Lessons learned from the syndrome of oculopalatal tremor

Journal of Computational Neuroscience - The syndrome of oculopalatal tremor (OPT) featuring the olivo-cerebellar hypersychrony leads to disabling pendular nystagmus and palatal myoclonus. This rare...     

Piriformospora indica?rescues growth diminution of rice seedlings during high salt stress

Piriformospora indica association has been reported to increase biotic as well as abiotic stress tolerance of its host plants. We analyzed the beneficial effect of P. indica association on rice seedlings during high salt stress conditions (200 and 300 mM NaCl). The growth parameters of rice seedlings such as root and shoot lengths or fresh and dry weights were found to be enhanced in P. indica-inoculated rice seedlings as compared with non-inoculated control seedlings, irrespective of whether they are exposed to salt stress or not. However, salt-stressed seedlings performed much better in the presence of the fungus compared with non-inoculated control seedlings. The photosynthetic pigment content [chlorophyll (Chl) a, Chl b, and carotenoids] was significantly higher in P. indica-inoculated rice seedlings under high salt stress conditions as compared with salt-treated non-inoculated rice seedlings, in which these pigments were found to be decreased. Proline accumulation was also observed during P. indica colonization, which may help the inoculated plants to become salt tolerant. Taken together, P. indica rescues growth diminution of rice seedlings under salt stress.     

Patient navigation pathway and barriers to treatment seeking in cancer in India: A qualitative inquiry

Cancer is a leading cause of mortality worldwide. Early diagnosis and treatment of cancer may curb the growing burden of the disease. Understanding cancer patients’ navigation pathways for seeking treatment is important in order to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment. With this background we conducted a hospital-based cross-sectional study comprising 68 randomly selected cancer inpatients in a tertiary cancer specialty hospital in Odisha, India, to explore the treatment-seeking pathways of the cancer patients and the barriers and enablers in seeking treatment. Financial constraint is one of the major reasons for the delay in accessing treatment, even when patients are suspected of or diagnosed with cancer. Low awareness of the presenting signs and symptoms of cancer and limited knowledge of the availability of cancer diagnosis and treatment facilities are major factors contributing to delay. Family and friends’ support is found to be the major enabling factor toward seeking treatment. Generation of awareness of cancer among the general population and primary-care practitioners – including those in alternative systems of medicine – is important. Information on diagnostic and treatment services appears to be a felt need.     

Enzymatic activity of naturally occurring 1-acylglycerol-3-phosphate-O-acyltransferase 2 mutants associated with congenital generalized lipodystrophy

Mutations in the gene encoding 1-acylglycerol-3-phosphate-O-acyltransferase 2 (AGPAT2) have been reported in patients with congenital generalized lipodystrophy (CGL). AGPAT2, a 278 amino acid protein, belongs to the acyltransferase enzyme family, and has two conserved motifs, NHX(4)D and EGTR, involved in the enzymatic activity. The AGPATs catalyze acylation of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) to phosphatidic acid (PA) during the biosynthesis of glycerophospholipids and triglycerides from glycerol-3-phosphate. The present studies were designed to determine the enzymatic activity of AGPAT2 mutants found in CGL patients to provide a molecular explanation for the phenotype and to obtain additional information about the structure-function relationship of AGPAT2 protein. The enzymatic activities of the wild type AGPAT2 and mutants were determined in cell lysates of overexpressing Chinese hamster ovary cells by measuring the conversion of [(3)H]LPA to [(3)H]PA in the presence of oleoyl-coenzyme A. Whereas, the R68X, 221delGT, 252delMRT, D180fsX251, and V167fsX183 mutants had markedly reduced enzymatic activity (median <15% of the wild type), the mutants, 140delF, G136R, and L228P, retained median activity ranging from 15% to 40% of the wild type enzyme. However, the missense mutant, A239V, had 90% of the wild type activity. We suggest that reduction in AGPAT2 enzymatic activity underlies the loss of adipose tissue in CGL. Our observations reveal an important role of various carboxy-terminal residues in determining the enzymatic activity of AGPAT2.     

Differential effects of aging on limb blood flow in humans

Aging appears to attenuate leg blood flow during exercise; in contrast, such data are scant and do not support this contention in the arm. Therefore, to determine whether aging has differing effects on blood flow in the arm and leg, eight young (22 +/- 6 yr) and six old (71 +/- 15 yr) subjects separately performed dynamic knee extensor [0, 3, 6, 9 W; 20, 40, 60% maximal work rate (WRmax)] and handgrip exercise (3, 6, 9 kg at 0.5 Hz; 20, 40, 60% WRmax). Arterial diameter, blood velocity (Doppler ultrasound), and arterial blood pressure (radial tonometry) were measured simultaneously at each of the submaximal workloads. Quadriceps muscle mass was smaller in the old (1.6 +/- 0.1 kg) than the young (2.1 +/- 0.2 kg). When normalized for this difference in muscle mass, resting seated blood flow was similar in young and old subjects (young, 115 +/- 28; old, 114 +/- 39 ml x g(-1) x min(-1)). During exercise, blood flow and vascular conductance were attenuated in the old whether expressed in absolute terms for a given absolute workload or more appropriately expressed as blood flow per unit muscle mass at a given relative exercise intensity (young, 1,523 +/- 329; old, 1,340 +/- 157 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1) at 40% WRmax). In contrast, aging did not affect forearm muscle mass or attenuate rest or exercise blood flow or vascular conductance in the arm. In conclusion, aging induces limb-specific alterations in exercise blood flow regulation. These alterations result in reductions in leg blood flow during exercise but do not impact forearm blood flow.     

AChE inhibitor: a regio- and stereo-selective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition for the synthesis of novel substituted 5,6-dimethoxy spiro[5.3']-oxindole-spiro-[6.3″]-2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-1″-one-7-(substituted aryl)-tetrahydro-1H-pyrrolo[1,2-c][1,3]thiazole

Pyrrolothiazolyloxindole analogues share vital pharmacological properties, considered useful in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The aim of this study was synthesis and evaluate pyralothiazolyloxindole analogues if possess acetyl cholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity. The easily accessible one-pot synthesis of these compounds resulted to be significantly less difficult and expensive than that of donepezil. Several compounds possess anti-cholinesterase activity in the order of micro and sub-micromolar. Particularly, compound was the most potent inhibitors of the series against acetyl cholinesterase enzyme with IC(50) 0.11μmol/L.     

Mislocalization of prelamin A Tyr646Phe mutant to the nuclear pore complex in human embryonic kidney 293 cells

Mature lamin A is formed after post-translational processing of prelamin A, which includes prenylation and carboxymethylation of cysteine 661 in the CaaX motif, followed by two proteolytic cleavages by zinc metalloprotease (ZMPSTE24). We expressed several prelamin A mutants, C661S (defective in prenylation), Y646F (designed to undergo prenylation but not second proteolytic cleavage), double mutant, Y646F/C661S and Y646X (mature lamin A), and the wild-type construct in human embryonic kidney (HEK-293) cells. Only the Y646F mutant co-localized with nuclear pore complex proteins, including Nup53 and Nup98, whereas the other mutants localized to the nuclear envelope rim. The cells expressing Y646F mutant also revealed abnormal nuclear morphology which was partially rescued with the farnesyl transferase inhibitors. These data suggest that the unprenylated prelamin A is not toxic to the cells. The toxicity of prenylated prelamin A may be due to its association and/or accumulation at the nuclear pore complex which could be partially reversed by farnesyl transferase inhibitors.     

Organisation and expression of a cluster of yolk protein genes in the Australian sheep blowfly, Lucilia cuprina

The Australian sheep blowfly Lucilia cuprina is a major pest for the Australian and New Zealand sheep industries. With the long-term aim of making a strain of L. cuprina suitable for a genetic control program, we previously developed a tetracycline-repressible female lethal genetic system in Drosophila. A key part of this system is a female-specific promoter from a yolk protein (yp) gene controlling expression of the tetracycline-dependent transactivator (tTA). Here we report the sequence of a 14.2 kb genomic clone from L. cuprina that contains a cluster of three complete yp genes and one partial yp gene. The Lcyp genes are specifically expressed in females that have received a protein meal. A bioinformatic analysis of the promoter of one of the yp genes (LcypA) identified several putative binding sites for DSX, a known regulator of yp gene expression in other Diptera. A transgenic strain of L. cuprina was made that contained the LcypA promoter driving the expression of the Escherichia coli lacZ reporter gene. Transgenic females express high levels of β-galactosidase after a protein meal. Thus the LcypA promoter could be used to obtain female-specific expression of tTA in transgenic L. cuprina.     

Hepatic Gluconeogenesis Is Enhanced by Phosphatidic Acid Which Remains Uninhibited by Insulin in Lipodystrophic Agpat2?/? Mice

In this study we examined the role of phosphatidic acid (PA) in hepatic glucose production (HGP) and development of hepatic insulin resistance in mice that lack 1-acylglycerol-3-phosphate O-acyltransferase 2 (AGPAT2). Liver lysophosphatidic acid and PA levels were increased ∼2- and ∼5-fold, respectively, in male Agpat2^−/− mice compared with wild type mice. In the absence of AGPAT2, the liver can synthesize PAs by activating diacylglycerol kinase or phospholipase D, both of which were elevated in the livers of Agpat2^−/− mice. We found that PAs C16:0/18:1 and C18:1/20:4 enhanced HGP in primary WT hepatocytes, an effect that was further enhanced in primary hepatocytes from Agpat2^−/− mice. Lysophosphatidic acids C16:0 and C18:1 failed to increase HGP in primary hepatocytes. The activation of HGP was accompanied by an up-regulation of the key gluconeogenic enzymes glucose-6-phosphatase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase. This activation was suppressed by insulin in the WT primary hepatocytes but not in the Agpat2^−/− primary hepatocytes. Thus, the lack of normal insulin signaling in Agpat2^−/− livers allows unrestricted PA-induced gluconeogenesis significantly contributing to the development of hyperglycemia in these mice.