Metabolic Syndrome Is Associated with Increased Oxo-Nitrative Stress and Asthma-Like Changes in Lungs

Epidemiological studies have shown an increased obesity-related risk of asthma. In support, obese mice develop airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR). However, it remains unclear whether the increased risk is a consequence of obesity, adipogenic diet, or the metabolic syndrome (MetS). Altered L-arginine and nitric oxide (NO) metabolism is a common feature between asthma and metabolic syndrome that appears independent of body mass. Increased asthma risk resulting from such metabolic changes would have important consequences in global health. Since high-sugar diets can induce MetS, without necessarily causing obesity, studies of their effect on arginine/NO metabolism and airway function could clarify this aspect. We investigated whether normal-weight mice with MetS, due to high-fructose diet, had dysfunctional arginine/NO metabolism and features of asthma. Mice were fed chow-diet, high-fat-diet, or high-fructose-diet for 18 weeks. Only the high-fat-diet group developed obesity or adiposity. Hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycaemia, and hyperlipidaemia were common to both high-fat-diet and high-fructose-diet groups and the high-fructose-diet group additionally developed hypertension. At 18 weeks, airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) could be seen in obese high-fat-diet mice as well as non-obese high-fructose-diet mice, when compared to standard chow-diet mice. No inflammatory cell infiltrate or goblet cell metaplasia was seen in either high-fat-diet or high-fructose-diet mice. Exhaled NO was reduced in both these groups. This reduction in exhaled NO correlated with reduced arginine bioavailability in lungs. In summary, mice with normal weight but metabolic obesity show reduced arginine bioavailability, reduced NO production, and asthma-like features. Reduced NO related bronchodilation and increased oxo-nitrosative stress may contribute to the pathogenesis.     

Selection of Lactobacillus acidophilus strains for use in “acidophilus products”

Recent studies by DNA-DNA hybridization revealed that strains now designated as L. acidophilus, can be divided into several groups and only one group should be classified as L. acidophilus. We studied several phenotypic characteristics in representative strains from the six DNA-homology groups of L. acidophilus. No group specific pattern was observed among the strains for fermentation of eight carbohydrates, growth at 15 and 45°C, resistance to 0.2% oxgall, lysis by lysozyme or sensitivity to 17 antibiotics. However, some differences among groups were observed in -galactosidase (-gal) activity and surface layer (s-layer) protein. Strains in B1 do not have a s-layer or -gal while B2 strains also lack a s-layer but do possess -gal. All strains in groups A1, A2, A3 and A4, capable of growing in lactose, have -gal activity and also have a s-layer composed of protein subunits of different molecular weights (MW). Strains in A1 homology group have a s-layer with 46 Kd protein subunits while strains in other A groups have s-layer protein subunits that varied in MW within each group. On the basis of these two traits several isolates of unknown homology groups have been tentatively placed in A1, B1 or B2 groups. L. acidophilus from A1 group showed strain variation in -gal specific activity and rate of acid production and growth. For use in dietary adjuncts, L. acidophilus strains should be selected for these three and other desirable traits. They should be maintained and grown in media containing lactose.     

Electrical conductivity of bilayer lipid membranes in electrolytic solution

The electrical conductivity of bilayer lipid membranes (BLM) of oxidized cholesterol has been measured separately in bathing solutions of sodium sulphate, sodium chloride, sodium bromide, sodium iodide and also in bathing solutions of iodine and iodine containing these salts. An attempt has been made to explain the conduction of electric current across the membranes.     

Characterization of the Lactobacillus helveticus CNRZ32 pepC gene.

Sequence analysis of the aminopeptidase C gene (pepC) from Lactobacillus helveticus CNRZ32 identified a 1,332-nucleotide open reading frame coding for a polypeptide with motifs characteristic of cysteine proteinases. Homology to the pepC gene appears to be widely distributed among lactic acid bacteria.     

Molecular characterization and expression analysis of two crucial MAPKs- jnk1 and erk1 as cellular signal transducers in Labeo rohita in response to PAMPs stimulation and pathogenic invasion

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are crucial Ser/Thr protein kinases that play important roles in innate immunity by converting extracellular stimuli into a wide range of cellular responses, including the production of cytokines. In this study, two MAPK genes, jnk1 and erk1, were cloned and characterized in rohu (Labeo rohita), a commercially important freshwater fish species in the Indian subcontinent. In healthy rohu, both jnk1 and erk1 gene expressions were highest in the spleen as compared to gill, liver, blood and kidney tissues. In vitro stimulation of the L. rohita gill (LRG) cell line with γ-D-glutamyl-meso-diaminopimelic acid, muramyl dipeptide and polyinosinic: polycytidylic acid (poly I:C) resulted in significantly enhanced expressions of jnk1 and erk1 genes. In the in vivo experiments, jnk1 and erk1 gene expressions were also enhanced in lipopolysaccharides and poly I:C-treatment. Infection of rohu fingerlings with Aeromonas hydrophila and Bacillus subtilis revealed significantly enhanced expressions of the jnk1 and erk1 genes in all of the tested organs/tissues. Together these results imply the important role of jnk1 and erk1 genes in fish during pathogenic invasion and diseases.     

Can fossil fuel energy be recovered and used without any CO2 emissions to the atmosphere?

Reviews in Environmental Science and Bio/Technology - The world’s energy system is still dominated by fossil fuels. While there is a rapid reduction in the cost of renewable energy and the...     

Rotavirus activates a noncanonical ATM‐Chk2 branch of DNA damage response during infection to positively regulate viroplasm dynamics

Surveillance for maintaining genomic pristineness, a protective safeguard of great onco‐preventive significance, has been dedicated in eukaryotic cells to a highly conserved and synchronised signalling cascade called DNA damage response (DDR). Not surprisingly, foreign genetic elements like those of viruses are often potential targets of DDR. Viruses have evolved novel ways to subvert this genome vigilance by twisting canonical DDR to a skewed, noncanonical response through selective hijacking of some DDR components while antagonising the others. Though reported for many DNA and a few RNA viruses, potential implications of DDR have not been addressed yet in case of infection with rotavirus (RV), a double‐stranded RNA virus. In the present study, we aimed at the modulation of ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM)‐checkpoint kinase 2 (Chk2) branch of DDR in response to RV infection in vitro. We found activation of the transducer kinase ATM and its downstream effector Chk2 in RV‐SA11‐infected cells, the activation response being maximal at 6‐hr post infection. Moreover, ATM activation was found to be dependent on induction of the upstream sensor Mre11‐Rad50‐Nbs1 (MRN) complex. Interestingly, RV‐SA11‐mediated maximal induction of ATM‐Chk2 pathway was revealed to be neither preceded by occurrence of nuclear DNA damage nor transduced to formation of damage‐induced canonical nuclear foci. Subsequent investigations affirmed sequestration of MRN components as well as ATM‐Chk2 proteins away from nucleus into cytosolic RV replication factories (viroplasms). Chemical intervention targeting ATM and Chk2 significantly inhibited fusion and maturation of viroplasms leading to attenuated viral propagation. Cumulatively, the current study describes RV‐mediated activation of a noncanonical ATM‐Chk2 branch of DDR skewed in favour of facilitated viroplasm fusion and productive viral perpetuation.     

Role of Arabidopsis BBX proteins in light signaling

Journal of Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology - Light regulates numerous aspects of plant growth and development like seed germination, seedling de-etiolation, pigment accumulation, cotyledon...     

Antimicrobial Peptides as Potential Therapeutic Agents: A Review

International Journal of Peptide Research and Therapeutics - The growth of pathogens across the globe is developing at a very fast rate, thus turning into a worldwide health problem. Since, current...     

Computational Study of ADD1 Gene Polymorphism Associated with Hypertension

We have determined the non-synonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) of ?? adducin 1 (ADD1) gene and its variations in different populations to understand its role in hypertension. Out of 1,113 SNPs, 9 are found to be non-synonymous, of which 7 showed significant damaging effect and one of them showed SNP variability with large differences among the minor allele frequency observed in various populations. The amino acid change found for rs4961 is from glycine to tryptophan, i.e., from an alkyl amino acid to an aromatic amino acid. This residual change is observed in the coiled region of the protein and is also predicted to be disordered by computational algorithm. Protein disorder plays an important role in structural and functional genomics. Hence, because of the complete change in side chains of the amino acid residues occurring in the coiled and disordered region of the protein, the structure of the protein might be altered and the function might be affected, leading to the risk for hypertension.