Transport of amino acids and GABA analogues via the human proton-coupled amino acid transporter, hPAT1

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Mie; Larsen, Birger Brodin; Frølund, Bente

2008-01-01

The objective of this study was to investigate transepithelial amino acid transport as a function of Caco-2 cell culture time. Furthermore, the objective was to investigate apical uptake characteristics of hPAT1-mediated transport under various experimental conditions. Apical amino acid uptake......, which has been shown to function as a carboxylic acid bioisostere for substrates of the GABA receptor and transport systems....

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of a series of 4-substituted glutamate analogues and pharmacological characterization at human glutamate transporters subtypes 1-3

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Alaux, Sebastien; Kusk, Mie; Sagot, Emanuelle

2005-01-01

A series of nine L-2,4-syn-4-alkylglutamic acid analogues (1a-i) were synthesized in high yield and high enantiomeric excess (>99% ee) from their corresponding 4-substituted ketoglutaric acids (2a-i), using the enzyme aspartate aminotransferase (AAT) from pig heart or E. coli. The synthesized com...... subtypes EAAT1-3 while maintaining inhibitory activity....

Increased Bile Acid Synthesis and Impaired Bile Acid Transport in Human Obesity

OpenAIRE

Haeusler, Rebecca A.; Camastra, Stefania; Nannipieri, Monica; Astiarraga, Brenno; Castro-Perez, Jose; Xie, Dan; Wang, Liangsu; Chakravarthy, Manu; Ferrannini, Ele

2015-01-01

We measured plasma bile acids, markers of bile acid synthesis, and expression of bile acid transporters in obese and nonobese subjects. We found that obesity was associated with increased bile acid synthesis and 12-hydroxylation, blunted response of plasma bile acids to insulin infusion or a mixed meal, and decreased expression of liver bile acid transporters.

Effects of a series of acidic drugs on L-lactic acid transport by the monocarboxylate transporters MCT1 and MCT4.

Science.gov (United States)

Leung, Yat Hei; Belanger, Francois; Lu, Jennifer; Turgeon, Jacques; Michaud, Veronique

2018-03-07

Drug-induced myopathy is a serious side effect that often requires removal of a medication from a drug regimen. For most drugs, the underlying mechanism of drug-induced myopathy remains unclear. Monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) mediate L-lactic acid transport, and inhibition of MCTs may potentially lead to perturbation of L-lactic acid accumulation and muscular disorders. Therefore, we hypothesized that L-lactic acid transport may be involved in the development of drug-induced myopathy. The aim of this study was to assess the inhibitory potential of 24 acidic drugs on L-lactic acid transport using breast cancer cell lines Hs578T and MDA-MB-231, which selectively express MCT1 and MCT4, respectively. The influx transport of L-lactic acid was minimally inhibited by all drugs tested. The efflux transport was next examined: loratadine (IC50: 10 and 61 µM) and atorvastatin (IC50: 78 and 41 µM) demonstrated the greatest potency for inhibition of L-lactic acid efflux by MCT1 and MCT4, respectively. Acidic drugs including fluvastatin, cerivastatin, simvastatin acid, lovastatin acid, irbesartan and losartan exhibited weak inhibitory potency on L-lactic acid efflux. Our results suggest that some acidic drugs, such as loratadine and atorvastatin, can inhibit the efflux transport of L-lactic acid. This inhibition may cause an accumulation of intracellular L-lactic acid leading to acidification and muscular disorders. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Ascorbic acid transport and accumulation in human neutrophils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Washko, P.; Rotrosen, D.; Levine, M.

1989-01-01

The transport, accumulation, and distribution of ascorbic acid were investigated in isolated human neutrophils utilizing a new ascorbic acid assay, which combined the techniques of high performance liquid chromatography and coulometric electrochemical detection. Freshly isolated human neutrophils contained 1.0-1.4 mM ascorbic acid, which was localized greater than or equal to 94% to the cytosol, was not protein bound, and was present only as ascorbic acid and not as dehydroascorbic acid. Upon addition of ascorbic acid to the extracellular medium in physiologic amounts, ascorbic acid was accumulated in neutrophils in millimolar concentrations. Accumulation was mediated by a high affinity and a low affinity transporter; both transporters were responsible for maintenance of concentration gradients as large as 50-fold. The high affinity transporter had an apparent Km of 2-5 microns by Lineweaver-Burk and Eadie-Hofstee analyses, and the low affinity transporter had an apparent Km of 6-7 mM by similar analyses. Each transporter was saturable and temperature dependent. In normal human blood the high affinity transporter should be saturated, whereas the low affinity transporter should be in its linear phase of uptake

Transport of acidic amino acids by human jejunal brush-border membrane vesicles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajendran, V.M.; Harig, J.M.; Adams, M.B.; Ramaswamy, K.

1987-01-01

This study characterizes the transport of radiolabeled acidic amino acids into brush-border membrane vesicles prepared from human jejunum. The uptakes of L-glutamic, L-aspartic, and D-aspartic acids were stimulated by a Na + gradient. Concentrative uptake (resulting in an overshoot phenomenon) of these dicarboxylic amino acids occurred when there was an outward K + gradient. In addition, increasing K + gradients resulted in enhanced uptake of L-glutamic acid. This K + requirement is somewhat specific as Rb + and Cs + could enhance uptake to a limited extent, whereas Li + and choline + showed no enhancement. The presence of a K + gradient did not affect the affinity of the carrier system for L-glutamic acid but it did increase the V/sub max/. The presence of extravesicular anions having differing membrane permeabilities did not altar L-glutamic acid uptake indicating an absence of an effect of membrane potential on the transport process. Finally, the human transport system for L-glutamic acid appears to be specific for acidic amino acids as demonstrated by inhibition studies. The studies demonstrate a transport system in human jejunum specific for acidic amino acids that is energized by an inward Na + gradient and an outward K + gradient

Role of the Intestinal Bile Acid Transporters in Bile Acid and Drug Disposition

Science.gov (United States)

Dawson, Paul A.

2011-01-01

Membrane transporters expressed by the hepatocyte and enterocyte play critical roles in maintaining the enterohepatic circulation of bile acids, an effective recycling and conservation mechanism that largely restricts these potentially cytotoxic detergents to the intestinal and hepatobiliary compartments. In doing so, the hepatic and enterocyte transport systems ensure a continuous supply of bile acids to be used repeatedly during the digestion of multiple meals throughout the day. Absorption of bile acids from the intestinal lumen and export into the portal circulation is mediated by a series of transporters expressed on the enterocyte apical and basolateral membranes. The ileal apical sodium-dependent bile acid cotransporter (abbreviated ASBT; gene symbol, SLC10A2) is responsible for the initial uptake of bile acids across the enterocyte brush border membrane. The bile acids are then efficiently shuttled across the cell and exported across the basolateral membrane by the heteromeric Organic Solute Transporter, OSTα-OSTβ. This chapter briefly reviews the tissue expression, physiology, genetics, pathophysiology, and transport properties of the ASBT and OSTα-OSTα. In addition, the chapter discusses the relationship between the intestinal bile acid transporters and drug metabolism, including development of ASBT inhibitors as novel hypocholesterolemic or hepatoprotective agents, prodrug targeting of the ASBT to increase oral bioavailability, and involvement of the intestinal bile acid transporters in drug absorption and drug-drug interactions. PMID:21103970

Plasma homovanillic acid in schizophrenics: supportive evidence for the two-subtype hypothesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, T Y; Lee, C F; Lung, F W; Lee, T C; Lin, W L; Hu, W H; Yeh, E K; Chang, W H

1989-06-01

Plasma levels of homovanillic acid (pHVA), a major metabolite of dopamine (DA), were measured in a group of 51 schizophrenic inpatients before and during 6 weeks of neuroleptic treatment. Steady-state plasma drug concentrations were monitored in parallel with pHVA. Good responders (n = 22) had higher pretreatment pHVA levels as compared to poor responders (n = 22). Differential pHVA changes during neuroleptic treatment were also found between each group. The two groups did not differ significantly in terms of age, duration of illness, severity of presenting symptoms, neuroleptic, dose, or plasma drug concentration. Two hypothetical subtypes in the group of schizophrenics were proposed.

Effect of amino acid sequence variations at position 149 on the fusogenic activity of the subtype B avian metapneumovirus fusion protein.

Science.gov (United States)

Yun, Bingling; Gao, Yanni; Liu, Yongzhen; Guan, Xiaolu; Wang, Yongqiang; Qi, Xiaole; Gao, Honglei; Liu, Changjun; Cui, Hongyu; Zhang, Yanping; Gao, Yulong; Wang, Xiaomei

2015-10-01

The entry of enveloped viruses into host cells requires the fusion of viral and cell membranes. These membrane fusion reactions are mediated by virus-encoded glycoproteins. In the case of avian metapneumovirus (aMPV), the fusion (F) protein alone can mediate virus entry and induce syncytium formation in vitro. To investigate the fusogenic activity of the aMPV F protein, we compared the fusogenic activities of three subtypes of aMPV F proteins using a TCSD50 assay developed in this study. Interestingly, we found that the F protein of aMPV subtype B (aMPV/B) strain VCO3/60616 (aMPV/vB) was hyperfusogenic when compared with F proteins of aMPV/B strain aMPV/f (aMPV/fB), aMPV subtype A (aMPV/A), and aMPV subtype C (aMPV/C). We then further demonstrated that the amino acid (aa) residue 149F contributed to the hyperfusogenic activity of the aMPV/vB F protein. Moreover, we revealed that residue 149F had no effect on the fusogenic activities of aMPV/A, aMPV/C, and human metapneumovirus (hMPV) F proteins. Collectively, we provide the first evidence that the amino acid at position 149 affects the fusogenic activity of the aMPV/B F protein, and our findings will provide new insights into the fusogenic mechanism of this protein.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Incident Ischemic Stroke and Its Atherothrombotic and Cardioembolic Subtypes in 3 US Cohorts.

Science.gov (United States)

Saber, Hamidreza; Yakoob, Mohammad Yawar; Shi, Peilin; Longstreth, W T; Lemaitre, Rozenn N; Siscovick, David; Rexrode, Kathryn M; Willett, Walter C; Mozaffarian, Dariush

2017-10-01

The associations of individual long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids with incident ischemic stroke and its main subtypes are not well established. We aimed to investigate prospectively the relationship of circulating eicosapentaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) with risk of total ischemic, atherothrombotic, and cardioembolic stroke. We measured circulating phospholipid fatty acids at baseline in 3 separate US cohorts: CHS (Cardiovascular Health Study), NHS (Nurses' Health Study), and HPFS (Health Professionals Follow-Up Study). Ischemic strokes were prospectively adjudicated and classified into atherothrombotic (large- and small-vessel infarctions) or cardioembolic by imaging studies and medical records. Risk according to fatty acid levels was assessed using Cox proportional hazards (CHS) or conditional logistic regression (NHS, HPFS) according to study design. Cohort findings were pooled using fixed-effects meta-analysis. A total of 953 incident ischemic strokes were identified (408 atherothrombotic, 256 cardioembolic, and 289 undetermined subtypes) during median follow-up of 11.2 years (CHS) and 8.3 years (pooled, NHS and HPFS). After multivariable adjustment, lower risk of total ischemic stroke was seen with higher DPA (highest versus lowest quartiles; pooled hazard ratio [HR], 0.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.58-0.92) and DHA (HR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.64-1.00) but not eicosapentaenoic acid (HR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.77-1.19). DHA was associated with lower risk of atherothrombotic stroke (HR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.34-0.83) and DPA with lower risk of cardioembolic stroke (HR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.37-0.92). Findings in each individual cohort were consistent with pooled results. In 3 large US cohorts, higher circulating levels of DHA were inversely associated with incident atherothrombotic stroke and DPA with cardioembolic stroke. These novel findings suggest differential pathways of benefit for DHA, DPA, and eicosapentaenoic acid. © 2017

Different loss of dopamine transporter according to subtype of multiple system atrophy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Hae Won [Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Daegu (Korea, Republic of); Keimyung University, Department of Nuclear Medicine, School of Medicine, Jung-gu, Daegu (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jae Seung; Oh, Minyoung; Oh, Jungsu S.; Lee, Sang Joo; Oh, Seung Jun [University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Songpa-gu, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Chung, Sun Ju; Lee, Chong Sik [University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Asan Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2016-03-15

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) loss as measured by {sup 18}F-fluorinated-N-3-fluoropropyl-2-b-carboxymethoxy-3-b-(4-iodophenyl) nortropane ([{sup 18}F]FP-CIT) PET differs according to the metabolic subtype of multiple system atrophy (MSA) as assessed by [{sup 18}F]FDG PET. This retrospective study included 50 patients with clinically diagnosed MSA who underwent [{sup 18}F]FP-CIT and [{sup 18}F]FDG brain PET scans. The PET images were analysed using 12 striatal subregional volume-of-interest templates (bilateral ventral striatum, anterior caudate, posterior caudate, anterior putamen, posterior putamen, and ventral putamen). The patients were classified into three metabolic subtypes according to the [{sup 18}F]FDG PET findings: MSA-P{sub m} (striatal hypometabolism only), MSA-mixed{sub m} (both striatal and cerebellar hypometabolism), and MSA-C{sub m} (cerebellar hypometabolism only). The subregional glucose metabolic ratio (MR{sub gluc}), subregional DAT binding ratio (BR{sub DAT}), and intersubregional ratio (ISR{sub DAT}; defined as the BR{sub DAT} ratio of one striatal subregion to that of another striatal subregion) were compared according to metabolic subtype. Of the 50 patients, 13 presented with MSA-P{sub m}, 16 presented with MSA-mixed{sub m}, and 21 presented with MSA-C{sub m}. The BR{sub DAT} of all striatal subregions in the MSA-P{sub m} and MSA-mixed{sub m} groups were significantly lower than those in the MSA-C{sub m} group. The posterior putamen/anterior putamen ISR{sub DAT} and anterior putamen/ventral striatum ISR{sub DAT} in the MSA-P{sub m} and MSA-mixed{sub m} groups were significantly lower than those in the MSA-C{sub m} group. Patients with MSA-P{sub m} and MSA-mixed{sub m} showed more severe DAT loss in the striatum than patients with MSA-C{sub m}. Patients with MSA-C{sub m} had more diffuse DAT loss than patients with MSA-P{sub m} and MSA-mixed{sub m}. (orig.)

Molecular determinants of transport stimulation of EAAT2 are located at interface between the trimerization and substrate transport domains.

Science.gov (United States)

Mortensen, Ole V; Liberato, José L; Coutinho-Netto, Joaquim; Dos Santos, Wagner F; Fontana, Andréia C K

2015-04-01

Excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) regulate glutamatergic signal transmission by clearing extracellular glutamate. Dysfunction of these transporters has been implicated in the pathogenesis of various neurological disorders. Previous studies have shown that venom from the spider Parawixia bistriata and a purified compound (Parawixin1) stimulate EAAT2 activity and protect retinal tissue from ischemic damage. In the present study, the EAAT2 subtype specificity of this compound was explored, employing chimeric proteins between EAAT2 and EAAT3 transporter subtypes and mutants to characterize the structural region targeted by the compound. This identified a critical residue (Histidine-71 in EAAT2 and Serine-45 in EAAT3) in transmembrane domain 2 (TM2) to be important for the selectivity between EAAT2 and EAAT3 and for the activity of the venom. Using the identified residue in TM2 as a structural anchor, several neighboring amino acids within TM5 and TM8 were identified to also be important for the activity of the venom. This structural domain of the transporter lies at the interface of the rigid trimerization domain and the central substrate-binding transport domain. Our studies suggest that the mechanism of glutamate transport enhancement involves an interaction with the transporter that facilitates the movement of the transport domain. We identified a domain (purple star) in the glutamate transporter EAAT2 that is important for transport stimulation through a spider venom, and suggest a mechanism for enhanced transporter function through facilitated substrate translocation (arrow). Because the dysfunction of glutamate transporters is implicated in the pathogenesis of neurological disorders, understanding the mechanisms of enhanced transport could have therapeutic implications. © 2015 International Society for Neurochemistry.

Mutation-induced quisqualic acid and ibotenic acid affinity at the metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 4: ligand selectivity results from a synergy of several amino acid residues

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hermit, Mette B; Greenwood, Jeremy R; Bräuner-Osborne, Hans

2004-01-01

The metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are key modulators of excitatory neurotransmission in the central nervous system. The eight mGluR subtypes are seven trans-membrane-spanning proteins that possess a large extracellular amino-terminal domain in which the endogenous ligand binding pocket...... resides. In this study, we have identified four non-conserved amino acid residues that are essential for differentiating mGluR1 from mGluR4. Our approach has been to increase the affinity of the classic mGluR1 agonists, quisqualic acid and ibotenic acid, at mGluR4 by making various point mutations......, the mutations K74Y and K317R induced dramatic triple-order-of-magnitude increases in the affinity of ibotenic acid at mGluR4, making the affinity equivalent to that of mGluR1. Furthermore, the affinity of quisqualic acid at mGluR4 was increased to the same level as mGluR1 by the two double mutations, K74Y/K317R...

Characterization of a novel sialic acid transporter of the sodium solute symporter (SSS) family and in vivo comparison with known bacterial sialic acid transporters.

Science.gov (United States)

Severi, Emmanuele; Hosie, Arthur H F; Hawkhead, Judith A; Thomas, Gavin H

2010-03-01

The function of sialic acids in the biology of bacterial pathogens is reflected by the diverse range of solute transporters that can recognize these sugar acids. Here, we use an Escherichia coliDeltananT strain to characterize the function of known and proposed bacterial sialic acid transporters. We discover that the STM1128 gene from Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, which encodes a member of the sodium solute symporter family, is able to restore growth on sialic acid to the DeltananT strain and is able to transport [(14)C]-sialic acid. Using the DeltananT genetic background, we performed a direct in vivo comparison of the transport properties of the STM1128 protein with those of sialic acid transporters of the major facilitator superfamily and tripartite ATP-independent periplasmic families, E. coli NanT and Haemophilus influenzae SiaPQM, respectively. This revealed that both STM1128 and SiaPQM are sodium-dependent and, unlike SiaPQM, both STM1128 and NanT are reversible secondary carriers, demonstrating qualitative functional differences in the properties of sialic acid transporters used by bacteria that colonize humans.

Nature of the elements transporting long-chain fatty acids through the red cell membrane

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bojesen, Inge Norby; Bojesen, Eigil

1998-01-01

Docosahexaenoic acid, linoleic acid, red cell membrane, transporting elements, transport kinetics, fatty acid transport......Docosahexaenoic acid, linoleic acid, red cell membrane, transporting elements, transport kinetics, fatty acid transport...

Specific lysosomal transport of small neutral amino acids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pisoni, R.L.; Flickinger, K.S.; Thoene, J.G.; Christensen, H.N.

1986-01-01

Studies of amino acid exodus from lysosomes have allowed us previously to describe transport systems specific for cystine and another for cationic amino acids in fibroblast lysosomes. They are now able to study amino acid uptake into highly purified fibroblast lysosomes obtained by separating crude granular fraction on gradients formed by centrifugation in 35% isoosmotic Percoll solutions. Analog inhibition and saturation studies indicate that L-[ 14 C]proline (50 μM) uptake by fibroblast lysosomes at 37 0 C in 50 mM citrate/tris pH 7.0 buffer containing 0.25 M sucrose is mediated by two transport systems, one largely specific for L-proline and the other for which transport is shared with small neutral amino acids such as alanine, serine and threonine. At 7 mM, L-proline inhibits L-[ 14 C]proline uptake almost completely, whereas ala, ser, val, thr, gly, N-methylalanine and sarcosine inhibit proline uptake by 50-65%. The system shared by alanine, serine and threonine is further characterized by these amino acids strongly inhibiting the uptakes of each other. Lysosomal proline transport is selective for the L-isomer of the amino acid, and is scarcely inhibited by 7 mM arg, glu, asp, leu, phe, his, met, (methylamino) isobutyrate, betaine or N,N-dimethylglycine. Cis or trans-4-hydroxy-L-proline inhibit proline uptake only slightly. In sharp contrast to the fibroblast plasma membrane in which Na + is required for most proline and alanine transport, lysosomal uptake of these amino acids occurs independently of Na +

Regional amino acid transport into brain during diabetes: Effect of plasma amino acids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mans, A.M.; DeJoseph, M.R.; Davis, D.W.; Hawkins, R.A.

1987-01-01

Transport of phenylalanine and lysine into the brain was measured in 4-wk streptozotocin-diabetic rats to assess the effect on the neutral and basic amino acid transport systems at the blood-brain barrier. Amino acid concentrations in plasma and brain were also measured. Regional permeability-times-surface area (PS) products and influx were determined using a continuous infusion method and quantitative autoradiography. The PS of phenylalanine was decreased by an average of 40% throughout the entire brain. Influx was depressed by 35%. The PS of lysine was increased by an average of 44%, but the influx was decreased by 27%. Several plasma neutral amino acids (branched chain) were increased, whereas all basic amino acids were decreased. Brain tryptophan, phenylalanine, tyrosine, methionine, and lysine contents were markedly decreased. The transport changes were almost entirely accounted for by the alterations in the concentrations of the plasma amino acids that compete for the neutral and basic amino acid carriers. The reduced influx could be responsible for the low brain content of some essential amino acids, with possibly deleterious consequences for brain functions

Acid-base transport in pancreas – new challenges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivana eNovak

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Along the gastrointestinal tract a number of epithelia contribute with acid or basic secretions in order to aid digestive processes. The stomach and pancreas are the most extreme examples of acid (H+ and base (HCO3- transporters, respectively. Nevertheless, they share the same challenges of transporting acid and bases across epithelia and effectively regulating their intracellular pH. In this review, we will make use of comparative physiology to enlighten the cellular mechanisms of pancreatic HCO3- and fluid secretion, which is still challenging physiologists. Some of the novel transporters to consider in pancreas are the proton pumps (H+-K+-ATPases, as well as the calcium-activated K+ and Cl- channels, such as KCa3.1 and TMEM16A/ANO1. Local regulators, such as purinergic signalling, fine-tune and coordinate pancreatic secretion. Lastly, we speculate whether dys-regulation of acid-base transport contributes to pancreatic diseases including cystic fibrosis, pancreatitis and cancer.

DNA methylation of amino acid transporter genes in the human placenta.

Science.gov (United States)

Simner, C; Novakovic, B; Lillycrop, K A; Bell, C G; Harvey, N C; Cooper, C; Saffery, R; Lewis, R M; Cleal, J K

2017-12-01

Placental transfer of amino acids via amino acid transporters is essential for fetal growth. Little is known about the epigenetic regulation of amino acid transporters in placenta. This study investigates the DNA methylation status of amino acid transporters and their expression across gestation in human placenta. BeWo cells were treated with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine to inhibit methylation and assess the effects on amino acid transporter gene expression. The DNA methylation levels of amino acid transporter genes in human placenta were determined across gestation using DNA methylation array data. Placental amino acid transporter gene expression across gestation was also analysed using data from publically available Gene Expression Omnibus data sets. The expression levels of these transporters at term were established using RNA sequencing data. Inhibition of DNA methylation in BeWo cells demonstrated that expression of specific amino acid transporters can be inversely associated with DNA methylation. Amino acid transporters expressed in term placenta generally showed low levels of promoter DNA methylation. Transporters with little or no expression in term placenta tended to be more highly methylated at gene promoter regions. The transporter genes SLC1A2, SLC1A3, SLC1A4, SLC7A5, SLC7A11 and SLC7A10 had significant changes in enhancer DNA methylation across gestation, as well as gene expression changes across gestation. This study implicates DNA methylation in the regulation of amino acid transporter gene expression. However, in human placenta, DNA methylation of these genes remains low across gestation and does not always play an obvious role in regulating gene expression, despite clear evidence for differential expression as gestation proceeds. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Amino acid derivatives are substrates or non-transported inhibitors of the amino acid transporter PAT2 (slc36a2).

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, Noel; Anderson, Catriona M H; Gatfield, Kelly M; Jevons, Mark P; Ganapathy, Vadivel; Thwaites, David T

2011-01-01

The H(+)-coupled amino acid transporter PAT2 (SLC36A2) transports the amino acids proline, glycine, alanine and hydroxyproline. A physiological role played by PAT2 in amino acid reabsorption in the renal proximal tubule is demonstrated by mutations in SLC36A2 that lead to an iminoglycinuric phenotype (imino acid and glycine uria) in humans. A number of proline, GABA and tryptophan derivatives were examined to determine if they function either as transported substrates or non-transported inhibitors of PAT2. The compounds were investigated following heterologous expression of rat PAT2 in Xenopus laevis oocytes. PAT2 function was characterised by: radiotracer uptake and competition (cis-inhibition) studies; radiotracer efflux and trans-stimulation; and measurement of substrate-induced positive inward current by two-electrode voltage-clamp. In general, the proline derivatives appeared to be transported substrates and the relative ability to induce current flow was closely related to the inhibitory effects on PAT2-mediated l-[(3)H]proline uptake. In contrast, certain heterocyclic GABA derivatives (e.g. l-pipecolic acid) were translocated only slowly. Finally, the tryptophan derivatives inhibited PAT2 function but did not undergo transport. l-Proline uptake was inhibited by 5-hydroxy-l-tryptophan (IC(50) 1.6±0.4mM), α-methyl-d,l-tryptophan (3.5±1.5mM), l-tryptophan, 1-methyl-l-tryptophan and indole-3-propionic acid. Although neither 5-hydroxy-l-tryptophan nor α-methyl-d,l-tryptophan were able to elicit inward current in PAT2-expressing oocytes both reduced the current evoked by l-proline. 5-Hydroxy-l-tryptophan and α-methyl-d,l-tryptophan were unable to trans-stimulate l-proline efflux from PAT2-expressing oocytes, confirming that the two compounds act as non-transported blockers of PAT2. These two tryptophan derivatives should prove valuable experimental tools in future investigations of the physiological roles of PAT2. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights

(S)-homo-AMPA, a specific agonist at the mGlu6 subtype of metabotropic glutamic acid receptors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ahmadian, H; Nielsen, B; Bräuner-Osborne, Hans

1997-01-01

of the spectroscopic configurational assignments. The activities of 6 and 7 at ionotropic EAA (iGlu) receptors and at mGlu1-7 were studied. (S)-Homo-AMPA (6) was shown to be a specific agonist at mGlu6 (EC50 = 58 +/- 11 microM) comparable in potency with the endogenous mGlu agonist (S)-glutamic acid (EC50 = 20 +/- 3......Our previous publication (J. Med. Chem. 1996, 39, 3188-3194) described (RS)-2-amino-4-(3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazol-4-yl)butyric acid (Homo-AMPA) as a highly selective agonist at the mGlu6 subtype of metabotropic excitatory amino acid (EAA) receptors. Homo-AMPA has already become a standard agonist...... microM). Although Homo-AMPA did not show significant effects at iGlu receptors, (R)-Homo-AMPA (7), which was inactive at mGlu1-7, turned out to be a weak N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor antagonist (IC50 = 131 +/- 18 microM)....

Bibliography for acid-rock drainage and selected acid-mine drainage issues related to acid-rock drainage from transportation activities

Science.gov (United States)

Bradley, Michael W.; Worland, Scott C.

2015-01-01

Acid-rock drainage occurs through the interaction of rainfall on pyrite-bearing formations. When pyrite (FeS2) is exposed to oxygen and water in mine workings or roadcuts, the mineral decomposes and sulfur may react to form sulfuric acid, which often results in environmental problems and potential damage to the transportation infrastructure. The accelerated oxidation of pyrite and other sulfidic minerals generates low pH water with potentially high concentrations of trace metals. Much attention has been given to contamination arising from acid mine drainage, but studies related to acid-rock drainage from road construction are relatively limited. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Tennessee Department of Transportation, is conducting an investigation to evaluate the occurrence and processes controlling acid-rock drainage and contaminant transport from roadcuts in Tennessee. The basic components of acid-rock drainage resulting from transportation activities are described and a bibliography, organized by relevant categories (remediation, geochemical, microbial, biological impact, and secondary mineralization) is presented.

Acid-base transport in pancreas-new challenges

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Novak, Ivana; Haanes, Kristian Agmund; Wang, Jing

2013-01-01

Along the gastrointestinal tract a number of epithelia contribute with acid or basic secretions in order to aid digestive processes. The stomach and pancreas are the most extreme examples of acid (H+) and base (HCO-3) transporters, respectively. Nevertheless, they share the same challenges...... to consider in pancreas are the proton pumps (H-K-ATPases), as well as the calcium-activated K and Cl channels, such as K3.1 and TMEM16A/ANO1. Local regulators, such as purinergic signaling, fine-tune, and coordinate pancreatic secretion. Lastly, we speculate whether dys-regulation of acid-base transport...

Structure of the Unbound Form of HIV-1 Subtype A Protease: Comparison with Unbound Forms of Proteases from other HIV Subtypes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robbins, Arthur H.; Coman, Roxana M.; Bracho-Sanchez, Edith; Fernandez, Marty A.; Gilliland, C.Taylor; Li, Mi; Agbandje-McKenna, Mavis; Wlodawer, Alexander; Dunn, Ben M.; McKenna, Robert (NCI); (Florida)

2010-03-12

The crystal structure of the unbound form of HIV-1 subtype A protease (PR) has been determined to 1.7 {angstrom} resolution and refined as a homodimer in the hexagonal space group P6{sub 1} to an R{sub cryst} of 20.5%. The structure is similar in overall shape and fold to the previously determined subtype B, C and F PRs. The major differences lie in the conformation of the flap region. The flaps in the crystal structures of the unbound subtype B and C PRs, which were crystallized in tetragonal space groups, are either semi-open or wide open. In the present structure of subtype A PR the flaps are found in the closed position, a conformation that would be more anticipated in the structure of HIV protease complexed with an inhibitor. The amino-acid differences between the subtypes and their respective crystal space groups are discussed in terms of the differences in the flap conformations.

Transport of phosphoric acid through supported liquid membrane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zayzafoon, G.; Yassine, T.; Baidoun, R.

2003-01-01

The transport of phosphhoric acid through liquid membranes of amylalkohol, 1-octanol and 2-octanol was studied. It was found that phosphoric acid is transfered from feed side to strip side and the transport increased with the concentration of phosphoric acid up to 5M. The permeability in each membrane was determined for 5M phosphoic acid. It was found that the permeability values are 1.45 x 10 1 0 m 2 s 1 for amylakohol and ∼ 1x10 1 0 m 2 s 1 for each of 1-octanol and 2-octanol

Renal transport and metabolism of nicotinic acid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schuette, S.; Rose, R.C.

1986-01-01

Renal metabolism and brush-border transport of nicotinic acid were studied in renal cortical slices and brush-border membrane vesicles exposed to a physiological concentration of vitamin (2.2-3.5 microM). Vesicle transport of [ 3 H]nicotinic acid was found to be Na+ dependent and concentrative. The presence of a Na+ gradient resulted in a fivefold increase in the rate of nicotinic acid uptake over that observed with mannitol and caused a transient nicotinic acid accumulation two- to fourfold above the equilibrium value. The effects of membrane potential, pH, and elimination of Na+-H+ exchange were also studied. Cortical slices and isolated tubules exposed to 2.2 microM [ 14 C]nicotinic acid took up vitamin and rapidly metabolized most of it to intermediates in the Preiss-Handler pathway for NAD biosynthesis; little free nicotinic acid was detectable intracellularly. The replacement of Na+ with Li+ in the bathing medium reduced total accumulation of 14 C label primarily as a result of reduced nicotinic acid uptake. Cortical tissue concentrated free nicotinic acid only when the involved metabolic pathways were saturated by levels of nicotinic acid far in excess of what occurs in vivo

Role of sialic acid in synaptosomal transport of amino acid transmitters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaleska, M.M.; Erecinska, M.

1987-01-01

Active, high-affinity, sodium-dependent uptake of [ 14 C]-aminobutyric acid and of the acidic amino acid D-[ 3 H]-aspartate was inhibited by pretreatment of synaptosomes with neuraminidase from Vibrio cholerae. Inhibition was of a noncompetitive type and was related to the amount of sialic acid released. The maximum accumulation ratios of both amino acids (intracellular [amino acid]/extracellular [amino acid]) remained largely unaltered. Treatment with neuraminidase affected neither the synaptosomal energy levels nor the concentration of internal potassium. It is suggested that the γ-aminobutyric acid and acidic amino acid transporters are glycosylated and that sialic acid is involved in the operation of the carrier proteins directly and not through modification of driving forces responsible for amino acid uptake

Electron transport chains of lactic acid bacteria

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brooijmans, R.J.W.

2008-01-01

Lactic acid bacteria are generally considered facultative anaerobic obligate fermentative bacteria. They are unable to synthesize heme. Some lactic acid bacteria are unable to form menaquinone as well. Both these components are cofactors of respiratory (electron transport) chains of prokaryotic

Different frequencies of drug resistance mutations among HIV-1 subtypes circulating in China: a comprehensive study.

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Hongshuai Sui

Full Text Available The rapid spreading of HIV drug resistance is threatening the overall success of free HAART in China. Much work has been done on drug-resistant mutations, however, most of which were based on subtype B. Due to different genetic background, subtypes difference would have an effect on the development of drug-resistant mutations, which has already been proved by more and more studies. In China, the main epidemic subtypes are CRF07_BC, CRF08_BC, Thai B and CRF01_AE. The depiction of drug resistance mutations in those subtypes will be helpful for the selection of regimens for Chinese. In this study, the distributions difference of amino acids at sites related to HIV drug resistance were compared among subtype B, CRF01_AE, CRF07_BC and CRF08_BC strains prevalent in China. The amino acid composition of sequences belonging to different subtypes, which were obtained from untreated and treated individuals separately, were also compared. The amino acids proportions of 19 sites in RT among subtype B, CRF01_AE and CRF08_BC have significant difference in drug resistance groups (chi-square test, p<0.05. Genetic barriers analysis revealed that sites 69, 138, 181, 215 and 238 were significantly different among subtypes (Kruskal Wallis test, p<0.05. All subtypes shared three highest prevalent drug resistance sites 103, 181 and 184 in common. Many drug resistant sites in protease show surprising high proportions in almost all subtypes in drug-naïve patients. This is the first comprehensive study in China on different development of drug resistance among different subtypes. The detailed data will lay a foundation for HIV treatment regimens design and improve HIV therapy in China.

Stereocontrolled dopamine receptor binding and subtype selectivity of clebopride analogues synthesized from aspartic acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Einsiedel, Jürgen; Weber, Klaus; Thomas, Christoph; Lehmann, Thomas; Hübner, Harald; Gmeiner, Peter

2003-10-06

Employing the achiral 4-aminopiperidine derivative clebopride as a lead compound, chiral analogues were developed displaying dopamine receptor binding profiles that proved to be strongly dependent on the stereochemistry. Compared to the D1 receptor, the test compounds showed high selectivity for the D2-like subtypes including D2(long), D2(short), D3 and D4. The highest D4 and D3 affinities were observed for the cis-3-amino-4-methylpyrrolidines 3e and the enantiomer ent3e resulting in K(i) values of 0.23 and 1.8 nM, respectively. The benzamides of type 3 and 5 were synthesized in enantiopure form starting from (S)-aspartic acid and its unnatural optical antipode.

Amino Acid Transporters and Release of Hydrophobic Amino Acids in the Heterocyst-Forming Cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. Strain PCC 7120

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Rafael Pernil

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 is a filamentous cyanobacterium that can use inorganic compounds such as nitrate or ammonium as nitrogen sources. In the absence of combined nitrogen, it can fix N2 in differentiated cells called heterocysts. Anabaena also shows substantial activities of amino acid uptake, and three ABC-type transporters for amino acids have been previously characterized. Seven new loci encoding predicted amino acid transporters were identified in the Anabaena genomic sequence and inactivated. Two of them were involved in amino acid uptake. Locus alr2535-alr2541 encodes the elements of a hydrophobic amino acid ABC-type transporter that is mainly involved in the uptake of glycine. ORF all0342 encodes a putative transporter from the dicarboxylate/amino acid:cation symporter (DAACS family whose inactivation resulted in an increased uptake of a broad range of amino acids. An assay to study amino acid release from Anabaena filaments to the external medium was set up. Net release of the alanine analogue α-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB was observed when transport system N-I (a hydrophobic amino acid ABC-type transporter was engaged in the uptake of a specific substrate. The rate of AIB release was directly proportional to the intracellular AIB concentration, suggesting leakage from the cells by diffusion.

Ibotenic acid and thioibotenic acid

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hermit, Mette B; Greenwood, Jeremy R; Nielsen, Birgitte

2004-01-01

In this study, we have determined and compared the pharmacological profiles of ibotenic acid and its isothiazole analogue thioibotenic acid at native rat ionotropic glutamate (iGlu) receptors and at recombinant rat metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors expressed in mammalian cell lines....... Thioibotenic acid has a distinct pharmacological profile at group III mGlu receptors compared with the closely structurally related ibotenic acid; the former is a potent (low microm) agonist, whereas the latter is inactive. By comparing the conformational energy profiles of ibotenic and thioibotenic acid...... with the conformations preferred by the ligands upon docking to mGlu1 and models of the other mGlu subtypes, we propose that unlike other subtypes, group III mGlu receptor binding sites require a ligand conformation at an energy level which is prohibitively expensive for ibotenic acid, but not for thioibotenic acid...

Detecting Electron Transport of Amino Acids by Using Conductance Measurement

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Wei-Qiong Li

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The single molecular conductance of amino acids was measured by a scanning tunneling microscope (STM break junction. Conductance measurement of alanine gives out two conductance values at 10−1.85 G0 (1095 nS and 10−3.7 G0 (15.5 nS, while similar conductance values are also observed for aspartic acid and glutamic acid, which have one more carboxylic acid group compared with alanine. This may show that the backbone of NH2–C–COOH is the primary means of electron transport in the molecular junction of aspartic acid and glutamic acid. However, NH2–C–COOH is not the primary means of electron transport in the methionine junction, which may be caused by the strong interaction of the Au–SMe (methyl sulfide bond for the methionine junction. The current work reveals the important role of the anchoring group in the electron transport in different amino acids junctions.

Characterization of vacuolar amino acid transporter from Fusarium oxysporum in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Science.gov (United States)

Lunprom, Siriporn; Pongcharoen, Pongsanat; Sekito, Takayuki; Kawano-Kawada, Miyuki; Kakinuma, Yoshimi; Akiyama, Koichi

2015-01-01

Fusarium oxysporum causes wilt disease in many plant families, and many genes are involved in its development or growth in host plants. A recent study revealed that vacuolar amino acid transporters play an important role in spore formation in Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To investigate the role of vacuolar amino acid transporters of this phytopathogenic fungus, the FOXG_11334 (FoAVT3) gene from F. oxysporum was isolated and its function was characterized. Transcription of FoAVT3 was upregulated after rapamycin treatment. A green fluorescent protein fusion of FoAvt3p was localized to vacuolar membranes in both S. cerevisiae and F. oxysporum. Analysis of the amino acid content of the vacuolar fraction and amino acid transport activities using vacuolar membrane vesicles from S. cerevisiae cells heterologously expressing FoAVT3 revealed that FoAvt3p functions as a vacuolar amino acid transporter, exporting neutral amino acids. We conclude that the FoAVT3 gene encodes a vacuolar neutral amino acid transporter.

Induction of amino acid transporters expression by endurance exercise in rat skeletal muscle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murakami, Taro; Yoshinaga, Mariko

2013-01-01

Highlights: •Regulation of amino acid transporter expression in working muscle remains unclear. •Expression of amino acid transporters for leucine were induced by a bout of exercise. •Requirement of leucine in muscle cells might regulate expression of its transporters. •This information is beneficial for understanding the muscle remodeling by exercise. -- Abstract: We here investigated whether an acute bout of endurance exercise would induce the expression of amino acid transporters that regulate leucine transport across plasma and lysosomal membranes in rat skeletal muscle. Rats ran on a motor-driven treadmill at a speed of 28 m/min for 90 min. Immediately after the exercise, we observed that expression of mRNAs encoding L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1) and CD98 was induced in the gastrocnemius, soleus, and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles. Sodium-coupled neutral amino acid transporter 2 (SNAT2) mRNA was also induced by the exercise in those three muscles. Expression of proton-assisted amino acid transporter 1 (PAT1) mRNA was slightly but not significantly induced by a single bout of exercise in soleus and EDL muscles. Exercise-induced mRNA expression of these amino acid transporters appeared to be attenuated by repeated bouts of the exercise. These results suggested that the expression of amino acid transporters for leucine may be induced in response to an increase in the requirement for this amino acid in the cells of working skeletal muscles

gamma-Glutamyl amino acids. Transport and conversion to 5-oxoproline in the kidney

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bridges, R.J.; Meister, A.

1985-01-01

Transport of gamma-glutamyl amino acids, a step in the proposed glutathione-gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase-mediated amino acid transport pathway, was examined in mouse kidney. The transport of gamma-glutamyl amino acids was demonstrated in vitro in studies on kidney slices. Transport was followed by measuring uptake of 35 S after incubation of the slices in media containing gamma-glutamyl methionine [ 35 S]sulfone. The experimental complication associated with extracellular conversion of the gamma-glutamyl amino acid to amino acid and uptake of the latter by slices was overcome by using 5-oxoproline formation (catalyzed by intracellular gamma-glutamyl-cyclotransferase) as an indicator of gamma-glutamyl amino acid transport. This method was also successfully applied to studies on transport of gamma-glutamyl amino acids in vivo. Transport of gamma-glutamyl amino acids in vitro and in vivo is inhibited by several inhibitors of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase and also by high extracellular levels of glutathione. This seems to explain urinary excretion of gamma-glutamylcystine by humans with gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase deficiency and by mice treated with inhibitors of this enzyme. Mice depleted of glutathione by treatment with buthionine sulfoximine (which inhibits glutathione synthesis) or by treatment with 2,6-dimethyl-2,5-heptadiene-4-one (which effectively interacts with tissue glutathione) exhibited significantly less transport of gamma-glutamyl amino acids than did untreated controls. The findings suggest that intracellular glutathione functions in transport of gamma-glutamyl amino acids. Evidence was also obtained for transport of gamma-glutamyl gamma-glutamylphenylalanine into kidney slices

Mercury toxicokinetics of the healthy human term placenta involve amino acid transporters and ABC transporters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Straka, Elisabeth; Ellinger, Isabella; Balthasar, Christina; Scheinast, Matthias; Schatz, Jasmin; Szattler, Tamara; Bleichert, Sonja; Saleh, Leila; Knöfler, Martin; Zeisler, Harald; Hengstschläger, Markus; Rosner, Margit; Salzer, Hans; Gundacker, Claudia

2016-01-01

Highlights: • It is known that MeHg is able to pass the placenta and to affect fetal brain development. • Uptake and efflux transporters were examined in human primary trophoblast cells and BeWo cells. • Involvement in mercury transfer was assessed by measurement of cellular mercury content upon siRNA mediated gene knockdown. • Localization of transporters was determined by immunofluorescence microscopy. • LAT1 and rBAT at the apical membrane of the syncytiotrophoblast (STB) are involved in MeHg uptake. • MRP1 located at basal membrane of STB mediates mercury efflux. - Abstract: Background: The capacity of the human placenta to handle exogenous stressors is poorly understood. The heavy metal mercury is well-known to pass the placenta and to affect brain development. An active transport across the placenta has been assumed. The underlying mechanisms however are virtually unknown. Objectives: Uptake and efflux transporters (17 candidate proteins) assumed to play a key role in placental mercury transfer were examined for expression, localization and function in human primary trophoblast cells and the trophoblast-derived choriocarcinoma cell line BeWo. Methods: To prove involvement of the transporters, we used small interfering RNA (siRNA) and exposed cells to methylmercury (MeHg). Total mercury contents of cells were analyzed by Cold vapor-atomic fluorescence spectrometry (CV-AFS). Localization of the proteins in human term placenta sections was determined via immunofluorescence microscopy. Results: We found the amino acid transporter subunits L-type amino acid transporter (LAT)1 and rBAT (related to b 0,+ type amino acid transporter) as well as the efflux transporter multidrug resistance associated protein (MRP)1 to be involved in mercury kinetics of trophoblast cells (t-test P < 0.05). Conclusion: The amino acid transporters located at the apical side of the syncytiotrophoblast (STB) manage uptake of MeHg. Mercury conjugated to glutathione (GSH) is

Action of Abscisic Acid on Auxin Transport and its Relation to Phototropism

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Naqvi, S. M.; Engvild, Kjeld Christensen

1974-01-01

The action of abscisic acid on the kinetics of auxin transport through Zea mays L. (cv. Goudster) coleoptiles has been investigated. Abscisic acid applied simultaneously with indoleacetic acid-2-14C in the donor block reduced the transport intensity without materially affecting the basipetal...... velocity or the uptake. No effect on acropetal transport was observed. The data have been used to discuss the similarities in effects of abscisic acid and visible radiation and a hypothesis is proposed to explain the phenomena of phototropism....

Agonist discrimination between AMPA receptor subtypes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Coquelle, T; Christensen, J K; Banke, T G

2000-01-01

The lack of subtype-selective compounds for AMPA receptors (AMPA-R) led us to search for compounds with such selectivity. Homoibotenic acid analogues were investigated at recombinant GluR1o, GluR2o(R), GluR3o and GluR1o + 3o receptors expressed in Sf9 insect cells and affinities determined in [3H...

Soy-dairy protein blend and whey protein ingestion after resistance exercise increases amino acid transport and transporter expression in human skeletal muscle

Science.gov (United States)

Reidy, P. T.; Walker, D. K.; Dickinson, J. M.; Gundermann, D. M.; Drummond, M. J.; Timmerman, K. L.; Cope, M. B.; Mukherjea, R.; Jennings, K.; Volpi, E.

2014-01-01

Increasing amino acid availability (via infusion or ingestion) at rest or postexercise enhances amino acid transport into human skeletal muscle. It is unknown whether alterations in amino acid availability, from ingesting different dietary proteins, can enhance amino acid transport rates and amino acid transporter (AAT) mRNA expression. We hypothesized that the prolonged hyperaminoacidemia from ingesting a blend of proteins with different digestion rates postexercise would enhance amino acid transport into muscle and AAT expression compared with the ingestion of a rapidly digested protein. In a double-blind, randomized clinical trial, we studied 16 young adults at rest and after acute resistance exercise coupled with postexercise (1 h) ingestion of either a (soy-dairy) protein blend or whey protein. Phenylalanine net balance and transport rate into skeletal muscle were measured using stable isotopic methods in combination with femoral arteriovenous blood sampling and muscle biopsies obtained at rest and 3 and 5 h postexercise. Phenylalanine transport into muscle and mRNA expression of select AATs [system L amino acid transporter 1/solute-linked carrier (SLC) 7A5, CD98/SLC3A2, system A amino acid transporter 2/SLC38A2, proton-assisted amino acid transporter 1/SLC36A1, cationic amino acid transporter 1/SLC7A1] increased to a similar extent in both groups (P protein blend resulted in a prolonged and positive net phenylalanine balance during postexercise recovery compared with whey protein (P protein synthesis increased similarly between groups. We conclude that, while both protein sources enhanced postexercise AAT expression, transport into muscle, and myofibrillar protein synthesis, postexercise ingestion of a protein blend results in a slightly prolonged net amino acid balance across the leg compared with whey protein. PMID:24699854

Genetic analysis of amino acid transport in the facultatively heterotrophic cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. Strain 6803

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Labarre, J.; Thuriaux, P.; Chauvat, F.

1987-01-01

The existence of active transport systems (permeases) operating on amino acids in the photoautotrophic cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain 6803 was demonstrated by following the initial rates of uptake with 14 C-labeled amino acids, measuring the intracellular pools of amino acids, and isolating mutants resistant to toxic amino acids. One class of mutants (Pfa1) corresponds to a regulatory defect in the biosynthesis of the aromatic amino acids, but two other classes (Can1 and Aza1) are defective in amino acid transport. The Can1 mutants are defective in the active transport of three basic amino acids (arginine, histidine, and lysine) and in one of two transport systems operating on glutamine. The Aza1 mutants are not affected in the transport of the basic amino acids but have lost the capacity to transport all other amino acids except glutamate. The latter amino acid is probably transported by a third permease which could be identical to the Can1-independent transport operating on glutamine. Thus, genetic evidence suggests that strain 6803 has only a small number of amino acid transport systems with fairly broad specificity and that, with the exception of glutamine, each amino acid is accumulated by only one major transport system. Compared with heterotrophic bacteria such as Escherichia coli, these permeases are rather inefficient in terms of affinity (apparent K/sub m/ ranging from 6 to 60 μM) and of V/sub max/

GWAS of clinically defined gout and subtypes identifies multiple susceptibility loci that include urate transporter genes

OpenAIRE

Nakayama, Akiyoshi; Nakaoka, Hirofumi; Yamamoto, Ken; Sakiyama, Masayuki; Shaukat, Amara; Toyoda, Yu; Okada, Yukinori; Kamatani, Yoichiro; Nakamura, Takahiro; Takada, Tappei; Inoue, Katsuhisa; Yasujima, Tomoya; Yuasa, Hiroaki; Shirahama, Yuko; Nakashima, Hiroshi

2016-01-01

Objective A genome-wide association study (GWAS) of gout and its subtypes was performed to identify novel gout loci, including those that are subtype-specific. Methods Putative causal association signals from a GWAS of 945 clinically defined gout cases and 1213 controls from Japanese males were replicated with 1396 cases and 1268 controls using a custom chip of 1961 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We also first conducted GWASs of gout subtypes. Replication with Caucasian and New Zeala...

"Facilitated" amino acid transport is upregulated in brain tumors.

Science.gov (United States)

Miyagawa, T; Oku, T; Uehara, H; Desai, R; Beattie, B; Tjuvajev, J; Blasberg, R

1998-05-01

The goal of this study was to determine the magnitude of "facilitated" amino acid transport across tumor and brain capillaries and to evaluate whether amino acid transporter expression is "upregulated" in tumor vessels compared to capillaries in contralateral brain tissue. Aminocyclopentane carboxylic acid (ACPC), a non-metabolized [14C]-labeled amino acid, and a reference molecule for passive vascular permeability, [67Ga]-gallium-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Ga-DTPA), were used in these studies. Two experimental rat gliomas were studied (C6 and RG2). Brain tissue was rapidly processed for double label quantitative autoradiography 10 minutes after intravenous injection of ACPC and Ga-DTPA. Parametric images of blood-to-brain transport (K1ACPC and K1Ga-DTPA, microL/min/g) produced from the autoradiograms and the histology were obtained from the same tissue section. These three images were registered in an image array processor; regions of interest in tumor and contralateral brain were defined on morphologic criteria (histology) and were transferred to the autoradiographic images to obtain mean values. The facilitated component of ACPC transport (deltaK1ACPC) was calculated from the K1ACPC and K1Ga-DTPA data, and paired comparisons between tumor and contralateral brain were performed. ACPC flux, K1ACPC, across normal brain capillaries (22.6 +/- 8.1 microL/g/min) was >200-fold greater than that of Ga-DTPA (0.09 +/- 0.04 microL/g/min), and this difference was largely (approximately 90%) due to facilitated ACPC transport. Substantially higher K1ACPC values compared to corresponding K1DTPA values were also measured in C6 and RG2 gliomas. The deltaK1ACPC values for C6 glioma were more than twice that of contralateral brain cortex. K1ACPC and deltaK1ACPC values for RG2 gliomas was not significantly higher than that of contralateral cortex, although a approximately 2-fold difference in facilitated transport is obtained after normalization for differences in capillary

Prohibitin/annexin 2 interaction regulates fatty acid transport in adipose tissue

Science.gov (United States)

Salameh, Ahmad; Daquinag, Alexes C.; Staquicini, Daniela I.; An, Zhiqiang; Pasqualini, Renata; Kolonin, Mikhail G.

2016-01-01

We have previously identified prohibitin (PHB) and annexin A2 (ANX2) as proteins interacting on the surface of vascular endothelial cells in white adipose tissue (WAT) of humans and mice. Here, we demonstrate that ANX2 and PHB also interact in adipocytes. Mice lacking ANX2 have normal WAT vascularization, adipogenesis, and glucose metabolism but display WAT hypotrophy due to reduced fatty acid uptake by WAT endothelium and adipocytes. By using cell culture systems in which ANX2/PHB binding is disrupted either genetically or through treatment with a blocking peptide, we show that fatty acid transport efficiency relies on this protein complex. We also provide evidence that the interaction between ANX2 and PHB mediates fatty acid transport from the endothelium into adipocytes. Moreover, we demonstrate that ANX2 and PHB form a complex with the fatty acid transporter CD36. Finally, we show that the colocalization of PHB and CD36 on adipocyte surface is induced by extracellular fatty acids. Together, our results suggest that an unrecognized biochemical interaction between ANX2 and PHB regulates CD36-mediated fatty acid transport in WAT, thus revealing a new potential pathway for intervention in metabolic diseases. PMID:27468426

Reactive solute transport in acidic streams

Science.gov (United States)

Broshears, R.E.

1996-01-01

Spatial and temporal profiles of Ph and concentrations of toxic metals in streams affected by acid mine drainage are the result of the interplay of physical and biogeochemical processes. This paper describes a reactive solute transport model that provides a physically and thermodynamically quantitative interpretation of these profiles. The model combines a transport module that includes advection-dispersion and transient storage with a geochemical speciation module based on MINTEQA2. Input to the model includes stream hydrologic properties derived from tracer-dilution experiments, headwater and lateral inflow concentrations analyzed in field samples, and a thermodynamic database. Simulations reproduced the general features of steady-state patterns of observed pH and concentrations of aluminum and sulfate in St. Kevin Gulch, an acid mine drainage stream near Leadville, Colorado. These patterns were altered temporarily by injection of sodium carbonate into the stream. A transient simulation reproduced the observed effects of the base injection.

Nano and Mesoscale Ion and Water Transport in Perfluorosulfonic AcidMembranes

Science.gov (United States)

2017-10-01

Nano- and Mesoscale Ion and Water Transport in Perfluorosulfonic-Acid Membranes A. R. Crothers a,b , C. J. Radke a,b , A. Z. Weber a a...Berkeley, CA 94720, USA Water and aqueous cations transport along multiple length scales in perfluorosulfonic-acid membranes. Molecular interactions...as a function of hydration. A resistor network upscales the nanoscale properties to predict effective membrane ion and water transport and their

Chemo-enzymatic synthesis of (2S,4R)-2-amino-4-(3-(2,2-diphenylethylamino)-3-oxopropyl)pentanedioic acid

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sagot, Emanuelle; Jensen, Anders A.; Pickering, Darryl S

2008-01-01

In the mammalian central nervous system (CNS), the action of sodium dependent excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) is responsible for termination of glutamatergic neurotransmission by reuptake of ( S) -glutamate (Glu) from the synaptic cleft. Five EAAT subtypes have been identified, of which...

Hypoxia and the anticoagulants dalteparin and acetylsalicylic acid affect human placental amino acid transport.

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Marc-Jens Kleppa

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Anticoagulants, e.g. low-molecular weight heparins (LMWHs and acetylsalicylic acid (ASA are prescribed to women at risk for pregnancy complications that are associated with impaired placentation and placental hypoxia. Beyond their role as anticoagulants these compounds exhibit direct effects on trophoblast but their impact on placental function is unknown. The amino acid transport systems A and L, which preferably transfer essential amino acids, are well-described models to study placental nutrient transport. We aimed to examine the effect of hypoxia, LMWHs and ASA on the activity of the placental amino acid transport systems A and L and associated signalling mechanisms. METHODS: The uptake of C14-MeAIB (system A or H3-leucin (system L was investigated after incubation of primary villous fragments isolated from term placentas. Villous tissue was incubated at 2% O2 (hypoxia, 8% O2 and standard culture conditions (21% O2 or at 2% O2 and 21% O2 with dalteparin or ASA. Activation of the JAK/STAT or mTOR signalling pathways was determined by Western analysis of total and phosphorylated STAT3 or Raptor. RESULTS: Hypoxia decreased system A mediated MeAIB uptake and increased system L mediated leucine uptake compared to standard culture conditions (21% O2. This was accompanied by an impairment of STAT3 and a stimulation of Raptor signalling. System L activity increased at 8% O2. Dalteparin treatment reduced system A and system L activity under normoxic conditions and ASA (1 mM decreased system A and L transporter activity under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Our data underline the dependency of placental function on oxygen supply. LMWHs and ASA are not able to reverse the effects of hypoxia on placental amino acid transport. These findings and the uncovering of the signalling mechanisms in more detail will help to understand the impact of LMWHs and ASA on placental function and fetal growth.

Transport in Halobacterium Halobium: Light-Induced Cation-Gradients, Amino Acid Transport Kinetics, and Properties of Transport Carriers

Science.gov (United States)

Lanyi, Janos K.

1977-01-01

Cell envelope vesicles prepared from H. halobium contain bacteriorhodopsin and upon illumination protons are ejected. Coupled to the proton motive force is the efflux of Na(+). Measurements of Na-22 flux, exterior pH change, and membrane potential, Delta(psi) (with the dye 3,3'-dipentyloxadicarbocyanine) indicate that the means of Na(+) transport is sodium/proton exchange. The kinetics of the pH changes and other evidence suggests that the antiport is electrogenic (H(+)/Na(++ greater than 1). The resulting large chemical gradient for Na(+) (outside much greater than inside), as well as the membrane potential, will drive the transport of 18 amino acids. The I9th, glutamate, is unique in that its accumulation is indifferent to Delta(psi): this amino acid is transported only when a chemical gradient for Na(+) is present. Thus, when more and more NaCl is included in the vesicles glutamate transport proceeds with longer and longer lags. After illumination the gradient of H+() collapses within 1 min, while the large Na(+) gradient and glutamate transporting activity persists for 10- 15 min, indicating that proton motive force is not necessary for transport. A chemical gradient of Na(+), arranged by suspending vesicles loaded with KCl in NaCl, drives glutamate transport in the dark without other sources of energy, with V(sub max) and K(sub m) comparable to light-induced transport. These and other lines of evidence suggest that the transport of glutamate is facilitated by symport with Na(+), in an electrically neutral fashion, so that only the chemical component of the Na(+) gradient is a driving force.

Chemical Transport Knockout for Oxidized Vitamin C, Dehydroascorbic Acid, Reveals Its Functions in vivo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hongbin Tu

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Despite its transport by glucose transporters (GLUTs in vitro, it is unknown whether dehydroascorbic acid (oxidized vitamin C, DHA has any in vivo function. To investigate, we created a chemical transport knockout model using the vitamin C analog 6-bromo-ascorbate. This analog is transported on sodium-dependent vitamin C transporters but its oxidized form, 6-bromo-dehydroascorbic acid, is not transported by GLUTs. Mice (gulo−/− unable to synthesize ascorbate (vitamin C were raised on 6-bromo-ascorbate. Despite normal survival, centrifugation of blood produced hemolysis secondary to near absence of red blood cell (RBC ascorbate/6-bromo-ascorbate. Key findings with clinical implications were that RBCs in vitro transported dehydroascorbic acid but not bromo-dehydroascorbic acid; RBC ascorbate in vivo was obtained only via DHA transport; ascorbate via DHA transport in vivo was necessary for RBC structural integrity; and internal RBC ascorbate was essential to maintain ascorbate plasma concentrations in vitro/in vivo.

GWAS of clinically defined gout and subtypes identifies multiple susceptibility loci that include urate transporter genes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nakayama, A.; Nakaoka, H.; Yamamoto, K.; Sakiyama, M.; Shaukat, A.; Toyoda, Y.; Okada, Y.; Kamatani, Y.; Nakamura, T.; Takada, T.; Inoue, K.; Yasujima, T.; Yuasa, H.; Shirahama, Y.; Nakashima, H.; Shimizu, S.; Higashino, T.; Kawamura, Y.; Ogata, H.; Kawaguchi, M.; Ohkawa, Y.; Danjoh, I.; Tokumasu, A.; Ooyama, K.; Ito, T.; Kondo, T.; Wakai, K.; Stiburkova, B.; Pavelka, K.; Stamp, L.K.; Dalbeth, N.; Sakurai, Y.; Suzuki, H; Hosoyamada, M.; Fujimori, S.; Yokoo, T.; Hosoya, T.; Inoue, I.; Takahashi, A.; Kubo, M.; Ooyama, H.; Shimizu, T.; Ichida, K.; Shinomiya, N.; Merriman, T.R.; Matsuo, H.; Andres, M; Joosten, L.A.; Janssen, M.C.H.; Jansen, T.L.; Liote, F.; Radstake, T.R.; Riches, P.L.; So, A.; Tauches, A.K.

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVE: A genome-wide association study (GWAS) of gout and its subtypes was performed to identify novel gout loci, including those that are subtype-specific. METHODS: Putative causal association signals from a GWAS of 945 clinically defined gout cases and 1213 controls from Japanese males were

Intestinal transport and metabolism of bile acids

Science.gov (United States)

Dawson, Paul A.; Karpen, Saul J.

2015-01-01

In addition to their classical roles as detergents to aid in the process of digestion, bile acids have been identified as important signaling molecules that function through various nuclear and G protein-coupled receptors to regulate a myriad of cellular and molecular functions across both metabolic and nonmetabolic pathways. Signaling via these pathways will vary depending on the tissue and the concentration and chemical structure of the bile acid species. Important determinants of the size and composition of the bile acid pool are their efficient enterohepatic recirculation, their host and microbial metabolism, and the homeostatic feedback mechanisms connecting hepatocytes, enterocytes, and the luminal microbiota. This review focuses on the mammalian intestine, discussing the physiology of bile acid transport, the metabolism of bile acids in the gut, and new developments in our understanding of how intestinal metabolism, particularly by the gut microbiota, affects bile acid signaling. PMID:25210150

HIV subtype, epidemiological and mutational correlations in patients from Paraná, Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Monica Maria Gomes da; Telles, Flavio Queiroz; da Cunha, Clovis Arns; Rhame, Frank S

2010-01-01

Analyze patients with HIV infection from Curitiba, Paraná, their epidemiological characteristics and HIV RAM. Patients regularly followed in an ID Clinic had their medical data evaluated and cases of virological failure were analyzed with genotypic report. Patients with complete medical charts were selected (n = 191). Demographic and clinical characteristics were compared. One hundred thirty two patients presented with subtype B infection (69.1%), 41 subtype C (21.5%), 10 subtype F (5.2%), 7 BF (3.7%) and 1 CF (0.5%). Patients with subtype B infection had been diagnosed earlier than patients with subtype non-B. Also, subtype B infection was more frequent in men who have sex with men, while non-B subtypes occurred more frequently in heterosexuals and women. Patients with previous history of three classes of ARVs (n = 161) intake were selected to evaluate resistance. For RT inhibitors, 41L and 210W were more frequently observed in subtype B than in non-B strains. No differences between subtypes and mutations were observed to NNTRIs. Mutations at 10, 32 and 63 position of protease were more observed in subtype B viruses than non-B, while positions 20 and 36 of showed more amino acid substitutions in subtype non-B viruses. Patients with history of NFV intake were evaluated to resistance pathway. The 90M pathway was more frequent in subtypes B and non-B. Mutations previously reported as common in non-B viruses, such as 65R and 106M, were uncommon in our study. Mutations 63P and 36I, previously reported as common in HIV-1 subtypes B and C from Brazil, respectively, were common. There is a significant frequency of HIV-1 non-B infections in Paraná state, with isolates classified as subtypes C, F, BF and BC. Patients with subtype C infection were more frequently female, heterosexual and had a longer average time of HIV diagnosis.

HIV subtype, epidemiological and mutational correlations in patients from Paraná, Brazil

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Monica Maria Gomes da Silva

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Analyze patients with HIV infection from Curitiba, Paraná, their epidemiological characteristics and HIV RAM. METHODS: Patients regularly followed in an ID Clinic had their medical data evaluated and cases of virological failure were analyzed with genotypic report. RESULTS: Patients with complete medical charts were selected (n = 191. Demographic and clinical characteristics were compared. One hundred thirty two patients presented with subtype B infection (69.1%, 41 subtype C (21.5%, 10 subtype F (5.2%, 7 BF (3.7% and 1 CF (0.5%. Patients with subtype B infection had been diagnosed earlier than patients with subtype non-B. Also, subtype B infection was more frequent in men who have sex with men, while non-B subtypes occurred more frequently in heterosexuals and women. Patients with previous history of three classes of ARVs (n = 161 intake were selected to evaluate resistance. For RT inhibitors, 41L and 210W were more frequently observed in subtype B than in non-B strains. No differences between subtypes and mutations were observed to NNTRIs. Mutations at 10, 32 and 63 position of protease were more observed in subtype B viruses than non-B, while positions 20 and 36 of showed more amino acid substitutions in subtype non-B viruses. Patients with history of NFV intake were evaluated to resistance pathway. The 90M pathway was more frequent in subtypes B and non-B. Mutations previously reported as common in non-B viruses, such as 65R and 106M, were uncommon in our study. Mutations 63P and 36I, previously reported as common in HIV-1 subtypes B and C from Brazil, respectively, were common. CONCLUSION: There is a significant frequency of HIV-1 non-B infections in Paraná state, with isolates classified as subtypes C, F, BF and BC. Patients with subtype C infection were more frequently female, heterosexual and had a longer average time of HIV diagnosis

Control of amino acid transport coordinates metabolic reprogramming in T-cell malignancy.

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Grzes, K M; Swamy, M; Hukelmann, J L; Emslie, E; Sinclair, L V; Cantrell, D A

2017-12-01

This study explores the regulation and importance of System L amino acid transport in a murine model of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) caused by deletion of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN). There has been a strong focus on glucose transport in leukemias but the present data show that primary T-ALL cells have increased transport of multiple nutrients. Specifically, increased leucine transport in T-ALL fuels mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) activity which then sustains expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF1α) and c-Myc; drivers of glucose metabolism in T cells. A key finding is that PTEN deletion and phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate (PtdIns(3,4,5)P 3 ) accumulation is insufficient to initiate leucine uptake, mTORC1 activity, HIF1α or c-Myc expression in T cells and hence cannot drive T-ALL metabolic reprogramming. Instead, a key regulator for leucine transport in T-ALL is identified as NOTCH. Mass spectrometry based proteomics identifies SLC7A5 as the predominant amino acid transporter in primary PTEN -/- T-ALL cells. Importantly, expression of SLC7A5 is critical for the malignant transformation induced by PTEN deletion. These data reveal the importance of regulated amino acid transport for T-cell malignancies, highlighting how a single amino acid transporter can have a key role.

Synthesis and anticonvulsant activity of novel bicyclic acidic amino acids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Conti, Paola; De Amici, Marco; Joppolo Di Ventimiglia, Samuele

2003-01-01

Bicyclic acidic amino acids (+/-)-6 and (+/-)-7, which are conformationally constrained homologues of glutamic acid, were prepared via a strategy based on a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. The new amino acids were tested toward ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptor subtypes; both of them...

Subtyping adolescents with bulimia nervosa.

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Chen, Eunice Y; Le Grange, Daniel

2007-12-01

Cluster analyses of eating disorder patients have yielded a "dietary-depressive" subtype, typified by greater negative affect, and a "dietary" subtype, typified by dietary restraint. This study aimed to replicate these findings in an adolescent sample with bulimia nervosa (BN) from a randomized controlled trial and to examine the validity and reliability of this methodology. In the sample of BN adolescents (N=80), cluster analysis revealed a "dietary-depressive" subtype (37.5%) and a "dietary" subtype (62.5%) using the Beck Depression Inventory, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and Eating Disorder Examination Restraint subscale. The "dietary-depressive" subtype compared to the "dietary" subtype was significantly more likely to: (1) report co-occurring disorders, (2) greater eating and weight concerns, and (3) less vomiting abstinence at post-treatment (all p'sreliability of the subtyping scheme, a larger sample of adolescents with mixed eating and weight disorders in an outpatient eating disorder clinic (N=149) was subtyped, yielding similar subtypes. These results support the validity and reliability of the subtyping strategy in two adolescent samples.

Design, synthesis, and pharmacology of a highly subtype-selective GluR1/2 agonist, (RS)-2-amino-3-(4-chloro-3-hydroxy-5-isoxazolyl)propionic acid (Cl-HIBO)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjerrum, Esben J; Kristensen, Anders S; Pickering, Darryl S

2003-01-01

On the basis of structural studies, chloro-homoibotenic acid (Cl-HIBO) was designed and synthesized. Cl-HIBO was characterized in binding and electrophysiology experiments on native and cloned subtypes of GluRs. Electrophysiological selectivities ranged from 275 to 1600 for GluR1/2 over GluR3/4. ...

Are vesicular neurotransmitter transporters potential treatment targets for temporal lobe epilepsy?

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Joeri eVan Liefferinge

2013-08-01

Full Text Available The vesicular neurotransmitter transporters (VNTs are small proteins responsible for packing synaptic vesicles with neurotransmitters thereby determining the amount of neurotransmitter released per vesicle through fusion in both neurons and glial cells. Each transporter subtype was classically seen as a specific neuronal marker of the respective nerve cells containing that particular neurotransmitter or structurally related neurotransmitters. More recently, however, it has become apparent that common neurotransmitters can also act as co-transmitters, adding complexity to neurotransmitter release and suggesting intriguing roles for VNTs therein. We will first describe the current knowledge on vesicular glutamate transporters (VGLUT1/2/3, the vesicular excitatory amino acid transporter (VEAT, the vesicular nucleotide transporter (VNUT, vesicular monoamine transporters (VMAT1/2, the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT and the vesicular γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA transporter (VGAT in the brain. We will focus on evidence regarding transgenic mice with disruptions in VNTs in different models of seizures and epilepsy. We will also describe the known alterations and reorganizations in the expression levels of these VNTs in rodent models for temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE and in human tissue resected for epilepsy surgery. Finally, we will discuss perspectives on opportunities and challenges for VNTs as targets for possible future epilepsy therapies.

Allosteric ligands and their binding sites define γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) type A receptor subtypes.

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Olsen, Richard W

2015-01-01

GABAA receptors (GABA(A)Rs) mediate rapid inhibitory transmission in the brain. GABA(A)Rs are ligand-gated chloride ion channel proteins and exist in about a dozen or more heteropentameric subtypes exhibiting variable age and brain regional localization and thus participation in differing brain functions and diseases. GABA(A)Rs are also subject to modulation by several chemotypes of allosteric ligands that help define structure and function, including subtype definition. The channel blocker picrotoxin identified a noncompetitive channel blocker site in GABA(A)Rs. This ligand site is located in the transmembrane channel pore, whereas the GABA agonist site is in the extracellular domain at subunit interfaces, a site useful for low energy coupled conformational changes of the functional channel domain. Two classes of pharmacologically important allosteric modulatory ligand binding sites reside in the extracellular domain at modified agonist sites at other subunit interfaces: the benzodiazepine site and the high-affinity, relevant to intoxication, ethanol site. The benzodiazepine site is specific for certain GABA(A)R subtypes, mainly synaptic, while the ethanol site is found at a modified benzodiazepine site on different, extrasynaptic, subtypes. In the transmembrane domain are allosteric modulatory ligand sites for diverse chemotypes of general anesthetics: the volatile and intravenous agents, barbiturates, etomidate, propofol, long-chain alcohols, and neurosteroids. The last are endogenous positive allosteric modulators. X-ray crystal structures of prokaryotic and invertebrate pentameric ligand-gated ion channels, and the mammalian GABA(A)R protein, allow homology modeling of GABA(A)R subtypes with the various ligand sites located to suggest the structure and function of these proteins and their pharmacological modulation. © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A traffic signal for heterodimeric amino acid transporters to transfer from the ER to the Golgi.

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Ganapathy, Vadivel

2009-01-15

Heterodimeric amino acid transporters represent a unique class of transport systems that consist of a light chain that serves as the 'transporter proper' and a heavy chain that is necessary for targeting the complex to the plasma membrane. The currently prevailing paradigm assigns no role for the light chains in the cellular processing of these transporters. In this issue of the Biochemical Journal, Sakamoto et al. provide evidence contrary to this paradigm. Their studies with the rBAT -b(0,+)AT (related to b(0,+) amino acid transporter-b(0,+)-type amino acid transporter) heterodimeric amino acid transporter show that the C-terminus of the light chain b(0,+)AT contains a sequence motif that serves as the traffic signal for the transfer of the heterodimeric complex from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi. This is a novel function for the light chain in addition to its already established role as the subunit responsible for the transport activity. These new findings also seem to be applicable to other heterodimeric amino acid transporters as well.

Possible site-specific reagent for the general amino acid transport system of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Science.gov (United States)

Larimore, F S; Roon, R J

1978-02-07

The general amino acid transport system of Saccharomyces cerevisiae functions in the uptake of neutral, basic, and acidic amino acids. The amino acid analogue N-delta-chloroacetyl-L-ornithine (NCAO) has been tested as potential site specific reagent for this system. L-Tryptophan, which is transported exclusively by the general transport system, was used as a substrate. In the presence of glucose as an energy source, NCAO inhibited tryptophan transport competitively (Ki = 80 micrometer) during short time intervals (1-2 min), but adding 100 micrometer NCAO to a yeast cell suspension resulted in a time-dependent activation of tryptophan transport during the first 15 min of treatment. Following the activation a time-dependent decay of tryptophan transport activity occurred. Approximately 80% inactivation of the system was observed after 90 min. When a yeast cell suspension was treated with NCAO in the absence of an energy source, an 80% inactivation of tryptophan transport occurred in 90 min. The inactivation was noncompetitive (Ki congruent to 60 micrometer) and could not be reversed by the removal of the NCAO. Addition of a five-fold excess of L-lysine during NCAO treatment or prevented inactivation of tryptophan transport. Under parallel conditions of incubation, other closely related transport systems were not inhibited by NCAO.

Role of stimulated amino acid transport in promoting glycogenesis in the irradiated rat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kilberg, M.S.; Neuhaus, O.W.

1976-01-01

Whole-body irradiation of rats stimulates an amino acid transport system in the liver. Another phenomenon observed after exposure to ionizing radiations is the accumulation of hepatic glycogen. The data presented here relate the increased hepatic uptake of amino acids to glycogenesis. Male rats were exposed to two doses of γ rays, 2500 and 1500 R. Following exposure to 2500 R, the hepatic free amino acids were elevated during the first 48 hr accompanied by a decline in serum levels. At 72 hr the hepatic amino acids diminished to the control levels while the serum increased abruptly. By contrast, 72 hr after exposure to 1500 R the serum amino acid levels increased only 27 percent and the hepatic amino acid values increased 52 percent. These results are explained on the basis of the changes in AIB transport previously reported. The incorporation of 14 C from labeled L-alanine into hepatic glycogen was maximal 48 hr postexposure to 2500 R but declined to below control values at 72 hr. On the other hand, exposure to 1500 R resulted in maximal incorporation of 14 C at both 48 and 72 hr. We propose that transport of amino acids into liver cells is stimulated by the elevated blood levels of amino acids released from the degradation of protein. The transport increases the levels of hepatic free amino acids, and therefore, is a key factor in regulating postirradiation glycogenesis

Understanding the undelaying mechanism of HA-subtyping in the level of physic-chemical characteristics of protein.

Science.gov (United States)

Ebrahimi, Mansour; Aghagolzadeh, Parisa; Shamabadi, Narges; Tahmasebi, Ahmad; Alsharifi, Mohammed; Adelson, David L; Hemmatzadeh, Farhid; Ebrahimie, Esmaeil

2014-01-01

The evolution of the influenza A virus to increase its host range is a major concern worldwide. Molecular mechanisms of increasing host range are largely unknown. Influenza surface proteins play determining roles in reorganization of host-sialic acid receptors and host range. In an attempt to uncover the physic-chemical attributes which govern HA subtyping, we performed a large scale functional analysis of over 7000 sequences of 16 different HA subtypes. Large number (896) of physic-chemical protein characteristics were calculated for each HA sequence. Then, 10 different attribute weighting algorithms were used to find the key characteristics distinguishing HA subtypes. Furthermore, to discover machine leaning models which can predict HA subtypes, various Decision Tree, Support Vector Machine, Naïve Bayes, and Neural Network models were trained on calculated protein characteristics dataset as well as 10 trimmed datasets generated by attribute weighting algorithms. The prediction accuracies of the machine learning methods were evaluated by 10-fold cross validation. The results highlighted the frequency of Gln (selected by 80% of attribute weighting algorithms), percentage/frequency of Tyr, percentage of Cys, and frequencies of Try and Glu (selected by 70% of attribute weighting algorithms) as the key features that are associated with HA subtyping. Random Forest tree induction algorithm and RBF kernel function of SVM (scaled by grid search) showed high accuracy of 98% in clustering and predicting HA subtypes based on protein attributes. Decision tree models were successful in monitoring the short mutation/reassortment paths by which influenza virus can gain the key protein structure of another HA subtype and increase its host range in a short period of time with less energy consumption. Extracting and mining a large number of amino acid attributes of HA subtypes of influenza A virus through supervised algorithms represent a new avenue for understanding and

Understanding the undelaying mechanism of HA-subtyping in the level of physic-chemical characteristics of protein.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mansour Ebrahimi

Full Text Available The evolution of the influenza A virus to increase its host range is a major concern worldwide. Molecular mechanisms of increasing host range are largely unknown. Influenza surface proteins play determining roles in reorganization of host-sialic acid receptors and host range. In an attempt to uncover the physic-chemical attributes which govern HA subtyping, we performed a large scale functional analysis of over 7000 sequences of 16 different HA subtypes. Large number (896 of physic-chemical protein characteristics were calculated for each HA sequence. Then, 10 different attribute weighting algorithms were used to find the key characteristics distinguishing HA subtypes. Furthermore, to discover machine leaning models which can predict HA subtypes, various Decision Tree, Support Vector Machine, Naïve Bayes, and Neural Network models were trained on calculated protein characteristics dataset as well as 10 trimmed datasets generated by attribute weighting algorithms. The prediction accuracies of the machine learning methods were evaluated by 10-fold cross validation. The results highlighted the frequency of Gln (selected by 80% of attribute weighting algorithms, percentage/frequency of Tyr, percentage of Cys, and frequencies of Try and Glu (selected by 70% of attribute weighting algorithms as the key features that are associated with HA subtyping. Random Forest tree induction algorithm and RBF kernel function of SVM (scaled by grid search showed high accuracy of 98% in clustering and predicting HA subtypes based on protein attributes. Decision tree models were successful in monitoring the short mutation/reassortment paths by which influenza virus can gain the key protein structure of another HA subtype and increase its host range in a short period of time with less energy consumption. Extracting and mining a large number of amino acid attributes of HA subtypes of influenza A virus through supervised algorithms represent a new avenue for

Transport of indoleacetic acid in intact corn coleoptiles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parker, K.E.; Briggs, W.R.

1990-01-01

We have characterized the transport of [ 3 H]indoleacetic acid (IAA) in intact corn (Zea mays L.) coleoptiles. We have used a wide range of concentrations of added IAA (28 femtomoles to 100 picomoles taken up over 60 minutes). The shape of the transport curve varies with the concentration of added IAA, although the rate of movement of the observed front of tracer is invariant with concentration. At the lowest concentration of tracer used, the labeled IAA in the transport stream is not detectably metabolized or immobilized, curvature does not develop as a result of tracer application, and normal phototropic and gravitropic responsiveness are not affected. Therefore we believe we are observing the transport of true tracer quantities of labeled auxin at this lowest concentration

Morphologic Subtypes of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Torbenson, Michael S

2017-06-01

Hepatocellular carcinomas can be further divided into distinct subtypes that provide important clinical information and biological insights. These subtypes are distinct from growth patterns and are on based on morphologic and molecular findings. There are 12 reasonably well-defined subtypes as well as 6 provisional subtypes, together making up 35% of all hepatocellular carcinomas. These subtypes are discussed, with an emphasis on their definitions and the key morphologic findings. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Perfluoroalkyl Acid Concentrations in Blood Samples Subjected to Transportation and Processing Delay.

Science.gov (United States)

Bach, Cathrine Carlsen; Henriksen, Tine Brink; Bossi, Rossana; Bech, Bodil Hammer; Fuglsang, Jens; Olsen, Jørn; Nohr, Ellen Aagaard

2015-01-01

In studies of perfluoroalkyl acids, the validity and comparability of measured concentrations may be affected by differences in the handling of biospecimens. We aimed to investigate whether measured plasma levels of perfluoroalkyl acids differed between blood samples subjected to delay and transportation prior to processing and samples with immediate processing and freezing. Pregnant women recruited at Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark, (n = 88) provided paired blood samples. For each pair of samples, one was immediately processed and plasma was frozen, and the other was delayed and transported as whole blood before processing and freezing of plasma (similar to the Danish National Birth Cohort). We measured 12 perfluoroalkyl acids and present results for compounds with more than 50% of samples above the lower limit of quantification. For samples taken in the winter, relative differences between the paired samples ranged between -77 and +38% for individual perfluoroalkyl acids. In most cases concentrations were lower in the delayed and transported samples, e.g. the relative difference was -29% (95% confidence interval -30; -27) for perfluorooctane sulfonate. For perfluorooctanoate there was no difference between the two setups [corresponding estimate 1% (0, 3)]. Differences were negligible in the summer for all compounds. Transport of blood samples and processing delay, similar to conditions applied in some large, population-based studies, may affect measured perfluoroalkyl acid concentrations, mainly when outdoor temperatures are low. Attention to processing conditions is needed in studies of perfluoroalkyl acid exposure in humans.

Intracellular pH regulation by acid-base transporters in mammalian neurons

Science.gov (United States)

Ruffin, Vernon A.; Salameh, Ahlam I.; Boron, Walter F.; Parker, Mark D.

2014-01-01

Intracellular pH (pHi) regulation in the brain is important in both physiological and physiopathological conditions because changes in pHi generally result in altered neuronal excitability. In this review, we will cover 4 major areas: (1) The effect of pHi on cellular processes in the brain, including channel activity and neuronal excitability. (2) pHi homeostasis and how it is determined by the balance between rates of acid loading (JL) and extrusion (JE). The balance between JE and JL determine steady-state pHi, as well as the ability of the cell to defend pHi in the face of extracellular acid-base disturbances (e.g., metabolic acidosis). (3) The properties and importance of members of the SLC4 and SLC9 families of acid-base transporters expressed in the brain that contribute to JL (namely the Cl-HCO3 exchanger AE3) and JE (the Na-H exchangers NHE1, NHE3, and NHE5 as well as the Na+- coupled HCO3− transporters NBCe1, NBCn1, NDCBE, and NBCn2). (4) The effect of acid-base disturbances on neuronal function and the roles of acid-base transporters in defending neuronal pHi under physiopathologic conditions. PMID:24592239

Role of NH3 and NH4+ transporters in renal acid-base transport.

Science.gov (United States)

Weiner, I David; Verlander, Jill W

2011-01-01

Renal ammonia excretion is the predominant component of renal net acid excretion. The majority of ammonia excretion is produced in the kidney and then undergoes regulated transport in a number of renal epithelial segments. Recent findings have substantially altered our understanding of renal ammonia transport. In particular, the classic model of passive, diffusive NH3 movement coupled with NH4+ "trapping" is being replaced by a model in which specific proteins mediate regulated transport of NH3 and NH4+ across plasma membranes. In the proximal tubule, the apical Na+/H+ exchanger, NHE-3, is a major mechanism of preferential NH4+ secretion. In the thick ascending limb of Henle's loop, the apical Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter, NKCC2, is a major contributor to ammonia reabsorption and the basolateral Na+/H+ exchanger, NHE-4, appears to be important for basolateral NH4+ exit. The collecting duct is a major site for renal ammonia secretion, involving parallel H+ secretion and NH3 secretion. The Rhesus glycoproteins, Rh B Glycoprotein (Rhbg) and Rh C Glycoprotein (Rhcg), are recently recognized ammonia transporters in the distal tubule and collecting duct. Rhcg is present in both the apical and basolateral plasma membrane, is expressed in parallel with renal ammonia excretion, and mediates a critical role in renal ammonia excretion and collecting duct ammonia transport. Rhbg is expressed specifically in the basolateral plasma membrane, and its role in renal acid-base homeostasis is controversial. In the inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD), basolateral Na+-K+-ATPase enables active basolateral NH4+ uptake. In addition to these proteins, several other proteins also contribute to renal NH3/NH4+ transport. The role and mechanisms of these proteins are discussed in depth in this review.

Evaluation of [1-11C]-α-aminoisobutyric acid for tumor detection and amino acid transport measurement: Spontaneous canine tumor studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bigler, R.E.; Zanzonico, P.B.; Schmall, B.; Conti, P.S.; Dahl, J.R.; Rothman, L.; Sgouros, G.

1985-01-01

Alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB) or α-methyl alanine, is a nonmetabolized amino acid treansported into cells particularly malignant cells, predominantly by the ''A'' amino acid transport system. Since it is not metabolized, [1- 11 C]-AIB can be used to quantify A-type amino acid transport into cells using a relatively simple compartmental model and quantitative imaging procedures (e.g. positron tomography). The tissue distribution of [1- 11 C]-AIB was determined in six dogs bearing spontaneous tumors, including lymphosarcoma, osteogenic sarcoma, mammary carcinoma, and adenocarcinoma. Quantitative imaging with tissue radioassay confirmation at necropsy showed poor to excellent tumor localization. However, in all cases the concentrations achieved appear adequate for amino acid transport measurement at known tumor locations. The observed low normal brain (due to blood-brain barrier exclusion) and high (relative to brain) tumor concentrations of [1- 11 C]-AIB suggest that this agent may prove effective for the early detection of human brain tumors. (orig.)

Subtypes of nonmedical prescription drug misuse

Science.gov (United States)

McCabe, Sean Esteban; Boyd, Carol J.; Teter, Christian J.

2010-01-01

This study used three characteristics (i.e., motive, route of administration, and co-ingestion with alcohol) of nonmedical prescription drug misuse across four separate classes (i.e., pain, sedative/anxiety, sleeping and stimulant medications) to examine subtypes and drug related problems. A Web survey was self-administered by a randomly selected sample of 3,639 undergraduate students attending a large Midwestern 4-year U.S. university. Self-treatment subtypes were characterized by motives consistent with the prescription drug's pharmaceutical main indication, oral only routes of administration, and no co-ingestion with alcohol. Recreational subtypes were characterized by recreational motives, oral or non-oral routes, and co-ingestion. Mixed subtypes consisted of other combinations of motives, routes, and co-ingestion. Among those who reported nonmedical prescription drug misuse, approximately 13% were classified into the recreational subtype, while 39% were in the self-treatment subtype, and 48% were in the mixed subtype. There were significant differences in the subtypes in terms of gender, race and prescription drug class. Approximately 50% of those in subtypes other than self-treatment screened positive for drug abuse. The odds of substance use and abuse were generally lower among self-treatment subtypes than other subtypes. The findings indicate subtypes should be considered when examining nonmedical prescription drug misuse, especially for pain medication. PMID:19278795

Detection by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and molecular characterization of subtype B avian metapneumovirus isolated in Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Chacón, Jorge Luis; Brandão, Paulo E; Buim, Marcos; Villarreal, Laura; Ferreira, Antonio J Piantino

2007-10-01

Subtype B avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) was isolated and detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in Brazilian commercial laying chicken flocks with no history of vaccination against aMPV and presenting respiratory signs and decreased egg production. RT-PCR results from samples from three affected flocks revealed that the three isolates were subtype B. Partial sequence analysis of the G glycoprotein gene confirmed that the samples belonged to subtype B and were not of the vaccine type. Comparison of nucleotide and amino acid sequences of the G gene of the three Brazilian aMPV samples with subtype B isolates from other countries revealed 95.1% to 96.1% identity. Nucleotide sequences showed 100% identity among the Brazilian subtype B samples and 95.6% identity with the subtype B vaccine strain used in Brazil. This work describes the circulation of subtype B aMPV in Brazil and discusses its importance in terms of disease epidemiology.

Carnitine transport and fatty acid oxidation.

Science.gov (United States)

Longo, Nicola; Frigeni, Marta; Pasquali, Marzia

2016-10-01

Carnitine is essential for the transfer of long-chain fatty acids across the inner mitochondrial membrane for subsequent β-oxidation. It can be synthesized by the body or assumed with the diet from meat and dairy products. Defects in carnitine biosynthesis do not routinely result in low plasma carnitine levels. Carnitine is accumulated by the cells and retained by kidneys using OCTN2, a high affinity organic cation transporter specific for carnitine. Defects in the OCTN2 carnitine transporter results in autosomal recessive primary carnitine deficiency characterized by decreased intracellular carnitine accumulation, increased losses of carnitine in the urine, and low serum carnitine levels. Patients can present early in life with hypoketotic hypoglycemia and hepatic encephalopathy, or later in life with skeletal and cardiac myopathy or sudden death from cardiac arrhythmia, usually triggered by fasting or catabolic state. This disease responds to oral carnitine that, in pharmacological doses, enters cells using the amino acid transporter B(0,+). Primary carnitine deficiency can be suspected from the clinical presentation or identified by low levels of free carnitine (C0) in the newborn screening. Some adult patients have been diagnosed following the birth of an unaffected child with very low carnitine levels in the newborn screening. The diagnosis is confirmed by measuring low carnitine uptake in the patients' fibroblasts or by DNA sequencing of the SLC22A5 gene encoding the OCTN2 carnitine transporter. Some mutations are specific for certain ethnic backgrounds, but the majority are private and identified only in individual families. Although the genotype usually does not correlate with metabolic or cardiac involvement in primary carnitine deficiency, patients presenting as adults tend to have at least one missense mutation retaining residual activity. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Mitochondrial Channels edited by Pierre Sonveaux, Pierre Maechler

Genetic characterization of canine parvovirus type 2 subtypes in Maputo, Mozambique.

Science.gov (United States)

Figueiredo, J; Miranda, C; Souto, R; Silva, E; Fafetine, J; Thompson, G

2017-05-01

Canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) comprises three antigenic subtypes (2a, 2b and 2c) that have been reported in many countries. These subtypes cause serious disease in dogs with characteristic gastroenteritis signs. Little information has been documented in Africa about the genetic characterization of CPV-2. The aim of this study was to detect and to characterize the CPV-2 subtypes circulating in dogs admitted to Veterinary Clinics from two cities of Mozambique, Maputo and Matola, in 2010. A total of 40 field fecal samples were collected and tested for CPV-2 by polymerase chain reaction assay. The partial length VP2 gene of the positive samples were sequenced and genetically analyzed. Twenty-six (65%) fecal samples were positive for CPV-2. The restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis was also performed from positive samples and did not reveal the presence of CPV-2c subtype. The results of the sequencing revealed the presence of CPV-2a (n = 9) and CPV-2b (n = 17). No CPV-2 and CPV-2c were detected. Sequence analysis comparison showed nucleotide identities of 99.6-100% among our CPV-2 isolates. Amino acid analysis showed predicted amino acid changes. Phylogenetically, all of the CPV-2a strains isolated formed a cluster together with South African and Nigerian isolates. Most of Mozambican CPV-2b isolates also tended to cluster together with South African isolates; however, four were more closely related to French strain and one isolates to the American strain. The present study was the first to characterize the CPV-2 circulating in the Mozambican dog population.

The importance of the excitatory amino acid transporter 3 (EAAT3)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

E. Bjørn-Yoshimoto, Walden; Underhill, Suzanne M.

2016-01-01

Abstract The neuronal excitatory amino acid transporter 3 (EAAT3) is fairly ubiquitously expressed in the brain, though it does not necessarily maintain the same function everywhere. It is important in maintaining low local concentrations of glutamate, where its predominant post-synaptic localiza......Abstract The neuronal excitatory amino acid transporter 3 (EAAT3) is fairly ubiquitously expressed in the brain, though it does not necessarily maintain the same function everywhere. It is important in maintaining low local concentrations of glutamate, where its predominant post...

Effect of common polymorphisms of the farnesoid X receptor and bile acid transporters on the pharmacokinetics of ursodeoxycholic acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Miao; Fok, Benny S P; Wo, Siu-Kwan; Lee, Vincent H L; Zuo, Zhong; Tomlinson, Brian

2016-01-01

Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), a natural, dihydroxy bile acid, promotes gallstone dissolution and has been attributed with several other beneficial effects. The farnesoid X receptor (FXR) may influence the pharmacokinetics of UDCA by modulating the expression of bile acid transporters. This exploratory study examined whether common functional polymorphisms in FXR and in bile acid transporter genes affect the pharmacokinetics of exogenous UDCA. Polymorphisms in genes for transporters involved in bile acid transport, solute carrier organic anion 1B1 (SLCO1B1) 388A>G and 521T>C, solute carrier 10A1 (SLC10A1) 800 C>T and ATP-binding cassette B11 (ABCB11) 1331T>C, and the FXR -1G>T polymorphism were genotyped in 26 male Chinese subjects who ingested single oral 500-mg doses of UDCA. Plasma concentrations of UDCA and its major conjugate metabolite glycoursodeoxycholic acid (GUDCA) were determined. The mean systemic exposure of UDCA was higher in the five subjects with one copy of the FXR -1G>T variant allele than in those homozygous for the wild-type allele (n = 21) (AUC0-24 h : 38.5 ± 28.2 vs. 20.9 ± 8.0 μg h/mL, P = 0.021), but this difference appeared mainly due to one outlier with the -1GT genotype and elevated baseline and post-treatment UDCA concentrations. After excluding the outlier, body weight was the only factor associated with plasma concentrations of UDCA and there were no significant associations with the other polymorphisms examined. None of the polymorphisms affected the pharmacokinetics of GUDCA. This study showed that the common polymorphisms in bile acid transporters had no significant effect on the pharmacokinetics of exogenous UDCA but an effect of the FXR polymorphism cannot be excluded. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Preparation of Citric Acid Crosslinked Chitosan/Poly(Vinyl Alcohol Blend Membranes for Creatinine Transport

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Retno Ariadi Lusiana

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Preparation of membrane using crosslinking reaction between chitosan and citric acid showed that functional group modification increased the number of active carrier groups which lead to better transport capacity of the membrane. In addition, the substitution of the carboxyl group increased creatinine permeation of chitosan membrane. The transport capacity of citric acid crosslinked chitosan membrane for creatinine was found to be 6.3 mg/L. The presence of cyanocobalamin slightly hindered the transport of creatinine although compounds did not able to pass through citric acid crosslinked chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol blend membrane, as compounds no found in the acceptor phase.

Differential perinatal risk factors in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder by subtype.

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Park, Subin; Cho, Soo-Churl; Kim, Jae-Won; Shin, Min-Sup; Yoo, Hee-Jeong; Oh, Seung Min; Han, Doug Hyun; Cheong, Jae Hoon; Kim, Bung-Nyun

2014-11-30

We compared the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder(ADHD) combined subtype (ADHD-C) to the ADHD inattentive subtype (ADHD-I) in terms of genetic, perinatal, and developmental risk factors as well as clinical and neuropsychological characteristics. A total of 147 children diagnosed with ADHD between the ages of 6 and 15 years participated in this study. The parents of the children completed the structured diagnostic interview, the ADHD Rating Scale-IV, the Children's Behavior Checklist, and structured questionnaires on perinatal risk factors, and the children underwent a neuropsychological test and were genotyped. A total of 502 children without ADHD were recruited from the community as a healthy control group. The ADHD-C children showed more severe externalizing symptoms, showed more deficits in a continuous performance test, and were more likely to have comorbid disorders. Maternal stress during pregnancy, postpartum depression, and changes in the primary caretaker during first 3 years were significantly associated with both ADHD-I and ADHD-C. The ADHD-I group was less likely to have received regular prenatal check-ups and more likely to have had postnatal medical illness than the ADHD-C group. There were no significant differences in the genotype frequencies of the dopamine transporter (DAT1) and the serotonin transporter -linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) polymorphisms between ADHD-I and ADHD-C groups. This study shows that the inattentive subtype of ADHD is different from the combined subtype in many parameters including severity of symptoms, comorbidity, neuropsychological characteristics, and environmental risk factors. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abundance of intrinsic structural disorder in the histone H1 subtypes.

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Kowalski, Andrzej

2015-12-01

The intrinsically disordered proteins consist of partially structured regions linked to the unstructured stretches, which consequently form the transient and dynamic conformational ensembles. They undergo disorder to order transition upon binding their partners. Intrinsic disorder is attributed to histones H1, perceived as assemblers of chromatin structure and the regulators of DNA and proteins activity. In this work, the comparison of intrinsic disorder abundance in the histone H1 subtypes was performed both by the analysis of their amino acid composition and by the prediction of disordered stretches, as well as by identifying molecular recognition features (MoRFs) and ANCHOR protein binding regions (APBR) that are responsible for recognition and binding. Both human and model organisms-animals, plants, fungi and protists-have H1 histone subtypes with the properties typical of disordered state. They possess a significantly higher content of hydrophilic and charged amino acid residues, arranged in the long regions, covering over half of the whole amino acid residues in chain. Almost complete disorder corresponds to histone H1 terminal domains, including MoRFs and ANCHOR. Those motifs were also identified in a more ordered histone H1 globular domain. Compared to the control (globular and fibrous) proteins, H1 histones demonstrate the increased folding rate and a higher proportion of low-complexity segments. The results of this work indicate that intrinsic disorder is an inherent structural property of histone H1 subtypes and it is essential for establishing a protein conformation which defines functional outcomes affecting on DNA- and/or partner protein-dependent cell processes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Brucella abortus ure2 region contains an acid-activated urea transporter and a nickel transport system

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García-Lobo Juan M

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Urease is a virulence factor that plays a role in the resistance of Brucella to low pH conditions, both in vivo and in vitro. Brucella contains two separate urease gene clusters, ure1 and ure2. Although only ure1 codes for an active urease, ure2 is also transcribed, but its contribution to Brucella biology is unknown. Results Re-examination of the ure2 locus showed that the operon includes five genes downstream of ureABCEFGDT that are orthologs to a nikKMLQO cluster encoding an ECF-type transport system for nickel. ureT and nikO mutants were constructed and analyzed for urease activity and acid resistance. A non-polar ureT mutant was unaffected in urease activity at neutral pH but showed a significantly decreased activity at acidic pH. It also showed a decreased survival rate to pH 2 at low concentration of urea when compared to the wild type. The nikO mutant had decreased urease activity and acid resistance at all urea concentrations tested, and this phenotype could be reverted by the addition of nickel to the growth medium. Conclusions Based on these results, we concluded that the operon ure2 codes for an acid-activated urea transporter and a nickel transporter necessary for the maximal activity of the urease whose structural subunits are encoded exclusively by the genes in the ure1 operon.

Surface proton transport of fully protonated poly(aspartic acid) thin films on quartz substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nagao, Yuki, E-mail: ynagao@jaist.ac.jp; Kubo, Takahiro

2014-12-30

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Proton transport of fully protonated poly(aspartic acid) thin film was investigated. • The thin film structure differed greatly from the partially protonated one. • Proton transport occurs on the surface, not inside of the thin film. • This result contributes to biological transport systems such as bacteriorhodopsin. - Abstract: Thin film structure and the proton transport property of fully protonated poly(aspartic acid) (P-Asp100) have been investigated. An earlier study assessed partially protonated poly(aspartic acid), highly oriented thin film structure and enhancement of the internal proton transport. In this study of P-Asp100, IR p-polarized multiple-angle incidence resolution (P-MAIR) spectra were measured to investigate the thin film structure. The obtained thin films, with thicknesses of 120–670 nm, had no oriented structure. Relative humidity dependence of the resistance, proton conductivity, and normalized resistance were examined to ascertain the proton transport property of P-Asp100 thin films. The obtained data showed that the proton transport of P-Asp100 thin films might occur on the surface, not inside of the thin film. This phenomenon might be related with the proton transport of the biological system.

Surface proton transport of fully protonated poly(aspartic acid) thin films on quartz substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagao, Yuki; Kubo, Takahiro

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Proton transport of fully protonated poly(aspartic acid) thin film was investigated. • The thin film structure differed greatly from the partially protonated one. • Proton transport occurs on the surface, not inside of the thin film. • This result contributes to biological transport systems such as bacteriorhodopsin. - Abstract: Thin film structure and the proton transport property of fully protonated poly(aspartic acid) (P-Asp100) have been investigated. An earlier study assessed partially protonated poly(aspartic acid), highly oriented thin film structure and enhancement of the internal proton transport. In this study of P-Asp100, IR p-polarized multiple-angle incidence resolution (P-MAIR) spectra were measured to investigate the thin film structure. The obtained thin films, with thicknesses of 120–670 nm, had no oriented structure. Relative humidity dependence of the resistance, proton conductivity, and normalized resistance were examined to ascertain the proton transport property of P-Asp100 thin films. The obtained data showed that the proton transport of P-Asp100 thin films might occur on the surface, not inside of the thin film. This phenomenon might be related with the proton transport of the biological system

Acid-base transport by the renal proximal tubule.

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Skelton, Lara A; Boron, Walter F; Zhou, Yuehan

2010-01-01

Each day, the kidneys filter 180 L of blood plasma, equating to some 4,300 mmol of the major blood buffer, bicarbonate (HCO3-). The glomerular filtrate enters the lumen of the proximal tubule (PT), and the majority of filtered HCO3- is reclaimed along the early (S1) and convoluted (S2) portions of the PT in a manner coupled to the secretion of H+ into the lumen. The PT also uses the secreted H+ to titrate non-HCO3- buffers in the lumen, in the process creating "new HCO3-" for transport into the blood. Thus, the PT - along with more distal renal segments - is largely responsible for regulating plasma [HCO3-]. In this review we first focus on the milestone discoveries over the past 50+ years that define the mechanism and regulation of acid-base transport by the proximal tubule. Further on in the review, we will summarize research still in progress from our laboratory, work that addresses the problem of how the PT is able to finely adapt to acid-base disturbances by rapidly sensing changes in basolateral levels of HCO3- and CO2 (but not pH), and thereby to exert tight control over the acid-base composition of the blood plasma.

Comparison of the catalytic properties of the botulinum neurotoxin subtypes A1 and A5.

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Wang, Dongxia; Krilich, Joan; Pellett, Sabine; Baudys, Jakub; Tepp, William H; Barr, John R; Johnson, Eric A; Kalb, Suzanne R

2013-12-01

Clostridium botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) cause the life-threatening disease botulism through the inhibition of neurotransmitter release by cleaving essential SNARE proteins. There are seven serologically distinctive types of BoNTs and many subtypes within a serotype have been identified. BoNT/A5 is a recently discovered subtype of type A botulinum neurotoxin which possesses a very high degree of sequence similarity and identity to the well-studied A1 subtype. In the present study, we examined the endopeptidase activity of these two BoNT/A subtypes and our results revealed significant differences in substrate binding and cleavage efficiency between subtype A5 and A1. Distinctive hydrolysis efficiency was observed between the two toxins during cleavage of the native substrate SNAP-25 versus a shortened peptide mimic. N-terminal truncation studies demonstrated that a key region of the SNAP-25, including the amino acid residues at 151 through 154 located in the remote binding region of the substrate, contributed to the differential catalytic properties between A1 and A5. Elevated binding affinity of the peptide substrate resulted from including these important residues and enhanced BoNT/A5's hydrolysis efficiency. In addition, mutations of these amino acid residues affect the proteolytic performance of the two toxins in different ways. This study provides a better understanding of the biological activity of these toxins, their performance characteristics in the Endopep-MS assay to detect BoNT in clinical samples and foods, and is useful for the development of peptide substrates. © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Breed and species comparison of amino acid transport variation in equine erythrocytes.

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Fincham, D A; Young, J D; Mason, D K; Collins, E A; Snow, D H

1985-05-01

The amino acid permeability of red blood cells from Equus caballus (thoroughbred, Arab, shire and pony), E przewalskii (Przewalski's horse), E asinus (donkey and mule) and E burchelli (common or plains zebra) was measured. Individual animals exhibited stable but widely differing rates of L-[U-14C]alanine uptake in the range 5 to 1554 mumol (litre cells)-1 h-1 (0.2 mM extracellular L-alanine, 37 degrees C). Of the thoroughbreds tested, 30 per cent had red blood cells which were essentially impermeable to L-alanine (5 to 10 mumol (litre cells)-1 h-1, giving transport rates similar to those found previously in amino acid transport-deficient sheep erythrocytes. In contrast, only 3 per cent of the ponies tested had red blood cells impermeable to L-alanine. No cases of erythrocyte amino acid transport deficiency were found in the other horse breeds and species tested.

Graphene for amino acid biosensing: Theoretical study of the electronic transport

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez, S. J.; Makinistian, L.; Albanesi, E. A.

2017-10-01

The study of biosensors based on graphene has increased in the last years, the combination of excellent electrical properties and low noise makes graphene a material for next generation electronic devices. This work discusses the application of a graphene-based biosensor for the detection of amino acids histidine (His), alanine (Ala), aspartic acid (Asp), and tyrosine (Tyr). First, we present the results of modeling from first principles the adsorption of the four amino acids on a graphene sheet, we calculate adsorption energy, substrate-adsorbate distance, equilibrium geometrical configurations (upon relaxation) and densities of states (DOS) for each biomolecule adsorbed. Furthermore, in order to evaluate the effects of amino acid adsorption on the electronic transport of graphene, we modeled a device using first-principles calculations with a combination of Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Nonequilibrium Greens Functions (NEGF). We provide with a detailed discussion in terms of transmission, current-voltage curves, and charge transfer. We found evidence of differences in the electronic transport through the graphene sheet due to amino acid adsorption, reinforcing the possibility of graphene-based sensors for amino acid sequencing of proteins.

Accumulation, selection and covariation of amino acids in sieve tube sap of tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) and castor bean (Ricinus communis): evidence for the function of a basic amino acid transporter and the absence of a γ-amino butyric acid transporter.

Science.gov (United States)

Bauer, Susanne N; Nowak, Heike; Keller, Frank; Kallarackal, Jose; Hajirezaei, Mohamad-Reza; Komor, Ewald

2014-09-01

Sieve tube sap was obtained from Tanacetum by aphid stylectomy and from Ricinus after apical bud decapitation. The amino acids in sieve tube sap were analyzed and compared with those from leaves. Arginine and lysine accumulated in the sieve tube sap of Tanacetum more than 10-fold compared to the leaf extracts and they were, together with asparagine and serine, preferably selected into the sieve tube sap, whereas glycine, methionine/tryptophan and γ-amino butyric acid were partially or completely excluded. The two basic amino acids also showed a close covariation in sieve tube sap. The acidic amino acids also grouped together, but antagonistic to the other amino acids. The accumulation ratios between sieve tube sap and leaf extracts were smaller in Ricinus than in Tanacetum. Arginine, histidine, lysine and glutamine were enriched and preferentially loaded into the phloem, together with isoleucine and valine. In contrast, glycine and methionine/tryptophan were partially and γ-amino butyric acid almost completely excluded from sieve tube sap. The covariation analysis grouped arginine together with several neutral amino acids. The acidic amino acids were loaded under competition with neutral amino acids. It is concluded from comparison with the substrate specificities of already characterized plant amino acid transporters, that an AtCAT1-like transporter functions in phloem loading of basic amino acids, whereas a transporter like AtGAT1 is absent in phloem. Although Tanacetum and Ricinus have different minor vein architecture, their phloem loading specificities for amino acids are relatively similar. © 2014 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.

ρ0 Cells Feature De-Ubiquitination of SLC Transporters and Increased Levels and Fluxes of Amino Acids

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André Bordinassi Medina

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Solute carrier (SLC transporters are a diverse group of membrane transporter proteins that regulate the cellular flux and distribution of endogenous and xenobiotic compounds. Post-translational modifications (PTMs, such as ubiquitination, have recently emerged as one of the major regulatory mechanisms in protein function and localization. Previously, we showed that SLC amino acid transporters were on average 6-fold de-ubiquitinated and increased amino acid levels were detected in ρ0 cells (lacking mitochondrial DNA, mtDNA compared to parental cells. Here, we elucidated the altered functionality of SLC transporters and their dynamic ubiquitination status by measuring the uptake of several isotopically labeled amino acids in both human osteosarcoma 143B.TK- and ρ0 cells. Our pulse chase analysis indicated that de-ubiquitinated amino acid transporters in ρ0 cells were accompanied by an increased transport rate, which leads to higher levels of amino acids in the cell. Finding SLC transport enhancers is an aim of the pharmaceutical industry in order to compensate for loss of function mutations in these genes. Thus, the ubiquitination status of SLC transporters could be an indicator for their functionality, but evidence for a direct connection between de-ubiquitination and transporter activity has to be further elucidated.

Silicon in vascular plants: uptake, transport and its influence on mineral stress under acidic conditions.

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Pontigo, Sofía; Ribera, Alejandra; Gianfreda, Liliana; de la Luz Mora, María; Nikolic, Miroslav; Cartes, Paula

2015-07-01

So far, considerable advances have been achieved in understanding the mechanisms of Si uptake and transport in vascular plants. This review presents a comprehensive update about this issue, but also provides the new insights into the role of Si against mineral stresses that occur in acid soils. Such information could be helpful to understand both the differential Si uptake ability as well as the benefits of this mineral element on plants grown under acidic conditions. Silicon (Si) has been widely recognized as a beneficial element for many plant species, especially under stress conditions. In the last few years, great efforts have been made to elucidate the mechanisms involved in uptake and transport of Si by vascular plants and recently, different Si transporters have been identified. Several researches indicate that Si can alleviate various mineral stresses in plants growing under acidic conditions, including aluminium (Al) and manganese (Mn) toxicities as well as phosphorus (P) deficiency all of which are highly detrimental to crop production. This review presents recent findings concerning the influence of uptake and transport of Si on mineral stress under acidic conditions because a knowledge of this interaction provides the basis for understanding the role of Si in mitigating mineral stress in acid soils. Currently, only four Si transporters have been identified and there is little information concerning the response of Si transporters under stress conditions. More investigations are therefore needed to establish whether there is a relationship between Si transporters and the benefits of Si to plants subjected to mineral stress. Evidence presented suggests that Si supply and its subsequent accumulation in plant tissues could be exploited as a strategy to improve crop productivity on acid soils.

The ABC transporter Rv1272c of Mycobacterium tuberculosis enhances the import of long-chain fatty acids in Escherichia coli.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Audrey; Daniel, Jaiyanth

2018-02-05

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), which causes tuberculosis, is capable of accumulating triacylglycerol (TAG) by utilizing fatty acids from host cells. ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters are involved in transport processes in all organisms. Among the classical ABC transporters in Mtb none have been implicated in fatty acid import. Since the transport of fatty acids from the host cell is important for dormancy-associated TAG synthesis in the pathogen, mycobacterial ABC transporter(s) could potentially be involved in this process. Based on sequence identities with a bacterial ABC transporter that mediates fatty acid import for TAG synthesis, we identified Rv1272c, a hitherto uncharacterized ABC-transporter in Mtb that also shows sequence identities with a plant ABC transporter involved in fatty acid transport. We expressed Rv1272c in E. coli and show that it enhances the import of radiolabeled fatty acids. We also show that Rv1272c causes a significant increase in the metabolic incorporation of radiolabeled long-chain fatty acids into cardiolipin, a tetra-acylated phospholipid, and phosphatidylglycerol in E. coli. This is the first report on the function of Rv1272c showing that it displays a long-chain fatty acid transport function. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Motor subtype changes in early Parkinson's disease.

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Eisinger, Robert S; Hess, Christopher W; Martinez-Ramirez, Daniel; Almeida, Leonardo; Foote, Kelly D; Okun, Michael S; Gunduz, Aysegul

2017-10-01

Distinct motor subtypes of Parkinson's disease (PD) have been described through both clinical observation and through data-driven approaches. However, the extent to which motor subtypes change during disease progression remains unknown. Our objective was to determine motor subtypes of PD using an unsupervised clustering methodology and evaluate subtype changes with disease duration. The Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative database of 423 newly diagnosed PD patients was utilized to retrospectively identify unique motor subtypes through a data-driven, hierarchical correlational clustering approach. For each patient, we assigned a subtype to each motor assessment at each follow-up visit (time points) and by using published criteria. We examined changes in PD subtype with disease duration using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Five distinct motor subtypes were identified based on the motor assessment items and these included: Tremor Dominant (TD), Axial Dominant, Appendicular Dominant, Rigidity Dominant, and Postural and Instability Gait Disorder Dominant. About half of the patients had consistent subtypes at all time points. Most patients met criteria for TD subtype soon after diagnosis. For patients with inconsistent subtypes, there was an overall trend to shift away from a TD phenotype with disease duration, as shown by chi-squared test, p motor subtypes in PD can shift with increasing disease duration. Shifting subtypes is a factor that should be accounted for in clinical practice or in clinical trials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Na--dependent transport of basic, zwitterionic, and bicyclic amino acids by a broad-scope system in mouse blastocysts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Winkle, L.J.; Christensen, H.N.; Campione, A.L.

1985-01-01

Mouse blastocysts which had been activated from diapause in utero appeared to take up amino acids via a Na - -dependent transport system with novel characteristics. In contrast to other cell types, uptake of 3-aminoendobicyclo [3,2,1]octane-3-carboxylic acid (BCO) by blastocysts was largely Na - dependent. Moreover, L-alanine and BCO met standard criteria for mutual competitive inhibition of the Na - -dependent transport of each other. The Ki for each of these amino acids as an inhibitor of transport of the other had a value similar to the value of its Km for transport. In addition, both 2-aminoendobicyclo [2,2,1]heptane-2-carboxylic acid and L-valine appeared to inhibit Na - -dependent transport of alanine and BCO competitively. Finally, alanine and L-lysine appeared to compete for the same Na+-dependent transport sites in blastocysts. For these reasons, the authors conclude that lysine, alanine, and BCO are transported by a common Na+-dependent system in blastocysts. In addition, the apparent interaction of the system with other basic amino acids, such as 1-dimethylpiperidine-4-amino-4-carboxylic acid, which has a nondissociable positive charge on its side chain, and L-arginine and L-homoarginine, whose cationic forms are highly predominant at neutral pH, suggests that the cationic forms of basic amino acids are transported by the wide-scope system

Molecular pharmacology of 4-substituted glutamic acid analogues at ionotropic and metabotropic excitatory amino acid receptors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bräuner-Osborne, Hans; Nielsen, B; Stensbøl, T B

1997-01-01

(subtypes 1alpha and 2), respectively, whereas (S)-4-methyleneglutamic acid showed high but rather non-selective affinity for the (RS)-2-amino-3-(3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazol-4-yl)propionic acid (AMPA), kainic acid, NMDA and mGlu receptors (subtypes 1alpha and 2). Although none of the compounds were specific......The pharmacology of (2S,4R)-4-methylglutamic acid, (2S,4S)-4-methylglutamic acid and (S)- and (R)-4-methyleneglutamic acids (obtained in high chemical and enantiomeric purity from racemic 4-methyleneglutamic acid by chiral HPLC using a Crownpak CR(+) column), was examined in binding experiments...... using rat brain ionotropic glutamate receptors, and in functional assays using cloned metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors. As a notable result of these studies, (2S,4R)-4-methylglutamic acid and (2S,4S)-4-methylglutamic acid were shown to be selective for kainic acid receptors and mGlu receptors...

Motoric subtypes of delirium in geriatric patients

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Sandeep Grover

2014-01-01

Results: On amended DMSS, hyperactive subtype (N = 45; 45.9% was the most common motoric subtype of delirium, followed by hypoactive subtype (N = 23; 23.5%, and mixed subtype (N = 21; 21.4%. On DRS-R-98, all patients fulfilled the criteria of ′acute (temporal onset of symptoms′, ′presence of an underlying physical disorder′ and ′difficulty in attention′. In the total sample, >90% of the patients had disturbances in sleep-wake cycle, orientation and fluctuation of symptoms. The least common symptoms were delusions, visuospatial disturbances and motor retardation. When compared to hypoactive group, significantly higher proportion of patients with hyperactive subtype had delusions, perceptual disturbances, and motor agitation. Whereas, compared to hyperactive subtype, significantly higher proportion of patients with hypoactive subtype had thought process abnormality and motor retardation. When the hyperactive and mixed motoric subtype groups were compared, patients with mixed subtype group had significantly higher prevalence of thought process abnormality and motor retardation. Comparison of hypoactive and mixed subtype revealed significant differences in the frequency of perceptual disturbances, delusions and motor agitation and all these symptoms being found more commonly in patients with the mixed subtype. Severity of symptoms were found to be significantly different across the various motoric subtypes for some of the non-cognitive symptoms, but significant differences were not seen for the cognitive symptoms as assessed on DRS-R-98. Conclusion: In elderly patients, motor subtypes of delirium differ from each other on non-cognitive symptom profile in terms of frequency and severity.

The differences between NAD-ME and NADP-ME subtypes of C4 photosynthesis: more than decarboxylating enzymes

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Xiaolan Rao

2016-10-01

Full Text Available As an adaptation to changing climatic conditions that caused high rates of photorespiration, C4 plants have evolved to display higher photosynthetic efficiency than C3 plants under elevated temperature, high light intensities and drought. The C4 plants independently evolved more than 60 times in 19 families of angiosperms to establish similar but not uniform C4 mechanisms to concentrate CO2 around the carboxylating enzyme Rubisco. C4 photosynthesis is divided into at least two basic biochemical subtypes based on the primary decarboxylating enzymes, NAD-dependent malic enzyme (NAD-ME and NADP-dependent malic enzyme (NADP-ME. The multiple polygenetic origins of these subtypes raise questions about the association of C4 variation between biochemical subtypes and diverse lineages. This review addresses the differences in evolutionary scenario, leaf anatomy, and especially C4 metabolic flow, C4 transporters and cell-specific function deduced from recently reported cell-specific transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolic analyses of NAD-ME and NADP-ME subtypes. Current omic analysis has revealed the extent to which component abundances differ between the two biochemical subtypes, leading to a better understanding of C4 photosynthetic mechanisms in NAD-ME and NADP-ME subtypes.

Differential affinity of mammalian histone H1 somatic subtypes for DNA and chromatin

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Mora Xavier

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Histone H1 is involved in the formation and maintenance of chromatin higher order structure. H1 has multiple isoforms; the subtypes differ in timing of expression, extent of phosphorylation and turnover rate. In vertebrates, the amino acid substitution rates differ among subtypes by almost one order of magnitude, suggesting that each subtype might have acquired a unique function. We have devised a competitive assay to estimate the relative binding affinities of histone H1 mammalian somatic subtypes H1a-e and H1° for long chromatin fragments (30–35 nucleosomes in physiological salt (0.14 M NaCl at constant stoichiometry. Results The H1 complement of native chromatin was perturbed by adding an additional amount of one of the subtypes. A certain amount of SAR (scaffold-associated region DNA was present in the mixture to avoid precipitation of chromatin by excess H1. SAR DNA also provided a set of reference relative affinities, which were needed to estimate the relative affinities of the subtypes for chromatin from the distribution of the subtypes between the SAR and the chromatin. The amounts of chromatin, SAR and additional H1 were adjusted so as to keep the stoichiometry of perturbed chromatin similar to that of native chromatin. H1 molecules freely exchanged between the chromatin and SAR binding sites. In conditions of free exchange, H1a was the subtype of lowest affinity, H1b and H1c had intermediate affinities and H1d, H1e and H1° the highest affinities. Subtype affinities for chromatin differed by up to 19-fold. The relative affinities of the subtypes for chromatin were equivalent to those estimated for a SAR DNA fragment and a pUC19 fragment of similar length. Avian H5 had an affinity ~12-fold higher than H1e for both DNA and chromatin. Conclusion H1 subtypes freely exchange in vitro between chromatin binding sites in physiological salt (0.14 M NaCl. The large differences in relative affinity of the H1 subtypes for

Acid-extrusion from tissue: the interplay between membrane transporters and pH buffers.

Science.gov (United States)

Hulikova, Alzbeta; Harris, Adrian L; Vaughan-Jones, Richard D; Swietach, Pawel

2012-01-01

The acid-base balance of cells is related to the concentration of free H⁺ ions. These are highly reactive, and their intracellular concentration must be regulated to avoid detrimental effects to the cell. H⁺ ion dynamics are influenced by binding to chelator substances ('buffering'), and by the production, diffusion and membrane-transport of free H⁺ ions or of the H⁺-bound chelators. Intracellular pH (pHi) regulation aims to balance this system of diffusion-reaction-transport processes at a favourable steady-state pHi. The ability of cells to regulate pHi may set a limit to tissue growth and can be subject to selection pressures. Cancer cells have been postulated to respond favourably to such selection pressures by evolving a better means of pHi regulation. A particularly important feature of tumour pHi regulation is acid-extrusion, which involves H⁺-extrusion and HCO₃⁻-uptake by membrane-bound transporter-proteins. Extracellular CO₂/HCO₃⁻ buffer facilitates these membrane-transport processes. As a mobile pH-buffer, CO₂/HCO₃⁻ protects the extracellular space from excessive acidification that could otherwise inhibit further acid-extrusion. CO₂/HCO₃⁻ also provides substrate for HCO₃⁻-transporters. However, the inherently slow reaction kinetics of CO₂/HCO₃⁻ can be rate-limiting for acid-extrusion. To circumvent this, cells can express extracellular-facing carbonic anhydrase enzymes to accelerate the attainment of equilibrium between CO₂, HCO₃⁻ and H⁺. The acid-extrusion apparatus has been proposed as a target for anti-cancer therapy. The major targets include H⁺ pumps, Na⁺/H⁺ exchangers and carbonic anhydrases. The effectiveness of such therapy will depend on the correct identification of rate-limiting steps in pHi regulation in a specific type of cancer.

Carrier-mediated γ-aminobutyric acid transport across the basolateral membrane of human intestinal Caco-2 cell monolayers.

Science.gov (United States)

Nielsen, Carsten Uhd; Carstensen, Mette; Brodin, Birger

2012-06-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate the transport of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) across the basolateral membrane of intestinal cells. The proton-coupled amino acid transporter, hPAT1, mediates the influx of GABA and GABA mimetic drug substances such as vigabatrin and gaboxadol and the anticancer prodrug δ-aminolevulinic acid across the apical membrane of small intestinal enterocytes. Little is however known about the basolateral transport of these substances. We investigated basolateral transport of GABA in mature Caco-2 cell monolayers using isotope studies. Here we report that, at least two transporters seem to be involved in the basolateral transport of GABA. The basolateral uptake consisted of a high-affinity system with a K(m) of 290 μM and V(max) of 75 pmol cm(-2) min(-1) and a low affinity system with a K(m) of approximately 64 mM and V(max) of 1.6 nmol cm(-2) min(-1). The high-affinity transporter is Na(+) and Cl(-) dependent. The substrate specificity of the high-affinity transporter was further studied and Gly-Sar, Leucine, gaboxadol, sarcosine, lysine, betaine, 5-hydroxythryptophan, proline and glycine reduced the GABA uptake to approximately 44-70% of the GABA uptake in the absence of inhibitor. Other substances such as β-alanine, GABA, 5-aminovaleric acid, taurine and δ-aminolevulinic acid reduced the basolateral GABA uptake to 6-25% of the uptake in the absence of inhibitor. Our results indicate that the distance between the charged amino- and acid-groups is particular important for inhibition of basolateral GABA uptake. Thus, there seems to be a partial substrate overlap between the basolateral GABA transporter and hPAT1, which may prove important for understanding drug interactions at the level of intestinal transport. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Experimental Study and Reactive Transport Modeling of Boric Acid Leaching of Concrete

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chiang K.-T. K.

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Borated water leakage through spent fuel pools (SFPs at pressurized water reactors is a concern because it could cause corrosion of reinforcement steel in the concrete structure, compromise the integrity of the structure, or cause unmonitored releases of contaminated water to the environment. Experimental data indicate that pH is a critical parameter that determines the corrosion susceptibility of rebar in borated water and the degree of concrete degradation by boric acid leaching. In this study, reactive transport modeling of concrete leaching by borated water was performed to provide information on the solution pH in the concrete crack or matrix and the degree of concrete degradation at different locations of an SFP concrete structure exposed to borated water. Simulations up to 100 years were performed using different boric acid concentrations, crack apertures, and solution flow rates. Concrete cylinders were immersed in boric acid solutions for several months and the mineralogical changes and boric acid penetration in the concrete cylinder were evaluated as a function of time. The depths of concrete leaching by boric acid solution derived from the reactive transport simulations were compared with the measured boric acid penetration depth.

Proton transport properties in zwitterion blends with Brønsted acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshizawa-Fujita, Masahiro; Byrne, Nolene; Forsyth, Maria; MacFarlane, Douglas R; Ohno, Hiroyuki

2010-12-16

We describe zwitterion, 3-(1-butyl-1H-imidazol-3-ium-3-yl)propane-1-sulfonate (Bimps), mixtures with 1,1,1-trifluoro-N-(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)methanesulfoneamide (HN(Tf)(2)) as new proton transport electrolytes. We report proton transport mechanisms in the mixtures based on results from several methods including thermal analyses, the complex-impedance method, and the pulsed field gradient spin echo NMR (pfg-NMR) method. The glass transition temperature (Tg) of the mixtures decreased with increasing HN(Tf)(2) concentration up to 50 mol %. The Tg remained constant at -55 °C with further acid doping. The ionic conductivity of HN(Tf)(2) mixtures increased with the HN(Tf)(2) content up to 50 mol %. Beyond that ratio, the mixtures showed no increase in ionic conductivity (10(-4) S cm(-1) at room temperature). This tendency agrees well with that of Tg. However, the self-diffusion coefficients obtained from the pfg-NMR method increased with HN(Tf)(2) content even above 50 mol % for all component ions. At HN(Tf)(2) 50 mol %, the proton diffusion of HN(Tf)(2) was the fastest in the mixture. These results suggest that Bimps cannot dissociate excess HN(Tf)(2), that is, the excess HN(Tf)(2) exists as molecular HN(Tf)(2) in the mixtures. The zwitterion, Bimps, forms a 1:1 complex with HN(Tf)(2) and the proton transport property in this mixture is superior to those of other mixing ratios. Furthermore, CH(3)SO(3)H and CF(3)SO(3)H were mixed with Bimps for comparison. Both systems showed a similar tendency, which differed from that of the HN(Tf)(2) system. The Tg decreased linearly with increasing acid content for every mixing ratio, while the ionic conductivity increased linearly. Proton transport properties in zwitterion/acid mixtures were strongly affected by the acid species added.

Tissue-specific amino acid transporter partners ACE2 and collectrin differentially interact with hartnup mutations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Camargo, Simone M R; Singer, Dustin; Makrides, Victoria

2008-01-01

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Hartnup amino acid transporter B(0)AT1 (SLC6A19) is the major luminal sodium-dependent neutral amino acid transporter of small intestine and kidney proximal tubule. The expression of B(0)AT1 in kidney was recently shown to depend on its association with collectrin (Tmem27...

Biodistribution of [11C] methylaminoisobutyric acid, a tracer for PET studies on system A amino acid transport in vivo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sutinen, E.; Jyrkkioe, S.; Groenroos, T.; Haaparanta, M.; Lehikoinen, P.; Naagren, K.

2001-01-01

[N-methyl- 11 C]α-Methylaminoisobutyric acid ( 11 C-MeAIB) is a potentially useful tracer for positron emission tomography (PET) studies on hormonally regulated system A amino acid transport. 11 C-MeAIB is a metabolically stable amino acid analogue specific for system A amino acid transport. We evaluated the biodistribution of 11 C-MeAIB in rats and humans to estimate the usefulness of the tracer for in vivo human PET studies, for example, on regulation of system A amino acid transport and on tumour imaging. Healthy Sprague-Dawley rats (n=14) were killed 5, 20, 40 or 60 min after the injection of 11 C-MeAIB, and the tissue samples were weighed and counted for 11 C radioactivity. Ten lymphoma patients with relatively limited tumour burden underwent whole-body (WB) PET imaging with 11 C-MeAIB. In addition, three other patients had dynamic PET scanning of the head and neck area, and the tracer uptake was quantitated by calculating the kinetic influx constants (K i values) for the tracer. In animal studies, the highest activity was detected in the kidney, pancreas, adrenal gland and intestines. In humans, the highest activity was found in the salivary glands, and after that in the kidney and pancreas, similar to the results in animal studies. Rapid uptake was also detected in the skeletal muscle. In the graphical analysis, linear plots were obtained, and the mean fractional tracer uptake values (K i ) of the parotid glands (n=3) and cervical muscles (n=3) were 0.039±0.008 min -1 and 0.013±0.006 min -1 , respectively. The K i value of the tumour (n=1) was 0.064 min -1 . Higher uptake of 11 C-MeAIB into the tumour tissue was encountered. These results encourage further 11 C-MeAIB PET studies in humans on the physiology and pathology of system A amino acid transport and on tumour detection. (orig.)

Classification of alpha 1-adrenoceptor subtypes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Michel, M. C.; Kenny, B.; Schwinn, D. A.

1995-01-01

Two alpha 1-adrenoceptor subtypes (alpha 1A and alpha 1B) have been detected in various tissues by pharmacological techniques, and three distinct cDNAs encoding alpha 1-adrenoceptor subtypes have been cloned. The profile of an increasing number of subtype-selective compounds at cloned and endogenous

Insulin acutely upregulates protein expression of the fatty acid transporter CD36 in human skeletal muscle in vivo

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Corpeleijn, E.; Pelsers, M.M.A.L.; Soenen, S.; Mensink, M.; Bouwman, F.G.; Kooi, M.E.; Saris, W.H.M.; Glatz, J.F.C.; Blaak, E.E.

2008-01-01

Enhanced fatty acid uptake may lead to the accumulation of lipid intermediates. This is related to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Rodent studies suggest that fatty acid transporters are acutely regulated by insulin. We investigated differences in fatty acid transporter content

Post-transcriptional regulation of the arginine transporter Cat-1 by amino acid availability

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aulak, K. S.; Mishra, R.; Zhou, L.; Hyatt, S. L.; de Jonge, W.; Lamers, W.; Snider, M.; Hatzoglou, M.

1999-01-01

The regulation of the high affinity cationic amino acid transporter (Cat-1) by amino acid availability has been studied. In C6 glioma and NRK kidney cells, cat-1 mRNA levels increased 3.8-18-fold following 2 h of amino acid starvation. The transcription rate of the cat-1 gene remained unchanged

Induction of Heavy-Metal-Transporting CPX-Type ATPases during Acid Adaptation in Lactobacillus bulgaricus▿

Science.gov (United States)

Penaud, S.; Fernandez, A.; Boudebbouze, S.; Ehrlich, S. D.; Maguin, E.; van de Guchte, M.

2006-01-01

Lactobacillus bulgaricus is a lactic acid bacteria (LAB) that, through the production of lactic acid, gradually acidifies its environment during growth. In the course of this process, L. bulgaricus acquires an improved tolerance to acidity. A survey of the recently established genome sequence shows that this bacterium possesses few of the pH control functions that have been described in other LAB and raises the question of what other mechanisms could be involved in its adaptation to the decreasing environmental pH. In some bacteria other than LAB, ion transport systems have been implicated in acid adaptation. We therefore studied the expression of this type of transport system during acid adaptation in L. bulgaricus by reverse transcription and real-time quantitative PCR and mapped transcription start sites. Intriguingly, the most significantly induced were three ATPases carrying the CPX signature of heavy-metal transporters. Protein homology and the presence of a conserved sequence motif in the promoter regions of the genes encoding these proteins strongly suggest that they are involved in copper homeostasis. Induction of this system is thought to assist in avoiding indirect damage that could result from medium acidification. PMID:16997986

Functional analysis of apf1 mutation causing defective amino acid transport in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Science.gov (United States)

Horák, J; Kotyk, A

1993-04-01

Mutation in the Apf1 locus causes a pleiotropic effect of H(+)-driven active amino acid transport in baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The uptake of other, presumably H(+)-driven, substances, e.g. of purine and pyrimidine bases, maltose and phosphate ions, is not significantly influenced by this mutation. The apf1 mutation decreases not only the initial rates of amino acid uptake but also the accumulation ratios of amino acids taken up but has virtually no effect on the membrane potential or on the delta pH which constitute the thermodynamically relevant source of energy for their transport. Similarly, no changes in intracellular ATP content, in ATP-hydrolyzing and H(+)-extruding H(+)-ATPase activities, in the efflux of intracellularly accumulated amino acids, or in rates of endogenous respiration, were observed in the apf1 mutant phenotype. Hence, all these data are in accordance with the experiments showing that the Apf1 protein, an integral protein of the endoplasmic reticulum, is required exclusively for efficient processing and translocation of transport proteins specific for amino acids from the endoplasmic reticulum to their final destination, the plasma membrane.

Surface proton transport of fully protonated poly(aspartic acid) thin films on quartz substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Nagao, Yuki; Kubo, Takahiro

2014-12-01

Thin film structure and the proton transport property of fully protonated poly(aspartic acid) (P-Asp100) have been investigated. An earlier study assessed partially protonated poly(aspartic acid), highly oriented thin film structure and enhancement of the internal proton transport. In this study of P-Asp100, IR p-polarized multiple-angle incidence resolution (P-MAIR) spectra were measured to investigate the thin film structure. The obtained thin films, with thicknesses of 120-670 nm, had no oriented structure. Relative humidity dependence of the resistance, proton conductivity, and normalized resistance were examined to ascertain the proton transport property of P-Asp100 thin films. The obtained data showed that the proton transport of P-Asp100 thin films might occur on the surface, not inside of the thin film. This phenomenon might be related with the proton transport of the biological system.

Transportation impact analysis for the shipment of Low Specific Activity Nitric Acid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Green, J.R.

1994-01-01

This document was written in support of the Plutonium-Uranium Extraction (PUREX) Facility Low Specific Activity (LSA) Nitric Acid Shipment Environmental Assessment. It analyzes the potential toxicological and radiological risks associated with the transportation of PUREX Facility LSA Nitric Acid from the Hanford Site in Washington State to three Eastern ports

Molecular characterization of amino acid deletion in VP1 (1D) protein and novel amino acid substitutions in 3D polymerase protein of foot and mouth disease virus subtype A/Iran87.

Science.gov (United States)

Esmaelizad, Majid; Jelokhani-Niaraki, Saber; Hashemnejad, Khadije; Kamalzadeh, Morteza; Lotfi, Mohsen

2011-12-01

The nucleotide sequence of the VP1 (1D) and partial 3D polymerase (3D(pol)) coding regions of the foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV) vaccine strain A/Iran87, a highly passaged isolate (~150 passages), was determined and aligned with previously published FMDV serotype A sequences. Overall analysis of the amino acid substitutions revealed that the partial 3D(pol) coding region contained four amino acid alterations. Amino acid sequence comparison of the VP1 coding region of the field isolates revealed deletions in the highly passaged Iranian isolate (A/Iran87). The prominent G-H loop of the FMDV VP1 protein contains the conserved arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) tripeptide, which is a well-known ligand for a specific cell surface integrin. Despite losing the RGD sequence of the VP1 protein and an Asp(26)→Glu substitution in a beta sheet located within a small groove of the 3D(pol) protein, the virus grew in BHK 21 suspension cell cultures. Since this strain has been used as a vaccine strain, it may be inferred that the RGD deletion has no critical role in virus attachment to the cell during the initiation of infection. It is probable that this FMDV subtype can utilize other pathways for cell attachment.

Perfluoroalkyl Acid Concentrations in Blood Samples Subjected to Transportation and Processing Delay

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bach, Cathrine Carlsen; Henriksen, Tine Brink; Bossi, Rossana

2015-01-01

and transportation prior to processing and samples with immediate processing and freezing. METHODS: Pregnant women recruited at Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark, (n = 88) provided paired blood samples. For each pair of samples, one was immediately processed and plasma was frozen, and the other was delayed...... and transported as whole blood before processing and freezing of plasma (similar to the Danish National Birth Cohort). We measured 12 perfluoroalkyl acids and present results for compounds with more than 50% of samples above the lower limit of quantification. RESULTS: For samples taken in the winter, relative...... differences between the paired samples ranged between -77 and +38% for individual perfluoroalkyl acids. In most cases concentrations were lower in the delayed and transported samples, e.g. the relative difference was -29% (95% confidence interval -30; -27) for perfluorooctane sulfonate. For perfluorooctanoate...

The blood-brain barrier fatty acid transport protein 1 (FATP1/SLC27A1) supplies docosahexaenoic acid to the brain, and insulin facilitates transport.

Science.gov (United States)

Ochiai, Yusuke; Uchida, Yasuo; Ohtsuki, Sumio; Tachikawa, Masanori; Aizawa, Sanshiro; Terasaki, Tetsuya

2017-05-01

We purposed to clarify the contribution of fatty acid transport protein 1 (FATP1/SLC 27A1) to the supply of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to the brain across the blood-brain barrier in this study. Transport experiments showed that the uptake rate of [ 14 C]-DHA in human FATP1-expressing HEK293 cells was significantly greater than that in empty vector-transfected (mock) HEK293 cells. The steady-state intracellular DHA concentration was nearly 2-fold smaller in FATP1-expressing than in mock cells, suggesting that FATP1 works as not only an influx, but also an efflux transporter for DHA. [ 14 C]-DHA uptake by a human cerebral microvascular endothelial cell line (hCMEC/D3) increased in a time-dependent manner, and was inhibited by unlabeled DHA and a known FATP1 substrate, oleic acid. Knock-down of FATP1 in hCMEC/D3 cells with specific siRNA showed that FATP1-mediated uptake accounts for 59.2-73.0% of total [ 14 C]-DHA uptake by the cells. Insulin treatment for 30 min induced translocation of FATP1 protein to the plasma membrane in hCMEC/D3 cells and enhanced [ 14 C]-DHA uptake. Immunohistochemical analysis of mouse brain sections showed that FATP1 protein is preferentially localized at the basal membrane of brain microvessel endothelial cells. We found that two neuroprotective substances, taurine and biotin, in addition to DHA, undergo FATP1-mediated efflux. Overall, our results suggest that FATP1 localized at the basal membrane of brain microvessels contributes to the transport of DHA, taurine and biotin into the brain, and insulin rapidly increases DHA supply to the brain by promoting translocation of FATP1 to the membrane. Read the Editorial Comment for this article on page 324. © 2016 International Society for Neurochemistry.

The actions of exogenous leucine on mTOR signalling and amino acid transporters in human myotubes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cameron-Smith David

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The branched-chain amino acid (BCAA leucine has been identified to be a key regulator of skeletal muscle anabolism. Activation of anabolic signalling occurs via the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR through an undefined mechanism. System A and L solute carriers transport essential amino acids across plasma membranes; however it remains unknown whether an exogenous supply of leucine regulates their gene expression. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of acute and chronic leucine stimulation of anabolic signalling and specific amino acid transporters, using cultured primary human skeletal muscle cells. Results Human myotubes were treated with leucine, insulin or co-treated with leucine and insulin for 30 min, 3 h or 24 h. Activation of mTOR signalling kinases were examined, together with putative nutrient sensor human vacuolar protein sorting 34 (hVps34 and gene expression of selected amino acid transporters. Phosphorylation of mTOR and p70S6K was transiently increased following leucine exposure, independently to insulin. hVps34 protein expression was also significantly increased. However, genes encoding amino acid transporters were differentially regulated by insulin and not leucine. Conclusions mTOR signalling is transiently activated by leucine within human myotubes independently of insulin stimulation. While this occurred in the absence of changes in gene expression of amino acid transporters, protein expression of hVps34 increased.

Neuroprotective effects of the novel glutamate transporter inhibitor (-)-3-hydroxy-4,5,6,6a-tetrahydro-3aH-pyrrolo[3,4-d]-isoxazole-4-carboxylic acid, which preferentially inhibits reverse transport (glutamate release) compared with glutamate reuptake

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Colleoni, Simona; Jensen, Anders Asbjørn; Landucci, Elisa

2008-01-01

on the three hEAAT subtypes. (-)-HIP-A maintained the remarkable property, previously reported with the racemates, of inhibiting synaptosomal glutamate-induced [3H]D-aspartate release (reverse transport) at concentrations significantly lower than those inhibiting [3H]L-glutamate uptake. New data suggest...

Amino acid transport across the tonoplast of vacuoles isolated from barley mesophyll protoplasts: Uptake of alanine, leucine, and glutamine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dietz, K.J.; Jaeger, R.; Kaiser, G.; Martinoia, E.

1990-01-01

Mesophyll protoplasts from leaves of well-fertilized barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) plants contained amino acids at concentrations as high as 120 millimoles per liter. With the exception of glutamic acid, which is predominantly localized in the cytoplasm, a major part of all other amino acids was contained inside the large central vacuole. Alanine, leucine, and glutamine are the dominant vacuolar amino acids in barley. Their transport into isolated vacuoles was studied using 14 C-labeled amino acids. Uptake was slow in the absence of ATP. A three- to sixfold stimulation of uptake was observed after addition of ATP or adenylyl imidodiphosphate an ATP analogue not being hydrolyzed by ATPases. Other nucleotides were ineffective in increasing the rate of uptake. ATP-Stimulated amino acid transport was not dependent on the transtonoplast pH or membrane potential. p-Chloromercuriphenylsulfonic acid and n-ethyl maleimide increased transport independently of ATP. Neutral amino acids such as valine or leucine effectively decreased the rate of alanine transport. Glutamine and glycine were less effective or not effective as competitive inhibitors of alanine transport. The results indicate the existence of a uniport translocator specific for neutral or basic amino acids that is under control of metabolic effectors

Effect of HIV type 1 subtype on virological and immunological response to combination antiretroviral therapy: evidence for a more rapid viral suppression for subtype A than subtype B-infected Greek individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

Paraskevis, Dimirios; Touloumi, Giota; Bakoyannis, Giorgos; Paparizos, Vassilios; Lazanas, Marios; Gargalianos, Panagiotis; Chryssos, Georgios; Antoniadou, Anastasia; Psichogiou, Mina; Panos, Georgios; Katsarou, Olga; Sambatakou, Helen; Kordossis, Theodoros; Hatzakis, Angelos

2013-03-01

Whether response to combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) differs between those infected with HIV-1 subtype A or B remains unclear. We compared virological and immunological response to cART in individuals infected with subtype A or B in an ethnically homogeneous population. Data derived from the Athens Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (AMACS) and analysis were restricted to those of Greek origin. Time to virological response (confirmed HIV-RNA 500 copies/ml at any time or no response by month 6) were analyzed using survival models and CD4 changes after cART initiation using piecewise linear mixed effects models. Of the 571 subjects included in the analysis, 412 (72.2%) were infected with subtype B and 159 (27.8%) with subtype A. After adjusting for various prognostic factors, the rate of virological response was higher for those infected with subtype A versus B (adjusted HR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.08-1.68; p=0.009). Subtype A was also marginally associated with a lower hazard of virological failure compared to subtype B (HR=0.73; 95% CI: 0.53-1.02; p=0.062). Further adjustment for treatment adherence did not substantially changed the main results. No significant differences were observed in the rates of CD4 increases by subtype. The overall median (95% CI) CD4 increase at 2 years of cART was 193 (175, 212) cells/μl. Our study, based on one of the largest homogeneous groups of subtype A and B infections in Europe, showed that individuals infected with subtype A had an improved virological but similar immunological response to cART compared to those infected with subtype B.

Comprehensive global amino acid sequence analysis of PB1F2 protein of influenza A H5N1 viruses and the influenza A virus subtypes responsible for the 20th‐century pandemics

Science.gov (United States)

Pasricha, Gunisha; Mishra, Akhilesh C.; Chakrabarti, Alok K.

2012-01-01

Please cite this paper as: Pasricha et al. (2012) Comprehensive global amino acid sequence analysis of PB1F2 protein of influenza A H5N1 viruses and the Influenza A virus subtypes responsible for the 20th‐century pandemics. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 7(4), 497–505. Background  PB1F2 is the 11th protein of influenza A virus translated from +1 alternate reading frame of PB1 gene. Since the discovery, varying sizes and functions of the PB1F2 protein of influenza A viruses have been reported. Selection of PB1 gene segment in the pandemics, variable size and pleiotropic effect of PB1F2 intrigued us to analyze amino acid sequences of this protein in various influenza A viruses. Methods  Amino acid sequences for PB1F2 protein of influenza A H5N1, H1N1, H2N2, and H3N2 subtypes were obtained from Influenza Research Database. Multiple sequence alignments of the PB1F2 protein sequences of the aforementioned subtypes were used to determine the size, variable and conserved domains and to perform mutational analysis. Results  Analysis showed that 96·4% of the H5N1 influenza viruses harbored full‐length PB1F2 protein. Except for the 2009 pandemic H1N1 virus, all the subtypes of the 20th‐century pandemic influenza viruses contained full‐length PB1F2 protein. Through the years, PB1F2 protein of the H1N1 and H3N2 viruses has undergone much variation. PB1F2 protein sequences of H5N1 viruses showed both human‐ and avian host‐specific conserved domains. Global database of PB1F2 protein revealed that N66S mutation was present only in 3·8% of the H5N1 strains. We found a novel mutation, N84S in the PB1F2 protein of 9·35% of the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 influenza viruses. Conclusions  Varying sizes and mutations of the PB1F2 protein in different influenza A virus subtypes with pandemic potential were obtained. There was genetic divergence of the protein in various hosts which highlighted the host‐specific evolution of the virus

Identification of feline immunodeficiency virus subtype-B on St. Kitts, West Indies by quantitative PCR.

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, Patrick J; Stocking, Ruey; Gao, Dongya; Phillips, Nikol; Xu, Chuanling; Kaltenboeck, Bernhard; Wang, Chengming

2011-07-04

Although antibodies to the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) have been detected by SNAP assay in cats from St. Kitts, there have been no molecular studies to further confirm the infection and determine the FIV subtypes present. Total nucleic acids were extracted from EDTA whole blood specimens from 35 cats, followed by quantitative fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) PCR under a six-channel LightCycler 2.0 Instrument with Software version 4.1. Four of 11 stray cats (36 %) but none of 24 owned cats were FIV positive by real-time PCR.  High-resolution melting curve analysis indicated that all four positive cats were infected with FIV subtype-B. This is the first molecular characterization of FIV subtypes on St. Kitts and the results confirm the high prevalence of FIV infection in stray cats on the island.

Avian metapneumovirus subtype A in China and subtypes A and B in Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Owoade, A A; Ducatez, M F; Hübschen, J M; Sausy, A; Chen, H; Guan, Y; Muller, C P

2008-09-01

In order to detect and characterize avian metapneumovirus, organs or swabs were collected from 697 chicken and 110 turkeys from commercial farms in Southwestern Nigeria and from 107 chickens from live bird markets in Southeastern China. In Nigeria, 15% and 6% of the chicken and turkey samples, respectively, and 39% of the chicken samples from China, were positive for aMPV genome by PCR. The sequence of a 400 nt fragment of the attachment protein gene (G gene) revealed the presence of aMPV subtype A in both Nigeria and Southeastern China. Essentially identical subtype A viruses were found in both countries and were also previously reported from Brazil and the United Kingdom, suggesting a link between these countries or a common source of this subtype. In Nigeria, subtype B was also found, which may be a reflection of chicken importations from most major poultry-producing countries in Europe and Asia. In order to justify countermeasures, further studies are warranted to better understand the metapneumoviruses and their impact on poultry production.

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

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

Enteroendocrine-derived glucagon-like peptide-2 controls intestinal amino acid transport.

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Lee, Jennifer; Koehler, Jacqueline; Yusta, Bernardo; Bahrami, Jasmine; Matthews, Dianne; Rafii, Mahroukh; Pencharz, Paul B; Drucker, Daniel J

2017-03-01

Glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) is co-secreted with GLP-1 from gut endocrine cells, and both peptides act as growth factors to expand the surface area of the mucosal epithelium. Notably, GLP-2 also enhances glucose and lipid transport in enterocytes; however, its actions on control of amino acid (AA) transport remain unclear. Here we examined the mechanisms linking gain and loss of GLP-2 receptor (GLP-2R) signaling to control of intestinal amino acid absorption in mice. Absorption, transport, and clearance of essential AAs, specifically lysine, were measured in vivo by Liquid Chromatography triple quadrupole Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and ex vivo with Ussing chambers using intestinal preparations from Glp2 r +/+ and Glp2r - / - mice. Immunoblotting determined jejunal levels of protein components of signaling pathways (PI3K-AKT, and mTORC1-pS6-p4E-BP1) following administration of GLP-2, protein gavage, and rapamycin to fasted Glp2 r +/+ and Glp2r - / - mice. Expression of AA transporters from full thickness jejunum and 4F2hc from brush border membrane vesicles (BBMVs) was measured by real-time PCR and immunoblotting, respectively. Acute administration of GLP-2 increased basal AA absorption in vivo and augmented basal lysine transport ex vivo . GLP-2-stimulated lysine transport was attenuated by co-incubation with wortmannin, rapamycin, or tetrodotoxin ex vivo . Phosphorylation of mTORC1 effector proteins S6 and 4E-BP1 was significantly increased in wild-type mice in response to GLP-2 alone, or when co-administered with protein gavage, and abolished following oral gavage of rapamycin. In contrast, activation of GLP-1R signaling did not enhance S6 phosphorylation. Disruption of GLP-2 action in Glp2r -/- mice reduced lysine transport ex vivo and attenuated the phosphorylation of S6 and 4E-BP1 in response to oral protein. Moreover, the expression of cationic AA transporter slc7a9 in response to refeeding, and the abundance of 4F2hc in BBMVs following protein

Importance of Terminal Amino Acid Residues to the Transport of Oligopeptides across the Caco-2 Cell Monolayer.

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Ding, Long; Wang, Liying; Yu, Zhipeng; Ma, Sitong; Du, Zhiyang; Zhang, Ting; Liu, Jingbo

2017-09-06

The objective of this paper was to investigate the effects of terminal amino acids on the transport of oligopeptides across the Caco-2 cell monolayer. Ala-based tetra- and pentapeptides were designed, and the N- or C-terminal amino acid residues were replaced by different amino acids. The results showed that the oligopeptides had a wide range of transport permeability across the Caco-2 cell monolayer and could be divided into four categories: non-/poor permeability, low permeability, intermediate permeability, and good permeability. Tetrapeptides with N-terminal Leu, Pro, Ile, Cys, Met, and Val or C-terminal Val showed the highest permeability, with apparent permeability coefficient (P app ) values over 10 × 10 -6 cm/s (p transport of tetrapeptides. Pentapeptides with N- or C-terminal Tyr also showed high permeability levels, with P app values of about 10 × 10 -6 cm/s. The amino acids Glu, Asn, and Thr at the N terminus or Lys, Asp, and Arg at the C terminus were also beneficial for the transport of tetra- and pentapeptides, with P app values ranging from 1 × 10 -6 to 10 × 10 -6 cm/s. In addition, peptides with amino acids replaced at the N terminus generally showed higher permeability than those with amino acids replaced at the C terminus (p transport of oligopeptides across the Caco-2 cell monolayer.

Comparing two basic subtypes in OCD across three large community samples: a pure compulsive versus a mixed obsessive-compulsive subtype.

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Rodgers, Stephanie; Ajdacic-Gross, Vladeta; Kawohl, Wolfram; Müller, Mario; Rössler, Wulf; Hengartner, Michael P; Castelao, Enrique; Vandeleur, Caroline; Angst, Jules; Preisig, Martin

2015-12-01

Due to its heterogeneous phenomenology, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has been subtyped. However, these subtypes are not mutually exclusive. This study presents an alternative subtyping approach by deriving non-overlapping OCD subtypes. A pure compulsive and a mixed obsessive-compulsive subtype (including subjects manifesting obsessions with/without compulsions) were analyzed with respect to a broad pattern of psychosocial risk factors and comorbid syndromes/diagnoses in three representative Swiss community samples: the Zurich Study (n = 591), the ZInEP sample (n = 1500), and the PsyCoLaus sample (n = 3720). A selection of comorbidities was examined in a pooled database. Odds ratios were derived from logistic regressions and, in the analysis of pooled data, multilevel models. The pure compulsive subtype showed a lower age of onset and was characterized by few associations with psychosocial risk factors. The higher social popularity of the pure compulsive subjects and their families was remarkable. Comorbidities within the pure compulsive subtype were mainly restricted to phobias. In contrast, the mixed obsessive-compulsive subtype had a higher prevalence and was associated with various childhood adversities, more familial burden, and numerous comorbid disorders, including disorders characterized by high impulsivity. The current comparison study across three representative community surveys presented two basic, distinct OCD subtypes associated with differing psychosocial impairment. Such highly specific subtypes offer the opportunity to learn about pathophysiological mechanisms specifically involved in OCD.

Transport of Indole-3-Butyric Acid and Indole-3-Acetic Acid in Arabidopsis Hypocotyls Using Stable Isotope Labeling1[C][W][OA

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Liu, Xing; Barkawi, Lana; Gardner, Gary; Cohen, Jerry D.

2012-01-01

The polar transport of the natural auxins indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) has been described in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) hypocotyls using radioactive tracers. Because radioactive assays alone cannot distinguish IBA from its metabolites, the detected transport from applied [3H]IBA may have resulted from the transport of IBA metabolites, including IAA. To test this hypothesis, we used a mass spectrometry-based method to quantify the transport of IBA in Arabidopsis hypocotyls by following the movement of [13C1]IBA and the [13C1]IAA derived from [13C1]IBA. We also assayed [13C6]IAA transport in a parallel control experiment. We found that the amount of transported [13C1]IBA was dramatically lower than [13C6]IAA, and the IBA transport was not reduced by the auxin transport inhibitor N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid. Significant amounts of the applied [13C1]IBA were converted to [13C1]IAA during transport, but [13C1]IBA transport was independent of IBA-to-IAA conversion. We also found that most of the [13C1]IBA was converted to ester-linked [13C1]IBA at the apical end of hypocotyls, and ester-linked [13C1]IBA was also found in the basal end at a level higher than free [13C1]IBA. In contrast, most of the [13C6]IAA was converted to amide-linked [13C6]IAA at the apical end of hypocotyls, but very little conjugated [13C6]IAA was found in the basal end. Our results demonstrate that the polar transport of IBA is much lower than IAA in Arabidopsis hypocotyls, and the transport mechanism is distinct from IAA transport. These experiments also establish a method for quantifying the movement of small molecules in plants using stable isotope labeling. PMID:22323783

LAT1 acts as a crucial transporter of amino acids in human thymic carcinoma cells

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Keitaro Hayashi

2016-11-01

Full Text Available L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1, SLC7A5 incorporates essential amino acids into cells. Recent studies have shown that LAT1 is a predominant transporter in various human cancers. However, the function of LAT1 in thymic carcinoma remains unknown. Here we demonstrate that LAT1 is a critical transporter for human thymic carcinoma cells. LAT1 was strongly expressed in human thymic carcinoma tissues. LAT1-specific inhibitor significantly suppressed leucine uptake and growth of Ty82 human thymic carcinoma cell lines, suggesting that thymic carcinoma takes advantage of LAT1 as a quality transporter and that LAT1-specific inhibitor might be clinically beneficial in therapy for thymic carcinoma.

Molecular subtypes and imaging phenotypes of breast cancer

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Nariya Cho

2016-10-01

Full Text Available During the last 15 years, traditional breast cancer classifications based on histopathology have been reorganized into the luminal A, luminal B, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2, and basal-like subtypes based on gene expression profiling. Each molecular subtype has shown varying risk for progression, response to treatment, and survival outcomes. Research linking the imaging phenotype with the molecular subtype has revealed that non-calcified, relatively circumscribed masses with posterior acoustic enhancement are common in the basal-like subtype, spiculated masses with a poorly circumscribed margin and posterior acoustic shadowing in the luminal subtype, and pleomorphic calcifications in the HER2-enriched subtype. Understanding the clinical implications of the molecular subtypes and imaging phenotypes could help radiologists guide precision medicine, tailoring medical treatment to patients and their tumor characteristics.

Molecular subtypes and imaging phenotypes of breast cancer

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Cho, Nariya [Dept. of Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2016-08-15

During the last 15 years, traditional breast cancer classifications based on histopathology have been reorganized into the luminal A, luminal B, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and basal-like subtypes based on gene expression profiling. Each molecular subtype has shown varying risk for progression, response to treatment, and survival outcomes. Research linking the imaging phenotype with the molecular subtype has revealed that non-calcified, relatively circumscribed masses with posterior acoustic enhancement are common in the basal-like subtype, spiculated masses with a poorly circumscribed margin and posterior acoustic shadowing in the luminal subtype, and pleomorphic calcifications in the HER2-enriched subtype. Understanding the clinical implications of the molecular subtypes and imaging phenotypes could help radiologists guide precision medicine, tailoring medical treatment to patients and their tumor characteristics.

Molecular subtypes and imaging phenotypes of breast cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Nariya

2016-01-01

During the last 15 years, traditional breast cancer classifications based on histopathology have been reorganized into the luminal A, luminal B, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and basal-like subtypes based on gene expression profiling. Each molecular subtype has shown varying risk for progression, response to treatment, and survival outcomes. Research linking the imaging phenotype with the molecular subtype has revealed that non-calcified, relatively circumscribed masses with posterior acoustic enhancement are common in the basal-like subtype, spiculated masses with a poorly circumscribed margin and posterior acoustic shadowing in the luminal subtype, and pleomorphic calcifications in the HER2-enriched subtype. Understanding the clinical implications of the molecular subtypes and imaging phenotypes could help radiologists guide precision medicine, tailoring medical treatment to patients and their tumor characteristics

Pharmacology of (S)-homoquisqualic acid and (S)-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid [(S)-AP5] at cloned metabotropic glutamate receptors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bräuner-Osborne, Hans; Krogsgaard-Larsen, P

1998-01-01

1 In this study we have determined the pharmacological profile of (S)-quisqualic acid, (S)-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid ((S)-AP4) and their higher homologues (S)-homoquisqualic acid, (S)-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid ((S)-AP5), respectively, and (R)-AP5 at subtypes of metabotropic (S)-glutamic...... demonstrate that incorporation of an additional carbon atom into the backbone of (S)-glutamic acid and its analogues, to give the corresponding homologues, and replacement of the terminal carboxyl groups by isosteric acidic groups have profound effects on the pharmacological profiles at mGlu receptor subtypes...... acid (mGlu) receptors expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells. 2 (S)-Quisqualic acid was a potent mGlu1/mGlu5 agonist (EC50 values of 1.1 microM and 0.055 microM, respectively) showing no activity at mGlu2 and weak agonism at mGlu4 (EC50 approximately 1000 microM). 3 (S)-Homoquisqualic acid displayed...

Transport mechanism and regulatory properties of the human amino acid transporter ASCT2 (SLC1A5).

Science.gov (United States)

Scalise, Mariafrancesca; Pochini, Lorena; Panni, Simona; Pingitore, Piero; Hedfalk, Kristina; Indiveri, Cesare

2014-11-01

The kinetic mechanism of the transport catalyzed by the human glutamine/neutral amino acid transporter hASCT2 over-expressed in P. pastoris was determined in proteoliposomes by pseudo-bi-substrate kinetic analysis of the Na(+)-glutamineex/glutaminein transport reaction. A random simultaneous mechanism resulted from the experimental analysis. Purified functional hASCT2 was chemically cross-linked to a stable dimeric form. The oligomeric structure correlated well with the kinetic mechanism of transport. Half-saturation constants (Km) of the transporter for the other substrates Ala, Ser, Asn and Thr were measured both on the external and internal side. External Km were much lower than the internal ones confirming the asymmetry of the transporter. The electric nature of the transport reaction was determined imposing a negative inside membrane potential generated by K(+) gradients in the presence of valinomycin. The transport reaction resulted to be electrogenic and the electrogenicity originated from external Na(+). Internal Na(+) exerted a stimulatory effect on the transport activity which could be explained by a regulatory, not a counter-transport, effect. Native and deglycosylated hASCT2 extracted from HeLa showed the same transport features demonstrating that the glycosyl moiety has no role in transport function. Both in vitro and in vivo interactions of hASCT2 with the scaffold protein PDZK1 were revealed.

Amino Acid Transport in the Thermophilic Anaerobe Clostridium fervidus Is Driven by an Electrochemical Sodium Gradient

NARCIS (Netherlands)

SPEELMANS, G; POOLMAN, B; KONINGS, WN

Amino acid transport was studied in membranes of the peptidolytic, thermophitic, anaerobic bacterium Clostridium fervidus. Uptake of the negatively charged amino acid L-glutamate, the neutral amino acid L-serine, and the positively charged amino acid L-arginine was examined in membrane vesicles

Tlx3 promotes glutamatergic neuronal subtype specification through direct interactions with the chromatin modifier CBP.

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Atsushi Shimomura

Full Text Available Nervous system development relies on the generation of precise numbers of excitatory and inhibitory neurons. The homeodomain transcription factor, T-cell leukemia 3 (Tlx3, functions as the master neuronal fate regulator by instructively promoting the specification of glutamatergic excitatory neurons and suppressing the specification of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABAergic neurons. However, how Tlx3 promotes glutamatergic neuronal subtype specification is poorly understood. In this study, we found that Tlx3 directly interacts with the epigenetic co-activator cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB-binding protein (CBP and that the Tlx3 homeodomain is essential for this interaction. The interaction between Tlx3 and CBP was enhanced by the three amino acid loop extension (TALE-class homeodomain transcription factor, pre-B-cell leukemia transcription factor 3 (Pbx3. Using mouse embryonic stem (ES cells stably expressing Tlx3, we found that the interaction between Tlx3 and CBP became detectable only after these Tlx3-expressing ES cells were committed to a neural lineage, which coincided with increased Pbx3 expression during neural differentiation from ES cells. Forced expression of mutated Tlx3 lacking the homeodomain in ES cells undergoing neural differentiation resulted in significantly reduced expression of glutamatergic neuronal subtype markers, but had little effect on the expression on pan neural markers. Collectively, our results strongly suggest that functional interplay between Tlx3 and CBP plays a critical role in neuronal subtype specification, providing novel insights into the epigenetic regulatory mechanism that modulates the transcriptional efficacy of a selective set of neuronal subtype-specific genes during differentiation.

Effects of kainic acid lesions in lateral geniculate nucleus: activity dependence of retrograde axonal transport of fluorescent dyes.

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Woodward, W R; Coull, B M

1988-06-28

Kainic acid lesions in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of rats block the retrograde axonal transport of fluorescent dyes in corticogeniculate neurons without affecting the retrograde transport of D-aspartate or the orthograde transport of radiolabelled proteins in these neurons. This blocking of dye transport does not appear to be a consequence of kainic acid-induced damage to axon terminals in the geniculate since retinal ganglion cells are still able to transport dyes retrograde. A more likely explanation for these results is that fluorescent dye transport requires electrical activity in neurons, and elimination of the geniculate afferents to visual cortex reduces impulse traffic in cortical output fibers to a level below that required to support detectable dye transport. This interpretation is supported by the observation that kainic acid lesions also reduce retrograde transport of dyes in cortical neurons which project to the superior colliculus. Electrical stimulation in the subcortical white matter restores the transport of dye compounds in corticogeniculate neurons: evidence consistent with an activity-dependent mechanism of retrograde transport for these substances. These results provide evidence that axon terminals of retinal ganglion cells and corticogeniculate neurons survive in kainate-lesioned geniculates and are capable of normal neuronal function.

Influenza A Subtyping

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Kaul, Karen L.; Mangold, Kathy A.; Du, Hongyan; Pesavento, Kristen M.; Nawrocki, John; Nowak, Jan A.

2010-01-01

Influenza virus subtyping has emerged as a critical tool in the diagnosis of influenza. Antiviral resistance is present in the majority of seasonal H1N1 influenza A infections, with association of viral strain type and antiviral resistance. Influenza A virus subtypes can be reliably distinguished by examining conserved sequences in the matrix protein gene. We describe our experience with an assay for influenza A subtyping based on matrix gene sequences. Viral RNA was prepared from nasopharyngeal swab samples, and real-time RT-PCR detection of influenza A and B was performed using a laboratory developed analyte-specific reagent-based assay that targets a conserved region of the influenza A matrix protein gene. FluA-positive samples were analyzed using a second RT-PCR assay targeting the matrix protein gene to distinguish seasonal influenza subtypes based on differential melting of fluorescence resonance energy transfer probes. The novel H1N1 influenza strain responsible for the 2009 pandemic showed a melting profile distinct from that of seasonal H1N1 or H3N2 and compatible with the predicted melting temperature based on the published novel H1N1 matrix gene sequence. Validation by comparison with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention real-time RT-PCR for swine influenza A (novel H1N1) test showed this assay to be both rapid and reliable (>99% sensitive and specific) in the identification of the novel H1N1 influenza A virus strain. PMID:20595627

Cloning, Expression, and Functional Characterization of Secondary Amino Acid Transporters of Lactococcus lactis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Trip, Hein; Mulder, Niels L.; Lolkema, Juke S.

Fourteen genes encoding putative secondary amino acid transporters were identified in the genomes of Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris strains MG1363 and SK11 and L. lactis subsp. lactis strains IL1403 and KF147, 12 of which were common to all four strains. Amino acid uptake in L. lactis cells

Comparison of symptoms of delirium across various motoric subtypes.

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Grover, Sandeep; Sharma, Akhilesh; Aggarwal, Munish; Mattoo, Surendra K; Chakrabarti, Subho; Malhotra, Savita; Avasthi, Ajit; Kulhara, Parmanand; Basu, Debasish

2014-04-01

The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between delirium motor subtypes and other symptoms of delirium. Three hundred and twenty-one (n = 321) consecutive patients referred to consultation-liaison psychiatry services were evaluated on Delirium Rating scale-Revised-98 version and amended Delirium Motor Symptom Scale. Half of the patients had hyperactive subtype (n = 161; 50.15%) delirium. One-quarter of the study sample met the criteria for mixed subtype (n = 79; 24.61%), about one-fifth of the study sample met the criteria for hypoactive delirium subtype (n = 64; 19.93%), and only very few patients (n = 17; 5.29%) did not meet the required criteria for any of these three subtypes and were categorized as 'no subtype'. When the hyperactive and hypoactive subtypes were compared, significant differences were seen in the prevalence of perceptual disturbances, delusions, lability of affect, thought process abnormality, motor agitation and motor retardation. All the symptoms were more common in the hyperactive subtype except for thought process abnormality and motor retardation. Compared to hyperactive subtype, the mixed subtype had significantly higher prevalence of thought process abnormality and motor retardation. Significant differences emerged with regard to perceptual disturbances, delusions, lability of affect and motor agitation when comparing the patients with mixed subtype with those with hypoactive subtype. All these symptoms were found to be more common in the mixed subtype. No significant differences emerged for the cognitive symptoms as assessed on Delirium Rating scale-Revised-98 across the different motoric subtypes. Different motoric subtypes of delirium differ on non-cognitive symptoms. © 2013 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2013 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Defective canalicular transport and toxicity of dietary ursodeoxycholic acid in the abcb11-/- mouse: transport and gene expression studies.

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Wang, Renxue; Liu, Lin; Sheps, Jonathan A; Forrest, Dana; Hofmann, Alan F; Hagey, Lee R; Ling, Victor

2013-08-15

The bile salt export pump (BSEP), encoded by the abcb11 gene, is the major canalicular transporter of bile acids from the hepatocyte. BSEP malfunction in humans causes bile acid retention and progressive liver injury, ultimately leading to end-stage liver failure. The natural, hydrophilic, bile acid ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is efficacious in the treatment of cholestatic conditions, such as primary biliary cirrhosis and cholestasis of pregnancy. The beneficial effects of UDCA include promoting bile flow, reducing hepatic inflammation, preventing apoptosis, and maintaining mitochondrial integrity in hepatocytes. However, the role of BSEP in mediating UDCA efficacy is not known. Here, we used abcb11 knockout mice (abcb11-/-) to test the effects of acute and chronic UDCA administration on biliary secretion, bile acid composition, liver histology, and liver gene expression. Acutely infused UDCA, or its taurine conjugate (TUDC), was taken up by the liver but retained, with negligible biliary output, in abcb11-/- mice. Feeding UDCA to abcb11-/- mice led to weight loss, retention of bile acids, elevated liver enzymes, and histological damage to the liver. Semiquantitative RT-PCR showed that genes encoding Mdr1a and Mdr1b (canalicular) as well as Mrp4 (basolateral) transporters were upregulated in abcb11-/- mice. We concluded that infusion of UDCA and TUDC failed to induce bile flow in abcb11-/- mice. UDCA fed to abcb11-/- mice caused liver damage and the appearance of biliary tetra- and penta-hydroxy bile acids. Supplementation with UDCA in the absence of Bsep caused adverse effects in abcb11-/- mice.

Reducing the n-gram feature space of class C GPCRs to subtype-discriminating patterns

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König Caroline

2014-12-01

Full Text Available G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs are a large and heterogeneous superfamily of receptors that are key cell players for their role as extracellular signal transmitters. Class C GPCRs, in particular, are of great interest in pharmacology. The lack of knowledge about their full 3-D structure prompts the use of their primary amino acid sequences for the construction of robust classifiers, capable of discriminating their different subtypes. In this paper, we investigate the use of feature selection techniques to build Support Vector Machine (SVM-based classification models from selected receptor subsequences described as n-grams. We show that this approach to classification is useful for finding class C GPCR subtype-specific motifs.

Pure type systems with subtyping

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zwanenburg, J.; Girard, J.-Y.

1999-01-01

We extend the framework of Pure Type Systems with subtyping, as found in F = ¿ . This leads to a concise description of many existing systems with subtyping, and also to some new interesting systems. We develop the meta-theory for this framework, including Subject Reduction and Minimal Typing. The

Complete nucleotide sequences of avian metapneumovirus subtype B genome.

Science.gov (United States)

Sugiyama, Miki; Ito, Hiroshi; Hata, Yusuke; Ono, Eriko; Ito, Toshihiro

2010-12-01

Complete nucleotide sequences were determined for subtype B avian metapneumovirus (aMPV), the attenuated vaccine strain VCO3/50 and its parental pathogenic strain VCO3/60616. The genomes of both strains comprised 13,508 nucleotides (nt), with a 42-nt leader at the 3'-end and a 46-nt trailer at the 5'-end. The genome contains eight genes in the order 3'-N-P-M-F-M2-SH-G-L-5', which is the same order shown in the other metapneumoviruses. The genes are flanked on either side by conserved transcriptional start and stop signals and have intergenic sequences varying in length from 1 to 88 nt. Comparison of nt and predicted amino acid (aa) sequences of VCO3/60616 with those of other metapneumoviruses revealed higher homology with aMPV subtype A virus than with other metapneumoviruses. A total of 18 nt and 10 deduced aa differences were seen between the strains, and one or a combination of several differences could be associated with attenuation of VCO3/50.

Prevalence of Plasmodium vivax VK210 and VK247 subtype in Myanmar

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Kang Yoon-Joong

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Plasmodium vivax is divided into two subtypes, a dominant form, VK210 and a variant form, VK247. This division is dependent on the amino acid composition of the circumsporozoite (CS protein. In this study, the prevalence of the VK247 variant form of P. vivax was investigated in Myanmar. Methods The existence of malaria parasites in blood samples was determined by microscopic examination, polymerase chain reaction (PCR and DNA hybridization assays. To test for antibodies against P. vivax and Plasmodium falciparum in blood samples, an indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT was performed using asexual blood antigens. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with synthetic VK210 and VK247 antigens was carried out to discriminate between the P. vivax subtypes. Results By thick smear examination, 73 (n = 100 patients were single infected with P. vivax, one with P. falciparum and 13 with both species. By thin smear, 53 patients were single infected with P. vivax, eight with only P. falciparum and 16 with both. Most of the collected blood samples were shown to be P. vivax positive (n = 95 by PCR. All cases that were positive for P. falciparum by PCR (n = 43 were also positive for P. vivax. However, 52 cases were single infected with P. vivax. IFAT showed antibody titres from 1:32 to 1:4,096. Additionally, using specific antibodies for VK210 and VK247, ELISA showed that 12 patients had antibodies for only the VK210 subtype, 4 patients had only VK247 subtype antibodies and 21 patients had antibodies for both subtypes. Using a DNA hybridization test, 47 patients were infected with the VK210 type, one patient was infected with VK247 and 23 patients were infected with both subtypes. Conclusions The proportion of the VK247 subtype in Myanmar was 43.1% (n = 25 among 58 positive cases by serodiagnosis and 25.6% (n = 24 among 94 positive cases by genetic diagnosis. In both diagnostic methods, the infection status of malaria patients is

Novel male-biased expression in paralogs of the aphid slimfast nutrient amino acid transporter expansion

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Nathanson Lubov

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A major goal of molecular evolutionary biology is to understand the fate and consequences of duplicated genes. In this context, aphids are intriguing because the newly sequenced pea aphid genome harbors an extraordinary number of lineage-specific gene duplications relative to other insect genomes. Though many of their duplicated genes may be involved in their complex life cycle, duplications in nutrient amino acid transporters appear to be associated rather with their essential amino acid poor diet and the intracellular symbiosis aphids rely on to compensate for dietary deficits. Past work has shown that some duplicated amino acid transporters are highly expressed in the specialized cells housing the symbionts, including a paralog of an aphid-specific expansion homologous to the Drosophila gene slimfast. Previous data provide evidence that these bacteriocyte-expressed transporters mediate amino acid exchange between aphids and their symbionts. Results We report that some nutrient amino acid transporters show male-biased expression. Male-biased expression characterizes three paralogs in the aphid-specific slimfast expansion, and the male-biased expression is conserved across two aphid species for at least two paralogs. One of the male-biased paralogs has additionally experienced an accelerated rate of non-synonymous substitutions. Conclusions This is the first study to document male-biased slimfast expression. Our data suggest that the male-biased aphid slimfast paralogs diverged from their ancestral function to fill a functional role in males. Furthermore, our results provide evidence that members of the slimfast expansion are maintained in the aphid genome not only for the previously hypothesized role in mediating amino acid exchange between the symbiotic partners, but also for sex-specific roles.

In Vivo Performance of a Novel Fluorinated Magnetic Resonance Imaging Agent for Functional Analysis of Bile Acid Transport

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

A novel trifluorinated cholic acid derivative, CA-lys-TFA, was designed and synthesized for use as a tool to measure bile acid transport noninvasively using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In the present study, the in vivo performance of CA-lys-TFA for measuring bile acid transport by MRI was investigated in mice. Gallbladder CA-lys-TFA content was quantified using MRI and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. Results in wild-type (WT) C57BL/6J mice were compared to those in mice lacking expression of Asbt, the ileal bile acid transporter. 19F signals emanating from the gallbladders of WT mice 7 h after oral gavage with 150 mg/kg CA-lys-TFA were reproducibly detected by MRI. Asbt-deficient mice administered the same dose had undetectable 19F signals by MRI, and gallbladder bile CA-lys-TFA levels were 30-fold lower compared to WT animals. To our knowledge, this represents the first report of in vivo imaging of an orally absorbed drug using 19F MRI. Fluorinated bile acid analogues have potential as tools to measure and detect abnormal bile acid transport by MRI. PMID:24708306

Stimulation of apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter expands the bile acid pool and generates bile acids with positive feedback properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Rudling, Mats; Bonde, Ylva

2015-01-01

Bile acid synthesis has been considered a prototype for how a physiological process is controlled by end product feedback inhibition. By this feedback inhibition, bile acid concentrations are kept within safe ranges. However, careful examination of published rodent data strongly suggests that bile acid synthesis is also under potent positive feedback control by hydrophilic bile acids. Current concepts on the regulation of bile acid synthesis are derived from mouse models. Recent data have shown that mice have farnesoid X receptor (FXR) antagonistic bile acids capable of quenching responses elicited by FXR agonistic bile acids. This is important to recognize to understand the regulation of bile acid synthesis in the mouse, and in particular to clarify if mouse model findings are valid also in the human situation. In addition to classic end product feedback inhibition, regulation of bile acid synthesis in the mouse largely appears also to be driven by changes in hepatic levels of murine bile acids such as α- and β-muricholic acids. This has not been previously recognized. Stimulated bile acid synthesis or induction of the apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter in the intestine, increase the availability of chenodeoxycholic acid in the liver, thereby promoting hepatic conversion of this bile acid into muricholic acids. Recognition of these mechanisms is essential for understanding the regulation of bile acid synthesis in the mouse, and for our awareness of important species differences in the regulation of bile acid synthesis in mice and humans. 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Extra-Renal Elimination of Uric Acid via Intestinal Efflux Transporter BCRP/ABCG2

Science.gov (United States)

Hosomi, Atsushi; Nakanishi, Takeo; Fujita, Takuya; Tamai, Ikumi

2012-01-01

Urinary excretion accounts for two-thirds of total elimination of uric acid and the remainder is excreted in feces. However, the mechanism of extra-renal elimination is poorly understood. In the present study, we aimed to clarify the mechanism and the extent of elimination of uric acid through liver and intestine using oxonate-treated rats and Caco-2 cells as a model of human intestinal epithelium. In oxonate-treated rats, significant amounts of externally administered and endogenous uric acid were recovered in the intestinal lumen, while biliary excretion was minimal. Accordingly, direct intestinal secretion was thought to be a substantial contributor to extra-renal elimination of uric acid. Since human efflux transporter BCRP/ABCG2 accepts uric acid as a substrate and genetic polymorphism causing a decrease of BCRP activity is known to be associated with hyperuricemia and gout, the contribution of rBcrp to intestinal secretion was examined. rBcrp was confirmed to transport uric acid in a membrane vesicle study, and intestinal regional differences of expression of rBcrp mRNA were well correlated with uric acid secretory activity into the intestinal lumen. Bcrp1 knockout mice exhibited significantly decreased intestinal secretion and an increased plasma concentration of uric acid. Furthermore, a Bcrp inhibitor, elacridar, caused a decrease of intestinal secretion of uric acid. In Caco-2 cells, uric acid showed a polarized flux from the basolateral to apical side, and this flux was almost abolished in the presence of elacridar. These results demonstrate that BCRP contributes at least in part to the intestinal excretion of uric acid as extra-renal elimination pathway in humans and rats. PMID:22348008

HCV subtype characterization among injection drug users: implication for a crucial role of Zhenjiang in HCV transmission in China.

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Chiyu Zhang

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: HCV transmission is closely associated with drug-trafficking routes in China. However, the transmission route of HCV in Eastern China remains unclear. Here, we investigate the role of Zhenjiang city of Jiangsu province, an important transportation hub linking Shanghai with other regions of China, in HCV transmission. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A total of 141 whole blood samples were collected from injection drug users (IDUs in Zhenjiang and then tested for HCV infection. Of them, 115 HCV positive plasmas were subjected to RNA extraction, RT-PCR amplification, and sequencing. The subtype characterization and the evolutionary origin of HCV strains circulating in Zhenjiang were determined using polygenetic or phylogeographic analyses. Seven HCV subtypes 1b, 2a, 3a, 3b, 6a, 6e and 6n were detected among Zhenjiang IDUs, showing a complex HCV epidemic. The most predominant subtypes were 3a (38% and 1b (26.8%. Among these subtypes, subtypes 3b, 6n and 6e originated from Southwestern China (i.e., Yunnan and/or Guangxi, subtypes 2a and 6a from Southern China (i.e., Guangdong, subtype 1b from Central (i.e., Henan and Northwestern (i.e., Xinjiang China, and subtype 3a from Southwestern (i.e., Yunnan and Northwestern (i.e., Xinjiang China. From Zhenjiang, subtypes 1b and 2a were further spread to Eastern (i.e., Shanghai and Northern (i.e., Beijing China, respectively. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The mixing of seven HCV subtypes in Zhenjiang from all quarters of China indicates that as an important middle station, Zhenjiang plays a crucial role in HCV transmission, just as it is important in population migration between other regions of China and Eastern China.

Characterization of a novel variant of amino acid transport system asc in erythrocytes from Przewalski's horse (Equus przewalskii).

Science.gov (United States)

Fincham, D A; Ellory, J C; Young, J D

1992-08-01

In thoroughbred horses, red blood cell amino acid transport activity is Na(+)-independent and controlled by three codominant genetic alleles (h, l, s), coding for high-affinity system asc1 (L-alanine apparent Km for influx at 37 degrees C congruent to 0.35 mM), low-affinity system asc2 (L-alanine Km congruent to 14 mM), and transport deficiency, respectively. The present study investigated amino acid transport mechanisms in red cells from four wild species: Przewalski's horse (Equus przewalskii), Hartmann's zebra (Zebra hartmannae), Grevy's zebra (Zebra grevyi), and onager (Equus hemonius). Red blood cell samples from different Przewalski's horses exhibited uniformly high rates of L-alanine uptake, mediated by a high-affinity asc1-type transport system. Mean apparent Km and Vmax values (+/- SE) for L-alanine influx at 37 degrees C in red cells from 10 individual animals were 0.373 +/- 0.068 mM and 2.27 +/- 0.11 mmol (L cells.h), respectively. As in thoroughbreds, the Przewalski's horse transporter interacted with dibasic as well as neutral amino acids. However, the Przewalski asc1 isoform transported L-lysine with a substantially (6.4-fold) higher apparent affinity than its thoroughbred counterpart (Km for influx 1.4 mM at 37 degrees C) and was also less prone to trans-stimulation effects. The novel high apparent affinity of the Przewalski's horse transporter for L-lysine provides additional key evidence of functional and possible structural similarities between asc and the classical Na(+)-dependent system ASC and between these systems and the Na(+)-independent dibasic amino acid transport system y+. Unlike Przewalski's horse, zebra red cells were polymorphic with respect to L-alanine transport activity, showing high-affinity or low-affinity saturable mechanisms of L-alanine uptake. Onager red cells transported this amino acid with intermediate affinity (apparent Km for influx 3.0 mM at 37 degrees C). Radiation inactivation analysis was used to estimate the target

Role of cholangiocyte bile Acid transporters in large bile duct injury after rat liver transplantation.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Long; Zhao, Lijin; Li, Dajiang; Liu, Zipei; Chen, Geng; Tian, Feng; Li, Xiaowu; Wang, Shuguang

2010-07-27

The pathogenesis of nonanastomotic strictures with a patent hepatic artery remains to be investigated. This study focuses on the role of cholangiocyte bile acid transporters in bile duct injury after liver transplantation. Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups (n=20 for each): the sham-operated group (Sham), the transplant group with 1-hr donor liver cold preservation (CP-1h), and the transplant group with 12-hr donor liver cold preservation (CP-12h). Bile was collected for biochemical analysis. The histopathologic evaluation of bile duct injury was performed and the cholangiocyte bile acid transporters apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter (ASBT), ileal lipid binding protein (ILBP), and Ostalpha/Ostbeta were investigated. RESULTS.: The immunohistochemical assay suggested that ASBT and ILBP were expressed exclusively on large bile duct epithelial cells, whereas Ostalpha and Ostbeta were expressed on both small and large bile ducts. Western blot and quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that the expression levels of these transporters dramatically decreased after transplantation. It took seven to 14 days for ILBP, Ostalpha, and Ostbeta to recover, whereas ASBT recovered within 3 days and even reached a peak above the normal level seven days after operation. In the CP-12h group, the ratios of the ASBT/ILBP, ASBT/Ostalpha and ASBT/Ostbeta expression levels were correlated with the injury severity scores of large but not small bile ducts. The results suggest that the unparallel alteration of cholangiocyte bile acid transporters may play a potential role in large bile duct injury after liver transplantation with prolonged donor liver preservation.

Interferon α subtypes in HIV infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Sutter, Kathrin; Dickow, Julia; Dittmer, Ulf

2018-02-13

Type I interferons (IFN), which are immediately induced after most virus infections, are central for direct antiviral immunity and link innate and adaptive immune responses. However, several viruses have evolved strategies to evade the IFN response by preventing IFN induction or blocking IFN signaling pathways. Thus, therapeutic application of exogenous type I IFN or agonists inducing type I IFN responses are a considerable option for future immunotherapies against chronic viral infections. An important part of the type I IFN family are 12 IFNα subtypes, which all bind the same receptor, but significantly differ in their biological activities. Up to date only one IFNα subtype (IFNα2) is being used in clinical treatment against chronic virus infections, however its therapeutic success rate is rather limited, especially during Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection. Recent studies addressed the important question if other IFNα subtypes would be more potent against retroviral infections in in vitro and in vivo experiments. Indeed, very potent IFNα subtypes were defined and their antiviral and immunomodulatory properties were characterized. In this review we summarize the recent findings on the role of individual IFNα subtypes during HIV and Simian Immunodeficiency Virus infection. This includes their induction during HIV/SIV infection, their antiretroviral activity and the regulation of immune response against HIV by different IFNα subtypes. The findings might facilitate novel strategies for HIV cure or functional cure studies. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mechanism of Transport Modulation by an Extracellular Loop in an Archaeal Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter (EAAT) Homolog*

Science.gov (United States)

Mulligan, Christopher; Mindell, Joseph A.

2013-01-01

Secondary transporters in the excitatory amino acid transporter family terminate glutamatergic synaptic transmission by catalyzing Na+-dependent removal of glutamate from the synaptic cleft. Recent structural studies of the aspartate-specific archaeal homolog, GltPh, suggest that transport is achieved by a rigid body, piston-like movement of the transport domain, which houses the substrate-binding site, between the extracellular and cytoplasmic sides of the membrane. This transport domain is connected to an immobile scaffold by three loops, one of which, the 3–4 loop (3L4), undergoes substrate-sensitive conformational change. Proteolytic cleavage of the 3L4 was found to abolish transport activity indicating an essential function for this loop in the transport mechanism. Here, we demonstrate that despite the presence of fully cleaved 3L4, GltPh is still able to sample conformations relevant for transport. Optimized reconstitution conditions reveal that fully cleaved GltPh retains some transport activity. Analysis of the kinetics and temperature dependence of transport accompanied by direct measurements of substrate binding reveal that this decreased transport activity is not due to alteration of the substrate binding characteristics but is caused by the significantly reduced turnover rate. By measuring solute counterflow activity and cross-link formation rates, we demonstrate that cleaving 3L4 severely and specifically compromises one or more steps contributing to the movement of the substrate-loaded transport domain between the outward- and inward-facing conformational states, sparing the equivalent step(s) during the movement of the empty transport domain. These results reveal a hitherto unknown role for the 3L4 in modulating an essential step in the transport process. PMID:24155238

Influence of Humic Acid on the Transport and Deposition of Colloidal Silica under Different Hydrogeochemical Conditions

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Jingjing Zhou

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The transport and deposition of colloids in aquifers plays an important role in managed aquifer recharge (MAR schemes. Here, the processes of colloidal silica transport and deposition were studied by displacing groundwater with recharge water. The results showed that significant amounts of colloidal silica transport occurred when native groundwater was displaced by HA solution. Solution contains varying conditions of ionic strength and ion valence. The presence of humic acid could affect the zeta potential and size of the colloidal silica, which led to obvious colloidal silica aggregation in the divalent ion solution. Humic acid increased colloidal silica transport by formation of non-adsorbing aqueous phase silica–HA complexes. The experimental and modeling results showed good agreement, indicating that the essential physics were accurately captured by the model. The deposition rates were less than 10−8 s−1 in deionized water and monovalent ion solution. Moreover, the addition of Ca2+ and increase of IS resulted in the deposition rates increasing by five orders of magnitude to 10−4 s−1. In all experiments, the deposition rates decreased in the presence of humic acid. Overall, the promotion of humic acid in colloidal silica was strongly associated with changes in water quality, indicating that they should receive greater attention during MAR.

Transportation impact analysis for the shipment of low specific activity nitric acid. Revisison 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Green, J.R.

1995-01-01

This is in support of the Plutonium-Uranium Extraction (PUREX) Facility Low Specific Activity (LSA) Nitric Acid Shipment Environmental Assessment. It analyzes potential toxicological and radiological risks associated with transportation of PUREX Facility LSA Nitric Acid from the Hanford Site to Portsmouth VA, Baltimore MD, and Port Elizabeth NJ

Transportation impact analysis for the shipment of low specific activity nitric acid. Revisison 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Green, J.R.

1995-05-16

This is in support of the Plutonium-Uranium Extraction (PUREX) Facility Low Specific Activity (LSA) Nitric Acid Shipment Environmental Assessment. It analyzes potential toxicological and radiological risks associated with transportation of PUREX Facility LSA Nitric Acid from the Hanford Site to Portsmouth VA, Baltimore MD, and Port Elizabeth NJ.

Spin-dependent transport properties of oleic acid molecule self-assembled La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xi, L.; Du, J.H.; Ma, J.H.; Wang, Z.; Zuo, Y.L.; Xue, D.S.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Spin-dependent transport property of LSMO/oleic acid nanoparticles is investigated. ► Transport properties and MR measured by Cu/nanoparticle assembly/elargol device. ► Non-linear I–V curve indicates a tunneling type transport properties. ► Tunnel barrier height around 1.3 ± 0.15 eV was obtained by fitting I–V curves. ► LFMR of LSMO/oleic acid molecules value reaches −18% with current of 0.1 μA at 10 K. - Abstract: Spin-dependent transport property through molecules is investigated using a monolayer of oleic acid molecule self-assembled half metallic La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 (LSMO) nanoparticles, which was synthesized using a coprecipitation method. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to confirm that one-monolayer oleic acid molecules chemically bond to the LSMO nanoparticles. The transport properties and magnetoresistance (MR) effect of the oleic acid molecule coated LSMO nanoparticles were measured by a direct current four probes method using a Cu/nanoparticle assembly/elargol electrode sandwich device with various temperatures and bias voltages. The non-linear I–V curve indicates a tunneling type transport properties. The tunnel barrier height around 1.3 ± 0.15 eV was obtained by fitting the I–V curve according to the Simmons equation. The magnetoresistance curves can be divided to high-field MR and low-field MR (LFMR) parts. The former is ascribed to the influence of spin disorder or canting within the LSMO nanoparticle surface and the latter one with strong bias dependence is attributed to the spin-dependent tunneling effect through the insulating surface layer of LSMO and oleic acid molecules. The enhanced LFMR effect for oleic acid coated LSMO with respect to the bare LSMO was attributed to the enhanced tunneling transport and weak spin scattering in oleic acid molecule barrier.

Hypertension Subtypes among Hypertensive Patients in Ibadan

OpenAIRE

Abiodun M. Adeoye; Adewole Adebiyi; Bamidele O. Tayo; Babatunde L. Salako; Adesola Ogunniyi; Richard S. Cooper

2014-01-01

Background. Certain hypertension subtypes have been shown to increase the risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and may be related to specific underlying genetic determinants. Inappropriate characterization of subtypes of hypertension makes efforts at elucidating the genetic contributions to the etiology of hypertension largely vapid. We report the hypertension subtypes among patients with hypertension from South-Western Nigeria. Methods. A total of 1858 subjects comprising 76% fema...

Down-Regulation of Placental Transport of Amino Acids Precedes the Development of Intrauterine Growth Restriction in Maternal Nutrient Restricted Baboons.

Science.gov (United States)

Pantham, Priyadarshini; Rosario, Fredrick J; Weintraub, Susan T; Nathanielsz, Peter W; Powell, Theresa L; Li, Cun; Jansson, Thomas

2016-11-01

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is an important risk factor for perinatal complications and adult disease. IUGR is associated with down-regulation of placental amino acid transporter expression and activity at birth. It is unknown whether these changes are a cause or a consequence of human IUGR. We hypothesized that placental amino acid transport capacity is reduced prior to onset of reduced fetal growth in baboons with maternal nutrient restriction (MNR). Pregnant baboons were fed either a control (n = 8) or MNR diet (70% of control diet, n = 9) from Gestational Day 30. At Gestational Day 120 (0.65 of gestation), fetuses and placentas were collected. Microvillous (MVM) and basal (BM) plasma membrane vesicles were isolated. System A and system L transport activity was determined in MVM, and leucine transporter activity was assessed in BM using radiolabeled substrates. MVM amino acid transporter isoform expression (SNAT1, SNAT2, and SNAT4 and LAT1 and LAT2) was measured using Western blots. LAT1 and LAT2 expression were also determined in BM. Maternal and fetal plasma amino acids concentrations were determined using mass spectrometry. Fetal and placental weights were unaffected by MNR. MVM system A activity was decreased by 37% in MNR baboon placentas (P = 0.03); however MVM system A amino acid transporter protein expression was unchanged. MVM system L activity and BM leucine transporter activity were not altered by MNR. Fetal plasma concentrations of essential amino acids isoleucine and leucine were reduced, while citrulline increased (P growth trajectory. The reduction in plasma leucine and isoleucine in MNR fetuses may be caused by reduced activity of MVM system A, which is strongly coupled with system L essential amino acid uptake. Our findings indicate that reduced placental amino acid transport may be a cause rather than a consequence of IUGR due to inadequate maternal nutrition. © 2016 by the Society for the Study of Reproduction, Inc.

Selective mGAT2 (BGT-1) GABA Uptake Inhibitor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vogensen, Stine Byskov; Jørgensen, Lars; Madsen, Karsten Kirkegaard

2013-01-01

β-Amino acids sharing a lipophilic diaromatic side chain were synthesized and characterized pharmacologically on mouse GABA transporter subtypes mGAT1−4. The parent amino acids were also characterized. Compounds 13a, 13b, and 17b displayed more than 6-fold selectivity for mGAT2 over mGAT1. Compou...... 17b displayed anticonvulsive properties inferring a role of mGAT2 in epileptic disorders. These results provide new neuropharmacological tools and a strategy for designing subtype selective GABA transport inhibitors....

Mechanisms Regulating Acid-Base Transporter Expression in Breast- and Pancreatic Cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gorbatenko, Andrej

, characteristics of which are a shift towards glycolytic metabolism and increased acid production. HER2 receptor overexpression in breast cancer leads to further increased glycolysis, invasion and metastasis, drug resistance and poor prognosis. Increased tumor glycolysis requires acquisition of mechanisms...... for dealing with excess acid production. In this light, evidence accumulates on the importance of pH regulatory proteins to cancer cell survival and motility. Our group previously demonstrated upregulation of the Na+/HCO3 - co-transporter NBCn1 (SLC4A7) by a constitutively active form of HER2 receptor (p95HER...

Evaluating Hepatobiliary Transport with 18F-Labeled Bile Acids: The Effect of Radiolabel Position and Bile Acid Structure on Radiosynthesis and In Vitro and In Vivo Performance

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Stef De Lombaerde

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. An in vivo determination of bile acid hepatobiliary transport efficiency can be of use in liver disease and preclinical drug development. Given the increased interest in bile acid Positron Emission Tomography- (PET- imaging, a further understanding of the impact of 18-fluorine substitution on bile acid handling in vitro and in vivo can be of significance. Methods. A number of bile acid analogues were conceived for nucleophilic substitution with [18F]fluoride: cholic acid analogues of which the 3-, 7-, or 12-OH function is substituted with a fluorine atom (3α-[18F]FCA; 7β-[18F]FCA; 12β-[18F]FCA; a glycocholic and chenodeoxycholic acid analogue, substituted on the 3-position (3β-[18F]FGCA and 3β-[18F]FCDCA, resp.. Uptake by the bile acid transporters NTCP and OATP1B1 was evaluated with competition assays in transfected CHO and HEK cell lines and efflux by BSEP in membrane vesicles. PET-scans with the tracers were performed in wild-type mice (n=3 per group: hepatobiliary transport was monitored and compared to a reference tracer, namely, 3β-[18F]FCA. Results. Compounds 3α-[18F]FCA, 3β-[18F]FGCA, and 3β-[18F]FCDCA were synthesized in moderate radiochemical yields (4–10% n.d.c. and high radiochemical purity (>99%; 7β-[18F]FCA and 12β-[18F]FCA could not be synthesized and included further in this study. In vitro evaluation showed that 3α-FCA, 3β-FGCA, and 3β-FCDCA all had a low micromolar Ki-value for NTCP, OATP1B1, and BSEP. In vivo, 3α-[18F]FCA, 3β-[18F]FGCA, and 3β-[18F]FCDCA displayed hepatobiliary transport with varying efficiency. A slight yet significant difference in uptake and efflux rate was noticed between the 3α-[18F]FCA and 3β-[18F]FCA epimers. Conjugation of 3β-[18F]FCA with glycine had no significant effect in vivo. Compound 3β-[18F]FCDCA showed a significantly slower hepatic uptake and efflux towards gallbladder and intestines. Conclusion. A set of 18F labeled bile acids was synthesized that are

Gene expression study and pathway analysis of histological subtypes of intestinal metaplasia that progress to gastric cancer.

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Osmel Companioni

Full Text Available Intestinal metaplasia (IM is a precursor lesion that precedes gastric cancer (GC. There are two IM histological subtypes, complete (CIM and incomplete (IIM, the latter having higher progression rates to GC. This study was aimed at analysing gene expression and molecular processes involved in the progression from normal mucosa to IM, and also from IM subtypes to GC.We used expression data to compare the transcriptome of healthy gastric mucosa to that of IM not progressing to GC, and the transcriptome of IM subtypes that had progressed to GC to those that did not progress. Some deregulated genes were validated and pathway analyses were performed.Comparison of IM subtypes that had progressed to GC with those that did not progress showed smaller differences in the expression profiles than the comparison of IM that did not progress with healthy mucosa. New transcripts identified in IM not progressing to GC included TRIM, TMEM, homeobox and transporter genes and SNORD116. Comparison to normal mucosa identified non tumoral Warburg effect and melatonin degradation as previously unreported processes involved in IM. Overexpressed antigen processing is common to both IM-subtypes progressing to GC, but IIM showed more over-expressed oncogenic genes and molecular processes than CIM.There are greater differences in gene expression and molecular processes involved in the progression from normal healthy mucosa to IM than from IM to gastric cancer. While antigen processing is common in both IM-subtypes progressing to GC, more oncogenic processes are observed in the progression of IIM.

Ascorbic acid and striatal transport of [3H]1-methyl-4-phenylpyridine (MPP+) and [3H]dopamine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Debler, E.A.; Hashim, A.; Lajtha, A.; Sershen, H.

1988-01-01

The inhibition of uptake of [ 3 H]dopamine and [ 3 H]1-methyl-4-phenylpyridine (MPP + ) was examined in mouse striatal synaptosomal preparations. Kinetic analysis indicated that ascorbic acid is a noncompetitive inhibitor of [ 3 H]MPP + uptake. No inhibition of [ 3 H]dopamine uptake is observed. The dopamine uptake blockers, GBR-12909, cocaine, and mazindol strongly inhibit (IC 50 3 H]dopamine and [ 3 H]MPP + transport. Nicotine, its metabolites, and other tobacco alkaloids are weak inhibitors except 4-phenylpyridine and lobeline, which are moderate inhibitors of both [ 3 H]dopamine and [ 3 H]MPP + uptake. These similarities in potencies are in agreement with the suggestion that [ 3 H]MPP + and [ 3 H] are transported by the same carrier. The differences observed in the alteration of dopaminergic transport and mazindol binding by ascorbic acid suggest that ascorbic acid's effects on [ 3 H]MPP + transport are related to translocation and/or dissociation processes occurring subsequent to the initial binding event

Fatty acid transport protein-2 inhibitor Grassofermata/CB5 protects cells against lipid accumulation and toxicity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saini, Nipun; Black, Paul N.; Montefusco, David; DiRusso, Concetta C., E-mail: cdirusso2@unl.edu

2015-09-25

The inhibition of the fatty acid uptake into non-adipose tissues provides an attractive target for prevention of lipotoxicity leading to obesity-associated non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes. Fatty acid transport proteins (FATPs) are bifunctional proteins involved in the uptake and activation of fatty acids by esterification with coenzyme A. Here we characterize Grassofermata/CB5, previously identified as a fatty acid uptake inhibitor directed against HsFATP2. The compound was effective in inhibiting the uptake of fatty acids in the low micro-molar range (IC{sub 50} 8–11 μM) and prevented palmitate-mediated lipid accumulation and cell death in cell lines that are models for intestines, liver, muscle and pancreas. In adipocytes, uptake inhibition was less effective (IC{sub 50} 58 μM). Inhibition was specific for long chain fatty acids and was ineffective toward medium chain fatty acids, which are transported by diffusion. Kinetic analysis of Grassofermata-dependent FA transport inhibition verified a non-competitive mechanism. By comparison with Grassofermata, several atypical antipsychotic drugs previously implicated as inhibitors of FA uptake were ineffectual. In mice Grassofermata decreased absorption of {sup 13}C-oleate demonstrating its potential as a therapeutic agent. - Highlights: • Grassofermata is a small compound inhibitor of FATP2. • Uptake inhibition is specific for long chain fatty acids. • Uptake kinetics shows low specificity for adipocytes compared to other cell types. • Inhibition is by a non-competitive mechanism. • Atypical antipsychotics do not inhibit FA uptake by comparison with Grassofermata.

Fatty acid transport protein-2 inhibitor Grassofermata/CB5 protects cells against lipid accumulation and toxicity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saini, Nipun; Black, Paul N.; Montefusco, David; DiRusso, Concetta C.

2015-01-01

The inhibition of the fatty acid uptake into non-adipose tissues provides an attractive target for prevention of lipotoxicity leading to obesity-associated non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes. Fatty acid transport proteins (FATPs) are bifunctional proteins involved in the uptake and activation of fatty acids by esterification with coenzyme A. Here we characterize Grassofermata/CB5, previously identified as a fatty acid uptake inhibitor directed against HsFATP2. The compound was effective in inhibiting the uptake of fatty acids in the low micro-molar range (IC 50 8–11 μM) and prevented palmitate-mediated lipid accumulation and cell death in cell lines that are models for intestines, liver, muscle and pancreas. In adipocytes, uptake inhibition was less effective (IC 50 58 μM). Inhibition was specific for long chain fatty acids and was ineffective toward medium chain fatty acids, which are transported by diffusion. Kinetic analysis of Grassofermata-dependent FA transport inhibition verified a non-competitive mechanism. By comparison with Grassofermata, several atypical antipsychotic drugs previously implicated as inhibitors of FA uptake were ineffectual. In mice Grassofermata decreased absorption of 13 C-oleate demonstrating its potential as a therapeutic agent. - Highlights: • Grassofermata is a small compound inhibitor of FATP2. • Uptake inhibition is specific for long chain fatty acids. • Uptake kinetics shows low specificity for adipocytes compared to other cell types. • Inhibition is by a non-competitive mechanism. • Atypical antipsychotics do not inhibit FA uptake by comparison with Grassofermata

Functional characterization of folic acid transport in the intestine of the laying hen using the everted intestinal sac model.

Science.gov (United States)

Tactacan, G B; Rodriguez-Lecompte, J C; Karmin, O; House, J D

2011-01-01

Absorption at the level of the intestine is likely a primary regulatory mechanism for the deposition of dietary supplemented folic acid into the chicken egg. Therefore, factors affecting the intestinal transport of folic acid in the laying hen may influence the level of egg folate concentrations. To this end, a series of experiments using intestinal everted sacs were conducted to characterize intestinal folic acid absorption processes in laying hens. Effects of naturally occurring folate derivatives (5-methyl and 10-formyltetrahydrofolate) as well as heme on folic acid absorption were also investigated. Folic acid absorption was measured based on the rate of uptake of (3)H-labeled folic acid in the everted sac from various segments of the small and large intestines. Folic acid concentration, incubation length, and pH condition were optimized before the performance of uptake experiments. The distribution profile of folic acid transport along the intestine was highest in the upper half of the small intestine. Maximum uptake rate (nmol·100 g tissue(-1)·min(-1)) was observed in the duodenum (20.6 ± 1.9) and jejunum (22.3 ± 2.0) and decreased significantly in the ileum (15.3 ± 1.1) and cecum (9.3 ± 0.9). Transport increased proportionately (P methyl and 10-formyltetrahydrofolate as well as heme impeded folic acid uptake, reducing intestinal folic acid absorption when added at concentrations ranging from 0 to 100 µM. Overall, these data indicated the presence of a folic acid transport system in the entire intestine of the laying hen. Uptake of folic acid in the cecum raises the likelihood of absorption of bacterial-derived folate.

Transsexual subtypes : Clinical and theoretical significance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smith, YLS; van Goozen, SHM; Kuiper, AJ; Cohen-Kettenis, PT

2005-01-01

The present study was designed to investigate whether transsexuals can be validly subdivided into subtypes on the basis of sexual orientation, and whether differences between subtypes of transsexuals are similar for male-to-female (ME) and female-to-male transsexuals (FMs). Within a large

Verified Subtyping with Traits and Mixins

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Asankhaya Sharma

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Traits allow decomposing programs into smaller parts and mixins are a form of composition that resemble multiple inheritance. Unfortunately, in the presence of traits, programming languages like Scala give up on subtyping relation between objects. In this paper, we present a method to check subtyping between objects based on entailment in separation logic. We implement our method as a domain specific language in Scala and apply it on the Scala standard library. We have verified that 67% of mixins used in the Scala standard library do indeed conform to subtyping between the traits that are used to build them.

Hereditary folate malabsorption: A positively charged amino acid at position 113 of the proton-coupled folate transporter (PCFT/SLC46A1) is required for folic acid binding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lasry, Inbal; Berman, Bluma; Glaser, Fabian; Jansen, Gerrit; Assaraf, Yehuda G.

2009-01-01

The proton-coupled folate transporter (PCFT/SLC46A1) mediates intestinal folate uptake at acidic pH. Some loss of folic acid (FA) transport mutations in PCFT from hereditary folate malabsorption (HFM) patients cluster in R113, thereby suggesting a functional role for this residue. Herein, unlike non-conservative substitutions, an R113H mutant displayed 80-fold increase in the FA transport Km while retaining parental Vmax, hence indicating a major fall in folate substrate affinity. Furthermore, consistent with the preservation of 9% of parental transport activity, R113H transfectants displayed a substantial decrease in the FA growth requirement relative to mock transfectants. Homology modeling based on the crystal structures of the Escherichia coli transporter homologues EmrD and glycerol-3-phosphate transporter revealed that the R113H rotamer properly protrudes into the cytoplasmic face of the minor cleft normally occupied by R113. These findings constitute the first demonstration that a basic amino acid at position 113 is required for folate substrate binding.

Integrative subtype discovery in glioblastoma using iCluster.

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Ronglai Shen

Full Text Available Large-scale cancer genome projects, such as the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA project, are comprehensive molecular characterization efforts to accelerate our understanding of cancer biology and the discovery of new therapeutic targets. The accumulating wealth of multidimensional data provides a new paradigm for important research problems including cancer subtype discovery. The current standard approach relies on separate clustering analyses followed by manual integration. Results can be highly data type dependent, restricting the ability to discover new insights from multidimensional data. In this study, we present an integrative subtype analysis of the TCGA glioblastoma (GBM data set. Our analysis revealed new insights through integrated subtype characterization. We found three distinct integrated tumor subtypes. Subtype 1 lacks the classical GBM events of chr 7 gain and chr 10 loss. This subclass is enriched for the G-CIMP phenotype and shows hypermethylation of genes involved in brain development and neuronal differentiation. The tumors in this subclass display a Proneural expression profile. Subtype 2 is characterized by a near complete association with EGFR amplification, overrepresentation of promoter methylation of homeobox and G-protein signaling genes, and a Classical expression profile. Subtype 3 is characterized by NF1 and PTEN alterations and exhibits a Mesenchymal-like expression profile. The data analysis workflow we propose provides a unified and computationally scalable framework to harness the full potential of large-scale integrated cancer genomic data for integrative subtype discovery.

L-aspartic acid transport by cat erythrocytes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, C.W.; Preston, R.L.

1986-01-01

Cat and dog red cells are unusual in that they have no Na/K ATPase and contain low K and high Na intracellularly. They also show significant Na dependent L-aspartate (L-asp) transport. The authors have characterized this system in cat RBCs. The influx of 3 H-L-asp (typically 2μM) was measured in washed RBCs incubated for 60 s at 37 0 C in medium containing 140 mM NaCl, 5 mM Kcl, 2 mM CaCl 2 , 15 mM MOPS pH 7.4, 5 mM glucose, and 14 C-PEG as a space marker. The cells were washed 3 times in the medium immediately before incubation which was terminated by centrifuging the RBCs through a layer of dibutylphthalate. Over an L-asp concentration range of 0.5-1000μM, influx obeyed Michaelis-Menten kinetics with a small added linear diffusion component. The Kt and Jmax of the saturable component were 5.40 +/- 0.34 μM and 148.8 +/- 7.2 μmol 1. cell -1 h -1 respectively. Replacement of Na with Li, K, Rb, Cs or choline reduce influx to diffusion. With the addition of asp analogues (4 + M L-asp, 40 + M inhibitor), the following sequence of inhibition was observed (range 80% to 40% inhib.): L-glutamate > L-cysteine sulfonate > D-asp > L-cysteic acid > D-glutamate. Other amino acids such as L-alanine, L-proline, L-lysine, L-cysteine, and taurine showed no inhibition (<5%). These data suggest that cat red cells contain a high-affinity Na dependent transport system for L-asp, glutamate, and closely related analogues which resembles that found in the RBCs of other carnivores and in neural tissues

Bulimia nervosa-nonpurging subtype: closer to the bulimia nervosa-purging subtype or to binge eating disorder?

Science.gov (United States)

Jordan, Jennifer; McIntosh, Virginia V W; Carter, Janet D; Rowe, Sarah; Taylor, Kathryn; Frampton, Christopher M A; McKenzie, Janice M; Latner, Janet; Joyce, Peter R

2014-04-01

DSM-5 has dropped subtyping of bulimia nervosa (BN), opting to continue inclusion of the somewhat contentious diagnosis of BN-nonpurging subtype (BN-NP) within a broad BN category. Some contend however that BN-NP is more like binge eating disorder (BED) than BN-P. This study examines clinical characteristics, eating disorder symptomatology, and Axis I comorbidity in BN-NP, BN-P, and BED groups to establish whether BN-NP more closely resembles BN-P or BED. Women with BN-P (n = 29), BN-NP (n = 29), and BED (n = 54) were assessed at baseline in an outpatient psychotherapy trial for those with binge eating. Measures included the Structured Clinical Interviews for DSM-IV, Eating Disorder Examination, and Eating Disorder Inventory-2. The BN-NP subtype had BMIs between those with BN-P and BED. Both BN subtypes had higher Restraint and Drive for Thinness scores than BED. Body Dissatisfaction was highest in BN-NP and predicted BN-NP compared to BN-P. Higher Restraint and lower BMI predicted BN-NP relative to BED. BN-NP resembled BED with higher lifetime BMIs; and weight-loss clinic than eating disorder clinic attendances relative to the BN-P subtype. Psychiatric comorbidity was comparable except for higher lifetime cannabis use disorder in the BN-NP than BN-P subtype These results suggest that BN-NP sits between BN-P and BED however the high distress driving inappropriate compensatory behaviors in BN-P requires specialist eating disorder treatment. These results support retaining the BN-NP group within the BN category. Further research is needed to determine whether there are meaningful differences in outcome over follow-up. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Appreciating HIV-1 diversity: subtypic differences in ENV

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Gnanakaran, S [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Shen, Tongye [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Lynch, Rebecca M [NON LANL; Derdeyn, Cynthia A [NON LANL

2008-01-01

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) group M is responsible for the current AIDS pandemic and exhibits exceedingly high levels of viral genetic diversity around the world, necessitating categorization of viruses into distinct lineages, or subtypes. These subtypes can differ by around 35% in the envelope (Env) glycoproteins of the virus, which are displayed on the surface of the virion and are targets for both neutralizing antibody and cell-mediated immune responses. This diversity reflects the remarkable ability of the virus to adapt to selective pressures, the bulk of which is applied by the host immune response, and represents a serious obstacle for developing an effective vaccine with broad coverage. Thus, it is important to understand the underlying biological consequences of inter-subtype diversity. Recent studies have revealed that the HIV-1 subtypes exhibit phenotypic differences that result from subtle differences in Env structure, particularly within the highly immunogenic V3 domain, which participates directly in viral entry. This review will therefore explore current research that describes subtypic differences in Env at the genetic and phenotypic level, focusing in particular on V3, and highlighting recent discoveries about the unique features of subtype C Env, which is the most prevalent subtype globally.

Cryptosporidiosis outbreak in a child day-care center caused by an unusual Cryptosporidium hominis subtype.

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Goñi, Pilar; Almagro-Nievas, Diego; Cieloszyk, Joanna; Lóbez, Silvia; Navarro-Marí, José María; Gutiérrez-Fernández, José

2015-12-01

This work describes the genetic characterization of Cryptosporidium and Giardia involved in an outbreak in a nursery school in Granada, Spain, that affected seven children under the age of 4. Nucleic acids were extracted from the seven stool samples positive to Cryptosporidium or Giardia by microscopy and/or immunochromatography. The species and subtypes of Cryptosporidium were identified by PCR-RFLP and PCR of the SSUrRNA and gp60 genes, respectively. The assemblages of Giardia duodenalis isolates were characterized by PCR of the tpi gene. PCR products were sequenced and analyzed. All of the isolates were positive for Cryptosporidium hominis. Five of them belonged to subtype IaA11R2, one to subtype IbA10G2R2, and the other could not be identified. Three of these samples were positive for G. duodenalis by PCR, two belonging to the assemblage A, and the other one to assemblage B. This is the first report of Cryptosporidium hominis subtype IaA11R2 as a cause of an outbreak in Europe where subtype IbA10G2R2 is the most frequently identified. In the case of Giardia, an outbreak could not be confirmed because of the low number of positive samples and the low genetic variability of the amplified fragments for assemblage A of tpi gene. A new subtype, of Cryptosporidium hominis named IaA11R2, has been described as a cause of an outbreak in a nursery school in Granada, Spain. However an outbreak of giardiasis could not be confirmed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica. All rights reserved.

Effects of Long-Term Protein Restriction on Meat Quality, Muscle Amino Acids, and Amino Acid Transporters in Pigs.

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Jie; Li, Yuying; Zhu, Xiaotong; Han, Hui; Ren, Wenkai; Chen, Shuai; Bin, Peng; Liu, Gang; Huang, Xingguo; Fang, Rejun; Wang, Bin; Wang, Kai; Sun, Liping; Li, Tiejun; Yin, Yulong

2017-10-25

This study aimed to investigate the long-term effects of protein restriction from piglets to finishing pigs for 16 weeks on meat quality, muscle amino acids, and amino acid transporters. Thirty-nine piglets were randomly divided into three groups: a control (20-18-16% crude protein, CP) and two protein restricted groups (17-15-13% CP and 14-12-10% CP). The results showed that severe protein restriction (14-12-10% CP) inhibited feed intake and body weight, while moderate protein restriction (17-15-13% CP) had little effect on growth performance in pigs. Meat quality (i.e., pH, color traits, marbling, water-holding capacity, and shearing force) were tested, and the results exhibited that 14-12-10% CP treatment markedly improved muscle marbling score and increased yellowness (b*). pH value (45 min) was significantly higher in 17-15-13% CP group than that in other groups. In addition, protein restriction reduced muscle histone, arginine, valine, and isoleucine abundances and enhanced glycine and lysine concentrations compared with the control group, while the RT-PCR results showed that protein restriction downregulated amino acids transporters. Mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway was inactivated in the moderate protein restricted group (17-15-13% CP), while severe protein restriction with dietary 14-12-10% CP markedly enhanced mTOR phosphorylation. In conclusion, long-term protein restriction affected meat quality and muscle amino acid metabolism in pigs, which might be associated with mTOR signaling pathway.

Imaging the L-type amino acid transporter-1 (LAT1 with Zr-89 immunoPET.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oluwatayo F Ikotun

Full Text Available The L-type amino acid transporter-1 (LAT1, SLC7A5 is upregulated in a wide range of human cancers, positively correlated with the biological aggressiveness of tumors, and a promising target for both imaging and therapy. Radiolabeled amino acids such as O-(2-[(18F]fluoroethyl-L-tyrosine (FET that are transport substrates for system L amino acid transporters including LAT1 have met limited success for oncologic imaging outside of the brain, and thus new strategies are needed for imaging LAT1 in systemic cancers. Here, we describe the development and biological evaluation of a novel zirconium-89 labeled antibody, [(89Zr]DFO-Ab2, targeting the extracellular domain of LAT1 in a preclinical model of colorectal cancer. This tracer demonstrated specificity for LAT1 in vitro and in vivo with excellent tumor imaging properties in mice with xenograft tumors. PET imaging studies showed high tumor uptake, with optimal tumor-to-non target contrast achieved at 7 days post administration. Biodistribution studies demonstrated tumor uptake of 10.5 ± 1.8 percent injected dose per gram (%ID/g at 7 days with a tumor to muscle ratio of 13 to 1. In contrast, the peak tumor uptake of the radiolabeled amino acid [(18F]FET was 4.4 ± 0.5 %ID/g at 30 min after injection with a tumor to muscle ratio of 1.4 to 1. Blocking studies with unlabeled anti-LAT1 antibody demonstrated a 55% reduction of [(89Zr]DFO-Ab2 accumulation in the tumor at 7 days. These results are the first report of direct PET imaging of LAT1 and demonstrate the potential of immunoPET agents for imaging specific amino acid transporters.

Comprehensive global amino acid sequence analysis of PB1F2 protein of influenza A H5N1 viruses and the influenza A virus subtypes responsible for the 20th-century pandemics.

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Pasricha, Gunisha; Mishra, Akhilesh C; Chakrabarti, Alok K

2013-07-01

PB1F2 is the 11th protein of influenza A virus translated from +1 alternate reading frame of PB1 gene. Since the discovery, varying sizes and functions of the PB1F2 protein of influenza A viruses have been reported. Selection of PB1 gene segment in the pandemics, variable size and pleiotropic effect of PB1F2 intrigued us to analyze amino acid sequences of this protein in various influenza A viruses. Amino acid sequences for PB1F2 protein of influenza A H5N1, H1N1, H2N2, and H3N2 subtypes were obtained from Influenza Research Database. Multiple sequence alignments of the PB1F2 protein sequences of the aforementioned subtypes were used to determine the size, variable and conserved domains and to perform mutational analysis. Analysis showed that 96·4% of the H5N1 influenza viruses harbored full-length PB1F2 protein. Except for the 2009 pandemic H1N1 virus, all the subtypes of the 20th-century pandemic influenza viruses contained full-length PB1F2 protein. Through the years, PB1F2 protein of the H1N1 and H3N2 viruses has undergone much variation. PB1F2 protein sequences of H5N1 viruses showed both human- and avian host-specific conserved domains. Global database of PB1F2 protein revealed that N66S mutation was present only in 3·8% of the H5N1 strains. We found a novel mutation, N84S in the PB1F2 protein of 9·35% of the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 influenza viruses. Varying sizes and mutations of the PB1F2 protein in different influenza A virus subtypes with pandemic potential were obtained. There was genetic divergence of the protein in various hosts which highlighted the host-specific evolution of the virus. However, studies are required to correlate this sequence variability with the virulence and pathogenicity. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Amino acid transporter expansions associated with the evolution of obligate endosymbiosis in sap-feeding insects (Hemiptera: sternorrhyncha).

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Dahan, Romain A; Duncan, Rebecca P; Wilson, Alex C C; Dávalos, Liliana M

2015-03-25

Mutualistic obligate endosymbioses shape the evolution of endosymbiont genomes, but their impact on host genomes remains unclear. Insects of the sub-order Sternorrhyncha (Hemiptera) depend on bacterial endosymbionts for essential amino acids present at low abundances in their phloem-based diet. This obligate dependency has been proposed to explain why multiple amino acid transporter genes are maintained in the genomes of the insect hosts. We implemented phylogenetic comparative methods to test whether amino acid transporters have proliferated in sternorrhynchan genomes at rates grater than expected by chance. By applying a series of methods to reconcile gene and species trees, inferring the size of gene families in ancestral lineages, and simulating the null process of birth and death in multi-gene families, we uncovered a 10-fold increase in duplication rate in the AAAP family of amino acid transporters within Sternorrhyncha. This gene family expansion was unmatched in other closely related clades lacking endosymbionts that provide essential amino acids. Our findings support the influence of obligate endosymbioses on host genome evolution by both inferring significant expansions of gene families involved in symbiotic interactions, and discovering increases in the rate of duplication associated with multiple emergences of obligate symbiosis in Sternorrhyncha.

Transport of monocarboxylic acids at the blood-brain barrier: Studies with monolayers of primary cultured bovine brain capillary endothelial cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Terasaki, T.; Takakuwa, S.; Moritani, S.; Tsuji, A.

1991-01-01

The kinetics and mechanism of the transport of monocarboxylic acids (MCAs) were studied by using primary cultured bovine brain capillary endothelial cells. Concentration-dependent uptake of acetic acid was observed, and the kinetic parameters were estimated as follows: the Michaelis constant, Kt, was 3.41 ± 1.87 mM, the maximum uptake rate, Jmax, was 144.7 ± 55.7 nmol/mg of protein/min and the nonsaturable first-order rate constant, Kd, was 6.66 ± 1.98 microliters/mg of protein/min. At medium pH below 7.0, the uptake rate of [3H]acetic acid increased markedly with decreasing medium pH, whereas pH-independent uptake was observed in the presence of 10 mM acetic acid. An energy requirement for [3H]acetic acid uptake was also demonstrated, because metabolic inhibitors (2,4-dinitrophenol and rotenone) reduced significantly the uptake rate (P less than .05). Carbonylcyanide-p-trifluoro-methoxyphenylhydrazone, a protonophore, inhibited significantly the uptake of [3H]acetic acid at medium pH of 5.0 and 6.0, whereas 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilben-2,2'-disulfonic acid did not. Several MCAs inhibited significantly the uptake rate of [3H]acetic acid, whereas di- and tricarboxylic acids did not. The uptake of [3H]acetic acid was competitively inhibited by salicylic acid, with an inhibition constant, Ki, of 3.60 mM, suggesting a common transport system between acetic acid and salicylic acid. Moreover, at the medium pH of 7.4, salicylic acid and valproic acid inhibited significantly the uptake of [3H]acetic acid, demonstrating that the transport of MCA drugs could also be ascribed to the MCA transport system at the physiologic pH

Effect of light-load resistance exercise on postprandial amino acid transporter expression in elderly men

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Agergaard, Jakob; Bülow, Jacob; Jensen, Jacob K

2017-01-01

An impaired amino acid sensing is associated with age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass. We tested whether light-load resistance exercise (LL-RE) affects postprandial amino acid transporter (AAT) expression in aging skeletal muscle. Untrained, healthy men (age: +65 years) were subjected to 13 h...

Hypertension Subtypes among Hypertensive Patients in Ibadan

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Abiodun M. Adeoye

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Certain hypertension subtypes have been shown to increase the risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and may be related to specific underlying genetic determinants. Inappropriate characterization of subtypes of hypertension makes efforts at elucidating the genetic contributions to the etiology of hypertension largely vapid. We report the hypertension subtypes among patients with hypertension from South-Western Nigeria. Methods. A total of 1858 subjects comprising 76% female, hypertensive, aged 18 and above were recruited into the study from two centers in Ibadan, Nigeria. Hypertension was identified using JNCVII definition and was further grouped into four subtypes: controlled hypertension (CH, isolated systolic hypertension (ISH, isolated diastolic hypertension (IDH, and systolic-diastolic hypertension (SDH. Results. Systolic-diastolic hypertension was the most prevalent. Whereas SDH (77.6% versus 73.5% and IDH (4.9% versus 4.7% were more prevalent among females, ISH (10.1% versus 6.2% was higher among males (P=0.048. Female subjects were more obese (P<0.0001 and SDH was prevalent among the obese group. Conclusion. Gender and obesity significantly influenced the distribution of the hypertension subtypes. Characterization of hypertension by subtypes in genetic association studies could lead to identification of previously unknown genetic variants involved in the etiology of hypertension. Large-scale studies among various ethnic groups may be needed to confirm these observations.

The four human ¿-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transporters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kvist, Trine; Christiansen, Bolette; Jensen, Anders Asbjørn

2009-01-01

in high throughput screening. We find that the assay is categorized by high Z'-factors (Z' > 0.5) for all four GAT subtypes, demonstrating that the assay is excellent for a high throughput screen. This [3H]GABA uptake assay therefore enables future high through put screening of compound libraries...

Histone H1 chaperone activity of TAF-I is regulated by its subtype-dependent intramolecular interaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Kajitani, Kaori; Kato, Kohsuke; Nagata, Kyosuke

2017-04-01

Linker histone H1 is involved in the regulation of gene activity through the maintenance of higher-order chromatin structure. Previously, we have shown that template activating factor-I (TAF-I or protein SET) is involved in linker histone H1 dynamics as a histone H1 chaperone. In human and murine cells, two TAF-I subtypes exist, namely TAF-Iα and TAF-Iβ. TAF-I has a highly acidic amino acid cluster in its C-terminal region and forms homo- or heterodimers through its dimerization domain. Both dimer formation and the C-terminal region of TAF-I are essential for the histone chaperone activity. TAF-Iα exhibits less histone chaperone activity compared with TAF-Iβ even though TAF-Iα and β differ only in their N-terminal regions. However, it is unclear how subtype-specific TAF-I activities are regulated. Here, we have shown that the N-terminal region of TAF-Iα autoinhibits its histone chaperone activity via intramolecular interaction with its C-terminal region. When the interaction between the N- and C-terminal regions of TAF-Iα is disrupted, TAF-Iα shows a histone chaperone activity similar to that of TAF-Iβ. Taken together, these results provide mechanistic insights into the concept that fine tuning of TAF-I histone H1 chaperone activity relies on the subtype compositions of the TAF-I dimer. © 2017 Molecular Biology Society of Japan and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Substrate-Na{sup +} complex formation: Coupling mechanism for {gamma}-aminobutyrate symporters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pallo, Anna; Simon, Agnes [Department of Neurochemistry, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Chemical Research Center, Hungarian Academy of Sciences (Hungary); Bencsura, Akos [Department of Theoretical Chemistry, Institute of Structural Chemistry, Chemical Research Center, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest (Hungary); Heja, Laszlo [Department of Neurochemistry, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Chemical Research Center, Hungarian Academy of Sciences (Hungary); Kardos, Julianna, E-mail: jkardos@chemres.hu [Department of Neurochemistry, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Chemical Research Center, Hungarian Academy of Sciences (Hungary)

2009-07-24

Crystal structures of transmembrane transport proteins belonging to the important families of neurotransmitter-sodium symporters reveal how they transport neurotransmitters across membranes. Substrate-induced structural conformations of gated neurotransmitter-sodium symporters have been in the focus of research, however, a key question concerning the mechanism of Na{sup +} ion coupling remained unanswered. Homology models of human glial transporter subtypes of the major inhibitory neurotransmitter {gamma}-aminobutyric acid were built. In accordance with selectivity data for subtype 2 vs. 3, docking and molecular dynamics calculations suggest similar orthosteric substrate (inhibitor) conformations and binding crevices but distinguishable allosteric Zn{sup 2+} ion binding motifs. Considering the occluded conformational states of glial human {gamma}-aminobutyric acid transporter subtypes, we found major semi-extended and minor ring-like conformations of zwitterionic {gamma}-aminobutyric acid in complex with Na{sup +} ion. The existence of the minor ring-like conformation of {gamma}-aminobutyric acid in complex with Na{sup +} ion may be attributed to the strengthening of the intramolecular H-bond by the electrostatic effect of Na{sup +} ion. Coupling substrate uptake into cells with the thermodynamically favorable Na{sup +} ion movement through substrate-Na{sup +} ion complex formation may be a mechanistic principle featuring transmembrane neurotransmitter-sodium symporter proteins.

Covariance of charged amino acids at positions 322 and 440 of HIV-1 Env contributes to coreceptor specificity of subtype B viruses, and can be used to improve the performance of V3 sequence-based coreceptor usage prediction algorithms.

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Kieran Cashin

Full Text Available The ability to determine coreceptor usage of patient-derived human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1 strains is clinically important, particularly for the administration of the CCR5 antagonist maraviroc. The envelope glycoprotein (Env determinants of coreceptor specificity lie primarily within the gp120 V3 loop region, although other Env determinants have been shown to influence gp120-coreceptor interactions. Here, we determined whether conserved amino acid alterations outside the V3 loop that contribute to coreceptor usage exist, and whether these alterations improve the performance of V3 sequence-based coreceptor usage prediction algorithms. We demonstrate a significant covariant association between charged amino acids at position 322 in V3 and position 440 in the C4 Env region that contributes to the specificity of HIV-1 subtype B strains for CCR5 or CXCR4. Specifically, positively charged Lys/Arg at position 322 and negatively charged Asp/Glu at position 440 occurred more frequently in CXCR4-using viruses, whereas negatively charged Asp/Glu at position 322 and positively charged Arg at position 440 occurred more frequently in R5 strains. In the context of CD4-bound gp120, structural models suggest that covariation of amino acids at Env positions 322 and 440 has the potential to alter electrostatic interactions that are formed between gp120 and charged amino acids in the CCR5 N-terminus. We further demonstrate that inclusion of a "440 rule" can improve the sensitivity of several V3 sequence-based genotypic algorithms for predicting coreceptor usage of subtype B HIV-1 strains, without compromising specificity, and significantly improves the AUROC of the geno2pheno algorithm when set to its recommended false positive rate of 5.75%. Together, our results provide further mechanistic insights into the intra-molecular interactions within Env that contribute to coreceptor specificity of subtype B HIV-1 strains, and demonstrate that incorporation

Air-to-vegetation transport of /sup 131/I as hypoiodous acid (HOI)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Voilleque, P G [Science Applications, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (USA); Keller, J H [Exxon Nuclear Idaho Co., Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (USA)

1981-01-01

A significant fraction of the /sup 131/I in ventilation air in both BWRs and PWRs is present as hypoiodous acid (HOI). While HOI has been observed in the atmosphere its transport through the critical pathway has not been studied in detail. Of particular importance and interest is the deposition velocity used to characterize air-to-vegetation transport. This note describes the measurement of air-to-vegetation transport of HOI in a laboratory environmental chamber. The deposition velocity for HOI is compared with those for elemental I/sub 2/, methyl iodide and iodine associated with airborne particulates to show the relative importance of HOI in transport of /sup 131/I through the air-grass-cow-milk food chain. The data can be used to estimate relative contributions of the four /sup 131/I species to doses via the critical pathway.

Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes: localization and structure/function

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brann, M R; Ellis, J; Jørgensen, H

1993-01-01

Based on the sequence of the five cloned muscarinic receptor subtypes (m1-m5), subtype selective antibody and cDNA probes have been prepared. Use of these probes has demonstrated that each of the five subtypes has a markedly distinct distribution within the brain and among peripheral tissues...... are described, as well as the implied structures of these functional domains....

Molecular Subtyping of Tumors from Patients with Familial Glioma.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruiz, Vanessa Y; Praska, Corinne E; Armstrong, Georgina; Kollmeyer, Thomas M; Yamada, Seiji; Decker, Paul A; Kosel, Matthew L; Eckel-Passow, Jeanette E; Consortium, The Gliogene; Lachance, Daniel H; Bainbridge, Matthew N; Melin, Beatrice S; Bondy, Melissa L; Jenkins, Robert B

2017-10-10

Single-gene mutation syndromes account for some familial glioma (FG); however, they make up only a small fraction of glioma families. Gliomas can be classified into 3 major molecular subtypes based on IDH mutation and 1p/19q co-deletion. We hypothesized that the prevalence of molecular subtypes might differ in familial versus sporadic gliomas, and that tumors in the same family should have the same molecular subtype. Participants in the FG study (Gliogene) provided samples for germline DNA analysis. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor was obtained for a subset of FG cases, and DNA was extracted. We analyzed tissue from 75 families, including 10 families containing a second affected family member. Copy number variation (CNV) data was obtained using a first-generation Affymetrix molecular inversion probe (MIP) array. Samples from 62 of 75 (83%) FG cases could be classified into the 3 subtypes. The prevalence of the molecular subtypes was: 30 (48%) IDH-wild type, 21 (34%) IDH-mutant non-codeleted, and 11 (19%) IDH-mutant and 1p/19q-codeleted. This distribution of molecular subtypes was not statistically different from that of sporadic gliomas (p=0.54). Of 10 paired FG samples, molecular subtypes were concordant for 7 (κ=0.59): 3 IDH-mutant non-codeleted, 2 IDH-wild type, and 2 IDH-mutant and 1p/19q-codeleted gliomas. Our data suggest that within individual families, patients develop gliomas of the same molecular subtype. However, we did not observe differences in the prevalence of the molecular subtypes in FG compared with sporadic gliomas. These observations provide further insight about the distribution of molecular subtypes in FG. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Frequent intra-subtype recombination among HIV-1 circulating in Tanzania.

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Ireen E Kiwelu

Full Text Available The study estimated the prevalence of HIV-1 intra-subtype recombinant variants among female bar and hotel workers in Tanzania. While intra-subtype recombination occurs in HIV-1, it is generally underestimated. HIV-1 env gp120 V1-C5 quasispecies from 45 subjects were generated by single-genome amplification and sequencing (median (IQR of 38 (28-50 sequences per subject. Recombination analysis was performed using seven methods implemented within the recombination detection program version 3, RDP3. HIV-1 sequences were considered recombinant if recombination signals were detected by at least three methods with p-values of ≤0.05 after Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. HIV-1 in 38 (84% subjects showed evidence for intra-subtype recombination including 22 with HIV-1 subtype A1, 13 with HIV-1 subtype C, and 3 with HIV-1 subtype D. The distribution of intra-patient recombination breakpoints suggested ongoing recombination and showed selective enrichment of recombinant variants in 23 (60% subjects. The number of subjects with evidence of intra-subtype recombination increased from 29 (69% to 36 (82% over one year of follow-up, although the increase did not reach statistical significance. Adjustment for intra-subtype recombination is important for the analysis of multiplicity of HIV infection. This is the first report of high prevalence of intra-subtype recombination in the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Tanzania, a region where multiple HIV-1 subtypes co-circulate. HIV-1 intra-subtype recombination increases viral diversity and presents additional challenges for HIV-1 vaccine design.

Identification of a disulfide bridge important for transport function of SNAT4 neutral amino acid transporter.

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Rugmani Padmanabhan Iyer

Full Text Available SNAT4 is a member of system N/A amino acid transport family that primarily expresses in liver and muscles and mediates the transport of L-alanine. However, little is known about the structure and function of the SNAT family of transporters. In this study, we showed a dose-dependent inhibition in transporter activity of SNAT4 with the treatment of reducing agents, dithiothreitol (DTT and Tris(2-carboxyethylphosphine (TCEP, indicating the possible involvement of disulfide bridge(s. Mutation of residue Cys-232, and the two highly conserved residues Cys-249 and Cys-321, compromised the transport function of SNAT4. However, this reduction was not caused by the decrease of SNAT4 on the cell surface since the cysteine-null mutant generated by replacing all five cysteines with alanine was equally capable of being expressed on the cell surface as wild-type SNAT4. Interestingly, by retaining two cysteine residues, 249 and 321, a significant level of L-alanine uptake was restored, indicating the possible formation of disulfide bond between these two conserved residues. Biotinylation crosslinking of free thiol groups with MTSEA-biotin provided direct evidence for the existence of a disulfide bridge between Cys-249 and Cys-321. Moreover, in the presence of DTT or TCEP, transport activity of the mutant retaining Cys-249 and Cys-321 was reduced in a dose-dependent manner and this reduction is gradually recovered with increased concentration of H2O2. Disruption of the disulfide bridge also decreased the transport of L-arginine, but to a lesser degree than that of L-alanine. Together, these results suggest that cysteine residues 249 and 321 form a disulfide bridge, which plays an important role in substrate transport but has no effect on trafficking of SNAT4 to the cell surface.

TNF-α stimulates System A amino acid transport in primary human trophoblast cells mediated by p38 MAPK signaling.

Science.gov (United States)

Aye, Irving L M H; Jansson, Thomas; Powell, Theresa L

2015-10-01

Maternal obesity and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) increase the risk of delivering infants that are large for gestational age with greater adiposity, who are prone to the development of metabolic disease in childhood and beyond. These maternal conditions are also associated with increased levels of the proinflammatory cytokine TNF-α in maternal tissues and the placenta. Recent evidence suggests that changes in placental amino acid transport contribute to altered fetal growth. TNF-α was previously shown to stimulate System A amino acid transport in primary human trophoblasts (PHTs), however the molecular mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that TNF-α regulates amino acid uptake in cultured PHTs by a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-dependent mechanism. Treatment of PHTs with TNF-α significantly increased System A amino acid transport, as well as Erk and p38 MAPK signaling. Pharmacological antagonism of p38, but not Erk MAPK activity, inhibited TNF-α stimulated System A activity. Silencing of p38 MAPK using siRNA transfections prevented TNF-α stimulated System A transport in PHTs. TNF-α significantly increased the protein expression of System A transporters SNAT1 and SNAT2, but did not affect their mRNA expression. The effects of TNF-α on SNAT1 and SNAT2 protein expression were reversed by p38 MAPK siRNA silencing. In conclusion, TNF-α regulates System A activity through increased SNAT1 and SNAT2 transporter protein expression in PHTs. These findings suggest that p38 MAPK may represent a critical mechanistic link between elevated proinflammatory cytokines and increased placental amino acid transport in obese and GDM pregnancies associated with fetal overgrowth. © 2015 The Authors. Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American Physiological Society and The Physiological Society.

Salmonella source attribution based on microbial subtyping

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barco, Lisa; Barrucci, Federica; Olsen, John Elmerdahl

2013-01-01

Source attribution of cases of food-borne disease represents a valuable tool for identifying and prioritizing effective food-safety interventions. Microbial subtyping is one of the most common methods to infer potential sources of human food-borne infections. So far, Salmonella microbial subtyping...... source attribution through microbial subtyping approach. It summarizes the available microbial subtyping attribution models and discusses the use of conventional phenotypic typing methods, as well as of the most commonly applied molecular typing methods in the European Union (EU) laboratories...

Transport and degradation of 2-14C abscicine acid in the coleus rehneltianus berger sprout

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klaska, A.

1979-01-01

1 μg ABA-2- 14 C aqueous solution was injected into the youngest or into a fully grown leaf of young and older coleus plants. The activity quantity in the various sprout parts is investigated after 2, 24 and 72 h; as well as which labelled substances other than abscisic acid (ABA) occur. The activity in the ethanol extracts was detected with the help of liquid scintillation measurements. Thin layer chromatography and gas chromatography were used to characterize the radioactive substances. The results show that ABA is degraded into three metabolites which are characterized by their relative Rsub(F) values using chromatography with LM 2 as substance 0.2, 0.5a, 0.5b and 0.8. Comparing with the literature shows that it could be 6'-hydroxy methyl ABA, ABA glucoside, phaseic acid and dihydrophaseic acid. Young and old leaves in older plants have the same ability to degrade ABA taking the occurence of the 0.8 metabolite as standard. The degradation in younger plants is firstly very slight. However, within 72 h the ability of ABA degradation is induced in older leaves of younger plants, so that finally the degradation rate is as big as in older plants. Activity is essentially exported by adult leaves of older plants. The basipetal transport is considerably greater than the acropetal one. Results show that mainly ABA is transported in the acropetal test, whereas ABA and fraction 0.5 are transported in the basipetal direction. A reversed transport direction is observed after applying ABA to a young leaf. The transport basipetal is polarized in the first two hours, after 72 hours of transport there is a definite acropetal polarity. (orig./MG) [de

Structure-Based Prediction of Subtype Selectivity of Histamine H3 Receptor Selective Antagonists in Clinical Trials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kim, Soo-Kyung; Fristrup, Peter; Abrol, Ravinder

2011-01-01

applications, including treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), epilepsy, and obesity.(1) However, many of these drug candidates cause undesired side effects through the cross-reactivity with other histamine receptor subtypes. In order to develop improved selectivity...... and antagonists. We find that E2065.46 contributes most in binding H3 selective agonists (5, 6, 7) in agreement with experimental mutation studies. We also find that conserved E5.46/S5.43 in both of hH3HR and hH4HR are involved in H3/ H4 subtype selectivity. In addition, we find that M3786.55 in hH3HR provides...... additional hydrophobic interactions different from hH4HR (the corresponding amino acid of T3236.55 in hH4HR) to provide additional subtype bias. From these studies, we developed a pharmacophore model based on our predictions for known hH3HR selective antagonists in clinical study [ABT-239 1, GSK-189,254 2...

Okadaic acid inhibits cell growth and photosynthetic electron transport in the alga Dunaliella tertiolecta

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perreault, Francois; Matias, Marcelo Seleme; Oukarroum, Abdallah [Department of Chemistry, Universite du Quebec a Montreal, 2101, Rue Jeanne Mance, Montreal, QC, Canada H2X 2J6 (Canada); Matias, William Gerson [Department of Chemistry, Universite du Quebec a Montreal, 2101, Rue Jeanne Mance, Montreal, QC, Canada H2X 2J6 (Canada); Laboratorio de Toxicologia Ambiental, LABTOX, Depto. de Engenharia Sanitaria e Ambiental, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Campus Universitario, CEP: 88040-970, Florianopolis, SC (Brazil); Popovic, Radovan, E-mail: popovic.radovan@uqam.ca [Department of Chemistry, Universite du Quebec a Montreal, 2101, Rue Jeanne Mance, Montreal, QC, Canada H2X 2J6 (Canada)

2012-01-01

Okadaic acid (OA), which is produced by several dinoflagellate species, is a phycotoxin known to induce a decrease of biomass production in phytoplankton. However, the mechanisms of OA cytotoxicity are still unknown in microalgae. In this study, we exposed the green microalga Dunaliella tertiolecta to OA concentrations of 0.05 to 0.5 {mu}M in order to evaluate its effects on cell division, reactive oxygen species production and photosynthetic electron transport. After 72 h of treatment under continuous illumination, OA concentrations higher than 0.10 {mu}M decreased culture cell density, induced oxidative stress and inhibited photosystem II electron transport capacity. OA effect in D. tertiolecta was strongly light dependent since no oxidative stress was observed when D. tertiolecta was exposed to OA in the dark. In the absence of light, the effect of OA on culture cell density and photosystem II activity was also significantly reduced. Therefore, light appears to have a significant role in the toxicity of OA in microalgae. Our results indicate that the site of OA interaction on photosynthetic electron transport is likely to be at the level of the plastoquinone pool, which can lead to photo-oxidative stress when light absorbed by the light-harvesting complex of photosystem II cannot be dissipated via photochemical pathways. These findings allowed for a better understanding of the mechanisms of OA toxicity in microalgae. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Exposition of Dunaliella tertiolecta to okadaic acid in light conditions results in reactive oxygen species formation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Inhibition of photosystem II is dependent on oxidative stress and effects of okadaic acid on the plastoquinone pool. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Oxidative stress and inhibition of photosynthesis increase okadaic acid effect on cell density in light conditions. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Okadaic acid induces toxicity in algae via both light-dependent and light

Cloning and characterization of a functional human ¿-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transporter, human GAT-2

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, Bolette; Meinild, Anne-Kristine; Jensen, Anders A.

2007-01-01

Plasma membrane gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transporters act to terminate GABA neurotransmission in the mammalian brain. Intriguingly four distinct GABA transporters have been cloned from rat and mouse, whereas only three functional homologs of these transporters have been cloned from human....... The aim of this study therefore was to search for this fourth missing human transporter. Using a bioinformatics approach, we successfully identified and cloned the full-length cDNA of a so far uncharacterized human GABA transporter (GAT). The predicted protein displays high sequence similarity to rat GAT......-2 and mouse GAT3, and in accordance with the nomenclature for rat GABA transporters, we therefore refer to the transporter as human GAT-2. We used electrophysiological and cell-based methods to demonstrate that this protein is a functional transporter of GABA. The transport was saturable...

Placental fatty acid transport in maternal obesity.

Science.gov (United States)

Cetin, I; Parisi, F; Berti, C; Mandò, C; Desoye, G

2012-12-01

Pregestational obesity is a significant risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes. Maternal obesity is associated with a specific proinflammatory, endocrine and metabolic phenotype that may lead to higher supply of nutrients to the feto-placental unit and to excessive fetal fat accumulation. In particular, obesity may influence placental fatty acid (FA) transport in several ways, leading to increased diffusion driving force across the placenta, and to altered placental development, size and exchange surface area. Animal models show that maternal obesity is associated with increased expression of specific FA carriers and inflammatory signaling molecules in placental cotyledonary tissue, resulting in enhanced lipid transfer across the placenta, dislipidemia, fat accumulation and possibly altered development in fetuses. Cell culture experiments confirmed that inflammatory molecules, adipokines and FA, all significantly altered in obesity, are important regulators of placental lipid exchange. Expression studies in placentas of obese-diabetic women found a significant increase in FA binding protein-4 expression and in cellular triglyceride content, resulting in increased triglyceride cord blood concentrations. The expression and activity of carriers involved in placental lipid transport are influenced by the endocrine, inflammatory and metabolic milieu of obesity, and further studies are needed to elucidate the strong association between maternal obesity and fetal overgrowth.

Impact of Microbial Growth on Subsurface Perfluoroalkyl Acid Transport

Science.gov (United States)

Weathers, T. S.; Higgins, C. P.; Sharp, J.

2014-12-01

The fate and transport of poly and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in the presence of active microbial communities has not been widely investigated. These emerging contaminants are commonly utilized in aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF) and have often been detected in groundwater. This study explores the transport of a suite of perfluorocarboxylic acids and perfluoroalkylsulfonates, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), in microbially active settings. Single point organic carbon normalized sorption coefficients derived by exposing inactive cellular material to PFASs result in more than an order of magnitude increase in sorption compared to soil organic carbon sorption coefficients found in literature. For example, the sorption coefficients for PFOS are 4.05±0.07 L/kg and 2.80±0.08 L/kg for cellular organic carbon and soil organic carbon respectively. This increase in sorption, coupled with enhanced extracellular polymeric substance production observed during growth of a common hydrocarbon degrading soil microbe exposed to source-level concentrations of PFASs (10 mg/L of 11 analytes, 110 mg/L total) may result in PFAS retardation in situ. To address the upscaling of this phenomenon, flow-through columns packed with low-organic carbon sediment and biostimulated with 10 mg/L glucose were exposed to PFAS concentrations from 15 μg/L to 10 mg/L of each 11 analytes. Breakthrough and tailing of each analyte was measured and modeled with Hydrus-1D to explore sorption coefficients over time for microbially active columns.

Fatty acid profile of maternal and fetal erythrocytes and placental expression of fatty acid transport proteins in normal and intrauterine growth restriction pregnancies.

Science.gov (United States)

Assumpção, Renata P; Mucci, Daniela B; Fonseca, Fernanda C P; Marcondes, Henrique; Sardinha, Fátima L C; Citelli, Marta; Tavares do Carmo, Maria G

2017-10-01

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA), mainly docosahexaenoic (DHA) and arachidonic acids (AA), are critical for adequate fetal growth and development. We investigated mRNA expression of proteins involved in hydrolysis, uptake and/or transport of fatty acids in placenta of fifteen full term normal pregnancies and eleven pregnancies complicated by intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) with normal umbilical blood flows. The mRNA expression of LPL, FATPs (-1, -2 and -4) and FABPs (-1 and -3) was increased in IUGR placentas, however, tissue profile of LC-PUFA was not different between groups. Erythrocytes from both mothers and fetuses of the IUGR group showed lower concentrations of AA and DHA and inferior DHA/ALA ratio compared to normal pregnancies (P < 0.05). We hypothesize that reduced circulating levels of AA and DHA could up-regulate mRNA expression of placental fatty acids transporters, as a compensatory mechanism, however this failed to sustain normal LC-PUFA supply to the fetus in IUGR. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Excitatory amino acid transporters: recent insights into molecular mechanisms, novel modes of modulation and new therapeutic possibilities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Anders A.; Fahlke, Christoph; Bjørn-Yoshimoto, Walden Emil

2015-01-01

The five excitatory amino acid transporters (EAAT1–5) mediating the synaptic uptake of the major excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate are differently expressed throughout the CNS and at the synaptic level. Although EAATs are crucial for normal excitatory neurotransmission, explorations into the ......The five excitatory amino acid transporters (EAAT1–5) mediating the synaptic uptake of the major excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate are differently expressed throughout the CNS and at the synaptic level. Although EAATs are crucial for normal excitatory neurotransmission, explorations...

Subtypes of Patients Experiencing Exacerbations of COPD and Associations with Outcomes

Science.gov (United States)

Arostegui, Inmaculada; Esteban, Cristobal; García-Gutierrez, Susana; Bare, Marisa; Fernández-de-Larrea, Nerea; Briones, Eduardo; Quintana, José M.

2014-01-01

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex and heterogeneous condition characterized by occasional exacerbations. Identifying clinical subtypes among patients experiencing COPD exacerbations (ECOPD) could help better understand the pathophysiologic mechanisms involved in exacerbations, establish different strategies of treatment, and improve the process of care and patient prognosis. The objective of this study was to identify subtypes of ECOPD patients attending emergency departments using clinical variables and to validate the results using several outcomes. We evaluated data collected as part of the IRYSS-COPD prospective cohort study conducted in 16 hospitals in Spain. Variables collected from ECOPD patients attending one of the emergency departments included arterial blood gases, presence of comorbidities, previous COPD treatment, baseline severity of COPD, and previous hospitalizations for ECOPD. Patient subtypes were identified by combining results from multiple correspondence analysis and cluster analysis. Results were validated using key outcomes of ECOPD evolution. Four ECOPD subtypes were identified based on the severity of the current exacerbation and general health status (largely a function of comorbidities): subtype A (n = 934), neither high comorbidity nor severe exacerbation; subtype B (n = 682), moderate comorbidities; subtype C (n = 562), severe comorbidities related to mortality; and subtype D (n = 309), very severe process of exacerbation, significantly related to mortality and admission to an intensive care unit. Subtype D experienced the highest rate of mortality, admission to an intensive care unit and need for noninvasive mechanical ventilation, followed by subtype C. Subtypes A and B were primarily related to other serious complications. Hospitalization rate was more than 50% for all the subtypes, although significantly higher for subtypes C and D than for subtypes A and B. These results could help identify

Integrative Analysis of Prognosis Data on Multiple Cancer Subtypes

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jin; Huang, Jian; Zhang, Yawei; Lan, Qing; Rothman, Nathaniel; Zheng, Tongzhang; Ma, Shuangge

2014-01-01

Summary In cancer research, profiling studies have been extensively conducted, searching for genes/SNPs associated with prognosis. Cancer is diverse. Examining the similarity and difference in the genetic basis of multiple subtypes of the same cancer can lead to a better understanding of their connections and distinctions. Classic meta-analysis methods analyze each subtype separately and then compare analysis results across subtypes. Integrative analysis methods, in contrast, analyze the raw data on multiple subtypes simultaneously and can outperform meta-analysis methods. In this study, prognosis data on multiple subtypes of the same cancer are analyzed. An AFT (accelerated failure time) model is adopted to describe survival. The genetic basis of multiple subtypes is described using the heterogeneity model, which allows a gene/SNP to be associated with prognosis of some subtypes but not others. A compound penalization method is developed to identify genes that contain important SNPs associated with prognosis. The proposed method has an intuitive formulation and is realized using an iterative algorithm. Asymptotic properties are rigorously established. Simulation shows that the proposed method has satisfactory performance and outperforms a penalization-based meta-analysis method and a regularized thresholding method. An NHL (non-Hodgkin lymphoma) prognosis study with SNP measurements is analyzed. Genes associated with the three major subtypes, namely DLBCL, FL, and CLL/SLL, are identified. The proposed method identifies genes that are different from alternatives and have important implications and satisfactory prediction performance. PMID:24766212

Molecular Subtyping of Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum in Lisbon, Portugal▿

Science.gov (United States)

Castro, R.; Prieto, E.; Águas, M. J.; Manata, M. J.; Botas, J.; Martins Pereira, F.

2009-01-01

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the reproducibility of a molecular method for the subtyping of Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum and to discriminate strains of this microorganism from strains from patients with syphilis. We studied 212 specimens from a total of 82 patients with different stages of syphilis (14 primary, 7 secondary and 61 latent syphilis). The specimens were distributed as follows: genital ulcers (n = 9), skin and mucosal lesions (n = 7), blood (n = 82), plasma (n = 82), and ear lobe scrapings (n = 32). The samples were assayed by a PCR technique to amplify a segment of the polymerase gene I (polA). Positive samples were typed on the basis of the analysis of two variable genes, tpr and arp. Sixty-two of the 90 samples positive for polA yielded typeable Treponema pallidum DNA. All skin lesions in which T. pallidum was identified (six of six [100%]) were found to contain enough DNA for typing of the organism. It was also possible to type DNA from 7/9 (77.7%) genital ulcer samples, 13/22 (59.1%) blood samples, 20/32 (62.5%) plasma samples, and 16/21 (76.2%) ear lobe scrapings. The same subtype was identified in all samples from the same patient. Five molecular subtypes (subtypes 10a, 14a, 14c, 14f, and 14g) were identified, with the most frequently found subtype being subtype 14a and the least frequently found subtype being subtype 10a. In conclusion, the subtyping technique used in this study seems to have good reproducibility. To our knowledge, subtype 10a was identified for the first time. Further studies are needed to explain the presence of this subtype in Portugal, namely, its relationship to the Treponema pallidum strains circulating in the African countries where Portuguese is spoken. PMID:19494073

Transport of perfluoroalkyl acids in a water-saturated sediment column investigated under near-natural conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vierke, Lena; Möller, Axel; Klitzke, Sondra

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to gain an understanding of the transport of C 4–10 perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) and C 4,6,8 perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (PFSAs) in a water-saturated sediment column representing a riverbank filtration scenario under near-natural conditions. Short-chain PFCAs and PFSAs with up to six C-atoms showed complete tracer-like breakthrough. Longer chain ones were retarded due to sorption to the sediment or due to other processes in the aqueous phase. The study reports the first column derived sediment–water partition coefficients ranging from 0.01 cm 3 g −1 to 0.41 cm 3 g −1 for C 4,6 PFSAs and from 0.0 cm 3 g −1 to 6.5 cm 3 g −1 for C 4,5,6,8,9 PFCAs. The results clearly indicate that short-chain PFCAs and PFSAs may pose a problem if contaminated surface waters are used for drinking water production via riverbank filtration. Highlights: • Transport of per- and polyfluorinated compounds in a riverbank filtration scenario. • Investigations under near-natural conditions with a water-saturated sediment column. • Processes in water and sediment control the transport of analytes. • Short chain PFCAs and PFSAs are not retarded in the water-saturated sediment column. • First column derived sediment–water partition coefficients. -- Quantification of breakthrough of perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) and perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (PFSAs) under conditions simulating a riverbank filtration scenario

HIV-1 subtype A gag variability and epitope evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Abidi, Syed Hani; Kalish, Marcia L; Abbas, Farhat; Rowland-Jones, Sarah; Ali, Syed

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine the course of time-dependent evolution of HIV-1 subtype A on a global level, especially with respect to the dynamics of immunogenic HIV gag epitopes. We used a total of 1,893 HIV-1 subtype A gag sequences representing a timeline from 1985 through 2010, and 19 different countries in Africa, Europe and Asia. The phylogenetic relationship of subtype A gag and its epidemic dynamics was analysed through a Maximum Likelihood tree and Bayesian Skyline plot, genomic variability was measured in terms of G → A substitutions and Shannon entropy, and the time-dependent evolution of HIV subtype A gag epitopes was examined. Finally, to confirm observations on globally reported HIV subtype A sequences, we analysed the gag epitope data from our Kenyan, Pakistani, and Afghan cohorts, where both cohort-specific gene epitope variability and HLA restriction profiles of gag epitopes were examined. The most recent common ancestor of the HIV subtype A epidemic was estimated to be 1956 ± 1. A period of exponential growth began about 1980 and lasted for approximately 7 years, stabilized for 15 years, declined for 2-3 years, then stabilized again from about 2004. During the course of evolution, a gradual increase in genomic variability was observed that peaked in 2005-2010. We observed that the number of point mutations and novel epitopes in gag also peaked concurrently during 2005-2010. It appears that as the HIV subtype A epidemic spread globally, changing population immunogenetic pressures may have played a role in steering immune-evolution of this subtype in new directions. This trend is apparent in the genomic variability and epitope diversity of HIV-1 subtype A gag sequences.

HIV-1 subtype A gag variability and epitope evolution.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Syed Hani Abidi

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the course of time-dependent evolution of HIV-1 subtype A on a global level, especially with respect to the dynamics of immunogenic HIV gag epitopes. METHODS: We used a total of 1,893 HIV-1 subtype A gag sequences representing a timeline from 1985 through 2010, and 19 different countries in Africa, Europe and Asia. The phylogenetic relationship of subtype A gag and its epidemic dynamics was analysed through a Maximum Likelihood tree and Bayesian Skyline plot, genomic variability was measured in terms of G → A substitutions and Shannon entropy, and the time-dependent evolution of HIV subtype A gag epitopes was examined. Finally, to confirm observations on globally reported HIV subtype A sequences, we analysed the gag epitope data from our Kenyan, Pakistani, and Afghan cohorts, where both cohort-specific gene epitope variability and HLA restriction profiles of gag epitopes were examined. RESULTS: The most recent common ancestor of the HIV subtype A epidemic was estimated to be 1956 ± 1. A period of exponential growth began about 1980 and lasted for approximately 7 years, stabilized for 15 years, declined for 2-3 years, then stabilized again from about 2004. During the course of evolution, a gradual increase in genomic variability was observed that peaked in 2005-2010. We observed that the number of point mutations and novel epitopes in gag also peaked concurrently during 2005-2010. CONCLUSION: It appears that as the HIV subtype A epidemic spread globally, changing population immunogenetic pressures may have played a role in steering immune-evolution of this subtype in new directions. This trend is apparent in the genomic variability and epitope diversity of HIV-1 subtype A gag sequences.

Epidemic dynamics of two coexisting hepatitis C virus subtypes.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiménez-Hernández, Nuria; Torres-Puente, Manuela; Bracho, Maria Alma; García-Robles, Inmaculada; Ortega, Enrique; del Olmo, Juan; Carnicer, Fernando; González-Candelas, Fernando; Moya, Andrés

2007-01-01

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection affects about 3% of the human population. Phylogenetic analyses have grouped its variants into six major genotypes, which have a star-like distribution and several minor subtypes. The most abundant genotype in Europe is the so-called genotype 1, with two prevalent subtypes, 1a and 1b. In order to explain the higher prevalence of subtype 1b over 1a, a large-scale sequence analysis (100 virus clones) has been carried out over 25 patients of both subtypes in two regions of the HCV genome: one comprising hypervariable region 1 and another including the interferon sensitivity-determining region. Neither polymorphism analysis nor molecular variance analysis (attending to intra- and intersubtype differences, age, sex and previous history of antiviral treatment) was able to show any particular difference between subtypes that might account for their different prevalence. Only the demographic history of the populations carrying both subtypes and analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) for risk practice suggested that the route of transmission may be the most important factor to explain the observed difference.

Heterogeneity of muscarinic receptor subtypes in cerebral blood vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia-Villalon, A.L.; Krause, D.N.; Ehlert, F.J.; Duckles, S.P.

1991-01-01

The identity and distribution of muscarinic cholinergic receptor subtypes and associated signal transduction mechanisms was characterized for the cerebral circulation using correlated functional and biochemical investigations. Subtypes were distinguished by the relative affinities of a panel of muscarinic antagonists, pirenzepine, AF-DX 116 [11-2-[[2-[diethylaminomethyl]- 1-piperidinyl]acetyl]-5,11-dihydro-6H- pyrido[2,3-b][1,4]benzodiazepine-6-one], hexahydrosiladifenidol, methoctramine, 4-diphenylacetoxy-N-methylpiperidine methobromide, dicyclomine, para-fluoro-hexahydrosiladifenidol and atropine. Muscarinic receptors characterized by inhibition of [3H]quinuclidinylbenzilate binding in membranes of bovine pial arteries were of the M2 subtype. In contrast pharmacological analysis of [3H]-quinuclidinylbenzilate binding in bovine intracerebral microvessels suggests the presence of an M4 subtype. Receptors mediating endothelium-dependent vasodilation in rabbit pial arteries were of the M3 subtype, whereas muscarinic receptors stimulating endothelium-independent phosphoinositide hydrolysis in bovine pial arteries were of the M1 subtype. These findings suggest that characteristics of muscarinic receptors in cerebral blood vessels vary depending on the type of vessel, cellular location and function mediated

Probing for improved potency and in vivo bioavailability of excitatory amino acid transporter subtype 1 inhibitors UCPH-101 and UCPH-102: Design, synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of substituted 7-biphenyl analogs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Erichsen, Mette Norman; Hansen, J; Artacho Ruiz, Jose

2014-01-01

Uptake of the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the CNS, (S)-glutamate, is mediated by a family of excitatory amino acid transporters (EAAT). Previously we have explored the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of a series of EAAT1 selective inhibitors, leading to the development of the potent...... were designed, synthesized and characterized pharmacologically at EAAT1-3 in a [(3)H]-D-aspartate uptake assay. Most notably, the potent EAAT1 inhibition displayed of UCPH-101 and UCPH-102 was retained in analog 1d in which the napht-1-yl group in the 7-position of UCPH-102 has been replaced by an o...

Interaction Pattern of Arg 62 in the A-Pocket of Differentially Disease-Associated HLA-B27 Subtypes Suggests Distinct TCR Binding Modes

Science.gov (United States)

Cauli, Alberto; Mathieu, Alessandro; Tedeschi, Valentina; Caristi, Silvana; Sorrentino, Rosa; Böckmann, Rainer A.; Fiorillo, Maria Teresa

2012-01-01

The single amino acid replacement Asp116His distinguishes the two subtypes HLA-B*2705 and HLA-B*2709 which are, respectively, associated and non-associated with Ankylosing Spondylitis, an autoimmune chronic inflammatory disease. The reason for this differential association is so far poorly understood and might be related to subtype-specific HLA:peptide conformations as well as to subtype/peptide-dependent dynamical properties on the nanoscale. Here, we combine functional experiments with extensive molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the molecular dynamics and function of the conserved Arg62 of the α1-helix for both B27 subtypes in complex with the self-peptides pVIPR (RRKWRRWHL) and TIS (RRLPIFSRL), and the viral peptides pLMP2 (RRRWRRLTV) and NPflu (SRYWAIRTR). Simulations of HLA:peptide systems suggest that peptide-stabilizing interactions of the Arg62 residue observed in crystal structures are metastable for both B27 subtypes under physiological conditions, rendering this arginine solvent-exposed and, probably, a key residue for TCR interaction more than peptide-binding. This view is supported by functional experiments with conservative (R62K) and non-conservative (R62A) B*2705 and B*2709 mutants that showed an overall reduction in their capability to present peptides to CD8+ T cells. Moreover, major subtype-dependent differences in the peptide recognition suggest distinct TCR binding modes for the B*2705 versus the B*2709 subtype. PMID:22403718

Retinal Ganglion Cell Diversity and Subtype Specification from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kirstin B. Langer

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Summary: Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs are the projection neurons of the retina and transmit visual information to postsynaptic targets in the brain. While this function is shared among nearly all RGCs, this class of cell is remarkably diverse, comprised of multiple subtypes. Previous efforts have identified numerous RGC subtypes in animal models, but less attention has been paid to human RGCs. Thus, efforts of this study examined the diversity of RGCs differentiated from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs and characterized defined subtypes through the expression of subtype-specific markers. Further investigation of these subtypes was achieved using single-cell transcriptomics, confirming the combinatorial expression of molecular markers associated with these subtypes, and also provided insight into more subtype-specific markers. Thus, the results of this study describe the derivation of RGC subtypes from hPSCs and will support the future exploration of phenotypic and functional diversity within human RGCs. : In this article, Langer and colleagues present extensive characterization of RGC subtypes derived from human pluripotent stem cells, with multiple subtypes identified by subtype-specific molecular markers. Their results present a more detailed analysis of RGC diversity in human cells and yield the use of different markers to identify RGC subtypes. Keywords: iPSC, retina, retinal ganglion cell, RGC subtype, stem cell, ipRGC, alpha RGC, direction selective RGC, RNA-seq

Influence of rye flour enzymatic biotransformation on the antioxidant capacity and transepithelial transport of phenolic acids.

Science.gov (United States)

de Lima, Fabíola Aliaga; Martins, Isabela Mateus; Faria, Ana; Calhau, Conceição; Azevedo, Joana; Fernandes, Iva; Mateus, Nuno; Macedo, Gabriela Alves

2018-03-01

Phenolic acids have been reported to play a role on the antioxidant activity and other important biological activities. However, as most polyphenolics in food products are either bound to cellular matrices or present as free polymeric forms, the way they are absorbed has not been totally clear until now. Hydrolytic enzymes may act to increase functionalities in polyphenolic-rich foods, enhancing the bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds and minerals from whole grains. The aim of this study was to evaluate the action of tannin acyl hydrolase (tannase) on the total phenols, phenolic acid profile, antioxidant capacity and in vitro bioaccessibility of phenolic acids found in whole rye flour (RF). Besides increasing total phenols and the antioxidant capacity, tannase treatment increased the amounts of ferulic, sinapic and vanillic acids identified in RF, evidencing a new type of feruloyl esterase catalytic action of tannase. Vanillic and sinapic acids in tannase-treated whole rye flour (RFT) were higher than RF after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, and higher amounts of transported vanillic acid through the Caco-2 monolayer were detected in RFT. However, the bioaccessibility and the transport efficiency of RF phenolic acids were higher than RFT. Underutilized crops like rye and rye-derived products may be an important source of phenolic acids. The tannase biotransformation, even influencing the total phenolics and antioxidant capacity of RF, did not increase the bioaccessibility of phenolic acids under the experimental conditions of this study.

[Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 subtypes in Djibouti].

Science.gov (United States)

Abar, A Elmi; Jlizi, A; Darar, H Youssouf; Ben Nasr, M; Abid, S; Kacem, M Ali Ben Hadj; Slim, A

2012-01-01

The authors had for aim to study the distribution of HIV-1 subtypes in a cohort of HIV positive patients in the hospital General Peltier of Djibouti. An epidemiological study was made on 40 HIV-1 positive patients followed up in the Infectious Diseases Department over three months. All patients sample were subtyped by genotyping. Thirty-five patients (15 men and 20 women) were found infected by an HIV-1 strain belonging to the M group. Genotyping revealed that - 66% of samples were infected with subtype C, 20% with CRF02_AG, 8.5% with B, 2.9% with CRF02_AG/C and 2.9% with K/C. In fact, Subtype C prevalence has been described in the Horn of Africa and a similar prevalence was previously reported in Djibouti. However our study describes the subtype B in Djibouti for the first time. It is the predominant subtype in the Western world. The detection of CRF02_AG strains indicates that they are still circulating in Djibouti, the only country in East Africa in which this recombinant virus was found. CRF02_AG recombinant isolates were primarily described in West and Central Africa. The presence of this viral heterogeneity, probably coming from the mixing of populations in Djibouti, which is an essential economic and geographical crossroads, incites us to vigilance in the surveillance of this infection.

Nucleic acid amplification of HIV-1 integrase sequence subtypes CRF01_AE and B for development of HIV anti-integrase drug resistance genotyping assay

Science.gov (United States)

Adlar, F. R.; Bela, B.

2017-08-01

To anticipate the potential use of anti-integrase drugs in Indonesia for treatment of HIV-1 infection, the development of a drug resistance genotyping assay for anti-integrase is crucial in identifying the genetic drug resistance profile of Indonesian HIV-1 strains. This experiment aimed to amplify a target region in the integrase gene of Indonesian HIV-1 subtypes CRF01_AE and B that contain genetic mutations known to confer resistance to anti-integrase drug. Eleven archived plasma samples from individuals living with HIV-1 were obtained from the Virology and Cancer Pathobiology Research Center for Health Service (VCPRC FKUI-RSCM) laboratory. One of the plasma samples contained HIV-1 subtype B, and the remaining plasma samples contained subtype CRF01_AE. The target regions for all samples were amplified through RT-PCR, with an annealing temperature of 55 °C, using the primer pair AE_POL 4086F and AE_POL 5232R that were designed by VCPRC FKUI-RSCM. The results of this experiment show that 18.2% (2/11) of the samples were successfully amplified using the one-step RT-PCR. While the primer pair was effective in amplifying the target region in the integrase gene sequence for subtype B (100%; 1/1), it had a low efficacy (10%, 1/10) for subtype CRF01_AE. In conclusion, the primer pair can be used to amplify the target region in Indonesian HIV-1 strain subtypes CRF01_AE and B. However, optimization of the PCR condition and an increased number of samples would help to determine an accurate representation of the efficacy of the primer pair.

Genetic characterisation of the recent foot-and-mouth disease virus subtype A/IRN/2005

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Klein, Jörn; Hussain, Manzoor; Ahmad, Munir

2007-01-01

Background According to the World Reference Laboratory for FMD, a new subtype of FMDV serotype A was detected in Iran in 2005. This subtype was designated A/IRN/2005, and rapidly spread throughout Iran and moved westwards into Saudi Arabia and Turkey where it was initially detected from August 2005....../IRN/2005 sublineage with the A22 sublineage. Potential recombination events have been detected in parts of the genome region coding for the non-structural proteins of FMDV. In addition, amino acid substitutions have been detected in the deduced VP1 protein sequence, potentially related to clinical...... their evolutionary starting point in the A22 sublineage. It can be assumed that, due to the quasispecies structure of FMDV populations and the error-prone replication process, advantageous mutations in a changed environment have been fixed and lead to the occurrence of the new A/IRN/2005 sublineage. Together...

Pulmonary Emphysema Subtypes on Computed Tomography in Smokers

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Benjamin M.; Austin, John H.M.; Newell, John D.; D’Souza, Belinda M.; Rozenshtein, Anna; Hoffman, Eric A.; Ahmed, Firas; Barr, R. Graham

2013-01-01

Background Pulmonary emphysema is divided into three major subtypes at autopsy: centrilobular, paraseptal and panlobular emphysema. These subtypes can be defined by visual assessment on computed tomography (CT); however, clinical characteristics of emphysema subtypes on CT are not well-defined. We developed a reliable approach to visual assessment of emphysema subtypes on CT and examined if emphysema subtypes have distinct characteristics. Methods The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis COPD Study recruited smokers with COPD and controls age 50–79 years with ≥10 pack-years. Participants underwent CT following a standardized protocol. Definitions of centrilobular, paraseptal and panlobular emphysema were obtained by literature review. Six-minute walk distance and pulmonary function were performed following guidelines. Results Twenty-seven percent of 318 smokers had emphysema on CT. Inter-rater reliability of emphysema subtype was substantial (K:0.70). Compared to participants without emphysema, individuals with centrilobular or panlobular emphysema had greater dyspnea, reduced walk distance, greater hyperinflation, and lower diffusing capacity. In contrast, individuals with PSE were similar to controls, except for male predominance. Centrilobular but not panlobular or paraseptal emphysema was associated with greater smoking history (+21 pack-years Pemphysema was associated with reduced body mass index (−5 kg/m2;P=0.01). Other than for dyspnea, these findings were independent of the forced expiratory volume in one second. Seventeen percent of smokers without COPD on spirometry had emphysema, which was independently associated with reduced walk distance. Conclusions Emphysema subtypes on CT are common in smokers with and without COPD. Centrilobular and panlobular emphysema but not paraseptal emphysema have considerable symptomatic and physiological consequences. PMID:24384106

Role of Acid and weakly acidic reflux in gastroesophageal reflux disease off proton pump inhibitor therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Sung, Hea Jung; Cho, Yu Kyung; Moon, Sung Jin; Kim, Jin Su; Lim, Chul Hyun; Park, Jae Myung; Lee, In Seok; Kim, Sang Woo; Choi, Myung-Gye

2012-07-01

Available data about reflux patterns and symptom determinants in the gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) subtypes off proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy are lacking. We aimed to evaluate reflux patterns and determinants of symptom perception in patients with GERD off PPI therapy by impedance-pH monitoring. We retrospectively reviewed the impedance-pH data in patients diagnosed as GERD based on results of impedance-pH monitoring, endoscopy and/or typical symptoms. The characteristics of acid and weakly acidic reflux were evaluated. Symptomatic and asymptomatic reflux were compared according to GERD subtypes and individual symptoms. Forty-two patients (22 males, mean age 46 years) were diagnosed as GERD (17 erosive reflux disease, 9 pH(+) non-erosive reflux disease [NERD], 9 hypersensitive esophagus and 7 symptomatic NERD). A total of 1,725 reflux episodes were detected (855 acid [50%], 857 weakly acidic [50%] and 13 weakly alkaline reflux [Acid reflux was more frequently symptomatic and bolus clearance was longer compared with weakly acidic reflux. In terms of globus, weakly acidic reflux was more symptomatic. Symptomatic reflux was more frequently acid and mixed reflux; these associations were more pronounced in erosive reflux disease and symptomatic NERD. The perception of regurgitation was related to acid reflux, while that of globus was more related to weakly acidic reflux. In patients not taking PPI, acid reflux was more frequently symptomatic and had longer bolus clearance. Symptomatic reflux was more frequently acid and mixed type; however, weakly acidic reflux was associated more with globus. These data suggest a role for impedance-pH data in the evaluation of globus.

SGLT2 inhibitor lowers serum uric acid through alteration of uric acid transport activity in renal tubule by increased glycosuria

Science.gov (United States)

Chino, Yukihiro; Samukawa, Yoshishige; Sakai, Soichi; Nakai, Yasuhiro; Yamaguchi, Jun-ichi; Nakanishi, Takeo; Tamai, Ikumi

2014-01-01

Sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have been reported to lower the serum uric acid (SUA) level. To elucidate the mechanism responsible for this reduction, SUA and the urinary excretion rate of uric acid (UEUA) were analysed after the oral administration of luseogliflozin, a SGLT2 inhibitor, to healthy subjects. After dosing, SUA decreased, and a negative correlation was observed between the SUA level and the UEUA, suggesting that SUA decreased as a result of the increase in the UEUA. The increase in UEUA was correlated with an increase in urinary d-glucose excretion, but not with the plasma luseogliflozin concentration. Additionally, in vitro transport experiments showed that luseogliflozin had no direct effect on the transporters involved in renal UA reabsorption. To explain that the increase in UEUA is likely due to glycosuria, the study focused on the facilitative glucose transporter 9 isoform 2 (GLUT9ΔN, SLC2A9b), which is expressed at the apical membrane of the kidney tubular cells and transports both UA and d-glucose. It was observed that the efflux of [14C]UA in Xenopus oocytes expressing the GLUT9 isoform 2 was trans-stimulated by 10 mm d-glucose, a high concentration of glucose that existed under SGLT2 inhibition. On the other hand, the uptake of [14C]UA by oocytes was cis-inhibited by 100 mm d-glucose, a concentration assumed to exist in collecting ducts. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that the UEUA could potentially be increased by luseogliflozin-induced glycosuria, with alterations of UA transport activity because of urinary glucose. PMID:25044127

Polymer-immobilized liquid membrane transport of palladium (II) from nitric acid media using some thia extractants as novel receptors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shukla, J.P.

1996-01-01

Carrier-facilitated co-transport of Pd (II) from dilute acidic nitrate solutions was examined across a polymer-immobilized liquid membrane (PILM) deploying S 6 -pentano-36 (S 6 -P-36), bis-(2-ethylhexyl) sulfoxide (BESO) and bis (2, 4, 4 trimethyl pentyl) monothio phosphinic acid (Cyanex 302) as the novel receptors. The study carried out to distinguish the driving force between H + and NO 3 - ion for the cation transport across PILM, indicated that NO 3 - ion not the H + ion seems to be the driving force for Pd (II) transport under the present conditions for both BESO-PILM and S 6 -P-36-PILM systems. Recovery of palladium from acidic process effluents generated in Purex reprocessing of spent fuels was successfully achieved. 39 refs., 8 figs., 7 tabs

Prevalence of Cryptosporidium species and subtypes in paediatric oncology and non-oncology patients with diarrhoea in Jordan.

Science.gov (United States)

Hijjawi, Nawal; Zahedi, Alireza; Kazaleh, Mahmoud; Ryan, Una

2017-11-01

Cryptosporidiosis is a protozoan parasitic disease which affects human and animals worldwide. In adult immunocompetent individuals, cryptosporidiosis usually results in acute and self-limited diarrhoea; however, it can cause life threatening diarrhoea in children and immunocompromised individuals. In the present study, we compared the prevalence of Cryptosporidium species and gp60 subtypes amongst paediatric oncology patients with diarrhoea (n=160) from King Hussein Medical Centre for Cancer in Jordan, and non-oncology paediatric patients with diarrhoea (n=137) from Al-Mafraq paediatric hospital. Microscopy results using modified acid fast staining identified a significantly (p≤0.05) higher prevalence of Cryptosporidium in paediatric oncology patients with diarrhoea (14.4% - 23/160), compared to non-oncology paediatric patients with diarrhoea only (5.1% - 7/137). With the exception of one sample, all microscopy-positive samples (n=29) and an additional 3/30 microscopy-negative controls were typed to species and subtype level at the 18S and gp60 loci, respectively. All Cryptosporidium positives were typed as C. parvum. Of the 22 typed Cryptosporidium positives from the paediatric oncology patients, 21 were subtyped as IIaA17G2R1 and one as IIaA16G2R1 C. parvum subtypes. The 7 typed positives from the paediatric patients from Al-Mafraq hospital were subtyped as IIaA17G2R1 (n=5) and IIaA16G2R1 (n=2). The 3 additional positives from the 30 microscopy negative control samples were subtyped as IIaA17G2R1. The high prevalence of the IIaA17G2R1 subtype, particularly amongst oncology patients, suggests that an outbreak of cryptosporidiosis may have been occurring in oncology patients during the collection period (April to December, 2016). New therapies for cryptosporidiosis in immunocompromised patients are urgently required. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Subtypes of depression in cancer patients : An empirically driven approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zhu, Lei; Ranchor, Adelita V; van der Lee, Marije; Garssen, Bert; Sanderman, Robbert; Schroevers, Maya J

PURPOSE: This study aimed to (1) identify subgroups of cancer patients with distinct subtypes of depression before the start of psychological care, (2) examine whether socio-demographic and medical characteristics distinguished these subtypes, and (3) examine whether people with distinct subtypes

Subtypes of depression in cancer patients: an empirically driven approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zhu, Lei; Ranchor, A.V.; van der Lee, Marije; Garssen, Bert; Sanderman, Robbert; Schroevers, Maya J.

2016-01-01

Purpose This study aimed to (1) identify subgroups of cancer patients with distinct subtypes of depression before the start of psychological care, (2) examine whether socio-demographic and medical characteristics distinguished these subtypes, and (3) examine whether people with distinct subtypes

Transport of the photodynamic therapy agent 5-aminolevulinic acid by distinct H+-coupled nutrient carriers coexpressed in the small intestine.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Catriona M H; Jevons, Mark; Thangaraju, Muthusamy; Edwards, Noel; Conlon, Nichola J; Woods, Steven; Ganapathy, Vadivel; Thwaites, David T

2010-01-01

5-Aminolevulinic acid (ALA) is a prodrug used in photodynamic therapy, fluorescent diagnosis, and fluorescent-guided resection because it leads to accumulation of the photosensitizer protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) in tumor tissues. ALA has good oral bioavailability, but high oral doses are required to obtain selective PpIX accumulation in colonic tumors because accumulation is also observed in normal gut mucosa. Structural similarities between ALA and GABA led us to test the hypothesis that the H(+)-coupled amino acid transporter PAT1 (SLC36A1) will contribute to luminal ALA uptake. Radiolabel uptake and electrophysiological measurements identified PAT1-mediated H(+)-coupled ALA symport after heterologous expression in Xenopus oocytes. The selectivity of the nontransported inhibitors 5-hydroxytryptophan and 4-aminomethylbenzoic acid for, respectively, PAT1 and the H(+)-coupled di/tripeptide transporter PepT1 (SLC15A1) were examined. 5-Hydroxytryptophan selectively inhibited PAT1-mediated amino acid uptake across the brush-border membrane of the human intestinal (Caco-2) epithelium whereas 4-aminomethylbenzoic acid selectively inhibited PepT1-mediated dipeptide uptake. The inhibitory effects of 5-hydroxytryptophan and 4-aminomethylbenzoic acid were additive, demonstrating that both PAT1 and PepT1 contribute to intestinal transport of ALA. This is the first demonstration of overlap in substrate specificity between these distinct transporters for amino acids and dipeptides. PAT1 and PepT1 expression was monitored by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction using paired samples of normal and cancer tissue from human colon. mRNA for both transporters was detected. PepT1 mRNA was increased 2.3-fold in cancer tissues. Thus, increased PepT1 expression in colonic cancer could contribute to the increased PpIX accumulation observed. Selective inhibition of PAT1 could enhance PpIX loading in tumor tissue relative to that in normal tissue.

Prevalence of AIV subtype H9 among poultry with respiratory signs in Iraq

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Q. A. Kraidi

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The H9N2 avian influenza A viruses (AIV have been recorded in Eurasia for several years. In this study, the prevalence of the circulated H9 subtype in the poultry population in middle and south of Iraq provinces was studied during a period from September 2014 to June 2015. Samples were col-lected from one hundred broiler flocks with respiratory signs from seven provinces. The detection and identification of virus were carried out by using highly sensitive method, Taqman Real-time Poly-merase Chain Reaction, which has been increasingly used for detecting avian pathogens in recent years. The prevalence of H9 subtype in 16% of the infected flocks was reported, and the results re-vealed that there was a significant difference (P<0.05 in the prevalence rate of H9 subtype among broiler flocks in Al-Basra, Al-Qadisyia and An-Najaf provinces (14.28%, 20% and 23.80%, respec-tively as compared to other provinces, while An-Najaf province had the highest prevalence rate (23.80% among all other provinces. The H9 subtype has been recorded for the first time in broiler flocks of Al-Basra and Wasit with lower prevalence rate in Wasit (10%. The prevalence of the H9 virus infection in the winter (75% was higher than that in summer (25%. Since the provinces are in the vicinity of the Iran, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait with H9 infection records, results of this study indicate circulation of AIV between these countries and in the larger scale, Middle East. This can be very impor-tant due to the presence of migratory birds coming from Russia and China and stay in winter months in the marshes of Al-Basra and consequently, AIV transportation to the other parts of the world.

The expression profile of acid-sensing ion channel (ASIC) subunits ASIC1a, ASIC1b, ASIC2a, ASIC2b, and ASIC3 in the esophageal vagal afferent nerve subtypes.

Science.gov (United States)

Dusenkova, Svetlana; Ru, Fei; Surdenikova, Lenka; Nassenstein, Christina; Hatok, Jozef; Dusenka, Robert; Banovcin, Peter; Kliment, Jan; Tatar, Milos; Kollarik, Marian

2014-11-01

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) have been implicated in esophageal acid sensing and mechanotransduction. However, insufficient knowledge of ASIC subunit expression profile in esophageal afferent nerves hampers the understanding of their role. This knowledge is essential because ASIC subunits form heteromultimeric channels with distinct functional properties. We hypothesized that the esophageal putative nociceptive C-fiber nerves (transient receptor potential vanilloid 1, TRPV1-positive) express multiple ASIC subunits and that the ASIC expression profile differs between the nodose TRPV1-positive subtype developmentally derived from placodes and the jugular TRPV1-positive subtype derived from neural crest. We performed single cell RT-PCR on the vagal afferent neurons retrogradely labeled from the esophagus. In the guinea pig, nearly all (90%-95%) nodose and jugular esophageal TRPV1-positive neurons expressed ASICs, most often in a combination (65-75%). ASIC1, ASIC2, and ASIC3 were expressed in 65-75%, 55-70%, and 70%, respectively, of both nodose and jugular TRPV1-positive neurons. The ASIC1 splice variants ASIC1a and ASIC1b and the ASIC2 splice variant ASIC2b were similarly expressed in both nodose and jugular TRPV1-positive neurons. However, ASIC2a was found exclusively in the nodose neurons. In contrast to guinea pig, ASIC3 was almost absent from the mouse vagal esophageal TRPV1-positive neurons. However, ASIC3 was similarly expressed in the nonnociceptive TRPV1-negative (tension mechanoreceptors) neurons in both species. We conclude that the majority of esophageal vagal nociceptive neurons express multiple ASIC subunits. The placode-derived nodose neurons selectively express ASIC2a, known to substantially reduce acid sensitivity of ASIC heteromultimers. ASIC3 is expressed in the guinea pig but not in the mouse vagal esophageal TRPV1-positive neurons, indicating species differences in ASIC expression. Copyright © 2014 the American Physiological Society.

Advances in citric acid fermentation by Aspergillus niger: biochemical aspects, membrane transport and modeling.

Science.gov (United States)

Papagianni, Maria

2007-01-01

Citric acid is regarded as a metabolite of energy metabolism, of which the concentration will rise to appreciable amounts only under conditions of substantive metabolic imbalances. Citric acid fermentation conditions were established during the 1930s and 1940s, when the effects of various medium components were evaluated. The biochemical mechanism by which Aspergillus niger accumulates citric acid has continued to attract interest even though its commercial production by fermentation has been established for decades. Although extensive basic biochemical research has been carried out with A. niger, the understanding of the events relevant for citric acid accumulation is not completely understood. This review is focused on citric acid fermentation by A. niger. Emphasis is given to aspects of fermentation biochemistry, membrane transport in A. niger and modeling of the production process.

The Human Gene SLC25A29, of Solute Carrier Family 25, Encodes a Mitochondrial Transporter of Basic Amino Acids*

Science.gov (United States)

Porcelli, Vito; Fiermonte, Giuseppe; Longo, Antonella; Palmieri, Ferdinando

2014-01-01

The human genome encodes 53 members of the solute carrier family 25 (SLC25), also called the mitochondrial carrier family, many of which have been shown to transport carboxylates, amino acids, nucleotides, and cofactors across the inner mitochondrial membrane, thereby connecting cytosolic and matrix functions. In this work, a member of this family, SLC25A29, previously reported to be a mitochondrial carnitine/acylcarnitine- or ornithine-like carrier, has been thoroughly characterized biochemically. The SLC25A29 gene was overexpressed in Escherichia coli, and the gene product was purified and reconstituted in phospholipid vesicles. Its transport properties and kinetic parameters demonstrate that SLC25A29 transports arginine, lysine, homoarginine, methylarginine and, to a much lesser extent, ornithine and histidine. Carnitine and acylcarnitines were not transported by SLC25A29. This carrier catalyzed substantial uniport besides a counter-exchange transport, exhibited a high transport affinity for arginine and lysine, and was saturable and inhibited by mercurial compounds and other inhibitors of mitochondrial carriers to various degrees. The main physiological role of SLC25A29 is to import basic amino acids into mitochondria for mitochondrial protein synthesis and amino acid degradation. PMID:24652292

The human gene SLC25A29, of solute carrier family 25, encodes a mitochondrial transporter of basic amino acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Porcelli, Vito; Fiermonte, Giuseppe; Longo, Antonella; Palmieri, Ferdinando

2014-05-09

The human genome encodes 53 members of the solute carrier family 25 (SLC25), also called the mitochondrial carrier family, many of which have been shown to transport carboxylates, amino acids, nucleotides, and cofactors across the inner mitochondrial membrane, thereby connecting cytosolic and matrix functions. In this work, a member of this family, SLC25A29, previously reported to be a mitochondrial carnitine/acylcarnitine- or ornithine-like carrier, has been thoroughly characterized biochemically. The SLC25A29 gene was overexpressed in Escherichia coli, and the gene product was purified and reconstituted in phospholipid vesicles. Its transport properties and kinetic parameters demonstrate that SLC25A29 transports arginine, lysine, homoarginine, methylarginine and, to a much lesser extent, ornithine and histidine. Carnitine and acylcarnitines were not transported by SLC25A29. This carrier catalyzed substantial uniport besides a counter-exchange transport, exhibited a high transport affinity for arginine and lysine, and was saturable and inhibited by mercurial compounds and other inhibitors of mitochondrial carriers to various degrees. The main physiological role of SLC25A29 is to import basic amino acids into mitochondria for mitochondrial protein synthesis and amino acid degradation.

Role of Acid and Weakly Acidic Reflux in Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Off Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy

Science.gov (United States)

Sung, Hea Jung; Moon, Sung Jin; Kim, Jin Su; Lim, Chul Hyun; Park, Jae Myung; Lee, In Seok; Kim, Sang Woo; Choi, Myung-Gye

2012-01-01

Background/Aims Available data about reflux patterns and symptom determinants in the gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) subtypes off proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy are lacking. We aimed to evaluate reflux patterns and determinants of symptom perception in patients with GERD off PPI therapy by impedance-pH monitoring. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the impedance-pH data in patients diagnosed as GERD based on results of impedance-pH monitoring, endoscopy and/or typical symptoms. The characteristics of acid and weakly acidic reflux were evaluated. Symptomatic and asymptomatic reflux were compared according to GERD subtypes and individual symptoms. Results Forty-two patients (22 males, mean age 46 years) were diagnosed as GERD (17 erosive reflux disease, 9 pH(+) non-erosive reflux disease [NERD], 9 hypersensitive esophagus and 7 symptomatic NERD). A total of 1,725 reflux episodes were detected (855 acid [50%], 857 weakly acidic [50%] and 13 weakly alkaline reflux [reflux was more frequently symptomatic and bolus clearance was longer compared with weakly acidic reflux. In terms of globus, weakly acidic reflux was more symptomatic. Symptomatic reflux was more frequently acid and mixed reflux; these associations were more pronounced in erosive reflux disease and symptomatic NERD. The perception of regurgitation was related to acid reflux, while that of globus was more related to weakly acidic reflux. Conclusions In patients not taking PPI, acid reflux was more frequently symptomatic and had longer bolus clearance. Symptomatic reflux was more frequently acid and mixed type; however, weakly acidic reflux was associated more with globus. These data suggest a role for impedance-pH data in the evaluation of globus. PMID:22837877

Evidence of multiple introductions of HIV-1 subtype C in Angola.

Science.gov (United States)

Afonso, Joana Morais; Morgado, Mariza G; Bello, Gonzalo

2012-10-01

HIV-1 subtype C is the most prevalent group M clade in southern Africa and some eastern African countries. Subtype C is also the most frequent subtype in Angola (southwestern Africa), with an estimated prevalence of 10-20%. In order to better understand the origin of the HIV-1 subtype C strains circulating in Angola, 31 subtype C pol sequences of Angolan origin were compared with 1950 subtype C pol sequences sampled in other African countries. Phylogenetic analyses reveal that the Angolan subtype C sequences were distributed in 16 different lineages that were widely dispersed among other African strains. Ten subtype C Angolan lineages were composed by only one sequence, while the remaining six clades contain between two and seven sequences. Bayesian phylogeographic analysis indicates that most Angolan clades probably originated in different southern African countries with the exception of one lineage that most likely originated in Burundi. Evolutionary analysis suggests that those Angolan subtype C clades composed by ≥ 2 sequences were introduced into the country between the late 1970s and the mid 2000s. The median estimated time frame for the origin of those Angolan lineages coincides with periods of positive migration influx in Angola that were preceded by phases of negative migratory outflow. These results demonstrate that the Angolan subtype C epidemic resulted from multiple introductions of subtype C viruses mainly imported from southern African countries over the last 30years, some of which have been locally disseminated establishing several autochthonous transmission networks. This study also suggests that population mobility between Angola and southern African countries during civil war (1974-2002) may have played a key role in the emergence of the Angolan subtype C epidemic. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Oppositional defiant disorder dimensions and subtypes among detained male adolescent offenders.

Science.gov (United States)

Aebi, Marcel; Barra, Steffen; Bessler, Cornelia; Steinhausen, Hans-Christoph; Walitza, Susanne; Plattner, Belinda

2016-06-01

In adolescent offenders, oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and its dimensions/subtypes have been frequently ignored due to the stronger focus on criminal behaviours. The revised criteria of the DSM-5 now allow diagnosing ODD in older youths independent of conduct disorder (CD). This study aimed at analysing ODD dimensions/subtypes and their relation to suicidality, comorbid psychiatric disorders, and criminal behaviours after release from detention in a sample of detained male adolescents. Suicidality and psychiatric disorders (including ODD symptoms) were assessed in a consecutive sample of 158 male adolescents (Mage  = 16.89 years) from the Zurich Juvenile Detention Centre. Based on previous research findings, an irritable ODD dimension and a defiant/vindictive ODD dimension based on ODD symptoms were defined. Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was used to identify distinct subtypes of adolescent offenders according to their ODD symptom profiles. Logistic regression and Cox regression were used to analyse the relations of ODD dimensions/ODD subtypes to comorbid psychopathology and criminal reoffenses from official data. The ODD-irritable dimension, but not the ODD defiant/vindictive dimension predicted comorbid anxiety, suicidality and violent reoffending. LCA identified four subtypes, namely, a no-ODD subtype, a severe ODD subtype and two moderate ODD subtypes with either defiant or irritable symptoms. The irritable ODD subtype and the severe ODD subtype were related to suicidality and comorbid affective/anxiety disorders. The irritable ODD subtype was the strongest predictor of criminal (violent) reoffending even when controlling for CD. The present findings confirm the presence of ODD dimensions/subtypes in a highly disturbed adolescent offender sample. Irritable youths were at risk of suicide and persistent criminal behaviours. Due to the severe consequences of irritability, a standardized assessment approach and a specific treatment is needed in prison to

Amino Acid Metabolism and Transport Mechanisms as Potential Antifungal Targets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew W. McCarthy

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Discovering new drugs for treatment of invasive fungal infections is an enduring challenge. There are only three major classes of antifungal agents, and no new class has been introduced into clinical practice in more than a decade. However, recent advances in our understanding of the fungal life cycle, functional genomics, proteomics, and gene mapping have enabled the identification of new drug targets to treat these potentially deadly infections. In this paper, we examine amino acid transport mechanisms and metabolism as potential drug targets to treat invasive fungal infections, including pathogenic yeasts, such as species of Candida and Cryptococcus, as well as molds, such as Aspergillus fumigatus. We also explore the mechanisms by which amino acids may be exploited to identify novel drug targets and review potential hurdles to bringing this approach into clinical practice.

Strategies for subtyping influenza viruses circulating in the Danish pig population

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Breum, Solvej Østergaard; Hjulsager, Charlotte Kristiane; Trebbien, Ramona

2010-01-01

in the Danish pig population functional and rapid subtyping assays are required. The conventional RT-PCR influenza subtyping assays developed by Chiapponi et al. (2003) have been implemented and used for typing of influenza viruses found positive in a pan influenza A real time RT-PCR assay. The H1 and N1 assays......Influenza viruses are endemic in the Danish pig population and the dominant circulating subtypes are H1N1, a Danish H1N2 reassortant, and H3N2. Here we present our current and future strategies for influenza virus subtyping. For diagnostic and surveillance of influenza subtypes circulating...... were specific when applied on Danish influenza positive samples, whereas the N2 assay consistently showed several unspecific PCR products. A subset of positive influenza samples detected by the real time RT-PCR screening assay could not be subtyped using these assays. Therefore, new influenza subtyping...

Humic acid transport in saturated porous media: influence of flow velocity and influent concentration.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Xiaorong; Shao, Mingan; Du, Lina; Horton, Robert

2014-12-01

Understanding the transport of humic acids (HAs) in porous media can provide important and practical evidence needed for accurate prediction of organic/inorganic contaminant transport in different environmental media and interfaces. A series of column transport experiments was conducted to evaluate the transport of HA in different porous media at different flow velocities and influent HA concentrations. Low flow velocity and influent concentration were found to favor the adsorption and deposition of HA onto sand grains packed into columns and to give higher equilibrium distribution coefficients and deposition rate coefficients, which resulted in an increased fraction of HA being retained in columns. Consequently, retardation factors were increased and the transport of HA through the columns was delayed. These results suggest that the transport of HA in porous media is primarily controlled by the attachment of HA to the solid matrix. Accordingly, this attachment should be considered in studies of HA behavior in porous media. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

CryoEM structure of the human SLC4A4 sodium-coupled acid-base transporter NBCe1.

Science.gov (United States)

Huynh, Kevin W; Jiang, Jiansen; Abuladze, Natalia; Tsirulnikov, Kirill; Kao, Liyo; Shao, Xuesi; Newman, Debra; Azimov, Rustam; Pushkin, Alexander; Zhou, Z Hong; Kurtz, Ira

2018-03-02

Na + -coupled acid-base transporters play essential roles in human biology. Their dysfunction has been linked to cancer, heart, and brain disease. High-resolution structures of mammalian Na + -coupled acid-base transporters are not available. The sodium-bicarbonate cotransporter NBCe1 functions in multiple organs and its mutations cause blindness, abnormal growth and blood chemistry, migraines, and impaired cognitive function. Here, we have determined the structure of the membrane domain dimer of human NBCe1 at 3.9 Å resolution by cryo electron microscopy. Our atomic model and functional mutagenesis revealed the ion accessibility pathway and the ion coordination site, the latter containing residues involved in human disease-causing mutations. We identified a small number of residues within the ion coordination site whose modification transformed NBCe1 into an anion exchanger. Our data suggest that symporters and exchangers utilize comparable transport machinery and that subtle differences in their substrate-binding regions have very significant effects on their transport mode.

Neurocognitive Impairments Are More Severe in the Binge-Eating/Purging Anorexia Nervosa Subtype Than in the Restricting Subtype.

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Tamiya, Hiroko; Ouchi, Atushi; Chen, Runshu; Miyazawa, Shiho; Akimoto, Yoritaka; Kaneda, Yasuhiro; Sora, Ichiro

2018-01-01

Objective: To evaluate cognitive function impairment in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) of either the restricting (ANR) or binge-eating/purging (ANBP) subtype. Method: We administered the Japanese version of the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery to 22 patients with ANR, 18 patients with ANBP, and 69 healthy control subjects. Our participants were selected from among the patients at the Kobe University Hospital and community residents. Results: Compared to the healthy controls, the ANR group had significantly lower visual learning and social cognition scores, and the ANBP group had significantly lower processing speed, attention/vigilance, visual learning, reasoning/problem-solving, and social cognition scores. Compared to the ANR group, the ANBP group had significantly lower attention/vigilance scores. Discussion: The AN subtypes differed in cognitive function impairments. Participants with ANBP, which is associated with higher mortality rates than ANR, exhibited greater impairment severities, especially in the attention/vigilance domain, confirming the presence of impairments in continuous concentration. This may relate to the impulsivity, an ANBP characteristic reported in the personality research. Future studies can further clarify the cognitive impairments of each subtype by addressing the subtype cognitive functions and personality characteristics.

Superficial basal cell carcinoma: A comparison of superficial only subtype with superficial combined with other subtypes by age, sex and anatomic site in 3150 cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Pyne, John H; Myint, Esther; Barr, Elizabeth M; Clark, Simon P; David, Michael; Na, Renua; Hou, Ruihang

2017-08-01

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) may present as superficial subtype alone (sBCC) or superficial combined with other subtypes. The objective of this study was to compare sBCC without or with other BCC subtypes by age, sex and anatomic site. We retrospectively collected superficial BCC with the above characteristics from an Australian center during 2009 to 2014. We recorded 1528 sBCC and 1622 superficial BCC combined with other BCC subtype cases. Males numbered 2007 and females 1140. On males, head sites (forehead, cheek, nose and ear combined) compared to limb plus trunk sites displayed a higher incidence of superficial BCC combined with either nodular and or aggressive BCC subtypes (OR 13.15 CI 95% 8.9-19.5 P < .0001). On females a similar comparison also found a higher incidence of superficial BCC combined with solid subtype BCC on head sites compared to trunk and limb sites (OR 9.66 CI 95% 5.8-16.1 P < .0001). Superficial BCC alone is more likely on younger females on trunk and limb sites. Small partial biopsies reported as sBCC may miss other BCC subtypes present with higher risk on facial sites for males and females. Males had smaller proportions of superficial only subtype BCC on facial and ear sites compared to females. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Region of Difference Four is a Robust Genetic Marker for Subtyping Mycobacterium caprae Isolates and is Linked to Spatial Distribution of Three Subtypes.

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Rettinger, A; Broeckl, S; Fink, M; Prodinger, W M; Blum, H; Krebs, S; Domogalla, J; Just, F; Gellert, S; Straubinger, R K; Büttner, M

2017-06-01

Alpine Mycobacterium caprae isolates found in cattle and red deer display at least three genetic variations in the region of difference four (RD4) that can be used for further differentiation of the isolates into the subtypes 'Allgäu', 'Karwendel' and 'Lechtal'. Each genomic subtype is thereby characterized by a specific nucleotide deletion pattern in the 12.7-kb RD4 region. Even though M. caprae infections are frequently documented in cattle and red deer, little is known about the transmission routes. Hence, robust markers for M. caprae subtyping are needed to gain insight into the molecular epidemiology. For this reason, a rapid and robust multiplex PCR was developed for the simultaneous detection of three M. caprae RD4 subtypes and was used to subtype a total number of 241 M. caprae isolates from animals (145 cattle, 95 red deer and one fox) from Bavaria and Austria. All three subtypes occur spatially distributed and are found in cattle and in red deer suggesting transmission between the two species. As subtypes are genetically stable in both species it is hypothesized that the described genetic variations developed within the host due to 'within-host replication'. The results of this study recommend the genomic RD4 region as a reliable diagnostic marker for M. caprae subtype differentiation. © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Design and Synthesis of a Series of L-trans-4-Substituted Prolines as Selective Antagonists for the Ionotropic Glutamate Receptors Including Functional and X-ray Crystallographic Studies of New Subtype Selective Kainic Acid Receptor Subtype 1 (GluK1) Antagonist (2S,4R)-4-(2-Carboxyphenoxy)pyrrolidine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krogsgaard-Larsen, Niels; Delgar, Claudia; Koch, Karina

2017-01-01

Ionotropic glutamate receptor antagonists are valuable tool compounds for studies of neurological pathways in the central nervous system. On the basis of rational ligand design, a new class of selective antagonists, represented by (2S,4R)-4-(2-carboxy-phenoxy)pyrrolidine-2-carboxylic acid (1b...... to the structure with glutamate, consistent with 1b being an antagonist. A structure-activity relationship study showed that the chemical nature of the tethering atom (C,O, or S) linking the pyrrolidine ring and the phenyl ring plays a key role in the receptor selectivity profile and that substituents......), for cloned homomeric kainic acid receptor subtype 1 (GluK1) was attained (Ki = 4 µM). In a functional assay, 1b displayed full antagonist activity with IC50 = 6 ± 2 µM. A crystal structure was obtained of 1b when bound in the ligand binding domain of GluK1. A domain opening of 13-14° was seen compared...

Unraveling fatty acid transport and activation mechanisms in Yarrowia lipolytica.

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Dulermo, Rémi; Gamboa-Meléndez, Heber; Ledesma-Amaro, Rodrigo; Thévenieau, France; Nicaud, Jean-Marc

2015-09-01

Fatty acid (FA) transport and activation have been extensively studied in the model yeast species Saccharomyces cerevisiae but have rarely been examined in oleaginous yeasts, such as Yarrowia lipolytica. Because the latter begins to be used in biodiesel production, understanding its FA transport and activation mechanisms is essential. We found that Y. lipolytica has FA transport and activation proteins similar to those of S. cerevisiae (Faa1p, Pxa1p, Pxa2p, Ant1p) but mechanism of FA peroxisomal transport and activation differs greatly with that of S. cerevisiae. While the ScPxa1p/ScPxa2p heterodimer is essential for growth on long-chain FAs, ΔYlpxa1 ΔYlpxa2 is not impaired for growth on FAs. Meanwhile, ScAnt1p and YlAnt1p are both essential for yeast growth on medium-chain FAs, suggesting they function similarly. Interestingly, we found that the ΔYlpxa1 ΔYlpxa2 ΔYlant1 mutant was unable to grow on short-, medium-, or long-chain FAs, suggesting that YlPxa1p, YlPxa2p, and YlAnt1p belong to two different FA degradation pathways. We also found that YlFaa1p is involved in FA storage in lipid bodies and that FA remobilization largely depended on YlFat1p, YlPxa1p and YlPxa2p. This study is the first to comprehensively examine FA intracellular transport and activation in oleaginous yeast. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Mfsd2a Is a Transporter for the Essential ω-3 Fatty Acid Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) in Eye and Is Important for Photoreceptor Cell Development.

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Wong, Bernice H; Chan, Jia Pei; Cazenave-Gassiot, Amaury; Poh, Rebecca W; Foo, Juat Chin; Galam, Dwight L A; Ghosh, Sujoy; Nguyen, Long N; Barathi, Veluchamy A; Yeo, Sia W; Luu, Chi D; Wenk, Markus R; Silver, David L

2016-05-13

Eye photoreceptor membrane discs in outer rod segments are highly enriched in the visual pigment rhodopsin and the ω-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The eye acquires DHA from blood, but transporters for DHA uptake across the blood-retinal barrier or retinal pigment epithelium have not been identified. Mfsd2a is a newly described sodium-dependent lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) symporter expressed at the blood-brain barrier that transports LPCs containing DHA and other long-chain fatty acids. LPC transport via Mfsd2a has been shown to be necessary for human brain growth. Here we demonstrate that Mfsd2a is highly expressed in retinal pigment epithelium in embryonic eye, before the development of photoreceptors, and is the primary site of Mfsd2a expression in the eye. Eyes from whole body Mfsd2a-deficient (KO) mice, but not endothelium-specific Mfsd2a-deficient mice, were DHA-deficient and had significantly reduced LPC/DHA transport in vivo Fluorescein angiography indicated normal blood-retinal barrier function. Histological and electron microscopic analysis indicated that Mfsd2a KO mice exhibited a specific reduction in outer rod segment length, disorganized outer rod segment discs, and mislocalization of and reduction in rhodopsin early in postnatal development without loss of photoreceptors. Minor photoreceptor cell loss occurred in adult Mfsd2a KO mice, but electroretinography indicated visual function was normal. The developing eyes of Mfsd2a KO mice had activated microglia and up-regulation of lipogenic and cholesterogenic genes, likely adaptations to loss of LPC transport. These findings identify LPC transport via Mfsd2a as an important pathway for DHA uptake in eye and for development of photoreceptor membrane discs. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Assessing the genetic architecture of epithelial ovarian cancer histological subtypes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cuellar-Partida, Gabriel; Lu, Yi; Dixon, Suzanne C

2016-01-01

studies show that certain genetic variants confer susceptibility to all subtypes while other variants are subtype-specific. Here, we perform an extensive analysis of the genetic architecture of EOC subtypes. To this end, we used data of 10,014 invasive EOC patients and 21,233 controls from the Ovarian...

Sensory Subtypes in Preschool Aged Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Tomchek, Scott D; Little, Lauren M; Myers, John; Dunn, Winnie

2018-06-01

Given the heterogeneity of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), research has investigated how sensory features elucidate subtypes that enhance our understanding of etiology and tailored treatment approaches. Previous studies, however, have not integrated core developmental behaviors with sensory features in investigations of subtypes in ASD. Therefore, we used latent profile analysis to examine subtypes in a preschool aged sample considering sensory processing patterns in combination with social-communication skill, motor performance, and adaptive behavior. Results showed four subtypes that differed by degree and quality of sensory features, age and differential presentation of developmental skills. Findings partially align with previous literature on sensory subtypes and extends our understanding of how sensory processing aligns with other developmental domains in young children with ASD.

Pathological Gambling Subtypes

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Vachon, David D.; Bagby, R. Michael

2009-01-01

Although pathological gambling (PG) is regarded in the 4th edition of the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) as a unitary diagnostic construct, it is likely composed of distinct subtypes. In the current report, the authors used cluster analyses of personality traits with a…

Distinct molecular subtypes of uterine leiomyosarcoma respond differently to chemotherapy treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

An, Yang; Wang, Shuzhen; Li, Songlin; Zhang, Lulu; Wang, Dayong; Wang, Haojie; Zhu, Shibai; Zhu, Wan; Li, Yongqiang; Chen, Wenwu; Ji, Shaoping; Guo, Xiangqian

2017-09-11

Uterine leiomyosarcoma (ULMS) is an aggressive form of soft tissue tumors. The molecular heterogeneity and pathogenesis of ULMS are not well understood. Expression profiling data were used to determine the possibility and optimal number of ULMS molecular subtypes. Next, clinicopathological characters and molecular pathways were analyzed in each subtype to prospect the clinical applications and progression mechanisms of ULMS. Two distinct molecular subtypes of ULMS were defined based on different gene expression signatures. Subtype I ULMS recapitulated low-grade ULMS, the gene expression pattern of which resembled normal smooth muscle cells, characterized by overexpression of smooth muscle function genes such as LMOD1, SLMAP, MYLK, MYH11. In contrast, subtype II ULMS recapitulated high-grade ULMS with higher tumor weight and invasion rate, and was characterized by overexpression of genes involved in the pathway of epithelial to mesenchymal transition and tumorigenesis, such as CDK6, MAPK13 and HOXA1. We identified two distinct molecular subtypes of ULMS responding differently to chemotherapy treatment. Our findings provide a better understanding of ULMS intrinsic molecular subtypes, and will potentially facilitate the development of subtype-specific diagnosis biomarkers and therapy strategies for these tumors.

A coupled hydrodynamic-hydrochemical modeling for predicting mineral transport in a natural acid drainage system.

Science.gov (United States)

Zegers Risopatron, G., Sr.; Navarro, L.; Montserrat, S., Sr.; McPhee, J. P.; Niño, Y.

2017-12-01

The geochemistry of water and sediments, coupled with hydrodynamic transport in mountainous channels, is of particular interest in central Chilean Andes due to natural occurrence of acid waters. In this paper, we present a coupled transport and geochemical model to estimate and understand transport processes and fate of minerals at the Yerba Loca Basin, located near Santiago, Chile. In the upper zone, water presentes low pH ( 3) and high concentrations of iron, aluminum, copper, manganese and zinc. Acidity and minerals are the consequence of water-rock interactions in hydrothermal alteration zones, rich in sulphides and sulphates, covered by seasonal snow and glaciers. Downstream, as a consequence of neutral to alkaline lateral water contributions (pH >7) along the river, pH increases and concentration of solutes decreases. The mineral transport model has three components: (i) a hydrodynamic model, where we use HEC-RAS to solve 1D Saint-Venant equations, (ii) a sediment transport model to estimate erosion and sedimentation rates, which quantify minerals transference between water and riverbed and (iii) a solute transport model, based on the 1D OTIS model which takes into account the temporal delay in solutes transport that typically is observed in natural channels (transient storage). Hydrochemistry is solved using PHREEQC, a software for speciation and batch reaction. Our results show that correlation between mineral precipitation and dissolution according to pH values changes along the river. Based on pH measurements (and according to literature) we inferred that main minerals in the water system are brochantite, ferrihydrite, hydrobasaluminite and schwertmannite. Results show that our model can predict the transport and fate of minerals and metals in the Yerba Loca Basin. Mineral dissolution and precipitation process occur for limited ranges of pH values. When pH values are increased, iron minerals (schwertmannite) are the first to precipitate ( 2.5

Proliferation-dependent changes in amino acid transport and glucose metabolism in glioma cell lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sasajima, Toshio; Miyagawa, Tadashi; Oku, Takamitsu; Gelovani, Juri G.; Finn, Ronald; Blasberg, Ronald

2004-01-01

Amino acid imaging is increasingly being used for assessment of brain tumor malignancy, extent of disease, and prognosis. This study explores the relationship between proliferative activity, amino acid transport, and glucose metabolism in three glioma cell lines (U87, Hs683, C6) at different phases of growth in culture. Growth phase was characterized by direct cell counting, proliferation index determined by flow cytometry, and [ 3 H]thymidine (TdR) accumulation, and was compared with the uptake of two non-metabolized amino acids ([ 14 C]aminocyclopentane carboxylic acid (ACPC) and [ 14 C]aminoisobutyric acid (AIB)), and [ 18 F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). Highly significant relationships between cell number (density), proliferation index, and TdR accumulation rate were observed in all cell lines (r>0.99). Influx (K 1 ) of both ACPC and AIB was directly related to cell density, and inversely related to the proliferation index and TdR accumulation in all cell lines. The volume of distribution (V d ) for ACPC and AIB was lowest during rapid growth and highest during the near-plateau growth phase in all cell lines. FDG accumulation in Hs683 and C6 cells was unaffected by proliferation rate, growth phase, and cell density, whereas FDG accumulation was correlated with TdR accumulation, growth phase, and cell density in U87 cells. This study demonstrates that proliferation rate and glucose metabolism are not necessarily co-related in all glioma cell lines. The values of K 1 and V d for ACPC and AIB under different growth conditions suggest that these tumor cell lines can up-regulate amino acid transporters in their cell membranes when their growth conditions become adverse and less than optimal. (orig.)

Difference of achalasia subtypes based on clinical symptoms, radiographic findings, and stasis scores

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A. Meillier

2018-01-01

Conclusions: Achalasia subtypes had similar clinical symptoms, except for increased vomiting severity in subtype i. The maximum esophageal diameter in subtype ii was significantly greater than in subtype iii. Esophageal stasis scores were similar. Thus, high-resolution esophageal manometry remains essential in assessing achalasia subtypes.

Stable isotope tracer reveals that viviparous snakes transport amino acids to offspring during gestation.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Dyke, James U; Beaupre, Steven J

2012-03-01

Viviparity and placentation have evolved from oviparity over 100 times in squamate reptiles (lizards and snakes). The independent origins of placentation have resulted in a variety of placental morphologies in different taxa, ranging from simple apposition of fetal and maternal tissues to endotheliochorial implantation that is homoplasious with mammalian placentation. Because the eggs of oviparous squamates transport gases and water from the environment and calcium from the eggshell, the placentae of viviparous squamates are thought to have initially evolved to accomplish these functions from within the maternal oviduct. Species with complex placentae have also been shown to rely substantially, or even primarily, on placental transport of organic nutrients for embryonic nutrition. However, it is unclear whether species with only simple placentae are also capable of transporting organic nutrients to offspring. Among viviparous squamates, all of the snakes that have been studied thus far have been shown to have simple placentae. However, most studies of snake placentation are limited to a single lineage, the North American Natricinae. We tested the abilities of four species of viviparous snakes - Agkistrodon contortrix (Viperidae), Boa constrictor (Boidae), Nerodia sipedon (Colubridae: Natricinae) and Thamnophis sirtalis (Colubridae: Natricinae) - to transport diet-derived amino acids to offspring during gestation. We fed [(15)N]leucine to pregnant snakes, and compared offspring (15)N content with that of unlabeled controls. Labeled females allocated significantly more (15)N to offspring than did controls, but (15)N allocation did not differ among species. Our results indicate that viviparous snakes are capable of transporting diet-derived amino acids to their offspring during gestation, possibly via placentation.

On the Evolution of Specificity in Members of the Yeast Amino Acid Transporter Family as Parts of Specific Metabolic Pathways

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Christos Gournas

2018-05-01

Full Text Available In the recent years, molecular modeling and substrate docking, coupled with biochemical and genetic analyses have identified the substrate-binding residues of several amino acid transporters of the yeast amino acid transporter (YAT family. These consist of (a residues conserved across YATs that interact with the invariable part of amino acid substrates and (b variable residues that interact with the side chain of the amino acid substrate and thus define specificity. Secondary structure sequence alignments showed that the positions of these residues are conserved across YATs and could thus be used to predict the specificity of YATs. Here, we discuss the potential of combining molecular modeling and structural alignments with intra-species phylogenetic comparisons of transporters, in order to predict the function of uncharacterized members of the family. We additionally define some orphan branches which include transporters with potentially novel, and to be characterized specificities. In addition, we discuss the particular case of the highly specific l-proline transporter, PrnB, of Aspergillus nidulans, whose gene is part of a cluster of genes required for the utilization of proline as a carbon and/or nitrogen source. This clustering correlates with transcriptional regulation of these genes, potentially leading to the efficient coordination of the uptake of externally provided l-Pro via PrnB and its enzymatic degradation in the cell.

Cationic amino acid transporter 2 enhances innate immunity during Helicobacter pylori infection.

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Daniel P Barry

Full Text Available Once acquired, Helicobacter pylori infection is lifelong due to an inadequate innate and adaptive immune response. Our previous studies indicate that interactions among the various pathways of arginine metabolism in the host are critical determinants of outcomes following infection. Cationic amino acid transporter 2 (CAT2 is essential for transport of L-arginine (L-Arg into monocytic immune cells during H. pylori infection. Once within the cell, this amino acid is utilized by opposing pathways that lead to elaboration of either bactericidal nitric oxide (NO produced from inducible NO synthase (iNOS, or hydrogen peroxide, which causes macrophage apoptosis, via arginase and the polyamine pathway. Because of its central role in controlling L-Arg availability in macrophages, we investigated the importance of CAT2 in vivo during H. pylori infection. CAT2(-/- mice infected for 4 months exhibited decreased gastritis and increased levels of colonization compared to wild type mice. We observed suppression of gastric macrophage levels, macrophage expression of iNOS, dendritic cell activation, and expression of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor in CAT2(-/- mice suggesting that CAT2 is involved in enhancing the innate immune response. In addition, cytokine expression in CAT2(-/- mice was altered from an antimicrobial Th1 response to a Th2 response, indicating that the transporter has downstream effects on adaptive immunity as well. These findings demonstrate that CAT2 is an important regulator of the immune response during H. pylori infection.

Tubal ligation and risk of ovarian cancer subtypes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sieh, Weiva; Salvador, Shannon; McGuire, Valerie

2013-01-01

Tubal ligation is a protective factor for ovarian cancer, but it is unknown whether this protection extends to all invasive histological subtypes or borderline tumors. We undertook an international collaborative study to examine the association between tubal ligation and ovarian cancer subtypes....

Subtyping pathological gamblers based on impulsivity, depression, and anxiety.

Science.gov (United States)

Ledgerwood, David M; Petry, Nancy M

2010-12-01

This study examined putative subtypes of pathological gamblers (PGs) based on the Pathways model, and it also evaluated whether the subtypes would benefit differentially from treatment. Treatment-seeking PGs (N = 229) were categorized into Pathways subtypes based on scores from questionnaires assessing anxiety, depression, and impulsivity. The Addiction Severity Index-Gambling assessed severity of gambling problems at baseline, posttreatment, and 12-month follow-up. Compared with behaviorally conditioned (BC) gamblers, emotionally vulnerable (EV) gamblers had higher psychiatric and gambling severity, and were more likely to have a parent with a psychiatric history. Antisocial impulsive (AI) gamblers also had elevated gambling and psychiatric severity relative to BC gamblers. They were more likely to have antisocial personality disorder and had the highest legal and family/social severity scores. They were also most likely to have a history of substance abuse treatment, history of inpatient psychiatric treatment, and a parent with a substance use or gambling problem. AI and EV gamblers experienced greater gambling severity throughout treatment than BC gamblers, but all three subtypes demonstrated similar patterns of treatment response. Thus, the three Pathways subtypes differ on some baseline characteristics, but subtyping did not predict treatment outcomes beyond a simple association with problem gambling severity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).

Diabetes and Breast Cancer Subtypes.

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Heleen K Bronsveld

Full Text Available Women with diabetes have a worse survival after breast cancer diagnosis compared to women without diabetes. This may be due to a different etiological profile, leading to the development of more aggressive breast cancer subtypes. Our aim was to investigate whether insulin and non-insulin treated women with diabetes develop specific clinicopathological breast cancer subtypes compared to women without diabetes.This cross-sectional study included randomly selected patients with invasive breast cancer diagnosed in 2000-2010. Stratified by age at breast cancer diagnosis (≤50 and >50 years, women with diabetes were 2:1 frequency-matched on year of birth and age at breast cancer diagnosis (both in 10-year categories to women without diabetes, to select ~300 patients with tumor tissue available. Tumor MicroArrays were stained by immunohistochemistry for estrogen and progesterone receptor (ER, PR, HER2, Ki67, CK5/6, CK14, and p63. A pathologist scored all stains and revised morphology and grade. Associations between diabetes/insulin treatment and clinicopathological subtypes were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. Morphology and grade were not significantly different between women with diabetes (n = 211 and women without diabetes (n = 101, irrespective of menopausal status. Premenopausal women with diabetes tended to have more often PR-negative (OR = 2.44(95%CI:1.07-5.55, HER2-negative (OR = 2.84(95%CI:1.11-7.22, and basal-like (OR = 3.14(95%CI:1.03-9.60 tumors than the women without diabetes, with non-significantly increased frequencies of ER-negative (OR = 2.48(95%CI:0.95-6.45 and triple negative (OR = 2.60(95%CI:0.88-7.67 tumors. After adjustment for age and BMI, the associations remained similar in size but less significant. We observed no evidence for associations of clinicopathological subtypes with diabetes in postmenopausal women, or with insulin treatment in general.We found no compelling evidence that women with diabetes

Diabetes and Breast Cancer Subtypes.

Science.gov (United States)

Bronsveld, Heleen K; Jensen, Vibeke; Vahl, Pernille; De Bruin, Marie L; Cornelissen, Sten; Sanders, Joyce; Auvinen, Anssi; Haukka, Jari; Andersen, Morten; Vestergaard, Peter; Schmidt, Marjanka K

2017-01-01

Women with diabetes have a worse survival after breast cancer diagnosis compared to women without diabetes. This may be due to a different etiological profile, leading to the development of more aggressive breast cancer subtypes. Our aim was to investigate whether insulin and non-insulin treated women with diabetes develop specific clinicopathological breast cancer subtypes compared to women without diabetes. This cross-sectional study included randomly selected patients with invasive breast cancer diagnosed in 2000-2010. Stratified by age at breast cancer diagnosis (≤50 and >50 years), women with diabetes were 2:1 frequency-matched on year of birth and age at breast cancer diagnosis (both in 10-year categories) to women without diabetes, to select ~300 patients with tumor tissue available. Tumor MicroArrays were stained by immunohistochemistry for estrogen and progesterone receptor (ER, PR), HER2, Ki67, CK5/6, CK14, and p63. A pathologist scored all stains and revised morphology and grade. Associations between diabetes/insulin treatment and clinicopathological subtypes were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. Morphology and grade were not significantly different between women with diabetes (n = 211) and women without diabetes (n = 101), irrespective of menopausal status. Premenopausal women with diabetes tended to have more often PR-negative (OR = 2.44(95%CI:1.07-5.55)), HER2-negative (OR = 2.84(95%CI:1.11-7.22)), and basal-like (OR = 3.14(95%CI:1.03-9.60) tumors than the women without diabetes, with non-significantly increased frequencies of ER-negative (OR = 2.48(95%CI:0.95-6.45)) and triple negative (OR = 2.60(95%CI:0.88-7.67) tumors. After adjustment for age and BMI, the associations remained similar in size but less significant. We observed no evidence for associations of clinicopathological subtypes with diabetes in postmenopausal women, or with insulin treatment in general. We found no compelling evidence that women with diabetes, treated

Cellular fatty acid transport in heart and skeletal muscle as facilitated by proteins

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Luiken, J. J.; Schaap, F. G.; van Nieuwenhoven, F. A.; van der Vusse, G. J.; Bonen, A.; Glatz, J. F.

1999-01-01

Despite the importance of long-chain fatty acids (FA) as fuels for heart and skeletal muscles, the mechanism of their cellular uptake has not yet been clarified. There is dispute as to whether FA are taken up by the muscle cells via passive diffusion and/or carrier-mediated transport. Kinetic

Subtype distribution of Blastocystis isolates from synanthropic and zoo animals and identification of a new subtype

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stensvold, C. R.; Alfellani, M. A.; Nørskov-Lauritsen, S.

2009-01-01

Blastocystis isolates from 56 Danish synanthropic and zoo animals, 62 primates primarily from United Kingdom (UK) collections and 16 UK primate handlers were subtyped by PCR, sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. A new subtype (ST) from primates and artiodactyls was identified and designated...... infections from primates by their handlers had occurred in these cases. Data from published studies of non-human primates, other mammals and birds were collected and interpreted to generate a comprehensive overview on the ST distribution in such animals. On the basis of information on 438 samples...

Tubular urate transporter gene polymorphisms differentiate patients with gout who have normal and decreased urinary uric acid excretion.

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Torres, Rosa J; de Miguel, Eugenio; Bailén, Rebeca; Banegas, José R; Puig, Juan G

2014-09-01

Primary gout has been associated with single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in several tubular urate transporter genes. No study has assessed the association of reabsorption and secretion urate transporter gene SNP with gout in a single cohort of documented primary patients with gout carefully subclassified as normoexcretors or underexcretors. Three reabsorption SNP (SLC22A12/URAT1, SLC2A9/GLUT9, and SLC22A11/OAT4) and 2 secretion transporter SNP (SLC17A1/NPT1 and ABCG2/BRCP) were studied in 104 patients with primary gout and in 300 control subjects. The patients were subclassified into normoexcretors and underexcretors according to their serum and 24-h urinary uric acid levels under strict conditions of dietary control. Compared with control subjects, patients with gout showed different allele distributions of the 5 SNP analyzed. However, the diagnosis of underexcretor was only positively associated with the presence of the T allele of URAT1 rs11231825, the G allele of GLUT9 rs16890979, and the A allele of ABCG2 rs2231142. The association of the A allele of ABCG2 rs2231142 in normoexcretors was 10 times higher than in underexcretors. The C allele of NPT1 rs1165196 was only significantly associated with gout in patients with normal uric acid excretion. Gout with uric acid underexcretion is associated with transporter gene SNP related mainly to tubular reabsorption, whereas uric acid normoexcretion is associated only with tubular secretion SNP. This finding supports the concept of distinctive mechanisms to account for hyperuricemia in patients with gout with reduced or normal uric acid excretion.

Is PIGD a legitimate motor subtype in Parkinson disease?

Science.gov (United States)

Kotagal, Vikas

2016-06-01

Parkinson disease is a chronic progressive syndrome with a broad array of clinical features. Different investigators have suggested the heterogeneous motor manifestations of early Parkinson disease can be conceptualized through a taxonomy of clinical subtypes including tremor-predominant and postural instability and gait difficulty-predominant subtypes. Although it is theoretically valuable to distinguish subtypes of Parkinson disease, the reality is that few patients fit these discrete categories well and many transition from exhibiting elements of one subtype to elements of another. In the time since the initial description of the postural instability and gait difficulty-predominant subtype, Parkinson disease clinical research has blossomed in many ways - including an increased emphasis on the role of medical comorbidities and extranigral pathologies in Parkinson disease as markers of prognostic significance. By conceptualizing the pathogenesis of an expansive disease process in the limited terms of categorical motor subtypes, we run the risk of overlooking or misclassifying clinically significant pathogenic risk factors that lead to the development of motor milestones such as falls and related axial motor disability. Given its critical influence on quality of life and overall prognosis, we are in need of a model of postural instability and gait difficulty-predominant features in Parkinson disease that emphasizes the overlooked pathological influence of aging and medical comorbidities on the development of axial motor burden and postural instability and gait difficulty-predominant features. This Point of View proposes thinking of postural instability and gait difficulties in Parkinson disease not as a discrete subtype, but rather as multidimensional continuum influenced by several overlapping age-related pathologies.

Racial difference in histologic subtype of renal cell carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olshan, Andrew F; Kuo, Tzy-Mey; Meyer, Anne-Marie; Nielsen, Matthew E; Purdue, Mark P; Rathmell, W Kimryn

2013-01-01

In the United States, renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has rapidly increased in incidence for over two decades. The most common histologic subtypes of RCC, clear cell, papillary, and chromophobe have distinct genetic and clinical characteristics; however, epidemiologic features of these subtypes have not been well characterized, particularly regarding any associations between race, disease subtypes, and recent incidence trends. Using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program, we examined differences in the age-adjusted incidence rates and trends of RCC subtypes, including analysis focusing on racial differences. Incidence rates increased over time (2001–2009) for all three subtypes. However, the proportion of white cases with clear cell histology was higher than among blacks (50% vs. 31%, respectively), whereas black cases were more likely than white cases to have papillary RCC (23% vs. 9%, respectively). Moreover, papillary RCC incidence increased more rapidly for blacks than whites (P < 0.01) over this period. We also observed that increased incidence of papillary histology among blacks is not limited to the smallest size strata. We observed racial differences in proportionate incidence of RCC subtypes, which appear to be increasing over time; this novel finding motivates further etiologic, clinical, molecular, and genetic studies. Using national data, we observed a higher proportion of black renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cases with papillary histology compared to Caucasian cases. We also observed time trends in black-white incidence differences in histologic RCC subtypes, with rapid increases in the disproportionate share of black cases with papillary histology

Neuronal calcium channel antagonists. Discrimination between calcium channel subtypes using omega-conotoxin from Conus magus venom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olivera, B.M.; Cruz, L.J.; de Santos, V.

1987-01-01

The omega-conotoxins from the venom of fish-hunting cone snails are probably the most useful of presently available ligands for neuronal Ca channels from vertebrates. Two of these peptide toxins, omega-conotoxins MVIIA and MVIIB from the venom of Conus magus, were purified. The amino acid sequences show significant differences from omega-conotoxins from Conus geographus. Total synthesis of omega-conotoxin MVIIA was achieved, and biologically active radiolabeled toxin was produced by iodination. Although omega-conotoxins from C. geographus (GVIA) and C. magus (MVIIA) appear to compete for the same sites in mammalian brain, in amphibian brain the high-affinity binding of omega-conotoxin MVIIA has narrower specificity. In this system, it is demonstrated that a combination of two omega-conotoxins can be used for biochemically defining receptor subtypes and suggested that these correspond to subtypes of neutronal Ca 2+ channels

Genetic recombination and Cryptosporidium hominis virulent subtype IbA10G2.

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Li, Na; Xiao, Lihua; Cama, Vitaliano A; Ortega, Ynes; Gilman, Robert H; Guo, Meijin; Feng, Yaoyu

2013-10-01

Little is known about the emergence and spread of virulent subtypes of Cryptosporidium hominis, the predominant species responsible for human cryptosporidiosis. We conducted sequence analyses of 32 genetic loci of 53 C. hominis specimens isolated from a longitudinally followed cohort of children living in a small community. We identified by linkage disequilibrium and recombination analyses only limited genetic recombination, which occurred exclusively within the 60-kDa glycoprotein gene subtype IbA10G2, a predominant subtype for outbreaks in industrialized nations and a virulent subtype in the study community. Intensive transmission of virulent subtype IbA10G2 in the study area might have resulted in genetic recombination with other subtypes. Moreover, we identified selection for IbA10G2 at a 129-kb region around the 60-kDa glycoprotein gene in chromosome 6. These findings improve our understanding of the origin and evolution of C. hominis subtypes and the spread of virulent subtypes.

Diagnosis and subtypes of adolescent antisocial personality disorder.

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Jones, Meredith; Westen, Drew

2010-04-01

The present study examined the application of the Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) diagnosis to adolescents and investigated the possibility of subtypes of APD adolescents. As part of a broader study of adolescent personality in clinically-referred patients, experienced clinicians provided personality data on a randomly selected patient in their care using the SWAP-II-A personality pathology instrument. Three hundred thirteen adolescents met adult DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for APD. To characterize adolescents with the disorder, we aggregated the data to identify the items most descriptive and distinctive of APD adolescents relative to other teenagers in the sample (N = 950). Q-factor analysis identified five personality subtypes: psychopathic-like, socially withdrawn, impulsive-histrionic, emotionally dysregulated, and attentionally dysregulated. The five subtypes differed in predictable ways on a set of external criteria related to global adaptive functioning, childhood family environment, and family history of psychiatric illness. Both the APD diagnosis and the empirically derived APD subtypes provided incremental validity over and above the DSM-IV disruptive behavior disorders in predicting global adaptive functioning, number of arrests, early-onset severe externalizing pathology, and quality of peer relationships. Although preliminary, these results provide support for the use of both APD and personality-based subtyping systems in adolescents.

Precise subtyping for synchronous multiparty sessions

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Mariangiola Dezani-Ciancaglini

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The notion of subtyping has gained an important role both in theoretical and applicative domains: in lambda and concurrent calculi as well as in programming languages. The soundness and the completeness, together referred to as the preciseness of subtyping, can be considered from two different points of view: operational and denotational. The former preciseness has been recently developed with respect to type safety, i.e. the safe replacement of a term of a smaller type when a term of a bigger type is expected. The latter preciseness is based on the denotation of a type which is a mathematical object that describes the meaning of the type in accordance with the denotations of other expressions from the language. The result of this paper is the operational and denotational preciseness of the subtyping for a synchronous multiparty session calculus. The novelty of this paper is the introduction of characteristic global types to prove the operational completeness.

The β-lactam clavulanic acid mediates glutamate transport-sensitive pain relief in a rat model of neuropathic pain

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Kristensen, P J; Gegelashvili, G; Munro, G

2017-01-01

-regulates glutamate transporters both in vitro and in vivo. Crucially, a similar up-regulation of glutamate transporters in human spinal astrocytes by clavulanic acid supports the development of novel β-lactam-based analgesics, devoid of antibacterial activity, for the clinical treatment of chronic pain.......BACKGROUND: Following nerve injury, down-regulation of astroglial glutamate transporters (GluTs) with subsequent extracellular glutamate accumulation is a key factor contributing to hyperexcitability within the spinal dorsal horn. Some β-lactam antibiotics can up-regulate GluTs, one of which......, ceftriaxone, displays analgesic effects in rodent chronic pain models. METHODS: Here, the antinociceptive actions of another β-lactam clavulanic acid, which possesses negligible antibiotic activity, were compared with ceftriaxone in rats with chronic constriction injury (CCI)-induced neuropathic pain...

Inhibition of beta-amino acid transport by diamide does not involve the brush border membrane surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chesney, R.W.; Gusowski, N.; Albright, P.

1985-01-01

Diamide (dicarboxylic acid bis-(N,N-dimethylamide) has been shown in previous studies to block the uptake of the beta-amino acid taurine at its high affinity transport site in rat renal cortex slices. Diamide may act by increasing the efflux of taurine from the slice. Studies performed in rat slices again indicate enhanced efflux over 8-12 minutes. The time course of reduced glutathione (GSH) depletion from renal cortex is similar, indicating a potential interaction between GSH depletion and inhibition of taurine accumulation. The effect of 9 mM diamide on the Na+ -dependent accumulation of taurine (10 and 250 microM) by brush border membrane vesicles was examined, and the taurine uptake value both initially and at equilibrium was the same in the presence and absence of diamide. Isolation of the brush border surface and subsequent transport studies of taurine are not influenced by diamide. Thus, diamide inhibition of taurine uptake does not involve physiochemical alteration of the membrane surface where active amino acid transport occurs, despite the thiol-oxidizing properties of this agent. Further, these studies suggest that diamide either acts at the basolateral surface, rather than the brush border surface of rat renal cortex or requires the presence of an intact tubule, capable of metabolism, prior to its inhibitory action

Distribution And Clinicopathological Features Of Breast Cancer Histological Subtypes In Latvia

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Srebnijs Andrejs

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Breast cancer is a heterogenous disease. It consists of several histological subtypes that can be separated by morphology and immunohistochemistry. The aim of our study was to determine the distribution of breast cancer histological and molecular subtypes, and their relationship with clinical and pathological characteristics. A total of 561 patients who underwent breast carcinoma surgical treatment from January 2003 till December 2012 were enrolled in the study. In total, invasive ductal carcinomas not otherwise specified (IDC-NOS plus invasive ductal carcinomas no special type (IDC-NST were observed in 430 patients (76.65% of cases, medullar carcinoma in 14 patients (2.45%, other rare ductal carcinoma subtypes in 13 patients (2.31%, lobular carcinoma in 81 patients (14.4% and tubulolobular carcinoma in 23 patients (4.19%. Ductal carcinoma, lobular and tubulolobular carcinoma had predominantly luminal A and B subtype, whereas medullar carcinoma had HER2-positive and triple-negative (TN subtype. Tubular, cribriform, mucinous, papillary, and apocrine carcinomas had predominantly luminal A subtype. Significant differences between breast cancer histological subtypes and clinicopathological characteristics were observed. Our study for the first time reported the distribution and characteristics of breast cancer histological subtypes in Latvian women and relationship to clinical and tumour histopathological characteristics.

The validity and utility of subtyping bulimia nervosa

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Hoeken, Daphne; Veling, Wim; Sinke, Sjoukje; Mitchell, James E.; Hoek, Hans W.

Objective: To review the evidence for the validity and utility of subtyping bulimia nervosa (BN) into a purging (BN-P) and a nonpurging subtype (BN-NP), and of distinguishing BN-NP from binge eating disorder (BED), by comparing course, complications, and treatment. Method: A literature search of

The validity and utility of subtyping bulimia nervosa

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Hoeken, Daphne; Veling, Wim; Sinke, Sjoukje; Mitchell, James E.; Hoek, Hans W.

2009-01-01

Objective: To review the evidence for the validity and utility of subtyping bulimia nervosa (BN) into a purging (BN-P) and a nonpurging subtype (BN-NP), and of distinguishing BN-NP from binge eating disorder (BED), by comparing course, complications, and treatment. Method: A literature search of

Cardiac potassium channel subtypes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schmitt, Nicole; Grunnet, Morten; Olesen, Søren-Peter

2014-01-01

About 10 distinct potassium channels in the heart are involved in shaping the action potential. Some of the K(+) channels are primarily responsible for early repolarization, whereas others drive late repolarization and still others are open throughout the cardiac cycle. Three main K(+) channels...... drive the late repolarization of the ventricle with some redundancy, and in atria this repolarization reserve is supplemented by the fairly atrial-specific KV1.5, Kir3, KCa, and K2P channels. The role of the latter two subtypes in atria is currently being clarified, and several findings indicate...... that they could constitute targets for new pharmacological treatment of atrial fibrillation. The interplay between the different K(+) channel subtypes in both atria and ventricle is dynamic, and a significant up- and downregulation occurs in disease states such as atrial fibrillation or heart failure...

Salmonella Source Attribution in Japan by a Microbiological Subtyping Approach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Toyofuku, Hajime; Pires, Sara Monteiro; Hald, Tine

2011-01-01

In order to estimate the number of human Salmonella infections attributable to each of major animal-food source, and help identifying the best Salmonella intervention strategies, a microbial subtyping approach for source attribution was applied. We adapted a Bayesian model that attributes illnesses......-food sources, subtype-related factors, and source-related factors. National-surveillance serotyping data from 1998 to 2007 were applied to the model. Results suggested that the relative contribution of the sources to salmonellosis varied during the 10 year period, and that eggs are the most important source...... to specific sources and allows for the estimation of the differences in the ability of Salmonella subtypes and food types to result in reported salmonellosis. The number of human cases caused by different Salmonella subtypes is estimated as a function of the prevalence of these subtypes in the animal...

Biostructural and pharmacological studies of bicyclic analogues of the 3-isoxazolol glutamate receptor agonist ibotenic acid

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Frydenvang, Karla Andrea; Pickering, Darryl S; Greenwood, Jeremy R

2010-01-01

We describe an improved synthesis and detailed pharmacological characterization of the conformationally restricted analogue of the naturally occurring nonselective glutamate receptor agonist ibotenic acid (RS)-3-hydroxy-4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoxazolo[5,4-c]pyridine-7-carboxylic acid (7-HPCA, 5......) at AMPA receptor subtypes. Compound 5 was shown to be a subtype-discriminating agonist at AMPA receptors with higher binding affinity and functional potency at GluA1/2 compared to GluA3/4, unlike the isomeric analogue (RS)-3-hydroxy-4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoxazolo[5,4-c]pyridine-5-carboxylic acid (5-HPCA, 4...

Therapeutic response to benzodiazepine in panic disorder subtypes

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Alexandre Martins Valença

Full Text Available CONTEXT: This study makes a comparison between two subtypes of panic disorder regarding the clinical efficacy of clonazepam, a benzodiazepine. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of clonazepam in a fixed dosage (2 mg/day, compared to placebo, in the treatment of panic disorder patients and to verify whether there are any differences in the responses to clonazepam between panic disorder patients with the respiratory and non-respiratory subtypes. TYPE OF STUDY: Randomized study with clonazepam and placebo. SETTING: Outpatient Anxiety and Depression Unit of the Institute of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: 34 patients with a diagnosis of panic disorder with agoraphobia, between 18 and 55 years old. PROCEDURES: Administration of clonazepam or placebo for 6 weeks, in panic disorder patients, after they were classified within two subtypes of panic disorder: respiratory and non-respiratory. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Changes in the number of panic attacks in comparison with the period before the beginning of the study; Hamilton Anxiety Scale; Global Clinical Impression Scale; and Patient's Global Impression scale. RESULTS: In the group that received clonazepam, by the end of the 6th week there was a statistically significant clinical improvement, shown by the remission of panic attacks (p < 0.001 and decrease in anxiety (p = 0.024. In the group that received clonazepam there was no significant difference between the respiratory and non-respiratory subtypes of panic disorder, regarding the therapeutic response to clonazepam. CONCLUSION: Clonazepam was equally effective in the treatment of the respiratory and non-respiratory subtypes of panic disorder, suggesting there is no difference in the therapeutic response between the two subtypes.

Molecular and epidemiological characterization of HIV-1 subtypes among Libyan patients.

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Daw, Mohamed A; El-Bouzedi, Abdallah; Ahmed, Mohamed O; Dau, Aghnyia A

2017-04-28

The epidemiological and clinical aspects of human immunodeficiency virus subtypes are of great interest worldwide. These subtypes are rarely studied in North African countries. Libya is a large country with the longest coast on the Mediterranean Sea, facing the Southern European countries. Studies on the characterization of HIV-1 subtypes are limited in Libya. This study aimed to determine the magnitude of the HIV problem among the Libyan population and to better understand the genetic diversity and the epidemiologic dynamics of HIV 1, as well as to correlate that with the risk factors involved. A total of 159 HIV-1 strains were collected from 814 HIV positive patients from the four Libyan regions during a 16-year period (1995-2010). To determine the HIV-1 subtypes, genetic analysis and molecular sequencing were carried out using provirus polygene. Epidemiologic and demographic information was obtained from each participant and correlated with HIV-1 subtypes using logistic regression. The overall prevalence of HIV among Libyans ranged from 5 to 10 per 100,000 during the study period. It was higher among intravenous drug users (IVDUs) (53.9%), blood recipients (25.9%) and heterosexuals (17.6%) than by vertical transmission (2.6%). Prevalence was higher among males aged 20-40 years (M:F 1:6, P > 0.001). Among the 159 strains of HIV-1 available for typing, 117 strains (73.6%) were subtype B, 29 (18.2%) were CRF02_AG, and 13 (8.2%) were subtype A. HIV-1 subtype B was the most prevalent all over the country, and it was more prevalent in the Northern region, particularly among IVDUs (P HIV-1 infection is emerging in Libya with a shifting prevalence of subtypes associated with the changing epidemiology of HIV-1 among risk groups. A genetic analysis of HIV-1 strains demonstrated low subtype heterogeneity with the evolution of subtype B, and CRF_20 AG, as well as HIV-1 subtype A. Our study highlights the importance of expanded surveillance programs to control HIV

Progranulin expression in breast cancer with different intrinsic subtypes.

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Li, Li Qin; Min, Li Shan; Jiang, Qun; Ping, Jin Liang; Li, Jing; Dai, Li Cheng

2012-04-15

Progranulin is a newly discovered 88-kDa glycoprotein originally purified from the highly tumorigenic mouse teratoma-derived cell line PC. We found that high progranulin expression was associated with higher breast carcinoma angiogenesis, reflected by increased vascular endothelial growth factor expression and higher microvessel density. However, no immunohistochemical evidence currently exists to correlate progranulin expression with clinicopathological features in different intrinsic subtypes of breast carcinoma biopsies. The aim of this study was to investigate the progranulin expression profiles in the intrinsic subtypes of breast carcinomas and their relevance to histopathological and clinicopathological features. Tissue blocks containing 264 cases of breast carcinomas from 2006 to 2009 were classified as different intrinsic subtypes. Tissues of four intrinsic subtypes were immunostained for progranulin, vascular endothelial growth factor and CD105. Their relevance to histopathological and clinicopathological features was also analyzed. Twenty tissue samples from breast fibroadenomas were included in this study. Progranulin expression showed no significant differences in different intrinsic subtypes, although an increasing tendency could be found in the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) subgroup (χ(2)=5.00, df=3, p=0.17). However, differences were significant when pathologically node metastasis-positive (pN(+)) TNBC were excluded (χ(2)=17.84, df=3, pprogranulin in pathologically node metastasis-negative (pN(-)) TNBC. It was noted that the EGFR expression level of the pN(-) TNBC subtype was significantly higher in cases with strong progranulin expression than in cases with weak progranulin expression (χ(2)=11.26, df=1, pprogranulin in pN(-) TNBC suggests that progranulin is a promising new target for pN(-) TNBC treatment. Strong expression of progranulin correlates with positive EGFR expression in the pN(-) TNBC subtype. The close relationship between

Origin and dynamics of HIV-1 subtype C infection in India.

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Chengli Shen

Full Text Available To investigate the geographical origin and evolution dynamics of HIV-1 subtype C infection in India.Ninety HIV-1 subtype C env gp120 subtype C sequences from India were compared with 312 env gp120 reference subtype C sequences from 27 different countries obtained from Los Alamos HIV database. All the HIV-1 subtype C env gp120 sequences from India were used for the geographical origin analysis and 61 subtype C env gp120 sequences with known sampling year (from 1991 to 2008 were employed to determine the origin of HIV infection in India.Phylogenetic analysis of HIV-1 env sequences was used to investigate the geographical origin and tMRCA of Indian HIV-1 subtype C. Evolutionary parameters including origin date and demographic growth patterns of Indian subtype C were estimated using a Bayesian coalescent-based approach under relaxed molecular clock models.The majority of the analyzed Indian and South African HIV-1 subtype C sequences formed a single monophyletic cluster. The most recent common ancestor date was calculated to be 1975.56 (95% HPD, 1968.78-1981.52. Reconstruction of the effective population size revealed three phases of epidemic growth: an initial slow growth, followed by exponential growth, and then a plateau phase approaching present time. Stabilization of the epidemic growth phase correlated with the foundation of National AIDS Control Organization in India.Indian subtype C originated from a single South African lineage in the middle of 1970s. The current study emphasizes not only the utility of HIV-1 sequence data for epidemiological studies but more notably highlights the effectiveness of community or government intervention strategies in controlling the trend of the epidemic.

The expression and function of fatty acid transport protein-2 and -4 in the murine placenta.

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Takuya Mishima

Full Text Available The uptake and trans-placental trafficking of fatty acids from the maternal blood into the fetal circulation are essential for embryonic development, and involve several families of proteins. Fatty acid transport proteins (FATPs uniquely transport fatty acids into cells. We surmised that placental FATPs are germane for fetal growth, and are regulated during hypoxic stress, which is associated with reduced fat supply to the fetus.Using cultured primary term human trophoblasts we found that FATP2, FATP4 and FATP6 were highly expressed in trophoblasts. Hypoxia enhanced the expression of trophoblastic FATP2 and reduced the expression of FATP4, with no change in FATP6. We also found that Fatp2 and Fatp4 are expressed in the mouse amnion and placenta, respectively. Mice deficient in Fatp2 or Fatp4 did not deviate from normal Mendelian distribution, with both embryos and placentas exhibiting normal weight and morphology, triglyceride content, and expression of genes related to fatty acid mobilization.We conclude that even though hypoxia regulates the expression of FATP2 and FATP4 in human trophoblasts, mouse Fatp2 and Fatp4 are not essential for intrauterine fetal growth.

Characterization of Seasonal Influenza Virus Type and Subtypes Isolated from Influenza Like Illness Cases of 2012.

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Upadhyay, B P; Ghimire, P; Tashiro, M; Banjara, M R

Background Seasonal influenza is one of the increasing public health burdens in Nepal. Objective The objective of this study was to isolate and characterize the influenza virus type and subtypes of Nepal. Method A total of 1536 throat swab specimens were collected from January to December 2012. Total ribonucleic acid was extracted using Qiagen viral nucleic acid extraction kit and polymerase chain reaction assay was performed following the US; CDC Real-time PCR protocol. Ten percent of positive specimens were inoculated onto Madin-Darby Canine Kidney cells. Isolates were characterized by using reference ferret antisera. Result Of the total specimens (n=1536), influenza virus type A was detected in 196 (22%) cases; of which 194 (99%) were influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 and 2 (1 %) were influenza A/H3 subtype. Influenza B was detected in 684 (76.9%) cases. Influenza A (H1N1) pdm09, A/H3 and influenza B virus were antigenically similar to the recommended influenza virus vaccine candidate of the year 2012. Although sporadic cases of influenza were observed throughout the year, peak was observed during July to November. Conclusion Similar to other tropical countries, A (H1N1) pdm09, A/H3 and influenza B viruses were co-circulated in Nepal.

Competing endogenous RNA network analysis identifies critical genes among the different breast cancer subtypes.

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Chen, Juan; Xu, Juan; Li, Yongsheng; Zhang, Jinwen; Chen, Hong; Lu, Jianping; Wang, Zishan; Zhao, Xueying; Xu, Kang; Li, Yixue; Li, Xia; Zhang, Yan

2017-02-07

Although competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) have been implicated in many solid tumors, their roles in breast cancer subtypes are not well understood. We therefore generated a ceRNA network for each subtype based on the significance of both, positive co-expression and the shared miRNAs, in the corresponding subtype miRNA dys-regulatory network, which was constructed based on negative regulations between differentially expressed miRNAs and targets. All four subtype ceRNA networks exhibited scale-free architecture and showed that the common ceRNAs were at the core of the networks. Furthermore, the common ceRNA hubs had greater connectivity than the subtype-specific hubs. Functional analysis of the common subtype ceRNA hubs highlighted factors involved in proliferation, MAPK signaling pathways and tube morphogenesis. Subtype-specific ceRNA hubs highlighted unique subtype-specific pathways, like the estrogen response and inflammatory pathways in the luminal subtypes or the factors involved in the coagulation process that participates in the basal-like subtype. Ultimately, we identified 29 critical subtype-specific ceRNA hubs that characterized the different breast cancer subtypes. Our study thus provides new insight into the common and specific subtype ceRNA interactions that define the different categories of breast cancer and enhances our understanding of the pathology underlying the different breast cancer subtypes, which can have prognostic and therapeutic implications in the future.

Hepatic uptake of conjugated bile acids is mediated by both sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide and organic anion transporting polypeptides and modulated by intestinal sensing of plasma bile acid levels in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Slijepcevic, Davor; Roscam Abbing, Reinout L P; Katafuchi, Takeshi; Blank, Antje; Donkers, Joanne M; van Hoppe, Stéphanie; de Waart, Dirk R; Tolenaars, Dagmar; van der Meer, Jonathan H M; Wildenberg, Manon; Beuers, Ulrich; Oude Elferink, Ronald P J; Schinkel, Alfred H; van de Graaf, Stan F J

2017-11-01

The Na + -taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP/SLC10A1) is believed to be pivotal for hepatic uptake of conjugated bile acids. However, plasma bile acid levels are normal in a subset of NTCP knockout mice and in mice treated with myrcludex B, a specific NTCP inhibitor. Here, we elucidated which transport proteins mediate the hepatic uptake of conjugated bile acids and demonstrated intestinal sensing of elevated bile acid levels in plasma in mice. Mice or healthy volunteers were treated with myrcludex B. Hepatic bile acid uptake kinetics were determined in wild-type (WT), organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP) knockout mice (lacking Slco1a/1b isoforms), and human OATP1B1-transgenic mice. Effects of fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19) on hepatic transporter mRNA levels were assessed in rat hepatoma cells and in mice by peptide injection or adeno-associated virus-mediated overexpression. NTCP inhibition using myrcludex B had only moderate effects on bile acid kinetics in WT mice, but completely inhibited active transport of conjugated bile acid species in OATP knockout mice. Cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase Cyp7a1 expression was strongly down-regulated upon prolonged inhibition of hepatic uptake of conjugated bile acids. Fgf15 (mouse counterpart of FGF19) expression was induced in hypercholanemic OATP and NTCP knockout mice, as well as in myrcludex B-treated cholestatic mice, whereas plasma FGF19 was not induced in humans treated with myrcludex B. Fgf15/FGF19 expression was induced in polarized human enterocyte-models and mouse organoids by basolateral incubation with a high concentration (1 mM) of conjugated bile acids. NTCP and OATPs contribute to hepatic uptake of conjugated bile acids in mice, whereas the predominant uptake in humans is NTCP mediated. Enterocytes sense highly elevated levels of (conjugated) bile acids in the systemic circulation to induce FGF15/19, which modulates hepatic bile acid synthesis and uptake. (Hepatology 2017;66:1631-1643). �

Assessing the Differences in Public Health Impact of Salmonella Subtypes Using a Bayesian Microbial Subtyping Approach for Source Attribution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pires, Sara Monteiro; Hald, Tine

2010-01-01

Salmonella is a major cause of human gastroenteritis worldwide. To prioritize interventions and assess the effectiveness of efforts to reduce illness, it is important to attribute salmonellosis to the responsible sources. Studies have suggested that some Salmonella subtypes have a higher health...... impact than others. Likewise, some food sources appear to have a higher impact than others. Knowledge of variability in the impact of subtypes and sources may provide valuable added information for research, risk management, and public health strategies. We developed a Bayesian model that attributes...... illness to specific sources and allows for a better estimation of the differences in the ability of Salmonella subtypes and food types to result in reported salmonellosis. The model accommodates data for multiple years and is based on the Danish Salmonella surveillance. The number of sporadic cases caused...

Functional characteristics of HIV-1 subtype C compatible with increased heterosexual transmissibility

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Walter, Brandon L; Armitage, Andrew E; Graham, Stephen C

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND: Despite the existence of over 50 subtypes and circulating recombinant forms of HIV-1, subtype C dominates the heterosexual pandemic causing approximately 56% of all infections. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether viral genetic factors may contribute to the observed subtype-C predominance. ....... CONCLUSION: As CD4-CCR5-T cells are key targets for genital HIV infection and cervical selection can favor compact V1-V2 loops and 316T, which increase viral infectivity, we propose that these conserved subtype-C motifs may contribute to transmission and spread of this subtype....

Llama Antibody Fragments Recognizing Various Epitopes of the CD4bs Neutralize a Broad Range of HIV-1 Subtypes A, B and C

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Aasa-Chapman, Marlèn; Gorlani, Andrea; Forsman Quigley, Anna; Hulsik, David Lutje; Chen, Lei; Weiss, Robin; de Haard, Hans; Verrips, Theo

2012-01-01

Many of the neutralising antibodies, isolated to date, display limited activities against the globally most prevalent HIV-1 subtypes A and C. Therefore, those subtypes are considered to be an important target for antibody-based therapy. Variable domains of llama heavy chain antibodies (VHH) have some superior properties compared with classical antibodies. Therefore we describe the application of trimeric forms of envelope proteins (Env), derived from HIV-1 of subtype A and B/C, for a prolonged immunization of two llamas. A panel of VHH, which interfere with CD4 binding to HIV-1 Env were selected with use of panning. The results of binding and competition assays to various Env, including a variant with a stabilized CD4-binding state (gp120Ds2), cross-competition experiments, maturation analysis and neutralisation assays, enabled us to classify the selected VHH into three groups. The VHH of group I were efficient mainly against viruses of subtype A, C and B′/C. The VHH of group II resemble the broadly neutralising antibody (bnmAb) b12, neutralizing mainly subtype B and C viruses, however some had a broader neutralisation profile. A representative of the third group, 2E7, had an even higher neutralization breadth, neutralizing 21 out of the 26 tested strains belonging to the A, A/G, B, B/C and C subtypes. To evaluate the contribution of certain amino acids to the potency of the VHH a small set of the mutants were constructed. Surprisingly this yielded one mutant with slightly improved neutralisation potency against 92UG37.A9 (subtype A) and 96ZM651.02 (subtype C). These findings and the well-known stability of VHH indicate the potential application of these VHH as anti-HIV-1 microbicides. PMID:22438910

Supplementation of branched-chain amino acids in protein-restricted diets modulates the expression levels of amino acid transporters and energy metabolism associated regulators in the adipose tissue of growing pigs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yinghui Li

2016-03-01

Full Text Available This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA supplemented in protein-restricted diets on the growth performance and the expression profile of amino acid transporters and energy metabolism related regulators in the white adipose tissue (WAT of different regional depots including dorsal subcutaneous adipose (DSA and abdominal subcutaneous adipose (ASA. A total of 24 crossbred barrows (7.40 ± 0.70 kg were randomly divided into 4 groups and were fed the following isocaloric diets for 33 days: 1 a recommended adequate protein diet (AP, 20% CP, as a positive control; 2 a low protein diet (LP, 17% CP; 3 the LP diet supplemented with BCAA (LP + B, 17% CP to reach the same level of the AP diet group; 4 the LP diet supplemented with 2 times the amount of BCAA (LP + 2B, 17% CP. The daily gain and daily feed intake of the LP diet group were the lowest among all the treatments (P  0.05. Moreover, BCAA supplementation down-regulated the expression levels of amino acid transporters including L-type amino acid transporter 1 and sodium-coupled neutral amino acid transporter 2 in DSA, but up-regulated the expression level of L-type amino acid transporter 4 in ASA (P < 0.05. Meanwhile, the energy sensor AMP-activated protein kinase α was activated in the DSA of pigs fed LP diet and in the ASA of the pigs fed AP or LP + 2B diets (P < 0.05. The mRNA expression profile of the selected mitochondrial component and mitochondrial biogenesis associated regulators in DSA and ASA also responded differently to dietary BCAA supplementation. These results suggested that the growth performance of growing pigs fed protein restricted diets supplemented with BCAA could catch up to that of the pigs fed AP diets. The results also partly demonstrated that the regulation mechanisms of BCAA are different in the adipose tissues of different depots.

The spectrum of aphasia subtypes and etiology in subacute stroke.

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Hoffmann, Michael; Chen, Ren

2013-11-01

Aphasia is one of the most common stroke syndrome presentations, yet little is known about the spectrum of different subtypes or their stroke mechanisms. Yet, subtypes and etiology are known to influence the prognosis and recovery. Our aim is to analyze aphasia subtypes and etiology in a large subacute stroke population. Consecutive patients from a dedicated cognitive stroke registry were accrued. A validated cognitive screening examination was administered during the first month of stroke presentation, which enabled a diagnosis of 14 different aphasic subtypes. The evolution from one subtype to another in the acute and subacute period, at times, resulted in more than 1 subtype being diagnosed. Etiology of stroke was determined by the modified Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment criteria that included intracerebral hemorrhage. Exclusions included dementia, chronic medical illness, substance abuse, and severe depression. Of 2389 stroke patients, after exclusions (n=593), aphasias numbered 625 (625 of 1796; 34.8%), and the subtype frequencies included Broca aphasia (n=170; 27.2%), anomic aphasia (n=165; 26.4%), global aphasia (n=119; 19.04%), and subcortical aphasia (n=57; 9.12%). Less frequent subtypes (total n=40; 6.7%) included transcortical aphasia (n=11), Wernicke aphasia (n=10), conduction aphasia (n=7), aphemia (n=3), semantic aphasia (n=3), crossed aphasia (n=3), pure word deafness (n=2), and foreign accent syndrome (n=1). Aphasia subtypes and etiologies had some significant associations (chi-square: 855.8, P valueaphasia had a significant association with small-vessel disease (SVD) (odds ratio [OR]=2.0254, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3820-2.9681), and global aphasia patients mostly had cardioembolic (CE) causes (OR=2.3589, 95% CI: 1.5506-3.5885) and less likely SVD (OR=.2583, 95% CI: .1444-.4654). Other notable inferences were included. Wernicke aphasia was caused by either CE (6 of 12; 50%) or hemorrhage (4 of 12; 33.3%) in a combined 83% of

Central transport and distribution of labelled glutamic and aspartic acids to the cochlear nucleus in cats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kane, E.S.

1979-01-01

Tritiated L-glutamic acid or L-aspartic acid was injected unilaterally into the cochleas of adult cats, and 4 h-7 days later the localization of label was studied by light-microscopic autoradiography in sections of the brain stem. Consistent differences in labelling after glutamate and after aspartate suggest differences in their uptake, metabolic conversion and/or transport to the cochlear nucleus by cochlear fibers. The morphological differences shown here agree with the distribution of those two amino acids in the cat cochlear nucleus as shown by microchemical analyses. (author)

Identification of functional amino acid residues involved in polyamine and agmatine transport by human organic cation transporter 2.

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Higashi, Kyohei; Imamura, Masataka; Fudo, Satoshi; Uemura, Takeshi; Saiki, Ryotaro; Hoshino, Tyuji; Toida, Toshihiko; Kashiwagi, Keiko; Igarashi, Kazuei

2014-01-01

Polyamine (putrescine, spermidine and spermine) and agmatine uptake by the human organic cation transporter 2 (hOCT2) was studied using HEK293 cells transfected with pCMV6-XL4/hOCT2. The Km values for putrescine and spermidine were 7.50 and 6.76 mM, and the Vmax values were 4.71 and 2.34 nmol/min/mg protein, respectively. Spermine uptake by hOCT2 was not observed at pH 7.4, although it inhibited both putrescine and spermidine uptake. Agmatine was also taken up by hOCT2, with Km value: 3.27 mM and a Vmax value of 3.14 nmol/min/mg protein. Amino acid residues involved in putrescine, agmatine and spermidine uptake by hOCT2 were Asp427, Glu448, Glu456, Asp475, and Glu516. In addition, Glu524 and Glu530 were involved in putrescine and spermidine uptake activity, and Glu528 and Glu540 were weakly involved in putrescine uptake activity. Furthermore, Asp551 was also involved in the recognition of spermidine. These results indicate that the recognition sites for putrescine, agmatine and spermidine on hOCT2 strongly overlap, consistent with the observation that the three amines are transported with similar affinity and velocity. A model of spermidine binding to hOCT2 was constructed based on the functional amino acid residues.

Distribution of indole-3-acetic acid in Petunia hybrida shoot tip cuttings and relationship between auxin transport, carbohydrate metabolism and adventitious root formation.

OpenAIRE

Ahkami, Amir H.; Melzer, Michael; Ghaffari, Mohammad R.; Pollmann, Stephan; Ghorbani, Majid; Shahinnia, Fahimeh; Hajirezaei, Mohammad R.; Druege, Uwe

2013-01-01

To determine the contribution of polar auxin transport (PAT) to auxin accumulation and to adventitious root (AR) formation in the stem base of Petunia hybrida shoot tip cuttings, the level of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) was monitored in non-treated cuttings and cuttings treated with the auxin transport blocker naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA) and was complemented with precise anatomical studies. The temporal course of carbohydrates, amino acids and activities of controlling enzymes was also inves...

Simultaneous determination of gallic acid and gentisic acid in organic anion transporter expressing cells by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

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Wang, Li; Halquist, Matthew S; Sweet, Douglas H

2013-10-15

In order to elucidate the role of organic anion transporters (OATs) in the renal elimination of gallic acid and gentisic acid, a new, rapid, and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method has been developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of gallic acid and gentisic acid in cell lysate, using Danshensu as the internal standard (IS). After a simple liquid-liquid extraction, the analytes were detected in negative ESI mode using selected reaction monitoring. The precursor-to-product ion transitions (m/z) were 169.0→125.0, 153.1→108.0, and 196.8→135.2 for gallic acid, gentisic acid, and the IS, respectively. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a C18 column using mobile phases consisting of water with 0.1% acetic acid (A) and acetonitrile with 0.05% formic acid. (B) The total run time was 3min and calibration curves were linear over the concentrations of 0.33-2400ng/mL for both compounds (r(2)>0.995). Good precision (between 3.11% and 14.1% RSD) and accuracy (between -12.7% and 11% bias) was observed for quality controls at concentrations of 0.33 (lower limit of quantification), 1, 50, and 2000ng/mL. The mean extraction recovery of gallic acid and gentisic acid was 80.7% and 83.5%, respectively. Results from post-column infusion and post-extraction methods indicated that the analytical method exhibited negligible matrix effects. Finally, this validated assay was successfully applied in a cellular uptake study to determine the intracellular concentrations of gallic acid and gentisic acid in OAT expressing cells. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Disposition and transportation of surplus radioactive low specific activity nitric acid. Volume 1, Environmental Assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-05-01

DOE is deactivating the PUREX plant at Hanford; this will involve the disposition of about 692,000 liters (183,000 gallons) of surplus nitric acid contaminated with low levels of U and other radionuclides. The nitric acid, designated as low specific activity, is stored in 4 storage tanks at PUREX. Five principal alternatives were evaluated: transfer for reuse (sale to BNF plc), no action, continued storage in Hanford upgraded or new facility, consolidation of DOE surplus acid, and processing the LSA nitric acid as waste. The transfer to BNF plc is the preferred alternative. From the analysis, it is concluded that the proposed disposition and transportation of the acid does not constitute a major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment within the meaning of NEPA; therefore an environmental impact statement is not required

Molecular subtypes of glioblastoma are relevant to lower grade glioma.

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Xiaowei Guan

Full Text Available Gliomas are the most common primary malignant brain tumors in adults with great heterogeneity in histopathology and clinical course. The intent was to evaluate the relevance of known glioblastoma (GBM expression and methylation based subtypes to grade II and III gliomas (ie. lower grade gliomas.Gene expression array, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP array and clinical data were obtained for 228 GBMs and 176 grade II/II gliomas (GII/III from the publically available Rembrandt dataset. Two additional datasets with IDH1 mutation status were utilized as validation datasets (one publicly available dataset and one newly generated dataset from MD Anderson. Unsupervised clustering was performed and compared to gene expression subtypes assigned using the Verhaak et al 840-gene classifier. The glioma-CpG Island Methylator Phenotype (G-CIMP was assigned using prediction models by Fine et al.Unsupervised clustering by gene expression aligned with the Verhaak 840-gene subtype group assignments. GII/IIIs were preferentially assigned to the proneural subtype with IDH1 mutation and G-CIMP. GBMs were evenly distributed among the four subtypes. Proneural, IDH1 mutant, G-CIMP GII/III s had significantly better survival than other molecular subtypes. Only 6% of GBMs were proneural and had either IDH1 mutation or G-CIMP but these tumors had significantly better survival than other GBMs. Copy number changes in chromosomes 1p and 19q were associated with GII/IIIs, while these changes in CDKN2A, PTEN and EGFR were more commonly associated with GBMs.GBM gene-expression and methylation based subtypes are relevant for GII/III s and associate with overall survival differences. A better understanding of the association between these subtypes and GII/IIIs could further knowledge regarding prognosis and mechanisms of glioma progression.

Achalasia symptom response after Heller myotomy segregated by high-resolution manometry subtypes.

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Patel, Amit; Patel, Ami; Mirza, Faiz A; Soudagar, Samad; Sayuk, Gregory S; Gyawali, C Prakash

2016-02-01

Achalasia is classified into three HRM subtypes that predict outcomes from diverse management strategies. We assessed if symptomatic response varied when a single management strategy-Heller myotomy (HM)-is employed. Treatment-naive subjects with achalasia referred for HM were followed in this observational cohort study. Chicago criteria designated achalasia subtypes (subtype I: no esophageal pressurization; subtype II: panesophageal pressurization in ≥20 % swallows; subtype III: premature contractions in ≥20 % swallows). Symptom questionnaires assessed symptom burden before and after HM on five-point Likert scales (0 = no symptoms, 4 = severe symptoms) and on 10-cm visual analog scales (global symptom severity, GSS); satisfaction with HM was recorded similarly. Data were analyzed to determine predictors of GSS change across subtypes. Sixty achalasia subjects (56.1 ± 2.4 years, 55 % female) fulfilled inclusion criteria, 15 % with subtype I, 58 % with subtype II, and 27 % with subtype III achalasia. Baseline symptoms included dysphagia (solids: 85 %, liquids: 73 %), regurgitation (84 %), and chest pain (35 %); mean GSS was 7.1 ± 0.3. Upon follow-up 2.1 ± 0.2 years after HM, GSS declined to 1.9 ± 0.4 (p < 0.001), with surgical satisfaction score of 8.7 ± 0.3 out of 10; these were similar across achalasia subtypes. On univariate analysis, female gender, Eckardt score, severity of transit symptoms, and maximal IRP predicted linear GSS improvement; female gender (p = 0.003) and dysphagia for liquids (p = 0.043) remained predictive on multivariate analysis. When a uniform surgical approach is utilized, symptomatic outcome and satisfaction with therapy are similar across achalasia subtypes. Female gender and severity of dysphagia for solids may predict better HM outcome.

Robust stratification of breast cancer subtypes using differential patterns of transcript isoform expression.

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Thomas P Stricker

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Breast cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death of women worldwide, is a heterogenous disease with multiple different subtypes. These subtypes carry important implications for prognosis and therapy. Interestingly, it is known that these different subtypes not only have different biological behaviors, but also have distinct gene expression profiles. However, it has not been rigorously explored whether particular transcriptional isoforms are also differentially expressed among breast cancer subtypes, or whether transcript isoforms from the same sets of genes can be used to differentiate subtypes. To address these questions, we analyzed the patterns of transcript isoform expression using a small set of RNA-sequencing data for eleven Estrogen Receptor positive (ER+ subtype and fourteen triple negative (TN subtype tumors. We identified specific sets of isoforms that distinguish these tumor subtypes with higher fidelity than standard mRNA expression profiles. We found that alternate promoter usage, alternative splicing, and alternate 3'UTR usage are differentially regulated in breast cancer subtypes. Profiling of isoform expression in a second, independent cohort of 68 tumors confirmed that expression of splice isoforms differentiates breast cancer subtypes. Furthermore, analysis of RNAseq data from 594 cases from the TCGA cohort confirmed the ability of isoform usage to distinguish breast cancer subtypes. Also using our expression data, we identified several RNA processing factors that were differentially expressed between tumor subtypes and/or regulated by estrogen receptor, including YBX1, YBX2, MAGOH, MAGOHB, and PCBP2. RNAi knock-down of these RNA processing factors in MCF7 cells altered isoform expression. These results indicate that global dysregulation of splicing in breast cancer occurs in a subtype-specific and reproducible manner and is driven by specific differentially expressed RNA processing factors.

Parkinson's disease motor subtypes and mood.

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Burn, David J; Landau, Sabine; Hindle, John V; Samuel, Michael; Wilson, Kenneth C; Hurt, Catherine S; Brown, Richard G

2012-03-01

Parkinson's disease is heterogeneous, both in terms of motor symptoms and mood. Identifying associations between phenotypic variants of motor and mood subtypes may provide clues to understand mechanisms underlying mood disorder and symptoms in Parkinson's disease. A total of 513 patients were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and separately classified into anxious, depressed, and anxious-depressed mood classes based on latent class analysis of a semistructured interview. Motor subtypes assessed related to age-of-onset, rate of progression, presence of motor fluctuations, lateralization of motor symptoms, tremor dominance, and the presence of postural instability and gait symptoms and falls. The directions of observed associations tended to support previous findings with the exception of lateralization of symptoms, for which there were no consistent or significant results. Regression models examining a range of motor subtypes together indicated increased risk of anxiety in patients with younger age-of-onset and motor fluctuations. In contrast, depression was most strongly related to axial motor symptoms. Different risk factors were observed for depressed patients with and without anxiety, suggesting heterogeneity within Parkinson's disease depression. Such association data may suggest possible underlying common risk factors for motor subtype and mood. Combined with convergent evidence from other sources, possible mechanisms may include cholinergic system damage and white matter changes contributing to non-anxious depression in Parkinson's disease, while situational factors related to threat and unpredictability may contribute to the exacerbation and maintenance of anxiety in susceptible individuals. Copyright © 2011 Movement Disorder Society.

High serum uric acid levels are a protective factor against unfavourable neurological functional outcome in patients with ischaemic stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yu-Fang; Li, Jiao-Xing; Sun, Xun-Sha; Lai, Rong; Sheng, Wen-Li

2018-05-01

Objective We aimed to evaluate the association between serum uric acid levels at the onset and prognostic outcome in patients with acute ischaemic stroke. Methods We retrospectively analysed the outcomes of 1166 patients with ischaemic stroke who were hospitalized in our centre during August 2008 to November 2012. Correlations of serum uric acid levels and prognostic outcomes were analysed. Results Men had higher serum uric acid levels and better neurological functional outcomes compared with women. There was a strong negative correlation between serum uric acid levels and unfavourable neurological functional outcomes. Generalized estimated equation analysis showed that a higher serum uric acid level (>237 µmol/L) was a protective factor for neurological functional outcome in male, but not female, patients. Among five trial of ORG 10172 in acute stroke treatment classification subtypes, only patients with the large-artery atherosclerosis subtype had a significant protective effect of serum uric acid levels on neurological outcome. Conclusions Our study shows that high serum uric acid levels are a significant protective factor in men and in the large-artery atherosclerosis subtype in patients with ischaemic stroke. This is helpful for determining the prognostic value of serum uric acid levels for neurological outcome of acute ischaemic stroke.

Clinically-inspired automatic classification of ovarian carcinoma subtypes

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Aicha BenTaieb

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Context: It has been shown that ovarian carcinoma subtypes are distinct pathologic entities with differing prognostic and therapeutic implications. Histotyping by pathologists has good reproducibility, but occasional cases are challenging and require immunohistochemistry and subspecialty consultation. Motivated by the need for more accurate and reproducible diagnoses and to facilitate pathologists′ workflow, we propose an automatic framework for ovarian carcinoma classification. Materials and Methods: Our method is inspired by pathologists′ workflow. We analyse imaged tissues at two magnification levels and extract clinically-inspired color, texture, and segmentation-based shape descriptors using image-processing methods. We propose a carefully designed machine learning technique composed of four modules: A dissimilarity matrix, dimensionality reduction, feature selection and a support vector machine classifier to separate the five ovarian carcinoma subtypes using the extracted features. Results: This paper presents the details of our implementation and its validation on a clinically derived dataset of eighty high-resolution histopathology images. The proposed system achieved a multiclass classification accuracy of 95.0% when classifying unseen tissues. Assessment of the classifier′s confusion (confusion matrix between the five different ovarian carcinoma subtypes agrees with clinician′s confusion and reflects the difficulty in diagnosing endometrioid and serous carcinomas. Conclusions: Our results from this first study highlight the difficulty of ovarian carcinoma diagnosis which originate from the intrinsic class-imbalance observed among subtypes and suggest that the automatic analysis of ovarian carcinoma subtypes could be valuable to clinician′s diagnostic procedure by providing a second opinion.

Insights into the Structure, Function, and Ligand Discovery of the Large Neutral Amino Acid Transporter 1, LAT1

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Natesh Singh

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The large neutral amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1, or SLC7A5 is a sodium- and pH-independent transporter, which supplies essential amino acids (e.g., leucine, phenylalanine to cells. It plays an important role at the Blood–Brain Barrier (BBB where it facilitates the transport of thyroid hormones, pharmaceuticals (e.g., l-DOPA, gabapentin, and metabolites into the brain. Moreover, its expression is highly upregulated in various types of human cancer that are characterized by an intense demand for amino acids for growth and proliferation. Therefore, LAT1 is believed to be an important drug target for cancer treatment. With the crystallization of the arginine/agmatine antiporter (AdiC from Escherichia Coli, numerous homology models of LAT1 have been built to elucidate the substrate binding site, ligand–transporter interaction, and structure–function relationship. The use of these models in combination with molecular docking and experimental testing has identified novel chemotypes of ligands of LAT1. Here, we highlight the structure, function, transport mechanism, and homology modeling of LAT1. Additionally, results from structure–function studies performed on LAT1 are addressed, which have enhanced our knowledge of the mechanism of substrate binding and translocation. This is followed by a discussion on ligand- and structure-based approaches, with an emphasis on elucidating the molecular basis of LAT1 inhibition. Finally, we provide an exhaustive summary of different LAT1 inhibitors that have been identified so far, including the recently discovered irreversible covalent inhibitors.

Arachidonic Acid-Induced Expression of the Organic Solute and Steroid Transporter-beta (Ost-beta) in a Cartilaginous Fish Cell Line

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Jae-Ho; Parton, Angela; Czechanski, Anne; Ballatori, Nazzareno; Barnes, David

2008-01-01

The organic solute and steroid transporter (OST/Ost) is a unique membrane transport protein heterodimer composed of subunits designated alpha and beta, that transports conjugated steroids and prostaglandin E2 across the plasma membrane. Ost was first identified in the liver of the cartilaginous fish Leucoraja erinacea, the little skate, and subsequently was found in many other species, including humans and rodents. The present study describes the isolation of a new cell line, LEE-1, derived from an early embryo of L. erinacea, and characterizes the expression of Ost in these cells. The mRNA size and amino acid sequence of Ost-beta in LEE-1 was identical to that previously reported for Ost-beta from skate liver, and the primary structure was identical to that of the spiny dogfish shark (Squalus acanthias) with the exception of a single amino acid. Ost-beta was found both on the plasma membrane and intracellularly in LEE-1 cells, consistent with its localization in other cell types. Interestingly, arachidonic acid, the precursor to eiconsanoids, strongly induced Ost-beta expression in LEE-1 cells and a lipid mixture containing arachidonic acid also induced Ost-alpha. Overall, the present study describes the isolation of a novel marine cell line, and shows that this cell line expresses relatively high levels of Ost when cultured in the presence of arachidonic acid. Although the function of this transport protein in embryo-derived cells is unknown, it may play a role in the disposition of eicosanoids or steroid-derived molecules. PMID:18407792

Ultrasonographic Features of Papillary Thyroid Carcinomas According to Their Subtypes

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Hye Jin Baek

2018-05-01

Full Text Available BackgroundThe ultrasonographic characteristics and difference for various subtypes of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC are still unclear. The aim of this study was to compare the ultrasonographic features of PTC according to its subtype in patients undergoing thyroid surgery.MethodsIn total, 140 patients who underwent preoperative thyroid ultrasonography (US and thyroid surgery between January 2016 and December 2016 were included. The ultrasonographic features and the Korean Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (K-TIRADS category of each thyroid nodule were retrospectively evaluated by a single radiologist, and differences in ultrasonographic features according to the PTC subtype were assessed.ResultsAccording to histopathological analyses, there were 97 classic PTCs (62.2%, 34 follicular variants (21.8%, 5 tall cell variants (3.2%, 2 oncocytic variants (1.3%, 1 Warthin-like variant (0.6%, and 1 diffuse sclerosing variant (0.6%. Most PTCs were classified under K-TIRADS category 5. Among the ultrasonographic features, the nodule margin and the presence of calcification were significantly different among the PTC subtypes. A spiculated/microlobulated margin was the most common type of margin, regardless of the PTC subtype. In particular, all tall cell variants exhibited a spiculated/microlobulated margin. The classic PTC group exhibited the highest prevalence of intranodular calcification, with microcalcification being the most common. The prevalence of multiplicity and nodal metastasis was high in the tall cell variant group.ConclusionThe majority of PTCs in the present study belonged to K-TIRADS category 5, regardless of the subtype. Our findings suggest that ultrasonographic features are not useful for distinguishing PTC subtypes.

Molecular Characterization and Clinical Relevance of Metabolic Expression Subtypes in Human Cancers

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Xinxin Peng

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Summary: Metabolic reprogramming provides critical information for clinical oncology. Using molecular data of 9,125 patient samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas, we identified tumor subtypes in 33 cancer types based on mRNA expression patterns of seven major metabolic processes and assessed their clinical relevance. Our metabolic expression subtypes correlated extensively with clinical outcome: subtypes with upregulated carbohydrate, nucleotide, and vitamin/cofactor metabolism most consistently correlated with worse prognosis, whereas subtypes with upregulated lipid metabolism showed the opposite. Metabolic subtypes correlated with diverse somatic drivers but exhibited effects convergent on cancer hallmark pathways and were modulated by highly recurrent master regulators across cancer types. As a proof-of-concept example, we demonstrated that knockdown of SNAI1 or RUNX1—master regulators of carbohydrate metabolic subtypes—modulates metabolic activity and drug sensitivity. Our study provides a system-level view of metabolic heterogeneity within and across cancer types and identifies pathway cross-talk, suggesting related prognostic, therapeutic, and predictive utility. : Peng et al. analyze a cohort of 9,125 TCGA samples across 33 cancer types to characterize tumor subtypes based on the expression of seven metabolic pathways. They find metabolic expression subtypes are associated with patient survivals and suggest the therapeutic and predictive relevance of subtype-related master regulators. Keywords: The Cancer Genome Atlas, tumor subtypes, prognostic markers, somatic drivers, master regulator, therapeutic targets, drug sensitivity, carbohydrate metabolism

Novel molecular subtypes of serous and endometrioid ovarian cancer linked to clinical outcome.

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Tothill, Richard W; Tinker, Anna V; George, Joshy; Brown, Robert; Fox, Stephen B; Lade, Stephen; Johnson, Daryl S; Trivett, Melanie K; Etemadmoghadam, Dariush; Locandro, Bianca; Traficante, Nadia; Fereday, Sian; Hung, Jillian A; Chiew, Yoke-Eng; Haviv, Izhak; Gertig, Dorota; DeFazio, Anna; Bowtell, David D L

2008-08-15

The study aim to identify novel molecular subtypes of ovarian cancer by gene expression profiling with linkage to clinical and pathologic features. Microarray gene expression profiling was done on 285 serous and endometrioid tumors of the ovary, peritoneum, and fallopian tube. K-means clustering was applied to identify robust molecular subtypes. Statistical analysis identified differentially expressed genes, pathways, and gene ontologies. Laser capture microdissection, pathology review, and immunohistochemistry validated the array-based findings. Patient survival within k-means groups was evaluated using Cox proportional hazards models. Class prediction validated k-means groups in an independent dataset. A semisupervised survival analysis of the array data was used to compare against unsupervised clustering results. Optimal clustering of array data identified six molecular subtypes. Two subtypes represented predominantly serous low malignant potential and low-grade endometrioid subtypes, respectively. The remaining four subtypes represented higher grade and advanced stage cancers of serous and endometrioid morphology. A novel subtype of high-grade serous cancers reflected a mesenchymal cell type, characterized by overexpression of N-cadherin and P-cadherin and low expression of differentiation markers, including CA125 and MUC1. A poor prognosis subtype was defined by a reactive stroma gene expression signature, correlating with extensive desmoplasia in such samples. A similar poor prognosis signature could be found using a semisupervised analysis. Each subtype displayed distinct levels and patterns of immune cell infiltration. Class prediction identified similar subtypes in an independent ovarian dataset with similar prognostic trends. Gene expression profiling identified molecular subtypes of ovarian cancer of biological and clinical importance.

Active Transportation on a Complete Street: Perceived and Audited Walkability Correlates.

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Jensen, Wyatt A; Brown, Barbara B; Smith, Ken R; Brewer, Simon C; Amburgey, Jonathan W; McIff, Brett

2017-09-05

Few studies of walkability include both perceived and audited walkability measures. We examined perceived walkability (Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale-Abbreviated, NEWS-A) and audited walkability (Irvine-Minnesota Inventory, IMI) measures for residents living within 2 km of a "complete street"-one renovated with light rail, bike lanes, and sidewalks. For perceived walkability, we found some differences but substantial similarity between our final scales and those in a prior published confirmatory factor analysis. Perceived walkability, in interaction with distance, was related to complete street active transportation. Residents were likely to have active transportation on the street when they lived nearby and perceived good aesthetics, crime safety, and traffic safety. Audited walkability, analyzed with decision trees, showed three general clusters of walkability areas, with 12 specific subtypes. A subset of walkability items ( n = 11), including sidewalks, zebra-striped crosswalks, decorative sidewalks, pedestrian signals, and blank walls combined to cluster street segments. The 12 subtypes yielded 81% correct classification of residents' active transportation. Both perceived and audited walkability were important predictors of active transportation. For audited walkability, we recommend more exploration of decision tree approaches, given their predictive utility and ease of translation into walkability interventions.

Active Transportation on a Complete Street: Perceived and Audited Walkability Correlates

Science.gov (United States)

Jensen, Wyatt A.; Smith, Ken R.; Brewer, Simon C.; Amburgey, Jonathan W.; McIff, Brett

2017-01-01

Few studies of walkability include both perceived and audited walkability measures. We examined perceived walkability (Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale—Abbreviated, NEWS-A) and audited walkability (Irvine–Minnesota Inventory, IMI) measures for residents living within 2 km of a “complete street”—one renovated with light rail, bike lanes, and sidewalks. For perceived walkability, we found some differences but substantial similarity between our final scales and those in a prior published confirmatory factor analysis. Perceived walkability, in interaction with distance, was related to complete street active transportation. Residents were likely to have active transportation on the street when they lived nearby and perceived good aesthetics, crime safety, and traffic safety. Audited walkability, analyzed with decision trees, showed three general clusters of walkability areas, with 12 specific subtypes. A subset of walkability items (n = 11), including sidewalks, zebra-striped crosswalks, decorative sidewalks, pedestrian signals, and blank walls combined to cluster street segments. The 12 subtypes yielded 81% correct classification of residents’ active transportation. Both perceived and audited walkability were important predictors of active transportation. For audited walkability, we recommend more exploration of decision tree approaches, given their predictive utility and ease of translation into walkability interventions. PMID:28872595

Isolation of a spontaneous CHO amino acid transport mutant by a combination of tritium suicide and replica plating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dantzig, A.H.; Slayman, C.W.; Adelberg, E.A.

1982-01-01

A spontaneous transport mutant of Chinese hamster ovary cells, CHY-1, was isolated by a combination of [ 3 H]proline suicide and replica plating. The mutant took up less tritium than the parent, resulting in a lower killing rate during storage. Transport by four separate amino acid transport systems (A, ASC, L, Ly+) was examined. The CHY-1 mutant exhibited normal uptake via the ASC, L, and Ly+ systems. By contrast, uptake of the most specific substrate of the A system, 2-(methylamino)-isobutyric acid, was significantly reduced at low, but not high, concentrations, due to a 3.5-fold increase in Km and a 1.5-fold increase in Vmax. Taken together, these data suggest that the CHY-1 mutation may be in the structural gene coding for the A transport protein. The tritium suicide procedure is discussed, and general equations are derived to predict the maximum storage time for the survival of one mutant cell and the optimum size of the cell population for maximum mutant enrichment

Carrier-mediated ¿-aminobutyric acid transport across the basolateral membrane of human intestinal Caco-2 cell monolayers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Carsten Uhd; Carstensen, Mette; Brodin, Birger

2012-01-01

and the anticancer prodrug d-aminolevulinic acid across the apical membrane of small intestinal enterocytes. Little is however known about the basolateral transport of these substances. We investigated basolateral transport of GABA in mature Caco-2 cell monolayers using isotope studies. Here we report that, at least...... two transporters seem to be involved in the basolateral transport of GABA. The basolateral uptake consisted of a high-affinity system with a K(m) of 290µM and V(max) of 75pmolcm(-2)min(-1) and a low affinity system with a K(m) of approximately 64mM and V(max) of 1.6nmolcm(-2)min(-1). The high...

CRISPR typing and subtyping for improved laboratory surveillance of Salmonella infections.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laëtitia Fabre

Full Text Available Laboratory surveillance systems for salmonellosis should ideally be based on the rapid serotyping and subtyping of isolates. However, current typing methods are limited in both speed and precision. Using 783 strains and isolates belonging to 130 serotypes, we show here that a new family of DNA repeats named CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats is highly polymorphic in Salmonella. We found that CRISPR polymorphism was strongly correlated with both serotype and multilocus sequence type. Furthermore, spacer microevolution discriminated between subtypes within prevalent serotypes, making it possible to carry out typing and subtyping in a single step. We developed a high-throughput subtyping assay for the most prevalent serotype, Typhimurium. An open web-accessible database was set up, providing a serotype/spacer dictionary and an international tool for strain tracking based on this innovative, powerful typing and subtyping tool.

Modulatory effect of ascorbic acid on physiological responses of transported ostrich chicks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Minka N. Salka

2012-02-01

Full Text Available The aims of this study were to determine the modulating role of ascorbic acid (AA on rectal temperature (RT, heterophil to lymphocyte (H to L ratio and aberrant behaviours of ostrich chicks transported by road for 4 h during hot-dry conditions. Twenty ostrich chicks aged 2.5 months, of both sexes and belonging to the Red Neck breed, served as subjects of the study. The chicks were assigned randomly to AA-treated and control groups, consisting of 10 chicks each. The AA-treated group was administered orally with 100 mg/kg body weight of AA dissolved in 5 mL of sterile water 30 min before transportation, whilst the control group was given the equivalent of sterile water only. The thermal load (TL experienced in the vehicle during transportation fluctuated between 31 °C and 89 °C, as calculated from the ambient temperature and relative humidity. Transportation induced hyperthermia, lymphopenia, heterophilia and aberrant behaviours of pecking, wing fluffing and panting, which were ameliorated by AA administration. The relationships between the TL, journey duration and physiological variables of RT, H to L ratio and aberrant behaviours recorded during transportation were significantly and positively correlated in the control group. In AA-treated group the relationships were not significantly correlated. In conclusion, the results showed for the first time that AA ameliorated the adverse effects of stress caused by road transportation on the aberrant behaviours, RT and H to L ratio of ostrich chicks during the hot-dry season.

Stroke subtypes and factors associated with ischemic stroke in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Stroke subtypes assessed four OCSP (Oxfordshire Communi-. African Health Sciences Vol 15 Issue 1, March 2015. 68. 69 ty Stroke Project Classification) subtypes classification. 13 was used with lacunar circulation infarct (LACI) and total anterior (TACI), partial anterior (PACI), posterior. (POCI) circulation infarcts as non ...

Interpersonal subtypes in social phobia: diagnostic and treatment implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Cain, Nicole M; Pincus, Aaron L; Grosse Holtforth, Martin

2010-11-01

Interpersonal assessment may provide a clinically useful way to identify subtypes of social phobia. In this study, we examined evidence for interpersonal subtypes in a sample of 77 socially phobic outpatients. A cluster analysis based on the dimensions of dominance and love on the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems-Circumplex Scales (Alden, Wiggins, & Pincus, 1990) found 2 interpersonal subtypes of socially phobic patients. These subtypes did not differ on pretreatment global symptom severity as measured by the Brief Symptom Inventory (Derogatis, 1993) or diagnostic comorbidity but did exhibit differential responses to outpatient psychotherapy. Overall, friendly-submissive social phobia patients had significantly lower scores on measures of social anxiety and significantly higher scores on measures of well-being and satisfaction at posttreatment than cold-submissive social phobia patients. We discuss the results in terms of interpersonal theory and the clinical relevance of assessment of interpersonal functioning prior to beginning psychotherapy with socially phobic patients.

Potential Biomarker of L type Amino Acid Transporter 1 in Breast Cancer Progression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liang, Zhongxing; Cho, Heidi T.; Williams, Larry; Zhu, Aizhi; Liang, Ke; Huang, Ke; Wu, Hui; Jiang, Chunsu; Hong, Samuel; Crowe, Ronald; Goodman, Mark M.; Shim, Hyunsuk

2011-01-01

L type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1) is essential for the transport of large neutral amino acids. However, its role in breast cancer growth remains largely unknown. The purpose of the study is to investigate whether LAT1 is a potential biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. LAT1 mRNA and protein levels in breast cancer cell lines and tissues were analyzed. In addition, the effects of targeting LAT1 for the inhibition of breast cancer cell tumorigenesis were assessed with soft agar assay. The imaging of xenograft with 1 amino 3 [ 18F ]fluorocyclo butane 1 carboxylic acid ([ 18F ]FACBC) PET was assessed for its diagnostic biomarker potential. Normal breast tissue or low malignant cell lines expressed low levels of LAT1 mRNA and protein, while highly malignant cancer cell lines and high grade breast cancer tissue expressed high levels of LAT1. In addition, higher expression levels of LAT1 in breast cancer tissues were consistent with advanced stage breast cancer. Furtermore, the blockade of LAT1 with its inhibitor, 2 amino bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane 2 carboxylic acid (BCH), or the knockdown of LAT1 with siRNA, inhibited proliferation and tumorigenesis of breast cancer cells. A leucine analog, [ 18F ]FACBC, has been demonstrated to be an excellent PET tracer for the non invasive imaging og malignant breast cancer using an orthotopic animal model. The overexpression of LAT1 is required for the progression of breast cancer. LAT1 represents a potential biomarker for therapy and diagnosis of breast cancer. [ 18F ]FACBC that correlates with LAT1 function is a potential PET tracer for malignant breast tumor imaging

Cloning and expression of a human kidney cDNA for an α2-adrenergic receptor subtype

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Regan, J.W.; Kobilka, T.S.; Yang-Feng, T.L.; Caron, M.G.; Lefkowitz, R.J.; Kobilka, B.K.

1988-01-01

An α 2 -adrenergic receptor subtype has been cloned from a human kidney cDNA library using the gene for the human platelet α 2 -adrenergic receptor as a probe. The deduced amino acid sequence resembles the human platelet α 2 -adrenergic receptor and is consistent with the structure of other members of he family of guanine nucleotide-binding protein-coupled receptors. The cDNA was expressed in a mammalian cell line (COS-7), and the α 2 -adrenergic ligand [ 3 H]rauwolscine was bound. Competition curve analysis with a variety of adrenergic ligands suggests that this cDNA clone represents the α 2 B-adrenergic receptor. The gene for this receptor is on human chromosome 4, whereas the gene for the human platelet α 2 -adrenergic receptor (α 2 A) lies on chromosome 10. This ability to express the receptor in mammalian cells, free of other adrenergic receptor subtypes, should help in developing more selective α-adrenergic ligands

The long and winding road: transport pathways for amino acids in Arabidopsis seeds.

Science.gov (United States)

Karmann, Julia; Müller, Benedikt; Hammes, Ulrich Z

2018-03-16

certain plants, e.g., legumes as a resource to support the growth of the seedling after germination. The support of the embryo depends on transport processes that occur between the mother plant and the seed tissues including the embryo. In this review, we will focus on the processes of unloading amino acids from the phloem and their post-phloem transport. We will further highlight similarities between amino acid transport and the transport of the main assimilate and osmolyte, sucrose. Finally, we will discuss similarities and differences between different plant species in terms of structural aspects but for the molecular aspects we are almost exclusively focusing on Arabidopsis. Fig. 1 Vascularization of the Arabidopsis ovule and seed. Plants expressing ER-localized mCherry under control of the companion cell-specific SUC2 promoter and ER-localized GFP under control of the sieve element marker PD1 as described (Müller et al. 2015) are shown to visualize the phloem in the funiculus and the chalazal regions. a Overview over an ovule. FG: female gametophyte. b A magnification of the region marked by a square in panel a. c Overview over a seed. ES: endosperm; E: embryo. d A magnification of the region marked by a square in panel c. The arrows in b and d point to the terminal companion cell and arrowheads to terminal sieve elements.

The Prion Protein Preference of Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Subtypes*

Science.gov (United States)

Klemm, Helen M. J.; Welton, Jeremy M.; Masters, Colin L.; Klug, Genevieve M.; Boyd, Alison; Hill, Andrew F.; Collins, Steven J.; Lawson, Victoria A.

2012-01-01

Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is the most prevalent manifestation of the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or prion diseases affecting humans. The disease encompasses a spectrum of clinical phenotypes that have been correlated with molecular subtypes that are characterized by the molecular mass of the protease-resistant fragment of the disease-related conformation of the prion protein and a polymorphism at codon 129 of the gene encoding the prion protein. A cell-free assay of prion protein misfolding was used to investigate the ability of these sporadic CJD molecular subtypes to propagate using brain-derived sources of the cellular prion protein (PrPC). This study confirmed the presence of three distinct sporadic CJD molecular subtypes with PrPC substrate requirements that reflected their codon 129 associations in vivo. However, the ability of a sporadic CJD molecular subtype to use a specific PrPC substrate was not determined solely by codon 129 as the efficiency of prion propagation was also influenced by the composition of the brain tissue from which the PrPC substrate was sourced, thus indicating that nuances in PrPC or additional factors may determine sporadic CJD subtype. The results of this study will aid in the design of diagnostic assays that can detect prion disease across the diversity of sporadic CJD subtypes. PMID:22930754

Pulmonary emphysema subtypes on computed tomography: the MESA COPD study.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Benjamin M; Austin, John H M; Newell, John D; D'Souza, Belinda M; Rozenshtein, Anna; Hoffman, Eric A; Ahmed, Firas; Barr, R Graham

2014-01-01

Pulmonary emphysema is divided into 3 major subtypes at autopsy: centrilobular, paraseptal, and panlobular emphysema. These subtypes can be defined by visual assessment on computed tomography (CT); however, clinical characteristics of emphysema subtypes on CT are not well defined. We developed a reliable approach to visual assessment of emphysema subtypes on CT and examined if emphysema subtypes have distinct characteristics. The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis COPD Study recruited smokers with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and controls ages 50-79 years with ≥ 10 pack-years. Participants underwent CT following a standardized protocol. Definitions of centrilobular, paraseptal, and panlobular emphysema were obtained by literature review. Six-minute walk distance and pulmonary function were performed following guidelines. Twenty-seven percent of 318 smokers had emphysema on CT. Interrater reliability of emphysema subtype was substantial (K: 0.70). Compared with participants without emphysema, individuals with centrilobular or panlobular emphysema had greater dyspnea, reduced walk distance, greater hyperinflation, and lower diffusing capacity. In contrast, individuals with paraseptal emphysema were similar to controls, except for male predominance. Centrilobular, but not panlobular or paraseptal, emphysema was associated with greater smoking history (+21 pack-years P emphysema, was associated with reduced body mass index (-5 kg/m(2); P = .01). Other than for dyspnea, these findings were independent of the forced expiratory volume in 1 second. Seventeen percent of smokers without COPD on spirometry had emphysema, which was independently associated with reduced walk distance. Emphysema subtypes on CT are common in smokers with and without COPD. Centrilobular and panlobular emphysema, but not paraseptal emphysema, have considerable symptomatic and physiological consequences. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gene specific actions of thyroid hormone receptor subtypes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jean Z Lin

Full Text Available There are two homologous thyroid hormone (TH receptors (TRs α and β, which are members of the nuclear hormone receptor (NR family. While TRs regulate different processes in vivo and other highly related NRs regulate distinct gene sets, initial studies of TR action revealed near complete overlaps in their actions at the level of individual genes. Here, we assessed the extent that TRα and TRβ differ in target gene regulation by comparing effects of equal levels of stably expressed exogenous TRs +/- T(3 in two cell backgrounds (HepG2 and HeLa. We find that hundreds of genes respond to T(3 or to unliganded TRs in both cell types, but were not able to detect verifiable examples of completely TR subtype-specific gene regulation. TR actions are, however, far from identical and we detect TR subtype-specific effects on global T(3 response kinetics in HepG2 cells and many examples of TR subtype specificity at the level of individual genes, including effects on magnitude of response to TR +/- T(3, TR regulation patterns and T(3 dose response. Cycloheximide (CHX treatment confirms that at least some differential effects involve verifiable direct TR target genes. TR subtype/gene-specific effects emerge in the context of widespread variation in target gene response and we suggest that gene-selective effects on mechanism of TR action highlight differences in TR subtype function that emerge in the environment of specific genes. We propose that differential TR actions could influence physiologic and pharmacologic responses to THs and selective TR modulators (STRMs.

1 original article diverse genetic subtypes of hiv-1 among female sex

African Journals Online (AJOL)

boaz

Keywords: Diverse, HIV, subtypes, Female Sex workers and Vaccine ... significant probability that infection with this subtype occurred with a short incubation period (p< 0.05). Conclusion: This study .... regression was used to adjust for potential cofounders. .... TABLE 2: DISTRIBUTION OF HIV-1 SUBTYPES AMONG FSWS.

Ischemic stroke subtype is associated with outcome in thrombolyzed patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schmitz, Marie Louise; Simonsen, Claus Ziegler; Svendsen, M L

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVES: The impact of ischemic stroke subtype on clinical outcome in patients treated with intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator (IV-tPA) is sparsely examined. We studied the association between stroke subtype and clinical outcome in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-evaluated patients...... patients were more likely to achieve early neurological improvement and favorable outcome compared with LVD stroke following MRI-based IV-tPA treatment. This finding may reflect a difference in the effect of IV-tPA among stroke subtypes....

Parent stress across molecular subtypes of children with Angelman syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Miodrag, N; Peters, S

2015-09-01

Parenting stress has been consistently reported among parents of children with developmental disabilities. However, to date, no studies have investigated the impact of a molecular subtype of Angelman syndrome (AS) on parent stress, despite distinct phenotypic differences among subtypes. Data for 124 families of children with three subtypes of AS: class I and II deletions (n = 99), imprinting centre defects (IC defects; n = 11) and paternal uniparental disomy (UPD; n = 14) were drawn from the AS Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network (RDCRN) database and collected from five research sites across the Unites States. The AS study at the RDCRN gathered health information to understand how the syndrome develops and how to treat it. Parents completed questionnaires on their perceived psychological stress, the severity of children's aberrant behaviour and children's sleep patterns. Children's adaptive functioning and developmental levels were clinically evaluated. Child-related stress reached clinical levels for 40% of parents of children with deletions, 100% for IC defects and 64.3% for UPD. Sleep difficulties were similar and elevated across subtypes. There were no differences between molecular subtypes for overall child and parent-related stress. However, results showed greater isolation and lack of perceived parenting skills for parents of children with UPD compared with deletions. Better overall cognition for children with deletions was significantly related to more child-related stress while their poorer adaptive functioning was associated with more child-related stress. For all three groups, the severity of children's inappropriate behaviour was positively related to different aspects of stress. How parents react to stress depends, in part, on children's AS molecular subtype. Despite falling under the larger umbrella term of AS, it is important to acknowledge the unique aspects associated with children's molecular subtype. Identifying these factors can

Osteoclastic finger arthrosis - a subtype of polyarthrosis of the hand; Osteoklastische Fingerarthrose - Subtyp der Handpolyarthrose

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dihlmann, W. [Radiologische Praxis, Hamburg-Barmbek (Germany); Dihlmann, A. [Berufsgenossenschaftliches Unfallkrankenhaus Hamburg (Germany)

1998-02-01

Aim: Description of a subtype of arthrosis deformans of the hand which is characterised as osteoclastic arthrosis. Patients and methods: Retrospective analysis of radiographs of the hands of 150 women and 100 men with radiological findings of arthrosis deformans. Results: 5% of women and 2% of men showed at least one digital joint with subchondral osteolysis of one or both articulating bones involving at least a third of the phalanx. This subchondral osteolysis far exceeds the cysts which are situated in the epiphyseal part of the articular region. It may develop within a year. Conclusion: Osteoclastic arthrosis of the finger is a subtype of polyarthrosis of the hand. Serial observations suggest that an osteoclast stimulating substance is produced by the cysts or arises directly from the synovial fluid; this enters the subchondral part of the bone through clefts which may or may not be visible radiologically and that this produces osteoclastic activity. The most important differential diagnoses are chronic tophacious gout and a benign tumor. (orig.) [Deutsch] Ziel: Beschreibung eines Subtyps der Arthrosis deformans an der Hand, der als osteoklastische Arthrose bezeichnet wird. Patienten und Methode: Retrospektive Analyse der Handroentgenaufnahmen von 150 Frauen und 100 Maennern mit Roentgenbefunden der Arthrosis deformans. Ergebnisse: 5% der Frauen und 2% der maennlichen Patienten des durchgesehenen Krankenguts zeigten an mindestens einem Fingergelenk eine Arthrose mit subchondralen Osteolysen an einem oder beiden artikulierenden Knochen, die mindestens ein Drittel der Phalanxlaenge erfasst hatten. Diese subchondralen Osteolysen gehen ueber die Groesse und Form der arthrotischen Geroellzysten, die lediglich im knoechernen (epiphysaeren) Gelenksockel sitzen, weit hinaus. Sie koennen innerhalb eines Jahres entstehen. Schlussfolgerung: Die osteoklastische Arthrose der Finger ist ein Subtyp der Handpolyarthrose. Nach Verlaufsbeobachtungen wird vermutet, dass eine

Identification of functional amino acid residues involved in polyamine and agmatine transport by human organic cation transporter 2.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyohei Higashi

Full Text Available Polyamine (putrescine, spermidine and spermine and agmatine uptake by the human organic cation transporter 2 (hOCT2 was studied using HEK293 cells transfected with pCMV6-XL4/hOCT2. The Km values for putrescine and spermidine were 7.50 and 6.76 mM, and the Vmax values were 4.71 and 2.34 nmol/min/mg protein, respectively. Spermine uptake by hOCT2 was not observed at pH 7.4, although it inhibited both putrescine and spermidine uptake. Agmatine was also taken up by hOCT2, with Km value: 3.27 mM and a Vmax value of 3.14 nmol/min/mg protein. Amino acid residues involved in putrescine, agmatine and spermidine uptake by hOCT2 were Asp427, Glu448, Glu456, Asp475, and Glu516. In addition, Glu524 and Glu530 were involved in putrescine and spermidine uptake activity, and Glu528 and Glu540 were weakly involved in putrescine uptake activity. Furthermore, Asp551 was also involved in the recognition of spermidine. These results indicate that the recognition sites for putrescine, agmatine and spermidine on hOCT2 strongly overlap, consistent with the observation that the three amines are transported with similar affinity and velocity. A model of spermidine binding to hOCT2 was constructed based on the functional amino acid residues.

2-arylureidobenzoic acids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Valgeirsson, Jon; Nielsen, Elsebet Ø; Peters, Dan

2003-01-01

A series of 2-arylureidobenzoic acids (AUBAs) was prepared by a short and effective synthesis, and the pharmacological activity at glutamate receptors was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The compounds showed noncompetitive antagonistic activity at the kainate receptor subtype GluR5. The most potent...... on the benzoic acid moiety (ring A), whereas ring B tolerated a variety of substituents, but with a preference for lipophilic substituents. The most potent compounds had a 4-chloro substituent on ring A and 3-chlorobenzene (6b), 2-naphthalene (8h), or 2-indole (8k) as ring B and had IC(50) values of 1.3, 1...

The subtype of VSD and the angiographic differentiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choe, Kyu Ok; Sul, Jun Hee; Lee, Sung Kyu; Cho, Bum Koo; Hong, Sung Nok

1985-01-01

VSD is the most common congenital cardiac malformation and the natural history depends not only on the age of patients and the size of defect but the subtype of VSD as well, important factor in clinical management of those patients. In 110 patients, with surgically repaired VSD in Yonsei Medical Center in 1984, the subtype of VSDs evaluated by surgical observation were correlated with LV angiogram findings to verify the incidence of subtype in Korean and the diagnostic accuracy to predict the subtype by angiogram. 1. 110 patients included 64 boys and 46 girls, the age ranged from 3 months to 14 years (average 4.6 years old). 2. Angiographic findings were interpreted as follows; a. Perimembranous defects were profiled in LAO 60 .deg. LV angiogram and located below the aortic valve. In inlet excavation the shunted blood opacified the recess between septal leaflet of tricuspid valve and interventricular septum in early phase, in infundibular excavation opacified the recess between anterior leaflet of TV and anterior free wall of RV and in trabecular excavation the shunted blood traversed anterior portion of TV ring, opacified trabecular portion of RV cavity. b. Subarterial types were profiled in RAO 30 .deg. LV angiogram, just below aortic valve as well as pulmonic valve. Total infundibular defects were profiled in RAO 30 .deg. and LAO 60 .deg. LV angiogram subaortic in location in both views. c. In muscular VSD the profiled angle was varied according to the subtype but the defects were separated from the aortic valve as muscular septum interposed between the aortic valve and the defect. 3. The incidence of subtype of VSDs evaluated by surgical observation were as follows. Subarterial type : 32 cases (29.1%) Total infundibular defect : 5 cases (4.5%) Perimembranous type : 73 cases (66.3%) Infundibular excavation : 32 cases (29.2%) Trabecular excavation : 28 cases (25.5%) Inlet excavation : 10 cases (9.1%) Mixed : 3 cases (2.7%) Muscular type : 1 cases (0.9%) Total 63

The whole-genome landscape of medulloblastoma subtypes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Northcott, Paul A.; Buchhalter, Ivo; Morrissy, A. Sorana

2017-01-01

actionable targets. Driver mutations were confidently assigned to most patients belonging to Group 3 and Group 4 medulloblastoma subgroups, greatly enhancing previous knowledge. New molecular subtypes were differentially enriched for specific driver events, including hotspot in-frame insertions that target...... KBTBD4 and 'enhancer hijacking' events that activate PRDM6. Thus, the application of integrative genomics to an extensive cohort of clinical samples derived from a single childhood cancer entity revealed a series of cancer genes and biologically relevant subtype diversity that represent attractive...

Subtype and pathway specific responses to anticancer compounds in breast cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Heiser, Laura M; Sadanandam, Anguraj; Kuo, Wen-Lin; Benz, Stephen C; Goldstein, Theodore C; Ng, Sam; Gibb, William J; Wang, Nicholas J; Ziyad, Safiyyah; Tong, Frances; Bayani, Nora; Hu, Zhi; Billig, Jessica I; Dueregger, Andrea; Lewis, Sophia; Jakkula, Lakshmi; Korkola, James E; Durinck, Steffen; Pepin, François; Guan, Yinghui; Purdom, Elizabeth; Neuvial, Pierre; Bengtsson, Henrik; Wood, Kenneth W; Smith, Peter G; Vassilev, Lyubomir T; Hennessy, Bryan T; Greshock, Joel; Bachman, Kurtis E; Hardwicke, Mary Ann; Park, John W; Marton, Laurence J; Wolf, Denise M; Collisson, Eric A; Neve, Richard M; Mills, Gordon B; Speed, Terence P; Feiler, Heidi S; Wooster, Richard F; Haussler, David; Stuart, Joshua M; Gray, Joe W; Spellman, Paul T

2012-02-21

Breast cancers are comprised of molecularly distinct subtypes that may respond differently to pathway-targeted therapies now under development. Collections of breast cancer cell lines mirror many of the molecular subtypes and pathways found in tumors, suggesting that treatment of cell lines with candidate therapeutic compounds can guide identification of associations between molecular subtypes, pathways, and drug response. In a test of 77 therapeutic compounds, nearly all drugs showed differential responses across these cell lines, and approximately one third showed subtype-, pathway-, and/or genomic aberration-specific responses. These observations suggest mechanisms of response and resistance and may inform efforts to develop molecular assays that predict clinical response.

Structure of a Bacterial ABC Transporter Involved in the Import of an Acidic Polysaccharide Alginate.

Science.gov (United States)

Maruyama, Yukie; Itoh, Takafumi; Kaneko, Ai; Nishitani, Yu; Mikami, Bunzo; Hashimoto, Wataru; Murata, Kousaku

2015-09-01

The acidic polysaccharide alginate represents a promising marine biomass for the microbial production of biofuels, although the molecular and structural characteristics of alginate transporters remain to be clarified. In Sphingomonas sp. A1, the ATP-binding cassette transporter AlgM1M2SS is responsible for the import of alginate across the cytoplasmic membrane. Here, we present the substrate-transport characteristics and quaternary structure of AlgM1M2SS. The addition of poly- or oligoalginate enhanced the ATPase activity of reconstituted AlgM1M2SS coupled with one of the periplasmic solute-binding proteins, AlgQ1 or AlgQ2. External fluorescence-labeled oligoalginates were specifically imported into AlgM1M2SS-containing proteoliposomes in the presence of AlgQ2, ATP, and Mg(2+). The crystal structure of AlgQ2-bound AlgM1M2SS adopts an inward-facing conformation. The interaction between AlgQ2 and AlgM1M2SS induces the formation of an alginate-binding tunnel-like structure accessible to the solvent. The translocation route inside the transmembrane domains contains charged residues suitable for the import of acidic saccharides. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

INHIBITION OF MYCOLIC ACID TRANSPORT ACROSS THE MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS PLASMA MEMBRANE

Science.gov (United States)

Grzegorzewicz, Anna E.; Pham, Ha; Gundi, Vijay A. K. B.; Scherman, Michael S.; North, Elton J.; Hess, Tamara; Jones, Victoria; Gruppo, Veronica; Born, Sarah E. M.; Korduláková, Jana; Chavadi, Sivagami Sundaram; Morisseau, Christophe; Lenaerts, Anne J.; Lee, Richard E.; McNeil, Michael R.; Jackson, Mary

2011-01-01

New chemotherapeutics active against multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) are urgently needed. We report on the identification of an adamantyl urea compound displaying potent bactericidal activity against M. tb and a unique mode of action, namely the abolition of the translocation of mycolic acids from the cytoplasm where they are synthesized to the periplasmic side of the plasma membrane where they are transferred onto cell wall arabinogalactan or used in the formation of virulence-associated outer membrane trehalose-containing glycolipids. Whole genome sequencing of spontaneous resistant mutants of M. tb selected in vitro followed by genetic validation experiments revealed that our prototype inhibitor targets the inner membrane transporter, MmpL3. Conditional gene expression of mmpL3 in mycobacteria and analysis of inhibitor-treated cells validate MmpL3 as essential for mycobacterial growth and support the involvement of this transporter in the translocation of trehalose monomycolate across the plasma membrane. PMID:22344175

Breast cancer subtypes: two decades of journey from cell culture to patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Xiangshan; Gurumurthy, Channabasavaiah Basavaraju; Malhotra, Gautam; Mirza, Sameer; Mohibi, Shakur; Bele, Aditya; Quinn, Meghan G; Band, Hamid; Band, Vimla

2011-01-01

Recent molecular profiling has identified six major subtypes of breast cancers that exhibit different survival outcomes for patients. To address the origin of different subtypes of breast cancers, we have now identified, isolated, and immortalized (using hTERT) mammary stem/progenitor cells which maintain their stem/progenitor properties even after immortalization. Our decade long research has shown that these stem/progenitor cells are highly susceptible to oncogenesis. Given the emerging evidence that stem/progenitor cells are precursors of cancers and that distinct subtypes of breast cancer have different survival outcome, these cellular models provide novel tools to understand the oncogenic process leading to various subtypes of breast cancers and for future development of novel therapeutic strategies to treat different subtypes of breast cancers.

Comparison of two motor subtype classifications in de novo Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Seong-Min; Kim, Byeong C; Cho, Bang-Hoon; Kang, Kyung Wook; Choi, Kang-Ho; Kim, Joon-Tae; Lee, Seung-Han; Park, Man-Seok; Kim, Myeong-Kyu; Cho, Ki-Hyun

2018-04-18

Clinical subtypes of Parkinson's disease (PD) have been empirically defined based on the prominent motor symptoms. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of non-motor symptoms across PD motor subtypes in patients with PD. A total of 192 patients with de novo PD were included. The patients were classified into the tremor-dominant/mixed/akinetic-rigid (TD/mixed/AR) and tremor-dominant/mixed/postural instability and gait disturbance (TD/mixed/PIGD) subtypes, according to previous reports. In the TD/mixed/AR classification, scores for scales related to motor symptoms and activities of daily living (ADL) were significantly different among the groups, and patients with the AR subtype demonstrated more severe scores than patients with the TD subtype. In the TD/mixed/PIGD classification, age, age at symptom onset, scores on motor-related scales, ADL, and non-motor symptoms were significantly different among the groups. Scores including the modified Hoehn and Yahr stages, the motor and ADL subscores of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Non-Motor Symptom Assessment Scale were significantly different after adjustments for age and age at symptom onset, and patients with the PIGD subtype obtained more severe scores than patients with the TD subtype. The TD/mixed/PIGD classification seems to be more suitable for identifying non-motor abnormalities than the TD/mixed/AR classification. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

HIV-1 subtypes D and F are prevalent in Guinea Conakry.

Science.gov (United States)

Freimanis, G L; Loua, A; Allain, J P

2012-04-01

Limited data is available upon the distribution of different HIV-1/2 genotypes in the blood donor population from Guinea Conakry. To investigate the prevalence of HIV-1/2 subtypes in asymptomatic blood donors in Guinea Conakry, in order to update knowledge of HIV-1/2 epidemiology within this country. Samples from 104 blood donors seropositive for HIV-1/2 were tested for HIV-1 by real-time RT-PCR. Those negative for HIV-1 were tested with HIV-2 nested RT-PCR. Positive samples were further amplified in the HIV-1 gag and pol regions and sequenced. Subtypes were determined by phylogenetic analysis on amplicon sequences. 61 samples were positive by HIV-1 real-time RT-PCR. Of the 43 negative, 2 (4.6%) were positive for HIV-2. 52/61 (85.3%) samples were positive by nested RT-PCR. Of the 52, 43 (70.5%) and 31(59.6%) sequences were obtained in the gag and pol regions, respectively; 23 for both regions. HIV-1 subtype distribution was 1 B (2.1%), 8 F (17%), 8 D (17%) and 28 CRF02_AG (59.6%) with 2 unclassified recombinants (4.3%). Unique clusters for subtype D and F distinguished Guinea from HIV-1 subtype distribution in neighboring countries. Subtype F and subtype D strains, uncommon in West Africa, are a substantial part of HIV-1 epidemiology in Guinea. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Low brain ascorbic acid increases susceptibility to seizures in mouse models of decreased brain ascorbic acid transport and Alzheimer's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Warner, Timothy A; Kang, Jing-Qiong; Kennard, John A; Harrison, Fiona E

2015-02-01

Seizures are a known co-occurring symptom of Alzheimer's disease, and they can accelerate cognitive and neuropathological dysfunction. Sub-optimal vitamin C (ascorbic acid) deficiency, that is low levels that do not lead the sufferer to present with clinical signs of scurvy (e.g. lethargy, hemorrhage, hyperkeratosis), are easily obtainable with insufficient dietary intake, and may contribute to the oxidative stress environment of both Alzheimer's disease and epilepsy. The purpose of this study was to test whether mice that have diminished brain ascorbic acid in addition to carrying human Alzheimer's disease mutations in the amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilin 1 (PSEN1) genes, had altered electrical activity in the brain (electroencephalography; EEG), and were more susceptible to pharmacologically induced seizures. Brain ascorbic acid was decreased in APP/PSEN1 mice by crossing them with sodium vitamin C transporter 2 (SVCT2) heterozygous knockout mice. These mice have an approximately 30% decrease in brain ascorbic acid due to lower levels of SVCT2 that supplies the brain with ASC. SVCT2+/-APP/PSEN1 mice had decreased ascorbic acid and increased oxidative stress in brain, increased mortality, faster seizure onset latency following treatment with kainic acid (10 mg/kg i.p.), and more ictal events following pentylenetetrazol (50 mg/kg i.p.) treatment. Furthermore, we report the entirely novel phenomenon that ascorbic acid deficiency alone increased the severity of kainic acid- and pentylenetetrazol-induced seizures. These data suggest that avoiding ascorbic acid deficiency may be particularly important in populations at increased risk for epilepsy and seizures, such as Alzheimer's disease. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In vitro bioacessibility and transport across Caco-2 monolayers of haloacetic acids in drinking water.

Science.gov (United States)

Melo, A; Faria, M A; Pinto, E; Mansilha, C; Ferreira, I M P L V O

2016-10-01

Water disinfection plays a crucial role in water safety but it is also a matter of concern as the use of disinfectants promotes the formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs). Haloacetic acids (HAAs) are one of the major classes of DBPs since they are frequently found in treated water, are ubiquitous, pervasive and have high water solubility, so a great concern emerged about their formation, occurrence and toxicity. Exposure to HAAs is influenced by consumption patterns and diet of individuals thus their bioavailability is an important parameter to the overall toxicity. In the current study the bioacessibility of the most representative HAAs (chloroacetic acid - MCAA, bromoacetic acid - MBAA, dichloroacetic acid - DCAA, dibromoacetic acid - DBAA, and trichloroacetic acid - TCAA) after simulated in vitro digestion (SIVD) in tap water and transport across Caco-2 monolayers was evaluated. Compounds were monitored in 8 points throughout the digestion phases by an optimized LC-MS/MS methodology. MCAA and MBAA were not bioaccessible after SIVD whereas DCAA, DBAA and TCAA are highly bioaccessible (85 ± 4%, 97 ± 4% and 106 ± 7% respectively). Concerning transport assays, DCAA and DBAA were highly permeable throughout the Caco-2 monolayer (apparent permeability and calculated fraction absorbed of 13.62 × 10(-6) cm/s and 90% for DCAA; and 8.82 × 10(-6) cm/s and 84% for DBAA), whereas TCAA showed no relevant permeability. The present results may contribute to efficient risk analysis studies concerning HAAs oral exposure from tap water taking into account the different biological behaviour of these chemically similar substances. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Deorphanization of GPRC6A: a promiscuous L-alpha-amino acid receptor with preference for basic amino acids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wellendorph, Petrine; Hansen, Kasper B; Balsgaard, Anders

2005-01-01

with the signal transducing transmembrane and C terminus of the homologous goldfish 5.24 receptor allowed us to overcome these obstacles. Homology modeling of the hGPRC6A ATD based on the crystal structure of the metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 1 predicted interaction with alpha-amino acids...

Cockroach GABAB receptor subtypes: molecular characterization, pharmacological properties and tissue distribution.

Science.gov (United States)

Blankenburg, S; Balfanz, S; Hayashi, Y; Shigenobu, S; Miura, T; Baumann, O; Baumann, A; Blenau, W

2015-01-01

γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the predominant inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (CNS). Its effects are mediated by either ionotropic GABAA receptors or metabotropic GABAB receptors. GABAB receptors regulate, via Gi/o G-proteins, ion channels, and adenylyl cyclases. In humans, GABAB receptor subtypes are involved in the etiology of neurologic and psychiatric disorders. In arthropods, however, these members of the G-protein-coupled receptor family are only inadequately characterized. Interestingly, physiological data have revealed important functions of GABAB receptors in the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana. We have cloned cDNAs coding for putative GABAB receptor subtypes 1 and 2 of P. americana (PeaGB1 and PeaGB2). When both receptor proteins are co-expressed in mammalian cells, activation of the receptor heteromer with GABA leads to a dose-dependent decrease in cAMP production. The pharmacological profile differs from that of mammalian and Drosophila GABAB receptors. Western blot analyses with polyclonal antibodies have revealed the expression of PeaGB1 and PeaGB2 in the CNS of the American cockroach. In addition to the widespread distribution in the brain, PeaGB1 is expressed in salivary glands and male accessory glands. Notably, PeaGB1-like immunoreactivity has been detected in the GABAergic salivary neuron 2, suggesting that GABAB receptors act as autoreceptors in this neuron. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identification of Multiple Subtypes of Campylobacter jejuni in Chicken Meat and the Impact on Source Attribution

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John A. Hudson

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Most source attribution studies for Campylobacter use subtyping data based on single isolates from foods and environmental sources in an attempt to draw epidemiological inferences. It has been suggested that subtyping only one Campylobacter isolate per chicken carcass incurs a risk of failing to recognise the presence of clinically relevant, but numerically infrequent, subtypes. To investigate this, between 21 and 25 Campylobacter jejuni isolates from each of ten retail chicken carcasses were subtyped by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE using the two restriction enzymes SmaI and KpnI. Among the 227 isolates, thirteen subtypes were identified, the most frequently occurring subtype being isolated from three carcasses. Six carcasses carried a single subtype, three carcasses carried two subtypes each and one carcass carried three subtypes. Some subtypes carried by an individual carcass were shown to be potentially clonally related. Comparison of C. jejuni subtypes from chickens with isolate subtypes from human clinical cases (n = 1248 revealed seven of the thirteen chicken subtypes were indistinguishable from human cases. None of the numerically minor chicken subtypes were identified in the human data. Therefore, typing only one Campylobacter isolate from individual chicken carcasses may be adequate to inform Campylobacter source attribution.

Respiratory panic disorder subtype and sensitivity to the carbon dioxide challenge test

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A.M. Valença

2002-07-01

Full Text Available The aim of the present study was to verify the sensitivity to the carbon dioxide (CO2 challenge test of panic disorder (PD patients with respiratory and nonrespiratory subtypes of the disorder. Our hypothesis is that the respiratory subtype is more sensitive to 35% CO2. Twenty-seven PD subjects with or without agoraphobia were classified into respiratory and nonrespiratory subtypes on the basis of the presence of respiratory symptoms during their panic attacks. The tests were carried out in a double-blind manner using two mixtures: 1 35% CO2 and 65% O2, and 2 100% atmospheric compressed air, 20 min apart. The tests were repeated after 2 weeks during which the participants in the study did not receive any psychotropic drugs. At least 15 of 16 (93.7% respiratory PD subtype patients and 5 of 11 (43.4% nonrespiratory PD patients had a panic attack during one of two CO2 challenges (P = 0.009, Fisher exact test. Respiratory PD subtype patients were more sensitive to the CO2 challenge test. There was agreement between the severity of PD measured by the Clinical Global Impression (CGI Scale and the subtype of PD. Higher CGI scores in the respiratory PD subtype could reflect a greater sensitivity to the CO2 challenge due to a greater severity of PD. Carbon dioxide challenges in PD may define PD subtypes and their underlying mechanisms.

Correlation of microarray-based breast cancer molecular subtypes and clinical outcomes: implications for treatment optimization

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Hsu Hui-Chi

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Optimizing treatment through microarray-based molecular subtyping is a promising method to address the problem of heterogeneity in breast cancer; however, current application is restricted to prediction of distant recurrence risk. This study investigated whether breast cancer molecular subtyping according to its global intrinsic biology could be used for treatment customization. Methods Gene expression profiling was conducted on fresh frozen breast cancer tissue collected from 327 patients in conjunction with thoroughly documented clinical data. A method of molecular subtyping based on 783 probe-sets was established and validated. Statistical analysis was performed to correlate molecular subtypes with survival outcome and adjuvant chemotherapy regimens. Heterogeneity of molecular subtypes within groups sharing the same distant recurrence risk predicted by genes of the Oncotype and MammaPrint predictors was studied. Results We identified six molecular subtypes of breast cancer demonstrating distinctive molecular and clinical characteristics. These six subtypes showed similarities and significant differences from the Perou-Sørlie intrinsic types. Subtype I breast cancer was in concordance with chemosensitive basal-like intrinsic type. Adjuvant chemotherapy of lower intensity with CMF yielded survival outcome similar to those of CAF in this subtype. Subtype IV breast cancer was positive for ER with a full-range expression of HER2, responding poorly to CMF; however, this subtype showed excellent survival when treated with CAF. Reduced expression of a gene associated with methotrexate sensitivity in subtype IV was the likely reason for poor response to methotrexate. All subtype V breast cancer was positive for ER and had excellent long-term survival with hormonal therapy alone following surgery and/or radiation therapy. Adjuvant chemotherapy did not provide any survival benefit in early stages of subtype V patients. Subtype V was

Correlation of microarray-based breast cancer molecular subtypes and clinical outcomes: implications for treatment optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kao, Kuo-Jang; Chang, Kai-Ming; Hsu, Hui-Chi; Huang, Andrew T

2011-01-01

Optimizing treatment through microarray-based molecular subtyping is a promising method to address the problem of heterogeneity in breast cancer; however, current application is restricted to prediction of distant recurrence risk. This study investigated whether breast cancer molecular subtyping according to its global intrinsic biology could be used for treatment customization. Gene expression profiling was conducted on fresh frozen breast cancer tissue collected from 327 patients in conjunction with thoroughly documented clinical data. A method of molecular subtyping based on 783 probe-sets was established and validated. Statistical analysis was performed to correlate molecular subtypes with survival outcome and adjuvant chemotherapy regimens. Heterogeneity of molecular subtypes within groups sharing the same distant recurrence risk predicted by genes of the Oncotype and MammaPrint predictors was studied. We identified six molecular subtypes of breast cancer demonstrating distinctive molecular and clinical characteristics. These six subtypes showed similarities and significant differences from the Perou-Sørlie intrinsic types. Subtype I breast cancer was in concordance with chemosensitive basal-like intrinsic type. Adjuvant chemotherapy of lower intensity with CMF yielded survival outcome similar to those of CAF in this subtype. Subtype IV breast cancer was positive for ER with a full-range expression of HER2, responding poorly to CMF; however, this subtype showed excellent survival when treated with CAF. Reduced expression of a gene associated with methotrexate sensitivity in subtype IV was the likely reason for poor response to methotrexate. All subtype V breast cancer was positive for ER and had excellent long-term survival with hormonal therapy alone following surgery and/or radiation therapy. Adjuvant chemotherapy did not provide any survival benefit in early stages of subtype V patients. Subtype V was consistent with a unique subset of luminal A intrinsic

Expression and distribution patterns of Mas-related gene receptor subtypes A-H in the mouse intestine: inflammation-induced changes.

Science.gov (United States)

Avula, Leela Rani; Buckinx, Roeland; Favoreel, Herman; Cox, Eric; Adriaensen, Dirk; Van Nassauw, Luc; Timmermans, Jean-Pierre

2013-05-01

Mas-related gene (Mrg) receptors constitute a subfamily of G protein-coupled receptors that are implicated in nociception, and are as such considered potential targets for pain therapies. Furthermore, some Mrgs have been suggested to play roles in the regulation of inflammatory responses to non-immunological activation of mast cells and in mast cell-neuron communication. Except for MrgD, E and F, whose changed expression has been revealed during inflammation in the mouse intestine in our earlier studies, information concerning the remaining cloned mouse Mrg subtypes in the gastrointestinal tract during (patho) physiological conditions is lacking. Therefore, the present study aimed at identifying the presence and putative function of these remaining cloned Mrg subtypes (n = 19) in the (inflamed) mouse intestine. Using reverse transcriptase-PCR, quantitative-PCR and multiple immunofluorescence staining with commercial and newly custom-developed antibodies, we compared the ileum and the related dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of non-inflamed mice with those of two models of intestinal inflammation, i.e., intestinal schistosomiasis and 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid-induced ileitis. In the non-inflamed ileum and DRG, the majority of the Mrg subtypes examined were sparsely expressed, showing a neuron-specific expression pattern. However, significant changes in the expression patterns of multiple Mrg subtypes were observed in the inflamed ileum; for instance, MrgA4, MrgB2and MrgB8 were expressed in a clearly increased number of enteric sensory neurons and in nerve fibers in the lamina propria, while de novo expression of MrgB10 was observed in enteric sensory neurons and in newly recruited mucosal mast cells (MMCs). The MrgB10 expressing MMCs were found to be in close contact with nerve fibers in the lamina propria. This is the first report on the expression of all cloned Mrg receptor subtypes in the (inflamed) mouse intestine. The observed changes in the expression and

Subtypes of attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and cannabis use.

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Loflin, Mallory; Earleywine, Mitch; De Leo, Joseph; Hobkirk, Andrea

2014-03-01

The current study examined the association between subtypes of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and cannabis use within a sample of 2811 current users. Data were collected in 2012 from a national U.S. survey of cannabis users. A series of logistic regression equations and chi-squares were assessed for proportional differences between users. When asked about the ADHD symptoms they have experienced when not using cannabis, a higher proportion of daily users met symptom criteria for an ADHD diagnoses of the subtypes that include hyperactive-impulsive symptoms than the inattentive subtype. For nondaily users, the proportions of users meeting symptom criteria did not differ by subtype. These results have implications for identifying which individuals with ADHD might be more likely to self-medicate using cannabis. Furthermore, these findings indirectly support research linking relevant cannabinoid receptors to regulatory control.

Discovery and Validation of Pyridoxic Acid and Homovanillic Acid as Novel Endogenous Plasma Biomarkers of Organic Anion Transporter (OAT) 1 and OAT3 in Cynomolgus Monkeys.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Hong; Nelson, David M; Oliveira, Regina V; Zhang, Yueping; Mcnaney, Colleen A; Gu, Xiaomei; Chen, Weiqi; Su, Ching; Reily, Michael D; Shipkova, Petia A; Gan, Jinping; Lai, Yurong; Marathe, Punit; Humphreys, W Griffith

2018-02-01

Perturbation of organic anion transporter (OAT) 1- and OAT3-mediated transport can alter the exposure, efficacy, and safety of drugs. Although there have been reports of the endogenous biomarkers for OAT1/3, none of these have all of the characteristics required for a clinical useful biomarker. Cynomolgus monkeys were treated with intravenous probenecid (PROB) at a dose of 40 mg/kg in this study. As expected, PROB increased the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) of coadministered furosemide, a known substrate of OAT1 and OAT3, by 4.1-fold, consistent with the values reported in humans (3.1- to 3.7-fold). Of the 233 plasma metabolites analyzed using a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based metabolomics method, 29 metabolites, including pyridoxic acid (PDA) and homovanillic acid (HVA), were significantly increased after either 1 or 3 hours in plasma from the monkeys pretreated with PROB compared with the treated animals. The plasma of animals was then subjected to targeted LC-MS/MS analysis, which confirmed that the PDA and HVA AUCs increased by approximately 2- to 3-fold by PROB pretreatments. PROB also increased the plasma concentrations of hexadecanedioic acid (HDA) and tetradecanedioic acid (TDA), although the increases were not statistically significant. Moreover, transporter profiling assessed using stable cell lines constitutively expressing transporters demonstrated that PDA and HVA are substrates for human OAT1, OAT3, OAT2 (HVA), and OAT4 (PDA), but not OCT2, MATE1, MATE2K, OATP1B1, OATP1B3, and sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide. Collectively, these findings suggest that PDA and HVA might serve as blood-based endogenous probes of cynomolgus monkey OAT1 and OAT3, and investigation of PDA and HVA as circulating endogenous biomarkers of human OAT1 and OAT3 function is warranted. Copyright © 2018 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

Fishy Business: Effect of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Zinc Transporters and Free Zinc Availability in Human Neuronal Cells

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Damitha De Mel

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Omega-3 (ω-3 fatty acids are one of the two main families of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA. The main omega-3 fatty acids in the mammalian body are α-linolenic acid (ALA, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA. Central nervous tissues of vertebrates are characterized by a high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids. Moreover, in the human brain, DHA is considered as the main structural omega-3 fatty acid, which comprises about 40% of the PUFAs in total. DHA deficiency may be the cause of many disorders such as depression, inability to concentrate, excessive mood swings, anxiety, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, dry skin and so on. On the other hand, zinc is the most abundant trace metal in the human brain. There are many scientific studies linking zinc, especially excess amounts of free zinc, to cellular death. Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, are characterized by altered zinc metabolism. Both animal model studies and human cell culture studies have shown a possible link between omega-3 fatty acids, zinc transporter levels and free zinc availability at cellular levels. Many other studies have also suggested a possible omega-3 and zinc effect on neurodegeneration and cellular death. Therefore, in this review, we will examine the effect of omega-3 fatty acids on zinc transporters and the importance of free zinc for human neuronal cells. Moreover, we will evaluate the collective understanding of mechanism(s for the interaction of these elements in neuronal research and their significance for the diagnosis and treatment of neurodegeneration.

Fishy business: effect of omega-3 fatty acids on zinc transporters and free zinc availability in human neuronal cells.

Science.gov (United States)

De Mel, Damitha; Suphioglu, Cenk

2014-08-15

Omega-3 (ω-3) fatty acids are one of the two main families of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). The main omega-3 fatty acids in the mammalian body are α-linolenic acid (ALA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Central nervous tissues of vertebrates are characterized by a high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids. Moreover, in the human brain, DHA is considered as the main structural omega-3 fatty acid, which comprises about 40% of the PUFAs in total. DHA deficiency may be the cause of many disorders such as depression, inability to concentrate, excessive mood swings, anxiety, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, dry skin and so on. On the other hand, zinc is the most abundant trace metal in the human brain. There are many scientific studies linking zinc, especially excess amounts of free zinc, to cellular death. Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, are characterized by altered zinc metabolism. Both animal model studies and human cell culture studies have shown a possible link between omega-3 fatty acids, zinc transporter levels and free zinc availability at cellular levels. Many other studies have also suggested a possible omega-3 and zinc effect on neurodegeneration and cellular death. Therefore, in this review, we will examine the effect of omega-3 fatty acids on zinc transporters and the importance of free zinc for human neuronal cells. Moreover, we will evaluate the collective understanding of mechanism(s) for the interaction of these elements in neuronal research and their significance for the diagnosis and treatment of neurodegeneration.

Validation of transport measurements in skeletal muscle with N-13 amino acids using a rabbit isolated hindlimb model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conlon, K.C.; Bading, J.R.; DiResta, G.R.; Corbally, M.T.; Gelbard, A.S.; Brennan, M.F.

1989-01-01

The authors are studying the transport of C-11 and N-13 labeled amino acids in tumor-bearing rabbits to determine the role of amino acid transport in the pathogenesis of muscle wasting in cancer. To validate a new, in vivo, method for measuring transport in skeletal muscle with these compounds, an isolated hindlimb model was developed in rabbits. The limb was perfused with a non-recirculating, normothermic, constant pressure system and a cell-free perfusate. Hemodynamic and metabolic parameters were measured during the first 75 min. of perfusion and found to remain normal and stable. Flow varied directly with perfusion pressure over the normal range of resting flows in the intact rabbit hindlimb. Time-activity curves (TAC's) were recorded from the medial thigh following bolus co-injection of L-[amide N-13] glutamine or N-13 L-glutamate with Tc-99m human serum albumin (HSA) into the femoral artery. Regional plasma flow was determined from the Tc-99m data

Detection and subtyping avian metapneumovirus from turkeys in Iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Mayahi, Mansour; Momtaz, Hassan; Jafari, Ramezan Ali; Zamani, Pejman

2017-01-01

Avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) causes diseases like rhinotracheitis in turkeys, swollen head syndrome in chickens and avian rhinotracheitis in other birds. Causing respiratory problems, aMPV adversely affects production and inflicts immense economic losses and mortalities, especially in turkey flocks. In recent years, several serological and molecular studies have been conducted on this virus, especially in poultry in Asia and Iran. The purpose of the present study was detecting and subtyping aMPV by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) from non-vaccinated, commercial turkey flocks in Iran for the first time. Sixty three meat-type unvaccinated turkey flocks from several provinces of Iran were sampled in major turkey abattoirs. Samples were tested by RT-PCR for detecting and subtyping aMPV. The results showed that 26 samples from three flocks (4.10%) were positive for viral RNA and all of the viruses were found to be subtype B of aMPV. As a result, vaccination especially against subtype B of aMPV should be considered in turkey flocks in Iran to control aMPV infections.

The Genetic Diversity and Evolution of HIV-1 Subtype B Epidemic in Puerto Rico.

Science.gov (United States)

López, Pablo; Rivera-Amill, Vanessa; Rodríguez, Nayra; Vargas, Freddie; Yamamura, Yasuhiro

2015-12-23

HIV-1 epidemics in Caribbean countries, including Puerto Rico, have been reported to be almost exclusively associated with the subtype B virus (HIV-1B). However, while HIV infections associated with other clades have been only sporadically reported, no organized data exist to accurately assess the prevalence of non-subtype B HIV-1 infection. We analyzed the nucleotide sequence data of the HIV pol gene associated with HIV isolates from Puerto Rican patients. The sequences (n = 945) were obtained from our "HIV Genotyping" test file, which has been generated over a period of 14 years (2001-2014). REGA subtyping tool found the following subtypes: B (90%), B-like (3%), B/D recombinant (6%), and D/B recombinant (0.6%). Though there were fewer cases, the following subtypes were also found (in the given proportions): A1B (0.3%), BF1 (0.2%), subtype A (01-AE) (0.1%), subtype A (A2) (0.1%), subtype F (12BF) (0.1%), CRF-39 BF-like (0.1%), and others (0.1%). Some of the recombinants were identified as early as 2001. Although the HIV epidemic in Puerto Rico is primarily associated with HIV-1B virus, our analysis uncovered the presence of other subtypes. There was no indication of subtype C, which has been predominantly associated with heterosexual transmission in other parts of the world.

The Genetic Diversity and Evolution of HIV-1 Subtype B Epidemic in Puerto Rico

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Pablo López

2015-12-01

Full Text Available HIV-1 epidemics in Caribbean countries, including Puerto Rico, have been reported to be almost exclusively associated with the subtype B virus (HIV-1B. However, while HIV infections associated with other clades have been only sporadically reported, no organized data exist to accurately assess the prevalence of non-subtype B HIV-1 infection. We analyzed the nucleotide sequence data of the HIV pol gene associated with HIV isolates from Puerto Rican patients. The sequences (n = 945 were obtained from our “HIV Genotyping” test file, which has been generated over a period of 14 years (2001–2014. REGA subtyping tool found the following subtypes: B (90%, B-like (3%, B/D recombinant (6%, and D/B recombinant (0.6%. Though there were fewer cases, the following subtypes were also found (in the given proportions: A1B (0.3%, BF1 (0.2%, subtype A (01-AE (0.1%, subtype A (A2 (0.1%, subtype F (12BF (0.1%, CRF-39 BF-like (0.1%, and others (0.1%. Some of the recombinants were identified as early as 2001. Although the HIV epidemic in Puerto Rico is primarily associated with HIV-1B virus, our analysis uncovered the presence of other subtypes. There was no indication of subtype C, which has been predominantly associated with heterosexual transmission in other parts of the world.

Association Between Imaging Characteristics and Different Molecular Subtypes of Breast Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Mingxiang; Ma, Jie

2017-04-01

Breast cancer can be divided into four major molecular subtypes based on the expression of hormone receptor (estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, HER2 status, and molecular proliferation rate (Ki67). In this study, we sought to investigate the association between breast cancer subtype and radiological findings in the Chinese population. Medical records of 300 consecutive invasive breast cancer patients were reviewed from the database: the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System. The imaging characteristics of the lesions were evaluated. The molecular subtypes of breast cancer were classified into four types: luminal A, luminal B, HER2 overexpressed (HER2), and basal-like breast cancer (BLBC). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the association between the subtype (dependent variable) and mammography or 15 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indicators (independent variables). Luminal A and B subtypes were commonly associated with "clustered calcification distribution," "nipple invasion," or "skin invasion" (P cancers showed association with persistent enhancement in the delayed phase on MRI and "clustered calcification distribution" on mammography (P breast tumor, which are potentially useful tools in the diagnosis and subtyping of breast cancer. Copyright © 2017 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sleep and daytime function in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: subtype differences.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Sun Young Rosalia; Jain, Umesh Ravi; Shapiro, Colin Michael

2013-07-01

Although sleep disorders have been reported to affect more than half of adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the association between sleep and ADHD is poorly understood. The aims of our study were to investigate sleep-related variables in adults with ADHD and to assess if any differences exist between ADHD of the predominantly inattentive (ADHD-I) and combined (ADHD-C) subtypes. We used the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the fatigue severity scale (FSS) to collect data on daytime sleepiness, sleep quality, and fatigue in 126 subjects (45 ADHD-I and 81 ADHD-C subjects). Approximately 85% of subjects reported excessive daytime sleepiness or poor sleep quality. The most common sleep concerns were initial insomnia, interrupted sleep, and feeling too hot. When examining ADHD subtype differences, ADHD-I subtypes reported poorer sleep quality and more fatigue than ADHD-C subtypes. Partial correlation analyses revealed that interrelationships between sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and fatigue differ between ADHD subtypes; in ADHD-I subtypes fatigue was associated with sleep quality, while in the ADHD-C subtypes fatigue was associated with both sleep quality and daytime sleepiness. There also appears to be a subtype×gender interaction that affects the perception of fatigue, as subjective fatigue was markedly higher in ADHD-I women than in ADHD-C women. Altogether our data indicate that the interplay of variables associated with daytime function and sleep varies between ADHD subtypes. This finding may have considerable relevance in the management and pathophysiologic understanding of ADHD, and thus lead to tailored treatments for ADHD subtypes. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Distinguishing subtypes of extrinsic motivation among people with mild to borderline intellectual disability.

Science.gov (United States)

Frielink, N; Schuengel, C; Embregts, P

2017-07-01

According to self-determination theory, motivation is ordered in types, including amotivation, extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation. Self-determination theory defines four subtypes of extrinsic motivation: external motivation, introjected motivation, identified motivation and integrated motivation. Although it has been argued theoretically that the different types of motivation are universally applicable, Reid et al. () proposed a dichotomy of broad subtypes of extrinsic motivation for people with intellectual disability (ID) due to their cognitive limitations. The current study challenges this proposal by testing whether the four subtypes of extrinsic motivation can be differentiated among people with ID as well. The subtypes of extrinsic motivation were measured using two adapted versions of the Self-Regulation Questionnaire, one regarding exercise and one regarding support. In total, 186 adults with mild to borderline ID participated in the study. Results supported the distinction between the four subtypes of extrinsic motivation regarding both exercise and support. In addition, the correlation coefficients supported a quasi-simplex pattern of correlations among the subtypes, indicating that adjacent subtypes were more closely related than non-adjacent subtypes. Moreover, the study showed sufficient Cronbach's alphas and test-retest reliabilities for early stage research. Overall, the results of the current study provide initial evidence for the universality of the four subtypes of extrinsic motivation across populations with and without ID. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research published by MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disibilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Complex Subtype-Dependent Role of Connexin 43 (GJA1 in Breast Cancer

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Mélanie Busby

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Gap junction transmembrane channels allow the transfer of small molecules between the cytoplasm of adjacent cells. They are formed by proteins named connexins (Cxs that have long been considered as a tumor suppressor. This widespread view has been challenged by recent studies suggesting that the role of Connexin 43 (Cx43 in cancer is tissue- and stage-specific and can even promote tumor progression. High throughput profiling of invasive breast cancer has allowed for the construction of subtyping schemes that partition patients into at least four distinct intrinsic subtypes. This study characterizes Cx43 expression during cancer progression with each of the tumor subtypes using a compendium of publicly available gene expression data. In particular, we show that Cx43 expression depends greatly on intrinsic subtype. Tumor grade also co-varies with patient subtype, resulting in Cx43 co-expression with grade in a subtype-dependent manner. Better survival was associated with a high expression of Cx43 in unstratified and luminal tumors but with a low expression in Her2e subtype. A better understanding of Cx43 regulation in a subtype-dependent manner is needed to clarify the context in which Cx43 is associated with tumor suppression or cancer progression.

The Complex Subtype-Dependent Role of Connexin 43 (GJA1) in Breast Cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Busby, Mélanie; Hallett, Michael T.; Plante, Isabelle

2018-01-01

Gap junction transmembrane channels allow the transfer of small molecules between the cytoplasm of adjacent cells. They are formed by proteins named connexins (Cxs) that have long been considered as a tumor suppressor. This widespread view has been challenged by recent studies suggesting that the role of Connexin 43 (Cx43) in cancer is tissue- and stage-specific and can even promote tumor progression. High throughput profiling of invasive breast cancer has allowed for the construction of subtyping schemes that partition patients into at least four distinct intrinsic subtypes. This study characterizes Cx43 expression during cancer progression with each of the tumor subtypes using a compendium of publicly available gene expression data. In particular, we show that Cx43 expression depends greatly on intrinsic subtype. Tumor grade also co-varies with patient subtype, resulting in Cx43 co-expression with grade in a subtype-dependent manner. Better survival was associated with a high expression of Cx43 in unstratified and luminal tumors but with a low expression in Her2e subtype. A better understanding of Cx43 regulation in a subtype-dependent manner is needed to clarify the context in which Cx43 is associated with tumor suppression or cancer progression. PMID:29495625

The Origin and Evolutionary History of HIV-1 Subtype C in Senegal

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Matthieu; Leye, Nafissatou; Vidal, Nicole; Fargette, Denis; Diop, Halimatou; Toure Kane, Coumba; Gascuel, Olivier; Peeters, Martine

2012-01-01

Background The classification of HIV-1 strains in subtypes and Circulating Recombinant Forms (CRFs) has helped in tracking the course of the HIV pandemic. In Senegal, which is located at the tip of West Africa, CRF02_AG predominates in the general population and Female Sex Workers (FSWs). In contrast, 40% of Men having Sex with Men (MSM) in Senegal are infected with subtype C. In this study we analyzed the geographical origins and introduction dates of HIV-1 C in Senegal in order to better understand the evolutionary history of this subtype, which predominates today in the MSM population Methodology/Principal Findings We used a combination of phylogenetic analyses and a Bayesian coalescent-based approach, to study the phylogenetic relationships in pol of 56 subtype C isolates from Senegal with 3,025 subtype C strains that were sampled worldwide. Our analysis shows a significantly well supported cluster which contains all subtype C strains that circulate among MSM in Senegal. The MSM cluster and other strains from Senegal are widely dispersed among the different subclusters of African HIV-1 C strains, suggesting multiple introductions of subtype C in Senegal from many different southern and east African countries. More detailed analyses show that HIV-1 C strains from MSM are more closely related to those from southern Africa. The estimated date of the MRCA of subtype C in the MSM population in Senegal is estimated to be in the early 80's. Conclusions/Significance Our evolutionary reconstructions suggest that multiple subtype C viruses with a common ancestor originating in the early 1970s entered Senegal. There was only one efficient spread in the MSM population, which most likely resulted from a single introduction, underlining the importance of high-risk behavior in spread of viruses. PMID:22470456

Vitamin D enhances omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids-induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Jing; Zhu, Shenglong; Lin, Guangxiao; Song, Ci; He, Zhao

2017-08-01

Breast cancer is a leading type of cancer in women and generally classified into three subtypes of ER + /PR + , HER2 + and triple negative. Both omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin D 3 play positive role in the reduction of breast cancer incidence. However, whether combination of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin D 3 has stronger protective effect on breast carcinogenesis still remains unknown. In this study, we show that the combination of ω-3 free fatty acids (ω-3 FFAs) and 1α, 25-dihydroxy-vitamin D 3 (VD 3 ) dramatically enhances cell apoptosis among three subtypes of breast cancer cell lines. Bcl-2 and total PARP protein levels are decreased in combined treatment MCF-7 and SK-BR-3 cells. Caspase signals play a vital role in cell apoptosis induced by combination. Moreover, Raf-MAPK signaling pathway is involved in the apoptosis induction by combination of ω-3 FFAs+VD 3 . These results demonstrate that the induction of cell apoptosis by combined treatment is dependent on different signaling pathways in three subtypes of breast cancer cell lines. © 2017 International Federation for Cell Biology.

Supervanadophile: Complexation, preconcentration and transport studies of vanadium by octa functionalized calix [4] resorcinarene - hydroxamic acid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jain, V. K.; Pillai, S. G.; Gupte, H. S.

2008-01-01

A new octa functionalized calix[4] resorcinarene bearing eight hydroxamic acid groups has been synthesized and its analytical properties have been investigated. To elucidate the structure of the compound, elemental analysis, fourier transform infrared and 1 H NMR spectral data have been used. The compound showed high affinity and selectivity for vanadium(V) in presence of large quantities of associated metal ions. The complexation of vanadium(V) with octa functionalized calix[4] resorcinarene bearing eight hydroxamic acid has a 4:1 metal: ligand stoichiometry as evaluated by Job's plot. A spectrophotometric method is proposed for the extractive determination of vanadium(V) in an acidic medium in the presence of diversified matrix, and verified by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry. Under the optimum condition of acidity, solvent, interfering ions and octa functionalized calix[4] resorcinarene bearing eight hydroxamic acid concentration, the molar absorptivity of the complex is 5630 1 mol -1 cm -1 at 495 nm. The system obeys Beer's law over the range 0.125-8.75 μg ml -1 of vanadium(V) with Sandell sensitivity 0.009 μg cm -2 . The preconcentration factor and overall stability constant evaluated at 25 d eg C were 142 and 14.18, respectively. The complexation is characterized by favorable enthalpy and entropy changes. Liquid membrane transport studies of vanadium(V) were carried out from source to the receiving phase under controlled conditions and a mechanism for transport is suggested. To check the validity of the proposed method, vanadium is determined in environmental, biological samples and some standard reference materials from NIST and BCS

HIV-1 subtype C envelope characteristics associated with divergent rates of chronic disease progression

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Goulder Philip JR

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background HIV-1 envelope diversity remains a significant challenge for the development of an efficacious vaccine. The evolutionary forces that shape the diversity of envelope are incompletely understood. HIV-1 subtype C envelope in particular shows significant differences and unique characteristics compared to its subtype B counterpart. Here we applied the single genome sequencing strategy of plasma derived virus from a cohort of therapy naïve chronically infected individuals in order to study diversity, divergence patterns and envelope characteristics across the entire HIV-1 subtype C gp160 in 4 slow progressors and 4 progressors over an average of 19.5 months. Results Sequence analysis indicated that intra-patient nucleotide diversity within the entire envelope was higher in slow progressors, but did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.07. However, intra-patient nucleotide diversity was significantly higher in slow progressors compared to progressors in the C2 (p = 0.0006, V3 (p = 0.01 and C3 (p = 0.005 regions. Increased amino acid length and fewer potential N-linked glycosylation sites (PNGs were observed in the V1-V4 in slow progressors compared to progressors (p = 0.009 and p = 0.02 respectively. Similarly, gp41 in the progressors was significantly longer and had fewer PNGs compared to slow progressors (p = 0.02 and p = 0.02 respectively. Positive selection hotspots mapped mainly to V1, C3, V4, C4 and gp41 in slow progressors, whereas hotspots mapped mainly to gp41 in progressors. Signature consensus sequence differences between the groups occurred mainly in gp41. Conclusions These data suggest that separate regions of envelope are under differential selective forces, and that envelope evolution differs based on disease course. Differences between slow progressors and progressors may reflect differences in immunological pressure and immune evasion mechanisms. These data also indicate that the pattern of envelope evolution

The Monocarboxylate Transporter Inhibitor α-Cyano-4-Hydroxycinnamic Acid Disrupts Rat Lung Branching

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Sara Granja

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Background/Aims: The human embryo develops in a hypoxic environment. In this way, cells have to rely on the glycolytic pathway for energy supply, leading to an intracellular accumulation of monocarboxylates such as lactate and pyruvate. These acids have an important role in cell metabolism and their rapid transport across the plasma membrane is crucial for the maintenance of intracellular pH homeostasis. This transport is mediated by a family of transporters, designated by monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs, namely isoforms 1 and 4. MCT1/4 expression is regulated by the ancillary protein CD147.The general aim of this study was to characterize the expression pattern of MCT1/4, CD147 and the glucose transporter GLUT1 during human fetal lung development and elucidate the role of MCTs in lung development. Methods: The expression pattern of MCT1/4 and GLUT1 was characterized by immunohistochemistry and fetal lung viability and branching were evaluated by exposing rat fetal lung explants to CHC, an inhibitor of MCT activity. Results: Our findings show that all the biomarkers are differently expressed during fetal lung development and that CHC appears to have an inhibitory effect on lung branching and viability, in a dose dependent way. Conclusion: We provide evidence for the role of MCTs in embryo lung development, however to prove the dependence of MCT activity further studies are waranted.

Geographic distribution of hepatitis C virus genotype 6 subtypes in Thailand.

Science.gov (United States)

Akkarathamrongsin, Srunthron; Praianantathavorn, Kesmanee; Hacharoen, Nisachol; Theamboonlers, Apiradee; Tangkijvanich, Pisit; Tanaka, Yasuhito; Mizokami, Masashi; Poovorawan, Yong

2010-02-01

The nucleotide sequence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 6 found mostly in south China and south-east Asia, displays profound genetic diversity. The aim of this study to determine the genetic variability of HCV genotype 6 (HCV-6) in Thailand and locate the subtype distribution of genotype 6 in various geographic areas. Four hundred nineteen anti-HCV positive serum samples were collected from patients residing in - the central part of the country. HCV RNA positive samples based on reverse transcriptase- polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of the 5'UTR were amplified with primers specific for the core and NS5B regions. Nucleotide sequences of both regions were analyzed for the genotype by phylogenetic analysis. To determine geographic distribution of HCV-6 subtypes, a search of the international database on subtype distribution in the respective countries was conducted. Among 375 HCV RNA positive samples, 71 had HCV-6 based on phylogenetic analysis of partial core and NS5B regions. The subtype distribution in order of predominance was 6f (56%), 6n (22%), 6i (11%), 6j (10%), and 6e (1%). Among the 13 countries with different subtypes of HCV-6, most sequences have been reported from Vietnam. Subtype 6f was found exclusively in Thailand where five distinct HCV-6 subtypes are circulating. HCV-6, which is endemic in south China and south-east Asia, displays profound genetic diversity and may have evolved over a considerable period of time. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

A DNA methylation-based definition of biologically distinct breast cancer subtypes.

Science.gov (United States)

Stefansson, Olafur A; Moran, Sebastian; Gomez, Antonio; Sayols, Sergi; Arribas-Jorba, Carlos; Sandoval, Juan; Hilmarsdottir, Holmfridur; Olafsdottir, Elinborg; Tryggvadottir, Laufey; Jonasson, Jon G; Eyfjord, Jorunn; Esteller, Manel

2015-03-01

In cancer, epigenetic states are deregulated and thought to be of significance in cancer development and progression. We explored DNA methylation-based signatures in association with breast cancer subtypes to assess their impact on clinical presentation and patient prognosis. DNA methylation was analyzed using Infinium 450K arrays in 40 tumors and 17 normal breast samples, together with DNA copy number changes and subtype-specific markers by tissue microarrays. The identified methylation signatures were validated against a cohort of 212 tumors annotated for breast cancer subtypes by the PAM50 method (The Cancer Genome Atlas). Selected markers were pyrosequenced in an independent validation cohort of 310 tumors and analyzed with respect to survival, clinical stage and grade. The results demonstrate that DNA methylation patterns linked to the luminal-B subtype are characterized by CpG island promoter methylation events. In contrast, a large fraction of basal-like tumors are characterized by hypomethylation events occurring within the gene body. Based on these hallmark signatures, we defined two DNA methylation-based subtypes, Epi-LumB and Epi-Basal, and show that they are associated with unfavorable clinical parameters and reduced survival. Our data show that distinct mechanisms leading to changes in CpG methylation states are operative in different breast cancer subtypes. Importantly, we show that a few selected proxy markers can be used to detect the distinct DNA methylation-based subtypes thereby providing valuable information on disease prognosis. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Natural and azido fatty acids inhibit phosphate transport and activate fatty acid anion uniport mediated by the mitochondrial phosphate carrier

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Engstová, Hana; Žáčková, Markéta; Růžička, Michal; Meinhardt, A.; Hanuš, Jan; Krämer, R.; Ježek, Petr

2001-01-01

Roč. 276, č. 7 (2001), s. 4683-4691 ISSN 0021-9258 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA301/95/0620; GA ČR GA301/98/0568; GA MŠk ME 085; GA MŠk ME 389 Grant - others:US(US) Czechoslovak Science and Technology Program 94043 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5011922 Keywords : phosphate transport * fatty acids Subject RIV: CE - Biochemistry Impact factor: 7.258, year: 2001

The Association between Physical Morbidity and Subtypes of Severe Depression

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Østergaard, Søren Dinesen; Petrides, Georgio; Dinesen, Peter Thisted

2013-01-01

Physical illness and depression are related, but the association between specific physical diseases and diagnostic subtypes of depression remains poorly understood. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between a number of physical diseases and the nonpsychotic and psychotic subtype...... of severe depression....

Ethnic variation of the histological subtypes of renal cell carcinoma ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

E.V. Ezenwa

The content of the data obtained included the ethnicity categorized as Chinese, Malays, Indians and others (Indonesians, Vietnamese and other minor groups). Other data collected included age, gender and the histological subtype categorized as clear cell, papillary, chromophobe, collecting duct and unclassified subtypes.

Structure-based prediction of subtype selectivity of histamine H3 receptor selective antagonists in clinical trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Soo-Kyung; Fristrup, Peter; Abrol, Ravinder; Goddard, William A

2011-12-27

Histamine receptors (HRs) are excellent drug targets for the treatment of diseases, such as schizophrenia, psychosis, depression, migraine, allergies, asthma, ulcers, and hypertension. Among them, the human H(3) histamine receptor (hH(3)HR) antagonists have been proposed for specific therapeutic applications, including treatment of Alzheimer's disease, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), epilepsy, and obesity. However, many of these drug candidates cause undesired side effects through the cross-reactivity with other histamine receptor subtypes. In order to develop improved selectivity and activity for such treatments, it would be useful to have the three-dimensional structures for all four HRs. We report here the predicted structures of four HR subtypes (H(1), H(2), H(3), and H(4)) using the GEnSeMBLE (GPCR ensemble of structures in membrane bilayer environment) Monte Carlo protocol, sampling ∼35 million combinations of helix packings to predict the 10 most stable packings for each of the four subtypes. Then we used these 10 best protein structures with the DarwinDock Monte Carlo protocol to sample ∼50 000 × 10(20) poses to predict the optimum ligand-protein structures for various agonists and antagonists. We find that E206(5.46) contributes most in binding H(3) selective agonists (5, 6, 7) in agreement with experimental mutation studies. We also find that conserved E5.46/S5.43 in both of hH(3)HR and hH(4)HR are involved in H(3)/ H(4) subtype selectivity. In addition, we find that M378(6.55) in hH(3)HR provides additional hydrophobic interactions different from hH(4)HR (the corresponding amino acid of T323(6.55) in hH(4)HR) to provide additional subtype bias. From these studies, we developed a pharmacophore model based on our predictions for known hH(3)HR selective antagonists in clinical study [ABT-239 1, GSK-189,254 2, PF-3654746 3, and BF2.649 (tiprolisant) 4] that suggests critical selectivity directing elements are: the basic proton

Global DNA methylation of ischemic stroke subtypes.

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Carolina Soriano-Tárraga

Full Text Available Ischemic stroke (IS, a heterogeneous multifactorial disorder, is among the leading causes of mortality and long-term disability in the western world. Epidemiological data provides evidence for a genetic component to the disease, but its epigenetic involvement is still largely unknown. Epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, change over time and may be associated with aging processes and with modulation of the risk of various pathologies, such as cardiovascular disease and stroke. We analyzed 2 independent cohorts of IS patients. Global DNA methylation was measured by luminometric methylation assay (LUMA of DNA blood samples. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to assess the methylation differences between the 3 most common IS subtypes, large-artery atherosclerosis (LAA, small-artery disease (SAD, and cardio-aortic embolism (CE. A total of 485 IS patients from 2 independent hospital cohorts (n = 281 and n = 204 were included, distributed across 3 IS subtypes: LAA (78/281, 59/204, SAD (97/281, 53/204, and CE (106/281, 89/204. In univariate analyses, no statistical differences in LUMA levels were observed between the 3 etiologies in either cohort. Multivariate analysis, adjusted by age, sex, hyperlipidemia, and smoking habit, confirmed the lack of differences in methylation levels between the analyzed IS subtypes in both cohorts. Despite differences in pathogenesis, our results showed no global methylation differences between LAA, SAD, and CE subtypes of IS. Further work is required to establish whether the epigenetic mechanism of methylation might play a role in this complex disease.

Imaging features of automated breast volume scanner: Correlation with molecular subtypes of breast cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheng, Feng-Yang, E-mail: fyzheng16@fudan.edu.cn [Department of Ultrasound, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China); Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Shanghai 200032 (China); Lu, Qing, E-mail: lu.qing@zs-hospital.sh.cn [Department of Ultrasound, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China); Huang, Bei-Jian, E-mail: huang.beijian@zs-hospital.sh.cn [Department of Ultrasound, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China); Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Shanghai 200032 (China); Xia, Han-Sheng, E-mail: zs12036@126.com [Department of Ultrasound, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China); Yan, Li-Xia, E-mail: dndyanlixia@163.com [Department of Ultrasound, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China); Wang, Xi, E-mail: wang.xi@zs-hospital.sh.cn [Department of Ultrasound, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China); Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Shanghai 200032 (China); Yuan, Wei, E-mail: yuan.wei@zs-hospital.sh.cn [Department of Pathology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China); Wang, Wen-Ping, E-mail: wang.wenping@zs-hospital.sh.cn [Department of Ultrasound, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China); Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Shanghai 200032 (China)

2017-01-15

Highlights: • ABVS imaging features have a strong correlation with breast cancer molecular subtypes. • Retraction phenomenon on the coronal planes was the most important predictor for Luminal A and Triple Negative subtypes. • ABVS expand the scope of ultrasound in identifying breast cancer molecular subtypes. - Abstract: Objectives: To investigate the correlation between the imaging features obtained by an automated breast volume scanner (ABVS) and molecular subtypes of breast cancer. Methods: We examined 303 malignant breast tumours by ABVS for specific imaging features and by immunohistochemical analysis to determine the molecular subtype. ABVS imaging features, including retraction phenomenon, shape, margins, echogenicity, post-acoustic features, echogenic halo, and calcifications were analysed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to determine the significant predictive factors of the molecular subtypes. Results: By univariate logistic regression analysis, the predictive factors of the Luminal-A subtype (n = 128) were retraction phenomenon (odds ratio [OR] = 10.188), post-acoustic shadowing (OR = 5.112), and echogenic halo (OR = 3.263, P < 0.001). The predictive factors of the Human-epidermal-growth-factor-receptor-2-amplified subtype (n = 39) were calcifications (OR = 6.210), absence of retraction phenomenon (OR = 4.375), non-mass lesions (OR = 4.286, P < 0.001), absence of echogenic halo (OR = 3.851, P = 0.035), and post-acoustic enhancement (OR = 3.641, P = 0.008). The predictors for the Triple-Negative subtype (n = 47) were absence of retraction phenomenon (OR = 5.884), post-acoustic enhancement (OR = 5.255, P < 0.001), absence of echogenic halo (OR = 4.138, P = 0.002), and absence of calcifications (OR = 3.363, P = 0.001). Predictors for the Luminal-B subtype (n = 89) had a relatively lower association (OR ≤ 2.328). By multivariate logistic regression analysis, retraction phenomenon was the strongest independent predictor for

Imaging features of automated breast volume scanner: Correlation with molecular subtypes of breast cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng, Feng-Yang; Lu, Qing; Huang, Bei-Jian; Xia, Han-Sheng; Yan, Li-Xia; Wang, Xi; Yuan, Wei; Wang, Wen-Ping

2017-01-01

Highlights: • ABVS imaging features have a strong correlation with breast cancer molecular subtypes. • Retraction phenomenon on the coronal planes was the most important predictor for Luminal A and Triple Negative subtypes. • ABVS expand the scope of ultrasound in identifying breast cancer molecular subtypes. - Abstract: Objectives: To investigate the correlation between the imaging features obtained by an automated breast volume scanner (ABVS) and molecular subtypes of breast cancer. Methods: We examined 303 malignant breast tumours by ABVS for specific imaging features and by immunohistochemical analysis to determine the molecular subtype. ABVS imaging features, including retraction phenomenon, shape, margins, echogenicity, post-acoustic features, echogenic halo, and calcifications were analysed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to determine the significant predictive factors of the molecular subtypes. Results: By univariate logistic regression analysis, the predictive factors of the Luminal-A subtype (n = 128) were retraction phenomenon (odds ratio [OR] = 10.188), post-acoustic shadowing (OR = 5.112), and echogenic halo (OR = 3.263, P < 0.001). The predictive factors of the Human-epidermal-growth-factor-receptor-2-amplified subtype (n = 39) were calcifications (OR = 6.210), absence of retraction phenomenon (OR = 4.375), non-mass lesions (OR = 4.286, P < 0.001), absence of echogenic halo (OR = 3.851, P = 0.035), and post-acoustic enhancement (OR = 3.641, P = 0.008). The predictors for the Triple-Negative subtype (n = 47) were absence of retraction phenomenon (OR = 5.884), post-acoustic enhancement (OR = 5.255, P < 0.001), absence of echogenic halo (OR = 4.138, P = 0.002), and absence of calcifications (OR = 3.363, P = 0.001). Predictors for the Luminal-B subtype (n = 89) had a relatively lower association (OR ≤ 2.328). By multivariate logistic regression analysis, retraction phenomenon was the strongest independent predictor for

Distribution of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 subtypes in the State of Amazonas, Brazil, and subtype C identification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cunha, L.K.H.; Kashima, S.; Amarante, M.F.C.; Haddad, R.; Rodrigues, E.S.; Silva, K.L.T.; Lima, T.A.; Castro, D.B.; Brito, F.C.; Almeida, E.G.; Covas, D.T.; Malheiro, A.

2012-01-01

Few studies have reported the molecular epidemiological characterization of HIV-1 in the Northern region of Brazil. The present study reports the molecular and epidemiological characterization of 31 HIV-1 isolates from blood donors from the State of Amazonas who donated blood between April 2006 and March 2007. Serum/plasma samples from all donors were screened for HIV antibodies by ELISA and the results confirmed by Western blot analysis. Genomic DNA was extracted from the buffy coat using the Super Quik-Gene-DNA Isolation kit. Nested PCR was performed on the env, gag, and pol regions of HIV-1 using the Gene Amp PCR System 9700. Sequencing reactions were performed using the inner PCR primers and the DYEnamic™ ET Dye Terminator Kit, and phylogenetic analysis was performed using the gag, pol, and env gene sequences. We collected samples from 31 blood donors who tested positive for HIV-1 in confirmatory experiments. The male:female ratio of blood donors was 3.4:1, and the mean age was 32.4 years (range: 19 to 61 years). Phylogenetic analysis showed that subtype B is the most prevalent among Northern Brazilian HIV-1-seropositive blood donors. One HIV-1 subtype C and one circulating recombinant form (CRF-BF) of HIV-1 were identified in the State of Amazonas. This is the first study showing the occurrence of a possible “homogenous” subtype C in this region of Brazil. This finding could contribute to a better characterization of the HIV-1 strains that circulate in the country. Key words: HIV-1; Subtypes; Phylogenetic analysis; Blood donors; Molecular and epidemiological characterization

Distribution of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 subtypes in the State of Amazonas, Brazil, and subtype C identification

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cunha, L.K.H. [Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Manaus, AM (Brazil); Kashima, S.; Amarante, M.F.C.; Haddad, R.; Rodrigues, E.S. [Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Hemocentro de Ribeirão Preto, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP (Brazil); Silva, K.L.T.; Lima, T.A.; Castro, D.B.; Brito, F.C.; Almeida, E.G. [Diretoria de Ensino e Pesquisa,Fundação de Hematologia e Hemoterapia do Amazonas, Manaus, AM (Brazil); Covas, D.T. [Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Hemocentro de Ribeirão Preto, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP (Brazil); Malheiro, A. [Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Manaus, AM (Brazil); Diretoria de Ensino e Pesquisa,Fundação de Hematologia e Hemoterapia do Amazonas, Manaus, AM (Brazil)

2012-01-20

Few studies have reported the molecular epidemiological characterization of HIV-1 in the Northern region of Brazil. The present study reports the molecular and epidemiological characterization of 31 HIV-1 isolates from blood donors from the State of Amazonas who donated blood between April 2006 and March 2007. Serum/plasma samples from all donors were screened for HIV antibodies by ELISA and the results confirmed by Western blot analysis. Genomic DNA was extracted from the buffy coat using the Super Quik-Gene-DNA Isolation kit. Nested PCR was performed on the env, gag, and pol regions of HIV-1 using the Gene Amp PCR System 9700. Sequencing reactions were performed using the inner PCR primers and the DYEnamic™ ET Dye Terminator Kit, and phylogenetic analysis was performed using the gag, pol, and env gene sequences. We collected samples from 31 blood donors who tested positive for HIV-1 in confirmatory experiments. The male:female ratio of blood donors was 3.4:1, and the mean age was 32.4 years (range: 19 to 61 years). Phylogenetic analysis showed that subtype B is the most prevalent among Northern Brazilian HIV-1-seropositive blood donors. One HIV-1 subtype C and one circulating recombinant form (CRF-BF) of HIV-1 were identified in the State of Amazonas. This is the first study showing the occurrence of a possible “homogenous” subtype C in this region of Brazil. This finding could contribute to a better characterization of the HIV-1 strains that circulate in the country. Key words: HIV-1; Subtypes; Phylogenetic analysis; Blood donors; Molecular and epidemiological characterization.