Probiotic Features of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from a Diverse Pool of Traditional Greek Dairy Products Regarding Specific Strain-Host Interactions

Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins - The increased consumers’ interest on the positive role of food in wellbeing and health underscores the need to determine new probiotic microorganisms....     

BEST and SOFAST experiments for resonance assignment of histidine and tyrosine side chains in <Superscript>13</Superscript>C/<Superscript>15</Superscript>N labeled proteins

Aromatic amino-acid side chains are essential components for the structure and function of proteins. We present herein a set of NMR experiments for time-efficient resonance assignment of histidine and tyrosine side chains in uniformly ¹³C/¹⁵N-labeled proteins. The use of band-selective ¹³C pulses allows to deal with linear chains of coupled spins, thus avoiding signal loss that occurs in branched spin systems during coherence transfer. Furthermore, our pulse schemes make use of longitudinal ¹H relaxation enhancement, Ernst-angle excitation, and simultaneous detection of ¹H and ¹³C steady-state polarization to achieve significant signal enhancements.     

Microbiome Influences Prenatal and Adult Microglia in a Sex-Specific Manner

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Effect of temperature on development, overwintering and establishment potential of Franklinothrips vespiformis in the UK

This study investigated the effect of temperature on the development and overwintering potential of the predatory thrips Franklinothrips vespiformis (Crawford) (Thysanoptera: Aeolothripidae), a biological control agent used against glasshouse pests in continental Europe and Israel. Developmental rates increased linearly with rearing temperatures. It was estimated that 304.9 degree days, above a lower threshold temperature of 11.9 °C, were required for F. vespiformis to complete development from egg to adult eclosion. The effect of low temperatures (–5, 0, and 5 °C) was examined on adult female and larval survival. Subsequent reproductive and developmental attributes of survivors were also investigated. Lethal time experiments indicated that larval stages are more cold tolerant than adult F. vespiformis females. Surviving larvae increased their developmental times to adults with decreasing temperature and increasing exposure periods and second instars were significantly more successful than first instars in reaching adulthood. Surviving adult females decreased their oviposition rate with decreasing temperature and increasing exposure periods, and exposures to low temperatures affected the number of viable eggs produced. The results are discussed in the context of overwintering and establishment potential of F. vespiformis in the UK in the event of introducing the predatory thrips as a biological control agent against glasshouse pests.     

Influence of training on the response to exercise of adrenocorticotropin and growth hormone plasma concentrations in human swimmers

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the response of adrenocorticotropin ([ACTH]) and growth hormone ([GH]) concentrations to a typical aerobic swimming set during a training season. Nine top-level male endurance swimmers (age range 17–23 years) were tested during three training sessions occurring 6, 12 and 18 weeks after the beginning of the season. During each session, after a standard warm-up, the swimmers performed a training set of 15 × 200-m freestyle, with 20 s of rest between repetitions, at a predetermined individual speed. Blood samples were collected before warm-up and at the end of the training set. A few days before each session, the individual swimming velocity corresponding to the 4 mmol · l⁻¹ blood lactate concentration (v ₄) was assessed as a standard of aerobic performance. Aerobic training affected v ₄ levels, which were highest 18 weeks after the beginning of the season; at the same time, while [ACTH] response was attenuated, [GH] response was enhanced. These results could be considered as adaptations to the exercise intensity. In our training programme, these adaptations seemed to have occurred between the 12th and 18th weeks of the training season. Accepted: 21 April 1998     

Adenosine A2A receptors are required for glutamate mGluR5‐ and dopamine D1 receptor‐evoked ERK1/2 phosphorylation in rat hippocampus: involvement of NMDA receptor

Interaction between mGluR5 and NMDA receptors (NMDAR ) is vital for synaptic plasticity and cognition. We recently demonstrated that stimulation of mGluR5 enhances NMDAR responses in hippocampus by phosphorylating NR2B(Tyr1472) subunit, and this reaction was enabled by adenosine A_2A receptors (A_2AR) (J Neurochem, 135, 2015, 714). In this study, by using in vitro phosphorylation and western blot analysis in hippocampal slices of male Wistar rats, we show that mGluR5 stimulation or mGluR5/NMDAR s co‐stimulation synergistically activate ERK 1/2 signaling leading to c‐Fos expression. Interestingly, both reactions are under the permissive control of endogenous adenosine acting through A_2ARs. Moreover, mGluR5‐mediated ERK 1/2 phosphorylation depends on NMDAR , which however exhibits a metabotropic way of function, since no ion influx through its ion channel is required. Furthermore, our results demonstrate that mGluR5 and mGluR5/NMDAR ‐evoked ERK 1/2 activation correlates well with the mGluR5/NMDAR ‐evoked NR2B(Tyr1472) phosphorylation, since both phenomena coincide temporally, are Src dependent, and are both enabled by A_2ARs. This indicates a functional involvement of NR2B(Tyr1472) phosphorylation in the ERK 1/2 activation. Our biochemical results are supported by electrophysiological data showing that in CA 1 region of hippocampus, the theta burst stimulation (TBS)‐induced long‐term potentiation coincides temporally with an increase in ERK 1/2 activation and both phenomena are dependent on the tripartite A_2A, mGlu5, and NMDAR s. Furthermore, we show that the dopamine D1 receptors evoked ERK 1/2 activation as well as the NR2B(Tyr1472) phosphorylation are also regulated by endogenous adenosine and A_2ARs. In conclusion, our results highlight the A_2ARs as a crucial regulator not only for NMDAR responses, but also for regulating ERK 1/2 signaling and its downstream pathways, leading to gene expression, synaptic plasticity, and memory consolidation.