Cat preantral follicle survival after prolonged cooled storage followed by vitrification

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of prolonged storage at 4 °C on survival of cat preantral follicles (PAFs) pre- and post-vitrification. Ovaries were obtained from 12 queens and transported at 4 ºC within 2–6 h. Parts of the ovaries were stored for an additional 24 h or 72 h. The ovarian cortex was dissected, analyzed for viability (neutral red - NR) and morphology (histology - HE and ultrastructural analysis by TEM) and vitrified. We used 2 mm biopsy punches to obtain equal size pieces as the experimental units. After NR assessment, each sample was fixed and embedded in paraffin for HE staining to determine the number of morphologically intact follicles. Another 2 mm piece of ovary was subjected to TEM. NR viability assessment and HE results showed a similar tendency with PAF survival postvitrification even after prolonged cooling at 24 h and 72 h. With TEM, integrity of mitochondria, plasma and basal membranes as well as the presence of pre-granulose cells of PAFs were documented postvitrification for the control group and 24 h prolonged storage group, but not after 72 h storage. Our results showed that cat PAFs can survive prolonged storage followed by vitrification. The described set of techniques are applicable towards creating a gamete bank for endangered feline species.     

Tadpole-like Conformations of Huntingtin Exon 1 Are Characterized by Conformational Heterogeneity that Persists regardless of Polyglutamine Length

Soluble huntingtin exon 1 (Httex1) with expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) engenders neurotoxicity in Huntington's disease. To uncover the physical basis of this toxicity, we performed structural studies of soluble Httex1 for wild-type and mutant polyQ lengths. Nuclear magnetic resonance experiments show evidence for conformational rigidity across the polyQ region. In contrast, hydrogen–deuterium exchange shows absence of backbone amide protection, suggesting negligible persistence of hydrogen bonds. The seemingly conflicting results are explained by all-atom simulations, which show that Httex1 adopts tadpole-like structures with a globular head encompassing the N-terminal amphipathic and polyQ regions and the tail encompassing the C-terminal proline-rich region. The surface area of the globular domain increases monotonically with polyQ length. This stimulates sharp increases in gain-of-function interactions in cells for expanded polyQ, and one of these interactions is with the stress-granule protein Fus. Our results highlight plausible connections between Httex1 structure and routes to neurotoxicity.     

Design,synthesis and molecular docking of thiazolidinedione based benzene sulphonamide derivatives containing pyrazole core as potential anti-diabetic agents

We herein report the design, synthesis and molecular docking studies of 2,4-thiazolidinedione derivatives containing benzene sulphonyl group which are docked against the Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor (PPARγ) target. Compound 7p was most effective in lowering the blood glucose level as compared to standard drugs pioglitazone and rosiglitazone. Compound 7p exhibited potent PPAR-γ transactivation of 61.2% with 1.9 folds increase in gene expression. In molecular docking studies 7p showed excellent interactions with amino acids TYR 473, SER 289, HIE 449, TYR 327, ARG 288, MET 329 and LEU 228. Compound 7p did not cause any damage to the liver without any noteworthy weight gain and may be considered as promising candidates for the development of new antidiabetic agents.     

持续施用缓/控释尿素条件下水田土壤NH3挥发与N2O排放特征

以持续9年施用不同缓／控释尿素的水田棕壤为试验对象,以普通大颗粒尿素为对照,研究了持续施用不同缓／控释尿素条件下水田土壤NH₃挥发与N₂O排放特征.结果表明: 与普通大颗粒尿素(U)相比,除1% 3,4－二甲基吡唑磷酸盐(DMPP)+U处理 NH₃挥发增加了25.8%外,其他缓／控释尿素肥料处理对NH₃有明显的减排效果.树脂包膜尿素(PCU)对NH₃减排效果最明显,为73.4%,硫包膜尿素(SCU)为72.2%,0.5% N-丁基硫代磷酰三胺(NBPT)+1% DMPP+U为71.9%,1% 氢醌(HQ)+3% 双氰胺(DCD)+U为46.9%,0.5% NBPT+U为43.2%,1% HQ+U为40.2%,3% DCD+U为25.5%, 1% DMPP均与施用普通大颗粒尿素差异显著;所有缓／控释尿素处理与对照相比均可显著减少N₂O排放.1% DMPP+U对N₂O减排效果最明显,为74.9%,PCU为62.1%,1% HQ+3% DCD+U为54.7%,0.5% NBPT+1% DMPP+U为42.2%,3% DCD+U为35.9%,1% HQ+U为28.9%,0.5% NBPT+U为17.7%,SCU为14.5%,均与施用普通大颗粒尿素差异显著.比较0.5% NBPT+1% DMPP+U、SCU、PCU对NH₃和N₂O减排的综合效果,3种肥料作用相近,且均明显优于其他处理,但包膜材料的成本较抑制剂高数倍.因此,同时添加脲酶和硝化抑制剂的缓释尿素是减少水田氮素损失及环境污染的首选氮肥.     

Structure of a putative ClpS N‐end rule adaptor protein from the malaria pathogen Plasmodium falciparum

The N‐end rule pathway uses an evolutionarily conserved mechanism in bacteria and eukaryotes that marks proteins for degradation by ATP‐dependent chaperones and proteases such as the Clp chaperones and proteases. Specific N‐terminal amino acids (N‐degrons) are sufficient to target substrates for degradation. In bacteria, the ClpS adaptor binds and delivers N‐end rule substrates for their degradation upon association with the ClpA/P chaperone/protease. Here, we report the first crystal structure, solved at 2.7 Å resolution, of a eukaryotic homolog of bacterial ClpS from the malaria apicomplexan parasite Plasmodium falciparum (Pfal). Despite limited sequence identity, Plasmodium ClpS is very similar to bacterial ClpS. Akin to its bacterial orthologs, plasmodial ClpS harbors a preformed hydrophobic pocket whose geometry and chemical properties are compatible with the binding of N‐degrons. However, while the N‐degron binding pocket in bacterial ClpS structures is open and accessible, the corresponding pocket in Plasmodium ClpS is occluded by a conserved surface loop that acts as a latch. Despite the closed conformation observed in the crystal, we show that, in solution, Pfal‐ClpS binds and discriminates peptides mimicking bona fide N‐end rule substrates. The presence of an apicoplast targeting peptide suggests that Pfal‐ClpS localizes to this plastid‐like organelle characteristic of all Apicomplexa and hosting most of its Clp machinery. By analogy with the related ClpS1 from plant chloroplasts and cyanobacteria, Plasmodium ClpS likely functions in association with ClpC in the apicoplast. Our findings open new venues for the design of novel anti‐malarial drugs aimed at disrupting parasite‐specific protein quality control pathways.