Rapid chromosome territory relocation by nuclear motor activity in response to serum removal in primary human fibroblasts

Background  

Radial chromosome positioning in interphase nuclei is nonrandom and can alter according to developmental, differentiation, proliferation, or disease status. However, it is not yet clear when and how chromosome repositioning is elicited.     

The destruction of spores of Bacillus subtilis by the combined effects of hydrogen peroxide and ultraviolet light

Ultraviolet light irradiation of bacterial spores in the presence of hydrogen peroxide has been shown to produce synergistic kills when compared with ultraviolet light (u.v.) and hydrogen peroxide used sequentially. This use in combination has been patented for the commercial sterilization of packaging before filling with UHT-processed products. Previous results have shown that lamps producing u.v. light with a maximum output at about 254 nm were extremely effective. Results obtained using a Synchrotron radiation source to produce a narrow band of irradiation now shows that the greatest kill of spores of Bacillus subtilis in the presence of hydrogen peroxide is obtained with radiation at ˜270 nm. Such results suggest that the action of the u.v. light is not directly on the spore DNA but may be related to the production of free hydroxyl radicals from hydrogen peroxide.     

Superoxide dismutase is upregulated in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Staphylococcus aureus</Emphasis> following protoporphyrin-mediated photodynamic inactivation and does not directly influence the response to photodynamic treatment

Background  

Staphylococcus aureus, a major human pathogen causes a wide range of disease syndromes. The most dangerous are methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains, resistant not only to all β-lactam antibiotics but also to other antimicrobials. An alarming increase in antibiotic resistance spreading among pathogenic bacteria inclines to search for alternative therapeutic options, for which resistance can not be developed easily. Among others, photodynamic inactivation (PDI) of S. aureus is a promising option. Photodynamic inactivation is based on a concept that a non toxic chemical, called a photosensitizer upon excitation with light of an appropriate wavelength is activated. As a consequence singlet oxygen and other reactive oxygen species (e.g. superoxide anion) are produced, which are responsible for the cytotoxic effect towards bacterial cells. As strain-dependence in photodynamic inactivation of S. aureus was observed, determination of the molecular marker(s) underlying the mechanism of the bacterial response to PDI treatment would be of great clinical importance. We examined the role of superoxide dismutases (Sod) in photodynamic inactivation of S. aureus as enzymes responsible for oxidative stress resistance.     

Modelling ultraviolet exposures in a school environment.

A technique has been developed to represent erythemally effective ultraviolet radiation exposure within a school environment. The technique models the erythemally effective exposure onto a horizontal plane representation of a mapped school environment located in Hervey Bay (25 degrees S, 153 degrees E), Australia. The input parameters used to model the ultraviolet exposures received within the school playground included the measured sky view, ground albedo and standing surface albedo. Estimates of the erythemally effective ultraviolet exposure received within the school playground during morning tea and lunch time meal breaks during a winter and summer school day are presented. The influence of tree shade and building structure was found to vary significantly with solar zenith angle modelled over the winter and summer school meal break times with horizontal plane exposures predicted to vary from between 0 and 7 SED at different locations within the playground. The technique presented provides a method that can be followed to examine the effect of surrounding buildings and surface structures of real environments on the predicted horizontal plane ultraviolet exposure.     

Turnover of Brain Monoamine Oxidase Measured In Vivo by Positron Emission Tomography Using l-[11C]Deprenyl

The distribution of carbon-11-labeled L-deprenyl, an irreversible inhibitor of monoamine oxidase type B (MAO-B), was determined in the baboon brain by positron emission tomography. The irreversible blood-to-brain transfer constant (influx constant, K_i) was measured using a complete metabolite-corrected arterial plasma concentration curve. This influx constant was used as a measure of functional enzyme activity for sequential determinations of MAO-B recovery following a single high dose of unlabeled l -deprenyl. The half-life for turnover of MAO-B was thus determined to be 30 days. Using appropriate irreversible inhibitors, this procedure should be generally useful for determining enzyme turnover rates in any organ in vivo and can be applied to some human studies as well.