Transformation of metals and metal ions by hydrogenases from phototrophic bacteria

The ability of hydrogenases isolated from Thiocapsa roseopersicina and Lamprobacter modestohalophilus to reduce metal ions and oxidize metals has been studied. Hydrogenases from both phototrophic bacteria oxidized metallic Fe, Cd, Zn and Ni into their ionic forms with simultaneous evolution of molecular hydrogen. The metal oxidation rate decreased in the series Zn>Fe>Cd>Ni and depended on the pH. The presence of methyl viologen in the reaction system accelerated this process. T. roseopersicina and L. modestohalophilus cells and their hydrogenases reduced Ni(II), Pt(IV), Pd(II) or Ru(III) to their metallic forms under H₂ atmosphere. These results suggest that metals or metal ions can serve as electron donors or acceptors for hydrogenases from phototrophic bacteria.     

Enzymatic Protection Against Peroxidative Damage in Isolated Brain Capillaries

The content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and catalase, and the concentration of reduced glutathione were measured in cerebral microvessels isolated from rat brain. Polyunsaturated fatty acids, mainly arachidonic, linoleic, and docosahexaenoic acids, accounted for 32% of total fatty acids in cerebral microvessels. Whereas total SOD activity in the microvessels was slightly lower than that found in cerebrum and cerebellum, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase activities were twice as high and catalase activity was four times higher. Glutathione peroxidase in microvessels is active on both hydrogen peroxide and cumen hydroperoxide, and it is strongly inhibited by mercaptosuccinate. After several hours of preparation, the concentration of reduced glutathione in isolated microvessels was 0.7 mumol/mg of protein, which corresponds to a concentration of approximately 3.5 mM. Our results indicate that the blood-brain barrier contains large amounts of peroxide-detoxifying enzymes, which may act, in vivo, to protect its highly polyunsaturated membranes against oxidative alterations.     

RET in breast cancer: functional and therapeutic implications

Recent studies demonstrate that the receptor tyrosine kinase RET is overexpressed in a subset of ER-positive breast cancers and that crosstalk between RET and ER is important in responses to endocrine therapy. The development of small molecular inhibitors that target RET allows the opportunity to consider combination therapies as a strategy to improve response to treatment and to prevent and combat endocrine resistance. This review discusses: (i) the current knowledge about RET, its co-receptors and ligands in breast cancer; (ii) the breast cancer clinical trials involving agents that target RET; and (iii) the challenges that remain in terms of specificity of available inhibitors and in understanding the complex molecular mechanisms that underlie the resistance to endocrine therapy.     

Improvement of a Potential Anthrax Therapeutic by Computational Protein Design

Past anthrax attacks in the United States have highlighted the need for improved measures against bioweapons. The virulence of anthrax stems from the shielding properties of the Bacillus anthracis poly-γ-d-glutamic acid capsule. In the presence of excess CapD, a B. anthracis γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, the protective capsule is degraded, and the immune system can successfully combat infection. Although CapD shows promise as a next generation protein therapeutic against anthrax, improvements in production, stability, and therapeutic formulation are needed. In this study, we addressed several of these problems through computational protein engineering techniques. We show that circular permutation of CapD improved production properties and dramatically increased kinetic thermostability. At 45 °C, CapD was completely inactive after 5 min, but circularly permuted CapD remained almost entirely active after 30 min. In addition, we identify an amino acid substitution that dramatically decreased transpeptidation activity but not hydrolysis. Subsequently, we show that this mutant had a diminished capsule degradation activity, suggesting that CapD catalyzes capsule degradation through a transpeptidation reaction with endogenous amino acids and peptides in serum rather than hydrolysis.     

Expression of canonical SOS genes is not under LexA repression in Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus

The here-reported identification of the LexA-binding sequence of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus, a bacterial predator belonging to the delta-Proteobacteria, has made possible a detailed study of its LexA regulatory network. Surprisingly, only the lexA gene and a multiple gene cassette including dinP and dnaE homologues are regulated by the LexA protein in this bacterium. In vivo expression analyses have confirmed that this gene cassette indeed forms a polycistronic unit that, like the lexA gene, is DNA damage inducible in B. bacteriovorus. Conversely, genes such as recA, uvrA, ruvCAB, and ssb, which constitute the canonical core of the Proteobacteria SOS system, are not repressed by the LexA protein in this organism, hinting at a persistent selective pressure to maintain both the lexA gene and its regulation on the reported multiple gene cassette. In turn, in vitro experiments show that the B. bacteriovorus LexA-binding sequence is not recognized by other delta-Proteobacteria LexA proteins but binds to the cyanobacterial LexA repressor. This places B. bacteriovorus LexA at the base of the delta-Proteobacteria LexA family, revealing a high degree of conservation in the LexA regulatory sequence prior to the diversification and specialization seen in deeper groups of the Proteobacteria phylum.     

Tetracycline residues and tetracycline resistance genes in groundwater impacted by swine production facilities

Antibiotics are used at therapeutic levels to treat disease; at slightly lower levels as prophylactics; and at low, subtherapeutic levels for growth promotion and improvement of feed efficiency. Over 88% of swine producers in the United States gave antimicrobials to grower/finisher pigs in feed as a growth promoter in 2000. It is estimated that ca. 75% of antibiotics are not absorbed by animals and are excreted in urine and feces. The extensive use of antibiotics in swine production has resulted in antibiotic resistance in many intestinal bacteria, which are also excreted in swine feces, resulting in dissemination of resistance genes into the environment. To assess the impact of manure management on groundwater quality, groundwater samples have been collected near two swine confinement facilities that use lagoons for manure storage and treatment. Several key contaminant indicators - including inorganic ions, antibiotics, and antibiotic resistance genes - were analyzed in groundwater collected from the monitoring wells. Chloride, ammonium, potassium, and sodium were predominant inorganic constituents in the manure samples and served as indicators of groundwater contamination. Based on these analyses, shallow groundwater has been impacted by lagoon seepage at both sites. Liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy (LC-MS) was used to measure the dissolved concentrations of tetracycline, chlortetracycline, and oxytetracycline in groundwater and manure. Although tetracyclines were regularly used at both facilities, they were infrequently detected in manure samples and then at relatively trace concentrations. Concentrations of all tetracyclines and their breakdown products in the groundwater sampled were generally less than 0.5 microg/L. Bacterial tetracycline resistance genes served as distinct genotypic markers to indicate the dissemination and mobility of antibiotic resistance genes that originated from the lagoons. Applying PCR to genomic DNA extracted from the lagoon and groundwater samples, four commonly occurring tetracycline (tet) resistance genes - tet(M), tet(O), tet(Q), and tet(W) - were detected. The detection frequency of tet genes was much higher in wells located closer to and down-gradient from the lagoons than in wells more distant from the lagoons. These results suggested that in the groundwater underlying both facilities tetracycline resistance genes exist and are somewhat persistent, but that the distribution and potentially the flux for each tet gene varied throughout the study period.     

Bacillus Probiotic Supplementations Improve Laying Performance,Egg Quality,Hatching of Laying Hens,and Sperm Quality of Roosters

Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins - The study aims at elucidating the effect of bacilli probiotic preparations on the physiology of laying hens and roosters. Probiotic formulations were...     

TMEM41B and VMP1 are scramblases and regulate the distribution of cholesterol and phosphatidylserine

TMEM41B and VMP1 are integral membrane proteins of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and regulate the formation of autophagosomes, lipid droplets (LDs), and lipoproteins. Recently, TMEM41B was identified as a crucial host factor for infection by all coronaviruses and flaviviruses. The molecular function of TMEM41B and VMP1, which belong to a large evolutionarily conserved family, remains elusive. Here, we show that TMEM41B and VMP1 are phospholipid scramblases whose deficiency impairs the normal cellular distribution of cholesterol and phosphatidylserine. Their mechanism of action on LD formation is likely to be different from that of seipin. Their role in maintaining cellular phosphatidylserine and cholesterol homeostasis may partially explain their requirement for viral infection. Our results suggest that the proper sorting and distribution of cellular lipids are essential for organelle biogenesis and viral infection.