Coupling of M3 Acetylcholine Receptor to Gq16 Activates a Natriuretic Peptide Receptor Guanylyl Cyclase

Muscarinic activation of tracheal smooth muscle (TSM) involves a M₃AChR/heterotrimeric-G protein/NPR-GC coupling mechanism. G protein activators Mastoparan (MAS) and Mastoparan-7 stimulated 4- and 10-fold the NPR-GC respectively, being insensitive to PTX and antibodies against Gα_i/o subfamily. Muscarinic and MAS stimulation of NPR-GC was blocked by antibodies against C-terminal of Gα_q16, whose expression was confirmed by RT-PCR. However, synthetic peptides from C-terminal of Gα_q15/16 stimulated the NPR-GC. Coupling of α_q16 to M₃AChR is supported by MAS decreased [³H]QNB binding, being abolished after M₃AChR-4-DAMP-alkylation. Anti-i₃M₃AChR antibodies blocked the muscarinic activation of NPR-GC, and synthetic peptide from i₃M₃AChR (M₃P) was more potent than MAS increasing GTPγ [³⁵S] and decreasing the [³H]QNB activities. Coupling between NPR-GC and Gα_q16 was evaluated by using trypsin-solubilized-fraction from TSM membranes, which displayed a MAS-sensitive-NPR-GC activity, being immunoprecipitated with anti-Gα_q16, also showing an immunoreactive heterotrimeric-G-β -subunit. These data support the existence of a novel transducing cascade, involving Gα_q16β γ coupling M₃AChR to NPR-GC.     

A holistic high-throughput screening framework for biofuel feedstock assessment that characterises variations in soluble sugars and cell wall composition in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sorghum bicolor</Emphasis>

Background

A major hindrance to the development of high yielding biofuel feedstocks is the ability to rapidly assess large populations for fermentable sugar yields. Whilst recent advances have outlined methods for the rapid assessment of biomass saccharification efficiency, none take into account the total biomass, or the soluble sugar fraction of the plant. Here we present a holistic high-throughput methodology for assessing sweet Sorghum bicolor feedstocks at 10 days post-anthesis for total fermentable sugar yields including stalk biomass, soluble sugar concentrations, and cell wall saccharification efficiency.

Results

A mathematical method for assessing whole S. bicolor stalks using the fourth internode from the base of the plant proved to be an effective high-throughput strategy for assessing stalk biomass, soluble sugar concentrations, and cell wall composition and allowed calculation of total stalk fermentable sugars. A high-throughput method for measuring soluble sucrose, glucose, and fructose using partial least squares (PLS) modelling of juice Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra was developed. The PLS prediction was shown to be highly accurate with each sugar attaining a coefficient of determination (R ² ) of 0.99 with a root mean squared error of prediction (RMSEP) of 11.93, 5.52, and 3.23 mM for sucrose, glucose, and fructose, respectively, which constitutes an error of <4% in each case. The sugar PLS model correlated well with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and brix measures. Similarly, a high-throughput method for predicting enzymatic cell wall digestibility using PLS modelling of FTIR spectra obtained from S. bicolor bagasse was developed. The PLS prediction was shown to be accurate with an R ² of 0.94 and RMSEP of 0.64 μg.mgDW^-1.h^-1.

Conclusions

This methodology has been demonstrated as an efficient and effective way to screen large biofuel feedstock populations for biomass, soluble sugar concentrations, and cell wall digestibility simultaneously allowing a total fermentable yield calculation. It unifies and simplifies previous screening methodologies to produce a holistic assessment of biofuel feedstock potential.

     

Effect of extracellular matrix proteins on in vitro testosterone production by rat Leydig cells

The aim of this study was to detect the effect of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins on rat Leydig cell shape, adhesion, expression of integrin subunits and testosterone production, in vitro. Leydig cells isolated from adult rats were cultured on plates uncoated or coated with different concentrations of laminin-1, fibronectin, or type IV collagen in the presence or absence of hCG for 3 or 24 hr. A significant increase of cell adhesion and of alpha3, alpha5, and beta1 integrin subunit expression was observed when cells were cultured on ECM proteins, compared to those grown on uncoated plates. Leydig cells cultured on glass coverslips coated with ECM proteins for 24 hr exhibited elongated shapes with long cell processes (spreading), while cells cultured on uncoated plates showed few cell processes. A significant decrease in testosterone production was observed when basal and hCG-stimulated Leydig cells were cultured for 3 or 24 hr on plates coated with type IV collagen (12 and 24 microg/cm(2)) compared to uncoated plates. A significant though a slighter decrease in testosterone production was also observed in cells cultured on plates coated with fibronectin (12 and 24 microg/cm(2)), compared to uncoated plates. Laminin-1 did not modify testosterone production under basal or hCG stimulated conditions. These results suggest that ECM proteins are able to modulate Leydig cell steroidogenesis, in vitro.     

Impact of QTL properties on the accuracy of multi-breed genomic prediction

Background

Although simulation studies show that combining multiple breeds in one reference population increases accuracy of genomic prediction, this is not always confirmed in empirical studies. This discrepancy might be due to the assumptions on quantitative trait loci (QTL) properties applied in simulation studies, including number of QTL, spectrum of QTL allele frequencies across breeds, and distribution of allele substitution effects. We investigated the effects of QTL properties and of including a random across- and within-breed animal effect in a genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP) model on accuracy of multi-breed genomic prediction using genotypes of Holstein-Friesian and Jersey cows.

Methods

Genotypes of three classes of variants obtained from whole-genome sequence data, with moderately low, very low or extremely low average minor allele frequencies (MAF), were imputed in 3000 Holstein-Friesian and 3000 Jersey cows that had real high-density genotypes. Phenotypes of traits controlled by QTL with different properties were simulated by sampling 100 or 1000 QTL from one class of variants and their allele substitution effects either randomly from a gamma distribution, or computed such that each QTL explained the same variance, i.e. rare alleles had a large effect. Genomic breeding values for 1000 selection candidates per breed were estimated using GBLUP modelsincluding a random across- and a within-breed animal effect.

Results

For all three classes of QTL allele frequency spectra, accuracies of genomic prediction were not affected by the addition of 2000 individuals of the other breed to a reference population of the same breed as the selection candidates. Accuracies of both single- and multi-breed genomic prediction decreased as MAF of QTL decreased, especially when rare alleles had a large effect. Accuracies of genomic prediction were similar for the models with and without a random within-breed animal effect, probably because of insufficient power to separate across- and within-breed animal effects.

Conclusions

Accuracy of both single- and multi-breed genomic prediction depends on the properties of the QTL that underlie the trait. As QTL MAF decreased, accuracy decreased, especially when rare alleles had a large effect. This demonstrates that QTL properties are key parameters that determine the accuracy of genomic prediction.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12711-015-0124-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Sensitivity of methods for estimating breeding values using genetic markers to the number of QTL and distribution of QTL variance

The objective of this simulation study was to compare the effect of the number of QTL and distribution of QTL variance on the accuracy of breeding values estimated with genomewide markers (MEBV). Three distinct methods were used to calculate MEBV: a Bayesian Method (BM), Least Angle Regression (LARS) and Partial Least Square Regression (PLSR). The accuracy of MEBV calculated with BM and LARS decreased when the number of simulated QTL increased. The accuracy decreased more when QTL had different variance values than when all QTL had an equal variance. The accuracy of MEBV calculated with PLSR was affected neither by the number of QTL nor by the distribution of QTL variance. Additional simulations and analyses showed that these conclusions were not affected by the number of individuals in the training population, by the number of markers and by the heritability of the trait. Results of this study show that the effect of the number of QTL and distribution of QTL variance on the accuracy of MEBV depends on the method that is used to calculate MEBV.     

Adalimumab clinical efficacy is associated with rheumatoid factor and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody titer reduction: a one-year prospective study

Studies on autoantibody production in patients treated with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) inhibitors reported contradictory results. We investigated in a prospective study the efficacy of a treatment with human monoclonal anti-TNF-alpha antibody (adalimumab) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and we evaluated the relationship between treatment efficacy and the incidence and titers of disease-associated and non-organ-specific autoantibodies. Fifty-seven patients with RA not responsive to methotrexate and treated with adalimumab were enrolled. Antinuclear, anti-double-stranded(ds)DNA, anti-extractable nuclear antigens, anti-cardiolipin (aCL), anti-beta2 glycoprotein I (anti-beta2GPI) autoantibodies, rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) autoantibodies were investigated at baseline and after 6 and 12 months of follow-up. Comparable parameters were evaluated in a further 55 patients treated with methotrexate only. Treatment with adalimumab induced a significant decrease in RF and anti-CCP serum levels, and the decrease in antibody titers correlated with the clinical response to the therapy. A significant induction of antinuclear autoantibodies (ANA) and IgG/IgM anti-dsDNA autoantibodies were also found in 28% and 14.6% patients, respectively, whereas aCL and anti-beta2GPI autoantibodies were not detected in significant quantities. No association between ANA, anti-dsDNA, aCL and anti-beta2GPI autoantibodies and clinical manifestations was found. Clinical efficacy of adalimumab is associated with the decrease in RF and anti-CCP serum levels that was detected after 24 weeks and remained stable until the 48th week of treatment. Antinuclear and anti-dsDNA autoantibodies, but not anti-phospholipid autoantibodies, can be induced by adalimumab but to a lower extent than in studies with other anti-TNF blocking agents.     

Production of Diamino propionic acid ammonia lyase by a new strain of Salmonella typhimurium PU011

Background  

Seeds of the legume plant Lathyrus sativus, which is grown in arid and semi arid tropical regions, contain Diamino Propionic acid (DAP). DAP is a neurotoxin, which, when consumed, causes a disease called Lathyrism. Lathryrism may manifest as Neurolathyrism or Osteolathyrism, in which the nervous system, and bone formation respectively, are affected. DAP ammonia lyase is produced by a few microorganisms such as Salmonella typhi, Salmonella typhimurium and Pseudomonas, and is capable of detoxifying DAP.     

Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Type 2 (HTLV-2) Provirus in Circulating Cells of the Monocyte/Macrophage Lineage in Patients Dually Infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 and HTLV-2 and Having Predominantly Sensory Polyneuropathy

We investigated the presence of human T-lymphotropic virus type 2 (HTLV-2) DNA in the peripheral blood mononuclear cell subsets obtained from 18 patients coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and HTLV-2, 6 of whom also had predominantly sensory polyneuropathy (PSP). HTLV-2 DNA and RNA were found in CD8- and CD19-positive cells, and, for patients with PSP, in CD14-positive cells as well. Furthermore, the patients with PSP had higher proviral loads than those without PSP.