On the non-existence of eloxanthin

Abandonment of the name eloxanthin is proposed. The principal carotenoids in various species of Elodea were (3R, 3′R, 6′R)-lutein (β,ε-carotene-3, 3′-diol) and β, β-carotene. The minor pigments were neoxanthin-X (5′, 6′-epoxy-6, 7-didehydro-5, 6, 5′, 6′-tetrahydro-β, β-carotene-3, 5, 3′-triol), 9′-cis-neoxanthin- X, 9- and 13-cis-violaxanthin (5, 6, 5′, 6′-diepoxy-5, 6, 5′, 6′-tetrahydro-β, β-carotene-3, 3′-diol), antheraxanthin (5, 6-epoxy-5, 6-dihydro-β, β-carotene-3, 3′-diol), neolutein A (13- or 13′-cis-lutein) and neolutein B (9- or 9′-cis-lutein). All attempts to isolate eloxanthin failed.     

Susceptibility of dopamine D5 receptor targeted mice to cysteamine

BACKGROUND: Recently we demonstrated that gastric mucosa of rats can synthesize, store and release dopamine. Out of five different subtypes, mRNA of D5 (=D1b) dopamine receptor is very abundant in the gastric epithelium. D1 receptor selective dopamine agonists have been shown to protect against experimental gastro-duodenal lesions. AIMS: To test the hypothesis that protective effects of dopamine involve D5 receptors, mucosal lesions were induced in D5 receptor deficient (KO) and wild-type (WT) mice using cysteamine. Morphology and gastric acid secretion of D5 KO mice were also studied. METHODS: Single doses of 600 mg/kg, 300 mg/kg cysteamine or vehicle were administered subcutaneously to fasted animals. After 24 h, number and severity of gastro-duodenal lesions were analyzed. Basal and histamine-induced maximal gastric acid output were measured by a stomach-sac wash-through method. RESULTS: All the KOs in the 600 mg/kg cysteamine group died within 4 h showing symptoms of toxicity while three out of four WTs survived (P<0.05). Mortality after 300 mg/kg cysteamine was significantly higher in KOs versus the WTs: 6/14 versus 2/11, P<0.05. Gastric lesion-index was also significantly higher in KOs (median, middle quartile): four (3-9) versus 0 (0-0), P<0.05. Duodenal lesions did not develop from this single dose of cysteamine in either genotype. Basal and histamine-induced maximal gastric acid output were comparable in the two genotypes. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that loss of D5 receptor causes mucosal vulnerability and increased toxicity of cysteamine in genetically manipulated mice. Thus, D5 receptor subtype is indeed likely to be involved in protective effects of dopamine in the stomach.     

Position specificity of adaptation-related face aftereffects

It has been shown that prolonged exposure to a human face leads to shape-selective visual aftereffects. It seems that these face-specific aftereffects (FAEs) have multiple components, related to the adaptation of earlier and higher level processing of visual stimuli. The largest magnitude of FAE, using long-term adaptation periods, is usually observed at the retinotopic position of the preceding adaptor stimulus. However, FAE is also detected, to a smaller degree, at other retinal positions in a spatially invariant way and this component depends less on the adaptation duration. Several lines of evidences suggest that while the position-specific FAE involves lower level areas of the ventral processing stream, the position-invariant FAE depends on the activation of higher level face-processing areas and the fusiform gyrus in particular. In the present paper, we summarize the available behavioural, electrophysiological and neuroimaging results regarding the spatial selectivity of FAE and discuss their implications for the visual stability of object representations across saccadic eye movements.     

Comparative study between the free radicals and tumor markers in patients with gastrointestinal tumors

The tumorous processes, increased level of tumor markers and the change of free radical status are associated in patents with gastrointestinal tumors. The aim of this study was to examine free radical status and tumor markers in patients with gastrointestinal tumors. Two hundered and thirteen patients with gastrointestinal tumor were examined. In the control group 44 non-tumorous patients were examined. The tumor markers (CEA, CA 19-9, CA 72-4, AFP, TPA, AGP) and free radical status (total scavenger capacity) were diagnosed using venal blood (obtained by LIA-kits and chemiluminescent methods, LIA-mAT and the Lumat Berthold instrument). It has been found that: (1) The results showed that the tumor markers, TPA and AGP are the best indicators for the tumorous process; (2) The AGP serum level was in the operable case 91.56+/-38.29 mg/dl meanwhile its value was, 128.46+/-47.62 mg/dl (P<0.001) in the inoperable case; and (3) The TPA value was 118.37+/-155.47 mg/dl in the operable case, (P<0.001) while its value was 227.32+/-244.39 mg/dl in inoperable cases. The significantly high levels of the plasma Chemiluminescent Light Intensity (CLI)=28.12+/-25.96; was obtained in patients with rectal tumors vs. in the control cases CLI= 4.27+/-5.12 RLU% (Relative Light Unit; mean+S.D.; P<0.005). In six of these cases, the free radical status examination indicated the presence of the tumor, even though the level of tumor markers was normal. It has been concluded that the testing of both regular tumor markers and free radical status has an important role in the diagnosis and monitoring of the patients with gastrointestinal tumors.     

A facile 'click' approach to novel 15β-triazolyl-5α-androstane derivatives, and an evaluation of their antiproliferative activities in vitro

Intermolecular Cu(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloadditions of 15β-azido-17β-hydroxy-5α-androstan-3β-yl acetate with different terminal alkynes under optimized reaction conditions were carried out to furnish 15β-triazolyl derivatives in good yields. Subsequent oxidation of the 'click' products with the Jones reagent afforded the corresponding 17-ketones. All the synthetized compounds were tested on three malignant human cell lines (HeLa, MCF7 and A431) in order to investigate their antiproliferative activities in vitro. Evidence of cell cycle blockade and apoptosis induction was obtained for the most effective five selected compounds by means of flow cytometry and microscopic techniques. The 15β-triazolyl-5α-androstane framework may be considered an appropriate base for the design of steroidal antiproliferative agents.     

Synthesis of isoindole and benzoisoindole derivatives of teicoplanin pseudoaglycon with remarkable antibacterial and antiviral activities

The primary amino function of teicoplanin pseudoaglycon has been transformed into arylthioisoindole or benzoisoindole and glycosylthioisoindole derivatives, in a reaction with o-phthalaldehyde or naphtalene-2,3-dicarbaldehyde and various thiols. All of the obtained semisynthetic antibiotics exhibited potent antibacterial activities against Gram-positive bacteria in the ng per ml concentration range. A few of them showed antiviral activity, in particular against influenza virus.     

Trypsin complexed with α1-proteinase inhibitor has an increased structural flexibility

Mutant rat trypsin Asp¹⁸⁹Ser was prepared and complexed with highly purified human α₁-proteinase inhibitor. The complex formed was purified to homogeneity and studied by N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis and limited proteolysis with bovine trypsin. As compared to uncomplexed mutant trypsin, the mutant enzyme complexed with α₁-proteinase inhibitor showed a highly increased susceptibility to enzymatic digestion. The peptide bond selectively attacked by bovine trypsin was identified as the Arg¹¹⁷-Val¹¹⁸ one of trypsin. The structural and mechanistic relevance of this observation to serine proteinase-substrate and serine proteinase-serpin reactions are discussed.     

Mapping of quantitative adult plant field resistance to leaf rust and stripe rust in two European winter wheat populations reveals co-location of three QTL conferring resistance to both rust pathogens

Key message

We detected several, most likely novel QTL for adult plant resistance to rusts. Notably three QTL improved resistance to leaf rust and stripe rust simultaneously indicating broad spectrum resistance QTL.

Abstract

The rusts of wheat (Puccinia spp.) are destructive fungal wheat diseases. The deployment of resistant cultivars plays a central role in integrated rust disease management. Durability of resistance would be preferred, but is difficult to analyse. The Austrian winter wheat cultivar Capo was released in the 1989 and grown on a large acreage during more than two decades and maintained a good level of quantitative leaf rust and stripe rust resistance. Two bi-parental mapping populations: Capo × Arina and Capo × Furore were tested in multiple environments for severity of leaf rust and stripe rust at the adult plant stage in replicated field experiments. Quantitative trait loci associated with leaf rust and stripe rust severity were mapped using DArT and SSR markers. Five QTL were detected in multiple environments associated with resistance to leaf rust designated as QLr.ifa-2AL, QLr.ifa-2BL, QLr.ifa-2BS, QLr.ifa-3BS, and QLr.ifa-5BL, and five for resistance to stripe rust QYr.ifa-2AL, QYr.ifa-2BL, QYr.ifa-3AS, QYr.ifa-3BS, and QYr.ifa-5A. For all QTL apart from two (QYr.ifa-3AS, QLr.ifa-5BL) Capo contributed the resistance improving allele. The leaf rust and stripe rust resistance QTL on 2AL, 2BL and 3BS mapped to the same chromosome positions, indicating either closely linked genes or pleiotropic gene action. These three multiple disease resistance QTL (QLr.ifa-2AL/QYr.ifa-2AL, QLr.ifa.2BL/QYr.ifa-2BL, QLr.ifa-3BS/QYr.ifa.3BS) potentially contribute novel resistance sources for stripe rust and leaf rust. The long-lasting resistance of Capo apparently rests upon a combination of several genes. The described germplasm, QTL and markers are applicable for simultaneous resistance improvement against leaf rust and stripe rust.     

Differential response of invasive malacostracan species to lake level fluctuations

The water level of Lake Balaton (a large, shallow lake) was extremely low in 2003, after a dry period of several years. Due to the intensive precipitation in 2004, a regeneration period commenced. Stones of the littoral zone were sampled near the water surface and from the lake bottom four times in both years at four sampling stations. Malacostraca in the encrustation of the stones were represented by Ponto-Caspian immigrants: the invasive amphipods Chelicorophium curvispinum and Dikerogammarus spp. (D. haemobaphes and D. villosus), the mysid Limnomysis benedeni and the isopod Jaera istri. The amphipods dominated in both years. Species of the amphipod genus Dikerogammarus were relatively less abundant than the amphipod C. curvispinum in the regeneration period as compared to the drought period of 2003. Maximal density of Malacostraca (ind. m⁻² stone surface) was 69,953 in 2003 and 82,465 in 2004. Vertical stratification of animal numbers and specific taxa occurred in May 2003 and throughout the year in 2004, with some exceptions. Many more Malacostraca individuals were recorded at the lake bottom than near the water surface. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi: ) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.