Structure and assembly pattern of a freshwater short-tailed cyanophage Pam1

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Protein interactions in the assembly of the tail of bacteriophage T4

Protein interactions in the assembly of the baseplate have been investigated. The baseplate of the phage T4 tail consists of a hub and six wedges which surround the former. Both reversible and irreversible interactions were found. Reversible association includes gp5 and gp27 (gp: gene product) which form a complex in a pH-dependent manner and gp18 polymerization, i.e. the tail sheath formation depends on the ionic strength. These reversible interactions were followed by irreversible or tight binding which pulls the whole association reaction to complete the assembly. The wedge assembly is strictly ordered which means that if one of the seven wedge proteins is missing, the assembly proceeds to that point and the remaining molecules stay non-associated. The strictly sequential assembly pathway is suggested to be materialized by successive conformational change upon binding, which can be shown by proteolytic probe.     

Hypothalamic neurons that mirror aggression

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Sex-Specific Associations of Iron-Anemia Status With Hemoglobin A1C Levels Among Hispanics/Latinos Without Self-Reported Diabetes Mellitus: The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to examine the sex-specific associations of mutually exclusive iron-anemia status categories with hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) levels among U.S. Hispanics/Latinos without self-reported diabetes mellitus.MethodsBaseline cross-sectional data (7247 women and 4904 men without self-reported diabetes mellitus) from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos were analyzed. Per the American Diabetes Association’s defined criteria, based on HbA1C levels, the participants were categorized as having normoglycemia, prediabetes, or probable diabetes mellitus. The iron-anemia status categories were as follows: no anemia and no iron deficiency (reference), iron deficiency, iron deficiency anemia (IDA), and non-iron deficiency anemia (non-IDA). Survey multinomial logistic regression models were used to examine the sex-specific associations of iron-anemia status with HbA1C levels after adjusting for sociodemographic, lifestyle, and clinical factors.ResultsThe age-standardized prevalence of iron-anemia status categories differed by sex. Compared with those with no anemia and no iron deficiency and normoglycemia, women with IDA had higher odds of having prediabetes (odds ratio [OR], 2.18; 95% CI, 1.64-2.89) and probable diabetes mellitus (OR, 3.59; 95% CI, 1.62-7.99) based on HbA1C levels; men with non-IDA had higher odds of having probable diabetes mellitus (OR, 2.97; 95% CI, 1.13-7.78) based on HbA1C levels. All other associations did not reach statistical significance.ConclusionAmong U.S. Hispanics/Latinos without self-reported diabetes mellitus, the age-standardized prevalence of iron deficiency, IDA, and non-IDA is high and varies by sex. Women with IDA had higher odds of having prediabetes and probable diabetes mellitus, defined based on HbA1C levels. Men with non-IDA had higher odds of having probable diabetes mellitus, defined based on HbA1C levels. Iron-anemia status should be considered while interpreting elevated HbA1C levels among U.S. Hispanics/Latinos without self-reported diabetes mellitus.     

Schistosoma mansoni: complement and cercarial tail loss during in vitro transformation.

When Schistosoma mansoni cercariae are incubated at 37 C in media containing serum, the organisms lose their tails and change into viable, infective schistosomula. Tail loss does not occur in the absence of serum, or when the serum is heat inactivated. In the present studies, tail loss during in vitro conversion was shown to be complement dependent. The capacity of fresh serum to promote tail loss was markedly suppressed or abolished by cobra venom factor, zymosan, Sepharose CL-4B AND anti-C3 antibody. The alternative rather than the classic complement pathway appeared to be responsible since (1) binding of anti-C3 to cercariae required magnesium, but not calcium; (2) both C4-deficient serum and C2-deficient serum supported tail loss; but (3) human serum heated to 50 C for 20 min to inactivate Factor B did not support tail loss. Cercarial tail loss also required the terminal complement components C5 through C8. The extent and rate of tail loss was normal in agammaglobulinemic sera indicating that the complement effect was not antibody dependent.     

Cage and field experiments as basis for the development of control strategies against Cacopsylla pruni,the vector of European Stone Fruit Yellows

The efficacy and the instant effect of 13 insecticides and antifeedants towards Cacopsylla pruni, the vector of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma prunorum’ were examined in cage studies (no choice experiments with 10 field‐collected overwintered adults per experiment) on potted apricot trees (budding trees under outdoor conditions in early spring and foliated seedlings kept at 21°C). Cypermethrin caused 100% insect mortality within 2–4 h, thiacloprid 90–100% mortality within 24 h both on foliated and on budding trees. On budding trees spinosad led to 70–90% mortality within 24 h, thixotropic white trunk paint to 90% mortality within 48 h. On foliated seedlings flonicamid gave 70–100% mortality within 1 day, abamectin, spinosad, acetamiprid and spirotetramat 70–100% within 72 h. Field studies monitoring the effects of thiacloprid on remigrants of C. pruni by yellow sticky traps were carried out in two apricot orchards. Additionally the influence of the insecticide on insect dispersal was examined by mark, release and recapture trials. As compared to the control thiacloprid significantly reduced the catches of naturally occurring and released insects, decreased the number of trees on which released insects were recaptured (by 25–100%) and shortened the migration distances of the released insects by more than half. Our results suggest that appropriate insecticide treatments both reduce C. pruni populations and have a direct effect on pathogen transmission. Application of Cypermethrin before bloom and thiacloprid after bloom seem best suited to achieve these objectives. Thixotropic white trunk paint could, a formulation for spray application provided, eventually be a sustainable alternative or complement for treatments before bloom.     

Absence of familiarity triggers hallmarks of autism in mouse model through aberrant tail-of-striatum and prelimbic cortex signaling

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The three-dimensional nature of the sperm tail wave studied using heterophil head-to-head agglutinins

Head-to-head agglutinates of bull spermatozoa, produced by heterophil agglutinins in human sera, revealed the same phenomenon as described for human spermatozoa: When rotating on the plate all agglutinates rotated counterclockwise. The interpretation lends further support to the hypothesis that the normal direction of the propagation of the overall helix-like tail wave is counterclockwise (ie, opposite the direction of the axonemal arms), corresponding to a clockwise shape of the wave (from base to tip) at a given instant. Heteroagglutinins may be a useful tool in physioanatomical studies of spermatozoa.