7 research outputs found
An evolutionary ‘intermediate state’ of mitochondrial translation systems found in Trichinella species of parasitic nematodes: co-evolution of tRNA and EF-Tu
EF-Tu delivers aminoacyl-tRNAs to ribosomes in the translation system. However, unusual truncations found in some animal mitochondrial tRNAs seem to prevent recognition by a canonical EF-Tu. We showed previously that the chromadorean nematode has two distinct EF-Tus, one of which (EF-Tu1) binds only to T-armless aminoacyl-tRNAs and the other (EF-Tu2) binds to D-armless Ser-tRNAs. Neither of the EF-Tus can bind to canonical cloverleaf tRNAs. In this study, by analyzing the translation system of enoplean nematode Trichinella species, we address how EF-Tus and tRNAs have evolved from the canonical structures toward those of the chromadorean translation system. Trichinella mitochondria possess three types of tRNAs: cloverleaf tRNAs, which do not exist in chromadorean nematode mitochondria; T-armless tRNAs; and D-armless tRNAs. We found two mitochondrial EF-Tu species, EF-Tu1 and EF-Tu2, in Trichinella britovi. T.britovi EF-Tu2 could bind to only D-armless Ser-tRNA, as Caenorhabditis elegans EF-Tu2 does. In contrast to the case of C.elegans EF-Tu1, however, T.britovi EF-Tu1 bound to all three types of tRNA present in Trichinella mitochondria. These results suggest that Trichinella mitochondrial translation system, and particularly the tRNA-binding specificity of EF-Tu1, could be an intermediate state between the canonical system and the chromadorean nematode mitochondrial system
<Poster>Mouse peptidoglycan recognition protein( PGRP)-S : the role in bacterial infection
IDENTIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THE THREADWORM, STRONGYLOIDES PROCYONIS, FROM FERAL RACCOONS (PROCYON LOTOR) IN JAPAN
Paragonimus westermani and Some Rare Intestinal Trematodes Recovered from Raccoon Dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus) Introduced Recently on Yakushima Island, Japan
Crystallization of mitochondrial rhodoquinol-fumarate reductase from the parasitic nematode Ascaris suum with the specific inhibitor flutolanil
Rhodoquinol-fumarate reductase is a key enzyme in the anaerobic respiratory chain of adult A. suum mitochondria. Its crystallization in the presence of a mixture of octaethyleneglycol monododecyl ether and n-dodecyl-β-d-maltopyranoside in a form suitable for X-ray structure analysis is reported
Mouse Peptidoglycan Recognition Protein PGLYRP-1 Plays a Role in the Host Innate Immune Response against Listeria monocytogenes Infection ▿ †
The role of mouse peptidoglycan recognition protein PGLYRP-1 in innate immunity against Listeria monocytogenes infection was studied. The recombinant mouse PGLYRP-1 and a polyclonal antibody specific to PGLYRP-1 were prepared. The mouse PGLYRP-1 showed antibacterial activities against L. monocytogenes and other Gram-positive bacteria. PGLYRP-1 mRNA expression was induced in the spleens and livers of mice infected with L. monocytogenes. The viable bacterial number increased, and the production of cytokines such as gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) was reduced in mice when mice had been injected with anti-PGLYRP-1 antibody before infection. The levels of IFN-γ and TNF-α titers in the organs were higher and the viable bacterial number was reduced in mice injected with recombinant mouse PGLYRP-1 (rmPGLYRP-1) before infection. PGLYRP-1 could directly induce these cytokines in spleen cell cultures. The elimination of intracellular bacteria was upregulated in NMuLi hepatocyte cells overexpressing PGLYRP-1. The enhancement of the elimination of L. monocytogenes from the organs was observed in IFN-γ−/− mice by rmPGLYRP-1 administration but not in TNF-α−/− mice. These results suggest that PGLYRP-1 plays a role in innate immunity against L. monocytogenes infection by inducing TNF-α
Expression, purification and crystallization of Trypanosoma cruzi dihydroorotate dehydrogenase complexed with orotate
The Trypanosoma cruzi dihydroorotate dehydrogenase, a key enzyme in pyrimidine de novo biosynthesis and redox homeostasis, was crystallized in complex with its first reaction product, orotate