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The reactivity of defects at the sidewalls of single-walled carbon nanotubes: the Stone-Wales defect.

The reactivity of 5/7/7/5 (Stone-Wales, SW) defects is compared to that of the pristine sidewalls of (5,5) and (10,0) carbon nanotubes (CNTs) using density functional theory (PBE). Infinite tube models (periodic boundary conditions) are used to investigate the reaction energy for CH(2) addition to the ten [5,6], [5,7], [6,7], and [7,7] C-C junctions resulting from SW rotations of the two unique bonds in (5,5) and (10,0) CNTs. In all cases, at least one of the junctions associated with the SW defects is more highly reactive than the pristine tubes. The orientation of these junctions with respect to the tube axis mainly determines the exothermicity. The [7,7] junctions are not the most reactive sites in SW defects of (5,5) and (10,0) CNTs.

Journal Article↗

Defective expression of B7-2 (CD86) on monocytes of dialysis patients correlates to the uremia-associated immune defect.

BACKGROUND: Specific cellular immune reactions in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) are impaired by a defect of the antigen-presenting cells. To elucidate the molecular background for this defect, we determined the expression of human lymphocyte antigen (HLA)-DR and costimulatory molecules on monocytes of hemodialysis patients. METHODS: The expression of HLA-DR, B7-1 (CD80), and B7-2 (CD86) molecules was determined on CD14+ monocytes of chronic hemodialysis patients prior to a dialysis session. Mononuclear cells of these patients were cultured, and expression of the respective antigens was determined after in vitro activation by various stimuli. Results were correlated with in vitro proliferation of T cells in a phytohemagglutinin (PHA) assay and the clinical response to a hepatitis B vaccination. All data were compared with healthy controls and patients with CRF who were not on dialysis. RESULTS: Monocytes of chronic hemodialysis patients but not CRF patients expressed low levels of costimulatory B7-2, while HLA-DR expression was normal. B7-1 was only expressed on activated monocytes, and the expression reached normal levels in hemodialysis patients. Baseline expression of B7-2 highly correlated with the results of T-cell proliferation assays in hemodialysis patients and also with the clinical immune response. CONCLUSIONS: Impaired expression and up-regulation of B7-2 is an important feature of the cellular immune defect in chronic hemodialysis patients. It leads to reduced costimulation and effector activation of T cells and contributes to a molecular explanation for the impaired response of hemodialysis patients to the hepatitis B vaccination.

Adult↗

Animal cell mutants defective in sterol metabolism: a specific selection procedure and partial characterization of defects.

By using a chemically defined medium, a general and highly specific procedure was devised to select for mutant cells with less abundant or structurally altered sterol in their surface membranes. Within a certain concentration range, the polyene antibiotic filipin was shown to kill only cells with normal (as opposed to decreased) membrane sterol levels. Sterol-requiring derivatives of LM cells were isolated by chemical mutagenesis, filipin treatment, and cloning followed by replica plating in soft agar. Mutants (S1 and S2) are described which, when compared to normal cells, show decreased synthesis of demosterol in vivo from acetate and mevalonate relative to cell number or to fatty acid synthesis. When exogenous sterol is supplied, mutants S1 and S2 grow normally in suspension culture. However, when deprived of sterol supplement, mutant S1 grows slower than wild type cells and mutant S2 lyses within one to two generations. Gas/liquid chromatography revealed that the mutants contained a normal spectrum of fatty acids including unsaturated fatty acyl groups but, unlike wildtype cells, they have less abundant (mutant S1) or no (mutant S2) desmosterol in either the presence or absence of exogenous cholesterol. In vitro experiments with mevalonate as the substrate suggest that the defect in both mutants is in a demethylation reaction subsequent to lanosterol synthesis. The selection method developed here may permit the isolation of mutants with defective membrane incorporation of sterols and other polyisoprenoids as well as defective synthesis of these compounds.

Acetates↗

An Escherichia coli mutant defective in single-strand binding protein is defective in DNA replication.

An Escherichia coli mutant, temperature-sensitive for DNA synthesis in vivo and in vitro, is defective in single-strand binding protein (SSB; DNA-binding protein). Conversion of phage G4 single strands to the duplex form is defective in crude enzyme fractions of the mutant and is complemented by pure wild-type SSB. Radioimmunoassays of mutant extracts show normal levels of material crossreacting with anti-SSB antibody. SSB purified to homogeneity from the mutant is active, with lower specific activity, in the reconstituted G4 replication assay at 30 degrees C, but virtually inactive at 42 degrees C. Surprisingly, the mutant protein, like the wild-type protein, survives heating at 100 degrees C. Thus, mutant SSB is structurally heat-resistant but is functionally thermosensitive in vitro and in vivo. Both the in vivo and in vitro defects are tightly linked in transductions by phage P1. The mutation in the binding protein, designated ssb-1, is located between 90 and 91 min on the E. coli genetic map.

Coliphages↗

Age-related defects in spatial memory are correlated with defects in the late phase of hippocampal long-term potentiation in vitro and are attenuated by drugs that enhance the cAMP signaling pathway.

To study the physiological and molecular mechanisms of age-related memory loss, we assessed spatial memory in C57BL/B6 mice from different age cohorts and then measured in vitro the late phase of hippocampal long-term potentiation (L-LTP). Most young mice acquired the spatial task, whereas only a minority of aged mice did. Aged mice not only made significantly more errors but also exhibited greater individual differences. Slices from the hippocampus of aged mice exhibited significantly reduced L-LTP, and this was significantly and negatively correlated with errors in memory. Because L-LTP depends on cAMP activation, we examined whether drugs that enhanced cAMP would attenuate the L-LTP and memory defects. Both dopamine D1/D5 receptor agonists, which are positively coupled to adenylyl cyclase, and a cAMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor ameliorated the physiological as well as the memory defects, consistent with the idea that a cAMP-protein kinase A-dependent signaling pathway is defective in age-related spatial memory loss.

Aging↗

Genetic defect of the sodium pump-defective mutant Nap-1 from the marine Vibrio alginolyticus.

The marine bacterium, Vibrio alginolyticus, has a respiratory chain-linked Na(+)-translocating NADH-quinone reductase (NQR). Among several mutant cells defective in Na+ pump activity, Nap1 was a very stable mutant and a spontaneous revertant could not be isolated from Nap1. Using genetic information from the recently sequenced nqr operon, the genetic defects in Nap1 were examined, and the sodium pump-defective mutant Nap1 was found to be caused by the insertion of a 1.2 kbp DNA fragment into the C-terminal region of nqr6 gene.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Comparison of demographic and defect characteristics among different developmental stages of congenital limb reduction defects.

This study investigates how the timing of the development of limb reduction defects (LRDs) is associated with selected demographic, medical variables and defect characteristics. The LRD cases (n = 281) were ascertained from the Congenital Malformations Registry of New York State among 1983-1987 births. Cases were classified according to five stages of gestation based on when their earliest LRD developed. A control group consisted of a systematic random sample (n = 327) of non-malformed livebirths. Demographic and LRD characteristics were abstracted from birth certificates and medical charts. Among LRDs, the defects that occurred in the earlier stages of gestation were found to be more complex problems, compared with those developing in the later stages. Middle or late stage LRDs tended to occur more often with syndactyly than early stage LRDs, and had significantly higher frequencies of non-white infants compared with controls. In addition, some perinatal complications, pre-term delivery and low birthweight were positively associated with any LRD. Our findings suggest that the timing of a disturbance in limb development is important in terms of LRD characteristics. Demographics did not vary consistently with the stage of LRD development. Further studies testing this classification technique are suggested.

Adult↗

Tail stump sperm defect in Ayrshire bulls: morphogenesis of the defect.

Three cases of tail stump sperm defect have been presented in Finnish Ayrshire bulls. The semen samples of the bulls showed markedly reduced number of sperm with almost total absence of tails. Transmission and scanning electron microscopy of the testicular samples revealed the testicular origin of the defect. The anlagen of the implantation fossa, proximal and distal centrioles, connecting piece, nuclear ring, manchette and annulus were demonstrated, but the axoneme formation was completely blocked. A separate population of spermatids showed nuclear bending and was possibly destroyed by the phagocytic activity of Sertoli cells. The pedigree of the bulls supports the concept that the defect is inherited by a single recessive autosomal gene.

Animals↗

Defective platelet responsiveness to thrombin and protease-activated receptors agonists in a novel case of gray platelet syndrome: correlation between the platelet defect and the alpha-granule content in the patient and four relatives.

BACKGROUND: We report a novel case of gray platelet syndrome (GPS). A 14-year-old boy had bleeding diathesis, mild thrombocytopenia, giant platelets with severe defect of alpha-granule secretory proteins, myelofibrosis and splenomegaly. METHODS AND RESULTS: Platelet function studies showed a marked reduction of aggregation and Ca(2+) mobilization by thrombin, protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1)-activating peptide (AP) and PAR4-AP, PAR1 expression at 55% of normal levels, and a more than two hundred fold reduction of in vitro whole-blood thromboxane B(2) (TXB(2)) production. Sequencing of coding regions of the PAR1 gene failed to show abnormalities. This patient was initially classified as a sporadic case of GPS, as electron microscopy failed to identify giant platelets and/or alpha-granule deficiency in his relatives. However, further studies on the father and three other relatives showed a relative lack of platelet alpha-granule proteins by immunofluorescence microscopy, a defective platelet response to PAR4-AP, and severely reduced in vitro whole-blood TXB(2) production. On this basis, we suggest that in this family, GPS was transmitted in a dominant fashion with highly variable penetrance. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that current diagnostic criteria fail to identify some patients with a mild GPS phenotype and that such patients might be identified by the methods cited above. It also better characterizes the pathogenesis of defective platelet responses to thrombin, and raises interesting questions on the correlation between abnormal PAR function and the lack of alpha-granule content in GPS.

Adolescent↗

Developmental enamel defects in primary teeth in children with cerebral palsy, mental retardation, or hearing defects: a review.

Developmental enamel defects in primary teeth have been found at least twice as frequently in children with cerebral palsy or mental retardation as in control children, and frequently also in children with sensori-neural hearing deficits. The developing tooth germ is sensitive to a range of systemic disturbances, some of which may also affect neurologic development. Because the enamel cannot recover once it is damaged, it may provide a repository of information on the timing and nature of insults potentially affecting other ectodermally derived structures, including the brain. This paper reviews the literature on developmental defects of enamel in primary teeth, asking whether these might be useful as biological markers of the timing and in some cases the nature of insults. Among systemic factors related to development of enamel that might also have implications for neurologic development are certain genetic disorders including tuberous sclerosis, premature birth, neonatal nutritional disturbances (especially hypocalcemia), viral infections (such as rubella and cytomegalovirus during gestation), thyroid disorders, and maternal diabetes. It is concluded that further research is warranted concerning whether developmental defects of dental enamel can be useful markers for the timing of intra-uterine or perinatal events associated with certain neurologic and sensory disorders of children.

Cerebral Palsy↗

[Formation of congenital defects during ocular development. I. Embryogenesis of the eye and developmental birth defects].

Formation of developmental congenital defects of organ of vision finds its direct basis in the course of eye embryogenesis. Author of this work presents on the base of the literature, the crucial stages of embryonal development of eyeball and its individual structures. At every stage of development, the critical moments are shown, when the disturbance of the developmental process may lead to the origination of different groups of congenital eye defects. The knowledge of the potential period of particular congenital eye defects formation, facilitates the identification of eventual teratogenic factors, that have acted during pregnancy. It enables, to state the activity of gradually discovered genes, that regulate the course of embryonal development of the eye.

Eye↗

Defective cell-mediated immunity in leprosy: failure of T cells from lepromatous leprosy patients to respond to Mycobacterium leprae is associated with defective expression of interleukin 2 receptors and is not reconstituted by interleukin 2.

Patients with lepromatous leprosy (LL) but not borderline tuberculoid leprosy (BT) have defective cell-mediated immune responses to Mycobacterium leprae, despite normal responses to other stimuli, as judged by in vivo skin testing and in vitro lymphocyte transformation. To investigate the basis of the immune defect in LL patients, we studied the ability of patient mononuclear leukocytes to produce interleukin 1 (IL 1) and interleukin 2 (IL 2) upon stimulation with M. leprae, and determined the ability of exogenous IL 1 and IL 2 to reconstitute the LL patient response to this antigen in vitro. Equal numbers of adherent non-T cells from LL and BT patients produced similar amounts of IL 1 upon challenge with M. leprae, and addition of IL 1 to the culture medium failed to reconstitute the response of lymphocytes from LL patients to M. leprae. On the other hand, T cells of LL patients failed to express receptors for IL 2 or to produce IL 2 in response to M. leprae, whereas similarly treated T cells of BT patients both expressed IL 2 receptors and produced IL 2. Finally, recombinant human IL 2 purified to homogeneity as well as crude supernatants of mitogen-activated lymphocytes failed to reconstitute the response of LL patients to M. leprae. These results suggest that T cells of LL patients fail to respond to M. leprae despite an ability to produce IL 1 and that their failure to express receptors for IL 2 may explain both defective proliferation and the failure of exogenous IL 2 to reconstitute the response.

Animals↗

Defective vaccine-induced resistance to Schistosoma mansoni in P strain mice. III. Specificity of the associated defect in cell-mediated immunity.

In contrast to many other strains, inbred P strain mice fail to develop significant levels of resistance to challenge Schistosoma mansoni infection as a result of prior vaccination with radiation-attenuated cercariae. In this study, the relationship between defects in resistance and development of cell-mediated immune reactivity was examined. Although splenocytes from immunized P mice demonstrated deficiencies in production of macrophage-activating lymphokine(s) in response to either antigenic or mitogenic stimulation, other aspects of T lymphocyte responsiveness including blastogenesis, production of interleukin 2, interleukin 3 and macrophage chemotactic factor, as well as helper cell function for secondary plaque-forming cell response to a T-dependent antigen and allospecific cytolytic T cell reactivity, appeared to be comparable with those of C57BL/6 mice, a strain that is protected by vaccination against S. mansoni. FACS comparison revealed no significant deficits in percentages of Thy-1+, Lyt-1+, or L3T4+ splenocytes in vaccinated P mice. The P-associated defect in production of macrophage-activating factor appeared to be at the level of the T cell rather than the antigen-presenting cell, because macrophages from P mice could reconstitute the lymphokine-producing capacity of T-enriched splenocytes from immunized, resistant (C57BL/6 X P) F1 or B10.P mice, whereas the converse was not true. These results indicate that vaccinated P mice have a selective defect in T cell function for production of macrophage-activating lymphokine, which is manifested as a failure to produce activated larvicidal macrophages at the site of specific antigen challenge in vivo and may be associated with the failure of this strain to become resistant to S. mansoni.

Animals↗

[Diagnostic and therapeutic problems of osteomeningeal defects and traumatic cerebrospinal fluid defects of the anterior floor of the base of the skull. Apropos of 95 cases].

The authors here report teaching drawn from the latest ninety five cases of osteo-dural defects in basilar skull fractures they have surgically treated. They particularly insist on the following points: Difficulties in establishing a clinical diagnosis when the traumatism is in its acute stage: initially 55% of patients do not show any symptom of rhinorrhea, so that the diagnosis is only based on X-ray data. Previous to any surgical treatment the number of serious septic meningitis is rather high in as much as it reaches 10.55% in this series. Risk of infection together with bone damages incite the authors to suggest a surgical treatment of dural defects in their acute stage, namely within the two weeks following the accident. The study of results shows that due to treatment complications, are not insignificant. The authors then tackle the problems of technics and osteo-dural restoration. They, at last, explain, in this series, the interest of preventive antiepileptic treatment by hydantoins during and after the operation. Despite complications due to treatment the results in this series appear to be significant enough to allow the authors to place the indication of the surgical treatment of traumatic osteo-dural defects in basilar skull at the acute stage of their evolution.

Bone Transplantation↗

Mechanism of defective NK cell activity in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-related complex. II. Normal antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) mediated by effector cells defective in natural killer (NK) cytotoxicity.

Our studies and other investigations have shown that NK effector cells can also mediate antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) through the use of the Fc gamma receptor on the NK cell membrane. Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) derived from patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-related complex exhibit a poor NK activity due to a defective "trigger" required for activation in the lethal hit stage of the NK lytic pathway. Consequently, it was important to delineate whether the defect in AIDS NK cells affected the ADCC function. By using the 51Cr-release assay, the ADCC cytotoxic activity of AIDS PBL was found to be within the normal range, despite the absence of significant NK activity. Several experiments corroborated that the same effector cells mediate both NK CMC and ADCC. Depletion of Fc gamma R-bearing cells resulted in elimination of both the ADCC and NK cytotoxic functions. Single cell analyses, using one- and two-target cell conjugates, revealed that the frequency of ADCC effector:target conjugates and the frequency of killer cells from AIDS PBL were comparable to the frequencies seen in the normal controls. However, when mixtures of NK and ADCC targets were used to form mixed two-target conjugates, the AIDS effector cells lysed only the bound ADCC target, whereas the normal effector cells lysed both the bound NK and ADCC targets. These results demonstrate clearly that the same NK/K effector cells from AIDS PBL, defective in NK activity, are not impaired in mediating ADCC activity. These findings were supported by the demonstration that AIDS PBL stimulated with ADCC targets, but not with NK targets, released NK cytotoxic factors, postulated mediators of the NK CMC reaction. These findings indicate that the NK/K cells in AIDS are triggered normally for ADCC activity but are not triggered for NK activity. Furthermore, the results indicate that the lytic machinery is not impaired in the AIDS NK/K cells.

AIDS-Related Complex↗

Defective tumoricidal capacity of macrophages from P/J mice: characterization of the macrophage cytotoxic defect after in vivo and in vitro activation stimuli.

Unlike macrophages from responsive mouse strains, peritoneal cells of P/J mice treated in vivo with viable Mycobacterium bovis, strain BCG, or killed Corynebacterium parvum fail to develop tumoricidal activity. P/J macrophages treated in vitro with lymphokine-rich supernatants, bacterial endotoxic lipopolysaccharides (LPS) or T cell mitogens also fail to develop cytotoxic activity. Experimental manipulation of effector:target cell ratios, doses of activation stimuli, or tumor target cells did not evoke cytotoxic activity. The macrophage defect of P/J mice appeared similar to that of lipid A-insensitive C3H/HeJ mice. The macrophage defect of C3H/HeJ mice is controlled by a gene identical or closely linked to the Lpsd gene. Tumoricidal defects of P/J macrophages, however, appeared independent of the Lpsd gene: responses of P/J spleen cells or macrophages to LPS, which are controlled by the Lps gene, were normal. P/J mice therefore represent a distinct and potentially useful genetic probe for characterization of mechanisms in macrophage activation.

Animals↗

First report of combined factor VII Padua defect and von Willebrand's disease due to casual association of the two defects.

We report a family with a combined factor VII Padua defect and von Willebrand's disease (vWd). The propositus is a 9-year-old child with a moderate bleeding tendency who appeared to be heterozygous for both factor VII Padua and type I vWd. The diagnosis of factor VII Padua was based on a normal factor VII antigen and factor VII activity which was low with rabbit brain thromboplastin but normal with ox brain thromboplastin. Type I vWd was diagnosed because of a concomitant decrease of von Willebrand factor antigen (vWf:Ag) and vWf ristocetin-cofactor activity (vWf:RCoF), associated with the presence of vWf multimers of all sizes in plasma and platelets. The parents were not consanguineous but came from the same isolated river Piave valley in North Eastern Italy where the factor VII Padua defect was first described. The father had the factor VII Padua defect but was clinically asymptomatic in accordance with the heterozygous state. The propositus's mother had type I vWd and was mildly symptomatic. The propositus' sisters, who were clinically asymptomatic, were both heterozygotes for factor VII Padua. The infusion of DDAVP normalized the factor VIII/vWf pattern in all patients. In the propositus, in contrast to the mother and normal subjects, showed a more rapid clearance both of vWf and factor VIII. The same pattern, albeit to a lesser degree, was also observed in the father.

Child↗

Complementation between kinase-defective and activation-defective TGF-beta receptors reveals a novel form of receptor cooperativity essential for signaling.

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) signals through two transmembrane serine/threonine kinases, T beta R-I and T beta R-II. TGF-beta binds to T beta R-II, allowing this receptor to associate with and phosphorylate T beta R-I which then propagates the signal. T beta R-I is phosphorylated within its GS domain, a region immediately preceding the kinase domain. To further understand the function of T beta R-I in this complex, we analyzed T beta R-I-inactivating mutations identified in cell lines that are defective in TGF-beta signaling yet retain ligand binding ability. The three mutations identified here all fall in the kinase domain of T beta R-I. One mutation disrupts the kinase activity of T beta R-I, whereas the other two mutations prevent ligand-induced T beta R-I phosphorylation, and thus activation, by T beta R-II. Unexpectedly, a kinase-defective T beta R-I mutant can functionally complement an activation- defective T beta R-I mutant, by rescuing its T beta R-II- dependent phosphorylation. Together with evidence that the ligand-induced receptor complex contains two or more T beta R-I molecules, these results support a model in which the kinase domain of one T beta R-I molecule interacts with the GS domain of another, enabling its phosphorylation and activation by T beta R-II. This cooperative interaction between T beta R-I molecules appears essential for TGF-beta signal transduction.

Amino Acid Sequence↗