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Corticosteroids affect the testicular androgen production in male common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.).

Our previous experiments to study the effect of stress adaptation on pubertal development in carp showed that repeated temperature stress and prolonged feeding with cortisol-containing food pellets, which mimics the endocrine stress effects, retarded the first waves of spermatogenesis and decreased 11-ketotestosterone (11KT) plasma levels. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether the decrease in plasma 11KT is caused by a direct effect of cortisol on the steroid-producing capacity of the testis or by an indirect effect, such as a decrease in plasma LH. Pubertal and adolescent isogenic male common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) were fed with either cortisol-containing food pellets or control food pellets over a prolonged period. Our results indicate that cortisol has a direct inhibitory effect on the testicular androgen secretion independent of the LH secretion. Furthermore, the pubertal period is critical to the influence of cortisol regarding testicular androgen secretion, because the effect is no longer observed at adolescence.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗

Bacteriocin Typing of Burkholderia (Pseudomonas) solanacearum Race 1 of the French West Indies and Correlation with Genomic Variation of the Pathogen.

Burkholderia solanacearum race 1 isolates indigenous to the French West Indies were characterized by bacteriocin typing and two genomic fingerprinting methods: pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of genomic DNA digested by rare-cutting restriction endonucleases (RC-PFGE) and PCR with primers corresponding to repetitive extragenic palindromic (REP), enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC), and BOX elements (collectively known as rep-PCR). The survey comprised 24 reference strains and 65 isolates obtained from a field trial in Guadeloupe in 1993. Comparison of the data identified RC-PFGE as the most discriminatory method, delineating 17 pulsed-field gel profile types. rep-PCR and bacteriocin typing identified nine rep-PCR profile types and nine bacteriocin groups. Independent determination of similarity coefficients and clustering of RC-PFGE and rep-PCR data identified six groups common to both sets of data that correlated to biovar and bacteriocin groups. Further study of bacteriocin production in planta gave results consistent with in vitro bacteriocin typing. It was observed that spontaneous bacteriocin-resistant mutants exhibited a cross-resistance to other bacteriocins as identified by the typing scheme and that such mutants possessed a selective advantage for growth over isogenic nonmutants in the presence of a bacteriocin. The results are significant in the search for biological control of disease by nonpathogenic mutants of the wild-type organism.

Journal Article↗

Macrophage-mediated germination of Bacillus anthracis endospores requires the gerH operon.

The gerHABC operon of Bacillus anthracis, encoding a gerA-like family member of germinant sensors, was shown to be required for endospore germination in the presence of macrophages and in macrophage-conditioned media. The loss of the germination phenotype in macrophage cultures of B. anthracis gerH-null endospores was restored by complementation in trans with a wild-type copy of gerH expressed under the control of its own promoter. Using endospores from both the parental strain B. anthracis Sterne and an isogenic gerH-null strain, we partially characterized germinants secreted by macrophages into the extracellular medium.

Animals↗

Functional differences between manganese and iron superoxide dismutases in Escherichia coli K-12.

Superoxide dismutases are enzymes that defend against oxidative stress through decomposition of superoxide radical. Escherichia coli contains two highly homologous superoxide dismutases, one containing manganese (MnSOD) and the other iron (FeSOD). Although E. coli Mn and FeSOD catalyze the dismutation of superoxide with comparable rate constants, it is not known if they are physiologically equivalent in their protection of cellular targets from oxyradical damage. To address this issue, isogenic strains of E. coli containing either Mn or FeSOD encoded on a plasmid and under the control of tac promoter were constructed. SOD specific activity in the Mn and FeSOD strains could be controlled by the concentration of isopropyl beta-thiogalactoside in the medium. The tolerance of these strains to oxidative stress was compared at equal Mn and FeSOD specific activities. Our results indicate that E. coli Mn and FeSOD are not functionally equivalent. The MnSOD is more effective than FeSOD in preventing damage to DNA, while the FeSOD appears to be more effective in protecting a cytoplasmic superoxide-sensitive enzyme. These data are the first demonstration that Mn and FeSOD are adapted to different antioxidant roles in E. coli.

Drug Resistance, Microbial↗

Biochemical and genetic analysis of lambdaW, the newly isolated lambdoid phage.

Otherwise isogenic Escherichia coli CP78 (relA+) and CP79 (relA-) strains are commonly used in studies on the stringent control, the bacterial response to amino acid starvation. We found that these strains are lysogenic for a phage which is spontaneously induced with a low frequency, producing virions able to infect other E. coli strains. Genetic studies, restriction analysis of the phage DNA genome, and electron microscopy revealed that this phage is very similar to, but not identical with, bacteriophage lambda. We called the newly isolated phage lambdaW, and found that most of CP78/CP79 ancestor strains are lysogenic for this phage.

Bacteriophage lambda↗

The alternative sigma factor AlgT represses Pseudomonas aeruginosa flagellum biosynthesis by inhibiting expression of fleQ.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa poses a serious risk in individuals suffering from cystic fibrosis (CF). Strains colonizing the CF lung are generally motile but frequently convert to a nonmotile phenotype as the disease progresses. In many cases, this is coordinately regulated with the overproduction of the exopolysaccharide alginate. Both the expression of alginate (mucoidy) and the loss of flagellum synthesis may provide the bacterium with a selective advantage in the CF lung. Previously published data showed that the regulation of alginate production and flagellum biosynthesis in the CF isolate FRD1 is inversely controlled by the alternative sigma factor AlgT. In this study, we observed that in CF isolates, the mucoid and the nonmotile phenotypes occur predominantly together. Using microarrays, we compared the transcriptomes of isogenic AlgT(+) and AlgT(-) P. aeruginosa and discovered that AlgT significantly downregulated the majority of flagellar genes. A pronounced inhibitory effect was observed in several genes essential for proper flagellum expression, including fleQ, which encodes an essential flagellar regulator. The microarray data were confirmed by reverse transcriptase PCR analysis and promoter fusion assays in isogenic AlgT(+) and AlgT(-) strains. Transmission electron microscopy, motility assays, and Western blots showed that ectopic expression of FleQ in mucoid, nonmotile CF isolates restored flagellum biosynthesis and motility. Together, these data show that AlgT mediates the negative control of flagellum expression by inhibiting the expression of the flagellar regulator fleQ.

Bacterial Proteins↗

The p53 protein family and radiation sensitivity: Yes or no?

The p53 tumor suppressor protein is a key mediator of an ATM-dependent DNA damage response cascade following cellular exposure to ionizing radiation. The p53-family members, p63 and p73, are highly similar to p53, yet are differentially activated by IR, UV and cis-platinum via ATM and c-abl/ATR signaling pathways. Loss of function of p53 can occur by mutation or degradation; giving rise to alterations in G(1) and G(2) cell cycle checkpoint control, cell death, DNA repair and genetic stability. The end result of these alterations can be the generation of radioresistant mutant tumor cells. Indeed, in isogenic systems, loss of p53 or p73 function has been associated with decreased chemosensitivity and radiosensitivity, in vitro. However, clinical data supporting a role for p53 genotype as an independent predictive factor for radiotherapy outcome continues to be controversial due to variable endpoints in clinical trial design and in methodology in detecting p53 function. Nonetheless, in carefully controlled radiotherapy studies where mutations in p53 have been detected using DNA sequencing or functional assays, the presence of mutant p53 can be associated with decreased local control following radiotherapy. This suggests that novel molecular treatment strategies specifically designed to re-institute normal p53 function within resistant tumors can be used as combined modality protocols to improve local control and maintain a therapeutic ratio. A future challenge lies in the pre-therapy determination of a 'molecular therapeutic ratio' for individual patients which could allow for specific prognostication based on p53 functional status and subsequent individualized therapy.

Animals↗

Examination of serum class I antigen in allograft recipient rats--origin and control of serum class I antigen.

We examined the appearance of DA type (RT1Aa) class I antigen in the serum of rats that had received isogeneic or allogeneic liver grafts (DA into DA, DA into LEW, PVG into DA, PVG into F1 hybrid (DAxPVG). Recipient LEW rats were given either one injection of the anti-CD8 mAb, OX-8, following thymectomy or anti-CD4 mAb (cocktail of OX-35 and OX-38) following thymectomy 3 days prior to liver grafting. We also tested the serum RT1Aa antigen titer of F1 (DAxPVG) recipients after PVG spleen transplantation and the serum RT1Aa antigen titer in the DA rat after hepatectomy and cyclosporin treatment. Replacement of DA liver by PVG lowered transiently the serum level of RT1Aa antigen to 70% of that in normal DA serum shortly after liver transplantation. However, this titer increased gradually over the level in normal DA serum. A PVG spleen graft to an F1 hybrid recipient resulted in death due to typical GVH disease between 13 and 24 days after spleen transplantation. The RT1Aa antigen titer increased to several times more than that in normal F1 serum throughout the observation period. LEW recipients of DA liver died at 9-11 days (9.8 +/- 1.1 days) due to acute liver rejection. In this combination, the serum level of RT1Aa increased until day 8, reaching a maximum (four times) on day 4. Deletion of either CD8+ or CD4+ T cells by anti-CD8 or anti-CD4 MAb in this transplantation prolonged the survival times of liver grafts for up to 26.8 +/- 8.4 and 35.6 +/- 17.9 days, respectively. In the anti-CD8 or anti-CD4 MAb- treated recipients, the serum titer of DA class I antigen was not elevated and there were no differences between the two. Hepatectomy in combination with cyclosporin induced a higher titer of liver-derived class I antigen in the serum as long as liver regeneration proceeded. These results suggest that the liver is the principal source of serum class I antigen in rats. Rejection, GVH reaction and liver regeneration increased the serum class I antigen from transplanted liver or host tissue. It is unlikely that this is due to cleavage of membranous class I antigen by class I- reactive CD8+ T cells.

Animals↗

Scatter factor modulates the metastatic phenotype of the EMT6 mouse mammary tumor.

EMT6 is a transplantable mouse mammary tumor cell line that has been utilized widely as a model system to study the effects of various treatments on local tumor growth and pulmonary metastasis. In this study, we examined the cellular mechanisms by which scatter factor (SF), a fibroblast-derived cytokine that stimulates epithelial cell motility, may contribute to tumor-cell dissemination, using the EMT6 model system. In vitro, SF stimulated EMT6 cell motility, invasiveness and cell-surface expression of urokinase (an enzyme required for cell migration through tissue). SF differentially stimulated EMT6 cell adhesion to and migration onto surfaces coated with collagen I and laminin. EMT6 cells treated in vitro with SF and injected i.v. into isogeneic BALB/c-Rw mice showed a small but significant increase (1.7-fold) in lung colony formation as compared with control cells. For EMT6 cells in vitro, SF had no effect on DNA synthesis, cell proliferation, cell size distribution, or in vitro colony-forming ability. Thus, the increase in lung colonization may be due to enhanced ability of SF-treated cells to adhere to subendothelial basement membrane or to invade through tissue. Studies of the tissue distribution of SF in BALB/c-Rw mice demonstrated high levels of active factor in the lung. Thus, the presence of endogenous pulmonary SF may have reduced the degree to which SF treatment stimulated EMT6 lung colonization. Significant SF activity was also found in extracts of EMT6 tumors. Cultured EMT6 cells did not produce SF, but did produce high titers of a soluble low-molecular-weight protein activity that is capable of stimulating SF production in human fibroblasts 3- to 5-fold. EMT6 tumor extracts contained high titers of a similar SF-inducing activity. These observations suggest that SF may contribute to the invasive and metastatic phenotype of EMT6 cells via a paracrine mechanism in which tumor cells induce the production of SF in stromal fibroblasts.

Animals↗

Prefabrication of a neo-endocrine organ: a rat model.

Previous work in the field of flap prefabrication has demonstrated that many tissues, including skin, bone, cartilage, muscle, and composite tissue, can be neovascularized with a carrier flap and transplanted to a distant site using microvascular technique. We have recently shown in a rat model that islets of Langerhans survive in large numbers when transplanted into a groin-based fasciovascular pedicled (FVP) flap. In the current study, we examined whether sufficient islet tissue can be transferred using microvascular free transfer of islet-containing flaps to reverse experimental diabetes. In the first phase of the experiment, islets from two Lewis rat donors were transplanted into the FVP flap of an isogeneic diabetic animal. Within 5 days, reversal of diabetes was noted in 4/4 experimental animals and in 0/4 control animals. In the second phase of the experiment, islet-FVP flaps were created in nondiabetic "carrier" animals. After 2 weeks the islet-containing flaps were harvested and transplanted to recipient diabetic Lewis rats using microvascular free transfer technique. Reversal of diabetes was noted within 10 days of free-flap transplant, and the diabetic state returned following removal of the flaps. Although preliminary, these results demonstrate that fasciovascular flaps can act as vehicles for the creation and transplantation of a functional neo-endocrine pancreas.

Animals↗

Fine mapping of the recessive genic male-sterile gene (Bnms1) in Brassica napus L.

A recessive genic male sterility (RGMS) system, S45 AB, has been developed from spontaneous mutation in Brassica napus canola variety Oro, and is being used for hybrid cultivar development in China. The male sterility of S45 was controlled by two duplicated recessive genes, named as Bnms1 and Bnms2. In this study, a NIL (near-isogenic line) population from the sib-mating of S45 AB was developed and used for the fine mapping of the Bnms1 gene, in which the recessive allele was homozygous at the second locus. AFLP technology combined with BSA (bulked segregant analysis) was used. From a survey of 2,560 primer combinations (+3/+3 selective bases), seven AFLP markers linked closely to the target gene were identified, of which four were successfully converted to sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers. For further analysis, a population of 1,974 individuals was used to map the Bnms1 gene. On the fine map, Bnms1 gene was flanked by two SCAR markers, SC1 and SC7, with genetic distance of 0.1 cM and 0.3 cM, respectively. SC1 was subsequently mapped on linkage group N7 using doubled-haploid mapping populations derived from the crosses Tapidor x Ningyou7 and DH 821 x DHBao 604, available at IMSORB, UK, and our laboratory, respectively. Linkage of an SSR marker, Na12A02, with the Bnms1 gene further confirmed its location on linkage group N7. Na12A02, 2.6 cM away from Bnms1, was a co-dominant marker. These molecular markers developed from this research will facilitate the marker-assisted selection of male sterile lines and the fine map lays a solid foundation for map-based cloning of the Bnms1 gene.

Alleles↗

Allelic exchange mutagenesis of rpoN encoding RNA-polymerase sigma54 subunit in Helicobacter pylori.

The rpoN gene, encoding the alternative sigma factor (sigma54) of Helicobacter pylori, was amplified from genomic DNA. H. pylori rpoN has an overall similarity to the rpoN of other bacteria, but lacks a glutamine (Q)-rich region in region I and an acidic region in region II. When the rpoN gene was disrupted, the mutant was found to be completely nonmotile. Because the flaB gene has an rpoN consensus sequence in its promoter region, we assessed the transcriptional activity of the flaB gene, using xylE transcriptional fusion. In the isogenic mutant of rpoN, transcription of the flaB gene was severely affected, but transcription of the ureA gene (control) was intact. In late stationary phase, the rpoN mutant showed marked decreases in viability: i.e., the number of colony-forming units (CFU) at 100 h was 4 log lower in the rpoN mutant than in the wild-type strain. By morphological examination with acridine orange staining, the rpoN mutant showed green and faintly orange-stained irregularly shaped cells with a few orange-stained rod/spiral cells. In contrast, the wild-type strain and the non-flagella flgE mutant (control) contained many orange-stained rod/spiral and coccoid cells. These results indicated that in H. pylori, RpoN is involved not only in motility but also in viability, through the morphological changes in the stationary phase.

Alleles↗

Pre-arrest heparinization and ventilation during warm ischemia preserves lung function in non-heart-beating donors.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: To solve the problem of donor scarcity, many attempts have been made including improved community education, relaxed organ acceptance criteria, increased reliance on single lung transplantation, and the use of partial organ donation. Unfortunately, these efforts have produced only modest increases in lung allograft availability; therefore, the so-called non-heart-beating organ donation must be considered. The aim of this study is to assess the viability of the non-heart-beating donor (NHBD) lung transplant rat model and determine the best strategy to manage the donor before and after cardiac arrest. METHODS: Fifty-five inbred Fischer rats were used as donors and recipients in an isogenic model of left lung transplantation. The rats were divided into 6 groups (n = 5): group I, normal controls without transplant; group II, heart-beating donor controls (HBD); group III, NHBD, no heparin, no ventilation during warm ischemia; group IV, NHBD, heparin, no ventilation; group V, NHBD, no heparin, ventilation; group VI, NHBD, heparin, ventilation. All lungs were stored at 4 degrees C for 4 hours. Animals were killed 24 hours after implantation. Gas exchange, pulmonary artery pressure, compliance, chest x-ray score, and histological score were assessed. RESULTS: Heparinized and ventilated animals during warm ischemia (group VI) had similar performance than those transplanted without warm ischemia time in a scenario of heart-beating donor (group II). Groups III, IV, and V transplanted lungs showed severe damage. CONCLUSIONS: The authors conclude that the rat lung transplantation model is useful to study the phenomena that occur in a setting of transplantation using NHBD and that heparinization and ventilation before cardiac arrest is the best strategy to manage non-heart-beating donors in this model.

Animals↗

Base analog 6-N-hydroxylaminopurine mutagenesis in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is controlled by replicative DNA polymerases.

Genetic control of mutagenesis by the base analog 6-N-hydroxylaminopurine (HAP) was studied in a set of isogenic yeast strains carrying null or point mutations in DNA repair and replication genes. Null alleles of the PMS1, RAD6, REV3 and RAD52 genes did not affect HAP mutagenesis. Defects in 3'- > 5' exonucleases associated with DNA polymerases epsilon and delta led to 2- to 3-fold increases in HAP-induced forward Can(r) mutant frequency. A similar increase was observed for FOAr mutants but only in the strain with a defective exonuclease of the polymerase epsilon (mutation pol2-4). The polymerase epsilon mutations, pol2-9 and pol2-18, which lead to temperature-sensitivity, and pol2-1 (insertion of URA3 at the position coding for amino acid 1134 in the POL2 gene) substantially reduced HAP mutagenesis. The polymerase delta mutation, cdc2-2, slightly reduced HAP mutagenesis. Enhanced proofreading was not the cause of the antimutator effect in the pol2-18 bearing strain, inasmuch as antimutator effect was observed in the pol2-4,18 mutant strain lacking proofreading. From the data obtained, we conclude that both DNA polymerase epsilon and delta participate in mutation generation by HAP.

Adenine↗

Association of BK viruria with hemorrhagic cystitis in recipients of bone marrow transplants.

Fifty-three recipients of bone marrow transplants were monitored prospectively for urinary excretion of human polyomaviruses by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays of urinary supernatants and DNA hybridization assays of urinary cells. Excretion of BK virus was demonstrated in 47 percent of the transplant recipients and was the result of the reactivation of latent virus. Hemorrhagic cystitis of long duration (greater than or equal to 7 days) was associated with BK viruria. The disease occurred four times more frequently in patients who excreted BK virus than in those who did not, and the virus was identified in 55 percent of the urine specimens during episodes of cystitis as compared with 8 to 11 percent of the specimens during cystitis-free periods. BK viruria often preceded or coincided with the onset of the disease. Among 19 patients with BK viruria lasting seven days or longer, hemorrhagic cystitis occurred in 15. Occurrence of the disease was related to the source of marrow. The disease occurred in 50 percent of 38 recipients of allogeneic marrow and in 7 percent of 15 recipients of syngeneic or autologous marrow. Among recipients of allogeneic marrow, the disease was observed in 71 percent of the 21 patients excreting BK virus and in 24 percent of the 17 not excreting the virus. An association of BK virus with hemorrhagic cystitis was demonstrated in 16 of the 18 cases of the disease that were adequately characterized. We conclude that reactivation of BK virus may account for a substantial proportion of late-onset, long-lasting hemorrhagic cystitis in recipients of bone marrow transplants.

BK Virus↗

Hybrid dysgenesis-induced quantitative variation on the X chromosome of Drosophila melanogaster.

To determine the ability of the P-M hybrid dysgenesis system of Drosophila melanogaster to generate mutations affecting quantitative traits, X chromosome lines were constructed in which replicates of isogenic M and P strain X chromosomes were exposed to a dysgenic cross, a nondysgenic cross, or a control cross, and recovered in common autosomal backgrounds. Mutational heritabilities of abdominal and sternopleural bristle score were in general exceptionally high-of the same magnitude as heritabilities of these traits in natural populations. P strain chromosomes were eight times more mutable than M strain chromosomes, and dysgenic crosses three times more effective than nondysgenic crosses in inducing polygenic variation. However, mutational heritabilities of the bristle traits were appreciable for P strain chromosomes passed through one nondysgenic cross, and for M strain chromosomes backcrossed for seven generations to inbred P strain females, a result consistent with previous observations on mutations affecting quantitative traits arising from nondysgenic crosses. The new variation resulting from one generation of mutagenesis was caused by a few lines with large effects on bristle score, and all mutations reduced bristle number.

Animals↗

[Heavy heat shock induces genetic variation in a polygenic system of a quantitative trait in Drosophila].

Results of two experiments dealing with positive and negative selection on the quantitative trait radius incompletus in an isogenic line of Drosophila melanogaster after heavy heat shock (HHS) are presented. Selection was not effective in the control without HHS. In experiment 1, in which offspring of HHS-exposed males lacked transposition induction, selection also was ineffective. By contrast, selection was highly effective in offspring of males that responded to HHS exposure by transposition induction. Thus, HHS, which is not mutagenic, generates genetic variation in a polygenic system of a quantitative trait via transpositions and excisions of mobile genetic elements. In experiment 2, positive and negative selection was conducted in three replicates, which showed concerted dynamics of the selected trait. This means that the trait dynamics is mainly related to the nearly deterministic process of accumulation of active polygenic alleles rather than to genetic drift. The induced variation of polygenic systems promotes rapid selection of "champion" genotypes. This variation is probably associated with "soft" modification of polygene expression by adjacent MGE copies.

Animals↗

[Heterosis of quantitative trait loci modifying lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster].

Knowledge of genes responsible for aging and death is a prerequisite for determining the relative contributions of the different evolutionary factors responsible for the limited duration of life. Polymorphism of these genes probably accounts for the variation in lifespan. Previously, quantitative trait loci (QTLs) controlling this variation were mapped with the use of 98 recombinant inbred (RI) lines originating from two parental isogenic Drosophila melanogaster stocks. In each RI line, lifespan was measured for 25 males and 25 females, and alleles were established for 93 marker genes segregating between the parental lines. Significant correlation between marker segregation and lifespan was revealed for several chromosome regions. The lifespan genes had sex-specific effects and late age onset. In the present work, the effects of the QTLs were compared for homozygous and heterozygous flies. In Six out of the eight detected QTLs alleles that decreased lifespan were recessive. Heterosis was observed for a of QTL at 33E-38A. Thus, heterosis might contribute to maintaining variation in lifespan in natural populations.

Alleles↗