Comparative study of antioxidant capacity in organs of different Allium species

Cultivated and wild Allium species were investigated in order to compare the antioxidant capacity of their leaves and bulbs. Leaf and bulb anti-oxidative enzymes and scavenger activities, along with quantities of non-enzymic antioxidants, malonyl-dialdehyde and OH radicals were determined. Results obtained suggest that leaves possess higher anti-oxidant and scavenging activities than bulbs in the majority of cultivated and wild Allium species examined. Cultivation of some wild species such as A. flavum L., A. schoenoprasum L. and A. ursinum L. could be conducted in the future in order to produce Allium species with high antioxidant capacity in leaves and bulbs.     

Greater Omentectomy Improves Insulin Sensitivity in Nonobese Dogs

Visceral adiposity is strongly associated with insulin resistance; however, little evidence directly demonstrates that visceral fat per se impairs insulin action. Here, we examine the effects of the surgical removal of the greater omentum and its occupying visceral fat, an omentectomy (OM), on insulin sensitivity (S_I) and β‐cell function in nonobese dogs. Thirteen male mongrel dogs were used in this research study; animals were randomly assigned to surgical treatment with either OM (n = 7), or sham‐surgery (SHAM) (n = 6). OM failed to generate measurable changes in body weight (+2%; P = 0.1), or subcutaneous adiposity (+3%; P = 0.83) as assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The removal of the greater omentum did not significantly reduce total visceral adipose volume (?7.3 ± 6.4%; P = 0.29); although primary analysis showed a trend for OM to increase S_I when compared to sham operated animals (P = 0.078), further statistical analysis revealed that this minor reduction in visceral fat alleviated insulin resistance by augmenting S_I of the periphery (+67.7 ± 35.2%; P = 0.03), as determined by the euglycemic‐hyperinsulinemic clamp. Insulin secretory response during the hyperglycemic step clamp was not directly influenced by omental fat removal (presurgery 6.82 ± 1.4 vs. postsurgery: 6.7 ± 1.2 pmol/l/mg/dl, P = 0.9). These findings provide new evidence for the deleterious role of visceral fat in insulin resistance, and suggest that a greater OM procedure may effectively improve insulin sensitivity.     

2-(3-Amino-3-deoxy-beta-D-xylofuranosyl)thiazole-4-carboxamide: a new tiazofurin analogue with potent antitumour activity

A new tiazofurin analogue, 2-(3-amino-3-deoxy-beta-d-xylofuranosyl)thiazole-4-carboxamide (3), was synthesized starting from d-glucose and evaluated for its in vitro antiproliferative activity against a panel of human tumour cell lines. Compound 3 exhibited the most powerful cytotoxicity against K562 cells, being approximately 100-fold more potent than tiazofurin. This analogue was also active against Jurkat, HT-29 and HeLa malignant cells, with respective IC(50) values being ca. 2-, 27- and 17-fold lower than those observed for tiazofurin. Remarkably, compound 3 did not exhibit any significant cytotoxicity towards normal foetal lung MRC-5 cell line.     

DNA triplex stabilization by a delta-carboline derivative tethered to third strand oligonucleotides

A delta-carboline derivative was covalently coupled to a 7 mer oligonucleotide at its 5'- or 3'-end. The stability of triplexes formed from the conjugates and a double-helical target was studied by UV melting experiments. Compared to the unmodified control triple helices, triplexes with the conjugate exhibit a significantly higher stability. However, the degree of stabilization depends on the particular triplex structure formed.     

Transformations of bioactive peptides in the presence of sugars--characterization and stability studies of the adducts generated via the Maillard reaction

Glycation of biomolecules, such as proteins, peptide hormones, nucleic acids, and lipids, may be a major contributor to the pathological manifestations of aging and diabetes mellitus. These nonenzymatic reactions, also termed the Maillard reaction, alter the biological and chemical properties of biomolecules. In order to investigate the effect of various reducing sugars on the products formed from small bioactive peptides (Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-Leu, Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-Leu-NH2, Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-Leu-OMe, Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe, and Tyr-Gly-Gly), model systems were prepared with glucose, mannose or galactose. Peptide-sugar mixtures were incubated at 37 or 50 degrees C in phosphate-buffered saline, pH 7.4, or in methanol. The extent of glycation was determined periodically by RP HPLC. All sugar-peptide mixtures generated two different types of glycation products: N-(1-deoxy-ketos-1-yl)-peptide (Amadori compound) and the imidazolidinone compound substituted by sugar pentitol and peptide residue. The amount and distribution of peptide glycation products depended on the structure of the reactants, and increased in both concentration- and time-dependent manner in relation to exposure to sugar. Additionally, the rate of hydrolysis of glucose-derived imidazolidinone compounds, obtained either from leucine-enkephalin (1) or its shorter N-terminal fragments 2 and 3, was determined by incubation at 37 degrees C in human serum. These results revealed that imidazolidinones obtained from glucose and small peptides are almost completely protected from the action of enzymes in serum, the predominant route of degradation being spontaneous hydrolysis to initial sugar and peptide compound.     

Novel cyano- and amidino-substituted derivatives of thieno[2,3-b]- and thieno[3,2-b]thiophene-2-carboxanilides and thieno[3',2':4,5]thieno- and thieno[2',3':4,5]thieno [2,3-c]quinolones: synthesis, photochemical synthesis, DNA binding, and antitumor evaluation

A series of cyano- and amidino-substituted derivatives of thieno[2,3-b]- and thieno[3,2-b]thiophene-2-carboxanilides and their 'cyclic' derivatives (quinolones) were synthesized. 'Cyclic' compounds displayed a rather strong and differential antiproliferative effect on various cell lines, while the 'acyclic' amidino-substituted compounds were much more active, but showing mostly non-differential cytotoxicity, whereas cyano-substituted compounds (2a,b) produced a strikingly strong effect selectively on HeLa and Hep-2 cell lines. Antiproliferative activity of 'cyclic' derivatives is very likely caused by intercalation into DNA, while their 'acyclic' analogues use other target(s) and/or mechanisms of action.     

Characterization of the archaeal thermophile Sulfolobus turreted icosahedral virus validates an evolutionary link among double-stranded DNA viruses from all domains of life

Icosahedral nontailed double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) viruses are present in all three domains of life, leading to speculation about a common viral ancestor that predates the divergence of Eukarya, Bacteria, and Archaea. This suggestion is supported by the shared general architecture of this group of viruses and the common fold of their major capsid protein. However, limited information on the diversity and replication of archaeal viruses, in general, has hampered further analysis. Sulfolobus turreted icosahedral virus (STIV), isolated from a hot spring in Yellowstone National Park, was the first icosahedral virus with an archaeal host to be described. Here we present a detailed characterization of the components forming this unusual virus. Using a proteomics-based approach, we identified nine viral and two host proteins from purified STIV particles. Interestingly, one of the viral proteins originates from a reading frame lacking a consensus start site. The major capsid protein (B345) was found to be glycosylated, implying a strong similarity to proteins from other dsDNA viruses. Sequence analysis and structural predication of virion-associated viral proteins suggest that they may have roles in DNA packaging, penton formation, and protein-protein interaction. The presence of an internal lipid layer containing acidic tetraether lipids has also been confirmed. The previously presented structural models in conjunction with the protein, lipid, and carbohydrate information reported here reveal that STIV is strikingly similar to viruses associated with the Bacteria and Eukarya domains of life, further strengthening the hypothesis for a common ancestor of this group of dsDNA viruses from all domains of life.     

Influence of sorbitol on protein production and glycosylation and cell wall formation in Trichoderma reesei

Sorbitol is often used at 1 mol/liter as an osmotic stabilizer for cultivation of fungi with a fragile cell wall phenotype. On the other hand, at this concentration sorbitol causes an osmotic stress in fungal cells resulting in intensive production of intracellular glycerol. The highly increased consumption of glucose for glycerol synthesis may lead to changes in processes requiring carbohydrate residues. This study provides new information on the consequences of osmotic stress to the cell wall composition, protein production and glycosylation, and cell morphology of Trichoderma reesei. We observed that high osmolarity conditions enhanced biomass production and strongly limited synthesis of cell wall glucans and chitin. Moreover, in these conditions the amount of secreted protein decreased nearly ten-fold and expression of cbh1 and cbh2 genes coding for cellobiohydrolase I and cellobiohydrolase II, the main secretory proteins in T. reesei, was inhibited resulting in a lack of the proteins in the cell and cultivation medium. The activity of DPM synthase, enzyme engaged in both N- and O-glycosylation pathways, was reduced two-fold, suggesting an overall inhibition of protein glycosylation. However, the two modes of glycosylation were affected divergently: O-glycosylation of secreted proteins decreased in the early stages of growth while N-glycosylation significantly increased in the stationary phase.     

Social experiments in the mesoscale: humans playing a spatial prisoner's dilemma

Background

The evolutionary origin of cooperation among unrelated individuals remains a key unsolved issue across several disciplines. Prominent among the several mechanisms proposed to explain how cooperation can emerge is the existence of a population structure that determines the interactions among individuals. Many models have explored analytically and by simulation the effects of such a structure, particularly in the framework of the Prisoner''s Dilemma, but the results of these models largely depend on details such as the type of spatial structure or the evolutionary dynamics. Therefore, experimental work suitably designed to address this question is needed to probe these issues.

Methods and Findings

We have designed an experiment to test the emergence of cooperation when humans play Prisoner''s Dilemma on a network whose size is comparable to that of simulations. We find that the cooperation level declines to an asymptotic state with low but nonzero cooperation. Regarding players'' behavior, we observe that the population is heterogeneous, consisting of a high percentage of defectors, a smaller one of cooperators, and a large group that shares features of the conditional cooperators of public goods games. We propose an agent-based model based on the coexistence of these different strategies that is in good agreement with all the experimental observations.

Conclusions

In our large experimental setup, cooperation was not promoted by the existence of a lattice beyond a residual level (around 20%) typical of public goods experiments. Our findings also indicate that both heterogeneity and a “moody” conditional cooperation strategy, in which the probability of cooperating also depends on the player''s previous action, are required to understand the outcome of the experiment. These results could impact the way game theory on graphs is used to model human interactions in structured groups.     

Host‐associated divergence in the activity of digestive enzymes in two populations of the gypsy moth Lymantria dispar (Lepidoptera: Erebidae)

The gypsy moth is a generalist insect pest with an extremely wide host range. Adaptive responses of digestive enzymes are important for the successful utilization of plant hosts that differ in the contents and ratios of constituent nutrients and allelochemicals. In the present study, we examined the responses of α‐amylase, trypsin, and leucine aminopeptidase to two tree hosts (suitable oak, Quercus cerris, and unsuitable locust tree, Robinia pseudoacacia) in the fourth, fifth, and sixth instars of gypsy moth larvae originating from oak and locust tree forest populations (hereafter assigned as Quercus and Robinia populations, respectively). Gypsy moths from the Robinia forest had been adapting to this unsuitable host for more than 40 generations. To test for population‐level host plant specialization, we applied a two‐population × two‐host experimental design. We compared the levels, developmental patterns, and plasticities of the activities of enzymes. The locust tree diet increased enzyme activity in the fourth instar and reduced activity in advanced instars of the Quercus larvae in comparison to the oak diet. These larvae also exhibited opposite developmental trajectories on the two hosts, i.e. activity increased on the oak diet and decreased on the locust tree diet with the progress of instar. Larvae of the Robinia population were characterized by reduced plasticity of enzyme activity and its developmental trajectories. In addition, elevated trypsin activity in response to an unsuitable host was observed in all instar larvae of the Robinia population, which demonstrated that Robinia larvae had an improved digestive performance than did Quercus larvae.