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Teaching resources. An interactive course in nuclear receptor signaling: concepts and models.

This interactive online course sketches some of the landmark studies and discoveries in the field of nuclear receptors since the field's inception. Although the course is primarily focused at advanced life sciences students and scientists from other disciplines wishing to become acquainted with the field, it is likely to also be a useful resource for anyone associated with the discipline of nuclear receptor signaling. This animated course was created by members of the Nuclear Receptor Signaling Atlas (NURSA; www.nursa.org), which is an NIH-funded research consortium formed with the aim of providing a repository of nuclear receptor-related data for use of the scientific community.

Animals↗

How do microRNAs regulate gene expression?

Several thousand human genes, amounting to about one-third of the whole genome, are potential targets for regulation by the several hundred microRNAs (miRNAs) encoded in the genome. The regulation occurs posttranscriptionally and involves the approximately 21-nucleotide miRNA interacting with a target site in the mRNA that generally has imperfect complementarity to the miRNA. The target sites are almost invariably in the 3'-untranslated region of the messenger RNA (mRNA), often in multiple copies. Metazoan miRNAs were previously thought to down-regulate protein expression by inhibiting target mRNA translation at some stage after the translation initiation step, without much effect on mRNA abundance. However, recent studies have questioned these suppositions. With some targets, an increase in the rate of mRNA degradation by the normal decay pathway contributes to the decrease in protein expression. miRNAs can also inhibit translation initiation, specifically the function of the cap-binding initiation factor, eIF4E. Repressed target mRNAs as well as miRNAs themselves accumulate in cytoplasmic foci known as P-bodies, where many enzymes involved in mRNA degradation are concentrated. However, P-bodies may also serve as repositories for the temporary and reversible storage of untranslated mRNA, and reducing the expression (knockdown) of several distinct P-body protein components can alleviate miRNA-mediated repression of gene expression.

Animals↗

Identification of highly potent and selective inhibitors of Toxoplasma gondii dihydrofolate reductase.

Toxoplasma gondii RH was obtained in high yield from culture in RPMI medium on a line of Chinese hamster ovary cells lacking dihydrofolate reductase activity (ATCC 3952 dhfr-; American Type Culture Collection). Dihydrofolate reductase preparations from harvested organisms had specific activities of 22.9 +/- 2.1 nmol/min/mg. The 50% inhibitory concentrations against reference compounds were 0.014 microM for methotrexate, 0.24 microM for pyrimethamine, 2.7 microM for trimethoprim, and 0.010 microM for trimetrexate. The Km value for NADPH was 11 microM and followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics; the Km for dihydrofolate was ca. 11 microM, but substrate inhibition appeared to occur at high substrate concentrations. Dihydrofolate reductase from T. gondii was used to screen 130 compounds from the National Cancer Institute repository. Thirteen compounds were > 100-fold more potent than pyrimethamine toward T. gondii dihydrofolate reductase; six compounds with various potencies were 8 to 46 times as selective as pyrimethamine for the protozoal form of the enzyme over the mammalian form. Four trimetrexate analogs were more potent than trimetrexate, and two were significantly more selective. Representative compounds were also tested in a culture model of T. gondii employing uracil incorporation as an index of growth. One pyrimethamine analog was as effective as pyrimethamine in inhibiting T. gondii in culture (50% inhibitory concentration, 0.45 microM). Three other compounds were also effective at micromolar concentrations.

Animals↗

The unique 16S rRNA genes of piezophiles reflect both phylogeny and adaptation.

In the ocean's most extreme depths, pressures of 70 to 110 megapascals prevent the growth of all but the most hyperpiezophilic (pressure-loving) organisms. The physiological adaptations required for growth under these conditions are considered to be substantial. Efforts to determine specific adaptations permitting growth at extreme pressures have thus far focused on relatively few gamma-proteobacteria, in part due to the technical difficulties of obtaining piezophilic bacteria in pure culture. Here, we present the molecular phylogenies of several new piezophiles of widely differing geographic origins. Included are results from an analysis of the first deep-trench bacterial isolates recovered from the southern hemisphere (9.9-km depth) and of the first gram-positive piezophilic strains. These new data allowed both phylogenetic and structural 16S rRNA comparisons among deep-ocean trench piezophiles and closely related strains not adapted to high pressure. Our results suggest that (i) the Circumpolar Deep Water acts as repository for hyperpiezophiles and drives their dissemination to deep trenches in the Pacific Ocean and (ii) the occurrence of elongated helices in the 16S rRNA genes increases with the extent of adaptation to growth at elevated pressure. These helix changes are believed to improve ribosome function under deep-sea conditions.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Greengenes, a chimera-checked 16S rRNA gene database and workbench compatible with ARB.

A 16S rRNA gene database (http://greengenes.lbl.gov) addresses limitations of public repositories by providing chimera screening, standard alignment, and taxonomic classification using multiple published taxonomies. It was found that there is incongruent taxonomic nomenclature among curators even at the phylum level. Putative chimeras were identified in 3% of environmental sequences and in 0.2% of records derived from isolates. Environmental sequences were classified into 100 phylum-level lineages in the Archaea and Bacteria.

Archaea↗

Boundaries for biofilm formation: humidity and temperature.

Environmental conditions which define boundaries for biofilm production could provide useful ecological information for biofilm models. A practical use of defined conditions could be applied to the high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain. Data for temperature and humidity conditions indicate that decreases in relative humidity or increased temperature severely affect biofilm formation on three candidate canister metals.

Biofilms↗

Synthetic-peptide-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for screening human serum or plasma for antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and type 2.

A synthetic-peptide-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (EIA) capable of screening for antibodies to both human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and HIV-2 has been developed for use in blood banks and diagnostic laboratories. Microtiter wells are coated with two synthetic peptides, one corresponding to the highly conserved envelope region of HIV-1 and another corresponding to the conserved envelope region of HIV-2. Overall, sensitivity was 100% in 303 individuals diagnosed with AIDS and 96 individuals diagnosed with AIDS-related complex, 14.8% in a study of 500 high-risk group members, 99.9% in 600 EIA repeatedly reactive (RR)-HIV-1 Western blot (WB)-positive repository specimens, and 100% for 222 geographically diverse HIV-1 specimens and 216 confirmed HIV-2-positive specimens evaluated. The specificity was determined to be 99.72% for a total of 13,004 serum and plasma samples from random volunteer donors evaluated across five blood banks. Forty donors who were found to be EIA RR-WB indeterminate but nonreactive on the United Biomedical, Inc., test (UBI HIV 1/2 EIA) were prospectively followed as an additional measure of specificity. None of the 40 low-risk cases evolved into a positive WB pattern at follow-up. The sensitivity and specificity of this new assay are comparable to those of other Food and Drug Administration-licensed HIV-1 and HIV-1-HIV-2 assays that are currently available in the United States. The UBI HIV 1/2 EIA affords laboratories another choice in the detection of antibodies for HIV-1 and HIV-2 with a test based on an alternative antigen format.

AIDS Serodiagnosis↗

Listeria pneumonitis: induction of immunity after airborne infection with Listeria monocytogenes.

After implantation of approximately 10(3) Listeria monocytogenes organisms into the lungs, mice develop an acute pneumonitis with dissemination of infection to a mediastinal lymph node (MedLN), liver, and spleen. The infections in a MedLN and spleen resolve in approximately 7 days, but the lung infection persists for a few days longer. Pneumonitis is accompanied by a lymphoproliferative response in a MedLN and spleen, and immunity to Listeria is conferred adoptively with MedLN and spleen cells but not with mesenteric lymph node cells. Although the spleen appears to be the major repository of sensitized lymphocytes, splenectomized mice combat Listeria pneumonitis as effectively as normal mice. It is concluded that the induction of immunity to lung infection with L. monocytogenes is efficient and that the cause for the rather protracted pneumonitis is due to a defect in the expression of the cell-mediated immunity effector mechanism.

Animals↗

Relationship of progesterone- and estradiol-binding proteins in Coccidioides immitis to coccidioidal dissemination in pregnancy.

Pregnancy is a major risk factor for coccidioidal dissemination. Because rates of Coccidioides immitis growth and endospore release are stimulated in vitro by levels of unbound progesterone and 17 beta-estradiol that are achievable, in vivo, in the sera of pregnant women (i.e., 10(-9) to 10(-8) M), a specific-hormone-binding system in C. immitis was sought. Fungal cytosols were incubated with tritiated steroids plus or minus radioinert steroids to identify specific binding systems. All five strains of C. immitis tested exhibited specific saturable binding for progestin, estrogen, androgen, and (to a lesser extent) corticosterone and glucocorticoid hormone classes. Only low or inconsistent estrogen or androgen binding was found in Blastomyces dermatitidis and Torulopsis glabrata. Cryptococcus neoformans, Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, and non-albicans Candida species showed no binding. Scatchard analysis of progestin and estrogen binding in C. immitis revealed a high-capacity, low-affinity binding system that was unaffected by RNase and DNase, but 40 to 60% degraded by trypsin or heating. Ammonium sulfate precipitation resolved a high-affinity, low-capacity binding system (Kd = 1.24 X 10(-9) to 3.60 X 10(-8) M; number of binding sites = 0.014 to 0.20 pmol/mg of protein). The Kd of this system is sufficient to compete for unbound hormone in the sera of pregnant women. The high-capacity, low-affinity system may serve as a repository for hormone before its attachment to the specific binder. These studies suggest that the effects of nanomolar concentrations of sex hormones on C. immitis may be mediated by a specific cytosol protein-binding system and that stimulatory events observed in vitro may have relevance for the mechanism of coccidioidal dissemination in pregnancy.

Alpha-Globulins↗

Evaluation of a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for Johne's disease.

A new commercial kit for diagnosis of bovine paratuberculosis (Johne's disease), called the Johne's Absorbed EIA (enzyme immunoassay; Commonwealth Serum Laboratories, Parkville, Victoria, Australia), was evaluated by using serum specimens from the National Repository for Paratuberculosis Specimens. The evaluation was specifically designed to measure test sensitivity and specificity for detection of dairy cattle with subclinical paratuberculosis. The case definition of subclinical bovine paratuberculosis was isolation of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis from fecal samples or internal organs of cattle without diarrhea or chronic weight loss. Animals designed as free of the disease originated exclusively from four herds in Wisconsin that were certified to be free of disease. The kit had a sensitivity of 47.3% for serum specimens from 150 infected cattle. The test detected 59.7% of animals that shed M. paratuberculosis in their feces, as defined by conventional fecal culture, at the time of serum collection. Testing of 196 serum specimens from cattle without paratuberculosis yielded two false-positive results; the test specificity was thus 99.0%. Decision analysis procedures on the economics of using the kit in a test-and-cull disease control program indicated it would be cost-effective in any herd with a true paratuberculosis prevalence of greater than or equal to 3%. Comparison of the sensitivity and specificity of the Johne's Absorbed EIA with those of other tests for detection of subclinical paratuberculosis indicated that it may be the most accurate commercially available test at present and better than standard complement fixation test used in the United States.

Animals↗

Evaluation of four serological tests for bovine paratuberculosis.

The standard complement fixation (CF) test, a commercial agarose gel immunodiffusion (AGID) test (ImmuCell Corporation, Portland, Maine), and two commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs; Allied Laboratories, Glenwood Springs, Colo. [Allied ELISA], and the CSL, Limited, [Parkville, Victoria, Australia] enzyme immunoassay [CSL ELISA]) were evaluated by using sera from the Repository for Paratuberculosis Specimens. The case definition of subclinical bovine paratuberculosis was isolation of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis from fecal samples or internal organs of dairy cattle without diarrhea or weight loss. Animals designated as free of the disease originated exclusively from certified paratuberculosis-free herds in Wisconsin. None of the cattle evaluated had been vaccinated for paratuberculosis. Among 177 M. paratuberculosis-infected cattle, the CF test, the AGID test, the Allied ELISA, and the CSL ELISA had test sensitivities of 38.4, 26.6, 58.8, and 43.4%, respectively, and specificities of 99.0, 100.0, 95.4, and 99.0%, respectively. Only 108 of the infected cattle were confirmed by culture or by a commercial DNA probe (IDEXX Corporation, Portland, Maine) to be shedding the organism in fecal samples at the time of serological testing. Among the 108 M. paratuberculosis fecal shedders, the CF test, the AGID test, the Allied ELISA, and the CSL ELISA were positive for 54.6, 40.7, 65.7, and 56.5% of the cows, respectively; and among the 69 cows that were nonshedders, the tests were positive for 14.5, 4.3, 47.8, and 24.6% of the cows, respectively. There was a significant difference (P < 0.05) in the rate of positive test results for all four tests between these two groups of animals. The CF test performed well when it was compared with the other serological tests if a titer of >/- 1.8 was classified as a positive test result.

Animals↗

Development of species-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for diagnosis of Johne's disease in cattle.

The previously described (M. De Kesel, P. Gilot, M.-C. Misonne, M. Coene, and C. Cocito, J. Clin. Microbiol., 31:947-954, 1993) a362 recombinant polypeptide of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis was used as reagent for an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). This ELISA, which is endowed with species specificity with respect to the other mycobacteria, was applied to the analysis of bovine paratuberculosis (Johne's disease), an endemic mycobacteriosis of cattle caused by M. paratuberculosis. The distribution of anti-a362 antibodies in the cattle population was analyzed by a computer program (mixture population model) to determine a cutoff value for the test. The prevalence of a362 seropositivity in the Belgian bovine population was estimated to be 12%. The sensitivity of the a362 assay was 70%, as determined with reference sera from the U.S. National Repository of Paratuberculosis Specimens. Some 40% of the animals in the herds with paratuberculosis analyzed were found to be positive by the a362 assay. The latter proved to be 95% specific with respect to both healthy and tuberculous cattle.

Animals↗

Species-specific PCR as a tool for the identification of Burkholderia gladioli.

Burkholderia gladioli colonizes the respiratory tracts of patients with cystic fibrosis and chronic granulomatous disease. However, due to the high degree of phenotypic similarity between this species and closely related species in the Burkholderia cepacia complex, accurate identification is difficult. Incorrect identification of these species may have serious repercussions for the management of patients with cystic fibrosis. To develop an accurate procedure for the identification of B. gladioli, a molecular method to discriminate between this species and other species commonly isolated from the sputa of patients with cystic fibrosis was investigated. The 23S ribosomal DNA was cloned from several clinical isolates of B. gladioli, and the nucleotide sequence was determined. Computer-assisted sequence comparisons indicated four regions of the 23S rRNA specific for this species; these regions were used to design three primer pairs for species-specific PCR. Two of the primer pairs showed 100% sensitivity and specificity for B. gladioli when tested against a panel of 47 isolates comprising 19 B. gladioli isolates and 28 isolates of 16 other bacterial species. One of the primer pairs was further assessed for species specificity by using a panel of 102 isolates obtained from the Burkholderia cepacia Research Laboratory and Repository. The species-specific PCR was positive for 70 of 74 isolates of B. gladioli and was negative for all other bacterial species examined. Overall, this primer pair displayed a sensitivity and specificity of 96% (89 of 93) and 100%, respectively. These data demonstrate the potential of species-specific PCR for the identification of B. gladioli.

Burkholderia↗

Identification and detection of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia by rRNA-directed PCR.

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia has recently emerged as an important nosocomial pathogen in immunocompromised patients, in transplant recipients, and in persons with cystic fibrosis (CF). While this organism is nonpathogenic in healthy individuals, it is increasingly associated with morbidity and mortality in susceptible populations. Recent studies have indicated that for approximately 10% of CF patients with moderate lung disease, S. maltophilia can be cultured from respiratory tract secretions. Identification of S. maltophilia can be problematic, and analysis of isolates from the Burkholderia cepacia Research Laboratory and Repository showed that several isolates presumptively identified as B. cepacia by clinical microbiology laboratories were in fact S. maltophilia. To overcome the problems associated with definitive identification, we developed species-specific PCR (SS-PCR) primers, designated SM1 and SM4, directed to the 23S rRNA gene, and tested their utility to accurately identify S. maltophilia directly from sputum. The SS-PCR was developed and tested against a panel of 112 S. maltophilia isolates collected from diverse geographic locations. To test for specificity, 43 isolates from 17 different species were analyzed. PCR with the SM1-SM4 primer pair and isolated genomic DNA as a template resulted in amplification of a band from all S. maltophilia isolates and was uniformly negative for all other species tested, yielding a sensitivity and a specificity of 100% for the SS-PCR. The utility of the SS-PCR to directly identify S. maltophilia in sputum was examined. Thirteen expectorated sputum samples from CF patients were analyzed by SS-PCR. Three samples were PCR positive, in complete concordance with the conventional laboratory culture. Thus, we have developed an SS-PCR protocol that can rapidly and accurately identify S. maltophilia isolates and which can be used for the direct detection of this organism in CF patient sputum.

Cloning, Molecular↗

Necessity of quality-controlled 16S rRNA gene sequence databases: identifying nontuberculous Mycobacterium species.

The use of the 16S rRNA gene for identification of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) provides a faster and better ability to accurately identify them in addition to contributing significantly in the discovery of new species. Despite their associated problems, many rely on the use of public sequence databases for sequence comparisons. To best evaluate the taxonomic status of NTM species submitted to our reference laboratory, we have created a 16S rRNA sequence database by sequencing 121 American Type Culture Collection strains encompassing 92 species of mycobacteria, and have also included chosen unique mycobacterial sequences from public sequence repositories. In addition, the Ribosomal Differentiation of Medical Microorganisms (RIDOM) service has made freely available on the Internet mycobacterial identification by 16S rRNA analysis. We have evaluated 122 clinical NTM species using our database, comparing >1,400 bp of the 16S gene, and the RIDOM database, comparing approximately 440 bp. The breakdown of analysis was as follows: 61 strains had a sequence with 100% similarity to the type strain of an established species, 19 strains showed a 1- to 5-bp divergence from an established species, 11 strains had sequences corresponding to uncharacterized strain sequences in public databases, and 31 strains represented unique sequences. Our experience with analysis of the 16S rRNA gene of patient strains has shown that clear-cut results are not the rule. As many clinical, research, and environmental laboratories currently employ 16S-based identification of bacteria, including mycobacteria, a freely available quality-controlled database such as that provided by RIDOM is essential to accurately identify species or detect true sequence variations leading to the discovery of new species.

Databases, Nucleic Acid↗

Real-time PCR system for detection of orthopoxviruses and simultaneous identification of smallpox virus.

A screening assay for real-time LightCycler (Roche Applied Science, Mannheim, Germany) PCR identification of smallpox virus DNA was developed and compiled in a kit system under good manufacturing practice conditions with standardized reagents. In search of a sequence region unique to smallpox virus, the nucleotide sequence of the 14-kDa fusion protein gene of each of 14 variola virus isolates of the Russian World Health Organization smallpox virus repository was determined and compared to published sequences. PCR primers were designed to detect all Eurasian-African species of the genus ORTHOPOXVIRUS: A single nucleotide mismatch resulting in a unique amino acid substitution in smallpox virus was used to design a hybridization probe pair with a specific sensor probe that allows reliable differentiation of smallpox virus from other orthopoxviruses by melting-curve analysis. The applicability was demonstrated by successful amplification of 120 strains belonging to the orthopoxvirus species variola, vaccinia, camelpox, mousepox, cowpox, and monkeypox virus. The melting temperatures (T(m)s) determined for 46 strains of variola virus (T(m)s, 55.9 to 57.8 degrees C) differed significantly (P = 0.005) from those obtained for 11 strains of vaccinia virus (T(m)s, 61.7 to 62.7 degrees C), 15 strains of monkeypox virus (T(m)s, 61.9 to 62.2 degrees C), 40 strains of cowpox virus (T(m)s, 61.3 to 63.7 degrees C), 8 strains of mousepox virus (T(m), 61.9 degrees C), and 8 strains of camelpox virus (T(m)s, 64.0 to 65.0 degrees C). As most of the smallpox virus samples were derived from infected cell cultures and tissues, smallpox virus DNA could be detected in a background of human DNA. By applying probit regression analysis, the analytical sensitivity was determined to be 4 copies of smallpox virus target DNA per sample. The DNAs of several human herpesviruses as well as poxviruses other than orthopoxviruses were not detected by this method. The assay proved to be a reliable technique for the detection of orthopoxviruses, with the advantage that it can simultaneously identify variola virus.

Animals↗

In vivo and in vitro models of demyelinating disease: JHM virus in the rat central nervous system localized by in situ cDNA hybridization and immunofluorescent microscopy.

In situ probing of central nervous system (CNS) tissues has made it possible to associate the presence of JHM virus (JHMV) RNA with individual cells in the rat CNS. The presence of viral RNA was not always associated with antigen expression. The in situ hybridization revealed that cerebellar Purkinje cells and hippocampal neurons were highly susceptible to JHMV infection during either acute or paralytic disease. In the paralytic disease, Purkinje cell neurons frequently contained viral RNA. This observation suggests that these neurons, and perhaps others, may be repositories for JHMV in rats that undergo prolonged infections.

Animals↗

Distribution and trafficking of JHM coronavirus structural proteins and virions in primary neurons and the OBL-21 neuronal cell line.

The neurotropic murine coronavirus JHM is capable of inducing various forms of neurologic diseases, including demyelination. Neurons have been shown to act as a repository site at the early stages of the disease process (O. Sorensen and S. Dales, J. Virol. 56:434-438, 1985). JHM virus (JHMV) replication and trafficking of viral proteins and virions in cultured rat hippocampal neurons and a neuronal cell line, OBL-21, were examined, with an emphasis placed on the role of the microtubular network. We show here that JHMV spread within the central nervous system occurs transneuronally and that virus protein trafficking was dependent upon microtubules. Viral trafficking occurred asymmetrically, involving both the somatodendritic and the axonal domains. Thus coronavirus can be disseminated from neurons at either the basolateral or the apical domains. A specific interaction between antibodies derived against the microtubule-associated protein tau and JHMV nucleocapsid protein (N) was observed, which can presumably be explained by an overall amino acid similarity of 44% and an identity of 20% between proteins N and tau, with optimal alignment at the microtubule binding domain of tau. Collectively, our data suggest an important role of the microtubule network in viral protein trafficking and distribution. They also draw attention to protein sequence mimicry of a cell component by this coronavirus as one strategy for making use of the host's functions on behalf of the virus.

Amino Acid Sequence↗