Activities of hydrolytic enzymes in callus cultures of tobacco during organogenesis

Starch, total sugars, reducing sugars and protein contents and the specific activities of hydrolytic enzymes such as amylase, Phosphorylase, soluble acid invertase, wall-bound acid invertase, sucrose synthetase, acid and alkaline phosphatases and ribonuclease were determined in root forming, shoot forming and non-organ-forming callus cultures of tobacco. Organ-forming cultures not only showed higher amounts of the above metabolites but also higher enzyme activities compared to non-organ-forming cultures. The activities of these enzymes in relation to organogenesis is discussed.     

The discovery and preclinical evaluation of BMS-707035, a potent HIV-1 integrase strand transfer inhibitor

BMS-707035 is an HIV-1 integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI) discovered by systematic optimization of N-methylpyrimidinone carboxamides guided by structure-activity relationships (SARs) and the single crystal X-ray structure of compound 10. It was rationalized that the unexpectedly advantageous profiles of N-methylpyrimidinone carboxamides with a saturated C2-substitutent may be due, in part, to the geometric relationship between the C2-substituent and the pyrimidinone core. The single crystal X-ray structure of 10 provided support for this reasoning and guided the design of a spirocyclic series 12 which led to discovery of the morpholino-fused pyrimidinone series 13. Several carboxamides derived from this bicyclic scaffold displayed improved antiviral activity and pharmacokinetic profiles when compared with corresponding spirocyclic analogs. Based on the excellent antiviral activity, preclinical profiles and acceptable in vitro and in vivo toxicity profiles, 13a (BMS-707035) was selected for advancement into phase I clinical trials.     

A role for diacylglycerol in annexin A7-mediated fusion of lung lamellar bodies

Lung surfactant secretion in alveolar type II cells occurs following lamellar body fusion with plasma membrane. Annexin A7 is a Ca2+-dependent membrane-binding protein that is postulated to promote membrane fusion during exocytosis in some cell types including type II cells. Since annexin A7 preferably binds to lamellar body membranes, we postulated that specific lipids could modify the mode of annexin A7 interaction with membranes and its membrane fusion activity. Initial studies with phospholipid vesicles containing phosphatidylserine and other lipids showed that certain lipids affected protein interaction with vesicle membranes as determined by change in protein tryptophan fluorescence, protein interaction with trans membranes, and by protein sensitivity to limited proteolysis. The presence of signaling lipids, diacylglycerol or phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate, as minor components also modified the lipid vesicle effect on these characteristics and membrane fusion activity of annexin A7. In vitro incubation of lamellar bodies with diacylglycerol or phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate caused their enrichment with either lipid, and increased the annexin A7 and Ca2+-mediated fusion of lamellar bodies. Treatment of isolated lung lamellar bodies with phosphatidylinositol- or phosphatidylcholine phospholipase C to increase diacylglycerol, without or with preincubation with phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate, augmented the fusion activity of annexin A7. Thus, increased diacylglycerol in lamellar bodies following cell stimulation with secretagogues may enhance membrane fusion activity of annexin A7.     

Multiple origins of the mtDNA 9-bp deletion in populations of South India

The origins and genetic affinities of the more than 500 tribal populations living in South Asia are widely disputed. This may reflect differential contributions that continental populations have made to tribal groups in South Asia. We assayed for the presence of the intergenic COII/tRNALys 9-bp deletion in human mtDNA in 646 individuals from 12 caste and 14 tribal populations of South India and compared them to individuals from Africa, Europe, and Asia. The 9-bp deletion is observed in four South Indian tribal populations, the Irula, Yanadi, Siddi, and Maria Gond, and in the Nicobarese. Length polymorphisms of the 9-bp motif are present in the Santal, Khonda Dora, and Jalari, all of whom live in a circumscribed region on the eastern Indian coast. Phylogenetic analyses of mtDNA control region sequence from individuals with the 9-bp deletion indicate that it has arisen independently in some Indian tribal populations. Other 9-bp deletion haplotypes are likely to be of Asian and African origin, implying multiple origins of the 9-bp deletion in South India. These results demonstrate varying genetic affinities of different South Indian tribes to continental populations and underscore the complex histories of the tribal populations living in South Asia. Am J Phys Anthropol 109:147–158, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Mercury alters the bacterial community structure and diversity in soil even at concentrations lower than the guideline values

This study evaluated the effect of inorganic mercury (Hg) on bacterial community and diversity in different soils. Three soils—neutral, alkaline and acidic—were spiked with six different concentrations of Hg ranging from 0 to 200 mg kg⁻¹ and aged for 90 days. At the end of the ageing period, 18 samples from three different soils were investigated for bacterial community structure and soil physicochemical properties. Illumina MiSeq-based 16s ribosomal RNA (rRNA) amplicon sequencing revealed the alteration in the bacterial community between un-spiked control soils and Hg-spiked soils. Among the bacterial groups, Actinobacteria (22.65%) were the most abundant phyla in all samples followed by Proteobacteria (21.95%), Bacteroidetes (4.15%), Firmicutes (2.9%) and Acidobacteria (2.04%). However, the largest group showing increased abundance with higher Hg doses was the unclassified group (45.86%), followed by Proteobacteria. Mercury had a considerable negative impact on key soil functional bacteria such as ammonium oxidizers and nitrifiers. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) indicated that among the measured soil properties, Hg had a major influence on bacterial community structure. Furthermore, nonlinear regression analysis confirmed that Hg significantly decreased soil bacterial alpha diversity in lower organic carbon containing neutral and alkaline soils, whereas in acidic soil with higher organic carbon there was no significant correlation. EC₂₀ values obtained by a nonlinear regression analysis indicated that Hg significantly decreased soil bacterial diversity in concentrations lower than several guideline values.

     

Bioremediation of mercury: not properly exploited in contaminated soils!

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - Contamination of land and water caused by heavy metal mercury (Hg) poses a serious threat to biota worldwide. The seriousness of toxicity of this neurotoxin...     

Chronic energy deficiency in some low socio-economic populations from South India: Relationships between body mass index, waist–hip ratio and conicity index

This paper reports the prevalence of chronic energy deficiency (CED) based on body mass index (BMI) and its relation to other adiposity measures namely, waist-hip ratio (WHR) and conicity index (CI) in some low socio-economic groups from South India. Two ethnic groups from each area type, namely, tribal, rural and urban areas, are included and samples of 646 men and 670 women belonging to six groups are selected on a multistage basis. Based on the measurements, BMI, WHR and CI are calculated. A considerable proportion of populations studied here experience CED. A higher proportion of women than men show CED. The BMI and WHR are slightly higher among men and WHR exhibits significant intersex difference. The CI is in expected ranges and all ethnic groups differ from each other in all measurements and indices. Age is strongly correlated with WHR and CI, but not with BMI. Both WHR and CI are influenced by BMI. BMI and sex are found to be significant contributors to the variation in WHR, and ethnicity also added to the variation in CI. The present study also concludes that adult malnutrition (as indicated by BMI) is spread to a considerable extent in these populations of low socio-economic status. It appears that the ethnic differences occurring in several measurements/indices reflect the economic and social conditions.