Serotonergic neurons of the Drosophila air-puff-stimulated flight circuit

Monoaminergic modulation of insect flight is well documented. Recently, we demonstrated that synaptic activity is required in serotonergic neurons for Drosophila flight. This requirement is during early pupal development, when the flight circuit is formed, as well as in adults. Using a Ca²⁺-activity-based GFP reporter, here we show that serotonergic neurons in both prothoracic and mesothoracic segments are activated upon air-puff-stimulated flight. Moreover ectopic activation of the entire serotonergic system by TrpA1, a heat activated cation channel, induces flight, even in the absence of an air-puff stimulus.     

Biocontrol of avocado dematophora root rot by antagonistic Pseudomonas fluorescens PCL1606 correlates with the production of 2-hexyl 5-propyl resorcinol

A collection of 905 bacterial isolates from the rhizospheres of healthy avocado trees was obtained and screened for antagonistic activity against Dematophora necatrix, the cause of avocado Dematophora root rot (also called white root rot). A set of eight strains was selected on the basis of growth inhibitory activity against D. necatrix and several other important soilborne phytopathogenic fungi. After typing of these strains, they were classified as belonging to Pseudomonas chlororaphis, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Pseudomonas putida. The eight antagonistic Pseudomonas spp. were analyzed for their secretion of hydrogen cyanide, hydrolytic enzymes, and antifungal metabolites. P. chlororaphis strains produced the antibiotic phenazine-1-carboxylic acid and phenazine-1-carboxamide. Upon testing the biocontrol ability of these strains in a newly developed avocado-D. necatrix test system and in a tomato-F oxysporum test system, it became apparent that P. fluorescens PCL1606 exhibited the highest biocontrol ability. The major antifungal activity produced by strain P. fluorescens PCL1606 did not correspond to any of the major classes of antifungal antibiotics produced by Pseudomonas biocontrol strains. This compound was purified and subsequently identified as 2-hexyl 5-propyl resorcinol (HPR). To study the role of HPR in biocontrol activity, two Tn5 mutants of P. fluorescens PCL1606 impaired in antagonistic activity were selected. These mutants were shown to impair HRP production and showed a decrease in biocontrol activity. As far as we know, this is the first report of a Pseudomonas biocontrol strain that produces HPR in which the production of this compound correlates with its biocontrol activity.     

Organocatalyzed Solvent Free and Efficient Synthesis of 2,4,5‐Trisubstituted Imidazoles as Potential Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors for Alzheimer's Disease

The catalytic potential of pyridine‐2‐carboxlic acid has been evaluated for efficient, green and solvent free synthesis of 2,4,5‐trisubstituted imidazole derivatives 3a – 3m . The compounds 3a – 3m were synthesized by one pot condensation reaction of substituted aromatic aldehydes, benzil, and ammonium acetate in good to excellent yields (74–96 %). To explore the potential of these compounds against Alzheimer's disease, their inhibitory activities against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) were evaluated. In this series of compounds, compound 3m , bearing one ethoxy and a hydroxy group on the phenyl ring on 2,4,5‐trisubstituted imidazoles, proved to be a potent AChE inhibitor (102.56±0.14). Structure–activity relationship (SAR) of these compounds was developed. Molecular dockings were carried out for the compounds 3m , 3e , 3k , 3c , 3a , 3d , 3j , and 3f in order to further investigate the binding mechanism. The inhibitor molecule was molecularly docked with acetylcholinesterase to further study its binding mechanism. The amino group of the compound 3m forms an H‐bond with the oxygen atom of the residue (i. e., THR121) which has a bond length of 3.051 Å.     

SLC26A4 Mutations in Patients with Moderate to Severe Hearing Loss

Mutations in SLC26A4 cause either syndromic or nonsyndromic hearing loss. We identified a link between hearing loss and DFNB4 in 3 of the 50 families participating in this study. Sequencing analysis revealed two SLC26A4 mutations, p.V239D and p.S57X, in affected members of the 3 families. These mutations have been previously reported in deaf individuals from the subcontinent, all of whom manifested profound deafness. The patients investigated in our study exhibited moderate to severe hearing loss. Our results show that inactivating SLC26A4 mutations that cause profound deafness can also be involved in the etiology of moderate to severe hearing loss. The type of mutation cannot predict the severity of the hearing loss in all cases, and there may be additional epistatic interactions that could modify the phenotype.     

Morphological analysis of rat ureteric terminal arterioles in situ

Confocal imaging of Fluo‐4, Propidium iodide, and di‐8‐Anepps loaded ureter were used to study the morphology of terminal arterioles with an inner diameter <50 μm in intact rat ureter. Optical sectioning showed that the muscle coat of the terminal arterioles consisted of a monolayer of highly curved smooth muscle cells which run circumferentially around the endothelium. This technique allowed not only to measure the inner diameter of the terminal arterioles but also to define the orientation and number of revolutions an individual smooth muscle cell made around the endothelium. We measured thickness, width, length, and morphological profile of the myocytes and endothelial cells. Propidium iodide staining showed nuclei of individual cells by continuous imaging at high resolution in serial optical sections. Conventional haematoxylin‐eosin, Masson's tri‐chrome staining, and transmission electron microscopy were also used in this study to compare the measurements obtained from live confocal imaging with histological standard methods. Parameters obtained from live imaging were significantly different. This technique of live staining allowed measuring the cellular and nuclear dimensions of the terminal arterioles in their natural environment which are important in studying the effects of vascular disease or aging on vascular structure. J. Morphol. 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Production of avian influenza virus vaccine using primary cell cultures generated from host organs

The global availability of a therapeutically effective influenza virus vaccine during a pandemic remains a major challenge for the biopharmaceutical industry. Long production time, coupled with decreased supply of embryonated chicken eggs (ECE), significantly affects the conventional vaccine production. Transformed cell lines have attained regulatory approvals for vaccine production. Based on the fact that the avian influenza virus would infect the cells derived from its natural host, the viral growth characteristics were studied on chicken embryo-derived primary cell cultures. The viral propagation was determined on avian origin primary cell cultures, transformed mammalian cell lines, and in ECE. A comparison was made between these systems by utilizing various cell culture-based assays. In-vitro substrate susceptibility and viral infection characteristics were evaluated by performing hemagglutination assay (HA), 50 % tissue culture infectious dose (TCID₅₀) and monitoring of cytopathic effects (CPE) caused by the virus. The primary cell culture developed from chicken embryos showed stable growth characteristics with no contamination. HA, TCID₅₀, and CPE exhibited that these cell systems were permissive to viral infection, yielding 2–10 times higher viral titer as compared to mammalian cell lines. Though the viral output from the ECE was equivalent to the chicken cell culture, the time period for achieving it was decreased to half. Some of the prerequisites of inactivated influenza virus vaccine production include generation of higher vial titer, independence from exogenous sources, and decrease in the production time lines. Based on the tests, it can be concluded that chicken embryo primary cell culture addresses these issues and can serve as a potential alternative for influenza virus vaccine production.     

The impact of illicit drug use on spontaneous hepatitis C clearance: experience from a large cohort population study

Background and Aims

Acute hepatitis C infection usually ends in chronic infection, while in a minority of patients it is spontaneously cleared. The current population-based study is performed on a large cohort in Golestan province of Iran to examine the demographic correlates of Spontaneous Hepatitis C Clearance.

Methods

Serum samples used in this study had been stored in biorepository of Golestan Cohort Study. These samples were evaluated for anti hepatitis C Virus by third generation Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Subjects who tested positive were then invited and tested by Recombinant Immunoblot Assay (RIBA) and Ribonucleic Acid Polymerase Chain Reaction test (PCR). If tested positive for RIBA, subjects were recalled and the two tests were re-done after 6 months. Those subjects who again tested positive for RIBA but negative for PCR were marked as cases of spontaneous clearance.

Results

49,338 serum samples were evaluated. The prevalence of Chronic Hepatitis C Virus (CHCV) infection based on PCR results was 0.31%. Among those who had acquired hepatitis C, the rate of SC was 38%. In multivariate analysis, illicit drug use both Injecting Use (OR = 3.271, 95% CI: 1.784–6.000, p-value<0.001) and Non-Injecting Use (OR = 1.901, 95% CI: 1.068–3.386, p-value = 0.029) were significant correlates of CHCV infection versus SC.

Conclusions

Illicit drug use whether intravenous or non-intravenous is the only significant correlate of CHCV, for which several underlying mechanisms can be postulated including repeated contacts with hepatitis C antigen.