Underweight Full-Term Indian Neonates Show Differences in Umbilical Cord Blood Leukocyte Phenotype: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background

While infections are a major cause of neonatal mortality in India even in full-term neonates, this is an especial problem in the large proportion (~20%) of neonates born underweight (or small-for-gestational-age; SGA). One potential contributory factor for this susceptibility is the possibility that immune system maturation may be affected along with intrauterine growth retardation.

Methods

In order to examine the possibility that differences in immune status may underlie the susceptibility of SGA neonates to infections, we enumerated the frequencies and concentrations of 22 leukocyte subset populations as well as IgM and IgA levels in umbilical cord blood from full-term SGA neonates and compared them with values from normal-weight (or appropriate-for-gestational-age; AGA) full-term neonates. We eliminated most SGA-associated risk factors in the exclusion criteria so as to ensure that AGA-SGA differences, if any, would be more likely to be associated with the underweight status itself.

Results

An analysis of 502 such samples, including 50 from SGA neonates, showed that SGA neonates have significantly fewer plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs), a higher myeloid DC (mDC) to pDC ratio, more natural killer (NK) cells, and higher IgM levels in cord blood in comparison with AGA neonates. Other differences were also observed such as tendencies to lower CD4:CD8 ratios and greater prominence of inflammatory monocytes, mDCs and neutrophils, but while some of them had substantial differences, they did not quite reach the standard level of statistical significance.

Conclusions

These differences in cellular lineages of the immune system possibly reflect stress responses in utero associated with growth restriction. Increased susceptibility to infections may thus be linked to complex immune system dysregulation rather than simply retarded immune system maturation.     

Relationships between lake ecology and morphological characters in Icelandic Arctic charr,Salvelinus alpinus

The common occurrence of parallel phenotypic patterns suggests that a strong relationship exists between ecological dynamics and micro‐evolution. Comparative studies from a large number of populations under varying sets of ecological drivers could contribute to a better understanding of this relationship. We used data on morphology of arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) and ecological factors from 35 Icelandic lakes to test the hypothesis that morphological patterns among monomorphic charr populations from different lakes are related to interlake variation in ecological characteristics. There is extensive phenotypic diversity among populations of Icelandic charr, and populations are easily distinguished based on overall body morphology. The results obtained in the present study showed that the morphological diversity of charr was related to large‐scale diversity in lake ecology. Variation in charr morphology was related to water origin (e.g. spring fed versus run‐off), bedrock age, and fish community structure. The present study shows how various ecological factors can shape the biological diversity that we observe. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, 103 , 761–771.     

Zea mays CCaMK: autophosphorylation-dependent substrate phosphorylation and down-regulation by red light.

The role of protein kinases has been extensively studied in various signal transduction pathways and they are one of the most important components that link the signal perception to the final response. However, not many studies have been reported, especially from the plant systems, that show the regulation pattern of the kinase itself under different conditions. A calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase has already been purified and characterized from etiolated maize coleoptiles. In this paper a detailed study of how the kinase itself is regulated at the autophosphorylation level is provided. Evidence is also given that the autophosphorylation of kinase effects its activity towards substrate phosphorylation. It is further shown that the kinase is an important component of the light signalling pathway as the level of the kinase itself decreases by red light irradiation.     

Induction of haploidy from pollen grains in angiosperms — the current status

Summary Since the successful induction of haploids from anthers cultured in vitro in 1964, a great deal of attention has been given to this problem by those interested in obtaining pure lines and mutants for crop improvement and biochemical genetics. In the last 16 years the anther culture technique has been refined and extended to over one hundred and fifty different species. More recently, isolated pollen culture — which is a refinement of the original anther culture technique — has also been developed. In this review we have made an effort to critically examine existing reports with the objective of analysing the effects of various factors — e.g. culture medium, the cultural conditions, and the effect of genotype and physiological state of the parent plant on pollen induction — and to speculate on the mechanism of action of different factors in order to throw some light on the process of haploid induction.     

Synthesis and evaluation of in vitro antioxidant capacities of some benzimidazole derivatives

New, except 1d, melatonin analogue benzimidazole derivatives were synthesized and characterized in the present study. The potential role of melatonin as an antioxidant by scavenging and detoxifying ROS raised the possibility that compounds that are analogous to melatonin can also be used for their antioxidant properties. Therefore the antioxidant effects of the newly synthesized compounds were investigated in vitro by means of their inhibitory effect on hydrogen peroxide-induced erythrocyte membrane lipid peroxidation (EMLP) and on various erythrocyte antioxidant enzymes viz. superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD). The synthesized benzimidazole derivatives showed remarkable antioxidant activity in vitro in the H₂O₂-induced EMLP system. Furthermore their effects on various antioxidant enzymes are discussed and evaluated from the perspective of structure- activity relationships.     

Phytochrome Control of Chlorophyll and Carotenoid Accumulation in Sorghum bicolor

Etiolated Sorghum bicolor seedlings manifested a significantmorphological response to short term irradiations by red andfar-red light and to a continuous far-red light. Accumulationof chlorophylls in white light and carotenoids in darkness isunder red/far-red reversible control as well as along with theeffectiveness of ‘High Irradiance Reaction’. Phytochromeis also found to eliminate the lag phase during the accumulationof chlorophylls and carotenoids in white light. (Received March 11, 1981; Accepted May 2, 1981)     

Characterization of oat calmodulin and radioimmunoassay of its subcellular distribution

A protein identifiable as calmodulin has been isolated from oat (Avena sativa, var Garry) tissues. This protein is relatively heat stable, binds to hydrophobic gels, and phenothiazines in a calcium-dependent fashion, and binds to antibody to rat testes calmodulin. Based on its migration on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels, ultraviolet absorption spectrum, and amino acid composition, oat calmodulin is essentially identical to calmodulin isolated from other higher plants. Radioimmunoassays indicate that calmodulin is associated with isolated oat protoplasts, mitochondria, etioplasts, and nuclei and also appears to be a component of oat cell wall fractions.