Characterization of the centromere and peri-centromere retrotransposons in Brassica rapa and their distribution in related Brassica species

We report the identification and characterization of the major repeats in the centromeric and peri-centromeric heterochromatin of Brassica rapa. The analysis involved the characterization of 88 629 bacterial artificial chromosomes (BAC) end sequences and the complete sequences of two BAC clones. We identified centromere-specific retrotransposons of Brassica (CRB) and various peri-centromere-specific retrotransposons (PCRBr). Three copies of the CRB were identified in one BAC clone as nested insertions within a tandem array of 24 copies of a 176 bp centromeric repeat, CentBr. A complex mosaic structure consisting of nine PCRBr elements and large blocks of 238 bp degenerate tandem repeats (TR238) were found in or near a derivative of 5S-25S rDNA sequences. The chromosomal positions of selected repeats were determined using in situ hybridization. These revealed that CRB is a major component of all centromeres in three diploid Brassica species and their allotetraploid relatives. However, CentBr was not detected in the most distantly related of the diploid species analyzed, B. nigra. PCRBr and TR238 were found to be major components in the peri-centromeric heterochromatin blocks of four chromosomes of B. rapa. These repetitive elements were not identified in B. oleracea or B. nigra, indicating that they are A-genome-specific. GenBank accession numbers: KBrH001P13 (AC 166739); KBrH015B20 (AC 166740); end sequences of KBrH BAC library (CW 978640 - CW 988843); end sequences of KBrS BAC library (DU 826965 - DU 835595); end sequences of KBrB BAC library (DX 010661 - DX 083363).     

Staying out in the cold: glacial refugia and mitochondrial DNA phylogeography in ancient European brown bears

Models for the development of species distribution in Europe typically invoke restriction in three temperate Mediterranean refugia during glaciations, from where recolonization of central and northern Europe occurred. The brown bear, Ursus arctos, is one of the taxa from which this model is derived. Sequence data generated from brown bear fossils show a complex phylogeographical history for western European populations. Long-term isolation in separate refugia is not required to explain our data when considering the palaeontological distribution of brown bears. We propose continuous gene flow across southern Europe, from which brown bear populations expanded after the last glaciation.     

Synthesis, antifungal and antimicrobial activity of alkylphospholipids

The antifungal, antibacterial and haemolytic activity of a series of alkylphosphocholines (e.g., miltefosine) and alkylglycerophosphocholines (e.g., edelfosine) has been investigated. These compound classes exhibit significant antifungal and moderate antibacterial activities. Several new alkylphosphocholine derivatives with amide or ester bonds in the alkyl chain have been synthesised. These compounds show much lower haemolytic activity than miltefosine. Alkylphosphocholines and alkylglycerophosphocholines show significant promise as novel orally available antifungal and antibacterial therapeutics.     

An Integrated Framework for Risk Management and Population Health

The traditional medical model of health and health policy development has focused on individuals and the role of medical care in preventing and treating disease and injury. Recent attention to health inequities and social determinants of health has raised the profile of population heath and evidence-based strategies for improving the health of whole populations. At the same time, risk science has emerged as an important new discipline for the assessment and management of risks to health. This article reviews historical developments in the fields of risk management and population health and proposes a joint population health risk management framework that integrates the key elements of both fields. Applying this integrated approach to managing population health risks will facilitate the development of evidence-based health policy. It will encourage a more systematic and comprehensive evaluation of population health issues and promote the use of a broader suite of interventions to reduce health risks and enhance population health status.     

Molecular characterization of chromosome termini of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus intraradices (Glomeromycota)

The minimum chromosome number of Glomus intraradices was assessed through cloning and sequencing of the highly divergent telomere-associated sequences (TAS) and by pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The telomere of G. intraradices, as in other filamentous fungi, consists of TTAGGG repeats, this was confirmed using Bal31 nuclease time course reactions. Telomere length was estimated to be roughly 0.9 kb by Southern blots on genomic DNA and a telomere probe. We have identified six classes of cloned chromosomal termini based on the TAS. An unusually high genetic variation was observed within two of the six TAS classes. To further assess the total number of chromosome termini, we used telomere fingerprinting. Surprisingly, all hybridization patterns showed smears, which demonstrate that TAS are remarkably variable in the G. intraradices genome. These analyses predict the presence of at least three chromosomes in G. intraradices while PFGE showed a pattern of four bands ranging from 1.2 to 1.5 Mb. Taken together, our results indicate that there are at least four chromosomes in G. intraradices but there are probably more. The information on TAS and telomeres in the G. intradicies will be essential for making a physical map of the G. intraradices genome and could provide molecular markers for future studies of genetic variation among nuclei in these multigenomic fungi.     

Site-specific PEGylation of protein disulfide bonds using a three-carbon bridge

The covalent conjugation of a functionalized poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) to multiple nucleophilic amine residues results in a heterogeneous mixture of PEG positional isomers. Their physicochemical, biological, and pharmaceutical properties vary with the site of conjugation of PEG. Yields are low because of inefficient conjugation chemistry and production costs high because of complex purification procedures. Our solution to these fundamental problems in PEGylating proteins has been to exploit the latent conjugation selectivity of the two sulfur atoms that are derived from the ubiquitous disulfide bonds of proteins. This approach to PEGylation involves two steps: (1) disulfide reduction to release the two cysteine thiols and (2) re-forming the disulfide by bis-alkylation via a three-carbon bridge to which PEG was covalently attached. During this process, irreversible denaturation of the protein did not occur. Mechanistically, the conjugation is conducted by a sequential, interactive bis-alkylation using alpha,beta-unsaturated beta'-monosulfone functionalized PEG reagents. The combination of (a) maintaining the protein's tertiary structure after disulfide reduction, (b) the mechanism for bis-thiol selectivity of the PEG reagent, and (c) the steric shielding of PEG ensure that only one PEG molecule is conjugated at each disulfide bond. PEG was site-specifically conjugated via a three-carbon bridge to 2 equiv of the tripeptide glutathione, the cyclic peptide hormone somatostatin, the tetrameric protein l-asparaginase, and to the disulfides in interferon alpha-2b (IFN). SDS-PAGE, mass spectral, and NMR analyses were used to confirm conjugation, thiol selectivity, and connectivity. The biological activity of the l-asparaginase did not change after the attachment of four PEG molecules. In the case of IFN, a small reduction in biological activity was seen with the single-bridged IFN (without PEG attached). A significantly larger reduction in biological activity was seen with the three-carbon disulfide single-bridged PEG-IFNs and with the double-bridged IFN (without PEG attached). The reduction of the PEG-IFN's in vitro biological activity was a consequence of the steric shielding caused by PEG, and it was comparable to that seen with all other forms of PEG-IFNs reported. However, when a three-carbon bridge was used to attach PEG, our PEG-IFN's biological activity was found to be independent of the length of the PEG. This property has not previously been described for PEG-IFNs. Our studies therefore suggest that peptides, proteins, enzymes, and antibody fragments can be site-specifically PEGylated across a native disulfide bond using three-carbon bridges without destroying their tertiary structure or abolishing their biological activity. The stoichiometric efficiency of this approach also enables recycling of any unreacted protein. It therefore offers the potential to make PEGylated biopharmaceuticals as cost-effective medicines for global use.     

Overexpression and purification of human calcitonin gene-related peptide-receptor component protein in Escherichia coli

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is a neuropeptide secreted by the central and peripheral nervous system nerves that has important physiological functions such as vasodilation, cardiotonic actions, metabolic and pro-inflammatory effects. The CGRP receptor is unique among G-protein coupled receptors in that a functional CGRP receptor consists of at least three proteins: calcitonin like receptor (CLR), receptor activity modifying protein (RAMP1) and receptor component protein (RCP). RCP is a required factor in CGRP-mediated signal transduction and it couples the CGRP receptor to the signal transduction pathway. Here, we describe methods to overexpress and purify RCP for structure-function studies. Human RCP was cloned and overexpressed with a poly-histidine tag and as a maltose binding protein (MBP) fusion in Escherichia coli using commercially available expression vectors. While His tagged RCP is prone to aggregation, solubility is improved when RCP is expressed as a MBP fusion. Expression and purification procedures for these constructs are described. Results from these studies will facilitate structural analysis of human RCP, and allow further understanding of RCP function.