Conditions used with a continuous cultivation system to screen for d-hydantoinase-producing microorganisms

The continuous cultivation technique has been used to screen for microorganisms producing d-hydantoinase, a biocatalyst involved in the production of optically active amino acids. Pseudomonas putida strain DSM 84 was used as a model hydantoinase producer to establish selective culture conditions through the addition of various pyrimidines, dihydropyrimidines, hydantoins and 5-monosubstituted hydantoins. Thymine induced more activity than all cyclic amides tested. Addition of thymine as a non-metabolised inducer at a concentration of 0.05 g l^–1 in a continuous culture of P. putida stimulated hydantoinase production up to 80 times the basal level. Using continuous culture conditions established with the model strain, a different strain of P. putida having hydantoinase activity was isolated from commercial mixed cultures of microorganisms. DNA fingerprinting revealed that this new isolate was distinct from strain DSM 84. When used as a probe, the d-hydantoinase gene of strain DSM 84 hybridized with the DNA of the new P. putida isolate.     

Aquaporin Trafficking in Plant Cells: An Emerging Membrane‐Protein Model

Aquaporins (AQPs) are channel proteins that facilitate the transport of water and small solutes across biological membranes. In plants, AQPs exhibit a high multiplicity of isoforms in relation to a high diversity of sub‐cellular localizations, at the plasma membrane (PM) and in various intracellular compartments. Some members also exhibit a dual localization in distinct cell compartments, whereas others show polarized or domain‐specific expression at the PM or tonoplast, respectively. A diversity of mechanisms controlling the routing of newly synthesized AQPs towards their destination membranes and involving diacidic motifs, phosphorylation or tetramer assembly is being uncovered. Recent approaches using single particle tracking, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching have, in combination with pharmacological interference, stressed the peculiarities of AQP sub‐cellular dynamics in environmentally challenging conditions. A role for clathrin and sterol‐rich domains in cell surface dynamics and endocytosis of PM AQPs was uncovered. These recent advances provide deep insights into the cellular mechanisms of water transport regulation in plants. They also point to AQPs as an emerging model for studying the sub‐cellular dynamics of plant membrane proteins .     

Molecular Diagnosis of an Ocular Toxocariasis Patient in Vietnam

An ocular Toxocara canis infection is reported for the first time in Vietnam. A 34-year-old man residing in a village of Son La Province, North Vietnam, visited the National Eye Hospital (NEH) in August 2011. He felt a bulge-sticking pain in his left eye and loss of vision occurred over 3 months before visiting the hospital. The eye examination in the hospital showed damage of the left eye, red eye, retinal fibrosis, retinal detachment, inflammation of the eye tissues, retinal granulomas, and a parasitic cyst inside. A larva of Toxocara was collected with the cyst by a medical doctor by surgery. Comparison of 264 nucleotides of internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) of ribosomal DNA was done between our Vietnamese Toxocara canis and other Toxocara geographical isolates, including Chinese T. canis, Japanese T. canis, Sri Lankan T. canis, and Iranian T. canis. The nucleotide homology was 97-99%, when our T. canis was compared with geographical isolates. Identification of a T. canis infection in the eye by a molecular method was performed for the first time in Vietnam.     

Balloon Venoplasty of Subclavian Vein and Brachiocephalic Junction to Enable Left Ventricular Lead Placement for Cardiac Resynchronisation Therapy

This report describes the successful implantation of a LV lead using balloon venoplasty to overcome a very tight stenosis of the right subclavian vein / brachiocephalic junction for cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT-P) in a patient with a right sided CRT-P system and a failed epicardial LV lead. It is important for device implanters to be familiar with interventional equipments and techniques such as balloon venoplasty to overcome difficult venous access.     

Resveratrol Induces Cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis in Malignant NK Cells via JAK2/STAT3 Pathway Inhibition

Natural killer (NK) cell malignancies, particularly aggressive NK cell leukaemias and lymphomas, have poor prognoses. Although recent regimens with L-asparaginase substantially improved outcomes, novel therapeutic approaches are still needed to enhance clinical response. Resveratrol, a naturally occurring polyphenol, has been extensively studied for its anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective and anti-cancer activities. In this study, we investigated the potential anti-tumour activities of resveratrol against the NK cell lines KHYG-1, NKL, NK-92 and NK-YS. Resveratrol induced robust G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, significantly suppressed cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in a dose- and time-dependent manner for all four cell lines. In addition, resveratrol suppressed constitutively active STAT3 in all the cell lines and inhibited JAK2 phosphorylation but had no effect on other upstream mediators of STAT3 activation, such as PTEN, TYK2, and JAK1. Resveratrol also induced downregulation of the anti-apoptotic proteins MCL1 and survivin, two downstream effectors of the STAT3 pathway. Finally, resveratrol induced synergistic effect on the apoptotic and antiproliferative activities of L-asparaginase against KHYG-1, NKL and NK-92 cells. These results suggest that resveratrol may have therapeutic potential against NK cell malignancies. Furthermore, our finding that resveratrol is a bonafide JAK2 inhibitor extends its potential benefits to other diseases with dysregulated JAK2 signaling.     

Characterization of structural and optical properties of Mn2+-doped Zn2GeO4 nanorods as an efficient green phosphor for solid-state lighting

A series of Mn²⁺-doped zinc germinate ZGO:xMn²⁺ (x = 0–0.05) nanorods was synthesized successfully using a hydrothermal method. XRD revealed that crystal phases of the ZGO:xMn²⁺ were rhombohedral and in the R-3 space group. The Williamson–Hall equation was also used to explain the strain, nanocrystalline size, and stacking fault. Green LEDs were successfully fabricated by coating ZGO:Mn²⁺ nanorods onto UV-LED chips. For high color purity, CIE of the fabricated green LEDs were (0.2404, 0.5428), which made this material a promising candidate for fabrication of UV-based green LEDs.     

Macrophage Inhibitory Cytokine-1 (MIC-1/GDF15) Gene Deletion Promotes Cancer Growth in TRAMP Prostate Cancer Prone Mice

The divergent TGF-β superfamily member, macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 (MIC-1/GDF15), is overexpressed by most cancers, including prostate cancer (PCa). Whilst its circulating levels are linked to cancer outcome, the role MIC-1/GDF15 plays in cancer development and progression is incompletely understood. To investigate its effect on PCa development and spread, we have used TRAMP prostate cancer prone mice bearing a germline deletion of MIC-1/GDF15 (TRAMP^MIC-/-). On average TRAMP^MIC-/- mice died about 5 weeks earlier and had larger prostatic tumors compared with TRAMP mice that were wild type for MIC-1/GDF15 (TRAMP^MIC+/+). Additionally, at the time of death or ethical end point, even when adjusted for lifespan, there were no significant differences in the number of mice with metastases between the TRAMP^MIC+/+ and TRAMP^MIC-/- groups. However, consistent with our previous data, more than twice as many TRAMP mice overexpressing MIC-1/GDF15 (TRAMP^fmsmic-1) had metastases than TRAMP^MIC+/+ mice (p<0.0001). We conclude that germ line gene deletion of MIC-1/GDF15 leads to increased local tumor growth resulting in decreased survival consistent with an overall protective role for MIC-1/GDF15 in early primary tumor development. However, in advancing disease, as we have previously noted, MIC-1/GDF15 overexpression may promote local invasion and metastatic spread.     

Determination of bevantolol enantiomers in human plasma by coupled achiral-chiral high performance-liquid chromatography

A coupled achiral-chiral high performance liquid chromatographic method was developed and fully validated for the determination of bevantolol enantiomers, (-)-(S)-bevantolol and (+)-(R)-bevantolol, in human plasma. Plasma samples were prepared by solid phase extraction with Sep-Pak Plus C18 cartridges followed by HPLC. Bevantolol enantiomers and (+)-(R)-Propranolol as internal standard (IS) were preseparated from interfering components in plasma on a Phenomenex silica column and bevantolol enantiomers and IS were resolved and determined on a Chiralcel OJ-H chiral stationary phase. The two columns were connected by a switching valve equipped with silica precolumn. The Precolumn was used to concentrate bevantolol in the eluent from the achiral column before back flushing onto chiral phase. A detailed validation of the method was performed accordingly to FDA guidelines. For each enantiomer the assay was linear between 20 and 1600 ng/ml. The quantification limits of both bevantolol enantiomers were 20 ng/ml. The intraday variation was between 1.07 and 12.64% in relation to the measured concentration and the interday variation was 0.91 and 11.79%. The method has been applied to the determination of (-)-(S)- and (+)-(R)-bevantolol in plasma from healthy volunteers dosed with racemic bevantolol hydrochloride.