The identification of Tithonia voucher specimens used for sesquiterpene lactone investigations

The identification of Tithonia voucher specimens as T. rotundifolia (Mill.) Blake, used for sesquiterpene lactone chemical investigations, have been found to be T. diversifolia (Hemsl.) A. Gray. The compound Ivalin, also is reported for the first time from T. calva Sch. Bip. in Semann.     

Nucleotide sequence of a cDNA from Onchocerca gibsoni encoding a novel repetitive antigen.

mRNA from uterine microfilariae of the cattle parasite Onchocerca gibsoni was used for the construction of cDNA libraries. A cDNA clone encoding an antigen recognized by serum from human individuals infected with O. volvulus was found to contain five copies of an 87 bp unit. These 87 bp units were present in the genome in high copy number as long tandem arrays. These are the first cDNA sequence data obtained directly from larvae of any Onchocerca species.     

Identification and characterization of the murine cell surface receptor for the urokinase-type plasminogen activator.

Cell-binding experiments have indicated that murine cells on their surface have specific binding sites for mouse urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA). In contrast to the human system, chemical cross-linking studies with an iodinated ligand did not yield any covalent adducts in the murine system, but in ligand-blotting analysis, two mouse u-PA-binding proteins could be visualized. To confirm that these proteins are the murine counterpart of the human u-PA receptor (u-PAR), a peptide was derived from the murine cDNA clone assigned to represent the murine u-PAR due to cross-hybridization and pronounced sequence similarity with human u-PAR cDNA [Kristensen, P., Eriksen, J., Blasi, F. & Dan?, K. (1991) J. Cell Biol. 115, 1763-1771]. A rabbit antiserum raised against this peptide specifically recognized two polypeptide bands with electrophoretic mobilities identical to those identified by ligand-blotting analysis. Binding of mouse u-PA to its receptor showed species specificity in ligand-blotting analysis, since mouse u-PA did not bind to human u-PAR and human u-PA did not bind to mouse u-PAR. The apparent M(r) of mouse u-PAR varied between different mouse cell lines and ranged over M(r) 45,000-60,000. In four of the cell lines, mouse u-PA bound to two mouse u-PAR variant proteins, whereas in the other two cell lines studied, there was only one mouse u-PA-binding protein. In the monocyte macrophage cell line P388D.1, trypsin-treatment of intact cells could remove only the large mouse u-PAR variant (M(r) 60,000) indicating that only this type was a cell-surface-exposed molecule. The smaller mouse u-PAR variant (M(r) 45,000), was deglycosylated by the enzyme endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H and is probably an intracellular precursor form carrying only high-mannose carbohydrate. Deglycosylation of this variant yielded a polypeptide with an apparent M(r) of about 30,000, which corresponds to the Mr calculated from the cDNA derived protein sequence of mouse u-PAR. Receptor-bound mouse u-PA could be released by phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C treatment, indicating that mouse u-PAR is attached to the cell surface by glycosylphosphatidylinositol. Purification of the two mouse u-PAR variant proteins by diisopropylfluorophosphate-inactivated mouse u-PA-Sepharose affinity chromatography yielded two silver-stained bands when analysed by SDS/PAGE, corresponding in electrophoretic mobility to those seen by ligand-blotting analysis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Interactions among coexisting larval Odonata: an in situ experiment using small enclosures

Field experiments using small replicated enclosures focused on interactions between larval populations of Epitheca cynosura and Ladona deplanata (Odonata: Anisoptera) — two species that emerge in early spring. The presence of Epitheca reduced the total biomass of Ladona, but Ladona had no significant effect on Epitheca. These early-emerging species reduced the biomass of small instars of late-emerging Anisoptera which colonized enclosures during the experiments; and the late-emerging Anisoptera seem to have inhibited colonization by Zygoptera larvae. Results are consistent with the importance of predatory (cannibalism or mutual predation) interactions in this community.     

Extraction and immunochemical assays of a tubulin-like factor in cotton seedlings

Antibodies to tubulin were prepared in rabbits by immunization with reduced-carboxymethylated calf-brain tubulin. In immunodiffusion tests the antibodies showed full cross reactivity with the immunogen as well as with native calf-brain tubulin. The same antibodies showed cross reactivity with a factor in extract of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cotyledons but there was no full immunological identity between calf-brain tubulin and this factor. A solid-phase radioimmunoassay for quantitative estimation of this plant tubulin-like factor was developed. It measured the binding of antibodies to immobilized calf-native tubulin. Competition between the unknown soluble tubulin-like factor, and immobilized tubulin was assayed at serum dilution of 1:50. Extraction conditions which preserved the antigenic properties of the tubulin-like factor from cotton cotyledons were defined. The radioimmunoassay measured quantities of the tubulin-like factor in the range of 0.1–10 g-equivalents of calf-brain tubulin. Immediately after homogenization of the tissue only 25% of the total amount of tubulin-like activity was present in soluble form, while most of it remained in the insoluble fraction. Apparent maximal solubilization was achieved spontaneously 10 h after homogenization or by treatment with guanidine hydrochloride. These results indicate that in this material, tubulin is not released immediately by homogenization but remains assembled in microtubules and-or in a bound or sequestered form.Abbreviations NRS normal rabbit serum - RCM reduced-carboxymethylated     

Using all Gene Families Vastly Expands Data Available for Phylogenomic Inference

Traditionally, single-copy orthologs have been the gold standard in phylogenomics. Most phylogenomic studies identify putative single-copy orthologs using clustering approaches and retain families with a single sequence per species. This limits the amount of data available by excluding larger families. Recent advances have suggested several ways to include data from larger families. For instance, tree-based decomposition methods facilitate the extraction of orthologs from large families. Additionally, several methods for species tree inference are robust to the inclusion of paralogs and could use all of the data from larger families. Here, we explore the effects of using all families for phylogenetic inference by examining relationships among 26 primate species in detail and by analyzing five additional data sets. We compare single-copy families, orthologs extracted using tree-based decomposition approaches, and all families with all data. We explore several species tree inference methods, finding that identical trees are returned across nearly all subsets of the data and methods for primates. The relationships among Platyrrhini remain contentious; however, the species tree inference method matters more than the subset of data used. Using data from larger gene families drastically increases the number of genes available and leads to consistent estimates of branch lengths, nodal certainty and concordance, and inferences of introgression in primates. For the other data sets, topological inferences are consistent whether single-copy families or orthologs extracted using decomposition approaches are analyzed. Using larger gene families is a promising approach to include more data in phylogenomics without sacrificing accuracy, at least when high-quality genomes are available.     

Protoplast fusion in Bacillus species produces frequent,unbiased, genome-wide homologous recombination

In eukaryotes, fine-scale maps of meiotic recombination events have greatly advanced our understanding of the factors that affect genomic variation patterns and evolution of traits. However, in bacteria that lack natural systems for sexual reproduction, unbiased characterization of recombination landscapes has remained challenging due to variable rates of genetic exchange and influence of natural selection. Here, to overcome these limitations and to gain a genome-wide view on recombination, we crossed Bacillus strains with different genetic distances using protoplast fusion. The offspring displayed complex inheritance patterns with one of the parents consistently contributing the major part of the chromosome backbone and multiple unselected fragments originating from the second parent. Our results demonstrate that this bias was in part due to the action of restriction–modification systems, whereas genome features like GC content and local nucleotide identity did not affect distribution of recombination events around the chromosome. Furthermore, we found that recombination occurred uniformly across the genome without concentration into hotspots. Notably, our results show that species-level genetic distance did not affect genome-wide recombination. This study provides a new insight into the dynamics of recombination in bacteria and a platform for studying recombination patterns in diverse bacterial species.     

Hemin with Peroxidase Activity Can Inhibit the Oxidative Damage Induced by Ultraviolet A

Excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS), a highly reactive substance that contains oxygen, induced by ultraviolet A (UVA) cause oxidative damage to skin. We confirmed that hemin can catalyze the reaction of tyrosine (Tyr) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). Catalysis was found to effectively reduce or eliminate oxidative damage to cells induced by H₂O₂ or UVA. The scavenging effects of hemin for other free-radical ROS were also evaluated through pyrogallol autoxidation, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH·)-scavenging assays, and phenanthroline–Fe²⁺ assays. The results show that a mixture of hemin and tyrosine exhibits strong scavenging activities for H₂O₂, superoxide anion (O₂⁻·), DPPH·, and the hydroxyl radical (·OH). Furthermore, the inhibition of oxidative damage to human skin keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells induced by H₂O₂ or UVA was evaluated. The results show that catalysis can significantly reduce the ratio of cell apoptosis and death and inhibit the release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), as well as accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA). Furthermore, the resistance to apoptosis was found to be enhanced. These results show that the mixture of hemin and tyrosine has a significantly protective effect against oxidative damage to HaCaT cells caused by UVA, suggesting it as a protective agent for combating UVA damage.     

Monitoring and quantifying dynamic physiological processes in live neurons using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching

The direct visualization of subcellular dynamic processes is often hampered by limitations in the resolving power achievable with conventional microscopy techniques. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching has emerged as a highly informative approach to address this challenge, permitting the quantitative measurement of the movement of small organelles and proteins in living functioning cells, and offering detailed insights into fundamental cellular phenomena of physiological importance. In recent years, its implementation has benefited from the increasing availability of confocal microscopy systems and of powerful labeling techniques based on genetically encoded fluorescent proteins or other chemical markers. In this review, we present fluorescence recovery after photobleaching and related techniques in the context of contemporary neurobiological research and discuss quantitative and semi‐quantitative approaches to their interpretation.     

A Durable Alternative for Proton‐Exchange Membranes: Sulfonated Poly(Benzoxazole Thioether Sulfone)s

To develop a durable proton‐exchange membrane (PEM) for fuel‐cell applications, a series of sulfonated poly(benzoxazole thioether sulfone)s ( SPTESBOs) are designed and synthesized, with anticipated good dimensional stability (via acid–base cross linking), improved oxidative stability against free radicals (via incorporation of thioether groups), and enhanced inherent stability (via elimination of unstable end groups) of the backbone. The structures and the degree of sulfonation of the copolymers are characterized using Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H NMR and ¹⁹F NMR). The electrochemical stabilities of the monomers are examined using cyclic voltammetry in a typical three‐electrode cell configuration. The physicochemical properties of the membranes vital to fuel‐cell performance are also carefully evaluated under conditions relevant to fuel‐cell operation, including chemical and thermal stability, proton conductivity, solubility in different solvents, water uptake, and swelling ratio. The new membranes exhibit low dimensional change at 25°C to 90°C and excellent thermal stability up to 250°C. Upon elimination of unstable end groups, the co‐polymers display enhanced chemical resistance and oxidative stability in Fenton's test. Further, the SPTESBO‐HFB‐60 (HFB‐60=hexafluorobenzene, 60 mol% sulfone) membrane displays comparable fuel‐cell performance to that of an NRE 212 membrane at 80°C under fully humidified condition, suggesting that the new membranes have the potential to be more durable but less expensive for fuel‐cell applications.