An in-situ mobile interstitial water and sediment sampler (MISS)

An inexpensive, easily constructed sampler for collecting interstitial water and sediment, seperately or combined is presented. The instrument has been developed for use in wetlands and shallow water as a tool for taxonomical and ecological investigations. Different to other samplers, our sampling depth is down to more than one meter at defined depths. Sampling showed highly reproducable sampling results for both, hydrophysical-chemical and biological analysis, which will be shown in the article.     

H9724, a Monoclonal Antibody to Borrelia burgdorferi's Flagellin, Binds to Heat Shock Protein 60 (HSP60) Within Live Neuroblastoma Cells: A Potential Role for HSP60 in Peptide Hormone Signaling and in an Autoimmune Pathogenesis of the Neuropathy of Lyme Disease

Although Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, is found at the site of many disease manifestations, local infection may not explain all its features. B. burgdorferi's flagellin cross-reacts with a component of human peripheral nerve axon, previously identified as heat shock protein 60 (HSP60). The cross-reacting epitopes are bound by a monoclonal antibody to B. burgdorferi's flagellin, H9724. Addition of H9724 to neuroblastoma cell cultures blocks in vitro spontaneous and peptide growth-factor–stimulated neuritogenesis. Withdrawal of H9724 allows return to normal growth and differentiation. Using electron microscopy, immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting, and FACS analysis we sought to identify the site of binding of H9724, with the starting hypotheses that the binding was intracellular and not identical to the binding site of II-13, a monoclonal anti-HSP60 antibody. The current studies show that H9724 binds to an intracellular target in cultured cells with negligible, if any, surface binding. We previously showed that sera from patients with neurological manifestations of Lyme disease bound to human axons in a pattern identical to H9724's binding; these same sera also bind to an intracellular neuroblastoma cell target. II-13 binds to a different HSP60 epitope than H9724; II-13 does not modify cellular function in vitro. As predicted, II-13 bound to mitochondria, in a pattern of cellular binding very different from H9724, which bound in a scattered cytoplasmic, nonorganelle-related pattern. H9724's effect is the first evidence that HSP60 may play a role in peptide-hormone–receptor function and demonstrates the modulatory potential of a monoclonal antibody on living cells.     

Characterization of large-insert DNA libraries from soil for environmental genomic studies of Archaea

Complex genomic libraries are increasingly being used to retrieve complete genes, operons or large genomic fragments directly from environmental samples, without the need to cultivate the respective microorganisms. We report on the construction of three large-insert fosmid libraries in total covering 3 Gbp of community DNA from two different soil samples, a sandy ecosystem and a mixed forest soil. In a fosmid end sequencing approach including 5376 sequence tags of approximately 700 bp length, we show that mostly bacterial and, to a much lesser extent, archaeal and eukaryotic genome fragments (approximately 1% each) have been captured in our libraries. The diversity of putative protein-encoding genes, as reflected by their distribution into different COG clusters, was comparable to that encoded in complete genomes of cultivated microorganisms. A huge variety of genomic fragments has been captured in our libraries, as seen by comparison with sequences in the public databases and by the large variation in G+C contents. We dissect differences between the libraries, which relate to the different ecosystems analysed and to biases introduced by different DNA preparations. Furthermore, a range of taxonomic marker genes (other than 16S rRNA) has been identified that allows the assignment of genome fragments to specific lineages. The complete sequences of two genome fragments identified as being affiliated with Archaea, based on a gene encoding a CDC48 homologue and a thermosome subunit, respectively, are presented and discussed. We thereby extend the genomic information of uncultivated crenarchaeota from soil and offer hints to specific metabolic traits present in this group.     

Design and synthesis of 1,5- and 2,5-substituted tetrahydrobenzazepinones as novel potent and selective integrin alphaVbeta3 antagonists

The design and synthesis of novel integrin alpha(V)beta(3) antagonists based on a 1,5- or 2,5-substituted tetrahydrobenzaezpinone core is described. In vitro activity of respective compounds was determined via alpha(V)beta(3) binding assay, and selected derivatives were submitted to further characterization in functional cellular assays. SAR was obtained by modification of the benzazepinone core, variation of the spacer linking guanidine moiety and core, and modification of the guanidine mimetic. These efforts led to the identification of novel alpha(V)beta(3) inhibitors displaying potency in the subnanomolar range, selectivity versus alpha(IIb)beta(3) and functional efficacy in relevant cellular assays. A method for the preparation of enantiomerically pure derivatives was developed, and respective enantiomers evaluated in vitro. Compounds 31 and 37 were assessed for metabolic stability, resorption in the Caco-2 assay and pharmacokinetics.     

Automated screening of neurite outgrowth

Outgrowth of neurites in culture is used for assessing neurotrophic activity. Neurite measurements have been performed very slowly using manual methods or more efficiently with interactive image analysis systems. In contrast, medium-throughput and noninteractive image analysis of neurite screens has not been well described. The authors report the performance of an automated image acquisition and analysis system (IN Cell Analyzer 1000) in the neurite assay. Neuro-2a (N2a) cells were plated in 96-well plates and were exposed to 6 conditions of retinoic acid. Immunofluorescence labeling of the cytoskeleton was used to detect neurites and cell bodies. Acquisition of the images was automatic. The image set was then analyzed by both manual tracing and automated algorithms. On 5 relevant parameters (number of neurites, neurite length, total cell area, number of cells, neurite length per cell), the authors did not observe a difference between the automated analysis and the manual analysis done by tracing. These data suggest that the automated system addresses the same biology as human scorers and with the same measurement precision for treatment effects. However, throughput of the automated system is orders of magnitude higher than with manual methods.     

Evaluation of a high-throughput fluorescence assay method for HERG potassium channel inhibition

The number of projects in drug development that fail in late phases because of cardiac side effects such as QT prolongation can impede drug discovery and development of projects. The molecular target responsible for QT prolongation by a wide range of pharmaceutical agents is the myocardial hERG potassium channel. It is therefore desirable to screen for compound interactions with the hERG channel at an early stage of drug development. Here, the authors report a cell-based fluorescence assay using membrane potential-sensitive fluorescent dyes and stably transfected hERG channels from CHO cells. The assay allows semiautomated screening of compounds for hERG activity on 384-well plates and is sufficiently rapid for testing a large number of compounds. The assay is robust as indicated by a Z' factor larger than 0.6. The throughput is in the range of 10,000 data points per day, which is significantly higher than any other method presently available for hERG. The data obtained with the fluorescence assay were in qualitative agreement with those from patch-clamp electrophysiological analysis. There were no false-positive hits, and the rate of false-negative compounds is currently 12% but might be further reduced by testing compounds at higher concentration. Quantitative differences between fluorescence and electrophysiological methods may be due to the use- or voltage-dependent activity of the antagonists.     

Localization of P32 protein (gC1q-R) in mitochondria and at specific extramitochondrial locations in normal tissues

P32 protein, also known as the gC1q receptor for complement component C1q, is a binding protein for nuclear pre-mRNA splicing factor SF2/ASF and numerous other nuclear and cell surface proteins, yet is targeted to the mitochondrial matrix compartment where these proteins are not present. In the present study, we use immunogold electron microscopy to evaluate the subcellular distribution of P32 protein (gC1q-R) in cultured cell lines and in rat tissues embedded in the acrylic resin LR Gold. Immunogold labeling of Raji lymphoma, CHO, human fibroblasts, HeLa and B-SC-1 cells shows reactivity primarily within mitochondria. Highly specific labeling of mitochondria is also obtained in rat tissues, including adrenal gland, cerebellum, cerebral cortex, heart, kidney, liver, pituitary, pancreas, skeletal muscle, spleen, testes and thyroid. However, strong P32 (gClq-R) reactivity is also present in (i) zymogen granules, condensing vacuoles, endoplasmic reticulum, and on the cell surface of pancreatic acinar cells, (ii) on the cell surface of microvascular endothelial cells in pancreas and kidney, (iii) on the cell surface and in nuclei of splenic lymphocytes, and (iv) in the acrosome of developing spermatids in testes. Western immunoblots show that the polyclonal antibody to P32 (gC1q-R) used in this study reacts specifically with a 32-kDa protein in both purified pancreatic zymogen granules and in mitochondria, and no other proteins are reactive. These results provide evidence that P32 (gC1q-R) is a mitochondrial protein that also localizes outside mitochondria in certain cells and tissues under normal physiological conditions.     

Application of negative expiratory pressure during expiration and activity of genioglossus in humans

The application of negative expiratory pressure(NEP) at end expiration has been shown to cause reflex-mediatedactivation of the genioglossus muscle in awake humans. To test whethera reflex contraction of pharyngeal dilator muscles also occurs in response to NEP applied in early expiration, the effect on genioglossus muscle reflex activity of NEP pulses of 500 ms, given 0.2 s after theonset of expiration and during the end-expiratory pause, was assessedin 10 normal awake subjects at rest. The raw and integrated surfaceelectromyogram of the genioglossus (EMGgg) was recorded with airflowand mouth pressure under control conditions and with NEP ranging from3 to 10 cmH₂O.Intraoral EMGgg was also recorded under the same experimentalconditions in two subjects. The application of NEP at theend-expiratory pause elicited a consistent reflex response of EMGgg inseven subjects with a mean latency of 68 ± 5 ms. In contrast, whenNEP was applied at the onset of expiration, EMGgg reflex activity wasinvariably observed in only one subject. No relationship was foundbetween steady increase or abrupt fall in expiratory flow and thepresence or the absence of a reflex activity of genioglossus duringsudden application of NEP at the beginning of expiration. Our resultsshow that a reflex activity of genioglossus is elicited much morecommonly during application of NEP at the end rather than at the onsetof expiration. These findings also suggest that when NEP is applied inearly expiration to detect intrathoracic flow limitation the absence ofupper airways narrowing does not imply the occurrence of areflex-mediated activation of genioglossus and vice versa.

     

Metabolism of lysolecithin in vivo: effects of hyperlipemia and atherosclerosis in squirrel monkeys

We have studied the effect of long-term hyperlipemia and atherosclerosis in squirrel monkeys on the metabolism of lysolecithin-(14)C (1-palmitoyl-1'-(14)C sn-glycerol 3-phosphorylcholine) in order to explain elevated plasma and arterial concentrations of lysolecithin. The die-away curves of lysolecithin-(14)C from plasma and the timing of appearances of other (14)C-labeled moieties in plasma and other tissues demonstrated a complex pattern of metabolic reactions. There was a rapid equilibration of specific activities of lysolecithin of plasma, liver, and aortic intima plus inner media. The specific activities of lecithin peaked first in liver, then in plasma, and rose slowly in aortic intima plus inner media. The appearance of lecithin-(14)C in heart and skeletal muscle was also slower than in the liver and some other tissues. Triglycerides, and to a lesser extent, cholesteryl esters contained radioactivity. The concentrations of aortic lysolecithin in the atherosclerotic aortas were several times greater than comparable values for control aortas, and the time of equilibration of plasma and aorta lysolecithin-(14)C was much greater for the atherosclerotic group. The quantities of lysolecithin in plasma and in the pool of which the plasma was a part, were increased with hyperlipemia and atherosclerosis, as was the rate of lysolecithin production in the fast pool. Hyperlipemia was also associated with an early increase in plasma lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) activity in vitro. Furthermore, nutritional hyperlipemia influenced the distribution of lysolecithin-(14)C and lecithin-(14)C between different plasma lipoproteins. The increase in concentrations of lysolecithin in the aorta occurred more slowly than that in plasma after we had induced hyperlipemia in the monkeys.