Biochemical genetics of erythrocyte arylesterase in karakul sheep]

Three zones of esterase activity were established in zymograms of erythrocyte lysates in karakul sheep by means of starch gel electrophoresis. These zones were distinguished according to their substrate specificity and inhibition tests and desnguated as arylesterase (I), carbonic anhydrase (II) and aliesterase (III). The following phenotypes of erythrocyte arylesterase were distinguished in the two populations of karakul sheep studied: AEs - A, AEs - AB, AEs - AC, AEs - AD, AEs - B, AEs - BC, AEs - BD, AEs - C, AEs - CD, AEs - D. These phenotypes are controlled by 4 dominant alleles, VIZ. AEsA, AEsB, AEsC, AEsD. Gene frequencies vary from population to population: from 0.012 +/- 0.005 to 0.118 +/- 0.027, from 0.331 +/- 0.021 to 0.340 +/- 0.012, from 0.601 +/- 0.022 to 0.250 +/- 0.011 and from 0.056 +/- 0.003 to 0.292 +/- 0.011 for AEsA, AEsB, AEsC and AEsD respectively. The actually observed distribution of arylesterase phenotypes is in accordance with the theoretically expected values (p is less than 0.95).     

Complete Genome Sequence of Hepatitis E Virus from Rabbits in the United States

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a single-strand positive-sense RNA virus in the family Hepeviridae. The disease caused by HEV, hepatitis E, is an important public health problem in developing countries of Asia and Africa and is also endemic in many industrialized countries, including the United States. HEV has been identified from several other animal species in addition to humans, including the pig, chicken, mongoose, deer, rabbit, ferret, bat, and fish. Here we report the complete genome sequence of the first strain of HEV from rabbits in the United States. Sequence and phylogenetic analyses revealed that the U.S. rabbit HEV is a distant member of the zoonotic genotype 3 HEV, thus raising a concern for potential zoonotic human infection. A unique 90-nucleotide insertion within the X domain of the ORF1 was identified in the rabbit HEV, and this insertion may play a role in the species tropism of HEV.     

Triazine‐based tyrosinase inhibitors identified by chemical genetic screening

As most of the available depigmenting agents exhibit only modest activity and some exhibit toxicities that lead to adverse side effects after long‐term usage, there remains a need for novel depigmenting agents. Chemical genetic screening was performed on cultured melanocytes to identify novel depigmenting compounds. By screening a tagged‐triazine library, we identified four compounds, TGH11, TGD10, TGD39 and TGJ29, as potent pigmentation inhibitors with IC₅₀ values in the range of 10 μM. These newly identified depigmenting compounds were found to function as reversible inhibitors of tyrosinase, the key enzyme involved in melanin synthesis. Tyrosinase was further confirmed as the cellular target of these compounds by affinity chromatography. Kinetic data suggest that all four compounds act as competitive inhibitors of tyrosinase, most likely competing with l ‐3,4‐dihydroxyphenylalanine (l ‐DOPA) for binding to the DOPA‐binding site of the enzyme. No effect on levels of tyrosinase protein, processing or trafficking was observed upon treatment of melanocytes with these compounds. Cytotoxicity was not observed with these compounds at concentrations up to 20 μM. Our data suggest that TGH11, TGD10, TGD39 and TGJ29 are novel potent tyrosinase inhibitors with potential beneficial effects in the treatment of cutaneous hyperpigmentation.     

The Phylogenetic Diversity of Aerobic Organotrophic Bacteria from the Dagang High-Temperature Oil Field

The distribution and species diversity of aerobic organotrophic bacteria in the Dagang high-temperature oil field (China), which is exploited with water-flooding, have been studied. Twenty-two strains of the most characteristic thermophilic and mesophilic aerobic organotrophic bacteria have been isolated from the oil stratum. It has been found that, in a laboratory, the mesophilic and thermophilic isolates grow in the temperature, pH, and salinity ranges characteristic of the injection well near-bottom zones or of the oil stratum, respectively, and assimilate a wide range of hydrocarbons, fatty acids, lower alcohols, and crude oil, thus exhibiting adaptation to the environment. Using comparative phylogenetic 16S rRNA analysis, the taxonomic affiliation of the isolates has been established. The aerobic microbial community includes gram-positive bacteria with a high and low G+C content of DNA, and γ and β subclasses of Proteobacteria. The thermophilic bacteria belong to the genera Geobacillus and Thermoactinomyces, and the mesophilic strains belong to the genera Bacillus, Micrococcus, Cellulomonas, Pseudomonas, and Acinetobacter. The microbial community of the oil stratum is dominated by known species of the genus Geobacillus (G. subterraneus, G. stearothermophilus, and G. thermoglucosidasius) and a novel species “Geobacillus jurassicus.” A number of novel thermophilic oil-oxidizing bacilli have been isolated.__________Translated from Mikrobiologiya, Vol. 74, No. 3, 2005, pp. 401–409.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Nazina, Sokolova, Shestakova, Grigoryan, Mikhailova, Babich, Lysenko, Tourova, Poltaraus, Qingxian Feng, Fangtian Ni, Belyaev.     

Aquaporin-1 in the peritoneal membrane: Implications for water transport across capillaries and peritoneal dialysis

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is an established mode of renal replacement therapy, based on the exchange of fluid and solutes between blood in peritoneal capillaries and a dialysate that has been introduced in the peritoneal cavity. The dialysis involves diffusive and convective transports and osmosis through the highly vascularized peritoneal membrane. Computer simulations predicted that the membrane contains ultrasmall pores (radius < 3 Å) responsible for the transport of solute-free water across the capillary endothelium during crystalloid osmosis. The distribution of the water channel aquaporin-1 (AQP1), as well as its molecular structure ensuring an exquisite selectivity for water perfectly fit with the characteristics of the ultrasmall pore. Treatment with corticosteroids induces the expression of AQP1 in peritoneal capillaries and increases water permeability and ultrafiltration in rats, without affecting the osmotic gradient and the permeability for small solutes. Studies in knockout mice provided further evidence that osmotically-driven water transport across the peritoneal membrane is mediated by AQP1. AQP1 and endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) show a distinct regulation within the endothelium lining peritoneal capillaries. In acute peritonitis, the upregulation of eNOS and increased release of NO dissipate the osmotic gradient and result in ultrafiltration failure, despite the unchanged expression of AQP1. These data illustrate the potential of the peritoneal membrane to investigate the role and regulation of AQP1 in the endothelium. They also emphasize the critical role of AQP1 during peritoneal dialysis and suggest that manipulating AQP1 expression may be used to increase water permeability across the peritoneal membrane.     

内蒙古牧区乳与乳制品中乳酸菌资源及其生态分布

从代表内蒙古牧区不同地域特点和独特生态环境的9个盟市18个牧业旗519户牧民家庭,使用目的采样和层次分类随机采样相结合的方法,共采集鲜乳及乳制品样品752份,分离到947株乳酸菌,并通过形态、染色、培养特性及生化反应等实验对其进行了鉴定,有765株实验菌株分别归于7个属50个种和亚种,其中归于乳杆菌属的有28个种和亚种;归于双歧杆菌属的有2个种;归于肠球菌属的有9个种;归于链球菌属的有1个种;归于乳球菌属的有3个种和亚种;归于明串珠菌属的有6个种和亚种;归于片球菌属的有1个种。研究表明,内蒙古牧区乳及乳制品中乳酸菌的种类多、分布广;有些菌株对温度和pH值等环境条件的适应性强;有些菌株还有较强发酵利用松三糖、蜜二糖、棉子糖等糖的能力。     

Morphology and Phase Behavior of Two-Component Lipid Membranes

The stability and shapes of domains with different bending rigidities in lipid membranes are investigated. These domains can be formed from the inclusion of an impurity in a lipid membrane or from the phase separation within the membrane. We show that, for weak line tensions, surface tensions and finite spontaneous curvatures, an equilibrium phase of protruding circular domains or striped domains may be obtained. We also predict a possible phase transition between the investigated morphologies.