Mucin glycosylation and sulphation in airway epithelial cells is not influenced by cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator expression

Abnormalities in mucus properties and clearance make a major contribution to the pathology of cystic fibrosis (CF). Our aim was to test the hypothesis that the defects in CF mucus are a direct result of mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein. We evaluated a single mucin molecule MUC1F/5ACTR that carries tandem repeat sequence from MUC5AC, a major secreted airway mucin, in a MUC1 mucin vector. To establish whether the presence of mutant or normal CFTR directly influences the O-glycosylation and sulphation of mucins in airway epithelial cells, we used the CFT1-LC3 (DeltaF508 CFTR mutant) and CFT1-LCFSN (wild-type CFTR corrected) human airway epithelial cell lines. MUC1F/5ACTR mucin was immunoprecipitated, centricon purified, and O-glycosylation was evaluated by Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization and electrospray tandem mass spectrometry to determine the composition of different carbohydrate structures. Mass spectrometry data showed the same O-glycans in both CFTR mutant and wild-type CFTR corrected cells. Metabolic labeling assays were performed to evaluate gross glycosylation and sulphation of the mucins and showed no significant difference in mucin synthesized in six independent clones of these cell lines. Our results show that the absence of functional CFTR protein causes neither an abnormality in mucin O-glycosylation nor an increase in mucin sulphation

Women and Substance Abuse Problems

Health Issues: Differences exist in the prevalence and physical health impacts of problem substance use among men and women. These differences are also found in the mental health and trauma events related to substance use, barriers to treatment and harm-reduction services and the impact of substance use on pregnancy and parenting. Data from the 2000–2001 Canadian Community Health Survey and Canada's Alcohol and Other Drugs Survey (1994) were used to explore this issue further. Key Findings: While women use alcohol and illicit drugs at lower rates than men, the health impact of their use is significant, and in some cases greater than for men. Women are more likely to use prescribed psychoactive drugs (e.g. pain relievers, sleeping pills, tranquillizers) and most of these drugs have addictive potential and long-term negative consequences on health. Research collected from treatment centres in Canada show high rates of victimization experienced by women, which have implications for both their substance use treatment and improvement in mental health. Data Gaps and Recommendations: Significant gaps exist in our knowledge on the level, type

Similarities and Differences in the Glycosylation Mechanisms in Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes

Recent years have witnessed a rapid growth in the number and diversity of prokaryotic proteins shown to carry N- and/or O-glycans, with protein glycosylation now considered as fundamental to the biology of these organisms as it is in eukaryotic systems. This article overviews the major glycosylation pathways that are known to exist in eukarya, bacteria and archaea. These are (i) oligosaccharyltransferase (OST)-mediated N-glycosylation which is abundant in eukarya and archaea, but is restricted to a limited range of bacteria; (ii) stepwise cytoplasmic N-glycosylation that has so far only been confirmed in the bacterial domain; (iii) OST-mediated O-glycosylation which appears to be characteristic of bacteria; and (iv) stepwise O-glycosylation which is common in eukarya and bacteria. A key aim of the review is to integrate information from the three domains of life in order to highlight commonalities in glycosylation processes. We show how the OST-mediated N- and O-glycosylation pathways share cytoplasmic assembly of lipid-linked oligosaccharides, flipping across the ER/periplasmic/cytoplasmic membranes, and transferring “en bloc” to the protein acceptor. Moreover these hallmarks are mirrored in lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis. Like in eukaryotes, stepwise O-glycosylation occurs on diverse bacterial proteins including flagellins, adhesins, autotransporters and lipoproteins, with O-glycosylation chain extension often coupled with secretory mechanisms

Choice of Host Cell Line Is Essential for the Functional Glycosylation of the Fc Region of Human IgG1 Inhibitors of Influenza B Viruses

Abs are glycoproteins that carry a conserved N-linked carbohydrate attached to the Fc whose presence and fine structure profoundly impacts on their in vivo immunogenicity, pharmacokinetics, and functional attributes. The host cell line used to produce IgG has a major impact on this glycosylation, as different systems express different glycosylation enzymes and transporters that contribute to the specificity and heterogeneity of the final IgG-Fc glycosylation profile. In this study, we compare two panels of glycan-adapted IgG1-Fc mutants expressed in either the human endothelial kidney 293-F or Chinese hamster ovary–K1 systems. We show that the types of N-linked glycans between matched pairs of Fc mutants vary greatly and in particular, with respect, to sialylation. These cell line effects on glycosylation profoundly influence the ability of the engineered Fcs to interact with either human or pathogen receptors. For example, we describe Fc mutants that potently disrupted influenza B–mediated agglutination of human erythrocytes when expressed in Chinese hamster ovary–K1, but not in human endothelial kidney 293-F cells

Riche Belgique (2/2)

Après la visite de la bibliothèque royale de Belgique, les bibliothécaires lorrains reviennent sur leurs pas et reprennent le fil de leur périple de trois jours qui les ont menés de Mons à Louvain-la-Neuve et Liège en passant par Schaerbeek, dans la proche banlieue de Bruxelles. Un tour qui apermis de prendre la température tandis que débutait le plan quinquennal décrété en 2009

Diversity in Engineering Technology Students

In the US, there are two academic pathways to a career in engineering: Engineering and Engineering Technology (ET). Engineering Technology attracts more African American and Latin American students than traditional engineering programs. Nationally, African American students are more than twice as likely to enroll in an ET program versus Engineering. We suspect it may be due to traditional Engineering programs’ requirement of higher levels of math and science classes, often lacking in under-privileged or underserved urban or rural high schools. Recently published research by the New York Equity Coalition supports this supposition. Understanding the reasons for the higher representation of these students in ET can provide insights on the background of these students for developing effective practices and programming to improve retention of this cohort. It would also provide useful information for increasing the diversity of traditional engineering programs. This paper presents initial findings from a work in progress that is part of a multi-institution study to understand the factors that influence initial matriculation into and retention in engineering technology programs

Engineering Technology Undergraduate Students: A Survey of Demographics and Mentoring

A report published by a group of engineering technology practitioners and others interested in engineering technology called “Engineering Technology Education in the United States” was released in early 2017. The report provided recommendations of areas for further study related to engineering technology students to increase our understanding of the population. These specifically suggested focusing on the students in comparison to other students in similar and different fields of study. Following these recommendations, a team of engineering technology education researchers has been collaborating to gather information in these areas. The team obtained institutional approval and distributed two surveys throughout the United States. The first survey was directed towards undergraduate students and the other towards those who have already completed their undergraduate degrees. This paper is focused on a high-level review of the results of the undergraduate survey, with future, in-depth publications focused on the issues identified by the report. The survey was designed to address the issues described in the report focused on matriculation, retention, and graduation from engineering technology. In this case, we are examining the demographics of undergraduate engineering technology students, mentoring, and other issues that participants self-reported, as related to their peers in other STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) majors. Later work will focus more on program (2-year vs 4-year) comparisons, socioeconomic issues, and level of preparation for the various majors categorized as STEAM. This paper is not intended to provide responses to the recommendations of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) report, but rather provide an overview of the responses to the inquiry focused on addressing this topic. The undergraduate engineering technology student subset of the STEAM survey respondents is about 68% male and 30% female. This is as expected, recognizing that engineering technology and related disciplines tend to be male dominated. The reporting students most frequently identified as white, followed by Asian and Hispanic. Most students attended a suburban, public high school and about 47% of students reported receiving no support as they prepared to attend college

Engineering Technology Graduates: A Survey of Demographics and Mentoring

Early in 2017, a team of engineering technology practitioners along with others interested in the state of engineering technology published a report entitled “Engineering Technology Education in the United States.” This report garnered a list of recommendations and things that needed to be investigated to further our understanding of this student population; specifically focusing on the students and how they relate to other students studying both similar and different material. A team of like-minded engineering technology education researchers have been working together to ascertain the answers to the findings. They prepared two surveys, obtained institutional approval, and distributed it throughout the United States. One survey was designed to query undergraduate students and the other student graduates or those who have already graduated. This paper is intended to provide a high-level review of what was found in the graduate survey, while future journal publications will take a deeper look into some of the prevailing issues identified by the report. The survey was designed to address issues described in the report as “loose coupling” of completed degrees and employment. In this case, we are examining the demographics of graduates and potential influences of their career and academic choices. Later work will focus more on salaries and other factors that influence engineering technology graduates and their lives post-graduation. Responding graduates are closely aligned to the graduate demographic with nearly 57% male and nearly 42% female. Since STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) graduates were polled, the number is expected to be closer to par, representing the general graduate population. Most students were white, followed by Hispanic and Asian; other races are far fewer in number. Nearly 17% of the graduates began their studies in a two-year institution, and the balance at a 4-year institution. Thirty-three percent of the respondents stated they had a graduate degree. This paper will focus on the engineering technology graduate subset of the STEAM graduate survey respondents

Identification and structural characterisation of a partially arabinosylated lipoarabinomannan variant isolated from a Corynebacterium glutamicum ubiAmutant

Arabinan polysaccharide side-chains are present in both Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Corynebacterium glutamicum in the heteropolysaccharide arabinogalactan (AG), and in M. tuberculosis in the lipoglycan, lipoarabinomannan (LAM). Herein, we show by quantitative sugar and glycosyl linkage analysis that C. glutamicum possesses a much smaller LAM version, Cg-LAM, characterised by single t-Araf residues linked to th