Retinitis pigmentosa: rapid neurodegeneration is governed by slow cell death mechanisms

For most neurodegenerative diseases the precise duration of an individual cell''s death is unknown, which is an obstacle when counteractive measures are being considered. To address this, we used the rd1 mouse model for retinal neurodegeneration, characterized by phosphodiesterase-6 (PDE6) dysfunction and photoreceptor death triggered by high cyclic guanosine-mono-phosphate (cGMP) levels. Using cellular data on cGMP accumulation, cell death, and survival, we created mathematical models to simulate the temporal development of the degeneration. We validated model predictions using organotypic retinal explant cultures derived from wild-type animals and exposed to the selective PDE6 inhibitor zaprinast. Together, photoreceptor data and modeling for the first time delineated three major cell death phases in a complex neuronal tissue: (1) initiation, taking up to 36 h, (2) execution, lasting another 40 h, and finally (3) clearance, lasting about 7 h. Surprisingly, photoreceptor neurodegeneration was noticeably slower than necrosis or apoptosis, suggesting a different mechanism of death for these neurons.     

4D super-resolution microscopy with conventional fluorophores and single wavelength excitation in optically thick cells and tissues

Background

Optical super-resolution imaging of fluorescently stained biological samples is rapidly becoming an important tool to investigate protein distribution at the molecular scale. It is therefore important to develop practical super-resolution methods that allow capturing the full three-dimensional nature of biological systems and also can visualize multiple protein species in the same sample.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We show that the use of a combination of conventional near-infrared dyes, such as Alexa 647, Alexa 680 and Alexa 750, all excited with a 671 nm diode laser, enables 3D multi-colour super-resolution imaging of complex biological samples. Optically thick samples, including human tissue sections, cardiac rat myocytes and densely grown neuronal cultures were imaged with lateral resolutions of ∼15 nm (std. dev.) while reducing marker cross-talk to <1%. Using astigmatism an axial resolution of ∼65 nm (std. dev.) was routinely achieved. The number of marker species that can be distinguished depends on the mean photon number of single molecule events. With the typical photon yields from Alexa 680 of ∼2000 up to 5 markers may in principle be resolved with <2% crosstalk.

Conclusions/Significance

Our approach is based entirely on the use of conventional, commercially available markers and requires only a single laser. It provides a very straightforward way to investigate biological samples at the nanometre scale and should help establish practical 4D super-resolution microscopy as a routine research tool in many laboratories.     

Synthesis of potential metal-binding group compounds to examine the zinc dependency of the GPI de-N-acetylase metalloenzyme in Trypanosoma brucei

A small zinc-binding group (ZBG) library of deoxy-2-C-branched-monosaccharides, for example, 1,5-anhydroglucitols, consisting of either monodentate ligand binding carboxylic acids or bidentate ligand binding hydroxamic acids, were prepared to assess the zinc affinity of the putative metalloenzyme 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→6)-phosphatidylinositol de-N-acetylase (EC 3.5.1.89) of glycosylphosphatidylinositol biosynthesis. The N-ureido thioglucoside was also synthesised and added to the ZBG library because a previous N-ureido analogue, synthesised by us, had inhibitory activity against the aforementioned de-N-acetylase, presumably via the N-ureido motif.     

Diffusible signal factor-dependent cell-cell signaling and virulence in the nosocomial pathogen Stenotrophomonas maltophilia

The genome of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia encodes a cell-cell signaling system that is highly related to the diffusible signal factor (DSF)-dependent system of the phytopathogen Xanthomonas campestris. Here we show that in S. maltophilia, DSF signaling controls factors contributing to the virulence and antibiotic resistance of this important nosocomial pathogen.     

Facultative response to a kleptoparasite by the cooperatively breeding pied babbler

In many cases of interspecific kleptoparasitism, hosts developdefensive behaviors to minimize the impact of kleptoparasites.Because vigilance and defensive behaviors are often costly,selection should favor hosts that adjust the amount of investmentneeded to minimize losses to kleptoparasitism. However, examplesof such facultative responses are rare. Here, we investigatethe response of cooperatively breeding pied babblers (Turdoidesbicolor) to the drongo (Dicrurus adsimilis), an avian kleptoparasitethat regularly follows pied babbler groups, often giving alarmcalls to alert the group to predators but also occasionallygiving false alarm calls in order to steal food items. We showthat pied babbler response to drongos varies markedly accordingto babbler group size. In small groups, where there are fewindividuals available to act as sentinels, babblers sentinelless when a drongo is present and respond strongly to drongoalarm calls. However, in large groups, where there are manyindividuals available to participate in predator vigilance,babblers sentinel more often when a drongo is present, rarelyrespond to drongo alarm calls, and aggressively displace drongos,with a consequent decline in the number of successful kleptoparasitismevents. This behavior represent a facultative response to akleptoparasite according to the costs versus benefits of toleratingtheir presence.     

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency in northern Mexico and description of a novel mutation

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PD) is the most common enzyme pathology in humans; it is X-linked inherited and causes neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia, chronic nonspherocytic haemolytic anaemia and drug-induced acute haemolytic anaemia. G6PD deficiency has scarcely been studied in the northern region of Mexico, which is important because of the genetic heterogeneity described in Mexican population. Therefore, samples from the northern Mexico were biochemically screened for G6PD-deficiency, and PCR-RFLPs, and DNA sequencing used to identify mutations in positive samples. The frequency of G6PD deficiency in the population was 0.95% (n = 1993); the mutations in 86% of these samples were G6PD A^?202A/376G , G6PD A^?376G/968C and G6PD Santamaria^376G/542T . Contrary to previous reports, we demonstrated that G6PD deficiency distribution is relatively homogenous throughout the country (P = 0.48336), and the unique exception with high frequency of G6PD deficiency does not involve a coastal population (Chihuahua: 2.4%). Analysis of eight polymorphic sites showed only 10 haplotypes. In one individual we identified a new G6PD mutation named Mexico DF^193A>G (rs199474830), which probably results in a damaging functional effect, according to PolyPhen analysis. Proteomic impact of the mutation is also described.