Transgenic Crops resource guide — Colorado State

Cis and Trans

Transgenic Crops resource guide — Colorado State     

‘Idealized’ State 4 and State 3 in Mitochondria vs. Rest and Work in Skeletal Muscle

A computer model of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) in skeletal muscle is used to compare state 3, intermediate state and state 4 in mitochondria with rest and work in skeletal muscle. ‘Idealized’ state 4 and 3 in relation to various ‘experimental’ states 4 and 3 are defined. Theoretical simulations show, in accordance with experimental data, that oxygen consumption (V’O₂), ADP and P_i are higher, while ATP/ADP and Δp are lower in rest than in state 4, because of the presence of basal ATP consuming reactions in the former. It is postulated that moderate and intensive work in skeletal muscle is very different from state 3 in isolated mitochondria. V’O₂, ATP/ADP, Δp and the control of ATP usage over V’O₂ are much higher, while ADP and Pi are much lower in the former. The slope of the phenomenological V’O₂-ADP relationship is much steeper during the rest-work transition than during the state 4-state 3 transition. The work state in intact muscle is much more similar to intermediate state than to state 3 in isolated mitochondria in terms of ADP, ATP/ADP, Δp and metabolic control pattern, but not in terms of V’O₂. The huge differences between intact muscle and isolated mitochondria are proposed to be caused by the presence of the each-step activation (ESA) mechanism of the regulation of OXPHOS in intact skeletal muscle. Generally, the present study suggests that isolated mitochondria (at least in the absence of Ca²⁺) cannot serve as a good model of OXPHOS regulation in intact skeletal muscle.     

Paracoccidioidomycosis in wild monkeys from Paraná State, Brazil

The aim of this study was to evaluate the seroprevalence of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis infection in wild New World monkeys (Cebus sp. and Alouatta caraya). A total of 93 animals (Cebus sp., n = 68 and Alouatta caraya, n = 25) were captured in the Paraná River basin, Paraná State, Brazil and the serum samples were analyzed by ELISA and immunodiffusion using P. brasiliensis gp43 and exoantigen as antigens, respectively. The seropositivity observed by ELISA was 44.1% and 60% for Cebus sp. and A. caraya, respectively, while by immunodiffusion test Cebus sp. showed positivity of 2.9% only. No significant difference was observed in relation to age and sex. This is the first report of paracoccidioidomycosis in wild capuchin monkeys and in wild-black and golden-howler monkeys. The high positivity to P. brasiliensis infection in both species evaluated in our study and the positivity by immunodiffusion test in Cebus sp. suggest that natural disease may be occurring in wild monkeys living in paracoccidioidomycosis endemic areas.     

Biotechnology education and the training of engineer-technologists in the St. Petersburg State Chemical–Pharmaceutical Academy and the State University of Technology and Design

Some facts about biotechnological education in St. Petersburg (Russia) are presented by authors at two different higher schools: the State Chemical–Pharmaceutical Academy and the State University of Technology and Design.     

Can Shaker Potassium Channels be Locked in the Deactivated State?

For structural studies it would be useful to constrain the voltage sensor of a voltage-gated channel in its deactivated state. Here we consider one Shaker potassium channel mutant and speculate about others that might allow the channel to remain deactivated at zero membrane potential. Ionic and gating currents of F370C Shaker, expressed in Xenopus oocytes, were recorded in patches with internal application of the methanethiosulfonate reagent MTSET. It appears that the voltage dependence of voltage sensor movement is strongly shifted by reaction with internal MTSET, such that the voltage sensors appear to remain deactivated even at positive potentials. A disadvantage of this construct is that the rate of modification of voltage sensors by MTSET is quite low, approximately 0.17 mM(-1).s(-1) at -80 mV, and is expected to be much lower at depolarized potentials.     

HIV Transmission in a State Prison System, 1988–2005

Introduction

HIV prevalence among state prison inmates in the United States is more than five times higher than among nonincarcerated persons, but HIV transmission within U.S. prisons is sparsely documented. We investigated 88 HIV seroconversions reported from 1988–2005 among male Georgia prison inmates.

Methods

We analyzed medical and administrative data to describe seroconverters'' HIV testing histories and performed a case-crossover analysis of their risks before and after HIV diagnosis. We sequenced the gag, env, and pol genes of seroconverters'' HIV strains to identify genetically-related HIV transmission clusters and antiretroviral resistance. We combined risk, genetic, and administrative data to describe prison HIV transmission networks.

Results

Forty-one (47%) seroconverters were diagnosed with HIV from July 2003–June 2005 when voluntary annual testing was offered. Seroconverters were less likely to report sex (OR [odds ratio] = 0.02, 95% CI [confidence interval]: 0–0.10) and tattooing (OR = 0.03, 95% CI: <0.01–0.20) in prison after their HIV diagnosis than before. Of 67 seroconverters'' specimens tested, 33 (49%) fell into one of 10 genetically-related clusters; of these, 25 (76%) reported sex in prison before their HIV diagnosis. The HIV strains of 8 (61%) of 13 antiretroviral-naïve and 21 (40%) of 52 antiretroviral-treated seroconverters were antiretroviral-resistant.

Discussion

Half of all HIV seroconversions were identified when routine voluntary testing was offered, and seroconverters reduced their risks following their diagnosis. Most genetically-related seroconverters reported sex in prison, suggesting HIV transmission through sexual networks. Resistance testing before initiating antiretroviral therapy is important for newly-diagnosed inmates.     

Pulse radiolysis of aromatic amino acids — State of the art

Summary The pulse radiolysis method as well as the primary processes of water radiolysis and the spectroscopic characteristics of H, OH, HO₂/O₂ ^– and e _aq ^- are briefly presented. Subsequently, kinetic and spectroscopic data of the transients resulting from the resolved multi site attack on aromatic amino acids are discussed. The reactivity of H and e _aq ^- with the same substrates, as well as the effect of oxygen on the major radiolytic processes are reviewed. Finally, the formation of tryptophan radical cation is mentioned shortly. The presented radiation mechanisms are the fundamentals for radiolytic processes occurring in proteins, enzymes and hormones in the living cells.     

Serologically Defined Variations in Malaria Endemicity in Pará State,Brazil

Background

Measurement of malaria endemicity is typically based on vector or parasite measures. A complementary approach is the detection of parasite specific IgG antibodies. We determined the antibody levels and seroconversion rates to both P. vivax and P. falciparum merozoite antigens in individuals living in areas of varying P. vivax endemicity in Pará state, Brazilian Amazon region.

Methodology/Principal Findings

The prevalence of antibodies to recombinant antigens from P. vivax and P. falciparum was determined in 1,330 individuals. Cross sectional surveys were conducted in the north of Brazil in Anajás, Belém, Goianésia do Pará, Jacareacanga, Itaituba, Trairão, all in the Pará state, and Sucuriju, a free-malaria site in the neighboring state Amapá. Seroprevalence to any P. vivax antigens (MSP1 or AMA-1) was 52.5%, whereas 24.7% of the individuals were seropositive to any P. falciparum antigens (MSP1 or AMA-1). For P. vivax antigens, the seroconversion rates (SCR) ranged from 0.005 (Sucuriju) to 0.201 (Goianésia do Pará), and are strongly correlated to the corresponding Annual Parasite Index (API). We detected two sites with distinct characteristics: Goianésia do Pará where seroprevalence curve does not change with age, and Sucuriju where seroprevalence curve is better described by a model with two SCRs compatible with a decrease in force of infection occurred 14 years ago (from 0.069 to 0.005). For P. falciparum antigens, current SCR estimates varied from 0.002 (Belém) to 0.018 (Goianésia do Pará). We also detected a putative decrease in disease transmission occurred ∼29 years ago in Anajás, Goianésia do Pará, Itaituba, Jacareacanga, and Trairão.

Conclusions

We observed heterogeneity of serological indices across study sites with different endemicity levels and temporal changes in the force of infection in some of the sites. Our study provides further evidence that serology can be used to measure and monitor transmission of both major species of malaria parasite.     

Environmental Isolates of Burkholderia pseudomallei in Ceará State,Northeastern Brazil

Melioidosis has been considered an emerging disease in Brazil since the first cases were reported to occur in the northeast region. This study investigated two municipalities in Ceará state where melioidosis cases have been confirmed to occur. Burkholderia pseudomallei was isolated in 26 (4.3%) of 600 samples in the dry and rainy seasons.Melioidosis is an endemic disease in Southeast Asia and northern Australia (2, 4) and also occurs sporadically in other parts of the world (3, 7). Human melioidosis was reported to occur in Brazil only in 2003, when a family outbreak afflicted four sisters in the rural part of the municipality of Tejuçuoca, Ceará state (14). After this episode, there was one reported case of melioidosis in 2004 in the rural area of Banabuiú, Ceará (14). And in 2005, a case of melioidosis associated with near drowning after a car accident was confirmed to occur in Aracoiaba, Ceará (11).The goal of this study was to investigate the Tejuçuoca and Banabuiú municipalities, where human cases of melioidosis have been confirmed to occur, and to gain a better understanding of the ecology of Burkholderia pseudomallei in this region.We chose as central points of the study the residences and surrounding areas of the melioidosis patients in the rural areas of Banabuiú (5°18′35″S, 38°55′14″W) and Tejuçuoca (03°59′20″S, 39°34′50′W) (Fig. ​(Fig.1).1). There are two well-defined seasons in each of these locations: one rainy (running from January to May) and one dry (from June to December). A total of 600 samples were collected at five sites in Tejuçuoca (T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5) and five in Banabuiú (B1, B2, B3, B4, and B5), distributed as follows (Fig. ​(Fig.2):2): backyards (B1 and T1), places shaded by trees (B2 and T2), water courses (B3 and T3), wet places (B4 and T4), and stock breeding areas (B5 and T5).Open in a separate windowFIG. 1.Municipalities of Banabuiú (5°18′35″S, 38°55′14″W) and Tejuçuoca (03°59′20″S, 39°34′50″W).Open in a separate windowFIG. 2.Soil sampling sites in Banabuiú and Tejuçuoca.Once a month for 12 months (a complete dry/rainy cycle), five samples were gathered at five different depths: at the surface and at 10, 20, 30 and 40 cm (Table ​(Table1).1). The samples were gathered according to the method used by Inglis et al. (9). Additionally, the sample processing and B. pseudomallei identification were carried out as previously reported (1, 8, 9).

TABLE 1.

Distribution of samples with isolates by site and soil depth

A Nonquiescent “Idling” Population State in Drug-Treated,BRAF-Mutated Melanoma

Targeted therapy is an effective standard of care in BRAF-mutated malignant melanoma. However, the duration of tumor remission varies unpredictably among patients, and relapse is almost inevitable. Here, we examine the responses of several BRAF-mutated melanoma cell lines (including isogenic subclones) to BRAF inhibitors. We observe complex response dynamics across cell lines, with short-term responses (<100 h) varying from cell line to cell line. In the long term, however, we observe equilibration of all drug-treated populations into a nonquiescent state characterized by a balanced rate of death and division, which we term the “idling” state, and to our knowledge, this state has not been previously reported. Using mathematical modeling, we propose that the observed population-level dynamics are the result of cells transitioning between basins of attraction within a drug-modified phenotypic landscape. Each basin is associated with a drug-induced proliferation rate, a recently introduced metric of an antiproliferative drug effect. The idling population state represents a new dynamic equilibrium in which cells are distributed across the landscape such that the population achieves zero net growth. By fitting our model to experimental drug-response data, we infer the phenotypic landscapes of all considered melanoma cell lines and provide a unifying view of how BRAF-mutated melanomas respond to BRAF inhibition. We hypothesize that the residual disease observed in patients after targeted therapy is composed of a significant number of idling cells. Thus, defining molecular determinants of the phenotypic landscape that idling populations occupy may lead to “targeted landscaping” therapies based on rational modification of the landscape to favor basins with greater drug susceptibility.     

Study on the Binding State of Calcium in Photosystem ⅡOxygen-Evolution Complex

Washing spinach PSII oxygen-evolution complex (OEC) with 2 mmol/L EGTA or extraction medium caused a 28.4% and 25.0% loss of oxygen evolution activities respectively, but the loss of polypeptide components of OEC did not take place, whereas washing with 1 mol/L NaCI caused both a 90.0% loss of oxygen evolution activity and loss of 17, 23kD polypeptides. Adding 5–10 mmol/L CaC12 could restore oxygen evolution activities of OEC by various washing to a great extent, but had no effect on control OEC, whereas adding 5–10 mmol/L EGTA had no effect on the OEC by various' washing, but caused the loss of oxygen evolution mixtures, which could induce the release of of 17, 23kD polypeptides from OEC, caused 54.3% loss of oxygen evolution activity, under this circumstance, adding 2 mmol/L of EGTA could only maintain a weak oxygen evolution activity of OEC, but adding 10 mmol/L of CaCl2 could restore oxygen evolution activity of OEC to the control level. These findings' suggest a two way loose binding of Ga2+ to PSⅡ OEC in one way Ca2+ is loose bound to the surface of PSⅡOEC and in other, the Ca2+-binding site is wrapped by 17, 23kD polypeptides. Both of them have effect on oxygen evolution activity of PSⅡ OEC. By way, Mn2+ can antagonize the restoration of oxygen evolution activity by Ca2+ to the NaCl-washing PSⅡ OEC.     

Effect of Trehalose on Oligomeric State and Anti-Aggregation Activity of αB-Crystallin

Biochemistry (Moscow) - αB-Crystallin (αB-Cr), one of the main crystalline lens proteins, along with other crystallins maintains lens transparency suppressing protein aggregation and thus...     

EMOTIONALLY DISTURBED CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS—California State Department of Mental Hygiene Programs

Through programs that are directly operated by the state and through subsidy programs using state funds and federal funds, the Department of Mental Hygiene in California provides services for children and adolescents who are emotionally disturbed. Private institutions for these purposes, in the form of residential centers and day care centers, are licensed by the Department of Mental Hygiene. Direct services provided by the Department of Mental Hygiene include residential treatment programs and outpatient clinic services.There have been increased demands for more residential treatment programs and for services for rural areas. Indications have been noted of increased need for research on questions dealing with services of this kind and increased training programs to provide adequate numbers of trained personnel.     

Quantifying Landscape Spatial Pattern: What Is the State of the Art?

Landscape ecology is based on the premise that there are strong links between ecological pattern and ecological function and process. Ecological systems are spatially heterogeneous, exhibiting considerable complexity and variability in time and space. This variability is typically represented by categorical maps or by a collection of samples taken at specific spatial locations (point data). Categorical maps quantize variability by identifying patches that are relatively homogeneous and that exhibit a relatively abrupt transition to adjacent areas. Alternatively, point-data analysis (geostatistics) assumes that the system property is spatially continuous, making fewer assumptions about the nature of spatial structure. Each data model provides capabilities that the other does not, and they should be considered complementary. Although the concept of patches is intuitive and consistent with much of ecological theory, point-data analysis can answer two of the most critical questions in spatial pattern analysis: what is the appropriate scale to conduct the analysis, and what is the nature of the spatial structure? I review the techniques to evaluate categorical maps and spatial point data, and make observations about the interpretation of spatial pattern indices and the appropriate application of the techniques. Pattern analysis techniques are most useful when applied and interpreted in the context of the organism(s) and ecological processes of interest, and at appropriate scales, although some may be useful as coarse-filter indicators of ecosystem function. I suggest several important needs for future research, including continued investigation of scaling issues, development of indices that measure specific components of spatial pattern, and efforts to make point-data analysis more compatible with ecological theory.     

Diversity and Abundance of the Planktonic Rotifers in Different Environments of the Upper Paraná River Floodplain (Paraná State – Mato Grosso do Sul State,Brazil)

This study proposes that diversity and abundance of rotifers show spatial and temporal variations in the Upper Paraná River floodplain due to heterogeneity of the environment and hydrological level fluctuations of the main river. The structure and dynamics of rotifer assemblages were investigated by samplings carried out during the rainy (February) and dry period (August) of the year 2000, in 36 environments (rivers, channels, backwaters, open and isolated floodplain lakes). The influence of phytoplankton biomass on rotifer diversity and abundance was also investigated. 104 taxa of rotifers were identified. The highest species richness was found in rivers and open floodplain lakes, the highest abundances in the isolated floodplain lakes, and the highest values of species diversity in the channels, especially during the rainy period. β₂-diversity values were higher in the channels, especially during the dry period. Flow differences and food availability were predominant factors influencing the structure and dynamics of the rotifer communities.