Membrane-trafficking RabA4c involved in the effect of glycine betaine on recovery from chilling stress in Arabidopsis

Glycine betaine (GB) can confer tolerance to several types of stress at low concentrations, either after application to plants or in transgenics engineered to overproduce GB. Based on earlier studies on levels of GB in plants and evidence for effects on gene expression, we hypothesized that at least part of this effect could be ascribed to the activation of the expression of stress tolerance genes. Using a strategy based on high-throughput gene expression analysis with microarrays followed by confirmation with northern blots, we identified Arabidopsis genes upregulated in roots that reinforce intracellular processes protecting cells from oxidative damage and others that appear to be involved in reinforcing a scavenging system for reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cell walls. Upregulated genes in roots include those for the membrane-trafficking RabA4c, the root-specific NADPH-dependent ferric reductase (FRO2) localized to the plasma membrane, mitochondrial catalase 2 and the cell wall peroxidase ATP3a. Comparative studies with wild-type Arabidopsis and knockout mutants for the membrane-trafficking RabA4c gene demonstrated that the mutants respond only slightly to GB, if at all, compared with wild-type in relation to root growth recovery after chilling stress, demonstrating the role of RabA4c in relation to the GB effect. The results point toward links between oxidative stress, gene expression, membrane trafficking and scavenging of ROS such as superoxide and hydrogen peroxide in relation to GB effects on chilling tolerance in plants.     

Genetic and Molecular Characterization of Suppressors of Sir4 Mutations in Saccharomyces Cerevisiae

In order to learn more about other proteins that may be involved in repression of HML and HMR in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, extragenic suppressor mutations were identified that could restore repression in cells defective in SIR4, a gene required for function of the silencer elements flanking HML and HMR. These suppressor mutations, which define at least three new genes, SAN1, SAN2 and SAN3, arose at the frequency expected for loss-of-function mutations following mutagenesis. All san mutations were recessive. Suppression by san1 was allele-nonspecific, since san1 could suppress two very different alleles of SIR4, and was locus-specific since san1 was unable to suppress a SIR3 mutation or a variety of mutations conferring auxotrophies. The SAN1 gene was cloned, sequenced, and used to construct a null allele. The null allele had the same phenotype as the EMS-induced mutations and exhibited no pleiotropies of its own. Thus, the SAN1 gene was not essential. SAN1-mediated suppression was neither due to compensatory mutations in interacting proteins, nor to translational missense suppression. SAN1 may act posttranslationally to control the stability or activity of the SIR4 protein.     

Specificity of Repeat-Induced Point Mutation (Rip) in Neurospora: Sensitivity of Non-Neurospora Sequences, a Natural Diverged Tandem Duplication, and Unique DNA Adjacent to a Duplicated Region

The process designated RIP (repeat-induced point mutation) alters duplicated DNA sequences in the sexual cycle of Neurospora crassa. We tested whether non-Neurospora sequences are susceptible to RIP, explored the basis for the observed immunity to this process of a diverged tandem duplication that probably arose by a natural duplication followed by RIP (the Neurospora zeta-eta region), and investigated whether RIP extends at all into unique sequences bordering a duplicated region. Bacterial sequences of the plasmid pUC8 and of a gene conferring resistance to hygromycin B were sensitive to RIP in N. crassa when repeated in the genome. When the entire 1.6-kb zeta-eta region was duplicated, it was susceptible to RIP, but was affected by it to a lesser extent than other duplications. Only three of 62 progeny from crosses harboring unlinked duplications of the region showed evidence of changes. We attribute the low level of alterations to depletion of mutable sites. The stability of the zeta-eta region in strains having single copies of the region suggests that the 14% divergence of the tandem elements is sufficient to prevent RIP. DNA sequence analysis of unduplicated pUC8 sequences adjacent to a duplication revealed that RIP continued at least 180 bp beyond the boundary of the duplication. Three mutations occurred in the 200-bp segment of bordering sequences examined.     

Peroxisomal multifunctional beta-oxidation protein of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Molecular analysis of the fox2 gene and gene product.

The gene encoding the multifunctional protein (MFP) of peroxisomal beta-oxidation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae was isolated from a genomic library via functional complementation of a fox2 mutant strain. The open reading frame consists of 2700 base pairs encoding a protein of 900 amino acids. The predicted molecular weight (98,759) is in close agreement with that of the isolated polypeptide (96,000). Analysis of the deduced amino acid sequence revealed similarity to the MFPs of two other fungi but not to that of rat peroxisomes or the multifunctional subunit of the Escherichia coli beta-oxidation complex. The FOX2 gene was overexpressed from a multicopy vector (YEp352) in S. cerevisiae and the gene product purified to apparent homogeneity. A truncated version of MFP lacking 271 carboxyl-terminal amino acids was also overexpressed and purified. Experiments to study the enzymatic properties of the wild-type MFP demonstrated an absence of activities originally assigned to an MFP of S. cerevisiae (crotonase, L-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase, and 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA epimerase), whereas two other activities were found: 2-enoyl-CoA hydratase 2 (converting trans-2-enoyl-CoA to D-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA) and D-3-hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase (converting D-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA to 3-ketoacyl-CoA). The truncated form contained only the D-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase activity. These results clearly demonstrate that the beta-oxidation of fatty acids in S. cerevisiae follows a previously unknown stereochemical course, namely it occurs via a D-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA intermediate.     

Serum lactate dehydrogenase (S-LDH) and S-LDH isoenzymes in patients with testicular germ cell tumors

The activities of serum lactate dehydrogenase (S-LDH) and S-LDH isoenzymes were determined in 252 patients with a history of testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT). Fifteen of 37 patients with TGCT lesions and seven of 215 without had raised levels of S-LDH (above 8.0 mukat/l (480 U/l)). Of the patients with TGCT lesions, four had only raised S-LDH-1 levels, one only raised S-LDH-2 (and normal S-LDH), two only raised S-LDH-3 (one with normal S-LDH), and 10 had five combinations of raised levels of S-LDH isoenzymes with a predominance of S-LDH-1. S-LDH and S-LDH-1 correlated significantly with the total tumor volume in the patients with TGCT lesions, especially pronounced in those with lesions from seminoma. Of 34 patients with TGCT metastases, 13 with raised S-LDH levels lived significantly shorter lengths of time than 21 with normal S-LDH. Similarly, 11 with raised S-LDH-1 (above 3.0 mukat/l (180 U/l) lived significantly shorter times than 23 with normal S-LDH-1. S-LDH is a valuable tumor marker in patients with TGCT, especially in those with seminoma. Routine determination of S-LDH isoenzymes in addition to S-LDH in patients with TGCT is not recommended. In patients with a history of TGCT and an unexplained elevation of S-LDH levels, a raised S-LDH-1 level indicates the presence of TGCT lesions.     

Leprosy in a prison population: A new active search strategy and a prospective clinical analysis

BackgroundThis study evaluates an active search strategy for leprosy diagnosis based on responses to a Leprosy Suspicion Questionnaire (LSQ), and analyzing the clinical, immunoepidemiological and follow-up aspects for individuals living in a prison population.MethodsA cross-sectional study based on a questionnaire posing 14 questions about leprosy symptoms and signs that was distributed to 1,400 prisoners. This was followed by dermatoneurological examination, anti-PGL-I serology and RLEP-PCR. Those without leprosy were placed in the Non-leprosy Group (NLG, n = 1,216) and those diagnosed with clinical symptoms of leprosy were placed in the Leprosy Group (LG, n = 34).FindingsIn total, 896 LSQ were returned (64%), and 187 (20.9%) of the responses were deemed as positive for signs/symptoms, answering 2.7 questions on average. Clinically, 1,250 (89.3%) of the prisoners were evaluated resulting in the diagnosis of 34 new cases (LG), based on well-accepted clinical signs and symptoms, a new case detection rate of 2.7% within this population, while the NLG were comprised of 1,216 individuals. The confinement time medians were 39 months in the LG while it was 36 months in the NLG (p>0.05). The 31 leprosy cases who responded to the questionnaire (LSQ+) had an average of 1.5 responses. The symptoms “anesthetized skin area” and “pain in nerves” were most commonly mentioned in the LG while “tingling, numbness in the hands/feet”, “sensation of pricks and needles”, “pain in nerves” and “spots on the skin” responses were found in more than 30% of questionnaires in the NLG. Clinically, 88.2% had dysesthetic macular skin lesions and 97.1% presented some peripheral nerve impairment, 71.9% with some degree of disability. All cases were multibacillary, confirming a late diagnosis. Anti-PGL-I results in the LG were higher than in the NLG (p<0.0001), while the RLEP-PCR was positive in 11.8% of the patients.InterpretationOur findings within the penitentiary demonstrated a hidden prevalence of leprosy, although the individuals diagnosed were likely infected while living in their former communities and not as a result of exposure in the prison. The LSQ proved to be an important screening tool to help identify leprosy cases in prisons.