Circannual Variations in Blood Cholesterol Levels

The seasonality of blood cholesterol is still not well established. Some have described a seasonal pattern with highest levels during autumn and lowest in summer, whereas others have reported no change. A number of studies showed circannual variations with maximum levels in winter and minimum in summer. The aim of this study was to examine the circannual variation of cholesterol in a large cohort in Israel. In the Israeli CORDIS study, employees of 21 factories were screened for cardiovascular disease risk factors during 1985-7. As part of the information gathered, serum cholesterol and blood counts were available for 3,726 men and 1,514 women. Serum cholesterol levels fit a circannual rhythm assessed by the cosinor analysis. Highest levels of serum cholesterol were found in spring and lowest in summer. We conclude that there is a circannual change of serum cholesterol, which could be partially associated with changes in environmental temperature. The circannual variation in serum cholesterol was considerable and should be taken into account when carrying out clinical evaluation of patients.     

Selection of synthetic proteins to modulate the human frataxin function

Frataxin is a kinetic activator of the mitochondrial supercomplex for iron-sulfur cluster assembly. Low frataxin expression or a decrease in its functionality results in Friedreich's Ataxia (FRDA). With the aim of creating new molecular tools to study this metabolic pathway, and ultimately, to explore new therapeutic strategies, we have investigated the possibility of obtaining small proteins exhibiting a high affinity for frataxin. In this study, we applied the ribosome display approach, using human frataxin as the target. We focused on Affi_224, one of the proteins that we were able to select after five rounds of selection. We have studied the interaction between both proteins and discussed some applications of this specific molecular tutor, concerning the modulation of the supercomplex activity. Affi_224 and frataxin showed a K_D value in the nanomolar range, as judged by surface plasmon resonance analysis. Most likely, it binds to the frataxin acidic ridge, as suggested by the analysis of chemical shift perturbations (nuclear magnetic resonance) and computational simulations. Affi_224 was able to increase Cys NFS1 desulfurase activation exerted by the FRDA frataxin variant G130V. Importantly, Affi_224 interacts with frataxin in a human cellular model. Our results suggest quaternary addition may be a new tool to modulate frataxin function in vivo. Nevertheless, more functional experiments under physiological conditions should be carried out to evaluate Affi_224 effectiveness in FRDA cell models.     

Cavity-nesting birds are limited by nesting habitat in Neotropical agricultural landscapes

Most studies comparing biodiversity between natural and human-modified landscapes focus on patterns in species occurrence or abundance, but do not consider how different habitat types meet species' breeding requirements. Organisms that use or nest in tree cavities may be especially threatened by habitat conversion due to the loss of their nesting sites. Although cavity-nesting bird diversity is highest in the tropics, little is known about how tropical birds use cavities, how agriculture affects their reproductive biology, and how effective nest boxes could be as a conservation strategy in tropical agriculture. Here, we explored how habitat conversion from tropical forests to pasture affects the abundance, nesting habitat availability, and nest success of cavity-nesting birds in Northwest Ecuador. We conducted bird surveys and measured natural cavity availability and use in forest and agriculture. We also added artificial nest boxes to forest and agriculture to see whether cavity limitation in agriculture would elicit higher use of artificial nest boxes. We found evidence of cavity limitation in agriculture—there were many more natural cavities in forest than in agriculture, as well as more avian use of nest boxes placed in agriculture as compared to forest. Our results suggest that it is important to retain remnant trees in tropical agriculture to provide critical nesting habitat for birds. In addition, adding nest boxes to tropical agricultural systems could be a good conservation strategy for certain species, including insectivores that could provide pest-control services to farmers. Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.     

Role of a telencephalic nucleus in the delayed song learning of socially isolated zebra finches

Male zebra finches normally learn their song from adult models during a restricted period of juvenile development. If song models are not available then, juveniles develop an isolate song which can be modified in adulthood. In this report we investigate the features of juvenile experience that underly the timing of song learning. Juvenile males raised in soundproof chambers or in visual isolation from conspecifics developed stable isolate song. However, whereas visual isolate song notes were similar to those of colony-reared males, soundproof chamber isolates included many phonologically abnormal notes in their songs. Despite having stable isolate songs, both groups copied new notes from tutors presented to them in adulthood (2.7 notes per bird for soundproof chamber isolates, 4.4 notes per bird for visual isolates). Old notes were often modified or eliminated. We infer that social interactions with live tutors are normally important for closing the sensitive period for song learning. Lesions of a forebrain nucleus (IMAN) had previously been shown to disrupt juvenile song learning, but not maintenance of adult song for up to 5 weeks after surgery. In this study, colony-reared adult males given bilateral lesions of IMAN retained all their song notes for up to 4–7.5 months after lesioning. However, similar lesions blocked all song note acquisition in adulthood by both visual and soundproof chamber isolates. Other work has shown that intact hearing is necessary for the maintenance of adult zebra finch song. We infer that auditory pathways used for song maintenance and acquisition differ: IMAN is necessary for auditorily guided song acquisition—whether by juveniles or adults—but not for adult auditorily guided song maintenance. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Evaluation of Probiotic Properties of Novel Brazilian Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Strains

Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins - Beneficial effects of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strains have been widely reported. Knowing that the effects of probiotic bacteria are strain-dependent,...     

A chromosome-level genome assembly enables the identification of the follicule stimulating hormone receptor as the master sex-determining gene in the flatfish Solea senegalensis

Sex determination (SD) shows huge variation among fish and a high evolutionary rate, as illustrated by the Pleuronectiformes (flatfishes). This order is characterized by its adaptation to demersal life, compact genomes and diversity of SD mechanisms. Here, we assembled the Solea senegalensis genome, a flatfish of great commercial value, into 82 contigs (614 Mb) combining long- and short-read sequencing, which were next scaffolded using a highly dense genetic map (28,838 markers, 21 linkage groups), representing 98.9% of the assembly. Further, we established the correspondence between the assembly and the 21 chromosomes by using BAC-FISH. Whole genome resequencing of six males and six females enabled the identification of 41 single nucleotide polymorphism variants in the follicle stimulating hormone receptor (fshr) consistent with an XX/XY SD system. The observed sex association was validated in a broader independent sample, providing a novel molecular sexing tool. The fshr gene displayed differential expression between male and female gonads from 86 days post-fertilization, when the gonad is still an undifferentiated primordium, concomitant with the activation of amh and cyp19a1a, testis and ovary marker genes, respectively, in males and females. The Y-linked fshr allele, which included 24 nonsynonymous variants and showed a highly divergent 3D protein structure, was overexpressed in males compared to the X-linked allele at all stages of gonadal differentiation. We hypothesize a mechanism hampering the action of the follicle stimulating hormone driving the undifferentiated gonad toward testis.     

Through-bond correlation of adenine H2 and H8 protons in unlabeled DNA fragments by HMBC spectroscopy

Summary A new application of the HMBC experiment is presented that provides a useful means to discriminate between H2 and H8 proton resonances, to assign the base proton resonances to the various residue types and, most importantly, to correlate the H2 and H8 protons for adenine or inosine residues in natural abundance ¹³C fragments. The utility of this experiment is demonstrated for an unlabeled DNA 20-mer. Thanks to the obtained results, preliminary conclusions could be drawn regarding the molecular conformations of the non-canonical G/I-A base pairs in the hairpin formed by this fragment.     

Preferred conformation of peptides rich in Ac8c,a medium-ring alicyclic Cα,α-disubstituted glycine

A complete series of terminally blocked, monodispersed homo-oligopeptides (to the pentamer level) from the sterically demanding, medium-ring alicyclic C^α,α-disubstituted glycine 1-aminocyclooctane-1-carb oxylic acid (Ac₈c), and two Ala/Ac₈c tripeptides, were synthesized by solution methods and fully characterized. The preferred conformation of all the oligopeptides was determined in deuterochloroform solution by IR absorption and ¹H-NMR. The molecular structures of the amino acid derivative Z-Ac₈c-OH, the dipeptide pBrBz- (Ac₈c)₂-OH and the tripeptide pBrBz-(Ac₈c)₃-OtBu were assessed in the crystal state by X-ray diffraction. Conformational energy computations were performed on the monopeptide Ac-Ac₈c-NHMe. Taken together, the results obtained strongly support the view that the Ac₈c residue is an effective β-turn and helix former. A comparison is also made with the conformational preferences of α-aminoisobutyric acid, the prototype of C^{α, α}-disubstituted glycines, and of the other members of the family of 1-aminocycloalkane-1-carboxylic acids (Ac_nc, with n=3, 5–7) investigated so far. The implications for the use of the Ac₈c residue in peptide conformational design are considered.     

Limits to Catalysis by Ribonuclease A

Bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A (RNase A) catalyzes the cleavage of the P-O(5') bond in RNA. Although this enzyme has been the object of much landmark work in bioorganic chemistry, the nature of its rate-limiting transition state and its catalytic rate enhancement had been unknown. Here, the value of k(cat)/K(m) for the cleavage of UpA by wild-type RNase A was found to be inversely related to the concentration of added glycerol. In contrast, the values of k(cat)/K(m) for the cleavage of UpA by a sluggish mutant of RNase A and the cleavage of the poor substrate UpOC(6)H(4)-p-NO(2) by wild-type RNase A were found to be independent of glycerol concentration. Yet, UpA cleavage by the wild-type and mutant enzymes was found to have the same dependence on sucrose concentration, indicating that catalysis of UpA cleavage by RNase A is limited by desolvation. The rate of UpA cleavage by RNase A is maximal at pH 6.0, where k(cat) = 1.4 × 10(3) s(-1) and k(cat)/K(m) = 2.3 × 10(6) M(-1)s(-1) at 25°C. At pH 6.0 and 25°C, the uncatalyzed rate of [5,6-(3)H]Up[3,5,8-(3)H]A cleavage was found to be k(uncat) = 5 × 10(-9) s(-1) (t(1/2) = 4 years). Thus, RNase A enhances the rate of UpA cleavage by 3 × 10(11)-fold by binding to the transition state for P-O(5') bond cleavage with a dissociation constant of <2 × 10(-15) M.