Marine macroalgae as a source for osmoprotection for Escherichia coli

At elevated osmolarity of the mineral medium M63, marine macroalgae constitute important osmoprotectants and nutrients sources for Escherichia coli. Growth of bacterial population (16 strains) was improved by supplementing M63 salts medium with either aqueous or ethanolic algal extracts obtained from Ascophyllum nodosum, Fucus serratus, Enteromorpha ramulosa, Ulva lactuca, and Palmaria palmata. In their presence, growth was still observed even at 1.02 m NaCl. Furthermore, the E. coli ZB400 growth in presence of whole macroalgae thalli in M63/0.85 m NaCI reached its maximum within 24 h (5 × 10⁷ – 5 × 10⁸ colony-forming units [CFU] per milliliter). In the presence of A. nodosum, bacterial growth was inhibited. In the same experimental conditions, ethanolic extracts improved E. coli growth significantly, because the yield reached 10¹¹ CFU per milliliter. Ulva lactuca and P. palmata allowed the better growth. The Dragendorff-positive compounds extracted from bacterial cells growing on each ethanolic extract exhibited an osmoprotective effect as proved by a disk-diffusion assay. On the other hand, the -onium compounds (quaternary ammonium [betaines] and tertiary sulphonium) and total free amino acid contents of U. lactuca ethanolic extracts were higher than in others. Fucaceae extracts demonstrated especially high protein content. Algal extracts constitute not only an appreciable osmoprotection source for E. coli but also nutrient sources. Correspondence to: J. Minet     

Allosteric-type control of synaptobrevin cleavage by protect tetanus toxin light chain

The light chain of tetanus neurotoxin (TeNT L chain)has been shown to be endowed with zinc endopeptidaseactivity, selectively directed towards theGln⁷⁶–Phe⁷⁷ bond of synaptobrevin, avesicle-associated membrane protein criticallyinvolved in neuroexocytosis. In previous reports,truncations at the NH₂- and COOH-terminus ofsynaptobrevin have shown that the sequence 39–88 ofsynaptobrevin is the minimum substrate of TeNT,suggesting either the requirement of a well-definedthree-dimensional structure of synaptobrevin or a rolein the mechanism of substrate hydrolysis for residuesdistal from the cleavage site. In this study, theaddition of NH₂- and COOH-terminal peptides ofsynaptobrevin, S 27–55 (S₁) and S 82–93(S₂), to the synaptobrevin fragment S 56–81allowed the cleavage of this latter peptide by TeNT tooccur. This appears to result from an activationprocess mediated by the simultaneous binding ofS₁ and S₂ with complementary sites presenton TeNT as shown by surface plasmon resonanceexperiments. All these results favor anexosite-controlled hydrolysis of synaptobrevin by TeNTprobably involving a conformational change of thetoxin. This could account for the high degree ofsubstrate specificity of TeNT and, probably, botulinumneurotoxins.     

Clinical phenotype of nephrogenic diabetes insipidus in females heterozygous for a vasopressin type 2 receptor mutation

Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI) usually shows an X-linked recessive mode of inheritance caused by mutations in the vasopressin type 2 receptor gene (AVPR2). In the present study, three NDI families are described in which females show clinical features resembling the phenotype in males. Maximal urine osmolality in three female patients did not exceed 200 mosmol/kg and the absence of extra-renal responses to 1-desamino-8-d-arginine vasopressin was demonstrated in two of them. All affected females and two asymptomatic female family members were shown to be heterozygous for an AVPR2 mutation. Skewed X-inactivation is the most likely explanation for the clinical manifestation of NDI in female carriers of an AVPR2 mutation. It is concluded that, in female NDI patients, the possibility of heterozygosity for an AVPR2 gene mutation has to be considered in addition to homozygosity for mutations in the aquaporin 2 gene.     

Thyroglobulin structure-function: the effect of iodination on the structure of human thyroglobulin

Thyroglobulin of very low iodine content has been prepared from a single non-toxic human goitre. The initial iodine content of the protein (0.038%) has been increased to levels of 0.16% and 0.85% by in vitro treatment with thyroid peroxidase and the resulting proteins studied with respect to their intrinsic fluorescence, circular dichroism spectra and binding of the hydrophobic probe 1,8-anilinonaphthalene sulfonic acid (ANS). While significant differences were observed between levels of iodination in both the ANS binding and intrinsic fluorescence of the thyroglobulin, no significant differences in the near and far UV circular dichroism spectra of the protein as a function of iodine content were observed. These data suggest that, the iodination of thyroglobulin effects specific areas of the protein without significant disruption of its overall secondary structure.     

Familial pericentric inversion of the X chromosome [inv(X)(p11q28)]

A familial pericentric inversion of the X chromosome [46,X,inv(X)(p11q28)] and [46,inv(X)(p11q28), Y] is reported. The carriers of the inv(X) presented no clinical symptoms. Either the inverted or the normal X chromosome may be late replicating.     

Contribution to the structural characterization of eucaryotic PSI reaction centre—I. Critical analysis of the polypeptidic composition of different P700 enriched fractions

In thylakoid membranes, several peptides of high MW are present which may interfere with the study of CP1's components. Modifying Cleveland's technique [7] for limited proteolysis, we have characterized the polypeptides found in the 60 kD region. Some may result from incomplete washing of the CF1 while others come from the CP1; indeed, this chlorophyll protein complex, which has a higher MW (above 100 kD), very often undergoes a dissociation into smaller components of about 60 KD MW.Analysis of the protein content of different preparations commonly used to obtain PSI reaction centre enriched fractions has been performed. The and subunits of CF1 are among the main contaminants of most of these preparations. A further purification step is described which can be applied to all these preparations, but numerous peptides are still present in the active fractions. It is most unlikely that all these polypeptides are required for the primary photochemical event, and this emphasizes the necessity to find a new simple method to purify PSI reaction centres.     

Circadian complexes: Circadian rhythms under common gene control

Summary Circadian rhythms for food and water consumption were measured in five inbred strains of mice under a photoperiod of 16 h light and 8 h dark (16:8 LD), and under constant light (LL).Significant strain differences were observed which indicate that a common gene difference, or set of differences inMus musculus influences both the phase angle () associating the rhythms with the light-dark cycle, and the periods (_LL) of circadian rhythms for food and water consumption. The biological clock mechanism influenced by this genetic variance is common to both food and water circadian rhythms, and differs among the five inbred strains. A positive genetic correlation was observed between the phase angle () and the period (_LL) of each rhythm. This observation can be understood in terms of a functional relationship between phase and period proposed by Pittendrigh and Daan (1976b) for the entrainment of a circadian oscillator by a light-dark cycle in nocturnal rodents.These results suggest that circadian rhythms for food and water consumption in mice are regulated by a common physiological mechanism, and would respond to natural selection as a single circadian complex under common gene control.