Study of a lipophilic captopril analogue binding to angiotensin I converting enzyme

Human ACE is a central component of the renin–angiotensin system and a major therapeutic target for cardiovascular diseases. The somatic form of the enzyme (sACE) comprises two homologous metallopeptidase domains (N and C), each bearing a zinc active site with similar but distinct substrate and inhibitor specificities. In this study, we present the biological activity of silacaptopril, a silylated analogue of captopril, and its binding affinity towards ACE. Based on the recently determined crystal structures of both the ACE domains, a series of docking calculations were carried out in order to study the structural characteristics and the binding properties of silacaptopril and its analogues with ACE. Copyright © 2009 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A laccase exclusively expressed by Metarhizium anisopliae during isotropic growth is involved in pigmentation,tolerance to abiotic stresses and virulence

Insect pathogenic fungi including Metarhizium anisopliae offer an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical pesticides. However, their use has been limited by their relatively slow killing speed compared to chemicals and low tolerance to abiotic stresses. We report here on a class 1 laccase (MLAC1) that is involved in both virulence and tolerance to environmental stresses. Mlac1 is expressed during isotropic growth (swelling) but not during polarized growth (e.g., germ tubes and hyphae); Mlac1 is therefore expressed exclusively in the later stages of conidiation and in blastospores when M. anisopliae is living as a saprophyte. During infection processes, Mlac1 is also expressed by appressoria (infection structures) on the cuticle surface and hyphal bodies inside the insect haemocoel. Disrupting Mlac1 reduced virulence to caterpillars because of impaired appressoria and delayed post-infection events. It also produced a yellow-conidia phenotype with increased conidial susceptibility to heat shock (45 °C for 2 h) and UV-B stress. The relationship between M. anisopliae’s pigment-synthesis pathway and its adaptation to diverse natural habitats is discussed.     

Caenorhabditis elegans,a pluricellular model organism to screen new genes involved in mitochondrial genome maintenance

The inheritance of functional mitochondria depends on faithful replication and transmission of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). A large and heterogeneous group of human disorders is associated with mitochondrial genome quantitative and qualitative anomalies. Several nuclear genes have been shown to account for these severe OXPHOS disorders. However, in several cases, the disease-causing mutations still remain unknown.Caenorhabditis elegans has been largely used for studying various biological functions because this multicellular organism has short life cycle and is easy to grow in the laboratory. Mitochondrial functions are relatively well conserved between human and C. elegans, and heteroplasmy exists in this organism as in human. C. elegans therefore represents a useful tool for studying mtDNA maintenance. Suppression by RNA interference of genes involved in mtDNA replication such as polg-1, encoding the mitochondrial DNA polymerase, results in reduced mtDNA copy number but in a normal phenotype of the F1 worms. By combining RNAi of genes involved in mtDNA maintenance and EtBr exposure, we were able to reveal a strong and specific phenotype (developmental larval arrest) associated to a severe decrease of mtDNA copy number. Moreover, we tested and validated the screen efficiency for human orthologous genes encoding mitochondrial nucleoid proteins. This allowed us to identify several genes that seem to be closely related to mtDNA maintenance in C. elegans.This work reports a first step in the further development of a large-scale screening in C. elegans that should allow to identify new genes of mtDNA maintenance whose human orthologs will obviously constitute new candidate genes for patients with quantitative or qualitative mtDNA anomalies.     

HtrA3 is regulated by 15-deoxy-Δ12,14-prostaglandin J2 independently of PPARγ in clear cell renal cell carcinomas

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) ligands have been shown to possess anti-proliferative effects in many types of cancer. In clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC), the targets involved in these effects are not known. In this study, we demonstrated that, in CCRCC cell lines, the endogenous PPARγ ligand 15-deoxy-Δ12,14-prostaglandin J2 (15dPGJ2) induces the expression, both at the mRNA and the protein levels, of the HtrA3 gene. This gene belongs to the High-Temperature Requirement Factor A family of serine proteases that repress signaling by TGF-β family members and inhibit cell migration. Rosiglitazone or ciglitazone, synthetic PPARγ agonists, did not induce HtrA3 expression, and the PPARγ antagonist GW9662 did not prevent 15dPGJ2 induction, suggesting that the up-regulation of HtrA3 by 15dPGJ2 is independent of PPARγ. The MEK/ERK inhibitor PD98059 dramatically repressed HtrA3 induction. Altogether, these data indicate that 15dPGJ2 is able to stimulate the expression of HtrA3 through an indirect mechanism involving the MEK/ERK pathway but independent of PPARγ. Our results provide a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in the regulation of HtrA3, a potential tumor suppressor gene.     

Characterization of highly informative cross-species microsatellite panels for the Australian dugong (Dugong dugon) and Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) including five novel primers

The Australian dugong (Dugong dugon) and Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) are threatened species of aquatic mammals in the order Sirenia. Sirenian conservation and management actions would benefit from a more complete understanding of genetic diversity and population structure. Generally, species-specific microsatellite markers are employed in conservation genetic studies; however, robust markers can be difficult and costly to isolate. To increase the number of available markers, dugong and manatee microsatellite primers were evaluated for cross-species amplification. Furthermore, one manatee and four dugong novel primers are reported. After polymerase chain reaction optimization, 23 (92%) manatee primers successfully amplified dugong DNA, of which 11 (48%) were polymorphic. Of the 32 dugong primers tested, 27 (84%) yielded product in the manatee, of which 17 (63%) were polymorphic. Dugong and manatee primers were compared and the most informative markers were selected to create robust and informative marker-panels for each species. These cross-species microsatellite marker-panels can be employed to assess other sirenian populations and can provide beneficial information for the protection and management of these unique mammals.     

USE OF MIDAZOLAM/PETHIDINE AND TILETAMINE/ZOLAZEPAM COMBINATIONS FOR THE CHEMICAL RESTRAINT OF LEOPARD SEALS (HYDRURGA LEPTONYX)

We immobilized 200–550-kg leopard seals ( Hydrurga leptonyx ) on sea ice in Prydz Bay, Antarctica (68°25'S, 77°10'E) between November 1997 and February 2000. Midazolam (0.18–0.27 mg/kg)/ pethidine (1.0–1.5 mg/kg) was administered by dart to 16 leopard seals. Unpredictable immobilization, poor airway maintenance, and our inability to fully assess the suitability of flumazenil (0.003–0.01 mg/kg), naloxone (0.01–0.013 mg/kg), and naltrexone (0.05–0.12 mg/kg) as reversal agents limited suitability of midazolam/pethidine. Tiletamine/zolazepam 1:1 (0.5–1.5 mg/kg) was, therefore, administered to 19 leopard seals. It produced faster induction (19 ± 3 min), more effective and reliable response to dose (rank correlation: r _s= 0.88, n = 18), and better pulmonary ventilation and faster return of cognitive function upon recovery, in comparison to midazolam/pethidine. Best results were achieved with tiletamine/zolazepam (1.2–1.4 mg/kg) which safely immobilized seven of nine seals for 20–30 min. Entry to the water upon darting was minimized, but not eliminated, by the use of lightweight air-pressurized darts and a thorough knowledge of leopard seal behavior.     

Relationships of nicotianamine and other amino acids with nickel, zinc and iron in Thlaspi hyperaccumulators

Experimental evidence suggests that nicotianamine (NA) is involved in the complexation of metal ions in some metal-hyperaccumulating plants. Closely-related nickel (Ni)- and zinc (Zn)-hyperaccumulating species were studied to determine whether a correlation exists between the Ni and Zn concentrations and NA in foliar tissues. A liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) procedure was developed to quantify the NA and amino acid contents using the derivatizing agent 6-aminoquinolyl-N-hydroxysuccinimidyl carbamate. A strong correlation emerged between Ni and NA, but not between Zn and NA. Concentrations of NA and L-histidine (His) also increased in response to higher Ni concentrations in the hydroponic solution supplied to a serpentine population of Thlaspi caerulescens. An inversely proportional correlation was found between the iron (Fe) and Ni concentrations in the leaves. Correlations were also found between Zn and asparagine. The results obtained in this study suggest that NA is involved in hyperaccumulation of Ni but not Zn. The inverse proportionality between the Ni and Fe concentrations in the leaf may suggest that Ni and Fe compete for complexation to NA.     

HKT1;5-like cation transporters linked to Na+ exclusion loci in wheat, Nax2 and Kna1

Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) has a greater ability to exclude Na⁺ from its leaves and is more salt tolerant than durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. subsp. durum [Desf.]). A novel durum wheat, Line 149, was found to contain a major gene for Na⁺ exclusion, Nax2, which removes Na⁺ from the xylem in the roots and leads to a high K⁺-to-Na⁺ ratio in the leaves. Nax2 was mapped to the distal region on chromosome 5AL based on linkage to microsatellite markers. The Nax2 locus on 5AL coincides with the locus for a putative Na⁺ transporter, HKT1;5 (HKT8). The Nax2 region on 5AL is homoeologous to the region on chromosome 4DL containing the major Na⁺ exclusion locus in bread wheat, Kna1. A gene member of the HKT1;5 family colocates to the deletion bin containing Kna1 on chromosome 4DL. This work provides evidence that Nax2 and Kna1 are strongly associated with HKT1;5 genes.