Mobility and Translocation of Heavy Metals from Mine Tailings in Three Plant Species after Amendment with Compost and Biosurfactant

An experiment was performed to determine the effects of mine tailings alone mixed with compost or with compost plus crude biosurfactant on the accumulation of heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cu, Cr, Cd, and Ni) in Acacia retinodes, Nicotiana glauca, and Echinochloa polystachya. The plants were grown in soil, mine tailings, and mine tailings containing compost over a period of seven and five months for shrubs or grass, respectively. The plants Acacia retinodes and Nicotiana glauca grown in mine tailings containing compost showed increases in dry biomass (from 62 to 79%) compared with plants in only tailings. Heavy metals accumulated in the roots and leaves showed high translocation rates of Cr in N. glauca, Cd in A. retinodes, and Ni in E. polystachya. Concentrations of heavy metals in the three plants irrigated with crude biosurfactant were not significantly different from those irrigated with water. Zn and Cd fractions within mine tailings containing compost were bound to carbonate, Pb was bound to residues, and Cu was bound to Fe-oxides. Cd had the highest mobility factor followed in order by Zn, Pb, and Cu. The elevated concentrations of Pb in roots and the low translocation rate for N. glauca and A. retinodes indicate that they are suitable for phytostabilizing Pb and Zn.     

An analog of BIX-01294 selectively inhibits a family of histone H3 lysine 9 Jumonji demethylases

BIX-01294 and its analogs were originally identified and subsequently designed as potent inhibitors against histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) methyltransferases G9a and G9a-like protein. Here, we show that BIX-01294 and its analog E67 can also inhibit H3K9 Jumonji demethylase KIAA1718 with half-maximal inhibitory concentrations in low micromolar range. Crystallographic analysis of KIAA1718 Jumonji domain in complex with E67 indicated that the benzylated six-membered piperidine ring was disordered and exposed to solvent. Removing the moiety (generating compound E67-2) has no effect on the potency against KIAA1718 but, unexpectedly, lost inhibition against G9a-like protein by a factor of 1500. Furthermore, E67 and E67-2 have no effect on the activity against histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4) demethylase JARID1C. Thus, our study provides a new avenue for designing and improving the potency and selectivity of inhibitors against H3K9 Jumonji demethylases over H3K9 methyltransferases and H3K4 demethylases.     

Molecular insights into the function of RING finger (RNF)-containing proteins hRNF8 and hRNF168 in Ubc13/Mms2-dependent ubiquitylation

The repair of DNA double strand breaks by homologous recombination relies on the unique topology of the chains formed by Lys-63 ubiquitylation of chromatin to recruit repair factors such as breast cancer 1 (BRCA1) to sites of DNA damage. The human RING finger (RNF) E3 ubiquitin ligases, RNF8 and RNF168, with the E2 ubiquitin-conjugating complex Ubc13/Mms2, perform the majority of Lys-63 ubiquitylation in homologous recombination. Here, we show that RNF8 dimerizes and binds to Ubc13/Mms2, thereby stimulating formation of Lys-63 ubiquitin chains, whereas the related RNF168 RING domain is a monomer and does not catalyze Lys-63 polyubiquitylation. The crystal structure of the RNF8/Ubc13/Mms2 ternary complex reveals the structural basis for the interaction between Ubc13 and the RNF8 RING and that an extended RNF8 coiled-coil is responsible for its dimerization. Mutations that disrupt the RNF8/Ubc13 binding surfaces, or that truncate the RNF8 coiled-coil, reduce RNF8-catalyzed ubiquitylation. These findings support the hypothesis that RNF8 is responsible for the initiation of Lys-63-linked ubiquitylation in the DNA damage response, which is subsequently amplified by RNF168.     

Using mobility data in the design of optimal lockdown strategies for the COVID-19 pandemic

A mathematical model for the COVID-19 pandemic spread, which integrates age-structured Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Recovered-Deceased dynamics with real mobile phone data accounting for the population mobility, is presented. The dynamical model adjustment is performed via Approximate Bayesian Computation. Optimal lockdown and exit strategies are determined based on nonlinear model predictive control, constrained to public-health and socio-economic factors. Through an extensive computational validation of the methodology, it is shown that it is possible to compute robust exit strategies with realistic reduced mobility values to inform public policy making, and we exemplify the applicability of the methodology using datasets from England and France.     

The malate dehydrogenase isoforms from Trypanosoma brucei: subcellular localization and differential expression in bloodstream and procyclic forms

Trypanosoma brucei procyclic forms possess three different malate dehydrogenase isozymes that could be separated by hydrophobic interaction chromatography and were recognized as the mitochondrial, glycosomal and cytosolic malate dehydrogenase isozymes. The latter is the only malate dehydrogenase expressed in the bloodstream forms, thus confirming that the expression of malate dehydrogenase isozymes is regulated during the T. brucei life cycle. To achieve further biochemical characterization, the genes encoding mitochondrial and glycosomal malate dehydrogenase were cloned on the basis of previously reported nucleotide sequences and the recombinant enzymes were functionally expressed in Escherichia coli cultures. Mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase showed to be more active than glycosomal malate dehydrogenase in the reduction of oxaloacetate; nearly 80% of the total activity in procyclic crude extracts corresponds to the former isozyme which also catalyzes, although less efficiently, the reduction of p-hydroxyphenyl-pyruvate. The rabbit antisera raised against each of the recombinant isozymes showed that the three malate dehydrogenases do not cross-react immunologically. Immunofluorescence experiments using these antisera confirmed the glycosomal and mitochondrial localization of glycosomal and mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase, as well as a cytosolic localization for the third malate dehydrogenase isozyme. These results clearly distinguish Trypanosoma brucei from Trypanosoma cruzi, since in the latter parasite a cytosolic malate dehydrogenase is not present and mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase specifically reduces oxaloacetate.     

Structural organization of the phospholipid component of Streptomyces hygroscopicus cell membranes as determined from neutron diffraction data

The nanoparameters of an actinobacterial membrane have been estimated by neutron diffraction on multilamellar lipid membranes. The lamellar repeat distance in a partly hydrated membrane prepared with the phospholipid fraction from Streptomyces hygroscopicus is 85.8 ± 0.5°C and decreases to 83.5 ± 0.5 0°C. Some lipids are not incorporated into the bilayer and form a liquid phase of micelles 54.2 ± 0.2     

Spatial distribution of the active surveillance of sheep scrapie in Great Britain: an exploratory analysis

Background  

This paper explores the spatial distribution of sampling within the active surveillance of sheep scrapie in Great Britain. We investigated the geographic distribution of the birth holdings of sheep sampled for scrapie during 2002 – 2005, including samples taken in abattoir surveys (c. 83,100) and from sheep that died in the field ("fallen stock", c. 14,600). We mapped the birth holdings by county and calculated the sampling rate, defined as the proportion of the holdings in each county sampled by the surveys. The Moran index was used to estimate the global spatial autocorrelation across Great Britain. The contributions of each county to the global Moran index were analysed by a local indicator of spatial autocorrelation (LISA).     

XRCC1 gene polymorphisms in a population sample and in women with a family history of breast cancer from Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

The X-ray repair cross-complementing Group1 (XRCC1) gene has been defined as essential in the base excision repair (BER) and single-strand break repair processes. This gene is highly polymorphic, and the most extensively studied genetic changes are in exon 6 (Arg194Trp) and in exon 10 (Arg399Gln). These changes, in conserved protein sites, may alter the base excision repair capacity, increasing the susceptibility to adverse health conditions, including cancer. In the present study, we estimated the frequencies of the XRCC1 gene polymorphisms Arg194Trp and Arg399Gln in healthy individuals and also in women at risk of breast cancer due to family history from Rio de Janeiro. The common genotypes in both positions (194 and 399) were the most frequent in this Brazilian sample. Although the 194Trp variant was overrepresented in women reporting familial cases of breast cancer, no statistically significant differences concerning genotype distribution or intragenic interactions were found between this group and the controls. Thus, in the population analyzed by us, variants Arg194Trp and Arg399Gln did not appear to have any impact on breast cancer susceptibility.     

The pentose phosphate pathway in Trypanosoma cruzi

The pentose phosphate pathway has been studied in Trypanosoma cruzi, Clone CL Brener. Functioning of the pathway was demonstrated in epimastigotes by measuring the evolution of (14)CO(2) from [1-(14)C] or [6-(14)C]D-glucose. Glucose consumption through the PPP increased from 9.9% to 20.4% in the presence of methylene blue, which mimics oxidative stress. All the enzymes of the PPP are present in the four major developmental stages of the parasite. Subcellular localisation experiments suggested that the PPP enzymes have a cytosolic component, predominant in most cases, although all of them also seem to have organellar localisation(s).