Relationship between osmoprotection and the structure and intracellular accumulation of betaines by Escherichia coli

Abstract Naturally occuring betaines, especially glycine betaine and proline betaine, were accumulated by Escherichia coli from urine. In synthetic hyperosmotic medium, with an homologous series of added betaines, (CH₃)₃N⁺-(CH₂) _n -COO⁻, osmoprotective activity and intracellular accumulation decreased monotonically as n increased from 1 to 5. In contrast, α -substituted glycine betaines were accumulated in a similar manner to glycine betaine, but with different osmoprotective activities. Arsenobetaine, with a quaternary arsonium group, was also accumulated but amino acids which can become negatively charged in a chemically basic environment were not.     

Evaluation of genotoxicity of combined soil pollution by cadmium and imidacloprid

Cadmium (Cd) is one of the important pollutants of soil and the genotoxicity of Cd-contaminated soil was studied in combination with imidacloprid. The single cell gel electrophoresis or comet assay was used to quantify DNA strand breaks as a measure of DNA damage induced by Cd and imidacloprid contamination in soil. The soil was artificially contaminated by Cd 2 h at 25℃ and were used in the comet assay. DNA damage was measured as the values of percentage of nuclei with tails, tail length, tail DNA, tail moment (TM), and Olive tail moment (OTM). DNA damages of root tips of Vicia faba increased after Cd treatment and there were dose-related increases in DNA damage measured as these parameters. However, the addition of imidacloprid further increased the DNA damage. These data confirmed the genotoxic effect of Cd to plants, and that the combined pollution with imidacloprid can enhance the genotoxicity of Cd.     

Design of novel analogues of short antimicrobial peptide anoplin with improved antimicrobial activity

Currently, novel antibiotics are urgently required to combat the emergence of drug‐resistant bacteria. Antimicrobial peptides with membrane‐lytic mechanism of action have attracted considerable interest. Anoplin, a natural α‐helical amphiphilic antimicrobial peptide, is an ideal research template because of its short sequence. In this study, we designed and synthesized a group of analogues of anoplin. Among these analogues, anoplin‐4 composed of d ‐amino acids displayed the highest antimicrobial activity due to increased charge, hydrophobicity and amphiphilicity. Gratifyingly, anoplin‐4 showed low toxicity to host cells, indicating high bacterial selectivity. Furthermore, the mortality rate of mice infected with Escherichia coli was significantly reduced by anoplin‐4 treatment relative to anoplin. In conclusion, anoplin‐4 is a novel anoplin analogue with high antimicrobial activity and enzymatic stability, which may represent a potent agent for the treatment of infection. Copyright © 2014 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Induction of high polyploidy in Phaseolus cell cultures by the protein kinase inhibitor,K-252a

Summary Somatic polyploidy of species-specific and tissue-specific degrees occurs in almost all plant species studied so far, but nearly nothing is known about the control mechanisms switching the mitotic cycle to an endoreduplication cycle. In order to search for a possible role of the cdc2 kinase, cell suspension cultures of the Runner bean, Phaseolus coccineus (Leguminosae) were treated with K-252a, an inhibitor of protein kinase activity. The treatment resulted in continuous cell cycles without mitosis, and hence induced polyploidy levels up to 2048C. It is, therefore, suggested that phosphorylation of a protein kinase, probably of the cell cycle-important p34^cdc2 type, is involved in the control of endoreduplication.     

静注氟比洛芬酯预防肺叶手术中全麻患者苏醒期躁动的临床研究

目的:探讨肺叶手术中超前应用氟比洛芬酯对减轻全身麻醉苏醒期躁动发生率的影响。方法:60例肺叶切除术患者随机分为A组和B组,每组30例,两组均常规诱导全麻气管插管,术中瑞芬、丙泊酚、维库溴铵泵住维持麻醉,A组于术前给予氟比洛芬酯1 MG/KG。比较两组躁动得分、苏醒后(10 min、30 min、1 h、2 h、4 h、24 h)六个时间点疼痛评分及不良反应发生率。结果:两组出血时间、拔管时间、麻醉时间差异均无统计学意义(均P0.05);A组患者的躁动得分显著低于B组,差异有统计学意义(P0.05);两组的VAS评分差异有统计学意义(P0.05),不同时间点的VAS评分差异有统计学意义(P0.05),分组与时间之间存在交互作用(P0.05);A组患者的不良反应发生率低于B组,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:肺叶手术中超前应用氟比洛芬酯具有良好的镇痛效果,可以降低全身麻醉苏醒期躁动的发生率。     

Effects of N,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide on isolated and reconstituted cytochrome b-c1 complex from bovine heart mitochondria

N,N′-Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD) inhibits the activity of ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase in the isolated and reconstitued mitochondrial cytochrome b-c₁ complex. DCCD inhibits equally electron flow and proton translocation (i.e., the $\text{H}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{e}{}^{\mathrm{?}}$ ratio is not affected) catalysed by the enzyme reconstituted into phospholipid vesicles. The inhibitory effects are accompanied by structural alterations in the polypeptide pattern of both isolated and reconstituted enzyme. Cross-linking was observed between subunits V (iron-sulfur protein) and VII, indicating that these polypeptides are in close proximity. A clear correlation was found between the kinetics of inhibition of enzymic activity and the cross-linking, suggesting that the two phenomena may be coupled. Binding of [¹⁴C]DCCD was also observed, to all subunits with the isolated enzyme and preferentially to cytochrome b with the reconstituted vesicles; in both cases, however, it was not correlated kinetically with the inhibition of the enzymic activity.     

Adenosine analogue–oligo-arginine conjugates (ARCs) serve as high-affinity inhibitors and fluorescence probes of type I cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKGIα)

Introduction

Type I cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKGIα) belongs to the family of cyclic nucleotide-dependent protein kinases and is one of the main effectors of cGMP. PKGIα is involved in regulation of cardiac contractility, vasorelaxation, and blood pressure; hence, the development of potent modulators of PKGIα would lead to advances in the treatment of a variety of cardiovascular diseases. Aim: Representatives of ARC-type compounds previously characterized as potent inhibitors and high-affinity fluorescent probes of PKA catalytic subunit (PKAc) were tested towards PKGIα to determine that ARCs could serve as activity regulators and sensors for the latter protein kinase both in vitro and in complex biological systems. Results: Structure–activity profiling of ARCs with PKGIα in vitro demonstrated both similarities as well as differences to corresponding profiling with PKAc, whereas ARC-903 and ARC-668 revealed low nanomolar displacement constants and inhibition IC₅₀ values with both cyclic nucleotide-dependent kinases. The ability of ARC-based fluorescent probes to penetrate cell plasma membrane was demonstrated in the smooth muscle tissue of rat cerebellum isolated arteries, and the compound with the highest affinity in vitro (ARC-903) showed also potential for in vivo applications, fully abolishing the PKG1α-induced vasodilation.     

Accumulation and persistence of flea larvicidal activity in the immediate environment of cats treated with imidacloprid

To investigate the persistence of flea larvicidal activity in the immediate environment of cats treated with imidacloprid, eggs of the cat flea Ctenocephalides felis felis Bouché (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae), from untreated donor cats, were incubated on samples of fleece blanket taken from the floor of cages used by treated or untreated cats for a total of 10 or 20 6-h periods over 2-4 weeks, respectively. Sufficient imidacloprid accumulated during these periods to reduce the emergence of adult fleas by 94.7-97.6% when the blankets were tested after 18 weeks' storage at room temperature. A typical laundry procedure (washing with detergent at 50 degrees C and low temperature tumble drying) removed this biological activity. Unwashed control blankets did not support the flea life-cycle as effectively as washed blankets or a sand substrate.     

大肠杆菌CM/PDT抗反馈抑制突变体的构建及其性质

为了获得具有高催化活性且抗反馈抑制的大肠杆菌分支酸变位酶 预苯酸脱水酶 (chorismatemutase prephenatedehydrataseCM PDT) [EC5 .4 .99.5 EC4 .2 .1.5 1],通过相关菌种CM PDT氨基酸序列同源比较 ,寻找高度保守位点 .用定点突变及PCR法构建突变酶M1(缺失 30 4T、30 5G、Q30 6K)、M2 (缺失W 338)、M3(缺失 30 1～ 386位氨基酸 )、M32 9(E32 9A)和M374 (C374A) ,野生型及各突变型基因与pET2 8a(+ )载体连接后 ,表达融合蛋白 .在非变性条件下 ,由TALON金属螯合亲和层析柱纯化野生型和突变体的酶蛋白 .酶活性测定表明 ,突变体M3的PDT活性下降为野生型活性的 2 9% ,但保持了CM活性 .突变体M374保持了CM ,PDT两种酶的活性 ,突变体M1、M2、M32 9的CM ,PDT活性有一定程度的提高 .酶抗反馈抑制作用检测表明 ,突变体M3、M374解除了苯丙氨酸的反馈抑制作用 ,M1、M2、M32 9部分解除了苯丙氨酸的反馈抑制作用 .与含野生型pheA基因的E .coliBL2 1菌株相比 ,含突变基因的E .coliBL2 1菌株对 10mmol L的苯丙氨酸代谢类似物具有强的抗反馈抑制作用 ,其中M1,M2 ,M3对 2 0mmol L的类似物具有抗反馈抑制作用