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.     

Somatoform disorders among patients attending walk-in clinics in Trinidad: prevalence and association with depression and anxiety

Objectives Somatoform disorders are common in international primary care settings, but have been little studied in the developing world. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of severe undifferentiated somatoform disorder, and its relationship to depression and anxiety, among patients attending walk-in clinics in Trinidad.Methods The study participants, who were all aged 18 years or older and attending walk-in clinics at 16 randomly selected health centres, were surveyed between May and August 2007 using the PRIME-MD questionnaire.Results There were 594 participants (the response rate was 92%), of whom 72.7% were female. Their ages ranged from 18 to 93 years, and 54.5% were over 50 years of age. In total, 37.2% were married and 25.9% were single. Indo-Trinidadians represented 43.1% and Afro-Trinidadians represented 36% of the study sample; 56.5% of the participants reported that their income was less than US$ 400 per month, and 65.7% were unemployed. At walk-in clinics in Trinidad, the estimated prevalence of severe undifferentiated somatoform disorder was 10.3% (95% CI: 7.86–12.74), that of hypochondriasis was 28.5% (95% CI: 24.9–32.1), and that of body dysmorphic disorder was 15.8% (95% CI: 11.9–18.7). Severe undifferentiated somatoform disorder was statistically significantly associated with gender and ethnicity but not with age, level of education, employment status or income. Chi-square testing found significant associations between the presence of severe undifferentiated somatoform disorder and both depression and anxiety (P < 0.05), between hypochondriasis and both anxiety and depression (P < 0.05), and between body dysmorphic disorder and depression (P < 0.05) but not anxiety. Regression analysis suggested that the demographic features that predicted severe undifferentiated somatoform disorder were being female or Indo-Trinidadian.Conclusions Walk-in clinics in Trinidad that serve older patients on a lower income have a high proportion of patients with somatoform disorders as measured by the PRIME-MD scale. These patients exhibit many features of anxiety and depression. These findings have implications for medical training and service delivery.     

The STK33-Linked SNP rs4929949 Is Associated with Obesity and BMI in Two Independent Cohorts of Swedish and Greek Children

Recent genome wide association studies (GWAS) have identified a locus on chromosome 11p15.5, closely associated with serine/threonine kinase 33 (STK33), to be associated with body mass. STK33, a relatively understudied protein, has been linked to KRAS mutation-driven cancers and explored as a potential antineoplastic drug target. The strongest association with body mass observed at this loci in GWAS was rs4929949, a single nucleotide polymorphism located within intron 1 of the gene encoding STK33. The functional implications of rs4929949 or related variants have not been explored as of yet. We have genotyped rs4929949 in two cohorts, an obesity case-control cohort of 991 Swedish children, and a cross-sectional cohort of 2308 Greek school children. We found that the minor allele of rs4929949 was associated with obesity in the cohort of Swedish children and adolescents (OR = 1.199 (95%CI: 1.002–1.434), p = 0.047), and with body mass in the cross-sectional cohort of Greek children (β = 0.08147 (95% CI: 0.1345–0.1618), p = 0.021). We observe the effects of rs4929949 on body mass to be detectable already at adolescence. Subsequent analysis did not detect any association of rs4929949 to phenotypic measurements describing body adiposity or to metabolic factors such as insulin levels, triglycerides and insulin resistance (HOMA).     

The Expression of Corticotropin‐Releasing Hormone in Melanoma

We previously demonstrated that advanced melanoma cells express high amounts of proopiomelanocortin (POMC) that correlate with tumor progression. We now investigated whether the high expression of POMC derives from increased expression of corticotropin‐releasing hormone (CRH) and the possible role of CRH as a melanoma growth factor. Forty‐five cases of melanoma [25 primary malignant melanoma; 20 metastatic melanoma (MetM)] were immunohistochemically analysed for coexpression of POMC and CRH peptides. The ability of CRH to induce POMC expression in cultured melanoma cells was examined using CRH and a CRH antagonist. In CRH positive melanomas, seven out of nine cases (78%) of primary melanoma, and 7 out of 12 cases (58%) of MetM showed colocalization of CRH and POMC peptides. CRH induced POMC mRNA expression, an effect that was inhibited by a CRH antagonist. These results provide evidence for the existence of the CRH/POMC axis in pigmented lesions.     

Leptin inhibits steroid biosynthesis by human granulosa-lutein cells.

Absence of leptin secretion compromises reproductive function and fertility in the ob/ob mouse which, when given leptin, shows a rise in serum LH levels and becomes fertile. Recently, the long and active isoform of the leptin receptor was detected in the ovary, indicating that leptin may also show direct gonad-related activity. To examine this, we studied the effect of graded doses of human leptin on estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) concentrations in the culture media of human granulosa-lutein cells obtained from follicular fluid of women undergoing in vitro fertilization. We also evaluated the mRNA expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), aromatase, and cytochrome P450 17alpha (CYP17) in these cells at baseline and after exposure to leptin. Estradiol levels were significantly decreased in the media 24 hours after incubation of the cells with increasing hLeptin concentrations (10(-11) - 10(-7) mol/l). The maximal 30% decrease in E2 production was caused by the 10(-9) mol/l hLeptin concentration; however, P4 levels in the media were not influenced by leptin. Exposure of granulosa-lutein cells to 10(-9) mol/l hLeptin did not produce any measurable changes on StAR, aromatase, or CYP17 mRNA expression. When hLeptin (10(-9) mol/l) was co-incubated with increasing concentrations of hCG (1.25 - 10 mlU/ml), IGF-II (15-60 ng/ml) or 1-6 desaminated IGF-II (deslGF-II; 15-60 ng/ml), it did not modify the elevation of E2 concentrations caused by each of the different stimuli. We conclude that leptin suppresses E2 secretion by human granulosa-lutein cells but does not impair the stimulatory effects of hCG and IGFs on these cells. Leptin may play a minor, but direct regulatory role on unstimulated human ovarian steroidogenesis by interfering with either the translational or post-translational steps of the baseline CYP17 and/or aromatase synthesis and/or the activation of the enzymes.     

Genetic dissection of Al tolerance QTLs in the maize genome by high density SNP scan

Background

Aluminum (Al) toxicity is an important limitation to food security in tropical and subtropical regions. High Al saturation on acid soils limits root development, reducing water and nutrient uptake. In addition to naturally occurring acid soils, agricultural practices may decrease soil pH, leading to yield losses due to Al toxicity. Elucidating the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying maize Al tolerance is expected to accelerate the development of Al-tolerant cultivars.

Results

Five genomic regions were significantly associated with Al tolerance, using 54,455 SNP markers in a recombinant inbred line population derived from Cateto Al237. Candidate genes co-localized with Al tolerance QTLs were further investigated. Near-isogenic lines (NILs) developed for ZmMATE2 were as Al-sensitive as the recurrent line, indicating that this candidate gene was not responsible for the Al tolerance QTL on chromosome 5, qALT5. However, ZmNrat1, a maize homolog to OsNrat1, which encodes an Al³⁺ specific transporter previously implicated in rice Al tolerance, was mapped at ~40 Mbp from qALT5. We demonstrate for the first time that ZmNrat1 is preferentially expressed in maize root tips and is up-regulated by Al, similarly to OsNrat1 in rice, suggesting a role of this gene in maize Al tolerance. The strongest-effect QTL was mapped on chromosome 6 (qALT6), within a 0.5 Mbp region where three copies of the Al tolerance gene, ZmMATE1, were found in tandem configuration. qALT6 was shown to increase Al tolerance in maize; the qALT6-NILs carrying three copies of ZmMATE1 exhibited a two-fold increase in Al tolerance, and higher expression of ZmMATE1 compared to the Al sensitive recurrent parent. Interestingly, a new source of Al tolerance via ZmMATE1 was identified in a Brazilian elite line that showed high expression of ZmMATE1 but carries a single copy of ZmMATE1.

Conclusions

High ZmMATE1 expression, controlled either by three copies of the target gene or by an unknown molecular mechanism, is responsible for Al tolerance mediated by qALT6. As Al tolerant alleles at qALT6 are rare in maize, marker-assisted introgression of this QTL is an important strategy to improve maize adaptation to acid soils worldwide.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2164-15-153) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Daytime napping after a night of sleep loss decreases sleepiness, improves performance, and causes beneficial changes in cortisol and interleukin-6 secretion

Sleep loss has been associated with increased sleepiness, decreased performance, elevations in inflammatory cytokines, and insulin resistance. Daytime napping has been promoted as a countermeasure to sleep loss. To assess the effects of a 2-h midafternoon nap following a night of sleep loss on postnap sleepiness, performance, cortisol, and IL-6, 41 young healthy individuals (20 men, 21 women) participated in a 7-day sleep deprivation experiment (4 consecutive nights followed by a night of sleep loss and 2 recovery nights). One-half of the subjects were randomly assigned to take a midafternoon nap (1400-1600) the day following the night of total sleep loss. Serial 24-h blood sampling, multiple sleep latency test (MSLT), subjective levels of sleepiness, and psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) were completed on the fourth (predeprivation) and sixth days (postdeprivation). During the nap, subjects had a significant drop in cortisol and IL-6 levels (P < 0.05). After the nap they experienced significantly less sleepiness (MSLT and subjective, P < 0.05) and a smaller improvement on the PVT (P < 0.1). At that time, they had a significant transient increase in their cortisol levels (P < 0.05). In contrast, the levels of IL-6 tended to remain decreased for approximately 8 h (P = 0.1). We conclude that a 2-h midafternoon nap improves alertness, and to a lesser degree performance, and reverses the effects of one night of sleep loss on cortisol and IL-6. The redistribution of cortisol secretion and the prolonged suppression of IL-6 secretion are beneficial, as they improve alertness and performance.     

Glucose dysregulation in obese children: predictive, risk, and potential protective factors

Objective: The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and type 2 diabetes (DM2) in obese children and adolescents of Greek origin and compare our data with pertinent literature findings in an attempt to uncover predictive, risk, and preventive factors. Research Methods and Procedures: A total of 117 obese children and adolescents 12.1 ± 2.7 years old underwent a 2‐hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Insulin resistance (IR) and β‐cell function were estimated using the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA)‐IR and the insulinogenic index, respectively. Results: A total of 17 patients (14.5%) had IGT, and none had DM2. The overall prevalence rates of both IGT and DM2 in our subjects were lower than those reported in a recent multiethnic U.S. study. Nevertheless, the difference between our IGT data and those of the U.S. study was due mostly to the prepubertal subjects (9% vs. 25.4%), whereas no difference was observed in the pubertal population (18% vs. 21%). Fasting glucose, insulin, and HOMA‐IR values were not predictive of IGT. The absolute value of insulin at 2 hours of the OGTT combined with the time‐integrated glycemia (AUCG) can strongly predict IGT, whereas higher area under the curve for insulin (AUCI) values were found to be protective. Discussion: In ethnic groups less prone to diabetes development, IGT or DM2 in obese subjects is more likely to develop at puberty than at the prepubertal stage. It is advisable that physicians caring for obese adolescents perform an OGTT for early detection of IGT because HOMA‐IR values, although higher in IGT subjects and indicative of IR, cannot predict IGT.     

Marked defects in the expression and glycosylation of alpha2-HS glycoprotein/fetuin-A in plasma from neonates with intrauterine growth restriction: proteomics screening and potential clinical implications

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) has been associated with increased perinatal morbidity and mortality and increased morbidity and metabolic abnormalities later in life. IUGR is characterized as the failure of a fetus to achieve his or her genetic growth potential in utero. Altered protein expression profiles associated with IUGR may be informative on the pathologic mechanisms of this condition and might reveal potential markers for postnatal complications. The aim of this study was to compare protein profiles of umbilical cord plasma from IUGR and appropriate for gestational age full-term neonates. Blood samples from doubly clamped umbilical cord at delivery from 10 IUGR and 10 appropriate for gestational age full-term neonates were analyzed by two-dimensional electrophoresis and MS. Prominent changes of the alpha2-HS glycoprotein/fetuin-A were observed in IUGR cases. Specifically we showed that these changes occur primarily at the level of post-translational modifications of the protein. Using a combination of mass spectrometry and classical biochemical assays, single and heavy chain forms of fetuin-A were found to lack the normally present O-linked sialic acids in IUGR neonates. Fetuin A is a glycoprotein that has been associated with promotion of in vitro cell replication, fetal growth and osteogenesis, and protection from Gram-negative bacterial endotoxins. Prominent defects in glycosylation/sialylation of fetuin-A revealed by our study might be responsible for impaired function of fetuin-A, leading to deficient fetal growth, especially osteogenesis, and/or to the development of complications frequently seen later in the lives of IUGR neonates.