Emergence of Distinct Genotypes of Cryptosporidium parvum in Structured Host Populations

Cryptosporidium parvum is an apicomplexan parasite that infects humans and ruminants. C. parvum isolated from cattle in northeastern Turkey and in Israel was genotyped using multiple polymorphic genetic markers, and the two populations were compared to assess the effect of cattle husbandry on the parasite's population structure. Dairy herds in Israel are permanently confined with essentially no opportunity for direct herd-to-herd transmission, whereas in Turkey there are more opportunities for transmission as animals range over wider areas and are frequently traded. A total of 76 C. parvum isolates from 16 locations in Israel and seven farms in the Kars region in northeastern Turkey were genotyped using 16 mini- and microsatellite markers. Significantly, in both countries distinct multilocus genotypes confined to individual farms were detected. The number of genotypes per farm was higher and mixed isolates were more frequent in Turkey than in Israel. As expected from the presence of distinct multilocus genotypes in individual herds, linkage disequilibrium among loci was detected in Israel. Together, these observations show that genetically distinct populations of C. parvum can emerge within a group of hosts in a relatively short time. This may explain the frequent detection of host-specific genotypes with unknown taxonomic status in surface water and the existence of geographically restricted C. hominis genotypes in humans.     

Co-drug development of gallic acid and metformin targeting the pro-inflammatory cytokines for the treatment of breast cancer

It is well-documented that pro-inflammatory cytokines and inflammation play a significant role in the expansion of cancer disease. Gallic acid (GA), a natural compound, and metformin (Met), a synthetic drug exhibit potent anticancer potential via the distinct molecular mechanism. However, whether both these compounds can act synergistically to preclude and treat cancer is still unknown. This prompted us to scrutinize, the synergism between GA and Met, and that of a new co-drug synthesizing of GA and Met (GA-Met) and investigated the chemo-protective effect against breast cancer with possible intervention of cytokines. In vivo studies were based on chemical carcinogenesis, challenging breast tissue by dimethylbenz[α]anthracene (DMBA). Tumour incidence, tumour burden, pro-inflammatory cytokines in serum, breast, hepatic tissue, macroscopically and histological analysis of mammary tumours were carried out and estimated. GA, Met and GA-Met co-drug exhibited the inhibition of cell proliferation; higher reduction of cell proliferation was observed by GA-Met. The inhibitory effect of GA-Met was linked to cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase, along with induction of apoptosis and accumulation in the sub-G1 phase. GA-Met significantly inhibited the cytokines production along with protection against DMBA-induced hyperplasia. Taken altogether, the current result suggests that GA-Met co-drug endows a safe and protective effect against cancer metastasis and can possibly use for the treatment of human breast cancer.     

Niche construction and the environmental term of the price equation: How natural selection changes when organisms alter their environments

Organisms construct their own environments and phenotypes through the adaptive processes of habitat choice, habitat construction, and phenotypic plasticity. We examine how these processes affect the dynamics of mean fitness change through the environmental change term of the Price Equation. This tends to be ignored in evolutionary theory, owing to the emphasis on the first term describing the effect of natural selection on mean fitness (the additive genetic variance for fitness of Fisher's Fundamental Theorem). Using population genetic models and the Price Equation, we show how adaptive niche constructing traits favorably alter the distribution of environments that organisms encounter and thereby increase population mean fitness. Because niche-constructing traits increase the frequency of higher-fitness environments, selection favors their evolution. Furthermore, their alteration of the actual or experienced environmental distribution creates selective feedback between niche constructing traits and other traits, especially those with genotype-by-environment interaction for fitness. By altering the distribution of experienced environments, niche constructing traits can increase the additive genetic variance for such traits. This effect accelerates the process of overall adaption to the niche-constructed environmental distribution and can contribute to the rapid refinement of alternative phenotypic adaptations to different environments. Our findings suggest that evolutionary biologists revisit and reevaluate the environmental term of the Price Equation: owing to adaptive niche construction, it contributes directly to positive change in mean fitness; its magnitude can be comparable to that of natural selection; and, when there is fitness G × E, it increases the additive genetic variance for fitness, the much-celebrated first term.     

Le syndrome de Klinefelter chez l'enfant

Klinfelter syndrome was first described in adult males with gynecomastia, azoospermia and hypergonadotropic hypogonadism. Children with the 47, XXY karyotype demonstrate few clinical findings so Klinefelter syndrome is rarely diagnosed until adult life. Besides children who have been diagnosed during prenatal genetic testing, in infancy a male with 47, XXY (or variants: 46, XY-47, XXY; 48, XXXY; 48, XXYY, 49, XXXXY) may be found while undergoing evaluation of micropenis, hypospadias, cryptorchidism or facial anomalies. The older child may present with learning disabilities, behavior disorders or tall stature. At the time of puberty, the clinical picture includes small testes, gynecomastia and an eunuchoid habitus. Early diagnosis of Klinefelter syndrome must be performed since it has been demonstrated that early treatment with androgens may ameliorate many aspects of the clinical symptoms and attenuate or prevent behavioral and psychiatric disorders associated with 47, XXY males.     

The effect of 15 (R) 15 methyl prostaglandin E2 on gastric acid secretion in duodenal ulcer patients

The effect of synthetic analogue 15 (R) 15 methyl PGE₂ on basal and pentagastrin stimulated maximal acid output in 24 duodenal ulcer patients has been studied. The prostaglandin analogue in a single oral dose of 150 μg reduced both basal and maximum output. Basal acid output fell from a mean control value of 5.9 ± 1.5 mEq/hr to 2.1 ± 0.6 mEq/hr (p < 0.05) and maximum acid output from 32.1 ± 1.6 mEq/hr to 20.6 mEq/hr (p < 0.001). The volume of gastric secretion did not alter significantly in the basal state but fell significantly in the maximally stimulated state after prostaglandin administration.     

Function of the nuclear receptor FTZ‐F1 during the pupal stage in Drosophila melanogaster

The nuclear receptor βFTZ‐F1 is expressed in most cells in a temporally specific manner, and its expression is induced immediately after decline in ecdysteroid levels. This factor plays important roles during embryogenesis, larval ecdysis, and early metamorphic stages. However, little is known about the expression pattern, regulation and function of this receptor during the pupal stage. We analyzed the expression pattern and regulation of ftz‐f1 during the pupal period, as well as the phenotypes of RNAi knockdown or mutant animals, to elucidate its function during this stage. Western blotting revealed that βFTZ‐F1 is expressed at a high level during the late pupal stage, and this expression is dependent on decreasing ecdysteroid levels. By immunohistological analysis of the late pupal stage, FTZ‐F1 was detected in the nuclei of most cells, but cytoplasmic localization was observed only in the oogonia and follicle cells of the ovary. Both the ftz‐f1 genetic mutant and temporally specific ftz‐f1 knockdown using RNAi during the pupal stage showed defects in eclosion and in the eye, the antennal segment, the wing and the leg, including bristle color and sclerosis. These results suggest that βFTZ‐F1 is expressed in most cells at the late pupal stage, under the control of ecdysteroids and plays important roles during pupal development.     

Ultrahigh density microarrays of solid samples

We present a sectioning and bonding technology to make ultrahigh density microarrays of solid samples, cutting edge matrix assembly (CEMA). Maximized array density is achieved by a scaffold-free, self-supporting construction with rectangular array features that are incrementally scalable. This platform technology facilitates arrays of >10,000 tissue features on a standard glass slide, inclusion of unique sample identifiers for improved manual or automated tracking, and oriented arraying of stratified or polarized samples.     

Energetics of carbohydrate binding to Momordica charantia (bitter gourd) lectin: an isothermal titration calorimetric study

Physico-chemical and carbohydrate binding studies have been carried out on the Momordica charantia (bitter gourd) seed lectin (MCL). The lectin activity is maximal in the pH range 7.4-11.0, but decreases steeply below pH 7.0. The lectin activity is mostly unaffected in the temperature range 4-50 degrees C, but a sharp decrease is seen between 50 and 60 degrees C, which could be correlated to changes in the structure of the protein as seen by circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy. Isothermal titration calorimetric studies show that the tetrameric MCL binds two sugar molecules and the binding constants (Kb), determined at 288.15 K, for various saccharides were found to vary between 7.3 x 10(3) and 1.52 x 10(4)M(-1). The binding reactions for all the saccharides investigated were essentially enthalpy driven, with the binding enthalpies (DeltaHb) at 288.15 K being in the range of -50.99 and -43.39 kJ mol(-1), whereas the contribution to the binding reaction from the entropy of binding was negative, with values of binding entropy (DeltaSb) ranging between -99.2 and -72.0 J mol(-1)K(-1) at 288.15 K. Changes in heat capacity (DeltaCp) for the binding of disaccharides, lactose and lactulose, were significantly larger in magnitude than those obtained for the monosaccharides, methyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside, and methyl-alpha-D-galactopyranoside, and could be correlated reasonably well with the surface areas of these ligands. Enthalpy-entropy compensation was observed for all the sugars studied, suggesting that water structure plays an important role in the overall binding reaction. CD spectroscopy indicates that carbohydrate binding does not lead to significant changes in the secondary and tertiary structures of MCL, suggesting that the carbohydrate binding sites on this lectin are mostly preformed.     

Prevalence of airborne basidiospores in three coastal cities of Saudi Arabia

Seasonal and diurnal variations of airborne basidiomycetous spores concentrations (basidiospores, smuts and rust spores) were studied using Burkard Volumetric Spore Traps in three major coastal cities viz., Dammam, Jeddah and Jizan in Saudi Arabia. The distance between the sites was approximately 1600 km from East to West. In addition to numerous airborne deuteromycetous spores identified at all sites, a considerable concentration of basidiomycetous spores were also recorded. The data revealed that basidiospores constituted a maximum of 17% of the total air spora in Jizan, while the maximum for Dammam and Jeddah was 11% each. Spores from smuts constituted the highest percentages of all basidiosmycetous spores ranging between 9–33% and 12–33% respectively in Dammam and Jizan. In Jeddah, it constituted between 14–26%. In contrast, rusts were less frequent at all sites. Maximum concentration of basidiospores showed that at certain months the level reached between 1000–6000 m⁻³. The data did not exhibit any seasonal pattern in their maximum appearance. Maximum concentration of smuts were much higher compared to basidiospores and the level fluctuated between 500–4000 m⁻³. Rusts were low in concentration (<150 m⁻³). The diurnal pattern of basidiospores concentration for at least one site (Jizan) averaged over the year showed a nocturnal trend consistent with basidiospores active discharge. The other two sites had no such trend. Diel periodicities of smuts and rusts spores did not exhibit any clear pattern. The study suggests that even in coastal regions having the same climatic conditions with a slightly different geography, show variation in basidiospores concentrations.