Purification and Characterization of a Cold-active Iron Superoxide Dismutase from a Psychrophilic Bacterium, Marinomonas sp. NJ522

Marinomonas sp. NJ522, isolated from Antarctic sea ice, produces a cold-active iron superoxide dismutase (SOD; EC 1.15.1.1). The purified SOD was dimeric and had an approx. Mr of 48 kDa. Highest activity was detected from pH 8 to 10 and at 40 °C (assayed over 10 min). Activity at 0 °C was nearly 35% of the maximum activity. Received 25 August 2005; Revisions requested 30 August 2005 and 26 September 2005; Revisions received 12 September 2005 and 25 October 2005; Accepted 1 November 2005     

Selection of Peptides for Lipopolysaccharide Binding on to Epoxy Beads and Selective Detection of Gram-negative Bacteria

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-binding peptides were enriched by using epoxy beads as a novel support to immobilize LPS for a phage displayed peptide library screening. The sequence of Phe-Ala-Pro-Trp (FAPW) was the most significant consensus motif of 10 selected clones, and Pro-Phe (PF) was the key dipeptide for binding at the apex of the loop to form a characteristic structure of CXXPFXXXC. Moreover, AWLPWAK, one of the highly conserved heptamer peptides, could detect specifically Gram-negative bacteria via a whole cell binding test at 10⁶ cells ml⁻¹. Received 12 July 2005; Revisions requested 1 August 2005 and 26 September 2005; Revisions received 12 September 2005 and 25 October 2005; Accepted 1 November 2005     

Colloid Lithography-Induced Polydimethylsiloxane Microstructures and their Application to Cell Patterning

Colloidal lithography was used to make a novel array (2-D) of micro-rings, dots, and interconnected-honeycomb structures. These geometries are controlled using the curing temperature-dependent rheological properties of the siloxane elastomer precursor. Serratia marcescens was patterned on the interconnected honeycomb microstructure demonstrating a potential application for microbioanalytical devices, microfluidics, and bio-micro-electromechanical systems. Received 26 August 2005; Revisions requested 23 September 2005; Revisions received 10 November 2005; Accepted 11 November 2005     

Influence of Agitation on the Removal of Nonylphenol by the White-rot Fungi Trametes versicolor and Bjerkandera sp. BOL 13

Bjerkandera sp. BOL 13 removed 95% of nonylphenol (at 9.7 mg nonylphenol l⁻¹ day⁻¹) from aqueous medium after 5 days of incubation in agitated cultures. This removal rate decreased 2.5-fold in static cultures. By comparison, Trametes versicolor removed nonylphenol at 2.8 mg l⁻¹ day⁻¹ under conditions of static incubation, probably due to the action of laccase, but no growth was recorded in the agitated bottles. Received 4 August 2005; Revisions requested 18 August 2005 and 27 September 2005; Revisions received 22 September 2005 and 3 November 2005; Accepted 7 November 2005     

Cloning and Sequence Analysis of the Gene Encoding (6-4)photolyase from Dunaliella salina

DNA photolyase can repair UV-induced DNA damage in a light-dependent manner. A cDNA of (6-4)photolyase from Dunaliella salina (GenBank accession number: AY845324) was cloned, sequenced and its amino acid sequence was deduced. The derived amino acid sequence showed high homology with other (6-4)photolyases and a predicted 3D model was constructed by homology modeling. Revisions requested 20 May 2005 and 18 August 2005; Revisions received 2 August 2005 and 28 November 2005     

Biomarker responses in juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) after single and combined exposure to low doses of cadmium, zinc, PCB77 and 17β-oestradiol

The objective of this study was to examine (i) the biochemical responses of rainbow trout exposed to sublethal water concentrations of the metals cadmium (Cd) (1.5 μg l^-1) and zinc (Zn) (150 μg l^-1); and (ii) the potential combined effects when applied in mixture (Cd/Zn) with and without co-exposure to model organic chemicals 3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB77) (1 mg kg^-1) and 17β-oestradiol (E2) (0.5 mg kg^-1). After 21 days of exposure, several biomarkers were assessed in the liver (enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, heat shock proteins [HSP70 and HSP60], ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase [EROD]) and in the plasma (vitellogenin [Vtg], aminotransferases). Plasma aminotransferases were not affected, whereas the other biomarkers showed different patterns of response depending on the treatment. For example, Cd, and Zn to a lesser extent, induced an adaptive response in the liver shown by an increase in antioxidant defences (total glutathione [GSH], superoxide dismutase, Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity [TEAC]), without any impairment of GSH redox status or induction of heat shock proteins. Antagonistic effects were observed in GSH-related biomarkers after Cd/Zn exposure. PCB77 strongly induced EROD activity, HSP70 and TEAC. Co-exposure with metals did not modulate significantly the effects of PCB77. E2 induced Vtg and inhibited liver antioxidants and basal EROD activity. These inhibitory effects were suppressed in fishes exposed to E2 + Cd/Zn, suggesting additive effects of E2 and metals. In addition, E2-induced Vtg was not altered by metals. Multivariate analyses confirmed some correlation between the biomarkers. The use of complementary biomarkers is necessary to discriminate different treatments and to highlight interactive effects.     

Severity of the 1998 and 2005 bleaching events in Venezuela, southern Caribbean

This study describes the severity of the 2005 bleaching event at 15 reef sites across Venezuela and compares the 1998 and 2005 bleaching events at one of them. During August and September 2005, bleached corals were first observed on oceanic reefs rather than coastal reefs, affecting 1 to 4% of coral colonies in the community (3 reef sites, n = 736 colonies). At that time, however, no bleached corals were recorded along the eastern coast of Venezuela, an area of seasonal upwelling (3 reefs, n = 181 colonies). On coastal reefs, bleaching started in October but highest levels were reached in November 2005 and January 2006, when 16% of corals were affected among a wide range of taxa (e.g. scleractinians, octocorals, Millepora and zoanthids). In the Acropora habitats of Los Roques (an oceanic reef),no bleached was recorded in 2005 (four sites,n = 643 colonies). At Cayo Sombrero, a coastal reef site, bleaching was less severe in 1998 than in 2005 (9% of the coral colonies involving 2 species vs. 26% involving 23 species, respectively). Our results indicate that bleaching was more severe in 2005 than in 1998 on Venezuelan reefs; however, no mass mortality was observed in either of these two events.     

长白山针阔叶混交林带花粉通量及垂直散布年际对比

长白山针阔叶混交林一号样地2005和2006年气象塔不同高度捕捉器样品花粉分析对比表明:连续两年花粉组成都足以乔木花粉为主,但存在差异,06年乔木花粉百分比较高,灌木、草本较低,同时06年花粉通量也较高,可能与05年花期降水较多,温度较低,花粉产量低有关.连续两年花粉通量在垂直高度上具有较高的一致性,特别是主要乔木花粉类型(白蜡属、桦、栎、松属花粉).这一结果有助于更好理解表土花粉对植被的指示性,森林表土样品中的草本、低矮灌木花粉类型,应主要来自样品点附近的植物;样品中的乔木、较高灌丛花粉类型,可能来自样品点附近或更大范围植物;区域性植物对花粉组合也有一定影响.     

Kinetic Modelling of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lactobacillus casei</Emphasis> ssp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">rhamnosus</Emphasis> Growth and Lactic Acid Production in Batch Cultures Under Various Medium Conditions

Enrichment of medium with yeast extract and tryptone increased growth and lactic acid production in batch cultures of Lactobacillus casei ssp. rhamnosus. A reliable kinetic model that explicitly expresses the strong relationship between microbial growth, lactic acid production and medium enrichment is provided and validated using experimental data obtained with six different medium compositions. Revisions requested 2 February 2005 and 26 July 2005; Revisions received 25 July 2005 and 9 September 2005     

1H-Nuclear magnetic resonance pattern recognition studies with N-phenylanthranilic acid in the rat: time- and dose-related metabolic effects

N-Phenylanthranilic acid (NPAA) causes renal papillary necrosis (RPN) in the rat following repeated oral dosing. Non-invasive early detection of RPN is difficult, but a number of potential biomarkers have been investigated, including phospholipid and uronic acid excretion. This study used ^{1H-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic analysis of urine to investigate urinary metabolic perturbations occurring in the rat following exposure to NPAA. Male Alderley Park rats received NPAA (300, 500 or 700 mg kg--1 day--1 orally) for 7 days, and urine was collected on days 7-8, 14-15, 21-22 and 28-29. In a separate study, urine was collected on days 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 and 7-8 from rats receiving 500 mg kg--1 day--1. Samples were analysed by copy combined with multivariate data analysis and clinical chemistry. Histopathology and clinical chemistry analysis of terminal blood samples was carried out following termination on days 4, 6, 8 and 29 (4 week time course) and days 2, 4, 6 and 8 (8 day study). Urine analysis revealed a marked, though variable, excretion of β-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate and acetone (ketone bodies) seen on days 3-4, 5-6 and 7-8 of the study. It is postulated that the ketonuria might be secondary to an alteration in fatty acid metabolism due to inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis. In addition, an elevation in urinary ascorbate was observed during the first 8 days of the study. Ascorbate is considered to be a biomarker of hepatic response, probably reflecting an increased hepatic activity due to glucuronidation of NPAA.}     

Human genetics moves from clinic to bench - and back

A report on the European Society of Human Genetics Conference 2005, Prague, Czech Republic, 7-10 May 2005.     

Biotransformation of racemic diisophorone by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cephalosporium aphidicola</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Neurospora crassa</Emphasis>

Racemic diisophorone (500 mg) was converted by Cephalosporium aphidicola and Neurospora crassa over 10 days at 25 °C to 8β-hydroxydiisophorone in yields of 10% (52 mg) and 20% (103 mg), respectively. The structure was established by IR, specific rotation, mass spectral, 1D and 2D-NMR studies.Revisions requested 2 March 2005 and 21 April 2005; Revisions received 8 April 2005 and 10 May 2005     

Looking for Identity in the Muslim World

Dramas of Nationhood: The Politics of Television in Egypt. Lila Abu-Lughod. Chicago: University Chicago Press, 2005. 319 pp.
Memories of State: Politics, History, and Collective Identity in Modern Iraq. Eric Davis. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2005. 385 pp.
Religion, Social Practice, and Contested Hegemonies: Reconstructing the Public Sphere in Muslim Majority Societies. Armando Salvatore and Mark LeVine, eds. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005. 249 pp.
Contesting Rituals: Islam and Practices of Identity Making. Pamela Stewart and Andrew Strathern, eds. Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press, 2005. 239 pp.     

Human genome research enters a new phase

A report on HGM2005, the tenth annual Human Genome Meeting, Kyoto, Japan, 18-21 April 2005.     

Genetic analysis and rescue of a triple-reassortant H3N2 influenza A virus isolated from swine in eastern China

One influenza H3N2 virus, A/swine/Shandong/3/2005 (Sw/SD/3/2005), was isolated from pigs with respiratory disease on a farm in eastern China. Genetic analysis revealed that Sw/SD/3/2005 was a triple-reassortant virus with a PB2 gene from human-like HIN1, NS from classical swine H1NI, and the remaining genes from human-like H3N2 virus. These findings further support the concept that swine can serve as reservoir or mixing vessels of influenza virus strains and maintain genetic and antigenic stability of viruses. Furthermore, we have successfully established a reverse genetics system based on eight plasmids and rescued Sw/SD/3/2005 through cell transfection. HI tests and RT-PCR confirmed that the rescued virus maintained the biological properties of the wild type Sw/SD/3/2005. The successful establishment of the reverse genetics system of Sw/SD/3/2005 will enable us to conduct extensive studies of the molecular evolution of H3N2 influenza viruses in swine.     

Yos9p: a sweet-toothed bouncer of the secretory pathway

In this issue of Molecular Cell, Bhamidipati et al., (2005) and Kim et al., (2005), and Szathmary et al. (2005), and demonstrate that Yos9p selectively binds to aberrant glycoproteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and targets them for destruction through the ER-associated protein degradation pathway.     

Über den Einfluss der Königin auf die arbeiterinnen Fertilität im Ameisenstaat

Zusammenfassung Es wird die Eiablage weiselloser vonLeptothorax tuberum unifasciatus und einiger anderer Arten untersucht. Die weisellosen legen mehr Eier als die Königin in einer gleichstarken-Gruppe. Entweiselte brauchen einen gewissen Zeitraum (Inkubationszeit), bis sie fertil werden. Aus diesen Befunden geht hervor, dass die in natürlich zusammengesetzten Völkern steril sind. Der -Duft allein kann die-Fertilitä nicht hemmen. Von der abgetrennte legen keine Eier, wenn ihnen täglich aus der Umgebung der zugesetzt werden. Zur Erklärung dieser Vorgänge wird die Hypothese der profertilen Stoffe entwickelt und dem -Duft eine wesentliche Rolle als Auslöser für ihre Weitergabe zugeschrieben.Herrn Prof. Dr.K. Gösswald danke ich für Anregung und Förderung der Untersuchungen.     

Distinctive fossilised termite nests at Laetoli, Tanzania

A distinctive type of structure found preserved in a volcanic ash layer about 3.7 million years old appears to be a fossilised termite nest. Comparison is made to modern nests of a fungus-growing termite Macrotermes jeanneli (Isoptera, Termitidae, Macrotermitinae). Received: 30 May 2005; revised 27 September 2005; accepted 6 October 2005.     

A quarter of a century succession of epigaeic beetle assemblages in remnant habitats in an urbanized matrix (Coleoptera, Carabidae)

We studied the long-term (23-24 years) species turnover and succession of epigaeic beetle assemblages (Coleoptera: Carabidae, incl. Cicindelinae) in three remnant habitats [cottonwood (Populus spp.) and oak (Quercus spp.) stands, and old fields] that are embedded within highly urbanized areas in central Minnesota. A total of 9,710 beetle individuals belonging to 98 species were caught in three sampling years: 1980, 1981 and 2005 in pitfall traps in identical locations within each habitat. Results indicate that there were 2-3 times greater trap catches in 2005 than in 1980 (cottonwood and oak stands, and old fields) and 1.4-1.7 times greater species diversity of beetles in 2005 than in the 1980-1981 suggesting increased habitat association by beetles over time. Although there were no significant differences in catches between 2005 and 1981 (only cottonwood stands and old fields), there was a trend where more beetles were caught in 2005. At the species-level, 10 times more of an open-habitat carabid species, Cyclotrachelus sodalis sodalis LeConte, was caught in 2005 than in 1980. However, trap catches of five other abundant carabid species [Pterostichus novus Straneo, Platynus decentis (Say), Platynus mutus (Say), Calathus gregarius (Say), and Poecilus lucublandus lucublandus (Say)] did not change indicating population stability of some beetle species. These remnant habitats were increasingly colonized by exotic carabid species as Carabus granulatus granulatus Linneaus, Clivina fossor (Linneaus) and Platynus melanarius (Illiger), that were trapped for the first time in 2005. Species composition of epigaeic beetles was quite distinct in 2005 from 1980 with 39 species reported for the first time in 2005, indicating a high turnover of assemblages. At the habitat-level, greatest species diversity was in cottonwood stands and lowest was in old fields, and all habitat types in 2005 diverged from those in 1980s, but not cottonwood stands in 1981. As our sampled areas are among some of the last remnants of the original oak savanna habitats in central Minnesota, we hypothesize that conservation of these sites may be critical to maintaining epigaeic beetle assemblages under increased urbanization pressure.     

Physiology engages with functional genomics - at last

A report on the XXXV International Congress of Physiological Sciences, held together with Experimental Biology 2005, San Diego, USA, 31 March - 6 April 2005.