Purine salvage as metabolite and energy saving mechanism in Camelus dromedarius: the recovery of guanine

The preservation of purine ring as purine bases appears to be a common feature of camel liver. Hepatic guanine appears to be actively converted into GMP in the camel rather than further degraded. The limiting step of guanine degradation appears to be the lack of hepatic guanase activity. Higher purine bases over uric acid ratios were found in camel urine with respect to those of zebu.     

Association between FABP2 Ala54Thr polymorphisms and type 2 diabetes mellitus risk: a HuGE Review and Meta‐Analysis

Many studies have examined the association between the FABP2 (rs1799883) Ala54Thr gene polymorphism and type 2 diabetes mellitus risk (T2DM) in various populations, but their results have been inconsistent. To assess this relationship more precisely, A HuGE review and meta‐analysis were performed. The PubMed and CNKI database was searched for case‐control studies published up to April 2014. Data were extracted and pooled odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Ultimately, 13 studies, comprising 2020 T2DM cases and 2910 controls were included. Overall, for the Thr carriers (Ala/Thr and Thr/Thr) versus the wild‐type homozygotes (Ala/Ala), the pooled OR was 1.18 (95% CI = 1.04–1.34, P = 0.062 for heterogeneity), for Thr/Thr versus Ala/Ala the pooled OR was 1.17 (95% CI = 1.05–1.41 P = 0.087 for heterogeneity). In the stratified analysis by ethnicity, the significantly risks were found among Asians but not Caucasians. This meta‐analysis suggests that the FABP2 (rs1799883) Ala54Thr polymorphisms are associated with increased susceptibility to T2DM risk among Asians but not Caucasians.     

UVB radiation induced effects on cells studied by FTIR spectroscopy

We have made a preliminary analysis of the results about the effects on tumoral cell line (lymphoid T cell line Jurkat) induced by UVB radiation (dose of 310 mJ/cm²) with and without a vegetable mixture. In the present study, we have used two techniques: Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and flow cytometry. FTIR spectroscopy has the potential to provide the identification of the vibrational modes of some of the major compounds (lipid, proteins and nucleic acids) without being invasive in the biomaterials. The second technique has allowed us to perform measurements of cytotoxicity and to assess the percentage of apoptosis. We already studied the induction of apoptotic process in the same cell line by UVB radiation; in particular, we looked for correspondences and correlations between FTIR spetroscopy and flow cytometry data finding three highly probable spectroscopic markers of apoptosis (Pozzi et al. in Radiat Res 168:698–705, 2007). In the present work, the results have shown significant changes in the absorbance and spectral pattern in the wavenumber protein and nucleic acids regions after the treatments.     

Sequence Determinants of GLUT1 Oligomerization: ANALYSIS BY HOMOLOGY-SCANNING MUTAGENESIS*

The human blood-brain barrier glucose transport protein (GLUT1) forms homodimers and homotetramers in detergent micelles and in cell membranes, where the GLUT1 oligomeric state determines GLUT1 transport behavior. GLUT1 and the neuronal glucose transporter GLUT3 do not form heterocomplexes in human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells as judged by co-immunoprecipitation assays. Using homology-scanning mutagenesis in which GLUT1 domains are substituted with equivalent GLUT3 domains and vice versa, we show that GLUT1 transmembrane helix 9 (TM9) is necessary for optimal association of GLUT1-GLUT3 chimeras with parental GLUT1 in HEK cells. GLUT1 TMs 2, 5, 8, and 11 also contribute to a less abundant heterocomplex. Cell surface GLUT1 and GLUT3 containing GLUT1 TM9 are 4-fold more catalytically active than GLUT3 and GLUT1 containing GLUT3 TM9. GLUT1 and GLUT3 display allosteric transport behavior. Size exclusion chromatography of detergent solubilized, purified GLUT1 resolves GLUT1/lipid/detergent micelles as 6- and 10-nm Stokes radius particles, which correspond to GLUT1 dimers and tetramers, respectively. Studies with GLUTs expressed in and solubilized from HEK cells show that HEK cell GLUT1 resolves as 6- and 10-nm Stokes radius particles, whereas GLUT3 resolves as a 6-nm particle. Substitution of GLUT3 TM9 with GLUT1 TM9 causes chimeric GLUT3 to resolve as 6- and 10-nm Stokes radius particles. Substitution of GLUT1 TM9 with GLUT3 TM9 causes chimeric GLUT1 to resolve as a mixture of 6- and 4-nm particles. We discuss these findings in the context of determinants of GLUT oligomeric structure and transport function.     

Microplastics in soil-plant system: effects of nano/microplastics on plant photosynthesis,rhizosphere microbes and soil properties in soil with different residues

Plant and Soil - To investigate the effects of polystyrene microplastics (PS-beads) on the soil properties, photosynthesis of Flowering Chinese cabbage, the rhizosphere microbial community and...     

The study of X-rays and TCDD effects on satellite associations may suggest a simple model for application in environmental mutagenesis

Summary Satellite associations were used as parameters to test nucleolar organizer activity. Assuming that toxic and/or mutagenic agents may affect the ribosomal genes, satellite associations in human lymphocytes were analysed following exposure to X-rays and compared with the satellite association pattern of subjects exposed to TCDD. A significant decrease in the satellite association frequency in D group chromosomes was found both in irradiated lymphocytes and in subjects exposed to Dioxin. The findings seem to be in accordance with the hypothesis based on random damage of functional nucleolar organizing regions.