Diversity and Probiotic Potential of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from Horreh,a Traditional Iranian Fermented Food

The aim of this study was to evaluate the probiotic potential of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains isolated from Horreh. Some probiotic properties, e.g., resistance to acid, bile tolerance, antibacterial activity, and antibiotic susceptibility, were investigated. A total of 140 Gram-positive and catalase-negative isolates from Horreh were subjected to identification and grouping by cultural methods and the 16S rRNA sequencing. The new isolates were identified to be Lactobacillus (fermentum, plantarum, and brevis) Weissella cibaria, Enterococcus (faecium and faecalis), Leuconostoc (citreum and mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides) and Pediococcus pentosaceus. Probiotic potential study of LAB isolates showed that Lb. plantarum and Leu. mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides isolates were able to grow at pH 2.5 and 3.5. Lactobacillus plantarum (isolate A44) showed the highest cell hydrophobicity (84.5%). According to antibacterial activity tests, Listeria innocua and Staphylococcus aureus were the most sensitive indicators against the selected LAB strains, while Escherichia coli and Bacillus cereus were the most resistant. In addition, all the isolated LAB species were resistant to vancomycin. The results of the present study suggested that the Lactobacillus fermentum and plantarum isolated from Horreh, characterized in this study, have potential use for industrial purposes as probiotics.     

Elevational gradient and vegetation‐environmental relationships in the central Hyrcanian forests of northern Iran

Tertiary‐relict Hyrcanian (Caspian) forest along the shores of the southern Caspian Sea is a center of biodiversity. Still, there is little information on plant diversity patterns in this area. This study evaluated plant diversity, variation in life forms, and geographical distribution of the zonal vegetation types and their relationships with environmental variables, in the educational and experimental forest of Kheyrudkenar, an important protected area in the central Hyrcanian forest of northern Iran. For this purpose, 226 vegetation plots of 400 m² were laid out along two altitudinal transects from the lowlands (100 m a.s.l.) to the timberline (2000 m a.s.l.). Four vegetation types were identified using modified TWINSPAN, indirect and direct gradient analyses. Species‐related (species diversity indices, life form and phytogeographical elements) and environmental variables (climate, topographic and soil variables) were calculated and subjected to one‐way ANOVA among the vegetation types. Both constrained (CCA) and unconstrained (DCA) ordination analyses showed an almost identical variation of the floristic composition along their axes and demonstrated that there are two main gradients in the Hyrcanian forest. Elevation together with annual precipitation and mean annual temperature were the most important factors controlling the floristic composition in the area. Topographic features such as slope inclination and heat index were found to be important within an elevation zone/vegetation type. Soil physical and chemical properties were of secondary importance for the separation of the vegetation types. This knowledge will be useful for forest management and conservation practices in the Hyrcanian area with its distinct and unique flora and vegetation.     

Cadmium(II) complex formation with glutathione

Complex formation between heavy metal ions and glutathione (GSH) is considered as the initial step in many detoxification processes in living organisms. In this study the structure and coordination between the cadmium(II) ion and GSH were investigated in aqueous solutions (pH 7.5 and 11.0) and in the solid state, using a combination of spectroscopic techniques. The similarity of the Cd K-edge and L₃-edge X-ray absorption spectra of the solid compound [Cd(GS)(GSH)]ClO₄·3H₂O, precipitating at pH 3.0, with the previously studied cysteine compound {Cd(HCys)₂·H₂O}₂·H₃O⁺·ClO₄ ^? corresponds to Cd(S–GS)₃O (dominating) and Cd(S–GS)₄ four-coordination within oligomeric complexes with mean bond distances of 2.51 ± 0.02 Å for Cd–S and 2.24 ± 0.04 Å for Cd–O. For cadmium(II) solutions (C _Cd(II) ~ 0.05 M) at pH 7.5 with moderate excess of GSH (C _GSH/C _Cd(II) = 3.0–5.0), a mix of Cd(S–GS)₃O (dominating) and Cd(S–GS)₄ species is consistent with the broad ¹¹³Cd NMR resonances in the range 632–658 ppm. In alkaline solutions (pH 11.0 and C _GSH/C _Cd(II) = 2.0 or 3.0), two distinct peaks at 322 and 674 ppm are obtained. The first peak indicates six-coordinated mononuclear and dinuclear complexes with CdS₂N₂(N/O)₂ and CdSN₃O₂ coordination in fast exchange, whereas the second corresponds to Cd(S–GS)₄ sites. At high ligand excess the tetrathiolate complex, Cd(S–GS)₄, characterized by a sharp δ(¹¹³Cd) NMR signal at 677 ppm, predominates. The average Cd–S distance, obtained from the X-ray absorption spectra, varied within a narrow range, 2.49–2.53 Å, for all solutions (pH 7.5 and 11.0) regardless of the coordination geometry.     

Cytokine single nucleotide polymorphisms in Iranian patients with pulmonary tuberculosis

BACKGROUND: Several genes coding for different cytokines may affect host susceptibility to tuberculosis. METHODS: In the present study, the allele and genotype frequencies of a number polymorphic genes coding for cytokines or cytokine receptors were investigated in Iranian patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). RESULTS: From the IL-1 cluster, a positive, significant difference was found at position -889, where the T/T genotype was over represented in PTB patients (p = 0.01); a positive, significant increase was found in the IL1R PstI 1970 C/C genotype, where the C allele was over represented in the PTB patients (p = 0.01). A significant negative association at codon 10 TGF-beta, T allele, was shown in our patients and the C allele and C/C genotype were over represented in the PTB patients (P<0.005). For TNF-alpha at position -238, we found a negative association for the G/A genotype and a positive association for the G/G genotype (p = 0.0009). Significant negative associations at position -590 IL-4, T allele and the T/T genotype were shown in our patients (p = 0.0007); also, the C allele and T/C genotype were significantly increased in our patients (P<0.05). With IL-6 at -174, G/G increased and G/C decreased significantly in the patients (P<0.005). CONCLUSION: Pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-alpha and TGF-beta seem to be decreased, and IL-6 increased in PTB patients.     

Gonadotrope-Specific Expression and Regulation of Ovine Follicle Stimulating Hormone Beta: Transgenic and Adenoviral Approaches Using Primary Murine Gonadotropes

The beta subunit of follicle stimulating hormone (FSHB) is expressed specifically in pituitary gonadotropes in vertebrates. Transgenic mouse studies have shown that enhancers in the proximal promoter between −172/−1 bp of the ovine FSHB gene are required for gonadotrope expression of ovine FSHB. These enhancers are associated with regulation by activins and gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH). Additional distal promoter sequence between −4741/−750 bp is also required for expression. New transgenic studies presented here focus on this distal region and narrow it to 1116 bp between −1866/−750 bp. In addition, adenoviral constructs were produced to identify these critical distal sequences using purified primary mouse gonadotropes as an in vitro model system. The adenoviral constructs contained −2871 bp, −750 bp or −232 bp of the ovine FSHB promoter. They all showed gonadotrope-specific regulation since they were induced only in purified primary gonadotropes by activin A (50 ng/ml) and inhibited by GnRH (100 nM) in the presence of activin (except −232FSHBLuc). However, basal expression of all three viral constructs (in the presence of follistatin to block cellular induction by activin) was relatively high in pituitary non-gonadotropes as well as gonadotropes. Thus, gonadotrope-specific regulation associated with the proximal promoter was observed as expected, but the model was blind to distal promoter elements between −2871/−750 necessary for gonadotrope-specific expression of ovine FSHB in vivo. The new adenoviral-based in vitro technique did detect, however, a novel GnRH response element between −750 bp and −232 bp of the ovine FSHB promoter. We conclude that adenoviral-based studies in primary gonadotropes can adequately recognize regulatory elements on the ovine FSHB promoter associated with gonadotrope-specific regulation/expression, but that more physiologically based techniques, such as transgenic studies, will be needed to identify sequences between −1866/−750 bp of the ovine FSHB promoter that are also required for tissue/cell specific expression in vivo.     

Functional characterization of mutations in inherited human cPLA₂ deficiency

Group IVA cytosolic phospholipase A(2) (cPLA(2)α) catalyzes the first step in the arachidonic acid cascade leading to the synthesis of important lipid mediators, the prostaglandins and leukotrienes. We previously described a patient deficient in cPLA(2)α activity, which was associated with mutations in both alleles encoding the enzyme. In this paper, we describe the biochemical characterization of each of these mutations. Using saturating concentrations of calcium, we showed that the R485H mutant was nearly devoid of any catalytic activity, that the S111P mutation did not affect the enzyme activity, and that the known K651R polymorphism was associated with activity slightly higher than that of the wild type. Using MDCK cells, we showed that translocation to the Golgi in response to serum activation was impaired for the S111P mutant but not for the other mutants. Using immortalized mouse lung fibroblasts lacking endogenous cPLA(2)α activity, we showed that both mutations S111P and R485H/K651R caused a profound defect in the enzyme catalytic activity in response to cell stimulation with serum. Taken together, our results show that the S111P mutation hampers calcium binding and membrane translocation without affecting the catalytic activity, and that the mutation R485H does not affect membrane translocation but blocks catalytic activity that leads to inactivation of the enzyme. Interestingly, our results show that the common K651R polymorphism confers slightly higher activity to the enzyme, suggesting a role of this residue in favoring a catalytically active conformation of cPLA(2)α. Our results define how the mutations negatively influence cPLA(2)α function and explain the inability of the proband to release arachidonic acid for eicosanoid production.     

Three new species of the genus Cousinia (Asteraceae, Sect. Cynaroideae) from Iran

Three new species of the genus Cousinia are described: C. sarzehensis, C. nana and C. sabalanica. Illustrations are given for each species.     

Floristic characteristics of the wetland sites on dry southern slopes of the Alborz Mts., N. Iran: The role of altitude in floristic composition

The Alborz Mountains, the second largest range in Iran, is, on its southern slopes, mainly covered by steppe vegetation. These dry slopes also include ‘green islands’ of wetland. Floristic diversity and environmental characteristics of 45 of these little-studied wetland sites have been assessed along an altitudinal gradient using one-way ANOVA, Pearson r and detrended correspondence analysis/canonical correspondence analysis (DCA/CCA) analyses. The wetlands proved to be of conservation importance with 310 plant taxa, including 35 endemics or subendemics. Predictably, and consistent with the phytosociological classification of Klein [2001. La végétation altitudinale de L’Alborz Central (Iran): Entre les régions Irano-Touranienne et Euro-sibérienne. Institut Français de Recherche en Iran, Téhéran], there were parallel changes in vegetation both within wetlands and the surrounding steppes and in DCA/CCA analyses altitude appeared to be the primary determinant of floristic composition. Upper mountain wetlands are particularly species-rich and contain many endemics and other species of a narrow phytogeographical distribution. Soil pH declined with altitude, perhaps in part as a consequence of low salinity (and high pH) in the mountains. Consistent with the work of Raunkiaer [1934. The life forms of plants and statistical plant geography. Clarendon Press, Oxford], hemicryptophytes are mainly restricted to upper mountain areas. Though correlated both directly with altitude and with correlation in DCA/CCA plots, phytogeography, life-form and soil pH fail to adequately explain the ecological processes that maintain the altitudinal gradient in vegetation types and species composition. Further studies on site productivity, soil chemistry and climate-related variables are, therefore, on-going in an attempt to understand more fully the ecosystem processes maintaining the diversity of these important wetland sites.     

Cardiac nitric oxide synthase-1 localization within the cardiomyocyte is accompanied by the adaptor protein,CAPON

The mechanism(s) regulating nitric oxide synthase-1 (NOS1) localization within the cardiac myocyte in health and disease remains unknown. Here we tested the hypothesis that the PDZ-binding domain interaction between CAPON (carboxy-terminal PDZ ligand of NOS1), a NOS1 adaptor protein and NOS1, contribute to NOS1 localization in specific organelles within cardiomyocytes. Ventricular cardiomyocytes and whole heart homogenates were isolated from sham and post-myocardial infarction (MI) wild-type (C57BL/6) and NOS1^?/? female mice for quantification of CAPON protein expression levels. NOS1, CAPON, xanthine oxidoreductase and Dexras1, a CAPON binding partner, were all present and enriched in isolated cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) fractions. CAPON co-immunoprecipitated with the mu and alpha isoforms of NOS1 in whole heart lysates, and co-localization of CAPON and NOS1 was demonstrated in the SR and mitochondria with dual immuno-gold electron microscopy. Following MI, CAPON and NOS1 both redistributed to caveolae and colocalized with caveolin-3. In addition, following MI, expression level of CAPON remained unchanged and Dexras1 was reduced, CAPON binding to xanthine oxidoreductase was augmented and the plasma membrane calcium ATPase (PMCA) increased. In NOS1 deficient myocytes, CAPON abundance in the SR was reduced, and redistribution to caveolae and PMCA binding after MI was absent. Together these findings support the hypothesis that NOS1 redistribution in injured myocardium requires the formation of a complex with the PDZ adaptor protein CAPON.