Imatinib-sensitive tyrosine kinases regulate mycobacterial pathogenesis and represent therapeutic targets against tuberculosis

The lengthy course of treatment with currently used antimycobacterial drugs and the resulting emergence of drug-resistant strains have intensified the need for alternative therapies against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the etiologic agent of tuberculosis. We show that Mtb and Mycobacterium marinum use ABL and related tyrosine kinases for entry and intracellular survival in macrophages. In mice, the ABL family tyrosine kinase inhibitor, imatinib (Gleevec), when administered prophylactically or therapeutically, reduced both the number of granulomatous lesions and bacterial load in infected organs and was also effective against a rifampicin-resistant strain. Further, when coadministered with current first-line drugs, rifampicin or rifabutin, imatinib acted synergistically. These data implicate host tyrosine kinases in entry and intracellular survival of mycobacteria and suggest that imatinib may have therapeutic efficacy against Mtb. Because imatinib targets host, it is less likely to engender resistance compared to conventional antibiotics and may decrease the development of resistance against coadministered drugs.     

Increase of CD4+CD25highFoxP3+ cells impairs in vitro human microbicidal activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis during latent and acute pulmonary tuberculosis

BackgroundRegulatory T cells (Tregs) play a critical role during Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection, modulating host responses while neutralizing excessive inflammation. However, their impact on regulating host protective immunity is not completely understood. Here, we demonstrate that Treg cells abrogate the in vitro microbicidal activity against Mtb.MethodsWe evaluated the in vitro microbicidal activity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with active tuberculosis (TB), individuals with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI, TST+/IGRA+) and healthy control (HC, TST-/IGRA-) volunteers. PBMCs, depleted or not of CD4⁺CD25⁺ T-cells, were analyzed to determine frequency and influence on microbicidal activity during in vitro Mtb infection with four clinical isolates (S1, S5, R3, and R6) and one reference strain (H37Rv).ResultsThe frequency of CD4⁺CD25^highFoxP3⁺ cells were significantly higher in Mtb infected whole blood cultures from both TB patients and LTBI individuals when compared to HC. Data from CD4⁺CD25⁺ T-cells depletion demonstrate that increase of CD4⁺CD25^highFoxP3⁺ is associated with an impairment of Th-1 responses and a diminished in vitro microbicidal activity of LTBI and TB groups.ConclusionsTregs restrict host anti-mycobacterial immunity during active disease and latent infection and thereby may contribute to both disease progression and pathogen persistence.     

Influence of dietary fat on the activities of subcellular membrane-bound enzymes from different regions of rat brain

The effect of different dietary fats with varying degrees of unsaturation and essential fatty acid composition, which are commonly consumed in India, on the activity of some important membrane-bound enzymes was assessed in different brain regions of rat. Four groups of male CFY weanling rats were fed nutritionally adequate diets containing groundnut, coconut, safflower or mustard oil as fat source at 20% level for 16 weeks. The synaptosomal, microsomal and myelin membranes were prepared from three brain regions, viz., cerebrum, cerebellum and brain stem from each group. The activities of Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase, Mg²⁺-ATPase and acetylcholinesterase were assayed and the fatty acid composition was determined in these subcellular membrane fractions. The safflower oil-fed group showed higher Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase activity in most membrane fractions.than the coconut or mustard oil-fed groups. The Mg²⁺-ATPase activity was found to be similar amongst all groups in all the brain regions. The synaptosomal acetylcholinesterase activity was distinctly higher in coconut and groundnut oil-fed groups when compared to safflower or mustard oil consuming groups. Alterations in the activities of these subcellular membrane-bound enzymes are expected to exert a significant impact on the electrophysiological and metabolic functions of brain. Results of the present study show that depending on the nature of dietary fat the fatty acid composition of subcellular membranes is altered, which in turn could regulate the activity of membrane-bound enzymes that are vital for brain function.     

Inhibition of HSP27 phosphorylation by a cell-permeant MAPKAP Kinase 2 inhibitor

Heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) has been implicated in many intracellular signaling processes. Since the phosphorylation of HSP27 can modulate its activity, the ability to inhibit phosphorylation of HSP27 might have clinical relevance especially with regard to the treatment of fibrosis. We have developed a cell-permeant peptide inhibitor of MAPKAP Kinase 2 (MK2), an enzyme that phosphorylates HSP27, by combining a previously described peptide substrate of MK2 with a cell penetrating peptide. This novel MK2 inhibitor (MK2i) reduced HSP27 phosphorylation by MK2 in vitro. At 10 μM, MK2i inhibited TGF-β1-induced HSP27 phosphorylation in serum-starved human keloid fibroblasts. In addition, 10 μM MK2i decreased TGF-β1-induced expression of connective tissue growth factor and collagen type I within serum-starved keloid fibroblasts. Thus, MK2i represents a potential therapeutic for the treatment of fibrotic disorders.     

DNA Polymerases β and λ Mediate Overlapping and Independent Roles in Base Excision Repair in Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts

Base excision repair (BER) is a DNA repair pathway designed to correct small base lesions in genomic DNA. While DNA polymerase beta (pol β) is known to be the main polymerase in the BER pathway, various studies have implicated other DNA polymerases in back-up roles. One such polymerase, DNA polymerase lambda (pol λ), was shown to be important in BER of oxidative DNA damage. To further explore roles of the X-family DNA polymerases λ and β in BER, we prepared a mouse embryonic fibroblast cell line with deletions in the genes for both pol β and pol λ. Neutral red viability assays demonstrated that pol λ and pol β double null cells were hypersensitive to alkylating and oxidizing DNA damaging agents. In vitro BER assays revealed a modest contribution of pol λ to single-nucleotide BER of base lesions. Additionally, using co-immunoprecipitation experiments with purified enzymes and whole cell extracts, we found that both pol λ and pol β interact with the upstream DNA glycosylases for repair of alkylated and oxidized DNA bases. Such interactions could be important in coordinating roles of these polymerases during BER.     

A simplified method for estimating ammonium oxidising bacteria

Summary Most probable number of ammonium oxidising bacteria in soil has been estimated without the need to carry out chemical tests to determine the production of nitrite or nitrate in dilution tubes. The medium used contained phenol red which changes colour from pink to yellow as the oxidation of ammonium to nitrate decreases the pH. This makes it possible to determine growth visually. An incubation period of 8 weeks at 25°C was sufficient to obtain maximum estimates of ammonium oxidising bacteria in the soils tested.     

Some observations on moulting, growth and maturation of krill (Thysanoessa inermis) from the Barents Sea

The moulting interval of the euphausiid Thysanoessa inermisfrom the Barents Sea was found to be temperature dependent withinthe range of 1.5–8.0°C. Each moult accounted for a2.1% loss of dry body wt, equivalent to a 1.2–1.3% lossof body carbon or nitrogen. During 5 months of observation bothbody length and secondary sexual characters (thelycum and petasma)of specimens varied greatly, including positive and negativegrowth periods and progression and regression of maturity stages.Characteristics of eggs spawned by one female are described.