Lichen secondary metabolites from the cultured lichen mycobionts of Teloschistes chrysophthalmus and Ramalina celastri and their antiviral activities

Lichens and spore-derived cultured mycobionts of Teloschistes chrysophthalmus and Ramalina celastri were studied chemically, and results indicated that they produced, respectively, parietin and usnic acid as major secondary metabolites, which were purified and identified. Identification of the compounds was performed by high performance liquid chromatography and structural elucidation by nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H) and electron impact mass spectrometry. Usnic acid exhibited antiviral activity whereas parietin had a virucidal effect against the arenaviruses Junín and Tacaribe. © 2007 Verlag der Zeitschrift für Naturforschung.Fil:Fazio, A.T. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina.Fil:Adler, M.T. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina.Fil:Bertoni, M.D. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina.Fil:Sepúlveda, C.S. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina.Fil:Damonte, E.B. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina.Fil:Maier, M.S. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina

Proteases and interleukin-6 gene analysis in 92 giant cell tumorsof bone

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Genetic diversity in natural populations of Jacaranda decurrens Cham. determined using RAPD and AFLP markers

Jacaranda decurrens (Bignoniaceae) is an endemic species of the Cerrado with validated antitumoral activity. The genetic diversity of six populations of J. decurrens located in the State of São Paulo was determined in this study by using molecular markers for randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP). Following optimization of the amplification reaction, 10 selected primers generated 78 reproducible RAPD fragments that were mostly (69.2%) polymorphic. Two hundred and five reproducible AFLP fragments were generated by using four selected primer combinations; 46.3% of these fragments were polymorphic, indicating a considerable level of genetic diversity. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) using these two groups of markers indicated that variability was strongly structured amongst populations. The unweighted pair group method with arithmatic mean (UPGMA) and Pearson's correlation coefficient (RAPD -0.16, p = 0.2082; AFLP 0.37, p = 0.1006) between genetic matrices and geographic distances suggested that the population structure followed an island model in which a single population of infinite size gave rise to the current populations of J. decurrens, independently of their spatial position. The results of this study indicate that RAPD and AFLP markers were similarly efficient in measuring the genetic variability amongst natural populations of J. decurrens. These data may be useful for developing strategies for the preservation of this medicinal species in the Cerrado

Whole genome sequence association analysis of fasting glucose and fasting insulin levels in diverse cohorts from the NHLBI TOPMed program

The genetic determinants of fasting glucose (FG) and fasting insulin (FI) have been studied mostly through genome arrays, resulting in over 100 associated variants. We extended this work with high-coverage whole genome sequencing analyses from fifteen cohorts in NHLBI’s Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) program. Over 23,000 non-diabetic individuals from five race-ethnicities/populations (African, Asian, European, Hispanic and Samoan) were included. Eight variants were significantly associated with FG or FI across previously identified regions MTNR1B, G6PC2, GCK, GCKR and FOXA2. We additionally characterize suggestive associations with FG or FI near previously identified SLC30A8, TCF7L2, and ADCY5 regions as well as APOB, PTPRT, and ROBO1. Functional annotation resources including the Diabetes Epigenome Atlas were compiled for each signal (chromatin states, annotation principal components, and others) to elucidate variant-to-function hypotheses. We provide a catalog of nucleotide-resolution genomic variation spanning intergenic and intronic regions creating a foundation for future sequencing-based investigations of glycemic traits

Macrocyclic trichothecene production by the fungus epibiont of Baccharis coridifolia

Cultures of the fungus epibiont from the herbaceous shrub B. coridifolia yielded four macrocyclic trichothecenes. As these toxins are the same as those found in B. coridifolia, the relationship between the plant and the epibiont must be considered as mutualistic.Fil:Rosso, M.L. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina.Fil:Maier, M.S. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina.Fil:Bertoni, M.D. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina