Tattoo pigment in an axillary lymph node simulating metastatic malignant melanoma

We report a case of axillary lymphadenopathy thirty years after a decorative tattoo clinically mimicking metastatic melanoma. The importance of relying on histological confirmation of metastatic disease before altering extent of surgery is discussed. The importance of recording presence of decorative tattoos is stressed.     

Site fidelity and association patterns in a deep-water dolphin: Rough-toothed dolphins (Steno bredanensis) in the Hawaiian Archipelago

In the Pacific, rough-toothed dolphins ( Steno bredanensis ) are typically found in the open ocean and in deep waters around oceanic islands. We examined habitat use, site fidelity, movements, and association patterns of this species in the main Hawaiian Islands. Sighting rates were highest in depths >1,500 m. There were frequent within- and between-year resightings off the island of Hawai'i, indicating a small population size with high site fidelity. Resighting rates were lower off Kaua'i/Ni'ihau, indicating a larger population size, but with some site fidelity. Two individuals were documented moving from Kaua'i to Hawai'i, a distance of 480 km, but were not seen to associate with dolphins off Hawai'i. Observed movements were consistent with at most 2% dispersal per year between these two areas. Differences in group sizes, habitat use, and behavior imply that movements among the islands may be limited. Little is known about the diet of rough-toothed dolphins in Hawai'i, but they are thought to feed primarily on near-surface species. High fidelity to deep-water areas off the island of Hawai'i likely reflects an increase in the predictability of prey associated with upwelling due to the island mass effect, wind stress curl and cyclonic eddies that form off the island.     

Amino acid catabolism in cheese-related bacteria: selection and study of the effects of pH, temperature and NaCl by quadratic response surface methodology

AIMS: To screen the cystathionine lyase and L-methionine aminotransferase activities of cheese-related bacteria (lactococci, non-starter lactobacilli and smear bacteria) and to determine the individual and interactive effects of temperature, pH and NaCl concentration on selected enzyme activities. METHODS AND RESULTS: A subcellular fractionation protocol and specific enzyme assays were used, and a quadratic response surface methodology was applied. The majority of the strains, 21 of 33, had detectable cystathionine lyase activity which differed in the specificity. Aminotransferase activity on L-methionine was observed in only three strains. The cystathionine lyase activities of Lactobacillus reuteri DSM20016, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris MG1363, Brevibacterium linens 10 and Corynebacterium ammoniagenes 8 and the L-methionine aminotransferase activity of Lact. reuteri DSM20016 had temperature and pH optima of 30-45 degrees C, and 7.5-8.0, respectively. As shown by the quadratic response surface methodology these enzymes retained activities in the range of temperature, pH and NaCl concentration which characterized the cheeses from which the bacteria originated. CONCLUSION: The enzyme activities may have a role in flavour development during cheese ripening. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The findings of this work contribute to the knowledge about the amino acid catabolic enzymes in order to improve cheese ripening.     

Solution Structures of Casein Peptides: NMR, FTIR, CD, and Molecular Modeling Studies of αs1-Casein, 1–23

To determine its potential for interacting with other components of the casein micelle, the N-terminal section of bovine _s1-casein-B, residues 1-23, was investigated with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopies, and molecular modeling. NMR data were not consistent with conventional -helical or -sheet structures, but changes in N-H proton chemical shifts suggested thermostable structures. Both CD and FTIR predicted a range of secondary structures for the peptide (30–40% turns, 25–30% extended) that were highly stable from 5°C to 25°C. Other conformational elements, such as loops and polyproline II helix, were indicated by FTIR only. Molecular dynamics simulation of the peptide predicted 32% turns and 27% extended, in agreement with FTIR and CD predictions and consistent with NMR data. This information is interpreted in accord with recent spectroscopic evidence regarding the nature of unordered conformations, leading to a possible role of _s1-casein (1–23) in facilitating casein-casein interactions.     

Within-session changes in responding during concurrent variable interval variable ratio schedules

Rats (Experiment 1) and pigeons (Experiment 2) responded on several concurrent variable interval (VI) variable ratio (VR) schedules. The rate of, but not the time spent, responding in each component usually changed within-sessions. The bias and sensitivity parameters of the generalized matching law (GML) did not change systematically within-sessions. The fit of the GML to the data did not change within-sessions for pigeons, but it was better in the middle than at the beginning or end of the session for some for rats. Both over- and under-matching occurred. These results imply that within-session changes in responding do not usually cause problems for assessing the validity of the GML when subjects respond on concurrent VI VR schedules. The results also suggest that under- and over-matching are not produced by different factors, but rather lie on a continuum.     

Dishabituation with component transitions may contribute to the interactions observed during multiple schedules

Rates of responding by rats were usually higher during the variable interval (VI) 30-s component of a multiple VI 30-s fixed interval (FI) 30-s schedule than during the same component of a multiple VI 30-s VI 30-s schedule (Experiment 1). Response rates were also usually higher during the FI 30-s component of a multiple VI 30-s FI 30-s schedule than during the same component of a multiple FI 30-s FI 30-s schedule (Experiment 2). The differences in response rates were not observed when the components provided VI or FI 120-s schedules. These results were predicted by the idea that differences in habituation to the reinforcer between multiple schedules contribute to behavioral interactions, such as behavioral contrast. However, differences in habituation were not apparent in the within-session patterns of responding. Finding differences in response rates in both experiments violates widely-held assumptions about behavioral interactions, including that behavioral contrast does not occur for rats and that improving the conditions of reinforcement decreases, rather than increases, response rate in the alternative component.     

Tryparedoxins from Crithidia fasciculata and Trypanosoma brucei: photoreduction of the redox disulfide using synchrotron radiation and evidence for a conformational switch implicated in function

Tryparedoxin (TryX) is a member of the thioredoxin (TrX) fold family involved in the regulation of oxidative stress in parasitic trypanosomatids. Like TrX, TryX carries a characteristic Trp-Cys-Xaa-Xaa-Cys motif, which positions a redox-active disulfide underneath a tryptophan lid. We report the structure of a Crithidia fasciculata tryparedoxin isoform (CfTryX2) in two crystal forms and compare them with structures determined previously. Efforts to chemically generate crystals of reduced TryX1 were unsuccessful, and we carried out a novel experiment to break the redox-active disulfide, formed between Cys-40 and Cys-43, utilizing the intense x-radiation from a third generation synchrotron undulator beamline. A time course study of the S-S bond cleavage is reported with the structure of a TryX1 C43A mutant as the control. When freed from the constraints of a disulfide link to Cys-43, Cys-40 pivots to become slightly more solvent-accessible. In addition, we have determined the structure of Trypanosoma brucei TryX, which, influenced by the molecular packing in the crystal lattice, displays a significantly different orientation of the active site tryptophan lid. This structural change may be of functional significance when TryX interacts with tryparedoxin peroxidase, the final protein in the trypanothione-dependent peroxidase pathway. Comparisons with chloroplast TrX and its substrate fructose 1,6-bisphosphate phosphatase suggest that this movement may represent a general feature of redox regulation in the trypanothione and thioredoxin peroxidase pathways.     

The 1.9 A crystal structure of heat-labile shrimp alkaline phosphatase

Alkaline phosphatases are non-specific phosphomonoesterases that are distributed widely in species ranging from bacteria to man. This study has concentrated on the tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase from arctic shrimps (shrimp alkaline phosphatase, SAP). Originating from a cold-active species, SAP is thermolabile and is used widely in vitro, e.g. to dephosphorylate DNA or dNTPs, since it can be inactivated by a short rise in temperature. Since alkaline phosphatases are zinc-containing enzymes, a multiwavelength anomalous dispersion (MAD) experiment was performed on the zinc K edge, which led to the determination of the structure to a resolution of 1.9 A. Anomalous data clearly showed the presence of a zinc triad in the active site, whereas alkaline phosphatases usually contain two zinc and one magnesium ion per monomer. SAP shares the core, an extended beta-sheet flanked by alpha-helices, and a metal triad with the currently known alkaline phosphatase structures (Escherichia coli structures and a human placental structure). Although SAP lacks some features specific for the mammalian enzyme, their backbones are very similar and may therefore be typical for other higher organisms. Furthermore, SAP possesses a striking feature that the other structures lack: surface potential representations show that the enzyme's net charge of -80 is distributed such that the surface is predominantly negatively charged, except for the positively charged active site. The negatively charged substrate must therefore be directed strongly towards the active site. It is generally accepted that optimization of the electrostatics is one of the characteristics related to cold-adaptation. SAP demonstrates this principle very clearly.