Detection and characterisation of a phytoplasma associated with cucumber (Cucumis sativus) regional yellows disease in Iran

Abstract

A phytoplasma was detected in cucumber (Cucumis sativus), exhibiting regional yellows symptoms in leaves, stem and fruits, that was grown in the greenhouse near Tehran (Iran). Since this is a previously undescribed disease, the name cucumber regional yellows have been tentatively assigned to it. Based on in silico RFLP and phylogenetic analysis of PCR-amplified 16S rDNA sequences, the phytoplasma associated with regional yellows disease was identified as a new member of phytoplasma 16S rRNA group VI (16SrVI-A) with closest relationships to zucchini phyllody phytoplasma (KP119494). According to our results, cucumber regional yellows phytoplasma could be designated as a subgroup VI-A.     

血清MCP-1、VE-cadherin和S-100蛋白水平变化对脑梗死患者病情的影响

探讨血清MCP-1、VE-cadherin和S-100蛋白水平变化对脑梗死患者病情的影响。选择2016年3月至2017年5月期间我院确诊的脑梗死患者60例作为研究对象,男性30例,女性30例,平均年龄为(60.2±8.1)岁。选择同期在我院进行体检的30名健康志愿者作为对照组。采用酶联免疫双抗体夹心法检测受试者血清MCP-1、VE-cadherin和S-100蛋白水平。脑梗死患者的血清MCP-1、VE-cadherin和S-100水平均高于对照组(p<0.05)。进展性脑梗死患者血清MCP-1、VE-cadherin和S-100水平显著升高(p<0.05)。轻型神经功能缺损患者的血清MCP-1、VE-cadherin和S-100水平显著低于中型和重型患者(p<0.05),中型患者血清MCP-1、VE-cadherin和S-100水平均显著低于重型患者(p<0.05)。脑梗死患者的血清MCP-1、VE-cadherin和S-100参与脑梗死的发生发展,并且与脑梗死患者的临床表现和神经功能缺损程度有关。     

Extracellular ADP prevents neuronal apoptosis via activation of cell antioxidant enzymes and protection of mitochondrial ANT-1

Apoptosis in neuronal tissue is an efficient mechanism which contributes to both normal cell development and pathological cell death. The present study explores the effects of extracellular ADP on low [K⁺]-induced apoptosis in rat cerebellar granule cells. ADP, released into the extracellular space in brain by multiple mechanisms, can interact with its receptor or be converted, through the actions of ectoenzymes, to adenosine. The findings reported in this paper demonstrate that ADP inhibits the proapoptotic stimulus supposedly via: i) inhibition of ROS production during early stages of apoptosis, an effect mediated by its interaction with cell receptor/s. This conclusion is validated by the increase in SOD and catalase activities as well as by the GSSG/GSH ratio value decrease, in conjunction with the drop of ROS level and the prevention of the ADP protective effect by pyridoxalphosphate-6-azophenyl-2′,4′-disulfonic acid (PPADS), a novel functionally selective antagonist of purine receptor; ii) safeguard of the functionality of the mitochondrial adenine nucleotide-1 translocator (ANT-1), which is early impaired during apoptosis. This effect is mediated by its plausible internalization into cell occurring as such or after its hydrolysis, by means of plasma membrane nucleotide metabolizing enzymes, and resynthesis into the cell. Moreover, the findings that ADP also protects ANT-1 from the toxic action of the two Alzheimer's disease peptides, i.e. Aβ1–42 and NH₂htau, which are known to be produced in apoptotic cerebellar neurons, further corroborate the molecular mechanism of neuroprotection by ADP, herein proposed.     

Hormonogenic donor Tyr2522 of bovine thyroglobulin. Insight into preferential T3 formation at thyroglobulin carboxyl terminus at low iodination level

A tryptic fragment (b5_TR,NR), encompassing residues 2515–2750, was isolated from a low-iodine (0.26% by mass) bovine thyroglobulin, by limited proteolysis with trypsin and preparative, continuous-elution SDS–PAGE. The fragment was digested with Asp-N endoproteinase and analyzed by reverse-phase HPLC electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry, revealing the formation of: 3-monoiodotyrosine and dehydroalanine from Tyr2522; 3-monoiodotyrosine from Tyr2555 and Tyr2569; 3-monoiodotyrosine and 3,5-diiodotyrosine from Tyr2748. The data presented document, by direct mass spectrometric identifications, efficient iodophenoxyl ring transfer from monoiodinated hormonogenic donor Tyr2522 and efficient mono- and diiodination of hormonogenic acceptor Tyr2748, under conditions which permitted only limited iodination of Tyr2555 and Tyr2569, in low-iodine bovine thyroglobulin. The present study thereby provides: (1) a rationale for the preferential synthesis of T3 at the carboxy-terminal end of thyroglobulin, at low iodination level; (2) confirmation for the presence of an interspecifically conserved hormonogenic donor site in the carboxy-terminal domain of thyroglobulin; (3) solution for a previous uncertainty, concerning the precise location of such donor site in bovine thyroglobulin.     

Effect of PEGylated lipid and Lecinol S-10 on physico-chemical properties and encapsulation efficiency of palmitoleate–palmitoleic acid vesicles

A vesicle is a microscopic particle composed of a lipid bilayer membrane that separates the inner aqueous compartment from the outer aqueous environment. Palmitoleate–palmitoleic acid vesicles were prepared and their physico-chemical properties were investigated. Moreover, mixed vesicles composed of palmitoleic acid and PEGylated lipid and/or a mixture of phospholipids were also prepared. The stabilizing effects of these double-chain lipids on the formation of palmitoleate–palmitoleic acid vesicles were studied. Stability of the vesicle suspension was examined using particle size and zeta potential at 30?°C. The magnitude of the zeta potential was relatively lower in the vesicle suspension with the presence of phospholipid. Although some of the mixed vesicles that were formed were not very stable, they displayed potential for encapsulating the active ingredient calcein and the encapsulation efficiencies of calcein were encouraging. The palmitoleate–palmitoleic acid–DPPE-PEG2000 vesicle showed the most promising stability and encapsulation efficiency.     

Lipid and lipid mediator profiling of human synovial fluid in rheumatoid arthritis patients by means of LC–MS/MS

Human synovial fluid (SF) provides nutrition and lubrication to the articular cartilage. Particularly in arthritic diseases, SF is extensively accumulating in the synovial junction. During the last decade lipids have attracted considerable attention as their role in the development and resolution of diseases became increasingly recognized. Here, we describe a capillary LC–MS/MS screening platform that was used for the untargeted screening of lipids present in human SF of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Using this platform we give a detailed overview of the lipids and lipid‐derived mediators present in the SF of RA patients. Almost 70 different lipid components from distinct lipid classes were identified and quantification was achieved for the lysophosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylcholine species. In addition, we describe a targeted LC–MS/MS lipid mediator metabolomics strategy for the detection, identification and quantification of maresin 1, lipoxin A₄ and resolvin D5 in SF from RA patients. Additionally, we present the identification of 5S,12S-diHETE as a major marker of lipoxygenase pathway interactions in the investigated SF samples. These results are the first to provide a comprehensive approach to the identification and profiling of lipids and lipid mediators present in SF and to describe the presence of key anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving lipid mediators identified in SF from RA patients.     

两种的晚期胃癌化疗方案的疗效及成本对比研究

目的:运用药物疗效及经济学方法研究CS辅助化疗与ECF化疗方案,进行成本效果对比分析,为临床合理选用胃癌化疗方案提供参考。方法:选择67例中晚期胃癌患者,随机分为A组(CS,32例)组和B组(ECF组,35例),A组给予CS方案辅助化疗,B组给予ECF方案化疗,3个周期为l疗程,均治疗3个疗程后评价治疗效果及副作用,进行成本效果分析。结果:A组与B组治疗效果比较差异无显著性差异(P>0.05),A组治疗的有较低的相关死亡率,但与B组比较差异无统计学意义(3.13%vs8.57%,P>0.05),A组Ⅲ/Ⅳ度中性粒细胞降低(12.56%vs 37.14%)、Ⅲ/Ⅳ度粒细胞减少性发热(3.13%vs 20.0%)、Ⅲ/Ⅳ度口腔粘膜炎(3.13%vs 22.90%)、肾毒性(15.6%vs 37.10%)、严重低钾血症(6.30%vs 40.0%)的发生率均低于B组(P<0.05)。A组成本较高,并且由于成本增加,有较高的成本效益比。结论:CS方案虽然有较好安全性,但因成本增加,有较高的成本效益比,患者应根据经济能力选择合适的治疗方案。     

Rapid investigation of French sourdough microbiota by restriction fragment length polymorphism of the 16S-23S rRNA gene intergenic spacer region

The aim of the present research is to identify rapidly the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) microflora of four natural French sourdoughs (GO, BF, VB and RF), applying a biphasic (restriction length polymorphism (RFLP) and sequencing) approach for bacterial identification. For this purpose, a database with the RFLP patterns of 30 lactobacilli type strains was created. So-developed ISR-RFLP algorithm was further applied for the differentiation and identification of 134 sourdough isolates. The 16S-23S rDNA intergenic spacer region was amplified by primers t^Ala and 23S/10, and then digested by HindIII, HinfI and α-TaqI enzymes. Nucleotide sequences of the cloned 16S-23S intergenic spacer region (ISR) were determined by the dideoxynucleotide chain termination method. The T7Prom and M13rev primers flanking the multiple cloning site of pCR2.1 DNA were used to sequence both DNA strands. The RFLP profile obtained upon digestion with HindIII, HinfI and α-TaqI enzymes can be used to discriminate Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis (66%), Lactobacillus panis (17%), Lactobacillus nantensis (11%) and Lactobacillus hammesii(6%) in sourdough GO, Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis (80%), Lactobacillus spicheri (14%) and Lactobacillus pontis(6%) in sourdoughs BF. In sourdoughs VB, which differed in the process temperature, we can differentiate Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis (89%) and Leuconostoc mesenteroidessubsp. mesenteroides (11%). Lactobacillus frumenti(47%), Lactobacillus hammesii (8%), and Lactobacillus paralimentarius (45%) were differentiated in sourdough RF.     

Nitrogen catabolite repression modulates the production of aromatic thiols characteristic of Sauvignon Blanc at the level of precursor transport

The free thiols 3-mercapto-hexanol (3MH) and its acetate, practically absent from musts, are liberated by yeast during fermentation from a cysteinylated precursor [S-3-(hexan-1-ol)-l-cysteine (Cys-3MH)] present in the grape must and contribute favorably to the flavor of Sauvignon white wines. Production of 3MH is increased when urea is substituted for diammonium phosphate (DAP) as the sole nitrogen source on a synthetic medium. On grape must, complementation with DAP induces a decrease of 3MH production. This observation is reminiscent of nitrogen catabolite repression (NCR). The production of 3MH is significantly lower for a gap1Delta mutant compared with the wild type, during fermentation of a synthetic medium containing Cys-3MH as the precursor and urea as the sole nitrogen source. Mutants isolated from an enological strain with a relief of NCR on GAP1 produce significantly higher amounts of 3MH on synthetic medium than the parental strain. These phenotypes were not confirmed on grape must. It is concluded that on synthetic medium, Cys-3MH enters the cell through at least one identified transporter, GAP1p, whose activity is limiting the release of volatile thiols. On grape must, the uptake of the precursor through GAP1p is not confirmed, but the effect of addition of DAP, eventually prolonging NCR, is shown to decrease thiol production.