Purification of arogenate dehydrogenase from Phenylobacterium immobile

Phenylobacterium immobile, a bacterium which is able to degrade the herbicide chloridazon, utilizes for L-tyrosine synthesis arogenate as an obligatory intermediate which is converted in the final biosynthetic step by a dehydrogenase to tyrosine. This enzyme, the arogenate dehydrogenase, has been purified for the first time in a 5-step procedure to homogeneity as confirmed by electrophoresis. The Mr of the enzyme that consists of two identical subunits amounts to 69000 as established by gel electrophoresis after cross-linking the enzyme with dimethylsuberimidate. The Km values were 0.09 mM for arogenate and 0.02 mM for NAD+. The enzyme has a high specificity with respect to its substrate arogenate.     

Diffusion along intercellular spaces: An analysis of a transient situation

We present an analysis of the diffusion of a tracer in a model of a cell-intercellular space system. The problem reduces to the resolution of a system of a linear partial differential equation and of a linear integral differential equation. The mathematical results have been obtained in terms of their Laplace transforms, which have been inverted by a numerical procedure for some parameter values. The importance of considering gradients of concentrations in intercellular spaces instead of lumping them with the external mediums has been discussed together with the possibility of extending Ussing's relation to transient cases, in order to detect active transports. Some possible implementations of the model to take into account more general situations have been considered.     

Mobilization of iron from ferritin by isolated mitochondria effects of species compatibility between ferritin and mitochondria and iron content of ferritin

Mitochondria mobilize iron from ferritin by a mechanism that depends on external FMN. With rat liver mitochondria, the rate of mobilization of iron is higher from rat liver ferritin than from horse spleen ferritin. With horse liver mitochondria, the rate of iron mobilization is higher from horse spleen ferritin than from rat liver ferritin. The results are explained by a higher affinity between mitochondria and ferritins of the same species. The mobilization of iron increases with the iron content of the ferritin and then levels off. A maximum is reached with ferritins containing about 1 200 iron atoms per molecule. The results represent further evidence that ferritin may function as a direct iron donor to the mitochondria.     

Mutant alpha-synuclein-induced degeneration is reduced by parkin in a fly model of Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) patients show a characteristic loss of motor control caused by the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons. Mutations in the genes that encode alpha-synuclein and parkin have been linked to inherited forms of this disease. The parkin protein functions as a ubiquitin ligase that targets proteins for degradation. Expression of isoforms of human alpha-synuclein in the Drosophila melanogaster nervous system forms the basis of an excellent genetic model that recapitulates phenotypic and behavioural features of PD. Using this model, we analysed the effect of parkin co-expression on the climbing ability of aging flies, their life span, and their retinal degeneration. We have determined that co-expression of parkin can suppress phenotypes caused by expression of mutant alpha-synuclein. In the developing eye, parkin reduces retinal degeneration. When co-expressed in the dopaminergic neurons, the ability to climb is extended over time. If conserved in humans, we suggest that upregulation of parkin may prove a method of suppression for PD induced by mutant forms of alpha-synuclein.     

Development and Validation of a UPLC-MS/MS Method to Monitor Cephapirin Excretion in Dairy Cows following Intramammary Infusion

Cephapirin, a cephalosporin antibiotic, is used by the majority of dairy farms in the US. Fecal and urinary excretion of cephapirin could introduce this compound into the environment when manure is land applied as fertilizer, and may cause development of bacterial resistance to antibiotics critical for human health. The environmental loading of cephapirin by the livestock industry remains un-assessed, largely due to a lack of appropriate analytical methods. Therefore, this study aimed to develop and validate a cephapirin quantification method to capture the temporal pattern of cephapirin excretion in dairy cows following intramammary infusion. The method includes an extraction with phosphate buffer and methanol, solid-phase extraction (SPE) clean-up, and quantification using ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The LOQ values of the developed method were 4.02 µg kg⁻¹ and 0.96 µg L⁻¹ for feces and urine, respectively. This robust method recovered >60% and >80% cephapirin from spiked blank fecal and urine samples, respectively, with acceptable intra- and inter-day variation (<10%). Using this method, we detected trace amounts (µg kg⁻¹) of cephapirin in dairy cow feces, and cephapirin in urine was detected at very high concentrations (133 to 480 µg L⁻¹). Cephapirin was primarily excreted via urine and its urinary excretion was influenced by day (P = 0.03). Peak excretion (2.69 mg) was on day 1 following intramammary infusion and decreased sharply thereafter (0.19, 0.19, 0.08, and 0.17 mg on day 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively) reflecting a quadratic pattern of excretion (Quadratic: P = 0.03). The described method for quantification of cephapirin in bovine feces and urine is sensitive, accurate, and robust and allowed to monitor the pattern of cephapirin excretion in dairy cows. This data will help develop manure segregation and treatment methods to minimize the risk of antibiotic loading to the environment from dairy farms.     

MODY 2: Mutation identification and molecular ancestry in a Brazilian family

Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY) is a heterogeneous group of genetic diseases characterized by a primary defect in insulin secretion and hyperglycemia, non-ketotic disease, monogenic autosomal dominant mode of inheritance, age at onset less than 25 years, and lack of auto-antibodies. It accounts for 2–5% of all cases of non-type 1 diabetes. MODY subtype 2 is caused by mutations in the glucokinase (GCK) gene. In this study, we sequenced the GCK gene of two volunteers with clinical diagnosis for MODY2 and we were able to identify four mutations including one for a premature stop codon (c.76C>T). Based on these results, we have developed a specific PCR-RFLP assay to detect this mutation and tested 122 related volunteers from the same family. This mutation in the GCK gene was detected in 21 additional subjects who also had the clinical features of this genetic disease. In conclusion, we identified new GCK gene mutations in a Brazilian family of Italian descendance, with one due to a premature stop codon located in the second exon of the gene. We also developed a specific assay that is fast, cheap and reliable to detect this mutation. Finally, we built a molecular ancestry model based on our results for the migration of individuals carrying this genetic mutation from Northern Italy to Brazil.     

Expression of Mitochondrial Regulators PGC1α and TFAM as Putative Markers of Subtype and Chemoresistance in Epithelial Ovarian Carcinoma

Epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC), the major cause of gynaecological cancer death, is a heterogeneous disease classified into five subtypes. Each subtype has distinct clinical characteristics and is associated with different genetic risk factors and molecular events, but all are treated with surgery and platinum/taxane regimes. Tumour progression and chemoresistance is generally associated with major metabolic alterations, notably altered mitochondrial function(s). Here, we report for the first time that the expression of the mitochondrial regulators PGC1α and TFAM varies between EOC subtypes; furthermore, we have identified a profile in clear-cell carcinoma consisting of undetectability of PGC1α/TFAM, and low ERα/Ki-67. By contrast, high-grade serous carcinomas were characterised by a converse state of PGC1α/TFAM, ERα positivity and a high Ki-67 index. Interestingly, loss of PGC1α/TFAM and ERα was found also in a non-clear cell EOC cell line made highly resistant to platinum in vitro. Similar to clear-cell carcinomas, these resistant cells also showed accumulation of glycogen. Altogether, our data provide mechanistic insights into the chemoresistant nature of ovarian clear-cell carcinomas. Furthermore, these findings corroborate the need to take into account the diversity of EOC and to develop subtype specific treatment strategies.