The nuclear glutathione and its functions

During recent years the nuclear localization of glutathione has been confirmed and this fraction has been quantitatively determined. The nuclear GSH and the enzymes of its metabolism realize independent and important functions. They considerably differ from functions of hyaloplasmic and mitochondrial GSH. Glutathione interacts with regulatory pathways, involved into signal transmission into the nucleus.     

immunocytochemical localization of urokinase-type plasminogen activator in lewis lung carcinoma

The invasively growing and metasizing Lewis lung carcinoma consistently contained urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) enzyme activity. When investigated immunocytochemically with antibodies against u-PA, different parts of individual tumors showed a pronounced heterogeneity in staining intensity. Strong staining was found in areas with invasive growth and degradation of surrounding normal tissue, while other areas were completely devoid of staining. Immunoreactivity occurred both with a perinuclear cytoplasmic localization in tumor cells and associated with apparently extracellular material. SDS PAGE of tumor extracts, under both reducing and nonreducing conditions, followed by immunoblotting, showed only one immunocytochemically stainable band with an electrophoretic mobility corresponding to that of purified proenzyme to u-PA, while no two-chain u-PA was detected. This indicates that the major part of the activator in Lewis lung carcinoma is present as one-chain pro-u-PA.     

Post-construction avian mortality monitoring at Project West Wind

Abstract

Post-construction avifauna investigations were undertaken at Project West Wind, Meridian Energy Limited's 62-turbine wind farm on the Wellington south coast. These investigations were required in accordance with the resource consent conditions to quantify the level of avian mortalities occurring at the wind farm, particularly in regard to New Zealand falcon (Falco novaeseelandiae), kākā (Nestor meridionalis) and kererū (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae). This is the first comprehensive study at a New Zealand operating wind farm. The methods included three field components necessary to calculate annual estimates of mortalities across the wind farm site: routine turbine searches; carcass detection trials; and carcass removal trials. Results from years 1 and 2 of a three-year programme are presented. To date, mortalities have been recorded for 17 taxa at 18 of the 24 study turbines. There have been no recorded mortalities of falcon, kākā or kererū. Australasian harrier (Circus approximans) has been the species for which the most mortalities have been recorded. Overall estimated annual mortality rates for years 1 and 2 were calculated to be approximately six and five birds per turbine respectively.     

Genetic architecture of survival and fitness-related traits in two populations of Atlantic salmon

The additive genetic effects of traits can be used to predict evolutionary trajectories, such as responses to selection. Non-additive genetic and maternal environmental effects can also change evolutionary trajectories and influence phenotypes, but these effects have received less attention by researchers. We partitioned the phenotypic variance of survival and fitness-related traits into additive genetic, non-additive genetic and maternal environmental effects using a full-factorial breeding design within two allopatric populations of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Maternal environmental effects were large at early life stages, but decreased during development, with non-additive genetic effects being most significant at later juvenile stages (alevin and fry). Non-additive genetic effects were also, on average, larger than additive genetic effects. The populations, generally, did not differ in the trait values or inferred genetic architecture of the traits. Any differences between the populations for trait values could be explained by maternal environmental effects. We discuss whether the similarities in architectures of these populations is the result of natural selection across a common juvenile environment.     

Features of the Chorion Egg Structure in Nine Species of Underwing Moths Belonging to the Genus Catocala (Lepidoptera,Erebidae)

Entomological Review - Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the fine structure of the egg chorion is described and comparatively analyzed in nine species of Catocala underwing moths.     

Influence of changes in glutathione concentration on body temperature and tolerance to cerebral ischemia

Two compounds that deplete glutathione (buthionine sulfoximine and diethyl maleate) with different mechanisms of action decrease body temperature and increase tolerance to complete global cerebral ischemia, both correlating closely with the glutathione concentration decrease. Glutathione apparently participates in the regulations of these functional parameters. GSH diethyl ester does not influence the latter, though it increases moderately the GSH concentration. Injection of GSH ester into the cerebral ventricles or subcutaneously selectively increases the GSH level in the brain and liver. An influence of the brain on the glutathione system in the liver was revealed. Diethyl maleate and GSH ester increase the activity of glutathione metabolizing enzymes under certain conditions.     

Leptin activation of mTOR pathway in intestinal epithelial cell triggers lipid droplet formation,cytokine production and increased cell proliferation

Accumulating evidence suggests that obesity and enhanced inflammatory reactions are predisposing conditions for developing colon cancer. Obesity is associated with high levels of circulating leptin. Leptin is an adipocytokine that is secreted by adipose tissue and modulates immune response and inflammation. Lipid droplets (LD) are organelles involved in lipid metabolism and production of inflammatory mediators, and increased numbers of LD were observed in human colon cancer. Leptin induces the formation of LD in macrophages in a PI3K/mTOR pathway-dependent manner. Moreover, the mTOR is a serine/threonine kinase that plays a key role in cellular growth and is frequently altered in tumors. We therefore investigated the role of leptin in the modulation of mTOR pathway and regulation of lipid metabolism and inflammatory phenotype in intestinal epithelial cells (IEC-6 cells). We show that leptin promotes a dose- and time-dependent enhancement of LD formation. The biogenesis of LD was accompanied by enhanced CXCL1/CINC-1, CCL2/MCP-1 and TGF-β production and increased COX-2 expression in these cells. We demonstrated that leptin-induced increased phosphorylation of STAT3 and AKT and a dose and time-dependent mTORC activation with enhanced phosphorilation of the downstream protein P70S6K protein. Pre-treatment with rapamycin significantly inhibited leptin effects in LD formation, COX-2 and TGF-β production in IEC-6 cells. Moreover, leptin was able to stimulate the proliferation of epithelial cells on a mTOR-dependent manner. We conclude that leptin regulates lipid metabolism, cytokine production and proliferation of intestinal cells through a mechanism largely dependent on activation of the mTOR pathway, thus suggesting that leptin-induced mTOR activation may contribute to the obesity-related enhanced susceptibility to colon carcinoma.     

Selected anthropometric variables and aerobic fitness as predictors of cardiovascular disease risk in children

The aim of this study was to assess the suitability of body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio and aerobic fitness as predictors of cardiovascular risk factor clustering in children. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 290 school boys and girls from 6 to 10 years old, randomly selected. Blood was collected after a 12-hour fasting period. Blood pressure, waist circumference (WC), height and weight were evaluated according to international standards. Aerobic fitness (AF) was assessed by the 20-metre shuttle-run test. Clustering was considered when three of these factors were present: high systolic or diastolic blood pressure, high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high triglycerides, high plasma glucose, high insulin concentrations and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. A ROC curve identified the cut-off points of body mass index (BMI), WC, waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and AF as predictors of risk factor clustering. BMI, WC and WHR resulted in significant areas under the ROC curves, which was not observed for AF. The anthropometric variables were good predictors of cardiovascular risk factor clustering in both sexes, whereas aerobic fitness should not be used to identify cardiovascular risk factor clustering in these children.     

Nature of the ligand bound to uncoupling CSP310 protein

It was shown that, in preparations of winter rye (Secale cereale L.) and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), in proteins immunochemically related to a cold shock protein CSP310, and also in purified CSP310 from winter rye and triticale (Triticosecale X.), nucleic acid was present. Treatments with DNase and RNase showed that this nucleic acid was RNA. This protein-bound RNA was detected in the preparation of constitutively synthesized but not stress-induced protein. Stress-induced CSP310 bound high-molecular RNA in vitro at both 26 and 0°C, but it did not bind DNA. The data obtained permit an assumption that, during low-temperature stress, constitutively synthesized CSP310 with a low uncoupling capacity releases RNA and transits to a stress-induced form with a high uncoupling capacity.Translated from Fiziologiya Rastenii, Vol. 52, No. 2, 2005, pp. 216–220.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Kolesnichenko, Tauson, Zykova, Klimenko, Grabelnykh, Pobezhimova.This revised version was published online in April 2005 with a corrected cover date.