Food vacuole-associated lipid bodies and heterogeneous lipid environments in the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum

The malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum induces a sixfold increase in the phospholipid content of infected erythrocytes during its intraerythrocytic growth. We have characterized the lipid environments in parasitized erythrocyte using the hydrophobic probe, Nile Red. Spectral imaging with a confocal microscope revealed heterogeneous lipid environments in parasite-infected erythrocytes. An insight into the nature of these environments was gained by comparing these spectra with those of triacylglycerol/phospholipid emulsions and phospholipid membranes. Using this approach, we identified a population of intensely stained particles of a few hundred nanometers in size that are closely associated with the digestive vacuole of the parasite and appear to be composed of neutral lipids. Electron microscopy and isolation of food vacuoles confirmed the size of these particles and their intimate association respectively. Lipid analysis suggests that these neutral lipid bodies are composed of di- and triacylgycerols and may represent storage organelles for lipid intermediates that are generated during digestion of phospholipids in the food vacuole. Mono-, di- and triacylglycerol suspensions promote beta-haematin formation, suggesting that these neutral lipid bodies, or their precursors, may also be involved in haem detoxification. We also characterized other compartments of the infected erythrocyte that were stained less intensely with the Nile Red probe. Both the erythrocyte membrane and the parasite membrane network exhibit red shifts compared with the neutral lipid bodies that are consistent with cholesterol-rich and cholesterol-poor membranes respectively. Ratiometric imaging revealed more subtle variations in the lipid environments within the parasite membrane network.     

周期性静水压对人软骨细胞活性的时间依赖性影响

目的：目前软骨细胞体外研究多为动物模型,本研究以正常成人软骨细胞研究对象,探讨在适当强度、类型的周期性静水压下不同持续时间对软骨细胞活性的影响,探究人软骨细胞体外培养、构建组织工程软骨合适的时间参数。方法：将体外培养的正常成人膝关节软骨第3代软骨细胞随机分为4组：4h组、8h组、12h组、对照组。应用高压恒温静水压加压系统,充入含有95％的空气和5％的CO2混合气体,以2MPa压力大小对3个实验组进行周期性加压,分别每天加压4h、8h、12h,三组加压时间均为10d。10d后倒置相差显微镜下观察4组细胞形态,甲苯胺蓝及II型胶原免疫细胞化学染色进行细胞鉴定,并对II型胶原免疫细胞化学染色行半定量分析。MTT法分析各组软骨细胞增殖情况,流式细胞术检测细胞凋亡率。结果：3个实验组细胞增殖均快于对照组（P〈0．05）,与对照组相比4h组、8h组均抑制凋亡,12h组促进凋亡。12h组第6代细胞开始细胞形态即逐渐发生改变。结论：软骨细胞的增殖和凋亡水平对静水压的作用时间具有依赖性。在2MPa静水压力下,8h组更适合细胞生长,细胞活性更强。为进一步构建组织工程软骨人类模型及组织工程软骨的临床应用提供了一定的实验基础。     

A family of intermediate filament‐like proteins is sequentially assembled into the cytoskeleton of Toxoplasma gondii

The intracellular protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii divides by a unique process of internal budding that involves the assembly of two daughter cells within the mother. The cytoskeleton of Toxoplasma, which is composed of microtubules associated with an inner membrane complex (IMC), has an important role in this process. The IMC, which is directly under the plasma membrane, contains a set of flattened membranous sacs lined on the cytoplasmic side by a network of filamentous proteins. This network contains a family of intermediate filament‐like proteins or IMC proteins. In order to elucidate the division process, we have characterized a 14‐member subfamily of Toxoplasma IMC proteins that share a repeat motif found in proteins associated with the cortical alveoli in all alveolates. By creating fluorescent protein fusion reporters for the family members we determined the spatiotemporal patterns of all 14 IMC proteins through tachyzoite development. This revealed several distinct distribution patterns and some provide the basis for novel structural models such as the assembly of certain family members into the basal complex. Furthermore we identified IMC15 as an early marker of budding and, lastly, the dynamic patterns observed throughout cytokinesis provide a timeline for daughter parasite development and division.     

Crystal, solution and in silico structural studies of dihydrodipicolinate synthase from the common grapevine

Dihydrodipicolinate synthase (DHDPS) catalyzes the rate limiting step in lysine biosynthesis in bacteria and plants. The structure of DHDPS has been determined from several bacterial species and shown in most cases to form a homotetramer or dimer of dimers. However, only one plant DHDPS structure has been determined to date from the wild tobacco species, Nicotiana sylvestris (Blickling et al. (1997) J. Mol. Biol. 274, 608-621). Whilst N. sylvestris DHDPS also forms a homotetramer, the plant enzyme adopts a 'back-to-back' dimer of dimers compared to the 'head-to-head' architecture observed for bacterial DHDPS tetramers. This raises the question of whether the alternative quaternary architecture observed for N. sylvestris DHDPS is common to all plant DHDPS enzymes. Here, we describe the structure of DHDPS from the grapevine plant, Vitis vinifera, and show using analytical ultracentrifugation, small-angle X-ray scattering and X-ray crystallography that V. vinifera DHDPS forms a 'back-to-back' homotetramer, consistent with N. sylvestris DHDPS. This study is the first to demonstrate using both crystal and solution state measurements that DHDPS from the grapevine plant adopts an alternative tetrameric architecture to the bacterial form, which is important for optimizing protein dynamics as suggested by molecular dynamics simulations reported in this study.     

Comparative structure and function analyses of native and his-tagged forms of dihydrodipicolinate reductase from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Given the rise of multi drug resistant bacterial strains, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), there is an urgent need to discover new antimicrobial agents. A validated but as yet unexplored target for new antibiotics is dihydrodipicolinate reductase (DHDPR), an enzyme that catalyzes the second step of the lysine biosynthesis pathway in bacteria. We report here the cloning, expression and purification of N-terminally his-tagged recombinant DHDPR from MRSA (6H-MRSA-DHDPR) and compare its secondary and quaternary structure with the wild type (MRSA-DHDPR) enzyme. Comparative analyses demonstrate that recombinant 6H-MRSA-DHDPR is folded and adopts the native tetrameric quaternary structure in solution. Furthermore, kinetic studies show 6H-MRSA-DHDPR is functional, displaying parameters for K(m)(NADH) of 6.0μM, K(m)(DHDP) of 22μM, and k(cat) of 21s(-1), which are similar to those reported for the native enzyme. The solution properties and stability of the 6H-MRSA-DHDPR enzyme are also reported in varying physicochemical conditions.     

The effectiveness of resisted movement training on sprinting and jumping performance

Resisted movement training is that in which the sports movement is performed with added resistance. To date, the effectiveness on enhancing sprint speed or vertical jump height had not been reviewed. The objectives of this review were to collate information on resisted training studies for sprinting and vertical jumping, ascertain whether resisted movement training was superior to normal unresisted movement training, and identify areas for future research. The review was based on peer-reviewed journal articles identified from electronic literature searches using MEDLINE and SPORTDiscus data bases from 1970 to 2010. Resisted sprint training was found to increase sprint speed but, in most cases, was no more effective than normal sprint training. There was some evidence that resisted sprint training was superior in increasing speed in the initial acceleration phase of sprinting. Resisted jump training in the form of weighted jump squats was shown to increase vertical jump height, but it was no more effective than plyometric depth jump training. Direct comparisons between resisted jump training and unresisted normal jump training were limited, but loaded eccentric countermovement jump squat training with unloaded concentric phase and eccentric landing was shown to generate superior results for elite jumpers. More prospective studies on resisted sprint training are required along with monitoring both kinematic and kinetic adaptations to fully determine any underlying mechanisms for any improvements in sprint speed. Based on the available data, the benefits and superiority of resisted sprint training have not been fully established. As for resisted jump training, although there are some promising findings, these results need to be duplicated by other researchers before resisted jump training can be claimed to be more effective than other forms of jump training.     

In vivo regulation of endothelium-dependent vasodilation in the rat renal circulation and the effect of streptozotocin-induced diabetes

We assessed the relative contributions of endothelium-derived relaxing factors to renal vasodilation in vivo and determined whether these are altered in established streptozotocin-induced diabetes. In nondiabetic rats, stimulation of the endothelium by locally administered ACh or bradykinin-induced transient renal hyperemia. Neither basal renal blood flow (RBF) nor renal hyperemic responses to ACh or bradykinin were altered by blockade of prostanoid production (indomethacin) or by administration of charybdotoxin (ChTx) plus apamin to block endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF). In contrast, combined blockade of nitric oxide (NO) synthase, N(omega)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME), and prostanoid production reduced basal RBF and the duration of the hyperemic responses to ACh and bradykinin and revealed a delayed ischemic response to ACh. Accordingly, l-NAME and indomethacin markedly reduced integrated (area under the curve) hyperemic responses to ACh and bradykinin. Peak increases in RBF in response to ACh and bradykinin were not reduced by l-NAME and indomethacin but were reduced by subsequent blockade of EDHF. l-NAME plus indomethacin and ChTx plus apamin altered RBF responses to endothelium stimulation in a qualitatively similar fashion in diabetic and nondiabetic rats. The integrated renal hyperemic responses to ACh and bradykinin were blunted in diabetes, due to a diminished contribution of the component abolished by l-NAME plus indomethacin. We conclude that NO dominates integrated hyperemic responses to ACh and bradykinin in the rat kidney in vivo. After prior inhibition of NO synthase, EDHF mediates transient renal vasodilation in vivo. Renal endothelium-dependent vasodilation is diminished in diabetes due to impaired NO function.     

Zebrafish as a model for infectious disease and immune function

The zebrafish, Danio rerio, has come to the forefront of biomedical research as a powerful model for the study of development, neurobiology, and genetics of humans. In recent years, use of the zebrafish system has extended into studies in behaviour, immunology and toxicology, retaining the concept that it will serve as a model for human disease. As one of the most thoroughly studied teleosts, with a wealth of genetic and genomic information available, the zebrafish is now being considered as a model for pathogen studies in finfishes. Its genome is currently being sequenced and annotated, and gene microarrays and insertional mutants are commercially available. The use of gene-specific knockdown of translation through morpholino oligonucleotides is widespread. As a result, several laboratories have developed bacterial and viral disease models with the zebrafish to study immune responses to infection. Although many of the zebrafish pathogen models were developed to address human infectious disease, the results of these studies should provide important clues for the development of effective vaccines and prophylactic measures against bacterial and viral pathogens in economically important fishes. In this review, the capabilities and potential of the zebrafish model system will be discussed and an overview of information on zebrafish infectious disease models will be presented.     

Preseason and midseason balance ability of professional Australian footballers

Balance ability has been shown to be important for sports performance and injury prevention. It is unclear whether balance ability changes due to sports participation and regular training without specific balance training. It has not been shown whether certain sports such as the various football codes that often involve single limb stance and balance as part of kicking, running, rapid changes of direction, jumping, and landing actually influence balance ability. The aim of this study was to determine whether there was a difference in balance ability measured at preseason and during the competitive season for elite footballer. Twenty-eight professional Australian footballers who did not undertake any specific balance training took part in this study. Postural sway from single limb balance on a force platform was measured for both limbs 1 week before the start and midway through a 22-week competitive season. The subjects were required to step onto a balance mat on top of the force platform and maintain balance for 20 seconds. The maximum sway of the center of pressure in the mediolateral direction was used as the balance score. It was found that there was not a significant difference in the balance ability measurement at the start and during the competitive season. Sports participation and regular training did not influence balance ability in this cohort of athletes.