The cystathionine‐β‐synthase domains on the guanosine 5′’‐monophosphate reductase and inosine 5′‐monophosphate dehydrogenase enzymes from Leishmania regulate enzymatic activity in response to guanylate and adenylate nucleotide levels

The Leishmania guanosine 5′‐monophosphate reductase (GMPR) and inosine 5′‐monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH) are purine metabolic enzymes that function maintaining the cellular adenylate and guanylate nucleotide. Interestingly, both enzymes contain a cystathionine‐β‐synthase domain (CBS). To investigate this metabolic regulation, the Leishmania GMPR was cloned and shown to be sufficient to complement the guaC (GMPR), but not the guaB (IMPDH), mutation in Escherichia coli. Kinetic studies confirmed that the Leishmania GMPR catalyzed a strict NADPH‐dependent reductive deamination of GMP to produce IMP. Addition of GTP or high levels of GMP induced a marked increase in activity without altering the K_m values for the substrates. In contrast, the binding of ATP decreased the GMPR activity and increased the GMP K_m value 10‐fold. These kinetic changes were correlated with changes in the GMPR quaternary structure, induced by the binding of GMP, GTP, or ATP to the GMPR CBS domain. The capacity of these CBS domains to mediate the catalytic activity of the IMPDH and GMPR provides a regulatory mechanism for balancing the intracellular adenylate and guanylate pools.     

Synthesis and in vitro evaluation of 7-methoxy-N-(pent-4-enyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridin-9-amine-new tacrine derivate with cholinergic properties

Cholinesterase inhibitors are, so far, the only successful strategy for the symptomatic treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Tacrine (THA) is a potent acetylcholinesterase inhibitor that was used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease for a long time. However, the clinical use of THA was hampered by its low therapeutic index, short half-life and liver toxicity. 7-Methoxytacrine (7-MEOTA) is equally pharmacological active compound with lower toxicity compared to THA. In this Letter, the synthesis, biological activity and molecular modelling of elimination by-product isolated during synthesis of 7-MEOTA based bis-alkylene linked compound is described.     

Metabolic phenotyping of the Crohn's disease-like IBD etiopathology in the TNF(ΔARE/WT) mouse model

The underlying biochemical consequences of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) on the systemic and gastrointestinal metabolism have not yet been fully elucidated but could help to better understand the disease pathogenesis and to identify tissue-specific markers associated with the different disease stages. Here, we applied a metabonomic approach to monitor metabolic events associated with the gradual development of Crohn's disease (CD)-like ileitis in the TNF(ΔARE/WT) mouse model. Metabolic profiles of different intestinal compartments from the age of 4 up to 24 weeks were generated by combining proton nuclear magnetic resonance ((1)H NMR) spectroscopy and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). From 8 weeks onward, mice developed CD similar to the immune and tissue-related phenotype of human CD with ileal involvement, including ileal histological abnormalities, reduced fat mass and body weight, as well as hallmarks of malabsorption with higher energy wasting. The metabonomic approach highlighted shifts in the intestinal lipid metabolism concomitant to the histological onset of inflammation. Moreover, the advanced disease status was characterized by a significantly altered metabolism of cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids, plasmalogens, and sphingomyelins in the inflamed tissue (ileum) and the adjacent intestinal parts (proximal colon). These results describe different biological processes associated with the disease onset, including modifications of the general cell membrane composition, alteration of energy homeostasis, and finally the generation of inflammatory lipid mediators. Taken together, this provides novel insights into IBD-related alterations of specific lipid-dependant processes during inflammatory states.     

Delaying onion planting to control onion maggot (Diptera: Anthomyiidae): efficacy and underlying mechanisms

Onion maggot, Delia antiqua (Meigen) (Diptera: Anthomyiidae), is an important pest of onion, Allium cepa L., in northern temperate areas, especially in the Great Lakes region of North America Management of D. antiqua relies on insecticide use at planting, but insecticide resistance can cause control failures that threaten the long-term viability of this strategy. Delaying the time onions are planted was investigated as an alternative management approach for D. antiqua and the ecological and behavioral mechanisms underlying host age and insect relationships were examined in laboratory and field experiments. Delaying onion planting by two to four weeks reduced damage to onions by 35 and 90%, respectively. Onions planted later emerged later and this reduced the period overwintered flies had to oviposit on the plants. Moreover, flies tended to lay few to no eggs on these young, late-planted onions. As anticipated, D. antiqua laid 4-8 times more eggs on older onions than on young onions, and older onions were more resilient to injury caused by D. antiqua neonates compared with younger onions. However, the resiliency to maggot attack lessened as the density of D. antiqua increased from 2 to 10 eggs per plant, which probably explains why greater levels of maggot damage are typically observed in early onion plantings compared with later plantings. Delaying onion planting until mid-May reduced D. antiqua damage without jeopardizing the period required to produce marketable yield, but this cultural tactic must be combined with other management strategies to prevent economic loss.     

Inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus cysteine proteases by human serpin potentially limits staphylococcal virulence

Bacterial proteases are considered virulence factors and it is presumed that by abrogating their activity, host endogenous protease inhibitors play a role in host defense against invading pathogens. Here we present data showing that Staphylococcus aureus cysteine proteases (staphopains) are efficiently inhibited by Squamous Cell Carcinoma Antigen 1 (SCCA1), an epithelial-derived serpin. The high association rate constant (k(ass)) for inhibitory complex formation (1.9×10(4) m/s and 5.8×10(4) m/s for staphopain A and staphopain B interaction with SCCA1, respectively), strongly suggests that SCCA1 can regulate staphopain activity in vivo at epithelial surfaces infected/colonized by S. aureus. The mechanism of staphopain inhibition by SCCA1 is apparently the same for serpin interaction with target serine proteases whereby the formation of a covalent complex result in cleavage of the inhibitory reactive site peptide bond and associated release of the C-terminal serpin fragment. Interestingly, the SCCA1 reactive site closely resembles a motif in the reactive site loop of native S. aureus-derived inhibitors of the staphopains (staphostatins). Given that S. aureus is a major pathogen of epithelial surfaces, we suggest that SCCA1 functions to temper the virulence of this bacterium by inhibiting the staphopains.     

Evolutionarily Conserved 5’-3’ Exoribonuclease Xrn1 Accumulates at Plasma Membrane-Associated Eisosomes in Post-Diauxic Yeast

Regulation of gene expression on the level of translation and mRNA turnover is widely conserved evolutionarily. We have found that the main mRNA decay enzyme, exoribonuclease Xrn1, accumulates at the plasma membrane-associated eisosomes after glucose exhaustion in a culture of the yeast S. cerevisiae. Eisosomal localization of Xrn1 is not achieved in cells lacking the main component of eisosomes, Pil1, or Sur7, the protein accumulating at the membrane compartment of Can1 (MCC) - the eisosome-organized plasma membrane microdomain. In contrast to the conditions of diauxic shift, when Xrn1 accumulates in processing bodies (P-bodies), or acute heat stress, in which these cytosolic accumulations of Xrn1 associate with eIF3a/Rpg1-containing stress granules, Xrn1 is not accompanied by other mRNA-decay machinery components when it accumulates at eisosomes in post-diauxic cells. It is important that Xrn1 is released from eisosomes after addition of fermentable substrate. We suggest that this spatial segregation of Xrn1 from the rest of the mRNA-decay machinery reflects a general regulatory mechanism, in which the key enzyme is kept separate from the rest of mRNA decay factors in resting cells but ready for immediate use when fermentable nutrients emerge and appropriate metabolism reprogramming is required. In particular, the localization of Xrn1 to the eisosome, together with previously published data, accents the relevance of this plasma membrane-associated compartment as a multipotent regulatory site.     

Experimental transmission of Leishmania infantum by two major vectors: a comparison between a viscerotropic and a dermotropic strain

We quantified Leishmania infantum parasites transmitted by natural vectors for the first time. Both L. infantum strains studied, dermotropic CUK3 and viscerotropic IMT373, developed well in Phlebotomus perniciosus and Lutzomyia longipalpis. They produced heavy late-stage infection and colonized the stomodeal valve, which is a prerequisite for successful transmission. Infected sand fly females, and especially those that transmit parasites, feed significantly longer on the host (1.5-1.8 times) than non-transmitting females. Quantitative PCR revealed that P. perniciosus harboured more CUK3 strain parasites, while in L. longipalpis the intensity of infection was higher for the IMT373 strain. However, in both sand fly species the parasite load transmitted was higher for the strain with dermal tropism (CUK3). All but one sand fly female infected by the IMT373 strain transmitted less than 600 promastigotes; in contrast, 29% of L. longipalpis and 14% of P. perniciosus infected with the CUK3 strain transmitted more than 1000 parasites. The parasite number transmitted by individual sand flies ranged from 4 up to 4.19×10(4) promastigotes; thus, the maximal natural dose found was still about 250 times lower than the experimental challenge dose used in previous studies. This finding emphasizes the importance of determining the natural infective dose for the development of an accurate experimental model useful for the evaluation of new drugs and vaccines.     

Engineering the nucleotide coenzyme specificity and sulfhydryl redox sensitivity of two stress-responsive aldehyde dehydrogenase isoenzymes of Arabidopsis thaliana

Lipid peroxidation is one of the consequences of environmental stress in plants and leads to the accumulation of highly toxic, reactive aldehydes. One of the processes to detoxify these aldehydes is their oxidation into carboxylic acids catalyzed by NAD(P)+-dependent ALDHs (aldehyde dehydrogenases). We investigated kinetic parameters of two Arabidopsis thaliana family 3 ALDHs, the cytosolic ALDH3H1 and the chloroplastic isoform ALDH3I1. Both enzymes had similar substrate specificity and oxidized saturated aliphatic aldehydes. Catalytic efficiencies improved with the increase of carbon chain length. Both enzymes were also able to oxidize α,β-unsaturated aldehydes, but not aromatic aldehydes. Activity of ALDH3H1 was NAD+-dependent, whereas ALDH3I1 was able to use NAD+ and NADP+. An unusual isoleucine residue within the coenzyme-binding cleft was responsible for the NAD+-dependence of ALDH3H1. Engineering the coenzyme-binding environment of ALDH3I1 elucidated the influence of the surrounding amino acids. Enzyme activities of both ALDHs were redox-sensitive. Inhibition was correlated with oxidation of both catalytic and non-catalytic cysteine residues in addition to homodimer formation. Dimerization and inactivation could be reversed by reducing agents. Mutant analysis showed that cysteine residues mediating homodimerization are located in the N-terminal region. Modelling of the protein structures revealed that the redox-sensitive cysteine residues are located at the surfaces of the subunits.     

Computational fluid dynamics analysis of drag and convective heat transfer of individual body segments for different cyclist positions

This study aims at investigating drag and convective heat transfer for cyclists at a high spatial resolution. Such an increased spatial resolution, when combined with flow-field data, can increase insight in drag reduction mechanisms and in the thermo-physiological response of cyclists related to heat stress and hygrothermal performance of clothing. Computational fluid dynamics (steady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes) is used to evaluate the drag and convective heat transfer of 19 body segments of a cyclist for three different cyclist positions. The influence of wind speed on the drag is analysed, indicating a pronounced Reynolds number dependency on the drag, where more streamlined positions show a dependency up to higher Reynolds numbers. The drag and convective heat transfer coefficient (CHTC) of the body segments and the entire cyclist are compared for all positions at racing speeds, showing high drag values for the head, legs and arms and high CHTCs for the legs, arms, hands and feet. The drag areas of individual body segments differ markedly for different cyclist positions whereas the convective heat losses of the body segments are found to be less sensitive to the position. CHTC-wind speed correlations are derived, in which the power-law exponent does not differ significantly for the individual body segments for all positions, where an average value of 0.84 is found. Similar CFD studies can be performed to assess drag and CHTCs at a higher spatial resolution for applications in other sport disciplines, bicycle equipment design or to assess convective moisture transfer.     

Chlamydia trachomatis utilizes the mammalian CLA1 lipid transporter to acquire host phosphatidylcholine essential for growth

Phosphatidylcholine is a constituent of Chlamydia trachomatis membranes that must be acquired from its mammalian host to support bacterial proliferation. The CLA1 (SR‐B1) receptor is a bi‐directional phosphatidylcholine/cholesterol transporter that is recruited to the inclusion of Chlamydia‐infected cells along with ABCA1. C. trachomatis growth was inhibited in a dose‐dependent manner by BLT‐1, a selective inhibitor of CLA1 function. Expression of a BLT‐1‐insensitive CLA1(C384S) mutant ameliorated the effect of the drug on chlamydial growth. CLA1 knockdown using shRNAs corroborated an important role for CLA1 in the growth of C. trachomatis. Trafficking of a fluorescent phosphatidylcholine analogue to Chlamydia was blocked by the inhibition of CLA1 or ABCA1 function, indicating a critical role for these transporters in phosphatidylcholine acquisition by this organism. Our analyses using a dual‐labelled fluorescent phosphatidylcholine analogue and mass spectrometry showed that the phosphatidylcholine associated with isolated Chlamydia was unmodified host phosphatidylcholine. These results indicate that C. trachomatis co‐opts host phospholipid transporters normally used to assemble lipoproteins to acquire host phosphatidylcholine essential for growth.