The role of alanine and aspartate aminotransferases in C₄ photosynthesis

Schlüter U, Bräutigam A, Droz J‐M, Schwender J, Weber APM. The role of alanine and aspartate aminotransferases in C<sub>4</sub> photosynthesis. Plant Biology. 2019;21(S1):64-76.• Alanine and aspartate are essential transfer metabolites for C4 species of the NADmalic enzyme and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase subtype. To some degree both amino acids are also part of the metabolite shuttle in NADP-malic enzyme plants. In comparison with C3 species, the majority of C4 species are therefore characterised by enhanced expression and activity of alanine and aspartate aminotransferases (AT) in the photosynthetically active tissue. Both enzymes exist in multiple copies and have been found in different subcellular compartments. We tested whether different C4 species show preferential recruitment of enzymes from specific lineages and subcellular compartments. • Phylogenetic analysis of alanine and aspartate ATs from a variety of monocot and eudicot C4 species and their C3 relatives was combined with subcellular prediction tools and analysis of the subsequent transcript amounts in mature leaves. • Recruitment of aspartate AT from a specific subcellular compartment was strongly connected to the biochemical subtype. Deviation from the main model was however observed in Gynandropsis gynandra. The configuration of alanine AT generally differed in monocot and eudicot species. C4 monocots recruited an alanine AT from a specific cytosolic branch, but eudicots use alanine AT copies from a mitochondrial branch. • Generally, plants display high plasticity in the setup of the C4 pathway. Beside the common models for the different C4 subtypes, individual solutions were found for plant groups or lineages

Predictors and outcome impact of perioperative serum sodium changes in a high-risk population.

BACKGROUND: The perioperative period may be associated with a marked neurohumoral stress response, significant fluid losses, and varied fluid replacement regimes. Acute changes in serum sodium concentration are therefore common, but predictors and outcomes of these changes have not been investigated in a large surgical population. METHODS: We carried out a retrospective cohort analysis of 27 068 in-patient non-cardiac surgical procedures in a tertiary teaching hospital setting. Data on preoperative conditions, perioperative events, hospital length of stay, and mortality were collected, along with preoperative and postoperative serum sodium measurements up to 7 days after surgery. Logistic regression was used to investigate the association between sodium changes and mortality, and to identify clinical characteristics associated with a deviation from baseline sodium >5 mmol litre(-1). RESULTS: Changes in sodium concentration >5 mmol litre(-1) were associated with increased mortality risk (adjusted odds ratio 1.49 for a decrease, 3.02 for an increase). Factors independently associated with a perioperative decrease in serum sodium concentration >5 mmol litre(-1) included age >60, diabetes mellitus, and the use of patient-controlled opioid analgesia. Factors associated with a similar increase were preoperative oxygen dependency, mechanical ventilation, central nervous system depression, non-elective surgery, and major operative haemorrhage. CONCLUSIONS: Maximum deviation from preoperative serum sodium value is associated with increased hospital mortality in patients undergoing in-patient non-cardiac surgery. Specific preoperative and perioperative factors are associated with significant serum sodium changes.This work was supported by the Cambridge University Division of Anaesthesia.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Oxford University Press via http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/bja/aeu40

Anti-Allergic Cromones Inhibit Histamine and Eicosanoid Release from Activated Human and Murine Mast Cells by Releasing Annexin A1

PMCID: PMC3601088This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited

Pharmacotherapeutic management of paediatric heart failure and ACE-I use patterns: A European survey

Objective To characterise heart failure (HF) maintenance pharmacotherapy for children across Europe and investigate how angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-I) are used in this setting. Methods A Europe-wide web-based survey was conducted between January and May 2015 among European paediatricians dedicated to cardiology. Results Out of 200-eligible, 100 physicians representing 100 hospitals in 27 European countries participated. All participants reported prescribing ACE-I to treat dilated cardiomyopathy-related HF and 97% in the context of congenital heart defects; 87% for single ventricle physiology. Twenty-six per cent avoid ACE-I i