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Sample records for heterologous dominant-active da

  1. Reduced striatal dopamine DA D2 receptor function in dominant-negative GSK-3 transgenic mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomez-Sintes, Raquel; Bortolozzi, Analia; Artigas, Francesc; Lucas, José J

    2014-09-01

    Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) is a serine/threonine kinase with constitutive activity involved in cellular architecture, gene expression, cell proliferation, fate decision and apoptosis, among others. GSK-3 expression is particularly high in brain where it may be involved in neurological and psychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer׳s disease, bipolar disorder and major depression. A link with schizophrenia is suggested by the antipsychotic drug-induced GSK-3 regulation and by the involvement of the Akt/GSK-3 pathway in dopaminergic neurotransmission. Taking advantage of the previous development of dominant negative GSK-3 transgenic mice (Tg) showing a selective reduction of GSK-3 activity in forebrain neurons but not in dopaminergic neurons, we explored the relationship between GSK-3 and dopaminergic neurotransmission in vivo. In microdialysis experiments, local quinpirole (DA D2-R agonist) in dorsal striatum reduced dopamine (DA) release significantly less in Tg mice than in wild-type (WT) mice. However, local SKF-81297 (selective DA D1-R agonist) in dorsal striatum reduced DA release equally in both control and Tg mice indicating a comparable function of DA D1-R in the direct striato-nigral pathway. Likewise, systemic quinpirole administration - acting preferentially on presynaptic DA D2- autoreceptors to modulate DA release-reduced striatal DA release similarly in both control and Tg mice. Quinpirole reduced locomotor activity and induced c-fos expression in globus pallidus (both striatal DA D2-R-mediated effects) significantly more in WT than in Tg mice. Taking together, the present results show that dominant negative GSK-3 transgenic mice show reduced DA D2-R-mediated function in striatum and further support a link between dopaminergic neurotransmission and GSK-3 activity. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. and ECNP. All rights reserved.

  2. Ligand-selective activation of heterologously-expressed mammalian olfactory receptor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ukhanov, K; Bobkov, Y; Corey, E A; Ache, B W

    2014-10-01

    Mammalian olfactory receptors (ORs) appear to have the capacity to couple to multiple G protein-coupled signaling pathways in a ligand-dependent selective manner. To better understand the mechanisms and molecular range of such ligand selectivity, we expressed the mouse eugenol OR (mOR-EG) in HEK293T cells together with Gα15 to monitor activation of the phospholipase-C (PLC) signaling pathway and/or Gαolf to monitor activation of the adenylate cyclase (AC) signaling pathway, resulting in intracellular Ca(2+) release and/or Ca(2+) influx through a cyclic nucleotide-gated channel, respectively. PLC-dependent responses differed dynamically from AC-dependent responses, allowing them to be distinguished when Gα15 and Gαolf were co-expressed. The dynamic difference in readout was independent of the receptor, the heterologous expression system, and the ligand concentration. Of 17 reported mOR-EG ligands tested, including eugenol, its analogs, and structurally dissimilar compounds (mousse cristal, nootkatone, orivone), some equally activated both signaling pathways, some differentially activated both signaling pathways, and some had no noticeable effect even at 1-5mM. Our findings argue that mOR-EG, when heterologously expressed, can couple to two different signaling pathways in a ligand selective manner. The challenge now is to determine the potential of mOR-EG, and perhaps other ORs, to activate multiple signaling pathways in a ligand selective manner in native ORNs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. DA-Raf, a dominant-negative antagonist of the Ras-ERK pathway, is a putative tumor suppressor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kanno, Emiri; Kawasaki, Osamu; Takahashi, Kazuya; Takano, Kazunori; Endo, Takeshi

    2018-01-01

    Activating mutations of RAS genes, particularly KRAS, are detected with high frequency in human tumors. Mutated Ras proteins constitutively activate the ERK pathway (Raf-MEK-ERK phosphorylation cascade), leading to cellular transformation and tumorigenesis. DA-Raf1 (DA-Raf) is a splicing variant of A-Raf and contains the Ras-binding domain (RBD) but lacks the kinase domain. Accordingly, DA-Raf antagonizes the Ras-ERK pathway in a dominant-negative fashion and suppresses constitutively activated K-Ras-induced cellular transformation. Thus, we have addressed whether DA-Raf serves as a tumor suppressor of Ras-induced tumorigenesis. DA-Raf(R52Q), which is generated from a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the RBD, and DA-Raf(R52W), a mutant detected in a lung cancer, neither bound to active K-Ras nor interfered with the activation of the ERK pathway. They were incapable of suppressing activated K-Ras-induced cellular transformation and tumorigenesis in mice, in which K-Ras-transformed cells were transplanted. Furthermore, although DA-Raf was highly expressed in lung alveolar epithelial type 2 (AE2) cells, its expression was silenced in AE2-derived lung adenocarcinoma cell lines with oncogenic KRAS mutations. These results suggest that DA-Raf represents a tumor suppressor protein against Ras-induced tumorigenesis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Photosynthetic fuel for heterologous enzymes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mellor, Silas Busck; Vavitsas, Konstantinos; Nielsen, Agnieszka Janina Zygadlo

    2017-01-01

    of reducing power. Recent work on the metabolic engineering of photosynthetic organisms has shown that the electron carriers such as ferredoxin and flavodoxin can be used to couple heterologous enzymes to photosynthetic reducing power. Because these proteins have a plethora of interaction partners and rely...... on electrostatically steered complex formation, they form productive electron transfer complexes with non-native enzymes. A handful of examples demonstrate channeling of photosynthetic electrons to drive the activity of heterologous enzymes, and these focus mainly on hydrogenases and cytochrome P450s. However......, competition from native pathways and inefficient electron transfer rates present major obstacles, which limit the productivity of heterologous reactions coupled to photosynthesis. We discuss specific approaches to address these bottlenecks and ensure high productivity of such enzymes in a photosynthetic...

  5. RELIGIÃO E NEGAÇÃO DA MODERNIDADE: A LEITURA FUNDAMENTALISTA DA BÍBLIA NAS REVISTAS DE ESCOLA BÍBLICA DOMINICAL DA ASSEMBLÉIA DE DEUS

    OpenAIRE

    Bertone de Oliveira Sousa

    2010-01-01

    Este artigo investiga as peculiaridades da leitura da Bíblia realizada pelos redatores das revistas de Escola Bíblica Dominical da Assembléia de Deus no Brasil, tendo como ponto de partida a ortodoxia doutrinária professada pela igreja e o fundamentalismo religioso presente em suas representações. Para isso, faz uma breve historicização da igreja, bem como uma problematização do conceito de fundamentalismo, para depois analisar-se as revistas de faixa etária de jovens e adultos da editora CPA...

  6. Mitochondrial targeting increases specific activity of a heterologous valine assimilation pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kevin V. Solomon

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Bio-based isobutantol is a sustainable ‘drop in’ substitute for petroleum-based fuels. However, well-studied production routes, such as the Ehrlich pathway, have yet to be commercialized despite more than a century of research. The more versatile bacterial valine catabolism may be a competitive alternate route producing not only an isobutanol precursor but several carboxylic acids with applications as biomonomers, and building blocks for other advanced biofuels. Here, we transfer the first two committed steps of the pathway from pathogenic Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 to yeast to evaluate their activity in a safer model organism. Genes encoding the heteroligomeric branched chain keto-acid dehydrogenase (BCKAD; bkdA1, bkdA2, bkdB, lpdV, and the homooligomeric acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (ACD; acd1 were tagged with fluorescence epitopes and targeted for expression in either the mitochondria or cytoplasm of S. cerevisiae. We verified the localization of our constructs with confocal fluorescence microscopy before measuring the activity of tag-free constructs. Despite reduced heterologous expression of mitochondria-targeted enzymes, their specific activities were significantly improved with total enzyme activities up to 138% greater than those of enzymes expressed in the cytoplasm. In total, our results demonstrate that the choice of protein localization in yeast has significant impact on heterologous activity, and suggests a new path forward for isobutanol production. Keywords: Pseudomonas, Isobutanol, Dehydrogenase, Mitochondria, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Metabolic engineering

  7. Kluyveromyces marxianus as a host for heterologous protein synthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gombert, Andreas K; Madeira, José Valdo; Cerdán, María-Esperanza; González-Siso, María-Isabel

    2016-07-01

    The preferentially respiring and thermotolerant yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus is an emerging host for heterologous protein synthesis, surpassing the traditional preferentially fermenting yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae in some important aspects: K . marxianus can grow at temperatures 10 °C higher than S. cerevisiae, which may result in decreased costs for cooling bioreactors and reduced contamination risk; has ability to metabolize a wider variety of sugars, such as lactose and xylose; is the fastest growing eukaryote described so far; and does not require special cultivation techniques (such as fed-batch) to avoid fermentative metabolism. All these advantages exist together with a high secretory capacity, performance of eukaryotic post-translational modifications, and with a generally regarded as safe (GRAS) status. In the last years, replication origins from several Kluyveromyces spp. have been used for the construction of episomal vectors, and also integrative strategies have been developed based on the tendency for non-homologous recombination displayed by K. marxianus. The recessive URA3 auxotrophic marker and the dominant Kan(R) are mostly used for selection of transformed cells, but other markers have been made available. Homologous and heterologous promoters and secretion signals have been characterized, with the K. marxianus INU1 expression and secretion system being of remarkable functionality. The efficient synthesis of roughly 50 heterologous proteins has been demonstrated, including one thermophilic enzyme. In this mini-review, we summarize the physiological characteristics of K. marxianus relevant for its use in the efficient synthesis of heterologous proteins, the efforts performed hitherto in the development of a molecular toolbox for this purpose, and some successful examples.

  8. Heterologous expression of enterocin AS-48 in several strains of lactic acid bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernández, M; Martínez-Bueno, M; Martín, M C; Valdivia, E; Maqueda, M

    2007-05-01

    Enterococcus faecalis produces a cationic and circular enterocin, AS-48, of 7149 Da, the genetic determinants of which are located within the pMB2 plasmid. We have compared enterocin AS-48 production by different enterococci species with that of other 'safe' lactic acid bacteris (LAB) (GRAS status) and looked into the subsequent application of this enterocin in food production. In an effort to exploit this system for the heterologous expression of enterocin AS-48, a number of vectors containing the as-48 cluster were constructed and used to transform several LAB strains (genera Enterococcus, Lactococcus and Lactobacillus) Heterologous production of enterocin AS-48 failed when bacteria other than those belonging to the genus Enterococcus were used as hosts, although expression of a partial level of resistance against AS-48 were always detected, ruling out the possibility of a lack of recognition of the enterococcal promoters. Our results reveal the special capacity of species from the genus Enterococcus to produce AS-48, an enterocin that requires a post-transcriptional modification to generate a circular peptide with a wide range of inhibitory activity against pathogenic and spoilage bacteria. Preliminary experiments in foodstuffs using nonvirulent enterococci with interesting functional properties reveal the possibility of a biotechnological application of these transformants.

  9. Cell surface expression system for the display of heterologous gene products using chimeric flagellin fusions of bacillus halodurans isolate

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Du Plessis, A

    2006-10-01

    Full Text Available system for the display of heterologous gene products using chimeric flagellin fusions of a Bacillus halodurans isolate Slide 2 © CSIR 2006 www.csir.co.za Bacillus halodurans Alk 36 xrhombus Ability to over-produce cell... for functionality of the His-tag for metal binding. Slide 13 © CSIR 2006 www.csir.co.za PAGE gel showing over-production of chimeric poly-His flagellin proteins 66.2 kDa 45.0 kDa 31.0 kDa 1. LMW ladder 2. NC3 3. NHisC3 4. NC6 5...

  10. RELIGIÃO E NEGAÇÃO DA MODERNIDADE: A LEITURA FUNDAMENTALISTA DA BÍBLIA NAS REVISTAS DE ESCOLA BÍBLICA DOMINICAL DA ASSEMBLÉIA DE DEUS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bertone de Oliveira Sousa

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Este artigo investiga as peculiaridades da leitura da Bíblia realizada pelos redatores das revistas de Escola Bíblica Dominical da Assembléia de Deus no Brasil, tendo como ponto de partida a ortodoxia doutrinária professada pela igreja e o fundamentalismo religioso presente em suas representações. Para isso, faz uma breve historicização da igreja, bem como uma problematização do conceito de fundamentalismo, para depois analisar-se as revistas de faixa etária de jovens e adultos da editora CPAD, privilegiando-se as que abordam temas relacionados a questões sociais como secularismo, humanismo, aborto, eutanásia, divórcio, evolucionismo, ateísmo, homossexualismo, entre outros. Investiga-se também como essa leitura se contrapõe a uma concepção histórico-crítica da Bíblia e a aspectos da modernidade que a instituição sente ameaçarem sua integridade doutrinária. Este texto situa-se no marco teórico da História Cultural a fim de apreender as características das representações sociais produzidas pelo grupo religioso aqui estudado.

  11. Method for determining heterologous biosynthesis pathways

    KAUST Repository

    Gao, Xin

    2017-08-10

    The present invention relates to a method and system for dynamically analyzing, determining, predicting and displaying ranked suitable heterologous biosynthesis pathways for a specified host. The present invention addresses the problem of finding suitable pathways for the endogenous metabolism of a host organism because the efficacy of heterologous biosynthesis is affected by competing endogenous pathways. The present invention is called MRE (Metabolic Route Explorer), and it was conceived and developed to systematically and dynamically search for, determine, analyze, and display promising heterologous pathways while considering competing endogenous reactions in a given host organism.

  12. Distribuição, dominância e estrutura de tamanhos da assembleia de peixes da lagoa Mangueira, sul do Brasil Distribution, dominance and sizes structure of the fish assemblage in the Mangueira lake, southern Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luiz G. S Artioli

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Este estudo apresenta a composição de espécies, os padrões de distribuição e dominância, e a estrutura de tamanhos da assembleia de peixes em diferentes unidades de hábitat (zonas litoral, profunda e limnética costeira da lagoa Mangueira, no extremo sul do Brasil. As amostras foram obtidas no norte, centro e sul da lagoa, entre os anos de 2001 e 2007 utilizando-se de diversos amostradores (rede de emalhe, tarrafa, rede de arrasto de praia, puçá e rede de arrasto de fundo. Um total de 52 espécies foi identificado, 46 na zona litoral, 33 na limnética costeira e 26 na profunda, distribuídas em 17 famílias, das quais, Characidae, Cichlidae, Loricariidae e Atherinopsidae foram as mais diversas. As espécies dominantes somaram 91,1 %, 92,9 % e 82,7 % dos indivíduos capturados nas zonas litoral, profunda e limnética costeira respectivamente. A zona litoral é constituída de pequenos peixes, quase 70 % entre 25 e 50 mm de comprimento. Os padrões de dominância mostraram que, nesta zona, 19,5 % das espécies foram dominantes, embora quatro dessas também predominaram nas demais zonas. Na zona profunda, 7,6 % das espécies capturadas foram dominantes, com tamanhos semelhantes aos da zona litoral. Para as demais espécies, os tamanhos se assemelham aos da zona limnética costeira. A zona limnética costeira é constituída de peixes de maior porte, a maioria entre 150 e 200 mm de comprimento total, tais como os grandes caracídeos, o birú e os peixes-rei. Observou-se uma maior diferença na composição de espécies entre as zonas litoral e limnética costeira, com as espécies Jenynsia multidentata, Bryconamericus iheringii, Hyphessobrycon luetkenii e Gymnogeophagus gymnogenys dominando exclusivamente no litoral, e as espécies Oligosarcus jenynsii, Cyphocharax voga, Odontesthes perugiae e Astyanax fasciatus dominando exclusivamente a zona limnética costeira. A zona litoral apresentou diferenças na composição e dominância das esp

  13. METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF HETEROLOGOUS POLYPEPTIDES IN TRANSFORMED YEAST CELLS

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2000-01-01

    The invention describes industrial fermentation of a $i(Saccharomyces) yeast species for production of a heterologous product encoded by a plasmid or DNA contained in said $i(Saccharomyces) yeast species with method utilizes the substrate more efficiently and without fermentative metabolism...... resulting in formation of ethanol and other unwanted primary products of fermentative activity whereby high yields of the heterologous product are obtained. The $i(Saccharomyces) yeast species is preferably a Crabtree negative $i(Saccharomyces species) in particular $i(Saccharomyces kluyveri)....

  14. Heat shock response improves heterologous protein secretion in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hou, Jin; Österlund, Tobias; Liu, Zihe

    2013-01-01

    The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a widely used platform for the production of heterologous proteins of medical or industrial interest. However, heterologous protein productivity is often low due to limitations of the host strain. Heat shock response (HSR) is an inducible, global, cellular...... stress response, which facilitates the cell recovery from many forms of stress, e.g., heat stress. In S. cerevisiae, HSR is regulated mainly by the transcription factor heat shock factor (Hsf1p) and many of its targets are genes coding for molecular chaperones that promote protein folding and prevent...... the accumulation of mis-folded or aggregated proteins. In this work, we over-expressed a mutant HSF1 gene HSF1-R206S which can constitutively activate HSR, so the heat shock response was induced at different levels, and we studied the impact of HSR on heterologous protein secretion. We found that moderate and high...

  15. Heterologous activation of protein kinase C stimulates phosphorylation of delta-opioid receptor at serine 344, resulting in beta-arrestin- and clathrin-mediated receptor internalization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xiang, B; Yu, G H; Guo, J

    2001-01-01

    The purpose of the current study is to investigate the effect of opioid-independent, heterologous activation of protein kinase C (PKC) on the responsiveness of opioid receptor and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Our result showed that removing the C terminus of delta opioid receptor (DOR......) containing six Ser/Thr residues abolished both DPDPE- and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-induced DOR phosphorylation. The phosphorylation levels of DOR mutants T352A, T353A, and T358A/T361A/S363S were comparable to that of the wild-type DOR, whereas S344G substitution blocked PMA-induced receptor......, and ionomycin resulted in DOR internalization that required phosphorylation of Ser-344. Expression of dominant negative beta-arrestin and hypertonic sucrose treatment blocked PMA-induced DOR internalization, suggesting that PKC mediates DOR internalization via a beta-arrestin- and clathrin-dependent mechanism...

  16. A potyvirus-based gene vector allows producing active human S-COMT and animal GFP, but not human sorcin, in vector-infected plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelloniemi, Jani; Mäkinen, Kristiina; Valkonen, Jari P T

    2006-05-01

    Potato virus A (PVA), a potyvirus with a (+)ssRNA genome translated to a large polyprotein, was engineered and used as a gene vector for expression of heterologous proteins in plants. Foreign genes including jellyfish GFP (Aequorea victoria) encoding the green fluorescent protein (GFP, 27 kDa) and the genes of human origin (Homo sapiens) encoding a soluble resistance-related calcium-binding protein (sorcin, 22 kDa) and the catechol-O-methyltransferase (S-COMT; 25 kDa) were cloned between the cistrons for the viral replicase and coat protein (CP). The inserts caused no adverse effects on viral infectivity and virulence, and the inserted sequences remained intact in progeny viruses in the systemically infected leaves. The heterologous proteins were released from the viral polyprotein following cleavage by the main viral proteinase, NIa, at engineered proteolytic processing sites flanking the insert. Active GFP, as indicated by green fluorescence, and S-COMT with high levels of enzymatic activity were produced. In contrast, no sorcin was detected despite the expected equimolar amounts of the foreign and viral proteins being expressed as a polyprotein. These data reveal inherent differences between heterologous proteins in their suitability for production in plants.

  17. Spatial organization of heterologous metabolic system in vivo based on TALE.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Lv-yun; Qiu, Xin-Yuan; Zhu, Ling-Yun; Wu, Xiao-Min; Zhang, Yuan; Zhu, Qian-Hui; Fan, Dong-Yu; Zhu, Chu-Shu; Zhang, Dong-Yi

    2016-05-17

    For years, prokaryotic hosts have been widely applied in bio-engineering. However, the confined in vivo enzyme clustering of heterologous metabolic pathways in these organisms often results in low local concentrations of enzymes and substrates, leading to a low productive efficacy. We developed a new method to accelerate a heterologous metabolic system by integrating a transcription activator-like effector (TALE)-based scaffold system into an Escherichia coli chassis. The binding abilities of the TALEs to the artificial DNA scaffold were measured through ChIP-PCR. The effect of the system was determined through a split GFP study and validated through the heterologous production of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) by incorporating TALE-fused IAA biosynthetic enzymes in E. coli. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to use the TALE system as a scaffold for the spatial organization of bacterial metabolism. This technique might be used to establish multi-enzymatic reaction programs in a prokaryotic chassis for various applications.

  18. Improvement of heterologous protein production in Aspergillus oryzae by RNA interference with alpha-amylase genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nemoto, Takashi; Maruyama, Jun-ichi; Kitamoto, Katsuhiko

    2009-11-01

    Aspergillus oryzae RIB40 has three alpha-amylase genes (amyA, amyB, and amyC), and secretes alpha-amylase abundantly. However, large amounts of endogenous secretory proteins such as alpha-amylase can compete with heterologous protein in the secretory pathway and decrease its production yields. In this study, we examined the effects of suppression of alpha-amylase on heterologous protein production in A. oryzae, using the bovine chymosin (CHY) as a reporter heterologous protein. The three alpha-amylase genes in A. oryzae have nearly identical DNA sequences from those promoters to the coding regions. Hence we performed silencing of alpha-amylase genes by RNA interference (RNAi) in the A. oryzae CHY producing strain. The silenced strains exhibited a reduction in alpha-amylase activity and an increase in CHY production in the culture medium. This result suggests that suppression of alpha-amylase is effective in heterologous protein production in A. oryzae.

  19. Improved cellulolytic efficacy in Penicilium decumbens via heterologous expression of Hypocrea jecorina endoglucanase II

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qin Yuqi

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Hypocrea jecorina endoglucanase II (Hjegl2 was heterologously expressed in Penicillium decumbens (yielding strain Pd::Hjegl2. After induction in cellulose containing media, strain Pd::Hjeg2 displayed increased carboxymethylcellulase activity (CMCase, 5.77 IU/ml, representing a 21% increase and cellulose degradation determined with a filter paper assay (FPA, 0.40 IU/ml, 67% increase, as compared to the parent strain. In media supplemented with glucose (2%, Pd::Hjegl2, displayed 51.2-fold and 3-fold higher CMCase and FPA activities, respectively, as compared to the parent strain. No changes in the expression levels of the four main native cellulase genes of P. decumbens (Pdegl1, Pdegl2, Pdcbh1, and Pdcbh2 were noted between the transformant and wild-type strains. These data support the idea that Hjegl2 cleaves both internal and terminal glycosidic residues, in a relatively random and processive manner. In situ polyacrylamide gelactivity staining of extracts derived from wild-type and Pd::Hjegl2 revealed two additional active fractions in the latter strain; one with a molecular mass ~50-65 KDa and another ~80-116 kDa.

  20. Developing a xylanase XYNZG from Plectosphaerella cucumerina for baking by heterologously expressed in Kluyveromyces lactis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhan, Fei Xiang; Wang, Qin Hong; Jiang, Si Jing; Zhou, Yu Ling; Zhang, Gui Min; Ma, Yan He

    2014-12-16

    Xylanase can replace chemical additives to improve the volume and sensory properties of bread in the baking. Suitable baking xylanase with improved yield will promote the application of xylanase in baking industry. The xylanase XYNZG from the Plectosphaerella cucumerina has been previously characterized by heterologous expression in Pichia pastoris. However, P. pastoris is not a suitable host for xylanase to be used in the baking process since P. pastoris does not have GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) status and requires large methanol supplement during the fermentation in most conditions, which is not allowed to be used in the food industry. Kluyveromyces lactis, as another yeast expression host, has a GRAS status, which has been successfully used in food and feed applications. No previous work has been reported concerning the heterologous expression of xylanase gene xynZG in K. lactis with an aim for application in baking. The xylanase gene xynZG from the P. cucumerina was heterologously expressed in K. lactis. The recombinant protein XYNZG in K. lactis presented an approximately 19 kDa band on SDS-PAGE and zymograms analysis. Transformant with the highest halo on the plate containing the RBB-xylan (Remazol Brilliant Blue-xylan) was selected for the flask fermentation in different media. The results indicated that the highest activity of 115 U/ml at 72 h was obtained with the YLPU medium. The mass spectrometry analysis suggested that the hydrolytic products of xylan by XYNZG were mainly xylobiose and xylotriose. The results of baking trials indicated that the addition of XYNZG could reduce the kneading time of dough, increase the volume of bread, improve the texture, and have more positive effects on the sensory properties of bread. Xylanase XYNZG is successfully expressed in K. lactis, which exhibits the highest activity among the published reports of the xylanase expression in K. lactis. The recombinant XYNZG can be used to improve the volume and sensory

  1. Epigenetics of dominance for enzyme activity

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Unknown

    dimer over a wide range of H+ concentrations accounts for the epigenetics of dominance for enzyme activity. [Trehan K S ... The present study has been carried on acid phosphatase .... enzyme activity over mid parent value (table 3, col. 13),.

  2. Heterologous expression and characterization of Bacillus coagulans L-arabinose isomerase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Xingding; Wu, Jin Chuan

    2012-05-01

    Bacillus coagulans has been of great commercial interest over the past decade owing to its strong ability of producing optical pure L: -lactic acid from both hexose and pentose sugars including L: -arabinose with high yield, titer and productivity under thermophilic conditions. The L: -arabinose isomerase (L-AI) from Bacillus coagulans was heterologously over-expressed in Escherichia coli. The open reading frame of the L-AI has 1,422 nucleotides encoding a protein with 474 amino acid residues. The recombinant L-AI was purified to homogeneity by one-step His-tag affinity chromatography. The molecular mass of the enzyme was estimated to be 56 kDa by SDS-PAGE. The enzyme was most active at 70°C and pH 7.0. The metal ion Mn(2+) was shown to be the best activator for enzymatic activity and thermostability. The enzyme showed higher activity at acidic pH than at alkaline pH. The kinetic studies showed that the K (m), V (max) and k (cat)/K (m) for the conversion of L: -arabinose were 106 mM, 84 U/mg and 34.5 mM(-1)min(-1), respectively. The equilibrium ratio of L: -arabinose to L: -ribulose was 78:22 under optimal conditions. L: -ribulose (97 g/L) was obtained from 500 g/l of L: -arabinose catalyzed by the enzyme (8.3 U/mL) under the optimal conditions within 1.5 h, giving at a substrate conversion of 19.4% and a production rate of 65 g L(-1) h(-1).

  3. Adaptation in the innate immune system and heterologous innate immunity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, Stefan F

    2014-11-01

    The innate immune system recognizes deviation from homeostasis caused by infectious or non-infectious assaults. The threshold for its activation seems to be established by a calibration process that includes sensing of microbial molecular patterns from commensal bacteria and of endogenous signals. It is becoming increasingly clear that adaptive features, a hallmark of the adaptive immune system, can also be identified in the innate immune system. Such adaptations can result in the manifestation of a primed state of immune and tissue cells with a decreased activation threshold. This keeps the system poised to react quickly. Moreover, the fact that the innate immune system recognizes a wide variety of danger signals via pattern recognition receptors that often activate the same signaling pathways allows for heterologous innate immune stimulation. This implies that, for example, the innate immune response to an infection can be modified by co-infections or other innate stimuli. This "design feature" of the innate immune system has many implications for our understanding of individual susceptibility to diseases or responsiveness to therapies and vaccinations. In this article, adaptive features of the innate immune system as well as heterologous innate immunity and their implications are discussed.

  4. Heterologous expression of the methyl carbamate-degrading hydrolase MCD.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naqvi, Tatheer; Cheesman, Matthew J; Williams, Michelle R; Campbell, Peter M; Ahmed, Safia; Russell, Robyn J; Scott, Colin; Oakeshott, John G

    2009-10-26

    The methyl carbamate-degrading hydrolase (MCD) of Achromobacter WM111 has considerable potential as a pesticide bioremediation agent. However this potential has been unrealisable until now because of an inability to express MCD in heterologous hosts such as Escherichia coli. Herein, we describe the first successful attempt to express appreciable quantities of MCD in active form in E. coli, and the subsequent characterisation of the heterologously expressed material. We find that the properties of this material closely match the previously reported properties of MCD produced from Achromobacter WM111. This includes the presence of two distinct forms of the enzyme that we show are most likely due to the presence of two functional translational start sites. The purified enzyme catalyses the hydrolysis of a carbamate (carbaryl), a carboxyl ester (alpha-naphthyl acetate) and a phophotriester (dimethyl umbelliferyl phosphate) and it is relatively resistant to thermal and solvent-mediated denaturation. The robust nature and catalytic promiscuity of MCD suggest that it could be exploited for various biotechnological applications.

  5. Heterologous expression of oxytetracycline biosynthetic gene cluster in Streptomyces venezuelae WVR2006 to improve production level and to alter fermentation process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, Shouliang; Li, Zilong; Wang, Xuefeng; Wang, Huizhuan; Jia, Xiaole; Ai, Guomin; Bai, Zishang; Shi, Mingxin; Yuan, Fang; Liu, Tiejun; Wang, Weishan; Yang, Keqian

    2016-12-01

    Heterologous expression is an important strategy to activate biosynthetic gene clusters of secondary metabolites. Here, it is employed to activate and manipulate the oxytetracycline (OTC) gene cluster and to alter OTC fermentation process. To achieve these goals, a fast-growing heterologous host Streptomyces venezuelae WVR2006 was rationally selected among several potential hosts. It shows rapid and dispersed growth and intrinsic high resistance to OTC. By manipulating the expression of two cluster-situated regulators (CSR) OtcR and OtrR and precursor supply, the OTC production level was significantly increased in this heterologous host from 75 to 431 mg/l only in 48 h, a level comparable to the native producer Streptomyces rimosus M4018 in 8 days. This work shows that S. venezuelae WVR2006 is a promising chassis for the production of secondary metabolites, and the engineered heterologous OTC producer has the potential to completely alter the fermentation process of OTC production.

  6. Heterologous Production of Cyanobacterial Mycosporine-Like Amino Acids Mycosporine-Ornithine and Mycosporine-Lysine in Escherichia coli

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katoch, Meenu; Mazmouz, Rabia; Chau, Rocky; Pearson, Leanne A.; Pickford, Russell

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT Mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) are an important class of secondary metabolites known for their protection against UV radiation and other stress factors. Cyanobacteria produce a variety of MAAs, including shinorine, the active ingredient in many sunscreen creams. Bioinformatic analysis of the genome of the soil-dwelling cyanobacterium Cylindrospermum stagnale PCC 7417 revealed a new gene cluster with homology to MAA synthase from Nostoc punctiforme. This newly identified gene cluster is unusual because it has five biosynthesis genes (mylA to mylE), compared to the four found in other MAA gene clusters. Heterologous expression of mylA to mylE in Escherichia coli resulted in the production of mycosporine-lysine and the novel compound mycosporine-ornithine. To our knowledge, this is the first time these compounds have been heterologously produced in E. coli and structurally characterized via direct spectral guidance. This study offers insight into the diversity, biosynthesis, and structure of cyanobacterial MAAs and highlights their amenability to heterologous production methods. IMPORTANCE Mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) are significant from an environmental microbiological perspective as they offer microbes protection against a variety of stress factors, including UV radiation. The heterologous expression of MAAs in E. coli is also significant from a biotechnological perspective as MAAs are the active ingredient in next-generation sunscreens. PMID:27520810

  7. Razões entre componentes da variabilidade de características quantitativas simuladas com efeitos genéticos de dominância e sobredominância Ratios between variability components of simulated quantitative traits with genetic effects of dominance and overdominance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elizângela Emídio Cunha

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Foram avaliadas as razões entre componentes da variabilidade de características quantitativas simuladas a partir de genoma incorporando efeitos genéticos não-aditivos em populações de acasalamento ao acaso e de seleção fenotípica a curto prazo. Estudaram-se uma característica de baixa (h² = 0,10 e outra de alta herdabilidade (h² = 0,60 influenciadas por 600 locos bialélicos. Cinco modelos de ação gênica foram simulados, dos quais quatro incluíram dominância completa e positiva para 25, 50, 75 e 100% dos locos (D25, D50, D75 e D100, respectivamente; e um modelo incluiu sobredominância positiva para 50% dos locos. Todos os modelos incluíram efeitos aditivos dos alelos para 100% dos locos. As principais razões quantificadas foram d² (variância de dominância/variância fenotípica e d²a (variância de dominância/variância aditiva. Para as duas características, d² e d²a aumentaram de acordo com o acréscimo na variância de dominância, decorrente da inclusão crescente de locos com desvio da dominância e sob sobredominância. No mesmo modelo, ambas as razões, sobretudo d², são mais elevadas sob alta herdabilidade, o que indica que os efeitos da dominância explicam a maior parte da variabilidade total dessa característica sob seleção.Ratios were assessed between variability components of quantitative traits simulated from the genome incorporating non-additive genetic effects in random mating populations and short-term phenotypic selection. A trait of low (h² = 0.10 heritability and another of high (h² = 0.60 heritability were studied, both influenced by 600 bi-allelic loci. Five gene action models were simulated, of which four included complete and positive dominance for 25, 50, 75 and 100% of the loci (D25, D50, D75 and D100, respectively; and one model included positive overdominance for 50% of the loci. Every model included additive effects of the alleles for 100% of the loci. The main quantified ratios were

  8. Cloning and heterologous expression of a novel insecticidal gene (tccC1) from Xenorhabdus nematophilus strain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Joo Lee, Pom; Ahn, Ji-Young; Kim, Yang-Hoon; Wook Kim, Seung; Kim, Ji-Yeon; Park, Jae-Sung; Lee, Jeewon

    2004-01-01

    We have identified and cloned a novel toxin gene (tccC1/xptB1) from Xenorhabdus nematophilus strain isolated from Korea-specific entomophagous nematode Steinernema glaseri MK. The DNA sequence of cloned toxin gene (3048 bp) has an open reading frame encoding 1016 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 111058 Da. The toxin sequence shares 50-96% identical amino acid residues with the previously reported tccC1 cloned from X. nematophilus (AJ308438), Photorhabdus luminescens W14 (AF346499) P. luminescens TTO1 (BX571873), and Yersinia pestis CO92 (NC 0 03143). The toxin gene was successfully expressed in Escherichia coli, and the recombinant toxin protein caused a rapid cessation in mortality of Galleria mellonella larvae (80% death of larvae within 2 days). Conclusively, the heterologous expression of the novel gene tccC1 cloned into E. coli plasmid vector produced recombinant toxin with high insecticidal activity

  9. Suppression of adaptive immunity to heterologous antigens during Plasmodium infection through hemozoin-induced failure of dendritic cell function

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Phillips R

    2006-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Dendritic cells (DCs are central to the initiation and regulation of the adaptive immune response during infection. Modulation of DC function may therefore allow evasion of the immune system by pathogens. Significant depression of the host's systemic immune response to both concurrent infections and heterologous vaccines has been observed during malaria infection, but the mechanisms underlying this immune hyporesponsiveness are controversial. Results Here, we demonstrate that the blood stages of malaria infection induce a failure of DC function in vitro and in vivo, causing suboptimal activation of T cells involved in heterologous immune responses. This effect on T-cell activation can be transferred to uninfected recipients by DCs isolated from infected mice. Significantly, T cells activated by these DCs subsequently lack effector function, as demonstrated by a failure to migrate to lymphoid-organ follicles, resulting in an absence of B-cell responses to heterologous antigens. Fractionation studies show that hemozoin, rather than infected erythrocyte (red blood cell membranes, reproduces the effect of intact infected red blood cells on DCs. Furthermore, hemozoin-containing DCs could be identified in T-cell areas of the spleen in vivo. Conclusion Plasmodium infection inhibits the induction of adaptive immunity to heterologous antigens by modulating DC function, providing a potential explanation for epidemiological studies linking endemic malaria with secondary infections and reduced vaccine efficacy.

  10. Modulating Endoplasmic Reticulum-Golgi Cargo Receptors for Improving Secretion of Carrier-Fused Heterologous Proteins in the Filamentous Fungus Aspergillus oryzae

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoang, Huy-Dung; Maruyama, Jun-ichi

    2014-01-01

    Filamentous fungi are excellent hosts for industrial protein production due to their superior secretory capacity; however, the yield of heterologous eukaryotic proteins is generally lower than that of fungal or endogenous proteins. Although activating protein folding machinery in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) improves the yield, the importance of intracellular transport machinery for heterologous protein secretion is poorly understood. Here, using Aspergillus oryzae as a model filamentous fungus, we studied the involvement of two putative lectin-like cargo receptors, A. oryzae Vip36 (AoVip36) and AoEmp47, in the secretion of heterologous proteins expressed in fusion with the endogenous enzyme α-amylase as the carrier. Fluorescence microscopy revealed that mDsRed-tagged AoVip36 localized in the Golgi compartment, whereas AoEmp47 showed localization in both the ER and the Golgi compartment. Deletion of AoVip36 and AoEmp47 improved heterologous protein secretion, but only AoVip36 deletion had a negative effect on the secretion of α-amylase. Analysis of ER-enriched cell fractions revealed that AoVip36 and AoEmp47 were involved in the retention of heterologous proteins in the ER. However, the overexpression of each cargo receptor had a different effect on heterologous protein secretion: AoVip36 enhanced the secretion, whereas AoEmp47 promoted the intracellular retention. Taken together, our data suggest that AoVip36 and AoEmp47 hinder the secretion of heterologous proteins by promoting their retention in the ER but that AoVip36 also promotes the secretion of heterologous proteins. Moreover, we found that genetic deletion of these putative ER-Golgi cargo receptors significantly improves heterologous protein production. The present study is the first to propose that ER-Golgi transport is a bottleneck for heterologous protein production in filamentous fungi. PMID:25362068

  11. α1B-Adrenergic Receptors Differentially Associate with Rab Proteins during Homologous and Heterologous Desensitization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castillo-Badillo, Jean A.; Sánchez-Reyes, Omar B.; Alfonzo-Méndez, Marco A.; Romero-Ávila, M. Teresa; Reyes-Cruz, Guadalupe; García-Sáinz, J. Adolfo

    2015-01-01

    Internalization of G protein-coupled receptors can be triggered by agonists or by other stimuli. The process begins within seconds of cell activation and contributes to receptor desensitization. The Rab GTPase family controls endocytosis, vesicular trafficking, and endosomal fusion. Among their remarkable properties is the differential distribution of its members on the surface of various organelles. In the endocytic pathway, Rab 5 controls traffic from the plasma membrane to early endosomes, whereas Rab 4 and Rab 11 regulate rapid and slow recycling from early endosomes to the plasma membrane, respectively. Moreover, Rab 7 and Rab 9 regulate the traffic from late endosomes to lysosomes and recycling to the trans-Golgi. We explore the possibility that α1B-adrenergic receptor internalization induced by agonists (homologous) and by unrelated stimuli (heterologous) could involve different Rab proteins. This possibility was explored by Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) using cells coexpressing α1B-adrenergic receptors tagged with the red fluorescent protein, DsRed, and different Rab proteins tagged with the green fluorescent protein. It was observed that when α1B-adrenergic receptors were stimulated with noradrenaline, the receptors interacted with proteins present in early endosomes, such as the early endosomes antigen 1, Rab 5, Rab 4, and Rab 11 but not with late endosome markers, such as Rab 9 and Rab 7. In contrast, sphingosine 1-phosphate stimulation induced rapid and transient α1B-adrenergic receptor interaction of relatively small magnitude with Rab 5 and a more pronounced and sustained one with Rab 9; interaction was also observed with Rab 7. Moreover, the GTPase activity of the Rab proteins appears to be required because no FRET was observed when dominant-negative Rab mutants were employed. These data indicate that α1B-adrenergic receptors are directed to different endocytic vesicles depending on the desensitization type (homologous vs

  12. The logic, experimental steps, and potential of heterologous natural product biosynthesis featuring the complex antibiotic erythromycin A produced through E. coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Ming; Zhang, Haoran; Pfeifer, Blaine A

    2013-01-13

    The heterologous production of complex natural products is an approach designed to address current limitations and future possibilities. It is particularly useful for those compounds which possess therapeutic value but cannot be sufficiently produced or would benefit from an improved form of production. The experimental procedures involved can be subdivided into three components: 1) genetic transfer; 2) heterologous reconstitution; and 3) product analysis. Each experimental component is under continual optimization to meet the challenges and anticipate the opportunities associated with this emerging approach. Heterologous biosynthesis begins with the identification of a genetic sequence responsible for a valuable natural product. Transferring this sequence to a heterologous host is complicated by the biosynthetic pathway complexity responsible for product formation. The antibiotic erythromycin A is a good example. Twenty genes (totaling >50 kb) are required for eventual biosynthesis. In addition, three of these genes encode megasynthases, multi-domain enzymes each ~300 kDa in size. This genetic material must be designed and transferred to E. coli for reconstituted biosynthesis. The use of PCR isolation, operon construction, multi-cystronic plasmids, and electro-transformation will be described in transferring the erythromycin A genetic cluster to E. coli. Once transferred, the E. coli cell must support eventual biosynthesis. This process is also challenging given the substantial differences between E. coli and most original hosts responsible for complex natural product formation. The cell must provide necessary substrates to support biosynthesis and coordinately express the transferred genetic cluster to produce active enzymes. In the case of erythromycin A, the E. coli cell had to be engineered to provide the two precursors (propionyl-CoA and (2S)-methylmalonyl-CoA) required for biosynthesis. In addition, gene sequence modifications, plasmid copy number

  13. Radioimmunoassay with heterologous antibody (hetero-antibody RIA)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iwasawa, Atsushi; Hayashi, Hiroaki; Itoh, Zen; Wakabayashi, Katsumi

    1991-01-01

    To develop a homologous radioimmunoassay (RIA) for a hormone of a small or rare animal often meets difficulty in collecting a large amount of purified antigen required for antibody production. On the other hand, to employ a heterologous RIA to estimate the hormone often gives poor sensitivity. To overcome this difficulty, a 'hetero-antibody' RIA was studied. In a hetero-antibody RIA system, a purified preparation of a hormone is used for radioiodination and standardization and a heterologous antibody to the hormone is used for the first antibody. Canine motilin and rat LH were selected as examples, and anti-porcine motilin and anti-hCG, anti-hCGβ or anti-ovine LHβ was used as the heterologous antibody. The sensitivities of the hetero-antibody RIAs were much higher than those of heterologous RIAs in any case, showing that these hetero-antibody RIA systems were suitable for practical use. To clarify the principle of hetero-antibody RIA, antiserum to porcine motilin was fractionated on an affinity column where canine motilin was immobilized. The fraction bound had greater constants of affinity with both porcine and canine motilins than the rest of the antibody fractions. This fraction also reacted with a synthetic peptide corresponding to the C-terminal sequence common to porcine and canine motilins in a competitive binding test with labeled canine motilin. These results suggest that an antibody population having high affinity and cross-reactivity is present in polyclonal antiserum and indicate that the population can be used in hetero-antibody RIA at an appropriate concentration. (author)

  14. Heterologous expression of Gaeumannomyces graminis lipoxygenase in Aspergillus nidulans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heshof, Ruud; van Schayck, J Paul; Tamayo-Ramos, Juan Antonio; de Graaff, Leo H

    2014-01-01

    Aspergillus sp. contain ppo genes coding for Ppo enzymes that produce oxylipins from polyunsaturated fatty acids. These oxylipins function as signal molecules in sporulation and influence the asexual to sexual ratio of Aspergillus sp. Fungi like Aspergillus nidulans and Aspergillus niger contain just ppo genes where the human pathogenic Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus fumigatus contain ppo genes as well as lipoxygenases. Lipoxygenases catalyze the synthesis of oxylipins and are hypothesized to be involved in quorum-sensing abilities and invading plant tissue. In this study we used A. nidulans WG505 as an expression host to heterologously express Gaeumannomyces graminis lipoxygenase. The presence of the recombinant LOX induced phenotypic changes in A. nidulans transformants. Also, a proteomic analysis of an A. nidulans LOX producing strain indicated that the heterologous protein was degraded before its glycosylation in the secretory pathway. We observed that the presence of LOX induced the specific production of aminopeptidase Y that possibly degrades the G. graminis lipoxygenase intercellularly. Also the presence of the protein thioredoxin reductase suggests that the G. graminis lipoxygenase is actively repressed in A. nidulans.

  15. Heterologous overexpression of Glomerella cingulata FAD-dependent glucose dehydrogenase in Escherichia coli and Pichia pastoris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sygmund, Christoph; Staudigl, Petra; Klausberger, Miriam; Pinotsis, Nikos; Djinović-Carugo, Kristina; Gorton, Lo; Haltrich, Dietmar; Ludwig, Roland

    2011-12-12

    FAD dependent glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) currently raises enormous interest in the field of glucose biosensors. Due to its superior properties such as high turnover rate, substrate specificity and oxygen independence, GDH makes its way into glucose biosensing. The recently discovered GDH from the ascomycete Glomerella cingulata is a novel candidate for such an electrochemical application, but also of interest to study the plant-pathogen interaction of a family of wide-spread, crop destroying fungi. Heterologous expression is a necessity to facilitate the production of GDH for biotechnological applications and to study its physiological role in the outbreak of anthracnose caused by Glomerella (anamorph Colletotrichum) spp. Heterologous expression of active G. cingulata GDH has been achieved in both Escherichia coli and Pichia pastoris, however, the expressed volumetric activity was about 4800-fold higher in P. pastoris. Expression in E. coli resulted mainly in the formation of inclusion bodies and only after co-expression with molecular chaperones enzymatic activity was detected. The fed-batch cultivation of a P. pastoris transformant resulted in an expression of 48,000 U L⁻¹ of GDH activity (57 mg L⁻¹). Recombinant GDH was purified by a two-step purification procedure with a yield of 71%. Comparative characterization of molecular and catalytic properties shows identical features for the GDH expressed in P. pastoris and the wild-type enzyme from its natural fungal source. The heterologous expression of active GDH was greatly favoured in the eukaryotic host. The efficient expression in P. pastoris facilitates the production of genetically engineered GDH variants for electrochemical-, physiological- and structural studies.

  16. A new maltose-inducible high-performance heterologous expression system in Bacillus subtilis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yue, Jie; Fu, Gang; Zhang, Dawei; Wen, Jianping

    2017-08-01

    To improve heterologous proteins production, we constructed a maltose-inducible expression system in Bacillus subtilis. An expression system based on the promoter for maltose utilization constructed in B. subtilis. Successively, to improve the performance of the P malA -derived system, mutagenesis was employed by gradually shortening the length of P malA promoter and altering the spacing between the predicted MalR binding site and the -35 region. Furthermore, deletion of the maltose utilization genes (malL and yvdK) improved the P malA promoter activity. Finally, using this efficient maltose-inducible expression system, we enhanced the production of luciferase and D-aminoacylase, compared with the P hpaII system. A maltose-inducible expression system was constructed and evaluated. It could be used for high level expression of heterologous proteins production.

  17. Expression of Heterologous Cellulases in Thermotoga sp. Strain RQ2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hui Xu

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The ability of Thermotoga spp. to degrade cellulose is limited due to a lack of exoglucanases. To address this deficiency, cellulase genes Csac_1076 (celA and Csac_1078 (celB from Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus were cloned into T. sp. strain RQ2 for heterologous overexpression. Coding regions of Csac_1076 and Csac_1078 were fused to the signal peptide of TM1840 (amyA and TM0070 (xynB, resulting in three chimeric enzymes, namely, TM1840-Csac_1078, TM0070-Csac_1078, and TM0070-Csac_1076, which were carried by Thermotoga-E. coli shuttle vectors pHX02, pHX04, and pHX07, respectively. All three recombinant enzymes were successfully expressed in E. coli DH5α and T. sp. strain RQ2, rendering the hosts with increased endo- and/or exoglucanase activities. In E. coli, the recombinant enzymes were mainly bound to the bacterial cells, whereas in T. sp. strain RQ2, about half of the enzyme activities were observed in the culture supernatants. However, the cellulase activities were lost in T. sp. strain RQ2 after three consecutive transfers. Nevertheless, this is the first time heterologous genes bigger than 1 kb (up to 5.3 kb in this study have ever been expressed in Thermotoga, demonstrating the feasibility of using engineered Thermotoga spp. for efficient cellulose utilization.

  18. Heterologous Expression of the Oxytetracycline Biosynthetic Pathway in Myxococcus xanthus▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stevens, D. Cole; Henry, Michael R.; Murphy, Kimberly A.; Boddy, Christopher N.

    2010-01-01

    New natural products for drug discovery may be accessed by heterologous expression of bacterial biosynthetic pathways in metagenomic DNA libraries. However, a “universal” host is needed for this experiment. Herein, we show that Myxococcus xanthus is a potential “universal” host for heterologous expression of polyketide biosynthetic gene clusters. PMID:20208031

  19. Method for determining heterologous biosynthesis pathways

    KAUST Repository

    Gao, Xin; Kuwahara, Hiroyuki; Alazmi, Meshari Saud; Cui, Xuefeng

    2017-01-01

    suitable pathways for the endogenous metabolism of a host organism because the efficacy of heterologous biosynthesis is affected by competing endogenous pathways. The present invention is called MRE (Metabolic Route Explorer), and it was conceived

  20. Heterologous overexpression of Glomerella cingulata FAD-dependent glucose dehydrogenase in Escherichia coli and Pichia pastoris

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sygmund Christoph

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background FAD dependent glucose dehydrogenase (GDH currently raises enormous interest in the field of glucose biosensors. Due to its superior properties such as high turnover rate, substrate specificity and oxygen independence, GDH makes its way into glucose biosensing. The recently discovered GDH from the ascomycete Glomerella cingulata is a novel candidate for such an electrochemical application, but also of interest to study the plant-pathogen interaction of a family of wide-spread, crop destroying fungi. Heterologous expression is a necessity to facilitate the production of GDH for biotechnological applications and to study its physiological role in the outbreak of anthracnose caused by Glomerella (anamorph Colletotrichum spp. Results Heterologous expression of active G. cingulata GDH has been achieved in both Escherichia coli and Pichia pastoris, however, the expressed volumetric activity was about 4800-fold higher in P. pastoris. Expression in E. coli resulted mainly in the formation of inclusion bodies and only after co-expression with molecular chaperones enzymatic activity was detected. The fed-batch cultivation of a P. pastoris transformant resulted in an expression of 48,000 U L-1 of GDH activity (57 mg L-1. Recombinant GDH was purified by a two-step purification procedure with a yield of 71%. Comparative characterization of molecular and catalytic properties shows identical features for the GDH expressed in P. pastoris and the wild-type enzyme from its natural fungal source. Conclusions The heterologous expression of active GDH was greatly favoured in the eukaryotic host. The efficient expression in P. pastoris facilitates the production of genetically engineered GDH variants for electrochemical-, physiological- and structural studies.

  1. Biochemical mechanisms determine the functional compatibility of heterologous genes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Porse, Andreas; Schou, Thea S.; Munck, Christian

    2018-01-01

    -gene libraries have suggested that sequence composition is a strong barrier for the successful integration of heterologous genes. Here we sample 200 diverse genes, representing >80% of sequenced antibiotic resistance genes, to interrogate the factors governing genetic compatibility in new hosts. In contrast...... factors governing the functionality and fitness of antibiotic resistance genes. These findings emphasize the importance of biochemical mechanism for heterologous gene compatibility, and suggest physiological constraints as a pivotal feature orienting the evolution of antibiotic resistance....

  2. An in silico platform for the design of heterologous pathways in nonnative metabolite production

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chatsurachai Sunisa

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Microorganisms are used as cell factories to produce valuable compounds in pharmaceuticals, biofuels, and other industrial processes. Incorporating heterologous metabolic pathways into well-characterized hosts is a major strategy for obtaining these target metabolites and improving productivity. However, selecting appropriate heterologous metabolic pathways for a host microorganism remains difficult owing to the complexity of metabolic networks. Hence, metabolic network design could benefit greatly from the availability of an in silico platform for heterologous pathway searching. Results We developed an algorithm for finding feasible heterologous pathways by which nonnative target metabolites are produced by host microorganisms, using Escherichia coli, Corynebacterium glutamicum, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae as templates. Using this algorithm, we screened heterologous pathways for the production of all possible nonnative target metabolites contained within databases. We then assessed the feasibility of the target productions using flux balance analysis, by which we could identify target metabolites associated with maximum cellular growth rate. Conclusions This in silico platform, designed for targeted searching of heterologous metabolic reactions, provides essential information for cell factory improvement.

  3. Development and evaluation of an efficient heterologous gene knock-in reporter system in Lactococcus lactis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Yifei; Yan, Hongxiang; Deng, Jiezhong; Huang, Zhigang; Jin, Xurui; Yu, Yanlan; Hu, Qiwen; Hu, Fuquan; Wang, Jing

    2017-09-18

    Lactococcus lactis is a food grade probiotics and widely used to express heterologous proteins. Generally, target genes are knocked into the L. lactis genome through double-crossover recombination to express heterologous proteins stably. However, creating marker-less heterologous genes knocked-in clones is laborious. In this study, an efficient heterologous gene knock-in reporter system was developed in L. lactis NZ9000. Our knock-in reporter system consists of a temperature-sensitive plasmid pJW and a recombinant L. lactis strain named NZB. The pJW contains homologous arms, and was constructed to knock-in heterologous genes at a fixed locus of NZ9000 genome. lacZ (β-galactosidase) gene was knocked into the chromosome of NZ9000 as a counter-selective marker through the plasmid pJW to generate NZB. The engineered NZB strain formed blue colonies on X-Gal plate. The desired double-crossover mutants formed white colonies distinctive from the predominantly blue colonies (parental and plasmid-integrated clones) when the embedded lacZ was replaced with the target heterologous genes carried by pJW in NZB. By using the system, the heterologous gene knocked-in clones are screened by colony phenotype change rather than by checking colonies individually. Our new knock-in reporter system provides an efficient method to create heterologous genes knocked-in clones.

  4. Heterologous expression of cellobiohydrolases in filamentous fungi

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zoglowek, Marta; Lübeck, Peter S.; Ahring, Birgitte K.

    2015-01-01

    Cellobiohydrolases are among the most important enzymes functioning in the hydrolysis of crystalline cellulose, significantly contributing to the efficient biorefining of recalcitrant lignocellulosic biomass into biofuels and bio-based products. Filamentous fungi are recognized as both well...... into valuable products. However, due to low cellobiohydrolase activities, certain fungi might be deficient with regard to enzymes of value for cellulose conversion, and improving cellobiohydrolase expression in filamentous fungi has proven to be challenging. In this review, we examine the effects of altering...... promoters, signal peptides, culture conditions and host post-translational modifications. For heterologous cellobiohydrolase production in filamentous fungi to become an industrially feasible process, the construction of site-integrating plasmids, development of protease-deficient strains and glycosylation...

  5. [Tetanus prevention with vaccine and with vaccine plus heterologous immune serum: serum antibody levels in the rabbit].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bistoni, F; Mosci, L; Vecchiarelli, A; Marconi, P; Pitzurra, M

    1977-01-01

    Haemagglutinating antibodies have been assessed in rabbits undergoing active- passive immunization against tetanus. The animals received 6 injections of horse immune serum, 400 UI/kg, and A1PO4 adsorbed toxoid, 0.35 Lf/kg, every 30th day. One the 5th day, after the first injection, E.A. antibodies appeared, at low levels, as a result of a passive immunization. Thereafter the tests became negative, up to the 70th day, when an active immunization emerged, with a 25 days delay in comparison with controls. Neutralization test in vivo behaved in the same way. The results stress once more the need to give up the use of heterologous immune sera in tetanus prophylaxis, in active-passive immunization as well. Arguments adding force to this point of view are: the sensibilization against heterologous proteins, the very low (if any) passive protective action, and, last not least, the delay in the emergence of active immunization: the only reliable shield against tetanus.

  6. Dominance-Popularity Status, Behavior, and the Emergence of Sexual Activity in Young Adolescents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eddy H. de Bruyn

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we investigated the sexual activity levels of several subtypes of middle adolescents (age 14–15 years. The subtype profiles were based on dominance-popularity status and a range of behaviors associated with dominance and popularity. In addition, gender differences in behavioral profiles were examined among dominant-popular, sexually active young adolescents. Results showed that socially dominant and popular young adolescent boys who exhibited a highly aggressive profile were more sexually active than their low-status and non-aggressive male peers; dominant-popular girls who were very attractive and gossips were more sexually active than their female peers. The results are discussed from an evolutionary psychological framework.

  7. Heterologous SUMO-2/3-ubiquitin chains optimize IκBα degradation and NF-κB activity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fabienne Aillet

    Full Text Available The NF-κB pathway is regulated by SUMOylation at least at three levels: the inhibitory molecule IκBα, the IKK subunit γ/NEMO and the p52 precursor p100. Here we investigate the role of SUMO-2/3 in the degradation of IκBα and activation of NF-κB mediated by TNFα. We found that under conditions of deficient SUMOylation, an important delay in both TNFα-mediated proteolysis of IκBα and NF-κB dependent transcription occurs. In vitro and ex vivo approaches, including the use of ubiquitin-traps (TUBEs, revealed the formation of chains on IκBα containing SUMO-2/3 and ubiquitin after TNFα stimulation. The integration of SUMO-2/3 appears to promote the formation of ubiquitin chains on IκBα after activation of the TNFα signalling pathway. Furthermore, heterologous chains of SUMO-2/3 and ubiquitin promote a more efficient degradation of IκBα by the 26S proteasome in vitro compared to chains of either SUMO-2/3 or ubiquitin alone. Consistently, Ubc9 silencing reduced the capture of IκBα modified with SUMO-ubiquitin hybrid chains that display a defective proteasome-mediated degradation. Thus, hybrid SUMO-2/3-ubiquitin chains increase the susceptibility of modified IκBα to the action of 26S proteasome, contributing to the optimal control of NF-κB activity after TNFα-stimulation.

  8. Improved heterologous protein production by a tripeptidyl peptidase gene (AosedD) disruptant of the filamentous fungus Aspergillus oryzae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Lin; Nemoto, Takeshi; Yoon, Jaewoo; Maruyama, Jun-ichi; Kitamoto, Katsuhiko

    2012-01-01

    Proteolytic degradation is one of the serious bottlenecks limiting the yields of heterologous protein production by Aspergillus oryzae. In this study, we selected a tripeptidyl peptidase gene AosedD (AO090166000084) as a candidate potentially degrading the heterologous protein, and performed localization analysis of the fusion protein AoSedD-EGFP in A. oryzae. As a result, the AoSedD-EGFP was observed in the septa and cell walls as well as in the culture medium, suggesting that AoSedD is a secretory enzyme. An AosedD disruptant was constructed to investigate an effect of AoSedD on the production level of heterologous proteins and protease activity. Both of the total protease and tripeptidyl peptidase activities in the culture medium of the AosedD disruptant were decreased as compared to those of the control strain. The maximum yields of recombinant bovine chymosin (CHY) and human lysozyme (HLY) produced by the AosedD disruptants showed approximately 2.9- and 1.7-fold increases, respectively, as compared to their control strains. These results suggest that AoSedD is one of the major proteases involved in the proteolytic degradation of recombinant proteins in A. oryzae.

  9. Production of a heterologous proteinase A by Saccharomyces kluyveri

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Møller, Kasper; Tidemand, L.D.; Winther, J.R.

    2001-01-01

    In order to evaluate the potential of Saccharomyces kluyveri for heterologous protein production, S. kluyveri Y159 was transformed with a S. cerevisiae-based multi-copy plasmid containing the S. cerevisiae PEP4 gene, which encodes proteinase A, under the control of its native promoter. As a refer......In order to evaluate the potential of Saccharomyces kluyveri for heterologous protein production, S. kluyveri Y159 was transformed with a S. cerevisiae-based multi-copy plasmid containing the S. cerevisiae PEP4 gene, which encodes proteinase A, under the control of its native promoter...

  10. Malignant phyllodes tumor of the breast with heterologous high-grade angiosarcoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ghassan Tranesh

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Phyllodes tumors (PTs account for <3% of fibroepithelial breast lesions and for 0.3% to 1.0% of primary breast tumors. They occur predominantly in middle-aged women (mean age range, 40–50 years. PTs can be categorized into benign, borderline, and malignant; the first 2 categories are distinguished only by degree of cellular atypia and mitotic activity. Malignant PTs are more frequent among persons of Hispanic ethnicity, especially those born in Central America or South America. Heterologous sarcomatous elements may be present in malignant PTs, predominantly liposarcoma and rarely fibrosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, osteosarcoma, and chondrosarcoma. Breast angiosarcoma (BA is a rare heterologous, sarcomatous element that may arise secondary to malignant PT. We report a 47-year-old woman with no history of previous surgery or radiation therapy who presented to the emergency department with a painful right breast mass. She admittedly noticed the right breast mass for many years; however, recently it increased in size. Mammography and ultrasonography identified a partially cystic mass. Core needle biopsy showed dense hyalinized fibrous tissue with old blood clots, suggestive of infarcted fibroadenoma. The patient received antibiotics and analgesics; however, she reported intractable pain and a worsening skin rash of her right breast. Chest computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed a doubling in mass size, with pectoralis major muscle involvement. Incisional biopsy showed malignant PT with heterologous high-grade angiosarcoma. The diagnosis of angiosarcoma was confirmed through immunoreactivity for CD31, FLI1, and ERG immunostains.

  11. Requirement of a Functional Flavin Mononucleotide Prenyltransferase for the Activity of a Bacterial Decarboxylase in a Heterologous Muconic Acid Pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weber, Heike E; Gottardi, Manuela; Brückner, Christine; Oreb, Mislav; Boles, Eckhard; Tripp, Joanna

    2017-05-15

    Biotechnological production of cis , cis -muconic acid from renewable feedstocks is an environmentally sustainable alternative to conventional, petroleum-based methods. Even though a heterologous production pathway for cis , cis -muconic acid has already been established in the host organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae , the generation of industrially relevant amounts of cis , cis -muconic acid is hampered by the low activity of the bacterial protocatechuic acid (PCA) decarboxylase AroY isomeric subunit C iso (AroY-C iso ), leading to secretion of large amounts of the intermediate PCA into the medium. In the present study, we show that the activity of AroY-C iso in S. cerevisiae strongly depends on the strain background. We could demonstrate that the strain dependency is caused by the presence or absence of an intact genomic copy of PAD1 , which encodes a mitochondrial enzyme responsible for the biosynthesis of a prenylated form of the cofactor flavin mononucleotide (prFMN). The inactivity of AroY-C iso in strain CEN.PK2-1 could be overcome by plasmid-borne expression of Pad1 or its bacterial homologue AroY subunit B (AroY-B). Our data reveal that the two enzymes perform the same function in decarboxylation of PCA by AroY-C iso , although coexpression of Pad1 led to higher decarboxylase activity. Conversely, AroY-B can replace Pad1 in its function in decarboxylation of phenylacrylic acids by ferulic acid decarboxylase Fdc1. Targeting of the majority of AroY-B to mitochondria by fusion to a heterologous mitochondrial targeting signal did not improve decarboxylase activity of AroY-C iso , suggesting that mitochondrial localization has no major impact on cofactor biosynthesis. IMPORTANCE In Saccharomyces cerevisiae , the decarboxylation of protocatechuic acid (PCA) to catechol is the bottleneck reaction in the heterologous biosynthetic pathway for production of cis , cis -muconic acid, a valuable precursor for the production of bulk chemicals. In our work, we demonstrate

  12. Heterologous Expression and Characterization of a Thermostable Exo-β-D-Glucosaminidase from Aspergillus oryzae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Dingxin; Wang, Linchun; Li, Yuwei; Zhao, Shumiao; Peng, Nan; Liang, Yunxiang

    2016-02-01

    An exo-β-D-glucosaminidase (AorCsxA) from Aspergillus oryzae FL402 was heterologously expressed and purified. The deduced amino acid sequence indicated that AorCsxA belonged to glycoside hydrolase family 2. AorCsxA digested colloid chitosan into glucosamine but not into chitosan oligosaccharides, demonstrating exo-β-D-glucosaminidase (CsxA) activity. AorCsxA exhibited optimal activity at pH 5.5 and 50°C; however, the enzyme expressed in Pichia pastoris (PpAorCsxA) showed much stronger thermostability at 50°C than that expressed in Escherichia coli (EcAorCsxA), which may be related to glycosylation. AorCsxA activity was inhibited by EDTA and most of the tested metal ions. A single amino acid mutation (F769W) in AorCsxA significantly enhanced the specific activity and hydrolysis velocity as revealed by comparison of Vmax and kcat values with those of the wild-type enzyme. The three-dimensional structure suggested the tightened pocket at the active site of F769W enabled efficient substrate binding. The AorCsxA gene was heterologously expressed in P. pastoris, and one transformant was found to produce 222 U/ml activity during the high-cell-density fermentation. This AorCsxA-overexpressing P. pastoris strain is feasible for large-scale production of AorCsxA.

  13. Heterologous Protein Expression by Lactococcus lactis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Villatoro-Hernández, J.; Kuipers, O.P.; Saucedo-Cárdenas, O.; Montes-de-Oca-Luna, R.

    2012-01-01

    This chapter describes the use of Lactococcus lactis as a safe and efficient cell factory to produce heterologous proteins of medical interest. The relevance of the use of this lactic acid bacterium (LAB) is that it is a noncolonizing, nonpathogenic microorganism that can be delivered in vivo at a

  14. [High-level expression of heterologous protein based on increased copy number in Saccharomyces cerevisiae].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xinjie; He, Peng; Tao, Yong; Yang, Yi

    2013-11-04

    High-level expression system of heterologous protein mediated by internal ribosome entry site (IRES) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae was constructed, which could be used for other applications of S. cerevisiae in metabolic engineering. We constructed co-expression cassette (promoter-mCherry-TIF4631 IRES-URA3) containing promoters Pilv5, Padh2 and Ptdh3 and recombined the co-expression cassette into the genome of W303-1B-A. The URA3+ transformants were selected. By comparing the difference in the mean florescence value of mCherry in transformants, the effect of three promoters was detected in the co-expression cassette. The copy numbers of the interested genes in the genome were determined by Real-Time PCR. We analyzed genetic stability by continuous subculturing transformants in the absence of selection pressure. To verify the application of co-expression cassette, the ORF of mCherry was replaced by beta-galactosidase (LACZ) and xylose reductase (XYL1). The enzyme activities and production of beta-galactosidase and xylose reductase were detected. mCherry has been expressed in the highest-level in transformants with co-expression cassette containing Pilv5 promoter. The highest copy number of DNA fragment integrating in the genome was 47 in transformants containing Pilv5. The engineering strains showed good genetic stability. Xylose reductase was successfully expressed in the co-expression cassette containing Pilv5 promoter and TIF4631 IRES. The highest enzyme activity was 0. 209 U/mg crude protein in the transformants WIX-10. Beta-galactosidase was also expressed successfully. The transformants that had the highest enzyme activity was WIL-1 and the enzyme activity was 12.58 U/mg crude protein. The system mediated by Pilv5 promoter and TIF4631 IRES could express heterologous protein efficiently in S. cerevisiae. This study offered a new strategy for expression of heterologous protein in S. cerevisiae and provided sufficient experimental evidence for metabolic engineering

  15. Validação para a população brasileira da Escala de Dominância Télica (TDS no contexto esportivo

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    Guilherme Moraes BALBIM

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Resumo O objetivo do estudo foi validar para a língua portuguesa e para uma população brasileira o Telic Dominance Scale (TDS. Participaram do estudo quatro tradutores e três doutores em Psicologia do Esporte envolvidos nos processos de tradução, adaptação e validação de conteúdo da versão para língua portuguesa do TDS. A amostra foi composta por 391 atletas de 16 municípios do Estado do Paraná e São Paulo participantes da fase final dos Jogos Abertos do Paraná 2012 e dos Jogos Abertos do Interior de São Paulo 2012. O instrumento de validação foi o Telic Dominance Scale (TDS. Foi realizada a dupla tradução reversa, análise da validade de conteúdo, análise descritiva dos dados por meio de valores de média, desvio-padrão, mínimo e máximo, alfa de Cronbach, coeficiente de correlação intraclasses e análise fatorial confirmatória. Os resultados demonstraram que 12 itens do TDS foram excluídos da versão para língua portuguesa devido a valores insuficientes no coeficiente de validação de conteúdo; a consistência interna de duas dimensões do instrumento foi satisfatória (α= 0,75 e α= 0,74 e de uma dimensão foi abaixo do recomendável (α= 0,44; demonstrou-se boa estabilidade temporal com coeficiente de correlação intraclasses oscilando entre r = 0,90 e r = 0,98; quanto à validade de constructo, 13 itens foram excluídos por não apresentarem confiabilidade individual; de forma geral; os valores dos indicadores de ajuste absoluto, incremental e parcimonioso do modelo do TDS com 17 itens (X2= 216,26, GL =117, p = 0,001, X2/gl = 1,84, GFI = 0,94, RMR = 0,09, RMSEA = 0,04, TLI = 0,82, NFI = 0,81, AGFI = 0,92, CFI = 0,90, ECVI = 0,72 expressaram a validade de constructo aceitável da versão para língua portuguesa. Conclui-se: a Escala de Dominância Télica (TDS, versão para língua portuguesa do Telic Dominance Scale (TDS é válida e confiável para aplicação no contexto brasileiro.

  16. P143 proteins from heterologous nucleopolyhedroviruses induce apoptosis in BM-N cells derived from the silkworm Bombyx mori.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamajima, Rina; Kobayashi, Michihiro; Ikeda, Motoko

    2017-04-02

    We previously demonstrated that ribosomal RNA (rRNA) of Bombyx mori BM-N cells is rapidly degraded upon infection with heterologous nucleopolyhedroviruses (NPVs), including Autographa californica multiple NPV (AcMNPV), Hyphantria cunea MNPV, Spodoptera exigua MNPV and S. litura MNPV, and that this response is triggered by viral P143 proteins. The transient expression of P143 proteins from heterologous NPVs was also shown to induce apoptosis and caspase-3-like protease activation in BM-N cells. In the present study, we conducted a transient expression assay using BM-N cells expressing mutant AcMNPV P143 (Ac-P143) proteins and demonstrated that five amino acid residues cooperatively participate in Ac-P143 protein-triggered apoptosis of BM-N cells. Notably, these five residues were previously shown to be required for triggering rRNA degradation in BM-N cells. As rRNA degradation in BM-N cells does not result from apoptosis, the present results suggest that Ac-P143-triggered rRNA degradation is the upstream signal for apoptosis induction in BM-N cells. We further showed that P143 protein-triggered apoptosis does not occur in S. frugiperda Sf9 or Lymantria dispar Ld652Y cells, indicating that apoptosis induction by heterologous P143 proteins is a BM-N cell-specific response. In addition, the observed induction of apoptosis in BM-N cells was found to be mediated by activation of the initiator caspase Bm-Dronc. Taken together, these results suggest that BM-N cells evolved a unique antiviral system that recognizes heterologous NPV P143 proteins to induce rRNA degradation and caspase-dependent apoptosis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. In vivo myomaker-mediated heterologous fusion and nuclear reprogramming.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mitani, Yasuyuki; Vagnozzi, Ronald J; Millay, Douglas P

    2017-01-01

    Knowledge regarding cellular fusion and nuclear reprogramming may aid in cell therapy strategies for skeletal muscle diseases. An issue with cell therapy approaches to restore dystrophin expression in muscular dystrophy is obtaining a sufficient quantity of cells that normally fuse with muscle. Here we conferred fusogenic activity without transdifferentiation to multiple non-muscle cell types and tested dystrophin restoration in mouse models of muscular dystrophy. We previously demonstrated that myomaker, a skeletal muscle-specific transmembrane protein necessary for myoblast fusion, is sufficient to fuse 10T 1/2 fibroblasts to myoblasts in vitro. Whether myomaker-mediated heterologous fusion is functional in vivo and whether the newly introduced nonmuscle nuclei undergoes nuclear reprogramming has not been investigated. We showed that mesenchymal stromal cells, cortical bone stem cells, and tail-tip fibroblasts fuse to skeletal muscle when they express myomaker. These cells restored dystrophin expression in a fraction of dystrophin-deficient myotubes after fusion in vitro. However, dystrophin restoration was not detected in vivo although nuclear reprogramming of the muscle-specific myosin light chain promoter did occur. Despite the lack of detectable dystrophin reprogramming by immunostaining, this study indicated that myomaker could be used in nonmuscle cells to induce fusion with muscle in vivo, thereby providing a platform to deliver therapeutic material.-Mitani, Y., Vagnozzi, R. J., Millay, D. P. In vivo myomaker-mediated heterologous fusion and nuclear reprogramming. © FASEB.

  18. Overexpression of pucC improves the heterologous protein expression level in a Rhodobacter sphaeroides expression system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, L; Chen, G; Ding, G; Zhao, Z; Dong, T; Hu, Z

    2015-04-27

    The Rhodobacter sphaeroides system has been used to express membrane proteins. However, its low yield has substantially limited its application. In order to promote the protein expression capability of this system, the pucC gene, which plays a crucial role in assembling the R. sphaeroides light-harvesting 2 complex (LH2), was overexpressed. To build a pucC overexpression strain, a pucC overexpression vector was constructed and transformed into R. sphaeroides CQU68. The overexpression efficiency was evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. A well-used reporter β-glucuronidase (GUS) was fusion-expressed with LH2 to evaluate the heterologous protein expression level. As a result, the cell culture and protein in the pucC overexpression strain showed much higher typical spectral absorption peaks at 800 and 850 nm compared with the non-overexpression strain, suggesting a higher expression level of LH2-GUS fusion protein in the pucC overexpression strain. This result was further confirmed by Western blot, which also showed a much higher level of heterologous protein expression in the pucC overexpression strain. We further compared GUS activity in pucC overexpression and non-overexpression strains, the results of which showed that GUS activity in the pucC overexpression strain was approximately ten-fold that in the non-overexpression strain. These results demonstrate that overexpressed pucC can promote heterologous protein expression levels in R. sphaeroides.

  19. Design of an efficient medium for heterologous protein production in Yarrowia lipolytica: case of human interferon alpha 2b.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gasmi, Najla; Ayed, Atef; Nicaud, Jean-Marc; Kallel, Héla

    2011-05-20

    The non conventional yeast Yarrowia lipolytica has aroused a strong industrial interest for heterologous protein production. However most of the studies describing recombinant protein production by this yeast rely on the use of complex media, such media are not convenient for large scale production particularly for products intended for pharmaceutical applications. In addition medium composition can also affect the production yield. Hence it is necessary to design an efficient medium for therapeutic protein expression by this host. Five different media, including four minimal media and a complex medium, were assessed in shake flasks for the production of human interferon alpha 2b (hIFN α2b) by Y. lipolytica under the control of POX2 promoter inducible with oleic acid. The chemically defined medium SM4 formulated by Invitrogen for Pichia pastoris growth was the most suitable. Using statistical experimental design this medium was further optimized. The selected minimal medium consisting in SM4 supplemented with 10 mg/l FeCl₃, 1 g/l glutamate, 5 ml/l PTM1 (Pichia Trace Metals) solution and a vitamin solution composed of myo-inositol, thiamin and biotin was called GNY medium. Compared to shake flask, bioreactor culture in GNY medium resulted in 416-fold increase of hIFN α2b production and 2-fold increase of the biological activity. Furthermore, SM4 enrichment with 5 ml/l PTM1 solution contributed to protect hIFN α2b against the degradation by the 28 kDa protease identified by zymography gel in culture supernatant. The screening of the inhibitory effect of the trace elements present in PTM1 solution on the activity of this protease was achieved using a Box-Behnken design. Statistical data analysis showed that FeCl₃ and MnSO₄ had the most inhibitory effect. We have designed an efficient medium for large scale production of heterologous proteins by Y. lipolytica. The optimized medium GNY is suitable for the production of hIFN α2b with the advantage that no

  20. Heterologous expression of antigenic peptides in Bacillus subtilis biofilms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vogt, Cédric M; Schraner, Elisabeth M; Aguilar, Claudio; Eichwald, Catherine

    2016-08-11

    Numerous strategies have been developed for the display of heterologous proteins in the surface of live bacterial carriers, which can be used as vaccines, immune-modulators, cancer therapy or bioremediation. Bacterial biofilms have emerged as an interesting approach for the expression of proteins of interest. Bacillus subtilis is a well-described, endospore-forming organism that is able to form biofilms and also used as a probiotic, thus making it a suitable candidate for the display of heterologous proteins within the biofilm. Here, we describe the use of TasA, an important structural component of the biofilms formed by B. subtilis, as a genetic tool for the display of heterologous proteins. We first engineered the fusion protein TasA-mCherry and showed that was widely deployed within the B. subtilis biofilms. A significant enhancement of the expression of TasA-mCherry within the biofilm was obtained when depleting both tasA and sinR genes. We subsequently engineered fusion proteins of TasA to antigenic peptides of the E. granulosus parasite, paramyosin and tropomyosin. Our results show that the antigens were well expressed within the biofilm as denoted by macrostructure complementation and by the detection of the fusion protein in both immunoblot and immunohistochemistry. In addition, we show that the recombinant endospores of B. subtilis preserve their biophysical and morphological properties. In this work we provide strong evidence pointing that TasA is a suitable candidate for the display of heterologous peptides, such as antigens, cytokines, enzymes or antibodies, in the B. subtilis biofilms. Finally, our data portray that the recombinant endospores preserve their morphological and biophysical properties and could be an excellent tool to facilitate the transport and the administration.

  1. Heterologous Production and Yield Improvement of Epothilones in Burkholderiales Strain DSM 7029.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bian, Xiaoying; Tang, Biao; Yu, Yucong; Tu, Qiang; Gross, Frank; Wang, Hailong; Li, Aiying; Fu, Jun; Shen, Yuemao; Li, Yue-Zhong; Stewart, A Francis; Zhao, Guoping; Ding, Xiaoming; Müller, Rolf; Zhang, Youming

    2017-07-21

    The cloning of microbial natural product biosynthetic gene clusters and their heterologous expression in a suitable host have proven to be a feasible approach to improve the yield of valuable natural products and to begin mining cryptic natural products in microorganisms. Myxobacteria are a prolific source of novel bioactive natural products with only limited choices of heterologous hosts that have been exploited. Here, we describe the use of Burkholderiales strain DSM 7029 as a potential heterologous host for the functional expression of myxobacterial secondary metabolites. Using a newly established electroporation procedure, the 56 kb epothilone biosynthetic gene cluster from the myxobacterium Sorangium cellulosum was introduced into the chromosome of strain DSM 7029 by transposition. Production of epothilones A, B, C, and D was detected despite their yields being low. Optimization of the medium, introduction of the exogenous methylmalonyl-CoA biosynthetic pathway, and overexpression of rare tRNA genes resulted in an approximately 75-fold increase in the total yields of epothilones to 307 μg L -1 . These results show that strain DSM 7029 has the potential to produce epothilones with reasonable titers and might be a broadly applicable host for the heterologous expression of other myxobacterial polyketide synthases and nonribosomal peptide synthetases, expediting the process of genome mining.

  2. The K Domain Mediates Homologous and Heterologous Interactions Between FLC and SVP Proteins of Brassica juncea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ma Guanpeng

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available The transcription factors FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC and SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE (SVP can interact to form homologous and heterologous protein complexes that regulate flowering time in Brassica juncea Coss. (Mustard.Previous studies showed that protein interactions were mediated by the K domain, which contains the subdomains K1, K2 and K3. However, it remains unknown how the subdomains mediate the interactions between FLC and SVP. In the present study, we constructed several mutants of subdomains K1–K3 and investigated the mechanisms involved in the heterologous interaction of BjFLC/BjSVP and in the homologous interaction of BjFLC/BjFLC or BjSVP/BjSVP. Yeast two-hybrid and β-Galactosidase activity assays showed that the 19 amino acids of the K1 subdomain in BjSVP and the 17 amino acids of the K1 subdomain in BjFLC were functional subdomains that interact with each other to mediate hetero-dimerization. The heterologous interaction was enhanced by the K2 subdomain of BjSVP protein, but weakened by its interhelical domain L2. The heterologous interaction was also enhanced by the K2 subdomain of BjFLC protein, but weakened by its K3 subdomain. The homologous interaction of BjSVP was mediated by the full K-domain. However, the homologous interaction of BjFLC was regulated only by its K1 and weakened by its K2 and K3 subdomains. The results provided new insights into the interactions between FLC and SVP, which will be valuable for further studies on the molecular regulation mechanisms of the regulation of flowering time in B. juncea and other Brassicaceae.

  3. Heterologous expression of mlrA in a photoautotrophic host - Engineering cyanobacteria to degrade microcystins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dexter, Jason; Dziga, Dariusz; Lv, Jing; Zhu, Junqi; Strzalka, Wojciech; Maksylewicz, Anna; Maroszek, Magdalena; Marek, Sylwia; Fu, Pengcheng

    2018-06-01

    In this report, we establish proof-of-principle demonstrating for the first time genetic engineering of a photoautotrophic microorganism for bioremediation of naturally occurring cyanotoxins. In model cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 we have heterologously expressed Sphingopyxis sp. USTB-05 microcystinase (MlrA) bearing a 23 amino acid N-terminus secretion peptide from native Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 PilA (sll1694). The resultant whole cell biocatalyst displayed about 3 times higher activity against microcystin-LR compared to a native MlrA host (Sphingomonas sp. ACM 3962), normalized for optical density. In addition, MlrA activity was found to be almost entirely located in the cyanobacterial cytosolic fraction, despite the presence of the secretion tag, with crude cellular extracts showing MlrA activity comparable to extracts from MlrA expressing E. coli. Furthermore, despite approximately 9.4-fold higher initial MlrA activity of a whole cell E. coli biocatalyst, utilization of a photoautotrophic chassis resulted in prolonged stability of MlrA activity when cultured under semi-natural conditions (using lake water), with the heterologous MlrA biocatalytic activity of the E. coli culture disappearing after 4 days, while the cyanobacterial host displayed activity (3% of initial activity) after 9 days. In addition, the cyanobacterial cell density was maintained over the duration of this experiment while the cell density of the E. coli culture rapidly declined. Lastly, failure to establish a stable cyanobacterial isolate expressing native MlrA (without the N-terminus tag) via the strong cpcB560 promoter draws attention to the use of peptide tags to positively modulate expression of potentially toxic proteins. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Adaption of Saccharomyces cerevisiae expressing a heterologous protein

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Krogh, Astrid Mørkeberg; Beck, Vibe; Højlund Christensen, Lars

    2008-01-01

    Production of the heterologous protein, bovine aprotinin, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae was shown to affect the metabolism of the host cell to various extent depending on the strain genotype. Strains with different genotypes, industrial and laboroatory, respectively, were investigated. The maximal...

  5. The da vinci robot system eliminates multispecialty surgical trainees' hand dominance in open and robotic surgical settings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badalato, Gina M; Shapiro, Edan; Rothberg, Michael B; Bergman, Ari; RoyChoudhury, Arindam; Korets, Ruslan; Patel, Trushar; Badani, Ketan K

    2014-01-01

    Handedness, or the inherent dominance of one hand's dexterity over the other's, is a factor in open surgery but has an unknown importance in robot-assisted surgery. We sought to examine whether the robotic surgery platform could eliminate the effect of inherent hand preference. Residents from the Urology and Obstetrics/Gynecology departments were enrolled. Ambidextrous and left-handed subjects were excluded. After completing a questionnaire, subjects performed three tasks modified from the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery curriculum. Tasks were performed by hand and then with the da Vinci robotic surgical system (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, California). Participants were randomized to begin with using either the left or the right hand, and then switch. Left:right ratios were calculated from scores based on time to task completion. Linear regression analysis was used to determine the significance of the impact of surgical technique on hand dominance. Ten subjects were enrolled. The mean difference in raw score performance between the right and left hands was 12.5 seconds for open tasks and 8 seconds for robotic tasks (Probot tasks, respectively (Probotic and open approaches for raw time scores (Phand, prior robotic experience, and comfort level. These findings remain to be validated in larger cohorts. The robotic technique reduces hand dominance in surgical trainees across all task domains. This finding contributes to the known advantages of robotic surgery.

  6. Synthetic Promoters and Transcription Factors for Heterologous Protein Expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fabian Machens

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Orthogonal systems for heterologous protein expression as well as for the engineering of synthetic gene regulatory circuits in hosts like Saccharomyces cerevisiae depend on synthetic transcription factors (synTFs and corresponding cis-regulatory binding sites. We have constructed and characterized a set of synTFs based on either transcription activator-like effectors or CRISPR/Cas9, and corresponding small synthetic promoters (synPs with minimal sequence identity to the host’s endogenous promoters. The resulting collection of functional synTF/synP pairs confers very low background expression under uninduced conditions, while expression output upon induction of the various synTFs covers a wide range and reaches induction factors of up to 400. The broad spectrum of expression strengths that is achieved will be useful for various experimental setups, e.g., the transcriptional balancing of expression levels within heterologous pathways or the construction of artificial regulatory networks. Furthermore, our analyses reveal simple rules that enable the tuning of synTF expression output, thereby allowing easy modification of a given synTF/synP pair. This will make it easier for researchers to construct tailored transcriptional control systems.

  7. In vitro activities of DA-7157 and DA-7218 against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Nocardia brasiliensis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vera-Cabrera, Lucio; Gonzalez, Eva; Rendon, Adrian; Ocampo-Candiani, Jorge; Welsh, Oliverio; Velazquez-Moreno, Victor M; Choi, Sung Hak; Molina-Torres, Carmen

    2006-09-01

    The in vitro activities of DA-7157, a novel oxazolidinone, against clinical isolates of Nocardia brasiliensis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis were determined. Equal MIC(50)s and MIC(90)s (0.25 and 0.5 microg/ml, respectively) were found for susceptible and multidrug-resistant isolates of M. tuberculosis. The N. brasiliensis isolates showed an MIC(90) of 1 microg/ml and an MIC(50) of 1 microg/ml. The DA-7157 prodrug, DA-7218, exhibited similar MICs for M. tuberculosis but fivefold-higher MICs for N. brasiliensis.

  8. Prior mucosal exposure to heterologous cells alters the pathogenesis of cell-associated mucosal feline immunodeficiency virus challenge

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    Leavell Sarah

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Several lines of research suggest that exposure to cellular material can alter the susceptibility to infection by HIV-1. Because sexual contact often includes exposure to cellular material, we hypothesized that repeated mucosal exposure to heterologous cells would induce an immune response that would alter the susceptibility to mucosal infection. Using the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV model of HIV-1 mucosal transmission, the cervicovaginal mucosa was exposed once weekly for 12 weeks to 5,000 heterologous cells or media (control and then cats were vaginally challenged with cell-associated or cell-free FIV. Results Exposure to heterologous cells decreased the percentage of lymphocytes in the mucosal and systemic lymph nodes (LN expressing L-selectin as well as the percentage of CD4+ CD25+ T cells. These shifts were associated with enhanced ex-vivo proliferative responses to heterologous cells. Following mucosal challenge with cell-associated, but not cell-free, FIV, proviral burden was reduced by 64% in cats previously exposed to heterologous cells as compared to media exposed controls. Conclusions The pathogenesis and/or the threshold for mucosal infection by infected cells (but not cell-free virus can be modulated by mucosal exposure to uninfected heterologous cells.

  9. Construction of a Shuttle Vector for Heterologous Expression of a Novel Fungal α-Amylase Gene in Aspergillus oryzae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, Yanchen; Mao, Youzhi; Yin, Xiaolie; Gao, Bei; Wei, Dongzhi

    2015-07-01

    The filamentous fungus Aspergillus oryzae is a well-known expression host used to express homologous and heterologous proteins in a number of industrial applications. To facilitate higher yields of proteins of interest, we constructed the pAsOP vector to express heterologous proteins in A. oryzae. pAsOP carries a selectable marker, pyrG, derived from Aspergillus nidulans, and a strong promoter and a terminator of the amyB gene derived from A. oryzae. pAsOP transformed A. oryzae efficiently via the PEG-CaCl2-mediated transformation method. As proof of concept, green fluorescent protein (GFP) was successfully expressed in A. oryzae transformed by pAsOP-GFP. Additionally, we identified a novel fungal α-amylase (PcAmy) gene from Penicillium sp. and cloned the gene into the vector. After transformation by pAsOPPcAmy, the α-amylase PcAmy from Penicillium sp. was successfully expressed in a heterologous host system for the first time. The α-amylase activity in the A. oryzae transformant was increased by 62.3% compared with the untransformed A. oryzae control. The PcAmy protein produced in the system had an optimum pH of 5.0 and optimum temperature of 30°C. As a cold-adapted enzyme, PcAmy shows potential value in industrial applications because of its high catalytic activity at low temperature. Furthermore, the expression vector reported in this study provides promising utility for further scientific research and biotechnological applications.

  10. Imbalance of heterologous protein folding and disulfide bond formation rates yields runaway oxidative stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tyo Keith EJ

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The protein secretory pathway must process a wide assortment of native proteins for eukaryotic cells to function. As well, recombinant protein secretion is used extensively to produce many biologics and industrial enzymes. Therefore, secretory pathway dysfunction can be highly detrimental to the cell and can drastically inhibit product titers in biochemical production. Because the secretory pathway is a highly-integrated, multi-organelle system, dysfunction can happen at many levels and dissecting the root cause can be challenging. In this study, we apply a systems biology approach to analyze secretory pathway dysfunctions resulting from heterologous production of a small protein (insulin precursor or a larger protein (α-amylase. Results HAC1-dependent and independent dysfunctions and cellular responses were apparent across multiple datasets. In particular, processes involving (a degradation of protein/recycling amino acids, (b overall transcription/translation repression, and (c oxidative stress were broadly associated with secretory stress. Conclusions Apparent runaway oxidative stress due to radical production observed here and elsewhere can be explained by a futile cycle of disulfide formation and breaking that consumes reduced glutathione and produces reactive oxygen species. The futile cycle is dominating when protein folding rates are low relative to disulfide bond formation rates. While not strictly conclusive with the present data, this insight does provide a molecular interpretation to an, until now, largely empirical understanding of optimizing heterologous protein secretion. This molecular insight has direct implications on engineering a broad range of recombinant proteins for secretion and provides potential hypotheses for the root causes of several secretory-associated diseases.

  11. Past Life and Future Effects—How Heterologous Infections Alter Immunity to Influenza Viruses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aisha Souquette

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Influenza virus frequently mutates due to its error-prone polymerase. This feature contributes to influenza virus’s ability to evade pre-existing immunity, leading to annual epidemics and periodic pandemics. T cell memory plays a key protective role in the face of an antigenically distinct influenza virus strain because T cell targets are often derived from conserved internal proteins, whereas humoral immunity targets are often sites of increased mutation rates that are tolerated by the virus. Most studies of influenza T cell memory are conducted in naive, specific pathogen free mice and do not account for repetitive influenza infection throughout a lifetime, sequential acute heterologous infections between influenza infections, or heterologous chronic co-infections. By contrast to these mouse models, humans often experience numerous influenza infections, encounter heterologous acute infections between influenza infections, and are infected with at least one chronic virus. In this review, we discuss recent advances in understanding the effects of heterologous infections on the establishment and maintenance of CD8+ T cell immunological memory. Understanding the various factors that affect immune memory can provide insights into the development of more effective vaccines and increase reproducibility of translational studies between animal models and clinical results.

  12. Acid-sensing ion channel (ASIC) 4 predominantly localizes to an early endosome-related organelle upon heterologous expression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwartz, Verena; Friedrich, Katharina; Polleichtner, Georg; Gründer, Stefan

    2015-12-15

    Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are voltage-independent proton-gated amiloride sensitive sodium channels, belonging to the DEG/ENaC gene family. Six different ASICs have been identified (ASIC1a, ASIC1b, ASIC2a, ASIC2b, ASIC3, ASIC4) that are activated by a drop in extracellular pH, either as homo- or heteromers. An exception is ASIC4, which is not activated by protons as a homomer and which does not contribute to functional heteromeric ASICs. Insensitivity of ASIC4 to protons and its comparatively low sequence identity to other ASICs (45%) raises the question whether ASIC4 may have different functions than other ASICs. In this study, we therefore investigated the subcellular localization of ASIC4 in heterologous cell lines, which revealed a surprising accumulation of the channel in early endosome-related vacuoles. Moreover, we identified an unique amino-terminal motif as important for forward-trafficking from the ER/Golgi to the early endosome-related compartment. Collectively, our results show that heterologously expressed ASIC4 predominantly resides in an intracellular endosomal compartment.

  13. Yield improvement of heterologous peptides expressed in yps1-disrupted Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Egel-Mitani; Andersen; Diers; Hach; Thim; Hastrup; Vad

    2000-06-01

    Heterologous protein expression levels in Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentations are highly dependent on the susceptibility to endogenous yeast proteases. Small peptides, such as glucagon and glucagon-like-peptides (GLP-1 and GLP-2), featuring an open structure are particularly accessible for proteolytic degradation during fermentation. Therefore, homogeneous products cannot be obtained. The most sensitive residues are found at basic amino acid residues in the peptide sequence. These heterologous peptides are degraded mainly by the YPS1-encoded aspartic protease, yapsin1, when produced in the yeast. In this article, distinct degradation products were analyzed by HPLC and mass spectrometry, and high yield of the heterologous peptide production has been achieved by the disruption of the YPS1 gene (previously called YAP3). By this technique, high yield continuous fermentation of glucagon in S. cerevisiae is now possible.

  14. Production of antibacterial peptide from bee venom via a new strategy for heterologous expression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hou, Chunsheng; Guo, Liqiong; Lin, Junfang; You, Linfeng; Wu, Wuhua

    2014-12-01

    Honey bee is important economic insect that not only pollinates fruits and crops but also provides products with various physiological activities. Bee venom is a functional agent that is widely applied in clinical treatment and pharmacy. Secapin is one of these agents that have a significant role in therapy. The functions of secapin from the bee venom have been documented, but little information is known about its heterologous expression under natural condition. Moreover, few scholars verified experimentally the functions of secapin from bee venom in vitro. In this study, we successfully constructed a heterologous expression vector, which is different from conventional expression system. A transgenic approach was established for transformation of secapin gene from the venom of Apis mellifera carnica (Ac-sec) into the edible fungi, Coprinus cinereus. Ac-sec was encoded by a 234 bp nucleotide that contained a signal peptide domain and two potential phosphorylation sites. The sequence exhibited highly homology with various secapins characterized from honey bee and related species. Southern blot data indicated that Ac-sec was present as single or multiple copy loci in the C. cinereus genome. By co-transformation and double-layer active assay, Ac-sec was expressed successfully in C. cinereus and the antibacterial activity of the recombinants was identified, showing notable antibacterial activities on different bacteria. Although Ac-sec is from the venom of Apidae, phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that Ac-sec was more closely related to that of Vespid than to bee species from Apidae. The molecular characteristics of Ac-sec and the potential roles of small peptides in biology were discussed.

  15. Heterologous expression of pikromycin biosynthetic gene cluster using Streptomyces artificial chromosome system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pyeon, Hye-Rim; Nah, Hee-Ju; Kang, Seung-Hoon; Choi, Si-Sun; Kim, Eung-Soo

    2017-05-31

    Heterologous expression of biosynthetic gene clusters of natural microbial products has become an essential strategy for titer improvement and pathway engineering of various potentially-valuable natural products. A Streptomyces artificial chromosomal conjugation vector, pSBAC, was previously successfully applied for precise cloning and tandem integration of a large polyketide tautomycetin (TMC) biosynthetic gene cluster (Nah et al. in Microb Cell Fact 14(1):1, 2015), implying that this strategy could be employed to develop a custom overexpression scheme of natural product pathway clusters present in actinomycetes. To validate the pSBAC system as a generally-applicable heterologous overexpression system for a large-sized polyketide biosynthetic gene cluster in Streptomyces, another model polyketide compound, the pikromycin biosynthetic gene cluster, was preciously cloned and heterologously expressed using the pSBAC system. A unique HindIII restriction site was precisely inserted at one of the border regions of the pikromycin biosynthetic gene cluster within the chromosome of Streptomyces venezuelae, followed by site-specific recombination of pSBAC into the flanking region of the pikromycin gene cluster. Unlike the previous cloning process, one HindIII site integration step was skipped through pSBAC modification. pPik001, a pSBAC containing the pikromycin biosynthetic gene cluster, was directly introduced into two heterologous hosts, Streptomyces lividans and Streptomyces coelicolor, resulting in the production of 10-deoxymethynolide, a major pikromycin derivative. When two entire pikromycin biosynthetic gene clusters were tandemly introduced into the S. lividans chromosome, overproduction of 10-deoxymethynolide and the presence of pikromycin, which was previously not detected, were both confirmed. Moreover, comparative qRT-PCR results confirmed that the transcription of pikromycin biosynthetic genes was significantly upregulated in S. lividans containing tandem

  16. Heterologous Infection of Pregnant Mice Induces Low Birth Weight and Modifies Offspring Susceptibility to Malaria.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ankur Sharma

    Full Text Available Pregnancy malaria (PM is associated with poor pregnancy outcomes, and can arise due to relapse, recrudescence or a re-infection with heterologous parasites. We have used the Plasmodium chabaudi model of pregnancy malaria in C57BL/6 mice to examine recrudescence and heterologous infection using CB and AS parasite strains. After an initial course of patent parasitemia and first recrudescence, CB but not AS parasites were observed to recrudesce again in most animals that became pregnant. Pregnancy exacerbated heterologous CB infection of AS-experienced mice, leading to mortality and impaired post-natal growth of pups. Parasites were detected in placental blood without evidence of sequestration, unlike P. falciparum but similar to other malaria species that infect pregnant women. Inflammatory cytokine levels were elevated in pregnant females during malaria, and associated with intensity of infection and with poor outcomes. Pups born to dams during heterologous infection were more resistant to malaria infections at 6-7 weeks of age, compared to pups born to malaria-experienced but uninfected dams or to malaria-naïve dams. In summary, our mouse model reproduces several features of human PM, including recrudescences, heterologous infections, poor pregnancy outcomes associated with inflammatory cytokines, and modulation of offspring susceptibility to malaria. This model should be further studied to explore mechanisms underlying PM pathogenesis.

  17. Hordeum vulgare cysteine protease heterologous expressed in yeast

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rosenkilde, Anne Lind; Dionisio, Giuseppe; Holm, Preben Bach

    , (Hordeum vulgare) endoprotease B2 (HvEPB2) was cloned with and without the 5 amino acid C-terminal sequence into the Pichia pastoris expression vector pPICZ Aα and electrotransformed into Pichia pastoris strain SDM1163. Heterologous protein production was induced with 2% MeOH and the protein expression...

  18. Influence of dominance status on adrenal activity and ovarian cyclicity status in captive African elephants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Proctor, Christine M; Freeman, Elizabeth W; Brown, Janine L

    2010-01-01

    The North American African (Loxodonta africana) elephant population is not self-sustaining, in part because of a high rate of abnormal ovarian activity. About 12% of adult females exhibit irregular cycles and 31% do not cycle at all. Our earlier work revealed a relationship between dominance status and ovarian acyclicity, with dominant females being more likely to not cycle normally. One theory is that dominant females may be expending more energy to maintaining peace within the captive herd than for supporting reproduction. The goal of this study was to determine if there was a relationship among dominance status, serum cortisol concentrations, and ovarian acyclicity. We hypothesized that adrenal glucocorticoid activity would be increased in dominant, noncycling elephants as compared with subdominant individuals. Blood samples were collected weekly over a 2-year period in 81 females of known dominance and cyclicity status, and analyzed for cortisol. Based on a path analysis model (Reticular Action Model Or Near Approximation [RAMONA]), noncycling, dominant African elephant females did not have higher mean serum cortisol concentrations, or exhibit more variability (i.e., coefficient of variation, standard deviation) in cortisol secretion. This study suggests that alterations in adrenal activity are not related to dominance status nor contribute directly to acyclicity in captive African elephants.

  19. Ultrastructural study on experimental infection of rotavirus in a murine heterologous model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Selma Majerowicz

    1994-09-01

    Full Text Available Viral replication, histopathological and ultrastructural changes were observed for a period of nine days in the small intestine of suckling mice infected with a simian rotavirus (SA11. Samples taken from duodenum, jejunun and ileum were prepared for light microscopy, transmission and scanning electron microscopy analysis. Histopathologic effect could be detected within 8 hr post-infection, when only a few altered cells were observed. Damage was extensive after 16 hr post-infection, showing swollen enterocytes and reduced and irregularly oriented microvilli at intestinal villi tips. Virus particles were detected at 16 and 48 hr post-infection, budding from the viroplasm into the rough endoplasmic reticulum cisternae in ileum enterocytes. Clear evidence of viral replication, observed by electron microscopy was not described before in heterologous murine models. Regeneration of the intestinal villi began at the third day post-infection. Despite some differences observed in clinical symptoms and microscopic analysis of homologous and heterologous rotavirus infections, we concluded that mechanisms of heterologous rotavirus infection in mice follow similar patterns to those observed in the homologous models.

  20. Heterologous Production of a Novel Cyclic Peptide Compound, KK-1, in Aspergillus oryzae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Akira Yoshimi

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available A novel cyclic peptide compound, KK-1, was originally isolated from the plant-pathogenic fungus Curvularia clavata. It consists of 10 amino acid residues, including five N-methylated amino acid residues, and has potent antifungal activity. Recently, the genome-sequencing analysis of C. clavata was completed, and the biosynthetic genes involved in KK-1 production were predicted by using a novel gene cluster mining tool, MIDDAS-M. These genes form an approximately 75-kb cluster, which includes nine open reading frames, containing a non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS gene. To determine whether the predicted genes were responsible for the biosynthesis of KK-1, we performed heterologous production of KK-1 in Aspergillus oryzae by introduction of the cluster genes into the genome of A. oryzae. The NRPS gene was split in two fragments and then reconstructed in the A. oryzae genome, because the gene was quite large (approximately 40 kb. The remaining seven genes in the cluster, excluding the regulatory gene kkR, were simultaneously introduced into the strain of A. oryzae in which NRPS had already been incorporated. To evaluate the heterologous production of KK-1 in A. oryzae, gene expression was analyzed by RT-PCR and KK-1 productivity was quantified by HPLC. KK-1 was produced in variable quantities by a number of transformed strains, along with expression of the cluster genes. The amount of KK-1 produced by the strain with the greatest expression of all genes was lower than that produced by the original producer, C. clavata. Therefore, expression of the cluster genes is necessary and sufficient for the heterologous production of KK-1 in A. oryzae, although there may be unknown factors limiting productivity in this species.

  1. Heterologous Production of a Novel Cyclic Peptide Compound, KK-1, in Aspergillus oryzae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshimi, Akira; Yamaguchi, Sigenari; Fujioka, Tomonori; Kawai, Kiyoshi; Gomi, Katsuya; Machida, Masayuki; Abe, Keietsu

    2018-01-01

    A novel cyclic peptide compound, KK-1, was originally isolated from the plant-pathogenic fungus Curvularia clavata . It consists of 10 amino acid residues, including five N -methylated amino acid residues, and has potent antifungal activity. Recently, the genome-sequencing analysis of C. clavata was completed, and the biosynthetic genes involved in KK-1 production were predicted by using a novel gene cluster mining tool, MIDDAS-M. These genes form an approximately 75-kb cluster, which includes nine open reading frames, containing a non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) gene. To determine whether the predicted genes were responsible for the biosynthesis of KK-1, we performed heterologous production of KK-1 in Aspergillus oryzae by introduction of the cluster genes into the genome of A. oryzae . The NRPS gene was split in two fragments and then reconstructed in the A. oryzae genome, because the gene was quite large (approximately 40 kb). The remaining seven genes in the cluster, excluding the regulatory gene kkR , were simultaneously introduced into the strain of A. oryzae in which NRPS had already been incorporated. To evaluate the heterologous production of KK-1 in A. oryzae , gene expression was analyzed by RT-PCR and KK-1 productivity was quantified by HPLC. KK-1 was produced in variable quantities by a number of transformed strains, along with expression of the cluster genes. The amount of KK-1 produced by the strain with the greatest expression of all genes was lower than that produced by the original producer, C. clavata . Therefore, expression of the cluster genes is necessary and sufficient for the heterologous production of KK-1 in A. oryzae , although there may be unknown factors limiting productivity in this species.

  2. Upper respiratory tract infection, heterologous immunisation and meningococcal disease

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Scholten, R. J.; Bijlmer, H. A.; Tobi, H.; Dankert, J.; Bouter, L. M.

    1999-01-01

    To test the hypothesis that an episode of upper respiratory tract infection or heterologous immunisation is a predisposing factor for the occurrence of meningococcal disease, data from 377 cases of meningococcal disease and their household contacts (n = 1124) were analysed by conditional logistic

  3. Overcoming tumor resistance by heterologous adeno-poxvirus combination therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Markus Vähä-Koskela

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Successful cancer control relies on overcoming resistance to cell death and on activation of host antitumor immunity. Oncolytic viruses are particularly attractive in this regard, as they lyse infected tumor cells and trigger robust immune responses during the infection. However, repeated injections of the same virus promote antiviral rather than antitumor immunity and tumors may mount innate antiviral defenses to restrict oncolytic virus replication. In this article, we have explored if alternating the therapy virus could circumvent these problems. We demonstrate in two virus-resistant animal models a substantial delay in antiviral immune- and innate cellular response induction by alternating injections of two immunologically distinct oncolytic viruses, adenovirus, and vaccinia virus. Our results are in support of clinical development of heterologous adeno-/vaccinia virus therapy of cancer.

  4. Uptake and Persistence of Homologous and Heterologous Zooxanthellae in the Temperate Sea Anemone Cereus pedunculatus (Pennant).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davy, S K; Lucas, I A N; Turner, J R

    1997-04-01

    The uptake and persistence of symbiotic dinoflagellates (zooxanthellae) were measured in the temperate sea anemone Cereus pedunculatus (Pennant). Aposymbiotic specimens of C. pedunculatus were inoculated with zooxanthellae freshly isolated from a range of temperate and subtropical Anthozoa. Each inoculate consisted of zooxanthellae from a single host species and was either homologous (zooxanthellae from a host of the same species as the one being inoculated) or heterologous (from a host of a different species than the one being inoculated). The densities of zooxanthellae in host tissues were determined at regular intervals. C. pedunculatus took up homologous and heterologous zooxanthellae to similar degrees, except for zooxanthellae from the temperate Anthopleura ballii, which were taken up to a lesser extent. The densities of all zooxanthellae declined between 4 hours and 4 days after uptake, indicating that zooxanthellae were expelled, digested, or both during this period. The densities of all zooxanthellae increased between 2 and 8 weeks after inoculation, indicating zooxanthella growth. Over the entire 8-week period after uptake, densities of homologous zooxanthellae were always greater than those of heterologous zooxanthellae. Between 8 and 36 weeks after infection, densities of homologous zooxanthellae declined markedly and densities of some heterologous zooxanthellae increased further, resulting in homologous and heterologous zooxanthella densities being the same at 36 weeks. These densities were the same as those in naturally infected C. pedunculatus of similar size. The results suggest that zooxanthellae from a range of host species and environments can establish symbioses with C. pedunculatus and that, over long periods under laboratory conditions, heterologous zooxanthellae may populate C. pedunculatus to the same extent as homologous zooxanthellae.

  5. Three new shuttle vectors for heterologous expression in Zymomonas mobilis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qinghua Cao

    2016-01-01

    Conclusions: These results indicated that these expression vectors are useful tools for gene expression in Z. mobilis and this could provide a solid foundation for further studies of heterologous gene expression in Z. mobilis.

  6. Determining Predictor Importance in Hierarchical Linear Models Using Dominance Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Wen; Azen, Razia

    2013-01-01

    Dominance analysis (DA) is a method used to evaluate the relative importance of predictors that was originally proposed for linear regression models. This article proposes an extension of DA that allows researchers to determine the relative importance of predictors in hierarchical linear models (HLM). Commonly used measures of model adequacy in…

  7. The L polymerase protein of parainfluenza virus 3 forms an oligomer and can interact with the heterologous Sendai virus L, P and C proteins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smallwood, Sherin; Moyer, Sue A.

    2004-01-01

    We recently showed that the L protein of Sendai virus is present as an oligomer in the active P-L polymerase complex [Smallwood et al., Virology 304 (2002) 235]. We now demonstrate using two different epitope tags that the L protein of a second respirovirus, human parainfluenza type 3 virus (PIV3), also forms an L-L complex. L oligomerization requires the coexpression of the differentially epitope tagged L proteins. By exploiting a series of C-terminal truncations the L-L binding site maps to the N-terminal half of L. There is some complex formation between the heterologous PIV3 and Sendai L and P proteins; however, the heterologous L protein does not function in transcription of either the PIV3 or Sendai template. The PIV3 C protein binds PIV3 L and inhibits RNA synthesis in vitro and in vivo. Significant homology exists between the C proteins of PIV3 and Sendai and complex formation occurs between the PIV3 and Sendai heterologous C and L proteins. In addition, the heterologous C proteins can inhibit transcription at ∼50% of the level of the homologous protein. These data suggest that while the C proteins may be functionally somewhat interchangeable, the L and P proteins are specific for each virus

  8. Effects of maturation-inducing hormone on heterologous gap junctional coupling in ovarian follicles of Atlantic croaker

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshizaki, G.; Patino, R.; Thomas, P.; Bolamba, D.; Chang, Xiaotian

    2001-01-01

    A previous ultrastructural study of heterologous (granulosa cell-oocyte) gap junction (GJ) contacts in ovarian follicles of Atlantic croaker suggested that these contacts disappear late during the process of resumption of oocyte meiosis. This observation suggested that, unlike scenarios proposed for a number of other species, uncoupling of GJ is not necessary for the onset of meiotic resumption in croaker follicles. However, the functionality of heterologous GJ contacts and the temporal association between maturation-inducing hormone (MIH)-induced changes in heterologous coupling and resumption of oocyte meiosis have not been examined in Atlantic croaker. These questions were addressed with a cell-cell coupling assay that is based on the transfer of a GJ marker, Lucifer Yellow, from oocytes to granulosa cells. Follicle-enclosed oocytes injected with Lucifer Yellow allowed transfer of the dye into the follicle cell layer, thus confirming that there is functional heterologous coupling between the oocyte and the granulosa cells. Dye transfer was observed in vitellogenic, full-grown/maturation-incompetent, and full-grown /maturation-competent follicles. Treatment of maturation-competent follicles with MIH caused a time-dependent decline in the number of follicles transferring dye. However, although GJ uncoupling in some of the follicles was observed before germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD, index of meiotic resumption), about 50% of the follicles maintained the ability to transfer dye even after GVBD had occurred. Further, a known GJ inhibitor (phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate) blocked heterologous GJ within a time frame similar to that seen with MIH but without inducing any of the morphological changes (including GVBD) associated with follicular maturation. In conclusion, uncoupling of heterologous GJ seems insufficient and unnecessary for the onset of meiotic resumption in ovarian follicles of Atlantic croaker. ?? 2001 Elsevier Science.

  9. Epigenetics of dominance for enzyme activity

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    and produce qualitatively different allozymes and the two alleles are expressed equally within and across all three genotypes and and play an equal role in the epigenetics of dominance. Subunit interaction in the heterodimer over a wide range of H+ concentrations accounts for the epigenetics of dominance for ...

  10. Antioxidant activity of cod (Gadus morhua) protein hydrolysates: Fractionation and characterisation of peptide fractions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Farvin Habebullah, Sabeena; Andersen, Lisa Lystbæk; Otte, Jeanette

    2016-01-01

    This study aimed to characterise peptide fractions (>5 kDa, 3–5 kDa and fractions were dominated by Ala, Gly, Glu and Ser. The total amino acid composition had high proportions of Lys, Ala...... and Glu. The 3–5 kDa and fractions were further fractionated by size exclusion chromatography. All sub-fractions showed high Fe2+ chelating activity. The DPPH radical-scavenging activity of the 3–5 kDa fraction was exerted mainly by one sub-fraction dominated by peptides with masses below 600 Da....... The DPPH radical-scavenging activity of the fraction was exerted by sub-fractions with low molecular weight. The highest reducing power was found in a sub-fraction containing peptides rich in Arg, Tyr and Phe. Both free amino acids and low molecular weight peptides thus seemed to contribute...

  11. Isobutanol production in Synechocystis PCC 6803 using heterologous and endogenous alcohol dehydrogenases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rui Miao

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Isobutanol is a flammable compound that can be used as a biofuel due to its high energy density and suitable physical and chemical properties. In this study, we examined the capacity of engineered strains of Synechocystis PCC 6803 containing the α-ketoisovalerate decarboxylase from Lactococcus lactis and different heterologous and endogenous alcohol dehydrogenases (ADH for isobutanol production. A strain expressing an introduced kivd without any additional copy of ADH produced 3 mg L−1 OD750−1 isobutanol in 6 days. After the cultures were supplemented with external addition of isobutyraldehyde, the substrate for ADH, 60.8 mg L−1 isobutanol was produced after 24 h when OD750 was 0.8. The in vivo activities of four different ADHs, two heterologous and two putative endogenous in Synechocystis, were examined and the Synechocystis endogenous ADH encoded by slr1192 showed the highest efficiency for isobutanol production. Furthermore, the strain overexpressing the isobutanol pathway on a self-replicating vector with the strong Ptrc promoter showed significantly higher gene expression and isobutanol production compared to the corresponding strains expressing the same operon introduced on the genome. Hence, this study demonstrates that Synechocystis endogenous AHDs have a high capacity for isobutanol production, and identifies kivd encoded α-ketoisovalerate decarboxylase as one of the likely bottlenecks for further isobutanol production.

  12. Heterologous humoral immune response in patients treated with human growth hormone from different sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cardoso, A.I.; Llera, A.S.; Iacono, R.F.

    1993-01-01

    The existence of homologous anti-human growth hormone (anti-hGH) and heterologous anti-bovine growth hormone (anti-bGH) humoral immune responses in hypopituitary patients under hGH therapy has been reported previously. In order to study the influence of the hormone source, both responses were compared by radiobinding assays performed with [ 125 I]hGH or [ 125 I]bGH as tracers. 57 hypopituitary patients treated with extractive hGH, recombinant methionyl hGH or authentic recombinant hGH were studied. A very low incidence of heterologous antibodies was found in patients under recombinant hGH therapy, contrary to the high incidence observed in patients treated with extractive hGH preparations. In addition, immunochemical studies performed with a synthetic peptide (hGH 44-128) indicated that this peptide exhibited, in the anti-bGH/[ 125 I]bGH radioimmunoassay system, higher reactivity than the native hGH, suggesting that such fragment resembled an altered conformation of the hormone. The high heterologous response elicited only by the extractive hGH along with the behaviour of the hGH 44-128 fragment supports the fact that the extraction and purification procedures in extractive preparations may alter slightly the structure of the hGH molecule and trigger a heterologous immune response. 16 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab

  13. Heterologous humoral immune response in patients treated with human growth hormone from different sources

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cardoso, A.I.; Llera, A.S.; Iacono, R.F. (and others) (Inst. de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral, Buenos Aires (Argentina))

    1993-07-01

    The existence of homologous anti-human growth hormone (anti-hGH) and heterologous anti-bovine growth hormone (anti-bGH) humoral immune responses in hypopituitary patients under hGH therapy has been reported previously. In order to study the influence of the hormone source, both responses were compared by radiobinding assays performed with [[sup 125]I]hGH or [[sup 125]I]bGH as tracers. 57 hypopituitary patients treated with extractive hGH, recombinant methionyl hGH or authentic recombinant hGH were studied. A very low incidence of heterologous antibodies was found in patients under recombinant hGH therapy, contrary to the high incidence observed in patients treated with extractive hGH preparations. In addition, immunochemical studies performed with a synthetic peptide (hGH 44-128) indicated that this peptide exhibited, in the anti-bGH/[[sup 125]I]bGH radioimmunoassay system, higher reactivity than the native hGH, suggesting that such fragment resembled an altered conformation of the hormone. The high heterologous response elicited only by the extractive hGH along with the behaviour of the hGH 44-128 fragment supports the fact that the extraction and purification procedures in extractive preparations may alter slightly the structure of the hGH molecule and trigger a heterologous immune response. 16 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.

  14. Heterologous embryo transfer: Magisterial answers and metaphysical questions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Accad, Michel

    2014-02-01

    The debate regarding the morality of heterologous embryo transfer (HET) as a solution for the fate of cryopreserved embryos remains active. This paper endeavors to show that the magisterial instructions on bioethical issues can only lead to the conclusion that HET is always morally illicit. I begin by showing that the text of Dignitas personae recognizes HET as a procedure accomplishing a procreative function, and I indicate that it is through gestation that this procreative function occurs. I further show that the previous Instruction, Donum vitae, implicitly points to an ontological or spiritual consideration at play during gestation. This consideration is likely related to the procreative function identified in Dignitas personae. Finally, I place these two textual arguments in the context of the debate concerning HET and conclude that metaphysical questions must be clarified in order for the immorality of HET to be understood from a suitable anthropological perspective and gain more widespread acceptance.

  15. Use of heterologous expressed polyketide synthase and small molecule foldases to make aromatic and cyclic compounds

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2016-01-01

    A method for producing individual or libraries of tri- to pentadecaketide-derived aromatic compounds of interest by heterologous expression of polyketide synthase and aromatase/cyclase in a recombinant host cell.......A method for producing individual or libraries of tri- to pentadecaketide-derived aromatic compounds of interest by heterologous expression of polyketide synthase and aromatase/cyclase in a recombinant host cell....

  16. Longitudinal study of experimental induction of AA amyloidosis in mice seeded with homologous and heterologous AA fibrils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muhammad, Naeem; Murakami, Tomoaki; Inoshima, Yasuo; Ishiguro, Naotaka

    2016-09-01

    To investigate pathogenesis and kinetics of experimentally induced murine AA amyloidosis seeded with homologous (murine) and heterologous (bovine) AA fibrils. Experimental AA amyloidosis was induced by administration of inflammatory stimulus and preformed AA fibrils to a total of 111 female C57/Black mice. In this longitudinal study, heterologous (bovine) as well as homologous (murine) AA fibrils were injected intraperitoneally to mice in various combinations. Re-stimulation was done at 120 or 300 days post first inoculation. To analyze the intensity of amyloid depositions in mice organs, immunohistochemical techniques and image J software were used. Assessment of cytokines level in sera was done using a Mouse Th1/Th2/Th17 Cytokine CBA Kit. Incidence and severity of AA amyloidosis were quite low in mice inoculated with heterologous bovine AA fibrils than homologous murine one. Homologous AA fibrils administration at first and second inoculation caused maximum amount of amyloid depositions and severe systemic form of amyloidosis. Increase in the level of pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 was observed after first inoculation, while second inoculation caused a further increase in the level of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. AA amyloidosis can be induced by heterologous as well as homologous AA fibrils. Severity of AA amyloidosis induced with homologous AA fibrils is higher compared to heterologous AA fibrils.

  17. Heterologous surface display on lactic acid bacteria: non-GMO alternative?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zadravec, Petra; Štrukelj, Borut; Berlec, Aleš

    2015-01-01

    Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are food-grade hosts for surface display with potential applications in food and therapy. Alternative approaches to surface display on LAB would avoid the use of recombinant DNA technology and genetically-modified organism (GMO)-related regulatory requirements. Non-covalent surface display of proteins can be achieved by fusing them to various cell-wall binding domains, of which the Lysine motif domain (LysM) is particularly well studied. Fusion proteins have been isolated from recombinant bacteria or from their growth medium and displayed on unmodified bacteria, enabling heterologous surface display. This was demonstrated on non-viable cells devoid of protein content, termed bacteria-like particles, and on various species of genus Lactobacillus. Of the latter, Lactobacillus salivarius ATCC 11741 was recently shown to be particularly amenable for LysM-mediated display. Possible regulatory implications of heterologous surface display are discussed, particularly those relevant for the European Union.

  18. Organisational Culture as a Dominant in Enterprise Activity: System Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Serikov Anatoliy V.

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The article offers a “conceptual carcass” of the enterprise model, which is based on known results of studies in sociology, biology, system theory and mathematics. The article lists main features of growth of main indicators of economic activity and development of an enterprise. Dynamics of changes at an enterprise is described with a system of non-linear differential equations. One of the global and dominating factors in it is entrepreneurship of personnel, which is an integral part of its labour mentality or organisational culture. The article proves for the first time ever, using mathematical modelling, that namely entrepreneurship, innovation capability, is a comprehensive and dominant factor of enterprise growth and development.

  19. Functional expression and evaluation of heterologous phosphoketolases in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bergman, Alexandra; Siewers, Verena; Nielsen, Jens

    2016-01-01

    Phosphoketolases catalyze an energy-and redox-independent cleavage of certain sugar phosphates. Hereby, the two-carbon (C2) compound acetyl-phosphate is formed, which enzymatically can be converted into acetyl-CoA-a key precursor in central carbon metabolism. Saccharomyces cerevisiae does...... not demonstrate efficient phosphoketolase activity naturally. In this study, we aimed to compare and identify efficient heterologous phosphoketolase enzyme candidates that in yeast have the potential to reduce carbon loss compared to the native acetyl-CoA producing pathway by redirecting carbon flux directly from...... C5 and C6 sugars towards C2-synthesis. Nine phosphoketolase candidates were expressed in S. cerevisiae of which seven produced significant amounts of acetyl-phosphate after provision of sugar phosphate substrates in vitro. The candidates showed differing substrate specificities, and some...

  20. High-yields heterologous production of the novel Aspergillus fumigatus elastase inhibitor AFUEI in Aspergillus oryzae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamashita, Nobuo; Komori, Yumiko; Okumura, Yoshiyuki; Uchiya, Kei-Ichi; Matsui, Takeshi; Nishimura, Akira; Ogawa, Kenji; Nikai, Toshiaki

    2011-08-01

    AFUEI, an elastase inhibitor produced by Aspergillus fumigatus strongly inhibits the elastolytic activity of A. fumigatus etc. To purify AFUEI, we constructed a strain that overproduces AFUEI by introducing the gene encoding AFUEI (Genbank accession no. AB546725) under control of the amyB promoter into the heterologous host Aspergillus oryzae. A. oryzae TF-4 displayed strong elastase inhibitory activity and produced considerably more AFUEI than that of A. fumigatus. Furthermore, AFUEI could be purified using culture broth and single ultrafiltration (UF) treatment, allowing for the effective production of AFUEI for use in clinical trials. Copyright © 2011 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Heterologous Expression of Tulip Petal Plasma Membrane Aquaporins in Pichia pastoris for Water Channel Analysis▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azad, Abul Kalam; Sawa, Yoshihiro; Ishikawa, Takahiro; Shibata, Hitoshi

    2009-01-01

    Water channels formed by aquaporins (AQPs) play an important role in the control of water homeostasis in individual cells and in multicellular organisms. Plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs) constitute a subclass of plant AQPs. TgPIP2;1 and TgPIP2;2 from tulip petals are members of the PIP family. In this study, we overexpressed TgPIP2;1 and TgPIP2;2 in Pichia pastoris and monitored their water channel activity (WCA) either by an in vivo spheroplast-bursting assay performed after hypo-osmotic shock or by growth assay. Osmolarity, pH, and inhibitors of AQPs, protein kinases (PKs), and protein phosphatases (PPs) affect the WCA of heterologous AQPs in this expression system. The WCA of TgPIP2;2-expressing spheroplasts was affected by inhibitors of PKs and PPs, which indicates that the water channel of this homologue is regulated by phosphorylation in P. pastoris. From the results reported herein, we suggest that P. pastoris can be employed as a heterologous expression system to assay the WCA of PIPs and to monitor the AQP-mediated channel gating mechanism, and it can be developed to screen inhibitors/effectors of PIPs. PMID:19251885

  2. Heterologous expression of tulip petal plasma membrane aquaporins in Pichia pastoris for water channel analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azad, Abul Kalam; Sawa, Yoshihiro; Ishikawa, Takahiro; Shibata, Hitoshi

    2009-05-01

    Water channels formed by aquaporins (AQPs) play an important role in the control of water homeostasis in individual cells and in multicellular organisms. Plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs) constitute a subclass of plant AQPs. TgPIP2;1 and TgPIP2;2 from tulip petals are members of the PIP family. In this study, we overexpressed TgPIP2;1 and TgPIP2;2 in Pichia pastoris and monitored their water channel activity (WCA) either by an in vivo spheroplast-bursting assay performed after hypo-osmotic shock or by growth assay. Osmolarity, pH, and inhibitors of AQPs, protein kinases (PKs), and protein phosphatases (PPs) affect the WCA of heterologous AQPs in this expression system. The WCA of TgPIP2;2-expressing spheroplasts was affected by inhibitors of PKs and PPs, which indicates that the water channel of this homologue is regulated by phosphorylation in P. pastoris. From the results reported herein, we suggest that P. pastoris can be employed as a heterologous expression system to assay the WCA of PIPs and to monitor the AQP-mediated channel gating mechanism, and it can be developed to screen inhibitors/effectors of PIPs.

  3. When rare is just a matter of sampling: unexpected dominance of clubtail dragonflies (Odonata, Gomphidae through different collecting methods at Parque Nacional da Serra do Cipó, Minas Gerais State, Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcus Vinícius Oliveira de Almeida

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available When rare is just a matter of sampling: Unexpected dominance of clubtail dragonflies (Odonata, Gomphidae through different collecting methods at Parque Nacional da Serra do Cipó, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Capture of dragonfly adults during two short expeditions to Parque Nacional da Serra do Cipó, Minas Gerais State, using three distinct collecting methodsaerial nets, Malaise and light sheet trapsis reported. The results are outstanding due the high number of species of Gomphidae (7 out of 26 Odonata species, including a new species of Cyanogomphus Selys, 1873, obtained by two non-traditional collecting methods. Because active collecting with aerial nets is the standard approach for dragonfly inventories, we discuss some aspects of the use of traps, comparing our results with those in the literature, suggesting they should be used as complementary methods in faunistic studies. Furthermore, Zonophora campanulata annulata Belle, 1983 is recorded for the first time from Minas Gerais State and taxonomic notes about Phyllogomphoides regularis (Selys, 1873 and Progomphus complicatus Selys, 1854 are also given.

  4. Application of image cytometry to characterize heterologous lipid flippases in yeast

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Maria Stumph; Costa, Sara; Theorin, Lisa

    2016-01-01

    Lipid flippases are integral membrane proteins that play a central role in moving lipids across cellular membranes. Some of these transporters are ATPases that couple lipid translocation to ATP hydrolysis, whereas others function without any discernible metabolic energy input. A growing number...... is typically monitored by flow cytometry, a costly and maintenance-intensive method. Here, we have optimized a protocol to use an automated image-based cell counter to accurately measure lipid uptake by heterologous lipid flippases expressed in yeast. The method was validated by comparison with the classical...... for characterization of lipid flippase activity, and should be readily adaptable to analyze a variety of other transport systems in yeast, parasites, and mammalian cells. © 2016 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry....

  5. Nucleolytic degradation of homologous and heterologous deoxyribonucleic acid molecules at the surface of competent pneumococci

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seto, H.; Lopez, R.; Garrigan, O.; Tomasz, A.

    1975-01-01

    Competent pneumococci can catalyze the rapid and quantitative degradation of extracellular deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecules through the activity of surface-located nucleases (endo- and, possibly, exonucleases as well). Both homologous and heterologous DNAs are degraded by a mechanism that seems to involve a cyclic process: (i) attachment of DNA to the cell surface followed by (ii) nucleolytic attack, and (iii) release to the medium. Processes (ii) and (iii) are both inhibited by ethylenediaminetetraacetate. Whereas surface nuclease activity is specific for competent cells, the bulk of this activity is not coupled to irreversible DNA uptake (deoxyribonuclease-resistant binding). Pneumococcal DNA treated with ultraviolet irradiation or nitrous acid (cross-linking) is selectively impaired in the ability to irreversibly bind to competent cells, whereas reversible binding is normal. (U.S.)

  6. Heterologous production of peptides in plants: fusion proteins and beyond.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viana, Juliane Flávia Cançado; Dias, Simoni Campos; Franco, Octávio Luiz; Lacorte, Cristiano

    2013-11-01

    Recombinant DNA technology has allowed the ectopic production of proteins and peptides of different organisms leading to biopharmaceutical production in large cultures of bacterial, yeasts and mammalian cells. Otherwise, the expression of recombinant proteins and peptides in plants is an attractive alternative presenting several advantages over the commonly used expression systems including reduced production costs, easy scale-up and reduced risks of pathogen contamination. Different types of proteins and peptides have been expressed in plants, including antibodies, antigens, and proteins and peptides of medical, veterinary and industrial applications. However, apart from providing a proof of concept, the use of plants as platforms for heterologous protein and peptide production still depends on key steps towards optimization including the enhancement of expression levels, manipulation of post-transcriptional modifications and improvements in purification methods. In this review, strategies to increase heterologous protein and peptide stability and accumulation are discussed, focusing on the expression of peptides through the use of gene fusions.

  7. The heterologous expression strategies of antimicrobial peptides in microbial systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Ting; Ge, Haoran; He, Huahua; Liu, Yao; Zhai, Chao; Feng, Liang; Yi, Li

    2017-12-01

    Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) consist of molecules acting on the defense systems of numerous organisms toward tumor and multiple pathogens, such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites. Compared to traditional antibiotics, AMPs are more stable and have lower propensity for developing resistance through functioning in the innate immune system, thus having important applications in the fields of medicine, food and so on. However, despite of their high economic values, the low yield and the cumbersome extraction process in AMPs production are problems that limit their industrial application and scientific research. To conquer these obstacles, optimized heterologous expression technologies were developed that could provide effective ways to increase the yield of AMPs. In this review, the research progress on heterologous expression of AMPs using Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Pichia pastoris and Saccharomyces cerevisiae as host cells was mainly summarized, which might guide the expression strategies of AMPs in these cells. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Promiscuous activities of heterologous enzymes lead to unintended metabolic rerouting in Saccharomyces cerevisiae engineered to assimilate various sugars from renewable biomass.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yun, Eun Ju; Oh, Eun Joong; Liu, Jing-Jing; Yu, Sora; Kim, Dong Hyun; Kwak, Suryang; Kim, Kyoung Heon; Jin, Yong-Su

    2018-01-01

    Understanding the global metabolic network, significantly perturbed upon promiscuous activities of foreign enzymes and different carbon sources, is crucial for systematic optimization of metabolic engineering of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae . Here, we studied the effects of promiscuous activities of overexpressed enzymes encoded by foreign genes on rerouting of metabolic fluxes of an engineered yeast capable of assimilating sugars from renewable biomass by profiling intracellular and extracellular metabolites. Unbiased metabolite profiling of the engineered S. cerevisiae strain EJ4 revealed promiscuous enzymatic activities of xylose reductase and xylitol dehydrogenase on galactose and galactitol, respectively, resulting in accumulation of galactitol and tagatose during galactose fermentation. Moreover, during glucose fermentation, a trisaccharide consisting of glucose accumulated outside of the cells probably owing to the promiscuous and transglycosylation activity of β-glucosidase expressed for hydrolyzing cellobiose. Meanwhile, higher accumulation of fatty acids and secondary metabolites was observed during xylose and cellobiose fermentations, respectively. The heterologous enzymes functionally expressed in S. cerevisiae showed promiscuous activities that led to unintended metabolic rerouting in strain EJ4. Such metabolic rerouting could result in a low yield and productivity of a final product due to the formation of unexpected metabolites. Furthermore, the global metabolic network can be significantly regulated by carbon sources, thus yielding different patterns of metabolite production. This metabolomic study can provide useful information for yeast strain improvement and systematic optimization of yeast metabolism to manufacture bio-based products.

  9. Isolation of dihydroflavonol 4-reductase cDNA clones from Angelonia x angustifolia and heterologous expression as GST fusion protein in Escherichia coli.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christian Gosch

    Full Text Available Blue Angelonia × angustifolia flowers can show spontaneous mutations resulting in white/blue and white flower colourations. In such a white line, a loss of dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR activity was observed whereas chalcone synthase and flavanone 3-hydroxylase activity remained unchanged. Thus, cloning and characterization of a DFR of Angelonia flowers was carried out for the first time. Two full length DFR cDNA clones, Ang.DFR1 and Ang.DFR2, were obtained from a diploid chimeral white/blue Angelonia × angustifolia which demonstrated a 99% identity in their translated amino acid sequence. In comparison to Ang.DFR2, Ang.DFR1 was shown to contain an extra proline in a proline-rich region at the N-terminus along with two exchanges at the amino acids 12 and 26 in the translated amino acid sequence. The recombinant Ang.DFR2 obtained by heterologous expression in yeast was functionally active catalyzing the NADPH dependent reduction of dihydroquercetin (DHQ and dihydromyricetin (DHM to leucocyanidin and leucomyricetin, respectively. Dihydrokaempferol (DHK in contrast was not accepted as a substrate despite the presence of asparagine in a position assumed to determine DHK acceptance. We show that substrate acceptance testing of DFRs provides biased results for DHM conversion if products are extracted with ethyl acetate. Recombinant Ang.DFR1 was inactive and functional activity could only be restored via exchanges of the amino acids in position 12 and 26 as well as the deletion of the extra proline. E. coli transformation of the pGEX-6P-1 vector harbouring the Ang.DFR2 and heterologous expression in E. coli resulted in functionally active enzymes before and after GST tag removal. Both the GST fusion protein and purified DFR minus the GST tag could be stored at -80°C for several months without loss of enzyme activity and demonstrated identical substrate specificity as the recombinant enzyme obtained from heterologous expression in yeast.

  10. Vectra DA for the objective measurement of disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Segurado, O G; Sasso, E H

    2014-01-01

    Quantitative and regular assessment of disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is required to achieve treatment targets such as remission and to optimize clinical outcomes. To assess inflammation accurately, predict joint damage and monitor treatment response, a measure of disease activity in RA should reflect the pathological processes resulting in irreversible joint damage and functional disability. The Vectra DA blood test is an objective measure of disease activity for patients with RA. Vectra DA provides an accurate, reproducible score on a scale of 1 to 100 based on the concentrations of 12 biomarkers that reflect the pathophysiologic diversity of RA. The analytical validity, clinical validity, and clinical utility of Vectra DA have been evaluated for patients with RA in registries and prospective and retrospective clinical studies. As a biomarker-based instrument for assessing disease activity in RA, the Vectra DA test can help monitor therapeutic response to methotrexate and biologic agents and assess clinically challenging situations, such as when clinical measures are confounded by non-inflammatory pain from fibromyalgia. Vectra DA scores correlate with imaging of joint inflammation and are predictive for radiographic progression, with high Vectra DA scores being associated with more frequent and severe progression and low scores being predictive for non-progression. In summary, the Vectra DA score is an objective measure of RA disease activity that quantifies inflammatory status. By predicting risk for joint damage more effectively than conventional clinical and laboratory measures, it has the potential to complement these measures and optimise clinical decision making.

  11. Comparative genomic analysis identified a mutation related to enhanced heterologous protein production in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus oryzae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Feng-Jie; Katayama, Takuya; Maruyama, Jun-Ichi; Kitamoto, Katsuhiko

    2016-11-01

    Genomic mapping of mutations using next-generation sequencing technologies has facilitated the identification of genes contributing to fundamental biological processes, including human diseases. However, few studies have used this approach to identify mutations contributing to heterologous protein production in industrial strains of filamentous fungi, such as Aspergillus oryzae. In a screening of A. oryzae strains that hyper-produce human lysozyme (HLY), we previously isolated an AUT1 mutant that showed higher production of various heterologous proteins; however, the underlying factors contributing to the increased heterologous protein production remained unclear. Here, using a comparative genomic approach performed with whole-genome sequences, we attempted to identify the genes responsible for the high-level production of heterologous proteins in the AUT1 mutant. The comparative sequence analysis led to the detection of a gene (AO090120000003), designated autA, which was predicted to encode an unknown cytoplasmic protein containing an alpha/beta-hydrolase fold domain. Mutation or deletion of autA was associated with higher production levels of HLY. Specifically, the HLY yields of the autA mutant and deletion strains were twofold higher than that of the control strain during the early stages of cultivation. Taken together, these results indicate that combining classical mutagenesis approaches with comparative genomic analysis facilitates the identification of novel genes involved in heterologous protein production in filamentous fungi.

  12. Heterologous gene expression in filamentous fungi.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Xiaoyun; Schmitz, George; Zhang, Meiling; Mackie, Roderick I; Cann, Isaac K O

    2012-01-01

    Filamentous fungi are critical to production of many commercial enzymes and organic compounds. Fungal-based systems have several advantages over bacterial-based systems for protein production because high-level secretion of enzymes is a common trait of their decomposer lifestyle. Furthermore, in the large-scale production of recombinant proteins of eukaryotic origin, the filamentous fungi become the vehicle of choice due to critical processes shared in gene expression with other eukaryotic organisms. The complexity and relative dearth of understanding of the physiology of filamentous fungi, compared to bacteria, have hindered rapid development of these organisms as highly efficient factories for the production of heterologous proteins. In this review, we highlight several of the known benefits and challenges in using filamentous fungi (particularly Aspergillus spp., Trichoderma reesei, and Neurospora crassa) for the production of proteins, especially heterologous, nonfungal enzymes. We review various techniques commonly employed in recombinant protein production in the filamentous fungi, including transformation methods, selection of gene regulatory elements such as promoters, protein secretion factors such as the signal peptide, and optimization of coding sequence. We provide insights into current models of host genomic defenses such as repeat-induced point mutation and quelling. Furthermore, we examine the regulatory effects of transcript sequences, including introns and untranslated regions, pre-mRNA (messenger RNA) processing, transcript transport, and mRNA stability. We anticipate that this review will become a resource for researchers who aim at advancing the use of these fascinating organisms as protein production factories, for both academic and industrial purposes, and also for scientists with general interest in the biology of the filamentous fungi. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Heterologous transporter expression for improved fatty alcohol secretion in yeast

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hu, Yating; Zhu, Zhiwei; Nielsen, Jens

    2017-01-01

    The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an attractive host for industrial scale production of biofuels including fatty alcohols due to its robustness and tolerance towards harsh fermentation conditions. Many metabolic engineering strategies have been applied to generate high fatty alcohol production...... transporters tested, human FATP1 was shown to mediate fatty alcohol export in a high fatty alcohol production yeast strain. An approximately five-fold increase of fatty alcohol secretion was achieved. The results indicate that the overall cell fitness benefited from fatty alcohol secretion and that the acyl......-CoA synthase activity of FATP1 contributed to increased cell growth as well. This is the first study that enabled an increased cell fitness for fatty alcohol production by heterologous transporter expression in yeast, and this investigation indicates a new potential function of FATP1, which has been known...

  14. Characterization of a Lactococcus lactis promoter for heterologous protein production

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christian E. Ogaugwu

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Constitutively active promoter elements for heterologous protein production in Lactococcus lactis are scarce. Here, the promoter of the PTS-IIC gene cluster from L. lactis NZ3900 is described. This promoter was cloned upstream of an enhanced green fluorescent protein, GFPmut3a, and transformed into L. lactis. Transformants produced up to 13.5 μg of GFPmut3a per milliliter of log phase cells. Addition of cellobiose further increased the production of GFPmut3a by up to two-fold when compared to glucose. Analysis of mutations at two specific positions in the PTS-IIC promoter showed that a ‘T’ to ‘G’ mutation within the −35 element resulted in constitutive expression in glucose, while a ‘C’ at nucleotide 7 in the putative cre site enhanced promoter activity in cellobiose. Finally, this PTS-IIC promoter is capable of mediating protein expression in Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli Nissle 1917, suggesting the potential for future biotechnological applications of this element and its derivatives.

  15. Antiviral activity of Small interfering RNAs: Specificity testing using heterologous virus reveals interferon-related effects overlooked by conventional mismatch controls

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schyth, Brian Dall; Lorenzen, Niels; Pedersen, Finn Skou

    2006-01-01

    to the viral glycoprotein gene of the target-virus efficiently inhibited viral multiplication in infected cell cultures, while two of three corresponding mismatched siRNAs did not have this effect. This suggested specific interference, but similar results were obtained when the same siRNAs were tested against...... a heterologous virus. Further analyses revealed that the siRNAs induced a non-target-specific anti-viral effect correlating with upregulation of the interferon induced Mx gene....

  16. A role for inflammatory mediators in heterologous desensitization of CysLT1 receptor in human monocytes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Capra, Valérie; Accomazzo, Maria Rosa; Gardoni, Fabrizio; Barbieri, Silvia; Rovati, G. Enrico

    2010-01-01

    Cysteinyl-leukotrienes (cysteinyl-LT) are rapidly generated at sites of inflammation and, in addition to their role in asthma, rhinitis, and other immune disorders, are increasingly regarded as significant inflammatory factors in cancer, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular diseases. We recently demonstrated that in monocyte/macrophage–like U937 cells, extracellular nucleotides heterologously desensitize CysLT1 receptor (CysLT1R)-induced Ca2+ transients. Given that monocytes express a number of other inflammatory and chemoattractant receptors, this study was aimed at characterizing transregulation between these different stimuli. We demonstrate that in U937 cells and in primary human monocytes, a series of inflammatory mediators activating Gi-coupled receptor (FPR1, BLT1) desensitize CysLT1R-induced Ca2+ response unidirectionally through activation of PKC. Conversely, PAF-R, exclusively coupled to Gq, cross-desensitizes CysLT1R without the apparent involvement of any kinase. Interestingly, Gs-coupled receptors (β2AR, H1/2R, EP2/4R) are also able to desensitize CysLT1R response through activation of PKA. Heterologous desensitization seems to affect mostly the Gi-mediated signaling of the CysLT1R. The hierarchy of desensitization among agonists may be important for leukocyte signal processing at the site of inflammation. Considering that monocytes/macrophages are likely to be the major source of cysteinyl-LT in many immunological and inflammatory processes, shedding light on how their receptors are regulated will certainly help to better understand the role of these cells in orchestrating this complex network of integrated signals. PMID:19965602

  17. Unexpected Dominance of Elusive Acidobacteria in Early Industrial Soft Coal Slags

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carl-Eric Wegner

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Acid mine drainage (AMD and mine tailing environments are well-characterized ecosystems known to be dominated by organisms involved in iron- and sulfur-cycling. Here we examined the microbiology of industrial soft coal slags that originate from alum leaching, an ecosystem distantly related to AMD environments. Our study involved geochemical analyses, bacterial community profiling, and shotgun metagenomics. The slags still contained high amounts of alum constituents (aluminum, sulfur, which mediated direct and indirect effects on bacterial community structure. Bacterial groups typically found in AMD systems and mine tailings were not present. Instead, the soft coal slags were dominated by uncharacterized groups of Acidobacteria (DA052 [subdivision 2], KF-JG30-18 [subdivision 13], Actinobacteria (TM214, Alphaproteobacteria (DA111, and Chloroflexi (JG37-AG-4, which have previously been detected primarily in peatlands and uranium waste piles. Shotgun metagenomics allowed us to reconstruct 13 high-quality Acidobacteria draft genomes, of which two genomes could be directly linked to dominating groups (DA052, KF-JG30-18 by recovered 16S rRNA gene sequences. Comparative genomics revealed broad carbon utilization capabilities for these two groups of elusive Acidobacteria, including polysaccharide breakdown (cellulose, xylan and the competence to metabolize C1 compounds (ribulose monophosphate pathway and lignin derivatives (dye-decolorizing peroxidases. Equipped with a broad range of efflux systems for metal cations and xenobiotics, DA052 and KF-JG30-18 may have a competitive advantage over other bacterial groups in this unique habitat.

  18. A simple model-based control for Pichia pastoris allows a more efficient heterologous protein production bioprocess.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cos, Oriol; Ramon, Ramon; Montesinos, José Luis; Valero, Francisco

    2006-09-05

    A predictive control algorithm coupled with a PI feedback controller has been satisfactorily implemented in the heterologous Rhizopus oryzae lipase production by Pichia pastoris methanol utilization slow (Mut(s)) phenotype. This control algorithm has allowed the study of the effect of methanol concentration, ranging from 0.5 to 1.75 g/L, on heterologous protein production. The maximal lipolytic activity (490 UA/mL), specific yield (11,236 UA/g(biomass)), productivity (4,901 UA/L . h), and specific productivity (112 UA/g(biomass)h were reached for a methanol concentration of 1 g/L. These parameters are almost double than those obtained with a manual control at a similar methanol set-point. The study of the specific growth, consumption, and production rates showed different patterns for these rates depending on the methanol concentration set-point. Results obtained have shown the need of implementing a robust control scheme when reproducible quality and productivity are sought. It has been demonstrated that the model-based control proposed here is a very efficient, robust, and easy-to-implement strategy from an industrial application point of view. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  19. Evaluation of homologous, heterologous, and affinity conjugates for the serodiagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silva, D A O; Vitaliano, S N; Mineo, T W P; Ferreira, R A; Bevilacqua, E; Mineo, J R

    2005-10-01

    Use of serological tests in the diagnosis of infectious diseases in wild animals has several limitations, primarily the difficulty of obtaining species-specific reagents. Wild canids, such as maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus), are highly predisposed to infection by Toxoplasma gondii and, to a lesser extent, to Neospora caninum. The aim of the present study was to evaluate homologous, heterologous, and affinity conjugates in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and indirect fluorescent antibody tests (IFATs) for detecting immunoglobulin (Ig) G antibodies against T. gondii and N. caninum in maned wolves. Serum samples were obtained from 59 captive animals in Brazil and tested by ELISA for T. gondii serology and IFAT for N. caninum serology using 3 different enzymatic and fluorescent conjugates: homologous (guinea pig anti-maned wolf IgG-peroxidase and -fluorescein isothiocyanate [FITC]), heterologous (rabbit anti-dog IgG-peroxidase and -FITC), and affinity (protein A-peroxidase and -FITC). Seropositivity to T. gondii was comparable among the homologous (69.5%), heterologous (74.6%), and affinity (71.2%) enzymatic conjugates. A significant positive correlation was found between the antibody levels determined by the 3 enzymatic conjugates. The highest mean antibody levels (ELISA index = 4.5) were observed with the protein A-peroxidase conjugate. The same seropositivity to N. caninum (8.5%) was found with the homologous and heterologous fluorescent conjugates, but protein A-FITC was not able to detect or confirm any positive samples with homologous or heterologous conjugates. Our results demonstrate that homologous, heterologous, and affinity conjugates might be used in ELISA for serological assays of T. gondii in wild canids, whereas for N. caninum infection, only the homologous or heterologous fluorescent conjugates have been shown to be useful.

  20. Cloning, expression and activation of a truncated 92-kDa gelatinase minienzyme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kröger, M; Tschesche, H

    1997-09-01

    The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of highly homologous zinc-endopeptidases that degrade extracellular matrix components. Human 92-kDa gelatinase (MMP-9) represents one of the MMPs that cleaves native collagen type IV. As a basis for structural investigations, the short form (catalytic domain, amino acid residues 113-450) of the 92-kDa gelatinase cDNA was cloned and expressed in E. coli as a minienzyme. By combination of reverse transcription (RT) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the truncated 92-kDa gelatinase-cDNA was amplified from the corresponding mRNA derived from ovarian carcinoma cells. The cDNA fragment obtained was cloned in E. coli and sequenced. With the exception of one nucleotide inversion at position 745 (gt-->tg) the cDNA sequence was identical to the nucleotide sequence of the 92-kDa gelatinase as has been previously reported. The protein was expressed in E. coli using the vector pET-12b. The recombinant protein was stored in inclusion bodies and extracted as a 38 kDa species from the inclusion bodies by solubilization in 8 M urea. The product was purified by affinity chromatography and gel filtration. Amino-terminal sequence analysis confirmed the identity with the catalytic domain of 92-kDa gelatinase. The recombinant protein was refolded in the presence of Ca2+ and Zn2+ and yielded an active minienzyme with gelatinolytic activity. It degrades the native substrate collagen type IV and the synthetic substrate Mca-Pro-Leu-Gly-Leu-Dpa-Ala-Arg-NH2 x AcOH like the full-length 92-kDa gelatinase. The catalytic activity could be inhibited by the specific MMP inhibitors TIMP-1 and TIMP-2.

  1. Specific cytoarchitectureal changes in hippocampal subareas in daDREAM mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mellström, Britt; Kastanauskaite, Asta; Knafo, Shira; Gonzalez, Paz; Dopazo, Xose M; Ruiz-Nuño, Ana; Jefferys, John G R; Zhuo, Min; Bliss, Tim V P; Naranjo, Jose R; DeFelipe, Javier

    2016-02-29

    Transcriptional repressor DREAM (downstream regulatory element antagonist modulator) is a Ca(2+)-binding protein that regulates Ca(2+) homeostasis through gene regulation and protein-protein interactions. It has been shown that a dominant active form (daDREAM) is implicated in learning-related synaptic plasticity such as LTP and LTD in the hippocampus. Neuronal spines are reported to play important roles in plasticity and memory. However, the possible role of DREAM in spine plasticity has not been reported. Here we show that potentiating DREAM activity, by overexpressing daDREAM, reduced dendritic basal arborization and spine density in CA1 pyramidal neurons and increased spine density in dendrites in dentate gyrus granule cells. These microanatomical changes are accompanied by significant modifications in the expression of specific genes encoding the cytoskeletal proteins Arc, Formin 1 and Gelsolin in daDREAM hippocampus. Our results strongly suggest that DREAM plays an important role in structural plasticity in the hippocampus.

  2. Tonic 5nM DA stabilizes neuronal output by enabling bidirectional activity-dependent regulation of the hyperpolarization activated current via PKA and calcineurin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krenz, Wulf-Dieter C; Rodgers, Edmund W; Baro, Deborah J

    2015-01-01

    Volume transmission results in phasic and tonic modulatory signals. The actions of tonic dopamine (DA) at type 1 DA receptors (D1Rs) are largely undefined. Here we show that tonic 5nM DA acts at D1Rs to stabilize neuronal output over minutes by enabling activity-dependent regulation of the hyperpolarization activated current (I h). In the presence but not absence of 5nM DA, I h maximal conductance (G max) was adjusted according to changes in slow wave activity in order to maintain spike timing. Our study on the lateral pyloric neuron (LP), which undergoes rhythmic oscillations in membrane potential with depolarized plateaus, demonstrated that incremental, bi-directional changes in plateau duration produced corresponding alterations in LP I hG max when preparations were superfused with saline containing 5nM DA. However, when preparations were superfused with saline alone there was no linear correlation between LP I hGmax and duty cycle. Thus, tonic nM DA modulated the capacity for activity to modulate LP I h G max; this exemplifies metamodulation (modulation of modulation). Pretreatment with the Ca2+-chelator, BAPTA, or the specific PKA inhibitor, PKI, prevented all changes in LP I h in 5nM DA. Calcineurin inhibitors blocked activity-dependent changes enabled by DA and revealed a PKA-mediated, activity-independent enhancement of LP I hG max. These data suggested that tonic 5nM DA produced two simultaneous, PKA-dependent effects: a direct increase in LP I h G max and a priming event that permitted calcineurin regulation of LP I h. The latter produced graded reductions in LP I hG max with increasing duty cycles. We also demonstrated that this metamodulation preserved the timing of LP's first spike when network output was perturbed with bath-applied 4AP. In sum, 5nM DA permits slow wave activity to provide feedback that maintains spike timing, suggesting that one function of low-level, tonic modulation is to stabilize specific features of a dynamic output.

  3. Tonic 5nM DA stabilizes neuronal output by enabling bidirectional activity-dependent regulation of the hyperpolarization activated current via PKA and calcineurin.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wulf-Dieter C Krenz

    Full Text Available Volume transmission results in phasic and tonic modulatory signals. The actions of tonic dopamine (DA at type 1 DA receptors (D1Rs are largely undefined. Here we show that tonic 5nM DA acts at D1Rs to stabilize neuronal output over minutes by enabling activity-dependent regulation of the hyperpolarization activated current (I h. In the presence but not absence of 5nM DA, I h maximal conductance (G max was adjusted according to changes in slow wave activity in order to maintain spike timing. Our study on the lateral pyloric neuron (LP, which undergoes rhythmic oscillations in membrane potential with depolarized plateaus, demonstrated that incremental, bi-directional changes in plateau duration produced corresponding alterations in LP I hG max when preparations were superfused with saline containing 5nM DA. However, when preparations were superfused with saline alone there was no linear correlation between LP I hGmax and duty cycle. Thus, tonic nM DA modulated the capacity for activity to modulate LP I h G max; this exemplifies metamodulation (modulation of modulation. Pretreatment with the Ca2+-chelator, BAPTA, or the specific PKA inhibitor, PKI, prevented all changes in LP I h in 5nM DA. Calcineurin inhibitors blocked activity-dependent changes enabled by DA and revealed a PKA-mediated, activity-independent enhancement of LP I hG max. These data suggested that tonic 5nM DA produced two simultaneous, PKA-dependent effects: a direct increase in LP I h G max and a priming event that permitted calcineurin regulation of LP I h. The latter produced graded reductions in LP I hG max with increasing duty cycles. We also demonstrated that this metamodulation preserved the timing of LP's first spike when network output was perturbed with bath-applied 4AP. In sum, 5nM DA permits slow wave activity to provide feedback that maintains spike timing, suggesting that one function of low-level, tonic modulation is to stabilize specific features of a dynamic output.

  4. Heterologous Expression of the Cotton NBS-LRR Gene GbaNA1 Enhances Verticillium Wilt Resistance in Arabidopsis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nan-Yang Li

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Verticillium wilt caused by Verticillium dahliae results in severe losses in cotton, and is economically the most destructive disease of this crop. Improving genetic resistance is the cleanest and least expensive option to manage Verticillium wilt. Previously, we identified the island cotton NBS-LRR-encoding gene GbaNA1 that confers resistance to the highly virulent V. dahliae isolate Vd991. In this study, we expressed cotton GbaNA1 in the heterologous system of Arabidopsis thaliana and investigated the defense response mediated by GbaNA1 following inoculations with V. dahliae. Heterologous expression of GbaNA1 conferred Verticillium wilt resistance in A. thaliana. Moreover, overexpression of GbaNA1 enabled recovery of the resistance phenotype of A. thaliana mutants that had lost the function of GbaNA1 ortholog gene. Investigations of the defense response in A. thaliana showed that the reactive oxygen species (ROS production and the expression of genes associated with the ethylene signaling pathway were enhanced significantly following overexpression of GbaNA1. Intriguingly, overexpression of the GbaNA1 ortholog from Gossypium hirsutum (GhNA1 in A. thaliana did not induce the defense response of ROS production due to the premature termination of GhNA1, which lacks the encoded NB-ARC and LRR motifs. GbaNA1 therefore confers Verticillium wilt resistance in A. thaliana by the activation of ROS production and ethylene signaling. These results demonstrate the functional conservation of the NBS-LRR-encoding GbaNA1 in a heterologous system, and the mechanism of this resistance, both of which may prove valuable in incorporating GbaNA1-mediated resistance into other plant species.

  5. The influence of cis-acting P1 protein and translational elements on the expression of Potato virus Y helper-component proteinase (HCPro) in heterologous systems and its suppression of silencing activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tena Fernández, Fátima; González, Inmaculada; Doblas, Paula; Rodríguez, César; Sahana, Nandita; Kaur, Harpreet; Tenllado, Francisco; Praveen, Shelly; Canto, Tomas

    2013-06-01

    In the Potyvirus genus, the P1 protein is the first N-terminal product processed from the viral polyprotein, followed by the helper-component proteinase (HCPro). In silencing suppression patch assays, we found that Potato virus Y (PVY) HCPro expressed from a P1-HCPro sequence increased the accumulation of a reporter gene, whereas protein expressed from an HCPro sequence did not, even with P1 supplied in trans. This enhancing effect of P1 has been noted in other potyviruses, but has remained unexplained. We analysed the accumulation of PVY HCPro in infiltrated tissues and found that it was higher when expressed from P1-HCPro than from HCPro sequences. Co-expression of heterologous suppressors increased the steady-state level of mRNA expressed from the HCPro sequence, but not that of protein. This suggests that, in the absence of P1 upstream, either HCPro acquires a conformation that affects negatively its activity or stability, or that its translation is reduced. To test these options, we purified HCPro expressed in the presence or absence of upstream P1, and found no difference in purification pattern and final soluble state. By contrast, alteration of the Kozak context in the HCPro mRNA sequence to favour translation increased partially suppressor accumulation and activity. Furthermore, protein activity was not lower than in protein expressed from P1-HCPro sequences. Thus, a direct role for P1 on HCPro suppressor activity or stability, by influencing its conformation during translation, can be excluded. However, P1 could still have an indirect effect favouring HCPro accumulation. Our data highlight the relevance of cis-acting translational elements in the heterologous expression of HCPro. © 2013 BSPP AND JOHN WILEY & SONS LTD.

  6. Functional studies of TcRjl, a novel GTPase of Trypanosoma cruzi, reveals phenotypes related with MAPK activation during parasite differentiation and after heterologous expression in Drosophila model system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reis Monteiro dos-Santos, Guilherme Rodrigo; Fontenele, Marcio Ribeiro; Dias, Felipe de Almeida; Oliveira, Pedro Lagerblad de; Nepomuceno-Silva, José Luciano

    2015-01-01

    The life cycle of the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi comprises rounds of proliferative cycles and differentiation in distinct host environments. Ras GTPases are molecular switches that play pivotal regulatory functions in cell fate. Rjl is a novel GTPase with unknown function. Herein we show that TcRjl blocks in vivo cell differentiation. The forced expression of TcRjl leads to changes in the overall tyrosine protein phosphorylation profile of parasites. TcRjl expressing parasites sustained DNA synthesis regardless the external stimuli for differentiation. Heterologous expression in the Drosophila melanogaster genetic system strongly suggests a role from TcRjl protein in RTK-dependent pathways and MAPK activation.

  7. Functional studies of TcRjl, a novel GTPase of Trypanosoma cruzi, reveals phenotypes related with MAPK activation during parasite differentiation and after heterologous expression in Drosophila model system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reis Monteiro dos-Santos, Guilherme Rodrigo [Laboratório de Parasitologia Molecular, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, CCS, UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Fontenele, Marcio Ribeiro [Laboratório de Biologia Molecular do Desenvolvimento Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, CCS, UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Dias, Felipe de Almeida [Laboratório de Bioquímica de Artrópodes Hematófagos, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica, CCS, UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Oliveira, Pedro Lagerblad de [Laboratório de Bioquímica de Artrópodes Hematófagos, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica, CCS, UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular (INCT-EM) (Brazil); Nepomuceno-Silva, José Luciano [Laboratório Integrado de Bioquímica Hatisaburo Masuda, NUPEM/UFRJ, Pólo Barreto, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Campus Macaé, Macaé (Brazil); and others

    2015-11-06

    The life cycle of the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi comprises rounds of proliferative cycles and differentiation in distinct host environments. Ras GTPases are molecular switches that play pivotal regulatory functions in cell fate. Rjl is a novel GTPase with unknown function. Herein we show that TcRjl blocks in vivo cell differentiation. The forced expression of TcRjl leads to changes in the overall tyrosine protein phosphorylation profile of parasites. TcRjl expressing parasites sustained DNA synthesis regardless the external stimuli for differentiation. Heterologous expression in the Drosophila melanogaster genetic system strongly suggests a role from TcRjl protein in RTK-dependent pathways and MAPK activation.

  8. Engineering metabolic pathways in Amycolatopsis japonicum for the optimization of the precursor supply for heterologous brasilicardin congeners production

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paul N. Schwarz

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The isoprenoid brasilicardin A is a promising immunosuppressant compound with a unique mode of action, high potency and reduced toxicity compared to today's standard drugs. However, production of brasilicardin has been hampered since the producer strain Nocardia terpenica IFM0406 synthesizes brasilicardin in only low amounts and is a biosafety level 2 organism. Previously, we were able to heterologously express the brasilicardin gene cluster in the nocardioform actinomycete Amycolatopsis japonicum. Four brasilicardin congeners, intermediates of the BraA biosynthesis, were produced. Since chemical synthesis of the brasilicardin core structure has remained elusive we intended to produce high amounts of the brasilicardin backbone for semi synthesis and derivatization. Therefore, we used a metabolic engineering approach to increase heterologous production of brasilicardin in A. japonicum. Simultaneous heterologous expression of genes encoding the MVA pathway and expression of diterpenoid specific prenyltransferases were used to increase the provision of the isoprenoid precursor isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP and to channel the precursor into the direction of diterpenoid biosynthesis. Both approaches contributed to an elevated heterologous production of the brasilicardin backbone, which can now be used as a starting point for semi synthesis of new brasilicardin congeners with better properties.

  9. Heterologous expression in Tritrichomonas foetus of functional Trichomonas vaginalis AP65 adhesin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alderete JF

    2005-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Trichomonosis, caused by Trichomonas vaginalis, is the number one, nonviral sexually transmitted infection that has adverse consequences for the health of women and children. The interaction of T. vaginalis with vaginal epithelial cells (VECs, a step preparatory to infection, is mediated in part by the prominent surface protein AP65. The bovine trichomonad, Tritrichomonas foetus, adheres poorly to human VECs. Thus, we established a transfection system for heterologous expression of the T. vaginalis AP65 in T. foetus, as an alternative approach to confirm adhesin function for this virulence factor. Results In this study, we show stable transfection and expression of the T. vaginalis ap65 gene in T. foetus from an episomal pBS-ap65-neo plasmid. Expression of the gene and protein was confirmed by RT-PCR and immunoblots, respectively. AP65 in transformed T. foetus bound to host cells. Specific mAbs revealed episomally-expressed AP65 targeted to the parasite surface and hydrogenosome organelles. Importantly, surface-expression of AP65 in T. foetus paralleled increased levels of adherence of transfected bovine trichomonads to human VECs. Conclusion The T. vaginalis AP65 adhesin was stably expressed in T. foetus, and the data obtained using this heterologous system strongly supports the role of AP65 as a prominent adhesin for T. vaginalis. In addition, the heterologous expression in T. foetus of a T. vaginalis gene offers an important, new approach for confirming and characterizing virulence factors.

  10. Direct capture and heterologous expression of Salinispora natural product genes for the biosynthesis of enterocin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonet, Bailey; Teufel, Robin; Crüsemann, Max; Ziemert, Nadine; Moore, Bradley S

    2015-03-27

    Heterologous expression of secondary metabolic pathways is a promising approach for the discovery and characterization of bioactive natural products. Herein we report the first heterologous expression of a natural product from the model marine actinomycete genus Salinispora. Using the recently developed method of yeast-mediated transformation-associated recombination for natural product gene clusters, we captured a type II polyketide synthase pathway from Salinispora pacifica with high homology to the enterocin pathway from Streptomyces maritimus and successfully produced enterocin in two different Streptomyces host strains. This result paves the way for the systematic interrogation of Salinispora's promising secondary metabolome.

  11. Heterologous Prime-Boost Immunizations with a Virosomal and an Alphavirus Replicon Vaccine

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Walczak, Mateusz; de Mare, Arjan; Riezebos-Brilman, Annelies; Regts, Joke; Hoogeboom, Baukje-Nynke; Visser, Jeroen T.; Fiedler, Marc; Jansen-Duerr, Pidder; van der Zee, Ate G. J.; Nijman, Hans W.; Wilschut, Jan; Daemen, Toos

    2011-01-01

    Heterologous prime-boost immunization strategies in general establish higher frequencies of antigen-specific T lymphocytes than homologous prime-boost protocols or single immunizations. We developed virosomes and recombinant Semliki Forest virus (rSFV) as antigen delivery systems, each capable of

  12. TLR1/2 activation during heterologous prime-boost vaccination (DNA-MVA enhances CD8+ T Cell responses providing protection against Leishmania (Viannia.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Asha Jayakumar

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Leishmania (Viannia parasites present particular challenges, as human and murine immune responses to infection are distinct from other Leishmania species, indicating a unique interaction with the host. Further, vaccination studies utilizing small animal models indicate that modalities and antigens that prevent infection by other Leishmania species are generally not protective.Using a newly developed mouse model of chronic L. (Viannia panamensis infection and the heterologous DNA prime - modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA boost vaccination modality, we examined whether the conserved vaccine candidate antigen tryparedoxin peroxidase (TRYP could provide protection against infection/disease.Heterologous prime - boost (DNA/MVA vaccination utilizing TRYP antigen can provide protection against disease caused by L. (V. panamensis. However, protection is dependent on modulating the innate immune response using the TLR1/2 agonist Pam3CSK4 during DNA priming. Prime-boost vaccination using DNA alone fails to protect. Prior to infection protectively vaccinated mice exhibit augmented CD4 and CD8 IFNγ and memory responses as well as decreased IL-10 and IL-13 responses. IL-13 and IL-10 have been shown to be independently critical for disease in this model. CD8 T cells have an essential role in mediating host defense, as CD8 depletion reversed protection in the vaccinated mice; vaccinated mice depleted of CD4 T cells remained protected. Hence, vaccine-induced protection is dependent upon TLR1/2 activation instructing the generation of antigen specific CD8 cells and restricting IL-13 and IL-10 responses.Given the general effectiveness of prime-boost vaccination, the recalcitrance of Leishmania (Viannia to vaccine approaches effective against other species of Leishmania is again evident. However, prime-boost vaccination modality can with modulation induce protective responses, indicating that the delivery system is critical. Moreover, these results suggest that

  13. Heterologous Prime-Boost HIV-1 Vaccination Regimens in Pre-Clinical and Clinical Trials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julia L. Hurwitz

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Currently, there are more than 30 million people infected with HIV-1 and thousands more are infected each day. Vaccination is the single most effective mechanism for prevention of viral disease, and after more than 25 years of research, one vaccine has shown somewhat encouraging results in an advanced clinical efficacy trial. A modified intent-to-treat analysis of trial results showed that infection was approximately 30% lower in the vaccine group compared to the placebo group. The vaccine was administered using a heterologous prime-boost regimen in which both target antigens and delivery vehicles were changed during the course of inoculations. Here we examine the complexity of heterologous prime-boost immunizations. We show that the use of different delivery vehicles in prime and boost inoculations can help to avert the inhibitory effects caused by vector-specific immune responses. We also show that the introduction of new antigens into boost inoculations can be advantageous, demonstrating that the effect of ‘original antigenic sin’ is not absolute. Pre-clinical and clinical studies are reviewed, including our own work with a three-vector vaccination regimen using recombinant DNA, virus (Sendai virus or vaccinia virus and protein. Promising preliminary results suggest that the heterologous prime-boost strategy may possibly provide a foundation for the future prevention of HIV-1 infections in humans.

  14. Fauna de Culicidae da Serra da Cantareira, São Paulo, Brasil Culicidae fauna of Serra da Cantareira, Sao Paulo, Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joyce Montes

    2005-08-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Comparar a fauna de culicídeos nos ambientes de mata, ecótono e peridomicílio quanto ao número de espécies e de indivíduos, estimativas de diversidade, riqueza, heterogeneidade e similaridade. Determinou-se ainda as espécies dominantes e as relações entre dominância específica e fatores climáticos. MÉTODOS: Foram conduzidas no Parque Ecológico da Cantareira coletas quinzenais com armadilhas luminosas tipo CDC-CO2, dispostas em cinco ambientes ecologicamente diferentes, de fevereiro de 2001 a janeiro de 2002. As análises foram feitas utilizando o índice de Diversidade de Margalef e o de Menhinick. Para similaridade, foi utilizado o índice de Sorensen e, para dominância de espécies, o índice de Berger-Parker. A heterogeneidade foi estimada pelos índices de Simpson e de Shannon. A relação entre dominância específica e fatores climáticos foi estimada por correlação de Spearman. RESULTADOS: Foram coletados 2.219 culicídeos, distribuídos em 11 gêneros e 21 espécies. O ambiente mata apresentou maior riqueza (Mg=3,64 de espécies e o peridomicílio maior dominância (d=0,85. A temperatura mostrou a correlação mais elevada (Rs=0,747; pOBJECTIVE: To compare the Culicidae fauna in forest, ecotone and anthropic environments and to analyze their composition according to the number of species and individuals, species richness, diversity, heterogeneity and similarities and to determine species dominance and the relationship between species dominance and climatic factors. METHODS: CO2 -baited CDC light traps were used for mosquito collection twice a month in the Serra da Cantareira State Park from February 2001 to January 2002. CO2 - baited CDC light traps were placed in five different environments. The analyses were carried out using Margalef and Menhinick's diversity indexes. Similarity was calculated using the Sorensen index and species dominance was indicated by the Berger-Parker index. Mosquito heterogeneity was

  15. Streptomyces rimosus GDS(L Lipase: Production, Heterologous Overexpression and Structure-Stability Relationship

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marija Abramić

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available Streptomyces rimosus lipase gene has been overexpressed in a heterologous host, S. lividans TK23. The maximal lipase activity was determined in the culture filtrates of the late stationary phase. Time course of lipase production was monitored by a modified plate assay. S. rimosus lipase gene has been located on the AseI B fragment approximately 2 Mb far from the left end of the S. rimosus linear chromosome. Out of eight examined streptomycetes, the presence of this rare type of bacterial lipase gene was detected in two belonging to the S. rimosus taxonomic cluster, and in one non-related species. Comparison of protein sequences of the Streptomyces lipolytic enzymes was performed. The result indicated the best structural stability of the putative S. coelicolor lipase-2.

  16. Long-Lasting Effects of BCG Vaccination on Both Heterologous Th1/Th17 Responses and Innate Trained Immunity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kleinnijenhuis, Johanneke; Quintin, Jessica; Preijers, Frank

    2013-01-01

    '. In the present study we assessed whether BCG was able to induce long-lasting effects on both trained immunity and heterologous T helper 1 (Th1) and Th17 immune responses 1 year after vaccination. The production of TNFα and IL-1β to mycobacteria or unrelated pathogens was higher after 2 weeks and 3 months...... in proinflammatory cytokine production after stimulation with the TLR4 ligand lipopolysaccharide. The heterologous production of Th1 (IFN-γ) and Th17 (IL-17 and IL-22) immune responses to nonmycobacterial stimulation remained strongly elevated even 1 year after BCG vaccination. In conclusion, BCG induces sustained...... changes in the immune system associated with a nonspecific response to infections both at the level of innate trained immunity and at the level of heterologous Th1/Th17 responses. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel....

  17. A Distinct Class of Genome Rearrangements Driven by Heterologous Recombination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    León-Ortiz, Ana María; Panier, Stephanie; Sarek, Grzegorz; Vannier, Jean-Baptiste; Patel, Harshil; Campbell, Peter J; Boulton, Simon J

    2018-01-18

    Erroneous DNA repair by heterologous recombination (Ht-REC) is a potential threat to genome stability, but evidence supporting its prevalence is lacking. Here we demonstrate that recombination is possible between heterologous sequences and that it is a source of chromosomal alterations in mitotic and meiotic cells. Mechanistically, we find that the RTEL1 and HIM-6/BLM helicases and the BRCA1 homolog BRC-1 counteract Ht-REC in Caenorhabditis elegans, whereas mismatch repair does not. Instead, MSH-2/6 drives Ht-REC events in rtel-1 and brc-1 mutants and excessive crossovers in rtel-1 mutant meioses. Loss of vertebrate Rtel1 also causes a variety of unusually large and complex structural variations, including chromothripsis, breakage-fusion-bridge events, and tandem duplications with distant intra-chromosomal insertions, whose structure are consistent with a role for RTEL1 in preventing Ht-REC during break-induced replication. Our data establish Ht-REC as an unappreciated source of genome instability that underpins a novel class of complex genome rearrangements that likely arise during replication stress. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Ecologia da paisagem da hantavirose no Estado do Rio Grande do Sul Landscape ecology of hantavirosis in Rio Grande do Sul State

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Waldir E. Henkes

    2004-12-01

    Full Text Available Esse trabalho tem como objetivo estudar a ecologia da paisagem das hantaviroses no Rio Grande do Sul através do mapeamento da ocorrência de casos e sua sobreposição a mapas de vegetação e relevo. A maior parte dos casos ocorre na primavera em regiões serranas com vegetação secundária e atividade agrícola.The aim of this work was to study the landscape ecology of hantavirosis in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. This was achieved through geocoding the occurrence of cases and overlaying onto vegetation and relief maps. The majority of cases occurred during Spring, in highland areas dominated by secondary vegetation and agricultural activity.

  19. Functional expression of a heterologous nickel-dependent, ATP-independent urease in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Milne, N.; Luttik, M.A.H.; Cueto Rojas, H.F.; Wahl, A.; Van Maris, A.J.A.; Pronk, J.T.; Daran, J.G.

    2015-01-01

    In microbial processes for production of proteins, biomass and nitrogen-containing commodity chemicals, ATP requirements for nitrogen assimilation affect product yields on the energy producing substrate. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a current host for heterologous protein production and potential

  20. Heterologous primer transferability and access to microsatellite loci polymorphism in ‘somnus’ passion fruit tree (Passiflora setacea DC

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Douglas de Almeida Pereira

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Primer pairs that access microsatellite loci, initially constructed through the genome of Passiflora edulis Sims flavicarpa and P. alata, were tested concerning their ability to access microsatellite loci in ‘somnus’ passion fruit tree (P. setacea individuals. Seven out of the thirty one primer pairs tested were able to access DNA polymorphism in the genome of this wild Passiflora species, by evaluating six natural populations, located in a transition area between the biomes Caatinga and Cerrado, in the state of Bahia, Brazil. The number of alleles/loci was small, oscillating from 1 to 4. The average heterozygosity observed per locus in all populations ranged from 0.13 to 0.40. There was transference of heterologous microsatellite primer pairs from the Passiflora genus to ‘somnus’ passion fruit tree, constituting a new set of primers that access random co-dominant locus in this species, useful for conservationist purposes and pre-improvement of ‘somnus’ passion fruit tree.

  1. Heterologous Expression of Panax ginseng PgTIP1 Confers Enhanced Salt Tolerance of Soybean Cotyledon Hairy Roots, Composite, and Whole Plants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jing An

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available The Panax ginseng TIP gene PgTIP1 was previously demonstrated to have high water channel activity by its heterologous expression in Xenopus laevis oocytes and in yeast; it also plays a significant role in growth of PgTIP1-transgenic Arabidopsis plants under favorable conditions and has enhanced tolerance toward salt and drought treatment. In this work, we first investigated the physiological effects of heterologous PgTIP1 expression in soybean cotyledon hairy roots or composite plants mediated by Agrobacterium rhizogenes toward enhanced salt tolerance. The PgTIP1-transgenic soybean plants mediated by the pollen tube pathway, represented by the lines N and J11, were analyzed at the physiological and molecular levels for enhanced salt tolerance. The results showed that in terms of root-specific heterologous expression, the PgTIP1-transformed soybean cotyledon hairy roots or composite plants displayed superior salt tolerance compared to the empty vector-transformed ones according to the mitigatory effects of hairy root growth reduction, drop in leaf RWC, and rise in REL under salt stress. Additionally, declines in K+ content, increases in Na+ content and Na+/K+ ratios in the hairy roots, stems, or leaves were effectively alleviated by PgTIP1-transformation, particularly the stems and leaves of composite soybean plants. At the whole plant level, PgTIP1-trasgenic soybean lines were found to possess stronger root vigor, reduced root and leaf cell membrane damage, increased SOD, POD, CAT, and APX activities, steadily increased leaf Tr, RWC, and Pn values, and smaller declines in chlorophyll and carotenoid content when exposed to salt stress compared to wild type. Moreover, the distribution patterns of Na+, K+, and Cl- in the roots, stems, and leaves of salt-stressed transgenic plants were readjusted, in that the absorbed Na+ and Cl- were mainly restricted to the roots to reduce their transport to the shoots, and the transport of root-absorbed K+ to the

  2. A novel platform for heterologous gene expression in Trichoderma reesei (Teleomorph Hypocrea jecorina)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Mikael Skaanning; Skovlund, Dominique Aubert; Johannesen, Pia Francke

    2014-01-01

    ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The industrially applied filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei has received substantial interest due to its highly efficient synthesis apparatus of cellulytic enzymes. However, the production of heterologous enzymes in T. reesei still remains low mainly due to lack of tools...

  3. Combination of heterologous fibrin sealant and bioengineered human embryonic stem cells to improve regeneration following autogenous sciatic nerve grafting repair.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mozafari, Roghayeh; Kyrylenko, Sergiy; Castro, Mateus Vidigal; Ferreira, Rui Seabra; Barraviera, Benedito; Oliveira, Alexandre Leite Rodrigues

    2018-01-01

    Peripheral nerve injury is a worldwide clinical problem, and the preferred surgical method for treating it is the end-to-end neurorrhaphy. When it is not possible due to a large nerve gap, autologous nerve grafting is used. However, these surgical techniques result in nerve regeneration at highly variable degrees. It is thus very important to seek complementary techniques to improve motor and sensory recovery. One promising approach could be cell therapy. Transplantation therapy with human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) is appealing because these cells are pluripotent and can differentiate into specialized cell types and have self-renewal ability. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to find conditions under which functional recovery is improved after sciatic nerve neurorrhaphy. We assumed that hESC, either alone or in combination with heterologous fibrin sealant scaffold, could be used to support regeneration in a mouse model of sciatic nerve injury and repair via autografting with end-to-end neurorrhaphy. Five millimeters of the sciatic nerve of C57BL/6 J mice were transected off and rotated 180 degrees to simulate an injury, and then stumps were sutured. Next, we applied heterologous fibrin sealant and/or human embryonic stem cells genetically altered to overexpress fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) at the site of the injury. The study was designed to include six experimental groups comprising neurorrhaphy (N), neurorrhaphy + heterologous fibrin sealant (N + F), neurorrhaphy + heterologous fibrin sealant + doxycycline (N + F + D), neurorrhaphy + heterologous fibrin sealant + wild-type hESC (N + F + W), neurorrhaphy + heterologous fibrin sealant + hESC off (N + F + T), and neurorrhaphy + heterologous fibrin sealant + hESC on via doxycycline (N + F + D + T). We evaluated the recovery rate using Catwalk and von Frey functional recovery tests, as well as immunohistochemistry analysis. The experiments indicated that

  4. Cloning and expression of cellulase XF-818 of Xylella fastidiosa in Escherichia Coli Clonagem e expressão da celulase Xf-818 de Xylella Fastidiosa em Escherichia Coli

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nelson Arno Wulff

    2003-12-01

    Full Text Available Xylella fastidiosa's genome was the first of a plant pathogen to be completely sequenced. Through comparative sequence analysis many genes were identified and, among them, several potentially involved in plant-pathogen interaction. However, the biological role of each gene should be assigned experimentally. On this regard, heterologous protein expression is a powerful tool to produce proteins from such genes, allowing their characterization. X. fastidiosa lives inside xylem vessels and eventually would degrade pit membranes from xylem cells to move radialy into the host. The identification of several putative plant cell wall degrading enzymes on X. fastidiosa genome prompted the assession of the function of such proteins. The open reading frame (ORF Xf-818 was cloned into expression vector pET20b and E. coli cells harboring such plasmid exhibited cellulase activity. Using IPTG at 0.4 mmol L-1 with a 12 h incubation at 32°C are the best conditions to produce higher amounts of heterologous protein. The enzyme degrades cellulose confirming the endoglucanase activity of Xf-818.Xylella fastidiosa foi a primeira bactéria fitopatogênica que teve seu genoma completamente seqüenciado. A identificação de diversos genes, através de similaridade de seqüências, indicou os possíveis mecanismos de patogenicidade da bactéria. Entretanto, a determinação da função de um gene requer a confirmação experimental e, neste aspecto, a expressão heteróloga é uma poderosa ferramenta. X. fastidiosa coloniza somente o xilema das plantas hospedeiras e a identificação putativa de diversos genes semelhantes a enzimas que degradam a parede celular vegetal, estimularam o presente estudo de catacterização destas enzimas. A clonagem da ORF Xf-818 de X. fastidiosa no vetor de expressão pET20b possibilitou a produção da proteína heterologamente em E. coli. O emprego de IPTG a 0,4 mmol L-1 com 12 h a 32°C, possibilitou as melhores condições para E. coli

  5. Reúso de águas residuárias da piscicultura e da suinocultura na irrigação da cultura da alface Reuse of wastewater from swine and fish activities in the lettuce culture

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dirceu Baumgartner

    2007-04-01

    Full Text Available Este trabalho teve o objetivo de avaliar o desenvolvimento, a produção e a qualidade sanitária da cultura da alface irrigada com águas residuárias originadas da suinocultura e da piscicultura. Os tratamentos avaliados foram: T1 - alface irrigada com água de origem subterrânea e adubação suplementar; T2 - alface irrigada com água residuária de viveiro de peixes alimentados com ração; T3 - alface irrigada com água residuária originária de lagoa de estabilização de dejetos de suínos, e T4 - água de lagoa de cultivo de algas, alimentada com resíduo de biodigestor de dejeto de suíno. Os tratamentos não apresentaram diferenças significativas para altura da alface, diâmetro da cabeça, comprimento da raiz, massa da raiz, massa total da planta, massa fresca e massa seca; os tratamentos T4 e T2 apresentaram os maiores valores para comprimento da maior folha e número de folhas, respectivamente; em geral, as análises foliares e a extração de macro e micronutrientes pela cultura não apresentaram diferenças significativas; ocorreu contaminação de coliformes fecais e totais em todos os tratamentos; não ocorreu contaminação de Escherichia coli em todos os tratamentos; todos os Coeficientes de Uniformidade de Christiansen (CUC encontrados foram acima de 85%, exceto para o tratamento T3 que foi de 74,05%; ocorreram alterações químicas no solo proporcionais às características das águas utilizadas nos respectivos tratamentos.The objective of this work was to evaluate development, production and sanitary quality of the irrigated lettuce with wastewater from fish and swine activities. The evaluated treatments was: T1 - lettuce irrigated with water from underground origin and supplemental fertilization; T2 - lettuce irrigated with wastewater from fish activities and fish fed with ration; T3 - lettuce irrigated with wastewater from swine treated in stabilization lagoon; and T4 - lettuce irrigated with effluent from seaweed

  6. Malignant Solitary Fibrous Tumor with Heterologous Rhabdomyosarcomatous Differentiation: A Case Report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeong-Hwa Kwon

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Malignant solitary fibrous tumor (MSFT is a well-described entity, from which heterologous differentiation is extremely rare. We encountered a case of MSFT with rhabdomyosarcomatous differentiation in a 56-year-old man. This patient presented with a large mass in his posterior thigh. He had been treated with chemoradiation for sarcoma involving the cervical spine, right femoral head, and both lungs 6 months earlier. A wide excision was performed. The mass measured 10.6 cm and showed a fish-flesh cut surface with necrotic foci. Microscopically, the tumor showed heterogeneous cellularity with a hemangiopericytic vascular pattern. A hypercellular area showed spindle cells or epithelioid cells with high mitotic activity (63/10 high-power fields and immunoreactivity for CD34 and CD99. A hypocellular area and a cystic area showed pleomorphic rhabdoid cells with immunoreactivity for desmin and myogenin. This is a report of a rare case of MSFT with rhabdomyosarcomatous differentiation and presents new histologic features of MSFT.

  7. Destabilization of Heterologous Proteins Mediated by the GSK3β Phosphorylation Domain of the β-Catenin Protein

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    Yuhan Kong

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available Background and Aims: Wnt/β-catenin signaling plays important roles in development and cellular processes. The hallmark of canonical Wnt signaling activation is the stabilization of β-catenin protein in cytoplasm and/or nucleus. The stability of β-catenin is the key to its biological functions and is controlled by the phosphorylation of its amino-terminal degradation domain. Aberrant activation of β-catenin signaling has been implicated in the development of human cancers. It has been recently suggested that GSK3βmay play an essential role in regulating global protein turnover. Here, we investigate if the GSK3β phosphorylation site-containing degradation domain of β-catenin is sufficient to destabilize heterologous proteins. Methods and Results: We engineer chimeric proteins by fusing β-catenin degradation domain at the N- and/or C-termini of the enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP. In both transient and stable expression experiments, the chimeric GFP proteins exhibit a significantly decreased stability, which can be effectively antagonized by lithium and Wnt1. An activating mutation in the destruction domain significantly stabilizes the fusion protein. Furthermore, GSK3 inhibitor SB-216763 effectively increases the GFP signal of the fusion protein. Conversely, the inhibition of Wnt signaling with tankyrase inhibitor XAV939 results in a decrease in GFP signal of the fusion proteins, while these small molecules have no significant effects on the mutant destruction domain-GFP fusion protein. Conclusion: Our findings strongly suggest that the β-catenin degradation domain may be sufficient to destabilize heterologous proteins in Wnt signaling-dependent manner. It is conceivable that the chimeric GFP proteins may be used as a functional reporter to measure the dynamic status of β-catenin signaling, and to identify potential anticancer drugs that target β-catenin signaling.

  8. Enhanced heterologous expression of biologically active human granulocyte colony stimulating factor in transgenic tobacco BY-2 cells by localization to endoplasmic reticulum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nair, Nisha R; Chidambareswaren, M; Manjula, S

    2014-09-01

    Tobacco Bright Yellow-2 (BY-2) cells, one of the best characterized cell lines is an attractive expression system for heterologous protein expression. However, the expression of foreign proteins is currently hampered by their low yield, which is partially the result of proteolytic degradation. Human granulocyte colony stimulating factor (hG-CSF) is a hematopoietic cytokine. Recombinant hG-CSF is successfully being used for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in cancer patients. Here, we describe a simple strategy for producing biologically active hG-CSF in tobacco BY-2 cells, localized in the apoplast of BY-2 cells, as well as targeted to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). ER targeting significantly enhanced recombinant production which scaled to 17.89 mg/l from 4.19 mg/l when expressed in the apoplasts. Southern blotting confirmed the stable integration of hG-CSF in the BY-2 nuclear genome, and the expression of hG-CSF was analysed by Western blotting. Total soluble protein containing hG-CSF isolated from positive calli showed proliferative potential when tested on HL-60 cell lines by MTT assay. We also report the potential of a Fluorescence-activated cell sorting approach for an efficient sorting of the hG-CSF-expressing cell lines, which will enable the generation of homogenous high-producing cell lines.

  9. Membrane-associated 41-kDa GTP-binding protein in collagen-induced platelet activation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Walker, G.; Bourguignon, L.Y.

    1990-01-01

    Initially we established that the binding of collagen to human blood platelets stimulates both the rapid loss of PIP2 and the generation of inositol-4,5-bisphosphate (IP2) and inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3). These results indicate that the binding of collagen stimulates inositol phospholipid-specific phospholipase C during platelet activation. The fact that GTP or GTP-gamma-S augments, and pertussis toxin inhibits, collagen-induced IP3 formation suggests that a GTP-binding protein or (or proteins) may be directly involved in the regulation of phospholipase C-mediated phosphoinositide turnover in human platelets. We have used several complementary techniques to isolate and characterize a platelet 41-kDa polypeptide (or polypeptides) that has a number of structural and functional similarities to the regulatory alpha i subunit of the GTP-binding proteins isolated from bovine brain. This 41-kDa polypeptide (or polypeptides) is found to be closely associated with at least four membrane glycoproteins (e.g., gp180, gp110, gp95, and gp75) in a 330-kDa complex that can be dissociated by treatment with high salt plus urea. Most important, we have demonstrated that antilymphoma 41-kDa (alpha i subunit of GTP-binding proteins) antibody cross-reacts with the platelet 41-kDa protein (or proteins) and the alpha i subunit of bovine brain Gi alpha proteins, and blocks GTP/collagen-induced IP3 formation. These data provide strong evidence that the 41-kDa platelet GTP-binding protein (or proteins) is directly involved in collagen-induced signal transduction during platelet activation

  10. Membrane-associated 41-kDa GTP-binding protein in collagen-induced platelet activation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Walker, G.; Bourguignon, L.Y. (Univ. of Miami Medical School, FL (USA))

    1990-08-01

    Initially we established that the binding of collagen to human blood platelets stimulates both the rapid loss of PIP2 and the generation of inositol-4,5-bisphosphate (IP2) and inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3). These results indicate that the binding of collagen stimulates inositol phospholipid-specific phospholipase C during platelet activation. The fact that GTP or GTP-gamma-S augments, and pertussis toxin inhibits, collagen-induced IP3 formation suggests that a GTP-binding protein or (or proteins) may be directly involved in the regulation of phospholipase C-mediated phosphoinositide turnover in human platelets. We have used several complementary techniques to isolate and characterize a platelet 41-kDa polypeptide (or polypeptides) that has a number of structural and functional similarities to the regulatory alpha i subunit of the GTP-binding proteins isolated from bovine brain. This 41-kDa polypeptide (or polypeptides) is found to be closely associated with at least four membrane glycoproteins (e.g., gp180, gp110, gp95, and gp75) in a 330-kDa complex that can be dissociated by treatment with high salt plus urea. Most important, we have demonstrated that antilymphoma 41-kDa (alpha i subunit of GTP-binding proteins) antibody cross-reacts with the platelet 41-kDa protein (or proteins) and the alpha i subunit of bovine brain Gi alpha proteins, and blocks GTP/collagen-induced IP3 formation. These data provide strong evidence that the 41-kDa platelet GTP-binding protein (or proteins) is directly involved in collagen-induced signal transduction during platelet activation.

  11. Diversity of Dominant Bacterial Taxa in Activated Sludge Promotes Functional Resistance following Toxic Shock Loading

    KAUST Repository

    Saikaly, Pascal

    2010-12-14

    Examining the relationship between biodiversity and functional stability (resistance and resilience) of activated sludge bacterial communities following disturbance is an important first step towards developing strategies for the design of robust biological wastewater treatment systems. This study investigates the relationship between functional resistance and biodiversity of dominant bacterial taxa by subjecting activated sludge samples, with different levels of biodiversity, to toxic shock loading with cupric sulfate (Cu[II]), 3,5-dichlorophenol (3,5-DCP), or 4-nitrophenol (4-NP). Respirometric batch experiments were performed to determine the functional resistance of activated sludge bacterial community to the three toxicants. Functional resistance was estimated as the 30 min IC50 or the concentration of toxicant that results in a 50% reduction in oxygen utilization rate compared to a referential state represented by a control receiving no toxicant. Biodiversity of dominant bacterial taxa was assessed using polymerase chain reaction-terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-T-RFLP) targeting the 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) gene. Statistical analysis of 30 min IC50 values and PCR-T-RFLP data showed a significant positive correlation (P<0.05) between functional resistance and microbial diversity for each of the three toxicants tested. To our knowledge, this is the first study showing a positive correlation between biodiversity of dominant bacterial taxa in activated sludge and functional resistance. In this system, activated sludge bacterial communities with higher biodiversity are functionally more resistant to disturbance caused by toxic shock loading. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

  12. Shewanella oneidensis: a new and efficient System for Expression and Maturation of heterologous [Fe-Fe] Hydrogenase from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sybirna Kateryna

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The eukaryotic green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, produces H2 under anaerobic conditions, in a reaction catalysed by a [Fe-Fe] hydrogenase HydA1. For further biochemical and biophysical studies a suitable expression system of this enzyme should be found to overcome its weak expression in the host organism. Two heterologous expression systems used up to now have several advantages. However they are not free from some drawbacks. In this work we use bacterium Shewanella oneidensis as a new and efficient system for expression and maturation of HydA1 from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Results Based on codon usage bias and hydrogenase maturation ability, the bacterium S. oneidensis, which possesses putative [Fe-Fe] and [Ni-Fe] hydrogenase operons, was selected as the best potential host for C. reinhardtii [Fe-Fe] hydrogenase expression. Hydrogen formation by S. oneidensis strain AS52 (ΔhydAΔhyaB transformed with a plasmid bearing CrHydA1 and grown in the presence of six different substrates for anaerobic respiration was determined. A significant increase in hydrogen evolution was observed for cells grown in the presence of trimethylamine oxide, dimethylsulfoxide and disodium thiosulfate, showing that the system of S. oneidensis is efficient for heterologous expression of algal [Fe-Fe] hydrogenase. Conclusion In the present work a new efficient system for heterologous expression and maturation of C. reinhardtii hydrogenase has been developed. HydA1 of C. reinhardtii was purified and shown to contain 6 Fe atoms/molecule of protein, as expected. Using DMSO, TMAO or thiosulfate as substrates for anaerobic respiration during the cell growth, 0.4 – 0.5 mg l-1(OD600 = 1 of catalytically active HydA1 was obtained with hydrogen evolution rate of ~700 μmol H2 mg-1 min-1.

  13. [Cloning, subcellular localization, and heterologous expression of ApNAC1 gene from Andrographis paniculata].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jian; Qi, Meng-Die; Guo, Juan; Shen, Ye; Lin, Hui-Xin; Huang, Lu-Qi

    2017-03-01

    Andrographis paniculata is widely used as medicinal herb in China for a long time and andrographolide is its main medicinal constituent. To investigate the underlying andrographolide biosynthesis mechanisms, RNA-seq for A. paniculata leaves with MeJA treatment was performed. In A. paniculata transcriptomic data, the expression pattern of one member of NAC transcription factor family (ApNAC1) matched with andrographolide accumulation. The coding sequence of ApNAC1 was cloned by RT-PCR, and GenBank accession number was KY196416. The analysis of bioinformatics showed that the gene encodes a peptide of 323 amino acids, with a predicted relative molecular weight of 35.9 kDa and isoelectric point of 6.14. To confirm the subcellular localization, ApNAC1-GFP was transiently expressed in A. paniculata protoplast. The results indicated that ApNAC1 is a nucleus-localized protein. The analysis of real-time quantitative PCR revealed that ApNAC1 gene predominantly expresses in leaves. Compared with control sample, its expression abundance sharply increased with methyl jasmonate treatment. Based on its expression pattern, ApNAC1 gene might involve in andrographolide biosynthesis. ApNAC1 was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli and recombinant protein was purified by Ni-NTA agarose. Further study will help us to understand the function of ApNAC1 in andrographolide biosynthesis. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

  14. Hypothalamic digoxin, hemispheric chemical dominance, and spirituality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurup, Ravi Kumar; Kurup, Parameswara Achutha

    2003-03-01

    The isoprenoid pathway was assessed in atheistic and spiritually inclined individuals. The pathway was also assessed in individuals with differing hemispheric dominance to assess whether hemispheric dominance has a correlation with spiritual and atheistic tendency. HMG CoA reductase activity, serum digoxin, RBC membrane Na(+)-K+ ATPase activity, serum magnesium, and tyrosine/tryptophan catabolic patterns were assessed in spiritual/atheistic individuals and in those differing hemispheric dominance. In spiritually-inclined individuals, there was increased digoxin synthesis, decreased membrane Na(+)-K+ ATPase activity, increased tryptophan catabolites (serotonin, quinolinic acid, and nicotine), and decreased tyrosine catabolites (dopamine, noradrenaline, and morphine). The pattern in spiritually-inclined individuals correlated with right hemispheric chemical dominance. In atheistic individuals there was decreased digoxin synthesis, increased membrane Na(+)-K+ ATPase activity, decreased tryptophan catabolities (serotonin, quinolinic acid, and nicotine), and increased tyrosine catabolites (dopamine, noradrenaline, and morphine). This pattern in atheistic individuals correlated with that obtained in left hemispheric chemical dominance. Hemispheric chemical dominance and hypothalamic digoxin could regulate the predisposition to spirituality or atheism.

  15. Heterologous stable expression of terpenoid biosynthetic genes using the moss Physcomitrella patens

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bach, Søren Spanner; King, Brian Christopher; Zhan, Xin

    2014-01-01

    Heterologous and stable expression of genes encoding terpenoid biosynthetic enzymes in planta is an important tool for functional characterization and is an attractive alternative to expression in microbial hosts for biotechnological production. Despite improvements to the procedure, such as stre...

  16. A transcriptionally active estrogen receptor mutant is a novel type of dominant negative inhibitor of estrogen action.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McInerney, E M; Ince, B A; Shapiro, D J; Katzenellenbogen, B S

    1996-12-01

    We have characterized a human estrogen receptor (ER) mutant, V364E, which has a single amino acid substitution in its hormone-binding domain. This ER mutant is fully active or even superactive at saturating levels of estradiol (10(-8) M E2) yet has the capacity to act as a strong dominant negative inhibitor of the wild type ER. In transient transfection assays using ER-negative Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and two different estrogen response element (ERE)-containing promoter reporter genes, V364E treated with 10(-8) M E2 exhibited approximately 250% and 100% of the activity of the wild type ER with these two promoter contexts, respectively. Despite the high activity of V364E when present alone in cells, coexpression of both V364E and wild type ER causes a significant decrease in overall ER-mediated transcriptional activity. On the TATA promoter, where V364E was more inhibitory, estrogen-stimulated activity was reduced by approximately 50% at a 1:1 ratio of mutant to wild type ER expression vector, and at a 10:1 ratio, 75% of ER activity was inhibited. V364E was expressed at lower levels than wild type ER and has a approximately 40-fold lower affinity for E2 compared with wild type ER. In promoter interference assays, V364E exhibited a strict dependence upon E2 for binding to an ERE. Surprisingly, even when V364E was unable to bind to ERE DNA (i.e. either at low E2 concentration or by mutation of its DNA-binding domain), this mutant retained full dominant negative activity. This highly active ER mutant is, thus, able to repress ER-mediated transcription when the mutant and wild type ER are present together in cells, even without DNA binding. Since competition for ERE binding and the formation of inactive heterodimers cannot fully account for the dominant negative activity of V364E, it is probable that altered interactions with proteins important in ER-mediated transcription play a key role in the repression of transcription by V364E. The properties and probable

  17. Autosomal Dominant Growth Hormone Deficiency (Type II).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alatzoglou, Kyriaki S; Kular, Dalvir; Dattani, Mehul T

    2015-06-01

    Isolated growth hormone deficiency (IGHD) is the commonest pituitary hormone deficiency resulting from congenital or acquired causes, although for most patients its etiology remains unknown. Among the known factors, heterozygous mutations in the growth hormone gene (GH1) lead to the autosomal dominant form of GHD, also known as type II GHD. In many cohorts this is the commonest form of congenital isolated GHD and is mainly caused by mutations that affect the correct splicing of GH-1. These mutations cause skipping of the third exon and lead to the production of a 17.5-kDa GH isoform that exerts a dominant negative effect on the secretion of the wild type GH. The identification of these mutations has clinical implications for the management of patients, as there is a well-documented correlation between the severity of the phenotype and the increased expression of the 17.5-kDa isoform. Patients with type II GHD have a variable height deficit and severity of GHD and may develop additional pituitary hormone defiencies over time, including ACTH, TSH and gonadotropin deficiencies. Therefore, their lifelong follow-up is recommended. Detailed studies on the effect of heterozygous GH1 mutations on the trafficking, secretion and action of growth hormone can elucidate their mechanism on a cellular level and may influence future treatment options for GHD type II.

  18. A dominância lateral em 182 crianças: 1. os antímeros, as praxias, a relação estrutura-desempenho The lateral dominance in 182 children: 1. the antimeres, the praxias, the struture-perfomance relation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ceme Ferreira Jordy

    1995-09-01

    Full Text Available 182 crianças normais de 6 a 14 anos de idade foram neurologicamente examinadas. Os resultados relacionados à dominância lateral revelaram 156 (85,71% destros, 8 (4,39% canhotos e 18 (9,89% com dominância indeterminada. O conceito de ambidestrismo fundamentado na equivalência de competência motora entre os antímeros foi rejeitado. A análise dos resultados leva a fundamentar na interação 'indivíduo-universo', a formação da dominância lateral. Considera-se nesta interação a aquisição de praxias e a criação de estruturas neuronais dinâmicas, em relação e concomitância com o surgimento e o desenvolvimento da ação motora.182 normal children from 6 to 14 years old presenting learning difficulties were neurologically examined. A 149 items questionaire covering the intrauterine, peri and post partum life were answered by parents and afterwards detailed in interview consultation. Special procedures on motor skill were added to the usual neurological examination, to text motor performance differences between antimeres. Dextrallity appeared in 156 cases (85.71%, sinistrality in 8 (4.39% and in 18 cases (9.89% the lateral dominance could not be determined. The concept of ambidextrallity was rejected for the bilateral equivalence in motor competence was not found in the subjects. The results lead to interpret the lateral dominance as a proportional distribution of motor performances in the right and left halves of the body in a process of constant improvement of motor skills which takes place in and belongs to the development of interdependence between the individuals and their environment. It is by way of such interrelationships that the significant motor activity (praxias is acquired. Lateral dominance is considered a dynamic mechanism resulting from this interactive process which aim is directed together with other mechanisms to provide and improve the human being survival.

  19. Brucella suis strain 2 vaccine is safe and protective against heterologous Brucella spp. infections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Liangquan; Feng, Yu; Zhang, Ge; Jiang, Hui; Zhang, Zhen; Wang, Nan; Ding, Jiabo; Suo, Xun

    2016-01-12

    Brucellosis is a wide spread zoonotic disease that causes abortion and infertility in mammals and leads to debilitating, febrile illness in humans. Brucella abortus, Brucella melitensis and Brucella suis are the major pathogenic species to humans. Vaccination with live attenuated B. suis strain 2 (S2) vaccine is an essential and critical component in the control of brucellosis in China. The S2 vaccine is very effective in preventing brucellosis in goats, sheep, cattle and swine. However, there are still debates outside of China whether the S2 vaccine is able to provide protection against heterologous virulent Brucella species. We investigated the residual virulence, immunogenicity and protective efficacy of the S2 vaccine in BALB/c mice by determining bacteria persistence in spleen, serum antibody response, cellular immune response and protection against a heterologous virulent challenge. The S2 vaccine was of low virulence as there were no bacteria recovered in spleen four weeks post vaccination. The vaccinated mice developed Brucella-specific IgG in 2-3 weeks, and a burst production of IFN-γ at one week as well as a two-fold increase in TNF-α production. The S2 vaccine protected mice from a virulent challenge by B. melitensis M28, B. abortus 2308 and B. suis S1330, and the S2 vaccinated mice did not develop any clinical signs or tissue damage. Our study demonstrated that the S2 vaccine is of low virulence, stimulates good humoral and cellular immunity and protects animals against infection by heterologous, virulent Brucella species. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Men's sex-dominance inhibition: do men automatically refrain from sexually dominant behavior?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiefer, Amy K; Sanchez, Diana T

    2007-12-01

    Men receive conflicting messages about their sexual roles in heterosexual relationships. Men are socialized to initiate and direct sexual activities with women; yet societal norms also proscribe the sexual domination and coercion of women. The authors test these competing hypotheses by assessing whether men inhibit the link between sex and dominance. In Studies 1a and b, using a subliminal priming procedure embedded in a lexical decision task, the authors demonstrate that men automatically suppress the concept of dominance following exposure to subliminal sex primes relative to neutral primes. In Studies 2 and 3, the authors show that men who are less likely to perceive sexual assertiveness as necessary, to refrain from dominant sexual behavior, and who do not invest in masculine gender ideals are more likely to inhibit dominant thoughts following sex primes. Implications for theories of automatic cognitive networks and gender-based sexual roles are discussed.

  1. Heterologous expression of a rice metallothionein isoform (OsMTI-1b in Saccharomyces cerevisiae enhances cadmium, hydrogen peroxide and ethanol tolerance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zahra Ansarypour

    Full Text Available Abstract Metallothioneins are a superfamily of low-molecular-weight, cysteine (Cys-rich proteins that are believed to play important roles in protection against metal toxicity and oxidative stress. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of heterologous expression of a rice metallothionein isoform (OsMTI-1b on the tolerance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to Cd2+, H2O2 and ethanol stress. The gene encoding OsMTI-1b was cloned into p426GPD as a yeast expression vector. The new construct was transformed to competent cells of S. cerevisiae. After verification of heterologous expression of OsMTI-1b, the new strain and control were grown under stress conditions. In comparison to control strain, the transformed S. cerevisiae cells expressing OsMTI-1b showed more tolerance to Cd2+ and accumulated more Cd2+ ions when they were grown in the medium containing CdCl2. In addition, the heterologous expression of GST-OsMTI-1b conferred H2O2 and ethanol tolerance to S. cerevisiae cells. The results indicate that heterologous expression of plant MT isoforms can enhance the tolerance of S. cerevisiae to multiple stresses.

  2. Targeting a heterologous protein to multiple plant organelles via rationally designed 5? mRNA tags

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Voges, M.J.; Silver, P.A.; Way, J.C.; Mattozzi, M.D.

    2013-01-01

    Background Plant bioengineers require simple genetic devices for predictable localization of heterologous proteins to multiple subcellular compartments. Results We designed novel hybrid signal sequences for multiple-compartment localization and characterize their function when fused to GFP in

  3. Transcriptional analysis of heterologous gene expression using the endogenous sD promoter from Bacillus halodurans

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Crampton, Michael C

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available This presentation focused on the transcriptional analysis of heterologous gene expression using the endogenous sD promoter from Bacillus halodurans. It concludes to a successful implementation of a high throughput mRNA sandwich hybridisation...

  4. Determination of hemisphere dominance for language: comparison of frontal and temporal fMRI activation with intracarotid amytal testing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spreer, J.; Arnold, S.; Ziyeh, S.; Klisch, J.; Schumacher, M.; Quiske, A.; Altenmueller, D.; Schulze-Bonhage, A.; Wohlfarth, R.; Steinhoff, B.J.; Herpers, M.; Kassubek, J.; Honegger, J.

    2002-01-01

    The reliability of frontal and temporal fMRI activations for the determination of hemisphere language dominance was evaluated in comparison with intracarotid amytal testing (IAT). Twenty-two patients were studied by IAT (bilateral in 13, unilateral in 9 patients) and fMRI using a paradigm requiring semantic decisions. Global and regional (frontal and temporoparietal) lateralisation indices (LI) were calculated from the number of activated (r>0.4) voxels in both hemispheres. Frontolateral activations associated with the language task were seen in all patients, temporoparietal activations in 20 of 22. Regional LI corresponded better with IAT results than global LI. Frontolateral LI were consistent with IAT in all patients with bilateral IAT (including three patients with right dominant and one patient with bilateral language representation) and were not conflicting in any of the patients with unilateral IAT. Temporoparietal LI were discordant with IAT in two patients with atypical language representation. In the determination of hemisphere dominance for language, regional analysis of fMRI activation is superior to global analysis. In cases with clear-cut fMRI lateralisation, i.e. consistent lateralised activation of frontal and temporoparietal language zones, IAT may be unnecessary. FMRI should be performed prior to IAT in all patients going to be operated in brain regions potentially involved in language. (orig.)

  5. Cross-amplification of heterologous microsatellite markers in Rhamdia quelen and Leporinus elongatus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nelson Mauricio Lopera-Barrero

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Native fish species in Brazil are an asset in fish farming, but their natural stocks have been significantly reduced in recent years. To mitigate this negative impact, studies on fish conservation are being conducted and genetic tools for the discrimination of population parameters are increasingly achieving great importance. Current analysis evaluates a set of microsatellite heterologous primers in the jundiá (Rhamdia quelen and in the piapara (Leporinus elongatus. Samples from the caudal fin of 15 broodstock from each species were analyzed. DNA extraction was performed with NaCl protocol and the integrity of the extracted DNA was checked with agarose gel 1%. Twenty primers developed for Piaractus mesopotamicus, Colossoma macropomum, Prochilodus lineatus, Brycon opalinus and Oreochromis niloticus were evaluated. Cross amplification of four primers of the B. opalinus and P. lineatus species (BoM12, Pli43 and Pli60 in R. quelen and BoM2, Pli43 and Pli60 in L. elongatus was assessed. Primers of P. mesopotamicus, C. macropomum and O. niloticus showed no cross amplification in the two species analyzed. Results revealed the possibility of using the four amplified heterologous primers in genetic studies for R. quelen and L. elongatus.

  6. Hypothalamic digoxin, hemispheric chemical dominance, and eating behavior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurup, Ravi Kumar; Kurup, Parameswara Achutha

    2003-08-01

    The isoprenoid pathway produces an endogenous membrane Na+-K+ ATPase inhibitor, digoxin, which can regulate neurotransmitter and amino acid transport. Digoxin synthesis and neurotransmitter patterns were assessed in eating disorders. The patterns were compared in those with right hemispheric and left hemispheric dominance. The serum HMG CoA reductase activity, RBC membrane Na+-K+ ATPase activity, serum digoxin, magnesium, tryptophan catabolites (serotonin, quinolinic acid, strychnine, and nicotine), and tyrosine catabolites (morphine, dopamine, and noradrenaline) were measured in anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, right hemispheric dominant, left hemispheric dominant, and bihemispheric dominant individuals. Digoxin synthesis was increased with upregulated tryptophan catabolism and downregulated tyrosine catabolism in those with anorexia nervosa and right hemispheric chemical dominance. Digoxin synthesis was reduced with downregulated tryptophan catabolism and upregulated tyrosine catabolism in those with bulimia nervosa and left hemispheric chemical dominance. The membrane Na+-K+ ATPase activity and serum magnesium were decreased in anorexia nervosa and right hemispheric chemical dominance while they were increased in bulimia nervosa and left hemispheric chemical dominance. Hypothalamic digoxin and hemispheric chemical dominance play a central role in the regulation of eating behavior. Anorexia nervosa represents the right hemispheric chemically dominant/hyperdigoxinemic state and bulimia nervosa the left hemispheric chemically dominant/hypodigoxinemic state.

  7. Hydrophobins in ectomycorrhizas: heterologous transcription of the Pisolithus HydPt-1 gene in yeast and Hebeloma cylindrosporum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D Tagu

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Hydrophobins are fungal cell wall proteins involved in aggregation of hyphae. Upon the development of the ectomycorrhizal symbiosis between tree roots and fungal hyphae, the transcripts of hydrophobin genes markedly accumulated. As the precise role of these proteins in symbiosis is not yet known, we develop heterologous expression system of the Pisolithus hydrophobin HYDPt-1. This gene has been introduced in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and in the ectomycorrhizal basidiomycete Hebeloma cylindrosporum. Introns were required for hydPt-1 transcript accumulation in the basidiomycete H. cylindrosporum. Heterologous transcript accumulation did not alter the phenotype of either species. The lack of altered phenotype resulted from the absence of HYDPt-1 polypeptide accumulation in transformed strains.

  8. Cloning and heterologous expression of the antibiotic peptide (ABP) genes from Rhizopus oligosporus NBRC 8631.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamada, Osamu; Sakamoto, Kazutoshi; Tominaga, Mihoko; Nakayama, Tasuku; Koseki, Takuya; Fujita, Akiko; Akita, Osamu

    2005-03-01

    We carried out protein sequencing of purified Antibiotic Peptide (ABP), and cloned two genes encoding this peptide as abp1 and abp2, from Rhizopus oligosporus NBRC 8631. Both genes contain an almost identical 231-bp segment, with only 3 nucleotide substitutions, encoding a 77 amino acid peptide. The abp gene product comprises a 28 amino acid signal sequence and a 49 amino acid mature peptide. Northern blot analysis showed that at least one of the abp genes is transcribed in R. oligosporus NBRC 8631. A truncated form of abp1 encoding only the mature peptide was fused with the alpha-factor signal peptide and engineered for expression in Pichia pastoris SMD1168H. Culture broth of the recombinant Pichia displayed ABP activity against Bacillus subtilis NBRC 3335 after induction of heterologous gene expression. This result indicates that mature ABP formed the active structure without the aid of other factors from R. oligosporus, and was secreted.

  9. Hypothalamic digoxin, hemispheric chemical dominance, and creativity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurup, Ravi Kumar; Kurup, Parameswara Achutha

    2003-04-01

    The human hypothalamus produces an endogenous membrane Na(+)-K+ ATPase inhibitor, digoxin, which regulates neuronal transmission. The digoxin status and neurotransmitter patterns were studied in creative and non-creative individuals, as well as in individuals with differing hemispheric dominance, in order to find out the role of cerebral dominance in this respect. The activity of HMG CoA reductase and serum levels of digoxin, magnesium, tryptophan catabolites, and tyrosine catabolites were measured in creative/non-creative individuals, and in individuals with differing hemispheric dominance. In creative individuals there was increased digoxin synthesis, decreased membrane Na(+)-K+ ATPase activity, increased tryptophan catabolites (serotonin, quinolinic acid, and nicotine), and decreased tyrosine catabolites (dopamine, noradrenaline, and morphine). The pattern in creative individuals correlated with right hemispheric dominance. In non-creative individuals there was decreased digoxin synthesis, increased membrane Na(+)-K+ ATPase activity, decreased tryptophan catabolites (serotonin, quinolinic acid, and nicotine), and increased tyrosine catabolites (dopamine, noradrenaline, and morphine). This pattern in non-creative individuals correlated with that obtained in left hemispheric chemical dominance. Hemispheric chemical dominance and hypothalamic digoxin could regulate the predisposition to creative tendency.

  10. Transcriptome analysis in non-model species: a new method for the analysis of heterologous hybridization on microarrays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jouventin Pierre

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Recent developments in high-throughput methods of analyzing transcriptomic profiles are promising for many areas of biology, including ecophysiology. However, although commercial microarrays are available for most common laboratory models, transcriptome analysis in non-traditional model species still remains a challenge. Indeed, the signal resulting from heterologous hybridization is low and difficult to interpret because of the weak complementarity between probe and target sequences, especially when no microarray dedicated to a genetically close species is available. Results We show here that transcriptome analysis in a species genetically distant from laboratory models is made possible by using MAXRS, a new method of analyzing heterologous hybridization on microarrays. This method takes advantage of the design of several commercial microarrays, with different probes targeting the same transcript. To illustrate and test this method, we analyzed the transcriptome of king penguin pectoralis muscle hybridized to Affymetrix chicken microarrays, two organisms separated by an evolutionary distance of approximately 100 million years. The differential gene expression observed between different physiological situations computed by MAXRS was confirmed by real-time PCR on 10 genes out of 11 tested. Conclusions MAXRS appears to be an appropriate method for gene expression analysis under heterologous hybridization conditions.

  11. Disruption of ten protease genes in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus oryzae highly improves production of heterologous proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoon, Jaewoo; Maruyama, Jun-ichi; Kitamoto, Katsuhiko

    2011-02-01

    Proteolytic degradation by secreted proteases into the culture medium is one of the significant problems to be solved in heterologous protein production by filamentous fungi including Aspergillus oryzae. Double (tppA, and pepE) and quintuple (tppA, pepE, nptB, dppIV, and dppV) disruption of protease genes enhanced human lysozyme (HLY) and bovine chymosin (CHY) production by A. oryzae. In this study, we used a quintuple protease gene disruptant and performed successive rounds of disruption for five additional protease genes (alpA, pepA, AopepAa, AopepAd, and cpI), which were previously investigated by DNA microarray analyses for their expression. Gene disruption was performed by pyrG marker recycling with a highly efficient gene-targeting background (∆ligD) as previously reported. As a result, the maximum yields of recombinant CHY and HLY produced by a decuple protease gene disruptant were approximately 30% and 35%, respectively, higher than those produced by a quintuple protease gene disruptant. Thus, we successfully constructed a decuple protease gene disruptant possessing highly improved capability of heterologous protein production. This is the first report on decuple protease gene disruption that improved the levels of heterologous protein production by the filamentous fungus A. oryzae.

  12. Heterologous Protection against Malaria after Immunization with Plasmodium falciparum Sporozoites.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Remko Schats

    Full Text Available Sterile protection in >90% of volunteers against homologous Plasmodium falciparum infection has been achieved only using the controlled human malaria infection (CHMI model. This efficient model involves whole parasite immunizations under chloroquine prophylaxis (CPS-immunization, requiring only 30-45 mosquitoes bites infected with P. falciparum-sporozoites. Given the large diversity of P. falciparum parasites, it is essential to assess protection against heterologous parasite strains.In an open-label follow-up study, 16 volunteers previously CPS-immunized and challenged with P. falciparum NF54 (West-Africa in a dose de-escalation and challenge trial were re-challenged with clone NF135.C10 (Cambodia at 14 months after the last immunization (NCT01660854.Two out of thirteen NF54 protected volunteers previously fully protected against NF54 were also fully protected against NF135.C10, while 11/13 showed a delayed patency (median prepatent period of 10.5 days (range 9.0-15.5 versus 8.5 days in 5 malaria-naïve controls (p = 0.0005. Analysis of patency by qPCR indicated a 91 to >99% estimated reduction of liver parasite load in 7/11 partially protected subjects. Three volunteers previously not protected against NF54, were also not protected against NF135.C10.This study shows that CPS-immunization can induce heterologous protection for a period of more than one year, which is a further impetus for clinical development of whole parasite vaccines.Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01660854.

  13. Phosphorylation of plant plasma membrane H+-ATPase by the heterologous host S. cerevisiae

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rudashevskaya, Elena; Ye, Juanying; Young, Clifford

     It is known, that phosphorylation of both plant and yeast plasma membrane H+-ATPase results in enzyme activation or inhibition. Several sites at the regulatory C-terminus of the enzyme have been found to undergo phosphorylation in vivo in both plant and yeast. The C-termini of plant H...... of heterologous system of yeast cells, expressing plant proton pump. Therefore identification of possible regulatory effects by phosphorylation events in plant H+-ATPase in the system is significant. A number of putative phosphorylation sites at regulatory C-domain of H+-ATPase (AHA2) have been point...... functioning of the residues and suggests, that plant H+-ATPase could be regulated by phosphorylation at several sites being in yeast cells. Plant H+-ATPase purified from yeast cells by his-tag affinity chromatography was subjected to IMAC and TiO2 for enrichment of phosphopeptides. The phosphopeptides were...

  14. From nature-dominated to human-dominated environmental changes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Messerli, Bruno; Grosjean, Martin; Hofer, Thomas; Núñez, Lautaro; Pfister, Christian

    2000-01-01

    To what extent is it realistic and useful to view human history as a sequence of changes from highly vulnerable societies of hunters and gatherers through periods with less vulnerable, well buffered and highly productive agrarian-urban societies to a world with regions of extreme overpopulation and overuse of life support systems, so that vulnerability to climatic-environmental changes and extreme events is again increasing? This question cannot be fully answered in our present state of knowledge, but at least we can try to illustrate, with three case studies from different continents, time periods and ecosystems, some fundamental changes in the relationship between natural processes and human activities that occur, as we pass from a nature-dominated to a human dominated environment. 1. Early-mid Holocene: Nature dominated environment — human adaptation, mitigation, and migration. In the central Andes, the Holocene climate changed from humid (10,800-8000 BP) to extreme arid (8000-3600 BP) conditions. Over the same period, prehistoric hunting communities adopted a more sedentary pattern of resource use by settling close to the few perennial water bodies, where they began the process of domesticating camelids around 5000 BP and irrigation from about 3100 BP. 2. Historical period: An agrarian society in transition from an "enduring" to an innovative human response. Detailed documentary evidence from Western Europe may be used to reconstruct quite precisely the impacts of climatic variations on agrarian societies. The period considered spans a major transition from an apparently passive response to the vagaries of the environment during the 16th century to an active and innovative attitude from the onset of the agrarian revolution in the late 18th century through to the present day. The associated changes in technology and in agricultural practices helped to create a society better able to survive the impact of climatic extremes. 3. The present day: A human dominated

  15. Heterologous Expression of Membrane and Soluble Proteins Derepresses GCN4 mRNA Translation in the Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Steffensen, L.; Pedersen, P. A.

    2006-01-01

    -ATPase also induced GCN4 translation. Derepression of GCN4 translation required phosphorylation of eIF-2 , the tRNA binding domain of Gcn2p, and the ribosome-associated proteins Gcn1p and Gcn20p. The increase in Gcn4p density in response to heterologous expression did not induce transcription from the HIS4...... promoter, a traditional Gcn4p target.......This paper describes the first physiological response at the translational level towards heterologous protein production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In yeast, the phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF-2 ) by Gcn2p protein kinase mediates derepression of GCN4 mRNA translation. Gcn4...

  16. Heterologous expression of a ketohexokinase in potato plants leads to inhibited rates of photosynthesis, severe growth retardation and abnormal leaf development

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Geigenberger, P.; Regierer, B.; Lytovchenko, A.

    2004-01-01

    of ketohexokinase but did not accumulate fructose 1-phosphate. They were, however, characterised by a severe growth retardation and abnormal leaf development. Studies of (14)CO(2) assimilation and metabolism, and of the levels of photosynthetic pigments, revealed that these lines exhibited restricted photosynthesis......In the present paper we investigated the effect of heterologous expression of a rat liver ketohexokinase in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) plants with the aim of investigating the role of fructose 1-phosphate in plant metabolism. Plants were generated that contained appreciable activity...

  17. Domination, Eternal Domination, and Clique Covering

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Klostermeyer William F.

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Eternal and m-eternal domination are concerned with using mobile guards to protect a graph against infinite sequences of attacks at vertices. Eternal domination allows one guard to move per attack, whereas more than one guard may move per attack in the m-eternal domination model. Inequality chains consisting of the domination, eternal domination, m-eternal domination, independence, and clique covering numbers of graph are explored in this paper.

  18. Molecular cloning, heterologous expression and functional characterization of gamma tocopherol methyl transferase (γ-TMT) from Glycine max.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tewari, Kalpana; Dahuja, Anil; Sachdev, Archana; Kumar, Vaibhav; Ali, Kishwar; Kumar, Amresh; Kumari, Sweta

    2017-12-01

    γ-Tocopherol methyltransferase (γ-TMT) (EC 2.1.1.95) is the last enzyme in the tocopherol biosynthetic pathway and it catalyzes the conversion of γ-tocopherol into α-tocopherol, the nutritionally significant and most bioactive form of vitamin E. Although the γ-TMT gene has been successfully overexpressed in many crops to enhance their α-tocopherol content but still only few attempts have been made to uncover its structural, functional and regulation aspects at protein level. In this study, we have cloned the complete 909bp coding sequence of Glycine max γ-TMT (Gm γ-TMT) gene that encodes the corresponding protein comprising of 302 amino acid residues. The deduced Gm γ-TMT protein showed 74-87% sequence identity with other characterized plant γ-TMTs. Gm γ-TMT belongs to Class I Methyl Transferases that have a Rossmann-like fold which consists of a seven-stranded β sheet joined by α helices. Heterologous expression of Gm γ-TMT in pET29a expression vector under the control of bacteriophage T7 promoter produced a 37.9 kDa recombinant Gm γ-TMT protein with histidine hexamer tag at its C-terminus. The expression of recombinant Gm γ-TMT protein was confirmed by western blotting using anti-His antibody. The recombinant protein was purified by Ni 2+ -NTA column chromatography. The purified protein showed SAM dependent methyltransferase activity. The α-tocopherol produced in the in-vitro reaction catalyzed by the purified enzyme was detected using reverse phase HPLC. This study has laid the foundation to unveil the biochemical understanding of Gm γ-TMT enzyme which can be further explored by studying its kinetic behaviour, substrate specificity and its interaction with other biomolecules. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Heterologous expression and characterization of a new heme-catalase in Bacillus subtilis 168.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Philibert, Tuyishime; Rao, Zhiming; Yang, Taowei; Zhou, Junping; Huang, Genshu; Irene, Komera; Samuel, Niyomukiza

    2016-06-01

    Reactive oxygen species (ROS) is an inherent consequence to all aerobically living organisms that might lead to the cells being lethal and susceptible to oxidative stress. Bacillus pumilus is characterized by high-resistance oxidative stress that stimulated our interest to investigate the heterologous expression and characterization of heme-catalase as potential biocatalyst. Results indicated that recombinant enzyme significantly exhibited the high catalytic activity of 55,784 U/mg expressed in Bacillus subtilis 168 and 98.097 µmol/min/mg peroxidatic activity, the apparent K m of catalytic activity was 59.6 ± 13 mM with higher turnover rate (K cat = 322.651 × 10(3) s(-1)). The pH dependence of catalatic and peroxidatic activity was pH 7.0 and pH 4.5 respectively with temperature dependence of 40 °C and the recombinant heme-catalase exhibited a strong Fe(2+) preference. It was further revealed that catalase KatX2 improved the resistance oxidative stress of B. subtilis. These findings suggest that this B. pumilus heme-catalase can be considered among the industrially relevant biocatalysts due to its exceptional catalytic rate and high stability and it can be a potential candidate for the improvement of oxidative resistance of industrially produced strains.

  20. Heterologous Immunological Effects of Early BCG Vaccination in Low-Birth-Weight Infants in Guinea-Bissau

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Kristoffer Jarlov; Larsen, Nanna; Biering-Sørensen, Sofie

    2015-01-01

    or -7/8, or purified protein derivative (PPD). RESULTS:  Among 467 infants, BCG significantly increased the in vitro cytokine responses to purified protein derivative of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (PPD), as expected. BCG was also associated with increased responses to heterologous innate stimulation...

  1. Structural Diversification of Lyngbyatoxin A by Host-Dependent Heterologous Expression of the tleABC Biosynthetic Gene Cluster.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Lihan; Hoshino, Shotaro; Awakawa, Takayoshi; Wakimoto, Toshiyuki; Abe, Ikuro

    2016-08-03

    Natural products have enormous structural diversity, yet little is known about how such diversity is achieved in nature. Here we report the structural diversification of a cyanotoxin-lyngbyatoxin A-and its biosynthetic intermediates by heterologous expression of the Streptomyces-derived tleABC biosynthetic gene cluster in three different Streptomyces hosts: S. lividans, S. albus, and S. avermitilis. Notably, the isolated lyngbyatoxin derivatives, including four new natural products, were biosynthesized by crosstalk between the heterologous tleABC gene cluster and the endogenous host enzymes. The simple strategy described here has expanded the structural diversity of lyngbyatoxin A and its biosynthetic intermediates, and provides opportunities for investigation of the currently underestimated hidden biosynthetic crosstalk. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. Malignant pleural mesothelioma with heterologous osteoblastic differentiation: case report of the characteristic CT and bone scan findings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cho, Young Jun; Kim, Joung Sook; Kim, Ji Young; Choi, Soo Jeon; Choi, Sang Bong

    2008-01-01

    Malignant pleural mesothelioma is an uncommon neoplasm which is accompanied extremely rarely by osteoblastic heterologous elements. The CT manifestations of this tumor have been reported in several references. And, to our knowledge, only one case report provides a description of the bone scan findings. Here, we report the case of a rapidly progressing malignant pleural mesothelioma with heterologous osteoblastic elements. A CT scan reveals diffuse irregular pleural thickening and very coarse nodular calcifications along the right pleura and major fissure. A bone scan revealed an area of extensive increased radioactivity consistent with the pleural calcifications on the CT scan in the right hemithorax. A follow-up CT scan performed 40 days later suggests the presence of rapidly progressing nodular coarse calcifications

  3. Malignant pleural mesothelioma with heterologous osteoblastic differentiation: case report of the characteristic CT and bone scan findings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cho, Young Jun; Kim, Joung Sook; Kim, Ji Young; Choi, Soo Jeon; Choi, Sang Bong [Sanggye Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2008-06-15

    Malignant pleural mesothelioma is an uncommon neoplasm which is accompanied extremely rarely by osteoblastic heterologous elements. The CT manifestations of this tumor have been reported in several references. And, to our knowledge, only one case report provides a description of the bone scan findings. Here, we report the case of a rapidly progressing malignant pleural mesothelioma with heterologous osteoblastic elements. A CT scan reveals diffuse irregular pleural thickening and very coarse nodular calcifications along the right pleura and major fissure. A bone scan revealed an area of extensive increased radioactivity consistent with the pleural calcifications on the CT scan in the right hemithorax. A follow-up CT scan performed 40 days later suggests the presence of rapidly progressing nodular coarse calcifications.

  4. Introduction of caveolae structural proteins into the protozoan Toxoplasma results in the formation of heterologous caveolae but not caveolar endocytosis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bao Lige

    Full Text Available Present on the plasma membrane of most metazoans, caveolae are specialized microdomains implicated in several endocytic and trafficking mechanisms. Caveolins and the more recently discovered cavins are the major protein components of caveolae. Previous studies reported that caveolar invaginations can be induced de novo on the surface of caveolae-negative mammalian cells upon heterologous expression of caveolin-1. However, it remains undocumented whether other components in the transfected cells participate in caveolae formation. To address this issue, we have exploited the protozoan Toxoplasma as a heterologous expression system to provide insights into the minimal requirements for caveogenesis and caveolar endocytosis. Upon expression of caveolin-1, Toxoplasma accumulates prototypical exocytic caveolae 'precursors' in the cytoplasm. Toxoplasma expressing caveolin-1 alone, or in conjunction with cavin-1, neither develops surface-located caveolae nor internalizes caveolar ligands. These data suggest that the formation of functional caveolae at the plasma membrane in Toxoplasma and, by inference in all non-mammalian cells, requires effectors other than caveolin-1 and cavin-1. Interestingly, Toxoplasma co-expressing caveolin-1 and cavin-1 displays an impressive spiraled network of membranes containing the two proteins, in the cytoplasm. This suggests a synergistic activity of caveolin-1 and cavin-1 in the morphogenesis and remodeling of membranes, as illustrated for Toxoplasma.

  5. Trivalent combination vaccine induces broad heterologous immune responses to norovirus and rotavirus in mice.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kirsi Tamminen

    Full Text Available Rotavirus (RV and norovirus (NoV are the two major causes of viral gastroenteritis (GE in children worldwide. We have developed an injectable vaccine design to prevent infection or GE induced with these enteric viruses. The trivalent combination vaccine consists of NoV capsid (VP1 derived virus-like particles (VLPs of GI-3 and GII-4 representing the two major NoV genogroups and tubular RV recombinant VP6 (rVP6, the most conserved and abundant RV protein. Each component was produced in insect cells by a recombinant baculovirus expression system and combined in vitro. The vaccine components were administered intramuscularly to BALB/c mice either separately or in the trivalent combination. High levels of NoV and RV type specific serum IgGs with high avidity (>50% as well as intestinal IgGs were detected in the immunized mice. Cross-reactive IgG antibodies were also elicited against heterologous NoV VLPs not used for immunization (GII-4 NO, GII-12 and GI-1 VLPs and to different RVs from cell cultures. NoV-specific serum antibodies blocked binding of homologous and heterologous VLPs to the putative receptors, histo-blood group antigens, suggesting broad NoV neutralizing activity of the sera. Mucosal antibodies of mice immunized with the trivalent combination vaccine inhibited RV infection in vitro. In addition, cross-reactive T cell immune responses to NoV and RV-specific antigens were detected. All the responses were sustained for up to six months. No mutual inhibition of the components in the trivalent vaccine combination was observed. In conclusion, the NoV GI and GII VLPs combination induced broader cross-reactive and potentially neutralizing immune responses than either of the VLPs alone. Therefore, trivalent vaccine might induce protective immune responses to the vast majority of circulating NoV and RV genotypes.

  6. LCR/MEL: A versatile system for high-level expression of heterologous proteins in erythroid cells.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    M. Needham; C. Gooding; K. Hudson; M. Antoniou (Michael); F.G. Grosveld (Frank); M. Hollis

    1992-01-01

    textabstractWe have used the human globin locus control region (LCR) to assemble an expression system capable of high-level, integration position-independent expression of heterologous genes and cDNAs in murine erythroleukaemia (MEL) cells. The cDNAs are inserted between the human beta-globin

  7. The Heterologous Expression of the p22 RNA Silencing Suppressor of the Crinivirus Tomato Chlorosis Virus from Tobacco Rattle Virus and Potato Virus X Enhances Disease Severity but Does Not Complement Suppressor-Defective Mutant Viruses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landeo-Ríos, Yazmín; Navas-Castillo, Jesús; Moriones, Enrique; Cañizares, M. Carmen

    2017-11-24

    To counteract host antiviral RNA silencing, plant viruses express suppressor proteins that function as pathogenicity enhancers. The genome of the Tomato chlorosis virus (ToCV) (genus Crinivirus , family Closteroviridae ) encodes an RNA silencing suppressor, the protein p22, that has been described as having one of the longest lasting local suppressor activities when assayed in Nicotiana benthamiana . Since suppression of RNA silencing and the ability to enhance disease severity are closely associated, we analyzed the effect of expressing p22 in heterologous viral contexts. Thus, we studied the effect of the expression of ToCV p22 from viral vectors Tobacco rattle virus (TRV) and Potato virus X (PVX), and from attenuated suppressor mutants in N. benthamiana plants. Our results show that although an exacerbation of disease symptoms leading to plant death was observed in the heterologous expression of ToCV p22 from both viruses, only in the case of TRV did increased viral accumulation occur. The heterologous expression of ToCV p22 could not complement suppressor-defective mutant viruses.

  8. Heterologous expression of Helicoverpa armigera cytochrome P450 CYP6B7 in Pichia pastoris and interactions of CYP6B7 with insecticides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Chunqing; Song, Genmiao; Duan, Hongxia; Tang, Tao; Wang, Chen; Qiu, Lihong

    2017-09-01

    Previous studies indicated that constitutive over-expression of cytochrome P450 CYP6B7 was involved in fenvalerate resistance in Helicoverpa armigera. In this study, the CYP6B7 gene from H. armigera (namely HaCYP6B7), was heterologously expressed in Pichia pastoris GS115. A vector pPICZA-HaCYP6B7 was constructed and transformed into P. pastoris GS115, the transformant of pPICZA-HaCYP6B7-GS115 was then cultured and induced by 1% (v/v) methanol and the heterologous expression of HaCYP6B7 protein in P. pastoris was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and western blot. Microsomes containing the expressed HaCYP6B7 showed activities against model substrate p-nitroanisole and 7-ethoxycoumarin, with p-nitroanisole O-demethylation (PNOD) and 7-ethoxycoumarin O-deethylation (ECOD) activities of 15.66- and 4.75-fold of the control, respectively. Moreover, it showed degradation activities against the insecticides bifenthrin, fenvalerate and chlorpyrifos, with clearance activities of 6.88-, 1.49- and 2.27-fold of the control, respectively. The interactions of HaCYP6B7 with insecticides were further confirmed by molecular docking in silico with binding scores of 5.450, 5.295 and 2.197 between putative HaCYP6B7 protein and bifenthrin, fenvalerate and chlorpyrifos, respectively. The results of present study provided more direct and important evidence on the role of HaCYP6B7 conferring pyrethroid resistance in H. armigera. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

  9. Establishing a high throughput method for medium optimization – a case study using Streptomyces lividans as host for production of heterologous protein

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rattleff, Stig; Thykaer, Jette; Lantz, Anna Eliasson

    2012-01-01

    Actinomycetes are widely known for production of antibiotics, though as hosts for heterologous protein expression they show great potential which should be further developed. Streptomyces lividans is especially interesting due to very low endogenous protease activity and the capability to secrete...... the most promising candidates were tested in milliliter scale, followed by final verification in lab-scale fermentation. The method has the great advantage that the initial steps have a high degree of automation, which allows to retain a relatively high number of candidates. A further benefit...

  10. Heterologous expression of the Arabidopsis etr1-1 allele inhibits the senescence of carnation flowers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bovy, A.G.; Angenent, G.C.; Dons, H.J.M.; Altvorst, van A.

    1999-01-01

    The Arabidopsis thaliana etr1-1 allele, capable of conferring ethylene insensitivity in a heterologous host, was introduced into transgenic carnation plants. This gene was expressed under control of either its own promoter, the constitutive CaMV 35S promoter or the flower-specific petunia FBP1

  11. Atividade da catalase e da lactato desidrogenase em tilápias submetidas a estresse de confinamento: efeito da cor do ambiente Catalase and lactate dehydrogenase activity in tilapia subjected to contention stress: effect of the background color

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elyara Maria Pereira-da-Silva

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Avaliaram-se os efeitos da cor do ambiente sobre o crescimento e a atividade da enzima antioxidante catalase (CAT e da lactato desidrogenase (LDH em tilápias do Nilo (n=24; 36,2±3,6g. Oito exemplares foram mortos para determinação da atividade basal das enzimas e os demais permaneceram isolados durante 14 dias sob espectro de luz branca ou azul (n=8 peixes/tratamento. A seguir os peixes foram submetidos a um estresse diário de confinamento de 90 minutos (15° ao 28° dia e pesados semanalmente para cálculo da taxa de crescimento específico (TCE. A TCE negativa confirmou que o confinamento provocou estresse nos peixes, independentemente da cor do ambiente. O aumento da atividade da LDH no músculo vermelho dos peixes mantidos sob luz branca ou azul indicou mudança do metabolismo aeróbio para anaeróbio. O estresse reduziu a atividade da CAT no músculo branco dos peixes mantidos sob a luz branca ou azul. Na musculatura vermelha, esta redução ocorreu apenas nos animais mantidos sob a luz branca. O confinamento aumenta os processos metabólicos anaeróbios e é adequado para estudos sobre os efeitos do estresse. O espectro de luz azul não evita a redução do crescimento e a demanda energética anaeróbia em situações de estresse, mas preserva a atividade da CAT, contribuindo para o bem-estar da tilápia.We assess the effects of the background color on the growth and antioxidant enzyme catalase (CAT and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH in Nile tilapia (n=24; 36.2±3.6g. Eight fish were killed for assessment of basal activity of the enzymes and the others remained isolated for 14 days under white or blue light spectrum (n=8 fish/treatment. Then each animal were subjected to a daily stress of confinement of 90 minutes (15th to 28th day and weighed to calculate the specific growth rate (SGR. The negative SGR confirmed that the confinement stressed in fish, regardless of the background color. The increased activity of LDH in red muscle of fish

  12. Pharmacological Modulation of 5-HT2C Receptor Activity Produces Bidirectional Changes in Locomotor Activity, Responding for a Conditioned Reinforcer, and Mesolimbic DA Release in C57BL/6 Mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Browne, Caleb J; Ji, Xiaodong; Higgins, Guy A; Fletcher, Paul J; Harvey-Lewis, Colin

    2017-10-01

    Converging lines of behavioral, electrophysiological, and biochemical evidence suggest that 5-HT 2C receptor signaling may bidirectionally influence reward-related behavior through an interaction with the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system. Here we directly test this hypothesis by examining how modulating 5-HT 2C receptor activity affects DA-dependent behaviors and relate these effects to changes in nucleus accumbens (NAc) DA release. In C57BL/6 mice, locomotor activity and responding for a conditioned reinforcer (CRf), a measure of incentive motivation, were examined following treatment with three 5-HT 2C receptor ligands: the agonist CP809101 (0.25-3 mg/kg), the antagonist SB242084 (0.25-1 mg/kg), or the antagonist/inverse agonist SB206553 (1-5 mg/kg). We further tested whether doses of these compounds that changed locomotor activity and responding for a CRf (1 mg/kg CP809101, 0.5 mg/kg SB242084, or 2.5 mg/kg SB206553) also altered NAc DA release using in vivo microdialysis in anesthetized mice. CP809101 reduced locomotor activity, responding for a CRf, and NAc DA release. In contrast, both SB242084 and SB206553 enhanced locomotor activity, responding for a CRf, and NAc DA release, although higher doses of SB206553 produced opposite behavioral effects. Pretreatment with the non-selective DA receptor antagonist α-flupenthixol prevented SB242084 from enhancing responding for a CRf. Thus blocking tonic 5-HT 2C receptor signaling can release serotonergic inhibition of mesolimbic DA activity and enhance reward-related behavior. The observed bidirectional effects of 5-HT 2C receptor ligands may have important implications when considering the 5-HT 2C receptor as a therapeutic target for psychiatric disorders, particularly those presenting with motivational dysfunctions.

  13. Heterologous Expression of Moss Light-harvesting Complex Stress-related 1 (LHCSR1), the Chlorophyll a-Xanthophyll Pigment-protein Complex Catalyzing Non-photochemical Quenching, in Nicotiana sp.*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinnola, Alberta; Ghin, Leonardo; Gecchele, Elisa; Merlin, Matilde; Alboresi, Alessandro; Avesani, Linda; Pezzotti, Mario; Capaldi, Stefano; Cazzaniga, Stefano; Bassi, Roberto

    2015-01-01

    Oxygenic photosynthetic organisms evolved mechanisms for thermal dissipation of energy absorbed in excess to prevent formation of reactive oxygen species. The major and fastest component, called non-photochemical quenching, occurs within the photosystem II antenna system by the action of two essential light-harvesting complex (LHC)-like proteins, photosystem II subunit S (PSBS) in plants and light-harvesting complex stress-related (LHCSR) in green algae and diatoms. In the evolutionary intermediate Physcomitrella patens, a moss, both gene products are active. These proteins, which are present in low amounts, are difficult to purify, preventing structural and functional analysis. Here, we report on the overexpression of the LHCSR1 protein from P. patens in the heterologous systems Nicotiana benthamiana and Nicotiana tabacum using transient and stable nuclear transformation. We show that the protein accumulated in both heterologous systems is in its mature form, localizes in the chloroplast thylakoid membranes, and is correctly folded with chlorophyll a and xanthophylls but without chlorophyll b, an essential chromophore for plants and algal LHC proteins. Finally, we show that recombinant LHCSR1 is active in quenching in vivo, implying that the recombinant protein obtained is a good material for future structural and functional studies. PMID:26260788

  14. The lateral dominance in 182 children: 1. the antimeres, the praxias, the struture-perfomance relation

    OpenAIRE

    Jordy, Ceme Ferreira

    1995-01-01

    182 crianças normais de 6 a 14 anos de idade foram neurologicamente examinadas. Os resultados relacionados à dominância lateral revelaram 156 (85,71%) destros, 8 (4,39%) canhotos e 18 (9,89%) com dominância indeterminada. O conceito de ambidestrismo fundamentado na equivalência de competência motora entre os antímeros foi rejeitado. A análise dos resultados leva a fundamentar na interação 'indivíduo-universo', a formação da dominância lateral. Considera-se nesta interação a aquisição de praxi...

  15. Heterologous expression of plasmodial proteins for structural studies and functional annotation

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Birkholtz, LM

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Malaria Journal Open AcceReview Heterologous expression of plasmodial proteins for structural studies and functional annotation Lyn-Marie Birkholtz1, Gregory Blatch2, Theresa L Coetzer3, Heinrich C Hoppe1,4, Esmaré Human1, Elizabeth J Morris1,5, Zoleka Ngcete..., Kwadlangezwa, South Africa Email: Lyn-Marie Birkholtz - lbirkholtz@up.ac.za; Gregory Blatch - G.Blatch@ru.ac.za; Theresa L Coetzer - theresa.coetzer@nhls.ac.za; Heinrich C Hoppe - hhoppe@csir.co.za; Esmaré Human - esmare.human@up.ac.za; Elizabeth J Morris...

  16. Avaliação da atividade antioxidante em diferentes extratos da polpa e sementes da romã (Punica granatum, L. Antioxidant activity evaluation of different polarities extracts by pulp and seeds of pomegranate (Punica granatum, L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernanda Archilla Jardini

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available Avaliou-se a atividade antioxidante dos extratos etéreo, alcoólico e aquoso obtidos da polpa e das sementes da romã (Punica granatum, L., utilizando-se dois sistemas: 1 co-oxidação do beta-caroteno/ácido linoléico e 2 Rancimat®. Inicialmente foram determinados os compostos redutores presentes na polpa (1.214 mg/100 g e nas sementes (1.732 mg/100 g e, em seqüência, avaliou-se nos extratos, através de cromatografia em camada delgada (CCD, a presença de compostos fenólicos com atividade antioxidante. Os extratos aquosos tanto da polpa quanto das sementes apresentaram as maiores porcentagens de inibição da oxidação: 87,31% e 93,08%, respectivamente. Através da avaliação cinética pelo teste de co-oxidação com beta-caroteno e ácido linoléico, pôde-se verificar que a alta porcentagem da atividade antioxidante dos extratos aquosos é devida à capacidade de inibir a oxidação nas fases inicial e mais avançada do processo oxidativo, agindo por mecanismos primário e secundário. Todos os extratos (etéreo, alcoólico e aquoso apresentaram elevada capacidade em prolongar o período de indução da oxidação, medida pelo aparelho Rancimat®, sendo, ainda, significativamente (pIn etheric, alcoholic and aqueous extracts obtained from pomegranate (Punica granatum, L. pulp and seeds their antioxidant activity was evaluated by using two systems: co-oxidation of beta-carotene/linoleic acid and 2 Rancimat®. First of all, the presence of reducing compounds was detected in the pulp (1,214 mg/100 g and in the seeds (1,732 mg/100 g. The phenolic compounds with antioxidant activity were then evaluated in the extracts using thin-layer chromatography (TLC. The aqueous extracts from the pulp and the seeds showed the highest antioxidant activity of 87.31% and of 93.08%, respectively. The kinetic curves obtained by cooxidation of beta-carotene and linoleic acid substrates also showed the highest values in the aqueous. These results were

  17. Herança da resistência a Watermelon mosaic virus em melancia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lindomar Maria da Silveira

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Entre as doenças que ocorrem na cultura da melancia (Citrullus lanatus, a virose ocasionada por Watermelon mosaic virus (WMV se destaca entre as principais, sendo a resistência genética a forma mais indicada de controle. Dessa forma, é importante o conhecimento do controle genético da resistência que se pretende trabalhar. Objetivando estudar a herança da resistência ao WMV em melancia, foram realizados cruzamentos entre o cultivar Crimson Sweet (CS suscetível e a linha L26 resistente. Populações segregantes e não segregantes obtidas dos cruzamentos foram inoculadas com um isolado de WMV e avaliadas quanto ao aparecimento de sintomas e à presença do vírus por testes de ELISA indireto contra antissoro específico para WMV. A hipótese de herança monogênica foi avaliada em diferentes graus médios de dominância e pelo método da máxima verossimilhança. Foram obtidas variâncias genética (σ²G, ambiental (σ²E, fenotípica (σ²F2, aditiva (σ²A e de dominância (σ²D, herdabilidades nos sentidos amplo (h²a e restrito (h²r. A herança monogênica foi rejeitada. O grau médio de dominância indicou efeito de dominância completa. As herdabilidades no sentido amplo foram baixas; portanto, constatou-se que o controle da resistência a WMV nas populações de melancia estudadas é do tipo oligogênica, com presença de efeitos aditivos e não aditivos e presença de genes maiores e poligenes.

  18. Hypothalamic digoxin, hemispheric chemical dominance and sarcoidosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ravi Kumar, A; Kurup, Parameswara Achutha

    2004-06-01

    The isoprenoid pathway produces three key metabolites: endogenous digoxin (membrane sodium-potassium ATPase inhibitor, immunomodulator and regulator of neurotransmitter/amino acid transport), dolichol (regulates N-glycosylation of proteins) and ubiquinone (free radical scavenger). The role of the isoprenoid pathway in the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis in relation to hemispheric dominance was studied. The isoprenoid pathway-related cascade was assessed in patients with systemic sarcoidosis with pulmonary involvement. The pathway was also assessed in patients with right hemispheric, left hemispheric and bihemispheric dominance for comparison to find out the role of hemispheric dominance in the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis. In patients with sarcoidosis there was elevated digoxin synthesis, increased dolichol and glycoconjugate levels and low ubiquinone and elevated free radical levels. There was also an increase in tryptophan catabolites and a reduction in tyrosine catabolites. There was an increase in the cholesterol:phospholipid ratio and a reduction in the glycoconjugate level of red blood cell (RBC) membrane in this group of patients. The same biochemical patterns were obtained in individuals with right hemispheric dominance. In individuals with left hemispheric dominance the patterns were reversed. Endogenous digoxin, by activating the calcineurin signal transduction pathway of T cells, can contribute to immune activation in sarcoidosis. An altered glycoconjugate metabolism can lead to the generation of endogenous self-glycoprotein antigens in the lung as well as other tissues. Increased free radical generation can also lead to immune activation. The role of a dysfunctional isoprenoid pathway and endogenous digoxin in the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis in relation to right hemispheric chemical dominance is discussed. All the patients with sarcoidosis were right-handed/left hemispheric dominant according to the dichotic listening test, but their biochemical patterns

  19. Autocorrelation descriptor improvements for QSAR: 2DA_Sign and 3DA_Sign

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sliwoski, Gregory; Mendenhall, Jeffrey; Meiler, Jens

    2016-03-01

    Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) is a branch of computer aided drug discovery that relates chemical structures to biological activity. Two well established and related QSAR descriptors are two- and three-dimensional autocorrelation (2DA and 3DA). These descriptors encode the relative position of atoms or atom properties by calculating the separation between atom pairs in terms of number of bonds (2DA) or Euclidean distance (3DA). The sums of all values computed for a given small molecule are collected in a histogram. Atom properties can be added with a coefficient that is the product of atom properties for each pair. This procedure can lead to information loss when signed atom properties are considered such as partial charge. For example, the product of two positive charges is indistinguishable from the product of two equivalent negative charges. In this paper, we present variations of 2DA and 3DA called 2DA_Sign and 3DA_Sign that avoid information loss by splitting unique sign pairs into individual histograms. We evaluate these variations with models trained on nine datasets spanning a range of drug target classes. Both 2DA_Sign and 3DA_Sign significantly increase model performance across all datasets when compared with traditional 2DA and 3DA. Lastly, we find that limiting 3DA_Sign to maximum atom pair distances of 6 Å instead of 12 Å further increases model performance, suggesting that conformational flexibility may hinder performance with longer 3DA descriptors. Consistent with this finding, limiting the number of bonds in 2DA_Sign from 11 to 5 fails to improve performance.

  20. Domination versus disjunctive domination in graphs | Henning ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Domination versus disjunctive domination in graphs. Michael A Henning, Sinclair A Marcon. Abstract. A dominating set in a graph G is a set S of vertices of G such that every vertex not in S is adjacent to a vertex of S. The domination number of G is the minimum cardinality of a dominating set of G. For a positive integer b, ...

  1. The efficacy of chimeric vaccines constructed with PEP-1 and Ii-Key linking to a hybrid epitope from heterologous viruses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Xue-lan; Shan, Wen-jie; Xu, Shan-shan; Zhang, Jin-jing; Xu, Fa-zhi; Xia, Sheng-lin; Dai, Yin

    2015-09-01

    The heterologous epitope-peptide from different viruses may represent an attractive candidate vaccine. In order to evaluate the role of cell-permeable peptide (PEP-1) and Ii-Key moiety from the invariant chain (Ii) of MHC on the heterologous peptide chimeras, we linked the two vehicles to hybrid epitopes on the VP2 protein (aa197-209) of the infectious bursal disease virus and HN protein (aa345-353) of the Newcastle disease virus. The chimeric vaccines were prepared and injected into mice. The immune effects were measured by indirect ELISA. The results showed that the vehicle(s) could significantly boost immune effects against the heterologous epitope peptide. The Ii-Key-only carrier induced more effective immunological responses, compared with the PEP-1 and Ii-Key hybrid vehicle. The carrier-peptide hybrids all showed strong colocalization with major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules compared with the epitope-peptide (weakly-binding) after co-transfection into 293T cells. Together, our results lay the groundwork for designing new hybrid vaccines based on Ii-Key and/or PEP-1 peptides. Copyright © 2015 The International Alliance for Biological Standardization. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Heterologous expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of Trichoderma reesei xylanase II and four variants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wan, Qun; Kovalevsky, Andrey; Zhang, Qiu; Hamilton-Brehm, Scott; Upton, Rosalynd; Weiss, Kevin L.; Mustyakimov, Marat; Graham, David; Coates, Leighton; Langan, Paul

    2013-01-01

    The wild-type protein and four active-site mutants of xylanase II from Trichoderma reesei that catalyzes the hydrolysis of glycosidic bonds in xylan have successfully been crystallized. The crystallization of several structures including ligand-free and protein ligand complexes containing the substrate (xylohexaose) or product (xylotriose) are detailed. Xylanase II from Trichoderma reesei catalyzes the hydrolysis of glycosidic bonds in xylan. Crystallographic studies of this commercially important enzyme have been initiated to investigate its reaction mechanism, substrate binding and dependence on basic pH conditions. The wild-type protein was heterologously expressed in an Escherichia coli host using the defined medium and four active-site amino acids were replaced to abolish its activity (E177Q and E86Q) or to change its pH optimum (N44D and N44H). Cation-exchange and size-exclusion chromatography were used to obtain >90% protein purity. The ligand-free proteins and variant complexes containing substrate (xylohexaose) or product (xylotriose) were crystallized in several different space groups and diffracted to high resolutions (from 1.07 to 1.55 Å)

  3. Contribuições da Teoria Ator-Rede para o Estudo da Sustentabilidade

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simone Alves Pacheco de Campos

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available A sustentabilidade, hoje tema tão em voga, tem suas origens na questão ambiental. Pode-se dizer que a base dos problemas ambientais remonta ao início da ciência, onde o homem, afastando-se da natureza, busca melhor compreendê-la e desenvolver técnicas para dominá-la. Na década de 80, com a promulgação da ideia de desenvolvimento sustentável, a questão social mostra-se intrinsicamente relacionada à ambiental, já não sendo possível tratá-las de modo isolado. Sendo assim, o presente ensaio tem por objetivo apresentar as contribuições da Teoria Ator-Rede (TAR para o estudo da sustentabilidade nas organizações. Esta traz contribuições importantes para os estudos na área, por se tratar de um a teoria que propõe uma modificação em relação ao que se entende por “social”, avançando-se para uma sociologia de associações, onde humanos e não-humanos tem poder de agência. Considerando, de forma específica, os conceitos utilizados pela TAR, nota-se que, especialmente os conceitos de simetria, híbridos, redes, sociologia das associações fornecem ricas discussões no que tange à sustentabilidade.

  4. Dedifferentiated Leiomyosarcoma of the Uterus with Heterologous Elements: A Potential Diagnostic Pitfall

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kojo R. Rawish

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Dedifferentiation is a phenomenon that is well characterized in a variety of tumors and is defined by the occurrence of a high-grade or undifferentiated tumor, typically unrecognizable regarding its line of differentiation, from a low-grade/borderline neoplasm. This phenomenon has previously been described in 2 uterine leiomyosarcomas, but both were devoid of heterologous elements. The authors describe herein a case of a dedifferentiated leiomyosarcoma of the uterus with osteoid heterologous elements, believed to be the first such reported case. The original tumor was a high-grade leiomyosarcoma with large low-grade and leiomyoma-like areas and whose constituent cells displayed intense nuclear immunoreactivity for both estrogen receptor (ER and progesterone receptor (PR in approximately 30% of cells. The tumor recurred six months after its resection as an undifferentiated sarcoma that was negative for smooth muscle markers, but which remained positive for ER and PR. Osteoid production was only identified in the recurrent tumor and was significant in extent therein. This case highlights the immunophenotypic changes that may occur in dedifferentiated leiomyosarcomas, and this possibility should be a consideration when an apparently undifferentiated sarcoma is identified in a patient with a history of uterine leiomyosarcoma. In our case, the expression of ER and PR provided significant supportive evidence of the uterine origin of the recurrent tumor.

  5. Vigilance and activity time-budget adjustments of wintering hooded cranes, Grus monacha, in human-dominated foraging habitats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Chunlin; Zhou, Lizhi; Xu, Li; Zhao, Niannian; Beauchamp, Guy

    2015-01-01

    Due to loss and degradation of natural wetlands, waterbirds increasingly rely on surrounding human-dominated habitats to obtain food. Quantifying vigilance patterns, investigating the trade-off among various activities, and examining the underlying mechanisms will help us understand how waterbirds adapt to human-caused disturbances. During two successive winters (November-February of 2012-13 and 2013-14), we studied the hooded crane, Grus monacha, in the Shengjin Lake National Nature Reserve (NNR), China, to investigate how the species responds to human disturbances through vigilance and activity time-budget adjustments. Our results showed striking differences in the behavior of the cranes when foraging in the highly disturbed rice paddy fields found in the buffer zone compared with the degraded natural wetlands in the core area of the NNR. Time spent vigilant decreased with flock size and cranes spent more time vigilant in the human-dominated buffer zone. In the rice paddy fields, the birds were more vigilant but also fed more at the expense of locomotion and maintenance activities. Adult cranes spent more time vigilant and foraged less than juveniles. We recommend habitat recovery in natural wetlands and community co-management in the surrounding human-dominated landscape for conservation of the hooded crane and, generally, for the vast numbers of migratory waterbirds wintering in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River floodplain.

  6. Comparison of secretory signal peptides for heterologous protein expression in microalgae: Expanding the secretion portfolio for Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    João Vitor Dutra Molino

    Full Text Available Efficient protein secretion is a desirable trait for any recombinant protein expression system, together with simple, low-cost, and defined media, such as the typical media used for photosynthetic cultures of microalgae. However, low titers of secreted heterologous proteins are usually obtained, even with the most extensively studied microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, preventing their industrial application. In this study, we aimed to expand and evaluate secretory signal peptides (SP for heterologous protein secretion in C. reinhardtii by comparing previously described SP with untested sequences. We compared the SPs from arylsulfatase 1 and carbonic anhydrase 1, with those of untried SPs from binding protein 1, an ice-binding protein, and six sequences identified in silico. We identified over 2000 unique SPs using the SignalP 4.0 software. mCherry fluorescence was used to compare the protein secretion of up to 96 colonies for each construct, non-secretion construct, and parental wild-type cc1690 cells. Supernatant fluorescence varied according to the SP used, with a 10-fold difference observed between the highest and lowest secretors. Moreover, two SPs identified in silico secreted the highest amount of mCherry. Our results demonstrate that the SP should be carefully selected and that efficient sequences can be coded in the C. reinhardtii genome. The SPs described here expand the portfolio available for research on heterologous protein secretion and for biomanufacturing applications.

  7. ANTIGENIC RELATEDNESS OF SELECTED FLAVIVIRUSES: STUDY WITH HOMOLOGOUS AND HETEROLOGOUS IMMUNE MOUSE ASCITIC FLUIDS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S.S. BABA

    1998-11-01

    Full Text Available The antigenic relationship of 9 flaviviruses, Yellow fever (YF , Wesselsbron (WSL , Uganda S (UGS , Potiskum (POT, West Nile (WN , Banzi (BAN , Zika (ZK , Dengue type 1 (DEN-1 and Dengue type 2 (DEN-2, was assessed by cross-haemagglutination-inhibition (Cross-HI and cross-complement fixation (Cross-CF reactions between each of the viruses and their homologous immune mouse ascitic fluids. Titre ratios were calculated using the heterologous and homologous titres. Cross-CF reactions revealed wider antigenic variations among viruses than Cross-HI reactions. There was no significant antigenic variation between WSL, POT and YF viruses using either of those methods. However, definite differences in antigenicity were observed between them and UGS, BAN and ZK viruses. There were no significant differences between UGS, BAN and ZK or between DEN-1 and DEN-2. The serological relationship among flaviviruses is important in establishing diagnosis and epidemiology of these infections in Africa.A relação antigênica de 9 Flavivirus, Febre amarela (YF, Wesselsbron (WSL, Uganda S (UGS, Potiskum (POT, West Nile (WN, Banzi (BAN, Zika (ZK, Dengue tipo 1 (DEN-1 e Dengue tipo2 (DEN-2, foi avaliada por reação de inibição da hemaglutinação cruzada (cross-HI e reação de fixação do complemento cruzada (Cross-CF entre cada um dos virus e seu fluido ascítico homólogo em camundongos. Médias de títulos foram calculadas usando os títulos heterólogos e homólogos. Reações cruzadas CF revelaram maiores variações antigênicas entre virus do que reações cruzadas HI. Não houve variação antigênica significativa entre virus WSL, POT e YF usando cada um dos métodos. Todavia, diferenças definidas da antigenicidade foram observadas entre eles e os vírus UGS, BAN e ZK. Não existiram diferenças significativas entre UGS, BAN e ZK ou entre DEN-1 e DEN-2. A relação sorológica entre Flavivirus é importante para se estabelecer o diagnóstico e a

  8. A Salmonella typhimurium ghost vaccine induces cytokine expression in vitro and immune responses in vivo and protects rats against homologous and heterologous challenges.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nagarajan Vinod

    Full Text Available Salmonella enteritidis and Salmonella typhimurium are important food-borne bacterial pathogens, which are responsible for diarrhea and gastroenteritis in humans and animals. In this study, S. typhimurium bacterial ghost (STG was generated based on minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC of sodium hydroxide (NaOH. Experimental studies performed using in vitro and in vivo experimental model systems to characterize effects of STG as a vaccine candidate. When compared with murine macrophages (RAW 264.7 exposed to PBS buffer (98.1%, the macrophages exposed to formalin-killed inactivated cells (FKC, live wild-type bacterial cells and NaOH-induced STG at 1 × 108 CFU/mL showed 85.6%, 66.5% and 84.6% cell viability, respectively. It suggests that STG significantly reduces the cytotoxic effect of wild-type bacterial cells. Furthermore, STG is an excellent inducer for mRNAs of pro-inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α, IL-1β and factor (iNOS, anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10 and dual activities (IL-6 in the stimulated macrophage cells. In vivo, STG vaccine induced humoral and cellular immune responses and protection against homologous and heterologous challenges in rats. Furthermore, the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of STG vaccine were compared with those of FKC and non-vaccinated PBS control groups. The vaccinated rats from STG group exhibited higher levels of serum IgG antibody responses, serum bactericidal antibodies, and CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell populations than those of the FKC and PBS control groups. Most importantly, after challenge with homologous and heterologous strains, the bacterial loads in the STG group were markedly lower than the FKC and PBS control groups. In conclusion, these findings suggest that the STG vaccine induces protective immunity against homologous and heterologous challenges.

  9. Genetic diversity of b-glucuronidase activity among 14 strains of the dominant human gut anaerobe Ruminococcus gnavus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Diane Beaud

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Bacterial beta-glucuronidase activity in the gut increases the enterohepatic circulation of toxic compounds and plays a major role in the etiology of colon cancer. Previously, we had found that the gus gene, which codes for beta-glucuronidase in a dominant anaerobic species of the gut microbiota, Ruminococcus gnavus strain E1, is transcribed as part of an operon that includes three ORFs that code for beta-glucoside permeases of the phosphotransferase systems. This genetic organization had never been described. We have now compared beta-glucuronidase activity and the genetic environment of the gus gene in 14 strains of Ruminococcus gnavus.We found that five out of the seven glucuronidase-positive R. gnavus strains possessed another glucuronidase gene different from the gusA operon of R. gnavus E1. This dominant commensal intestinal species appears to have a high degree of genetic diversity in the genes that control beta-glucuronidase activity.

  10. [Dominating motivation in systemic memory mechanisms].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sudakov, K V

    2005-01-01

    The materials provided in the article support the key role of dominating motivation in the systemic processes of fixation and opening of memory mechanisms. The activating mechanisms of dominating motivations in the systemic architectonics of behavioural acts provide the basis for development of a multicomponent acceptor apparatus of an action outcomes broadly represented in various analysing brain sections. As result of enhancement of action outcomes on acceptors structures, molecular behaviour engrammes form within the functional systems. It is these molecular engrammes that are opened by dominating motivations in the same spatial-temporal sequence in which training takes place, and determine deliberate actions of animals. It was demonstrated that dominating motivation opens genetic information with an approximating-exploratory reaction under strong activation of early genes expression, in particular, of c-fos gene protein. Inherent motivation reactions are not blocked by inhibitors of proteins synthesis, by cycloheximide, in particular. In the process of training animals, i.e., satisfaction of the demands which are the basis of dominating motivations, expression of early genes in reduced, while expression of late genes is initiated. In this case, blockators of protein synthesis begin to produce strong inhibiting impact on behaviour of animals.

  11. Responses of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 to heterologous biosynthetic pathways

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vavitsas, Konstantinos; Rue, Emil Østergaard; Stefánsdóttir, Lára Kristín

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND: There are an increasing number of studies regarding genetic manipulation of cyanobacteria to produce commercially interesting compounds. The majority of these works study the expression and optimization of a selected heterologous pathway, largely ignoring the wholeness and complexity...... different compounds, the cyanogenic glucoside dhurrin and the diterpenoid 13R-manoyl oxide in Synechocystis PCC 6803. We used genome-scale metabolic modelling to study fluxes in individual reactions and pathways, and we determined the concentrations of key metabolites, such as amino acids, carotenoids...

  12. Mucosal vaccination with heterologous viral vectored vaccine targeting subdominant SIV accessory antigens strongly inhibits early viral replication

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xu, Huanbin; Andersson, Anne-Marie Carola; Ragonnaud, Emeline

    2017-01-01

    Conventional HIV T cell vaccine strategies have not been successful in containing acute peak viremia, nor in providing long-term control. We immunized rhesus macaques intramuscularly and rectally using a heterologous adenovirus vectored SIV vaccine regimen encoding normally weakly immunogenic tat...

  13. Heterologous expression of biologically active chicken granulocyte ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    user

    2012-02-07

    Feb 7, 2012 ... CD4+ T cells to enhance the ability of secreting antibody and also enhance the function of CD8+ T cells. (Papatriantafyllou, 2011; Tovey and Lallemand, 2010). GM-CSF also is a key regulator of IL-1beta production. Furthermore, It was reported that GM-CSF play a key role in the activation of Th1 and Th17 ...

  14. Biomassa e atividade microbianas do solo sob influência de chumbo e da rizosfera da soja micorrizada Soil microbial biomass and activity under the influence of lead addition and mycorrhizal soybean rhizosphere

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sara Adrián López de Andrade

    2004-12-01

    Full Text Available O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito da adição de chumbo (Pb ao solo na biomassa e atividade microbianas do solo sob influência da rizosfera de soja micorrizada. O trabalho foi realizado em casa de vegetação, com delineamento inteiramente casualizado num esquema fatorial 4x2x2 utilizando-se 0, 150, 300 e 600 mg dm-3 de Pb, inoculação ou não do fungo micorrízico arbuscular (FMA, Glomus macrocarpum, e duas épocas de amostragem - florescimento e maturação da soja. Avaliaram-se o C da biomassa microbiana, a liberação de CO2 do solo e a atividade de três enzimas, desidrogenase, fosfatase alcalina e arilssulfatase. O Pb afetou negativamente o C da biomassa e a atividade da microbiota rizosférica, ocorrendo interação entre a presença de propágulos de FMA e o estádio de desenvolvimento da planta. A atividade da fosfatase alcalina foi a mais afetada pelas altas concentrações de Pb adicionadas ao solo, com redução de 60% na sua atividade, mostrando-se um indicador sensível do estresse metabólico da comunidade microbiana do solo causado pelo excesso de chumbo. A micorrização da soja influenciou de forma direta a microbiota rizosférica, resultando em maior atividade e biomassa, principalmente no estádio de maturação da soja. A microbiota do solo apresentou sintomas de estresse decorrentes da adição de chumbo.The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of lead addition on soil microbial biomass and activity under the influence of the rhizosphere of mycorrhizal soybean. The experimental design was completely randomized and arranged in a 4x2x2 factorial scheme, using 0, 150, 300 and 600 mg dm-3, inoculation or not of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF Glomus macrocarpum and two sampling periods: soybean flowering and maturity. Microbial biomass C, soil respiration and the activity of three soil enzymes (deshydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase and arilsulphatase were determined. The most affected enzyme

  15. Tissue-type plasminogen activator contributes to remodeling of the rat ductus arteriosus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saito, Junichi; Nicho, Naoki; Zheng, Yun-Wen; Ichikawa, Yasuhiro; Ito, Satoko; Umemura, Masanari; Fujita, Takayuki; Ito, Shuichi; Taniguchi, Hideki; Asou, Toshihide; Masuda, Munetaka; Ishikawa, Yoshihiro

    2018-01-01

    Aims The ductus arteriosus (DA) closes after birth to adapt to the robust changes in hemodynamics, which require intimal thickening (IT) to occur. The smooth muscle cells of the DA have been reported to play important roles in IT formation. However, the roles of the endothelial cells (ECs) have not been fully investigated. We herein focused on tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), which is a DA EC dominant gene, and investigated its contribution to IT formation in the DA. Methods and results ECs from the DA and aorta were isolated from fetal rats using fluorescence-activated cell sorting. RT-PCR showed that the t-PA mRNA expression level was 2.7-fold higher in DA ECs than in aortic ECs from full-term rat fetuses (gestational day 21). A strong immunoreaction for t-PA was detected in pre-term and full-term rat DA ECs. t-PA-mediated plasminogen-plasmin conversion activates gelatinase matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Gelatin zymography revealed that plasminogen supplementation significantly promoted activation of the elastolytic enzyme MMP-2 in rat DA ECs. In situ zymography demonstrated that marked gelatinase activity was observed at the site of disruption in the internal elastic laminae (IEL) in full-term rat DA. In a three-dimensional vascular model, EC-mediated plasminogen-plasmin conversion augmented the IEL disruption. In vivo administration of plasminogen to pre-term rat fetuses (gestational day 19), in which IT is poorly formed, promoted IEL disruption accompanied by gelatinase activation and enhanced IT formation in the DA. Additionally, experiments using five human DA tissues demonstrated that the t-PA expression level was 3.7-fold higher in the IT area than in the tunica media. t-PA protein expression and gelatinase activity were also detected in the IT area of the human DAs. Conclusion t-PA expressed in ECs may help to form IT of the DA via activation of MMP-2 and disruption of IEL. PMID:29304073

  16. Consumers, health insurance and dominated choices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinaiko, Anna D; Hirth, Richard A

    2011-03-01

    We analyze employee health plan choices when the choice set offered by their employer includes a dominated plan. During our study period, one-third of workers were enrolled in the dominated plan. Some may have selected the plan before it was dominated and then failed to switch out of it. However, a substantial number actively chose the dominated plan when they had an unambiguously better choice. These results suggest limitations in the ability of health reform based solely on consumer choice to achieve efficient outcomes and that implementation of health reform should anticipate, monitor and account for this consumer behavior. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Dominant Repression by Arabidopsis Transcription Factor MYB44 Causes Oxidative Damage and Hypersensitivity to Abiotic Stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Helene Persak

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available In any living species, stress adaptation is closely linked with major changes of the gene expression profile. As a substrate protein of the rapidly stress-induced mitogen-activated protein kinase MPK3, Arabidopsis transcription factor MYB44 likely acts at the front line of stress-induced re-programming. We recently characterized MYB44 as phosphorylation-dependent positive regulator of salt stress signaling. Molecular events downstream of MYB44 are largely unknown. Although MYB44 binds to the MBSII element in vitro, it has no discernible effect on MBSII-driven reporter gene expression in plant co-transfection assays. This may suggest limited abundance of a synergistic co-regulator. MYB44 carries a putative transcriptional repression (Ethylene responsive element binding factor-associated Amphiphilic Repression, EAR motif. We employed a dominant repressor strategy to gain insights into MYB44-conferred stress resistance. Overexpression of a MYB44-REP fusion markedly compromised salt and drought stress tolerance—the opposite was seen in MYB44 overexpression lines. MYB44-mediated resistance likely results from induction of tolerance-enhancing, rather than from repression of tolerance-diminishing factors. Salt stress-induced accumulation of destructive reactive oxygen species is efficiently prevented in transgenic MYB44, but accelerated in MYB44-REP lines. Furthermore, heterologous overexpression of MYB44-REP caused tissue collapse in Nicotiana. A mechanistic model of MAPK-MYB-mediated enhancement in the antioxidative capacity and stress tolerance is proposed. Genetic engineering of MYB44 variants with higher trans-activating capacity may be a means to further raise stress resistance in crops.

  18. Influence of the language dominant hemisphere on the activation region of the cerebral cortex during mastication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsushima, Yasuhiko

    2005-01-01

    We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine the relationship of the activation region of the cerebral cortex during mastication with the language dominant hemisphere. Twelve healthy subjects were asked to chew a special gum 50 times on each side of the mouth, the gum changed color, becoming a deeper red, as it was chewed. The depth of red of the chewed gum was used to ascertain the habitual masticatory side. Measurements were also performed on a conventional whole body 1.5 T clinical scanner using a single shot, multislice echo-planar imaging sequence. The subjects were asked to masticate first on the right side, and then on the left side. As well, they were instructed to do a shiritori test, which is a word game. Computer analysis of the fMRI was done using statistical parametric mapping (SPM) 99 software (p<0.001, paired t-test). We found that the sensorimotor cortex activated by masticatory movements always contains language dominant hemisphere. (author)

  19. Further enhanced production of heterologous proteins by double-gene disruption (ΔAosedD ΔAovps10) in a hyper-producing mutant of Aspergillus oryzae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Lin; Maruyama, Jun-ichi; Kitamoto, Katsuhiko

    2013-07-01

    The filamentous fungus Aspergillus oryzae is used as one of the most favored hosts for heterologous protein production due to its ability to secrete large amounts of proteins into the culture medium. We previously generated a hyper-producing mutant strain of A. oryzae, AUT1, which produced 3.2- and 2.6-fold higher levels of bovine chymosin (CHY) and human lysozyme (HLY), respectively, compared with the wild-type strain. However, further enhancement of heterologous protein production by multiple gene disruption is difficult because of the low gene-targeting efficiency in strain AUT1. Here, we disrupted the ligD gene, which is involved in nonhomologous recombination, and the pyrG gene to create uridine/uracil auxotrophy in strain AUT1, to generate a hyper-producing mutant applicable to pyrG marker recycling with highly efficient gene targeting. We generated single and double disruptants of the tripeptidyl peptidase gene AosedD and vacuolar sorting receptor gene Aovps10 in the hyper-producing mutant background, and found that all disruptants showed significant increases in heterologous protein production. Particularly, double disruption of the Aovps10 and AosedD genes increased the production levels of CHY and HLY by 1.6- and 2.1-fold, respectively, compared with the parental strain. Thus, we successfully generated a fungal host for further enhancing the heterologous protein production ability by combining mutational and molecular breeding techniques.

  20. Changes in homologous and heterologous gap junction contacts during maturation-inducing hormone-dependent meiotic resumption in ovarian follicles of Atlantic croaker

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bolamba, D.; Patino, R.; Yoshizaki, G.; Thomas, P.

    2003-01-01

    Homologous (granulosa cell-granulosa cell) gap junction (GJ) contacts increase in ovarian follicles of Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus) during the early (first) stage of maturation, but their profile during the second stage [i.e., during maturation-inducing hormone (MIH)-mediated meiotic resumption] is unknown. The profile of homologous GJ contacts during the second stage of maturation in croaker follicles was examined in this study and compared to that of heterologous (granulosa cell-oocyte) GJ, for which changes have been previously documented. Follicles were incubated with human chorionic gonadotropin to induce maturational competence (first stage), and then with MIH to induce meiotic resumption. The follicles were collected for examination immediately before and after different durations of MIH exposure until the oocyte had reached the stage of germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD; index of meiotic resumption). Ultrathin sections were observed by transmission electron microscopy, and homologous and heterologous GJ contacts were quantified along a 100-??m segment of granulosa cell-zona radiata complex per follicle (three follicles/time/fish, n=3 fish). Relatively high numbers of both types of GJ were observed before and after the first few hours of MIH exposure (up to the stage of oil droplet coalescence). GJ numbers declined during partial yolk globule coalescence (at or near GVBD) and were just under 50% of starting values after the completion of GVBD (P<0.05). These results confirm earlier observations that GVBD temporally correlates with declining heterologous GJ contacts, and for the first time in teleosts show that there is a parallel decline in homologous GJ. The significance of the changes in homologous and heterologous GJ is uncertain and deserves further study. ?? 2003 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.

  1. Natural regeneration of deforested areas dominated by Pteridium aquilinum (L. Kuhn located in the serra da mantiqueira mountain range

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Selma Cristina Ribeiro

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available This study was set out with the objective of analyzing successional process in areas which are deforested and dominated by Pteridium aquilinum in the Serra da Mantiqueira mountain range, by researching the natural regeneration of shrub and tree species and evaluating both disturbance history and the edaphic conditions on the natural regeneration community. This research investigated two abandoned pasture areas in Bocaina de Minas county exposed to natural regeneration intervals ranging from six years (area named 6A to twenty years (area named 20A. The inventory occurred from sixty plots of 10 m², where all samples surveyed were between 0.15 m and 3 m high. All samples were identified and both the diameter in ground level and total height of the specimens were measured. The survey totaled 1,159 samples and 53 species. Melastomataceae was registered with the highest species richness and the highest specimen abundance. The two sampled areas showed species composition differences, with Jaccard similarity coefficient equal to 3.7%. The canonical correspondence analysis showed the correlations between natural regeneration stratum and non-labile phosphorus and clay in the 6A area. On the other hand, the 20A area showed correlations between plant regeneration and the K, P, Ca²+, Al³+ levels, with higher pH levels, and with the sum of exchangeable bases. In addition, the vegetation surveyed in area 20A was correlated with higher Pteridium population density. The results showed that the dominance of Pteridium aquilinum leads to successional process under inhibition, in which the ferns act negatively on the richness and abundance of shrub populations. It was also confirmed the Pteridium's affinity to steep areas, mainly in higher altitudes, where the soil is acid, as well as its preference to disturbed areas. Moreover, we highlight the fragilities of the mountain environments and the importance of preserving natural vegetation, as well as the bracken

  2. Bilingual Word Recognition in Deaf and Hearing Signers: Effects of Proficiency and Language Dominance on Cross-Language Activation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morford, Jill P.; Kroll, Judith F.; Piñar, Pilar; Wilkinson, Erin

    2014-01-01

    Recent evidence demonstrates that American Sign Language (ASL) signs are active during print word recognition in deaf bilinguals who are highly proficient in both ASL and English. In the present study, we investigate whether signs are active during print word recognition in two groups of unbalanced bilinguals: deaf ASL-dominant and hearing…

  3. Impact of High-Level Expression of Heterologous Protein on Lactococcus lactis Host.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Mina; Jin, Yerin; An, Hyun-Joo; Kim, Jaehan

    2017-07-28

    The impact of overproduction of a heterologous protein on the metabolic system of host Lactococcus lactis was investigated. The protein expression profiles of L. lactis IL1403 containing two near-identical plasmids that expressed high- and low-level of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) were examined via shotgun proteomics. Analysis of the two strains via high-throughput LC-MS/MS proteomics identified the expression of 294 proteins. The relative amount of each protein in the proteome of both strains was determined by label-free quantification using the spectral counting method. Although expression level of most proteins were similar, several significant alterations in metabolic network were identified in the high GFP-producing strain. These changes include alterations in the pyruvate fermentation pathway, oxidative pentose phosphate pathway, and de novo synthesis pathway for pyrimidine RNA. Expression of enzymes for the synthesis of dTDP-rhamnose and N -acetylglucosamine from glucose was suppressed in the high GFP strain. In addition, enzymes involved in the amino acid synthesis or interconversion pathway were downregulated. The most noticeable changes in the high GFP-producing strain were a 3.4-fold increase in the expression of stress response and chaperone proteins and increase of caseinolytic peptidase family proteins. Characterization of these host expression changes witnessed during overexpression of GFP was might suggested the metabolic requirements and networks that may limit protein expression, and will aid in the future development of lactococcal hosts to produce more heterologous protein.

  4. Lower Limb Symmetry: Comparison of Muscular Power Between Dominant and Nondominant Legs in Healthy Young Adults Associated With Single-Leg-Dominant Sports.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaisman, Alex; Guiloff, Rodrigo; Rojas, Juan; Delgado, Iris; Figueroa, David; Calvo, Rafael

    2017-12-01

    Achieving a symmetrical power performance (difference power between the dominant and nondominant legs in healthy young adults, (2) evaluate the effect of a single-leg-dominant sport activity performed at the professional level, and (3) propose a parameter of normality for maximal power difference in the lower limbs of this young adult population. Controlled laboratory study. A total of 78 healthy, male, young adults were divided into 2 groups according to sport activity level. Group 1 consisted of 51 nonathletes (mean ± SD age, 20.8 ± 1.5 years; weight, 71.9 ± 10.5 kg) who participated in less than 8 hours a week of recreational physical activity with nonspecific training; group 2 consisted of 27 single-leg-dominant professional soccer players (age, 18.4 ± 0.6 years; weight, 70.1 ± 7.5 kg) who specifically trained and competed at their particular activity 8 hours or more a week. For assessment of maximal leg power, both groups completed the single-leg squat jump test. Dominance was determined when participants completed 2 of 3 specific tests with the same extremity. Statistical analysis included the Student t test. No statistical difference was found for maximal power between dominant and nondominant legs for nonathletes ( t = -1.01, P = .316) or single-leg-dominant professional soccer players ( t = -1.10, P = .281). A majority (95%) of participants studied showed a power difference of less than 15% between their lower extremities. Among young healthy adults, symmetrical power performance is expected between lower extremities independent of the existence of dominance and difference in sport activity level. A less than 15% difference in power seems to be a proper parameter to define symmetrical power performance assessed by vertical single-leg jump tests.

  5. Heterologous Synapsis and Crossover Suppression in Heterozygotes for a Pericentric Inversion in the Zebra Finch.

    Science.gov (United States)

    del Priore, Lucía; Pigozzi, María I

    2015-01-01

    In the zebra finch, 2 alternative morphs regarding centromere position were described for chromosome 6. This polymorphism was interpreted to be the result of a pericentric inversion, but other causes of the centromere repositioning were not ruled out. We used immunofluorescence localization to examine the distribution of MLH1 foci on synaptonemal complexes to test the prediction that pericentric inversions cause synaptic irregularities and/or crossover suppression in heterozygotes. We found complete suppression of crossing over in the region involved in the rearrangement in male and female heterozygotes. In contrast, the same region showed high levels of crossing over in homozygotes for the acrocentric form of this chromosome. No inversion loops or synaptic irregularities were detected along bivalent 6 in heterozygotes suggesting that heterologous pairing is achieved during zygotene or early pachytene. Altogether these findings strongly indicate that the polymorphic chromosome 6 originated by a pericentric inversion. Since inversions are common rearrangements in karyotypic evolution in birds, it seems likely that early heterologous pairing could help to fix these rearrangements, preventing crossing overs in heterozygotes and their deleterious effects on fertility. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  6. Antioxidant Activity of Dominant Plants Species in Obat Pahit from Lingga Malay Ethnic in Riau Archipelago

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fitmawati Fitmawati

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Obat Pahit is a potion that has been long commonly consumed by Lingga Malay society for generations as stamina keeper. The most dominant plants found in the packaging of the Obat Pahit were namely Bauhunia semibifida, Cnestis palala and Penawa Root (3 species. This research aimed to investigate and determine activity of antioxidant contents in Obat Pahit from five Traditional Medicine Practitioners (TMPs in the district of Lingga. The tested samples were mashed then being soaked into 2 types of solvent: distilled water and methanol, containing HCl 1%. DPPH method was also used in this research. Quantitatively antioxidant activity test of Obat Pahit from the five TMPs by using methanol solvent had extremely highest activity compared to the distilled water solvent. The test, using TLC plate by spraying the extract from three dominant plants with 0.1 mM of DPPH solution, produced a pale-yellow spots at a wavelength of 366 nm. On the other hand, the test using HPLC at wavelengths of 230 nm and 280 nm showed the presence of two dominant secondary metabolites contents: flavonoid and phenolic. IC50 (ppm of Bauhinia semibifida (6.6247, Penawa Root (5.0124 and Cnestis palala (5.9968 were much lower than IC50 of mangosteen’s rind (41.7675, vitamin C (6.6612 and Stimuno drug (8.333. This antioxidant analysis has not been reported previously. This proof contributed greatly to uncovering potentially native natural resources as an indigenous Indonesian drug which is expected to decrease dependence on imported drugs especially imunomodulator, antihypertensive, antidiabet etc. This research would be beneficial and excellent manifestation for the development of natural antioxidant-based medicines from traditional knowledge of Indonesia’s local ethnicities.

  7. Multi-omic profiling of EPO producing Chinese hamster ovary cell panel reveals metabolic adaptation to heterologous protein production

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ley, Daniel; Kazemi Seresht, Ali; Engmark, Mikael

    Heterologous protein production in CHO cells imposes a burden on the host cell metabolism and impact cellular physiology on a global scale. In this work, a multi-omics approach was applied to characterize the physiological impact of erythropoietin production, and discover production bottlenecks, ...

  8. Pectin methylesterase activity determined by different methods and thermal inactivation of exogenous pme in mango juice Determinação da atividade da pectina metilesterase por diferentes métodos e inativação térmica da PME exógena no suco de manga

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samantha Lemke Gonzalez

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Pectin methylesterase (PME hydrolyzes methyl ester groups in pectin chains to form carboxylic groups, releasing methanol and H3O+. The aim of this study was to determine PME activity in samples of pectinases by UV-VIS spectroscopy, to measure the acid and methanol produced in the reaction of pectin with pectinase and to verify the thermal inactivation of exogenous PME in mango juice. The activity of PME in samples of pectinase was determined by potentiometry, UV-VIS spectroscopy, and by the action of alcohol oxidase. The reaction showed greater activity at pH 4.0 to 4.5 and at a temperature of 45° C. PME activity determined by UV-VIS spectroscopy with bromophenol blue indicator showed a good correlation with the activity determined by potentiometry and with alcohol oxidase. The results showed that bromophenol blue indicators can be used to determine PME activity in samples of pectinases where the optimum pH is located in the acidic range. The thermal inactivation of exogenous PME in mango juice occurred at 75° C for 20 min of exposure.A PME hidrolisa os grupos metil éster na cadeia da pectina, formando grupos carboxílicos, liberando metanol e H3O+. Objetivou-se, com o presente estudo, determinar a atividade da PME em amostras de pectinases por espectroscopia Uv-vis para quantificar o ácido e o metanol produzido na reação da pectina com as pectinases e verificar a inativação térmica da PME exógena no suco de manga. A atividade da PME nas três amostras de pectinases foi determinada por potenciometria, espectroscopia Uv-Vis, e pela ação da álcool oxidase. A reação mostrou uma maior atividade em H de 4,0 a 4,5 e a temperatura de 45º C. A atividade da PME, determinada por UV-Vis com o indicador azul de bromofenol apresentou uma boa correlação com a atividade determinada por potenciometria e com a álcool oxidase. Os resultados mostraram que o indicador azul de bromofenol pode ser utilizado para determinar a atividade da PME em

  9. A new black Aspergillus species, A. vadensis, is a promising host for homologous and heterologous protein production

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    de Vries, R.P.; Burgers, K.; van de Vondervoort, P.J.I

    2004-01-01

    A new species of the group of black aspergilli, Aspergillus vadensis, was analyzed for its potential as a host for homologous and heterologous protein production. Unlike the other black aspergilli, this strain does not acidify the culture medium when nitrate is the nitrogen source and only produces...... very low levels of extracellular proteases, mainly serine metalloproteases. The stability of A. tubingensis feruloyl esterase A (FaeA) was compared upon production in wild-type A. vadensis, A. tubingensis, and an A. niger strain in which the three main protease-encoding genes were disrupted....... The production of FaeA in A. vadensis resulted in larger amounts of intact protein than production in A. tubingensis and was similar to production in an A. niger protease disruptant, confirming in vivo the low proteolytic activity of A. vadensis. The protoplast formation and transformation efficiencies of A...

  10. Total Domination Versus Paired-Domination in Regular Graphs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cyman Joanna

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available A subset S of vertices of a graph G is a dominating set of G if every vertex not in S has a neighbor in S, while S is a total dominating set of G if every vertex has a neighbor in S. If S is a dominating set with the additional property that the subgraph induced by S contains a perfect matching, then S is a paired-dominating set. The domination number, denoted γ(G, is the minimum cardinality of a dominating set of G, while the minimum cardinalities of a total dominating set and paired-dominating set are the total domination number, γt(G, and the paired-domination number, γpr(G, respectively. For k ≥ 2, let G be a connected k-regular graph. It is known [Schaudt, Total domination versus paired domination, Discuss. Math. Graph Theory 32 (2012 435–447] that γpr(G/γt(G ≤ (2k/(k+1. In the special case when k = 2, we observe that γpr(G/γt(G ≤ 4/3, with equality if and only if G ≅ C5. When k = 3, we show that γpr(G/γt(G ≤ 3/2, with equality if and only if G is the Petersen graph. More generally for k ≥ 2, if G has girth at least 5 and satisfies γpr(G/γt(G = (2k/(k + 1, then we show that G is a diameter-2 Moore graph. As a consequence of this result, we prove that for k ≥ 2 and k ≠ 57, if G has girth at least 5, then γpr(G/γt(G ≤ (2k/(k +1, with equality if and only if k = 2 and G ≅ C5 or k = 3 and G is the Petersen graph.

  11. Phytoplankton abundance, dominance and coexistence in an eutrophic reservoir in the state of Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giulliari A. S. T. Lira

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available The present study reports the phytoplankton abundance, dominance and co-existence relationships in the eutrophic Carpina reservoir, Pernambuco, Brazil. Sampling was carried out at six different depths bimonthly at a single reservoir spanning two climatic periods: dry season (January, September, and November 2006 and rainy season (March, May, and July 2006. Density, abundance, dominance, specific diversity and equitability of the community were determined, along with chlorophyll a, and physical and chemical variables of the environment. Eight species were considered abundant, and their densities corresponded to more than 90% of the total phytoplankton community quantified. Cyanobacteria represented more than 80% of this density. Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii was the only dominant taxon in the dry season, and was co-dominant in the rainy season. C. raciborskii, Planktothrix agardhii and Geitlerinema amphibium had the greatest densities and lowest vertical variation coefficients. The statistical analysis indicated relationships with vertical and seasonal variations in the phytoplankton community and the following variables: total dissolved solids, water temperature, electrical conductivity and pH. The changes in the environmental variables were discrete and regulated by the establishment of precipitation however, they were able to promote vertical and seasonal instability in the structure of the phytoplankton community.O presente estudo remete às relações de abundância, dominância e co-existência fitoplanctônica no reservatório eutrófico de Carpina, Pernambuco, Brasil. Foram realizadas amostragens bimensalmente, em seis profundidades, em um único ponto do reservatório, contemplando dois períodos sazonais: seco (janeiro, setembro e novembro/2006 e chuvoso (março, maio e julho/2006. A densidade, abundância, dominância, diversidade específica e equitabilidade foram determinadas, além da clorofila a e algumas variáveis físicas e qu

  12. Src inhibitor herbimycin A prevents 132.7 kDa tyrosine phosphatase activity in Ramos Burkitt's lymphoma B cell line

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hristov, K.; Mitev, V.; Knox, K.

    2006-01-01

    Reversible tyrosine phosphorylation, regulation of expression and proteolytic cleavage control tyrosine phosphatase contribution for the signalling pathways of B-cell antigen receptor (BCR), and CD40 during B cell selection. We used Ramos-BL B cell line to determine whether BCR and CD40 stimulation, or inhibition of the Src - tyrosine kinase, tyrosine phosphatase and caspase activity have an effect on the tyrosine phosphatase activities determined on in-gel phosphatase assay. The tyrosine phosphatase activities present in whole cell lysates of Ramos-BL B cells following treatment with 20 μg/ml anti-IgM, 1 μg/ml anti-CD40, 10 μM herbimycin A, 178 μM vanadate,100 μM phenylarsine oxide and 10 μM zVAD-fmk were detected with an in-gel phosphatase assay. Seven major tyrosine phosphatase activities with approximate molecular weight of 132.7, 63.9, 60.3, 54.2, 49.7, 44.6, and 39 kDa are present in whole cell lysates of Ramos-BL B cells. Treatment with Src-PTK inhibitor herbimycin A prevents 132.7 kDa tyrosine phosphatase activity. We conclude that the catalytic activity of Src-PTK in Ramos-BL B cells is critical for the presence of this 132.7 kDa tyrosine phosphatase activity. (authors)

  13. Heterologous gene expression driven by carbonic anhydrase gene promoter in Dunaliella salina

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yurong, Chai; Yumin, Lu; Tianyun, Wang; Weihong, Hou; Lexun, Xue

    2006-12-01

    Dunaliella salina, a halotolerant unicellular green alga without a rigid cell wall, can live in salinities ranging from 0.05 to 5 mol/L NaCl. These features of D. salina make it an ideal host for the production of antibodies, oral vaccine, and commercially valuable polypeptides. To produce high level of heterologous proteins from D. salina, highly efficient promoters are required to drive expression of target genes under controlled condition. In the present study, we cloned a 5' franking region of 1.4 kb from the carbonic anhydrase ( CAH) gene of D. salina by genomic walking and PCR. The fragment was ligated to the pMD18-T vector and characterized. Sequence analysis indicated that this region contained conserved motifs, including a TATA- like box and CAAT-box. Tandem (GT)n repeats that had a potential role of transcriptional control, were also found in this region. The transcription start site (TSS) of the CAH gene was determined by 5' RACE and nested PCR method. Transformation assays showed that the 1.4 kb fragment was able to drive expression of the selectable bar (bialaphos resistance) gene when the fusion was transformed into D. salina by biolistics. Northern blotting hybridizations showed that the bar transcript was most abundant in cells grown in 2 mol/L NaCl, and less abundant in 0.5 mol/L NaCl, indicating that expression of the bar gene was induced at high salinity. These results suggest the potential use of the CAH gene promoter to induce the expression of heterologous genes in D. salina under varied salt condition.

  14. Antimicrobial activity of a 48-kDa protease (AMP48) from Artocarpus heterophyllus latex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siritapetawee, J; Thammasirirak, S; Samosornsuk, W

    2012-01-01

    Artocarpus heterophyllus (jackfruit) is a latex producing plant. Plant latex is produced from secretory cells and contains many intergradients. It also has been used in folk medicine. This study aimed to purify and characterize the biological activities of a protease from jackfruit latex. A protease was isolated and purified from crude latex of a jackfruit tree by acid precipitation and ion exchange chromatography. The proteolytic activities of protein were tested using gelatin- and casein-zymography. The molecular weight and isoelectric point (pl) of protein were analysed by SDS/12.5% PAGE and 2D-PAGE, respectively. Antimicrobial activity of protein was analysed by broth microdilution method. In addition, the antibacterial activity of protein against Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 was observed and measured using atomic force microscopy (AFM) technique. The purified protein contained protease activity by digesting gelatin- and casein-substrates. The protease was designated as antimicrobial protease-48 kDa or AMP48 due to its molecular mass on SDS-PAGE was approximately 48 kDa. The isoelectric point (pl) of AMP48 was approximately 4.2. In addition, AMP48 contained antimicrobial activities by it could inhibit the growths of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 and clinical isolated Candida albicans at minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) 2.2 mg/ml and Minimum microbicidal concentration (MMC) 8.8 mg/ml. AFM image also supported the antimicrobial activities of AMP48 by the treated bacterial morphology and size were altered from normal.

  15. Heterologous prime-boost vaccinations for poverty-related diseases: advantages and future prospects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radosević, Katarina; Rodriguez, Ariane; Lemckert, Angelique; Goudsmit, Jaap

    2009-05-01

    Classical vaccination approaches, based on a single vaccine administered in a homologous prime-boost schedule and optimized to induce primarily neutralizing antibodies, are unlikely to be sufficiently efficacious to prevent TB, malaria or HIV infections. Novel vaccines, capable of inducing a more powerful immune response, in particular T-cell immunity, are desperately needed. Combining different vaccine modalities that are able to complement each other and induce broad and sustainable immunity is a promising approach. This review provides an overview of heterologous prime-boost vaccination modalities currently in development for the 'big three' poverty-related diseases and emphasizes the need for innovative vaccination approaches.

  16. Biotechnological exploitation of Tetrapisispora phaffii killer toxin: heterologous production in Komagataella phaffii (Pichia pastoris).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chessa, Rossella; Landolfo, Sara; Ciani, Maurizio; Budroni, Marilena; Zara, Severino; Ustun, Murat; Cakar, Zeynep Petek; Mannazzu, Ilaria

    2017-04-01

    The use of natural antimicrobials from plants, animals and microorganisms to inhibit the growth of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms is becoming more frequent. This parallels the increased consumer interest towards consumption of minimally processed food and 'greener' food and beverage additives. Among the natural antimicrobials of microbial origin, the killer toxin produced by the yeast Tetrapisispora phaffii, known as Kpkt, appears to be a promising natural antimicrobial agent. Kpkt is a glycoprotein with β-1,3-glucanase and killer activity, which induces ultrastructural modifications to the cell wall of yeast of the genera Kloeckera/Hanseniaspora and Zygosaccharomyces. Moreover, Kpkt maintains its killer activity in grape must for at least 14 days under winemaking conditions, thus suggesting its use against spoilage yeast in wine making and the sweet beverage industry. Here, the aim was to explore the possibility of high production of Kpkt for biotechnological exploitation. Molecular tools for heterologous production of Kpkt in Komagataella phaffii GS115 were developed, and two recombinant clones that produce up to 23 mg/L recombinant Kpkt (rKpkt) were obtained. Similar to native Kpkt, rKpkt has β-glucanase and killer activities. Moreover, it shows a wider spectrum of action with respect to native Kpkt. This includes effects on Dekkera bruxellensis, a spoilage yeast of interest not only in wine making, but also for the biofuel industry, thus widening the potential applications of this rKpkt.

  17. Effect of processing and roasting on the antioxidant activity of coffee brews Efeito do processamento e da torração sobre a atividade antioxidante da bebida de café

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stella Maris da Silveira Duarte

    2005-06-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of processing and roasting on the antioxidant activity of coffee brews. Brews prepared with light, medium and dark roasted coffees were analyzed. The pH, total solids content, polyphenols content, reducing substances and chlorogenic acids content were determined. The antioxidant activity of aqueous extracts, the guaicol decolorizing and the capacity to inhibit lipid peroxidation were also analyzed. The antioxidant activity of coffee brews were concentration-dependent. A progressive antioxidant activity and polyphenols content was observed decreasing with roasting. The light roasted coffee showed the highest antioxidant activity and dark roasted coffee showed the lowest antioxidant activity. The results indicate that the ingestion of coffee brews prepared with light and medium roasted coffees might protect cells from oxidative stress damages.O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito do processamento e grau de torração sobre a atividade antioxidante da bebida de café. Foram analisadas bebidas preparadas com café nos graus de torração claro, médio e escuro. Foram determinados o pH, o conteúdo de sólidos totais, o conteúdo de polifenóis, o conteúdo de substâncias redutoras e o conteúdo de ácidos clorogênicos. Além disto, foram analisadas a atividade antioxidante dos extratos aquosos, a descoloração do guaiacol e a capacidade de inibição da formação de peróxidos lipídicos. A atividade antioxidante mostrou ser dependente da concentração da bebida de café. Foi observada redução progressiva da atividade antioxidante e de compostos fenólicos com o grau de torração. O café submetido à torra clara apresentou atividade antioxidante máxima e o café com maior grau de torra apresentou a menor atividade antioxidante. Os resultados indicam que a ingestão de bebidas preparadas com cafés de torras clara e média pode proteger a célula contra os efeitos do estresse

  18. Multi-omic profiling of EPO-producing Chinese hamster ovary cell panel reveals metabolic adaptation to heterologous protein production

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ley, Daniel; Kazemi Seresht, Ali; Engmark, Mikael

    2015-01-01

    Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are the preferred production host for many therapeutic proteins. The production of heterologous proteins in CHO cells imposes a burden on the host cell metabolism and impact cellular physiology on a global scale. In this work, a multi-omics approach was applied...

  19. Heterologous Acidothermus cellulolyticus 1,4-β-Endoglucanase E1 Produced Within the Corn Biomass Converts Corn Stover Into Glucose

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ransom, Callista; Balan, Venkatesh; Biswas, Gadab; Dale, Bruce; Crockett, Elaine; Sticklen, Mariam

    Commercial conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to fermentable sugars requires inexpensive bulk production of biologically active cellulase enzymes, which might be achieved through direct production of these enzymes within the biomass crops. Transgenic corn plants containing the catalytic domain of Acidothermus cellulolyticus E1 endo-1,4-β glucanase and the bar bialaphos resistance coding sequences were generated after Biolistic® (BioRad Hercules, CA) bombardment of immature embryo-derived cells. E1 sequences were regulated under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter and tobacco mosaic virus translational enhancer, and E1 protein was targeted to the apoplast using the signal peptide of tobacco pathogenesis-related protein to achieve accumulation of this enzyme. The integration, expression, and segregation of E1 and bar transgenes were demonstrated, respectively, through Southern and Western blotting, and progeny analyses. Accumulation of up to 1.13% of transgenic plant total soluble proteins was detected as biologically active E1 by enzymatic activity assay. The corn-produced, heterologous E1 could successfully convert ammonia fiber explosion-pretreated corn stover polysaccharides into glucose as a fermentable sugar for ethanol production, confirming that the E1 enzyme is produced in its active from.

  20. A two-dose heterologous prime-boost vaccine regimen eliciting sustained immune responses to Ebola Zaire could support a preventive strategy for future outbreaks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shukarev, Georgi; Callendret, Benoit; Luhn, Kerstin; Douoguih, Macaya

    2017-02-01

    The consequences of the 2013-16 Ebola Zaire virus disease epidemic in West Africa were grave. The economies, healthcare systems and communities of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia were devastated by over 18 months of active Ebola virus transmission, followed by sporadic resurgences potentially related to sexual transmission by survivors with viral persistence in body fluids following recovery. The need to develop and implement strategies to prevent and mitigate future outbreaks is now beyond dispute. The potential for unpredictable outbreaks of indeterminate duration, and control challenges posed by the possibility of sporadic re-emergence, mean that implementation of an effective vaccination program for outbreak containment necessitates a vaccine providing durable immunity. Heterologous prime-boost vaccine regimens deliver the same or similar antigens through different vaccine types, the first to prime and the second to boost the immune system. Ad26.ZEBOV/MVA-BN-Filo is an investigational Ebola Zaire vaccine regimen that uses this heterologous prime-boost approach. Preliminary Phase 1 data suggest that Ad26.ZEBOV/MVA-BN-Filo confers durable immunity for at least 240 d and is well-tolerated with a good safety profile. This regimen may therefore be suitable for prophylactic use in a regional or targeted population vaccination strategy, and could potentially aid prevention and control of future Ebola outbreaks.

  1. Use of homologous and heterologous gene expression profiling tools to characterize transcription dynamics during apple fruit maturation and ripening

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sansavini Silviero

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Fruit development, maturation and ripening consists of a complex series of biochemical and physiological changes that in climacteric fruits, including apple and tomato, are coordinated by the gaseous hormone ethylene. These changes lead to final fruit quality and understanding of the functional machinery underlying these processes is of both biological and practical importance. To date many reports have been made on the analysis of gene expression in apple. In this study we focused our investigation on the role of ethylene during apple maturation, specifically comparing transcriptomics of normal ripening with changes resulting from application of the hormone receptor competitor 1-Methylcyclopropene. Results To gain insight into the molecular process regulating ripening in apple, and to compare to tomato (model species for ripening studies, we utilized both homologous and heterologous (tomato microarray to profile transcriptome dynamics of genes involved in fruit development and ripening, emphasizing those which are ethylene regulated. The use of both types of microarrays facilitated transcriptome comparison between apple and tomato (for the later using data previously published and available at the TED: tomato expression database and highlighted genes conserved during ripening of both species, which in turn represent a foundation for further comparative genomic studies. The cross-species analysis had the secondary aim of examining the efficiency of heterologous (specifically tomato microarray hybridization for candidate gene identification as related to the ripening process. The resulting transcriptomics data revealed coordinated gene expression during fruit ripening of a subset of ripening-related and ethylene responsive genes, further facilitating the analysis of ethylene response during fruit maturation and ripening. Conclusion Our combined strategy based on microarray hybridization enabled transcriptome characterization

  2. Use of homologous and heterologous gene expression profiling tools to characterize transcription dynamics during apple fruit maturation and ripening.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costa, Fabrizio; Alba, Rob; Schouten, Henk; Soglio, Valeria; Gianfranceschi, Luca; Serra, Sara; Musacchi, Stefano; Sansavini, Silviero; Costa, Guglielmo; Fei, Zhangjun; Giovannoni, James

    2010-10-25

    Fruit development, maturation and ripening consists of a complex series of biochemical and physiological changes that in climacteric fruits, including apple and tomato, are coordinated by the gaseous hormone ethylene. These changes lead to final fruit quality and understanding of the functional machinery underlying these processes is of both biological and practical importance. To date many reports have been made on the analysis of gene expression in apple. In this study we focused our investigation on the role of ethylene during apple maturation, specifically comparing transcriptomics of normal ripening with changes resulting from application of the hormone receptor competitor 1-methylcyclopropene. To gain insight into the molecular process regulating ripening in apple, and to compare to tomato (model species for ripening studies), we utilized both homologous and heterologous (tomato) microarray to profile transcriptome dynamics of genes involved in fruit development and ripening, emphasizing those which are ethylene regulated.The use of both types of microarrays facilitated transcriptome comparison between apple and tomato (for the later using data previously published and available at the TED: tomato expression database) and highlighted genes conserved during ripening of both species, which in turn represent a foundation for further comparative genomic studies. The cross-species analysis had the secondary aim of examining the efficiency of heterologous (specifically tomato) microarray hybridization for candidate gene identification as related to the ripening process. The resulting transcriptomics data revealed coordinated gene expression during fruit ripening of a subset of ripening-related and ethylene responsive genes, further facilitating the analysis of ethylene response during fruit maturation and ripening. Our combined strategy based on microarray hybridization enabled transcriptome characterization during normal climacteric apple ripening, as well as

  3. Heterologous production of the stain solving peptidase PPP1 from Pleurotus pulmonarius.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leonhardt, Robin-Hagen; Krings, Ulrich; Berger, Ralf G; Linke, Diana

    2016-05-01

    A novel stain solving subtilisin-like peptidase (PPP1) was identified from the culture supernatant of the agaricomycete Pleurotus pulmonarius. It was purified to homogeneity using a sequence of preparative isoelectric focusing, anion exchange and size exclusion chromatography. Peptides were identified by ab initio sequencing (nLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS), characterizing the enzyme as a member of the subtilase family (EC 3.4.21.X). An expression system was established featuring the pPIC9K vector, an alternative Kozak sequence, the codon optimized gene ppp1 gene without the native signal sequence with C-terminal hexa-histidine tag, and Pichia pastoris GS115 as expression host. Intracellular active enzyme was obtained from cultivations in shake flasks and in a five liter bioreactor. With reaction optima of 40 °C and a pH > 8.5, considerable bleaching of pre-stained fabrics (blood, milk and India ink), and the possibility of larger-scale production, the heterologous enzyme is well suitable for detergent applications, especially at lower temperatures as part of a more energy- and cost-efficient washing process. Showing little sequence similarity to other subtilases, this unique peptidase is the first subtilisin-like peptidase from Basidiomycota, which has been functionally produced in Pichia pastoris.

  4. Heterologous Protection against Asian Zika Virus Challenge in Rhesus Macaques.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthew T Aliota

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Zika virus (ZIKV; Flaviviridae, Flavivirus was declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization (WHO in February 2016, because of the evidence linking infection with ZIKV to neurological complications, such as Guillain-Barre Syndrome in adults and congenital birth defects including microcephaly in the developing fetus. Because development of a ZIKV vaccine is a top research priority and because the genetic and antigenic variability of many RNA viruses limits the effectiveness of vaccines, assessing whether immunity elicited against one ZIKV strain is sufficient to confer broad protection against all ZIKV strains is critical. Recently, in vitro studies demonstrated that ZIKV likely circulates as a single serotype. Here, we demonstrate that immunity elicited by African lineage ZIKV protects rhesus macaques against subsequent infection with Asian lineage ZIKV.Using our recently developed rhesus macaque model of ZIKV infection, we report that the prototypical ZIKV strain MR766 productively infects macaques, and that immunity elicited by MR766 protects macaques against heterologous Asian ZIKV. Furthermore, using next generation deep sequencing, we found in vivo restoration of a putative N-linked glycosylation site upon replication in macaques that is absent in numerous MR766 strains that are widely being used by the research community. This reversion highlights the importance of carefully examining the sequence composition of all viral stocks as well as understanding how passage history may alter a virus from its original form.An effective ZIKV vaccine is needed to prevent infection-associated fetal abnormalities. Macaques whose immune responses were primed by infection with East African ZIKV were completely protected from detectable viremia when subsequently rechallenged with heterologous Asian ZIKV. Therefore, these data suggest that immunogen selection is unlikely to adversely affect the breadth of

  5. Heterologous expression and purification of plantaricin NC8, a two-peptide bacteriocin against Salmonella spp. from Lactobacillus plantarum ZJ316.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Han; Li, Ping; Gu, Qing

    2016-11-01

    Bacteriocin, which is produced by lactic acid bacteria (LAB), has the potential to act as natural preservatives in the food industry. To develop strategies to overproduce such peptides, plantaricin NC8, a class IIb LAB bacteriocin that consists of two peptides, PLNC8α and PLNC8β, was successfully heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). PLNC8α and PLNC8β peptides were expressed as His6-tag fusion proteins and were separated by Ni(2+) chelating affinity chromatography. To get the PLNC8α and PLNC8β peptides without extra amino acids in the N-terminus, the fusion proteins were cleaved by enterokinase and further purified using the Ni-NTA Sefinose™ Resin Kit. The molecular masses of peptides were checked using Tricine-SDS-PAGE and MALDI-TOF-MS. The yield of purified PLNC8α was around 2-2.5 mg/L, and the yield of PLNC8β was around 1.5-2 mg/L. The antimicrobial spectrum of cleaved peptides was detected and the synergistic action of PLNC8α and PLNC8β was preliminarily confirmed. It was found that E. coli was a suitable host for heterologous expression of plantaricin NC8 with a significant yield. Importantly, the bacteriocin appeared to be very active for controlling and inhibiting the food-borne pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria Salmonella spp., and might be useful as a natural preservative candidate. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. The minimum activation peptide from ilvH can activate the catalytic subunit of AHAS from different species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Yuefang; Niu, Congwei; Wen, Xin; Xi, Zhen

    2013-04-15

    Acetohydroxyacid synthases (AHASs), which catalyze the first step in the biosynthesis of branched-chain amino acids, are composed of a catalytic subunit (CSU) and a regulatory subunit (RSU). The CSU harbors the catalytic site, and the RSU is responsible for the activation and feedback regulation of the CSU. Previous results from Chipman and co-workers and our lab have shown that heterologous activation can be achieved among isozymes of Escherichia coli AHAS. It would be interesting to find the minimum peptide of ilvH (the RSU of E. coli AHAS III) that could activate other E. coli CSUs, or even those of ## species. In this paper, C-terminal, N-terminal, and C- and N-terminal truncation mutants of ilvH were constructed. The minimum peptide to activate ilvI (the CSU of E. coli AHAS III) was found to be ΔN 14-ΔC 89. Moreover, this peptide could not only activate its homologous ilvI and heterologous ilvB (CSU of E. coli AHAS I), but also heterologously activate the CSUs of AHAS from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Arabidopsis thaliana, and Nicotiana plumbaginifolia. However, this peptide totally lost its ability for feedback regulation by valine, thus suggesting different elements for enzymatic activation and feedback regulation. Additionally, the apparent dissociation constant (Kd ) of ΔN 14-ΔC 89 when binding CSUs of different species was found to be 9.3-66.5 μM by using microscale thermophoresis. The ability of this peptide to activate different CSUs does not correlate well with its binding ability (Kd ) to these CSUs, thus implying that key interactions by specific residues is more important than binding ability in promoting enzymatic reactions. The high sequence similarity of the peptide ΔN 14-ΔC 89 to RSUs across species hints that this peptide represents the minimum activation motif in RSU and that it regulates all AHASs. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  7. Xenobiotic Compounds Degradation by Heterologous Expression of a Trametes sanguineus Laccase in Trichoderma atroviride.

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    Edgar Balcázar-López

    Full Text Available Fungal laccases are enzymes that have been studied because of their ability to decolorize and detoxify effluents; they are also used in paper bleaching, synthesis of polymers, bioremediation, etc. In this work we were able to express a laccase from Trametes (Pycnoporus sanguineus in the filamentous fungus Trichoderma atroviride. For this purpose, a transformation vector was designed to integrate the gene of interest in an intergenic locus near the blu17 terminator region. Although monosporic selection was still necessary, stable integration at the desired locus was achieved. The native signal peptide from T. sanguineus laccase was successful to secrete the recombinant protein into the culture medium. The purified, heterologously expressed laccase maintained similar properties to those observed in the native enzyme (Km and kcat and kcat/km values for ABTS, thermostability, substrate range, pH optimum, etc. To determine the bioremediation potential of this modified strain, the laccase-overexpressing Trichoderma strain was used to remove xenobiotic compounds. Phenolic compounds present in industrial wastewater and bisphenol A (an endocrine disruptor from the culture medium were more efficiently removed by this modified strain than with the wild type. In addition, the heterologously expressed laccase was able to decolorize different dyes as well as remove benzo[α]pyrene and phenanthrene in vitro, showing its potential for xenobiotic compound degradation.

  8. Role of physical activity on the maintenance of cognition and activities of daily living in elderly with Alzheimer's disease Papel da atividade física na manutenção da cognição e atividades de vida diária em idosos com doença de Alzheimer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cynthia Arcoverde

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The practice of physical activities has proved to be an efficient strategy in the improvement of independency and cognitive functions in the elderly with Alzheimer's disease (AD. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relation between the practice of physical activity, cognition and activities of daily living (ADL of patients with AD. METHOD: The cognitive and physical aspects and ADL were evaluated of 37 elders (19 normal controls, 11 sedentary with AD and 7 active with AD. RESULTS: The variable that best predicts the cognitive state (MMSE is the duration of disease for the AD sedentary group and Lawton's Scale for the AD active group. We observed a correlation between MMSE score and duration of disease in the sedentary group and between MMSE and ADL in the active group. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that physical and cognitive stimulation in patients with AD can contribute to decrease cognitive and functional decline.FUNDAMENTO: A prática de atividade física tem se mostrado uma estratégia eficaz na melhora da independência e das funções cognitivas em idosos com doença de Alzheimer (DA. OBJETIVO: Avaliar a relação entre a prática de atividade física, a cognição e as atividades de vida diária (AVD em pacientes com DA. MÉTODO: Foram avaliados os aspectos cognitivos, físicos e as AVD de 37 idosos (19 controles normais, 11 com DA sedentários e 7 com DA ativos. RESULTADOS: A variável que melhor prediz o estado cognitivo (MEEM foi o tempo de doença para o grupo DA sedentários e a Escala de Lawton para o grupo DA ativo. Observou-se correlação entre MEEM e tempo de doença no grupo sedentário e MEEM e AVD no grupo ativo. CONCLUSÃO: O nosso estudo mostrou que a estimulação física e cognitiva em pacientes com DA pode contribuir na diminuição do declínio cognitivo e funcional.

  9. Heterologous desensitization of adenylate cyclase from pigeon erythrocytes under the action of the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Popov, K.M.; Bulargina, T.V.; Severin, E.S.

    1985-01-01

    Preincubation of the plasma membranes from pigeon erythrocytes with the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase leads to desensitization of adenylate cyclase of the erythrocytes. The adenylate cyclase activity, measured in the presence of 10 μM isoproterenol and 50 μM GTP-γ-S, is decreased by 40% in 10 min of incubation, while the activity in the presence of 50 μM GTP-γ-S is decreased by 35% in 20 min. The decrease in the adenylate cyclase activity is due to an increase in the lag phase of activation of the enzyme in the presence of a GTP analog stable to hydrolysis and a decrease in the activity in the steady-state phase of activation. Heterologous desensitization of adenylate cyclase under the action of cAMP-dependent protein kinase is coupled with a decrease in the number of β-adrenoreceptors capable of passing into a state of high affinity for antagonists in the absence of guanylic nucleotides. The influence of the catalytic subunit on adenylate cyclase entirely models the process of desensitization of the enzyme absorbed in the influence of isoproterenol or cAMP on erythrocytes

  10. Temperament and dominance relate to feeding behaviour and activity in beef cattle: implications for performance and methane emissions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Llonch, P; Somarriba, M; Duthie, C A; Troy, S; Roehe, R; Rooke, J; Haskell, M J; Turner, S P

    2018-04-02

    In beef cattle, feeding behaviour and activity are associated with feed efficiency and methane (CH4) emissions. This study aimed to understand the underlying traits responsible for the contribution of cattle behaviour to individual differences in feed efficiency, performance and CH4 emissions. A total of 84 steers (530±114 kg BW) of two different breeds (crossbreed Charolais and Luing) were used. The experiment was a 2×2×3 factorial design with breed, basal diets (concentrate v. mixed) and dietary treatments (no additive, calcium nitrate or rapeseed cake) as the main factors. The individual dry matter intake (DMI; kg) was recorded daily and the BW was measured weekly over a 56-day period. Ultrasound fat depth was measured on day 56. Based on the previous data, the indexes average daily gain, food conversion and residual feed intake (RFI) were calculated. The frequency of meals, the duration per visit and the time spent feeding per day were taken as feeding behaviour measures. Daily activity was measured using the number of steps, the number of standing bouts and the time standing per day. Agonistic interactions (including the number of contacts, aggressive interactions, and displacements per day) between steers at the feeders were assessed as indicators of dominance. Temperament was assessed using the crush score test (which measures restlessness when restrained) and the flight speed on release from restraint. Statistical analysis was performed using multivariate regression models. Steers that spent more time eating showed better feed efficiency (P=0.039), which can be due to greater secretion of saliva. Feeding time was longer with the mixed diet (P<0.001), Luings (P=0.009) and dominant steers (P=0.032). Higher activity (more steps) in the pen was associated with poorer RFI, possibly because of higher energy expenditure for muscle activity. Frequent meals contributed to a reduction in CH4 emissions per kg DMI. The meal frequency was higher with a mixed diet (P

  11. The morphological classification of heartbeats as dominant and non-dominant in ECG signals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chiarugi, Franco; Emmanouilidou, Dimitra; Tsamardinos, Ioannis

    2010-01-01

    Surface electrocardiography (ECG) is the art of analyzing the heart's electrical activity by applying electrodes to certain positions on the body and measuring potentials at the body surface resulting from this electrical activity. Usually, significant clinical information can be obtained from analysis of the dominant beat morphology. In this respect, identification of the dominant beats and their averaging can be very helpful, allowing clinicians to carry out the measurement of amplitudes and intervals on a beat much cleaner from noise than a generic beat selected from the entire ECG recording. In this paper a standard clustering algorithm for the morphological grouping of heartbeats has been analyzed based on K-means, different signal representations, distance metrics and validity indices. The algorithm has been tested on all the records of the MIT-BIH Arrhythmia Database (MIT-BIH AD) obtaining satisfying performances in terms of averaged dominant beat estimation, but the results have not been fully satisfactory in terms of sensitivity and specificity. In order to improve the clustering accuracy, an ad hoc algorithm based on a two-phase decision tree, which integrates additional specific knowledge related to the ECG domain, has been implemented. Similarity features extracted from every beat have been used in the decision trees for the identification of different morphological classes of ECG beats. The results, in terms of dominant beat discrimination, have been evaluated on all annotated beats of the MIT-BIH AD with sensitivity = 99.05%, specificity = 93.94%, positive predictive value = 99.32% and negative predictive value = 91.69%. Further tests have shown a very slight decrement of the performances on all detected beats of the same database using an already published QRS detector, demonstrating the validity of the algorithm in real unsupervised clustering situations where annotated beat positions are not available but beats are detected with a high

  12. A lateralidade cruzada e o desempenho da leitura e escrita em escolares

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francisco Rosa Neto

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: analisar o desempenho da leitura e escrita em escolares com lateralidade cruzada. MÉTODO: fizeram parte da amostra 166 escolares do terceiro ano do ensino fundamental, com idade entre oito e nove anos. Para avaliação da lateralidade, foi utilizada a escala de desenvolvimento motor -EDM, e para a analise da leitura e escrita foi utilizado o Manual de Desempenho Escolar - MDE. Na análise comparativa do desempenho da leitura e escrita em função da lateralidade (Cruzada, a amostra foi dividida em 2 grupos. Para análise e interpretação dos dados foram utilizados os programas Excel e SPSS for Windows 17.0 e para a análise comparativa entre os dois grupos, o teste "t" para amostras independentes quando os dados se mostraram simétricos, e o teste Mann-Whitney para os dados assimétricos, e para a distribuição dos dados, o teste Shapiro-Wilk. O nível de significância adotado nesse estudo foi p< 0,05. RESULTADOS: verificou- se que de todas as variáveis do desempenho da leitura e da escrita, foram maiores para o grupo das crianças com dominância lateral completa do que para o grupo das crianças com lateralidade cruzada. Na escrita, houve diferença significante entre os dois grupos, sendo atribuído melhor desempenho às crianças com lateralidade destro-completa. CONCLUSÃO: evidencia-se que as crianças com lateralidade cruzada apresentam desempenho inferior na leitura e escrita quando comparadas às crianças com dominância lateral completa. Estes dados justificam a relevância do desenvolvimento psicomotor na infância como fator essencial no processo de aprendizagem escolar.

  13. Virus-like particles displaying H5, H7, H9 hemagglutinins and N1 neuraminidase elicit protective immunity to heterologous avian influenza viruses in chickens

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pushko, Peter; Tretyakova, Irina; Hidajat, Rachmat; Zsak, Aniko; Chrzastek, Klaudia; Tumpey, Terrence M.; Kapczynski, Darrell R.

    2017-01-01

    Avian influenza (AI) viruses circulating in wild birds pose a serious threat to public health. Human and veterinary vaccines against AI subtypes are needed. Here we prepared triple-subtype VLPs that co-localized H5, H7 and H9 antigens derived from H5N1, H7N3 and H9N2 viruses. VLPs also contained influenza N1 neuraminidase and retroviral gag protein. The H5/H7/H9/N1/gag VLPs were prepared using baculovirus expression. Biochemical, functional and antigenic characteristics were determined including hemagglutination and neuraminidase enzyme activities. VLPs were further evaluated in a chicken AI challenge model for safety, immunogenicity and protective efficacy against heterologous AI viruses including H5N2, H7N3 and H9N2 subtypes. All vaccinated birds survived challenges with H5N2 and H7N3 highly pathogenic AI (HPAI) viruses, while all controls died. Immune response was also detectable after challenge with low pathogenicity AI (LPAI) H9N2 virus suggesting that H5/H7/H9/N1/gag VLPs represent a promising approach for the development of broadly protective AI vaccine. - Highlights: •VLPs were prepared that co-localized H5, H7 and H9 subtypes in a VLP envelope. •VLPs were characterized including electron microscopy, HA assay and NA enzyme activity. •Experimental VLP vaccine was evaluated in an avian influenza challenge model. •VLPs induced immune responses against heterologous H5, H7 and H9 virus challenges.

  14. Virus-like particles displaying H5, H7, H9 hemagglutinins and N1 neuraminidase elicit protective immunity to heterologous avian influenza viruses in chickens

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pushko, Peter, E-mail: ppushko@medigen-usa.com [Medigen, Inc., 8420 Gas House Pike, Suite S, Frederick, MD 21701 (United States); Tretyakova, Irina; Hidajat, Rachmat [Medigen, Inc., 8420 Gas House Pike, Suite S, Frederick, MD 21701 (United States); Zsak, Aniko; Chrzastek, Klaudia [USDA SEPRL, 934 College Station Rd, Athens, GA (United States); Tumpey, Terrence M. [Influenza Division, CDC,1600 Clifton Road N.E., Atlanta, GA (United States); Kapczynski, Darrell R. [USDA SEPRL, 934 College Station Rd, Athens, GA (United States)

    2017-01-15

    Avian influenza (AI) viruses circulating in wild birds pose a serious threat to public health. Human and veterinary vaccines against AI subtypes are needed. Here we prepared triple-subtype VLPs that co-localized H5, H7 and H9 antigens derived from H5N1, H7N3 and H9N2 viruses. VLPs also contained influenza N1 neuraminidase and retroviral gag protein. The H5/H7/H9/N1/gag VLPs were prepared using baculovirus expression. Biochemical, functional and antigenic characteristics were determined including hemagglutination and neuraminidase enzyme activities. VLPs were further evaluated in a chicken AI challenge model for safety, immunogenicity and protective efficacy against heterologous AI viruses including H5N2, H7N3 and H9N2 subtypes. All vaccinated birds survived challenges with H5N2 and H7N3 highly pathogenic AI (HPAI) viruses, while all controls died. Immune response was also detectable after challenge with low pathogenicity AI (LPAI) H9N2 virus suggesting that H5/H7/H9/N1/gag VLPs represent a promising approach for the development of broadly protective AI vaccine. - Highlights: •VLPs were prepared that co-localized H5, H7 and H9 subtypes in a VLP envelope. •VLPs were characterized including electron microscopy, HA assay and NA enzyme activity. •Experimental VLP vaccine was evaluated in an avian influenza challenge model. •VLPs induced immune responses against heterologous H5, H7 and H9 virus challenges.

  15. Urothelial carcinoma of urinary bladder with exclusive heterologous component of epithelioid rhabdomyosarcoma at metastatic site.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agarwal, Poojan; Pasricha, Sunil; Gupta, Gurudutt; Sharma, Anila; Mehta, Anurag

    2018-01-01

    Urothelial carcinoma of urinary bladder with divergent differentiation into rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is an extremely uncommon aggressive phenomenon. We present a case of a 74-year-old male with bladder carcinoma which metastasized to the abdominal wall as epithelioid RMS. To the best knowledge of our literature searches, an oligometastasis of exclusive heterologous component has not been described before. The clinical, radiological, and immunohistochemistry profile of the patient supported the monoclonal nature of the tumor.

  16. Land use mediates riverine nitrogen export under the dominant influence of human activities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Binhui; Chang, Scott X.; Lam, Shu Kee; Erisman, Jan Willem; Gu, Baojing

    2017-09-01

    Riverine nitrogen (N) export is a crucial process that links upstream and downstream ecosystems and coastal zones. However, the driving forces of riverine N export that is closely related to water N pollution are still not well understood. In this study, we used a mass balance approach to quantify the sources of N discharge and analyzed the effect of land use composition on riverine N export, taking Zhejiang Province, China as a case study. We found that the total reactive N discharge to rivers in Zhejiang increased from 0.22 to 0.26 Tg yr-1 from 2000 to 2015. At the watershed scale, our estimate of N export agrees well with the monitored riverine N concentration in the eight major watersheds in Zhejiang. Direct discharge of domestic wastewater and effluents from wastewater treatment plants are dominant sources of riverine N export, followed by agricultural non-point sources. Although riverine N export increases with the increasing proportion of urban and agricultural land uses, we did not find any relationship between land use change and changes in riverine N export. This suggests that the dominant factor affecting riverine N export should be human activities (e.g. wastewater discharge and fertilization level), while land use only mediates riverine N export.

  17. A Neural Circuit for Auditory Dominance over Visual Perception.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, You-Hyang; Kim, Jae-Hyun; Jeong, Hye-Won; Choi, Ilsong; Jeong, Daun; Kim, Kwansoo; Lee, Seung-Hee

    2017-02-22

    When conflicts occur during integration of visual and auditory information, one modality often dominates the other, but the underlying neural circuit mechanism remains unclear. Using auditory-visual discrimination tasks for head-fixed mice, we found that audition dominates vision in a process mediated by interaction between inputs from the primary visual (VC) and auditory (AC) cortices in the posterior parietal cortex (PTLp). Co-activation of the VC and AC suppresses VC-induced PTLp responses, leaving AC-induced responses. Furthermore, parvalbumin-positive (PV+) interneurons in the PTLp mainly receive AC inputs, and muscimol inactivation of the PTLp or optogenetic inhibition of its PV+ neurons abolishes auditory dominance in the resolution of cross-modal sensory conflicts without affecting either sensory perception. Conversely, optogenetic activation of PV+ neurons in the PTLp enhances the auditory dominance. Thus, our results demonstrate that AC input-specific feedforward inhibition of VC inputs in the PTLp is responsible for the auditory dominance during cross-modal integration. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Efeito cicatrizante e atividade antibacteriana da Calendula officinalis L. cultivada no Brasil Healing effect and antibacterial activity of Calendula officinalis L. cultivated in Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L.M.L. Parente

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Desde a antiguidade propriedades medicinais são atribuídas às flores da Calendula officinalis L. (Asteraceae destacando-se a atividade cicatrizante. Estudos sobre a atividade geral de plantas medicinais na cicatrização vêm sendo realizados, sem especificar sobre qual das fases da cicatrização a planta atua. Neste trabalho a atividade cicatrizante e antiinflamatória do extrato etanólico das flores da C. officinalis cultivada no Brasil foi avaliada em feridas cutâneas de ratos Wistar, por meio de avaliação macroscópica e histológica. A atividade antimicrobiana do extrato e das frações hexânica e diclorometano também foi avaliada. A atividade antiinflamatória do extrato etanólico da calêndula foi atribuída à diminuição da exsudação serosa, da hiperemia, da deposição de fibrina e da hiperplasia epidermal, além de resultar em crostas mais delgadas e umedecidas. Observaram-se também aumento de colágeno no tecido de granulação e efeito antibacteriano. Assim, o extrato etanólico da calêndula atuou de forma positiva sobre a atividade cicatricial em feridas cutâneas de ratos, bem como apresentou atividade antibacteriana in vitro.Since ancient history medicinal properties are attributed to flowers of Calendula officinalis L. (Asteraceae, mainly concerning its healing activity. Studies about the general activity of medicinal plants in healing wounds have been conducted without specifying in which healing phase the plant acts. In this work, the anti-inflammatory and healing activity of the ethanolic extract of C. officinalis flowers cultured in Brazil was evaluated in cutaneous wounds of Wistar rats through macroscopic and histological evaluation. The antibacterial activity of the extract and dichloromethane and hexane fractions was also evaluated. The anti-inflammatory activity of calendula ethanolic extract led to a reduction in plasmatic exudation, hyperemia, fibrin deposition and epidermal hyperplasia, besides

  19. Antifungal Activity of Leaf and Latex Extracts of Calotropis procera (Ait.) against Dominant Seed-Borne Storage Fungi of Some Oil Seeds

    OpenAIRE

    Manoorkar V B; Mandge S V; B D Gachande

    2015-01-01

    In present study, aqueous and ethanol extracts of leaf & latex of Calotropis procera (Ait.) was tested for their antifungal activity against dominant storage seed-borne fungi of some oil seeds such as groundnut, soybean, sunflower and mustard. The antifungal effect of ethanol and aqueous extracts of leaf & latex of Calotropis procera (Ait.) against ten seed-borne dominant fungi viz., Cuvularia lunata, Alternaria alternata, Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium solani, Penicillium chrysogenum, Asperg...

  20. Ergonomia e as atividades ocupacionais da equipe de enfermagem Ergonomics and the occupacional activities of the nursing staff

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Neusa Maria Costa Alexandre

    1998-04-01

    Full Text Available Esse trabalho discute determinadas condições ergonômicas do trabalho que causam lesões no sistema músculo-esquelético da coluna vertebral, relacionando-as com as atividades ocupacionais da equipe de enfermagem.This paper discusses some of the ergonomics conditions that contribute to the development of musculoskeletal disorders of the vertebral column and relates these conditions to the occupational activities of the nursing staff.

  1. Inibição da atividade da citrato sintase cerebral em um modelo animal de sepse Inhibition of brain citrate synthase activity in an animal model of sepsis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giselli Scaini

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Um amplo corpo de evidência oriundo de estudos experimentais indica que a sepse se associa com um aumento da produção de espécies de oxigênio reativo, depleção de antioxidantes, e acúmulo de marcadores de estresse oxidativo. Além disto, a disfunção mitocondrial foi implicada na patogênese da síndrome de disfunção de múltiplos órgãos. A citrato sintase é uma enzima que se localiza no interior das células, na matriz mitocondrial, sendo uma etapa importante do ciclo de Krebs; esta enzima foi utilizada como um marcador enzimático quantitativo da presença de mitocôndrias intactas. Assim, investigamos a atividade da citrato sintase no cérebro de ratos submetidos ao modelo sepse com de ligadura e punção do ceco. MÉTODOS: Em diferentes horários (3, 6, 12, 24 e 48 horas após cirurgia de ligadura e punção do ceco, seis ratos foram sacrificados por decapitação, sendo seus cérebros removidos e dissecados o hipocampo, estriato, cerebelo, córtex cerebral e córtex pré-frontal, e utilizados para determinação da atividade de citrato sintase. RESULTADOS: Verificamos que a atividade de citrato sintase no córtex pré-frontal estava inibida após 12, 24 e 48 horas da ligadura e punção do ceco. No córtex cerebral, esta atividade estava inibida após 3, 12, 24 e 48 horas da ligadura e punção do ceco. Por outro lado a citrato sintase não foi afetada no hipocampo, estriato e cerebelo até 48 horas após a ligadura e punção do ceco. CONCLUSÃO: Considerando-se que é bem descrito o comprometimento da energia decorrente da disfunção mitocondrial na sepse, e que o estresse oxidativo desempenha um papel essencial no desenvolvimento da sepse, acreditamos que o comprometimento da energia pode também estar evolvido nestes processos. Se a inibição da citrato sintase também ocorre em um modelo de sepse, é tentador especular que a redução do metabolismo cerebral pode provavelmente estar relacionada com a

  2. Cooperative DNA binding of heterologous proteins: Evidence for contact between the cyclic AMP receptor protein and RNA polymerase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ren, Y.L.; Garges, S.; Adhya, S.; Krakow, J.S.

    1988-01-01

    Four cAMP-independent receptor protein mutants (designated CRP* mutants) isolated previously are able to activate in vivo gene transcription in the absence of cAMP and their activity can be enhanced by cAMP or cGMP. One of the four mutant proteins, CRP*598 (Arg-142 to His, Ala-144 to Thr), has been characterized with regard to its conformational properties and ability to bind to and support abortive initiation from the lac promoter. Binding of wild-type CRP to its site on the lac promoter and activation of abortive initiation by RNA polymerase on this promoter are effected by cAMP but not by cGMP. CRP*598 can activate lacP + -directed abortive initiation in the presence of cAMP and less efficiently in the presence of cGMP or in the absence of cyclic nucleotide. DNase I protection (footprinting) indicates that cAMP-CRP* binds to its site on the lac promoter whereas unliganded CRP* and cGMP-CRP* form a stable complex with the [ 32 P]lacP + fragment only in the presence of RNA polymerase, showing cooperative binding of two heterologous proteins. This cooperative binding provides strong evidence for a contact between CRP and RNA polymerase for activation of transcription. Although cGMP binds to CRP, it cannot replace cAMP in effecting the requisite conformational transition necessary for site-specific promoter binding

  3. Mutational analysis of the N-terminal topogenic signal of watermelon glyoxysomal malate dehydrogenase using the heterologous host Hansenula polymorpha

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gietl, Christine; Faber, Klaas Nico; Klei, Ida J. van der; Veenhuis, Marten

    1994-01-01

    We have studied the significance of the N-terminal presequence of watermelon (Citrullus vulgaris) glyoxysomal malate dehydrogenase [gMDH; (S)-malate:NAD+ oxidoreductase; EC 1.1.1.37] in microbody targeting. The yeast Hansenula polymorpha was used as heterologous host for the in vivo expression of

  4. Modelo geral das atividades da empresa General model of company activities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Celso Contador

    2001-12-01

    Full Text Available O modelo evidencia que as atividades de qualquer tipo de empresa, inclusive a de serviços, podem ser organizadas em quatro grupos (produção, atendimento, apoio e planejamento e que essa organização é aplicável à empresa como um todo, a qualquer órgão (departamento, seção e a qualquer célula de trabalho, inclusive a constituída por apenas um funcionário. O modelo, por mergulhar, como nenhum outro, nas profundezas da empresa, complementa outros modelos (Tavistock, Katz & Kahn, Kast & Rosenzweig. A comparação com o modelo da Cadeia de Valores de Porter e as vantagens apontadas no texto permitem concluir que o modelo é bastante adequado para a proposição de mudanças na empresa que melhorem sua posição competitiva.The model shows that the activities of any type of company, including service companies, can be divided into four groups (production, service, support, planning and that such organization is applicable to the company as a whole, to any part of it (division, department and even to single employees. Since the model, as no other, covers nearly all sections of the company, it complements other ones (Tavistock, Katz & Kahn, Kast & Rosenzweig. The comparison with Porter’s Chain of Values and the advantages shown in the text, allow the conclusion that this model is perfectly adequate to the proposed changes in the company and to the improvement of its competitiveness.

  5. Comparison of immune responses after intra-typic heterologous and homologous vaccination against foot-and-mouth disease virus infection in pigs

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Eble, P.L.; Bruin, de M.G.M.; Bouma, A.; Hemert-Kluitenberg, van F.; Dekker, A.

    2006-01-01

    This study compares the immune responses and protection induced by intra-typic heterologous vaccination with that induced by homologous vaccination against challenge with foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV). Humoral and cell-mediated immune responses and protection against challenge with FMDV O

  6. Effect of heterologous expression of acyl-CoA-binding protein on acyl-CoA level and composition in yeast

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mandrup, S; Jepsen, R; Skøtt, H

    1993-01-01

    We have expressed a bovine synthetic acyl-CoA-binding protein (ACBP) gene in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) under the control of the GAL1 promoter. The heterologously expressed bovine ACBP constituted up to 6.4% of total cellular protein and the processing was identical with that of native bovi...

  7. Interplay of ribosomal DNA loci in nucleolar dominance: dominant NORs are up-regulated by chromatin dynamics in the wheat-rye system.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manuela Silva

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Chromatin organizational and topological plasticity, and its functions in gene expression regulation, have been strongly revealed by the analysis of nucleolar dominance in hybrids and polyploids where one parental set of ribosomal RNA (rDNA genes that are clustered in nucleolar organizing regions (NORs, is rendered silent by epigenetic pathways and heterochromatization. However, information on the behaviour of dominant NORs is very sparse and needed for an integrative knowledge of differential gene transcription levels and chromatin specific domain interactions. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using molecular and cytological approaches in a wheat-rye addition line (wheat genome plus the rye nucleolar chromosome pair 1R, we investigated transcriptional activity and chromatin topology of the wheat dominant NORs in a nucleolar dominance situation. Herein we report dominant NORs up-regulation in the addition line through quantitative real-time PCR and silver-staining technique. Accompanying this modification in wheat rDNA trascription level, we also disclose that perinucleolar knobs of ribosomal chromatin are almost transcriptionally silent due to the residual detection of BrUTP incorporation in these domains, contrary to the marked labelling of intranucleolar condensed rDNA. Further, by comparative confocal analysis of nuclei probed to wheat and rye NORs, we found that in the wheat-rye addition line there is a significant decrease in the number of wheat-origin perinucleolar rDNA knobs, corresponding to a diminution of the rDNA heterochromatic fraction of the dominant (wheat NORs. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We demonstrate that inter-specific interactions leading to wheat-origin NOR dominance results not only on the silencing of rye origin NOR loci, but dominant NORs are also modified in their transcriptional activity and interphase organization. The results show a cross-talk between wheat and rye NORs, mediated by ribosomal chromatin

  8. Homologous and Heterologous Protection of Nonhuman Primates by Ebola and Sudan Virus-Like Particles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warfield, Kelly L.; Dye, John M.; Wells, Jay B.; Unfer, Robert C.; Holtsberg, Frederick W.; Shulenin, Sergey; Vu, Hong; Swenson, Dana L.; Bavari, Sina; Aman, M. Javad

    2015-01-01

    Filoviruses cause hemorrhagic fever resulting in significant morbidity and mortality in humans. Several vaccine platforms that include multiple virus-vectored approaches and virus-like particles (VLPs) have shown efficacy in nonhuman primates. Previous studies have shown protection of cynomolgus macaques against homologous infection for Ebola virus (EBOV) and Marburg virus (MARV) following a three-dose vaccine regimen of EBOV or MARV VLPs, as well as heterologous protection against Ravn Virus (RAVV) following vaccination with MARV VLPs. The objectives of the current studies were to determine the minimum number of vaccine doses required for protection (using EBOV as the test system) and then demonstrate protection against Sudan virus (SUDV) and Taï Forest virus (TAFV). Using the EBOV nonhuman primate model, we show that one or two doses of VLP vaccine can confer protection from lethal infection. VLPs containing the SUDV glycoprotein, nucleoprotein and VP40 matrix protein provide complete protection against lethal SUDV infection in macaques. Finally, we demonstrate protective efficacy mediated by EBOV, but not SUDV, VLPs against TAFV; this is the first demonstration of complete cross-filovirus protection using a single component heterologous vaccine within the Ebolavirus genus. Along with our previous results, this observation provides strong evidence that it will be possible to develop and administer a broad-spectrum VLP-based vaccine that will protect against multiple filoviruses by combining only three EBOV, SUDV and MARV components. PMID:25793502

  9. Homologous and heterologous protection of nonhuman primates by Ebola and Sudan virus-like particles.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kelly L Warfield

    Full Text Available Filoviruses cause hemorrhagic fever resulting in significant morbidity and mortality in humans. Several vaccine platforms that include multiple virus-vectored approaches and virus-like particles (VLPs have shown efficacy in nonhuman primates. Previous studies have shown protection of cynomolgus macaques against homologous infection for Ebola virus (EBOV and Marburg virus (MARV following a three-dose vaccine regimen of EBOV or MARV VLPs, as well as heterologous protection against Ravn Virus (RAVV following vaccination with MARV VLPs. The objectives of the current studies were to determine the minimum number of vaccine doses required for protection (using EBOV as the test system and then demonstrate protection against Sudan virus (SUDV and Taï Forest virus (TAFV. Using the EBOV nonhuman primate model, we show that one or two doses of VLP vaccine can confer protection from lethal infection. VLPs containing the SUDV glycoprotein, nucleoprotein and VP40 matrix protein provide complete protection against lethal SUDV infection in macaques. Finally, we demonstrate protective efficacy mediated by EBOV, but not SUDV, VLPs against TAFV; this is the first demonstration of complete cross-filovirus protection using a single component heterologous vaccine within the Ebolavirus genus. Along with our previous results, this observation provides strong evidence that it will be possible to develop and administer a broad-spectrum VLP-based vaccine that will protect against multiple filoviruses by combining only three EBOV, SUDV and MARV components.

  10. Bovine adenovirus type 3 containing heterologous protein in the C-terminus of minor capsid protein IX

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zakhartchouk, Alexander; Connors, Wayne; Van Kessel, Andrew; Tikoo, Suresh Kumar

    2004-01-01

    Earlier, we detected pIX of BAdV-3 as a 14-kDa protein in purified virions. Analysis of BAdV-3 pIX using different region antibodies revealed that the N-terminus and central domain of the pIX contain immunogenic sites and are not exposed on the surface of BAdV-3 virion. This suggested that the C-terminus of BAdV-3 pIX (125 amino acid) may be exposed on the virion and may be used as a site for incorporation of heterologous peptides or proteins. We constructed recombinant BAV950 containing a small peptide (21 amino acid), including the RGD motif or recombinant BAV951 containing enhanced yellow-green fluorescent protein (EYFP) fused to the C-terminus of pIX. Western blot analysis demonstrated that the chimeric pIX-RGD was incorporated into virion capsids. Incorporation of the RGD motif into the pIX resulted in significant augmentation of BAdV-3 fiber knob-independent infection of the integrin-positive cells, suggesting that RGD motifs are displayed on the surface of virion capsids and are accessible for binding to integrins. Analysis of BAV951 revealed that the chimeric pIX is incorporated into virion capsids and EYFP containing the C-terminus of pIX is exposed on the surface of the virion. Moreover, insertion of chimeric pIXs was maintained without change through successive rounds of viral replication. These results suggested that in contrast to major capsid proteins (hexon, penton, fiber), the minor capsid protein IX can be use for the incorporation of targeting ligands based on either small peptides or longer polypeptides

  11. Learning-related brain hemispheric dominance in sleeping songbirds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moorman, Sanne; Gobes, Sharon M H; van de Kamp, Ferdinand C; Zandbergen, Matthijs A; Bolhuis, Johan J

    2015-03-12

    There are striking behavioural and neural parallels between the acquisition of speech in humans and song learning in songbirds. In humans, language-related brain activation is mostly lateralised to the left hemisphere. During language acquisition in humans, brain hemispheric lateralisation develops as language proficiency increases. Sleep is important for the formation of long-term memory, in humans as well as in other animals, including songbirds. Here, we measured neuronal activation (as the expression pattern of the immediate early gene ZENK) during sleep in juvenile zebra finch males that were still learning their songs from a tutor. We found that during sleep, there was learning-dependent lateralisation of spontaneous neuronal activation in the caudomedial nidopallium (NCM), a secondary auditory brain region that is involved in tutor song memory, while there was right hemisphere dominance of neuronal activation in HVC (used as a proper name), a premotor nucleus that is involved in song production and sensorimotor learning. Specifically, in the NCM, birds that imitated their tutors well were left dominant, while poor imitators were right dominant, similar to language-proficiency related lateralisation in humans. Given the avian-human parallels, lateralised neural activation during sleep may also be important for speech and language acquisition in human infants.

  12. Learning-related brain hemispheric dominance in sleeping songbirds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moorman, Sanne; Gobes, Sharon M. H.; van de Kamp, Ferdinand C.; Zandbergen, Matthijs A.; Bolhuis, Johan J.

    2015-01-01

    There are striking behavioural and neural parallels between the acquisition of speech in humans and song learning in songbirds. In humans, language-related brain activation is mostly lateralised to the left hemisphere. During language acquisition in humans, brain hemispheric lateralisation develops as language proficiency increases. Sleep is important for the formation of long-term memory, in humans as well as in other animals, including songbirds. Here, we measured neuronal activation (as the expression pattern of the immediate early gene ZENK) during sleep in juvenile zebra finch males that were still learning their songs from a tutor. We found that during sleep, there was learning-dependent lateralisation of spontaneous neuronal activation in the caudomedial nidopallium (NCM), a secondary auditory brain region that is involved in tutor song memory, while there was right hemisphere dominance of neuronal activation in HVC (used as a proper name), a premotor nucleus that is involved in song production and sensorimotor learning. Specifically, in the NCM, birds that imitated their tutors well were left dominant, while poor imitators were right dominant, similar to language-proficiency related lateralisation in humans. Given the avian-human parallels, lateralised neural activation during sleep may also be important for speech and language acquisition in human infants. PMID:25761654

  13. The role of heterologous chloroplast sequence elements in transgene integration and expression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruhlman, Tracey; Verma, Dheeraj; Samson, Nalapalli; Daniell, Henry

    2010-04-01

    Heterologous regulatory elements and flanking sequences have been used in chloroplast transformation of several crop species, but their roles and mechanisms have not yet been investigated. Nucleotide sequence identity in the photosystem II protein D1 (psbA) upstream region is 59% across all taxa; similar variation was consistent across all genes and taxa examined. Secondary structure and predicted Gibbs free energy values of the psbA 5' untranslated region (UTR) among different families reflected this variation. Therefore, chloroplast transformation vectors were made for tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa), with endogenous (Nt-Nt, Ls-Ls) or heterologous (Nt-Ls, Ls-Nt) psbA promoter, 5' UTR and 3' UTR, regulating expression of the anthrax protective antigen (PA) or human proinsulin (Pins) fused with the cholera toxin B-subunit (CTB). Unique lettuce flanking sequences were completely eliminated during homologous recombination in the transplastomic tobacco genomes but not unique tobacco sequences. Nt-Ls or Ls-Nt transplastomic lines showed reduction of 80% PA and 97% CTB-Pins expression when compared with endogenous psbA regulatory elements, which accumulated up to 29.6% total soluble protein PA and 72.0% total leaf protein CTB-Pins, 2-fold higher than Rubisco. Transgene transcripts were reduced by 84% in Ls-Nt-CTB-Pins and by 72% in Nt-Ls-PA lines. Transcripts containing endogenous 5' UTR were stabilized in nonpolysomal fractions. Stromal RNA-binding proteins were preferentially associated with endogenous psbA 5' UTR. A rapid and reproducible regeneration system was developed for lettuce commercial cultivars by optimizing plant growth regulators. These findings underscore the need for sequencing complete crop chloroplast genomes, utilization of endogenous regulatory elements and flanking sequences, as well as optimization of plant growth regulators for efficient chloroplast transformation.

  14. Neonatal BCG vaccination is associated with enhanced T-helper 1 immune responses to heterologous infant vaccines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Libraty, Daniel H; Zhang, Lei; Woda, Marcia; Acosta, Luz P; Obcena, Anamae; Brion, Job D; Capeding, Rosario Z

    2014-01-01

    Neonatal Bacille Calmette Guérin (BCG) vaccination has been reported to have beneficial effects beyond preventing infantile tuberculous meningitis and miliary disease. We hypothesized that BCG vaccine given at birth would enhance T-helper 1 (Th1) immune responses to the first vaccines given later in infancy. We conducted a nested case-control study of neonatal BCG vaccination and its heterologous Th1 immune effects in 2-3 months old infants. BCG vaccination at birth was associated with an increased frequency of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) producing spot-forming cells (SFC) to tetanus toxoid 2-3 months later. The frequency of IFN-γ producing SFC to polioviruses 1-3 also trended higher among infants who received BCG vaccination at birth. The frequency of IFN-γ+/tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)+CD45RO+CD4+ T-cells upon stimulation with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)/Ionomycin was higher in 2-3 months old infants who received BCG vaccination at birth compared to those who did not. The circulating frequency of forkhead box P3 (FoxP3)+ CD45RO+ regulatory CD4+ T-cells also trended lower in these infants. Neonatal BCG vaccination is associated with heterologous Th1 immune effects 2-3 months later.

  15. Comparative study on the use of specific and heterologous microsatellite primers in the stingless bees Melipona rufiventris and M. mondury (Hymenoptera, Apidae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopes, Denilce Meneses; de Oliveira Campos, Lúcio Antônio; Salomão, Tânia Maria Fernandes; Tavares, Mara Garcia

    2010-04-01

    Due to their high degree of polymorphism, microsatellites are considered useful tools for studying population genetics. Nevertheless, studies of genetic diversity in stingless bees by means of these primers have revealed a low level of polymorphism, possibly the consequence of the heterologous primers used, since in most cases these were not specifically designed for the species under consideration. Herein we compared the number of polymorphic loci and alleles per locus, as well as observed heterozygosity in Melipona rufiventris and M. mondury populations, using specific and heterologous primers. The use of specific primers placed in evidence the greater frequency of polymorphic loci and alleles per locus, besides an expressive increase in observed heterozygosity in M. rufiventris and M. mondury, thereby reinforcing the idea that populational studies should be undertaken by preferably using species-specific microsatellite primers.

  16. Hypothalamic digoxin, hemispheric chemical dominance, and chronic bronchitis emphysema.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurup, Ravi Kumar; Kurup, Parameswara Achutha

    2003-09-01

    The isoprenoid pathway produces three key metabolites--endogenous digoxin (membrane sodium-potassium ATPase inhibitor, immunomodulator, and regulator of neurotransmitter/amino acid transport), dolichol (regulates N-glycosylation of proteins), and ubiquinone (free radical scavenger). This was assessed in patients with chronic bronchitis emphysema. The pathway was also assessed in patients with right hemispheric, left hemispheric, and bihemispheric dominance to find the role of hemispheric dominance in the pathogenesis of chronic bronchitis emphysema. All the 15 patients with chronic bronchitis emphysema were right-handed/left hemispheric dominant by the dichotic listening test. In patients with chronic bronchitis emphysema there was elevated digoxin synthesis, increased dolichol, and glycoconjugate levels, and low ubiquinone and elevated free radical levels. There was also an increase in tryptophan catabolites and a reduction in tyrosine catabolites. There was an increase in cholesterol:phospholipid ratio and a reduction in glycoconjugate levels of RBC membrane in patients with chronic bronchitis emphysema. The same biochemical patterns were obtained in individuals with right hemispheric dominance. Endogenous digoxin by activating the calcineurin signal transduction pathway of T-cell can contribute to immune activation in chronic bronchitis emphysema. Increased free radical generation can also lead to immune activation. Endogenous synthesis of nicotine can contribute to the pathogenesis of the disease. Altered glycoconjugate metabolism and membranogenesis can lead to defective lysosomal stability contributing to the disease process by increased release of lysosomal proteases. The role of an endogenous digoxin and hemispheric dominance in the pathogenesis of chronic bronchitis emphysema and in the regulation of lung structure/function is discussed. The biochemical patterns obtained in chronic bronchitis emphysema is similar to those obtained in left

  17. Sex-linked dominant

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inheritance - sex-linked dominant; Genetics - sex-linked dominant; X-linked dominant; Y-linked dominant ... can be either an autosomal chromosome or a sex chromosome. It also depends on whether the trait ...

  18. Evaluating the Relation between Dominant and Non-Dominant Hand Perimeters and Handgrip Strength of Basketball, Volleyball, Badminton and Handball Athletes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaplan, Defne Öcal

    2016-01-01

    In this study, it's aimed to evaluate the relation between dominant and non-dominant hand perimeters and handgrip strength of basketball, volleyball, badminton and handball athletes. Totally 101 active athletes (49 females, 52 male), of the average age in female 20±1.42 years, in male 21±1.99 years, joined to this study. Height, body weight, BMI…

  19. cDNA cloning of human DNA topoisomerase I. Catalytic activity of a 67.7-kDa carboxyl-terminal fragment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    D'Arpa, P.; Machlin, P.S.; Ratrie, H. III; Rothfield, N.F.; Cleveland, D.W.; Earnshaw, W.C.

    1988-01-01

    cDNA clones encoding human topoisomerase I were isolated from an expression vector library (λgt11) screened with autoimmune anti-topoisomerase I serum. One of these clones has been expressed as a fusion protein comprised of a 32-kDa fragment of the bacterial TrpE protein linked to 67.7 kDa of protein encoded by the cDNA. Three lines of evidence indicate that the cloned cDNA encodes topoisomerase I. (i) Proteolysis maps of the fusion protein and human nuclear topoisomerase I are essentially identical. (ii) The fusion protein relaxes supercoiled DNA, an activity that can be immunoprecipitated by anti-topoisomerase I serum. (iii) Sequence analysis has revealed that the longest cDNA clone (3645 base pairs) encodes a protein of 765 amino acids that shares 42% identity with Saccharomyces cerevisiae topoisomerase I. The sequence data also show that the catalytically active 67.7-kDa fragment is comprised of the carboxyl terminus

  20. Functional Anatomy of Writing with the Dominant Hand

    Science.gov (United States)

    Najee-ullah, Muslimah ‘Ali; Hallett, Mark

    2013-01-01

    While writing performed by any body part is similar in style, indicating a common program, writing with the dominant hand is particularly skilled. We hypothesized that this skill utilizes a special motor network supplementing the motor equivalence areas. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging in 13 normal subjects, we studied nine conditions: writing, zigzagging and tapping, each with the right hand, left hand and right foot. We identified brain regions activated with the right (dominant) hand writing task, exceeding the activation common to right-hand use and the writing program, both identified without right-hand writing itself. Right-hand writing significantly differed from the other tasks. First, we observed stronger activations in the left dorsal prefrontal cortex, left intraparietal sulcus and right cerebellum. Second, the left anterior putamen was required to initiate all the tested tasks, but only showed sustained activation during the right-hand writing condition. Lastly, an exploratory analysis showed clusters in the left ventral premotor cortex and inferior and superior parietal cortices were only significantly active for right-hand writing. The increased activation with right-hand writing cannot be ascribed to increased effort, since this is a well-practiced task much easier to perform than some of the other tasks studied. Because parietal-premotor connections code for particular skills, it would seem that the parietal and premotor regions, together with basal ganglia-sustained activation likely underlie the special skill of handwriting with the dominant hand. PMID:23844132

  1. Functional anatomy of writing with the dominant hand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horovitz, Silvina G; Gallea, Cecile; Najee-Ullah, Muslimah 'ali; Hallett, Mark

    2013-01-01

    While writing performed by any body part is similar in style, indicating a common program, writing with the dominant hand is particularly skilled. We hypothesized that this skill utilizes a special motor network supplementing the motor equivalence areas. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging in 13 normal subjects, we studied nine conditions: writing, zigzagging and tapping, each with the right hand, left hand and right foot. We identified brain regions activated with the right (dominant) hand writing task, exceeding the activation common to right-hand use and the writing program, both identified without right-hand writing itself. Right-hand writing significantly differed from the other tasks. First, we observed stronger activations in the left dorsal prefrontal cortex, left intraparietal sulcus and right cerebellum. Second, the left anterior putamen was required to initiate all the tested tasks, but only showed sustained activation during the right-hand writing condition. Lastly, an exploratory analysis showed clusters in the left ventral premotor cortex and inferior and superior parietal cortices were only significantly active for right-hand writing. The increased activation with right-hand writing cannot be ascribed to increased effort, since this is a well-practiced task much easier to perform than some of the other tasks studied. Because parietal-premotor connections code for particular skills, it would seem that the parietal and premotor regions, together with basal ganglia-sustained activation likely underlie the special skill of handwriting with the dominant hand.

  2. The Pricing Strategies and the Dominant Technology Modes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kramarenko Anna О.

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The article is aimed at defining the basic approaches to pricing that correspond to the modern technological mode, as well as the prospects of substituting them with new strategies in the process of evolution of technology and socio-economic development. The technological evolution within the terms of cyclic substitution of the dominant technological ways together with periodicity of domination of the single pricing strategies have been considered. It was identified that in the process of transition to the sixth technological mode, the core of which is the high-tech and the science-driven types of economic activity, the strategies of premium pricing are at the forefront, due to their significant profitability in conditions of the fast updating of assortment of products and the particular characteristics of products and services. It has been substantiated that the dominance of premium pricing creates an inflationary effect, especially in the terms of innovative economic activities, which are potentially the basis for active implementation of technologies of the new mode.

  3. Enzyme activity of a Phanerochaete chrysosporium cellobiohydrolase

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The aim of this study was to produce a secreted, heterologously expressed Phanerochaete chrysosporium cellobiohydrolase (CBHI.1) protein that required no in vitro chemical refolding and to investigate the cellulolytic activity of the clone expressing the glutathione S-transferase (GST) fused CBHI.1 protein. Plate enzyme ...

  4. Akinetic-rigid and tremor-dominant Parkinson's disease patients show different patterns of intrinsic brain activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jiuquan; Wei, Luqing; Hu, Xiaofei; Xie, Bing; Zhang, Yanling; Wu, Guo-Rong; Wang, Jian

    2015-01-01

    Parkinson's disease (PD) is a surprisingly heterogeneous neurodegenerative disorder. It is well established that different subtypes of PD present with different clinical courses and prognoses. However, the neural mechanism underlying these disparate presentations is uncertain. Here we used resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) and the regional homogeneity (ReHo) method to determine neural activity patterns in the two main clinical subgroups of PD (akinetic-rigid and tremor-dominant). Compared with healthy controls, akinetic-rigid (AR) subjects had increased ReHo mainly in right amygdala, left putamen, bilateral angular gyrus, bilateral medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), and decreased ReHo in left post cingulate gyrus/precuneus (PCC/PCu) and bilateral thalamus. In contrast, tremor-dominant (TD) patients showed higher ReHo mostly in bilateral angular gyrus, left PCC, cerebellum_crus1, and cerebellum_6, while ReHo was decreased in right putamen, primary sensory cortex (S1), vermis_3, and cerebellum_4_5. These results indicate that AR and TD subgroups both represent altered spontaneous neural activity in default-mode regions and striatum, and AR subjects exhibit more changed neural activity in the mesolimbic cortex (amygdala) but TD in the cerebellar regions. Of note, direct comparison of the two subgroups revealed a distinct ReHo pattern primarily located in the striatal-thalamo-cortical (STC) and cerebello-thalamo-cortical (CTC) loops. Overall, our findings highlight the involvement of default mode network (DMN) and STC circuit both in AR and TD subtypes, but also underscore the importance of integrating mesolimbic-striatal and CTC loops in understanding neural systems of akinesia and rigidity, as well as resting tremor in PD. This study provides improved understanding of the pathophysiological models of different subtypes of PD. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. SOME CONSIDERATIONS ON ABUSE OF DOMINANT POSITION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ovidiu Maican

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Article 82 (formerly 86 EC contains four essential elements (an undertaking, a dominant position, an abuse of that position and the abuse must affect trade between member states. The term undertakings is subject to the same broad interpretation as that applied to article 81 (formerly 85 EC and covers the same activities, both public and private.The Community interest must be also taken into account. Although it is not clear precisely what this element of article 86 requires, it will clearly curtail the scope of the exception provided under this article. Although abusive behavior of undertakings in a dominant position is prohibited, it must be recalled that merely being in a strong position is not a problem in itself. It is necessary for major players in a market to be aware of their position because practices which would not fall foul of article 82 (formerly 86 EC, where an undertaking is not dominant, will do so where dominance is established. A refusal to deal by a non-dominant undertaking would not be an abuse within article 82 (formerly 86 EC, but it will be so where the undertaking is dominant.

  6. The dominance behavioral system and manic temperament: motivation for dominance, self-perceptions of power, and socially dominant behaviors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Sheri L; Carver, Charles S

    2012-12-15

    The dominance behavioral system has been conceptualized as a biologically based system comprising motivation to achieve social power and self-perceptions of power. Biological, behavioral, and social correlates of dominance motivation and self-perceived power have been related to a range of psychopathological tendencies. Preliminary evidence suggests that mania and risk for mania (manic temperament) relate to the dominance system. Four studies examine whether manic temperament, measured with the Hypomanic Personality Scale (HPS), is related to elevations in dominance motivation, self-perceptions of power, and engagement in socially dominant behavior across multiple measures. In Study 1, the HPS correlated with measures of dominance motivation and the pursuit of extrinsically-oriented ambitions for fame and wealth among 454 undergraduates. In Study 2, the HPS correlated with perceptions of power and extrinsically-oriented lifetime ambitions among 780 undergraduates. In Study 3, the HPS was related to trait-like tendencies to experience hubristic (dominance-related) pride, as well as dominance motivation and pursuit of extrinsically-oriented ambitions. In Study 4, we developed the Socially Dominant Behavior Scale to capture behaviors reflecting high power. The scale correlated highly with the HPS among 514 undergraduates. The studies rely on self-ratings of manic temperament and dominance constructs, and findings have not yet been generalized to a clinical sample. Taken together, results support the hypothesis that manic temperament is related to a focus on achieving social dominance, ambitions related to achieving social recognition, perceptions of having achieved power, tendencies to experience dominance-related pride, and engagement in social behaviors consistent with this elevated sense of power. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Lipoic acid increases glutathione peroxidase, Na+, K+-ATPase and acetylcholinesterase activities in rat hippocampus after pilocarpine-induced seizures? O ácido lipóico aumenta as atividades da glutationa peroxidase, da Na+, K+-ATPase e da acetilcolinesterase no hipocampo de ratos após convulsões induzidas por pilocarpina?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Geane Felix de Souza

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available In the present study we investigated the effects of lipoic acid (LA on acetylcholinesterase (AChE, glutathione peroxidase (GPx and Na+, K+-ATPase activities in rat hippocampus during seizures. Wistar rats were treated with 0.9% saline (i.p., control group, lipoic acid (20 mg/kg, i.p., LA group, pilocarpine (400 mg/kg, i.p., P400 group, and the association of pilocarpine (400 mg/kg, i.p. plus LA (20 mg/kg, i.p., 30 min before of administration of P400 (LA plus P400 group. After the treatments all groups were observed for 1 h. In P400 group, there was a significant increase in GPx activity as well as a decrease in AChE and Na+, K+-ATPase activities after seizures. In turn, LA plus P400 abolished the appearance of seizures and reversed the decreased in AChE and Na+, K+-ATPase activities produced by seizures, when compared to the P400 seizing group. The results from the present study demonstrate that preadministration of LA abolished seizure episodes induced by pilocarpine in rat, probably by increasing AChE and Na+, K+-ATPase activities in rat hippocampus.No presente estudo nós investigamos os efeitos do ácido lipóico (AL sobre as atividades da acetilcolinesterase (AChE, da glutationa peroxidase (GPx e da Na+, K+-ATPase no hipocampo de ratos durante crises convulsivas. Ratos Wistar foram tratados com solução salina a 0,9% (i.p., grupo controle, ácido lipóico (20 mg/kg, i.p., grupo AL, pilocarpina (400 mg/kg, i.p., grupo P400, e a associação de AL (20 mg/kg, i.p. com a pilocarpina (400 mg/kg, i.p., 30 min antes da administração de pilocarpina (grupo AL + P400. Após os tratamentos todos os grupos foram observados durante 1 h. No grupo P400, houve um aumento significativo na atividade da GPx, assim como uma diminuição das atividades da AChE e Na+, K+-ATPase. Por sua vez, o pré-tratamento com AL aboliu o aparecimento de convulsões e reverteu a diminuição das atividades da AChE e da Na+, K+-ATPase causadas pelas convulsões, quando

  8. Autosomal dominant hypocalcemia with Bartter syndrome due to a novel activating mutation of calcium sensing receptor, Y829C.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Keun Hee; Shin, Choong Ho; Yang, Sei Won; Cheong, Hae Il

    2015-04-01

    The calcium sensing receptor (CaSR) plays an important role in calcium homeostasis. Activating mutations of CaSR cause autosomal dominant hypocalcemia by affecting parathyroid hormone secretion in parathyroid gland and calcium resorption in kidney. They can also cause a type 5 Bartter syndrome by inhibiting the apical potassium channel in the thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle in the kidney. This study presents a patient who had autosomal dominant hypocalcemia with Bartter syndrome due to an activating mutation Y829C in the transmembrane domain of the CaSR. Symptoms of hypocalcemia occurred 12 days after birth and medication was started immediately. Medullary nephrocalcinosis and basal ganglia calcification were found at 7 years old and at 17 years old. Three hypercalcemic episodes occurred, one at 14 years old and two at 17 years old. The Bartter syndrome was not severe while the serum calcium concentration was controlled, but during hypercalcemic periods, the symptoms of Bartter syndrome were aggravated.

  9. Hypothalamic digoxin, hemispheric chemical dominance, and oncogenesis: evidence from multiple myeloma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurup, Ravi Kumar; Kurup, Paramesware Achutha

    2003-12-01

    This study assessed the changes in the isoprenoid pathway and its metabolites digoxin, dolichol, and ubiquinone in multiple myeloma. The isoprenoid pathway and digoxin status were also studied for comparison in individuals of differing hemispheric dominance to find out the rote of cerebral dominance in the genesis of multiple myeloma and neoplasms. The following parameters were assessed: isoprenoid pathway metabolites, tyrosine and tryptophan catabolites, glycoconjugate metabolism, RBC membrane composition, and free radical metabolism--in multiple myeloma, as well as in individuals of differing hemispheric dominance. There was elevation in plasma HMG CoA reductase activity, serum digoxin, and dolichol, and a reduction in RBC membrane Na(+)-K+ ATPase activity, serum ubiquinone, and magnesium levels. Serum tryptophan, serotonin, nicotine, strychnine, and quinolinic acid were elevated, while tyrosine, dopamine, noradrenaline, and morphine were decreased. The total serum glycosaminoglycans and glycosaminoglycan fractions, the activity of GAG degrading enzymes and glycohydrolases, carbohydrate residues of glycoproteins, and serum glycolipids were elevated. The RBC membrane glycosaminoglycans, hexose, and fucose residues of glycoproteins, cholesterol, and phospholipids were reduced. The activity of all free-radical scavenging enzymes, concentration of glutathione, iron binding capacity, and ceruloplasmin decreased significantly, while the concentration of lipid peroxidation products and nitric oxide increased. Hyperdigoxinemia-related altered intracellular Ca++/Mg++ ratios mediated oncogene activation, dolichol-induced altered glycoconjugate metabolism, and ubiquinone deficiency-related mitochondrial dysfunction can contribute to the pathogenesis of multiple myeloma. The biochemical patterns obtained in multiple myeloma are similar to those obtained in left-handed/right hemispheric chemically dominant individuals by the dichotic listening test. But all the patients with

  10. Broadening of neutralization activity to directly block a dominant antibody-driven SARS-coronavirus evolution pathway.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jianhua Sui

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available Phylogenetic analyses have provided strong evidence that amino acid changes in spike (S protein of animal and human SARS coronaviruses (SARS-CoVs during and between two zoonotic transfers (2002/03 and 2003/04 are the result of positive selection. While several studies support that some amino acid changes between animal and human viruses are the result of inter-species adaptation, the role of neutralizing antibodies (nAbs in driving SARS-CoV evolution, particularly during intra-species transmission, is unknown. A detailed examination of SARS-CoV infected animal and human convalescent sera could provide evidence of nAb pressure which, if found, may lead to strategies to effectively block virus evolution pathways by broadening the activity of nAbs. Here we show, by focusing on a dominant neutralization epitope, that contemporaneous- and cross-strain nAb responses against SARS-CoV spike protein exist during natural infection. In vitro immune pressure on this epitope using 2002/03 strain-specific nAb 80R recapitulated a dominant escape mutation that was present in all 2003/04 animal and human viruses. Strategies to block this nAb escape/naturally occurring evolution pathway by generating broad nAbs (BnAbs with activity against 80R escape mutants and both 2002/03 and 2003/04 strains were explored. Structure-based amino acid changes in an activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID "hot spot" in a light chain CDR (complementarity determining region alone, introduced through shuffling of naturally occurring non-immune human VL chain repertoire or by targeted mutagenesis, were successful in generating these BnAbs. These results demonstrate that nAb-mediated immune pressure is likely a driving force for positive selection during intra-species transmission of SARS-CoV. Somatic hypermutation (SHM of a single VL CDR can markedly broaden the activity of a strain-specific nAb. The strategies investigated in this study, in particular the use of structural

  11. Experimental Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Demineralized Bone Matrix and Collagenated Heterologous Bone Grafts Used Alone or in Combination with Platelet-Rich Fibrin on Bone Healing in Sinus Floor Augmentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peker, Elif; Karaca, Inci Rana; Yildirim, Benay

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was an experimental evaluation of the effectiveness of demineralized bone matrix (DBM) and collagenated heterologous bone graft (CHBG) used alone or in combination with platelet-rich fibrin on bone healing in sinus floor augmentation procedures. In this study, 36 New Zealand rabbits were used. The bilateral sinus elevation was performed, and 72 defects were obtained. The rabbit maxillary sinuses were divided into four groups according to the augmentation biomaterials obtained: demineralized bone matrix (Grafton DBM Putty, Osteotech; DBM group), DBM combined with platelet-rich fibrin (PRF; DBM + PRF group), collagenated heterologous bone graft (CHBG; Apatos Mix, OsteoBiol, Tecnoss; CHBG group), CHBG combined with PRF (CHBG + PRF group). All groups were sacrificed at 2, 4, and 8 weeks after surgery for histologic, histomorphometric, and immunohistochemical analyses. The inflammatory reaction was moderate to intense at the second week in all groups and declined from 2 to 8 weeks. New bone formation was started at the second week and increased from 2 to 8 weeks in all groups. There was no significant difference in bone formation between the experimental groups that used PRF mixed graft material and control groups that used only graft material. The percentage of new bone formation showed a significant difference in DBM groups and DBM + PRF groups compared with other groups. There were osteoclasts around all the bone graft materials used, but the percentage of residual graft particles was significantly higher in CHBG groups and CHBG + PRF groups at the eighth week. There is no beneficial effect of the application of PRF in combination with demineralized bone matrix or collagenated heterologous bone graft on bone formation in sinus floor augmentation. The results of this study showed that both collagenated heterologous bone graft and demineralized bone matrix have osteoconductive properties, but demineralized bone matrix showed more bone formation

  12. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in patients with gliomas adjacent to classical language areas. Lateralization of activated prefrontal cortex is important in determining the dominant hemisphere

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karibe, Hiroshi; Kumabe, Toshihiro; Shirane, Reizo; Yoshimoto, Takashi

    2003-01-01

    In patients with gliomas adjacent to classical language areas, lateralized activation of prefrontal cortex was assessed to determine language dominant hemisphere using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Twelve patients presented with aphasias were studied. In all patients, either the left frontal operculum or left superior temporal gyri were adjacent to gliomas, suggesting all patients had left lateralization in hemispheric language dominance. Functional MRI was performed with a 1.5T scanner, with the sequence of gradient-echo type echo-planar imaging. As specific language tasks, verb, word, and capping generations were used. Using a cross-correlation analysis method, primary activation maps were generated using pixels with a correlation coefficient of >0.7. The lateralized activation of frontal operculum, superior temporal gyrus, and prefrontal cortex were assessed by calculating laterality index. Successful activation of frontal operculum was imaged in 11 of 12, in the superior temporal gyrus or prefrontal cortex. Three out of 11 cases had apparent activation lateralized in the right frontal operculum on fMRI, while 3 out of 12 cases showed activation in the superior temporal gyrus. On the other hand, all cases had apparent activation lateralized to the left prefrontal cortex. Significant activation of true language area may not be obtained in some cases with gliomas adjacent to classical language areas. In such cases, lateralization of apparent activation of prefrontal cortex may reflect lateralization in the dominant hemisphere. These result suggest that the assessment of apparent activation of prefrontal cortex lateralization is useful to determine the language dominant hemisphere. (author)

  13. A heterologous prime-boost Ebola virus vaccine regimen induces durable neutralizing antibody response and prevents Ebola virus-like particle entry in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Tan; Li, Dapeng; Song, Yufeng; Yang, Xi; Liu, Qingwei; Jin, Xia; Zhou, Dongming; Huang, Zhong

    2017-09-01

    Ebola virus (EBOV) is one of the most virulent pathogens known to humans. Neutralizing antibodies play a major role in the protection against EBOV infections. Thus, an EBOV vaccine capable of inducing a long-lasting neutralizing antibody response is highly desirable. We report here that a heterologous prime-boost vaccine regimen can elicit durable EBOV-neutralizing antibody response in mice. A chimpanzee serotype 7 adenovirus expressing EBOV GP (denoted AdC7-GP) was generated and used for priming. A truncated version of EBOV GP1 protein (denoted GP1t) was produced at high levels in Drosophila S2 cells and used for boosting. Mouse immunization studies showed that the AdC7-GP prime/GP1t boost vaccine regimen was more potent in eliciting neutralizing antibodies than either the AdC7-GP or GP1t alone. Neutralizing antibodies induced by the heterologous prime-boost regimen sustained at high titers for at least 18 weeks after immunization. Significantly, in vivo challenge studies revealed that the entry of reporter EBOV-like particles was efficiently blocked in mice receiving the heterologous prime-boost regimen even at 18 weeks after the final dose of immunization. These results suggest that this novel AdC7-GP prime/GP1t boost regimen represents an EBOV vaccine approach capable of establishing long-term protection, and therefore warrants further development. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Hypothalamic digoxin, hemispheric chemical dominance, and sleep.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurup, Ravi Kumar; Kurup, Parameswara Achutha

    2003-04-01

    The isoprenoid path way produces endogenous digoxin, a substance that can regulate neurotransmitter and amino acid transport. Digoxin synthesis and neurotransmitter patterns were assessed in individuals with chronic insomnia. The patterns were compared in those with right hemispheric and left hemispheric dominance. The activity of HMG GoA reductase and serum levels of digoxin, magnesium, tryptophan catabolites, and tyrosine catabolites were measured in individuals with chronic insomnia and in individuals with differing hemispheric dominance. Digoxin synthesis was increased with upregulated tryptophan catabolism (increased levels of serotonin, strychnine, and nicotine), and downregulated tyrosine catabolism (decreased levels of dopamine, noradrenaline, and morphine) in those with chronic insomnia and right hemispheric chemical dominance. Digoxin synthesis was reduced with downregulated tryptophan catabolism (decreased levels of serotonin, strychnine, and nicotine) and upregulated tyrosine catabolism (increased levels of dopamine, noradrenaline, and morphine) in those with normal sleep patterns and left hemispheric chemical dominance. Hypothalamic digoxin plays a central role in the regulation of sleep behavior. Hemispheric chemical dominance in relation to digoxin status is also crucial.

  15. THE ROLE OF DOMINANT MOTIVATION IN THE SUCCESS (FAILURE OF EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH PERSONAL AND SITUATIONAL ANXIETY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Larisa Evgenievna Deryagina

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This article describes the structure of dominant motivation educational activity in student groups with good (I gr. and bad achievers (II gr., for example, learning a foreign language. Obtained results have revealed the fundamental differences of motivational profiles in two researched groups: there has been an active, adequate situation, aimed to successful achieving of motivational strategy in I group; and a passive, aimed to avoid failure, conflicting and therefore ineffective strategy in II group. There were analyzed levels of personal and situational anxiety among students with different structures of dominant motivation in a situation of test control and in normal conditions. It was revealed that subjects with leading motivation for success have demonstrated moderate levels of both personal and situational anxiety, which have not changed in testing situation practically. The students with motivation of avoiding failure have had a higher level of personal anxiety, especially. In situation of testing control the levels of personal and situational anxiety have increased significantly, which reduced the productivity of educational activity.

  16. Functional Genome Mining for Metabolites Encoded by Large Gene Clusters through Heterologous Expression of a Whole-Genome Bacterial Artificial Chromosome Library in Streptomyces spp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Min; Wang, Yemin; Zhao, Zhilong; Gao, Guixi; Huang, Sheng-Xiong; Kang, Qianjin; He, Xinyi; Lin, Shuangjun; Pang, Xiuhua; Deng, Zixin

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT Genome sequencing projects in the last decade revealed numerous cryptic biosynthetic pathways for unknown secondary metabolites in microbes, revitalizing drug discovery from microbial metabolites by approaches called genome mining. In this work, we developed a heterologous expression and functional screening approach for genome mining from genomic bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) libraries in Streptomyces spp. We demonstrate mining from a strain of Streptomyces rochei, which is known to produce streptothricins and borrelidin, by expressing its BAC library in the surrogate host Streptomyces lividans SBT5, and screening for antimicrobial activity. In addition to the successful capture of the streptothricin and borrelidin biosynthetic gene clusters, we discovered two novel linear lipopeptides and their corresponding biosynthetic gene cluster, as well as a novel cryptic gene cluster for an unknown antibiotic from S. rochei. This high-throughput functional genome mining approach can be easily applied to other streptomycetes, and it is very suitable for the large-scale screening of genomic BAC libraries for bioactive natural products and the corresponding biosynthetic pathways. IMPORTANCE Microbial genomes encode numerous cryptic biosynthetic gene clusters for unknown small metabolites with potential biological activities. Several genome mining approaches have been developed to activate and bring these cryptic metabolites to biological tests for future drug discovery. Previous sequence-guided procedures relied on bioinformatic analysis to predict potentially interesting biosynthetic gene clusters. In this study, we describe an efficient approach based on heterologous expression and functional screening of a whole-genome library for the mining of bioactive metabolites from Streptomyces. The usefulness of this function-driven approach was demonstrated by the capture of four large biosynthetic gene clusters for metabolites of various chemical types, including

  17. Heterologous Prime-Boost Vaccination Using an AS03B-Adjuvanted Influenza A(H5N1) Vaccine in Infants and Children <3 Years of Age

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nolan, Terry; Izurieta, Patricia; Lee, Bee-Wah; Chan, Poh Chong; Marshall, Helen; Booy, Robert; Drame, Mamadou; Vaughn, David W.

    2014-01-01

    Background. Protecting young children from pandemic influenza should also reduce transmission to susceptible adults, including pregnant women. Methods. An open study assessed immunogenicity and reactogenicity of a heterologous booster dose of A/turkey/Turkey/1/2005(H5N1)-AS03B (AS03B is an Adjuvant System containing α-tocopherol and squalene in an oil-in-water emulsion [5.93 mg tocopherol]) in infants and children aged 6 to < 36 months that was given 6 months following 2-dose primary vaccination with A/Indonesia/05/2005(H5N1)-AS03B. Vaccines contained 1.9 µg of hemagglutinin antigen and AS03B. Hemagglutinin inhibition (HI) responses, microneutralization titers, and antineuraminidase antibody levels were assessed for 6 months following the booster vaccination. Results. For each age stratum (defined on the basis of the subject's age at first vaccination as 6 to < 12 months, 12 to < 24 months, and 24 to < 36 months) and overall (n = 113), European influenza vaccine licensure criteria were fulfilled for responses to A/turkey/Turkey/1/2005(H5N1) 10 days following the booster vaccination. Local pain and fever increased with consecutive doses. Anamnestic immune responses were demonstrated for HI, neutralizing, and antineuraminidase antibodies against vaccine-homologous/heterologous strains. Antibody responses to vaccine-homologous/heterologous strains persisted in all children 6 months following the booster vaccination. Conclusions. Prevaccination of young children with a clade 2 strain influenza A(H5N1) AS03-adjuvanted vaccine followed by heterologous booster vaccination boosted immune responses to the homologous strain and a related clade, with persistence for at least 6 months. The results support a prime-boost vaccination approach in young children for pandemic influenza preparedness. Clinical Trials Registration. NCT01323946. PMID:24973461

  18. Comparative study on the use of specific and heterologous microsatellite primers in the stingless bees Melipona rufiventris and M. mondury (Hymenoptera, Apidae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Denilce Meneses Lopes

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Due to their high degree of polymorphism, microsatellites are considered useful tools for studying population genetics. Nevertheless, studies of genetic diversity in stingless bees by means of these primers have revealed a low level of polymorphism, possibly the consequence of the heterologous primers used, since in most cases these were not specifically designed for the species under consideration. Herein we compared the number of polymorphic loci and alleles per locus, as well as observed heterozygosity in Melipona rufiventris and M. mondury populations, using specific and heterologous primers. The use of specific primers placed in evidence the greater frequency of polymorphic loci and alleles per locus, besides an expressive increase in observed heterozygosity in M. rufiventris and M. mondury, thereby reinforcing the idea that populational studies should be undertaken by preferably using species-specific microsatellite primers.

  19. Construction of a system for heterologous production of carbonic anhydrase from Plasmodium falciparum in Pichia pastoris

    OpenAIRE

    Gullberg, Erik

    2008-01-01

    Malaria is one of the biggest current global health problems, and with the increasing occurance of drug resistant Plasmodium falciparum strains, there is an urgent need for new antimalarial drugs. Given the important role of carbonic anhydrase in Plasmodium falciparum (PfCA), it is a potential novel drug target. Heterologous expression of malaria proteins is problematic due to the unusual codon usage of the Plasmodium genome, so to overcome this problem a synthetic PfCA gene was designed, opt...

  20. Heterologous production of Pseudomonas aeruginosa rhamnolipid under anaerobic conditions for microbial enhanced oil recovery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, F; Shi, R; Zhao, J; Li, G; Bai, X; Han, S; Zhang, Y

    2015-02-01

    The ex situ application of rhamnolipid to enhance oil recovery is costly and complex in terms of rhamnolipid production and transportation, while in situ production of rhamnolipid is restricted by the oxygen-deficient environments of oil reservoirs. To overcome the oxygen-limiting conditions and to circumvent the complex regulation of rhamnolipid biosynthesis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an engineered strain Pseudomonas stutzeri Rhl was constructed for heterologous production of rhamnolipid under anaerobic conditions. The rhlABRI genes for rhamnolipid biosynthesis were cloned into a facultative anaerobic strain Ps. stutzeri DQ1 to construct the engineered strain Rhl. Anaerobic production of rhamnolipid was confirmed by thin layer chromatography and Fourier transform infrared analysis. Rhamnolipid product reduced the air-water surface tension to 30.3 mN m(-1) and the oil-water interfacial tension to 0.169 mN m(-1). Rhl produced rhamnolipid of 1.61 g l(-1) using glycerol as the carbon source. Rhl anaerobic culture emulsified crude oil up to EI24 ≈ 74. An extra 9.8% of original crude oil was displaced by Rhl in the core flooding test. Strain Rhl achieved anaerobic production of rhamnolipid and worked well for enhanced oil recovery in the core flooding model. The rhamnolipid produced by Rhl was similar to that of the donor strain SQ6. This is the first study to achieve anaerobic and heterologous production of rhamnolipid. Results demonstrated the potential feasibility of Rhl as a promising strain to enhance oil recovery through anaerobic production of rhamnolipid. © 2014 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  1. A dominância lateral em 182 crianças: 2. o ato motor consciente The lateral dominance in 182 children: 2. the conscious motor action

    OpenAIRE

    Ceme Ferreira jordy

    1995-01-01

    Resultados parciais de exame neurológico em 182 crianças normais com idades entre 6 e 14 anos são discutidos quanto ao surgimento das praxias na interação indivíduo-universo em relação com a dominância lateral. Com respeito aos presentes resultados e com referência a dados da literatura é delineada uma hipótese sobre a relação do processo consciente com o ato motor.The mechanisms and topology of the consciousness phenomenon are briefly presented. The present results and data from literature a...

  2. Atypical hemispheric dominance for attention: functional MRI topography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flöel, Agnes; Jansen, Andreas; Deppe, Michael; Kanowski, Martin; Konrad, Carsten; Sommer, Jens; Knecht, Stefan

    2005-09-01

    The right hemisphere is predominantly involved in tasks associated with spatial attention. However, left hemispheric dominance for spatial attention can be found in healthy individuals, and both spatial attention and language can be lateralized to the same hemisphere. Little is known about the underlying regional distribution of neural activation in these 'atypical' individuals. Previously a large number of healthy subjects were screened for hemispheric dominance of visuospatial attention and language, using functional Doppler ultrasonography. From this group, subjects were chosen who were 'atypical' for hemispheric dominance of visuospatial attention and language, and their pattern of brain activation was studied with functional magnetic resonance imaging during a task probing spatial attention. Right-handed subjects with the 'typical' pattern of brain organization served as control subjects. It was found that subjects with an inverted lateralization of language and spatial attention (language right, attention left) recruited left-hemispheric areas in the attention task, homotopic to those recruited by control subjects in the right hemisphere. Subjects with lateralization of both language and attention to the right hemisphere activated an attentional network in the right hemisphere that was comparable to control subjects. The present findings suggest that not the hemispheric side, but the intrahemispheric pattern of activation is the distinct feature for the neural processes underlying language and attention.

  3. New recombinant bacterium comprises a heterologous gene encoding glycerol dehydrogenase and/or an up-regulated native gene encoding glycerol dehydrogenase, useful for producing ethanol

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2010-01-01

    dehydrogenase encoding region of the bacterium, or is inserted into a phosphotransacetylase encoding region of the bacterium, or is inserted into an acetate kinase encoding region of the bacterium. It is operably linked to an inducible, a regulated or a constitutive promoter. The up-regulated glycerol......TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - BIOTECHNOLOGY - Preparation (claimed): Producing recombinant bacterium having enhanced ethanol production characteristics when cultivated in growth medium comprising glycerol comprises: (a) transforming a parental bacterium by (i) the insertion of a heterologous gene encoding...... glycerol dehydrogenase; and/or (ii) up-regulating a native gene encoding glycerol dehydrogenase; and (b) obtaining the recombinant bacterium. Preferred Bacterium: In the recombinant bacterium above, the inserted heterologous gene and/or the up-regulated native gene is encoding a glycerol dehydrogenase...

  4. Determinação dos multiplicadores da matriz de contabilidade social, da indústria de base florestal paranaense - 1998

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ricardo Kureski

    2006-12-01

    Full Text Available Este artigo tem como objetivo mensurar o impacto do aumento da demanda final da indústria de base florestal. Como instrumento de análise utiliza-se a matriz de contabilidade social do Estado do Paraná de 1998. Foi necessário calcular o multiplicares da matriz. Os efeitos de uma injeção nas variáveis exógenas sobre os segmentos de Madeira e Mobiliário e de Papel e Papelão resultaram em choques de demanda mais intensos dentro do próprio setor. Observa-se que o ramo de Madeira e Mobiliário tem maiores ligações com as atividades relativas ao setor terciário; já o segmento de Papel e Papelão, com atividades que necessitam embalagem. Conclui-se que, apesar da agregação das atividades econômicas da matriz de contabilidade social paranaense, foi possível identificar os principais impactos decorrentes do aumento da demanda final.The present article aims at measuring the final demand impact on the forest-based industry by using the 1998 State of Paraná social accounting matrix as the analysis tool. We also had to calculate the matrix multipliers. The increased effects of exogenous activity on the Wood/Furniture and Paper/Pulp activities brought a more intense demand shock to that sector. We noticed that the Wood and Furniture activity is mostly connected with the tertiary sector activities, while the Paper and Pulp activity is mostly connected with activities that need packing. Finally, we could identify the main impacts originated by an increased final demand in spite of the reduction in the number of Paraná Social Accounting Matrix economic activities.

  5. Identification and Heterologous Expression of Genes Involved in Anaerobic Dissimilatory Phosphite Oxidation by Desulfotignum phosphitoxidans▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simeonova, Diliana Dancheva; Wilson, Marlena Marie; Metcalf, William W.; Schink, Bernhard

    2010-01-01

    Desulfotignum phosphitoxidans is a strictly anaerobic, Gram-negative bacterium that utilizes phosphite as the sole electron source for homoacetogenic CO2 reduction or sulfate reduction. A genomic library of D. phosphitoxidans, constructed using the fosmid vector pJK050, was screened for clones harboring the genes involved in phosphite oxidation via PCR using primers developed based on the amino acid sequences of phosphite-induced proteins. Sequence analysis of two positive clones revealed a putative operon of seven genes predicted to be involved in phosphite oxidation. Four of these genes (ptxD-ptdFCG) were cloned and heterologously expressed in Desulfotignum balticum, a related strain that cannot use phosphite as either an electron donor or as a phosphorus source. The ptxD-ptdFCG gene cluster was sufficient to confer phosphite uptake and oxidation ability to the D. balticum host strain but did not allow use of phosphite as an electron donor for chemolithotrophic growth. Phosphite oxidation activity was measured in cell extracts of D. balticum transconjugants, suggesting that all genes required for phosphite oxidation were cloned. Genes of the phosphite gene cluster were assigned putative functions on the basis of sequence analysis and enzyme assays. PMID:20622064

  6. Identification and heterologous expression of genes involved in anaerobic dissimilatory phosphite oxidation by Desulfotignum phosphitoxidans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simeonova, Diliana Dancheva; Wilson, Marlena Marie; Metcalf, William W; Schink, Bernhard

    2010-10-01

    Desulfotignum phosphitoxidans is a strictly anaerobic, Gram-negative bacterium that utilizes phosphite as the sole electron source for homoacetogenic CO2 reduction or sulfate reduction. A genomic library of D. phosphitoxidans, constructed using the fosmid vector pJK050, was screened for clones harboring the genes involved in phosphite oxidation via PCR using primers developed based on the amino acid sequences of phosphite-induced proteins. Sequence analysis of two positive clones revealed a putative operon of seven genes predicted to be involved in phosphite oxidation. Four of these genes (ptxD-ptdFCG) were cloned and heterologously expressed in Desulfotignum balticum, a related strain that cannot use phosphite as either an electron donor or as a phosphorus source. The ptxD-ptdFCG gene cluster was sufficient to confer phosphite uptake and oxidation ability to the D. balticum host strain but did not allow use of phosphite as an electron donor for chemolithotrophic growth. Phosphite oxidation activity was measured in cell extracts of D. balticum transconjugants, suggesting that all genes required for phosphite oxidation were cloned. Genes of the phosphite gene cluster were assigned putative functions on the basis of sequence analysis and enzyme assays.

  7. Ocular dominance affects magnitude of dipole moment: An MEG study

    OpenAIRE

    Shima, Hiroshi; Hasegawa, Mitsuhiro; Tachibana, Osamu; Nomura, Motohiro; Yamashita, Junkoh; Ozaki, Yuzo; Kawai, Jun; Higuchi, Masanori; Kado, Hisashi

    2010-01-01

    To investigate whether the ocular dominance affects laterality in the activity of the primary visual cortex, we examined the relationship between the ocular dominance and latency or dipole moment measured by checkerboard-pattern and magnetoencephalography in 11 right-handed healthy male participants. Participants with left-eye dominance showed a dipole moment of 21.5±6.1 nAm with left-eye stimulation and 16.1±3.6 nAm with right, whereas those with right-eye dominance showed a dipole moment of...

  8. Interferon-induced transcription of a gene encoding a 15-kDA protein depends on an upstream enhancer element

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reich, N.; Evans, B.; Levy, D.; Fahey, D.; Knight, E. Jr.; Darnell, J.E. Jr.

    1987-01-01

    A human gene encoding an interferon-induced 15-kDa protein has been isolated from a genomic library. The gene appears to be single-copy and is composed of two exons, the first of which contains the ATG translation initiation codon. In vitro nuclear run-on assays showed that the transcription rate of the gene is stimulated after interferon treatment. To analyze transcriptional regulatory sequences, the authors constructed recombinant plasmids for use in transient transfection assays of HeLa cells. Constructs containing 115 nucleotides 5' to the transcription initiation site were found to be fully inducible by interferon. Assays of deletion mutants identified a critical element for interferon induction located between -115 and -96, just upstream of the CCAAT box. Moreover, a DNA fragment including this region can confer interferon inducibility on a heterologous promoter (thymidine kinase) when cloned in either orientation upstream of the gene or downstream of the gene. These are properties characteristic of an enhancer element that is active only after treatment with interferon. This regulatory sequence may be shared by a group of interferon-induced genes, since a very similar sequence is present within the functional region near the RNA start site of another interferon-induced gene

  9. Status Decreases Dominance in the West but Increases Dominance in the East.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuwabara, Ko; Yu, Siyu; Lee, Alice J; Galinsky, Adam D

    2016-02-01

    In the experiments reported here, we integrated work on hierarchy, culture, and the enforcement of group cooperation by examining patterns of punishment. Studies in Western contexts have shown that having high status can temper acts of dominance, suggesting that high status may decrease punishment by the powerful. We predicted that high status would have the opposite effect in Asian cultures because vertical collectivism permits the use of dominance to reinforce the existing hierarchical order. Across two experiments, having high status decreased punishment by American participants but increased punishment by Chinese and Indian participants. Moreover, within each culture, the effect of status on punishment was mediated by feelings of being respected. A final experiment found differential effects of status on punishment imposed by Asian Americans depending on whether their Asian or American identity was activated. Analyzing enforcement through the lens of hierarchy and culture adds insight into the vexing puzzle of when and why people engage in punishment. © The Author(s) 2015.

  10. Neonatal BCG vaccination is associated with enhanced T-helper 1 immune responses to heterologous infant vaccines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel H. Libraty

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Neonatal Bacille Calmette Guérin (BCG vaccination has been reported to have beneficial effects beyond preventing infantile tuberculous meningitis and miliary disease. We hypothesized that BCG vaccine given at birth would enhance T-helper 1 (Th1 immune responses to the first vaccines given later in infancy. We conducted a nested case-control study of neonatal BCG vaccination and its heterologous Th1 immune effects in 2–3 months old infants. BCG vaccination at birth was associated with an increased frequency of interferon-γ (IFN-γ producing spot-forming cells (SFC to tetanus toxoid 2–3 months later. The frequency of IFN-γ producing SFC to polioviruses 1–3 also trended higher among infants who received BCG vaccination at birth. The frequency of IFN-γ+/tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α+CD45RO+CD4+ T-cells upon stimulation with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA/Ionomycin was higher in 2–3 months old infants who received BCG vaccination at birth compared to those who did not. The circulating frequency of forkhead box P3 (FoxP3+ CD45RO+ regulatory CD4+ T-cells also trended lower in these infants. Neonatal BCG vaccination is associated with heterologous Th1 immune effects 2–3 months later.

  11. Heterologous overexpression of sfCherry fluorescent protein in Nannochloropsis salina

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nam Kyu Kang

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Oleaginous microalgae of the Nannochloropsis genus are considered excellent candidates for biofuels and value-added products owing to their high biomass productivity and lipid content. Here, we report the first overexpression and detection of a heterologous sfCherry fluorescent protein in Nannochloropsis salina in order to develop a transformation toolbox for future genetic improvements. Particle bombardment was employed for transformation, and expression of Shble under the control of TUB and UEP promoters, cloned from N. salina, was used to confer resistance to Zeocin antibiotics, resulting in 5.9 and 4.7 transformants per 108 cells, respectively. Stable integration of the markers into the genome was confirmed using a restriction enzyme site-directed amplification (RESDA PCR. The expression of sfCherry fluorescent protein was confirmed by Western blot analysis and confocal microscopy. These results suggest new possibilities of efficient genetic engineering of Nannochloropsis for the production of biofuels and other biochemicals.

  12. Relating 2-Rainbow Domination To Roman Domination

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alvarado José D.

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available For a graph G, let R(G and yr2(G denote the Roman domination number of G and the 2-rainbow domination number of G, respectively. It is known that yr2(G ≤ R(G ≤ 3/2yr2(G. Fujita and Furuya [Difference between 2-rainbow domination and Roman domination in graphs, Discrete Appl. Math. 161 (2013 806-812] present some kind of characterization of the graphs G for which R(G − yr2(G = k for some integer k. Unfortunately, their result does not lead to an algorithm that allows to recognize these graphs efficiently. We show that for every fixed non-negative integer k, the recognition of the connected K4-free graphs G with yR(G − yr2(G = k is NP-hard, which implies that there is most likely no good characterization of these graphs. We characterize the graphs G such that yr2(H = yR(H for every induced subgraph H of G, and collect several properties of the graphs G with R(G = 3/2yr2(G.

  13. High level heterologous protein production in Lactococcus and Lactobacillus using a new secretion system based on the Lactobacillus brevis S-layer signals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Savijoki, K; Kahala, M; Palva, A

    1997-02-28

    A secretion cassette, based on the expression and secretion signals of a S-layer protein (SlpA) from Lactobacillus brevis, was constructed. E. coli beta-lactamase (Bla) was used as the reporter protein to determine the functionality of the S-layer signals for heterologous expression and secretion in Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus gasseri and Lactobacillus casei using a low-copy-number plasmid derived from pGK12. In all hosts tested, the bla gene was expressed under the slpA signals and all Bla activity was secreted to the culture medium. The Lb. brevis S-layer promoters were very efficiently recognized in L. lactis, Lb. brevis and Lb. plantarum, whereas in Lb. gasseri the slpA promoter region appeared to be recognized at a lower level and in Lb. casei the level of transcripts was below the detection limit. The production of Bla was mainly restricted to the exponential phase of growth. The highest yield of Bla was obtained with L. lactis and Lb. brevis. Without pH control, substantial degradation of Bla occurred during prolonged cultivations with all lactic acid bacteria (LAB) tested. When growing L. lactis and Lb. brevis under pH control, the Bla activity could be stabilized also at the stationary phase. L. lactis produced up to 80 mg/l of Bla which to our knowledge represents the highest amount of a heterologous protein secreted by LAB so far. The short production phase implied a very high rate of secretion with a calculated value of 5 x 10(5) Bla molecules/cell per h. Such a high rate was also observed with Lb. plantarum, whereas in Lb. brevis the competition between the wild type slpA gene and the secretion construct probably lowered the rate of Bla production. The results obtained indicate wide applicability of the Lb. brevis slpA signals for efficient protein production and secretion in LAB.

  14. Reciprocal regulation of platelet responses to P2Y and thromboxane receptor activation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barton, J F; Hardy, A R; Poole, A W; Mundell, S J

    2008-03-01

    Thromboxane A(2) and ADP are two major platelet agonists that stimulate two sets of G protein-coupled receptors to activate platelets. Although aggregation responses to ADP and thromboxane desensitize, there are no reports currently addressing whether activation by one agonist may heterologously desensitize responses to the other. To demonstrate whether responses to ADP or U46619 may be modulated by prior treatment of platelets with the alternate agonist, revealing a level of cross-desensitization between receptor systems. Here we show that pretreatment of platelets with either agonist substantially desensitizes aggregation responses to the other agonist. Calcium responses to thromboxane receptor activation are desensitized by preactivation of P2Y(1) but not P2Y(12) receptors. This heterologous desensitization is mediated by a protein kinase C (PKC)-independent mechanism. Reciprocally, calcium responses to ADP are desensitized by pretreatment of platelets with the thromboxane analogue, U46619, and P2Y(12)-mediated inhibition of adenylate cyclase is also desensitized by pretreatment with U46619. In this direction, desensitization is comprised of two components, a true heterologous component that is PKC-independent, and a homologous component that is mediated through stimulated release of dense granule ADP. This study reveals cross-desensitization between ADP and thromboxane receptor signaling in human platelets. Cross-desensitization is mediated by protein kinases, involving PKC-dependent and independent pathways, and indicates that alterations in the activation state of one receptor may have effects upon the sensitivity of the other receptor system.

  15. Gene transfer of heterologous G protein-coupled receptors to cardiomyocytes: differential effects on contractility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laugwitz, K L; Weig, H J; Moretti, A; Hoffmann, E; Ueblacker, P; Pragst, I; Rosport, K; Schömig, A; Ungerer, M

    2001-04-13

    In heart failure, reduced cardiac contractility is accompanied by blunted cAMP responses to beta-adrenergic stimulation. Parathyroid hormone (PTH)-related peptide and arginine vasopressin are released from the myocardium in response to increased wall stress but do not stimulate contractility or adenylyl cyclase at physiological concentrations. To bypass the defective beta-adrenergic signaling cascade, recombinant P1 PTH/PTH-related peptide receptors (rPTH1-Rs) and V(2) vasopressin receptors (rV(2)-Rs), which are normally not expressed in the myocardium and which are both strongly coupled to adenylyl cyclase, and recombinant beta(2)-adrenergic receptors (rbeta(2)-ARs) were overexpressed in cardiomyocytes by viral gene transfer. The capacity of endogenous hormones to increase contractility via the heterologous, recombinant receptors was compared. Whereas V(2)-Rs are uniquely coupled to Gs, PTH1-Rs and beta(2)-ARs are also coupled to other G proteins. Gene transfer of rPTH1-Rs or rbeta(2)-ARs to adult cardiomyocytes resulted in maximally increased basal contractility, which could not be further stimulated by adding receptor agonists. Agonists at rPTH1-Rs induced increased cAMP formation and phospholipase C activity. In contrast, healthy or failing rV(2)-R-expressing cardiomyocytes showed unaltered basal contractility. Their contractility and cAMP formation increased only at agonist exposure, which did not activate phospholipase C. In summary, we found that gene transfer of PTH1-Rs to cardiomyocytes results in constitutive activity of the transgene, as does that of beta(2)-ARS: In the absence of receptor agonists, rPTH1-Rs and rbeta(2)-ARs increase basal contractility, coupling to 2 G proteins simultaneously. In contrast, rV(2)-Rs are uniquely coupled to Gs and are not constitutively active, retaining their property to be activated exclusively on agonist stimulation. Therefore, gene transfer of V(2)-Rs might be more suited to test the effects of c

  16. Plasmin in Nephrotic Urine Activates the Epithelial Sodium Channel

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Svenningsen, Per; Bistrup, Claus; Friis, Ulla G

    2009-01-01

    stimulated amiloride-sensitive transepithelial sodium transport in M-1 cells and increased amiloride-sensitive whole-cell currents in Xenopus laevis oocytes heterologously expressing ENaC. Activation of ENaC by plasmin involved cleavage and release of an inhibitory peptide from the ENaC gamma subunit...

  17. Human-like brain hemispheric dominance in birdsong learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moorman, Sanne; Gobes, Sharon M H; Kuijpers, Maaike; Kerkhofs, Amber; Zandbergen, Matthijs A; Bolhuis, Johan J

    2012-07-31

    Unlike nonhuman primates, songbirds learn to vocalize very much like human infants acquire spoken language. In humans, Broca's area in the frontal lobe and Wernicke's area in the temporal lobe are crucially involved in speech production and perception, respectively. Songbirds have analogous brain regions that show a similar neural dissociation between vocal production and auditory perception and memory. In both humans and songbirds, there is evidence for lateralization of neural responsiveness in these brain regions. Human infants already show left-sided dominance in their brain activation when exposed to speech. Moreover, a memory-specific left-sided dominance in Wernicke's area for speech perception has been demonstrated in 2.5-mo-old babies. It is possible that auditory-vocal learning is associated with hemispheric dominance and that this association arose in songbirds and humans through convergent evolution. Therefore, we investigated whether there is similar song memory-related lateralization in the songbird brain. We exposed male zebra finches to tutor or unfamiliar song. We found left-sided dominance of neuronal activation in a Broca-like brain region (HVC, a letter-based name) of juvenile and adult zebra finch males, independent of the song stimulus presented. In addition, juvenile males showed left-sided dominance for tutor song but not for unfamiliar song in a Wernicke-like brain region (the caudomedial nidopallium). Thus, left-sided dominance in the caudomedial nidopallium was specific for the song-learning phase and was memory-related. These findings demonstrate a remarkable neural parallel between birdsong and human spoken language, and they have important consequences for our understanding of the evolution of auditory-vocal learning and its neural mechanisms.

  18. Topics on domination

    CERN Document Server

    Hedetniemi, ST

    1991-01-01

    The contributions in this volume are divided into three sections: theoretical, new models and algorithmic. The first section focuses on properties of the standard domination number &ggr;(G), the second section is concerned with new variations on the domination theme, and the third is primarily concerned with finding classes of graphs for which the domination number (and several other domination-related parameters) can be computed in polynomial time.

  19. Brain Dominance And Speaking Strategy Use of Iranian EFL Learners

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nastaran Mireskandari

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available The present study investigated the effect of brain dominance on the use of Language learning speaking strategies. One hundred forty two undergraduate students of Shiraz University, Iran, participated in this study. The Hemispheric Dominance Test (HDT was employed to categorize participants as right-, left- and whole-brain dominant, and a Speaking Strategy Questionnaire was administered to evaluate their use of speaking strategies. The results were analyzed using a one-way between groups analysis of variance (ANOVA to investigate whether there were any significant differences between the three brain dominant groups in their overall use of speaking strategies. A MANOVA was also run to investigate whether the groups had preferences regarding the use of any particular strategy type. Results indicated a statistically significant difference between the whole brain dominant participants and both left brain and right brain dominant learners for using compensation speaking strategies. To teach and learn more effectively, instructors and learners need to better understand and appreciate individual differences and how they can affect the learning process. They could find ways to combine activities that accommodate both left and right brain learners, employing not only the usual linear, verbal model, but also the active, image-rich, visuo-spatial models so that learners would be able to use both hemispheres.

  20. The paired-domination and the upper paired-domination numbers of graphs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Włodzimierz Ulatowski

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper we continue the study of paired-domination in graphs. A paired-dominating set, abbreviated PDS, of a graph \\(G\\ with no isolated vertex is a dominating set of vertices whose induced subgraph has a perfect matching. The paired-domination number of \\(G\\, denoted by \\(\\gamma_{p}(G\\, is the minimum cardinality of a PDS of \\(G\\. The upper paired-domination number of \\(G\\, denoted by \\(\\Gamma_{p}(G\\, is the maximum cardinality of a minimal PDS of \\(G\\. Let \\(G\\ be a connected graph of order \\(n\\geq 3\\. Haynes and Slater in [Paired-domination in graphs, Networks 32 (1998, 199-206], showed that \\(\\gamma_{p}(G\\leq n-1\\ and they determine the extremal graphs \\(G\\ achieving this bound. In this paper we obtain analogous results for \\(\\Gamma_{p}(G\\. Dorbec, Henning and McCoy in [Upper total domination versus upper paired-domination, Questiones Mathematicae 30 (2007, 1-12] determine \\(\\Gamma_{p}(P_n\\, instead in this paper we determine \\(\\Gamma_{p}(C_n\\. Moreover, we describe some families of graphs \\(G\\ for which the equality \\(\\gamma_{p}(G=\\Gamma_{p}(G\\ holds.

  1. Partial protection of SIV-infected rhesus monkeys against superinfection with a heterologous SIV isolate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Korber, Bette [Los Alamos National Laboratory

    2009-01-01

    Although there is increasing evidence that individuals already infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) can be infected with a heterologous strain of the virus, the extent of protection against superinfection conferred by the first infection and the biologic consequences of superinfection are not well understood. We explored these questions in the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)/rhesus monkey model of HIV-1/AIDS. We infected cohorts of rhesus monkeys with either SIVmac251 or SIVsmE660 and then exposed animals to the reciprocal virus through intrarectal inoculations. Employing a quantitative real-time PCR assay, we determined the replication kinetics of the two strains of virus for 20 weeks. We found that primary infection with a replication-competent virus did not protect against acquisition of infection by a heterologous virus but did confer relative control of the superinfecting virus. In animals that became superinfected, there was a reduction in peak replication and rapid control of the second virus. The relative susceptibility to superinfection was not correlated with CD4(+) T-cell count, CD4(+) memory T-cell subsets, cytokine production by virus-specific CD8(+) or CD4(+) cells, or neutralizing antibodies at the time of exposure to the second virus. Although there were transient increases in viral loads of the primary virus and a modest decline in CD4(+) T-cell counts after superinfection, there was no evidence of disease acceleration. These findings indicate that an immunodeficiency virus infection confers partial protection against a second immunodeficiency virus infection, but this protection may be mediated by mechanisms other than classical adaptive immune responses.

  2. Ocular dominance affects magnitude of dipole moment: an MEG study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shima, Hiroshi; Hasegawa, Mitsuhiro; Tachibana, Osamu; Nomura, Motohiro; Yamashita, Junkoh; Ozaki, Yuzo; Kawai, Jun; Higuchi, Masanori; Kado, Hisashi

    2010-08-23

    To investigate whether the ocular dominance affects laterality in the activity of the primary visual cortex, we examined the relationship between the ocular dominance and latency or dipole moment measured by checkerboard-pattern and magnetoencephalography in 11 right-handed healthy male participants. Participants with left-eye dominance showed a dipole moment of 21.5+/-6.1 nAm with left-eye stimulation and 16.1+/-3.6 nAm with right, whereas those with right-eye dominance showed a dipole moment of 18.0+/-5.2 and 21.5+/-2.7 nAm with left-eye and right-eye stimulation of the infero-medial quadrant visual field, respectively. Thus, the dipole moment was higher when the dominant eye was stimulated, which implies that ocular dominance is regulated by the ipsilateral occipital lobe.

  3. Impactos de se ignorarem os efeitos genéticos não-aditivos de dominância na avaliação genética animal Impacts of ignoring the non-additive genetic effects of dominance on animal genetic evaluation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elizângela Emídio Cunha

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Objetivou-se com este estudo avaliar os impactos de se ignorarem os efeitos de dominância sobre a estimação de parâmetros genéticos e a predição de valores genéticos pelo método da máxima verossimilhança restrita sob modelo animal aditivo empregando-se o MTDFREML. Para a mesma arquitetura genômica, foram simulados dois modelos de ação gênica: um deles incluiu apenas efeitos aditivos dos genes e o outro, efeitos aditivos e dominância completa e positiva para 100% dos locos. Sob cada modelo genético, foram geradas três populações-base correspondentes às características com herdabilidades de 0,15 (baixa, 0,30 (média e 0,60 (alta. A partir das populações-base, foram geradas as populações iniciais, que, submetidas a seleção e a acasalamentos ao acaso, durante seis gerações consecutivas e discretas, resultaram cada uma em 18.000 indivíduos com registro. As estimativas dos componentes de variância e herdabilidade obtidas no modelo com ação gênica aditiva foram semelhantes aos seus valores reais para todas as características, ao passo que, sob ação gênica de dominância, todos os componentes foram superestimados, principalmente a variância genética aditiva. A variância de dominância não-estimada pelo modelo animal adotado foi redistribuída entre os componentes genético aditivo e residual estimados. Houve perda na acurácia da avaliação genética sob o modelo genético com dominância e essa perda foi traduzida por correlações mais baixas entre os valores genéticos verdadeiros e preditos dos animais. Há necessidade de novos estudos, já que os genomas simulados podem não corresponder aos sistemas biológicos verdadeiros.The objective of this study was to evaluate impacts of ignoring the dominance effects on the estimation of genetic parameters and prediction of genetic values by the restricted maximum likelihood method, under the additive animal model, using MTDFREML. Two gene action models were

  4. Markerless gene knockout and integration to express heterologous biosynthetic gene clusters in Pseudomonas putida

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Choi, Kyeong Rok; Cho, Jae Sung; Cho, In Jin

    2018-01-01

    Pseudomonas putida has gained much interest among metabolic engineers as a workhorse for producing valuable natural products. While a few gene knockout tools for P. putida have been reported, integration of heterologous genes into the chromosome of P. putida, an essential strategy to develop stable...... plasmid curing systems, generating final strains free of antibiotic markers and plasmids. This markerless recombineering system for efficient gene knockout and integration will expedite metabolic engineering of P. putida, a bacterial host strain of increasing academic and industrial interest....

  5. Atividade relativa da catalase de losna-branca (Parthenium hysterophorus comparada à de outras espécies daninhas Catalase relative activity of ragweed (Parthenium hysterophorus compared to that of other weed species

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S.J.P. Carvalho

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Este trabalho foi desenvolvido com o objetivo de avaliar a atividade relativa da catalase em extrato aquoso de losna-branca (Parthenium hysterophorus, bem como comparála à atividade da catalase de outras espécies daninhas. O trabalho constou de três fases, que envolveram a padronização do método, comparação da atividade relativa da catalase de plantas da família Asteraceae e comparação com outras 11 espécies daninhas, sendo estas: Euphorbia heterophylla, Alternanthera tenella, Cenchrus echinatus, Panicum maximum, Amaranthus viridis, Ipomoea hederifolia, Galinsoga parviflora, Bidens pilosa, Sonchus oleraceus, Cyperus rotundus e Commelina benghalensis. Observou-se resposta linear crescente da reação entre extrato aquoso de losna-branca e peróxido de hidrogênio, em razão da concentração do extrato vegetal. Em todas as fases, a atividade relativa da catalase de extrato de losna-branca foi superior à atividade da catalase das demais espécies daninhas. Com os dados obtidos nas três fases, conclui-se que a maior atividade relativa observada para a catalase da losnabranca contribui significativamente para a tolerância dessa espécie ao herbicida paraquat. Essa maior atividade pode ser consequência da maior concentração enzimática nas células ou devido à maior atividade intrínseca da enzima (afinidade enzima-substrato, havendo necessidade de estudos mais precisos para essa conclusão.This work was carried out to evaluate catalase relative activity of ragweed (Parthenium hysterophorus aqueous extract, as well as to compare it with catalase activity of other weed species. It consisted of three phases, involving method standardization, comparison of the catalase relative activity in Asteraceae family plants and that of ragweed catalase activity with the following 11 weed species: Euphorbia heterophylla, Alternanthera tenella, Cenchrus echinatus, Panicum maximum, Amaranthus viridis, Ipomoea hederifolia, Galinsoga parviflora

  6. A identidade à flor da pele: etnografia da prática da tatuagem na contemporaneidade

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrea Lissett Pérez

    2006-04-01

    Full Text Available No presente artigo, realiza-se uma descrição etnográfica da prática da tatuagem na contemporaneidade, a partir de uma perspectiva que prioriza as noções da prática, das interações e das experiências vividas durante o processo de ser tatuado. A reflexão tenta reconstruir uma visão total da prática da tatuagem que abrange o mundo subjetivo e as dinâmicas sociais como partes constitutivas desse ato. Entre as idéias conclusivas estão, de um lado, o surgimento de uma nova normalidade estética e vivencial no seio da sociedade ocidental e, de outro, a configuração de uma nova subjetividade, a dos "tatuados", como um processo interativo, inovador, emotivo e reflexivo, em que o corpo se converte em uma forma de expressão e construção do sujeito.This article provides a descriptive account of contemporary tattooing, based on a perspective that prioritizes the notion of practice, as well as the interactions and experiences involved in the process of being tattooed. The analysis attempts to rebuild a holistic view of tattooing, combining subjective processes and social dynamics as equally constitutive parts of this activity. Among the conclusions reached are: (a the emergence of tattooing as a new aesthetic norm and a lived experience at the heart of the western society; and (b the configuration of a new subjectivity, the ‘tattooed,’ as an interactive, innovative, emotional and reflexive process in which the body is converted into a form of expressing and constructing the subject.

  7. Sistemas de terminação em confinamento: perspectivas para dinamização da cadeia produtiva da carne bovina em Minas Gerais

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Moisés de Andrade Resende Filho

    2001-03-01

    Full Text Available A terminação de bovinos em confinamento vem-se apresentando como meio de expandir a oferta de carne bovina na entressafra, incrementando a produtividade do rebanho no estado de Minas Gerais. Este artigo se propõe a avaliar a viabilidade financeira de se intensificar a utilização da infra-estrutura disponivel para confinar, considerando a atual forma de comercialização. São contrastados três projetos de confinamento mutuamente exclusivos, considerando uma mesma instalação, épocas distintas de venda e o nivel de utilização da capacidade instalada. Utiliza-se a análise de fluxo de caixa associada à técnica de simulação de Monte Carlo, visando quantificar a rentabilidade e o risco associados a cada um dos projetos. Apesar da viabilidade financeira observada para a alternativa de intensificação do uso da capacidade instalada para confinar, não se verifica dominância estocástica desta em relação à estratégia de uso menos intensiva.The finishing of cattle in feedlots has been presented as a way to increase the beef meat supply in the inter-harvest as well as the cattle productivity in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. This paper appraises the financial possibility of enhancing the use of the available feedlot infrastructure, considering the current commercialization form. Three mutually exclusive projects are contrasted, taking into account the same facilities, different months of sales and the level of use of the infrastructure. The cash flow analysis associated with the Monte Carlo simulation technique is used to quantify the projects' revenue and risk. Despite the financial viability observed in the intensive infrastructure use strategy, its stochastic dominance with respect to the less intensive strategy is not observed.

  8. Heterologous expression of a deuterated membrane-integrated receptor and partial deuteration in methylotrophic yeasts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Massou, S.; Puech, V.; Talmont, F.; Demange, P.; Lindley, N.D.; Tropis, M.; Milon, A.

    1999-01-01

    Methylotrophic yeast has previously been shown to be an excellent system for the cost-effective production of perdeuterated biomass and for the heterologous expression of membrane receptors. A protocol for the expression of 85% deuterated, functional human μ-opiate receptor was established. For partially deuterated biomass, deuteration level and distribution were determined for fatty acids, amino acids and carbohydrates. It was shown that prior to biosynthesis of lipids and amino acids (and of carbohydrates, to a lower extent), exchange occurs between water and methanol hydrogen atoms, so that 80%-90% randomly deuterated biomass and over-expressed proteins may be obtained using only deuterated water

  9. Heterologous expression of a tannic acid-inducible laccase3 of Cryphonectria parasitica in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kim Dae-Hyuk

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background A tannic acid-inducible and mycoviral-regulated laccase3 (lac3 from the chestnut blight fungus Cryphonectria parasitica has recently been identified, but further characterization was hampered because of the precipitation of protein products by tannic acid supplementation. The present study investigated the heterologous expression of the functional laccase3 using a yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Results Laccase activity in the culture broth of transformants measured using a laccase-specific substrate suggested that the lac3 gene was successfully expressed and the corresponding protein product secreted into the culture media. In addition, activity staining and Western blot analysis of a native gel revealed that the enzyme activity co-existed with the protein product specific to anti-laccase3 antibody, confirming that the cloned lac3 gene is responsible for the laccase activity. When transformants were grown on plates containing tannic acid-supplemented media, brown coloration was observed around transformed cells, indicating the oxidation of tannic acid. However, the enzymatic activity was measurable only in the selective ura- media and was negligible in nonselective nutrient-rich culture conditions. This was in part because of the increased plasmid instability in the nonselective media. Moreover, the protein product of lac3 appears to be sensitive to the cultured nonselective nutrient-rich broth, because a rapid decline in enzymatic activity was observed when the cultured broth of ura- media was mixed with that of nonselective nutrient-rich broth. In addition, constitutive expression of the lac3 gene resulted in a reduced cell number of the lac3 transformants compared to that of vector-only transformed control. However, the presence of recombinant vector without lac3 induction did not affect the growth of transformants. Conclusions The results suggest that expression of the lac3 gene has an inhibitory effect on the growth of

  10. Atividade da 6-fosfogliconato desidrogenase em deficientes de glicose-6-fosfato desidrogenase Activity of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniela B. Nicolielo

    2006-06-01

    Full Text Available As enzimas G6PD e 6PGD são responsáveis pela geração do aporte de NADPH, necessário para a detoxificação dos agentes oxidantes produzidos pelo estresse oxidativo metabólico nos eritrócitos. Devido à alta prevalência de deficiência de G6PD na população mundial, principalmente de origem negróide africana, muitos estudos têm sido realizados na tentativa de conhecer melhor a atuação destas enzimas. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a atividade enzimática da 6PGD, nos deficientes de G6PD, para verificar a existência de aumento da atividade desta enzima, correlacionando com um possível aumento do número de reticulócitos ou presença de alterações da série vermelha. A pesquisa em 2.657 indivíduos do sexo masculino resultou em 97 deficientes de G6PD, determinando uma prevalência de 3,65% para a região de Bauru (SP, com atividade enzimática média de G6PD de 1,74 UI.g Hb-1. min-1 a 37ºC, 14,4% da atividade da G6PD normal. A atividade enzimática média da 6PGD foi de 9,5 UI.g Hb-1. min-1 a 37ºC, estando aumentada em 47,4% dos deficientes de G6PD. Os resultados não confirmaram que a hipótese do aumento da atividade enzimática da 6PGD, em deficientes de G6PD, seja decorrente da presença de um número aumentado de reticulócitos na corrente circulatória, faixa etária ou alterações eritrocitométricas que denotem anemia. O mais provável é que a hemólise autolimitada, imposta pelos processos oxidativos, preserve os eritrócitos mais jovens, que possuem atividade enzimática mais elevada, uma vez que naturalmente ocorre diminuição da atividade destas enzimas com o envelhecimento celular.The G6PD and 6PGD enzymes are responsible for the generation of NADPH supply necessary for the detoxification of the oxidant agents produced during the oxidative metabolic stress on erythrocytes. Due to the high prevalence of the deficiency of G6PD on world population, especially on Afro descents, many studies have been done trying

  11. The radiological safety in the use of nuclear technique -activities developed by Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear - CNEN

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wakabayashi, T.; Pereira, E.G.; Hirayama, T.

    1991-01-01

    The activities developed by the Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear - CDTN supporting the users of nuclear techniques are described. The methodology used and future plans for the group are shown. (E.G.)

  12. Combined protein construct and synthetic gene engineering for heterologous protein expression and crystallization using Gene Composer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Walchli John

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background With the goal of improving yield and success rates of heterologous protein production for structural studies we have developed the database and algorithm software package Gene Composer. This freely available electronic tool facilitates the information-rich design of protein constructs and their engineered synthetic gene sequences, as detailed in the accompanying manuscript. Results In this report, we compare heterologous protein expression levels from native sequences to that of codon engineered synthetic gene constructs designed by Gene Composer. A test set of proteins including a human kinase (P38α, viral polymerase (HCV NS5B, and bacterial structural protein (FtsZ were expressed in both E. coli and a cell-free wheat germ translation system. We also compare the protein expression levels in E. coli for a set of 11 different proteins with greatly varied G:C content and codon bias. Conclusion The results consistently demonstrate that protein yields from codon engineered Gene Composer designs are as good as or better than those achieved from the synonymous native genes. Moreover, structure guided N- and C-terminal deletion constructs designed with the aid of Gene Composer can lead to greater success in gene to structure work as exemplified by the X-ray crystallographic structure determination of FtsZ from Bacillus subtilis. These results validate the Gene Composer algorithms, and suggest that using a combination of synthetic gene and protein construct engineering tools can improve the economics of gene to structure research.

  13. Predicting hemispheric dominance for language production in healthy individuals using support vector machine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zago, Laure; Hervé, Pierre-Yves; Genuer, Robin; Laurent, Alexandre; Mazoyer, Bernard; Tzourio-Mazoyer, Nathalie; Joliot, Marc

    2017-12-01

    We used a Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier to assess hemispheric pattern of language dominance of 47 individuals categorized as non-typical for language from their hemispheric functional laterality index (HFLI) measured on a sentence minus word-list production fMRI-BOLD contrast map. The SVM classifier was trained at discriminating between Dominant and Non-Dominant hemispheric language production activation pattern on a group of 250 participants previously identified as Typicals (HFLI strongly leftward). Then, SVM was applied to each hemispheric language activation pattern of 47 non-typical individuals. The results showed that at least one hemisphere (left or right) was found to be Dominant in every, except 3 individuals, indicating that the "dominant" type of functional organization is the most frequent in non-typicals. Specifically, left hemisphere dominance was predicted in all non-typical right-handers (RH) and in 57.4% of non-typical left-handers (LH). When both hemisphere classifications were jointly considered, four types of brain patterns were observed. The most often predicted pattern (51%) was left-dominant (Dominant left-hemisphere and Non-Dominant right-hemisphere), followed by right-dominant (23%, Dominant right-hemisphere and Non-Dominant left-hemisphere) and co-dominant (19%, 2 Dominant hemispheres) patterns. Co-non-dominant was rare (6%, 2 Non-Dominant hemispheres), but was normal variants of hemispheric specialization. In RH, only left-dominant (72%) and co-dominant patterns were detected, while for LH, all types were found, although with different occurrences. Among the 10 LH with a strong rightward HFLI, 8 had a right-dominant brain pattern. Whole-brain analysis of the right-dominant pattern group confirmed that it exhibited a functional organization strictly mirroring that of left-dominant pattern group. Hum Brain Mapp 38:5871-5889, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  14. A novel missense mutation in CCDC88C activates the JNK pathway and causes a dominant form of spinocerebellar ataxia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsoi, Ho; Yu, Allen C S; Chen, Zhefan S; Ng, Nelson K N; Chan, Anne Y Y; Yuen, Liz Y P; Abrigo, Jill M; Tsang, Suk Ying; Tsui, Stephen K W; Tong, Tony M F; Lo, Ivan F M; Lam, Stephen T S; Mok, Vincent C T; Wong, Lawrence K S; Ngo, Jacky C K; Lau, Kwok-Fai; Chan, Ting-Fung; Chan, H Y Edwin

    2014-09-01

    Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are a group of clinically and genetically diverse and autosomal-dominant disorders characterised by neurological deficits in the cerebellum. At present, there is no cure for SCAs. Of the different distinct subtypes of autosomal-dominant SCAs identified to date, causative genes for only a fraction of them are currently known. In this study, we investigated the cause of an autosomal-dominant SCA phenotype in a family that exhibits cerebellar ataxia and pontocerebellar atrophy along with a global reduction in brain volume. Whole-exome analysis revealed a missense mutation c.G1391A (p.R464H) in the coding region of the coiled-coil domain containing 88C (CCDC88C) gene in all affected individuals. Functional studies showed that the mutant form of CCDC88C activates the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway, induces caspase 3 cleavage and triggers apoptosis. This study expands our understanding of the cause of autosomal-dominant SCAs, a group of heterogeneous congenital neurological conditions in humans, and unveils a link between the JNK stress pathway and cerebellar atrophy. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  15. EFEITO DE FATORES AMBIENTAIS DA FOSFATASE ÁCIDA NO FEIJOEIRO EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ON THE ACTIVITY OF ACID PHOSPHATASE IN COMMON BEAN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Renato de Freitas

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available

    Plantas com 15 dias após a germinação foram colhidas em experimentos de campo com a finalidade de conhecer o pH, temperatura e tempo necessários para melhor expressar a atividade da fosfatase ácida em três variedades do feijoeiro (Phaseolus vulgaris L., Carioca, EMP-84 e CNF-l0, na presença e na ausência de fósforo. Os maiores valores de atividade da fosfatase ácida foram observadas quando as plantas foram colocadas em solução em pH 5,5 durante 120 minutos à temperatura de 30°C. A utilização de substâncias tamponantes como PNPP + Triton X-100 expressaram melhor a atividade da fosfatase ácida. As condições de vácuo constituíram um fator positivo para a atividade da fosfatase ácida. As plantas desenvolvidas sob estresse hídrico apresentaram menor atividade da fosfatase ácida. A relação folha-raiz da atividade da fosfatase ácida atingiu 5,72 para a variedade Carioca, 4,91 para a variedade EMP-84 e 4,36 para a variedade CNF-10.

    PALAVRAS-CHAVE: pH; temperatura; solução tamponada; tempo de reação; Phaseolus vulgaris.

    Plants with 15 days after the germination were picked in field experiments with the purpose of knowing the best pH, temperature and the necessary time to express the activity of the phosphatase acid in three bean varieties (Phaseolus vulgaris L., Carioca, EMP-84 and CNF-10, in the presence and in the phosphorus absence. The largest values of activity of the phosphatase acid were observed when the plants were tested in pH 5.5 solution during 120 minutes at the temperature of 30°C. The use of buffer substances as PNPP + Triton X-100 expressed better the activity of the phosphatase acid. The vacuum condition constituted a positive factor to express the activity of the phosphatase acid. The plants

  16. Describing the organization of dominance relationships by dominance-directed tree method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Izar, Patrícia; Ferreira, Renata G; Sato, Takechi

    2006-02-01

    Methods to describe dominance hierarchies are a key tool in primatology studies. Most current methods are appropriate for analyzing linear and near-linear hierarchies; however, more complex structures are common in primate groups. We propose a method termed "dominance-directed tree." This method is based on graph theory and set theory to analyze dominance relationships in social groups. The method constructs a transitive matrix by imposing transitivity to the dominance matrix and produces a graphical representation of the dominance relationships, which allows an easy visualization of the hierarchical position of the individuals, or subsets of individuals. The method is also able to detect partial and complete hierarchies, and to describe situations in which hierarchical and nonhierarchical principles operate. To illustrate the method, we apply a dominance tree analysis to artificial data and empirical data from a group of Cebus apella. Copyright 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  17. Ressonância magnética funcional na determinação da lateralização da área cerebral da linguagem

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meneses Murilo S.

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available A ressonância magnética funcional (RMF é uma nova técnica capaz de detectar pequenas alterações no fluxo sanguíneo e oxigenação de tecidos cerebrais em que ocorre ativação neuronal. O seu emprego na avaliação pré-cirúrgica de pacientes com epilepsia portadores de esclerose mesial temporal está atualmente em avaliação em alguns centros de neurologia. O principal objetivo é encontrar o melhor paradigma de ativação na avaliação das funções de linguagem e memória, visando a substituição do teste de Wada, largamente utilizado nos dias de hoje. Para formular um paradigma já adaptado ao nosso idioma, apresentamos a nossa experiência em uma tarefa comportamental de fluência verbal na determinação da lateralização da área cerebral da linguagem. Avaliaram-se os exames de RMF de uma clínica de imagem particular em Curitiba por período de aproximadamente dois anos. Dos 19 pacientes estudados, obteve-se sucesso no exame em 16 e, destes, todos apresentavam dominância hemisférica cerebral da linguagem à esquerda. Em um subgrupo com 5 pacientes foi possível comparar os resultados obtidos com a técnica de Wada e RMF, havendo concordância entre as técnicas. A partir deste estudo e de vários outros semelhantes na literatura, acreditamos que a RMF está progressivamente conquistando seu espaço na prática médica.

  18. Outside finance, dominant investors and strategic transparency

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Perotti, E.C.; von Thadden, E.-L.

    2000-01-01

    This paper studies optimal financial contracts and product market competition under a strategic transparency decision. When firms seeking outside finance resort to actively monitored debt in order to commit against opportunistic behaviour, the dominant lender can influence corporate transparency.

  19. Motivational Climate, 2×2 Achievement Goal Orientation and Dominance, Self-Regulation, and Physical Activity in Pre-Service Teacher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cecchini-Estrada, José-Antonio; Méndez-Giménez, Antonio

    2017-01-01

    This longitudinal study investigated the effects of a mastery motivational climate in physical education (PE) classes on 2×2 achievement goal orientation and dominance, self-regulated learning (SRL), and physical activity (PA) in leisure time. A total of 408 (264 women, 144 men) university students were randomly assigned to two groups:…

  20. Diversion of flux toward sesquiterpene production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by fusion of host and heterologous enzymes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Albertsen, Line; Chen, Yun; Bach, Lars Stougaard

    2011-01-01

    be limited by the inability of the heterologous enzymes to collaborate with the native yeast enzymes. This may cause loss of intermediates by diffusion or degradation or due to conversion of the intermediate through competitive pathways. To bypass this problem, we have pursued a strategy in which key enzymes...... increased the production of patchoulol, the main sesquiterpene produced by PTS, up to 2-fold. Moreover, we have demonstrated that the fusion strategy can be used in combination with traditional metabolic engineering to further increase the production of patchoulol. This simple test case of synthetic biology...

  1. Chimeric FimH adhesin of type 1 fimbriae: a bacterial surface display system for heterologous sequences

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pallesen, L; Poulsen, LK; Christiansen, Gunna

    1995-01-01

    of heterologous DNA segments encoding two reporter sequences. In the selected positions such insertions did not significantly alter the function of the FimH protein with regard to surface location and adhesive ability. The system seemed to be quite flexible, since chimeric versions of the FimH adhesin containing...... as many as 56 foreign amino acids were transported to the bacterial surface as components of the fimbrial organelles. Furthermore, the foreign protein segments were recognized by insert-specific antibodies when expressed within chimeric proteins on the surface of the bacteria. The results from...

  2. The dominance behavioral system and manic temperament: Motivation for dominance, self-perceptions of power, and socially dominant behaviors

    OpenAIRE

    Johnson, Sheri L.; Carver, Charles S.

    2012-01-01

    The dominance behavioral system has been conceptualized as a biologically based system comprising motivation to achieve social power and self-perceptions of power. Biological, behavioral, and social correlates of dominance motivation and self-perceived power have been related to a range of psychopathological tendencies. Preliminary evidence suggests that mania and risk for mania (manic temperament) relate to the dominance system.

  3. Heterologous expression of the antimyotoxic protein DM64 in Pichia pastoris.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saulo Martins Vieira

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Snakebite envenomation is a neglected condition that constitutes a public health problem in tropical and subtropical countries, including Brazil. Interestingly, some animals are resistant to snake envenomation due to the presence of inhibitory glycoproteins in their serum that target toxic venom components. DM64 is an acidic glycoprotein isolated from Didelphis aurita (opossum serum that has been characterized as an inhibitor of the myotoxicity induced by bothropic toxins bearing phospholipase A2 (PLA2 structures. This antitoxic protein can serve as an excellent starting template for the design of novel therapeutics against snakebite envenomation, particularly venom-induced local tissue damage. Therefore, the aim of this work was to produce a recombinant DM64 (rDM64 in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris and to compare its biological properties with those of native DM64. Yeast fermentation in the presence of Pefabloc, a serine protease inhibitor, stimulated cell growth (~1.5-fold, increased the rDM64 production yield approximately 10-fold and significantly reduced the susceptibility of rDM64 to proteolytic degradation. P. pastoris fermentation products were identified by mass spectrometry and Western blotting. The heterologous protein was efficiently purified from the culture medium by affinity chromatography (with immobilized PLA2 myotoxin and/or an ion exchange column. Although both native and recombinant DM64 exhibit different glycosylation patterns, they show very similar electrophoretic mobilities after PNGase F treatment. rDM64 formed a noncovalent complex with myotoxin II (Lys49-PLA2 from Bothrops asper and displayed biological activity that was similar to that of native DM64, inhibiting the cytotoxicity of myotoxin II by 92% at a 1:1 molar ratio.

  4. Atividade da enzima acetil-hidrolase do fator ativador de plaquetas (PAF-AH em pacientes com diabete melito tipo 1 Platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH activity in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simone Henriques de Castro

    2007-02-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Avaliar a atividade da acetil-hidrolase do fator ativador de plaquetas (PAF-AH e sua relação com variáveis clinicodemográficas, com o controle metabólico, os níveis de apolipoproteínas A e B e a suscetibilidade da lipoproteína de baixa densidade (LDL à oxidação in vitro em pacientes com DM tipo 1 (DM 1. MÉTODOS: Foram avaliados 42 pacientes com DM1 (27 mulheres e 48 não-diabéticos (16 mulheres, pareados por sexo, idade e índice de massa corporal (IMC. Os exames realizados foram: glicemia de jejum (GJ e pós-prandial (GPP, lipidograma, ácido úrico (AU, hemoglobina glicosilada (HbA1c e coeficiente de oxidação da lipoproteína de baixa densidade (LDL por espectrofotometria. A análise da atividade da PAF-AH foi realizada por espectrofotometria (Cayman Chemical. RESULTADOS: A análise da atividade da PAF-AH mostrou haver maior atividade enzimática nos pacientes com DM 1 do que nos não-diabéticos (0,0150 ± 0,0051 versus 0,0116 ± 0,0041; p OBJECTIVE: To evaluate platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH activity and its relationship with clinical and demographic variables, metabolic control, apolipoprotein A and B levels and the susceptibility of low-density lipoprotein (LDL to in vitro oxidation in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM 1. METHODS: Forty two patients with DM 1 (27 females and 48 control subjects (16 females matched for gender, age and body mass index (BMI were evaluated. The following tests were performed: fast plasma glucose (FG and postprandial plasma glucose (PPG, lipid profile, uric acid (UA, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL oxidation rate using colorimetric assay. The PAF-AH activity was analyzed using colorimetric assay (Cayman Chemical. RESULTS: The analysis of PAF-AH activity showed a higher enzyme activity in patients with DM 1 than in control subjects (0.0150 ± 0.0051 vs. 0.0116 ± 0.0041; p < 0.001. In patients with DM 1, a direct correlation

  5. Transplanted zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) as active biomonitors in an effluent-dominated river.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smolders, Roel; Bervoets, Lieven; Blust, Ronny

    2002-09-01

    For over 20 years, mussels have been recommended as one of the most suitable biomonitoring organisms for aquatic ecosystems. Though the common mussel (Mytilus edulis) is frequently used for biomonitoring estuarine and marine ecosystems, no freshwater species is promoted for similar monitoring networks. Recently, however, the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) has been proposed as a suitable monitoring organism in freshwater ecosystems. The aim of this study was to explore the usefulness of transplanted zebra mussels as active biomonitors in an effluent-dominated stream. Results showed that for these purposes, an exposure period of at least a few weeks is required to detect any significant changes in condition status or scope for growth. Wet-tissue-weight:dry-tissue-weight ratio was the most sensitive measure to quantify effects of field exposure on physiological fitness. In case of scope for growth (SfG), energy intake was the factor determining the overall energy budget of the mussels. Based on the dilution rates of the two different effluents present, effluent 2 had the most important effect on the condition status of the exposed organisms. Overall, we conclude that the use of transplanted mussels is a sensitive and easily applicable active biomonitor that can be used to assess water quality, pollution, and subsequent recovery through self-purification in field situations.

  6. The Vibrio cholerae Mrp system: cation/proton antiport properties and enhancement of bile salt resistance in a heterologous host.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dzioba-Winogrodzki, Judith; Winogrodzki, Olga; Krulwich, Terry A; Boin, Markus A; Häse, Claudia C; Dibrov, Pavel

    2009-01-01

    The mrp operon from Vibrio cholerae encoding a putative multisubunit Na(+)/H(+) antiporter was cloned and functionally expressed in the antiporter-deficient strain of Escherichia coli EP432. Cells of EP432 expressing Vc-Mrp exhibited resistance to Na(+) and Li(+) as well as to natural bile salts such as sodium cholate and taurocholate. When assayed in everted membrane vesicles of the E. coli EP432 host, Vc-Mrp had sufficiently high antiport activity to facilitate the first extensive analysis of Mrp system from a Gram-negative bacterium encoded by a group 2 mrp operon. Vc-Mrp was found to exchange protons for Li(+), Na(+), and K(+) ions in pH-dependent manner with maximal activity at pH 9.0-9.5. Exchange was electrogenic (more than one H(+) translocated per cation moved in opposite direction). The apparent K(m) at pH 9.0 was 1.08, 1.30, and 68.5 mM for Li(+), Na(+), and K(+), respectively. Kinetic analyses suggested that Vc-Mrp operates in a binding exchange mode with all cations and protons competing for binding to the antiporter. The robust ion antiport activity of Vc-Mrp in sub-bacterial vesicles and its effect on bile resistance of the heterologous host make Vc-Mrp an attractive experimental model for the further studies of biochemistry and physiology of Mrp systems. Copyright 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  7. Tratamento pós-menopausa reduz a atividade da catalase e atenua o risco cardiovascular Postmenopausal therapy reduces catalase activity and attenuates cardiovascular risk

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vera S. Castanho

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available FUNDAMENTO: A menopausa pode levar a alterações na saúde feminina, com mudanças no estado oxidativo de mulheres pós-menopausadas, para as quais são limitadas as informações relativas à influência da hormonioterapia (HT sobre as atividades das enzimas antioxidantes. OBJETIVO: Avaliar a influência da HT sobre a atividade da catalase, concentrações de lipídeos e lipoproteínas, proteína de transferência de colesteril éster, substâncias reativas ao ácido tiobarbitúrico, nitratos, proteína C-reativa ultrassensível e espessura da carótida em mulheres pós-menopausadas. MÉTODOS: Foram alocadas 94 mulheres para um de quatro grupos com ou sem HT. O último grupo foi subdividido em mulheres sendo tratadas com estrógeno e outras com estrógeno mais progestágeno. Foram realizadas medidas de parâmetros bioquímicos plasmáticos e da espessura da íntima-média da carótida. RESULTADOS: A HT antagonizou a redução na atividade da catalase após a menopausa, mas não teve efeito sobre os níveis da proteína de transferência de colesteril éster, substâncias reativas ao ácido tiobarbitúrico, peróxido lipídico, nitrato e proteína C reativa ultrassensível, nem sobre a espessura da íntima-média da carótida. A análise multivariada mostrou que a HT baseada em estrógeno atenuou a relação entre os fatores de risco cardiovasculares e a espessura da íntima-média da carótida comum. CONCLUSÃO: Este estudo mostra que a HT em mulheres pós-menopausadas produz efeitos antioxidantes e antiateroscleróticos benéficos por melhorar as concentrações séricas de lipídios e lipoproteínas, aumentar a atividade da catalase sérica e atenuar a associação entre os fatores de risco cardiovasculares e a aterosclerose precoce.BACKGROUND: Menopause can lead to alterations in women's health, with changes in the oxidative status of postmenopausal women in whom information regarding the influence of hormone therapy (HT on antioxidant

  8. A New Algorithm Using the Non-Dominated Tree to Improve Non-Dominated Sorting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gustavsson, Patrik; Syberfeldt, Anna

    2018-01-01

    Non-dominated sorting is a technique often used in evolutionary algorithms to determine the quality of solutions in a population. The most common algorithm is the Fast Non-dominated Sort (FNS). This algorithm, however, has the drawback that its performance deteriorates when the population size grows. The same drawback applies also to other non-dominating sorting algorithms such as the Efficient Non-dominated Sort with Binary Strategy (ENS-BS). An algorithm suggested to overcome this drawback is the Divide-and-Conquer Non-dominated Sort (DCNS) which works well on a limited number of objectives but deteriorates when the number of objectives grows. This article presents a new, more efficient algorithm called the Efficient Non-dominated Sort with Non-Dominated Tree (ENS-NDT). ENS-NDT is an extension of the ENS-BS algorithm and uses a novel Non-Dominated Tree (NDTree) to speed up the non-dominated sorting. ENS-NDT is able to handle large population sizes and a large number of objectives more efficiently than existing algorithms for non-dominated sorting. In the article, it is shown that with ENS-NDT the runtime of multi-objective optimization algorithms such as the Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) can be substantially reduced.

  9. Lactobacillus priming of the respiratory tract: Heterologous immunity and protection against lethal pneumovirus infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia-Crespo, Katia E; Chan, Calvin C; Gabryszewski, Stanislaw J; Percopo, Caroline M; Rigaux, Peter; Dyer, Kimberly D; Domachowske, Joseph B; Rosenberg, Helene F

    2013-03-01

    We showed previously that wild-type mice primed via intranasal inoculation with live or heat-inactivated Lactobacillus species were fully (100%) protected against the lethal sequelae of infection with the virulent pathogen, pneumonia virus of mice (PVM), a response that is associated with diminished expression of proinflammatory cytokines and diminished virus recovery. We show here that 40% of the mice primed with live Lactobacillus survived when PVM challenge was delayed for 5months. This robust and sustained resistance to PVM infection resulting from prior interaction with an otherwise unrelated microbe is a profound example of heterologous immunity. We undertook the present study in order to understand the nature and unique features of this response. We found that intranasal inoculation with L. reuteri elicited rapid, transient neutrophil recruitment in association with proinflammatory mediators (CXCL1, CCL3, CCL2, CXCL10, TNF-alpha and IL-17A) but not Th1 cytokines. IFNγ does not contribute to survival promoted by Lactobacillus-priming. Live L. reuteri detected in lung tissue underwent rapid clearance, and was undetectable at 24h after inoculation. In contrast, L. reuteri peptidoglycan (PGN) and L. reuteri genomic DNA (gDNA) were detected at 24 and 48h after inoculation, respectively. In contrast to live bacteria, intranasal inoculation with isolated L. reuteri gDNA elicited no neutrophil recruitment, had minimal impact on virus recovery and virus-associated production of CCL3, and provided no protection against the negative sequelae of virus infection. Isolated PGN elicited neutrophil recruitment and proinflammatory cytokines but did not promote sustained survival in response to subsequent PVM infection. Overall, further evaluation of the responses leading to Lactobacillus-mediated heterologous immunity may provide insight into novel antiviral preventive modalities. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  10. Virus-mediated suppression of host non-self recognition facilitates horizontal transmission of heterologous viruses.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Songsong Wu

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Non-self recognition is a common phenomenon among organisms; it often leads to innate immunity to prevent the invasion of parasites and maintain the genetic polymorphism of organisms. Fungal vegetative incompatibility is a type of non-self recognition which often induces programmed cell death (PCD and restricts the spread of molecular parasites. It is not clearly known whether virus infection could attenuate non-self recognition among host individuals to facilitate its spread. Here, we report that a hypovirulence-associated mycoreovirus, named Sclerotinia sclerotiorum mycoreovirus 4 (SsMYRV4, could suppress host non-self recognition and facilitate horizontal transmission of heterologous viruses. We found that cell death in intermingled colony regions between SsMYRV4-infected Sclerotinia sclerotiorum strain and other tested vegetatively incompatible strains was markedly reduced and inhibition barrage lines were not clearly observed. Vegetative incompatibility, which involves Heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G proteins signaling pathway, is controlled by specific loci termed het (heterokaryon incompatibility loci. Reactive oxygen species (ROS plays a key role in vegetative incompatibility-mediated PCD. The expression of G protein subunit genes, het genes, and ROS-related genes were significantly down-regulated, and cellular production of ROS was suppressed in the presence of SsMYRV4. Furthermore, SsMYRV4-infected strain could easily accept other viruses through hyphal contact and these viruses could be efficiently transmitted from SsMYRV4-infected strain to other vegetatively incompatible individuals. Thus, we concluded that SsMYRV4 is capable of suppressing host non-self recognition and facilitating heterologous viruses transmission among host individuals. These findings may enhance our understanding of virus ecology, and provide a potential strategy to utilize hypovirulence-associated mycoviruses to control fungal diseases.

  11. Hypothalamic digoxin, hemispheric chemical dominance, and inflammatory bowel disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurup, Ravi Kumar; Kurup, Parameswara Achutha

    2003-09-01

    The isoprenoid pathway produces three key metabolites--endogenous digoxin, dolichol, and ubiquinone. It was considered pertinent to assess the pathway in inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis and regional ileitis). Since endogenous digoxin can regulate neurotransmitter transport, the pathway and the related cascade were also assessed in individuals with differing hemispheric dominance to find out the role of hemispheric dominance in its pathogenesis. All the patients with inflammatory bowel disease were right-handed/left hemispheric dominant by the dichotic listening test. The following parameters were measured in patients with inflammatory bowel disease and in individuals with differing hemispheric dominance: (1) plasma HMG CoA reductase, digoxin, dolichol, ubiquinone, and magnesium levels; (2) tryptophan/tyrosine catabolic patterns; (3) free-radical metabolism; (4) glycoconjugate metabolism; and (5) membrane composition and RBC membrane Na+-K+ ATPase activity. Statistical analysis was done by ANOVA. In patients with inflammatory bowel disease there was elevated digoxin synthesis, increased dolichol and glycoconjugate levels, and low ubiquinone and elevated free radical levels. There was also an increase in tryptophan catabolites and a reduction in tyrosine catabolites. There was an increase in cholesterol:phospholipid ratio and a reduction in glycoconjugate level of RBC membrane in these groups of patients. Inflammatory bowel disease is associated with an upregulated isoprenoid pathway and elevated digoxin secretion from the hypothalamus. This can contribute to immune activation, defective glycoprotein bowel antigen presentation, and autoimmunity and a schizophreniform psychosis important in its pathogenesis. The biochemical patterns obtained in inflammatory bowel disease is similar to those obtained in left-handed/right hemispheric dominant individuals by the dichotic listening test. But all the patients with peptic ulcer disease were right

  12. Eletromiografia de superfície no diagnóstico da dominância lateral em crianças: aspectos psicomotores Surface electromyography in diagnosis of lateral dominance in children: psychomotor aspects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ceme Ferreira Jordy

    1995-09-01

    Full Text Available A dominância lateral foi verificada pelo eletromiograma de superfície em 100 crianças neurologicamente normais. Foram usados estímulos verbais durante os registros eletromiográficos. Em comparação com o diagnóstico clínico, a eletromiografia se revelou mais precisa, excluindo influências subjetivas nos resultados. Destrismo foi diagnosticado em 90 pacientes, canhotismo em 3 e dominância indefinida em 7. Mecanismos de ordem psicomotora são sugeridos para justificar as respostas motoras provocadas por estímulos verbais com conteúdo afetivo.Surface electromyography was used to verify the lateral dominance in 100 six to fourteen years old normal children. Electromyographic records were obtained during verbal stimulation. Dexterity was found in 90, sinistrality in 3 and indefinite dominance in 7 patients. Comparing with results from clinical examination, the electromyography seems more accurate and easy to perform. The responses obtained after verbal stimulations were attributed to a psychomotor phenomenon. Mechanisms involved in the production of muscle contractions after verbal stimulation, were not proved. Pharmacologic action of cathecolamines on the central motor neural subsystems is advanced.

  13. The social dominance paradox.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cook, Jennifer Louise; den Ouden, Hanneke E M; Heyes, Cecilia M; Cools, Roshan

    2014-12-01

    Dominant individuals report high levels of self-sufficiency, self-esteem, and authoritarianism. The lay stereotype suggests that such individuals ignore information from others, preferring to make their own choices. However, the nonhuman animal literature presents a conflicting view, suggesting that dominant individuals are avid social learners, whereas subordinates focus on learning from private experience. Whether dominant humans are best characterized by the lay stereotype or the animal view is currently unknown. Here, we present a "social dominance paradox": using self-report scales and computerized tasks, we demonstrate that socially dominant people explicitly value independence, but, paradoxically, in a complex decision-making task, they show an enhanced reliance (relative to subordinate individuals) on social learning. More specifically, socially dominant people employed a strategy of copying other agents when the agents' responses had a history of being correct. However, in humans, two subtypes of dominance have been identified: aggressive and social. Aggressively dominant individuals, who are as likely to "get their own way" as socially dominant individuals but who do so through the use of aggressive or Machiavellian tactics, did not use social information, even when it was beneficial to do so. This paper presents the first study of dominance and social learning in humans and challenges the lay stereotype in which all dominant individuals ignore others' views. The more subtle perspective we offer could have important implications for decision making in both the boardroom and the classroom. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Functional identification of an Arabidopsis snf4 ortholog by screening for heterologous multicopy suppressors of snf4 deficiency in yeast

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kleinow, T.; Bhalerao, R.; Breuer, F.

    2000-01-01

    Yeast Snf4 is a prototype of activating gamma-subunits of conserved Snf1/AMPK-related protein kinases (SnRKs) controlling glucose and stress signaling in eukaryotes. The catalytic subunits of Arabidopsis SnRKs, AKIN10 and AKIN11, interact with Snf4 and suppress the snf1 and snf4 mutations in yeast....... By expression of an Arabidopsis cDNA library in yeast, heterologous multicopy snf4 suppressors were isolated. In addition to AKIN10 and AKIN11, the deficiency of yeast snf4 mutant to grown on non-fermentable carbon source was suppressed by Arabidopsis Myb30, CAAT-binding factor Hap3b, casein kinase I, zinc......-finger factors AZF2 and ZAT10, as well as orthologs of hexose/UDP-hexose transporters, calmodulin, SMC1-cohesin and Snf4. Here we describe the characterization of AtSNF4, a functional Arabidopsis Snf4 ortholog, that interacts with yeast Snf1 and specifically binds to the C-terminal regulatory domain...

  15. Ecological Carrying Capacity of Land Use Changes in Da'an City

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, H.; Zhang, J.; Li, B.

    2018-04-01

    Based on GIS and RS technology, this paper analyzed the land use change in Da'an city from 1995 to 2010. land-use ecological evaluation index was constructed to evaluate the land-use ecological risk of Da 'an city dynamically, and the land-use ecological risk level map was made, and then the distribution and change of the land-use ecological carrying capacity pattern of Da'an city were analyzed qualitatively. According to the evaluation results of ecological carrying capacity, the ecological environment of Da'an city has deteriorated in fifteen years. in 1995, the poor ecological environment area is mainly distributed in the northeast area of Da'an city, and the area is small, while the area of the central and southern areas is large; In 2010, the western region also appeared environmental degradation, the northeast environment deterioration is serious, the dominant area is reduced, and a small amount of deterioration in the central and southern regions. According to the study of this paper, in the future, we should strengthen the comprehensive management of this part of the area, strengthen vegetation coverage, reduce soil erosion, ensure the effective improvement of ecological environment.

  16. The pea SAD short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase: quinone reduction, tissue distribution, and heterologous expression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scherbak, Nikolai; Ala-Häivälä, Anneli; Brosché, Mikael; Böwer, Nathalie; Strid, Hilja; Gittins, John R; Grahn, Elin; Eriksson, Leif A; Strid, Åke

    2011-04-01

    The pea (Pisum sativum) tetrameric short-chain alcohol dehydrogenase-like protein (SAD) family consists of at least three highly similar members (SAD-A, -B, and -C). According to mRNA data, environmental stimuli induce SAD expression. The aim of this study was to characterize the SAD proteins by examining their catalytic function, distribution in pea, and induction in different tissues. In enzyme activity assays using a range of potential substrates, the SAD-C enzyme was shown to reduce one- or two-ring-membered quinones lacking long hydrophobic hydrocarbon tails. Immunological assays using a specific antiserum against the protein demonstrated that different tissues and cell types contain small amounts of SAD protein that was predominantly located within epidermal or subepidermal cells and around vascular tissue. Particularly high local concentrations were observed in the protoderm of the seed cotyledonary axis. Two bow-shaped rows of cells in the ovary and the placental surface facing the ovule also exhibited considerable SAD staining. Ultraviolet-B irradiation led to increased staining in epidermal and subepidermal cells of leaves and stems. The different localization patterns of SAD suggest functions both in development and in responses to environmental stimuli. Finally, the pea SAD-C promoter was shown to confer heterologous wound-induced expression in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), which confirmed that the inducibility of its expression is regulated at the transcriptional level.

  17. Dominância coronariana em corações humanos em moldes por corrosão Coronary dominance patterns in the human heart investigated by corrosion casting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Décio Cavalet Soares Abuchaim

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Esse trabalho tem como objetivo analisar os padrões de dominância circulatória de corações humanos, o número de ramos que a artéria coronária direita fornece ao ventrículo esquerdo, o número de ramos que a artéria coronária esquerda fornece ao direito e a presença de anastomoses intercoronarianas, com sua localização e frequência. MÉTODOS: Foram produzidos 25 moldes de corações submetidos à instilação de acrílico colorido e posterior corrosão com ácido clorídrico, no Laboratório de Cirurgia Experimental da FURB. Peças com lesões e cicatrizes não foram usadas. RESULTADOS: Os corações pertenciam a indivíduos de ambos os sexos, sendo 17 (68% de indivíduos do sexo masculino, com idade média de 40,2 anos (15 a 70 anos. A dominância direita ocorreu em 18 (72% peças, com 1, 2, 3 e 4 ramos em 2, 14, 2 e 1 moldes, respectivamente; a dominância esquerda foi observada em 5 (20% casos, com 1 ramo em 4 moldes e 2 em 1 molde; e a dominância balanceada foi verificada em 2 (8% moldes. Houve diferença significativa entre a dominância direita e esquerda (α > 5%, direita e balanceada (α > 5% e sem significância entre esquerda e balanceada (α OBJECTIVES: The aim of this work was to analyze the dominance patterns of the circulation of the human heart, the number of branches from the right coronary artery to the left ventricle, the number of branches from the left coronary artery to the right ventricle and the frequency and location of intercoronary anastomoses. METHODS: Casts were made of 25 hearts by the injection of colored acrylic resin and subsequent corrosion using hydrochloric acid at the experimental surgery laboratory of Furb. Specimens with lesions or scars were discarded. RESULTS: The hearts, from both men (17 - 68% and women (8 - 32%, had a mean age of 40.2 (15 to 70 years-old. Right dominance occurred in 18 (72% subjects, with 1, 2, 3 and 4 branches leading to the left ventricle in 2, 14, 2 and 2

  18. Recombinant lactic acid bacteria as delivery vectors of heterologous antigens: the future of vaccination?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trombert, A

    2015-01-01

    Lactic acid bacteria (LABs) are good candidates for the development of new oral vaccines and are attractive alternatives to attenuated pathogens. This review focuses on the use of wild-type and recombinant lactococci and lactobacilli with emphasis on their molecular design, immunomodulation and treatment of bacterial infections. The majority of studies related to recombinant LABs have focused on Lactococcus lactis, however, molecular tools have been successfully used for Lactobacillus spp. Recombinant lactobacilli and lactococci have several health benefits, such as immunomodulation, restoration of the microbiota, synthesis of antimicrobial substances and inhibition of virulence factors. In addition, protective immune responses that are well tolerated are induced by the expression of heterologous antigens from recombinant probiotics.

  19. Generation of transgenic wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) accumulating heterologous endo-xylanase or ferulic acid esterase in the endosperm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harholt, Jesper; Bach, Inga C; Lind-Bouquin, Solveig; Nunan, Kylie J; Madrid, Susan M; Brinch-Pedersen, Henrik; Holm, Preben B; Scheller, Henrik V

    2010-04-01

    Endo-xylanase (from Bacillus subtilis) or ferulic acid esterase (from Aspergillus niger) were expressed in wheat under the control of the endosperm-specific 1DX5 glutenin promoter. Constructs both with and without the endoplasmic reticulum retention signal (Lys-Asp-Glu-Leu) KDEL were used. Transgenic plants were recovered in all four cases but no qualitative differences could be observed whether KDEL was added or not. Endo-xylanase activity in transgenic grains was increased between two and threefold relative to wild type. The grains were shrivelled and had a 25%-33% decrease in mass. Extensive analysis of the cell walls showed a 10%-15% increase in arabinose to xylose ratio, a 50% increase in the proportion of water-extractable arabinoxylan, and a shift in the MW of the water-extractable arabinoxylan from being mainly larger than 85 kD to being between 2 and 85 kD. Ferulic acid esterase-expressing grains were also shrivelled, and the seed weight was decreased by 20%-50%. No ferulic acid esterase activity could be detected in wild-type grains whereas ferulic acid esterase activity was detected in transgenic lines. The grain cell walls had 15%-40% increase in water-unextractable arabinoxylan and a decrease in monomeric ferulic acid between 13% and 34%. In all the plants, the observed changes are consistent with a plant response that serves to minimize the effect of the heterologously expressed enzymes by increasing arabinoxylan biosynthesis and cross-linking.

  20. Generation of transgenic wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) accumulating heterologous endo-xylanase or ferulic acid esterase in the endosperm

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Harholt, Jesper; Bach, Inga C; Lind-Bouquin, Solveig; Nunan, Kylie J.; Madrid, Susan M.; Brinch-Pedersen, Henrik; Holm, Preben B.; Scheller, Henrik V.

    2009-12-08

    Endo-xylanase (from Bacillus subtilis) or ferulic acid esterase (from Aspergillus niger) were expressed in wheat under the control of the endosperm specific 1DX5 glutenin promoter. Constructs both with and without the endoplasmic reticulum retention signal KDEL were used. Transgenic plants were recovered in all four cases but no qualitative differences could be observed whether KDEL was added or not. Endo-xylanase activity in transgenic grains was increased between two and three fold relative to wild type. The grains were shriveled and had a 25-33% decrease in mass. Extensive analysis of the cell walls showed a 10-15% increase in arabinose to xylose ratio, a 50% increase in the proportion of water extractable arabinoxylan, and a shift in the MW of the water extractable arabinoxylan from being mainly larger than 85 kD to being between 2 kD and 85 kD. Ferulic acid esterase expressing grains were also shriveled and the seed weight was decreased by 20-50%. No ferulic acid esterase activity could be detected in wild type grains whereas ferulic acid esterase activity was detected in transgenic lines. The grain cell walls had 15-40% increase in water unextractable arabinoxylan and a decrease in monomeric ferulic acid between 13 and 34%. In all the plants the observed changes are consistent with a plant response that serves to minimize the effect of the heterologously expressed enzymes by increasing arabinoxylan biosynthesis and cross-linking.

  1. Influência da mobilidade materna na duração da fase ativa do trabalho de parto Influence of maternal mobility on duration of the active phase of labor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eliane Bio

    2006-11-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVOS: investigar a influência da mobilidade da parturiente durante a fase ativa do trabalho de parto. MÉTODOS: foi realizado ensaio clínico controlado prospectivo, com análise comparativa entre um grupo de tratamento (n=50 e um grupo controle (n=50, no Centro Obstétrico do Hospital Universitário da Universidade de São Paulo (USP. Os critérios de inclusão foram: primigestas com feto único em apresentação cefálica; idade gestacional entre 37 e 42 semanas; parturientes com pelo menos duas contrações a cada dez minutos e cérvico-dilatação de até 4 cm, além da concordância em assinar o termo de consentimento livre e esclarecido. A evolução para cesárea foi critério de exclusão. Foram acompanhadas por fisioterapeuta durante toda a fase ativa e orientadas a manterem-se em posição vertical e em movimento, de acordo com a fase da dilatação cervical e a descida fetal no canal de parto. O grupo controle teve acompanhamento obstétrico sem a presença do fisioterapeuta. Este grupo foi selecionado retrospectivamente, a partir dos registros de prontuário, seguindo os mesmos critérios de inclusão e exclusão. RESULTADOS: foram acompanhadas 58 primigestas entre 15 e 37 anos. Dessas, 50 mulheres (86,2% evoluíram para parto vaginal, sendo que oito (13,7% evoluíram para cesárea e foram excluídas do estudo. Entre as 50 parturientes acompanhadas, a média de duração da fase ativa foi de cinco horas e 16 minutos, enquanto no grupo controle foi de oito horas e 28 minutos (pPURPOSE: to investigate the influence of the maternal mobility during the active phase of labor. METHODS: a prospective clinical trial was conducted through comparative analysis among a treatment group (n=50 and a control group (n=50, in the Obstetric Center of the Hospital Universitário da Universidade de São Paulo (USP. The inclusion criteria were: primigravidae with a single fetus on cephalic presentation, with 37 to 42 weeks of pregnancy, with two

  2. Ectopic expression of MPF2-like protein WSA206 leads to arrest in silique and seed development in heterologous host

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khan, M.R.

    2016-01-01

    MPF2-like genes belonging to STMADS11 clade of MADS-box transcription factors are mostly involved in calyx inflation, floral reversion and fertility. However their role in fertility remained enigmatic. In this study we transformed WSA206 gene paralog - originated through genome duplication in a Solanaceous plant Withaniasomnifera - ectopically in a heterologous host Arabidopsis thaliana. Interesting phenotypes in floral organs and fruits were observed. Overexpression of WSA206 leads to arrest in silique development. The siliques were compressed and size was drastically reduced from 34mm to 3mm. Along with siliques, the seed development was also suppressed as revealed by shriveling of seeds and reduction in seed number. In extreme cases the siliques were devoid of any seeds. In cases where seeds developed, these were impaired in viability. Besides, the transgenic Arabidopsis also exhibited exorbitant growth of calyx to an extent that it resembled inflated calyx in Solanaceae. The calyx remained persistent and encapsulated the under-developed siliques containing non-viable seeds inside. Thus, fertility and sepal development are tightly coupled traits that are controlled by WSA206 paralog in heterologous system. (author)

  3. CXCR4 Is Required by a Nonprimate Lentivirus: Heterologous Expression of Feline Immunodeficiency Virus in Human, Rodent, and Feline Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poeschla, Eric M.; Looney, David J.

    1998-01-01

    A heterologous feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) expression system permitted high-level expression of FIV proteins and efficient production of infectious FIV in human cells. These results identify the FIV U3 element as the sole restriction to the productive phase of replication in nonfeline cells. Heterologous FIV expression in a variety of human cell lines resulted in profuse syncytial lysis that was FIV env specific, CD4 independent, and restricted to cells that express CXCR4, the coreceptor for T-cell-line-adapted strains of human immunodeficiency virus. Stable expression of human CXCR4 in CXCR4-negative human and rodent cell lines resulted in extensive FIV Env-mediated, CXCR4-dependent cell fusion and infection. In feline cells, stable overexpression of human CXCR4 resulted in increased FIV infectivity and marked syncytium formation during FIV replication or after infection with FIV Env-expressing vectors. The use of CXCR4 is a fundamental feature of lentivirus biology independent of CD4 and a shared cellular link to infection and cytopathicity for distantly related lentiviruses that cause AIDS. Their conserved use implicates chemokine receptors as primordial lentivirus receptors. PMID:9658135

  4. Heterologous microarray experiments allow the identification of the early events associated with potato tuber cold sweetening

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vitulli Federico

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Since its discovery more than 100 years ago, potato (Solanum tuberosum tuber cold-induced sweetening (CIS has been extensively investigated. Several carbohydrate-associated genes would seem to be involved in the process. However, many uncertainties still exist, as the relative contribution of each gene to the process is often unclear, possibly as the consequence of the heterogeneity of experimental systems. Some enzymes associated with CIS, such as β-amylases and invertases, have still to be identified at a sequence level. In addition, little is known about the early events that trigger CIS and on the involvement/association with CIS of genes different from carbohydrate-associated genes. Many of these uncertainties could be resolved by profiling experiments, but no GeneChip is available for the potato, and the production of the potato cDNA spotted array (TIGR has recently been discontinued. In order to obtain an overall picture of early transcriptional events associated with CIS, we investigated whether the commercially-available tomato Affymetrix GeneChip could be used to identify which potato cold-responsive gene family members should be further studied in detail by Real-Time (RT-PCR (qPCR. Results A tomato-potato Global Match File was generated for the interpretation of various aspects of the heterologous dataset, including the retrieval of best matching potato counterparts and annotation, and the establishment of a core set of highly homologous genes. Several cold-responsive genes were identified, and their expression pattern was studied in detail by qPCR over 26 days. We detected biphasic behaviour of mRNA accumulation for carbohydrate-associated genes and our combined GeneChip-qPCR data identified, at a sequence level, enzymatic activities such as β-amylases and invertases previously reported as being involved in CIS. The GeneChip data also unveiled important processes accompanying CIS, such as the induction of redox

  5. Hypothalamic digoxin, hemispheric dominance, and neurobiology of love and affection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurup, Ravi Kumar; Kurup, Parameswara Achutha

    2003-05-01

    The human hypothalamus produces an endogenous membrane Na+-K+ ATPase inhibitor, digoxin, which can regulate neuronal transmission. The digoxin status and neurotransmitter patterns were studied in individuals with a predilection to fall in love. It was also studied in individuals with differing hemispheric dominance to find out the role of cerebral dominance in this respect. In individuals with a predilection to fall in love there was decreased digoxin synthesis, increased membrane Na+-K+ ATPase activity, decreased tryptophan catabolites (serotonin, quinolinic acid, and nicotine), and increased tyrosine catabolites (dopamine, noradrenaline, and morphine). This pattern correlated with that obtained in left hemispheric chemical dominance. Hemispheric dominance and hypothalamic digoxin could regulate the predisposition to fall in love.

  6. DA-Raf-Mediated Suppression of the Ras--ERK Pathway Is Essential for TGF-β1-Induced Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Alveolar Epithelial Type 2 Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watanabe-Takano, Haruko; Takano, Kazunori; Hatano, Masahiko; Tokuhisa, Takeshi; Endo, Takeshi

    2015-01-01

    Myofibroblasts play critical roles in the development of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis by depositing components of extracellular matrix. One source of lung myofibroblasts is thought to be alveolar epithelial type 2 cells that undergo epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Rat RLE-6TN alveolar epithelial type 2 cells treated with transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) are converted into myofibroblasts through EMT. TGF-β induces both canonical Smad signaling and non-canonical signaling, including the Ras-induced ERK pathway (Raf-MEK-ERK). However, the signaling mechanisms regulating TGF-β1-induced EMT are not fully understood. Here, we show that the Ras-ERK pathway negatively regulates TGF-β1-induced EMT in RLE-6TN cells and that DA-Raf1 (DA-Raf), a splicing isoform of A-Raf and a dominant-negative antagonist of the Ras-ERK pathway, plays an essential role in EMT. Stimulation of the cells with fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), which activated the ERK pathway, prominently suppressed TGF-β1-induced EMT. An inhibitor of MEK, but not an inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, rescued the TGF-β1-treated cells from the suppression of EMT by FGF2. Overexpression of a constitutively active mutant of a component of the Ras-ERK pathway, i.e., H-Ras, B-Raf, or MEK1, interfered with EMT. Knockdown of DA-Raf expression with siRNAs facilitated the activity of MEK and ERK, which were only weakly and transiently activated by TGF-β1. Although DA-Raf knockdown abrogated TGF-β1-induced EMT, the abrogation of EMT was reversed by the addition of the MEK inhibitor. Furthermore, DA-Raf knockdown impaired the TGF-β1-induced nuclear translocation of Smad2, which mediates the transcription required for EMT. These results imply that intrinsic DA-Raf exerts essential functions for EMT by antagonizing the TGF-β1-induced Ras-ERK pathway in RLE-6TN cells.

  7. The silencing suppressor (NSs) protein of the plant virus Tomato spotted wilt virus enhances heterologous protein expression and baculovirus pathogenicity in cells and lepidopteran insects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Oliveira, Virgínia Carla; da Silva Morgado, Fabricio; Ardisson-Araújo, Daniel Mendes Pereira; Resende, Renato Oliveira; Ribeiro, Bergmann Morais

    2015-11-01

    In this work, we showed that cell death induced by a recombinant (vAcNSs) Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) expressing the silencing suppressor (NSs) protein of Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) was enhanced on permissive and semipermissive cell lines. The expression of a heterologous gene (firefly luciferase) during co-infection of insect cells with vAcNSs and a second recombinant baculovirus (vAgppolhfluc) was shown to increase when compared to single vAgppolhfluc infections. Furthermore, the vAcNSs mean time-to-death values were significantly lower than those for wild-type AcMNPV on larvae of Spodoptera frugiperda and Anticarsia gemmatalis. These results showed that the TSWV-NSs protein could efficiently increase heterologous protein expression in insect cells as well as baculovirus pathogenicity and virulence, probably by suppressing the gene-silencing machinery in insects.

  8. [The Effect of Introduction of the Heterologous Gene Encoding the N-acyl-homoserine Lactonase (aiiA) on the Properties of Burkholderia cenocepacia 370].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plyuta, V A; Lipasova, V A; Koksharova, O A; Veselova, M A; Kuznetsov, A E; Khmel, I A

    2015-08-01

    To study the role of Quorum Sensing (QS) regulation in the control of the cellular processes of Burkholderia cenocepacia 370, plasmid pME6863 was transferred into its cells. The plasmid contains a heterologous gene encoding for AiiA N-acyl-homoserine lactonase, which degrades the signaling molecules of the QS system of N-acyl-homoserine lactones (AHL). An absence or reduction of AHL in the culture was revealed with the biosensors Chromobacterium violaceum CV026 and Agrobacterium tumifaciens NT1/pZLR4, respectively. The presence of the aiiA gene, which was cloned from Bacillus sp. A24 in the cells of B. cenocepacia 370, resulted in a lack of hemolytic activity, which reduced the extracellular proteolytic activity and decreased the cells' ability to migration in swarms on the surface of the agar medium. The introduction of the aiiA gene did not affect lipase activity, fatty acids synthesis, HCN synthesis, or biofilm formation. Hydrogen peroxide was shown to stimulate biofilm formation by B. cenocepacia 370 in concentrations that inhibited or weakly suppressed bacterial growth. The introduction of the aiiA gene into the cells did not eliminate this effect but it did reduce it.

  9. Hypothalamic digoxin and hemispheric chemical dominance: relation to speech and language dysfunction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurup, Ravi Kumar; Kurup, Parameswara Achutha

    2003-06-01

    The isoprenoid pathway produces three key metabolites--endogenous digoxin, dolichol, and ubiquinone. Since endogenous digoxin can regulate neurotransmitter transport and dolichols can modulate glycoconjugate synthesis important in synaptic connectivity, the pathway was assessed in patients with dyslexia, delayed recovery from global aphasia consequent to a dominant hemispheric thrombotic infarct, and developmental delay of speech milestone. The pathway was also studied in right hemispheric, left hemispheric, and bihemispheric dominance to find out the role of hemispheric dominance in the pathogenesis of speech disorders. The plasma/serum--activity of HMG CoA reductase, magnesium, digoxin, dolichol, ubiquinone--and tryptophan/tyrosine catabolic patterns, as well as RBC (Na+)-K+ ATPase activity, were measured in the above mentioned groups. The glycoconjugate metabolism and membrane composition was also studied. The study showed that in dyslexia, developmental delay of speech milestone, and delayed recovery from global aphasia there was an upregulated isoprenoidal pathway with increased digoxin and dolichol levels. The membrane (Na+)-K+ ATPase activity, serum magnesium and ubiquinone levels were low. The tryptophan catabolites were increased and the tyrosine catabolites including dopamine decreased in the serum contributing to a speech dysfunction. There was an increase in carbohydrate residues of glycoproteins, glycosaminoglycans, and glycolipids levels as well as an increased activity of GAG degrading enzymes and glyco hydrolases in the serum. The cholesterol:phospholipid ratio of RBC membrane increased and membrane glycoconjugates showed a decrease. All of these could contribute to altered synaptic inactivity in these disorders. The patterns correlated with those obtained in right hemispheric chemical dominance. Right hemispheric chemical dominance may play a role in the genesis of these disorders. Hemispheric chemical dominance has no correlation with handedness

  10. Recombinant vaccines against T. gondii: comparison between homologous and heterologous vaccination protocols using two viral vectors expressing SAG1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mendes, Érica Araújo; Fonseca, Flavio G; Casério, Bárbara M; Colina, Janaína P; Gazzinelli, Ricardo Tostes; Caetano, Braulia C

    2013-01-01

    The use of recombinant viral vectors expressing T. gondii antigens is a safe and efficient approach to induce immune response against the parasite and a valuable tool for vaccine development. We have previously protected mice from toxoplasmosis by immunizing the animals with an adenovirus expressing the protein SAG1 (AdSAG1) of T. gondii. We are now looking for ways to improve the vaccination strategy and enhance protection. One limitation of homologous vaccinations (sequential doses of the same vector) is induction of anti-vector immune response that blocks cell transduction, restricts transgene expression and, consequently, compromises the overall outcome of vaccination. One way to avert the effects of anti-vector response is to use different viruses in prime and boost (heterologous vaccination). Bearing this in mind, we generated a modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara encoding SAG1 (MVASAG1), to be tested as boost agent after prime with AdSAG1. Although minor differences were observed in the magnitude of the anti-SAG1 immune response induced by each vaccination protocol, the heterologous immunization with AdSAG1 followed by MVASAG1 resulted in improved capacity to control brain cyst formation in a model of chronic toxoplasmosis in C57BL/6 mice.

  11. Recombinant vaccines against T. gondii: comparison between homologous and heterologous vaccination protocols using two viral vectors expressing SAG1.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Érica Araújo Mendes

    Full Text Available The use of recombinant viral vectors expressing T. gondii antigens is a safe and efficient approach to induce immune response against the parasite and a valuable tool for vaccine development. We have previously protected mice from toxoplasmosis by immunizing the animals with an adenovirus expressing the protein SAG1 (AdSAG1 of T. gondii. We are now looking for ways to improve the vaccination strategy and enhance protection. One limitation of homologous vaccinations (sequential doses of the same vector is induction of anti-vector immune response that blocks cell transduction, restricts transgene expression and, consequently, compromises the overall outcome of vaccination. One way to avert the effects of anti-vector response is to use different viruses in prime and boost (heterologous vaccination. Bearing this in mind, we generated a modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara encoding SAG1 (MVASAG1, to be tested as boost agent after prime with AdSAG1. Although minor differences were observed in the magnitude of the anti-SAG1 immune response induced by each vaccination protocol, the heterologous immunization with AdSAG1 followed by MVASAG1 resulted in improved capacity to control brain cyst formation in a model of chronic toxoplasmosis in C57BL/6 mice.

  12. Priming T-cell responses with recombinant measles vaccine vector in a heterologous prime-boost setting in non-human primates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bolton, Diane L; Santra, Sampa; Swett-Tapia, Cindy; Custers, Jerome; Song, Kaimei; Balachandran, Harikrishnan; Mach, Linh; Naim, Hussein; Kozlowski, Pamela A; Lifton, Michelle; Goudsmit, Jaap; Letvin, Norman; Roederer, Mario; Radošević, Katarina

    2012-09-07

    Licensed live attenuated virus vaccines capable of expressing transgenes from other pathogens have the potential to reduce the number of childhood immunizations by eliciting robust immunity to multiple pathogens simultaneously. Recombinant attenuated measles virus (rMV) derived from the Edmonston Zagreb vaccine strain was engineered to express simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) Gag protein for the purpose of evaluating the immunogenicity of rMV as a vaccine vector in rhesus macaques. rMV-Gag immunization alone elicited robust measles-specific humoral and cellular responses, but failed to elicit transgene (Gag)-specific immune responses, following aerosol or intratracheal/intramuscular delivery. However, when administered as a priming vaccine to a heterologous boost with recombinant adenovirus serotype 5 expressing the same transgene, rMV-Gag significantly enhanced Gag-specific T lymphocyte responses following rAd5 immunization. Gag-specific humoral responses were not enhanced, however, which may be due to either the transgene or the vector. Cellular response priming by rMV against the transgene was highly effective even when using a suboptimal dose of rAd5 for the boost. These data demonstrate feasibility of using rMV as a priming component of heterologous prime-boost vaccine regimens for pathogens requiring strong cellular responses. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Asymmetry of magnetic motor evoked potentials recorded in calf muscles of the dominant and non-dominant lower extremity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olex-Zarychta, Dorota; Koprowski, Robert; Sobota, Grzegorz; Wróbel, Zygmunt

    2009-08-07

    The aim of the study was to determine the applicability of magnetic stimulation and magnetic motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in motor asymmetry studies by obtaining quantitative and qualitative measures of efferent activity during low intensity magnetic stimulation of the dominant and non-dominant lower extremities. Magnetic stimulation of the tibial nerve in the popliteal fossa was performed in 10 healthy male right-handed and right-footed young adults. Responses were recorded from the lateral head of the gastrocnemius muscles of the right and left lower extremities. Response characteristics (duration, onset latency, amplitude) were analyzed in relation to the functional dominance of the limbs and in relation to the direction of the current in the magnetic coil by use of the Wilcoxon pair sequence test. The CCW direction of coil current was related to reduced amplitudes of recorded MEPs. Greater amplitudes of evoked potentials were recorded in the non-dominant extremity, both in the CW and CCW coil current directions, with the statistical significance of this effect (p=0.005). No differences in duration of response were found in the CW current direction, while in CCW the time of the left-side response was prolonged (p=0.01). In the non-dominant extremity longer onset latencies were recorded in both current directions, but only for the CW direction the side asymmetries showed a statistical significance of p=0.005. In the dominant extremity the stimulation correlated with stronger paresthesias, especially using the CCW direction of coil current. The results indicate that low intensity magnetic stimulation may be useful in quantitative and qualitative research into the motor asymmetry.

  14. Conjugation of 10 kDa Linear PEG onto Trastuzumab Fab' Is Sufficient to Significantly Enhance Lymphatic Exposure while Preserving in Vitro Biological Activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, Linda J; Ascher, David B; Yadav, Rajbharan; Bulitta, Jürgen B; Williams, Charlotte C; Porter, Christopher J H; Landersdorfer, Cornelia B; Kaminskas, Lisa M

    2016-04-04

    The lymphatic system is a major conduit by which many diseases spread and proliferate. There is therefore increasing interest in promoting better lymphatic drug targeting. Further, antibody fragments such as Fabs have several advantages over full length monoclonal antibodies but are subject to rapid plasma clearance, which can limit the lymphatic exposure and activity of Fabs against lymph-resident diseases. This study therefore explored ideal PEGylation strategies to maximize biological activity and lymphatic exposure using trastuzumab Fab' as a model. Specifically, the Fab' was conjugated with single linear 10 or 40 kDa PEG chains at the hinge region. PEGylation led to a 3-4-fold reduction in binding affinity to HER2, but antiproliferative activity against HER2-expressing BT474 cells was preserved. Lymphatic pharmacokinetics were then examined in thoracic lymph duct cannulated rats after intravenous and subcutaneous dosing at 2 mg/kg, and the data were evaluated via population pharmacokinetic modeling. The Fab' displayed limited lymphatic exposure, but conjugation of 10 kDa PEG improved exposure by approximately 11- and 5-fold after intravenous (15% dose collected in thoracic lymph over 30 h) and subcutaneous (9%) administration, respectively. Increasing the molecular weight of the PEG to 40 kDa, however, had no significant impact on lymphatic exposure after intravenous (14%) administration and only doubled lymphatic exposure after subcutaneous administration (18%) when compared to 10 kDa PEG-Fab'. The data therefore suggests that minimal PEGylation has the potential to enhance the exposure and activity of Fab's against lymph-resident diseases, while no significant benefit is achieved with very large PEGs.

  15. Heterologous and endogenous U6 snRNA promoters enable CRISPR/Cas9 mediated genome editing in Aspergillus niger.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Xiaomei; Zheng, Ping; Sun, Jibin; Kun, Zhang; Ma, Yanhe

    2018-01-01

    U6 promoters have been used for single guide RNA (sgRNA) transcription in the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein (CRISPR/Cas9) genome editing system. However, no available U6 promoters have been identified in Aspergillus niger, which is an important industrial platform for organic acid and protein production. Two CRISPR/Cas9 systems established in A. niger have recourse to the RNA polymerase II promoter or in vitro transcription for sgRNA synthesis, but these approaches generally increase cloning efforts and genetic manipulation. The validation of functional RNA polymerase II promoters is therefore an urgent need for A. niger . Here, we developed a novel CRISPR/Cas9 system in A. niger for sgRNA expression, based on one endogenous U6 promoter and two heterologous U6 promoters. The three tested U6 promoters enabled sgRNA transcription and the disruption of the polyketide synthase albA gene in A. niger . Furthermore, this system enabled highly efficient gene insertion at the targeted genome loci in A. niger using donor DNAs with homologous arms as short as 40-bp. This study demonstrated that both heterologous and endogenous U6 promoters were functional for sgRNA expression in A. niger . Based on this result, a novel and simple CRISPR/Cas9 toolbox was established in A. niger, that will benefit future gene functional analysis and genome editing.

  16. Listeria-vectored vaccine expressing the Mycobacterium tuberculosis 30 kDa major secretory protein via the constitutively active prfA* regulon boosts BCG efficacy against tuberculosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jia, Qingmei; Dillon, Barbara Jane; Masleša-Galić, Saša; Horwitz, Marcus A

    2017-06-19

    A potent vaccine against tuberculosis, one of the world's deadliest diseases, is needed to enhance the immunity of people worldwide, most of whom have been vaccinated with the partially effective BCG vaccine. Here we investigate novel live attenuated recombinant Listeria monocytogenes (rLm) vaccines expressing the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) 30 kDa major secretory protein (r30/Ag85B) (rLm30) as heterologous booster vaccines in animals primed with BCG. Using three attenuated Lm vectors, rLm Δ actA (LmI), rLm Δ actA Δ inlB (LmII), and rLm Δ actA Δ inlB prfA * (LmIII), we constructed five rLm30 vaccine candidates expressing the r30 linked in-frame to the Lm Listeriolycin O signal sequence and driven by the hly promoter (h30) or linked in-frame to the ActA N-terminus and driven by the actA promoter (a30). All five rLm30 vaccines secreted r30 in broth and macrophages; while rLm expressing r30 via a constitutively active prfA * regulon (rLmIII/a30) expressed the greatest amount of r30 in broth culture, all five rLm vaccines expressed equivalent amounts of r30 in infected macrophages. In comparative studies, boosting BCG-immunized mice with rLmIII/a30 induced the strongest antigen-specific T-cell responses, including splenic and lung polyfunctional CD4+ T-cells expressing the three cytokines of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin-2 (IL-2) ( P vaccines were generally more potent booster vaccines than r30 in adjuvant and a recombinant adenovirus vaccine expressing r30. In a setting in which BCG alone was highly immunoprotective, boosting mice with rLmIII/a30, the most potent of the vaccines, significantly enhanced protection against aerosolized Mtb ( P <0.01). Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

  17. Effects of introducing heterologous pathways on microbial metabolism with respect to metabolic optimality

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kim, Hyun Uk; Kim, Byoungjin; Seung, Do Young

    2014-01-01

    reactions are more frequently introduced into various microbial hosts. The genome-scale metabolic simulations of Escherichia coli strains engineered to produce 1,4-butanediol, 1,3-propanediol, and amorphadiene suggest that microbial metabolism shows much different responses to the introduced heterologous...... reactions in a strain-specific manner than typical gene knockouts in terms of the energetic status (e.g., ATP and biomass generation) and chemical production capacity. The 1,4-butanediol and 1,3-propanediol producers showed greater metabolic optimality than the wild-type strains and gene knockout mutants...... for the energetic status, while the amorphadiene producer was metabolically less optimal. For the optimal chemical production capacity, additional gene knockouts were most effective for the strain producing 1,3-propanediol, but not for the one producing 1,4-butanediol. These observations suggest that strains having...

  18. Assembly/disassembly of a complex icosahedral virus to incorporate heterologous nucleic acids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pascual, Elena; Mata, Carlos P.; Carrascosa, José L.; Castón, José R.

    2017-12-01

    Hollow protein containers are widespread in nature, and include virus capsids as well as eukaryotic and bacterial complexes. Protein cages are studied extensively for applications in nanotechnology, nanomedicine and materials science. Their inner and outer surfaces can be modified chemically or genetically, and the internal cavity can be used to template, store and/or arrange molecular cargos. Virus capsids and virus-like particles (VLP, noninfectious particles) provide versatile platforms for nanoscale bioengineering. Study of capsid protein self-assembly into monodispersed particles, and of VLP structure and biophysics is necessary not only to understand natural processes, but also to infer how these platforms can be redesigned to furnish novel functional VLP. Here we address the assembly dynamics of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV), a complex icosahedral virus. IBDV has a ~70 nm-diameter T  =  13 capsid with VP2 trimers as the only structural subunits. During capsid assembly, VP2 is synthesized as a precursor (pVP2) whose C terminus is cleaved. The pVP2 C terminus has an amphipathic helix that controls VP2 polymorphism. In the absence of the VP3 scaffolding protein, necessary for control of assembly, 466/456-residue pVP2 intermediates bearing this helix assemble into VLP only when expressed with an N-terminal His6 tag (the HT-VP2-466 protein). HT-VP2-466 capsids are optimal for genetic insertion of proteins (cargo space ~78 000 nm3). We established an in vitro assembly/disassembly system of HT-VP2-466-based VLP for heterologous nucleic acid packaging and/or encapsulation of drugs and other molecules. HT-VP2-466 (empty) capsids were disassembled and reassembled by dialysis against low-salt/basic pH and high-salt/acid pH buffers, respectively, thus illustrating the reversibility in vitro of IBDV capsid assembly. HT-VP2-466 VLP also packed heterologous DNA by non-specific confinement during assembly. These and previous results establish the bases

  19. Esterase activities of intracellular extracts of wild strains of lactic acid bacteria isolated from Serra da Estrela cheese

    OpenAIRE

    Macedo, Angela C.; Tavares, Tânia G.; Malcata, F. Xavier

    2003-01-01

    Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis strain ESB110019 and Lactobacillus plantarum strain ESB5004, novel strains that were previously isolated from the wild adventitious microflora of certified Serra da Estrela cheeses, were assayed for esterase activity using, as substrates, ortho- and para-nitrophenyl derivatives of fatty acids. Both strains preferentially hydrolyzed short-chain fatty acids; L. lactis ESB110019 exhibited a stronger esterase activity than Lb. plantarum ESB5004 and cleaved the p-n...

  20. Extrinsic versus intrinsic hand muscle dominance in finger flexion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Sukaini, A; Singh, H P; Dias, J J

    2016-05-01

    This study aims to identify the patterns of dominance of extrinsic or intrinsic muscles in finger flexion during initiation of finger curl and mid-finger flexion. We recorded 82 hands of healthy individuals (18-74 years) while flexing their fingers and tracked the finger joint angles of the little finger using video motion tracking. A total of 57 hands (69.5%) were classified as extrinsic dominant, where the finger flexion was initiated and maintained at proximal interphalangeal and distal interphalangeal joints. A total of 25 (30.5%) were classified as intrinsic dominant, where the finger flexion was initiated and maintained at the metacarpophalangeal joint. The distribution of age, sex, dominance, handedness and body mass index was similar in the two groups. This knowledge may allow clinicians to develop more efficient rehabilitation regimes, since intrinsic dominant individuals would not initiate extrinsic muscle contraction till later in finger flexion, and might therefore be allowed limited early active motion. For extrinsic dominant individuals, by contrast, initial contraction of extrinsic muscles would place increased stress on the tendon repair site if early motion were permitted. © The Author(s) 2016.

  1. Filosofia da análise da estabilidade da liquidez

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rodrigo Antônio Chaves da Silva

    2005-07-01

    Full Text Available A informação foi considerada finalidade de nosso conhecimento, até o período em os pensadores e pesquisadores da contabilidade passaram a raciocinar sobre o conteúdo e o significado dos informes. Nesta busca da razão sobre os estados patrimoniais, surgiu a análise contábil que procura por meio de relações e identidades, o significado da dinâmica expressa da estaticamente na informação. O primeiro aspecto que surgiu no objeto de análise foi o estudo da liquidez, que é um dos principais exercícios do patrimônio. A estabilidade também é outro exercício básico e imprescindível, pois este é que promove o equilíbrio do organismo administrativo. A ciência contábil após a sua dignidade científica passou a trilhar caminhos esplendorosos, amparados em doutrina que permite alcançar os píncaros filosóficos. Os estudos concernentes aos aspectos de interação da estabilidade na liquidez são, complexos e somente com os recursos filosóficos da contabilidade se pode estudá-los com o panorama holístico e sublime. A filosofia da contabilidade não é alheia às suas práticas tecnológicas, podendo buscar pontos sublimes de panoramas abrangentes, para o estudo analítico da liquidez e estabilidade, observando todas as dimensionalidades e essencialidades de acontecimentos, na comprovação e orientação dos estados de ineficácia e eficácia patrimonial.

  2. From fresh heterologous oocyte donation to autologous oocyte banking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stoop, D

    2012-01-01

    Today, oocyte donation has become well established, giving rise to thousands of children born worldwide annually. The introduction of oocyte cryopreservation through vitrification allows the introduction of egg banking, improving the efficiency and comfort of oocyte donation. Moreover, the vitrification technique can now enable autologous donation of oocytes to prevent future infertility. We evaluated fresh heterologous oocyte donation in terms of obstetrical and perinatal outcome as well as of the reproductive outcome of past donors. We then evaluated the efficiency of a closed vitrification device and its clinical applications within ART. Thirdly, we evaluated the opinion of women with regard to preventive egg freezing and the efficiency of a human oocyte in relation to age. Oocyte donation is associated with an increased risk of first trimester bleeding and pregnancy induced hypertension. Donating oocytes does not seem to increase the likelihood for a later need of fertility treatment. The chance of an oocyte to result in live birth (utilization rate) in women women would consider safeguarding their reproductive potential through egg freezing or are at least open to the idea. The introduction of efficient oocyte cryopreservation has revolutionized oocyte donation through the establishment of eggbank donation. The technique also enables women to perform autologous donation after preventive oocyte storage in order to circumvent their biological clock.

  3. Effect of intramolecular photochemical cross-linking and of alkylation of 4-thiouridine in E. coli tRNAsub(l)sup(Val). On the heterologous misccharging by yeast phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kumar, S A; Krauskopf, M; Ofengand, J [Roche Inst. of Molecular Biology, Nutley, N.J. (USA)

    1973-08-01

    The ability of yeast phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase to carry out the heterologous mischarging of nine E. coli tRNAs with phenylalanine, and the presence of a common sequence in these tRNAs in the double stranded region adjacent to the dihydrouridine loop, have led to the proposal (by Dudock) that this region of the tRNA is involved in recognition by the yeast enzyme. The validity of this hypothesis has now been examined by chemical modification of the region in question using as a test tRNA, E. coli tRNA/sub 1/sup( val). Photochemical cross-linking of /sup 4/S(8) and C(13) by irradiation at 335 nm led to a complete loss of the ability of yeast phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase to functionally recognize tRNA/sub 1/sup( val) and the rate of cross-linking was correlated with the rate of loss of activity when appropriate assay conditions were used. Cross-linking had no effect on the recognition by the homologous E. coli valyl-tRNA synthetase (EC 6.1.1.9). Similarly, S-alkylation of the /sup 4/S(8) residue with iodoacetamide at pH 9 yielded the uridine-4-thio(2-acetamide) derivative of tRNA with no loss of homologous recognition but with complete loss of heterologous charging activity. These results provide evidence that at least part of the yeast phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase recognition site is located in the region of the tRNA proposed by Dudock, and, as a corollary, show that the E. coli valyl-tRNA synthetase recognition site(s) must be elsewhere in the molecule.

  4. Lesion-induced pseudo-dominance at functional magnetic resonance imaging: implications for preoperative assessments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ulmer, John L; Hacein-Bey, Lotfi; Mathews, Vincent P; Mueller, Wade M; DeYoe, Edgar A; Prost, Robert W; Meyer, Glenn A; Krouwer, Hendrikus G; Schmainda, Kathleen M

    2004-09-01

    To illustrate how lesion-induced neurovascular uncoupling at functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) can mimic hemispheric dominance opposite the side of a lesion preoperatively. We retrospectively reviewed preoperative fMRI mapping data from 50 patients with focal brain abnormalities to establish patterns of hemispheric dominance of language, speech, visual, or motor system functions. Abnormalities included gliomas (31 patients), arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) (11 patients), other congenital lesions (4 patients), encephalomalacia (3 patients), and tumefactive encephalitis (1 patient). A laterality ratio of fMRI hemispheric dominance was compared with actual hemispheric dominance as verified by electrocortical stimulation, Wada testing, postoperative and posttreatment deficits, and/or lesion-induced deficits. fMRI activation maps were generated with cross-correlation (P frontal gyrus gliomas and in one patient with focal tumefactive meningoencephalitis, fMRI incorrectly suggested strong right hemispheric speech dominance. In two patients with lateral precentral gyrus region gliomas and one patient with a left central sulcus AVM, the fMRI pattern incorrectly suggested primary corticobulbar motor dominance contralateral to the side of the lesion. In a patient with a right superior frontal gyrus AVM, fMRI revealed pronounced left dominant supplementary motor area activity in response to a bilateral complex motor task, but right superior frontal gyrus perilesional hemorrhage and edema subsequently caused left upper-extremity plegia. Pathophysiological factors that might have caused neurovascular uncoupling and facilitated pseudo-dominance at fMRI in these patients included direct tumor infiltration, neovascularity, cerebrovascular inflammation, and AVM-induced hemodynamic effects. Sixteen patients had proven (1 patient), probable (2 patients), or possible (13 patients) but unproven lesion-induced homotopic cortical reorganization. Lesion-induced neurovascular

  5. Influência do fumo na atividade da amilase salivar e na curva glicêmica Influence of smoking on salivary amylase activity and glycemic curve

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patricia Moriel

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Determinar a atividade da amilase salivar e a relação com a glicemia, antes e após a ingestão de carboidratos em fumantes e não fumantes, uma vez que in vitro a exposição da saliva à fumaça do cigarro induz à redução da atividade da amilase salivar e poderia influenciar na absorção dos carboidratos da dieta. MÉTODOS: Foram avaliados voluntários fumantes (n=10 e não fumantes (n=10. Realizou-se coletas da saliva antes e após o fumo e determinou-se a glicemia antes e após a ingestão de 72g de carboidratos. Para glicemia usaram-se tempos de 0, 15, 30, 60, 120 minutos. A determinação da atividade da amilase salivar foi realizada por meio de kits comerciais. A glicemia foi determinada utilizando o aparelho Glicomiter (Accu-Chek-Roche. As análises estatísticas foram realizadas no software Sigmastat, utilizou-se o método Teste t pareado (pOBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine salivary amylase activity and its relationship with glycemia before and after smokers and nonsmokers ingested carbohydrates. Since cigarette smoke reduces salivary amylase activity in vitro, it may affect dietary carbohydrate absorption. METHODS: Twenty volunteers participated in this study, 10 smokers and 10 nonsmokers. Samples of saliva were collected before and after the smokers had a cigarette and glycemia was determined before and after the ingestion of 72g of carbohydrates. Glycemia was measured 0, 15, 30, 60 and 120 minutes after carbohydrate intake. Salivary amylase activity was determined by commercial kits. Glycemia was determined by a glucometer (Accu-Chek-Roche. The paired t-test was used for the statistical analyses, done by the software Sigmastat, with p<0.05. RESULTS: Glycemia 15, 30, 60 and 90 minutes after carbohydrate intake rose 3.9%, 11.9%, 34.8% and 22.7% in nonsmokers and 4.9%, 6.5%, 13.8% and 9.7% in smokers, respectively. The peak glucose absorption in nonsmokers was 21.0% greater than in smokers. Salivary

  6. Aneurisma gigante do segmento intracavernoso da carótida interna associado a doença renal policística autossômica dominante: relato de caso Giant aneurysm of the intracavernous internal carotid artery associated with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease: case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Keven F. Ponte

    2006-09-01

    Full Text Available Apresenta-se o caso de mulher de 60 anos com doença renal policística autossômica dominante (DRPAD que desenvolveu quadro de cefaléia e oftalmoplegia completa à direita. A TC levantou a hipótese de um aneurisma gigante do segmento intracavernoso da carótida interna direita, o que foi confirmado pela arteriografia. Realizou-se, então, tratamento endovascular por oclusão do vaso parental com molas destacáveis no segmento supraclinóideo. A paciente evoluiu com a interrupção da cefaléia e com redução parcial da ptose e da oftalmoplegia. Neste artigo, enfatiza-se a relação entre DRPAD e aneurismas intracranianos. Comenta-se a história natural dos aneurismas originados no segmento intracavernoso da artéria carótida interna e comparam-se as opções terapêuticas no manejo destas lesões.We report the case of a 60 years-old woman with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD that presented with headache and right complete ophthalmoplegia. The CT scan raised the possibility of a giant aneurysm of the right intracavernous internal carotid artery, confirmed by angiography. The patient underwent endovascular occlusion of parent vessel with detachable coils, then she presented interruption of headache and partial recovery of ptosis and ophthalmoplegia. We emphasize the relationship between ADPKD and intracranial aneurysms. We also discuss the natural history and compare the therapeutic options for the management of giant aneurysms of the cavernous portion of the carotid artery.

  7. Força de preensão palmar e pinça digital em diferentes grupos de pilotos da Academia da Força Aérea brasileira Grip and pinch strength among different groups of Brazilian Air Force pilots

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gláucia Helena Gonçalves

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Pilotos da Academia de Força Aérea (AFA brasileira, durante vôos, realizam movimentos com grande solicitação da musculatura da mão que comanda o manche, o que pode modificar a força muscular. Este estudo teve por objetivo analisar as forças musculares isométricas de preensão palmar e pinças polpa-a-polpa, trípode e lateral de três grupos de pilotos da AFA. Foram avaliados 15 pilotos da Esquadrilha da Fumaça (EDA, 16 instrutores de vôo (PI e 6 pilotos em treinamento (PT, todos do sexo masculino. Para a avaliação, o posicionamento corporal dos pilotos seguiu a padronização da Sociedade Americana de Terapeutas da Mão e a ordem dos movimentos analisados foi predefinida, evitando fadiga muscular. A força muscular isométrica máxima foi coletada em uma contração sustentada por 6 segundos. Os resultados mostram diferenças significativas na preensão, com superioridade das mãos dominantes em relação às não-dominantes em todos os grupos, tendo ainda o grupo EDA obtido valores significativamente superiores em relação aos demais. Nas medidas da pinça trípode, o grupo EDA apresentou significativos valores superiores aos do grupo PT, sendo encontrados valores das mãos dominantes superiores aos das não-dominantes nos grupos EDA e PI. Conclui-se que o treino específico da musculatura da mão durante o vôo, a especificidade e o período de treinamento interferem na força muscular isométrica da mão.Pilots from Brazilian Air Force Academy (AFA perform strentgth- and accuracy-demanding hand movements, which may modify muscle strength. The aim of this study was to analyse hand isometric strength of grip and pulp-to-pulp, tripode and lateral pinch in three groups of male AFA pilots: ADS (Air Demonstration Squadron, n=15; IP (instructor pilots, n=16; and TP (training pilots, n=6. Pilots body positioning during tests followed the standards of the American Society of Hand Therapists; the sequence of assessed movements was

  8. Conjecturas da Epistemológia Jurídica e Aspectos da Teoria da Linguagem

    OpenAIRE

    Oliveira, Rita de Cássia Cartelli de; Cesumar; Motta, Ivan Dias; Cesumar

    2008-01-01

    Apresentar-se-ão reflexões em torno da epistemologia jurídica e alguns aspectos da teoria da linguagem; a necessidade de acompanhamento e aprimoramento da linguagem jurídica, para que o direito não se distancie da realidade, mantendo-se apenas como um sistema do status quo; uma breve análise de algumas teorias da ciência do direito e da linguagem; as especificidades dos termos lingüísticos para a análise da ciência do direito, pautada na contemporaneidade sob a perspectiva humanista, buscando...

  9. Prior infection of chickens with H1N1 or H1N2 avian influenza elicits partial heterologous protection against highly pathogenic H5N1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nfon, Charles; Berhane, Yohannes; Pasick, John; Embury-Hyatt, Carissa; Kobinger, Gary; Kobasa, Darwyn; Babiuk, Shawn

    2012-01-01

    There is a critical need to have vaccines that can protect against emerging pandemic influenza viruses. Commonly used influenza vaccines are killed whole virus that protect against homologous and not heterologous virus. Using chickens we have explored the possibility of using live low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) A/goose/AB/223/2005 H1N1 or A/WBS/MB/325/2006 H1N2 to induce immunity against heterologous highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A/chicken/Vietnam/14/2005 H5N1. H1N1 and H1N2 replicated in chickens but did not cause clinical disease. Following infection, chickens developed nucleoprotein and H1 specific antibodies, and reduced H5N1 plaque size in vitro in the absence of H5 neutralizing antibodies at 21 days post infection (DPI). In addition, heterologous cell mediated immunity (CMI) was demonstrated by antigen-specific proliferation and IFN-γ secretion in PBMCs re-stimulated with H5N1 antigen. Following H5N1 challenge of both pre-infected and naïve controls chickens housed together, all naïve chickens developed acute disease and died while H1N1 or H1N2 pre-infected chickens had reduced clinical disease and 70-80% survived. H1N1 or H1N2 pre-infected chickens were also challenged with H5N1 and naïve chickens placed in the same room one day later. All pre-infected birds were protected from H5N1 challenge but shed infectious virus to naïve contact chickens. However, disease onset, severity and mortality was reduced and delayed in the naïve contacts compared to directly inoculated naïve controls. These results indicate that prior infection with LPAI virus can generate heterologous protection against HPAI H5N1 in the absence of specific H5 antibody.

  10. Prior infection of chickens with H1N1 or H1N2 avian influenza elicits partial heterologous protection against highly pathogenic H5N1.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Charles Nfon

    Full Text Available There is a critical need to have vaccines that can protect against emerging pandemic influenza viruses. Commonly used influenza vaccines are killed whole virus that protect against homologous and not heterologous virus. Using chickens we have explored the possibility of using live low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI A/goose/AB/223/2005 H1N1 or A/WBS/MB/325/2006 H1N2 to induce immunity against heterologous highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI A/chicken/Vietnam/14/2005 H5N1. H1N1 and H1N2 replicated in chickens but did not cause clinical disease. Following infection, chickens developed nucleoprotein and H1 specific antibodies, and reduced H5N1 plaque size in vitro in the absence of H5 neutralizing antibodies at 21 days post infection (DPI. In addition, heterologous cell mediated immunity (CMI was demonstrated by antigen-specific proliferation and IFN-γ secretion in PBMCs re-stimulated with H5N1 antigen. Following H5N1 challenge of both pre-infected and naïve controls chickens housed together, all naïve chickens developed acute disease and died while H1N1 or H1N2 pre-infected chickens had reduced clinical disease and 70-80% survived. H1N1 or H1N2 pre-infected chickens were also challenged with H5N1 and naïve chickens placed in the same room one day later. All pre-infected birds were protected from H5N1 challenge but shed infectious virus to naïve contact chickens. However, disease onset, severity and mortality was reduced and delayed in the naïve contacts compared to directly inoculated naïve controls. These results indicate that prior infection with LPAI virus can generate heterologous protection against HPAI H5N1 in the absence of specific H5 antibody.

  11. Comparative study of antibacterial and antifugal activity of callus culture and adult plants extracts from Alternanthera maritima (Amaranthaceae Estudo comparativo da atividade antibacteriana e antifúngica de extratos obtidos da cultura de calos e da planta adulta de Alternanthera maritima (Amaranthaceae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcos J. Salvador

    2004-06-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial and antifungal activity of callus culture (two different hormonal combination culture medium and adult plants (two collect extracts from Alternanthera maritima (Amaranthaceae investigating the maintenance of antimicrobial activity in vivo and in vitro. The antibacterial and antifungal activity was determined by the agar-well diffusion method against thirty strains of microorganisms including Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, yeasts and dermatophytes. All the organic crude extracts studied were bioactive. Extracts of aerial parts and roots of adult plants collected during the same period of years of 1995 and 1998 (Restinga de Maricá (RJ, collect 1 and 2 inhibited the growth of several microorganisms (bacteria, yeasts and dermatophytes with inhibition halo between 6 and 20 mm. Plant cell callus culture extracts obtained from two culture conditions were also bioactive. Thus, the positive results suggest that the A. maritima extracts should be further studied to determine the bioactive chemical compounds as well as to understand the possible mechanisms of action and evaluate their toxicity looking toward a pharmaceutical employment.Neste estudo procedeu-se a avaliação da atividade antibacteriana e antifúngica dos extratos brutos de Alternanthera maritima (Amaranthaceae planta in natura de duas coletas distintas e obtidos por cultura de células buscando-se averiguar a manutenção da atividade antimicrobiana dos extratos obtidos da planta in vivo e in vitro. A ação antibacteriana e antifúngica foi determinada pelo método de difusão em ágar (técnica do poço utilizando-se trinta cepas de microrganismos indicadores (bactérias Gram-positivas e Gram-negativas, leveduras e dermatófitos. Todos os extratos obtidos com solventes orgânicos avaliados apresentaram-se bioativos com halos de inibição de 6 a 20 mm. Os extratos da planta in natura das duas coletas (Restinga de Marica

  12. Immunization with Pre-Erythrocytic Antigen CelTOS from Plasmodium falciparum Elicits Cross-Species Protection against Heterologous Challenge with Plasmodium berghei

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-08-01

    or the early liver-stages of the mammalian life cycle . One of these antigens is the cell-traversal protein for ookinetes and sporozoites (CelTOS...Immunization with Pre-Erythrocytic Antigen CelTOS from Plasmodium falciparum Elicits Cross-Species Protection against Heterologous Challenge with... Plasmodium berghei Elke S. Bergmann-Leitner1*, Ryan M. Mease1, Patricia De La Vega1, Tatyana Savranskaya2, Mark Polhemus1, Christian Ockenhouse1, Evelina

  13. Pharmacological profile of DA-6886, a novel 5-HT4 receptor agonist to accelerate colonic motor activity in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Min Jung; Cho, Kang Hun; Park, Hyun Min; Sung, Hyun Jung; Choi, Sunghak; Im, Weonbin

    2014-07-15

    DA-6886, the gastrointestinal prokinetic benzamide derivative is a novel 5-HT4 receptor agonist being developed for the treatment of constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C). The purpose of this study was to characterize in vitro and in vivo pharmacological profile of DA-6886. We used various receptor binding assay, cAMP accumulation assay, organ bath experiment and colonic transit assay in normal and chemically constipated mice. DA-6886 exhibited high affinity and selectivity to human 5-HT4 receptor splice variants, with mean pKi of 7.1, 7.5, 7.9 for the human 5-HT4a, 5-HT4b and 5-HT4d, respectively. By contrast, DA-6886 did not show significant affinity for several receptors including dopamine D2 receptor, other 5-HT receptors except for 5-HT2B receptor (pKi value of 6.2). The affinity for 5-HT4 receptor was translated into functional agonist activity in Cos-7 cells expressing 5-HT4 receptor splice variants. Furthermore, DA-6886 induced relaxation of the rat oesophagus preparation (pEC50 value of 7.4) in a 5-HT4 receptor antagonist-sensitive manner. The evaluation of DA-6886 in CHO cells expressing hERG channels revealed that it inhibited hERG channel current with an pIC50 value of 4.3, indicating that the compound was 1000-fold more selective for the 5-HT4 receptor over hERG channels. In the normal ICR mice, oral administration of DA-6886 (0.4 and 2mg/kg) resulted in marked stimulation of colonic transit. Furthermore, in the loperamide-induced constipation mouse model, 2mg/kg of DA-6886 significantly improved the delay of colonic transit, similar to 10mg/kg of tegaserod. Taken together, DA-6886 is a highly potent and selective 5-HT4 receptor agonist to accelerate colonic transit in mice, which might be therapeutic agent having a favorable safety profile in the treatment of gastrointestinal motor disorders such as IBS-C and chronic constipation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Heterología. La ciencia (imposible de los residuos violentos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergio Tonkonoft

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available EI presente trabajo busca mostrar que en la obra de Bataille existe una teoría social general, articulada en torno a la noción de lo sagrado. Nuestra hipótesis es que Bataille profundizó y generalizó d movimiento iniciado por Durkheim, quien postula la sintaxis de lo sagrado arcaico como la parte fundamental de la gramática social, pero interpretando este legado a la luz del concepto de multitud, entendido como el otro nombre de la economía general de las pasiones colectivas. Para dlo, se sirvió de dementos deI psicoanálisis y la fenomenología alemana, produciendo la teoría original dd lazo social, su estructuración y sus dinâmicas, con las que reformuló la idea durkheimniana de lo sagrado y procedió a analizar los malestares de su época. Dada la antropología trágica que enmarcó esta empresa intelectual, resultó de ello la teoría social transgredida o imposible que lleva eI nombre de heterología.

  15. Resolution of two native monomeric 90 kDa nitrate reductase active proteins from Shewanella gelidimarina and the sequence of two napA genes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simpson, Philippa J.L.; McKinzie, Audra A.; Codd, Rachel

    2010-01-01

    Research highlights: → Two monomeric 90 kDa nitrate reductase active proteins from Shewanella gelidimarina. → Sequence of napA from napEDABC-type operon and napA from NapDAGHB-type operon. → Isolation of NAP as NapA or NapAB correlated with NapA P47E amino acid substitution. -- Abstract: The reduction of nitrate to nitrite in the bacterial periplasm occurs in the 90 kDa NapA subunit of the periplasmic nitrate reductase (NAP) system. Most Shewanella genomes contain two nap operons: napEDABC and napDAGHB, which is an unusual feature of this genus. Two native, monomeric, 90 kDa nitrate reductase active proteins were resolved by hydrophobic interaction chromatography from aerobic cultures of Shewanella gelidimarina replete with reduced nitrogen compounds. The 90 kDa protein obtained in higher yield was characterized as NapA by electronic absorption and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopies and was identified by LC/MS/MS and MALDI-TOF/TOF MS as NapA from the napEDABC-type operon. The other 90 kDa protein, which was unstable and produced in low yields, was posited as NapA from the napDAGHB-type operon. Two napA genes have been sequenced from the napEDABC-type and napDAGHB-type operons of S. gelidimarina. Native NAP from S. putrefaciens was resolved as one NapA monomer and one NapAB heterodimer. Two amino acid substitutions in NapA correlated with the isolation of NAP as a NapA monomer or a NapAB heterodimer. The resolution of native, redox-active NapA isoforms in Shewanella provides new insight into the respiratory versatility of this genus, which has implications in bioremediation and the assembly of microbial fuel cells.

  16. Heterologous Expression in Remodeled C. elegans: A Platform for Monoaminergic Agonist Identification and Anthelmintic Screening.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Law, Wenjing; Wuescher, Leah M; Ortega, Amanda; Hapiak, Vera M; Komuniecki, Patricia R; Komuniecki, Richard

    2015-04-01

    Monoamines, such as 5-HT and tyramine (TA), paralyze both free-living and parasitic nematodes when applied exogenously and serotonergic agonists have been used to clear Haemonchus contortus infections in vivo. Since nematode cell lines are not available and animal screening options are limited, we have developed a screening platform to identify monoamine receptor agonists. Key receptors were expressed heterologously in chimeric, genetically-engineered Caenorhabditis elegans, at sites likely to yield robust phenotypes upon agonist stimulation. This approach potentially preserves the unique pharmacologies of the receptors, while including nematode-specific accessory proteins and the nematode cuticle. Importantly, the sensitivity of monoamine-dependent paralysis could be increased dramatically by hypotonic incubation or the use of bus mutants with increased cuticular permeabilities. We have demonstrated that the monoamine-dependent inhibition of key interneurons, cholinergic motor neurons or body wall muscle inhibited locomotion and caused paralysis. Specifically, 5-HT paralyzed C. elegans 5-HT receptor null animals expressing either nematode, insect or human orthologues of a key Gαo-coupled 5-HT1-like receptor in the cholinergic motor neurons. Importantly, 8-OH-DPAT and PAPP, 5-HT receptor agonists, differentially paralyzed the transgenic animals, with 8-OH-DPAT paralyzing mutant animals expressing the human receptor at concentrations well below those affecting its C. elegans or insect orthologues. Similarly, 5-HT and TA paralyzed C. elegans 5-HT or TA receptor null animals, respectively, expressing either C. elegans or H. contortus 5-HT or TA-gated Cl- channels in either C. elegans cholinergic motor neurons or body wall muscles. Together, these data suggest that this heterologous, ectopic expression screening approach will be useful for the identification of agonists for key monoamine receptors from parasites and could have broad application for the identification

  17. The Role of Heterologous Chloroplast Sequence Elements in Transgene Integration and Expression1[W][OA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruhlman, Tracey; Verma, Dheeraj; Samson, Nalapalli; Daniell, Henry

    2010-01-01

    Heterologous regulatory elements and flanking sequences have been used in chloroplast transformation of several crop species, but their roles and mechanisms have not yet been investigated. Nucleotide sequence identity in the photosystem II protein D1 (psbA) upstream region is 59% across all taxa; similar variation was consistent across all genes and taxa examined. Secondary structure and predicted Gibbs free energy values of the psbA 5′ untranslated region (UTR) among different families reflected this variation. Therefore, chloroplast transformation vectors were made for tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa), with endogenous (Nt-Nt, Ls-Ls) or heterologous (Nt-Ls, Ls-Nt) psbA promoter, 5′ UTR and 3′ UTR, regulating expression of the anthrax protective antigen (PA) or human proinsulin (Pins) fused with the cholera toxin B-subunit (CTB). Unique lettuce flanking sequences were completely eliminated during homologous recombination in the transplastomic tobacco genomes but not unique tobacco sequences. Nt-Ls or Ls-Nt transplastomic lines showed reduction of 80% PA and 97% CTB-Pins expression when compared with endogenous psbA regulatory elements, which accumulated up to 29.6% total soluble protein PA and 72.0% total leaf protein CTB-Pins, 2-fold higher than Rubisco. Transgene transcripts were reduced by 84% in Ls-Nt-CTB-Pins and by 72% in Nt-Ls-PA lines. Transcripts containing endogenous 5′ UTR were stabilized in nonpolysomal fractions. Stromal RNA-binding proteins were preferentially associated with endogenous psbA 5′ UTR. A rapid and reproducible regeneration system was developed for lettuce commercial cultivars by optimizing plant growth regulators. These findings underscore the need for sequencing complete crop chloroplast genomes, utilization of endogenous regulatory elements and flanking sequences, as well as optimization of plant growth regulators for efficient chloroplast transformation. PMID:20130101

  18. Heterologous Expression in Remodeled C. elegans: A Platform for Monoaminergic Agonist Identification and Anthelmintic Screening.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wenjing Law

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Monoamines, such as 5-HT and tyramine (TA, paralyze both free-living and parasitic nematodes when applied exogenously and serotonergic agonists have been used to clear Haemonchus contortus infections in vivo. Since nematode cell lines are not available and animal screening options are limited, we have developed a screening platform to identify monoamine receptor agonists. Key receptors were expressed heterologously in chimeric, genetically-engineered Caenorhabditis elegans, at sites likely to yield robust phenotypes upon agonist stimulation. This approach potentially preserves the unique pharmacologies of the receptors, while including nematode-specific accessory proteins and the nematode cuticle. Importantly, the sensitivity of monoamine-dependent paralysis could be increased dramatically by hypotonic incubation or the use of bus mutants with increased cuticular permeabilities. We have demonstrated that the monoamine-dependent inhibition of key interneurons, cholinergic motor neurons or body wall muscle inhibited locomotion and caused paralysis. Specifically, 5-HT paralyzed C. elegans 5-HT receptor null animals expressing either nematode, insect or human orthologues of a key Gαo-coupled 5-HT1-like receptor in the cholinergic motor neurons. Importantly, 8-OH-DPAT and PAPP, 5-HT receptor agonists, differentially paralyzed the transgenic animals, with 8-OH-DPAT paralyzing mutant animals expressing the human receptor at concentrations well below those affecting its C. elegans or insect orthologues. Similarly, 5-HT and TA paralyzed C. elegans 5-HT or TA receptor null animals, respectively, expressing either C. elegans or H. contortus 5-HT or TA-gated Cl- channels in either C. elegans cholinergic motor neurons or body wall muscles. Together, these data suggest that this heterologous, ectopic expression screening approach will be useful for the identification of agonists for key monoamine receptors from parasites and could have broad application for

  19. Neural correlates of hemispheric dominance and ipsilaterality within the vestibular system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janzen, J; Schlindwein, P; Bense, S; Bauermann, T; Vucurevic, G; Stoeter, P; Dieterich, M

    2008-10-01

    Earlier functional imaging studies on the processing of vestibular information mainly focused on cortical activations due to stimulation of the horizontal semicircular canals in right-handers. Two factors were found to determine its processing in the temporo-parietal cortex: a dominance of the non-dominant hemisphere and an ipsilaterality of the neural pathways. In an investigation of the role of these factors in the vestibular otoliths, we used vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) in a fMRI study of monaural saccular-otolith stimulation. Our aim was to (1) analyze the hemispheric dominance for saccular-otolith information in healthy left-handers, (2) determine if there is a predominance of the ipsilateral saccular-otolith projection, and (3) evaluate the impact of both factors on the temporo-parieto-insular activation pattern. A block design with three stimulation and rest conditions was applied: (1) 102 dB-VEMP stimulation; (2) 65 dB-control-acoustic stimulation, (3) 102 dB-white-noise-control stimulation. After subtraction of acoustic side effects, bilateral activations were found in the posterior insula, the superior/middle/transverse temporal gyri, and the inferior parietal lobule. The distribution of the saccular-otolith activations was influenced by the two factors but with topographic disparity: whereas the inferior parts of the temporo-parietal cortex were mainly influenced by the ipsilaterality of the pathways, the upper parts reflected the dominance of the non-dominant hemisphere. This is in contrast to the processing of acoustic stimulation, which showed a predominance of the contralateral pathways. Our study proves the importance of the hemispheric preponderance also in left-handers, which is of relevance in the superior parts of the insula gyrus V, the inferior parietal lobule, and the superior temporal gyri.

  20. Generalized Power Domination

    OpenAIRE

    Omerzel, Aleš

    2014-01-01

    The power domination problem is an optimization problem that has emerged together with the development of the power networks. It is important to control the voltage and current in all the nodes and links in a power network. Measuring devices are expensive, which is why there is a tendency to place a minimum number of devices in a power network so that the network remains fully supervised. The k-power domination is a generalization of the power domination. The thesis represents the rules of th...

  1. Authoritarianism, dominance and assertiveness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ray, J J

    1981-08-01

    It is shown that there are definitions of the three constructs of authoritarianism, dominance and assertiveness which read very similarly; so much so that no distinction is immediately evident. It is proposed that authoritarianism might be conceived as aggressive dominance and at least some types of assertiveness as nonaggressive dominance. A new scale of Dominance suitable for general population use was produced, and compared with the existing Ray (1976) behavior inventory of authoritarianism. Both scales showed highly significant correlations with peer rated dominance and submission (the latter being negative in sign) but only the authoritarianism scale showed significant correlations with rated aggressiveness and rigidity. It was concluded that the new definitions could be operationalized into valid scales.

  2. Hypothalamic digoxin, hemispheric chemical dominance, and peptic ulcer disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurup, Ravi Kumar; Kurup, Parameswara Achutha

    2003-10-01

    The isoprenoid pathway produces three key metabolites--endogenous digoxin-like factor (EDLF) (membrane sodium-potassium ATPase inhibitor and regulator of neurotransmitter transport), ubiquinone (free radical scavenger), and dolichol (regulator of glycoconjugate metabolism). The pathway was assessed in peptic ulcer and acid peptic disease and its relation to hemispheric dominance studied. The activity of HMG CoA reductase, serum levels of EDLF, magnesium, tryptophan catabolites, and tyrosine catabolites were measured in acid peptic disease, right hemispheric dominant, left hemispheric dominant, and bihemispheric dominant individuals. All the patients with peptic ulcer disease were right-handed/left hemispheric dominant by the dichotic listening test. The pathway was upregulated with increased EDLF synthesis in peptic ulcer disease (PUD). There was increase in tryptophan catabolites and reduction in tyrosine catabolites in these patients. The ubiquinone levels were low and free radical production increased. Dolichol and glycoconjugate levels were increased and lysosomal stability reduced in patients with acid peptic disease (APD). There was increase in cholesterol:phospholipid ratio with decreased glyco conjugate levels in membranes of patients with PUD. Acid peptic disease represents an elevated EDLF state which can modulate gastric acid secretion and the structure of the gastric mucous barrier. It can also lead to persistence of Helicobacter pylori infection. The biochemical pattern obtained in peptic ulcer disease is similar to those obtained in left-handed/right hemispheric chemically dominant individuals. But all the patients with peptic ulcer disease were right-handed/left hemispheric dominant by the dichotic listen ing test. Hemispheric chemical dominance has no correlation with handedness or the dichotic listening test. Peptic ulcer disease occurs in right hemispheric chemically dominant individuals and is a reflection of altered brain function.

  3. Dominance in domestic dogs

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Borg, Van Der J.A.M.; Schilder, M.B.H.; Vinke, C.M.; Vries, De Han; Petit, Odile

    2015-01-01

    A dominance hierarchy is an important feature of the social organisation of group living animals. Although formal and/or agonistic dominance has been found in captive wolves and free-ranging dogs, applicability of the dominance concept in domestic dogs is highly debated, and quantitative data are

  4. Heterologous expression of a truncated form of human recombinant vascular endothelial growth factor-A and its biological activity in wound healing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khaki, Mohsen; Salmanian, Ali Hatef; Mosayebi, Ghasem; Baazm, Maryam; Babaei, Saeed; Molaee, Neda; Abtahi, Hamid

    2017-07-01

    Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is one of the most effective proteins in angiogenesis, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) differentiation and wound healing. These abilities are therapeutic potential of VEGF in diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy and other tissue damage circumstances. In this study, recombinant VEGF was produced in Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) system and then biological activity of this protein was evaluated in animal wound healing. E. coli BL21 (DE3) competent cells were transformed with pET32a-VEGF clone and induced by isopropyl-β-D-thio-galactoside (IPTG). The recombinant protein was purified by affinity chromatography. Recombinant VEGF-A-based ointment (VEGF/Vaseline 0.8 mg/100 w/w) was used for external wound (25×15mm thickness) healing in animal model. In vivo activity of ointment was evaluated by clinical evidences and cytological microscopic assessment. The recombinant protein with molecular weight of 45 kilodaltons (kDa) and concentration of 0.8 mg/ml was produced. Immunoblotting data showed that the antigenic region of VEGF can be expressed in E. coli and the recombinant protein has similar epitopes with close antigenic properties to the natural form. Macroscopic findings and microscopic data showed that the recombinant VEGF-A ointment was effective on excisional wound healing. Recombinant VEGF-A produced by pET32a in E. coli , possesses acceptable structure and has wound healing capability.

  5. Overexpressing 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGR in the lactococcal mevalonate pathway for heterologous plant sesquiterpene production.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adelene Ai-Lian Song

    Full Text Available Isoprenoids are a large and diverse group of metabolites with interesting properties such as flavour, fragrance and therapeutic properties. They are produced via two pathways, the mevalonate pathway or the 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol-4-phosphate (MEP pathway. While plants are the richest source of isoprenoids, they are not the most efficient producers. Escherichia coli and yeasts have been extensively studied as heterologous hosts for plant isoprenoids production. In the current study, we describe the usage of the food grade Lactococcus lactis as a potential heterologous host for the production of sesquiterpenes from a local herbaceous Malaysian plant, Persicaria minor (synonym Polygonum minus. A sesquiterpene synthase gene from P. minor was successfully cloned and expressed in L. lactis. The expressed protein was identified to be a β-sesquiphellandrene synthase as it was demonstrated to be functional in producing β-sesquiphellandrene at 85.4% of the total sesquiterpenes produced based on in vitro enzymatic assays. The recombinant L. lactis strain developed in this study was also capable of producing β-sesquiphellandrene in vivo without exogenous substrates supplementation. In addition, overexpression of the strain's endogenous 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme-A reductase (HMGR, an established rate-limiting enzyme in the eukaryotic mevalonate pathway, increased the production level of β-sesquiphellandrene by 1.25-1.60 fold. The highest amount achieved was 33 nM at 2 h post-induction.

  6. Total well dominated trees

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Finbow, Arthur; Frendrup, Allan; Vestergaard, Preben D.

    cardinality then G is a total well dominated graph. In this paper we study composition and decomposition of total well dominated trees. By a reversible process we prove that any total well dominated tree can both be reduced to and constructed from a family of three small trees....

  7. Hypothalamic digoxin, hemispheric chemical dominance, and interstitial lung disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurup, Ravi Kumar; Kurup, Parameswara Achutha

    2003-10-01

    The isoprenoid pathway produces three key metabolites--endogenous digoxin, dolichol, and ubiquinone. This was assessed in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and in individuals of differing hemispheric dominance to find out the role of hemispheric dominance in the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. All 15 cases of interstitial lung disease were right-handed/left hemispheric dominant by the dichotic listening test. The isoprenoidal metabolites--digoxin, dolichol, and ubiquinone, RBC membrane Na(+)-K+ ATPase activity, serum magnesium, tyrosine/tryptophan catabolic patterns, free radical metabolism, glycoconjugate metabolism, and RBC membrane composition--were assessed in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis as well as in individuals with differing hemispheric dominance. In patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis there was elevated digoxin synthesis, increased dolichol and glycoconjugate levels, and low ubiquinone and elevated free radical levels. There was also an increase in tryptophan catabolites and a reduction in tyrosine catabolites. There was an increase in cholesterol phospholipid ratio and a reduction in glycoconjugate level of RBC membrane in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Isoprenoid pathway dysfunction con tributes to the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The biochemical patterns obtained in interstitial lung disease are similar to those obtained in left-handed/right hemispheric chemically dominant individuals by the dichotic listening test. However, all the patients with interstitial lung disease were right-handed/left hemispheric dominant by the dichotic listening test. Hemispheric chemical dominance has no correlation with handedness or the dichotic listening test. Interstitial lung disease occurs in right hemispheric chemically dominant individuals and is a reflection of altered brain function.

  8. Recombinant β-1,3-1,4-glucanase from Theobroma cacao impairs Moniliophthora perniciosa mycelial growth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Britto, Dahyana Santos; Pirovani, Carlos Priminho; Andrade, Bruno Silva; Dos Santos, Tassiara Pereira; Pungartnik, Cristina; Cascardo, Júlio Cezar M; Micheli, Fabienne; Gesteira, Abelmon S

    2013-09-01

    In this work, we identified a gene from Theobroma cacao L. genome and cDNA libraries, named TcGlu2, that encodes a β-1,3-1,4-glucanase. The TcGlu2 ORF was 720 bp in length and encoded a polypeptide of 239 amino acids with a molecular mass of 25.58 kDa. TcGlu2 contains a conserved domain characteristic of β-1,3-1,4-glucanases and presented high protein identity with β-1,3-1,4-glucanases from other plant species. Molecular modeling of TcGlu2 showed an active site of 13 amino acids typical of glucanase with β-1,3 and 1,4 action mode. The recombinant cDNA TcGlu2 obtained by heterologous expression in Escherichia coli and whose sequence was confirmed by mass spectrometry, has a molecular mass of about 22 kDa (with His-Tag) and showed antifungal activity against the fungus Moniliophthora perniciosa, causal agent of the witches' broom disease in cacao. The integrity of the hyphae membranes of M. perniciosa, incubated with protein TcGlu2, was analyzed with propidium iodide. After 1 h of incubation, a strong fluorescence emitted by the hyphae indicating the hydrolysis of the membrane by TcGlu2, was observed. To our knowledge, this is the first study of a cacao β-1,3-1,4-glucanase expression in heterologous system and the first analysis showing the antifungal activity of a β-1,3-1,4-glucanase, in particular against M. perniciosa.

  9. Avaliação da inibição da acetilcolinesterase por extratos de plantas medicinais Evaluation of acetylcholinesterase inhibition by extracts from medicinal plants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    W.M. Mota

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Neste trabalho foi avaliada a atividade inibitória da acetilcolinesterase (AChE pelo método de Ellman, modificado por Rhee, de extratos aquosos e etanólicos de oito plantas utilizadas na medicina popular da região Nordeste do Brasil. O extrato aquoso de E. velutina não apresentou atividade inibitória enquanto o extrato aquoso de Maytenus rigida apresentou baixa atividade inibitória (percentual de inibição de 4%. Detectou-se atividade inibitória moderada com o extrato aquoso de P. piperoides (percentual de inibição de 40 %, enquanto o extrato de V. agnus-castus L. inibiu 74% da atividade da AChE, caracterizando-se como potente atividade inibitória. A avaliação da inibição da AChE com os extratos etanólicos demonstrou que os extratos de Sideroxylon obtusifolium, Erythrina velutina, Vitex agnus-castus, Phoradendron piperoides, Chrysobalanus icaco, Bauhinia cheilantha e Orbignya phalerata não apresentaram atividade inibitória. Baixa atividade inibitória foi observada com os extratos etanólicos de Maytenus rigida (percentual de inibição de 7% e de Hyptis fruticosa (percentual de inibição de 11%. O extrato etanólico de Moringa oleifera apresentou atividade inibitória moderada, inibindo 47% da atividade dessa enzima. Nenhum dos extratos etanólicos testados apresentou atividade inibitória potente da AChE. Os resultados dos estudos de inibição da acetilcolinesterase permitem concluir que o extrato aquoso de V. agnus-castus L. mostrou-se o mais eficaz quanto a inibição da AChE. Este resultado reforça a necessidade da continuidade do estudo desse extrato, de forma a realizar a partição do extrato e a purificação das frações para isolar a molécula responsável pela inibição observada.In this study, we evaluated the inhibitory activity against acetylcholinesterase (AChE according to Ellman's method, modified by Rhee, for ethanol and aqueous extracts from eight plants used in folk medicine in the northeast region of

  10. Heterologous Expression of the Clostridium carboxidivorans CO Dehydrogenase Alone or Together with the Acetyl Coenzyme A Synthase Enables both Reduction of CO2 and Oxidation of CO by Clostridium acetobutylicum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carlson, Ellinor D; Papoutsakis, Eleftherios T

    2017-08-15

    With recent advances in synthetic biology, CO 2 could be utilized as a carbon feedstock by native or engineered organisms, assuming the availability of electrons. Two key enzymes used in autotrophic CO 2 fixation are the CO dehydrogenase (CODH) and acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) synthase (ACS), which form a bifunctional heterotetrameric complex. The CODH/ACS complex can reversibly catalyze CO 2 to CO, effectively enabling a biological water-gas shift reaction at ambient temperatures and pressures. The CODH/ACS complex is part of the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway (WLP) used by acetogens to fix CO 2 , and it has been well characterized in native hosts. So far, only a few recombinant CODH/ACS complexes have been expressed in heterologous hosts, none of which demonstrated in vivo CO 2 reduction. Here, functional expression of the Clostridium carboxidivorans CODH/ACS complex is demonstrated in the solventogen Clostridium acetobutylicum , which was engineered to express CODH alone or together with the ACS. Both strains exhibited CO 2 reduction and CO oxidation activities. The CODH reactions were interrogated using isotopic labeling, thus verifying that CO was a direct product of CO 2 reduction, and vice versa. CODH apparently uses a native C. acetobutylicum ferredoxin as an electron carrier for CO 2 reduction. Heterologous CODH activity depended on actively growing cells and required the addition of nickel, which is inserted into CODH without the need to express the native Ni insertase protein. Increasing CO concentrations in the gas phase inhibited CODH activity and altered the metabolite profile of the CODH-expressing cells. This work provides the foundation for engineering a complete and functional WLP in nonnative host organisms. IMPORTANCE Functional expression of CO dehydrogenase (CODH) from Clostridium carboxidivorans was demonstrated in C. acetobutylicum , which is natively incapable of CO 2 fixation. The expression of CODH, alone or together with the C. carboxidivorans

  11. Application of the relative activity factor approach in scaling from heterologously expressed cytochromes p450 to human liver microsomes: studies on amitriptyline as a model substrate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Venkatakrishnan, K; von Moltke, L L; Greenblatt, D J

    2001-04-01

    The relative activity factor (RAF) approach is being increasingly used in the quantitative phenotyping of multienzyme drug biotransformations. Using lymphoblast-expressed cytochromes P450 (CYPs) and the tricyclic antidepressant amitriptyline as a model substrate, we have tested the hypothesis that the human liver microsomal rates of a biotransformation mediated by multiple CYP isoforms can be mathematically reconstructed from the rates of the biotransformation catalyzed by individual recombinant CYPs using the RAF approach, and that the RAF approach can be used for the in vitro-in vivo scaling of pharmacokinetic clearance from in vitro intrinsic clearance measurements in heterologous expression systems. In addition, we have compared the results of two widely used methods of quantitative reaction phenotyping, namely, chemical inhibition studies and the prediction of relative contributions of individual CYP isoforms using the RAF approach. For the pathways of N-demethylation (mediated by CYPs 1A2, 2B6, 2C8, 2C9, 2C19, 2D6, and 3A4) and E-10 hydroxylation (mediated by CYPs 2B6, 2D6, and 3A4), the model-predicted biotransformation rates in microsomes from a panel of 12 human livers determined from enzyme kinetic parameters of the recombinant CYPs were similar to, and correlated with the observed rates. The model-predicted clearance via N-demethylation was 53% lower than the previously reported in vivo pharmacokinetic estimates. Model-predicted relative contributions of individual CYP isoforms to the net biotransformation rate were similar to, and correlated with the fractional decrement in human liver microsomal reaction rates by chemical inhibitors of the respective CYPs, provided the chemical inhibitors used were specific to their target CYP isoforms.

  12. Real or symbolic domination: New revision of La Domination masculine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tassadit Yacine

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available This paper does a rereading of Pierre Bourdieu’s Masculine Domination (1998, from the context in which it was developed. Thus, we rely on the work carried out during the 50s in Algeria (Sociologie de l'Algérie, 1958, Esquisse d'une théorie de la pratique, 1972 and Le Sens pratique, 1980 and later in France, to show that Masculine Domination was not born spontaneously, but as a result of a long decantation enriched by field experiences and the theoretical advances of the author’s concepts. If it is true that the situation of the women described in Sociologie de l'Algérie is the result of empirical research, it is less so for Masculine Domination, whose analysis retakes the concepts forged by the social anthropologist, such as habitus and symbolic domination. In this way, this article proposes a rereading of this work through the analysis of the work that preceded it in the field.

  13. Characterization of heterologously expressed transporter genes by patch- and voltage-clamp methods: Application to cyclic nucleotide-dependent responses

    KAUST Repository

    Lemtiri-Chlieh, Fouad

    2013-09-03

    The application of patch- and voltage-clamp methods to study ion transport can be limited by many hurdles: the size of the cells to be patched and/or stabbed, the subcellular localization of the molecule of interest, and its density of expression that could be too low even in their own native environment. Functional expression of genes using recombinant DNA technology not only overcomes those hurdles but also affords additional and elegant investigations such as single-point mutation studies and subunit associations/regulations. In this chapter, we give a step-by-step description of two electrophysiological methods, patch clamp and two-electrode voltage clamp (TEVC), that are routinely used in combination with heterologous gene expression to assist researchers interested in the identification and characterization of ion transporters. We describe how to (1) obtain and maintain the cells suitable for the use with each of the above-mentioned methods (i.e., HEK-293 cells and yeast spheroplasts to use with the patch-clamp methodology and Xenopus laevis oocytes with TEVC), (2) transfect/inject them with the gene of interest, and (3) record ion transport activities. © Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013.

  14. Heterologous production and characterization of a chlorogenic acid esterase from Ustilago maydis with a potential use in baking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nieter, Annabel; Kelle, Sebastian; Takenberg, Meike; Linke, Diana; Bunzel, Mirko; Popper, Lutz; Berger, Ralf G

    2016-10-15

    Ustilago maydis, an edible mushroom growing on maize (Zea mays), is consumed as the food delicacy huitlacoche in Mexico. A chlorogenic acid esterase from this basidiomycete was expressed in good yields cultivating the heterologous host Pichia pastoris on the 5L bioreactor scale (reUmChlE; 45.9UL(-1)). In contrast to previously described chlorogenic acid esterases, the reUmChlE was also active towards feruloylated saccharides. The enzyme preferred substrates with the ferulic acid esterified to the O-5 position of arabinose residues, typical of graminaceous monocots, over the O-2 position of arabinose or the O-6 position of galactose residues. Determination of kcat/Km showed that the reUmChlE hydrolyzed chlorogenic acid 18-fold more efficiently than methyl ferulate, p-coumarate or caffeate. Phenolic acids were released by reUmChlE from natural substrates, such as destarched wheat bran, sugar beet pectin and coffee pulp. Treatment of wheat dough using reUmChlE resulted in a noticeable softening indicating a potential application of the enzyme in bakery and confectionery. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Characterization of heterologously expressed transporter genes by patch- and voltage-clamp methods: Application to cyclic nucleotide-dependent responses

    KAUST Repository

    Lemtiri-Chlieh, Fouad; Ali, Rashid Ayesha

    2013-01-01

    The application of patch- and voltage-clamp methods to study ion transport can be limited by many hurdles: the size of the cells to be patched and/or stabbed, the subcellular localization of the molecule of interest, and its density of expression that could be too low even in their own native environment. Functional expression of genes using recombinant DNA technology not only overcomes those hurdles but also affords additional and elegant investigations such as single-point mutation studies and subunit associations/regulations. In this chapter, we give a step-by-step description of two electrophysiological methods, patch clamp and two-electrode voltage clamp (TEVC), that are routinely used in combination with heterologous gene expression to assist researchers interested in the identification and characterization of ion transporters. We describe how to (1) obtain and maintain the cells suitable for the use with each of the above-mentioned methods (i.e., HEK-293 cells and yeast spheroplasts to use with the patch-clamp methodology and Xenopus laevis oocytes with TEVC), (2) transfect/inject them with the gene of interest, and (3) record ion transport activities. © Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013.

  16. Characterization and Heterologous Expression of the Genes Encoding Enterocin A Production, Immunity, and Regulation in Enterococcus faecium DPC1146

    Science.gov (United States)

    O’Keeffe, Triona; Hill, Colin; Ross, R. Paul

    1999-01-01

    Enterocin A is a small, heat-stable, antilisterial bacteriocin produced by Enterococcus faecium DPC1146. The sequence of a 10,879-bp chromosomal region containing at least 12 open reading frames (ORFs), 7 of which are predicted to play a role in enterocin biosynthesis, is presented. The genes entA, entI, and entF encode the enterocin A prepeptide, the putative immunity protein, and the induction factor prepeptide, respectively. The deduced proteins EntK and EntR resemble the histidine kinase and response regulator proteins of two-component signal transducing systems of the AgrC-AgrA type. The predicted proteins EntT and EntD are homologous to ABC (ATP-binding cassette) transporters and accessory factors, respectively, of several other bacteriocin systems and to proteins implicated in the signal-sequence-independent export of Escherichia coli hemolysin A. Immediately downstream of the entT and entD genes are two ORFs, the product of one of which, ORF4, is very similar to the product of the yteI gene of Bacillus subtilis and to E. coli protease IV, a signal peptide peptidase known to be involved in outer membrane lipoprotein export. Another potential bacteriocin is encoded in the opposite direction to the other genes in the enterocin cluster. This putative bacteriocin-like peptide is similar to LafX, one of the components of the lactacin F complex. A deletion which included one of two direct repeats upstream of the entA gene abolished enterocin A activity, immunity, and ability to induce bacteriocin production. Transposon insertion upstream of the entF gene also had the same effect, but this mutant could be complemented by exogenously supplied induction factor. The putative EntI peptide was shown to be involved in the immunity to enterocin A. Cloning of a 10.5-kb amplicon comprising all predicted ORFs and regulatory regions resulted in heterologous production of enterocin A and induction factor in Enterococcus faecalis, while a four-gene construct (entAITD) under the

  17. O programa de qualidade no setor hospitalar e as atividades reais da enfermagem: o caso da medicação The quality program in the hospital sector and the nursing activities: the medication case

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosana Maria de Aguiar Guedes

    2005-12-01

    Full Text Available O objetivo deste estudo é analisar a política de qualidade implementada pela gestão hospitalar na farmácia central e as características da atividade de medicar realizada pelo auxiliar de enfermagem (AE. Adotou-se a abordagem proposta pela escola francesa de ergonomia. Avaliou-se o funcionamento do hospital e estudou-se a atividade do trabalho do AE em tempo real, possibilitando compreender as dificuldades enfrentadas no cotidiano e as estratégias implementadas. Viu-se que a atividade de trabalho está inserida num paradoxo organizacional em que a qualidade exigida para o cumprimento da missão de medicar dificulta o cumprimento da própria tarefa, comprometendo, em última análise, a assistência ao paciente.The aim of this study is to analyze the quality policy implemented by the hospital management in the central chemistry and the characteristics of the medication activities performed by the nursing assistants (NA.The approach of the French School of Ergonomics was adopted. It was assessed the Hospital working situation and the activity performed by the nursing assistant in real time which have allowed to understand the difficulties faced by the workers and the strategies adopted to overcome them. It was observed that the working activity is part of an organizational paradox where the expected quality to fulfil the medication mission has been difficult to achieve, endangering, ultimately the assistance to the patients.

  18. Hypothalamic digoxin, hemispheric chemical dominance, and mesenteric artery occlusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurup, Ravi Kumar; Kurup, Paramesware Achutha

    2003-12-01

    The role of the isoprenoid pathway in vascular thrombosis, especially mesenteric artery occlusion and its relation to hemispheric dominance, was assessed in this study. The following parameters were measured in patients with mesenteric artery occlusion and individuals with right hemispheric, left hemispheric, and bihemispheric dominance: (1) plasma HMG CoA reductase, digoxin, dolichol, ubiquinone, and magnesium levels; (2) tryptophan/tyrosine catabolic patterns; (3) free radical metabolism; (4) glycoconjugate metabolism; and (5) membrane composition. In patients with mesenteric artery occlusion there was elevated digoxin synthesis, increased dolichol and glycoconjugate levels, low ubiquinone, and elevated free radical levels. The RBC membrane Na(+)-K+ ATPase activity and serum magnesium were decreased. There was also an increase in tryptophan catabolites and reduction in tyrosine catabolites in the serum. There was an increase in cholesterol:phospholipid ratio and a reduction in glycoconjugate level of RBC membrane in these patients. The biochemical patterns obtained in mesenteric artery occlusion is similar to those obtained in left-handed/right hemispheric dominant individuals by the dichotic listening test. But all the patients with mesenteric artery occlusion were right-handed/left hemispheric dominant by the dichotic listening test. Hemispheric chemical dominance has no correlation with handedness or the dichotic listening test. Mesenteric artery occlusion occurs in right hemispheric chemically dominant individuals and is a reflection of altered brain function. Hemispheric chemical dominance may thus control the risk for developing vascular thrombosis in individuals.

  19. Atividade enzimática e perfil da comunidade bacteriana em solo submetido à solarização e biofumigação Enzymatic activity and bacterial community profile in soil under solarization e biofumigation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samuel Ribeiro Passos

    2008-07-01

    Full Text Available O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito da solarização e da biofumigação sobre a comunidade microbiana do solo, por meio da atividade da enzima beta-glicosidase e do perfil do 16S rDNA, determinado com PCR-DGGE. A solarização do solo, com cobertura de plástico, foi feita por períodos de dois, quatro e seis meses, e a biofumigação foi realizada pela incorporação de 2 e 5% (v/v de cama-de-frango ao solo. Logo após a retirada da cobertura de plástico e aos 30 dias após a remoção, a atividade da beta-glicosidase foi menor em relação ao tratamento não solarizado. Aos 60 dias, não foram mais observadas diferenças entre os tratamentos. A adição de cama-de-frango a 5% estimulou a atividade da beta-glicosidase. O perfil da estrutura da comunidade bacteriana foi influenciado pelo tempo de solarização, independentemente da época da retirada da cobertura de plástico. Não foi observado efeito da adição de cama-de-frango ao solo, no perfil da comunidade. A solarização afeta a atividade da beta-glicosidase, mas esses efeitos não são mais detectáveis após 60 dias da retirada da cobertura de plástico, diferentemente do que foi observado em relação à estrutura da comunidade bacteriana por PCR-DGGE. A biofumigação estimula a atividade da beta-glicosidase, mas não afeta o perfil da comunidade microbiana.The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of solarization and biofumigation on the soil microbial communities, by means of beta-glucosidase activity and 16S rDNA PCR-DGGE analyses. Solarization with a plastic covering of the soil took place over two, four and six months, and the soils were biofumigated by the addition of 2 and 5% (v/v of chicken litter to the soil. Right after the plastic cover removal and after 30 days, beta-glucosidase was lower than in the nonsolarizated control. After 60 days, there were no longer significant differences in beta-glucosidase activity between treatments. The addition

  20. A Tribute to Prof Dr Da Ruan

    CERN Document Server

    Kerre, Etienne

    2013-01-01

    This volume is a tribute to Professor Dr Da Ruan, who passed away suddenly on July 31, 2011, aged 50. The flood of emails that spread throughout the fuzzy logic research community with the tragic news was testimony to the respect and liking felt for this remarkable man. Da was a hardworking , highly productive scientist who, during his short life, published 35 books and more than 250 research papers in highly ranked journals and conference proceedings. He established two successful conferences, FLINS and ISKE, as well as the international journal, JCIS. This book is a collection of contributions from 88 of Da's academic friends from 47 institutes, presented in 60 chapters and over 70 pictures. A Foreword by Lotfi Zadeh begins Da's story. Section 1 provides an overview of Da's funeral on August 6, 2011. Part II outlines Da’s scientific life, his education, scientific career, publications and keynote talks. Part III presents testimonials by Da's colleagues of academic activities, including guest professorship...

  1. Production of isotopically labeled heterologous proteins in non-E. coli prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takahashi, Hideo; Shimada, Ichio

    2010-01-01

    The preparation of stable isotope-labeled proteins is necessary for the application of a wide variety of NMR methods, to study the structures and dynamics of proteins and protein complexes. The E. coli expression system is generally used for the production of isotope-labeled proteins, because of the advantages of ease of handling, rapid growth, high-level protein production, and low cost for isotope-labeling. However, many eukaryotic proteins are not functionally expressed in E. coli, due to problems related to disulfide bond formation, post-translational modifications, and folding. In such cases, other expression systems are required for producing proteins for biomolecular NMR analyses. In this paper, we review the recent advances in expression systems for isotopically labeled heterologous proteins, utilizing non-E. coli prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.

  2. Brazilian Credit Union Member Groups: Borrower-dominated, Saver-dominated or Neutral Behavior?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valéria Gama Fully Bressan

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Theoretical models concerning Credit Unions (CUs suggest that the type of CU domination determines the way it allocates the monetary value it generates. A borrower- (saver- dominated CU benefits borrower (saver members at the expenses of saver (borrower members, and a neutral CU equally benefits its member groups.This paper applies direct measure of monetary benefits to each member group (Patin & McNiel, 1991a to testfor the existence of dominated behavior in Brazilian CUs, and is the first to apply panel data regressions to identify the determinants of CUs behavior. We use a unique panel data with 40,664 observations taken from 533 CUs affiliated with the largest Brazilian cooperative network. Results indicate Brazilian CUs are dominated by borrowers, but behave close to neutrality. Panel regression estimates show that common or multiple bond type,size and overdue loans of a CU have no effect on its behavior, the greater the total amount of loans over social capital and adjusted equity over total assets are the more likely a CU is borrower dominated, and the greater the age and current operational expenses over total asset of a CU are the more likely a CU is saver dominated.

  3. Development of Right-hemispheric Dominance of Inferior Parietal Lobule in Proprioceptive Illusion Task

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naito, Eiichi; Morita, Tomoyo; Saito, Daisuke N; Ban, Midori; Shimada, Koji; Okamoto, Yuko; Kosaka, Hirotaka; Okazawa, Hidehiko; Asada, Minoru

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Functional lateralization can be an indicator of brain maturation. We have consistently shown that, in the adult brain, proprioceptive processing of muscle spindle afferents generating illusory movement of the right hand activates inferior frontoparietal cortical regions in a right-side dominant manner in addition to the cerebrocerebellar motor network. Here we provide novel evidence regarding the development of the right-dominant use of the inferior frontoparietal cortical regions in humans using this task. We studied brain activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging while 60 right-handed blindfolded healthy children (8–11 years), adolescents (12–15 years), and young adults (18–23 years) (20 per group) experienced the illusion. Adult-like right-dominant use of the inferior parietal lobule (IPL) was observed in adolescents, while children used the IPL bilaterally. In contrast, adult-like lateralized cerebrocerebellar motor activation patterns were already observable in children. The right-side dominance progresses during adolescence along with the suppression of the left-sided IPL activity that emerges during childhood. Therefore, the neuronal processing implemented in the adult's right IPL during the proprioceptive illusion task is likely mediated bilaterally during childhood, and then becomes right-lateralized during adolescence at a substantially later time than the lateralized use of the cerebrocerebellar motor system for kinesthetic processing. PMID:28968653

  4. Validação da versão em português da escala London Chest Activity of Daily Living (LCADL em doentes com doença pulmonar obstrutiva crónica

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fábio Pitta

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Resumo: Introdução: Diversos questionários desenvolvidos em língua inglesa visam avaliar especificamente a limitação pela dispnéia durante actividades da vida diária (AVD em doentes com doença pulmonar obstrutiva crónica (DPOC, como a escala London Chest Activity of Daily Living (LCADL. No entanto, nenhum destes questionários foi ainda traduzido para a língua portuguesa. O objectivo desse estudo foi verificar a validade e a reprodutibilidade da versão em português da LCADL em pacientes com DPOC. Métodos: Trinta e um doentes com DPOC (17 homens; 69±7 anos; FEV1 44±15% predito responderam por duas vezes à versão em português da LCADL com intervalo de uma semana. O tradicional questionário Saint George na doença respiratória (SGRQ, já validado em português, foi utilizado como critério de validação. Resultados: Não foram observadas diferenças significativas entre a aplicação e a reaplicação da LCADL. O coeficiente de correlação intraclasse dos domínios da escala entre o dia 1 e dia 2 foi de: Cuidado pessoal r=0,96; doméstico r=0,99; actividade física r=0,92; lazer r=0,95; escore total r=0,98. Foram observadas correlações significativas do escore total da LCADL com os domínios e o escore total do SGRQ (0,36da LCADL correlacionou-se também significativamente com a distância percorrida no teste da caminhada de 6 minutos (r=-0,48; p=0,006. Conclusões: A versão em língua portuguesa da LCADL demonstrou ser reprodutível e válida em pacientes com DPOC. Portanto, o presente estudo fornece uma nova e importante ferramenta para avaliar a limitação na capacidade de realizar AVD nessa população.Rev Port Pneumol 2008; XIV (1: 27-47 Abstract: Introduction: While there are several subjective English tools, such as the London Chest Activity of Daily Living scale

  5. Determination of hemispheric language dominance using functional MRI : comparison of visual and auditory stimuli

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yoo, Ic Ryung; Ahn, Kook Jin; Lee, Jae Mun [The Catholic Univ. of Korea, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Tae [The Catholic Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    1999-12-01

    To assess the difference between auditory and visual stimuli when determining hemispheric language dominance by using functional MRI. In ten healthy adult volunteers (8 right-handed, 1 left-handed, 1 ambidextrous), motor language activation in axial slices of frontal lobe was mapped on a Simens 1.5T Vision Plus system using single-shot EPI. Series of 120 consecutive images per section were acquired during three cycles of task activation and rest. During each activation, a series of four syllables was delivered by means of both a visual and auditory method, and the volunteers were asked to mentally generate words starting with each syllable. In both in ferior frontal gyri and whole frontal lobes, lateralization indices were calculated from the activated pixels. We determined the language dominant hemisphere, and compared the results of the visual method and the auditory method. Seven right-handed persons were left-hemisphere dominant, and one left-handed and one ambidex-trous person were right-hemisphere dominant. Five of nine persons demonstrated larger lateralization indices with the auditory method than the visual method, while the remaining four showed larger lateralization indices with the visual method. No statistically significant difference was noted when comparing the results of the two methods(p>0.05). When determining hemispheric language dominance using functional MRI, the two methods are equally appropriate.

  6. Determination of hemispheric language dominance using functional MRI : comparison of visual and auditory stimuli

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoo, Ic Ryung; Ahn, Kook Jin; Lee, Jae Mun; Kim, Tae

    1999-01-01

    To assess the difference between auditory and visual stimuli when determining hemispheric language dominance by using functional MRI. In ten healthy adult volunteers (8 right-handed, 1 left-handed, 1 ambidextrous), motor language activation in axial slices of frontal lobe was mapped on a Simens 1.5T Vision Plus system using single-shot EPI. Series of 120 consecutive images per section were acquired during three cycles of task activation and rest. During each activation, a series of four syllables was delivered by means of both a visual and auditory method, and the volunteers were asked to mentally generate words starting with each syllable. In both in ferior frontal gyri and whole frontal lobes, lateralization indices were calculated from the activated pixels. We determined the language dominant hemisphere, and compared the results of the visual method and the auditory method. Seven right-handed persons were left-hemisphere dominant, and one left-handed and one ambidex-trous person were right-hemisphere dominant. Five of nine persons demonstrated larger lateralization indices with the auditory method than the visual method, while the remaining four showed larger lateralization indices with the visual method. No statistically significant difference was noted when comparing the results of the two methods(p>0.05). When determining hemispheric language dominance using functional MRI, the two methods are equally appropriate

  7. Perfect secure domination in graphs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S.V. Divya Rashmi

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Let $G=(V,E$ be a graph. A subset $S$ of $V$ is a dominating set of $G$ if every vertex in $Vsetminus  S$ is adjacent to a vertex in $S.$ A dominating set $S$ is called a secure dominating set if for each $vin Vsetminus S$ there exists $uin S$ such that $v$ is adjacent to $u$ and $S_1=(Ssetminus{u}cup {v}$ is a dominating set. If further the vertex $uin S$ is unique, then $S$ is called a perfect secure dominating set. The minimum cardinality of a perfect secure dominating set of $G$ is called the perfect  secure domination number of $G$ and is denoted by $gamma_{ps}(G.$ In this paper we initiate a study of this parameter and present several basic results.

  8. Precise synaptic efficacy alignment suggests potentiation dominated learning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christoph eHartmann

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Recent evidence suggests that parallel synapses from the same axonal branch onto the same dendritic branch have almost identical strength. It has been proposed that this alignment is only possible through learning rules that integrate activity over long time spans. However, learning mechanisms such as spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP are commonly assumed to be temporally local. Here, we propose that the combination of temporally local STDP and a multiplicative synaptic normalization mechanism is sufficient to explain the alignment of parallel synapses.To address this issue, we introduce three increasingly complex models: First, we model the idealized interaction of STDP and synaptic normalization in a single neuron as a simple stochastic process and derive analytically that the alignment effect can be described by a so-called Kesten process. From this we can derive that synaptic efficacy alignment requires potentiation-dominated learning regimes. We verify these conditions in a single-neuron model with independent spiking activities but more realistic synapses. As expected, we only observe synaptic efficacy alignment for long-term potentiation-biased STDP. Finally, we explore how well the findings transfer to recurrent neural networks where the learning mechanisms interact with the correlated activity of the network. We find that due to the self-reinforcing correlations in recurrent circuits under STDP, alignment occurs for both long-term potentiation- and depression-biased STDP, because the learning will be potentiation dominated in both cases due to the potentiating events induced by correlated activity. This is in line with recent results demonstrating a dominance of potentiation over depression during waking and normalization during sleep. This leads us to predict that individual spine pairs will be more similar in the morning than they are after sleep depriviation.In conclusion, we show that synaptic normalization in conjunction with

  9. Aproveitamento da casca de citros na perspectiva de alimentos: prospecção da atividade antibacteriana Utilization of citrus by-products in food perspective: screening of antibacterial activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carin Gerhardt

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Os citros são as frutas mais produzidas e consumidas no mundo. O Brasil ocupa primeiro lugar na produção mundial e na exportação de suco de laranja, sendo o Estado do Rio Grande do Sul um importante produtor. Ao longo do cultivo e do processamento dos citros, são geradas toneladas de resíduos de baixo valor comercial, mas com grande potencial de aproveitamento dentro da indústria de alimentos. Esses resíduos possuem elevados teores de nutrientes, pigmentos e componentes bioativos, bem como possuem baixa toxicidade e baixo custo. Há evidências de que a casca de diferentes espécies de citros possui princípios ativos antibacterianos e antifúngicos. O objetivo deste trabalho, portanto, foi verificar a atividade antibacteriana de extratos alcoólicos da casca de citros na perspectiva da desinfecção e da conservação de alimentos, propondo alternativas sustentáveis e naturais voltadas a consumidores cada vez mais preocupados com sua saúde. Foram obtidos extratos alcoólicos da casca crua de bergamota-ponkan (Citrus reticulata Blanco, pomelo (Citrus maxima (Burm. Merr. e limão-bergamota (Citrus limonia Osbeck ou limão-cravo maduros, provenientes de cultivo agroecológico, cujas atividades antibacterianas foram avaliadas quanto à Concentração Inibitória Mínima (CIM e à Concentração Bactericida Mínima (CBM frente a cinco diferentes bactérias. O extrato de limão-bergamota apresentou a melhor atividade antibacteriana, apresentando CIM em torno de 24 mg.mL-1 e CBM de 42 mg.mL-1 para as bactérias mais resistentes. A bactéria mais sensível a todos os extratos foi Pseudomonas aeruginosa, com CIM entre 16 e 36 mg.mL-1 e CBM entre 28 e 49 mg.mL-1. Os extratos inibiram ou inativaram na sua totalidade as bactérias testadas, indicando a possibilidade de se tornarem alternativas naturais na desinfecção e na conservação de alimentos.Citrus are the most produced fruits in the world. Brazil ranks first in global production and

  10. Work capacity and anticipation in A.A. Ukhtomsky's concept of dominance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pavlova, L. P.

    2015-08-01

    This paper presents the results of theoretical and experimental investigations of human activity and anticipation based on A.A. Ukhtomsky's concept of brain dominance - a non-equilibrium system-forming factor in living systems. Facts on the stages of dominance formation are presented in relation to the creative abilities of the human brain and the role of fatigue as a "lever" for increasing systems' work capacity on the basis of "trace exaltation". Individually, specific features of dominantogenesis are compared with variations in behavioural types. On the basis of chronotopic EEG analysis, we delineate cortical dominants that underlie individual specifics of cognitive processes. The relation is shown between anticipation and the "expansion of dominants" - the broadening of "distal perception" in time and space, as framed by A.A. Ukhtomsky.

  11. Extração e dosagem da atividade da polifenoloxidase do café Extraction and activity determination of polyphenoloxidase in coffee

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paulo Mazzafera

    2002-12-01

    Full Text Available A atividade de polifenoloxidase (PFO tem sido usada como indicadora da qualidade de bebida de café. Foram feitas comparações entre o método tradicionalmente usado para extração de polifenoloxidase de café e outro, onde impediu-se a oxidação de fenóis durante a extração, com posterior eliminação por filtração em coluna de exclusão. Um método intermediário entre os dois também foi testado. As medições de atividade foram feitas por espectrofotometria e por consumo de O2. Os métodos tradicionais de extração e dosagem da atividade de PFO sofrem forte interferência de fenóis presentes no extrato, não permitindo reprodução dos dados publicados na literatura. Por espectrofotometria foi possível diferenciação apenas entre café de bebida Mole de cafés de bebida Dura e Rio, mas não entre as duas últimas. Café de melhor qualidade, bebida Mole, apresentou maior atividade de PFO. Extração de PFO na presença de antioxidantes e complexadores de fenóis, seguida pela eliminação dos mesmos por cromatografia de exclusão é essencial para uma avaliação correta. Entretanto, usando este procedimento e consumo de O2, a atividade de PFO também não diferenciou os três cafés testados, exceto o Mole dos dois outros. No lugar de DOPA (3,4 - dihidroxifenilalanina, usado comumente nas dosagens por espectrofotometria, sugere-se o emprego de ácido clorogênico (ácido 5-cafeoilquínico.Polyphenoloxidase (PFO activity has been used to indicate the quality of coffee beverage. A traditional extraction method used for coffee polyphenoloxidase was compared to another in which phenol oxidation was avoided and phenols were eliminated by exclusion chromatography. An intermediate method was also tested. Activities were obtained by spectrophotometry, which is commonly used for coffee PFO determination, and O2 consumption. The traditional extraction method and spectrophotometry are inacurate to measure PFO activity since there is a

  12. A dimensão gestionária do trabalho: aspectos da atividade de cuidado The managerial dimension of labor: aspects of care activities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jussara Brito

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available O artigo trata da questão da transformação dos mundos do trabalho, com foco no setor saúde, a partir da perspectiva ergológica, cujo objeto de reflexão e análise são as atividades humanas. Primeiro busca-se mostrar as transformações que são operadas no desenvolvimento da própria atividade, enfatizando os debates de normas e valores presentes em situações do trabalho em saúde, com base em pesquisas que abordaram as atividades de cuidado. Posteriormente discute-se a circulação de valores que se dá em um espaço tripolar, em que a atividade é um dos polos, indicando as tensões que a atravessam e explorando a coexistência de diferentes temporalidades que cercam os mundos do trabalho. Procura-se refletir sobre as diferentes dimensões/polos de transformações ligadas ao trabalho e suas temporalidades, opondo-se à ideia de que estas seriam apenas oriundas e impostas pelo mercado. Por fim, abre-se uma discussão sobre as reservas de alternativas contidas nos próprios processos de trabalho, visando apontar caminhos que considerem o ponto de vista da atividade e os saberes acumulados pelos trabalhadores.The paper deals with the issue of the transformation of the worlds of work, focusing on the healthcare sector from the ergological perspective, the object of reflection and analysis of which are human activities. Initially an attempt is made to show the transformations that have occurred in performing the activity per se, emphasizing the discussions of norms and values present in healthcare situations, based on research that addressed the activities of care. Subsequently the change of values that occur in a tripolar space are discussed, in which the activity is one of the poles, indicating the tensions that impinge upon it and examining the coexistence of different temporalities that surround the worlds of work. A study is conducted to reflect on the different dimensions/poles of transformation related to work and their

  13. Electrophysiological and Pharmacological Analyses of Nav1.9 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel by Establishing a Heterologous Expression System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xi Zhou

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Nav1. 9 voltage-gated sodium channel is preferentially expressed in peripheral nociceptive neurons. Recent progresses have proved its role in pain sensation, but our understanding of Nav1.9, in general, has lagged behind because of limitations in heterologous expression in mammal cells. In this work, functional expression of human Nav1.9 (hNav1.9 was achieved by fusing GFP to the C-terminal of hNav1.9 in ND7/23 cells, which has been proved to be a reliable method to the electrophysiological and pharmacological studies of hNav1.9. By using the hNav1.9 expression system, we investigated the electrophysiological properties of four mutations of hNav1.9 (K419N, A582T, A842P, and F1689L, whose electrophysiological functions have not been determined yet. The four mutations significantly caused positive shift of the steady-state fast inactivation and therefore increased hNav1.9 activity, consistent with the phenotype of painful peripheral neuropathy. Meanwhile, the effects of inflammatory mediators on hNav1.9 were also investigated. Impressively, histamine was found for the first time to enhance hNav1.9 activity, indicating its vital role in hNav1.9 modulating inflammatory pain. Taken together, our research provided a useful platform for hNav1.9 studies and new insight into mechanism of hNav1.9 linking to pain.

  14. A saúde pública brasileira no contexto da crise do Estado ou do capitalismo?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Áquilas Mendes

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Este artigo tem como objetivo analisar a tendência da saúde publica universal brasileira no contexto da crise estrutural do capitalismo, articulando os interesses do capital e do Estado, sem que seja possível se referir à uma crise do Estado Moderno. Para tanto, o artigo está organizado em duas partes. A primeira parte busca analisar a natureza da crise, identificando tendências do desenvolvimento do capitalismo, principalmente nas últimas décadas do século XX e na primeira década do século XXI, com destaque para a lei marxiana da queda tendencial da taxa de lucro e a dominância do capital portador de juros. A segunda parte discute os impactos dessa crise ao direito universal da saúde no Brasil, especialmente, a partir dos anos 1990, confirmando as incertezas do financiamento do SUS e o crescente movimento de apropriação do capital sobre os recursos das políticas sociais de direitos, as da seguridade social, especialmente a saúde. Por fim, são apresentadas as considerações finais, incluindo algumas propostas para enfrentar esse quadro de instabilidade e subfinanciamento desse sistema de saúde.

  15. Process strategies to improve heterologous protein production in Escherichia coli under lactose or IPTG induction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kilikian, B. V.; Surarez, I. D.; Liria, C. W.

    2000-01-01

    Cells of Escherichia coli BL21 bearing the chicken muscle Troponin C (TnC) gene under the control of the lacUV5 promoter were induced under different cultivation conditions and the consequences on growth and cell protein content were investigated. The type of inducer molecule (lactose or IPTG...... per gram dry cell weight (DCW), was achieved when isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactoside (IPTG) was the inducer. Under lactose induction, a value of 96 mg per gram DCW was attained. However, the high metabolic load imposed by IPTG, when compared with lactose induction, as assessed by the cell protein...... content and stability, indicates that lactose is probably the most appropriate inducer for the synthesis of this heterologous protein. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved....

  16. The socialization of dominance: peer group contextual effects on homophobic and dominance attitudes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poteat, V Paul; Espelage, Dorothy L; Green, Harold D

    2007-06-01

    Using the framework of social dominance theory, the current investigation tested for the contextual effects of adolescent peer groups on individuals' homophobic and social dominance attitudes. Results from multilevel models indicated that significant differences existed across peer groups on homophobic attitudes. In addition, these differences were accounted for on the basis of the hierarchy-enhancing or -attenuating climate of the group. A group socialization effect on individuals' social dominance attitudes over time was also observed. Furthermore, the social climate of the peer group moderated the stability of individuals' social dominance attitudes. Findings support the need to examine more proximal and informal group affiliations and earlier developmental periods in efforts to build more comprehensive theoretical models explaining when and how prejudiced and dominance attitudes are formed and the way in which they are perpetuated. (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved.

  17. Dominance in Domestic Dogs: A Quantitative Analysis of Its Behavioural Measures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Borg, Joanne A M; Schilder, Matthijs B H; Vinke, Claudia M; de Vries, Han

    2015-01-01

    A dominance hierarchy is an important feature of the social organisation of group living animals. Although formal and/or agonistic dominance has been found in captive wolves and free-ranging dogs, applicability of the dominance concept in domestic dogs is highly debated, and quantitative data are scarce. Therefore, we investigated 7 body postures and 24 behaviours in a group of domestic dogs for their suitability as formal status indicators. The results showed that high posture, displayed in most dyadic relationships, and muzzle bite, displayed exclusively by the highest ranking dogs, qualified best as formal dominance indicators. The best formal submission indicator was body tail wag, covering most relationships, and two low postures, covering two-thirds of the relationships. In addition, both mouth lick, as included in Schenkel's active submission, and pass under head qualified as formal submission indicators but were shown almost exclusively towards the highest ranking dogs. Furthermore, a status assessment based on changes in posture displays, i.e., lowering of posture (LoP) into half-low, low, low-on-back or on-back, was the best status indicator for most relationships as it showed good coverage (91% of the dyads), a nearly linear hierarchy (h' = 0.94, pdog group. No significant correlations of rank with age or weight were found. Strong co-variation between LoP, high posture, and body tail wag justified the use of dominance as an intervening variable. Our results are in line with previous findings for captive wolves and free-ranging dogs, for formal dominance with strong linearity based on submission but not aggression. They indicate that the ethogram for dogs is best redefined by distinguishing body postures from behavioural activities. A good insight into dominance hierarchies and its indicators will be helpful in properly interpreting dog-dog relationships and diagnosing problem behaviour in dogs.

  18. Equações de estimativa da fitomassa da parte aérea da alface Equations to estimate shoot phytomass of lettuce

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Braulio Otomar Caron

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available O objetivo deste trabalho foi identificar equações de regressão que expressem o acúmulo de fitomassa a partir de variáveis meteorológicas e índices de crescimento da cultura, com a finalidade de avaliar o crescimento da alface cultivada em estufa plástica e a campo, em diferentes épocas do ano. No estudo, foi utilizada a cultivar "Regina". As variáveis meteorológicas determinadas foram a temperatura, a umidade relativa média do ar e a radiação solar fotossinteticamente ativa acumulada. Os índices de crescimento da alface utilizados foram a fitomassa seca e o índice de área foliar. Independentemente da época do ano, os resultados evidenciaram que as equações de regressão simples, utilizando as variáveis índice de área foliar ou radiação solar fotossinteticamente ativa acumulada, apresentaram melhor desempenho na estimativa da fitomassa (R²>0,88 nos dois ambientes. As equações de regressão múltipla, apesar de englobarem mais variáveis, apresentaram pequeno acréscimo no valor do R².The aim of this paper was to propose regression equations that express the dry matter accumulation in lettuce using meteorological parameters and growth index, to modeling the lettuce growth in greenhouse and in the field, in different growth season. The "Regina" cultivar was utilized. The meteorological variables determined were air temperature and relative humidity average and accumulated photosynthetically active radiation. The growth indexes of lettuce used were dry mass and leaf area index. Independent of the growth season, the results shown that linear regressions utilizing variables leaf area index and accumulated photosynthetically active radiation provided a good estimate of the dry mass (R²>0.88 for both seasons. The multiple regressions need more data, but shown a little increase in R² value.

  19. Eletromiografia de superfície no diagnóstico da dominância lateral em crianças: aspectos psicomotores

    OpenAIRE

    Jordy,Ceme Ferreira

    1995-01-01

    A dominância lateral foi verificada pelo eletromiograma de superfície em 100 crianças neurologicamente normais. Foram usados estímulos verbais durante os registros eletromiográficos. Em comparação com o diagnóstico clínico, a eletromiografia se revelou mais precisa, excluindo influências subjetivas nos resultados. Destrismo foi diagnosticado em 90 pacientes, canhotismo em 3 e dominância indefinida em 7. Mecanismos de ordem psicomotora são sugeridos para justificar as respostas motoras provoca...

  20. Efficacy of a high potency O1 Manisa monovalent vaccine against heterologous challenge with foot-and-mouth disease virus of O/SEA/Mya-98 lineage in sheep.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singanallur, N B; Pacheco, J M; Arzt, J; Stenfeldt, C; Fosgate, G T; Rodriguez, L; Vosloo, W

    2017-09-01

    Potency tests for commercial oil-adjuvanted foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccines are usually carried out in cattle, using a full dose (2 ml) of vaccine and homologous virus challenge. However, in sheep the recommended vaccine dose is half of the cattle dose (1 ml) and most vaccines have not been potency tested for this species, especially with heterologous viruses. To determine the efficacy of a high potency (>6PD 50 ) FMD virus (FMDV) O1Manisa vaccine in sheep, we carried out a study using a heterologous FMDV (FMDV O/SKR/2010 - Mya-98 strain) challenge. Groups of seven animals each were vaccinated with 2×, 1×, 1/2× or 1/4× dose (2 ml, 1 ml, 0.5 ml or 0.25 ml respectively) and challenged at 7 days post vaccination (dpv). Only 3 of the 7 sheep in the group vaccinated with 2 ml were protected. With 2 additional groups, receiving double or single doses and challenged at 14 dpv, 4 of 7 sheep were protected in each group. None of the sheep had measurable neutralising antibodies against the vaccine or challenge virus at 7 dpv. However, all vaccinated animals challenged at 14 dpv had a homologous neutralising response against FMDV O1 Manisa on the day of challenge and all but one animal also had a heterologous response to FMDV O/SKR/2010. Infectious FMDV and viral RNA could be found in nasal swabs between 1 and 6 days post challenge (dpc) in most vaccinated sheep, but those vaccinated with higher doses or challenged at 14 dpv showed significant decreases in the level of FMDV detection. Intermittent virus shedding was noticed between 1 and 35 dpc in all vaccinated groups, but persistent infection could be demonstrated only in 4 sheep (20%). This study showed that at the recommended dose, a high potency (>6 PD 50 ) FMDV O1Manisa vaccine does not protect sheep against a heterologous challenge at 7 dpv. However, partial protection was observed when a double dose was used at 7 dpv or when double or single dose vaccinated sheep were challenged at 14 dpv. Copyright

  1. Política e economia como formas de dominação: o trabalho intelectual em Marx Politics and economy as form of domination: intellectual labor in Marx

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sedi Hirano

    2001-11-01

    Full Text Available Este ensaio procura sistematizar a análise teórica que Marx faz do pré-capitalismo e do capitalismo como estruturas sociais de poder, predominando naquele as relações políticas e neste as relações econômicas como formas de dominação. Procura-se demonstrar que no pré-capitalismo o poder político e o exercício monopolizado da violência física, social e psicológica são determinados pela forma como os agentes sociais se apropriam das condições objetivas, materiais e simbólicas da produção social. No capitalismo, a produção, quando já é comandada pelo capital, além de produzir a mais-valia, também produz um sistema de exploração geral das propriedades naturais e humanas tendo como suporte a ciência. Ou seja, ela realiza a apropriação através da ciência, e não da violência e do poder pessoal, colocando o saber científico ao seu serviço, na espécie de capital fixo. Essa extração da mais-valia assume, apesar de ser resultante da relação econômica, a forma de atividade científica. É dentro desse contexto que se analisa a questão do trabalho intelectual não só como produtor de valor mas, também, como produtor de concepções justificadoras da forma histórica de poder e de dominação capitalista.This essay aims at systematizing the theoretical analysis that Marx makes of pre-capitalism and of capitalism as social structures of power, bearing in mind that political relations predominate in the former and economic relations in the latter as forms of domination. In pre-capitalism, political power and the monopolized exercise of physical, social and psychological violence are determined by the manner in which social agents appropriate objective, material and symbolic conditions of social production. In capitalism, production, when it is already commanded by capital, on top of producing surplus value, it also produces a system of general exploitation of the natural and human properties with the support of

  2. Heterologous Gene Expression of N-Terminally Truncated Variants of LipPks1 Suggests a Functionally Critical Structural Motif in the N-terminus of Modular Polyketide Synthase

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yuzawa, Satoshi; Bailey, Constance B.; Fujii, Tatsu A.

    2017-01-01

    Streptomyces-derived, Well-characterized modular, polyketide synthase (PKS). Using this enzyme as a model, we experimentally investigated the effects of alternative TSSs using a heterologous host, Streptomyces venezuelae. One of the TSSs employed boosted the protein level by 59-fold and the product yield by 23...

  3. Analysis of the role of the gene bipA, encoding the major endoplasmic reticulum chaperone protein in the secretion of homologous and heterologous proteins in black Aspergilli

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Punt, P.J.; Gemeren, I.A. van; Drint-Kuijvenhoven, J.; Hessing, J.G.M.; Muijlwijk van - Harteveld, G.M.; Beijersbergen, A.; Verrips, C.T.; Hondel, C.A.M.J.J. van den

    1998-01-01

    The function of the endoplasmic-reticulum-localized chaperone binding protein (BiP) in relation to protein secretion in filamentous fungi was studied. It was shown that the overproduction of several homologous and heterologous recombinant proteins by Aspergillus strains induces the expression of

  4. Projeto "construindo um futuro saudável através da prática da atividade física diária" Project "building a healthy future through the daily practice of physical activity"

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Regina Pozena

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available O sedentarismo representa um dos principais fatores de risco à saúde, causando um grande impacto na saúde publica, ocasionando o aparecimento de doenças degenerativas não transmissíveis e em um número crescente de pessoas. O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar a importância da atividade física diária como proposta para auxiliar o controle do sedentarismo e das doenças degenerativas crônicas não transmissíveis na Estratégia Saúde da Família do município de Lourdes (São Paulo. Conclui-se, dessa forma, a uma necessidade urgente de aplicação de programas que visem a um estilo de vida mais ativo e mudanças comportamentais. Pôde-se verificar, através da coleta de dados, a eficácia da atividade física diária na redução e/ou controle das doenças degenerativas não transmissíveis nas pessoas que aderiram ao projeto e a grande importância de um preparo preventivo.Physical inactivity is a major health risk factor at the national and international level. It produces a strong impact on public health, causing the onset of non-transmissible degenerative diseases in a growing number of people. The objective of this study was to verify the importance of daily physical activity as a proposal to help control physical inactivity and chronic non-transmissible degenerative diseases in the Family Health Strategy of the city of Lourdes (state of São Paulo. It is concluded that there is an urgent need of programs aimed at a more active lifestyle and behavioral changes. It was verified, through the data collection, the effectiveness of daily physical activity in the reduction and / or control of non-transmissible degenerative diseases in the people who joined the project and the great importance of prevention for this population.

  5. Heterologous expression of a truncated form of human recombinant vascular endothelial growth factor-A and its biological activity in wound healing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohsen Khaki

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Objective(s: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF is one of the most effective proteins in angiogenesis, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs differentiation and wound healing. These abilities are therapeutic potential of VEGF in diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy and other tissue damage circumstances. In this study, recombinant VEGF was produced in Escherichia coli (E. coli system and then biological activity of this protein was evaluated in animal wound healing. Materials and Methods: E. coli BL21 (DE3 competent cells were transformed with pET32a-VEGF clone and induced by isopropyl-β-D-thio-galactoside (IPTG. The recombinant protein was purified byaffinity chromatography. Recombinant VEGF-A-based ointment (VEGF/Vaseline 0.8 mg/100 w/w was used for external wound (25×15mm thickness healing in animal model. In vivo activity of ointment was evaluated by clinical evidences and cytological microscopic assessment. Results: The recombinant protein with molecular weight of 45 kilodaltons (kDa and concentration of 0.8 mg/ml was produced.Immunoblotting data showed that the antigenic region of VEGF can be expressed in E. coli and the recombinant protein has similar epitopes with close antigenic properties to the natural form. Macroscopic findings and microscopic data showed that the recombinant VEGF-A ointment was effective on excisional wound healing. Conclusion: Recombinant VEGF-A produced by pET32a in E. coli, possesses acceptable structure and has wound healing capability.

  6. Adaptação transcultural da versão simplificada (s do Behçet's Disease Current Activity Form (BDCAF e comparação do desempenho das versões brasileiras dos dois instrumentos de avaliação da atividade da Doença de Behçet: BR-BDCAF e BR-BDCAF(s Cross-cultural adaptation of simplified version (s of Behçet's Disease Current Activity Form (BDCAF and comparison between two different instruments with Brazilian versions for evaluating Behçet's Disease Activity: BR-BDCAF and BR-BDCAF(s

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fabrício de Souza Neves

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Um instrumento de avaliação da atividade da Doença de Behçet (DB denominado Behçet's Disease Current Activity Form (BDCAF foi originalmente elaborado em língua inglesa e adaptado para a língua portuguesa do Brasil na versão BR-BDCAF. Recentemente, um modelo simplificado desse protocolo (com 12 itens foi apresentado pela Sociedade Internacional para a Doença de Behçet (International Society for Behçet's Disease, ISBD para produzir um índice denominado BDAI (Behçet's Disease Activity Index. Por esse motivo, neste trabalho produzimos o modelo simplificado da versão brasileira, medimos sua confiabilidade e avaliamos a validade dos resultados de ambos os instrumentos, comparando seus desempenhos. MÉTODO: O modelo simplificado da versão brasileira BR-BDCAF, adaptada transculturalmente, foi denominado BR-BDCAF(s. Ambos os protocolos foram aplicados em 25 pacientes com DB. A confiabilidade do BR-BDCAF(s foi avaliada através das reprodutibilidades intra e interobservadores pela estatística kappa. A validade e as propriedades diagnósticas sensibilidade(S, especificidade(E e acurácia dos dois protocolos na definição de casos ativos da doença foram avaliadas pela comparação ao julgamento clínico de um reumatologista perito em DB, e os melhores pontos de corte foram estabelecidos para cada instrumento através da curva ROC (receive-operator characteristic. RESULTADOS E CONCLUSÕES: BR-BDCAF(s apresentou boa confiabilidade nas questões sobre manifestações mucocutâneas e articulares da DB. Os melhores pontos de corte para a definição de casos ativos foram índices maiores que quatro no BR-BDCAF (S = 80,0%, E = 86,7% e maiores que um no BR-BDCAF(s (S = 70,0%, E = 86,7%. Suas acurácias foram semelhantes, sugerindo que ambos podem ser utilizados como instrumentos de medida de atividade da DB.OBJECTIVE: Behçet's Disease Current Activity Form (BDCAF, an instrument for assessing activity of Behçet's Disease (BD, was

  7. Geografia da desigualdade social: Uma perspectiva de geografia urbana crítica apresentada a partir do exemplo da produção social da favela em Salvador-BA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Veronika Deffner

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Para a análise empírica do fenômeno da reprodução invisível das desigualdades sociais e espaciais nas cidades brasileiras, elaborou-se a proposta, aqui apresentada, de uma geografía da desigualdade social, a fim de embasar uma investigação das desigualdades, destacando o espaço como força poderosa no processo de reprodução social. Trata-se de uma geografía urbana hermenêutica, no sentido de entender a textura da cidade em sua construção social. O conceito foi operacionalizado a partir do exemplo idiográfico da cidade de Salvador-BA, com o intuito de disponibilizar um modelo operacional e aplicável também a outras metrópoles, tanto no Brasil como em outras formações sociais caraterizadas por mecanismos ocultos que disfarçam e perpetuam a lógica da dominação social, as sociedades da chamada “perifería da modernidade”, segundo o sociólogo brasileiro Jessé Souza (2000, 2006. O papel da Geografia nessa perspectiva é o de buscar compreender a textura urbana fragmentada e dividida pelas disposições sociais, a partir do exame do fenômeno específico das favelas. Abstract GEOGRAPHY OF SOCIAL INEQUALITY: APPROACH FOR A CRITICAL URBAN GEOGRAPHY PRESENTED BY THE SOCIAL PRODUCTION OF THE FAVELA IN SALVADOR (BAHIA The empirical analysis of the invisible reproduction of social and spatial inequalities in Brazilian cities demands a specific approach. The following article highlights this approach while taking a critical view on a geography of social inequality. It intends to conceptually contribute to the ongoing research into the causes of perpetuating injustices and examining space as a powerful factor in the reproduction of social inequality. This approach, which is one of hermeneutical geography, aims to understand the structure of the city in its social construction. Taking the idiographic example of Salvador in Brazil background knowledge was acquired following the principles of grounded theory. The approach should be

  8. Ultrasonic irradiation enhanced the ability of Fluorescein-DA-Fe(III) on sonodynamic and sonocatalytic damages of DNA molecules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Qiong; Chen, Xia; Jia, Lizhen; Wang, Yi; Sun, Ying; Huang, Xingjun; Shen, Yuxiang; Wang, Jun

    2017-11-01

    The interaction of DNA with Bis [N,N-bis (carboxymethyl) aminomethyl] fluorescein-Ferrous(III) (Fluorescein-DA-Fe(III)) with dual functional (sonodynamic and sonocatalytic) activity was studied by UV-vis spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and viscosity measurements. And then, the damage of DNA caused by Fluorescein-DA-Fe(III) under ultrasonic irradiation (US) was researched by agarose gel electrophoresis and cytotoxicity assay. Meanwhile, some influenced factors such as ultrasonic irradiation time and Fluorescein-DA-Fe(III) concentration on the damage degree of DNA molecules were also examined. As a control, for Bis [N,N-bis (carboxymethyl) aminomethyl] fluorescein (Fluorescein-DA), the same experiments were carried out. The results showed that both Fluorescein-DA-Fe(III) and Fluorescein-DA can interact with DNA molecules. Under ultrasonic irradiation, Fluorescein-DA shows sonodynamic activity, which can damage DNA molecules. While, in the presence of Fe(III) ion, the Fluorescein-DA-Fe(III) displays not only sonodynamic activity but also sonocatalytic activity under ultrasonic irradiation, which injures DNA more serious than Fluorescein-DA. The researches confirmed the dual function (sonodynamic activity and sonocatalytic activity) of Fluorescein-DA-Fe(III) and expanded the usage of Fluorescein-DA-Fe(III) as a sonosensitizer in sonodynamic therapy (SDT). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Dominance in Domestic Dogs: A Quantitative Analysis of Its Behavioural Measures.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joanne A M van der Borg

    Full Text Available A dominance hierarchy is an important feature of the social organisation of group living animals. Although formal and/or agonistic dominance has been found in captive wolves and free-ranging dogs, applicability of the dominance concept in domestic dogs is highly debated, and quantitative data are scarce. Therefore, we investigated 7 body postures and 24 behaviours in a group of domestic dogs for their suitability as formal status indicators. The results showed that high posture, displayed in most dyadic relationships, and muzzle bite, displayed exclusively by the highest ranking dogs, qualified best as formal dominance indicators. The best formal submission indicator was body tail wag, covering most relationships, and two low postures, covering two-thirds of the relationships. In addition, both mouth lick, as included in Schenkel's active submission, and pass under head qualified as formal submission indicators but were shown almost exclusively towards the highest ranking dogs. Furthermore, a status assessment based on changes in posture displays, i.e., lowering of posture (LoP into half-low, low, low-on-back or on-back, was the best status indicator for most relationships as it showed good coverage (91% of the dyads, a nearly linear hierarchy (h' = 0.94, p<0.003 and strong unidirectionality (DCI = 0.97. The associated steepness of 0.79 (p<0.0001 indicated a tolerant dominance style for this dog group. No significant correlations of rank with age or weight were found. Strong co-variation between LoP, high posture, and body tail wag justified the use of dominance as an intervening variable. Our results are in line with previous findings for captive wolves and free-ranging dogs, for formal dominance with strong linearity based on submission but not aggression. They indicate that the ethogram for dogs is best redefined by distinguishing body postures from behavioural activities. A good insight into dominance hierarchies and its indicators will be

  10. Social Dominance Orientation Relates to Believing Men Should Dominate Sexually, Sexual Self-Efficacy, and Taking Free Female Condoms Among Undergraduate Women and Men.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenthal, Lisa; Levy, Sheri R; Earnshaw, Valerie A

    2012-12-01

    Gendered-based power affects heterosexual relationships, with beliefs in the U.S. prescribing that men dominate women sexually. We draw on social dominance theory to examine whether women's and men's level of support for group-based hierarchy (i.e., social dominance orientation; SDO) helps explain gender-based power beliefs and dynamics in heterosexual relationships. We conducted a laboratory study at a Northeastern U.S. university among 357 women and 126 men undergraduates who reported being heterosexual and sexually active, testing three sets of hypotheses. First, as hypothesized, women endorsed SDO and the belief that men should dominate sexually less than men did. Second, as hypothesized, among women and men, SDO was positively correlated with the belief that men should dominate sexually, and negatively correlated with sexual self-efficacy (confidence in sexual situations) and number of female condoms (a woman-controlled source of protection) taken. Third, structural equation modeling, controlling for age, family income, number of sexual partners in the past month, and perceived HIV/AIDS risk, supported the hypothesis that among women and men, the belief that men should dominate sexually mediates SDO's association with sexual self-efficacy. The hypothesis that the belief that men should dominate sexually mediates SDO's association with number of female condoms taken was supported for women only. The hypothesis that sexual self-efficacy mediates SDO's association with number of female condoms taken was not supported. Results suggest SDO influences power beliefs and dynamics in heterosexual relationships. Although female condoms are an important woman-controlled source of protection, power-related beliefs may pose a challenge to their use.

  11. Análise de um objeto de aprendizagem na perspectiva da teoria da aprendizagem significativa: o professor diante da possibilidade de transformação

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Verônica Lopes

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Este artigo tem como objetivo apresentar uma das atividades implementadas em uma pesquisa de campo realizada no Mestrado Profissional em Educação Matemática da Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto (UFOP. Diante das características do trabalho e da formação inicial do professor de Matemática na sociedade da informação, vislumbramos a necessidade de uma formação continuada sobre o uso de Objetos de Aprendizagem na perspectiva da Teoria da Aprendizagem Significativa. Realizamos um processo de formação continuada por meio do qual desenvolvemos uma pesquisa de abordagem qualitativa. Descrevendo uma das atividades dessa formação, que se constitui na análise de um Objeto de Aprendizagem na perspectiva da Teoria da Aprendizagem Significativa, discute-se a postura do professor diante da possibilidade de transformação. Finalmente, concluímos que alguns docentes permanecem resistentes e atuando com uma prática tradicional, enquanto outros se sentem propícios às mudanças, desafiam-se às diferentes maneiras de ensinar e notam contradições entre suas práticas e o novo saber.Palavras-chave: Objetos de aprendizagem. Teoria da aprendizagem significativa. Formação continuada. Educação Matemática. Transformação.ABSTRACTAnalysis of a learning object in perspective theory of significant learning: teacher against the possibility of transformationThis article has the objective of to present one of the activities implemented in the research field of the Professional Masters in Mathematics Education, Federal University of Ouro Preto – UFOP. Against the characteristics of the work and initial training of mathematics teachers in the information society, we perceive the need for continued training about the use of learning objects in view of the Theory of Meaningful Learning. We realize a process of continuous formation through which we develop a qualitative research. Describing one of the activities of this training, which is the analysis

  12. Comparison of Scapular Position in Dominant and Non Dominant Sides of Healthy Adult\\'s Females

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Afsoun Nodehi-Moghaddam

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective: The goal of this research was to compare normal scapular position (protraction, rotation and lateral scapular test on arm elevation between dominant and non dominant sides. Materials & Methods: Thirty healthy females (age=21.9 years, weight=53.37 kg, height =160.60 cm were chosen by non probability sampling and participated in this cross – sectional and comparative study. Scapular rest positions (protraction and Rotation were measured by use of Diveta method and scapular asymmetry was assessed by using lateral scapular slide test (Kibler test. Validity and reliability of measurement methods were assessed by determination of ICC and SEM and data were analyzed by use of paired T test. Results: The difference between dominant and non dominant scapular protraction and rotation was not found to be statistically significant (P=0.61, P=0.57.The dominant scapula was found to be more lateral in 2nd and 3rd Kibler tests positions than non dominant scapula (P<0.001. There was no significant difference in lateral scapular slide test between dominant and non dominant sides when the arms were by the side of body (P=0.66. Conclusion: Scapular rest position is influenced by hand dominance

  13. N-Linked Deglycosylated Melanopsin Retains Its Responsiveness to Light

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fahrenkrug, J.; Falktoft, B.; Georg, B.

    2009-01-01

    sites. Immunoblotting for membrane-bound melanopsin from the PC12 cells transfected to express wild-type melanopsin disclosed two immunoreactive bands of 62 and 49 kDa. Removal of N-linked glycosylation by tunicamycin or PNGase F changed the 62 kDa band to a 55 kDa band, while the 49 kDa band......-glycosidase and neuraminidase converted the 55 kDa band to a 49 kDa band. Finally, neither in vivo N-linked deglycosylation nor mutations of the two N-linked glycosylation sites significantly affected melanopsin function measured by Fos induction after light stimulation. In conclusion, we have shown that heterologously...

  14. A 170kDa multi-domain cystatin of Fasciola gigantica is active in the male reproductive system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geadkaew, Amornrat; Kosa, Nanthawat; Siricoon, Sinee; Grams, Suksiri Vichasri; Grams, Rudi

    2014-09-01

    Cystatins are functional as intra- and extracellular inhibitors of cysteine proteases and are expressed as single or multi-domain proteins. We have previously described two single domain type 1 cystatins in the trematode Fasciola gigantica that are released into the parasite's intestinal tract and exhibit inhibitory activity against endogenous and host cathepsin L and B proteases. In contrast, the here presented 170kDa multi-domain cystatin (FgMDC) comprises signal peptide and 12 tandem repeated cystatin-like domains with similarity to type 2 single domain cystatins. The domains show high sequence divergence with identity values often 120kDa molecular mass in immunoblots of parasite crude extracts and ES product with different banding patterns for each antiserum demonstrating complex processing of the proprotein. The four domains with the highest conserved QVVAG motifs were expressed in Escherichia coli and the refolded recombinant proteins blocked cysteine protease activity in the parasite's ES product. Strikingly, immunohistochemical analysis using seven domain-specific antisera localized FgMDC in testis lobes and sperm. It is speculated that the processed cystatin-like domains have function analogous to the mammalian group of male reproductive tissue-specific type 2 cystatins and are functional in spermiogenesis and fertilization. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Development of Right-hemispheric Dominance of Inferior Parietal Lobule in Proprioceptive Illusion Task.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naito, Eiichi; Morita, Tomoyo; Saito, Daisuke N; Ban, Midori; Shimada, Koji; Okamoto, Yuko; Kosaka, Hirotaka; Okazawa, Hidehiko; Asada, Minoru

    2017-11-01

    Functional lateralization can be an indicator of brain maturation. We have consistently shown that, in the adult brain, proprioceptive processing of muscle spindle afferents generating illusory movement of the right hand activates inferior frontoparietal cortical regions in a right-side dominant manner in addition to the cerebrocerebellar motor network. Here we provide novel evidence regarding the development of the right-dominant use of the inferior frontoparietal cortical regions in humans using this task. We studied brain activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging while 60 right-handed blindfolded healthy children (8-11 years), adolescents (12-15 years), and young adults (18-23 years) (20 per group) experienced the illusion. Adult-like right-dominant use of the inferior parietal lobule (IPL) was observed in adolescents, while children used the IPL bilaterally. In contrast, adult-like lateralized cerebrocerebellar motor activation patterns were already observable in children. The right-side dominance progresses during adolescence along with the suppression of the left-sided IPL activity that emerges during childhood. Therefore, the neuronal processing implemented in the adult's right IPL during the proprioceptive illusion task is likely mediated bilaterally during childhood, and then becomes right-lateralized during adolescence at a substantially later time than the lateralized use of the cerebrocerebellar motor system for kinesthetic processing. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

  16. DA-6034 Induces [Ca(2+)]i Increase in Epithelial Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Yu-Mi; Park, Soonhong; Ji, Hyewon; Kim, Tae-Im; Kim, Eung Kweon; Kang, Kyung Koo; Shin, Dong Min

    2014-04-01

    DA-6034, a eupatilin derivative of flavonoid, has shown potent effects on the protection of gastric mucosa and induced the increases in fluid and glycoprotein secretion in human and rat corneal and conjunctival cells, suggesting that it might be considered as a drug for the treatment of dry eye. However, whether DA-6034 induces Ca(2+) signaling and its underlying mechanism in epithelial cells are not known. In the present study, we investigated the mechanism for actions of DA-6034 in Ca(2+) signaling pathways of the epithelial cells (conjunctival and corneal cells) from human donor eyes and mouse salivary gland epithelial cells. DA-6034 activated Ca(2+)-activated Cl(-) channels (CaCCs) and increased intracellular calcium concentrations ([Ca(2+)]i) in primary cultured human conjunctival cells. DA-6034 also increased [Ca(2+)]i in mouse salivary gland cells and human corneal epithelial cells. [Ca(2+)]i increase of DA-6034 was dependent on the Ca(2+) entry from extracellular and Ca(2+) release from internal Ca(2+) stores. Interestingly, these effects of DA-6034 were related to ryanodine receptors (RyRs) but not phospholipase C/inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3) pathway and lysosomal Ca(2+) stores. These results suggest that DA-6034 induces Ca(2+) signaling via extracellular Ca(2+) entry and RyRs-sensitive Ca(2+) release from internal Ca(2+) stores in epithelial cells.

  17. Newton da Costa e a Filosofia da Quase-Verdade

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Décio Krause

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available This paper intends to introduce the three issues of Principia which will appear in a sequel honoring Newton da Costa’s 80th birthday. Instead of presenting the papers one by one, as it is common in presentations such as this one, we have left the papers speak by themselves, and instead we have preferred to present to the Brazilian readers, specialty to our students, some aspects of Newton da Costa’s conception of science and of the scientific activity, grounded on the concept of quasi-truth, which he contributed to develop in a rigorous way. Da Costa is known as one of the founding fathers of paraconsistent logic, but his contributions go also to the foundations of physics, theoretical computation, model theory, algebraic logic, lattice theory, applications of non-classical logics to law and technology, etc. But perhaps his main contribution was to provide a basis for the birth of a school of logic in our country (Brazil, serving as teacher and inspiring new researchers for generations. It is a pleasure to have had so enthusiastic acceptation from the editors of Principia to organize these volumes. I would like to thank the contributors and the editors of Principia, specially Prof. Cezar Mortari for his help in organizing the issue.

  18. Hand Dominance and Age Have Interactive Effects on Motor Cortical Representations

    OpenAIRE

    Bernard, Jessica A.; Seidler, Rachael D.

    2012-01-01

    Older adults exhibit more bilateral motor cortical activity during unimanual task performance than young adults. Interestingly, a similar pattern is seen in young adults with reduced hand dominance. However, older adults report stronger hand dominance than young adults, making it unclear how handedness is manifested in the aging motor cortex. Here, we investigated age differences in the relationships between handedness, motor cortical organization, and interhemispheric communication speed. We...

  19. Elitism and Stochastic Dominance

    OpenAIRE

    Bazen, Stephen; Moyes, Patrick

    2011-01-01

    Stochastic dominance has typically been used with a special emphasis on risk and inequality reduction something captured by the concavity of the utility function in the expected utility model. We claim that the applicability of the stochastic dominance approach goes far beyond risk and inequality measurement provided suitable adpations be made. We apply in the paper the stochastic dominance approach to the measurment of elitism which may be considered the opposite of egalitarianism. While the...

  20. Culture shapes a mesolimbic response to signals of dominance and subordination that associates with behavior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freeman, Jonathan B; Rule, Nicholas O; Adams, Reginald B; Ambady, Nalini

    2009-08-01

    It has long been understood that culture shapes individuals' behavior, but how this is accomplished in the human brain has remained largely unknown. To examine this, we made use of a well-established cross-cultural difference in behavior: American culture tends to reinforce dominant behavior whereas, conversely, Japanese culture tends to reinforce subordinate behavior. In 17 Americans and 17 Japanese individuals, we assessed behavioral tendencies towards dominance versus subordination and measured neural responses using fMRI during the passive viewing of stimuli related to dominance and subordination. In Americans, dominant stimuli selectively engaged the caudate nucleus, bilaterally, and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), whereas these were selectively engaged by subordinate stimuli in Japanese. Correspondingly, Americans self-reported a tendency towards more dominant behavior whereas Japanese self-reported a tendency towards more subordinate behavior. Moreover, activity in the right caudate and mPFC correlated with behavioral tendencies towards dominance versus subordination, such that stronger responses in the caudate and mPFC to dominant stimuli were associated with more dominant behavior and stronger responses in the caudate and mPFC to subordinate stimuli were associated with more subordinate behavior. The findings provide a first demonstration that culture can flexibly shape functional activity in the mesolimbic reward system, which in turn may guide behavior.

  1. Controle genético da resistência da soja à raça 4 de Cercospora sojina

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martins Filho Sebastião

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar o controle genético da resistência à Cercospora sojina, em populações segregantes derivadas do cruzamento entre as cultivares de soja Paraná e Bossier. Foram avaliadas nos genitores e nas gerações F1, F2, RC1 e RC2 seis características das plantas associadas com a doença: nota para infecção (NT; número de lesões por folíolo (NLF; diâmetro médio de lesão (DML; porcentagem de área foliar lesionada (PAFL; número de lesões por cm² (NLC e índice de doença (ID. A resistência da soja à cercosporiose comportou-se como um caráter quantitativo, e o efeito gênico aditivo o mais importante. As influências sobre NT foram as seguintes: efeito aditivo (62,05%, efeito da dominância (7,68% e as interações epistáticas aditiva x aditiva, aditiva x dominante e dominante x dominante (7,32%. O modelo aditivodominante foi suficiente para explicar as variações somente nos caracteres PAFL e NLC. A influência dos efeitos das interações epistáticas variaram de 2,22% no caráter PAFL e em até 30,78% no caráter DML. O modelo genético aditivo-dominante é satisfatório para explicar o comportamento da média das gerações em relação aos caracteres PAFL e NLC. Entretanto, quanto a NT, NLF, DML e ID, o modelo aditivo-dominante-epistático é o mais adequado.

  2. Generation and characterization of monoclonal antibodies specific for 18 kDa antigen from Taenia solium cysticerci.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Shaohua; Luo, Xuenong; Guo, Aijiang; Zhu, Xueliang; Cai, Xuepeng

    2016-07-01

    The gene encoding a mature 18 kDa glycoprotein of Taenia solium cysticerci (Ts18) was cloned and bacterially expressed with a His-tagged fusion protein. Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against the recombinant Ts18 antigen were generated in vitro by routine murine hybridoma technique of fusing splenocytes, from BALB/c mice immunized with the vesicular fluid of T. solium cysticerci (TsVF), with mouse myeloma cells (SP2/0). The reactivity and specificity of these MAbs were evaluated by indirect ELISA and immunoblotting techniques. Three stable hybridoma clones, namely 3B11, 6C5, and 6G4, were screened using His-Ts18-based ELISA, and these showed two IgG1 isotypes and one IgM isotype. All MAbs reacted with His-Ts18 at molecular weight (MW) 12.8 kDa and the native antigen at MW 18 kDa in TsVF and whole larval extracts (WLE). In a dot blotting test, MAbs 6C5 and 6G4 showed no obvious cross-reactivity with heterologous vesicular fluids from other taeniid species, including Taenia saginata (TsaVF), Taenia pisiformis (TpVF), Taenia hydatigena (ThVF), Taenia multiceps (TmVF), and Echinococcus granulosus (EgVF). Immunofluorescent assays showed that MAb 6C5 specifically reacted with the Ts18 expressed from pEGFP-N1-Ts18-transfected HeLa cells. Immunolocalization analysis, using MAb 6C5 as a probe, indicated that Ts18 was present at high concentrations in the region of the larval sucker and spiral canal. The results indicate that the Ts18 protein is an abundantly secreted parasite protein and MAbs against it might provide a step forward for improving the diagnosis of porcine cysticercosis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. ABO hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn: an iatrogenic complication of heterologous assisted reproductive technology-induced pregnancy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zuppa, Antonio Alberto; Cardiello, Valentina; Lai, Marco; Cataldi, Luigi; D'Andrea, Vito; Romagnoli, Costantino

    2010-10-01

    ABO hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (ABO HDFN) may manifest itself in cases of mothers belonging to blood group O and newborns of groups A or B and more frequently in group A and less so in group B. The case subjects are twin-birth newborns with ABO HDFN, of group AB born to a mother of group O. These cases of ABO HDFN prove inconsistent with Mendel's law of segregation. This case study finds its explanation in new methods of assisted reproduction, particularly heterologous in vitro fertilization with ovodonation. © 2010 American Association of Blood Banks.

  4. Students from Non-Dominant Linguistic Backgrounds Making Sense of Cosmology Visualizations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buck Bracey, Zoë E.

    2017-01-01

    This article presents the results of exploratory research with community college students from non-dominant linguistic backgrounds (NDLB) in an introductory astronomy class as they collaborated to reconstruct dynamic cosmology visualizations through drawing. Data included student discourse during the drawing activity, post-activity interviews, and…

  5. A utilização da teoria da aprendizagem significativa no ensino da Enfermagem

    OpenAIRE

    Alana Tamar Oliveira de Sousa; Nilton Soares Formiga; Simone Helena dos Santos Oliveira; Marta Miriam Lopes Costa; Maria Júlia Guimarães Oliveira Soares

    2015-01-01

    RESUMO Objetivo: sintetizar a produção científica acerca da Teoria da Aprendizagem Significativa no processo de ensino-aprendizagem em Enfermagem. Método: revisão integrativa realizada nas bases de dados MEDLINE, LILACS, SciELO, BDENF e CINAHL, com artigos que abordaram a temática ou aspectos da teoria da aprendizagem significativa de David Ausubel. Fizeram parte da amostra dez artigos, sendo seis escritos no idioma português e quatro no inglês, publicados de 1998 a 2013. Resultados: cinco...

  6. Lower frequency of the low activity adenosine deaminase allelic variant (ADA1*2 in schizophrenic patients Diminuição da frequência da variante alélica de baixa atividade da adenosina desaminase (ADA1*2 em pacientes esquizofrênicos

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    Gustavo Pimentel Dutra

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Adenosine may play a role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, since it modulates the release of several neurotransmitters such as glutamate, dopamine, serotonin and acetylcholine, decreases neuronal activity by pos-synaptic hyperpolarization and inhibits dopaminergic activity. Adenosine deaminase participates in purine metabolism by converting adenosine into inosine. The most frequent functional polymorphism of adenosine deaminase (22G→A (ADA1*2 exhibits 20-30% lower enzymatic activity in individuals with the G/A genotype than individuals with the G/G genotype. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ADA polymorphism 22G→A (ADA1*2 in schizophrenic patients and healthy controls. METHOD: The genotypes of the ADA 22G→A were identified with allele-specific PCR strategy in 152 schizophrenic patients and 111 healthy individuals. RESULTS: A significant decrease in the frequency of the G/A genotype was seen in schizophrenic patients (7/152 - 4.6% relative to controls (13/111 - 11.7%, p = 0.032, OR = 2.6. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the G/A genotype associated with low adenosine deaminase activity and, supposingly, with higher adenosine levels is less frequent among schizophrenic patients.OBJETIVO: A adenosina pode ter um papel importante na fisiopatologia da esquizofrenia, uma vez que modula a liberação de vários neurotransmissores, tais como glutamato, dopamina, serotonina e acetilcolina, diminui a atividade neuronal por hiperpolarização pós-sináptica e inibe a atividade dopaminérgica. A adenosina desaminase participa do metabolismo das purinas pela conversão de adenosina em inosina. O mais frequente polimorfismo funcional da adenosina desaminase (22G →A (ADA1*2 exibe uma diminuição de 20-30% da atividade funcional em indivíduos com genótipo G/A quando comparados com indivíduos com o genótipo G/G. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o polimorfismo 22G→A (ADA1*2 em pacientes esquizofrênicos e em

  7. Induction of divalent cation permeability by heterologous expression of a voltage sensor domain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arima, Hiroki; Tsutsui, Hidekazu; Sakamoto, Ayako; Yoshida, Manabu; Okamura, Yasushi

    2018-01-06

    The voltage sensor domain (VSD) is a protein domain that confers sensitivity to membrane potential in voltage-gated ion channels as well as the voltage-sensing phosphatase. Although VSDs have long been considered to function as regulatory units acting on adjacent effectors, recent studies have revealed the existence of direct ion permeation paths in some mutated VSDs and in the voltage-gated proton channel. In this study, we show that calcium currents are evoked upon membrane hyperpolarization in cells expressing a VSD derived from an ascidian voltage-gated ion channel superfamily. Unlike the previously reported omega-pore in the Shaker K + channel and rNav1.4, mutations are not required. From electrophysiological experiments in heterologous expression systems, we found that the conductance is directly mediated by the VSD itself and is carried by both monovalent and divalent cations. This is the first report of divalent cation permeation through a VSD-like structure. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Publicidade e ética: um estudo da construção da imagem da mulher

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    Elizabeth Moraes Gonçalves

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available O texto propõe uma reflexão sobre a ética da responsabilidade na publicidade veiculada nas revistas Claudia e Nova. Trata-se de uma pesquisa descritiva, resultante da leitura dos anúncios selecionados, subsidiada por teóricos da Análise do Discurso da linha francesa, que busca averiguar como a mulher é representada. Constatou-se que no contexto da sociedade contemporânea o retrato da mulher como sedutora ainda está presente, mesmo que em vários momentos ela apareça como protagonista de sua própria vida.

  9. Dominant Achievement Goals of Older Workers and Their Relationship with Motivation-Related Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Lange, Annet H.; Van Yperen, Nico W.; Van der Heijden, Beatrice I. J. M.; Bal, P. Matthijs

    2010-01-01

    The aim of this study was to increase our insight into older employees' achievement motivation by examining the prevalence of dominant achievement goals among a "unique" group of 172 Dutch workers who remained active after their post-statutory retirement age. Moreover, we investigated how their dominant achievement goals were linked to…

  10. VVER-1000 dominance ratio

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gorodkov, S.

    2009-01-01

    Dominance ratio, or more precisely, its closeness to unity, is important characteristic of large reactor. It allows evaluate beforehand the number of source iterations required in deterministic calculations of power spatial distribution. Or the minimal number of histories to be modeled for achievement of statistical error level desired in large core Monte Carlo calculations. In this work relatively simple approach for dominance ratio evaluation is proposed. It essentially uses core symmetry. Dependence of dominance ratio on neutron flux spatial distribution is demonstrated. (author)

  11. WWER-1000 dominance ratio

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gorodkov, S.S.

    2009-01-01

    Dominance ratio, or more precisely, its closeness to unity, is important characteristic of large reactor. It allows evaluate beforehand the number of source iterations required in deterministic calculations of power spatial distribution. Or the minimal number of histories to be modeled for achievement of statistical error level desired in large core Monte Carlo calculations. In this work relatively simple approach for dominance ratio evaluation is proposed. It essentially uses core symmetry. Dependence of dominance ratio on neutron flux spatial distribution is demonstrated. (Authors)

  12. Efeito do extrato da casca de Syzygium cumini sobre a atividade da acetilcolinesterase em ratos normais e diabéticos Syzygium cumini bark extract effect on acetylcholinesterase activity in normal and diabetic rats

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    Cinthia Melazzo Mazzanti

    2004-06-01

    Full Text Available Este estudo verificou a eficiência do extrato etanólico da casca de Syzygium cumini sobre o sistema colinérgico de ratos normais e diabéticos induzidos com aloxano. Os animais foram divididos em grupo controle (C, tratado com Syzygium cumini (TS, diabético (D e diabético tratado com Syzygium cumini (DS. A atividade da acetilcolinesterase (AChE foi analisada nas seguintes estruturas cerebrais: cerebelo, córtex, estriado e hipocampo. O extrato etanólico da casca de Syzygium cumini na dose de 1g.kg-1 foi administrado diariamente por um período de trinta dias. Foi verificado após este período que o extrato inibiu a atividade da AChE no cerebelo e córtex cerebral dos ratos do grupo DS (PThe present study verified the efficiency of the bark ethanol extract of Syzygium cumini on the cholinergic system of normal and alloxan induced diabetic rats. Thirty-nine female rats were divided in control (C, treated with Syzygium cumini (TS, diabetic (D and diabetic treated with Syzygium cumini (DS. The activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE was analyzed in the following cerebral structures: cerebellum, cortex, striatum and hippocampus. The extract of the bark of Syzygium cumini in the dose of 1g.kg-1 was administered orally daily for a period of thirty days. After this period the extract inhibited the activity of the AChE in the cerebellum and cerebral cortex of the rats in the DS group (P<0.05 as, compared to TS. In the striatum there was a significant increase in the activity of the AChE in rats of the TS group (P<0.01 when compared to the C group, and in the hippocampus there was no significant variation. These results indicate that the bark extract of "Jambolão"has an inhibitory effect on AChE in the cerebellum and cerebral cortex and an stimulatory effect on striatum, indicating a possible alteration in the functionality of the cholinergic system in such cerebral structures.

  13. Profissionalização e regulação da atividade do agente comunitário de saúde no contexto da reforma sanitária Professionalization and regulation of the community health agent's activity in the context of the sanitary reform

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    Maria Helena Magalhães de Mendonça

    2004-09-01

    Full Text Available O artigo tem como tema a profissionalização da atividade do agente comunitário de saúde, no contexto das reformas sociais formuladas no processo de redemocratização do Brasil nos anos 80 e 90, com ênfase na Reforma Sanitária brasileira. O argumento central é a existência de uma relação entre projetos de renovação das práticas sociais em saúde, como a reorganização da atenção básica de saúde a partir dos Programas de Agentes Comunitários de Saúde (Pacs e Saúde da Família (PSF, e a emergência de nova categoria de trabalhador em saúde, que exige um esforço de profissionalização, entendida como educação profissional específica e regulação da atividade no mercado de trabalho em saúde. Primeiro, trabalha-se o contexto em que se definem políticas sociais de saúde como parte da constituição da cidadania social, que se baseia nos princípios da universalidade e da igualdade entre beneficiários. No segundo momento, trata-se da emergência desse novo agente, do seu papel no processo de mudança na produção da saúde e do papel do Estado na normalização de sua atuação e regulação no mercado de trabalho em saúde. Por fim, reflete-se sobre os desafios que a recente regulação da profissão traz para a formação profissional dos trabalhadores em saúde, cujo enfrentamento favorece a implementação da estratégia de Saúde da Família e auxilia na consolidação do processo de reforma social.The article deals with the professionalization of the community health agent's activity in the context of the social reforms formulated during Brazil's return to democracy in the 80s and 90s, with emphasis on the Brazilian sanitary reform. The central argument is that there is a relationship between the projects for the renovation of social practices in health - such as the reorganization of basic health care through the Programmes of Community Health Agents (Pacs and Family Health (PSF - and the emergence of a new

  14. The Putative PAX8/PPARγ Fusion Oncoprotein Exhibits Partial Tumor Suppressor Activity through Up-Regulation of Micro-RNA-122 and Dominant-Negative PPARγ Activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reddi, Honey V; Madde, Pranathi; Milosevic, Dragana; Hackbarth, Jennifer S; Algeciras-Schimnich, Alicia; McIver, Bryan; Grebe, Stefan K G; Eberhardt, Norman L

    2011-01-01

    In vitro studies have demonstrated that the PAX8/PPARγ fusion protein (PPFP), which occurs frequently in follicular thyroid carcinomas (FTC), exhibits oncogenic activity. However, paradoxically, a meta-analysis of extant tumor outcome studies indicates that 68% of FTC-expressing PPFP are minimally invasive compared to only 32% of those lacking PPFP (χ(2) = 6.86, P = 0.008), suggesting that PPFP favorably impacts FTC outcomes. In studies designed to distinguish benign thyroid neoplasms from thyroid carcinomas, the previously identified tumor suppressor miR-122, a major liver micro-RNA (miR) that is decreased in hepatocellular carcinoma, was increased 8.9-fold (P negative PPARγ mutant in WRO cells was less effective than PPFP at inhibiting xenograft tumor progression (1.8-fold [P negative PPARγ activity. Up-regulation of miR-122 negatively regulates ADAM-17, a known downstream target, in thyroid cells, suggesting an antiangiogenic mechanism in thyroid carcinoma. This latter inference is directly supported by reduced CD-31 expression in WRO xenografts expressing PPFP, miR-122, and DN-PPARγ. We conclude that, in addition to its apparent oncogenic potential in vitro, PPFP exhibits paradoxical tumor suppressor activity in vivo, mediated by multiple mechanisms including up-regulation of miR-122 and dominant-negative inhibition of PPARγ activity.

  15. Enhanced visuo-haptic integration for the non-dominant hand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yalachkov, Yavor; Kaiser, Jochen; Doehrmann, Oliver; Naumer, Marcus J

    2015-07-21

    Visuo-haptic integration contributes essentially to object shape recognition. Although there has been a considerable advance in elucidating the neural underpinnings of multisensory perception, it is still unclear whether seeing an object and exploring it with the dominant hand elicits the same brain response as compared to the non-dominant hand. Using fMRI to measure brain activation in right-handed participants, we found that for both left- and right-hand stimulation the left lateral occipital complex (LOC) and anterior cerebellum (aCER) were involved in visuo-haptic integration of familiar objects. These two brain regions were then further investigated in another study, where unfamiliar, novel objects were presented to a different group of right-handers. Here the left LOC and aCER were more strongly activated by bimodal than unimodal stimuli only when the left but not the right hand was used. A direct comparison indicated that the multisensory gain of the fMRI activation was significantly higher for the left than the right hand. These findings are in line with the principle of "inverse effectiveness", implying that processing of bimodally presented stimuli is particularly enhanced when the unimodal stimuli are weak. This applies also when right-handed subjects see and simultaneously touch unfamiliar objects with their non-dominant left hand. Thus, the fMRI signal in the left LOC and aCER induced by visuo-haptic stimulation is dependent on which hand was employed for haptic exploration. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Lactobacillus crispatus dominant vaginal microbiome is associated with inhibitory activity of female genital tract secretions against Escherichia coli.

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    Jeny P Ghartey

    Full Text Available Female genital tract secretions inhibit E. coli ex vivo and the activity may prevent colonization and provide a biomarker of a healthy microbiome. We hypothesized that high E. coli inhibitory activity would be associated with a Lactobacillus crispatus and/or jensenii dominant microbiome and differ from that of women with low inhibitory activity.Vaginal swab cell pellets from 20 samples previously obtained in a cross-sectional study of near-term pregnant and non-pregnant healthy women were selected based on having high (>90% inhibition or low (<20% inhibition anti-E. coli activity. The V6 region of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene was amplified and sequenced using the Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform. Filtered culture supernatants from Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus iners, and Gardnerella vaginalis were also assayed for E. coli inhibitory activity.Sixteen samples (10 with high and 6 with low activity yielded evaluable microbiome data. There was no difference in the predominant microbiome species in pregnant compared to non-pregnant women (n = 8 each. However, there were significant differences between women with high compared to low E. coli inhibitory activity. High activity was associated with a predominance of L. crispatus (p<0.007 and culture supernatants from L. crispatus exhibited greater E. coli inhibitory activity compared to supernatants obtained from L. iners or G. vaginalis. Notably, the E. coli inhibitory activity varied among different strains of L. crispatus.Microbiome communities with abundant L. crispatus likely contribute to the E. coli inhibitory activity of vaginal secretions and efforts to promote this environment may prevent E. coli colonization and related sequelae including preterm birth.

  17. Heterologous expression and characterisation of the Aspergillus aspartic protease involved in the hydrolysis and decolorisation of red-pigmented proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takenaka, Shinji; Umeda, Mayo; Senba, Hisanori; Koyama, Dai; Tanaka, Kosei; Yoshida, Ken-Ichi; Doi, Mikiharu

    2017-01-01

    Aspergillus repens strain MK82 produces an aspartic protease (PepA_MK82) that efficiently decolorises red-pigmented proteins during dried bonito fermentation. However, further expansion of the industrial applications of PepA_MK82 requires the high-level production and efficient preparation of the recombinant enzyme. The genomic DNA and cDNA fragments encoding the protease were cloned from strain MK82 and sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis of PepA_MK82 and comparisons with previously reported fungal aspartic proteases showed that PepA_MK 82 clusters with different groups of these enzymes. Heterologous expression of PepA_MK82 in Pichia pastoris yielded preparations of higher purity than obtained with an Escherichia coli expression system. Total protease activity in a 100-mL culture of the P. pastoris transformant was 14 times higher than that from an equivalent culture of A. repense MK82. The recombinant PepA_MK82 was easily obtained via acetone precipitation; the final recovery was 83%. PepA_MK82 and its recombinant had similar characteristics in terms of their optimal pH, thermostability, and decolorisation activity. The recombinant was also able to decolorise flaked, dried bonito and to bleach a blood-stained cloth. Given its ability to hydrolyse and decolorise red-pigmented proteins, recombinant PepA_MK8 can be exploited in the food industry and as a stain-removal agent in laundry applications. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

  18. Arquitetura da paisagem da cidade e a importância da sistematização da análise do problema projetual

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    Rodrigo Gonçalves dos Santos

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Com este artigo pretende-se levantar os conceitos próprios da atividade da Arquitetura Paisagística encarando-a como disciplina projetual e associando-a ao Design Ambiental, necessitando, assim, de linhas metodológicas específicas para apresentação de soluções coerentes aos problemas paisagísticos. Sob esta ótica, reflexões sobre o uso da vegetação no projeto dos espaços exteriores são apresentadas apontando-se uma etapa de sistematização da análise do problema de projeto, dentro da abordagem da concepção de uma metodologia projetual em arquitetura paisagística. Também foram analisadas oito vias de circulação da área central de Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brasil, exemplificando uma etapa de sistematização da análise do problema de projeto.

  19. Downhill Domination in Graphs

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    Haynes Teresa W.

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available A path π = (v1, v2, . . . , vk+1 in a graph G = (V,E is a downhill path if for every i, 1 ≤ i ≤ k, deg(vi ≥ deg(vi+1, where deg(vi denotes the degree of vertex vi ∈ V. The downhill domination number equals the minimum cardinality of a set S ⊆ V having the property that every vertex v ∈ V lies on a downhill path originating from some vertex in S. We investigate downhill domination numbers of graphs and give upper bounds. In particular, we show that the downhill domination number of a graph is at most half its order, and that the downhill domination number of a tree is at most one third its order. We characterize the graphs obtaining each of these bounds

  20. Is there any relationship between right and left hand dominance and right and left nasal airflow dominance?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Price, A; Eccles, R

    2017-10-01

    Left- or right-handedness is a common human trait, and it has been previously reported that human nasal airflow dominance correlates with hand dominance. Any relationship between hand dominance and nasal airflow dominance would be unusual. This study aimed to measure nasal airflow and look for any relationship to handedness. The modified Glatzel mirror was used to record the dominant nasal passage at 15-minute intervals over a 6-hour period in 29 healthy participants consisting of 15 left-handers and 14 right-handers. In left-handers, the percentage of time that the left nasal passage was dominant ranged from 0 to 100 per cent. In right-handers, the percentage of time that the right nasal passage was dominant ranged from 4.2 to 95.8 per cent. No correlation between nasal airflow dominance and hand dominance was identified. The results do not support the hypothesis that nasal airflow and handedness are related.

  1. Determination of hemispheric dominance with mental rotation using functional transcranial Doppler sonography and FMRI.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hattemer, Katja; Plate, Annika; Heverhagen, Johannes T; Haag, Anja; Keil, Boris; Klein, Karl Martin; Hermsen, Anke; Oertel, Wolfgang H; Hamer, Hajo M; Rosenow, Felix; Knake, Susanne

    2011-01-01

    the aim of this study was to investigate specific activation patterns and potential gender differences during mental rotation and to investigate whether functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and functional transcranial Doppler sonography (fTCD) lateralize hemispheric dominance concordantly. regional brain activation and hemispheric dominance during mental rotation (cube perspective test) were investigated in 10 female and 10 male healthy subjects using fMRI and fTCD. significant activation was found in the superior parietal lobe, at the parieto-occipital border, in the middle and superior frontal gyrus bilaterally, and the right inferior frontal gyrus using fMRI. Men showed a stronger lateralization to the right hemisphere during fMRI and a tendency toward stronger right-hemispheric activation during fTCD. Furthermore, more activation in frontal and parieto-occipital regions of the right hemisphere was observed using fMRI. Hemispheric dominance for mental rotation determined by the 2 methods correlated well (P= .008), but did not show concordant results in every single subject. the neural basis of mental rotation depends on a widespread bilateral network. Hemispheric dominance for mental rotation determined by fMRI and fTCD, though correlating well, is not always concordant. Hemispheric lateralization of complex cortical functions such as spatial rotation therefore should be investigated using multimodal imaging approaches, especially if used clinically as a tool for the presurgical evaluation of patients undergoing neurosurgery. Copyright © 2009 by the American Society of Neuroimaging.

  2. Dominance relationships in Syrian hamsters modulate neuroendocrine and behavioral responses to social stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dulka, Brooke N; Koul-Tiwari, Richa; Grizzell, J Alex; Harvey, Marquinta L; Datta, Subimal; Cooper, Matthew A

    2018-06-22

    Stress is a well-known risk factor for psychopathology and rodent models of social defeat have strong face, etiological, construct and predictive validity for these conditions. Syrian hamsters are highly aggressive and territorial, but after an acute social defeat experience they become submissive and no longer defend their home territory, even from a smaller, non-aggressive intruder. This defeat-induced change in social behavior is called conditioned defeat (CD). We have shown that dominant hamsters show increased neural activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) following social defeat stress and exhibit a reduced CD response at social interaction testing compared to subordinates. Although the vmPFC can inhibit the neuroendocrine stress response, it is unknown whether dominants and subordinates differ in stress-induced activity of the extended hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Here, we show that, following acute social defeat, dominants exhibit decreased submissive and defensive behavior compared to subordinates but do not differ from subordinates or social status controls (SSCs) in defeat-induced cortisol concentrations. Furthermore, both dominants and SSCs show greater corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) mRNA expression in the basolateral/central amygdala compared to subordinates, while there was no effect of social status on CRH mRNA expression in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus or bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Overall, status-dependent differences in the CD response do not appear linked to changes in stress-induced cortisol concentrations or CRH gene expression, which is consistent with the view that stress resilience is not a lack of a physiological stress response but the addition of stress coping mechanisms. Lay summary Dominant hamsters show resistance to the behavioral effects of acute social defeat compared to subordinates, but it is unclear whether social status modulates the neuroendocrine stress response

  3. DREAM Controls the On/Off Switch of Specific Activity-Dependent Transcription Pathways

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mellström, Britt; Sahún, Ignasi; Ruiz-Nuño, Ana; Murtra, Patricia; Gomez-Villafuertes, Rosa; Savignac, Magali; Oliveros, Juan C.; Gonzalez, Paz; Kastanauskaite, Asta; Knafo, Shira; Zhuo, Min; Higuera-Matas, Alejandro; Errington, Michael L.; Maldonado, Rafael; DeFelipe, Javier; Jefferys, John G. R.; Bliss, Tim V. P.; Dierssen, Mara

    2014-01-01

    Changes in nuclear Ca2+ homeostasis activate specific gene expression programs and are central to the acquisition and storage of information in the brain. DREAM (downstream regulatory element antagonist modulator), also known as calsenilin/KChIP-3 (K+ channel interacting protein 3), is a Ca2+-binding protein that binds DNA and represses transcription in a Ca2+-dependent manner. To study the function of DREAM in the brain, we used transgenic mice expressing a Ca2+-insensitive/CREB-independent dominant active mutant DREAM (daDREAM). Using genome-wide analysis, we show that DREAM regulates the expression of specific activity-dependent transcription factors in the hippocampus, including Npas4, Nr4a1, Mef2c, JunB, and c-Fos. Furthermore, DREAM regulates its own expression, establishing an autoinhibitory feedback loop to terminate activity-dependent transcription. Ablation of DREAM does not modify activity-dependent transcription because of gene compensation by the other KChIP family members. The expression of daDREAM in the forebrain resulted in a complex phenotype characterized by loss of recurrent inhibition and enhanced long-term potentiation (LTP) in the dentate gyrus and impaired learning and memory. Our results indicate that DREAM is a major master switch transcription factor that regulates the on/off status of specific activity-dependent gene expression programs that control synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory. PMID:24366545

  4. Effect of a New Prokinetic Agent DA-9701 Formulated with Corydalis Tuber and Pharbitidis Semen on Cytochrome P450 and UDP-Glucuronosyltransferase Enzyme Activities in Human Liver Microsomes

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    Hye Young Ji

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available DA-9701 is a new botanical drug composed of the extracts of Corydalis tuber and Pharbitidis semen, and it is used as an oral therapy for the treatment of functional dyspepsia in Korea. The inhibitory potentials of DA-9701 and its component herbs, Corydalis tuber and Pharbitidis semen, on the activities of seven major human cytochrome P450 (CYP enzymes and four UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT enzymes in human liver microsomes were investigated using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. DA-9701 and Corydalis tuber extract slightly inhibited UGT1A1-mediated etoposide glucuronidation, with 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50 values of 188 and 290 μg/mL, respectively. DA-9701 inhibited CYP2D6-catalyzed bufuralol 1′-hydroxylation with an inhibition constant (Ki value of 6.3 μg/mL in a noncompetitive manner. Corydalis tuber extract competitively inhibited CYP2D6-mediated bufuralol 1′-hydroxylation, with a Ki value of 3.7 μg/mL, whereas Pharbitidis semen extract showed no inhibition. The volume in which the dose could be diluted to generate an IC50 equivalent concentration (volume per dose index value of DA-9701 for inhibition of CYP2D6 activity was 1.16 L/dose, indicating that DA-9701 may not be a potent CYP2D6 inhibitor. Further clinical studies are warranted to evaluate the in vivo extent of the observed in vitro interactions.

  5. Filament identification and dominance of Eikelboom Type 0092 in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In order of prevalence, the five most common dominant filament species in 96 activated sludge samples were: Eikelboom Type 0092, Eikelboom Type 1851, nocardioforms, Microthrix parvicella and Eikelboom Type 021N. In order to compile a statistically significant database, it is recommended that an extensive nationwide ...

  6. The Pea SAD Short-Chain Dehydrogenase/Reductase: Quinone Reduction, Tissue Distribution, and Heterologous Expression1[W][OA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scherbak, Nikolai; Ala-Häivälä, Anneli; Brosché, Mikael; Böwer, Nathalie; Strid, Hilja; Gittins, John R.; Grahn, Elin; Eriksson, Leif A.; Strid, Åke

    2011-01-01

    The pea (Pisum sativum) tetrameric short-chain alcohol dehydrogenase-like protein (SAD) family consists of at least three highly similar members (SAD-A, -B, and -C). According to mRNA data, environmental stimuli induce SAD expression. The aim of this study was to characterize the SAD proteins by examining their catalytic function, distribution in pea, and induction in different tissues. In enzyme activity assays using a range of potential substrates, the SAD-C enzyme was shown to reduce one- or two-ring-membered quinones lacking long hydrophobic hydrocarbon tails. Immunological assays using a specific antiserum against the protein demonstrated that different tissues and cell types contain small amounts of SAD protein that was predominantly located within epidermal or subepidermal cells and around vascular tissue. Particularly high local concentrations were observed in the protoderm of the seed cotyledonary axis. Two bow-shaped rows of cells in the ovary and the placental surface facing the ovule also exhibited considerable SAD staining. Ultraviolet-B irradiation led to increased staining in epidermal and subepidermal cells of leaves and stems. The different localization patterns of SAD suggest functions both in development and in responses to environmental stimuli. Finally, the pea SAD-C promoter was shown to confer heterologous wound-induced expression in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), which confirmed that the inducibility of its expression is regulated at the transcriptional level. PMID:21343423

  7. Improving L-arabinose utilization of pentose fermenting Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells by heterologous expression of L-arabinose transporting sugar transporters

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    Boles Eckhard

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Hydrolysates of plant biomass used for the production of lignocellulosic biofuels typically contain sugar mixtures consisting mainly of D-glucose and D-xylose, and minor amounts of L-arabinose. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the preferred microorganism for the fermentative production of ethanol but is not able to ferment pentose sugars. Although D-xylose and L-arabinose fermenting S. cerevisiae strains have been constructed recently, pentose uptake is still a limiting step in mixed sugar fermentations. Results Here we described the cloning and characterization of two sugar transporters, AraT from the yeast Scheffersomyces stipitis and Stp2 from the plant Arabidopsis thaliana, which mediate the uptake of L-arabinose but not of D-glucose into S. cerevisiae cells. A yeast strain lacking all of its endogenous hexose transporter genes and expressing a bacterial L-arabinose utilization pathway could no longer take up and grow with L-arabinose as the only carbon source. Expression of the heterologous transporters supported uptake and utilization of L-arabinose especially at low L-arabinose concentrations but did not, or only very weakly, support D-glucose uptake and utilization. In contrast, the S. cerevisiae D-galactose transporter, Gal2, mediated uptake of both L-arabinose and D-glucose, especially at high concentrations. Conclusions Using a newly developed screening system we have identified two heterologous sugar transporters from a yeast and a plant which can support uptake and utilization of L-arabinose in L-arabinose fermenting S. cerevisiae cells, especially at low L-arabinose concentrations.

  8. Circulações, dramáticas, eficácias da atividade industriosa Circulations, "dramatics", efficacies of the industrious activity

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    Yves Schwartz

    2004-03-01

    Full Text Available O artigo trata da relação entre uma certa abordagem do trabalho (como "atividade industriosa" e o manejo dos coeficientes essenciais da gestão econômica e social. É sugerida a necessidade de os reproblematizar profundamente a partir das dificuldades suscitadas de maneira crescente no setor dito de "serviços". Deste ponto de vista, o crescimento dos serviços poderia ser a oportunidade de repensar, em geral, o modo de fabricação dos coeficientes gestionários. A utilização da noção de atividade exigia, naturalmente, uma breve investigação sobre a história deste conceito, essencialmente a partir da sua utilização ambivalente por Marx. Enfim, desenvolve-se no texto a idéia de "valores sem dimensões", na medida em que a articulação - sempre a renegociar e de maneira altamente problemática - entre valores quantificáveis e tais valores (que operam inicialmente num universo estrangeiro aos instrumentos de medida, nos parece um ponto crítico essencial da matriz da historicidade do espaço social. E nós reencontramos aí os desafios diretamente operatórios de tais interrogações conceituais: qual impacto na gestão que experimentam formas renovadas de construção de coeficientes econômicos, ao considerar essas "negociações complexas de eficácia-eficiência"?This article deals with the relationship between a certain approach to work (as "industrious activity" and the manipulation of the essential coefficients of economic and social management. We suggest that there is a need to equate these two things more deeply because of the difficulties that are increasingly appearing in the so-called "service sector". From this point of view, the growth of services could be an opportunity to generally rethink the way management coefficients are designed. Clearly, in order to make use of the notion of activity it will be necessary to carry out a brief investigation of the history of this concept, particularly after its ambivalent use by

  9. Heterologous expression of Ralp3 in Streptococcus pyogenes M2 and M6 strains affects the virulence characteristics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siemens, Nikolai; Kreikemeyer, Bernd

    2013-01-01

    Ralp3 is a transcriptional regulator present in a serotype specific fashion on the chromosome of the human pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes (group A streptococci, GAS). In serotypes harbouring the ralp3 gene either positive or negative effects on important metabolic and virulence genes involved in colonization and immune evasion in the human host were observed. A previous study revealed that deletion of ralp3 in a GAS M49 serotype significantly attenuated many virulence traits and caused metabolic disadvantages. This leads to two questions: (i) which kind of consequences could Ralp3 expression have in GAS serotypes naturally lacking this gene, and (ii) is Ralp3 actively lost during evolution in these serotypes. We investigated the role of Ralp3 in GAS M2 and M6 pathogenesis. Both serotypes lack ralp3 on their chromosome. The heterologous expression of ralp3 in both serotypes resulted in reduced attachment to and internalization into the majority of tested epithelial cells. Both ralp3 expression strains showed a decreased ability to survive in human blood and exclusively M2::ralp3 showed decreased survival in human serum. Both mutants secreted more active SpeB in the supernatant, resulting in a higher activity compared to wild type strains. The respective M2 and M6 wild type strains outcompeted the ralp3 expression strains in direct metabolic competition assays. The phenotypic changes observed in the M2:ralp3 and M6:ralp3 were verified on the transcriptional level. Consistent with the virulence data, tested genes showed transcript level changes in the same direction. Together these data suggest that Ralp3 can take over transcriptional control of virulence genes in serotypes lacking the ralp3 gene. Those serotypes most likely lost Ralp3 during evolution since obviously expression of this gene is disadvantageous for metabolism and pathogenesis.

  10. Heterologous Expression and Biochemical Characterization of Two Lipoxygenases in Oriental Melon, Cucumis melo var. makuwa Makino.

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    Songxiao Cao

    Full Text Available Lipoxygenases (LOXs are a class of non-heme iron-containing dioxygenases that catalyse oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids to produce hydroperoxidation that are in turn converted to oxylipins. Although multiple isoforms of LOXs have been detected in several plants, LOXs in oriental melon have not attracted much attention. Two full-length LOX cDNA clones, CmLOX10 and CmLOX13 which have been isolated from oriental melon (Cucumis melo var. makuwa Makino cultivar "Yumeiren", encode 902 and 906 amino acids, respectively. Bioinformatics analysis showed that CmLOX10 and CmLOX13 included all of the typical LOX domains and shared 58.11% identity at the amino acid level with each other. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that CmLOX10 and CmLOX13 were members of the type 2 13-LOX subgroup which are known to be involved in biotic and abiotic stress. Heterologous expression of the full-length CmLOX10 and truncated CmLOX13 in Escherichia coli revealed that the encoded exogenous proteins were identical to the predicted molecular weights and possessed the lipoxygenase activities. The purified CmLOX10 and CmLOX13 recombinant enzymes exhibited maximum activity at different temperature and pH and both had higher affinity for linoleic acid than linolenic acid. Chromatogram analysis of reaction products from the CmLOX10 and CmLOX13 enzyme reaction revealed that both enzymes produced 13S-hydroperoxides when linoleic acid was used as substrate. Furthermore, the subcellular localization analysis by transient expression of the two LOX fusion proteins in tobacco leaves showed that CmLOX10 and CmLOX13 proteins were located in plasma membrane and chloroplasts respectively. We propose that the two lipoxygenases may play different functions in oriental melon during plant growth and development.

  11. On The Roman Domination Stable Graphs

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    Hajian Majid

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available A Roman dominating function (or just RDF on a graph G = (V,E is a function f : V → {0, 1, 2} satisfying the condition that every vertex u for which f(u = 0 is adjacent to at least one vertex v for which f(v = 2. The weight of an RDF f is the value f(V (G = Pu2V (G f(u. The Roman domination number of a graph G, denoted by R(G, is the minimum weight of a Roman dominating function on G. A graph G is Roman domination stable if the Roman domination number of G remains unchanged under removal of any vertex. In this paper we present upper bounds for the Roman domination number in the class of Roman domination stable graphs, improving bounds posed in [V. Samodivkin, Roman domination in graphs: the class RUV R, Discrete Math. Algorithms Appl. 8 (2016 1650049].

  12. Functional expression of a heterologous nickel-dependent, ATP-independent urease in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milne, N; Luttik, M A H; Cueto Rojas, H F; Wahl, A; van Maris, A J A; Pronk, J T; Daran, J M

    2015-07-01

    In microbial processes for production of proteins, biomass and nitrogen-containing commodity chemicals, ATP requirements for nitrogen assimilation affect product yields on the energy producing substrate. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a current host for heterologous protein production and potential platform for production of nitrogen-containing chemicals, uptake and assimilation of ammonium requires 1 ATP per incorporated NH3. Urea assimilation by this yeast is more energy efficient but still requires 0.5 ATP per NH3 produced. To decrease ATP costs for nitrogen assimilation, the S. cerevisiae gene encoding ATP-dependent urease (DUR1,2) was replaced by a Schizosaccharomyces pombe gene encoding ATP-independent urease (ure2), along with its accessory genes ureD, ureF and ureG. Since S. pombe ure2 is a Ni(2+)-dependent enzyme and Saccharomyces cerevisiae does not express native Ni(2+)-dependent enzymes, the S. pombe high-affinity nickel-transporter gene (nic1) was also expressed. Expression of the S. pombe genes into dur1,2Δ S. cerevisiae yielded an in vitro ATP-independent urease activity of 0.44±0.01 µmol min(-1) mg protein(-1) and restored growth on urea as sole nitrogen source. Functional expression of the Nic1 transporter was essential for growth on urea at low Ni(2+) concentrations. The maximum specific growth rates of the engineered strain on urea and ammonium were lower than those of a DUR1,2 reference strain. In glucose-limited chemostat cultures with urea as nitrogen source, the engineered strain exhibited an increased release of ammonia and reduced nitrogen content of the biomass. Our results indicate a new strategy for improving yeast-based production of nitrogen-containing chemicals and demonstrate that Ni(2+)-dependent enzymes can be functionally expressed in S. cerevisiae. Copyright © 2015 International Metabolic Engineering Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Adequação de modelo aditivo-dominante em dois caracteres de crotalária: aditive-dominant in two traits of sunn hemp Adequacy of the model

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    Manoel Albino Coelho de Miranda

    1991-01-01

    Full Text Available Partindo do pressuposto de que as médias das populações parentais, das segregantes (F2 e retrocruzamento e da híbrida (F1, poderiam ser expressas em termos da média dos parentais (m, do efeito aditivo (a e do efeito de dominância (d, avaliou-se esse modelo pelos testes de escala individual e pelo de escala conjunta, em populações derivadas do cruzamento de duas linhagens endogâmicas de crotalária (Crotalaría juncea L, para a produtividade de sementes e altura de planta. No Centro Experimental de Campinas, em 1990, as plantas foram distribuídas individualmente ao acaso na presença de insetos polinizadores. Concluiu-se que o modelo foi perfeitamente compatível aos dados de produção, não se verificando o mesmo ajustamento para os resultados de altura de planta. A estimativa do efeito de dominância para a produtividade de sementes, calculada através dos quadrados mínimos, foi nove vezes maior que o efeito aditivo. Esses resultados abrem a perspectiva da exploração do vigor de híbrido em crotalária, desde que haja possibilidade de controle da polinização através de mecanismos genéticos.It was assumed that the means of segregate and parental populations could be expressed in terms of the mean, additive and dominant effects. This assumption was evaluated through the individual scale test proposed by Mather, and the set scale test idealized by Cavalli, to the following characteristics: seed yield and plant height. The segregates were derived from crosses between two pure lines. The experiment was carried out in 1990, in field conditions at the Campinas Experimental Center of the Agronomic Institute in Campinas, State of São Paulo, Brazil. The results showed that the model was suitable to the seed yield but the same adjustment was not verified for plant height data. The estimation of dominant effect, calculated through the minimum square method, was nine times larger than the additive effect. These results open the prospects

  14. Mutations in POGLUT1, Encoding Protein O-Glucosyltransferase 1, Cause Autosomal-Dominant Dowling-Degos Disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basmanav, F. Buket; Oprisoreanu, Ana-Maria; Pasternack, Sandra M.; Thiele, Holger; Fritz, Günter; Wenzel, Jörg; Größer, Leopold; Wehner, Maria; Wolf, Sabrina; Fagerberg, Christina; Bygum, Anette; Altmüller, Janine; Rütten, Arno; Parmentier, Laurent; El Shabrawi-Caelen, Laila; Hafner, Christian; Nürnberg, Peter; Kruse, Roland; Schoch, Susanne; Hanneken, Sandra; Betz, Regina C.

    2014-01-01

    Dowling-Degos disease (DDD) is an autosomal-dominant genodermatosis characterized by progressive and disfiguring reticulate hyperpigmentation. We previously identified loss-of-function mutations in KRT5 but were only able to detect pathogenic mutations in fewer than half of our subjects. To identify additional causes of DDD, we performed exome sequencing in five unrelated affected individuals without mutations in KRT5. Data analysis identified three heterozygous mutations from these individuals, all within the same gene. These mutations, namely c.11G>A (p.Trp4∗), c.652C>T (p.Arg218∗), and c.798-2A>C, are within POGLUT1, which encodes protein O-glucosyltransferase 1. Further screening of unexplained cases for POGLUT1 identified six additional mutations, as well as two of the above described mutations. Immunohistochemistry of skin biopsies of affected individuals with POGLUT1 mutations showed significantly weaker POGLUT1 staining in comparison to healthy controls with strong localization of POGLUT1 in the upper parts of the epidermis. Immunoblot analysis revealed that translation of either wild-type (WT) POGLUT1 or of the protein carrying the p.Arg279Trp substitution led to the expected size of about 50 kDa, whereas the c.652C>T (p.Arg218∗) mutation led to translation of a truncated protein of about 30 kDa. Immunofluorescence analysis identified a colocalization of the WT protein with the endoplasmic reticulum and a notable aggregating pattern for the truncated protein. Recently, mutations in POFUT1, which encodes protein O-fucosyltransferase 1, were also reported to be responsible for DDD. Interestingly, both POGLUT1 and POFUT1 are essential regulators of Notch activity. Our results furthermore emphasize the important role of the Notch pathway in pigmentation and keratinocyte morphology. PMID:24387993

  15. A note on isolate domination

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    Ismail Sahul Hamid

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available A set $S$ of vertices of a graph $G$ such that $\\left\\langle S\\right\\rangle$ has an isolated vertex is called an \\emph{isolate set} of $G$. The minimum and maximum cardinality of a maximal isolate set are called the \\emph{isolate number} $i_0(G$ and the \\emph{upper isolate number} $I_0(G$ respectively. An isolate set that is also a dominating set (an irredundant set is an $\\emph{isolate dominating set} \\ (\\emph{an isolate irredundant set}$. The \\emph{isolate domination number} $\\gamma_0(G$ and the \\emph{upper isolate domination number} $\\Gamma_0(G$ are respectively the minimum and maximum cardinality of a minimal isolate dominating set while the \\emph{isolate irredundance number} $ir_0(G$ and the \\emph{upper isolate irredundance number} $IR_0(G$ are the minimum and maximum cardinality of a maximal isolate irredundant set of $G$. The notion of isolate domination was introduced in \\cite{sb} and the remaining were introduced in \\cite{isrn}. This paper further extends a study of these parameters.   

  16. Effect of b-Propiolactone treatment on the complement activation mediated by equine antisera

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    Rosalvo GUIDOLIN

    1997-03-01

    Full Text Available Reduction of complement activation through an alteration of the Fc fragment of immunoglobulins by b-propiolactone treatment was carried out in equine antisera raised against rabies virus, Bothrops venoms and diphtherial toxin. Results were evaluated by means of an anaphylactic test performed on guinea-pigs, and compared to the ones obtained with the same sera purified by saline precipitation (ammonium sulfate, followed or not by enzymatic digestion with pepsin. Protein purity levels for antibothropic serum were 184.5 mg/g and 488.5 mg/g in b-propiolactone treated and pepsin-digested sera, respectively. The recovery of specific activity was 100% and 62.5% when using antibothropic serum treated by b-propiolactone and pepsin digestion, respectively. The antidiphtherial and anti-rabies sera treated with b-propiolactone and pepsin presented protein purity levels of 5,698 and 7,179 Lf/g, 16,233 and 6,784 IU/g, respectively. The recovery of specific activity for these antisera were 88.8%, 77.7%, 100% and 36,5%, respectively. b-propiolactone treatment induced a reduction in complement activation, tested "in vivo", without significant loss of biological activity. This treatment can be used in the preparation of heterologous immunoglobulins for human use.Efeito do tratamento de antissoros equinos pela b-propiolactona na ativação do complemento. A redução da ativação do complemento através de uma alteração do fragmento Fc das imunoglobulinas pela b-propiolactona foi obtida em soros hiperimunes equinos antivirus rábico, venenos Bothrops e toxina diftérica. Os resultados foram avaliados por teste de anafilaxia em cobaias, e comparados com aqueles obtidos com os mesmos soros purificados por precipitação salina (sulfato de amônio, seguidos ou não por digestão enzimática com pepsina. Os níveis de pureza protéica foram para o soro antibotrópico de 184.5 mg/g e 488.5 mg/g tratado pela b-propiolactona e digeridos pela pepsina, respectivamente

  17. Study of HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibition Activity of the Hydrolyzed Product of Snakehead Fish (Channa striata) Skin Collagen with 50 kDa Collagenase from Bacillus licheniformis F11.4.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Virginia, Agnes; Rachmawati, Heni; Riani, Catur; Retnoningrum, Debbie S

    2016-01-01

    Bioactive peptides produced from enzymatic hydrolysis fibrous protein have been proven to have several biological activities. Previous study showed that the hydrolysis product of snakehead fish skin collagen with 26 kDa collagenase from Bacillus licheniformis F11.4 showed HMG-CoA (HMGR) inhibition activity. The aim of this research was to determine the ability of the hydrolysis product produced from snakehead fish skin collagen hydrolysed by 50 kDa collagenase from B. licheniformis F11.4 in inhibiting HMGR activity. Snakehead fish skin collagen was extracted using an acid method and collagenase was produced from B. licheniformis F11.4 using half-strength Luria Bertani (LB) medium containing 5% collagen. Crude collagenase was concentrated and fractionated using the DEAE Sephadex A-25 column eluted with increasing gradient concentrations of NaCl. Collagen, collagenase, and fractions were analyzed using SDS-PAGE and collagenolytic activity was analyzed by the zymography method. Collagenase with 50 kDa molecular weight presented in fraction one was used to hydrolyze the collagen. The reaction was done in 18 hours at 50°C. The hydrolysis product using 3.51 μg collagen and 9 ng collagenase showed 25.8% inhibition activity against pravastatin. This work shows for the first time that the hydrolysis product of snakehead fish skin collagen and 50 kDa collagenase from B. licheniformis F11.4 has potential as an anticholesterol agent.

  18. Synthesis of Greedy Algorithms Using Dominance Relations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nedunuri, Srinivas; Smith, Douglas R.; Cook, William R.

    2010-01-01

    Greedy algorithms exploit problem structure and constraints to achieve linear-time performance. Yet there is still no completely satisfactory way of constructing greedy algorithms. For example, the Greedy Algorithm of Edmonds depends upon translating a problem into an algebraic structure called a matroid, but the existence of such a translation can be as hard to determine as the existence of a greedy algorithm itself. An alternative characterization of greedy algorithms is in terms of dominance relations, a well-known algorithmic technique used to prune search spaces. We demonstrate a process by which dominance relations can be methodically derived for a number of greedy algorithms, including activity selection, and prefix-free codes. By incorporating our approach into an existing framework for algorithm synthesis, we demonstrate that it could be the basis for an effective engineering method for greedy algorithms. We also compare our approach with other characterizations of greedy algorithms.

  19. fMRI activation in the middle frontal gyrus as an indicator of hemispheric dominance for language in brain tumor patients: a comparison with Broca's area.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Jian W; Brennan, Nicole M Petrovich; Izzo, Giana; Peck, Kyung K; Holodny, Andrei I

    2016-05-01

    Functional MRI (fMRI) can assess language lateralization in brain tumor patients; however, this can be limited if the primary language area-Broca's area (BA)-is affected by the tumor. We hypothesized that the middle frontal gyrus (MFG) can be used as a clinical indicator of hemispheric dominance for language during presurgical workup. Fifty-two right-handed subjects with solitary left-hemispheric primary brain tumors were retrospectively studied. Subjects performed a verbal fluency task during fMRI. The MFG was compared to BA for fMRI voxel activation, language laterality index (LI), and the effect of tumor grade on the LI. Language fMRI (verbal fluency) activated more voxels in MFG than in BA (MFG = 315, BA = 216, p hemispheric MFG and BA were positively correlated (r = 0.69, p hemispheric dominance for language using a measure of verbal fluency and may be an adjunct measure in the clinical determination of language laterality for presurgical planning.

  20. A utilização da teoria da aprendizagem significativa no ensino da Enfermagem

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alana Tamar Oliveira de Sousa

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available RESUMOObjetivo:sintetizar a produção científica acerca da Teoria da Aprendizagem Significativa no processo de ensino-aprendizagem em Enfermagem.Método:revisão integrativa realizada nas bases de dados MEDLINE, LILACS, SciELO, BDENF e CINAHL, com artigos que abordaram a temática ou aspectos da teoria da aprendizagem significativa de David Ausubel. Fizeram parte da amostra dez artigos, sendo seis escritos no idioma português e quatro no inglês, publicados de 1998 a 2013.Resultados:cinco artigos fizeram alusão à Teoria da Aprendizagem Significativa, quatro citaram Ausubel como autor dessa teoria e apenas dois seguiram a estrutura para a aplicação da teoria completamente. Há escassez de estudos sobre o tema e os que o abordam não o correlacionam com a teoria de Ausubel.Conclusão:faz-se necessário romper com a dicotomia entre teoria e prática e promover a articulação dos conteúdos com a ação, introduzindo o aluno como autor de seu próprio conhecimento.