Adipocytes as a new source of catecholamine production

Catecholamines are an important regulator of lipolysis in adipose tissue. Here we show that rat adipocytes, isolated from mesenteric adipose tissue, express genes of catecholamine biosynthetic enzymes and produce catecholamines de novo. Administration of tyrosine hydroxylase inhibitor, alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine, in vitro significantly reduced concentration of catecholamines in isolated adipocytes. We hypothesize that the sympathetic innervation of adipose tissues is not the only source of catecholamines, since adipocytes also have the capacity to produce both norepinephrine and epinephrine.     

New methods to identify conserved microsatellite loci and develop primer sets of high cross-species utility - as demonstrated for birds

We have developed a new approach to create microsatellite primer sets that have high utility across a wide range of species. The success of this method was demonstrated using birds. We selected 35 avian EST microsatellite loci that had a high degree of sequence homology between the zebra finch Taeniopygia guttata and the chicken Gallus gallus and designed primer sets in which the primer bind sites were identical in both species. For 33 conserved primer sets, on average, 100% of loci amplified in each of 17 passerine species and 99% of loci in five non-passerine species. The genotyping of four individuals per species revealed that 24-76% (mean 48%) of loci were polymorphic in the passerines and 18-26% (mean 21%) in the non-passerines. When at least 17 individuals were genotyped per species for four Fringillidae finch species, 71-85% of loci were polymorphic, observed heterozygosity was above 0.50 for most loci and no locus deviated significantly from Hardy-Weinberg proportions. This new set of microsatellite markers is of higher cross-species utility than any set previously designed. The loci described are suitable for a range of applications that require polymorphic avian markers, including paternity and population studies. They will facilitate comparisons of bird genome organization, including genome mapping and studies of recombination, and allow comparisons of genetic variability between species whilst avoiding ascertainment bias. The costs and time to develop new loci can now be avoided for many applications in numerous species. Furthermore, our method can be readily used to develop microsatellite markers of high utility across other taxa.     

The Adjuvant Double Mutant Escherichia coli Heat Labile Toxin Enhances IL-17A Production in Human T Cells Specific for Bacterial Vaccine Antigens

The strong adjuvant activity and low enterotoxicity of the novel mucosal adjuvant double mutant Escherichia coli heat labile toxin, LT(R192G/L211A) or dmLT, demonstrated in mice, makes this molecule a promising adjuvant candidate. However, little is known about the mechanisms responsible for the adjuvant effect of dmLT or whether dmLT also has an adjuvant function in humans.We investigated the effect of dmLT on human T cell responses to different bacterial vaccine antigens: the mycobacterial purified protein derivative (PPD) antigen, tested in individuals previously vaccinated with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin, the LT binding subunit (LTB), evaluated in subjects immunised with oral inactivated whole cell vaccines against enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, and Streptococcus pneumoniae whole cell vaccine antigens, tested in subjects naturally exposed to pneumococci. We found that dmLT enhanced the production of IL-17A by peripheral blood mononuclear cells in response to all antigens tested. dmLT had comparable effects on IL-17A responses to PPD as the single mutant LT(R192G) adjuvant, which has demonstrated clinical adjuvant activity in humans. Neutralisation of IL-1β and IL-23, but not IL-6, suppressed the IL-17A-enhancing effect of dmLT. Furthermore, CD4+ T cells produced higher levels of IL-17A when stimulated with monocytes pulsed with PPD and dmLT compared to PPD alone, supporting an important role of antigen presenting cells in enhancing IL-17A responses. dmLT also potentiated mitogen-induced IL-17A and IL-13 production. However, dmLT had variable influences on IFN-γ responses to the different stimuli tested.Our demonstration of a potent ability of dmLT to enhance human Th17 type T cell responses to bacterial vaccine antigens encourages further evaluation of the adjuvant function of dmLT in humans.     

The Quantitative Basis of the Arabidopsis Innate Immune System to Endemic Pathogens Depends on Pathogen Genetics

The most established model of the eukaryotic innate immune system is derived from examples of large effect monogenic quantitative resistance to pathogens. However, many host-pathogen interactions involve many genes of small to medium effect and exhibit quantitative resistance. We used the Arabidopsis-Botrytis pathosystem to explore the quantitative genetic architecture underlying host innate immune system in a population of Arabidopsis thaliana. By infecting a diverse panel of Arabidopsis accessions with four phenotypically and genotypically distinct isolates of the fungal necrotroph B. cinerea, we identified a total of 2,982 genes associated with quantitative resistance using lesion area and 3,354 genes associated with camalexin production as measures of the interaction. Most genes were associated with resistance to a specific Botrytis isolate, which demonstrates the influence of pathogen genetic variation in analyzing host quantitative resistance. While known resistance genes, such as receptor-like kinases (RLKs) and nucleotide-binding site leucine-rich repeat proteins (NLRs), were found to be enriched among associated genes, they only account for a small fraction of the total genes associated with quantitative resistance. Using publically available co-expression data, we condensed the quantitative resistance associated genes into co-expressed gene networks. GO analysis of these networks implicated several biological processes commonly connected to disease resistance, including defense hormone signaling and ROS production, as well as novel processes, such as leaf development. Validation of single gene T-DNA knockouts in a Col-0 background demonstrate a high success rate (60%) when accounting for differences in environmental and Botrytis genetic variation. This study shows that the genetic architecture underlying host innate immune system is extremely complex and is likely able to sense and respond to differential virulence among pathogen genotypes.     

Escherichia coli Mutant with Elevated Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate (Reduced) Oxidase Activity

A slow-growing mutant of Escherichia coli with greatly elevated nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (reduced; NADPH) oxidase activity has been isolated. The oxidase activity of the wild-type organism, normally low at pH 7.5, was increased when the assay was performed at pH 6.0. Sucrose density gradients of sonic extracts of the mutant and wild-type strains revealed several peaks of NADPH oxidase activity at pH 6.0. The parent organism had a peak of activity of high molecular weight which was absent from the mutant. The mutant strain had an activator capable of increasing the activity of all wild-type density gradient peaks, especially the one of high molecular weight. The activator was either missing or masked in the wild type. Agar gel electrophoresis of the extracts uncovered a rapidly moving band from the wild type, missing from the mutant; the material in this band had weak NADPH-diaphorase activity and strongly inhibited the activity of the mutant NADPH oxidase. It was concluded that, in wild-type E. coli, NADPH oxidase activity is regulated by a proper balance of an activator and an inhibitor. The absence of the inhibitor, as in the mutant, or the inactivation of the inhibitor at acid pH levels, results in a high level of NADPH oxidase activity. The relation of high NADPH oxidase levels and subsequent decrease of the NADPH pool to the decrease in growth rate is considered.     

Association between Atherosclerotic Diseases and Carboxyhaemoglobin Levels in Tobacco Smokers

In a cross-sectional study carboxyhaemoglobin (COHb) levels in tobacco smokers were found to provide a better indication of a person''s risk of having developed certain atherosclerotic diseases, including ischaemic heart disease, than the smoking history. In the age group 30-69 years a person with a COHb level of 5% or more was found to be 21 times (lower 95% confidence limit 3·3 times) as likely to be affected by these diseases as another person of the same age and sex with similar smoking history and current smoking habits but with a COHb level of less than 3%.     

Mutation leading to increased sensitivity to chromium in Salmonella typhimurium

Corwin, L. M. (Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Washington, D.C.), G. R. Fanning, F. Feldman, and P. Margolin. Mutation leading to increased sensitivity to chromium in Salmonella typhimurium. J. Bacteriol. 91:1509-1515. 1966.-Certain deletion mutants including the tryptophan operon in Salmonella typhimurium are unable to utilize several sugars as carbon sources in solid media, although they are able to grow in liquid media with these sugars. The addition of citrate or washing the agar with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid permits growth on solid media. Analysis of the agar revealed that Fe(3+) and Cr(3+) were present at concentrations of 22 and 75 mum, respectively. The addition of Fe(3+) to liquid media in 0.5 mm concentrations did not inhibit the wild type or the mutants. A similar concentration of Cr(3+) did not inhibit the wild type, but concentrations as low as 0.01 to 0.05 mm inhibited the deletion mutants. Other metals were inhibitory at various concentrations, but none showed any significant differential effects on the mutants and the wild type. The increased sensitivity of the mutants to chromium may be due either to an increased permeability to Cr(3+), resulting in higher effective intracellular concentrations and inhibition of one or more metabolic functions, or to a binding of Cr(3+) to an altered cell wall, resulting in decreased permeability of required substrates.     

Body mass estimates of an exceptionally complete Stegosaurus (Ornithischia: Thyreophora): comparing volumetric and linear bivariate mass estimation methods

Body mass is a key biological variable, but difficult to assess from fossils. Various techniques exist for estimating body mass from skeletal parameters, but few studies have compared outputs from different methods. Here, we apply several mass estimation methods to an exceptionally complete skeleton of the dinosaur Stegosaurus. Applying a volumetric convex-hulling technique to a digital model of Stegosaurus, we estimate a mass of 1560 kg (95% prediction interval 1082–2256 kg) for this individual. By contrast, bivariate equations based on limb dimensions predict values between 2355 and 3751 kg and require implausible amounts of soft tissue and/or high body densities. When corrected for ontogenetic scaling, however, volumetric and linear equations are brought into close agreement. Our results raise concerns regarding the application of predictive equations to extinct taxa with no living analogues in terms of overall morphology and highlight the sensitivity of bivariate predictive equations to the ontogenetic status of the specimen. We emphasize the significance of rare, complete fossil skeletons in validating widely applied mass estimation equations based on incomplete skeletal material and stress the importance of accurately determining specimen age prior to further analyses.