The Neanderthal face is not cold adapted

Many morphological features of the Pleistocene fossil hominin Homo neanderthalensis, including the reputed large size of its paranasal sinuses, have been interpreted as adaptations to extreme cold, as some Neanderthals lived in Europe during glacial periods. This interpretation of sinus evolution rests on two assumptions: that increased craniofacial pneumatization is an adaptation to lower ambient temperatures, and that Neanderthals have relatively large sinuses. Analysis of humans, other primates, and rodents, however, suggests that the first assumption is suspect; at least the maxillary sinus undergoes a significant reduction in volume in extreme cold, in both wild and laboratory conditions. The second assumption, that Neanderthal sinuses are large, extensive, or even ‘hyperpneumatized,’ has held sway since the first specimen was described and has been interpreted as the causal explanation for some of the distinctive aspects of Neanderthal facial form, but has never been evaluated with respect to scaling. To test the latter assumption, previously published measurements from two-dimensional (2D) X-rays and new three-dimensional (3D) data from computed tomography (CT) of Neanderthals and temperate-climate European Homo sapiens are regressed against cranial size to determine the relative size of their sinuses. The 2D data reveal a degree of craniofacial pneumatization in Neanderthals that is both commensurate with the size of the cranium and comparable in scale with that seen in temperate climate H. sapiens. The 3D analysis of CT data from a smaller sample supports this conclusion. These results suggest that the distinctive Neanderthal face cannot be interpreted as a direct result of increased pneumatization, nor is it likely to be an adaptation to resist cold stress; an alternative explanation is thus required.     

4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase is an iron-tyrosinate protein

A resonance Raman investigation into the blue chromophore of 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase, a non-heme iron enzyme from Pseudomonas P. J. 874, reveals the presence of enhanced vibrations characteristic of tyrosinate coordination to the iron center. The excitation profiles for these features show that they are associated with the 595 nm absorption feature. EPR studies of this enzyme indicate the presence of a high-spin ferric center in a rhombic environment, as evidenced by a signal at g = 4.3 with the correct intensity for the measured iron content. This enzyme thus belongs to the emerging class of iron-tyrosinate proteins.     

Increased thermoregulatory responsiveness in cold adapted but not in hyperthyroid hypermetabolic rats

Cold-adapted (CA) rats, unlike non-adapted (NA) ones, give exaggerated metabolic response to acute cold exposure, with paradoxical "overshoot" core temperature (Tc) rise in the cold, and they also give enhanced hyperthermia to central injection of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1). The adaptation-dependent differences might be explained either by the high thermogenic capacity of peripheral tissues in CA rats or by differences in the central processing of regulatory signals. If high tissue metabolism sufficiently explains the extreme responses of CA animals, other hypermetabolic states (with high resting metabolic rate, RMR), e.g. hyperthyroidism, should also be accompanied by enhanced reactions. In the present study thermoregulatory responses to acute cold exposure or to PGE1 were compared in hypermetabolic CA, similarly hypermetabolic thyroxine-treated (T4) and control non-hypermetabolic NA rats (mean RMR = 8.12, 8.47 and 6.03 W kg(-1), respectively). Cold exposure was followed by paradoxical core temperature (Tc) rise of 0.5 to 0.7 degrees C only in CA rats, but by Tc fall (0.8 to 2.1 degrees C) in NA and T4 animals. Identical central stimuli (PGE1) induced larger elevations of Tc and metabolic rate in CA rats than in similarly hypermetabolic T4 or in non-hypermetabolic NA animals (mean Tc rise of 1.9 degrees C in CA vs. 0.9 degrees C in T4 and 1.0 degrees C in NA rats). Vasodilatation thresholds were also similar in NA and T4, but lowered in CA animals. A hypermetabolic status, per se, does not seem to explain the enhanced thermoregulatory responsiveness of CA animals, adaptation-induced central regulatory changes may be more important for the "overshoot" phenomenon.     

The hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase from Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 is not required for plastoquinone biosynthesis

Recently it has been reported that macrophages express a nuclear receptor, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ). Using a ligand of PPARγ, troglitazone or pioglitazone, we have shown that the expression of two genes involved in cholesterol biosynthesis, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) synthase and HMG-CoA reductase, were increased by activation of PPARγ through a PPAR response element (PPRE) in THP-1 macrophages. In addition, treatment with troglitazone significantly increased the activity of HMG-CoA reductase and the amount of intracellular cholesterol. Thus, we conclude that PPARγ and its agonists increase the cholesterol content of macrophages by the increased expression of genes involved in cholesterol biosynthesis. These findings suggest that PPARγ may play a role in cholesterol metabolism in macrophages.     

Microbial community composition and function in permanently cold seawater and sediments from an arctic fjord of svalbard

Heterotrophic microbial communities in seawater and sediments metabolize much of the organic carbon produced in the ocean. Although carbon cycling and preservation depend critically on the capabilities of these microbial communities, their compositions and capabilities have seldom been examined simultaneously at the same site. To compare the abilities of seawater and sedimentary microbial communities to initiate organic matter degradation, we measured the extracellular enzymatic hydrolysis rates of 10 substrates (polysaccharides and algal extracts) in surface seawater and bottom water as well as in surface and anoxic sediments of an Arctic fjord. Patterns of enzyme activities differed between seawater and sediments, not just quantitatively, in accordance with higher cell numbers in sediments, but also in their more diversified enzyme spectrum. Sedimentary microbial communities hydrolyzed all of the fluorescently labeled polysaccharide and algal extracts, in most cases at higher rates in subsurface than surface sediments. In seawater, in contrast, only 5 of the 7 polysaccharides and 2 of the 3 algal extracts were hydrolyzed, and hydrolysis rates in surface and deepwater were virtually identical. To compare bacterial communities, 16S rRNA gene clone libraries were constructed from the same seawater and sediment samples; they diverged strongly in composition. Thus, the broader enzymatic capabilities of the sedimentary microbial communities may result from the compositional differences between seawater and sedimentary microbial communities, rather than from gene expression differences among compositionally similar communities. The greater number of phylum- and subphylum-level lineages and operational taxonomic units in sediments than in seawater samples may reflect the necessity of a wider range of enzymatic capabilities and strategies to access organic matter that has already been degraded during passage through the water column. When transformations of marine organic matter are considered, differences in community composition and their different abilities to access organic matter should be taken into account.     

Flavonol synthase from Citrus unshiu is a bifunctional dioxygenase

Flavonol synthase was classified as a 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase converting natural (2R,3R)-dihydroflavonols, i.e. dihydrokaempferol, to the corresponding flavonols (kaempferol). Flavonol synthase from Citrus unshiu (Satsuma mandarin), expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity, was shown to accept also (2S)-naringenin as a substrate, producing kaempferol in high yield and assigning sequential flavanone 3beta-hydroxylase and flavonol synthase activities to the enzyme. In contrast, dihydrokaempferol was identified as the predominant product from assays performed with the unnatural (2R)-naringenin as substrate. The product which was not converted any further on repeated incubations was identified by 1H NMR and CD spectroscopies as (-)-trans-dihydrokaempferol. The data demonstrate that Citrus flavonol synthase encompasses an additional non-specific activity trans-hydroxylating the flavanones (2S)-naringenin as well as the unnatural (2R)-naringenin at C-3.     

The carotenase AtCCD1 from Arabidopsis thaliana is a dioxygenase

Apocarotenoids resulting from the oxidative cleavage of carotenoids serve as important signaling and accessory molecules in a variety of biological processes. The enzymes catalyzing these reactions are referred to as carotenases or carotenoid oxygenases. Whether they act according to a monooxygenase mechanism, requiring two oxygens from different sources, or a dioxygenase mechanism is still a topic of controversy. In this study, we utilized the readily available beta-apo-8'-carotenal as a substrate for the heterologously expressed AtCCD1 protein from Arabidopsis thaliana to investigate the oxidative cleavage mechanism of the 9,10 double bond of carotenoids. Beta-ionone and a C(17)-dialdehyde were detected as products by gas and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry as well as NMR analysis. Labeling experiments using H(2)(18)O or (18) O(2) showed that the oxygen in the keto-group of beta-ionone is derived solely from molecular dioxygen. When experiments were performed in an (18)O(2)-enriched atmosphere, a substantial fraction of the C(17)-dialdehyde contained labeled oxygen. The results unambiguously demonstrate a dioxygenase mechanism for the carotenase AtCCD1 from A. thaliana.     

Extreme seasonality of litter breakdown in an arctic spring‐fed stream is driven by shredder phenology,not temperature

1. Using degree‐days to calculate ‘temperature‐corrected’ breakdown rates is a useful approach for comparing litter breakdown across sites with different thermal regimes. We used an alternative approach to investigate the importance of temperature by quantifying seasonal patterns in litter breakdown in an arctic spring‐fed stream (Ivishak Spring, North Slope, Alaska) that experiences extreme seasonality in light availability and energy inputs while fluctuations in water temperature are relatively small. 2. We incubated mesh bags of senesced Salix alaxensis litter in Ivishak Spring for successive c. 30‐day periods for 2 years. During our study, water temperature was very stable [5.7 ± 0.03 °C (daily mean ± 1 SE), range 3.7–7.8 °C]. Discharge was only slightly more variable (mean 112 ± 1 L s^?1, range 66–206 L s^?1), with lowest values occurring in late winter. Dissolved nutrient concentrations were low (52–133 μg L^?1, <1–3 μg L^?1, <1–6 μg L^?1 soluble reactive phosphorus) and also showed evidence of seasonality (i.e. highest values in winter). 3. Litter breakdown rates were sharply seasonal, ranging from <0.01 day^?1 in mid‐summer to >0.05 day^?1 in mid‐winter. Invertebrate assemblage structure in litter bags showed pronounced seasonal cyclicity; total invertebrate biomass peaked in summer. Biomass of two dominant shredders (the nemourid stonefly Zapada haysi and the limnephilid caddisfly Ecclisomyia conspersa) showed the opposite trend, however, with mid‐winter peaks in both population biomass and cohort growth rates that closely matched those we observed in litter mass loss. 4. Water temperature appeared to have negligible influence on litter breakdown rates in our study. Seasonal shifts in nutrient uptake may have increased rates of microbial activity in winter. The processing of litter inputs in Ivishak Spring, however, appeared to be most tightly coupled to shredder phenology. Our results demonstrate that extreme seasonality in the processing of allochthonous detritus can occur even in the absence of substantial temperature variation, driven by the activity of shredder taxa that have evolved to take advantage of pulsed organic matter inputs.     

Host mouse strain is not selective for a laboratory adapted strain of Schistosoma mansoni

We genotyped pooled adult worms of Schistosoma mansoni from infected CF1, C57BL/6, BALB/c, and BALB/c interferon gamma knockout mice in order to establish if mouse strain differences selected for parasite genotypes. We also compared differentiation in eggs collected from liver and intestines to determine if there was differential distribution of parasite strains in the vertebrate host that might account for any genotype selection. We found that mouse strains with differing immune responses did not differ in resistance to infection and did not select for parasite genotypes. Schistosoma mansoni egg allele frequencies were also equally distributed in tissues and the difference between adult and egg allele frequencies was negligible.     

p-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase is a herbicidal target site for beta-triketones from Leptospermum scoparium

p-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) is a key enzyme in tyrosine catabolism and is the molecular target site of β-triketone pharmacophores used to treat hypertyrosinemia in humans. In plants, HPPD is involved in the biosynthesis of prenyl quinones and tocopherols, and is the target site of β-triketone herbicides. The β-triketone-rich essential oil of manuka (Leptospermum scoparium), and its components leptospermone, grandiflorone and flavesone were tested for their activity in whole-plant bioassays and for their potency against HPPD. The achlorophyllous phenotype of developing plants exposed to manuka oil or its purified β-triketone components was similar to that of plants exposed to the synthetic HPPD inhibitor sulcotrione. The triketone-rich fraction and leptospermone were approximatively 10 times more active than that of the crude manuka oil, with I₅₀ values of 1.45, 0.96 and 11.5 μg mL⁻¹, respectively. The effect of these samples on carotenoid levels was similar. Unlike their synthetic counterpart, steady-state O₂ consumption experiments revealed that the natural triketones were competitive reversible inhibitors of HPPD. Dose-response curves against the enzyme activity of HPPD provided apparent I₅₀ values 15.0, 4.02, 3.14, 0.22 μg mL⁻¹ for manuka oil, triketone-rich fraction, leptospermone and grandiflorone, respectively. Flavesone was not active. Structure-activity relationships indicate that the size and lipophilicity of the side-chain affected the potency of the compounds. Computational analysis of the catalytic domain of HPPD indicates that a lipophilic domain proximate from the Fe²⁺ favors the binding of ligands with lipophilic moieties.     

Indoloditerpenes from an algicolous isolate of Aspergillus oryzae

Two new indoloditerpene derivatives asporyzin A (1) and asporyzin B (2), one new indoloditerpene asporyzin C (3), and three known related indoloditerpenes JBIR-03 (4), emindole SB (5), and emeniveol (6) were isolated from an endophytic fungus Aspergillus oryzae, isolated from the marine red alga Heterosiphonia japonica. Their structures were unambiguously established by spectroscopic techniques. In addition, all the isolates were evaluated preliminarily for insecticidal and antimicrobial activities in order to probe into their chemical defensive function. Compound 4 was more active against brine shrimp than the others, and 3 possessed potent activity against Escherichia coli.     

Enzymic and morphological studies on catalase positive particles from brown fat of cold adapted rats

Summary Brown adipose tissue of normal and cold-adapted adult rats has been investigated morphologically and cytochemically. In thin sections catalase-positive particles appear as circular, oval or elongated profiles lying either as single particles or forming groups. Biochemical studies on peroxisomal enzymes show an increase of catalase activity to the tenfold amount after cold adaptation. The tissue is devoid of D-aminoacid oxidase and glycolate oxidase, while low activities of middle-chain -hydroxyacid oxidases could be detected. The catalase-positive particles were purified by differential and isopycnic gradient centrifugation. The density of the particles (1.20 g/cm³) is lower than that of the liver peroxisomes. Enzymic investigations of the fractions render it probable that particles contain carnitine acetyltransferase, whereas they are lacking NAD-dependent glycerophosphate dehydrogenase. The pellets derived from the gradient centrifugation have been checked morphologically for purity. After performing DAB-cytochemistry for identification of the peroxidatic activity of catalase, most of the particles were shown to be structurally intact and homogeneously filled with reaction product.     

Adjusting culture conditions to isolate thraustochytrids from temperate and cold environments in southern Argentina

To study thraustochytrids from temperate and cold environments of Southern Argentina, the standard cultivation methodologies have been modified because many of the microorganisms detected by microscopic examination in both the original samples and the colonized baits failed to be successfully isolated in standard culture media. As a result, 35 strains, most of them having a very low growth rate, were isolated. Alternative procedures are proposed according to the nature of the sample, the characteristics of the thraustochytrid to be isolated, and the presence of contaminating microorganisms. Modifications proposed include the use of a newly formulated culture medium (Mar Chiquita, containing glucose, gelatine hydrolysate, peptone, and corn steep liquor as main carbon and nitrogen sources). In addition, the effects of the nutrient composition and agar concentration of culture media on the relative growth rates of the isolates were studied in an attempt to determine the most suitable conditions for the cultivation of new strains of thraustochytrids. The goal of this study is to develop a standard methodology, allowing us to grow baitable “elusive” thraustochytrid strains, and that could be applied to improve the isolation and the study of the undocumented biodiversity of this group of microorganisms from different environments.     

Why silence is not an option

GM products will continue to be marginalized in Europe as long as industry remains silent.     

Properties of an inducible extracellular neuraminidase from an Arthrobacter isolate.

The elective isolation of a soil microorganism, tentatively assigned to the genus Arthrobacter, which produced an extracellular neuraminidase is described. The secretion of neuraminidase from washed cells in minimal medium required the presence of sialo-containing glycoproteins, whereas free N-acetyl-neuraminic asid of N-acetylmannosamine were poor inducers. No enzyme could be dected in the induction fitrated of cells, in the absence of inducer or in the culture filtrate of cells grown in a complete medium. The routine enzyme inducer was a hot-water extract of "edible bird's nest." Mild acid treatment (0.05 N H2SO4) of this extract increased enzyme activity two--to threefold and the specific activity about eightfold. Neuraminidase induction with acid-treated bird's nest was manifested at a linear rate for 6 h without increase in cell number. No other anticipated glycohydrolase or protease activities were foud. The amount of enzyme located within the cells was barely detectable as compared to that found in the induction filtrate. Experiments with chloramphenicol or chlortetracycline indicate that de novo protein synthesis was required for neuraminidase production and that this exoenzyme was not released from a preformed pool. Neuraminidase from this source has an apparent molecular weight of 87,000, a pH optimum of 5 to 6, and an apparent Km of 2.08 mg/ml for collocalia mucoid and 3.3 X 10(-3) M for N-acetylneuraminlactose and is insensitive both to Ca2+ ions and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. Preliminary studies indicate that the enzyme can hydrolyze alpha-2,3-, alpha-2,6-, or alph-2-8-N-acetylneuraminylglycosidic linkages. From total activity data and purification criteria, it would appear that this isolate can produce about 5 mg of enzyme per liter of induction medium.