Auxin, Gibberellin, Cytokinin and Abscisic Acid Production in Some Bacteria

Summary In this study, auxin (indole-3-acetic acid), gibberellin, cytokinin (zeatin) and abscisic acid production were investigated in the culture medium of the bacteria Proteus mirabilis, P. vulgaris, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bacillus megaterium, B. cereus, Escherichia coli. To determine the levels of these plant growth regulators, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technique was used. Our findings show that the bacteria used in this study synthesized the plant growth regulators, auxin, gibberellin, cytokinin and abscisic acid.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of aminomethyl and alkoxymethyl derivatives as carbonic anhydrase,acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors

Compounds containing nitrogen and sulfur atoms can be widely used in various fields such as industry, medicine, biotechnology and chemical technology. Therefore, the reactions of aminomethylation and alkoxymethylation of mercaptobenzothiazole, mercaptobenzoxazole and 2-aminothiazole were developed. Additionally, the alkoxymethyl derivatives of mercaptobenzoxazole and 2-aminothiazole were synthesized by a reaction with hemiformals, which are prepared by the reaction of alcohols and formaldehyde. In this study, the inhibitory effects of these molecules were investigated against acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) enzymes and carbonic anhydrase I, and II isoenzymes (hCA I and II). Both hCA isoenzymes were significantly inhibited by the recently synthesized molecules, with K_i values in the range of 58–157?nM for hCA I, and 81–215?nM for hCA II. Additionally, the K_i parameters of these molecules for BChE and AChE were calculated in the ranges 23–88 and 18–78?nM, respectively.     

Association of deep venous thrombosis with prothrombotic gene polymorphism identified in lung cancer cases

Venous thrombosis is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with malignancies. We aimed to investigate the association between prothrombotic gene polymorphisms detected in lung cancer cases and deep venous thrombosis (DVT). Totally 66 patients with an established diagnosis of lung cancer, of which 33 developed DVT, were enrolled. Multiplex PCR technique and reverse hybridization strip assay were performed on DNA extracted from peripheral blood, in order to analyze prothrombin G20210A, factor V G1691A, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T and A1298C, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), and glycoprotein IIIa (Gp IIIa) gene mutations. Among prothrombotic gene polymorphisms investigated in this study, the commonest ones were PAI-1 4G/5G (56% heterozygous, 39% homozygous) and ACE gene mutations (58% heterozygous, 17% homozygous). The presence of homozygous MTHFR A1298C mutation was significantly associated with DVT (P = 0.020). Comparing the lung cancer patients with and without DVT, only MTHFR A1298C gene polymorphism differed significantly (P = 0.040). We determined a higher rate of prothrombotic gene mutations in lung cancer patients who developed DVT. However, statistical significance was achieved only for MTHFR A1298C gene mutation. Therefore, nongenetic factors for disturbance of hemostatic metabolism should also be considered in lung cancer patients.     

Effects of Venlafaxine and Escitalopram Treatments on NMDA Receptors in the Rat Depression Model

Depression may relate to neurocognitive impairment that results from alteration of N-methyl-D: -aspartate receptor (NMDAR) levels. Venlafaxine and escitalopram are two drugs commonly used to treat depression. The drugs may affect expression of NMDARs, which mediate learning and memory formation. The aim of the study was to examine whether the effects of venlafaxine and escitalopram treatments are associated with NMDARs in a rat model of depression. Forty male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into four groups (n?=?10) as follows: control group, chronic mild stress group (CMS), venlafaxine (20?mg/kg body weight per day)?+?CMS, and escitalopram (10?mg/kg body weight per day)?+?CMS. After induction of depression, a decrease in the concentration of NR2B was observed; venlafaxine treatment prevented the reduction of NR2B expression. Escitalopram treatment did not effect the reduced levels of NR2B resulting from depression. There was no significant difference in NR2A concentration among groups. The present data support the notion that venlafaxine plays a role in maintaining NR2B receptor in experimental depression. It may be possible that treatment with escitalopram has no effect on NMDARs in experimental depression.     

Caligus solea n. sp. (Copepoda: Caligidae) parasitic on the common sole Solea solea (Linnaeus) from the north-eastern Mediterranean off the Turkish coast

A new species of caligid copepod, Caligus solea n. sp., is described from the common sole Solea solea (Linnaeus) caught off the north-eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey. Both sexes of the parasite were collected from all over the upper body surface of its host. The new species belongs to the macarovi-group of species as established by Boxshall & Gurney (Bull Br Mus (Nat Hist) (Zool), 39:161–178, 1980), with which it shares the following four characters: (i) leg 4 with two-segmented exopod, distal segment carrying three apical spines but no lateral spine; (ii) distal exopodal segment of leg 1 with three plumose setae posteriorly plus four distal margin elements, spine 1 naked, spines 2 and 3 with accessory process and spine 4 about twice length of the others; (iii) females with one-segmented abdomen while males with two-segmented abdomen; (iv) male maxilliped with myxal process opposing the tip of the subchela. However, the new species differs from its congeners within the macarovi-group in the number of sensillae on each papilla on and around the postantennal process, and also in the absence of serrations along the distal margin of the maxilla. This is the twenty-eighth species of Caligus to be reported from the Mediterranean Sea.     

Comparison of novel and familiar commercial kits for detection of C-reactive protein levels

In this study, randomized patient sera were used to simultaneously evaluate an automated C-reactive protein (CRP) assay and a commercial semi-automated microCRP assay with respect to correlation, linearity, and accuracy. Patient specimens were analyzed; two independent assay runs were performed on i-CHROMA (Boditech Med Inc., Korea) and IMMAGE 800 (Beckman Coulter Inc., USA) analyzers to estimate the between- and within-run precision. All systems were calibrated, and quality-control materials were analyzed according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The results using the control materials were within the respective manufacturers’ specified limits. The comparison studies were designed using the CLSI EP9-2A guidelines. The mean serum CRP concentrations were 123.2 ± 123.5 mg/L (95 % confidence of interval (CI) 97.9–148.3) using the CRP assay and 130.1 ± 109.3 mg/L (95 % CI 107.9–152.4) using the microCRP assay. The variance values were σ = 15,252.6 and 11,935.8 for the CRP and microCRP assays, respectively. The concordance correlation coefficient value was calculated as 0.8314 (95 % CI 0.7594–0.8833). There was a significant correlation between the CRP and microCRP assays: r = 0.8392 and 95 % CI 0.7675–0.8902 (p < 0.0001). The CRP and microCRP detection methods were well correlated. The i-CHROMA has many advantages over the IMMAGE 800 with respect to space required, analysis time, and system setup/application costs in a laboratory. It may be an attractive instrument for small and intermediate medical centers.     

Electronic Excited States of the CP29 Antenna Complex of Green Plants: A Model Based on Exciton Calculations

We have suggested a model for the electronic excited states of the minorplant antenna, CP29, by incorporating a considerable part of the currentinformation offered by structure determination, site-directed mutagenesis,and spectroscopy in the modeling.We have assumed that the electronic excited states of the complex havebeen decided by the chlorophyll-chlorophyll (Chl) and Chl-proteininteractions and have modeled the Coulombic interaction between a pairof Chls in the point-dipole approximation and the Chl-protein interactionsare treated as empirical fit parameters.We have suggested the Q_y dipole moment orientations and the siteenergies for all the chlorophylls in the complex through a simultaneoussimulation of the absorption and linear dichroism spectra.The assignments proposed have been discussed to yield a satisfactoryreproduction of all prominent features of the absorption, linear and circulardichroism spectra as well as the key spectral and temporal characteristics ofthe energy transfer processes among the chlorophylls.The orientations and the spectral assignments obtained by relatively simpleexciton calculations have been necessary to provide a good point ofdeparture for more detailed treatments of structure-function relationship inCP29. Moreover, it has been discussed that the CP29 model suggested canguide the studies for a better understanding of the structure-functionrelationship in the major plant antenna, LHCII.     

Similarity between contemporary vegetation and plant remains in the surface sediment in Mediterranean lakes

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Liposome,gel and lipogelosome formulations containing sodium hyaluronate

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sandflyDST: a dynamic web‐based decision support tool for the morphological identification of sandflies present in Anatolia and mainland Europe,and user study

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