IFN-gamma treatment of K562 cells inhibits natural killer cell triggering and decreases the susceptibility to lysis by cytoplasmic granules from large granular lymphocytes

Pretreatment of human K562 leukemia cells with rIFN-alpha and rIFN-gamma resulted in decreased susceptibility to lysis by human peripheral blood NK cells. The reduction of NK-susceptibility after IFN treatment was not due to a general effect of IFN on the stability of the cell membrane because the susceptibility of K562 cells to lysis by antibodies plus C, distilled water, or lysolecithin was unaffected. Binding studies with effector cell preparations enriched for NK cells with large granular lymphocyte morphology revealed no difference in binding to control and IFN-gamma-treated target cells. The sensitivity to soluble NK cytotoxic factors was not affected significantly by the IFN treatment. In contrast, the susceptibility of IFN-treated target cells to the cytotoxic activity of purified cytoplasmic granules from a rat large granular lymphocyte tumor was significantly reduced, indicating that the IFN-induced resistance acted at the level of susceptibility to the lytic mechanism of NK cells. However, IFN-alpha was more effective than IFN-gamma in inducing resistance to the cytoplasmic granules although resulting in only a weak resistance in the cell-mediated cytotoxic assay. IFN-gamma but not IFN-alpha caused a reduction in the frequency of effector cells that had reoriented their Golgi apparatus toward their bound target cell. In addition, IFN-gamma treated K562 cells failed to elicit an influx of Ca2+ into effector cells. Taken together, the results suggest that IFN-gamma in addition to an increased resistance to the lytic molecules released by NK cells can also induce changes in the target cells which prevent the triggering and activation of the effector cell.     

C and N storage in living trees within Finland since 1950s

Living biomass contains 45 to 60% carbon and 0.05 to 3% nitrogen, in dry weight. Like throughout Europe, the amount of living biomass in Finnish forests has increased on average over the last decades, largely because of changes in forest management. The storage of organic C and N in biomass has also increased.Changes in biomass vary between regions. Data were analysed on changes in the last 30–40 years in C and N storage in living trees in Finland, subdivided into 20 regions. Tree biomass increased in 17 regions, and decreased in 3 regions. The storage rate varied between -170 and +480 kg C ha^-1 a^-1, and between –0.5 and +1.2 kg N ha^-1 a^-1.Nitrogen accumulation in trees was less than 15% of atmospheric N deposition in all regions. Although the eventual increase of the nitrogen concentration in tree tissues was omitted, it is not possible that living biomass has been the major sink for atmospheric N deposition to forests. A hypothesis is presented that the main sink is litter layer and organic soil. Carbon can also be accumulating in soils essentially faster than hitherto estimated in analyses of carbon budgets of European forests.Died on September 2, 1994.     

Circulating adiposity-related microRNAs as predictors of the response to a low-fat diet in subjects with obesity

Recent studies have revealed the critical role of several microRNAs (miRNAs) in energy homeostasis and metabolic processes and suggest that circulating miRNAs can be used as early predictors of weight loss in the design of precision nutrition. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate circulating adiposity-related miRNAs as biomarkers of the response to two specific weight loss dietary treatments. The expression of 86 miRNAs was investigated in plasma of 78 subjects with obesity randomized to two different diets [moderately high-protein diet (n = 38) and low-fat diet (n = 40)] and in 25 eutrophic controls (BMI ≤ 25 kg/m²). Bioinformatic analyses were performed to explore the target genes and biological pathways regulated by the dysregulated miRNAs. As results, 26 miRNAs were found differently expressed in eutrophic and volunteers with obesity. Moreover, 7 miRNAs (miR-130a-3p, miR-142-5p, miR-144-5p, miR-15a-5p, miR-22-3p, miR-221-3p and miR-29c-3p) were differentially expressed between responders and non-responders to a low-fat diet. Furthermore, after adjustment for basal glucose levels, 1-SD increase in miR-22-3p expression was associated with reduction in the risk of non-response to low-fat diet [OR = 0.181, 95% CI (0.084-0.947), P = .043]. Bioinformatic analyses evidenced that these 7 miRNAs regulate the expression of genes participating in important metabolic pathways. Conclusively, 7 circulating miRNAs related to adiposity could be used for predicting the response to a low-fat diet intervention prescribed to lose weight.     

Revision of the genus Amadotrogus Reitter, 1902 (n. stat.) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae)

In this paper, the subgenus Amadotrogus Reitter, 1902 and its taxonomic status as a subordinate taxon of genus Amphimallon are reviewed. Two kinds of character sets are discussed; those relative to the external morphology of the adult and those of the male and female genitalia. Subgenus Amadotrogus is compared with its recognized allied genera in the same clade (Coca-Abia 1995) Amphimallon Berthold, 1827; Geotrogus Guérin, 1842; Monotropus Erichson, 1847; Pseudoapeterogyna Escalera, 1914 and Rhizotrogus Berthold, 1827 to asses the realtionships of these taxa. Phylogenetic analysis discloses that Amadotrogus, considered to be a subgenus of Amphimallon, has synapomorphic characters which justify its elevation to generic rank. Thus, genus Amadotrogus includes seven species distributed across the Northern Mediterranean basin. The type species, Amadotrogus quercanus (Burmeister, 1855), and six others, transferred from genus Rhizotrogus: Amadotrogus grassii (Mainardi, 1902), Amadotrogus insubricus (Burmeister, 1855), Amadotrogus oertzeni (Brenske, 1886), Amadotrogus patru- elis (Reiche, 1862), Amadotrougs truncatus (Brenske, 1886) and Amadotrogus vicinus (Mulsant, 1842) (Coca-Abia & Martín-Piera 1998). In addition, Rhizotrogus rugifrons Burmeister, 1855 is considered a new synonym of Amadotrogus vicinus. Rhizotrogus bolivari Martínez y Sáez, 1873, Amphimallon cata- launicum Báguena, 1956 and Rhizotrogus lajonquierei Baraud, 1970 are synonymized with Amadotrogus patruelis.     

Fe Resupply to Fe-deficient Sugar Beet Plants Leads to Rapid Changes in the Violaxanthin Cycle and other Photosynthetic Characteristics without Significant de novo Chlorophyll Synthesis

The effects of Fe resupply to Fe-deficient plants have been investigated in hydroponically-grown sugar beet. In the short-term (24 h) after Fe resupply, major changes were observed, although de novo chlorophyll (Chl) synthesis had not begun yet. Approximately 50% of the zeaxanthin was converted into violaxanthin, whereas the actual Photosystem II (PS II) efficiency increased by 69% and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) and the amount of thermally dissipated energy decreased markedly (by 47% and 40%, respectively). At the same time, photosynthetic rate increased approximately by 50%. From one to two days after Fe resupply, there was a gradual increase in the leaf concentrations of Chl and other photosynthetic pigments, accompanied by a further conversion of zeaxanthin into violaxanthin, increases in actual PS II efficiency and photosynthetic rates and decreases in NPQ and the amount of thermally dissipated energy. At 72-96 h after Fe resupply, leaf pigment concentrations, photosynthetic rates and actual PS II efficiency had increased further, although both photosynthetic rate and leaf pigment concentrations were still lower than those found in Fe-sufficient leaves. Good correlations were observed between the amount of light thermally dissipated by the PS II antenna, NPQ and the antheraxanthin + zeaxanthin concentration after Fe resupply, confirming the photoprotective role of the xanthophyll cycle in Fe-deficient sugar beet leaves. Similar correlations were observed for lutein, suggesting a possible role of this pigment in photoprotection.     

The -308 polymorphism in the promoter region of the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) gene and ex vivo lipopolysaccharide-induced TNF-alpha expression in patients with aggressive periodontitis and/or type 1 diabetes mellitus

Several single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been identified in the TNF-alpha gene promoter. The transition G-->A at position -308 generates the TNF-alpha1 (G/G) and TNF-alpha2 (G/A or A/A) alleles, where the polymorphic TNF-alpha2 allele is associated with a high, in vitro TNF-alpha expression and an increased susceptibility to diverse illnesses. Here we study the association of the -308 TNF-alpha SNP with the susceptibility for developing aggressive periodontitis (AP), AP combined with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) and DM. We also explore the TNF-alpha capability expression and the presence of the -308 polymorphism. For this purpose we recruited 27 individuals with AP (AP+ group), 27 individuals with AP combined with DM (AP+/DM+ group), and 27 individuals with DM without signs of periodontitis upon clinical examination (DM+ group). The control group was comprised of 30 subjects. Genotyping for TNF-alpha promoter was performed by PCR-RFLP analysis. For TNF-alpha expression we used a blood culture system.