Assessment of genetic diversity among and within Carthamus species using sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers

Due to precise evaluation of genetic diversity of Carthamus species, sixty-two genotypes consisting fifty-two from five wild (C. oxyacanthus M. Bieb, C. lanatus L., C. dentatus Vahl, C. boissieri Halácsy, C. glaucus M.B.) and ten from cultivated species (C. tinctorius L.) were selected for evaluation of the genetic diversity in Carthamus species. A total of 238 (81.2 %) polymorphic bands were detected by 12 SRAP primer combinations with an average of 22 bands per combination. Me4-Em1 and Me5-Em2 primer combinations were known as the most informative SRAP markers based on the PIC values (0.34) where they distinguished all studied Carthamus species. Cluster analysis classified all accessions into five main groups among which clusters containing cultivated individuals were distinctly separated from those containing wilds. The most and the least genetic variation based on analysis of molecular variance, were detected within (76.90 %) and among (22.84 %) groups, respectively. The obtained results suggested that C. dentatus, C. glaucus and C. boissieri species may be classified in one section including C. dentatus in one and C. glaucus and C. boissieri in another subsection. The results also revealed high genetic similarity between C. oxyacanthus and C. tinctorius despite their different morphological characteristics.     

Electrophoretic mobility shift assay of zinc finger proteins: competition for Zn(2+) bound to Sp1 in protocols including EDTA

The electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) offers a principal method to detect specific DNA-protein interactions. As commonly conducted, the reaction and electrophoresis running buffers contain large concentrations of EDTA. EDTA has large affinity for Zn²⁺ and readily competes with zinc finger peptides for Zn²⁺ resulting in protein unfolding. Nevertheless, EMSA is routinely used to detect zinc finger protein-DNA adducts. This paper examines the chemistry that permits the detection of zinc finger-DNA complexes in the presence of EDTA, using Zn₃-Sp1 and a cognate DNA binding site, GC1. Twice as much adduct was detected when the reaction was conducted in the absence than in the presence of EDTA. The observation of Zn-Sp1-GC1 was shown to depend on three properties: the inertness of Zn-Sp1-GC1 to reaction with EDTA and the comparatively similar rates of reaction of EDTA and GC1 with Zn₃-Sp1 under the conditions of the assay that permit some Zn₃-Sp1-GC1 to form. Inquiring about the mechanism of stabilization of Zn₃-Sp1 by GC1, EDTA readily reacted with Zn₃-Sp1 bound to a non-specific DNA, (polydI-dC). Two structurally similar but oppositely charged chelators, nitrilotriacetate (NTA) and tris-(2-ethylaminoethyl) amine (TREN), that react with free Zn₃-Sp1 failed to compete for zinc bound in the Zn₃-Sp1-GC-1 adduct. On the basis of these, other results indicated that the stability of Zn₃-Sp1-GC-1 has a thermodynamic, not a kinetic origin. It is concluded that the observation of zinc finger proteins in the EMSA rests on a fortuitous set of chemical properties that may vary depending on the structures involved.     

Characterization of Antitumor Activity of a Synthetic Moronecidin-Like Peptide Computationally Predicted from the Tiger Tail Seahorse Hippocampus Comes in Tumor-bearing Mice

International Journal of Peptide Research and Therapeutics - Breast cancer is one of the well-known non-cutaneous cancers among women worldwide. In the present study, we have characterized the...     

Imaging of estrogen receptor-α in rat pial arterioles using a digital immunofluorescent microscope

Many of estrogen's effects on vascular reactivity are mediated through interaction with estrogen receptors (1, 2, 3). Although two sub-types exist (estrogen receptor -α and β),estrogen receptor-α has been identified in both the smooth muscle and in endothelial cells of pial arterial segments using fluorescent staining combined with confocal laser scanning microscopy (4). Furthermore, ER-α is located in the nuclei and in the cytoplasm of rat basilar arteries (5). The receptors are abundant and fluoresce brightly, but clear visualization of discrete groups of receptors is difficult likely due to the numbers located in many cell layers of pial vessel segments. Additionally, many reports using immunohistochemical techniques paired with confocal microscopy poorly detail the requirements critical for reproduction of experiments (6). Our purpose for this article is to describe a simple technique to optimize the staining and visualization of ER-α using cross-sectional slices of pial arterioles obtain from female rat brains. We first perfuse rats with Evans blue dye to easily identify surface pial arteries which we isolate under a dissecting microscope. Use of a cryostat to slice 8 μm cross sections of the arteries allows us to obtain thin vessel sections so that different vessel planes are more clearly visualized. Cutting across the vessel rather than use of a small vessel segment has the advantage of easier viewing of the endothelial and smooth muscle layers. In addition, use of a digital immunofluorescent microscope with extended depth software produces clear images of ten to twelve different vessel planes and is less costly than use of a confocal laser scanning microscope.     

Non-antioxidant properties of carotenoids

Dietary antioxidants such as carotenoids, tocopherols, vitamin C or flavonoids exhibit biological activities that are not directly related to their antioxidant properties. The parent compounds and/or their metabolites have impact on cellular signaling pathways, influence the expression of certain genes or act as inhibitors of regulatory enzymes. Thus, they reveal additional biological effects which might be of importance in context with the prevention of degenerative diseases related to the consumption of a diet rich in antioxidants. This review focuses on known non-antioxidant properties of carotenoids, including retinoid-dependent signaling, stimulation of gap junctional communications, impact on the regulation of cell growth and induction of detoxifying enzymes, such as cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenases.     

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease: Disrupted pathways and potential therapeutic interventions

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a monogenic inherited renal cystic disease that occurs in different races worldwide. It is characterized by the development of a multitude of renal cysts, which leads to massive enlargement of the kidney and often to renal failure in adulthood. ADPKD is caused by a mutation in PKD1 or PKD2 genes encoding the proteins polycystin-1 and polycystin-2, respectively. Recent studies showed that cyst formation and growth result from deregulation of multiple cellular pathways like proliferation, apoptosis, metabolic processes, cell polarity, and immune defense. In ADPKD, intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) promotes cyst enlargement by stimulating cell proliferation and transepithelial fluid secretion. Several interventions affecting many of these defective signaling pathways have been effective in animal models and some are currently being tested in clinical trials. Moreover, the stem cell therapy can improve nephropathies and according to studies were done in this field, can be considered as a hopeful therapeutic approach in future for PKD. This study provides an in-depth review of the relevant molecular pathways associated with the pathogenesis of ADPKD and their implications in development of potential therapeutic strategies.     

Computational insights into pH-dependence of structure and dynamics of pyrazinamidase: A comparison of wild type and mutants

The mycobacterial enzyme pyrazinamidase (PZase) is the target of key tuberculosis drug, pyrazinamide. Mutations in PZase cause drug resistance. Herein, three point mutations, W68G, L85P, and V155G, were investigated through over 8 µs of molecular dynamics simulations coupled with essential dynamics and binding pocket analysis at neutral (pH = 7) and acidic (pH = 4) ambient conditions. The 51-71 flap region exhibited drastic displacement leading to enlargement of binding cavity, especially at the lower pH. Accessibility of solvent to the active site of the mutant enzymes was also reduced. The protonation of key surface residues at low pH results in more contribution of these residues to structural stability and integrity of the enzyme and reduced interactions with solvent molecules, which acts as a cage, keeping the enzyme together. The observed results suggest a pattern of structural alterations due to point mutations in PZase, which is consistent with other experimental and theoretical investigations and, can be harnessed for drug design purposes.     

Kinetic, thermodynamic and statistical studies on the inhibition of adenosine deaminase by aspirin and diclofenac

The kinetic and thermodynamic effects of aspirin and diclofenac on the activity of adenosine deaminase (ADA) were studied in 50 mM phosphate buffer pH = 7.5 at 27 and 37 degrees C, using UV-Vis spectrophotometry and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). Aspirin exhibits competitive inhibition at 27 and 37 degrees C and the inhibition constants are 42.8 and 96.8 microM respectively, using spectrophotometry. Diclofenac shows competitive behavior at 27 degrees C and uncompetitive at 37 degrees C with inhibition constants of 56.4 and 30.0 microM, at respectively. The binding constant and enthalpy of binding, at 27 degrees C are 45 microM, - 64.5 kJ/mol and 61 microM, - 34.5 kJ/mol for aspirin and diclofenac. Thermodynamic data revealed that the binding process for these ADA inhibitors is enthalpy driven. QSAR studies by principal component analysis implemented in SPSS show that the large, polar, planar, and aromatic nucleoside and small, aromatic and polar non-nucleoside molecules have lower inhibition constants.