Human palatine tonsil: a new potential tissue source of multipotent mesenchymal progenitor cells

Introduction  

Mesenchymal progenitor cells (MPCs) are multipotent progenitor cells in adult tissues, for example, bone marrow (BM). Current challenges of clinical application of BM-derived MPCs include donor site morbidity and pain as well as low cell yields associated with an age-related decrease in cell number and differentiation potential, underscoring the need to identify alternative sources of MPCs. Recently, MPC sources have diversified; examples include adipose, placenta, umbilicus, trabecular bone, cartilage, and synovial tissue. In the present work, we report the presence of MPCs in human tonsillar tissue.     

Regioselectivity in the glycosylation of 5-(3-chlorobenzo[b]thien-2-yl)-4H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol

The glycosylation of 5-(3-chlorobenzo[b]thien-2-yl)-4H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol (1) and its 3-benzylsulfanyl and 3-methylsulfanyl derivatives with different glycosyl halides 2-4 has been studied in presence of base. The S-glycosides 5-7 were obtained in the presence of triethylamine, whereas the respective S,N⁴-bis(glycosyl) derivatives 8-10 were synthesized in the presence of potassium carbonate; the S,N²-bis(glycosyl) isomer 11 could also be isolated in the case of the galactosyl analog. Similarly, after protecting 1 as 3-benzyl(methyl)sulfanyl derivatives 12 or 13, the N⁴-glycosyl analogs 14-19 as well as minor amounts of S,N²-bis(galactosyl) isomers 20 and 21 were formed. The theoretical calculations using AM1 semiempirical methods agreed with the experimental results. Microwave irradiation (MWI) led to higher yields in much less time than the conventional methods, and no change in regioselectivity has been noticed.     

Zinc,Manganese, Calcium,Copper, and Cadmium Level in Scalp Hair Samples of Schizophrenic Patients

The purpose of the study was to determine the concentration of trace elements present in scalp hair sample of schizophrenic patients and to find out the relationship between trace elements level and nutritional status or socioeconomic factors. The study was conducted among 30 schizophrenic male patients and 30 healthy male volunteers. Patients were recruited from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University by random sampling. Hair trace element concentrations were determined by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy and analyzed by independent t test, Pearson’s correlation analysis, regression analysis, and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Mn, Zn, Ca, Cu, and Cd concentrations of schizophrenic patients were 3.8 ± 2.31 μg/gm, 171.6 ± 59.04 μg/gm, 396.23 ± 157.83 μg/gm, 15.40 ± 5.68 μg/gm, and 1.14 ± 0.89 μg/gm of hair sample, while those of control subjects were 4.4 ± 2.32 μg/gm, 199.16 ± 27.85 μg/gm, 620.9 ± 181.55 μg/gm, 12.23 ± 4.56 μg/gm, and 0.47 ± 0.32 μg/gm of hair sample, respectively. The hair concentration of Zn and Ca decreased significantly (p = 0.024; p = 0.000, respectively) and the concentration of Cu and Cd increased significantly (p = 0.021; p = 0.000, respectively) in schizophrenic patients while the concentration of Mn (p = 0.321) remain unchanged. Socioeconomic data reveals that most of the patients were poor, middle-aged and divorced. Mean body mass indices (BMIs) of the control group (22.26 ± 1.91 kg/m²) and the patient group (20.42 ± 3.16 kg/m²) were within the normal range (18.5−25.0 kg/m²). Pearson’s correlation analysis suggested that only Ca concentration of patients had a significant positive correlation with the BMI (r = 0.597; p = 0.000) which was further justified from the regression analysis (R ² = 44%; t = 3.59; p = 0.002) and one-way ANOVA test (F = 3.62; p = 0.015). A significant decrease in the hair concentration of Zn and Ca as well as a significant increase in the hair concentration of Cu and Cd in schizophrenic patients than that of its control group was observed which may provide prognostic tool for the diagnosis and treatment of this disease. However, further work with larger population is suggested to examine the exact correlation between trace element level and the degree of disorder.     

Occurrence of laccases in lichenized ascomycetes of the Peltigerineae

Following our previous findings of high extracellular redox activity in lichens, the results of the work presented here identify the enzymes involved as laccases. Despite numerous data on laccases in fungi and flowering plants, this is the first report of the occurrence of laccases in lichenized ascomycetes. Extracellular laccase activity was measured in 40 species of lichens from different taxonomic groupings and contrasting habitats. Out of 20 species tested from suborder Peltigerineae, 18 displayed laccase activity, while activity was absent in species tested from other lichen groups. Identification of the enzymes as laccases was confirmed by the ability of lichen leachates to readily metabolize substrates such as 2,2′-azino(bis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS), syringaldazine and o-tolidine in the absence of hydrogen peroxide, sensitivity of the enzymes to cyanide and azide, the enzymes having typical laccase pH and temperature optima, and an absorption spectrum with a peak at 614 nm. Desiccation and wounding stimulated laccase activity. Laccase activity was not increased after treatment with normal inducers of laccase synthesis, suggesting that they are constitutively expressed. Electrophoresis showed that the active form of laccase from Peltigera malacea was a tetramer with an unusually high molecular mass of 340 kDa and an isoelectric point (pI) of 4.7. The finding of abundant extracellular redox enzymes known to actively produce reactive oxygen species suggest that their roles may include increasing nutrient supply to lichens by delignification, and deterring pathogens by contributing to the oxidative burst. Furthermore, once released into the environment, they may participate in the carbon cycle by facilitating the breakdown or formation of humic substances.     

Modeling and Predicting Seasonal Influenza Transmission in Warm Regions Using Climatological Parameters

Background

Influenza transmission is often associated with climatic factors. As the epidemic pattern varies geographically, the roles of climatic factors may not be unique. Previous in vivo studies revealed the direct effect of winter-like humidity on air-borne influenza transmission that dominates in regions with temperate climate, while influenza in the tropics is more effectively transmitted through direct contact.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Using time series model, we analyzed the role of climatic factors on the epidemiology of influenza transmission in two regions characterized by warm climate: Hong Kong (China) and Maricopa County (Arizona, USA). These two regions have comparable temperature but distinctly different rainfall. Specifically we employed Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model along with climatic parameters as measured from ground stations and NASA satellites. Our studies showed that including the climatic variables as input series result in models with better performance than the univariate model where the influenza cases depend only on its past values and error signal. The best model for Hong Kong influenza was obtained when Land Surface Temperature (LST), rainfall and relative humidity were included as input series. Meanwhile for Maricopa County we found that including either maximum atmospheric pressure or mean air temperature gave the most improvement in the model performances.

Conclusions/Significance

Our results showed that including the environmental variables generally increases the prediction capability. Therefore, for countries without advanced influenza surveillance systems, environmental variables can be used for estimating influenza transmission at present and in the near future.     

Population history of the Red Sea--genetic exchanges between the Arabian Peninsula and East Africa signaled in the mitochondrial DNA HV1 haplogroup

Archaeological studies have revealed cultural connections between the two sides of the Red Sea dating to prehistory. The issue has still not been properly addressed, however, by archaeogenetics. We focus our attention here on the mitochondrial haplogroup HV1 that is present in both the Arabian Peninsula and East Africa. The internal variation of 38 complete mitochondrial DNA sequences (20 of them presented here for the first time) affiliated into this haplogroup testify to its emergence during the late glacial maximum, most probably in the Near East, with subsequent dispersion via population expansions when climatic conditions improved. Detailed phylogeography of HV1 sequences shows that more recent demographic upheavals likely contributed to their spread from West Arabia to East Africa, a finding concordant with archaeological records suggesting intensive maritime trade in the Red Sea from the sixth millennium BC onwards. Closer genetic exchanges are apparent between the Horn of Africa and Yemen, while Egyptian HV1 haplotypes seem to be more similar to the Near Eastern ones.     

Constructions of expression vectors of polyhydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate (PHBV) and transient expression of transgenes in immature oil palm embryos

Polyhydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate (PHBV) is a polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) bioplastic group with thermoplastic properties is thus high in quality and can be degradable. PHBV can be produced by bacteria, but the process is not economically competitive with polymers produced from petrochemicals. To overcome this problem, research on transgenic plants has been carried out as one of the solutions to produce PHBV in economically sound alternative manner. Four different genes encoded with the enzymes necessary to catalyze PHBV are bktB, phaB, phaC and tdcB. All the genes came with modified CaMV 35S promoters (except for the tdcB gene, which was promoted by the native CaMV 35S promoter), nos terminator sequences and plastid sequences in order to target the genes into the plastids. Subcloning resulted in the generation of two different orientations of the tdcB, pLMIN (left) and pRMIN (right), both 17.557 and 19.967 kb in sizes. Both plasmids were transformed in immature embryos (IE) of oil palm via Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Assays of GUS were performed on one-week-old calli and 90% of the calli turned completely blue. This preliminary test showed positive results of integration. Six-months-old calli were harvested and RNA of the calli were isolated. RT-PCR was used to confirm the transient expression of PHBV transgenes in the calli. The bands were 258, 260, 315 and 200 bp in size for bktB, phaB, phaC and tdcB transgenes respectively. The data obtained showed that the bktB, phaB, phaC and tdcB genes were successfully integrated and expressed in the oil palm genome.     

Nutritional modulation of CK2 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: regulating the activity of a constitutive enzyme

CK2 is a highly conserved protein kinase involved in different cellular processes, which shows a higher activity in actively proliferating mammalian cells and in various types of cancer and cancer cell lines. We recently demonstrated that CK2 activity is strongly influenced by growth rate in yeast cells as well. Here, we extend our previous findings and show that, in cells grown in either glucose or ethanol-supplemented media, CK2 presents no alteration in K(m) for both the ATP and the peptide substrate RRRADDSDDDDD, while a significant increase in V (max) is observed. In chemostat-grown cells, no difference of CK2 activity was observed in cells grown at the same dilution rate in media supplemented with either ethanol or glucose, excluding the contribution of carbon metabolism on CK2 activity. By using the eIF2β-derived peptide, which can be phosphorylated by the holoenzyme but not by the free catalytic subunits, we show that the holoenzyme activity requires the concurrent presence of both β and β' encoding genes. Finally, conditions of nitrogen deprivation leading to a G0-like arrest result in a decrease of total CK2 activity, but have no effect on the activity of the holoenzyme. These findings newly indicate a regulatory role of β and β' subunits of CK2 in the nutrient response.     

Structure-function relationships and molecular genetics of the 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase gene family

The isoenzymes of the 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/5-ene-4-ene-isomerase (3β-HSD) gene family catalyse the transformation of all 5-ene-3β-hydroxysteroids into the corresponding 4-ene-3-keto-steroids and are responsible for the interconversion of 3β-hydroxy- and 3-keto-5-androstane steroids. The two human 3β-HSD genes and the three related pseudogenes are located on the chromosome 1p13.1 region, close to the centromeric marker D1Z5. The 3β-HSD isoenzymes prefer NAD⁺ to NADP⁺ as cofactor with the exception of the rat liver type III and mouse kidney type IV, which both prefer NADPH as cofactor for their specific 3-ketosteroid reductase activity due to the presence of Tyr³⁶ in the rat type III and of Phe³⁶ in mouse type IV enzymes instead of Asp³⁶ found in other 3β-HSD isoenzymes. The rat types I and IV, bovine and guinea pig 3β-HSD proteins possess an intrinsic 17β-HSD activity psecific to 5-androstane 17β-ol steroids, thus suggesting that such “secondary” activity is specifically responsible for controlling the bioavailability of the active androgen DHT. To elucidate the molecular basis of classical form of 3β-HSD deficiency, the structures of the types I and II 3β-HSD genes in 12 male pseudohermaphrodite 3β-HSD deficient patients as well as in four female patients were analyzed. The 14 different point mutations characterized were all detected in the type II 3β-HSD gene, which is the gene predominantly expressed in the adrenals and gonads, while no mutation was detected in the type I 3β-HSD gene predominantly expressed in the placenta and peripheral tissues. The mutant type II 3β-HSD enzymes carrying mutations detected in patients affected by the salt-losing form exhibit no detectable activity in intact transfected cells, at the exception of L108W and P186L proteins, which have some residual activity (1%). Mutations found in nonsalt-loser patients have some residual activity ranging from 1 to 10% compared to the wild-type enzyme. Characterization of mutant proteins provides unique information on the structure-function relationships of the 3β-HSD superfamily.