Purification and properties of acyl coenzyme A thioesterase II from Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides

A high molecular weight acyl coenzyme A (acyl-CoA) thioesterase, designated thioesterase II, has been purified 5300-fold from photoheterotrophically grown cells of Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides. In contrast to R. sphaeroides acyl-CoA thioesterase I [Boyce, S.G., & Lueking, D.R. (1984) Biochemistry 23, 141-147], thioesterase II has a native molecular mass (Mr) of 120,000, is capable of hydrolyzing saturated and unsaturated acyl-CoA substrates with acyl chain lengths ranging from C4 to C18, and is completely insensitive to the serine esterase inhibitor diisopropyl fluorophosphate. Palmitoyl-CoA and stearoyl-CoA are the preferred (lowest Km) saturated acyl-CoA substrates and vaccenoyl-CoA is the preferred unsaturated substrate. However, comparable Vmax values were obtained with a variety of acyl-CoA substrates. Unlike a similar thioesterase present in cells of Escherichia coli [Bonner, W.M., & Bloch, K. (1972) J. Biol. Chem. 247, 3123-3133], R. sphaeroides thioesterase II displays a high ratio of decanoyl-CoA to palmitoyl-CoA activities and exhibits little ability to hydrolyze 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA substrates. Only 3-hydroxydodecanoyl-CoA supported a measurable rate of enzyme activity. With the purification of thioesterase II, the enzymes responsible for greater than 90% of the acyl-CoA thioesterase activity present in cell-free extracts of R. sphaeroides have now been identified.     

Investigation of fouling mechanisms of virus filters during the filtration of protein solutions using a high throughput filtration screening device

The downstream process development of novel antibodies (Abs) is often challenged by virus filter fouling making a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms highly desirable. The present study combines the protein characterization of different feedstreams with their virus filtration performance using a novel high throughput filtration screening system. Filtration experiments with Ab concentrations of up to 20 g/L using either low interacting or hydrophobically interacting pre-filters indicate the existence of two different fouling mechanisms, an irreversible and a reversible one. At the molecular level, size exclusion chromatography revealed that the presence of large amount of high molecular weight species—considered as irreversible aggregates—correlates with irreversible fouling that caused reduced Ab throughput. Results using dynamic light scattering show that a concentration dependent increase of the mean hydrodynamic diameter to the range of dimers (17 nm at 20 g/L) together with a negative DLS interaction parameter k_D (−18 mL/g) correlate with the propensity to form reversible aggregates and to cause reversible fouling, probably by a decelerated Ab transport velocity within the virus filter. The two fouling mechanisms are further supported by buffer flush experiments. Finally, concepts for reversible and irreversible fouling mechanisms are discussed together with strategies for respective fouling mitigation. © 2019 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 35: e2776, 2019.     

Aerobic training increases the expression of adiponectin receptor genes in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of young men

Little is known about the effect of exercise training on the expression of adiponectin receptor genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). In this study, we investigated the effects of aerobic training on the expression of AdipoR1 and AidpoR2 mRNAs in PBMCs, whole body insulin sensitivity, and circulating adiponectins in men. Thirty young men were randomly assigned to either a control (n=15) or an exercise (n=15) group. Subjects assigned to the exercise group underwent a 12-week jogging and/or running programme on a motor-driven treadmill at an intensity of 60%-75% of the age-based maximum heart rate with duration of 40 minutes per session and a frequency of 5 days per week. Two-way mixed ANOVA with repeated measures was used to test any significant time-by-group interaction effects for the measured variables at p=0.05. We found significant time-by-group interaction effects for waist circumference (p=0.001), VO_2max (p<0.001), fasting insulin (p=0.016), homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (p=0.010), area under the curve (AUC) for insulin response during the 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (p=0.002), high-molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin (p=0.016), and the PBMC mRNA levels of AdipoR1 (p<0.001) and AdipoR2 (p=0.001). The exercise group had significantly increased mRNA levels of AdipoR1 and AdipoR2 in PBMCs, along with increased whole body insulin sensitivity and HMW adiponectin, decreased waist circumference, and increased VO_2max compared with the control group. In summary, the current findings suggest that exercise training modulates the expression of AdipoR1 and AdipoR2 mRNAs in PBMCs, implying that manipulation of the expression of these genes could be a potential surrogate for lifestyle intervention-mediated improvements of whole body insulin sensitivity and glucose homeostasis.     

Genetic and environmental heterogeneity of residual variance of weight traits in Nellore beef cattle

Background

Many studies have provided evidence of the existence of genetic heterogeneity of environmental variance, suggesting that it could be exploited to improve robustness and uniformity of livestock by selection. However, little is known about the perspectives of such a selection strategy in beef cattle.

Methods

A two-step approach was applied to study the genetic heterogeneity of residual variance of weight gain from birth to weaning and long-yearling weight in a Nellore beef cattle population. First, an animal model was fitted to the data and second, the influence of additive and environmental effects on the residual variance of these traits was investigated with different models, in which the log squared estimated residuals for each phenotypic record were analyzed using the restricted maximum likelihood method. Monte Carlo simulation was performed to assess the reliability of variance component estimates from the second step and the accuracy of estimated breeding values for residual variation.

Results

The results suggest that both genetic and environmental factors have an effect on the residual variance of weight gain from birth to weaning and long-yearling in Nellore beef cattle and that uniformity of these traits could be improved by selecting for lower residual variance, when considering a large amount of information to predict genetic merit for this criterion. Simulations suggested that using the two-step approach would lead to biased estimates of variance components, such that more adequate methods are needed to study the genetic heterogeneity of residual variance in beef cattle.     

A defined, feeder-free, serum-free system to generate in vitro hematopoietic progenitors and differentiated blood cells from hESCs and hiPSCs

Human ESC and iPSC are an attractive source of cells of high quantity and purity to be used to elucidate early human development processes, for drug discovery, and in clinical cell therapy applications. To efficiently differentiate pluripotent cells into a pure population of hematopoietic progenitors we have developed a new 2-dimensional, defined and highly efficient protocol that avoids the use of feeder cells, serum or embryoid body formation. Here we showed that a single matrix protein in combination with growth factors and a hypoxic environment is sufficient to generate from pluripotent cells hematopoietic progenitors capable of differentiating further in mature cell types of different lineages of the blood system. We tested the differentiation method using hESCs and 9 iPSC lines generated from different tissues. These data indicate the robustness of the protocol providing a valuable tool for the generation of clinical-grade hematopoietic cells from pluripotent cells.     

A three-hybrid screen identifies mRNAs controlled by a regulatory protein

RNA-protein interactions are important in many biological contexts. Identification of the networks that connect regulatory proteins to one another and to the mRNAs they control is a critical need. Here, we use a yeast three-hybrid screening approach to identify RNAs that bind a known RNA regulatory protein, the Saccharomyces cerevisiae PUF protein, Mpt5p. The assay selects RNAs that bind in vivo using simple phenotypes and reporter genes. It enables rapid analyses of the affinity and specificity of the interaction. We show that the method identifies mRNAs that are genuinely regulated by the protein in vivo, and that it complements biochemical strategies, yielding a set of mRNAs that overlap with, but are distinct from, those obtained by biochemical means. The approach we describe facilitates construction of protein-RNA linkage maps.     

Autophagy and plant innate immunity

Plant innate immunity is often associated with specialized programmed cell death at or near the site of pathogen infection. Despite the isolation of several lesion mimic mutants, the molecular mechanisms that regulate cell death during an immune response remain obscure. Recently, autophagy, an evolutionarily conserved process of bulk protein and organelle turnover, was shown to play an important role in limiting cell death initiated during plant innate immune responses. Consistent with its role in plants, several studies in animals also demonstrate that the autophagic machinery is involved in innate as well as adaptive immunities. Here, we review the role of autophagy in plant innate immunity. Because autophagy is observed in healthy and dying plant cells, we will also examine whether autophagy plays a protective or a destructive role during an immune response.     

Mechanistic simulation of batch acetone–butanol–ethanol (ABE) fermentation with in situ gas stripping using Aspen Plus™

Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering - Process simulations of batch fermentations with in situ product separation traditionally decouple these interdependent steps by simulating a separate...