The orosomucoid 1 protein (alpha1 acid glycoprotein) is overexpressed in odontogenic myxoma

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Odontogenic myxoma (OM) is a benign, but locally invasive, neoplasm occurring in the jaws. However, the molecules implicated in its development are unknown. OM as well as Dental Follicle (DF), an odontogenic tissue surrounding the enamel organ, is derived from ectomesenchymal/mesencyhmal elements. To identify some protein that could participate in the development of this neoplasm, total proteins from OM were separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis and the profiles were compared with those obtained from DF, used as a control. RESULTS: We identified eight proteins with differential expression; two of them were downregulated and six upregulated in OM. A spot consistently overexpressed in odontogenic myxoma, with a molecular weight of 44-kDa and a pI of 3.5 was identified as the orosomucoid 1 protein. Western blot experiments confirmed the overexpression of this protein in odontogenic myxoma and immunohistochemical assays showed that this protein was mainly located in the cytoplasm of stellate and spindle-shaped cells of this neoplasm. CONCLUSION: Orosomucoid 1, which belongs to a group of acute-phase proteins, may play a role in the modulation of the immune system and possibly it influences the development of OM.     

Bacterial colonization of a fumigated alkaline saline soil

After chloroform fumigating an arable soil, the relative abundance of phylotypes belonging to only two phyla (Actinobacteria and Firmicutes) and two orders [Actinomycetales and Bacillales (mostly Bacillus)] increased in a subsequent aerobic incubation, while it decreased for a wide range of bacterial groups. It remained to be seen if similar bacterial groups were affected when an extreme alkaline saline soil was fumigated. Soil with electrolytic conductivity between 139 and 157 dS m^?1, and pH 10.0 and 10.3 was fumigated and the bacterial community structure determined after 0, 1, 5 and 10 days by analysis of the 16S rRNA gene, while an unfumigated soil served as control. The relative abundance of the Firmicutes increased in the fumigated soil (52.8 %) compared to the unfumigated soil (34.2 %), while that of the Bacteroidetes decreased from 16.2 % in the unfumigated soil to 8.8 % in the fumigated soil. Fumigation increased the relative abundance of the genus Bacillus from 14.7 % in the unfumigated soil to 25.7 %. It was found that phylotypes belonging to the Firmicutes, mostly of the genus Bacillus, were dominant in colonizing the fumigated alkaline saline as found in the arable soil, while the relative abundance of a wide range of bacterial groups decreased.     

不同产地杜仲根际土真菌群落结构的差异性分析

基于宏条码技术对采自贵州遵义县、湖南慈利县和四川旺苍县3个杜仲产地根际土壤的真菌群落组成进行了分析。研究获得根际土壤真菌有效序列共10 775条,聚类后OTUs对应的真菌类群涉及子囊菌门Ascomycota、担子菌门Basidiomycota、接合菌门Zygomycota、球囊菌门Glomeromycota、壶菌门Chytridiomycota、类原生动物门Rozellomycota的22纲、59目、103科、108个属的550个真菌分类单元(OTUs)。在属的水平上,湖南慈利样本(ECS)有119个属,优势属为镰刀菌属Fusarium,相对丰度为16.31%,其次是被孢霉属Mortierella(14.67%)、毛壳菌科Chaetomiaceae一未定属(13.01%)和木霉属Trichoderma(11.37%)等。四川旺苍样本(EWS)共有116个属,优势属为丝齿菌属Hyphodontia,相对丰度32.32%,其次为镰刀菌Fusarium(13.41%)等。贵州遵义样本(EZS)有110个属,优势属为被孢霉属Mortierella,相对丰度30.74%,其次是木霉属Trichoderma(25.96%)和镰刀菌属Fusarium(4.85%)等。α多样性分析表明,不同产地杜仲根际土壤真菌群落组成有明显差异。遵义样本(EZS)、慈利样本(ECS)和旺苍样本(EWS)的Shannon多样性指数从高到低为:ECS(2.7661)> EZS(2.4841)>EWS(2.1326)。不同杜仲产区土壤理化因子及4个主要活性成分(松脂醇二葡萄糖苷、绿原酸、京尼平苷酸和京尼平苷)与根际土真菌群落组成的相关性分析表明,4个主要活性成分皆为四川旺苍(EWS)产地含量最高,其次是湖南慈利,贵州遵义最低甚至不含京尼平苷。杜仲根际土壤样品真菌物种组成丰富,不同地区杜仲根际土壤真菌群落组成、分类单元的相对丰度及优势分类单元皆存在不同程度差异。杜仲根际土真菌群落结构的多样性与土壤理化因子及杜仲主要有效成分含量具有一定相关性。杜仲根际土真菌群落组成的结构谱是杜仲道地性的重要特征。     

The capacity of crab megalopae to autotomize body appendages and the consequences upon their feeding ability–the price to pay to live another day

During the mass settlement events of brachyuran crabs, there is a significant chance of density-dependent injury in the megalopae (last larval stage) because cannibalism can occur by larger conspecifics. Laboratory observations revealed that the appendages that are more prone to injury are eyestalks, as well as first (P1) and fifth (P5) pereiopods. The ability of Carcinus maenas megalopae to autotomize these structures and the effect of such injuries in their feeding ability and metamorphosis were investigated. All tested specimens were able to autotomize one or both of their P1 and P5, but not their eyestalks. Megalopae missing a single P1, as well as one or both P5, were able to capture and ingest prey, as well as intact specimens. Megalopae with either P1 and P5 appendages or at least one damaged eyestalk failed to ingest sufficient food to reach the nutritional threshold required to successfully metamorphose.     

Proteomic analysis of phytopathogenic fungus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Botrytis cinerea</Emphasis> as a potential tool for identifying pathogenicity factors,therapeutic targets and for basic research

Botrytis cinerea is a phytopathogenic fungus causing disease in a substantial number of economically important crops. In an attempt to identify putative fungal virulence factors, the two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) protein profile from two B. cinerea strains differing in virulence and toxin production were compared. Protein extracts from fungal mycelium obtained by tissue homogenization were analyzed. The mycelial 2-DE protein profile revealed the existence of qualitative and quantitative differences between the analyzed strains. The lack of genomic data from B. cinerea required the use of peptide fragmentation data from MALDI-TOF/TOF and ESI ion trap for protein identification, resulting in the identification of 27 protein spots. A significant number of spots were identified as malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). The different expression patterns revealed by some of the identified proteins could be ascribed to differences in virulence between strains. Our results indicate that proteomic analysis are becoming an important tool to be used as a starting point for identifying new pathogenicity factors, therapeutic targets and for basic research on this plant pathogen in the postgenomic era.     

Thioredoxin and glutaredoxin system proteins—immunolocalization in the rat central nervous system

Background

The oxidoreductases of the thioredoxin (Trx) family of proteins play a major role in the cellular response to oxidative stress. Redox imbalance is a major feature of brain damage. For instance, neuronal damage and glial reaction induced by a hypoxic–ischemic episode is highly related to glutamate excitotoxicity, oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. Most animal models of hypoxia–ischemia in the central nervous system (CNS) use rats to study the mechanisms involved in neuronal cell death, however, no comprehensive study on the localization of the redox proteins in the rat CNS was available.

Methods

The aim of this work was to study the distribution of the following proteins of the thioredoxin and glutathione/glutaredoxin (Grx) systems in the rat CNS by immunohistochemistry: Trx1, Trx2, TrxR1, TrxR2, Txnip, Grx1, Grx2, Grx3, Grx5, and γ-GCS, peroxiredoxin 1 (Prx1), Prx2, Prx3, Prx4, Prx5, and Prx6. We have focused on areas most sensitive to a hypoxia–ischemic insult: Cerebellum, striatum, hippocampus, spinal cord, substantia nigra, cortex and retina.

Results and conclusions

Previous studies implied that these redox proteins may be distributed in most cell types and regions of the CNS. Here, we have observed several remarkable differences in both abundance and regional distribution that point to a complex interplay and crosstalk between the proteins of this family.

General significance

We think that these data might be helpful to reveal new insights into the role of thiol redox pathways in the pathogenesis of hypoxia–ischemia insults and other disorders of the CNS.This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Human and Murine Redox Protein Atlases.     

Alveolar mimics with periodic strain and its effect on the cell layer formation

We report on the development of a new model of alveolar air–tissue interface on a chip. The model consists of an array of suspended hexagonal monolayers of gelatin nanofibers supported by microframes and a microfluidic device for the patch integration. The suspended monolayers are deformed to a central displacement of 40–80 µm at the air–liquid interface by application of air pressure in the range of 200–1,000 Pa. With respect to the diameter of the monolayers, that is, 500 µm, this displacement corresponds to a linear strain of 2–10% in agreement with the physiological strain range in the lung alveoli. The culture of A549 cells on the monolayers for an incubation time of 1–3 days showed viability in the model. We exerted a periodic strain of 5% at a frequency of 0.2 Hz for 1 hr to the cells. We found that the cells were strongly coupled to the nanofibers, but the strain reduced the coupling and induced remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton, which led to a better tissue formation. Our model can serve as a versatile tool in lung investigations such as in inhalation toxicology and therapy.