A catalogue of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Triticum monococcum</Emphasis> genes encoding toxic and immunogenic peptides for celiac disease patients

The celiac disease (CD) is an inflammatory condition characterized by injury to the lining of the small-intestine on exposure to the gluten of wheat, barley and rye. The involvement of gluten in the CD syndrome has been studied in detail in bread wheat, where a set of “toxic” and “immunogenic” peptides has been defined. For wheat diploid species, information on CD epitopes is poor. In the present paper, we have adopted a genomic approach in order to understand the potential CD danger represented by storage proteins in diploid wheat and sequenced a sufficiently large number of cDNA clones related to storage protein genes of Triticum monococcum. Four bona fide toxic peptides and 13 immunogenic peptides were found. All the classes of storage proteins were shown to contain harmful sequences. The major conclusion is that einkorn has the full potential to induce the CD syndrome, as already evident for polyploid wheats. In addition, a complete overview of the storage protein gene arsenal in T. monococcum is provided, including a full-length HMW x-type sequence and two partial HMW y-type sequences. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Selective Vulnerability of Spinal and Cortical Motor Neuron Subpopulations in delta7 SMA Mice

Loss of the survival motor neuron gene (SMN1) is responsible for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the most common inherited cause of infant mortality. Even though the SMA phenotype is traditionally considered as related to spinal motor neuron loss, it remains debated whether the specific targeting of motor neurons could represent the best therapeutic option for the disease. We here investigated, using stereological quantification methods, the spinal cord and cerebral motor cortex of ∆7 SMA mice during development, to verify extent and selectivity of motor neuron loss. We found progressive post-natal loss of spinal motor neurons, already at pre-symptomatic stages, and a higher vulnerability of motor neurons innervating proximal and axial muscles. Larger motor neurons decreased in the course of disease, either for selective loss or specific developmental impairment. We also found a selective reduction of layer V pyramidal neurons associated with layer V gliosis in the cerebral motor cortex. Our data indicate that in the ∆7 SMA model SMN loss is critical for the spinal cord, particularly for specific motor neuron pools. Neuronal loss, however, is not selective for lower motor neurons. These data further suggest that SMA pathogenesis is likely more complex than previously anticipated. The better knowledge of SMA models might be instrumental in shaping better therapeutic options for affected patients.     

Behavioral and physiological effects of chronic 2,450-MHz microwave irradiation of the rat at 0.5 mW/cm2

Adult male Long-Evans rats were intermittently exposed to 2450 MHz CW microwaves at an average power density of 0.5 mW/cm2 for 90 days. The resulting SAR was 0.14 W/kg (range 0.11 to 0.18 W/kg). The animals were exposed 7 h/day, 7 days/wk, for a total of 630 h in a monopole-above-ground radiation chamber while housed in Plexiglas holding cages. Daily measures of body mass and food and water intake indicated no statistically significant effects of microwave exposure. Monthly assessment of reactivity to electric footshock, levels of cholinesterase and sulfhydryl groups in blood, and 17-ketosteroids in urine revealed no reliable differences between 14 sham-exposed and 14 microwave-exposed rats. After the 90 days of exposure, seven rats, randomly chosen from each group, were assessed for open-field behavior, shuttlebox performance, and schedule-controlled (IRT schedule) lever pressing for food pellets. Statistically significant differences between microwave-exposed and sham-exposed rats were observed in shuttlebox performances and lever pressing. Post mortem measures of mass of several organs and microscopic examination of adrenal tissue revealed no differences between the two groups of animals.     

Altered growth factor sensitivity in EL2 rat fibroblasts: influence of this biological characteristic on cell growth

Extensive evidence indicate that platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) play a key role in the stimulation of the 3T3 fibroblast replication: in this connection, PDGF and EGF act as a competence and a progression factor, respectively. We have previously demonstrated that EGF alone leads density-arrested EL2 rat fibroblasts to synthesize DNA and proliferate in serum-free cultures. Here, we have analyzed the role of EGF in the control of EL2 cell proliferation. Our data show a dose-related effect of EGF on DNA synthesis and cell growth, with maximal stimulation for both parameters at 20 ng/ml. On the other hand, autocrine production of PDGF or PDGF-like substances by EL2 cells is seemingly excluded by experiments with anti-PDGF serum or medium conditioned by EL2 fibroblasts. EGF binding studies show that EL2 cells possess high affinity EGF receptors, at a density level 3 to 4-fold higher than other fibroblastic lines. In addition, EL2 cells show a normal down-regulation of EGF receptors, following exposure to EGF, but PDGF, fibroblast growth factor (FGF), transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta) and bombesin have not decreased the affinity of EGF receptor for its ligand. Moreover, in EL2 cells, the EGF is able to induce the synthesis of putative intracellular regulatory proteins that govern the PDGF-induced competence in 3T3 cells. Our data indicate that EGF in EL2 cells may act as both a competence and a progression factor, via induction of the mechanisms, regulated in other cell lines by cooperation between different growth factors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Secreted proteins induced by epidermal growth factor and transforming growth factor beta in EL2 rat fibroblasts. Role in the mitogenic response

Most growth active hormones and peptides are mitogenic only in the presence of other growth factors [e.g., Platelet Derived Growth Factor (PDGF) and Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) in "competence-progression" fibroblast model]. We have previously described that EGF alone is able to induce the signals which appear necessary for the mitogenic stimulation of EL2 rat embryo fibroblast line. Recently, we have demonstrated that Transforming Growth Factor beta (TGF beta) slightly stimulates the mitogenic response in EL2 cells. Here, we show that in EGF-treated EL2 cells the induction of at least four inducible-secreted proteins (ISPs, range from 29,000 to 68,000 Mr) is accompanied by a marked increase in DNA synthesis. In contrast, TGF beta or different concentrations of EGF induce a slow increase of the ISPs proportional to slow induction in DNA synthesis. Our results suggest that the mitogenic response in EL2 cell line may be connected with the qualitative and quantitative induction of these secreted proteins.     

Applications of artificial ionization

Summary The effects of positive and negative ions on man and on animals have been widely studied by numerous teams of researchers. It is well-known that negative ions have beeeficial effects on chronic and allergy-related bronchopathies in man; they stimulate the activity of the endocrine glands and psychomotor, muscular and cerebral functions. They have a beneficial effect on general circulation, and in particular on the microcirculatory system, such that they are suggested for use in prophylaxis and prevention of senescence, in acute, chronic and allergy-related pneumopathies, and in neuro-vegetative dystonia. The use of artificial negative ion producers may be a useful tool for both preventive and therapeutic purposes, as well as hygienic/domestic applications. Systematic measurements ere taken of negative ions artificially produced in a confined space. The spatial distribution of artificially-produced negative ions in a confined space is presented. Applications relative to artificial generators are also suggested in order to obtain repeatable experimental conditions.     

The Salmonella wien virulence plasmid pZM3 carries Tn1935, a multiresistance transposon containing a composite IS1936-kanamycin resistance element

Tn1935, a 23.5-kb transposon mediating resistance to ampicillin, kanamycin, mercury, spectinomycin, and sulfonamide was isolated from pZM3, an IncFIme virulence plasmid from Salmonella wien. Tn1935 possesses the entire sequence of Tn21 and contains two additional DNA segments of 0.95 and 2.7 kb carrying the ampicillin and kanamycin resistance genes, respectively. The latter is part of a composite element since it is flanked by two IS15-like insertion sequences (IS1936) in direct orientation. IS1936 is about 800 bp long and is closely related to IS15 delta, IS26, IS46, IS140, and IS176. Functional analysis of IS1936-mediated cointegrates shows that both insertion sequences are active and able to form cointegrates at the same frequency. Resolution of the cointegrates requires the presence of the host Rec system. The presence of the composite IS1936-element within Tn1935 supports the hypothesis that multidrug resistance transposons evolved by insertion of antibiotic determinants which are themselves transposable.