Neodictyoprolenol and dictyoprolenol, the possible biosynthetic intermediates of dictyopterenes, in the Japanese brown algae Dictyopteris

Neodictyoprolenol [(-)-(3S)-(1,5Z,8Z)-undecatrien-3-ol] and dictyoprolenol [(-)-(3S)-(1,5Z,8Z)-undecadien-3-ol]), which had been proposed as possible biosynthetic intermediates of the sex pheromones of marine brown algae such as dictyopterene B [(-)-trans-1-((1'E,3'Z)-hexadienyl)-2-vinylcyclopropane], D' [(+)-6-((1'Z)-butenyl)-1,4-cycloheptadiene] and C' [(+)-6-butyl-1,4-cycloheptadiene], were again identified in the essential oils from Dictyopteris prolifera, D. latiscula, and in D. undulata, together with the C11-related volatile compounds such as neodictyoprolene, dictyoprolene and dictyopterenes. Incubation of D. prolifela preparation with racemic neodictyoprolenol and dictyoprolenol as substrates showed (S)-enantioselective decreases of the added substrates and increases in dictyopterenes. From these results, a possible pathway to form dictyopterenes is discussed.     

The effect of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid on insulin sensitivity and lipid metabolism in Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats

The effects of insulin sensitivity and lipid metabolism of dietary lard, eicosapentaenoic acid-rich oil (EPA oil) or arachidonic acid oil (AA oil) in Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats were examined. Blood glucose was not different in each group at 30, 60, 120 min on an oral glucose tolerance test. Fasting blood glucose levels were lower in lard and AA oil groups than in controls. Hepatic triglyceride concentration and liver histochemistry revealed that the fat content was higher in the lard group and the AA oil group than in controls. The EPA oil group showed TG levels as high as the control group. Serum total cholesterol in the EPA oil group was lower, while the level in the AA oil group was higher than in the lard and control groups. HDL cholesterol was 1.5-fold higher in the AA oil group than in controls. Dietary EPA oil or AA oil supplementation showed different effects on lipid metabolism in this model.     

Molecularly imprinted polymers from nicotinamide and its positional isomers

Imprinted polymers were prepared for nicotinamide and its positional isomers. The influence of porogenic solvent and functional monomer on recognition properties of the polymer was compared. The results indicated that two functional groups, the heterocyclic nitrogen and the amide group, in the nicotinamide or isonicotinamide molecule have a synergistic effect in binding to the polymer. The polymers prepared with nicotinamide and isonicotinamide can be used as HPLC stationary phase for the separation of positional isomers of nicotinamide or isonicotinamide, while the polymer prepared with picolinamide showed no specificity toward the template. The mechanisms for the differences in recognition are discussed. In addition to the retention of polymers to their templates the polymers also displayed excellent retention to nicotinic acid and isonicotinic acid, compounds structurally similar to the template. This dual recognition property of the polymer may be useful in circumstances where the preparation of a polymer for a specific template may be problematic because of poor stability or solubility.     

Regular ingestion of opuntia robusta lowers oxidation injury

The influence of opuntia robusta (prickly pear), a traditionally used dietary nutrient against diabetes mellitus among the American Indian population, was examined in 15 young patients suffering from familial heterozygous isolated hypercholesterolemia. Oxidation injury was determined via 8-epi-PGF(2 alpha)in plasma, serum and urine. Daily consumption of 250 g broiled edible pulp of prickly pear had no influence on body weight and body fat composition. Total cholesterol was lowered (P<0.01) as was LDL-cholesterol (P<0.04). No significant changes were observed either in triglycerides or in HDL. Prickly pear induced a significant decrease in plasma (27.9+/-3.3-->25.6+/-3.2;P<0.03), serum (302.0+/-11.4-->283.2+/-14.5;P<0.0003) and urinary (355.9+/-18.4-->323.9+/-16;P<0.00002) 8-epi-PGF(2alpha)values. The findings on a decrease of 8-epi-PGF(2alpha)were more pronounced in females than in males, the highest significance being found in urine, while, in contrast, the effects on total- and LDL-cholesterol were more pronounced in males. A prerunning 4 weeks period of dietary counseling had no significant effect on either of the parameters examined. These findings indicate that the regular ingestion of opuntia robusta is able to significantly reduce in-vivo oxidation injury in a group of patients suffering from familial hypercholesterolemia. This traditional food of the American Indians thus may have a significant cardiovascular benefit.     

Optimization of Solutions for the One Plant Protection Problem

Plant protection problems are simulated by a system of ordinary differential equations with given initial conditions. The sensitivity and resistance of pathogen subpopulations to fungicide mixtures, fungicide weathering, plant growth, etc. are taken into consideration. The system of equations is solved numerically for each set of initial conditions and parameters of the disease and fungicide applications. Optimization algorithms were investigated and a computer program was developed for optimization of these solutions. 14 typical cases of the disease were simulated and optimized in order to determine optimal fungicide treatments. The optimized strategy for fungicide application differs considerably from the commonly used method and seems to be an important new principle in plant protection. The approach developed in this study may be useful for a wide spectrum of purposes in the simulation of leaf diseases. It may also help the biologist to decrease or pinpoint experimental work and analyze its results and is perspective for plant disease control.     

Molecular systematics of the Asplenium nidus complex from Mt. Halimun National Park, Indonesia: evidence for reproductive isolation among three sympatric rbcL sequence types

Asplenium nidus is an epiphytic fern with large simple leaves. Because A. nidus lacks the good taxonomic characters available for species recognition, multiple cryptic species may exist within A. nidus. In Mt. Halimun National Park, West Java, Indonesia, three rbcL sequence types of A. nidus were recorded. All plants regardless of rbcL sequence were 2n = 144. Crossing experiments among these rbcL types were conducted, and it was observed that the molecularly distinct types were reproductively isolated because hybrids failed to form between at least two pairs of rbcL types. These results suggest that these rbcL types are cryptic species because they are reproductively isolated but they are difficult to distinguish morphologically. Thus, the characters of DNA sequences information are useful in the discovery of cryptic species in ferns.     

Identification and functional consequences of a new mutation (E155G) in the gene for GCAP1 that causes autosomal dominant cone dystrophy

Mutations in the gene for guanylate cyclase-activating protein-1 (GCAP1) (GUCA1A) have been associated with autosomal dominant cone dystrophy (COD3). In the present study, a severe disease phenotype in a large white family was initially shown to map to chromosome 6p21.1, the location of GUCA1A. Subsequent single-stranded conformation polymorphism analysis and direct sequencing revealed an A464G transition, causing an E155G substitution within the EF4 domain of GCAP1. Modeling of the protein structure shows that the mutation eliminates a bidentate amino acid side chain essential for Ca2+ binding. This represents the first disease-associated mutation in GCAP1, or any neuron-specific calcium-binding protein within an EF-hand domain, that directly coordinates Ca2+. The functional consequences of this substitution were investigated in an in vitro assay of retinal guanylate cyclase activation. The mutant protein activates the cyclase at low Ca2+ concentrations but fails to inactivate at high Ca2+ concentrations. The overall effect of this would be the constitutive activation of guanylate cyclase in photoreceptors, even at the high Ca2+ concentrations of the dark-adapted state, which may explain the dominant disease phenotype.     

Familial dysautonomia is caused by mutations of the IKAP gene

The defective gene DYS, which is responsible for familial dysautonomia (FD) and has been mapped to a 0.5-cM region on chromosome 9q31, has eluded identification. We identified and characterized the RNAs encoded by this region of chromosome 9 in cell lines derived from individuals homozygous for the major FD haplotype, and we observed that the RNA encoding the IkappaB kinase complex-associated protein (IKAP) lacks exon 20 and, as a result of a frameshift, encodes a truncated protein. Sequence analysis reveals a T-->C transition in the donor splice site of intron 20. In individuals bearing a minor FD haplotype, a missense mutation in exon 19 disrupts a consensus serine/threonine kinase phosphorylation site. This mutation results in defective phosphorylation of IKAP. These mutations were observed to be present in a random sample of Ashkenazi Jewish individuals, at approximately the predicted carrier frequency of FD. These findings demonstrate that mutations in the gene encoding IKAP are responsible for FD.     

Association between a single-nucleotide polymorphism in the promoter of the human interleukin-3 gene and rheumatoid arthritis in Japanese patients, and maximum-likelihood estimation of combinatorial effect that two genetic loci have on susceptibility to the disease

Genetic variants of interleukin-3 (IL-3), a well-studied cytokine, may have a role in the pathophysiology of rheumatoid arthritis (RA); but reports on this association sometimes conflict. A case-control study was designed to investigate association between RA and a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the IL-3 promoter region. Comparison of cases of RA versus control individuals yielded a chi(2) value of 14.28 (P=.0002), with a genotype odds ratio of 2.24 (95% confidence interval [95%CI] 1.44-3.49). When female cases with earlier onset were compared with female control individuals, the SNP revealed an even more significant correlation, with chi2=21.75 (P=.000004) and a genotype odds ratio of 7.27 (95%CI 2.80-18.89). The stronger association that we observed in this clinically distinct subgroup (females with early onset), within a region where linkage disequilibrium was not significantly extended, suggested that the genuine RA locus should locate either within or close to the IL-3 gene. Combined genotype data on SNPs on eight other candidate genes were combined with our IL-3 results, to estimate relationships between pairs of loci and RA, by maximum-likelihood analysis. The utility of combining the genotype data in this way to identify possible contributions of various genes to this disease is discussed.