Reversible conversion from Ca(2)+-ATPase activity to Mg(2)+- and Mn(2)+-ATPase activities of coupling factor purified from acetone powder of Rhodospirillum rubrum chromatophores.

It is known that the coupling factor purified from the acetone powder of chromatophores from Rhodospirillum rubrum shows ATPase activity in the presence of Ca(2)+, but not in the presence of Mg(2)+ or Mn(2)+. The present study deals with conditions, under which the Ca(2)+-ATPase activity is reversibly converted into Mg(2)+- and Mn(2)+-ATPase activites with the purified coupling factor. 1. Of the pH indicators tested, 6 kinds coverted the Ca(2)+-ATPase activity into Mg(2)+- and Mn(2)+-ATPase activities in the order, ethyl orange greater than tropaeolin 000 greater than or equal to metanil yellow greater than tropaeolin 00 greater than ethyl red greater than or equal to bromthymol blue. 2. Of the detergents tested, those other than Triton X-100 and Brij 58 caused the conversion described above; dodecylsulfonate was most effective, whereas dodecylpyridinium chloride was moderately effective. 3. 2,4-Dinitrophenol stimulated approximately two-fold the Ca(2)+-ATPase activity, but not the Mg(2)+- or Mn(2)+-ATPase activity at all. However, in the presence of dodecylpyridinium chloride, the pH indicator remarkably stimulated the Mg(2)+- and Mn(2)+-ATPase activities, accompanied with a partial inhibition of the Ca(2)+-ATPase activity. Methyl red and ethyl red showed similar effects. 4. All the nucleoside triphosphates tested can serve as the substrate. ATP was most effective for the Ca(2)+-ATPase activity, whereas dATP was most effective for the Mg(2)+- and Mn(2)+-ATPase activities induced by ethyl orange. 5. In the presence of ethyl orange, the ATPase activity was induced by various divalent cations in the following order of effectiveness, Mg(2)+ greater than Zn(2)+ greater than CO(2)+ greater than Mn(2)+ greater than Ni(2)+. 6. The mechanism of the reversible conversion from the Ca(2)+-ATPase activity to the Mg(2)+- and Mn(2)+-ATPase activities by pH indicators and detergents is discussed.     

A new primate from the Eocene Pondaung Formation of Myanmar and the monophyly of Burmese amphipithecids

The family Amphipithecidae is one of the two fossil primate taxa from Asia that appear to be early members of the anthropoid clade. Ganlea megacanina, gen. et sp. nov., is a new amphipithecid from the late middle Eocene Pondaung Formation of central Myanmar. The holotype of Ganlea is distinctive in having a relatively enormous lower canine showing heavy apical wear, indicating an important functional role of the lower canine in food preparation and ingestion. A phylogenetic analysis of amphipithecid relationships suggests that Ganlea is the sister taxon of Myanmarpithecus, a relatively small-bodied taxon that has often, but not always, been included in Amphipithecidae. Pondaungia is the sister taxon of the Ganlea + Myanmarpithecus clade. All three Pondaung amphipithecid genera are monophyletic with respect to Siamopithecus, which is the most basal amphipithecid currently known. The inclusion of Myanmarpithecus in Amphipithecidae diminishes the likelihood that amphipithecids are specially related to adapiform primates. Extremely heavy apical wear has been documented on the lower canines of all three genera of Burmese amphipithecids. This distinctive wear pattern suggests that Burmese amphipithecids were an endemic radiation of hard object feeders that may have been ecological analogues of living New World pitheciin monkeys.     

Neuroscience goes on a chip

Advances in microelectronics, microfluidics, polymers and microfabrication have enabled the creation of disposable lab-on-a-chips (LOCs) as the new tools for neuroscience research. The LOCs have been applied for a wide range of neurobiology studies, including cellular and molecular biochemical experimentations, morphological observations and electrophysiological investigations. The integration of miniaturised components leads to analytical instrumentations with unprecedented automation, speed of analysis, and flexibility. These features make LOCs capable enough to replace their bulky and expensive bench-top counterparts. LOCs can be useful for genomic, proteomic, epigenomic, peptidomic, connectomic and electrophysiological studies and also as effective tools for reductionist neuroscientists. Moreover, they can be applied at higher level studies such as developmental neurobiology and behavioural investigations. This work provides an in-depth review of LOC platforms for neuroscience research. First, we review the essential bench-top neuroscience instrumentation as per their functions and features. Next, we present LOC counterparts for those bench-top instrumentations. Finally, we offer perspectives on persistent challenges and our perception of opportunities based on LOC instrumentations in neuroscience research.     

Testing the feasibility of a National Spina Bifida Patient Registry

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to describe the development and early implementation of a national spina bifida (SB) patient registry, the goal of which is to monitor the health status, clinical care, and outcomes of people with SB by collecting and analyzing patient data from comprehensive SB clinics.

METHODS

Using a web‐based, SB‐specific electronic medical record, 10 SB clinics collected health‐related information for patients diagnosed with myelomeningocele, lipomyelomeningocele, fatty filum, or meningocele. This information was compiled and de‐identified for transmission to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for quality control and analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 2070 patients were enrolled from 2009 through 2011: 84.9% were younger than 18 years of age; 1095 were women; 64.2% were non‐Hispanic white; 6.5% were non‐Hispanic black or African American; and 24.2% were Hispanic or Latino. Myelomeningocele was the most common diagnosis (81.5%).

CONCLUSIONS

The creation of a National Spina Bifida Patient Registry partnership between the CDC and SB clinics has been feasible. Through planned longitudinal data collection and the inclusion of additional clinics, the data generated by the registry will become more robust and representative of the population of patients attending SB clinics in the United States and will allow for the investigation of patient outcomes. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

An Invasive Vector of Zoonotic Disease Sustained by Anthropogenic Resources: The Raccoon Dog in Northern Europe

The raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) is an introduced species in Europe with a continually expanding range. Since the species is capable of affecting local ecosystems and is a vector for a number of severe zoonotic diseases, it is important to understand its food habits. Raccoon dog diet was studied in Estonia by examining the contents of 223 stomach samples collected during the coldest period of the year, August to March, in 2010–2012. The most frequently consumed food categories were anthropogenic plants (e.g. cereals, fruits; FO = 56.1%) and carrion (e.g. carcasses of artiodactyls and carnivores; FO = 48.4%). Carrion was also the only food category that was consumed significantly more frequently by raccoon dogs exhibiting symptoms of sarcoptic mange than by uninfected animals. Small mammals, which represent intermediate hosts for the zoonotic tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis, were more commonly recorded in samples also containing anthropogenic plants than expected by chance. Comparison of raccoon dog and red fox (Vulpes vulpes) diet in Estonia revealed higher overlap than found elsewhere in Europe, with ‘carrion’ and ‘anthropogenic plants’ making up the bulk of both species’ diet; however, raccoon dogs were more omnivorous than red foxes. Our results suggest that while the use of most food categories reflects the phenology of natural food sources, ‘anthropogenic plants’ and ‘carrion’ provide an essential resource for raccoon dogs during the coldest period of the year, with the latter resource especially important for individuals infected with sarcoptic mange. Since both of these food categories and small mammals are often found at supplementary feeding sites for wild boar (Sus scrofa), this game management practice may facilitate high densities of mesocarnivores and promote the spread of some severe zoonotic diseases, including alveolar echinococcosis, trichinellosis, rabies and sarcoptic mange.     

Morphological and genetic diversity of the thermophilic cyanobacterium,Mastigocladus laminosus (Stigonematales,Cyanobacteria) from Japan and Myanmar

The morphology and phylogeny of 13 strains of a thermophilic cyanobacterium, Mastigocladus laminosus Cohn, isolated from hot springs in Japan and Myanmar were analyzed to determine taxonomy and biogeography. From the morphological observations of cell size, there were significant differences among strains. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed two lineages: Lineages I and II. Lineage I consisted of strains collected in Japan and reference strains from a previous study (CCMEE 5329 and 5331, Hakone, Japan); Lineage II included all of the Myanmar strains and one Japanese strain, and was a novel lineage in phylogeographic studies on M. laminosus. Since strains in the Lineage II tended to have larger cells than those in the Lineage I, the morphological and phylogenetic lineages corresponded well with each other.     

Studies of iron-uptake mechanisms in two bacterial species of the shewanella genus adapted to middle-range (Shewanella putrefaciens) or antarctic (Shewanella gelidimarina) temperatures

Iron(III)-uptake mechanisms in bacteria indigenous to the Antarctic, which is the most Fe-deficient continent on Earth, have not been extensively studied. The cold-adapted, Antarctic bacterium, Shewanella gelidimarina, does not produce detectable levels of the siderophore, putrebactin, in the supernatant of Fe(III)-deprived cultures. This is distinct from the putrebactin-producing bacterium from the same genus, Shewanella putrefaciens, which is adapted to middle-range temperatures. The production of putrebactin by S. putrefaciens is optimal, when the pH value of the medium is 7.0. According to the strong positive response from whole cells in the Chrome Azurol S (CAS) agar diffusion assay, Shewanella gelidimarina appears to produce cell-associated siderophores. In the RP-HPLC trace of an Fe(III)-loaded extract from the cell-associated components of S. gelidimarina cultured in media with [Fe(III)] ca. 0 microM, a peak appears at [MeCN] ca. 77%, which decreases in intensity in a parallel experiment in which [Fe(III)] ca. 5 microM, and is barely detectable in Fe(III)-replete media ([Fe(III)] ca. 20 microM). The Fe(III)-dependence of this peak suggests that the attendant species, which is significantly more hydrophobic than putrebactin (RP-HPLC elution: [MeCN] ca. 14%), is associated with Fe(III)-management in S. gelidimarina. This study highlights the diversity in Fe(III)-uptake mechanisms in Shewanella species adapted to different environmental and thermal niches.     

Light-induced pH changes and changes in absorbance of pH indicators in Rhodospirillum rubrum chromatophores.

1. The light-induced pH change of chromatophore suspensions from Rhodospirillum rubrum was stimulated significantly and similarly by KCl, NaCl, LiCl, RbCl, CsCl, MgCl2, MnCl2, and CaCl2. In the dark, the pH of chromatophore suspensions decreased immediately and markedly on adding these salts. 2. The light-induced pH change stimulated by KCl plus valinomycin was inhibited by LiCl and NaCl, but not by RbCl. 3. The optimum pH values for light-induced pH change and photosynthetic ATP formation were around 5 and 8, respectively. The amount of chromatophore-bound ubiquinone-10 reduced in the light was independent of pH from 5 to 9. At pH 8, the number of protons incorporated into chromatophores in the light was one-half of the number of ubiquinone-10 molecules reduced in the light. 4. Among several pH indicators tested, bromothymol blue (BTB) and neutral red (NR) showed absorbance changes on illumination of chromatophores. Although the pH change indicated by the absorbance change was opposite to the light-induced pH change of the medium, the effect of KCl on the absorbance changes of BTB and NR, and the effect of valinomycin on that of NR, but not on that of BTB, were similar to those on the light-induced pH change. 5. The light-induced absorbance change of BTB was significantly inhibited by NR, whereas that of NR was hardly influenced by BTB. 6. Oligomycin stimulated the light-induced absorbance change of BTB under either non-phosphorylating or phosphorylating conditions. On the other hand, that of NR under phosphorylating conditions was 50% of that under non-phosphorylating conditions, and was increased by oligomycin.     

The GATA factor Serpent cross-regulates lozenge and u-shaped expression during Drosophila blood cell development

The Drosophila GATA factor Serpent interacts with the RUNX factor Lozenge to activate the crystal cell program, whereas SerpentNC binds the Friend of GATA protein U-shaped to limit crystal cell production. Here, we identified a lozenge minimal hematopoietic cis-regulatory module and showed that lozenge-lacZ reporter-gene expression was autoregulated by Serpent and Lozenge. We also showed that upregulation of u-shaped was delayed until after lozenge activation, consistent with our previous results that showed u-shaped expression in the crystal cell lineage is dependent on both Serpent and Lozenge. Together, these observations describe a feed forward regulatory motif, which controls the temporal expression of u-shaped. Finally, we showed that lozenge reporter-gene activity increased in a u-shaped mutant background and that forced expression of SerpentNC with U-shaped blocked lozenge- and u-shaped-lacZ reporter-gene activity. This is the first demonstration of GATA:FOG regulation of Runx and Fog gene expression. Moreover, these results identify components of a Serpent cross-regulatory sub-circuit that can modulate lozenge expression. Based on the sub-circuit design and the combinatorial control of crystal cell production, we present a model for the specification of a dynamic bi-potential regulatory state that contributes to the selection between a Lozenge-positive and Lozenge-negative state.     

Socio demographic and lifestyle factors of metabolic syndrome among adult rural indigenous Malaysian population from Perak State,Malaysia

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is defined as a cluster of known disorders that increase the risk for morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus. This cross sectional study was carried out to estimate the prevalence of MetS using Adult Treatment Panel 3 (ATP 3) classification and socio-demographic and lifestyle factors contributing to metabolic syndrome among rural indigenous Malaysian population from Perak state, Malaysia which included 148 rural Malay and 145 Orang Asli(OA) individuals. This community based cross-sectional study revealed that the prevalence of MetS was significantly higher among Malays (27.7%) as compared to Orang Aslis (13.8%). Overall Prevalence of Metabolic syndrome in the rural indigenous Malaysian population was 20.8%. Prevalence of abdominal obesity and high blood pressure were significantly higher among Malays as compared to OA population. Metabolic syndrome was significantly higher among those above 45 years of age group in overall rural indigenous Malaysian population and among OA. The prevalence of MetS was significantly higher among those who were obese and overweight and among Malays who were regularly taking snacks between meals. There was no significant association between other dietary risk factors, smoking, alcohol use or physical activity with metabolic syndrome.