Association of gender with clinical expression, quality of life, disability, and depression and anxiety in patients with systemic sclerosis

Objectives

To assess the association of gender with clinical expression, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), disability, and self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).

Methods

SSc patients fulfilling the American College of Rheumatology and/or the Leroy and Medsger criteria were assessed for clinical symptoms, disability, HRQoL, self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety by specific measurement scales.

Results

Overall, 381 SSc patients (62 males) were included. Mean age and disease duration at the time of evaluation were 55.9 (13.3) and 9.5 (7.8) years, respectively. One-hundred-and-forty-nine (40.4%) patients had diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc). On bivariate analysis, differences were observed between males and females for clinical symptoms and self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety, however without reaching statistical significance. Indeed, a trend was found for higher body mass index (BMI) (25.0 [4.1] vs 23.0 [4.5], p = 0.013), more frequent dcSSc, echocardiography systolic pulmonary artery pressure >35 mmHg and interstitial lung disease in males than females (54.8% vs 37.2%, p = 0.010; 24.2% vs 10.5%, p = 0.003; and 54.8% vs 41.2%, p = 0.048, respectively), whereas calcinosis and self-reported anxiety symptoms tended to be more frequent in females than males (36.0% vs 21.4%, p = 0.036, and 62.3% vs 43.5%, p = 0.006, respectively). On multivariate analysis, BMI, echocardiography PAP>35 mmHg, and anxiety were the variables most closely associated with gender.

Conclusions

In SSc patients, male gender tends to be associated with diffuse disease and female gender with calcinosis and self-reported symptoms of anxiety. Disease-associated disability and HRQoL were similar in both groups.     

Degradation and recovery of an Arctic benthic community under organic enrichment

Fast development of mariculture in the world leads to increasing of the load on natural habitats, especially due to organic enrichment. There are a few investigations concerning the effect of additional organic loading on the Arctic benthic communities. The main goal of our research was to ascertain the impact of mussel farm on the benthic community in the White Sea and its following recovery after mussel farm removal. We performed annual observations from 1988 to 2011. During the mussel farm functioning, two stages of organic enrichment impact on community structure were recorded: in the first 2 years, diversity and proportion of deposit feeders increased but later all studied characteristics of the benthic community decreased significantly. After the mussel farm removal, the benthic community started to restore and we distinguished several stages of recovery succession. Native structure of benthic community began to recover 8 years after organic loading had ceased, when selective deposit feeding bivalves Portlandia arctica Gray appeared in the benthos. 4–6 years later it became the only dominating species in the studied benthic community. Therefore, in the White Sea, native structure recovery of the Arctic benthic community after the severe disturbance took about 15 years.     

Genetic structure and diversity of coffee (Coffea) across Africa and the Indian Ocean islands revealed using microsatellites

Background and Aims

The coffee genus (Coffea) comprises 124 species, and is indigenous to the Old World Tropics. Due to its immense economic importance, Coffea has been the focus of numerous genetic diversity studies, but despite this effort it remains insufficiently studied. In this study the genetic diversity and genetic structure of Coffea across Africa and the Indian Ocean islands is investigated.

Methods

Genetic data were produced using 13 polymorphic nuclear microsatellite markers (simple sequence repeats, SSRs), including seven expressed sequence tag-SSRs, and the data were analysed using model- and non-model-based methods. The study includes a total of 728 individuals from 60 species.

Key Results

Across Africa and the Indian Ocean islands Coffea comprises a closely related group of species with an overall pattern of genotypes running from west to east. Genetic structure was identified in accordance with pre-determined geographical regions and phylogenetic groups. There is a good relationship between morpho-taxonomic species delimitations and genetic units. Genetic diversity in African and Indian Ocean Coffea is high in terms of number of alleles detected, and Madagascar appears to represent a place of significant diversification in terms of allelic richness and species diversity.

Conclusions

Cross-species SSR transferability in African and Indian Ocean islands Coffea was very efficient. On the basis of the number of private alleles, diversification in East Africa and the Indian Ocean islands appears to be more recent than in West and West-Central Africa, although this general trend is complicated in Africa by the position of species belonging to lineages connecting the main geographical regions. The general pattern of phylogeography is not in agreement with an overall east to west (Mascarene, Madagascar, East Africa, West Africa) increase in genome size, the high proportion of shared alleles between the four regions or the high numbers of exclusive shared alleles between pairs or triplets of regions.     

Influence of ligand presentation density on the molecular recognition of mannose-functionalised glyconanoparticles by bacterial lectin BC2L-A

Polyvalent carbohydrate-protein interactions play a key role in bio- and pathological processes, including cell-cell communication and pathogen invasion. In order to study, control and manipulate these interactions gold nanoparticles have been employed as a 3D scaffold, presenting carbohydrate ligands in a multivalent fashion for use as high affinity binding partners and a model system for oligosaccharide presentation at biomacromolecular surfaces. In this study, the binding of a series of mannose-functionalised gold nanoparticles to the dimeric BC2L-A lectin from Burkholderia cenocepacia has been evaluated. BC2L-A is known to exhibit a high specificity for (oligo)mannosides. Due to the unique structure and binding nature of this lectin, it provides a useful tool to study (oligo)saccharides presented on multivalent scaffolds. Surface plasmon resonance and isothermal titration calorimetric assays were used to investigate the effect of ligand presentation density towards binding to the bacterial lectin. We show how a combination of structural complementarities between ligand presentation and lectin architecture and statistical re-binding effects are important for increasing the avidity of multivalent ligands for recognition by their protein receptors; further demonstrating the application of glyconanotechnology towards fundamental glycobiology research as well as a potential towards biomedical diagnostics and therapeutic treatments.     

Structure of an 11-mer DNA Duplex Containing the Carbocyclic Nucleotide Analog: 2′-Deoxyaristeromycin

Abstract

2′-deoxyaristeromycin (dAr) is a nucleoside analogue that is resistant to the action of DNA glycosylases. High-resolution NMR spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations were used to determine the three-dimensional structure of an 11-mer DNA containing a single dAr?T base pair at its center. Analysis of the spectra revealed the existence of a right-handed duplex in solution, stabilized by Watson-Crick hydrogen bonding and base-stacking interactions. The carbocyclic sugar adopted a C1′-exo conformation and sugars of the 3′-flanking base pair had puckers in the O4′—endo range. The dAr?T base pair was mildly propeller twisted, and the dAr analogue showed a positive roll with the 3′-flanking base. Our findings indicate that the observed resistance of dAr-containing oligodeoxynucleotides to the catalytic action of DNA glycosylases relates to its electronic properties rather than structure, and validate the use of dAr and related carbocyclic nucleoside analogues for biological and structure/function relationship studies.     

Presence of divalent cation is not mandatory for the formation of intramolecular purine-motif triplex containing human c-jun protooncogene target

Modulation of endogenous gene function, through sequence-specific recognition of double helical DNA via oligonucleotide-directed triplex formation, is a promising approach. Compared to the formation of pyrimidine motif triplexes, which require relatively low pH, purine motif appears to be the most gifted for their stability under physiological conditions. Our previous work has demonstrated formation of magnesium-ion dependent highly stable intermolecular triplexes using a purine third strand of varied lengths, at the purine?pyrimidine (Pu?Py) targets of SIV/HIV-2 (vpx) genes (Svinarchuk, F., Monnot, M., Merle, A., Malvy, C., and Fermandjian, S. (1995) Nucleic Acids Res. 23, 3831-3836). Herein, we show that a designed intramolecular version of the 11-bp core sequence of the said targets, which also constitutes an integral, short, and symmetrical segment (G(2)AG(5)AG(2))?(C(2)TC(5)TC(2)) of human c-jun protooncogene forms a stable triplex, even in the absence of magnesium. The sequence d-C(2)TC(5)TC(2)T(5)G(2)AG(5)AG(2)T(5)G(2)AG(5)AG(2) (I-Pu) folds back twice onto itself to form an intramolecular triple helix via a double hairpin formation. The design ensures that the orientation of the intact third strand is antiparallel with respect to the oligopurine strand of the duplex. The triple helix formation has been revealed by non-denaturating gel assays, UV-thermal denaturation, and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. The monophasic melting curve, recorded in the presence of sodium, represented the dissociation of intramolecular triplex to single strand in one step; however, the addition of magnesium bestowed thermal stability to the triplex. Formation of intramolecular triple helix at neutral pH in sodium, with or without magnesium cations, was also confirmed by gel electrophoresis. The triplex, mediated by sodium alone, destabilizes in the presence of 5'-C(2)TC(5)TC(2)-3', an oligonucleotide complementary to the 3'-oligopurine segments of I-Pu, whereas in the presence of magnesium the triplex remained impervious. CD spectra showed the signatures of triplex structure with A-like DNA conformation. We suggest that the possible formation of pH and magnesium-independent purine-motif triplexes at genomic Pu?Py sequences may be pertinent to gene regulation.     

Identification of yeasts during alcoholic fermentation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">tchapalo</Emphasis>, a traditional sorghum beer from Côte d’Ivoire

This study investigated the diversity and dynamics of yeasts involved in alcoholic fermentation of a traditional sorghum beer from Côte d’Ivoire, tchapalo. A total of 240 yeast strains were isolated from fermenting sorghum wort inoculated with dry yeast from two geographic regions of Côte d’Ivoire (Abidjan and Bondoukou). Initial molecular identification to the species level was carried out using RFLP of PCR-amplified internal transcribed spacers of rDNA (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2). Ten different profiles were obtained from the restriction of PCR products with the three endonucleases HaeIII, CfoI and HinfI. Sequence analysis of the D1/D2 domain of the 26S rDNA and the ACT1 gene allowed us to assign these groups to six different species: Saccharomyces cerevisiae-like, Candida tropicalis, Pichia kudriavzevii, Pichia kluyveri, Kodamaea ohmeri and Meyerozyma caribbica. The most frequent species associated with tchapalo fermentation was S. cerevisiae-like (87.36%), followed by C. tropicalis (5.45%) and M. caribbica (2.71%). S. cerevisiae-like strains were diploid heterozygotes and exhibited three to four nucleotides divergence from the type strain in the D1/D2 domain and several indels in the more discriminant sequence of the intron of the ACT1 gene. During the process, the yeast species isolated and their frequencies varied according to the geographic origin of the dry yeast. The occurrence of some species was sporadic and only two non-Saccharomyces species were found in the final product.     

A role for septins in the interaction between the Listeria monocytogenes INVASION PROTEIN InlB and the Met receptor

Septins are conserved GTPases that form filaments and are required for cell division. During interphase, septin filaments associate with cellular membrane and cytoskeleton networks, yet the functional significance of these associations have, to our knowledge, remained unknown. We recently discovered that different septins, SEPT2 and SEPT11, regulate the InlB-mediated entry of Listeria monocytogenes into host cells. Here we address the role of SEPT2 and SEPT11 in the InlB-Met interactions underlying Listeria invasion to explore how septins modulate surface receptor function. We observed that differences in InlB-mediated Listeria entry correlated with differences in Met surface expression caused by septin depletion. Using atomic force microscopy on living cells, we show that septin depletion significantly reduced the unbinding force of InlB-Met interaction and the viscosity of membrane tethers at locations where the InlB-Met interaction occurs. Strikingly, the same order of difference was observed for cells in which the actin cytoskeleton was disrupted. Consistent with a proposed role of septins in association with the actin cytoskeleton, we show that cell elasticity is decreased upon septin or actin inactivation. Septins are therefore likely to participate in anchorage of the Met receptor to the actin cytoskeleton, and represent a critical determinant in surface receptor function.     

High hunting pressure selects for earlier birth date: wild boar as a case study

Exploitation by humans affects the size and structure of populations. This has evolutionary and demographic consequences that have typically being studied independent of one another. We here applied a framework recently developed applying quantitative tools from population ecology and selection gradient analysis to quantify the selection on a quantitative trait-birth date-through its association with multiple fitness components. From the long-term monitoring (22 years) of a wild boar (Sus scrofa scrofa) population subject to markedly increasing hunting pressure, we found that birth dates have advanced by up to 12 days throughout the study period. During the period of low hunting pressure, there was no detectable selection. However, during the period of high hunting pressure, the selection gradient linking breeding probability in the first year of life to birth date was negative, supporting current life-history theory predicting selection for early births to reproduce within the first year of life with increasing adult mortality.