Role of interleukin-7 in degenerative and inflammatory joint diseases

IL-7 is known foremost for its immunostimulatory capacities, including potent T cell-dependent catabolic effects on bone. In joint diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, IL-7, via immune activation, can induce joint destruction. Now it has been demonstrated that increased IL-7 levels are produced by human articular chondrocytes of older individuals and osteoarthritis patients. IL-7 stimulates production of proteases by IL-7 receptor-expressing chondrocytes and enhances cartilage matrix degradation. This indicates that IL-7, indirectly via immune activation, but also by a direct action on cartilage, contributes to joint destruction in rheumatic diseases.     

Cupin: A candidate molecular structure for the Nep1-like protein family

Background  

NEP1-like proteins (NLPs) are a novel family of microbial elicitors of plant necrosis. Some NLPs induce a hypersensitive-like response in dicot plants though the basis for this response remains unclear. In addition, the spatial structure and the role of these highly conserved proteins are not known.     

Model of cytosine-, thymine-containing oligodeoxyribonucleotide protonation in solution

In the present study, the experimental data on the pH-induced formation of the i-motif structure in the nucleotide sequence 5′-CCTTTCCTTTTCCTTTCC-3′ (25°C, pH 3.3-8.9) obtained by spectroscopic techniques, such as UV molecular absorption and circular dichroism, has been analyzed using the chemometric soft modeling-based MCR-ALS approach and the hard modeling-based matrix method. Soft modeling using 2 or 3 spectral species correctly reproduced the spectral variations observed experimentally. The use of hard chemical modeling has allowed proposing an equilibrium model, which describes spectral changes as functions of solution acidity. Additionally, the intrinsic protonation constant K _in and the cooperativity parameter ω have been calculated from fitting of the circular dichroism as well as the molecular absorption spectra. The results indicated that folding was accompanied by a cooperative process, i.e. the enhancement of protonated structure stability upon protonation.     

Attempts to diminish the injurious consequences of low winter temperatures by means of vitamins and growth substances

Plants of two varieties of winter wheat—Besostoya 1 and Etoile de Choisie— were raised in the field. The same number of selected plants from each variety were frozen once in a refrigerator at a temperature of ?15°C for 24 hrs. After freezing, the plants were gradually thawed and returned to the field. Early in the spring, test and control plants were treated with one of following diluted solutions: vitamin B₁, vitamin B₆, indolyl-3-acetic acid and adenine (the four solutions at a concentration of 0·01% and 5% urea solution in water) by immersion for 15 hrs. at a temperature of 18–20°C. The plants were measured in the spring and in the summer, the yield being determined after ripening. It was found that all substances used helped to diminish the deleterious consequences of overwintering and to raise the yield of the plants. Vitamin B₆ exerted the strongest influence. Vitamin B₆ treated plants produced higher or slightly lower yields than those of the non-frozen control. Plants treated with vitamin B₁ gave yields close to, but in most cases lower than those of the non-frozen control. The yields of plants treated with solutions of the remaining substances were appreciably lower than those of the non-frozen controls. Plants of the more winter-hardy variety Besostoya 1 recovered relatively more easily under the effect of the substances used than the plants of the less winter-hardy variety Etoile de Choise.     

Biosynthesis of isoprenoids, polyunsaturated fatty acids and flavonoids in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Industrial biotechnology employs the controlled use of microorganisms for the production of synthetic chemicals or simple biomass that can further be used in a diverse array of applications that span the pharmaceutical, chemical and nutraceutical industries. Recent advances in metagenomics and in the incorporation of entire biosynthetic pathways into Saccharomyces cerevisiae have greatly expanded both the fitness and the repertoire of biochemicals that can be synthesized from this popular microorganism. Further, the availability of the S. cerevisiae entire genome sequence allows the application of systems biology approaches for improving its enormous biosynthetic potential. In this review, we will describe some of the efforts on using S. cerevisiae as a cell factory for the biosynthesis of high-value natural products that belong to the families of isoprenoids, flavonoids and long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. As natural products are increasingly becoming the center of attention of the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries, the use of S. cerevisiae for their production is only expected to expand in the future, further allowing the biosynthesis of novel molecular structures with unique properties.