Amylase heterogeneity variants in man

The existence of six amylase heterogeneity variants in serum and urine has been discovered in a group of 111 families with twins, and the frequence of each variant was determined. It had been shown that each of these amylase heterogeneity variants is inherited codominantly, and the mode of inheritance is demonstrated schematically.These amylase heterogeneity variants may be used as an aid to twin zygosity determination and also in paternity problems.     

Sequencing and Characterisation of Complete Mitogenome DNA for Rasbora hobelmani (Cyprinidae) with Phylogenetic Consideration

Journal of Ichthyology - The Kottelat rasbora Rasbora hobelmani is a small ray-finned fish categorized under the genus Rasbora in the Cyprinidae family. In this study, the complete mitogenome...     

Prime-boost immunization with DNA vaccine: mucosal route of administration changes the rules

In this study we assessed prime-boost immunization strategies with a DNA vaccine (gB DNA) and attenuated recombinant vaccinia virus vector (rvacgB), both encoding the gB protein of HSV, for their effectiveness at inducing mucosal as well as systemic immunity to HSV. Confirming the reports of others, systemic priming with gB DNA and systemic boosting with rvacgB were the most effective means of inducing serum Ab and splenic T cell responses. Nevertheless, the systemic prime-boost approach failed to induce detectable humoral or T cell responses at mucosal sites. However, such responses, at both proximal and distal locations, were induced if immunizations, especially the priming dose, were administered mucosally. Curiously, whereas optimal immunity with systemic priming and boosting occurred when gB DNA was used to prime and rvacgB was used as a boost, mucosal responses were optimal when animals were mucosally primed with rvacgB and boosted with gB DNA given mucosally. Furthermore, notable mucosal responses also occurred in animals mucosally primed with rvacgB and subsequently boosted systemically with gB DNA. Because the mucosal prime-boost immunization protocol also induced excellent systemic immune responses, the approach should be useful to vaccinate against agents for which both mucosal and systemic immunity are important for protection.     

Membrane Cholesterol Strongly Influences Confined Diffusion of Prestin

Prestin is the membrane motor protein that drives outer hair cell (OHC) electromotility, a process that is essential for mammalian hearing. Prestin function is sensitive to membrane cholesterol levels, and numerous studies have suggested that prestin localizes in cholesterol-rich membrane microdomains. Previously, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching experiments were performed in HEK cells expressing prestin-GFP after cholesterol manipulations, and revealed evidence of transient confinement. To further characterize this apparent confined diffusion of prestin, we conjugated prestin to a photostable fluorophore (tetramethylrhodamine) and performed single-molecule fluorescence microscopy. Using single-particle tracking, we determined the microscopic diffusion coefficient from the full time course of the mean-squared deviation. Our results indicate that prestin undergoes diffusion in confinement regions, and that depletion of membrane cholesterol increases confinement size and decreases confinement strength. By interpreting the data in terms of a mathematical model of hop-diffusion, we quantified these cholesterol-induced changes in membrane organization. A complementary analysis of the distribution of squared displacements confirmed that cholesterol depletion reduces prestin confinement. These findings support the hypothesis that prestin function is intimately linked to membrane organization, and further promote a regulatory role for cholesterol in OHC and auditory function.     

Carbonyl scavenger and antiatherogenic effects of hydrazine derivatives

Reactive carbonyl compounds (RCC) generated by polyunsaturated fatty acid oxidation alter progressively cellular and tissular proteins by forming adducts on free amino groups and thiol residues (carbonyl stress). Carbonyl scavengers may neutralize RCC, but their protective effect in atherosclerosis has not been extensively studied. We report the carbonyl scavenger and antiatherogenic properties of hydrazine derivatives, namely hydralazine, an antihypertensive drug, isoniazid, an antituberculosis agent, and two antidepressants, phenelzine and iproniazid. These drugs were poorly efficient in preventing the oxidation of LDL mediated by smooth muscle cells (SMCs), but inhibited the toxicity of UV-oxidized LDL (oxLDL) and of 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE). Hydrazine derivatives prevented the formation of foam cells resulting from LDL oxidation in human macrophagic U937 cells, and blocked the carbonyl stress in SMCs, by inhibiting the decrease in free amino group content, the increase in carbonylated proteins, and the formation of 4-HNE adducts on PDGFR. Experimental studies carried out on apoE-/- mice supplemented with drugs (30 mg/L in drinking water) showed a significant carbonyl stress inhibition correlated with a net reduction of atherosclerotic lesion development. In conclusion, these data indicate that hydrazine derivatives exhibit carbonyl scavenger and antiatherogenic properties, which opens novel therapeutical approaches for atherosclerosis and its cardiovascular complications.     

Distribution de Megaporellaboulangeri Deloffre et Beun, 1986 (algue dasycladale) dans le Jurassique du bassin atlantique marocain

The recent biostratigraphic and micropaleontologic works permitted to specify the distribution of Megaporellaboulangeri Deloffre and Beun in the Jurassic of the Moroccan Atlantic basin. The lower limit of the extension of this dasycladale alga, earlier attribued to the Early Kimmeridgian by Deloffre and Beun (1986), is currently placed in the Early Callovian, on the basis of the age provided by Megaporellaboulangeri biozone. The Otternstellaarabica biozone dates the upper limit of the extension of the species of the Early Oxfordian. Megaporellaboulangeri proliferates in the borders of the basin where the internal lagoons facies dominate, however it is absent in the western parts with open sea facies.