Drug susceptibility of Brazilian strains of Mycobacterium bovis using traditional and molecular techniques

Transmission of Mycobacterium bovis from cattle to humans has been reported and can cause tuberculosis (Tb) and a problem in certain risk populations. Therefore, knowledge of resistance of M. bovis towards antibiotics used for therapy of human Tb could help avoiding cure delay and treatment cost increase when dealing with drug resistant organisms. We therefore evaluated the susceptibility of M. bovis isolates towards streptomycin, isoniazide, rifampicin, ethambutol, and ethionamide, the first line antibiotics for human Tb. Therefore, 185 clinical samples from cattle with clinical signs of tuberculosis were processed and submitted to culturing and bacterial isolates to identification and drug susceptibility testing using the proportion method. Among 89 mycobacterial strains, 65 were identified as M. bovis and none were resistant to any of the antibiotics used. Confirmation of present results by future studies, enrolling a large number of isolates and designed to properly represent Brazilian regions, may favor the idea of using isoniazide preventive therapy as part of a Tb control strategy in special situations. Also, nucleic acids from bacterial isolates were submitted to rifoligotyping, a recently described reverse hybridization assay for detection of mutations causing resistance towards rifampicin. Concordance between the conventional and the molecular test was 100%, demonstrating the use of such methodology for rapid evaluation of drug susceptibility in M. bovis.     

Maternal clutch reduction in the pied flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca: an undescribed clutch size adjustment mechanism

During eight years of study of a population of pied flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca breeding in central Spain, we observed throughout incubation 22 cases of intact eggs being placed on the nest rim and clearly outside of the nest bowl and remaining there, with consequent embryo mortality. We assume that the removal of eggs had been performed by the incubating female. There is no evidence that pied flycatcher parents can detect embryo mortality and eject unhatchable eggs. Maternal egg ejection constitutes a direct mechanism of clutch size adjustment during incubation and before hatching of any young of the brood. This adjustment of clutch size happened when the mean and minimum temperature of the day before ejection were especially low. Also, clutch-reducing females were significantly more prone to show moult-breeding overlap than other females, suggesting a lower disposition to invest in reproduction. Clutch-reducing females were also frequently older than four years and had indications of a lower immunocompetence than females not ejecting eggs. Our results support the hypothesis that adverse conditions can elicit parental family size adjustment at every stage of reproduction without the need to depend on mechanisms of sibling competition.     

Context characterization of amino acid homorepeats using evolution,position, and order

Amino acid repeats, or homorepeats, are low complexity protein motifs consisting of tandem repetitions of a single amino acid. Their presence and relative number vary in different proteomes, and some studies have tried to address this variation, proteome by proteome. In this work, we present a full characterization of amino acid homorepeats across evolution. We studied the presence and differential usage of each possible homorepeat in proteomes from various taxonomic groups, using clusters of very similar proteins to eliminate redundancy. The position of each amino acid repeat within proteins, and the order of co‐occurring amino acid repeats were also addressed. As a result, we present evidence about the unevenly evolution of homorepeats, as well as the functional implications of their relative position in proteins. We discuss some of these cases in their taxonomic context. Collectively, our results show evolutionary and positional signals that suggest that homorepeats have biological function, likely creating unspecific protein interactions or modulating specific interactions in a context dependent manner. In conclusion, our work supports the functional importance of homorepeats and establishes a basis for the study of other low complexity repeats. Proteins 2017; 85:709–719. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Villous B cells of the small intestine are specialized for invariant NK T cell dependence

B cells are important in mucosal microbial homeostasis through their well-known role in secretory IgA production and their emerging role in mucosal immunoregulation. Several specialized intraintestinal B cell compartments have been characterized, but the nature of conventional B cells in the lamina propria is poorly understood. In this study, we identify a B cell population predominantly composed of surface IgM(+) IgD(+) cells residing in villi of the small intestine and superficial lamina propria of the large intestine, but distinct from the intraepithelial compartment or organized intestinal lymphoid structures. Small intestinal (villous) B cells are diminished in genotypes that alter the strength of BCR signaling (Bruton tyrosine kinase(xid), Galphai2(-/-)), and in mice lacking cognate BCR specificity. They are not dependent on enteric microbial sensing, because they are abundant in mice that are germfree or genetically deficient in TLR signaling. However, villous B cells are reduced in the absence of invariant NK T cells (Jalpha18(-/-) or CD1d(-/-) mice). These findings define a distinct population of conventional B cells in small intestinal villi, and suggest an immunologic link between CD1-restricted invariant NK T cells and this B cell population.     

Ex vivo expansion of human mesenchymal stem cells: A more effective cell proliferation kinetics and metabolism under hypoxia

The low bone marrow (BM) MSC titers demand a fast ex vivo expansion process to meet the clinically relevant cell dosage. Attending to the low oxygen tension of BM in vivo, we studied the influence of hypoxia on human BM MSC proliferation kinetics and metabolism. Human BM MSC cultured under 2% (hypoxia) and 20% O₂ (normoxia) were characterized in terms of proliferation, cell division kinetics and metabolic patterns. BM MSC cultures under hypoxia displayed an early start of the exponential growth phase, and cell numbers obtained at each time point throughout culture were consistently higher under low O₂, resulting in a higher fold increase after 12 days under hypoxia (40 ± 10 vs. 30 ± 6). Cell labeling with PKH26 allowed us to determine that after 2 days of culture, a significant higher cell number was already actively dividing under 2% compared to 20% O₂ and BM MSC expanded under low oxygen tension displayed consistently higher percentages of cells in the latest generations (generations 4–6) until the 5th day of culture. Cells under low O₂ presented higher specific consumption of nutrients, especially early in culture, but with lower specific production of inhibitory metabolites. Moreover, 2% O₂ favored CFU‐F expansion, while maintaining BM MSC characteristic immunophenotype and differentiative potential. Our results demonstrated a more efficient BM MSC expansion at 2% O₂, compared to normoxic conditions, associated to an earlier start of cellular division and supported by an increase in cellular metabolism efficiency towards the maximization of cell yield for application in clinical settings. J. Cell. Physiol. 223: 27–35, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Modelling of ex vivo expansion/maintenance of hematopoietic stem cells

In this study, we described the modelling of the expansion/maintenance of human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells from adult human bone marrow. CD 34(+)-enriched cell populations from bone marrow were cultured in the presence and absence of human stroma in serum-free media containing bFGF, SCF, LIF and Flt-3 ligand for several days. The cells in the culture were analysed for expansion and phenotype by flow cytometry. Although significant expansion of bone marrow cultures occurred in the presence and absence of human stroma, the results of expansion were effectively better in the presence of a stromal layer. In both situations the phenotypic analysis demonstrated a great expansion of CD 34(+)38(-) cells. The differentiative potential of bone marrow CD 34(+) cells co-cultured with human stroma was primarily shifted towards the myeloid lineage with the presence of CD 15 and CD 33.     

Genetic and dermatoglyphic distances among Basque Valleys.

Palmar dermatoglyphics of a sample including 552 males and 701 females from 8 Basque valleys were analyzed. We studied the frequency of palmar pattern types and compared them using correspondence the frequency of palmar pattern types and compared them using correspondence analysis. The results of this comparative study show that there is diversity among valleys and also that this diversity depends on the trait and on sex. Genetic drift could explain this variability found in the Basque population.     

A rheumatoid factor paradox: inhibition of rituximab effector function

Introduction

Rituximab (RTX) therapy of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) exhibits enhanced effectiveness in seropositive patients. Using patient sera, we tested if this improved efficacy was associated with enhanced RTX mediated complement-dependent cytotoxicity (RTX-CDC).

Methods

We developed an in vitro assay for RTX-CDC using patient sera and the Daudi human B cell line. Using propidium iodide uptake and flow cytometry, we compared RTX-CDC with rheumatoid factor (RF)+ sera relative to normal volunteer, non-RA and RF- sera. Additional studies examined mixing studies of RF+ and RF- sera, as well as the effect of monoclonal IgA or IgM RF. Finally, the effect of RF on RTX mediated trogocytosis of normal B cells was evaluated.

Results

Using human sera, addition of RTX resulted in rapid and profound (> 50%) Daudi cell death that was complement dependent. Surprisingly, RF+ patient sera exhibited reduced RTX-CDC relative to RF- sera, with an inverse relationship of RTX-CDC and RF titer. Mixing studies indicated the presence of an inhibitor of RTX-CDC in RF+ sera. The addition of monoclonal IgM or IgA RF to RF- sera markedly inhibited RTX-CDC. This effect was specific for RF binding to the Fc portion of RTX as it was not apparent with the F(ab)'' domains of RTX engineered onto IgG3 heavy chain. RF also modestly inhibited RTX mediated trogocytosis.

Conclusions

Contrary to expectations, RF+ sera exhibits reduced RTX-CDC due to the presence of RF. The enhanced efficacy of RTX in seropositive RA patients cannot be attributed to improved B cell depletion through CDC. This result indicates that high RF levels may potentially modulate the efficacy of any therapeutic monoclonal antibody dependent on Fc effector function.     

Therapeutic cold: An effective kind to modulate the oxidative damage resulting of a skeletal muscle contusion

Muscular contusions affect the function of the skeletal muscle system. This study investigated the oxidative damage as well as the main morphological changes related to a skeletal muscle contusion in the gastrocnemius muscle of rats and also the capacity of therapeutic cold to modulate these parameters. The therapeutic cold modulated the increase of oxidative stress markers and also modulated the reduction in the antioxidants levels in the injured muscle. In enzyme assays, therapeutic cold was also effective in normalizing the muscle Na(+)/K(+) and Ca(2+) ATPases, lactate dehydrogenase and myeloperoxidase activities. Similarly, the lesioned non-treated animals presented evident impairments in the mitochondrial functions and in the muscle morphology which were diminished by the cold treatment. The therapeutic cold was able to modulate the oxidative damage possibly by its capacity to limit the inflammatory response intensity, to attenuate the impairment of the mitochondrial function and also to preserve the skeletal muscle morphology.     

Production and Evaluation of a Recombinant Chimeric Vaccine against Clostridium botulinum Neurotoxin Types C and D

Bovine botulism is a fatal disease that is caused by botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) produced by Clostridium botulinum serotypes C and D and that causes great economic losses, with nearly 100% lethality during outbreaks. It has also been considered a potential source of human food-borne illness in many countries. Vaccination has been reported to be the most effective way to control bovine botulism. However, the commercially available toxoid-based vaccines are difficult and hazardous to produce. Neutralizing antibodies targeted against the C-terminal fragment of the BoNT heavy chain (H_C) are known to confer efficient protection against lethal doses of BoNTs. In this study, a novel recombinant chimera, consisting of Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin B subunit (LTB), a strong adjuvant of the humoral immune response, fused to the H_C of BoNT serotypes C and D, was produced in E. coli. Mice vaccinated with the chimera containing LTB and an equivalent molar ratio of the chimera without LTB plus aluminum hydroxide (Al(OH)₃) developed 2 IU/mL of antitoxins for both serotypes. Guinea pigs immunized with the recombinant chimera with LTB plus Al(OH)₃ developed a protective immune response against both BoNT/C (5 IU/mL) and BoNT/D (10 IU/mL), as determined by a mouse neutralization bioassay with pooled sera. The results achieved with guinea pig sera fulfilled the requirements of commercial vaccines for prevention of botulism, as determined by the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food, Supply. The presence of LTB was essential for the development of a strong humoral immune response, as it acted in synergism with Al(OH)₃. Thus, the vaccine described in this study is a strong candidate for the control of botulism in cattle.