A second L-type isozyme of potato glucan phosphorylase: cloning,antisense inhibition and expression analysis

In potato tubers two starch phosphorylase isozymes, types L and H, have been described and are believed to be responsible for the complete starch breakdown in this tissue. Type L has been localized in amyloplasts, whereas type H is located within the cytosol. In order to investigate whether the same isozymes are also present in potato leaf tissue a cDNA expression library from potato leaves was screened using a monoclonal antibody recognizing both isozyme forms. Besides the already described tuber L-type isozyme a cDNA clone encoding a second L-type isozyme was isolated. The 3171 nucleotide long cDNA clone contains an uninterrupted open reading frame of 2922 nucleotides which encodes a polypeptide of 974 amino acids. Sequence comparison between both L-type isozymes on the amino acid level showed that the polypeptides are highly homologous to each other, reaching 81–84% identity over most parts of the polypeptide. However the regions containing the transit peptide (amino acids 1–81) and the insertion sequence (amino acids 463–570) are highly diverse, reaching identities of only 22.0% and 29.0% respectively.Northern analysis revealed that both forms are differentially expressed. The steady-state mRNA levels of the tuber L-type isozyme accumulates strongly in potato tubers and only weakly in leaf tissues, whereas the mRNA of the leaf L-type isozyme accumulates in both tissues to the same extent. Constitutive expression of an antisense RNA specific for the leaf L-type gene resulted in a strong reduction of starch phosphorylase L-type activity in leaf tissue, but had only sparse effects in potato tuber tissues. Determination of the leaf starch content revealed that antisense repression of the starch phosphorylase activity has no significant influence on starch accumulation in leaves of transgenic potato plants. This result indicated that different L-type genes are responsible for the starch phosphorylase activity in different tissues, but the function of the different enzymes remains unclear.     

Upper airway anesthesia delays arousal from airway occlusion induced during human NREM sleep.

Six healthy subjects (5 males and 1 female, 26-40 yr old) were studied during non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) sleep to assess the role of upper airway (UA) afferents in the arousal response to induced airway occlusion. Subjects wore an airtight face mask attached to a low-resistance one-way valve. A valve in the inspiratory circuit allowed instantaneous inspiratory airway occlusion and release; the expiratory circuit remained unoccluded at all times. Each subject was studied during two nights. On one night, occlusions were created during stable stage 2 NREM sleep before and after application of 4% lidocaine to the oral and nasal mucosa. On the other night, the protocol was duplicated with saline ("sham anesthesia") rather than lidocaine. The order of nights was randomized. Occlusions were sustained until electroencephalographic arousal. Three to 12 occlusions were performed in each subject for each of the four parts of the protocol (pre- and post-lidocaine, pre- and post-saline). The auditory threshold for arousal (1,500-Hz tone beginning at 30 dB) was also tested before and after UA lidocaine. For the group, arousal time after UA anesthesia was prolonged compared with preanesthesia arousal time (P less than 0.001); arousal time after sham anesthesia did not significantly increase from before sham anesthesia (P = 0.9). The increase in arousal time with UA anesthesia was greater than the increase with sham anesthesia (P less than 0.001). The auditory arousal threshold did not increase after UA anesthesia. Inspiratory mask pressure, arterial O2 saturation of hemoglobin, and end-tidal PCO2 during occlusions were similar before and after UA anesthesia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Effect of inspired air temperature on genioglossus activity during nose breathing in awake humans

Experimental data suggest the presence of sensory receptors specific to the nasopharynx that may reflexly influence respiratory activity. To investigate the effects of inspired air temperature on upper airway dilator muscle activity during nose breathing, we compared phasic genioglossus electromyograms (EMGgg) in eight normal awake adults breathing cold dry or warm humidified air through the nose. EMGgg was measured with peroral bipolar electrodes during successive trials of cold air (less than or equal to 15 degrees C) and warm air (greater than or equal to 34 degrees C) nasal breathing and quantified for each condition as percent activity at baseline (room temperature). In four of the subjects, the protocol was repeated after topical nasal anesthesia. For all eight subjects, mean EMGgg was greater during cold air breathing than during baseline (P less than 0.005) or warm air breathing (P less than 0.01); mean EMGgg during warm air breathing was not significantly changed from baseline. Nasal anesthesia significantly decreased the mean EMGgg response to cold air breathing. Nasal airway inspiratory resistance, measured by posterior rhinomanometry in six subjects under similar conditions, was no different for cold or warm air nose breathing [cold 1.4 +/- 0.7 vs. warm 1.4 +/- 1.1 (SD) cmH2O.l-1.s at 0.4 l/s flow]. These data suggest the presence of superficially located nasal cold receptors that may reflexly influence upper airway dilating muscle activity independently of pressure changes in awake normal humans.     

Complete genome sequence of the marine cellulose- and xylan-degrading bacterium Glaciecola sp. strain 4H-3-7+YE-5

Glaciecola sp. strain 4H-3-7+YE-5 was isolated from subseafloor sediments at Suruga Bay in Japan and is capable of efficiently hydrolyzing cellulose and xylan. The complete genome sequence of Glaciecola sp. 4H-3-7+YE-5 revealed several genes encoding putatively novel glycoside hydrolases, offering a high potential for plant biomass degradation.     

Complete genome sequences of Krokinobacter sp. strain 4H-3-7-5 and Lacinutrix sp. strain 5H-3-7-4, polysaccharide-degrading members of the family Flavobacteriaceae

Two members of the family Flavobacteriaceae were isolated from subseafloor sediments using artificial seawater with cellulose, xylan, and chitin as the sole carbon and energy sources. Here, we present the complete genome sequences of Krokinobacter sp. strain 4H-3-7-5 and Lacinutrix sp. strain 5H-3-7-4, which both encode putatively novel enzymes involved in cellulose, hemicellulose, and chitin metabolism.     

Isolation and Biochemical Characterization of a Glucose Dehydrogenase from a Hay Infusion Metagenome

Glucose hydrolyzing enzymes are essential to determine blood glucose level. A high-throughput screening approach was established to identify NAD(P)-dependent glucose dehydrogenases for the application in test stripes and the respective blood glucose meters. In the current report a glucose hydrolyzing enzyme, derived from a metagenomic library by expressing recombinant DNA fragments isolated from hay infusion, was characterized. The recombinant clone showing activity on glucose as substrate exhibited an open reading frame of 987 bp encoding for a peptide of 328 amino acids. The isolated enzyme showed typical sequence motifs of short-chain-dehydrogenases using NAD(P) as a co-factor and had a sequence similarity between 33 and 35% to characterized glucose dehydrogenases from different Bacillus species. The identified glucose dehydrogenase gene was expressed in E. coli, purified and subsequently characterized. The enzyme, belonging to the superfamily of short-chain dehydrogenases, shows a broad substrate range with a high affinity to glucose, xylose and glucose-6-phosphate. Due to its ability to be strongly associated with its cofactor NAD(P), the enzyme is able to directly transfer electrons from glucose oxidation to external electron acceptors by regenerating the cofactor while being still associated to the protein.     

Hypoxemia alone does not explain blood pressure elevations after obstructive apneas

In patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), substantial elevations of systemic blood pressure (BP) and depressions of oxyhemoglobin saturation (SaO2) accompany apnea termination. The causes of the BP elevations, which contribute significantly to nocturnal hypertension in OSA, have not been defined precisely. To assess the relative contribution of arterial hypoxemia, we observed mean arterial pressure (MAP) changes following obstructive apneas in 11 OSA patients during non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) sleep and then under three experimental conditions: 1) apnea with O2 supplementation; 2) hypoxemia (SaO2 80%) without apnea; and 3) arousal from sleep with neither hypoxemia nor apnea. We found that apneas recorded during O2 supplementation (SaO2 nadir 93.6% +/- 2.4; mean +/- SD) in six subjects were associated with equivalent postapneic MAP elevations compared with unsupplemented apneas (SaO2 nadir 79-82%): 18.8 +/- 7.1 vs. 21.3 +/- 9.2 mmHg (mean change MAP +/- SD); in the absence of respiratory and sleep disruption in eight subjects, hypoxemia was not associated with the BP elevations observed following apneas: -5.4 +/- 19 vs. 19.1 +/- 7.8 mmHg (P less than 0.01); and in five subjects, auditory arousal alone was associated with MAP elevation similar to that observed following apneas: 24.0 +/- 8.1 vs. 22.0 +/- 6.9 mmHg. We conclude that in NREM sleep postapneic BP elevations are not primarily attributable to arterial hypoxemia. Other factors associated with apnea termination, including arousal from sleep, reinflation of the lungs, and changes of intrathoracic pressure, may be responsible for these elevations.     

Increased sympathetic and decreased parasympathetic cardiovascular modulation in normal humans with acute sleep deprivation.

Cardiovascular autonomic modulation during 36 h of total sleep deprivation (SD) was assessed in 18 normal subjects (16 men, 2 women, 26.0 +/- 4.6 yr old). ECG and continuous blood pressure (BP) from radial artery tonometry were obtained at 2100 on the first study night (baseline) and every subsequent 12 h of SD. Each measurement period included resting supine, seated, and seated performing computerized tasks and measured vigilance and executive function. Subjects were not supine in the periods between measurements. Spectral analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) and BP variability (BPV) was computed for cardiac parasympathetic modulation [high-frequency power (HF)], sympathetic modulation [low-frequency power (LF)], sympathovagal balance (LF/HF power of R-R variability), and BPV sympathetic modulation (at LF). All spectral data were expressed in normalized units [(total power of the components/total power-very LF) x 100]. Spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity (BRS), based on systolic BP and pulse interval powers, was also measured. Supine and sitting, BPV LF was significantly increased from baseline at 12, 24, and 36 h of SD. Sitting, HRV LF was increased at 12 and 24 h of SD, HRV HF was decreased at 12 h SD, and HRV LF/HF power of R-R variability was increased at 12 h of SD. BRS was decreased at 24 h of SD supine and seated. During the simple reaction time task (vigilance testing), the significantly increased sympathetic and decreased parasympathetic cardiac modulation and BRS extended through 36 h of SD. In summary, acute SD was associated with increased sympathetic and decreased parasympathetic cardiovascular modulation and decreased BRS, most consistently in the seated position and during simple reaction-time testing.