A Community-Based Study of Factors Associated with Continuing Transmission of Lymphatic Filariasis in Leogane,Haiti

Seven rounds of mass drug administration (MDA) have been administered in Leogane, Haiti, an area hyperendemic for lymphatic filariasis (LF). Sentinel site surveys showed that the prevalence of microfilaremia was reduced to <1% from levels as high as 15.5%, suggesting that transmission had been reduced. A separate 30-cluster survey of 2- to 4-year-old children was conducted to determine if MDA interrupted transmission. Antigen and antifilarial antibody prevalence were 14.3% and 19.7%, respectively. Follow-up surveys were done in 6 villages, including those selected for the cluster survey, to assess risk factors related to continued LF transmission and to pinpoint hotspots of transmission. One hundred houses were mapped in each village using GPS-enabled PDAs, and then 30 houses and 10 alternates were chosen for testing. All individuals in selected houses were asked to participate in a short survey about participation in MDA, history of residence in Leogane and general knowledge of LF. Survey teams returned to the houses at night to collect blood for antigen testing, microfilaremia and Bm14 antibody testing and collected mosquitoes from these communities in parallel. Antigen prevalence was highly variable among the 6 villages, with the highest being 38.2% (Dampus) and the lowest being 2.9% (Corail Lemaire); overall antigen prevalence was 18.5%. Initial cluster surveys of 2- to 4-year-old children were not related to community antigen prevalence. Nearest neighbor analysis found evidence of clustering of infection suggesting that LF infection was focal in distribution. Antigen prevalence among individuals who were systematically noncompliant with the MDAs, i.e. they had never participated, was significantly higher than among compliant individuals (p<0.05). A logistic regression model found that of the factors examined for association with infection, only noncompliance was significantly associated with infection. Thus, continuing transmission of LF seems to be linked to rates of systematic noncompliance.     

Small molecule-based reversible reprogramming of cellular lifespan

Most somatic cells encounter an inevitable destiny, senescence. Little progress has been made in identifying small molecules that extend the finite lifespan of normal human cells. Here we show that the intrinsic 'senescence clock' can be reset in a reversible manner by selective modulation of the ataxia telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) protein and ATM- and Rad3-related (ATR) protein with a small molecule, CGK733. This compound was identified by a high-throughput phenotypic screen with automated imaging. Employing a magnetic nanoprobe technology, magnetism-based interaction capture (MAGIC), we identified ATM as the molecular target of CGK733 from a genome-wide screen. CGK733 inhibits ATM and ATR kinase activities and blocks their checkpoint signaling pathways with great selectivity. Consistently, siRNA-mediated knockdown of ATM and ATR induced the proliferation of senescent cells, although with lesser efficiency than CGK733. These results might reflect the specific targeting of the kinase activities of ATM and ATR by CGK733 without affecting any other domains required for cell proliferation.     

Microfluidic separation of (S)-ibuprofen using enzymatic reaction

This study was investigated for the enantioselective separation of (S)-ibuprofen using the ionic liquid in the microfluidic device. A stable and thin ionic liquid flow (ILF) was made by controlling the flow rate of the ILF in the microfluidic channel. In addition, coupling lipase as a biocatalyst with the ILF based on the microfluidic device showed the facilitative and selective transport of (S)-ibuprofen across the ILF, indicating successful optical resolution of a racemic mixture. Subsequently, the enantioselectivity was evaluated in the transport ratio (η) of (R)- and (S)-ibuprofen, the optical resolution ratio () and enantiomeric excess of (S)-ibuprofen (ee_S).     

Mapping of quantitative trait loci for salt tolerance at the seedling stage in rice

Salt tolerance was evaluated at the young seedling stage of rice (Oryza sativa L.) using recombinant inbred lines (MG RILs) from a cross between Milyang 23 (japonica/indica) and Gihobyeo (japonica). 22 of 164 MG RILs were classified as tolerant with visual scores of 3.5-5.0 in 0.7% NaCl. Interval mapping of QTLs related to salt tolerance was conducted on the basis of the visual scores at the young seedling stage. Two QTLs, qST1 and qST3, conferring salt tolerance, were detected on chromosome 1 and 3, respectively, and the total phenotypic variance explained by the two QTLs was 36.9% in the MG RIL population. qST1 was the major QTL explaining 27.8% of the total phenotypic variation. qST1 was flanked by Est12-RZ569A, and qST3 was flanked by RG179-RZ596. The detection of new QTLs associated with salt tolerance will provide important information for the functional analysis of rice salt tolerance.     

Coenzyme Q10 production in recombinant Escherichia coli strains engineered with a heterologous decaprenyl diphosphate synthase gene and foreign mevalonate pathway

In the present work, Escherichia coli DH5alpha was metabolically engineered for CoQ(10) production by the introduction of decaprenyl diphosphate synthase gene (ddsA) from Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Grown in 2YTG medium (1.6% tryptone, 1% yeast extract, 0.5% NaCl, and 0.5% glycerol) with an initial pH of 7, the recombinant E. coli was capable of CoQ(10) production up to 470 microg/gDCW (dry cell weight). This value could be further elevated to 900 microg/gDCW simply by increasing the initial culture pH from 7 to 9. Supplementation of 4-hydroxy benzoate did not improve the productivity any further. However, engineering of a lower mevalonate semi-pathway so as to increase the isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) supply of the recombinant strain using exogenous mevalonate efficiently increased the CoQ(10) production. Lower mevalonate semi-pathways of Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Enterococcus faecalis, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were tested. Among these, the pathway of Streptococcus pneumoniae proved to be superior, yielding CoQ(10) production of 2,700+/-115 microg/gDCW when supplemented with exogenous mevalonate of 3 mM. In order to construct a complete mevalonate pathway, the upper semi-pathway of the same bacterium, Streptococcus pneumoniae, was recruited. In a recombinant E. coli DH5alpha harboring three plasmids encoding for upper and lower mevalonate semi-pathways as well as DdsA enzyme, the heterologous mevalonate pathway could convert endogenous acetyl-CoA to IPP, resulting in CoQ(10) production of up to 2,428+/-75 microg/gDCW, without mevalonate supplementation. In contrast, a whole mevalonate pathway constructed in a single operon was found to be less efficient. However, it provided CoQ(10) production of up to 1,706+/-86 microg/gDCW, which was roughly 1.9 times higher than that obtained by ddsA alone.     

Tat-mediated protein transduction of human brain pyridoxine-5-P oxidase into PC12 cells

Pyridoxine-5-P oxidase catalyses the terminal step in the biosynthesis of pyridoxal-5-P, the biologically active form of vitamin B6 which acts as an essential cofactor. Here, a human brain pyridoxine-5-P oxidase gene was fused with a gene fragment encoding the HIV-1 Tat protein transduction domain (RKKRRQRRR) in a bacterial expression vector to produce a genetic in-frame Tat-pyridoxine-5-P oxidase fusion protein. Expressed and purified Tat-pyridoxine-5-P oxidase fusion protein transduced efficiently into PC12 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner when added exogenously to culture media. Once inside the cells, the transduced Tat-pyridoxine-5-P oxidase protein showed catalytic activity and was stable for 48 h. Moreover, the formation of pyridoxal-5-P was increased by adding exogenous Tat-pyridoxine-5-P oxidase to media pre-treated with the vitamin B6 precursor pyridoxine. In addition, the intracellular concentration of pyridoxal-5-P was markedly increased when Tat-pyridoxal kinase was transduced together with Tat-pyridoxine-5-P oxidase into cells.These results suggest that the transduction of Tat-pyridoxine-5-P oxidase fusion protein presents a means of regulating the level of pyridoxal-5-P and of replenishing this enzyme in various neurological disorders related to vitamin B6.     

Optimization of the sucrose and ion concentrations for saikosaponin production in hairy root culture ofBupleurum falcatum

Saikosaponin productivity was examined in aBupleurum falcatum L. BFHR2 hairy root culture in response to changes in the sucrose content (2≈8%), nitrogen content (0≈250 mM NH₄NO₃), phosphate content (0≈12 mM NaH₂PO₄), and the potassium content (0≈87.2 mM KCl) of the culture media. We found that the conditions for maximal saikosaponin production differed from those for optimal root growth. Highest saikosaponin yield was achieved for 8% sucrose, 62 mM NH₄NO₃, 1.2 mM NaH₂PO₄, and 0.5 mM KCl.