Evaluation of a mass screening program for lysinuric protein intolerance in the northern part of Japan

Lysinuric protein intolerance (LPI:MIM 222700) is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by defective transport of the dibasic amino acids. We recently reported a local cluster of LPI in the northern part of Japan (Koizumi et al., 2000). Mutational analysis of the LPI patients in this local cluster revealed they were exclusively homozygous for the R410X mutation. The effectiveness of early intervention with citrulline therapy (200 mg/kg per day) and protein restriction (1.5 g/kg per day) was confirmed in these patients. Mass screening was conducted in 4,568 newborn babies between 1999 and 2002, which was estimated to cover 100% of almost all newborns delivered in the screened area. Forty heterozygous newborns were found (0.88%), leading to an estimated incidence of LPI of 1:51,984. The number of people that required screening to detect one case was 51,984, and the cost for mass screening was 30 cents/person (a total of dollars 15,600). This is comparable to, or even less than, the cost of currently screened diseases in Japan. Therefore, we conclude that a mass screening program for LPI can be introduced effectively and economically into an area where an LPI cluster is located as the result of a founder mutation.     

The Middle Subunit of Replication Protein A Contacts Growing RNA-DNA Primers in Replicating Simian Virus 40 Chromosomes

The eukaryotic single-stranded DNA binding protein replication protein A (RPA) participates in major DNA transactions. RPA also interacts through its middle subunit (Rpa2) with regulators of the cell division cycle and of the response to DNA damage. A specific contact between Rpa2 and nascent simian virus 40 DNA was revealed by in situ UV cross-linking. The dynamic attributes of the cross-linked DNA, namely, its size distribution, RNA primer content, and replication fork polarity, were determined. These data suggest that Rpa2 contacts the early DNA chain intermediates synthesized by DNA polymerase α-primase (RNA-DNA primers) but not more advanced products. Possible signaling functions of Rpa2 are discussed, and current models of eukaryotic lagging-strand DNA synthesis are evaluated in view of our results.     

Mycorrhizal interactions of orchids colonizing Estonian mine tailings hills

Northeastern Estonia is home to extensive oil shale mines. Associated with these are desolate and environmentally damaging hills of ash and semicoke tailings. Interestingly, some of the first plants to colonize these hills are rare orchids. Here, we assess the identities of the mycorrhizal fungi associated with these orchids, in particular Epipactis atrorubens, Orchis militaris, and Dactylorhiza baltica, and compare them with mycorrhizal fungi from orchids from pristine habitat. Epipactis atrorubens associated with the widest breadth of fungi, including unnamed members of the basidiomycete family Tulasnellaceae and the potentially ectomycorrhizal ascomycetes Trichophaea woolhopeia and Geopora cooperi. Orchis militaris also associated with unnamed members of the Tulasnellaceae. Dactylorhiza baltica associated with Ceratobasidium albasitensis. In Epipactis and Orchis, the same fungi associated with plants in the pristine habitat as with those on ash hills. The tulasnelloid and ceratobasidioid fungi mycorrhizal with these orchids appear closely related to common orchid mycorrhizal fungi, while one of the ascomycetes mycorrhizal with E. atrorubens is closely related to a mycorrhizal fungus with E. microphylla. Our results suggest that these orchids and their fungi are not limited to pristine habitats and that environmentally polluted sites may present novel habitats that may be exploited for endangered plant conservation.     

Basic residues in azurocidin/HBP contribute to both heparin binding and antimicrobial activity

Azurocidin/CAP37/HBP is an antimicrobial and chemotactic protein that is part of the innate defenses of human neutrophils. In addition, azurocidin is an inactive serine protease homolog with binding sites for diverse ligands including heparin and the bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI). The structure of the protein reveals a highly cationic domain concentrated on one side of the molecule and responsible for its strong polarity. To investigate the role of this highly basic region, we produced three recombinant azurocidin mutant proteins that were altered in either one or both of two clusters of 4 basic residues located symmetrically on each side of a central cleft in the cationic domain. Two of the mutant proteins (Loop 3: R5Q, K6Q, R8Q, and R10Q; Loop 4: R61Q, R62Q, R63Q, and R65Q) exhibited little or no change in heparin and BPTI binding or in antimicrobial function. In contrast, the Loop 3/Loop 4 mutant (R5Q, K6Q, R8Q, R10Q, R61Q, R62Q, R63Q, and R65Q) in which all 8 basic residues were replaced showed greatly decreased ability to bind heparin and to kill Escherichia coli and Candida albicans. Thus, we report that the 8 basic residues that were altered in the Loop 3/Loop 4 mutant contribute to the ability of the wild-type azurocidin molecule to bind heparin and to kill E. coli and C. albicans. Because BPTI binding was comparable in wild-type and Loop 3/Loop 4 mutant protein, we conclude that the same 8 basic residues are not involved in the binding of BPTI to azurocidin, supporting the notion that the binding site for BPTI is distinct from the site involved in heparin binding and antimicrobial activity. Finally, we show that removal of all 4 positively charged amino acids in the 20-44 azurocidin sequence (DMC1: R23Q,H24S,H32S,R34Q), a region previously thought to contain an antimicrobial domain, does not affect the activity of the protein against E. coli, Streptococcus faecalis, and C. albicans.     

Neuroprotective effects of Mycoplasma hyorhinis against amyloid-β-peptide toxicity in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells are mediated by calpastatin upregulation in the mycoplasma-infected cells

Mycoplasmas are frequent contaminants of cell cultures. Contamination leads to altered synthetic and metabolic pathways. We have found that contamination of neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells by a strain of Mycoplasma hyorhinis derived from SH-SY5Y cell culture (NDMh) leads to increased levels of calpastatin (the endogenous inhibitor of the Ca(2+)-dependent protease, calpain) in NDMh-infected cells. We have now examined effects of amyloid-β-peptide (Aβ) (central to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease) on uncontaminated (clean) and NDMh-infected SH-SY5Y cells. Aβ was toxic to clean cells, resulting in necrotic cell damage. Aβ treatment led to activation of calpain and enhanced proteolysis, cell swelling, cell membrane permeability to propidium iodide (PI) (without nuclear apoptotic changes), and diminished mitochondrial enzyme activity (XTT reduction). Aβ-toxicity was attenuated in the high calpastatin-containing NDMh-infected cells, as shown by inhibition of calpain activation and activity, no membrane permeability, normal cell morphology, and maintenance of mitochondrial enzyme activity (similar to attenuation of Aβ-toxicity in non-infected cells overexpressing calpastatin following calpastatin-plasmid introduction into the cells). By contrast, staurosporine affected both clean and infected cells, causing apoptotic damage (cell shrinkage, nuclear apoptotic alterations, caspase-3 activation and caspase-promoted proteolysis, without PI permeability, and without effect on XTT reduction). The results indicate that mycoplasma protects the cells against certain types of insults involving calpain. The ratio of calpastatin to calpain is an important factor in the control of calpain activity. Exogenous pharmacological means, including calpastatin-based inhibitors, have been considered for therapy of various diseases in which calpain is implicated. Mycoplasmas provide the first naturally occurring biological system that upregulates the endogenous calpain inhibitor, and thus may be of interest in devising treatments for some disorders, such as neurodegenerative diseases.     

Signals of local adaptation across an environmental gradient among highly connected populations of the Dead Sea Sparrow Passer moabiticus in Israel

Populations found at the edge of a species range often have decreased genetic diversity, which together with high gene flow may reduce the ability of a species to adapt to local environmental conditions. The Dead Sea Sparrow Passer moabiticus occupies a disjointed range, where the Israeli populations are considered peripheral and fragmented. The species is also thought to have undergone a recent range expansion. We aimed to describe the genetic and morphological variation of the Israeli populations and to determine the extent of gene flow among them. We expected that because of the small latitudinal gradient across Israel and the recent range expansion of the species that Dead Sea Sparrow populations would show no significant morphological adaptation to local environmental conditions, and that considerable gene flow would be taking place among populations. Our findings indicate the existence of gene flow, suggesting high connectivity among populations, but recovered no support for a recent range expansion, possibly due to insufficient time since expansion for mutations to have accumulated. However, despite recurrent gene flow among populations, latitudinal variation in wing length (male and female) and body mass (male) was indicative of local adaptation across Israel, in accordance with Bergmann's rule.     

Endothelial cell and podocyte autophagy synergistically protect from diabetes-induced glomerulosclerosis

The glomerulus is a highly specialized capillary tuft, which under pressure filters large amounts of water and small solutes into the urinary space, while retaining albumin and large proteins. The glomerular filtration barrier (GFB) is a highly specialized filtration interface between blood and urine that is highly permeable to small and midsized solutes in plasma but relatively impermeable to macromolecules such as albumin. The integrity of the GFB is maintained by molecular interplay between its 3 layers: the glomerular endothelium, the glomerular basement membrane and podocytes, which are highly specialized postmitotic pericytes forming the outer part of the GFB. Abnormalities of glomerular ultrafiltration lead to the loss of proteins in urine and progressive renal insufficiency, underlining the importance of the GFB. Indeed, albuminuria is strongly predictive of the course of chronic nephropathies especially that of diabetic nephropathy (DN), a leading cause of renal insufficiency. We found that high glucose concentrations promote autophagy flux in podocyte cultures and that the abundance of LC3B II in podocytes is high in diabetic mice. Deletion of Atg5 specifically in podocytes resulted in accelerated diabetes-induced podocytopathy with a leaky GFB and glomerulosclerosis. Strikingly, genetic alteration of autophagy on the other side of the GFB involving the endothelial-specific deletion of Atg5 also resulted in capillary rarefaction and accelerated DN. Thus autophagy is a key protective mechanism on both cellular layers of the GFB suggesting autophagy as a promising new therapeutic strategy for DN.     

Reduction of indicator and pathogenic microorganisms by psychrophilic anaerobic digestion in swine slurries

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of a low temperature anaerobic treatment to reduce viable populations of indicator microorganisms (total coliforms, Escherichia coli) and the presence of selected pathogens (Salmonella, Yersinia enterocolitica, Cryptosporidium and Giardia) in swine slurries from different sources. Experiments were carried out in 40 l Sequencing Batch Reactors (SBRs). Experimental results indicated that anaerobic digestion of swine manure slurry at 20 degrees C for 20 days in an intermittently fed SBR: (1) reduced indigenous populations of total coliforms by 97.94-100%; (2) reduced indigenous populations of E. coli by 99.67-100%; (3) resulted in undetectable levels of indigenous strains of Salmonella, Cryptosporidium, and Giardia. It can be considered as a promising method for reducing indigenous indicator and pathogenic microorganisms populations in liquid swine manure slurries.