Never born proteins as a test case for ab initio protein structures prediction

The number of natural proteins although large is significantly smaller than the theoretical number of proteins that can be obtained combining the 20 natural amino acids, the so-called “never born proteins” (NBPs). The study of the structure and properties of these proteins allows to investigate the sources of the natural proteins being of unique characteristics or special properties. However the structural study of NPBs can also been intended as an ideal test for evaluating the efficiency of software packages for the ab initio protein structure prediction. In this research, 10.000 three-dimensional structures of proteins of completely random sequence generated according to ROSETTA and FOD model were compared. The results show the limits of these software packages, but at the same time indicate that in many cases there is a significant agreement between the prediction obtained.     

Probing mammalian spermine oxidase enzyme–substrate complex through molecular modeling,site-directed mutagenesis and biochemical characterization

Spermine oxidase (SMO) and acetylpolyamine oxidase (APAO) are FAD-dependent enzymes that are involved in the highly regulated pathways of polyamine biosynthesis and degradation. Polyamine content is strictly related to cell growth, and dysfunctions in polyamine metabolism have been linked with cancer. Specific inhibitors of SMO and APAO would allow analyzing the precise role of these enzymes in polyamine metabolism and related pathologies. However, none of the available polyamine oxidase inhibitors displays the desired characteristics of selective affinity and specificity. In addition, repeated efforts to obtain structural details at the atomic level on these two enzymes have all failed. In the present study, in an effort to better understand structure–function relationships, SMO enzyme–substrate complex has been probed through a combination of molecular modeling, site-directed mutagenesis and biochemical studies. Results obtained indicate that SMO binds spermine in a similar conformation as that observed in the yeast polyamine oxidase FMS1-spermine complex and demonstrate a major role for residues His82 and Lys367 in substrate binding and catalysis. In addition, the SMO enzyme–substrate complex highlights the presence of an active site pocket with highly polar characteristics, which may explain the different substrate specificity of SMO with respect to APAO and provide the basis for the design of specific inhibitors for SMO and APAO.     

Experimental research on the biological cycle of Phyllodistomum elongatum Nybelin, 1926 (Digenea: Gorgoderidae Looss, 1901)]

Experimental infection of Tinca tinca and Carassius auratus have demonstrated that Cercaria duplicata von Baer, 1827 is the larval form of Phyllodistomum elongatum Nybelin, 1926 and that the life-cycle occurs between Anodonta cygnea (intermediate host) and Tinca tinca or Carassius auratus (final host) without a second intermediate host. The life-history experimentally completed in the laboratory occurs in the following way: -- adult in the ureters of Tinca tinca and Carassius auratus; -- mother sporocyst and daughter sporocyst of Phyllodistorum elongatum in Anodonta cygnea give rise to the large-tailed rhopalocercous cercaria; -- metacercaria encysted within transformed tail in water.     

Individual characteristics and biological rhythms. VI. Circadian variations of body temperature]

It has been reported that body temperature fluctuates differently in evening and morning type subjects. In order to assess this finding in 779 university students the body temperature has been measured between 1986 and 1989. Body temperature exhibits circadian rhythm in 78.6% of subjects, but no differences between morning and evening type crest phases were found. Since this result contradicts literature data, the finding is discussed also on the basis of the difference of the percentage between our grouping and that of the other authors. Further studies are in progress in order to detect if the subjects of the two groups differ for other biological and psychological parameters as well.     

Investigation of the patterns of argyrophilic nucleolar organiser regions (AgNORs) in primary gastric lymphomas.

Eight cases of primary gastric lymphomas have been investigated by AgNORs method to individualize the patterns of distribution of NORs. Modifying and exemplifying the scheme of Nikicicz and Norback, previously applied to blood smears and bone marrow in patients affected by leukaemia, the authors found 8 principal distribution patterns of AgNORs. Recording the percentage of the single patterns in every case it was possible to individualize two quite homogeneous groups. The authors maintain that in this way, avoiding complex numerical evaluations and statistical analysis, it is possible to easily classify the gastric lymphomas. We suggest that an improvement of the results could be achieved by comparing the immunophenotype of the cellular lymphomatous populations, and the AgNORs pattern with patients survival.     

The mycotoxin beauvericin induces oocyte mitochondrial dysfunction and affects embryo development in the juvenile sheep

Beauvericin (BEA) is a mycotoxin produced by Beauveria bassiana and Fusarium species recently reported as toxic on porcine oocyte maturation and embryo development. The aim of this study was to assess, in the juvenile sheep, whether its effects are due to alterations of oocyte and/or embryo bioenergetic/oxidative status. Cumulus‐oocyte‐complexes (COCs) were exposed to BEA during in vitro maturation (IVM), evaluated for cumulus cell (CC) apoptosis, oocyte maturation and bioenergetic/oxidative status or subjected to in vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo culture (IVEC). Oocyte nuclear maturation and embryo development were assessed after Hoechst staining and CC apoptosis was analysed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase‐mediated dUTP nick‐End labeling assay and chromatin morphology after Hoechst staining by epifluorescence microscopy. Oocyte and blastocyst bioenergetic/oxidative status were assessed by confocal microscopy after mitochondria and reactive oxygen species labelling with specific probes. BEA showed various toxic effects, that is, short‐term effects on somatic and germinal compartment of the COC (CCs and the oocyte) and long‐term carry‐over effects on developing embryos. In detail, at 5 µM, it significantly reduced oocyte maturation and immature oocytes showed increased late‐stage (Type C) CC apoptosis and DNA fragmentation while matured oocytes showed unaffected CC viability but abnormal mitochondrial distribution patterns. At lower tested concentrations (3–0.5 µM), BEA did not affect oocyte maturation, but matured oocytes showed reduced mitochondrial activity. At low concentrations, BEA impaired embryo developmental capacity and blastocyst quality after IVF and IVEC. In conclusion, in the juvenile sheep, COC exposure to BEA induces CC apoptosis and oocyte mitochondrial dysfunction with negative impact on embryo development.     

Sourdough bread made from wheat and nontoxic flours and started with selected lactobacilli is tolerated in celiac sprue patients

This work was aimed at producing a sourdough bread that is tolerated by celiac sprue (CS) patients. Selected sourdough lactobacilli had specialized peptidases capable of hydrolyzing Pro-rich peptides, including the 33-mer peptide, the most potent inducer of gut-derived human T-cell lines in CS patients. This epitope, the most important in CS, was hydrolyzed completely after treatment with cells and their cytoplasmic extracts (CE). A sourdough made from a mixture of wheat (30%) and nontoxic oat, millet, and buckwheat flours was started with lactobacilli. After 24 h of fermentation, wheat gliadins and low-molecular-mass, alcohol-soluble polypeptides were hydrolyzed almost totally. Proteins were extracted from sourdough and used to produce a peptic-tryptic digest for in vitro agglutination tests on K 562(S) subclone cells of human origin. The minimal agglutinating activity was ca. 250 times higher than that of doughs chemically acidified or started with baker's yeast. Two types of bread, containing ca. 2 g of gluten, were produced with baker's yeast or lactobacilli and CE and used for an in vivo double-blind acute challenge of CS patients. Thirteen of the 17 patients showed a marked alteration of intestinal permeability after ingestion of baker's yeast bread. When fed the sourdough bread, the same 13 patients had values for excreted rhamnose and lactulose that did not differ significantly from the baseline values. The other 4 of the 17 CS patients did not respond to gluten after ingesting the baker's yeast or sourdough bread. These results showed that a bread biotechnology that uses selected lactobacilli, nontoxic flours, and a long fermentation time is a novel tool for decreasing the level of gluten intolerance in humans.     

Cytotoxicity of fungal metabolites to lepidopteran (Spodoptera frugiperda) cell line (SF-9)

The toxicity of sixteen fungal metabolites produced by some entomopathogenic fungi or biological control fungi agents was evaluated on lepidopteran Spodoptera frugiperda (SF-9) cell line by Trypan blue dye exclusion and MTT-colorimetric assay, after 48 h of incubation. No statistical difference was found between IC50values (50% Inhibiting Concentration) and CC50 values (50% Cytotoxicity Concentration) obtained by MTT test and Trypan blue dye exclusion for each fungal metabolite. By MTT assay, the cytotoxicity ranking was fusarenon X (IC50 0.3 microM) = diacetoxyscirpenol (IC50 0.5 microM) = beauvericin (IC50 2.5 microM) = nivalenol (IC50 5.3 microM) = enniatin (IC50 6.6 microM) > or = gliotoxin (IC50 7.5 microM) > zearalenone (IC50 17.5 microM) > deoxynivalenol (IC50 47.6 microM). By Trypan blue dye exclusion the cytotoxicity ranking was fusarenon X (CC50 0.4 microM) = diacetoxyscirpenol (CC50 1.1 microM) beauvericin = (CC50 3.0 microM)=gliotoxin (CC50 4.0 microM) = enniatin (CC50 6.7 microM) > or = nivalenol (CC50 9.5 microM) > zearalenone (CC50 18.3 microM) > deoxynivalenol (CC50 45.0 microM). The comparison with other bioassays showed that the SF-9 insect cell line could represent a further tool to screen for the toxic effects of fungal metabolites especially for beauvericin, gliotoxin, and zearalenone.