The bacterial cytoskeleton.

In recent years it has been shown that bacteria contain a number of cytoskeletal structures. The bacterial cytoplasmic elements include homologs of the three major types of eukaryotic cytoskeletal proteins (actin, tubulin, and intermediate filament proteins) and a fourth group, the MinD-ParA group, that appears to be unique to bacteria. The cytoskeletal structures play important roles in cell division, cell polarity, cell shape regulation, plasmid partition, and other functions. The proteins self-assemble into filamentous structures in vitro and form intracellular ordered structures in vivo. In addition, there are a number of filamentous bacterial elements that may turn out to be cytoskeletal in nature. This review attempts to summarize and integrate the in vivo and in vitro aspects of these systems and to evaluate the probable future directions of this active research field.     

Phenolic derivatives from Aster indicus

Investigation of the constituents of whole herbs of Aster indicus L. led to isolation of 4-hydroxy-3-[1-(methoxycarbonyl)vinyloxy]benzoic acid (1), 5-(1-carboxylvinyloxy)-2-hydroxybenzoic acid (2), 4-allyl-2,6-dimethoxyphenyl 3-methylbutanoate (3), and 4-allyl-2-methoxyphenyl 2-methylbutanoate (4), together with 27 previously known compounds. The structures of compounds 1-4 were established by application of spectroscopic (NMR and MS) analyses.     

Phylogeographic study reveals the origin and evolutionary history of a Rhododendron species complex in Taiwan

This study infers a single origin and a once-widespread distribution of the Rhododendron pseudochrysanthum species complex in Taiwan based on chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) variation. In total, 124 individuals from five endemic Rhododendron species were used for amplifications of two chloroplast intergenic spacers: trnL-trnF and atpB-rbcL. The haplotype and nucleotide diversities were much lower for the R. pseudochrysanthum complex, comprised of the species R. pseudochrysanthum, R. morii, Rhododendron rubropunctatum, and Rhododendron hyperythrum, than for Rhododendron formosanum. Two measures of pairwise population differentiation, N(ST) and F(ST), consistently revealed mostly non-significant levels of genetic divergence between populations of the R. pseudochrysanthum complex. No genetic difference was found among the four species of the R. pseudochrysanthum complex by analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), which is concordant with the parsimonious topology of cpDNA haplotypes for the complex. Nested clade analysis (NCA) of the cpDNA haplotypes indicated that restricted gene flow with isolation-by-distance characterized the recolonization pattern of the R. pseudochrysanthum complex. In contrast, the NCA analysis indicated a contiguous range expansion for cpDNA haplotypes of R. formosanum. This research suggests a once-widespread distribution of the R. pseudochrysanthum complex probably via north-to-south colonization of mid-elevations during low-temperature periods of the Pleistocene. Population fragmentation followed the warmer climate which began in the Holocene and resulted in the present-day range contraction into high elevations.     

Sensitization to Food and Inhalant Allergens in Relation to Atopic Diseases in Early Childhood: A Birth Cohort Study

Objectives

A correct interpretation of sensitization to common allergens is critical in determining susceptibility to allergic diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the patterns of sensitization to food and inhalant allergens, and their relation to the development of atopic diseases in early childhood.

Methods

Children aged 0 through 4 years from a birth cohort in the Prediction of Allergies in Taiwanese Children (PATCH) study were enrolled. Specific IgE antibody against food and inhalant allergens were measured and their association between total serum IgE levels and atopic diseases were assessed.

Results

A total of 182 children were regular followed up at clinics for a four-year follow-up period. The prevalence of food allergen sensitization increased markedly after 6 months of age, reaching up to 47% at 1.5 years of age and then declined significantly to 10% in parallel with a considerable increase in the prevalence of sensitization to inhalant allergens up to 25% at age 4. Food allergen sensitization appeared to be mainly associated with the elevation of serum total IgE levels before age 2. A combined sensitization to food and inhalant allergens had an additive effect on serum IgE levels after age 2, and was significantly associated with the risk of developing atopic diseases at age 4.

Conclusions

Sensitization to food occurs early in life, in parallel with the rising prevalence of sensitization to inhalant allergens at older age. A combined sensitization to food and inhalant allergens not only has an additive increase in serum IgE antibody production but also increases the risk of developing allergic respiratory diseases in early childhood.     

Improved consistency in dosing anti-tuberculosis drugs in taipei, taiwan

Background

It was reported that 35.5% of tuberculosis (TB) cases reported in 2003 in Taipei City had no recorded pre-treatment body weight and that among those who had, inconsistent dosing of anti-TB drugs was frequent. Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have taken actions to strengthen dosing of anti-TB drugs among general practitioners. Prescribing practices of anti-TB drugs in Taipei City in 2007–2010 were investigated to assess whether interventions on dosing were effective.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Lists of all notified culture positive TB cases in 2007–2010 were obtained from National TB Registry at Taiwan CDC. A medical audit of TB case management files was performed to collect pretreatment body weight and regimens prescribed at commencement of treatment. Dosages prescribed were compared with dosages recommended. The proportion of patients with recorded pre-treatment body weight was 64.5% in 2003, which increased to 96.5% in 2007–2010 (p<0.001). The proportion of patients treated with consistent dosing of a 3-drug fixed-dose combination (FDC) increased from 73.9% in 2003 to 87.7% in 2007–2010 (p<0.001), and that for 2-drug FDC from 76.0% to 86.1% (p = 0.024), for rifampicin (RMP) from 62.8% to 85.5% (p<0.001), and for isoniazid from 87.8% to 95.3% (p<0.001). In 2007–2010, among 2917 patients treated with either FDCs or RMP in single-drug preparation, the dosage of RMP was adequate (8–12 mg/kg) in 2571(88.1%) patients, too high in 282(9.7%), too low in 64(2.2%). In multinomial logistic regression models, factors significantly associated with adequate dosage of RMP were body weight and preparations of RMP. Patients weighting <40kg (relative risk ratio (rrr) 6010.5, 95% CI 781.1–46249.7) and patients weighting 40–49 kg (rrr 1495.3, 95% CI 200.6–11144.6) were more likely to receive higher-than-recommended dose of RMP.

Conclusions/Significance

Prescribing practice in the treatment of TB in Taipei City has remarkably improved after health authorities implemented a series of interventions.     

The Bacterial Cytoskeleton

In recent years it has been shown that bacteria contain a number of cytoskeletal structures. The bacterial cytoplasmic elements include homologs of the three major types of eukaryotic cytoskeletal proteins (actin, tubulin, and intermediate filament proteins) and a fourth group, the MinD-ParA group, that appears to be unique to bacteria. The cytoskeletal structures play important roles in cell division, cell polarity, cell shape regulation, plasmid partition, and other functions. The proteins self-assemble into filamentous structures in vitro and form intracellular ordered structures in vivo. In addition, there are a number of filamentous bacterial elements that may turn out to be cytoskeletal in nature. This review attempts to summarize and integrate the in vivo and in vitro aspects of these systems and to evaluate the probable future directions of this active research field.     

金黄色葡萄球菌肠毒素C的原核表达、纯化及活性鉴定

目的：在大肠杆菌中表达金黄色葡萄球菌肠毒素C（SEC）,并对其活性进行检测。方法：以金黄色葡萄球菌基因组为模板扩增SEC基因,经测序正确后插入原核表达载体pBV220中,转化大肠杆菌DH5α后温度热诱导重组SEC表达;表达产物经阳离子柱纯化后,用ELISA鉴定其抗原性;通过观测表达产物对鼠脾淋巴细胞的刺激增殖情况,检测其超抗原活性。结果：构建了SEC-pBV220原核表达载体,在大肠杆菌中可快速、高效表达SEC蛋白,表达产物具有超抗原活性。结论：实现了SEC的原核表达。     

In vitro oxidized and glycated human low-density lipoprotein particles characterized by capillary zone electrophoresis

A simple capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) method was used to determine native, in vitro Cu(2+) and glucose modified low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles for four healthy subjects. The LDL electropherograms are highly reproducible with good precisions of effective mobility and peak area. The native LDL capillary electrophoresis (CE) profile shows a major peak with lower mobility and two minor peaks with higher mobilities. For three-hour Cu(2+) oxidation, one major peak with mobility close to that of the native major peak, and one minor peak with mobility extending to -47 x 10(-5)cm(2)V(-1)s(-1) appear. For eighteen-hour Cu(2+) oxidation, one major peak with mobility much higher than that of the native major peak appears. As the reaction time for LDL and Cu(2+) increases from 0 to 24h, effective mobility of the LDL major peak increases, suggesting that LDL particles become more negatively charged and oxidized as the time increases. The in vitro glycated LDL particles are characterized by a major peak and two minor peaks. Mobility of the major peak is close to that of native major peak, but the second minor peak is much more negatively charged with mobility extending to -53 x 10(-5)cm(2)V(-1)s(-1). Native, oxidized and glycated LDL particles show distinctive differences in their CZE profiles. Agarose electrophoresis shows that the charge to mass ratios of native, three-hour Cu(2+) and glucose modified LDL particles are similar, but that of eighteen-hour Cu(2+) oxidized LDL particles is higher.     

Proteome analysis of Streptococcus suis serotype 2

Outbreaks in humans, caused by Streptococcus suis serotype 2 (SS2), were reported in 1998 and 2005 in China. However, the mechanism of SS2-associated infection remains unclear. For the first time, a 2-D gel approach combined with MS was used to establish a comprehensive 2-D reference map for aiding our understanding of the pathogenicity of SS2. The identification of 694 out of 834 processed spots revealed 373 proteins. Most of the identified proteins were located in the cytoplasm and were involved in energy metabolism, protein synthesis, and cellular processes. Proteins that were abundant in the 2-DE gels could be linked mainly to housekeeping functions in carbohydrate metabolism, protein quality control and translation. 2-DE of secretory proteins was performed using IPG strips of pH 4-7. Among the 102 protein spots processed, 87 spots representing 77 proteins were successfully identified. Some virulence-associated proteins of SS2 were found, including arginine deiminase, ornithine carbamoyl-transferase, carbamate kinase, muramidase-released protein precursor, extracellular factor, and suilysin. Enolase and endopeptidase have been proposed as putative virulence-associated factors in this study. The 2-D reference map might provide a powerful tool for analyzing the virulence factor and the regulatory network involved in the pathogenicity of this microorganism.     

微域环境因子对落基山圆柏插穗生根的影响

以8年生落基山圆柏(Juniperus scopulorum)的嫩枝为试验材料, 采用不同扦插密度和基质等处理措施, 研究了微域环境因子对插穗生根的影响。结果表明, 两种不同扦插密度的生根部位、愈伤率、生根率、炼存率、生根效果指数(root effect index, REI)、离散度指数(rooting dispersion index, RDI)和分形特征均存在显著差异。综合分析生根率、炼存率、REI和RDI等发现, 密插处理的效果好于稀插, 稀插处理的插穗生根能力较差, 生根性状离散度较大。密插处理的插穗的根系平均分形维数是稀插处理的1.24倍, 两者差异极显著(p < 0.01)。不同扦插密度下插穗的生根部位和生根机制不同: 插穗在密插处理下形成诱生根, 在稀插处理下形成原基根。不同的扦插密度造成了落基山圆柏微域环境的显著差异, 但同一密度下不同基质种类对微域环境因子的调控作用有限。密插处理下插穗的微域环境相对湿度较高(最高可达83.5%), 温度较低, 光合有效辐射较小。这些环境因子的差异导致密插处理下插穗的净光合速率(P_n)较高, 蒸腾速率(T_r)较低。在0-60天内, 密插和稀插处理的插穗的P_n均呈上升趋势, 并且二者相差的幅度随着试验时间的延长而迅速增大; 在60天以后, 二者均呈下降趋势, 相差幅度基本保持不变。密插处理下的T_r值在0-30天内基本保持不变, 而此时稀插处理下的T_r迅速增加。在30-60天内密插处理下的T_r快速增加, 60天时达到最大值, 但仍低于稀插处理。这些结果表明, 外部微域环境因子对插穗生根的影响是通过影响其内在生理指标来实现的, 插穗营养状况的差异是造成生根机制不同的主要原因。