Low-molecular-weight compounds with anticoagulant activity from the scorpion <Emphasis Type="Italic">Heterometrus laoticus</Emphasis> venom

Low-molecular-weight compounds with anticoagulant activity were isolated from the scorpion Heterometrus laoticus venom. The determination of the structure of the isolated compounds by nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry showed that one of the isolated compounds is adenosine, and the other two are dipeptides leucyl-tryptophan and isoleucyl-tryptophan. The anticoagulant properties of adenosine, which is an inhibitor of platelet aggregation, is well known, but its presence in scorpion venom is shown for the first time. The ability of leucyl-tryptophan and isoleucyl-tryptophan to slow down blood clotting and their presence in scorpion venom are also established for the first time.     

Streptococcus suis,an Important Cause of Adult Bacterial Meningitis in Northern Vietnam

Background

Streptococcus suis can cause severe systemic infection in adults exposed to infected pigs or after consumption of undercooked pig products. S. suis is often misdiagnosed, due to lack of awareness and improper testing. Here we report the first fifty cases diagnosed with S. suis infection in northern Viet Nam.

Methodology/Principal Findings

In 2007, diagnostics for S. suis were set up at a national hospital in Hanoi. That year there were 43 S. suis positive cerebrospinal fluid samples, of which S. suis could be cultured in 32 cases and 11 cases were only positive by PCR. Seven patients were blood culture positive for S. suis but CSF culture and PCR negative; making a total of 50 patients with laboratory confirmed S. suis infection in 2007. The number of S. suis cases peaked during the warmer months.

Conclusions/Significance

S. suis was commonly diagnosed as a cause of bacterial meningitis in adults in northern Viet Nam. In countries where there is intense and widespread exposure of humans to pigs, S. suis can be an important human pathogen.     

Characterizing the Aedes aegypti Population in a Vietnamese Village in Preparation for a Wolbachia-Based Mosquito Control Strategy to Eliminate Dengue

Background

A life-shortening strain of the obligate intracellular bacteria Wolbachia, called wMelPop, is seen as a promising new tool for the control of Aedes aegypti. However, developing a vector control strategy based on the release of mosquitoes transinfected with wMelPop requires detailed knowledge of the demographics of the target population.

Methodology/Principal Findings

In Tri Nguyen village (611 households) on Hon Mieu Island in central Vietnam, we conducted nine quantitative entomologic surveys over 14 months to determine if Ae. aegypti populations were spatially and temporally homogenous, and to estimate population size. There was no obvious relationship between mosquito (larval, pupal or adult) abundance and temperature and rainfall, and no area of the village supported consistently high numbers of mosquitoes. In almost all surveys, key premises produced high numbers of Ae. aegypti. However, these premises were not consistent between surveys. For an intervention based on a single release of wMelPop-infected Ae. aegypti, release ratios of infected to uninfected adult mosquitoes of all age classes are estimated to be 1.8–6.7∶1 for gravid females (and similarly aged males) or teneral adults, respectively. We calculated that adult female mosquito abundance in Tri Nguyen village could range from 1.1 to 43.3 individuals of all age classes per house. Thus, an intervention could require the release of 2–78 wMelPop-infected gravid females and similarly aged males per house, or 7–290 infected teneral female and male mosquitoes per house.

Conclusions/Significance

Given the variability we encountered, this study highlights the importance of multiple entomologic surveys when evaluating the spatial structure of a vector population or estimating population size. If a single release of wMelPop-infected Ae. aegypti were to occur when wild Ae. aegypti abundance was at its maximum, a preintervention control program would be necessary to ensure that there was no net increase in mosquito numbers. However, because of the short-term temporal heterogeneity, the inconsistent spatial structure and the impact of transient key premises that we observed, the feasibility of multiple releases of smaller numbers of mosquitoes also needs to be considered. In either case, fewer wMelPop-infected mosquitoes would then need to be released, which will likely be more acceptable to householders.     

A mutation in the uvi4 gene promotes progression of endo-reduplication and confers increased tolerance towards ultraviolet B light

We have isolated and characterized a new ultraviolet B (UV-B)-resistant mutant, uvi4 (UV-B-insensitive 4), of Arabidopsis. The fresh weight (FW) of uvi4 plants grown under supplemental UV-B light was more than twice that of the wild-type. No significant difference was found in their ability to repair the UV-B-induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers, or in the amount of UV-B absorptive compounds, both of which are well-known factors that contribute to UV sensitivity. Positional cloning revealed that the UVI4 gene encodes a novel basic protein of unknown function. We found that the hypocotyl cells in uvi4 undergo one extra round of endo-reduplication. The uvi4 mutation also promoted the progression of endo-reduplication during leaf development. The UVI4 gene is expressed mainly in actively dividing cells. In the leaves of P(UVI4)::GUS plants, the GUS signal disappeared in basipetal fashion as the leaf developed. The total leaf blade area was not different between uvi4 and the wild-type through leaf development, while the average cell area in the adaxial epidermis was considerably larger in uvi4, suggesting that the uvi4 leaves have fewer but larger epidermal cells. These results suggest that UVI4 is necessary for the maintenance of the mitotic state, and the loss of UVI4 function stimulated endo-reduplication. Tetraploid Arabidopsis was hyper-resistant to UV-B compared to diploid Arabidopsis, suggesting that the enhanced polyploidization is responsible for the increased UV-B tolerance of the uvi4 mutant.     

Occurrence of two types of larvae of the Asian seaperch (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lateolabrax</Emphasis>) in the estuaries of northern Vietnam

Lateolabrax sp. larvae were collected in the Tien Yen and Kalong estuaries of northern Vietnam, the southernmost locality for this genus distribution. Vietnamese Lateolabrax sp. larvae could be distinguished from those of L. japonicus by pigmentation patterns. Their morphological, meristic and pigmentation characters were closer to those of Chinese Lateolabrax than L. japonicus, so Vietnamese Lateolabrax is likely situated as a population of the Chinese one. Morphometric and pigmentation characters of larvae from the two estuaries differed, suggesting that Lateolabrax of northern Vietnam are diversified and consist of at least two different breeding stocks.     

Freeze-dried plasma proteins are stable at room temperature for at least 1 year

Thirty human EDTA plasma samples from male and female subjects ranging in age from 24 to 74 years were collected on ice, processed ice cold and stored frozen at ?80 °C, in liquid nitrogen (LN2), or freeze dried and stored at room temperature in a desiccator (FDRT) or freeze dried and stored at ?20 °C for 1 year (FD-20). In a separate experiment, EDTA plasma samples were collected onto ice, processed ice cold and maintained on ice ± protease inhibitors versus incubated at room temperature for up to 96 h. Random and independent sampling by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (LC–ESI–MS/MS), as correlated by the MASCOT, OMSSA, X!TANDEM and SEQUEST algorithms, showed that tryptic peptides from complement component 4B (C4B) were rapidly released in plasma at room temperature. Random sampling by LC–ESI–MS/MS showed that peptides from C4B were undetectable on ice, but peptides were cleaved from the mature C4B protein including NGFKSHALQLNNR within as little as 1 h at room temperature. The frequency and intensity of precursors within ± 3 m/z of the C4B peptide NGFKSHALQLNNR was confirmed by automated targeted analysis where the precursors from MS/MS spectra that correlated to the target sequence were analyzed in SQL/R. The C4B preproprotein was processed at the N terminus to release the mature chain that was cleaved on the carboxyl side of the isoprene C2 domain within a polar C terminal sequence of the mature C4B protein, to reveal the thioester reaction site, consistent with LC–ESI–MS/MS and Western blot. Random sampling showed that proteolytic peptides from complement component C4B were rarely observed with long term storage at ? 80 °C in a freezer or in liquid nitrogen (LN2), freeze drying with storage at ? 20 °C (FD-20 °C) or freeze drying and storage at room temperature (FDRT). Plasma samples maintained at room temperature (RT) showed at least 10-fold to 100-fold greater frequency of peptide correlation to C4B and measured peptide intensity compared to samples on ice for up to 72 h or stored at ? 80 °C, LN2, FDRT or FD-20 °C for up to a year.     

半干旱黄土丘陵区纯林土壤腐殖质异化特征及与其他性质的关系

纯林长期生长或多代连栽必然会导致土壤腐殖质含量和构成发生异化,探究这种异化特征及其与土壤其他性质的关系可以为纯林管理或混交改造提供科学依据。通过对半干旱黄土丘陵区南泥湾林场8种典型纯林土壤腐殖质及其他性质进行系统检测,结果表明:(1)侧柏林土壤腐殖质含量最高(34.61 g/kg),腐殖化程度和稳定性一般;白榆和白桦林土壤的腐殖质含量中等(19.69—23.58 g/kg)、腐殖化程度和稳定性最佳;茶条槭和小叶杨林土壤的腐殖质含量(20.59—22.53 g/kg)和构成均为中等水平;油松、沙棘和刺槐林土壤的腐殖质质量较低(11.77—13.81 g/kg),且腐殖化程度较低,稳定性相对最差;(2)与胡敏酸含量存在显著相互促进作用(P0.05)的土壤性质为CEC、N、微生物量和蛋白酶活性(相关系数0.769—0.926,下同),存在显著相互抑制作用的为有效Cu(-0.793);与富啡酸存在显著相互促进作用的为N、CEC、微生物量、蔗糖酶和磷酸酶活性(0.836—0.955),存在显著相互抑制作用的为有效Cu(-0.822);与胡敏素存在显著相互促进作用的为N、CEC、微生物量、磷酸酶活性和有效Zn(0.766—0.951),存在显著相互抑制作用的为脱氢酶活性(-0.784)。(3)腐殖质构成与其他性质的相关性均不显著(P0.05),其中相对有利于提高胡敏酸/腐殖酸含量之比的土壤性质为蛋白酶、蔗糖酶和过氧化氢酶活性,而不利的是脱氢酶活性;相对有利于提高胡敏酸/富啡酸含量之比的为速效K、CEC和脲酶活性,而不利的是脱氢酶活性。(4)总体而言土壤腐殖质含量较之腐殖质构成与其他性质之间具有更大的相关性;向土壤增施N肥可以促进腐殖质的形成,增加K肥则有利于腐殖质构成的改善,而通过混交改造或增加林下植被是促进纯林土壤腐殖质化过程和解决土壤退化的根本措施。     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> modular coculture system for resveratrol glucosides production

In bio-based fermentation, the overall bioprocess efficiency is significantly affected by the metabolic burden associated with the expression of complete biosynthetic pathway as well as precursor and cofactor generating enzymes into a single microbial cell. To attenuate such burden by compartmentalizing the enzyme expression, recently synthetic biologists have used coculture or poly-culture techniques for biomolecules synthesis. In this paper, coculture system of two metabolically engineered Escherichia coli populations were employed which comprises upstream module expressing two enzymes converting para-coumaric acid into resveratrol and the downstream module expressing glucosyltransferase to convert the resveratrol into its glucosidated forms; polydatin and resveratroloside. Upon optimization of the initial inoculum ratio of two E. coli populations, 92 mg resveratrol glucosides/L (236 µM) was produced i.e. achieving 84% bioconversion from 280 µM of p-coumaric acid in 60 h by 3 L fed batch fermentor. This is the report of applying coculture system to produce resveratrol glucosides by expressing the aglycone formation pathway and sugar dependent pathway into two different cells.