Acetaldehyde production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae wine yeasts

Abstract Eighty-six strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were investigated for their ability to produce acetaldehyde in synthetic medium and in grape must. Acetaldehyde production did not differ significantly between the two media, ranging from a few mg/l to about 60 mg/l, and was found to be a strain characteristic. The fermentation temperature of 30°C considerably increased the acetaldehyde produced. This study allowed us to assign the strains to different phenotypes: low, medium and high acetaldehyde producers. The low and high phenotypes differed considerably also in the production of acetic acid, acetoin and higher alcohols and can be useful for studying acetaldehyde production in S. cerevisiae , both from the technological and genetic point of view.     

From START to FINISH: The Influence of Osmotic Stress on the Cell Cycle

The cell cycle is a sequence of biochemical events that are controlled by complex but robust molecular machinery. This enables cells to achieve accurate self-reproduction under a broad range of different conditions. Environmental changes are transmitted by molecular signalling networks, which coordinate their action with the cell cycle. The cell cycle process and its responses to environmental stresses arise from intertwined nonlinear interactions among large numbers of simpler components. Yet, understanding of how these pieces fit together into a coherent whole requires a systems biology approach. Here, we present a novel mathematical model that describes the influence of osmotic stress on the entire cell cycle of S. cerevisiae for the first time. Our model incorporates all recently known and several proposed interactions between the osmotic stress response pathway and the cell cycle. This model unveils the mechanisms that emerge as a consequence of the interaction between the cell cycle and stress response networks. Furthermore, it characterises the role of individual components. Moreover, it predicts different phenotypical responses for cells depending on the phase of cells at the onset of the stress. The key predictions of the model are: (i) exposure of cells to osmotic stress during the late S and the early G2/M phase can induce DNA re-replication before cell division occurs, (ii) cells stressed at the late G2/M phase display accelerated exit from mitosis and arrest in the next cell cycle, (iii) osmotic stress delays the G1-to-S and G2-to-M transitions in a dose dependent manner, whereas it accelerates the M-to-G1 transition independently of the stress dose and (iv) the Hog MAPK network compensates the role of the MEN network during cell division of MEN mutant cells. These model predictions are supported by independent experiments in S. cerevisiae and, moreover, have recently been observed in other eukaryotes.     

Fungus-specific microsatellite primers of lichens: application for the assessment of genetic variation on different spatial scales in Lobaria pulmonaria

We isolated 12 microsatellite loci for the epiphytic lichen-forming ascomycete Lobaria pulmonaria and studied their patterns of variation within and among populations from Canada and Switzerland. Even though several microsatellites exhibited high levels of variability at different spatial scales, we did not find any evidence for intrathalline variation. Most of the genetic variation was attributed to differences among individuals within populations. High genetic variation was also detected among L. pulmonaria samples taken from individual trees, suggesting that either multiple colonization events had occurred or that local recombination is frequent. The geographically structured distribution of alleles from several microsatellites indicated that L. pulmonaria from Canada and Switzerland represent two distinct evolutionary lineages. The potential to identify multiple alleles, and their transferability to closely related species, make microsatellites an ideal tool to study dispersal, population differentiation, and microevolution in lichens.     

The Alu I-induced bands in metaphase chromosomes of orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus)

Summary Restriction endonucleases have been recently proved to be active on fixed chromosomes, thus they are useful in chromatin structure studies. Within this class of enzymes, Alu I is able to detect the presence and localization of highly repetitive DNA sequences in human and in other mammalian and dipteran species. In this paper the pattern obtained on fixed metaphase chromosomes of orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) by Alu I digestion and Giemsa staining is shown. The results are discussed in the light of the distribution, in this species, of the I–IV human satellite DNAs. It is also suggested that in Pongo some highly repetitive sequences, different from the major human satellites, are present.     

Growth and differentiation signals by the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor in hemopoietic cells are mediated through different pathways

The type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-IR) plays an important role in the growth of cells both in vivo and in vitro. The IGF-IR is also capable of inducing differentiation in a number of cell types, raising the question of how the same receptor can send two seemingly contradictory signals, one for growth and one for differentiation. Using 32D cells, which are murine hemopoietic cells, we show that the activated IGF-IR can induce differentiation along the granulocytic pathway in a manner similar to the granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. We find that one of the major substrates of the IGF-IR, the insulin receptor substrate-1 inhibits IGF-I-mediated differentiation of 32D cells. In the absence of insulin receptor substrate-1, functional impairment of another major substrate of the IGF-IR, the Shc proteins, is associated with a decrease in the extent of differentiation. Although the end points of the respective pathways remain to be defined, these results show for the first time that IGF-I-mediated growth or differentiation of hemopoietic cells may depend on a balance between two of its substrates.     

Evaluation of adolescent statural growth in health and disease: reliability of assessment from height measurement series and development of an automated algorithm

OBJECTIVES: The precise evaluation of adolescent growth spurt is necessary for numerous clinical research studies of growth disorders and treatments. The objectives of our study were: (1) to evaluate the reliability of clinicians' 'manual' evaluation of the adolescent growth spurt from a collected series of height data, and (2) to construct an automated algorithm to determine the duration of the two phases of growth in health and disease (spurt and final slow growth) independent of clinical pubertal stages. METHODS: One hundred and seventy-four growth curves of normally growing, GH-deficient and Turner's syndrome subjects were presented twice to 2 experienced clinicians. Disagreement between evaluations and clinicians were settled to obtain a 'consensual gold standard' evaluation versus which the algorithm was assessed. Kappa statistics and Bland-Altman analyses were used to evaluate the reliability and agreement of the evaluations. RESULTS: The reliability of 'manual' evaluation of adolescent growth spurt from collected series of height data appeared to be poor. Conversely, the developed algorithm is perfectly reliable and satisfactorily valid. Discrepancies with the clinical consensual gold standard were always fewer than the discrepancies between the expert clinicians, and were observed in similarly difficult curves. CONCLUSION: The developed algorithm may be useful for diverse clinical and biological research applications in children with growth disorders. This study also confirms the value of a comprehensive investigation of growth during adolescence independent of clinical staging.     

Increased serum IgM antibodies directed against phosphatidyl inositol (Pi) in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and major depression: evidence that an IgM-mediated immune response against Pi is one factor underpinning the comorbidity between both CFS and depression

Major depression and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) are accompanied by signs of oxidative and nitrosative stress (O&NS) and an inflammatory response. Phosphatidyl inositol (Pi) is thought to play a role in depression. The aim of the present study is to examine whether depression and CFS are characterized by an IgM-mediated immune response directed against Pi. Toward this end, this study examines the serum IgM antibodies directed against Pi in 14 patients with major depression, 14 patients with CFS, 14 subjects with partial CFS, and in 11 normal controls. We found that the prevalence and mean value for the serum IgM levels directed against Pi were significantly greater in patients with major depression and CFS than in normal controls and patients with partial CFS. There were significant and positive correlations between serum IgM levels directed against Pi and two symptoms of the FibroFatigue Scale, i.e. fatigue and depression. The results show that an IgM-related immune response directed against Pi may occur in both depression and CFS and may play a role in the pathophysiology of the key symptom of CFS and major depression. It is suggested that the above disorders in Pi result from increased O&NS in both depression and CFS. Autoanti-Pi antibodies may have biological effects, for example, by changing inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3), phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), diacylglycerol and phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-triphosphate (PIP3) production, thus interfering with intracellular signalling processes. Future research in major depression and CFS should focus on the functional consequences of the immune responses directed against Pi.     

Insulin and IGF-I receptors signaling in protection from apoptosis.

R-cells are mouse embryo fibroblasts with a targeted disruption of the insulin-like growth factor I receptor (IGF-IR) genes. Because R-cells do not express the IGF-IR, they are ideal for studying the biological effects of the insulin receptor (IR), independently from any contribution by the IGF-IR. By stably transfecting R-cells with constructs expressing the IR, we show here the IR can protect cells from apoptosis induced by anoikis or by okadaic acid. The IR, however, is not as efficient as the IGF-IR in protecting mouse embryo fibroblasts from apoptosis, even when IRS-1, one of its major substrates, is over-expressed. In addition, the protection by the IGF-IR is resistant to inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-ki), while the anti-apoptotic effect of the IR is sensitive. These experiments suggest that the IGF-IR uses an alternative anti-apoptotic pathway, not shared with the IR, which is PI3-ki-independent.     

Chiral tetrahydroquinoline derivatives as potent anti-hyperalgesic agents in animal models of sustained inflammation and chronic neuropathic pain

Chiral tetrahydroquinoline derivatives have been prepared by an asymmetric Mannich-type condensation reaction using commercially available vinyloxyethylsilane and a N-arylimino R-(+)-t-butyl lactate ester, in the presence of a catalytic amount of metal triflates as Lewis acids. This synthetic approach gave rise to the target aldehyde intermediate in moderate facial diastereoselectivity and in high chemical yield. This efficient route enabled to scale up the synthesis of an orally bioavailable glycine antagonist showing outstanding in vivo anti-hyperalgesic activity in different animal models of sustained inflammation and chronic neuropathic pain.