Mutual Exclusivity of Hyaluronan and Hyaluronidase in Invasive Group A Streptococcus

A recent analysis of group A Streptococcus (GAS) invasive infections in Australia has shown a predominance of M4 GAS, a serotype recently reported to lack the antiphagocytic hyaluronic acid (HA) capsule. Here, we use molecular genetics and bioinformatics techniques to characterize 17 clinical M4 isolates associated with invasive disease in children during this recent epidemiology. All M4 isolates lacked HA capsule, and whole genome sequence analysis of two isolates revealed the complete absence of the hasABC capsule biosynthesis operon. Conversely, M4 isolates possess a functional HA-degrading hyaluronate lyase (HylA) enzyme that is rendered nonfunctional in other GAS through a point mutation. Transformation with a plasmid expressing hasABC restored partial encapsulation in wild-type (WT) M4 GAS, and full encapsulation in an isogenic M4 mutant lacking HylA. However, partial encapsulation reduced binding to human complement regulatory protein C4BP, did not enhance survival in whole human blood, and did not increase virulence of WT M4 GAS in a mouse model of systemic infection. Bioinformatics analysis found no hasABC homologs in closely related species, suggesting that this operon was a recent acquisition. These data showcase a mutually exclusive interaction of HA capsule and active HylA among strains of this leading human pathogen.     

Root growth dynamics linked to above-ground growth in walnut (Juglans regia)

Background and Aims Examination of plant growth below ground is relatively scant compared with that above ground, and is needed to understand whole-plant responses to the environment. This study examines whether the seasonal timing of fine root growth and the spatial distribution of this growth through the soil profile varies in response to canopy manipulation and soil temperature.Methods Plasticity in the seasonal timing and vertical distribution of root production in response to canopy and soil water manipulation was analysed in field-grown walnut (Juglans regia ‘Chandler’) using minirhizotron techniques.Key Results Root production in walnuts followed a unimodal curve, with one marked flush of root growth starting in mid-May, with a peak in mid-June. Root production declined later in the season, corresponding to increased soil temperature, as well as to the period of major carbohydrate allocation to reproduction. Canopy and soil moisture manipulation did not influence the timing of root production, but did influence the vertical distribution of roots through the soil profile. Water deficit appeared to promote root production in deeper soil layers for mining soil water. Canopy removal appeared to promote shallow root production.Conclusions The findings of this study add to growing evidence that root growth in many ecosystems follows a unimodal curve with one marked flush of root growth in coordination with the initial leaf flush of the season. Root vertical distribution appeared to have greater plasticity than timing of root production in this system, with temperature and/or carbohydrate competition constraining the timing of root growth. Effects on root distribution can have serious impacts on trees, with shallow rooting having negative impacts in years with limited soil water or positive impacts in years with wet springs, and deep rooting having positive impacts on soil water mining from deeper soil layers but negative impacts in years with wet springs.     

Belowground heathland responses after 2 years of combined warming, elevated CO2 and summer drought

Terrestrial ecosystems are exposed to atmospheric and climatic changes including increases in atmospheric CO₂ concentration, temperature and alterations of precipitation patterns, which are predicted to continue with consequences for ecosystem services and functioning in the future. In a field scale experiment on temperate heathland, manipulation of precipitation and temperature was performed with retractable curtains, and atmospheric CO₂ concentration was increased by FACE. The combination of elevated CO₂ and warming was expected to affect belowground processes additively, through increased belowground sequestration of labile carbohydrates due to elevated CO₂ in combination with temperature increased process rates. Together, these changes might increase microbial activity and availability of plant nutrients. Two years after the start of the experiment, belowground processes responded significantly to the treatments. In the combined temperature and CO₂ treatment the dissolved organic nitrogen concentration decreased and the ammonium concentration increased, but this release of nutrients was not mirrored by plant parameters. Microbial biomass carbon and microbial enrichment with ¹³C and ¹⁵N (1 year after ¹³C ₂ ¹⁵ N-glycine was injected into the soil) increased in warmed plots and in elevated CO₂ plots, but not when these treatments were combined. Furthermore, drought led to an increase in Calluna biomass and total plant nitrogen pool. The full combination of warming, elevated CO₂ and periodic drought did not unambiguously express the ecosystem responses of single factors additively, which complicates predictions of ecosystem responses to multifactor climate change.     

Disease-Dependent Local IL-10 Production Ameliorates Collagen Induced Arthritis in Mice

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic destructive autoimmune disease characterised by periods of flare and remission. Today’s treatment is based on continuous immunosuppression irrespective of the patient’s inflammatory status. When the disease is in remission the therapy is withdrawn but withdrawal attempts often results in inflammatory flares, and re-start of the therapy is commenced when the inflammation again is prominent which leads both to suffering and increased risk of tissue destruction. An attractive alternative treatment would provide a disease-regulated therapy that offers increased anti-inflammatory effect during flares and is inactive during periods of remission. To explore this concept we expressed the immunoregulatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-10 gene under the control of an inflammation dependent promoter in a mouse model of RA - collagen type II (CII) induced arthritis (CIA). Haematopoetic stem cells (HSCs) were transduced with lentiviral particles encoding the IL-10 gene (LNT-IL-10), or a green fluorescence protein (GFP) as control gene (LNT-GFP), driven by the inflammation-dependent IL-1/IL-6 promoter. Twelve weeks after transplantation of transduced HSCs into DBA/1 mice, CIA was induced. We found that LNT-IL-10 mice developed a reduced severity of arthritis compared to controls. The LNT-IL-10 mice exhibited both increased mRNA expression levels of IL-10 as well as increased amount of IL-10 produced by B cells and non-B APCs locally in the lymph nodes compared to controls. These findings were accompanied by increased mRNA expression of the IL-10 induced suppressor of cytokine signalling 1 (SOCS1) in lymph nodes and a decrease in the serum protein levels of IL-6. We also found a decrease in both frequency and number of B cells and serum levels of anti-CII antibodies. Thus, inflammation-dependent IL-10 therapy suppresses experimental autoimmune arthritis and is a promising candidate in the development of novel treatments for RA.     

Chemical shift assignments and secondary structure of the Grb2 SH2 domain by heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy

Summary The growth factor receptor-bound protein-2 (Grb2) is an adaptor protein that mediates signal transduction pathways. Chemical shift assignments were obtained for the SH2 domain of Grb2 by heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy, employing the uniformly ¹³C-/¹⁵N-enriched protein as well as the protein containing selectively ¹⁵N-enriched amino acids. Using the Chemical Shift Index (CSI) method, the chemical shift indices of four nuclei, ¹H, ¹³C, ¹³C and ¹³CO, were used to derive the secondary structure of the protein. Nuclear Overhauser enhancements (NOEs) were then employed to confirm the secondary structure. The CSI results were compared to the secondary structural elements predicted for the Grb2 SH2 domain from a sequence alignment [Lee et al. (1994) Structure, 2, 423–438]. The core structure of the SH2 domain contains an antiparallel -sheet and two -helices. In general, the secondary structural elements determined from the CSI method agree well with those predicted from the sequence alignment.Abbreviations crk viral p47^gag-crk - EGF epidermal growth factor - GAP GTPase-activating protein - PI3K phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase - PLC- phospholipase-C-, shc, src homologous and collagen - src sarcoma family of nonreceptor tyrosine kinase     

Clinical and pathological features of six cases of sarcoidosis presenting with renal failure

Six patients with biopsy-proven renal sarcoidosis presented with renal failure of unknown origin; in none was the diagnosis of sarcoidosis initially considered. The serum creatinine concentration at the time of presentation ranged from 265 to 1380 μmol/l (3.0 to 15.6 mg/dl), with a mean of 787 μmol/l (8.9 mg/dl). Although only two patients were hypercalcemic at the time of presentation, the 24-hour urinary excretion of calcium was increased in three of the four patients in whom it was measured, and renal calculi were present in one case. Renal biopsy revealed interstitial nephritis and tubular atrophy in all cases, as well as nephrocalcinosis in three cases and noncaseating granulomas negative for acid-fast bacilli in four cases. In each patient steroid therapy led to a rapid improvement in renal function (mean post-treatment serum creatinine level 274 μmol/l [3.1 mg/dl]). The follow-up period ranged from 8 months to 8 years (mean 3.0 years). In three patients renal function remained stable with low-dose steroid therapy. In two cases recurrent hypercalcemia and deteriorating renal function accompanied steroid withdrawal but resolved with its reinstitution. In one additional case reversible deterioration in renal function accompanied tapering of the steroid dose; however, there was no hypercalcemia.This report emphasizes the importance of considering sarcoidosis in the differential diagnosis of acute renal failure of unknown origin. Long-term follow-up of such patients is essential, as relapse is common.     

Determinants of the substrate specificity of multidrug resistance protein 1: role of amino acid residues with hydrogen bonding potential in predicted transmembrane helix 17

Human multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1) confers resistance to many natural product chemotherapeutic agents and actively transports structurally diverse organic anion conjugates. We previously demonstrated that two hydrogen-bonding amino acid residues in the predicted transmembrane 17 (TM17) of MRP1, Thr(1242) and Trp(1246), were important for drug resistance and 17beta-estradiol 17-(beta-d-glucuronide) (E(2)17betaG) transport. To determine whether other residues with hydrogen bonding potential within TM17 influence substrate specificity, we replaced Ser(1233), Ser(1235), Ser(1237), Gln(1239), Thr(1241), and Asn(1245) with Ala and Tyr(1236) and Tyr(1243) with Phe. Mutations S1233A, S1235A, S1237A, and Q1239A had no effect on any substrate tested. In contrast, mutations Y1236F and T1241A decreased resistance to vincristine but not to VP-16, doxorubicin, and epirubicin. Mutation Y1243F reduced resistance to all drugs tested by 2-3-fold. Replacement of Asn(1245) with Ala also decreased resistance to VP-16, doxorubicin, and epirubicin but increased resistance to vincristine. This mutation also decreased E(2)17betaG transport approximately 5-fold. Only mutation Y1243F altered the ability of MRP1 to transport both leukotriene 4 and E(2)17betaG. Together with our previous results, these findings suggest that residues with side chain hydrogen bonding potential, clustered in the cytoplasmic half of TM17, participate in the formation of a substrate binding site.