Contrasting association of Leptin receptor polymorphisms and haplotypes with polycystic ovary syndrome in Bahraini and Tunisian women: a case–control study

Background: The present study examined the contribution of ethnicity to the association of leptin receptor gene (LEPR) gene variants with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in Tunisian and Bahraini Arabic-speaking women.Methods: Subjects consisted of 320 women with PCOS, and 446 eumenorrhic women from Tunisia, and 242 women with PCOS and 238 controls from Bahrain. Genotyping of (exonic) rs1137100 and rs1137101 and (intronic) rs2025804 LEPR variants was done by allelic exclusion.Results: The minor allele frequencies (MAFs) of rs1137100 and rs1137101 were significantly different between PCOS cases and control women from Bahrain but not Tunisia, and LEPR rs1137101 was associated with increased PCOS susceptibility only in Bahraini subjects. Furthermore, rs1137100 was associated with decreased PCOS risk among Bahrainis under codominant and recessive models; rs1137100 was negatively associated with PCOS in Tunisians after controlling for testosterone. In addition, rs2025804 was associated with increased PCOS risk among Tunisian but not Bahraini women, after adjusting for key covariates. Negative correlation was seen between rs1137101 and triglycerides in Tunisians, while homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and insulin correlated with rs2025804 and rs1137101 among Bahraini subjects, and rs1137101 correlated with estradiol and prolactin. Taking TAG haplotype as common, positive association of TAA and negative association of TGG haplotype with PCOS was seen among Bahraini women; no three-locus PCOS-associated haplotypes were found in Tunisians.Conclusions: The present study is the first to demonstrate the contribution of ethnicity to the association of LEPR gene variants with PCOS, thereby highlighting the significance of controlling for ethnicity in gene association investigations.     

Microbial monitoring by molecular tools of a two-phase anaerobic bioreactor treating fruit and vegetable wastes

Microbial consortia in a two-phase, anaerobic bioreactor using a mixture of fruit and vegetable wastes were established. Bacterial and archaeal communities obtained by a culture-independent approach based on single strand conformation polymorphism analysis of total 16S rDNA showed the adaptation of the microflora to the process parameters. Throughout the 90 d of the study, the species composition of the bacterial community changed significantly. Bacterial 16S rDNA showed at least 7 different major species with a very prominent one corresponding to a Megasphaera elsdenii whereas bacterial 16S rDNA of a methanization bioreactor showed 10 different major species. After two weeks, Prevotella ruminicola became major and its dominance increased continuously until day 50. After an acid shock at pH 5, the 16S rDNA archaeal patterns in the acidogenic reactor showed two major prominent species corresponding to Methanosphaera stadtmanii and Methanobrevibacter wolinii, a hydrogenotrophic bacterium.     

Red blood cells imaging and antigen-antibody interaction measurement

In the present study the atomic force microscope (AFM) was used to image the surface morphology of red blood cells (RBC) for the first time. The AFM yielded very reproducible images without appreciable modifications of the sample surfaces. In addition to this topographical imaging, we have developed an experimental approach to measure the binding strength between antibody (anti-A), and the RBC antigen A, when reversible bonds between specific molecules such as antigen and antibody mediate the adhesion. The experimental results suggest that the procedure established here may be used for specific antibody detection. This study has also enhanced our understanding under physiological conditions of molecular interaction in particular antigen-antibody.     

Liposome reconstitution of a minimal protein-mediated membrane fusion machine

Biological membrane fusion is dependent on protein catalysts to mediate localized restructuring of lipid bilayers. A central theme in current models of protein-mediated membrane fusion involves the sequential refolding of complex homomeric or heteromeric protein fusion machines. The structural features of a new family of fusion-associated small transmembrane (FAST) proteins appear incompatible with existing models of membrane fusion protein function. While the FAST proteins function to induce efficient cell-cell fusion when expressed in transfected cells, it was unclear whether they function on their own to mediate membrane fusion or are dependent on cellular protein cofactors. Using proteoliposomes containing the purified p14 FAST protein of reptilian reovirus, we now show via liposome-cell and liposome-liposome fusion assays that p14 is both necessary and sufficient for membrane fusion. Stoichiometric and kinetic analyses suggest that the relative efficiency of p14-mediated membrane fusion rivals that of the more complex cellular and viral fusion proteins, making the FAST proteins the simplest known membrane fusion machines.     

Ameliorative effects of resveratrol on liver injury in streptozotocin‐induced diabetic rats

The objective of this study was to investigate the ameliorative property and potential mechanism of resveratrol (RVT) in a dose of 10 mg/kg for 15 consecutive days against liver injury in streptozotocin‐induced diabetic rats. Diabetic rats significantly (P < 0.05) exhibited liver injury manifested by increased aspartylaminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and bilirubin; disturbed liver weight to body weight; and confirmed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Liver from diabetic rats exhibited significant increase in malondialdehyde level and significant decrease in reduced glutathione, glutathione‐S‐transferase, quinone reductase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase. Diabetic rats showed significant disturbance in serum lipid profile. Treatment with RVT significantly (P < 0.05) abrogated diabetes‐induced perturbation in these parameters and liver histology. These data suggest that RVT treatment is associated with promising hepatoprotective effect against diabetes‐induced liver damage via reduction of serum glucose level and oxidative damage and improving serum lipid profile. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 26:384–392, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com . DOI 10.1002/jbt.21432     

Contribution of SELP and PSGL-1 genotypes and haplotypes to the presence of coronary heart disease in Tunisians

P-selectin (SELP) and its counter-receptor, P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1), play key role in the transient attachment of leukocytes to endothelial cells predisposing to coronary heart disease (CHD). In the current report, 293 angiographically proven CHD patients and 327 age, gender, and race-matched controls were included. Our aim was to evaluate the contribution to CHD of the following SNPs: C-2123G, G-1969A and T715P in SELP, Met62Ile and the VNTR variants in PSGL-1 gene in a North African population from Tunisia. While there were no significant differences in the distribution of SELP or PSGL-1 alleles or genotypes between patients and controls, a trend for a significant association of the C-2123G genotypes distribution with incident CHD was observed (P = 0.06). Assuming an additive model of transmission, the risk was 74% higher among subjects carrying the GG genotypes in comparison to those carrying the CC genotype (OR = 1.74 [1.01–2.98], P = 0.04) and 80% higher in the recessive model (OR = 1.80 [1.08–3.01], P = 0.02). Haplotype analysis did not identify any specific SELP or PSGL-1 haplotypes to be associated with CHD. The present study demonstrated no evidence of association between individual SELP or PSGL-1 SNPs or haplotypes with incident CHD. However, this study replicates absence of association of the mostly studied SNP, T715P, previously reported in individuals with African origin.     

Bacterial monitoring by molecular tools of a continuous stirred tank reactor treating textile wastewater

This study was performed to examine the effect of the bacterial diversity changes on the performances of a continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) treating textile wastewater. The molecular fingerprint established using polymerase chain reaction-single stranded conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) methods showed that bacterial community profiles changed simultaneously with the increase of the wastewater loading rates (WLR). For the two WLR of 0.28 g l(-1)d(-1) and 0.37 g l(-1)d(-1), the reactor maintained good performances, suggesting that the large bacterial community present a high specific activity. The increase of the WLR from 0.37 to 1.12 g l(-1)d(-1) decreased the colour and the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiencies from 90% to 55% and from 85% to 30%, respectively, explained by the decrease of the bacterial diversity and activity. The changes of the bacterial dominance had no affect on the reactor performances. However, the decrease of the bacterial diversity significantly affected the colour and the COD removal efficiencies. It should conclude that indigo dye-containing textile wastewater treatment required the concerted activity of multiple bacterial populations.     

Subcellular Min Oscillations as a Single-Cell Reporter of the Action of Polycations,Protamine, and Gentamicin on Escherichia coli

Background

In Escherichia coli, MinD-GFP fusion proteins show rapid pole to pole oscillations. The objective was to investigate the effects of extracellular cations on the subcellular oscillation of cytoplasmic MinD within Escherichia coli.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We exposed bacteria to the extracellular cations Ca⁺⁺, Mg⁺⁺, the cationic antimicrobial peptide (CAP) protamine, and the cationic aminoglycoside gentamicin. We found rapid and substantial increases in the average MinD oscillation periods in the presence of any of these polyvalent cations. For Ca⁺⁺ and Mg⁺⁺ the increases in period were transient, even with a constant extracellular concentration, while increases in period for protamine or gentamicin were apparently irreversible. We also found striking interdependence in the action of the small cations with protamine or gentamicin, distorted oscillations under the action of intermediate levels of gentamicin and Ca⁺⁺, and reversible freezing of the Min oscillation at high cationic concentrations.

Conclusions/Significance

Intracellular Min oscillations provide a fast single-cell reporter of bacterial response to extracellular polycations, which can be explained by the penetration of polycations into cells.     

Pathogénie comparée de 4 espèces d'Helminthosporium Obtenues à Partir des Plantes Malades du Riz au Maroc

A comparative study into the pathogenicity of four Helminthosporiumspp. towards rice cultivars in Marocco In this paper, the behaviour of four Helminthosporium species on nine rice cultivars widely cultivated in Morocco, permit the classification of this species according to their virulence. Helminthosporium oryzae and Helminthosporium sativum are the most virulent and the best equipped to sporule on all varieties of tested lesions. The level of pathogenicity of Helminthosporium spiciferum and Helminthosporium australiensis and their capacity to sporule on host plant depend on the rice variety used. At the same time, each Helminthosporium induces characteristics symptoms on rice leaves.