Purification of a neutral thiol protease from Paragonimus westermani metacercariae by single-step chromatography and preparation of antibodies

A neutral thiol protease from extracts of larvae of the mammalian digenean parasite Paragonimus westermani metacercariae was purified by single-step chromatography on Ultrogel AcA-54, measuring its activity on t-butyloxycarbonyl-valyl-leucyl-lysyl-4-methylcoumaryl-7-amide as a substrate. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate and size exclusion-high-performance liquid chromatography analysis of the enzyme indicated that the fraction obtained by gel filtration was homogeneous. Antibodies against the purified protease were raised in rabbits by immunizing with micro quantities of the enzyme protein. The antibodies revealed a single precipitin line against the enzyme on double immunodiffusion analysis.     

Characterization of hemocytes from the marine amphipod Parhyale hawaiensis (Dana 1853): Setting the basis for immunotoxicological studies

Hemocytes are circulating blood cells that play a crucial function in amphipods and other crustacean immune systems. The hemocytes of the marine tropical amphipod Parhyale hawaiensis have been used for the evaluation of DNA damage and micronuclei, but they have not been characterized in the scientific literature. The aim of this study was to describe the hemolymph cells of P. hawaiensis and study their phagocytotic activity. Basic dyes were used to differentiate the cell types and the presence of lipids. The total hemocyte counts (THCs) and the proportion and sizes of the hemocyte types were determined. Hemolymph was exposed to Escherichia coli for verification of the presence of phagocytosis. Three cell types, all containing lipids, were identified in P. hawaiensis: granulocytes (oval shape, 13.4 × 7.6 μm), semi-granulocytes (oval shape, 14.1 × 7.2 μm), and hyalinocytes (round shape, 9.6 × 7.2 μm). Those three cell types were found in different percentages in males (64.8%, 31.1%, and 4.2%) and females (70.1%, 28.2%, and 1.7%). THCs for males were 9007 ± 3800 cells per individual and 4695 ± 1892 cells per individual for females. The cells of E. coli were phagocytized by the hemocytes. Our findings increased the knowledge of hemocytes in P. hawaiensis and is a step forward in using hemocyte-based immune responses as an endpoint in ecotoxicology.     

Lysine 27 dimethylation of Drosophila linker histone dH1 contributes to heterochromatin organization independently of H3K9 methylation

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of core histones are important epigenetic determinants that correlate with functional chromatin states. However, despite multiple linker histone H1s PTMs have been identified, little is known about their genomic distribution and contribution to the epigenetic regulation of chromatin. Here, we address this question in Drosophila that encodes a single somatic linker histone, dH1. We previously reported that dH1 is dimethylated at K27 (dH1K27me2). Here, we show that dH1K27me2 is a major PTM of Drosophila heterochromatin. At mitosis, dH1K27me2 accumulates at pericentromeric heterochromatin, while, in interphase, it is also detected at intercalary heterochromatin. ChIPseq experiments show that >98% of dH1K27me2 enriched regions map to heterochromatic repetitive DNA elements, including transposable elements, simple DNA repeats and satellite DNAs. Moreover, expression of a mutated dH1K27A form, which impairs dH1K27me2, alters heterochromatin organization, upregulates expression of heterochromatic transposable elements and results in the accumulation of RNA:DNA hybrids (R-loops) in heterochromatin, without affecting H3K9 methylation and HP1a binding. The pattern of dH1K27me2 is H3K9 methylation independent, as it is equally detected in flies carrying a H3K9R mutation, and is not affected by depletion of Su(var)3–9, HP1a or Su(var)4–20. Altogether these results suggest that dH1K27me2 contributes to heterochromatin organization independently of H3K9 methylation.     

Isolation of high-lipid content strains of the marine microalga <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tetraselmis suecica</Emphasis> for biodiesel production by flow cytometry and single-cell sorting

Biodiesel from algae is considered an alternative for a third generation of biofuels. However, most microalgae are not lipogenic during fast growth periods, but high-lipid content occurs at resting stages. Microalgae biomass production for biodiesel needs continuous high volumetric and aerial yields and large amount of neutral lipid in the biomass. These requirements are similar to demanding a marathon runner to be obese. We show that by using cell sorting capabilities of flow cytometers, in combination with the lipid-soluble fluorescent dye Nile Red, we can isolate and select cells with a high and stable lipid content. In our study, we were able to select the equivalent of a stable “fat marathon runner” through three sorting events obtained from wild populations of Tetraselmis suecica.     

Sylvatic trichinellosis in southwestern Spain

The epidemiology of Trichinella spp. in their main sylvatic hosts, wild boar (Sus scrofa ferus and red fox (Vulpes vulpes), in Extremadura (southwestern Spain) was studied. We examined 88 Trichinella spp.-positive wild boar muscle-tissue samples from a total of 29,333 killed animals, referred to the Veterinary Parasitology Department (University of Extremadura, Spain) by the Extremadura Veterinary Service. Additionally, 227 red foxes killed during the hunting season and thus not subject to veterinary controls were examined for trichinellosis. Trichinella spp. larvae were found in six (3%) of the red foxes. All samples were examined using direct diagnostic techniques, including trichinoscopy and artificial digestion. The mean intensity of infection was 74.8 larvae/g (LPG) of muscle tissue in wild boars, compared to 30.6 LPG in foxes. Trichinella spiralis (sensu stricto) predominated over T. britovi in wild boars. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and alloenzyme typing showed that 74% of infected wild boars had only T. spiralis, 21% had only T. britovi, and 5% showed mixed infections. In contrast, 33% of infected foxes were infected only with T. spiralis, while 67% had T. britovi, suggesting a clear predominance of the latter in foxes. We suspect the existence of a paranthropic or sylvatic cycle in large areas of this region; given the ease of transfer between sylvatic and domestic or semi-domestic animals, this implies a high epidemiological risk.     

Optimization of Insecticidal Triterpene Derivatives by Biomimetic Oxidations with Hydrogen Peroxide and Iodosobenzene Catalyzed by MnIII and FeIII Porphyrin Complexes

Semisynthetic functionalized triterpenes (4α,14‐dimethyl‐5α,8α‐8,9‐epoxycholestan‐3β‐yl acetate; 4α,14‐dimethyl‐5α‐cholest‐8‐ene‐3,7,11‐trione; 4α,14‐dimethyl‐5α‐cholesta‐7,9(11)‐dien‐3‐one and 4α,14‐dimethyl‐5α‐cholest‐8‐en‐3β‐yl acetate), previously prepared from 31‐norlanostenol, a natural insecticide isolated from the latex of Euphorbia officinarum, have been subjected to oxidation with hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and iodosobenzene (PhIO) catalyzed by porphyrin complexes (cytochrome P‐450 models) in order to obtain optimized derivatives with high regioselectivity. The main transformations were epoxidation of the double bonds and hydroxylations of non‐activated C–H groups and the reaction products were 25‐hydroxy‐4α,14‐dimethyl‐5α‐cholesta‐7,9(11)‐dien‐3β‐yl acetate (59 %), 25‐hydroxy‐4α,14‐dimethyl‐5α‐cholest‐8‐ene‐3,7,11‐trione (60 %), 4α,14‐dimethyl‐5α,7β‐7,8‐epoxycholest‐9(11)‐en‐3‐one (22 %), 8‐hydroxy‐4α,14‐dimethyl‐5α‐cholest‐9(11)‐ene‐3,7‐dione (16 %), 12α‐hydroxy‐4α,14‐dimethyl‐5α,7β‐7,8‐epoxycholest‐9(11)‐en‐3‐one (16 %), and 4α,14‐dimethyl‐5α,8α‐8,9‐epoxycholestan‐3β‐yl acetate (26 %), respectively. We also investigated the insect (Myzus persicae, Rhopalosiphum padi and Spodoptera littoralis) antifeedant and postingestive effects of these terpenoid derivatives. None of the compounds tested had significant antifeedant effects, however, all were more effective postingestive toxicants on S. littoralis larvae than the natural compound 31‐norlanostenol, with 4α,14‐dimethyl‐5α,8α‐8,9‐epoxycholestan‐3β‐yl acetate being the most active. The study of their structure–activity relationships points out at the importance of C3 and C7 substituents.     

The First Identification of Carbohydrate Binding Modules Specific to Chitosan

Two carbohydrate binding modules (DD1 and DD2) belonging to CBM32 are located at the C terminus of a chitosanase from Paenibacillus sp. IK-5. We produced three proteins, DD1, DD2, and tandem DD1/DD2 (DD1+DD2), and characterized their binding ability. Transition temperature of thermal unfolding (T_m) of each protein was elevated by the addition of cello-, laminari-, chitin-, or chitosan-hexamer (GlcN)₆. The T_m elevation (ΔT_m) in DD1 was the highest (10.3 °C) upon the addition of (GlcN)₆ and was markedly higher than that in DD2 (1.0 °C). A synergistic effect was observed (ΔT_m = 13.6 °C), when (GlcN)₆ was added to DD1+DD2. From isothermal titration calorimetry experiments, affinities to DD1 were not clearly dependent upon chain length of (GlcN)_n; ΔG_r° values were −7.8 (n = 6), −7.6 (n = 5), −7.6 (n = 4), −7.6 (n = 3), and −7.1 (n = 2) kcal/mol, and the value was not obtained for GlcN due to the lowest affinity. DD2 bound (GlcN)_n with the lower affinities (ΔG_r° = −5.0 (n = 3) ∼ −5.2 (n = 6) kcal/mol). Isothermal titration calorimetry profiles obtained for DD1+DD2 exhibited a better fit when the two-site model was used for analysis and provided greater affinities to (GlcN)₆ for individual DD1 and DD2 sites (ΔG_r° = −8.6 and −6.4 kcal/mol, respectively). From NMR titration experiments, (GlcN)_n (n = 2∼6) were found to bind to loops extruded from the core β-sandwich of individual DD1 and DD2, and the interaction sites were similar to each other. Taken together, DD1+DD2 is specific to chitosan, and individual modules synergistically interact with at least two GlcN units, facilitating chitosan hydrolysis.