Monocyte-mediated regulation of genes by the amyloid and prion peptides in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells

Alzheimer's disease as well as prion-related encephalopathies are neurodegenerative disorders of the central nervous system, which cause mental deterioration and progressive dementia. Both pathologies appear to be primarily associated with the pathological accumulation and deposit of β-amyloid or prion peptides in the brain, and it has been even suggested that neurotoxicity induced by these peptides would be associated to essentially similar pathogenic mechanisms, in particular to those that follow the activation of microglial cells. To probe whether the neurotoxic effects induced by the β-amyloid and prion peptides are actually mediated by similar glial-associated mechanisms, we have examined the differential expression of genes in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells incubated with conditioned media from β-amyloid or prion-stimulated THP-1 monocytic cells. According to microarray analysis, not many coincidences are observed and only four genes (Hint3, Psph, Daam1 and c-Jun) appear to be commonly upregulated by both peptides. Furthermore, c-Jun appears to be involved in the cell death mediated by both peptides.     

Reversal of profound vecuronium-induced neuromuscular block under sevoflurane anesthesia: sugammadex versus neostigmine

Background

The perioperative period is characterized by an intense inflammatory response. Perioperative inflammation promotes postoperative morbidity and increases mortality. Blunting the inflammatory response to surgical trauma might thus improve perioperative outcomes. We are studying three interventions that potentially modulate perioperative inflammation: corticosteroids, tight glucose control, and light anesthesia.

Methods/Design

The DeLiT Trial is a factorial randomized single-center trial of dexamethasone vs placebo, intraoperative tight vs. conventional glucose control, and light vs deep anesthesia in patients undergoing major non-cardiac surgery. Anesthetic depth will be estimated with Bispectral Index (BIS) monitoring (Aspect medical, Newton, MA). The primary outcome is a composite of major postoperative morbidity including myocardial infarction, stroke, sepsis, and 30-day mortality. C-reactive protein, a measure of the inflammatory response, will be evaluated as a secondary outcome. One-year all-cause mortality as well as post-operative delirium will be additional secondary outcomes. We will enroll up to 970 patients which will provide 90% power to detect a 40% reduction in the primary outcome, including interim analyses for efficacy and futility at 25%, 50% and 75% enrollment.

Discussion

The DeLiT trial started in February 2007. We expect to reach our second interim analysis point in 2010. This large randomized controlled trial will provide a reliable assessment of the effects of corticosteroids, glucose control, and depth-of-anesthesia on perioperative inflammation and morbidity from major non-cardiac surgery. The factorial design will enable us to simultaneously study the effects of the three interventions in the same population, both individually and in different combinations. Such a design is an economically efficient way to study the three interventions in one clinical trial vs three.

Trial registration

This trial is registered at Clinicaltrials.gov #: NTC00433251     

Introducing gene deletions by mouse zygote electroporation of Cas12a/Cpf1

Transgenic Research - CRISPR-associated (Cas) nucleases are established tools for engineering of animal genomes. These programmable RNA-guided nucleases have been introduced into zygotes using...     

Beneficial native bacteria improve survival and mycorrhization of desert truffle mycorrhizal plants in nursery conditions

Sixty-four native bacterial colonies were isolated from mycorrhizal roots of Helianthemum almeriense colonized by Terfezia claveryi, mycorrhizosphere soil, and peridium of T. claveryi to evaluate their effect on mycorrhizal plant production. Based on the phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rDNA partial sequence, 45 different strains from 17 genera were gathered. The largest genera were Pseudomonas (40.8 % of the isolated strains), Bacillus (12.2 % of isolated strains), and Varivorax (8.2 % of isolated strains). All the bacteria were characterized phenotypically and by their plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) traits (auxin and siderophore production, phosphate solubilization, and ACC deaminase activity). Only bacterial combinations with several PGPR traits or Pseudomonas sp. strain 5, which presents three different PGPR traits, had a positive effect on plant survival and growth. Particularly relevant were the bacterial treatments involving auxin release, which significantly increased the root-shoot ratio and mycorrhizal colonization. Moreover, Pseudomonas mandelii strain 29 was able to considerably increase mycorrhizal colonization but not plant growth, and could be considered as mycorrhiza-helper bacteria. Therefore, the mycorrhizal roots, mycorrhizosphere soil, and peridium of desert truffles are environments enriched in bacteria which may be used to increase the survival and mycorrhization in the desert truffle plant production system at a semi-industrial scale.     

The quantification of lipid and protein oxidation in stallion spermatozoa and seminal plasma: seasonal distinctions and correlations with DNA strand breaks, classical seminal parameters and stallion fertility

The goal of this work was to correlate oxidative stress caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and DNA damage with classic semen parameters in spermatozoa and seminal plasma of fertile and subfertile stallions. Oxidation was measured in both lipids and proteins, using the thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS) assay and the DNPH carbonyl groups assay, respectively. Sperm DNA damage was monitored using the TUNEL assay. These parameters were monitored in samples obtained during the breeding and the non-breeding seasons. In general, fertile stallions showed better classical semen parameters, and those parameters improved from the non-breeding to the breeding season, although an increase in sperm production was accompanied by a decrease in the semen quality from subfertile stallions in the breeding season. In terms of oxidation levels we found that there were clear differences whether lipids or proteins were considered. In the breeding season there seemed to be a tendency towards normalizing lipid oxidation in spermatozoa and seminal plasma, and protein oxidation in the seminal plasma, of both fertile and subfertile animals. Thus, differences monitored in the non-breeding season were no longer visible. Interestingly, a higher level of protein oxidation was found in the sperm of fertile animals in the breeding season. Considering that there were positive correlations between sperm protein oxidation and sperm motility and vitality, these results suggests that the oxidation of semen proteins may be important for sperm function. On the other hand, lipid oxidation in the seminal plasma seemed to be a general indicator for sperm damage. In the non-breeding season positive correlations between lipid and protein oxidation levels in both sperm and seminal plasma and several defects in sperm function were found, but only for subfertile animals, thus suggesting that lipid and protein oxidation may aid in the identification of subfertile stallions during the non-breeding season. Levels of ROS production never seemed to result in compromised sperm DNA integrity, indicating that measurements were within physiological levels and/or that there is an efficient antioxidant activity in stallion sperm cells.     

The crystal structure of alpha-thrombin-hirunorm IV complex reveals a novel specificity site recognition mode

The X-ray crystal structure of the human alpha-thrombin-hirunorm IV complex has been determined at 2.5 A resolution, and refined to an R-factor of 0.173. The structure reveals an inhibitor binding mode distinctive of a true hirudin mimetic, which justifies the high inhibitory potency and the selectivity of hirunorm IV. This novel inhibitor, composed of 26 amino acids, interacts through the N-terminal end with the alpha-thrombin active site in a nonsubstrate mode, and binds specifically to the fibrinogen recognition exosite through the C-terminal end. The backbone of the N-terminal tripeptide Chg1"-Arg2"-2Na13" (Chg, cyclohexyl-glycine; 2Na1, beta-(2-naphthyl)-alanine) forms a parallel beta-strand to the thrombin main-chain segment Ser214-Gly216. The Chg1" side chain occupies the S2 site, Arg2" penetrates into the S1 specificity site, while the 2Na13" side chain occupies the aryl binding site. The Arg2" side chain enters the S1 specificity pocket from a position quite apart from the canonical P1 site. This notwithstanding, the Arg2" side chain establishes the typical ion pair with the carboxylate group of Asp189.     

Effect of drought stress on growth and water relations of the mycorrhizal association Helianthemum almeriense-Terfezia claveryi

 Plants of Helianthemum almeriense were micropropagated on MS medium and inoculated in vitro with Terfezia claveryi mycelium on MH medium and vermiculite. Mycorrhizal (M) and non-mycorrhizal (NM) plants were subjected to a drought stress period of 3 weeks in greenhouse conditions with the soil matric potential maintained at –0.5 MPa. Drought stress did not affect the amount of mycorrhizal colonization. The survival rate of M plants at the end of the drought stress period was higher than that of NM plants. The water potential was higher in M plants than in NM plants by 14% in well-watered and 26% in drought-stressed plants. Transpiration, stomatal conductance and net photosynthesis were higher in M plants than in NM plants. Transpiration was 92% higher in M plants than in NM plants under drought-stress conditions and 40% when irrigated. Stomatal conductance was 45% and 14% higher and net photosynthesis 88% and 54% higher, respectively, in M than in NM plants. Drought-stressed M plants accumulated more N, P and K than drought-stressed NM plants. Reduced negative effects of drought stress on H. almeriense by the desert truffle T. claveryi could be ascribed to specific physiological and nutritional mechanisms, suggesting that this mycorrhizal symbiosis aids adaptation to arid climates. Accepted: 7 July 2000     

PARTIAL PURIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A CALCIUM‐DEPENDENT ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE FROM THE CYANOBACTERIUM ARTHROSPIRA PLATENSIS 1

In the present study, Triton X‐114 (TX‐114) is used to extract and partially purify alkaline phosphatase (ALP) from a membranous fraction of Arthrospira platensis Gomont containing cell wall, plasma membrane, thylakoids, and sheath. TX‐114 has a double effect: solubilizing cell components to liberate the enzyme and, after phase partitioning, removing chl and other pigments present in the crude extract. The recovery of the enzyme in the aqueous phase suggests the overall hydrophilic character of this enzyme. ALP was kinetically characterized at pH 11.0 using p‐nitrophenyl phosphate as substrate, giving a K_m value of 1.7 mM. Orthovanadate was seen to be a competitive inhibitor of ALP, with a K_i of 0.8 mM. The enzyme was almost completely inactivated in the presence of 70 μM EDTA, although the addition of Ca²⁺ reverted this inactivation; these results indicate that ALP from A. platensis is a calcium‐dependent metalloenzyme. When the effect of Ca²⁺ was investigated in detail, a value of 0.067 μM^?1 for the affinity constant was obtained. The enzyme was histochemically localized in the cytoplasm, cell wall, and sheath using the enzyme‐labeled fluorescent substrate (ELF) method. It is assumed that the same enzyme is either soluble in the cytoplasm and in some way “trapped” in the cell wall or in the sheath. ALP localization within the sheath and the subsequent release of phosphorus (P) may benefit the neighboring cells surrounding this layer.     

Comparative study of mycorrhizal susceptibility and anatomy of four palm species

A morphological and anatomical study of the root systems of the palm species Brahea armata S. Watson, Chamaerops humilis L., Phoenix canariensis Chabaud and Phoenix dactylifera L. has been carried out to determine possible mycorrhizal colonization sites. Furthermore, the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) anatomical types formed by the four palm species in association with Glomus mosseae (Nicol. & Gerd.) Gerdemann & Trappe have been examined. The presence of a continuous sclerenchymatic ring in the outer cortex and aerenchyma in the inner cortex that are anatomical indicators of mycorrhizal nonsusceptibility in all four palm species is observed. The root systems of B. armata and C. humilis present only one group of third-order roots, while the third-order roots of P. canariensis and P. dactylifera may be divided into five different groups: short thick roots, mycorrhizal thickened roots, fine short roots, fine long roots, and pneumatorhizas. Third-order and some second-order roots of B. armata and C. humilis are susceptible to colonization by AM fungi, while only the mycorrhizal thickened roots form mycorrhizas with arbuscules in the Phoenix species. The root system of the Phoenix species also presents AM colonization in fine roots with only intraradical hyphae and spores, but without arbuscules, and pseudomantles of spores anchored in the pneumatorings of the second-order roots, which are described for the first time. The mycorrhizas formed by the four palm species are of an intermediate type, between the Arum and the Paris types, and are characterized by intercalary arbusculate coils and not only by intracellular but also by intercellular fungal growth. Our study suggests that a different degree of adaptation may exist among palm mycorrhizas toward the slow growth of palms and low spore numbers in the soil where they grow.     

The mycotoxin fumonisin B1 inhibits integrin-mediated cell-matrix adhesion

Fumonisin B1 (FB1), a mycotoxin produced by the corn fungus Fusarium moniliforme, causes a variety of animal diseases and is a suspected human carcinogen. The FB1 molecule bears remarkable structural resemblance to the long-chain sphingoid base backbones of sphingolipids. The toxicity and carcinogenicity of FB1 has been ascribed to its ability to inhibit ceramide synthase, a key enzyme in the metabolism of complex sphingolipids. In this study we have investigated whether the exposure of B16-BL6 mouse melanoma cells to FB1 affects cell growth and integrin-mediated cell matrix adhesion. Cell treatment with the highest tested dose (75 microM) of FB1 for 72 h induced an about 20% inhibition of cell growth. FB1 strongly affected B16-BL6 cell adhesion to immobilized fibronectin, by causing a dose-dependent inhibition of cell attachment to this substrate. FB1 also inhibited in a dose-dependent manner the adhesion of B16-BL6 cells to the immobilized anti-fibronectin receptor antibody, whereas it affected only to a low extent cell attachment to concanavalin A. Our results demonstrate that FB1 treatment alters integrin adhesive activity, thus affecting all cellular integrin-dependent functions.