Analysis of photosynthetic complexes from a cyanobacterial ycf37 mutant

The Ycf37 protein has been suggested to be involved in the biogenesis and/or stability of the cyanobacterial photosystem I (PSI) [A. Wilde, K. Lünser, F. Ossenbühl, J. Nickelsen, T. Börner, Characterization of the cyanobacterial ycf37: mutation decreases the photosystem I content, Biochem. J. 357 (2001) 211-216]. With Ycf37 specific antibodies, we analyzed the localization of Ycf37 within the thylakoid membranes of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Inspection of a sucrose gradient profile indicated that small amounts of Ycf37 co-fractionated with monomeric photosynthetic complexes, but not with trimeric PSI. Isolating 3xFLAG epitope-tagged Ycf37 by affinity-tag purification rendered several PSI subunits that specifically co-precipitated with this protein. Blue-native PAGE newly revealed two monomeric PSI complexes (PSI and PSI*) in wild-type thylakoids. The lower amount of PsaK present in PSI* may explain its higher electrophoretic mobility. PSI* was more prominent in high-light grown cells and interestingly proved absent in the Δycf37 mutant. PSI* appeared again when the mutant was complemented in trans with the wild-type ycf37 gene. In the Δycf37 mutant the amount of trimeric PSI complexes was reduced to about 70% of the wild-type level with no significant changes in photochemical activity and subunit composition of the remaining photosystems. Our results indicate that Ycf37 plays a specific role in the preservation of PSI* and the biogenesis of PSI trimers.     

Arginine vasopressin reduces intestinal oxygen supply and mucosal tissue oxygen tension

We investigated intestinal oxygen supply and mucosal tissue PO2 during administration of increasing dosages of continuously infused arginine vasopressin (AVP) in an autoperfused, innervated jejunal segments in anesthetized pigs. Mucosal tissue PO2 was measured by employing two Clark-type surface oxygen electrodes. Oxygen saturation of jejunal microvascular hemoglobin was determined by tissue reflectance spectrophotometry. Microvascular blood flow was assessed by laser-Doppler velocimetry. Systemic hemodynamic variables, mesenteric venous and systemic acid-base and blood gas variables, and lactate measurements were recorded. Measurements were performed at baseline and at 20-min intervals during incremental AVP infusion (n = 8; 0.007, 0.014, 0.029, 0.057, 0.114, and 0.229 IU.kg(-1).h(-1), respectively) or infusion of saline (n=8). AVP infusion led to a significant (P < .05), dose-dependent decrease in cardiac index (from 121 +/- 31 to 77 +/- 27 ml.kg(-1).min(-1) at 0.229 IU.kg(-1).h(-1)) and systemic oxygen delivery (from 14 +/- 3 to 9 +/- 3 ml.kg(-1).min(-1) at 0.229 IU.kg(-1).h(-1)) concomitant with an increase in systemic oxygen extraction ratio (from 31 +/- 4 to 48 +/- 10%). AVP decreased microvascular blood flow (from 133 +/- 47 to 82 +/- 35 perfusion units at 0.114 IU.kg(-1).h(-1)), mucosal tissue PO2 (from 26 +/- 7 to 7 +/- 2 mmHg at 0.229 IU.kg(-1).h(-1)), and microvascular hemoglobin oxygen saturation (from 51 +/- 9 to 26 +/- 12% at 0.229 IU.kg(-1).h(-1)) without a significant increase in mesenteric venous lactate concentration (2.3 +/- 0.8 vs. 3.4 +/- 0.7 mmol/l). We conclude that continuously infused AVP decreases intestinal oxygen supply and mucosal tissue PO2 due to a reduction in microvascular blood flow and due to the special vascular supply in the jejunal mucosa in a dose-dependent manner in pigs.     

Analysis of photosynthetic complexes from a cyanobacterial ycf37 mutant

The Ycf37 protein has been suggested to be involved in the biogenesis and/or stability of the cyanobacterial photosystem I (PSI). With Ycf37 specific antibodies, we analyzed the localization of Ycf37 within the thylakoid membranes of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Inspection of a sucrose gradient profile indicated that small amounts of Ycf37 co-fractionated with monomeric photosynthetic complexes, but not with trimeric PSI. Isolating 3xFLAG epitope-tagged Ycf37 by affinity-tag purification rendered several PSI subunits that specifically co-precipitated with this protein. Blue-native PAGE newly revealed two monomeric PSI complexes (PSI and PSI*) in wild-type thylakoids. The lower amount of PsaK present in PSI* may explain its higher electrophoretic mobility. PSI* was more prominent in high-light grown cells and interestingly proved absent in the Deltaycf37 mutant. PSI* appeared again when the mutant was complemented in trans with the wild-type ycf37 gene. In the Deltaycf37 mutant the amount of trimeric PSI complexes was reduced to about 70% of the wild-type level with no significant changes in photochemical activity and subunit composition of the remaining photosystems. Our results indicate that Ycf37 plays a specific role in the preservation of PSI* and the biogenesis of PSI trimers.     

Jejunal tissue oxygenation and microvascular flow motion during hemorrhage and resuscitation

The relationship between flow motion and tissue oxygenation was investigated during hemorrhage/retransfusion with and without dopamine in 14 pigs. During 45% bleed, jejunal microvascular hemoglobin O(2) saturation (HBjO(2)) and mucosal tissue Po(2) (Po(2)muc) were recorded in seven control and seven dopamine-treated animals. Mean arterial pressure and systemic O(2) delivery decreased during hemorrhage and returned to baseline after retransfusion. Hemorrhage decreased Po(2)muc from 33 +/- 2.8 to 13 +/- 1.6 mmHg and HBjO(2) from 53 +/- 4.9% to 32 +/- 3.9%, respectively, in control animals. During reperfusion, Po(2)muc and HBjO(2) remained low. Dopamine increased Po(2)muc from 28 +/- 4.3 to 45 +/- 4.6 mmHg and HBjO(2) from 54 +/- 5.7% to 69 +/- 1.5% and attenuated the decrease in Po(2)muc and HBjO(2) during hemorrhage. After retransfusion, dopamine restored Po(2)muc and HBjO(2) to baseline. Control animals developed rhythmic HBjO(2) oscillations with increasing amplitude (frequency, 4.5 to 7.6 cycles/min) and showed an inverse relationship between Po(2)muc and HBjO(2) oscillation amplitude. Dopamine prevented regular flow motion. The association between decreased Po(2)muc and increased oscillations in HBjO(2) after normalization of systemic hemodynamics and O(2) transport in control animals suggests a cause-and-effect relationship between low tissue Po(2) and flow motion activity within the jejunal microcirculation.     

Report from Mongolia – How much do we know about the incidence of rare cases in less developed countries: a case series

Introduction

Prostate cancer is known to have a tendency to metastasize to bone. Skeletal scintigraphy can be used to show multiple lesions. Diffuse metastasis, which is not infrequent in prostate cancer, can also be suspected on the basis of a 'super scan'. However, this phenomenon in nuclear medicine has several other causes that need to be considered.

Case presentation

A patient with a history of prostate cancer presented with pleural fluid, peripheral edema and bone pain. A super scan of the bone was found which suggested diffuse skeletal metastasis of the prostate cancer but the patient also had a prostate specific antigen level which was not compatible with this diagnosis. Further investigations revealed the paraneoplastic phenomenon of hypertrophic osteoarthropathy, related to an incurable carcinoma of the lung, to be the cause of the super scan.

Conclusion

A super scan is characterized by a high bone to soft tissue ratio on skeletal scintigraphy, with a uniform symmetrical increase in bone uptake and diminished to absent renal visualization ('absent kidney sign'). It can be seen in a variety of diseases in which there is a diffusely increased bone turnover. Diffuse skeletal metastasis of a well-differentiated prostate carcinoma is unlikely to be the cause of a super scan when the prostate specific antigen level is not elevated. This is the first report of a super scan due to pulmonary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy which can be seen in lung carcinoma and other pulmonary diseases.     

Epidermal Patterning Genes Impose Non-cell Autonomous Cell Size Determination and have Additional Roles in Root Meristem Size Control

The regulation of cellular growth is of vital importance for embryonic and postembryonic patterning. Growth regulation in the epidermis has importance for organ growth rates in roots and shoots, proposing epidermal cells as an interesting model for cellular growth regulation. Here we assessed whether the root epidermis is a suitable model system to address cell size determination. In Arabidopsis thaliana L., root epidermal cells are regularly spaced in neighbouring tricho- (root hair) and atrichoblast (non-hair) cells, showing already distinct cell size regulation in the root meristem. We determined cell sizes in the root meristem and at the onset of cellular elongation, revealing that not only division rates but also cellular shape is distinct in tricho- and atrichoblasts. Intriguingly, epidermal-patterning mutants, failing to define differential vacuolization in neighbouring epidermal cell files, also display non-differential growth. Using these epidermal-patterning mutants, we show that polarized growth behaviour of epidermal tricho- and atrichoblast is interdependent, suggesting non-cell autonomous signals to integrate tissue expansion. Besides the interweaved cell-type-dependent growth mechanism, we reveal an additional role for epidermal patterning genes in root meristem size and organ growth regulation. We conclude that epidermal cells represent a suitable model system to study cell size determination and interdependent tissue growth.     

Oxygen distribution in microcirculation after arginine vasopressin-induced arteriolar vasoconstriction

The microvascular distribution of oxygen was studied in the arterioles and venules of the awake hamster window chamber preparation to determine the contribution of vascular smooth muscle contraction to oxygen consumption of the microvascular wall during arginine vasopressin (AVP)-induced vasoconstriction. AVP was infused intravenously at the clinical dosage (0.0001 IU.kg(-1).min(-1)) and caused a significant arteriolar constriction, decreased microvascular flow and functional capillary density, and a substantial rise in arteriolar vessel wall transmural Po(2) difference. AVP caused tissue Po(2) to be significantly lowered from 25.4 +/- 7.4 to 7.2 +/- 5.8 mmHg; however, total oxygen extraction by the microcirculation increased by 25%. The increased extraction, lowered tissue Po(2), and increased wall oxygen concentration gradient are compatible with the hypothesis that vasoconstriction significantly increases vessel wall oxygen consumption, which in this model appears to constitute an important oxygen-consuming compartment. This conclusion was supported by the finding that the small percentage of the vessels that dilated in these experiments had a vessel wall oxygen gradient that was smaller than control and which was not determined by changes in tissue Po(2). These findings show that AVP administration, which reduces oxygen supply by vasoconstriction, may further impair tissue oxygenation by the additional oxygen consumption of the microcirculation.