Genetic analysis of Agrobacterium tumefaciens unipolar polysaccharide production reveals complex integrated control of the motile‐to‐sessile switch

Many bacteria colonize surfaces and transition to a sessile mode of growth. The plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens produces a u nip olar p olysaccharide (UPP) adhesin at single cell poles that contact surfaces. Here we report that elevated levels of the intracellular signal cyclic diguanosine monophosphate (c‐di‐GMP) lead to surface‐contact‐independent UPP production and a red colony phenotype due to production of UPP and the exopolysaccharide cellulose, when A. tumefaciens is incubated with the polysaccharide stain Congo Red. Transposon mutations with elevated Congo Red staining identified presumptive UPP‐negative regulators, mutants for which were hyperadherent, producing UPP irrespective of surface contact. Multiple independent mutations were obtained in visN and visR, activators of flagellar motility in A. tumefaciens, now found to inhibit UPP and cellulose production. Expression analysis in a visR mutant and isolation of suppressor mutations, identified three diguanylate cyclases inhibited by VisR. Null mutations for two of these genes decrease attachment and UPP production, but do not alter cellular c‐di‐GMP levels. However, analysis of catalytic site mutants revealed their GGDEF motifs are required to increase UPP production and surface attachment. Mutations in a specific presumptive c‐di‐GMP phosphodiesterase also elevate UPP production and attachment, consistent with c‐di‐GMP activation of surface‐dependent adhesin deployment.     

Effect of sorghum ethyl-acetate extract on benign prostatic hyperplasia induced by testosterone in Sprague–Dawley rats

ABSTRACT

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is commonly observed in men > 50 years worldwide. Phytotherapy is one of the many treatment options. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) contains various health-improving phytochemicals with antioxidant and inhibitory activities on cell proliferation, both in vitro and in vivo. To confirm the effects of Donganme sorghum ethyl-acetate extract (DSEE) on BPH, we induced BPH in Spragye–Dawley rats using exogenous testosterone. We measured prostate weight, examined prostrates histopathologically, and analyzed mRNAs associated with male hormones and proteins associated with cell proliferation in the prostate. DSEE inhibited weight gain of the prostate; decreased mRNA expressions of androgen receptor and 5α-reductase II; and improved histopathological symptoms, the protein-expressed ratio of Bax/Bcl-2, and the oxidative status of BPH induced by testosterone in SD rats. Therefore, DSEE may have potential as a preventive or therapeutic agent against BPH.     

C-terminal truncation of a bovine B12 trafficking chaperone enhances the sensitivity of the glutathione-regulated thermostability

The human B₁₂ trafficking chaperone hCblC is well conserved in mammals and non-mammalian eukaryotes. However, the C-terminal ∼40 amino acids of hCblC vary significantly and are predicted to be deleted by alternative splicing of the encoding gene. In this study, we examined the thermostability of the bovine CblC truncated at the C-terminal variable region (t-bCblC) and its regulation by glutathione. t-bCblC is highly thermolabile (T_m = ∼42℃) similar to the full-length protein (f-bCblC). However, t-bCblC is stabilized to a greater extent than f-bCblC by binding of reduced glutathione (GSH) with increased sensitivity to GSH. In addition, binding of oxidized glutathione (GSSG) destabilizes t-bCblC to a greater extent and with increased sensitivity as compared to f-bCblC. These results indicate that t-bCblC is a more sensitive form to be regulated by glutathione than the full-length form of the protein. [BMB Reports 2013; 46(3): 169-174]     

Biogeographic characteristics of Far Eastern wasps: A case study with eumenine wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae)

A total of 107 forms of 88 eumenine wasp species occurring in the Far East were used to produce a more comprehensive picture of the geographical pattern of wasps in the Far East. All forms occurring in the Far East were biogeographically classified into 22 types in four larger categories, and a summarized table and discussion are presented. The eumenine wasp fauna of the Far East was characterized as a mixture of a fair number of endemic elements, a moderate number of transpalearctic elements, and some Oriental elements. The endemism of the Far East reached 0.71 at the species/subspecies level when the calculation was based on true Palearctic elements occurring in Far Eastern Russia, the Korean peninsula and Japan proper. The relationship between the Far Eastern fauna and the Central/Western Palearctic faunas was also analyzed and discussed. The species occurring in each treated district was counted, and provides evidence for the importance of the Korean fauna in biodiversity evaluation/estimation of Far Eastern fauna. The similarity index between the Korean Peninsula and Japan proper, the Korean Peninsula and the Russian Far East, and the Russian Far East and Japan proper was calculated to explain possible factors for faunal formation in the Far East. The distributional pattern of each form treated in this study and its relatives is tabulated in Appendix I.     

Development of cyan fluorescent protein (CFP) reporter system in green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and macroalgae Pyropia sp.

Various fluorescent proteins have been developed for in vivo reporter systems in diverse prokaryotes and eukaryotes. However, few in vivo imaging systems have been reported for the model algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii or Pyropia sp. In this study, an effective imaging system using cyan fluorescent protein (CFP) was developed for the green alga C. reinhardtii, and its application was also successful in the red macroalgae Pyropia tenera and P. yezoensis. For optimization of CFP expression in C. reinhardtii and Pyropia sp., we modified codon usage in the CFP gene (CFP), generating PtCrCFP (Pyropia tenera/Chlamydomonas reinhardtii CFP). PtCrCFP was successfully expressed in PtCrCFP-expressing UVM11 transgenic lines, and high accumulation levels of PtCrCFP were found by western blotting. Consistent with these results, PtCrCFP fluorescence was clearly detected with a low level of chlorophyll background fluorescence in PtCrCFP-expressing UVM11 transgenic lines. In Pyropia sp. gametophytic cells, transient expression of PtCrCFP fluorescence was distinctly visualized. PtCrCFP fluorescence was also observed during the regeneration of monospores and young gametophytes from PtCrCFP-expressing P. yezoensis gametophytic cells. These results suggest that PtCrCFP may be useful as an in vivo reporter in green algae due to the short emission wavelength of CFP, which provides a low level of chlorophyll background fluorescence. This study also presents the possibility of PtCrCFP’s use as a visible selection marker for the generation of transgenic lines in the red algae Pyropia sp. Thus, PtCrCFP as an in vivo visualization tool may offer new opportunities for the functional analysis of genetic studies in both green and red algae.     

Waist Circumference,Not Body Mass Index,Is Associated with Renal Function Decline in Korean Population: Hallym Aging Study

Background

Prospective investigation of obesity and renal function decline in Asia is sparse. We examined the associations of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) with renal function decline in a prospective study of Korean population.

Methods

A total of 454 participants who had baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) levels of more than 60 mL/min/1.73 m² in Hallym Aging Study (HAS) were included and followed for 6 years. Renal function decline was defined as follows: (1) an eGFR decline ≥3 mL/min/1.73 m²/year (n = 82 cases); (2) an eGFR decrease of 20% or greater (n = 87 cases) at follow-up; (3) an eGFR decrease of 20% greater at follow-up or eGFR decline ≥3 mL/min/1.73 m²/year (n = 91 cases); and (4) an eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m² at follow-up (n = 54 cases). eGFR was determined based on the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) Study equation. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to determine the association between obesity and renal function decline.

Results

We found that central obesity was associated with faster renal function decline. Comparing WC of >95 cm in men or >90 cm in women with ≤90 cm in men or ≤85 cm in women, ORs (95% CIs) ranged from 2.31 (1.14–4.69) to 2.78 (1.19–6.50) for the 4 definitions of renal function decline (all p-values for trend <0.05). Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) also was associated with renal function decline. There was no significant association of BMI with renal function decline.

Conclusions

Central obesity, but not BMI, is associated with faster renal function decline in Korean population. Our results provide important evidence that simple measurement of central fat deposition rather than BMI could predict decline in renal function in Korean population.     

Sarcopenia Is Independently Associated with Cardiovascular Disease in Older Korean Adults: The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) from 2009

Background

The association between sarcopenia and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in elderly people has not been adequately assessed. The aim of this study was to investigate whether CVD is more prevalent in subjects with sarcopenia independent of other well-established cardiovascular risk factors in older Korean adults.

Method

This study utilized the representative Korean population data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) which was conducted in 2009. Subjects older than 65 years of age with appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) determined by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry were selected. The prevalence of sarcopenia in the older Korean adults was investigated, and it was determined whether sarcopenia is associated with CVD independent of other well-known risk factors.

Results

1,578 subjects aged 65 years and older with the data for ASM were selected, and the overall prevalence of sarcopenia was 30.3% in men and 29.3% in women. Most of the risk factors for CVD such as age, waist circumference, body mass index, fasting plasma glucose and total cholesterol showed significant negative correlations with the ratio between appendicular skeletal muscle mass and body weight. Multiple logistic regression analysis demonstrated that sarcopenia was associated with CVD independent of other well-documented risk factors, renal function and medications (OR, 1.768; 95% CI, 1.075–2.909, P = 0.025).

Conclusions

Sarcopenia was associated with the presence of CVD independent of other cardiovascular risk factors after adjusting renal function and medications.