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J R Powell

Publications and source records attributed to J R Powell.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Manipulation of the type of fat consumed by growing pigs affects plasma and mononuclear cell fatty acid compositions and lymphocyte and phagocyte functions.

To investigate the immunological effect of feeding pigs different dietary lipids, 3-wk-old, weaned pigs were fed for 40 d on one of five diets, which differed only in the type of oil present (the oil contributed 5% by weight of the diet and the total fat content of the diets was 8% by weight). The oils used were soybean (control diet), high-oleic sunflower oil (HOSO), sunflower oil (SO), canola oil (CO), and fish oil (FO; rich in long-chain [n-3] polyunsaturared fatty acids). There were no significant differences in initial or final animal weights, weight gains, or health scores among the groups. There were no significant differences in the concentration of anti-Escherichia coli vaccine antibodies in the gut lumens of pigs fed the different diets. The fatty acid composition of the diet markedly affected the fatty acid composition of the plasma and of mononuclear cells (a mixture of lymphocytes, monocytes, and macrophages) prepared from the blood, lymph nodes, or thymus. The FO feeding resulted in a significant increase in the number of circulating granulocytes. The FO feeding significantly decreased the proportion of phagocytes engaged in uptake of E. coli and decreased the activity of those phagocytes that were active. The proliferation of lymphocytes in cultures of whole blood from pigs fed the HOSO, SO, or FO diets was less than in those from pigs fed the CO diet. Proliferation of lymph node lymphocytes from SO- or FO-fed pigs was less than that from control, CO-, or HOSO-fed pigs. The natural killer cell activity of blood lymphocytes from pigs fed the FO diet was significantly reduced compared with those from pigs fed the CO diet. The concentration of PGE2 in the medium of cultured blood, lymph node, or thymic mononuclear cells was lower if the cells came from pigs fed the FO diet. Thus, the type of oil included in the diet of growing pigs affects the numbers and functional activities of immune cells in different body compartments.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1999

Population structure, speciation, and introgression in the Anopheles gambiae complex.

We review here what is known about the population structure and evolutionary dynamics of members of the Anopheles gambiae complex with emphasis on the situation in West Africa. First, the importance of the 2nd chromosome inversion polymorphism is demonstrated especially in adaptation to levels of aridity, a major environmental variable in Africa. This affects the distribution of karyotypes on both a macro- and micro-geographic scale as well as temporally. Such differentiation leads to karyotypes being differentially effective transmitters of malaria and differentially susceptible to indoor residual spraying of insecticides. Second, we review the evidence that cryptic taxa, especially in An. gambiae s.s., exist. This observation stems from both karyotype studies and molecular studies. It is abundantly clear that West African populations of An. gambiae s.s. are often not panmictic units, with premating factors evidently acting to maintain distinct genetic forms. Third, we review phylogenetic studies that have revealed the presence of introgression between the two most important vectors, An. gambiae and An. arabiensis. This is most evident for the 2nd chromosome inversions. This interpretation of phylogenetic data is consistent with a direct laboratory study indicating inversions in this chromosome are stably maintained in back-crossed populations. All of this information has led to the view that members of the An. gambiae complex are highly variable with an abundance of adaptive genetic variation. This presents a significant challenge to vector control programs designed to reduce malaria in sub-Saharan Africa.

Africa, Western↗
PubMed1998

The effects of endothelin-A receptor blockade during the progression of pacing-induced congestive heart failure.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to identify the effects of endothelin (ET) subtype-A (ET(A))) receptor blockade during the development of congestive heart failure (CHF) on left ventricle (LV) function and contractility. BACKGROUND: Congested heart failure causes increased plasma levels of ET and ET(A) receptor activation. METHODS: Yorkshire pigs were assigned to four groups: 1) CHF: 240 beats/min for 3 weeks; n=7; 2) CHF/ET(A)-High Dose: paced for 2 weeks then ET(A) receptor blockade (BMS 193884, 50 mg/kg, b.i.d.) for the last week of pacing; n=6; 3) CHF/ET(A)-Low Dose: pacing for 2 weeks then ET(A) receptor blockade (BMS 193884, 12.5 mg/kg, b.i.d.) for the last week, n=6; and 4) CONTROL: n=8. RESULTS: Left ventricle fractional shortening decreased with CHF compared with control (12+/-1 vs. 39+/-1%, p < 0.05) and increased in the CHF/ET(A) High and Low Dose groups (23+/-3 and 25+/-1%, p < 0.05). The LV peak wall stress and wall force increased approximately twofold with CHF and remained increased with ET(A) receptor blockade. With CHF, systemic vascular resistance increased by 120%, was normalized in the CHF/ET(A) High Dose group, and fell by 43% from CHF values in the Low Dose group (p < 0.05). Plasma catecholamines increased fourfold in the CHF group and were reduced by 48% in both CHF/ET(A) blockade groups. The LV myocyte velocity of shortening was reduced with CHF (32+/-3 vs. 54+/-3 microm/s, p < 0.05), was higher in the CHF/ET(A) High Dose group (39+/-1 microm/s, p < 0.05), and was similar to CHF values in the Low Dose group. CONCLUSIONS: ET(A) receptor activation may contribute to the progression of LV dysfunction with CHF.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Gene length and codon usage bias in Drosophila melanogaster, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Escherichia coli.

The relationship between gene length and synonymous codon usage bias was investigated in Drosophila melanogaster, Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Simulation studies indicate that the correlations observed in the three organisms are unlikely to be due to sampling errors or any potential bias in the methods used to measure codon usage bias. The correlation was significantly positive in E.coli genes, whereas negative correlations were obtained for D. melanogaster and S.cerevisiae genes. When only ribosomal protein genes were used, whose expression levels are assumed to be similar, E.coli and S.cerevisiae showed significantly positive correlations. For the two eukaryotes, the distribution of effective number of codons was different in short genes (300-500 bp) compared with longer genes; this was not observed in E.coli. Both positive and negative correlations can be explained by translational selection. Energetically costly longer genes have higher codon usage bias to maximize translational efficiency. Selection may also be acting to reduce the size of highly expressed proteins, and the effect is particularly pronounced in eukaryotes. The different relationships between codon usage bias and gene length observed in prokaryotes and eukaryotes may be the consequence of these different types of selection.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Multiple origins of cytologically identical chromosome inversions in the Anopheles gambiae complex.

For more than 60 years, evolutionary cytogeneticists have been using naturally occurring chromosomal inversions to infer phylogenetic histories, especially in insects with polytene chromosomes. The validity of this method is predicated on the assumption that inversions arise only once in the history of a lineage, so that sharing a particular inversion implies shared common ancestry. This assumption of monophyly has been generally validated by independent data. We present the first clear evidence that naturally occurring inversions, identical at the level of light microscopic examination of polytene chromosomes, may not always be monophyletic. The evidence comes from DNA sequence analyses of regions within or very near the breakpoints of an inversion called the 2La that is found in the Anopheles gambiae complex. Two species, A. merus and A. arabiensis, which are fixed for the "same" inversion, do not cluster with each other in a phylogenetic analysis of the DNA sequences within the 2La. Rather, A. merus 2La is most closely related to strains of A. gambiae homozygous for the 2L+. A. gambiae and A. merus are sister taxa, the immediate ancestor was evidently homozygous 2L+, and A. merus became fixed for an inversion cytologically identical to that in A. arabiensis. A. gambiae is polymorphic for 2La/2L+, and the 2La in this species is nearly identical at the DNA level to that in A. arabiensis, consistent with the growing evidence that introgression has or is occurring between these two most important vectors of malaria in the world. The parallel evolution of the "same" inversion may be promoted by the presence of selectively important genes within the breakpoints.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Phylogeny of species of Triatoma (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) based on mitochondrial DNA sequences.

DNA sequence comparisons of 12S, 16S, and COI mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genes were used to infer phylogenetic relationships among 8 species of Triatoma [7 belonging to the infestans complex and T. circummaculata (Stål), a member of a different complex based on morphology]. There was remarkable mtDNA similarity between T. infestans (Klug) and T. platensis Neiva that can be explained by mtDNA introgression. Evolutionary trees were constructed using Panstrongylus megistus (Burmeister) as the outgroup. This outgroup gave evidence that the root of the group would be between T. vitticeps (Stål) and the rest of the species. The placement of T. circummaculata into the middle of the infestans complex is not consistent with the morphological classification, suggesting that the current systematics of this group does not reflect phylogenetic affinities.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Chronic dual inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme and neutral endopeptidase during the development of left ventricular dysfunction in dogs.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition as well as neutral endopeptidase (NEP) inhibition was demonstrated to influence hemodynamics in various cardiac disease states. However, specific effects of chronic combined ACE and NEP inhibition on left ventricular (LV) and myocyte geometry and function remain unclear. In this study, a dual-acting metalloprotease inhibitor (DMPI), which possesses both ACE and NEP inhibitory activity, was used in a rapid-pacing model of LV dysfunction. LV and myocyte geometry and function were examined in control dogs (n = 6), in dogs with pacing-induced LV dysfunction (216 +/- 2 beats/min, 28 days, n = 7), and in dogs with DMPI treatment during rapid pacing (10 mg/kg p.o., b.i.d., n = 6). With chronic rapid pacing, LV end-diastolic volume increased (84 +/- 4 vs. 49 +/- 3 ml), and LV ejection fraction decreased (38 +/- 3% vs. 68 +/- 3%) compared with control (p < 0.05). DMPI concomitantly administered during long-term rapid pacing did not change LV ejection fraction (35 +/- 3%), but LV end-diastolic volume was reduced (70 +/- 5 vs. 84 +/- 4 ml; p < 0.05) when compared with rapid pacing only. With long-term rapid pacing, myocyte cross-sectional area was decreased (278 +/- 5 vs. 325 +/- 5 microm2), and resting length increased (178 +/- 2 vs. 152 +/- 1 microm) when compared with control (p < 0.05). With DMPI concomitantly administered during rapid pacing, myocyte cross-sectional area (251 +/- 5 microm2) and resting length (159 +/- 4 microm) were reduced when compared with rapid pacing only (p < 0.05). Myocyte velocity of shortening decreased from control values with long-term rapid pacing (39.3 +/- 3.9 vs. 73.2 +/- 5.9 microm/s; p < 0.05) but improved with DMPI treatment during rapid pacing when compared with rapid pacing only (58.9 +/- 6.7 microm/s; p < 0.05). Myocyte velocity of shortening with beta-adrenergic-receptor stimulation (25 nM isoproterenol) was reduced from controls with rapid pacing (125 +/- 12 vs. 214 +/- 30 microm/s; p < 0.05) but was improved with DMPI treatment during rapid pacing when compared with rapid pacing only (178 +/- 12 microm/s; p < 0.05). In a model of rapid pacing-induced LV failure, concomitant DMPI treatment significantly reduced the degree of LV dilation with no apparent effect on LV pump function. At the level of the LV myocyte, long-term DMPI treatment with rapid pacing improved myocyte performance and beta-adrenergic response. Thus the improvement in isolated myocyte contractile function was not translated into improved global LV-pump performance. The mechanisms by which improved myocyte contractility was not translated into a beneficial effect on LV-pump function with DMPI treatment during rapid pacing remain speculative, but likely include significant changes in LV remodeling and loading conditions.

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors↗
PubMed1997

Evolution of codon usage bias in Drosophila.

We first review what is known about patterns of codon usage bias in Drosophila and make the following points: (i) Drosophila genes are as biased or more biased than those in microorganisms. (ii) The level of bias of genes and even the particular pattern of codon bias can remain phylogenetically invariant for very long periods of evolution. (iii) However, some genes, even very tightly linked genes, can change very greatly in codon bias across species. (iv) Generally G and especially C are favored at synonymous sites in biased genes. (v) With the exception of aspartic acid, all amino acids contribute significantly and about equally to the codon usage bias of a gene. (vi) While most individual amino acids that can use G or C at synonymous sites display a preference for C, there are exceptions: valine and leucine, which prefer G. (vii) Finally, smaller genes tend to be more biased than longer genes. We then examine possible causes of these patterns and discount mutation bias on three bases: there is little evidence of regional mutation bias in Drosophila, mutation bias is likely toward A+T (the opposite of codon usage bias), and not all amino acids display the preference for the same nucleotide in the wobble position. Two lines of evidence support a selection hypothesis based on tRNA pools: highly biased genes tend to be highly and/or rapidly expressed, and the preferred codons in highly biased genes optimally bind the most abundant isoaccepting tRNAs. Finally, we examine the effect of bias on DNA evolution and confirm that genes with high codon usage bias have lower rates of synonymous substitution between species than do genes with low codon usage bias. Surprisingly, we find that genes with higher codon usage bias display higher levels of intraspecific synonymous polymorphism. This may be due to opposing effects of recombination.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Adh nucleotide variation in Drosophila willistoni: high replacement polymorphism in an electrophoretically monomorphic protein.

Drosophila willistoni was the subject of intensive allozyme studies and the locus coding for alcohol dehydrogenase (Adh) was found to be virtually monomorphic. DNA sequence analysis of 18 alleles throughout the distribution of the species has revealed six replacement polymorphisms. The ratio of replacement to silent polymorphisms is higher in D. willistoni than in any other Drosophila species studied for Adh nucleotide variation. Also in contrast to other species, the variation in introns and noncoding DNA is about the same as in the coding region. We speculate that both these differences indicate D. willistoni has historically had a small population size possibly related to Pleistocene refugia in the Neotropics.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase↗
PubMed1997

Synonymous substitution rates in Drosophila: mitochondrial versus nuclear genes.

Synonymous substitution rates in mitochondrial and nuclear genes of Drosophila were compared. To make accurate comparisons, we considered the following: (1) relative synonymous rates, which do not require divergence time estimates, should be used; (2) methods estimating divergence should take into account base composition; (3) only very closely related species should be used to avoid effects of saturation; (4) the heterogeneity of rates should be examined. We modified the methods estimating synonymous substitution numbers to account for base composition bias. By using these methods, we found that mitochondrial genes have 1.7-3.4 times higher synonymous substitution rates than the fastest nuclear genes or 4.5-9.0 times higher rates than the average nuclear genes. The average rate of synonymous transversions was 2.7 (estimated from the melanogaster species subgroup) or 2.9 (estimated from the obscura group) times higher in mitochondrial genes than in nuclear genes. Synonymous transversions in mitochondrial genes occurred at an approximately equivalent rate to those in the fastest nuclear genes. This last result is not consistent with the hypothesis that the difference in turnover rates between mitochondrial and nuclear genomes is the major factor determining higher synonymous substitution rates in mtDNA. We conclude that the difference in synonymous substitution rates is due to a combination of two factors: a higher transitional mutation rate in mtDNA and constraints on nuclear genes due to selection for codon usage.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Codon usage bias and tRNA abundance in Drosophila.

Codon usage bias of 1,117 Drosophila melanogaster genes, as well as fewer D. pseudoobscura and D. virilis genes, was examined from the perspective of relative abundance of isoaccepting tRNAs and their changes during development. We found that each amino acid contributes about equally and highly significantly to overall codon usage bias, with the exception of Asp which had very low contribution to overall bias. Asp was also the only amino acid that did not show a clear preference for one of its synonymous codons. Synonymous codon usage in Drosophila was consistent with "optimal" codons deduced from the isoaccepting tRNA availability. Interestingly, amino acids whose major isoaccepting tRNAs change during development did not show as strong bias as those with developmentally unchanged tRNA pools. Asp is the only amino acid for which the major isoaccepting tRNAs change between larval and adult stages. We conclude that synonymous codon usage in Drosophila is well explained by tRNA availability and is probably influenced by developmental changes in relative abundance.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1997

Melittin and phospholipase A2 from bee (Apis mellifera) venom cause necrosis of murine skeletal muscle in vivo.

Melittin and phospholipase A2 (PLA2) from bee (Apis mellifera) venom were rested for their ability to induce necrosis of skeletal muscle cells after intramuscular injection into mice. Light and electron microscopic examination of tissue indicated that both melittin (4 micrograms/g) and bee venom PLA2 (4 micrograms/g) caused necrosis of skeletal muscle cells within 30 min after i.m. injection. Early changes in the cells consisted of delta lesions, indicating a ruptured plasma membrane, and hypercontraction of myofibrils. By 24 hr the affected cells appeared as an amorphous mass of disorganized and disrupted myofibrils contained in an intact basal lamina. To ensure that the myotoxic activity of the melittin preparation was not due to contaminating. PLA2 activity, the preparation was treated with p-bromophenacyl bromide (p-BPB), a known inhibitor of PLA2 activity. The p-BPB-treated melittin was determined to have no detectable PLA2 activity using a sensitive muscle cell culture assay, and it still induced myonecrosis, although to a lesser extent and of a slower onset. Additionally, p-BPB treatment of purified bee venom PLA2 completely inhibited its myotoxic activity. These results indicate that both melittin and bee venom PLA2 are capable of inducing necrosis of skeletal muscle cells upon i.m. injection, and that the catalytic and myotoxic activities of bee venom PLA2 are inihibited by p-BPB. Also, melittin and contaminating PLA2 in the melittin fraction may be acting synergistically to induce a stronger and more rapid myotoxic effect than occurs with either alone.

Acetophenones↗
PubMed1997

Selective introgression of paracentric inversions between two sibling species of the Anopheles gambiae complex.

The Anopheles gambiae complex includes the major vectors of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa where > 80% of all world-wide cases occur. These mosquitoes are characterized by chromosomal inversions associated to the speciation process and to intraspecific ecological and behavioral flexibility. It has been postulated that introgressive hybridization has selectively transferred inversions on the second chromosome between A. gambiae and A. arabiensis, the two most important vectors of malaria. Here we directly test this hypothesis with laboratory experiments in which hybrid populations were established and the fate of chromosomal inversions were followed. Consistent with the hypothesis, "foreign" X chromosomes were eliminated within two generations, while some "foreign" second chromosomes persisted for the duration of the experiments and, judging from the excess of heterozygotes established stable heterotic polymorphisms. Only those second chromosome inversions found naturally in the species could be introgressed.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Interspecific and intraspecific comparisons of the period locus in the Drosophila willistoni sibling species.

The period (per) locus has received much attention in molecular evolution studies because it is one of the best studied "behavioral genes" and because it offers insight into the evolution of repetitive sequences. We studied most of the coding region of per in Drosophila willistoni and confirmed previously observed patterns of conservation and divergence among distantly related species. Five regions are so highly diverged that they cannot be aligned, whereas a region encompassing the PAS domain is very conserved. Structural and nucleotide polymorphism patterns in the willistoni group are not the same as those observed in previously studied species. We sequenced the region homologous to the highly polymorphic threonine-glycine repeat of D. melanogaster in multiple strains of D. willistoni, as well as in other members of willistoni group, and found an unusual amount of conservation in this region. However, the next nonconserved region downstream in the sequence is quite variable and polymorphic for the number of repeated glycines. The glycine codon usage is significantly different in this glycine repeat as compared to other parts of the gene. We were able to plot the directionality of change in the glycine repeat region onto a phylogeny and find that the addition of glycines is the general trend with the diversification of the willistoni group.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Mitochondrial DNA rates and biogeography in European newts (genus Euproctus).

Sequence divergence for segments of three mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genes encoding the 12S and 16S ribosomal RNA and cytochrome b was examined in newts belonging to the genus Euproctus (E. asper, E. montanus, E. platycephalus) and in three other species belonging to the same family (Salamandridae), Triturus carnifex, T. vulgaris, and Pleurodeles waltl. The three Euproctus species occur (one species each) in Corsica, Sardinia, and the Pyrenees. This vicariant distribution is believed to have been determined by the disjunction and rotation of the Sardinia-Corsica microplate from the Pyreneean region. Because time estimates are available for the tectonic events that led to the separation of the three landmasses, we used sequence data to estimate rates of evolution for the three gene fragments and investigated whether they conform to the rate-constancy hypothesis. By the Tajima (1993, Genetics 135:599-607) test, we could not detect rate heterogeneities for the ribosomal genes and for transversions in the cytochrome b gene. Assuming that these sites are evolving linearly over time and that cessation of gene flow occurred simultaneously with vicariant events, we compared the time of divergence estimated by molecular distances with the divergence times based on the geological estimates. Because we have two estimates of divergence time from the geological record, the split of Corsica/Sardinia from the Pyrenees and the split of Corsica from Sardinia, we could compare ratios of molecular divergence with the ratio of geological time divergence. The ratios are very similar, indicating that the molecular clock hypothesis cannot be rejected. These geological events also allowed us to calculate absolute rates of evolution for ribosomal and cytochrome b genes and compare them to rates for the same regions in other salamandrids and other vertebrates. Ribosomal mtDNA rates are comparable to those reported for other vertebrates, but cytochrome b rates are 3-7 times lower in salamanders than in other ectotherms. From a phylogenetic perspective, our data suggest that the cladogenic events leading to species formation in Euproctus and Triturus occurred very closely in time, indicating that the two genera may not be monophyletic. A duplication of the cytochrome b gene in T. carnifex was found, and the implications of this finding for mtDNA phylogenetic studies are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Angiotensin II subtype-1 receptor blockade during the development of left ventricular hypertrophy in dogs: effects on ventricular and myocyte function.

Inhibition of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) in developing left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy has been demonstrated to have inhibitory effects on myocardial growth. An important mechanism of action of ACE inhibition is modulation of myocardial AT1 Ang II-receptor activity. However, whether and to what extent AT1 Ang II-receptor blockade may influence LV and myocyte function during the hypertrophic process remains unclear. Accordingly, our project examined the relation between changes in LV and myocyte function during the LV hypertrophic process that occurs after recovery from long-term rapid pacing. Dogs were randomly assigned to the following treatment groups: (a) Pace and Recovery, long-term rapid pacing (4 weeks; 216 +/- 2 beats/min) followed by a 4-week recovery period (n = 6); (b) Recovery/AT1 Block, concomitant AT1 Ang II-receptor blockade [irbesartan (SR 47436; BMS-186295) 30 mg/kg b.i.d.] administered during the 4-week recovery period (n = 5); and (c) Control, sham controls (n = 6). There was no difference in mean arterial pressure in any of the three groups. With pacing and recovery, LV end-diastolic volume and mass were increased by >50% from control values. The significant LV remodeling that occurred with recovery from long-term rapid pacing was associated with a decline in LV ejection fraction (59 +/- 3% vs. 68 +/- 4%) and myocyte velocity of shortening (43 +/- 3 microm/s vs. 63 +/- 3 microm/s) when compared with controls (p < 0.05). With recovery from long-term rapid pacing, LV myocyte length (176 +/- 6 microm vs. 150 +/- 1 microm) and cross-sectional area were increased (292 +/- 7 microm2 vs. 227 +/- 6 microm2) compared with controls (p < 0.05). With AT1 Ang II block during recovery from rapid pacing, LV end-diastolic volume was similar to untreated recovery values, but LV mass was normalized. LV ejection fraction was not different from control values with AT1 Ang II-receptor block. Steady-state myocyte velocity of shortening with AT1 Ang II block was similar to control values (55 +/- 5 microm/s), but percentage shortening remained reduced from control (3.55 +/- 0.37% vs. 4.71 +/- 0.12%, respectively, p < 0.05) and was similar to untreated recovery (3.59 +/- 0.23%). With AT1 Ang II block, myocyte length was similar to untreated recovery values, but cross-sectional area was reduced (260 +/- 5 microm2, p < 0.05). Thus AT1 Ang II-receptor blockade instituted in this model of developing LV hypertrophy, significantly reduced LV mass but did not reduce the degree of LV dilation. The cellular basis for these effects of AT1 Ang II-receptor blockade included persistent abnormalities in LV myocyte geometry. AT1 Ang II-receptor blockade improved certain indices of myocyte contractile function from untreated hypertrophy values. These findings suggest that in this pacing-recovery model, the development of LV hypertrophy and myocyte contractile dysfunction may be caused, at least in part, by AT1 Ang II-receptor activation.

Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists↗