Lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase activity in chronic nephropathies

The authors present data from a group of 55 patients suffering from chronic renal diseases. Twenty-two were treated by haemodialysis; the rest had serum creatinine levels ranging from normal to 950 mumol/l. The molar esterification rats [MER] and total cholesterol [TCH] values decreased parallel to the gradual extinction of renal function. A reduced fractional esterification rate [FER] was found in about two thirds of the dialysed patients and in about half of those whose kidney function was still relatively well preserved. It can thus be concluded that reduction of FER values indicative of a disturbance of cholesterol metabolism can already be detected in the early stages of chronic nephropathies.     

Spatial Genetic Structure of the Abundant and Widespread Peatmoss Sphagnum magellanicum Brid.

Spore-producing organisms have small dispersal units enabling them to become widespread across continents. However, barriers to gene flow and cryptic speciation may exist. The common, haploid peatmoss Sphagnum magellanicum occurs in both the Northern and Southern hemisphere, and is commonly used as a model in studies of peatland ecology and peatmoss physiology. Even though it will likely act as a rich source in functional genomics studies in years to come, surprisingly little is known about levels of genetic variability and structuring in this species. Here, we assess for the first time how genetic variation in S. magellanicum is spatially structured across its full distribution range (Northern Hemisphere and South America). The morphologically similar species S. alaskense was included for comparison. In total, 195 plants were genotyped at 15 microsatellite loci. Sequences from two plastid loci (trnG and trnL) were obtained from 30 samples. Our results show that S. alaskense and almost all plants of S. magellanicum in the northern Pacific area are diploids and share the same gene pool. Haploid plants occur in South America, Europe, eastern North America, western North America, and southern Asia, and five genetically differentiated groups with different distribution ranges were found. Our results indicate that S. magellanicum consists of several distinct genetic groups, seemingly with little or no gene flow among them. Noteworthy, the geographical separation of diploids and haploids is strikingly similar to patterns found within other haploid Sphagnum species spanning the Northern Hemisphere. Our results confirm a genetic division between the Beringian and the Atlantic that seems to be a general pattern in Sphagnum taxa. The pattern of strong genetic population structuring throughout the distribution range of morphologically similar plants need to be considered in future functional genomic studies of S. magellanicum.     

Physiology of the ECL cells.

The enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells of the oxyntic mucosa (fundus) of the stomach produce, store and secrete histamine, chromogranin A-derived peptides such as pancreastatin, and an unanticipated but as yet unidentified peptide hormone. The cells are stimulated by gastrin and pituitary adenylate cyclase activating peptide and suppressed by somatostatin and galanin. Choline esters and histamine seem to be without effect on ECL cell secretion. The existence of a gastrin-ECL cell axis not only explains how gastrin stimulates acid secretion but also may help to explore the functional significance of the ECL cells with respect to the nature and bioactivity of its peptide hormone. From the results of studies of gastrectomized/fundectomized and gastrin-treated rats, it has been speculated that the anticipated ECL-cell peptide hormone acts on bone metabolism.     

Experimental evidence of environmental effects on age-specific reproductive success: the importance of resource quality.

Age-specific access to high-quality resources (e.g. territory or nest site) might be an important determinant for improved reproductive performance with increasing age. I experimentally investigated the effects of territory quality versus other age-related improvements in breeding competence (e.g. foraging skills, breeding experience and local knowledge) on age-specific reproductive success. Territory quality (i.e. territory field layer height) was manipulated in year 2 of northern wheatears (Oenanthe oenanthe) that were breeding in the same territory in two consecutive years. Changing territory quality by changing field layer height had a strong effect on within-individual change in the reproductive success of wheatears. This effect was mainly due to a corresponding change in nest predation risk. When territory quality was kept constant (i.e. no between-year change in territory field layer height), within-individual reproductive success did not change between subsequent years. Thus, age-related improvements in foraging skills, breeding experience and local familiarity had no significant effect on within-individual changes in reproductive success. Increased reproductive success with increased age in northern wheatears is therefore mainly explained by an improved access to high-quality territories with increasing age. I conclude that age-dependent access to high-quality breeding resources might be a widespread phenomenon in nature.     

Effects of ATP and cyclic AMP on the (Na+ + K+ + 2Cl-)-cotransport system in turkey erythrocytes

As turkey erythrocytes were progressively depleted of ATP by preincubation with dinitrophenol, the (Na+ + K+ + 2Cl-)-cotransport system (assayed by the bumetanide-sensitive fraction of 86Rb+ influx) became less responsive to activation. The dependence upon intracellular ATP concentration was significantly steeper for transport activated by hypertonic shock (halfmaximal activity at 0.7 mM ATP) than for that activated by either epinephrine or cyclic AMP (halfmaximal activity at 1.7 mM ATP). Upon removal of epinephrine or cyclic AMP from cells that had been preincubated with those substances, bumetanide-sensitive transport activity declined sharply, even though the intracellular cyclic AMP concentration was still over 10-fold that required to maximally activate the transport system. These data are in agreement with the notion that the (Na+ + K+ + 2Cl-)-cotransport system in turkey erythrocytes is activated by cyclic AMP, presumably through the 'classical' pathway involving a protein kinase. They do however indicate that some other, as yet undefined aspect of cyclic AMP metabolism is important for the maintenance of transport activity.     

α-MSH Stimulates Glucose Uptake in Mouse Muscle and Phosphorylates Rab-GTPase-Activating Protein TBC1D1 Independently of AMPK

The melanocortin system includes five G-protein coupled receptors (family A) defined as MC1R-MC5R, which are stimulated by endogenous agonists derived from proopiomelanocortin (POMC). The melanocortin system has been intensely studied for its central actions in body weight and energy expenditure regulation, which are mainly mediated by MC4R. The pituitary gland is the source of various POMC-derived hormones released to the circulation, which raises the possibility that there may be actions of the melanocortins on peripheral energy homeostasis. In this study, we examined the molecular signaling pathway involved in α-MSH-stimulated glucose uptake in differentiated L6 myotubes and mouse muscle explants. In order to examine the involvement of AMPK, we investigate α-MSH stimulation in both wild type and AMPK deficient mice. We found that α-MSH significantly induces phosphorylation of TBC1 domain (TBC1D) family member 1 (S237 and T596), which is independent of upstream PKA and AMPK. We find no evidence to support that α-MSH-stimulated glucose uptake involves TBC1D4 phosphorylation (T642 and S704) or GLUT4 translocation.     

<Superscript>15</Superscript>N natural abundance of fossil peat reflects the influence of animal-derived nitrogen on vegetation

'¹⁵N signatures of fossil peat were used to interpret past ecosystem processes on tectonically active subantarctic Macquarie Island. By comparing past vegetation reconstructed from the fossil record with present-day vegetation analogues, our evidence strongly suggests that changes in the '¹⁵N signatures of fossil peat at this location reflect mainly past changes in the proportion of plant nitrogen derived from animal sources. Associated with uplift above sea level over the past 8,500 years, fossil records in two peat deposits on the island chronicle a change from coastal vegetation with fur and elephant seal disturbance to the existing inland herbfield. Coupled with this change are synchronous changes in the '¹⁵N signatures of peat layers. At two sites ¹⁵N-enriched peat '¹⁵N signatures of up to +17‰ were associated with a high abundance of pollen of the nitrophile Callitriche antarctica (Callitrichaceae). At one site fossil seal hair was also associated with enriched peat '¹⁵N. Less ¹⁵N enriched '¹⁵N signatures (e.g. -1.9‰ to +3.9‰) were measured in peat layers which lacked animal associated C. antarctica and Acaena spp. Interpretation of a third peat profile indicates continual occupation of a ridge site by burrowing petrels for most of the Holocene. We suggest that ¹⁵N signatures of fossil peat remained relatively stable with time once deposited, providing a significant new tool for interpreting the palaeoecology.     

The membrane topology of proton-pumping Escherichia coli transhydrogenase determined by cysteine labeling.

The membrane topology of proton-pumping nicotinamide-nucleotide transhydrogenase from Escherichia coli was determined by site-specific chemical labeling. A His-tagged cysteine-free transhydrogenase was used to introduce unique cysteines in positions corresponding to potential membrane loops. The cysteines were reacted with fluorescent reagents, fluorescein 5-maleimide or 2-[(4'-maleimidyl)anilino]naphthalene-6-sulfonic acid, in both intact cells and inside-out vesicles. Labeled transhydrogenase was purified with a small-scale procedure using a metal affinity resin, and the amount of labeling was measured as fluorescence on UV-illuminated acrylamide gels. The difference in labeling between intact cells and inside-out vesicles was used to discriminate between a periplasmic and a cytosolic location of the residues. The membrane region was found to be composed of 13 helices (four in the alpha-subunit and nine in the beta-subunit), with the C terminus of the alpha-subunit and the N terminus of the beta-subunit facing the cytosolic and periplasmic sides, respectively. These results differ from previous models with regard to both number of helices and the relative location and orientation of certain helices. This study constitutes the first in which all transmembrane segments of transhydrogenase have been experimentally determined and provides an explanation for the different topologies of the mitochondrial and E. coli transhydrogenases.     

Characteristics of carbohydrate metabolism in the rat liver in thiamine deficiency

Thiamine deficiency in rats induced by oxythiamine is accompanied by an increase in the free NADP+/NADPH ratio in liver tissue, which results in multifold stimulation of the metabolite flux in the oxidation branch of the pentose cycle. The increase in the intracellular concentrations of isocitrate and alpha-ketoglutarate with a simultaneous decrease of malate in the liver of vitamin-deficient rats points to the inhibition of alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase responsible for the anomalous metabolism under conditions of thiamine deficiency. The decrease of the functional activity of the tricarboxylic acid cycle is concomitant with the activation of conversions in the oxidation branch of the pentose cycle, glucuronate and glycolytic pathways of carbohydrate metabolism, which is directed at eliminating the energy deficiency in rats with B1-hypovitaminosis.