Toxin–antitoxin-stabilized reporter plasmids for biophotonic imaging of Group A streptococcus

Bioluminescence is a rapid and cost-efficient optical imaging technology that allows the detection of bacteria in real-time during disease development. Here, we report a novel strategy to generate a wide range of bioluminescent group A streptococcus (GAS) strains by using a toxin–antitoxin-stabilized plasmid. The bacterial luciferin–luciferase operon (lux) or the firefly luciferase gene (ffluc) was introduced into GAS via a stabilized plasmid. The FFluc reporter gave significantly stronger bioluminescent signals than the Lux reporter, and was generally more stable. Plasmid-based luciferase reporters could easily be introduced into a variety of GAS strains and the signals correlated linearly with viable cell counts. Co-expression of the streptococcal ω–ε–ζ toxin–antitoxin operon provided segregational stability in the absence of antibiotics for at least 17 passages in vitro and up to 7 days in a mouse infection model. In addition, genome-integrated reporter constructs were also generated by site-specific recombination, but were found to be technically more challenging. The quick and efficient generation of various M-type GAS strains expressing plasmid-based luciferase reporters with comparable and quantifiable bioluminescence signals allows for comparative analysis of different GAS strains in vitro and in vivo.     

Rat mitochondrial coupling factor 6: molecular cloning of a cDNA encoding the imported precursor.

A cDNA clone encoding the precursor to the rat mitochondrial protein coupling factor 6 (F6) has been isolated and sequenced. The deduced amino acid sequence of the rat precursor protein shows 78% and 74% identity with the human and bovine F6 pre-proteins, respectively.     

The increase in brain tryptophan caused by amphetamine-like drugs: correlation with an increase in body temperature.

The effects of amphetamine, hyperthermia and increased serum unesterified fatty acids (UFA) were considered as having possible roles in the amphetamine-induced increase in brain tryptophan (Trp) levels. The change in brain Trp of male Sprague-Dawley rats 1 hour after the administration of various amphetamine-like drugs (50 μmoles/kg) correlated with the change in rectal temperature (r = 0.89) but not with the increase in serum UFA (r = 0.04). Also, increases in UFA did not correlate with increases in temperature (r = 0.01). The amphetamine-induced increase in brain Trp was not accompanied by significant changes in the levels of aromatic amino acids in serum. The amphetamine-induced increase in brain Trp also correlated with the increase in body temperature in six strains of mice (r = 0.93). No significant increases in serum UFA were observed in mice 1 hour after the administration of d1-amphetamine (50 μmoles/kg).     

Implementation of shared decision making by physician training to optimise hypertension treatment. Study protocol of a cluster-RCT

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Hypertension is one of the key factors causing cardiovascular diseases which make up the most frequent cause of death in industrialised nations. However about 60% of hypertensive patients in Germany treated with antihypertensives do not reach the recommended target blood pressure. The involvement of patients in medical decision making fulfils not only an ethical imperative but, furthermore, has the potential of higher treatment success. One concept to enhance the active role of patients is shared decision making. Until now there exists little information on the effects of shared decision making trainings for general practitioners on patient participation and on lowering blood pressure in hypertensive patients. METHODS: In a cluster-randomised controlled trial 1800 patients receiving antihypertensives will be screened with 24 h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in their general practitioners' practices. Only patients who have not reached their blood pressure target (approximately 1200) will remain in the study (T1 -- T3). General practitioners of the intervention group will take part in a shared decision making-training after baseline assessment (T0). General practitioners of the control group will treat their patients as usual. Primary endpoints are change of systolic blood pressure and change of patients' perceived participation. Secondary endpoints are changes of diastolic blood pressure, knowledge, medical adherence and cardiovascular risk. Data analysis will be performed with mixed effects models. DISCUSSION: The hypothesis underlying this study is that shared decision making, realised by a shared decision making training for general practitioners, activates patients, facilitates patients' empowerment and contributes to a better hypertension control. This study is the first one that tests this hypothesis with a (cluster-) randomised trial and a large sample size.Trial registrationWHO International Clinical Trials: http://apps.who.int/trialsearch/Trial.aspx?TrialID=DRKS00000125.     

CaMKK2 is inactivated by cAMP-PKA signaling and 14-3-3 adaptor proteins

The calcium-calmodulin–dependent protein kinase kinase-2 (CaMKK2) is a key regulator of cellular and whole-body energy metabolism. It is known to be activated by increases in intracellular Ca²⁺, but the mechanisms by which it is inactivated are less clear. CaMKK2 inhibition protects against prostate cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, and metabolic derangements induced by a high-fat diet; therefore, elucidating the intracellular mechanisms that inactivate CaMKK2 has important therapeutic implications. Here we show that stimulation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) signaling in cells inactivates CaMKK2 by phosphorylation of three conserved serine residues. PKA-dependent phosphorylation of Ser⁴⁹⁵ directly impairs calcium-calmodulin activation, whereas phosphorylation of Ser¹⁰⁰ and Ser⁵¹¹ mediate recruitment of 14-3-3 adaptor proteins that hold CaMKK2 in the inactivated state by preventing dephosphorylation of phospho-Ser⁴⁹⁵. We also report the crystal structure of 14-3-3ζ bound to a synthetic diphosphorylated peptide that reveals how the canonical (Ser⁵¹¹) and noncanonical (Ser¹⁰⁰) 14-3-3 consensus sites on CaMKK2 cooperate to bind 14-3-3 proteins. Our findings provide detailed molecular insights into how cAMP-PKA signaling inactivates CaMKK2 and reveals a pathway to inhibit CaMKK2 with potential for treating human diseases.     

Conversion of a 2-(N-nitroso)acetamido hexose into a five-carbon, acetylenic sugar derivative

Dinitrogen tetraoxide was used to convert 2-acetamido-1,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-2-deoxy-β-D-glucopyranose (1) in high yield into the syrupy N-nitroso derivative 2, and benzyl 2-acetamido-3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-2-deoxy-β-D-glucopyranose (6) into the crystalline N-nitroso analog 7. The N-nitroso derivative 2 in acetonitrile underwent photolysis by pyrex-filtered, u.v. light to regenerate the starting acetamide 1 in high yield; spontaneous decomposition of 2 afforded β-D-glucopyranose pentaacetate (3) and other products. In ethereal solution, compound 2 reacted with potassium hydroxide in isopropyl alcohol with loss of the 2-substituent and C-1, to give a C₅ acetylene, 1,2-dideoxy-D-erythro-pent-1-ynitol, isolated in high yield as its triacetate 4 and characterized by conversion into the known, crystalline 1,2-dideoxy-3-O-(3,5- dinitrobenzoyl)-4,5-O-isopropylidene-D-erythro-pent-1-ynitol (5).     

Extrarenal production and activation of human plasma prorenin: the evidence after venous occlusion

Venous occlusion of the left arm in consenting men was induced for 10 or 20 min to stimulate local fibrinolytic and other proteases, thereby favouring the conversion of prorenin to renin. Using the two techniques cryoactivation and tryptic activation, we found that plasma active renin increased significantly after such occlusion (10 and 20 min) while prorenin rose more convincingly and progressively from 10 to 20 min. The renin increase can be partially attributed to hemoconcentration, but in vivo production and (or) local activation of prorenin to renin cannot be excluded. The prorenin rise can apparently be attributed to local extrarenal production, and not to hemoconcentration or influx, since it was progressive and neither prorenin nor renin levels were raised at all in blood circulating outside the occluded arm. Prekallikrein and plasminogen levels were elevated in occlusion plasmas, but responsibility of these enzyme systems for any enhanced activation of prorenin was not established. The trypsin inhibitory capacity was also elevated, increasing the requirement of trypsin to achieve optimal activation of prorenin, but not changing the prorenin estimate itself. Thus, prorenin appears to be released extrarenally, within the vasculature of an occluded arm, while in vitro evidence suggests that the mechanisms for its activation were stimulated. The importance of such extrarenal production and activation of prorenin for renin production under other physiological or pathophysiological conditions remains to be determined.