A cis-element in the 5' untranslated region of the preproinsulin mRNA (ppIGE) is required for glucose regulation of proinsulin translation

Insulin production in pancreatic beta cells is predominantly regulated through glucose control of proinsulin translation. Previously, this was shown to require sequences within the untranslated regions (UTRs) of the preproinsulin (ppI) mRNA. Here, those sequences were found to be sufficient for specific glucose-regulated proinsulin translation. Furthermore, an element 40-48 bp from the 5' end of the ppI mRNA specifically bound a factor present in islets of Langerhans. Glucose-responsive factor binding to this cis-element exhibited temporal and glucose-concentration-dependent patterns that paralleled proinsulin biosynthesis. Mutating this cis-element abolished the ability of ppI mRNA UTRs to confer glucose regulation upon translation. Like the rat 5'UTR, the human ppI 5'UTR conferred glucose regulation of translation. However alternative splicing of the human 5'UTR that disrupts the cis-element abolished glucose-regulated translation. These data indicate that glucose regulation of cis-element/trans-acting factor interaction is a key component of the mechanism by which glucose regulates insulin production.     

Identification of three phases in Onconase refolding

Onconase is an extremely stable member of the RNase A superfamily. The increase in the thermodynamic stability by 20 kJ x mol(-1) in comparison to RNase A was expected to result in altered folding behavior. Despite the lack of cis-Pro residues in native Onconase, refolding at low concentrations of guanidine hydrochloride was complex and showed three kinetic phases (fast, medium, and slow), with rate constants differing by a factor of about 10 each. None of the phases could be accelerated by peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerases, pointing to the absence of kinetic phases that are limited by Pro isomerization. The detailed analysis by various probes indicates that the burial of the N-terminal Trp3, which is associated with the restoration of the active site, occurs in the slow phase, i.e. in the last step of refolding. Evidently, in contrast to the folding of RNase A, there is no catalytically active native-like intermediate in the folding of Onconase.     

Enzymes that hydrolyze adenine nucleotides of patients with hypercholesterolemia and inflammatory processes

The activity of NTPDase (EC 3.6.1.5, apyrase, CD39) was verified in platelets from patients with increasing cholesterol levels. A possible association between cholesterol levels and inflammatory markers, such as oxidized low-density lipoprotein, highly sensitive C-reactive protein and oxidized low-density lipoprotein autoantibodies, was also investigated. Lipid peroxidation was estimated by measurement of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in serum. The following groups were studied: group I, < 150 mg.dL(-1) cholesterol; group II, 151-200 mg.dL(-1) cholesterol; group III, 201-250 mg.dL(-1) cholesterol; and group IV, > 251 mg.dL(-1) cholesterol. The results demonstrated that both ATP hydrolysis and ADP hydrolysis were enhanced as a function of cholesterol level. Low-density lipoprotein levels increased concomitantly with total cholesterol levels. Triglyceride levels were increased in the groups with total cholesterol above 251 mg.dL(-1). Oxidized low-density lipoprotein levels were elevated in groups II, III, and IV. Highly sensitive C-reactive protein was elevated in the group with cholesterol levels higher than 251 mg.dL(-1). Oxidized low-density lipoprotein autoantibodies were elevated in groups III and IV. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substance content was enhanced as a function of cholesterol level. In summary, hypercholesterolemia is associated with enhancement of inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and ATP and ADP hydrolysis. The increased ATP and ADP hydrolysis in group IV was confirmed by an increase in CD39 expression on its surface. The increase in CD39 activity is possibly related to a compensatory response to the inflammatory and pro-oxidative state associated with hypercholesterolemia.     

Enhanced endothelin-1-mediated leg vascular tone in healthy older subjects.

Advanced age is associated with a decreased leg blood flow and reduced physical activity. Endothelin (ET-1), a powerful vasoconstrictor, may play a role in the increased leg vascular tone in older men. objectives: to assess the ET-1-mediated vascular tone in the legs of healthy sedentary older men, both before and after 8 wk of exercise training. methods: in 8 younger subjects (19-50 yr) and 8 older men (67-76 yr), bilateral leg blood flow was measured using venous occlusion plethysmography before and after antagonizing ET-1 (using selective ET(A/B)-receptor antagonists). In older men, reversibility of the observations was assessed after 8 wk of cycling. results: ET-receptor inhibition increased leg blood flow significantly more in older men compared with younger individuals (29 +/- 9% and 10 +/- 4%, respectively, P < 0.05). Eight-week cycling training increased baseline blood flow in older men. The blood flow response to ET-receptor inhibition in older men was not affected by the training program (25 +/- 8%, P > 0.05 for comparison with pretraining). The flow ratio (blood flows infused leg/noninfused leg) decreased significantly by training from 26 +/- 8% to 7+3% (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: the increased baseline vascular tone in aging is at least in part mediated by the endothelin. Eight-weeks cycling training in older sedentary men decreased leg vascular tone and seems to partly decrease the ET-1-mediated vascular tone.     

Heavy metals in surface waters of Laguna de Bay,Philippines: current levels and trends

Limnology - Laguna de Bay is the largest multipurpose lake in the Philippines. Of the primary uses, fish cultivation and potable water production depend mainly on its water quality. Over the years,...     

Long-term changes in temperate marine fish assemblages are driven by a small subset of species

The species composition of plant and animal assemblages across the globe has changed substantially over the past century. How do the dynamics of individual species cause this change? We classified species into seven unique categories of temporal dynamics based on the ordered sequence of presences and absences that each species contributes to an assemblage time series. We applied this framework to 14,434 species trajectories comprising 280 assemblages of temperate marine fishes surveyed annually for 20 or more years. Although 90% of the assemblages diverged in species composition from the baseline year, this compositional change was largely driven by only 8% of the species' trajectories. Quantifying the reorganization of assemblages based on species shared temporal dynamics should facilitate the task of monitoring and restoring biodiversity. We suggest ways in which our framework could provide informative measures of compositional change, as well as leverage future research on pattern and process in ecological systems.     

Land use intensification increasingly drives the spatiotemporal patterns of the global human appropriation of net primary production in the last century

Land use has greatly transformed Earth's surface. While spatial reconstructions of how the extent of land cover and land-use types have changed during the last century are available, much less information exists about changes in land-use intensity. In particular, global reconstructions that consistently cover land-use intensity across land-use types and ecosystems are missing. We, therefore, lack understanding of how changes in land-use intensity interfere with the natural processes in land systems. To address this research gap, we map land-cover and land-use intensity changes between 1910 and 2010 for 9 points in time. We rely on the indicator framework of human appropriation of net primary production (HANPP) to quantify and map land-use-induced alterations of the carbon flows in ecosystems. We find that, while at the global aggregate level HANPP growth slowed down during the century, the spatial dynamics of changes in HANPP were increasing, with the highest change rates observed in the most recent past. Across all biomes, the importance of changes in land-use areas has declined, with the exception of the tropical biomes. In contrast, increases in land-use intensity became the most important driver of HANPP across all biomes and settings. We conducted uncertainty analyses by modulating input data and assumptions, which indicate that the spatial patterns of land use and potential net primary production are the most critical factors, while spatial allocation rules and uncertainties in overall harvest values play a smaller role. Highlighting the increasing role of land-use intensity compared to changes in the areal extent of land uses, our study supports calls for better integration of the intensity dimension into global analyses and models. On top of that, we provide important empirical input for further analyses of the sustainability of the global land system.     

Performance and host finding behavior in relation to host age of Cosmocomoidea annulicornis,egg parasitoid of a sharpshooter vector of the citrus variegated chlorosis

BioControl - Cosmocomoidea annulicornis (Ogloblin) (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) is a solitary egg parasitoid of the sharpshooter Tapajosa rubromarginata (Signoret) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), vector of...     

Changes in native and introduced host–parasite networks

Biological Invasions - Introduced species can alter the dynamics and structure of a native community. Network analysis provides a tool to study host–parasite interactions that can help to...