Detoxification of ochratoxin A,a food contaminant: Prevention of growth of Aspergillus ochraceus and its production of ochratoxin A

The toxicity of ochratoxin A (OTA), a mycotoxin produced by fungi ofAspergillus orPenicillium genera is now well documented. Its nephrotoxicity, immunosuppression, teratogenicity, and carcinogenicity have been widely studied. Physical and biochemical methods have been studied to prevent these toxinogenicAspergillus andPenicillium from producing OTA, and/or to destroy the mycotoxin when already produced in a liquid or a solid medium. Repeated freezing at ? 20?C and thawing at + 26?C aleatory reduce OTA production in a liquid medium. Exposure to UV B for different periods of time is efficient in preventing OTA production in a liquid medium. Gamma-irradiation from 2 to 5 kGy gives good results in preventing the production of OTA or destroying it when already produced. Carboxypeptidase is very efficient at 5 units/50 ml in a liquid medium for cleaving the OTA already produced.     

Sevoflurane modulates the activity of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase

The mechanism of inhalation anesthesia remains to be fully elucidated. While certain neuronal membrane proteins are considered sites of action, cytosolic proteins may also be targets. We hypothesize that inhaled anesthetics may act via glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), which has recently been shown to participate in neuronal inhibition. We examined the effects of sevoflurane, a halogenated ether anesthetic, on the catalytic and fluorescence properties of GAPDH. Initial rates of oxidoreductase activity decreased approximately 30% at saturating levels of sevoflurane. NADH-stimulated oxidoreductase activity (25 μM NADH; 0.8 mM NAD⁺) increased with sevoflurane. Sevoflurane quenched tryptophan fluorescence emission and increased polarization. Additionally, sevoflurane increased the susceptibility of GAPDH to thermal denaturation suggesting an effect on conformation. Our findings warrant further research on sevoflurane's effect on GAPDH and indicate that this approach may lead to delineation of a novel contribution to the mechanism of anesthesia.     

The role of fish-poultry integration on fish growth performance,yields and economic benefits among smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa,Tanzania

Aquaculture practices from sub-Saharan Africa are characterised by low production, owing to improper technology. Production can be increased through integrating fish farming with other existing on-farm activities, particularly livestock husbandry. We assessed the role of fish-poultry integration on all male Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus growth performance, yields and economic benefits among smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa, Tanzania. The study also compared phytoplankton species composition, abundance and biomass between the fish-poultry integration and non-integrated system. After 180 days of the experiment, all male O. niloticus cultured under fish-poultry integration exhibited significantly higher growth rates than those in the non-integrated system (p < 0.05). Gross fish yield (GFY), net fish yield (NFY) and net annual yields (NAY) obtained from fish-poultry integration were significantly higher than those from non-integrated system (p < 0.05). Partial enterprise budget analysis revealed that fish-poultry integration was more profitable than the non-integrated system. Moreover, fish-poultry integrated system produced significantly higher phytoplankton abundance and biomass than those from the non-integrated system. Results demonstrate that rural smallholder farmers can achieve higher growth rate, farm net yields and income by integrating all male O. niloticus with other on-farm activities than practising a stand-alone fish culture system.     

Nuclear gene trees and the phylogenetic relationships of the mangabeys (Primates: Papionini)

Phylogenetic relationships of mangabeys within the Old World monkey tribe Papionini are inferred from analyses of nuclear DNA sequences from five unlinked loci. The following conclusions are strongly supported, based on congruence among trees derived for the five separate gene regions: (1) mangabeys are polyphyletic within the Papionini; (2) Cercocebus is the sister taxon to the genus Mandrillus; and (3) Lophocebus belongs to a clade with Papio and Theropithecus, with Papio as its most likely sister taxon. Morphologically based phylogenies positing mangabey monophyly were evaluated by mapping the sequences for each locus on these trees. The data seem to fit these trees poorly in both maximum-parsimony and likelihood analyses. Incongruence among nuclear gene trees occurred in the interrelationships among Lophocebus, Papio, and Theropithecus. Several factors that may account for this incongruence are discussed, including sampling error, random lineage sorting, and introgression.      

CaMKIIα interacts with M4 muscarinic receptors to control receptor and psychomotor function

Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) are widely expressed in the mammalian brain and are essential for neuronal functions. These receptors are believed to be actively regulated by intracellular signals, although the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. In this study, we show that Ca²⁺/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) binds directly and selectively to one of five mAChR subtypes, M4 receptors (M4Rs), at their C‐terminal regions of second intracellular loops. This binding relies on Ca²⁺ activation of the kinase and leads to the phosphorylation of M4Rs at a specific threonine site (Thr145). Complementary in vivo studies in rat striatal neurons enriched with M4Rs confirm that rising Ca²⁺ recruits CaMKIIα to M4Rs to potentiate receptor signalling, which controls behavioural sensitivity to dopamine stimulation in an activity‐dependent manner. Our data identify a new model of protein–protein interactions. In a Ca²⁺‐sensitive manner, CaMKIIα regulates M4R efficacy and controls the acetylcholine–dopamine balance in the basal ganglia and also the dynamics of movement.     

Role of protein phosphatase 2A in mGluR5-regulated MEK/ERK phosphorylation in neurons

The regulation of protein phosphorylation requires coordinated interaction between protein kinases and protein phosphatases (PPs). Recent evidence has shown that the Galphaq-protein-coupled metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) 5 up-regulates phosphorylation of MAPK/ERK1/2. However, signaling mechanisms linking mGluR5 to ERK are poorly understood. In this study, roles of a major serine/threonine PP, PP2A, in this event were evaluated in cultured neurons. We found that the PP1/2A inhibitors okadaic acid and calyculin A mimicked the effect of the mGluR5 agonists (RS)-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine and (RS)-2-chloro-5-hydroxyphenylglycine in facilitating phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and its upstream kinase, MEK1/2, in a PP2A-dependent but not PP1-dependent manner. Co-administration of either inhibitor with an mGluR5 agonist produced additive phosphorylation of ERK1/2. Enzymatic assays showed a basal level of phosphatase activity of PP2A under normal conditions, and activation of mGluR5 selectively inhibited PP2A, but not PP1, activity. In addition, a physical association of the cytoplasmic C terminus of mGluR5 with PP2A was observed, and ligand activation of mGluR5 reduced mGluR5-PP2A binding. Additional mechanistic studies revealed that mGluR5 activation increased tyrosine (Tyr307) phosphorylation of PP2A, which was dependent on activation of a p60c-Src family tyrosine kinase, but not the epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase and resulted in dissociation of PP2A from mGluR5 and reduced PP2A activity. Together, we have identified a novel, mGluR5-triggered signaling mechanism involving use- and Src-dependent inactivation of PP2A, which contributes to mGluR5 activation of MEK1/2 and ERK1/2.     

Carnosine Protects Against the Neurotoxic Effects of a Serotonin-Derived Melanoid

Anesthesia-related postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) leads to morbidity in the elderly. Lipid peroxidative byproducts (i.e. acrolein) accumulate in aging and may play a role. Sevoflurane, an inhaled anesthetic, sequesters acrolein and enhances the formation of a serotonin-derived melanoid (SDM). SDM may be a biologically relevant polymeric melanoid that we previously showed exhibits redox activity and disrupts lipid bilayers. In this study, we examined the toxicity of SDM in cell culture and looked at protection using L-carnosine. SDM’s toxic effects were tested on neuronal-like SH-SY5Y cells, causing an exponential decrease in viability, while human dermal fibroblasts were completely resistant to the toxic effects. SDM brought about morphological changes to differentiated SH-SY5Y cells, particularly to neuronal processes. Co- but not pre-treatment with L-carnosine protected differentiated SH-SY5Y cells exposed to SDM. Our mechanism suggests focal sevoflurane-induced sequestration of age-related acrolein leading to SDM synthesis and neuronal impairment, which is prevented by L-carnosine.