Ornithine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.17) assay based upon the retention of putrescine by a strong cation-exchange paper

A simple and direct method for the detection of ornithine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.17) activity is presented. It is based upon the selective binding of putrescine to Whatman P81 paper, a strong cation-exchanger, in the presence of 0.1 m NH₃. The assay is easy to perform and has an advantage over the more frequently used CO₂ trapping methods which can yield spurious CO₂ formation due to the action of enzymes other than ornithine decarboxylase.     

Egg size and form as taxonomic criteria in Diphyllobothrium (Cestoda, Pseudophyllidea)

The size and form (length, width, and length: width ratio) of eggs of Diphyllobothrium dendriticum, D. ditremum and D. latum vary considerably among individual worms within each species. The size of eggs varies with host species and a decrease in egg size with increasing intensity of infestation is indicated. The egg size of D. latum increases during the first 10-12 days of egg production. For single worm infections in golden hamsters the mean egg length and width of D. ditremum are significantly smaller than the corresponding means of D. dendriticum and D. latum, while D. latum has significantly wider eggs than D. dendriticum. As taxonomic characteristics, egg size and form may contribute to species delimitation at the population level. For identification at the individual level the best possible accuracy is about 80%. This accuracy is considerably reduced when variation in host species and intensities of infestations are introduced. Scanning electron microscope studies did not reveal any differences among eggs of the three species.     

Movement patterns of temperate wrasses (Labridae) within a small marine protected area

The movement patterns of three commercially important wrasse (Labridae) species inside a small marine protected area (~ 0.15 km²) on the west coast of Norway were analysed over a period of 21 months. The mean distance between capture and recapture locations varied between 10 and 187 m, and was species and season specific. The extent of movement was not related to body size or sex. These results imply that a network of small strategically located marine protected areas can be used as management tools to protect wrasses from size- and sex-selective fishing mortality.     

Inhibition of NF-κB signaling interferes with phorbol ester-induced growth arrest of keratinocytes in a TNFR1-independent manner

A skin-specific block in NF-κB signaling leads to hyperproliferation of the keratinocytes, inflammation, and spontaneous development of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Here we show that an inhibition of NF-κB signaling in keratinocytes, via the expression of the super-repressor/ degradation-resistant form of the IκBα protein (IκBαDN), interferes with the growth arrest induced by the tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA). The IκBαDN cells are able to overcome the TPA-induced cell cycle block. Although SCC development as well as hyperproliferation due to IκBαDN expression in keratinocytes is known to require TNFR1 signaling, the effect of IκBαDN on phorbol ester signaling is downstream/independent of TNFR1. These data thus identify an interaction between IκBαDN and the tumor promoter TPA in the growth regulation of keratinocytes. The proposed mechanism is also likely to be significant in the process of cancer development due to NF-κB inhibition.     

Time- and dose-dependent biom arker responses in flounder (Platichthys flesus L.) exposed to benzo[a]pyrene, 2,3,3′,4,4′, 5-hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB-156) and cadmium

Responses in flounder (Platichthys flesus) towards benzo [a]pyrene (BaP), 2,3,3′,4,4′,5-hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB-156), and cadmium (Cd) were investigated in time-course and dose-response studies of selected biomarkers. Measurements of biliary fluorescent BaP metabolites and hepatic concentrations of PCB-156 and cadmium showed that the injected toxicants were rapidly m obilized from the muscle to the liver, but a depot effect was indicated in the highest dose groups of BaP and PCB-156 (12 mg kg^-1 bodyweight). Clearest biomarker responses were found in the induction of hepatic cytochrome P450 1A (CYP1A) enzymes as a response towards BaP and PCB-156 exposure. Maximum induction of CYP1A dependent 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) activity was observed after 2 and 8 days in BaP and PCB-156-treated flounder, respectively. Positive dose-effect relationships were observed towards both compounds, but the CYP1A induction was more persistent with PCB exposure than with BaP exposure. In Cd-exposed fish, the hepatic level of metallothionein responded more slowly with highest levels observed after 16 days in the time-study. In the combined BaP + Cd treatment, the CYP1A induction was only slightly suppressed. Aspartate aminotransferase in serum appeared to be responsive towards BaP, but also towards the acetone vehicle in controls in the first part of the exposure period. Hematocrit as well as hepatic activities of aldrin epoxidase, glutathione S-transferase, and UDP-glucuronyl transferase were not responsive to any treatm ent in the present study. In general, the results demonstrate that selected biom arkers in flounder are responsive to PAH, PCB, and heavy metal pollutant exposure, indicating the applicability of this species in future environmental pollution monitoring programmes.     

Human Spermatogenic Failure Purges Deleterious Mutation Load from the Autosomes and Both Sex Chromosomes,including the Gene DMRT1

Gonadal failure, along with early pregnancy loss and perinatal death, may be an important filter that limits the propagation of harmful mutations in the human population. We hypothesized that men with spermatogenic impairment, a disease with unknown genetic architecture and a common cause of male infertility, are enriched for rare deleterious mutations compared to men with normal spermatogenesis. After assaying genomewide SNPs and CNVs in 323 Caucasian men with idiopathic spermatogenic impairment and more than 1,100 controls, we estimate that each rare autosomal deletion detected in our study multiplicatively changes a man''s risk of disease by 10% (OR 1.10 [1.04–1.16], p<2×10⁻³), rare X-linked CNVs by 29%, (OR 1.29 [1.11–1.50], p<1×10⁻³), and rare Y-linked duplications by 88% (OR 1.88 [1.13–3.13], p<0.03). By contrasting the properties of our case-specific CNVs with those of CNV callsets from cases of autism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and intellectual disability, we propose that the CNV burden in spermatogenic impairment is distinct from the burden of large, dominant mutations described for neurodevelopmental disorders. We identified two patients with deletions of DMRT1, a gene on chromosome 9p24.3 orthologous to the putative sex determination locus of the avian ZW chromosome system. In an independent sample of Han Chinese men, we identified 3 more DMRT1 deletions in 979 cases of idiopathic azoospermia and none in 1,734 controls, and found none in an additional 4,519 controls from public databases. The combined results indicate that DMRT1 loss-of-function mutations are a risk factor and potential genetic cause of human spermatogenic failure (frequency of 0.38% in 1306 cases and 0% in 7,754 controls, p = 6.2×10⁻⁵). Our study identifies other recurrent CNVs as potential causes of idiopathic azoospermia and generates hypotheses for directing future studies on the genetic basis of male infertility and IVF outcomes.     

Molecular circumscription of new species of Gyrocotyle Diesing, 1850 (Cestoda) from deep-sea chimaeriform holocephalans in the North Atlantic

Systematic Parasitology - Chimaeras, or ratfishes, are the only extant group of holocephalan fishes and are the sole host group of gyrocotylidean cestodes, which represent a sister group of the...