Physiological,epigenetic, and proteomic responses in Pfaffia glomerata growth in vitro under salt stress and 5-azacytidine

Protoplasma - Plants adjust their complex molecular, biochemical, and metabolic processes to overcome salt stress. Here, we investigated the proteomic and epigenetic alterations involved in the...     

Early ontogeny of the commercially valuable fish red-bellied pacu Piaractus brachypomus (Characiformes,Serrasalmidae) from the Amazon,Brazil

The initial development of the red-bellied pacu Piaractus brachypomus is described using morphological, meristic and morphometric characteristics. A total of 127 individuals were analysed (47 in the yolk-sac, 35 in pre-flexion, five in flexion, 20 in post-flexion and 20 in juvenile) with standard length varying between 2.92 and 48.61 mm. The larvae are born poorly developed and have a discoidal yolk at ~6.33 mm standard length. During early ontogeny, the mouth passes from terminal to subterminal and the anal opening reaches the vertical line over the midline region of the body. There are changes in body shape from long and moderate to deep, head length from small to large, and eye diameter from moderate to large. Dendritic chromatophores were present in the ventral, dorsal and upper part of the swim bladder in the early larval stages. Rounded spots are evident all over the body in juveniles. The total number of myomeres ranges from 39 to 41 (20–23 pre-anal, 17–20 post-anal). Through the morphometric relationships, it was evidenced that the greatest changes during the initial ontogeny of P. brachypomus occur in the transition from the post-flexion stage to the juvenile period, indicating changes in behaviour, foraging and physiology.     

Fermentative production of l-lactic acid by Lactobacillus casei DSM 20011 and product recovery using ion exchange resins

In order to produce l(+)-lactic acid to be employed in poly-l-lactic acid polymer production, for biomedical applications, the strain Lactobacillus casei subsp. casei DSM 20011 was studied in a conventional batch mode using different initial concentrations of glucose. The results obtained showed that the initial glucose concentration exerts an influence on the fermentation pattern, modifying the different fermentation parameters. Nevertheless, the product yield remained at a constant value of 0.86 g·g^–1. The proposed novel system of product recovery, based on the use of ion-exchange resins, gave high yields of pure lactic acid. Correspondence to: D. Matteuzzi     

Late-life plasma proteins associated with prevalent and incident frailty: A proteomic analysis

Proteomic approaches have unique advantages in the identification of biological pathways that influence physical frailty, a multifactorial geriatric syndrome predictive of adverse health outcomes in older adults. To date, proteomic studies of frailty are scarce, and few evaluated prefrailty as a separate state or examined predictors of incident frailty. Using plasma proteins measured by 4955 SOMAmers in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Community study, we identified 134 and 179 proteins cross-sectionally associated with prefrailty and frailty, respectively, after Bonferroni correction (p < 1 × 10⁻⁵) among 3838 older adults aged ≥65 years, adjusting for demographic and physiologic factors and chronic diseases. Among them, 23 (17%) and 82 (46%) were replicated in the Cardiovascular Health Study using the same models (FDR p < 0.05). Notably, higher odds of prefrailty and frailty were observed with higher levels of growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15; p_prefrailty = 1 × 10⁻¹⁵, p_frailty = 2 × 10⁻¹⁹), transgelin (TAGLN; p_prefrailty = 2 × 10⁻¹², p_frailty = 6 × 10⁻²²), and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 2 (IGFBP2; p_prefrailty = 5 × 10⁻¹⁵, p_frailty = 1 × 10⁻¹⁵) and with a lower level of growth hormone receptor (GHR, p_prefrailty = 3 × 10⁻¹⁶, p_frailty = 2 × 10⁻¹⁸). Longitudinally, we identified 4 proteins associated with incident frailty (p < 1 × 10⁻⁵). Higher levels of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1 (TREM1), TAGLN, and heart and adipocyte fatty-acid binding proteins predicted incident frailty. Differentially regulated proteins were enriched in pathways and upstream regulators related to lipid metabolism, angiogenesis, inflammation, and cell senescence. Our findings provide a set of plasma proteins and biological mechanisms that were dysregulated in both the prodromal and the clinical stage of frailty, offering new insights into frailty etiology and targets for intervention.     

The effect of glutathione on HL-60 treated with dimethylsulfoxide,butyric acid or 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate

HL-60 promyelocytic leukemic cells can be induced to differentiate into granulocytes or macrophages. Reduced glutathione lyses undifferentiated HL-60 cells but has minimal effect on their differentiated counterparts. The addition of reduced glutathione to HL-60 promyelocytic leukemic cells retards cell growth and lyses cells. HL-60 cells can be induced to differentiate into granulocytes with dimethylsulfoxide butyric acid or into macrophages with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate. After treatment of HL-60 cells with these inducing agents the HL-60 cells become unresponsive to the effects of glutathione.     

IP3-and cAMP-induced responses in isolated olfactory receptor neurons from the channel catfish

Summary Olfactory receptor neurons enzymatically dissociated from channel catfish olfactory epithelium were depolarized transiently following dialysis of IP₃ or cAMP (added to the patch pipette) into the cytoplasm. Voltage and current responses to IP₃ were blocked by ruthenium red, a blocker of an IP₃-gated Ca²⁺-release channel in sarcoplasmic reticulum. In contrast, the responses to cAMP were not blocked by extracellularly applied ruthenium red, nor by l-cis-diltiazem or amiloride and two of its derivatives. The current elicited by cytoplasmic IP₃ in neurons under voltage clamp displayed a voltage dependence different from that of the cAMP response which showed marked outward rectification. A sustained depolarization was caused by increased cytoplasmic IP₃ or cAMP when the buffering capacity for Ca²⁺ of the pipette solution was increased, when extracellular Ca²⁺ was removed or after addition of 20–200 nm charibdotoxin to the bathing solution, indicating that the repolarization was caused by an increase in [Ca _i ] that opened Ca²⁺-activated K⁺ channels. The results suggest that different conductances modulated by either IP₃ or cAMP are involved in mediating olfactory transduction in catfish olfactory receptor neurons and that Ca²⁺-activated K⁺ channels contribute to the termination of the IP₃ and cAMP responses.Abbreviations ATP adenosine 5-triphosphate - BAPTA (bis-(o-aminophenoxy)-ethane-N-N-N-N)-tetraacetic acid - cAMP adenosine cyclic 3,5-monophosphate - cGMP guanosine cyclic 3,5-monophosphate - CTX charybdotoxin - DCB 3,4-dichlorobenzamil - EDTA ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid - EGTA ethylenglycol-bis-(b-aminoethyl)-N-N-N-N-tetraacetic acid - HEPES N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N-2-ethanesulfonic acid - IP₃ inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate - NMDG N-methyl-d-glucamine We would like to thank the Tanabe Seiyaku Co., Ltd., for their gift of l-cis-diltiazem. This work was supported by National Institutes of Health grants DC00566 and BRSG S07RR05825.     

Overproduction of cis-Vaccenic Acid and Altered Temperature Control of Fatty Acid Synthesis in a Mutant of Escherichia coli

A mutant of Escherichia coli has been characterized which overproduces cis-vaccenic acid in the temperature range of 30 to 42°C. The mutational lesion acts within the fatty acid biosynthetic pathway rather than at the level of fatty acid incorporation into phospholipid.     

New potent imidazoisoquinolinone derivatives as anti-Trypanosoma cruzi agents: Biological evaluation and structure–activity relationships

A series of novel benzoimidazo and N-aryl-5-oxo-imidazo[1,2-b]isoquinoline-10-carbothioamides was developed. All the compounds were evaluated for their in vitro action against the epimastigote form of Trypanosoma cruzi. Four of them showed higher activity than Nifurtimox. Their unspecific cytotoxicity was evaluated using HeLa and L6 cells, being non-toxic at concentrations at least 15 and 200 times higher than that of T. cruzi IC_50. To gain insight into the mechanism of action, their DNA binding properties and reactivity with glutathione were studied, and QSAR study was performed.     

Role of sugarcane straw allelochemicals in the growth suppression of arrowleaf sida

Previous studies suggested that allelochemicals from sugarcane straw may suppress the growth of arrowleaf sida (Sida rhombifolia L.). A study was conducted to establish: (1) the direct or indirect role of the organic molecules from sugarcane straw leachate on the growth suppression of arrowleaf sida and (2) if leachate phytotoxins induce proline accumulation in arrowleaf sida tissues as an adaptative response to a water or an oxidative stress. Inhibition of root elongation was the primary effect of sugarcane straw leachate on arrowleaf sida grown in unsterile soil. Addition of activated charcoal to unsterile soil before incorporation of straw leachate reduced the inhibition in root growth suggesting a direct participation of organic molecules in leachate phytotoxicity on arrowleaf sida. Inorganic straw constituents did not inhibit root growth while microbial activity increased leachate phytotoxicity. Soil chemical analysis suggested a direct action of organic molecules in leachate phytotoxicity rather than variations in macro and micronutrients or nutrient microbial immobilization. Straw leachate induced proline accumulation in roots and cotyledons of arrowleaf sida. Proline increase was related with oxidative stress in the roots but not in the cotyledons. Our results indicate a direct action of organic compounds from sugarcane straw and/or their microbial transformation products on root growth of arrowleaf sida. These substances induced proline accumulation in roots mainly as consequence of an oxidative stress while water stress may be the main cause of high proline content in the cotyledons. Although the observed responses could be due to phenolic compounds, the involvement of organic molecules with other chemical nature could not be excluded.     

Characterization of bimodal chronotype and its association with sleep: A population-based study

The circadian system coordinates internal events in a daily schedule to make sure that the body systems are synchronized to environmental time and internal cues. One important behavioral aspect of the circadian system is the chronotype. It is usually assessed through subjective questionnaires, being the Horne-Ostberg Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) one of the most used. It classifies individuals into three major categories: morning, evening, and intermediate types. Recently, it has been hypothesized the existence of a fourth chronotype, the bimodal type, through an algorithm derived from the MEQ responses. Bimodals answer as morning-types in some questions, and as evening-types in others, resulting in an intermediate total score. To better characterize this phenotype, the present study aimed to detect and characterize the frequency of the bimodal chronotype in the EPISONO, a large population-based cohort, as well as to verify the association between bimodality and sleep parameters and genetic variation in the PER3 gene. Of the 1,042 individuals who participated of the EPISONO, 857 had MEQ filled correctly. We found that 16% of our sample were bimodal types. We observed that bimodal individuals were significantly younger and had lower body mass index. The association between PER3 VNTR genotype and gender with bimodal chronotype was not significant. However, we found an association between bimodality and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (EES) and apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). We did not find a statistically significant difference between bimodals and intermediate non-bimodals for the studied variables. Lastly, it was observed that the most significant predictors for bimodal chronotype were female gender, AHI, and EES. In conclusion, the present work provides more evidence that the bimodal type might have to be considered when classifying chronotype and its association with young age and sleepiness may be due to the influence of social and environmental factors.