Molecular analyses of glucosyltransferase genes among strains of Streptococcus mutans

Three glucosyltransferase (GTase) genes (gtfB, gtfC and gtfD) were cloned and sequenced from clinically isolated strains of Streptococcus mutans MT8148 (serotype c), MT4239 (c), MT4245 (e), MT4467 (e) and MT4251 (f), respectively. Comparison of the gtf genes revealed that interstrain difference of gtfB and gtfD was limited, while gtfC showed significant interstrain variations. Similar to gtfB and gtfD, gtfC possessed five direct repeats composed of homologous unit in the carboxyl-terminal portion. The repeating unit consisted of 63–65 amino acid residues and is responsible for glucan binding. The gtfC gene from S. mutans MT4245 lacked the fourth unit. Multiple alignment with the gtf sequence of strain GS-5 (c) revealed several changes in these gtf genes due to frameshift mutations. The peptides encoded by the gtfB, gtfC and gtfD genes of GS-5 were 1, 80, and 32 amino acid residues shorter than those of the test strains except strain MT4245.     

Organic anion transporters,OAT1 and OAT3, are crucial biopterin transporters involved in bodily distribution of tetrahydrobiopterin and exclusion of its excess

Like mitochondria, peroxisomes produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), compounds which have been implicated to play an important role in many degenerative diseases and aging itself, and an exaggerated ROS production might occur in altered or older organelles. Growing evidence shows that autophagy, a required function in cell housekeeping during fasting, can remove damaged macromolecules, organelles, and membranes selectively. Proliferation of peroxisomes can be enhanced in liver cells by perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which causes a marked increase of the Acyl-CoA oxidase (ACOX) activity and no significant change in urate oxidase (UOX) activity. The administration of antilipolytic drugs to fasted animals was shown to intensify autophagy. Here we tested the hypothesis that autophagy may distinguish and remove older from younger peroxisomes in rat liver. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were given PFOA (150 mg/kg body weight) or vehicle. Animals were sacrificed at different times following PFOA administration, and 3 h after the induction of autophagy with the antilipolytic agent 3,5-dimethyl pyrazole (DMP, 12 mg/kg body weight). The levels of ACOX and UOX activity were measured in the liver tissue. Results showed that autophagy caused a parallel, significant decrease in both enzymes activity in control rats, and that in PFOA-treated rats the effects were different and changed with PFOA time administration. Changes are compatible with the hypothesis that newly formed ACOX-rich peroxisomes are resistant to pexophagy and that sensitivity to pexophagy increases with increasing peroxisomal “age.” In conclusion, there is indirect evidence supporting the hypothesis that autophagy may recognize and degrade older peroxisomes.     

Occurrence and reproduction of tropical fishes in ocean warming hotspots of Japanese temperate reefs

Reproduction of tropical species beyond their geographic range associated with ocean warming is regarded as the key indicator of a range shift. However, the lack of historical breeding records poses challenges for detecting distinct range shifts of tropical fishes. To obtain baseline data of the current status of the occurrence and breeding activity of tropical pomacentrid and apogonid fishes in ocean warming hotspots of temperate reefs (Kochi and Wakayama, 33°N) of Japan, we conducted a two-year underwater visual survey and synthesized those data with recently published information. By combining data from the present as well as past studies, the results confirmed the occurrence of 52 pomacentrid and 34 apogonid species, whereas breeding activity was confirmed for 19 and 16 species, respectively. Species richness and abundance of recruitment periphery and breeding active species were high at the warmer site adjacent to the Kuroshio Current. Most observed species were found beyond their known geographic range. Some species showing active breeding were widespread tropical fishes (e.g., Amphiprion clarkii, Pomacentrus coelestis and Apogon notatus) and probably have established breeding populations irrespective of recent global warming. The winter sea water temperature around the study sites will continue to rise, increasing by >2 °C by the end of the century; therefore, our results are highly relevant and represent the first step to elucidate the potential range extension of tropical fishes into temperate reefs with climate change.     

Kunitz-type protease inhibitors from acrorhagi of three species of sea anemones

Sea anemones are rich in biologically active polypeptides such as toxins and protease inhibitors. These polypeptides have so far been isolated from whole bodies, tentacles or secreted mucus. Recently, two novel peptide toxins with crab lethality have been isolated from acrorhagi (specialized aggressive organs elaborated by only certain species of sea anemones belonging to the family Actiniidae) of Actinia equina. This prompted us to survey biologically active polypeptides in the acrorhagi of two species of sea anemones, Anthopleura aff. xanthogrammica and Anthopleura fuscoviridis. No potent crab lethality was displayed by the acrorhagial extracts of both species. However, significantly high protease inhibitory activity was instead detected in the acrorhagial extracts of the two species and also in that of A. equina. From the acrorhagi of A. equina, A. aff. xanthogrammica and A. fuscoviridis, one (AEAPI), one (AXAPI) and two (AFAPI-I and AFAPI-III) protease inhibitors were isolated, respectively. The complete amino acid sequences of the four inhibitors were elucidated by N-terminal sequencing and sequencing of the C-terminal peptide fragment produced upon asparaginylendopeptidase digestion. The determined amino acid sequences revealed that all the four inhibitors are new members of the Kunitz-type protease inhibitor family.     

Axial chirality and affinity at the GABA(A) receptor of pyrimido[1,2-a][1,4]benzodiazepines and related compounds

The pyrimido[1,2-a][1,4]benzodiazepines (1a-c) and the 8-membered analogues (diazocines 2a and 2b) were separated into their atropisomers with HPLC on a chiral column. High stereochemical stability was observed in the atropisomer of the 8-membered derivatives (2a and 2b), and the 1,4-benzodiazepine (1c) with 2'-chloro at the pendant phenyl showed a lower energy barrier for the conversion between the atropisomers compared with that with the unsubstituted pendant phenyl (1a). The aR isomer of 1a-c was revealed to be the eutomer in GABA(A) receptor binding, and the eutomer 1c-R showed extremely potent activity with an IC(50) value of 1.5 nM.     

Structural and spectroscopic comparison of five-coordinate cobalt(II) and nickel(II) thiolato complexes with the related four-coordinate complexes

Five-coordinate thiolato complexes, [L1M(SMeIm)] (M = Co and Ni) (L1 = hydrotris(3,5-diisopropyl-1-pyrazolyl)borate anion and HSMeIm = 2-mercapto-1-methylimidazole), were synthesized. These complexes were compared with the corresponding Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes with the same ligands and were also compared with the related four-coordinate complexes [L1M(SC₆F₅)] (HSC₆F₅ = pentafluorobenzenthiol). All the complexes were characterized by X-ray crystallography and UV-Vis absorption, IR, ¹H NMR, and other spectroscopic techniques. All five-coordinate thiolato complexes, [L1M(SMeIm)] (M = Co, Ni, and Cu), form a distorted square pyramidal structure with a high spin state, and only [L1Zn(SMeIm)] takes a four-coordinate structure with a distorted tetrahedral configuration. The N21-M-S bond angles of the obtained five-coordinate complexes were proportional to the corresponding d value, which comes from between the equatorial basal plane with N4S ligand donor sets and metal ion. These observations and M-S bond distances affect on UV-Vis and far-IR spectral behavior.     

Exposure to a MRI‐type high‐strength static magnetic field stimulates megakaryocytic/erythroid hematopoiesis in CD34+ cells from human placental and umbilical cord blood

The biological response after exposure to a high‐strength static magnetic field (SMF) has recently been widely discussed from the perspective of possible health benefits as well as potential adverse effects. To clarify this issue, CD34⁺ cells from human placental and umbilical cord blood were exposed under conditions of high‐strength SMF in vitro. The high‐strength SMF exposure system was comprised of a magnetic field generator with a helium‐free superconducting magnet with built‐in CO₂ incubator. Freshly prepared CD34⁺ cells were exposed to a 5 tesla (T) SMF with the strongest magnetic field gradient (41.7 T/m) or a 10 T SMF without magnetic field gradient for 4 or 16 h. In the harvested cells after exposure to 10 T SMF for 16 h, a significant increase of hematopoietic progenitors in the total burst‐forming unit erythroid‐ and megakaryocytic progenitor cells‐derived colony formation was observed, thus producing 1.72‐ and 1.77‐fold higher than the control, respectively. Furthermore, early hematopoiesis‐related and cell cycle‐related genes were found to be significantly up‐regulated by exposure to SMF. These results suggest that the 10 T SMF exposure may change gene expressions and result in the specific enhancement of megakaryocytic/erythroid progenitor (MEP) differentiation from pluripotent hematopoietic stem cells and/or the proliferation of bipotent MEP. Bioelectromagnetics 30:280–285, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Neuroprotective effect of the antiparkinsonian drug pramipexole against nigrostriatal dopaminergic degeneration in rotenone-treated mice

Pramipexole, an agonist for dopamine (DA) D2/D3-receptors, has been used to treat both early and advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). In this study, we examined the effect of pramipexole on DA neurons in a PD model of C57BL/6 mice, which were treated with rotenone (30 mg/kg, p.o.) daily for 28 days. Pramipexole (1 mg/kg, i.p.) was injected daily 30 min before each oral administration of rotenone. Chronic oral administration of rotenone caused a loss of DA neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc), motor deficits and the up-regulation of α-synuclein immunoreactivity in some surviving DA neurons. Pramipexole inhibited rotenone-induced DA neuronal death and motor deficits, and reduced immunoreactivity for α-synuclein. In addition, pramipexole inhibited the in vitro oligomerization of human wild-type α-synuclein by H₂O₂ plus cytochrome c. To examine the neuroprotective effect of pramipexole against oxidative stress, we used a DJ-1-knockdown SH-SY5Y cell line and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometry. Simultaneous treatment with H₂O₂ and pramipexole resulted in the significant protection of DJ-1-knockdown cells against cell death in a concentration-dependent manner. A high concentration of pramipexole directly scavenged hydroxyl radical (OH) generated from H₂O₂ and Fe²⁺. Furthermore, pramipexole increased Bcl-2 immunoreactivity in DA neurons in the SNpc. These results suggest that pramipexole may protect DA neurons against exposure to rotenone by chronic oral administration, and this effect is mediated by multiple functions including scavenging of OH and induction of Bcl-2 protein.     

Salinity affects the photoacclimation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chlamydomonas raudensis</Emphasis> Ettl UWO241

Chlamydomonas raudensis Ettl UWO241, a natural variant of C. raudensis, is deficient in state transitions. Its habitat, the deepest layer of Lake Bonney in Antarctica, features low irradiance, low temperature, and high salinity. Although psychrophily and low-light acclimation of this green alga has been described, very little information is available on the effect of salinity. Here, we demonstrate that this psychrophile is halotolerant, not halophilic, and it shows energy redistribution between photosystem I and II based on energy spillover under low-salt conditions. Furthermore, we revealed that C. raudensis exhibits higher non-photochemical quenching in comparison with the mesophile Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, when grown with low-salt, which is due to the lower proton conductivity across the thylakoid membrane. Significance of the C. raudensis UWO241 traits found in the low salinity culture are implicated with their natural habitats, including the high salinity and extremely stable light environments.