A Powerful Molecular Engineering Tool Provided Efficient Chlamydomonas Mutants as Bio-Sensing Elements for Herbicides Detection

This study was prompted by increasing concerns about ecological damage and human health threats derived by persistent contamination of water and soil with herbicides, and emerging of bio-sensing technology as powerful, fast and efficient tool for the identification of such hazards. This work is aimed at overcoming principal limitations negatively affecting the whole-cell-based biosensors performance due to inadequate stability and sensitivity of the bio-recognition element. The novel bio-sensing elements for the detection of herbicides were generated exploiting the power of molecular engineering in order to improve the performance of photosynthetic complexes. The new phenotypes were produced by an in vitro directed evolution strategy targeted at the photosystem II (PSII) D1 protein of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, using exposures to radical-generating ionizing radiation as selection pressure. These tools proved successful to identify D1 mutations conferring enhanced stability, tolerance to free-radical-associated stress and competence for herbicide perception. Long-term stability tests of PSII performance revealed the mutants capability to deal with oxidative stress-related conditions. Furthermore, dose-response experiments indicated the strains having increased sensitivity or resistance to triazine and urea type herbicides with I₅₀ values ranging from 6×10⁻⁸ M to 2×10⁻⁶ M. Besides stressing the relevance of several amino acids for PSII photochemistry and herbicide sensing, the possibility to improve the specificity of whole-cell-based biosensors, via coupling herbicide-sensitive with herbicide-resistant strains, was verified.     

NOA36 Protein Contains a Highly Conserved Nucleolar Localization Signal Capable of Directing Functional Proteins to the Nucleolus,in Mammalian Cells

NOA36/ZNF330 is an evolutionarily well-preserved protein present in the nucleolus and mitochondria of mammalian cells. We have previously reported that the pro-apoptotic activity of this protein is mediated by a characteristic cysteine-rich domain. We now demonstrate that the nucleolar localization of NOA36 is due to a highly-conserved nucleolar localization signal (NoLS) present in residues 1–33. This NoLS is a sequence containing three clusters of two or three basic amino acids. We fused the amino terminal of NOA36 to eGFP in order to characterize this putative NoLS. We show that a cluster of three lysine residues at positions 3 to 5 within this sequence is critical for the nucleolar localization. We also demonstrate that the sequence as found in human is capable of directing eGFP to the nucleolus in several mammal, fish and insect cells. Moreover, this NoLS is capable of specifically directing the cytosolic yeast enzyme polyphosphatase to the target of the nucleolus of HeLa cells, wherein its enzymatic activity was detected. This NoLS could therefore serve as a very useful tool as a nucleolar marker and for directing particular proteins to the nucleolus in distant animal species.     

A Six Nuclear Gene Phylogeny of Citrus (Rutaceae) Taking into Account Hybridization and Lineage Sorting

Background

Genus Citrus (Rutaceae) comprises many important cultivated species that generally hybridize easily. Phylogenetic study of a group showing extensive hybridization is challenging. Since the genus Citrus has diverged recently (4–12 Ma), incomplete lineage sorting of ancestral polymorphisms is also likely to cause discrepancies among genes in phylogenetic inferences. Incongruence of gene trees is observed and it is essential to unravel the processes that cause inconsistencies in order to understand the phylogenetic relationships among the species.

Methodology and Principal Findings

(1) We generated phylogenetic trees using haplotype sequences of six low copy nuclear genes. (2) Published simple sequence repeat data were re-analyzed to study population structure and the results were compared with the phylogenetic trees constructed using sequence data and coalescence simulations. (3) To distinguish between hybridization and incomplete lineage sorting, we developed and utilized a coalescence simulation approach. In other studies, species trees have been inferred despite the possibility of hybridization having occurred and used to generate null distributions of the effect of lineage sorting alone (by coalescent simulation). Since this is problematic, we instead generate these distributions directly from observed gene trees. Of the six trees generated, we used the most resolved three to detect hybrids. We found that 11 of 33 samples appear to be affected by historical hybridization. Analysis of the remaining three genes supported the conclusions from the hybrid detection test.

Conclusions

We have identified or confirmed probable hybrid origins for several Citrus cultivars using three different approaches–gene phylogenies, population structure analysis and coalescence simulation. Hybridization and incomplete lineage sorting were identified primarily based on differences among gene phylogenies with reference to null expectations via coalescence simulations. We conclude that identifying hybridization as a frequent cause of incongruence among gene trees is critical to correctly infer the phylogeny among species of Citrus.     

VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 Involvement in Extracellular Galectin-1- and Galectin-3-Induced Angiogenesis

Aim

Accumulating evidence suggests that extracellular galectin-1 and galectin-3 promote angiogenesis. Increased expression of galectin-1 and/or galectin-3 has been reported to be associated with tumour progression. Thus, it is critical to identify their influence on angiogenesis.

Methods

We examined the individual and combined effects of galectin-1 and galectin-3 on endothelial cell (EC) growth and tube formation using two EC lines, EA.hy926 and HUVEC. The activation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFR1 and VEGFR2) was determined by ELISA and Western blots. We evaluated the VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 levels in endosomes by proximity ligation assay.

Results

We observed different responses to exogenous galectins depending on the EC line. An enhanced effect on EA.hy926 cell growth and tube formation was observed when both galectins were added together. Focusing on this enhanced effect, we observed that together galectins induced the phosphorylation of both VEGFR1 and VEGFR2, whereas galectin-1 and −3 alone induced VEGFR2 phosphorylation only. In the same way, the addition of a blocking VEGFR1 antibody completely abolished the increase in tube formation induced by the combined addition of both galectins. In contrast, the addition of a blocking VEGFR2 antibody only partially inhibited this effect. Finally, the addition of both galectins induced a decrease in the VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 endocytic pools, with a significantly enhanced effect on the VEGFR1 endocytic pool. These results suggest that the combined action of galectin-1 and galectin-3 has an enhanced effect on angiogenesis via VEGFR1 activation, which could be related to a decrease in receptor endocytosis.     

How does a tigress balance the opposing constraints of raising cubs?

Mammal Research - The persistence of wildlife populations largely depends on females successfully rearing young through the earliest, most vulnerable period. During this period, mothers must...     

siMS Score: Simple Method for Quantifying Metabolic Syndrome

Objective

To evaluate siMS score and siMS risk score, novel continuous metabolic syndrome scores as methods for quantification of metabolic status and risk.

Materials and Methods

Developed siMS score was calculated using formula: siMS score = 2*Waist/Height + Gly/5.6 + Tg/1.7 + TA_systolic/130—HDL/1.02 or 1.28 (for male or female subjects, respectively). siMS risk score was calculated using formula: siMS risk score = siMS score * age/45 or 50 (for male or female subjects, respectively) * family history of cardio/cerebro-vascular events (event = 1.2, no event = 1). A sample of 528 obese and non-obese participants was used to validate siMS score and siMS risk score. Scores calculated as sum of z-scores (each component of metabolic syndrome regressed with age and gender) and sum of scores derived from principal component analysis (PCA) were used for evaluation of siMS score. Variants were made by replacing glucose with HOMA in calculations. Framingham score was used for evaluation of siMS risk score.

Results

Correlation between siMS score with sum of z-scores and weighted sum of factors of PCA was high (r = 0.866 and r = 0.822, respectively). Correlation between siMS risk score and log transformed Framingham score was medium to high for age groups 18+,30+ and 35+ (0.835, 0.707 and 0.667, respectively).

Conclusions

siMS score and siMS risk score showed high correlation with more complex scores. Demonstrated accuracy together with superior simplicity and the ability to evaluate and follow-up individual patients makes siMS and siMS risk scores very convenient for use in clinical practice and research as well.     

Improving Education in Medical Statistics: Implementing a Blended Learning Model in the Existing Curriculum

Background

Although recent studies report on the benefits of blended learning in improving medical student education, there is still no empirical evidence on the relative effectiveness of blended over traditional learning approaches in medical statistics. We implemented blended along with on-site (i.e. face-to-face) learning to further assess the potential value of web-based learning in medical statistics.

Methods

This was a prospective study conducted with third year medical undergraduate students attending the Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, who passed (440 of 545) the final exam of the obligatory introductory statistics course during 2013–14. Student statistics achievements were stratified based on the two methods of education delivery: blended learning and on-site learning. Blended learning included a combination of face-to-face and distance learning methodologies integrated into a single course.

Results

Mean exam scores for the blended learning student group were higher than for the on-site student group for both final statistics score (89.36±6.60 vs. 86.06±8.48; p = 0.001) and knowledge test score (7.88±1.30 vs. 7.51±1.36; p = 0.023) with a medium effect size. There were no differences in sex or study duration between the groups. Current grade point average (GPA) was higher in the blended group. In a multivariable regression model, current GPA and knowledge test scores were associated with the final statistics score after adjusting for study duration and learning modality (p<0.001).

Conclusion

This study provides empirical evidence to support educator decisions to implement different learning environments for teaching medical statistics to undergraduate medical students. Blended and on-site training formats led to similar knowledge acquisition; however, students with higher GPA preferred the technology assisted learning format. Implementation of blended learning approaches can be considered an attractive, cost-effective, and efficient alternative to traditional classroom training in medical statistics.