Characterisation of atypical enteropathogenic E. coli strains of clinical origin

Background  

Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) is a prominent cause of diarrhoea, and is characterised in part by its carriage of a pathogeniCity island: the locus for enterocyte effacement (LEE). EPEC is divided into two subtypes according to the presence of bundle-forming pili (BFP), a fimbrial adhesin that is a virulence determinant of typical EPEC (tEPEC), but is absent from atypical EPEC (aEPEC). Because aEPEC lack BFP, their virulence has been questioned, as they may represent LEE-positive Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) that have lost the toxin-encoding prophage, or tEPEC that have lost the genes for BFP. To determine if aEPEC isolated from humans in Australia or New Zealand fall into either of these categories, we undertook phylogenetic analysis of 75 aEPEC strains, and compared them with reference strains of EPEC and STEC. We also used PCR and DNA hybridisation to determine if aEPEC carry virulence determinants that could compensate for their lack of BFP.     

Immunohistochemical expression of rabphilin-3A-like (Noc2) in normal and tumor tissues of human endocrine pancreas

Involvement of rabphilin-3A-like (RPH3AL), or Noc2, the potential effector of Ras-associated binding proteins Rab3A and Rab27A in the regulation of exocytotic processes in the endocrine pancreas has been demonstrated in experimental models. Noc2 expression together with other regulatory molecules of the exocytotic machinery in human tissues, however, has not been studied. We evaluated immunohistochemical expression of the key molecules of the exocytotic machinery, Noc2, Rab3A, Rab27A, and RIM2, together with the characteristic islet cell hormones, insulin and glucagon in normal and endocrine tumor tissues of human pancreas. Normal pancreatic islets were stained for all of these proteins and showed strong cytoplasmic localization. A similar pattern of strong cytoplasmic expression of these proteins was observed in the majority of endocrine tumors. By contrast, the exocrine portions of normal appearing pancreas completely lacked Rab27A staining and showed decreased expression of the proteins, Noc2, Rab3A, and RIM2. The staining pattern of Noc2 and Rab27A was similar to the staining pattern of glucagon-producing cells within the islets. The concomitant expression of Noc2 with these molecules suggests that Noc2 may serve as an effector for Rab3A and Rab27A and that it is involved in the regulation of exocytosis of the endocrine pancreas in humans.     

Molecular phylogeny of Neotropical bioluminescent beetles (Coleoptera: Elateroidea) in southern and central Brazil

Bioluminescence in beetles is found mainly in the Elateroidea superfamily (Elateridae, Lampyridae and Phengodidae). The Neotropical region accounts for the richest diversity of bioluminescent species in the world with about 500 described species, most occurring in the Amazon, Atlantic rainforest and Cerrado (savanna) ecosystems in Brazil. The origin and evolution of bioluminescence, as well as the taxonomic status of several Neotropical taxa in these families remains unclear. In order to contribute to a better understanding of the phylogeny and evolution of bioluminescent Elateroidea we sequenced and analyzed sequences of mitochondrial NADH2 and the nuclear 28S genes and of the cloned luciferase sequences of Brazilian species belonging to the following genera: (Lampyridae) Macrolampis, Photuris, Amydetes, Bicellonycha, Aspisoma, Lucidota, Cratomorphus; (Elateridae) Conoderus, Pyrophorus, Hapsodrilus, Pyrearinus, Fulgeochlizus; and (Phengodidae) Pseudophengodes, Phrixothrix, Euryopa and Brasilocerus. Our study supports a closer phylogenetic relationship between Elateridae and Phengodidae as other molecular studies, in contrast with previous morphologic and molecular studies that clustered Lampyridae/Phengodidae. Molecular data also supported division of the Phengodinae subfamily into the tribes Phengodini and Mastinocerini. The position of the genus Amydetes supports the status of the Amydetinae as a subfamily. The genus Euryopa is included in the Mastinocerini tribe within the Phengodinae/Phengodidae. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Molecular basis of recognition by Gal/GalNAc specific legume lectins: influence of Glu 129 on the specificity of peanut agglutinin (PNA) towards C2-substituents of galactose

The ability to discriminate between galactose and N- acetylgalactosamine, observed in some lectins, is crucial for their biological activity as well as their usefulness as tools in biology and medicine. However, the molecular basis of differential binding of lectins to these two sugars is poorly understood. Peanut agglutinin (PNA) is one of the few galactose-specific legume lectins which does not bind N- acetylgalactosamine at all and is, therefore, ideal for the study of the basis of specificity towards C-2 substituted derivatives of galactopyranosides. Examination of the three-dimensional structure of PNA in complex with lactose revealed the presence of both a longer loop and bulkier residues in the region surrounding the C-2 hydroxyl of the galactopyranoside ring, which can sterically prevent the accommodation of a bulky substituent in this position. One such residue, is a glutamic acid at position 129 which protrudes into the binding site and perhaps directly obstructs any substitution at the C-2 position. Two mutants in bacterially expressed PNA were therefore constructed. These were E129D and E129A, in which Glu129 was replaced by Asp and Ala, respectively. The specificity of the mutants for galactose, galactosamine, and N- acetylgalactosamine was examined through observing the inhibition of hemagglutination and binding of the lectin to immobilized asialofetuin. The results showed that the affinity of E129A and E129D for C-2-substituted derivatives of the galactose varies. The mutant E129D showed significant binding towards N- acetylgalactosamine, suggesting that the residue Glu 129 is crucial in imparting exclusive galactose-specificity upon PNA. This study not only attempts to provide an explanation for the inability of PNA to accommodate C-2-substituted derivatives at its primary subsite, but also seeks to present a basis for engineering lectins with altered specificities.      

Reconstructing Indian-Australian phylogenetic link

Background  

An early dispersal of biologically and behaviorally modern humans from their African origins to Australia, by at least 45 thousand years via southern Asia has been suggested by studies based on morphology, archaeology and genetics. However, mtDNA lineages sampled so far from south Asia, eastern Asia and Australasia show non-overlapping distributions of haplogroups within pan Eurasian M and N macrohaplogroups. Likewise, support from the archaeology is still ambiguous.     

Reactive oxygen species are the major antibacterials against Salmonella Typhimurium purine auxotrophs in the phagosome of RAW 264.7 cells

Intramacrophage survival appears to be a pathogenic trait common to Salmonellae and definition of the metabolic requirements of Salmonella within macrophages might provide opportunities for novel therapeutic interventions. We show that loss of PurG function in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium SL1344 leads to death of the bacterium in RAW264.7 cells, which was due to unavailability of purine nucleotides but not thiamine in the phagosome of RAW264.7 cells. Phagosomal escape of purG mutant restored growth, suggesting that the phagosomal environment, but not the cytosol, is toxic to Salmonella purine auxotrophs. NADPH oxidase inhibition restored the growth of purG mutant in RAW264.7 cells, implying that the Salmonella -containing vacuole acquires reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are lethal to purine auxotrophs. Under purine limiting conditions, purG mutant was unable to repair the damage caused by hydrogen peroxide or UV irradiation, suggesting that ROS-mediated DNA damage may have been responsible for the attenuated phenotype of purG mutant in RAW264.7 cells and in mice. These studies highlight the possibility of utilizing the Salmonella purine nucleotide biosynthetic pathway as a prospective therapeutic target and also underline the importance of metabolic pathways in assembling a comprehensive understanding of the host–pathogen interactions inside phagocytic cells.