Binding of nucleotides to nucleoside diphosphate kinase: a calorimetric study

The source of affinity for substrates of human nucleoside diphosphate (NDP) kinases is particularly important in that its knowledge could be used to design more effective antiviral nucleoside drugs (e.g., AZT). We carried out a microcalorimetric study of the binding of enzymes from two organisms to various nucleotides. Isothermal titration calorimetry has been used to characterize the binding in terms of Delta G degrees, Delta H degrees and Delta S degrees. Thermodynamic parameters of the interaction of ADP with the hexameric NDP kinase from Dictyostelium discoideum and with the tetrameric enzyme from Myxococcus xanthus, at 20 degrees C, were similar and, in both cases, binding was enthalpy-driven. The interactions of ADP, 2'deoxyADP, GDP, and IDP with the eukaryotic enzyme differed in enthalpic and entropic terms, whereas the Delta G degrees values obtained were similar due to enthalpy--entropy compensation. The binding of the enzyme to nonphysiological nucleotides, such as AMP--PNP, 3'deoxyADP, and 3'-deoxy-3'-amino-ADP, appears to differ in several respects. Crystallography of the protein bound to 3'-deoxy-3'-amino-ADP showed that the drug was in a distorted position, and was unable to interact correctly with active site side chains. The interaction of pyrimidine nucleoside diphosphates with the hexameric enzyme is characterized by a lower affinity than that with purine nucleotides. Titration showed the stoichiometry of the interaction to be abnormal, with 9--12 binding sites/hexamer. The presence of supplementary binding sites might have physiological implications.     

Quaternary Structure of Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinases

Nucleoside (NDP) diphosphate kinases are oligomeric enzymes. Most are hexameric, but somebacterial enzymes are tetrameric. Hexamers and tetramers are constructed by assemblingidentical dimers. The hexameric structure is important for protein stability, as demonstratedby studies with natural mutants (the Killer-of-prune mutant ofDrosophila NDP kinase andthe S120G mutant of the human NDP kinase A in neuroblastomas) and with mutants obtainedby site-directed mutagenesis. It is also essential for enzymic activity. The function of the tetrameric structure is unclear.     

The Magnetohydrodynamic Stagnation Point Flow of a Nanofluid over a Stretching/Shrinking Sheet with Suction

The magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stagnation point flow of a nanofluid over a permeable stretching/shrinking sheet is studied. Numerical results are obtained using boundary value problem solver bvp4c in MATLAB for several values of parameters. The numerical results show that dual solutions exist for the shrinking case, while for the stretching case, the solution is unique. A stability analysis is performed to determine the stability of the dual solutions. For the stable solution, the skin friction is higher in the presence of magnetic field and increases when the suction effect is increased. It is also found that increasing the Brownian motion parameter and the thermophoresis parameter reduces the heat transfer rate at the surface.     

Nurse-Led Medicines' Monitoring for Patients with Dementia in Care Homes: A Pragmatic Cohort Stepped Wedge Cluster Randomised Trial

Background

People with dementia are susceptible to adverse drug reactions (ADRs). However, they are not always closely monitored for potential problems relating to their medicines: structured nurse-led ADR Profiles have the potential to address this care gap. We aimed to assess the number and nature of clinical problems identified and addressed and changes in prescribing following introduction of nurse-led medicines’ monitoring.

Design

Pragmatic cohort stepped-wedge cluster Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) of structured nurse-led medicines’ monitoring versus usual care.

Setting

Five UK private sector care homes

Participants

41 service users, taking at least one antipsychotic, antidepressant or anti-epileptic medicine.

Intervention

Nurses completed the West Wales ADR (WWADR) Profile for Mental Health Medicines with each participant according to trial step.

Outcomes

Problems addressed and changes in medicines prescribed.

Data Collection and Analysis

Information was collected from participants’ notes before randomisation and after each of five monthly trial steps. The impact of the Profile on problems found, actions taken and reduction in mental health medicines was explored in multivariate analyses, accounting for data collection step and site.

Results

Five of 10 sites and 43 of 49 service users approached participated. Profile administration increased the number of problems addressed from a mean of 6.02 [SD 2.92] to 9.86 [4.48], effect size 3.84, 95% CI 2.57–4.11, P <0.001. For example, pain was more likely to be treated (adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR] 3.84, 1.78–8.30), and more patients attended dentists and opticians (aOR 52.76 [11.80–235.90] and 5.12 [1.45–18.03] respectively). Profile use was associated with reduction in mental health medicines (aOR 4.45, 1.15–17.22).

Conclusion

The WWADR Profile for Mental Health Medicines can improve the quality and safety of care, and warrants further investigation as a strategy to mitigate the known adverse effects of prescribed medicines.

Trial Registration

ISRCTN 48133332     

Monalysin, a novel ß-pore-forming toxin from the Drosophila pathogen Pseudomonas entomophila, contributes to host intestinal damage and lethality

Pseudomonas entomophila is an entomopathogenic bacterium that infects and kills Drosophila. P. entomophila pathogenicity is linked to its ability to cause irreversible damages to the Drosophila gut, preventing epithelium renewal and repair. Here we report the identification of a novel pore-forming toxin (PFT), Monalysin, which contributes to the virulence of P. entomophila against Drosophila. Our data show that Monalysin requires N-terminal cleavage to become fully active, forms oligomers in vitro, and induces pore-formation in artificial lipid membranes. The prediction of the secondary structure of the membrane-spanning domain indicates that Monalysin is a PFT of the ?-type. The expression of Monalysin is regulated by both the GacS/GacA two-component system and the Pvf regulator, two signaling systems that control P. entomophila pathogenicity. In addition, AprA, a metallo-protease secreted by P. entomophila, can induce the rapid cleavage of pro-Monalysin into its active form. Reduced cell death is observed upon infection with a mutant deficient in Monalysin production showing that Monalysin plays a role in P. entomophila ability to induce intestinal cell damages, which is consistent with its activity as a PFT. Our study together with the well-established action of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry toxins suggests that production of PFTs is a common strategy of entomopathogens to disrupt insect gut homeostasis.     

Directional features for automatic tumor classification of mammogram images

One way for breast cancer diagnosis is provided by taking radiographic (X-ray) images (termed mammograms) for suspect patients, images further used by physicians to identify potential abnormal areas thorough visual inspection. When digital mammograms are available, computer-aided based diagnostic may help the physician in having a more accurate decision. This implies automatic abnormal areas detection using segmentation, followed by tumor classification. This work aims at describing an approach to deal with the classification of digital mammograms. Patches around tumors are manually extracted to segment the abnormal areas from the remaining of the image, considered as background. The mammogram images are filtered using Gabor wavelets and directional features are extracted at different orientation and frequencies. Principal Component Analysis is employed to reduce the dimension of filtered and unfiltered high-dimensional data. Proximal Support Vector Machines are used to final classify the data. Superior mammogram image classification performance is attained when Gabor features are extracted instead of using original mammogram images. The robustness of Gabor features for digital mammogram images distorted by Poisson noise with different intensity levels is also addressed.     

Obituary: Professor Paul Dan Cristea

Paul Dan Cristea, professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at ‘Politehnica’ University of Bucharest died on 17 April 2013, following several years of bravely battling a perfidious illness.     

Carpeloidy in flower evolution and diversification: a comparative study in Carica papaya and Arabidopsis thaliana

Background and Aims

Bisexual flowers of Carica papaya range from highly regular flowers to morphs with various fusions of stamens to the ovary. Arabidopsis thaliana sup1 mutants have carpels replaced by chimeric carpel–stamen structures. Comparative analysis of stamen to carpel conversions in the two different plant systems was used to understand the stage and origin of carpeloidy when derived from stamen tissues, and consequently to understand how carpeloidy contributes to innovations in flower evolution.

Methods

Floral development of bisexual flowers of Carica was studied by scanning electron microscopy and was compared with teratological sup mutants of A. thaliana.

Key Results

In Carica development of bisexual flowers was similar to wild (unisexual) forms up to locule initiation. Feminization ranges from fusion of stamen tissue to the gynoecium to complete carpeloidy of antepetalous stamens. In A. thaliana, partial stamen feminization occurs exclusively at the flower apex, with normal stamens forming at the periphery. Such transformations take place relatively late in development, indicating strong developmental plasticity of most stamen tissues. These results are compared with evo-devo theories on flower bisexuality, as derived from unisexual ancestors. The Arabidopsis data highlight possible early evolutionary events in the acquisition of bisexuality by a patchy transformation of stamen parts into female parts linked to a flower axis-position effect. The Carica results highlight tissue-fusion mechanisms in angiosperms leading to carpeloidy once bisexual flowers have evolved.

Conclusions

We show two different developmental routes leading to stamen to carpel conversions by late re-specification. The process may be a fundamental aspect of flower development that is hidden in most instances by developmental homeostasis.     

PIN polarity maintenance by the cell wall in Arabidopsis

A central question in developmental biology concerns the mechanism of generation and maintenance of cell polarity, because these processes are essential for many cellular functions and multicellular development. In plants, cell polarity has an additional role in mediating directional transport of the plant hormone auxin that is crucial for multiple developmental processes. In addition, plant cells have a complex extracellular matrix, the cell wall, whose role in regulating cellular processes, including cell polarity, is unexplored. We have found that polar distribution of PIN auxin transporters in plant cells is maintained by connections between polar domains at the plasma membrane and the cell wall. Genetic and pharmacological interference with cellulose, the major component of the cell wall, or mechanical interference with the cell wall disrupts these connections and leads to increased lateral diffusion and loss of polar distribution of PIN transporters for the phytohormone auxin. Our results reveal a plant-specific mechanism for cell polarity maintenance and provide a conceptual framework for modulating cell polarity and plant development via endogenous and environmental manipulations of the cellulose-based extracellular matrix.