Lignocellulose-degrading enzyme production by white-rot <Emphasis Type="Italic">Basidiomycetes</Emphasis> isolated from the forests of Georgia

The production of lignocellulolytic enzymes by eleven basidiomycetes species isolated from two ecosystems of Georgia was investigated for the first time under submerged (SF) and solid-state fermentation (SSF) of lignocellulosic by-products. Notable intergeneric and intrageneric differences were revealed with regard to the extent of hydrolase and oxidase activity. Several fungi produced laccase along with hydrolases in parallel with growth during the trophophase, showing that the synthesis of this enzyme is not connected with secondary metabolism. The lignocellulosic substrate type had the greatest impact on enzyme secretion. Some of the substrates significantly stimulated lignocellulolytic enzyme synthesis without supplementation of the culture medium with specific inducers. Exceptionally high carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase, 122 U ml⁻¹) and xylanase (195 U ml⁻¹) activities were revealed in SF of mandarin peelings by Pseudotremella gibbosa IBB 22 and of residue after ethanol production (REP) by Fomes fomentarius IBB 38, respectively. The SSF of REP by T. pubescens IBB 11 ensured the highest level of laccase activity (24,690 U l⁻¹), whereas the SSF of wheat bran and SF of mandarin peels provided the highest manganese peroxidase activity (570–620 U l⁻¹) of Trichaptum biforme IBB 117. Moreover, the variation of lignocellulosic growth substrate provides an opportunity to obtain enzyme preparations containing different ratios of individual enzymes.     

Immobilization of laccase from the white rot fungus Coriolopsis polyzona and use of the immobilized biocatalyst for the continuous elimination of endocrine disrupting chemicals

Laccase from the white rot fungus strain Coriolopsis polyzona was immobilized covalently on the diatomaceous earth support Celite^® R-633 using different strategies. A first methodology involved the sequential activation of the support surface with γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane followed by the reaction of the functionalized surface with glutaraldehyde (GLU) or glyoxal (GLY) and the immobilization of laccase on the activated surface. Another strategy tested the simultaneous internal cross-linking of the protein with GLU or GLY and the immobilization of the laccase on the silanized surface. Finally, these two strategies were modified to test the impact of the concomitant addition of bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a stabilizing agent during the immobilization steps. The highest laccase activity and the greatest degree of activity recovery (tested using 2,2′-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) as the substrate) were achieved by the sequential immobilization procedure using GLU as the cross-linking agent. The solid catalysts featuring internal cross-linking of the protein showed significantly higher stability against several denaturants. The Michaelis–Menten kinetic parameters with respect to ABTS revealed a higher affinity for this substrate in the case of the sequential procedure compared to the simultaneous approach. The biocatalyst formed using GLU in the sequential procedure was applied in a packed bed reactor for the continuous treatment of 5 mg l⁻¹ solutions of the endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) nonylphenol (NP), bisphenol A (BPA) and triclosan (TCS) through repeated batch treatments. All of these EDCs could be eliminated at a contact time of less than 200 min by using, respectively, 3.75 units (U) of laccase activity for BPA and TCS and 1.88 U for NP. These performances of elimination were maintained over five consecutive treatment cycles using the same biocatalyst. This system could also remove these EDCs from 100 mg l⁻¹ solutions. The Michaelis–Menten kinetic parameters with respect to these chemicals showed a decreasing affinity of the solid biocatalyst for NP, TCS and BPA in that order.     

The Anopheles gambiae Odorant Binding Protein 1 (AgamOBP1) Mediates Indole Recognition in the Antennae of Female Mosquitoes

Haematophagous insects are frequently carriers of parasitic diseases, including malaria. The mosquito Anopheles gambiae is the major vector of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa and is thus responsible for thousands of deaths daily. Although the role of olfaction in A. gambiae host detection has been demonstrated, little is known about the combinations of ligands and odorant binding proteins (OBPs) that can produce specific odor-related responses in vivo. We identified a ligand, indole, for an A. gambiae odorant binding protein, AgamOBP1, modeled the interaction in silico and confirmed the interaction using biochemical assays. RNAi-mediated gene silencing coupled with electrophysiological analyses confirmed that AgamOBP1 binds indole in A. gambiae and that the antennal receptor cells do not respond to indole in the absence of AgamOBP1. This case represents the first documented instance of a specific A. gambiae OBP–ligand pairing combination, demonstrates the significance of OBPs in odor recognition, and can be expanded to the identification of other ligands for OBPs of Anopheles and other medically important insects.     

Socioeconomic Deprivation and the Incidence of 12 Cardiovascular Diseases in 1.9 Million Women and Men: Implications for Risk Prediction and Prevention

Background

Recent experimental evidence suggests that socioeconomic characteristics of neighbourhoods influence cardiovascular health, but observational studies which examine deprivation across a wide range of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are lacking.

Methods

Record-linkage cohort study of 1.93 million people to examine the association between small-area socioeconomic deprivation and 12 CVDs. Health records covered primary care, hospital admissions, a myocardial infarction registry and cause-specific mortality in England (CALIBER). Patients were aged ≥30 years and were initially free of CVD. Cox proportional hazard models stratified by general practice were used.

Findings

During a median follow-up of 5.5 years 114,859 people had one of 12 initial CVD presentations. In women the hazards of all CVDs except abdominal aortic aneurysm increased linearly with higher small-area socioeconomic deprivation (adjusted HR for most vs. least deprived ranged from 1.05, 95%CI 0.83–1.32 for abdominal aortic aneurysm to 1.55, 95%CI 1.42–1.70 for heart failure; I² = 81.9%, τ² = 0.01). In men heterogeneity was higher (HR ranged from 0.89, 95%CI 0.75–1.06 for cardiac arrest to 1.85, 95%CI 1.67–2.04 for peripheral arterial disease; I² = 96.0%, τ² = 0.06) and no association was observed with stable angina, sudden cardiac death, subarachnoid haemorrhage, transient ischaemic attack and abdominal aortic aneurysm. Lifetime risk difference between least and most deprived quintiles was most marked for peripheral arterial disease in women (4.3% least deprived, 5.8% most deprived) and men (4.6% least deprived, 7.8% in most deprived); but it was small or negligible for sudden cardiac death, transient ischaemic attack, abdominal aortic aneurysm and ischaemic and intracerebral haemorrhage, in both women and men.

Conclusions

Associations of small-area socioeconomic deprivation with 12 types of CVDs were heterogeneous, and in men absent for several diseases. Findings suggest that policies to reduce deprivation may impact more strongly on heart failure and peripheral arterial disease, and might be more effective in women.     

Transformation of 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene (TNT) Reduction Products by Lignin Peroxidase (H8) from the White-Rot Basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium

White-rot fungi are known to degrade a wide range of xenobiotic environmental pollutants, including the nitroaromatic explosive 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT). TNT is first reduced by the fungal mycelium to aminodinitrotoluenes and diaminonitrotoluenes. In a second phase, reduced TNT metabolites are oxidatively transformed and mineralized. The extracellular oxidative enzyme of the ligninolytic system of these fungi includes the lignin peroxidases (LiP) and the manganese-dependent peroxidases (MnP). In the present study, we have shown that a cell-free enzymatic system containing fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC)-purified LiP (H8) from the white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium was able to completely transform 50 mg/L of 2,4-diamino-6-nitrotoluene (2,4-DA-6-NT) and 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene (2-A-4,6-DNT) in 1 and 48 h, respectively. Veratryl alcohol (VA), often described as a mediator in the LiP-catalyzed oxidative depolymerization of lignin, was not required for the enzymatic transformation of 2,4-DA-6-NT or 2-A-4,6-DNT. 2,4-DA-6-NT was also shown to be a competitive inhibitor of the LiP activity measured through the oxidation of VA. Experiments using ¹⁴C-U-ring labeled compounds showed that 2-A-4,6-DNT was converted to 2,2'-azoxy-4,4' ,6,6'-tetranitrotoluene. No significant mineralization, measured by the release of ¹⁴CO2, was observed over 5 d.     

Anti-Mullerian hormone levels reflect severity of PCOS but are negatively influenced by obesity: relationship with increased luteinizing hormone levels

The objective of the study was the comparison of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels among obese or overweight and normal-weight women with the four different polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) phenotypes and healthy control subjects. AMH levels were evaluated in four age- and body mass index (BMI)-matched groups of 25 normal-weight and 25 obese or overweight women each, belonging to the four main subsets of the syndrome resulting from combinations of the three diagnostic criteria [group 1: oligo- and/or anovulation (ANOV), hyperandrogenemia (HA), and polycystic ovaries (PCO) on ultrasonographic evaluation; group 2: ANOV and HA; group 3: HA and PCO, group 4: ANOV and PCO], and in 50 (25 obese or overweight and 25 normal weight) age- and BMI-matched healthy control subjects. Age, BMI, waist circumference, FSH, LH, prolactin, testosterone, Delta(4)-androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate, 17alpha-OH-progesterone, fasting insulin, glucose, AMH, free androgen index, and homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance index were analyzed. AMH levels were significantly higher in PCOS groups 1 and 2 compared with groups 3 and 4 and the control group and higher in PCOS groups 3 and 4 compared with the control group. AMH levels were significantly increased in normal-weight compared with obese and overweight women. AMH concentrations were independently predicted, in order of significance, by LH and testosterone levels, BMI (negatively), and the total number of follicles 2-9 mm in diameter. The differences in circulating AMH levels between the main phenotypic groups of PCOS women appear to reflect the severity of the syndrome, but are negatively affected by obesity. Increased LH levels might be the most significant independent link between PCOS-associated disorders of ovulation and the observed increase in circulating AMH concentration.     

BRI2 as a central protein involved in neurodegeneration

BRI2 is a protein that when mutated causes familial British and familial Danish dementias. Upon cleavage, the mutated BRI2 proteins release the peptides ABri and ADan, which are amyloidogenic and accumulate in the brains of patients. Although BRI2 has an unknown function, several reports indicate that it could play multiple roles. For example, the fact that it exists at the cell surface as a homodimer indicates that it could be involved in cell signaling events by acting as a receptor. BRI2 also interacts with amyloid precursor protein (APP), involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD). In cell cultures and mouse models of AD, BRI2 inhibits APP processing and reduces amyloid β peptide deposition. The interaction between the two proteins could be responsible for the neuropathological similarities between familial British/Danish dementias and AD. The study of BRI2, which is central in familial British and Danish dementia, could unravel underlying molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration.     

Blinded Prospective Evaluation of Computer-Based Mechanistic Schizophrenia Disease Model for Predicting Drug Response

The tremendous advances in understanding the neurobiological circuits involved in schizophrenia have not translated into more effective treatments. An alternative strategy is to use a recently published ‘Quantitative Systems Pharmacology’ computer-based mechanistic disease model of cortical/subcortical and striatal circuits based upon preclinical physiology, human pathology and pharmacology. The physiology of 27 relevant dopamine, serotonin, acetylcholine, norepinephrine, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate-mediated targets is calibrated using retrospective clinical data on 24 different antipsychotics. The model was challenged to predict quantitatively the clinical outcome in a blinded fashion of two experimental antipsychotic drugs; JNJ37822681, a highly selective low-affinity dopamine D₂ antagonist and ocaperidone, a very high affinity dopamine D₂ antagonist, using only pharmacology and human positron emission tomography (PET) imaging data. The model correctly predicted the lower performance of JNJ37822681 on the positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) total score and the higher extra-pyramidal symptom (EPS) liability compared to olanzapine and the relative performance of ocaperidone against olanzapine, but did not predict the absolute PANSS total score outcome and EPS liability for ocaperidone, possibly due to placebo responses and EPS assessment methods. Because of its virtual nature, this modeling approach can support central nervous system research and development by accounting for unique human drug properties, such as human metabolites, exposure, genotypes and off-target effects and can be a helpful tool for drug discovery and development.     

A new technique for long preservation of 14C-labelled Cladocerans

Three ways of preserving labelled Cladocerans fed with ¹⁴C-Chlorella for 7.5–10 min were tested. Tracer leakage in 4% formalin at room temperature is rapid and extensive (half of the label was found in the animals after 1 hour of preservation). Even when individuals are frozen and sorting is made quickly in a liquid, losses nevertheless occur (substantial decrease of animal activity after only 4–5 min in the water in one of the two experiments performed). Results obtained after freezing in 4% formalin and sorting exactly 2 hours after thawing gave consistent losses: 16 separate experiments with Daphnia pulex, Ceriodaphnia spp. and Diaphanosoma brachyurum gave apparent filtering rates underestimated from 35% to 63% for freezing periods of up to 45 days. The good agreement in in situ community filtering rates between measured values and estimated ones from individual data confirmed the validity of a correction factor of x 2 applied to animals frozen in formalin.