Single Cell Analysis Linking Ribosomal (r)DNA and rRNA Copy Numbers to Cell Size and Growth Rate Provides Insights into Molecular Protistan Ecology

Ribosomal (r)RNA and rDNA have been golden molecular markers in microbial ecology. However, it remains poorly understood how ribotype copy number (CN)‐based characteristics are linked with diversity, abundance, and activity of protist populations and communities observed at organismal levels. Here, we applied a single‐cell approach to quantify ribotype CNs in two ciliate species reared at different temperatures. We found that in actively growing cells, the per‐cell rDNA and rRNA CNs scaled with cell volume (CV) to 0.44 and 0.58 powers, respectively. The modeled rDNA and rRNA concentrations thus appear to be much higher in smaller than in larger cells. The observed rRNA:rDNA ratio scaled with CV^0.14. The maximum growth rate could be well predicted by a combination of per‐cell ribotype CN and temperature. Our empirical data and modeling on single‐cell ribotype scaling are in agreement with both the metabolic theory of ecology and the growth rate hypothesis, providing a quantitative framework for linking cellular rDNA and rRNA CNs with body size, growth (activity), and biomass stoichiometry. This study also demonstrates that the expression rate of rRNA genes is constrained by cell size, and favors biomass rather than abundance‐based interpretation of quantitative ribotype data in population and community ecology of protists.     

产甘油假丝酵母胞浆3-磷酸甘油脱氢酶基因（CgGPD）功能分析

【目的】从高产甘油生产菌株产甘油假丝酵母（Candida glycerinogenes）基因组中克隆了NAD+依赖3-磷酸甘油脱氢酶编码基因（CgGPD），但是该基因及其上游调控序列具体的功能还是未知的。本文研究了CgGPD基因及其上游调控序列的功能。【方法】本文以酿酒酵母（Saccharomyces cerevisiae）及其渗透压敏感型突变株为宿主，构建3种不同的酵母表达载体导入酵母细胞，研究了不同酵母转化子在渗透压胁迫条件下CgGPD基因表达对细胞的耐高渗透压胁迫应答及其细胞的甘油合成能力的影响。【结果】实验结果表明无论是以来源于S. cerevisiae 的TPI启动子还是来源于CgGPD基因的启动子，过量表达CgGPD基因的转化子均能够显著加速葡萄糖消耗速度和提高甘油合成能力，在gpd1/gpd2突变株中表达CgGPD基因能够消除细胞对外界高渗透压的敏感性，同时转化子胞内甘油大量积累。【结论】CgGPD基因在野生型酵母S. cerevisiae W303-1A表达显著提高细胞的甘油合成能力，在gpd/1gpd2突变株中能够互补GPD1基因的功能，CgGPD基因表达受渗透压诱导 调控。     

Inhibition of Tyrosine Aminotransferase by β-N-Oxalyl-l-α,β-Diaminopropionic Acid, the Lathyrus sativus Neurotoxin

Abstract: Species differences in susceptibility are a unique feature associated with the neurotoxicity of β-N-oxalyl-l -α,β-diaminopropionic acid (l -ODAP), the Lathyrus sativus neurotoxin, and the excitotoxic mechanism proposed for its mechanism of toxicity does not account for this feature. The present study examines whether neurotoxicity of l -ODAP is the result of an interference in the metabolism of any amino acid and if it could form the basis to explain the species differences in susceptibility. Thus, Wistar rats and BALB/c (white) mice, which are normally resistant to l -ODAP, became susceptible to it following pretreatment with tyrosine (or phenylalanine), exhibiting typical neurotoxic symptoms. C57BL/6J (black) mice were, however, normally susceptible to l -ODAP without any pretreatment with tyrosine. Among the various enzymes associated with tyrosine metabolism examined, the activity of only tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT) was inhibited specifically by l -ODAP. The inhibition was noncompetitive with respect to tyrosine (K_i = 2.0 ± 0.1 mM) and uncompetitive with respect to α-ketoglutarate (K_i = 8.4 ± 1.5 mM). The inhibition of TAT was also reflected in a marked decrease in the rate of oxidation of tyrosine by liver slices, an increase in tyrosine levels of liver, and also a twofold increase in the dopa and dopamine contents of brain in l -ODAP-injected black mice. The dopa and dopamine contents in the brain of only l -ODAP-injected white mice did not show any change, whereas levels of these compounds were much higher in tyrosine-pretreated animals. Also, the radioactivity associated with tyrosine, dopa, and dopamine arising from [¹⁴C]tyrosine was twofold higher in both liver and brain of l -ODAP-treated black mice. Thus, a transient increase in tyrosine levels following the inhibition of hepatic TAT by l -ODAP and its increased availability for the enhanced synthesis of dopa and dopamine and other likely metabolites (toxic?) resulting therefrom could be the mechanism of neurotoxicity and may even underlie the species differences in susceptibility to this neurotoxin.     

Photoproduction of hydrogen, nitrogenase and hydrogenase activities of free and immobilized whole cells of Rhodobacter sphaeroides O.U. 001

Abstract Photoproduction of hydrogen, nitrogenase activity (acetylene reduction) and hydrogenase activity (methylene blue dye reduction) were studied in free and alginate immobilized whole cells of a purple non-sulfur photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides O.U. 001. Four-fold increase in hydrogen production, two-fold increase in nitrogenase activity and 1.2-fold increase in the hydrogenase activity were observed in immobilized cells compared to free cells. Effect of various inhibitors (CO and C₂H₂) and electron donor (H₂) on the above three functions by free and immobilized cells has also been studied.     

Electron microscopic changes on the DMBA induced oral precancerous and cancerous lesion in hamster cheek pouch

Experiments were performed to study the early and late ultrastructural changes during hamster cheek pouch carcinogenesis using a regimen of topical application of 9,10 dimethyl-1-1-2 benzanthracene (DMBA) twice a week in liquid paraffin oil. The DMBA was administered for a period of 2 and 4 1/2 months. Hamsters exposed to DMBA for 2 months developed moderate precancerous changes, whereas the hamsters treated with DMBA for 4 1/2 months developed frank and multiple oral tumors with a cauliflower appearance. The ultrastructural pathological changes seen were considerably increased at 4 1/2 months compared with a 2 month period of DMBA treatment. Untreated and solvent control hamsters cheek pouch treated for 2 and 4 1/2 months with liquid paraffin oil alone did not show any premalignant or malignant changes during this period.     

Measurement of 7-dehydrocholesterol and cholesterol in hair can be used in the diagnosis of Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome

7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC) and cholesterol (CHOL) are biomarkers of Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome (SLOS), a congenital autosomal recessive disorder characterized by elevated 7-DHC level in patients. Hair samples have been shown to have great diagnostic and research value, which has long been neglected in the SLOS field. In this study, we sought to investigate the feasibility of using hair for SLOS diagnosis. In the presence of antioxidants (2,6-ditert-butyl-4-methylphenol and triphenylphosphine), hair samples were completely pulverized and extracted by micro-pulverized extraction in alkaline solution or in n-hexane. After microwave-assisted derivatization with N,O-Bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide, the analytes were measured by GC-MS. We found that the limits of determination for 7-DHC and CHOL were 10 ng/mg and 8 ng/mg, respectively. In addition, good linearity was obtained in the range of 50–4000 ng/mg and 30–6000 ng/mg for 7-DHC and CHOL, respectively, which fully meets the requirement for SLOS diagnosis and related research. Finally, by applying the proposed method to real hair samples collected from 14 healthy infants and two suspected SLOS patients, we confirmed the feasibility of hair analysis as a diagnostic tool for SLOS. In conclusion, we present an optimized and validated analytical method for the simultaneous determination of two SLOS biomarkers using human hair.