Evaluation of lytic activity of staphylococcal bacteriophage Sb‐1 against freshly isolated clinical pathogens

In recent decades the increase in antibiotic‐resistant bacterial strains has become a serious threat to the treatment of infectious diseases. Drug resistance of Staphylococcus aureus has become a major problem in hospitals of many countries, including developed ones. Today the interest in alternative remedies to antibiotics, including bacteriophage treatment, is gaining new ground. Here, we describe the staphylococcal bacteriophage Sb‐1 – a key component of therapeutic phage preparation that was successfully used against staphylococcal infections during many years in the Former Soviet Union. This phage still reveals a high spectrum of lytic activity in vitro against freshly isolated, genetically different clinical samples (including methicillin‐resistant S. aureus) obtained from the local hospitals, as well as the clinics from different geographical areas. The sequence analyses of phage genome showed absence of bacterial virulence genes. A case report describes a promising clinical response after phage application in patient with cystic fibrosis and indicates the efficacy of usage of Sb‐1 phage against various staphylococcal infections.     

Role of the proteasome in modulating native G-CSFR expression

The granulocyte colony-stimulating factor receptor (G-CSFR) is a critical regulator of granulopoiesis, but the mechanisms controlling its surface expression are poorly understood. Recent studies using transfected cell lines have suggested the activated G-CSFR is routed to the lysosome and not the proteasome. Here, we examined the role of the ubiquitin/proteasome system in regulating G-CSFR surface expression in both ts20 cells that have a temperature-sensitive E1 ubiquitin-activating enzyme and in primary human neutrophils. We show that the G-CSFR is constitutively ubiquitinated, which increases following ligand binding. In the absence of a functional E1 enzyme, ligand-induced internalization of the receptor is inhibited. Pre-treatment of ts20 transfectants with either chloroquine or MG132 inhibited ligand-induced G-CSFR degradation, suggesting a role for both lysosomes and proteasomes in regulating G-CSFR surface expression in this cell line. In neutrophils, inhibition of the proteasome but not the lysosome was found to inhibit internalization/degradation of the activated G-CSFR. Collectively, these data demonstrate the requirement for a functional ubiquitin/proteasome system in G-CSFR internalization and degradation. Our results suggest a prominent role for the proteasome in physiologic modulation of the G-CSFR, and provide further evidence for the importance of the ubiquitin/proteasome system in the initiation of negative signaling by cytokine receptors.     

A Forward Genetic Screen Reveals that Calcium-dependent Protein Kinase 3 Regulates Egress in Toxoplasma

Egress from the host cell is a crucial and highly regulated step in the biology of the obligate intracellular parasite, Toxoplasma gondii. Active egress depends on calcium fluxes and appears to be a crucial step in escaping the attack from the immune system and, potentially, in enabling the parasites to shuttle into appropriate cells for entry into the brain of the host. Previous genetic screens have yielded mutants defective in both ionophore-induced egress and ionophore-induced death. Using whole genome sequencing of one mutant and subsequent analysis of all mutants from these screens, we find that, remarkably, four independent mutants harbor a mis-sense mutation in the same gene, TgCDPK3, encoding a calcium-dependent protein kinase. All four mutations are predicted to alter key regions of TgCDPK3 and this is confirmed by biochemical studies of recombinant forms of each. By complementation we confirm a crucial role for TgCDPK3 in the rapid induction of parasite egress and we establish that TgCDPK3 is critical for formation of latent stages in the brains of mice. Genetic knockout of TgCDPK3 confirms a crucial role for this kinase in parasite egress and a non-essential role for it in the lytic cycle.     

Aortic stenosis is associated with elevated plasma levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA).

OBJECTIVES: We tested the hypothesis that the presence of aortic stenosis (AS) is associated with elevation of plasma levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), a physiological inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, a mediator and marker of endothelial dysfunction and an indicator of incremental cardiovascular risk. BACKGROUND: The presence of aortic sclerosis (ASC), the precursor of AS is independently associated both with endothelial dysfunction, and with incremental coronary event risk. It remains uncertain whether elevations of ADMA levels might mediate endothelial dysfunction in these conditions. METHODS: Forty two consecutive patients referred for echocardiography for evaluation of AS, who had calculated aortic valve areas of <1.4 cm(2) (AS group) were evaluated together with 42 consecutive age-matched referred patients (non-AS group). Plasma ADMA levels were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Determinants of elevation of plasma ADMA levels were identified via stepwise multiple linear regression analysis. RESULTS: Plasma ADMA levels were not statistically different between the AS and non-AS group (median 0.59 vs 0.54 micromol/L, p=0.13, Mann-Whitney test) on univariate analysis. However, in backward stepwise multiple linear regression, the presence of AS was a significant predictor of elevated ADMA levels (p=0.04, 95% CI=0.001, 0.072). In addition, elevated plasma ADMA levels were also associated with history of atrial fibrillation (p=0.009, 95% CI=0.015, 0.100), and negatively associated with creatinine clearance (p=0.01, 95% CI=-0.002, 0.000), and the use of statin therapy (p=0.01, 95% CI=-0.081, -0.011). CONCLUSIONS: AS is independently associated with elevation of ADMA levels, beyond that implied by "conventional" risk factors for endothelial dysfunction. The clinical status of AS as an incremental marker of cardiovascular risk may reflect ADMA-mediated endothelial dysfunction.     

Metabolism of volatile phenolic compounds from hydroxycinnamic acids byBrettanomyces yeast

The formation of 4-ethyl and 4-vinyl derivatives of guaiacol, phenol and syringol from ferulic acid,p-coumaric acid and sinapic acid, respectively, byBrettanomyces sp. in a synthetic medium was studied by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Some of these metabolites possess strong spicy, smoke-like, medicinal, clove-like, woody or phenolic odours and their role as spoilage compounds in wine is discussed. Their formation appears to be characteristic of this yeast genus and its sporulating formDekkera, suggesting these yeasts are Pof⁺. This paper attempts to clarify the distinctive and characteristic odours which have long been attributed toBrettanomyces yeast metabolism.     

The influence of the peptide bioregulator prostamax on heterochromatin of human lymphocytes in situ

It was shown that chromatin contained in human lymphocytes has two stages of denaturation: with T(d)VII = 94.4 degrees C, Q(d)VII = 50.8 J/g DNA, and T(d)VIII = 105.1 degrees C Q(d)VIII = 44.9 J/g DNA. The peptide bioregulator prostamax causes a redistribution of heat among endotherms T(d)III and T(d)IV and a shift of both endotherms to low temperatures by 2.9 and 1.0 degrees C, respectively. It was supposed that the redistribution of heat among endotherms is connected with a partial relaxation of the 30-nm-thick fiber in the 10-nm filament. A weak decrease in T(d)VIII and T(d)VII of lymphocytes treated with prostamax compared to untreated ones is connected with small structural changes of nucleosomal organization in the 10-nm filament and 30-nm-thick fiber.     

Determination of l-arginine and NG, NG - and NG, NG' -dimethyl-L-arginine in plasma by liquid chromatography as AccQ-Fluor fluorescent derivatives

A new HPLC assay for the detection of L-arginine, NG, NG-dimethyl-L-arginine (ADMA) and NG, NG' -dimethyl-L-arginine (SDMA) in plasma using the derivatisation reagent AccQ-Fluor (6-aminoquinolyl-N-hydroxysuccinimidyl carbamate) is described. The fluorescent derivatives produced are extremely stable enabling routine processing of large numbers of samples. Arginine and its metabolites are extracted from plasma on strong cation exchange (SCX) cartridges with NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (NMMA) as internal standard, derivatised and separated on a C18 column with acetonitrile in 0.1M sodium acetate buffer pH 6. Separation of the stereoisomers ADMA and SDMA was excellent and improvements to the solid phase extraction (SPE) procedure enabled good recovery (>80%) of arginine, ADMA and SDMA. The utility of the method is exemplified by comparison of plasma concentrations of ADMA, SDMA and arginine in healthy volunteers and diabetic/ischaemic patients.     

TgDrpC,an atypical dynamin‐related protein in Toxoplasma gondii,is associated with vesicular transport factors and parasite division

Dynamin‐related proteins (Drps) are involved in diverse processes such as organelle division and vesicle trafficking. The intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii possesses three distinct Drps. TgDrpC, whose function remains unresolved, is unusual in that it lacks a conserved GTPase Effector Domain, which is typically required for function. Here, we show that TgDrpC localizes to cytoplasmic puncta; however, in dividing parasites, TgDrpC redistributes to the growing edge of the daughter cells. By conditional knockdown, we determined that loss of TgDrpC stalls division and leads to rapid deterioration of multiple organelles and the IMC. We also show that TgDrpC interacts with proteins that exhibit homology to those involved in vesicle transport, including members of the adaptor complex 2. Two of these proteins, a homolog of the adaptor protein 2 (AP‐2) complex subunit alpha‐1 and a homolog of the ezrin–radixin–moesin (ERM) family proteins, localize to puncta and associate with the daughter cells. Consistent with the association with vesicle transport proteins, re‐distribution of TgDrpC to the IMC during division is dependent on post‐Golgi trafficking. Together, these results support that TgDrpC contributes to vesicle trafficking and is critical for stability of parasite organelles and division.