Genome Sequence of Hybrid Vibrio cholerae O1 MJ-1236, B-33, and CIRS101 and Comparative Genomics with V. cholerae

The genomes of Vibrio cholerae O1 Matlab variant MJ-1236, Mozambique O1 El Tor variant B33, and altered O1 El Tor CIRS101 were sequenced. All three strains were found to belong to the phylocore group 1 clade of V. cholerae, which includes the 7th-pandemic O1 El Tor and serogroup O139 isolates, despite displaying certain characteristics of the classical biotype. All three strains were found to harbor a hybrid variant of CTXΦ and an integrative conjugative element (ICE), leading to their establishment as successful clinical clones and the displacement of prototypical O1 El Tor. The absence of strain- and group-specific genomic islands, some of which appear to be prophages and phage-like elements, seems to be the most likely factor in the recent establishment of dominance of V. cholerae CIRS101 over the other two hybrid strains.Vibrio cholerae, a bacterium autochthonous to the aquatic environment, is the causative agent of cholera, a life-threatening disease that causes severe, watery diarrhea. Cholera bacteria are serogrouped based on their somatic O antigens, with more than 200 serogroups identified to date (6). Only toxigenic strains of serogroups O1 and O139 have been identified as agents of cholera epidemics and pandemics; serogroups other than O1 and O139 have the potential to cause mild gastroenteritis or, rarely, local outbreaks. Genes coding for cholera toxin (CTX), ctxAB, and other virulence factors have been shown to reside in bacteriophages and various mobile genetic elements. In addition, V. cholerae serogroup O1 is differentiated into two biotypes, classical and El Tor, by a combination of biochemical traits, by sensitivity to biotype-specific bacteriophages, and more recently by nucleotide sequencing of specific genes and by molecular typing (5, 17, 19).There have been seven pandemics of cholera recorded throughout human history. The seventh and current pandemic began in 1961 in the Indonesian island of Sulawesi and subsequently spread to Asia, Africa, and Latin America; the six previous pandemics are believed to have originated in the Indian subcontinent. Isolates of the sixth pandemic were almost exclusively of the O1 classical biotype, whereas the current (seventh) pandemic is dominated by the V. cholerae O1 El Tor biotype as the causative agent, a transition occurring between 1923 and 1961. Today, the disease continues to remain a scourge in developing countries, confounded by the fact that V. cholerae is native to estuaries and river systems throughout the world (8).Over the past 20 years, several new epidemic lineages of V. cholerae O1 El Tor have emerged (or reemerged). For example, in 1992, a new serogroup, namely, O139 of V. cholerae, was identified as the cause of epidemic cholera in India and Bangladesh (25). The initial concern was that a new pandemic was beginning; however, the geographic range of V. cholerae O139 is currently restricted to Asia. Additionally, V. cholerae O1 hybrids and altered El Tor variants have been isolated repeatedly in Bangladesh (Matlab) (23, 24) and Mozambique (1). Altered V. cholerae O1 El Tor isolates produce cholera toxin of the classical biotype but can be biotyped as El Tor by conventional phenotypic assays, whereas V. cholerae O1 hybrid variants cannot be biotyped based on phenotypic tests and can produce cholera toxin of either biotype. These new variants have subsequently replaced the prototype seventh-pandemic V. cholerae O1 El Tor strains in Asia and Africa, with respect to frequency of isolation from clinical cases of cholera (27).Here, we report the genome sequence of three V. cholerae O1 variants, MJ-1236, a Matlab type I hybrid variant from Bangladesh that cannot be biotyped by conventional methods, CIRS101, an altered O1 El Tor isolate from Bangladesh which harbors ctxB of classical origin, and B33, an altered O1 El Tor isolate from Mozambique which harbors classical CTXΦ, and we compare their genomes with prototype El Tor and classical genomes. From an epidemiological viewpoint, among the three variants characterized in this study, V. cholerae CIRS101 is currently the most “successful” in that strains belonging to this type have virtually replaced the prototype El Tor in Asia and many parts of Africa, notably East Africa. This study, therefore, gives us a unique opportunity to understand why V. cholerae CIRS101 is currently the most successful El Tor variant.     

P2 pyridine N-oxide thrombin inhibitors: a novel peptidomimetic scaffold

In this study, we have demonstrated that the critical hydrogen bonding motif of the established 3-aminopyrazinone thrombin inhibitors can be effectively mimicked by a 2-aminopyridine N-oxide. As this peptidomimetic core is more resistant toward oxidative metabolism, it also overcomes the metabolic liability associated with the pyrazinones. An optimization study of the P(1) benzylamide delivered the potent thrombin inhibitor 21 (K(i) = 3.2 nM, 2xaPTT = 360 nM), which exhibited good plasma levels and half-life after oral dosing in the dog (C(max) = 2.6 microM, t(1/2) = 4.5 h).     

The sigma receptor as a ligand-regulated auxiliary potassium channel subunit

The sigma receptor is a novel protein that mediates the modulation of ion channels by psychotropic drugs through a unique transduction mechanism depending neither on G proteins nor protein phosphorylation. The present study investigated sigma receptor signal transduction by reconstituting responses in Xenopus oocytes. Sigma receptors modulated voltage-gated K+ channels (Kv1.4 or Kv1.5) in different ways in the presence and absence of ligands. Association between Kv1.4 channels and sigma receptors was demonstrated by coimmunoprecipitation. These results indicate a novel mechanism of signal transduction dependent on protein-protein interactions. Domain accessibility experiments suggested a structure for the sigma receptor with two cytoplasmic termini and two membrane-spanning segments. The ligand-independent effects on channels suggest that sigma receptors serve as auxiliary subunits to voltage-gated K+ channels with distinct functional interactions, depending on the presence or absence of ligand.     

A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a Clinic and Home‐Based Behavioral Intervention to Decrease Obesity in Preschoolers

We evaluated the efficacy of a 6‐month clinic and home‐based behavioral intervention (Learning about Activity and Understanding Nutrition for Child Health; LAUNCH) to reduce obesity in preschool children ≥95th BMI percentile compared to enhanced standard of care (Pediatrician Counseling; PC). LAUNCH was a family‐based behavioral intervention that taught parents to use child behavior management strategies to increase healthy eating and activity for their children and themselves. PC presented the same diet and activity recommendations, but was delivered in a one‐time PC session. Eighteen children aged 2–5 years (mean 4.71 ± 1.01) with an average BMI percentile of 98 (±1.60) and an overweight parent were randomized to LAUNCH or PC. Assessments were conducted at baseline, 6 months (end of LAUNCH treatment) and 12 months (6 months following LAUNCH treatment). LAUNCH showed a significantly greater decrease on the primary outcomes of child at month 6 (post‐treatment) BMI z (?0.59 ± 0.17), BMI percentile (?2.4 ± 1.0), and weight gain (?2.7 kg ± 1.2) than PC and this difference was maintained at follow‐up (month 12). LAUNCH parents also had a significantly greater weight loss (?5.5 kg ± 0.9) at month 6 and 12 (?8.0 kg ± 3.5) than PC parents. Based on the data from this small sample, an intensive intervention that includes child behavior management strategies to improve healthy eating and activity appears more promising in reducing preschool obesity than a low intensity intervention that is typical of treatment that could be delivered in primary care.     

Dielectric Spectroscopy: a Rapid Method for the Determination of Solvent Biocompatibility During Biotransformations

Dielectric spectroscopy provides a convenient means of determining the degree of intactness of biological cells. 4-terminal dielectric measurements of suspensions of Saccharomyces cerevisiae at 0.4 MHz show that, as with all other biological cells, these organisms possess a substantial β-dispersion. The additional of octanol to such suspensions causes a rapid decrease in the electrical capacitance of the suspension, which parallels the cellular viability as determined by methylene blue staining. The kinetics of cell death are determined in part by the rate of dissolution of the organic solvent in the aqueous phase. The toxicity of several organic solvents to S. cerevisiae is studied using this technique, and is found to be dependent upon the polarity of the solvent. The present method provides a simple and rapid means for assessing the biocompatibility of solvents used in biotransformations.     

Prenatal data impacts common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) growth parameters estimated by length‐at‐age curves

Compilation of marine mammal demographic data is central to management efforts. However, marine mammal length‐at‐age growth curves demonstrate limitations. Physiological growth parameters of terrestrial mammals are typically estimated using curvilinear models fit to size‐at‐age data along a time series from conception to senescence. The difficulty of collecting and aging prenatal cetaceans is addressed here, and growth parameters of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) along coastal Texas were estimated using length‐at‐age information from a broader scope of age classes, including late‐term fetuses. A Gompertz growth curve fit to pre‐ and postnatal data underestimated size parameters, but demonstrated similar growth rate constants (k) to an exclusively postnatal model. However, when growth parameters were broken out, the absolute growth rate (G) and rate of growth decay (g) decreased (0.44 from 0.27 and 0.55 from 0.39, respectively), which underscores the importance of reporting k in its expanded form (G/g). Although the Gompertz fits most age classes well, it cannot explain growth in all age classes. We argue that a novel sigmoidal model would be more useful for inference.