Rapid electrocatalytic procedure for hydrogenase kinetic determination in the H2 evolution direction

The linear sweep voltammetric method is used as a new approach for kinetic determination with enzymes accepting reversible redox couples as cosubstrate. A monolayer of hydrogenase molecules is grafted onto a glassy carbon electrode which is both the support of the enzyme and the detector of the activity. Reduced viologen concentration in the enzyme microenvironment is controlled by the electrode potential. The catalytic current produced by the enzyme allows an easy kinetic constant determination without the classical constraints found in hydrogenase kinetic measurements.     

A new role for PGRP-S (Tag7) in immune defense: lymphocyte migration is induced by a chemoattractant complex of Tag7 with Mts1

PGRP-S (Tag7) is an innate immunity protein involved in the antimicrobial defense systems, both in insects and in mammals. We have previously shown that Tag7 specifically interacts with several proteins, including Hsp70 and the calcium binding protein S100A4 (Mts1), providing a number of novel cellular functions. Here we show that Tag7–Mts1 complex causes chemotactic migration of lymphocytes, with NK cells being a preferred target. Cells of either innate immunity (neutrophils and monocytes) or acquired immunity (CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ lymphocytes) can produce this complex, which confirms the close connection between components of the 2 branches of immune response.     

Preference and performance of the hyperparasitoid Syrphophagus aphidivorus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae): fitness consequences of selecting hosts in live aphids or aphid mummies

Abstract.  1. Theoretical models predict that ovipositional decisions of parasitoid females should lead to the selection of the most profitable host for parasitoid development. Most parasitoid species have evolved specific adaptations to exploit a single host stage. However, females of the aphid hyperparasitoid Syrphophagous aphidivorus (Mayr) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) display a unique and atypical oviposition behaviour by attacking either primary parasitoid larvae in live aphids, or parasitoid pupae in dead, mummified aphids.
2. In the laboratory, the correlation between host suitability and host preference of S. aphidivorus on the host Aphidius nigripes Ashmead parasitising the aphid Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas) was investigated.
3. The relative suitability of the two host stages was determined by measuring hyperparasitoid fitness parameters (survival, development time, fecundity, sex ratio, and adult size of progeny), and calculating the intrinsic rate of population increase ( r _m). Host preference by S. aphidivorus females and the influence of aphid defence behaviour on host selection was also examined.
4. Hyperparasitoid offspring performance was highest when developing from hosts in aphid mummies and females consistently preferred this host to hosts in parasitised aphids. Although aphid defensive behaviour may influence host selection, it was not a determining factor. Ecological and evolutionary processes that might have led to dual oviposition behaviour in S. aphidivorus are discussed.     

Bilateral fractures of femoral neck in patients with moderate renal failure receiving fluoride for spinal osteoporosis.

Two patients with moderate renal failure sustained spontaneous bilateral hip fractures during treatment with fluoride, calcium, and vitamin D for osteoporosis. They had been taking sodium fluoride (40-60 mg/day) for 11 and 21 months, respectively. Histological examination of a specimen of the bone showed severe fluorosis in the first case, and quantitative analysis of bone showed osteomalacia and skeletal fluorosis in the other case. These abnormalities were considered to be the consequence of excessive retention of fluoride due to renal insufficiency. As bilateral femoral neck fractures are very rare these data suggest a causal link between fractures and fluoride in patients with renal failure. Thus fluoride should be given at a lower dosage, if at all, to patients with even mild renal failure.     

Abnormal electrophoretic mobility of spectrin tetramers in hereditary elliptocytosis

Summary Hereditary elliptocytosis (HE) is a genetically determined disorder of the red cell membrane. The main protein which composes the proteinaceous skeleton of the membrane is an elongated molecule named spectrin which is a heterodimer composed of two chains, and . In the membrane spectrin dimers are associated head-to-head to form tetrameric structures. We and other authors have reported that spectrin studied from many HE patients exhibited a dimer self-association defect (type I HE). A mutation in the head of the spectrin chain was mostly found in type I HE. We have previously described one of the three known spectrin pathological variants shown on mild tryptic digest pattern. This variant was characterized by the appearance of an abnormal 65,000-dalton peptide (Sp ^I/65). Using nondenaturating gel electrophoresis, we describe in this paper a triplicated pattern of the spectrin tetramer bands which is found in heterozygous HE cases displaying the 65,000-dalton variant. Study of a homozygous case allowed us to characterize the electrophoretic mobility of the abnormal symmetrical spectrin tetramer (₂ ^I/65-₂) and to study the correlation between the fraction of this abnormal symmetrical tetramer found in heterozygous patients and the amount of the 65,000-dalton peptide observed in spectrin tryptic digests.     

Role of membrane sialic acid content in the adhesiveness of aged erythrocytes to human cultured endothelial cells

Following our previous observation that the oldest normal red blood cells were the most adherent to human cultured endothelial cells, we attempted to simulate this age-related adherence. Among all the membrane modifications experienced by erythrocytes during their life-span, loss of sialic acids has attracted considerable attention. Using two different preparations of neuraminidase, we performed a sialic acid depletion on the youngest erythrocytes to reach a sialic acid content similar to that observed in physiologically aged erythrocytes. These pretreated youngest cells displayed limited increase in the adhesiveness to endothelial cells, lower than that found with intact oldest cells. To obtain an adhesiveness of pretreated cells similar to that of naturally aged cells, it was necessary to exceed 80% of sialic acid depletion. At this extent of desialation, modifications of the electrophoretic pattern of glycophorins were observed as well as the appearance of peanut agglutinin reactivity which were never found in physiologically aged erythrocytes. Therefore, the sialic acid loss cannot be considered as being a single determinant factor of the naturally aged red cell adhesiveness.     

Protein band 3 phosphotyrosyl phosphatase. Purification and characterization

A phosphotyrosylprotein phosphatase has been purified from human red cell cytosol by successive DEAE cellulose, phosphocellulose and Red Procion-H3B-Sepharose chromatography. Overall purification was about 9000 with a yield of 30%. The enzyme was more than 95% pure as judged by SDS polyacrylamide gel. Its molecular weight was 17,000 and maximum activity was observed at pH 5.5. It was active towards both the phosphorylated tyrosine on the cytosolic fragment of the red cell protein band 3 and para-nitrophenyl phosphate. However the effects of ligands differ for the two substrates.