas of developing countries. This situation has prompted parasitologist to attempt intensive researches on immune mechanisms, especially those of reinfection immunity associated with eliminating challenge infection. The current knowledge of reinfection immunity against Schistosoma spp. infection was therefore reviewed briefly and discussed with special reference to our data on protective immune responses induced by radiation-attenuated cercarial infection. A recently developed technique of compressed organ autoradiography (COA) has contributed to assessing parasite attrition in immune animals following challenge infection. Our study using COA has demonstrated that major attrition of schistosomula from challenge infection occurs in the skin of CBA/Ca mice vaccinated with 20 Krad gamma radiation-attenuated cercariae of S. mansoni, while in both lungs and liver of similarly vaccinated guinea pig model. Furthermore, gamma-irradiation to cercariae affected their migration potential and surface-antigen profiles. The immunizing stimuli of gamma radiation-attenuated cercariae profoundly affected the expression of responsiveness in vaccinated animals. The change in antigenic profiles and migration potential of those vaccinating population was discussed in relation to the kinetics of reinfection immunity induced in vaccinated amimal models. These works might provide a base line data to develop a practical vaccine for schistosomiasis using defined antigens. It must be emphasized that these vaccines could serve as a practical prophylactic measure for schistosomiasis in the endemic areas, even if the vaccines fail to induce sterilizing immunity. (author). 141 refs

  3. Chemical compositions, sources and evolution processes of the submicron aerosols in Nanjing, China during wintertime

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Y.; He, Y.; Ge, X.; Wang, J.; Yu, H.; Chen, M.

    2016-12-01

    Elevated atmospheric particulate matter pollution is one of the most significant environmental issues in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), China. Thus it is important to unravel the characteristics, sources and evolution processes of the ambient aerosols in order to improve the air quality. In this study, we report the real-time monitoring results on submicron aerosol particles (PM1) in suburban Nanjing during wintertime of 2015, using an Aerodyne soot particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SP-AMS). This instrument allows the fast measurement of refractory black carbon simultaneously with other aerosol components. Results show that organics was on average the most abundant species of PM1 (25.9%), but other inorganic species, such as nitrate (23.7%) and sulfate (23.3%) also comprised large mass fractions. As the sampling site is heavily influenced by various sources including industrial, traffic and other anthropogenic emissions, etc., six organic aerosol (OA) factors were identified from Positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis of the SP-AMS OA mass spectra. These factors include three primary OA factors - a hydrocarbon-like OA, an industry-related OA (IOA) and a cooking OA (COA), and three secondary OA factors, i.e., a local OOA (LSOA), a semi-volatile OOA (SV-OOA) and a low-volatility OOA (LV-OOA). Overall, the primary organic aerosol (POA) (HOA, IOA and COA) dominated the total OA mass. Behaviors and evolution processes of these OA factors will be discussed in combining with the other supporting data.

  4. AMPK regulation of the growth of cultured human keratinocytes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saha, Asish K.; Persons, Kelly; Safer, Joshua D.; Luo Zhijun; Holick, Michael F.; Ruderman, Neil B.

    2006-01-01

    AMP kinase (AMPK) is a fuel sensing enzyme that responds to cellular energy depletion by increasing processes that generate ATP and inhibiting others that require ATP but are not acutely necessary for survival. In the present study, we examined the relationship between AMPK activation and the growth (proliferation) of cultured human keratinocytes and assessed whether the inhibition of keratinocyte growth by vitamin D involves AMPK activation. In addition, we explored whether the inhibition of keratinocyte proliferation as they approach confluence could be AMPK-related. Keratinocytes were incubated for 12 h with the AMPK activator, 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-β-D-ribofuranoside (AICAR). At concentrations of 10 -4 and 10 -3 M, AICAR inhibited keratinocyte growth by 50% and 95%, respectively, based on measurements of thymidine incorporation into DNA. It also increased AMPK and acetyl CoA carboxylase phosphorylation (P-AMPK and P-ACC) and decreased the concentration of malonyl CoA confirming that AMPK activation had occurred. Incubation with the thiazolidinedione, troglitazone (10 -6 M) caused similar alterations in P-AMPK, P-ACC, and cell growth. In contrast, the well known inhibition of keratinocyte growth by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 (10 -7 and 10 -6 M) was not associated with changes in P-AMPK or P-ACC. Like most cells, the growth of keratinocytes diminished as they approached confluence. Thus, it was of note that we found a progressive increase in P-AMPK (1.5- to 2-fold, p 3 is AMPK-independent

  5. Deletion of acetyl-CoA synthetases I and II increases production of 3-hydroxypropionate by the metabolically-engineered hyperthermophile Pyrococcus furiosus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thorgersen, Michael P; Lipscomb, Gina L; Schut, Gerrit J; Kelly, Robert M; Adams, Michael W W

    2014-03-01

    The heterotrophic, hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus is a new addition to the growing list of genetically-tractable microorganisms suitable for metabolic engineering to produce liquid fuels and industrial chemicals. P. furiosus was recently engineered to generate 3-hydroxypropionate (3-HP) from CO₂ and acetyl-CoA by the heterologous-expression of three enzymes from the CO₂ fixation cycle of the thermoacidophilic archaeon Metallosphaera sedula using a thermally-triggered induction system. The acetyl-CoA for this pathway is generated from glucose catabolism that in wild-type P. furiosus is converted to acetate with concurrent ATP production by the heterotetrameric (α₂β₂) acetyl-CoA synthetase (ACS). Hence ACS in the engineered 3-HP production strain (MW56) competes with the heterologous pathway for acetyl-CoA. Herein we show that strains of MW56 lacking the α-subunit of either of the two ACSs previously characterized from P. furiosus (ACSI and ACSII) exhibit a three-fold increase in specific 3-HP production. The ΔACSIα strain displayed only a minor defect in growth on either maltose or peptides, while no growth defect on these substrates was observed with the ΔACSIIα strain. Deletion of individual and multiple ACS subunits was also shown to decrease CoA release activity for several different CoA ester substrates in addition to acetyl-CoA, information that will be extremely useful for future metabolic engineering endeavors in P. furiosus. Copyright © 2014 International Metabolic Engineering Society. All rights reserved.

  6. Ophthalmic acid accumulation in an Escherichia coli mutant lacking the conserved pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-binding protein YggS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ito, Tomokazu; Yamauchi, Ayako; Hemmi, Hisashi; Yoshimura, Tohru

    2016-12-01

    Escherichia coli YggS is a highly conserved pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-binding protein whose biochemical function is currently unknown. A previous study with a yggS-deficient E. coli strain (ΔyggS) demonstrated that YggS controls l-Ile- and l-Val-metabolism by modulating 2-ketobutyrate (2-KB), l-2-aminobutyrate (l-2-AB), and/or coenzyme A (CoA) availability in a PLP-dependent fashion. In this study, we found that ΔyggS accumulates an unknown metabolite as judged by amino acid analyses. LC/MS and MS/MS analyses of the compound with propyl chloroformate derivatization, and co-chromatography analysis identified this compound as γ-l-glutamyl-l-2-aminobutyryl-glycine (ophthalmic acid), a glutathione (GSH) analogue in which the l-Cys moiety is replaced by l-2-AB. We also determine the metabolic consequence of the yggS mutation. Absence of YggS initially increases l-2-AB availability, and then causes ophthalmic acid accumulation and CoA limitation in the cell. The expression of a γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase and a glutathione synthetase in a ΔyggS background causes high-level accumulation of ophthalmic acid in the cells (∼1.2 nmol/mg cells) in a minimal synthetic medium. This opens the possibility of a first fermentative production of ophthalmic acid. Copyright © 2016 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. [Diversity of cultivable actinobacteria in Xinghu wetland sediments].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xue, Dong; Zhao, Guozhen; Yao, Qing; Zhao, Haiquan; Zhu, Honghui

    2015-11-04

    To study the diversity of cultivable actinobacteria in Xinghu wetland and screen actinobacteria with a pharmaceutical potential for producing biologically active secondary metabolites. We studied the diversity of actinobacteria isolated from Xinghu wetland by using different selective isolation media and methods. The high bioactive actinobacteria were identified and further investigated for the presence of polyketide synthases (PKS-I, PKS-II), nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS), 3-amino-5-hydroxybenzoic acid synthases (AHBA) and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl Coenzyme A (HMG CoA) sequences by specific amplification. More than 300 actinobacteria were isolated, and 135 isolates were selected on the basis of their morphologies on different media and were further characterized by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The isolates belonged to 7 orders, 10 families, 13 genera, Streptomyces was the most frequently isolated genus, followed by the genera Micromonospora and Nocardia. Twenty-four isolates showed high activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, but there no strain displaying antagonistic activity against Salmonella sp. High frequencies of positive PCR amplification were obtained for PKS-I (16.7%, 4/24), PKS-II (62.5%,15/24), NRPS (16.7%, 4/24), HMG CoA (29.2%, 7/24) and AHBA (12.5%, 3/24) biosynthetic systems. High Performance Liquid Chromatography showed that strain XD7, XD114, XD128 produce lots of secondary metabolites. This study indicated that actinobacteria isolated from Xinghu wetland are abundant and have potentially beneficial and diverse bioactivities which should be pursued for their biotechnical promise.

  8. Genome-scale modeling using flux ratio constraints to enable metabolic engineering of clostridial metabolism in silico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McAnulty, Michael J; Yen, Jiun Y; Freedman, Benjamin G; Senger, Ryan S

    2012-05-14

    Genome-scale metabolic networks and flux models are an effective platform for linking an organism genotype to its phenotype. However, few modeling approaches offer predictive capabilities to evaluate potential metabolic engineering strategies in silico. A new method called "flux balance analysis with flux ratios (FBrAtio)" was developed in this research and applied to a new genome-scale model of Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824 (iCAC490) that contains 707 metabolites and 794 reactions. FBrAtio was used to model wild-type metabolism and metabolically engineered strains of C. acetobutylicum where only flux ratio constraints and thermodynamic reversibility of reactions were required. The FBrAtio approach allowed solutions to be found through standard linear programming. Five flux ratio constraints were required to achieve a qualitative picture of wild-type metabolism for C. acetobutylicum for the production of: (i) acetate, (ii) lactate, (iii) butyrate, (iv) acetone, (v) butanol, (vi) ethanol, (vii) CO2 and (viii) H2. Results of this simulation study coincide with published experimental results and show the knockdown of the acetoacetyl-CoA transferase increases butanol to acetone selectivity, while the simultaneous over-expression of the aldehyde/alcohol dehydrogenase greatly increases ethanol production. FBrAtio is a promising new method for constraining genome-scale models using internal flux ratios. The method was effective for modeling wild-type and engineered strains of C. acetobutylicum.

  9. COACHING EDUCATIVO COMO ESTRATEGIA PARA FORTALECER EL LIDERAZGO EN ENFERMERÍA

    OpenAIRE

    VeLiz Rojas,Lizet; Paravic Klijn,Tatiana

    2012-01-01

    El propósito del artículo es presentar el coaching educativo como una estrategia pedagógica para desarrollar y fortalecer el liderazgo en enfermería. Enuncia los elementos que pueden facilitar o dificultar el liderazgo en enfermería y se destaca a la educación como el factor clave para la adquisición de competencias necesarias para su ejercicio. Finalmente, se proponen algunos lineamientos operacionales para fortalecer y potenciar el liderazgo en la formación de enfermeras/os a través del coa...

  10. Synthesis of carbon-14-labeled sodium palmoxirate and its coenzyme A ester

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weaner, L.E.; Hoerr, D.C.

    1986-04-01

    Synthetic procedures for the preparation of carbon-14-labeled sodium palmoxirate (TDGA), labeled either in the carboxyl position or in the tetradecyl hydrocarbon chain, are described. In addition, the synthesis of the coenzyme A ester of TDGA-14C with a specific activity of 51 mCi/mmol is reported. The coenzyme A ester was prepared by formation of the acyl chloride with oxalyl chloride followed by reaction with coenzyme A (CoA) in a borate-buffered tetrahydrofuran solution. Purification methods and analytical and stability data are reported for the compounds.

  11. Polymer Light-Emitting Diode (PLED) Process Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    2003-12-01

    perature of 95°C, above the Tg (55°C) of un- polymerized SU8 . Baking at this temperature will allow the resin to reflow, which will result in a smoother... SU8 polymerization . An- terface of the SU8 layer and the OG114-4 layer results in a strong reflection of the UV light, which causes this over exposure...post-develop bake is to complete the polymerization and re-flow the coa ing surface. The chemical resistance of the SU8 layer t- depends predominately

  12. Development of Hot Isostatically Pressed Rene 95 Turbine Parts

    Science.gov (United States)

    1977-05-01

    Jull 17 ,. " 1ENE’ 95 TURBINE PARTS~ 7. AUTHOR(e) CO(A RRNNME P.)Mathur aWJ. Bartos AJ-3C0V hae1 9. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS 10. PROGRAM...200 mesh coff .,acts prepared in the autoclave at 20500F and the -60 mesh compact prepared by *1650 0F14 hours, 2000°1/1 hour/OQ, + 1400°F/16 hours/AC...Product Acceptance plans (Appendix- Ill); the Quality Control of General Elctric Company was-extended to establish procedures and- organization , to

  13. Algúns conceptos básicos de radiometría e fotometría

    OpenAIRE

    Flores Seijas, José Ramón

    2013-01-01

    Licenciatura de Física Os optoelectrónicos son dispositivos de base electrónica que emiten, modulan ou detectan radiación óptica, i.e. radiación electromagnética ultravioleta, visíbel ou infravermella. A maior parte deste tipo de dispositivos están baseados en semicondutores inorgánicos, se ben é posíbel que nun futuro os semicondutores orgánicos pasen a desempeñar un papel máis importante. Nesta unidade introdúcense unha serie de conceptos relacionados coa radiación electromagn...

  14. Evolution of the acyl-CoA binding protein (ACBP)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Burton, Mark; Rose, Timothy M; Faergeman, Nils J

    2005-01-01

    -CoA pool size, donation of acyl-CoA esters for beta-oxidation, vesicular trafficking, complex lipid synthesis and gene regulation. In the present study, we delineate the evolutionary history of ACBP to get a complete picture of its evolution and distribution among species. ACBP homologues were identified...... duplication and/or retrotransposition events. The ACBP protein is highly conserved across phylums, and the majority of ACBP genes are subjected to strong purifying selection. Experimental evidence indicates that the function of ACBP has been conserved from yeast to humans and that the multiple lineage...

  15. Alkylation Induced DNA Repair and Mutagenesis in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1987-11-23

    unrepaired 3-methyladenine in DNA 29 2.4.1 Cytotoxic effects of persisting m3A in DNA 30 2.4.2 Mutagenic bypass synthesis of depurinat ,d DNA 30 3 CONCLUDING...induced by a single exposure to the ca’rcinogen N- methyl-N- nitrosourea (MNU) due to activation of the malignant Ha-ras-i locus. Analysis of the induced...ing CO:A uolymerase I for repair synthesis . Since DNA polymerase I would be required to complete repair after the in~uial activity of TagII, we tested

  16. Ophthalmic acid accumulation in an Escherichia coli mutant lacking the conserved pyridoxal 5′-phosphate-binding protein YggS

    OpenAIRE

    Ito, Tomokazu; Yamauchi, Ayako; Hemmi, Hisashi; Yoshimura, Tohru

    2016-01-01

    Escherichia coli YggS is a highly conserved pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP)-binding protein whose biochemical function is currently unknown. A previous study with a yggS-deficient E. coli strain (ΔyggS) demonstrated that YggS controls l-Ile- and l-Val-metabolism by modulating 2-ketobutyrate (2-KB), l-2-aminobutyrate (l-2-AB), and/or coenzyme A (CoA) availability in a PLP-dependent fashion. In this study, we found that ΔyggS accumulates an unknown metabolite as judged by amino acid analyses. LC/M...

  17. Decreased colonization of fecal Clostridium coccoides/Eubacterium rectale species from ulcerative colitis patients in an in vitro dynamic gut model with mucin environment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vermeiren, Joan; Van den Abbeele, Pieter; Laukens, Debby

    2012-01-01

    in-depth community analysis of those microbial groups known to produce butyrate revealed that the diversity of the Clostridium coccoides/Eubacterium rectale and Clostridium leptum group, and counts of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii were lower in the luminal fractions of the UC samples. Counts...... of Roseburia spp. were lower in the mucosal fractions of the UC samples. qPCR analysis for butyryl-CoA:acetate CoA transferase, responsible for butyrate production, displayed a lower abundance in both the luminal and mucosal fractions of the UC samples. The M-SHIME model revealed depletion in butyrate...

  18. Resveratrol y artritis reumatoide: efecto protector en un modelo animal de artritis y estudio de sus propiedades antiinflamatorias en sinoviocitos artríticos humanos en cultivo

    OpenAIRE

    Riveiro Naveira, Romina R.

    2016-01-01

    [Resumo]Neste traballo estudouse o efecto do resveratrol na artrite reumatoide (AR) in vivo, nun modelo animal de artrite inducida por antíxeno (AlA), e in vitro, en sinoviocitos artríticos humanos en cultivo. Para o estudo in vivo do efecto do resveratrol nun modelo AlA en ratas, éste administrouse dun xeito oral durante dous meses antes da indución da artrite e ata o remate do estudo, dous días despois da indución, coincidindo coa fase aguda da enfermidade. Atopouse que o ...

  19. Effect of long-term impact-loading on mass, size, and estimated strength of humerus and radius of female racquet-sports players: a peripheral quantitative computed tomography study between young and old starters and controls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kontulainen, Saija; Sievänen, Harri; Kannus, Pekka; Pasanen, Matti; Vuori, Ilkka

    2003-02-01

    Bone characteristics of the humeral shaft and distal radius were measured from 64 female tennis and squash players and their 27 age-, height-, and weight-matched controls with peripheral quantitative tomography (pQCT) and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The players were divided into two groups according to the starting age of their tennis or squash training (either before or after menarche) to examine the possible differences in the loading-induced changes in bone structure and volumetric density. The following pQCT variables were used: bone mineral content, total cross-sectional area of bone (TotA), cross-sectional area of the marrow cavity (CavA) and that of the cortical bone (CoA), cortical wall thickness (CWT), volumetric density of the cortical bone (CoD) and trabecular bone (TrD), and torsional bone strength index for the shaft (BSIt) and compressional bone strength index for the bone end (BSIc). These bone strength indices were compared with the DXA-derived areal bone mineral density (aBMD) to assess how well the latter represents the effect of mechanical loading on apparent bone strength. At the humeral shaft, the loaded arm's greater bone mineral content (an average 19% side-to-side difference in young starters and 9% in old starters), was caused by an enlarged cortex (CoA; side-to-side differences 20% and 9%, respectively). The loaded humerus seemed to have grown periosteally (the CavA did not differ between the sites), leading to 26% and 11% side-to-side BSIt differences in the young and old starters, respectively. CoD was equal between the arms (-1% difference in both player groups). The side-to-side differences in the young starters' bone mineral content, CoA, TotA, CWT, and BSIt were 8-22% higher than those of the controls and 8-14% higher than those of the old starters. Old starters' bone mineral content, CoA, and BSIt side-to-side differences were 6-7% greater than those in the controls. The DXA-derived side-to-side aBMD difference was 7

  20. A serological study of cysticercosis in patients with HIV Estudo sorológico da cisticercose em pacientes com HIV

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Subhash Chandra Parija

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available Neurocysticercosis (NCC has attained the importance of one of the most common cause of focal brain lesions in patients infected with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus. Adequate data regarding the rate of this co-infection is lacking. Therefore, the present study was carried out to determine the prevalence of cysticercosis among HIV patients residing in Puducherry or its neighboring districts of Tamil Nadu State, India. A total of one hundred blood samples were collected from HIV seropositive cases visiting JIPMER hospital, Puducherry, between June 2007 and May 2008. Enzyme immunotransfer blot (EITB and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA were used to demonstrate anti- T. solium larval stage antibodies and Co-agglutination (Co-A test was used to detect T. solium larval stage antigens in sera. Two HIV seropositive cases were found positive for anti-T. solium larval stage antibody by EITB and four were positive by ELISA. Only one sample was positive by both EITB and ELISA. No serum sample was found positive for T. solium larval stage antigen by Co-A test. The overall seropositivity detected by all the methods was 5% in this study group. The accurate clinical diagnosis of NCC in HIV is difficult due to deranged immunological parameters in the HIV infected patients. The results of this study provides important data on the prevalence of cysticercosis in HIV positive patients in Puducherry and neighboring areas which was previously unknown. This study will also increase awareness among physicians and public health agencies about T. solium cysticercosis in the selected group.Neurocisticercose (NCC tem alcançado a importância de uma das mais comuns causas de lesões focais no cérebro em pacientes infectados pelo HIV (vírus da imunodeficiência adquirida. Dados adequados relativos à frequencia desta co-infecção estão faltando. Portanto, o presente estudo foi realizado para determinar a prevalência da cisticercose entre pacientes com HIV

  1. Combined radiation-protective and radiation-sensitizing agents. IV. Measurement of intracellular protector concentrations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koch, C.J.; Stobbe, C.C.; Hettiaratchi, P.

    1989-01-01

    Radiosensitization of hypoxic V79 Chinese hamster cells by 0.5 mM misonidazole at approximately 0-4 degrees C is substantially enhanced by pretreating the cells overnight with 0.1 mM buthionine sulfoximine, which lowers the cellular glutathione content to 5% of control values (from 4 mM to approximately 0.2 mM). The enhanced sensitization is reversed by concentrations of exogenous cysteine that are much lower (0.02 mM) than the original glutathione content. Reduced Co-enzyme A affords reversal of the enhancing effect at concentrations of about 1 mM. Sodium ascorbate gives no protection at all even at concentrations of 2 mM. The intracellular concentration of the reducing agents was measured using a spin-through oil technique. There was no diffusion of Co-A (MW greater than 750) or ascorbate (excluded by charge) into the cells. In contrast, cysteine was rapidly concentrated by factors of 4-10, even at the low temperatures used. Extracellular ascorbate's inability to radioprotect argues against electron transfer across the cell membrane as a mechanism for radioprotection. This mechanism could have explained the ability of exogenous thiols to radioprotect in former studies using glutathione, and in the present studies using Co-A. The potential of cysteine to be concentrated by cells poses a problem in the interpretation of exogenous protection by non-diffusing thiols, since trace contamination by cysteine could lead to the actual protection observed. Cysteine could also be formed by exchange reactions of exogenous thiols with the disulfide of cysteine, present in all media formulations

  2. Modeling organic aerosol from the oxidation of α-pinene in a Potential Aerosol Mass (PAM chamber

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Chen

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available A model has been developed to simulate the formation and evolution of secondary organic aerosol (SOA and was tested against data produced in a Potential Aerosol Mass (PAM flow reactor and a large environmental chamber. The model framework is based on the two-dimensional volatility basis set approach (2D-VBS, in which SOA oxidation products in the model are distributed on the 2-D space of effective saturation concentration (Ci* and oxygen-to-carbon ratio (O : C. The modeled organic aerosol mass concentrations (COA and O : C agree with laboratory measurements within estimated uncertainties. However, while both measured and modeled O : C increase with increasing OH exposure as expected, the increase of modeled O : C is rapid at low OH exposure and then slows as OH exposure increases while the increase of measured O : C is initially slow and then accelerates as OH exposure increases. A global sensitivity analysis indicates that modeled COA values are most sensitive to the assumed values for the number of Ci* bins, the heterogeneous OH reaction rate coefficient, and the yield of first-generation products. Modeled SOA O : C values are most sensitive to the assumed O : C of first-generation oxidation products, the number of Ci* bins, the heterogeneous OH reaction rate coefficient, and the number of O : C bins. All these sensitivities vary as a function of OH exposure. The sensitivity analysis indicates that the 2D-VBS model framework may require modifications to resolve discrepancies between modeled and measured O : C as a function of OH exposure.

  3. Rapid quantitative assay for chloramphenicol acetyltransferase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Neumann, J.R.; Morency, C.A.; Russian, K.O.

    1987-01-01

    Measuring the expression of exogenous genetic material in mammalian cells is commonly done by fusing the DNA of interest to a gene encoding an easily-detected enzyme. Chloramphenicol acetyltransferase(CAT) is a convenient marker because it is not normally found in eukaryotes. CAT activity has usually been detected using a thin-layer chromatographic separation followed by autoradiography. An organic solvent extraction-based method for CAT detection has also been described, as well as a procedure utilizing HPLC analysis. Building on the extraction technique, they developed a rapid sensitive kinetic method for measuring CAT activity in cell homogenates. The method exploits the differential organic solubility of the substrate ([ 3 H] or [ 14 C]acetyl CoA) and the product (labeled acetylchloramphenicol). The assay is a simple one-vial, two-phase procedure and requires no tedious manipulations after the initial setup. Briefly, a 0.25 ml reaction with 100mM Tris-HCL, 1mM chloramphenicol, 0.1mM [ 14 C]acetyl CoA and variable amounts of cell homogenate is pipetted into a miniscintillation vial, overlaid with 5 ml of a water-immiscible fluor, and incubated at 37 0 C. At suitable intervals the vial is counted and the CAT level is quantitatively determined as the rate of increase in counts/min of the labeled product as it diffuses into the fluor phase, compared to a standard curve. When used to measure CAT in transfected Balb 3T3 cells the method correlated well with the other techniques

  4. Protective effect of bicyclol on tetracycline-induced fatty liver in mice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu, Hong-Yan; Wang, Bao-Lian; Zhao, Jing; Yao, Xiao-Min; Gu, Yu; Li, Yan

    2009-01-01

    Peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor α (PPARα) and oxidative stress are two important pathological factors in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Tetracycline-induced fatty liver was partly due to the disturbance of mitochondrial fatty acids β-oxidation regulated by PPARα. Bicyclol was found to protect against high fat diet-induced fatty liver through modulating PPARα and clearing reactive oxygen species (ROS). The present study was performed to further investigate the effect of bicyclol on tetracycline-induced fatty liver and related mechanism in mice. Bicyclol (75, 150, 300 mg/kg) was given orally three times in two consecutive days. Tetracycline (200 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally 1 h after the last administration of bicyclol. Oxidative stress, mitochondrial function, PPARα and its target genes were evaluated by biochemical and RT-PCR analysis. The activity of CYP4A was assessed by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) method. Bicyclol significantly protected against tetracycline-induced fatty liver by reducing the accumulation of hepatic lipids and elevation of serum aminotransferase. In addition, bicyclol remarkably alleviated the over-production of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance. The reduced activity of mitochondrial respiratory chain (MRC) complexes I and IV and mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) were also improved by bicyclol. Furthermore, bicyclol inhibited the decrease of PPARα expression and its target genes, including long-chain acyl CoA dehydrogenase (LCAD), acetyl CoA oxidase (AOX) and CYP4A at mRNA and enzyme activity level. Bicyclol protected against tetracycline-induced fatty liver mainly through modulating the disturbance of PPARα pathway and ameliorating mitochondrial function.

  5. Codon usage bias and phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial ND1 gene in pisces, aves, and mammals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uddin, Arif; Choudhury, Monisha Nath; Chakraborty, Supriyo

    2018-01-01

    The mitochondrially encoded NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase core subunit 1 (MT-ND1) gene is a subunit of the respiratory chain complex I and involved in the first step of the electron transport chain of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). To understand the pattern of compositional properties, codon usage and expression level of mitochondrial ND1 genes in pisces, aves, and mammals, we used bioinformatic approaches as no work was reported earlier. In this study, a perl script was used for calculating nucleotide contents and different codon usage bias parameters. The codon usage bias of MT-ND1 was low but the expression level was high as revealed from high ENC and CAI value. Correspondence analysis (COA) suggests that the pattern of codon usage for MT-ND1 gene is not same across species and that compositional constraint played an important role in codon usage pattern of this gene among pisces, aves, and mammals. From the regression equation of GC12 on GC3, it can be inferred that the natural selection might have played a dominant role while mutation pressure played a minor role in influencing the codon usage patterns. Further, ND1 gene has a discrepancy with cytochrome B (CYB) gene in preference of codons as evident from COA. The codon usage bias was low. It is influenced by nucleotide composition, natural selection, mutation pressure, length (number) of amino acids, and relative dinucleotide composition. This study helps in understanding the molecular biology, genetics, evolution of MT-ND1 gene, and also for designing a synthetic gene.

  6. The utilization of the acyl-CoA and the involvement PDAT and DGAT in the biosynthesis of erucic acid-rich triacylglycerols in Crambe seed oil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furmanek, Tomasz; Demski, Kamil; Banaś, Walentyna; Haslam, Richard; Napier, Jonathan; Stymne, Sten; Banaś, Antoni

    2014-04-01

    The triacylglycerol of Crambe abyssinica seeds consist of 95% very long chain (>18 carbon) fatty acids (86% erucic acid; 22:1∆13) in the sn-1 and sn-3 positions. This would suggest that C. abyssinica triacylglycerols are not formed by the action of the phospholipid:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (PDAT), but are rather the results of acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) activity. However, measurements of PDAT and DGAT activities in microsomal membranes showed that C. abyssinica has significant PDAT activity, corresponding to about 10% of the DGAT activity during periods of rapid seed oil accumulation. The specific activity of DGAT for erucoyl-CoA had doubled at 19 days after flowering compared to earlier developmental stages, and was, at that stage, the preferred acyl donor, whereas the activities for 16:0-CoA and 18:1-CoA remained constant. This indicates that an expression of an isoform of DGAT with high specificity for erucoyl-CoA is induced at the onset of rapid erucic acid and oil accumulation in the C. abyssinica seeds. Analysis of the composition of the acyl-CoA pool during different stages of seed development showed that the percentage of erucoyl groups in acyl-CoA was much higher than in complex lipids at all stages of seed development except in the desiccation phase. These results are in accordance with published results showing that the rate limiting step in erucic acid accumulation in C. abyssinica oil is the utilization of erucoyl-CoA by the acyltransferases in the glycerol-3-phosphate pathway.

  7. Insight into pattern of codon biasness and nucleotide base usage in serotonin receptor gene family from different mammalian species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dass, J Febin Prabhu; Sudandiradoss, C

    2012-07-15

    5-HT (5-Hydroxy-tryptamine) or serotonin receptors are found both in central and peripheral nervous system as well as in non-neuronal tissues. In the animal and human nervous system, serotonin produces various functional effects through a variety of membrane bound receptors. In this study, we focus on 5-HT receptor family from different mammals and examined the factors that account for codon and nucleotide usage variation. A total of 110 homologous coding sequences from 11 different mammalian species were analyzed using relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU), correspondence analysis (COA) and hierarchical cluster analysis together with nucleotide base usage frequency of chemically similar amino acid codons. The mean effective number of codon (ENc) value of 37.06 for 5-HT(6) shows very high codon bias within the family and may be due to high selective translational efficiency. The COA and Spearman's rank correlation reveals that the nucleotide compositional mutation bias as the major factors influencing the codon usage in serotonin receptor genes. The hierarchical cluster analysis suggests that gene function is another dominant factor that affects the codon usage bias, while species is a minor factor. Nucleotide base usage was reported using Goldman, Engelman, Stietz (GES) scale reveals the presence of high uracil (>45%) content at functionally important hydrophobic regions. Our in silico approach will certainly help for further investigations on critical inference on evolution, structure, function and gene expression aspects of 5-HT receptors family which are potential antipsychotic drug targets. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Phenotype in girls and women with Turner syndrome: Association between dysmorphic features, karyotype and cardio-aortic malformations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noordman, Iris; Duijnhouwer, Anthonie; Kapusta, Livia; Kempers, Marlies; Roeleveld, Nel; Schokking, Michiel; Smeets, Dominique; Freriks, Kim; Timmers, Henri; van Alfen-van der Velden, Janiëlle

    2018-06-01

    Turner syndrome (TS) is a genetic disorder characterized by the (partial) absence or a structural aberration of the second sex chromosome and is associated with a variety of phenotypes with specific physical features and cardio-aortic malformations. The objective of this study was to gain a better insight into the differences in dysmorphic features between girls and women with TS and to explore the association between these features, karyotype and cardio-aortic malformations. This prospective study investigated 14 dysmorphic features of TS girls and women using a checklist. Three major phenotypic patterns were recognized (severe phenotype, lymphatic phenotype and skeletal phenotype). Patient data including karyotype and cardio-aortic malformations (bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) and aortic coarctation (COA)) were collected. Associations between the prevalence of dysmorphic features, karyotype and cardio-aortic malformations were analysed using chi 2 -test and odds ratios. A total of 202 patients (84 girls and 118 women) were analysed prospectively. Differences in prevalence of dysmorphic features were found between girls and women. A strong association was found between monosomy 45,X and the phenotypic patterns. Furthermore, an association was found between COA and lymphatic phenotype, but no association was found between karyotype and cardio-aortic malformations. This study uncovered a difference in dysmorphic features between girls and women. Monosomy 45,X is associated with a more severe phenotype, lymphatic phenotype and skeletal phenotype. All patients with TS should be screened for cardio-aortic malformations, because in contrast to previous reports, karyotype and cardio-aortic malformations showed no significant association. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  9. Reduced fat mass in rats fed a high oleic acid-rich safflower oil diet is associated with changes in expression of hepatic PPARalpha and adipose SREBP-1c-regulated genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsu, Shan-Ching; Huang, Ching-Jang

    2006-07-01

    PPARs and sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREPB-1c) are fatty acid-regulated transcription factors that control lipid metabolism at the level of gene expression. This study compared a high oleic acid-rich safflower oil (ORSO) diet and a high-butter diet for their effect on adipose mass and expressions of genes regulated by PPAR and SREPB-1c in rats. Four groups of Wistar rats were fed 30S (30% ORSO), 5S (5% ORSO), 30B (29% butter + 1% ORSO), or 5B (4% butter plus 1% ORSO) diets for 15 wk. Compared with the 30B group, the 30S group had less retroperitoneal white adipose tissue (RWAT) mass and lower mRNA expressions of lipoprotein lipase, adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein, fatty acid synthase, acetyl CoA carboxylase, and SREBP-1c in the RWAT, higher mRNA expressions of acyl CoA oxidase, carnitine palmitoyl-transferase 1A, fatty acid binding protein, and mitochondrial 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase in the liver (P 2 fold those of the 30B group (P < 0.05). These results suggested that the smaller RWAT mass in rats fed the high-ORSO diet might be related to the higher tissue 18:2(n-6) and 20:4(n-6). This in turn could upregulate the expressions of fatty acid catabolic genes through the activation of PPARalpha in the liver and downregulate the expressions of lipid storage and lipogenic gene through the suppression of SREBP-1c in the RWAT.

  10. A liver-specific defect of Acyl-CoA degradation produces hyperammonemia, hypoglycemia and a distinct hepatic Acyl-CoA pattern.

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    Nicolas Gauthier

    Full Text Available Most conditions detected by expanded newborn screening result from deficiency of one of the enzymes that degrade acyl-coenzyme A (CoA esters in mitochondria. The role of acyl-CoAs in the pathophysiology of these disorders is poorly understood, in part because CoA esters are intracellular and samples are not generally available from human patients. We created a mouse model of one such condition, deficiency of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA lyase (HL, in liver (HLLKO mice. HL catalyses a reaction of ketone body synthesis and of leucine degradation. Chronic HL deficiency and acute crises each produced distinct abnormal liver acyl-CoA patterns, which would not be predictable from levels of urine organic acids and plasma acylcarnitines. In HLLKO hepatocytes, ketogenesis was undetectable. Carboxylation of [2-(14C] pyruvate diminished following incubation of HLLKO hepatocytes with the leucine metabolite 2-ketoisocaproate (KIC. HLLKO mice also had suppression of the normal hyperglycemic response to a systemic pyruvate load, a measure of gluconeogenesis. Hyperammonemia and hypoglycemia, cardinal features of many inborn errors of acyl-CoA metabolism, occurred spontaneously in some HLLKO mice and were inducible by administering KIC. KIC loading also increased levels of several leucine-related acyl-CoAs and reduced acetyl-CoA levels. Ultrastructurally, hepatocyte mitochondria of KIC-treated HLLKO mice show marked swelling. KIC-induced hyperammonemia improved following administration of carglumate (N-carbamyl-L-glutamic acid, which substitutes for the product of an acetyl-CoA-dependent reaction essential for urea cycle function, demonstrating an acyl-CoA-related mechanism for this complication.

  11. Directing vanillin production from ferulic acid by increased acetyl-CoA consumption in recombinant Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Eun-Gyeong; Yoon, Sang-Hwal; Das, Amitabha; Lee, Sook-Hee; Li, Cui; Kim, Jae-Yean; Choi, Myung-Suk; Oh, Deok-Kun; Kim, Seon-Won

    2009-01-01

    The amplification of gltA gene encoding citrate synthase of TCA cycle was required for the efficient conversion of acetyl-CoA, generated during vanillin production from ferulic acid, to CoA, which is essential for vanillin production. Vanillin of 1.98 g/L was produced from the E. coli DH5alpha (pTAHEF-gltA) with gltA amplification in 48 h of culture at 3.0 g/L of ferulic acid, which was about twofold higher than the vanillin production of 0.91 g/L obtained by the E. coli DH5alpha (pTAHEF) without gltA amplification. The icdA gene encoding isocitrate dehydrogenase of TCA cycle was deleted to make the vanillin producing E. coli utilize glyoxylate bypass which enables more efficient conversion of acetyl-CoA to CoA in comparison with TCA cycle. The production of vanillin by the icdA null mutant of E. coli BW25113 harboring pTAHEF was enhanced by 2.6 times. The gltA amplification of the glyoxylate bypass in the icdA null mutant remarkably increased the production rate of vanillin with a little increase in the amount of vanillin production. The real synergistic effect of gltA amplification and icdA deletion was observed with use of XAD-2 resin reducing the toxicity of vanillin produced during culture. Vanillin of 5.14 g/L was produced in 24 h of the culture with molar conversion yield of 86.6%, which is the highest so far in vanillin production from ferulic acid using recombinant E. coli.

  12. MOLECULAR PATTERN OF MYCOBACTERIUM BOVIS ISOLATES AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PRESENCE OF BOVINE TUBERCULOSIS IN NORTHERN MEXICO

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. F. Padilla

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to determine the molecular pattern of M. bovis isolates from cattle of Northern Mexico and its relationship with some risk factors. Isolates (n=60 were obtained from the states of Coahuila (COA, n=14, Tamaulipas (TAM, n=16, Nuevo Leon (NL, n=14 and Baja California and Durango (DUR, n=16. The risk factors studied were: system of production (Dairy and Beef, state, age, lesion type (localized and generalized, and type of presentation (caseous and calcified. Samples were analyzed at the Regional Laboratory of Monterrey NL, following a spoligotyping protocol. Twenty-five spoligotypes belonging to the M. bovis complex were identified. Eleven (18.3% isolates presented a unique pattern, whereas 49 (81.7% were grouped in 14 clusters. The largest clusters had 12 and 17 isolates. The average heterozygocities per state were 21.4% (NL, 15.6% (TAM, 15.6% COA and 9.9% (DUR. The genetic distances of the isolates between states did not show differences (P > 0.05 when examined by Chi-square tests. The average genetic diversity (15.6% was due to the variation of strains within subpopulations. In this study an 8.3% difference among states was obtained, which suggest the idea of a unique strain of M. bovis with many variants and that the genetic diversity found for M. bovis could be in part due to the movement of animals between regions. Statistical analysis did not show association (P > 0.05 between risk factors and strains of M. bovis.

  13. Myristoylation of Src kinase mediates Src-induced and high-fat diet-accelerated prostate tumor progression in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Sungjin; Yang, Xiangkun; Li, Qianjin; Wu, Meng; Costyn, Leah; Beharry, Zanna; Bartlett, Michael G; Cai, Houjian

    2017-11-10

    Exogenous fatty acids provide substrates for energy production and biogenesis of the cytoplasmic membrane, but they also enhance cellular signaling during cancer cell proliferation. However, it remains controversial whether dietary fatty acids are correlated with tumor progression. In this study, we demonstrate that increased Src kinase activity is associated with high-fat diet-accelerated progression of prostate tumors and that Src kinases mediate this pathological process. Moreover, in the in vivo prostate regeneration assay, host SCID mice carrying Src(Y529F)-transduced regeneration tissues were fed a low-fat diet or a high-fat diet and treated with vehicle or dasatinib. The high-fat diet not only accelerated Src-induced prostate tumorigenesis in mice but also compromised the inhibitory effect of the anticancer drug dasatinib on Src kinase oncogenic potential in vivo We further show that myristoylation of Src kinase is essential to facilitate Src-induced and high-fat diet-accelerated tumor progression. Mechanistically, metabolism of exogenous myristic acid increased the biosynthesis of myristoyl CoA and myristoylated Src and promoted Src kinase-mediated oncogenic signaling in human cells. Of the fatty acids tested, only exogenous myristic acid contributed to increased intracellular myristoyl CoA levels. Our results suggest that targeting Src kinase myristoylation, which is required for Src kinase association at the cellular membrane, blocks dietary fat-accelerated tumorigenesis in vivo Our findings uncover the molecular basis of how the metabolism of myristic acid stimulates high-fat diet-mediated prostate tumor progression. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  14. [Isolation and identification of a lactate-utilizing, butyrate-producing bacterium and its primary metabolic characteristics].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Wei; Zhu, Wei-yun; Yao, Wen; Mao, Sheng-yong

    2007-06-01

    The distal mammalian gut harbors prodigiously abundant microbes, which provide unique metabolic traits to host. A lactate-utilizing, butyrate-producing bacterium, strain LB01, was isolated from adult swine feces by utilizing modified Hungate technique with rumen liquid-independent YCFA medium supplemented with lactate as the single carbon source. It was an obligate anaerobic, Gram positive bacterium, and could utilize glucose, fructose, maltose and lactate with a large amount of gas products. 16S rRNA sequence analysis revealed that it had the high similarity with members of the genus Megasphaera. The metabolic characteristics of strain LB01 was investigated by using in vitro fermentation system. Lactate at the concentration of 65 mmol/L in YCFA medium was rapidly consumed within 9 hours and was mainly converted to propionate and butyrate after 24h. As the level of acetate declined, the concentration of butyrate rose only in the presence of glucose, suggesting that butyrate could possibly be synthesized by the acetyl CoA: butyryl CoA transferase. When co-cultured with lactic acid bacteria strain K9, strain LB01 evidently reduced the concentration of lactate produced by strain K9 and decelerated the rapid pH drop, finally producing 12.11 mmol/L butyrate and 4.06 mmol/L propionate. The metabolic characteristics that strain LB01 efficiently converts toxic lactate and excessive acetate to butyrate can prevent lactate and acetate accumulation in the large intestine and maintain the slightly acidic environment of the large intestine, consequently revealing that stain LB01 could act as a potential probiotics.

  15. Ophthalmologic Baseline Characteristics and 2-Year Ophthalmologic Safety Profile of Pramipexole IR Compared with Ropinirole IR in Patients with Early Parkinson’s Disease

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    William Seiple

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Parkinson’s disease (PD progressively affects dopaminergic neurotransmission and may affect retinal dopaminergic functions and structures. Objective. This 2-year randomized, open-label, parallel-group, flexible-dose study, NCT00144300, evaluated ophthalmologic safety profiles of immediate-release (IR pramipexole and ropinirole in patients with early idiopathic PD with ≤6 months’ prior dopamine agonist exposure and without preexisting major eye disorders. Methods. Patients received labeled IR regimens of pramipexole (n=121 or ropinirole (n=125 for 2 years. Comprehensive ophthalmologic assessments (COA included corrected acuity, Roth 28-color test, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, intraocular pressure, computerized visual field test, fundus photography, and electroretinography. Results. At baseline, we observed retinal pigmentary epithelium (RPE hypopigmentation not previously reported in PD patients. The estimated relative risk of 2-year COA worsening with pramipexole versus ropinirole was 1.07 (95% CI: 0.71–1.60. Mean changes from baseline in Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating System parts II+III total scores (pramipexole: 1 year, −4.1±8.9, and 2 years, −0.7±10.1, and ropinirole: 1 year, −3.7±8.2, and 2 years, −1.7±10.5 and Hoehn–Yahr stage distribution showed therapeutic effects on PD symptoms. Safety profiles were consistent with labeling. Conclusions. The risk of retinal deterioration did not differ in early idiopathic PD patients receiving pramipexole versus ropinirole. RPE hypopigmentation at baseline was not previously reported in this population. This trial is registered with NCT00144300.

  16. Coordinated defects in hepatic long chain fatty acid metabolism and triglyceride accumulation contribute to insulin resistance in non-human primates.

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    Subhash Kamath

    Full Text Available Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD is characterized by accumulation of triglycerides (TG in hepatocytes, which may also trigger cirrhosis. The mechanisms of NAFLD are not fully understood, but insulin resistance has been proposed as a key determinant.To determine the TG content and long chain fatty acyl CoA composition profile in liver from obese non-diabetic insulin resistant (IR and lean insulin sensitive (IS baboons in relation with hepatic and peripheral insulin sensitivity.Twenty baboons with varying grades of adiposity were studied. Hepatic (liver and peripheral (mainly muscle insulin sensitivity was measured with a euglycemic clamp and QUICKI. Liver biopsies were performed at baseline for TG content and LCFA profile by mass spectrometry, and histological analysis. Findings were correlated with clinical and biochemical markers of adiposity and insulin resistance.Obese IR baboons had elevated liver TG content compared to IS. Furthermore, the concentration of unsaturated (LC-UFA was greater than saturated (LC-SFA fatty acyl CoA in the liver. Interestingly, LC-FA UFA and SFA correlated with waist, BMI, insulin, NEFA, TG, QUICKI, but not M/I. Histological findings of NAFLD ranging from focal to diffuse hepatic steatosis were found in obese IR baboons.Liver TG content is closely related with both hepatic and peripheral IR, whereas liver LC-UFA and LC-SFA are closely related only with hepatic IR in non-human primates. Mechanisms leading to the accumulation of TG, LC-UFA and an altered UFA: LC-SFA ratio may play an important role in the pathophysiology of fatty liver disease in humans.

  17. Isoprenoid Pathway And Neurological And Psychiatric Disorders

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    Ravikumar A

    1999-01-01

    Full Text Available The coexistence of neuronal degeneration, psychiatric manifestation, immune activation and malignant transformation has been documented in literature, suggesting a central dysfunction in the pathophysiology of these disorders. The isoprenoid pathway may be candidate in this respect, in view of the changes in the concentration of some products of this pathway in many of these disorders, however, no detailed study has been carried out in this respect. In view of this, a study was undertaken on the isoprenoid pathway in some of these disorders - primary generalized epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease (PD, schizophrenia, manic depressive psychosis (MDP, CNS glioma, multiple sclerosis, subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPEand a familial group with familial coexistence of schizophrenia, PD, primary generalized epilepsy, malignant neoplasia, rheumatoid arthritis and syndrome-X over three generations. The following parameters were studied in the patients of these disorders as compared to age and sex matched control subjects - ubiquinone dolichol, digoxin, activity of HMG CoA reductase in the plasma and erthyorcyte membrane Na -K--ATpase. Increase in the activity of HMG CoA reductase and in the concentration of plasma digoxin and dolichol was observed in most of these cases. On the other hand, there was decrease in the concentration of plasma ubiquinone. Decrease in the activity of erythrocyte membrane Na-K- ATpase activity for which digoxin is an inhibitor was also observed in all the cases studied. These results indicate an upregulation of the isoprenoid pathway in the neurological and psychiatric disorders studied. The implications of this change is discussed in details.

  18. CCoAOMT Down-Regulation Activates Anthocyanin Biosynthesis in Petunia1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaipulah, Nur Fariza M.; Muhlemann, Joëlle K.; Woodworth, Benjamin D.; Van Moerkercke, Alex; Ramirez, Aldana A.; Haring, Michel A.; Schuurink, Robert C.

    2016-01-01

    Anthocyanins and volatile phenylpropenes (isoeugenol and eugenol) in petunia (Petunia hybrida) flowers have the precursor 4-coumaryl coenzyme A (CoA) in common. These phenolics are produced at different stages during flower development. Anthocyanins are synthesized during early stages of flower development and sequestered in vacuoles during the lifespan of the flowers. The production of isoeugenol and eugenol starts when flowers open and peaks after anthesis. To elucidate additional biochemical steps toward (iso)eugenol production, we cloned and characterized a caffeoyl-coenzyme A O-methyltransferase (PhCCoAOMT1) from the petals of the fragrant petunia ‘Mitchell’. Recombinant PhCCoAOMT1 indeed catalyzed the methylation of caffeoyl-CoA to produce feruloyl CoA. Silencing of PhCCoAOMT1 resulted in a reduction of eugenol production but not of isoeugenol. Unexpectedly, the transgenic plants had purple-colored leaves and pink flowers, despite the fact that cv Mitchell lacks the functional R2R3-MYB master regulator ANTHOCYANIN2 and has normally white flowers. Our results indicate that down-regulation of PhCCoAOMT1 activated the anthocyanin pathway through the R2R3-MYBs PURPLE HAZE (PHZ) and DEEP PURPLE, with predominantly petunidin accumulating. Feeding cv Mitchell flowers with caffeic acid induced PHZ expression, suggesting that the metabolic perturbation of the phenylpropanoid pathway underlies the activation of the anthocyanin pathway. Our results demonstrate a role for PhCCoAOMT1 in phenylpropene production and reveal a link between PhCCoAOMT1 and anthocyanin production. PMID:26620524

  19. CCoAOMT Down-Regulation Activates Anthocyanin Biosynthesis in Petunia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaipulah, Nur Fariza M; Muhlemann, Joëlle K; Woodworth, Benjamin D; Van Moerkercke, Alex; Verdonk, Julian C; Ramirez, Aldana A; Haring, Michel A; Dudareva, Natalia; Schuurink, Robert C

    2016-02-01

    Anthocyanins and volatile phenylpropenes (isoeugenol and eugenol) in petunia (Petunia hybrida) flowers have the precursor 4-coumaryl coenzyme A (CoA) in common. These phenolics are produced at different stages during flower development. Anthocyanins are synthesized during early stages of flower development and sequestered in vacuoles during the lifespan of the flowers. The production of isoeugenol and eugenol starts when flowers open and peaks after anthesis. To elucidate additional biochemical steps toward (iso)eugenol production, we cloned and characterized a caffeoyl-coenzyme A O-methyltransferase (PhCCoAOMT1) from the petals of the fragrant petunia 'Mitchell'. Recombinant PhCCoAOMT1 indeed catalyzed the methylation of caffeoyl-CoA to produce feruloyl CoA. Silencing of PhCCoAOMT1 resulted in a reduction of eugenol production but not of isoeugenol. Unexpectedly, the transgenic plants had purple-colored leaves and pink flowers, despite the fact that cv Mitchell lacks the functional R2R3-MYB master regulator ANTHOCYANIN2 and has normally white flowers. Our results indicate that down-regulation of PhCCoAOMT1 activated the anthocyanin pathway through the R2R3-MYBs PURPLE HAZE (PHZ) and DEEP PURPLE, with predominantly petunidin accumulating. Feeding cv Mitchell flowers with caffeic acid induced PHZ expression, suggesting that the metabolic perturbation of the phenylpropanoid pathway underlies the activation of the anthocyanin pathway. Our results demonstrate a role for PhCCoAOMT1 in phenylpropene production and reveal a link between PhCCoAOMT1 and anthocyanin production. © 2016 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

  20. A paz en Colombia: O proceso de paz do goberno de Santos coas FARC-EP

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    Cotofre Grela, David

    2017-01-01

    Traballo Fin de Grao en Ciencia Política e da Administración. Curso 2016-2017 Analizase o proceso de paz que se produciu en Colombia nos derradeiros anos (2012 – 2016) e que remataron por desembocar na paz logo de máis de 50 anos de conflito interno. Entenderemos proceso de paz coma un esforzo para lograr un acordo que poña fin á violencia mediante negociacións que poden precisar a mediación de terceiros. Dentro do análise teremos unha especial atención como actor a sociedade civil, ...

  1. HMG CoA reductase inhibitors (statins for people with chronic kidney disease not requiring dialysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suetonia C. Palmer

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD is the most frequent cause of death in people with early stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD, for whom the absolute risk of cardiovascular events is similar to people who have existing coronary artery disease. This is an update of a review published in 2009, and includes evidence from 27 new studies (25,068 participants in addition to the 26 studies (20,324 participants assessed previously; and excludes three previously included studies (107 participants. This updated review includes 50 studies (45,285 participants; of these 38 (37,274 participants were meta-analysed. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the benefits (such as reductions in all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, major cardiovascular events, MI and stroke; and slow progression of CKD to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD and harms (muscle and liver dysfunction, withdrawal, and cancer of statins compared with placebo, no treatment, standard care or another statin in adults with CKD who were not on dialysis. METHODS: Search methods: We searched the Cochrane Renal Group's Specialised Register to 5 June 2012 through contact with the Trials' Search Co-ordinator using search terms relevant to this review. Selection criteria: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs and quasi-RCTs that compared the effects of statins with placebo, no treatment, standard care, or other statins, on mortality, cardiovascular events, kidney function, toxicity, and lipid levels in adults with CKD not on dialysis were the focus of our literature searches. Data collection and analysis: Two or more authors independently extracted data and assessed study risk of bias. Treatment effects were expressed as mean difference (MD for continuous outcomes (lipids, creatinine clearance and proteinuria and risk ratio (RR for dichotomous outcomes (major cardiovascular events, all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, fatal or non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI, fatal or non-fatal stroke, ESKD, elevated liver enzymes, rhabdomyolysis, cancer and withdrawal rates with 95% confidence intervals (CI. MAIN RESULTS: We included 50 studies (45,285 participants: 47 studies (39,820 participants compared statins with placebo or no treatment and three studies (5547 participants compared two different statin regimens in adults with CKD who were not yet on dialysis. We were able to meta-analyse 38 studies (37,274 participants. The risk of bias in the included studies was high. Seven studies comparing statins with placebo or no treatment had lower risk of bias overall; and were conducted according to published protocols, outcomes were adjudicated by a committee, specified outcomes were reported, and analyses were conducted using intention-to-treat methods. In placebo or no treatment controlled studies, adverse events were reported in 32 studies (68% and systematically evaluated in 16 studies (34%. Compared with placebo, statin therapy consistently prevented major cardiovascular events (13 studies, 36,033 participants; RR 0.72, 95% CI 0.66 to 0.79, all-cause mortality (10 studies, 28,276 participants; RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.69 to 0.91, cardiovascular death (7 studies, 19,059 participants; RR 0.77, 95% CI 0.69 to 0.87 and MI (8 studies, 9018 participants; RR 0.55, 95% CI 0.42 to 0.72. Statins had uncertain effects on stroke (5 studies, 8658 participants; RR 0.62, 95% CI 0.35 to 1.12. Potential harms from statin therapy were limited by lack of systematic reporting and were uncertain in analyses that had few events: elevated creatine kinase (7 studies, 4514 participants; RR 0.84, 95% CI 0.20 to 3.48, liver function abnormalities (7 studies, RR 0.76, 95% CI 0.39 to 1.50, withdrawal due to adverse events (13 studies, 4219 participants; RR 1.16, 95% CI 0.84 to 1.60, and cancer (2 studies, 5581 participants; RR 1.03, 95% CI 0.82 to 130. Statins had uncertain effects on progression of CKD. Data for relative effects of intensive cholesterol lowering in people with early stages of kidney disease were sparse. Statins clearly reduced risks of death, major cardiovascular events, and MI in people with CKD who did not have CVD at baseline (primary prevention. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Statins consistently lower death and major cardiovascular events by 20% in people with CKD not requiring dialysis. Statin-related effects on stroke and kidney function were found to be uncertain and adverse effects of treatment are incompletely understood. Statins have an important role in primary prevention of cardiovascular events and mortality in people who have CKD.

  2. Effects of different replicons in conjugative plasmids on transformation efficiency, plasmid stability, gene expression and n-butanol biosynthesis in Clostridium tyrobutyricum

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yu, Mingrui; Du, Yinming; Jiang, Wenyan; Chang, Wei-Lun; Yang, Shang-Tian [Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States). William G. Lowrie Dept. of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; Tang, I-Ching [Bioprocessing Innovative Company, Dublin, OH (United States)

    2012-01-15

    Clostridium tyrobutyricum ATCC 25755 can produce butyric acid, acetic acid, and hydrogen as the main products from various carbon sources. In this study, C. tyrobutyricum was used as a host to produce n-butanol by expressing adhE2 gene under the control of a native thiolase promoter using four different conjugative plasmids (pMTL82151, 83151, 84151, and 85151) each with a different replicon (pBP1 from C. botulinum NCTC2916, pCB102 from C. butyricum, pCD6 from Clostridium difficile, and pIM13 from Bacillus subtilis). The effects of different replicons on transformation efficiency, plasmid stability, adhE2 expression and aldehyde/alcohol dehydrogenase activities, and butanol production by different mutants of C. tyrobutyricum were investigated. Among the four plasmids and replicons studied, pMTL82151 with pBP1 gave the highest transformation efficiency, plasmid stability, gene expression, and butanol biosynthesis. Butanol production from various substrates, including glucose, xylose, mannose, and mannitol were then investigated with the best mutant strain harboring adhE2 in pMTL82151. A high butanol titer of 20.5 g/L with 0.33 g/g yield and 0.32 g/L h productivity was obtained with mannitol as the substrate in batch fermentation with pH controlled at {proportional_to}6.0. (orig.)

  3. Role of Pex21p for Piggyback Import of Gpd1p and Pnc1p into Peroxisomes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Effelsberg, Daniel; Cruz-Zaragoza, Luis Daniel; Tonillo, Jason; Schliebs, Wolfgang; Erdmann, Ralf

    2015-01-01

    Proteins designated for peroxisomal protein import harbor one of two common peroxisomal targeting signals (PTS). In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the oleate-induced PTS2-dependent import of the thiolase Fox3p into peroxisomes is conducted by the soluble import receptor Pex7p in cooperation with the auxiliary Pex18p, one of two supposedly redundant PTS2 co-receptors. Here, we report on a novel function for the co-receptor Pex21p, which cannot be fulfilled by Pex18p. The data establish Pex21p as a general co-receptor in PTS2-dependent protein import, whereas Pex18p is especially important for oleate-induced import of PTS2 proteins. The glycerol-producing PTS2 protein glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase Gpd1p shows a tripartite localization in peroxisomes, in the cytosol, and in the nucleus under osmotic stress conditions. We show the following: (i) Pex21p is required for peroxisomal import of Gpd1p as well as a key enzyme of the NAD+ salvage pathway, Pnc1p; (ii) Pnc1p, a nicotinamidase without functional PTS2, is co-imported into peroxisomes by piggyback transport via Gpd1p. Moreover, the specific transport of these two enzymes into peroxisomes suggests a novel regulatory role for peroxisomes under various stress conditions. PMID:26276932

  4. Mitochondrial Carriers Link the Catabolism of Hydroxyaromatic Compounds to the Central Metabolism in Candida parapsilosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Igor Zeman

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The pathogenic yeast Candida parapsilosis metabolizes hydroxyderivatives of benzene and benzoic acid to compounds channeled into central metabolism, including the mitochondrially localized tricarboxylic acid cycle, via the 3-oxoadipate and gentisate pathways. The orchestration of both catabolic pathways with mitochondrial metabolism as well as their evolutionary origin is not fully understood. Our results show that the enzymes involved in these two pathways operate in the cytoplasm with the exception of the mitochondrially targeted 3-oxoadipate CoA-transferase (Osc1p and 3-oxoadipyl-CoA thiolase (Oct1p catalyzing the last two reactions of the 3-oxoadipate pathway. The cellular localization of the enzymes indicates that degradation of hydroxyaromatic compounds requires a shuttling of intermediates, cofactors, and products of the corresponding biochemical reactions between cytosol and mitochondria. Indeed, we found that yeast cells assimilating hydroxybenzoates increase the expression of genes SFC1, LEU5, YHM2, and MPC1 coding for succinate/fumarate carrier, coenzyme A carrier, oxoglutarate/citrate carrier, and the subunit of pyruvate carrier, respectively. A phylogenetic analysis uncovered distinct evolutionary trajectories for sparsely distributed gene clusters coding for enzymes of both pathways. Whereas the 3-oxoadipate pathway appears to have evolved by vertical descent combined with multiple losses, the gentisate pathway shows a striking pattern suggestive of horizontal gene transfer to the evolutionarily distant Mucorales.

  5. Co-ordinate regulation of genes involved in storage lipid mobilization in Arabidopsis thaliana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rylott, E L; Hooks, M A; Graham, I A

    2001-05-01

    Molecular genetic approaches in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana (Col0) are shedding new light on the role and control of the pathways associated with the mobilization of lipid reserves during oilseed germination and post-germinative growth. Numerous independent studies have reported on the expression of individual genes encoding enzymes from the three major pathways: beta-oxidation, the glyoxylate cycle and gluconeogenesis. However, a single comprehensive study of representative genes and enzymes from the different pathways in a single plant species has not been done. Here we present results from Arabidopsis that demonstrate the co-ordinate regulation of gene expression and enzyme activities for the acyl-CoA oxidase- and 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase-mediated steps of beta-oxidation, the isocitrate lyase and malate synthase steps of the glyoxylate cycle and the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase step of gluconeogenesis. The mRNA abundance and enzyme activities increase to a peak at stage 2, 48 h after the onset of seed germination, and decline thereafter either to undetectable levels (for malate synthase and isocitrate lyase) or low basal levels (for the genes of beta-oxidation and gluconeogenesis). The co-ordinate induction of all these genes at the onset of germination raises the possibility that a global regulatory mechanism operates to induce the expression of genes associated with the mobilization of storage reserves during the heterotrophic growth period.

  6. Genetic evidence that the degradation of para-cresol by Geobacter metallireducens is catalyzed by the periplasmic para-cresol methylhydroxylase

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chaurasia, Akhilesh Kumar; Tremblay, Pier-Luc; Holmes, Dawn E.

    2015-01-01

    -CoA dehydrogenase (bbsG), an enzyme required for toluene degradation by G. metallireducens that is homologous to the p-hydroxybenzylsuccinyl-CoA dehydrogenase involved in p-cresol degradation by Desulfobacula toluolica Tol2 via fumarate addition, and the gene encoding the alpha prime subunit of PCMH (pcmI), were...... deleted to investigate the possibility of co-existing p-cresol degradation pathways in G. metallireducens. The absence of a functional PcmI protein completely inhibited p-cresol degradation, while deletion of the bbsG gene had little impact. These results further support the observation that G...

  7. Identification of the Biosynthetic Gene Clusters for the Lipopeptides Fusaristatin A and W493 B in Fusarium graminearum and F. pseudograminearum

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Jens Laurids; Sondergaard, Teis Esben; Covarelli, Lorenzo

    2014-01-01

    The closely related species Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium pseudograminearum differ in that each contains a gene cluster with a polyketide synthase (PKS) and a nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) that is not present in the other species. To identify their products, we deleted PKS6 and NRPS7...... Fusarium species. On the basis of genes in the putative gene clusters we propose a model for biosynthesis where the polyketide product is shuttled to the NPRS via a CoA ligase and a thioesterase in F. pseudograminearum. In F. graminearum the polyketide is proposed to be directly assimilated by the NRPS....

  8. [Progress in the study on diacylgycerol acyltransferase (DGAT)-related genes].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Hai-Ming; Shi, Qi-Shun; Liu, Xiao-Chun

    2005-12-01

    Diacylgycerol Acyltransferase (DGAT) plays an important role in the formation of lipid in different tissues of biological body. DGAT catalyzes the final step in triacylglycerol (TAG) biosynthesis by converting diacylgycerol (DAG) and fatty acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) into triacylglycerol. This enzyme is coded by both DGAT1 and DGAT2. DGAT1 belongs to the gene family of cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT). DGAT2 belongs to the gene family of monoacylgycerol acyltransferases (MGAT1). This paper reviewed the structure, location on chromosome and biological effect of DGAT-related genes. The relationship between polymorphism and performance of animal was also discussed.

  9. [Sudden death of a patient with 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A lyase deficiency].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vilaseca Busca, M A; Ribes Rubio, A; Briones Godino, P; Cusi Sánchez, V; Baraíbar Castelló, R; Gairi Taull, J M

    1990-02-01

    A new case of neonatal 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaric aciduria is described. 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA lyase activities in leukocytes demonstrated the patient's homozygosity and the heterozygous character of the parents and two other members of the family. Dietetic management with low fat high carbohydrate diet together with protein restriction and carnitine resulted in a good control of the metabolic acidosis, the hypoglycemia, and the physical and neurological development. Nevertheless, sudden death occurred at the age thirteen months without any previous apparent trouble and the necropsia showed neither signs of infection nor hepatic or cardiac derangement.

  10. Plasma Wave Turbulence and Particle Heating Caused by Electron Beams, Radiation and Pinches.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1979-11-01

    current as dP K .2 Td - _c 2 . dt (K 2 (28a) where r 2 2 [ W (r)] , (28b) is the principal wave vector of the emitted radiation, and w p(r) is the...resulting from the angular average of coa 260, Tis research was supported In part by Hughes In the lowest bound state, which t an a state. TD . F. DuBois ad...Pbs.-JEW7, 21. 1127). and Sbsvchenko. V. 1. 1975, Fiz. Plasmy. 1, 10 (English Smith, D. F. 1977, J~ . (Leoaer). 214. L53 . tram!. in Soviet J. Plasim

  11. CMOS Current-mode Operational Amplifier

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kaulberg, Thomas

    1992-01-01

    current-mode feedback amplifier or a constant bandwidth in a transimpedance feedback amplifier. The amplifier is found to have a gain bandwidth product of 8 MHz, an offset current of 0.8 ¿A (signal-range ±700¿A) and a (theoretically) unlimited slew-rate. The amplifier is realized in a standard CMOS 2......A fully differential-input differential-output current-mode operational amplifier (COA) is described. The amplifier utilizes three second generation current-conveyors (CCII) as the basic building blocks. It can be configured to provide either a constant gain-bandwidth product in a fully balanced...

  12. A CMOS current-mode operational amplifier

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kaulberg, Thomas

    1993-01-01

    current-mode feedback amplifier or a constant bandwidth in a transimpedance feedback amplifier. The amplifier is found to have a gain-bandwidth product of 3 MHz, an offset current of 0.8 μA (signal range ±700 μA), and a (theoretically) unlimited slew rate. The amplifier is realized in a standard CMOS 2......A fully differential-input, differential-output, current-mode operational amplifier (COA) is described. The amplifier utilizes three second-generation current conveyors (CCIIs) as the basic building blocks. It can be configured to provide either a constant gain-bandwidth product in a fully balanced...

  13. Alpha-synuclein gene ablation increases docosahexaenoic acid incorporation and turnover in brain phospholipids

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Golovko, Mikhail Y; Rosenberger, Thad A; Feddersen, Søren

    2007-01-01

    Previously, we demonstrated that ablation of alpha-synuclein (Snca) reduces arachidonate (20:4n-6) turnover in brain phospholipids through modulation of an endoplasmic reticulum-localized acyl-CoA synthetase (Acsl). The effect of Snca ablation on docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3) metabolism is unknown...... and turnover in ethanolamine glycerophospholipid, phosphatidylserine, and phosphatidylinositol pools. Increased 22:6n-3-CoA mass was not the result of altered Acsl activity, which was unaffected by the absence of Snca. While Snca bound 22:6n-3, Kd = 1.0 +/- 0.5 micromol/L, it did not bind 22:6n-3-Co...

  14. Cómo producen energía las células

    OpenAIRE

    Carlos Alberto Ordoñez

    2014-01-01

    El adenosín trifosfato (ATP), es la moneda energética de los seres vivos. Para poder ser sintetizado, los organismos requieren oxidar los sustratos energéticos de la dieta, proteínas, grasas y carbohidratos. Inicialmente estas sustancias tienen vías metabólicas separadas hasta alcanzar en su degradación un metabolito común que es el acetil CoA. A partir de este punto entran al ciclo de Krebs, con producción de CO2 e hidrogeniones, estos últimos se transportan por óxido reducción a la cadena r...

  15. Acyl-CoA binding proteins; structural and functional conservation over 2000 MYA

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Faergeman, Nils J; Wadum, Majken; Feddersen, Søren

    2007-01-01

    -CoA binding protein, ACBP, has been proposed to play a pivotal role in the intracellular trafficking and utilization of long-chain fatty acyl-CoA esters. Depletion of acyl-CoA binding protein in yeast results in aberrant organelle morphology incl. fragmented vacuoles, multi-layered plasma membranes...... and accumulation of vesicles of variable sizes. In contrast to synthesis and turn-over of glycerolipids, the levels of very-long-chain fatty acids, long-chain bases and ceramide are severely affected by Acb1p depletion, suggesting that Acb1p, rather than playing a general role, serves specific roles in cellular...

  16. Precipitación de verano en el Centro Oeste de Argentina y procesos atmosféricos/oceánicos de escala regional y global

    OpenAIRE

    Agosta Scarel, Eduardo Andrés

    2006-01-01

    Trabajos previos mostraron un cambio en el verano 1976/77 en la variabilidad de baja frecuencia de la precipitación de verano (oct-mar) en el en el Centro-Oeste de Argentina (COA). El cuasi-ciclo característico de 18 años, que produce períodos alterantes de secuencias de verano húmedo/seco de duración 9 años cada uno hasta mediados de los 1970s, se desplazó hacia menores frecuencias. El principal objetivo de la tesis es caracterizar la variabilidad de baja frecuencia de los procesos dinámicos...

  17. Teaching and Practicing Climate Politics at College of the Atlantic: Student-inspired, Student-driven

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Doreen Stabinsky

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available College of the Atlantic students past and present play leadership roles in the international climate justice youth movement. Student interest in climate change politics at the global level, particularly within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, has inspired the development of a range of courses at COA in global environmental diplomacy. The courses provide a climate justice framework for understanding the geopolitics and political economy of the negotiations, serve to link students with key actors in the climate justice movement, and ultimately to contribute to their own development as climate justice leaders.

  18. A study on the development of the on-line operator aid system using rule based expert system and fuzzy logic for nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, Ki Sig

    1995-02-01

    The on - line Operator Aid SYStem (OASYS) has been developed to support operator's decision making process and to ensure the safety of nuclear power plants (NPPs) by timely providing operators with proper guidelines according to the plant operation mode. The OASYS consists of four systems such as the signal validation and management system (SVMS), the plant monitoring system (PMS), the alarm filtering and diagnostic system (AFDS), and the dynamic emergency procedure tracking system (DEPTS). The SVMS and the PMS help operators to maintain a plant as a normal operation condition. The AFDS covers the abnormal events until they result in exceeding the limit range of reactor trip signals, while after a reactor trip, the DEPTS aids operators with proper guidelines so as to shutdown safely. The OASYS uses a rule based expert system and a fuzzy logic. The rule based expert system is used to classify the pre-defined events and track the emergency operating procedures (EOPs) through data processing. The fuzzy logic is used to generate the conceptual high level alarms for the prognostic diagnosis and to evaluate the qualitative fuzzy criteria used in EOPs. Performance assessment of the OASYS demonstrates that it is capable of diagnosing plant abnormal conditions and providing operators appropriate guidelines with fast response time and consistency. The developed technology for OASYS will be used to design the Integrated Advanced Control Room in which a plant can be operated by one operator during normal operation. The advanced EOP for emergency operation has been developed by focusing attention on the importance of the operators' role in emergency conditions. To overcome the complexity of current EOPs and maintain the consistency of operators' action according to plant emergency conditions, operator's tasks were allocated according to their duties in the advanced EOP and the computerized operator aid system (COAS) has been developed as an alternative to reduce operator

  19. Characterization and source apportionment of organic aerosol at 260 m on a meteorological tower in Beijing, China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    W. Zhou

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Despite extensive efforts toward the characterization of submicron aerosols at ground level in the megacity of Beijing, our understanding of aerosol sources and processes at high altitudes remains low. Here we conducted a 3-month real-time measurement of non-refractory submicron aerosol (NR-PM1 species at a height of 260 m from 10 October 2014 to 18 January 2015 using an aerosol chemical speciation monitor. Our results showed a significant change in aerosol composition from the non-heating period (NHP to the heating period (HP. Organics and chloride showed clear increases during HP due to coal combustion emissions, while nitrate showed substantial decreases from 28 to 15–18 %. We also found that NR-PM1 species in the heating season can have average mass differences of 30–44 % under similar emission sources yet different meteorological conditions. Multi-linear engine 2 (ME-2 using three primary organic aerosol (OA factors as constraints, i.e., fossil-fuel-related OA (FFOA dominantly from coal combustion emissions, cooking OA (COA, and biomass burning OA (BBOA resolved from ground high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer measurements, was applied to OA mass spectra of ACSM. Two types of secondary OA (SOA that were well correlated with nitrate and chloride–CO, respectively, were identified. SOA played a dominant role in OA during all periods at 260 m although the contributions were decreased from 72 % during NHP to 58–64 % during HP. The SOA composition also changed significantly from NHP to HP. While the contribution of oxygenated OA (OOA was decreased from 56–63 to 32–40 %, less oxidized OOA (LO-OOA showed a large increase from 9–16 to 24–26 %. COA contributed a considerable fraction of OA at high altitude, and the contribution was relatively similar across different periods (10–13 %. In contrast, FFOA showed a large increase during HP due to the influences of coal combustion emissions. We also

  20. Palmitate attenuates osteoblast differentiation of fetal rat calvarial cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yeh, Lee-Chuan C.; Ford, Jeffery J. [Department of Biochemistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, TX (United States); Lee, John C. [Department of Biochemistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, TX (United States); The Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, TX (United States); Adamo, Martin L., E-mail: adamo@biochem.uthscsa.edu [Department of Biochemistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, TX (United States); The Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, TX (United States)

    2014-07-18

    Highlights: • Palmitate inhibits osteoblast differentiation. • Fatty acid synthase. • PPARγ. • Acetyl Co-A carboxylase inhibitor TOFA. • Fetal rat calvarial cell culture. - Abstract: Aging is associated with the accumulation of ectopic lipid resulting in the inhibition of normal organ function, a phenomenon known as lipotoxicity. Within the bone marrow microenvironment, elevation in fatty acid levels may produce an increase in osteoclast activity and a decrease in osteoblast number and function, thus contributing to age-related osteoporosis. However, little is known about lipotoxic mechanisms in intramembraneous bone. Previously we reported that the long chain saturated fatty acid palmitate inhibited the expression of the osteogenic markers RUNX2 and osteocalcin in fetal rat calvarial cell (FRC) cultures. Moreover, the acetyl CoA carboxylase inhibitor TOFA blocked the inhibitory effect of palmitate on expression of these two markers. In the current study we have extended these observations to show that palmitate inhibits spontaneous mineralized bone formation in FRC cultures in association with reduced mRNA expression of RUNX2, alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, and bone sialoprotein and reduced alkaline phosphatase activity. The effects of palmitate on osteogenic marker expression were inhibited by TOFA. Palmitate also inhibited the mRNA expression of fatty acid synthase and PPARγ in FRC cultures, and as with osteogenic markers, this effect was inhibited by TOFA. Palmitate had no effect on FRC cell proliferation or apoptosis, but inhibited BMP-7-induced alkaline phosphatase activity. We conclude that palmitate accumulation may lead to lipotoxic effects on osteoblast differentiation and mineralization and that increases in fatty acid oxidation may help to prevent these lipotoxic effects.

  1. 3-Sulfinopropionyl-coenzyme A (3SP-CoA) desulfinase from Advenella mimigardefordensis DPN7T: crystal structure and function of a desulfinase with an acyl-CoA dehydrogenase fold

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schürmann, Marc; Meijers, Rob; Schneider, Thomas R.; Steinbüchel, Alexander; Cianci, Michele

    2015-01-01

    3-Sulfinopropionyl-coenzyme A (3SP-CoA) desulfinase (AcdDPN7; EC 3.13.1.4) was identified during investigation of the 3,3′-dithiodipropionic acid (DTDP) catabolic pathway in the betaproteobacterium Advenella mimigardefordensis strain DPN7T. DTDP is an organic disulfide and a precursor for the synthesis of polythioesters (PTEs) in bacteria, and is of interest for biotechnological PTE production. AcdDPN7 catalyzes sulfur abstraction from 3SP-CoA, a key step during the catabolism of DTDP. Here, the crystal structures of apo AcdDPN7 at 1.89 Å resolution and of its complex with the CoA moiety from the substrate analogue succinyl-CoA at 2.30 Å resolution are presented. The apo structure shows that AcdDPN7 belongs to the acyl-CoA dehydrogenase superfamily fold and that it is a tetramer, with each subunit containing one flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) molecule. The enzyme does not show any dehydrogenase activity. Dehydrogenase activity would require a catalytic base (Glu or Asp residue) at either position 246 or position 366, where a glutamine and a glycine are instead found, respectively, in this desulfinase. The positioning of CoA in the crystal complex enabled the modelling of a substrate complex containing 3SP-CoA. This indicates that Arg84 is a key residue in the desulfination reaction. An Arg84Lys mutant showed a complete loss of enzymatic activity, suggesting that the guanidinium group of the arginine is essential for desulfination. AcdDPN7 is the first desulfinase with an acyl-CoA dehydrogenase fold to be reported, which underlines the versatility of this enzyme scaffold. PMID:26057676

  2. Bronchoscopic guidance of endovascular stenting limits airway compression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ebrahim, Mohammad; Hagood, James; Moore, John; El-Said, Howaida

    2015-04-01

    Bronchial compression as a result of pulmonary artery and aortic arch stenting may cause significant respiratory distress. We set out to limit airway narrowing by endovascular stenting, by using simultaneous flexible bronchoscopy and graduated balloon stent dilatation, or balloon angioplasty to determine maximum safe stent diameter. Between August 2010 and August 2013, patients with suspected airway compression by adjacent vascular structures, underwent CT or a 3D rotational angiogram to evaluate the relationship between the airway and the blood vessels. If these studies showed close proximity of the stenosed vessel and the airway, simultaneous bronchoscopy and graduated stent re-dilation or graduated balloon angioplasty were performed. Five simultaneous bronchoscopy and interventional catheterization procedures were performed in four patients. Median age/weight was 33 (range 9-49) months and 14 (range 7.6-24) kg, respectively. Three had hypoplastic left heart syndrome, and one had coarctation of the aorta (CoA). All had confirmed or suspected left main stem bronchial compression. In three procedures, serial balloon dilatation of a previously placed stent in the CoA was performed and bronchoscopy was used to determine the safest largest diameter. In the other two procedures, balloon testing with simultaneous bronchoscopy was performed to determine the stent size that would limit compression of the adjacent airway. In all cases, simultaneous bronchoscopy allowed selection of an ideal caliber of the stent that optimized vessel diameter while minimizing compression of the adjacent airway. In cases at risk for airway compromise, flexible bronchoscopy is a useful tool to guide endovascular stenting. Maximum safe stent diameter can be determined without risking catastrophic airway compression. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. Vanillin production by biotransformation of phenolic compounds in fungus, Aspergillus luchuensis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taira, Junsei; Toyoshima, Rin; Ameku, Nana; Iguchi, Akira; Tamaki, Yasutomo

    2018-03-13

    Vanillin is valuable and popular flavor used in foods and cosmetics. Many bacteria species have the ability to decarboxylate substituted cinnamic acids in order to form vanillin. However, the phenolic biotransformation including vanillin production in a common fungus, the Aspergillus luchuensis, which is used in distilled beverages, has not yet been clarified. This study focused on elucidating the vanillin production due to phenolic biotransformation in A. luchuensis during fermentation. The phenolic metabolites were extracted by a solid phase column and they were determined using on LC/MS and LC/MS/MS in a selective ion mode. As a result, ferulic acid, vanillin and vanillic acid, were detected in the rice koji fermentationed by A. luchuensis and also fermentated with yeast. In addition, the accurate molecular formula of vanillin glucoside (C 14 H 17 O 8 , 313.0927, (M-H) - and its production ions was also determined by HRESI-mass spectrometry. Based on the results including the phenolic metabolites and related genes found in A. luchuensis genome, this study proposed the vanillin production mechanism due to the side chain cleavage of ferulic acid through Coenzyme A (CoA) and feruloyl-CoA hydratase/lyase, to form vanillin and acetyl-COA. In this study, another possible vanillin production pathway also was proposed due to the neutral hexose hydrolysis of vanillin glucoside. The subsequent dehydrogenation of vanillin produced vanillic acid. In addition, vanillin was detected in the distilled alcohol indicating its contribution to the aroma profile of beverages. It has been unknown that the vanillin in the distilled solution is derived from the vanillin produced during rice-koji and/or moromi mash fermentations.

  4. Oxymatrine attenuates hepatic steatosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease rats fed with high fructose diet through inhibition of sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 1 (Srebf1) and activation of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha (Pparα).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Li-juan; Shi, Lei; Song, Guang-yao; Zhang, He-fang; Hu, Zhi-juan; Wang, Chao; Zhang, Dong-hui

    2013-08-15

    The aim of this study was to examine the therapeutic effect of oxymatrine, a monomer isolated from the medicinal plant Sophora flavescens Ait, on the hepatic lipid metabolism in non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD) rats and to explore the potential mechanism. Rats were fed with high fructose diet for 8 weeks to establish the NAFLD model, then were given oxymatrine treatment (40, 80, and 160 mg/kg, respectively) for another 8 weeks. Body weight gain, liver index, serum and liver lipids, and histopathological evaluation were measured. Enzymatic activity and gene expression of the key enzymes involved in the lipogenesis and fatty acid oxidation were assayed. The results showed that oxymatrine treatment reduced body weight gain, liver weight, liver index, dyslipidemia, and liver triglyceride level in a dose dependant manner. Importantly, the histopathological examination of liver confirmed that oxymatrine could decrease the liver lipid accumulation. The treatment also decreased the fatty acid synthase (FAS) enzymatic activity and increased the carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (CPT1A) enzymatic activity. Besides, oxymatrine treatment decreased the mRNA expression of sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 1(Srebf1), fatty acid synthase (Fasn), and acetyl CoA carboxylase (Acc), and increased the mRNA expression of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha (Pparα), carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (Cpt1a), and acyl CoA oxidase (Acox1) in high fructose diet induced NAFLD rats. These results suggested that the therapeutic effect of oxymatrine on the hepatic steatosis in high fructose diet induced fatty liver rats is partly due to down-regulating Srebf1 and up-regulating Pparα mediated metabolic pathways simultaneously. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Metagenome Sequence Analysis of Filamentous Microbial Communities Obtained from Geochemically Distinct Geothermal Channels Reveals Specialization of Three Aquificales Lineages

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cristina eTakacs-vesbach

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available The Aquificales are thermophilic microorganisms that inhabit hydrothermal systems worldwide and are considered one of the earliest lineages of the domain Bacteria. We analyzed metagenome sequence obtained from six thermal ‘filamentous streamer’ communities (~40 Mbp per site, which targeted three different groups of Aquificales found in Yellowstone National Park (YNP. Unassembled metagenome sequence and PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene libraries revealed that acidic, sulfidic sites were dominated by Hydrogenobaculum (Aquificaceae populations, whereas the circumneutral pH (6.5 - 7.8 sites containing dissolved sulfide were dominated by Sulfurihydrogenibium spp. (Hydrogenothermaceae. Thermocrinis (Aquificaceae populations were found primarily in the circumneutral sites with undetectable sulfide, and to a lesser extent in one sulfidic system at pH 8. Phylogenetic analysis of assembled sequence containing 16S rRNA genes as well as conserved protein-encoding genes revealed that the composition and function of these communities varied across geochemical conditions. Each Aquificales lineage contained genes for CO2 fixation by the reverse TCA cycle, but only the Sulfurihydrogenibium populations perform citrate cleavage using ATP citrate lyase (Acl. The Aquificaceae populations use an alternative pathway catalyzed by two separate enzymes, citryl CoA synthetase (Ccs and citryl CoA lyase (Ccl. All three Aquificales lineages contained evidence of aerobic respiration, albeit due to completely different types of heme Cu oxidases (subunit I involved in oxygen reduction. The distribution of Aquificales populations and differences among functional genes involved in energy generation and electron transport is consistent with the hypothesis that geochemical parameters (e.g., pH, sulfide, H2, O2 have resulted in niche specialization among members of the Aquificales.

  6. Palmitate attenuates osteoblast differentiation of fetal rat calvarial cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yeh, Lee-Chuan C.; Ford, Jeffery J.; Lee, John C.; Adamo, Martin L.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Palmitate inhibits osteoblast differentiation. • Fatty acid synthase. • PPARγ. • Acetyl Co-A carboxylase inhibitor TOFA. • Fetal rat calvarial cell culture. - Abstract: Aging is associated with the accumulation of ectopic lipid resulting in the inhibition of normal organ function, a phenomenon known as lipotoxicity. Within the bone marrow microenvironment, elevation in fatty acid levels may produce an increase in osteoclast activity and a decrease in osteoblast number and function, thus contributing to age-related osteoporosis. However, little is known about lipotoxic mechanisms in intramembraneous bone. Previously we reported that the long chain saturated fatty acid palmitate inhibited the expression of the osteogenic markers RUNX2 and osteocalcin in fetal rat calvarial cell (FRC) cultures. Moreover, the acetyl CoA carboxylase inhibitor TOFA blocked the inhibitory effect of palmitate on expression of these two markers. In the current study we have extended these observations to show that palmitate inhibits spontaneous mineralized bone formation in FRC cultures in association with reduced mRNA expression of RUNX2, alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, and bone sialoprotein and reduced alkaline phosphatase activity. The effects of palmitate on osteogenic marker expression were inhibited by TOFA. Palmitate also inhibited the mRNA expression of fatty acid synthase and PPARγ in FRC cultures, and as with osteogenic markers, this effect was inhibited by TOFA. Palmitate had no effect on FRC cell proliferation or apoptosis, but inhibited BMP-7-induced alkaline phosphatase activity. We conclude that palmitate accumulation may lead to lipotoxic effects on osteoblast differentiation and mineralization and that increases in fatty acid oxidation may help to prevent these lipotoxic effects

  7. Effects of physical characteristics of carbon black on metabolic regulation in mice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chuang, Hsiao-Chi; Hsiao, Ta-Chih; Lee, Chii-Hong; Chun-Te Lin, Justin; Chuang, Kai-Jen; Feng, Po-Hao; Cheng, Tsun-Jen

    2018-01-01

    Potential adverse effects of human exposure to carbon black (CB) have been reported, but limited knowledge regarding CB-regulated metabolism is currently available. To evaluate how physical parameters of CB influence metabolism, we investigated CB and diesel exhaust particles (DEPs) and attempted to relate various physical parameters, including the hydrodynamic diameter, zeta potential, and particle number concentrations, to lung energy metabolism in female BALB/c mice. A body weight increase was arrested by 3 months of exposure to CB of smaller-size fractions, which was negatively correlated with pyruvate in plasma. There were no significant differences in cytotoxic lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) or total protein in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) after 3 months of CB exposure. However, we observed alterations in acetyl CoA and the NADP/NADPH ratio in lung tissues with CB exposure. Additionally, the NADP/NADPH ratio was associated with the zeta potential of CB. Mild peribronchiovascular and interstitial inflammation and multinucleated giant cells (macrophages) with a transparent and rhomboid appearance and containing foreign bodies were observed in lung sections. We suggest that physical characteristics of CB, such as the zeta potential, may disrupt metabolism after pulmonary exposure. These results, therefore, provide the first evidence of a link between pulmonary exposure to CB and metabolism. - Highlights: • We evaluated how physical parameters of CB influence metabolism in mice lungs. • Body weight was arrested by exposure to CB in mice. • CB-induced peribronchiovascular and interstitial inflammation in the lungs. • Disruption in functions of acetyl CoA and NADP/NADPH was observed in lungs. • NADP/NADPH ratio was associated with the zeta potentials of CB.

  8. Protein profile of human hepatocarcinoma cell line SMMC-7721: Identification and functional analysis

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Yi Feng; Zhong-Min Tian; Ming-Xi Wan; Zhao-Bin Zheng

    2007-01-01

    AIM: To investigate the protein profile of human hepatocarcinoma cell line SMMC-7721, to analyze the specific functions of abundant expressed proteins in the processes of hepatocarcinoma genesis, growth and metastasis, to identify the hepatocarcinoma-specific biomarkers for the early prediction in diagnosis, and to explore the new drug targets for liver cancer therapy.METHODS: Total proteins from human hepatocarcinomacell line SMMC-7721 were separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE). The silver-stained gel was analyzed by 2DE software Image Master 2D Elite.Interesting protein spots were identified by peptide mass fingerprinting based on matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS)and database searching.RESULTS: We obtained protein profile of human hepatocarcinoma cell line SMMC-7721. Among the twenty-one successfully identified proteins, mitofilin,endoplasmic reticulum protein ERp29, ubiquinol-cytochrome C reductase complex core protein Ⅰ,peroxisomal enoyl CoA hydratase, peroxiredoxin-4 and probable 3-oxoacid CoA transferase 1 precursor were the six novel proteins identified in human hepatocarcinoma cells or tissues. Specific functions of the identified heat-shock proteins were analyzed in detail, and the results suggested that these proteins might promote tumorigenesis via inhibiting cell death induced by several cancer-related stresses or via inhibiting apoptosis at multiple points in the apoptotic signal pathway. Other identified chaperones and cancer-related proteins were also analyzed.CONCLUSION: Based on the protein profile of SMMC-7721 cells, functional analysis suggests that the identified chaperones and cancer-related proteins have their own pathways to contribute to the tumorigenesis, tumor growth and metastasis of liver cancer. Furthermore, proteomic analysis is indicated to be feasible in the cancer study.

  9. Protein interaction networks at the host-microbe interface in Diaphorina citri, the insect vector of the citrus greening pathogen.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramsey, J S; Chavez, J D; Johnson, R; Hosseinzadeh, S; Mahoney, J E; Mohr, J P; Robison, F; Zhong, X; Hall, D G; MacCoss, M; Bruce, J; Cilia, M

    2017-02-01

    The Asian citrus psyllid ( Diaphorina citri) is the insect vector responsible for the worldwide spread of ' Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' (CLas), the bacterial pathogen associated with citrus greening disease. Developmental changes in the insect vector impact pathogen transmission, such that D. citri transmission of CLas is more efficient when bacteria are acquired by nymphs when compared with adults. We hypothesize that expression changes in the D. citri immune system and commensal microbiota occur during development and regulate vector competency. In support of this hypothesis, more proteins, with greater fold changes, were differentially expressed in response to CLas in adults when compared with nymphs, including insect proteins involved in bacterial adhesion and immunity. Compared with nymphs, adult insects had a higher titre of CLas and the bacterial endosymbionts Wolbachia, Profftella and Carsonella. All Wolbachia and Profftella proteins differentially expressed between nymphs and adults are upregulated in adults, while most differentially expressed Carsonella proteins are upregulated in nymphs. Discovery of protein interaction networks has broad applicability to the study of host-microbe relationships. Using protein interaction reporter technology, a D. citri haemocyanin protein highly upregulated in response to CLas was found to physically interact with the CLas coenzyme A (CoA) biosynthesis enzyme phosphopantothenoylcysteine synthetase/decarboxylase. CLas pantothenate kinase, which catalyses the rate-limiting step of CoA biosynthesis, was found to interact with a D. citri myosin protein. Two Carsonella enzymes involved in histidine and tryptophan biosynthesis were found to physically interact with D. citri proteins. These co-evolved protein interaction networks at the host-microbe interface are highly specific targets for controlling the insect vector responsible for the spread of citrus greening.

  10. [Progress in the study on mammalian diacylgycerol acyltransgerase (DGAT) gene and its biological function].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yan; Xu, Heng-Yong; Zhu, Qing

    2007-10-01

    Diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT; EC 2.3.1.20) is a microsomal enzyme that plays a central role in the metabolism of cellular glycerolipids. DGAT catalyzes the final step in triacylglycerol (TAG) biosynthesis by converting diacylgycerol (DAG) and fatty acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) into triacylglycero1. DGAT plays a fundamental role in the metabolism of cellular diacylglycerol and is important in higher eukaryotes for physiologic processes involving triacylglycerol metabolism such as intestinal fat absorption, lipoprotein assembly, adipose tissue formation, and lactation. Therefore, DGAT is not only an key factor for control triglycerides and fatty acids, but also may play a key modulatory role in animal fat deposition.

  11. Prefermentación de agua residual urbana empleando un reactor biopelícula de lecho sumergido

    OpenAIRE

    Castillo de Castro, Pedro; González Ruiz, Guarocuya; Tejero Monzón, Iñaki

    1999-01-01

    Esta investigación describe la acidificación de agua residual urbana (ARU). La experimentación se llevó a cabo utilizando un reactor biopelícula de lecho sumergido fijo (BLSF), en el cual se produce la hidrólisis de los sólidos en suspensión retenidos en la zona de decantación del reactor, mientras que la biomasa de la biopelícula se encarga de la acidificación del medio. Se operó bajo cargas orgánicas aplicadas (COA) comprendidas entre 0,5 y 23 kg DQO/m3·d, tiempos de retención hidráulico (T...

  12. Models of Distribution Computation: Behavior Characterization of Intelligent Problem Solving for an Agent Hierarchy in a Competitive (Web) Environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    2002-10-04

    VNXYCOE$M C g N"hNBDC~�1`Hj L N�EHGC g `1CJCOMy`’VNXYCOE$M iAB,MON U WN^MONW hNGE$MON"`H] ] MOE � A k `1COA U KFC g N\\XEaBDC,GL U...N U AB;X^` U hN�XE k ] LCONW�w\\A C g E$LC A U CON^My`$XYCOA U Kw\\A C g C g N"B BDCON k oHA R N R o1w\\A C g E$LC k N`$B_L MOA U KFC g N2 C

  13. Disruption of the acyl-coa binding protein gene delays hepatic adaptation to metabolic changes at weaning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Neess, Ditte; Bloksgaard, Maria; Sørensen, Signe Bek

    2011-01-01

    The acyl-CoA binding protein/diazepam binding inhibitor (ACBP/DBI) is an intracellular protein that binds C14-C22 acyl-CoA esters and is thought to act as an acyl-CoA transporter. In vitro analyses have indicated that ACBP can transport acyl-CoA esters between different enzymatic systems; however....... The delayed induction of SREBP target genes around weaning is caused by a compromised processing and decreased expression of SREBP precursors leading to reduced binding of SREBP to target sites in chromatin. In conclusion, lack of ACBP interferes with the normal metabolic adaptation to weaning and leads...

  14. Role of Pex21p for Piggyback Import of Gpd1p and Pnc1p into Peroxisomes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Effelsberg, Daniel; Cruz-Zaragoza, Luis Daniel; Tonillo, Jason; Schliebs, Wolfgang; Erdmann, Ralf

    2015-10-16

    Proteins designated for peroxisomal protein import harbor one of two common peroxisomal targeting signals (PTS). In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the oleate-induced PTS2-dependent import of the thiolase Fox3p into peroxisomes is conducted by the soluble import receptor Pex7p in cooperation with the auxiliary Pex18p, one of two supposedly redundant PTS2 co-receptors. Here, we report on a novel function for the co-receptor Pex21p, which cannot be fulfilled by Pex18p. The data establish Pex21p as a general co-receptor in PTS2-dependent protein import, whereas Pex18p is especially important for oleate-induced import of PTS2 proteins. The glycerol-producing PTS2 protein glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase Gpd1p shows a tripartite localization in peroxisomes, in the cytosol, and in the nucleus under osmotic stress conditions. We show the following: (i) Pex21p is required for peroxisomal import of Gpd1p as well as a key enzyme of the NAD(+) salvage pathway, Pnc1p; (ii) Pnc1p, a nicotinamidase without functional PTS2, is co-imported into peroxisomes by piggyback transport via Gpd1p. Moreover, the specific transport of these two enzymes into peroxisomes suggests a novel regulatory role for peroxisomes under various stress conditions. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  15. Seasonal Variations of High Time-Resolved Chemical Compositions, Sources and Evolution for Atmospheric Submicron Aerosols in the Megacity of Beijing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Min; Hu, Wei; Hu, Weiwei; Zheng, Jing; Guo, Song; Wu, Yusheng; Lu, Sihua; Zeng, Limin

    2016-04-01

    This study aims to investigate aerosol secondary formation and aging process in the megacity of Beijing. Seasonal intensive campaigns were conducted from March 2012 to March 2013 at an urban site located at the campus of Peking University (116.31° E, 37.99° N). An Aerodyne high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometry (HR-ToF-AMS) and other relevant instrumentations for gaseous and particulate pollutants were deployed. The average submicron aerosol (PM1) mass concentrations were 45.1 ± 45.8, 37.5 ± 31.0, 41.3 ± 42.7 and 81.7 ± 72.4 μg m-3 in spring, summer, autumn and winter, respectively. Organic matter was the most abundant component, accounting for 31%, 33%, 44% and 36% in PM1 correspondingly, followed by sulfate and nitrate. Distinct seasonal and diurnal patterns of the components of PM1 tracking primary sources (e.g., BC and HOA) and secondary formation (e.g., sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, LV-OOA and SV-OOA) were significantly influenced by primary emissions and mesoscale meteorology. Combining positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis with the mass spectrometry of organics measured by AMS, the contributions of primary and secondary sources to submicron organic aerosols (OA) were apportioned. In spring and summer, the primary sources were hydrocarbon-like OA (HOA) and cooking OA (COA), and the secondary components were low volatility (LV-OOA) and semi-volatile oxygenated OA (SV-OOA). In winter biomass burning OA (BBOA) was also resolved. In autumn, four factors were resolved, that is, OOA, HOA, COA and BBOA. In general, OOA (sum of LV-OOA and SV-OOA) was important in OA in four seasons, accounting for about 63%, 70%, 47% and 50%, respectively. SV-OOA dominated OA in summer (44%) due to the fresh secondary formation from strong photochemical oxidations; whereas, LV-OOA was dominant in OA in winter (33%), maybe because the transported air masses were more aged in heavily polluted days. The POA (sum of HOA, COA and BBOA) in OA was dominant in

  16. Metabolic pathways for ketone body production. 13C NMR spectroscopy of rat liver in vivo using 13C-multilabeled fatty acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pahl-Wostl, C.; Seelig, J.

    1986-01-01

    The hormonal regulation of ketogenesis in the liver of living rat has been studied noninvasively with 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance. The spatial selection for the liver was better than 90%, with extrahepatic adipose tissue contribution only a very small amount of signal. The metabolic activities of the liver were investigated by infusion of 13 C-labeled butyrate in the jugular vein of the anesthetized rat. The rate of butyrate infusion was chosen to be close to the maximum oxidative capacity of the rat liver, and the 13 C signal intensities were enhanced by using doubly labeled [1,3- 13 C]butyrate as a substrate. Different 13 C NMR spectra and hence different metabolites were observed depending on the hormonal state of the animal. The 13 C NMR studies demonstrate that even when rate of acetyl-CoA production are high, the disposal of this compound is not identical in fasted and diabetic animals. This supports previous suggestions that the redox state of the mitochondrion represents the most important factor in regulation. For a given metabolic state of the animal, different signal intensities were obtained depending on whether butyrate was labeled at C-1, C-3, or C-1,3. From the ratios of incorporation of 13 C label into the carbons of 3-hydroxybutyrate, it could be estimated that a large fraction of butyrate evaded β-oxidation to acetyl-CoA but was converted directly to acetoacetyl-CoA. 13 C-labeled glucose could be detected in vivo in the liver of diabetic rats

  17. Hydrogen Sulfide Sensing through Reactive Sulfur Species (RSS) and Nitroxyl (HNO) in Enterococcus faecalis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Jiangchuan; Walsh, Brenna J C; Flores-Mireles, Ana Lidia; Peng, Hui; Zhang, Yifan; Zhang, Yixiang; Trinidad, Jonathan C; Hultgren, Scott J; Giedroc, David P

    2018-05-17

    Recent studies of hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) signaling implicate low molecular weight (LMW) thiol persulfides and other reactive sulfur species (RSS) as signaling effectors. Here, we show that a CstR protein from the human pathogen Enterococcus faecalis ( E. faecalis), previously identified in Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus), is an RSS-sensing repressor that transcriptionally regulates a cst-like operon in response to both exogenous sulfide stress and Angeli's salt, a precursor of nitroxyl (HNO). E. faecalis CstR reacts with coenzyme A persulfide (CoASSH) to form interprotomer disulfide and trisulfide bridges between C32 and C61', which negatively regulate DNA binding to a consensus CstR DNA operator. A Δ cstR strain exhibits deficiency in catheter colonization in a catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) mouse model, suggesting sulfide regulation and homeostasis is critical for pathogenicity. Cellular polysulfide metabolite profiling of sodium sulfide-stressed E. faecalis confirms an increase in both inorganic polysulfides and LMW thiols and persulfides sensed by CstR. The cst-like operon encodes two authentic thiosulfate sulfurtransferases and an enzyme we characterize here as an NADH and FAD-dependent coenzyme A (CoA) persulfide reductase (CoAPR) that harbors an N-terminal CoA disulfide reductase (CDR) domain and a C-terminal rhodanese homology domain (RHD). Both cysteines in the CDR (C42) and RHD (C508) domains are required for CoAPR activity and complementation of a sulfide-induced growth phenotype of a S. aureus strain lacking cstB, encoding a nonheme Fe II persulfide dioxygenase. We propose that S. aureus CstB and E. faecalis CoAPR employ orthogonal chemistries to lower CoASSH that accumulates under conditions of cellular sulfide toxicity and signaling.

  18. A Canonical Biotin Synthesis Enzyme, 8-Amino-7-Oxononanoate Synthase (BioF), Utilizes Different Acyl Chain Donors in Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manandhar, Miglena; Cronan, John E

    2018-01-01

    BioF (8-amino-7-oxononanoate synthase) is a strictly conserved enzyme that catalyzes the first step in assembly of the fused heterocyclic rings of biotin. The BioF acyl chain donor has long been thought to be pimeloyl-CoA. Indeed, in vitro the Escherichia coli and Bacillus sphaericus enzymes have been shown to condense pimeloyl-CoA with l-alanine in a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-dependent reaction with concomitant CoA release and decarboxylation of l-alanine. However, recent in vivo studies of E. coli and Bacillus subtilis suggested that the BioF proteins of the two bacteria could have different specificities for pimelate thioesters in that E. coli BioF may utilize either pimeloyl coenzyme A (CoA) or the pimelate thioester of the acyl carrier protein (ACP) of fatty acid synthesis. In contrast, B. subtilis BioF seemed likely to be specific for pimeloyl-CoA and unable to utilize pimeloyl-ACP. We now report genetic and in vitro data demonstrating that B. subtilis BioF specifically utilizes pimeloyl-CoA. IMPORTANCE Biotin is an essential vitamin required by mammals and birds because, unlike bacteria, plants, and some fungi, these organisms cannot make biotin. Currently, the biotin included in vitamin tablets and animal feeds is made by chemical synthesis. This is partly because the biosynthetic pathways in bacteria are incompletely understood. This paper defines an enzyme of the Bacillus subtilis pathway and shows that it differs from that of Escherichia coli in the ability to utilize specific precursors. These bacteria have been used in biotin production and these data may aid in making biotin produced by biotechnology commercially competitive with that produced by chemical synthesis. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

  19. Effect of CLA and other C18 unsaturated fatty acids on DGAT in bovine milk fat biosynthetic systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sørensen, Brent M; Chris Kazala, E; Murdoch, Gordon K; Keating, Aileen F; Cruz-Hernandez, Cristina; Wegner, Jochen; Kennelly, John J; Okine, Erasmus K; Weselake, Randall J

    2008-10-01

    Production of dairy products with increased amounts of nutraceutic FA such as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) represents a recent approach for dairy producers and processors to increase the value of their products. The effect of CLA and other FA on the expression of diacylglycerol acyltransferase-1 (DGAT-1) and DGAT-2, and DGAT activity were investigated in bovine mammary gland epithelial (MAC-T) cells. DGAT gene expression analyses were also conducted using bovine mammary gland tissue from dairy cows. In the studies with MAC-T cells, there were no significant effects of CLA isomers or other FA on DGAT1 expression, whereas all FA tested showed enhanced DGAT2 expression (P < 0.05 to P < 0.001), with alpha-linolenic acid (alpha-18:3) having the greatest effect. Additionally, DGAT2 expression was co-ordinated with expression of lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase (LPAAT), an observation that was also apparent in mammary gland from lactating dairy cows. In contrast, treatment of MAC-T cells with trans-10, cis-12 18:2 or alpha-18:3 resulted in a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in overall DGAT enzyme activity, although the mechanisms resulting in these effects are unclear. Competition assays using microsomes from bovine mammary gland tissue and 1-[(14)C]oleoyl-CoA suggested that DGAT activity was more selective for oleoyl (cis-9 18:1)-CoA than cis-9, trans-11 18:2-, trans-10, cis-12 18:2- or cis-9, cis-12 18:2-CoA. Collectively, the results suggest the relationship between trans-10, cis-12 18:2 and reduced TAG production in bovine milk is not linked to the production of DGAT1 or DGAT2 transcripts, but probably involves effects of this CLA isomer at events beyond transcription, such as post-translational and/or enzyme activity effects.

  20. Sugarcane expressed sequences tags (ESTs encoding enzymes involved in lignin biosynthesis pathways

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramos Rose Lucia Braz

    2001-01-01

    Full Text Available Lignins are phenolic polymers found in the secondary wall of plant conductive systems where they play an important role by reducing the permeability of the cell wall to water. Lignins are also responsible for the rigidity of the cell wall and are involved in mechanisms of resistance to pathogens. The metabolic routes and enzymes involved in synthesis of lignins have been largely characterized and representative genes that encode enzymes involved in these processes have been cloned from several plant species. The synthesis of lignins is liked to the general metabolism of the phenylpropanoids in plants, having enzymes (e.g. phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL, cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H and caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT common to other processes as well as specific enzymes such as cinnamoyl-CoA reductase (CCR and cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD. Some maize and sorghum mutants, shown to have defective in CAD and/or COMT activity, are easier to digest because they have a reduced lignin content, something which has motivated different research groups to alter the lignin content and composition of model plants by genetic engineering try to improve, for example, the efficiency of paper pulping and digestibility. In the work reported in this paper, we have made an inventory of the sugarcane expressed sequence tag (EST coding for enzymes involved in lignin metabolism which are present in the sugarcane EST genome project (SUCEST database. Our analysis focused on the key enzymes ferulate-5-hydroxylase (F5H, caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT, caffeoyl CoA O-methyltransferase (CCoAOMT, hydroxycinnamate CoA ligase (4CL, cinnamoyl-CoA reductase (CCR and cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD. The comparative analysis of these genes with those described in other species could be used as molecular markers for breeding as well as for the manipulation of lignin metabolism in sugarcane.