A promising producer of bioactive compounds isolated from a Brazilian tropical soil was tested for its range of antimicrobial
activities. Strain 606, classified as Streptomyces sp., could not be identified up to species level, suggesting a possible new taxon. The supernatant and 10 extracts and fractions,
obtained by extraction and chromatographic techniques, presented antimicrobial activity using antibiograms. The methanolic
fraction was highly active against pathogenic bacteria, phytopathogenic fungi and the human pathogenic yeast Candida albicans. It also possessed high antiviral activity inhibiting the propagation of an acyclovir-resistant herpes simplex virus type
1 strain on HEp-2 cells at non-cytotoxic concentration. The strong cytotoxic effect suggests an antitumour action.
This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date. 相似文献
A formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) sample usually yields highly degraded DNA, which limits the use of techniques requiring high-quality DNA, such as Infinium Methylation microarrays. To overcome this restriction, we have applied an FFPE restoration procedure consisting of DNA repair and ligation processes in a set of paired fresh-frozen (FF) and FFPE samples. We validated the FFPE results in comparison with matched FF samples, enabling us to use FFPE samples on the Infinium HumanMethylation450 Methylation array. 相似文献
A total of 2,886 bats captured in the Amazon Basin of Brazil were processed for the isolation of fungi. From the livers, spleens, and lungs of 155 bats (5.4%), 186 fungal isolates of the genera Candida (123 isolates), Trichosporon (26 isolates), Torulopsis (25 isolates), Kluyveromyces (11 isolates), and Geotrichum (1 isolate) were recovered. Seven known pathogenic species were present: Candida parapsilosis, C. guilliermondii, C. albicans, C. stellatoidea, C. pseudotropicalis, Trichosporon beigelii, and Torulopsis glabrata. Twenty-three culture-positive bats showed identical fungal colonization in multiple organs or mixed colonization in a single organ. The fungal isolation rates for individual bat species varied from 1 fungus per 87 bats to 3 fungi per 13 bats, and the mycoflora diversity for members of an individual fungus-bearing bat species varied from 16 fungi per 40 bats to 7 fungi per 6 bats. Of the 38 fungal species isolated, 36 had not been previously described as in vivo bat isolates. Of the 27 culture-positive bat species, 21 had not been previously described as mammalian hosts for medically or nonmedically important fungi. 相似文献
Journal of Ethology - Animals emit predator-elicited calls in response to potential predation threats. These vocalizations induce a variety of anti-predator behaviors in conspecific receivers... 相似文献
We sampled macroinvertebrates at 75 locations in the Mondego river catchment, Central Portugal, and developed a predictive
model for water quality assessment of this basin, based on the Reference Condition Approach. Sampling was done from June to
September 2001. Fifty-five sites were identified as “Reference sites” and 20 sites were used as “Test sites” to test the model.
At each site we also measured 40 habitat variables to characterize water physics and chemistry, habitat type, land use, stream
hydrology and geographic location. Macroinvertebrates were generally identified to species or genus level; a total of 207
taxa were found. By Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic mean (UPGMA) clustering and analysis of species contribution
to similarities percentage (SIMPER), two groups of reference sites were established. Using Discriminant Analysis (stepwise
forward), four variables correctly predicted 78% of the reference sites to the appropriate group: stream order, pool quality,
substrate quality and current velocity. Test sites’ environmental quality was established from their relative distance to
reference sites, in MDS ordination space, using a series of bands (BEAST methodology). The model performed well at upstream
sites, but at downstream sites it was compromised by the lack of reference sites. As with the English RIVPACS predictive model,
the Mondego model should be continually improved with the addition of new reference sites. The adaptation of the Mondego model
methodology to the Water Framework Directive is possible and would consist mainly of the integration of the WFD typology and
increasing the number of ellipses that define quality bands.
Handling editor: K. Martens 相似文献
In this review, we address the regulatory and toxic role of ·NO along several pathways, from the gut to the brain. Initially, we address the role on ·NO in the regulation of mitochondrial respiration with emphasis on the possible contribution to Parkinson’s disease via mechanisms that involve its interaction with a major dopamine metabolite, DOPAC. In parallel with initial discoveries of the inhibition of mitochondrial respiration by ·NO, it became clear the potential for toxic ·NO-mediated mechanisms involving the production of more reactive species and the post-translational modification of mitochondrial proteins. Accordingly, we have proposed a novel mechanism potentially leading to dopaminergic cell death, providing evidence that NO synergistically interact with DOPAC in promoting cell death via mechanisms that involve GSH depletion. The modulatory role of NO will be then briefly discussed as a master regulator on brain energy metabolism. The energy metabolism in the brain is central to the understanding of brain function and disease. The core role of ·NO in the regulation of brain metabolism and vascular responses is further substantiated by discussing its role as a mediator of neurovascular coupling, the increase in local microvessels blood flow in response to spatially restricted increase of neuronal activity. The many facets of NO as intracellular and intercellular messenger, conveying information associated with its spatial and temporal concentration dynamics, involve not only the discussion of its reactions and potential targets on a defined biological environment but also the regulation of its synthesis by the family of nitric oxide synthases. More recently, a novel pathway, out of control of NOS, has been the subject of a great deal of controversy, the nitrate:nitrite:NO pathway, adding new perspectives to ·NO biology. Thus, finally, this novel pathway will be addressed in connection with nitrate consumption in the diet and the beneficial effects of protein nitration by reactive nitrogen species.
The retinoblastoma (pRB) family of proteins includes three proteins known to suppress growth of mammalian cells. Previously we had found that growth suppression by two of these proteins, p107 and p130, could result from the inhibition of associated cyclin-dependent kinases (cdks). One important unresolved issue, however, is the mechanism through which inhibition occurs. Here we present in vivo and in vitro evidence to suggest that p107 is a bona fide inhibitor of both cyclin A-cdk2 and cyclin E-cdk2 that exhibits an inhibitory constant (Ki) comparable to that of the cdk inhibitor p21/WAF1. In contrast, pRB is unable to inhibit cdks. Further reminiscent of p21, a second cyclin-binding site was mapped to the amino-terminal portions of p107 and p130. This amino-terminal domain is capable of inhibiting cyclin-cdk2 complexes, although it is not a potent substrate for these kinases. In contrast, a carboxy-terminal fragment of p107 that contains the previously identified cyclin-binding domain serves as an excellent kinase substrate although it is unable to inhibit either kinase. Clustered point mutations suggest that the amino-terminal domain is functionally important for cyclin binding and growth suppression. Moreover, peptides spanning the cyclin-binding region are capable of interfering with p107 binding to cyclin-cdk2 complexes and kinase inhibition. Our ability to distinguish between p107 and p130 as inhibitors rather than simple substrates suggests that these proteins may represent true inhibitors of cdks. 相似文献
The time dependency of the spontaneous aggregation of the fibrillogenic β-Amyloid peptide, Aβ1–40, was measured by turbidity, circular dichroism, HPLC, and fluorescence polarization. The results by all methods were comparable and they were most consistent with a kinetic model where the peptide first slowly forms an activated monomeric derivative (AM), which is the only species able to initiate, by tetramerization, the formation of linear aggregates. The anti-Aβ antibody 6E10, raised against residues 1–17, at concentrations of 200–300 nM delayed significantly the aggregation of 50 μM amyloid peptide. The anti–Aβ antibody 4G8, raised against residues 17–24, was much less active in that respect, while the antibody A162, raised against the C-terminal residues 39–43 of the full-length Aβ was totally inactive at those concentrations. Concomitant with the aggregation experiments, we also measured the time dependency of the Aβ1–40–induced toxicity toward SH-EP1 cells and hippocampal neurons, evaluated by SYTOX Green fluorescence, lactate dehydrogenase release, and activation of caspases. The extent of cell damage measured by all methods reached a maximum at the same time and this maximum coincided with that of the concentration of AM. According to the kinetic scheme, the latter is the only transient peptide species whose concentration passes through a maximum. Thus, it appears that the toxic species of Aβ1–40 is most likely the same transient activated monomer that is responsible for the nucleation of fibril formation. These conclusions should provide a structural basis for understanding the toxicity of Aβ1–40in vitro and possibly in vivo. 相似文献