Variation of Essential Oil Content and Composition,Phenolics, and Yield Related Traits Using Different Pollination Systems in Populations of Thymus Species

The production of self-pollinated plants could be important for improving medicinal plants secondary metabolites. In this study, 11 Thymus populations from eight species were evaluated to determine the effect of self and open pollination on agro-morphological characteristics, total phenolic content (TPC), essential oil (EO) content, and EO components. Inbreeding led to some positive effects of above mentioned traits in most of the studied populations. Total phenolic content ranged from 7.07 to 52.69 mg tannic acid equivalents (TAE) g⁻¹ dry weight (DW) in open pollinated derived populations, while it varied from 1.2 to 55.03 mg TAE g⁻¹ DW in self-pollinated ones. Under open and self-pollination condition, the highest EO content was obtained in T. trautvetteri (3.37 %) and T. pubescens (1.96 %), respectively. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) identified 42 compounds including thymol, carvacrol, linalool, p-cymene, γ-terpinene, terpinen-4-ol, and α-terpineol as the main compounds. In most cases, selfed plants compared to open pollinated ones, revealed higher thymol content. T. daenensis-1 showed a significant increase in thymol content (from 25.22 % to 74.3 %) due to self-pollination. Moreover, self-pollination led to emergence of some new compounds. Carvacrol methyl ether was the constituents of Thymus EO that are being reported in self-pollinated populations. Finally, inbreeding in Thymus might be suggested as a useful tool to increase genetic homogeneity for the selection of superior plants for improving secondary metabolite.     

Attributes of the plankton flora at Bushehr,Iran

The plankton flora on the northeastern coast of the Gulf of Persia consists of many diatom species, the coccolithophores Gephyrocapsa oceanica and Coccolithus huxleyi, and the blue-green alga, Trichodesmium thiebautii. These are prevalent throughout the year and always at low concentrations, with an average maximum in January of 14463 cells/liter and minimum in June of 802/liter. Such comparative constancy suggests that the flora has the attribute of stability. The individual species fluctuate in a patternless, uncorrelated manner, so that the flora is characterized by the attribute of unpredictability. The turbidity of the shallow water reduces the light so that light is usually neither limiting nor inhibitory. There is a small amount of nitrate always available and ample phosphate and silicate. Pure culture studies of several species show growth from about 12° to 34°. The water was 34° in August of 1977. The flora's responsiveness to these light, nutrient, and temperature quantities makes possible its recovery to normal after advective disturbance in June 1977.Contribution number 4574 from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.Contribution number 4574 from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.     

Covalent vs. Non‐Covalent Inhibition: Tackling Drug Resistance in EGFR – A Thorough Dynamic Perspective

A persistent challenge in the treatment of non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with EGFR is the emergence of drug‐resistant caused by somatic mutations. The EGFR L858R/T790 M double mutant (EGFR^DM) was found to be the most alarming variant. Despite the development of a wide range of inhibitors, none of them could inhibit EGFR^DM effectively. Recently, 11h and 45a , have been found to be potent inhibitors against EGFR^DM through two distinctive mechanisms, non‐covalent and covalent binding, respectively. However, the structural and dynamic implications of the two modes of inhibitions remain unexplored. Herein, two molecular dynamics simulation protocols, coupled with free‐energy calculations, were applied to gain insight into the atomistic nature of each binding mode. The comparative analysis confirmed that there is a significant difference in the binding free energy between 11h and 45a (ΔΔG_bind=?21.17 kcal/mol). The main binding force that governs the binding of both inhibitors is vdW, with a higher contribution for 45a . Two residues ARG841 and THR854 were found to have curtailed role in the binding of 45a to EGFR^DM by stabilizing its flexible alcohol chain. The 45a binding to EGFR^DM induces structural rearrangement in the active site to allow easier accessibility of 45a to target residue CYS797. The findings of this work can substantially shed light on new strategies for developing novel classes of covalent and non‐covalent inhibitors with increased specificity and potency.     

Function, activity, and membrane targeting of cytosolic phospholipase A(2)zeta in mouse lung fibroblasts

Group IVA cytosolic phospholipase A(2) (cPLA(2)alpha) initiates eicosanoid production; however, this pathway is not completely ablated in cPLA(2)alpha(-/-) lung fibroblasts stimulated with A23187 or serum. cPLA(2)alpha(+/+) fibroblasts preferentially released arachidonic acid, but A23187-stimulated cPLA(2)alpha(-/-) fibroblasts nonspecifically released multiple fatty acids. Arachidonic acid release from cPLA(2) alpha(-/-) fibroblasts was inhibited by the cPLA(2)alpha inhibitors pyrrolidine-2 (IC(50), 0.03 microM) and Wyeth-1 (IC(50), 0.1 microM), implicating another C2 domain-containing group IV PLA(2). cPLA(2) alpha(-/-) fibroblasts contain cPLA(2)beta and cPLA(2)zeta but not cPLA(2)epsilon or cPLA(2)delta. Purified cPLA(2)zeta exhibited much higher lysophospholipase and PLA(2) activity than cPLA(2)beta and was potently inhibited by pyrrolidine-2 and Wyeth-1, which did not inhibit cPLA(2)beta. In contrast to cPLA(2)beta, cPLA(2)zeta expressed in Sf9 cells mediated A23187-induced arachidonic acid release, which was inhibited by pyrrolidine-2 and Wyeth-1. cPLA(2)zeta exhibits specific activity, inhibitor sensitivity, and low micromolar calcium dependence similar to cPLA(2)alpha and has been identified as the PLA(2) responsible for calcium-induced fatty acid release and prostaglandin E(2) production from cPLA(2) alpha(-/-) lung fibroblasts. In response to ionomycin, EGFP-cPLA(2)zeta translocated to ruffles and dynamic vesicular structures, whereas EGFP-cPLA(2)alpha translocated to the Golgi and endoplasmic reticulum, suggesting distinct mechanisms of regulation for the two enzymes.     

Facile and Rapid Detection of Microalbuminuria by Antibody-Functionalized Gold Nanorods

Plasmonics - Any excess or lack of human serum albumin (HSA) in urine should be considered a warning for renal or cardiovascular diseases. This report proposes a rapid and straightforward method...     

Differential expression of human basic fibroblast growth factor in Escherichia coli: potential role of promoter

Four different expression systems were developed for expression of the cDNA encoding human basic fibroblast growth factor (hbFGF), using Escherichia coli as host organism. The hbfgf structural gene was cloned into four expression vectors, pET-3a, pTrc99A, pPR37 and pKK223-3 differing only in their promoters, which were T7, trc, PR and tac respectively. Expression of the gene was induced by adding 0.5 mM (final concentration) of isopropyl--D-thio-galactopyranoside (IPTG) for the vectors carrying T7, trc and tac promoters or by a temperature shift from 30 to 42 °C for the vector carrying PR. The highest level of expression was observed in pET-1005 (a pET-3a derivative)/BL21 (DE3) system with 18.5 mg/l rhbFGF and the second high level expression was in pR37-1007 (pPR37 derivative) BL21 (DE3) system with 5 mg of rhbFGF/l. Since in the latter system a temperature shift was used for induction, 29% of the hbFGF was recovered as inclusion bodies in the insoluble cell fraction. The level of expression for the two other systems (pTrc-1006 and pKK-1008) was very low.     

Trend of Cardio-Metabolic Risk Factors in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Population-Based Prospective Cohort Study

Objective

To see the changes of cardio-metabolic risk factors overtime in polycystic ovary syndrome vs. control women.

Methods

This study was conducted on 637 participants (85 PCOS and 552 control reproductive aged, 18–45 years) of Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS), an ongoing population-based cohort study with 12 years of follow-up. The cardiovascular risk factors of these groups were assessed in three-year intervals using standard questionnaires, history taking, anthropometric measures, and metabolic/endocrine evaluation. Generalized estimating equation was used to analyze the data.

Results

Overall mean of insulin (3.55, CI: 0.66–6.45), HOMA-IR (0.63, CI: 0.08–1.18), and HOMA-β (45.90, CI: 0.86–90.93) were significantly higher in PCOS than in healthy women after adjustment for age, BMI, and baseline levels. However, the negative interaction (follow-up years × PCOS status) of PCOS and normal women converged overtime. Comparing third follow-up with first, insulin and HOMA-IR decreased 10.6% and 5%, respectively in PCOS women; and increased 6.7% and 14.6%, respectively in controls (P<0.05). The results did not show any significant result for other cardio-metabolic variables including WC, lipid profile, FPG, 2-h PG, SBP, and DBP.

Conclusion

While the insulin level and insulin resistance rate were higher in reproductive aged PCOS than in healthy women, the difference of these risk factors decreased overtime. Thus, the metabolic consequences of PCOS women in later life may be lower than those initially anticipated.